The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs has just released a report on it's view on 'US Hegemony and Its Perils' it makes for an interesting read, especially in light of it's origin, it's is some of the most pointed and direct jabs at the US I have seen coming directly from official Chinese sources…obviously the Chinese are getting more than a little tired of the US and it's endless belligerent antagonism aimed at China and so much of the world…like many of us!
"While a just cause wins its champion wide support, an unjust one condemns its pursuer to be an outcast. The hegemonic, domineering, and bullying practices of using strength to intimidate the weak, taking from others by force and subterfuge, and playing zero-sum games are exerting grave harm. The historical trends of peace, development, cooperation, and mutual benefit are unstoppable. The United States has been overriding truth with its power and trampling justice to serve self-interest. These unilateral, egoistic and regressive hegemonic practices have drawn growing, intense criticism and opposition from the international community.
Countries need to respect each other and treat each other as equals. Big countries should behave in a manner befitting their status and take the lead in pursuing a new model of state-to-state relations featuring dialogue and partnership, not confrontation or alliance. China opposes all forms of hegemonism and power politics, and rejects interference in other countries' internal affairs. The United States must conduct serious soul-searching. It must critically examine what it has done, let go of its arrogance and prejudice, and quit its hegemonic, domineering and bullying practices."
The peril of claiming atolls in the South China Sea are islands/air and seaports of China and having ignore the ruling of The International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea, as to the dubious nature of its own claims to effect the theft of the economic zones off weaker nations to their south, is the small size of the moral footprint they then make when criticising any other nation.
And it cannot even call out Russia on the invasion of Ukraine, or itself on the establishment of "police stations" on foreign territory without consent.
If Biden and Blinken had any balls they would say to China, if you arm the Russians or recognise the annexation of Ukraine territory (after a local vote as per Crimea), then it might be inferred that it would be hypercritical to deny Taiwan a vote on independence or oppose other nations coming to its defence should it be attacked.
they would say to China, if you arm the Russians or recognise the annexation of Ukraine territory (after a local vote as per Crimea), then it might be inferred that it would be hypercritical to deny Taiwan a vote on independence or oppose other nations coming to its defence should it be attacked.
Why? Taiwan is part of China. Even the Taiwanese admit that; though they don't agree that the CCP is the legitimate government of China. Any attack on Taiwan would therefor be a civil war, and no concern of any other country.
Just two places, the United States (4.7% of the world’s population) and Western Europe (2.52%), are the overwhelmingly dominant news sources for the planet, containing all three major news agencies, plus all the major newspapers and news TV channels. The rest of us, more than 90% of humanity, feel that our points of view should not be excluded.
Prime Minister Chris Hipkins says building post-cyclone State Highway 1 resilience will potentially take years
IMO Yes. I agree with our PM.
And….oh really ?
Northland Regional Council chair Tui Shortland said Cyclone Gabrielle had exposed deep vulnerabilities in the North.
Were all the Local body and Regional Councils looking at Native Replanting on at-risk hill sides ? And that Wetlands were not being drained for new developments/subdivisions ? Probably a LOT of vulnerabilities that were high-lit by Local Environmental groups…and NZ wide..and mostly ignored by aforesaid councils..and Mayors ! : (.
There are no quick fix solutions , although Nact and other RWhingers will moan long and loudly (same as ever)
There is much to be done…and Change is going to be prime. NZ cant keep repeating the same mistakes.
The Guardian, to its credit, finally published an editorial that made plain that Corbyn had fought against racism for many years. It still (wrongly in my view) criticised Corbyn for his response to antisemitism in the Labour Party, and (wrongly) praised Starmer, but in a fairly low key manner.
I found this part of he Guardian editorial particularly interesting.
“To conflate the antisemitism of some on the left with all leftwing politics is illogical and shortsighted. Given the state of the country and the world, now is not the time to dismiss important ideas just because John McDonnell once smiled at them. Not only is the former shadow chancellor one of the most interesting economic thinkers in the Labour party, he was also right to oppose austerity from 2010 onwards – not a claim that can be made by all of the shadow cabinet.”
The Guardian has realised that many people think that Starmer has gone way too far in his unjustified and non-fact based attacks on Corbyn.
From various comments by the PM, among other government ministers, it seems likely that managed retreat, in some form, will be on the table for the worst-affected-by-flooding areas.
Assuming this goes ahead, the next question is going to be 'Managed retreat to where'?
This article quotes 5,500 properties affected by flooding in Auckland. Assuming that not all need managed retreat (or at least don't need it right now), and that some will resist any buyout (Matata, case in point) – we can substantially reduce that number.
It doesn't, however, address properties affected by slips and landslides (which are rarely in flood plains – so that would add to the total.
However, even if we're 'only' looking at 2,500 new properties in Auckland – where will we put them?
Clearly *not* in flood-prone areas.
The current plan allowing for 3×3 townhouse development on virtually every site in Auckland (that is 3 properties up to 3 stories high) – will only make any stormwater issues worse. I've seen these townhouse developments. There is zero permeable surface. And, unless they are part of a larger development (most are not), there is no associated run-off mitigation work. Stonefields and Hobsonville (large suburb-size developments) both had stormwater mitigation features, and fared well in both the Anniversary floods and Cyclone Gabrielle. But the vast majority of the developments are single-site ones – so no mitigation features.
Residents are unlikely to want to leave their local area (with a somewhat more elastic definition of 'local' for some than others).
And Auckland doesn't have great zones of suitable unbuilt-on land awaiting developement.
Can managed-retreat pay-outs be tied to ecologically-friendly solutions, e.g. apartment blocks (with decent-sized family-suitable apartments), on sites with appropriate stormwater mitigation?
Some of the issues around this are to do with cost: apartment blocks appear to cost considerably more to build, than stand alone or terraced housing. Some are to do with reputation – Aucklanders are justifiably wary of apartments after the leaky building saga. Some are to do with the Covid scars (lockdown in an apartment with kids is no joke). Some are to do with the mental shift – Kiwis think of 'home' as having a backyard – and apartments are a temporary solution to getting there
I'm not saying that they are not. I was just saying that they are likely to be over-and-above the total of houses in the article quoted – which was only discussing flood-plain damage.
Can managed-retreat pay-outs be tied to ecologically-friendly solutions, e.g. apartment blocks (with decent-sized family-suitable apartments), on sites with appropriate stormwater mitigation?
Let's look 30 years in the future. We have much less power supply, we have frequent events like the last month, there are global food shortages because industrial ag is failing from temperature rises, increase droughts and floods, and interruptions to supply lines, and presumably we are closer to post-FF.
Do we really want to have infilled with lots of concrete and hardscarp infrastructure that was designed for less events? How would we even predict that far out how the weather is going to be?
One alternative is to use whole system design. Reduce transport across the board, so that transport infrastructure is freed up for essentials. Grow as much food locally as possible (which means retaining non-concreted spaces). Integrate that with city forestry and wetland systems designed to manage the peak rain events. More people can work from home, or be educated from home or in the neighbourhood. What is needed is sets of interlocking villages. There would be low rise appartments within that, but the starting point isn't 'too many people, where do we put them'. It's 'what's the carrying capacity of this landbase and how can we meet human needs by working with nature'.
Re immediate housing, one option (to be used alongside others), the tiny house on wheels movement is sufficiently established to scale up and provide interim accommodation for those that it suits. This frees up housing for those that need more space.
1.5 million people in Auckland. Even cutting out the pop in the more rural areas, you're going to come up with a total of 1 million plus in the densely populated areas.
What sort of practical programme can there be to translate this into the kind of village settlements you're talking about?
In order to gain the space for the kind of wetland/forestry systems you're talking about, in combination with the existing population, you'll need to have serious high-rise accommodation. And will involve massive razing of existing housing infrastructure.
Unless you're suggesting massive relocation – probably involuntary (people in general don't like leaving their homes); or some other mechanism to reduce the population to the "carrying capacity of the landbase" – the population has to be accommodated somewhere.
I'd like to see more tiny houses in operation. However, they require space, and (for most) connection to existing power/water/sewerage infrastructure. All of which is at a premium in Auckland. I'm sure there are solutions, but I'd like to see what they might be. Freeing up Council bureaucracy might be one of them (the hoops to be jumped through to put a minor dwelling (which is what a tiny home is counted as) on a site are immense).
Government departments used to have lots of onsite housing that was tiny housing e.g. single mens quarters on railways. Ensuring employees have accommodation isn't a bad thing and no reason railway land could not be used for workers accommodation.
this is the problem when you start with 'can't' instead of 'how'. Sustainable design comes from location. What will work in one part of Auckland won't work in another.
Unless you're suggesting massive relocation – probably involuntary (people in general don't like leaving their homes); or some other mechanism to reduce the population to the "carrying capacity of the landbase" – the population has to be accommodated somewhere.
You're assuming a few things there. One is that no-one wants to move. Firstly, Gabrielle just completely changed the cultural normal that we all get to live where we want.
Secondly, the number of Auckland people coming south, suggests there are people that are happy to move. So start with the people that do want to move instead of a blanket 'too many people to move'. Why do people want to move? Down here the idea is that people understand how hard it's going to get to remain in Auckland, on many levels, and they want a better life.
Not that I want them to come down here lol, but you are still starting with '1.5m people have to be fitted into here irrespective of sustainability or climate', whereas I'm saying if you start with sustainable design principles then the solutions become apparent.
How many renters in Auckland would move to another part of their neighbourhood if it meant an improvement in their lifestyle?
People that live in areas that are flooding repeatedly will be more likely to want to move.
Every new development could be based in climate transition. Start with the low hanging fruit. Does Auckland still have suburbs with houses on a section? See below.
The other assumption is that the carrying capacity of the landbase is already vastly overreached. Do you know that to be true?
One influence on my thinking was David Holmgren's early work on Retrofitting the suburbs. He later developed this into Retrosuburbia, which is also excellent. The idea is how to transform existing infrastructure towards more sustainability. By sustainability, I mean that key principles are used like cradle to grave design, closing loops to reduce pollution, capturing energy flows to make spaces more efficient and so on. I don't mean greening things up a bit.
His work was around Australian and NZ suburbs that were built in the 50s and 60s and that have largely become commuter suburbs. They have land with housing for multiple people, and space for food growing, but tend towards couples who spend little time there, going out to work, eat and socialise. Instead, we could be changing how we live so that we can work, eat and socialise close to where we live, and produce food locally. We might have to share housing with people again (shock horror), there are ways to make that a good thing not a negative, but probably the biggest thing here is what we've become accustomed to and thinking we cannot change.
Everything I've just described is about making people more resilient where they live, and for that to be based in sustainability. In addition, local planners could work with the known and projected flood risks and develop natural systems (this doesn't preclude hard infrastructure) to change how water flows through the city.
In order to gain the space for the kind of wetland/forestry systems you're talking about, in combination with the existing population, you'll need to have serious high-rise accommodation. And will involve massive razing of existing housing infrastructure.
Don't know why you jumped to that idea. Auckland already has stormwater systems, there's no suggestion of removing all of that. What Ak could be doing is working with nature instead of thinking that it can just force all that water to run somewhere (which obviously doesn't work any more).
Key point here. If you take Ak as it is now, the more you infill those suburbs and city areas with high and medium density housing via BAU urban design, the less resilient you make those areas and the wider city. More flooding, less ability to grow food, less green space for mental health, more overheating, more congestion and so on. This is why cities are already like this, and why BAU approaches greened up a bit won't work.
It's the thinking that's the problem. Gabrielle is teaching us about the limits of growth but also the limits of our imaginations. If the only thing you can see is 1.5m people needing to be squeezed into finite land, then that's all you can see.
Here's an example of the two kinds of thinking. BAU and working with nature. This isn't a solution for Ak, it's a solution to being stuck in thinking there is only one way to approach flooding.
No matter the 'solution(s)' arrived at there will be an element of compulsion otherwise the authorities (no matter who they end up being) will be compelled to maintain infrastructure in both the under threat areas as well as the new/adapted ….and that creates political, social and economic problems as the ChCh red zoning continues to demonstrate
I tend to agree, and certainly the longer we keep doing BAU the more we will need compulsion. But we can also 'mitigate' that, by transitioning now and doing transition in a community based way as much as possible.
Which leads to the nature of compulsion….Id suggest that compulsion can be equated with money (or at least wealth) ….i.e. wealth is the freedom from compulsion.
i expect we may see that demonstrated again shortly.
this is why I place so much emphasis on defensive voting. Whatever struggles are coming it's going to be far far worse under a Nact govt than a centre left one.
The reality is the freedom bestowed by wealth remains irrespective of Government hue, or at least under the existing paradigm…and will remain so as long as we desire the benefits of the global system.
Auckland has already done large scale property purchases out of the flood plain, without resorting to compulsory acquisition powers. Project Twin Streams took out over 150 houses.
This article cited says it was 78 purchases but the later total was over 150.
Ain’t that the truth! Unfortunately, some are a little liberal with the truth and more than happy to spin it to suit their narrative and fit within their biased thinking. Opinions need to be stated clearly as such and even then they must have a sound foundation in reality. Anything else is spin, often with an intention if not an agenda.
Yes. I was a bit nonplussed by this though – "[t]hat some people who would take advantage of their fellow Kiwis in their time of need has unsurprisingly generated anger." That sort of activity is very common across our economy. Some of it such as profiteering-driven inflation is is legal, while some isn't.
Whether something is pretty legal or not is a pretty low bar but it seems good enough for Law & Order dogmatists, which is why they use this as pretty much the only (and critically dividing) benchmark in their axiomatic ‘debates’. The Law is a huge grey area of rather technical complexities and interpretations, IMHO. It is not surprising that those same people transfer this same dogmatic thinking of motive, means & opportunity to pretty much all areas of life: economy, society, politics, etcetera. Where and when do values, principles, and higher aspirations come into it?
The mis-information people just ramp up and spread bull-shit regardless of the impact on other people. They are heartless souls.
Civil defence does not have container loads of people to instantly jump out in a disaster. At best in most regions there is half a dozen people who co-ordinate and plan for response.
Most government agencies have abandoned the regions with very few feet on the ground and I would suggest one of the things Nash does is make sure that agencies that have to respond to recovery have permanent local boots on the ground in the regions affected across all aspects of recovery e.g. policy people, engineers, building experts, MBIE, TEC, etc. No doing all this from Wellington.
People who for years have pushed for and voted for smaller government (local and central) suddenly want more government when they are affected. I don't see them pushing their insurance companies the same way. Where are their quick decisions in the supposedly more efficient private sector world e.g. we can see from the photos your house is full of mud, here is a 100% payout so you can go build somewhere else or buy a house elsewhere and note we won't reinsure you if you choose to rebuild here in the same place. Seems to be a sensible and fast approach to help people quickly move on.
Establish at least a regional training hub in affected regions for necessary skills and rebuilding and regional MOW hubs. Replacement jobs will need to go to locals and many will need retraining or training in the first place. If this had happened in Christchurch we would have many more skilled NZer's right now. Let's assume from the outset that there will continue to be more disasters and we will need a long term trained workforce to deal with them. Take advantage of the older skilled workforce for training before it is gone.
People are great and communities don't care about race, gender, ethnicity etc when the chips are down. People are just helping people – neighbours, friends, the local marae, etc. Many left wing priorities are peacetime priorities. That being said my observation is that Maori have performed particularly well during both COVID-19 and the flood response – particularly with caring for the older population – and having great organisational skills from years of preparing and providing for hui, tangi etc on marae. They are an essential part of the response phase in NZ and will be part of the recovery. They should have some direct annual funding for civil defense and other emergency response – no ifs no buts. It is a feature of NZ that for years has been part of our responsiveness whether planned by civil defense or not. It is time we openly funded this oft unspoken expectation. Then funded actual responses as well.
Luxon has announced his plan to Stop 3 Waters and instead set strong rules for Councils to upgrade their waters. They will pay with secured(?) loans and different Councils can club together if they wish. (Suppose smaller/poorer councils will get left out?) Wonder if the water rules will cover 3 Waters?
TV1: Four key points are listed in the party's plan: "Repeal Three Waters and scrap the four co-governed mega-entities; Restore council ownership and control; Set strict rules for water quality and investment in infrastructure; Ensure water services are financially sustainable".
But this approach is "effectively arguing for the status quo," Prime Minister Chris Hipkins told media today.
Should be fun with more rules and stricter rules. What with Luxon's Deputy Prime Minister Seymour coming in on a platform of getting rid of bureaucrats, red tape and Wellington control.
The problem is that National, when in government, never attempted to enforce the rule, guidelines and legislation that already existed. Never dragged councils and councillors into court for dereliction of duty in not increasing rates to cover the required future of their water resources. It doesn’t sound like they have the backbone to do it now as well.
Why do they see to think that scolding councillors will work over the next 30 years. It never did in the past.
Never helped councils with small or poor ratepayer bases to pay for their upgrades. National's only contribution to councils water in the past has been to put limits on what they could borrow to finance these works. You’ll note that they haven’t mentioned anything about raising debt ceilings for councils thate they previously imposed?
National just announced they aren't going to do anything significiant. They're just going to hand the task of an under-resourced and toothless oversight group that has absolutely no powers to do anything useful – like capital financing.
Notably there was nothing about new legislation in the area to replace the legislation they are want to remove – just regulation. That approach is the useless one that caused the current under funding and lack of maintenance of water infrastructure.
Notably, they managed to not mention the biggest single issue for smaller councils. That they cannot afford to hire the expertise to actually upgrade their water infrastructure. That is one of the key advantages
National is what you use when you need useless and completely ineffectual. They certainly delivered that with this pile of waffling.
So… councillors will think they control the Council's water infrastructure but they will be going cap in hand to some regulatory bureaucracy that doles out the funding kinda like Waka Kotahi does with roading funding. Although this isn't specified there isn't really any other way it would work for councils that couldn't afford the work required, as Government funding will be essential to meet current standards in nearly all Councils outside Auckland. Council engineering departments would be tied up with funding applications rather than engineering the infrastructure.
Not sure that's going to be an improvement on the status quo, and the situation that the 3 Waters reforms were designed to overcome.
While National's policy will give ratepayers and councillors a feeling of control, in effect they will be pawns of a central bureaucracy that will really dictate what work is done, how it is done, and how much the council has to contribute. Where a positive CBR is difficult, like in our many shrinking rural towns with completely fucked infrastructure, this contribution will still be cripling for the ratepayers and the councillors will get it up the chook at the ballot box.
National haven't addressed the long term issues of how we upgrade urban infrastructure without destroying the communities that depend in that infrastructure. they are just focused on the short term imperative of getting elected this year.
But winning … vote outside of mid-Waikato with this?
He might reclaim some votes from Advance NZ or Freedom & Outdoors but there will be questions from the more sensible folk in likes of Gore and Clutha once they think about where this policy is going to take them. The numbers, and disruption, are pretty daunting for both Districts, not sure I'd like to be the elected councillor fronting those projects.
On Wednesday, Mexico's Senate approved changes backed by López Obrador to the National Election Institute, known by its initials in Spanish as the INE. The independent authority is beloved by many Mexicans for its role in securing free and fair elections and transitioning the country away from nearly a century of one-party rule just over two decades ago.
The new legislation, which Mexico's lower house, the Chamber of Deputies, passed in December and which López Obrador is expected to soon sign into law ahead of likely legal challenges, will cut the INE's budget, hamstring its ability to penalize candidates for campaign finance violations and loosen rules on public officials campaigning while in office.
By the INE's own estimates, those budget cuts will force it to cut as much as 85% of its staff. That could mean fewer polling places or less secure electoral rolls — real impacts on the agency's ability to credibly administer federal elections, according to analysts.
Renewable energy getting closer to being sustainable.
.
“Going forward, we can now view old epoxy-based blades as a source of raw material. Once this new technology is implemented at scale, legacy blade material currently sitting in landfill, as well as blade material in active windfarms, can be disassembled, and re-used.
“This signals a new era for the wind industry, and accelerates our journey towards achieving circularity.”
While efforts to create more environmentally friendly wind turbine blades and the growth of a market for recycling blades will continue, the new discovery from Vestas and its partners heralds a massive stepchange for the global wind energy industry.
“The newly discovered chemical process shows that epoxy-based turbine blades, whether in operation or sitting in landfill, can be turned into a source of raw material to potentially build new turbine blades,” said Mie Elholm Birkbak, specialist for innovation & concepts at Vestas.
But kit vulnerable to fluid stresses and associated moving parts don't. And unfortunately, remediation of the cavitation, corrosion, fatigue, and material defects, etc, that contribute to declining efficiencies, the bane of hydro power, isn't quite as straight forward as swinging by with a crane and rigging crew to swap out a rotor.
Some people see a trans women aka a literal woman. Some people see a man loitering outside the women's toilet filming. Some people see an autogynephilic male (Quilette).
The Carmens and the Georginas of this world have always used the women's toilets with no problems. They came in, closed the stall door, did their business, came out, washed their hands and left.
They were not there to take "bathroom selfies" with a crowd of schoolgirls in the background (looking at you Jonathan/Jessica Yaniv/Simpson).
They were not there to noisily achieve their "gender euphoria" and video it to share with their pervy mates, (thanks "Nig Heke" for trawling the grubbier corners of the internet for the evidence).
They were not there to steal used sanitary products for use in their menstrual fetishes. (Not even going to suggest where you might look for that, much too close to breakfast time!)
And that is before you get to the videoing over and under the stalls, and the plain basic sexual assaults well documented by the good folks at "This Never Happens" https://www.facebook.com/groups/1722756661380462/
There are still very good reasons to prevent men from entering spaces where women are vulnerable.
TL;DR: Here’s the top six news items of note in climate news for Aotearoa-NZ this week, and a discussion above that was recorded yesterday afternoon above between and The Kākā’s climate correspondent : An independent review panel into the emergency response to Cyclone Gabrielle in Hawkes Bayconcluded “that ...
There are now only a few days left to give feedback on the Draft Government Policy Statement (GPS) on Land Transport 2024-34 (see our earlier post this week on GPS submission guides). As we’ve reported, the GPS is a disaster for Local Government, so we were particularly interested to hear ...
Willis has pledged to go ahead with the debt-funded tax cuts, despite growing opposition from her own supporters worried about appearing fiscally irresponsible. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The five things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy that we wrote and spoke about via The Kākā and elsewhere for ...
Open access notables A survey of interventions to actively conserve the frozen North, van Wijngaarden et al., Climatic Change:The frozen elements of the high North are thawing as the region warms much faster than the global mean. The dangers of sea level rise due to melting glacier ice, increased ...
Bryce Edwards writes – New Zealand’s biggest-ever political donations scandal is finally at an end. But what is the conclusion? No one can really be sure. The Court of Appeal released its judgement on Tuesday about the Serious Fraud Office case against the NZ First Foundation. On ...
In 2015, then-Prime Minister John Key announced plans for a huge ocean sanctuary around the Kermadec Islands, banning fishing and mining from 15% of Aotearoa's EEZ. It was bold, it was ambitious, and it suggested that National might actually care about the environment. Except they fucked it up: Key failed ...
1. Who has just been given the accolade New Zealander of the Year?a. The Kokakob. The Cook Strait Ferryc. Fair God. Dr Jim Salinger 2. Which of these is an affront to decent society?a. Dame Edna Everageb. Mrs Doubtfire c. Dr. Frank-N-Furterd. Brian 3. Who is Penny Simmonds?a. The aspiring actress in Big ...
New Zealand’s biggest-ever political donations scandal is finally at an end. But what is the conclusion? No one can really be sure.The Court of Appeal released its judgement on Tuesday about the Serious Fraud Office case against the NZ First Foundation. On the face of it, the court found ...
Buzz from the Beehive Waves of rain are set to lash much of the North Island during Easter Weekend as a low-pressure system forms east of New Zealand, according to a weather forecast published in the past day or so. Niwa was warning of a “moisture-laden” long weekend, with rain expected ...
Look around us…Nicola Willis’ promises of balancing the books, of cutting spending without reducing services, and of delivering game changing tax cuts are disappearing before her eyes.Everyday we see stories of violent crime ending in horrific injuries, or worse. The cost of living worsens, whereas the PM claimed renters would ...
TL;DR: My top six news of note on the morning of Thursday, March 28 include:The Government will have to borrow between $10 billion to $15 billion more than previously expected in order to make up for a slowing economy and to pay for $14.9 billion of tax cuts, according to ...
This story by Naveena Sadasivam and Kate Yoder was originally published by Grist and is part of Covering Climate Now, a global journalism collaboration strengthening coverage of the climate story. The long-awaited jobs board for the American Climate Corps, promised early in the Biden administration, will open next month, according to details shared exclusively ...
Should landlords be able to deduct the interest on the loans they take out to bankroll their property speculation? The US Senate Budget Committee and Bloomberg News don’t think this is a good idea, for reasons set out below. Regardless, our coalition government has been burning through a ton of ...
Treasury’s first report on the economy since the change of government presents a damning indictment of Labour’s economic management. The problem for National is that it is so damning that logically, coupled with a rapidly slowing economy, Finance Minister Nicola Willis should respond to it by postponing or even cancelling ...
Budget tensions are becoming evident within the Coalition Government. Winston Peters made numerous political points in his speech to the NZF annual conference. But the attack on his own government’s fiscal policies raised issues of substance. ‘Today in the Sunday Star Times, journalist and former advisor to the Labour ...
Buzz from the Beehive The media – sure enough – have been binging on Finance Minister Nicola Willis’ release of the Budget Policy Statement and a statement headed Government announces Budget priorities This assures us – or rather, this parrots the Luxon team mantra – that the Budget “will deliver ...
The Ides of March brought me COVID followed by a bereavement. No wonder they tell you to be careful of them.I’m home now and have resumed the interrupted recuperation. Very much looking forward to getting back to regular things. Meanwhile, some thoughts…OneThis new Prime Minister guy just keeps getting more dire. ...
News that the Chinese ATP 40 cyber-hacking unit penetrated parliamentary internet networks in 2021 has renewed concerns about the PRC’s malign intentions in Aotearoa. But is the hack that significant given the length of time that has passed since its … Continue reading → ...
When Parliament passed the Intelligence and security Act in 2017, they assured us all that it was full of safeguards. Any intrusive surveillance of New Zealanders would be subject to a "triple lock", requiring the approval of the Minister and (supposedly independent) Commissioner of Intelligence Warrants, as well as post-facto ...
Eric Crampton writes – Richard Harman’s Politik newsletter provides a bit of the context that ought to have been showing up in other media reports on potential reductions in public service staffing. Media has been reporting on staffing cuts on the order of about 7%. Is that ...
Mike Grimshaw writes – It’s becoming increasingly apparent that many perceive free speech to have become the preserve of the politically right wing, the religiously conservative, the libertarian fringe, the anti-trans, the anti-Māori and…. well, just fill in with whatever groups or individuals you don’t like and don’t ...
Don Brash writes – As everybody who is not blind and deaf is aware, there is a huge political preoccupation with climate change at the moment, a widespread (though by no means unanimous) belief that global temperatures are rising mainly as a result of the greenhouse gases created ...
TL;DR: My six things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy on Wednesday, March 27 include:Chris Bishop laid out his vision for filling Aotearoa-NZ’s $100 billion infrastructure deficit in a speech yesterday, emphasising user pays and private funding, but failed to say how to achieve bipartisanship on population, public borrowing and ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Former Finance Minister Grant Robertson and former Prime Minister Chris Hipkins have been conveying how unhappy they are with the tax system. Last week in his valedictory speech, Robertson called for the introduction of a wealth or capital gains tax. And this week Hipkins ...
On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
Buzz from the Beehive China has loomed large in Beehive considerations over the past 24 hours, largely because of that country’s mischief-making in the cyber espionage department. Two media statements emerged on that subject hard on the heels of the PM baulking at questions put to him on RNZ’s Morning ...
Chris Trotter writes – WHY IS THE NATIONAL PARTY doing so much for landlords, property developers, trucking, and construction companies, and so little for everybody who isn’t already pretty well-off? It’s as if protecting landlords’ investments and building apartments and roads now constitute the whole of National’s ...
Bryce Edwards writes – When she was campaigning to be Minister of Finance last year, Nicola Willis pledged that she would resign from the job if she failed to deliver tax cuts in her first Budget. Now, it’s that pledge, along with Prime Minister Christopher Luxon’s ...
Robert MacCulloch writes – The Reserve Bank has doubled staff numbers in five years to 510, with personnel costs rising to $80 million in 2023 from $32 million in 2018 – up by a whopping 150%. I guess when you print $50 billion and flood markets with liquidity, ...
The furore. In case you didn’t notice there was a controversy in the weekend involving dolphins in a little town off the South Island. Don’t panic, they haven’t declared independence and resumed whaling, this was simply a sailing event.The problem began when racing was cancelled on the opening day of ...
For 20 years or more, the case for a meaningful capital tax gains has been mulled over and analysed to death, including by the tax working group chaired by Sir Michael Cullen. More than once, the International Monetary Fund has said a CGT would be a good idea for New ...
TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: The Public Health Communications Centre (PHCC) call for urgent preventive action and a risk assessment survey of long covid in this briefing noteLocal scoop: NZ road deaths surpass OECD rates, so why is the govt reversing safety plans? ...
This story was originally published by Grist and is part of Covering Climate Now, a global journalism collaboration strengthening coverage of the climate story. This story is part of a collaboration with Grist and WABE to demystify the Georgia Public Service Commission, the small but powerful state-elected board that makes critical decisions about everything from raising ...
This is a guest post from Robert McLachlan Global warming is accelerating; 2023 was off the charts. We need to stop burning fossil fuels. In New Zealand, transport accounts for half of all fossil fuels burnt. In the Emissions Reduction Plan, transport emissions fall 41% by 2035. As the ...
Labour productivity has been receding rapidly over the past two years, reversing a post-lockdown rise. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: My six things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy as at 6:26am on Tuesday, March 26 include:Workers have been treading water in output per hour worked for 12 years, ...
TL;DR: The key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to April 2 include:Today, Parliament resumes sitting at 2pm for the second week of a two-week session. Officials for SIS and GCSB report their annual reviews in public to the Intelligence and Security Select Committee from 5.10pm.Tomorrow, ...
Faced with a barrage of criticism over the promised tax cuts from usually supportive commentators, Finance Minister Nicola Willis yesterday reaffirmed her intention to include them in this year’s Budget. The Government is up against it over the cuts just about every way it turns. Commentators like Fran O’Sullivan, Matthew ...
Here’s my pick of today’s substack posts as of 6:26pm on Monday, March 25: writes via his substack that Market-rate housing will make your city cheaper writes via his substack about the problems talking to double-cab ute (truck) drivers about their vehicles. today about moments of radicalisation in ...
Buzz from the Beehive Just before Christmas, Finance Minister Nicola Willis delivered something that was pitched as a mini-budget and brayed about the decisive action being taken to repair the Government books and support income tax relief in Budget 2024. In a statement headed Fiscal repair job underway. she introduced ...
My sister Belinda asked Dad yesterday what one word would describe Mum best. He said: vivacious.If you only knew her from the photos on the slideshow we've made for today,you might wonder about that, because the camera tended to lie with Mum.If ever she saw a camera pointed at her, she ...
There are two major public consultations closing in the next week, Auckland Council’s Long Term Plan (LTP), and the draft Government Policy Statement on Land Transport (GPS). Closing dates and times: LTP closes Thursday 28 February, at 11.59pm – a minute to midnight! GPS closes Tuesday 2 April, at 12pm noon – note that’s ...
From Kiwiblog’s David Farrar – Bryce Wilkinson writes: Senior Fellow Bryce Wilkinson’s analysis reveals that since March 2009, New Zealand has spent $158 billion more overseas than it has earned, but its NIIP has only fallen by $32 billion.Statistics New Zealand shows that receipts from overseas reinsurers have ...
Is she hinting that the Coalition Government will have to back down on key promises it made in Opposition? Brian Easton writes – The Minister of Finance, Nicola Willis, is telling an evolving story about her fiscal challenges. In Opposition she was confident that she could ...
Dear Nicola Willis,Right now you’ve probably got lots of competing demands coming at you. Ministers who’ve inherited quite a mess, or so you’ve told us, looking for money in the budget to improve things. I imagine that’s why they came to parliament - to make things better.You’ll have to make ...
The Local Government, Transport and Auckland Minister hasthreatened councils with intervention if they don’t merge water assets to take them off balance sheet, just as the now-repealed Three Waters plan directed. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: My six things of note this morning for Monday, March 25 include:Simeon ...
A listing of 36 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, March 17, 2024 thru Sat, March 23, 2024. Story of the week Thanks to John Mason having the stamina to sit down to watch "Climate - the Movie" ...
This morning the Q&A programme had Simeon Brown on to talk about National’s replacement for Three Waters. In case anyone’s forgotten the three are - drinking water, waste water, and sewerage. It’s quite important not to get them mixed up. In much the same way that you wouldn’t want to ...
Today’s newsletter comes with a mini-podcast conversation between me and my buddy Liv Tennet, talking about her time as a child actor in Lord of the Rings. It’s a conversation with a lot of giggles as she talks about falling off a horse, and becoming a meme. Read ...
The Desmog Climate Disinformation Database documents, "individuals and organisations that have helped to delay and distract the public and our elected leaders from taking needed action to reduce greenhouse gas pollution and fight global warming." It's a who's who of the organised climate change denial movement, in other words. In ...
Bob Edlin writes – A High Court judge has decided miscreants who have mana – or who claim to have mana – should be treated differently from miscreants who have none. It’s a ruling that suggests indigenous law-breakers have a better chance of securing a discharge without conviction ...
Welcome to the first, and possibly last, edition of Brickbats, Bouquets and Bull’s Wool. In which I’ll take a look at the events of the last week or so, and rate them.In such ratings the numbers usually have more to do with the opinions of the reviewer, than the actual ...
Roger Partridge writes – My earlier column this month, New Zealand’s highest court could be facing a turning point, prompted a flood of feedback from business readers and lawyers alike. A common query was what Parliament can do to restrain an overreaching judiciary. This week I discuss two steps Parliament ...
TL;DR: In today’s ‘six-stack’ of substacks at 6.16pm on Friday, March 22: writes about New Zealand's Building Boom—And What the World Must Learn From It over at his substack. challenges the Auckland Council’s use of a 3.8 degrees of warming forecast to oppose a wave-park and data centre project ...
Is she hinting that the Coalition Government will have to back down on key promises it made in Opposition?The Minister of Finance, Nicola Willis, is telling an evolving story about her fiscal challenges. In Opposition she was confident that she could deliver her promised income tax cuts. Appointed minister, she ...
Buzz from the Beehive Ministers of the Crown have drawn attention to one sector of the science sector which is unlikely to be subjected to heavy spending cuts, a state-funded broadcaster which is doing nicely, thank you, and a sporting event that had $5.4 million from the public purse puffed ...
Abbott’s Freestyle Libre sensors allow continuous glucose monitoring (CGM). The sensor is applied to the back of the patient’s arm, with a thin filament under the skin measuring glucose levels constantly. But it costs around $100 per sensor and must be replaced once every 14 days. Photo by BSIP/Universal Images ...
The Inspector General of Intelligence and Security (IGIS) recently released a report in which he exposes the existence of a foreign intelligence partner-controlled technological “capability” inside the headquarters of the GCSB, NZ’s 5 Eyes-affiliated signals intelligence collection and analysis agency. … Continue reading → ...
Peter Dunne writes – Nearly three decades after the introduction of MMP and multiparty governments there should be a greater level of understanding about their finer points than often appears to be the case. The reaction to the despicable outburst from the Deputy Prime Minister at the weekend highlights ...
The sweet kisses from fruit of summerHave slowly been turning dullerYou say, "those times"And "remember the daysWhen we went outside and there still was the shade?"Taking no reason into play…Autumn. Clear, blue days shortening to longer nights, growing colder. Aotearoa.That’s us. The temperature dropping, the looming car crash - so ...
Bryce Edwards writes – “It is often said that behind every great man is a great woman”. This is the pitch by the National Party Botany electorate branch to attend their “Ladies Afternoon Tea with Amanda Luxon”. For $110 including GST, you can turn up on Saturday 20 April ...
David Farrar writes – The Electoral Commission has published the expense returns for political parties for the 2023 election. I’ve put them in a table with how many votes a party got so we can see the spend per vote. National only spent $3.34 for every vote they got, almost ...
Winston Peters’ headline-making actions over the past week may have been a show of political power intended to strengthen his hand in Budget negotiations. It was no accident that his State of the Nation speech was as it was. He made it as New Zealand First Leader, not as Deputy ...
Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The five things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy that we wrote and spoke about via The Kākā and elsewhere for paying subscribers in the last week included:Former Labour Finance Minister Grant Robertson bowed out of politics this week, giving a series of exit ...
Graham Adams writes — If you love the law or sausages, as the saying goes, best not to look too closely at how they are made. And after watching the orgy of self-pity when Newshub’s closure was announced on February 28, television journalism should definitely be added to the list of those ...
Venerable New Zealand political commentator, Chris Trotter (https://bowalleyroad.blogspot.com/), is a sad creature these days. Once one of the most reliable Leftist writers out there – Economic Left at that – Trotter seems to have absorbed the worldview of Auckland culture-war obsessives. It is not for me to categorise what he ...
The cruelty of short-term memory loss is that each time you ask where she is, you get the fresh shock and grief of the news. That was Dad's day yesterday.Comfortingly, it seems to be less so today. Last night he looked crumpled, today he seems more settled. There's a card ...
Photo by Alvan Nee on UnsplashIt’s that new day of the week (Thursday rather than Friday) when and I co-host our ‘hoon’ webinar with paying subscribers to The Kākā for an hour at 5 pm. Jump on this link on YouTube Livestream for our chat about the week’s news ...
Buzz from the Beehive One minister is talking tough while a colleague – whose ministry had acted tough and drawn a barrage of flak – has shown an official softening. Some ministers are doing what Labour was good at, which is distributing public funds to causes regarded as worthy or ...
The Coalition Government’s plan to ‘get Auckland moving’ is a cuts cover-up that will ultimately cost Aucklanders more to move around the city, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...
Slashing the Ministry of Pacific Peoples by 40% will have a devastating impact on pacific communities and further highlights how little this government cares about anything other than cutting taxes for the wealthiest few. ...
Labour has proposed an urgent inquiry to investigate the ever-increasing profits of supermarkets, aiming to lower costs for shoppers and food producers alike, says Labour Spokesperson for Commerce and Consumer Affairs Arena Williams and Primary Production Spokesperson Cushla Tangaere-Manuel. ...
With 14% of jobs on the line at the Ministry for Ethnic Communities, the responsible Minister Melissa Lee is failing to stand up for the very communities she’s meant to be representing. ...
COURT OF APPEAL: TRIFECTA OF VICTORY FOR NZ FIRST, TRIFECTA OF FAILURE FOR OPPONENTS For the third time since April 2020, New Zealand First has defeated the Serious Fraud Office and all those complicit in a malicious attack against a political party going about its lawful business in a lawful ...
The Green Party stands with people who live in public housing, people in dire housing need, experts and advocates in demanding better than the Government’s archaic approach to housing those who need our support the most. ...
New Zealand has recently lost the hosting rights of some major international sporting events including the America’s Cup, the Rugby Championship, Netball World Cup, and the Wellington Sevens. We are now at a huge risk of losing SailGP as well. And it won’t stop there. The recent issues with SailGP ...
A Member’s Bill drawn this week would modernise insurance law and make things fairer and more transparent for consumers, Christchurch Central MP Duncan Webb said. ...
The Minister for Disability Issues has confirmed she was aware of funding issues in mid-December and did nothing to stop it. On 14 March, she signed off on changes that were announced and implemented on 18 March without any consultation with disability communities. ...
Green Party MP Julie Anne Genter says her members' bill is an opportunity for the coalition government to plug the gap in electric vehicle incentives. ...
The National Government continues to talk about irresponsible tax cuts that will only drive up inflation, despite the country entering a technical recession. ...
The Minister for Disability Issues must act urgently to reinstate flexibility around the funding for disability support and apologise to disabled carers. ...
This story has been initiated by a leftie shill reporter who proactively sought to call a member of a former band, which disbanded twelve years ago, give their biased appraisal of what was said in my speech, and concocted a ham-fisted attempt at a story that does nothing but show ...
The Government has accepted Labour’s change to the Road User Charge (RUC) discount for hybrid vehicles, meaning there will still be some incentive for people to buy greener vehicles. ...
Many in the mainstream media have taken what was said in New Zealand First’s State of the Nation Speech in Palmerston North on Sunday and deliberately, deceitfully, and ignorantly misrepresented what I said and why I said it. The headlines and commentary on the news stated that I compared ‘co-governance ...
Kicking the most vulnerable people out of state housing and pushing them towards homelessness will result in a proliferation of poverty and trauma across our most vulnerable communities. ...
Te Pāti Māori co-leader and MP for Waiariki, Rawiri Waititi has penned a letter asking MPs to support his members bill to remove GST from all food. The bill is expected to go through its first reading in parliament this Wednesday. “I’m calling on all political parties to support my ...
Good afternoon. Thank you for, in your very busy lives, turning up to this meeting today. On October 14th last year New Zealanders overwhelmingly voted for change. That is exactly what this new government is bringing. New Zealand First campaigned to ‘take back our country’ and stop the disastrous economic ...
This year is about getting real with Kiwis and discussing the tough issues, as the National Government exacerbates inequality and divides New Zealand, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said ...
The Government adding Significant Natural Areas (SNAs) to its already roaring environmental policy bonfire is an assault on the future of wildlife that makes Aotearoa unique. ...
After 12 years of fighting to protect our moana we are finding ourselves back at square one and back at court. Today, the Environmental Protection Agency is sitting in Hawera to reconsider an application from Trans-Tasman Resources to dig up 50 million tonnes of the seabed in South Taranaki. This ...
Minister Shane Jones’ decision to step away from a seabed mining project is evidence of the murky waters surrounding the Government’s fast-track legislation. ...
The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last government in a bid to get greater coherence in the publicservice on Treaty matters. When ministers first considered the need for tighter oversight in 2021, there ...
The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last government in a bid to get greater coherence in the publicservice on Treaty matters. When ministers first considered the need for tighter oversight in 2021, there ...
The Coalition Government’s miscalculation saga continues as it has forgotten an eyewatering $90 million gap in its interest deductibility cost figures, say Labour Finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds and Revenue Spokesperson Deborah Russell. ...
He Pou a Rangi Climate Change Commission has today released advice that says if the Government doesn’t act now New Zealand is at risk of not meeting its climate goals. ...
The Coalition Government has today confirmed it is abandoning first home buyers who are struggling to get ahead, says Labour Finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds. ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed the passing of legislation to move light electric vehicles (EVs) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) into the road user charges system from 1 April. “It was always intended that EVs and PHEVs would be exempt from road user charges until they reached two ...
New Zealand is strengthening its ability to combat illegal fishing outside its domestic waters and beef up regulation for its own commercial fishers in international waters through a Bill which had its first reading in Parliament today. The Fisheries (International Fishing and Other Matters) Amendment Bill 2023 sets out stronger ...
Economists Carl Hansen and Professor Prasanna Gai have been appointed to the Reserve Bank Monetary Policy Committee, Finance Minister Nicola Willis announced today. The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) is the independent decision-making body that sets the Official Cash Rate which determines interest rates. Carl Hansen, the executive director of Capital ...
Apartment owners and buyers will soon have greater protections as further changes to the law on unit titles come into effect, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. “The Unit Titles (Strengthening Body Corporate Governance and Other Matters) Amendment Act had already introduced some changes in December 2022 and May 2023, and ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters will travel to Egypt and Europe from this weekend. “This travel will focus on a range of New Zealand’s traditional diplomatic and security partnerships while enabling broad engagement on the urgent situation in Gaza,” Mr Peters says. Mr Peters will attend the NATO Foreign ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown is encouraging all road users to stay safe, plan their journeys ahead of time, and be patient with other drivers while travelling around this Easter long weekend. “Road safety is a responsibility we all share, and with increased traffic on our roads expected this Easter we ...
About 1.4 million New Zealanders will receive cost of living relief through increased government assistance from April 1 909,000 pensioners get a boost to Superannuation, including 5000 veterans 371,000 working-age beneficiaries will get higher payments 45,000 students will see an increase in their allowance Over a quarter of New Zealanders ...
Ensuring social housing is being provided to those with the greatest needs is front of mind as the Government restarts social housing tenancy reviews, Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka says. “Our relentless focus on building a strong economy is to ensure we can deliver better public services such as social ...
The Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary will not go ahead, with Cabinet deciding to stop work on the proposed reserve and remove the Bill that would have established it from Parliament’s order paper. “The Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary Bill would have created a 620,000 sq km economic no-go zone,” Oceans and Fisheries Minister ...
Dam safety regulations are being amended so that smaller dams won’t be subject to excessive compliance costs, Minister for Building and Construction Chris Penk says. “The coalition Government is focused on reducing costs and removing unnecessary red tape so we can get the economy back on track. “Dam safety regulations ...
The coalition Government is expanding the medium-scale adverse event classification to parts of the North Island as dry weather conditions persist, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced today. “I have made the decision to expand the medium-scale adverse event classification already in place for parts of the South Island to also cover the ...
The passing of legislation giving effect to coalition Government tax commitments has been welcomed by Finance Minister Nicola Willis. “The Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill will help place New Zealand on a more secure economic footing, improve outcomes for New Zealanders, and make our tax system ...
Science, Innovation and Technology Minister Judith Collins and Tertiary Education and Skills Minister Penny Simmonds today announced plans to transform our science and university sectors to boost the economy. Two advisory groups, chaired by Professor Sir Peter Gluckman, will advise the Government on how these sectors can play a greater ...
The Budget will deliver urgently-needed tax relief to hard-working New Zealanders while putting the government’s finances back on a sustainable track, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The Finance Minister made the comments at the release of the Budget Policy Statement setting out the Government’s Budget objectives. “The coalition Government intends ...
The coalition Government will look at options to address a zoning issue that limits how much financial support Queenstown residents can get for accommodation. Cabinet has agreed on a response to the Petitions Committee, which had recommended the geographic information MSD uses to determine how much accommodation supplement can be ...
Cabinet has agreed to a short extension to the final reporting timeframe for the Royal Commission into Abuse in Care from 28 March 2024 to 26 June 2024, Internal Affairs Minister Brooke van Velden says. “The Royal Commission wrote to me on 16 February 2024, requesting that I consider an ...
The coalition Government is delivering an $18 million boost to New Zealanders needing to travel for specialist health treatment, Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says. “These changes are long overdue – the National Travel Assistance (NTA) scheme saw its last increase to mileage and accommodation rates way back in 2009. ...
The Government is recognising the innovative and rising talent in New Zealand’s growing space sector, with the Prime Minister and Space Minister Judith Collins announcing the new Prime Minister’s Prizes for Space today. “New Zealand has a growing reputation as a high-value partner for space missions and research. I am ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has confirmed New Zealand’s concerns about cyber activity have been conveyed directly to the Chinese Government. “The Prime Minister and Minister Collins have expressed concerns today about malicious cyber activity, attributed to groups sponsored by the Chinese Government, targeting democratic institutions in both New ...
Independent Reviewers appointed for School Property Inquiry Education Minister Erica Stanford today announced the appointment of three independent reviewers to lead the Ministerial Inquiry into the Ministry of Education’s School Property Function. The Inquiry will be led by former Minister of Foreign Affairs Murray McCully. “There is a clear need ...
State Highway 1 across the Brynderwyns will be open for Easter weekend, with work currently underway to ensure the resilience of this critical route being paused for Easter Weekend to allow holiday makers to travel north, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Today I visited the Brynderwyn Hills construction site, where ...
Introduction Good morning to you all, and thanks for having me bright and early today. I am absolutely delighted to be the Minister for Infrastructure alongside the Minister of Housing and Resource Management Reform. I know the Prime Minister sees the three roles as closely connected and he wants me ...
New Zealand stands with the United Kingdom in its condemnation of People’s Republic of China (PRC) state-backed malicious cyber activity impacting its Electoral Commission and targeting Members of the UK Parliament. “The use of cyber-enabled espionage operations to interfere with democratic institutions and processes anywhere is unacceptable,” Minister Responsible for ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters and Defence Minister Judith Collins today announced New Zealand will provide logistics support for the upcoming Solomon Islands election. “We’re sending a team of New Zealand Defence Force personnel and two NH90 helicopters to provide logistics support for the election on 17 April, at the request ...
The European Union Free Trade Agreement Legislation Amendment Bill received Royal Assent today, completing the process for New Zealand’s ratification of its free trade agreement with the European Union. “I am pleased to announce that today, in a small ceremony at the Beehive, New Zealand notified the European Union ...
Public consultation on the terms of reference for the Royal Commission into COVID-19 Lessons has concluded, Internal Affairs Minister Hon Brooke van Velden says. “I have been advised that there were over 11,000 submissions made through the Royal Commission’s online consultation portal.” Expanding the scope of the Royal Commission of ...
Hardworking families are set to benefit from a new credit to help them meet their early childcare education (ECE) costs, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. From 1 July, parents and caregivers of young children will be supported to manage the rising cost of living with a partial reimbursement of their ...
A specialised Independent Technical Advisory Group (ITAG) tasked with preparing and publishing independent non-binding advice on the design of a "green" (sustainable finance) taxonomy rulebook is being established, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. “Comprising experts and market participants, the ITAG's primary goal is to deliver comprehensive recommendations to the ...
Defence Minister Judith Collins has thanked the Chief of Army, Major General John Boswell, DSD, for his service as he leaves the Army after 40 years. “I would like to thank Major General Boswell for his contribution to the Army and the wider New Zealand Defence Force, undertaking many different ...
25 March 2024 Minister to meet Australian counterparts and Manufacturing Industry Leaders Small Business, Manufacturing, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly will travel to Australia for a series of bi-lateral meetings and manufacturing visits. During the visit, Minister Bayly will meet with his Australian counterparts, Senator Tim Ayres, Ed ...
Government commits almost $3 million for period products in schools The Coalition Government has committed $2.9 million to ensure intermediate and secondary schools continue providing period products to those who need them, Minister of Education Erica Stanford announced today. “This is an issue of dignity and ensuring young women don’t ...
Good morning, it’s great to be here. First, I would like to acknowledge the New Zealand Institute of Building Surveyors and thank you for the opportunity to be here this morning. I would like to use this opportunity to outline the Government’s ambitious plan and what we hope to ...
Minister for Pacific Peoples Dr Shane Reti has announced the Government’s commitment to the Auckland Secondary Schools Māori and Pacific Islands Cultural Festival, more commonly known as Polyfest. “The Ministry for Pacific Peoples is a longtime supporter of Polyfest and, as it celebrates 49 years in 2024, I’m proud to ...
Before moving onto the substance of today’s address, I want to recognise the very significant and ongoing contribution the Breast Cancer Foundation makes to support the lives of New Zealand women and their families living with breast cancer. I very much enjoy working with you. I also want to recognise ...
New Zealand has notched up a first with the launch of University of Canterbury research to the International Space Station, Science, Innovation and Technology and Space Minister Judith Collins says. The hardware, developed by Dr Sarah Kessans, is designed to operate autonomously in orbit, allowing scientists on Earth to study ...
Introduction Thank you for inviting me to speak with you today and I’m sorry I can’t be there in person. Yesterday I started in Wellington for Breakfast TV, spoke to a property conference in Auckland, and finished the day speaking to local government in Christchurch, so it would have been ...
The Coalition Government is contributing more than $1 million to support the establishment of an emergency multi-agency coordination centre in Northland. Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell announced the contribution today during a visit of the Whangārei site where the facility will be constructed. “Northland has faced a number ...
New Zealanders have enjoyed a broader range of voices telling the story of Aotearoa thanks to the creation of Whakaata Māori 20 years ago, says Māori Development Minister Tama Potaka. The minister spoke at a celebration marking the national indigenous media organisation’s 20th anniversary at their studio in Auckland on ...
Commercial catch limits for some fisheries have been increased following a review showing stocks are healthy and abundant, Ocean and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The changes, along with some other catch limit changes and management settings, begin coming into effect from 1 April 2024. "Regular biannual reviews of fish ...
Analysis by Keith Rankin. Keith Rankin, trained as an economic historian, is a retired lecturer in Economics and Statistics. He lives in Auckland, New Zealand. My earlier article – Can ‘Good’ be the Greater Evil? – looked at the issue of how wars should end, and how Good versus Evil ...
The only published and available best-selling indie book chart in New Zealand is the top 10 sales list recorded every week at Unity Books’ stores in High St, Auckland, and Willis St, Wellington.AUCKLAND1 AMMA by Saraid de Silva (Moa Press, $38)A stunning debut novel reviewed by Brannavan ...
From Steve Martin to Ricky Stanicky, a pick’n’mix of things worth watching and listening to this long weekend. This is an excerpt from our weekly pop culture newsletter Rec Room. Sign up here. If you’re at a loss for something to occupy yourself with this Easter, don’t panic: The Spinoff’s got ...
Jesus had dinner with his 12 disciples right before he died. Noted historian Madeleine Chapman finds out who really deserved to be there.First published in 2018 but let’s be honest, the subject is timeless. As you sit on your couch this Easter Sunday, eating a chocolate egg you know ...
The newly-promoted Northern League club is on a mission to return to the National League for the first time in two decades. Plenty about domestic football in New Zealand has changed in that time – but the sense that this amateur competition is not an entirely level playing field remains. ...
Comment: Every year on February 2, a dozen men in tuxedos and top hats approach the burrow of a groundhog in Gobbler’s Knob, Pennsylvania and entice the beaver-like rodent to emerge and predict the weather. If the groundhog, named Punxsutawney Phil, sees its own shadow when it is summoned, legend ...
Loading…(function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){var ql=document.querySelectorAll('A[quiz],DIV[quiz],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, Friday 29 March appeared first on Newsroom. ...
Auckland Council has put a deadline on new weather-impacted property owners applying for categorisation as government funding looks set to run out. Councillors have voted to support a deadline of September 30 for property owners who haven’t accessed support to come forward and engage with the council’s recovery office. It ...
NONFICTION 1 BBQ Economics by Liam Dann (Penguin Random House, $40) “It’s official,” wrote Dann nine days ago in the Herald, where he works as business editor at large, “we’re in recession.” Yeah, great. He delivered the bad stats: “GDP fell 0.1 percent in the December 2023 quarter, compared with ...
By Anneke Smith, RNZ News political reporter A petition urging the New Zealand government to provide urgent humanitarian assistance to the Palestinian people has been tabled in the House. More than 200 people gathered on Parliament’s forecourt today and they were met by MPs from Labour, the Greens and Te ...
Pacific Media Watch The Paris-based global media freedom watchdog RSF (Reporters Without Borders) has appealed for information about the “disappearance” of Palestinian journalist Bayan Abusultan. She was reportedly last seen on March 19 among people “sequestered” in this week’s raid and siege of Al Shifa hospital by Israeli troops in ...
EDITORIAL:The Jakarta Post It happens again and again; indigenous Papuans fall victim to Indonesian soldiers. This time, we have photographic evidence for the brutality, with videos on social media showing a Papuan man being tortured by a group of plainclothes men alleged to be the Indonesian Military (TNI) members. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Robyn J. Whitaker, Director of the Wesley Centre for Theology, Ethics, and Public Policy & Associate Professor, New Testament, Pilgrim Theological College, University of Divinity A strange and eclectic range of activities takes place across these few weeks of the year. Some ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Panizza Allmark, Professor Visual & Cultural Studies, Edith Cowan University It’s Easter weekend, which means many of us will be kicking back with the greatest hits on repeat. But whether you’re a boomer, or an ‘80s or ’90s kid, you might be ...
RNZ Pacific Fiji’s Acting Public Prosecutor has filed an appeal against the sentences of former prime minister Voreqe Bainimarama and suspended police chief Sitiveni Qiliho in their corruption case. Bainimarama was granted an absolute discharge for attempting to pervert the course of justice while Qiliho received a conditional discharge with ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Arosha Weerakoon, Senior Lecturer and General Dentist, School of Dentistry, The University of Queensland Casezy idea/Shutterstock How does toothpaste work? What did people use before toothpaste was invented? – Amelia, age 7, Meanjin (Brisbane) Thanks for your ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Brett Hallam, Associate professor, UNSW Sydney IM Imagery/Shutterstock Solar SunShot is well named. The Australian government announced today it would plough A$1 billion into bringing back solar manufacturing to Australia, boosting energy security, swapping coal and gas jobs for those ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Clare Dix, Research Fellow in Nutrition & Dietetics, The University of Queensland Easter is the time for chocolate. The shops are full of fantastically packaged and shiny chocolates in all shapes and sizes, making trips to the supermarket with children more challenging ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Emma Felton, Adjunct Senior Researcher, University of South Australia Even in a stubborn cost-of-living crisis, it seems there’s one luxury most Australians won’t sacrifice – their daily cup of coffee. Coffee sales have largely remained stable, even as financial pressures have ...
Mining company Trans-Tasman Resources has unexpectedly withdrawn its application for a consent to suck the valuable metals vanadium and titanium from the Taranaki seafloor, as it apparently wagers on the Government’s new fast-track process. It had spent two-and-a-half days putting its case to the Environmental Protection Agency’s decision-making committee, at ...
Contrary to the Associate Minister of Education’s claims, analysis of Healthy School Lunches Programme - Ka Ora, Ka Ako assessments has revealed it provides excellent value for the taxpayer dollar, as a groundswell of public opposition to Government ...
Greenpeace says wannabe Taranaki seabed miner Trans-Tasman Resources is likely banking on Christopher Luxon’s fast-track process to side-step proper scrutiny of its Taranaki seabed mining proposal by bailing out of the Environmental Protection Agency hearing ...
Kiwis Against Seabed mining today slammed Australian owned would-be seabed miner Trans Tasman Resources (TTR) for abandoning its application to the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) to mine the seabed of the South Taranaki Bight. The company ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Katie Attwell, Associate Professor, School of Social Sciences, The University of Western Australia Ground Picture/Shutterstock Months after COVID vaccines were introduced in 2021, governments and private organisations mandated them for various groups. Health and aged care workers were among the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrew Dzurak, Scientia Professor Andrew Dzurak, CEO and Founder of Diraq, UNSW Sydney Diraq For decades, the pursuit of quantum computing has struggled with the need for extremely low temperatures, mere fractions of a degree above absolute zero (0 Kelvin or ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne A national Essential poll, conducted March 20–24 from a sample of 1,150, gave the Coalition a 50–44 lead including undecided, a reversal ...
The Taxpayers’ Union has today made a formal request under the Regulations of the People’s Republic of China on Open Government Information () for information held about how New Zealand Members of Parliament are spending taxpayer ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Robert Nelson, Honorary Principal Fellow, The University of Melbourne A Byzantine depiction of the Eucharist in Saint Sophia Cathedral, Kyiv.Jacek555/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA A nasty quarrel arose in the 11th century over what kind of bread should be used in holy ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Patrick Hesp, Professor, Flinders University Patrick Hesp In some parts of Australia, coastal dunes are retreating from the ocean at an alarming rate, as waves carve up the beach and wind blows the sand inland. But coastal communities are largely ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Luke Heemsbergen, Senior Lecturer, Digital, Political, Media, Deakin University With an impressive 60% of the US smartphone market, Apple is undeniably big, but not a clear monopoly. Yet, years of innovation by Apple have effectively given the company its own exclusive ...
Whether you’re facing layoffs or are just an emotional junior staffer, it’s always a good idea to scout out a good crying place before you need it. It’s an incredibly hard time for Wellington. Across the city, thousands of public servants are hearing tough news about redundancies and layoffs. Government ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By James Miller-Jones, Professor, Curtin University Nuclear explosions on a neutron star feed its jets. Danielle Futselaar and Nathalie Degenaar, Anton Pannekoek Institute, University of Amsterdam, CC BY-SA How fast can a neutron star drive powerful jets into space? The answer, it ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Daryl Adair, Associate Professor of Sport Management, University of Technology Sydney Earlier this week, independent MP Andrew Wilkie accused the AFL of conducting “off the books” illicit drug testing to identify players using substances of abuse, then inappropriately withdrawing them from matches ...
The Government’s announcement that it will scrap plans for a vast marine sanctuary around the Kermadec Islands is ‘shameful’ and will make it impossible for Aotearoa New Zealand to meet its international commitments, says the World Wide Fund for Nature ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Quiggin, Professor, School of Economics, The University of Queensland Shutterstock The federal government has bowed to pressure from the car industry, announcing it will relax proposed emissions rules for utes and vans and delay enforcement of the new standards ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Suzanne Rutland, Professor Emerita, University of Sydney In his latest book, Jewish Life in Medieval Spain, Jonathan Ray focuses on the tumult of the 14th century in Spain – a time of the plague, civil strife and war between the two largest ...
While creating a slate of world-class shows, Whakaata Māori also developed a generation of world-class creatives. Television is an odd word. It mixes the Ancient Greek and Latin languages, and its most literal meaning is “far-off sight”. In the contemporary and living language of te reo Māori, “whakaata” as a ...
Yesterday the UN Security Council passed a resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire in Israel’s war on Gaza. This significant step and the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Gaza prompted an urgent debate in the New Zealand Parliament. Leader ...
The Government’s decision to reduce access to continuous glucose monitors (CGM) not only threatens the lives of children with type 1 diabetes and increases the potential for ‘Dead in Bed’ syndrome, but also threatens the health of their parents an ...
Apples are available year-round, but the wide variety on offer involves intensive scientific research – and large-scale commercialisation. What’s beautiful, red, sweet and crunchy? Tony Martin’s favourite kind of apple: Sassy. The CEO of apple and pear breeding organisation Prevar, Martin’s fondness for Sassy represents professional success as well as ...
Family violence specialist service Shine is calling on employers to stop asking for proof of domestic violence in order for employees to access domestic violence leave. The call comes five years after the introduction of the Domestic Violence ...
The Deputy Chairperson of the Finance and Expenditure Committee is calling for public submissions on the Budget Policy Statement 2024. The Budget Policy Statement 2024 (BPS) sets out the Government's priorities for the 2024 Budget. It explains the approach ...
Brutal government spending cuts that will see the size of the Ministry for Pacific Peoples slashed by 40% will hit Pasifika communities hard, the PSA says. The Ministry has told staff that it is seeking voluntary redundancies, and to redeploy and reassign ...
I live with five people I mostly love, but our different ideas about generosity are starting to really irk me.Want Hera’s help? Email your problem to helpme@thespinoff.co.nzDear Hera,This is a bit of a random one but here goes. I’m 22 and work an OK job (OK meaning I get paid ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Maria Nicholas, Senior Lecturer in Language and Literacy Education, Deakin University Earlier this month, the New South Wales government announced it would roll out programs for gifted students in every public school in the state. This comes amid concerns gifted school ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Christopher Rudge, Law lecturer, University of Sydney Massachusetts General Hospital In a world first, we heard last week that US surgeons had transplanted a kidney from a gene-edited pig into a living human. News reports said the procedure was a ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By David Tombs, Howard Paterson Chair of Theology and Public Issues, University of Otago The 5th-century Maskell panel showing Jesus in a loincloth.British Museum, CC BY-NC-SA When Jesus is shown on the cross, he is almost always depicted wearing a loincloth around ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Panizza Allmark, Professor Visual & Cultural Studies, Edith Cowan University Shutterstock When you think about a red object, you might picture a red carpet, or the massive ruby in the Queen’s crown. Indeed, Western monarchies and marketing from brands such ...
COMMENTARY:Jewish Voice for Peace The UN Security Council passed a resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire in Gaza on Monday — and for the first time since the beginning of the Israeli military’s genocide of Palestinians, the United States abstained rather than vetoing it. Security Council resolutions are legally binding, ...
Asia Pacific Report A New Zealand investigative journalist and author says the US spy system hosted by the Government Communications Security Bureau (GCSB) appears to be a controversial intelligence system used in global capture-kill operations. Writing a commentary for RNZ News today, Nicky Hager, author of Secret Power, a 1996 ...
While Nicola Willis wouldn’t give any details on its size, she said a package of tax cuts is definitely still coming in this year’s budget, writes Catherine McGregor in this excerpt from The Bulletin, The Spinoff’s morning news round-up. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here. ...
The Taxpayers’ Union is welcoming the investigation into the Department of Internal Affairs after it was revealed that the Department’s Chief Executive personally reached out to expedite a DJs passport application. Taxpayers’ Union Campaigns ...
Finance minister Nicola Willis delivers her first budget statement, and unwittingly helps Joel MacManus save his relationship. Nicola Willis strode into the Beehive Theatrette. Around me, on the green foldout seats, were the country’s top business and political journalists. They were all here to see her announce the Budget Policy ...
Twenty years ago today, Māori Television launched after much controversy. Jamie Tahana looks back on its survival and impact across two decades. Chad Chambers stepped onto the stage, the brim of his cap casting a shadow across his face. His smile beamed as bright as his white freezing works gumboots, ...
On a Thursday in February, at Wellington’s Conservation House, the Conservation Authority, a statutory body advising the eponymous department and minister, Tama Potaka, opened its 195th meeting. Under consideration that afternoon was an agenda item written by Tim Bamford, chief advisor in the Department of Conservation’s biodiversity, heritage and visitors ...
Loading…(function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){var ql=document.querySelectorAll('A[quiz],DIV[quiz],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, Thursday 28 March appeared first on Newsroom. ...
A lengthy response to the recently released draft Government policy statement on transport will soon be delivered from Auckland Council to Minister of Transport Simeon Brown. A submission raising concerns about funding distribution and the plan’s treatment of Auckland passed through the council’s transport committee on Wednesday, despite some councillors ...
The unidentified foreign intelligence operation discussed in a scathing report by New Zealand’s Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security (IGIS) last week appears to be a controversial United States intelligence system. The IGIS report said the Government Communications Security Bureau (GCSB) decision to host a foreign system from 2012-2020 was “improper” ...
The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs has just released a report on it's view on 'US Hegemony and Its Perils' it makes for an interesting read, especially in light of it's origin, it's is some of the most pointed and direct jabs at the US I have seen coming directly from official Chinese sources…obviously the Chinese are getting more than a little tired of the US and it's endless belligerent antagonism aimed at China and so much of the world…like many of us!
US Hegemony and Its Perils
from the conclusion….
"While a just cause wins its champion wide support, an unjust one condemns its pursuer to be an outcast. The hegemonic, domineering, and bullying practices of using strength to intimidate the weak, taking from others by force and subterfuge, and playing zero-sum games are exerting grave harm. The historical trends of peace, development, cooperation, and mutual benefit are unstoppable. The United States has been overriding truth with its power and trampling justice to serve self-interest. These unilateral, egoistic and regressive hegemonic practices have drawn growing, intense criticism and opposition from the international community.
Countries need to respect each other and treat each other as equals. Big countries should behave in a manner befitting their status and take the lead in pursuing a new model of state-to-state relations featuring dialogue and partnership, not confrontation or alliance. China opposes all forms of hegemonism and power politics, and rejects interference in other countries' internal affairs. The United States must conduct serious soul-searching. It must critically examine what it has done, let go of its arrogance and prejudice, and quit its hegemonic, domineering and bullying practices."
I’ve missed the Civilian …
The peril of claiming atolls in the South China Sea are islands/air and seaports of China and having ignore the ruling of The International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea, as to the dubious nature of its own claims to effect the theft of the economic zones off weaker nations to their south, is the small size of the moral footprint they then make when criticising any other nation.
And it cannot even call out Russia on the invasion of Ukraine, or itself on the establishment of "police stations" on foreign territory without consent.
If Biden and Blinken had any balls they would say to China, if you arm the Russians or recognise the annexation of Ukraine territory (after a local vote as per Crimea), then it might be inferred that it would be hypercritical to deny Taiwan a vote on independence or oppose other nations coming to its defence should it be attacked.
they would say to China, if you arm the Russians or recognise the annexation of Ukraine territory (after a local vote as per Crimea), then it might be inferred that it would be hypercritical to deny Taiwan a vote on independence or oppose other nations coming to its defence should it be attacked.
Why? Taiwan is part of China. Even the Taiwanese admit that; though they don't agree that the CCP is the legitimate government of China. Any attack on Taiwan would therefor be a civil war, and no concern of any other country.
Crimea is no less part of Ukraine than Taiwan is of China ..
At the moment Crimea belongs to Russia. I don't see Ukraine getting it back.
The same way Kuwait belonged to Iraq, and recognised by no one.
Kuwait/Iraq, Crimea/Ukraine and Taiwan/China are three different situations. "Whataboutism" doesn't always work.
At the moment also applied when Germany occupied nations …some people could not see how the UK alone could change that …
Watch out for this book Adrian , coming out next month , from a University of London academic A.B.Abrams
Should be interesting reading!
https://www.fridayeveryday.com/exclusive-west-uses-atrocity-fabrications-to-demonize-enemies/
Interesting observation.
https://www.fridayeveryday.com/about-us/
"China opposes all forms of hegemonism and power politics, and rejects interference in other countries' internal affairs".
Seriously?
IMO Yes. I agree with our PM.
And….oh really ?
Were all the Local body and Regional Councils looking at Native Replanting on at-risk hill sides ? And that Wetlands were not being drained for new developments/subdivisions ? Probably a LOT of vulnerabilities that were high-lit by Local Environmental groups…and NZ wide..and mostly ignored by aforesaid councils..and Mayors ! : (.
There are no quick fix solutions , although Nact and other RWhingers will moan long and loudly (same as ever)
There is much to be done…and Change is going to be prime. NZ cant keep repeating the same mistakes.
Northland's representatives have a point. SH1 to Kaitaia has been broken for 6 months and there's no repair option in sight.
With the Brynderwyns out of action off-and-on for 6 weeks now, there is no SH1 route to the entire Northland.
No, passenger rail north of Kumeu isn't ever coming back.
So the call to accelerate the SH1 expressway from Warkworth to Whangarei is going to get stronger, and with good reason.
The EHRC report made no criticism of Jeremy Corbyn at all, and a tiny number of criticisms of the Labour Party-even these are disputed.
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2023/feb/23/attacks-on-your-editorial-about-the-ehrc-labour-and-antisemitism-are-baffling
The Guardian, to its credit, finally published an editorial that made plain that Corbyn had fought against racism for many years. It still (wrongly in my view) criticised Corbyn for his response to antisemitism in the Labour Party, and (wrongly) praised Starmer, but in a fairly low key manner.
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/feb/15/the-guardian-view-on-labour-and-antisemitism-two-cheers-for-keir-starmer
Needless to say the pro-Israel and extremist Jews reacted in their usual loopy manner.
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2023/feb/21/do-not-forget-jeremy-corbyn-failure-on-antisemitism
I found this part of he Guardian editorial particularly interesting.
“To conflate the antisemitism of some on the left with all leftwing politics is illogical and shortsighted. Given the state of the country and the world, now is not the time to dismiss important ideas just because John McDonnell once smiled at them. Not only is the former shadow chancellor one of the most interesting economic thinkers in the Labour party, he was also right to oppose austerity from 2010 onwards – not a claim that can be made by all of the shadow cabinet.”
The Guardian has realised that many people think that Starmer has gone way too far in his unjustified and non-fact based attacks on Corbyn.
From various comments by the PM, among other government ministers, it seems likely that managed retreat, in some form, will be on the table for the worst-affected-by-flooding areas.
Assuming this goes ahead, the next question is going to be 'Managed retreat to where'?
This article quotes 5,500 properties affected by flooding in Auckland. Assuming that not all need managed retreat (or at least don't need it right now), and that some will resist any buyout (Matata, case in point) – we can substantially reduce that number.
It doesn't, however, address properties affected by slips and landslides (which are rarely in flood plains – so that would add to the total.
https://thespinoff.co.nz/society/24-02-2023/the-case-for-abandoning-this-flood-prone-part-of-auckland
However, even if we're 'only' looking at 2,500 new properties in Auckland – where will we put them?
Clearly *not* in flood-prone areas.
The current plan allowing for 3×3 townhouse development on virtually every site in Auckland (that is 3 properties up to 3 stories high) – will only make any stormwater issues worse. I've seen these townhouse developments. There is zero permeable surface. And, unless they are part of a larger development (most are not), there is no associated run-off mitigation work. Stonefields and Hobsonville (large suburb-size developments) both had stormwater mitigation features, and fared well in both the Anniversary floods and Cyclone Gabrielle. But the vast majority of the developments are single-site ones – so no mitigation features.
Residents are unlikely to want to leave their local area (with a somewhat more elastic definition of 'local' for some than others).
And Auckland doesn't have great zones of suitable unbuilt-on land awaiting developement.
Can managed-retreat pay-outs be tied to ecologically-friendly solutions, e.g. apartment blocks (with decent-sized family-suitable apartments), on sites with appropriate stormwater mitigation?
Some of the issues around this are to do with cost: apartment blocks appear to cost considerably more to build, than stand alone or terraced housing. Some are to do with reputation – Aucklanders are justifiably wary of apartments after the leaky building saga. Some are to do with the Covid scars (lockdown in an apartment with kids is no joke). Some are to do with the mental shift – Kiwis think of 'home' as having a backyard – and apartments are a temporary solution to getting there
Inaction (or committees) are typically the result when the 'solutions' are more problematic than the status quo.
are house at risk from slips not included in managed retreat? Why not?
I'm not saying that they are not. I was just saying that they are likely to be over-and-above the total of houses in the article quoted – which was only discussing flood-plain damage.
Let's look 30 years in the future. We have much less power supply, we have frequent events like the last month, there are global food shortages because industrial ag is failing from temperature rises, increase droughts and floods, and interruptions to supply lines, and presumably we are closer to post-FF.
Do we really want to have infilled with lots of concrete and hardscarp infrastructure that was designed for less events? How would we even predict that far out how the weather is going to be?
One alternative is to use whole system design. Reduce transport across the board, so that transport infrastructure is freed up for essentials. Grow as much food locally as possible (which means retaining non-concreted spaces). Integrate that with city forestry and wetland systems designed to manage the peak rain events. More people can work from home, or be educated from home or in the neighbourhood. What is needed is sets of interlocking villages. There would be low rise appartments within that, but the starting point isn't 'too many people, where do we put them'. It's 'what's the carrying capacity of this landbase and how can we meet human needs by working with nature'.
Re immediate housing, one option (to be used alongside others), the tiny house on wheels movement is sufficiently established to scale up and provide interim accommodation for those that it suits. This frees up housing for those that need more space.
1.5 million people in Auckland. Even cutting out the pop in the more rural areas, you're going to come up with a total of 1 million plus in the densely populated areas.
What sort of practical programme can there be to translate this into the kind of village settlements you're talking about?
In order to gain the space for the kind of wetland/forestry systems you're talking about, in combination with the existing population, you'll need to have serious high-rise accommodation. And will involve massive razing of existing housing infrastructure.
Unless you're suggesting massive relocation – probably involuntary (people in general don't like leaving their homes); or some other mechanism to reduce the population to the "carrying capacity of the landbase" – the population has to be accommodated somewhere.
I'd like to see more tiny houses in operation. However, they require space, and (for most) connection to existing power/water/sewerage infrastructure. All of which is at a premium in Auckland. I'm sure there are solutions, but I'd like to see what they might be. Freeing up Council bureaucracy might be one of them (the hoops to be jumped through to put a minor dwelling (which is what a tiny home is counted as) on a site are immense).
Government departments used to have lots of onsite housing that was tiny housing e.g. single mens quarters on railways. Ensuring employees have accommodation isn't a bad thing and no reason railway land could not be used for workers accommodation.
this is the problem when you start with 'can't' instead of 'how'. Sustainable design comes from location. What will work in one part of Auckland won't work in another.
You're assuming a few things there. One is that no-one wants to move. Firstly, Gabrielle just completely changed the cultural normal that we all get to live where we want.
Secondly, the number of Auckland people coming south, suggests there are people that are happy to move. So start with the people that do want to move instead of a blanket 'too many people to move'. Why do people want to move? Down here the idea is that people understand how hard it's going to get to remain in Auckland, on many levels, and they want a better life.
Not that I want them to come down here lol, but you are still starting with '1.5m people have to be fitted into here irrespective of sustainability or climate', whereas I'm saying if you start with sustainable design principles then the solutions become apparent.
How many renters in Auckland would move to another part of their neighbourhood if it meant an improvement in their lifestyle?
People that live in areas that are flooding repeatedly will be more likely to want to move.
Every new development could be based in climate transition. Start with the low hanging fruit. Does Auckland still have suburbs with houses on a section? See below.
The other assumption is that the carrying capacity of the landbase is already vastly overreached. Do you know that to be true?
One influence on my thinking was David Holmgren's early work on Retrofitting the suburbs. He later developed this into Retrosuburbia, which is also excellent. The idea is how to transform existing infrastructure towards more sustainability. By sustainability, I mean that key principles are used like cradle to grave design, closing loops to reduce pollution, capturing energy flows to make spaces more efficient and so on. I don't mean greening things up a bit.
His work was around Australian and NZ suburbs that were built in the 50s and 60s and that have largely become commuter suburbs. They have land with housing for multiple people, and space for food growing, but tend towards couples who spend little time there, going out to work, eat and socialise. Instead, we could be changing how we live so that we can work, eat and socialise close to where we live, and produce food locally. We might have to share housing with people again (shock horror), there are ways to make that a good thing not a negative, but probably the biggest thing here is what we've become accustomed to and thinking we cannot change.
Everything I've just described is about making people more resilient where they live, and for that to be based in sustainability. In addition, local planners could work with the known and projected flood risks and develop natural systems (this doesn't preclude hard infrastructure) to change how water flows through the city.
Don't know why you jumped to that idea. Auckland already has stormwater systems, there's no suggestion of removing all of that. What Ak could be doing is working with nature instead of thinking that it can just force all that water to run somewhere (which obviously doesn't work any more).
Key point here. If you take Ak as it is now, the more you infill those suburbs and city areas with high and medium density housing via BAU urban design, the less resilient you make those areas and the wider city. More flooding, less ability to grow food, less green space for mental health, more overheating, more congestion and so on. This is why cities are already like this, and why BAU approaches greened up a bit won't work.
It's the thinking that's the problem. Gabrielle is teaching us about the limits of growth but also the limits of our imaginations. If the only thing you can see is 1.5m people needing to be squeezed into finite land, then that's all you can see.
Here's an example of the two kinds of thinking. BAU and working with nature. This isn't a solution for Ak, it's a solution to being stuck in thinking there is only one way to approach flooding.
https://www.permaculturenews.org/2016/01/07/despite-uk-flooding-a-yorkshire-town-remains-dry/
No matter the 'solution(s)' arrived at there will be an element of compulsion otherwise the authorities (no matter who they end up being) will be compelled to maintain infrastructure in both the under threat areas as well as the new/adapted ….and that creates political, social and economic problems as the ChCh red zoning continues to demonstrate
I tend to agree, and certainly the longer we keep doing BAU the more we will need compulsion. But we can also 'mitigate' that, by transitioning now and doing transition in a community based way as much as possible.
Which leads to the nature of compulsion….Id suggest that compulsion can be equated with money (or at least wealth) ….i.e. wealth is the freedom from compulsion.
i expect we may see that demonstrated again shortly.
this is why I place so much emphasis on defensive voting. Whatever struggles are coming it's going to be far far worse under a Nact govt than a centre left one.
The reality is the freedom bestowed by wealth remains irrespective of Government hue, or at least under the existing paradigm…and will remain so as long as we desire the benefits of the global system.
Auckland has already done large scale property purchases out of the flood plain, without resorting to compulsory acquisition powers. Project Twin Streams took out over 150 houses.
This article cited says it was 78 purchases but the later total was over 150.
https://environment.govt.nz/publications/project-twin-streams-case-study-large-scale-property-purchase-without-recourse-to-compulsory-purchase/
But that was pre-amalgamation.
Auckland Council simply doesn't countenance that degree of intervention.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/384566/no-buy-out-option-in-offer-to-flood-hit-piha-homeowners
Ain’t that the truth! Unfortunately, some are a little liberal with the truth and more than happy to spin it to suit their narrative and fit within their biased thinking. Opinions need to be stated clearly as such and even then they must have a sound foundation in reality. Anything else is spin, often with an intention if not an agenda.
https://www.newsroom.co.nz/finding-truth-and-compassion-in-the-wake-of-disaster
Yes. I was a bit nonplussed by this though – "[t]hat some people who would take advantage of their fellow Kiwis in their time of need has unsurprisingly generated anger." That sort of activity is very common across our economy. Some of it such as profiteering-driven inflation is is legal, while some isn't.
Whether something is pretty legal or not is a pretty low bar but it seems good enough for Law & Order dogmatists, which is why they use this as pretty much the only (and critically dividing) benchmark in their axiomatic ‘debates’. The Law is a huge grey area of rather technical complexities and interpretations, IMHO. It is not surprising that those same people transfer this same dogmatic thinking of motive, means & opportunity to pretty much all areas of life: economy, society, politics, etcetera. Where and when do values, principles, and higher aspirations come into it?
Landlords wouldn't put rents up would they?
Far out. How much more ? All the best for you North islanders. Esp Standardistas !
Great interview about East Palestine. Direct and to the point.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D38Z3l-WlA8
Thoughts from the cyclone so far:
Luxon has announced his plan to Stop 3 Waters and instead set strong rules for Councils to upgrade their waters. They will pay with secured(?) loans and different Councils can club together if they wish. (Suppose smaller/poorer councils will get left out?) Wonder if the water rules will cover 3 Waters?
Can't find the column I read re this but someone must be able to.
Found it:
https://www.1news.co.nz/2023/02/25/luxon-national-will-scrap-three-waters-set-strict-water-rules/
Should be fun with more rules and stricter rules. What with Luxon's Deputy Prime Minister Seymour coming in on a platform of getting rid of bureaucrats, red tape and Wellington control.
The problem is that National, when in government, never attempted to enforce the rule, guidelines and legislation that already existed. Never dragged councils and councillors into court for dereliction of duty in not increasing rates to cover the required future of their water resources. It doesn’t sound like they have the backbone to do it now as well.
Why do they see to think that scolding councillors will work over the next 30 years. It never did in the past.
Never helped councils with small or poor ratepayer bases to pay for their upgrades. National's only contribution to councils water in the past has been to put limits on what they could borrow to finance these works. You’ll note that they haven’t mentioned anything about raising debt ceilings for councils thate they previously imposed?
National just announced they aren't going to do anything significiant. They're just going to hand the task of an under-resourced and toothless oversight group that has absolutely no powers to do anything useful – like capital financing.
Notably there was nothing about new legislation in the area to replace the legislation they are want to remove – just regulation. That approach is the useless one that caused the current under funding and lack of maintenance of water infrastructure.
Notably, they managed to not mention the biggest single issue for smaller councils. That they cannot afford to hire the expertise to actually upgrade their water infrastructure. That is one of the key advantages
National is what you use when you need useless and completely ineffectual. They certainly delivered that with this pile of waffling.
So… councillors will think they control the Council's water infrastructure but they will be going cap in hand to some regulatory bureaucracy that doles out the funding kinda like Waka Kotahi does with roading funding. Although this isn't specified there isn't really any other way it would work for councils that couldn't afford the work required, as Government funding will be essential to meet current standards in nearly all Councils outside Auckland. Council engineering departments would be tied up with funding applications rather than engineering the infrastructure.
Not sure that's going to be an improvement on the status quo, and the situation that the 3 Waters reforms were designed to overcome.
While National's policy will give ratepayers and councillors a feeling of control, in effect they will be pawns of a central bureaucracy that will really dictate what work is done, how it is done, and how much the council has to contribute. Where a positive CBR is difficult, like in our many shrinking rural towns with completely fucked infrastructure, this contribution will still be cripling for the ratepayers and the councillors will get it up the chook at the ballot box.
National haven't addressed the long term issues of how we upgrade urban infrastructure without destroying the communities that depend in that infrastructure. they are just focused on the short term imperative of getting elected this year.
He'll build the South Island vote, but there's not much more of that he could get anyway.
But winning North Island vote outside of mid-Waikato with this?
How many more cataclysmic storms will it take?
He might reclaim some votes from Advance NZ or Freedom & Outdoors but there will be questions from the more sensible folk in likes of Gore and Clutha once they think about where this policy is going to take them. The numbers, and disruption, are pretty daunting for both Districts, not sure I'd like to be the elected councillor fronting those projects.
Lopez Obrador is returning his country to the bad old days when the incumbents controlled elections.
On Wednesday, Mexico's Senate approved changes backed by López Obrador to the National Election Institute, known by its initials in Spanish as the INE. The independent authority is beloved by many Mexicans for its role in securing free and fair elections and transitioning the country away from nearly a century of one-party rule just over two decades ago.
The new legislation, which Mexico's lower house, the Chamber of Deputies, passed in December and which López Obrador is expected to soon sign into law ahead of likely legal challenges, will cut the INE's budget, hamstring its ability to penalize candidates for campaign finance violations and loosen rules on public officials campaigning while in office.
By the INE's own estimates, those budget cuts will force it to cut as much as 85% of its staff. That could mean fewer polling places or less secure electoral rolls — real impacts on the agency's ability to credibly administer federal elections, according to analysts.
https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/mexican-presidents-push-change-elections-agency-sparks-debate/story?id=97421229
Renewable energy getting closer to being sustainable.
.
“Going forward, we can now view old epoxy-based blades as a source of raw material. Once this new technology is implemented at scale, legacy blade material currently sitting in landfill, as well as blade material in active windfarms, can be disassembled, and re-used.
“This signals a new era for the wind industry, and accelerates our journey towards achieving circularity.”
While efforts to create more environmentally friendly wind turbine blades and the growth of a market for recycling blades will continue, the new discovery from Vestas and its partners heralds a massive stepchange for the global wind energy industry.
“The newly discovered chemical process shows that epoxy-based turbine blades, whether in operation or sitting in landfill, can be turned into a source of raw material to potentially build new turbine blades,” said Mie Elholm Birkbak, specialist for innovation & concepts at Vestas.
https://reneweconomy.com.au/vestas-claims-major-breakthough-in-wind-turbine-blade-recycling/
Took them long enough.
Now if only they could make the turbine last for longer than 25 years.
Whereas a dam lasts for a century or more.
But kit vulnerable to fluid stresses and associated moving parts don't. And unfortunately, remediation of the cavitation, corrosion, fatigue, and material defects, etc, that contribute to declining efficiencies, the bane of hydro power, isn't quite as straight forward as swinging by with a crane and rigging crew to swap out a rotor.
Even the highlights tell you what kind of Rugby we've been missing from the true Pasifika style.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jOi5CwRSNlA
I can see either of them winning against most of the Australian and many of the New Zealand teams.
Just wait until the pointy end of the comp when they've had ten weeks together.
Simone Segouin worked and fought with the resistance from 1942 through to the liberation of Paris. Post war, she worked as a paediatric nurse.
https://twitter.com/kershaw_alex/status/1628478968197177344
Some people see a trans women aka a literal woman. Some people see a man loitering outside the women's toilet filming. Some people see an autogynephilic male (Quilette).
https://twitter.com/uhohwoman/status/1629216676029026304
The Carmens and the Georginas of this world have always used the women's toilets with no problems. They came in, closed the stall door, did their business, came out, washed their hands and left.
They were not there to take "bathroom selfies" with a crowd of schoolgirls in the background (looking at you Jonathan/Jessica Yaniv/Simpson).
They were not there to noisily achieve their "gender euphoria" and video it to share with their pervy mates, (thanks "Nig Heke" for trawling the grubbier corners of the internet for the evidence).
They were not there to steal used sanitary products for use in their menstrual fetishes. (Not even going to suggest where you might look for that, much too close to breakfast time!)
And that is before you get to the videoing over and under the stalls, and the plain basic sexual assaults well documented by the good folks at "This Never Happens" https://www.facebook.com/groups/1722756661380462/
There are still very good reasons to prevent men from entering spaces where women are vulnerable.
gender ideology is regressive nonsense part 4356
https://twitter.com/francesweetman/status/1629403765370388487