Do it, England, For like the hectic in my blood he rages, And thou must cure me. Till I know 'tis done, Howe'er my haps, my joys were ne'er begun. Hamlet, Act IV, scene III
I found the three R’s in National’s Education Policy. It wan’t that hard to find in the one-page policy document pamphlet comprising just 3 bullet points this time under the new National motto less is more that was checked personally by Luxon for errors because he knows the basics like no other:
And for every woman who has been assaulted and injured by a transgender activist I would expect some half dozen transgender people have been assaulted and injured by anti-transgender activists.
It is about the safety of both groups, not just Ms Pansy Parker as she would have us believe.
your expecting is something in your own head Anne. I've not seen any evidence that women speaking at LWS events have been violent towards TRAs. But your making shit up is noted.
In the livestream I saw a man pull another man off the band rotunda, but it was already a very scary event by that stage and I expect people were reacting out of adrenaline. Police weren't there, reports of assaults of women are already coming in.
who is peddling homophobia and how are they connected to KJK?
which fans are you talking about? The right wing politicians supporting KJK isn't a secret.
citation please for the claim that she is a 'big fan' of Tucker Carlson
citation for "in Auckland her supporters can stand alongside Brian tamaki..screaming abuse at trans people…"
was Kim Hill at the protest?
I haven't modded in bold yet, but I expect answers to all those, backed up by evidence, before you comment on anything else again. You're in premod until that happens.
The reason I am doing this is to support robust debate, rather than random reckons without back up and rumourmongering. You are of course still free to express your opinions
your response to my moderation comment is in Spam. You've been away and seem to not know how things work here. The onus is on you to provide evidence for claims of fact, and that means quotes of the relevant words and links (and timestamps if it's audio/video). I'm not doing your work for you. If you want to make claims of fact *you have to do the mahi. Reread the Policy.
As I explained, it’s in Spam. You didn’t link and quote, which I also explained is the evidence required. Banned until Monday because I’m not wasting any more of my time on this. Up your game when you come back please.
I did hear a rumour that Tamaki's lot might show up (sorry no ref), but clearly that didn't happen.
Instead, the reality was women being assaulted and abused in a public park, by a frenzied, insane mob. Stirred up by all the bullshit you just repeated.
It is disappointing that KJK takes interviews with some dodgy groups, and is prone to swearing and rude remarks. She's a lightning rod attracting even worse behaviour from trans activists. She's divisive even amongst gender critical folks. Doesn't call herself a feminist. Hangs out with evangelicals but is an atheist.
But KJK reveals truth to those who are willing to see.
… because if the crowd at Albert Park today actually cared about "trans rights" they would be doing something supportive of transgender people, not yelling and screaming at women who want to speak about their own lives and experiences.
I was speaking in general terms weka. It is well known that transgender people have suffered a huge amount of intimidation and physical assaults over the years and it continues. I know from personal experience (not anything to do with this issue) how people who intimidate and hurt others for perceived offences operate… and they rarely get caught and brought to justice.
I also know that women are far more likely to be bullied and harassed than men because I'm a woman who has experienced that in a particularly nasty and frightening way.
But that is not the subject matter in this case. It is about irrational hatred towards a group of people who happen to be different. It seems to me that the issue of safety from transgender folk has been blown up out of all proportion to reality.
"It is well known that transgender people have suffered a huge amount of intimidation and physical assaults over the years and it continues."
Well-"known" but not well evidenced. Self-selected surveys I have seen include under acts of violence and intimidation items such as: misgendering, and someone looking at me too long or suspiciously.
"It is about irrational hatred towards a group of people who happen to be different. "
Asking for the maintenance of single-sex provisions for women is not irrational hatred.
Standing for the protection of sexual orientation is not irrational hatred.
Demanding the removal of queer theory from education is not irrational hatred.
Asking for evidence based care that does not harm is not irrational hatred.
After assaulting KJK and a few unprotected middle aged women, the brave TRAs went down to Queen St to try and disrupt the Destiny Church march and provoke a scene. Tamaki's march was a model of restraint in the face of some awful abusive behaviour.
Looks like there was a race element here as well, an entitled bunch of privileged white university brats trying to bully a peaceful march of (mostly brown) adults from South Auckland.
Tamaki’s march was a model of restraint in the face of some awful abusive behaviour.
That’s one view. Another view is that he’d already laid down the gauntlet – Tamaki knows how to work the media as well as he knows how to manipulate people & crowds.
Earlier on Saturday, Destiny Church’s Brian Tamaki and a group of around 40 motorcycles passed Albert Park, revving their engines and yelling at counter-protesters.
Got renamed to "Green Party blog", then forgotten about. Last post on the wayback machine is from 2018. Someone killed it in Feb/March 2019 as the later site snapshots are just a 404 page.
Wayne Brown has been channelling his inner Trump: he fucks with facts and goes for full effect. However, Brown apologists maintain that these are the characteristics – calling them qualities would be a stretch – needed for leadership in Auckland City. Given they knew what Brown’s like, calling them apologists is a euphemism; the deliberate disruption & destruction of local government was carefully planned if not signalled and the dog-whistle worked a treat.
Wellington mayor Tory Whanau said Parker would likely receive the same response in Wellington should she speak in the capital on Sunday, and encouraged Wellingtonians to turn up at the counter-protest.
Is Wellington Mayor Tory Whanau inciting violence?
I voted for in the vain hope that she would leave all this political posturing aside and get on with work that Wellingtonians want done, you know water, buildings, aprks, rubbish collection, recycling…… But no such luck and now I'm beating myself around the head about being so stoopid.
So, this popped up in my inbox today – and blew me away.
Not content with transforming KiwiSaver, Simplicity is now planning to out-build Kāinga Ora. Duncan Greive meets a pair of of unlikely revolutionaries trying to fix housing – a task which seems impossible, even for the state itself.
The aim is to deliberately build long-term rentals, owned by Simplicity (the Kiwi saver fund company) – in order to derail many of the issues associated with renting. [There seems to be a sale side too – and I didn't get a clear picture of how these work together]
So far, it seems to only be in Auckland – though if they can get a big enough handle on the issue here – it will be a game changer, and able to be rolled out to other cities.
This article is mostly focused on the build side of things (and the way that having a consistent and coherent plan can reduce a lot of the building costs). It remains to be seen if they can convert Kiwis to long-term renting.
One area not covered, was the actual cost of the rent (below-market is a pretty loose description)
“Where almost all other large-scale home-builders develop to sell to the private market, Simplicity Living is building to own forever, and to rent out at below-market rates. The scale the pair has planned is vast: the manifesto talks of 10,000 to 15,000 homes over the next decade or so, but Stubbs believes the real ceiling might be far higher.
“The really big, hairy dream is to have one in 10 New Zealanders living in these things,” he says. That means a minimum of 200,000 houses – around three times the current number of state houses. That’s not an inapt comparison for Stubbs. “We think of it as the new state house,” he says. What that means is, if successful, Simplicity won’t just augment the government’s role in housing – it will far surpass it.”
It will be fascinating to do a comparison in a couple of years to see what the comparable turnover is.
I'm not convinced that removing shared amenities (they reference swimming pools and gyms), in order to save money, is necessarily the way to go. It adds an extra cost onto the local government in order to provide what used to be backyard or garage amenities. But, that's a minor quibble.
Really interesting partnership. And has me cheering them along.
The vision outlined in that excellent article is something similar when we started out in 2001 and built to rent a number of units. We quickly ran into some harsh realities and fast hit the financial limit of what we could do. The key sentence that leapt out at me is:
Simplicity is basically what would happen if The Opportunities Party were a business, and TOP mostly polls at the margin of error. To succeed at the scale they are dreaming of, they will be greatly helped by governmental goodwill, but their whole posture – let alone the lobbying of rivals – makes that far from a given.
Build to rent is a bloody good idea, but it depends on a stable financial and political environment to make it work – and we just have not had that.
I have 7000sqm of flat land, within 300m of a metro train station, that is essentially free. It could readily support 8 or so high quality residential or light commercial units. We have been siting on it for 20 years now – but every time I run the numbers it just does not stack up. A combination of stupid planning, permitting, insane permitting and building costs, interest rates all over the shop and a highly uncertain regulatory environment just stops us every time. TBH I have kind of given the dream away and short of just selling it on, I have no sense of what I want to do now.
The Brealy's are clearly operating at a much greater scale than us, and have a far deeper industry skillset and clout – yet everything he speaks to, we have encountered ourselves. I have a close friend who has done something similar with a large block of land in West Auckland – and he can tell all manner of horror stories.
There are so many aspects to this challenge that anyone who proposes simple silver bullet solutions is a fool. But one aspect that we have yet to understand how to intensify its towns and cities, without turning them into anti-human, soulless ghettos. In this Alexander's A Pattern Language remains the archetype criminally neglected by the planning and building professions.
Still you have to wish Brealy well – and I will follow his progress with interest.
I laughed my head off when the KO head was quoted as claiming that they were "efficient and systems-driven". I have a friend working for them, and he tells me that the KO cost over-runs are legendary.
Yeah we have our own modest wee Housing NZ story as well. Promise you one thing, fail dismally to deliver.
The one key factor that Simplicity Living has going in it's favour for the moment, is that while interest is not a tax deductible expense for all existing rental investors, it is for anyone building new. That gives them an edge I am sure they will be running with.
But again I am not sure I would bank on this long-term.
[NB: article from a couple of days ago, so late-arriving submissions may have changed this – but I doubt it]
This is the budget which is proposing swingeing cuts across just about every community service that we use on a daily basis.
Is this just a reflection of the standard political engagement profile? Those are the people who vote.
Is it a statement of belief that politicians don't listen to communities in any case? I'd agree with this in general, but this area has a lot of diverse opinions around the council table – it's one time that submissions (lots of them) could really make a difference.
Is it that the methodology of submission (e-questionaire) is offputting? Can't argue with that – I hate them, myself. And, it's likely to disproportionately exclude the elderly (who are otherwise great submitters to Council) – and lower-income residents without stable internet (these surveys are even worse on a mobile phone) [cf the similar exclusion of people evident from the latest Census]
Or, are we (as a city) just so hopeless that we can influence the outcomes of our local government (even when it directly affects us) that we've just given up?
This level of response is not giving those who oppose the cuts a whole lot of ammunition.
There has been a huge push to engage people in this process, particularly across social media. The submission forms are available on-line, in multiple languages, and if you don't want to write a submission, you can complete an on-line questionnaire that acts as a submission builder. A number of lobby/political groups have issued submission guides, including the Greens.
"Is it a statement of belief that politicians don't listen to communities in any case? "
Possibly, that has certainly been a problem in Auckland for some time.
Across eastern Europe, the addresses of Russian embassies are being changed as a form of protest against the war in Ukraine. In the Latvian capital, Riga, the section of Antonijas Street where the Russian embassy is located is set to be renamed Ukrainian Independence Street. And in Vilnius, Lithuania, the previously unnamed road on which the embassy sits (the address for which used to refer to the nearest main street) has now become Ukrainos Didvyrių g.: Ukrainian Heroes Street.
Exposures to uranium are not new, or uncommon. Many thousands of workers have been exposed to various uranium compounds over many years through processing of uranium from its ore to production of fuel elements. The health of such workers has been investigated, many of whom received higher intakes than do most soldiers on a battlefield. No clear evidence for any excess of cancers or kidney disease has been seen in these workers and their overall mortality is less than that in the general population because of a “healthyworker effect”. Despite the limitations of these studies, the absence of observed effects in uranium workers makes it unlikely that the risks of cancer or kidney disease from depleted uranium have been greatly underestimated.
Reports on the health hazards of depleted uranium munitions have concluded that exposures to depleted uranium likely to occur on the battlefield will probably not lead to any measureable excesses of cancers. However, risk assessments have had to estimate intakes of depleted uranium in the battlefield using poor data for the concentrations and properties of depleted uranium oxides in aerosols released during test firings, and using modelling procedures to predict the resulting concentrations of depleted uranium in tissues and organs, and the radiological and toxicological risks. The problem comes in trying to decide whether there are long-term effects. Without satisfactory data, and until there are better estimates of the actual intakes of depleted uranium on the battlefield, it may be prudent to remain open-minded.
Yes DU is an undesirable substance to be flinging about, but nor is there firm evidence of it being as hazardous as some people would like you to think it is. I agree it would be a much better world if the uranium was put to better use in breeder reactors to produce energy. Maybe you could get in touch with your good mate Poots and ask him to arrange something.
Your just showing you have lost your fucking mind. As you went and defend using depleted uranium rounds.
Any side using depleted uranium is engaging in war crimes. Because as Iraq so clearly showed, it was after the fact, when people live in the areas of the spent rounds – the real problems happen.
Fuck putin and his gaggle of oligarchs. But me saying that means nothing to you, because you want a cheap shot. And can't get your head around the fact their are truly fucked up actions in war which should be considered war crimes. Like invading another country, and using depleted Uranium rounds.
OK so I have done a quick scan of your referenced report and the summary on page 11 states:
In this report, it is concluded that the radiation doses from DU do not pose a radiological hazard to the population at the four studied locations in southern Iraq. The estimated annual committed effective radiation doses that could arise from exposure to DU residues are low, always less than 100 µSv/a and only to a few, if any, individuals, and therefore of little radiological concern. The estimated radiation doses are less than those received on average by individuals from natural sources of radiation in the environment
I could quote more of it, but it seems to continue in much the same vein.
DU is potentially something of a chemically toxic substance, and if a sufficiently large dose is consumed it can be harmful to the kidneys. But then again there are a bazillion substances that are chemically toxic one way or another, many found on the battlefield environment.
All three reports we have quoted between us so far on this thread agree that from a radiological aspect DU is a very modest radiological hazard. The reason is not hard to understand; DU is an alpha emitter; relatively large and heavy particles that have very little penetrating power. Typically stopped by the layer of dead skin or a plastic bag, all alpha emitters have to be ingested and become absorbed within a cell before they can possibly cause DNA replication damage. In addition uranium is a very large atom and is not easily absorbed through the cell wall, and the vast majority of it ingested or inhaled is excreted through the faeces within a day or two. The small faction that makes it's way into the bones is the site of potential concern.
However U-238 (the isotope consisting of 99.3% of DU) has a very long half-life, which means the rate of atoms disintegrating is very low. So low that the normal cellular and immune system mechanisms that ordinarily repair DNA damage can easily keep up. In other words the rate of the dose is well below the threshold where it might create a detectable excess hazard.
As I said above, I would much sooner they did not waste perfectly good uranium on munitions, but honestly I am not seeing the war crime here.
As for the cheap shot – hell I was being restrained for someone who is out of their fucking mind.
They Ammunition's are never cleaned up, they linger for years and whilst it may only effect small percentage of the population. Your argument, not mine.
What it does do to the people it does effect, is to fuck their lives completely. Now that is going to happen year on year, for how ever long it takes for this compound that has been introduced into the environment via war.
I'm not arguing nuclear contamination, I'm arguing the fact this is a long term toxin introduced into the environment for no good reason. There I think we agree.
I get the cancer rates in Iraq have settled down, but their have been flare ups recently in Southern Iraq,This after the whole toxicity of war had settled down somewhat. The north of Iraq has normal cancer and deformity rates.
I think poisoning the environment in war, is a war crime. I also think Russian heads should be on the chopping block/hangman's noose for the use of Cluster munitions and fléchettes (evil little fuckers) as they also in the end – target civilians and stay in the environment for a bloody long time.
We absolutely agree on the horror of war – there have been moments I have sat behind my computer screen this past year in a state of despair at what we can all see if you choose to go looking for it.
Wars are obsolete means of conflict resolution, and they are a blemish on our progress and civilisation as human beings.
They have got to be criminalised and eliminated, and humans, as individuals in societies, should resort to civil means of resolving issues, such as those mentioned above, as well as resorting to courts as the ultimate option.
Neither wars nor politicians should be left to determine the way we conduct ourselves and the course of life on our planet.
There is really no need to deploy DU A/T Rd's into Ukraine as the Russians haven't to my knowledge deployed any of it MBT's with DU Armour & thence the need for DU Rounds as the standard Tungsten Sabot Rd had trouble penetrating DU Armour.
The concern with DU Rounds actually comes being use as Artillery Rds for the 155mm Artillery Guns & anyone who understands the dark arts of Gunnery be it from MG's in Sustain Fire Support Role to the Big stuff. When you start chucking around Lead, HE, Smoke/ WP for Target Indication it can get very messy & now throw DU Artillery Rds!
You are just asking for Bloody Trouble now & no wonder there is DU shrapnel spread around like a dog's breakfast causing all sorts of issues.
I'm no fan of DU munitions unless used against highly hardened targets that uniquely justifies their use.
I understand and accept that DU will be controversial when used in munitions – but all the analysis I have read suggests there are plenty of other things that are routinely used on the battlefield, both during and long after (mines for example) – that are of equal if not greater concern.
Do we rational, social animals devote too much time and effort going for the jugular?
How to Encourage More Climate-Friendly Habits, According to Science
[24 March 2023]
As it turns out, when it comes to taking action to stop climate change, the best way of changing people’s behavior is what the researchers termed “social comparisons,” which resulted in an average 14% change in people’s behavior. Basically, when people see that other people have taken a specific action, they’re likely to copy it.
…
And while it doesn’t do much to simply know that a certain product is more eco-friendly, if people see others buying that product instead of the dirty one, they’re much more likely to choose it themselves. “After all,” Bergquist says, “we are a highly social animal.”
A Nordic Airforce. Smart move indeed. But then the Nordic countries have a reputation for sanity and smartness. NZ should align themselves to them despite the geographical distance. We have much in common with them.
Of course Russia would never use the depleted uranium munitions manufactured to be used in the T-80BV tanks ugraded to be able to fire depleted uranium munitions.
Russia has a significant number of different DU-rounds in its arsenals. There are reports of mass production of the improved Svinets-1 and Svintes-2 depleted uranium ammunition, for which the T-80BVM tanks were modernized during the last years. It seems that Russia didn’t abandon its DU programme, but on the contrary – it has increased production volumes and is actively modernizing outdated tanks to make them capable of firing DU ammunition. Even though there are no reliable reports yet, considering the DU-capable tanks being used in the invasion, ICBUW fears use of DU in Ukraine.
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 ...
TL;DR: In today’s ‘six-stack’ of substacks at 6.06pm on Tuesday, March 19:Kāinga Ora’s dry rot The Spinoff DailyBill McKibben on ‘Climate Superfunds’ making Big Oil pay for climate damage The Crucial YearsPreston Mui on returning to 1980s-style productivity growth NoahpinionAndy Boenau on NIMBYs needing unusual bedfellows Urbanism SpeakeasyNed Resnikoff's case ...
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Bryce Edwards writes – It’s been a tumultuous time in politics in recent months, as the new National-led Government has driven through its “First 100 Day programme”. During this period there’s been a handful of opinion polls, which overall just show a minimal amount of flux in public support ...
Inspirational: The Family of Man is a glorious hymn to human equality, but, more than that, it is a clarion call to human freedom. Because equality, unleavened by liberty, is a broken piano, an unstrung harp; upon which the songs of fraternity will never be played.“Somebody must have been telling lies about ...
Tax Lawyer Barbara Edmonds vs Emperor Justinian I- Nolo Contendere: False historical explanations of pivotal events are very far from being inconsequential.WHEN BARBARA EDMONDS made reference to the Roman Empire, my ears pricked up. It is, lamentably, very rare to hear a politician admit to any kind of familiarity ...
It’s been a tumultuous time in politics in recent months, as the new National-led Government has driven through its “First 100 Day programme”. During this period there’s been a handful of opinion polls, which overall just show a minimal amount of flux in public support for the various parties in ...
Buzz from the Beehive Housing Minister Chris Bishop delivered news – packed with the ingredients to enflame political passions – worthy of supplanting Winston Peters in headline writers’ priorities. He popped up at the post-Cabinet press conference to promise a crackdown on unruly and antisocial state housing tenants. His ...
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Bryce Edwards writes – Last week former National Party leader Simon Bridges was appointed by the Government as the new chair of the New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA). You can read about the appointment in Thomas Coughlan’s article, Simon Bridges to become chair of NZ Transport Agency ...
TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: Gavin Jacobson talks to Thomas Piketty 10 years on from Capital in the 21st CenturyThe SalvoLocal scoop: Green MP’s business being investigated over migrant exploitation claims StuffSteve KilgallonLocal deep-dive: The commercial contractors making money from School ...
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This is a guest post by Connor Sharp of Surface Light Rail Light rail in Auckland: A way forward sooner than you think With the coup de grâce of Auckland Light Rail (ALR) earlier this year, and the shift of the government’s priorities to roads, roads, and more roads, it ...
Note: As a paid-up Webworm member, I’ve recorded this Webworm as a mini-podcast for you as well. Some of you said you liked this option - so I aim to provide it when I get a chance to record! Read more ...
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What seemed a booming success a couple of years ago has collapsed into fraud convictions.I looked at the crash of FTX (short for ‘Futures Exchange’) in November 2022 to see whether it would impact on the financial system as a whole. Fortunately there was barely a ripple, probably because it ...
Anybody following the situation in Ukraine and Russia would probably have been amused by a recent Tweet on X NATO seems to be putting in an awful lot of effort to influence what is, at least according to them, a sham election in an autocracy.When do the Ukrainians go to ...
TL;DR:Shaun Baker on Wynyard Quarter's transformation. Magdalene Taylor on the problem with smart phones. How private equity are now all over reinsurance. Dylan Cleaver on rugby and CTE. Emily Atkin on ‘Big Meat’ looking like ‘Big Oil’.Bernard’s six-stack of substacks at 6pm on March 15Photo by Jeppe Hove Jensen ...
Buzz from the Beehive Finance Minister Nicola Willis had plenty to say when addressing the Auckland Business Chamber on the economic growth that (she tells us) is flagging more than we thought. But the government intends to put new life into it: We want our country to be a ...
The Transport and Infrastructure Committee has reported back on the Road User Charges (Light Electric RUC Vehicles) Amendment Bill, basicly rubberstamping it. While there was widespread support among submitters for the principle that EV and PHEV drivers should pay their fair share for the roads, they also overwhelmingly disagreed with ...
Peter Dunne writes – This week’s government bailout – the fifth in the last eighteen months – of the financially troubled Ruapehu Alpine Lifts company would have pleased many in the central North Island ski industry. The government’s stated rationale for the $7 million funding was that it ...
See if you can spot the difference. An Iranian born female MP from a progressive party is accused of serial shoplifting. Her name is leaked to the media, which goes into a pack frenzy even before the Police launch an … Continue reading → ...
Ele Ludemann writes – The government is omitting general Treaty references from 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 public service on Treaty ...
What was that judge thinking?Peter Williams writes – That Golriz Ghahraman and District Court Judge Maria Pecotic were once lawyer colleagues is incontrovertible. There is published evidence that they took at least one case to the Court of Appeal together. There was a report on ...
TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read:Climate Scorpion – the sting is in the tail. Introducing planetary solvency. A paper via the University of Exeter’s Institute and Faculty of Actuaries.Local scoop:Kāinga Ora starts pulling out of its Auckland projects and selling land RNZ ...
Wellington’s massively upzoned District Plan adds the opportunity for tens of thousands of new homes not just in the central city (such as these Webb St new builds) but also close to the CBD and public transport links. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Wellington gave itself the chance of ...
It’s Friday and we’re halfway through March Madness. Here’s some of the things that caught our attention this week. This Week in Greater Auckland On Monday Matt asked how we can get better event trains and an option for grade separating Morningside Dr. On Tuesday Matt looked into ...
Something you might not know about me is that I’m quite a stubborn person. No, really. I don’t much care for criticism I think’s unfair or that I disagree with. Few of us do I suppose.Back when I was a drinker I’d sometimes respond defensively, even angrily. There are things ...
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:PM Christopher Luxon said the reversal of interest deductibility for landlords was done to help renters, who ...
It was not so much the Labour Party but really the Chris Hipkins party yesterday at Labour’s caucus retreat in Martinborough. The former Prime Minister was more or less consistent on wealth tax, which he was at best equivocal about, and social insurance, which he was not willing to revisit. ...
Buzz from the BeehiveThe text reproduced above appears on a page which records all the media statements and speeches posted on the government’s official website by Melissa Lee as Minister of Media and Communications and/or by Jenny Marcroft, her Parliamentary Under-secretary. It can be quickly analysed ...
For forty years, Robert Muldoon has been a dirty word in our politics. His style of government was so repulsive and authoritarian that the backlash to it helped set and entrench our constitutional norms. His pig-headedness over forcing through Think Big eventually gave us the RMA, with its participation and ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Is the new government reducing tax on rental properties to benefit landlords or to cut the cost of rents? That’s the big question this week, after Associate Finance Minister David Seymour announced on Sunday that the Government would be reversing the Labour Government’s removal ...
Saudi Arabia is rarely far from the international spotlight. The war in Gaza has brought new scrutiny to Saudi plans to normalise relations with Israel, while the fifth anniversary of the controversial killing of Jamal Khashoggi was marked shortly before the war began on October 7. And as the home ...
Questions need to be asked on both sides of the worldPeter Williams writes – The NRL Judiciary hands down an eight week suspension to Sydney Roosters forward Spencer Leniu , an Auckland-born Samoan, after he calls Ezra Mam, Sydney-orn but of Aboriginal and Torres Strait ...
Ele Ludemann writes – Contrary to what many headlines and news stories are saying, residential landlords are not getting a tax break. The government is simply restoring to them the tax deductibility of interest they had until the previous government removed it. There is no logical reason ...
I can't remember when it was goodMoments of happiness in bloomMaybe I just misunderstoodAll of the love we left behindWatching our flashbacks intertwineMemories I will never findIn spite of whatever you becomeForget that reckless thing turned onI think our lives have just begunI think our lives have just begunDoes anyone ...
Michael Bassett writes – At first reading, a front-page story in the New Zealand Herald on 13 March was bizarre. A group of severely intellectually limited teenagers, with little understanding of the law, have been pleading to the Justice Select Committee not to pass a bill dealing with ram ...
How much political capital is Christopher Luxon willing to burn through in order to deliver his $2.9 billion gift to landlords? Evidently, Luxon is: (a) unable to cost the policy accurately. As Anna Burns-Francis pointed out to him on Breakfast TV, the original ”rock solid” $2.1 billion cost he was ...
TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read:Jonathon Porritt calling bullshit in his own blog post on mainstream climate science as ‘The New Denialism’.Local scoop:The Wellington City Council’s list of proposed changes to the IHP recommendations to be debated later today was leaked this ...
TL;DR:Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said yesterday tenants should be grateful for the reinstatement of interest deductibility because landlords would pass on their lower tax costs in the form of lower rents. That would be true if landlords were regulated monopolies such as Transpower or Auckland Airport1, but they’re not, ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Tom Toro Tom Toro is a cartoonist and author. He has published over 200 cartoons in The New Yorker since 2010. His cartoons appear in Playboy, the Paris Review, the New York Times, American Bystander, and elsewhere. Related: What 10 EV lovers ...
The business section of the NZ Herald is full of opinion. Among the more opinionated of all is the ex-Minister of Transport, ex-Minister of Railways, ex MP for Auckland Central (1975-93, Labour), Wellington Central (1996-99, ACT, then list-2005), ex-leader of the ACT Party, uncle to actor Antonia, the veritable granddaddy ...
Hi,Just quickly — I’m blown away by the stories you’ve shared with me over the last week since I put out the ‘Gary’ podcast, where I told you about the time my friend’s flatmate killed the neighbour.And you keep telling me stories — in the comments section, and in my ...
The first season of Rings of Power was not awful. It was thoroughly underwhelming, yes, and left a lingering sense of disappointment, but it was more expensive mediocrity than catastrophe. I wrote at length about the series as it came out (see the Review section of the blog, and go ...
Buzz from the Beehive Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden told Auckland Business Chamber members they were the first audience to hear her priorities as a minister in a government committed to cutting red tape and regulations. She brandished her liberalising credentials, saying Flexible labour markets are the ...
Chris Trotter writes – TO UNDERSTAND WHY NEWSHUB FAILED, it is necessary to understand how TVNZ changed. Up until 1989, the state broadcaster had been funded by a broadcasting licence fee, collected from every citizen in possession of a television set, supplemented by a relatively modest (compared ...
Bob Edlin writes – The Māori Party has been busy issuing a mix of warnings and threats as its expresses its opposition to interest deductibility for landlords and the plans of seabed miners. It remains to be seen whether they follow the example of indigenous litigants in Australia, ...
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. ...
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 ...
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. ...
The New Zealand public voted for a change in direction at the 2023 general election and that is exactly what this coalition government has been delivering in its first 100 days. There was an immediate focus on the economy, easing the cost of living, cracking down on law and order ...
The Government has left the health system as an afterthought, announcing half-baked targets at the last minute of their 100-day plan, says Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall. ...
Kiwis are still waiting for their promised cost of living support after 100 days of a National Government that is taking us backwards, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
The National Government has spent its first 100 days stopping, cutting and reversing. They have scrapped stuff for stuff for the sake of it, without putting up any solutions of their own – and it’s hardworking New Zealanders who will pay for it. ...
100 days of National taking NZ backwardsThe National Government has spent its first 100 days stopping, cutting and reversing. They have scrapped stuff for stuff for the sake of it, without putting up any solutions of their own – and it’s hardworking New Zealanders who will pay for it. ...
The Government must commit to funding free and healthy school lunches, as thousands of people sign the petition to keep them, education spokesperson Jan Tinetti says. ...
If the Government was serious about moving families into public housing, they would build more houses so there is actually somewhere for people to go. ...
The free and healthy school lunches programme feeds our kids, helps them to learn, and saves families money – but it is at risk under this Government, education spokesperson Jan Tinetti said. ...
The Government’s proposed changes to Firearms Prohibition Orders (FPO) add almost nothing new and are merely an attempt to distract from its plans to loosen gun laws, police spokesperson Ginny Andersen and justice spokesperson Dr Duncan Webb said. ...
The great Victorian era English politician Lord Macauley stood in the British House of Parliament and said, "The gallery in which the reporters sit has become a fourth estate of the realm".He understood and outlined even way back then, the significant role and influence media have in a democracy. ...
The government’s attack on Māori health this week is committing tangata-whenua to a premature death, says Te Pāti Māori. “The government have begun their onslaught on Māori health with the abolishment of the Māori Health Authority and smokefree laws in the same day” said health spokesperson and co-leader, Debbie Ngarewa-Packer. ...
"The Government is moving quickly to realise an additional $46 million in tariff savings in the EU market this season for Kiwi exporters,” Minister for Trade and Agriculture, Todd McClay says. Parliament is set, this week, to complete the final legislative processes required to bring the New Zealand – European ...
New Zealand’s social workers are qualified, experienced, and more representative of the communities they serve, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “I want to acknowledge and applaud New Zealand’s social workers for the hard work they do, providing invaluable support for our most vulnerable. “To coincide with World ...
Cabinet has agreed to a reduced road user charge (RUC) rate for plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. Owners of PHEVs will be eligible for a reduced rate of $38 per 1,000km once all light electric vehicles (EVs) move into the RUC system from 1 April. ...
Minister of Agriculture and Trade, Todd McClay, says that today’s opening of Riverland Foods manufacturing plant in Christchurch is a great example of how trade access to overseas markets creates jobs in New Zealand. Speaking at the official opening of this state-of-the-art pet food factory the Minister noted that exports ...
Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Wellington today. “It was a pleasure to host Foreign Minister Wang Yi during his first official visit to New Zealand since 2017. Our discussions were wide-ranging and enabled engagement on many facets of New Zealand’s relationship with China, including trade, ...
Kāinga Ora – Homes & Communities has been instructed to end the Sustaining Tenancies Framework and take stronger measures against persistent antisocial behaviour by tenants, says Housing Minister Chris Bishop. “Earlier today Finance Minister Nicola Willis and I sent an interim Letter of Expectations to the Board of Kāinga Ora. ...
Tēna koutou katoa. Greetings everyone. Thank you to the Auckland Chamber of Commerce and the Honourable Simon Bridges for hosting this address today. I acknowledge the business leaders in this room, the leaders and governors, the employers, the entrepreneurs, the investors, and the wealth creators. The coalition Government shares your ...
Minister Winston Peters completed the final leg of his visit to South and South East Asia in Singapore today, where he focused on enhancing one of New Zealand’s indispensable strategic partnerships. “Singapore is our most important defence partner in South East Asia, our fourth-largest trading partner and a ...
Minister of Internal Affairs and Workplace Relations and Safety, Hon. Brooke van Velden, will travel to the Republic of Korea to represent New Zealand at the Third Summit for Democracy on 18 March. The summit, hosted by the Republic of Korea, was first convened by the United States in 2021, ...
ICNZ Speech 7 March 2024, Auckland Acknowledgements and opening Mōrena, ngā mihi nui. Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Nor Whanganui aho. Good morning, it’s a privilege to be here to open the ICNZ annual conference, thank you to Mark for the Mihi Whakatau My thanks to Tim Grafton for inviting me ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Lead Coordination Minister Judith Collins have expressed their deepest sympathy on the five-year anniversary of the Christchurch terror attacks. “March 15, 2019, was a day when families, communities and the country came together both in sorrow and solidarity,” Mr Luxon says. “Today we pay our respects to the 51 shuhada ...
Speech for Financial Advice NZ Conference 5 March 2024 Acknowledgements and opening Morena, Nga Mihi Nui. Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Nor Whanganui aho. Thanks Nate for your Mihi Whakatau Good morning. It’s a pleasure to formally open your conference this morning. What a lovely day in Wellington, What a great ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters held discussions in Jakarta today about the future of relations between New Zealand and South East Asia’s most populous country. “We are in Jakarta so early in our new government’s term to reflect the huge importance we place on our relationship with Indonesia and South ...
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters has announced that the Foreign Minister of China, Wang Yi, will visit New Zealand next week. “We look forward to re-engaging with Foreign Minister Wang Yi and discussing the full breadth of the bilateral relationship, which is one of New Zealand’s ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has today opened the new Auckland Rail Operations Centre, which will bring together KiwiRail, Auckland Transport, and Auckland One Rail to improve service reliability for Aucklanders. “The recent train disruptions in Auckland have highlighted how important it is KiwiRail and Auckland’s rail agencies work together to ...
The Government is proud to support the 10th edition of Crankworx Rotorua as the Crankworx World Tour returns to Rotorua from 16-24 March 2024, says Minister for Economic Development Melissa Lee. “Over the past 10 years as Crankworx Rotorua has grown, so too have the economic and social benefits that ...
Legislation implementing coalition Government tax commitments and addressing long-standing tax anomalies will be progressed in Parliament next week, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The legislation is contained in an Amendment Paper to the Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill issued today. “The Amendment Paper represents ...
Associate Environment Minister Andrew Hoggard has today announced that the Government has agreed to suspend the requirement for councils to comply with the Significant Natural Areas (SNA) provisions of the National Policy Statement for Indigenous Biodiversity for three years, while it replaces the Resource Management Act (RMA).“As it stands, SNAs ...
Agriculture Minister Todd McClay has classified the drought conditions in the Marlborough, Tasman, and Nelson districts as a medium-scale adverse event, acknowledging the challenging conditions facing farmers and growers in the district. “Parts of Marlborough, Tasman, and Nelson districts are in the grip of an intense dry spell. I know ...
The Government is helping farmers eradicate the significant impact of facial eczema (FE) in pastoral animals, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced. “A $20 million partnership jointly funded by Beef + Lamb NZ, the Government, and the primary sector will save farmers an estimated NZD$332 million per year, and aims to ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has completed a successful visit to India, saying it was an important step in taking the relationship between the two countries to the next level. “We have laid a strong foundation for the Coalition Government’s priority of enhancing New Zealand-India relations to generate significant future benefit for both countries,” says Mr Peters, ...
Cabinet has agreed to provide $7 million to ensure the 2024 ski season can go ahead on the Whakapapa ski field in the central North Island but has told the operator Ruapehu Alpine Lifts it is the last financial support it will receive from taxpayers. Cabinet also agreed to provide ...
Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says the launch of a new mobile breast screening unit in Counties Manukau reinforces the coalition Government’s commitment to drive better cancer services for all New Zealanders. Speaking at the launch of the new mobile clinic, Dr Reti says it’s a great example of taking ...
Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says the launch of a new mobile breast screening unit in Counties Manukau reinforces the coalition Government’s commitment to drive better cancer services for all New Zealanders. Speaking at the launch of the new mobile clinic, Dr Reti says it’s a great example of taking ...
Unlocking economic growth and land for housing are critical elements of the Government’s plan for our transport network, and planned upgrades to State Highway 29 (SH29) near Tauriko will deliver strongly on those priorities, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “The SH29 upgrades near Tauriko will improve safety at the intersections ...
Unlocking economic growth and land for housing are critical elements of the Government’s plan for our transport network, and planned upgrades to State Highway 29 (SH29) near Tauriko will deliver strongly on those priorities, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “The SH29 upgrades near Tauriko will improve safety at the intersections ...
Lower fruit and vegetable prices are welcome news for New Zealanders who have been doing it tough at the supermarket, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. Stats NZ reported today the price of fruit and vegetables has dropped 9.3 percent in the 12 months to February 2024. “Lower fruit and vege ...
Tēnā koutou katoa and greetings to you all. Chair, I am honoured to address the sixty-eighth session of the Commission on the Status of Women. I acknowledge the many crises impacting the rights of women and girls. Heightened global tensions, war, climate related and humanitarian disasters, and price inflation all ...
Tēnā koutou katoa and greetings to you all. Chair, I am honoured to address the 68th session of the Commission on the Status of Women. I acknowledge the many crises impacting the rights of women and girls. Heightened global tensions, war, climate related and humanitarian disasters, and price inflation all ...
The coalition Government is supporting farmers to enhance land management practices by investing $3.3 million in locally led catchment groups, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced. “Farmers and growers deliver significant prosperity for New Zealand and it’s vital their ongoing efforts to improve land management practices and water quality are supported,” ...
Good evening everyone and thank you for that lovely introduction. Thank you also to the Honourable Simon Bridges for the invitation to address your members. Since being sworn in, this coalition Government has hit the ground running with our 100-day plan, delivering the changes that New Zealanders expect of us. ...
Recommendations from the Climate Change Commission for New Zealand on the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) auction and unit limit settings for the next five years have been tabled in Parliament, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. “The Commission provides advice on the ETS annually. This is the third time the ...
The coalition Government is beginning its fight to lower building costs and reduce red tape by exempting minor building work from paying the building levy, says Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk. “Currently, any building project worth $20,444 including GST or more is subject to the building levy which is ...
Proposed changes to tax legislation to prevent the over-taxation of low-earning trusts are welcome, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The changes have been recommended by Parliament’s Finance and Expenditure Committee following consideration of submissions on the Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill. “One of the ...
Assalaamu alaikum. السَّلَام عليكم In light of the holy month of Ramadan, I want to extend my warmest wishes to our Muslim community in New Zealand. Ramadan is a time for spiritual reflection, renewed devotion, perseverance, generosity, and forgiveness. It’s a time to strengthen our bonds and appreciate the diversity ...
Former Transport Minister and CEO of the Auckland Business Chamber Hon Simon Bridges has been appointed as the new Board Chair of the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) for a three-year term, Transport Minister Simeon Brown announced today. “Simon brings extensive experience and knowledge in transport policy and governance to the role. He will ...
Good morning all, it is a pleasure to be here as Minister of Science, Innovation and Technology. It is fantastic to see how connected and collaborative the life science and biotechnology industry is here in New Zealand. I would like to thank BioTechNZ and NZTech for the invitation to address ...
Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says he is looking forward to the day when three key water projects in Northland are up and running, unlocking the full potential of land in the region. Mr Jones attended a community event at the site of the Otawere reservoir near Kerikeri on Friday. ...
Associate Finance Minister David Seymour has today announced that the Government has agreed to restore deductibility for mortgage interest on residential investment properties. “Help is on the way for landlords and renters alike. The Government’s restoration of interest deductibility will ease pressure on rents and simplify the tax code,” says ...
Sport and Recreation Minister Chris Bishop will travel to Switzerland today to attend an Executive Committee meeting and Symposium of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). Mr Bishop will then travel on to London where he will attend a series of meetings in his capacity as Infrastructure Minister. “New Zealanders believe ...
Chumbawamba have reportedly issued the deputy PM a cease-and-desist notice after he used their song 'Tubthumping' before his state of the nation speech. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Deborah Lupton, SHARP Professor, Vitalities Lab, Centre for Social Research in Health and Social Policy Centre, and the ARC Centre of Excellence for Automated Decision-Making and Society, UNSW Sydney kitzcorner/Shutterstock The assertion from Queensland’s chief health officer John Gerrard that ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Martin, Visiting Fellow, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University Shutterstock Why are musicians so keen to get played on the radio? It can’t be because of the money. In Australia they are paid at rates so low they ...
"Farmers make a point not to tell our urban cousins how to live, yet Chlöe from central Auckland is hell-bent on having her say about farmers," says ACT Rural Communities spokesman Mark Cameron. “On her first day in the House as Green ...
Analysis by Dr Bryce Edwards – Democracy Project (https://democracyproject.nz)Political scientist, Dr Bryce Edwards. It’s been a tumultuous time in politics in recent months, as the new National-led Government has driven through its “First 100 Day programme”. During this period there’s been a handful of opinion polls, which overall just ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tim Curran, Associate Professor of Ecology, Lincoln University, New Zealand Getty Images/Gerald Corsi In the latest move to reform environmental laws in New Zealand, the coalition government has introduced a bill to fast-track consenting processes for projects deemed to ...
Uber has argued it does not have as much control over drivers as the unions suggest, and wants a judgment ruling that drivers are employees and not contractors set aside and sent back to the Employment Court. The 2022 ruling followed a three-week hearing in which four drivers sought to ...
What can and can’t be purchased by disabled people or their carers has been slashed in an effort by the Ministry of Disabled People Whaikaha to save money. The purchasing guidelines, a set of rules that sets out what can be purchased using the various streams of Government disability funding, ...
The Treasury has published today a new Analytical Note by Tod Wright and Hien Nguyen, Fiscal incidence in New Zealand: The effects of taxes and benefits on household incomes in tax year 2018/19 . Analyses of the distributional impact of taxation and government ...
The Treasury has published today a new Analytical Note by Cory Davis, Boston Hart and Benjamin Stubbing, Household cost-of-living impacts from the Emissions Trading Scheme and using transfers to mitigate regressive outcomes . This Analytical Note ...
A coalition of public transport and climate organisations, united as ‘Transport for All’, is actively opposing the government’s transport proposals. The draft Government Policy Statement (GPS) includes plans for higher fares for public transport, ...
Greater Wellington is inviting feedback on proposed changes to its Revenue and Financing Policy. The Revenue and Financing Policy covers the Council’s various sources of funding, and how the cost of services is shared across the region. This includes ...
Labour has conceded it could have done more to deal with disruptive state housing tenants while in government but says the current coalition is going too far. ...
The band has asked their record label to issue a cease and desist to stop the NZ First leader using their 1997 hit to support his ‘misguided political views’. “I get knocked down, but I get up again,” blared through the speakers on Sunday as Winston Peters took the stage ...
By Lydia Lewis, RNZ Pacific journalist Food rationing is underway in remote areas in Papua New Guinea’s Highlands following torrential rain and flash flooding. More than 20 people have been reported dead in Chimbu Province. In nearby Enga Province, the centre of last month’s massacre, a 15-year-old boy has been ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrew Hughes, Lecturer, Research School of Management, Australian National University After months of debate and intrigue, the AFL’s 19th and newest team, the Tasmania Devils, finally launched its jumper, logo and colours in Devonport this week. The Devils will wear green, ...
Brannavan Gnanalingam reviews the debut novel by Saraid de Silva.One of the most baffling things for children who move to a new country is what their parents’ (or grandparents’) lives were like prior to moving – for kids in particular, they’re too busy trying to fit in in their ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stephen Gaunson, Associate Professor in Cinema Studies, RMIT University Narelle Portanier/Binge “If you don’t know who your mob are, you don’t know who you are,” Detective Andrea “Andie” Whitford (played by Leah Purcell) is told early into the new crime ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Elise Klein, Associate professor, Australian National University It’s commonly accepted that women do the vast majority of caregiving in Australian society. But less appreciated is that Indigenous women do larger amounts of unpaid care than any other group. Working with the Aboriginal ...
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 Joe Biden and Donald Trump have both secured their parties’ nominations for the November 5 United States general election by winning a ...
Comment: There has been a striking contrast in trans-Tasman interest about Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi’s visit to New Zealand and Australia. While the Australian press has been full of articles about the visit – including his curious decision to meet with former prime minister and China booster Paul Keating ...
After years of pressuring banks and other institutions to stop investing in fossil fuels, climate campaigners are making some progress. So how does divestment work?For years, climate activists have been pushing banks and other big institutions to divest from fossil fuels. New research from climate advocacy group 350 Aotearoa ...
For Boba, Ethan and Ashley, K-pop is a place to belong, a way to express themselves, and a bridge to connect with others. The three young Polynesians are part of a K-pop fan community in Tāmaki Makaurau. It’s one of many that have sprung up worldwide as K-pop has gone ...
For Boba, Ethan and Ashley, K-pop is a place to belong, a way to express themselves, and a bridge to connect with others. This one-off documentary presents three intimate portraits of young Polynesians who are pulled into a Korean cultural phenomenon. K-POLYS is directed by Litia Tuiburelevu, Produced by Hex ...
There’s ample evidence demonstrating free school lunch programmes provide wide benefits across schools, households and communities according to public health researchers. ACT Minister David Seymour wants to reduce the spending on Aotearoa New Zealand’s ...
By Wata Shaw in Suva Fiji is facing an exodus of Fijians as many are leaving for overseas seeking employment and education and others are migrating, says Opposition MP Viliame Naupoto. Speaking in Parliament, he said: “His Excellency’s speech (Ratu Wiliame Katonivere) comes after a little over one year of ...
The Taxpayers’ Union is welcoming comments from Christopher Luxon this morning recommitting to ‘no new taxes’ as part of Budget 2024. “Mr Luxon’s refusal at the Post-Cabinet press conference yesterday to repeat the ‘no new taxes’ promise ...
SAFE is urgently calling on the Environment Committee to reject the Government’s Fast-Track Approvals Bill, and is urging New Zealanders to rally behind the call. The proposed Bill, currently under consideration with the Environment select committee, ...
Teammates who spend all their time picking fights with spectators are only helpful for the other team, writes Madeleine Chapman. Anyone who has ever played a team sport competitively, particularly as a child and particularly, for some reason, basketball, will know that there’s a lot of politics involved. While there ...
The long-running Wellington music festival is too focused on the Jim Beam-ness and not enough on the Homegrown-ness.There is something about Homegrown that’s difficult to place. A barely perceptible-ness. Like feeling a ghost is watching you from the corner of the room but when you look, there’s nothing there. ...
The latest Ipsos New Zealand Issues Monitor reveals that fewer New Zealanders believe crime / law and order is one of the top issues facing our country. In 2018, Ipsos New Zealand started tracking the key issues facing New Zealand. In this wave ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kate Griffiths, Deputy Program Director, Budgets and Government, Grattan Institute Australia’s political donations rules are woefully inadequate, but donations reform is finally on the agenda. The federal government has signalled its interest in reform and will soon begin briefing MPs on its ...
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Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Albert Van Dijk, Professor, Water and Landscape Dynamics, Fenner School of Environment & Society, Australian National University Global climate records were shattered in 2023, from air and sea temperatures to sea-level rise and sea-ice extent. Scores of countries recorded their hottest year ...
As part of our series exploring how New Zealanders live and our relationship with money, a teacher explains why he and his partner are in frugal mode – and how they’re making it work. Gender: Male Age: 35Ethnicity: Pākehā Role: I am an intermediate school teacher and my partner is ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sarah Bendall, Senior Lecturer, Institute for Humanities and Social Sciences, Australian Catholic University Binge Mary & George, the new British television drama series, depicts the real-life story of Mary Villiers and her son George, and their social climbing at the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jason Nassios, Associate Professor, Centre of Policy Studies, Victoria University This article is part of The Conversation’s series examining the housing crisis. Read the other articles in the series here. Australian state and federal governments spend money in many ways to ...
The finance minister is denying that there’s a $5.6b shortfall in paying for the government’s campaign promises, including tax cuts. At his post-cabinet press conference yesterday, the PM refused to rule out new taxes to pay for the cuts, writes Anna Rawhiti-Connell in this excerpt from The Bulletin, The Spinoff’s ...
Kāinga Ora tenants abused by their neighbours are doubting the government's crackdown on disruptive tenants will make a difference on their behaviour. ...
Kāinga Ora is New Zealand’s biggest residential landlord, housing more than 180,000 vulnerable people in more than 67,000 properties. Yesterday the government announced a crackdown on its tenants who fall behind on rent. One longtime Kāinga Ora tenant shares her experience.For 18 years I lived in a 1960s standalone ...
Why does this myth persist, and what’s the real reason our skin is suffering?It’s one of the biggest international grievances New Zealanders hold, up there with the sinking of the Rainbow Warrior and 1981’s underarm incident. We’re quick to tell international travellers that the world’s pollution led to the ...
SailGP’s races feature in-your-face action, with agile, hydro-foiling catamarans tacking and jibing for the title over several days. However, public comments ahead of the global series’ return to New Zealand have left this past year’s controversy in the shadows, as a key appointment attracts criticism from dolphin advocates. A year ...
Opinion: We are fast approaching a fundamental change in prisons. As the number of people on custodial remand looks set to overtake the number of sentenced prisoners, the main function of prisons in New Zealand may become incarcerating un-sentenced people who may not be guilty of offending. We have already ...
A huge seven months lies in store for the White Ferns, beginning this week with the visit of England and culminating with the T20 World Cup in Bangladesh in September and October. Starting on Tuesday in Dunedin, the world ranked No. 2 visitors will play five T20s and three ODIs, ...
Opinion: In a move that has shocked road safety advocates across the country, the new Minister of Transport, Simeon Brown, is poised to abandon the previous government’s speed limit reduction policy, particularly around schools. Even more alarmingly, he wants school speed limits to be variable rather than full-time, arguing ...
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When the Criminal Proceeds (Recovery) Act was introduced in 2009 it was firmly targeted at gangs and drugs. The legislation means police no longer need a conviction to seize assets that criminals can’t prove were paid for legitimately, as long as their alleged offences are punishable by more than a ...
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Bob’s relationship with certain members of Lincoln’s academic staff continued to deteriorate in the 1990s. Others supported him publicly, though articles such as Roland Clark’s 1993 piece in Growing Today cannot have pleased the university management. Clark wrote that Bob was selling onions from the Biological Husbandry Unit to a ...
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Evicting more people from state housing is ignorant to the consequences of poverty, the Greens say, but the Housing Minister says it's a privilege that can be taken away if abused. ...
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Kiingi Tuheitia Pootatau Te Wherowhero VII has hosted members of the Green Party Caucus at Tuurangawaewae Marae in Ngaaruawahia. The audience follows the King’s Hui-aa-Motu on 20 January, where more than 10,000 people gathered to discuss national ...
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I see the Hosking Newstalk ZB duo is to go to London for the coronation.
What a great opportunity. How about they be the New Zealand koha to the monarch to celebrate the occasion?
Do it, England, For like the hectic in my blood he rages, And thou must cure me. Till I know 'tis done, Howe'er my haps, my joys were ne'er begun. Hamlet, Act IV, scene III
I found the three R’s in National’s Education Policy. It wan’t that hard to find in the one-page policy
documentpamphlet comprising just 3 bullet points this time under the new National motto less is more that was checked personally by Luxon for errors because he knows the basics like no other:Not forgetting the other R's of the Nats
Rugby
Racing
beeR
flog off assets to ouR mates
loweR wages
higheR Rent
Run away to Hawaii with ill-gotten gains
Before leaving Australia, she told the Herald she had been contacted by police ahead of her arrival..”
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/posie-parker-tour-of-nz-anti-trans-activist-kellie-jay-keen-minshull-poised-for-rally/EOWRBWVHK5HY3KV4XJ7TECCE2E/
Its not so much about your safety sweetie. Its about keeping an eye on you and your offensive blithering.
Go LQBTQIA+. Give her a blast she will never forget.
Women have been assaulted and injured at Let Women Speak events Anne. By gender identity activists. So it is absolutely about KJK's safety.
And for every woman who has been assaulted and injured by a transgender activist I would expect some half dozen transgender people have been assaulted and injured by anti-transgender activists.
It is about the safety of both groups, not just Ms Pansy Parker as she would have us believe.
your expecting is something in your own head Anne. I've not seen any evidence that women speaking at LWS events have been violent towards TRAs. But your making shit up is noted.
In the livestream I saw a man pull another man off the band rotunda, but it was already a very scary event by that stage and I expect people were reacting out of adrenaline. Police weren't there, reports of assaults of women are already coming in.
Sometimes it pays to look around and see who you are standing alongside..
So the champion of those peddling homophobia under a cloak of feminism…is funded by the american evangelicals…is supported by nazis…
Her fans claim to be surprised that right-wing politicians are alongside them..(.really…?..that displays breathtaking political naivete..)
She is a big fan of tucker carlson ..(who is one of the foulest creatures drawing breath…who specializes in peddling lies and bigotry ..)
And here in Auckland her supporters can stand alongside Brian tamaki..screaming abuse at trans people…
I mean…w.t.f…!
Lie with dogs and you get fleas..
Meanwhile I am standing over here.. standing behind the likes of chloe swarbrick…kim hill..and carmel sepuloni…
I know which group I prefer…
you seem confused about a few things Phil.
I haven't modded in bold yet, but I expect answers to all those, backed up by evidence, before you comment on anything else again. You're in premod until that happens.
The reason I am doing this is to support robust debate, rather than random reckons without back up and rumourmongering. You are of course still free to express your opinions
your response to my moderation comment is in Spam. You've been away and seem to not know how things work here. The onus is on you to provide evidence for claims of fact, and that means quotes of the relevant words and links (and timestamps if it's audio/video). I'm not doing your work for you. If you want to make claims of fact *you have to do the mahi. Reread the Policy.
I pointed you to all my sources…
Why won't you let readers see that..?
As I explained, it’s in Spam. You didn’t link and quote, which I also explained is the evidence required. Banned until Monday because I’m not wasting any more of my time on this. Up your game when you come back please.
I did hear a rumour that Tamaki's lot might show up (sorry no ref), but clearly that didn't happen.
Instead, the reality was women being assaulted and abused in a public park, by a frenzied, insane mob. Stirred up by all the bullshit you just repeated.
It is disappointing that KJK takes interviews with some dodgy groups, and is prone to swearing and rude remarks. She's a lightning rod attracting even worse behaviour from trans activists. She's divisive even amongst gender critical folks. Doesn't call herself a feminist. Hangs out with evangelicals but is an atheist.
But KJK reveals truth to those who are willing to see.
Tamaki and posse were in (ironically) Queen Street.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/486680/posie-parker-rally-hundreds-counter-protest-at-albert-park
… because if the crowd at Albert Park today actually cared about "trans rights" they would be doing something supportive of transgender people, not yelling and screaming at women who want to speak about their own lives and experiences.
You can stand with whoever you like Phillip, but shame on you for shutting down an event to let women speak
Did you go there as you intended, phil?
I was speaking in general terms weka. It is well known that transgender people have suffered a huge amount of intimidation and physical assaults over the years and it continues. I know from personal experience (not anything to do with this issue) how people who intimidate and hurt others for perceived offences operate… and they rarely get caught and brought to justice.
I also know that women are far more likely to be bullied and harassed than men because I'm a woman who has experienced that in a particularly nasty and frightening way.
But that is not the subject matter in this case. It is about irrational hatred towards a group of people who happen to be different. It seems to me that the issue of safety from transgender folk has been blown up out of all proportion to reality.
I have researched the rates of homicide in NZ of transgender people.
It is lower than males and females. Last one was in something like 2009 and it was in the context of a drug deal gone wrong.
"It is well known that transgender people have suffered a huge amount of intimidation and physical assaults over the years and it continues."
Well-"known" but not well evidenced. Self-selected surveys I have seen include under acts of violence and intimidation items such as: misgendering, and someone looking at me too long or suspiciously.
"It is about irrational hatred towards a group of people who happen to be different. "
Asking for the maintenance of single-sex provisions for women is not irrational hatred.
Standing for the protection of sexual orientation is not irrational hatred.
Demanding the removal of queer theory from education is not irrational hatred.
Asking for evidence based care that does not harm is not irrational hatred.
Where is your evidence Anne that women assaulted trans activists.
Yes they did give Kelly a blast. I have just watched fortage of the crowd mobbing her and of course she was assaulted. Do you condon that Anne?
A small middle aged women who just wanted to hold a rally to let women (mostly left wing lesbian femisnists) speak
We now have mob rule in NZ.
Why didn't the cowards go and try and pick a fight with Tamaki and his boys on bikes if they wanted a fight.
After assaulting KJK and a few unprotected middle aged women, the brave TRAs went down to Queen St to try and disrupt the Destiny Church march and provoke a scene. Tamaki's march was a model of restraint in the face of some awful abusive behaviour.
Looks like there was a race element here as well, an entitled bunch of privileged white university brats trying to bully a peaceful march of (mostly brown) adults from South Auckland.
That’s one view. Another view is that he’d already laid down the gauntlet – Tamaki knows how to work the media as well as he knows how to manipulate people & crowds.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/300839091/antitrans-activist-posie-parker-leaves-country-after-chaotic-auckland-rally
Whatever happened to frogblog…?
Got renamed to "Green Party blog", then forgotten about. Last post on the wayback machine is from 2018. Someone killed it in Feb/March 2019 as the later site snapshots are just a 404 page.
Wayne Brown has been channelling his inner Trump: he fucks with facts and goes for full effect. However, Brown apologists maintain that these are the characteristics – calling them qualities would be a stretch – needed for leadership in Auckland City. Given they knew what Brown’s like, calling them apologists is a euphemism; the deliberate disruption & destruction of local government was carefully planned if not signalled and the dog-whistle worked a treat.
https://www.newsroom.co.nz/auckland-pulls-a-brexit-on-the-mayors-casting-vote
Just wondering does anyone know what’s happened to Sabine, Swordfish and Pukish Rogue?
miss their commentary
swordfish (@swordfish7774) is still around AFAICT. no sign of the other two.
Sabine always comes and goes. PR does to a bit.
I reckon finally came over to the left ,as he seems intelligent, but can't yet face the humble pie he'd have to eat to admit it!!
Pucky that is, sorry brain's seems to be a bit muddled at the moment,
Thanks Roblogic
Let’s hope people who shop at Tescos and Sainsbury’s don’t read this.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/mar/25/like-youre-in-a-horror-movie-pollution-leaves-new-zealand-wetlands-irreversibly-damaged?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other
I think we may have something of a problem co ordinating and co operating to change society to rapidly reduce our carbon/methane emissions.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/300839091/antitrans-activist-posie-parker-escorted-out-of-auckland-rally-set-to-announce-whether-tour-will-continue
Wellington mayor Tory Whanau said Parker would likely receive the same response in Wellington should she speak in the capital on Sunday, and encouraged Wellingtonians to turn up at the counter-protest.
Is Wellington Mayor Tory Whanau inciting violence?
She's parroting Green Party dogma.
I voted for in the vain hope that she would leave all this political posturing aside and get on with work that Wellingtonians want done, you know water, buildings, aprks, rubbish collection, recycling…… But no such luck and now I'm beating myself around the head about being so stoopid.
I'll be more careful next time.
So, this popped up in my inbox today – and blew me away.
https://thespinoff.co.nz/business/25-03-2023/inside-the-radical-plan-to-build-the-new-state-house-and-change-renting-forever
The aim is to deliberately build long-term rentals, owned by Simplicity (the Kiwi saver fund company) – in order to derail many of the issues associated with renting. [There seems to be a sale side too – and I didn't get a clear picture of how these work together]
So far, it seems to only be in Auckland – though if they can get a big enough handle on the issue here – it will be a game changer, and able to be rolled out to other cities.
This article is mostly focused on the build side of things (and the way that having a consistent and coherent plan can reduce a lot of the building costs). It remains to be seen if they can convert Kiwis to long-term renting.
One area not covered, was the actual cost of the rent (below-market is a pretty loose description)
“Where almost all other large-scale home-builders develop to sell to the private market, Simplicity Living is building to own forever, and to rent out at below-market rates. The scale the pair has planned is vast: the manifesto talks of 10,000 to 15,000 homes over the next decade or so, but Stubbs believes the real ceiling might be far higher.
“The really big, hairy dream is to have one in 10 New Zealanders living in these things,” he says. That means a minimum of 200,000 houses – around three times the current number of state houses. That’s not an inapt comparison for Stubbs. “We think of it as the new state house,” he says. What that means is, if successful, Simplicity won’t just augment the government’s role in housing – it will far surpass it.”
It will be fascinating to do a comparison in a couple of years to see what the comparable turnover is.
I'm not convinced that removing shared amenities (they reference swimming pools and gyms), in order to save money, is necessarily the way to go. It adds an extra cost onto the local government in order to provide what used to be backyard or garage amenities. But, that's a minor quibble.
Really interesting partnership. And has me cheering them along.
The vision outlined in that excellent article is something similar when we started out in 2001 and built to rent a number of units. We quickly ran into some harsh realities and fast hit the financial limit of what we could do. The key sentence that leapt out at me is:
Build to rent is a bloody good idea, but it depends on a stable financial and political environment to make it work – and we just have not had that.
I have 7000sqm of flat land, within 300m of a metro train station, that is essentially free. It could readily support 8 or so high quality residential or light commercial units. We have been siting on it for 20 years now – but every time I run the numbers it just does not stack up. A combination of stupid planning, permitting, insane permitting and building costs, interest rates all over the shop and a highly uncertain regulatory environment just stops us every time. TBH I have kind of given the dream away and short of just selling it on, I have no sense of what I want to do now.
The Brealy's are clearly operating at a much greater scale than us, and have a far deeper industry skillset and clout – yet everything he speaks to, we have encountered ourselves. I have a close friend who has done something similar with a large block of land in West Auckland – and he can tell all manner of horror stories.
There are so many aspects to this challenge that anyone who proposes simple silver bullet solutions is a fool. But one aspect that we have yet to understand how to intensify its towns and cities, without turning them into anti-human, soulless ghettos. In this Alexander's A Pattern Language remains the archetype criminally neglected by the planning and building professions.
Still you have to wish Brealy well – and I will follow his progress with interest.
I laughed my head off when the KO head was quoted as claiming that they were "efficient and systems-driven". I have a friend working for them, and he tells me that the KO cost over-runs are legendary.
Yeah we have our own modest wee Housing NZ story as well. Promise you one thing, fail dismally to deliver.
The one key factor that Simplicity Living has going in it's favour for the moment, is that while interest is not a tax deductible expense for all existing rental investors, it is for anyone building new. That gives them an edge I am sure they will be running with.
But again I am not sure I would bank on this long-term.
I really don't know what to think about this…..
Most feedback on the highly controversial Auckland Budget has been from those who are Pakeha and over 45.
https://thespinoff.co.nz/politics/23-03-2023/youll-never-guess-which-groups-are-over-represented-in-auckland-budget-feedback
[NB: article from a couple of days ago, so late-arriving submissions may have changed this – but I doubt it]
This is the budget which is proposing swingeing cuts across just about every community service that we use on a daily basis.
Is this just a reflection of the standard political engagement profile? Those are the people who vote.
Is it a statement of belief that politicians don't listen to communities in any case? I'd agree with this in general, but this area has a lot of diverse opinions around the council table – it's one time that submissions (lots of them) could really make a difference.
Is it that the methodology of submission (e-questionaire) is offputting? Can't argue with that – I hate them, myself. And, it's likely to disproportionately exclude the elderly (who are otherwise great submitters to Council) – and lower-income residents without stable internet (these surveys are even worse on a mobile phone) [cf the similar exclusion of people evident from the latest Census]
Or, are we (as a city) just so hopeless that we can influence the outcomes of our local government (even when it directly affects us) that we've just given up?
This level of response is not giving those who oppose the cuts a whole lot of ammunition.
There has been a huge push to engage people in this process, particularly across social media. The submission forms are available on-line, in multiple languages, and if you don't want to write a submission, you can complete an on-line questionnaire that acts as a submission builder. A number of lobby/political groups have issued submission guides, including the Greens.
"Is it a statement of belief that politicians don't listen to communities in any case? "
Possibly, that has certainly been a problem in Auckland for some time.
Can we do this too please?
Trolling as govt policy
Lets not. People have lost their collective minds over this shitty war.
What next, saying depleted Uranium shells are harmless? Which now seems to be the propaganda the western media is pushing.
Tell that to my Kurdish friends in Iraq, and they will spit in your face.
IEAA article on DU
Another on the Lancet. (Dated 2002)
Yes DU is an undesirable substance to be flinging about, but nor is there firm evidence of it being as hazardous as some people would like you to think it is. I agree it would be a much better world if the uranium was put to better use in breeder reactors to produce energy. Maybe you could get in touch with your good mate Poots and ask him to arrange something.
Your just showing you have lost your fucking mind. As you went and defend using depleted uranium rounds.
Any side using depleted uranium is engaging in war crimes. Because as Iraq so clearly showed, it was after the fact, when people live in the areas of the spent rounds – the real problems happen.
Fuck putin and his gaggle of oligarchs. But me saying that means nothing to you, because you want a cheap shot. And can't get your head around the fact their are truly fucked up actions in war which should be considered war crimes. Like invading another country, and using depleted Uranium rounds.
OK so I have done a quick scan of your referenced report and the summary on page 11 states:
I could quote more of it, but it seems to continue in much the same vein.
DU is potentially something of a chemically toxic substance, and if a sufficiently large dose is consumed it can be harmful to the kidneys. But then again there are a bazillion substances that are chemically toxic one way or another, many found on the battlefield environment.
All three reports we have quoted between us so far on this thread agree that from a radiological aspect DU is a very modest radiological hazard. The reason is not hard to understand; DU is an alpha emitter; relatively large and heavy particles that have very little penetrating power. Typically stopped by the layer of dead skin or a plastic bag, all alpha emitters have to be ingested and become absorbed within a cell before they can possibly cause DNA replication damage. In addition uranium is a very large atom and is not easily absorbed through the cell wall, and the vast majority of it ingested or inhaled is excreted through the faeces within a day or two. The small faction that makes it's way into the bones is the site of potential concern.
However U-238 (the isotope consisting of 99.3% of DU) has a very long half-life, which means the rate of atoms disintegrating is very low. So low that the normal cellular and immune system mechanisms that ordinarily repair DNA damage can easily keep up. In other words the rate of the dose is well below the threshold where it might create a detectable excess hazard.
As I said above, I would much sooner they did not waste perfectly good uranium on munitions, but honestly I am not seeing the war crime here.
As for the cheap shot – hell I was being restrained for someone who is out of their fucking mind.
They Ammunition's are never cleaned up, they linger for years and whilst it may only effect small percentage of the population. Your argument, not mine.
What it does do to the people it does effect, is to fuck their lives completely. Now that is going to happen year on year, for how ever long it takes for this compound that has been introduced into the environment via war.
I'm not arguing nuclear contamination, I'm arguing the fact this is a long term toxin introduced into the environment for no good reason. There I think we agree.
I get the cancer rates in Iraq have settled down, but their have been flare ups recently in Southern Iraq,This after the whole toxicity of war had settled down somewhat. The north of Iraq has normal cancer and deformity rates.
I think poisoning the environment in war, is a war crime. I also think Russian heads should be on the chopping block/hangman's noose for the use of Cluster munitions and fléchettes (evil little fuckers) as they also in the end – target civilians and stay in the environment for a bloody long time.
We absolutely agree on the horror of war – there have been moments I have sat behind my computer screen this past year in a state of despair at what we can all see if you choose to go looking for it.
You might find some food for thought here:
There is really no need to deploy DU A/T Rd's into Ukraine as the Russians haven't to my knowledge deployed any of it MBT's with DU Armour & thence the need for DU Rounds as the standard Tungsten Sabot Rd had trouble penetrating DU Armour.
The concern with DU Rounds actually comes being use as Artillery Rds for the 155mm Artillery Guns & anyone who understands the dark arts of Gunnery be it from MG's in Sustain Fire Support Role to the Big stuff. When you start chucking around Lead, HE, Smoke/ WP for Target Indication it can get very messy & now throw DU Artillery Rds!
You are just asking for Bloody Trouble now & no wonder there is DU shrapnel spread around like a dog's breakfast causing all sorts of issues.
I'm no fan of DU munitions unless used against highly hardened targets that uniquely justifies their use.
I understand and accept that DU will be controversial when used in munitions – but all the analysis I have read suggests there are plenty of other things that are routinely used on the battlefield, both during and long after (mines for example) – that are of equal if not greater concern.
And on a brighter note:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PJhklT4ST9M
Do we rational, social animals devote too much time and effort going for the jugular?
The largest air force in Europe. Poots will be delighted.
https://twitter.com/nukestrat/status/1638991916250329088
A Nordic Airforce. Smart move indeed. But then the Nordic countries have a reputation for sanity and smartness. NZ should align themselves to them despite the geographical distance. We have much in common with them.
You get the Russians are paranoid as fuck at the best of times. So how is this a good idea?
In my opinion, its more of the deluded dick waving by all the world leaders, who fail us at every turn.
Of course Russia would never use the depleted uranium munitions manufactured to be used in the T-80BV tanks ugraded to be able to fire depleted uranium munitions.
Russia has a significant number of different DU-rounds in its arsenals. There are reports of mass production of the improved Svinets-1 and Svintes-2 depleted uranium ammunition, for which the T-80BVM tanks were modernized during the last years. It seems that Russia didn’t abandon its DU programme, but on the contrary – it has increased production volumes and is actively modernizing outdated tanks to make them capable of firing DU ammunition. Even though there are no reliable reports yet, considering the DU-capable tanks being used in the invasion, ICBUW fears use of DU in Ukraine.
https://www.icbuw.eu/depleted-uranium-weapons-state-of-affairs-2022/
And if they use them we should consider it a war crime.
Well a number of NGO's are trying to get them banned & rightly so in my opinion!