Open mike 25/07/2024

Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, July 25th, 2024 - 40 comments
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40 comments on “Open mike 25/07/2024 ”

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  1. Kay 1
    25 July 2024 at 8:23 am

    In light of the damning report into the abuse in care, I would like to remind others of another 'report' done in 2005- Report of the Confidential Forum for Former In-Patients of Psychiatric Hospitals.

    https://ndhadeliver.natlib.govt.nz/ArcAggregator/arcView/frameView/IE12126512/http://www.dia.govt.nz/Agency-Confidential-Forum-for-Former-In-Patients-of-Psychiatric-Hospitals-Index

    And the final report

    https://ndhadeliver.natlib.govt.nz/ArcAggregator//arcView/resource/IE12126512//http://www.dia.govt.nz/diawebsite.nsf/Files/CFPages070627/$file/CFPages070627.pdf

    I was one of the first people in NZ to testify in front of the panel, having been caught up in the very tail end of the institution system in my late teens. For reasons that wouldn't happen these days, but were incredibly easy to do with the 1969 MH Act. Put it this way, an awful lot of people were incarcerated- often illegally-for no clinical reason, but simply because the system made it easy, and the public fully supported it.

    The forum was never going to result in any formal enquiry, like systems that hurt children did (Lake Alice, abuse in care). We were given the patronising option of free counselling, or support in taking legitimate criminal complaints to the police which would not have got anywhere.

    I don't know anyone at the time who was interested in financial redress, although God knows we deserved it then and still do. What we wanted was an acknowledgement from the State that yes, what we testified about happened, it was true, and we're sorry this happened to you. Ha ha, still waiting. Around that time was the apology to the descendants of Chinese immigrants forced to pay a poll tax 100 years ago. One can only assume our descendants might get an apology when the last of us have died off?

    This was Helen Clark's government, and Helen was also the health minister in the late 1980s when I contacted her to tell her what was happening. Politicians were well aware, but 'out of mind, out of sight' has always been the order of day. I mean, who can believe a mental patient? Easy cop-out.

    A big reason I will never vote for Labour, they will never be forgiven. I was also illegally disenfranchised at this time, and unable to get onto the electoral role till I was 20.

    There's a good reason we're called 'psychiatric survivors'- we manged to get out of those places still alive. But not unscathed. Like many others, I've been left with diagnosed PTSD from my experiences, and the release of this report yesterday has triggered that. I'm on a news blackout to protect myself.

    I just want people to know there is another group abused in care, who successive governments have chosen to disregard, and by some patronising setup where we can tell our stories, that will make everything ok, and absolve any sense of discomfort for the State.

    • SPC 1.1
      25 July 2024 at 12:10 pm

      It will interesting to see if the stalkers legislation promoted by Ginny Anderson MP, now taken over by the current government, covers the use of "technology".

      The technology to abuse people in their homes, anonymously, is the topic that politicians worldwide do not and will not mention.

      Not only the state and its agencies have the capacity to do this.

    • gsays 1.2
      25 July 2024 at 12:24 pm

      Hi Kay, nothing I write can alleviate your pain. I have been thinking about yr comment most of the morning.

      I have no idea of the suffering and misery you have gone through. To add to that, the potent sense of injustice takes a remarkable strength of character to endure.

      I trust you may find more solace than heartbreak in this Royal Commission Report.

      Ki kaha, arohanui.

  2. Ad 2
    25 July 2024 at 8:29 am

    Does anyone else have a shadow of melancholy that the only time we ever now unify under a thing called New Zealand is at the Olympics?

    And the rest of the time we're just customers of business.

    • joe90 3.1
      25 July 2024 at 10:40 am

      My skin crawls knowing Luxon, Chhour, Mitchell, and the CoC intend going ahead with their fucking camps.

      .

      Conclusion on the nature and extent of abuse at Whakapakari

      128. Children and young people were subjected to horrific abuse. The brutality of the
      camp was underscored by the daily use of violence against children and young
      people. Serious physical abuse was part of the daily fabric of life at the camp. Young
      people were found to have broken bones and scars on their return to the mainland.

      129. Sexual abuse was rife. Supervisors raped children and young people at gunpoint.
      The supervisors orchestrated ‘rape parties’ where they encouraged older boys to rape
      younger boys or penetrate them using sticks in a group setting.

      130. Two aspects of psychological abuse are unique to Whakapakari. The use of Whangara
      Island as ‘Alcatraz’ was an extremely frightening form of solitary confinement where
      young people were left without shelter, water or adequate food for days or weeks at
      a time as punishment. The second was the disturbing mock executions conducted
      by supervisors of young people, a practice that occurred on many occasions. Young
      people were forced to dig their own graves at gunpoint, and lie in them. Some young
      people were shot at.

      131. The harrowing experiences of children and young people are rendered more shocking
      by the fact they occurred so recently. There was no escape and no one to turn to for
      assistance. Children and young people were not safe at Whakapakari.

      https://www.abuseincare.org.nz/assets/Whanaketia/PDF-downloads/Case-study-Whakapakari.pdf

      edit:

      As the Royal Commission into Abuse in State Care approaches its second year of hearings, reporter Matt Nippert revisits his investigation into a Lord of the Flies-esque bootcamp on Great Barrier Island and finds horror, trauma, hope and dead ends.

      https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/great-barrier-island-bootcamp-abuse-the-dead-ends-after-a-long-march-for-justice/JAT5GFPXPEZGOJE4U5Z7QLNQQU/

    • Mike the Lefty 3.2
      25 July 2024 at 11:24 am

      Note that the term "boot camps" comes from the common historical fallacy that you can cure bad adolescent behavior with a "boot up the arse".

      Seems National still believe it.

      • Bearded Git 3.2.1
        25 July 2024 at 11:51 am

        Come on Joe…it's only half a million per kid after all (sarc)….and this government says Labour wasted money 🤑

      • tWig 3.2.2
        25 July 2024 at 12:56 pm

        One quote I have heard is "you can't use punishment to treat trauma", where many of the kids causing problems have big problems themselves.

        The cost per person of the bootcamps applied to wrap-round support for the kids involved and their families would have a much greater social effect. Boot camps are not cost-effective.

      • alwyn 3.2.3
        25 July 2024 at 7:06 pm

        " "boot up the arse"".

        My, my. You certainly have a vivid, albeit deranged, imagination if you think that that is the source of the phrase.

        Do you make your living inventing other such things like the pretense as to what the Maori Chiefs who signed the Treaty of Waitangi thought they were doing that the Maori Party proclaims?

        [Still wasting our time and adding zero value here. And you’re back to diversion trolling. Last time it was an educational ban of two weeks with a warning that the next one would be much longer. Two months off this time – Incognito]

  4. gsays 4
    25 July 2024 at 10:45 am

    In respect to the Abuse in Care report.

    Listening to the soundbite of PM Luxon speaking, it felt like it was written by Chat GPT, with the sincerity of AI and the emotional depth of an android.

    How these clowns can wring their hands in sorrow while at the same time fail to invest in the most vulnerable is ugly.

      • gsays 4.1.1
        25 July 2024 at 12:13 pm

        Thanks.

        As an aside, I started reading some of the EWA (WEA?) literature.

        The report relating Covid responses around the world and the Aotearoa, Finland and Bhutan experience.

        Made some good points but I was left frustrated as it implies that the knockdowns/ caring for people was the only factor in our 'success'.

        The glaringly obvious factor is the isolation or relative remoteness of the countries.

        The rest of what I have read is all a bit aspirational. I suppose I'm looking for a more direct path to ending neo liberalism…

        • weka 4.1.1.1
          25 July 2024 at 1:04 pm

          the main thing we have missing at the moment is an alternative vision of how life could be post-carbon and post-neolib, and that vision needs to be of a life that is still good. No-one will jump to a life that is shit. TINA is very strong in people's minds and hearts, stories of what we could do instead are absolutely critical at this point.

          Leaders in the transition movement talk about shifting from our current system to one that is sustainable is like rebuilding a plane while you are flying it. Sounds bonkers, no-one is going to agree to that. Unless they understand these things,

          1. that the current system will crash anyway if we don't act, so not acting is simply a delaying tactic
          2. the crisis is here, now, and incredibly serious
          3. that another way is possible

          what's happened is we've had lots of public education on #2 re climate/ecology. We all know it's bad, very bad. And in response to that, in the absence of a decent alternative, many people are now shifting towards various forms of climate denial.

          If WEA are doing the mahi of establishing TARAs, and they also appear to be working with people in positions of power in the system as well as the public, this is a very good thing. We desperately need stories of how things can work out.

          One of the problems I have is that writing on TS, if I write about the alternatives most people will scroll on by, but I write a post about how shit National or WINZ or whatever is, I will get more reads and comments. This is a real political problem on the left. The only thing that stops me from quitting is that I know there are many people working on the solutions outside of the mainstream and the left's eyes, and those people are making some headway in the mainstream. But the political culture remains stuck. I hope that something will get through before it's not too late.

        • weka 4.1.1.2
          25 July 2024 at 1:06 pm

          The rest of what I have read is all a bit aspirational. I suppose I'm looking for a more direct path to ending neo liberalism…

          a couple of additional thoughts. We don't have to end neoliberalism, we have to create an alternative, and then people will go to that.

          I get frustrated by aspirational stuff, or 'we should do this…' politics. But I don't think we can have the 'how' without the narratives of TARA and things working out. I see WEA doing this initial work.

          • gsays 4.1.1.2.1
            25 July 2024 at 8:21 pm

            I hear what you are saying in regards to what folk lap up.

            Trying to articulate a vision for the future vs the latest incarnation of Luxon is an egg. This is another frustration with a lot of good writers and thinkers eg David Slack, Nick Rockell, Robert Guyton. They seem to go after the easy low hanging fruit in regards to what is wrong with this mob but real light on a vision for how it could be. (By that I don't mean Labour are good.)

            Locally made clothes and shoes, manufacturing medicines, a Ministry of Works where trades training takes place…

            All a bit how New Zealand First was before the influence of the donors took hold.

            By the way, keep up the writing, I may not comment, but some ideas stick in the mind and influence thinking.
            Not sure what TARA means, I know it will be obvious.

            • SPC 4.1.1.2.1.1
              25 July 2024 at 8:33 pm

              There Are Reasonable Alternatives?

            • weka 4.1.1.2.1.2
              25 July 2024 at 11:18 pm

              thanks gsays. I need to find a way to write about the new, emerging narratives, in a way that lands with more people.

              Locally made clothes and shoes, manufacturing medicines, a Ministry of Works where trades training takes place…

              Yes! Do you want to write something?

        • SPC 4.1.1.3
          25 July 2024 at 1:12 pm

          The thing is National was tempted towards keeping borders open, and give away the option of closed borders during a pandemic – something the Oz right wing government of the time chose to do despite a stronger public health system than our own.

        • Descendant Of Smith 4.1.1.4
          25 July 2024 at 3:37 pm

          Nonsense. Remoteness was barely a factor when you had usually had thousands of people flying in every day from overseas on airlines. We don't travel for months via sailing ships any more.

          Many too coming in if borders stayed open would have been New Zealanders fleeing locations where people were dying like flies and they (New Zealanders) had little access to healthcare or the cost was prohibitive.

          Isolation hardly played a part compared to stopping travel.

          I do wonder if anyone has done any research on New Zealand citizens dying during the pandemic while overseas

  5. Obtrectator 5
    25 July 2024 at 11:40 am

    I'd never looked closely before at pictures of Elon Musk, but the one shown here gave me the creeps:

    https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/article/2024/jul/24/elon-musk-funding-trump-election-boycott-companies

    Wouldn't take much tweaking to make him look like the DPRK leader:

    http://cdn1.uvnimg.com/a9/ce/53b4238640bc9ba225d3a6702cbe/b3ee5ff5b4dc48ce8ab0fcffd304d675

    (I'd post the images themselves if I could work out how to shrink them so's they'll fit.)

  6. joe90 6
    25 July 2024 at 11:46 am

    Bugger. John Mayall performed into his late eighties and died at ninety but still….

    https://www.theguardian.com/music/article/2024/jul/24/john-mayall-the-blues-british-music-eric-clapton-rolling-stones

  8. tWig 8
    25 July 2024 at 1:13 pm

    Starmer has already put the boot into his own left-wing MPs.

    "… seven Labour MPs who voted for a Scottish National party (SNP) amendment to end the two-child benefit limit were suspended from the party for 6 months."

    The 2-child cap limits government family allowances to only the first 2 children in a family. The cap, introduced by the Tories, is estimated to have put hundreds of thousands of families into poverty. Starmer says…no money in the pot. At party member level, the 2-child limit is not supported at all.

    Labor have such a majority that the amendment would not have passed. Therefore this is Starmer’s show of strength, ‘my way or the highway’.

    • Nordy 8.1
      25 July 2024 at 2:18 pm

      He was quite right to do so. MPs voting against their own party/government need to be shown just how stupid they are, especially in a very new Government after 14 years of shambolic Tory Government. They know (or should know) that it is Labour policy to remove the cap when funding allows. Political grandstanding by a few idiotic MPs is just embarrassing.

      • Bearded Git 8.1.1
        25 July 2024 at 5:11 pm

        Bollocks Nordy they voted with their conscience. Starmer's punishment is well over the top. It's consistent with his support for 4 and 5 year jail sentences for Just Stop Oil protesters.

        42 Labour MP's abstained which sends almost the same message.

  9. SPC 9
    25 July 2024 at 3:15 pm

    The part below this, is interesting

    How the land was taken in 1970s New Zealand

    The separation of Rameka and Tahere from Pākinga Pā reflects deliberate government strategies of the 1960s.

    Those strategies took two forms – engineering the move of Māori from rural communities to the cities and removing land from those who remained.

    The wider context is described in a 2008 report titled, Eating Away at the Land, Eating Away at the People by historian Bruce Stirling.

    The report, compiled for the Waitangi Tribunal, described a move from Wellington in the 1960s to “productively use ‘idle’ Māori land”. It came with a “growing drive to ‘integrate’ Māori into Pākehā society… to ‘Europeanise’ Māori land, just as urbanised Māori were to be ‘Europeanised’”.

    It was in this environment that Tahere’s grandfather moved with his seven sons from rural Northland to South Auckland.

    Once there, he crossed lines not evident in provincial New Zealand. “Being here [in the north], you’re free, you can choose and do as you please. And the city was different, they were bound by different laws,” says Tahere.

    Crossing those lines saw Arama Tahere’s father and his six brothers taken into state care and then placed in boys’ homes. The Royal Commission into Abuse in Care has heard evidence of how those who suffered through those homes were instrumental in the development of New Zealand gangs.

    Tahere’s whānau included founding members of the Ōtara-based Stormtroopers and the Tribesmen motorcycle club – creating a hapū and family to belong to away from home.

    https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/how-pakinga-pa-was-lost-over-221-of-unpaid-rates-and-the-pakeha-family-who-gave-it-back-to-maori/4XU2YNJ4HVFF7LGXPRBVYON5NM/

    • SPC 10.1
      25 July 2024 at 3:24 pm

      So not an ambitious government then.

      More a government of by and for the ambitious …more wealth than others, more for themself – not enough taxation to fund government.

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  • Five ingenious ways people could beat the heat without cranking the AC

    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Daisy Simmons Every summer brings a new spate of headlines about record-breaking heat – for good reason: 2023 was the hottest year on record, in keeping with the upward trend scientists have been clocking for decades. With climate forecasts suggesting that heat waves ...
    Skeptical Science
    4 days ago
  • No new funding for cycling & walking

    Studies show each $1 of spending on walking and cycling infrastructure produces $13 to $35 of economic benefits from higher productivity, lower healthcare costs, less congestion, lower emissions and lower fossil fuel import costs. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMōrena. Long stories short; here’s my top six things to note ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • 99

    Dad turned 99 today.Hell of a lot of candles, eh?He won't be alone for his birthday. He will have the warm attention of my brother, and my sister, and everyone at the rest home, the most thoughtful attentive and considerate people you could ever know. On Saturday there will be ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    5 days ago
  • Open Government: National reneges on beneficial ownership

    One of the achievements of the New Zealand’s Open Government Partnership Fourth National Action Plan was a formal commitment from the government to establish a public beneficial ownership register. Such a register would allow the ultimate owners of companies to be identified - a vital measure in preventing corruption, money ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    5 days ago
  • Security Politics in Peripheral Democracies: Excerpt One.

    This project analyzes security politics in three peripheral democracies (Chile, New Zealand, Portugal) during the 30 years after the end of the Cold War. It argues that changes in the geopolitical landscape and geo-strategic context are interpreted differently by small … Continue reading → ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    5 days ago
  • Tea and Toast

    When the skies are looking bad my dearAnd your heart's lost all its hopeAfter dawn there will be sunshineAnd all the dust will goThe skies will clear my darlingNow it's time for you to let goOur girl will wake you up in the mornin'With some tea and toastLyrics: Lucy Spraggan.Good ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago
  • NLTP 2024 released – destroying pipeline of shovel ready local projects

    Transport Minister Simeon Brown and Waka Kotahi yesterday released the latest National Land Transport Plan (NLTP) for 2024-27. The NLTP sets out what transport projects will be funded for the next three years, including both central and local government projects. As expected given the government’s extremely ideological transport policy, it’s ...
    Greater AucklandBy Matt L
    5 days ago
  • Can Brown deliver his roads

    The Government’s unveiling of its road-building programme yesterday was ambitious and, many would say, long overdue. But the question will be whether it is too ambitious, whether it is affordable, and, if not, what might be dropped. The big ticket items will be the 17 so-called Roads of National Significance. ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    5 days ago
  • New paper about detecting climate misinformation on Twitter/X

    Together with Cristian Rojas, Frank Algra-Maschio, Mark Andrejevic, Travis Coan, and Yuan-Fang Li, I just published a paper in Nature Communications Earth & Environment where we use the Computer Assisted Recognition of Denial and Skepticism (CARDS) machine learning model to detect climate misinformation in 5 million climate tweets. We find over half ...
    Skeptical Science
    6 days ago
  • Excerpting “Security Politics in Peripheral Democracies.”

    In the late 2000s-early 2010s I was researching and writing a book titled “Security Politics in Peripheral Democracies: Chile, New Zealand and Portugal.” The book was a cross-regional Small-N qualitative comparison of the security strategies and postures of three small … Continue reading → ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    6 days ago
  • Hating for the Wrong Reasons: Of Rings of Power, Orcs and Evil

    A few months ago, my fellow countryman, HelloFutureMe, put out a giant YouTube video, dissecting what went wrong with the first season of Rings of Power (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gJ6FRUO0ui0&t=8376s). It’s an exceptionally good video, and though it spans some two and a half hours, it is well worth your time. But ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    6 days ago
  • Climate Change: “Least cost” to who?

    On Friday the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment released their submission on National's second Emissions Reduction Plan, ripping the shit out of it as a massive gamble based on wishful thinking. One of the specific issues he focused on was National's idea of "least cost" emissions reduction, pointing out that ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    6 days ago
  • Israeli Lives Matter

    There is no monopoly on common senseOn either side of the political fenceWe share the same biology, regardless of ideologyBelieve me when I say to youI hope the Russians love their children tooLyrics: Sting. Read more ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    6 days ago
  • Luxon Cries

    Over the weekend, I found myself rather irritably reading up about the Treaty of Waitangi. “Do I need to do this?” It’s not my jurisdiction. In any other world, would this be something I choose to do?My answer - no.The Waitangi Tribunal, headed by some of our best legal minds, ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    6 days ago
  • Just one Wellington home being consented for every 10 in Auckland

    A decade of under-building is coming home to roost in Wellington. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMōrena. Long stories short; here’s my top six things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Monday September 2:Wellington’s leaders are wringing their hands over an exodus of skilled ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    6 days ago
  • Container trucks on local streets: why take the risk?

    This is a guest post by Charmaine Vaughan, who came to transport advocacy via her local Residents Association and a comms role at Bike Auckland. Her enthusiasm to make local streets safer for all is shared by her son Dylan Vaughan, a budding “urban nerd” who provided much of the ...
    Greater AucklandBy Guest Post
    6 days ago
  • 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #35

    A listing of 35 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, August 25, 2024 thru Sat, August 31, 2024. Story of the week After another crammed week of climate news including updates on climate tipping points, increasing threats from rising ...
    Skeptical Science
    7 days ago
  • An Uncanny Valley of Improvement: A Review and Analysis of The Rings of Power, Episodes 1-3 (Season ...

    And thus we come to the second instalment of Amazon’s Rings of Power. The first season, in 2022, was underwhelming, even for someone like myself, who is by nature inclined to approach Tolkien adaptations with charity. The writing was poor, the plot made no sense on its own terms, and ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    7 days ago
  • Alcohol debris and Crocodile Tears

    I write to you this morning from scenes of carnage. Around the floor lie young men who only hours earlier were full of life, and cocktails, and now lie silent. Read more ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 week ago
  • When Do We Look Away?

    Hi,The first time I saw something that made me recoil on the internet was a visit to Rotten.com. The clue was in the name — but the internet was a new thing to me in the 90s, and no-one really knew what the hell was going on. But somehow I ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    1 week ago
  • The decades just fly by

    You turn your back for a moment and a city can completely transform itself. It was, oh, just the other day I was tripping up to Kuala Lumpur every few months to teach workshops and luxuriate in the tropical warmth and fill my face with Char Kway Teow.It has to ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    1 week ago
  • 2024 Reading Summary: August

    Completed reads for August: Aesop’s Fables (collection), by Aesop Berserk: Volume XXV (manga), by Kentaro Miura Benighted, by J.B. Priestly Berserk: Volume XXVI (manga), by Kentaro Miura Berserk: Volume XXVII (manga), by Kentaro Miura Berserk: Volume XXVIII (manga), by Kentaro Miura Berserk: Volume XXIX (manga), by Kentaro Miura ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    1 week ago
  • Is recent global warming part of a natural cycle?

    Skeptical Science is partnering with Gigafact to produce fact briefs — bite-sized fact checks of trending claims. This fact brief was written by Sue Bin Park from the Gigafact team in collaboration with John Mason. You can submit claims you think need checking via the tipline. Is recent global warming part ...
    Skeptical Science
    1 week ago
  • White Noise

    Now here we standWith our hearts in our handsSqueezing out the liesAll that I hearIs a message, unclearWhat else is there to decide?All that I'm hearing from youIs White NoiseLyrics: Christopher John CheneyIs the tide turning?Have we reached the high point of the racist hate and lies from Hobson’s Pledge, ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 week ago
  • The Death Of “Big Norm” – Exactly 50 Years Ago Today.

    Norman KirkPrime Minister of New Zealand 1972-1974Born: 6 January 1923 - Died: 31 August 1974Of the working-class, by the working-class, for the working-class.Video courtesy of YouTubeThese elements were posted on Bowalley Road on Saturday, 31 August 2024. ...
    Bowalley Road
    1 week ago
  • Claims and Counter-Claims.

    Whose Foreshore? Whose Seabed? When the Marine and Coastal Area Act was originally passed back in 2011, fears about the coastline becoming off-limits to Pakeha were routinely allayed by National Party politicians pointing out that the tests imposed were so stringent  that only a modest percentage of claims (the then treaty ...
    Bowalley Road
    1 week ago

  • New Zealand Honours Maori King ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    1 week ago
  • The Principles of the Treaty

    Hardly anyone says what are ‘the principles of the treaty’. The courts’ interpretation restrain the New Zealand Government. While they about protecting a particular community, those restraints apply equally to all community in a liberal democracy – including a single person.Treaty principles were introduced into the governance of New Zealand ...
    PunditBy Brian Easton
    1 week ago
  • The Only Other Reliable Vehicle.

    An Elite Leader Awaiting Rotation? Hipkins’ give-National-nothing-to-aim-at strategy will only succeed if the Coalition becomes as unpopular in three years as the British Tories became in fourteen.THE SHAPE OF CHRIS HIPKINS’ THINKING on Labour’s optimum pathway to re-election is emerging steadily. At the core of his strategy is Hipkins’ view ...
    Bowalley Road
    1 week ago
  • A Big F U to this Right Wing Government

    Open to all - deep thanks to those who support and subscribe.One of the things that has got me interested recently is updates about Māori wards.In April, Stuff’s Karanama Ruru reported that ~ 2/3 of our 78 councils had adopted Māori wards in NZ.That meant that under the Coalition repeal ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    1 week ago
  • Climate Change: James Shaw’s legacy keeps paying off

    One of the central planks of the previous Labour-Green government's emissions reduction policy was GIDI (Government Investment in Decarbonising Industry). This was basically using ETS revenue to pay polluters to clean up production, reducing emissions while protecting jobs. Corporate welfare, but it got the job done, and was often a ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    1 week ago
  • Gravity

    Oh twice as much ain't twice as goodAnd can't sustain like one half couldIt's wanting moreThat's gonna send me to my kneesSong: John MayerSome ups and downs from the last week of August ‘24. The good and bad, happy and sad, funny and mad, heroes and cads. The week that ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 week ago
  • Ditch the climate double speak and get real

    Long stories short, here’s the top six news items of note in climate news for Aotearoa-NZ this week, and a discussion above between Bernard Hickey and The Kākā’s climate correspondent Cathrine Dyer:The Government announced changes to the Fast-Track Approvals Bill on Sunday, backing off from the contentious proposal to give ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • The Hoon around the week to August 30

    The podcast above of the weekly ‘Hoon’ webinar for paying subscribers on Thursday night features co-hosts and talking about the week’s news with:The Kākā’s climate correspondent on the latest science of changing sea temperatures and which emissions policies actually work; on the latest from Ukraine, Gaza and ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • This Govt’s infrastructure strategy depends on capital gains taxes & new road taxes

    Billions of dollars in value uplift was identified around the Transmission Gully project, but that was captured 100% by landowners and not shared to pay for the project. Now National is saying value capture should be used for similar projects. Photo: Lynn Grieveson/ Getty ImagesMōrena. Long stories short; here’s my ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • Weekly Roundup 30-August-2024

    Kia ora and welcome to the end of another week. Here’s our regular Friday roundup of things that caught our eye, in the realm of cities and transport. If you enjoy these roundups, feel free to join our growing ranks of supporters by making a recurring donation to keep the ...
    Greater AucklandBy Greater Auckland
    1 week ago
  • Table Talk: Ageing Boomers, Laurie & Les, Talk Politics.

    “That’s the sort of constitutional reform he favours: conceived in secret; revolutionary in intent; implemented incrementally without fanfare; and under no circumstances to be placed before the electorate for democratic ratification.”TO SAY IT WAS RAINING would have understated seriously the meteorological conditions. Simply put, it was pissing down. One of ...
    Bowalley Road
    1 week ago
  • Big Norm and Chris Hipkins

    It’s 50 years ago today that “Big Norm” Kirk died of a heart attack in Wellington’s Home of Compassion. Home of Compassion. Although he was Prime Minister for only 623 days, he has an iconic place in New Zealand history, particularly Labour history. When Labour leaders like Jacinda Ardern recite ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    1 week ago
  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #35 2024

    Open access notables Arctic glacier snowline altitudes rise 150 m over the last 4 decades, Larocca et al., The Cryosphere: We mapped the snowline (SL) on a subset of 269 land-terminating glaciers above 60° N latitude in the latest available summer, clear-sky Landsat satellite image between 1984 and 2022. The mean SLA was extracted ...
    Skeptical Science
    1 week ago
  • Unravelling the String of State: New Zealand Sovereignty and the Treaty of Waitangi

    Oh dear. Sometimes people just need to prod the sleeping dog. We currently have a parliamentary dispute over the nature of the 1840 Treaty of Waitangi, as signed between the British Crown and New Zealand Maori: https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/526451/sovereignty-debate-split-on-party-lines Specifically, the National Government takes the traditional view that Maori ceded sovereignty ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    1 week ago

  • Government progresses response to Abuse in Care recommendations

    A Crown Response Office is being established within the Public Service Commission to drive the Government’s response to the Royal Commission into Abuse in Care. “The creation of an Office within a central Government agency was a key recommendation by the Royal Commission’s final report.  “It will have the mandate ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Passport wait times back on-track

    Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says passport processing has returned to normal, and the Department of Internal Affairs [Department] is now advising customers to allow up to two weeks to receive their passport. “I am pleased that passport processing is back at target service levels and the Department ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • New appointments to the FMA board

    Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister has today announced three new appointments and one reappointment to the Financial Markets Authority (FMA) board. Tracey Berry, Nicholas Hegan and Mariette van Ryn have been appointed for a five-year term ending in August 2029, while Chris Swasbrook, who has served as a board member ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • District Court judges appointed

    Attorney-General Hon Judith Collins today announced the appointment of two new District Court judges. The appointees, who will take up their roles at the Manukau Court and the Auckland Court in the Accident Compensation Appeal Jurisdiction, are: Jacqui Clark Judge Clark was admitted to the bar in 1988 after graduating ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Government makes it faster and easier to invest in New Zealand

    Associate Minister of Finance David Seymour is encouraged by significant improvements to overseas investment decision timeframes, and the enhanced interest from investors as the Government continues to reform overseas investment. “There were about as many foreign direct investment applications in July and August as there was across the six months ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • New Zealand to join Operation Olympic Defender

    New Zealand has accepted an invitation to join US-led multi-national space initiative Operation Olympic Defender, Defence Minister Judith Collins announced today. Operation Olympic Defender is designed to coordinate the space capabilities of member nations, enhance the resilience of space-based systems, deter hostile actions in space and reduce the spread of ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Government commits to ‘stamping out’ foot and mouth disease

    Biosecurity Minister Andrew Hoggard says that a new economic impact analysis report reinforces this government’s commitment to ‘stamp out’ any New Zealand foot and mouth disease incursion. “The new analysis, produced by the New Zealand Institute of Economic Research, shows an incursion of the disease in New Zealand would have ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Improving access to finance for Kiwis

    5 September 2024  The Government is progressing further reforms to financial services to make it easier for Kiwis to access finance when they need it, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly says.  “Financial services are foundational for economic success and are woven throughout our lives. Without access to finance our ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Prime Minister pays tribute to Kiingi Tuheitia

    As Kiingi Tuheitia Pootatau Te Wherowhero VII is laid to rest today, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has paid tribute to a leader whose commitment to Kotahitanga will have a lasting impact on our country. “Kiingi Tuheitia was a humble leader who served his people with wisdom, mana and an unwavering ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Resource Management reform to make forestry rules clearer

    Forestry Minister Todd McClay today announced proposals to reform the resource management system that will provide greater certainty for the forestry sector and help them meet environmental obligations.   “The Government has committed to restoring confidence and certainty across the sector by removing unworkable regulatory burden created by the previous ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • More choice and competition in building products

    A major shake-up of building products which will make it easier and more affordable to build is on the way, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “Today we have introduced legislation that will improve access to a wider variety of quality building products from overseas, giving Kiwis more choice and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Joint Statement between the Republic of Korea and New Zealand 4 September 2024, Seoul

    On the occasion of the official visit by the Right Honourable Prime Minister Christopher Luxon of New Zealand to the Republic of Korea from 4 to 5 September 2024, a summit meeting was held between His Excellency President Yoon Suk Yeol of the Republic of Korea (hereinafter referred to as ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Comprehensive Strategic Partnership the goal for New Zealand and Korea

    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with the President of the Republic of Korea, Yoon Suk Yeol. “Korea and New Zealand are likeminded democracies and natural partners in the Indo Pacific. As such, we have decided to advance discussions on elevating the bilateral relationship to a Comprehensive ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • International tourism continuing to bounce back

    Results released today from the International Visitor Survey (IVS) confirm international tourism is continuing to bounce back, Tourism and Hospitality Minister Matt Doocey says. The IVS results show that in the June quarter, international tourism contributed $2.6 billion to New Zealand’s economy, an increase of 17 per cent on last ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Government confirms RMA reforms to drive primary sector efficiency

    The Government is moving to review and update national level policy directives that impact the primary sector, as part of its work to get Wellington out of farming. “The primary sector has been weighed down by unworkable and costly regulation for too long,” Agriculture Minister Todd McClay says.  “That is ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Weak grocery competition underscores importance of cutting red tape

    The first annual grocery report underscores the need for reforms to cut red tape and promote competition, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly says. “The report paints a concerning picture of the $25 billion grocery sector and reinforces the need for stronger regulatory action, coupled with an ambitious, economy-wide ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Government moves to lessen burden of reliever costs on ECE services

    Associate Education Minister David Seymour says the Government has listened to the early childhood education sector’s calls to simplify paying ECE relief teachers. Today two simple changes that will reduce red tape for ECEs are being announced, in the run-up to larger changes that will come in time from the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Over 2,320 people engage with first sector regulatory review

    Regulation Minister David Seymour says there has been a strong response to the Ministry for Regulation’s public consultation on the early childhood education regulatory review, affirming the need for action in reducing regulatory burden. “Over 2,320 submissions have been received from parents, teachers, centre owners, child advocacy groups, unions, research ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Government backs women in horticulture

    “The Government is empowering women in the horticulture industry by funding an initiative that will support networking and career progression,” Associate Minister of Agriculture, Nicola Grigg says.  “Women currently make up around half of the horticulture workforce, but only 20 per cent of leadership roles which is why initiatives like this ...
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    4 days ago
  • Government to pause freshwater farm plan rollout

    The Government will pause the rollout of freshwater farm plans until system improvements are finalised, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay, Environment Minister Penny Simmonds and Associate Environment Minister Andrew Hoggard announced today. “Improving the freshwater farm plan system to make it more cost-effective and practical for farmers is a priority for this ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Milestone reached for fixing the Holidays Act 2003

    Minister for Workplace Relations and Safety Brooke van Velden says yesterday Cabinet reached another milestone on fixing the Holidays Act with approval of the consultation exposure draft of the Bill ready for release next week to participants.  “This Government will improve the Holidays Act with the help of businesses, workers, and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • New priorities to protect future of conservation

    Toitū te marae a Tāne Mahuta me Hineahuone, toitū te marae a Tangaroa me Hinemoana, toitū te taiao, toitū te tangata. The Government has introduced clear priorities to modernise Te Papa Atawhai - The Department of Conservation’s protection of our natural taonga. “Te Papa Atawhai manages nearly a third of our ...
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    5 days ago
  • Faster 110km/h speed limit to accelerate Kāpiti

    A new 110km/h speed limit for the Kāpiti Expressway Road of National Significance (RoNS) has been approved to reduce travel times for Kiwis travelling in and out of Wellington, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Boosting economic growth and productivity is a key part of the Government’s plan to rebuild the economy. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • IVL increase to ensure visitors contribute more to New Zealand

    The International Visitor Conservation and Tourism Levy (IVL) will be raised to $100 to ensure visitors contribute to public services and high-quality experiences while visiting New Zealand, Minister for Tourism and Hospitality Matt Doocey and Minister of Conservation Tama Potaka say. “The Government is serious about enabling the tourism sector ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Delivering priority connections for the West Coast

    A record $255 million for transport investment on the West Coast through the 2024-27 National Land Transport Programme (NLTP) will strengthen the region’s road and rail links to keep people connected and support the region’s economy, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.  “The Government is committed to making sure that every ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Road and rail reliability a focus for Wellington

    A record $3.3 billion of transport investment in Greater Wellington through the 2024-27 National Land Transport Programme (NLTP) will increase productivity and reduce travel times, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.  “Delivering infrastructure to increase productivity and economic growth is a priority for our Government. We're focused on delivering transport projects ...
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    6 days ago
  • Record investment to boost economic and housing growth in the Waikato

    A record $1.9 billion for transport investment in the Waikato through the 2024-27 National Land Transport Programme (NLTP) will create a more efficient, safe, and resilient roading network that supports economic growth and productivity, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.  “With almost a third of the country’s freight travelling into, out ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Building reliable and efficient roading for Taranaki

    A record $808 million for transport investment in Taranaki through the 2024-27 National Land Transport Programme (NLTP) will support economic growth and productivity, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.  “Taranaki’s roads carry a high volume of freight from primary industries and it’s critical we maintain efficient connections across the region to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Supporting growth and resilience in Otago and Southland

    A record $1.4 billion for transport investment in Otago and Southland through the 2024-27 National Land Transport Programme (NLTP) will create a more resilient and efficient network that supports economic growth and productivity, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.  “Transport is a critical enabler for economic growth and productivity in Otago ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Delivering connected and resilient roading for Northland

    A record $991 million for transport investment in Northland through the 2024-27 National Land Transport Programme (NLTP) will strengthen the region’s connections and support economic growth and productivity, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “We are committed to making sure that every transport dollar is spent wisely on the projects and ...
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    6 days ago
  • Top of the South to benefit from reliable transport infrastructure

    A record $479 million for transport investment across the top of the South Island through the 2024-27 National Land Transport Programme (NLTP) will build a stronger road network that supports primary industries and grows the economy, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.  “We’re committed to making sure that every dollar is ...
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    6 days ago
  • Government delivering reliable roads for Manawatū-Whanganui

    A record $1.6 billion for transport investment in Manawatū-Whanganui through the 2024-27 National Land Transport Programme (NLTP) will strengthen the region’s importance as a strategic freight hub that boosts economic growth, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.  “Delivering infrastructure to increase productivity and economic growth is a priority for our Government. ...
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    6 days ago
  • Restoring connections in Hawke’s Bay

    A record $657 million for transport investment in the Hawke’s Bay through the 2024-27 National Land Transport Programme (NLTP) will support recovery from cyclone damage and build greater resilience into the network to support economic growth and productivity, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.  “We are committed to making sure that ...
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    6 days ago
  • Transport resilience a priority for Gisborne

    A record $255 million for transport investment in Gisborne through the 2024-27 National Land Transport Programme (NLTP) will support economic growth and restore the cyclone-damaged network, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.  “With $255 million of investment over the next three years, we are committed to making sure that every transport ...
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    6 days ago
  • Prioritising growth and reduced travel times in Canterbury

    A record $1.8 billion for transport investment Canterbury through the 2024-27 National Land Transport Programme (NLTP) will boost economic growth and productivity and reduce travel times, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.  “Christchurch is the economic powerhouse of the South Island, and transport is a critical enabler for economic growth and ...
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    6 days ago
  • Supporting growth and freight in the Bay of Plenty

    A record $1.9 billion for transport investment in the Bay of Plenty through the 2024-27 National Land Transport Programme (NLTP) will boost economic growth and unlock land for thousands of houses, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.  “Transport is a critical enabler for economic growth and productivity in the Bay of ...
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    6 days ago
  • Getting transport back on track in Auckland

    A record $8.4 billion for transport investment in Auckland through the 2024-27 National Land Transport Programme (NLTP) will deliver the infrastructure our rapidly growing region needs to support economic growth and reduce travel times, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.  “Aucklanders rejected the previous government’s transport policies which resulted in non-delivery, phantoms projects, ...
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    6 days ago
  • Record investment to get transport back on track

    A record $32.9 billion investment in New Zealand’s transport network through the 2024-27 National Land Transport Programme (NLTP) will create a more reliable and efficient transport network that boosts economic growth and productivity, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.  “New Zealanders rejected the previous government’s transport policies which resulted in non-delivery, ...
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  • Consultation is open on gambling harm strategy

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