On Sunday the head of the Russian armed forces personally telephoned the heads of NATO to inform them that Ukraine is preparing a radiological attack in Ukraine.
On Sunday, 23 October, Sergei Shoigu, Russia’s Minister of Defence, had a phone conversation with the third NATO defence minister on the same day, Ben Wallace, the Defence Secretary of the United Kingdom….
…..The Defence Secretary of the United Kingdom became the third representative of a NATO member state (after France and Turkey) whom Shoigu called on Sunday to tell them about supposed plans for a Ukrainian "dirty bomb".
Yesterday the Speaker of the Russian government, (Duma), Vyacheslav Volodin repeated the same threat.
Volodin claimed that Kiev had instructed its nuclear scientists to make a ‘dirty bomb’, while its forces shell the critical infrastructure of the Zaporozhye and Kursk nuclear power plants.
The only possible conclusion is that the Russian Federation in a last ditch desperate attempt are preparing to detonate a radiological bomb in Ukraine to inflict a heavy losses on the Ukrainian armed forces in an effort to stop the Ukrainian successes in liberating Russian occupied territories, and intend to put the blame for this crime against humanity on the Ukrainian authorities. This imminent attack is most likely to occur in Kherson, after the Russian forces have evacuated, and as Ukrainian forces pour into the area.
In conjunction with a radiological (dirty bomb) attack in Kherson, it is quite likely that the retreating Russian Federation forces will also blow up the Zaporozhye and Kursk nuclear power plants.
Coming from the two highest officials in the Russian military and the Russian government, this threat can not be taken lightly.
The price of gas is dropping in Europe, while the number of LNG carrier ships currently under construction sits at 285, with an astonishing 250+ due for delivery by the end of 2025. With a global fleet of LNG carriers of roughly 650 vessels the size and number of these ships means the carrying capacity with increase by 60-70% by 2025. Much of this construction is driven by Europe, and a determination not to be dependent on Russian gas.
Those lucky bastards otherwise known as Australia are of course the world’s fifth biggest natural gas exporter, and they exclusively exports natural gas as LNG. Australia is now the world’s largest LNG exporter, accounting for 22% of international trade. I suspect they’ll replace most of Russia’s gas in Europe. Shipping gas halfway around the world in ships is less cost effective than piping it in from Russia, but then again Australia isn’t run by a nuclear armed mad dictator set on wars of imperial aggression.
Russia's attempts to use energy to blackmail Europe have failed.
She said she had seen other videos on TikTok that had been swamped with abusive comments where the creator appealed for likes and positivity to help "pull them back from the wrong side of TikTok".
This is just one of the reasons why I dislike like buttons and the likes. Even without algorithms on/of the actual site, it introduces a bias in readers, responders, and number of mentions & links elsewhere. I think it sucks big time.
No Sanc disagree-the Greens will want to keep her winning Akl Central ad infinitum as an insurance policy against sub 5% and because she will be a co-leader soon.
Swarbrick will do whatever job brings the most change. Mayor of Auckland is more powerful than Green co-leader in any watered-down arrangement with Labour et al.
However, winning Auckland Central is very resource intensive for the Greens. They run it like a by-election – as if it was almost the only seat going. That sucks in activists from all over the country, I know someone who lives in Reefton who was working in Auckland Central last time, and she was not the only one from her area. It is a very expensive insurance policy
I think people who like Chloe really overestimate her popularity outside of Central Auckland. As for her style of campaigning, the Efeso team essentially tried to replicate it, right down to the comedy fundraisers, and we all saw how that went.
As a young person myself, I don't find her particularly inspiring. Some of my more politically engaged friends are pretty big fans but they're a minority. Most are barely aware of who she is, or find her kinda judgmental. She has a good niche as the go-to young politician, but the idea that everyone my age sees her as our saviour just isn't true
You need more than that if you want the mayoralty. Most people aren't on Twitter, and for what it's worth, I've heard plenty of people my age say they find her inauthentic. Also, based on my experience trying to vote this year as a renter, you really cannot count on young people in local elections.
I’m struggling with both your comments @ 3.1.2.1.1 and 3.1.2.2.1. For example, I don’t know where the saviour reference comes from; if (young) people are not aware of CS they are probably politically ‘illiterate’, which is not meant as a criticism, BTW. Your comments also appear to argue against lowering the voting age to 16, which is just a side note here.
I’d say that if anybody can reach and engage with (some but not all) young people in any election it is CS. Nobody has or is arguing that she could count on young people in an Auckland Mayoral election because one can never take voters for granted. I’d like to think that CS is not that naïve.
This whole thread started because someone said she was going to be the next mayor, and I disagreed. As for the saviour thing, do you really have no idea where it comes from? Take this line from a Spinoff piece for example:
"Swarbrick’s resistance to political realism seems to stem less from self-belief and more from a borderline irrational faith in stuff like the fundamental goodness of other people"
I don't have any ill will towards her as a person, it's more about her supporters trying to make her into this avatar for all young people, with the implication being that, if you don't feel the exact same way, you're some kind of traitor to your age group. Also, how is writing young people off as politically illiterate not a criticism?
Nobody knows if CS will stand a second time in an Auckland Mayoral election let alone the next one and win; she may or she may not. So, agreeing or disagreeing with the comment @ 3.1 is moot and a red herring. I’d like to think that Sanctuary made the comment not to be taken literally and absolute but as a starting point for discussion.
TLDR; it appears that you projected CS’s beliefs onto others, i.e., young people.
Your issue seems to be with her supporters rather than with her per se, which is why pigeonholing CS does not make for strong counter-argument at all. If anything, CS seems to be [in] a class of her own. I have no idea where the ‘traitor’ allegations stem from either; there are way too many inferences and wild speculations in this thread to make it of much use.
According to your own ‘poll’ of young people and anecdata many don’t know of CS and who she is. That’s not criticism, is it? It isn’t writing them off either, is it? You seem a little aggressive defensive …
Chloe has been put on some weird pedestal from day one of her parliamentary career and it's never made any sense.
Shes the same age as me and politically I agree with her but I find her alienating af and her "maaaaaaaate " schticks to fake and cringe.
Shes a lightweight in the house, most people don't know who she is, she's got weirdo deeply fringe political allies and her disastrous weed legalization campaign tactics are best forgotten.
She's just another rich kid student politician. She inspires people like herself I guess.
I think she'd do better as sole green leader , but that's cos she's the best out of the party.
You realise that is passive voice? In other words, CS didn’t do this herself. And you want to topple her off because “[s]he's just another rich kid student politician”? That’s such a pathetic character assassination attempt with a lazy stereotype.
With Auckland central being the centre of a significant population loss.property loss and employment changes,there may be a need for fewer central government resources.
Auckland had a provisional net loss of 15,000 people through internal migration (people moving between Auckland and other parts of New Zealand). This comes after net losses of 11,300 and 15,400 people in the previous two years. It continues a trend of net flows out of Auckland that began in the late 1990s.
Replaced via immigration. Baby boomers cashing up and moving to the provinces. Why not sell in Auckland buy in a province = few hundred thousand plus in the bank.
Stats NZ are pretty clear the drop is as a result of less overseas immigration and low natural increase.
Given our aging population you are not going to get increases through births. There ain't no one getting pregnant in our older population. No teenage mums in the ever increasing number of residential villages.
Slowing regional growth reflects what is happening nationally, particularly annual net migration loss, partly due to the impact of Covid-19 on international migration," Stats NZ population estimates and projections acting manager Rebekah Hennessey said.
"This net migration loss [of 11,500] was combined with the lowest natural increase [24,100] since World War II."
Auckland and the West Coast saw its population fall 0.5 percent, with Auckland's decline slowing slightly from the 0.6 percent fall recorded in the June 2021 year.
"While people leaving the bigger cities such as Auckland is not new, internal migration losses have historically been offset by international migration gains," Hennessey said.
"With international migration losses now occurring, Auckland had an overall population loss of 8900 people in the June 2022 year."
Anything that involves unfunded capex,As our borrowing rate is a full percentage point higher then the UK,which have now fallen as markets perceive a lowering of fiscal risk,which is not seen here.
No thats the next government plan,what need s to be constrained is unfunded capex,and limits or cuts to the consultant community,similar to what the Australian treasurer will announce this afternoon.
It is believed $3.6 billion will be saved through the government reducing its spending on external contractors, advertising, travel and legal expenses, while $2 billion in grants promised by the former government will be cancelled.
Government borrowing hit the 5 % interest rate level last week ( 4.85- 5.05%) there is now a large risk premium due to the dual risks of a current account deficit and fiscal deficit,a dollar overvalued,and unfunded cost blow outs in the pipeline.
Advertising and travel (and other staff ‘allowances’) are probably low-hanging fruit and might save a few dollars. Since Council doesn’t sell anything as such, I assume advertising means or includes PR and providing information to the public. If so, it may lead to more requests for information from people, which would require more staff effort.
IDK how it would cut legal costs. Less scrutinising by legal experts? Will this really save all the much?
That leaves consultants and external contractors assuming they’re not one and the same thing. Again, if they do stuff that’s entirely unnecessary then sure, cull it from the balance sheet. Otherwise, somebody must do the work, yes?
Mayor-Elect Brown uses the good old slogan Less Is More but what does that really mean?
I was using the Australian federal case as an example for the NZ government reducing its debt exposure to the increasing risks.
Auckland has a debt of around 11.5 b,which will increase to around 15b over the next 2 years.The interest burden will only increase in the future as the NZ government debt burden is not forecast to decrease,and interest rate increases are being funded by debt,fiscal constraint is needed,as is fiscal discipline by both central and local government.
Less concrete actually,with a move from more intensive social housing in Auckland,to provincial and semi rural centres,as rental costs decrease, and house prices fall in AK.
If Aucklanders want to invest in high debt/high cost solutions to various infrastructure projects,go for it,you pay for it.
Ha ha. He is also better educated. & better looking…ooops who said that? Some call him 'dishy Rishy'.
he has his work cut out for him
'Britain has been locked in a state of perma-crisis ever since it voted in 2016 to leave the European Union, unleashing a battle at Westminster over the future of the country that remains unresolved to this day.'
and
'The multi-millionaire former hedge fund boss will be expected to launch deep spending cuts to try to rebuild Britain's fiscal reputation, just as the country slides into one of the toughest downturns in decades, hit by the surging cost of energy and food.
I concluded that all Tory leadership options are awful – so the only criteria I care about is whether they will continue to support Ukraine's liberation. And rumours are that Sunak's family maintains business ties with Russia, which bodes poorly.
"Before Truss, everyone still thought they’d turn it around. There was a plan, right? Right?Nope. The reason this last week was so captivating is it’s suddenly obvious there is no plan."
I'm proud to say I got banned from Stuff comments because I told the moderators that their "terms and conditions" were a fraud. So they banned me for telling the truth while they continue to publish garbage, contradicting their own rules.
e.g. one comment on that column says Sunak is not British. False (and of course racist). Not opinion – simply false.
Therefore, either the moderators don't read what they publish or they do read but don't care.
I can’t remember the last time I looked at comments on Stuff as indeed most of them are such a waste of time and life is short. I generally find the few comments on Newsroom insightful and informative but, of course, that’s an entirely different site compared to Stuff.
All manual moderation has a major intrinsic weakness: time. And time costs money. Simple fact-checking can and perhaps should be done by the commentariat at large aka the wisdom of the crowd instead of one or a couple of overworked mods who then may still need to apply the corrections (edits) and/or flag the particular commenter. The question is who’s ultimately responsible (onus). The same applies to all content (OPs), including opinion pieces.
The way I see it, there are 2 issues: 1) incorrect/inaccurate info; 2) vague/ambiguous/imprecise ‘info’. The second issue is actually the bigger one because it can suck up a lot of oxygen because it strays into terra incognita where anything can mean anything and people make unchecked/unsupported assumptions, jump to all sorts of conclusions, twist language, meaning, and concepts to suit their narrative (bias), and generally just talk past each other. (NB assumption ≠ conclusion)
Stuff's "system" is particularly annoying because they post comments and then replies are held in moderation for many hours (as is the case currently on that column). So rapid rebuttal is impossible.
They let false statements stand, and if the readers can't correct (for hours) and the moderators are too busy, then it's a free platform for liars. The trolls know this, of course.
Reading stuff comments is sbout as useful as reading face book comments, the only time I do it is when I start think there is hope for the human race, a quick read of the comments soon fixs that dose of optimism I tell ya
If you think the STUFF comments are bad – have you read the comments on some of the Herald articles which do allow comments – they are diabolical. I (probably against my better judgement) re-subscribed to the Herald a few months ago so I could read Simon Wilson's articles and Shane Te Pou's too plus one or two other authors worth having a look at. There are some pieces I point blank refuse to read, probably to keep my sometimes elevated blood pressure at a reasonable level
When The Herald and Stuff were just hard copy, if you wanted to comment on an article you wrote a letter to the editor. The letter had to be signed with an address supplied.
How many of the comments would be made if the commenters had to identify who they were? Also, how many comments are made by resident New Zealanders and how many are from "Comments pools" submitting comment from the US /Australia/ UK based subversives.
Labour and the Greens have much more of a plan than the tired, old, discredited ones of the Natz – at least those announced so far – trickle down economics and privatising social welfare! (they call it 'social investment!)
Last week the discussion about falling achievement of school pupils was a focus here and there. It seems we are not alone in having issues to address.
‘Nation’s Report Card’ shows new evidence of Covid-19’s devastating impact on US children’s education
Fourth- and eighth-graders fell behind in reading and had the largest ever decline in math, according to a national educational assessment showing the devastating effect of the Covid-19 pandemic on America’s children."
It happened pretty much everywhere, as one would expect. For example, here is a study published in a top scientific journal in April 2021:
The Netherlands is interesting as a “best-case” scenario, with a short lockdown, equitable school funding, and world-leading rates of broadband access.
…
Here we evaluate the effect of school closures on primary school performance using exceptionally rich data from The Netherlands (n ≈ 350,000). We use the fact that national examinations took place before and after lockdown and compare progress during this period to the same period in the 3 previous years.
…
The findings imply that students made little or no progress while learning from home and suggest losses even larger in countries with weaker infrastructure or longer school closures.
Learning loss due to school closures during the COVID-19 pandemic
Young people didn't learn what was hoped or expected in maths, spelling, and reading. Did they learn anything? What did they learn? Did they learn resilience? Did they learn to be 'creative.'
Another study has it
"In our recent survey of 16,370 parents across every state in America, 35 percent of parents said they were very or extremely concerned about their child’s mental health."
Did children learn their parents were resilient, creative? Or become concerned about their parents' mental health?
'Deschooling Society' the Ivan Ilich book from 1971 comes to mind.
"Illich presented schools as places where consumerism and obedience to authority were paramount and genuine learning was replaced by a process of advancement through institutional hierarchies accompanied by the accumulation of largely meaningless credentials."
Interesting to consider some of the notions from just over 50 years ago and think of how Ivan Ilich would have seen the challenges and opportunities presented by the pandemic in the sort of societies we now live in.
Dr. Cravat interviewing his own keyboard again. He claims there is increased speculation about Jacinda Ardern quitting but provides just two examples, the NBR and himself. 😆
The pundit class did not predict John Key's resignation as PM. They did not predict Simon Bridges' resignation as an MP. Shocked, they were! Shocked!
But they've been predicting Ardern's departure since her first term. Fluffy little girlie, no staying power … and now facing her 5th opposition leader.
Are you sure 'they' are real people or are they robots? Seriously, I wonder sometimes. TV presenters and reporters stare glassy eyed into the camera lens repeating bald-faced lies about Ardern in particular, but all Labour ministers are fair game.
If they were real would there not be a flicker of a conscience in those eyes? 😕
The rumour has been created to implant the idea that some plausible reason for her resigning actually exists. There is no such reason. It's propaganda from the RW disinformation mill and Edwards travesties his academic and intellectual credentials by repeating it. A real journalist or intellectual (unlike Edwards) would come up with an explanation as to why the rumour is being generated, and by whom.
It must be a "photo op" because it's Ardern. Never mind that John Key and Helen Clark went to Antarctica as PMs, never mind any of the NZ relationship and responsibilities there. Feed the frothers.
While it is true that both Clark and Key did visit Antarctica while they were Prime Minister they both made their trips in January, while Parliament was in recess. Clark's visit was from 18-22 January 2007 and Key from 17-21 January 2013.
There is a difference in that PM Ardern will be there while the House is sitting and will miss Question time for the week.
Whether she would add anything useful if she was in Wellington is of course an open question.
Really? According to the RNZ news her visit is to celebrate the 65th anniversary of Scott Base. However the opening of Scott Base was on 20th January 1957 so surely she should be visiting at about the same time of year as Clark and Key visited?
Helen's visit in 2007 was of course to celebrate the 50th anniversary.
What special anniversary is being celebrated in October?
There are a few reasons for the timing of the PM’s visit, of course, but not that you’d know or care. She probably also wanted to give Luxon a much-needed break; the poor fellow looked worse than Truss last week.
Typically, greens with an online presence and following attract trolls and other vermin. I also feel for the lettuce but luckily Truss stepped aside quickly and probably saved the lettuce’s life. It could have led to a few good slogans, e.g.:
I particularly liked one of the comments under Duncan's article.
It is interesting, from Australia, to read this internal NZ political detail. It is understandably hard for us to be across all the various nuances that are discussed in this article, and given how brilliantly your PM has performed in a number of crises, it seems astonishing that her own party would consider replacing her. Perhaps they like the view from the Opposition benches better. However, I WOULD say that if NZ Labour DID replace Jacinda, and she felt like a change of scenery, an awful lot of us on this side of The Ditch would give our eye teeth to have someone of her calibre available to lead those to the political left of Genghis Khan. We are not afforded the luxury of speculating on whether there might be someone better than her out there, we just know from daily experience how appallingly worse a PM can be than she is!
I see that the title of the article you quote finishes "no reason to go – yet".
I believe that it was Harold Wilson who quipped that "A week is a long time in politics". A year, which is the time since Gran Duncan wrote his opinion piece is an infinity.
She may have had no reason to go then but her prospects don't look anywhere near as rosy today, do they?
"It is a special anniversary visit to Antarctica ….. but you know that."
Given that the Scott Base anniversary, as previously observed by Helen Clark and John Key, is in January what was the anniversary that Ms Ardern was planning to celebrate there in October?
The visit marks the 65 years of Scott Base – New Zealand’s Antarctic home – and the first full season of Antarctic research and environmental protection after two years of COVID-19 disruption.
Ardern is Labour's best chance of winning a third term – we both know it – hence all this ‘headless chook’ action regarding her supposedly imminent departure.
It's unsurprising to me that you feel Ardern has been PM for "an infinity", or perhaps several political infinities, just as it will come as no surprise to you that each of English/Bridges/Muller/Collins/Luxon's recent stints as 'leader' of the opposition seemed like an eternity to me.
"An infinity" of time will tell if Ardern's 'infinity' as PM lasts longer than honest John's. I'll leave you to count your chickens – cLux cLux.
Given that I have never said that I feel she has been the PM for a long time how on earth can you possibly decide that I feel such a thing?
Apologies alwyn, I thought you had asserted [@8.2.2.1] something to the effect that 'a year is "an infinity" in politics' (quite original), and inferred that the very nearly five years Ardern has been our PM would feel like, if not "an infinity", then at least 'a long time' to you. What with the ChCh massacre, plus the pandemic and is repercussions, it feels like a long time to me.
Honestly didn't realise it mattered that much – it's just a bit of fun –
cLux cLux cLux
. .
Yep, right wing morons have been at it all day. HADP and her grandfather husband discussing it at length on their cosy, mostly undeclared political spot this afternoon.
All from a speculative piece by self-appointed Guardian Of Democracy (GOD), Dr Bryce Cravat!
An important window into how bitter cranks operate.
"Second, drop this strange idea that philanthropists could provide social-investment funding for state schemes. If private money helps determine whether or not someone receives a core social service, that’s a wildly inappropriate privilege for the wealthy. And if we want more funds for social programmes, we should simply ensure millionaires pay more tax."
There’s a fine line between [some] philanthropists (and [some] charities for that matter), moral crusaders, and people with a saviour/messiah complex. It also reminds of Karpman’s drama triangle (i.e., victim, rescuer, persecutor). Some ex-CEOs and so-called ‘successful people’ (incl. celebrities) can substitute philanthropists by giving their time instead of their money …
Couldn't we just have a better tax system so that everyone pays appropriately and then if philanthropists want to fund other things that make life better for people then let them do this (with the money they have left after paying tax).
So from taxes we allow for people to live a good life. The gifts from others can be the extra, the bit that allows talented students facing a parental inability to pay for 'whatever' for their children to have equal chances.
Simple a concept.
Ah me…..
PS The Conover piece is concerning this latest way of passing wealth on through the generations by using 'charitable' companies as a front for the ability to influence far beyond one's natural life. They in fact are not giving $1m to charity. They are setting up a charity called XYZ charity that has a shareholding of ABC wholly owned Company with 999998 shares with family holding the remaining two shares and these two are the only ones having voting rights. I think there are more steps and twists but the end result is less tax to pay all round and rollicking good but undeserved reputation as a good firm/person. Patagonia was looked at. also the pulling at your heartstrings statements about these accidental billionaires who still drive their own old dungers and got rich by eating cat food. Seriously…..unpicked by Conover who said there was no need for them to do this as some tinned fish made for humans was cheaper than catfood!
Today through TS I have been reminded of Human Synergistics and Karpmans triangle (we had a course so we could find out which we were) both of which were visited on unsuspecting Govt Depts and round this off by a bit of Myers Briggs and that sums up some of my career in the PS.
I did however make some of our HR people and managers (and restructuring consultants especially) a bit grumpy by pointing out that all of these probably had their genesis or the norms calculated in the US using tests done on white males. This meant they were unrepresentative and unsuited to NZ where women were the first in the world to vote, and where we had Maori and Pasifika people.
Some of these perhaps MB are ok for personal use only, but wildly unsuitable for any population use. I count workplaces as population use.
We had some teams made up so as to avoid Karpman, use MB or Human Synergistics. Totally artificial and all it made us do was to yearn to have our old teams back where in any brainstorm, policy development, we knew and valued who was going to do have the wacky off the wall stuff, who was going to be grump central but with an eye for bullkaka etc.
Competent recruitment techniques, reference checking and an eye for a chance for a person and an org then competent management are key.
Do we have any current PS who can tell us if these techniques are still being used across whole workplace populations?
Sorry, I can't help with this. I do have my own personal experience with this kind of stuff and it still akes me cringe, i.e., it left a mental scar for life. Don't ever get me started on psychometric tests and evaluations.
My apologies in advance for posting a link above with no explanation.
Having some technical difficulties and I couldn't even delete it, so very sorry in advance Mods.
The link is an article about a statement from the NHS that gender dyphoria in most children is a phase. (It also mentions the move away from the affirmation approach since the Cass report).
In NZ in the current climate if you say gender dysphoria is a phase, you will likely be called transphobic and a bigot.
Lets not call it "gender non conforming". Let's call it by its real name – "sexual stereotyping non conforming". Kids get transed for liking the "wrong" toys, or the "wrong" clothes. They get transed by homophobic parents who would rather have a "so fashionable" trans daughter than an icky gay son. Kids get transed because their parents are lied to by autogynephiliac "Trans Rights Activists" (who need the existence of trans kids to cloak their paraphilia) and told that their children will kill themselves unless they are "affirmed". And they are also lied to by the health and education systems who are either captured – or "for profit".
Do you think all transgender people are paraphiliacs with a psychiatric disorder "characterized by deviant and culturally non-sanctioned sexual fantasies, thoughts, and/or behaviors – apparently a proportion of which also suffer from symptoms of mental illness that can go unrecognized", or just trans rights activists?
I just note how similar some of this language is that to that decades ago when gay men were criminalised and lesbian women were institutionalised for compulsory treatment.
Do you think all transgender people are paraphiliacs with a psychiatric disorder "characterized by deviant and culturally non-sanctioned sexual fantasies, thoughts, and/or behaviors – apparently a proportion of which also suffer from symptoms of mental illness that can go unrecognized", or just trans rights activists?
We don't know the rate of autogynephilia, because No Debate has meant that many academics aren't free to do the research. Blanchard may have some figures from his work but we really need to free up researchers to look at this properly.
My own view is similar to Blanchard's proposal, that is are a small number of gender dysphoric males who have a strong identification with the gender stereotypes of women. Some of those males find relief from transition. They are often gay ie. they are sexually attracted to other males before and after transition.
There are also males who are gay, who grow up in parts of society that don't tolerate or accept gayness in men, or effeminate behaviour and expression, and those young men are being socialised into being trans. You can follow the male detrans people online for a deeper understanding of what is going on there. There are parents on record talking about their discomfit about having a gay son but who are ok with a trans daughter. There are also countries that are intolerant of gay men, but tolerant of trans women.
Then there are AGP males, many who are probably cross dressers historically, who are sexually aroused by the thought of themselves as a woman and who now seek to colonise women's spaces in search of affirmation and arousal. These are the males online taking photos of themselves wanking in women's public toilets. There are AGP males who aren't colonising women's culture/space as well. These males aren't dysphoric in the same way that transsexual males are, the driver isn't extreme mental distress.
With women the pattern is different. There appears to be no female equivalent of AGP. That leaves us with girls/women with such extreme gender dysphoria that they are willing to go through a lot of medicalisation. But there are also a lot of girls growing up who hate being female because they are abused for it. Being male is an escape. Again, listen to what detrans women are saying.
Social media socialisation of transness is a major issue. As is rapid onset gender dysphoria.
You will probably find a lot there to disagree with, and I'm happy to hash it out with evidence and further reasoning. But it's wrong to respond to Visubversa's comment as if she is saying all trans are this thing. If you reread what she said, she is naming AGPs and their role and motivations in the major social shifts, she’s not saying all trans people are AGP.
The question of how many trans activists fit into which category is an interesting one.
I just note how similar some of this language is that to that decades ago when gay men were criminalised and lesbian women were institutionalised for compulsory treatment.
I’m more careful with my language than some, because I don't believe trans people deserve to be categorised in negative ways anymore than any other vulnerable group.
But, powerful lobby groups like Stonewall UK, and activists, have broadened the definition of trans so far now that we are well beyond transsexuals. The inclusion and denial of AGP is core to the gender/ sex war. Women have been losing rights, been seriously abused, and backed into a corner. Many GC feminists tried engaging in ways to find resolutions to the conflict of rights, but the denial and harm that has been done by activists has been extreme. You can't complain now when many women come out fighting including with language.
My advice is that those debating/advocating on the issue not throw the word "paraphilia" around. One can note the autogynephilia side of trans activism without doing that.
If the actual problem is a tendency to affirmation of self identity at too young an age in response to temporary dysphoria (or parental promotion because of concern at children not meeting gender stereotypes), then that is how that matter should be confronted – this is how to get change at the governmental/bureaucratic/professional end.
There are two intensifiers in play – one the way social media reinforces a concern and poses a possible miscategorisation of a problem and the other tribalisation of debate about this. Professionals should be concerned about the former and not being captured by trends, and those in social media/media the other.
My advice is that you actually look at who has the loudest voices in this debate. Heterosexual men – many with wives and children – often "transitioning" in their 40's or older, well off and in positions of power and influence. Look at Eddie Izzard – now in "permanent girl mode" (at 60 years old FFS), complaining that "dating is difficult". You don't get to say this sort of stuff from a position of "marginalisation and oppression". https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2022/may/29/if-lesbian-prefers-same-sex-dates-thats-not-bigotry-desire-personal-thing
More likely merely those with name recognition and the money to live as they want.
The wider not cisgender male nor cisgender female identity derives from a younger generation, and this probably led the "coming out" of the older group.
This is an issue to others in two areas, woman identity and safety and the original topic here Ankers link to the NHS view that gender dyphoria in most children is a phase.
It is the NOW who argued for gender equality – those born females having equal opportunity. Girls can do anything, females not being confined to roles/a limited place in society.
The concept was that there was a diversity within the female group (as to interests/way of living a life) also applied to males – each being freed from gender/birth sex stereotype.
From this derived the concept that there were those born male and female and living the traditional roles (and heterosexual) expected by religious and cultural tradition (marriage and family). Since called being cisgender male and female. And otherwise – those feminists critical of traditional marriage, those homosexual or lesbian, and since then a wider concept of those not conforming to birth sex/gender stereotype (sometimes related to not coupling to form families).
This is the setting in which the concept of sexual (bisexuality) and gender fluidity (non binary/gender queer etc) emerged.
Sure this is all add on to being born male and female, being male or female by biology. A bit like how there is nature and then nurture/culture.
At some point we are biological bio-determinism or there is more, the mind (what society constructs). Thus philosophy, are we who we think we are?
Some of our society have rethought whether we should be limited to inherited culture, some say we are who we have always have been (Greek males were misogynists before becoming Christians) and some say we should embrace the full equality of humanity (in all its diversity).
You raised other points way beyond this particular issue – managing gender dysphoria in youth and related activism. Each of them (womens concerns and the diversity of the transgender group) will come up at other times.
The popular programme, which aired its first season last year, will once again use the device of a secret pact to introduce viewers to a compelling new group struggling with morality, loyalty, and faith as their lives spiral out of control.
I tried several times seeking the meaning of 'woke anti racism' or was it 'anti woke racism' and 'woke' from a TS participant over the weekend but never got it. My small brain thinks being an anti racist is a good thing……..
I am really confused by it as it seems to be in the same category as PC. PC just swept in and swept about with people being accused of being PC for being good mannered, avoiding stereotypes, not slamming people, giving others the benefit of the doubt, being inclusive etc
Nice explanation of the potential toxicity of woke movements. There's a difference between genuine civil rights causes with a clearly defined objective, and pressure groups of privileged narcissists.
"narcissists have lost their "true self", the core of their personality, which has been replaced by delusions of grandeur, a "false self". Therefore, he believes, they cannot be healed, because they do not exist as real persons, only as reflections: "The False Self replaces the narcissist's True Self and is intended to shield him from hurt and narcissistic injury by self-imputing omnipotence…
A bit like the Trump brand or online influencer persona
The narcissist pretends that his False Self is real and demands that others affirm this confabulation," meanwhile keeping his real-life imperfect true self under wraps.
Vaknin extends the concept of narcissistic supply, and introduces concepts such as primary and secondary narcissistic supply. He distinguishes between cerebral and somatic narcissists; the former generate their narcissistic supply by applying their minds, the latter their bodies. He considers himself a cerebral narcissist. He calls narcissistic co-dependents "inverted narcissists." "They provide the narcissist with an obsequious, unthreatening audience… the perfect backdrop."
If you want to know about time and chronons look at the link
This video includes conclusions of the creator climate scientist Dr. Simon Clark. It is presented to our readers as an informed perspective. Please see video description for references (if any). This year you will be lied to! Simon Clark helps prebunk some misleading statements you'll hear about climate. The video includes ...
It is all very well cutting the backrooms of public agencies but it may compromise the frontlines. One of the frustrations of the Productivity Commission’s 2017 review of universities is that while it observed that their non-academic staff were increasing faster than their academic staff, it did not bother to ...
Buzz from the Beehive Two speeches delivered by Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters at Anzac Day ceremonies in Turkey are the only new posts on the government’s official website since the PM announced his Cabinet shake-up. In one of the speeches, Peters stated the obvious: we live in a troubled ...
1. Which of these would you not expect to read in The Waikato Invader?a. Luxon is here to do business, don’t you worry about thatb. Mr KPI expects results, and you better believe itc. This decisive man of action is getting me all hot and excitedd. Melissa Lee is how ...
…it has a restricted jurisdiction which must not be abused: it is not an inquisitionNOTE – this article was published before the High Court ruled that Karen Chhour does not have to appear before the Waitangi Tribunal Gary Judd writes – The High Court ...
Lindsay Mitchell writes – One of reasons Oranga Tamariki exists is to prevent child neglect. But could the organisation itself be guilty of the same?Oranga Tamariki’s statistics show a decrease in the number and age of children in care. “There are less children ...
David Farrar writes: Graeme Edgeler wrote in 2017: In the first five years after three strikes came into effect 5248 offenders received a ‘first strike’ (that is, a “stage-1 conviction” under the three strikes sentencing regime), and 68 offenders received a ‘second strike’. In the five years prior to ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has surprised everyone with his ruthlessness in sacking two of his ministers from their crucial portfolios. Removing ministers for poor performance after only five months in the job just doesn’t normally happen in politics. That’s refreshing and will be extremely ...
TL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the two days to 6:06am on Thursday, April 25:Politics: PM Christopher Luxon has set up a dual standard for ministerial competence by demoting two National Cabinet ministers while leaving also-struggling ...
Hi,Today I mainly want to share some of your thoughts about the recent piece I wrote about success and failure, and the forces that seemingly guide our lives. But first, a quick bit of housekeeping: I am doing a Webworm popup in Los Angeles on Saturday May 11 at 2pm. ...
It is hard to see what Melissa Lee might have done to “save” the media. National went into the election with no public media policy and appears not to have developed one subsequently. Lee claimed that she had prepared a policy paper before the election but it had been decided ...
Open access notablesIce acceleration and rotation in the Greenland Ice Sheet interior in recent decades, Løkkegaard et al., Communications Earth & Environment:In the past two decades, mass loss from the Greenland ice sheet has accelerated, partly due to the speedup of glaciers. However, uncertainty in speed derived from satellite products ...
Buzz from the Beehive A statement from Children’s Minister Karen Chhour – yet to be posted on the Government’s official website – arrived in Point of Order’s email in-tray last night. It welcomes the High Court ruling on whether the Waitangi Tribunal can demand she appear before it. It does ...
Mr Bombastic:Ironically, the media the academic experts wanted is, in many ways, the media they got. In place of the tyrannical editors of yesteryear, advancing without fear or favour the interests of the ruling class; the New Zealand news media of today boasts a troop of enlightened journalists dedicated to ...
It's hard times try to make a livingYou wake up every morning in the unforgivingOut there somewhere in the cityThere's people living lives without mercy or pityI feel good, yeah I'm feeling fineI feel better then I have for the longest timeI think these pills have been good for meI ...
In 1974, the US Supreme Court issued its decision in United States v. Nixon, finding that the President was not a King, but was subject to the law and was required to turn over the evidence of his wrongdoing to the courts. It was a landmark decision for the rule ...
Every day now just seems to bring in more fresh meat for the grinder.In their relentlessly ideological drive to cut back on the “excessive bloat” (as they see it) of the previous Labour-led government, on the mountains of evidence accumulated in such a short period of time do not ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Megan Valére SosouMarket gardening site of the Itchèléré de Itagui agricultural cooperative in Dassa-Zoumè (Image credit: Megan Valère Sossou) For the residents of Dassa-Zoumè, a city in the West African country of Benin, choosing between drinking water and having enough ...
Buzz from the Beehive Melissa Lee – as may be discerned from the screenshot above – has not been demoted for doing something seriously wrong as Minister of ...
Morning in London Mother hugs beloved daughter outside the converted shoe factory in which she is living.Afternoon in London Travelling writer takes himself and his wrist down to A&E, just to be sure. Read more ...
Mike Grimshaw writes – The recent announcement of the University Advisory Group, chaired by Sir Peter Gluckman, makes very clear where the Government’s focus and priorities lie. The remit of the Advisory Group is that Group members will consider challenges and opportunities for improvement in the university sector including: ...
Eric Crampton writes – The Reserve Bank of New Zealand desperately wants to find reasons to have workstreams in climate change. It makes little sense. They’ve run another stress test on the banks looking to see if they could find a prudential regulation case. They couldn’t. They ...
Rob MacCullough writes – Pundits from the left and the right are arguing that National’s Fast Track Bill that is designed to speed up infrastructure decisions could end up becoming mired in a cesspool of corruption. Political commentator ...
Looking at the headlines this morning it’s hard to feel anything other than pessimistic about the future of humanity.Note that I’m not speaking about the future of mankind, but the survival of our humanity. The values that we believe in seem to be ebbing away, by the day.Perhaps every generation ...
Swabbing mixed breed baby chicks to test for avian influenzaUh oh. Bird flu – often deadly to humans – is not only being transmitted from infected birds to dairy cows, but is now travelling between dairy cows. As of last Friday, Bloomberg News reports, there were 32 American dairy herds ...
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 ...
What is it with the mining industry? Its not enough for them to pillage the earth - they apparently can't even be bothered getting resource consent to do so: The proponent behind a major mine near the Clutha River had already been undertaking activity in the area without a ...
Photo # 1 I am a huge fan of Singapore’s approach to housing, as described here two years ago by copying and pasting from The ConversationWhat Singapore has that Australia does not is a public housing developer, the Housing Development Board, which puts new dwellings on public and reclaimed land, ...
Buzz from the Beehive Reactions to news of the government’s readiness to make urgent changes to “the resource management system” through a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) suggest a balanced approach is being taken. The Taxpayers’ Union says the proposed changes don’t go far enough. Greenpeace says ...
I’m starting to wonder if Anna Burns-Francis might be the best political interviewer we’ve got. That might sound unlikely to you, it came as a bit of a surprise to me.Jack Tame can be excellent, but has some pretty average days. I like Rebecca Wright on Newshub, she asks good ...
Chris Trotter writes – Willie Jackson is said to be planning a “media summit” to discuss “the state of the media and how to protect Fourth Estate Journalism”. Not only does the Editor of The Daily Blog, Martyn Bradbury, think this is a good idea, but he has also ...
Graeme Edgeler writes – This morning [April 21], the Wellington High Court is hearing a judicial review brought by Hon. Karen Chhour, the Minister for Children, against a decision of the Waitangi Tribunal. This is unusual, judicial reviews are much more likely to brought against ministers, rather than ...
Both of Parliament’s watchdogs have now ripped into the Government’s Fast-track Approvals Bill. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMy pick of the six newsey things to know from Aotearoa’s political economy and beyond on the morning of Tuesday, April 23 are:The Lead: The Auditor General,John Ryan, has joined the ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Sarah SpengemanPeople wait to board an electric bus in Pune, India. (Image credit: courtesy of ITDP) Public transportation riders in Pune, India, love the city’s new electric buses so much they will actually skip an older diesel bus that ...
The infrastructure industry yesterday issued a “hurry up” message to the Government, telling it to get cracking on developing a pipeline of infrastructure projects.The hiatus around the change of Government has seen some major projects cancelled and others delayed, and there is uncertainty about what will happen with the new ...
Hi,Over the weekend I revisited a podcast I really adore, Dead Eyes. It’s about a guy who got fired from Band of Brothers over two decades ago because Tom Hanks said he had “dead eyes”.If you don’t recall — 2001’s Band of Brothers was part of the emerging trend of ...
Buzz from the Beehive The 180 or so recipients of letters from the Government telling them how to submit infrastructure projects for “fast track” consideration includes some whose project applications previously have been rejected by the courts. News media were quick to feature these in their reports after RMA Reform Minister Chris ...
It would not be a desirable way to start your holiday by breaking your back, your head, or your wrist, but on our first hour in Singapore I gave it a try.We were chatting, last week, before we started a meeting of Hazel’s Enviro Trust, about the things that can ...
Calling all journalists, academics, planners, lawyers, political activists, environmentalists, and other members of the public who believe that the relationships between vested interests and politicians need to be scrutinised. We need to work together to make sure that the new Fast-Track Approvals Bill – currently being pushed through by the ...
Feel worried. Shane Jones and a couple of his Cabinet colleagues are about to be granted the power to override any and all objections to projects like dams, mines, roads etc even if: said projects will harm biodiversity, increase global warming and cause other environmental harms, and even if ...
Bryce Edwards writes- The ability of the private sector to quickly establish major new projects making use of the urban and natural environment is to be supercharged by the new National-led Government. Yesterday it introduced to Parliament one of its most significant reforms, the Fast Track Approvals Bill. ...
Michael Bassett writes – If you think there is a move afoot by the radical Maori fringe of New Zealand society to create a parallel system of government to the one that we elect at our triennial elections, you aren’t wrong. Over the last few days we have ...
Without a corresponding drop in interest rates, it’s doubtful any changes to the CCCFA will unleash a massive rush of home buyers. Photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: The six things that stood out to me in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, poverty and climate on Monday, April 22 included:The Government making a ...
Sunday was a lazy day. I started watching Jack Tame on Q&A, the interviews are usually good for something to write about. Saying the things that the politicians won’t, but are quite possibly thinking. Things that are true and need to be extracted from between the lines.As you might know ...
In our Weekly Roundup last week we covered news from Auckland Transport that the WX1 Western Express is going to get an upgrade next year with double decker electric buses. As part of the announcement, AT also said “Since we introduced the WX1 Western Express last November we have seen ...
TL;DR: The six key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to April 29 include:PM Christopher Luxon is scheduled to hold a post-Cabinet news conference at 4 pm today. Stats NZ releases its statutory report on Census 2023 tomorrow.Finance Minister Nicola Willis delivers a pre-Budget speech at ...
A listing of 29 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, April 14, 2024 thru Sat, April 20, 2024. Story of the week Our story of the week hinges on these words from the abstract of a fresh academic ...
The ability of the private sector to quickly establish major new projects making use of the urban and natural environment is to be supercharged by the new National-led Government. Yesterday it introduced to Parliament one of its most significant reforms, the Fast Track Approvals Bill. The Government says this will ...
This is a column to say thank you. So many of have been in touch since Mum died to say so many kind and thoughtful things. You’re wonderful, all of you. You’ve asked how we’re doing, how Dad’s doing. A little more realisation each day, of the irretrievable finality of ...
Identifying the engine type in your car is crucial for various reasons, including maintenance, repairs, and performance upgrades. Knowing the specific engine model allows you to access detailed technical information, locate compatible parts, and make informed decisions about modifications. This comprehensive guide will provide you with a step-by-step approach to ...
Introduction: The allure of racing is undeniable. The thrill of speed, the roar of engines, and the exhilaration of competition all contribute to the allure of this adrenaline-driven sport. For those who yearn to experience the pinnacle of racing, becoming a race car driver is the ultimate dream. However, the ...
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Mazda Motor Corporation, commonly known as Mazda, is a Japanese multinational automaker headquartered in Fuchu, Aki District, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan. The company was founded in 1920 as the Toyo Cork Kogyo Co., Ltd., and began producing vehicles in 1931. Mazda is primarily known for its production of passenger cars, but ...
Your car battery is an essential component that provides power to start your engine, operate your electrical systems, and store energy. Over time, batteries can weaken and lose their ability to hold a charge, which can lead to starting problems, power failures, and other issues. Replacing your battery before it ...
In most states, you cannot register a car without a valid driver’s license. However, there are a few exceptions to this rule. Exceptions to the RuleIf you are under 18 years old: In some states, you can register a car in your name even if you do not ...
Mazda, a Japanese automotive manufacturer with a rich history of innovation and engineering excellence, has emerged as a formidable player in the global car market. Known for its reputation of producing high-quality, fuel-efficient, and driver-oriented vehicles, Mazda has consistently garnered praise from industry experts and consumers alike. In this article, ...
Struts are an essential part of a car’s suspension system. They are responsible for supporting the weight of the car and damping the oscillations of the springs. Struts are typically made of steel or aluminum and are filled with hydraulic fluid. How Do Struts Work? Struts work by transferring the ...
Car registration is a mandatory process that all vehicle owners must complete annually. This process involves registering your car with the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) and paying an associated fee. The registration process ensures that your vehicle is properly licensed and insured, and helps law enforcement and other authorities ...
Zoom is a video conferencing service that allows you to share your screen, webcam, and audio with other participants. In addition to sharing your own audio, you can also share the audio from your computer with other participants. This can be useful for playing music, sharing presentations with audio, or ...
Building your own computer can be a rewarding and cost-effective way to get a high-performance machine tailored to your specific needs. However, it also requires careful planning and execution, and one of the most important factors to consider is the time it will take. The exact time it takes to ...
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Introduction Computer-Assisted Translation (CAT) has revolutionized the field of translation by harnessing the power of technology to assist human translators in their work. This innovative approach combines specialized software with human expertise to improve the efficiency, accuracy, and consistency of translations. In this comprehensive article, we will delve into the ...
In today’s digital age, mobile devices have become an indispensable part of our daily lives. Among the vast array of portable computing options available, iPads and tablet computers stand out as two prominent contenders. While both offer similar functionalities, there are subtle yet significant differences between these two devices. This ...
A computer is an electronic device that can be programmed to carry out a set of instructions. The basic components of a computer are the processor, memory, storage, input devices, and output devices. The Processor The processor, also known as the central processing unit (CPU), is the brain of the ...
Voice Memos is a convenient app on your iPhone that allows you to quickly record and store audio snippets. These recordings can be useful for a variety of purposes, such as taking notes, capturing ideas, or recording interviews. While you can listen to your voice memos on your iPhone, you ...
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Right-clicking is a common and essential computer operation that allows users to access additional options and settings. While most desktop computers have dedicated right-click buttons on their mice, laptops often do not have these buttons due to space limitations. This article will provide a comprehensive guide on how to right-click ...
Powering up and shutting down your ASUS laptop is an essential task for any laptop user. Locating the power button can sometimes be a hassle, especially if you’re new to ASUS laptops. This article will provide a comprehensive guide on where to find the power button on different ASUS laptop ...
Te Pāti Māori are demanding the New Zealand Government support an international independent investigation into mass graves that have been uncovered at two hospitals on the Gaza strip, following weeks of assault by Israeli troops. Among the 392 bodies that have been recovered, are children and elderly civilians. Many of ...
Our two-tiered system for veterans’ support is out of step with our closest partners, and all parties in Parliament should work together to fix it, Labour veterans’ affairs spokesperson Greg O’Connor said. ...
Stripping two Ministers of their portfolios just six months into the job shows Christopher Luxon’s management style is lacking, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said. ...
Tonight’s court decision to overturn the summons of the Children’s Minister has enabled the Crown to continue making decisions about Māori without evidence, says Te Pāti Māori spokesperson for Children, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. “The judicial system has this evening told the nation that this government can do whatever they want when ...
It appears Nicola Willis is about to pull the rug out from under the feet of local communities still dealing with the aftermath of last year’s severe weather, and local councils relying on funding to build back from these disasters. ...
The Government is making short-sighted changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA) that will take away environmental protection in favour of short-term profits, Labour’s environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
Labour welcomes the release of the report into the North Island weather events and looks forward to working with the Government to ensure that New Zealand is as prepared as it can be for the next natural disaster. ...
The Labour Party has called for the New Zealand Government to recognise Palestine, as a material step towards progressing the two-State solution needed to achieve a lasting peace in the region. ...
Some of our country’s most important work, stopping the sexual exploitation of children and violent extremism could go along with staff on the frontline at ports and airports. ...
The Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill will give projects such as new coal mines a ‘get out of jail free’ card to wreak havoc on the environment, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
The government's decision to reintroduce Three Strikes is a destructive and ineffective piece of law-making that will only exacerbate an inherently biased and racist criminal justice system, said Te Pāti Māori Justice Spokesperson, Tākuta Ferris, today. During the time Three Strikes was in place in Aotearoa, Māori and Pasifika received ...
Cuts to frontline hospital staff are not only a broken election promise, it shows the reckless tax cuts have well and truly hit the frontline of the health system, says Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall. ...
The Green Party has joined the call for public submissions on the fast-track legislation to be extended after the Ombudsman forced the Government to release the list of organisations invited to apply just hours before submissions close. ...
New Zealand’s good work at reducing climate emissions for three years in a row will be undone by the National government’s lack of ambition and scrapping programmes that were making a difference, Labour Party climate spokesperson Megan Woods said today. ...
More essential jobs could be on the chopping block, this time Ministry of Education staff on the school lunches team are set to find out whether they're in line to lose their jobs. ...
Te Pāti Māori is disgusted at the confirmation that hundreds are set to lose their jobs at Oranga Tamariki, and the disestablishment of the Treaty Response Unit. “This act of absolute carelessness and out of touch decision making is committing tamariki to state abuse.” Said Te Pāti Māori Oranga Tamariki ...
The Government is trying to bring in a law that will allow Ministers to cut corners and kill off native species, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said. ...
Cancelling urgently needed new Cook Strait ferries and hiking the cost of public transport for many Kiwis so that National can announce the prospect of another tunnel for Wellington is not making good choices, Labour Transport Spokesperson Tangi Utikere said. ...
A laundry list of additional costs for Tāmaki Makarau Auckland shows the Minister for the city is not delivering for the people who live there, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...
Te Pāti Māori co-leader Rawiri Waititi, and Mema Paremata mō Tāmaki-Makaurau, Takutai Tarsh Kemp, will travel to the Gold Coast to strengthen ties with Māori in Australia next week (15-21 April). The visit, in the lead-up to the 9th Australian National Kapa haka Festival, will be an opportunity for both ...
The Green Party has today launched a step-by-step guide to help New Zealanders make their voice heard on the Government’s democracy dodging and anti-environment fast track legislation. ...
The National Government’s proposed changes to the Residential Tenancies Act will mean tenants can be turfed from their homes by landlords with little notice, Labour housing spokesperson Kieran McAnulty said. ...
Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson is calling on all parties to support a common-sense change that’s great for the planet and great for consumers after her member’s bill was drawn from the ballot today. ...
A significant milestone has been reached in the fight to strike an anti-Pasifika and unfair law from the country’s books after Teanau Tuiono’s members’ bill passed its first reading. ...
New Zealand has today missed the opportunity to uphold the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment, says James Shaw after his member’s bill was voted down in its first reading. ...
Today’s advice from the Climate Change Commission paints a sobering reality of the challenge we face in combating climate change, especially in light of recent Government policy announcements. ...
Minister for Disability Issues Penny Simmonds appears to have delayed a report back to Cabinet on the progress New Zealand is making against international obligations for disabled New Zealanders. ...
Ambassador Millar, Burgemeester, Vandepitte, Excellencies, military representatives, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen – good morning and welcome to this sacred Anzac Day dawn service. It is an honour to be here on behalf of the Government and people of New Zealand at Buttes New British Cemetery, Polygon Wood – a deeply ...
Distinguished guests - It is an honour to return once again to this site which, as the resting place for so many of our war-dead, has become a sacred place for generations of New Zealanders. Our presence here and at the other special spaces of Gallipoli is made ...
Mai ia tawhiti pamamao, te moana nui a Kiwa, kua tae whakaiti mai matou, ki to koutou papa whenua. No koutou te tapuwae, no matou te tapuwae, kua honoa pumautia. Ko nga toa kua hinga nei, o te Waipounamu, o te Ika a Maui, he okioki tahi me o ...
Paul Goldsmith will take on responsibility for the Media and Communications portfolio, while Louise Upston will pick up the Disability Issues portfolio, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon announced today. “Our Government is relentlessly focused on getting New Zealand back on track. As issues change in prominence, I plan to adjust Ministerial ...
Recreational catch limits will be reduced in areas of Fiordland and the Chatham Islands to help keep those fisheries healthy and sustainable, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The lower recreational daily catch limits for a range of finfish and shellfish species caught in the Fiordland Marine Area and ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed an important milestone in New Zealand’s hydrogen future, with the opening of the country’s first network of hydrogen refuelling stations in Wiri. “I want to congratulate the team at Hiringa Energy and its partners K one W one (K1W1), Mitsui & Co New Zealand ...
The coalition Government is delivering on its commitment to improve resource management laws and give greater certainty to consent applicants, with a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) expected to be introduced to Parliament next month. RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop has today outlined the first RMA Amendment ...
Overseas models for regulating the oil and gas sector, including their decommissioning regimes, are being carefully scrutinised as a potential template for New Zealand’s own sector, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. The Coalition Government is focused on rebuilding investor confidence in New Zealand’s energy sector as it looks to strengthen ...
Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell has today released the Report of the Government Inquiry into the response to the North Island Severe Weather Events. “The report shows that New Zealand’s emergency management system is not fit-for-purpose and there are some significant gaps we need to address,” Mr Mitchell ...
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith is today travelling to Europe where he’ll update the United Nations Human Rights Council on the Government’s work to restore law and order. “Attending the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva provides us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while ...
Associate Agriculture Minister, Mark Patterson, formally reopened the world’s largest wool processing facility today in Awatoto, Napier, following a $50 million rebuild and refurbishment project. “The reopening of this facility will significantly lift the economic opportunities available to New Zealand’s wool sector, which already accounts for 20 per cent of ...
Hon Andrew Bayly, Minister for Small Business and Manufacturing At the Southland Otago Regional Engineering Collective (SOREC) Summit, 18 April, Dunedin Ngā mihi nui, Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Ko Whanganui aho Good Afternoon and thank you for inviting me to open your summit today. I am delighted ...
The Government is delivering on its commitment to bring back the Three Strikes legislation, Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee announced today. “Our Government is committed to restoring law and order and enforcing appropriate consequences on criminals. We are making it clear that repeat serious violent or sexual offending is not ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has today announced four new diplomatic appointments for New Zealand’s overseas missions. “Our diplomats have a vital role in maintaining and protecting New Zealand’s interests around the world,” Mr Peters says. “I am pleased to announce the appointment of these senior diplomats from the ...
New Zealand is contributing NZ$7 million to support communities affected by severe food insecurity and other urgent humanitarian needs in Ethiopia and Somalia, Foreign Minister Rt Hon Winston Peters announced today. “Over 21 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance across Ethiopia, with a further 6.9 million people ...
Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage Paul Goldsmith is congratulating Mataaho Collective for winning the Golden Lion for best participant in the main exhibition at the Venice Biennale. "Congratulations to the Mataaho Collective for winning one of the world's most prestigious art prizes at the Venice Biennale. “It is good ...
The Government is reforming financial services to improve access to home loans and other lending, and strengthen customer protections, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly and Housing Minister Chris Bishop announced today. “Our coalition Government is committed to rebuilding the economy and making life simpler by cutting red tape. We are ...
“China remains a strong commercial opportunity for Kiwi exporters as Chinese businesses and consumers continue to value our high-quality safe produce,” Trade and Agriculture Minister Todd McClay says. Mr McClay has returned to New Zealand following visits to Beijing, Harbin and Shanghai where he met ministers, governors and mayors and engaged in trade and agricultural events with the New ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has completed a successful trip to Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines, deepening relationships and capitalising on opportunities. Mr Luxon was accompanied by a business delegation and says the choice of countries represents the priority the New Zealand Government places on South East Asia, and our relationships in ...
New Zealand is demonstrating its commitment to reducing global greenhouse emissions, and supporting clean energy transition in South East Asia, through a contribution of NZ$41 million (US$25 million) in climate finance to the Asian Development Bank (ADB)-led Energy Transition Mechanism (ETM). Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Climate Change Minister Simon Watts announced ...
The Government is today releasing a list of organisations who received letters about the Fast-track applications process, says RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop. “Recently Ministers and agencies have received a series of OIA requests for a list of organisations to whom I wrote with information on applying to have a ...
Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister David Jonathan Boldt as a Judge of the High Court, and the Honourable Justice Matthew Palmer as a Judge of the Court of Appeal. Justice Boldt graduated with an LLB from Victoria University of Wellington in 1990, and also holds ...
Education Minister Erica Stanford will lead the New Zealand delegation at the 2024 International Summit on the Teaching Profession (ISTP) held in Singapore. The delegation includes representatives from the Post Primary Teachers’ Association (PPTA) Te Wehengarua and the New Zealand Educational Institute (NZEI) Te Riu Roa. The summit is co-hosted ...
A stopbank upgrade project in Tairawhiti partly funded by the Government has increased flood resilience for around 7000ha of residential and horticultural land so far, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones today attended a dawn service in Gisborne to mark the end of the first stage of the ...
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters will represent the Government at Anzac Day commemorations on the Gallipoli Peninsula next week and engage with senior representatives of the Turkish government in Istanbul. “The Gallipoli campaign is a defining event in our history. It will be a privilege to share the occasion ...
Science, Innovation and Technology and Defence Minister Judith Collins will next week attend the OECD Science and Technology Ministerial conference in Paris and Anzac Day commemorations in Belgium. “Science, innovation and technology have a major role to play in rebuilding our economy and achieving better health, environmental and social outcomes ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with the President of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos Jr. The Prime Minister was accompanied by MP Paulo Garcia, the first Filipino to be elected to a legislature outside the Philippines. During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon and President Marcos Jr discussed opportunities to ...
The Government has announced that $20 million in funding will be made available to Westport to fund much needed flood protection around the town. This measure will significantly improve the resilience of the community, says Local Government Minister Simeon Brown. “The Westport community has already been allocated almost $3 million ...
The Government is proud to support the first ever Repco Supercars Championship event in Taupō as up to 70,000 motorsport fans attend the Taupō International Motorsport Park this weekend, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. “Anticipation for the ITM Taupō Super400 is huge, with tickets and accommodation selling out weeks ...
Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced an increase to the Rates Rebate Scheme, putting money back into the pockets of low-income homeowners. “The coalition Government is committed to bringing down the cost of living for New Zealanders. That includes targeted support for those Kiwis who are doing things tough, such ...
The Coalition Government is investing in a project to boost survival rates of New Zealand mussels and grow the industry, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones has announced. “This project seeks to increase the resilience of our mussels and significantly boost the sector’s productivity,” Mr Jones says. “The project - ...
Benefit figures released today underscore the importance of the Government’s plan to rebuild the economy and have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker Support, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “Benefit numbers are still significantly higher than when National was last in government, when there was about 70,000 fewer ...
The Government’s commitment to doubling New Zealand’s renewable energy capacity is backed by new data showing that clean energy has helped the country reach its lowest annual gross emissions since 1999, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. New Zealand’s latest Greenhouse Gas Inventory (1990-2022) published today, shows gross emissions fell ...
The Government is bringing the earthquake-prone building review forward, with work to start immediately, and extending the deadline for remediations by four years, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “Our Government is focused on rebuilding the economy. A key part of our plan is to cut red tape that ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and his Thai counterpart, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, have today agreed that New Zealand and the Kingdom of Thailand will upgrade the bilateral relationship to a Strategic Partnership by 2026. “New Zealand and Thailand have a lot to offer each other. We have a strong mutual desire to build ...
RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop and Transport Minister Simeon Brown have today announced the Coalition Government’s intention to extend port coastal permits for a further 20 years, providing port operators with certainty to continue their operations. “The introduction of the Resource Management Act in 1991 required ports to obtain coastal ...
Today’s announcement that inflation is down to 4 per cent is encouraging news for Kiwis, but there is more work to be done - underlining the importance of the Government’s plan to get the economy back on track, acting Finance Minister Chris Bishop says. “Inflation is now at 4 per ...
Refreshed health guidance released today will help parents and schools make informed decisions about whether their child needs to be in school, addressing one of the key issues affecting school attendance, says Associate Education Minister David Seymour. In recent years, consistently across all school terms, short-term illness or medical reasons ...
Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones is streamlining high-level oceans management while maintaining a focus on supporting the sector’s role in the export-led recovery of the economy. “I am working to realise the untapped potential of our fishing and aquaculture sector. To achieve that we need to be smarter with ...
I was initially resistant to the idea often suggested to me that the Government should deliver an arts strategy. The whole point of the arts and creativity is that people should do whatever the hell they want, unbound by the dictates of politicians in Wellington. Peter Jackson, Kiri Te Kanawa, Eleanor ...
Asia Pacific Report An Australian author and advocate, Jim Aubrey, today led a national symbolic one minute’s silence to mark the “blood debt” owed to Papuan allies during the Second World War indigenous resistance against the invading Japanese forces. “A promise to most people is a promise,” Aubrey said in ...
Asia Pacific Report The Freedom Flotilla is ready to sail to Gaza, reports Kia Ora Gaza. All the required paperwork has been submitted to the port authority, and the cargo has been loaded and prepared for the humanitarian trip to the besieged enclave. However, organisers received word of an “administrative ...
Pacific Media Watch Palestine solidarity protesters today demonstrated at the Auckland headquarters of Television New Zealand, accusing the country’s major TV network of broadcasting “propaganda” backing Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza. About 50 protesters targeted the main entrance to the TVNZ building near Sky Tower and also picketed a side ...
Opinion by Lynley Hood. Forty years on from my 1985 Fulbright Grant, my disquiet over the war in Gaza evoked some troubling questions. The answer to my first question – What is the primary purpose of the Fulbright Programme? – was on the Fulbright NZ website. It says: US Senator, ...
The ministers responsible for green-lighting major projects need to be open about potential conflicts of interest, says Transparency International. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Anastasia Powell, Professor, Family and Sexual Violence, RMIT University It has been a particularly distressing start to the year. There is little that can ease the current grief of individuals, families and communities who have needlessly lost a loved one to men’s ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Gregory Moore, Senior Research Associate, School of Ecosystem and Forest Sciences, The University of Melbourne Lichen, the first described example of symbiosis.AdeJ Artventure/Shutterstock Once known only to those studying biology, the word symbiosis is now widely used. Symbiosis is the intimate ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kim Hemsley, Head, Childhood Dementia Research Group, Flinders Health and Medical Research Institute, College of Medicine and Public Health, Flinders University Olena Ivanova/Shutterstock “Childhood” and “dementia” are two words we wish we didn’t have to use together. But sadly, around 1,400 ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Whiteford, Professor, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University The government’s Economic Inclusion Advisory Committee has just published its second report. It was set up by Treasurer Jim Chalmers and Minister for Social Services Amanda Rishworth in 2022 to provide: ...
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 The Queensland state election will be held in October. A YouGov poll for The Courier Mail, conducted April 9–17 from a sample ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Amin Naeni, PhD candidate at Alfred Deakin Institute for Citizenship and Globalisation, Deakin University There’s been much talk in recent months about what a possible second Donald Trump presidency in the United States could mean for Europe, Russia’s war in Ukraine, the ...
A brief round-up of submissions on the controversial proposed law. This is an excerpt from our weekly environmental newsletter Future Proof. Sign up here. Last week, submissions on the controversial Fast-track Approvals Bill closed just hours after the government released a list of stakeholder organisations who were sent letters advising how they could ...
A poem from Robin Peace’s new collection Detritus of Empire: feather / grass / rock. Cereal giving I see a woman’s hands, see her curious hands break a stalk as she walks through the tall prairie, the savannah, the steppe, wherever it was. See her idly bite the grass that ...
The only published and available best-selling indie book chart in New Zealand is the top 10 sales list recorded every week at Unity Books’ stores in High St, Auckland, and Willis St, Wellington.AUCKLAND1 Hemingway’s Goblet by Dermot Ross (Mary Egan Publishing, $38)A handsomely produced (debossed cover, lovely ...
The Commissioner's decision validates the longstanding efforts of the local community and ensures that Awataha Marae will be managed to serve the needs of the local community, particularly for hosting tangihanga. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tristan Salles, Associate professor, University of Sydney Examples of Australian landscapes.Unsplash Seventy thousand years ago, the sea level was much lower than today. Australia, along with New Guinea and Tasmania, formed a connected landmass known as Sahul. Around this time – ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Felicity Castagna, Lecturer, Creative Writing, Western Sydney University Day Day Market, ParramattaPhoto: Garry Trinh I live on the edge of Parramatta, Australia’s fastest-growing city, on the kind of old-fashioned suburban street that has 1950s fibros constructed in the post-war housing boom, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michael Ryan, Teaching Fellow in Economics, University of Waikato GettyImagesfatido/Getty Images There is an ongoing global debate over whether the high inflation seen in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic can be lowered without a recession. New Zealand is not ...
The ‘Wicked Game’ heartthrob is in his late 60s now. That didn’t stop him putting on a lively, goofy and very sparkly show. Apart from ‘Wicked Game’, which graces a sultry playlist of mine simply called 💋, my last sustained Chris Isaak listening session took place when I was about ...
Analysis - Two ministers were stripped of portfolios in a warning to Cabinet, drama broke out at the Waitangi Tribunal, and the gang patch ban bill ran into opposition. ...
Tara Ward makes an impassioned plea for some vital pop culture merch. In April 1999, I became obsessed with a new reality television show called Popstars. Every Tuesday night, five strangers transformed into music royalty before my very eyes as Joe, Keri, Carly, Erika and Megan were chosen to form ...
PNG Post-Courier In the early hours of ANZAC Day, aerial photographs captured an impressive gathering of Australians and Papua New Guineans at Isurava in the Northern (Oro) Province. The solemn dawn service yesterday was held at a site steeped in history, where some of the fiercest battles of World War ...
The PSA is shocked that Oranga Tamariki has used the cost cutting drive to downgrade its commitment to Te Ao Māori and remove many specialist Māori roles. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ian Kemish, Adjunct Professor, School of Historical and Philosophical Inquiry, The University of Queensland There can be no more powerful symbol of the relationship between Australia and Papua New Guinea than the prime ministers of these neighbouring countries walking together on the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sharon Robinson, Distinguished Professor and Deputy Director of ARC Securing Antarctica’s Environmental Future (SAEF), University of Wollongong, University of Wollongong Andrew Netherwood Over the last 25 years, the ozone hole which forming over Antarctica each spring has started to shrink. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Viktoria Kahui, Senior Lecturer in Environmental Economics, University of Otago Getty Images/Amy Toensing Biodiversity is declining at rates unprecedented in human history. This suggests the ways we currently use to manage our natural environment are failing. One emerging concept focuses on ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Timothy Colin Bednall, Associate Professor in Management, Swinburne University of Technology marvent/Shutterstock Finding the best person to fill a position can be tough, from drafting a job ad to producing a shortlist of top interview candidates. Employers typically consider information from ...
Wondering where to host your next BYO? Whether its a small gathering or a massive party, we’ve got some recommendations. I was first introduced to the concept of BYOs at Dunedin’s India Gardens, a legendary but sadly defunct establishment, which purveyed enormous quantities of mango chicken to Aotearoa’s drunkest future ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Julien Cooper, Honorary Lecturer, Department of History and Archaeology, Macquarie University Julien Cooper The hyper-arid desert of Eastern Sudan, the Atbai Desert, seems like an unlikely place to find evidence of ancient cattle herders. But in this dry environment, my new ...
The sector says it’s hopeful her replacement Paul Goldsmith will be able to throw it a lifeline, after six months with a minister deemed missing in action, writes Catherine McGregor in this excerpt from The Bulletin, The Spinoff’s morning news round-up. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign ...
The government can't just rely on axing public sector jobs and has to do more to cut spending, says the chief economist at a free market think tank. ...
Rock The Vote NZ, known for its advocacy for minor party unity and its role within the Freedoms NZ Coalition during the 2023 General Election, celebrates this merger as a strategic enhancement of its operational strength and outreach. ...
Nearly everyone has experienced the frustration of something you use breaking and being difficult or expensive to fix. Proposed legislation could change that. It’s been raining on and off all Sunday afternoon but people are lining up outside a building in a corner of Gribblehirst Park in Sandringham, Auckland. In ...
What does a forever relationship look like when you don’t believe in marriage? And how do you celebrate it? This essay is part of our Sunday Essay series, made possible thanks to the support of Creative New Zealand.I’m going to do it, right now. I’m going to say ...
The Prime Minister has committed to resuming direct flights to Thailand. But it’s not a promise he will be able to deliver on anytime soon. The post Prime Minister jumps the gun in Thailand appeared first on Newsroom. ...
It’s not that long ago Eliza McCartney was seriously wondering if the Paris Olympics would be her pole vaulting swansong. After years of being hounded by injury after injury, the Rio Olympics bronze medallist was still confident she would compete at her second Olympics in Paris in July, unless something ...
FICTION 1 Take Two by Danielle Hawkins (Allen & Unwin, $36.99) There’s commercial fiction, like this book, and then there’s quality fiction, quality writers, quality literature; the forthcoming Auckland Writers Festival is full of quality, and ReadingRoom has two tickets to give away to the following events: Paul Lynch (Dublin ...
Loading…(function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){var ql=document.querySelectorAll('A[quiz],DIV[quiz],A[data-quiz],DIV[data-quiz]'); if(ql){if(ql.length){for(var k=0;k<ql.length;k++){ql[k].id='quiz-embed-'+k;ql[k].href="javascript:var i=document.getElementById('quiz-embed-"+k+"');try{qz.startQuiz(i)}catch(e){i.start=1;i.style.cursor='wait';i.style.opacity='0.5'};void(0);"}}};i['QP']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){(i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o),m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m)})(window,document,'script','https://take.quiz-maker.com/3012/CDN/quiz-embed-v1.js','qp'); Got a good quiz question?Send Newsroom your questions. The post Newsroom daily quiz, Friday 26 April appeared first on Newsroom. ...
You can’t have missed the Gallipoli story as the movies, documentaries, essays and books capture what it was like for New Zealand troops in their eight-month campaign on the Peninsula. But this Anzac Day the Auckland War Memorial Museum has published a book that sheds light on a little-known aspect of the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra In the free-for-all between the Australian government and Big Tech boss Elon Musk this week, the government had to be on a winner. Most people would have little sympathy with Musk’s vociferous opposition to ...
Asia Pacific Report Chief Mandla Mandela, a member of the National Assembly of South Africa and Nelson Mandela’s grandson, has joined the Freedom Flotilla in istanbul as the ships prepare to sail for Gaza, reports Kia Ora Gaza. Mandela is also the ambassador for the Global Campaign to Return to ...
Pacific Media Watch Journalists who report on environmental issues are encountering growing difficulties in many parts of the world, reports Reporters Without Borders. According to the tally kept by RSF, 200 journalists have been subjected to threats and physical violence, including murder, in the past 10 years because they were ...
Analysis by Dr Bryce Edwards, Democracy Project (https://democracyproject.nz)Political scientist, Dr Bryce Edwards. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has surprised everyone with his ruthlessness in sacking two of his ministers from their crucial portfolios. Removing ministers for poor performance after only five months in the job just doesn’t normally happen in ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Hawkins, Senior Lecturer, Canberra School of Politics, Economics and Society, University of Canberra BagzhanSadvakassov/Upsplash, CC BY-SA Australia’s inflation rate has fallen for the fifth successive quarter, and it’s now less than half of what it was back in late 2022. ...
ACT's Rural Communities and Veterans spokesman Mark Cameron responds to cancellations and protests of ANZAC Day commemorations in Wellington. He says, "These pitiful attempts to detract from ANZAC Day are not at all indicative of the feelings of mainstream ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Meighen McCrae, Associate Professor of Strategic & Defence Studies, Australian National University American and Australian stretcher bearers working together near the front line during the Battle of Hamel in 1918.Australian War Memorial While the AUKUS alliance is new, the Australian-American partnership ...
Pōneke based peace activists staged a silent protest at the ANZAC day service to highlight New Zealand’s complicity in war and genocide, and urge the government to take concrete steps to stop the genocide in Palestine. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Magdalena M.E. Bunbury, Postdoctoral Researcher, James Cook University Burial with a horse at the Rákóczifalva site, Hungary (8th century AD).Sándor Hegedűs, Hungarian National Museum, CC BY How do we understand past societies? For centuries, our main sources of information have been ...
Amanda Thompson doesn’t really do Anzac Day. But what she does do is remember the people she knew who had a lifetime to remember stuff they didn’t really want to, because of a war they didn’t ask for. And she does make Anzac biscuits.First published in 2021.All my ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kathryn Willis, Postdoctoral Researcher, CSIRO Xavier Boulenger/Shutterstock In the two decades to 2019, global plastic production doubled. By 2040, plastic manufacturing and processing could consume as much as 20% of global oil production and use up 15% of the annual carbon ...
With our collective remembrance, and steadfast belief in our common humanity, we strengthen our hope and resolve to do what we can to foster dialogue and understanding, and to heal divisions in our pursuit of peace. ...
Principal reasons for the opposition is the loss of the public’s democratic right to have “a fair say” and the vital need for a government free from corruption, said Casey Cravens of Dunedin, president of the New Zealand Federation of Freshwater ...
Never mind the scoreboard – in the 2000 Bledisloe Cup decider, the real trans-Tasman battle was won before kickoff.First published in 2016. The dawn of the new millennium was a dark time for the All Blacks. Their final game pre-Y2K was a 22-18 loss to South Africa in the ...
On Sunday the head of the Russian armed forces personally telephoned the heads of NATO to inform them that Ukraine is preparing a radiological attack in Ukraine.
Yesterday the Speaker of the Russian government, (Duma), Vyacheslav Volodin repeated the same threat.
The only possible conclusion is that the Russian Federation in a last ditch desperate attempt are preparing to detonate a radiological bomb in Ukraine to inflict a heavy losses on the Ukrainian armed forces in an effort to stop the Ukrainian successes in liberating Russian occupied territories, and intend to put the blame for this crime against humanity on the Ukrainian authorities. This imminent attack is most likely to occur in Kherson, after the Russian forces have evacuated, and as Ukrainian forces pour into the area.
In conjunction with a radiological (dirty bomb) attack in Kherson, it is quite likely that the retreating Russian Federation forces will also blow up the Zaporozhye and Kursk nuclear power plants.
Coming from the two highest officials in the Russian military and the Russian government, this threat can not be taken lightly.
The price of gas is dropping in Europe, while the number of LNG carrier ships currently under construction sits at 285, with an astonishing 250+ due for delivery by the end of 2025. With a global fleet of LNG carriers of roughly 650 vessels the size and number of these ships means the carrying capacity with increase by 60-70% by 2025. Much of this construction is driven by Europe, and a determination not to be dependent on Russian gas.
Those lucky bastards otherwise known as Australia are of course the world’s fifth biggest natural gas exporter, and they exclusively exports natural gas as LNG. Australia is now the world’s largest LNG exporter, accounting for 22% of international trade. I suspect they’ll replace most of Russia’s gas in Europe. Shipping gas halfway around the world in ships is less cost effective than piping it in from Russia, but then again Australia isn’t run by a nuclear armed mad dictator set on wars of imperial aggression.
Russia's attempts to use energy to blackmail Europe have failed.
So much for reducing Green house gas producing, energy sources!
War is provenly bad for humanity and the planet.
If we can't even stop stop killing each other?
How can we stop killing the biosphere that sustains us?
What is the underlying cause that keeps us doing both?
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/world/477276/tiktok-blamed-by-filmmaker-for-allowing-abusive-comments-on-video
This is just one of the reasons why I dislike like buttons and the likes. Even without algorithms on/of the actual site, it introduces a bias in readers, responders, and number of mentions & links elsewhere. I think it sucks big time.
Heh!
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/local-government/130250152/the-poster-message-from-mp-chle-swarbrick-that-wayne-brown-cant-miss
Even better and more effective than open letters. A very media-savvy action.
She is the next mayor in waiting, mark my words.
No Sanc disagree-the Greens will want to keep her winning Akl Central ad infinitum as an insurance policy against sub 5% and because she will be a co-leader soon.
Swarbrick will do whatever job brings the most change. Mayor of Auckland is more powerful than Green co-leader in any watered-down arrangement with Labour et al.
How so?
She is a great local leader and not in politics for ego.
I agree that she’s an effective leader but not one that is limited to local affairs, in fact quite the opposite. No ego issues.
.
LOL
However, winning Auckland Central is very resource intensive for the Greens. They run it like a by-election – as if it was almost the only seat going. That sucks in activists from all over the country, I know someone who lives in Reefton who was working in Auckland Central last time, and she was not the only one from her area. It is a very expensive insurance policy
I think people who like Chloe really overestimate her popularity outside of Central Auckland. As for her style of campaigning, the Efeso team essentially tried to replicate it, right down to the comedy fundraisers, and we all saw how that went.
Almost as if the missing ingredient was.. Chloe.
Ask young people across the country who inspires them.
As a young person myself, I don't find her particularly inspiring. Some of my more politically engaged friends are pretty big fans but they're a minority. Most are barely aware of who she is, or find her kinda judgmental. She has a good niche as the go-to young politician, but the idea that everyone my age sees her as our saviour just isn't true
Her following on social media begs to differ.
You cannot replicate authenticity.
You need more than that if you want the mayoralty. Most people aren't on Twitter, and for what it's worth, I've heard plenty of people my age say they find her inauthentic. Also, based on my experience trying to vote this year as a renter, you really cannot count on young people in local elections.
Well I would say that comment says more about you and your cohort than it does about Chloe.
I'm just trying to tell you how it is bro, scolding people for not liking your candidate is never going to get you anywhere.
I’m struggling with both your comments @ 3.1.2.1.1 and 3.1.2.2.1. For example, I don’t know where the saviour reference comes from; if (young) people are not aware of CS they are probably politically ‘illiterate’, which is not meant as a criticism, BTW. Your comments also appear to argue against lowering the voting age to 16, which is just a side note here.
I’d say that if anybody can reach and engage with (some but not all) young people in any election it is CS. Nobody has or is arguing that she could count on young people in an Auckland Mayoral election because one can never take voters for granted. I’d like to think that CS is not that naïve.
This whole thread started because someone said she was going to be the next mayor, and I disagreed. As for the saviour thing, do you really have no idea where it comes from? Take this line from a Spinoff piece for example:
"Swarbrick’s resistance to political realism seems to stem less from self-belief and more from a borderline irrational faith in stuff like the fundamental goodness of other people"
https://thespinoff.co.nz/politics/06-11-2021/chloe-swarbrick-actually-believes-better-things-are-possible
I don't have any ill will towards her as a person, it's more about her supporters trying to make her into this avatar for all young people, with the implication being that, if you don't feel the exact same way, you're some kind of traitor to your age group. Also, how is writing young people off as politically illiterate not a criticism?
Nobody knows if CS will stand a second time in an Auckland Mayoral election let alone the next one and win; she may or she may not. So, agreeing or disagreeing with the comment @ 3.1 is moot and a red herring. I’d like to think that Sanctuary made the comment not to be taken literally and absolute but as a starting point for discussion.
TLDR; it appears that you projected CS’s beliefs onto others, i.e., young people.
Your issue seems to be with her supporters rather than with her per se, which is why pigeonholing CS does not make for strong counter-argument at all. If anything, CS seems to be [in] a class of her own. I have no idea where the ‘traitor’ allegations stem from either; there are way too many inferences and wild speculations in this thread to make it of much use.
According to your own ‘poll’ of young people and anecdata many don’t know of CS and who she is. That’s not criticism, is it? It isn’t writing them off either, is it? You seem a little aggressive defensive …
Totally agree with radical alternative.
Chloe has been put on some weird pedestal from day one of her parliamentary career and it's never made any sense.
Shes the same age as me and politically I agree with her but I find her alienating af and her "maaaaaaaate " schticks to fake and cringe.
Shes a lightweight in the house, most people don't know who she is, she's got weirdo deeply fringe political allies and her disastrous weed legalization campaign tactics are best forgotten.
She's just another rich kid student politician. She inspires people like herself I guess.
I think she'd do better as sole green leader , but that's cos she's the best out of the party.
The anti-Seymour.
who are her weirdo deeply fringe political allies?
You realise that is passive voice? In other words, CS didn’t do this herself. And you want to topple her off because “[s]he's just another rich kid student politician”? That’s such a pathetic character assassination attempt with a lazy stereotype.
CS is different, I give you that
With Auckland central being the centre of a significant population loss.property loss and employment changes,there may be a need for fewer central government resources.
https://www.stats.govt.nz/news/regional-population-growth-slows/
Yet the region's population continues to increase. Strange..
Replaced via immigration. Baby boomers cashing up and moving to the provinces. Why not sell in Auckland buy in a province = few hundred thousand plus in the bank.
Replaced via births. And quite a different demographic makeup than the old folk retiring to the provinces.
Stats NZ are pretty clear the drop is as a result of less overseas immigration and low natural increase.
Given our aging population you are not going to get increases through births. There ain't no one getting pregnant in our older population. No teenage mums in the ever increasing number of residential villages.
Slowing regional growth reflects what is happening nationally, particularly annual net migration loss, partly due to the impact of Covid-19 on international migration," Stats NZ population estimates and projections acting manager Rebekah Hennessey said.
"This net migration loss [of 11,500] was combined with the lowest natural increase [24,100] since World War II."
Auckland and the West Coast saw its population fall 0.5 percent, with Auckland's decline slowing slightly from the 0.6 percent fall recorded in the June 2021 year.
"While people leaving the bigger cities such as Auckland is not new, internal migration losses have historically been offset by international migration gains," Hennessey said.
"With international migration losses now occurring, Auckland had an overall population loss of 8900 people in the June 2022 year."
Such as? What are you thinking of?
Anything that involves unfunded capex,As our borrowing rate is a full percentage point higher then the UK,which have now fallen as markets perceive a lowering of fiscal risk,which is not seen here.
Selling off shares, land, assets, that sort of thing?
No thats the next government plan,what need s to be constrained is unfunded capex,and limits or cuts to the consultant community,similar to what the Australian treasurer will announce this afternoon.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-10-24/carparks-scrapped-road-upgrades-delayed-budget/101567982
Government borrowing hit the 5 % interest rate level last week ( 4.85- 5.05%) there is now a large risk premium due to the dual risks of a current account deficit and fiscal deficit,a dollar overvalued,and unfunded cost blow outs in the pipeline.
Less consultants = more permanent employees, plus the infrastructure to support their knowledge. Bring it on.
Thanks.
Advertising and travel (and other staff ‘allowances’) are probably low-hanging fruit and might save a few dollars. Since Council doesn’t sell anything as such, I assume advertising means or includes PR and providing information to the public. If so, it may lead to more requests for information from people, which would require more staff effort.
IDK how it would cut legal costs. Less scrutinising by legal experts? Will this really save all the much?
That leaves consultants and external contractors assuming they’re not one and the same thing. Again, if they do stuff that’s entirely unnecessary then sure, cull it from the balance sheet. Otherwise, somebody must do the work, yes?
Mayor-Elect Brown uses the good old slogan Less Is More but what does that really mean?
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/local-government/130268634/auckland-mayor-wayne-brown-wants-less-paperwork-more-local-control
I was using the Australian federal case as an example for the NZ government reducing its debt exposure to the increasing risks.
Auckland has a debt of around 11.5 b,which will increase to around 15b over the next 2 years.The interest burden will only increase in the future as the NZ government debt burden is not forecast to decrease,and interest rate increases are being funded by debt,fiscal constraint is needed,as is fiscal discipline by both central and local government.
Thanks again, but let’s circle back to my question @ 3.2.2 to you, because you still haven’t really answered that, have you?
Can you please give something more concrete?
Less concrete actually,with a move from more intensive social housing in Auckland,to provincial and semi rural centres,as rental costs decrease, and house prices fall in AK.
If Aucklanders want to invest in high debt/high cost solutions to various infrastructure projects,go for it,you pay for it.
sigh
Yawn.
https://www.interest.co.nz/property/118161/supply-new-housing-has-exceeded-population-driven-demand-almost-60000-homes-over
??
I think Poission is noting the overbuild (both in cost and quantity) that is occurring,,,and ultimately it will cost.
Supply and demand.
So a man far richer than the King will be the next Prime Minister of Britain, what could possibly go wrong with that?
But can he run an airline?
Ha ha. He is also better educated. & better looking…ooops who said that? Some call him 'dishy Rishy'.
he has his work cut out for him
'Britain has been locked in a state of perma-crisis ever since it voted in 2016 to leave the European Union, unleashing a battle at Westminster over the future of the country that remains unresolved to this day.'
and
'The multi-millionaire former hedge fund boss will be expected to launch deep spending cuts to try to rebuild Britain's fiscal reputation, just as the country slides into one of the toughest downturns in decades, hit by the surging cost of energy and food.
https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/world/2022/10/rishi-sunak-to-become-the-next-uk-prime-minister-after-months-of-turbulence.html
So it is not all roses and fluffy ducks. They are in for a dour time over the coldest times of year.
Wild fact of the day – the last time a UK PM that won an election was around to lose the subsequent election was Edward Heath in 1974.
But hey. FPP is a synonym for stability!
Is it possible that therm length being 5 years has a part to play in them not serving till the next election
I concluded that all Tory leadership options are awful – so the only criteria I care about is whether they will continue to support Ukraine's liberation. And rumours are that Sunak's family maintains business ties with Russia, which bodes poorly.
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2022/mar/28/sunak-under-pressure-over-wifes-russia-related-blood-money-dividends
Summed up on one small paragraph
"Before Truss, everyone still thought they’d turn it around. There was a plan, right? Right? Nope. The reason this last week was so captivating is it’s suddenly obvious there is no plan."
https://www.stuff.co.nz/opinion/130264105/verity-johnson-its-easy-to-laugh-at-britains-decline-but-be-careful-what-you-wish-for
Perhaps there was and is no plan, but there always is an agenda.
The comments on that Stuff column … shudder.
I'm proud to say I got banned from Stuff comments because I told the moderators that their "terms and conditions" were a fraud. So they banned me for telling the truth while they continue to publish garbage, contradicting their own rules.
e.g. one comment on that column says Sunak is not British. False (and of course racist). Not opinion – simply false.
Therefore, either the moderators don't read what they publish or they do read but don't care.
I can’t remember the last time I looked at comments on Stuff as indeed most of them are such a waste of time and life is short. I generally find the few comments on Newsroom insightful and informative but, of course, that’s an entirely different site compared to Stuff.
All manual moderation has a major intrinsic weakness: time. And time costs money. Simple fact-checking can and perhaps should be done by the commentariat at large aka the wisdom of the crowd instead of one or a couple of overworked mods who then may still need to apply the corrections (edits) and/or flag the particular commenter. The question is who’s ultimately responsible (onus). The same applies to all content (OPs), including opinion pieces.
The way I see it, there are 2 issues: 1) incorrect/inaccurate info; 2) vague/ambiguous/imprecise ‘info’. The second issue is actually the bigger one because it can suck up a lot of oxygen because it strays into terra incognita where anything can mean anything and people make unchecked/unsupported assumptions, jump to all sorts of conclusions, twist language, meaning, and concepts to suit their narrative (bias), and generally just talk past each other. (NB assumption ≠ conclusion)
Yes, fair comment.
Stuff's "system" is particularly annoying because they post comments and then replies are held in moderation for many hours (as is the case currently on that column). So rapid rebuttal is impossible.
They let false statements stand, and if the readers can't correct (for hours) and the moderators are too busy, then it's a free platform for liars. The trolls know this, of course.
Fair comment too.
It is disappointing but I do think that Stuff is one of the better ones in NZ. Simply put, there’s room for improvement.
Reading stuff comments is sbout as useful as reading face book comments, the only time I do it is when I start think there is hope for the human race, a quick read of the comments soon fixs that dose of optimism I tell ya
If you think the STUFF comments are bad – have you read the comments on some of the Herald articles which do allow comments – they are diabolical. I (probably against my better judgement) re-subscribed to the Herald a few months ago so I could read Simon Wilson's articles and Shane Te Pou's too plus one or two other authors worth having a look at. There are some pieces I point blank refuse to read, probably to keep my sometimes elevated blood pressure at a reasonable level
When The Herald and Stuff were just hard copy, if you wanted to comment on an article you wrote a letter to the editor. The letter had to be signed with an address supplied.
How many of the comments would be made if the commenters had to identify who they were? Also, how many comments are made by resident New Zealanders and how many are from "Comments pools" submitting comment from the US /Australia/ UK based subversives.
Labour and the Greens have much more of a plan than the tired, old, discredited ones of the Natz – at least those announced so far – trickle down economics and privatising social welfare! (they call it 'social investment!)
National’s Big Plan is to repeal, repeal, repeal. The actual ‘new’ policies and vision will come from ACT aka the tail wags the dog.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/130076736/here-are-the-economic-policies-national-says-it-will-cull
Since when was Labour not wedded to tired, old discredited trickle-down economics? A kinder face for sure.
Yes, the massive transfer of wealth in the past 5 years would lead most people to conclude Labour subscribes to the same failed economic brain farts,
If you want actual transformational change you can only really vote for the Greens next year.
everyone still thought they’d turn it around.
She does this in all her columns. "I reckon, therefore everyone reckons".
Even a cursory glance at the UK media coverage would tell her that was not true, not in the slightest. She simply makes things up.
It would help if her editors cared – but they don't.
Good morning everyone.
https://twitter.com/wekatweets/status/1584641260157296641
Last week the discussion about falling achievement of school pupils was a focus here and there. It seems we are not alone in having issues to address.
https://edition.cnn.com/2022/10/24/us/student-test-scores-nations-report-card/index.html
It happened pretty much everywhere, as one would expect. For example, here is a study published in a top scientific journal in April 2021:
Learning loss due to school closures during the COVID-19 pandemic
https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2022376118
Thanks for that link.
Young people didn't learn what was hoped or expected in maths, spelling, and reading. Did they learn anything? What did they learn? Did they learn resilience? Did they learn to be 'creative.'
Another study has it
https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/education/our-insights/covid-19-and-education-the-lingering-effects-of-unfinished-learning
Did children learn their parents were resilient, creative? Or become concerned about their parents' mental health?
'Deschooling Society' the Ivan Ilich book from 1971 comes to mind.
"Illich presented schools as places where consumerism and obedience to authority were paramount and genuine learning was replaced by a process of advancement through institutional hierarchies accompanied by the accumulation of largely meaningless credentials."
Interesting to consider some of the notions from just over 50 years ago and think of how Ivan Ilich would have seen the challenges and opportunities presented by the pandemic in the sort of societies we now live in.
https://monoskop.org/images/1/17/Illich_Ivan_Deschooling_Society.pdf
Dr. Cravat interviewing his own keyboard again. He claims there is increased speculation about Jacinda Ardern quitting but provides just two examples, the NBR and himself. 😆
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/bryce-edwards-the-increasing-speculation-about-jacinda-ardern-quitting/U72FTQFMEJFADALEK5HKF4BXTY/
Time for the regular reminder …
The pundit class did not predict John Key's resignation as PM. They did not predict Simon Bridges' resignation as an MP. Shocked, they were! Shocked!
But they've been predicting Ardern's departure since her first term. Fluffy little girlie, no staying power … and now facing her 5th opposition leader.
One day they will be proven right and have a little celebratory dance singing ‘I told you so’.
Are you sure 'they' are real people or are they robots? Seriously, I wonder sometimes. TV presenters and reporters stare glassy eyed into the camera lens repeating bald-faced lies about Ardern in particular, but all Labour ministers are fair game.
If they were real would there not be a flicker of a conscience in those eyes? 😕
When I’m at work my eyes also gloss over.
Even a stopped clock is right twice a day. Eventually, they will be correct.
They won't be correct.
Jacinda will either win or lose the election. But she won't be jumping ship early.
The rumour has been created to implant the idea that some plausible reason for her resigning actually exists. There is no such reason. It's propaganda from the RW disinformation mill and Edwards travesties his academic and intellectual credentials by repeating it. A real journalist or intellectual (unlike Edwards) would come up with an explanation as to why the rumour is being generated, and by whom.
Even his first sentence is part of the RW trope.
It must be a "photo op" because it's Ardern. Never mind that John Key and Helen Clark went to Antarctica as PMs, never mind any of the NZ relationship and responsibilities there. Feed the frothers.
While it is true that both Clark and Key did visit Antarctica while they were Prime Minister they both made their trips in January, while Parliament was in recess. Clark's visit was from 18-22 January 2007 and Key from 17-21 January 2013.
There is a difference in that PM Ardern will be there while the House is sitting and will miss Question time for the week.
Whether she would add anything useful if she was in Wellington is of course an open question.
.
She'll miss Question Time? Luxon probably booked her ticket.
It is a special anniversary visit to Antarctica ….. but you know that.
Really? According to the RNZ news her visit is to celebrate the 65th anniversary of Scott Base. However the opening of Scott Base was on 20th January 1957 so surely she should be visiting at about the same time of year as Clark and Key visited?
Helen's visit in 2007 was of course to celebrate the 50th anniversary.
What special anniversary is being celebrated in October?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DmKh1JqNZoA
Tomorrow is the day
There are a few reasons for the timing of the PM’s visit, of course, but not that you’d know or care. She probably also wanted to give Luxon a much-needed break; the poor fellow looked worse than Truss last week.
"There are a few reasons for the timing of the PM’s visit".
Pray tell. You are obviously in possession of something important. Why not share this material to which you are privy.
Yup, I give you the finger.
Use it to click on links and read beyond headlines and the stuff that is regurgitated ad nauseam in MSM.
It's the lettuce I feel sorry for – it beat Liz fair and square, but doesn't get to be PM. Sucks to be a salad vegetable.
Typically, greens with an online presence and following attract trolls and other vermin. I also feel for the lettuce but luckily Truss stepped aside quickly and probably saved the lettuce’s life. It could have led to a few good slogans, e.g.:
Let Lettuce Live
Lettuce Lives Matter
Lettuce Trumps Truss
Truss Tossed in Salacious Tussle with Lettuce
Lettuce Champignon After Beating Truss
Nice break for Luxie if Ms Ardern misses Q Time.
NAct et al. wish – spot on observer and AB, and thanks to Muttonbird for posting.
Grant Duncan (Massey University) wrote on this topic nearly a year ago.
I particularly liked one of the comments under Duncan's article.
I see that the title of the article you quote finishes "no reason to go – yet".
I believe that it was Harold Wilson who quipped that "A week is a long time in politics". A year, which is the time since Gran Duncan wrote his opinion piece is an infinity.
She may have had no reason to go then but her prospects don't look anywhere near as rosy today, do they?
I agree that a week is a long time in Politics…. Luxon learned that the hard way.
Any talk of Jacinda Ardern leaving is just that. Talk!!
Actually she is returning due to bad weather. Two hours into an eight hour flight. Not even a week Alwyn!!
At 1.44pm you told me that
"It is a special anniversary visit to Antarctica ….. but you know that."
Given that the Scott Base anniversary, as previously observed by Helen Clark and John Key, is in January what was the anniversary that Ms Ardern was planning to celebrate there in October?
sigh
https://www.antarcticanz.govt.nz/media/news/scott-base-to-welcome-pm-jacinda-ardern
Even the PM cannot travel back to January of this year!
Stop trolling.
Ardern is Labour's best chance of winning a third term – we both know it – hence all this ‘headless chook’ action regarding her supposedly imminent departure.
It's unsurprising to me that you feel Ardern has been PM for "an infinity", or perhaps several political infinities, just as it will come as no surprise to you that each of English/Bridges/Muller/Collins/Luxon's recent stints as 'leader' of the opposition seemed like an eternity to me.
"An infinity" of time will tell if Ardern's 'infinity' as PM lasts longer than honest John's. I'll leave you to count your chickens – cLux cLux.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tkb9SIe4WWo
"It's unsurprising to me that you feel Ardern has been PM for "an infinity""
Really? Given that I have never said that I feel she has been the PM for a long time how on earth can you possibly decide that I feel such a thing?
Apologies alwyn, I thought you had asserted [@8.2.2.1] something to the effect that 'a year is "an infinity" in politics' (quite original), and inferred that the very nearly five years Ardern has been our PM would feel like, if not "an infinity", then at least 'a long time' to you. What with the ChCh massacre, plus the pandemic and is repercussions, it feels like a long time to me.
Honestly didn't realise it mattered that much – it's just a bit of fun –
cLux cLux cLux
. .
Yep, right wing morons have been at it all day. HADP and her
grandfatherhusband discussing it at length on their cosy, mostly undeclared political spot this afternoon.All from a speculative piece by self-appointed Guardian Of Democracy (GOD), Dr Bryce Cravat!
An important window into how bitter cranks operate.
Adam Conover knocks it out of the park – 'Why there's no such thing as a Good Billionaire'. Tackles the lie that is billionaire philanthropy.
Amazing statistic from America – top 0.1% own about as much as the poorest 90%! NZ won't be that far behind.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Cu6EbELZ6I
But, but Nicola Willis says this is not true and she can see a place for philanthropists in the delivery of social services.
https://www.national.org.nz/doing_good_better_a_new_approach_for_new_zealanders_in_the_greatest_need
From Max Rashbrooke's analysis of her speech
https://www.stuff.co.nz/opinion/130243992/max-rashbrooke-nationals-new-social-plan-goes-back-to-the-future–but-is-that-a-bad-thing
"Second, drop this strange idea that philanthropists could provide social-investment funding for state schemes. If private money helps determine whether or not someone receives a core social service, that’s a wildly inappropriate privilege for the wealthy. And if we want more funds for social programmes, we should simply ensure millionaires pay more tax."
There’s a fine line between [some] philanthropists (and [some] charities for that matter), moral crusaders, and people with a saviour/messiah complex. It also reminds of Karpman’s drama triangle (i.e., victim, rescuer, persecutor). Some ex-CEOs and so-called ‘successful people’ (incl. celebrities) can substitute philanthropists by giving their time instead of their money …
Couldn't we just have a better tax system so that everyone pays appropriately and then if philanthropists want to fund other things that make life better for people then let them do this (with the money they have left after paying tax).
So from taxes we allow for people to live a good life. The gifts from others can be the extra, the bit that allows talented students facing a parental inability to pay for 'whatever' for their children to have equal chances.
Simple a concept.
Ah me…..
PS The Conover piece is concerning this latest way of passing wealth on through the generations by using 'charitable' companies as a front for the ability to influence far beyond one's natural life. They in fact are not giving $1m to charity. They are setting up a charity called XYZ charity that has a shareholding of ABC wholly owned Company with 999998 shares with family holding the remaining two shares and these two are the only ones having voting rights. I think there are more steps and twists but the end result is less tax to pay all round and rollicking good but undeserved reputation as a good firm/person. Patagonia was looked at. also the pulling at your heartstrings statements about these accidental billionaires who still drive their own old dungers and got rich by eating cat food. Seriously…..unpicked by Conover who said there was no need for them to do this as some tinned fish made for humans was cheaper than catfood!
Yes there are some good people and charities.
Today through TS I have been reminded of Human Synergistics and Karpmans triangle (we had a course so we could find out which we were) both of which were visited on unsuspecting Govt Depts and round this off by a bit of Myers Briggs and that sums up some of my career in the PS.
You have my utmost empathy.
I did however make some of our HR people and managers (and restructuring consultants especially) a bit grumpy by pointing out that all of these probably had their genesis or the norms calculated in the US using tests done on white males. This meant they were unrepresentative and unsuited to NZ where women were the first in the world to vote, and where we had Maori and Pasifika people.
Some of these perhaps MB are ok for personal use only, but wildly unsuitable for any population use. I count workplaces as population use.
We had some teams made up so as to avoid Karpman, use MB or Human Synergistics. Totally artificial and all it made us do was to yearn to have our old teams back where in any brainstorm, policy development, we knew and valued who was going to do have the wacky off the wall stuff, who was going to be grump central but with an eye for bullkaka etc.
Competent recruitment techniques, reference checking and an eye for a chance for a person and an org then competent management are key.
Do we have any current PS who can tell us if these techniques are still being used across whole workplace populations?
Sorry, I can't help with this. I do have my own personal experience with this kind of stuff and it still akes me cringe, i.e., it left a mental scar for life. Don't ever get me started on psychometric tests and evaluations.
Regarding the new UK PM, a Guardian reader wondered if, in the same way that rich people have hobby farms, is the UK perhaps Rishi's hobby nation?
Big precedent – drivers are covered by employment law: https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/129692946/employment-court-rules-four-uber-drivers-are-employees
Brilliant!!
The whole fake contractor thing is just a scheme to avoid treating workers well. To give credit to Labour – they have encouraged review of this.
Uber has used despicable lobbying and influence tactics to protect their "right" to exploit.
Scripted union video includes some details about what comes next:
https://twitter.com/FIRST_Union/status/1584685441030434816
https://news.yahoo.com/nhs-warns-most-trans-identifying-123016885.htmlMy apologies in advance for posting a link above with no explanation.
Having some technical difficulties and I couldn't even delete it, so very sorry in advance Mods.
The link is an article about a statement from the NHS that gender dyphoria in most children is a phase. (It also mentions the move away from the affirmation approach since the Cass report).
In NZ in the current climate if you say gender dysphoria is a phase, you will likely be called transphobic and a bigot.
Lets not call it "gender non conforming". Let's call it by its real name – "sexual stereotyping non conforming". Kids get transed for liking the "wrong" toys, or the "wrong" clothes. They get transed by homophobic parents who would rather have a "so fashionable" trans daughter than an icky gay son. Kids get transed because their parents are lied to by autogynephiliac "Trans Rights Activists" (who need the existence of trans kids to cloak their paraphilia) and told that their children will kill themselves unless they are "affirmed". And they are also lied to by the health and education systems who are either captured – or "for profit".
Do you think all transgender people are paraphiliacs with a psychiatric disorder "characterized by deviant and culturally non-sanctioned sexual fantasies, thoughts, and/or behaviors – apparently a proportion of which also suffer from symptoms of mental illness that can go unrecognized", or just trans rights activists?
I just note how similar some of this language is that to that decades ago when gay men were criminalised and lesbian women were institutionalised for compulsory treatment.
[Link required for quoted text – Incognito]
Where does the quoted text come from? Please provide a source link, thanks.
What is a paraphilic?
(sub list)
Is paraphilia a mental disorder?
https://www.google.com/search?q=paraphiliacs&rlz=1C1CHBF_enNZ988NZ988&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8
Mod note
We don't know the rate of autogynephilia, because No Debate has meant that many academics aren't free to do the research. Blanchard may have some figures from his work but we really need to free up researchers to look at this properly.
My own view is similar to Blanchard's proposal, that is are a small number of gender dysphoric males who have a strong identification with the gender stereotypes of women. Some of those males find relief from transition. They are often gay ie. they are sexually attracted to other males before and after transition.
There are also males who are gay, who grow up in parts of society that don't tolerate or accept gayness in men, or effeminate behaviour and expression, and those young men are being socialised into being trans. You can follow the male detrans people online for a deeper understanding of what is going on there. There are parents on record talking about their discomfit about having a gay son but who are ok with a trans daughter. There are also countries that are intolerant of gay men, but tolerant of trans women.
Then there are AGP males, many who are probably cross dressers historically, who are sexually aroused by the thought of themselves as a woman and who now seek to colonise women's spaces in search of affirmation and arousal. These are the males online taking photos of themselves wanking in women's public toilets. There are AGP males who aren't colonising women's culture/space as well. These males aren't dysphoric in the same way that transsexual males are, the driver isn't extreme mental distress.
With women the pattern is different. There appears to be no female equivalent of AGP. That leaves us with girls/women with such extreme gender dysphoria that they are willing to go through a lot of medicalisation. But there are also a lot of girls growing up who hate being female because they are abused for it. Being male is an escape. Again, listen to what detrans women are saying.
Social media socialisation of transness is a major issue. As is rapid onset gender dysphoria.
You will probably find a lot there to disagree with, and I'm happy to hash it out with evidence and further reasoning. But it's wrong to respond to Visubversa's comment as if she is saying all trans are this thing. If you reread what she said, she is naming AGPs and their role and motivations in the major social shifts, she’s not saying all trans people are AGP.
The question of how many trans activists fit into which category is an interesting one.
I’m more careful with my language than some, because I don't believe trans people deserve to be categorised in negative ways anymore than any other vulnerable group.
But, powerful lobby groups like Stonewall UK, and activists, have broadened the definition of trans so far now that we are well beyond transsexuals. The inclusion and denial of AGP is core to the gender/ sex war. Women have been losing rights, been seriously abused, and backed into a corner. Many GC feminists tried engaging in ways to find resolutions to the conflict of rights, but the denial and harm that has been done by activists has been extreme. You can't complain now when many women come out fighting including with language.
My advice is that those debating/advocating on the issue not throw the word "paraphilia" around. One can note the autogynephilia side of trans activism without doing that.
If the actual problem is a tendency to affirmation of self identity at too young an age in response to temporary dysphoria (or parental promotion because of concern at children not meeting gender stereotypes), then that is how that matter should be confronted – this is how to get change at the governmental/bureaucratic/professional end.
There are two intensifiers in play – one the way social media reinforces a concern and poses a possible miscategorisation of a problem and the other tribalisation of debate about this. Professionals should be concerned about the former and not being captured by trends, and those in social media/media the other.
My advice is that you actually look at who has the loudest voices in this debate. Heterosexual men – many with wives and children – often "transitioning" in their 40's or older, well off and in positions of power and influence. Look at Eddie Izzard – now in "permanent girl mode" (at 60 years old FFS), complaining that "dating is difficult". You don't get to say this sort of stuff from a position of "marginalisation and oppression". https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2022/may/29/if-lesbian-prefers-same-sex-dates-thats-not-bigotry-desire-personal-thing
More likely merely those with name recognition and the money to live as they want.
The wider not cisgender male nor cisgender female identity derives from a younger generation, and this probably led the "coming out" of the older group.
This is an issue to others in two areas, woman identity and safety and the original topic here Ankers link to the NHS view that gender dyphoria in most children is a phase.
There is no such thing as "cis". That is the language of the gender idealogues.
And it is not a fetish? https://twitter.com/sally_hines/status/1584292177907109890?fbclid=IwAR3XIEIZzuYKpox0Y9hmAMzPfnMrwei3ofwqrX0EKNuvi7YfFVVA7exrRQI
It is the NOW who argued for gender equality – those born females having equal opportunity. Girls can do anything, females not being confined to roles/a limited place in society.
The concept was that there was a diversity within the female group (as to interests/way of living a life) also applied to males – each being freed from gender/birth sex stereotype.
From this derived the concept that there were those born male and female and living the traditional roles (and heterosexual) expected by religious and cultural tradition (marriage and family). Since called being cisgender male and female. And otherwise – those feminists critical of traditional marriage, those homosexual or lesbian, and since then a wider concept of those not conforming to birth sex/gender stereotype (sometimes related to not coupling to form families).
This is the setting in which the concept of sexual (bisexuality) and gender fluidity (non binary/gender queer etc) emerged.
Sure this is all add on to being born male and female, being male or female by biology. A bit like how there is nature and then nurture/culture.
At some point we are biological bio-determinism or there is more, the mind (what society constructs). Thus philosophy, are we who we think we are?
Some of our society have rethought whether we should be limited to inherited culture, some say we are who we have always have been (Greek males were misogynists before becoming Christians) and some say we should embrace the full equality of humanity (in all its diversity).
You raised other points way beyond this particular issue – managing gender dysphoria in youth and related activism. Each of them (womens concerns and the diversity of the transgender group) will come up at other times.
Nice takedown of the word "woke" by black Welsh actress Rakie Ayola on the BBC. (Link should skip and start at 45min 15secs into the video).
really good points about asking people to say what they mean by woke.
Didn't quite follow the bit about the family. Is she starring in a TV show about a black Welsh family?
maybe this?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Pact_(British_TV_series)#Reception
Looks like a 21st century morality play.
The popular programme, which aired its first season last year, will once again use the device of a secret pact to introduce viewers to a compelling new group struggling with morality, loyalty, and faith as their lives spiral out of control.
https://www.walesonline.co.uk/lifestyle/tv/how-many-episodes-bbcs-pact-25344313
I tried several times seeking the meaning of 'woke anti racism' or was it 'anti woke racism' and 'woke' from a TS participant over the weekend but never got it. My small brain thinks being an anti racist is a good thing……..
I am really confused by it as it seems to be in the same category as PC. PC just swept in and swept about with people being accused of being PC for being good mannered, avoiding stereotypes, not slamming people, giving others the benefit of the doubt, being inclusive etc
I think it is a non word.
Rakie Ayola – brilliant advice. Gorgeous voice too.
Nice explanation of the potential toxicity of woke movements. There's a difference between genuine civil rights causes with a clearly defined objective, and pressure groups of privileged narcissists.
https://twitter.com/ShellenbergerMD/status/1584981077172817920?s=20&t=vpEhRY4TgvUI85IvL35r0Q
Example
https://twitter.com/ShahrarAli/status/1583827419835748352?s=20&t=vpEhRY4TgvUI85IvL35r0Q
.
A bit like the Trump brand or online influencer persona
If you want to know about time and chronons look at the link
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sam_Vaknin