.
“The Taliban hanged a dead body from a crane in the main square of Herat city in western Afghanistan, a witness said Saturday (local time), in a gruesome display that signalled a return to some of the Taliban’s methods of the past.
Wazir Ahmad Seddiqi, who runs a pharmacy on the side of the square, told The Associated Press that four bodies were brought to the main square and three bodies were moved to other parts of the city for public display.
Seddiqi said the Taliban announced in the square that the four were caught taking part in a kidnapping and were killed by police.
Ziaulhaq Jalali, a Taliban appointed district police chief in Herat, said later that Taliban members rescued a father and son who had been abducted by four kidnappers after an exchange of gunfire. He said a Taliban fighter and a civilian were wounded by the kidnappers but “the four (kidnappers) were killed in crossfire”.”
…………………………………
I’ve read that such kidnappings for ransom were a common problem under the former Ashraf Ghani regime. There have also been several reports that some Afghans, while still watching & waiting with some trepidation to firm up their views on Taliban rule, nonetheless approve of their use of harsh penalties to reduce what had become previous rampant crime levels.
The lower the standard of living, the less tolerance for crime – no life sentences in the wild west. Something for government to think about as neoliberal policies push more and more of us out of the comfort zone.
"One of the founders of the Taliban and the chief enforcer of its harsh interpretation of Islamic law when they last ruled Afghanistan said the hard-line movement will once again carry out executions and amputations of hands, though perhaps not in public.
In an interview with The Associated Press, Mullah Nooruddin Turabi dismissed outrage over the Taliban’s executions in the past, which sometimes took place in front of crowds at a stadium, and he warned the world against interfering with Afghanistan’s new rulers.
“Everyone criticised us for the punishments in the stadium, but we have never said anything about their laws and their punishments,” Turabi told The Associated Press, speaking in Kabul. “No-one will tell us what our laws should be. We will follow Islam and we will make our laws on the Quran.
…
Cutting off of hands is very necessary for security,” he said, saying it had a deterrent effect. He said the Cabinet was studying whether to do punishments in public and will “develop a policy”. In recent days in Kabul, Taliban fighters have revived a punishment they commonly used in the past – public shaming of men accused of small-time theft.
…
He said now the Taliban would allow television, mobile phones, photos and video “because this is the necessity of the people, and we are serious about it”. He suggested that the Taliban saw the media as a way to spread their message. “Now we know instead of reaching just hundreds, we can reach millions,” he said. He added that if punishments are made public, then people may be allowed to video or take photos to spread the deterrent effect.
…
Even as Kabul residents express fear over their new Taliban rulers, some acknowledge grudgingly that the capital has already become safer in just the past month. Before the Taliban takeover, bands of thieves roamed the streets, and relentless crime had driven most people off the streets after dark."
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The worry is that they will also introduce harsh penalties against women for breaches of their strict morality precepts, dress codes & going out unescorted by a male family member.
In the past that sometimes also included forcing women to marry their rapists, I believe.
The US never did the maths on not going full Marshall plan with its occupations – the powers that be didn't want the effect that would have on the US labour market – and did have after WW2.
So they did corrupt occupations instead of rebuilt societies – it doesn't end nicely.
This article is a summary on why US citizens particularly white people die faster than those in Europe, and many die from unequality-related illness, diseases of despair like alcohol drug addiction and suicide, exceptionally poor education impacts on life outcomes, and more.
I've got a bit of a thing for birds. Some breeds are incredibly smart, especially when it comes to identifying sources of food.
Once they identify someone like me, who'll feed them, they come every day. And then the whole whanau will turn up in another day or two.
They're all individuals. You can soon recognise some. Even among sparrows. Their feather patterns all differ in some small way. Some birds are very bold & take risks; others aren't, and won't. You can see them trying to work out whether or not they dare get as close as Cheekybird here.
We feed a disabled magpie and his squeeze[s]. We think he was hit by a car and it's left him with what looks like a painful hobble and his upper mandibile broken at the nostril and pointing skyward at about 40°. He was on his last legs when he turned up four years ago, young, damn near staved to death and unable to forage with his jiggered beak, so it was touch and go for a bit.
He comes when he's called and prospered on a diet of dog roll, fat, meat trimmings, and the wit to hang out at our place during the local golf course culls.
They have been bringing a great deal of joy & interest to my life ever since I discovered that my stream is an entire, natural ecosystem, full of entrancing creatures, in the middle of a city suburb.
They all enrich my life immensely & I have now learned so much about all of the animal & aquatic life in & around this awa iti. It's nice to hear that someone here is also enjoying these little video vignettes.
The other day I heard Dr Bloomfield say that pregnant 'people' should get vaccinated. For Christs sake he is a doctor, does he know of any other people besides women who get pregnant? I am fed up with the erasure of women just to protect the feelings of men who think they feel like women. Woman isn't a feeling it is a fact, I don't feel like a woman I am a woman.
While I am on my soapbox I wonder how the MPs who are promoting the self selection of sex bill will explain to their daughters and granddaughters why they pushed for this bill that made their daughters and granddaughters compete with men and boys in sports and allow men and boys into their changing rooms and toilets. What is behind this attitude? There are far more important things to fix besides pandering to trans groups. I have decided that if I am still alive in 2023 I will vote Te Parti Maori as I will never be able to vote Labour or Green again, and of course the right is out of the question.
Good rant. It is ok to rant – when the ranty bits are peeled away what is left is often a very decent point. As yours.
Calling them pregnant 'people' really is a torch-light on an anomalous absurdity in the history of time.
Call yourself a woman, be a woman, express yourself as that to the heavens. And call out those who refuse to acknowledge who you are – like Bloomfield in that example.
Women are amazing. Raise the flags I say.
I often like the French way, and their saying right here is awesom imo … "vive la difference!"
(Trystan Reese transitioned in his early 20s and the endocrinologist managing his testosterone therapy informed him that he would become in fertile and never be able to carry a child — that the testosterone would render his uterus “uninhabitable.”
In his 30s, Reese carried and birthed a healthy baby in 2017.
“I am not a fluke,” Reese wrote for Family Equality, an organization dedicated to LGBTQ+ families. “Hundreds and maybe thousands of transgender men all over the world have successfully given birth or otherwise contributed their eggs to a pregnancy.”)
I am not going to argue the rights or wrongs of all this again, Janice, but Dr Bloomfield using inclusive language in no way diminishes who or what YOU are. Celebrate YOUR beautiful womanhood. I'm sorry if you had a bad night, I hope whatever caused it eases for you through the day.
Transmen are men in a medically fabricated way .Biologically they remain women, as the pregnancy testifies to.
You can of course change the definitions in a legalistic way, but the continued existence of the human race is still dependent on sexual reproduction , ova from women's ovaries and sperm from men's testicles.Whether or not men and women choose or are able to express this fact, we are all born of a biological woman .
I may be a minority in the current social climate but hey , minority rights are upheld in our society aren't they?
Me too Janice
I strongly identify with the description woman inextricably entwined with breasts womb, vagina etc.Not that my genitalia dictate my destiny , but they’re such a part of my experience as a woman ,I am distressed at their linguistic neutering
I’ve been a Labour then Green voter for as long as I”ve been able to vote.I can’t vote for either of them ,at present or anyone else for that matter .Thinking of putting my money and energy into grass roots activism instead.Traditional politics is geared to incremental change and short electoral cycles at a stage when we don’t have much time left.
I've just spent an hour listening to Helen Joyce speaking to this.
Although as a man this issue has only impacted me abstractly I can feel your distress and dismay at watching this post-modernist thought virus infect and dismantle every category on which our world is constructed.
It's an intellectual bio-weapon targeted at western civilisation.
I too have voted green or labour since I've been able francesca, but they both deserve severe punishment at the next election for pushing this bullshit. And I wouldn't be surprised or disappointed if there is enough of a backlash, especially but not exclusively from women, to spell the death of the green party in its present form.
I know more than one person who do not identify as cis women who have been pregnant; Janice. Scout is the much more wholesome example – and with political ambitions, is more willing to share their story in public ("Pepi" is a bit bigger now, but seems to be thriving).
"I hope that she grows up in a peaceful, loving world and environment where she can go swim in the river if she wants to or she can wear a suit if she wants to. She can come out as transgender if that's who she is and it will be safe for her to do so. She won't have to question every single move she makes like I've had to."
Perhaps Bloomfield is more concerned about spreading the vaccination message to as wide an audience as possible? Rather than enforcing colonial gender essentialism in Aotearoa. He is not one who strikes me as ignorant or simple minded.
Spreading the vaccine message by deleting the word "women"?
I think he's covering his butt wisely at a time of media lynch mobbing
Do you think it's possible that a pregnant trans man would somehow not know unless Bloomfield deleted the word woman , that it was ok to have the vaccine while pregnant?
How is it that "women" can be deleted , with the exception being when transwomen claim to be women.
Gays and lesbians began to prevail when they stopped hiding and came out proud and loud.
At least Scout agrees to have their private life made public; IFL. The less wholesome examples I could mention would not thank me for airing their dirty laundry in this public forum. Let's just say; it is still possible for trans people to be raped (I should know! Though not personally being able to fall pregnant is a small mercy there), and leave it at that.
Still, I do think that the Gender Critical are really sniping at the wrong target here. The imminent drama that is going to erupt over the introduction of Artificial Uterine Technology is going to make this kerfuffle look mild in comparison! "Pregnant People" is nowhere near as dehumanizing as "Biobags" courtesy of A. Flake (there are other people on the Philadephian research team of course, but that name does stick in mind).
Personally, I regard GC as effectively a religion that is put out that others don't obey its commandments. But the world moves on, and the cutting edge of the present day will soon look quaint and antiquated. If any are then alive to see it.
Felix; Scout is NonBinary, so falls into the category of; pregnant persons, used by Bloomfield that began this thread (with Janice up at comment 4.0). That may not be important to you, but it certainly is to them.
What do you mean "is non-binary"? Are you claiming the discovery of a new type of mammal? The fact that she is able to conceive, carry, and birth live young suggests otherwise.
Women giving birth aren't just bodies though, they're also mental/emotional people with needs around culture. In the same way I would expect health services to have culturally appropriate approaches to say Māori, I would expect the same for trans/NB people. The issue is about how this impacts on women as a sex class.
The thing that interests me more is how much of the desire of trans men or NB females to remove women's language is because of gender dysphoria and how much is politics of identity.
It seems like a lot of song and dance to describe a condition that is pretty well universal .I think I must be non binary. I know I'm a woman..because I was born with the biological architecture that enabled me to conceive and bear children .None of it was perfect, to the male eye, small hips, practically non existent breasts, but it all worked brilliantly, milk for Africa.
Genderwise, I don't identify with any of the stereotypes of femaleness, some of them, yes, but I also have what society views as masculine traits.
Who actually conforms entirely with gender stereotypes? I venture none.
Binary sex with very rare exceptions is just a biological fact that keeps the human race reproducing itself
Gender on the other hand is a social construct, a set of societal expectations that has been pretty much dismantled over the generations.I mean really, you can pretty much do whatever the hell you like .I know women builders, electricians, doctors, soldiers, mechanics.I don't own a dress, have only worn them as a theatrical prop at a wedding, can run a chain saw and change a tire.Also love to cook and wear makeup.So I declare myself to be of non binary gender.
In fact I think we'd all be a hell of a lot better off not constructing ever more boxes to stuff ourselves and each other into
Felix; Scout is NonBinary, so falls into the category of; pregnant persons, used by Bloomfield that began this thread (with Janice up at comment 4.0). That may not be important to you, but it certainly is to them.
Likewise, it's important to many women to use language that makes us visible. This is the conflict of rights, and because No Debate was so successful, we're now in an antagonistic stand off instead of working together to negotiate a resolution. Women won't go away on this, and if we win trans people may be harmed in the process or backlash, not because women want that, but because the gender identity activists and neolibs tried to take our rights away and we fought back and society was too stupid to let both groups needs be met.
Births, Deaths, Marriages, Relationships Registration Bill and SOP 59
A quick note to see whether you – and others – are aware that the Governance and Administration Select Committee (GASC) are meeting again today and on Wednesday to hear further oral submissions on the BDMRR Bill and SOP.
The GASC has split into two subcommittees A and B which are meeting simultaneously (10am – 5pm) with both meetings being live streamed liv on the GASC Facebook site– links to these here – https://www.parliament.nz/en/pb/sc/schedule-of-meetings/
I am having a bit of trouble watching to due to my old PC crashing (and my very bad eyesight) but did catch parts of a submission about an hour ago to SubCommittee A (Rachel Boyack, ( Deputy Chair to GASC) , Elizabeth Kerekere and Nicola Grigg by a woman calling for the SC to take more time etc before rushing through the Bill and SOP in view of the possible negative effects re safety of both women and trans people ivis a vis self ID and access to safe places. Will try to determine the speaker etc a she was very articulate in the little I saw.
Thanks to you and others bringing the issue of women safe places and the issues to notice as I fully support your stance on the need to protect women’s rights to safe places while also supporting trans rights to similar safe places – and to much more simple procedures to express their gender id on relevant official documents.
I have been following this quite closely from a point of view of the parliamentary processes etc (as a former public/state servant of many years). Frankly I came away from the Second Reading of the Bill in August feeling like I had stepped Through the Looking Glass into an alternative world where up was down and black was white!
Re the Second Reading speeches, I was appalled by the attitude of certain (not all) Labour MPs (in particular Rachel Boyack) to the concerns of women re safe places and our hard fought for rights to these; whereas the National women MPs (Louise Upston, Barbara Kuriger – and in particular Nicola Grigg) mentioned these and Nicola Grigg (Nats spokesperson on Women) spoke strongly in support.
However, Collins restructuring of her Shadow Cabinet in late August has had considerable effects on Select Committee memberships and in the case of the GASC this has meant the both Upston and Kuriger are no longer on the SC with Kuriger replaced by Ian McKelvie (N) coming in as Chair of the SC, and Rachel Boyack as Deputy Chair.
I have only watched bits of the first hearing of the GASC hearing last week but was appalled at the behaviour of most of the MPs …
Any thoughts of a further post etc on this? Happy to contribute more to/participate in one – and do qualify for a women only one.
Thanks, really appreciate all that. I'm trying to write a post about last week's GAC, it's complex and it's been hard to find information. Your understanding of the process would be invaluable. I wonder if I should put up a women only post in the first instance so we can talk it through. I'm also quite busy in RL at the moment.
There's also been a lot going on on twitter re the Lancet and ACLU removing women's language.
I as incredibly heartened to see FOWL's submission last week, seeing those older 2nd wave feminists stand up and speak so strongly. One post that would be good would be all the GCF submissions outlined in one place (I haven't watched them all yet). I can link to the videos for people to watch (with time stamp). Will see how I go.
I agree that the whole thing is very complex with so many different factors and views etc.
I had to go out yesterday but spent the night watching yesterday’s GAC Subcommittee A submissions and half the Subcommittee B ones – what else is there to do between 2am and 5am? LOL
RE a post, why not leave it until after tomorrow’s GAC hearings as, in reality there is nothing more anyone can do now that submissions are closed etc. [Edit – now see that the two subcommittees are booked for further hearings all day on Friday, 1 Oct as well).
My impressions from what I have watched of yesterday’s hearings is that the submissions cover a surprisingly large range of reasons why a wide range of people think that the Bill and SOP should not go ahead as currently drafted and that the timetable for submissions, hearings etc as been/is far too rushed.
Re subcmtee A, Boyack’s performance as Chair was better than at last week’s GAC but still reflected her bias with her cutting off people who did not support her views, but as the submissions went on, she seemed to begin to realize that the whole thing was not going to be the walkover she and others hoped for …
I want to finish watching Subcmtee B before coming to any full conclusions but my impressions of McKelvie's chairing exceeded my expectations in terms of open-mindedness etc. He pulled up Deborah Russell very sharply at one point but I need to go back and watch it again as I was half asleep by then!
My overall feelings at this stage (based on my experience of appearing before Select Committees and working as a govt departmental adviser to some) is that it was thought by the govtt and GAC that they would just be able to forge ahead with the SOP proposed changes enough to do so and get this off their plate. With over 6600 written submissions received in the very short time available to make submissions -compared to 27 (?) to the original Bill back in 2017 – that alone should have been a big wake- up call to the GAC that it was not going to be that simple. LOL
A lot of people suggested that a gender ID document separate to the birth certificate but which could be presented where needed with the birth certificate which resonates with me personally …
Anyway, just my sleep deprived thoughts at this stage. Re a Post, again I don’t think it is imperative in the next few days and you/me/we could take a little more time to see what happens at the further hearings this week and possibly further on…(Note to self, check schedule for report back dates etc)
I want to go back and look again at the overall written submissions as I did a bit of a random sample last week and was surprised at the number of (form type) submissions from providers of single sex facilities like gyms who submitted questions/views on their position in allowing/disallowing self-ID people to use their facilities … Haven’t seen any oral submissions on this as yet … Were there any in last week’s GAC? Will go back and check this.
Confession time: I used to be ideologically opposed to women only or lefties only posts on the basis that this did not fit with left kaupapa and felt like gated communities with all that those represent… (I have a strong aversion to these!) You have convinced me that there is definitely a place for women only posts in terms of the response to the recent ones – and enough for me to suggest the next post on this subject should be one – but leave that to you, LOL. Not yet convinced about left only posts (but that is a totally different subject which I will leave for now, lol).
On an admin aside, how do I discretely change my email address with TS to another one I have which is more anonymous than my current one?
will reply more fully later, but I've changed your email address. See if that sticks next time you comment. You don't need a real email address, so can keep using that fake one or put in a new one yourself. Your first comment may get held up to be released manually. Unfortunately your historic comments will still have your old email address in the back end.
I can think of a few options. However discretion, and a wish to keep my body in one piece, prevents me calling Dane Coles a prostitute or Ardie Savea a trollop.
They might understand, and accept the terms, but I'm not willing to bet on it.
I think this is where the Breitbart/Peterson/Telegram crew let themselves down. Plucking terms from thin air to try win a point in culture wars of their own making.
Maintenance hole cover seems to be what they've gone for somewhere or other in the USA. Another popular one over there is utility hole cover.
Although I've personally been calling them personhole covers for years, for fun.
I also refer to policepersons.
Having worked for a year in the 70's with one really ardent (strident might be more accurate) feminist who noisily made it her business to try & eradicate the usage of "man" in any word that she could, I gave up arguing & now anywhere I think I can remove "man" from a word & replace it with "person", I do it.
My friends know that's how I roll & often find the new de-sexed word worth a smile.
Except for wopersons. No woman I've ever asked has wanted to be called a woperson. They all prefer "woman".
Felix – yes, I know, & I use them. But they don't get me as many smiles as adding person to the end of "man" ending words.
I always have that strident feminist I worked with in mind when I do call a job something like fireperson.
She got to be so outrageously anti-men, pro-women if you opened a door & held it open so she could go into a room ahead of you, she's stop & loudly announce: Don't tell me you're another of those men who think a woman can't open a door for herself!"
Bloody ridiculous! I opened them for men as well. It's just good manners to be courteous & hold a door open (especially doors with self-closing mechanisms) while letting others precede you into a room.
I never thought about. As far as I know we never had any in Welly at the time – maybe a few bouncers?
She went to London when she left. She’d have encountered a few of them there, & in Singapore & various other countries en route. She’d probably not challenge them tho. She was pretty culturally aware.
Just her social skills that were a bit suspect. I concluded she was a man-hater but subsequently learnt she had happily married a very nice bloke & they had 2 nice kids.
Probably got a bit more life experience overseas, grew up & calmed down. She was otherwise quite a smart cookie.
I have not piled into this debate and don't intend to start now except to say I'm with you Janice.
It is #$$%# (choose your own swear word) nonsense calling a pregnant woman a pregnant person. I suspect Bloomfield was coerced into using the term.
My take is: stop dehumanising people and turning them into nothing objects by refusing to acknowledge the differences between us which is worthy of celebration not eradication.
I recall the 1970s and 80s when it became a social crime to refer to chairwoman and chairman. It had to be chairperson which to my mind amounted to an insult on both your houses.
The NOW has fought for "gender equality" for decades – equal opportunity in public society, but has been unable to make an effective defence of the safety of biological women, because it was not set up to do this.
The transgender use the same arguments they did and thus they have been unable to counter them.
Possibly women need to form an alternative organisation, to continue that fight for equality but also the rights and safety of those born biologically female, including fair competition in physical activity (sport).
I can understand the concern, but I can also recall quite a few couples (and particularly the woman in the couple, announcing a pregnancy with "we are pregnant" – perhaps just naturally inclusive speech acknowledging past contribution to the event, but also perhaps reinforcing the need to encourage support in the future. Language can be a funny thing . . .
My soapbox is that there is too much noise about what gender women who identify as men are when they are pregnant. I do however, agree with the terms pregnant females or pregnant people.
This comes from being a 15 year-old pregnant person back in the day – in no way was I a 'woman' – female definitely, but woman and all the maturity and cultural baggage that entails, no. And there are a fair number of kids who are younger than that who have to deal with pregnancies. Calling all pregnant people 'women' renders these young people invisible.
I'd much rather gender activists put some time into the issues pregnant kids face. The grown-up self-identified can work it out for themselves.
there's how we feel about it personally, and then there's public health messaging.
At 15 years old would you have understood that the term 'pregnant woman' applied to you if someone on the telly had said it was safe for pregnant women to get x treatment?
I believe public health messaging would be improved if pregnant females were referred to pregnant people. I really did not see myself as a woman when I was a pregnant girl (I was just 15, not nearly 16), and I think young people would be more inclined to use ante-natal services and there would be fewer hidden pregnancies, if terminology was more inclusive. Of course there are a wide variety of views even among young teens about how they feel.
Bu as a grown woman I can understand entirely how it feels to have biology denied over and over again by demands for language and space to reflect trans rights at the expense of the needs of biological women. It's just on this issue that I think there is a good reason for changing the terminology. I'd have liked women (including me) to have thought of this a long time ago.
A quick glance at morning papers and I suggest you don't bother, it's a wall to wall whine fest of butt hurt middle class entitlement and boomer reckons.
I breathlessly await our fearlessly identarian print media to run a story about an Otara cleaner in a MIQ facility who lives with seven other people and doesn't know anyone who has ever used MIQ.
The 1980s called and asked for its unconscious racism back.
The inability to confront the race element to class in this country is an outright act of racism itself, something that should be socialism 101 but apparently escapes certain complacent old people around here.
[RL: Take a week off. You are a repeat offender with these racist and ageist tropes. Next ban will be longer.]
Yes, “marxist” is certainly used as a pejorative by some posting and commenting here–“closet marxist” (as used several times this year by Redlogix), “undercover marxist” and other references.
Marxist should be able to be used as a descriptor similar to social democrat or tory.
Marxism isn't a condition, it's a method of analysing socioeconomics, particularly capitalism. That you sling it around as a pejorative further demonstrates your lack of understanding of it.
You have a tendency to run with the hares and hunt with the hounds, Sanc … sometimes you adopt an explicitly anti-Woke persona … but then you also frequently indulge in the crude, low resolution ritualised virtue-signalling closely associated with an Upper-Middle Woke cadrelooking to enhance their in-group prestige & signal elevated social status.
Like some of the more financially privileged, socially-divorced commenters here, you wouldn’t have a fucking clue about what’s happening in lower & mixed income areas … instead you indulge in ludicrously misjudged moral posturing & performative narcissism … masquerading as ‘altruism’ & the possession of unusually refined sensibilities.
Yes, like you my understanding is that all white people are wealthy & morally suspect, all poor people are brown, all brown people are both poor & eternally innocent & virtuous.
Like I say: “crude, low resolution ritualised virtue-signalling” from a cadre of narcissistic & paternalistic middle-class professionals without a fucking clue.
It's just a completely pragmatic numbers game – we cannot give unrestricted right of return to all expats without endangering the people already here. It sucks for the expats who want to get back, but it's the sort of thing that happens in crises – the less bad of two unpleasant options has to be chosen.
I'm a bit surprised at times that some expats don't seem to understand something so obvious. It does sound entitled, but we should hold back on the criticism without first thinking about how we might behave in a similar situation.
All this stuff about "living in fear" and "hermit kingdoms" is just middle class shorthand for "I'm vaccinated, fuck South Auckland I want my overseas holiday."
A quick read through John Key's Herald piece today left me with the overall impression of a very rich privileged man not happy he perhaps has not been able to go to Hawaii or wherever he goes to continue his comfortable lifestyle and meet up with his influential contacts.
The actual day to day reality and logistics of doing what he wants is glossed over.
The staggering thing about Key's piece is it's glib know nothing-learnt nothingness. If it had been printed last April then fair enough, but it is simply a rinse and repeat of every failed right wing COVID strategy of the past 18 months given prominence by dint of his wealth and privilege. It is the winners of the neoliberal consensus clinging to their pre-pandemic ideology where their privilege was assured.
Lets be honest the MIQ system offer cheap shots to a lazy emotional knee jerk MSM – a conveyer belt of the sleek, articulate and entitled global middle class complaining at the unfairness of having to wait in queue like everyone else. The biggest whine about sportspeople getting special treatment from these MIQ complainers is that they feel insulted to be informed they are not the most important people in the world. But here is the rub – if the government did allow these people to buy their way in via a rubbish private MIQ and covid escaped (as it has, easily, from ever other attempt to run MIQ privately), they'd be blamed. If the government allowed private MIQ for the rich the likes of Andrea Vance would segue seamlessly from bitterly complaining she can't go "home" on holiday to shedding bitter crocodile tears on behalf of the poor who can't afford private MIQ.
the pandemic has underlined to harsh nature of our class divide, and the near total dominance in our media the of the middle class neoliberal consensus.
In Guyon Espiner’s RNZ podcast series on claims of PRC interference in politics & academia here, Sir John basically saw no problems. Said he’s on Xi’s Christmas Card list & still gets a card from him every year. 😎
Key is a 'smooth operator' – says and does all the right things to your face, just be aware of the knife he has ready to slip between your ribs if the need arises.
As for his Xmas card list – I think we'd all be quite astonished at who was on it.
Don’t think I am. Or, if I am, they’re not getting delivered.
Wonder if Winston Peters is on it?
And Ardern, & Mahuta?
I imagine most country’s leaders have all the other leaders on the Xmas Card Lists. Even a few Muslim ones. But I imagine Key stays on Xi’s cos’ he don’t make no waves & is probably still putting plenty of business his way, so to speak.
Being an old, white man myself, how is it wrong to mention it in reference to other old, white men? Isn't it like black people using the N word to each other?
After all, it can’t be racist, ageist or sexist, can it?
So when I call someone a 'privileged old white man', the pejorative must be the word 'privileged', because it assumes, to some, that all old white men must be?
Should I apologise to Key for calling him privileged, even though he is?
Old white guy here too Alien, (well 50ish), & hetero! It amazes me how precious & sensitive other white guys are, it's quite embarrassing really. How dare anyone criticize us!
Yes it can when used as a pejorative implying that all people of that particular hue have some intrinsic moral disorder
In this case the particular hue was old white men of privilege (getting to write in the MSM). There's an implication in the phrasing that privilege is the issue here, relative to say brown people who are relegated to facebook. It's a shorthand way of talking about the three axes of class based oppression (socio economic class, sex, and ethinity/race). Pretty standard aspect of left wing politics. I'm curious if you see the issue here the analysis itself, or the way it was phrased in this instance (eg casual social media type reckon thrown out without much analysis).
One it's no longer true that Maori and Pacific voices are relegated to facebook – a quick glance shows they have a substantial media presence, a development we can both celebrate and encourage.
Secondly if the idea of a Treaty partnership is to mean anything, the goal of building the capacity of both partners can be the only legitimate path forward. If we are going to play zero sum game between the ethnicities that comprise modern NZ – we will reap a terrible price. Think Yugoslavia for example.
Thirdly if anyone was to casually – even as a lazy shorthand – denigrate any other skin colour – brown, yellow or black – everyone here would instantly recognise what was happening. The only reason why sneering at white people has been allowed to slide – seems to be the unspoken ideology that Europeans are held to be collectively guilty of all the evils in the world and are thus fair game.
All of this falls out of an intersectionality theory explicitly constructed to ensure older, white males are unconditionally categorised as the 'privileged oppressor class'. The definition of racism is to ascribe moral deficiencies to a class of people based on personal characteristics they have no control over – skin colour, sex, and age being the primary ones.
The implication of privilege is not obvious to everyone.
The "pale stale male" -type rhetoric that ignores the fundamental injustices of class in NZ — housing costs, renters rights, worker exploitation, high cost of living, two tier justice system, etc. — that affect everyone. Although the profile of privilege has a certain look, plenty of white people do not enjoy the ‘bounty’ that neoliberalism has delivered to NZ
Identity issues matter but class solidarity should be first, IMO.
That reference did not appear in The Alien's comment upthread, and instead it came across as careless abuse.
I don’t take it personally, but the trend of people like Ricardo Menendez casually insulting a large segment of NZ society just seems like a political self-own.
Yeah, I'm not sure about what I think about TA's opening comment here. The comparison with N word doesn't really work in this context. Maybe.
Can you please show me examples of RM's words (even as you see them)? I do agree there are issues for working class people, especially men, when they're not factored in to identity politics, and we should be dealing with this better by now in politics generally.
Perhaps RMM was trolling or just ignorant when he said "there sure are a lot of old white men on these walls", then went on to ridicule the oath of allegiance, address Parliament in Spanish, and make a mockery of his portfolio with his "Are you OK Boomer?" comment.
It's useful to note those advantaged by growing wealth derived from, and yet limited taxation, our property market and by open borders reducing working class wages.
And the attempt by some of that demographic to use identity politics to protect themselves from criticism of their privilege – calling it ageist, sexist and racist.
In the pandemic, there have been two phases – the first where this group supported elimination, the second where they support vaccination as a ticket to a return to the pre pandemic order.
In that they see a trade off (complacent in their entitlement of expectation that decades of privilege will make them healthy enough to cope with infection) they are prepared to make for the sake of lifestyle (the same lifestyle that also places long term GW concerns as secondary).
I can recall a time not so very long ago when any call to reduce immigration would be instantly branded racist. Or how appalling Winston Peters was for raising the issue. Now this is all turned on it's head, very confusing.
Besides we aren't talking about 'open border' immigration – it's about the ability of New Zealand citizens to return to the only country they have an unalienable right to live in.
If you want to make an argument to close NZ’s borders indefinitely – which reads as your underlying message – then make the case honestly.
I was not making an argument for closing borders permanently and to say that was is a misrepresentation.
A pandemic is like a war, and no government has international mobility of its citizens as a priority in wartime.
PS It seems to have escaped you, but the government planned an immigration reset prior to the pandemic (and was part of their coalition agreement with NZF in the previous term). And based on Labour principles – a housing crisis and need to improve our wage levels with rising rent cost.
Not a damned problem with the term, no matter who uses it. I could talk about it as a reflection of the disproportionate homogeneity in capitalist and civic power structures, but it would largely fall on deaf ears.
culture wars have finally made it to The Standard; Muttonbird? Where have you been?!
But at least people here do generally have some facts they can link to, if pushed, rather than simply pulling rank opinions from various orifices. I may not always agree with the interpretation, but it's better than claiming ubstantiated revealed wisdom from unquestionable authority.
What was the typo for future reference; Incognito? That was my first thought, but I couldn't see anything obvious, nor was I using a different (nonspam-magnet) email. Probably something like a double space – that is hard to detect by eyeball.
Sorry but not the token, in recent times I have been commenting and I have clearly stated I am trans, and I'm ancient as well so i seem to tick both boxes and according to some on here I also tick the male box as well though I respectfully disagree with them on that one
[Please stick to the pre-approved e-mail address, thanks]
That's nice to read; JP, I am not on the site as much as I once was so must have missed most of your contributions. Good that someone else is here to wave the pastel tricolour flag! It is sometimes a bit of an interesting exercise to put words to ideas that seem so very basic that one does not often articulate them. Also rather wearying at other times.
Being older Takatāpui myself (if not quite over the border to ancient), I do find that the young ones – particularly around universities, where they have ample support networks, do come off as rather brash. It is strange being around trans people who don't expect to be beaten and harrased as a matter of course for being how they are. Also rather inspiring.
It's already got a reputation as a place unsafe for trans people, which was probably the SUFWs plan, which is sad, as there are few safe places for them anyway, a "left" wing blog shouldn't be.
He's an economist, he was prepared to go with another week at Level 4 in Auckland (presumably to reduce risk it would compromise latter moves to opening up).
He saw the Hendry modelling as scaremongering (doubted it as an accurate forecast – confusing the issue because such models are not forecasts, the information is acted on so the threat is avoided), or maybe the public release of it.
As a current insider, he may simply be of the control the narrative school to manage the public.
But then again, the people knowing might scare them from accepting an earlier opening up, so manage the public into getting used to a little spread (de facto end of elimination), then a little more with higher vaccination rates and soon chastity is discarded totally when drunk on the fruit of freedom.
Perhaps don't present to the public THE extreme case "He said the modelling assumes the country would have no restrictions."- So We listen and hear 7,000 deaths p.a. and 100,000 infections. Did any involved; Hendy, PM, Dir of health, advisors not think of how the headline nos. would impact on those watching or reading a report on the 1:00pm briefing, or that no govt. would allow that to happen?IMO this was totally managed. Perhaps those in power thought that such a forecast would create urgency for people to be vaccinated, and did not contemplate what other reactions and to minimise these, especially with the mindset given what we have seen in the world and from our lockdowns ?
In our household we are fortunate to have someone who was required as part of their qualifications to attain l3 statistics and explain in part along with google some understanding to the "Outbreak tracking and projections: Update for data as at 1pm 7th September 2021"
The leading category of death changes with age. Medical conditions were the most common cause of death in children aged younger than 15 years, suicide was the most common category in those aged 15–19 years and injury was the main cause in those aged 20–24 years.
The death spiral starts long before conception and birth and ends with death of individuals whose changes for a fulfilling life were cut short by a multitude of circumstances and missed opportunities. To argue that some of those deaths are caused by single ‘stupid’ personal choices of the young person and/or their parents is completely missing the complexity of this societal problem and frankly is absurd beyond words. Still, this is exactly what many are doing, in their thinking, in their talking, and in their acting. And by “many” I don’t mean Government.
Totally agree – the questions this report raise are important and deserve considerable attention.
I'd suggest that there are two ways to get our response wrong – one is to blame everything on the 'bad choices' of the individual. The other, very common here, is to place all the blame on some ill-defined, non-falsifiable concept of 'systemic racism'.
Both are crude simplifications at best, at worst they prevent real debate on what we might actually do to make a difference. It turns out that helping people is really hard – and yet we persist in pretending simplistic tropes will be of any use.
People and cultures differ from each other in multiple complex dimensions which makes difference in outcomes inevitable. Even just determining what we can and should change is a challenging question.
I was astounded by the crackpot thinking involved in accusing the NZ medical profession of systematic racism.
The media discussion was of course careful to point out about 2.something years of the 7 year expected age disparity seemed to be due to smoking related health outcomes. I will focus on that as the issues with the conception of systematic are similar with the rest, but less obvious. Of note the 7 year headline disparity was not adjusted it was all the apparent failing of health professionals.
Now smoking is known to be an individual choice with negative health outcomes which is more often practiced these days by NZ maori than other ethnicities. So in expecting health outcomes proportional to ethnic background being the definition of no systematic racism, we require actually much better health outcomes in NZ maori population. So much better in fact that the negative health outcomes of smoking are 100% negated (e.g maori have no negative health outcomes due to smoking, while other ethnicities do).
This makes it apparent that the charge of systematic racism is not saying NZ health professionals are practicing racists, its just saying they don't perform medical miracles. This is a fundamentally stupid way to analyse NZs health system of course.
The Taliban have rounded up dozens of Islamic State Khorasan fighters in Jalabad. A spokesman said this is an extension of a security operation currently being conducted in Kabul.
Another sob-story article from National Party embedded journalist, Tracey Watkins.
The narrative is always the same: 'We're not saying MIQ isn't necessary, it just needs to be perfect, now, so I can swan in and out as I please'.
And, 'It's the fault of the majority of mean, xenophobic Kiwis who clearly don't know what's good for them'.
And, 'To speak out is heresy'.
Grow a pair, Tracey. Of course this is as insulting to Kiwis who have worked so hard over the last 18 months to protect the vulnerable as John Keys' PR release across all media today.
Open access notables A survey of interventions to actively conserve the frozen North, van Wijngaarden et al., Climatic Change:The frozen elements of the high North are thawing as the region warms much faster than the global mean. The dangers of sea level rise due to melting glacier ice, increased ...
Bryce Edwards writes – New Zealand’s biggest-ever political donations scandal is finally at an end. But what is the conclusion? No one can really be sure. The Court of Appeal released its judgement on Tuesday about the Serious Fraud Office case against the NZ First Foundation. On ...
In 2015, then-Prime Minister John Key announced plans for a huge ocean sanctuary around the Kermadec Islands, banning fishing and mining from 15% of Aotearoa's EEZ. It was bold, it was ambitious, and it suggested that National might actually care about the environment. Except they fucked it up: Key failed ...
1. Who has just been given the accolade New Zealander of the Year?a. The Kokakob. The Cook Strait Ferryc. Fair God. Dr Jim Salinger 2. Which of these is an affront to decent society?a. Dame Edna Everageb. Mrs Doubtfire c. Dr. Frank-N-Furterd. Brian 3. Who is Penny Simmonds?a. The aspiring actress in Big ...
New Zealand’s biggest-ever political donations scandal is finally at an end. But what is the conclusion? No one can really be sure.The Court of Appeal released its judgement on Tuesday about the Serious Fraud Office case against the NZ First Foundation. On the face of it, the court found ...
Buzz from the Beehive Waves of rain are set to lash much of the North Island during Easter Weekend as a low-pressure system forms east of New Zealand, according to a weather forecast published in the past day or so. Niwa was warning of a “moisture-laden” long weekend, with rain expected ...
Look around us…Nicola Willis’ promises of balancing the books, of cutting spending without reducing services, and of delivering game changing tax cuts are disappearing before her eyes.Everyday we see stories of violent crime ending in horrific injuries, or worse. The cost of living worsens, whereas the PM claimed renters would ...
TL;DR: My top six news of note on the morning of Thursday, March 28 include:The Government will have to borrow between $10 billion to $15 billion more than previously expected in order to make up for a slowing economy and to pay for $14.9 billion of tax cuts, according to ...
This story by Naveena Sadasivam and Kate Yoder was originally published by Grist and is part of Covering Climate Now, a global journalism collaboration strengthening coverage of the climate story. The long-awaited jobs board for the American Climate Corps, promised early in the Biden administration, will open next month, according to details shared exclusively ...
Should landlords be able to deduct the interest on the loans they take out to bankroll their property speculation? The US Senate Budget Committee and Bloomberg News don’t think this is a good idea, for reasons set out below. Regardless, our coalition government has been burning through a ton of ...
Treasury’s first report on the economy since the change of government presents a damning indictment of Labour’s economic management. The problem for National is that it is so damning that logically, coupled with a rapidly slowing economy, Finance Minister Nicola Willis should respond to it by postponing or even cancelling ...
Budget tensions are becoming evident within the Coalition Government. Winston Peters made numerous political points in his speech to the NZF annual conference. But the attack on his own government’s fiscal policies raised issues of substance. ‘Today in the Sunday Star Times, journalist and former advisor to the Labour ...
Buzz from the Beehive The media – sure enough – have been binging on Finance Minister Nicola Willis’ release of the Budget Policy Statement and a statement headed Government announces Budget priorities This assures us – or rather, this parrots the Luxon team mantra – that the Budget “will deliver ...
The Ides of March brought me COVID followed by a bereavement. No wonder they tell you to be careful of them.I’m home now and have resumed the interrupted recuperation. Very much looking forward to getting back to regular things. Meanwhile, some thoughts…OneThis new Prime Minister guy just keeps getting more dire. ...
News that the Chinese ATP 40 cyber-hacking unit penetrated parliamentary internet networks in 2021 has renewed concerns about the PRC’s malign intentions in Aotearoa. But is the hack that significant given the length of time that has passed since its … Continue reading → ...
When Parliament passed the Intelligence and security Act in 2017, they assured us all that it was full of safeguards. Any intrusive surveillance of New Zealanders would be subject to a "triple lock", requiring the approval of the Minister and (supposedly independent) Commissioner of Intelligence Warrants, as well as post-facto ...
Eric Crampton writes – Richard Harman’s Politik newsletter provides a bit of the context that ought to have been showing up in other media reports on potential reductions in public service staffing. Media has been reporting on staffing cuts on the order of about 7%. Is that ...
Mike Grimshaw writes – It’s becoming increasingly apparent that many perceive free speech to have become the preserve of the politically right wing, the religiously conservative, the libertarian fringe, the anti-trans, the anti-Māori and…. well, just fill in with whatever groups or individuals you don’t like and don’t ...
Don Brash writes – As everybody who is not blind and deaf is aware, there is a huge political preoccupation with climate change at the moment, a widespread (though by no means unanimous) belief that global temperatures are rising mainly as a result of the greenhouse gases created ...
TL;DR: My six things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy on Wednesday, March 27 include:Chris Bishop laid out his vision for filling Aotearoa-NZ’s $100 billion infrastructure deficit in a speech yesterday, emphasising user pays and private funding, but failed to say how to achieve bipartisanship on population, public borrowing and ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Former Finance Minister Grant Robertson and former Prime Minister Chris Hipkins have been conveying how unhappy they are with the tax system. Last week in his valedictory speech, Robertson called for the introduction of a wealth or capital gains tax. And this week Hipkins ...
On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
Buzz from the Beehive China has loomed large in Beehive considerations over the past 24 hours, largely because of that country’s mischief-making in the cyber espionage department. Two media statements emerged on that subject hard on the heels of the PM baulking at questions put to him on RNZ’s Morning ...
Chris Trotter writes – WHY IS THE NATIONAL PARTY doing so much for landlords, property developers, trucking, and construction companies, and so little for everybody who isn’t already pretty well-off? It’s as if protecting landlords’ investments and building apartments and roads now constitute the whole of National’s ...
Bryce Edwards writes – When she was campaigning to be Minister of Finance last year, Nicola Willis pledged that she would resign from the job if she failed to deliver tax cuts in her first Budget. Now, it’s that pledge, along with Prime Minister Christopher Luxon’s ...
Robert MacCulloch writes – The Reserve Bank has doubled staff numbers in five years to 510, with personnel costs rising to $80 million in 2023 from $32 million in 2018 – up by a whopping 150%. I guess when you print $50 billion and flood markets with liquidity, ...
The furore. In case you didn’t notice there was a controversy in the weekend involving dolphins in a little town off the South Island. Don’t panic, they haven’t declared independence and resumed whaling, this was simply a sailing event.The problem began when racing was cancelled on the opening day of ...
For 20 years or more, the case for a meaningful capital tax gains has been mulled over and analysed to death, including by the tax working group chaired by Sir Michael Cullen. More than once, the International Monetary Fund has said a CGT would be a good idea for New ...
TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: The Public Health Communications Centre (PHCC) call for urgent preventive action and a risk assessment survey of long covid in this briefing noteLocal scoop: NZ road deaths surpass OECD rates, so why is the govt reversing safety plans? ...
This story was originally published by Grist and is part of Covering Climate Now, a global journalism collaboration strengthening coverage of the climate story. This story is part of a collaboration with Grist and WABE to demystify the Georgia Public Service Commission, the small but powerful state-elected board that makes critical decisions about everything from raising ...
This is a guest post from Robert McLachlan Global warming is accelerating; 2023 was off the charts. We need to stop burning fossil fuels. In New Zealand, transport accounts for half of all fossil fuels burnt. In the Emissions Reduction Plan, transport emissions fall 41% by 2035. As the ...
Labour productivity has been receding rapidly over the past two years, reversing a post-lockdown rise. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: My six things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy as at 6:26am on Tuesday, March 26 include:Workers have been treading water in output per hour worked for 12 years, ...
TL;DR: The key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to April 2 include:Today, Parliament resumes sitting at 2pm for the second week of a two-week session. Officials for SIS and GCSB report their annual reviews in public to the Intelligence and Security Select Committee from 5.10pm.Tomorrow, ...
Faced with a barrage of criticism over the promised tax cuts from usually supportive commentators, Finance Minister Nicola Willis yesterday reaffirmed her intention to include them in this year’s Budget. The Government is up against it over the cuts just about every way it turns. Commentators like Fran O’Sullivan, Matthew ...
Here’s my pick of today’s substack posts as of 6:26pm on Monday, March 25: writes via his substack that Market-rate housing will make your city cheaper writes via his substack about the problems talking to double-cab ute (truck) drivers about their vehicles. today about moments of radicalisation in ...
Buzz from the Beehive Just before Christmas, Finance Minister Nicola Willis delivered something that was pitched as a mini-budget and brayed about the decisive action being taken to repair the Government books and support income tax relief in Budget 2024. In a statement headed Fiscal repair job underway. she introduced ...
My sister Belinda asked Dad yesterday what one word would describe Mum best. He said: vivacious.If you only knew her from the photos on the slideshow we've made for today,you might wonder about that, because the camera tended to lie with Mum.If ever she saw a camera pointed at her, she ...
There are two major public consultations closing in the next week, Auckland Council’s Long Term Plan (LTP), and the draft Government Policy Statement on Land Transport (GPS). Closing dates and times: LTP closes Thursday 28 February, at 11.59pm – a minute to midnight! GPS closes Tuesday 2 April, at 12pm noon – note that’s ...
From Kiwiblog’s David Farrar – Bryce Wilkinson writes: Senior Fellow Bryce Wilkinson’s analysis reveals that since March 2009, New Zealand has spent $158 billion more overseas than it has earned, but its NIIP has only fallen by $32 billion.Statistics New Zealand shows that receipts from overseas reinsurers have ...
Is she hinting that the Coalition Government will have to back down on key promises it made in Opposition? Brian Easton writes – The Minister of Finance, Nicola Willis, is telling an evolving story about her fiscal challenges. In Opposition she was confident that she could ...
Dear Nicola Willis,Right now you’ve probably got lots of competing demands coming at you. Ministers who’ve inherited quite a mess, or so you’ve told us, looking for money in the budget to improve things. I imagine that’s why they came to parliament - to make things better.You’ll have to make ...
The Local Government, Transport and Auckland Minister hasthreatened councils with intervention if they don’t merge water assets to take them off balance sheet, just as the now-repealed Three Waters plan directed. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: My six things of note this morning for Monday, March 25 include:Simeon ...
A listing of 36 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, March 17, 2024 thru Sat, March 23, 2024. Story of the week Thanks to John Mason having the stamina to sit down to watch "Climate - the Movie" ...
This morning the Q&A programme had Simeon Brown on to talk about National’s replacement for Three Waters. In case anyone’s forgotten the three are - drinking water, waste water, and sewerage. It’s quite important not to get them mixed up. In much the same way that you wouldn’t want to ...
Today’s newsletter comes with a mini-podcast conversation between me and my buddy Liv Tennet, talking about her time as a child actor in Lord of the Rings. It’s a conversation with a lot of giggles as she talks about falling off a horse, and becoming a meme. Read ...
The Desmog Climate Disinformation Database documents, "individuals and organisations that have helped to delay and distract the public and our elected leaders from taking needed action to reduce greenhouse gas pollution and fight global warming." It's a who's who of the organised climate change denial movement, in other words. In ...
Bob Edlin writes – A High Court judge has decided miscreants who have mana – or who claim to have mana – should be treated differently from miscreants who have none. It’s a ruling that suggests indigenous law-breakers have a better chance of securing a discharge without conviction ...
Welcome to the first, and possibly last, edition of Brickbats, Bouquets and Bull’s Wool. In which I’ll take a look at the events of the last week or so, and rate them.In such ratings the numbers usually have more to do with the opinions of the reviewer, than the actual ...
Roger Partridge writes – My earlier column this month, New Zealand’s highest court could be facing a turning point, prompted a flood of feedback from business readers and lawyers alike. A common query was what Parliament can do to restrain an overreaching judiciary. This week I discuss two steps Parliament ...
TL;DR: In today’s ‘six-stack’ of substacks at 6.16pm on Friday, March 22: writes about New Zealand's Building Boom—And What the World Must Learn From It over at his substack. challenges the Auckland Council’s use of a 3.8 degrees of warming forecast to oppose a wave-park and data centre project ...
Is she hinting that the Coalition Government will have to back down on key promises it made in Opposition?The Minister of Finance, Nicola Willis, is telling an evolving story about her fiscal challenges. In Opposition she was confident that she could deliver her promised income tax cuts. Appointed minister, she ...
Buzz from the Beehive Ministers of the Crown have drawn attention to one sector of the science sector which is unlikely to be subjected to heavy spending cuts, a state-funded broadcaster which is doing nicely, thank you, and a sporting event that had $5.4 million from the public purse puffed ...
Abbott’s Freestyle Libre sensors allow continuous glucose monitoring (CGM). The sensor is applied to the back of the patient’s arm, with a thin filament under the skin measuring glucose levels constantly. But it costs around $100 per sensor and must be replaced once every 14 days. Photo by BSIP/Universal Images ...
The Inspector General of Intelligence and Security (IGIS) recently released a report in which he exposes the existence of a foreign intelligence partner-controlled technological “capability” inside the headquarters of the GCSB, NZ’s 5 Eyes-affiliated signals intelligence collection and analysis agency. … Continue reading → ...
Peter Dunne writes – Nearly three decades after the introduction of MMP and multiparty governments there should be a greater level of understanding about their finer points than often appears to be the case. The reaction to the despicable outburst from the Deputy Prime Minister at the weekend highlights ...
The sweet kisses from fruit of summerHave slowly been turning dullerYou say, "those times"And "remember the daysWhen we went outside and there still was the shade?"Taking no reason into play…Autumn. Clear, blue days shortening to longer nights, growing colder. Aotearoa.That’s us. The temperature dropping, the looming car crash - so ...
Bryce Edwards writes – “It is often said that behind every great man is a great woman”. This is the pitch by the National Party Botany electorate branch to attend their “Ladies Afternoon Tea with Amanda Luxon”. For $110 including GST, you can turn up on Saturday 20 April ...
David Farrar writes – The Electoral Commission has published the expense returns for political parties for the 2023 election. I’ve put them in a table with how many votes a party got so we can see the spend per vote. National only spent $3.34 for every vote they got, almost ...
Winston Peters’ headline-making actions over the past week may have been a show of political power intended to strengthen his hand in Budget negotiations. It was no accident that his State of the Nation speech was as it was. He made it as New Zealand First Leader, not as Deputy ...
Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The five things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy that we wrote and spoke about via The Kākā and elsewhere for paying subscribers in the last week included:Former Labour Finance Minister Grant Robertson bowed out of politics this week, giving a series of exit ...
Graham Adams writes — If you love the law or sausages, as the saying goes, best not to look too closely at how they are made. And after watching the orgy of self-pity when Newshub’s closure was announced on February 28, television journalism should definitely be added to the list of those ...
Venerable New Zealand political commentator, Chris Trotter (https://bowalleyroad.blogspot.com/), is a sad creature these days. Once one of the most reliable Leftist writers out there – Economic Left at that – Trotter seems to have absorbed the worldview of Auckland culture-war obsessives. It is not for me to categorise what he ...
The cruelty of short-term memory loss is that each time you ask where she is, you get the fresh shock and grief of the news. That was Dad's day yesterday.Comfortingly, it seems to be less so today. Last night he looked crumpled, today he seems more settled. There's a card ...
Photo by Alvan Nee on UnsplashIt’s that new day of the week (Thursday rather than Friday) when and I co-host our ‘hoon’ webinar with paying subscribers to The Kākā for an hour at 5 pm. Jump on this link on YouTube Livestream for our chat about the week’s news ...
Buzz from the Beehive One minister is talking tough while a colleague – whose ministry had acted tough and drawn a barrage of flak – has shown an official softening. Some ministers are doing what Labour was good at, which is distributing public funds to causes regarded as worthy or ...
A ballot for 4 Member's Bills was held today, and the following bills were drawn: Insurance Contracts Bill (Duncan Webb) Income Tax (Clean Transport FBT Exclusion) Amendment Bill (Julie Anne Genter) Crimes (Increased Penalties for Slavery Offences) Amendment Bill (Greg Fleming) Pae Ora (Healthy Futures) ...
One of the strongest narratives about "our" spy agencies is that they are basically institutional traitors, working for foreign powers (or just themselves), without any control or oversight by the elected government. And today, we have yet another report from the Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security which explicitly confirms this. ...
“It is often said that behind every great man is a great woman”. This is the pitch by the National Party Botany electorate branch to attend their “Ladies Afternoon Tea with Amanda Luxon”. For $110 including GST, you can turn up on Saturday 20 April to meet the Prime Minister’s ...
The Coalition Government’s plan to ‘get Auckland moving’ is a cuts cover-up that will ultimately cost Aucklanders more to move around the city, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...
Slashing the Ministry of Pacific Peoples by 40% will have a devastating impact on pacific communities and further highlights how little this government cares about anything other than cutting taxes for the wealthiest few. ...
Labour has proposed an urgent inquiry to investigate the ever-increasing profits of supermarkets, aiming to lower costs for shoppers and food producers alike, says Labour Spokesperson for Commerce and Consumer Affairs Arena Williams and Primary Production Spokesperson Cushla Tangaere-Manuel. ...
With 14% of jobs on the line at the Ministry for Ethnic Communities, the responsible Minister Melissa Lee is failing to stand up for the very communities she’s meant to be representing. ...
COURT OF APPEAL: TRIFECTA OF VICTORY FOR NZ FIRST, TRIFECTA OF FAILURE FOR OPPONENTS For the third time since April 2020, New Zealand First has defeated the Serious Fraud Office and all those complicit in a malicious attack against a political party going about its lawful business in a lawful ...
The Green Party stands with people who live in public housing, people in dire housing need, experts and advocates in demanding better than the Government’s archaic approach to housing those who need our support the most. ...
New Zealand has recently lost the hosting rights of some major international sporting events including the America’s Cup, the Rugby Championship, Netball World Cup, and the Wellington Sevens. We are now at a huge risk of losing SailGP as well. And it won’t stop there. The recent issues with SailGP ...
A Member’s Bill drawn this week would modernise insurance law and make things fairer and more transparent for consumers, Christchurch Central MP Duncan Webb said. ...
The Minister for Disability Issues has confirmed she was aware of funding issues in mid-December and did nothing to stop it. On 14 March, she signed off on changes that were announced and implemented on 18 March without any consultation with disability communities. ...
Green Party MP Julie Anne Genter says her members' bill is an opportunity for the coalition government to plug the gap in electric vehicle incentives. ...
The National Government continues to talk about irresponsible tax cuts that will only drive up inflation, despite the country entering a technical recession. ...
The Minister for Disability Issues must act urgently to reinstate flexibility around the funding for disability support and apologise to disabled carers. ...
This story has been initiated by a leftie shill reporter who proactively sought to call a member of a former band, which disbanded twelve years ago, give their biased appraisal of what was said in my speech, and concocted a ham-fisted attempt at a story that does nothing but show ...
The Government has accepted Labour’s change to the Road User Charge (RUC) discount for hybrid vehicles, meaning there will still be some incentive for people to buy greener vehicles. ...
Many in the mainstream media have taken what was said in New Zealand First’s State of the Nation Speech in Palmerston North on Sunday and deliberately, deceitfully, and ignorantly misrepresented what I said and why I said it. The headlines and commentary on the news stated that I compared ‘co-governance ...
Kicking the most vulnerable people out of state housing and pushing them towards homelessness will result in a proliferation of poverty and trauma across our most vulnerable communities. ...
Te Pāti Māori co-leader and MP for Waiariki, Rawiri Waititi has penned a letter asking MPs to support his members bill to remove GST from all food. The bill is expected to go through its first reading in parliament this Wednesday. “I’m calling on all political parties to support my ...
Good afternoon. Thank you for, in your very busy lives, turning up to this meeting today. On October 14th last year New Zealanders overwhelmingly voted for change. That is exactly what this new government is bringing. New Zealand First campaigned to ‘take back our country’ and stop the disastrous economic ...
This year is about getting real with Kiwis and discussing the tough issues, as the National Government exacerbates inequality and divides New Zealand, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said ...
The Government adding Significant Natural Areas (SNAs) to its already roaring environmental policy bonfire is an assault on the future of wildlife that makes Aotearoa unique. ...
After 12 years of fighting to protect our moana we are finding ourselves back at square one and back at court. Today, the Environmental Protection Agency is sitting in Hawera to reconsider an application from Trans-Tasman Resources to dig up 50 million tonnes of the seabed in South Taranaki. This ...
Minister Shane Jones’ decision to step away from a seabed mining project is evidence of the murky waters surrounding the Government’s fast-track legislation. ...
The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last government in a bid to get greater coherence in the publicservice on Treaty matters. When ministers first considered the need for tighter oversight in 2021, there ...
The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last government in a bid to get greater coherence in the publicservice on Treaty matters. When ministers first considered the need for tighter oversight in 2021, there ...
The Coalition Government’s miscalculation saga continues as it has forgotten an eyewatering $90 million gap in its interest deductibility cost figures, say Labour Finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds and Revenue Spokesperson Deborah Russell. ...
He Pou a Rangi Climate Change Commission has today released advice that says if the Government doesn’t act now New Zealand is at risk of not meeting its climate goals. ...
The Coalition Government has today confirmed it is abandoning first home buyers who are struggling to get ahead, says Labour Finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds. ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed the passing of legislation to move light electric vehicles (EVs) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) into the road user charges system from 1 April. “It was always intended that EVs and PHEVs would be exempt from road user charges until they reached two ...
New Zealand is strengthening its ability to combat illegal fishing outside its domestic waters and beef up regulation for its own commercial fishers in international waters through a Bill which had its first reading in Parliament today. The Fisheries (International Fishing and Other Matters) Amendment Bill 2023 sets out stronger ...
Economists Carl Hansen and Professor Prasanna Gai have been appointed to the Reserve Bank Monetary Policy Committee, Finance Minister Nicola Willis announced today. The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) is the independent decision-making body that sets the Official Cash Rate which determines interest rates. Carl Hansen, the executive director of Capital ...
Apartment owners and buyers will soon have greater protections as further changes to the law on unit titles come into effect, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. “The Unit Titles (Strengthening Body Corporate Governance and Other Matters) Amendment Act had already introduced some changes in December 2022 and May 2023, and ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters will travel to Egypt and Europe from this weekend. “This travel will focus on a range of New Zealand’s traditional diplomatic and security partnerships while enabling broad engagement on the urgent situation in Gaza,” Mr Peters says. Mr Peters will attend the NATO Foreign ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown is encouraging all road users to stay safe, plan their journeys ahead of time, and be patient with other drivers while travelling around this Easter long weekend. “Road safety is a responsibility we all share, and with increased traffic on our roads expected this Easter we ...
About 1.4 million New Zealanders will receive cost of living relief through increased government assistance from April 1 909,000 pensioners get a boost to Superannuation, including 5000 veterans 371,000 working-age beneficiaries will get higher payments 45,000 students will see an increase in their allowance Over a quarter of New Zealanders ...
Ensuring social housing is being provided to those with the greatest needs is front of mind as the Government restarts social housing tenancy reviews, Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka says. “Our relentless focus on building a strong economy is to ensure we can deliver better public services such as social ...
The Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary will not go ahead, with Cabinet deciding to stop work on the proposed reserve and remove the Bill that would have established it from Parliament’s order paper. “The Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary Bill would have created a 620,000 sq km economic no-go zone,” Oceans and Fisheries Minister ...
Dam safety regulations are being amended so that smaller dams won’t be subject to excessive compliance costs, Minister for Building and Construction Chris Penk says. “The coalition Government is focused on reducing costs and removing unnecessary red tape so we can get the economy back on track. “Dam safety regulations ...
The coalition Government is expanding the medium-scale adverse event classification to parts of the North Island as dry weather conditions persist, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced today. “I have made the decision to expand the medium-scale adverse event classification already in place for parts of the South Island to also cover the ...
The passing of legislation giving effect to coalition Government tax commitments has been welcomed by Finance Minister Nicola Willis. “The Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill will help place New Zealand on a more secure economic footing, improve outcomes for New Zealanders, and make our tax system ...
Science, Innovation and Technology Minister Judith Collins and Tertiary Education and Skills Minister Penny Simmonds today announced plans to transform our science and university sectors to boost the economy. Two advisory groups, chaired by Professor Sir Peter Gluckman, will advise the Government on how these sectors can play a greater ...
The Budget will deliver urgently-needed tax relief to hard-working New Zealanders while putting the government’s finances back on a sustainable track, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The Finance Minister made the comments at the release of the Budget Policy Statement setting out the Government’s Budget objectives. “The coalition Government intends ...
The coalition Government will look at options to address a zoning issue that limits how much financial support Queenstown residents can get for accommodation. Cabinet has agreed on a response to the Petitions Committee, which had recommended the geographic information MSD uses to determine how much accommodation supplement can be ...
Cabinet has agreed to a short extension to the final reporting timeframe for the Royal Commission into Abuse in Care from 28 March 2024 to 26 June 2024, Internal Affairs Minister Brooke van Velden says. “The Royal Commission wrote to me on 16 February 2024, requesting that I consider an ...
The coalition Government is delivering an $18 million boost to New Zealanders needing to travel for specialist health treatment, Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says. “These changes are long overdue – the National Travel Assistance (NTA) scheme saw its last increase to mileage and accommodation rates way back in 2009. ...
The Government is recognising the innovative and rising talent in New Zealand’s growing space sector, with the Prime Minister and Space Minister Judith Collins announcing the new Prime Minister’s Prizes for Space today. “New Zealand has a growing reputation as a high-value partner for space missions and research. I am ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has confirmed New Zealand’s concerns about cyber activity have been conveyed directly to the Chinese Government. “The Prime Minister and Minister Collins have expressed concerns today about malicious cyber activity, attributed to groups sponsored by the Chinese Government, targeting democratic institutions in both New ...
Independent Reviewers appointed for School Property Inquiry Education Minister Erica Stanford today announced the appointment of three independent reviewers to lead the Ministerial Inquiry into the Ministry of Education’s School Property Function. The Inquiry will be led by former Minister of Foreign Affairs Murray McCully. “There is a clear need ...
State Highway 1 across the Brynderwyns will be open for Easter weekend, with work currently underway to ensure the resilience of this critical route being paused for Easter Weekend to allow holiday makers to travel north, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Today I visited the Brynderwyn Hills construction site, where ...
Introduction Good morning to you all, and thanks for having me bright and early today. I am absolutely delighted to be the Minister for Infrastructure alongside the Minister of Housing and Resource Management Reform. I know the Prime Minister sees the three roles as closely connected and he wants me ...
New Zealand stands with the United Kingdom in its condemnation of People’s Republic of China (PRC) state-backed malicious cyber activity impacting its Electoral Commission and targeting Members of the UK Parliament. “The use of cyber-enabled espionage operations to interfere with democratic institutions and processes anywhere is unacceptable,” Minister Responsible for ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters and Defence Minister Judith Collins today announced New Zealand will provide logistics support for the upcoming Solomon Islands election. “We’re sending a team of New Zealand Defence Force personnel and two NH90 helicopters to provide logistics support for the election on 17 April, at the request ...
The European Union Free Trade Agreement Legislation Amendment Bill received Royal Assent today, completing the process for New Zealand’s ratification of its free trade agreement with the European Union. “I am pleased to announce that today, in a small ceremony at the Beehive, New Zealand notified the European Union ...
Public consultation on the terms of reference for the Royal Commission into COVID-19 Lessons has concluded, Internal Affairs Minister Hon Brooke van Velden says. “I have been advised that there were over 11,000 submissions made through the Royal Commission’s online consultation portal.” Expanding the scope of the Royal Commission of ...
Hardworking families are set to benefit from a new credit to help them meet their early childcare education (ECE) costs, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. From 1 July, parents and caregivers of young children will be supported to manage the rising cost of living with a partial reimbursement of their ...
A specialised Independent Technical Advisory Group (ITAG) tasked with preparing and publishing independent non-binding advice on the design of a "green" (sustainable finance) taxonomy rulebook is being established, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. “Comprising experts and market participants, the ITAG's primary goal is to deliver comprehensive recommendations to the ...
Defence Minister Judith Collins has thanked the Chief of Army, Major General John Boswell, DSD, for his service as he leaves the Army after 40 years. “I would like to thank Major General Boswell for his contribution to the Army and the wider New Zealand Defence Force, undertaking many different ...
25 March 2024 Minister to meet Australian counterparts and Manufacturing Industry Leaders Small Business, Manufacturing, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly will travel to Australia for a series of bi-lateral meetings and manufacturing visits. During the visit, Minister Bayly will meet with his Australian counterparts, Senator Tim Ayres, Ed ...
Government commits almost $3 million for period products in schools The Coalition Government has committed $2.9 million to ensure intermediate and secondary schools continue providing period products to those who need them, Minister of Education Erica Stanford announced today. “This is an issue of dignity and ensuring young women don’t ...
Good morning, it’s great to be here. First, I would like to acknowledge the New Zealand Institute of Building Surveyors and thank you for the opportunity to be here this morning. I would like to use this opportunity to outline the Government’s ambitious plan and what we hope to ...
Minister for Pacific Peoples Dr Shane Reti has announced the Government’s commitment to the Auckland Secondary Schools Māori and Pacific Islands Cultural Festival, more commonly known as Polyfest. “The Ministry for Pacific Peoples is a longtime supporter of Polyfest and, as it celebrates 49 years in 2024, I’m proud to ...
Before moving onto the substance of today’s address, I want to recognise the very significant and ongoing contribution the Breast Cancer Foundation makes to support the lives of New Zealand women and their families living with breast cancer. I very much enjoy working with you. I also want to recognise ...
New Zealand has notched up a first with the launch of University of Canterbury research to the International Space Station, Science, Innovation and Technology and Space Minister Judith Collins says. The hardware, developed by Dr Sarah Kessans, is designed to operate autonomously in orbit, allowing scientists on Earth to study ...
Introduction Thank you for inviting me to speak with you today and I’m sorry I can’t be there in person. Yesterday I started in Wellington for Breakfast TV, spoke to a property conference in Auckland, and finished the day speaking to local government in Christchurch, so it would have been ...
The Coalition Government is contributing more than $1 million to support the establishment of an emergency multi-agency coordination centre in Northland. Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell announced the contribution today during a visit of the Whangārei site where the facility will be constructed. “Northland has faced a number ...
New Zealanders have enjoyed a broader range of voices telling the story of Aotearoa thanks to the creation of Whakaata Māori 20 years ago, says Māori Development Minister Tama Potaka. The minister spoke at a celebration marking the national indigenous media organisation’s 20th anniversary at their studio in Auckland on ...
Commercial catch limits for some fisheries have been increased following a review showing stocks are healthy and abundant, Ocean and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The changes, along with some other catch limit changes and management settings, begin coming into effect from 1 April 2024. "Regular biannual reviews of fish ...
By Anneke Smith, RNZ News political reporter A petition urging the New Zealand government to provide urgent humanitarian assistance to the Palestinian people has been tabled in the House. More than 200 people gathered on Parliament’s forecourt today and they were met by MPs from Labour, the Greens and Te ...
Pacific Media Watch The Paris-based global media freedom watchdog RSF (Reporters Without Borders) has appealed for information about the “disappearance” of Palestinian journalist Bayan Abusultan. She was reportedly last seen on March 19 among people “sequestered” in this week’s raid and siege of Al Shifa hospital by Israeli troops in ...
EDITORIAL:The Jakarta Post It happens again and again; indigenous Papuans fall victim to Indonesian soldiers. This time, we have photographic evidence for the brutality, with videos on social media showing a Papuan man being tortured by a group of plainclothes men alleged to be the Indonesian Military (TNI) members. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Robyn J. Whitaker, Director of the Wesley Centre for Theology, Ethics, and Public Policy & Associate Professor, New Testament, Pilgrim Theological College, University of Divinity A strange and eclectic range of activities takes place across these few weeks of the year. Some ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Panizza Allmark, Professor Visual & Cultural Studies, Edith Cowan University It’s Easter weekend, which means many of us will be kicking back with the greatest hits on repeat. But whether you’re a boomer, or an ‘80s or ’90s kid, you might be ...
RNZ Pacific Fiji’s Acting Public Prosecutor has filed an appeal against the sentences of former prime minister Voreqe Bainimarama and suspended police chief Sitiveni Qiliho in their corruption case. Bainimarama was granted an absolute discharge for attempting to pervert the course of justice while Qiliho received a conditional discharge with ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Arosha Weerakoon, Senior Lecturer and General Dentist, School of Dentistry, The University of Queensland Casezy idea/Shutterstock How does toothpaste work? What did people use before toothpaste was invented? – Amelia, age 7, Meanjin (Brisbane) Thanks for your ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Brett Hallam, Associate professor, UNSW Sydney IM Imagery/Shutterstock Solar SunShot is well named. The Australian government announced today it would plough A$1 billion into bringing back solar manufacturing to Australia, boosting energy security, swapping coal and gas jobs for those ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Clare Dix, Research Fellow in Nutrition & Dietetics, The University of Queensland Easter is the time for chocolate. The shops are full of fantastically packaged and shiny chocolates in all shapes and sizes, making trips to the supermarket with children more challenging ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Emma Felton, Adjunct Senior Researcher, University of South Australia Even in a stubborn cost-of-living crisis, it seems there’s one luxury most Australians won’t sacrifice – their daily cup of coffee. Coffee sales have largely remained stable, even as financial pressures have ...
Mining company Trans-Tasman Resources has unexpectedly withdrawn its application for a consent to suck the valuable metals vanadium and titanium from the Taranaki seafloor, as it apparently wagers on the Government’s new fast-track process. It had spent two-and-a-half days putting its case to the Environmental Protection Agency’s decision-making committee, at ...
Contrary to the Associate Minister of Education’s claims, analysis of Healthy School Lunches Programme - Ka Ora, Ka Ako assessments has revealed it provides excellent value for the taxpayer dollar, as a groundswell of public opposition to Government ...
Greenpeace says wannabe Taranaki seabed miner Trans-Tasman Resources is likely banking on Christopher Luxon’s fast-track process to side-step proper scrutiny of its Taranaki seabed mining proposal by bailing out of the Environmental Protection Agency hearing ...
Kiwis Against Seabed mining today slammed Australian owned would-be seabed miner Trans Tasman Resources (TTR) for abandoning its application to the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) to mine the seabed of the South Taranaki Bight. The company ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Katie Attwell, Associate Professor, School of Social Sciences, The University of Western Australia Ground Picture/Shutterstock Months after COVID vaccines were introduced in 2021, governments and private organisations mandated them for various groups. Health and aged care workers were among the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrew Dzurak, Scientia Professor Andrew Dzurak, CEO and Founder of Diraq, UNSW Sydney Diraq For decades, the pursuit of quantum computing has struggled with the need for extremely low temperatures, mere fractions of a degree above absolute zero (0 Kelvin or ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne A national Essential poll, conducted March 20–24 from a sample of 1,150, gave the Coalition a 50–44 lead including undecided, a reversal ...
The Taxpayers’ Union has today made a formal request under the Regulations of the People’s Republic of China on Open Government Information () for information held about how New Zealand Members of Parliament are spending taxpayer ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Robert Nelson, Honorary Principal Fellow, The University of Melbourne A Byzantine depiction of the Eucharist in Saint Sophia Cathedral, Kyiv.Jacek555/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA A nasty quarrel arose in the 11th century over what kind of bread should be used in holy ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Patrick Hesp, Professor, Flinders University Patrick Hesp In some parts of Australia, coastal dunes are retreating from the ocean at an alarming rate, as waves carve up the beach and wind blows the sand inland. But coastal communities are largely ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Luke Heemsbergen, Senior Lecturer, Digital, Political, Media, Deakin University With an impressive 60% of the US smartphone market, Apple is undeniably big, but not a clear monopoly. Yet, years of innovation by Apple have effectively given the company its own exclusive ...
Whether you’re facing layoffs or are just an emotional junior staffer, it’s always a good idea to scout out a good crying place before you need it. It’s an incredibly hard time for Wellington. Across the city, thousands of public servants are hearing tough news about redundancies and layoffs. Government ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By James Miller-Jones, Professor, Curtin University Nuclear explosions on a neutron star feed its jets. Danielle Futselaar and Nathalie Degenaar, Anton Pannekoek Institute, University of Amsterdam, CC BY-SA How fast can a neutron star drive powerful jets into space? The answer, it ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Daryl Adair, Associate Professor of Sport Management, University of Technology Sydney Earlier this week, independent MP Andrew Wilkie accused the AFL of conducting “off the books” illicit drug testing to identify players using substances of abuse, then inappropriately withdrawing them from matches ...
The Government’s announcement that it will scrap plans for a vast marine sanctuary around the Kermadec Islands is ‘shameful’ and will make it impossible for Aotearoa New Zealand to meet its international commitments, says the World Wide Fund for Nature ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Quiggin, Professor, School of Economics, The University of Queensland Shutterstock The federal government has bowed to pressure from the car industry, announcing it will relax proposed emissions rules for utes and vans and delay enforcement of the new standards ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Suzanne Rutland, Professor Emerita, University of Sydney In his latest book, Jewish Life in Medieval Spain, Jonathan Ray focuses on the tumult of the 14th century in Spain – a time of the plague, civil strife and war between the two largest ...
While creating a slate of world-class shows, Whakaata Māori also developed a generation of world-class creatives. Television is an odd word. It mixes the Ancient Greek and Latin languages, and its most literal meaning is “far-off sight”. In the contemporary and living language of te reo Māori, “whakaata” as a ...
Yesterday the UN Security Council passed a resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire in Israel’s war on Gaza. This significant step and the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Gaza prompted an urgent debate in the New Zealand Parliament. Leader ...
The Government’s decision to reduce access to continuous glucose monitors (CGM) not only threatens the lives of children with type 1 diabetes and increases the potential for ‘Dead in Bed’ syndrome, but also threatens the health of their parents an ...
Apples are available year-round, but the wide variety on offer involves intensive scientific research – and large-scale commercialisation. What’s beautiful, red, sweet and crunchy? Tony Martin’s favourite kind of apple: Sassy. The CEO of apple and pear breeding organisation Prevar, Martin’s fondness for Sassy represents professional success as well as ...
Family violence specialist service Shine is calling on employers to stop asking for proof of domestic violence in order for employees to access domestic violence leave. The call comes five years after the introduction of the Domestic Violence ...
The Deputy Chairperson of the Finance and Expenditure Committee is calling for public submissions on the Budget Policy Statement 2024. The Budget Policy Statement 2024 (BPS) sets out the Government's priorities for the 2024 Budget. It explains the approach ...
Brutal government spending cuts that will see the size of the Ministry for Pacific Peoples slashed by 40% will hit Pasifika communities hard, the PSA says. The Ministry has told staff that it is seeking voluntary redundancies, and to redeploy and reassign ...
I live with five people I mostly love, but our different ideas about generosity are starting to really irk me.Want Hera’s help? Email your problem to helpme@thespinoff.co.nzDear Hera,This is a bit of a random one but here goes. I’m 22 and work an OK job (OK meaning I get paid ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Maria Nicholas, Senior Lecturer in Language and Literacy Education, Deakin University Earlier this month, the New South Wales government announced it would roll out programs for gifted students in every public school in the state. This comes amid concerns gifted school ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Christopher Rudge, Law lecturer, University of Sydney Massachusetts General Hospital In a world first, we heard last week that US surgeons had transplanted a kidney from a gene-edited pig into a living human. News reports said the procedure was a ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By David Tombs, Howard Paterson Chair of Theology and Public Issues, University of Otago The 5th-century Maskell panel showing Jesus in a loincloth.British Museum, CC BY-NC-SA When Jesus is shown on the cross, he is almost always depicted wearing a loincloth around ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Panizza Allmark, Professor Visual & Cultural Studies, Edith Cowan University Shutterstock When you think about a red object, you might picture a red carpet, or the massive ruby in the Queen’s crown. Indeed, Western monarchies and marketing from brands such ...
COMMENTARY:Jewish Voice for Peace The UN Security Council passed a resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire in Gaza on Monday — and for the first time since the beginning of the Israeli military’s genocide of Palestinians, the United States abstained rather than vetoing it. Security Council resolutions are legally binding, ...
Asia Pacific Report A New Zealand investigative journalist and author says the US spy system hosted by the Government Communications Security Bureau (GCSB) appears to be a controversial intelligence system used in global capture-kill operations. Writing a commentary for RNZ News today, Nicky Hager, author of Secret Power, a 1996 ...
While Nicola Willis wouldn’t give any details on its size, she said a package of tax cuts is definitely still coming in this year’s budget, writes Catherine McGregor in this excerpt from The Bulletin, The Spinoff’s morning news round-up. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here. ...
The Taxpayers’ Union is welcoming the investigation into the Department of Internal Affairs after it was revealed that the Department’s Chief Executive personally reached out to expedite a DJs passport application. Taxpayers’ Union Campaigns ...
Finance minister Nicola Willis delivers her first budget statement, and unwittingly helps Joel MacManus save his relationship. Nicola Willis strode into the Beehive Theatrette. Around me, on the green foldout seats, were the country’s top business and political journalists. They were all here to see her announce the Budget Policy ...
Twenty years ago today, Māori Television launched after much controversy. Jamie Tahana looks back on its survival and impact across two decades. Chad Chambers stepped onto the stage, the brim of his cap casting a shadow across his face. His smile beamed as bright as his white freezing works gumboots, ...
On a Thursday in February, at Wellington’s Conservation House, the Conservation Authority, a statutory body advising the eponymous department and minister, Tama Potaka, opened its 195th meeting. Under consideration that afternoon was an agenda item written by Tim Bamford, chief advisor in the Department of Conservation’s biodiversity, heritage and visitors ...
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A lengthy response to the recently released draft Government policy statement on transport will soon be delivered from Auckland Council to Minister of Transport Simeon Brown. A submission raising concerns about funding distribution and the plan’s treatment of Auckland passed through the council’s transport committee on Wednesday, despite some councillors ...
The unidentified foreign intelligence operation discussed in a scathing report by New Zealand’s Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security (IGIS) last week appears to be a controversial United States intelligence system. The IGIS report said the Government Communications Security Bureau (GCSB) decision to host a foreign system from 2012-2020 was “improper” ...
Tauranga, Rotorua, Wellsford, Onehunga, Westhaven marina – Gavin Strawhan walks the meanish streets of New Zealand in his entertaining debut novel The Call, almost sure to roar into the number 1 position on the Nielsen bestseller chart, its front cover bearing a rave from somebody: “A really good and genuinely ...
As a young gymnast, Aimee Didierjean was always conscious of making sure her underwear wasn’t showing on the competition floor. A peek of a bra strap, or briefs if a leotard rode up, would cost a gymnast points in her routines. “When I was growing and going through puberty, it ...
Jubi/West Papua Daily Repeated cases of Indonesian military (TNI) soldiers torturing civilians in Papua have been evident, as seen in the viral video depicting the torture of civilians in the Puncak Regency allegedly done by soldiers of Raider 300/Brajawijaya Infantry Battalion. There is a pressing need for stringent law enforcement ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra In 2023, Anthony Albanese was shooting for the moon, his eyes on the Voice referendum. On one view, he looked like the idealist reflecting his left-wing roots. In 2024, we’re seeing a pragmatic, determined, ...
The House - The principle that all MPs are honourable and that they should be taken at their word has been tested multiple times this week in Parliament. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Helen Dickinson, Professor, Public Service Research, UNSW Sydney Drazen Zigic/Shutterstock Since the review of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) released its recommendations in December, there has been a series of Town Hall events to discuss them around the country ...
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“The Taliban hanged a dead body from a crane in the main square of Herat city in western Afghanistan, a witness said Saturday (local time), in a gruesome display that signalled a return to some of the Taliban’s methods of the past.
Wazir Ahmad Seddiqi, who runs a pharmacy on the side of the square, told The Associated Press that four bodies were brought to the main square and three bodies were moved to other parts of the city for public display.
Seddiqi said the Taliban announced in the square that the four were caught taking part in a kidnapping and were killed by police.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/world/asia/300416050/taliban-hang-dead-body-in-afghan-citys-main-square
Ziaulhaq Jalali, a Taliban appointed district police chief in Herat, said later that Taliban members rescued a father and son who had been abducted by four kidnappers after an exchange of gunfire. He said a Taliban fighter and a civilian were wounded by the kidnappers but “the four (kidnappers) were killed in crossfire”.”
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I’ve read that such kidnappings for ransom were a common problem under the former Ashraf Ghani regime. There have also been several reports that some Afghans, while still watching & waiting with some trepidation to firm up their views on Taliban rule, nonetheless approve of their use of harsh penalties to reduce what had become previous rampant crime levels.
The lower the standard of living, the less tolerance for crime – no life sentences in the wild west. Something for government to think about as neoliberal policies push more and more of us out of the comfort zone.
TALIBAN: STRICT PUNISHMENTS & EXECUTIONS TO RETURN
https://www.stuff.co.nz/world/asia/300414740/taliban-official-strict-punishment-and-executions-will-return
"One of the founders of the Taliban and the chief enforcer of its harsh interpretation of Islamic law when they last ruled Afghanistan said the hard-line movement will once again carry out executions and amputations of hands, though perhaps not in public.
In an interview with The Associated Press, Mullah Nooruddin Turabi dismissed outrage over the Taliban’s executions in the past, which sometimes took place in front of crowds at a stadium, and he warned the world against interfering with Afghanistan’s new rulers.
“Everyone criticised us for the punishments in the stadium, but we have never said anything about their laws and their punishments,” Turabi told The Associated Press, speaking in Kabul. “No-one will tell us what our laws should be. We will follow Islam and we will make our laws on the Quran.
…
Cutting off of hands is very necessary for security,” he said, saying it had a deterrent effect. He said the Cabinet was studying whether to do punishments in public and will “develop a policy”. In recent days in Kabul, Taliban fighters have revived a punishment they commonly used in the past – public shaming of men accused of small-time theft.
…
He said now the Taliban would allow television, mobile phones, photos and video “because this is the necessity of the people, and we are serious about it”. He suggested that the Taliban saw the media as a way to spread their message. “Now we know instead of reaching just hundreds, we can reach millions,” he said. He added that if punishments are made public, then people may be allowed to video or take photos to spread the deterrent effect.
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Even as Kabul residents express fear over their new Taliban rulers, some acknowledge grudgingly that the capital has already become safer in just the past month. Before the Taliban takeover, bands of thieves roamed the streets, and relentless crime had driven most people off the streets after dark."
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The worry is that they will also introduce harsh penalties against women for breaches of their strict morality precepts, dress codes & going out unescorted by a male family member.
In the past that sometimes also included forcing women to marry their rapists, I believe.
That's pretty much on the cards unfortunately.
The US never did the maths on not going full Marshall plan with its occupations – the powers that be didn't want the effect that would have on the US labour market – and did have after WW2.
So they did corrupt occupations instead of rebuilt societies – it doesn't end nicely.
Warren Zevon – Veracruz – YouTube
"Let Zapata take the rest" is the only exit strategy from that.
Stuff's Sharon Murdoch on Afghans trying to get here, today
Dunno why my iPad2 can't get "URL.jpg" images to actually display in Comments here. Trying from my PC:
https://i.imgflip.com/5o91bd.jpg
This article is a summary on why US citizens particularly white people die faster than those in Europe, and many die from unequality-related illness, diseases of despair like alcohol drug addiction and suicide, exceptionally poor education impacts on life outcomes, and more.
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2021/sep/19/americas-mortality-gap-should-sound-a-blaring-alarm-across-the-atlantic
It's the first study that has helped me understand the sustained popularity of Donald Trump and the central southern states.
Cheekybird feeling chatty
https://vimeo.com/video/308114579
I've got a bit of a thing for birds. Some breeds are incredibly smart, especially when it comes to identifying sources of food.
Once they identify someone like me, who'll feed them, they come every day. And then the whole whanau will turn up in another day or two.
They're all individuals. You can soon recognise some. Even among sparrows. Their feather patterns all differ in some small way. Some birds are very bold & take risks; others aren't, and won't. You can see them trying to work out whether or not they dare get as close as Cheekybird here.
Yes – animals keep us grounded if you watch closely.
We feed a disabled magpie and his squeeze[s]. We think he was hit by a car and it's left him with what looks like a painful hobble and his upper mandibile broken at the nostril and pointing skyward at about 40°. He was on his last legs when he turned up four years ago, young, damn near staved to death and unable to forage with his jiggered beak, so it was touch and go for a bit.
He comes when he's called and prospered on a diet of dog roll, fat, meat trimmings, and the wit to hang out at our place during the local golf course culls.
Good on ya, joe. 👍🏼
Sounds like youre my kind of people. 🐧
Drat! 😠 Here’s the missing apostrophe: ‘
I thoroughly enjoy your animal videos Gezza (3). Keep 'em coming please. Animals are a shining light in a threarening world.
Thank you very much, mary. ❤️ I will post more.
They have been bringing a great deal of joy & interest to my life ever since I discovered that my stream is an entire, natural ecosystem, full of entrancing creatures, in the middle of a city suburb.
They all enrich my life immensely & I have now learned so much about all of the animal & aquatic life in & around this awa iti. It's nice to hear that someone here is also enjoying these little video vignettes.
The other day I heard Dr Bloomfield say that pregnant 'people' should get vaccinated. For Christs sake he is a doctor, does he know of any other people besides women who get pregnant? I am fed up with the erasure of women just to protect the feelings of men who think they feel like women. Woman isn't a feeling it is a fact, I don't feel like a woman I am a woman.
While I am on my soapbox I wonder how the MPs who are promoting the self selection of sex bill will explain to their daughters and granddaughters why they pushed for this bill that made their daughters and granddaughters compete with men and boys in sports and allow men and boys into their changing rooms and toilets. What is behind this attitude? There are far more important things to fix besides pandering to trans groups. I have decided that if I am still alive in 2023 I will vote Te Parti Maori as I will never be able to vote Labour or Green again, and of course the right is out of the question.
Sorry for the rant, I had a bad night.
Good rant. It is ok to rant – when the ranty bits are peeled away what is left is often a very decent point. As yours.
Calling them pregnant 'people' really is a torch-light on an anomalous absurdity in the history of time.
Call yourself a woman, be a woman, express yourself as that to the heavens. And call out those who refuse to acknowledge who you are – like Bloomfield in that example.
Women are amazing. Raise the flags I say.
I often like the French way, and their saying right here is awesom imo … "vive la difference!"
It may be a bit more complicated. From http://www.healthline.com/health/pregnancy/transgender-pregnancy-moving-past-misconceptions
(Trystan Reese transitioned in his early 20s and the endocrinologist managing his testosterone therapy informed him that he would become in fertile and never be able to carry a child — that the testosterone would render his uterus “uninhabitable.”
In his 30s, Reese carried and birthed a healthy baby in 2017.
“I am not a fluke,” Reese wrote for Family Equality, an organization dedicated to LGBTQ+ families. “Hundreds and maybe thousands of transgender men all over the world have successfully given birth or otherwise contributed their eggs to a pregnancy.”)
I am not going to argue the rights or wrongs of all this again, Janice, but Dr Bloomfield using inclusive language in no way diminishes who or what YOU are. Celebrate YOUR beautiful womanhood. I'm sorry if you had a bad night, I hope whatever caused it eases for you through the day.
Transmen are men in a medically fabricated way .Biologically they remain women, as the pregnancy testifies to.
You can of course change the definitions in a legalistic way, but the continued existence of the human race is still dependent on sexual reproduction , ova from women's ovaries and sperm from men's testicles.Whether or not men and women choose or are able to express this fact, we are all born of a biological woman .
I may be a minority in the current social climate but hey , minority rights are upheld in our society aren't they?
Me too Janice
I strongly identify with the description woman inextricably entwined with breasts womb, vagina etc.Not that my genitalia dictate my destiny , but they’re such a part of my experience as a woman ,I am distressed at their linguistic neutering
I’ve been a Labour then Green voter for as long as I”ve been able to vote.I can’t vote for either of them ,at present or anyone else for that matter .Thinking of putting my money and energy into grass roots activism instead.Traditional politics is geared to incremental change and short electoral cycles at a stage when we don’t have much time left.
I've just spent an hour listening to Helen Joyce speaking to this.
Although as a man this issue has only impacted me abstractly I can feel your distress and dismay at watching this post-modernist thought virus infect and dismantle every category on which our world is constructed.
It's an intellectual bio-weapon targeted at western civilisation.
.
Queer Theory dogmatists … one of the most prominent in this Country being a former author at The Standard. These people are inherently autocratic.
good link
thanks for that
On listening to Helen I'm struck by how much of this was pre-figured by the Jungian ideas of anima and animus. Just a thought.
I've always had the sense that we can draw on the animus or anima when needed
I too have voted green or labour since I've been able francesca, but they both deserve severe punishment at the next election for pushing this bullshit. And I wouldn't be surprised or disappointed if there is enough of a backlash, especially but not exclusively from women, to spell the death of the green party in its present form.
I know more than one person who do not identify as cis women who have been pregnant; Janice. Scout is the much more wholesome example – and with political ambitions, is more willing to share their story in public ("Pepi" is a bit bigger now, but seems to be thriving).
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.nowtolove.co.nz/amp/parenting/pregnancy-birth/kiwi-trans-parent-scout-barbour-evans-giving-birth-41213
Perhaps Bloomfield is more concerned about spreading the vaccination message to as wide an audience as possible? Rather than enforcing colonial gender essentialism in Aotearoa. He is not one who strikes me as ignorant or simple minded.
Spreading the vaccine message by deleting the word "women"?
I think he's covering his butt wisely at a time of media lynch mobbing
Do you think it's possible that a pregnant trans man would somehow not know unless Bloomfield deleted the word woman , that it was ok to have the vaccine while pregnant?
How is it that "women" can be deleted , with the exception being when transwomen claim to be women.
Gays and lesbians began to prevail when they stopped hiding and came out proud and loud.
It's the language now being widely used in the medical profession.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/lifestyle/lancet-accused-of-sexism-after-calling-women-bodies-with-vaginas/LVKGWR73TN4AZSCAFSSSILQPRE/
One wonders if new editions of Gray’s Anatomy will be adapted accordingly.
and will the dictionary be banned?
Not new editions, so how long before citing old editions becomes sanctioned ….
I agree FN, & really, thanks.
At least Scout agrees to have their private life made public; IFL. The less wholesome examples I could mention would not thank me for airing their dirty laundry in this public forum. Let's just say; it is still possible for trans people to be raped (I should know! Though not personally being able to fall pregnant is a small mercy there), and leave it at that.
Still, I do think that the Gender Critical are really sniping at the wrong target here. The imminent drama that is going to erupt over the introduction of Artificial Uterine Technology is going to make this kerfuffle look mild in comparison! "Pregnant People" is nowhere near as dehumanizing as "Biobags" courtesy of A. Flake (there are other people on the Philadephian research team of course, but that name does stick in mind).
Personally, I regard GC as effectively a religion that is put out that others don't obey its commandments. But the world moves on, and the cutting edge of the present day will soon look quaint and antiquated. If any are then alive to see it.
Forget now, why do you think it is noteworthy that a woman became pregnant and gave birth to a baby?
Felix; Scout is NonBinary, so falls into the category of; pregnant persons, used by Bloomfield that began this thread (with Janice up at comment 4.0). That may not be important to you, but it certainly is to them.
What do you mean "is non-binary"? Are you claiming the discovery of a new type of mammal? The fact that she is able to conceive, carry, and birth live young suggests otherwise.
it's a term of self-identification of gender identity (not sex).
Then it has zero bearing on her pregnancy, hence my initial question.
Women giving birth aren't just bodies though, they're also mental/emotional people with needs around culture. In the same way I would expect health services to have culturally appropriate approaches to say Māori, I would expect the same for trans/NB people. The issue is about how this impacts on women as a sex class.
The thing that interests me more is how much of the desire of trans men or NB females to remove women's language is because of gender dysphoria and how much is politics of identity.
I would never say someone is JUST a body, but to describe someone as neither male nor female is to say that we are not bodies at all.
Which is especially preposterous in the context of pregnancy. Is there anything MORE binary on earth than mammalian sexual reproduction?
It seems like a lot of song and dance to describe a condition that is pretty well universal .I think I must be non binary. I know I'm a woman..because I was born with the biological architecture that enabled me to conceive and bear children .None of it was perfect, to the male eye, small hips, practically non existent breasts, but it all worked brilliantly, milk for Africa.
Genderwise, I don't identify with any of the stereotypes of femaleness, some of them, yes, but I also have what society views as masculine traits.
Who actually conforms entirely with gender stereotypes? I venture none.
Binary sex with very rare exceptions is just a biological fact that keeps the human race reproducing itself
Gender on the other hand is a social construct, a set of societal expectations that has been pretty much dismantled over the generations.I mean really, you can pretty much do whatever the hell you like .I know women builders, electricians, doctors, soldiers, mechanics.I don't own a dress, have only worn them as a theatrical prop at a wedding, can run a chain saw and change a tire.Also love to cook and wear makeup.So I declare myself to be of non binary gender.
In fact I think we'd all be a hell of a lot better off not constructing ever more boxes to stuff ourselves and each other into
Likewise, it's important to many women to use language that makes us visible. This is the conflict of rights, and because No Debate was so successful, we're now in an antagonistic stand off instead of working together to negotiate a resolution. Women won't go away on this, and if we win trans people may be harmed in the process or backlash, not because women want that, but because the gender identity activists and neolibs tried to take our rights away and we fought back and society was too stupid to let both groups needs be met.
weka
Births, Deaths, Marriages, Relationships Registration Bill and SOP 59
A quick note to see whether you – and others – are aware that the Governance and Administration Select Committee (GASC) are meeting again today and on Wednesday to hear further oral submissions on the BDMRR Bill and SOP.
The GASC has split into two subcommittees A and B which are meeting simultaneously (10am – 5pm) with both meetings being live streamed liv on the GASC Facebook site– links to these here – https://www.parliament.nz/en/pb/sc/schedule-of-meetings/
I am having a bit of trouble watching to due to my old PC crashing (and my very bad eyesight) but did catch parts of a submission about an hour ago to SubCommittee A (Rachel Boyack, ( Deputy Chair to GASC) , Elizabeth Kerekere and Nicola Grigg by a woman calling for the SC to take more time etc before rushing through the Bill and SOP in view of the possible negative effects re safety of both women and trans people ivis a vis self ID and access to safe places. Will try to determine the speaker etc a she was very articulate in the little I saw.
Thanks to you and others bringing the issue of women safe places and the issues to notice as I fully support your stance on the need to protect women’s rights to safe places while also supporting trans rights to similar safe places – and to much more simple procedures to express their gender id on relevant official documents.
I have been following this quite closely from a point of view of the parliamentary processes etc (as a former public/state servant of many years). Frankly I came away from the Second Reading of the Bill in August feeling like I had stepped Through the Looking Glass into an alternative world where up was down and black was white!
Re the Second Reading speeches, I was appalled by the attitude of certain (not all) Labour MPs (in particular Rachel Boyack) to the concerns of women re safe places and our hard fought for rights to these; whereas the National women MPs (Louise Upston, Barbara Kuriger – and in particular Nicola Grigg) mentioned these and Nicola Grigg (Nats spokesperson on Women) spoke strongly in support.
However, Collins restructuring of her Shadow Cabinet in late August has had considerable effects on Select Committee memberships and in the case of the GASC this has meant the both Upston and Kuriger are no longer on the SC with Kuriger replaced by Ian McKelvie (N) coming in as Chair of the SC, and Rachel Boyack as Deputy Chair.
I have only watched bits of the first hearing of the GASC hearing last week but was appalled at the behaviour of most of the MPs …
Any thoughts of a further post etc on this? Happy to contribute more to/participate in one – and do qualify for a women only one.
Thanks, really appreciate all that. I'm trying to write a post about last week's GAC, it's complex and it's been hard to find information. Your understanding of the process would be invaluable. I wonder if I should put up a women only post in the first instance so we can talk it through. I'm also quite busy in RL at the moment.
There's also been a lot going on on twitter re the Lancet and ACLU removing women's language.
I as incredibly heartened to see FOWL's submission last week, seeing those older 2nd wave feminists stand up and speak so strongly. One post that would be good would be all the GCF submissions outlined in one place (I haven't watched them all yet). I can link to the videos for people to watch (with time stamp). Will see how I go.
and yes, I've been shocked and seriously unimpressed with some of the GAC members.
I agree that the whole thing is very complex with so many different factors and views etc.
I had to go out yesterday but spent the night watching yesterday’s GAC Subcommittee A submissions and half the Subcommittee B ones – what else is there to do between 2am and 5am? LOL
RE a post, why not leave it until after tomorrow’s GAC hearings as, in reality there is nothing more anyone can do now that submissions are closed etc. [Edit – now see that the two subcommittees are booked for further hearings all day on Friday, 1 Oct as well).
My impressions from what I have watched of yesterday’s hearings is that the submissions cover a surprisingly large range of reasons why a wide range of people think that the Bill and SOP should not go ahead as currently drafted and that the timetable for submissions, hearings etc as been/is far too rushed.
Re subcmtee A, Boyack’s performance as Chair was better than at last week’s GAC but still reflected her bias with her cutting off people who did not support her views, but as the submissions went on, she seemed to begin to realize that the whole thing was not going to be the walkover she and others hoped for …
I want to finish watching Subcmtee B before coming to any full conclusions but my impressions of McKelvie's chairing exceeded my expectations in terms of open-mindedness etc. He pulled up Deborah Russell very sharply at one point but I need to go back and watch it again as I was half asleep by then!
My overall feelings at this stage (based on my experience of appearing before Select Committees and working as a govt departmental adviser to some) is that it was thought by the govtt and GAC that they would just be able to forge ahead with the SOP proposed changes enough to do so and get this off their plate. With over 6600 written submissions received in the very short time available to make submissions -compared to 27 (?) to the original Bill back in 2017 – that alone should have been a big wake- up call to the GAC that it was not going to be that simple. LOL
A lot of people suggested that a gender ID document separate to the birth certificate but which could be presented where needed with the birth certificate which resonates with me personally …
Anyway, just my sleep deprived thoughts at this stage. Re a Post, again I don’t think it is imperative in the next few days and you/me/we could take a little more time to see what happens at the further hearings this week and possibly further on…(Note to self, check schedule for report back dates etc)
I want to go back and look again at the overall written submissions as I did a bit of a random sample last week and was surprised at the number of (form type) submissions from providers of single sex facilities like gyms who submitted questions/views on their position in allowing/disallowing self-ID people to use their facilities … Haven’t seen any oral submissions on this as yet … Were there any in last week’s GAC? Will go back and check this.
Confession time: I used to be ideologically opposed to women only or lefties only posts on the basis that this did not fit with left kaupapa and felt like gated communities with all that those represent… (I have a strong aversion to these!) You have convinced me that there is definitely a place for women only posts in terms of the response to the recent ones – and enough for me to suggest the next post on this subject should be one – but leave that to you, LOL. Not yet convinced about left only posts (but that is a totally different subject which I will leave for now, lol).
On an admin aside, how do I discretely change my email address with TS to another one I have which is more anonymous than my current one?
will reply more fully later, but I've changed your email address. See if that sticks next time you comment. You don't need a real email address, so can keep using that fake one or put in a new one yourself. Your first comment may get held up to be released manually. Unfortunately your historic comments will still have your old email address in the back end.
He must be right, because people keep asking me if I am expecting twins
At the other end of the spectrum I note that we will now use batter for batsman.
So, what are we going to call a hooker or loose forward now ??
A batter?
No useing the term batsmen in cricket any more , fucking world is losing the plot.
I can think of a few options. However discretion, and a wish to keep my body in one piece, prevents me calling Dane Coles a prostitute or Ardie Savea a trollop.
They might understand, and accept the terms, but I'm not willing to bet on it.
What are manhole covers called these days?
I think this is where the Breitbart/Peterson/Telegram crew let themselves down. Plucking terms from thin air to try win a point in culture wars of their own making.
So personhole covers?
Yeah, rock on, bud.
Maintenance hole cover seems to be what they've gone for somewhere or other in the USA. Another popular one over there is utility hole cover.
Although I've personally been calling them personhole covers for years, for fun.
I also refer to policepersons.
Having worked for a year in the 70's with one really ardent (strident might be more accurate) feminist who noisily made it her business to try & eradicate the usage of "man" in any word that she could, I gave up arguing & now anywhere I think I can remove "man" from a word & replace it with "person", I do it.
My friends know that's how I roll & often find the new de-sexed word worth a smile.
Except for wopersons. No woman I've ever asked has wanted to be called a woperson. They all prefer "woman".
A problem to be named 'Chapman' eh?!
That would have been fun working with her back in the 70's!
Sometimes there are non-sexed words available that do a better job of description. Police Officer, for example.
Felix – yes, I know, & I use them. But they don't get me as many smiles as adding person to the end of "man" ending words.
I always have that strident feminist I worked with in mind when I do call a job something like fireperson.
She got to be so outrageously anti-men, pro-women if you opened a door & held it open so she could go into a room ahead of you, she's stop & loudly announce: Don't tell me you're another of those men who think a woman can't open a door for herself!"
Bloody ridiculous! I opened them for men as well. It's just good manners to be courteous & hold a door open (especially doors with self-closing mechanisms) while letting others precede you into a room.
If you're a doorperson it's a crucial part of the job.
😄
I never thought about. As far as I know we never had any in Welly at the time – maybe a few bouncers?
She went to London when she left. She’d have encountered a few of them there, & in Singapore & various other countries en route. She’d probably not challenge them tho. She was pretty culturally aware.
Just her social skills that were a bit suspect. I concluded she was a man-hater but subsequently learnt she had happily married a very nice bloke & they had 2 nice kids.
Probably got a bit more life experience overseas, grew up & calmed down. She was otherwise quite a smart cookie.
butt plug
Bum-dumb-tish!
I have not piled into this debate and don't intend to start now except to say I'm with you Janice.
It is #$$%# (choose your own swear word) nonsense calling a pregnant woman a pregnant person. I suspect Bloomfield was coerced into using the term.
My take is: stop dehumanising people and turning them into nothing objects by refusing to acknowledge the differences between us which is worthy of celebration not eradication.
I recall the 1970s and 80s when it became a social crime to refer to chairwoman and chairman. It had to be chairperson which to my mind amounted to an insult on both your houses.
The NOW has fought for "gender equality" for decades – equal opportunity in public society, but has been unable to make an effective defence of the safety of biological women, because it was not set up to do this.
The transgender use the same arguments they did and thus they have been unable to counter them.
Possibly women need to form an alternative organisation, to continue that fight for equality but also the rights and safety of those born biologically female, including fair competition in physical activity (sport).
100% agree with your sentiments Janice (4). Don’t apologise for your rant. You said it as it is and I thank you for doing so.
[fixed minor typo in user name]
he was actually polite
The Lancet just called self identified non males 'bodies with vaginas'. 🙂
https://twitter.com/DrJessTaylor/status/1441710202449850369/photo/1
greta link Sabine
I can understand the concern, but I can also recall quite a few couples (and particularly the woman in the couple, announcing a pregnancy with "we are pregnant" – perhaps just naturally inclusive speech acknowledging past contribution to the event, but also perhaps reinforcing the need to encourage support in the future. Language can be a funny thing . . .
My soapbox is that there is too much noise about what gender women who identify as men are when they are pregnant. I do however, agree with the terms pregnant females or pregnant people.
This comes from being a 15 year-old pregnant person back in the day – in no way was I a 'woman' – female definitely, but woman and all the maturity and cultural baggage that entails, no. And there are a fair number of kids who are younger than that who have to deal with pregnancies. Calling all pregnant people 'women' renders these young people invisible.
I'd much rather gender activists put some time into the issues pregnant kids face. The grown-up self-identified can work it out for themselves.
there's how we feel about it personally, and then there's public health messaging.
At 15 years old would you have understood that the term 'pregnant woman' applied to you if someone on the telly had said it was safe for pregnant women to get x treatment?
I believe public health messaging would be improved if pregnant females were referred to pregnant people. I really did not see myself as a woman when I was a pregnant girl (I was just 15, not nearly 16), and I think young people would be more inclined to use ante-natal services and there would be fewer hidden pregnancies, if terminology was more inclusive. Of course there are a wide variety of views even among young teens about how they feel.
Bu as a grown woman I can understand entirely how it feels to have biology denied over and over again by demands for language and space to reflect trans rights at the expense of the needs of biological women. It's just on this issue that I think there is a good reason for changing the terminology. I'd have liked women (including me) to have thought of this a long time ago.
A quick glance at morning papers and I suggest you don't bother, it's a wall to wall whine fest of butt hurt middle class entitlement and boomer reckons.
On the upside, Clint Heine admits that the animosity “has taken a toll on me personally” and feels less likely to ever return to NZ permanently.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/travel/300412931/our-tribal-nature-explained-the-team-of-5-million-v-the-kiwis-who-just-want-to-come-home
I breathlessly await our fearlessly identarian print media to run a story about an Otara cleaner in a MIQ facility who lives with seven other people and doesn't know anyone who has ever used MIQ.
Every person pictured in that story is a member of an extremely privileged … middle class, with an extra helping of pretty … woman syndrome.
[RL: Deleted gratuitous references to skin colour. Be more careful.]
The 1980s called and asked for its unconscious racism back.
The inability to confront the race element to class in this country is an outright act of racism itself, something that should be socialism 101 but apparently escapes certain complacent old people around here.
[RL: Take a week off. You are a repeat offender with these racist and ageist tropes. Next ban will be longer.]
See Moderation Note.
RL: The Standard is a poorer place without Sanc.
Yes it would be.
And I have yet to see a valid argument to accept the casual denigration of anyone on the basis of their skin colour.
Swordfish nails it below.
Personal attacks are OK, but criticism of class interest is forbidden when one notes the preponderance of any group in that class?
Considering the opprobrium directed at 'Marxists', that seems to be the case.
Yes, “marxist” is certainly used as a pejorative by some posting and commenting here–“closet marxist” (as used several times this year by Redlogix), “undercover marxist” and other references.
Marxist should be able to be used as a descriptor similar to social democrat or tory.
Unlike skin colour, marxism is a condition you have chosen.
Marxism isn't a condition, it's a method of analysing socioeconomics, particularly capitalism. That you sling it around as a pejorative further demonstrates your lack of understanding of it.
.
You have a tendency to run with the hares and hunt with the hounds, Sanc … sometimes you adopt an explicitly anti-Woke persona … but then you also frequently indulge in the crude, low resolution ritualised virtue-signalling closely associated with an Upper-Middle Woke cadre looking to enhance their in-group prestige & signal elevated social status.
Like some of the more financially privileged, socially-divorced commenters here, you wouldn’t have a fucking clue about what’s happening in lower & mixed income areas … instead you indulge in ludicrously misjudged moral posturing & performative narcissism … masquerading as ‘altruism’ & the possession of unusually refined sensibilities.
How dare people not brown nor working class show solidarity ….
.
Yes, like you my understanding is that all white people are wealthy & morally suspect, all poor people are brown, all brown people are both poor & eternally innocent & virtuous.
Like I say: “crude, low resolution ritualised virtue-signalling” from a cadre of narcissistic & paternalistic middle-class professionals without a fucking clue.
Modelling is a science and it says what it says about population demographics, and income and wealth disparity.
You mean people like your brothers, Mike Hosking and Sean Plunkett and Peter Williams?
It's just a completely pragmatic numbers game – we cannot give unrestricted right of return to all expats without endangering the people already here. It sucks for the expats who want to get back, but it's the sort of thing that happens in crises – the less bad of two unpleasant options has to be chosen.
I'm a bit surprised at times that some expats don't seem to understand something so obvious. It does sound entitled, but we should hold back on the criticism without first thinking about how we might behave in a similar situation.
ha ha yes it is… you know why of course… they are the only ones who read papers now…
All this stuff about "living in fear" and "hermit kingdoms" is just middle class shorthand for "I'm vaccinated, fuck South Auckland I want my overseas holiday."
That's pretty much what I see as well.
Enjoy your ban Sanc. Your posts are the only reason why I come here these days.
true that.
Thanks for the warning. I'm getting heartily sick of it.
Edit: Your 5.2.1… Bang on!
A quick read through John Key's Herald piece today left me with the overall impression of a very rich privileged man not happy he perhaps has not been able to go to Hawaii or wherever he goes to continue his comfortable lifestyle and meet up with his influential contacts.
The actual day to day reality and logistics of doing what he wants is glossed over.
The staggering thing about Key's piece is it's glib know nothing-learnt nothingness. If it had been printed last April then fair enough, but it is simply a rinse and repeat of every failed right wing COVID strategy of the past 18 months given prominence by dint of his wealth and privilege. It is the winners of the neoliberal consensus clinging to their pre-pandemic ideology where their privilege was assured.
Lets be honest the MIQ system offer cheap shots to a lazy emotional knee jerk MSM – a conveyer belt of the sleek, articulate and entitled global middle class complaining at the unfairness of having to wait in queue like everyone else. The biggest whine about sportspeople getting special treatment from these MIQ complainers is that they feel insulted to be informed they are not the most important people in the world. But here is the rub – if the government did allow these people to buy their way in via a rubbish private MIQ and covid escaped (as it has, easily, from ever other attempt to run MIQ privately), they'd be blamed. If the government allowed private MIQ for the rich the likes of Andrea Vance would segue seamlessly from bitterly complaining she can't go "home" on holiday to shedding bitter crocodile tears on behalf of the poor who can't afford private MIQ.
the pandemic has underlined to harsh nature of our class divide, and the near total dominance in our media the of the middle class neoliberal consensus.
It's always instructive to see what people do with a little bit of moral power.
In Guyon Espiner’s RNZ podcast series on claims of PRC interference in politics & academia here, Sir John basically saw no problems. Said he’s on Xi’s Christmas Card list & still gets a card from him every year. 😎
Key is a 'smooth operator' – says and does all the right things to your face, just be aware of the knife he has ready to slip between your ribs if the need arises.
As for his Xmas card list – I think we'd all be quite astonished at who was on it.
Don’t think I am. Or, if I am, they’re not getting delivered.
Wonder if Winston Peters is on it?
And Ardern, & Mahuta?
I imagine most country’s leaders have all the other leaders on the Xmas Card Lists. Even a few Muslim ones. But I imagine Key stays on Xi’s cos’ he don’t make no waves & is probably still putting plenty of business his way, so to speak.
I somehow think Scotty from Marketing isn't going to get one this year.
Using open mike so as not to derail MS' thread.
Being an old, white man myself, how is it wrong to mention it in reference to other old, white men? Isn't it like black people using the N word to each other?
After all, it can’t be racist, ageist or sexist, can it?
Yes it can when used as a pejorative implying that all people of that particular hue have some intrinsic moral disorder
That's confusing me now, being an old white male.
So when I call someone a 'privileged old white man', the pejorative must be the word 'privileged', because it assumes, to some, that all old white men must be?
Should I apologise to Key for calling him privileged, even though he is?
Old white guy here too Alien, (well 50ish), & hetero! It amazes me how precious & sensitive other white guys are, it's quite embarrassing really. How dare anyone criticize us!
In this case the particular hue was old white men of privilege (getting to write in the MSM). There's an implication in the phrasing that privilege is the issue here, relative to say brown people who are relegated to facebook. It's a shorthand way of talking about the three axes of class based oppression (socio economic class, sex, and ethinity/race). Pretty standard aspect of left wing politics. I'm curious if you see the issue here the analysis itself, or the way it was phrased in this instance (eg casual social media type reckon thrown out without much analysis).
That’s an argument with some merit – my response:
One it's no longer true that Maori and Pacific voices are relegated to facebook – a quick glance shows they have a substantial media presence, a development we can both celebrate and encourage.
Secondly if the idea of a Treaty partnership is to mean anything, the goal of building the capacity of both partners can be the only legitimate path forward. If we are going to play zero sum game between the ethnicities that comprise modern NZ – we will reap a terrible price. Think Yugoslavia for example.
Thirdly if anyone was to casually – even as a lazy shorthand – denigrate any other skin colour – brown, yellow or black – everyone here would instantly recognise what was happening. The only reason why sneering at white people has been allowed to slide – seems to be the unspoken ideology that Europeans are held to be collectively guilty of all the evils in the world and are thus fair game.
All of this falls out of an intersectionality theory explicitly constructed to ensure older, white males are unconditionally categorised as the 'privileged oppressor class'. The definition of racism is to ascribe moral deficiencies to a class of people based on personal characteristics they have no control over – skin colour, sex, and age being the primary ones.
This emperor has no clothes.
The implication of privilege is not obvious to everyone.
The "pale stale male" -type rhetoric that ignores the fundamental injustices of class in NZ — housing costs, renters rights, worker exploitation, high cost of living, two tier justice system, etc. — that affect everyone. Although the profile of privilege has a certain look, plenty of white people do not enjoy the ‘bounty’ that neoliberalism has delivered to NZ
Identity issues matter but class solidarity should be first, IMO.
In this case, the word privilege was used as a qualifier, so it was nothing to do with white people generally, or even white men generally.
Here's the original comment,
.https://thestandard.org.nz/keys-baaaack/#comment-1818629
'Pale, stale, male' is an obvious pejorative. This is different from using the words white, male/man, old as descriptors.
That reference did not appear in The Alien's comment upthread, and instead it came across as careless abuse.
I don’t take it personally, but the trend of people like Ricardo Menendez casually insulting a large segment of NZ society just seems like a political self-own.
Yeah, I'm not sure about what I think about TA's opening comment here. The comparison with N word doesn't really work in this context. Maybe.
Can you please show me examples of RM's words (even as you see them)? I do agree there are issues for working class people, especially men, when they're not factored in to identity politics, and we should be dealing with this better by now in politics generally.
Perhaps RMM was trolling or just ignorant when he said "there sure are a lot of old white men on these walls", then went on to ridicule the oath of allegiance, address Parliament in Spanish, and make a mockery of his portfolio with his "Are you OK Boomer?" comment.
Like saying lefties are "Marxists", then!
It's useful to note those advantaged by growing wealth derived from, and yet limited taxation, our property market and by open borders reducing working class wages.
And the attempt by some of that demographic to use identity politics to protect themselves from criticism of their privilege – calling it ageist, sexist and racist.
In the pandemic, there have been two phases – the first where this group supported elimination, the second where they support vaccination as a ticket to a return to the pre pandemic order.
In that they see a trade off (complacent in their entitlement of expectation that decades of privilege will make them healthy enough to cope with infection) they are prepared to make for the sake of lifestyle (the same lifestyle that also places long term GW concerns as secondary).
by open borders reducing working class wages.
I can recall a time not so very long ago when any call to reduce immigration would be instantly branded racist. Or how appalling Winston Peters was for raising the issue. Now this is all turned on it's head, very confusing.
Besides we aren't talking about 'open border' immigration – it's about the ability of New Zealand citizens to return to the only country they have an unalienable right to live in.
If you want to make an argument to close NZ’s borders indefinitely – which reads as your underlying message – then make the case honestly.
I was not making an argument for closing borders permanently and to say that was is a misrepresentation.
A pandemic is like a war, and no government has international mobility of its citizens as a priority in wartime.
PS It seems to have escaped you, but the government planned an immigration reset prior to the pandemic (and was part of their coalition agreement with NZF in the previous term). And based on Labour principles – a housing crisis and need to improve our wage levels with rising rent cost.
The exact phrase I used was 'closed indefinitely'.
Because when you argue against all reasonable plans to resume global travel – this is the logical implication you are making.
Planning a definitive time for re-opening is implausible. And only a fool would proffer one and keep to it. There are too many variables.
Approaching that description myself.
Not a damned problem with the term, no matter who uses it. I could talk about it as a reflection of the disproportionate homogeneity in capitalist and civic power structures, but it would largely fall on deaf ears.
I'm not ancient at 54, though I am literally old enough to be a dad to everyone on my work crew, so a little artistic licence on my part.
Totally agree about the usage of the term, especially being able to tick all the boxes.
Maybe it does give cause for grinding axes – Or at least sharpening the legs of their zimmer frames. lol
I see the culture wars have finally made it to The Standard.
Carnage.
culture wars have finally made it to The Standard; Muttonbird? Where have you been?!
But at least people here do generally have some facts they can link to, if pushed, rather than simply pulling rank opinions from various orifices. I may not always agree with the interpretation, but it's better than claiming ubstantiated revealed wisdom from unquestionable authority.
[fixed typo in user name]
Comment awaiting moderation. Is there a mod note somewhere I should have read? I am on mobile, so can't see replies button (nor sidebar).
Whatever, it's a nice day down in Otepoti. I should be getting on with gardening rather than being the token trans commenter on TS.
Minor typo in user name fixed
What was the typo for future reference; Incognito? That was my first thought, but I couldn't see anything obvious, nor was I using a different (nonspam-magnet) email. Probably something like a double space – that is hard to detect by eyeball.
Forgot now
Respect 👍
Sorry but not the token, in recent times I have been commenting and I have clearly stated I am trans, and I'm ancient as well so i seem to tick both boxes and according to some on here I also tick the male box as well though I respectfully disagree with them on that one
[Please stick to the pre-approved e-mail address, thanks]
That's nice to read; JP, I am not on the site as much as I once was so must have missed most of your contributions. Good that someone else is here to wave the pastel tricolour flag! It is sometimes a bit of an interesting exercise to put words to ideas that seem so very basic that one does not often articulate them. Also rather wearying at other times.
Being older Takatāpui myself (if not quite over the border to ancient), I do find that the young ones – particularly around universities, where they have ample support networks, do come off as rather brash. It is strange being around trans people who don't expect to be beaten and harrased as a matter of course for being how they are. Also rather inspiring.
Thanks Forget Now appreciate what you are saying. I know we disagree over these issues, but having a discussion /debate is important.
I try to play the ball not the person, but happy to be challenged when people feel otherwise.
I think you will find that the culture wars have been on this blog for a while now.
Every single open mike thread always seems to turn into a discussion about trans issues.
It's already got a reputation as a place unsafe for trans people, which was probably the SUFWs plan, which is sad, as there are few safe places for them anyway, a "left" wing blog shouldn't be.
What's the bet National's alternative Covid plan features Des Gorman and the new poster boy for the ‘let it rip’ crowd, Rodney Jones.
And "peer reviewed" by the developers of home spit tests.
Jones "maybe" being misrepresented.
He's an economist, he was prepared to go with another week at Level 4 in Auckland (presumably to reduce risk it would compromise latter moves to opening up).
He saw the Hendry modelling as scaremongering (doubted it as an accurate forecast – confusing the issue because such models are not forecasts, the information is acted on so the threat is avoided), or maybe the public release of it.
As a current insider, he may simply be of the control the narrative school to manage the public.
But then again, the people knowing might scare them from accepting an earlier opening up, so manage the public into getting used to a little spread (de facto end of elimination), then a little more with higher vaccination rates and soon chastity is discarded totally when drunk on the fruit of freedom.
Perhaps don't present to the public THE extreme case "He said the modelling assumes the country would have no restrictions."- So We listen and hear 7,000 deaths p.a. and 100,000 infections. Did any involved; Hendy, PM, Dir of health, advisors not think of how the headline nos. would impact on those watching or reading a report on the 1:00pm briefing, or that no govt. would allow that to happen?IMO this was totally managed. Perhaps those in power thought that such a forecast would create urgency for people to be vaccinated, and did not contemplate what other reactions and to minimise these, especially with the mindset given what we have seen in the world and from our lockdowns ?
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/covid-19/452180/modeller-stands-by-government-s-covid-19-data-release-amid-criticism
In our household we are fortunate to have someone who was required as part of their qualifications to attain l3 statistics and explain in part along with google some understanding to the "Outbreak tracking and projections: Update for data as at 1pm 7th September 2021"
https://cpb-ap-se2.wpmucdn.com/blogs.auckland.ac.nz/dist/d/75/files/2017/01/outbreak-tracking-and-projections.pdf
Reply
Child and Youth Mortality Review Committee: 15th data report: 2015–19 | Te Rōpū Arotake Auau Mate o te Hunga Tamariki, Taiohi: Te pūrongo raraunga 15: 2015–19
The death spiral starts long before conception and birth and ends with death of individuals whose changes for a fulfilling life were cut short by a multitude of circumstances and missed opportunities. To argue that some of those deaths are caused by single ‘stupid’ personal choices of the young person and/or their parents is completely missing the complexity of this societal problem and frankly is absurd beyond words. Still, this is exactly what many are doing, in their thinking, in their talking, and in their acting. And by “many” I don’t mean Government.
Totally agree – the questions this report raise are important and deserve considerable attention.
I'd suggest that there are two ways to get our response wrong – one is to blame everything on the 'bad choices' of the individual. The other, very common here, is to place all the blame on some ill-defined, non-falsifiable concept of 'systemic racism'.
Both are crude simplifications at best, at worst they prevent real debate on what we might actually do to make a difference. It turns out that helping people is really hard – and yet we persist in pretending simplistic tropes will be of any use.
People and cultures differ from each other in multiple complex dimensions which makes difference in outcomes inevitable. Even just determining what we can and should change is a challenging question.
I was astounded by the crackpot thinking involved in accusing the NZ medical profession of systematic racism.
The media discussion was of course careful to point out about 2.something years of the 7 year expected age disparity seemed to be due to smoking related health outcomes. I will focus on that as the issues with the conception of systematic are similar with the rest, but less obvious. Of note the 7 year headline disparity was not adjusted it was all the apparent failing of health professionals.
Now smoking is known to be an individual choice with negative health outcomes which is more often practiced these days by NZ maori than other ethnicities. So in expecting health outcomes proportional to ethnic background being the definition of no systematic racism, we require actually much better health outcomes in NZ maori population. So much better in fact that the negative health outcomes of smoking are 100% negated (e.g maori have no negative health outcomes due to smoking, while other ethnicities do).
This makes it apparent that the charge of systematic racism is not saying NZ health professionals are practicing racists, its just saying they don't perform medical miracles. This is a fundamentally stupid way to analyse NZs health system of course.
Micah the "shrink the conflict prophet" is the new good keen man Talmud court philosopher in the Bennett bookshop.
It’s simply to govern the West Bank as if Palestinian lives do matter.
https://edition.cnn.com/2021/09/16/middleeast/israel-palestinian-conflict-cmd-intl/index.html
The Taliban have rounded up dozens of Islamic State Khorasan fighters in Jalabad. A spokesman said this is an extension of a security operation currently being conducted in Kabul.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ojnC0_37ZYc
Another sob-story article from National Party embedded journalist, Tracey Watkins.
The narrative is always the same: 'We're not saying MIQ isn't necessary, it just needs to be perfect, now, so I can swan in and out as I please'.
And, 'It's the fault of the majority of mean, xenophobic Kiwis who clearly don't know what's good for them'.
And, 'To speak out is heresy'.
Grow a pair, Tracey. Of course this is as insulting to Kiwis who have worked so hard over the last 18 months to protect the vulnerable as John Keys' PR release across all media today.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/opinion/300415938/miq-is-broken–why-do-so-few-kiwis-care
shit
https://twitter.com/psirides/status/1441642131399970816