Host Anna Harcourt from Re: News did a good job keeping them all focused and in line, making good use of the buzzer and unafraid to step in when necessary… Williams appeared reluctant to defend the GST off fruit and vegetables policy, turning instead to Labour's free dental for under-30s, saying it would "mean people won't have to put off their essential healthcare until they can afford it"… Stanford also pivoted when asked about National's tax cuts, saying "these are all just bandages, the key thing we have to do is actually attack cost of living".
Donoghue said with immigrants all going to the main centres, housing was part of the cost of living problem – and NZ First was wanting to restrict the number of migrants coming in… His intro skated over the party's priorities of wanting to stand up against "woke extremism", say no to co-governance, "put the K back into iwi", protect assets, and incentivise careers for those who stayed in New Zealand.
During the rainbow issues segment, he was asked about the party's policy of removing "gender ideology" from curriculum, challenged over whether it really was an important issue. He justified it by saying parents are very concerned about "complex, sexual, inappropriate discussions happening at school", and referred to warnings from a right-leaning lobby group about primary school children being disciplined if they did not affirm other children's gender: "we can't shut people up because it hurts our feelings".
Swarbrick interrupted, saying "I think you're talking about consequences, bro". She said the data showed trans people and children were more highly represented in mental ill health and suicide statistics, "and mate, it's driven by rhetoric from the likes of your party," to applause from the audience. Donoghue responded that "more people are transgendering, or transitioning, than ever before", blaming Swarbrick's rhetoric, to boos. Van Velden said we have to "agree to disagree".
Stanford said the bathrooms issue was not a problem, and no school she's been to around the country had a problem with it – a sentiment panellists later agreed with, India Logan-Riley saying the whole topic appeared to be a wedge issue targeted by NZ First to drive division and stoke votes. All parties agreed more needed to be done to support people's mental health, though each seemed to have different suggestions for how to do so.
The next segment took a bizarre turn, with a question over whether each candidate feared being killed by extreme weather caused by climate change. Donoghue was the only one to not fully raise his hand, explaining he'd "been hit by lightning, but no I'm not afraid". He said this was after an Iron Maiden concert in Rome – though it was, as Harcourt noted, nothing to do with climate change.
Rather unfair of the god of heavy metal to zap a fan like that, I thought. However, since the dude survived the test he's likely to prove himself staunch in politics…
more people are transgendering, or transitioning, than ever before", blaming Swarbrick's rhetoric,
This is a topic that needs serious attention, pubity was confusing enough when I went through it , Im as hetero as they get but it still took me a while to be sure, that was before the internet and schools telling me I could possibly be a number of things gender wise now!
I agree it's a trending up thing. I'm all for self-determination. Your point about developmental confusion is a good one too re adolescence.
College in the '60s was macho & as a sensitive but feisty lad I acquired an ability to copy the cool guys somewhat. They call it mimesis nowadays – a biological skill. So many in my class were pretending to be gay which I thought peculiar & that they were all kidding. I was so naive!
Teenagers to young adults have a period of development where they differentiate from their parents and family and start associating with their chosen friend groups instead. This is where they tend to highlight (or present) their individual personalities and how they are different from their immediate family. This is sometimes known as the rebellious teenage phase.
I suspect a lot (though not all) of gender non-conforming behavior within this age range is an example of this developmental phenomena myself. Probably similar with the development of gay teenagers personalities at the time, but that trait usually persists into adulthood.
Unfortunately I found out about this while reading how Stefan Molyneux had been using his wife's counseling qualifications to offer internet counseling, and pushing young adults into family separation in practice.
"Swarbrick interrupted, saying "I think you're talking about consequences, bro". She said the data showed trans people and children were more highly represented in mental ill health and suicide statistics, "and mate, it's driven by rhetoric from the likes of your party," to applause from the audience."
Data shows that those who declare a gender identity – often have co-morbidities that affect mental health. These are often not explored further when the approach is "gender affirming health care":
The Sweden National Board of Health and Welfare are now revising their treatment guidelines and have released a preliminary report. News coverage of this report reports that:
“…people with gender dysphoria, especially young people, have a high incidence of concomitant psychiatric diagnoses, self-harming behavior or suicide attempts compared with the rest of the population.
The diagnoses that stand out are depression, anxiety disorders, ADHD and autism. In the group of 13–17-year-olds who were registered as girls at birth and who were diagnosed with gender dysphoria, the comorbidity is greatest.”
Of these, had:
32.4 percent anxiety disorder
28.9 percent some form of depressive disorder
19.4 percent adhd
15.2 percent autism
That such a large proportion have concomitant psychiatric diagnoses is a factor that needs to be considered in more detail during the investigation of gender dysphoria”
It dismays me to continually read the irresponsible reference to suicide that many people use, despite providing no data, and against suicide prevention guidelines.
In 2017, the Movement Advancement Project (an LGBT advocacy group), the Johnson Family Foundation, and the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention coauthored a document titled “Talking About Suicide & LGBT Populations.” The nation’s leading LGBT advocacy groups officially endorsed it. These included the Human Rights Campaign, GLSEN, the Trevor Project (which focuses on suicide prevention), GLAAD, PFLAG, the Transgender Law Center, SAGE, the Center for American Progress, and the National LGBTQ Task Force. In a section titled “Guidelines for Talking About Suicide in Safe and Accurate Ways,” the document contains this recommendation:
DON’T attribute a suicide death to a single factor (such as bullying or discrimination) or say that a specific anti-LGBT law or policy will “cause” suicide. Suicide deaths are almost always the result of multiple overlapping causes, including mental health issues that might not have been recognized or treated. Linking suicide directly to external factors like bullying, discrimination or anti-LGBT laws can normalize suicide by suggesting that it is a natural reaction to such experiences or laws. It can also increase suicide risk by leading at-risk individuals to identify with the experiences of those who have died by suicide.
Yes, you're quite right. More accuracy & care in diagnosis & treatment seems to be required. Folks are averse to complexity and will retreat into conventional simple-minded categorising given half a chance. It's normal to condone such human nature but public health necessitates transcendence of such trad normalcy.
Where I practice five to ten percent of inpatients would be transgender at any given time.They all have commonalities. Female trans-gendering to male, Personality disorders, on the Autism spectrum, sexually abused as a child. Transitioning is simply a way of making yourself unattractive to predating males,
That such a large proportion have concomitant psychiatric diagnoses is a factor that needs to be considered in more detail during the investigation of gender dysphoria”
Can you cite any of the LGBTQIA+group where this is not also the case?
Historically it was because of the diagnosis by the profession and society that those not obedient to essential patriarchy in social and religious order of rule (cisgener heterosexual Pauline society) was abnormal.
Alienation from land/mana and unemployment/poverty and related cycles of abuse and society gaslighjting have done the same for Maori.
Your lengthy but lazy copypasta, with selective parts left out without any indication for the unsuspecting reader, just to make an inane comment at the very end!?
Zuck in 2021: "In the metaverse, you'll be able to do almost anything you can imagine".
A moment of truth looms:
On Wednesday the company holds its annual VR event called Meta Connect. It's a chance for Zuckerberg to again explain his reasoning for taking an extremely profitable social media company and diverting its focus to an extremely unprofitable VR venture.
How unprofitable? Reality Labs – which as the name suggests is Meta's virtual and augmented reality branch – has lost a staggering $21 billion since last year… so far, there is very little evidence that this enormous punt will work. Horizon Worlds, a game published by Meta, is about as close as the company has got to creating a metaverse. Users can hop into different settings – cafes, comedy clubs, night clubs, basketball courts – to hang out and play games.
Meta claims it has 300,000 monthly users: tiny when compared to the billions of people on Facebook and Instagram… User reviews complain of empty worlds, and say there simply aren't enough people to make it fun. Or if there are people, they're often children.
Looks like a magical portal dysfunction. Enchanted users getting sucked thro is happening slowly. A design flaw, or technoklutz? We'll see I guess:
In July, on an investor call, someone asked Zuckerberg why he'd spent all this money. "Help us understand," they said. Zuckerberg said he understood the frustration, and admitted: "I can't guarantee you that I'm going to be right about this bet. I do think that this is the direction that the world is going in."
Both. The latter causing the former. Worse than a design flaw though – a moral/spiritual/intellectual flaw. Compelling evidence of why we should never allow anybody to become extremely rich, because otherwise our society gets dominated by the worst people in it.
Yeah, good point. I believe humans have a spiritual drive within, as part of the psyche, separate from intellect. Morality seems to have biological roots – which evolutionary psych science has been exploring for decades (reciprocal altruism) which seems to interface with the spiritual drive via religion (in deep shit in western countries) but the person/group interface is the gut of the nexus.
That's a triad (p/g, slash symbol=function) btw – Zuck, as avatar of jewish capitalism, may be on a steep learning curve…
the country’s infrastructure deficit has been valued at $210b by Treasury – an ocean-sized gulf that will take more than five years to fix. It would be more like 15 years if Labour’s promised pace continues.
The crown jewels of Labour’s infrastructure plan are a list of 14 transport projects, along with continuity for projects in a state of existential uncertainty like Auckland’s light rail.
Roads like State Highway One from Auckland to Whangārei and from Cambridge to Piarere are on the list, as well as a second Mount Victoria Tunnel and rapid transit lines to Auckland’s rapidly developing northwest.
Labour has spent $45 billion on infrastructure over the past five years and put $3.6b aside for the Climate Emergency Response Fund.
So Labour in this term has spent enough to solve a quarter of the problem. That's better than a kick in the head, but probably a performance worth 6/10.
Christopher Luxon has described the solution as “getting the economics right and having regulation that is fit for purpose” – what that means is a fast-tracking to the consents process, modelled on fast-tracking used under Covid-19. Meanwhile, National would require councils to immediately consent enough land capacity for 30 years’ worth of housing growth.
So import so many foreigners that the country's infrastructure gets even less viable in the future, a performance worth 0/10.
Again, you try to re-write somebody else’s article to suit your own narrative, without making it clear to the unsuspecting reader, which is both intellectually dishonest and lazy.
For example, this is how the original authentic text goes:
Labour has spent $45 billion on infrastructure over the past five years and put $3.6b aside for the Climate Emergency Response Fund.
Its campaign has promised to extend that even further, committing $71b over the next five years into infrastructure, schools, hospitals and public housing.
Finance Minister Grant Robertson called this “the long-term nation-building a responsible government must do” when he announced it at Budget 2023. [my italics]
However, the country’s infrastructure deficit has been valued at $210b [et cetera]
So powerful Tony. Thanks. What would happen if Gerald's letter was published as an opinion piece in the Herald or Stuff? He sums up the reality so well.
Some wanted change for changes sake to settle some grudge they had with the pandemic response, but let's be clear about one thing.
You've lost count because you were never counting and you are terrible with numbers. So terrible, you've no idea how bad Nicola looks every time she waves a bit of paper around and says that's our modelling on a single line at the bottom of the page.
It's embarrassing and Jack pointed and laughed out loud.
National: 39.1 percent, down 1.8 points (49 seats)
Labour: 26.5 percent, down 0.3 points (33 seats)
Greens: 14.2 percent, up 1.9 points (18 seats)
ACT: 8.8 percent, down 1.3 points (11 seats)
NZ First: 5.2 percent, up 0.6 points (6 seats)
Te Pāti Māori: 2.2 percent, down 0.9 points (3 seats)
TOP: 1.9 percent, up 1.2 points
New Conservatives: 1.1 percent
Latest Newshub poll last night. It's Left 42.9 Right 47.9 if NZF fail to reach the 5% threshold. Just five points in it and all to play for. I don't believe that TPM are on only 2.2%.
The Greens are on a roll and ACT are in freefall. A friend of mine, a regular Labour voter, told me yesterday she would vote Green this time due to their Wealth Tax policy. Meanwhile yet another ACT candidate resigned in disgrace yesterday after making homophobic media posts and internal fighting within the party is flaring up.
You can add that the Greens consistently under poll, that is they get more votes on the day than expected, and they traditionally score well with ex-patriot voters overseas.
I was proud of my daughter because she told me that she and all her overseas based friends were all voting Green because "they are the only ones really serious about climate change".
Not proud because she supports The Greens, proud because she is intelligent enough to look past the gold-plated promises and look to the future.
Mike: Yes late overseas votes may decide the election. NZF could be on 5.1 on election night and 4.9 after late votes are included. The Greens often pick up a seat as you say.
My thoughts on the announced "Minister of Just Transitions" announced the other day.
I think this title is very ambiguous. Firstly, the word "Just" could mean either "only" or "equitable". Secondly, the first thought that came to mind when I heard the word "Transitions" was that it was something to do with gender identity, since that topic has been in the public debate a lot lately.
Reading further into the announcement, it appears to be to do with reducing emissions, and adapting to climate change and ensuring that the poor are not impacted unfairly in the process. From what I can see, it looks like a geeky, pc term for this role that is used internationally.
But, that definition seems to be already covered within the scope of James Shaw's Minister of Climate Change role. Minister of Climate Change is a much better name anyway, I think. Because it is very clear and explicit what it is about.
But the fact that the new title seems both ambiguous and appears to be highly pc geek speak seems only to reinforce the picture that opposition parties are trying to paint of Labour being pc and out of touch. It also seems that Labour assumes that people in the electorate are familiar already with this term (I wasn’t) and therefore should automatically know what it is all about. So, it comes across to me as a bit arrogant, and implying that people are stupid if they don’t get it.
So, I am left scratching my head about why such a title would be chosen for the role.
So the Labour Party's promise of a "Minister for Just Transitions" comes across to you as "a bit arrogant, and implying that people are stupid if they don’t get it." Intriguing.
How does the Nat's would-be Minister of Finance's refusal to show her working for the projected revenue from their much-touted foreign buyer tax come across to you? A bit arrogant, and implying that people are stupid if they don't get it?
Willux can't show their working – you know why. It's a major concern, don't you think?
Why was Max Rashbrooke’s article on the election (Roll up for this election’s beneficiary disappearing act, September 23) not front page news? I was shocked to find more than 350,000 New Zealanders are likely to find their benefits will be cut under some of the political parties if they win the election.
I am fortunate not to belong to this group but as a New Zealander, I want all of us to be able to feed our children and live in reasonable comfort. I see from the article that the number of children who live in households where food runs short, for instance, has fallen from 20% in 2019 to 13% today.
We should be continuing to pay beneficiaries enough so that percentage continues to fall, not increase. Where has our kindness and care to all our fellow New Zealanders gone? Surely the effect of the election on our poorest New Zealanders should be a concern to us all.
What more do you want exactly. They have provided the number of houses required to sell at above the threshold price to achieve the tax objective. So, the numbers are out there so far as I can see. The biggest area of contention is whether the numbers are realistic or not. And, there is obviously enough given for people to debate that point.
I want to see the advice/analysis that shows their "number of houses required" is realistic. Either Willis and Luxon have been scammed, or they are scamming the voters.
And why on earth do the Nats think that wealthy foreigners buying up NZ properties will be good for Kiwis anyway? Which Kiwis exactly?
Disinformation
Information that is false and deliberately created to harm a person, social group, organization or country.
Misinformation
Information that is false, but not created with the intention of causing harm.
Malinformation
Information that is based on real facts, but manipulated to inflict harm on a person, organization or country.
I posted a link to an article in GD a week or so back of a stuff article I think of one economist who was basing his projected sales on last-years sales, at a time when the property market was in a major slump. If that is typical of the quality of analysis from economists, then the problem may be with them.
I think projections should be based on sales volumes prior to Covid and the foreign buyer ban.
Allowing for a lot of house inflation since then, it might not be unreasonable to project 1700 houses reaching the threshold for the tax.
In the end, it is all just projections and assumptions to justify any of the promises political parties make. Labour seems to be splashing the cash with their promises like we have an endless money bucket. So, it would be interesting to see the basis of how they propose to pay for all that.
That is where Woods isn't particularly clear. Does she mean 5% of the whole housing market, or 5% of the houses sold to foreigners? Because it makes a big difference.
And, if she was referring to the percentage of houses back in 2018 above that threshold, then house price inflation definitely hasn't been factored into her comment.
Take a look at a histogram. Often it doesn't take that much movement in any factor to shift it from the extremes to more towards the centre.
And that, apparently, is the main thing. Tsmithfield, you are quite insistent that Willis and Luxon should be taken at their word, when they've clearly been caught out trying to scam the voters.
Foreign Buyers Tax: A Mismatch Between Expectations and Reality The Importance of Transparent Policymaking
While the shortfall in the proposed tax revenue may not significantly impact the government deficits, it serves as a testament to the politicians’ approach to policy making and their transparency in responding to criticism. Even though the National party, being an opposition party, may not have the same resources as the Government to form its policy, critics argue that it should invest in thorough analysis using the donations it receives.
Hmm – donations the Nats receive. Could ending the ban on foreigners buying Kiwi homes be a way of rewarding the donors?
The notion of a "just transition" from a high-emissions economy to a carbon neutral or carbon negative one has been around for ages. Bernie Sanders was banging on about it every day in the 2016 race. Like Luxo, Bernie stuck to his lines – but Bernie's lines actually had intellectual and moral content. (sigh – cést la vie)
The name is simply a recognition that economic and social change on this scale cannot be left to the market – because if you do that it results in both undeserved suffering and undeserved accumulations of wealth. And probably inferior outcomes as well. A responsible government (i.e. a non-NACT one) actually knows that unless you address the very legitimate short-term fears people have for their livelihoods, they will be frightened off doing anything significant about climate change.
Yes, I do understand this. I think the main issue is that you shouldn't have to go into a detailed explanation for people to understand what the name means. The name itself should be self explanatory.
“When in Motueka shopping… a shop owner told me that his grandson has two kids in his class whom identify as cats and have water bowls on their desks,” one correspondent wrote.
2 classmates say they are cats to a grandson who tells his grandparent shop-owner who tells shopper in Motueka who writes a letter which is reported in the Nelson Mail.
Why 'hearsay' evidence is the stuff of gossips, social media reckoners, conspiracy theorists and some political candidates!
It's a story about nuttery. It's a story about misinformation. It's a story involving Sue Grey. It's a story about sad cases of deluded, crazy people having their madness publicised.
Sue Grey. Of the Liz Gunn variety of unbalance. It is sad…and you are so right about their media showing..I would think rational people just shake their heads. In disbelief !
I did think the Principals of the schools concerned…were great in response : )
Schools may well need litter boxes should Grey's mob ever have a say in firearms policy.
Will you reintroduce Semi Automatic firearms.
We would reintroduce non sporting 5 shot firearms for hunting and sport. The reintroduction non sporting semi auto type rifles with accessories would come under stricter licensing endorsements and safety criteria. Similar to the requirements of owning pistols in this country. An E class licence with added security and restrictions.
Non-sporting firearms (including vintage and collectors’ firearms) should also be allowed. A C licence endorsements with extra precautions would apply that would also cover the Film industry requirements.
Parents with students in Jeffco Public Schools may have seen some interesting items on their back-to-school shopping lists this year, including buckets and kitty litter.
That’s because more teachers are opting to include “go buckets” in their classroom, to be used by students as toilets during prolonged lockdowns.
Simple enough to bring in larger magazines. Hell it isn't even that hard to manufacture your own magazines. And that is before you consider the possibilities of 3d printing with metal or plastic.
Basically a magazine is a container for rounds with a spring mechanism and a latching system. To think that you can limit by rounds in a magazine is the ravings of an idiot who doesn’t understand what they are and how they could be adapted.
Besides it isn't the magazine size that is the issue. That is a just a rhetorical fig leaf for the stupid and those who haven’t used firearms a lot. For one reason or another, I have been.
It is the semi-automatic mechanism, barrel length, the ease of changing magazines and how fast you can spray bullets at a that is the issue. The problem is that semiautomatic weapons are designed primarily for one and only thing – warfare against humans. If a non-professional hunter needs a semi-automatic weapon to make a kill, then they shouldn't be hunting because they are incompetent at using a weapon and evidently too lazy to learn how to shoot well.
The only professional hunters we have in NZ are those keeping down our populations of rabbits, possums, and other such. Generally their role has steadily been superseded by the use of poisons and increasingly better fences in reserves.
Yeah. I find it a fascinating myth. It's invented by people who make that argument that if you can be (say) born female and think you are really a man, then you can theoretically think you are anything at all – a cat, a beetle, a cloud, a planet.
But people don't do that. Some things are literally unthinkable, while others are not. There are boundaries to what we can think and presumably they come from our biology as homo sapiens. Our cognitive apparatus is therefore as biological as any other part of us – including, importantly for this debate, our reproductive systems.
There is a curious indifference to last night's poll which showed NZ First in the kingmaker position (again).
It also seems that some ACT supporters are now deserting the ship and either heading back to National or crossing to NZ First.
The campaign thus far is quite startling by contrast between the attitudes of the left and right. The parties of the left – Labour, Greens, Te Pati Maori – have looked like a unified block focussed on government, whilst still maintaining their individualities. On the other side the parties of the right seem to be barely on speaking terms. Each of them is having to weed out the conspiracy theorists and nut jobs that are proving so embarrassing to their campaigns.
I hope New Zealanders will wake up to what the reality of the Coalition of Division has in store for us or whether the "anything but Labour" mentality rules above all else.
'Coalition of Division' works very well. It has assonance and alliteration and secondly attacks both the divisive and divided nature of the coalition by using the very wording of the hoardings of its constituents.
Indeed, the very divisive nature of their policies which reflect the politics of fear, division and hatred is what I am most concerned with should that coalition come about- poor government, policies, outcomes, consequences for us all.
Contrast all that with the inclusiveness of the Labour hoarding slogan, 'In it for you.'
My first reaction was that Labour has only been in it for me when Kirk sent the frigate to Mururoa & Lange went antinuclear. I do still credit Jacinda for working with James & the Greens though, gotta be fair.
I suspect Luxon will have to grow a spine. If he can't corral them in the next couple of weeks, he'll seem a wimp in public. Could be fatal.
You're right, he doesn't have to. Depends if he wants to win back the floating voters who have abandoned Labour or not. Dominant male stances may not be trendy but they work via tacit psychology since they are part of the evolutionary wiring of the species. That stuff is crucial for male leadership.
I learnt it intuitively back when I observed Rowling in disbelief: presenting as a cross between a hamster & a sparrow. Have in recent years learnt about biological signalling from books on evolutionary psychology…
Hipkins popularity dropping like a stone – even with the lacklustre Luxon as the opponent (19% to 24%)
It's been a long time since a sitting PM was out-pointed by a leader of the opposition. Even the highly popular Ardern didn't manage it against the personality-challenged Bill English (although, to be fair, she might well have done so with a bit more run up time)
I think we'd have to go back to 2008 – when the popular Key out-pointed Clark – to find an example (although that was 30s and 40s rather than the teens and 20s we're seeing with the current contenders)
Check him out in the debate tomorrow night on 3 to see if he listens to all the Labour advisors telling him to go mongrel (just kidding). Gower is moderator. Will he show up in jackboots with horse-whip??
All I can say is, at least they are honest and upfront about their intentions, and beneficiaries know full well in advance where they stand. Unlike with Labour, who have unfortunately had a history now since the 1990s of giving out signals they are on our side, only to either throw us under the bus completely (2000s), or play their games of the last few years of pretending to be kind but ignoring the Welfare working group report and doing bugger all, yet at the same time crowing about how much they've done.
From experience trying to hire people, this means those left are going to need more and more flexibility and support services and $$ to get them to work even part time.
Would hate to see beneficiaries punished when it's clear those on benefits really need societal support not punishment.
…giving out signals they are on our side, only to either throw us under the bus completely (2000s), or play their games of the last few years of pretending to be kind but ignoring the Welfare working group report and doing bugger all,…
Since Labour has done nothing of the sort – and since you have ignored the continuing years of extended global pandemic related economic and social interruptions… not to mention the big improvements they have made and plan to build on in the the next parliamentary term (should they be so lucky) – I think most of us will consign your prognosis to the nearest waste paper basket.
Anne, we will have to beg to differ on this one. I'm not going to ask about your personal experiences with the welfare system because that's not my business. But I've unfortunately been dealing with them since 1990 so have a pretty good idea. And yes, I'm very aware there's been a pandemic going on.
Life for us is infinitely better under a centre-left government, but Labour is NOT our friend. The rhetoric does not match the reality. Pandemic or not, there were reforms that could've easily been made that didn't even involve money, or much of it. The fact of the matter is, they're not interested in welfare reform, just glacial, incremental changes. So they don't scare their middle-class voters.
Any improvements have been incredibly small, and financially inconsequencial to many of us (eg most increases meant clawbacks from supplements, so practically no one got the full increases, but the Government wasn't shouting that from the rooftops, were they?))
At least they are honest and upfront . What a crock. They are the most nasty exaggerating austerity driven fools Kay.
Are you better off now than in 2016/17? Tell us what is so bad that wasn't put in place, granted slowly because of 6 unplanned serious calamities during the last 6 years? I agree you obviously need more help than what was provided, but do you really believe it is all “lip service”. That is a stretch.
Actually Patricia, I am worse off financially than I was in 2016/17. Between the clawbacks to the supplements that go with core benefit increases, the free prescriptions cancelled out by losing it on disability allowance (otherwise a completely sensible policy), and skyrocketing rent, like most of us I've gone backwards in real terms, just like every year, under every government. Oh, and I STILL have to remain single because they are persisting with the 'relationship rule' which is apparently just too hard to change, ie they don't want to. So we continue to be punished for having the audacity to be disabled. Can't blame natural disasters for that one.
I acknowledge the positives like the winter energy payment, although that surely is an indication that benefits/pension isn't high enough to cover the power bill? And half price bus fares, about time.
My issue with Labour is really quite simple. National make it perfectly clear what their intentions are, and they carry through with those promises. Labour talk big (fix child poverty, biggest hike to benefits in forever, etc etc) and try to convince the general public how kind they are, but the rhetoric does NOT equal the reality.
I am also not overly impressed with just how hard it's become to deal with WINZ, including little things with their IT system that could be easily fixed, but they just refuse to do it. If they insist on making everything online, they can bloody well let us do things online!
Disability support should be at the super rate because it is long term.
And yes, there needs to be an exception for those on disability, they should continue to receive support if they have a working partner – at the JS level.
Greens policy atm is otherwise
reforming ACC into a single system for all health and disability-related income support. (3.4)
Ensure that all disabled people are housed in safe, accessible, affordable housing in the community of our choice (…). (5.10)
5.10.1. Enshrining the right for all New Zealanders to housing in legislation and policy in line with the UNCRPD and NZ Disability Strategy, requiring the Government to ensure everyone is housed in safe, healthy, accessible, affordable housing, and requiring that disabled people can choose where and with whom they live ;
5.10.2. Providing a housing-first approach with wrap-around services and support for people who have both housing needs and other complex needs;
5.10.3. Adopting a public housing framework which ensures all new public housing meets universal design and accessibility standards which will particularly benefit disabled people, and existing public housing will be retrofitted to meet universal design standards over an agreed timeframe;
5.10.4. Ensuring processes for housing modifications are timely, straightforward and transparent with eligibility and funding should be revised based on need, not arbitrary criteria;
5.10.5. Providing disabled people with choices equal to others about where and with whom they live and the support they receive. This should include: the need for support to transition from residential services to living in the community; and modification funding for people living on papakāinga;
5.10.6. Ensure the safety of disabled people in all new and existing housing, including processes so that those who cannot use stairs can evacuate in case of an emergency and visual fire alarms in all housing; and
5.10.7. Acting to provide accessible housing, and mandating that disabled people must have an accessible house before ending a tenancy.
Kay I am getting the Supported Living Payment and I am financially far better off than at any point since becoming unable to work thanks to this Governments initiatives. I am sorry to learn that your circumstances are more difficult – I imagine that any system will have variations due to individual's being in different circumstances but that is little comfort for those in a diificult postion
Barfly, yes it does come down to individual circumstances. I'd say mine was the skyrocketing rent, like many others. And it's pay what they want or be homeless, thanks to the 'market.' I do manage- just- but the only real major difference I've felt is not being treated like a criminal under a labour government.
Regardless of whether you consider Trudeau a slimy little weasel or a hero of liberal wokedumb it seems evident he runs a very united parliament !!
What is the phenomena which explains how so many supposedly intelligent persons can rise to their feet as one and applaud in this case a literal Natzi ?
On the occasion of Zelensky visiting Canada to gather yet more weapons pledges from wealthy countries its not supprising to see the leader of the particular country fawning all over him like a rash in fact i was supprised Trudeau didnt kiss him on the lips !!What did supprise/horrify me though was the total conformity of the members , united apparently in their collective ignorance and stupidity .
"It is no surprise that Russian media has leapt on the footage as justification of the Ukrainian invasion" – Michael Walker in the very piece you link to.
Fascist fanboi weston gives us all a fine example of quod erat demonstrandum!
Nevertheless Sanc .No matter who relays the message
It was an embarrassing spectacle that no doubt would have passed unnoticed by Russophobic fanbois and historic illiterates , had not Jewish organisations( less sanguine about Nazis as others it seems) raised their disgust
And then , as one they all professed to have no idea that this Ukrainian ex Waffen SS soldier had been in a unit that killed Jews and acted as concentration camp guards
He was being lauded for fighting Russians in WW2.Are they all so incredibly ignorant of history that they didn’t twig that meant he’d teamed up with the Nazis?
Or are all Russians fair game now, and whoever killed them now or in the past gets a free pass on slaughtering Jews .Pretty warped morality here , but widespread in the west .Jewish people however have not been quite so forgetful or forgiving
Ukrainians did have a choice. Those to the west sided with the Nazis, and enthusiastically took up killing Poles, Jews, Roma and Russians out of nationalistic zeal .
Those more to the East, with generational ties to Russia , were strongly anti fascist and sided with Russia .
The Holodomor affected those Ukrainians too.
So I guess the Jewish people just have to shut the fuck up because …..Russia,…. Holodomor ?
Millions of Ukranians were murdered by Russians in the Holodomor but to some people only Jewish victims of genocide matter and other races and religions that suffer genocide are less worthy because they are not Jewish
Well perhaps you might want to take that concept up with those who feel because of Holdomor , those Ukrainians who threw in their lot with the Nazis were perfectly justified in killing , in a particularly savage manner,Poles,Jews,Roma along with Russians.
Tit for tat so to speak, but I didn't realize the former were responsible for Holodomor
The thread has been about a Waffen Ss vet being given standing ovations in the Canadian parliament
Did I say the actions of the Canadian parliament were fine?
No.
Do I think it excuses Russia's actions now? Also no.
Do I think that this Canadian bloke (having spent more than 3/4 of his life in Canada, I think he qualifies) – has *anything* to do with 'Nazism' in Ukraine. Also no.
But it seems as though you'll grasp at any straw to defend your beloved mother Russia.
Do I think that because 27 million Russians were killed in WW2 it gives them carte blanche to kill anyone they like ?
No. I have never said that and nether have the Russians .It seems to be in your head only
And the nice Ukrainian fellow you refer to who has apparently been washed of his sins by living in Canada all these years ,has celebrated his time in the Galicia Unit on social media several times .That is why he was being given accolades in the Canadian Parliament for heavens sake …he allied with the Nazis and fought the Russians.His unit was responsible for outright atrocities .What an earth do you think the complaints from Poland and Jewish organisations have been about?Why do you think there have been such profuse apologies .?Why does Poland want to extradite him ?
And Zelensky would have known exactly what this guy had been involved in during WW2 when the speaker of the house introduced him as having been in the First Ukrainian Division .Zelensky stood up and applauded anyway, even though his grandfather and great uncles had been killed in the holocaust. https://www.politico.eu/article/yaroslav-hunka-poland-extradite-ukrainian-ss-veteran-canada/
In this 2011 blog post Hunka describes the disappearance of friends and acquaintances to Siberia at the hands of the NKVD. He recounts that Germany was reputed to be a highly civilised country, and recalls how no one could understood why so many Jews seemed to be fleeing, and about hopes of aid from the Germans to rescue them from Moscow communism.
In 1941 when the Nazis did occupy Ukraine, many Ukrainians greeted them as liberators although Hunka hints that German occupation wasn’t much of an improvement over Soviet occupation but at least fewer people seemed to be sent to Siberia.
And when the threat of another invasion by the Red Army he and many others from his school enlisted with the Nazis to fight against the Soviets.
And the Jews, Poles, Roma were just untermenschen anyway.
Ukrainian guards at German concentration camps were the most brutal and most feared, But it was all worth it for you lot because they were killing Russians as well !
Nice revisionism there
Thank goodness the UN is not so relaxed about Ukrainian Nazis
Francesca it is my understanding that you are regarded as a russophile (with good reason) on this site. In my understanding Russians regard as Nazi's anyone who doesn't like Russians – indeed it seems that is their primary consideration and all other things are incidental.
If you wish to try to define 'Nazi' as perhaps anti-semitic, authoritarian, genocidal, murderous, torturing, sadistic psychopaths with a penchant for invading other countries and trying to destroy other peoples identities, cultures and history all of these characteristics except for the anti-semitism are boldy on display with the Russian war of conquest on Ukraine.
I conclude that there are indeed an awful lot of 'Nazis' in Ukraine it's just that 99% of them are fighting in the Russian Military
Hey I dont know if you read history….but the ss…waffen or otherwise..were murdering pieces of shit. Being a member of same..and seemingly not shy about it..would make me wonder about that guy.
In Canada, Hunka remained active in Waffen SS veterans circles and maintained a blog on the Internet where, in the early 2010s, he compared veterans of SS Galizien to Jews
Hundreds in Ukraine attend marches celebrating Nazi SS soldiers
President Vlodymyr Zelensky, who is Jewish, condemned the embroidery marches, which had been conducted legally.
“We categorically condemn any manifestation of propaganda of totalitarian regimes, in particular the National Socialist, and attempts to revise truth about World War II,” he said Friday in a statement.
As I say I dont like Putin…at all. Murderer. Beslan School massacre the one that proved to me. Have to say the History of Eastern Europe (like the Worlds ) just a sad and terrible fact..that Civilians : Poles, Jews, Russians, Ukrainians, Women,Children and the vulnerable were/are always the victims of power.
I consider myself to be fairly well read on WW2 history and frankly all this talk of Nazism in Ukraine in 2023 is just utter f***ing garbage.
I absolutely agree that the Nazi regime were collectively a bunch of deranged murdering lunatics…but they sure as hell weren't the only ones. That some people want to argue that what occurred in a World War 80 years ago is at all relevant to modern day Ukraine is bonkers.
"Hundreds in Ukraine attend marches celebrating Nazi SS soldiers "
ffs I doubt anyone is carrying a picture of Hitler or Himmler – I suggest they may be celebrating Ukranians who fought against the Russians. Here’s a newsflash there was no Ukrainian military they could join in WW2 plus they could not join the German Army because they weren't German – literally the only way for a Ukrainian to fight Russians in WW2 was to join the Waffen SS and after millions of Ukrainians were murdered in the Holodomor by Russians I can easily imagine people who had to watch their relatives starve to death look for payback against their Russian overlords.
Lithuania, Estonia and Latvia also had many citizens join the Waffen SS – Now was this because they knew Hitler's 'agenda' and wanted in on some mass murder or was it because USSR had invaded all of them and moved in their usual style of killing the intelligentsia, community leaders and brutally repressing their people?
The war that was fought between USSR and Germany was fought between two horrendously evil totalitarian states – there were no 'White Knights' and to pretend there was is simply delusion IMO.
Ye bit, if you don't actually fill in the blanks it's an easy leap to believe labour intends to increase the onslaught on rural nz , and only fool thinks it'll be dairy irll be sheep and beef.
Turning productive farming land into native forest would be bonkers IMO but I didn't see any mention of repurposing farming land for this. Repurposing some land used for forestry is very likely a good idea. My limited understanding is that there is/may be a sizeable quatity of land used for commercial forestry which is not fit for the purpose – making slips, erosion, flooding and forestry slash inundation during major weather events a much bigger problem. It seems that the Queenstown Council had something of a "she'll be right" attitude to harvesting an area of forest for the $$ and then getting clobbered by slash combined with an adverse weather event because well …….they're stupid and greedy
The usenet group nz.general is something of a cess-pit on politics – a post this morning titled "New Service for those escaping overseas" gave the url: https://www.robbos.co.nz/
A later post identified that the website was registered to The New Zealand Taxpayer Union, with the contact email starting with jordan, and gave a url for the international tax competitive index as evidence that Australia does not give lower taxes than NZ.
"Dirty Tricks" is still alive and well in the ACT/Nat world . . .
Has anyone asked Mitchell if he will pursue the white-collar criminals as strongly as he will the Gangs and violent offenders. I understand that a former prime minister has just been found guilty of a crime and is up for a $5 million penalty. (I understand however that any wise directorship takes out indemnity insurance to cover such eventualities.) So powerful frauds can do as they please.
Taxation
I believe Damien Grant recently opined that we should keep the taxman away from productive income. Couldn't agree more. So why is he keen to reduce Bright Line threshold back to 2 years. Investing in and profiteering from sales of existing homes is not productive money. In fact, perhaps all investment income should be taxed at a higher rate – Could probably be directed at the banks as well (particularly the foreign owned ones that operate here in NZ.)
Radio NZ reports: Te Pāti Māori’s co-leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer has accused the new government of “deliberate .. systemic genocide” over its policies to roll back the smokefree policy and the Māori Health Authority. The left love hysterical language. If you oppose racial quotas in laws, you are a racist. And now if you sack ...
Ele Ludemann writes – Winston Peters reckons media outlets were bribed by the $55 million Public Interest Journalism Fund. He is not the first to make such an accusation. Last year, the Platform outlined conditions media signed up to in return for funds from the PJIF: . . . ...
Wow, it’s December already, and it’s a Friday. So here are few things that caught our attention recently. This Week in Greater Auckland On Monday Matt covered the new government’s coalition agreements and what they mean for transport. On Tuesday Matt looked at AT’s plans for fare increases ...
Late 1996, The Dogs Bollix, Tamaki Makaurau.I’m at the front of the bar yelling my order to the bartender, jostling with other thirsty punters on a Friday night, keen to piss their wages up against a wall letting loose. The black stuff, long luscious pints of creamy goodness. Back down ...
Nicola Willis, Chris Bishop and other National, ACT and NZ First MPs applaud the signing of the coalition agreements, which included the reversal of anti-smoking measures while accelerating tax cuts for landlords. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The five things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy that we wrote ...
Completed reads for November: A Modern Utopia, by H.G. Wells The Vampire (poem), by Heinrich August Ossenfelder The Corpus Hermeticum The Corpus Hermeticum is Mead’s translation. Now, this is indeed a very quiet month for reading. But there is a reason for that… You see, ...
The coalition party agreements are mainly about returning to 2017 when National lost power. They show commonalities but also some serious divergencies.The two coalition agreements – one National and ACT, the other National and New Zealand First – are more than policy documents. They also describe the processes of the ...
First QuestionYou’re going to crack down on people ram-raiding dairies, because you say hard-working dairy owners shouldn’t have to worry about getting ram-raided.But once the chemist shops have pseudoephedrine in them again, they're going to get ram-raided all the time. Do chemists not work as hard as dairy owners?Second QuestionYou ...
First QuestionYou’re going to crack down on people ram-raiding dairies, because you say hard-working dairy owners shouldn’t have to worry about getting ram-raided.But once the chemist shops have pseudoephedrine in them again, they're going to get ram-raided all the time. Do chemists not work as hard as dairy owners?Second QuestionYou ...
Henry Kissinger is finally dead. Good fucking riddance. While Americans loved him, he was a war criminal, responsible for most of the atrocities of the final quarter of the twentieth century. Cambodia. Bangladesh. Chile. East Timor. All Kissinger. Because of these crimes, Americans revere him as a "statesman" (which says ...
Buzz from the Beehive Yes, ministers in the new government are delivering speeches and releasing press statements. But the message on the government’s official website was the same as it has been for the past several days, when Point of Order went looking for news from the Beehive that had ...
David Farrar writes – 1 News reports: Christopher Luxon says he was told by some Kiwis on the campaign trail they “didn’t know” the difference between Waka Kotahi, Te Pūkenga and Te Whatu Ora. Speaking to Breakfast, the incoming prime minister said having English first on government agencies will “make sure” ...
There are fears that mooted changes to building consent liability could end up driving the building industry into an uninsured hole. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Here’s my pick of the top 10 news and analysis links elsewhere as of 10 am on Thursday, November 30, including:The new Government’s ...
Well that didn’t last long, did it? Mere days after taking on what he called the “awesome responsibility” of being Prime Minister, M Christopher Luxon has started blaming everyone else, and complaining that he has inherited “economic vandalism on an unprecedented scale” – which is how most of us are ...
The first I knew of the news about Tory Whanau was when a tweet came up in my feed.The sort of tweet that makes you question humanity, or at least why you bother with Twitter. Which is increasingly a cesspit of vile inhabitants who lurk spreading negativity, hate, and every ...
Cable Cars, Gondolas, Ropeways and Aerial Trams are all names for essentially the same technology and the world’s biggest maker of them are here to sell them as an public transport solution. Stuff reports: Austrian cable car company Doppelmayr has launched its case for adding aerial cable cars to New ...
Hi,It’s been awhile since I’ve done an Ask-Me-Anything on here, so today’s the day. Ask anything you like in the comments section, and I’ll be checking in today and tomorrow to answer.Leave a commentNext week I’ll be giving away a bunch of these Mister Organ blu-rays for readers in New ...
The cost of living grind continues, and the economic and inflation honeymoon is over before it began. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR:PM Christopher Luxon unveiled his 100 day plan yesterday with an avowed focus of reducing cost-of-living pressures, but his Government’s initial moves and promises are actually elevating ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has confirmed that it will be back to the future on planning legislation. This will be just one of a number of moves which will see the new government go backwards as it repeals and cost-cuts its way into power. They will completely repeal one ...
As the new government settles into the Beehive, expectations are high that it can sort out some of the economic issues confronting New Zealand. It may take time for some new ministers to get to grips with the range of their portfolio work and responsibilities before they can launch the changes that ...
TV3 political editor Jenna Lynch was among the corps of political reporters who bridled, when Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters told them what he thinks of them (which is not much). She was unabashed about letting her audience know she had bridled. More usefully, she drew attention to something which ...
I have a clear memory of every election since 1969 in this plucky little nation of ours. I swear I cannot recall a single one where the question being asked repeatedly in the first week of the new government was: how long do you reckon they’ll last? And that includes all ...
Who’s At The Wheel? The electorate’s message, as aggregated in the polling booths on 14 October, turned out to be a conservative political agenda stronger than anything New Zealand has seen in five decades. In 1975, Bill Rowling was run over by just one bus, with Rob Muldoon at the wheel. In 2023, ...
The fear and loathing among legacy journalists is astonishingGraham Adams writes – No one is going to die wondering how some of the nation’s most influential journalists personally view the new National-led government. It has become abundantly clear within a few days of the coalition agreements ...
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The day after being sworn in the new cabinet met yesterday, to enjoy their honeymoon phase. You remember, that period after a new government takes power where the country, and the media, are optimistic about them, because they haven’t had a chance to stuff anything about yet.Sadly the nuptials complete ...
Wellington Council hoardings proclaim its preparations for population growth, but around the country councils are putting things on hold in the absence of clear funding pathways for infrastructure, and despite exploding migrant numbers. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Cabinet meets in earnest today to consider the new Government’s 100-day ...
Though New Zealand First may have had ambitions to run the infrastructure portfolios, National would seem to have ended up firmly in control of them. POLITIK has obtained a private memo to members of Infrastructure NZ yesterday, which shows that the peak organisation for infrastructure sees National MPs Chris ...
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 ...
Who’s At The Wheel? The electorate’s message, as aggregated in the polling booths on 14 October, turned out to be a conservative political agenda stronger than anything New Zealand has seen in five decades. In 1975, Bill Rowling was run over by just one bus, with Rob Muldoon at the wheel. In ...
Cheers to reader Deane for this quote from Breakfast TV today:Chloe Swarbrick to Brook van Velden re the coalition agreement: “... an unhinged grab-bag of hot takes from your drunk uncle at Christmas”Cheers also to actual Prime Minister of a country Christopher Luxon for dorking up his swearing-in vows.But that's enough ...
Cheers to reader Deane for this quote from Breakfast TV today:Chloe Swarbrick to Brook van Velden re the coalition agreement: “... an unhinged grab-bag of hot takes from your drunk uncle at Christmas”Cheers also to actual Prime Minister of a country Christopher Luxon for dorking up his swearing-in vows.But that's enough ...
One of the big underlying problems in our political system is the prevalence of short-term thinking, most usually seen in the periodic massive infrastructure failures at a local government level caused by them skimping on maintenance to Keep Rates Low. But the new government has given us a new example, ...
New Zealand has a chance to rise again. Under the previous government, the number of New Zealanders below the poverty line was increasing year by year. The Luxon-led government must reverse that trend – and set about stabilising the pillars of the economy. After the mismanagement of the outgoing government created huge ...
Two articles by Karl du Fresne bring media coverage of the new government into considerations. He writes – Tuesday, November 28, 2023The left-wing media needed a line of attack, and they found one The left-wing media pack wasted no time identifying the new government’s weakest point. Seething over ...
The work beginsPhilip Crump wrote this article ahead of the new government being sworn in yesterday – Later today the new National-led coalition government will be sworn in, and the hard work begins. At the core of government will be three men – each a leader ...
As everyone who watches television or is on the mailing list for any of our major stores will confirm, “Black Friday” has become the longest running commercial extravaganza and celebration in our history. Although its origins are obscure (presumably dreamt up by American salesmen a few years ago), it has ...
Yesterday the Ministers in the next government were sworn in by our Governor General. A day of tradition and ceremony, of decorum and respect. Usually.But yesterday Winston Peters, the incoming Deputy Prime Minister, and Foreign Minister, of our nation used it, as he did with the signing of the coalition ...
Nicola Willis’ first move was ‘spilling the tea’ on what she called the ‘sobering’ state of the nation’s books, but she had better be able to back that up in the HYEFU. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Here’s my pick of top 10 news links elsewhere at 10 am ...
Yesterday Auckland Transport were celebrating, as the most recent Sunday was the busiest Sunday they’ve ever had. That’s a great outcome and I’m sure the ...
Nicola Willis (in blue) at the signing of the coalition agreement, before being sworn in as both Finance Minister and Social Investment Minister. National’s plan to unwind anti-smoking measures will benefit her in the first role, but how does it stack up from a social investment viewpoint? Photo: Lynn Grieveson ...
For the first time "in history" we decided to jump on the "Giving Tuesday" bandwagon in order to make you aware of the options you have to contribute to our work! Projects supported by Skeptical Science Inc. Skeptical ScienceSkeptical Science is an all-volunteer organization but ...
Let’s say it’s 1984,and there's a dreary little nation at the bottom of the Pacific whose name rhymes with New Zealand,and they've just had an election.Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, will you look at the state of these books we’ve opened,cries the incoming government, will you look at all this mountain ...
Wellington is braced for a “massive impact’ from the new government’s cutting public service jobs, The Post somewhat grimly reported today. Expectations of an economic and social jolt are based on the National-Act coalition agreement to cut public service numbers in each government agency in a cost-trimming exercise “informed by” head ...
One of the threats in the National - ACT - NZ First coalition agreements was to extend the term of Parliament to four years, reducing our opportunities to throw a bad government out. The justification? Apparently, the government thinks "elections are expensive". This is the stupidest of stupid reasons for ...
Buzz from the Beehive The new government was being sworn in, at time of writing , and when Point of Order checked the Beehive website for the latest ministerial statements and re-visit some of the old ones we drew a blank. We found …. Nowt. Nothing. Zilch. Not a ...
Michael Bassett writes – Like most people, I was getting heartily sick of all the time being wasted over the coalition negotiations. During the first three weeks Winston grinned like a Cheshire cat, certain he’d be needed; Chris Luxon wasted time in lifting the phone to Winston ...
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Lindsay Mitchell writes – A hugely significant gain for ACT is somewhat camouflaged by legislative jargon. Under the heading ‘Oranga Tamariki’ ACT’s coalition agreement contains the following item: Remove Section 7AA from the Oranga Tamariki Act 1989 According to Oranga Tamariki: “Section ...
A previous column looked at Winston Peters biographically. This one takes a closer look at his record as a minister, especially his policy record.Brian Easton writes – 1990-1991: Minister of Māori Affairs. Few remember Ka Awatea as a major document on the future of Māori policy; there is ...
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PM Elect Christopher Luxon was challenged this morning on whether he would sack Adrian Orr and Andrew Coster.TL;DR: Here’s my pick of top 10 news links elsewhere at 10 am on Monday November 27, including:Signs councils are putting planning and capital spending on hold, given a lack of clear guidance ...
This column expands on a Werewolf column published by Scoop on FridayRoutinely, Winston Peters is described as the kingmaker who gets to decide when the centre right or the centre-left has a turn at running this country. He also plays a less heralded but equally important role as the ...
Last Friday, almost six weeks after election day, National finally came to an agreement with ACT and NZ First to form a government. They also released the agreements between each party and looking through them, here are the things I thought were the most interesting (and often concerning) from the. ...
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Perhaps the biggest change that will come to the Beehive as the new government settles in will be a fundamental culture change. The era of endless consultation will be over. This looks like a government that knows what it wants to do, and that means it knows what outcomes ...
So what do you think of the coalition’s decision to cancel Smokefree measures intended to stop young people, including an over representation of Māori, from taking up smoking? Enabling them to use the tax revenue to give other people a tax cut?David Cormack summed it up well:It seems not only ...
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On announcement morning my mate texted:Typical of this cut-price, fake-deal government to announce itself on Black Friday.What a deal. We lose Kim Hill, we gain an empty, jargonising prime minister, a belligerent conspiracist, and a heartless Ayn Rand fanboy. One door closes, another gets slammed repeatedly in your face.It seems pretty ...
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Hi,Thanks for getting amongst Mister Organ on digital — thanks to you, we hit the #1 doc spot on iTunes this week. This response goes a long way to helping us break even.I feel good about that. Other things — not so much.New Zealand finally has a new government, and ...
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“And there’ll be no shortage of ‘events’ to test Luxon’s political skills. David Seymour wants a referendum on the Treaty. Winston wants a Royal Commission of Inquiry into Labour’s handling of the Covid crisis. Talk about cans of worms!”LAURIE AND LES were very fond of their local. It was nothing ...
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. Misinformation is debated everywhere and has justifiably sparked concerns. It can polarise the public, reduce health-protective behaviours such as mask wearing and vaccination, and erode trust in science. Much of misinformation is spread not ...
A previous column looked at Winston Peters biographically. This one takes a closer look at his record as a minister, especially his policy record.1990-1991: Minister of Māori Affairs. Few remember Ka Awatea as a major document on the future of Māori policy; there is not even an entry in Wikipedia. ...
So New Zealand has a brand-spanking new right-wing government. Not just any new government either. A formal majority coalition, of the sort last seen in 1996-1998 (our governmental arrangements for the past quarter of a century have been varying flavours of minority coalition or single-party minority, with great emphasis ...
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Nothing says strong and stable like having your government announcement delayed by a day because one of your deputies wants to remind everyone, but mostly you, who wears the trousers. It was all a bit embarrassing yesterday with the parties descending on Wellington before pulling out of proceedings. There are ...
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By scrapping Aotearoa’s world-leading smokefree laws, this government is sacrificing Māori lives to fund tax cuts for the wealthy. Not only is this plan revolting, but it doesn’t add up. Treasury has estimated that the reversal of smokefree laws to pay for tax cuts will cost our health system $5.25bn, ...
Figures showing National needs to find another $900 million for landlords highlights the mess this coalition Government is in less than a week into the job. ...
Community organisations, mana whenua and the Greens have written to the incoming Minister of Oceans and Fisheries to call for the progression without delay of the Hauraki Gulf/Tīkapa Moana Marine Protection Bill. ...
"On behalf of the Labour Party I would like to congratulate Christopher Luxon on his appointment as Prime Minister,” Labour Party Leader Chris Hipkins said. ...
NZ First has gotten their wish to ‘take our country back’ to the 1800s with a policy program that will white-wash Aotearoa and erase tangata whenua rights. By disestablishing the Māori Health Authority this Government has condemned Māori to die seven years earlier than Pākehā. By removing Treaty obligations from ...
Te Pāti Māori have called for the resignation of the Ministry of Foreign and Trade chief executive Chris Seed following his decision to erase te reo Māori from government communications. While the country still waits for a new government to be formed, Mr Seed took it upon himself to undermine ...
The New Zealand Labour Party is urgently calling for a ceasefire in Gaza and Israel to put a halt to the appalling attacks and violence, so that a journey to a lasting peace can begin, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said. ...
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Former National cabinet minister Hekia Parata has resigned from the Royal Commission into the Covid-19 pandemic. She departed the commission on November 15, ahead of the formation of the new government but after the overall election result was known. The National-led coalition has announced it will look to introduce a ...
E tū, the biggest private sector union in Aotearoa New Zealand, is shocked to learn that the National Party’s coalition agreement with ACT would see planned tax breaks for landlords brought forward, costing at least $900 million according to analysis ...
RNZ political reporter Katie Scotcher, Newhub's political editor Jenna Lynch, and the New Zealand Herald's deputy political editor, Thomas Coughlan discuss the coalition government's first week in charge. ...
On Tuesday, MPs will be required to pledge an oath of allegiance to ‘ His Majesty King Charles the Third, His heirs and successors’ before they can be officially sworn into Parliament. This is symbolic of the colonial power that Parliament places ...
Auckland’s new professional football franchise has less than a year to assemble a squad that’s not just competitive, but capable of winning over the city’s fickle fans. Whose signatures should they be hunting?Professional football is returning to Auckland. Billionaire American businessman Bill Foley, owner of NHL champions the Las ...
As a new climate loss and damage fund is operationalised on the first day of the COP28 UN climate conference, Greenpeace Aotearoa is condemning the New Zealand Government’s decision to restart offshore fossil fuel exploration, which will only lead to more ...
The Association of Salaried Medical Specialists have settled their pay negotiations with Te Whatu Ora ending months of bargaining and industrial action. More than 90 per cent of polled ASMS members voted to accept Te Whatu Ora’s latest pay offer ...
Pacific Media Watch Journalists and media workers have criticised comments made by Aotearoa New Zealand’s newly-elected Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters — who claimed that a 2020 Labour government media funding initiative constituted “bribery” — as a threat to media freedom. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) reports that it ...
ANALYSIS:By Tristan Dunning, University of Queensland, and Martin Kear, University of Sydney While the world remains fixated on the devastating October 7 Hamas attacks and the subsequent Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip, there has been a pronounced — and mostly unnoticed — escalation in violence against Palestinians in ...
ANALYSIS:By Terence Wood In the wake of New Zealand’s recent election, and subsequent coalition negotiations, Winston Peters has emerged as New Zealand’s Foreign Minister again. I’ve never been able to adequately explain why a populist politician leading a party called New Zealand First would have an interest in a ...
NZME, the owners of the Herald, has been fined close to $200,000 after a “magnetic puzzle toy” sold through its Grabone service was deemed to be unsafe. The fine is an increase on the $88,000 penalty previous imposed by the court after the Commerce Commission appealed the decision. In a ...
On Saturday 2 December, pro-choice supporters will rally and march to defend abortion rights and to counter anti-choice conservatives. The rally starts at 1pm at Te Aro Park (Dixon/Manners) with speakers in the Park before marching. ...
The Reserve Bank surprised everyone this week by warning it may have to raise interest rates again to force inflation down, effectively eliminating the prospect of major mortgage rate cuts over the coming summer. In this week’s episode of When the Facts Change, Kiwibank chief economist Jarrod Kerr joins Bernard ...
Ōtepoti supporters of Restore Passenger Rail will slowly walk from the Railway Station to the Octagon on Monday morning, in support of their campaign’s demands that the new Government restores a nationwide passenger rail service and provides ...
Dame Jacinda Ardern observed after she stood down as Prime Minister that "Government isn’t just what you do, it's how you make people feel". While an interesting insight into how she viewed the purpose of government (and, some would argue, an ...
As the show prepares for its final episode, we look back at some of the weird and wonderful moments from the last six years of The Project NZ. The Project NZ burst into the 7pm slot in February 2017, and has since served us everything from Lizzo’s opinion on cheese ...
J Day Is Auckland’s Annual Celebration Of Our Kiwi Cannabis Culture And A Protest Against Prohibition, Held In Albert Park Every Year Since 1992. NORML and friends presents the 31st Annual J Day, usually held on the first Saturday in May every year ...
E Tipu e Rea Whānau Services are deeply concerned at the new Government's plan to scrap Section 7AA of the Oranga Tamariki Act. As an organisation that works with teenage parents and their tamariki who have a history of state intervention, we know ...
Auckland is considering a move that would reduce kerbside rubbish collections to once a fortnight. It’s part of a council plan to drastically reduce the amount of rubbish produced by households, supported by the recent city-wide rollout of food scrap bins expected to reduce up to 41% of bin contents by ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mike W. Morley, Associate Professor and Director, Flinders Microarchaeology Laboratory, Flinders University In June, researchers led by palaeoanthropologist Lee Berger published sensational claims about an extinct human species called Homo naledi online and in the Netflix documentary Unknown: Cave of Bones. They ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Merja Myllylahti, Senior Lecturer, Co-Director Research Centre for Journalism, Media & Democracy, Auckland University of Technology According to a recent survey by the News Media Association, 90% of editors in the United Kingdom “believe that Google and Meta pose an existential threat ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sophie Scott, Associate Professor (Adjunct), Science Communication, University of Notre Dame Australia Shutterstock It’s getting towards the time of the year when you might feel more overwhelmed than usual. There are work projects to finish and perhaps exams in the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stephanie Wescott, Lecturer in Education, Monash University This week a new report said there was a “curriculum problem” in Australia. Education consultancy group Learning First found the science curriculum lacked depth and breadth and had major problems with sequencing and clarity. While ...
The new government has reiterated its commitment to build a stronger relationship with India. Trade minister Todd McClay will visit the country before the end of the month for a whirlwind trip to meet with his counterpart, reports Thomas Coughlan at the Herald. “I will be working with prime minister ...
The PM says deep spending cuts are needed to fix the ‘economic vandalism’ of the previous government. But Luxon and Willis are already running up some big bills of their own, writes Catherine McGregor in this excerpt from The Bulletin, The Spinoff’s morning news round-up. To receive The Bulletin in ...
In his first week on the job, new Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell is visiting cyclone and flood-ravaged regions to hear what they need from the government. ...
They’re cold, they’re caffeinated and they’re classier than an energy drink – iced coffee in a can has gone from novelty to normal in Aotearoa in record time. We tasted 25 to sort the morning must-haves from the mediocre mud water. Just a few short years ago, coffee in a ...
Many news consumers feel a responsibility to bear witness to all sorts of distressing images and events. But deciding to tune out instead doesn’t make you a bad person, writes counsellor Ross Palethorpe. Our attention is demanded everywhere. We are exhorted to witness, to not look away, to act, in ...
Opinion: The costs of living in New Zealand have been in the news for decades, with particular attention paid to food and housing. Food costs have been mostly blamed on the supermarket duopoly. The economics of the production and distribution of food and associated international commerce relationships and the ...
FICTION 1 The Girl from London by Olivia Spooner (Hachette, $37.99) A free copy of the wildly popular novel about a wartime shipboard romance was up for grabs in last week’s giveaway contest. Readers were asked to recount a shipboard romance in their own lives or someone they knew. ...
Loading…(function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){var ql=document.querySelectorAll('A[quiz],DIV[quiz],A[data-quiz],DIV[data-quiz]'); if(ql){if(ql.length){for(var k=0;k<ql.length;k++){ql[k].id='quiz-embed-'+k;ql[k].href="javascript:var i=document.getElementById('quiz-embed-"+k+"');try{qz.startQuiz(i)}catch(e){i.start=1;i.style.cursor='wait';i.style.opacity='0.5'};void(0);"}}};i['QP']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){(i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o),m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m)})(window,document,'script','https://take.quiz-maker.com/3012/CDN/quiz-embed-v1.js','qp'); Got a good quiz question?Send Newsroom your questions. The post Newsroom daily quiz, Friday 1 December appeared first on Newsroom. ...
It’s been a big few years for usage of New Zealand’s rail network, according to KiwiRail executives, who have reported unprecedented interest from freight customers as capital investment mounts. But they highlight the need for big jobs such as separating passenger and freight lines and bolstering the rail corridor ...
With a call for petroleum companies and the nations of the world to work together to solve the climate crisis, the United Arab Emirates’ controversial choice of President of COP28, opened the UN’s annual climate negotiations in Dubai yesterday. “Colleagues, let history reflect the fact that this is the ...
The coalition agreements contain many actions on the environment - most of them regressive and some that could take NZ back decades, writes environmentalist Gary Taylor The post New Government crashes environment appeared first on Newsroom. ...
Call it inflation, call it rising cost of living or call it “cozzie livs” as our Aussie friends now do. But it’s impacting different cities around the world very differently. The dry Aussie vernacular disguises a real problem in their biggest cities, Sydney and Melbourne, which price rises have ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Peter Dutton has his tail up, but he’s being careful to manage expectations. As the opposition celebrates its suddenly improved fortunes, Dutton told the party room this week that inevitably the government would recalibrate over ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Breadon, Program Director, Health and Aged Care, Grattan Institute A Senate committee has investigated why so many Australians are missing out on dental care and made 35 recommendations for reform. By far the most sweeping is the call for universal ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Lester Munson, Non-resident fellow, United States Studies Centre, University of Sydney Henry Kissinger was the ultimate champion of the United States’ foreign policy battles. The former US secretary of state died on November 29 2023 after living for a century. The ...
Coldplay will become the first musical act to play three nights at Auckland’s Eden Park when they visit the country in a year’s time. The band has just announced a third and final show at the venue as part of their global and seemingly never-ending Music of the Spheres world ...
A genuine news story quickly became a springboard for rumour and speculation, with one councillor at the centre of it. Wellington mayor Tory Whanau has a problem with alcohol. She has made that public and is clearly embarrassed. Whanau’s public behaviour was first called into questionin July after reports of ...
In light of the Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters’ recent comments about the media, a group of journalists who serve as E tū delegates say these claims are misinformed. Mr Peters has claimed the Public Interest Journalism Fund was a government “bribe” ...
RNZ News New Zealand’s opposition Labour Party has announced its shadow cabinet to face off against the conservative coalition government. The party endorsed Chris Hipkins as leader and voted Carmel Sepuloni as deputy earlier this month. Sepuloni is also Pacific Peoples minister. Many of the roles are a continuation of ...
It’s been a big few years for usage of New Zealand’s rail network, according to KiwiRail executives who have reported unprecedented interest from freight customers as capital investment mounts. But at the same time, they caution the need for big jobs like separating passenger and freight lines and bolstering ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Thompson, Associate Professor of Media Studies, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington Winston Peters had only just been sworn in as deputy prime minister when his long-standing antipathy to the news media emerged in the form of a serious ...
The Animal Justice Party Aotearoa New Zealand (AJPANZ) is joining forces with our friends across the ditch to lead a global protest against sportswear giant Adidas. AJPANZ has peaceful protests set to take place in Auckland and Christchurch this ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra A parliamentary inquiry has delivered a scathing indictment of Australia’s employment services, finding it does not serve the interests of job seekers or employers and urging the privatised system be partially wound back. A rigid ...
Auckland mayor Wayne Brown has unveiled a proposal he says will encourage more uptake of public transport around the city. He’d like to see a $50 cap on public transport costs per person per week, which would cover bus, rail and inner harbour ferry services. “We need to get the ...
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New Zealand’s new Government created international headlines this week for its decision to reverse the world’s first smoking ‘generation ban’. Now another major u-turn is on the cards, as New Zealand pledges to overturn the world-leading ...
The Others Way returns for 2023 at a bunch of venues on and around Auckland’s Karangahape Road on Friday night. Here’s who you can catch, where and when.The Others Way is, in general, a pretty chaotic music festival, spread over a number of venues in the busy Karangahape Road ...
The New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union is offering to redesign logos for any renamed government departments for free in an effort to save taxpayers money following concerns that requiring a name change of government departments will give them an excuse to ...
The former justice minister Kiri Allan has revealed she pleaded not guilty to a charge of failing to accompany a police officer in order to test a grey area in the law. Allan’s case, which related to a political career-ending car crash in July, was set to be heard in ...
New Zealand Disability Support Network is seeking assurance that disabled New Zealanders are a priority for the new government after being omitted from their 100 day plan. “Disability support providers wondering how they’ll survive financially, underpaid ...
The Taxpayers’ Union can today reveal that Grant Robertson’s attendance at the Rugby World Cup final in Paris cost taxpayers $39,605. Included in the cost was more than $32,000 in business class flights and more than $5000 in accommodation costs ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tristan Salles, Senior Lecturer, University of Sydney Earth’s surface is the living skin of our planet – it connects the physical, chemical and biological systems. Over geological time, this surface evolves. Rivers fragment the landscape into an environmentally diverse range of habitats. ...
For the eighth year, people in prisons will be receiving handmade holiday cards from strangers on the outside.Next to me, Amir* has drawn a beautiful streak of green across the front of a card. “Shit”, he says. The streak was intended to be the stem of a pōhutukawa, but ...
Former Invercargill mayor and national icon Tim Shadbolt will lend his name to the terminal at Invercargill Airport. The city’s councillors have agreed to pay tribute to Shadbolt’s eight-term tenure as mayor. He was first elected in 1993 and, aside from one term, held the position consistently until 2022. “Sir ...
Anna Galvan admits she’s not great on details. The former Silver Fern struggles to pinpoint a specific match that stands out to her, despite a career spanning 17 years in the elite game and 13 tests for her country. But ask the proud Cantabrian a strategic question on ...
Labour leader Chris Hipkins has unveiled a portfolio and list reshuffle as his party readies to hold the new coalition government to account. The line-up brought ministerial experience that National, Act and NZ First lacked, said Hipkins, and included six women and four men in the top 10. “I am ...
Two baby kiwi are the first to be born in the Wellington wild for over 150 years. The Capital Kiwi Project has, for more than five years, run a 4,600-strong stoat trap in the hills south-west of Wellington. Once predators had been deemed under control, 11 North Island brown kiwi ...
Wellington mayor Tory Whanau is off work with Covid-19, the day after admitting to an alcohol issue following media questions. Whanau told RNZ she was seeking “professional help” after reports of drunken behaviour in public, with the Herald reporting that a video “may be” circulating in the public domain. Today, ...
Not everyone needs to follow a tertiary pathway. But for those who do, a degree could well be ‘the experience of a lifetime’.In today’s job market, it’s hard not to feel a little hopeless. As entire industries go through massive change, it can be difficult for new entrants to ...
Judging by this RNZ review, the young politicians debate was fun: https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/election-2023/498767/sparks-fly-at-youth-debate-as-candidates-forced-to-defend-policies
Rather unfair of the god of heavy metal to zap a fan like that, I thought. However, since the dude survived the test he's likely to prove himself staunch in politics…
This is a topic that needs serious attention, pubity was confusing enough when I went through it , Im as hetero as they get but it still took me a while to be sure, that was before the internet and schools telling me I could possibly be a number of things gender wise now!
I agree it's a trending up thing. I'm all for self-determination. Your point about developmental confusion is a good one too re adolescence.
College in the '60s was macho & as a sensitive but feisty lad I acquired an ability to copy the cool guys somewhat. They call it mimesis nowadays – a biological skill. So many in my class were pretending to be gay which I thought peculiar & that they were all kidding. I was so naive!
Teenagers to young adults have a period of development where they differentiate from their parents and family and start associating with their chosen friend groups instead. This is where they tend to highlight (or present) their individual personalities and how they are different from their immediate family. This is sometimes known as the rebellious teenage phase.
I suspect a lot (though not all) of gender non-conforming behavior within this age range is an example of this developmental phenomena myself. Probably similar with the development of gay teenagers personalities at the time, but that trait usually persists into adulthood.
Unfortunately I found out about this while reading how Stefan Molyneux had been using his wife's counseling qualifications to offer internet counseling, and pushing young adults into family separation in practice.
https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2008/nov/15/family-relationships-fdr-defoo-cult
"Swarbrick interrupted, saying "I think you're talking about consequences, bro". She said the data showed trans people and children were more highly represented in mental ill health and suicide statistics, "and mate, it's driven by rhetoric from the likes of your party," to applause from the audience."
Data shows that those who declare a gender identity – often have co-morbidities that affect mental health. These are often not explored further when the approach is "gender affirming health care":
https://www.transgendertrend.com/current-evidence/
Swedish link here: https://www.vardfokus.se/samhalle/konsdysfori-som-diagnos-okar-kraftigt-bland-unga/
It dismays me to continually read the irresponsible reference to suicide that many people use, despite providing no data, and against suicide prevention guidelines.
An article on this issue:
https://www.city-journal.org/article/reckless-and-irresponsible
Yes, you're quite right. More accuracy & care in diagnosis & treatment seems to be required. Folks are averse to complexity and will retreat into conventional simple-minded categorising given half a chance. It's normal to condone such human nature but public health necessitates transcendence of such trad normalcy.
Where I practice five to ten percent of inpatients would be transgender at any given time.They all have commonalities. Female trans-gendering to male, Personality disorders, on the Autism spectrum, sexually abused as a child. Transitioning is simply a way of making yourself unattractive to predating males,
Can you cite any of the LGBTQIA+group where this is not also the case?
Historically it was because of the diagnosis by the profession and society that those not obedient to essential patriarchy in social and religious order of rule (cisgener heterosexual Pauline society) was abnormal.
Alienation from land/mana and unemployment/poverty and related cycles of abuse and society gaslighjting have done the same for Maori.
Your lengthy but lazy copypasta, with selective parts left out without any indication for the unsuspecting reader, just to make an inane comment at the very end!?
Lift your game!
Another day, another ACT candidate showing how nasty they really are. How many is that now? It's hard to keep up.
Unfortunately Stuff has removed easy access to many of its stories now, but here's a summary of their report:
NZ election 2023 live: ACT's bad fortnight gets a bit worse as insiders lift lid on candidate process | Stuff.co.nz
Zuck in 2021: "In the metaverse, you'll be able to do almost anything you can imagine".
A moment of truth looms:
Looks like a magical portal dysfunction. Enchanted users getting sucked thro is happening slowly. A design flaw, or technoklutz? We'll see I guess:
Both. The latter causing the former. Worse than a design flaw though – a moral/spiritual/intellectual flaw. Compelling evidence of why we should never allow anybody to become extremely rich, because otherwise our society gets dominated by the worst people in it.
a moral/spiritual/intellectual flaw
Yeah, good point. I believe humans have a spiritual drive within, as part of the psyche, separate from intellect. Morality seems to have biological roots – which evolutionary psych science has been exploring for decades (reciprocal altruism) which seems to interface with the spiritual drive via religion (in deep shit in western countries) but the person/group interface is the gut of the nexus.
That's a triad (p/g, slash symbol=function) btw – Zuck, as avatar of jewish capitalism, may be on a steep learning curve…
So here's what our future hinges on:
So Labour in this term has spent enough to solve a quarter of the problem. That's better than a kick in the head, but probably a performance worth 6/10.
So import so many foreigners that the country's infrastructure gets even less viable in the future, a performance worth 0/10.
Sensibly resilient: 8/10
Again, you try to re-write somebody else’s article to suit your own narrative, without making it clear to the unsuspecting reader, which is both intellectually dishonest and lazy.
For example, this is how the original authentic text goes:
I’m getting tired of your slippery behaviour.
An open letter from Gerald Otto to Christopher Luxon – containing some pertinent truths which should be more wide broadcast!
https://nickrockel.substack.com/p/letter-to-luxon?utm_source=profile&utm_medium=reader2
So powerful Tony. Thanks. What would happen if Gerald's letter was published as an opinion piece in the Herald or Stuff? He sums up the reality so well.
https://nickrockel.substack.com/p/letter-to-luxon?utm_source=profile&utm_medium=reader2
Latest Newshub poll last night. It's Left 42.9 Right 47.9 if NZF fail to reach the 5% threshold. Just five points in it and all to play for. I don't believe that TPM are on only 2.2%.
The Greens are on a roll and ACT are in freefall. A friend of mine, a regular Labour voter, told me yesterday she would vote Green this time due to their Wealth Tax policy. Meanwhile yet another ACT candidate resigned in disgrace yesterday after making homophobic media posts and internal fighting within the party is flaring up.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/300977306/nz-election-2023-live-acts-bad-fortnight-gets-a-bit-worse-as-insiders-lift-lid-on-candidate-process
You can add that the Greens consistently under poll, that is they get more votes on the day than expected, and they traditionally score well with ex-patriot voters overseas.
I was proud of my daughter because she told me that she and all her overseas based friends were all voting Green because "they are the only ones really serious about climate change".
Not proud because she supports The Greens, proud because she is intelligent enough to look past the gold-plated promises and look to the future.
Mike: Yes late overseas votes may decide the election. NZF could be on 5.1 on election night and 4.9 after late votes are included. The Greens often pick up a seat as you say.
If NZF drop to say 4.8%, it becomes a 3 MP difference. How many votes is that?
link to calculations
My thoughts on the announced "Minister of Just Transitions" announced the other day.
I think this title is very ambiguous. Firstly, the word "Just" could mean either "only" or "equitable". Secondly, the first thought that came to mind when I heard the word "Transitions" was that it was something to do with gender identity, since that topic has been in the public debate a lot lately.
Reading further into the announcement, it appears to be to do with reducing emissions, and adapting to climate change and ensuring that the poor are not impacted unfairly in the process. From what I can see, it looks like a geeky, pc term for this role that is used internationally.
But, that definition seems to be already covered within the scope of James Shaw's Minister of Climate Change role. Minister of Climate Change is a much better name anyway, I think. Because it is very clear and explicit what it is about.
But the fact that the new title seems both ambiguous and appears to be highly pc geek speak seems only to reinforce the picture that opposition parties are trying to paint of Labour being pc and out of touch. It also seems that Labour assumes that people in the electorate are familiar already with this term (I wasn’t) and therefore should automatically know what it is all about. So, it comes across to me as a bit arrogant, and implying that people are stupid if they don’t get it.
So, I am left scratching my head about why such a title would be chosen for the role.
So the Labour Party's promise of a "Minister for Just Transitions" comes across to you as "a bit arrogant, and implying that people are stupid if they don’t get it." Intriguing.
How does the Nat's would-be Minister of Finance's refusal to show her working for the projected revenue from their much-touted foreign buyer tax come across to you? A bit arrogant, and implying that people are stupid if they don't get it?
Willux can't show their working – you know why. It's a major concern, don't you think?
What more do you want exactly. They have provided the number of houses required to sell at above the threshold price to achieve the tax objective. So, the numbers are out there so far as I can see. The biggest area of contention is whether the numbers are realistic or not. And, there is obviously enough given for people to debate that point.
Honesty. Economists say Willux's numbers have no basis in reality – can’t trust ’em.
I want to see the advice/analysis that shows their "number of houses required" is realistic. Either Willis and Luxon have been scammed, or they are scamming the voters.
And why on earth do the Nats think that wealthy foreigners buying up NZ properties will be good for Kiwis anyway? Which Kiwis exactly?
Information that is false and deliberately created to harm a person, social group, organization or country.
Information that is false, but not created with the intention of causing harm.
Information that is based on real facts, but manipulated to inflict harm on a person, organization or country.
https://www.undp.org/eurasia/dis/misinformation
I posted a link to an article in GD a week or so back of a stuff article I think of one economist who was basing his projected sales on last-years sales, at a time when the property market was in a major slump. If that is typical of the quality of analysis from economists, then the problem may be with them.
I think projections should be based on sales volumes prior to Covid and the foreign buyer ban.
According to Megan Woods, 4120 homes per year were sold to foreigners pa in previous years.
Allowing for a lot of house inflation since then, it might not be unreasonable to project 1700 houses reaching the threshold for the tax.
In the end, it is all just projections and assumptions to justify any of the promises political parties make. Labour seems to be splashing the cash with their promises like we have an endless money bucket. So, it would be interesting to see the basis of how they propose to pay for all that.
More pro-Nat scamming – disappointing.
And why on earth do the Nats think that wealthy foreigners buying up NZ properties wouldl be good for Kiwis anyway? Which Kiwis? Exactly!
That is where Woods isn't particularly clear. Does she mean 5% of the whole housing market, or 5% of the houses sold to foreigners? Because it makes a big difference.
And, if she was referring to the percentage of houses back in 2018 above that threshold, then house price inflation definitely hasn't been factored into her comment.
Take a look at a histogram. Often it doesn't take that much movement in any factor to shift it from the extremes to more towards the centre.
Who is advising/lobbying the Nats, and why are Willis and Luxon scamming Kiwi voters? I think we both know.
Which Kiwis benefit from opening up NZ’s property market to wealthy foreigners? I think we both know.
Self-serving springs to momd.
You are conveniently ignoring the fact that we have been in the midst of the largest property slump in the last 40 years. But you are making exactly the same mistake as the economist I pointed to.
The property market will pick up again once it has corrected and interest rates have retracted once inflation is under control.
And that, apparently, is the main thing. Tsmithfield, you are quite insistent that Willis and Luxon should be taken at their word, when they've clearly been caught out trying to scam the voters.
Hmm – donations the Nats receive. Could ending the ban on foreigners buying Kiwi homes be a way of rewarding the donors?
mind
The notion of a "just transition" from a high-emissions economy to a carbon neutral or carbon negative one has been around for ages. Bernie Sanders was banging on about it every day in the 2016 race. Like Luxo, Bernie stuck to his lines – but Bernie's lines actually had intellectual and moral content. (sigh – cést la vie)
The name is simply a recognition that economic and social change on this scale cannot be left to the market – because if you do that it results in both undeserved suffering and undeserved accumulations of wealth. And probably inferior outcomes as well. A responsible government (i.e. a non-NACT one) actually knows that unless you address the very legitimate short-term fears people have for their livelihoods, they will be frightened off doing anything significant about climate change.
Yes, I do understand this. I think the main issue is that you shouldn't have to go into a detailed explanation for people to understand what the name means. The name itself should be self explanatory.
At the heart of it, it's just another announcement, not worth the paper it's printed on.
I forget which one of Hipkin's promises it was, maybe the dental one, but part of it was funded by taking from the CC fighting fund.
All the neo-lib parties are paying lip service to CC.
“When in Motueka shopping… a shop owner told me that his grandson has two kids in his class whom identify as cats and have water bowls on their desks,” one correspondent wrote.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/133004212/party-leader-sue-grey-raises-litterboxes-in-schools-myth-at-candidate-meeting
2 classmates say they are cats to a grandson who tells his grandparent shop-owner who tells shopper in Motueka who writes a letter which is reported in the Nelson Mail.
Why 'hearsay' evidence is the stuff of gossips, social media reckoners, conspiracy theorists and some political candidates!
It's a story about nuttery. It's a story about misinformation. It's a story involving Sue Grey. It's a story about sad cases of deluded, crazy people having their madness publicised.
Sue Grey. Of the Liz Gunn variety of unbalance. It is sad…and you are so right about their media showing..I would think rational people just shake their heads. In disbelief !
I did think the Principals of the schools concerned…were great in response : )
Schools may well need litter boxes should Grey's mob ever have a say in firearms policy.
Will you reintroduce Semi Automatic firearms.
https://outdoorsparty.co.nz/nz-outdoors-party-firearms-policy/
Parents with students in Jeffco Public Schools may have seen some interesting items on their back-to-school shopping lists this year, including buckets and kitty litter.
That’s because more teachers are opting to include “go buckets” in their classroom, to be used by students as toilets during prolonged lockdowns.
https://kdvr.com/news/local/half-of-jeffco-schools-now-have-kitty-litter-filled-buckets-for-lockdowns/
Simple enough to bring in larger magazines. Hell it isn't even that hard to manufacture your own magazines. And that is before you consider the possibilities of 3d printing with metal or plastic.
Basically a magazine is a container for rounds with a spring mechanism and a latching system. To think that you can limit by rounds in a magazine is the ravings of an idiot who doesn’t understand what they are and how they could be adapted.
Besides it isn't the magazine size that is the issue. That is a just a rhetorical fig leaf for the stupid and those who haven’t used firearms a lot. For one reason or another, I have been.
It is the semi-automatic mechanism, barrel length, the ease of changing magazines and how fast you can spray bullets at a that is the issue. The problem is that semiautomatic weapons are designed primarily for one and only thing – warfare against humans. If a non-professional hunter needs a semi-automatic weapon to make a kill, then they shouldn't be hunting because they are incompetent at using a weapon and evidently too lazy to learn how to shoot well.
The only professional hunters we have in NZ are those keeping down our populations of rabbits, possums, and other such. Generally their role has steadily been superseded by the use of poisons and increasingly better fences in reserves.
And most are using pre-charged pneumatics with large capacity magazines.
Cheaper than buying ammo for rabbits.
Much less of a issue with down-range rounds.
Yeah. I find it a fascinating myth. It's invented by people who make that argument that if you can be (say) born female and think you are really a man, then you can theoretically think you are anything at all – a cat, a beetle, a cloud, a planet.
But people don't do that. Some things are literally unthinkable, while others are not. There are boundaries to what we can think and presumably they come from our biology as homo sapiens. Our cognitive apparatus is therefore as biological as any other part of us – including, importantly for this debate, our reproductive systems.
There is a curious indifference to last night's poll which showed NZ First in the kingmaker position (again).
It also seems that some ACT supporters are now deserting the ship and either heading back to National or crossing to NZ First.
The campaign thus far is quite startling by contrast between the attitudes of the left and right. The parties of the left – Labour, Greens, Te Pati Maori – have looked like a unified block focussed on government, whilst still maintaining their individualities. On the other side the parties of the right seem to be barely on speaking terms. Each of them is having to weed out the conspiracy theorists and nut jobs that are proving so embarrassing to their campaigns.
I hope New Zealanders will wake up to what the reality of the Coalition of Division has in store for us or whether the "anything but Labour" mentality rules above all else.
Coalition of Division
Coalition of Crap sounds better but I bet Hipkins isn't man enough to use it!
The use of 'crap' defines a real man?
'Coalition of Division' works very well. It has assonance and alliteration and secondly attacks both the divisive and divided nature of the coalition by using the very wording of the hoardings of its constituents.
Indeed, the very divisive nature of their policies which reflect the politics of fear, division and hatred is what I am most concerned with should that coalition come about- poor government, policies, outcomes, consequences for us all.
Contrast all that with the inclusiveness of the Labour hoarding slogan, 'In it for you.'
In it for you
My first reaction was that Labour has only been in it for me when Kirk sent the frigate to Mururoa & Lange went antinuclear. I do still credit Jacinda for working with James & the Greens though, gotta be fair.
I suspect Luxon will have to grow a spine. If he can't corral them in the next couple of weeks, he'll seem a wimp in public. Could be fatal.
"The use of 'crap' defines a real man?"
Certainly not a hill to die on but the use of 'blunt speak' can resonate with a hell of a lot of people IMO.
Yes – Blunt and concise speak works.
Remember the "Decent Ordinary Bloke" from Muldoon. He captured the heart of New Zealand – it covered a multitude of opinions.
You're right, he doesn't have to. Depends if he wants to win back the floating voters who have abandoned Labour or not. Dominant male stances may not be trendy but they work via tacit psychology since they are part of the evolutionary wiring of the species. That stuff is crucial for male leadership.
I learnt it intuitively back when I observed Rowling in disbelief: presenting as a cross between a hamster & a sparrow. Have in recent years learnt about biological signalling from books on evolutionary psychology…
Hipkins popularity dropping like a stone – even with the lacklustre Luxon as the opponent (19% to 24%)
It's been a long time since a sitting PM was out-pointed by a leader of the opposition. Even the highly popular Ardern didn't manage it against the personality-challenged Bill English (although, to be fair, she might well have done so with a bit more run up time)
I think we'd have to go back to 2008 – when the popular Key out-pointed Clark – to find an example (although that was 30s and 40s rather than the teens and 20s we're seeing with the current contenders)
Check him out in the debate tomorrow night on 3 to see if he listens to all the Labour advisors telling him to go mongrel (just kidding). Gower is moderator. Will he show up in jackboots with horse-whip??
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/300977306/nz-election-2023-live-national-party-to-crack-down-on-people-on-benefits
Quell surprise.
All I can say is, at least they are honest and upfront about their intentions, and beneficiaries know full well in advance where they stand. Unlike with Labour, who have unfortunately had a history now since the 1990s of giving out signals they are on our side, only to either throw us under the bus completely (2000s), or play their games of the last few years of pretending to be kind but ignoring the Welfare working group report and doing bugger all, yet at the same time crowing about how much they've done.
We've been at 3.4-3.6% unemployed and our under-utilised is down to about 300,000 people.
https://www.stats.govt.nz/indicators/underutilisation-rate/
From experience trying to hire people, this means those left are going to need more and more flexibility and support services and $$ to get them to work even part time.
Would hate to see beneficiaries punished when it's clear those on benefits really need societal support not punishment.
Just saw luxon on te news 1, saying well kick them.off benifits because we care,!!
Ugly man
Caught a glimpse of willis on last night’s debate saying they want people to be able to work more hours,
The other day radeymane was mortified that taihape mc ds was only open 9 hours a day,
The nats want there slaves whipped harder.
Since Labour has done nothing of the sort – and since you have ignored the continuing years of extended global pandemic related economic and social interruptions… not to mention the big improvements they have made and plan to build on in the the next parliamentary term (should they be so lucky) – I think most of us will consign your prognosis to the nearest waste paper basket.
Anne, we will have to beg to differ on this one. I'm not going to ask about your personal experiences with the welfare system because that's not my business. But I've unfortunately been dealing with them since 1990 so have a pretty good idea. And yes, I'm very aware there's been a pandemic going on.
Life for us is infinitely better under a centre-left government, but Labour is NOT our friend. The rhetoric does not match the reality. Pandemic or not, there were reforms that could've easily been made that didn't even involve money, or much of it. The fact of the matter is, they're not interested in welfare reform, just glacial, incremental changes. So they don't scare their middle-class voters.
Any improvements have been incredibly small, and financially inconsequencial to many of us (eg most increases meant clawbacks from supplements, so practically no one got the full increases, but the Government wasn't shouting that from the rooftops, were they?))
Actually Patricia, I am worse off financially than I was in 2016/17. Between the clawbacks to the supplements that go with core benefit increases, the free prescriptions cancelled out by losing it on disability allowance (otherwise a completely sensible policy), and skyrocketing rent, like most of us I've gone backwards in real terms, just like every year, under every government. Oh, and I STILL have to remain single because they are persisting with the 'relationship rule' which is apparently just too hard to change, ie they don't want to. So we continue to be punished for having the audacity to be disabled. Can't blame natural disasters for that one.
I acknowledge the positives like the winter energy payment, although that surely is an indication that benefits/pension isn't high enough to cover the power bill? And half price bus fares, about time.
My issue with Labour is really quite simple. National make it perfectly clear what their intentions are, and they carry through with those promises. Labour talk big (fix child poverty, biggest hike to benefits in forever, etc etc) and try to convince the general public how kind they are, but the rhetoric does NOT equal the reality.
I am also not overly impressed with just how hard it's become to deal with WINZ, including little things with their IT system that could be easily fixed, but they just refuse to do it. If they insist on making everything online, they can bloody well let us do things online!
Disability support should be at the super rate because it is long term.
And yes, there needs to be an exception for those on disability, they should continue to receive support if they have a working partner – at the JS level.
Greens policy atm is otherwise
https://assets.nationbuilder.com/beachheroes/pages/9644/attachments/original/1686104203/Policy-Greens_Disability-Policy-2012-2023.pdf?1686104203
https://www.greens.org.nz/accident_compensation_policy
https://assets.nationbuilder.com/beachheroes/pages/9644/attachments/original/1686104203/Policy-Greens_Disability-Policy-2012-2023.pdf?1686104203
Kay I am getting the Supported Living Payment and I am financially far better off than at any point since becoming unable to work thanks to this Governments initiatives. I am sorry to learn that your circumstances are more difficult – I imagine that any system will have variations due to individual's being in different circumstances but that is little comfort for those in a diificult postion
Barfly, yes it does come down to individual circumstances. I'd say mine was the skyrocketing rent, like many others. And it's pay what they want or be homeless, thanks to the 'market.' I do manage- just- but the only real major difference I've felt is not being treated like a criminal under a labour government.
Have National costed their plans for W and I – because everything they mention costs more.
Regardless of whether you consider Trudeau a slimy little weasel or a hero of liberal wokedumb it seems evident he runs a very united parliament !!
What is the phenomena which explains how so many supposedly intelligent persons can rise to their feet as one and applaud in this case a literal Natzi ?
On the occasion of Zelensky visiting Canada to gather yet more weapons pledges from wealthy countries its not supprising to see the leader of the particular country fawning all over him like a rash in fact i was supprised Trudeau didnt kiss him on the lips !!What did supprise/horrify me though was the total conformity of the members , united apparently in their collective ignorance and stupidity .
Novara covers it reasonably
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m5wQR6Uf-bE
Who exactly is a member of the NAZI Party?
"It is no surprise that Russian media has leapt on the footage as justification of the Ukrainian invasion" – Michael Walker in the very piece you link to.
Fascist fanboi weston gives us all a fine example of quod erat demonstrandum!
Nevertheless Sanc .No matter who relays the message
It was an embarrassing spectacle that no doubt would have passed unnoticed by Russophobic fanbois and historic illiterates , had not Jewish organisations( less sanguine about Nazis as others it seems) raised their disgust
And then , as one they all professed to have no idea that this Ukrainian ex Waffen SS soldier had been in a unit that killed Jews and acted as concentration camp guards
He was being lauded for fighting Russians in WW2.Are they all so incredibly ignorant of history that they didn’t twig that meant he’d teamed up with the Nazis?
Or are all Russians fair game now, and whoever killed them now or in the past gets a free pass on slaughtering Jews .Pretty warped morality here , but widespread in the west .Jewish people however have not been quite so forgetful or forgiving
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2023/09/24/canadian-speaker-apologizes-ukrainian-nazi/
Would you have liked the choices you had as a Ukrainian in WW2.
Fight with the Nazi's against the Russians even though they have an entire organisation dedicated to killing Jews
Or fight with the Russians against the Nazi's while knowing a decade before that Russians Murdered millions of your fellow Ukrainians in the Holodomor
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holodomor
Oh for a world of simple, clear-cut choices eh?
Ukrainians did have a choice. Those to the west sided with the Nazis, and enthusiastically took up killing Poles, Jews, Roma and Russians out of nationalistic zeal .
Those more to the East, with generational ties to Russia , were strongly anti fascist and sided with Russia .
The Holodomor affected those Ukrainians too.
So I guess the Jewish people just have to shut the fuck up because …..Russia,…. Holodomor ?
Millions of Ukranians were murdered by Russians in the Holodomor but to some people only Jewish victims of genocide matter and other races and religions that suffer genocide are less worthy because they are not Jewish
IMO F*** that for a belief system.
I agree, 27 million Soviets , many of those Russian were killed in WW2, but no one gives a toss.
Do you think that the fact that Russians were killed by Germans during WW2, somehow gives them a free pass to slaughter anyone they please?
AFAICS, the 'Ukrainian' being honoured by the Canadians – has been living in Canada since the end of WW2 – so for more than 3/4 of his life.
I don't see how anyone can regard him as an example of the "Nazification of Ukraine" (although, you might argue for the Nazification of Canada)
Well perhaps you might want to take that concept up with those who feel because of Holdomor , those Ukrainians who threw in their lot with the Nazis were perfectly justified in killing , in a particularly savage manner,Poles,Jews,Roma along with Russians.
Tit for tat so to speak, but I didn't realize the former were responsible for Holodomor
The thread has been about a Waffen Ss vet being given standing ovations in the Canadian parliament
If you think that's OK, fine, your business.
Poles and Jews don't share that view
Did I say the actions of the Canadian parliament were fine?
No.
Do I think it excuses Russia's actions now? Also no.
Do I think that this Canadian bloke (having spent more than 3/4 of his life in Canada, I think he qualifies) – has *anything* to do with 'Nazism' in Ukraine. Also no.
But it seems as though you'll grasp at any straw to defend your beloved mother Russia.
Do I think that because 27 million Russians were killed in WW2 it gives them carte blanche to kill anyone they like ?
No. I have never said that and nether have the Russians .It seems to be in your head only
And the nice Ukrainian fellow you refer to who has apparently been washed of his sins by living in Canada all these years ,has celebrated his time in the Galicia Unit on social media several times .That is why he was being given accolades in the Canadian Parliament for heavens sake …he allied with the Nazis and fought the Russians.His unit was responsible for outright atrocities .What an earth do you think the complaints from Poland and Jewish organisations have been about?Why do you think there have been such profuse apologies .?Why does Poland want to extradite him ?
And Zelensky would have known exactly what this guy had been involved in during WW2 when the speaker of the house introduced him as having been in the First Ukrainian Division .Zelensky stood up and applauded anyway, even though his grandfather and great uncles had been killed in the holocaust.
https://www.politico.eu/article/yaroslav-hunka-poland-extradite-ukrainian-ss-veteran-canada/
In the murderous dictators all time championship
1 Mao Zedong
2 Stalin
3 Hitler
Honorable mention to king Leopold the second of Belgium coming in at number 6 with an estimated 10 million murdered in the Congo
https://about-history.com/list-of-dictatorships-by-death-toll-the-top-10-biggest-killers-in-history/
In this 2011 blog post Hunka describes the disappearance of friends and acquaintances to Siberia at the hands of the NKVD. He recounts that Germany was reputed to be a highly civilised country, and recalls how no one could understood why so many Jews seemed to be fleeing, and about hopes of aid from the Germans to rescue them from Moscow communism.
In 1941 when the Nazis did occupy Ukraine, many Ukrainians greeted them as liberators although Hunka hints that German occupation wasn’t much of an improvement over Soviet occupation but at least fewer people seemed to be sent to Siberia.
And when the threat of another invasion by the Red Army he and many others from his school enlisted with the Nazis to fight against the Soviets.
https://komb–a–ingwar-blogspot-com.translate.goog/2011/03/blog-post_21.html?_x_tr_sl=en&_x_tr_tl=ru&_x_tr_hl=en&_x_tr_pto=wapp
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/F60ZsSJaUAAVfEy?format=png&name=medium
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/F60ZsUaakAABxzO?format=png&name=medium
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/F60Z-CwagAAMHHq?format=png&name=medium
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/F60aFmYbsAA543S?format=jpg&name=medium
Yeah the Nazis weren’t so bad huh?
And the Jews, Poles, Roma were just untermenschen anyway.
Ukrainian guards at German concentration camps were the most brutal and most feared, But it was all worth it for you lot because they were killing Russians as well !
Nice revisionism there
Thank goodness the UN is not so relaxed about Ukrainian Nazis
Francesca it is my understanding that you are regarded as a russophile (with good reason) on this site. In my understanding Russians regard as Nazi's anyone who doesn't like Russians – indeed it seems that is their primary consideration and all other things are incidental.
If you wish to try to define 'Nazi' as perhaps anti-semitic, authoritarian, genocidal, murderous, torturing, sadistic psychopaths with a penchant for invading other countries and trying to destroy other peoples identities, cultures and history all of these characteristics except for the anti-semitism are boldy on display with the Russian war of conquest on Ukraine.
I conclude that there are indeed an awful lot of 'Nazis' in Ukraine it's just that 99% of them are fighting in the Russian Military
Whatever gets you through the long dark night barfly.
Hey I dont know if you read history….but the ss…waffen or otherwise..were murdering pieces of shit. Being a member of same..and seemingly not shy about it..would make me wonder about that guy.
And FYI..to you or anyone else..I am on record here on the Standard..as stating Putin is an absolute murdering psychopath.
I also support Vlodymyr Zelensky.
Poland and Ukraine are actively reconciling with their bloody past.
It's telling that neither former Soviet Republics nor Warsaw Pact countries are engaging in reconciliation talks with Russia.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Massacres_of_Poles_in_Volhynia_and_Eastern_Galicia
As I say I dont like Putin…at all. Murderer. Beslan School massacre the one that proved to me. Have to say the History of Eastern Europe (like the Worlds ) just a sad and terrible fact..that Civilians : Poles, Jews, Russians, Ukrainians, Women,Children and the vulnerable were/are always the victims of power.
I consider myself to be fairly well read on WW2 history and frankly all this talk of Nazism in Ukraine in 2023 is just utter f***ing garbage.
I absolutely agree that the Nazi regime were collectively a bunch of deranged murdering lunatics…but they sure as hell weren't the only ones. That some people want to argue that what occurred in a World War 80 years ago is at all relevant to modern day Ukraine is bonkers.
"Hundreds in Ukraine attend marches celebrating Nazi SS soldiers "
ffs I doubt anyone is carrying a picture of Hitler or Himmler – I suggest they may be celebrating Ukranians who fought against the Russians. Here’s a newsflash there was no Ukrainian military they could join in WW2 plus they could not join the German Army because they weren't German – literally the only way for a Ukrainian to fight Russians in WW2 was to join the Waffen SS and after millions of Ukrainians were murdered in the Holodomor by Russians I can easily imagine people who had to watch their relatives starve to death look for payback against their Russian overlords.
Lithuania, Estonia and Latvia also had many citizens join the Waffen SS – Now was this because they knew Hitler's 'agenda' and wanted in on some mass murder or was it because USSR had invaded all of them and moved in their usual style of killing the intelligentsia, community leaders and brutally repressing their people?
The war that was fought between USSR and Germany was fought between two horrendously evil totalitarian states – there were no 'White Knights' and to pretend there was is simply delusion IMO.
Mate..you seem to have a problem. I will leave you to it.
True I do have a problem – a lack of tolerance for stupidity
https://www.newsroom.co.nz/labour-to-consider-21-million-hectares-of-native-reforestation
What 2.1 million has?? Is these a full frontal attack on farming??
Not that hard to run farms that also harvest trees or indeed grow natives. It's been done since 1957.
https://www.nzffa.org.nz/
Also every vineyard does it already.
Also don't forget large areas that could be near-fully reforested profitably like the Chatham Islands.
Not that hard to think about alternatives to mono-crop intensive dairy production.
Ye bit, if you don't actually fill in the blanks it's an easy leap to believe labour intends to increase the onslaught on rural nz , and only fool thinks it'll be dairy irll be sheep and beef.
Turning productive farming land into native forest would be bonkers IMO but I didn't see any mention of repurposing farming land for this. Repurposing some land used for forestry is very likely a good idea. My limited understanding is that there is/may be a sizeable quatity of land used for commercial forestry which is not fit for the purpose – making slips, erosion, flooding and forestry slash inundation during major weather events a much bigger problem. It seems that the Queenstown Council had something of a "she'll be right" attitude to harvesting an area of forest for the $$ and then getting clobbered by slash combined with an adverse weather event because well …….they're stupid and greedy
https://www.odt.co.nz/star-news/star-national/watch-slash-debris-washes-through-queenstown
https://www.odt.co.nz/regions/queenstown/forestry-slash-engulfs-cemetery
https://www.newsroom.co.nz/council-decided-to-leave-slash-in-forest-above-queenstown-cemetery
The usenet group nz.general is something of a cess-pit on politics – a post this morning titled "New Service for those escaping overseas" gave the url: https://www.robbos.co.nz/
A later post identified that the website was registered to The New Zealand Taxpayer Union, with the contact email starting with jordan, and gave a url for the international tax competitive index as evidence that Australia does not give lower taxes than NZ.
"Dirty Tricks" is still alive and well in the ACT/Nat world . . .
Taxpayers Union = Insidious
How can any well-meaning person participate in this?
And how does the MSM justify no report on it?
IMO
They aren't well-meaning peopple.
The MSM's 'raison d'etre' is driving profit for the MSM all other things are incidental.
Law and Order.
Has anyone asked Mitchell if he will pursue the white-collar criminals as strongly as he will the Gangs and violent offenders. I understand that a former prime minister has just been found guilty of a crime and is up for a $5 million penalty. (I understand however that any wise directorship takes out indemnity insurance to cover such eventualities.) So powerful frauds can do as they please.
Taxation
I believe Damien Grant recently opined that we should keep the taxman away from productive income. Couldn't agree more. So why is he keen to reduce Bright Line threshold back to 2 years. Investing in and profiteering from sales of existing homes is not productive money. In fact, perhaps all investment income should be taxed at a higher rate – Could probably be directed at the banks as well (particularly the foreign owned ones that operate here in NZ.)