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.)
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Tonight’s court decision to overturn the summons of the Children’s Minister has enabled the Crown to continue making decisions about Māori without evidence, says Te Pāti Māori spokesperson for Children, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. “The judicial system has this evening told the nation that this government can do whatever they want when ...
It appears Nicola Willis is about to pull the rug out from under the feet of local communities still dealing with the aftermath of last year’s severe weather, and local councils relying on funding to build back from these disasters. ...
The Government is making short-sighted changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA) that will take away environmental protection in favour of short-term profits, Labour’s environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
Labour welcomes the release of the report into the North Island weather events and looks forward to working with the Government to ensure that New Zealand is as prepared as it can be for the next natural disaster. ...
The Labour Party has called for the New Zealand Government to recognise Palestine, as a material step towards progressing the two-State solution needed to achieve a lasting peace in the region. ...
Some of our country’s most important work, stopping the sexual exploitation of children and violent extremism could go along with staff on the frontline at ports and airports. ...
The Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill will give projects such as new coal mines a ‘get out of jail free’ card to wreak havoc on the environment, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
Introduction Good morning. It’s a great privilege to be here at the 2024 Infrastructure Symposium. I was extremely happy when the Prime Minister asked me to be his Minister for Infrastructure. It is one of the great barriers holding the New Zealand economy back from achieving its potential. Building high ...
Defence Minister Judith Collins today announced the upcoming Budget will include new funding of $571 million for Defence Force pay and projects. “Our servicemen and women do New Zealand proud throughout the world and this funding will help ensure we retain their services and expertise as we navigate an increasingly ...
New Zealand’s ability to cope with climate change will be strengthened as part of the Government’s focus to build resilience as we rebuild the economy, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. “An enduring and long-term approach is needed to provide New Zealanders and the economy with certainty as the climate ...
Jobseeker beneficiaries who have work obligations must now meet with MSD within two weeks of their benefit starting to determine their next step towards finding a job, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “A key part of the coalition Government’s plan to have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker ...
A new standalone Social Investment Agency will power-up the social investment approach, driving positive change for our most vulnerable New Zealanders, Social Investment Minister Nicola Willis says. “Despite the Government currently investing more than $70 billion every year into social services, we are not seeing the outcomes we want for ...
Check against delivery Good morning. It is a pleasure to be with you to outline the Coalition Government’s approach to our first Budget. Thank you Mark Skelly, President of the Hutt Valley Chamber of Commerce, together with your Board and team, for hosting me. I’d like to acknowledge His Worship ...
Your Excellency Ambassador Meredith, Members of the Diplomatic Corps and Ambassadors from European Union Member States, Ministerial colleagues, Members of Parliament, and other distinguished guests, Thank you everyone for joining us. Ladies and gentlemen - In diplomacy, we often speak of ‘close’ and ‘long-standing’ relations. ...
The Therapeutic Products Act (TPA) will be repealed this year so that a better regime can be put in place to provide New Zealanders safe and timely access to medicines, medical devices and health products, Associate Health Minister Casey Costello announced today. “The medicines and products we are talking about ...
The Minister Responsible for RMA Reform, Chris Bishop, today released his decision on twenty recommendations referred to him by the Wellington City Council relating to its Intensification Planning Instrument, after the Council rejected those recommendations of the Independent Hearings Panel and made alternative recommendations. “Wellington notified its District Plan on ...
Rape Awareness Week (6-10 May) is an important opportunity to acknowledge the continued effort required by government and communities to ensure that all New Zealanders can live free from violence, say Ministers Karen Chhour and Louise Upston. “With 1 in 3 women and 1 in 8 men experiencing sexual violence ...
Associate Education Minister David Seymour has today announced that the Government will be delivering a more efficient Healthy School Lunches Programme, saving taxpayers approximately $107 million a year compared to how Labour funded it, by embracing innovation and commercial expertise. “We are delivering on our commitment to treat taxpayers’ money ...
New research on the impacts of extreme weather on coastal marine habitats in Tairāwhiti and Hawke’s Bay will help fishery managers plan for and respond to any future events, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. A report released today on research by Niwa on behalf of Fisheries New Zealand ...
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Winston Peters will lead a broad political delegation on a five-stop Pacific tour next week to strengthen New Zealand’s engagement with the region. The delegation will visit Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu, New Caledonia, and Tuvalu. “New Zealand has deep and ...
There has been a material decline in gas production according to figures released today by the Gas Industry Co. Figures released by the Gas Industry Company show that there was a 12.5 per cent reduction in gas production during 2023, and a 27.8 per cent reduction in gas production in the ...
Defence Minister Judith Collins tonight announced the recipients of the Minister of Defence Awards of Excellence for Industry, saying they all contribute to New Zealanders’ security and wellbeing. “Congratulations to this year’s recipients, whose innovative products and services play a critical role in the delivery of New Zealand’s defence capabilities, ...
Welcome to you all - it is a pleasure to be here this evening.I would like to start by thanking Greg Lowe, Chair of the New Zealand Defence Industry Advisory Council, for co-hosting this reception with me. This evening is about recognising businesses from across New Zealand and overseas who in ...
It is a pleasure to be speaking to you as the Minister for Digitising Government. I would like to thank Akolade for the invitation to address this Summit, and to acknowledge the great effort you are making to grow New Zealand’s digital future. Today, we stand at the cusp of ...
New Zealand is urging both Israel and Hamas to agree to an immediate ceasefire to avoid the further humanitarian catastrophe that military action in Rafah would unleash, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “The immense suffering in Gaza cannot be allowed to worsen further. Both sides have a responsibility to ...
A new online data dashboard released today as part of the Government’s school attendance action plan makes more timely daily attendance data available to the public and parents, says Associate Education Minister David Seymour. The interactive dashboard will be updated once a week to show a national average of how ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced Rosemary Banks will be New Zealand’s next Ambassador to the United States of America. “Our relationship with the United States is crucial for New Zealand in strategic, security and economic terms,” Mr Peters says. “New Zealand and the United States have a ...
The Government is considering creating a new tier of minerals permitting that will make it easier for hobby miners to prospect for gold. “New Zealand was built on gold, it’s in our DNA. Our gold deposits, particularly in regions such as Otago and the West Coast have always attracted fortune-hunters. ...
Minister for Trade Todd McClay today announced that New Zealand and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) will commence negotiations on a free trade agreement (FTA). Minister McClay met with his counterpart UAE Trade Minister Dr Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi in Dubai, where they announced the launch of negotiations on a ...
New Zealand Sign Language Week is an excellent opportunity for all Kiwis to give the language a go, Disabilities Issues Minister Louise Upston says. This week (May 6 to 12) is New Zealand Sign Language (NZSL) Week. The theme is “an Aotearoa where anyone can sign anywhere” and aims to ...
Six tertiary students have been selected to work on NASA projects in the US through a New Zealand Space Scholarship, Space Minister Judith Collins announced today. “This is a fantastic opportunity for these talented students. They will undertake internships at NASA’s Ames Research Center or its Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), where ...
New Zealanders will be safer because of a $1.9 billion investment in more frontline Corrections officers, more support for offenders to turn away from crime, and more prison capacity, Corrections Minister Mark Mitchell says. “Our Government said we would crack down on crime. We promised to restore law and order, ...
The OECD’s latest report on New Zealand reinforces the importance of bringing Government spending under control, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The OECD conducts country surveys every two years to review its members’ economic policies. The 2024 New Zealand survey was presented in Wellington today by OECD Chief Economist Clare Lombardelli. ...
The Government has delivered on its election promise to provide a financially sustainable model for Auckland under its Local Water Done Well plan. The plan, which has been unanimously endorsed by Auckland Council’s Governing Body, will see Aucklanders avoid the previously projected 25.8 per cent water rates increases while retaining ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters discussed the need for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, and enhanced cooperation in the Pacific with German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock during her first official visit to New Zealand today. "New Zealand and Germany enjoy shared interests and values, including the rule of law, democracy, respect for the international system ...
The Minister Responsible for RMA Reform, Chris Bishop today released his decision on four recommendations referred to him by the Western Bay of Plenty District Council, opening the door to housing growth in the area. The Council’s Plan Change 92 allows more homes to be built in existing and new ...
Thank you, John McKinnon and the New Zealand China Council for the invitation to speak to you today. Thank you too, all members of the China Council. Your effort has played an essential role in helping to build, shape, and grow a balanced and resilient relationship between our two ...
The Government is modernising insurance law to better protect Kiwis and provide security in the event of a disaster, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly announced today. “These reforms are long overdue. New Zealand’s insurance law is complicated and dated, some of which is more than 100 years old. ...
The coalition Government is refreshing its approach to supporting pay equity claims as time-limited funding for the Pay Equity Taskforce comes to an end, Public Service Minister Nicola Willis says. “Three years ago, the then-government introduced changes to the Equal Pay Act to support pay equity bargaining. The changes were ...
Structured literacy will change the way New Zealand children learn to read - improving achievement and setting students up for success, Education Minister Erica Stanford says. “Being able to read and write is a fundamental life skill that too many young people are missing out on. Recent data shows that ...
Trade Minister Todd McClay says Canada’s refusal to comply in full with a CPTPP trade dispute ruling in our favour over dairy trade is cynical and New Zealand has no intention of backing down. Mr McClay said he has asked for urgent legal advice in respect of our ‘next move’ ...
The rights of our children and young people will be enhanced by changes the coalition Government will make to strengthen oversight of the Oranga Tamariki system, including restoring a single Children’s Commissioner. “The Government is committed to delivering better public services that care for our most at-risk young people and ...
The Government is making it easier for minor changes to be made to a building consent so building a home is easier and more affordable, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “The coalition Government is focused on making it easier and cheaper to build homes so we can ...
New Zealand lost a true legend when internationally renowned disability advocate Sir Robert Martin (KNZM) passed away at his home in Whanganui last night, Disabilities Issues Minister Louise Upston says. “Our Government’s thoughts are with his wife Lynda, family and community, those he has worked with, the disability community in ...
Good evening – Before discussing the challenges and opportunities facing New Zealand’s foreign policy, we’d like to first acknowledge the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs. You have contributed to debates about New Zealand foreign policy over a long period of time, and we thank you for hosting us. ...
From today, passengers travelling internationally from Auckland Airport will be able to keep laptops and liquids in their carry-on bags for security screening thanks to new technology, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Creating a more efficient and seamless travel experience is important for holidaymakers and businesses, enabling faster movement through ...
People with an interest in the health of Northland’s marine ecosystems are invited to a public meeting to discuss how to deal with kina barrens, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones will lead the discussion, which will take place on Friday, 10 May, at Awanui Hotel in ...
Pacific Media Watch Television New Zealand Pacific correspondent Barbara Dreaver has been made an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to investigative journalism and Pacific communities in a ceremony at Government House, reports 1News. She has been the Pacific correspondent for 1News since 2002, breaking many ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Tuesday’s budget will respond to the deepening public agitation over Australia’s housing shortages by pouring new money into crisis accommodation for women and children, social housing and infrastructure. A specially-convened national cabinet late Friday ticked ...
By Kaneta Naimatu in Suva Journalists in the Pacific region play an important role as the “eyes and ears on the ground” when it comes to reporting the climate crisis, says the European Union’s Pacific Ambassador Barbara Plinkert. Speaking at The University of the South Pacific (USP) on World Press ...
Aldora Itunu is back in the Black Ferns squad after a three-year absence. The last of her 24 internationals was an underwhelming loss to France (7-29) in Castres to conclude the disastrous 2021 Northern Tour. The powerhouse prop won a Rugby World Cup in 2017 and thought she was done. ...
The fight to control major transport policy and projects in Auckland has burst into the open again, with councillors rejecting Mayor Wayne Brown’s latest attempt to steer things more under his influence. Councillors from the left and right broke ranks on the mayor’s bid to control Auckland Transport more directly ...
Exhausted by the general election campaign, horrified by the twilight zone of coalition negotiations, distracted by the silly season and waiting for the honeymoon to begin, Raw Politics has been in hibernation since October. From today, we’re back. Our weekly political video show and podcast returns for ...
By Patrick Decloitre, RNZ Pacific correspondent French Pacific desk Authorities in the small town of Boulouparis have commemorated Armistice Day on May 8 with a new memorial honouring New Zealand soldiers who were stationed in New Caledonia during World War II. The ceremony took place in the township on the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sara Dehm, Senior lecturer, international migration and refugee law, University of Technology Sydney The High Court unanimously ruled today that the Australian government can keep asylum seekers in immigration detention indefinitely in cases where they do not “voluntarily” cooperate with their own ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kim Munro, Lecturer, Creative Industries and Digital Media, University of South Australia Twenty-four hours after the release of Macklemore’s pro-Palestine protest song Hind’s Hall on social media on May 7, the video had already notched up over 24 million views. In ...
Failing to anticipate the complexity of the consenting system is being cited as the the current builder's shortcomings, an Infrastructure Commission review says. ...
350 Aotearoa is calling the Environment Select Committee’s decision to allow oral submissions from just 40% of individual, unique submitters who asked to speak to the committee ‘a disgraceful blight to democracy’. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By James Helal, Assistant Dean (Sustainability), The University of Melbourne Dubai skylineAleksandarPasaric/Pexels Since ancient times, people have built structures that reach for the skies – from the steep spires of medieval towers to the grand domes of ancient cathedrals and mosques. Today ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Edward Musole, PhD Law Student, University of New England Girts Ragelis/ShutterstockRecent trends show Australians are increasingly buying wearables such as smartwatches and fitness trackers. These electronics track our body movements or vital signs to provide data throughout the day, with ...
Papua New Guinea experienced a significant earthquake on 24 March in East Sepik and there has also been recent flooding there and in surrounding provinces. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Yousuf Mohammed, Dermatology researcher, The University of Queensland Maridav/Shutterstock You wake up, stagger to the bathroom and gaze into the mirror. No, you’re not imagining it. You’ve developed face wrinkles overnight. They’re sleep wrinkles. Sleep wrinkles are temporary. But as your ...
The Environment Select Committee has just announced that 60 percent of individuals who asked to speak at the hearings will not be heard. This equates to almost 700 people who made individual submissions and more than 1000 more who made a form submission. ...
The Royal New Zealand Ballet is performing Swan Lake around the country. What kind of dream does the ballet sell?Before going to see the Royal New Zealand Ballet perform Swan Lake, I had about as much familiarity with the plot of this ballet as could be expected from having ...
A new poem by Auckland poet Eamonn Tee. High Tide at Local Maxima It is only going to get worse. The streams will be narrow and fickle. The week will bend and buckle like a pot-bellied waist. You will make it to the weekend with one ...
The New Zealand entrepreneur behind beauty business Ethique is gearing up to launch a new eco-venture. This is an excerpt from our weekly environmental newsletter Future Proof. Sign up here. Our thirst for a tasty bevvy is insatiable, but it comes with a hefty plastic price for the planet: 580 billion ...
The only published and available best-selling indie book chart in New Zealand is the top 10 sales list recorded every week at Unity Books’ stores in High St, Auckland, and Willis St, Wellington.AUCKLAND1 James by Percival Everett (Mantle, $38) A retelling of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn from ...
By Kamna Kumar in Suva Pacific Islands Forum Secretary-General Henry Puna stressed the importance of media freedom and its link to the climate and environmental crisis at the 2024 World Press Freedom Day event organised by the University of the South Pacific’s journalism programme. Under the theme “A Planet for ...
Tara Ward previews a new local TV series offering alternative visions of motherhood. This is an excerpt from our weekly pop culture newsletter Rec Room. Sign up here. A woman is clambering up the side of her two-story house, clinging desperately to a drainpipe. Nearby, her child is perched on the ...
Local Government New Zealand (LGNZ) is supportive of the cross-party approach to climate adaptation announced by the Minister of Climate Change today. ...
The Sustainable Business Council (SBC) and Climate Leaders Coalition (CLC) welcome today’s announcement from Government around a bipartisan inquiry into an enduring climate adaptation framework for New Zealand. ...
The Free Speech Union welcomes the decision by the Department of Internal Affairs, and Minister Brooke Van Velden, to abandon proposals to further regulate online speech. ...
Its new building in Wellington will not be nearly big enough for all its records, and it has also run out of money to build its new storage facility in Levin. ...
BusinessNZ is congratulating the Minister of Climate Change for his work in achieving cross-party consensus for a way forward on climate adaptation. ...
Recent research reveals the repeal of smokefree measures is not only bad for our health, but also the economy. The Government has repealed various smokefree measures to ensure it keeps collecting $1.2 billion a year in tobacco taxes, in order to pay for tax cuts already being delivered to ...
The club’s surprisingly good season is built on the desire to prove a random A-League YouTuber wrong… and a few other factors.“There’s no way that Wellington Phoenix play finals this year. I can’t see it happening at all.” Those are the words of Lachlan Raeside, an Australian football content ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By César Albarrán-Torres, Senior Lecturer, Department of Media and Communication, Swinburne University of Technology Apple TV+ As one of billions of bilingual individuals in the world, it disappoints me when a film or TV show with characters of a non-English-speaking background is ...
The under-utilised course is a waste of space, and with a little political will, it could be turned into something better. For the duration of her stay in Wellington, my long-suffering cousin listened to me rant about golf courses. They’re bad for the environment: water intensive and pesticide heavy. They ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Leah Ruppanner, Professor of Sociology and Founding Director of The Future of Work Lab, Podcast at MissPerceived, The University of Melbourne Shutterstock A recent report from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows US fertility rates dropped 2% in ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Amy Corderoy, Medical doctor and PhD candidate studying involuntary psychiatric treatment, School of Psychiatry, UNSW Sydney shop_py/Shutterstock Picture two people, both suffering from a serious mental illness requiring hospital admission. One was born in Australia, the other in Asia. Hopefully, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sarah Treby, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, RMIT University P.j.Hickox, Shutterstock Peatlands store more carbon per square metre than any other ecosystem on Earth. These waterlogged, mossy bogs beat even dense rainforests for their ability to act as carbon reservoirs. Under the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Goss, Adjunct Associate Professor, Health Research Institute, University of Canberra Government spending on health has been growing so rapidly that a decade ago the then health minister Peter Dutton called it “unmanageable” and “unsustainable”. Health spending grew in real terms by ...
New Zealand's largest electricity distributor is warning the country to hurry up with controls around charging electric vehicles or face unnecessary bills running into the billions. ...
New Zealanders have been asked to conserve energy this morning to combat a possible electricity shortfall, writes Stewart Sowman-Lund in this extract from The Bulletin. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here. A call to conserve power New Zealand is facing a possible electricity shortfall, with people up ...
Writer Rebecca K Reilly breaks down the national book awards. What are the Ockhams?The Ockham New Zealand Book Awards are our annual national awards for books published for adults, and have existed in this form since 2016. There are four categories: Fiction, Poetry, General Non-fiction and Illustrated Non-fiction. There ...
Wellington City Council should keep its 34% ownership share in Wellington International Airport, argue Unions Wellington spokespeople Finn Cordwell and Ashok Jacob. Insanity, as the saying goes, is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. Wellington City Council (WCC) is yet again proposing to dispose ...
New Zealand’s largest book publisher has undergone drastic changes this week, leaving its future role in local publishing uncertain. Two of the most recognisable local publishers in New Zealand are among those restructured out of Penguin Random House, it was announced this week. Head of publishing Claire Murdoch will leave ...
Successive governments have tried, and failed, to count Māori. But with the return of social investment, it’s more important than ever to get good data. The post Government looks for a better way to count Māori appeared first on Newsroom. ...
Experts in financing social investment initiatives say New Zealand is in a prime position to tackle social issues via a social investment approach The post What will Willis’ social investment fund look like? appeared first on Newsroom. ...
In 2021 the Public Interest Journalism Fund launched the Te Rito Journalism project, a $2.4 million initiative to boost diversity in New Zealand’s newsrooms. The initiative was in response to the decades-long shortage of Māori and Pacific journalists in the media industry. It was billed as New Zealand’s ...
The Black Ferns Sevens appeared to be a mile behind Australia at the halfway point of the 2023-24 SVNS international circuit. Winless in three tournaments, a cup quarter-final exit in Perth was one of their worst results. To add insult to injury, talismanic skipper Sarah Hirini had been ruled out ...
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By Lydia Lewis, RNZ Pacific journalist A former Tuvalu prime minister says while the New Zealand government’s oil and gas plans show it is concerned about its economy, he is more concerned about the livelihoods and survival of the Tuvalu people. Enele Sopoaga — who still serves as an MP ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Many people who follow federal budgets know about the magnificent “budget tree” in a parliamentary courtyard, which turns a glorious red in time for the May event. This week Treasurer Jim Chalmers posed by ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Samantha Bennett, Professor of Music, Australian National University Richard P J Lambert/flickr, CC BY The future belongs to the analogue loyalists. Fuck digital. As a tsunami of CDs, DAT tapes and samplers swept the recording industry in the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Catherine Strong, Associate professor, Music Industry, RMIT University This week American rapper Macklemore released a new track, Hind’s Hall, which has gained a lot of attention because of its explicitly political nature. The track is unapologetically pro-Palestine. It declares the artist’s ...
Explainer - The government from 2025 is mandating how state schools teach children to read. But what is structured literacy and how does it compare to other teaching methods? ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Danica Jenkins, Lecturer in European Studies, University of Sydney On a freezing spring night in March, Georgia’s national soccer team beat Greece in a nail-biter penalty shootout to qualify for the Euro 2024 championships. The atmosphere on the streets of the capital ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adam G. Arian, Lecturer (Accounting & Finance), Australian Catholic University Loic Manegarium/Pexels Imagine every ton of carbon dioxide a company emits is slowly inflating its costs — not just in terms of potential fines or fees but in the capital it ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Somwrita Sarkar, Senior Lecturer in Design and Computation, University of Sydney The “latte line” is the infamous, invisible boundary that divides Sydney between the more affluent north-east and the south-west. Historically, people north of the line enjoy better access to jobs and ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrew Dowdy, Principal Research Scientist in Extreme Weather, The University of Melbourne Nomad_Soul/Shutterstock In media articles about unprecedented flooding, you’ll often come across the statement that for every 1°C of warming, the atmosphere can hold about 7% more moisture. This ...
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
Love reading Nick Rockel. He makes good points in an interesting way. Gerald Otto tells it how it is. On point.
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
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.)