Jonathon Pie is a breath of fresh air. He’s on the button about this ridiculous over-reaction to hyperbole and humorous if slightly risque utterances. A personal example:
back in 1991 just before the first Iraq invasion started, I had a conversation with a former friend about the over-reaction of the American Embassy when they warned Americans living in NZ to beware of terrorists. [28 years ago we didn't have any terrorists.] I quipped to the friend… if you come across any terrorists let me know because I know a Yank who could do with being bumped off . (a bully boy I worked with)
That person reported my quip and I found myself under inexplicable siege for some six weeks. Funny to look back on now but it sure wasn't funny at the time. And no apologies from the authorities involved were forthcoming.
The person who made the complaint turned out to be a full blown narcissist.
I'm offended by comb overs, boy bands, blank switch plugs in top of the range cars and the high number of offended people. I demand my concerns are addressed immediately.
Infinite – who understands it? I am reminded of clever Jonathan Cainer.
“Our brains are not capable of comprehending the infinite so, instead, we ignore it and eat cheese on toast.”
― Jonathan Cainer
and –
“Why do we love the idea that people might be secretly working together to control and organise the world? Because we don't like to face the fact that our world runs on a combination of chaos, incompetence and confusion.”
― Jonathan Cainer
"A man in a clown outfit stood outside the gates of Parliament shouting, “Save our bendy bananas!”"
"But Johnson’s political career has been marked by lies and evasions. “He is genuinely a bad person. Not an unlikable person but a bad person, as in he has no morals, no principles and beliefs,” a former close colleague told me. “He would be whatever Prime Minister was necessary to maximize the chances of gaining and then maintaining power.” Between 2008 and 2016, Johnson was a liberal mayor of London. During his campaign, earlier this year, to become the leader of the Conservative Party, he veered between promises to leave the E.U. on October 31st, “do or die,” and strange, chummy disquisitions on his hobby of making model buses and painting the passengers inside."
"Roland Rudd, the chairman of the People’s Vote campaign, which advocates for a new referendum, told me. “I don’t pretend that reversing this madness is going to bring us together. Honestly, it won’t.”"
"One of the riddles of English nationalism, as personified by Rees-Mogg and Johnson, is how seriously to take it. (Rees-Mogg has six children; the sixth is called Sixtus.) “A lot of this stuff sounds like it is sort of pantomime, this right-wing stuff in Britain,” Stewart told me. “Because the tone in which they do it is all a bit Gilbert and Sullivan.” Like other unlikely populist figures, Rees-Mogg operates within an ironic shimmer, knowing what people have come to hear. His descriptions of the perfidy of the British élite have the ring of an insider. “We found ourselves up against the British establishment at its least attractive,” he said. “People who pretend to do one thing and do another.”"
"In the space of a few weeks this fall—in “the compression,” as Baker, of the E.R.G., called it—Johnson made startling political progress. The glue loosened. People diverged. Britain’s constitutional fabric suffered, too, in ways it is too early to understand. But, in the process, Johnson clarified to a great extent what Brexit is going to look like and feel like. The shape of the future is now visible. The uncertainty has receded. The worst is most likely yet to come."
On Brexit – I have paid some money to The Telegraph and am getting Brexist updates these days. Which seem pretty accurate from them.
The latest is under the heading The Nightmare Before Christmas.
I'm James Crisp, The Telegraph's Brussels Correspondent, and Westminster is on an election footing. But there are two problems – Emmanuel Macron and Jeremy Corbyn.
Mr Corbyn said he wanted to wait until the EU27 granted an extension before agreeing to the election suggested by Boris Johnson, but his stance has jeopardised the agreement on the delay to the Oct 31 Brexit deadline.
Mr Macron has been a lone voice in arguing for a shorter Brexit extension than the three-month flextension to Jan 31 2020 supported by the majority of EU27 leaders.
The EU could still grant the extension to the end of January but, unless Mr Macron caves, the bloc could be forced to call an emergency summit on Monday. Any decision on extension must be unanimous…..
and
Fraser Nelson argues that the working class is so strongly behind Boris Johnson that he is willing to risk a December vote.
In the run-up to Oct 31, you will be able to read a wide variety of articles on the Brexit saga. Please see the links below for a selection of some of today's best articles.
If you want to become a subscriber and read the hundreds of articles we publish every day, try a free 30-day subscription.
The working class behind Boris? Is it a case that the workers feel that people who rush around looking important, throwing criticisms and statements about and hubris (though they don't know what it means and don't care), are people like themselves. Is it that they like to be able to blame others, especially foreigners, for anything that isn't right and imply that the celebrity leader will change all that and 'Make ..(insert country here) .. Great Again? Is it that these talking heads imply that there will be affordable beer and good food, affordable sport-spectating and someone always ready and willing to ease their ailments. Is it that our education has not been the right sort to enable democratic decisions to be analysed and made in a thoughtful way?
I think something is rotten in the state of D…….. or wherever English-speaking democracy reigns. Time for me to clean out the smelly frig I think, that is something useful that I can do, and then perhaps join others getting together to look at the state of our democracies which haven't been great for a while and may never be again at this rate.
The Telegraph and other media outlets run by tories keen to hide their tax haven wealth from the EU and force Brexit through have had a significant hand in the destruction of democracy in the UK.
racist mary and racist nicky – so common – so fucken racist
Newstalk ZB host Marcus Lush was shocked to receive two calls during his show on Thursday night from New Zealand-born women who insisted on mispronouncing the Māori names of the places where they'd been born.
Could you expect a Highland Scot to accurately pronounce Maori place names…?
Have you even heard how the Americans pronounce anything Maori???
Did you know our linguistic vocal cords are formed by the age of around 6 which gives rise to accents?
And that some Maori dont pronounce Anglo place names properly but people dont bat an eyelid?
I think,… its time we celebrated our differences so we dont become clones or cringe worthy tryhards trying too hard to identify with cultures we dont belong to.. its like putting on a fake Japanese accent just to fit in and sound hip. Except its all in reverse.
But, thats how dialects and accents arise, along with all it colloquialisms… Look at England… a Geordie sounds totally different from an East Ender…
ffs it is not about accents or dialects – did you even listen to the original comment I put up – pretty basic stuff and totally doable with the will to do it – without the will we get deliberate offence designed to hurt and belittle
Okey dokeys… but can you imagine going around 'correcting' someone in England from another locality when they 'mispronounced' a local twang or drawl?
I think you might end up with an ale all over your face and called a nitpicker. As they are all English and accept the differences. Black or white these days as well.
Basically, your making people feel unnecessarily bad for being born in a different time , family , culture and / or locality.
There was a gang of Iranian painters I got chatting to,.. I asked where they were from… I heard ' irin'…. was puzzled at that and asked again ..again they replied… ' irin'… and then I learnt… instead of the usual Kiwi drawl ' eye – ran'… they were from Iran and pronounced it' irin'….
I said '' Ohhhhh… 'Eye – ran'…. OK '' ,… they were too busy to even care about the mispronunciation… to my relief…
Yet … I do not pronounce Iran as ' Irin'….
Why ? … because I am not an Iranian and I would actually like other Kiwis to know what Im saying rather than looking at me strangely … this is how language changes over time. This country , was formed of many Scots, Irish , Welsh and English as well as Maori… yet,… you would be hard pressed to find anyone with an original Welsh or Irish accent now unless they were of recent immigrant arrival.
Well , the same can be said for those brought up over generations of familys pronouncing a word in a certain way… it takes time to change that… and many times… it makes people feel forced and uncomfortable. So they would rather be honest and pronounce things as theyve always done. Local parlance, in other words.
You cannot force these things, and in Gisbourne and Northland, the Maoris there speak with their own accent on the English language themselves.
you are just talking shit buddy – this is Aotearoa and we have TWO treaty partners and THREE official languages
I don't care what the racists do apart from using their example of how utterly very fucking far we have to go to get anywhere near equality in this land
Do you really expect Indian, Chinese and every other immigrant to bow the knee to the sacred cow of correct pronunciation of the Maori language ?
Get off the grass racist.
Climb down off that high horse your on and go outside and sniff the roses for a change.
…. '' I don't care what the racists do apart from using their example of how utterly very fucking far we have to go to get anywhere near equality in this land '' …
How old are you ? … 12 ?
Or do you only consort with your select inhouse fellow delusionists?
Get a grip , man.
Do you realize how stupid you sound , – when if the only thing you have to offer is the mispronunciation of a language that constitutes major racial problems and inequality in this country , – while overseas people die in race riots and shootings… well buddy… perhaps it is YOU that has a long way to go.
yes you struggle with a lot of things I'm sure – I certainly feel shame about that dropkick woman from the same town as me and her dimwitted views – I wonder what part of you you feel shame about – lol just jiving, it's pretty obvious bro
"Could you expect a Highland Scot to accurately pronounce Maori place names…?"
Maybe not, but neither of the people in this example were Highland Scots, or even from overseas. Both have lived long lives here so it's not like they're *that far away from good pronunciation. This really had nothing to do with ability.
In my experience, Māori are generally patient and kind with people attempting to get pronunciation right. There's not really an expectation of perfection with the general public.
As an aside, it wouldn't surprise me if Scots learn te reo more easily, because of the whole R thing. I would expect this to be true of people born and bred in the south of NZ as well.
"Did you know our linguistic vocal cords are formed by the age of around 6 which gives rise to accents?"
Not sure how that's relevant tbh, plenty of Pākehā learn to pronounce te reo well later in life.
I think the first woman and Lush were talking a bit past one another. I understand where the elderly lady was coming from. She grew up at a time when all Maori names were incorrectly pronounced but that was the way they were taught to say them. Given her age, it would be hard for her to even remember the correct pronunciations let alone use them. She tried to argue her point of view in a friendly, non-nasty way and Lush acknowledged as much.
But the 49 year old… she was a racist git and he was way too polite to her imo.
I don't see her age being an issue – anyone can make an effort to improve if they want. And if they can't be bothered they out themselves.
The 2nd woman was an idiot. I grew up in mosgiel too and know exactly how racist and uncompromising that place can be and it is NOT as backward as she makes out. She does represent some but not all by any measure imo – just look at me lol
I think we are slowly emerging ourselves in Te Reo. Adult classes are chocka. I think you're right Marty, Nicky thinks she's being staunch. When I got home after an extended period in Oz everyone was saying Kowhai and Whangarei different. I learned to change, not out of a deep seated respect for Te Reo, I didn't want to sound like an ignorant pillock.
In a few minutes, I think 'How to Dad' does a great job of sharing the Te Reo building blocks.
I'm as shit as the next person at some te reo Māori pronunciation – and that is sincere – my cousin corrected me the other day – what did I do? Learned and tried to get it right – this is what living in a community, a country means – giving it a fair attempt and being open to trying again if it is a stuff up. I'm not asking these people to go to te reo Māori classes or become fluent or do anything other than trying to be part of our society – and that is the rub – they don't see Māori as part of their society – they couldn't care less about Māori let alone the language – so fair enough I call that racism and note it.
The first woman was probably casual racism in her yeah, nah, I'm too old, not going to change now. I didn't have too much of a problem with it in the sense of I wouldn't call her racist if I was in the conversation and like Marcus I could probably find some common ground upon which to talk.
The second woman was out and out racist. She's not just saying hey I like how I say things, she's actively holding a cultural position of preventing te reo taking hold and the subtext is that no-one in the South supports Māori. I'd say she's a white supremacy apologist.
I really wanted to hear the start of the conversation with the first woman, how they got onto pronunciation.
Dummy? Not sure about that, I think she was smart enough to know exactly what she was doing. Doesn't hurt to name that kind of racism when it's there, although I doubt I'd bother talking it through with her in real life.
… '' they don't see Māori as part of their society – they couldn't care less about Māori let alone the language '' …
Thats identity politics.
1/ You dont speak for all white New Zealanders – all youve done is make a gross generalisation.
2 / Your assumption can equally be applied to the very people group you choose to champion. Except it is reversed. Many Maori ( and people from other cultures ) dont particularly care about white New Zealand culture as well.
3 / You belittle those who have taken the time to learn Te Reo who are not of Maori ancestry.
4 / If your generalization is true, – then that makes other cultures , – not just white New Zealanders , – participants culpable in the charge of ' not caring about Maori let alone the language' .
Therefore I would charge you with being an inverted racist yourself.
We all have seen the evidence of Maori oppression through colonialism, we all have read the history and the Bellich books, we are aware of the statistics in under achievement and incarceration – and for the most part , many non Maori have agreed, – yet for the last 3-4 decades weve had it rammed down our throats actually…to the point where its become overload. Yet if the plight of Maori is so dire, then the correct pronunciation of the Maori language is the least of their concerns.
It is all too easy to look at the extremes.
That said, it is nice to preserve languages.
However,… English in particular has many accents and dialects- from the Public School accent of the BBC to the Creole to Pidgin…
Thats language. It lives with each and every new generation, it develops with each and every new permutation as there is people.
And not you , not the identity politics crowd or any other force will ever stop that process. Try reading or speaking 12th century English. You'd be lost. You would struggle with even the simplest of pronunciations. You would probably have to learn Frisian or even German to get a handle on it.
mate I LOVE identity politics – and I'm very proud to follow that approach.
Anyway thanks for the compliments – I'm really not too worried in this land of equality we live in – and I'm sorry to be insulting to you – I can't really be bothered keeping up the hostility so peace and love
I'm ambivalent on this one. When pronunciation evolves into mispronunciation, crapping on people for saying it the way everyone around them has said it for 80 years is a bit much.
And I note he used "camembert" not "croissant" – almost nobody says that word correctly lol
But then it's one of them power dynamics: attitudes to English language and pronunciation instructions are descriptive rather than prescriptive, these days. Māori instruction is more prescriptive in order to encourage expansion and consistency and recover usage. Because colonialism.
And then there's the entire meta discussion about when a word in one language becomes a word in another language.
It's one thing to have a lifetime habit that one doesn't want to change (eg how one pronounces where one grew up), but it's another entirely to go on the radio and make the case vehemently that society shouldn't move towards better te reo pronunciation (the second woman).
The other issue about te reo is that pronunciation affects meaning, and is part of literacy. It's not just about 'rightness' and not offending. How words are said in te reo Māori also affects whether one comes to a better understanding of what is being said, including concepts that are hard to say in English, which then leads to better understanding of Te Ao Māori. The words often go layers deep in ways that don't happen so much in English. I heard the second woman not just resisting changing an old habit, but actively working to suppress Te Ao Māori. Racist af.
Yeah, talkback radio callers for the win right there. Salt of the earth lol.
But I don't think it's down to berating individuals for not making an effort, when everyone else would look at them like freaks if they asked after the "Ōpoho" bus rather than "Opoho".
I think that sort of change comes from the local bodies – putting macrons on the bus signs, changing the literature and maps, etc. Like Whanganui DHB did back in the day.
Is it a thing at the moment, the pronunciation of Ōpoho? I didn't even know it had a macron. Would have better if Newstalk had made the whole audio public so we can hear the start, I feel like I'm missing an important part of the conversation.
I don't think the issue is a couple of people mispronouncing a Māori placename, it's the *way it was defended. I wouldn't berate them for how they say the word, but obviously I will berate someone for being a dick about it.
I thought that was the pronunciation Lush was going for? Always just been "Opoho" to me.
But holy shit it just occurred to me that this has been the first time in years talkback has caused a kerfuffle and the bigot/dickhead wasn't the announcer! The last time I can think of that happening was the "Hone" Carter phone calls. Normally it's Lhaws or Tamihere or whomever going for the controversy.
I don't see her age being an issue – anyone can make an effort to improve if they want.
Agreed. But I'd still cut the elderly lady a bit of slack. I would call her problem more ignorance than racism.
One way to bring it home to them is for all Maori to start mispronouncing English place-names especially when on radio or television where they are going to be heard.
Examples:
Wellington… we – ling – ton (as in con).
Onehunga… one – hunga (as in hunger)
St Kilda… st – kil – da (as in dat)
You could have a lot of fun in the process as well as causing an upsurge in pakeha related strokes. 😉
We already have people of all races mispronouncing names, places and the like. What are we all going to do? – draw and quarter them all for a simple error or guillotine them for being brought up in a certain way ?
Geez.
Maybe a simpler way would be to recognize that we all come from different backgrounds and cultures… and to stop trying to squeeze us all into the cookie cutter homogenous mould some would like to see…
Seems I recall the call went out for us all to be tolerant and celebrate our diversity… or is that no longer applicable when it comes to to the pronunciation of either the English or Maori language….
Seems just a little too ‘ convenient when it suits’ to me… but you know the old saying… '' you cant have your cake and eat it too''…
So which one is it?
Celebrating diversity and being tolerant or the cookie cutter?
Anyways,… had enough of this puerile conversation.
The Swedish people warmed to me as I gained a handle on their kooky language. My pal Tedde shared why. 'There are few greater genuine compliments that can be made to a group of people than learning their language.'
As the world grows smaller and sameness infiltrates everywhere, Te Reo is ours and only ours.
That rigid sail system would overcome most of the reasons not to put conventional sails on a tanker. No extra crew, the captain could control them from the bridge. Low maint. They're not 300m high. The wind direction doesn't matter. A 9.2% fuel saving is substantial. I wonder if fuel savings improve beyond that as more of the units are added to a deck.
These points may well be in the article grey, you're a Telegraph subscriber.
I'm a neophyte Telegraph subscriber. Can't get all their stuff at present and have to review what I paid and should pay. So can't give you any more about the sails at present, but even putting up the headlines I find is very bracing, knowing that something is going on in the intelligent side of the world.
I have to decide whether I want to pay monthly or drop in a donation FTTT – whatever options are being offered and for the other UK ones, I would like to get Scottish one too. I may be able to keep up on Bella Caledonia. (Just looking at their page and they are fulminating about David Cameron
' reportedly earning £120,000 per hour to provide audiences with “lessons in leadership” in global affairs. Similarly, Gordon Brown was paid around £75,000 for one speech that claims to give a “comprehensive view of complex issues”.' https://bellacaledonia.org.uk/2019/10/24/a-prosperous-future/
At least it won't cost me that much to be informed, and with a spread of media I am likely to be as well grounded in general, as many paying big money to hear the mega-stars, famous in their own galaxy.
I'm going to be donating to the Guardian, want to subscribe to local Scoop, and also The Standard. And I get local paper at a reduced rate. It all adds up. The Guardian, The Telegraph and aljazeera have been my main ones on Brexit with the BBC and Channel 4 FTTT.
Once upon a time I favoured enabling vaping – as a means to wean people off tobacco.
I still do. But, given
1. the harm that can result from allowing an addictive substance – nicotine – to be on-sale
2. those over 18 are supplying it to younger teens and children
3. growing evidence that there is damage to lungs from vaping
I now only favour it by prescription to existing tobacco addicts, where the doctor felt the risk from vaping was worth it for the patient – as part of a process to getting people off tobacco.
“On certain routes during the trial the vessel achieved fuel savings way beyond the average of 8.2% even with average wind conditions,” Hylands said.
“There is a clear potential to achieve higher fuel savings, and hence CO2 savings, on routes with more favourable wind conditions, which further improves the commercial viability of the technology.”
Targeting windy routes is way more efficient than adding more windmills.
That shipping site is amazing. GPS position, headings, speed. Pelican looks very tired in the Maersk file pics. Was probably due to be slipped when the round sails went on.
Weka stuck Harvey's public shaming up the other night but like Harvey, we had so much fun lets do it again.
Phone + Facebook/Twitter account are like the village stocks of old and Harvey is copping rotten fruit for a second day on The Standard. Seems fitting, creep.
If I was the boss at Sky City I would invite the dominant union executive body to select the lab to do the air purity analysis. (I would run my own tests on the quiet.)
If there was a marked difference between data sets, I'd ring the head of the union body and suggest reps from each lab come together for one more comprehensive test. Agree on methodology and deliver a collective report.
Because giant interference arrays are so yesterday.
/
Russia will test its internal RuNet network to see whether the country can function without the global internet, the Russian government announced Monday. The tests will begin after Nov. 1, recur at least annually, and possibly more frequently. It’s the latest move in a series of technical and policy steps intended to allow the Russian government to cut its citizens off from the rest of the world.
“On Monday, the government approved the provision on conducting exercises to ensure the stable, safe and holistic functioning of the Internet and public communications networks in the Russian Federation,” notes an article in D-Russia. (The original article is in Russian. We verified a translation with the help of a native Russian speaker.) “The exercises are held at the federal (in the territory of the Russian Federation) and regional (in the territory of one or more constituent entities of the Russian Federation) levels.”
The word “holistic” shows that the exercises follow April’s passage of the sovereign internet law that will require all internet traffic in Russia to pass through official chokepoints, allowing the government to shut down outside access, block websites that they don’t like, and monitor traffic.
'to cut its [Russian] citizens off from the rest of the world'. / sarc
This step to try and be self-sufficient comes after western provocation and Ukraine meddling and all sorts of attacks and provocations from both sides in retaliation to the ones before. It is quite reasonable to try and withdraw from such resource wasting interaction. And of course there are the sanctions that the USA plaster round the place, elephants are more dainty.
Putin and his Chekists are losing the propaganda battle. Their response is to do what their forebears did.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered the government to monitor the online behavior of young Russians and to produce “moral and spiritual education” content for them.
Young Russians have been targeted by several government initiatives in recent years, including a ban on minors attending protests and efforts to provide them with a military and patriotic education. This year, Russia launched a new channel targeting young viewers with 24/7 World War II programming and announced military-patriotic reeducation camps for delinquent youngsters.
Perhaps that is the appropriate thing to do at this point in time? I am so disillusioned with world politics that I no longer can produce the moth-eaten banner left over from last century with words of hope and glory where if everyone is treated properly and allowed to say what they will, the tooth fairy will give us beautiful teeth and we won;t even have to paint them every night.
I am amazed that the government cannot find funding for the Chathams and their airport. These outlying regions need some investment to build further business on. Everything can't be about trees. I hope that there is another agency that would find a place in its budget for them.
I'm going to sand the last one and lay another coat of lacquer over the Simca. I love spray-painting while the All Blacks play their big games. So far we have mirrored results.
Geeez, I so want to get this right. I know how to do this, I'm good at it, I need to relax. I need to be seventeen and painting my tutor's car again. I was brilliant without trying.
Trudeau may have his issues, but Canadians had the wit to give the racist, climate denier fossil fuel loving anti-immigrant nazi the arse.
Bernier spent the campaign promoting a divisive and exclusionary message that could have easily come from far-right parties such as Germany’s AfD or France’s National Front. He vowed to build a border fence to keep out asylum seekers, stoked fears of “radical Islam” in the country and told a rally earlier this year that he wanted to “make Canada great again.”
Bernier founded the party in 2018, after losing a Conservative Party leadership contest to Andrew Scheer, and quickly settled on an anti-immigration message. Despite the party polling around 3% throughout the campaign, Bernier was a highly visible figure during the race and participated in the federal leaders debate. His presence in the election, a sharp contrast with Canada’s progressive multicultural image, drew international media attention, including a profile in The New York Times that described him as a “lanky provocateur.”
Yes Anne, I had the same feeling after the match that it would be Jandal’s fault that the AB’s loss to English. You can’t fault that wiry old fox Jonesy who a masterful game plain to beat the AB’s tonight.
Easy foot-notery above when our predeccessors spent their lives, destroyed their families, for reality. And all I am is the angriest of the footnoters. Massive cream before a massive fall.
I think we're fighting against reality. That is, our mental nature.
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National Messiah? Chris Luxon identifies himself as an evangelical Christian. If he is genuine in this self-characterisation, then he will take every opportunity his public office provides to proselytise on behalf of his faith. He will also feel obliged to bear witness against beliefs and practices he believes to be ...
I'm going to make a Reckless Prediction™ that the Tories have 'topped out' in the 'poll of polls' / Britain Elects multipoll tracker at about 38%, and in the next week we will start to see Labour creep up on them.In fact, we might just be seeing the start of ...
by The Council of Disobedient Women Lizzie Marvelly: “I may have missed this… has @afterellen gone all terf-y? Or am I reading something incorrectly? “ https://twitter.com/LizzieMarvelly/status/1191840059105742849 After Ellen is a lesbian website that is unashamedly pro-lesbian, as you’d expect. So why is Ms Marvelly so bothered about lesbians having their ...
Did you know there once was a time when it was illegal to be a gypsy (aka Romani) in Britain?That was between 1530, when the Egyptians Act was passed, and 1856, when it was repealed.Amongst other things, the act forbade the entry of 'Egyptians' into England, ordered those already there ...
Some days I sit and think, “what will I write…?” What do you say when you get to 1000 posts? Maybe you just start where you are, diverge to where this all began, then offer a collection of reader’s favourite posts, and a few of your own? (And throw in ...
Counter-Puncher: The “activists” and “radicals” (his own words) from the Indian community who took such strong exception to Shane Jones’ remarks about Immigration NZ’s treatment of arranged marriages, may end up bitterly regretting their intervention. Jones is not the sort of person who turns the other cheek to his critics.SHANE ...
In the spirit of Remember, remember the fifth of November, let's keep this in mind FOREVER.
Oh dear. Extraordinary interview on PM with Andrew Bridgen and @EvanHD just now. Bridgen was defending Jacob Rees Mogg’s Grenfell comments. Evan asked him if JRM had meant to say he would have left ...
Collision Course? In conditions of ideological white-out, the international bankers’ “Woop-Woop! Pull Up!” warning may have come too late to save global capitalism.WHAT DOES IT MEAN when international bankers are more willing to embrace radical solutions than our politicians and their electors? At both the International Monetary Fund and the ...
Pertussis (whooping cough) is a conundrum. It is a disease that was described hundreds of years ago and the bacteria that causes it (Bordetella pertussis) isolated in 1906. We have had vaccines for about 80 years but this disease is defiant in the face of human immunity. I wanted to ...
The Zero Carbon Bill has just passed its third reading, uanimously. In the end, National supported it - but we all know they'll turn around and gut it the moment they regain power. Meanwhile, I guess ACT's David Seymour didn't even bother to show up. I am on record as ...
Dr Lindsay Robertson, Dr Jerram Bateman, Professor Janet HoekMembers of the public health community hold divergent views on how access to vaping products or electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) products should be arranged. Some believe ENDS should be as widely available as smoked tobacco and argue for liberal ...
When the Police were trying to cover up for the National Party over Dirty Politics, they went all-in with their abuses of power. They illegally search Nicky Hager's house, violating his journalistic privilege and invading his privacy. They unlawfully acquired Hager's bank records. They did the same to left-wing blogger ...
Last month, in response to a wave of protests by Extinction Rebellion, the British government purported to ban their protests from the whole of London. It was a significant interference with the freedoms of expression and assembly, and another sign of the country's decline into tyranny. But now, a court ...
Last year, the Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security reported on significant problems with the intelligence warrant system. While they were unwilling to declare any warrant "irregular" (meaning unlawful) due to the recent law change, they were also not willing to give the system a clean bill of health. Now, they've ...
The National Party has come out in support of encouraging greater vaccination uptake. But it sure isn’t the way I’d do it. National’s suggested docking the benefits of those on benefit whose kids aren’t keeping up with their vaccinations. Some in National have suggested extending that to payments under Working ...
Feeding The Flames: It is simply not enough to demand an end to “corruption”, or “inequality”, or the overbearing influence of the authorities in Beijing. These are just “lowest common denominator” demands: the sort of slogans that pull people onto the streets. They are not a plan.WHERE’S THE PLAN? Across ...
The labour market statistics have been released, and unemployment has risen to 4.2%. There are 115,000 unemployed - 11,000 fewer than when Labour took office. In that time the minimum wage has gone up by $2 an hour, which shows that the right's fears about increases causing unemployment are simply ...
The Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Committee has called for submissions on Andrew Little's tyrannicalTerrorism Suppression (Control Orders) Bill. Normally I encourage participation in the democratic process. I am not doing so in this case. Instead, I encourage all of you to boycott this submissions process, and to post ...
Climate Explained is a collaboration between The Conversation, Stuff and the New Zealand Science Media Centre to answer your questions about climate change.If you have a question you’d like an expert to answer, please send it to climate.change@stuff.co.nzIf tiny concentrations of carbon dioxide can hold enough heat ...
Aviation is one of the fastest growing sources of greenhouse gas emissions, and within it, one of the fastest sources is elite travel: billionaires flitting around the world in their private jets, spewing excessive pollution into the atmosphere just so they can avoid mixing with us dirty peasants. But in ...
That's what we face if we don't stop climate change, according to a warning from 11,000 scientists:The world’s people face “untold suffering due to the climate crisis” unless there are major transformations to global society, according to a stark warning from more than 11,000 scientists. “We declare clearly and unequivocally ...
by Phil Duncan Here’s just a few of the kind of threats issued day in and day out against gender-critical women – feminists, marxists, etc – overwhelmingly by MEN (albeit men identifying as women). “Kill all Terfs”. “Shoot a Terf today”. “All terfs deserve to be shot in the head”. ...
This is the third of the synopses of parts of the opening chapter of John Smith’s Imperialism in the 21st Century (New York, Monthly Review Press, 2016). The synopsis and commentary below is written by Phil Duncan. Unlike the humble cup of coffee and t-shirt that we looked at in ...
Tom MooreTraditionally a food source and cutting tool, freshwater mussels/kākahi are now widely valued as water filters that help clean our waterbodies and maintain ecosystem health throughout Aotearoa. The improvement they provide in water quality can make it easier for other animals to live in streams and rivers, as ...
And to think he gave all the potential goodwill away with that moronic, cult-like statement (repeated ad nauseam by many National hardliners) that Key is quite simply “the greatest PM we ever had”…Installation complete: this was nothing ...
The Zero Carbon Bill is back in the House today for its second reading. While this isn't the final stage, its still effectively D-Day for the bill. Because today, at around 5pm, is when we're going to find out if it has a majority, whether National will support it or ...
Winston Peters is in court today, suing a bunch of former Minister and civil servants over their pre-election leak of his superannuation repayment. He's characterised the leak as malicious, and said that it is repugnant that his information was passed on to Ministers to use for political advantage. And he's ...
Murray CoxDo I have to finish my favourite genome? That’s an often-asked question. Geneticists generally strive to produce high-quality genomes that sequence every last gene, making full use of the state-of-the-art technologies coming on stream. Sequencing DNA means determining the order of the four chemical building blocks – called ...
Transformative Politics: The idea is to turn each recipient into an unwitting accomplice in their own transformation. From interested observer to hyped-up activist, sharing our messages promiscuously with ‘friends’. You’ll be part of an ever-expanding circulatory system, Jennifer, for the ideas that will win us the election.”JENNIFER SKITTERED her chair ...
The boycott is a fundamental tool of protest. By choosing who we buy from, we can send a message, and hopefully change corporate behaviour. Historically, boycotts have been effective, for example over apartheid in South Africa and Israel, in forcing divestment from Myanmar, and in ending bus segregation in the ...
Jan Rivers spoke at the Abortion Legislation Select Committee in favour of the bill, but in opposition to calls from other submitters to exchange the word ‘woman’ for ‘person’ throughout the bill. Jan is a supporter of the feminist group Speak Up For Women and has recently written an excellent ...
I checked my traffic stats:I was intrigued by 'monica29' - who was this very dedicated individual? I clicked on the link, to be greeted with ...Ho, hum.Spreadin' the word, spreadin' the word. Doesn't matter who hears it, as long as it gets out there. ...
There have been three polls since the election was announced, and I will shamelessly steal YouGov / UK Polling Report's Anthony Wells' summary of them:Survation – CON 34%, LAB 26%, LDEM 19%, BREX 12%, GRN 1% Ipsos MORI – CON 41%, LAB 24%, LDEM 20%, BREX 7%, GRN 3% YouGov ...
The following article is translated from Lutte Ouvrière, the weekly newspaper of the organisation usually known by the same name in France. When, for the second time this year, Chilean President Piñera announced an increase in the price of Metro tickets from 800 to 830 pesos, students in the high ...
Today, a worker contacted me asking if she could go to the police over her employer stealing thousands of dollars from her in unpaid wages. The employer also did not pay this worker’s taxes or student loan which amounts to tax fraud. As a workers rights activist, who founded the ...
Signed, Sealed, Delivered, They're Yours: Is there any person more vulnerable than a jilted lover on the rebound? Or, anything more certain than that the charmer, the predator, the glib spinner of lies and promises will seek such broken people out? Yes, of course, he will love every one of ...
Though Jonathan Romain is a fairly high profile Rabbi, writing in several papers and popping up on TV and the radio, this story doesn't seem to have made it to the Guardian yet, so I'll take the unusual step of linking the Stephen Pollard edited Jewish Chronicle:Rabbi Dr Jonathan Romain ...
There's an election afoot, and that is when noted opinion formers such as myself get to make wild fools of ourselves by pretending we have the faintest idea what will happen.So, here is my absurdly optimistic prediction:Labour - 285Conservative - 262SNP - 53Lib Dems - 20PC - 5Ireland - 18 ...
Image Credit:Increase Social Media Traffic & Website Traffic I notice a few regulars no longer allow public access to the site counters. This may happen accidentally when the blog format is altered. If your ...
Belinda CridgeI was reading my son a story last night. A great tale of derring-do of five mountaineers scaling the Matterhorn for the first time. One in the party had tried six times previously and failed, this was the last attempt before winter closed another season. They tried a ...
As introduced, the Zero Carbon Bill included an expansive secrecy clause, which would have covered virtually all decisions by the Climate Change Commission over our most important policy area. The Ministry for the Environment admitted this was a mistake (or as they put it, an "oversight"), and the select committee ...
Rachael Shaw, Victoria University of WellingtonWhen we think about animals storing food, the image that usually comes to mind is a squirrel busily hiding nuts for the winter. We don’t usually think of a small songbird taking down an enormous invertebrate, tearing it into pieces and hiding these titbits ...
. . NZ First’s success in putting the euthenasia bill to a public referenda may not be the victory they believe it to be. They may even have sounded the death-knell for a second Labour-NZ First-Green coalition. On 23 July this year, NZ First MP, Jenny Marcroft, submitted a Supplementary ...
Interesting contrasting pictures in the Guardian:Corbyn gets the classic positive shot - low angle and a clear background, making him look authoritative (of course, being Corbyn, he doesn't do authoritative very well).Where as Johnson gets pictured with children at some sort of mad-hatters' tea party:Begging the question, who is the ...
Paternalism is contentious. Arguments for state action to protect us from ourselves are fraught. I come down pretty heavily on the anti-paternalism side of the argument, but I’ve heard respectable defences of paternalism. But policy around vaccination is hardly paternalistic. There’s a clear market failure that could be pointed to ...
I’ve been reading Jules Verne’s novel Twenty thousand leagues under the sea, considered as one of the very earliest science fiction stories. In brief, Monsieur Aronnax and a couple of sidekicks are taken prisoner by Captain Nemo and his mysterious crew and treated to an underwater voyage around the world ...
The climate crisis is going to mean some pretty big changes in our country, both from its impacts and the policies required to address them. Most obviously, whole suburbs are going to be underwater by 2100, meaning people and businesses are going to have to relocate to higher ground. But ...
Yesterday a dairy company was fined $483,000 for repeatedly failing to report listeria in its facility. Its a serious fine for a serious crime: listeria is a serious disease, and they were effectively trying to kill people with it. But there's another story hidden in there, and its not a ...
Gay men see the excesses of trans activism and are increasingly speaking out. A new Facebook group addressing ‘gender identity’ and contemporary trans activism has been set up for gay men, by gay men. The following is the group’s Statement of Intent, Group Rules, and link to the group for ...
Criminal Enterprises: Gangs are not welfare institutions. Nor are they a substitute for the family their members never had. They are ruthless, violent, criminal money-making machines. That is all.OKAY, first-things-first. Gangs exist for one purpose – and only one. They are a sure-fired, time-tested institution for making crime pay – ...
Prof Nick Wilson, A/Prof George Thomson, A/Prof Simon Hales, Prof Michael BakerThe NZ Ministry for the Environment has produced a valuable discussion document with many good ideas for improving the health of waterways in New Zealand. But there are important gaps. In this blog we consider three big-ticket items ...
Finding reality needs more than wishful thinking. The problem is that statistical arguments often provide a jargon to confirm biases. Image credit:Accurate Thinking Versus Wishful Thinking in Gambling I worry at the way some ...
"Today we have made a choice that will leave a legacy... I hope that means that future generations will see that we, in New Zealand, were on the right side of history." - Jacinda Ardern, Third Reading of the Zero Carbon Bill ...
Darroch Ball, New Zealand First List MP A Member’s bill has been proposed that would provide income tax exemptions for all New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) personnel while on operational deployment overseas. The Income Tax (Exemption for Salary or Wages of NZDF Members on Active Deployment) Amendment Bill proposed by New Zealand First ...
Rt Hon Winston Peters, New Zealand First Leader New Zealand First is proud to have brought common sense to the Climate Change Response (Zero Carbon) Amendment Bill, which passed its final reading in Parliament today. Party Leader Rt Hon Winston Peters says months of hard work went into negotiating a balanced ...
Jenny Marcroft MP, Spokesperson for Health New Zealand First has listened to calls to recognise paramedics as registered health professionals under the Health Practitioners’ Competence Assurance Act (the Act).Today, the Coalition Government announced plans for paramedics to be registered as health practitioners under the Act, and the establishment of a ...
We began the week by commemorating the New Zealand Wars and celebrating a major increase in the number of teachers. Then, we were busy supporting offenders into work and getting our rail back on track after years of underinvestment. And that's just the start! ...
In October I was sworn in as the Mayor of Lower Hutt.It’s the privilege of my life to serve Hutt people as their Mayor. There is something really special to be able to serve the community where I was raised, and where I live. ...
Rt Hon Winston Peters, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister for Racing Racing Minister Winston Peters met with Korea Racing Authority Chairperson Nak Soon Kim in Seoul today to discuss closer cooperation between the New Zealand and Korean horse racing industries. As part of the visit to the Seoul Racecourse, Mr Peters witnessed ...
Hon Shane Jones, Minister for Regional Economic Development The Provincial Growth Fund (PGF) is investing $10 million to establish Otago as the centre of New Zealand’s creative digital industry over the next ten years, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones announced today. “The initiative will bring us closer to the vision of ...
Hon Shane Jones, Minister for Regional Economic Development The Provincial Growth Fund (PGF)’s skills and employment programme will help young Otago people into long-term forestry careers, Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones announced today. Te Ara Mahi will invest $63,000 in the 2020 school year to support eight 17 and 18 ...
Hon Shane Jones, Minister for Regional Economic Development The Provincial Growth Fund (PGF) will support local plans to revitalise and stimulate economic development opportunities in Otago, Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones has announced. The four Regional Economic Development Ministers have approved an in-principle investment of $19.9 million towards the region’s ...
Mark Patterson, Spokesperson for Primary Industries New Zealand First is pleased to have received the Technical Advisory Group (TAG) report on the Coalition Government’s Mycoplasma bovis eradication efforts, which shows significant progress in the fight against the disease. New Zealand First Spokesperson for Primary Industries, Mark Patterson, says the report’s findings ...
Hon Shane Jones, Minister for Regional Economic Development Hon David Parker, Minister for Trade and Export Growth The Provincial Growth Fund (PGF) is investing to support economic growth opportunities for Otago’s engineering and manufacturing sectors, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones and Trade and Export Minister David Parker announced today. Almost $20 million ...
Rt Hon Winston Peters, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs Foreign Minister Winston Peters and his South Korean counterpart, Kang Kyung-wha, discussed in Seoul today opportunities to work more closely in the Pacific and the situation on the Korean Peninsula. Mr Peters and Minister Kang confirmed New Zealand and the ...
Hon Shane Jones, Minister for Regional Economic Development Hon Nanaia Mahuta, Minister for Māori Development The three marae in the historic Parihaka Pa complex in Taranaki have been upgraded to high speed broadband with the support of the Provincial Growth Fund (PGF), Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones announced today. “Connecting the ...
Hon Ron Mark, Minister of Defence Minister of Defence Ron Mark will today launch the Advancing Pacific Partnerships 2019 Defence Assessment during a speech at Te Papa. The Assessment outlines how Defence will partner with our Pacific Island neighbours and invest in Pacific regional security architecture. The Plan aligns with the Coalition ...
A new Provincial Growth Fund investment could create about 80 new jobs in Gisborne over the next two years, turning a local small business into a “beacon of employment” in the process. Regional Economic Development Parliamentary Under-Secretary Fletcher Tabuteau said the PGF’s Te Ara Mahi funding stream would provide $1.6m ...
Rt Hon Winston Peters, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters will travel to the Republic of Korea and Japan next week. “The Republic of Korea and Japan are two of New Zealand’s closest partners in the region with whom we share common values and ...
Rt Hon Winston Peters, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters has announced today that New Zealand is leading a police support mission in Bougainville as the region prepares to vote in a non-binding referendum on its political future. “New Zealand has accepted an invitation ...
New Zealand First MP Shane Jones is defending Immigration New Zealand (INZ) after it instructed officials to stop granting visas as an exception to instructions. He has also lashed out at immigrant leaders upset with the tightening of the rules, saying they had an “elevated sense of entitlement”. Members of ...
A change to the End of Life Choice Bill was passed in Parliament, meaning if politicians decide to vote for the law it must be approved by the public first. A binding referendum was a condition insisted on by New Zealand First, and Jenny Marcroft’s supplementary order paper (SOP) successfully ...
Fletcher Tabuteau, Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Regional Economic Development The Provincial Growth Fund (PGF), through its skills and employment programme,Te Ara Mahi, is investing a further $1.6m into Tairāwhiti’s workforce development, said Parliamentary Under Secretary for Regional Economic Development Fletcher Tabuteau. “This PGF funding follows on from significant PGF investment earlier this ...
Rt Hon Winston Peters, New Zealand First Leader New Zealand First Leader Rt Hon Winston Peters says the Government’s steps to reduce farm livestock emissions are necessary and timely. Today the Government and farming leaders announced a plan to measure and price emissions at the farm level by 2025. “Many farmers ...
Racing Minister Winston Peters welcomes the tabling of the Racing Industry Transition Agency (RITA) 2019 Annual Report in Parliament today. He says the 2019 Annual Report marks the point when New Zealand’s racing industry’s decline was arrested and a turnaround started. RITA’s 2019 Annual Report recorded an industry net profit ...
The New Zealand Government is today sending 21 firefighters to help fight the ongoing catastrophic Australian bushfires. “The fires in Australia are in some of the toughest, most challenging conditions ever,” says Internal Affairs Minister Tracey Martin. “As of yesterday morning, there were 100 active bushfire-related incidents across Queensland and ...
More frontline support for schools through a new education agency, as part of a redesigned Ministry of Education More support for principals and school boards including through a new centre of leadership and local leadership advisor roles New independent disputes panels for parents and students Management of school property ...
The Government’s reform of the Tomorrow’s Schools system is a watershed moment in education and an opportunity to create meaningful change for ākonga Māori and their whānau, Associate Education Minister Kelvin Davis said today. “Last year through Kōrero Mātauranga | Education Conversation, Māori teachers, parents, ākonga, whānau, hapū and iwi ...
Infrastructure Minister is welcoming the first of many updated project pipelines from the newly established New Zealand Infrastructure Commission today. The New Zealand Infrastructure Commission, Te Waihanga, has released an expanded pipeline of major capital projects – another crucial step towards delivering better infrastructure outcomes. “The first iteration of the ...
Tougher gun laws designed to improve public safety through firearms prohibition orders are proposed in a new document released for public input. Police Minister Stuart Nash says firearms prohibition orders (FPOs) would give new powers to Police to ensure high-risk individuals come nowhere near firearms. “We have already prohibited the ...
Andy Coupe has been confirmed as TVNZ’s new Board Chair. “Mr Coupe has strong commercial and capital markets experience and TVNZ has benefited from his technical knowledge of business and finance, as well as his extensive governance experience,” the Minister of Broadcasting, Communications and Digital Media Kris Faafoi said. Andy ...
Associate Minister of Transport Julie Anne Genter today officially opened a separated pathway, following the completion of the Kaiwharawhara Stream bridge, which will improve safety for cyclists and pedestrians along Hutt Road. The $6.8m Hutt Road project provides a separated path for cycling and pedestrians, the replacement of informal parking ...
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters today announced the appointment of career diplomat Si’alei van Toor as New Zealand’s next Ambassador to Russia. “I’m pleased to appoint Ms van Toor to this position. She brings a wealth of experience to the role having previously served as Senior Trade Adviser to the ...
The Treasury’s 2019 Half Year Economic and Fiscal Update (HYEFU) will be released on Wednesday December 11, Finance Minister Grant Robertson says. The Coalition Government will publish the 2020 Budget Policy Statement at the same time, outlining the priorities for Budget 2020. Further details on arrangements for the release will ...
A new initiative to better support small businesses through hands-on mentoring and advice has been launched by the Minister for Small Business. The first event in the Kiwi Business Boost series of regional workshops and online tools has been launched in Wairoa by Stuart Nash. “The Business Boost initiative combines ...
The latest Quarterly Connectivity Report shows that more and more New Zealanders are moving to Ultra-fast Broadband (UFB), with Rolleston having the highest uptake at 74 per cent, as at the end of September. “This means that nearly three quarters of Rolleston’s households and businesses have moved to ultra-fast services. ...
The passing of the Climate Change Response (Zero Carbon) Amendment Bill will help ensure a safe planet for our kids and grandkids, the Minister for Climate Change James Shaw said today. The landmark legislation which provides a framework to support New Zealanders to prepare for, and adapt to, the effects ...
The review of Oranga Tamariki practice around the planned uplift of a Hastings baby in May shows significant failings by the Ministry and that the planned and funded changes to shift from a child crisis service to a proper care and protection service need to be accelerated, Children’s Minister Tracey ...
Education Minister Chris Hipkins has wished students the best of luck for this year’s NCEA and New Zealand Scholarship exams which start tomorrow. Around 140,000 students will have participated in 119 NCEA and New Zealand Scholarship exams by the end of the exam period on 3 December. “I want to ...
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters today announced the appointment of Bede Corry as New Zealand’s next High Commissioner to the United Kingdom. “The appointment of a senior diplomat to this important role underlines the significance New Zealand places on our relationship with the United Kingdom,” said Mr Peters. “The United ...
An innovative approach to boosting the number of frontline Police has seen 20 new officers graduate from one of the uncommon training wings in Auckland. Police Minister Stuart Nash says the graduation of 20 constables today means that 1,765 new Police officers have been deployed since the coalition government took ...
Corrections Minister Kelvin Davis says the 1.2 million hours of community work completed by offenders in the last financial year has helped local communities right across the country. “Community work sentences are a great way for people to pay something positive back to society. There is a massive benefit to ...
"A pathway for Police in leadership with Iwi Māori, to achieve the aspirations of Māori whānau." Police launch of Te Huringa o Te Tai, Pipitea Marae, Thorndon Quay, Wellington Nau mai, haere mai. Tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, ka nui te mihi, ki a koutou. Hello everyone, warm greetings to you all. ...
Working New Zealanders are getting more in their back pockets under the Coalition Government’s economic plan. Stats NZ data today shows average weekly ordinary time earnings are up by $83 since the Government took office. This shows that working New Zealanders are getting higher take-home pay, and that employers are ...
The Government is supporting schools to cut down their energy consumption and reduce environmental impacts, with a quarter of all schools having their lights replaced with LEDs, a sustainability contestable fund and a plan to improve the environmental sustainability of all schools in the future. Education Minister Chris Hipkins and ...
Tourism Minister Kelvin Davis heads to China on Friday to lead the New Zealand Government presence at the China-New Zealand Year of Tourism closing ceremony. The ceremony will take place at Canton Tower in Guangzhou on Sunday 10 November. “The Year of Tourism has been mutually beneficial for both New ...
Should we plan for drought or deluge and how is CO2 released from the ocean’s floor? Several climate change projects were given a boost in the latest Marsden Fund investment of $83.6 million, Research, Science and Innovation Minister Megan Woods said today. “Climate change is long-term challenge that requires out-of-the-box ...
Leaders of 16 countries negotiating the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) have announced the completion of negotiation on the text as well as agreement on virtually all market access issues between 15 countries. The leaders said they will work with India to resolve its outstanding concerns in a way that ...
Civil Defence Minister Hon Peeni Henare says World Tsunami Awareness Day today (5 November) is a chance for all New Zealanders to learn more about the tsunami risk in our regions and the right actions to take to stay safe. “All of New Zealand’s coastline is at risk of tsunami. ...
New Zealand’s more than 1000 paramedics are to have their role as key frontline health professionals formally recognised and regulated in the same way as doctors and nurses, Health Minister David Clark says. The Government has agreed to regulate paramedics under the Health Practitioners Competence Assurance Act 2003. “Paramedic leaders ...
Changes to insolvency law announced by the Government today will include requirements to honour up to 50 per cent of the value of gift cards or vouchers held by consumers, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Kris Faafoi says. “When a business is insolvent, these consumers are often left out of ...
Six New Zealanders tonight received medals for their meritorious work in the frontline public service. The Public Service Medal, established by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, is awarded annually. “For the second year this Government has recognised public servants who have made a real difference to the lives of New ...
Minister for Trade and Export Growth David Parker heads to Shanghai today for the China International Import Expo and meetings focused on reforming the WTO. Over 90 New Zealand companies will be exhibiting at the second China International Import Expo (CIIE), which runs from 5-10 November. “China is one of New Zealand’s ...
Drivers holding a current five-year learner or restricted car or motorbike licence, expiring between 1 December 2019 and 1 December 2021, will receive an automatic two-year extension, Associate Transport Minister Julie Anne Genter announced today. Over 144,000 drivers’ time-limited licences are due to expire in the next two years; 67,000 ...
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Minister for Trade and Export Growth David Parker have announced the conclusion of negotiations to upgrade New Zealand’s existing free trade agreement with China. “This ensures our upgraded free trade agreement will remain the best that China has with any country,” Jacinda Ardern said. She ...
Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Regional Economic Development Fletcher Tabuteau congratulates the Ten Kiwi organisations who have been recognised for their outstanding contribution to the wellbeing and the prosperity of their communities. Economic Development New Zealand (EDNZ), announced the awards at its annual conference in Blenheim last weekend. “A special congratulations to ...
Minister for Building and Construction Jenny Salesa has welcomed the record high of 13,000 building and construction apprentices in active training with main provider the Building and Construction Industry Training Organisation (BCITO). “We are committed to reversing the long-term decline in trades training and it’s excellent to see more people ...
PHARMAC’s decision to fund a new leukaemia treatment means three new cancer medicines have now been funded so far this year, Health Minister David Clark says. From 1 December venetoclax (Venclexta) will be funded for people living with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia. Just last month funding was also confirmed for alectinib ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has today formally gifted a white horse to Toshogu Shrine in Nikko, Japan in front of thousands of attendees at a ceremony conducted by Chief Priest Inaba. The horse named Kōmaru, which means ‘sheltered’ in Maori and ‘shining’ in Japanese, is a white 12-year-old purebred Andalusian ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has named diplomat Martin Harvey as New Zealand’s next High Commissioner to Canada. “Canada is one of New Zealand’s closest and longstanding international partners,” said Mr Peters. “Our close friendship is underpinned by our shared democratic values, history and our parliamentary traditions. As Commonwealth countries and ...
Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Kris Faafoi has today announced the appointment of Jane Wrightson as Retirement Commissioner. “Jane has strong leadership, management and governance skills which will help champion improved financial capability for all New Zealanders and provide advice on retirement income policy issues,” Kris Faafoi said. Jane Wrightson ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters and his Japanese counterpart Toshimitsu Motegi announced a plan last night to cooperate more closely in the Pacific, as part of the strong and ambitious relationship between the two countries. “Japan is one of New Zealand’s most important partners and closest friends. My discussions with Minister ...
The Government’s plan to help older New Zealanders live well, Better Later Life – He Oranga Kaumātua 2019 to 2034, was launched by Seniors Minister Tracey Martin today. “Better Later Life takes a fresh look at what is required to ensure everyone gets the chance to live well as they ...
Trees can play a lead role in New Zealand’s transition to a low emissions economy, and this is reflected in a new request for research into innovative ways to use wood fibre, announced by Forestry Minister Shane Jones at the blessing of the new government forestry hub site in Rotorua ...
In the second part of a new event series looking at the future of Auckland, The Spinoff and Auckland Council host In My Backyard: Glen Innes, to ask what the suburb can teach the rest of the city about housing. Throughout its history, Glen Innes has had the highest density of ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rachel Badlan, Postdoctoral Researcher, Atmospheric Dynamics, UNSW As the east coast bushfire crisis unfolds, New South Wales Premier Gladys Berejiklian and Rural Fire Service operational officer Brett Taylor have each warned residents bushfires can create their own weather systems. This is not ...
Iran has announced the discovery of a new oilfield containing 53 billion barrels of crude. So what does that say about the NZ government’s move to be a world leader in shutting down the issue of new permits for oil and gas exploration – a move which Jacinda Ardern characterised ...
A wild, hilly spear, studded with brilliant beaches and thrilling bush, the Coromandel Peninsula is a magic geographical cul-de-sac. Here’s how to explore this stunning part of our backyard.If you’ve got friends or relatives visiting Aotearoa, top of their list should be sorting out their NZeTA (New Zealand Electronic Travel ...
12 November 2019 Water and infrastructure professionals from across the public and private sectors attended a panel discussion on 4 November, focused on the Government’s proposed water reforms and most particularly the potential impacts on our urban environments. ...
Fifteen years on, Sam Brooks looks at Gwen Stefani’s wet, weird, wild and wonderful debut album Love. Angel. Music. Baby.The first thing we hear on Love. Angel. Music. Baby. – No Doubt frontwoman Gwen Stefani’s first album – is applause and cheering.Then a piano. Then Stefani warbling, sweetly, mournfully, almost ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Coral Gartner, Associate Professor, School of Public Health, The University of Queensland More than 2,000 people in the United States have developed serious lung damage in a poisoning outbreak associated with the use of vaping devices this year. At least 39 people ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Maggie Ivanova, Senior Lecturer, Drama, Creative and Performing Arts, Flinders University Review: The Dark Master and Totes Adorbs Hurricane, OzAsia Festival, Adelaide, 22 October – 8 November In theatre, the play text tends to drive the storytelling. The interpretation of this ...
Parliament’s Finance and Expenditure Committee has made key amendments to the Credit Contracts Legislation Amendment Bill, giving borrowers more protection from harmful high cost consumer credit contracts. The changes indicate that the Select Committee ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Janet Stanley, Associate professor/Principal Research Fellow, Melbourne Sustainable Society Institute, University of Melbourne Fires of unprecedented number and ferocity are today raging in New South Wales and Queensland. Residents in some regions woke to news that the fire danger was “catastrophic”. Rural ...
The government’s reform of 1989’s Tomorrow’s Schools legislation has been announced today, and it’s promising changes for students, teachers, principals and boards.What is “Tomorrow’s Schools”?In 1989, the government introduced the Tomorrow’s Schools reforms, which meant all schools became much more independent, giving Boards power over almost all school ...
The Council of Licenced Firearms Owners (COLFO) is urging politicians to heed evidence from respected international experts on why a proposed firearms registry in New Zealand is doomed to fail. ...
Go Bus drivers in Auckland will be taking full strike action from tomorrow as relations reach a new low with their employer following a week where the company has cancelled regular wage bargaining, arbitrarily suspended union-affiliated drivers, rejected ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By William Peterson, Associate Professor, Flinders University Review: OzAsia Festival, Adelaide, 22 October – 8 November The most exciting work at OzAsia cuts across genres, styles, and cultures to create something distinctive and new: a work of art that could not exist without ...
Large and small scale and Māori foresters say the 50 Shades of Green march on parliament on Thursday (eds 14 November) highlights deliberately created confusion about the true nature and recent scope of forestry expansion. ...
Where do we watch content, what do we want from it, and how do we view New Zealand news? Here’s what we learned from NZ On Air’s latest survey on identity, culture and the media. We still like to watch free-to-view TVDespite the lingering doom and gloom around linear television, almost ...
The candidates to tackle Donald Trump are very keen on the New Zealand prime minister.It could be because Vogue called her “the anti-Trump”. It could be the desperate shortage of tolerable left-leaning leaders in the Anglosphere. Or it could be because everyone knows it’s illegal to be mean about people ...
Responding to the launch of Massey University's new policy and code regarding free speech and external speaker, Free Speech Coalition spokesman Dr David Cumin says: ...
The Government is creating a new division of the Education Ministry in an overhaul that will strip schools of the right to manage their enrolment zones and their property. ...
Making Northport Auckland’s main port will require massive investment in rail and road and will increase carbon emissions and the cost of goods says National Road Carriers Association CEO David Aitken. ...
Tuesday, November 12: After months of mounting pressure, the Environmental Protection Authority has now publicly released oil giant OMV’s application to drill a high risk oil well off the Otago Coast. ...
Simon Day eats a burger and considers becoming a vegetarian (again). For two years in my 20s, I was vegetarian. It was a choice based on the idea that it’s a much more efficient and much less environmentally invasive way to feed the world. I used to habitually roll out a ...
Ahead of TVNZ1’s new wildlife documentary Serengeti, Tara Ward presents the best animals that make up the juiciest drama on the plains.If you love nature docos filled with argy-bargy and love triangles, jealous siblings and power struggles, then TVNZ’s new wildlife documentary series Serengeti is a dream come true. The ...
The Panama Papers exposed a world in which the uber-rich and powerful were able to hide unimaginable wealth. The reporters who broke the story describe how they did it.“When it takes a whistleblower to sound the alarm… it signals that democracy’s checks and balances have all failed.”The final words in ...
Family First New Zealand has proposed a number of bills to the government regarding the access to pornography in both public places, including schools and the work place. “There has been an important national conversation around consent and ‘rape culture’. ...
Vernon Tava, the leader of the Sustainable NZ party, used to be part of the Greens. So how did he fit in there? Former MP Catherine Delahunty shares her impressions of him from then, and analyses where his new party will fit in.I first met Vernon Tava when he joined ...
A Parliamentary Petition has been issued, calling for the regulation of sunscreens in New Zealand as well as funding of effective sunscreens for low income and high risk populations. ...
It’s been a rough year for unit-holders in Fonterra Shareholders Fund, with the unit price slumping from $5.12 to its lowest point ever at $3.15. Chairman John Shewan didn’t mince words when he told the Fund’s annual meeting this week Fonterra’s financial performance had been “very poor” in 2019. Not ...
Editor’s Note: Here below is a list of the main issues currently under discussion in New Zealand and links to media coverage.New Zealand Parliament Buildings, Wellington, New Zealand.Today’s content by Dr Bryce Edwards.Zero Carbon Bill, climate change Henry Cooke (Stuff): NZ First kept methane target from exiting ...
At 5:00pm on 22 November 2019, the period closes for public submissions regarding the changes BSA is proposing to the Election Programmes Code of Broadcasting Practice (Election Programmes Code). ...
Rachel Boyack was confirmed as the Labour Party candidate for Nelson for the 2020 General Election at a meeting of Party members held in Nelson tonight ...
The Zero Carbon Bill is bland and ineffective. Don’t fall for the spin, argues Steve Abel of Greenpeace. It was hard to not be buoyed by our House of Representatives, seemingly aligned in their commitment to climate action, at last week’s passing of the Zero Carbon Act. Bold expositions of pride ...
A new nationwide Curia Market Research poll shows the vast majority of New Zealanders are confused about what the End of Life Choice Bill aims to legalise. ...
The Prime Minster is defending her proposed firearms protection orders which has received mixed reactions in parliament; and attempted suicide in police custody has risen by almost 400 percent in four years. ...
A Helen Clark Foundation project to reduce online harm will be presented today in competition at the Paris Peace Forum. 'The Christchurch Principles' full report is available for download here . The Forum is a prestigious international event, initiated ...
Construction of more than 500 houses for New Zealand’s most needy families has been put on hold during a housing crisis because of a controversial policy change. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Justin Sinclair, Research Fellow, NICM Health Research Institute, Western Sydney University Endometriosis is a chronic, inflammatory condition where tissue similar to the lining of the uterus is found outside of the womb. It affects around one in ten women of reproductive age, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrew Fisher, Professor of Cattle & Sheep Production Medicine, University of Melbourne The plight of Australia’s dairy farmers is on the political agenda this week, after One Nation leader Pauline Hanson narrowly failed in her Senate bid for a minimum milk price. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Katina Zammit, Deputy Dean, School of Education, Western Sydney University When I was younger I decided to learn Greek. I learnt the letter-sound correspondences and could say the words – the sounds, that is. But although I could and still can decode ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Pamela Snow, Professor and Head, Rural Health School, La Trobe University Being able to read means being able to make meaning from printed words. At a functional level, we read to get the message – such as how many times per day ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Thijs Dhollander, Post-doctoral neuroscientist, Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health While looking at the MRI brain scan of a 29-year-old woman that had been taken for a different study, researchers in Israel recently stumbled upon a scientific mystery. The woman appears ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alison Holland, Senior Lecturer in Australian History, Macquarie University When the minister for Indigenous Australians, Ken Wyatt, recently announced a co-design process for creating an Indigenous “voice to government”, it was characterised as a shift in rhetoric. Yet, on closer inspection, it ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Joshua Zadro, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, University of Sydney Patients might not be getting the best advice about which treatments do or don’t work, according to our study published today. We found professional societies are more likely to call out other health professionals ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Catherine Abou-Nemeh, Lecturer in Early Modern History, Victoria University of Wellington This week New Zealand’s parliamentarians will vote on the third reading of the End of Life Choice Bill. Much public discussion on the merits of euthanasia has centred around the role ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Cris Brack, Associate Professor, Fenner School of Environment and Society, Australian National University Trees die. You don’t have to like it, but they do. And this comes as a surprise to some. A senior public servant once told one of us (Brack): ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Elaine Stratford, Professor, University of Tasmania In this series, we look at under-acknowledged women through the ages. We are all touched by relationships with animals — as domestic and working companions, wild inspirations, threats, or pests. Some of us may know about ...
The government's firearms prohibition order proposal - to keep high-risk individuals away from firearms - is being met with both approval and alarm bells. ...
The government's firearms prohibition order proposal - to keep high-risk individuals away from firearms - is being met with both approval and alarm bells. ...
Good morning, and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Armed police arrest raises alarm, report makes strong call for Auckland port to go north, and a battle is going on among Fonterra shareholders.Serious concerns have been raised about the trial of armed police officers, after a team arrested an ...
Some observers have been thinking that the forthcoming British election on 12 December would be about a lot more than just Brexit. Some of the issues polling supports this view. And the party leaders have certainly been leading off with their plans for the radiant future. And yet – new ...
A little-known hormone-related condition affecting up to 8 percent of people with periods is sometimes mistaken for bipolar disorder and incorrectly treated. ...
The unusual case of Winston Peters vs the Crown took a new twist yesterday with revelations the deputy PM and head of the civil service have not talked since the Government was formed. ...
Dr Samantha Marsh explains why we need to be wary of drawing definitive conclusions from single studies on social media that appear to ‘let us off the hook’. ...
Tech sector giants have a vested interest in prioritising freedom of expression, often at the expense of other rights. A new project to reduce harmful online content, presented yesterday to the Paris Peace Forum, aims to change that. One of the architects of the Christchurch Principles, Dr David Hall, explains. What ...
As parliament voted all but unanimously to pass the Zero Carbon Bill into law last week, climate change minister James Shaw credited Generation Zero for its very existence. Here, Jenny Coatham explains how the youth-led climate action group pulled off such a monumental task. Our generation has been described as having ...
Open mike 26/10/2019 
The Referendums Framework Bill was due back from select committee today. But there's no report on it. Instead, the bill has been bounced back to the House under Standing order 29593) because the Committee didn't bother to produce one. They probably tried. But given the membership of the committee (which ...5 hours ago
Two years into New Zealand’s Labour-led government, the long-delayed Zero Carbon Bill became law on 7 November. Passed essentially unanimously, the lengthy public debates and political manoeuvring faded away until the final passage was even anticlimactic: Flipping through the @nzstuff @DomPost I was starting to wonder if I’d dreamt ...5 hours ago
Distract And Divert: The rise of what we have come to call “Identity Politics” represents the ideological manifestation of the ruling class’s objective need to destroy class politics, and of the middle-class’s subjective need to justify their participation in the process.THE RELIEF of the ruling class can only be imagined. ...11 hours ago
13 hours ago
Since becoming the world’s first openly transexual mayor and member of parliament, Georgina Beyer has been recognised as a trailblazer for trans rights. Daphna Whitmore talks with her about where she sees the current trans movement We start out talking about legislation the government put on hold that would have ...2 days ago
If FFNZ really put their faith in “Top Medical Journals” they would now be amending their billboards to recognise new research results. Image from FFNZ but updated to agree with the latest research. ... 2 days ago
by Phil Duncan Here’s just a few of the kind of threats issued day in and day out against gender-critical women – feminists, marxists, etc – overwhelmingly by MEN (albeit men identifying as women). “Kill all Terfs”. “Shoot a Terf today”. “All terfs deserve to be shot in the head”. ...7 days ago
And to think he gave all the potential goodwill away with that moronic, cult-like statement (repeated ad nauseam by many National hardliners) that Key is quite simply “the greatest PM we ever had”…
Installation complete: this was nothing ... 1 week ago
Today, a worker contacted me asking if she could go to the police over her employer stealing thousands of dollars from her in unpaid wages. The employer also did not pay this worker’s taxes or student loan which amounts to tax fraud. As a workers rights activist, who founded the ...1 week ago
Image Credit: Increase Social Media Traffic & Website Traffic I notice a few regulars no longer allow public access to the site counters. This may happen accidentally when the blog format is altered. If your ... 2 weeks ago
. . NZ First’s success in putting the euthenasia bill to a public referenda may not be the victory they believe it to be. They may even have sounded the death-knell for a second Labour-NZ First-Green coalition. On 23 July this year, NZ First MP, Jenny Marcroft, submitted a Supplementary ...2 weeks ago
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"Today we have made a choice that will leave a legacy... I hope that means that future generations will see that we, in New Zealand, were on the right side of history." - Jacinda Ardern, Third Reading of the Zero Carbon Bill ...4 days ago
Darroch Ball, New Zealand First List MP A Member’s bill has been proposed that would provide income tax exemptions for all New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) personnel while on operational deployment overseas. The Income Tax (Exemption for Salary or Wages of NZDF Members on Active Deployment) Amendment Bill proposed by New Zealand First ...4 days ago
Racing Minister Winston Peters welcomes the tabling of the Racing Industry Transition Agency (RITA) 2019 Annual Report in Parliament today. He says the 2019 Annual Report marks the point when New Zealand’s racing industry’s decline was arrested and a turnaround started. RITA’s 2019 Annual Report recorded an industry net profit ...4 hours ago
It's being labelled a backdown but a closer look shows the principles of the Govt's education overhaul remain. ...1 hour ago
Word out of MediaWorks is that there is more interest in buying the company’s loss-making TV arm than expected - maybe as many as five. ...1 hour ago
In the second part of a new event series looking at the future of Auckland, The Spinoff and Auckland Council host In My Backyard: Glen Innes, to ask what the suburb can teach the rest of the city about housing. Throughout its history, Glen Innes has had the highest density of ...1 hour ago
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rachel Badlan, Postdoctoral Researcher, Atmospheric Dynamics, UNSW As the east coast bushfire crisis unfolds, New South Wales Premier Gladys Berejiklian and Rural Fire Service operational officer Brett Taylor have each warned residents bushfires can create their own weather systems. This is not ...2 hours ago
Could Shane Jones have unwittingly provided an opportunity to avoid the cycle of damaging populist politics sweeping the world? ...2 hours ago
Iran has announced the discovery of a new oilfield containing 53 billion barrels of crude. So what does that say about the NZ government’s move to be a world leader in shutting down the issue of new permits for oil and gas exploration – a move which Jacinda Ardern characterised ...2 hours ago
12 November 2019 Water and infrastructure professionals from across the public and private sectors attended a panel discussion on 4 November, focused on the Government’s proposed water reforms and most particularly the potential impacts on our urban environments. ...3 hours ago
Power company Mercury will spend another $208 million building the country's largest wind farm near Palmerston North. ...4 hours ago
The finalised outcomes of the Tomorrow's Schools review look suspiciously like the first round of proposals. ...5 hours ago
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How Justin Lester lost the Wellington mayoralty; and NZ First kept methane target from exiting Zero Carbon Bill. ...11 hours ago
The Prime Minster is defending her proposed firearms protection orders which has received mixed reactions in parliament; and attempted suicide in police custody has risen by almost 400 percent in four years. ...11 hours ago
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Performance poet Ben Fagan continues his investigations into being Pākehā in 2019. Watch the video. ...13 hours ago
Some observers have been thinking that the forthcoming British election on 12 December would be about a lot more than just Brexit. Some of the issues polling supports this view. And the party leaders have certainly been leading off with their plans for the radiant future. And yet – new ...13 hours ago
A little-known hormone-related condition affecting up to 8 percent of people with periods is sometimes mistaken for bipolar disorder and incorrectly treated. ...14 hours ago
Bernard Hickey unravels and explains the technologies, the acronyms and the power of 5G. ...14 hours ago
The unusual case of Winston Peters vs the Crown took a new twist yesterday with revelations the deputy PM and head of the civil service have not talked since the Government was formed. ...14 hours ago
Through the initiative of one trailblazing woman, a low-decile school in east Auckland is striving to ensure any kid who wants to play sport can. ...14 hours ago
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How realistic is NZ's goal of being pest-free by 2050? ...14 hours ago
Free speech? Apparently we have to be very careful about what we say.
"… hyperbole and irony and a certain moral ambiguity to make a comment about free speech…"
Jonathon Pie is a breath of fresh air. He’s on the button about this ridiculous over-reaction to hyperbole and humorous if slightly risque utterances. A personal example:
back in 1991 just before the first Iraq invasion started, I had a conversation with a former friend about the over-reaction of the American Embassy when they warned Americans living in NZ to beware of terrorists. [28 years ago we didn't have any terrorists.] I quipped to the friend… if you come across any terrorists let me know because I know a Yank who could do with being bumped off . (a bully boy I worked with)
That person reported my quip and I found myself under inexplicable siege for some six weeks. Funny to look back on now but it sure wasn't funny at the time. And no apologies from the authorities involved were forthcoming.
The person who made the complaint turned out to be a full blown narcissist.
Yes, satisfying the offended is an infinite task.
I'm offended by comb overs, boy bands, blank switch plugs in top of the range cars and the high number of offended people. I demand my concerns are addressed immediately.
Infinite – who understands it? I am reminded of clever Jonathan Cainer.
https://www.goodreads.com/author/quotes/391103.Jonathan_Cainer
He does have a point..
always appreciate your contributions on the standard Peter
When you respond to a comment Anker, press the Reply place under it if there is one and your comment then goes alongside the originating one.
Chile seems to be having problems.
Brexit news –
Business and finance in UK –
https://www.aljazeera.com/ajimpact/pound-languishes-red-eu-delays-brexit-extension-verdict-191025120015250.html
EU agrees delay but time not certain.
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/10/eu-uk-brexit-delay-delays-decision-length-191025103931252.html
A lengthy and entertaining opinion piece on how Brexit will end, in The New Yorker.
https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2019/11/04/how-brexit-will-end
Excerpts:
Drowsy M Kram – Thanks a bunch (of bananas). I'll have a glass of cleansing water to drink beside me as I read.
The Rohe, of the river people and the march to stop violence against the senseless murders of maori woman.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/te-manu-korihi/401793/maori-whanganui-community-rally-together-after-spate-of-deaths
On Brexit – I have paid some money to The Telegraph and am getting Brexist updates these days. Which seem pretty accurate from them.
The latest is under the heading The Nightmare Before Christmas.
I'm James Crisp, The Telegraph's Brussels Correspondent, and Westminster is on an election footing. But there are two problems – Emmanuel Macron and Jeremy Corbyn.
Mr Corbyn said he wanted to wait until the EU27 granted an extension before agreeing to the election suggested by Boris Johnson, but his stance has jeopardised the agreement on the delay to the Oct 31 Brexit deadline.
Mr Macron has been a lone voice in arguing for a shorter Brexit extension than the three-month flextension to Jan 31 2020 supported by the majority of EU27 leaders.
The EU could still grant the extension to the end of January but, unless Mr Macron caves, the bloc could be forced to call an emergency summit on Monday. Any decision on extension must be unanimous…..
and
Fraser Nelson argues that the working class is so strongly behind Boris Johnson that he is willing to risk a December vote.
In the run-up to Oct 31, you will be able to read a wide variety of articles on the Brexit saga. Please see the links below for a selection of some of today's best articles.
If you want to become a subscriber and read the hundreds of articles we publish every day, try a free 30-day subscription.
The working class behind Boris? Is it a case that the workers feel that people who rush around looking important, throwing criticisms and statements about and hubris (though they don't know what it means and don't care), are people like themselves. Is it that they like to be able to blame others, especially foreigners, for anything that isn't right and imply that the celebrity leader will change all that and 'Make ..(insert country here) .. Great Again? Is it that these talking heads imply that there will be affordable beer and good food, affordable sport-spectating and someone always ready and willing to ease their ailments. Is it that our education has not been the right sort to enable democratic decisions to be analysed and made in a thoughtful way?
I think something is rotten in the state of D…….. or wherever English-speaking democracy reigns. Time for me to clean out the smelly frig I think, that is something useful that I can do, and then perhaps join others getting together to look at the state of our democracies which haven't been great for a while and may never be again at this rate.
The latest Brexit survey suggests that violence against MPs is a price people are willing to pay…https://www.thecanary.co/uk/analysis/2019/10/25/new-brexit-survey-shows-why-we-need-to-make-corbyn-prime-minister-as-soon-as-possible/
The Telegraph and other media outlets run by tories keen to hide their tax haven wealth from the EU and force Brexit through have had a significant hand in the destruction of democracy in the UK.
racist mary and racist nicky – so common – so fucken racist
Could you expect a Highland Scot to accurately pronounce Maori place names…?
Have you even heard how the Americans pronounce anything Maori???
Did you know our linguistic vocal cords are formed by the age of around 6 which gives rise to accents?
And that some Maori dont pronounce Anglo place names properly but people dont bat an eyelid?
I think,… its time we celebrated our differences so we dont become clones or cringe worthy tryhards trying too hard to identify with cultures we dont belong to.. its like putting on a fake Japanese accent just to fit in and sound hip. Except its all in reverse.
Anyways… maybe Im too middle of the road.
Heres some Scotties for ya.
Face it, whether we like it or not, language is a living , evolving thing… we butcher each others language everyday. Sadly.
But unless we live in total isolation,.. language, and its pronunciation… is going to change over time.
But, thats how dialects and accents arise, along with all it colloquialisms… Look at England… a Geordie sounds totally different from an East Ender…
ffs it is not about accents or dialects – did you even listen to the original comment I put up – pretty basic stuff and totally doable with the will to do it – without the will we get deliberate offence designed to hurt and belittle
they DELIBERATELY mispronounce even after being corrected – if you think that's okay then bully for you
Okey dokeys… but can you imagine going around 'correcting' someone in England from another locality when they 'mispronounced' a local twang or drawl?
I think you might end up with an ale all over your face and called a nitpicker. As they are all English and accept the differences. Black or white these days as well.
Basically, your making people feel unnecessarily bad for being born in a different time , family , culture and / or locality.
There was a gang of Iranian painters I got chatting to,.. I asked where they were from… I heard ' irin'…. was puzzled at that and asked again ..again they replied… ' irin'… and then I learnt… instead of the usual Kiwi drawl ' eye – ran'… they were from Iran and pronounced it' irin'….
I said '' Ohhhhh… 'Eye – ran'…. OK '' ,… they were too busy to even care about the mispronunciation… to my relief…
Yet … I do not pronounce Iran as ' Irin'….
Why ? … because I am not an Iranian and I would actually like other Kiwis to know what Im saying rather than looking at me strangely … this is how language changes over time. This country , was formed of many Scots, Irish , Welsh and English as well as Maori… yet,… you would be hard pressed to find anyone with an original Welsh or Irish accent now unless they were of recent immigrant arrival.
Well , the same can be said for those brought up over generations of familys pronouncing a word in a certain way… it takes time to change that… and many times… it makes people feel forced and uncomfortable. So they would rather be honest and pronounce things as theyve always done. Local parlance, in other words.
You cannot force these things, and in Gisbourne and Northland, the Maoris there speak with their own accent on the English language themselves.
Live and let live.
NB.
I do pronounce Iran as ' eye – rharn… for some reason… but still it is not a shadow on the correct pronunciation.
you are just talking shit buddy – this is Aotearoa and we have TWO treaty partners and THREE official languages
I don't care what the racists do apart from using their example of how utterly very fucking far we have to go to get anywhere near equality in this land
Dont be a joke.
Your real problem is white New Zealanders.
Do you really expect Indian, Chinese and every other immigrant to bow the knee to the sacred cow of correct pronunciation of the Maori language ?
Get off the grass racist.
Climb down off that high horse your on and go outside and sniff the roses for a change.
…. '' I don't care what the racists do apart from using their example of how utterly very fucking far we have to go to get anywhere near equality in this land '' …
How old are you ? … 12 ?
Or do you only consort with your select inhouse fellow delusionists?
Get a grip , man.
Do you realize how stupid you sound , – when if the only thing you have to offer is the mispronunciation of a language that constitutes major racial problems and inequality in this country , – while overseas people die in race riots and shootings… well buddy… perhaps it is YOU that has a long way to go.
Get off the computer and go outside.
jeepers you are thick – piss off and bigfoot yourself dummy
Well… that was an enlightening exchange.
he knows I still love him as a human being
What does your wife think of your anti-white racist views Mars.?
Or your son?
what anti-white racist views? Not something I've seen from marty.
are you back are you bm – oh dreary
Just passing through.
Having scoped you out, I struggle to get past the racist bullshit you write about especially considering your family dynamic.
Don’t you feel any sort of shame or guilt?
yes you struggle with a lot of things I'm sure – I certainly feel shame about that dropkick woman from the same town as me and her dimwitted views – I wonder what part of you you feel shame about – lol just jiving, it's pretty obvious bro
When somebody is baiting you, don’t give them the satisfaction of biting, at least not publically.
he's okay – just sad cos the cup is over
Is it?
yep – spose some beatings are in store for some victims now
It is not over yet. Woo hoo woo woo hoo lol
Yeah it is over mate – no one of any note cares now
But I share Marty's concerns for domestic violence victims tonight.
That's a bit parochial, but at least that bloody advert won't be seen for another four years. At least you're half happy, right?
I don't care anything about rugby or the abs. They burned me off way back in the tour days. The english I really care even less about sorry.
Don't be sorry, mate, I don't really care about it either.
Thanks for that WK
Here is a recent one from the the Western Isles fa ya.
Peat and Diesel are a new group who have taken the Western Isles by storm.
"Could you expect a Highland Scot to accurately pronounce Maori place names…?"
Maybe not, but neither of the people in this example were Highland Scots, or even from overseas. Both have lived long lives here so it's not like they're *that far away from good pronunciation. This really had nothing to do with ability.
In my experience, Māori are generally patient and kind with people attempting to get pronunciation right. There's not really an expectation of perfection with the general public.
As an aside, it wouldn't surprise me if Scots learn te reo more easily, because of the whole R thing. I would expect this to be true of people born and bred in the south of NZ as well.
"Did you know our linguistic vocal cords are formed by the age of around 6 which gives rise to accents?"
Not sure how that's relevant tbh, plenty of Pākehā learn to pronounce te reo well later in life.
I’ve just been listening to that exchange online.
I think the first woman and Lush were talking a bit past one another. I understand where the elderly lady was coming from. She grew up at a time when all Maori names were incorrectly pronounced but that was the way they were taught to say them. Given her age, it would be hard for her to even remember the correct pronunciations let alone use them. She tried to argue her point of view in a friendly, non-nasty way and Lush acknowledged as much.
But the 49 year old… she was a racist git and he was way too polite to her imo.
I don't see her age being an issue – anyone can make an effort to improve if they want. And if they can't be bothered they out themselves.
The 2nd woman was an idiot. I grew up in mosgiel too and know exactly how racist and uncompromising that place can be and it is NOT as backward as she makes out. She does represent some but not all by any measure imo – just look at me lol
I think we are slowly emerging ourselves in Te Reo. Adult classes are chocka. I think you're right Marty, Nicky thinks she's being staunch. When I got home after an extended period in Oz everyone was saying Kowhai and Whangarei different. I learned to change, not out of a deep seated respect for Te Reo, I didn't want to sound like an ignorant pillock.
In a few minutes, I think 'How to Dad' does a great job of sharing the Te Reo building blocks.
I'm as shit as the next person at some te reo Māori pronunciation – and that is sincere – my cousin corrected me the other day – what did I do? Learned and tried to get it right – this is what living in a community, a country means – giving it a fair attempt and being open to trying again if it is a stuff up. I'm not asking these people to go to te reo Māori classes or become fluent or do anything other than trying to be part of our society – and that is the rub – they don't see Māori as part of their society – they couldn't care less about Māori let alone the language – so fair enough I call that racism and note it.
I don't see racism so much, I see lazy and stubborn. "It was Wonger Ray the day I was born and it'll be bloody Wonger Ray till the day I die."
It's an attitude that is dying out, it's rare in someone younger than 50. At 49 Marcus' caller was an entertaining cringe of an exception.
The first woman was probably casual racism in her yeah, nah, I'm too old, not going to change now. I didn't have too much of a problem with it in the sense of I wouldn't call her racist if I was in the conversation and like Marcus I could probably find some common ground upon which to talk.
The second woman was out and out racist. She's not just saying hey I like how I say things, she's actively holding a cultural position of preventing te reo taking hold and the subtext is that no-one in the South supports Māori. I'd say she's a white supremacy apologist.
That first woman was the sort of gnarly ol trout, her hubby could stick his head round the door and be Nga Puhi as.
The second woman, all those reasons to burn her. She's just a dummy weka, they're everywhere.
I really wanted to hear the start of the conversation with the first woman, how they got onto pronunciation.
Dummy? Not sure about that, I think she was smart enough to know exactly what she was doing. Doesn't hurt to name that kind of racism when it's there, although I doubt I'd bother talking it through with her in real life.
Marty , your statement :
… '' they don't see Māori as part of their society – they couldn't care less about Māori let alone the language '' …
Thats identity politics.
1/ You dont speak for all white New Zealanders – all youve done is make a gross generalisation.
2 / Your assumption can equally be applied to the very people group you choose to champion. Except it is reversed. Many Maori ( and people from other cultures ) dont particularly care about white New Zealand culture as well.
3 / You belittle those who have taken the time to learn Te Reo who are not of Maori ancestry.
4 / If your generalization is true, – then that makes other cultures , – not just white New Zealanders , – participants culpable in the charge of ' not caring about Maori let alone the language' .
Therefore I would charge you with being an inverted racist yourself.
We all have seen the evidence of Maori oppression through colonialism, we all have read the history and the Bellich books, we are aware of the statistics in under achievement and incarceration – and for the most part , many non Maori have agreed, – yet for the last 3-4 decades weve had it rammed down our throats actually…to the point where its become overload. Yet if the plight of Maori is so dire, then the correct pronunciation of the Maori language is the least of their concerns.
It is all too easy to look at the extremes.
That said, it is nice to preserve languages.
However,… English in particular has many accents and dialects- from the Public School accent of the BBC to the Creole to Pidgin…
Thats language. It lives with each and every new generation, it develops with each and every new permutation as there is people.
And not you , not the identity politics crowd or any other force will ever stop that process. Try reading or speaking 12th century English. You'd be lost. You would struggle with even the simplest of pronunciations. You would probably have to learn Frisian or even German to get a handle on it.
THATS how much languages change, marty.
mate I LOVE identity politics – and I'm very proud to follow that approach.
Anyway thanks for the compliments – I'm really not too worried in this land of equality we live in – and I'm sorry to be insulting to you – I can't really be bothered keeping up the hostility so peace and love
I'm ambivalent on this one. When pronunciation evolves into mispronunciation, crapping on people for saying it the way everyone around them has said it for 80 years is a bit much.
And I note he used "camembert" not "croissant" – almost nobody says that word correctly lol
But then it's one of them power dynamics: attitudes to English language and pronunciation instructions are descriptive rather than prescriptive, these days. Māori instruction is more prescriptive in order to encourage expansion and consistency and recover usage. Because colonialism.
And then there's the entire meta discussion about when a word in one language becomes a word in another language.
It's one thing to have a lifetime habit that one doesn't want to change (eg how one pronounces where one grew up), but it's another entirely to go on the radio and make the case vehemently that society shouldn't move towards better te reo pronunciation (the second woman).
The other issue about te reo is that pronunciation affects meaning, and is part of literacy. It's not just about 'rightness' and not offending. How words are said in te reo Māori also affects whether one comes to a better understanding of what is being said, including concepts that are hard to say in English, which then leads to better understanding of Te Ao Māori. The words often go layers deep in ways that don't happen so much in English. I heard the second woman not just resisting changing an old habit, but actively working to suppress Te Ao Māori. Racist af.
Yeah, talkback radio callers for the win right there. Salt of the earth lol.
But I don't think it's down to berating individuals for not making an effort, when everyone else would look at them like freaks if they asked after the "Ōpoho" bus rather than "Opoho".
I think that sort of change comes from the local bodies – putting macrons on the bus signs, changing the literature and maps, etc. Like Whanganui DHB did back in the day.
And the schools, of course.
Is it a thing at the moment, the pronunciation of Ōpoho? I didn't even know it had a macron. Would have better if Newstalk had made the whole audio public so we can hear the start, I feel like I'm missing an important part of the conversation.
I don't think the issue is a couple of people mispronouncing a Māori placename, it's the *way it was defended. I wouldn't berate them for how they say the word, but obviously I will berate someone for being a dick about it.
I thought that was the pronunciation Lush was going for? Always just been "Opoho" to me.
But holy shit it just occurred to me that this has been the first time in years talkback has caused a kerfuffle and the bigot/dickhead wasn't the announcer! The last time I can think of that happening was the "Hone" Carter phone calls. Normally it's Lhaws or Tamihere or whomever going for the controversy.
Agreed. But I'd still cut the elderly lady a bit of slack. I would call her problem more ignorance than racism.
One way to bring it home to them is for all Maori to start mispronouncing English place-names especially when on radio or television where they are going to be heard.
Examples:
Wellington… we – ling – ton (as in con).
Onehunga… one – hunga (as in hunger)
St Kilda… st – kil – da (as in dat)
You could have a lot of fun in the process as well as causing an upsurge in pakeha related strokes. 😉
Bugger… that should have been sti – kil – da (as in dat). That'd stump em.
Why?- whats the point?
We already have people of all races mispronouncing names, places and the like. What are we all going to do? – draw and quarter them all for a simple error or guillotine them for being brought up in a certain way ?
Geez.
Maybe a simpler way would be to recognize that we all come from different backgrounds and cultures… and to stop trying to squeeze us all into the cookie cutter homogenous mould some would like to see…
Seems I recall the call went out for us all to be tolerant and celebrate our diversity… or is that no longer applicable when it comes to to the pronunciation of either the English or Maori language….
Seems just a little too ‘ convenient when it suits’ to me… but you know the old saying… '' you cant have your cake and eat it too''…
So which one is it?
Celebrating diversity and being tolerant or the cookie cutter?
Anyways,… had enough of this puerile conversation.
Good grief. Have you not got a sense of humour? It's a joke mate.
J…O…K…E
A bit of light hearted banter at the expense of pakeha.
Yes it is fun
Ha! Touche Marty.
The Swedish people warmed to me as I gained a handle on their kooky language. My pal Tedde shared why. 'There are few greater genuine compliments that can be made to a group of people than learning their language.'
As the world grows smaller and sameness infiltrates everywhere, Te Reo is ours and only ours.
I heard Sir Peter Jackson was trying to get Andy Foster to change Wellington's name to Wellywood. Just a rumour. I can't guarantee that it's true.
Shipping going forward.
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2019/10/25/shipping-giant-maersk-uses-mechanical-sails-cut-fuel-consumption/
Energenie?
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2019/10/25/death-knell-fossil-fuels-iea-claims-offshore-wind-can-power/
Big firms with numbers of outlets cut out mini local businesses and drain funds from the circular local economy and multiplier effect in my opinion.
In the UK –
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2019/10/25/death-knell-fossil-fuels-iea-claims-offshore-wind-can-power/
That rigid sail system would overcome most of the reasons not to put conventional sails on a tanker. No extra crew, the captain could control them from the bridge. Low maint. They're not 300m high. The wind direction doesn't matter. A 9.2% fuel saving is substantial. I wonder if fuel savings improve beyond that as more of the units are added to a deck.
These points may well be in the article grey, you're a Telegraph subscriber.
This story on same ship says 8.2%
"The Finnish developer of the technology explained that this was equivalent to approximately 1,400 tonnes of CO2."
Doesnt tell how much oil the tanker carried in the 12 month period , could it be over 750,000 tons?
DWT is 110,000 tonnes
Currently off west coast of Africa at 10 kts
I'm a neophyte Telegraph subscriber. Can't get all their stuff at present and have to review what I paid and should pay. So can't give you any more about the sails at present, but even putting up the headlines I find is very bracing, knowing that something is going on in the intelligent side of the world.
I have to decide whether I want to pay monthly or drop in a donation FTTT – whatever options are being offered and for the other UK ones, I would like to get Scottish one too. I may be able to keep up on Bella Caledonia. (Just looking at their page and they are fulminating about David Cameron
' reportedly earning £120,000 per hour to provide audiences with “lessons in leadership” in global affairs. Similarly, Gordon Brown was paid around £75,000 for one speech that claims to give a “comprehensive view of complex issues”.' https://bellacaledonia.org.uk/2019/10/24/a-prosperous-future/
At least it won't cost me that much to be informed, and with a spread of media I am likely to be as well grounded in general, as many paying big money to hear the mega-stars, famous in their own galaxy.
I'm going to be donating to the Guardian, want to subscribe to local Scoop, and also The Standard. And I get local paper at a reduced rate. It all adds up. The Guardian, The Telegraph and aljazeera have been my main ones on Brexit with the BBC and Channel 4 FTTT.
Another advantage over conventional sails, unlike most mono hull sailing vessels, it wouldn't lean over.
It would be history repeating itself – the rise of steam turned all the sailing ships into colliers – time being less critical for that cargo.
Once upon a time I favoured enabling vaping – as a means to wean people off tobacco.
I still do. But, given
1. the harm that can result from allowing an addictive substance – nicotine – to be on-sale
2. those over 18 are supplying it to younger teens and children
3. growing evidence that there is damage to lungs from vaping
I now only favour it by prescription to existing tobacco addicts, where the doctor felt the risk from vaping was worth it for the patient – as part of a process to getting people off tobacco.
Duke, that article also notes
“On certain routes during the trial the vessel achieved fuel savings way beyond the average of 8.2% even with average wind conditions,” Hylands said.
“There is a clear potential to achieve higher fuel savings, and hence CO2 savings, on routes with more favourable wind conditions, which further improves the commercial viability of the technology.”
Targeting windy routes is way more efficient than adding more windmills.
That shipping site is amazing. GPS position, headings, speed. Pelican looks very tired in the Maersk file pics. Was probably due to be slipped when the round sails went on.
One for marty.
Hope you can understand the point…
And get off the demanding , petulant one way rail road track.
Live and let live.
ta mate
Aww…
https://www.tvnz.co.nz/one-news/world/harvey-weinstein-mocked-during-rare-public-appearance
Weka stuck Harvey's public shaming up the other night but like Harvey, we had so much fun lets do it again.
Phone + Facebook/Twitter account are like the village stocks of old and Harvey is copping rotten fruit for a second day on The Standard. Seems fitting, creep.
Some Sky City workers are refusing to go to work now after the fire.
Some are feeling sick in the complex from acrid smoke smells apparently.
https://www.tvnz.co.nz/one-news/new-zealand/skycity-workers-could-strike-over-work-conditions-after-convention-centre-fire
TV3 news said today 26th October news tonight.
There would be a massive air-cond system at Sky City. All of the air in the building can be exchanged rapidly. Change filters, clean towers etc.
I don't mean to belittle concerns, I've had a cough and had to take paid time off. Caught a 20lber
Seriously, of course the air purity should be checked. A 3 hour job when being closed costs $1000 a minute.
If I was the boss at Sky City I would invite the dominant union executive body to select the lab to do the air purity analysis. (I would run my own tests on the quiet.)
If there was a marked difference between data sets, I'd ring the head of the union body and suggest reps from each lab come together for one more comprehensive test. Agree on methodology and deliver a collective report.
Because giant interference arrays are so yesterday.
/
Russia will test its internal RuNet network to see whether the country can function without the global internet, the Russian government announced Monday. The tests will begin after Nov. 1, recur at least annually, and possibly more frequently. It’s the latest move in a series of technical and policy steps intended to allow the Russian government to cut its citizens off from the rest of the world.
“On Monday, the government approved the provision on conducting exercises to ensure the stable, safe and holistic functioning of the Internet and public communications networks in the Russian Federation,” notes an article in D-Russia. (The original article is in Russian. We verified a translation with the help of a native Russian speaker.) “The exercises are held at the federal (in the territory of the Russian Federation) and regional (in the territory of one or more constituent entities of the Russian Federation) levels.”
The word “holistic” shows that the exercises follow April’s passage of the sovereign internet law that will require all internet traffic in Russia to pass through official chokepoints, allowing the government to shut down outside access, block websites that they don’t like, and monitor traffic.
https://www.defenseone.com/technology/2019/10/russia-will-test-its-ability-disconnect-internet/160861/?
'to cut its [Russian] citizens off from the rest of the world'. / sarc
This step to try and be self-sufficient comes after western provocation and Ukraine meddling and all sorts of attacks and provocations from both sides in retaliation to the ones before. It is quite reasonable to try and withdraw from such resource wasting interaction. And of course there are the sanctions that the USA plaster round the place, elephants are more dainty.
Putin and his Chekists are losing the propaganda battle. Their response is to do what their forebears did.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered the government to monitor the online behavior of young Russians and to produce “moral and spiritual education” content for them.
Young Russians have been targeted by several government initiatives in recent years, including a ban on minors attending protests and efforts to provide them with a military and patriotic education. This year, Russia launched a new channel targeting young viewers with 24/7 World War II programming and announced military-patriotic reeducation camps for delinquent youngsters.
https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2019/10/17/putin-orders-monitoring-youth-behavior-online-a67776
Perhaps that is the appropriate thing to do at this point in time? I am so disillusioned with world politics that I no longer can produce the moth-eaten banner left over from last century with words of hope and glory where if everyone is treated properly and allowed to say what they will, the tooth fairy will give us beautiful teeth and we won;t even have to paint them every night.
I am amazed that the government cannot find funding for the Chathams and their airport. These outlying regions need some investment to build further business on. Everything can't be about trees. I hope that there is another agency that would find a place in its budget for them.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/401845/chatham-islands-airport-misses-out-on-government-funding
I'm going to sand the last one and lay another coat of lacquer over the Simca. I love spray-painting while the All Blacks play their big games. So far we have mirrored results.
Damn I want to blame the gun, but it was me, I hovered too long on the B pillar and I've got 3 runs.
Geeez, I so want to get this right. I know how to do this, I'm good at it, I need to relax. I need to be seventeen and painting my tutor's car again. I was brilliant without trying.
I've wiped it back to where it was with prepsol and invited a woman I know that usually has a smoke over for a curry.
I hope she gets here soon because I long for the day that the All Blacks play stoned.
ding dong, brb
Hey, everyone gets their own pattern, I've got a purple quilt sort of thing going on. Cynthia says "Hi"
I didn't have the overhead booth fans on. I should of asked myself "Why can I hear Miles so clearly while in here?"
I'm expecting the enhanced booth vacuum to have a favourable effect over my spray fan.
The lads and I need to dust on some coats of glass and get up to Cynthia's party cones.
Miles Davis? Do I even have to ask?
I like the sound of Cynthia; Hya-Cynthia.
Geez I was going well, all the top surfaces glistening, cat walked over it. Who visits with a cat? Tyler, cat, yeah I know.
That was different. Thanks for keeping us up with the play. Great try.
Bugger!
Trudeau may have his issues, but Canadians had the wit to give the racist, climate denier fossil fuel loving anti-immigrant nazi the arse.
Bernier spent the campaign promoting a divisive and exclusionary message that could have easily come from far-right parties such as Germany’s AfD or France’s National Front. He vowed to build a border fence to keep out asylum seekers, stoked fears of “radical Islam” in the country and told a rally earlier this year that he wanted to “make Canada great again.”
Bernier founded the party in 2018, after losing a Conservative Party leadership contest to Andrew Scheer, and quickly settled on an anti-immigration message. Despite the party polling around 3% throughout the campaign, Bernier was a highly visible figure during the race and participated in the federal leaders debate. His presence in the election, a sharp contrast with Canada’s progressive multicultural image, drew international media attention, including a profile in The New York Times that described him as a “lanky provocateur.”
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/canada-peoples-party-bernier-far-right_n_5daf6efce4b0f34e3a7e29af?
The ABs lose.
It'll be Jacinda's fault. It's her what done it you wait and see. 😉
Yes Anne, I had the same feeling after the match that it would be Jandal’s fault that the AB’s loss to English. You can’t fault that wiry old fox Jonesy who a masterful game plain to beat the AB’s tonight.
Wall of putative claims not based on reality. Meeting the wall of reality.
Does anyone know how to get to the subjectivists? Cult disentanglers are central to a future. I have 2 siblings I can't do shit with.
Easy foot-notery above when our predeccessors spent their lives, destroyed their families, for reality. And all I am is the angriest of the footnoters. Massive cream before a massive fall.
I think we're fighting against reality. That is, our mental nature.
Though beyond that, all species come bam against the wall of natural selection. We're just locomotive powered. Severe dip-off.
I have to say, being a social animal, I more enjoy subjectivists being fucked in the face than my early demise. .