This is absolutely magnificent: Toby Manhire puts together an album of National's Greatest Hits. There have been so many it's hard to keep up, so here's a reminder …
Bridges made a comment about 'folk wisdom on conceiving girls or boys', depending on how the act of copulation is undertaken, as I understand. This was taken offence at. Can I ask why? I have read the msm to try and understand why but have come up short. I am genuinely curious how the offence arose – it seems everyone is offended today and the curiousity stems from this wider point. I suspect some simple facts are simply missing…
On a related point I read somewhere in an opinion about males in the National Party (good grief, what a horrid thought, having to spend time with them, bleeaaargh…) that jokes about women should all stop..
.. which led to one of the obvious follow-on questions – that jokes about all people should stop… which is … well … isn't that nonsensical given the human reality of laughing at each other?? No more comedy? Do we laugh at flora and fauna instead? What can we laugh at?
Note, I am not coming down on any particular side of these issues – I am simply genuinely curious to understand what others are thinking in this very sober arena
No more comedy? Well, every day I watch shows and clips on YouTube that make me laugh, a tonic in these troubled times. Anything from Taskmaster to Mock The Week to Would I Lie To You to Cats Does Countdown and dozens more. Of course everyone has different tastes, so I'm not suggesting everyone else should laugh at the same things. But for me, there's not enough time in the day to watch it all.
Simon Bridges being an overgrown adolescent has nothing to do with comedy, really. (And Collins using it as an obvious pretext had nothing to with it either).
Bridges has seemed to show a profound lack of self awareness. Although the "old wives tale' has been replaced with 'folk wisdom'.
In a related vein, I read this article about a long serving female teacher resigning from PNBHS.
"When she started there were only 10 women on staff out of 68 and she said there were some disparaging views towards women, but the atmosphere has changed.
“You learnt how to deal with it … you just need to say pull your head in and there’s no problem.”
Also, once I thought I would chip a buddy who was good at golf, with a line I had heard from Billy Connolly. Something along the lines of golfers being wankers.
His reply has stayed with me. He replied with the question; "Asking that, how did you want me to feel?"
I guess there are no hard and fast rules. Context is everything and if it can't pass the Nana test (would you say that to your Nana?) don't say it.
Being genuinely funny has little to do with the whether or not the race, sex, religion or politics is the theme – some of the greatest comedians of all time relied on these all the time.
Humans may have evolved humour and laughter for a number of reasons I can imagine. It is also the adult manifestation of the 'playfulness' we find in children – a critical stage of development where they discover the boundaries between reality and fantasy, and that of successful risk taking and danger. Rough and tumble play teaches them how to invoke a reaction from others without provoking them to anger or resentment. In children its a critical development phase – and if they miss it for some reason they remain socially on the back foot the rest of their lives.
As we become teenagers our adult sense of humour starts to manifest. But doing it well is not easy, and those who are good at it are signaling high intelligence and social aptitude. Nor is it surprise to anyone that high on the female sexual selection shopping list is always 'good sense of humour'.
The reason for this is that life is never easy, there always will be challenges, failures and suffering – but people who can respond to these with humour, and succeed in lifting the mood of those around them, keeping the group morale afloat in the face of loss and disaster, will always be more likely to survive biologically and thrive socially.
Our unique human capacity to successfully operate in large social groups – beyond that of our immediate genetic relatives – while retaining individual agency, is fundamental to our ability to build large complex adaptive societies. That humans are also virtually unique in our enormous capacity for laughter is no accidental correlation. (Yes I realise cats laugh at us all the time )
All maladaptive social systems, political ideologies and their tyrannies, insist on crushing the fun out of life as a matter of instinctive priority. There is an implicit understanding that allowing people to poke fun at their obvious moral nakedness – is their Achilles Heel.
Seems he was very specific in the techniques to be applied.
Not exactly workplace conversation – you have to pick your audience.
There's also the separation factor – some jokes work better if they are about third parties but are a bit icky if told from the first person. And vice versa.
So worthy of complaint, but I'd be interested to see what processes JC went through before throwing Bridges to the back bench and publicly disgracing him.
I waiting on some new comedic genius in the mould of Douglas Adams (Hitchikers guides) or the beloved Terry Pratchet to take the proverbial our of the modern world and cause outrage VTO.
Just imagine the opening lines.
"Transmissions from Planet WokeLBGTXYZ are fading. Let’s see what Dr Carl Sourgum can bring up on his Encyclopedia Galatica.
‘So, there it is; whoman civilisation has annihilated itself in a paroxysm of hysteria, self-flagellation, anti-scientific gender politics and simply no longer breeding. because they were taught sex no longer exists, if it does it’s rape and there’s no point raising children if the earth warms up by 1 degree. No nuclear power, just broken windmills turning over to dribble a few kilowatts here and there to an infrastructure in tatters. I’m glad I died in 1996.’
That colleague was Dean, who told the Otago Daily Times she mentioned the incident to Collins during a conversation which followed meetings she had attended as assistant Speaker regarding recommendations from the Francis review of Parliament's workplace culture.
"I approached Judith several weeks ago about my concerns and the conversation was in the context of the work I have been doing with the Francis review, and I found myself disclosing my experience," Dean said.
She could have said any of this publicly, before Collins got rolled. But just like Goodfellow, she waited until after the vote of confidence before "clarifying". Like a courtier, now she knows Collins is gone, it's "the Queen is dead, long live the next King".
And this may be the closest to the truth assessment yet
“Events, dear boy, events.” Something you didn’t expect, and can’t fix, happens, and it all just gets too much. All the plotting and scheming. All the arm-twisting and political assassinating. Suddenly, the whole shitty business no longer seems worth the effort, and the all people around you start looking too hopelessly fucked-up to bother with.
I believe I saw some of that on Tuesday when she was questioning the PM at Question Time- testy, tired, getting her serves returned with ease, slow at the net and once fouled out for serving over the line.
True to form, Judith kept that "Pearl" of knowledge about Bridges behaviour as a lever. She did not "leak' it to journalists as she had made that an issue for her Leadership. "No Leaks" She liked having ammunition at the ready, especially gossip and bad behaviour, and this was a gem.
Interesting that MP Dean is seen as a "whining woman", conniving more like it, when she discussed that incident with Judith as an example of the behaviour a committee was tasked with reviewing outside the committee room. If you can not trust a Leader to keep a confidence, who can you trust? Or was it "here is an item about Bridges" A conundrum of their own creation?
I am more inclined to think Jacquie Dean did not think it through, was used by Judith Collins as a weapon later to try to damage Bridges without any consideration, as otherwise why wait “several weeks”?
Remember her motto "Give back double" with a silent "Take no prisoners".
Both women have behaved badly, but let us not forget how it began, with loose talk, by someone who wanted to be PM, who does not really seem to respect women or have a sense of propriety.
Dean did not think it through? If the environment is such that a mere verbal detail could be used as a nuclear weapon, nothing can be said and written by anyone without doubt and risk.
Let investigations begin of which MPs did what behind the shelter shed when they were at school, what they did on a sports trip when they were university students, the jokes they told at a party in 1999.
Collins knew she was done and wanted to undermine any chance of Bridges returning to leadership (speaks to National Party needing to win back woman voters from Labour).
Her support for Luxon is to seek protective patronage of her continuance as an MP (a spokesperson role improves her chances of staying as an electorate spokesperson MP and or having a placement on the list).
Despite being prepared to have the second shot and going with husband Paul, who received his second vaccination on October 9, the clinic refused to administer it due to her on-going reaction to the first vaccine.
The following weeks were filled with suffering relapses, brain fog, extreme head pain, fatigue and an uncontrollable severe body twitch.
Unable to work, and initially refused an ACC claim, Rozanne found herself in what she says was “a very scary place having just been given a life-altering diagnosis”.
She didn’t know if she would recover or get worse and reached out to others who like her were suffering severe symptoms.
Rozanne found herself having to make it clear to people that she is not an anti-vaxer but a realist, recognising that a vaccine is essential to dealing with the Covid-19 virus.
This is the first MSM article I have read about a person's adverse reaction to the Covid vaccine. May this be the first of many. Way past time that these severe side effects were hauled into the light.
Aye, that's my sense as well – a WHOLE "lot more disruption" coming society's way. Never mind – there's still time to score a few more deals in the BLACK Friday sales.
Have you come across the term Affluenza? It's reached pandemic proportions among the golden billion – maybe the aforementioned disruption will offer a cure of sorts.
Clive Hamilton and Richard Denniss’s book, Affluenza: When Too Much is Never Enough, poses the question: “If the economy has been doing so well, why are we not becoming happier?” They argue that affluenza causes overconsumption, “luxury fever“, consumer debt, overwork, waste, and harm to the environment. These pressures lead to “psychological disorders, alienation and distress“, causing people to “self-medicate with mood-altering drugs and excessive alcohol consumption“.
They note that a number of Australians have reacted by “downshifting” — they decided to “reduce their incomes and place family, friends and contentment above money in determining their life goals“. Their critique leads them to identify the need for an “alternative political philosophy“, and the book concludes with a “political manifesto for wellbeing“.
Not for everyone, of course – at least not voluntarily.
While it's possible that societal disruption will deprive “the poor” of "their hope of a better life", my sense is that the effects of disruption will not be confined to the poor, and that within two or three decades almost everyone is "in for a LOT more disruption than most people are imagining."
What practical steps might be taken this decade to best prepare societies for the inevitable “LOT more disruption” that you alluded to @12.2?
This last comment of yours speaks to your usual agenda – it's painfully obvious that you're more consumed with resentment at those who are better off than you, than a useful concern to improve the life of those less fortunate than you.
it's painfully obvious that you're more consumed with resentment at those who are better off than you
It's painfully obvious that you would trot out that stale jibe. Fwiw I'm content with my lot and (hand on heart) hold no resentment towards those who have convinced themselves they’re "better off" than me – seems so shallow
Back to your perceptive comment @12.2
It's my sense we're in for a LOT more disruption than most people are imagining.
That's my sense too (spaceship Earth has limits) – but what to do about it?
1.5-Degree Lifestyles:Towards A Fair Consumption Space for All[PDF; 2021] This report introduces the concept of a fair consumption space — an ecologically healthy perimeter that supports within it an equitable distribution of resources and opportunities for individuals and societies to fulfil their needs and achieve wellbeing. Within this space, there are a range of regenerative options (which this report details), but there are also clear demarcating limits to over- and under-consumption: with a cap in emissions, overconsumption by one person affects the prospects of another, and encroaches into another’s consumption space, requiring collectively working toward a more equitable distribution of limited carbon budgets.
That is where I am now ,equipping a bus well and hitting the road early next year.As I reach my late 60s I want to set off and a wake up to a new beach panorama often.No more rates ,insurance ,maintenence upkeep etc etc ,just a reliable Isuzu and an open road,devil take the hindmost.If you see my beauty ,Starship Enterprise ,and Captain Max Viagra,co captain Hot Lips Houlihan ,wave us down,have a chat there will always be a cold stubby and glass of chardy in the fridge.
“Defence lawyer Mike Antunovic said Soper was remorseful and ashamed of kicking the victim to the head. Soper had never had the opportunity of telling them how he feels or saying he is sorry, he said. “He extends his apologies through me.””
G: Smells like BS.
“Judge Davidson sentenced Soper, who is the son of Newstalk ZB political journalist Barry Soper, to seven months’ home detention, ordered him to stay away from alcohol, and to pay $4000 emotional harm reparation.
He said reparation could never be seen to adequately compensate the victims for what happened.
The judge said the attack was very much spur of the moment, impulsive and a significant overreaction on his part.”
G: Does seem rather light a fine; dunno what other sentence you would think more appropriate, B? Care to enlighten us?
“Davidson said Soper suffered from anxiety, which left him prone to erupting spontaneously in certain circumstances.”
G: More BS. I’ve suffered from anxiety all my fracking life. The last thing anxiety makes you want to do is beat someone up. You’re too fearful of the likely adverse consequences. That claim’s a total crock of shit.
In a statement, Barry Soper said the family was “deeply upset and disappointed”. “We support Hugh as he takes responsibility for his actions and sets about rebuilding his life. “The family is devastated for the victims and we wholeheartedly apologise for the effect this has had on their lives.”
G: It’s not the offender’s family that should be issuing a grovelling apology, Baz. It’s your PoS son, mate. 😠
Especially in comparison to a first offence for, say, one of our browner-skinned brothers? Yes. Might be interesting. Altho I seem to recall some rather light sentences for violent first offences for some of those offenders have attracted criticism on blogs in the past too.
One wonders if having well-known celebrity journo parents may have played a part.
I’m more puzzled with why the young prick hasn’t had the either the gonads or sufficient remorse to have apologised to them directly. He’s certainly had a cery long time to write them a decent aoology before he came up for sentencing
I'm not very impressed either. In my book once you kick or stomp on someone's head when they're on the ground – you are trying to kill them. In our grandparents generation, kicking a man when he was on the ground was considered the lowest most cowardly act.
If they live it was only a matter of good luck or good emergency medical treatment. And even then there is a high chance of permanent brain injury that will stay with the victim all their life. (Another stat that I read years ago, was that around 90% of male prison inmates in NZ have a brain injury of some kind.)
Still regardless of the outcome I maintain your intent was to kill or seriously maim- and the law around assault should be changed to reflect this.
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Tree sap can be a sticky, unsightly mess on your car’s exterior. It can be difficult to remove, but with the right techniques and products, you can restore your car to its former glory. Understanding Tree Sap Tree sap is a thick, viscous liquid produced by trees to seal wounds ...
The amount of paint needed to paint a car depends on a number of factors, including the size of the car, the number of coats you plan to apply, and the type of paint you are using. In general, you will need between 1 and 2 gallons of paint for ...
Jump-starting a car is a common task that can be performed even in adverse weather conditions like rain. However, safety precautions and proper techniques are crucial to avoid potential hazards. This comprehensive guide will provide detailed instructions on how to safely jump a car in the rain, ensuring both your ...
Graham Adams writes about the $55m media fund — When Patrick Gower was asked by Mike Hosking last week what he would say to the many Newstalk ZB callers who allege the Labour government bribed media with $55 million of taxpayers’ money via the Public Interest Journalism Fund — and ...
It appears Nicola Willis is about to pull the rug out from under the feet of local communities still dealing with the aftermath of last year’s severe weather, and local councils relying on funding to build back from these disasters. ...
The Government is making short-sighted changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA) that will take away environmental protection in favour of short-term profits, Labour’s environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
Labour welcomes the release of the report into the North Island weather events and looks forward to working with the Government to ensure that New Zealand is as prepared as it can be for the next natural disaster. ...
The Labour Party has called for the New Zealand Government to recognise Palestine, as a material step towards progressing the two-State solution needed to achieve a lasting peace in the region. ...
Some of our country’s most important work, stopping the sexual exploitation of children and violent extremism could go along with staff on the frontline at ports and airports. ...
The Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill will give projects such as new coal mines a ‘get out of jail free’ card to wreak havoc on the environment, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
Cuts to frontline hospital staff are not only a broken election promise, it shows the reckless tax cuts have well and truly hit the frontline of the health system, says Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall. ...
The Green Party has joined the call for public submissions on the fast-track legislation to be extended after the Ombudsman forced the Government to release the list of organisations invited to apply just hours before submissions close. ...
New Zealand’s good work at reducing climate emissions for three years in a row will be undone by the National government’s lack of ambition and scrapping programmes that were making a difference, Labour Party climate spokesperson Megan Woods said today. ...
More essential jobs could be on the chopping block, this time Ministry of Education staff on the school lunches team are set to find out whether they're in line to lose their jobs. ...
The Government is trying to bring in a law that will allow Ministers to cut corners and kill off native species, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said. ...
Cancelling urgently needed new Cook Strait ferries and hiking the cost of public transport for many Kiwis so that National can announce the prospect of another tunnel for Wellington is not making good choices, Labour Transport Spokesperson Tangi Utikere said. ...
A laundry list of additional costs for Tāmaki Makarau Auckland shows the Minister for the city is not delivering for the people who live there, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...
The Green Party has today launched a step-by-step guide to help New Zealanders make their voice heard on the Government’s democracy dodging and anti-environment fast track legislation. ...
The National Government’s proposed changes to the Residential Tenancies Act will mean tenants can be turfed from their homes by landlords with little notice, Labour housing spokesperson Kieran McAnulty said. ...
Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson is calling on all parties to support a common-sense change that’s great for the planet and great for consumers after her member’s bill was drawn from the ballot today. ...
A significant milestone has been reached in the fight to strike an anti-Pasifika and unfair law from the country’s books after Teanau Tuiono’s members’ bill passed its first reading. ...
New Zealand has today missed the opportunity to uphold the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment, says James Shaw after his member’s bill was voted down in its first reading. ...
Today’s advice from the Climate Change Commission paints a sobering reality of the challenge we face in combating climate change, especially in light of recent Government policy announcements. ...
Minister for Disability Issues Penny Simmonds appears to have delayed a report back to Cabinet on the progress New Zealand is making against international obligations for disabled New Zealanders. ...
The Government’s newly announced review of methane emissions reduction targets hints at its desire to delay Aotearoa New Zealand’s urgent transition to a climate safe future, the Green Party said. ...
The Government must commit to the Maitai School building project for students with high and complex needs, to ensure disabled students from the top of the South Island have somewhere to learn. ...
Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey and his Government colleagues have made a meal of their mental health commitments, showing how flimsy their efforts to champion the issue truly are, says Labour Mental Health spokesperson Ingrid Leary. ...
Paul Goldsmith will take on responsibility for the Media and Communications portfolio, while Louise Upston will pick up the Disability Issues portfolio, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon announced today. “Our Government is relentlessly focused on getting New Zealand back on track. As issues change in prominence, I plan to adjust Ministerial ...
Recreational catch limits will be reduced in areas of Fiordland and the Chatham Islands to help keep those fisheries healthy and sustainable, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The lower recreational daily catch limits for a range of finfish and shellfish species caught in the Fiordland Marine Area and ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed an important milestone in New Zealand’s hydrogen future, with the opening of the country’s first network of hydrogen refuelling stations in Wiri. “I want to congratulate the team at Hiringa Energy and its partners K one W one (K1W1), Mitsui & Co New Zealand ...
The coalition Government is delivering on its commitment to improve resource management laws and give greater certainty to consent applicants, with a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) expected to be introduced to Parliament next month. RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop has today outlined the first RMA Amendment ...
Overseas models for regulating the oil and gas sector, including their decommissioning regimes, are being carefully scrutinised as a potential template for New Zealand’s own sector, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. The Coalition Government is focused on rebuilding investor confidence in New Zealand’s energy sector as it looks to strengthen ...
Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell has today released the Report of the Government Inquiry into the response to the North Island Severe Weather Events. “The report shows that New Zealand’s emergency management system is not fit-for-purpose and there are some significant gaps we need to address,” Mr Mitchell ...
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith is today travelling to Europe where he’ll update the United Nations Human Rights Council on the Government’s work to restore law and order. “Attending the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva provides us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while ...
Associate Agriculture Minister, Mark Patterson, formally reopened the world’s largest wool processing facility today in Awatoto, Napier, following a $50 million rebuild and refurbishment project. “The reopening of this facility will significantly lift the economic opportunities available to New Zealand’s wool sector, which already accounts for 20 per cent of ...
Hon Andrew Bayly, Minister for Small Business and Manufacturing At the Southland Otago Regional Engineering Collective (SOREC) Summit, 18 April, Dunedin Ngā mihi nui, Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Ko Whanganui aho Good Afternoon and thank you for inviting me to open your summit today. I am delighted ...
The Government is delivering on its commitment to bring back the Three Strikes legislation, Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee announced today. “Our Government is committed to restoring law and order and enforcing appropriate consequences on criminals. We are making it clear that repeat serious violent or sexual offending is not ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has today announced four new diplomatic appointments for New Zealand’s overseas missions. “Our diplomats have a vital role in maintaining and protecting New Zealand’s interests around the world,” Mr Peters says. “I am pleased to announce the appointment of these senior diplomats from the ...
New Zealand is contributing NZ$7 million to support communities affected by severe food insecurity and other urgent humanitarian needs in Ethiopia and Somalia, Foreign Minister Rt Hon Winston Peters announced today. “Over 21 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance across Ethiopia, with a further 6.9 million people ...
Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage Paul Goldsmith is congratulating Mataaho Collective for winning the Golden Lion for best participant in the main exhibition at the Venice Biennale. "Congratulations to the Mataaho Collective for winning one of the world's most prestigious art prizes at the Venice Biennale. “It is good ...
The Government is reforming financial services to improve access to home loans and other lending, and strengthen customer protections, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly and Housing Minister Chris Bishop announced today. “Our coalition Government is committed to rebuilding the economy and making life simpler by cutting red tape. We are ...
“China remains a strong commercial opportunity for Kiwi exporters as Chinese businesses and consumers continue to value our high-quality safe produce,” Trade and Agriculture Minister Todd McClay says. Mr McClay has returned to New Zealand following visits to Beijing, Harbin and Shanghai where he met ministers, governors and mayors and engaged in trade and agricultural events with the New ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has completed a successful trip to Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines, deepening relationships and capitalising on opportunities. Mr Luxon was accompanied by a business delegation and says the choice of countries represents the priority the New Zealand Government places on South East Asia, and our relationships in ...
New Zealand is demonstrating its commitment to reducing global greenhouse emissions, and supporting clean energy transition in South East Asia, through a contribution of NZ$41 million (US$25 million) in climate finance to the Asian Development Bank (ADB)-led Energy Transition Mechanism (ETM). Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Climate Change Minister Simon Watts announced ...
The Government is today releasing a list of organisations who received letters about the Fast-track applications process, says RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop. “Recently Ministers and agencies have received a series of OIA requests for a list of organisations to whom I wrote with information on applying to have a ...
Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister David Jonathan Boldt as a Judge of the High Court, and the Honourable Justice Matthew Palmer as a Judge of the Court of Appeal. Justice Boldt graduated with an LLB from Victoria University of Wellington in 1990, and also holds ...
Education Minister Erica Stanford will lead the New Zealand delegation at the 2024 International Summit on the Teaching Profession (ISTP) held in Singapore. The delegation includes representatives from the Post Primary Teachers’ Association (PPTA) Te Wehengarua and the New Zealand Educational Institute (NZEI) Te Riu Roa. The summit is co-hosted ...
A stopbank upgrade project in Tairawhiti partly funded by the Government has increased flood resilience for around 7000ha of residential and horticultural land so far, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones today attended a dawn service in Gisborne to mark the end of the first stage of the ...
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters will represent the Government at Anzac Day commemorations on the Gallipoli Peninsula next week and engage with senior representatives of the Turkish government in Istanbul. “The Gallipoli campaign is a defining event in our history. It will be a privilege to share the occasion ...
Science, Innovation and Technology and Defence Minister Judith Collins will next week attend the OECD Science and Technology Ministerial conference in Paris and Anzac Day commemorations in Belgium. “Science, innovation and technology have a major role to play in rebuilding our economy and achieving better health, environmental and social outcomes ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with the President of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos Jr. The Prime Minister was accompanied by MP Paulo Garcia, the first Filipino to be elected to a legislature outside the Philippines. During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon and President Marcos Jr discussed opportunities to ...
The Government has announced that $20 million in funding will be made available to Westport to fund much needed flood protection around the town. This measure will significantly improve the resilience of the community, says Local Government Minister Simeon Brown. “The Westport community has already been allocated almost $3 million ...
The Government is proud to support the first ever Repco Supercars Championship event in Taupō as up to 70,000 motorsport fans attend the Taupō International Motorsport Park this weekend, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. “Anticipation for the ITM Taupō Super400 is huge, with tickets and accommodation selling out weeks ...
Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced an increase to the Rates Rebate Scheme, putting money back into the pockets of low-income homeowners. “The coalition Government is committed to bringing down the cost of living for New Zealanders. That includes targeted support for those Kiwis who are doing things tough, such ...
The Coalition Government is investing in a project to boost survival rates of New Zealand mussels and grow the industry, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones has announced. “This project seeks to increase the resilience of our mussels and significantly boost the sector’s productivity,” Mr Jones says. “The project - ...
Benefit figures released today underscore the importance of the Government’s plan to rebuild the economy and have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker Support, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “Benefit numbers are still significantly higher than when National was last in government, when there was about 70,000 fewer ...
The Government’s commitment to doubling New Zealand’s renewable energy capacity is backed by new data showing that clean energy has helped the country reach its lowest annual gross emissions since 1999, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. New Zealand’s latest Greenhouse Gas Inventory (1990-2022) published today, shows gross emissions fell ...
The Government is bringing the earthquake-prone building review forward, with work to start immediately, and extending the deadline for remediations by four years, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “Our Government is focused on rebuilding the economy. A key part of our plan is to cut red tape that ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and his Thai counterpart, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, have today agreed that New Zealand and the Kingdom of Thailand will upgrade the bilateral relationship to a Strategic Partnership by 2026. “New Zealand and Thailand have a lot to offer each other. We have a strong mutual desire to build ...
RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop and Transport Minister Simeon Brown have today announced the Coalition Government’s intention to extend port coastal permits for a further 20 years, providing port operators with certainty to continue their operations. “The introduction of the Resource Management Act in 1991 required ports to obtain coastal ...
Today’s announcement that inflation is down to 4 per cent is encouraging news for Kiwis, but there is more work to be done - underlining the importance of the Government’s plan to get the economy back on track, acting Finance Minister Chris Bishop says. “Inflation is now at 4 per ...
Refreshed health guidance released today will help parents and schools make informed decisions about whether their child needs to be in school, addressing one of the key issues affecting school attendance, says Associate Education Minister David Seymour. In recent years, consistently across all school terms, short-term illness or medical reasons ...
Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones is streamlining high-level oceans management while maintaining a focus on supporting the sector’s role in the export-led recovery of the economy. “I am working to realise the untapped potential of our fishing and aquaculture sector. To achieve that we need to be smarter with ...
Associate Agriculture Minister Mark Patterson is speaking at the International Wool Textile Organisation Congress in Adelaide, promoting New Zealand wool, and outlining the coalition Government’s support for the revitalisation the sector. "New Zealand’s wool exports reached $400 million in the year to 30 June 2023, and the coalition Government ...
The Government is making legislative changes to make it easier for new early learning services to be established, and for existing services to operate, Associate Education Minister David Seymour says. The changes involve repealing the network approval provisions that apply when someone wants to establish a new early learning service, ...
Changes to the Resource Management Act will align consenting for coal mining to other forms of mining to reduce barriers that are holding back economic development, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. “The inconsistent treatment of coal mining compared with other extractive activities is burdensome red tape that fails to acknowledge ...
Trade, Agriculture and Forestry Minister Todd McClay has concluded productive discussions with ministerial counterparts in Beijing today, in support of the New Zealand-China trade and economic relationship. “My meeting with Commerce Minister Wang Wentao reaffirmed the complementary nature of the bilateral trade relationship, with our Free Trade Agreement at its ...
The Taxpayers’ Union is today congratulating Hon. Paul Goldsmith on his appointment as Minister for Media and Communications and urges him to rule out state intervention in the private media sector. ...
Asia Pacific Report The West Papuan resistance OPM leader has condemned Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and US President Joe Biden, accusing their countries of “six decades of treachery” over Papuan independence. The open letter was released today by OPM chairman Jeffrey P Bomanak on the eve of ANZAC Day ...
Welcome to The Spinoff Books Confessional, in which we get to know the reading habits and quirks of New Zealanders at large. This week: writer and one of Time Magazine’s 100 most influential people of 2024, Lauren Groff.The book I wish I’d writtenIf I wish I’d written a ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By David Fechner, Research Fellow, Social Marketing, Griffith University mavo/Shutterstock Imagine having dinner at a restaurant. The menu offers plant-based meat alternatives made mostly from vegetables, mushrooms, legumes and wheat that mimic meat in taste, texture and smell. Despite being given that ...
“Three Strikes is a dead-end policy proposed by a dead-end government. The Three Strikes law ignores the causes of crime, instead just brutalising people already crushed by the cost of living.” ...
By Don Wiseman, RNZ Pacific senior journalist An Australian-born judge in Kiribati could well face deportation later this week after a tribunal ruling that he should be removed from his post. The tribunal’s report has just been tabled in the Kiribati Parliament and is due to be debated by MPs ...
With its clear mandate for police use, political nuances, and nuanced public trust, Denmark's insights provide valuable considerations for Australia and New Zealand. ...
Books editor Claire Mabey reviews poet Louise Wallace’s debut novel. A famous poet once said to me that he’s always suspicious when a poet publishes a novel. I never really understood why but maybe it’s something to do with cheating on your first form. Louise Wallace is a poet. She’s ...
For a few months at the turn of the millennium, TrueBliss burned bright as the biggest pop stars in the country. Alex Casey chats to two superfans who still hold the flame. During a humble backyard wedding in Nelson, 1999, one of the cordially invited guests had to excuse themselves ...
How will the recent wave of job cuts impact ethnic diversity in the media? In November last year, I was working a very busy day in the newsroom of a large online news site, interviewing whānau about their concerns over the imminent closure of one of the few puna reo ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ruth Knight, Researcher, Queensland University of Technology Have you ever felt sick at work? Perhaps you had food poisoning or the flu. Your belly hurt, or you felt tired, making it hard to concentrate and be productive. How likely would you be ...
Despite heavy criticism and an ongoing select committee process, the Police Minister says the Government will forge ahead with a ban on gang patches. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sam Whiting, Lecturer – Creative Industries, University of South Australia Shutterstock Everyone has a favourite band, or a favourite composer, or a favourite song. There is some music which speaks to you, deeply; and other music which might be the current ...
A new survey says ‘outlook not great’ for those charged with building infrastructure, while RMA changes delight farmers and depress environmentalists, writes Anna Rawhiti-Connell in this excerpt from The Bulletin, The Spinoff’s morning news round-up. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here. First RMA changes announced ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Olli Hellmann, Associate Professor of Political Science, University of Waikato Getty Images When New Zealanders commemorate Anzac Day on April 25, it’s not only to honour the soldiers who lost their lives in World War I and subsequent conflicts, but also ...
A leaked document shows the Canterbury/Waitaha arm of health agency Te Whatu Ora is scurrying to save $13.3 million by July. The “financial sustainability target”, which was “allocated” to Waitaha, is consistent with what’s happening in other districts, says Sarah Dalton, executive director of the Association of Salaried Medical Specialists. ...
A look at the state of the previous government’s affordable housing scheme, and what could come next.Remind me: What’s KiwiBuild again?First announced in 2012, KiwiBuild was a flagship policy of the Labour Party heading into both its 2014 and 2017 election campaigns. With Jacinda Ardern as prime minister, ...
Labour in opposition will be shocked to learn which party had six years in power but squandered any chance to make real change. Grant Robertson’s valedictory speech was a predictably entertaining trip down memory lane. The acid-tongued incoming Otago University chancellor administered a sick burn to the coalition government. He ...
Taiwan’s semiconductor industry is seen some as its ‘silicon shield’ against invasion – but how will overseas expansion affect that protection? The post The state of Taiwan’s silicon shield appeared first on Newsroom. ...
There’s relief for building owners bending under the weight of earthquake strengthening rules – and costs – that came into force seven years ago. Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk has announced a scheduled 2027 review of the earthquake-prone building regulations will now start this year. Owners will also get ...
Opinion: It has been announced that nine percent of roles at Oranga Tamariki will be disestablished, presumably to help fund the tax cuts promised by the coalition Government. I am reminded of the graphics used to illustrate pandemic events, where five thousand people are standing in a field and then ...
After more than two sleepless days, running through savage terrain, Greig Hamilton didn’t know if he was going to finish one of the most gruelling psychological assaults in sport. He was metres away from the finish line, a yellow gate made famous in a Netflix documentary; a race he’d dreamed ...
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The following interview with former Green Party MP Sue Kedgley came about because she features in the new memoir Hine Toa by activist Ngāhuia te Awekōtuku; the two knew each other at the University of Auckland in the early 70s, when they were both took on leadership roles in the ...
COMMENTARY:By Murray Horton New Zealand needs to get tough with Israel. It’s not as if we haven’t done so before. When NZ authorities busted a Mossad operation in Auckland 20 years ago, the government didn’t say: “Oh well, Israel has the right to defend itself.” No, it arrested, prosecuted, ...
NEWSMAKERS:By Vijay Narayan, news director of FijiVillage Blessed to be part of the University of Fiji (UniFiji) faculty to continue to teach and mentor those who want to join our noble profession, and to stand for truth and justice for the people of the country. I was privileged to ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Martin, Visiting Fellow, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University Three weeks from now, some of us will be presented with a mountain of budget papers, and just about all of us will get to hear about them on radio, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Dan Lowry, Ice Sheet & Climate Modeller, GNS Science Hugh Chittock/Antarctica New Zealand, CC BY-SA As the climate warms and Antarctica’s glaciers and ice sheets melt, the resulting rise in sea level has the potential to displace hundreds of millions of ...
The government's plan to reintroduce a three strikes regime is being strongly opposed by lawyers, who argue there is no evidence it reduces crime or helps people rehabilitate. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Dan Jerker B. Svantesson, Professor specialising in Internet law, Bond University Do Australian courts have the right to decide what foreign citizens, located overseas, view online on a foreign-owned platform? Anyone inclined to answer “yes” to this question should perhaps also ask ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Giovanni E Ferreira, NHMRC Emerging Leader Research Fellow, Institute of Musculoskeletal Health, University of Sydney Last week in a post on X, owner of the platform Elon Musk recommended people look into disc replacement if they’re experiencing severe neck or back pain. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By David Hayward, Emeritus Professor of Public Policy, RMIT University anek.soowannaphoom/Shutterstock NSW Treasurer Daniel Mookhey caught the headlines yesterday, courtesy of a blistering speech condemning the latest GST carve-up. New South Wales, he claimed, would be A$11.9 billion worse off over the ...
While police are "broadly in favour", the government's proposed anti-gang laws are facing pushback from lawyers, rights groups and former gang members. ...
While police are "broadly in favour", the government's proposed anti-gang laws are facing pushback from lawyers, rights groups and former gang members. ...
By Miriam Zarriga in Port Moresby Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has arrived at Kokoda Station, Northern province, at the start of his state visit to Papua New Guinea. Both Albanese and Prime Minister James Marape will meet with the locals and the Northern Provincial government before they begin their ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Chris Wallace, Professor, School of Politics Economics & Society, Faculty of Business Government & Law, University of Canberra Shutterstock An important principle was invoked by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese last week in defence of the government’s Future Made in Australia industry ...
By Patrick Decloitre, RNZ Pacific correspondent French Pacific desk Security forces reinforcements were sent from France ahead of two rival marches in the capital Nouméa today, at the same time and only two streets away one from the other. One march, called by Union Calédonienne party (a component of the ...
A poll last August found that just 16% of New Zealanders oppose bringing back the ‘Three Strikes’ law. The nationwide poll of 1,000 New Zealanders was commissioned by Family First NZ and carried out by Curia Market Research. ...
The solo show from Ana Scotney is both sprawling and intimate, and a must-see, writes Mad Chapman. In the opening moments of Scattergun: After the Death of Rūaumoko, writer and performer Ana Scotney lays out the groundwork, literally. Silently moving around the square stage, Scotney is not so much dancing ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kate Burridge, Professor of Linguistics, Monash University Who makes the words? Why are trees called trees and why are shoes called shoes and who makes the names? – Elliot, age 5, Eltham, Victoria Good question Elliot! Let’s start with ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stephen Duckett, Honorary Enterprise Professor, School of Population and Global Health, and Department of General Practice and Primary Care, The University of Melbourne at amRawpixel.com/Shutterstock Roles of health professionals are still unfortunately often stuck in the past. That is, before the ...
COMMENTARY:By Malcolm Evans Last week’s leaked New York Times staff directive, as to what words can and cannot be used to describe the carnage Israel is raining on Palestinians, is proof positive, since those reports are published verbatim here in New Zealand, that our understanding of the conflict is ...
In the case of New Zealand, the results confirm that there is no popular support for the vicious austerity program being imposed by the National Party-led government, which is backed in all fundamental respects by the opposition Labour Party. ...
The ‘Vampire’ singer has never visited our part of the world, but that might all be about to change. We assess the evidence.Olivia Rodrigo’s Guts World Tour is pulling in massive crowds as it whips around the US and Europe, even helping to catapult regular supporting act Chappell Roan ...
Testing of drinking water in rural Canterbury over the weekend by Greenpeace revealed that several public town supplies were reaching levels of nitrate above 5 mg/L - the threshold which a growing body of scientific evidence has linked to increased ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rohan Fisher, Information Technology for Development Researcher, Charles Darwin University It may come as a surprise to hear 2023 was Australia’s biggest bushfire season in more than a decade. Fires burned across an area eight times as big as the 2019–20 Black ...
Responding to the Government’s announcement of changes to resource management laws, Taxpayers’ Union Executive Director, Jordan Williams, said: “These changes are a step in the right direction in terms of removing ideological and unworkable ...
More than two years after the Human Rights Council called for the establishment of a national human rights commission, such a body has yet to be formed. ...
Comment:An emergency management system with wide variations in performance, significant capability gaps, funding shortfalls and above all a setup that is not meeting the needs of New Zealanders at times of crisis. The Government’s inquiry into the response to Cyclone Gabrielle and other severe weather events in the North ...
Welcome to the whirring wonders of one brain trying to align its actions with its beliefs within a system it thinks is evil. My brain has been spiralling in a woke conundrum ever since I found out a bookshop I’ve never been to was shutting down. Good Books, a bookshop ...
We repeat our call for criminal justice policy to be based on evidence, something the three strikes regime neglects to recognise – with no evidence that it either reduces crime or assists with rehabilitation. ...
By Koroi Hawkins, RNZ Pacific editor in Honiara With only four more seats in the 50-member Parliament yet to be officially declared, there is no outright winner in the Solomon Islands elections. As of Monday, the two largest blocs in the winner’s circle, independents and the incumbent Prime Minister Manasseh ...
Two/fiftyseven is a multi-purpose space hidden in the heart of Wellington that is paving a way for sustainable building and responsible landlording in Aotearoa and beyond.By 2060 the world is predicted to double its entire building stock, which equates to building an entire New York City every 34 days, ...
Popstars wasn’t just a reality television revolution, it was also a huge moment for Y2K fashion.It’s 25 years since girl group TrueBliss was formed on New Zealand national television, breaking new ground for both the reality television industry and the shiny clothing industry. With the first episode on NZ ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Christopher Pepping, Associate Professor in Clinical Psychology, Griffith University Marvin / Shutterstock Are all single people insecure? When we think about people who have been single for a long time, we may assume it’s because single people have insecurities that make ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By William Geary, Lecturer in Quantitative Ecology & Biodiversity Conservation, The University of Melbourne Trismegist san, Shutterstock Landscapes that have escaped fire for decades or centuries tend to harbour vital structures for wildlife, such as tree hollows and large logs. But these ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rebecca Gladstone-Gallagher, Lecturer in Marine Science, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau Shutterstock/S Curtis Why are we crossing ecological boundaries that affect Earth’s fundamental life-supporting capacity? Is it because we don’t have enough information about how ecosystems respond to change? Or ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Matthew Crocker, PhD Student in Economics, Deakin University Here’s something for the board of the Reserve Bank of Australia to ponder as it meets next month to set interest rates. It has pushed up rates on 13 occasions since it began its ...
This is absolutely magnificent: Toby Manhire puts together an album of National's Greatest Hits. There have been so many it's hard to keep up, so here's a reminder …
https://thespinoff.co.nz/politics/26-11-2021/the-five-most-terrible-horrible-no-good-very-bad-days-in-recent-national-party-history
Curious, very curious….
Bridges made a comment about 'folk wisdom on conceiving girls or boys', depending on how the act of copulation is undertaken, as I understand. This was taken offence at. Can I ask why? I have read the msm to try and understand why but have come up short. I am genuinely curious how the offence arose – it seems everyone is offended today and the curiousity stems from this wider point. I suspect some simple facts are simply missing…
On a related point I read somewhere in an opinion about males in the National Party (good grief, what a horrid thought, having to spend time with them, bleeaaargh…) that jokes about women should all stop..
.. which led to one of the obvious follow-on questions – that jokes about all people should stop… which is … well … isn't that nonsensical given the human reality of laughing at each other?? No more comedy? Do we laugh at flora and fauna instead? What can we laugh at?
Note, I am not coming down on any particular side of these issues – I am simply genuinely curious to understand what others are thinking in this very sober arena
No more comedy? Well, every day I watch shows and clips on YouTube that make me laugh, a tonic in these troubled times. Anything from Taskmaster to Mock The Week to Would I Lie To You to Cats Does Countdown and dozens more. Of course everyone has different tastes, so I'm not suggesting everyone else should laugh at the same things. But for me, there's not enough time in the day to watch it all.
Simon Bridges being an overgrown adolescent has nothing to do with comedy, really. (And Collins using it as an obvious pretext had nothing to with it either).
Stuff published an article several years ago about trying to “select” the sex of a baby. It was informative.
https://i.stuff.co.nz/life-style/parenting/pregnancy/conception/trying-to-conceive/10939837/The-myths-and-truths-of-gender-swaying
Bridges has seemed to show a profound lack of self awareness. Although the "old wives tale' has been replaced with 'folk wisdom'.
In a related vein, I read this article about a long serving female teacher resigning from PNBHS.
"When she started there were only 10 women on staff out of 68 and she said there were some disparaging views towards women, but the atmosphere has changed.
“You learnt how to deal with it … you just need to say pull your head in and there’s no problem.”
Now there are 30 female staff out of 113 and she tells the boys “manners maketh the man”."
https://www.stuff.co.nz/manawatu-standard/news/300463144/longserving-boys-high-languages-teacher-retiring
Also, once I thought I would chip a buddy who was good at golf, with a line I had heard from Billy Connolly. Something along the lines of golfers being wankers.
His reply has stayed with me. He replied with the question; "Asking that, how did you want me to feel?"
I guess there are no hard and fast rules. Context is everything and if it can't pass the Nana test (would you say that to your Nana?) don't say it.
Some 'nana's' have offensive senses of humour…..what happened to encouraging diversity?
Being genuinely funny has little to do with the whether or not the race, sex, religion or politics is the theme – some of the greatest comedians of all time relied on these all the time.
Humans may have evolved humour and laughter for a number of reasons I can imagine. It is also the adult manifestation of the 'playfulness' we find in children – a critical stage of development where they discover the boundaries between reality and fantasy, and that of successful risk taking and danger. Rough and tumble play teaches them how to invoke a reaction from others without provoking them to anger or resentment. In children its a critical development phase – and if they miss it for some reason they remain socially on the back foot the rest of their lives.
As we become teenagers our adult sense of humour starts to manifest. But doing it well is not easy, and those who are good at it are signaling high intelligence and social aptitude. Nor is it surprise to anyone that high on the female sexual selection shopping list is always 'good sense of humour'.
The reason for this is that life is never easy, there always will be challenges, failures and suffering – but people who can respond to these with humour, and succeed in lifting the mood of those around them, keeping the group morale afloat in the face of loss and disaster, will always be more likely to survive biologically and thrive socially.
Our unique human capacity to successfully operate in large social groups – beyond that of our immediate genetic relatives – while retaining individual agency, is fundamental to our ability to build large complex adaptive societies. That humans are also virtually unique in our enormous capacity for laughter is no accidental correlation. (Yes I realise cats laugh at us all the time )
All maladaptive social systems, political ideologies and their tyrannies, insist on crushing the fun out of life as a matter of instinctive priority. There is an implicit understanding that allowing people to poke fun at their obvious moral nakedness – is their Achilles Heel.
Seems he was very specific in the techniques to be applied.
Not exactly workplace conversation – you have to pick your audience.
There's also the separation factor – some jokes work better if they are about third parties but are a bit icky if told from the first person. And vice versa.
So worthy of complaint, but I'd be interested to see what processes JC went through before throwing Bridges to the back bench and publicly disgracing him.
I waiting on some new comedic genius in the mould of Douglas Adams (Hitchikers guides) or the beloved Terry Pratchet to take the proverbial our of the modern world and cause outrage VTO.
Just imagine the opening lines.
"Transmissions from Planet WokeLBGTXYZ are fading. Let’s see what Dr Carl Sourgum can bring up on his Encyclopedia Galatica.
‘So, there it is; whoman civilisation has annihilated itself in a paroxysm of hysteria, self-flagellation, anti-scientific gender politics and simply no longer breeding. because they were taught sex no longer exists, if it does it’s rape and there’s no point raising children if the earth warms up by 1 degree. No nuclear power, just broken windmills turning over to dribble a few kilowatts here and there to an infrastructure in tatters. I’m glad I died in 1996.’
Some context for the issue!!
That colleague was Dean, who told the Otago Daily Times she mentioned the incident to Collins during a conversation which followed meetings she had attended as assistant Speaker regarding recommendations from the Francis review of Parliament's workplace culture.
"I approached Judith several weeks ago about my concerns and the conversation was in the context of the work I have been doing with the Francis review, and I found myself disclosing my experience," Dean said.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/jacqui-dean-says-she-was-surprised-judith-collins-raised-the-simon-bridges-incident/YSSOPO5TYAKIWKZSTKOLBERQPQ/
Above all the ODT thing suggests the manic desperation of Collins.
She could have said any of this publicly, before Collins got rolled. But just like Goodfellow, she waited until after the vote of confidence before "clarifying". Like a courtier, now she knows Collins is gone, it's "the Queen is dead, long live the next King".
Pathetic.
"Pathetic"
Thats generous!!! Ob
Imagine how we feel down here with Dean as our MP year after year after year after….
She was the one who asked the Minister of Health to investigate the toxicity of dihydrogen monoxide … H2O
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/38005/National-MP-falls-victim-to-water-hoax
Thats water under(mining) the bridge
Context
1.Bridges was talking to Jaime Lee Ross who was having an affair with another blonde MP at the time.
2. Simon Bridges (who has a blonde wife) had two sons and wanted to become father of a daughter in the year ahead.
Footnote – in 2017 Simon Bridges wife gave birth to a biological female.
And this may be the closest to the truth assessment yet
“Events, dear boy, events.” Something you didn’t expect, and can’t fix, happens, and it all just gets too much. All the plotting and scheming. All the arm-twisting and political assassinating. Suddenly, the whole shitty business no longer seems worth the effort, and the all people around you start looking too hopelessly fucked-up to bother with.
And. You. Snap."
http://bowalleyroad.blogspot.com/2021/11/judiths-last-stand.html
And aligns with Collins cryptic remark as she got into the taxi afterward "It's a relief".
The other observation is a fish rots from the head first. By that I mean the culture, standard of behaviour etc is a reflection of the board.
A bit like Foster is coping criticism for the ABs last two performances.
Goodfellow and his crew seem untouchable.
The PM called her the other leader of the Opposition
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/covid-19-delta-outbreak-jacinda-ardern-told-to-apologise-over-judith-collins-jibe/ZW6XGUDEZRSDFAPK45KCQ54IJQ/
One answer for Collins is that she is unwell. Her ability to think clearly looks tired and shambolic. Maybe she needs a long long rest.
I believe I saw some of that on Tuesday when she was questioning the PM at Question Time- testy, tired, getting her serves returned with ease, slow at the net and once fouled out for serving over the line.
True to form, Judith kept that "Pearl" of knowledge about Bridges behaviour as a lever. She did not "leak' it to journalists as she had made that an issue for her Leadership. "No Leaks" She liked having ammunition at the ready, especially gossip and bad behaviour, and this was a gem.
Interesting that MP Dean is seen as a "whining woman", conniving more like it, when she discussed that incident with Judith as an example of the behaviour a committee was tasked with reviewing outside the committee room. If you can not trust a Leader to keep a confidence, who can you trust? Or was it "here is an item about Bridges" A conundrum of their own creation?
I am more inclined to think Jacquie Dean did not think it through, was used by Judith Collins as a weapon later to try to damage Bridges without any consideration, as otherwise why wait “several weeks”?
Remember her motto "Give back double" with a silent "Take no prisoners".
Both women have behaved badly, but let us not forget how it began, with loose talk, by someone who wanted to be PM, who does not really seem to respect women or have a sense of propriety.
Dean did not think it through? If the environment is such that a mere verbal detail could be used as a nuclear weapon, nothing can be said and written by anyone without doubt and risk.
Let investigations begin of which MPs did what behind the shelter shed when they were at school, what they did on a sports trip when they were university students, the jokes they told at a party in 1999.
Collins knew she was done and wanted to undermine any chance of Bridges returning to leadership (speaks to National Party needing to win back woman voters from Labour).
Her support for Luxon is to seek protective patronage of her continuance as an MP (a spokesperson role improves her chances of staying as an electorate spokesperson MP and or having a placement on the list).
"Five people in court following murder of Christchurch teen
… All five facing charges relating to the murder will appear in the High Court for a case review hearing on February 18.
The agreed date for the start of the defendants’ trial is May 8, 2023."
May 2023!
link please.
On RNZ this morning.
if people quote here, they have to also link.
I should not have quoted. Should simply have said some people in a murder case were in court in November 2021 and would next be in court in May 2023.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/127106250/five-people-in-court-following-murder-of-christchurch-teen
Well – you have to allow for the snail's pace legal system to crawl along – so lawyers etc can screw the max out of legal aid funds.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/127106250/five-people-in-court-following-murder-of-christchurch-teen
Hard Brexit, with fish.
French fishers to block Channel tunnel in Brexit licences row | Brexit | The Guardian
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/127108563/schools-locked-down-as-police-hunt-man-who-stole-cars-and-fled-after-crash
Real life GTA, for the win!
*The man was not armed with a firearm, and police arrested him “without incident” on Weedons Ross Rd shortly before midday, the spokeswoman said.
He was hurt in the incident, and was taken to Christchurch Hospital and treated for moderate injuries.*
I imagine the hurt was likely a dog bite? So … if he was hurt … how exactly is that “without incident”? 🤔
The Police must have a different concept of “incident” than I do. 😳
Good dog
.
🐶 Ruff❗️
Sunlive publishes an article detailing a local woman's battle with a severe adverse reaction the the Pfizer product.
https://www.sunlive.co.nz/news/281866-rozannes-fight-after-vaccine-anguish.html
Despite being prepared to have the second shot and going with husband Paul, who received his second vaccination on October 9, the clinic refused to administer it due to her on-going reaction to the first vaccine.
The following weeks were filled with suffering relapses, brain fog, extreme head pain, fatigue and an uncontrollable severe body twitch.
Unable to work, and initially refused an ACC claim, Rozanne found herself in what she says was “a very scary place having just been given a life-altering diagnosis”.
She didn’t know if she would recover or get worse and reached out to others who like her were suffering severe symptoms.
Rozanne found herself having to make it clear to people that she is not an anti-vaxer but a realist, recognising that a vaccine is essential to dealing with the Covid-19 virus.
This is the first MSM article I have read about a person's adverse reaction to the Covid vaccine. May this be the first of many. Way past time that these severe side effects were hauled into the light.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/127108563/school-lockdowns-lifted-as-police-arrest-man-who-stole-cars-and-fled-after-crash
Well that ended quietly
A question for the economists.
With rising inflation, and fair pay awards on their way, how are we going to avoid the ole wage price spiral?
Supply problems and fuel costs are areas that are not going to be fixed quickly.
The only option reduced liquidity interest rate hikes.
International shipping is going to be much more expensive for many years.
The economies of the world will suffer.
And with the hated Boomers all busy retiring across much of the world, skilled labour supply will shrink as well.
It's my sense we're in for a LOT more disruption than most people are imagining.
Aye, that's my sense as well – a WHOLE "lot more disruption" coming society's way. Never mind – there's still time to score a few more deals in the BLACK Friday sales.
Have you come across the term Affluenza? It's reached pandemic proportions among the golden billion – maybe the aforementioned disruption will offer a cure of sorts.
Not for everyone, of course – at least not voluntarily.
No. The people that will be hurt the most will be the poor in the world who will have their hope of better life taken from them.
While it's possible that societal disruption will deprive “the poor” of "their hope of a better life", my sense is that the effects of disruption will not be confined to the poor, and that within two or three decades almost everyone is "in for a LOT more disruption than most people are imagining."
What practical steps might be taken this decade to best prepare societies for the inevitable “LOT more disruption” that you alluded to @12.2?
https://grantcraft.org/content/blog/learning-from-disruption-two-case-examples-of-resilience/
This last comment of yours speaks to your usual agenda – it's painfully obvious that you're more consumed with resentment at those who are better off than you, than a useful concern to improve the life of those less fortunate than you.
It's painfully obvious that you would trot out that stale jibe. Fwiw I'm content with my lot and (hand on heart) hold no resentment towards those who have convinced themselves they’re "better off" than me – seems so shallow
Back to your perceptive comment @12.2
That's my sense too (spaceship Earth has limits) – but what to do about it?
That is where I am now ,equipping a bus well and hitting the road early next year.As I reach my late 60s I want to set off and a wake up to a new beach panorama often.No more rates ,insurance ,maintenence upkeep etc etc ,just a reliable Isuzu and an open road,devil take the hindmost.If you see my beauty ,Starship Enterprise ,and Captain Max Viagra,co captain Hot Lips Houlihan ,wave us down,have a chat there will always be a cold stubby and glass of chardy in the fridge.
Well we have coped with house prices/rents exploding and no one gives a shit..so ..who cares!
HD seems like a very light sentence to me.
Unprovoked attack leaves Wellington bar owners with permanent injuries | Stuff.co.nz
“Defence lawyer Mike Antunovic said Soper was remorseful and ashamed of kicking the victim to the head. Soper had never had the opportunity of telling them how he feels or saying he is sorry, he said. “He extends his apologies through me.””
G: Smells like BS.
“Judge Davidson sentenced Soper, who is the son of Newstalk ZB political journalist Barry Soper, to seven months’ home detention, ordered him to stay away from alcohol, and to pay $4000 emotional harm reparation.
He said reparation could never be seen to adequately compensate the victims for what happened.
The judge said the attack was very much spur of the moment, impulsive and a significant overreaction on his part.”
G: Does seem rather light a fine; dunno what other sentence you would think more appropriate, B? Care to enlighten us?
“Davidson said Soper suffered from anxiety, which left him prone to erupting spontaneously in certain circumstances.”
G: More BS. I’ve suffered from anxiety all my fracking life. The last thing anxiety makes you want to do is beat someone up. You’re too fearful of the likely adverse consequences. That claim’s a total crock of shit.
In a statement, Barry Soper said the family was “deeply upset and disappointed”. “We support Hugh as he takes responsibility for his actions and sets about rebuilding his life. “The family is devastated for the victims and we wholeheartedly apologise for the effect this has had on their lives.”
G: It’s not the offender’s family that should be issuing a grovelling apology, Baz. It’s your PoS son, mate. 😠
Imo a jail term of at least 12 months minimum would be appropriate.
Be interesting to see a comparative re the sentencing.
Especially in comparison to a first offence for, say, one of our browner-skinned brothers? Yes. Might be interesting. Altho I seem to recall some rather light sentences for violent first offences for some of those offenders have attracted criticism on blogs in the past too.
One wonders if having well-known celebrity journo parents may have played a part.
I’m more puzzled with why the young prick hasn’t had the either the gonads or sufficient remorse to have apologised to them directly. He’s certainly had a cery long time to write them a decent aoology before he came up for sentencing
🙄 * cery = very
This is one of the problems with this government:
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/andrew-little-says-he-will-reduce-the-prison-population/6NXHANBTJF3FVVSGZVBZT5QQUQ/
Reducing the prison population is easy. Hugh Soper should be going to prison but isn't.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/auckland-motorway-road-rage-shooters-jail-term-thrown-out-gets-home-detention-instead/YGIOSDMJMCVV3WQTFV2HGXBIYI/
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/126651020/you-wont-survive-jail-judge-takes-pity-on-young-sex-offender
Lowering the prison population doesn't mean that people aren't committing crimes, it just means more criminals are walking the streets but hey on the bright side:
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/300163523/prisoner-numbers-fall-1089-over-last-12-months-largest-drop-in-over-20-years
They need to increase the prison population with a few of the people out in New Lynn and Glen Eden.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/glen-eden-gang-stoush-handguns-machetes-in-head-hunter-comancheros-confrontation/4UHQCTODLIMSIEK6YUNWJVW35Y/
Also consider that if less people are being sent to prison then the ones who are sent are worse than usual
I'm not very impressed either. In my book once you kick or stomp on someone's head when they're on the ground – you are trying to kill them. In our grandparents generation, kicking a man when he was on the ground was considered the lowest most cowardly act.
If they live it was only a matter of good luck or good emergency medical treatment. And even then there is a high chance of permanent brain injury that will stay with the victim all their life. (Another stat that I read years ago, was that around 90% of male prison inmates in NZ have a brain injury of some kind.)
Still regardless of the outcome I maintain your intent was to kill or seriously maim- and the law around assault should be changed to reflect this.