What a couple of months! What a party it has been! What great hosts New Zealanders have been!
But there is a part of the New Zealand sporting psyche that leaves me absolutely cold: we are lousy losers. Friends in the grandstand on Sunday night, when things were getting a little doubtful half way through the second half, were looking for the nearest exit in case there was a loss. The alcohol fuelled muttonheads around them were losing the plot. A large group of policemen were moved forward.
The insane booing of Quade Cooper, the gormless put downs of Australians; the Pom bashing; the regular reference to the underarm bowling incident a million years ago are all examples of NZ insecurity and little man/poor cousin syndrome.
Can we not learn some grace and character, and celebrate all that is great on the sportsfield. Cheerfulness, passion, in your face enthusiasm is wonderful. Mindless boorishness is one memory that I don’t want people to remember New Zealand by. We are lousy loosers, and should endeavour, on the back of all the well deserved celebrations this time, to remember that next time we come up short.
A loss might have lead to some introspection on the attitudes you outline, similar to the moral crisis China has been facing in light of the girl runover by a van that multiple passersby ignored.
Now instead this will simmer away in the background without the proper attention it deserves.
Auckland delivered, true to form, started with a transport snarl and
ended with power outages and the spectre of gas leaks shutting
down business. Muddle city.
Disagreements about onsite policies, serious online abuse, physical threats in an assembly. And still no idea of what they propose to actually do. Except issue PR pieces:
Are you going to provide some links to support your contention Pete. Or are we supposed to take your word for it?
The link you provide (twice) makes no mention of what you allege.
That’s going to be hard for Pete to do, given that he’s making it up. Funny how he can spend hours moaning about the minor issue of the accuracy of a date used on a John Banks pamphlet yesterday, but has no problem smearing the Occupy Dunedin movement this morning.
I can back up everything I have said. I have had extensive contact with what’s happening in Dunedin. So you should retract your accusation that I’m making it up or you wil be the one seen to be smearing.
I’m not smearing the movement, I’m highlighting real concerns that the public and some people within the movement have.
But you do make yourself such an attractive target.
When you write, especially the first thing in the morning comments that I read over coffee. I keep trying to remember when I last saw so much vacuous lack of content wrapped up in high sounding verbiage… I have come to the conclusion it was when I last watched the pre-game TV waffle at any sporting event with the sound on spewing its mindless drivel. Mind you The Panel comes close pretty frequently.
Of course commentators try to prick the balloon – only realistic way to find out if there is any substance in there.
Following Abe’s post on the Occupy’s fb page, I posted suggesting that facilitation of meetings be made a priority and included a link to some basic info on facilitation. (My experience whenever I have popped in is that there is no facilitation of meetings). On that post, someone commented that there was a person who had facilitated at least one meeting quite well, which I took as a positive sign that things could be moving in a good direction.
However, on checking back this morning it appears that post has been deleted. I know that fb can be a bit random on how it displays stuff and that it might ‘pop’ back into existence.
I’ve posted again asking whether that post, as well as a similarily viened comment under Abe’s post, was deleted as trolling. (The people ‘in charge’ of the Occupy page have stated they are now deleting posts they consider to be trolling.)
In the meantime, and this is only an impression from the fb comments under Abe’s original post, it appears that Occupy simply does not know how to deal with the situation and are simply waiting for the antagonist to leave. More than not knowing how to deal with the situation, there is an element of denial, with comments coming from fairly prominent people to the effect that it was just a glitch in a peaceful Occupation and that it won’t happen again. But (and again I’m stressing this impression is based only on the fb comments etc) there appears to be a lack of willingness to treat the situation seriously and attempt to put systems in place that might prevent a repeat occurance. Go figure.
Occupy Dunedin they’ve obviously got more support in north dunedin than
Pernacios Guile
Jealousy I am certain That a group of young people can get involved in politics in their own way
Something PG thinks is ok for him but anyone else is wrong
After being threatened with assault by one of your ‘security’ people I will not be coming back to or supporting the occupation any more. If the occupation in it’s current state is even driving away the most committed activists how will it ever break through to the masses?
@PeteG, Suggest you follow @RDevro & @allisonkilkenny on twitter for love tweeting from GA’s in NYC to see how they are resolving issues between residents and # OWS. Happening now!
There is bound to be confrontation and anger when people from differing beliefs come together. Each believes that they are So Right – one says Peace, Love and Life and to hell with you if you disagree with something and express that differing opinion. The other comes at things from a Randian approach and discounts everything as Wrong if it is opposed to an individual shining path to success of grand personal concepts.
I noticed on the Dunedin Occupy facebook page that someone was playing with the slogan of 99% (ordinary people) – 1% (fabulously wealthy) to the 1% being the state, and bad-mouthing what it does for us all. I think this is a dangerous attitude, that opens the way to worse governance from what I call the mechanicals, the machine-like thinkers that don’t want to meet the human needs of others.
I have been looking at a book I bought from curiosity. It is called grandly The Book and has someone’s considered approach which sounds like Tea Party stuff, divided into three sections God-Man, Neo-Tech, Illusions. There is similar to creationist thinking with personal belief co-opting a pseudo scientific approach and a strong dollop of how to be a self-made man. A shining example is James J Hill who sounds like a clever man who built a railroad with no borrowed money and made a profit, the writer Mark Hamilton says, from day one. In contrast, he says, the state made a mess of its interests in railroads because of “the incompetence and greed of career politicians…But one market entrepreneur could raise the standard of living of a nation”. This leads to the worship of the individual, money, single-mindedness, individuality and to hell with everybody else. A step back to Dickens’ time with a shrug from the haves – as Deborah Crone Something said yesterday? – life can’t be perfect.
I don’t buy that there will necessarily be ‘confrontation and anger’ when people with differing beliefs come together.
There are mechanisms and practices that can be adopted/developed to stop that happening. Good facilitation is one. Getting rid of all the ‘red rag to a bull’ banners that proclaim adherence to this, that or the other political tradition…y’know, this embodies the one truth and the true path, not that one over there the ‘infidels’ are touting ….
This is afterall (in theoretically at least) a movement, not a coalition. Therefore no one stated position has any right to primacy. And as there is (or should be) no competition between opposing views seeking dominance, then all those characteristics that mark a coalition have no place. Pretty simple, I would have thought.
And yes, there are some right wing libertrians popping up. But hey. Their positions are so porous and if treated properly, a good way to bring people to a contrary position. So I don’t actually mind them so much. One guy put up a photo of a poster banging on about freedom. (Could be the same guy you mention) On first glance, it might have appealed to some people. It was Ayn Rand through and through. Anyway. Many comments back and forth later, and yes, I’ve finally and politely given up. But in the meantime, anyone reading the comments will at least have some info to base their opinions or position on now and won’t just unwittingly buy into the message at face value.
I’m inclined to agree with Prism on this one.
And there need to be mechanisms to stop such conflict from being destructive, but they won’t stop it.
This is the challenge for the left – managing how we deal with our diversity, and the occupy movement is bound to be a bit of a microcosm of it. I hope the guy who left will eventually feel able to return.
Have you lived closely with diverse others for any length of time, without any significant anger, arguments, confrontation…?
Genuine question Bill. I’ve never seen that, and in a way I wonder if it wouldn’t even be a bit unhealthy.
It’s not so much that ‘significant anger, arguments, confrontation’ are the problem. It’s how that stuff is dealt with within a group and by the group. And it’s also putting mechanisms in place so that emerging stuff is dealt with early on, before it becomes writ large and assumes a dynamic all of it’s own that consumes everything and every one in a whirlwind of destructive b/s.
And I wouldn’t say the Occupiers are living that closely with one another. People come and go throughout the day or week for a variety of reasons. Which is fine and fair enough. People aren’t intertwined and relying on the group remaining coherent for all, or even anywhere near most, of their ongoing daily needs. They have utterly separate lives to one another outside of the Occupation that they pursue to satisfy most of those.
Oh. And in answer to your question, yes I have (God, what a messy comment!) And if you cycle back to the top of the comment, you’ll get the answer to the second part of your question 🙂
If Occupy is for the 99% then it can’t be “the left”.
The guy who left was offering real solutions to what is otherwise a growing problem, if dealing with things is addressed rather than staunch intransigence then it’s possible he could return. Occupy Dunedin is at a crossroads – find ways to move forward or all that will be left is the staunch going nowhere, until forced to move on.
“If Occupy is for the 99% then it can’t be “the left”.”
Well not in the sense you imply, no.
But broadly speaking, the issue is inequality. And politicians of the right are working hard to further entrench that inequality at every step.
Politicians on the right vote for policies that benefit the 1% (or 5% or 10% or however you break it down) at the expense of everybody else.
Unless you think the problem is that the rich don’t have enough money and power, the solutions are never going to come from the right of the political spectrum.
I find it interesting that your attacks on Occupy started off as against some ‘left’ organisations coopting the movement under cover of darkness and using the movement to push their own barrow – now you say the left aren’t 99%. It is funny watching your lines change and gradually align with – shock! horror! your own position of affected neutrality, the godlike middle, and having sensible haircuts. That says lack of integrity to me and egocentric self interest masquerading as concern for a movement that saw through and spurned your trojan horse approach.
…fallen into the Myth of the Middle. These people who have so fallen take two positions, label them extremes and then say that the answer to all our woes is in the middle. These are the people who have taking the truism Everything in moderation – even moderation to heart (although they seem to have missed the warning at the end) and will oppose doing anything that they see as radical.
big ups for commenting on one of my favorite sites – man that dude is so on the money and i love his serialised science fiction novella being written as we speak.
Pity it has not been published yet, but I have seen a Uni study that basically says that over 80% of New Zealanders, given a choice of policies without being told which party they originated from, favour Green party policies.
Not too far from 99%.
Shows why NACT/UF/MP are wise, to avoid mentioning their policies, when they are campaigning.
Bill I think your point about ‘reading the comments’ is important. The talk swirling round that doesn’t get pinned down and considered can become a confusing waste of time where there are many partly formed views or just a sense of huge unease. There must be a way of distilling the concerns so they can be considered, and everyone know what is being discussed and that everyone’s points are noted. I think this would help everyone to be heard or to find a point that would agree with their opinions.
This is afterall (in theoretically at least) a movement, not a coalition. Therefore no one stated position has any right to primacy. And as there is (or should be) no competition between opposing views seeking dominance, then all those characteristics that mark a coalition have no place. Pretty simple, I would have thought.
Without a written record things can get really unclear as each person will have a slightly different opinion of what has been heard and their perception of it, and their memories, can twist it further. Preparing for this with the means would be important as a basis for full democratic discussion. Power points and electronic devices could be used to record and display but something that people can access without a machine would be good.
I think people need a whiteboard or large paper sheets with crayons if not markers and then keywords get noted with bullet points and someone then getting a copy, if necessary using a device such as getting a picture on a cellphone, so it’s not lost when the whiteboard gets cleaned. This means that valuable thinking time is captured and the content can be recovered for further consideration later. And writing down the names of people proposing things would be good so that they can be referred back to and can background the issue and points they made.
A lot of what you refer to there is a part of what a good facilitator does. (ie takes all the various angles, merges or assimilates them and feeds that sum total back to the group so that everyone is clear and in agreement on what’s what and also identifies the areas of disagreement that need further exploration.)
And yes, notes. But not that are presented back at some future date (although that happens too) but that are verified as they are written. Note takers usually distil and interprate points being made. And it’s important that the person making the point agrees with the note takers interpretation/summation.
I have not been to Dunedin Occupy and not to Auck in a few days, but I’m interested predominantly in the international movement, which seems to have this horizontal decision making more sorted and has an absence of the vested interests we seem to be dominating here. They are in support but are not driving it.
Until the youth are feeling a bit more pain this is unlikely to change.
But in the meantime, those here should perhaps engage more carefully in the way things are being managed around the world. Spain, US and London seem to be working well.
Some problem with Anarchust faction in Zucotti park seems to have been dealt with.
Further to my thoughts on not dissing ‘the state’ as an automatic response, there was a talk on China on RAdionz this morning giving a statistic (approximate) of 45 million Chinese people who died mainly of starvation caused by state control taking over private food production in China in the 50s and 60s as a result of the failure of collectivisation forced by the Chinese Communist government. However this figure needs to be compared to earlier famines, I don’t know what the death total then has been.
So the state is only good as long it is consulting and acting on what the people advise, including the learned academics and scientists, and the advisors and professionals scheme and plan good practical policies.
I’m not a statist. But the starvation in China wasn’t a simple failure of state planning. It involved dynamics whereby minor party officials wanted to look good and so lied about the amount of rice grown. If a higher up official was coming for a ‘look see’, paddies were ripped up and ‘replanted’ to make it appear that yields would be higher than they actually would be. That new info, then informed the commands coming back down from the top. You might say they never saw it (the famine) coming.
Anyway, in any command economy, that problem whereby ‘the party’ gathers info and is in sole charge of making decisions on that info, is going to exist. And people will lie. Either because they want to curry favour or because they want to avoid negative repercussions for not achieving party goals.
Good thinking alert – Professor Paul Dalziel: Recreating Full Employment
The 2011 Bruce Jesson Memorial Lecture will be held at the Maidment Theatre at Auckland University at 6:30pm on Wednesday 26 October
I was there, but didn’t take notes, if no one else offers a more specific summary I will put one forward tomorrow. Very much enjoyed it – there is a second lecture as part of the series in mid November well worth making time to attend.
@CV @prism @seeker – I contacted the secretary of the foundation and he advised me that the lecture will be available on the website end of today, or tomorrow now by the looks of it.
I thought it better to provide the source material. When it goes live I will post the address on open mike but it will most probably be here: http://www.brucejesson.com/lectures
Has Fonterra been hoist on its own petard? If they could use the methane from the effluent from the dairy cows, which they haven’t, they would not be dependent on the reticulated gas sector.
Isn’t that putting all your eggs in the one basket, or your cheeses anyway.
“Revealed – the capitalist network that runs the world”
“The work, to be published in PLoS One, revealed a core of 1318 companies with interlocking ownerships. Each of the 1318 had ties to two or more other companies, and on average they were connected to 20. What’s more, although they represented 20 per cent of global operating revenues, the 1318 appeared to collectively own through their shares the majority of the world’s large blue chip and manufacturing firms – the “real” economy – representing a further 60 per cent of global revenues.
When the team further untangled the web of ownership, it found much of it tracked back to a “super-entity” of 147 even more tightly knit companies – all of their ownership was held by other members of the super-entity – that controlled 40 per cent of the total wealth in the network. “In effect, less than 1 per cent of the companies were able to control 40 per cent of the entire network,” says Glattfelder.”
I support the Occupy movements and even though they are still learning they have got a lot right such as the focus on capitalism. I don’t see any redeemable features of that system and therefore i support replacing it before it kills everything.
This link is a video from tangata whenua at Occupy Auckland and the work they are doing to make the movement more inclusive.
That is the only great news in the report. No more importing economic growth
Perhaps now we can see how NZ travels on our on energy. And perhaps value our own people that we train, only to lose offshore and then having to make up for this then “buy” immigrates from other countries with the same skill set. Does anyone ever think of the damage we are causing to the likes of India, SA etc with the e.g. medical staff we are pouching? Sure we benefit greatly from their skills, but at what cost.
Also how can NZ be a great place to live when the average shoe box cost is so prohibitive and rents so high?
househttp://www.interest.co.nz/property/house-price-income-multiples
Just listened to Dame Susan Devoy on the panel talking about the Honours system.
“Oh Lord it is hard to be humble when you’re perfect in …
She commented that she was delighted that the Queen’s honours had been restored by the current government and in particular for those who received the, then new, New Zealand awards and were able to commute them to the traditional Queen’s honours.
I guess it never occurred to her that she could have lifted the profile of the New Zealand awards and approached the Governor General to have her “Damehood” commuted to the New Zealand awards – nah. No more likely than her other mates in ACT, like Sir Roger Douglas. They love the baubles.
Radio Live (Karyn & Andrew) discussing the bias of the media especially Duncan Garner.
Nice to actually have it acknowledged. ( On now – finishes at 10pm)
John Key saying he expected another downgrade made me assume that he assumed we weren’t getting one.
Make a story out of your comment that we’ll get a third downgrade then, voila, the relief when we don’t.
And claim the credit for being ‘realistic’ or ‘modest’ in the interim.
Timed to arrive just after the PREFU, too. See, it’s not so bad after all.
Just as well we know from John Key’s secret emailer that the ratings agencies are extremely politically active and aware in their operations and interpretations.
TV3 news tonight- -Ashcroft flies in to meet Key -just before an election again. This time Key’s not so reticent about it and tries to make it sound good by telling us that Ashcroft is the deputy chair of the British Conservative party -but he is not. Key misinforms us yet again. Surely he should have known?
Ashcroft lost the job last year as he was considered a liability! Not surprising considering some of the really questionable things he has got up to. He was especially good at misleading Blair’s government about his domicile tax status to get his lordship title, and was even known as “Blofeld” by senior friends of Cameron. Yipes and yuck.
Why does Mr, Key keep such questionable company???? Why does he keep meeting this “Blofeld”
just before elections. Surely it has nothing to do with……….sales and sell outs?
Come in 007………. and smell the coffee again…. over and out
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Probably about the only consolation available from yesterday’s unveiling of the Half-Yearly Economic and Fiscal Update (HYEFU) is that it could have been worse. Though Finance Minister Nicola Willis has tightened the screws on future government spending, she has resisted the calls from hard-line academics, fiscal purists and fiscal hawks ...
The right have a stupid saying that is only occasionally true:When is democracy not democracy? When it hasn’t been voted on.While not true in regards to branches of government such as the judiciary, it’s a philosophy that probably should apply to recently-elected local government councillors. Nevertheless, this concept seemed to ...
Long story short: the Government’s austerity policy has driven the economy into a deeper and longer recession that means it will have to borrow $20 billion more over the next four years than it expected just six months ago. Treasury’s latest forecasts show the National-ACT-NZ First Government’s fiscal strategy of ...
Come and join myself and CTU Chief Economist for a pop-up ‘Hoon’ webinar on the Government’s Half Yearly Economic and Fiscal Update (HYEFU) with paying subscribers to The Kākā for 30 minutes at 5 pm today.Jump on this link on YouTube Livestream to watch our chat. Don’t worry if ...
In 1998, in the wake of the Paremoremo Prison riot, the Department of Corrections established the "Behaviour Management Regime". Prisoners were locked in their cells for 22 or 23 hours a day, with no fresh air, no exercise, no social contact, no entertainment, and in some cases no clothes and ...
New data released by the Treasury shows that the economic policies of this Government have made things worse in the year since they took office, said NZCTU Economist Craig Renney. “Our fiscal indicators are all heading in the wrong direction – with higher levels of debt, a higher deficit, and ...
At the 2023 election, National basically ran on a platform of being better economic managers. So how'd that turn out for us? In just one year, they've fucked us for two full political terms: The government's books are set to remain deeply in the red for the near term ...
AUSTERITYText within this block will maintain its original spacing when publishedMy spreadsheet insists This pain leads straight to glory (File not found) Read more ...
The NZCTU Te Kauae Kaimahi are saying that the Government should do the right thing and deliver minimum wage increases that don’t see workers fall further behind, in response to today’s announcement that the minimum wage will only be increased by 1.5%, well short of forecast inflation. “With inflation forecast ...
Oh, I weptFor daysFilled my eyesWith silly tearsOh, yeaBut I don'tCare no moreI don't care ifMy eyes get soreSongwriters: Paul Rodgers / Paul Kossoff. Read more ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Bob HensonIn this aerial view, fingers of meltwater flow from the melting Isunnguata Sermia glacier descending from the Greenland Ice Sheet on July 11, 2024, near Kangerlussuaq, Greenland. According to the Programme for Monitoring of the Greenland Ice Sheet (PROMICE), the ...
In August, I wrote an article about David Seymour1 with a video of his testimony, to warn that there were grave dangers to his Ministry of Regulation:David Seymour's Ministry of Slush Hides Far Greater RisksWhy Seymour's exorbitant waste of taxpayers' money could be the least of concernThe money for Seymour ...
Willis is expected to have to reveal the bitter fiscal fruits of her austerity strategy in the HYEFU later today. Photo: Lynn Grieveson/TheKakaMōrena. Long stories short, the six things that matter in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Tuesday, December 17 in The Kākā’s Dawn Chorus podcast ...
On Friday the government announced it would double the number of toll roads in New Zealand as well as make a few other changes to how toll roads are used in the country. The real issue though is not that tolling is being used but the suggestion it will make ...
The Prime Minister yesterday engaged in what looked like a pre-emptive strike designed to counter what is likely to be a series of depressing economic statistics expected before the end of the week. He opened his weekly post-Cabinet press conference with a recitation of the Government’s achievements. “It certainly has ...
This whooping cough story from south Auckland is a good example of the coalition government’s approach to social need – spend money on urging people to get vaccinated but only after you’ve cut the funding to where they could get vaccinated. This has been the case all year with public ...
And if there is a GodI know he likes to rockHe likes his loud guitarsHis spiders from MarsAnd if there is a GodI know he's watching meHe likes what he seesBut there's trouble on the breezeSongwriter: William Patrick Corgan Read more ...
Here’s a quick round up of today’s political news:1. MORE FOOD BANKS, CHARITIES, DOMESTIC VIOLENCE SHELTERS AND YOUTH SOCIAL SERVICES SET TO CLOSE OR SCALE BACK AROUND THE COUNTRY AS GOVT CUTS FUNDINGSome of Auckland's largest foodbanks are warning they may need to close or significantly reduce food parcels after ...
Iain Rennie, CNZMSecretary and Chief Executive to the TreasuryDear Secretary, Undue restrictions on restricted briefings This week, the Treasury barred representatives from four organisations, including the New Zealand Council of Trade Unions Te Kauae Kaimahi, from attending the restricted briefing for the Half-Year Economic and Fiscal Update. We had been ...
This is a guest post by Tim Adriaansen, a community, climate, and accessibility advocate.I won’t shut up about climate breakdown, and whenever possible I try to shift the focus of a climate conversation towards solutions. But you’ll almost never hear me give more than a passing nod to ...
A grassroots backlash has forced a backdown from Brown, but he is still eyeing up plenty of tolls for other new roads. And the pressure is on Willis to ramp up the Government’s austerity strategy. Photo: Getty ImagesMōrena. Long stories short, the six things that matter in Aotearoa’s political economy ...
Hi all,I'm pretty overwhelmed by all your messages and emails today; thank you so very much.As much as my newsletter this morning was about money, and we all need to earn money, it was mostly about world domination if I'm honest. 😉I really hate what’s happening to our country, and ...
A listing of 23 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, December 8, 2024 thru Sat, December 14, 2024. Listing by Category Like last week's summary this one contains the list of articles twice: based on categories and based on ...
I started writing this morning about Hobson’s Pledge, examining the claims they and their supporters make, basically ripping into them. But I kept getting notifications coming through, and not good ones.Each time I looked up, there was another un-subscription message, and I felt a bit sicker at the thought of ...
Once, long before there was Harry and Meghan and Dodi and all those episodes of The Crown, they came to spend some time with us, Charles and Diana. Was there anyone in the world more glamorous than the Princess of Wales?Dazzled as everyone was by their company, the leader of ...
The collective right have a problem.The entire foundation for their world view is antiscientific. Their preferred economic strategies have been disproven. Their whole neoliberal model faces accusations of corporate corruption and worsening inequality. Climate change not only definitely exists, its rapid progression demands an immediate and expensive response in order ...
Just ten days ago, South Korea's president attempted a self-coup, declaring martial law and attempting to have opposition MPs murdered or arrested in an effort to seize unconstrained power. The attempt was rapidly defeated by the national assembly voting it down and the people flooding the streets to defend democracy. ...
Hi,“What I love about New Zealanders is that sometimes you use these expressions that as Americans we have no idea what those things mean!"I am watching a 30-something year old American ramble on about how different New Zealanders are to Americans. It’s his podcast, and this man is doing a ...
National has only been in power for a year, but everywhere you look, its choices are taking New Zealand a long way backwards. In no particular order, here are the National Government's Top 50 Greatest Misses of its first year in power. ...
The Government is quietly undertaking consultation on the dangerous Regulatory Standards Bill over the Christmas period to avoid too much attention. ...
The Government’s planned changes to the freedom of speech obligations of universities is little more than a front for stoking the political fires of disinformation and fear, placing teachers and students in the crosshairs. ...
The Ministry of Regulation’s report into Early Childhood Education (ECE) in Aotearoa raises serious concerns about the possibility of lowering qualification requirements, undermining quality and risking worse outcomes for tamariki, whānau, and kaiako. ...
A Bill to modernise the role of Justices of the Peace (JP), ensuring they remain active in their communities and connected with other JPs, has been put into the ballot. ...
Labour will continue to fight unsustainable and destructive projects that are able to leap-frog environment protection under National’s Fast-track Approvals Bill. ...
The Green Party has warned that a Green Government will revoke the consents of companies who override environmental protections as part of Fast-Track legislation being passed today. ...
The Green Party says the Half Year Economic and Fiscal Update shows how the Government is failing to address the massive social and infrastructure deficits our country faces. ...
The Government’s latest move to reduce the earnings of migrant workers will not only hurt migrants but it will drive down the wages of Kiwi workers. ...
Te Pāti Māori has this morning issued a stern warning to Fast-Track applicants with interests in mining, pledging to hold them accountable through retrospective liability and to immediately revoke Fast-Track consents under a future Te Pāti Māori government. This warning comes ahead of today’s third reading of the Fast-Track Approvals ...
The Government’s announcement today of a 1.5 per cent increase to minimum wage is another blow for workers, with inflation projected to exceed the increase, meaning it’s a real terms pay reduction for many. ...
All the Government has achieved from its announcement today is to continue to push responsibility back on councils for its own lack of action to help bring down skyrocketing rates. ...
The Government has used its final post-Cabinet press conference of the year to punch down on local government without offering any credible solutions to the issues our councils are facing. ...
The Government has failed to keep its promise to ‘super charge’ the EV network, delivering just 292 chargers - less than half of the 670 chargers needed to meet its target. ...
The Green Party is calling for the Government to stop subsidising the largest user of the country’s gas supplies, Methanex, following a report highlighting the multi-national’s disproportionate influence on energy prices in Aotearoa. ...
The Green Party is appalled with the Government’s new child poverty targets that are based on a new ‘persistent poverty’ measure that could be met even with an increase in child poverty. ...
New independent analysis has revealed that the Government’s Emissions Reduction Plan (ERP) will reduce emissions by a measly 1 per cent by 2030, failing to set us up for the future and meeting upcoming targets. ...
The loss of 27 kaimahi at Whakaata Māori and the end of its daily news bulletin is a sad day for Māori media and another step backwards for Te Tiriti o Waitangi justice. ...
Yesterday the Government passed cruel legislation through first reading to establish a new beneficiary sanction regime that will ultimately mean more households cannot afford the basic essentials. ...
Today's passing of the Government's Residential Tenancies Amendment Bill–which allows landlords to end tenancies with no reason–ignores the voice of the people and leaves renters in limbo ahead of the festive season. ...
After wasting a year, Nicola Willis has delivered a worse deal for the Cook Strait ferries that will end up being more expensive and take longer to arrive. ...
Green Party co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick has today launched a Member’s Bill to sanction Israel for its unlawful presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, as the All Out For Gaza rally reaches Parliament. ...
After years of advocacy, the Green Party is very happy to hear the Government has listened to our collective voices and announced the closure of the greyhound racing industry, by 1 August 2026. ...
In response to a new report from ERO, the Government has acknowledged the urgent need for consistency across the curriculum for Relationship and Sexuality Education (RSE) in schools. ...
The Green Party is appalled at the Government introducing legislation that will make it easier to penalise workers fighting for better pay and conditions. ...
Thank you for the invitation to speak with you tonight on behalf of the political party I belong to - which is New Zealand First. As we have heard before this evening the Kinleith Mill is proposing to reduce operations by focusing on pulp and discontinuing “lossmaking paper production”. They say that they are currently consulting on the plan to permanently shut ...
Auckland Central MP, Chlöe Swarbrick, has written to Mayor Wayne Brown requesting he stop the unnecessary delays on St James Theatre’s restoration. ...
Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says Health New Zealand will move swiftly to support dozens of internationally-trained doctors already in New Zealand on their journey to employment here, after a tripling of sought-after examination places. “The Medical Council has delivered great news for hardworking overseas doctors who want to contribute ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has appointed Sarah Ottrey to the APEC Business Advisory Council (ABAC). “At my first APEC Summit in Lima, I experienced firsthand the role that ABAC plays in guaranteeing political leaders hear the voice of business,” Mr Luxon says. “New Zealand’s ABAC representatives are very well respected and ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has announced four appointments to New Zealand’s intelligence oversight functions. The Honourable Robert Dobson KC has been appointed Chief Commissioner of Intelligence Warrants, and the Honourable Brendan Brown KC has been appointed as a Commissioner of Intelligence Warrants. The appointments of Hon Robert Dobson and Hon ...
Improvements in the average time it takes to process survey and title applications means housing developments can progress more quickly, Minister for Land Information Chris Penk says. “The government is resolutely focused on improving the building and construction pipeline,” Mr Penk says. “Applications to issue titles and subdivide land are ...
The Government’s measures to reduce airport wait times, and better transparency around flight disruptions is delivering encouraging early results for passengers ahead of the busy summer period, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Improving the efficiency of air travel is a priority for the Government to give passengers a smoother, more reliable ...
The Government today announced the intended closure of the Apollo Hotel as Contracted Emergency Housing (CEH) in Rotorua, Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka says. This follows a 30 per cent reduction in the number of households in CEH in Rotorua since National came into Government. “Our focus is on ending CEH in the Whakarewarewa area starting ...
The Government will reshape vocational education and training to return decision making to regions and enable greater industry input into work-based learning Tertiary Education and Skills Minister, Penny Simmonds says. “The redesigned system will better meet the needs of learners, industry, and the economy. It includes re-establishing regional polytechnics that ...
The Government is taking action to better manage synthetic refrigerants and reduce emissions caused by greenhouse gases found in heating and cooling products, Environment Minister Penny Simmonds says. “Regulations will be drafted to support a product stewardship scheme for synthetic refrigerants, Ms. Simmonds says. “Synthetic refrigerants are found in a ...
People travelling on State Highway 1 north of Hamilton will be relieved that remedial works and safety improvements on the Ngāruawāhia section of the Waikato Expressway were finished today, with all lanes now open to traffic, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.“I would like to acknowledge the patience of road users ...
Tertiary Education and Skills Minister, Penny Simmonds, has announced a new appointment to the board of Education New Zealand (ENZ). Dr Erik Lithander has been appointed as a new member of the ENZ board for a three-year term until 30 January 2028. “I would like to welcome Dr Erik Lithander to the ...
The Government will have senior representatives at Waitangi Day events around the country, including at the Waitangi Treaty Grounds, but next year Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has chosen to take part in celebrations elsewhere. “It has always been my intention to celebrate Waitangi Day around the country with different ...
Two more criminal gangs will be subject to the raft of laws passed by the Coalition Government that give Police more powers to disrupt gang activity, and the intimidation they impose in our communities, Police Minister Mark Mitchell says. Following an Order passed by Cabinet, from 3 February 2025 the ...
Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of Justice Christian Whata as a Judge of the Court of Appeal. Justice Whata’s appointment as a Judge of the Court of Appeal will take effect on 1 August 2025 and fill a vacancy created by the retirement of Hon Justice David Goddard on ...
The latest economic figures highlight the importance of the steps the Government has taken to restore respect for taxpayers’ money and drive economic growth, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. Data released today by Stats NZ shows Gross Domestic Product fell 1 per cent in the September quarter. “Treasury and most ...
Tertiary Education and Skills Minister Penny Simmonds and Associate Minister of Education David Seymour today announced legislation changes to strengthen freedom of speech obligations on universities. “Freedom of speech is fundamental to the concept of academic freedom and there is concern that universities seem to be taking a more risk-averse ...
Police Minister, Mark Mitchell, and Internal Affairs Minister, Brooke van Velden, today launched a further Public Safety Network cellular service that alongside last year’s Cellular Roaming roll-out, puts globally-leading cellular communications capability into the hands of our emergency responders. The Public Safety Network’s new Cellular Priority service means Police, Wellington ...
State Highway 1 through the Mangamuka Gorge has officially reopened today, providing a critical link for Northlanders and offering much-needed relief ahead of the busy summer period, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.“The Mangamuka Gorge is a vital route for Northland, carrying around 1,300 vehicles per day and connecting the Far ...
The Government has welcomed decisions by the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) and Ashburton District Council confirming funding to boost resilience in the Canterbury region, with construction on a second Ashburton Bridge expected to begin in 2026, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Delivering a second Ashburton Bridge to improve resilience and ...
The Government is backing the response into high pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in Otago, Biosecurity Minister Andrew Hoggard says. “Cabinet has approved new funding of $20 million to enable MPI to meet unbudgeted ongoing expenses associated with the H7N6 response including rigorous scientific testing of samples at the enhanced PC3 ...
Legislation that will repeal all advertising restrictions for broadcasters on Sundays and public holidays has passed through first reading in Parliament today, Media Minister Paul Goldsmith says. “As a growing share of audiences get their news and entertainment from streaming services, these restrictions have become increasingly redundant. New Zealand on ...
Today the House agreed to Brendan Horsley being appointed Inspector-General of Defence, Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith says. “Mr Horsley’s experience will be invaluable in overseeing the establishment of the new office and its support networks. “He is currently Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security, having held that role since June 2020. ...
Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says the Government has agreed to the final regulations for the levy on insurance contracts that will fund Fire and Emergency New Zealand from July 2026. “Earlier this year the Government agreed to a 2.2 percent increase to the rate of levy. Fire ...
The Government is delivering regulatory relief for New Zealand businesses through changes to the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering Financing of Terrorism Act. “The Anti-Money Laundering and Countering Financing of Terrorism Amendment Bill, which was introduced today, is the second Bill – the other being the Statutes Amendment Bill - that ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed further progress on the Hawke’s Bay Expressway Road of National Significance (RoNS), with the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) Board approving funding for the detailed design of Stage 1, paving the way for main works construction to begin in late 2025.“The Government is moving at ...
The Government today released a request for information (RFI) to seeking interest in partnerships to plant trees on Crown-owned land with low farming and conservation value (excluding National Parks) Forestry Minister Todd McClay announced. “Planting trees on Crown-owned land will drive economic growth by creating more forestry jobs in our regions, providing more wood ...
Court timeliness, access to justice, and improving the quality of existing regulation are the focus of a series of law changes introduced to Parliament today by Associate Minister of Justice Nicole McKee. The three Bills in the Regulatory Systems (Justice) Amendment Bill package each improve a different part of the ...
A total of 41 appointments and reappointments have been made to the 12 community trusts around New Zealand that serve their regions, Associate Finance Minister Shane Jones says. “These trusts, and the communities they serve from the Far North to the deep south, will benefit from the rich experience, knowledge, ...
The Government has confirmed how it will provide redress to survivors who were tortured at the Lake Alice Psychiatric Hospital Child and Adolescent Unit (the Lake Alice Unit). “The Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care found that many of the 362 children who went through the Lake Alice Unit between 1972 and ...
It has been a busy, productive year in the House as the coalition Government works hard to get New Zealand back on track, Leader of the House Chris Bishop says. “This Government promised to rebuild the economy, restore law and order and reduce the cost of living. Our record this ...
“Accelerated silicosis is an emerging occupational disease caused by unsafe work such as engineered stone benchtops. I am running a standalone consultation on engineered stone to understand what the industry is currently doing to manage the risks, and whether further regulatory intervention is needed,” says Workplace Relations and Safety Minister ...
Mehemea he pai mō te tangata, mahia – if it’s good for the people, get on with it. Enhanced reporting on the public sector’s delivery of Treaty settlement commitments will help improve outcomes for Māori and all New Zealanders, Māori Crown Relations Minister Tama Potaka says. Compiled together for the ...
Mr Roger Holmes Miller and Ms Tarita Hutchinson have been appointed to the Charities Registration Board, Community and Voluntary Sector Minister Louise Upston says. “I would like to welcome the new members joining the Charities Registration Board. “The appointment of Ms Hutchinson and Mr Miller will strengthen the Board’s capacity ...
More building consent and code compliance applications are being processed within the statutory timeframe since the Government required councils to submit quarterly data, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “In the midst of a housing shortage we need to look at every step of the build process for efficiencies ...
Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey is proud to announce the first three recipients of the Government’s $10 million Mental Health and Addiction Community Sector Innovation Fund which will enable more Kiwis faster access to mental health and addiction support. “This fund is part of the Government’s commitment to investing in ...
New Zealand is providing Vanuatu assistance following yesterday's devastating earthquake, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. "Vanuatu is a member of our Pacific family and we are supporting it in this time of acute need," Mr Peters says. "Our thoughts are with the people of Vanuatu, and we will be ...
The Government welcomes the Commerce Commission’s plan to reduce card fees for Kiwis by an estimated $260 million a year, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly says.“The Government is relentlessly focused on reducing the cost of living, so Kiwis can keep more of their hard-earned income and live a ...
Regulation Minister David Seymour has welcomed the Early Childhood Education (ECE) regulatory review report, the first major report from the Ministry for Regulation. The report makes 15 recommendations to modernise and simplify regulations across ECE so services can get on with what they do best – providing safe, high-quality care ...
The Government‘s Offshore Renewable Energy Bill to create a new regulatory regime that will enable firms to construct offshore wind generation has passed its first reading in Parliament, Energy Minister Simeon Brown says.“New Zealand currently does not have a regulatory regime for offshore renewable energy as the previous government failed ...
Legislation to enable new water service delivery models that will drive critical investment in infrastructure has passed its first reading in Parliament, marking a significant step towards the delivery of Local Water Done Well, Local Government Minister Simeon Brown and Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly say.“Councils and voters ...
New Zealand is one step closer to reaping the benefits of gene technology with the passing of the first reading of the Gene Technology Bill, Science, Innovation and Technology Minister Judith Collins says. "This legislation will end New Zealand's near 30-year ban on gene technology outside the lab and is ...
Summer reissue: Was it a false measurement, a full-blown conspiracy or just some mild incompetence? Mad Chapman uncovers the truth of Maddi Wesche’s final throw. The Spinoff needs to double the number of paying members we have to continue telling these kinds of stories. Please read our open letter and ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Julie Old, Associate Professor, Biology, Zoology, Animal Science, Western Sydney University Dmitry Chulov, Shutterstock At this time of year, images of reindeer are everywhere. I’ve had a soft spot for reindeer ever since I was a little girl. Doesn’t everyone? ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Grozdana Manalo, Career Services Manager (Education), University of Sydney hedgehog94/Shutterstock Getting casual work over summer, or a part-time job that you might continue once your tertiary course starts, can be a great way to get workplace experience and earn some extra ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ty Ferguson, Research associate in exercise, nutrition and activity, University of South Australia Peera_Stockfoto/Shutterstock It’s never been easier to stay connected to work. Even when we’re on leave, our phones and laptops keep us tethered. Many of us promise ourselves we ...
The NZ Media Council upheld the complaint under principle four: comment and fact On 5 September 2024, The Spinoff published a brief article titled Made in Palestine, found in 1970s Hastings, which highlighted an upcoming art exhibition featuring photographs of vintage cosmetic products labelled “Made in Palestine.” The piece, described ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kasey Symons, Lecturer of Communication, Sports Media, Deakin University We are well and truly in cricket season. The Australian men’s cricket team is taking centre stage against India in the Border Gavaskar Trophy series while the Big Bash League is underway, as ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrew Woods, Lecturer, Nursing, Faculty of Health, Southern Cross University FTiare/Shutterstock Summer is here and for many that means going to the beach. You grab your swimmers, beach towel and sunscreen then maybe check the weather forecast. Did you think to ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Saman Khalesi, Senior Lecturer and Discipline Lead in Nutrition, School of Health, Medical and Applied Sciences, CQUniversity Australia Dean Clarke/Shutterstock The holiday season can be a time of joy, celebration, and indulgence in delicious foods and meals. However, for many, it ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ari Mattes, Lecturer in Communications and Media, University of Notre Dame Australia Late Night With The Devil. Maslow Entertainment Marketing is critical to the success of commercial films, and companies will often spend half as much again on top of the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Francisco Jose Testa, Lecturer in Earth Sciences (Mineralogy, Petrology & Geochemistry), University of Tasmania The Conversation As a kid, it was tough for me to grasp the massive time scale of Earth’s history. Now, with nearly two decades of experience as ...
Te Pāti Māori has had to adopt a new way of debating, operating and even thinking in Parliament in response to the Government’s “onslaught” against te ao Māori, co-leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer says.In an end-of-year interview with Newsroom, the Te Tai Hauauru MP reflected on how 2024 has differed from her ...
Opinion: The latest Trends in International Mathematics and Science report was announced earlier this month, yet it didn’t get the flurry of media attention and political hand-wringing that typically accompanies these announcements. This might be because it presented good news, or you could argue, no news; the results paint a ...
NewsroomBy Dr Lisa Darragh, Dr Raewyn Eden and Dr David Pomeroy
At long last, The Spinoff shells out for a nut ranking. The Spinoff needs to double the number of paying members we have to continue telling these kinds of stories. Please read our open letter and sign up to be a member today.It recently came to The Spinoff’s attention ...
I was one of hundreds of people who lost my government job this week. Here’s exactly how it played out. The Spinoff needs to double the number of paying members we have to continue telling these kinds of stories. Please read our open letter and sign up to be a ...
Summer reissue: One anxiously attentive passenger pays attention to an in-flight safety video, and wonders ‘Why can’t I pick up my own phone?’ The Spinoff needs to double the number of paying members we have to continue telling these kinds of stories. Please read our open letter and sign up ...
Summer reissue: Why do those Lange-Douglas years cast such a long shadow 40 years on? The Spinoff needs to double the number of paying members we have to continue telling these kinds of stories. Please read our open letter and sign up to be a member today. First published June ...
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The Government’s social housing agency has backed out of a billion-dollar infrastructure alliance that would have built about 6000 new homes in Auckland – less than 18 months after signing a five-year extension.Labour says the decision to rip up the contract and sell off existing state houses could lead to ...
ByKoroi Hawkins, RNZ Pacific editor New Zealand’s Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) says impending bad weather for Port Vila is now the most significant post-quake hazard. A tropical low in the Coral Sea is expected to move into Vanuatu waters, bringing heavy rainfall. Authorities have issued warnings to people ...
Cosmic CatastropheThe year draws to a close.King Luxon has grown tired of the long eveningsListening to the dreary squabbling of his Triumvirate.He strolls up to the top floor of the PalaceTo consult with his Astronomer Royal.The Royal Telescope scans the skies,And King Luxon stares up into the heavensFrom the terrestrial ...
Spinoff editor Mad Chapman and books editor Claire Mabey debate Carl Shuker’s new novel about… an editor. Claire: Hello Mad, you just finished The Royal Free – overall impressions? Mad: Hi Claire, I literally just put the book down and I would have to say my immediate impression is ...
Christmas and its buildup are often lonely, hard and full of unreasonable expectations. Here’s how to make it to Jesus’s birthday and find the little bit of joy we all deserve. Have you found this year relentless? Has the latest Apple update “fucked up your life”? Have you lost two ...
Despite overwhelming public and corporate support, the government has stalled progress on a modern day slavery law. That puts us behind other countries – and makes Christmas a time of tragedy rather than joy, argues Shanti Mathias. Picture the scene on Christmas Day. Everyone replete with nice things to eat, ...
Asia Pacific Report “It looks like Hiroshima. It looks like Germany at the end of World War Two,” says an Israeli-American historian and professor of holocaust and genocide studies at Brown University about the horrifying reality of Gaza. Professor Omer Bartov, has described Israel’s ongoing war on Gaza as an ...
The New Zealand government coalition is tweaking university regulations to curb what it says is an increasingly “risk-averse approach” to free speech. The proposed changes will set clear expectations on how universities should approach freedom of speech issues. Each university will then have to adopt a “freedom of speech statement” ...
Report by Dr David Robie – Café Pacific. – COMMENTARY: By Caitlin Johnstone New York prosecutors have charged Luigi Mangione with “murder as an act of terrorism” in his alleged shooting of health insurance CEO Brian Thompson earlier this month. This news comes out at the same time as ...
Pacific Media Watch The union for Australian journalists has welcomed the delivery by the federal government of more than $150 million to support the sustainability of public interest journalism over the next four years. Combined with the announcement of the revamped News Bargaining Initiative, this could result in up to ...
MONDAY“Merry Xmas, and praise the Lord,” said Sheriff Luxon, and smiled for the camera. There was a flash of smoke when the shutter pressed down on the magnesium powder. The sheriff had arranged for a photographer from the Dodge Gazette to attend a ceremony where he handed out food parcels to ...
It’s a little under two months since the White Ferns shocked the cricketing world, deservedly taking home the T20 World Cup. Since then the trophy has had a tour around the country, five of the squad have played in the WBBL in Australia while most others have returned to domestic ...
Comment: If we say the word ‘dementia’, many will picture an older person struggling to remember the names of their loved ones, maybe a grandparent living out their final years in an aged care facility. Dementia can also occur in people younger than 65, but it can take time before ...
Piracy is a reality of modern life – but copyright law has struggled to play catch-up for as long as the entertainment industry has existed. As far back as 1988, the House of Lords criticised copyright law’s conflict with the reality of human behaviour in the context of burning cassette ...
As he makes a surprise return to Shortland Street, actor Craig Parker takes us through his life in television. Craig Parker has been a fixture on television in Aotearoa for nearly four decades. He had starring roles in iconic local series like Gloss, Mercy Peak and Diplomatic Immunity, featured in ...
What a couple of months! What a party it has been! What great hosts New Zealanders have been!
But there is a part of the New Zealand sporting psyche that leaves me absolutely cold: we are lousy losers. Friends in the grandstand on Sunday night, when things were getting a little doubtful half way through the second half, were looking for the nearest exit in case there was a loss. The alcohol fuelled muttonheads around them were losing the plot. A large group of policemen were moved forward.
The insane booing of Quade Cooper, the gormless put downs of Australians; the Pom bashing; the regular reference to the underarm bowling incident a million years ago are all examples of NZ insecurity and little man/poor cousin syndrome.
Can we not learn some grace and character, and celebrate all that is great on the sportsfield. Cheerfulness, passion, in your face enthusiasm is wonderful. Mindless boorishness is one memory that I don’t want people to remember New Zealand by. We are lousy loosers, and should endeavour, on the back of all the well deserved celebrations this time, to remember that next time we come up short.
And on the Haka incident, the Guardian puts it into perspective…
http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/blog/2011/oct/25/france-haka-fining-world-cup-final
A loss might have lead to some introspection on the attitudes you outline, similar to the moral crisis China has been facing in light of the girl runover by a van that multiple passersby ignored.
Now instead this will simmer away in the background without the proper attention it deserves.
Auckland delivered, true to form, started with a transport snarl and
ended with power outages and the spectre of gas leaks shutting
down business. Muddle city.
Mana to release it’s economic policy this Thursday in Auckland
MANA – movement of the people – press release
Tension starting to show in the ranks of Occupy Dunedin.
Disagreements about onsite policies, serious online abuse, physical threats in an assembly. And still no idea of what they propose to actually do. Except issue PR pieces:
“Call for people before profit”
Are you going to provide some links to support your contention Pete. Or are we supposed to take your word for it?
The link you provide (twice) makes no mention of what you allege.
That’s going to be hard for Pete to do, given that he’s making it up. Funny how he can spend hours moaning about the minor issue of the accuracy of a date used on a John Banks pamphlet yesterday, but has no problem smearing the Occupy Dunedin movement this morning.
I can back up everything I have said. I have had extensive contact with what’s happening in Dunedin. So you should retract your accusation that I’m making it up or you wil be the one seen to be smearing.
I’m not smearing the movement, I’m highlighting real concerns that the public and some people within the movement have.
Concern troll. Provide no solutions, give it a helping hand to fall apart faster.
Haha, and other concern trolls diss me when I offer solutions.
The standard approach here as usual, attack the messenger.
But you do make yourself such an attractive target.
When you write, especially the first thing in the morning comments that I read over coffee. I keep trying to remember when I last saw so much vacuous lack of content wrapped up in high sounding verbiage… I have come to the conclusion it was when I last watched the pre-game TV waffle at any sporting event with the sound on spewing its mindless drivel. Mind you The Panel comes close pretty frequently.
Of course commentators try to prick the balloon – only realistic way to find out if there is any substance in there.
Following Abe’s post on the Occupy’s fb page, I posted suggesting that facilitation of meetings be made a priority and included a link to some basic info on facilitation. (My experience whenever I have popped in is that there is no facilitation of meetings). On that post, someone commented that there was a person who had facilitated at least one meeting quite well, which I took as a positive sign that things could be moving in a good direction.
However, on checking back this morning it appears that post has been deleted. I know that fb can be a bit random on how it displays stuff and that it might ‘pop’ back into existence.
I’ve posted again asking whether that post, as well as a similarily viened comment under Abe’s post, was deleted as trolling. (The people ‘in charge’ of the Occupy page have stated they are now deleting posts they consider to be trolling.)
In the meantime, and this is only an impression from the fb comments under Abe’s original post, it appears that Occupy simply does not know how to deal with the situation and are simply waiting for the antagonist to leave. More than not knowing how to deal with the situation, there is an element of denial, with comments coming from fairly prominent people to the effect that it was just a glitch in a peaceful Occupation and that it won’t happen again. But (and again I’m stressing this impression is based only on the fb comments etc) there appears to be a lack of willingness to treat the situation seriously and attempt to put systems in place that might prevent a repeat occurance. Go figure.
Sorry, here is the second link (easy to find from the first anyway):
http://yourdunedin.org/2011/10/26/occupy-dunedin-update/
Occupy Dunedin they’ve obviously got more support in north dunedin than
Pernacios Guile
Jealousy I am certain That a group of young people can get involved in politics in their own way
Something PG thinks is ok for him but anyone else is wrong
Sadly. There has been someone who was fairly prominent and active leave after being threatened with assault.
From their facebook page. http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=174019599347247
@PeteG, Suggest you follow @RDevro & @allisonkilkenny on twitter for love tweeting from GA’s in NYC to see how they are resolving issues between residents and # OWS. Happening now!
Great lecture on the Markets and Morality.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00kt7sh
Welcome to the Police State as they evict #occupyoakland
Occupy Protests too inexperienced to fade away late one night on their own terms and in their own control while their message was still strong.
Signs of US economic collapse: Cattle rustling now at an all time high
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/news/article.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=10761647
Just like its the 1800s.
There is bound to be confrontation and anger when people from differing beliefs come together. Each believes that they are So Right – one says Peace, Love and Life and to hell with you if you disagree with something and express that differing opinion. The other comes at things from a Randian approach and discounts everything as Wrong if it is opposed to an individual shining path to success of grand personal concepts.
I noticed on the Dunedin Occupy facebook page that someone was playing with the slogan of 99% (ordinary people) – 1% (fabulously wealthy) to the 1% being the state, and bad-mouthing what it does for us all. I think this is a dangerous attitude, that opens the way to worse governance from what I call the mechanicals, the machine-like thinkers that don’t want to meet the human needs of others.
I have been looking at a book I bought from curiosity. It is called grandly The Book and has someone’s considered approach which sounds like Tea Party stuff, divided into three sections God-Man, Neo-Tech, Illusions. There is similar to creationist thinking with personal belief co-opting a pseudo scientific approach and a strong dollop of how to be a self-made man. A shining example is James J Hill who sounds like a clever man who built a railroad with no borrowed money and made a profit, the writer Mark Hamilton says, from day one. In contrast, he says, the state made a mess of its interests in railroads because of “the incompetence and greed of career politicians…But one market entrepreneur could raise the standard of living of a nation”. This leads to the worship of the individual, money, single-mindedness, individuality and to hell with everybody else. A step back to Dickens’ time with a shrug from the haves – as Deborah Crone Something said yesterday? – life can’t be perfect.
I don’t buy that there will necessarily be ‘confrontation and anger’ when people with differing beliefs come together.
There are mechanisms and practices that can be adopted/developed to stop that happening. Good facilitation is one. Getting rid of all the ‘red rag to a bull’ banners that proclaim adherence to this, that or the other political tradition…y’know, this embodies the one truth and the true path, not that one over there the ‘infidels’ are touting ….
This is afterall (in theoretically at least) a movement, not a coalition. Therefore no one stated position has any right to primacy. And as there is (or should be) no competition between opposing views seeking dominance, then all those characteristics that mark a coalition have no place. Pretty simple, I would have thought.
And yes, there are some right wing libertrians popping up. But hey. Their positions are so porous and if treated properly, a good way to bring people to a contrary position. So I don’t actually mind them so much. One guy put up a photo of a poster banging on about freedom. (Could be the same guy you mention) On first glance, it might have appealed to some people. It was Ayn Rand through and through. Anyway. Many comments back and forth later, and yes, I’ve finally and politely given up. But in the meantime, anyone reading the comments will at least have some info to base their opinions or position on now and won’t just unwittingly buy into the message at face value.
I’m inclined to agree with Prism on this one.
And there need to be mechanisms to stop such conflict from being destructive, but they won’t stop it.
This is the challenge for the left – managing how we deal with our diversity, and the occupy movement is bound to be a bit of a microcosm of it. I hope the guy who left will eventually feel able to return.
Have you lived closely with diverse others for any length of time, without any significant anger, arguments, confrontation…?
Genuine question Bill. I’ve never seen that, and in a way I wonder if it wouldn’t even be a bit unhealthy.
It’s not so much that ‘significant anger, arguments, confrontation’ are the problem. It’s how that stuff is dealt with within a group and by the group. And it’s also putting mechanisms in place so that emerging stuff is dealt with early on, before it becomes writ large and assumes a dynamic all of it’s own that consumes everything and every one in a whirlwind of destructive b/s.
And I wouldn’t say the Occupiers are living that closely with one another. People come and go throughout the day or week for a variety of reasons. Which is fine and fair enough. People aren’t intertwined and relying on the group remaining coherent for all, or even anywhere near most, of their ongoing daily needs. They have utterly separate lives to one another outside of the Occupation that they pursue to satisfy most of those.
Oh. And in answer to your question, yes I have (God, what a messy comment!) And if you cycle back to the top of the comment, you’ll get the answer to the second part of your question 🙂
Agro, confrontation and passionate responses are often seen at meetings where people care deeply about something.
That in itself is to be expected. It is a positive that they care so much.
Some sort of management/debating rules are required so everyone feels their view has been, at least, heard.
If Occupy is for the 99% then it can’t be “the left”.
The guy who left was offering real solutions to what is otherwise a growing problem, if dealing with things is addressed rather than staunch intransigence then it’s possible he could return. Occupy Dunedin is at a crossroads – find ways to move forward or all that will be left is the staunch going nowhere, until forced to move on.
Pete how does it feel to be part of the 0.1% that support United Follicles (I rounded up)?
“If Occupy is for the 99% then it can’t be “the left”.”
Well not in the sense you imply, no.
But broadly speaking, the issue is inequality. And politicians of the right are working hard to further entrench that inequality at every step.
Politicians on the right vote for policies that benefit the 1% (or 5% or 10% or however you break it down) at the expense of everybody else.
Unless you think the problem is that the rich don’t have enough money and power, the solutions are never going to come from the right of the political spectrum.
If it’s framed as a “left” crusade it won’t get 44.5% support.
and you’re an expert on getting more than 44% support, are you?
UF governing alone in 2012?
I’m not claiming I can change the world, my target is just an electorate.
yeah pete it’s all about you
btw has Mana got a Dunedin North candidate yet?
I find it interesting that your attacks on Occupy started off as against some ‘left’ organisations coopting the movement under cover of darkness and using the movement to push their own barrow – now you say the left aren’t 99%. It is funny watching your lines change and gradually align with – shock! horror! your own position of affected neutrality, the godlike middle, and having sensible haircuts. That says lack of integrity to me and egocentric self interest masquerading as concern for a movement that saw through and spurned your trojan horse approach.
I wrote this over on the Archdruid site:
And it appears to apply to PeteG quite well.
big ups for commenting on one of my favorite sites – man that dude is so on the money and i love his serialised science fiction novella being written as we speak.
Star’s Reach, FTW!
have you tried the short story challenge? – I’ve tried to but struggling – great to think about post situations as we plunge headlong into it.
I agree Pete, it’s a much bigger issue than a left/right analysis can accommodate.
But the fact is that the policies of the left will play a part in the solution and the policies of the right will not.
Pity it has not been published yet, but I have seen a Uni study that basically says that over 80% of New Zealanders, given a choice of policies without being told which party they originated from, favour Green party policies.
Not too far from 99%.
Shows why NACT/UF/MP are wise, to avoid mentioning their policies, when they are campaigning.
Bill I think your point about ‘reading the comments’ is important. The talk swirling round that doesn’t get pinned down and considered can become a confusing waste of time where there are many partly formed views or just a sense of huge unease. There must be a way of distilling the concerns so they can be considered, and everyone know what is being discussed and that everyone’s points are noted. I think this would help everyone to be heard or to find a point that would agree with their opinions.
Without a written record things can get really unclear as each person will have a slightly different opinion of what has been heard and their perception of it, and their memories, can twist it further. Preparing for this with the means would be important as a basis for full democratic discussion. Power points and electronic devices could be used to record and display but something that people can access without a machine would be good.
I think people need a whiteboard or large paper sheets with crayons if not markers and then keywords get noted with bullet points and someone then getting a copy, if necessary using a device such as getting a picture on a cellphone, so it’s not lost when the whiteboard gets cleaned. This means that valuable thinking time is captured and the content can be recovered for further consideration later. And writing down the names of people proposing things would be good so that they can be referred back to and can background the issue and points they made.
A lot of what you refer to there is a part of what a good facilitator does. (ie takes all the various angles, merges or assimilates them and feeds that sum total back to the group so that everyone is clear and in agreement on what’s what and also identifies the areas of disagreement that need further exploration.)
And yes, notes. But not that are presented back at some future date (although that happens too) but that are verified as they are written. Note takers usually distil and interprate points being made. And it’s important that the person making the point agrees with the note takers interpretation/summation.
Bill Yes I agree with that especially that the notes state the points correctly.
I have not been to Dunedin Occupy and not to Auck in a few days, but I’m interested predominantly in the international movement, which seems to have this horizontal decision making more sorted and has an absence of the vested interests we seem to be dominating here. They are in support but are not driving it.
Until the youth are feeling a bit more pain this is unlikely to change.
But in the meantime, those here should perhaps engage more carefully in the way things are being managed around the world. Spain, US and London seem to be working well.
Some problem with Anarchust faction in Zucotti park seems to have been dealt with.
Further to my thoughts on not dissing ‘the state’ as an automatic response, there was a talk on China on RAdionz this morning giving a statistic (approximate) of 45 million Chinese people who died mainly of starvation caused by state control taking over private food production in China in the 50s and 60s as a result of the failure of collectivisation forced by the Chinese Communist government. However this figure needs to be compared to earlier famines, I don’t know what the death total then has been.
So the state is only good as long it is consulting and acting on what the people advise, including the learned academics and scientists, and the advisors and professionals scheme and plan good practical policies.
I’m not a statist. But the starvation in China wasn’t a simple failure of state planning. It involved dynamics whereby minor party officials wanted to look good and so lied about the amount of rice grown. If a higher up official was coming for a ‘look see’, paddies were ripped up and ‘replanted’ to make it appear that yields would be higher than they actually would be. That new info, then informed the commands coming back down from the top. You might say they never saw it (the famine) coming.
Anyway, in any command economy, that problem whereby ‘the party’ gathers info and is in sole charge of making decisions on that info, is going to exist. And people will lie. Either because they want to curry favour or because they want to avoid negative repercussions for not achieving party goals.
On the radio this morning they were saying that NZ is looking to secure a trade agreement with Taiwan.
We’ll be the first country in the world to have trade agreements with Taiwan, Hong Kong and China at the same time.
Good thinking alert – Professor Paul Dalziel: Recreating Full Employment
The 2011 Bruce Jesson Memorial Lecture will be held at the Maidment Theatre at Auckland University at 6:30pm on Wednesday 26 October
More info on these lecture opportunities – http://www.brucejesson.com/lectures
Would appreciate a synopsis from any one who went, if poss 🙂
I was there, but didn’t take notes, if no one else offers a more specific summary I will put one forward tomorrow. Very much enjoyed it – there is a second lecture as part of the series in mid November well worth making time to attend.
Thanks Campbell.
CV I would probably have the opportunity to get a printout.
@CV @prism @seeker – I contacted the secretary of the foundation and he advised me that the lecture will be available on the website end of today, or tomorrow now by the looks of it.
I thought it better to provide the source material. When it goes live I will post the address on open mike but it will most probably be here:
http://www.brucejesson.com/lectures
Campbell L Good to know that thanks
Has Fonterra been hoist on its own petard? If they could use the methane from the effluent from the dairy cows, which they haven’t, they would not be dependent on the reticulated gas sector.
Isn’t that putting all your eggs in the one basket, or your cheeses anyway.
not sure if this has been linked to yet –
“Revealed – the capitalist network that runs the world”
“The work, to be published in PLoS One, revealed a core of 1318 companies with interlocking ownerships. Each of the 1318 had ties to two or more other companies, and on average they were connected to 20. What’s more, although they represented 20 per cent of global operating revenues, the 1318 appeared to collectively own through their shares the majority of the world’s large blue chip and manufacturing firms – the “real” economy – representing a further 60 per cent of global revenues.
When the team further untangled the web of ownership, it found much of it tracked back to a “super-entity” of 147 even more tightly knit companies – all of their ownership was held by other members of the super-entity – that controlled 40 per cent of the total wealth in the network. “In effect, less than 1 per cent of the companies were able to control 40 per cent of the entire network,” says Glattfelder.”
http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg21228354.500-revealed–the-capitalist-network-that-runs-the-world.html?DCMP=OTC-rss&nsref=online-news
I support the Occupy movements and even though they are still learning they have got a lot right such as the focus on capitalism. I don’t see any redeemable features of that system and therefore i support replacing it before it kills everything.
This link is a video from tangata whenua at Occupy Auckland and the work they are doing to make the movement more inclusive.
http://uriohau.blogspot.com/2011/10/decolonise-occupy-auckland-marama.html
A ‘C Pass’ – New Zealand, (still) only an ‘aspiring’ mediocrity.
Downgraded on immigration!! LMAO – another Key “Building a brighter future’ moment!!
That is the only great news in the report. No more importing economic growth
Perhaps now we can see how NZ travels on our on energy. And perhaps value our own people that we train, only to lose offshore and then having to make up for this then “buy” immigrates from other countries with the same skill set. Does anyone ever think of the damage we are causing to the likes of India, SA etc with the e.g. medical staff we are pouching? Sure we benefit greatly from their skills, but at what cost.
Also how can NZ be a great place to live when the average shoe box cost is so prohibitive and rents so high?
househttp://www.interest.co.nz/property/house-price-income-multiples
Is David Parker going back to the future in Epsom?
http://readingthemaps.blogspot.com/2011/10/labours-janus-face.html
Just listened to Dame Susan Devoy on the panel talking about the Honours system.
“Oh Lord it is hard to be humble when you’re perfect in …
She commented that she was delighted that the Queen’s honours had been restored by the current government and in particular for those who received the, then new, New Zealand awards and were able to commute them to the traditional Queen’s honours.
I guess it never occurred to her that she could have lifted the profile of the New Zealand awards and approached the Governor General to have her “Damehood” commuted to the New Zealand awards – nah. No more likely than her other mates in ACT, like Sir Roger Douglas. They love the baubles.
Want to place bets on how soon there is the Sir John Right Honorable Prime Minister John Key? Quick before it is too late!
Radio Live (Karyn & Andrew) discussing the bias of the media especially Duncan Garner.
Nice to actually have it acknowledged. ( On now – finishes at 10pm)
Moody’s keep NZ at AAA – as I thought.
John Key saying he expected another downgrade made me assume that he assumed we weren’t getting one.
Make a story out of your comment that we’ll get a third downgrade then, voila, the relief when we don’t.
And claim the credit for being ‘realistic’ or ‘modest’ in the interim.
Timed to arrive just after the PREFU, too. See, it’s not so bad after all.
Just as well we know from John Key’s secret emailer that the ratings agencies are extremely politically active and aware in their operations and interpretations.
Does NZ remain on negative watch?
US Police fuck Occupy Oakland
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QngE6kKk8Lg&feature=channel_video_title
Thanks Russia TV. No one else is showing this.
TV3 news tonight- -Ashcroft flies in to meet Key -just before an election again. This time Key’s not so reticent about it and tries to make it sound good by telling us that Ashcroft is the deputy chair of the British Conservative party -but he is not. Key misinforms us yet again. Surely he should have known?
Ashcroft lost the job last year as he was considered a liability! Not surprising considering some of the really questionable things he has got up to. He was especially good at misleading Blair’s government about his domicile tax status to get his lordship title, and was even known as “Blofeld” by senior friends of Cameron. Yipes and yuck.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/columnists/rachelsylvester/3644472/Is-Lord-Ashcroft-ashamed-to-live-here.html
Why does Mr, Key keep such questionable company???? Why does he keep meeting this “Blofeld”
just before elections. Surely it has nothing to do with……….sales and sell outs?
Come in 007………. and smell the coffee again…. over and out
And just for the skiting rights…. I’m posting this from a tent at Occupy Wellington. All tucked up on a very wet night.
LEGEND!
Keep warm!
You beauty!
Thank you.
Good on you. Give them some publicity….. (hint)
Piece of trivia for you folks.
If you Google John Key is an idiot, You get 3,800,000 results.
Thats what you call popularity eh.