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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Education Minister Erica Standford yesterday unveiled a fundamental reform of the way our school pupils are taught. She would not exactly say so, but she is all but dismantling the so-called “inquiry” “feel good” method of teaching, which has ruled in our classrooms since a major review of the New ...
Exactly where are we seriously going with this government and its policies? That is, apart from following what may as well be a Truss-Lite approach on the purported economic “plan“, and Victorian-era regression when it comes to social policy.Oh it’ll work this time of course, we’re basically assured, “the ...
Hey Uncle Dave, When the Poms joined the EEC, I wasn't one of those defeatists who said, Well, that’s it for the dairy job. And I was right, eh? The Chinese can’t get enough of our milk powder and eventually, the Poms came to their senses and backed up the ute ...
Polling shows that Wellington Mayor Tory Whanau has the lowest approval rating of any mayor in the country. Siting at -12 per cent, the proportion of constituents who disapprove of her performance outweighs those who give her the thumbs up. This negative rating is higher than for any other mayor ...
Buzz from the Beehive Pharmac has been given a financial transfusion and a new chair to oversee its spending in the pharmaceutical business. Associate Health Minister David Seymour described the funding for Pharmac as “its largest ever budget of $6.294 billion over four years, fixing a $1.774 billion fiscal cliff”. ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Many criticisms are being made of the Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill, including by this writer. But as with everything in politics, every story has two sides, and both deserve attention. It’s important to understand what the Government is trying to achieve and its ...
TL;DR: Here’s my top 10 ‘pick ‘n’ mix of links to news, analysis and opinion articles as of 10:10am on Monday, April 29:Scoop: The children's ward at Rotorua Hospital will be missing a third of its beds as winter hits because Te Whatu Ora halted an upgrade partway through to ...
span class=”dropcap”>As hideous as David Seymour can be, it is worth keeping in mind occasionally that there are even worse political figures (and regimes) out there. Iran for instance, is about to execute the country’s leading hip hop musician Toomaj Salehi, for writing and performing raps that “corrupt” the nation’s ...
Yesterday marked 10 years since the first electric train carried passengers in Auckland so it’s a good time to look back at it and the impact it has had. A brief history The first proposals for rail electrification in Auckland came in the 1920’s alongside the plans for earlier ...
Right now, in Aotearoa-NZ, our ‘animal spirits’ are darkening towards a winter of discontent, thanks at least partly to a chorus of negative comments and actions from the Government Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on ...
You make people evil to punish the paststuck inside a sequel with a rotating castThe following photos haven’t been generated with AI, or modified in any way. They are flesh and blood, human beings. On the left is Galatea Young, a young mum, and her daughter Fiadh who has Angelman ...
April has been a quiet month at A Phuulish Fellow. I have had an exceptionally good reading month, and a decently productive writing month – for original fiction, anyway – but not much has caught my eye that suggested a blog article. It has been vaguely frustrating, to be honest. ...
A listing of 31 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, April 21, 2024 thru Sat, April 27, 2024. Story of the week Anthropogenic climate change may be the ultimate shaggy dog story— but with a twist, because here ...
Hi,I spent about a year on Webworm reporting on an abusive megachurch called Arise, and it made me want to stab my eyes out with a fork.I don’t regret that reporting in 2022 and 2023 — I am proud of it — but it made me angry.Over three main stories ...
The new Victoria University Vice-Chancellor decided to have a forum at the university about free speech and academic freedom as it is obviously a topical issue, and the Government is looking at legislating some carrots or sticks for universities to uphold their obligations under the Education and Training Act. They ...
Do you remember when Melania Trump got caught out using a speech that sounded awfully like one Michelle Obama had given? Uncannily so.Well it turns out that Abraham Lincoln is to Winston Peters as Michelle was to Melania. With the ANZAC speech Uncle Winston gave at Gallipoli having much in ...
She was born 25 years ago today in North Shore hospital. Her eyes were closed tightly shut, her mouth was silently moving. The whole theatre was all quiet intensity as they marked her a 2 on the APGAR test. A one-minute eternity later, she was an 8. The universe was ...
Skeptical Science is partnering with Gigafact to produce fact briefs — bite-sized fact checks of trending claims. This fact brief was written by Sue Bin Park in collaboration with members from our Skeptical Science team. You can submit claims you think need checking via the tipline. Is Antarctica gaining land ice? ...
Images of US students (and others) protesting and setting up tent cities on US university campuses have been broadcast world wide and clearly demonstrate the growing rifts in US society caused by US policy toward Israel and Israel’s prosecution of … Continue reading → ...
Barrie Saunders writes – Dear Paul As the new Minister of Media and Communications, you will be inundated with heaps of free advice and special pleading, all in the national interest of course. For what it’s worth here is my assessment: Traditional broadcasting free to air content through ...
Many criticisms are being made of the Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill, including by this writer. But as with everything in politics, every story has two sides, and both deserve attention. It’s important to understand what the Government is trying to achieve and its arguments for such a bold reform. ...
Peter Dunne writes – The great nineteenth British Prime Minister, William Gladstone, once observed that “the first essential for a Prime Minister is to be a good butcher.” When a later British Prime Minister, Harold Macmillan, sacked a third of his Cabinet in July 1962, in what became ...
Ele Ludemann writes – New Zealanders had the OECD’s second highest tax increase last year: New Zealanders faced the second-biggest tax raises in the developed world last year, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) says. The intergovernmental agency said the average change in personal income tax ...
We all know something’s not right with our elections. The spread of misinformation, people being targeted with soundbites and emotional triggers that ignore the facts, even the truth, and influence their votes.The use of technology to produce deep fakes. How can you tell if something is real or not? Can ...
This video includes conclusions of the creator climate scientist Dr. Simon Clark. It is presented to our readers as an informed perspective. Please see video description for references (if any). This year you will be lied to! Simon Clark helps prebunk some misleading statements you'll hear about climate. The video includes ...
It is all very well cutting the backrooms of public agencies but it may compromise the frontlines. One of the frustrations of the Productivity Commission’s 2017 review of universities is that while it observed that their non-academic staff were increasing faster than their academic staff, it did not bother to ...
Buzz from the Beehive Two speeches delivered by Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters at Anzac Day ceremonies in Turkey are the only new posts on the government’s official website since the PM announced his Cabinet shake-up. In one of the speeches, Peters stated the obvious: we live in a troubled ...
1. Which of these would you not expect to read in The Waikato Invader?a. Luxon is here to do business, don’t you worry about thatb. Mr KPI expects results, and you better believe itc. This decisive man of action is getting me all hot and excitedd. Melissa Lee is how ...
The Government is again adding to New Zealand’s growing unemployment, this time cutting jobs at the agencies responsible for urban development and growing much needed housing stock. ...
With Minister Karen Chhour indicating in the House today that she either doesn’t know or care about the frontline cuts she’s making to Oranga Tamariki, we risk seeing more and more of our children falling through the cracks. ...
The Labour Party is saddened to learn of the death of Sir Robert Martin, a globally renowned disability advocate who led the way for disability rights both in New Zealand and internationally. ...
Labour is calling for the Government to urgently rethink its coalition commitment to restart live animal exports, Labour animal welfare spokesperson Rachel Boyack said. ...
Today’s Financial Stability Report has once again highlighted that poverty and deep inequality are political choices - and this Government is choosing to make them worse. ...
The Green Party is calling on the Government to do more for our households in most need as unemployment rises and the cost of living crisis endures. ...
Unemployment is on the rise and it’s only going to get worse under this Government, Labour finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds said. Stats NZ figures show the unemployment rate grew to 4.3 percent in the March quarter from 4 percent in the December quarter. “This is the second rise in unemployment ...
The New Zealand Labour Party welcomes the entering into force of the European Union and New Zealand free trade agreement. This agreement opens the door for a huge increase in trade opportunities with a market of 450 million people who are high value discerning consumers of New Zealand goods and ...
The National-led Government continues its fiscal jiggery pokery with its Pharmac announcement today, Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall says. “The government has increased Pharmac funding but conceded it will only make minimal increases in access to medicine”, said Ayesha Verrall “This is far from the bold promises made to fund ...
This afternoon’s interim Waitangi Tribunal report must be taken seriously as it affects our most vulnerable children, Labour children’s spokesperson Willow-Jean Prime. ...
Te Pāti Māori are demanding the New Zealand Government support an international independent investigation into mass graves that have been uncovered at two hospitals on the Gaza strip, following weeks of assault by Israeli troops. Among the 392 bodies that have been recovered, are children and elderly civilians. Many of ...
Our two-tiered system for veterans’ support is out of step with our closest partners, and all parties in Parliament should work together to fix it, Labour veterans’ affairs spokesperson Greg O’Connor said. ...
Stripping two Ministers of their portfolios just six months into the job shows Christopher Luxon’s management style is lacking, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said. ...
Tonight’s court decision to overturn the summons of the Children’s Minister has enabled the Crown to continue making decisions about Māori without evidence, says Te Pāti Māori spokesperson for Children, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. “The judicial system has this evening told the nation that this government can do whatever they want when ...
It appears Nicola Willis is about to pull the rug out from under the feet of local communities still dealing with the aftermath of last year’s severe weather, and local councils relying on funding to build back from these disasters. ...
The Government is making short-sighted changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA) that will take away environmental protection in favour of short-term profits, Labour’s environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
Labour welcomes the release of the report into the North Island weather events and looks forward to working with the Government to ensure that New Zealand is as prepared as it can be for the next natural disaster. ...
The Labour Party has called for the New Zealand Government to recognise Palestine, as a material step towards progressing the two-State solution needed to achieve a lasting peace in the region. ...
Some of our country’s most important work, stopping the sexual exploitation of children and violent extremism could go along with staff on the frontline at ports and airports. ...
The Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill will give projects such as new coal mines a ‘get out of jail free’ card to wreak havoc on the environment, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
The government's decision to reintroduce Three Strikes is a destructive and ineffective piece of law-making that will only exacerbate an inherently biased and racist criminal justice system, said Te Pāti Māori Justice Spokesperson, Tākuta Ferris, today. During the time Three Strikes was in place in Aotearoa, Māori and Pasifika received ...
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. ...
Te Pāti Māori is disgusted at the confirmation that hundreds are set to lose their jobs at Oranga Tamariki, and the disestablishment of the Treaty Response Unit. “This act of absolute carelessness and out of touch decision making is committing tamariki to state abuse.” Said Te Pāti Māori Oranga Tamariki ...
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. ...
Te Pāti Māori co-leader Rawiri Waititi, and Mema Paremata mō Tāmaki-Makaurau, Takutai Tarsh Kemp, will travel to the Gold Coast to strengthen ties with Māori in Australia next week (15-21 April). The visit, in the lead-up to the 9th Australian National Kapa haka Festival, will be an opportunity for both ...
The Government is modernising insurance law to better protect Kiwis and provide security in the event of a disaster, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly announced today. “These reforms are long overdue. New Zealand’s insurance law is complicated and dated, some of which is more than 100 years old. ...
The coalition Government is refreshing its approach to supporting pay equity claims as time-limited funding for the Pay Equity Taskforce comes to an end, Public Service Minister Nicola Willis says. “Three years ago, the then-government introduced changes to the Equal Pay Act to support pay equity bargaining. The changes were ...
Structured literacy will change the way New Zealand children learn to read - improving achievement and setting students up for success, Education Minister Erica Stanford says. “Being able to read and write is a fundamental life skill that too many young people are missing out on. Recent data shows that ...
Trade Minister Todd McClay says Canada’s refusal to comply in full with a CPTPP trade dispute ruling in our favour over dairy trade is cynical and New Zealand has no intention of backing down. Mr McClay said he has asked for urgent legal advice in respect of our ‘next move’ ...
The rights of our children and young people will be enhanced by changes the coalition Government will make to strengthen oversight of the Oranga Tamariki system, including restoring a single Children’s Commissioner. “The Government is committed to delivering better public services that care for our most at-risk young people and ...
The Government is making it easier for minor changes to be made to a building consent so building a home is easier and more affordable, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “The coalition Government is focused on making it easier and cheaper to build homes so we can ...
New Zealand lost a true legend when internationally renowned disability advocate Sir Robert Martin (KNZM) passed away at his home in Whanganui last night, Disabilities Issues Minister Louise Upston says. “Our Government’s thoughts are with his wife Lynda, family and community, those he has worked with, the disability community in ...
Good evening – Before discussing the challenges and opportunities facing New Zealand’s foreign policy, we’d like to first acknowledge the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs. You have contributed to debates about New Zealand foreign policy over a long period of time, and we thank you for hosting us. ...
From today, passengers travelling internationally from Auckland Airport will be able to keep laptops and liquids in their carry-on bags for security screening thanks to new technology, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Creating a more efficient and seamless travel experience is important for holidaymakers and businesses, enabling faster movement through ...
People with an interest in the health of Northland’s marine ecosystems are invited to a public meeting to discuss how to deal with kina barrens, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones will lead the discussion, which will take place on Friday, 10 May, at Awanui Hotel in ...
Kiwi exporters are $100 million better off today with the NZ EU FTA entering into force says Trade Minister Todd McClay. “This is all part of our plan to grow the economy. New Zealand's prosperity depends on international trade, making up 60 per cent of the country’s total economic activity. ...
There are heartening signs that the extractive sector is once again becoming an attractive prospect for investors and a source of economic prosperity for New Zealand, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. “The beginnings of a resurgence in extractive industries are apparent in media reports of the sector in the past ...
The return of the historic Ō-Rākau battle site to the descendants of those who fought there moved one step closer today with the first reading of Te Pire mō Ō-Rākau, Te Pae o Maumahara / The Ō-Rākau Remembrance Bill. The Bill will entrust the 9.7-hectare battle site, five kilometres west ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has announced 25 new high-speed EV charging hubs along key routes between major urban centres and outlined the Government’s plan to supercharge New Zealand’s EV infrastructure. The hubs will each have several chargers and be capable of charging at least four – and up to 10 ...
The coalition Government will not proceed with the previous Government’s plans to regulate residential property managers, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. “I have written to the Chairperson of the Social Services and Community Committee to inform him that the Government does not intend to support the Residential Property Managers Bill ...
The Government has announced an independent review into the disability support system funded by the Ministry of Disabled People – Whaikaha. Disability Issues Minister Louise Upston says the review will look at what can be done to strengthen the long-term sustainability of Disability Support Services to provide disabled people and ...
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith has attended the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva and outlined the Government’s plan to restore law and order. “Speaking to the United Nations Human Rights Council provided us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while responding to issues and ...
The Government and Rotorua Lakes Council are committed to working closely together to end the use of contracted emergency housing motels in Rotorua. Associate Minister of Housing (Social Housing) Tama Potaka says the Government remains committed to ending the long-term use of contracted emergency housing motels in Rotorua by the ...
Trade Minister Todd McClay heads overseas today for high-level trade talks in the Gulf region, and a key OECD meeting in Paris. Mr McClay will travel to Riyadh to meet with counterparts from Saudi Arabia and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). “New Zealand’s goods and services exports to the Gulf region ...
Education Minister Erica Stanford has outlined six education priorities to deliver a world-leading education system that sets Kiwi kids up for future success. “I’m putting ambition, achievement and outcomes at the heart of our education system. I want every child to be inspired and engaged in their learning so they ...
The new NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) App is a secure ‘one stop shop’ to provide the services drivers need, Transport Minister Simeon Brown and Digitising Government Minister Judith Collins say. “The NZTA App will enable an easier way for Kiwis to pay for Vehicle Registration and Road User Charges (RUC). ...
Whānau with tamariki growing up in emergency housing motels will be prioritised for social housing starting this week, says Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka. “Giving these whānau a better opportunity to build healthy stable lives for themselves and future generations is an essential part of the Government’s goal of reducing ...
Racing Minister Winston Peters has paid tribute to an icon of the industry with the recent passing of Dave O’Sullivan (OBE). “Our sympathies are with the O’Sullivan family with the sad news of Dave O’Sullivan’s recent passing,” Mr Peters says. “His contribution to racing, initially as a jockey and then ...
Assalaamu alaikum, greetings to you all. Eid Mubarak, everyone! I want to extend my warmest wishes to you and everyone celebrating this joyous occasion. It is a pleasure to be here. I have enjoyed Eid celebrations at Parliament before, but this is my first time joining you as the Minister ...
Associate Health Minister David Seymour has announced Pharmac’s largest ever budget of $6.294 billion over four years, fixing a $1.774 billion fiscal cliff. “Access to medicines is a crucial part of many Kiwis’ lives. We’ve committed to a budget allocation of $1.774 billion over four years so Kiwis are ...
Hon Paula Bennett has been appointed as member and chair of the Pharmac board, Associate Health Minister David Seymour announced today. "Pharmac is a critical part of New Zealand's health system and plays a significant role in ensuring that Kiwis have the best possible access to medicines,” says Mr Seymour. ...
Hundreds of New Zealand families affected by Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) will benefit from a new Government focus on prevention and treatment, says Health Minister Dr Shane Reti. “We know FASD is a leading cause of preventable intellectual and neurodevelopmental disability in New Zealand,” Dr Reti says. “Every day, ...
Regional Development Minister Shane Jones today attended the official opening of Kaikohe’s new $14.7 million sports complex. “The completion of the Kaikohe Multi Sports Complex is a fantastic achievement for the Far North,” Mr Jones says. “This facility not only fulfils a long-held dream for local athletes, but also creates ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters’ engagements in Türkiye this week underlined the importance of diplomacy to meet growing global challenges. “Returning to the Gallipoli Peninsula to represent New Zealand at Anzac commemorations was a sombre reminder of the critical importance of diplomacy for de-escalating conflicts and easing tensions,” Mr Peters ...
Ambassador Millar, Burgemeester, Vandepitte, Excellencies, military representatives, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen – good morning and welcome to this sacred Anzac Day dawn service. It is an honour to be here on behalf of the Government and people of New Zealand at Buttes New British Cemetery, Polygon Wood – a deeply ...
Distinguished guests - It is an honour to return once again to this site which, as the resting place for so many of our war-dead, has become a sacred place for generations of New Zealanders. Our presence here and at the other special spaces of Gallipoli is made ...
Mai ia tawhiti pamamao, te moana nui a Kiwa, kua tae whakaiti mai matou, ki to koutou papa whenua. No koutou te tapuwae, no matou te tapuwae, kua honoa pumautia. Ko nga toa kua hinga nei, o te Waipounamu, o te Ika a Maui, he okioki tahi me o ...
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 ...
Asia Pacific Report A West Papuan resistance leader has condemned the United Nations role in allowing Indonesia to “integrate” the Melanesian Pacific region in what is claimed to be an “egregious act of inhumanity” on 1 May 1963. In an open letter to UN Secretary-General António Guterres, Organisasi Papua Merdeka-OPM ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra A key part of the Albanese government’s political strategy is to fill the news cycle with its presence and messaging. Ministers are deployed to the maximum, even when they’ve little to say. This week ...
Recent extreme weather events showed the importance of a well-functioning insurance system, says Commerce and Consumer Affairs minister Andrew Bayly. ...
By Jo Moir, RNZ News political editor, and Craig McCulloch, deputy political editor New Zealand’s Labour Party is demanding Winston Peters be stood down as Foreign Minister for opening up the government to legal action over his “totally unacceptable” attack on a prominent AUKUS critic. In an interview on RNZ’s ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Christian Brakenridge, Postdoctoral research fellow at Swinburne University, Centre for Urban Transitions, Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute The Conversation, Gorodenkoff/Shutterstock People have a pretty intuitive sense of what is healthy – standing is better than sitting, exercise is great for overall ...
The Wellington-based Reserve Force soldier is now almost three years into his New Zealand Army career with 5th/7th Battalion, Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment. ...
"The Government needs to release the review immediately as this reckless approach to change risks disjointed decision making and creates more distress and uncertainty for staff," Fitzsimons said. ...
By Koroi Hawkins, RNZ Pacific editor Jeremiah Manele has been elected Prime Minister of Solomon Islands, polling 31 votes to 18 over rival candidate and former opposition leader Mathew Wale with one abstention. The final result of the election by secret ballot was announced by the Governor-General, Sir David Vunagi, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Priestley Habru, PhD candidate, public diplomacy, University of Adelaide Former foreign minister Jeremiah Manele has been elected the next prime minister of Solomon Islands, defeating the opposition leader, Matthew Wale, in a vote in parliament. The result is a mixed bag for ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Shaun Eaves, Senior Lecturer in Physical Geography, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington Jamey Stutz, CC BY-SA How often do mountains collapse, volcanoes erupt or ice sheets melt? For Earth scientists, these are important questions as we try ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michael Flood, Professor of Sociology, Queensland University of Technology Shutterstock Most young adult men in Australia reject traditional ideas of masculinity that endorse aggression, stoicism and homophobia. Nonetheless, the ongoing influence of those ideas continues to harm men and the people ...
The NZQA proposal released to staff today would involve a net loss of 35 roles. There are 66 roles being disestablished with 13 of those currently vacant, and 31 new roles proposed, said Fleur Fitzsimons Public Service Association Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga ...
Alex Casey talks to Loren Taylor, the writer, director and star of new film The Moon is Upside Down, about assembling her dream ensemble cast, toilet paper pads and turning literal dreams into reality. There’s a moment in The Moon is Upside Down where frazzled anaesthetist Briar (Loren Taylor) gets ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Cassy Dittman, Senior Lecturer/Head of Course (Undergraduate Psychology), Research Fellow, Manna Institute, CQUniversity Australia With winter sports swinging into action, adults around the country have volunteered or been volunteered by others (humorously known as being “volun-told”) to coach junior sports teams. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Karleen Gribble, Adjunct Associate Professor, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Western Sydney University richardernestyap/Shutterstock Parents are often advised to burp their babies after feeding them. Some people think burping after feeding is important to reduce or prevent discomfort crying, or to ...
Workers at a major ASB contact centre in Auckland have voted to take strike action and withdraw their labour following disappointing pay negotiations with the employer and an "offer" to workers that would leave them worse off than the previous year. ...
As the government tries to get the country back on track with a school phone ban, Tara Ward has an idea for where they should turn their attention to next.New Zealand students returned to school on Monday morning, but their cellphones did not. The government’s new phone ban began ...
The Labour Party is demanding Peters be stood down, saying "he's embarrassed the country" with a "totally unacceptable" attack on a prominent AUKUS critic. ...
The Inter-Parliamentary Alliance, whose members were victims of a China-backed cyber attack, is discussing forming a standing committee to deal with foreign influence. ...
The PSA is concerned that the voluntary redundancies being offered to staff by Stats NZ will impact on the agency’s ability to deliver on its core functions. ...
Results ranged from surprisingly yum to soul-destroying. I love cooking. The kitchen is a hearth of culinary creation, of sensory delights, of gastronomic poetry. I also can’t afford anything nice. Why does a pack of instant noodles and some milk cost ten bucks? I love you, Aotearoa, but I miss ...
By Koroi Hawkins, RNZ Pacific editor Police in Solomon Islands are on high alert ahead of the election of the prime minister today. The two candidates for the top job are former foreign affairs minister Jeremiah Manele at the head of the Coalition for National Unity and Transformation, which is ...
He’s fine but it feels like I’m losing a friend and it’s making me bitter. How do I say ‘enough is enough’? Want Hera’s help? Email your problem to helpme@thespinoff.co.nzHey Hera,I’ve recently moved in with a girlfriend, her partner Steve, and his friend. We all live in a lovely little house. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Nick Chartres, Senior Research Fellow, Faculty of Medicine & Health, University of Sydney shutterstockAhmet Misirligul/Shutterstock You go to the gym, eat healthy and walk as much as possible. You wash your hands and get vaccinated. You control your health. This is ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jacqueline Hendriks, Research Fellow and Lecturer, Curtin University Children and young people may be seeing news headlines about men murdering women or footage of people rallying to call for action. Perhaps they or their friends have even gone to the protests. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jessica Balanzategui, Senior Lecturer in Media, RMIT University ABC “Bluey mania” shows no sign of abating. Bluey’s season finale, The Sign, was the most viewed ABC program of all time on iView. A “hidden” follow-up episode, aptly named The Surprise, created ...
Labour market figures came in softer than the Reserve Bank had forecast, but they won’t be enough to move the needle on interest rates, writes Catherine McGregor in this excerpt from The Bulletin, The Spinoff’s morning news round-up. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here. Unemployment ...
The campaign will engage the community and encourage submissions on the bill to the New Zealand government by the closing submission deadline of Friday 31st of May 2024 4pm. ...
The paper raises concerns about declining trust in New Zealand's political institutions and democratic processes, and the role that the overuse of Parliamentary urgency plays in that. ...
The Urban Habitat Collective was an attempt to built an innovative new form of apartment building in Wellington. Here’s why it failed, and why the idea could still work, writes co-founder Bronwen Newton. When we started the Urban Habitat Collective in November 2018, we thought we were starting a revolution, ...
Two decades ago this week, a controversial law that attempted to define ownership of the foreshore and seabed prompted a formidable display of outrage and kōtahitanga as 15,000 marched to parliament. Jamie Tahana looks back.‘Hīkoi, hīkoi,” they chanted by the thousands as the biggest Māori march in a generation ...
A Labour Party Member’s Bill aims to plug a culpability gap between manslaughter and health and safety breaches The post New push for corporate killing laws appeared first on Newsroom. ...
Terence O’Brien had the rare and no doubt undesired distinction of rising to one of the most exalted positions in New Zealand diplomacy, then being unceremoniously recalled to Wellington without explanation just when his career was at its zenith. What is perhaps more surprising is that he appears to have ...
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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.