Articulate and a very good spokesperson for Labour. I notice she avoids personal attacks which I particularly like as it indicates good character. She can laugh at the sweetie comment by zippy. My new favourite politician.
Thanks, AWS. It’s one of the excellent Beatson Interviews from Triangle TV (how I will miss Triangle when it goes off air next year). This interview was done by quality journo Selwyn Manning.
My response to this interview is pretty much how I’ve been re-Ardern lately – mixed feelings. At the start of the interview, Ardern’s hand movements were irritatingly distracting – as the interview went on I realised this was because it was a symptom of Ardern trying to hard to be lively, engaging and emphatic. And she just seems to lack sincerity (too often the smile seems forced, real emotions lacking) – maybe because she’s trying too hard to push the Team shearer line, and isn’t really saying what she thinks – or she’s just a career politician.
That said, Ardern does say things I agree with. She has said some good things about reducing poverty and inequalities – other times her performance in the House have been poor, lacking strong research and deep thinking e.g. on transition to work payment being used to fly people to Aussie.
I was pleased that eventually, after some questioning, she began talking about the need for more state housing. She started out with the official Shearer line focused on making home buying more affordable, ignoring people who rent (whether from choice or necessity).
Adern is a lighweight, never operated outside the boundaries of political life, and is of course adept at being able to say some of the right things, heck any idiot can say the right things!
The hope people have about Adern, is that she has yet to prove herself conclusively useless, and just another politician, no worries, she will get her chance to confirm what is already clear.
Those who are not convinced already of her (in)ability will be shown to be correct, not that its a help to anything productive, it just consumes time, and energy.
If these young politicians want to prove themselves then they can, regardless of the role they are playing, speak out against the monetary ssytem which should be particulary close to Aderns scope, as it is one of the primary contibuters to the inequality. and poverty, which she pays lip service to by ignoring. Saying she is not the shadow finance spoke, is not any reason why she could not get creative.
Lets hear some speaking out against the primary causes of so much pain in NZ!
You have a point with the flying people to Aussie thing, although I don’t see anyone else looking for issues in welfare that haven’t been brought up in response to changes to the Social Securities Act.
Not even going to bother with the first link (any chance we can avert an *ss*ng* squabble?).
The second link is so full of problems I don’t know where to begin. I’m sure that the big pharma companies are pretty happy with the increase in diabetes being blamed on something out of everyone’s control like birth order. Never mind that diet in China has changed drastically in the same time frame. We know from pretty much every other country in the world that has done this that when you have populations taking up the western diet the rates of diabetes, heart disease etc sky rocket.
Seems Golem is mistaking “labour movement” for Labour Party/government, and equating being one in the room, with leading/controlling the establishment and development of TS.
Because he’s a horrible man who creeps around in the shadows, whispering lies, deceiving friends and enemies alike in an all-consuming quest for power.
In modern Hebrew golem is used to mean “dumb” or “helpless”. Similarly, it is often used today as a metaphor for a brainless lunk or entity who serves man under controlled conditions but is hostile to him under others.[citation needed] “Golem” passed into Yiddish as goylem to mean someone who is clumsy or slow.
(just tidyin’ up some loose Enz);well the piranha, has sharp teeth dear…Attack
RNZ korero a.m; “not the political will to develop and fund second language”;exposure to all that
Pacifica not palatable enough.
“I wanna know, have you ever seen the rain?”…falls on the righteous and the wicked.Just the same.
Tamati Kruger is a person of the year; moor Survivors-Nga Morehu (Judith Binney and Chaplin)
now there was a vision Te Kooti Arikirangi Te Turuki chose those women.
Back in the Bay “looking for adventure?…head out on the i-Way” (borrow a bike)
Nothin’ rude about sharing Gods Love in a wholesome way. pornea is idolatry-nothing more profane
“We’re gonna ride, ride like a one-eyed Jack of Diamonds with the devil right beside”
“She’s got the Jack jack jack she’s got the jack”
Today! if you hear his voice do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion
(this is still the day of divine grace and opportunity to trust God, yet it will not last indefinitely)
Therefore, since the promise of entering his rest still stands, let us be care-full that none be found to have fallen short of it.(the “message” they “heard” was of no value to them because those who “heard” did not combine it with faith)
Fore
The word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to
dividing soul and spirit, joints and barrow;
It judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.
Now
Bring us our Broadsword, and clear understanding (or join a Slow Marching Band)
It is all Cash around here with nothin’ goin’ round but the rent.
100.70 (FM) is just alright with me
provided this mans’ “best friend” with a Red Tee this x-eve
XL; hope it fitted Horey: Ahh…the Mighty Red Machines
meanwhile Boxing On (selling out)
The Big Questions Series, ed Simon Blackburn: Quercus. is reading OK; “God” by Mark Vernon
“philosophy works out the cost of the meal called life, and can write you a bill, but (faith)
offers you the meal itself” We know Major Tom’s a junkie.
Now, forgive me moderators, just some filing to do:
-Madame Guyon 1648-1717-inner life
-Count Zinzendorf 1700-1760-fellowship
J.N Darby 1800-1882-exposition
A.B Simpson 1843-1919-life
Andrew Murray 1828-1971-subjective experience of the spirit (feelings are facts to those experiencing them you CBT control freaks)
Jacob Boehme 1575-1624
Peter Bohler 1712-1775
Brother Lawrence 1605-1691
Meister Eckhart 1260-1327
George Muller 1805-1898
A.W Tozer 1897-1963
John Polkinghorne; Wolfhart Pannenberg
Iain McGilchrist-“Master and Emissary”
Jerome Bruner-“Actual Minds-Possible Worlds”
So do not be afraid of them; There is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed or hidden that will not be made know; What we tell you in the dark, speak in the daylight;What is whispered in your ear, proclaim from the roofs.
“Who Is David Shearer? Revealing The Back-Story To The Back-Story”
It is about how Shearer has been parachuted in to Labour candidacies more than once; his pragmatic rejection of the left-right divide; his presence in NZ during the 4th Labour Government, and not appearing to have had any strong objections to the neoliberal shift under that government; his fascination with militarism in his roles for the UN and jobs researching for intelligence operations; his favouring of private military options as a pragmatic solution in some crucial conflict zones.
Well worth the read – those with a stronger background of UN and international military operations, how accurate is Trotter’s analysis?
That’s well written by Trotter who i have come to not favor as a commentator on the politics of the left in recent times,
I have read neither article written by Shearer on the subject of ‘private armies’, but nonetheless heard of His attachment to the idea of such private forces,(think i might have commented on it a week ago),
While i can (slightly), see where He is coming from in such use as an aid to the delivery of aid and the security of those who do so i still recoil from the need for such forces,
As has been shown over and over such forces are likely at any time to ‘go rogue’ and we should all remember that Al Qaeda started out as a ‘private army unit’ fighting as a proxy for the US in the Aghan v USSR conflict of the 1980’s, paid and armed by ‘private foundations’ in the US, Al Qaeda was answerable to God knows who, as the US Government was at the time claiming not to have knowledge of them….
Shearer’s argument is that the UN has difficulty raising peace keeping forces, except when the contributing countries have regional interests in the area. He says that use of private armies would only be limited to a small number of conflicts where there was a moral need to protect civilians from genocide, rape, violence and looting.
He says at the point of his writing the article private armies had only been used in the following circumstances:
Private security companies – those protecting private interests – are a booming business in countries where there is instability. Fine for those who can afford it. But these more benign security tasks are a different order from their military cousins. Rather than offering protection only for those who can pay, military companies are hired to influence the overall strategic situation – to protect the public or end the war regardless of ability to pay.
And earlier in the article Shearer produced this argument:
Most evidence suggests that private companies are likely to be cheaper. Executive Outcome’s total fee for the nineteen months it was in Sierra Leone was $35 million – against more than $600m for the current number of troops. The reason is simple: companies tend to front load their military deployments and hold little in reserve.
Perhaps more importantly, most companies will only work to a clear mandate and are more likely to insist on what exactly they have to do to get paid. Imagine a situation where a company loses a contract if it is unable to safeguard civilians it has been charged to protect. The current model offers little come back aside from some handwringing.
Many factions are increasingly motivated by economic gain through the control of diamonds, gold or minerals. Why not award the concession to a company which will mine and protect the resource, thereby keeping diamonds out of the hands of rebels who will sell them to finance their war? Stemming the flow of illicit diamonds from Sierra Leone is unlikely despite the valiant efforts being made to clamp down on the international diamond trade. There are simply too many loopholes for miners to sell their gems through other channels.
Southern Cross Security, for example, a company headed by a former Executive Outcome officer, has protected Sierra Leone’s titanium dioxide mines from total destruction throughout the war. That single effort is likely to be the most important factor to guarantee the country’s economic future once the war finally ends.
So Shearer is all for using private armies to support capitalist interests?
Hmmmm, can i withdraw my comment above where i ‘slightly see’ what He is on about, His support for ‘private armies’ would seem to go way deeper than just protecting those who deliver aid,
I wonder what ‘use’ such armies would be put to if there were a lack of contractual work available, a ‘hostile takeover’ of one of the weaker African country’s perhaps, in such a situation Dave could always raise ‘another’ private army to oust the former i suppose…
Very good link to the Trotter post Karol, the importance/relevance of which is self evident.
1: So which entity was responsible for the parachuting of DS into first two failed attempts, then the successful Mt Albert bye election, and would that same entity be the people who backed DS as leader?
2: Who/what is pulling the strings, and executing the instructions inside the LP, and what is Phil Goffs true purpose?
3: IISS/Chatham House funded by who/what, working for who/what!
4: Private armies working to * defend conflict* for their corporate masters who have created/sponsored that same conflict, while working in unison with the *state* owned military, whose strings are pulled by the like of IISS/Chatham House, whose influences of sending nations to war is well documented!
5: MBE – Working for who officially then?
Well done Trotter for picking up on this *back story*, like John Key, it is a carefully crafted spin cycle, where the humanitarian worker Shearer comes back to *save his country*. Remember that JK was *the best person to steer NZ through hard economic times*, so Shearer must be the best person to *steer NZ through its poverty/inequality nightmare* – We should all feel very safe in knowing that these are the *chosen ones*, who will direct NZ ….. Into the hands of the private owners!
And in case that does not work out as planned, then there is the *Boston International* man, Cunliffe, or the other *chosen one* , Norman, whose back story is even more opaque than Shearer or Key!
heh. Well, his arguments do not have any kind of clear anti-market angle. He favours a regulated market over a “free-market” of private armies, as argued in his earlier 1998 article, ‘Outsourcing war’, Shearer, David. Foreign Policy 112 (Fall 1998): 68-72+
However, he has a lot of faith in the effectiveness and aims of corporations. He differentiates the current private armies over mere mercenaries because they are legitimate corporate entities, operating within the law:
They have a distinct corporate character, have openly defended their usefulness and professionalism, have used internationally accepted legal and financial instruments to secure their deals, and so far have supported only recognized governments and avoided regimes unpalatable to the international community.
Shearer argues that rpivate armies were more common in earlier times, and nation-state armies are a pretty recent phenomenon, that he almost sees as an aberration. He doesn’t have a problem with the fact that such corporate entities are a central part of the military-industrial complex.
Military companies are unfettered by political constraints. They view conflict as a business opportunity and have taken advantage of the pervasive influence of economic liberalism in the late twentieth century. They have also been quick to adapt to the complex agendas of civil wars.
…
Another trend, reminiscent of the privateers of earlier centuries, is the willingness of private military companies to act as proxies for Westem governments. MPRI has specialized exclusively in military services, originally for the privatization-minded U.S. Department of Defense. MPRI’S first two major international contracts were with the Croatian government in 1994 to update its Warsaw Pact-oriented military. When the sophisticated Croatian offensive, Operation Storm, took the Serb-held Krajina enclave in August 1995, there was inevitable suspicion that MPRI was involved. …
Other American companies have also worked to further administration policy. Corporate giants such as Science Applications International Corporation and Braddock, Dunn & McDonald, Inc. and its subsidiary Vinnell Corporation are primarily high-technology suppliers to the military-industrial market but have also diversified into military training. They are contracted by the Saudi government to upgrade and train its armed forces in the use of mainly U.S. weaponry. Some British companies have also supported government interests: The London-based Saladin Security, for example, trains Omani government forces working alongside British Army officers who are seconded there.
Would I trust this guy being in charge of NZ’s secret TPP negotiations?
Military companies are unfettered by political constraints.
Gee…and that’s not a problem?! That’s shear – er, madness! Here’s a thought. If he sees nothing wrong with corporate militaries, then what would he see as being wrong with private police forces or a more privatised NZ army….?
Well, to me it looks like a pragmatic work-through of the problems the UN faced and still faces. Problems which will only be resolved when the UN has a standing army of its own.
Basically, for current tactical security and local stability UN operations have three options: member-country regular military, local combatant military, or private armies/security (on a sliding scale of intensity form one to the other). 1 reduces strategic independence, 2 drags the aid workers into partisan politics, and 3 operates within clearly defined roles with no mission-creep and as much reliability as the money lasts.
It’s a bit like the difference between a spouse in a difficult but long term and robust relationship, an insecure to the point of paranoia gf/bf, or a prostitute. If all you really need is a shag, pay for the prostitute.
Edit:Oh, and all three might be sub-par, but only the prostitute is covered by the Consumer Guarantees Act.
Everyone who reads this site should read Trotter’s article. Everyone. It should chill you.
Do I need to point out that the (aspirant) leader of a country actually has to support its armed forces?
To me this is a deep disqualification for being Labour’s leader: Shearer believes in fully privatised military expedience instead of strengthening the state for itself, and its armed forces.
I dont mind a certain degree of internationalism in a politician, if they are a statesman. Like Peter Fraser. But David Shearer cannot be leader of this country if has so little patriotic core.
I agree that everyone should read Trotter’s piece.
Shearer believes in fully privatised military expedience instead of strengthening the state for itself, and its armed forces.
Actually, no he doesn’t. Shearer has argued in the past for limited use of private armies, in certain circumstances, and in a way that is well-regulated. He particularly advocated for their use in the case of “weak states”, whee there is a conflict.
However, Shearer’s interest in this option seemed very strong at one stage in his life. He wrote several articles on it. I have yet to see anything from him on the problems we now have due to the neoliberal shift – a shift that also saw an increase in private armies used by the US, especially.
Hmmm I read and retread this and the original article…when states govt fail and the national army is corrupt and murders ect and the globalised responce weak or politicised and ineffectual where does a good person turn, to trained professional soldier who will do the assigned job…simple.
Have you been to rhwanda or Liberia somali perhaps, have you seen death, murders rapist from within and from outside forces corrupted by power a gun a drug or ignorance…shearer has and these experiences formed his belief.
Better to have a private professional trusted law abiding army that none to protect.
Try “the state has failed in x policy area so we need a well regulated private y to take over”.
Health.
Education.
Social welfare.
Banks.
Insurers.
Construction.
Safety.
And now…
“the state has failed in x policy area so we need a well regulated private y to detain them”
Jails.
Immigration.
Customs.
Police.
Courts.
And now…
“the state has failed in x policy area so we need a well regulated private y to have guns and kill them as expedience dictates.”
Takers for that “program” anyone? how many Labour policies from the 2008 manifesto does it cross out?
Perhaps this needs clarifying by Shearer: what are the limits to the private sector in New Zealand? In black and white thanks.
That question is being asked loudly.
Show us the new direction, the new language, the open discourse and give us the tools the message organisational structure to prepare the ground for a prolonged shift in the social well being of this country.
so mr sheared and co stand up please…
To be fair to Shearer, he wasn’t talking about as wide a use of privatised “security” as happened in Iraq post 2003. Shearer’s last article on the issue was written in 2001.
I’m more worried that there’s little else then or since that Shearer seems to have been motivated to write or speak on in any depth.
Thats the trouble at present…we know little about this man apart from the humanatrian work and is gaffe goffs mate from school.
No wait he doesn’t believe in old framed language like left and right…maybe maybe just in people, fairness opportunity and equality…hmmm
I think it’s time to put the record straight. They weren’t mates at High School. They went to the same school but at different times. Phil Goff is 4 to 5 years older than Shearer.
Just did my own homework too.
Interesting enigma this shearer.
I know many on here back cunliffe, I did too when I met him but well I am a realist and have one objective.
One united strong labour party that will win 2014.
If only sheared was a better speaker. Damn it.
Oh well plan b…team approach.
“No wait he doesn’t believe in old framed language like left and right…maybe maybe just in people, fairness opportunity and equality…hmmm”
….. a Tony Blairism if EVER I saw one ! and a good excuse to cover for a multitude of sins by politicians who come to like their positions of comfort (going forward)
To be fair to Shearer, he wasn’t talking about as wide a use of privatised “security” as happened in Iraq post 2003. Shearer’s last article on the issue was written in 2001.
Well, that’s the problem right there. In 2001 he was writing about his nice, elegant, crystalline, even ethereal theory…. and in 2003 we saw the bloody implementation of that beautiful theory in the real world away from all his precious reports and spreadsheets. Oops… well, it was probably reality that was at fault.
My knowledge from Iraq and Afghanistan is second hand from within my family, most served at one time or another, some still do and need a signed authorisation to entry or leave new Zealand.
Not debating War my friend, right or wrong,
from the Good Doctor;
…and was led by the Spirit in the desert, where for forty “days” he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing during those days and at the end of them he was hungry.
The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread”
He answered, “It is written, Man does not live on bread alone”
Deuto,
“but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord”
The devil led him up to a high place and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world and he said to him; “I will give you all their authority and splendour for it has been given to me and I can give it to anyone I want to; Soooo, if you worship me, it will all be yours.” (thats the wordly Key)
He answered, “It is written; Worship the Lord your God and serve him only.”
Deuto,
“Alright then (he’s gettn’ a little desperate around about now, it is hot where he’s comin’ from and he needs the water, like Lazarus) If you are the Son of God”, he said, “throw yourself down from here.”
He answered, “It says, Do not put the Lord your God to the test.”
Deuto.
So, Seek first His kingdom and righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
(Do not conform any more to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test what God’s will is-His perfect and pleasing will)
(it may even be universal) 😉
God? joy is the strength of love
peace is the security of love
Others? patience is the endurance of love
kindness the conduct of love
goodness is the character of love
Self? faithfulness is the confidence of love
gentleness the nature of love
SELF CONTROL the victory of love
(be gentle on yourself and i will be seeing you soon)
Such is the flak she is now taking that it is easy to forget that her predecessor, Anne Tolley, had an equally difficult time. Those tribulations afflicting two education ministers in succession reflect not so much the particular deficiencies of the individual ministers as the deep flaws in the education policy pursued by the Government as a whole.
The Key Government has quite deliberately set out on a policy that flies in the face of our long and largely successful experience in creating an excellent education system in this country. The Government has preferred to play upon the fears, prejudices and just plain ignorance of some parents and – in the course of putting in place policies such as national standards – defied the evidence and the accumulated expertise of education professionals and experts from both at home and overseas.
Little wonder that conflict has been the leitmotif of education policy and that education ministers have struggled.
Chances are it’s actually both – inherent incompetence and failed policies pushed by the government.
A short and direct article on why “controversial” political subjects aren’t controversial and why people need to be better informed.
Ars Technica has never been afraid to cover so-called “controversial” issues in science and culture. Here is why we routinely cover them—and why we reject calls for us to be silent on such issues.
I put “controversial” in quotes for a reason. Many of the topics that are supposedly controversial are not really contentious at all among people who are properly informed and rely on a scientific understanding of the physical world around us. However, due to the fact that scientific literacy is sadly lacking on this great planet of ours, “controversy” emerges when individuals, groups, societies, and nations are forced to confront their nonscientific worldviews with the findings of science. Of course, skepticism is a healthy and powerful thing. But skepticism in the face of overwhelming evidence is not healthy, so long as you remember what the word “overwhelming” means. And facts themselves are not controversial.
Crikey. Just as well there is so much written about mr Cunliffe to provide scope for intensive interpretation and misinterpretation of every part of his philosophy, as a balance to Shearer fairly given analysis and commentary.
Otherwise Shearer would need a full time staff, an entire party, and the entire mainstream media to get his “analysis and commentary” out and counteract anything Cunliffe is ever doing or ever will do.
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As in so many other areas of public policy, attitudes towards overseas investment in New Zealand – and anywhere, for that matter – boil down in the end to ideology. For proponents of the “free market”, there is really no issue. The market, in their view, must never be second-guessed; ...
Selwyn Manning and I discussed the upcoming NATO Leader’s summit (to which NZ Prime Minister Ardern is invited), the rival BRICS Leader’s summit and what they could mean for the Ruso-Ukrainian Wa and beyond. ...
New Zealand’s Most Profitable“Friend” Dangerous “Threat”: This country’s “Five Eyes” partners, heedless of the economic consequences for New Zealand, have cajoled and bullied its political class into becoming Sinophobes. They simply do not care that close to 40 percent of this country’s trade is with China. As far as Washington, London, ...
I have seen some natter around about how The Rings of Power represents the undue and unholy corporatisation of J.R.R. Tolkien. I won’t point out examples, but anyone who has seen YouTube commentary has a pretty good grasp of what I am talking about – the sentiment that ...
2017’s Queenmaker: Five years ago, Winston Peters’ choice ran counter to New Zealand’s informal, No. 8 wire, post-MMP constitution, which, up until 2017, had decreed that the party with the most votes got to supply the next prime minister. Had National not been in power for the previous 9 years, it ...
I've read some bad stuff about long covid recently, and Marc Daalder's recent Newsroom piece about what endemic covid means for Aotearoa got me wondering about whether the government was thinking about it. Mass-disability due to long covid has obvious implications for health and welfare spending, as well as for ...
Last year, a stranded kiwi criticised the MIQ system. Covid Minister Chris Hipkins responded by doxxing and defaming her. Now, he's been forced to apologise for that: Minister Chris Hipkins has admitted he released incorrect and personal information about journalist Charlotte Bellis, after she criticised the managed isolation system. ...
Gil-galad is an Elven Chad Gil-galad is an Elven Chad But Celebrimbor makes them mad Digesting leaks from Amazon Of Isildur and Pharazôn. The hair is short? The knives are keen. The beardless face of Dwarven Queen? With meteor and man-not-named The fandom temper is inflamed. Of Annatar ...
From the desk of Keir "Patriotic Duty" Starmer:“We have robust lines. We do not want to see these strikes to go ahead with the resulting disruption to the public. The government have failed to engage in any negotiations.“However, we also must show leadership and to that end, please be reminded ...
Has swapping Scott Morrison for Anthony Albanese made any discernible difference to Australia’s relations with the US, China, the Pacific and New Zealand ? Not so far. For example: Albanese has asked for more time to “consider” his response to New Zealand’s long running complaints about the so called “501” ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections The Biden administration in April 2021 dramatically ratcheted up the country’s greenhouse gas emissions reductions pledge under the Paris target, also known as its Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC). The Obama administration in 2014 had announced a commitment to cut U.S. emissions 26-28% below 2005 levels ...
Something I missed: the Central African Republic has abolished the death penalty: The National Assembly of the Central African Republic (CAR) passed a law abolishing the death penalty in the CAR on May 27, 2022. Once CAR President Touadéra promulgates the bill, the CAR will become the 24th abolitionist ...
Walking On Sunshine: National’s Sam Uffindell cantered home in the Tauranga By-Election, but the Outdoors & Freedom Party’s Sue Grey attracted an ominous level of support.THE RIGHT’S gadfly commentator, Matthew Hooton, summed up the Tauranga by-election in his usual pithy fashion. “Tonight’s result is poor for the National Party, catastrophic for ...
Te reo Māori is Dr. Anaha Hiini’s life purpose. Raised by his grandparents, Kepa and Maata Hiini, Anaha of Ngāti Tarāwhai, Tūhourangi, Ngāti Whakaue descent made a promise at the age of six to his late grandmother, Maata Hiini. “I’ve always had a passion for Māori culture. My first inspiration ...
Dr Carwyn Jones’ vision is to see Te Tiriti o Waitangi and the law given equal mana. Carwyn who holds a PhD in law and society and currently teaches Ahunga Tikanga (Māori Laws and Philosophy) at Te Wānanga o Raukawa after 15 years at Victoria University of Wellington has devoted ...
Jacinda Ardern’s decision to attend the upcoming North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) summit in Spain – but to skip the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Rwanda – symbolises the changes she is making to New Zealand foreign policy. The Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) starts today in ...
The outlook does not look that promising. Forecasting an economy is a mug’s game. The database on which the forecasts are founded is incomplete, out-of-date, and subject to errors, some of which will be revised after the forecasts are published. (No wonder weather-forecasting is easier.) One often has to adopt ...
by Don Franks It seems that almost each day now another ram raid shatters someone’s shop front and loots the premises. Prestigious Queen street is not immune, while attacks on small dairies have long stopped being headline news. Those of us not directly affected are becoming numbed to this form ...
It’s hard to believe that when we created Sciblogs in 2009, the iPhone was only two years old, being a ‘Youtuber’ wasn’t really a thing and Instagram, Snapchat and TikTok didn’t exist. But Science blogging was a big thing, particularly in the United States, where a number of scientists had ...
For 13 years, Sciblogs has been a staple in New Zealand’s science-writing landscape. Our bloggers have written about a vast variety of topics from climate change to covid, and from nanotechnology to household gadgets.But sadly, it’s time to close shop. Sciblogs will be shutting down on 30 June.When ...
Radical Options: By allocating the Broadcasting portfolio to the irrepressible, occasionally truculent, leader of Labour’s Māori caucus, Willie Jackson, the Prime Minister has, at the very least, confirmed that her appointment of Kiri Allan was no one-off. There are many words that could be used to describe Ardern’s placement of ...
A Delicate Juggler? The new Chief Censor, Ms Caroline Flora, owes New Zealand a comprehensive explanation of how she sees, and how she proposes to carry out, her role. Where, for example, is her duty to respect and protect the citizen’s right to freedom of expression positioned in relation to ...
Good grief. Has foreign policy commentary really devolved to the point where our diplomatic effort is being measured by how many overseas trips have been taken by our Foreign Minister? Weird, but apparently so. All this week, a series of media policy wonks have been invidiously comparing how many trips ...
Where we've been Time flies. This coming summer will mark 15 years of Skeptical Science focusing its effort on "traditional" climate science denial. Leaving aside frivolities, we've devoted most of our effort to combatting "serious" denial falling into a handful of broad categories of fairly crisp misconceptions: "radiative physics is wrong,""geophysics is ...
Mercenary army of bogus skeptics on parade Because they're both squarely centered in the Skeptical Science wheelhouse, this week we're highlighting two articles from our government and NGO section, where we collect high-quality articles not originating in academic research but featuring many of the important attributes of journal publications. Our mission ...
In the latest episode of AVFA Selwyn Manning and I discuss the evolution of Latin American politics and macroeconomic policy since the 1970s as well as US-Latin American relations during that time period. We use recent elections and the 2022 Summit of the Americas as anchor points. ...
The Scottish government has announced plans for another independence referendum: Nicola Sturgeon plans to hold a second referendum on Scottish independence in October next year if her government secures the legal approval to stage it. Angus Robertson, the Scottish government’s constitution secretary, said that provided ample time to pass ...
So far, the closer military relationship envisaged by Jacinda Ardern and Joseph Biden at their recent White House meeting has been analysed mainly in terms of what this means for our supposedly “independent” foreign policy. Not much attention has been paid to what having more interoperable defence forces might mean ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Jeff Masters For those puzzling over the various hurricane computer forecast models to figure out which one to believe, the best answer is: Don’t believe any of them. Put your trust in the National Hurricane Center, or NHC, forecast. Although an individual ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Scott Denning The excellent Julia Steinberger essay posted at this site in May provides a disturbing window into the psychology of teaching climate change to young people. It’s critically important to talk with youth about hard topics: love and sex, deadly contagion, school shootings, vicious ...
By Imogen Foote (Te Herenga Waka – Victoria University of Wellington) A lack of consensus among international conservation regimes regarding albatross taxonomy makes management of these ocean roaming birds tricky. My PhD research aims to generate whole genome data for some of our most threatened albatrosses in a first attempt ...
Well, if that’s “minor” I’d be interested to see what a major reshuffle looks like.Jacinda Ardern has reminded New Zealand of the steel behind the spin in her cabinet refresh announced today. While the Prime Minister stressed that the changes were “triggered” by Kris Faafoi and Trevor Mallard and their ...
A company gives a large amount of money to a political party because they are concerned about law changes which might affect their business model. And lo and behold, the changes are dumped, and a special exemption written into the law to protect them. Its the sort of thing we ...
Active Shooters: With more than two dozen gang-related drive-by shootings dominating (entirely justifiably) the headlines of the past few weeks, there would be something amiss with our democracy if at least one major political party did not raise the issues of law and order in the most aggressive fashion. (Photo ...
Going Down? Governments also suffer in recessions and depressions – just like their citizens. Slowing economic activity means fewer companies making profits, fewer people in paid employment, fewer dollars being spent, and much less revenue being collected. With its own “income” shrinking, the instinct of most government’s is to sharply ...
In the 50 years since Norm Kirk first promised to take the bikes off the bikies, our politicians have tried again and again to win votes by promising to crack down on gangs. Canterbury University academic Jarrod Gilbert (an expert on New Zealand’s gang culture) recently gave chapter and verse ...
Misdirection: New Zealanders see burly gang members, decked out in their patches, sitting astride their deafening motorcycles, cruising six abreast down the motorway as frightened civilians scramble to get out of their way, and they think these guys are the problem. Fact is, these guys represent little more than the misdirection ...
The Green Party is calling on the Government to announce its support urgently for a moratorium on deep sea mining under the high seas, after Pacific nations joined forces this week to demand change. ...
We’re committed to ensuring that there is every opportunity for women and girls to succeed in Aotearoa New Zealand, with fewer barriers. Since coming into Government, we’ve worked hard to support women and girls, by improving services like healthcare and tackling issues like the gender pay gap. Here are just ...
Political pressure from the Green Party has pushed the Government to supply free masks to kids and teachers in schools across Aotearoa New Zealand. ...
The Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand and the European Greens have published a joint statement calling for the NZ-EU Free Trade Agreement to support climate action, phase out fossil fuel subsidies, cut agriculture emissions, protect human rights, and uphold Te Tiriti o Waitangi. ...
The Green Party is calling on the Government to guarantee that it will complete light rail and improve walking, cycling, and bus journeys across Wellington before digging new high-carbon tunnels. ...
The Green Party is urging Oceans and Fisheries Minister David Parker to commit to stronger ocean protection around Aotearoa and on the high seas while at the United Nations Oceans Conference in Portugal this week. ...
A strong Green voice in Parliament has helped reduce the influence large secret money will have in future elections and finally ensured overseas New Zealanders will retain the right to vote even while stranded by the Pandemic. But, the Government needs to go further to ensure our democracy works for ...
A new poll shows that the majority of people back the Greens’ call on the Government to overhaul the country’s criminally punitive, anti-evidence drug law. ...
The US Supreme Court’s decision on abortion is a reminder that we must take nothing for granted in Aotearoa, the Green Party says. “Aotearoa should be a place where everyone, no matter where they are from, or who they love, can choose what is right for their body and their ...
We’re proud to have delivered on our election commitment to establish a public holiday to celebrate Matariki. For the first time this year, New Zealanders will have the chance to enjoy a mid-winter holiday that is uniquely our own. ...
Proposed new legislation to reduce the risk that timber imported into Aotearoa New Zealand is sourced from illegal logging is a positive first step but it should go further, the Green Party says. ...
On World Refugee Day, the Green Party is calling on the new Minister for Immigration, Michael Wood to make up for the support that was not provided to people forced to leave their home countries during the COVID-19 pandemic. ...
This week, we’ve marked a major milestone in our school upgrade programme. We've supported 4,500 projects across the country for schools to upgrade classrooms, sports facilities, playgrounds and more, so Kiwi kids have the best possible environments to learn in. ...
We’ve delivered on our election commitment to make Matariki a public holiday. For the first time this year, all New Zealanders will have the chance to enjoy a mid-winter holiday that is uniquely our own with family and friends. Try our quiz below, then challenge your whānau! To celebrate, we’ve ...
The Green Party says the removal of pre-departure testing for arrivals into New Zealand means the Government must step up domestic measures to protect communities most at risk. ...
The long overdue resumption of the Pacific Access Category and Samoan Quota must be followed by an overhaul of the Recognised Seasonal Employers (RSE) scheme, says the Green Party. ...
Lessons must be learned from the Government's response to the Delta outbreak, which the Ministry of Health confirmed today left Māori, Pacific, and disabled communities at greater risk. ...
The Green Party is calling on the Government to withdraw the proposed Oranga Tamariki oversight legislation which strips away independence and fails to put children at the heart. ...
European Commission President von der Leyen and Prime Minister of New Zealand Ardern met in Brussels on 30 June 2022. The encounter provided an opportunity to reaffirm that the European Union and Aotearoa New Zealand are longstanding partners with shared democratic values and interests, aligned positions on key international and ...
Export revenue to the EU to grow by up to $1.8 billion annually on full implementation. Duty-free access on 97% of New Zealand’s current exports to the EU; with over 91% being removed the day the FTA comes into force. NZ exporters set to save approx. $110 million per annum ...
57,000 EVs and Hybrid registered in first year of clean car scheme, 56% increase on previous year EVs and Non Plug-in Hybrids made up 20% of new passenger car sales in March/April 2022 The Government’s Clean Car Discount Scheme has been a success, with more than 57,000 light-electric and ...
Police Minister Chris Hipkins congratulates the newest Police wing – wing 355 – which graduated today in Porirua. “These 70 new constables heading for the frontline bring the total number of new officers since Labour took office to 3,303 and is the latest mark of our commitment to the Police ...
Members with a range of governance, financial and technical skills have been appointed to the Reserve Bank Board as part of the shift to strengthen the Bank’s decision-making and accountability arrangements. The Reserve Bank of New Zealand Act 2021 comes into force on 1 July 2022, with the establishment of ...
New Zealand to remain at Orange as case numbers start to creep up 50 child-size masks made available to every year 4-7 student in New Zealand 20,000-30,000 masks provided a week to all other students and school staff Extra funding to schools and early childhood services to supports better ...
Aotearoa New Zealand will join Ukraine’s case against Russia at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), which challenges Russia’s spurious attempt to justify its invasion under international law. Ukraine filed a case at the ICJ in February arguing Russia has falsely claimed genocide had occurred in Luhansk and Donetsk regions, as ...
The Government has taken another step forward in its work to eliminate family violence and sexual violence with the announcement today of a new Tangata Whenua Ministerial Advisory Group. A team of 11 experts in whānau Māori wellbeing will provide the Government independent advice on shaping family violence and sexual ...
Te Mahere Whai Mahi Wāhine: Women’s Employment Action Plan was launched today by Minister for Women Jan Tinetti – with the goal of ensuring New Zealand is a great place for women to work. “This Government is committed to improving women’s working lives. The current reality is that women have ...
The food and fibre sector acknowledged its people and leadership at last night’s 2022 Primary Industries Good Employer Awards, a time to celebrate their passion towards supporting employees by putting their health, welfare and wellbeing first,” Acting Minister of Agriculture Meka Whairiti said. “Award winners were selected from an extraordinary ...
Kia ora koutou katoa. It is a rare thing to have New Zealand represented at a NATO Summit. While we have worked together in theatres such as Afghanistan, and have been partners for just on a decade, today represents an important moment for our Pacific nation. New Zealand is ...
Te Arataki mō te Hauora Ngākau mō ngā Mōrehu a Tū me ō rātou Whānau, The Veteran, Family and Whānau Mental Health and Wellbeing Policy Framework “We ask a lot of those who serve in the military – and we ask a lot of the families and whānau who support ...
Associate Minister of Foreign Affairs Aupito William Sio has been appointed by the United Nations and Commonwealth as Aotearoa New Zealand’s advocacy champion for Small Island States. “Aotearoa New Zealand as a Pacific country is particularly focused on the interests of Pacific Small Island Developing States in our region. “This is a ...
An estimated 100,000 low income households will be eligible for increased support to pay their council rates, with changes to the rates rebate scheme taking effect from 1 July. Local Government Minister Nanaia Mahuta has announced increases to both the maximum value of the rates rebate, and the income threshold ...
A long-standing physical activity programme that focuses on outcomes for Maori has been expanded to four new regions with Government investment almost doubled to increase its reach. He Oranga Poutama is managed by a combination of hapū, iwi, hauora and regional providers. An increase in funding from $1.8 million ...
The Government is progressing a preferred option for LGWM which will see Wellington’s transport links strengthened with light rail from Wellington Station to Island Bay, a new tunnel through Mt Victoria for public transport, and walking and cycling, and upgrades to improve traffic flow at the Basin Reserve. “Where previous ...
To Provost Muniz, to the Organisers at the Instituto de Empresa buenas tardes and as we would say in New Zealand, kia ora kotou katoa. To colleagues from the State Department, from Academia, and Civil Society Groups, to all our distinguished guests - kia ora tatou katoa. It’s a pleasure ...
On June 28, 2022, a meeting took place in Madrid between the President of the Government of the Kingdom of Spain, Pedro Sánchez Pérez-Castejón, and the Prime Minister of New Zealand, Jacinda Ardern, who was visiting Spain to participate in the Summit of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization as one ...
A six-fold increase in the Aotearoa New Zealand-Spain working holiday scheme gives a huge boost to the number of young people who can live and work in each other’s countries, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern says. Jacinda Ardern and Spanish President Pedro Sánchez Pérez-Castejón made the Working Holiday/Youth Mobility Scheme announcement ...
A significant barrier has been removed for people who want to stand in local government elections, with a change to the requirement to publish personal details in election advertising. The Associate Local Government Minister Kieran McAnulty has taken the Local Electoral (Advertising) Amendment Bill through its final stages in Parliament ...
New financial conduct scheme will ensure customers are treated fairly Banks, insurers and non-bank deposit takers to be licensed by the FMA in relation to their general conduct Sales incentives based on volume or value targets like bonuses for selling a certain number of financial products banned The Government ...
Legislation that bans major supermarkets from blocking their competitors’ access to land to set up new stores paves the way for greater competition in the sector, Minister of Commerce and Consumer Affairs Dr David Clark said. The new law is the first in a suite of measures the Government is ...
The Government has announced an end to the requirement for border workers and corrections staff to be fully vaccinated. This will come into place from 2 July 2022. 100 per cent of corrections staff in prisons, and as of 23 June 2022 97 per cent of active border workers were ...
Foreign Affairs Minister Nanaia Mahuta has concluded a visit to Rwanda reaffirming Aotearoa New Zealand’s engagement in the Commonwealth and meeting with key counterparts. “I would like to thank President Kagame and the people of Rwanda for their manaakitanga and expert hosting of this important meeting,” Nanaia Mahuta said. “CHOGM ...
Minister for Emergency Management Kieran McAnulty officially launched the new Monitoring, Alerting and Reporting (MAR) Centre at the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) today. The Government has stood up the centre in response to recommendations from the 2018 Ministerial Review following the 2016 Kaikoura earthquake and 2017 Port Hills fire, ...
Transport Minister Michael Wood has welcomed the announcement that a 110km/hr speed limit has been set for the SH1 Waikato Expressway, between Hampton Downs and Tamahere. “The Waikato Expressway is a key transport route for the Waikato region, connecting Auckland to the agricultural and business centres of the central North ...
Following feedback from the sector, Associate Minister of Education Jan Tinetti, today confirmed that new literacy and numeracy | te reo matatini me te pāngarau standards will be aligned with wider NCEA changes. “The education sector has asked for more time to put the literacy and numeracy | te reo ...
$4.5 million to provide Ukraine with additional non-lethal equipment and supplies such as medical kit for the Ukrainian Army Deployments extended for New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) intelligence, logistics and liaison officers in the UK, Germany, and Belgium Secondment of a senior New Zealand military officer to support International ...
Changes to electoral law announced by Justice Minister Kiri Allan today aim to support participation in parliamentary elections, and improve public trust and confidence in New Zealand’s electoral system. The changes are targeted at increasing transparency around political donations and loans and include requiring the disclosure of: donor identities for ...
The Labour government has announced a significant investment to prevent and minimise harm caused by gambling. “Gambling harm is a serious public health issue and can have a devastating effect on the wellbeing of individuals, whānau and communities. One in five New Zealanders will experience gambling harm in their lives, ...
The Government has widened access to free flu vaccines with an extra 800,000 New Zealanders eligible from this Friday, July 1 Children aged 3-12 years and people with serious mental health or addiction needs now eligible for free flu dose. From tomorrow (Tuesday), second COVID-19 booster available six months ...
The Government is investing to create new product categories and new international markets for our strong wool and is calling on Kiwi businesses and consumers to get behind the environmentally friendly fibre, Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor said today. Wool Impact is a collaboration between the Government and sheep sector partners ...
At today’s commemoration of the start of the Korean War, Veterans Minister Meka Whaitiri has paid tribute to the service and sacrifice of our New Zealand veterans, their families and both nations. “It’s an honour to be with our Korean War veterans at Pukeahu National War Memorial Park to commemorate ...
Minister of Tourism Stuart Nash and Associate Minister of Tourism Peeni Henare announced the sixth round of recipients of the Government’s Tourism Infrastructure Fund (TIF), which supports local government to address tourism infrastructure needs. This TIF round will invest $15 million into projects around the country. For the first time, ...
Matariki tohu mate, rātou ki a rātou Matariki tohu ora, tātou ki a tātou Tīhei Matariki Matariki – remembering those who have passed Matariki – celebrating the present and future Salutations to Matariki I want to begin by thanking everyone who is here today, and in particular the Matariki ...
Oho mai ana te motu i te rangi nei ki te hararei tūmatanui motuhake tuatahi o Aotearoa, Te Rā Aro ki a Matariki, me te hono atu a te Pirīmia a Jacinda Ardern ki ngā mahi whakanui a te motu i tētahi huihuinga mō te Hautapu i te ata nei. ...
Oceans and Fisheries Minister David Parker will represent Aotearoa New Zealand at the second United Nations (UN) Ocean Conference in Lisbon, Portugal, which runs from 27 June to 1 July. The Conference will take stock of progress and aims to galvanise further action towards Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 14, to "conserve and sustainably use ...
The Government is boosting its partnership with New Zealand’s dairy sheep sector to help it lift its value and volume, and become an established primary industry, Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor has announced. “Globally, the premium alternative dairy category is growing by about 20 percent a year. With New Zealand food ...
The Government is continuing to support the Buller district to recover from severe flooding over the past year, Minister for Emergency Management Kieran McAnulty announced today during a visit with the local leadership. An extra $10 million has been announced to fund an infrastructure recovery programme, bringing the total ...
“The Government has undertaken preparatory work to combat new and more dangerous variants of COVID-19,” COVID-19 Response Minister Dr Ayesha Verrall set out today. “This is about being ready to adapt our response, especially knowing that new variants will likely continue to appear. “We have undertaken a piece of work ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Hugh White, Emeritus Professor of Strategic Studies at the Strategic and Defence Studies Centre, Australian National University Testing Washington: Chinese President Xi Jinping. Li Gang/Xinhua via AP How can Australia navigate the tough and dangerous strategic environment in Asia today with ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jessica Kaufman, Research Fellow, Vaccine Uptake Group, Murdoch Children’s Research Institute Engin Akyurt/Unsplash The federal government has released a new A$11 million ad campaign urging Australians to “take on winter” by getting COVID boosters and influenza vaccines, as well as ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrew Macintosh, Professor and Director of Research, ANU Law School, Australian National University Climate Change Minister Chris Bowen is today expected to announce a much anticipated review of Australia’s carbon credit scheme, known as the Emissions Reduction Fund. In March, we exposed ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Esmé Louise James, Doctor of Philosophy, The University of Melbourne Netflix After a month of waiting, the season finale of Stranger Things season 4 has almost arrived on Netflix. This season, along with the nightmarish arch-villain Vecna, we have been ...
More than 91 percent of tariffs will be removed the day the deal comes into effect, while the value of NZ exports to the EU are estimated to increase by $1.8b a year by 2035. ...
RNZ News New Zealand has designated US groups the Proud Boys and The Base as terrorist entities. Set down in the government’s official journal of record — the Gazette — last Monday, 20 June, it was published publicly a week later but with no wider dissemination. The move — authorised ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra David Pocock, the progressive independent who broke the Liberals’ stranglehold on one of the two ACT Senate seats, wouldn’t have expected to find himself allied with Pauline Hanson before even being sworn in. But, ...
Tabloid Jubi The Civil Organisations Solidarity for Papua Land has condemned Indonesia’s Papua expansion plan of forming three new provinces risks causing new social conflicts. And the group has urged President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo to cancel the plan, according to a statement reports Jubi. The group — comprising the Papua ...
RNZ Pacific Palau, Fiji, and Samoa have announced their opposition to deep-sea mining, calling for a moratorium on the emerging industry amid growing fears it will destroy the seafloor and damage biodiversity. The alliance was announced just as a United Nations Oceans Conference began in Portugal this week. The moratorium ...
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has just spoken to Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky by phone, expressing solidarity and support for his country. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Dennis B Desmond, Lecturer, Cyberintelligence and Cybercrime Investigations, University of the Sunshine Coast Sashenka Gutierrez/EPA The art of concealing or misrepresenting one’s identity in the physical world has long been practised by spies engaged in espionage. In response, intelligence agencies ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Martin, Visiting Fellow, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University Wes Mountain/The Conversation, CC BY-ND Homeowners will face mortgage rates near 5.5% in a little over a year, according to a survey of 22 leading Australian economists. The ...
Guest column by Nicholas Kerr Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern’s comments about the US Supreme Court’s recent ruling on abortion inadvertently help explain why the court was right to overturn Roe v. Wade and return the issue to the states. She noted that New Zealand ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mona Nikidehaghani, Lecturer in Accounting, University of Wollongong From Monday July 4 2022, Australian job seekers face a new social security system to police eligibility for support payments. It replaces the “Jobactive” system that required the “mutual obligation” of applying for ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Robyn Gulliver, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, The University of Queensland A man who drove through a climate protest blocking the Harbour Tunnel this week has copped a A$469 fine, while multiple members of the activist group were arrested. The protest was among a ...
“Less than a month ago Floyd Du Plessis, the President of the Corrections Association (CANZ), wrote a letter to the Chief Executive warning of more assaults against prison officers if things didn’t change,” says Darroch Ball Leader of Sensible Sentencing ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ritesh Chugh, Associate Professor – Information and Communications Technology, CQUniversity Australia Shutterstock While manufacturers have successfully increased the water-repelling nature of smartphones, they are still far from “waterproof”. A water-resistant product can usually resist water penetration to some extent, but ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Suze Wilson, Senior Lecturer, School of Management, Massey University Phil Walter/Getty Images The US Supreme Court’s recent ruling to throw out Roe v Wade is an issue of relevance to political leaders in Aotearoa New Zealand. The decision was ...
New Zealand will present its legal view on Russia's invasion of Ukraine at the United Nations' international court, contesting the Kremlin's claim of genocide. ...
Buzz from the Beehive The Government has declared or reiterated three bold ambitions, one of them (the elimination of family violence) probably unachievable. Whether progress is being made towards the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Anna Price, Team Leader / Senior Research Officer, Murdoch Children’s Research Institute Shutterstock Most new parents and caregivers will know the phrase “put your baby down when drowsy but awake”. But some parents may find this just doesn’t work for ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Helen Stavrou, English Language Instructor, University of Cyprus, and PhD Graduate, Charles Sturt University Traditional approaches to adult language teaching often use resources such as textbooks and generic learning materials that are less than inspiring for learners. New research shows ...
Accompanied by a giant albatross sculpture made of reclaimed plastic bottles, Greenpeace has delivered a 100,000-strong petition to parliament calling on the Government to ban single-use plastic bottles and incentivise reusable and refillable alternatives. ...
Covid-19 Response Minister Ayesha Verrall says the country needs to remain at the orange traffic light setting as case numbers are starting to "creep up". ...
Our Annual plan 2022/23 was presented to the House of Representatives today. This annual plan is a key accountability document for our Office. It describes the discretionary work we consider will help us to achieve our ultimate outcome – that Parliament ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kate Fitz-Gibbon, Director, Monash Gender and Family Violence Prevention Centre; Associate Professor of Criminology, Faculty of Arts, Monash University AAP Image/Supplied by Department of Justice In 2020 the killing of Hannah Clarke and her three children – Aaliyah, 6, Laianah, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mary Anne Kenny, Associate Professor, School of Law, Murdoch University The election of the Albanese Labor government brings an opportunity to end one of the most detrimental elements of Australian refugee law and policy in the past decade: the use of temporary ...
The New Zealand Council of Trade Unions has welcomed the launch of the Te Mahere Whai Mahi Wāhine: Women's Employment Action Plan today. For too long, women have been disadvantaged in the world of work. While many improvements have been made over ...
The experimental weekly series provides an early indicator of employment and labour market changes in a more timely manner than the monthly employment indicators series. Key facts The 6-day series includes jobs with a pay period equal to or less than ...
Statement from Auckland Transport Interim Chief Executive Mark Lambert: Auckland Transport is proud to support the New Statement of Ambition being launched tonight by the Climate Leaders Coalition. We’re delighted that AT’s work to achieve the ...
Greenpeace Aotearoa, SAFE, Animals Aotearoa, SPCA, and the New Zealand Animal Law Association have joined forces to call for an end to intensive winter grazing through the Government’s Dairy Cattle Code of Welfare review. The coalition says that as ...
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http://livenews.co.nz/2012/12/special-extended-iv-labours-jacinda-ardern-joins-selwyn-manning-to-talk-about-the-big-issues-of-2012/
Articulate and a very good spokesperson for Labour. I notice she avoids personal attacks which I particularly like as it indicates good character. She can laugh at the sweetie comment by zippy. My new favourite politician.
Thanks, AWS. It’s one of the excellent Beatson Interviews from Triangle TV (how I will miss Triangle when it goes off air next year). This interview was done by quality journo Selwyn Manning.
My response to this interview is pretty much how I’ve been re-Ardern lately – mixed feelings. At the start of the interview, Ardern’s hand movements were irritatingly distracting – as the interview went on I realised this was because it was a symptom of Ardern trying to hard to be lively, engaging and emphatic. And she just seems to lack sincerity (too often the smile seems forced, real emotions lacking) – maybe because she’s trying too hard to push the Team shearer line, and isn’t really saying what she thinks – or she’s just a career politician.
That said, Ardern does say things I agree with. She has said some good things about reducing poverty and inequalities – other times her performance in the House have been poor, lacking strong research and deep thinking e.g. on transition to work payment being used to fly people to Aussie.
At least Ardern is full of promise and hope, and this much is so rare in almost any politician of the day.
I was pleased that eventually, after some questioning, she began talking about the need for more state housing. She started out with the official Shearer line focused on making home buying more affordable, ignoring people who rent (whether from choice or necessity).
“Full of promise and hope” …..my arse. Full of herself maybe.
Adern is a lighweight, never operated outside the boundaries of political life, and is of course adept at being able to say some of the right things, heck any idiot can say the right things!
The hope people have about Adern, is that she has yet to prove herself conclusively useless, and just another politician, no worries, she will get her chance to confirm what is already clear.
Those who are not convinced already of her (in)ability will be shown to be correct, not that its a help to anything productive, it just consumes time, and energy.
If these young politicians want to prove themselves then they can, regardless of the role they are playing, speak out against the monetary ssytem which should be particulary close to Aderns scope, as it is one of the primary contibuters to the inequality. and poverty, which she pays lip service to by ignoring. Saying she is not the shadow finance spoke, is not any reason why she could not get creative.
Lets hear some speaking out against the primary causes of so much pain in NZ!
Thus spakes the interwebz
You have a point with the flying people to Aussie thing, although I don’t see anyone else looking for issues in welfare that haven’t been brought up in response to changes to the Social Securities Act.
Swaziland steps boldly forward into the 1970’s, finally working out who’s really responsible for sexual assaults. No, its not Julian Assange:
http://www.theage.com.au/world/swaziland-bans-rapeprovoking-miniskirts-20121224-2buqh.html
And China’s one child policy has a sizeable side affect:
http://www.theage.com.au/world/onechild-policy-linked-to-chinas-diabetes-epidemic-20121224-2buke.html
What about Julian Assange in a miniskirt?
Not even going to bother with the first link (any chance we can avert an *ss*ng* squabble?).
The second link is so full of problems I don’t know where to begin. I’m sure that the big pharma companies are pretty happy with the increase in diabetes being blamed on something out of everyone’s control like birth order. Never mind that diet in China has changed drastically in the same time frame. We know from pretty much every other country in the world that has done this that when you have populations taking up the western diet the rates of diabetes, heart disease etc sky rocket.
I’d suggest looking into increased infant formula and decreased breastfeeding rates.
before or after looking at McDs and KFC?
I see Golem is celebrating Christmas by telling lies about The Standard: http://www.kiwiblog.co.nz/2012/12/the_standard_and_red_alert.html
Seems Golem is mistaking “labour movement” for Labour Party/government, and equating being one in the room, with leading/controlling the establishment and development of TS.
Haha, very generous of you to call it “mistaking”.
His readers will do the mistaking, his part is called “bullshitting”.
And my response has gone into moderation…. what’d I say?
Karol.Maybe your comment wasn’t ‘modern’ enough for the halfwits who normally comment there.
Actually, marsman. I meant my comment here is in moderation (still is) – never comment over there.
[RL: Fixed]
Thanks RL. Can’t see what word trigger the auto-moderation.
Ooops, my bad.
Why are you calling DPF Golem?
Because he’s a horrible man who creeps around in the shadows, whispering lies, deceiving friends and enemies alike in an all-consuming quest for power.
Also, he looks like Golem.
Surely “Gollum”? (I’m only being pedantic because the Golem is a very different kettle of fish.)
Right you are. Although…
(Golem is in the dark)
Check out newsnow.co.uk for some Light 🙂
rotary hoe;
The Times They are a’ catching
(just tidyin’ up some loose Enz);well the piranha, has sharp teeth dear…Attack
RNZ korero a.m; “not the political will to develop and fund second language”;exposure to all that
Pacifica not palatable enough.
“I wanna know, have you ever seen the rain?”…falls on the righteous and the wicked.Just the same.
Tamati Kruger is a person of the year; moor Survivors-Nga Morehu (Judith Binney and Chaplin)
now there was a vision Te Kooti Arikirangi Te Turuki chose those women.
Back in the Bay “looking for adventure?…head out on the i-Way” (borrow a bike)
Nothin’ rude about sharing Gods Love in a wholesome way. pornea is idolatry-nothing more profane
“We’re gonna ride, ride like a one-eyed Jack of Diamonds with the devil right beside”
“She’s got the Jack jack jack she’s got the jack”
Today! if you hear his voice do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion
(this is still the day of divine grace and opportunity to trust God, yet it will not last indefinitely)
Therefore, since the promise of entering his rest still stands, let us be care-full that none be found to have fallen short of it.(the “message” they “heard” was of no value to them because those who “heard” did not combine it with faith)
Fore
The word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to
dividing soul and spirit, joints and barrow;
It judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.
Now
Bring us our Broadsword, and clear understanding (or join a Slow Marching Band)
It is all Cash around here with nothin’ goin’ round but the rent.
Deeply yours,
-H.M (without the Purple Haze) 😉
100.70 (FM) is just alright with me
provided this mans’ “best friend” with a Red Tee this x-eve
XL; hope it fitted Horey: Ahh…the Mighty Red Machines
meanwhile Boxing On (selling out)
The Big Questions Series, ed Simon Blackburn: Quercus. is reading OK; “God” by Mark Vernon
“philosophy works out the cost of the meal called life, and can write you a bill, but (faith)
offers you the meal itself” We know Major Tom’s a junkie.
Now, forgive me moderators, just some filing to do:
-Madame Guyon 1648-1717-inner life
-Count Zinzendorf 1700-1760-fellowship
J.N Darby 1800-1882-exposition
A.B Simpson 1843-1919-life
Andrew Murray 1828-1971-subjective experience of the spirit (feelings are facts to those experiencing them you CBT control freaks)
Jacob Boehme 1575-1624
Peter Bohler 1712-1775
Brother Lawrence 1605-1691
Meister Eckhart 1260-1327
George Muller 1805-1898
A.W Tozer 1897-1963
John Polkinghorne; Wolfhart Pannenberg
Iain McGilchrist-“Master and Emissary”
Jerome Bruner-“Actual Minds-Possible Worlds”
So do not be afraid of them; There is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed or hidden that will not be made know; What we tell you in the dark, speak in the daylight;What is whispered in your ear, proclaim from the roofs.
A must-read posted by Chris Trotter in the last hour.
http://bowalleyroad.blogspot.co.nz/2012/12/who-is-david-shearer-revealing-back.html
“Who Is David Shearer? Revealing The Back-Story To The Back-Story”
It is about how Shearer has been parachuted in to Labour candidacies more than once; his pragmatic rejection of the left-right divide; his presence in NZ during the 4th Labour Government, and not appearing to have had any strong objections to the neoliberal shift under that government; his fascination with militarism in his roles for the UN and jobs researching for intelligence operations; his favouring of private military options as a pragmatic solution in some crucial conflict zones.
Well worth the read – those with a stronger background of UN and international military operations, how accurate is Trotter’s analysis?
That’s well written by Trotter who i have come to not favor as a commentator on the politics of the left in recent times,
I have read neither article written by Shearer on the subject of ‘private armies’, but nonetheless heard of His attachment to the idea of such private forces,(think i might have commented on it a week ago),
While i can (slightly), see where He is coming from in such use as an aid to the delivery of aid and the security of those who do so i still recoil from the need for such forces,
As has been shown over and over such forces are likely at any time to ‘go rogue’ and we should all remember that Al Qaeda started out as a ‘private army unit’ fighting as a proxy for the US in the Aghan v USSR conflict of the 1980’s, paid and armed by ‘private foundations’ in the US, Al Qaeda was answerable to God knows who, as the US Government was at the time claiming not to have knowledge of them….
I have just read this 2001 article, courtesy of Auckland Libraries Digital Library:
http://www.questia.com/library/1P3-78339397/privatising-protection
Shearer’s argument is that the UN has difficulty raising peace keeping forces, except when the contributing countries have regional interests in the area. He says that use of private armies would only be limited to a small number of conflicts where there was a moral need to protect civilians from genocide, rape, violence and looting.
He says at the point of his writing the article private armies had only been used in the following circumstances:
And earlier in the article Shearer produced this argument:
So Shearer is all for using private armies to support capitalist interests?
Hmmmm, can i withdraw my comment above where i ‘slightly see’ what He is on about, His support for ‘private armies’ would seem to go way deeper than just protecting those who deliver aid,
I wonder what ‘use’ such armies would be put to if there were a lack of contractual work available, a ‘hostile takeover’ of one of the weaker African country’s perhaps, in such a situation Dave could always raise ‘another’ private army to oust the former i suppose…
(Psst, karol, you should totally do a post on this ’cause it would be awesome)
Thanks, QOT… the viperish one. But I don’t think I could better Trotter’s post on it.
Very good link to the Trotter post Karol, the importance/relevance of which is self evident.
1: So which entity was responsible for the parachuting of DS into first two failed attempts, then the successful Mt Albert bye election, and would that same entity be the people who backed DS as leader?
2: Who/what is pulling the strings, and executing the instructions inside the LP, and what is Phil Goffs true purpose?
3: IISS/Chatham House funded by who/what, working for who/what!
4: Private armies working to * defend conflict* for their corporate masters who have created/sponsored that same conflict, while working in unison with the *state* owned military, whose strings are pulled by the like of IISS/Chatham House, whose influences of sending nations to war is well documented!
5: MBE – Working for who officially then?
Well done Trotter for picking up on this *back story*, like John Key, it is a carefully crafted spin cycle, where the humanitarian worker Shearer comes back to *save his country*. Remember that JK was *the best person to steer NZ through hard economic times*, so Shearer must be the best person to *steer NZ through its poverty/inequality nightmare* – We should all feel very safe in knowing that these are the *chosen ones*, who will direct NZ ….. Into the hands of the private owners!
And in case that does not work out as planned, then there is the *Boston International* man, Cunliffe, or the other *chosen one* , Norman, whose back story is even more opaque than Shearer or Key!
Puts a new spin on ‘market forces’ dunnit.
heh. Well, his arguments do not have any kind of clear anti-market angle. He favours a regulated market over a “free-market” of private armies, as argued in his earlier 1998 article, ‘Outsourcing war’, Shearer, David. Foreign Policy 112 (Fall 1998): 68-72+
However, he has a lot of faith in the effectiveness and aims of corporations. He differentiates the current private armies over mere mercenaries because they are legitimate corporate entities, operating within the law:
Shearer argues that rpivate armies were more common in earlier times, and nation-state armies are a pretty recent phenomenon, that he almost sees as an aberration. He doesn’t have a problem with the fact that such corporate entities are a central part of the military-industrial complex.
Would I trust this guy being in charge of NZ’s secret TPP negotiations?
Gee…and that’s not a problem?! That’s shear – er, madness! Here’s a thought. If he sees nothing wrong with corporate militaries, then what would he see as being wrong with private police forces or a more privatised NZ army….?
Well, to me it looks like a pragmatic work-through of the problems the UN faced and still faces. Problems which will only be resolved when the UN has a standing army of its own.
Basically, for current tactical security and local stability UN operations have three options: member-country regular military, local combatant military, or private armies/security (on a sliding scale of intensity form one to the other). 1 reduces strategic independence, 2 drags the aid workers into partisan politics, and 3 operates within clearly defined roles with no mission-creep and as much reliability as the money lasts.
It’s a bit like the difference between a spouse in a difficult but long term and robust relationship, an insecure to the point of paranoia gf/bf, or a prostitute. If all you really need is a shag, pay for the prostitute.
Edit:Oh, and all three might be sub-par, but only the prostitute is covered by the Consumer Guarantees Act.
Making the case for the pragmatic private sector solution. It’s excellent to see how far we have come in such a short space of time.
Because member-state military support did so well throughout the 90s /sarc
Everyone who reads this site should read Trotter’s article. Everyone. It should chill you.
Do I need to point out that the (aspirant) leader of a country actually has to support its armed forces?
To me this is a deep disqualification for being Labour’s leader: Shearer believes in fully privatised military expedience instead of strengthening the state for itself, and its armed forces.
I dont mind a certain degree of internationalism in a politician, if they are a statesman. Like Peter Fraser. But David Shearer cannot be leader of this country if has so little patriotic core.
I agree that everyone should read Trotter’s piece.
Shearer believes in fully privatised military expedience instead of strengthening the state for itself, and its armed forces.
Actually, no he doesn’t. Shearer has argued in the past for limited use of private armies, in certain circumstances, and in a way that is well-regulated. He particularly advocated for their use in the case of “weak states”, whee there is a conflict.
However, Shearer’s interest in this option seemed very strong at one stage in his life. He wrote several articles on it. I have yet to see anything from him on the problems we now have due to the neoliberal shift – a shift that also saw an increase in private armies used by the US, especially.
Hmmm I read and retread this and the original article…when states govt fail and the national army is corrupt and murders ect and the globalised responce weak or politicised and ineffectual where does a good person turn, to trained professional soldier who will do the assigned job…simple.
Have you been to rhwanda or Liberia somali perhaps, have you seen death, murders rapist from within and from outside forces corrupted by power a gun a drug or ignorance…shearer has and these experiences formed his belief.
Better to have a private professional trusted law abiding army that none to protect.
Get the program…labour victory at all costs.
Try that principle on any part of public life here.
Try “the state has failed in x policy area so we need a well regulated private y to take over”.
Health.
Education.
Social welfare.
Banks.
Insurers.
Construction.
Safety.
And now…
“the state has failed in x policy area so we need a well regulated private y to detain them”
Jails.
Immigration.
Customs.
Police.
Courts.
And now…
“the state has failed in x policy area so we need a well regulated private y to have guns and kill them as expedience dictates.”
Takers for that “program” anyone? how many Labour policies from the 2008 manifesto does it cross out?
Perhaps this needs clarifying by Shearer: what are the limits to the private sector in New Zealand? In black and white thanks.
That question is being asked loudly.
Show us the new direction, the new language, the open discourse and give us the tools the message organisational structure to prepare the ground for a prolonged shift in the social well being of this country.
so mr sheared and co stand up please…
so mr sheared and co stand up please
Tonight I already drafted a post with a very similar title – just in case, if/when I post it, you think I stole your words.
I think that some people here better read up on how Blackwater Security performed in Iraq, and how they treated i.e. killed Iraqi civilians.
To be fair to Shearer, he wasn’t talking about as wide a use of privatised “security” as happened in Iraq post 2003. Shearer’s last article on the issue was written in 2001.
I’m more worried that there’s little else then or since that Shearer seems to have been motivated to write or speak on in any depth.
Thats the trouble at present…we know little about this man apart from the humanatrian work and is gaffe goffs mate from school.
No wait he doesn’t believe in old framed language like left and right…maybe maybe just in people, fairness opportunity and equality…hmmm
I think it’s time to put the record straight. They weren’t mates at High School. They went to the same school but at different times. Phil Goff is 4 to 5 years older than Shearer.
Thanks for the correction Anne.
No problem. You’re not the only one. It was a false MSM meme which seems to have gained credence across the board – like so many of their false memes.
Just did my own homework too.
Interesting enigma this shearer.
I know many on here back cunliffe, I did too when I met him but well I am a realist and have one objective.
One united strong labour party that will win 2014.
If only sheared was a better speaker. Damn it.
Oh well plan b…team approach.
It is nothing to do with how good a speaker David Shearer is. Michael Joseph Savage was a lousy speaker but the crowds adored him.
Matt McCarten suffers from a terrible stutter yet he is asked to comment on every major political event.
It is because David Shearer has got nothing coherent to say.
If David Shearer was passionate about something he would find the words.
It is because his political views are so lousy that he is verbally inchoate. Making him come across so badly.
Exactly Jenny.
“No wait he doesn’t believe in old framed language like left and right…maybe maybe just in people, fairness opportunity and equality…hmmm”
….. a Tony Blairism if EVER I saw one ! and a good excuse to cover for a multitude of sins by politicians who come to like their positions of comfort (going forward)
To be fair to Shearer, he wasn’t talking about as wide a use of privatised “security” as happened in Iraq post 2003. Shearer’s last article on the issue was written in 2001.
Well, that’s the problem right there. In 2001 he was writing about his nice, elegant, crystalline, even ethereal theory…. and in 2003 we saw the bloody implementation of that beautiful theory in the real world away from all his precious reports and spreadsheets. Oops… well, it was probably reality that was at fault.
My knowledge from Iraq and Afghanistan is second hand from within my family, most served at one time or another, some still do and need a signed authorisation to entry or leave new Zealand.
Not debating War my friend, right or wrong,
from the Good Doctor;
…and was led by the Spirit in the desert, where for forty “days” he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing during those days and at the end of them he was hungry.
The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread”
He answered, “It is written, Man does not live on bread alone”
Deuto,
“but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord”
The devil led him up to a high place and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world and he said to him; “I will give you all their authority and splendour for it has been given to me and I can give it to anyone I want to; Soooo, if you worship me, it will all be yours.” (thats the wordly Key)
He answered, “It is written; Worship the Lord your God and serve him only.”
Deuto,
“Alright then (he’s gettn’ a little desperate around about now, it is hot where he’s comin’ from and he needs the water, like Lazarus) If you are the Son of God”, he said, “throw yourself down from here.”
He answered, “It says, Do not put the Lord your God to the test.”
Deuto.
So, Seek first His kingdom and righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
(Do not conform any more to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test what God’s will is-His perfect and pleasing will)
(it may even be universal) 😉
God? joy is the strength of love
peace is the security of love
Others? patience is the endurance of love
kindness the conduct of love
goodness is the character of love
Self? faithfulness is the confidence of love
gentleness the nature of love
SELF CONTROL the victory of love
(be gentle on yourself and i will be seeing you soon)
-Dog Soldier,
(Live Free, Ride Free)
🙂 🙂 🙂
He’s not the Messiah, he’s a very naughty boy.
Bryan Gould: Parata’s meteoric rise part of her downfall
Chances are it’s actually both – inherent incompetence and failed policies pushed by the government.
A short and direct article on why “controversial” political subjects aren’t controversial and why people need to be better informed.
Crikey. Just as well there is so much written about mr Cunliffe to provide scope for intensive interpretation and misinterpretation of every part of his philosophy, as a balance to Shearer fairly given analysis and commentary.
Otherwise Shearer would need a full time staff, an entire party, and the entire mainstream media to get his “analysis and commentary” out and counteract anything Cunliffe is ever doing or ever will do.
Oh wait …. Whoops.