"My guess based on realpolitik, is South Africa's attempt to get an interim order for a cease-fire in Gaza will fail. The political pressure from the US and its allied states on the judges of the ICJ will is too great."
….the Court did not order the first provisional measure requested by South Africa, namely, calling on the ICJ to order that “the State of Israel shall immediately suspend its military operations in and against Gaza” (South Africa Application, para. 144)
"The 84 page mountain of evidence of genocidal acts and statements of intent to commit genocide contained in the Brief by South Africa is damning, I am certain that even more damning evidence will be revealed with the passing of time."
….It is especially notable which provisional measures the Israeli ad hoc judge, Aaron Barak supported.
“The State of Israel shall take effective measures to prevent the destruction and ensure the preservation of evidence related to allegations of acts” within the scope of the Convention.
AGAINST: Judge Julia Sebutinde (Uganda) and Judge ad hoc Aaron Barak (Israel)
They can't ignore it forever. Not many people thought that the ICJ ruling would go this far. They have completely ignored the protestations from Israel and almost unanimously agreed that there is a case to be answered. Palestinians in Gaza are now a protected people under the genocide convention and Israel is obliged to cease from genocidal acts. The ICJ stopped short of ordering a ceasefire mostly because they have no jurisdiction over Hamas and could not legitimately order a one sided ceasefire. But they are on notice as are any countries now that aid Israel with weaponry or financial support of genocidal actions. It is now incumbent on Nations to do something to prevent continued genocidal action by Israel. Suddenly, the Houthi in Yemen find themselves on the right side of international law. They just stopped and caused to turn around an attempt by the US to resupply Israel militarily
So the UN's judgmental arm is wagging it's moral finger at the situation. Does moral advisory authority work in this situation? Israel's deity is a jealous god – unlikely to take seriously any propositions that a bunch of humans carries any weight in the situation. The Israeli govt may not actually fall about laughing at the ICJ, but is likely to point out its irrelevance.
Sorry Dennis, but Israel really really hates losing control of the narrative. Western moral superiority has just become dust and all those supporting Israel can now legitimately be called genocide enablers. We are involved in bombing Sanaa in Yemen now. We are demanding that one of two countries that is acting to protect a people likely suffering genocide cease helping the victims. We also have become genocide enablers. The narrative is shifting faster now and none of your old school cynicism can stop that.
"Israel really hates losing control of the narrative"…..so true Sublim….and they lost control of this narrative as soon as they started their murderous indiscriminate incursion into Palestine (both Gaza and the occupied West Bank) over two months ago.
The ICJ stopped short of ordering a ceasefire mostly because they have no jurisdiction over Hamas and could not legitimately order a one sided ceasefire. But they are on notice as are any countries now that aid Israel with weaponry or financial support of genocidal actions
Not because of a right to self-defence? Just no right, to commit war crimes, ethnic cleansing or genocide in that military action, thus the court expecting certain action (aid to civilians etc) and ceasing of certain actions (continuing war crimes that could lead to a finding in the proceeding court case).
"Politics is the ability to foretell what is going to happen tomorrow, next week, next month and next year.And to have the ability afterwards to explain why it didn't happen.” Winston Churchill
And on how their country's voted for a ceasefire in the UN General Assembly, plus US and Israeli diplomatic pressure. – I had predicted a narrow 9/8 split against a ceasefire. I also wrongly predicted a longer, more drawn out debate in chambers, as the judges put their relative arguments, for or against South Africa's resolution calling for a ceasefire.
If the supporters of the South African ceasefire resolution had not agreed on a compromise resolution, who knows, that may have been the case.
I am guessing that rather than lose it all, a compromise resolution, that stopped short of calling for a ceasefire, was put up on the condition that the majority of judges support it.
It is possible that if this compromise resolution had not been agreed to, the debate in chambers might still be on going, and when the final vote was eventually put the result would have been more split.
I predicted, (alongside many others), that South Africa's application
to the court for a ceasefire would fail.
I also predicted based on evidence, that when the full hearing on the charge of genocide made by South Africa against Israel is heard that it would succeed.
I still stand by that prediction. Unfortunately this ruling will come to too late to stop the genocide in Gaza.
The Israelis have made it clear. their intention is to 'change the facts on the ground'. By expulsion if possible, by mass murder, if necessary.
The ICJ can't stop the US from supplying Israel "militarily" as far as I'm aware there's no law existing which has this as it's purpose? Even if there was, the USA isn't obliged (and wouldn't) abide by it as the USA (Like all countries) is only bound (morally and ethically) to abide by treaties and agreements it signs up to. Even if it doesn't do that, there's no global government or the like that can make world laws and more importantly that could enforce them.
The closest is probably the UN but the USA has veto rights in any UN decisions or actions.
Historians write mythistory by default. They believe they write history, yet their subjective take on the topic makes it interpretive. Readers experience that via relativism since myth is a likely story & accounts by historians trend toward mythologising what happened in the past the more they percolate down to subsequent generations.
King’s history was praised in 2003 for the novelty of focusing on the negative environmental impact of human settlement, and that still feels novel. The first chapter runs like a pre-credits sequence showing the lush abundance of life here before people arrived to ruin it. King goes way back, as far as Gondwana. One of his influences was the Australian writer Tim Flannery, whose book The Future Eaters appeared less than a decade before King started on this history and who argued that humanity had a disastrous, profound impact on Australia’s natural environment, which seems far from a controversial idea now. King argues that the swift consumption of moa, seals and other slow-moving sources of protein by early Māori was a form of future-eating. Māori arrived, they ate well, and then had to adapt.
That environmental consciousness was novel but it does not explain the remarkable success of this book. The best explanation is that it was simply the right book by the right person at the right moment. https://newsroom.co.nz/2024/01/25/history-is-a-culture-war/
It comes as a pleasant surprise to me that he wrote ecohistory, since my bias is always that any academic is useless until they prove the contrary.
O’Regan praises King for “putting Māori-Pākehā relationships at the forefront of our public conversation”, which included pioneering books on Māori history in the 1970s, before it became politically difficult for a Pākehā writer to do that kind of work. O’Regan also acknowledges King for “identifying Pākehā as an indigenous culture in Aotearoa New Zealand”, which is a controversial view that O’Regan happens to agree with.
Whoopiedo. So these two guys agree that I'm indigenous to Aotearoa. I gather I'm meant to feel a sense of relief but too bad, I've always felt indigenous.
The culture wars play out in the closing chapter, which act as a summing-up of New Zealand’s progress and general mood.
Good on him for at least having a go at that, and I'll reserve judgment until I read it. I suspect that the time since he died could append a more sombre verdict.
That makes the addition of Aotearoa to the title a nice move. It also undermines those who have been using, or misusing, King in their fight against official adoption of the Māori language. This issue goes back to the third chapter in the book, “The Great New Zealand Myth”.
The myth in question was Kupe’s discovery of New Zealand and the Great Fleet, but there was a sub-myth, if you like, which is that pre-European Māori called the country Aotearoa. King explained that the word Aotearoa was actually “popularised and entrenched” by William Pember Reeves in The Long White Cloud (1898) and that “Māori had no name for the country as a whole”… Right-wing culture-war figures such as former TV presenter Peter Williams, former newspaper editor Karl du Fresne and historian Michael Bassett have all enlisted King as support for their argument that New Zealand should not become Aotearoa. “Instead of being proud New Zealanders, we’ll be expected to call ourselves Aotearoaians,” Bassett grumbled.
Having been in Form 1 when I realised Aotearoa was a better name for our country than the neocolonial double-dutch thing, the year of 1961, I'm amused by right-wingers doing their usual dinosaur dance on the issue. Bassett is always classical Labour dinosaur, simulating death whilst still alive, proving the point spectacularly as he fails to spell Aotearoan correctly…
I have read it once and got part way through a second time.
I must admit the idea of Pakeha indigenousness has been bubbling under the surface for me, but not crystallising into those two words. I guess this tome planted those seeds in me, but the culture of the last 20 years has made it difficult for a wanna be progressive pale, stale male to fully embrace and articulate the concept.
I can't be from anywhere else, the connection to our whenua is profound, being a gracious host is important to me and King's words "And most New Zealanders, whatever their cultural backgrounds, are good-hearted, practical, commonsensical and tolerant. " resonate.
I thoroughly recommend the book and as the review points out there are a few shortcomings, don't let perfection be the enemy of the good.
I love what Michael King said about being a part of NZ as a Pakeha
"For me, then, to be a Pakeha on the cusp of the 21st century; is not to be European. it is not to be alien in my own country. It is to be a non-Maori New Zealander who is aware and proud of my antecedents, but who identifies as intimately with this land and as strongly as any Maori. It is to be, as I have already argued, another kind of indigenous New Zealander."
Yes. And identifying with the land isn't the same as belonging to it.
I wish we could get past this though, and better understand the pathways for non-Māori to belong here beyond the might of the state and the rights established that way.
It's easy enough, on a personal level – sit and listen, learn what the passerines are saying. Sit and look – learn what the plants are signalling. Once you know what the tūī at dawn are saying, you're in 🙂
there's a big gap between were most people are and that, atlthough I think a lot more people could do that relatively easily if not for their life and society. Which does take us beyond the personal level.
I wish we could get past this though, and better understand the pathways for non-Māori to belong
Maybe not being told we are lesser kiwis ,with less rights.
because the average non Maori kiwi, who has no legal right to another country, has any advantage I can assure you, other than being free from being told we are victims.
This doesn't mean we don't honor the treaty and we don't move heaven and earth to lift moari outcomes.
I'm all for Maori seats on councils and boards but they still need to be elected positions,
This opens up an interesting conversation on identity.
Regardless of what yr opinions on identity are, I don't see folk flocking to another's definition if it is at odds with how they feel about themselves.
Generally it is related to the idea that those born in a land to someone born in that land, are of that nation or society.
Some pose it as a pejorative, where it is anti-migrant or anti-immigration (though it is notable that often migrants themselves have issues with high rates of migration once they become permanent residents and then citizens).
King’s basic idea here can be captured in the following quote which is reproduced on the cover of the book:
‘Pakeha New Zealanders who are committed to this land and its people are no less “indigenous” than Maori.’
King recognises and respects the place of Maori in New Zealand, and argues that Pakeha too belong inescapably to this country and in fact have no other. They (we) have become a second indigenous culture, that of Pakeha New Zealanders.
Both Massey and Lord Jellicoe thought they were descendants of a lost tribe of Israel, and that the king of England carried the bloodline of Moses, too.
Jellicoe the first or second? If the latter, I see he did well in his maiden parliamentary speech (despite spending 19 years there being too diffident to speak):
Like all your Lordships, I felt, and feel, a deep sense of shock, indeed revulsion, at the brutal butchery of the young King and his family, and of that great, and greatly human, statesman, Nuri Pasha. I have also been shocked by the tendency which one sees current at the moment to write off the Nuri regime as decadent, feudal and corrupt.
That picture, in my view, is a travesty of the truth … As part of the admirable development programme which the Nuri regime was carrying through there was a large schools programme. These schools were built for the purpose your Lordships might expect-to educate Iraqis in. But the Iraqis did not believe that; they thought-it was a very widespread belief which one could not eradicate-that these schools were camouflaged barracks intended for the British Army when they reoccupied Iraq. These are the sorts of 'ingrowing toenails' in the Iraqi consciousness which I feel we must try to eradicate". https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Jellicoe,_2nd_Earl_Jellicoe
Ingrowing toenails in any group mind are a problem, although one one rather expects the Iraqis to nowadays demonstrate considerable expertise in their use – we ought to get our man in Baghdad to write a paper on that.
I didn't know the Brits & Israelis had co-created a word federation, so thanks for the tip. Federal words are top-level memes. They organise governance. Serious stuff. Imperial racism was merely dross decorating the top of that to keep the voters happy. Gotta have plenty of imperial dross dressing up the place when you operate an empire without an emperor…
Furthermore, three Admirals of the Fleet, the right Hon. Sir John Jellicoe, who also served as Governor General of New Zealand and thus shared the faith with Prime Minister Massey, Admiral Sir Doveton Sturdee, Bart., K.C.B. and Admiral Lord Fisher professed their thoughts in favor or Britain's Israelitish origin.
[…]
A devoutly religious man, Fisher saw the hand of God acting on behalf of the British in their victory over the Germans. In a letter to Jellicoe dated April 29th, 1916, he took comfort in the fact that "our faith is the same, my beloved Jellicoe, and the only reason we shall win this War is because we are the Lost 10 Tribes of Israel!" 144 "The only hypothesis," he later asserted, "to explain why
we win in spite of incredible blunders is that we are the lost tribes of Israel."
Jellicoe was promoted to Admiral of the Fleet on 3 April 1919. He became Governor-General of New Zealand in September 1920 and while there also served as Grand Master of New Zealand's Masonic Grand Lodge. Following his return to England, he was created Earl Jellicoe and Viscount Brocas of Southampton… As First Sea Lord Jellicoe was awarded the Grand Cordon of the Belgian Order of Leopold on 21 April 1917, the Russian Order of St. George, 3rd Class on 5 June 1917, the Grand Cross of the Italian Military Order of Savoy on 11 August 1917 and the Grand Cordon of the Japanese Order of the Rising Sun (29/8/1917).
And obviously a star on the international awards circuit! Irritated by that toad, Churchill, but then so usually was most of the establishment back then…
Then came modern DNA testing. And so another myth fell, alongside a 6000 year old earth, a worldwide flood, and when the Americans learn to read and comprehend end time judgment kingdom come in real history on earth (rather than faith about continuance).
The flood myth isn't a myth. Regardless all myths start out from some sort of real event.
But in terms of massive floods the one believed to be Noah's flood in the bible and the great flood documented by pretty much all of the ancient religions was probably the one that occurred around 12800 (approx) years ago at the start of what became known as the Younger Dryas period of about 1200 years of severe cooling and adverse climate conditions which led to mass global extinctions. (up to 80% of 40kg plus mammals in Nth America for example which is believed to have been the area where the most devastating impact occured.
Here's quite a good description of what may have happened:
Some believe (and there is a growing body of evidence) that an impact event caused massive flooding due to ice meltwaters (the earth was just starting to come out of the last ice age) and was the event that triggered massive climate change within a very short period of time.
In terms of it being global. Well the areas of Europe and all around the Mediterranean would have been the whole world to the peoples living there at the time.
A post ice age rising sea level is not a flood where the entire land of the earth is under water (because of an event caused by God) and every land (and air) based species was reduced to one family.
There have been population bottlenecks amongst species, but not for species at the same time.
Either evolution is somehow pushing each species to have its own version, which seems unlikely, or each species has had almost all its genetic diversity purged – which implies that its population was once very small.
What's more, these population bottlenecks seemingly all occurred between 100,000 and 200,000 years ago.
Much of the coverage has interpreted this as implying some sort of global event, an unspecified catastrophe that slashed the population of pretty much every animal species. However, Stoeckle and Thaler do not argue that, saying instead that species experience bottlenecks every few hundred thousand years due to the rough and tumble of life.
Second, there is no trace in the geological record of any global event in the last 200,000 years. Any event that slashed populations that significantly would surely have led to a noticeable spike in the extinction rate, and there isn't one. There are of course the extinctions linked to humans, but those occurred at separate times and locations, not simultaneously across the planet.
But they would have to concede one human bottleneck had profound consequences. And it did appear to cause a population decline worldwide c60-70,000 years ago.
Our DNA includes that of Neanderthal of Europe and Denisovans of Asia indicating some hominin populations probably including homo sapien when they arrived (but at low levels).
In terms of it being global. Well the areas of Europe and all around the Mediterranean would have been the whole world to the peoples living there at the time.
There was no time when that area was entirely under water. Europe had the post ice age event placing Daggerland under water, and not long after the Black Sea event c 5500BCE. There was then another flood event in lower Sumer c5000 years ago.
The bible story is religious myth, with the purpose to pose God as ultimate power over life and death, and connected to the emergence in human history of the coming of the age of empire (where peoples and nations came under the rule of an imperial capital).
Yes the Bible flood story is a myth as is most of the bible.
But many myths are possibly based upon an initial profound event and as the story is passed on down through the generations it gets exaggerated and spiritual/supernatural bits are added to explain 'miracles' and so on.
It's entirely possible that some guy called Noah was a man of a village or particular tribe of ancient people and managed to survive a flood catastrophe by jumping in a boat with some of the villages animals. (maybe a couple of goats and a couple of birds, etc.)
In their times the whole world was limited to a small area. Over generations the story gets passed down and over time gets exaggerated and God gets involved (how else could he have survived when nobody else did) until it becomes myth.
Many ancient religions have flood myths and it's entirely possible they are just stories passed on about an event that happened. A group of devastating impacts causing massive meltwater release and tsunamis in the ancient world of course becomes Gods or the Gods doing because ancient peoples didn't have scientific explanations for such events. If the whole world (your village and the surrounding areas) gets wiped out by a giant Tsunami 10,000 years ago then of course the explanation becomes supernatural and it must be punishment, etc
I'm not saying myths are true and factual, I'm just saying that many could easily have their starting point as an actual event. Why would ancients just make up stories about global flood catastrophes?
The Trojan war is mythology, but now historians believe that Troy was real and have found evidence that it was located at the site of Hisarlik, in northwest Turkey. , etc. It's entirely possible that there was some soldier fighting in the war who happened to be very skilled, brave and who killed many enemy soldiers. Story telling about the war and some poetic license from Homer led to the mythical story of the hero Achilles, son of Zeus.
A more modern example could be the battle at Rourkes Drift, which has been exaggerated a bit over the years and has reached almost mythical status. If it had happened in ancient times it could easily have become a myth after a 1000 years or so.
""I think the most fascinating bit of all of that is that where the debate has been place so far and that’s at Tūrangawaewae marae last Saturday and then at Rātana this week, guess who wasn't there? David Seymour. If you want to have a debate, turn up and debate."
Why didn't Seymour front up?
Where are his bovver boys here on TS to explain his "scarcity"?
I read his no-show as a vote of no-confidence in himself combined with pragmatic acceptance that he didn't want his lack of maori solidarity to get more obvious.
However, Robert, you are right to point to the scarcity dimension of his tactical move: scarcity increases value. According to the scarcity theory of Chicago-school economism, he must believe that making himself scarce drives up his market value.
Is "white privilege" not also a racist statement when used in such manner? Like an insult with a reference to a rodent. It assumes that all people with white skin are the same, colonial suppressors in one fell swoop, and using such terms is in my view as bad as any emotional appeasement. A low point in intellectual exchange no doubt.
Perhaps then another book might be an interesting read to add to the discussion. "The treason of the Intellectuals" by Julian Brenda.
I don't actually know what Robert is meaning there, but I hope he's not implying death to an MP, because wishing death is a bannable offence here.
However I don't think white privilege means all white people are the same. It's a term used to point to systems that grant Pākehā advantages. It doesn't say all Pākehā all have the same advantages, nor that people of colour don't have any advantages. It's just shorthand for pointing out systemic inequity.
What!!! Weka, you should know me by now.
” …because wishing death is a bannable offence here”
Every other week, I get (subtlety/overtly) threatened with banning!
???????????????????????????????????????????????????
I thought I would have a wee crack at Wags above about him defending Stuff's reporting efforts. I wanted to ask him if Stuff had reported on the Hannibal directive yet.
That led me to look at TS history and found Joe90 had mentioned it just shy of 10 years ago.
On that thread, there is talk of Putin's horrors (flight MH17 was a recent event), a link to an Bill Maher opinion on the internet bringing out the worst of us (with a plea for "seeking "understanding first" and attempting to reach common ground rather than fight.") and korero about Israel and genocide visited on Palestinians.
The interim ruling issued by the court ordered Israel to take all measures to prevent genocidal acts, and to take effective steps to ensure the provision of humanitarian assistance to civilians
“The State of Israel shall submit a report to the court on all measures taken to give effect to this order within one month as from the date of the order”
AGAINST: Judge Julia Sebutinde (Uganda) and Judge ad hoc Aaron Barak (Israel)
Whether Israel abides by the court's order to submit a report, or not. We won't need to wait one month to see what measures if any are being taken by Israel, to give affect to this order.
A 7.5% spending cut to Whaikaha the Ministry for Disabled people, Pacific Peoples, and so on is on the table. Shame on Nicola Willis, David Seymour, Winston Peters, and Chris Luxon and their parties!
The spending cuts range from 6.5 to 7.5%. This will have a devastating impact upon Aotearoa/New Zealand's ability to properly function for a long time.
In the name of austerity, Aotearoa/NZ is destroying itself.
Across-the-board random-number cuts like this are a clear sign of blind ideology.
Cut 7.5%….what if the 7.5% cut ends up costing us 20%? What if the cut is socially very valuable compared to the proposed tax cuts for rich people? Don't know, no analysis, don't care.
Are Parliamentary services (or whichever body is reponsible) able to find savings by cutting MP expenses for things they can afford themselves out of their salaries, eg taxi fares to and from airports? (or make them take the airport bus when appropriate?)
Perhaps it's time to start means-testing politicians for everything over and above their base salaries. If they have over x amount of savings/assests that can be converted to cash/income from investments, then they don't need that accommodation allowance, travel allowance etc. If it's good enough for those at the bottom of the heap….
The Israeli appointed judge on the ICJ agreed with two of its interim judgments
which stated that Israel must prevent and punish any incitement to commit genocide against the Palestinian people in Gaza, and that Israel must take “immediate and effective measures” to allow humanitarian aid into Gaza.
Barak said he voted for those orders in the hope that they would "help to decrease tensions and discourage damaging rhetoric" while easing the "consequences of the armed conflict for the most vulnerable.
The rising Europe to Asia shipping costs are having an impact on China.
DUBAI, Jan 26 (Reuters) – Chinese officials have asked their Iranian counterparts to help rein in attacks on ships in the Red Sea by the Iran-backed Houthis, or risk harming business relations with Beijing, four Iranian sources and a diplomat familiar with the matter said.
The discussions about the attacks and trade between China and Iran took place at several recent meetings in Beijing and Tehran, the Iranian sources said, declining to provide details about when they took place or who attended.
"At the crux of his inquiry into the key motive forces of our civilization’s course is Vogt’s insistence that while much is broken with the exploitive consumerism behind the world’s government and industry, much more depends on and is mendable by the concerted collective action of ordinary people."
"Drastic measures are inescapable. Above everything else, we must reorganize our thinking. If we are to escape the crash we must abandon all thought of living unto ourselves. We form an earth-company, and the lot of the Indiana farmer can no longer be isolated from that of the Bantu… An eroding hillside in Mexico or Yugoslavia affects the living standard and probability of survival of the American people… Today’s white bread may force a break in the levees, and flood New Orleans next spring. This year’s wheat from Australia’s eroding slopes may flare into a Japanese war three decades hence."
@PimToolNews
Tim Pool had two guys on his show to debunk the "man-made climate change cult narrative", and the conversation went off the rails so much they ended up talking about how scientists are trying to open "spiritual portals" and summon literal demons using particle accelerators.
"At the slightest sign that National was about welch on the Coalition Agreement, Act and NZ First were expected to shoot the Coalition Government in the head."
"and if it then refuses to step away from the coalition and move to the cross-benches; then somewhere between a tenth and a fifth of the electorate – and possibly a lot more – will find themselves in the market for a political champion who rejects entirely the niceties of traditional Māori-Pakeha relations, in favour of a new and unabashed ethno-nationalist vocabulary and manifesto."
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Eric Crampton writes – A fashion industry group is lobbying for protections. They make the usual arguments and a newer one. None of it makes sense. An industry group says it pumped $7.8 billion into the economy last year – that’s 1.9 percent of New Zealand’s GDP. ...
In December 2006, Fiji's military leader Voreqe Bainimarama overthrew the elected government in a coup. He ruled Fiji for the next 16 years, first as dictator, then as "elected" Prime Minister. But now, he's finally been sent to jail where he belongs. Sadly, this isn't for his real crime of ...
Don't like National's corrupt Muldoonist "fast-track" law? Aotearoa's environmental NGO's - Greenpeace, Forest & Bird, WWF, Coromandel Watchdog, Coal Action Network Aotearoa, Kiwis Against Seabed Mining, and others - have announced a joint march against it in Auckland in June: When: 13:00, 8 June, 2024 Where: Aotea Square, Auckland You ...
Seymour describes sushi as too woke for school meals. There are no fish sushi meals recommended by the School Lunches programme. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / Getty ImagesTL;DR: The Government will swap out hot meals for packaged sandwiches to save $107 million on school lunches for poor kids. MSD has pulled ...
I don't mind stealin' bread from the mouths of decadenceBut I can't feed on the powerless when my cup's already overfilled, yeahBut it's on the table, the fire's cookin'And they're farmin' babies, while slaves are workin'The blood is on the table and the mouths are chokin'But I'm goin' hungry, yeahSome ...
The Ardern Government’s chickens came home to roost yesterday with the news that the country is short of natural gas. In 2018, Labour banned offshore petroleum exploration, and industry executives say that the attendant loss of confidence by the industry impacted overall investment in onshore gas fields. Energy Resources Minister ...
Hi,If you’ve been digging through the newly launched Webworm store (orders are being dispatched worldwide as I type!) you’ll have noticed the best model we had was Calvin.This is Calvin.Calvin.Calvin is 7, and is the son of my producer over on Flightless Bird, Rob — aka “Wobby Wob”. Rob also ...
This video includes conclusions of the creator climate scientist Dr. Adam Levy. It is presented to our readers as an informed perspective. Please see video description for references (if any). Climate change is everywhere. And when something's everywhere it can feel like it's nowhere. So how do we get our heads ...
Its a law like gravity: whenever a right-wing government is elected, they start attacking democracy. And now, after talking to their Republican and Tory and Fidesz chums at the International Democracy Union forum in Wellington, National is doing it here, announcing plans to remove election-day enrolment. Or, to put it ...
Yesterday Winston Peters focussed his attention on the important matter at hand. Tweeting. Like the former, and quite possibly next, orange POTUS, from whom he takes much of his political strategy, Winston is an avid X’er.His message didn’t resemble an historic address this time. In fact it was more reminiscent ...
Buzz from the Beehive A significant decline in natural gas production has given Resources Minister Shane Jones an opportunity to reiterate his enthusiasm for the mining and burning of coal. For good measure, he has praised an announcement from Genesis Energy that it will resume importing coal. He and Energy ...
“Follow the money” is the classic directive to journalists trying to understand where power and influence lie in society. In terms of uncovering who influences various New Zealand political parties and governments, it therefore pays to look at who is funding them. The political parties are legally obliged to make ...
Rob MacCullough writes – Here is my subjective ranking on a “most-left” to “most-right” scale of most of our major NZ Universities, with some anecdotal (and at times amusing) evidence to back up the claim.Extreme Left Auckland University of TechnologyEvidenceThe ...
Eric Crampton writes – I hadn’t thought about this one until a helpful email showed up in my inbox.It’s pretty obvious that income tax thresholds should automatically index with inflation – whether to anchor the thresholds in percentiles of the income distribution, or to anchor against a real ...
Jacqui Van Der Kaay writes – Parliament’s speaker had no option but to refer Green MP Julie Anne Genter to the Privileges Committee for her behaviour in the House last Wednesday evening. The incident, in which she crossed the floor to wave a book and yell at National ...
Gary Judd writes – The Dean of the law school at the Auckland University of Technology is someone called Khylee Quince. I have been sent her social media posting in which she has, over the LawNews headline “Senior King’s Counsel files complaint about compulsory tikanga Maori studies for ...
Cleo Paskal writes – WASHINGTON, D.C.: ‘Many of us have received phone calls from [the opposing camp] telling them if they join the camp they will be given projects for their wards and $300,000 [around US$35,000] each’, says former Malaita Premier Daniel Suidani. The elections in Solomon Islands aren’t ...
With hindsight, it was inevitable that (a) Hamas would agree to the ceasefire deal brokered by Egypt and Qatar and that ( b) Israel would then immediately launch attacks on Rafah, regardless. We might have hoped the concessions made by Hamas would cause Israel to desist from slaughtering thousands more ...
Placards and mourners outside the Kilbirnie Mosque following the Christchurch terror attack: MSD has terminated the Kaiwhakaoranga service, which has been used by 415 families since the attacks. Photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: The Government’s pledge to only cut ‘back office’ staff rather than ‘frontline’ services is on increasingly shaky ground, with ...
There’s been a few smaller public transport announcements over the last week or so that I thought I’d cover in a single post. Fareshare I’ve long called for Auckland Transport to offer a way to enable employer-subsidised public transport options. The need for this took on even more importance ...
Parliament’s speaker had no option but to refer Green MP Julie Anne Genter to the Privileges Committee for her behaviour in the House last Wednesday evening. The incident, in which she crossed the floor to wave a book and yell at National Minister Matt Doocey, reflects poorly on Genter and ...
On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
Who likes being sneered at? Nobody. Worse yet, when the sneerer has their facts all wrong, and might well be an idiot.The sneer in question is The adults are in charge now, and it is a sneer offered in retort to criticism of this new Government, no matter how well ...
When in government, Labour pushed to extend the Parliamentary term to four years, to reduce accountability and our ability to vote out a bad government. And now, they're trying to do it through the member's ballot, with a Four-Year Parliamentary Term Legislation Bill. The bill at least requires a referendum ...
A ballot for a single Member's Bill was held today, and the following bill was drawn: Public Works (Prohibition of Compulsory Acquisition of Māori Land) Amendment Bill (Hūhana Lyndon) The bill would prevent the government from stealing Māori land in breach of Te Tiriti o Waitangi. It ...
Simeon Brown, alongside Wayne Brown, is favouring a political figleaf now in exchange for loading up tens of millions in extra interest costs on Auckland ratepayers. Photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: Ratings agency Standard & Poor’s is pushing back hard at suggestions from Local Government Minister Simeon Brown and Mayor Wayne Brown ...
Buzz from the Beehive One headline-grabber from the Beehive yesterday was the OECD’s advice that the government must bring the Budget deficit under control or face higher interest rates. Another was the announcement of a $1.9 billion “investment” in Corrections over the next four years. In the best interests of ...
Chris Trotter writes – Had Zheng He’s fleet sailed east, not west, in the early Fifteenth Century, how different our world would be. There is little reason to suppose that the sea-going junks of the Ming Dynasty, among the largest and most sophisticated sailing vessels ever constructed, would have failed ...
David Farrar writes – Two articles give a useful contrast in balance. Both seek to be neutral explainer articles. This one in the Herald on Social Investment covers the pros and cons nicely. It links to critical pieces and talks about aspects that failed and aspects that are more ...
The tikanga regulations will compel law students to be taught that a system which does not conform with the rule of law is nevertheless law which should be observed and applied…Gary Judd KC writes – I have made a complaint to Parliament’s Regulation ...
The future of Te Huia, the train between Hamilton and Auckland, has been getting a lot of attention recently as current funding for it is only in place till the end of June. The government initially agreed to a five year trial, through to April 2026, but that was subject ...
TL;DR: Hamas has just agreed to Israel’s ceasefire plan. Nelson hospital’s rebuild has been cut back to save money. The OECD suggests New Zealand break up network monopolies, including in electricity. PM Christopher Luxon’s news conference on a prison expansion announcement last night was his messiest yet.Here’s my top six ...
A homicide in Ponsonby, a manhunt with a killer on the run. The nation’s leader stands before a press conference reassuring a frightened nation that he’ll sort it out, he’ll keep them safe, he’ll build some new prison spaces.Sorry what? There’s a scary dude on the run with a gun ...
Hi,I know it’s been awhile since there’s been any Webworm merch — and today that all changes!Over the last four months, I’ve been working with New Zealand artist Jess Johnson to create a series of t-shirts, caps and stickers that are infused with Webworm DNA — and as of right ...
The OECD’s chief economist yesterday laid it on the line for the new Government: bring the deficit under control or face higher Reserve Bank interest rates for longer. And to bring the deficit under control, she meant not borrowing for tax cuts. But there was more. Without policy changes—introducing a ...
After a hiatus of over four months Selwyn Manning and I finally got it together to re-start the “A View from Afar” podcast series. We shall see how we go but aim to do 2 episodes per month if possible. … Continue reading → ...
In 2008, the UK Parliament passed the Climate Change Act 2008. The law established a system of targets, budgets, and plans, with inbuilt accountability mechanisms; the aim was to break the cycle of empty promises and replace it with actual progress towards emissions reduction. The law was passed with near-universal ...
Buzz from the Beehive Local Water Done Well – let’s be blunt – is a silly name, but the first big initiative to put it into practice has gone done well. This success is reflected in the headline on an RNZ report:District mayors welcome Auckland’s new water deal with ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate ConnectionsA farmworker cleans the solar panels of a solar water pump in the village of Jagadhri, Haryana Country, India. (Photo credit: Prashanth Vishwanathan/ IWMI) Decisions made in India over the next few years will play a key role in global ...
Lindsay Mitchell writes – The Children’s Minister, Karen Chhour, intends to repeal Section 7AA from the Oranga Tamariki Act 1989 because it creates conflict between claimed Crown Treaty obligations and the child’s best interests. In her words, “Oranga Tamariki’s governing principles and its act should be colour ...
Geoffrey Miller writes – The gloves are off. That might seem to be the undertone of surprisingly tough talk from New Zealand’s foreign and trade ministers. Winston Peters, the foreign minister, may be facing legal action after making allegations about former Australian foreign minister Bob Carr on Radio New Zealand. ...
Brian Easton writes – This is about the time that the Treasury will be locking up its economic forecasts to be published in the 2024 Budget Economic and Fiscal Update (BEFU) on budget day, 30 May. I am not privy to what they will be (I will report on them ...
TL;DR:Winston Peters is reported to have won a budget increase for MFAT. David Seymour wanted his Ministry of Regulation to be three times bigger than the Productivity Commission. Simeon Brown is appointing a Crown Monitor to Watercare to protect the Claytons Crown Guarantee he had to give ratings agencies ...
The gloves are off. That might seem to be the undertone of surprisingly tough talk from New Zealand’s foreign and trade ministers. Winston Peters, the foreign minister, may be facing legal action after making allegations about former Australian foreign minister Bob Carr on Radio New Zealand. Carr had made highly ...
I could be a florist'Round the corner from Rye LaneI'll be giving daisies to craziesBut, baby, I'll wrap you up real safe Oh, I can give you flowers At the end of every dayFor the center of your table, a rainbowIn case you have people 'round to stay Depending on ...
TL;DR: The six key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to May 12 include:PM Christopher Luxon is scheduled to hold a post-Cabinet news conference at 4 pm today. Finance Minister Nicola Willis will give a pre-budget speech on Thursday.Parliament sits from Question Time at 2pm on ...
The price of the foreign affairs “reset” is now becoming apparent, with Defence set to get a funding boost in the Budget. Finance Minister Nicola Willis has confirmed that it will be one of the few votes, apart from Health and Education and possibly Police, which will get an increase ...
Today New Zealand First will introduce a Member’s Bill that will protect women’s spaces. The ‘Fair Access to Bathrooms Bill’ will require, primarily in the interest and safety of women and girls, that all new non-domestic publicly accessible buildings provide separate, clearly demarcated, unisex and single sex bathrooms. This Bill ...
The Green Party is welcoming Climate Change Minister Simon Watts’ continuation of Hon. James Shaw’s cross-party work on climate adaptation, now in the form of a Finance and Expenditure Committee Inquiry. ...
The National Government plans to cut 390 jobs at ACC, including roles in the areas of prevention of sexual violence, road safety and workplace safety. ...
The Government has been caught in opposition to evidence once again as it looks to usher in tried, tested and failed work seminar obligations for job-seeking beneficiaries. ...
The Green Party is welcoming the announcement by the Minister Responsible for RMA Reform Chris Bishop to approve most of the Wellington City Council’s District Plan recommendations. ...
David Seymour has failed to get the sweeping cuts he wanted to the free and healthy school lunch programme, Labour education spokesperson Jan Tinetti said. ...
Hon Willie Jackson has been invited by the Oxford Union to debate the motion “This House Believes British Museums are not Very British’ on May 23rd. ...
Green Party MP Hūhana Lyndon says her Public Works (Prohibition of Compulsory Acquisition of Māori Land) Amendment Bill is an opportunity to right some past wrongs around the alienation of Māori land. ...
A senior, highly respected King’s Counsel with decades of experience in our law courts, Gary Judd KC, has filed a complaint about compulsory tikanga Māori studies for law students - highlighting the utter depths of absurdity this woke cultural madness has taken our society. The tikanga regulations will compel law ...
The Government needs to be clear with the people of the Nelson Marlborough region about the changes it is considering for the Nelson Hospital rebuild, Labour health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall said. ...
Ministers must front up about which projects it will push through under its Fast Track Approvals legislation, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
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. ...
New Zealand voted in favour of a resolution broadening Palestine’s participation at the United Nations General Assembly overnight, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “The resolution enhances the rights of Palestine to participate in the work of the UN General Assembly while stopping short of admitting Palestine as a full ...
Introduction Good morning. It’s a great privilege to be here at the 2024 Infrastructure Symposium. I was extremely happy when the Prime Minister asked me to be his Minister for Infrastructure. It is one of the great barriers holding the New Zealand economy back from achieving its potential. Building high ...
Defence Minister Judith Collins today announced the upcoming Budget will include new funding of $571 million for Defence Force pay and projects. “Our servicemen and women do New Zealand proud throughout the world and this funding will help ensure we retain their services and expertise as we navigate an increasingly ...
New Zealand’s ability to cope with climate change will be strengthened as part of the Government’s focus to build resilience as we rebuild the economy, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. “An enduring and long-term approach is needed to provide New Zealanders and the economy with certainty as the climate ...
Jobseeker beneficiaries who have work obligations must now meet with MSD within two weeks of their benefit starting to determine their next step towards finding a job, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “A key part of the coalition Government’s plan to have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker ...
A new standalone Social Investment Agency will power-up the social investment approach, driving positive change for our most vulnerable New Zealanders, Social Investment Minister Nicola Willis says. “Despite the Government currently investing more than $70 billion every year into social services, we are not seeing the outcomes we want for ...
Check against delivery Good morning. It is a pleasure to be with you to outline the Coalition Government’s approach to our first Budget. Thank you Mark Skelly, President of the Hutt Valley Chamber of Commerce, together with your Board and team, for hosting me. I’d like to acknowledge His Worship ...
Your Excellency Ambassador Meredith, Members of the Diplomatic Corps and Ambassadors from European Union Member States, Ministerial colleagues, Members of Parliament, and other distinguished guests, Thank you everyone for joining us. Ladies and gentlemen - In diplomacy, we often speak of ‘close’ and ‘long-standing’ relations. ...
The Therapeutic Products Act (TPA) will be repealed this year so that a better regime can be put in place to provide New Zealanders safe and timely access to medicines, medical devices and health products, Associate Health Minister Casey Costello announced today. “The medicines and products we are talking about ...
The Minister Responsible for RMA Reform, Chris Bishop, today released his decision on twenty recommendations referred to him by the Wellington City Council relating to its Intensification Planning Instrument, after the Council rejected those recommendations of the Independent Hearings Panel and made alternative recommendations. “Wellington notified its District Plan on ...
Rape Awareness Week (6-10 May) is an important opportunity to acknowledge the continued effort required by government and communities to ensure that all New Zealanders can live free from violence, say Ministers Karen Chhour and Louise Upston. “With 1 in 3 women and 1 in 8 men experiencing sexual violence ...
Associate Education Minister David Seymour has today announced that the Government will be delivering a more efficient Healthy School Lunches Programme, saving taxpayers approximately $107 million a year compared to how Labour funded it, by embracing innovation and commercial expertise. “We are delivering on our commitment to treat taxpayers’ money ...
New research on the impacts of extreme weather on coastal marine habitats in Tairāwhiti and Hawke’s Bay will help fishery managers plan for and respond to any future events, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. A report released today on research by Niwa on behalf of Fisheries New Zealand ...
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Winston Peters will lead a broad political delegation on a five-stop Pacific tour next week to strengthen New Zealand’s engagement with the region. The delegation will visit Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu, New Caledonia, and Tuvalu. “New Zealand has deep and ...
There has been a material decline in gas production according to figures released today by the Gas Industry Co. Figures released by the Gas Industry Company show that there was a 12.5 per cent reduction in gas production during 2023, and a 27.8 per cent reduction in gas production in the ...
Defence Minister Judith Collins tonight announced the recipients of the Minister of Defence Awards of Excellence for Industry, saying they all contribute to New Zealanders’ security and wellbeing. “Congratulations to this year’s recipients, whose innovative products and services play a critical role in the delivery of New Zealand’s defence capabilities, ...
Welcome to you all - it is a pleasure to be here this evening.I would like to start by thanking Greg Lowe, Chair of the New Zealand Defence Industry Advisory Council, for co-hosting this reception with me. This evening is about recognising businesses from across New Zealand and overseas who in ...
It is a pleasure to be speaking to you as the Minister for Digitising Government. I would like to thank Akolade for the invitation to address this Summit, and to acknowledge the great effort you are making to grow New Zealand’s digital future. Today, we stand at the cusp of ...
New Zealand is urging both Israel and Hamas to agree to an immediate ceasefire to avoid the further humanitarian catastrophe that military action in Rafah would unleash, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “The immense suffering in Gaza cannot be allowed to worsen further. Both sides have a responsibility to ...
A new online data dashboard released today as part of the Government’s school attendance action plan makes more timely daily attendance data available to the public and parents, says Associate Education Minister David Seymour. The interactive dashboard will be updated once a week to show a national average of how ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced Rosemary Banks will be New Zealand’s next Ambassador to the United States of America. “Our relationship with the United States is crucial for New Zealand in strategic, security and economic terms,” Mr Peters says. “New Zealand and the United States have a ...
The Government is considering creating a new tier of minerals permitting that will make it easier for hobby miners to prospect for gold. “New Zealand was built on gold, it’s in our DNA. Our gold deposits, particularly in regions such as Otago and the West Coast have always attracted fortune-hunters. ...
Minister for Trade Todd McClay today announced that New Zealand and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) will commence negotiations on a free trade agreement (FTA). Minister McClay met with his counterpart UAE Trade Minister Dr Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi in Dubai, where they announced the launch of negotiations on a ...
New Zealand Sign Language Week is an excellent opportunity for all Kiwis to give the language a go, Disabilities Issues Minister Louise Upston says. This week (May 6 to 12) is New Zealand Sign Language (NZSL) Week. The theme is “an Aotearoa where anyone can sign anywhere” and aims to ...
Six tertiary students have been selected to work on NASA projects in the US through a New Zealand Space Scholarship, Space Minister Judith Collins announced today. “This is a fantastic opportunity for these talented students. They will undertake internships at NASA’s Ames Research Center or its Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), where ...
New Zealanders will be safer because of a $1.9 billion investment in more frontline Corrections officers, more support for offenders to turn away from crime, and more prison capacity, Corrections Minister Mark Mitchell says. “Our Government said we would crack down on crime. We promised to restore law and order, ...
The OECD’s latest report on New Zealand reinforces the importance of bringing Government spending under control, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The OECD conducts country surveys every two years to review its members’ economic policies. The 2024 New Zealand survey was presented in Wellington today by OECD Chief Economist Clare Lombardelli. ...
The Government has delivered on its election promise to provide a financially sustainable model for Auckland under its Local Water Done Well plan. The plan, which has been unanimously endorsed by Auckland Council’s Governing Body, will see Aucklanders avoid the previously projected 25.8 per cent water rates increases while retaining ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters discussed the need for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, and enhanced cooperation in the Pacific with German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock during her first official visit to New Zealand today. "New Zealand and Germany enjoy shared interests and values, including the rule of law, democracy, respect for the international system ...
The Minister Responsible for RMA Reform, Chris Bishop today released his decision on four recommendations referred to him by the Western Bay of Plenty District Council, opening the door to housing growth in the area. The Council’s Plan Change 92 allows more homes to be built in existing and new ...
Thank you, John McKinnon and the New Zealand China Council for the invitation to speak to you today. Thank you too, all members of the China Council. Your effort has played an essential role in helping to build, shape, and grow a balanced and resilient relationship between our two ...
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 ...
“The Bill does not provide environmental protection, good quality decision making, certainty, public participation or speed. It should be withdrawn.” ...
RNZ News Television New Zealand has breached its collective agreement with the E tū union when deciding on discontinuing programmes, the Employment Relations Authority has ruled. It was announced in March that 68 staff members who work for news programmes Midday and Tonight, consumer justice programme Fair Go, current affairs ...
Asia Pacific Report Barangay New Zealand’s Rene Molina has interviewed the country’s first Filipino Green MP Francisco Hernandez who was sworn into Parliament yesterday as the party’s latest member. This is the first interview with Hernandez who replaces former Green Party co-leader James Shaw after his retirement from politics to ...
An Australian Strategic Policy Institute report says Pillar Two could raise the industry to state of the art capability - or "crush" it "under the weight of the globe's biggest player". ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Marlene Longbottom, Associate Professor, Indigenous Education & Research Centre, James Cook University ShutterstockThis article contains information on deaths in custody and the violence experienced by First Nations people in encounters with the Australian carceral system. It also contains references to ...
“Instead of following along countries that are investing in death and better ways of killing people faster, we need to invest in life and in making Aotearoa a fair, just and equitable place where everyone has what they need for a dignified life.” ...
MARIAMENO KAPA-KINGI, TPM MP FOR TAI TOKERAU This Government will not waver in its mission to exterminate Māori. CHRISTOPHER LUXON Oh well look you know I don’t think that hard-working Kiwis want to hear language like that. It’s just really unhelpful rhetoric. My Government is genuinely committed to advancing outcomes ...
The body positivity movement started with women confronting the unrealistic expectations and unrepresentative portrayals of them in media and advertising. Men weren’t part of it … their bodies hadn’t been sexualised to the same extremes and they didn’t really need it. But now that’s changed. And in a warped sort ...
The New Zealand comedy legend takes us through her life in television, including the time she hugged Elton John and the unshakeable legacy of a girl named Lyn. In 1981, Ginette McDonald stood on the stage of Auckland’s St James Theatre and directly addressed Queen Elizabeth II. It was a ...
An essay by Lily Duval from the just-released anthology Otherhood: Essays on being childless, childfree and child adjacent.I was 22 when my friend Alice gave birth in the living room of our pokey Addington flat. She laboured in the blow-up pool for hours. Garish fish swam along the inflated ...
Ella Borrie on the best books about motherhood she’s come across so far. Over the past few years I’ve been drawn to books about motherhood. I’m fascinated by the joys and horrors of becoming a parent. The question of children also feels more pressing than it used to. It’s like ...
Out of gift ideas for mum? You can’t go wrong with a bottle of toilet cleaner and a new squeegee. Emily Writes is the writer and editor of Emily Writes Weekly. This week marks five years since I published a post on The Spinoff about Mother’s Day marketing titled ‘A ...
My husband is posted overseas for 12 months and I’m armed with an expensive, newfangled vibrator. Will I miss him? The Sunday Essay is made possible thanks to the support of Creative New Zealand.A few days after my husband leaves, a new sex toy arrives at the front door. Nestled ...
Jaimie Baird’s new book Here Today Gone Tomorrow is a record of four decades of graffiti and street art in Wellington, told through more than 1,200 photographs. He spoke with Joel MacManus about what inspired the book. How did you first get interested in photographing street art? I remember ...
Editor Madeleine Chapman looks back at a busy week where food of all political leanings dominated. Sometimes you’re just going about your week thinking you’ve got a good handle on what might be coming as far as news topics and then someone (usually a politician) says something so ridiculous that ...
In a week of cold rain and frost, the climate in courtroom four upstairs at the Invercargill courthouse was simmering with restrained indignation. At times it felt like the famous Mexican standoff scene from Reservoir Dogs, or, as someone watching the proceedings described it, there was so much throwing of ...
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Another complete failure by New Zealand’s mainstream corporate media.
No mention of the ICJ’s judgment,
No wonder so many New Zealanders are so ill informed.
No wonder
If you go on the Herald’s website, nothing, even if you click on world news.
Ditto for Stuff..
Ditto got RNZ.
Our Main Stream Media journalists refusal to report this history shaping event, I guess it is up to us to try and analyse the ICJ's interim order.
A Victory for Realpolitik
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Realpolitik
Jenny @1.1.2
25 January 2024 at 4:42 pm
"My guess based on realpolitik, is South Africa's attempt to get an interim order for a cease-fire in Gaza will fail. The political pressure from the US and its allied states on the judges of the ICJ will is too great."
https://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-25-01-2024/#comment-1986714
Jenny @1.1.2
25 January 2024 at 4:42 pm
"The 84 page mountain of evidence of genocidal acts and statements of intent to commit genocide contained in the Brief by South Africa is damning, I am certain that even more damning evidence will be revealed with the passing of time."
https://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-25-01-2024/#comment-1986714
They can't ignore it forever. Not many people thought that the ICJ ruling would go this far. They have completely ignored the protestations from Israel and almost unanimously agreed that there is a case to be answered. Palestinians in Gaza are now a protected people under the genocide convention and Israel is obliged to cease from genocidal acts. The ICJ stopped short of ordering a ceasefire mostly because they have no jurisdiction over Hamas and could not legitimately order a one sided ceasefire. But they are on notice as are any countries now that aid Israel with weaponry or financial support of genocidal actions. It is now incumbent on Nations to do something to prevent continued genocidal action by Israel. Suddenly, the Houthi in Yemen find themselves on the right side of international law. They just stopped and caused to turn around an attempt by the US to resupply Israel militarily
https://www.nakedcapitalism.com/2024/01/international-court-of-justice-rules-forcefully-against-israel-in-landmark-genocide-ruling-including-restricting-military-action.html
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/jan/24/us-navy-cargo-ships-houthi-missile-attack-yemen
The ICJ is merely a simulation of global justice. It has issued judgments, but who judges the judges? An ephemeral bunch of global onlookers.
So the UN's judgmental arm is wagging it's moral finger at the situation. Does moral advisory authority work in this situation? Israel's deity is a jealous god – unlikely to take seriously any propositions that a bunch of humans carries any weight in the situation. The Israeli govt may not actually fall about laughing at the ICJ, but is likely to point out its irrelevance.
Sorry Dennis, but Israel really really hates losing control of the narrative. Western moral superiority has just become dust and all those supporting Israel can now legitimately be called genocide enablers. We are involved in bombing Sanaa in Yemen now. We are demanding that one of two countries that is acting to protect a people likely suffering genocide cease helping the victims. We also have become genocide enablers. The narrative is shifting faster now and none of your old school cynicism can stop that.
Yeah, you ain't wrong. Passion is catalytic. Good luck to younger generations doing a global resonance play…
"Israel really hates losing control of the narrative"…..so true Sublim….and they lost control of this narrative as soon as they started their murderous indiscriminate incursion into Palestine (both Gaza and the occupied West Bank) over two months ago.
"…over two months ago."
Yep, just after October 7 wasn't it?
Not because of a right to self-defence? Just no right, to commit war crimes, ethnic cleansing or genocide in that military action, thus the court expecting certain action (aid to civilians etc) and ceasing of certain actions (continuing war crimes that could lead to a finding in the proceeding court case).
The ICJ can't stop the US from supplying Israel "militarily" as far as I'm aware there's no law existing which has this as it's purpose? Even if there was, the USA isn't obliged (and wouldn't) abide by it as the USA (Like all countries) is only bound (morally and ethically) to abide by treaties and agreements it signs up to. Even if it doesn't do that, there's no global government or the like that can make world laws and more importantly that could enforce them.
The closest is probably the UN but the USA has veto rights in any UN decisions or actions.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/world-news/350160170/top-un-court-orders-israel-prevent-genocide-gaza-stops-short-ordering
Leading story on stuff
Time date 6.30am.
The decision came out 2am out time (judge at work explaining for an hour or so 1am on).
This there January 26, 2024, 08:10pm
https://www.stuff.co.nz/world-news/350160111/israel-reveals-secret-orders-fightback-against-genocide-charges.
And this story since then.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/world-news/350160303/un-workers-sacked-allegations-involvement-hamas-attack-israel-emerge
I realise it's 10am now, but I definitely heard this story on RNZ at 6am, and this story is currently up on their website https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/world/507667/south-african-president-hails-ruling-against-israel-as-step-toward-justice
So it has been mentioned in the MSM today,
8.29 am RNZ
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/world/507667/south-african-president-hails-ruling-against-israel-as-step-toward-justice
7.03 am NZH
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/top-un-court-orders-israel-to-prevent-genocide-in-gaza-but-stops-short-of-ordering-cease-fire/HQATBL54TVGVBA2CMRTYIODAHE/
6.51am
https://www.1news.co.nz/2024/01/27/top-un-court-orders-israel-to-prevent-genocide-in-gaza/
not yet 9 hours ago
https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/world/2024/01/international-court-of-justice-says-israel-must-take-all-measures-to-prevent-genocide-in-gaza-stops-short-of-calling-for-ceasefire.html
Historians write mythistory by default. They believe they write history, yet their subjective take on the topic makes it interpretive. Readers experience that via relativism since myth is a likely story & accounts by historians trend toward mythologising what happened in the past the more they percolate down to subsequent generations.
It comes as a pleasant surprise to me that he wrote ecohistory, since my bias is always that any academic is useless until they prove the contrary.
Whoopiedo. So these two guys agree that I'm indigenous to Aotearoa. I gather I'm meant to feel a sense of relief but too bad, I've always felt indigenous.
Good on him for at least having a go at that, and I'll reserve judgment until I read it. I suspect that the time since he died could append a more sombre verdict.
Wait, there's more!
Having been in Form 1 when I realised Aotearoa was a better name for our country than the neocolonial double-dutch thing, the year of 1961, I'm amused by right-wingers doing their usual dinosaur dance on the issue. Bassett is always classical Labour dinosaur, simulating death whilst still alive, proving the point spectacularly as he fails to spell Aotearoan correctly…
Thanks for the reminder of this book Dennis.
I have read it once and got part way through a second time.
I must admit the idea of Pakeha indigenousness has been bubbling under the surface for me, but not crystallising into those two words. I guess this tome planted those seeds in me, but the culture of the last 20 years has made it difficult for a wanna be progressive pale, stale male to fully embrace and articulate the concept.
I can't be from anywhere else, the connection to our whenua is profound, being a gracious host is important to me and King's words "And most New Zealanders, whatever their cultural backgrounds, are good-hearted, practical, commonsensical and tolerant. " resonate.
I thoroughly recommend the book and as the review points out there are a few shortcomings, don't let perfection be the enemy of the good.
I love what Michael King said about being a part of NZ as a Pakeha
"For me, then, to be a Pakeha on the cusp of the 21st century; is not to be European. it is not to be alien in my own country. It is to be a non-Maori New Zealander who is aware and proud of my antecedents, but who identifies as intimately with this land and as strongly as any Maori. It is to be, as I have already argued, another kind of indigenous New Zealander."
Thanks Michael, that sums it up nicely for me.
"…but who identifies as intimately with this land and as strongly as any Maori…"
Did your antecedents arrive at a place where no human had ever set foot?
First peoples are first.
Yes. And identifying with the land isn't the same as belonging to it.
I wish we could get past this though, and better understand the pathways for non-Māori to belong here beyond the might of the state and the rights established that way.
It's easy enough, on a personal level – sit and listen, learn what the passerines are saying. Sit and look – learn what the plants are signalling. Once you know what the tūī at dawn are saying, you're in 🙂
there's a big gap between were most people are and that, atlthough I think a lot more people could do that relatively easily if not for their life and society. Which does take us beyond the personal level.
Maybe not being told we are lesser kiwis ,with less rights.
because the average non Maori kiwi, who has no legal right to another country, has any advantage I can assure you, other than being free from being told we are victims.
This doesn't mean we don't honor the treaty and we don't move heaven and earth to lift moari outcomes.
I'm all for Maori seats on councils and boards but they still need to be elected positions,
Shit if I got upset and went and blocked citizens from legally accessing a boat ramp I'd be arrested and moved on very quickly I expect .unlike our grumpy freind in the north,
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/te-manu-korihi/507618/ngati-kahu-block-boat-ramp-in-fishing-protest
Completely agree. Where do you see this happening most?
More a vibe , than actually spoken word, but will scratch the cells to clarify,
Been waiting for some lefties to apologize for being white, similar to an ex leaders apology for being a man .
This opens up an interesting conversation on identity.
Regardless of what yr opinions on identity are, I don't see folk flocking to another's definition if it is at odds with how they feel about themselves.
There is the concept of nativism.
Generally it is related to the idea that those born in a land to someone born in that land, are of that nation or society.
Some pose it as a pejorative, where it is anti-migrant or anti-immigration (though it is notable that often migrants themselves have issues with high rates of migration once they become permanent residents and then citizens).
Michael, we require links with quotes here, or if this is from a book, then a reference. Please supply either now, thanks.
It's a quote from Being Pakeha Now.
https://www.nationdatesnz.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/King-1999.pdf
https://thisisgraeme.me/2012/05/23/michael-kings-being-pakeha-now/
http://bowalleyroad.blogspot.com/2023/03/the-pakeha-quest.html
Just noticed this and agree totally
Both Massey and Lord Jellicoe thought they were descendants of a lost tribe of Israel, and that the king of England carried the bloodline of Moses, too.
Jellicoe the first or second? If the latter, I see he did well in his maiden parliamentary speech (despite spending 19 years there being too diffident to speak):
Ingrowing toenails in any group mind are a problem, although one one rather expects the Iraqis to nowadays demonstrate considerable expertise in their use – we ought to get our man in Baghdad to write a paper on that.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foreign_relations_of_Iraq
As for the other guy, seems like he had a few clues:
I didn't know the Brits & Israelis had co-created a word federation, so thanks for the tip. Federal words are top-level memes. They organise governance. Serious stuff. Imperial racism was merely dross decorating the top of that to keep the voters happy. Gotta have plenty of imperial dross dressing up the place when you operate an empire without an emperor…
The first.
Furthermore, three Admirals of the Fleet, the right Hon. Sir John Jellicoe, who also served as Governor General of New Zealand and thus shared the faith with Prime Minister Massey, Admiral Sir Doveton Sturdee, Bart., K.C.B. and Admiral Lord Fisher professed their thoughts in favor or Britain's Israelitish origin.
[…]
A devoutly religious man, Fisher saw the hand of God acting on behalf of the British in their victory over the Germans. In a letter to Jellicoe dated April 29th, 1916, he took comfort in the fact that "our faith is the same, my beloved Jellicoe, and the only reason we shall win this War is because we are the Lost 10 Tribes of Israel!" 144 "The only hypothesis," he later asserted, "to explain why
we win in spite of incredible blunders is that we are the lost tribes of Israel."
https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/323272223.pdf
btw, they're still around.
http://www.britishisrael.co.uk/contact.php
Ah, a mason:
And obviously a star on the international awards circuit! Irritated by that toad, Churchill, but then so usually was most of the establishment back then…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Jellicoe,_1st_Earl_Jellicoe
Then came modern DNA testing. And so another myth fell, alongside a 6000 year old earth, a worldwide flood, and when the Americans learn to read and comprehend end time judgment kingdom come in real history on earth (rather than faith about continuance).
The flood myth isn't a myth. Regardless all myths start out from some sort of real event.
But in terms of massive floods the one believed to be Noah's flood in the bible and the great flood documented by pretty much all of the ancient religions was probably the one that occurred around 12800 (approx) years ago at the start of what became known as the Younger Dryas period of about 1200 years of severe cooling and adverse climate conditions which led to mass global extinctions. (up to 80% of 40kg plus mammals in Nth America for example which is believed to have been the area where the most devastating impact occured.
Here's quite a good description of what may have happened:
https://beta.capeia.com/planetary-science/2019/06/03/disappearance-of-ice-age-megafauna-and-the-younger-dryas-impact#:~:text=Population%20decline%20and%20extinction,%25%20in%20Sub%2DSaharan%20Africa.
and here:
https://humanoriginproject.com/younger-dryas-event-extinction-prehistoric-period/
Some believe (and there is a growing body of evidence) that an impact event caused massive flooding due to ice meltwaters (the earth was just starting to come out of the last ice age) and was the event that triggered massive climate change within a very short period of time.
In terms of it being global. Well the areas of Europe and all around the Mediterranean would have been the whole world to the peoples living there at the time.
The bible flood story is a myth.
A post ice age rising sea level is not a flood where the entire land of the earth is under water (because of an event caused by God) and every land (and air) based species was reduced to one family.
There have been population bottlenecks amongst species, but not for species at the same time.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/michaelmarshalleurope/2018/11/26/no-humans-are-probably-not-all-descended-from-a-single-couple-who-lived-200000-years-ago/?sh=5bf05bc17cd8
But they would have to concede one human bottleneck had profound consequences. And it did appear to cause a population decline worldwide c60-70,000 years ago.
Our DNA includes that of Neanderthal of Europe and Denisovans of Asia indicating some hominin populations probably including homo sapien when they arrived (but at low levels).
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/essential-timeline-understanding-evolution-homo-sapiens-180976807/
There was no time when that area was entirely under water. Europe had the post ice age event placing Daggerland under water, and not long after the Black Sea event c 5500BCE. There was then another flood event in lower Sumer c5000 years ago.
The bible story is religious myth, with the purpose to pose God as ultimate power over life and death, and connected to the emergence in human history of the coming of the age of empire (where peoples and nations came under the rule of an imperial capital).
Summed up beautifully by Danny Bhoy here:
Yes the Bible flood story is a myth as is most of the bible.
But many myths are possibly based upon an initial profound event and as the story is passed on down through the generations it gets exaggerated and spiritual/supernatural bits are added to explain 'miracles' and so on.
It's entirely possible that some guy called Noah was a man of a village or particular tribe of ancient people and managed to survive a flood catastrophe by jumping in a boat with some of the villages animals. (maybe a couple of goats and a couple of birds, etc.)
In their times the whole world was limited to a small area. Over generations the story gets passed down and over time gets exaggerated and God gets involved (how else could he have survived when nobody else did) until it becomes myth.
Many ancient religions have flood myths and it's entirely possible they are just stories passed on about an event that happened. A group of devastating impacts causing massive meltwater release and tsunamis in the ancient world of course becomes Gods or the Gods doing because ancient peoples didn't have scientific explanations for such events. If the whole world (your village and the surrounding areas) gets wiped out by a giant Tsunami 10,000 years ago then of course the explanation becomes supernatural and it must be punishment, etc
I'm not saying myths are true and factual, I'm just saying that many could easily have their starting point as an actual event. Why would ancients just make up stories about global flood catastrophes?
The Trojan war is mythology, but now historians believe that Troy was real and have found evidence that it was located at the site of Hisarlik, in northwest Turkey. , etc. It's entirely possible that there was some soldier fighting in the war who happened to be very skilled, brave and who killed many enemy soldiers. Story telling about the war and some poetic license from Homer led to the mythical story of the hero Achilles, son of Zeus.
A more modern example could be the battle at Rourkes Drift, which has been exaggerated a bit over the years and has reached almost mythical status. If it had happened in ancient times it could easily have become a myth after a 1000 years or so.
Your point is?
Where's
WallyDavid?""I think the most fascinating bit of all of that is that where the debate has been place so far and that’s at Tūrangawaewae marae last Saturday and then at Rātana this week, guess who wasn't there? David Seymour. If you want to have a debate, turn up and debate."
Why didn't Seymour front up?
Where are his bovver boys here on TS to explain his "scarcity"?
https://frankmacskasy.substack.com/p/the-desperate-cynicism-of-david-seymour
I read his no-show as a vote of no-confidence in himself combined with pragmatic acceptance that he didn't want his lack of maori solidarity to get more obvious.
However, Robert, you are right to point to the scarcity dimension of his tactical move: scarcity increases value. According to the scarcity theory of Chicago-school economism, he must believe that making himself scarce drives up his market value.
I hoped someone might say,
"In the deli section of Countdown, South Dunedin", but so far, no one has 🙂
100% Now Robert… Pest Control?
You can buy at rat-bait at Countdown called, "White Privilege".
Irresistible to pernicious pests.
Is "white privilege" not also a racist statement when used in such manner? Like an insult with a reference to a rodent. It assumes that all people with white skin are the same, colonial suppressors in one fell swoop, and using such terms is in my view as bad as any emotional appeasement. A low point in intellectual exchange no doubt.
Perhaps then another book might be an interesting read to add to the discussion. "The treason of the Intellectuals" by Julian Brenda.
Niall Ferguson | Uncommon Knowledge
Enjoy your weekend.
.
I don't actually know what Robert is meaning there, but I hope he's not implying death to an MP, because wishing death is a bannable offence here.
However I don't think white privilege means all white people are the same. It's a term used to point to systems that grant Pākehā advantages. It doesn't say all Pākehā all have the same advantages, nor that people of colour don't have any advantages. It's just shorthand for pointing out systemic inequity.
What!!! Weka, you should know me by now.
” …because wishing death is a bannable offence here”
Every other week, I get (subtlety/overtly) threatened with banning!
???????????????????????????????????????????????????
I already said I didn’t know what you meant. That was an opening to clarify.
The reference to banning isn’t personal to you. Anyone that wishes death on another risks this.
"It assumes that all people with white skin are the same…"
No, it doesn't, you do.
Those who are attracted to the "White Privilege" bait, are those who are attracted to white privilege.
I'm not.
Are you?
There is nothing new under the sun.
I thought I would have a wee crack at Wags above about him defending Stuff's reporting efforts. I wanted to ask him if Stuff had reported on the Hannibal directive yet.
That led me to look at TS history and found Joe90 had mentioned it just shy of 10 years ago.
https://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-04082014/#comment-860139
On that thread, there is talk of Putin's horrors (flight MH17 was a recent event), a link to an Bill Maher opinion on the internet bringing out the worst of us (with a plea for "seeking "understanding first" and attempting to reach common ground rather than fight.") and korero about Israel and genocide visited on Palestinians.
Your link takes me to an empty 2014 open mic?
umm,… I just right click on the link and select 'Open link in new tab' and voila!
works for me. Try again. Lynn is doing some work on TS at the moment.
Still the same, I'm on a mobile , android ph
thanks. Can you please let me know if any other links to TS pages/posts/comments don't work for you, cheers.
also if the same thing happens after restarting your phone.
are you using the mobile or desktop version on your phone?
Restarted it, switched to desktop still going to 2014,only difference is on desktop it's a populated om.
well it is an Open Mike from 2014. Are you saying you can see the comments?
Doh yip on desktop comments show, missed the bit about it being a 10 year old post being linked to,
Easily confused 😕
Not to forget the Samson option.
Jim Jones/Marshall Applewhite territory.
Holy moley, that's grim.
We've got no idea how blessed we are to be born/live here.
The interim ruling issued by the court ordered Israel to take all measures to prevent genocidal acts, and to take effective steps to ensure the provision of humanitarian assistance to civilians
Whether Israel abides by the court's order to submit a report, or not. We won't need to wait one month to see what measures if any are being taken by Israel, to give affect to this order.
A 7.5% spending cut to Whaikaha the Ministry for Disabled people, Pacific Peoples, and so on is on the table. Shame on Nicola Willis, David Seymour, Winston Peters, and Chris Luxon and their parties!
The spending cuts range from 6.5 to 7.5%. This will have a devastating impact upon Aotearoa/New Zealand's ability to properly function for a long time.
In the name of austerity, Aotearoa/NZ is destroying itself.
We need to make this an one-term government.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/507659/the-public-service-agencies-asked-to-cut-spending
Across-the-board random-number cuts like this are a clear sign of blind ideology.
Cut 7.5%….what if the 7.5% cut ends up costing us 20%? What if the cut is socially very valuable compared to the proposed tax cuts for rich people? Don't know, no analysis, don't care.
Brilliant economic managers, my arse.
Here's the full list:
Agencies asked to make 7.5 percent cuts:
Ministry for Culture and Heritage
Ministry for Pacific Peoples
Ministry for Women
Whaikaha – Ministry for Disabled people
Ministry for Primary Industries
Ministry of Education
Ministry for the Environment
Ministry of Defence
Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment
Ministry of Housing and Urban Development
Ministry of Transport Public Service Commission
Statistics New Zealand
Agencies asked to make 6.5 percent cuts:
Department of Conservation
Department of Internal Affairs
Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet
Education Review Office
Executive Board for the Elimination of Family Violence and Sexual Violence
Inland Revenue Department
Justice Cluster (Crown Law Office, Department of Corrections, Ministry of Justice, New Zealand Police, Serious Fraud Office)
Land Information New Zealand
Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade
Ministry of Health
Ministry of Māori Development – Te Puni Kōkiri
Ministry of Social Development
New Zealand Customs Service
New Zealand Defence Force
Office of the Clerk of the House of Representatives
Oranga Tamariki – Ministry for Children
Parliamentary Counsel Office
Parliamentary Service
Te Arawhiti – Office for Māori Crown Relations
The Treasury
Te Arawhiti – Office for Māori Crown Relations
Department of Conservation
Department of Internal Affairs
I see there is no planned budget cut for the Ministry of Silly Smirks.
Big pay rise coming I believe!
Are Parliamentary services (or whichever body is reponsible) able to find savings by cutting MP expenses for things they can afford themselves out of their salaries, eg taxi fares to and from airports? (or make them take the airport bus when appropriate?)
Perhaps it's time to start means-testing politicians for everything over and above their base salaries. If they have over x amount of savings/assests that can be converted to cash/income from investments, then they don't need that accommodation allowance, travel allowance etc. If it's good enough for those at the bottom of the heap….
Rofl thats $83.3 million US thanks Donny
https://edition.cnn.com/politics/live-news/trump-trial-e-jean-carroll-01-26-24/index.html
One has to wonder if she will ever see a cent. The Chump has a long history of failure to pay.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/nicholasreimann/2020/10/27/report-trump-had-over-280-million-in-debt-forgiven-and-avoided-paying-taxes-on-most-of-it/?sh=286d09a57ac4
The Israeli appointed judge on the ICJ agreed with two of its interim judgments
https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/2024-01-26/ty-article/icj-rules-israel-must-avoid-genocidal-acts-in-gaza-stops-short-of-ordering-cease-fire/0000018d-4606-d35c-a39f-ee5e5b7e0000
The rising Europe to Asia shipping costs are having an impact on China.
https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/china-presses-iran-rein-houthi-attacks-red-sea-sources-say-2024-01-26/T
"At the crux of his inquiry into the key motive forces of our civilization’s course is Vogt’s insistence that while much is broken with the exploitive consumerism behind the world’s government and industry, much more depends on and is mendable by the concerted collective action of ordinary people."
It's up to us…
https://www.themarginalian.org/2021/02/18/william-vogt-road-to-survival/
"Drastic measures are inescapable. Above everything else, we must reorganize our thinking. If we are to escape the crash we must abandon all thought of living unto ourselves. We form an earth-company, and the lot of the Indiana farmer can no longer be isolated from that of the Bantu… An eroding hillside in Mexico or Yugoslavia affects the living standard and probability of survival of the American people… Today’s white bread may force a break in the levees, and flood New Orleans next spring. This year’s wheat from Australia’s eroding slopes may flare into a Japanese war three decades hence."
Link in previous comment 🙂
Living in the dumbest of times.
@EdMix13
Oh No! They're on to you guys. The jig is up,
@ProfBrianCox @bgreene @LKrauss1 @neiltyson
https://twitter.com/EdMix13/status/1750986613901910157
Chris Trotter is using very violent language:
"At the slightest sign that National was about welch on the Coalition Agreement, Act and NZ First were expected to shoot the Coalition Government in the head."
https://bowalleyroad.blogspot.com/2024/01/by-time-we-got-to-turangawaewae.html
This, from Chris Trotter:
"and if it then refuses to step away from the coalition and move to the cross-benches; then somewhere between a tenth and a fifth of the electorate – and possibly a lot more – will find themselves in the market for a political champion who rejects entirely the niceties of traditional Māori-Pakeha relations, in favour of a new and unabashed ethno-nationalist vocabulary and manifesto."
Watch out!
https://bowalleyroad.blogspot.com/2024/01/by-time-we-got-to-turangawaewae.html
is he talking about ACT voters? How are they wanting ethno-nationalism? Does he mean they will rally behind Pākehā identity?
Yes, I believe he is.
I guess they wouldn't call themselves Pākehā though. Presumably New Zealanders would be the term of choice.
Nowhere, now here, just saying' 🙂
Have a good night.
Maybe it is time for the Civilian under Beehive occupation to investigate.
Were they kiore, rats who came with the indigenous peoples migration?
https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/new-zealand/2024/01/dunedin-countdown-rat-infestation-being-treated-with-urgency-says-ministry-for-primary-industries.html
Or were they rats who came with an earlier people?
https://teara.govt.nz/en/when-was-new-zealand-first-settled/page-5
Should kiore who came before the Maori, or with the Maori, have no more rights than rats who came with European settlers?
https://frankmacskasy.substack.com/p/the-desperate-cynicism-of-david-seymour
PS Matiu Rata (ran a parliamentary comic library) and Door Mouse creates them, unlock the doors.
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5859970/