yes he has and it will backfire badly, both personally and for the party – guess what your legacy is now goff? – and the more you and your ‘team’ deny it – the worse it will get.
Absolutely disgraceful performance by Goff. I had hoped that with the political demise of Don Brash and Winston Peters we had seen the last of politicians cynically exploiting racism and bigoty for political gain.
I suspect there will be a good number of long-term Labour supporters and activists very unhappy with their party leadership at the moment. If there is an up-side to this sordid exercise in racism by Goff, it may be that the Greens will pick up support at Labour’s expense. But I’d still prefer he hadn’t descended into the sewer.
“I had hoped that with the political demise of Don Brash and Winston Peters we had seen the last of politicians cynically exploiting racism and bigoty for political gain.”
I don’t think you’ll see the last of politicians cynically exploiting racism and bigoty for political gain until you see the last of politicians.
Let’s talk about cynical for a moment.
I’m sorry but it seems to me that there is an idea that the Maori Party are somehow apolitical and should be shielded from crticism.
The reality is that the MP “cynically” support the Tory party in order to further their aims. The MP have cynically chosen to support some appalling pices of destructive legislation that will see this country – all of this country – damaged for years to come. The Maori Party cynically used the ETS (the disguisting, useless, Tory ETS) to leverage some concessions for their mates in the forestry industry and bypass legal processes relating to Treaty settlements. They and their mates are now lying about that process.
For that they deverve to be pilloried and exposed. Their agenda is now obviously one of a Tory Party. As such they deserve everything they get.
And actually Goff is right. The sort of backroom deal they’ve done in order to support a piece of shit legislation IS damaging to race relations in this country. Voters WILL be shocked at how cynbical it is. The National Party IS using the Maori Party to further their agenda and the MP are going along with it and by doing so under the guise of furthering Maori aspirations, the Maori Party ARE damaging race relations in this country.
Ron, I’m as angry as anyone about the Maori Party’s sellout in supporting watering down the ETS to something that will be completely ineffective.
Goff was right to attack them on that (even though Labour’s ETS would itself have been been only minimally effective in reducing greenhouse gas emissions), just as the Greens have attacked them on that.
But he didn’t stop there – he crossed the line by engaging in racist dog-whistling politics:
We can choose our future based on principle and with the interests of all New Zealanders at heart.
Or we can have a country where one New Zealander is turned against another, Maori against Pakeha, in a way that Labour strongly rejects.
Is it to be a modern democratic society, embodying the essential notion of one rule for all in a single nation state?
Or is it the racially divided nation, with two sets of laws, and two standards of citizenship, that the present Labour Government is moving us steadily towards?
Interestingly, both Brash’s and Goff’s speeches were entitled “Nationhood”.
Toad, that’s a crap comparison of quotes. I was half way through a post last night comparing the Orewa speech with Goff’s (when I noticed a better post already scheduled for today so I dropped it).
But go back and look at the two speeches side by side. They are very different beasts, and selectively quoting to make them look the same is not exactly helpful.
Yes those two quotes are effectively identical [edit: on further reflection they are not, one is a veiled attack on The Treaty and the other isn’t] – but what goes around them and along with them is not…
If people (Goff and his band of merry supporters) can’t understand that, then they really do have their heads in the sand. Hopefully below the water-mark, so when the tide comes in they’ll die politically and we’ll never have to deal with them again.
Interesting that none of the Standard posters have felt that this major speech is worth blogging about so far. I’m sure we’ll see something soon…
Personally I agree with r0b and despite seeing the potential dogwhistle in Goffs words, in this situation I actually agree with him with what he is trying to say there.
The way I interpret his words is that the way this current situation over the ETS will be interpreted by the populace will be that the Maori Party have leveraged their position in support of National to get more money for iwi through Treaty of Waitangi settlements.
I, personally, am very sensitive to the race issues in this country (as mentioned in other posts, I want to be a teacher and therefore have to be) and know more than well enough what a dogwhistle is. However, I think people are seeing in Goffs words what they want to see there and not what was actually being said.
“Oh no, he is complaining about the Maori taking advantage of their position to get their snouts further in the trough. Bad bad Phil Goff, how dare he!”
Ummmmm….. you can still vote for a political party even though you might not agree with everything the leader of the Party says.
Or do you think that Labour Party supporters are not entitled to critisise something like the Foreshore and seabed act because it was introduced and, (seemingly), still supported by the Party?
National supporters are well within their rights to critisize Goff for hypocracy. The last Labour government blasted Don Brash and were quite happy to label him a racist, and Goff was a senior part of that government. But when the polls are down Goff shows that he’s willing to do the same thing
Yep, Nat voters can allege hypocrisy but to do so they’re implicitly saying “Yes I’m a racist but so are you”. Otherwise there are no grounds for the complaint in the first place.
If you were cool with Brash’s racism, you don’t get to be offended by Goff’s.
Unless you are able to provide evidence that the particular National Party supporter actively supported Brash’s comments then it is nonsensical to try and argue that simply because they support National Party policies generally that means they are not able to critisise Goff.
Gos, if you voted for Brash you were at the least saying that his race baiting didn’t matter to you as much as tax cuts or whatever else you were voting for.
You don’t have to agree with everything a pollie says in order to vote for them. You still vote for them though, and that’s a package deal. You are still responsible for the package you voted for. The best you can say is that while I don’t like policy ‘x’, policy ‘y’ makes it a worthwhile trade off.
In other words, you are saying I’ll support x if you give me y.
I thought righties weere all about the responsibility for the actions and such. (not really, I’ve always thought they were shitting themselves about that)
However just because you make that decision doesn’t men you are not entitled to critisise either your own party leader for making comments you disagree with, or other party leaders who are doing something similar.
If Don Brash came out and stated Phil Goff’s latest comments were racist then Felix would be correct, it would be hypocritical.
It’s really simple Gos but I know you’re not the sharpest of pricks so I’ll walk you through it slowly:
1. National’s “Iwi vs Kiwi” campaign was so prominent, so omnipresent and so widely discussed that it is almost inconceivable that you could have voted in 2005 and not been aware of the publicly expressed, officially promoted views on race issues of the National Party and it’s leader.
2. If you voted for them you either explicitly or implicitly gave support to those views. (That’s what voting is, Gos). It doesn’t matter if you voted for them primarily because you wanted a tax cut or any other reason – the plain fact is that you voted for a party engaged in a well publicised campaign of racist stirring.
3. If you think Goff is dogwhistling the racists, then you must accept that Brash was doing so, and much more so as his language went far beyond anything Goff has said.
4. If you find yourself in the overlap of groups 2 and 3, you are either a hypocrite by definition or you’ve had a road-to-Damascus change of heart in the last few years.
Air New Zealand is being precious about Mike Pero’s Antarctic plane visit idea! Their criticism of him could apply to their own company’s actions at the time of the Erebus crash which took a determined judge to reveal plainly. I haven’t forgotten this business and many others haven’t either. It was our Lockerbie. Gadaffi was forced to pay big sums to redeem his country, Air NZ has got off lightly. They are being shown up as callous and parsimonious and don’t like it.
This country on the whole tends to lack integrity in our treatment to visitors who suffer disasters here. The slap on the hand to the pilot of the Mikhail Lermontov is another example of sliding out from the weight of responsibility by those at the top level. Then there are deaths from this poorly regulated adventure tourism, we have to nurture our tourism which involves doing the same to our tourists.
I’d sympathise more with Pero if he was simply trying to arrange a flight for those with connections to the Erebus disaster but from what I believe I heard him say on “PM” last night it’s open to anyone willing to pay, which makes it just a tourist flight.
Human activity of any kind in the Antarctic adversely affects the environment there and should be limited to essential science only. Even if Pero does give any profit he makes on the flight to charity as he says, he will have established that there is money to be made from tourist flights over the Antarctic which will simply make it a matter of time before the money-grubbers move in on it.
DM Mike Pero is being upfront that there is a cost, and that will have to be borne. Why is it wrong to say that. He mentioned $1 million I think. Calling it commercial shows a confused attitude – someone has to pay the cost even if its not-for-profit. Qantas isn’t going to and is Air NZ? They have taken a select group of relatives down to Antarctica but there are others who haven’t had the chance. Maybe the only way they will ever get to stand and remember and weep and wonder at the terrain there will be to pay and they will be lucky that Mike Pero is offering to organise and administer the trip which they wouldn’t be able to do themselves.
I agree that tourist activities should not be allowed in Antarctica. To have a bunch of wealthy people who want to gawk at it when that puts the delicate ecological balance in danger is disgraceful. No cruise ships, tourist flights etc. It should be something special, kept pristine and viewed from far away and simulations as we have in Christchurch, that can give an idea of conditions.
Tim Watkin (Pundit) and Gordon Campbell (Scoop) are two journalists who do have brains rather than jerking knees, and are often broadly similar in their thoughtful political analysis. But on this issue, they have two quite different perspectives. Worth a read.
I’ll add my 2 cents on Goff: I’d rather he hadn’t made the speech.
There are very valid criticisms in there. And we should never get to a stage where liberals/lefties feel constrained in attacking right-wing legislation from a right-wing government with the connivance of Ministers … who are from the Maori Party. The Labour leader should be no more or less trenchant in his criticism of crap like the ETS, just because cuddly Pita and Tariana are supporting the crap.
But he mixed in the Foreshore & Seabed, which was dumb, and overall he said (in effect): “Let’s talk about this, and get quick headlines … not on the economy or social justice or other social democratic values, not on the longer path, but the easy road instead.”
Stick to your core values, Phil. ETS bad. Privatising ACC bad. Service cuts bad. Lots of Tory bad. And when the Maori Party vote for them, then Maori Party bad. That’s the message you should be sending.
I too feel very let down by Goff on this, no problem with the message but choose your battles more wisely. What he should be doing is rallying the opposition to the ETS fiasco to a single combined position, regardless of party left right centre etc allegiances. Thats what a statesman would try to do, Goff comes up well short. The ship is sinking, and the fools are dancing on the decks.
For those of you intrigued by the open mike discussion about Richarg Gage AIA and bummed out because he was booked to speak in Wellington here is another chance to meet him in person and to listen to his presentation. You will once again have your chance to ask questions or debunk him.
Richard Gage is speaking in Auckland at the Trades Hall, 147 Great North Rd, Grey Lynn, on Monday, the 30th of November, from 6pm.** To book, please e-mail nz911truth@hotmail.com. While the presentation is free we appreciate gold coin donations to give to Richard for the financing of his journeys. His next stop will be Japan were he will be presenting his case in six cities and were he will be meeting with Yuki Fujita who is now one of the most powerful politicians in Japan since his party won in the last election. He is a full 911 activist and an amazingly courageous man (I met him last year in Sidney)
So hear it from the horses mouth and ask questions
Just wondering if you one of these sad lonely middle-aged women who has only their cat’s for company that require something completely bizarre to grasp on to like a massive earth shattering conspiracy theory to get you through another depressing day?
BTW Nice arguing from a number of logical fallacies in the Open Mike Thread 22/11/09 😉
[lprent: Don’t be a dickhead playing with stereotypes. If you want to do that then I’d suggest that you hire some porn and look at the plastic people.
While I’m sure that you try to wank yourself to sleep at night that is hardly the basis to run an argument on this site. Similarly tev’s lifestyle is also out of bounds unless you can make a point – that is something you singularly failed to do. In fact you sounded as ineffectual as a castration victim in denial.
Incidentally before you start complaining, read the policy. There is a point to this abuse. You nearly earned a ban but this seemed a more appropriate reprimand. ]
I am happily married. In fact I have been with the same lovely supportive man for over 22 years. I have three cats, fifteen chickens, two kunekune pigs and a never ending stream of young people wwoofing for us (willing workers on organic farms).
By the way for those of you I have just been notified by another happily married activist that Richard Gage will be on Close up tonight 7.00 pm NZ time 🙂 6 mins plus promo of BFT Trailer!
You, on the other hand Gossie looked like a highly frustrated young male in need of a good bonk but with your silly ha and that attitude I’m afraid it’s going to take a long time for you to ever get to know about good and fulfilling sex.
Why do I not find it strange that someone like you and Travellerev are good mates Felix?
Let’s remember it was Travellerev who started the personal abuse here I am just carrying on in the same vein.
Interesting that 9/11 Truthers feel the need to resort to attacking people personally rather than deal with the fact their Science is incredibly dodgy and the implications of their conspiracy theory truly wacky.
How dare you stroll about The Standard smearing your spite and smirking, unwashed igorance. Are you really so bereft of anything to say about a matter you pretend to know so much about that the best you can come up with is a Simpsons-age-group put down?
Haven’t read it yet but item on Werewolf by Catriona Maclennan called License to Prey on why government cannot or won’t legislate to rein in loan sharks. This is a major social problem for people on lower incomes. She has been talking about this for some time. Another example of government not doing its regulatory job to safeguard citizens against the more cunning and unscrupulous, with spurious economic arguments against.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10612070
Pity burt has been banned, I was going to put a bet on how long it would be until he came up with a “Labour did it, too”.
More importantly, now that the investigation is over there is one less reason to not explain why RW was allowed to resign. How long until JK explains?
Burt is welcome back on 1st December. But I’m afraid I can’t join you in looking forward to another zillion repetitions of his “Labour did it too” comment.
I don’t look forward to it either. The number of times I read something and think to myself “Oh no, here comes another “Labour did it, too” from burt” is almost enough to make me stop reading the Standard and actually do some work. The only way to make it fun is to try to guess how quick he can be.
I watched the interchange where he was banned and thought you were quite tolerant. In a way it was a bit of a pity, only in that I thought he had said some thought-provoking stuff on other, unrelated topics.
Yes, Burt sometimes seem to have a clue – which makes his endless repetition of the same nonsense all the more frustrating.
Since I’ve been feeling terrible for banning, and since you’ve put in a good word for him, I’ll lift the ban now. Burt, if he’s about, can come back now. Only please, FFS Burt, change the record.
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Laptop screens are essential for interacting with our devices and accessing information. However, when lines appear on the screen, it can be frustrating and disrupt productivity. Understanding the underlying causes of these lines is crucial for finding effective solutions. Types of Screen Lines Horizontal lines: Also known as scan ...
Right-clicking is a common and essential computer operation that allows users to access additional options and settings. While most desktop computers have dedicated right-click buttons on their mice, laptops often do not have these buttons due to space limitations. This article will provide a comprehensive guide on how to right-click ...
Powering up and shutting down your ASUS laptop is an essential task for any laptop user. Locating the power button can sometimes be a hassle, especially if you’re new to ASUS laptops. This article will provide a comprehensive guide on where to find the power button on different ASUS laptop ...
Dell laptops are renowned for their reliability, performance, and versatility. Whether you’re a student, a professional, or just someone who needs a reliable computing device, a Dell laptop can meet your needs. However, if you’re new to Dell laptops, you may be wondering how to get started. In this comprehensive ...
Two-thirds of the country think that “New Zealand’s economy is rigged to advantage the rich and powerful”. They also believe that “New Zealand needs a strong leader to take the country back from the rich and powerful”. These are just two of a handful of stunning new survey results released ...
In today’s digital world, screenshots have become an indispensable tool for communication and documentation. Whether you need to capture an important email, preserve a website page, or share an error message, screenshots allow you to quickly and easily preserve digital information. If you’re an Asus laptop user, there are several ...
A factory reset restores your Gateway laptop to its original factory settings, erasing all data, apps, and personalizations. This can be necessary to resolve software issues, remove viruses, or prepare your laptop for sale or transfer. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to factory reset your Gateway laptop: Method 1: ...
Our two-tiered system for veterans’ support is out of step with our closest partners, and all parties in Parliament should work together to fix it, Labour veterans’ affairs spokesperson Greg O’Connor said. ...
Stripping two Ministers of their portfolios just six months into the job shows Christopher Luxon’s management style is lacking, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said. ...
Tonight’s court decision to overturn the summons of the Children’s Minister has enabled the Crown to continue making decisions about Māori without evidence, says Te Pāti Māori spokesperson for Children, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. “The judicial system has this evening told the nation that this government can do whatever they want when ...
It appears Nicola Willis is about to pull the rug out from under the feet of local communities still dealing with the aftermath of last year’s severe weather, and local councils relying on funding to build back from these disasters. ...
The Government is making short-sighted changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA) that will take away environmental protection in favour of short-term profits, Labour’s environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
Labour welcomes the release of the report into the North Island weather events and looks forward to working with the Government to ensure that New Zealand is as prepared as it can be for the next natural disaster. ...
The Labour Party has called for the New Zealand Government to recognise Palestine, as a material step towards progressing the two-State solution needed to achieve a lasting peace in the region. ...
Some of our country’s most important work, stopping the sexual exploitation of children and violent extremism could go along with staff on the frontline at ports and airports. ...
The Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill will give projects such as new coal mines a ‘get out of jail free’ card to wreak havoc on the environment, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
The government's decision to reintroduce Three Strikes is a destructive and ineffective piece of law-making that will only exacerbate an inherently biased and racist criminal justice system, said Te Pāti Māori Justice Spokesperson, Tākuta Ferris, today. During the time Three Strikes was in place in Aotearoa, Māori and Pasifika received ...
Cuts to frontline hospital staff are not only a broken election promise, it shows the reckless tax cuts have well and truly hit the frontline of the health system, says Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall. ...
The Green Party has joined the call for public submissions on the fast-track legislation to be extended after the Ombudsman forced the Government to release the list of organisations invited to apply just hours before submissions close. ...
New Zealand’s good work at reducing climate emissions for three years in a row will be undone by the National government’s lack of ambition and scrapping programmes that were making a difference, Labour Party climate spokesperson Megan Woods said today. ...
More essential jobs could be on the chopping block, this time Ministry of Education staff on the school lunches team are set to find out whether they're in line to lose their jobs. ...
Te Pāti Māori is disgusted at the confirmation that hundreds are set to lose their jobs at Oranga Tamariki, and the disestablishment of the Treaty Response Unit. “This act of absolute carelessness and out of touch decision making is committing tamariki to state abuse.” Said Te Pāti Māori Oranga Tamariki ...
The Government is trying to bring in a law that will allow Ministers to cut corners and kill off native species, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said. ...
Cancelling urgently needed new Cook Strait ferries and hiking the cost of public transport for many Kiwis so that National can announce the prospect of another tunnel for Wellington is not making good choices, Labour Transport Spokesperson Tangi Utikere said. ...
A laundry list of additional costs for Tāmaki Makarau Auckland shows the Minister for the city is not delivering for the people who live there, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...
Te Pāti Māori co-leader Rawiri Waititi, and Mema Paremata mō Tāmaki-Makaurau, Takutai Tarsh Kemp, will travel to the Gold Coast to strengthen ties with Māori in Australia next week (15-21 April). The visit, in the lead-up to the 9th Australian National Kapa haka Festival, will be an opportunity for both ...
The Green Party has today launched a step-by-step guide to help New Zealanders make their voice heard on the Government’s democracy dodging and anti-environment fast track legislation. ...
The National Government’s proposed changes to the Residential Tenancies Act will mean tenants can be turfed from their homes by landlords with little notice, Labour housing spokesperson Kieran McAnulty said. ...
Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson is calling on all parties to support a common-sense change that’s great for the planet and great for consumers after her member’s bill was drawn from the ballot today. ...
A significant milestone has been reached in the fight to strike an anti-Pasifika and unfair law from the country’s books after Teanau Tuiono’s members’ bill passed its first reading. ...
New Zealand has today missed the opportunity to uphold the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment, says James Shaw after his member’s bill was voted down in its first reading. ...
Today’s advice from the Climate Change Commission paints a sobering reality of the challenge we face in combating climate change, especially in light of recent Government policy announcements. ...
Minister for Disability Issues Penny Simmonds appears to have delayed a report back to Cabinet on the progress New Zealand is making against international obligations for disabled New Zealanders. ...
Distinguished guests - It is an honour to return once again to this site which, as the resting place for so many of our war-dead, has become a sacred place for generations of New Zealanders. Our presence here and at the other special spaces of Gallipoli is made ...
Mai ia tawhiti pamamao, te moana nui a Kiwa, kua tae whakaiti mai matou, ki to koutou papa whenua. No koutou te tapuwae, no matou te tapuwae, kua honoa pumautia. Ko nga toa kua hinga nei, o te Waipounamu, o te Ika a Maui, he okioki tahi me o ...
Paul Goldsmith will take on responsibility for the Media and Communications portfolio, while Louise Upston will pick up the Disability Issues portfolio, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon announced today. “Our Government is relentlessly focused on getting New Zealand back on track. As issues change in prominence, I plan to adjust Ministerial ...
Recreational catch limits will be reduced in areas of Fiordland and the Chatham Islands to help keep those fisheries healthy and sustainable, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The lower recreational daily catch limits for a range of finfish and shellfish species caught in the Fiordland Marine Area and ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed an important milestone in New Zealand’s hydrogen future, with the opening of the country’s first network of hydrogen refuelling stations in Wiri. “I want to congratulate the team at Hiringa Energy and its partners K one W one (K1W1), Mitsui & Co New Zealand ...
The coalition Government is delivering on its commitment to improve resource management laws and give greater certainty to consent applicants, with a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) expected to be introduced to Parliament next month. RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop has today outlined the first RMA Amendment ...
Overseas models for regulating the oil and gas sector, including their decommissioning regimes, are being carefully scrutinised as a potential template for New Zealand’s own sector, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. The Coalition Government is focused on rebuilding investor confidence in New Zealand’s energy sector as it looks to strengthen ...
Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell has today released the Report of the Government Inquiry into the response to the North Island Severe Weather Events. “The report shows that New Zealand’s emergency management system is not fit-for-purpose and there are some significant gaps we need to address,” Mr Mitchell ...
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith is today travelling to Europe where he’ll update the United Nations Human Rights Council on the Government’s work to restore law and order. “Attending the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva provides us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while ...
Associate Agriculture Minister, Mark Patterson, formally reopened the world’s largest wool processing facility today in Awatoto, Napier, following a $50 million rebuild and refurbishment project. “The reopening of this facility will significantly lift the economic opportunities available to New Zealand’s wool sector, which already accounts for 20 per cent of ...
Hon Andrew Bayly, Minister for Small Business and Manufacturing At the Southland Otago Regional Engineering Collective (SOREC) Summit, 18 April, Dunedin Ngā mihi nui, Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Ko Whanganui aho Good Afternoon and thank you for inviting me to open your summit today. I am delighted ...
The Government is delivering on its commitment to bring back the Three Strikes legislation, Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee announced today. “Our Government is committed to restoring law and order and enforcing appropriate consequences on criminals. We are making it clear that repeat serious violent or sexual offending is not ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has today announced four new diplomatic appointments for New Zealand’s overseas missions. “Our diplomats have a vital role in maintaining and protecting New Zealand’s interests around the world,” Mr Peters says. “I am pleased to announce the appointment of these senior diplomats from the ...
New Zealand is contributing NZ$7 million to support communities affected by severe food insecurity and other urgent humanitarian needs in Ethiopia and Somalia, Foreign Minister Rt Hon Winston Peters announced today. “Over 21 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance across Ethiopia, with a further 6.9 million people ...
Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage Paul Goldsmith is congratulating Mataaho Collective for winning the Golden Lion for best participant in the main exhibition at the Venice Biennale. "Congratulations to the Mataaho Collective for winning one of the world's most prestigious art prizes at the Venice Biennale. “It is good ...
The Government is reforming financial services to improve access to home loans and other lending, and strengthen customer protections, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly and Housing Minister Chris Bishop announced today. “Our coalition Government is committed to rebuilding the economy and making life simpler by cutting red tape. We are ...
“China remains a strong commercial opportunity for Kiwi exporters as Chinese businesses and consumers continue to value our high-quality safe produce,” Trade and Agriculture Minister Todd McClay says. Mr McClay has returned to New Zealand following visits to Beijing, Harbin and Shanghai where he met ministers, governors and mayors and engaged in trade and agricultural events with the New ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has completed a successful trip to Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines, deepening relationships and capitalising on opportunities. Mr Luxon was accompanied by a business delegation and says the choice of countries represents the priority the New Zealand Government places on South East Asia, and our relationships in ...
New Zealand is demonstrating its commitment to reducing global greenhouse emissions, and supporting clean energy transition in South East Asia, through a contribution of NZ$41 million (US$25 million) in climate finance to the Asian Development Bank (ADB)-led Energy Transition Mechanism (ETM). Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Climate Change Minister Simon Watts announced ...
The Government is today releasing a list of organisations who received letters about the Fast-track applications process, says RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop. “Recently Ministers and agencies have received a series of OIA requests for a list of organisations to whom I wrote with information on applying to have a ...
Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister David Jonathan Boldt as a Judge of the High Court, and the Honourable Justice Matthew Palmer as a Judge of the Court of Appeal. Justice Boldt graduated with an LLB from Victoria University of Wellington in 1990, and also holds ...
Education Minister Erica Stanford will lead the New Zealand delegation at the 2024 International Summit on the Teaching Profession (ISTP) held in Singapore. The delegation includes representatives from the Post Primary Teachers’ Association (PPTA) Te Wehengarua and the New Zealand Educational Institute (NZEI) Te Riu Roa. The summit is co-hosted ...
A stopbank upgrade project in Tairawhiti partly funded by the Government has increased flood resilience for around 7000ha of residential and horticultural land so far, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones today attended a dawn service in Gisborne to mark the end of the first stage of the ...
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters will represent the Government at Anzac Day commemorations on the Gallipoli Peninsula next week and engage with senior representatives of the Turkish government in Istanbul. “The Gallipoli campaign is a defining event in our history. It will be a privilege to share the occasion ...
Science, Innovation and Technology and Defence Minister Judith Collins will next week attend the OECD Science and Technology Ministerial conference in Paris and Anzac Day commemorations in Belgium. “Science, innovation and technology have a major role to play in rebuilding our economy and achieving better health, environmental and social outcomes ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with the President of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos Jr. The Prime Minister was accompanied by MP Paulo Garcia, the first Filipino to be elected to a legislature outside the Philippines. During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon and President Marcos Jr discussed opportunities to ...
The Government has announced that $20 million in funding will be made available to Westport to fund much needed flood protection around the town. This measure will significantly improve the resilience of the community, says Local Government Minister Simeon Brown. “The Westport community has already been allocated almost $3 million ...
The Government is proud to support the first ever Repco Supercars Championship event in Taupō as up to 70,000 motorsport fans attend the Taupō International Motorsport Park this weekend, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. “Anticipation for the ITM Taupō Super400 is huge, with tickets and accommodation selling out weeks ...
Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced an increase to the Rates Rebate Scheme, putting money back into the pockets of low-income homeowners. “The coalition Government is committed to bringing down the cost of living for New Zealanders. That includes targeted support for those Kiwis who are doing things tough, such ...
The Coalition Government is investing in a project to boost survival rates of New Zealand mussels and grow the industry, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones has announced. “This project seeks to increase the resilience of our mussels and significantly boost the sector’s productivity,” Mr Jones says. “The project - ...
Benefit figures released today underscore the importance of the Government’s plan to rebuild the economy and have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker Support, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “Benefit numbers are still significantly higher than when National was last in government, when there was about 70,000 fewer ...
The Government’s commitment to doubling New Zealand’s renewable energy capacity is backed by new data showing that clean energy has helped the country reach its lowest annual gross emissions since 1999, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. New Zealand’s latest Greenhouse Gas Inventory (1990-2022) published today, shows gross emissions fell ...
The Government is bringing the earthquake-prone building review forward, with work to start immediately, and extending the deadline for remediations by four years, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “Our Government is focused on rebuilding the economy. A key part of our plan is to cut red tape that ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and his Thai counterpart, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, have today agreed that New Zealand and the Kingdom of Thailand will upgrade the bilateral relationship to a Strategic Partnership by 2026. “New Zealand and Thailand have a lot to offer each other. We have a strong mutual desire to build ...
RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop and Transport Minister Simeon Brown have today announced the Coalition Government’s intention to extend port coastal permits for a further 20 years, providing port operators with certainty to continue their operations. “The introduction of the Resource Management Act in 1991 required ports to obtain coastal ...
Today’s announcement that inflation is down to 4 per cent is encouraging news for Kiwis, but there is more work to be done - underlining the importance of the Government’s plan to get the economy back on track, acting Finance Minister Chris Bishop says. “Inflation is now at 4 per ...
Refreshed health guidance released today will help parents and schools make informed decisions about whether their child needs to be in school, addressing one of the key issues affecting school attendance, says Associate Education Minister David Seymour. In recent years, consistently across all school terms, short-term illness or medical reasons ...
Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones is streamlining high-level oceans management while maintaining a focus on supporting the sector’s role in the export-led recovery of the economy. “I am working to realise the untapped potential of our fishing and aquaculture sector. To achieve that we need to be smarter with ...
I was initially resistant to the idea often suggested to me that the Government should deliver an arts strategy. The whole point of the arts and creativity is that people should do whatever the hell they want, unbound by the dictates of politicians in Wellington. Peter Jackson, Kiri Te Kanawa, Eleanor ...
Associate Agriculture Minister Mark Patterson is speaking at the International Wool Textile Organisation Congress in Adelaide, promoting New Zealand wool, and outlining the coalition Government’s support for the revitalisation the sector. "New Zealand’s wool exports reached $400 million in the year to 30 June 2023, and the coalition Government ...
The Commissioner's decision validates the longstanding efforts of the local community and ensures that Awataha Marae will be managed to serve the needs of the local community, particularly for hosting tangihanga. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tristan Salles, Associate professor, University of Sydney Examples of Australian landscapes.Unsplash Seventy thousand years ago, the sea level was much lower than today. Australia, along with New Guinea and Tasmania, formed a connected landmass known as Sahul. Around this time – ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Felicity Castagna, Lecturer, Creative Writing, Western Sydney University Day Day Market, ParramattaPhoto: Garry Trinh I live on the edge of Parramatta, Australia’s fastest-growing city, on the kind of old-fashioned suburban street that has 1950s fibros constructed in the post-war housing boom, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michael Ryan, Teaching Fellow in Economics, University of Waikato GettyImagesfatido/Getty Images There is an ongoing global debate over whether the high inflation seen in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic can be lowered without a recession. New Zealand is not ...
The ‘Wicked Game’ heartthrob is in his late 60s now. That didn’t stop him putting on a lively, goofy and very sparkly show. Apart from ‘Wicked Game’, which graces a sultry playlist of mine simply called 💋, my last sustained Chris Isaak listening session took place when I was about ...
Analysis - Two ministers were stripped of portfolios in a warning to Cabinet, drama broke out at the Waitangi Tribunal, and the gang patch ban bill ran into opposition. ...
Tara Ward makes an impassioned plea for some vital pop culture merch. In April 1999, I became obsessed with a new reality television show called Popstars. Every Tuesday night, five strangers transformed into music royalty before my very eyes as Joe, Keri, Carly, Erika and Megan were chosen to form ...
PNG Post-Courier In the early hours of ANZAC Day, aerial photographs captured an impressive gathering of Australians and Papua New Guineans at Isurava in the Northern (Oro) Province. The solemn dawn service yesterday was held at a site steeped in history, where some of the fiercest battles of World War ...
The PSA is shocked that Oranga Tamariki has used the cost cutting drive to downgrade its commitment to Te Ao Māori and remove many specialist Māori roles. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ian Kemish, Adjunct Professor, School of Historical and Philosophical Inquiry, The University of Queensland There can be no more powerful symbol of the relationship between Australia and Papua New Guinea than the prime ministers of these neighbouring countries walking together on the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sharon Robinson, Distinguished Professor and Deputy Director of ARC Securing Antarctica’s Environmental Future (SAEF), University of Wollongong, University of Wollongong Andrew Netherwood Over the last 25 years, the ozone hole which forming over Antarctica each spring has started to shrink. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Viktoria Kahui, Senior Lecturer in Environmental Economics, University of Otago Getty Images/Amy Toensing Biodiversity is declining at rates unprecedented in human history. This suggests the ways we currently use to manage our natural environment are failing. One emerging concept focuses on ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Timothy Colin Bednall, Associate Professor in Management, Swinburne University of Technology marvent/Shutterstock Finding the best person to fill a position can be tough, from drafting a job ad to producing a shortlist of top interview candidates. Employers typically consider information from ...
Wondering where to host your next BYO? Whether its a small gathering or a massive party, we’ve got some recommendations. I was first introduced to the concept of BYOs at Dunedin’s India Gardens, a legendary but sadly defunct establishment, which purveyed enormous quantities of mango chicken to Aotearoa’s drunkest future ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Julien Cooper, Honorary Lecturer, Department of History and Archaeology, Macquarie University Julien Cooper The hyper-arid desert of Eastern Sudan, the Atbai Desert, seems like an unlikely place to find evidence of ancient cattle herders. But in this dry environment, my new ...
The sector says it’s hopeful her replacement Paul Goldsmith will be able to throw it a lifeline, after six months with a minister deemed missing in action, writes Catherine McGregor in this excerpt from The Bulletin, The Spinoff’s morning news round-up. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign ...
The government can't just rely on axing public sector jobs and has to do more to cut spending, says the chief economist at a free market think tank. ...
Rock The Vote NZ, known for its advocacy for minor party unity and its role within the Freedoms NZ Coalition during the 2023 General Election, celebrates this merger as a strategic enhancement of its operational strength and outreach. ...
Nearly everyone has experienced the frustration of something you use breaking and being difficult or expensive to fix. Proposed legislation could change that. It’s been raining on and off all Sunday afternoon but people are lining up outside a building in a corner of Gribblehirst Park in Sandringham, Auckland. In ...
What does a forever relationship look like when you don’t believe in marriage? And how do you celebrate it? This essay is part of our Sunday Essay series, made possible thanks to the support of Creative New Zealand.I’m going to do it, right now. I’m going to say ...
It’s not that long ago Eliza McCartney was seriously wondering if the Paris Olympics would be her pole vaulting swansong. After years of being hounded by injury after injury, the Rio Olympics bronze medallist was still confident she would compete at her second Olympics in Paris in July, unless something ...
FICTION 1 Take Two by Danielle Hawkins (Allen & Unwin, $36.99) There’s commercial fiction, like this book, and then there’s quality fiction, quality writers, quality literature; the forthcoming Auckland Writers Festival is full of quality, and ReadingRoom has two tickets to give away to the following events: Paul Lynch (Dublin ...
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You can’t have missed the Gallipoli story as the movies, documentaries, essays and books capture what it was like for New Zealand troops in their eight-month campaign on the Peninsula. But this Anzac Day the Auckland War Memorial Museum has published a book that sheds light on a little-known aspect of the ...
The Prime Minister has committed to resuming direct flights to Thailand. But it’s not a promise he will be able to deliver on anytime soon. The post Prime Minister jumps the gun in Thailand appeared first on Newsroom. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra In the free-for-all between the Australian government and Big Tech boss Elon Musk this week, the government had to be on a winner. Most people would have little sympathy with Musk’s vociferous opposition to ...
Asia Pacific Report Chief Mandla Mandela, a member of the National Assembly of South Africa and Nelson Mandela’s grandson, has joined the Freedom Flotilla in istanbul as the ships prepare to sail for Gaza, reports Kia Ora Gaza. Mandela is also the ambassador for the Global Campaign to Return to ...
Pacific Media Watch Journalists who report on environmental issues are encountering growing difficulties in many parts of the world, reports Reporters Without Borders. According to the tally kept by RSF, 200 journalists have been subjected to threats and physical violence, including murder, in the past 10 years because they were ...
Analysis by Dr Bryce Edwards, Democracy Project (https://democracyproject.nz)Political scientist, Dr Bryce Edwards. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has surprised everyone with his ruthlessness in sacking two of his ministers from their crucial portfolios. Removing ministers for poor performance after only five months in the job just doesn’t normally happen in ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Hawkins, Senior Lecturer, Canberra School of Politics, Economics and Society, University of Canberra BagzhanSadvakassov/Upsplash, CC BY-SA Australia’s inflation rate has fallen for the fifth successive quarter, and it’s now less than half of what it was back in late 2022. ...
ACT's Rural Communities and Veterans spokesman Mark Cameron responds to cancellations and protests of ANZAC Day commemorations in Wellington. He says, "These pitiful attempts to detract from ANZAC Day are not at all indicative of the feelings of mainstream ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Meighen McCrae, Associate Professor of Strategic & Defence Studies, Australian National University American and Australian stretcher bearers working together near the front line during the Battle of Hamel in 1918.Australian War Memorial While the AUKUS alliance is new, the Australian-American partnership ...
Pōneke based peace activists staged a silent protest at the ANZAC day service to highlight New Zealand’s complicity in war and genocide, and urge the government to take concrete steps to stop the genocide in Palestine. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Magdalena M.E. Bunbury, Postdoctoral Researcher, James Cook University Burial with a horse at the Rákóczifalva site, Hungary (8th century AD).Sándor Hegedűs, Hungarian National Museum, CC BY How do we understand past societies? For centuries, our main sources of information have been ...
Amanda Thompson doesn’t really do Anzac Day. But what she does do is remember the people she knew who had a lifetime to remember stuff they didn’t really want to, because of a war they didn’t ask for. And she does make Anzac biscuits.First published in 2021.All my ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kathryn Willis, Postdoctoral Researcher, CSIRO Xavier Boulenger/Shutterstock In the two decades to 2019, global plastic production doubled. By 2040, plastic manufacturing and processing could consume as much as 20% of global oil production and use up 15% of the annual carbon ...
With our collective remembrance, and steadfast belief in our common humanity, we strengthen our hope and resolve to do what we can to foster dialogue and understanding, and to heal divisions in our pursuit of peace. ...
Principal reasons for the opposition is the loss of the public’s democratic right to have “a fair say” and the vital need for a government free from corruption, said Casey Cravens of Dunedin, president of the New Zealand Federation of Freshwater ...
Never mind the scoreboard – in the 2000 Bledisloe Cup decider, the real trans-Tasman battle was won before kickoff.First published in 2016. The dawn of the new millennium was a dark time for the All Blacks. Their final game pre-Y2K was a 22-18 loss to South Africa in the ...
I’m on the wrong side of 40, I never pursued creative work and now my job is killing my soul. Help! Want Hera’s help? Email your problem to helpme@thespinoff.co.nzDear Hera,May I start with the least original conversation opener you’re likely to hear around the motu at the moment, particularly in Wellington: ...
“Never again - No AUKUS” was the message of the wreath laid at this morning’s national ANZAC Day commemorative service at Pukeahu National War Memorial Park this morning by the Stop AUKUS group. ...
Until this month, Auckland swimmer Hazel Ouwehand had never met a qualifying time in an Olympic event for a New Zealand team, even as a junior. Now she’s very likely off to the Paris Olympics after swimming well under the qualifying standard in the 100m butterfly twice – both in ...
While Anzac Day has experienced a resurgence in recent years, our other day of remembrance has slowly faded from view.The Sunday Essay is made possible thanks to the support of Creative New Zealand. Original illustrations by Hope McConnell.First published in 2022.The high school’s head girl and ...
Australian and New Zealand volunteers fought together in the Waikato War, yet still its place in the Anzac tradition is unacknowledged by our defence forces or Returned Services Association.First published in 2018.When I was a boy cub I attended Anzac Day services in the South Auckland suburb of ...
A poem by Wellington writer Tayi Tibble.Hoki Mai She kisses him goodbye with her eyes still wet and alight from their last swim in the Awatere river. At the train station celebration, she leads the Kapa Haka but her voice keeps breaking under and over itself like waves. ...
A poem from Bill Manhire’s 2017 book of verse Some Things to Place in a Coffin.My World War I Poem Inside each trench, the sound of prayer. Inside each prayer, the sound of digging. Image courtesy of Auckland War Memorial Museum. ...
There are three books I have wolfed down in one sitting over the last two years. Colleen Maria Lenihan’s gorgeous and sad debut Kōhine, Noelle McCarthy’s memoir Grand about becoming her mother and then unbecoming her, and now Hine Toa, a staunch yet gentle self-portrait by living legend Ngāhuia te ...
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http://norightturn.blogspot.com/2009/11/goff-plays-race-card.html
yes he has and it will backfire badly, both personally and for the party – guess what your legacy is now goff? – and the more you and your ‘team’ deny it – the worse it will get.
Still can’t find the racism in that speech.
Absolutely disgraceful performance by Goff. I had hoped that with the political demise of Don Brash and Winston Peters we had seen the last of politicians cynically exploiting racism and bigoty for political gain.
I suspect there will be a good number of long-term Labour supporters and activists very unhappy with their party leadership at the moment. If there is an up-side to this sordid exercise in racism by Goff, it may be that the Greens will pick up support at Labour’s expense. But I’d still prefer he hadn’t descended into the sewer.
“I had hoped that with the political demise of Don Brash and Winston Peters we had seen the last of politicians cynically exploiting racism and bigoty for political gain.”
I don’t think you’ll see the last of politicians cynically exploiting racism and bigoty for political gain until you see the last of politicians.
Let’s talk about cynical for a moment.
I’m sorry but it seems to me that there is an idea that the Maori Party are somehow apolitical and should be shielded from crticism.
The reality is that the MP “cynically” support the Tory party in order to further their aims. The MP have cynically chosen to support some appalling pices of destructive legislation that will see this country – all of this country – damaged for years to come. The Maori Party cynically used the ETS (the disguisting, useless, Tory ETS) to leverage some concessions for their mates in the forestry industry and bypass legal processes relating to Treaty settlements. They and their mates are now lying about that process.
For that they deverve to be pilloried and exposed. Their agenda is now obviously one of a Tory Party. As such they deserve everything they get.
And actually Goff is right. The sort of backroom deal they’ve done in order to support a piece of shit legislation IS damaging to race relations in this country. Voters WILL be shocked at how cynbical it is. The National Party IS using the Maori Party to further their agenda and the MP are going along with it and by doing so under the guise of furthering Maori aspirations, the Maori Party ARE damaging race relations in this country.
Ron, I’m as angry as anyone about the Maori Party’s sellout in supporting watering down the ETS to something that will be completely ineffective.
Goff was right to attack them on that (even though Labour’s ETS would itself have been been only minimally effective in reducing greenhouse gas emissions), just as the Greens have attacked them on that.
But he didn’t stop there – he crossed the line by engaging in racist dog-whistling politics:
Compare Brash at Orewa:
Interestingly, both Brash’s and Goff’s speeches were entitled “Nationhood”.
Spot on, Toad. It’s fairly subtle but it’s there all right.
Goff had the opportunity to quite legitimately take the moral high ground in criticizing the actions of the maori party and he blew it.
Toad, that’s a crap comparison of quotes. I was half way through a post last night comparing the Orewa speech with Goff’s (when I noticed a better post already scheduled for today so I dropped it).
But go back and look at the two speeches side by side. They are very different beasts, and selectively quoting to make them look the same is not exactly helpful.
Yes those two quotes are effectively identical [edit: on further reflection they are not, one is a veiled attack on The Treaty and the other isn’t] – but what goes around them and along with them is not…
Nah r0b, it’s about right.
They both have the same theme at their heart – this race stuff isn’t useful, Maori should just put their grievance behind them, and that they’re the unreasonable ones. Lew expressed this idea very clearly.
If people (Goff and his band of merry supporters) can’t understand that, then they really do have their heads in the sand. Hopefully below the water-mark, so when the tide comes in they’ll die politically and we’ll never have to deal with them again.
Interesting that none of the Standard posters have felt that this major speech is worth blogging about so far. I’m sure we’ll see something soon…
Yes George – there”s one in the works (we’re all busy volunteers eh!). I’ll leave further discussion until then…
Personally I agree with r0b and despite seeing the potential dogwhistle in Goffs words, in this situation I actually agree with him with what he is trying to say there.
The way I interpret his words is that the way this current situation over the ETS will be interpreted by the populace will be that the Maori Party have leveraged their position in support of National to get more money for iwi through Treaty of Waitangi settlements.
I, personally, am very sensitive to the race issues in this country (as mentioned in other posts, I want to be a teacher and therefore have to be) and know more than well enough what a dogwhistle is. However, I think people are seeing in Goffs words what they want to see there and not what was actually being said.
“Oh no, he is complaining about the Maori taking advantage of their position to get their snouts further in the trough. Bad bad Phil Goff, how dare he!”
New banking regulations — UK edition.
While it’s valid for those on the left to be critical of Goff’s race-baiting, it’s a bit bloody rich for Nat supporters to do so.
It’s wrong when the Nats do it and it’s wrong when Labour does it.
If you’re a Nat supporter, tread very carefully around this.
So are you claiming the only people who can be critical of someone using race in a political way are left wingers?
No. Why would you think I said that?
Because that is one way of reading your last reply.
National Party supporters have just as much right to critisise Goff on this issue than anyone else.
Whatevs. If you voted for Brash you can shut the feck up about Goff.
It’s not a complex point I’m making, but it seems to be well over your head for some reason.
Ummmmm….. you can still vote for a political party even though you might not agree with everything the leader of the Party says.
Or do you think that Labour Party supporters are not entitled to critisise something like the Foreshore and seabed act because it was introduced and, (seemingly), still supported by the Party?
See blow, Gos. I typed it slowly for you.
No he’s not. He is saying that anyone that went out and voted for Brash hasn’t got a leg to fucking stand on in criticisng Goff.
Do you disagree?
…and the other side to this is that those who rushed to criticise Brash, now have no choice but to criticise Goff????
National supporters are well within their rights to critisize Goff for hypocracy. The last Labour government blasted Don Brash and were quite happy to label him a racist, and Goff was a senior part of that government. But when the polls are down Goff shows that he’s willing to do the same thing
Yep, Nat voters can allege hypocrisy but to do so they’re implicitly saying “Yes I’m a racist but so are you”. Otherwise there are no grounds for the complaint in the first place.
If you were cool with Brash’s racism, you don’t get to be offended by Goff’s.
Unless you are able to provide evidence that the particular National Party supporter actively supported Brash’s comments then it is nonsensical to try and argue that simply because they support National Party policies generally that means they are not able to critisise Goff.
Gos, if you voted for Brash you were at the least saying that his race baiting didn’t matter to you as much as tax cuts or whatever else you were voting for.
You don’t have to agree with everything a pollie says in order to vote for them. You still vote for them though, and that’s a package deal. You are still responsible for the package you voted for. The best you can say is that while I don’t like policy ‘x’, policy ‘y’ makes it a worthwhile trade off.
In other words, you are saying I’ll support x if you give me y.
I thought righties weere all about the responsibility for the actions and such. (not really, I’ve always thought they were shitting themselves about that)
To an extent I agree with you PB.
However just because you make that decision doesn’t men you are not entitled to critisise either your own party leader for making comments you disagree with, or other party leaders who are doing something similar.
If Don Brash came out and stated Phil Goff’s latest comments were racist then Felix would be correct, it would be hypocritical.
It’s really simple Gos but I know you’re not the sharpest of pricks so I’ll walk you through it slowly:
1. National’s “Iwi vs Kiwi” campaign was so prominent, so omnipresent and so widely discussed that it is almost inconceivable that you could have voted in 2005 and not been aware of the publicly expressed, officially promoted views on race issues of the National Party and it’s leader.
2. If you voted for them you either explicitly or implicitly gave support to those views. (That’s what voting is, Gos). It doesn’t matter if you voted for them primarily because you wanted a tax cut or any other reason – the plain fact is that you voted for a party engaged in a well publicised campaign of racist stirring.
3. If you think Goff is dogwhistling the racists, then you must accept that Brash was doing so, and much more so as his language went far beyond anything Goff has said.
4. If you find yourself in the overlap of groups 2 and 3, you are either a hypocrite by definition or you’ve had a road-to-Damascus change of heart in the last few years.
It’s not a complicated assertion I’m making, Gos.
That doesn’t quite follow. You’re comparing an action with a lack of action.
Wonder if we’ll see John Ansell hired by Labour for their 2011 billboard design.
Air New Zealand is being precious about Mike Pero’s Antarctic plane visit idea! Their criticism of him could apply to their own company’s actions at the time of the Erebus crash which took a determined judge to reveal plainly. I haven’t forgotten this business and many others haven’t either. It was our Lockerbie. Gadaffi was forced to pay big sums to redeem his country, Air NZ has got off lightly. They are being shown up as callous and parsimonious and don’t like it.
This country on the whole tends to lack integrity in our treatment to visitors who suffer disasters here. The slap on the hand to the pilot of the Mikhail Lermontov is another example of sliding out from the weight of responsibility by those at the top level. Then there are deaths from this poorly regulated adventure tourism, we have to nurture our tourism which involves doing the same to our tourists.
Spot on the money there Prism. Good post.
I’d sympathise more with Pero if he was simply trying to arrange a flight for those with connections to the Erebus disaster but from what I believe I heard him say on “PM” last night it’s open to anyone willing to pay, which makes it just a tourist flight.
Human activity of any kind in the Antarctic adversely affects the environment there and should be limited to essential science only. Even if Pero does give any profit he makes on the flight to charity as he says, he will have established that there is money to be made from tourist flights over the Antarctic which will simply make it a matter of time before the money-grubbers move in on it.
DM Mike Pero is being upfront that there is a cost, and that will have to be borne. Why is it wrong to say that. He mentioned $1 million I think. Calling it commercial shows a confused attitude – someone has to pay the cost even if its not-for-profit. Qantas isn’t going to and is Air NZ? They have taken a select group of relatives down to Antarctica but there are others who haven’t had the chance. Maybe the only way they will ever get to stand and remember and weep and wonder at the terrain there will be to pay and they will be lucky that Mike Pero is offering to organise and administer the trip which they wouldn’t be able to do themselves.
I agree that tourist activities should not be allowed in Antarctica. To have a bunch of wealthy people who want to gawk at it when that puts the delicate ecological balance in danger is disgraceful. No cruise ships, tourist flights etc. It should be something special, kept pristine and viewed from far away and simulations as we have in Christchurch, that can give an idea of conditions.
Re – Goff
Tim Watkin (Pundit) and Gordon Campbell (Scoop) are two journalists who do have brains rather than jerking knees, and are often broadly similar in their thoughtful political analysis. But on this issue, they have two quite different perspectives. Worth a read.
http://gordoncampbell.scoop.co.nz/2009/11/27/gordon-campbell-on-phil-goff-and-the-race-card/
http://pundit.co.nz/content/labours-dangerous-dirty-path
I’ll add my 2 cents on Goff: I’d rather he hadn’t made the speech.
There are very valid criticisms in there. And we should never get to a stage where liberals/lefties feel constrained in attacking right-wing legislation from a right-wing government with the connivance of Ministers … who are from the Maori Party. The Labour leader should be no more or less trenchant in his criticism of crap like the ETS, just because cuddly Pita and Tariana are supporting the crap.
But he mixed in the Foreshore & Seabed, which was dumb, and overall he said (in effect): “Let’s talk about this, and get quick headlines … not on the economy or social justice or other social democratic values, not on the longer path, but the easy road instead.”
Stick to your core values, Phil. ETS bad. Privatising ACC bad. Service cuts bad. Lots of Tory bad. And when the Maori Party vote for them, then Maori Party bad. That’s the message you should be sending.
I too feel very let down by Goff on this, no problem with the message but choose your battles more wisely. What he should be doing is rallying the opposition to the ETS fiasco to a single combined position, regardless of party left right centre etc allegiances. Thats what a statesman would try to do, Goff comes up well short. The ship is sinking, and the fools are dancing on the decks.
Gordon Campbell addresses the issues that Goff raised while Tim Watkin cheery picked a couple of lines and got a kneejerk reaction of racism.
Yeah, Gordon Campbell seems to be having a dollar each way, which is unusual for him.
For those of you intrigued by the open mike discussion about Richarg Gage AIA and bummed out because he was booked to speak in Wellington here is another chance to meet him in person and to listen to his presentation. You will once again have your chance to ask questions or debunk him.
Richard Gage is speaking in Auckland at the Trades Hall, 147 Great North Rd, Grey Lynn, on Monday, the 30th of November, from 6pm.** To book, please e-mail nz911truth@hotmail.com. While the presentation is free we appreciate gold coin donations to give to Richard for the financing of his journeys. His next stop will be Japan were he will be presenting his case in six cities and were he will be meeting with Yuki Fujita who is now one of the most powerful politicians in Japan since his party won in the last election. He is a full 911 activist and an amazingly courageous man (I met him last year in Sidney)
So hear it from the horses mouth and ask questions
Please can you tell Richard Gage’s followers not to send nasty hate mail threatening their children to those who dare to disagree?
Eh?
Travellerev,
Just wondering if you one of these sad lonely middle-aged women who has only their cat’s for company that require something completely bizarre to grasp on to like a massive earth shattering conspiracy theory to get you through another depressing day?
BTW Nice arguing from a number of logical fallacies in the Open Mike Thread 22/11/09 😉
[lprent: Don’t be a dickhead playing with stereotypes. If you want to do that then I’d suggest that you hire some porn and look at the plastic people.
While I’m sure that you try to wank yourself to sleep at night that is hardly the basis to run an argument on this site. Similarly tev’s lifestyle is also out of bounds unless you can make a point – that is something you singularly failed to do. In fact you sounded as ineffectual as a castration victim in denial.
Incidentally before you start complaining, read the policy. There is a point to this abuse. You nearly earned a ban but this seemed a more appropriate reprimand. ]
No Gossie,
I am happily married. In fact I have been with the same lovely supportive man for over 22 years. I have three cats, fifteen chickens, two kunekune pigs and a never ending stream of young people wwoofing for us (willing workers on organic farms).
By the way for those of you I have just been notified by another happily married activist that Richard Gage will be on Close up tonight 7.00 pm NZ time 🙂 6 mins plus promo of BFT Trailer!
You, on the other hand Gossie looked like a highly frustrated young male in need of a good bonk but with your silly ha and that attitude I’m afraid it’s going to take a long time for you to ever get to know about good and fulfilling sex.
I have one simple word for you Iprent – Consistency.
I think we both know what is meant by that 😉
You’re such a sad little fool, Gosman.
BTW trav is a nice lady who makes excellent chocolate fudge.
LOL
Why do I not find it strange that someone like you and Travellerev are good mates Felix?
Let’s remember it was Travellerev who started the personal abuse here I am just carrying on in the same vein.
Interesting that 9/11 Truthers feel the need to resort to attacking people personally rather than deal with the fact their Science is incredibly dodgy and the implications of their conspiracy theory truly wacky.
And why do I not find it strange that you would take a simple statement like mine and twist and misconstrue it beyond all recognition?
Fuck up and die Gosman.
How dare you stroll about The Standard smearing your spite and smirking, unwashed igorance. Are you really so bereft of anything to say about a matter you pretend to know so much about that the best you can come up with is a Simpsons-age-group put down?
How does one fuck up and die ?
I can think of a few ways, most of them quite unpleasant.
Oh Boo hoo hoo BLiP.
As I stated to lprent it all comes down to consistency 😉
Nice to see you come out in the open on the side of the wacky conspiracy theorist though.
LOL!
Could not edit my comment any more.
Just want to say this is not meant as a treat jack and is just an announcement.
Cheers
Haven’t read it yet but item on Werewolf by Catriona Maclennan called License to Prey on why government cannot or won’t legislate to rein in loan sharks. This is a major social problem for people on lower incomes. She has been talking about this for some time. Another example of government not doing its regulatory job to safeguard citizens against the more cunning and unscrupulous, with spurious economic arguments against.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10612070
Pity burt has been banned, I was going to put a bet on how long it would be until he came up with a “Labour did it, too”.
More importantly, now that the investigation is over there is one less reason to not explain why RW was allowed to resign. How long until JK explains?
Burt is welcome back on 1st December. But I’m afraid I can’t join you in looking forward to another zillion repetitions of his “Labour did it too” comment.
I don’t look forward to it either. The number of times I read something and think to myself “Oh no, here comes another “Labour did it, too” from burt” is almost enough to make me stop reading the Standard and actually do some work. The only way to make it fun is to try to guess how quick he can be.
I watched the interchange where he was banned and thought you were quite tolerant. In a way it was a bit of a pity, only in that I thought he had said some thought-provoking stuff on other, unrelated topics.
Yes, Burt sometimes seem to have a clue – which makes his endless repetition of the same nonsense all the more frustrating.
Since I’ve been feeling terrible for banning, and since you’ve put in a good word for him, I’ll lift the ban now. Burt, if he’s about, can come back now. Only please, FFS Burt, change the record.