New Zealand Cricket public affairs manager Richard Boock said 10-20 patrons were ejected from the Basin Reserve for a number of reasons, including “offensive language or behaviour, intoxication, and bringing contraband into the venue.
I think the solution to the man problem starts with trespass notices. We can already prosecute the assaults they commit, and that hasn’t worked. So, on top of proecutions for assault, ban them from all sporting venues, whether public or private, by court order, for say, twenty years. If they want to go and see their children play, perhaps the Police can issue special licenses for good behaviour.
Not really fair blaming the security guard for “losing control” where no control existed in the first place. At least they weren’t selling glitter /sarc.
“The 39-year-old was sitting on the Wellington venue’s grassy bank with her girlfriend, among a group of 100 or so men, who were mostly drunk and aged in their 30s and 40s. She said the men were chanting obscenities, skolling beer and harassing the Pakistani cricketers.”
Mostly in their 30s and 40s.
Racist
Sexist
Drunk
“ a pack of dogs.”
Now let’s look at our sports broadcasters and the message they convey, the laddish, sexist message they put out.
You didn’t blame the music industry when the man problem occurred at Rhythm and Vines. It also happens on the streets. Do you blame NZTA for that? How about when it happens in homes?
The point is the man problem has one thing in common and it isn’t the venue.
No, I think they’re a symptom of the problem. Someone has to employ them, and continue their employment (I note this is now a moot point in Veitch’s case). People have to buy advertising on their effluent, consumers have to buy the stuff in the adverts.
We reward their behaviour. No wonder they feel little incentive to change.
Yes, I do, inasmuch as they help to reinforce the problem; they may not be the root cause of it though, if that’s what you’re asking, and indeed be symptomatic.
Drunk people do what’s acceptable to their peer group. The only contribution of “drunk” is to make public what’s acceptable to that peer group. So the problem here isn’t that these guys drink, the problem is the shit that’s considered normal in their peer group.
Peer pressure or influence is not the only contribution of alcohol consumption to ‘misbehaving’. Drunks misread and misinterpret social cues (e.g. micro-expressions and body language) and even become almost completely unresponsive to any communications from others and the outside world. For example, they misinterpret certain cues (e.g. the simple fact of accidentally making eye contact or just looking in their direction) as disgust or aggression or they think that other cues signal acceptance, encouragement, or invitation even. All this can and does happen without any peer group being present and not always in a ‘social situation’ either. Let the mess start …
If people are being assaulted and the organisers can’t stop that then yes, public cricket in that ground should be discouraged. Just as well we have some other options, like limiting the amount of alcohol people consume.
I agree with the toxic masculinity argument, but before the revolution comes how about we put in some easier to access solutions as well.
If people are being assaulted and the organisers aren’t bothering to stop that then something needs to be done about the organisers, not people who drink alcohol.
Alcohol restrictions are an easy go-to for people who don’t drink, or are anti-alcohol activists to start with, like Ed. I’m not interested in sport, so my immediate knee-jerk response is that this is what sports fans are like so there should be restrictions on sporting events. Ed’s response is no different. Figuring out what problem we’re trying to solve here is a better process than leaping straight to prejudice-based solutions.
before the revolution comes how about we put in some easier to access solutions as well.
Cut off the abusers’ access to public events. Half the problem is that they drag impressionable dupes into their orbit: a visceral illustration of the way right wing political beliefs enthral generation after generation.
Remove the role models from the situation: let them fester at home during the game/gig/Cabinet Club foodfight.
The culture has to change: in the meantime lets put the needs of the victims (to be free from assault) first.
It basically comes down to having enough security staff and giving them clear rules on what is unacceptable behaviour.
Promotoers want as little security as possible (to save money) before it starts to impact on profits (event cancellation/license issues/pirate recordings). If they don’t have enough staff so everyone is in a zone of control, the staff can’t see what’s going on or aren’t in a position to do anything about it.
Security staff often just work along the lines of which box a punter should be slotted into: ignore, direct to bogs etc, start ejection process. That covers most of it.
Frankly in my opinion the way to knobble them is make it an OSH issue. If promoters aren’t providing a safe environment for members of the public, the promoters should be charged. Then you’ll see a complete sea-change in how events are run.
That scenario sounds ok for large venues. Smaller venues, small-scale promoters, utilising small town security staff, all will be disadvantaged – far better for them to be able to access a register of known problem customers.
..and I don’t much care for the idea of entertainment/hospitality workers maintaining that sort of database.
Oh, everyone has their own list of barred patrons, and some areas have “blanket bans” where trespassed from one pub means trespassed from them all. Yes, knowing jerks works to some extent, but then there’s always a first offender. And then it comes down to which box you put them in – clear guidance is often needed. I worked a few places back in the day, and they always gave the same security briefing: “hands-off, polite, use your words, it’s a good place and a good crowd, be low key”. Only one place really meant it. Others thought choke holds (not a come-along, an actual throttle) were hands off and low key.
But small scale venues are the same as gigs for several thousand people. Actually easier, because you probably have glassies or other staff on the floor as well as security, and they can give you a heads-up (or you can play their role just to let likely lads know you’ve got your eye on them). I’ve worked events and venues from sole-security up to a security team of 30 or 40. So big venue size, but not full stadium level.
Some gigs you really couldn’t control anything more than a couple of feet in front of you because of the crowd density, sound and lighting. Basically it was up to the roving folk (or if there was a mezzanine to spot it from a different angle), wade through the punters, grab the nearest static worker for backup and sort it.
Calculating the safe number of security staff comes down to access points, then a function of crowd number as what I call the radius of influence shrinks (so crowd number also as in density in venue floor area, not just crowd size).
They wouldn’t, because most punters at R&V would be from out of town.
In that case they’d be relying on alcohol service enforcement and roving security, mostly.
For bigger events, you’re normally exceeding the locally-available supply of regular security staff. Back in my day I worked a cricket match at the ‘brook (just to give the idea of the time lapse) and they had the main contractors for the tour who hired local security staff who also picked up likely locals/folks they knew.
At another gig the regular security team was supplemented by a rugby club whom we put on static/numpty positions that needed to be filled but weren’t big on nuance.
Regarding R&V, I was surprised the promoter had apparently declined anti-harrassment posters. Those would be an easy way to start the process of gently reminding people there are rules and they are being watched. Additionally, if there was drinking there then there would be empties and litter. And easy thing to do is wander around with a wheelie bin and clean up – speaking with people as you go. It’s relaxed, laid back, but still takes the edge off the “I’m wiv me mates” feedback loop that happens. It’s not an overt “I’ve got my eye on you”, it just reminds folk that other people are around.
Of course, normally it’s cheaper just to have the bare minimum security, throw some bins around, and clean up with brooms and shovels after everyone has left.
When some of my former peer group were sozzled, pretty much anything could be acceptable to them at that time. Hard to predict/control what they might do and the behaviour they might sanction in the moment; a few of them were pretty good at post-booze justifications too.
People tell themselves that, but it’s not actually true. If your peer group doesn’t have any problems with you taking a piss in a shop doorway or picking a fight with someone, you might well do those things when you’re drunk. If your peer group would be horrified by those things and would likely shun you and certainly never drink with you again if you were to do them, you just don’t do stuff like that when drunk. Or, you do and eventually you’re a drunk with no friends. Very few people end up in the latter category.
You can figure it out for yourself via a handy thought experiment: how drunk would I have to be to shout homophobic abuse at someone, grope a woman, take a shit in a shop doorway or king-hit someone for no reason? The answer should be “There is no level of drunkenness at which I’d do any of those.” If your answer identifies a level of drunkenness at which you’d do any of those things, the problem isn’t alcohol, it’s you.
I’m not against the use of alcohol and other mood-altering recreational drugs (knock yourself out!), but your peers clearly manage(d) the effects of alcohol on their behaviours and personalities better than the peers of my youth.
I see behaviour and personality as ‘products’ of the brain, a bioelectrical organ of remarkable complexity nevertheless subject to physicochemical processes. IMO it is magical thinking to contend that alcohol cannot temporarily alter what individuals ‘consider’ to be acceptable behaviour.
There are very few individuals who can, by training and/or sheer force of will, consciously (ha ha) resist general anaesthesia. Similarly, the mood-altering properties of ethanol are typically quite reliable, contributing to the popularity of the drug.
We have different experiences regarding the ability of ethanol to temporarily alter a persons judgement and behaviour – I’m happy to agree to disagree about the extent of those effects.
“As the evidence of alcohol harms accumulates, especially harm to others, we must continue to urge our elected representatives in government to enact effective legislation in order to help reduce these harms, rather than use outdated neoliberal economic models, which result in doing little more than watch from the sidelines.”
…or what you said. Plus ban ALL alcohol from the venue. (yeah, as if.)
If nothing else…at the end of the match, I’d lock the gates and not let anyone out until they picked up the bloody rubbish.
Yes, I know, local junior teams often do the grounds clean up for fundraising, but ffs, its as if the basic rules of decent behaviour completely disappear.
And its been well over a decade since I went to a cricket match…same as it ever was.
Sport is big in NZ’s dominant culture. And the way it’s dominated by implicit assumptions about masculine superiority is indicative, plus sends messages that can have all kinds of repercussions in the behaviour of men at events.
This is what the embankment at the Basin has been like for decades. It starts off with chants targeting businessmen walking past with their ties on – “Get your tie off.. “, then moves onto cat calls and “get your gear off..”
It’s more an environment thing, 1 against the rest. People walking below a crowd by themselves are easy targets and have no defence, and you only need a couple of instigators and the group will follow along.
The issue goes way beyond sport.
New Zealand is a very sexist country.
I thought this was a very well written article.
An excerpt.
“In the United Nations Report on the Status of Women published in 2011, Aotearoa New Zealand was ranked worst of all OECD countries in rates of sexual violence.
Yet we – our media, our police, our guts – instinctively sympathise with the rapists, especially if they’re rugby players, because routine sexual violence is an integral part of rugby culture.
It is a Kiwi tradition for young men to have sex with drunken, underage girls. When the Roast Busters made headlines, they did so because they talked about their alleged exploits online, which meant that people outside our culture became aware of it.”
In the same way actors in a movie who appear to get beaten up aren’t actually beaten up.
If you arrange for someone to come and ‘grope’ you in order to capture this on video this is a form of implied consent.
A question for you:
If this indeed was a case of genuine Indecent Assault (which carries a punishment of 7 years in jail) why has the ‘victim’ not made a complaint to Police?
She has perfect evidence and it would be a strike of the sisterhood against pawing neanderthals.
However if it were all fakery then her statement to Police would be false and she might end up in trouble herself but fakery is fine for generating social media publicity.
Beware, not all that glitters is gold. (Pun intended)
If this indeed was a case of genuine Indecent Assault (which carries a punishment of 7 years in jail) why has the ‘victim’ not made a complaint to Police?
I take it this is your first time reading a left-wing or feminist blog if you can ask that question without putting a /sarc on the end.
UPDATE: The woman who has become the public face of “A Glittery March for Consent”, which aims to raise awareness of issues of consent, sexual harassment and assault, now says a British news agency is only providing her with “advice” on the march.
Corporations and their predatory capitalists will do what they do anytime, anywhere, without a moral compass. The Wireless article ends:
Attempts by companies to profit from the #MeToo movement, which has been used online to help show how widespread sexual assault and harassment is, are not unheard of.
Two weeks after the New York Times first published allegations that led to the Harvey Weinstein scandal, cosmetic company Hard Candy applied to trademark#METOO.
The company’s CEO told TMZ that it was “not a straight cash grab,” but was intended to be used to “give back to women worldwide”.
Another company, Fuzzy Logic, has tried to trademark #metoo for use on silicone wristbands.
Yesterday was was first journey up the so-called “holiday highway”, with toll road, early in a holiday period, since it’s been opened. A real eye-opener. I thought at least t was going to make for an easy journey for people in cars during their hols.
I went for work, as I was working on a workplace stall at an outdoor event. Foolishly, I assumed leaving Auckland at 8.30am would mean I would get there in 45-50 minutes. But then the electronic signs started appearing saying “queues before the tunnel”. And so it was… before and for a long while after it. Crawling along – stop star, crawl, stop…..
So this magic tunnel, on a busy 2-3 lane motorway, has one lane in each direction – so of course, a major bottle neck.
These motorway designers really have some weird logic!
I would like more mass transit options – and that would alleviate the amount of cars on the motorway.
I travel up to the northern reaches of Auckland often for work. Our work policy is to use mass/public transport where possible. If that’s not possible, then take one of the work fleet cars.
At the moment the fleet cars are the only option for work to get there and back in a timely manner.
We desperately need a rail system, plus better local bus services in the north of Auckland.
Careful, much more talk like that and you’ll become a convert to the MoRONS cult! I assume you’re talking about the Johnstone’s Hill tunnels just south of Puhoi.
The logic of narrowing it down to one lane northbound before the tunnel is to ensure the bottleneck and merging happens outside the tunnel. That way the cars are moving a bit more freely through the tunnel, in theory*, and it’s less likely there will be an incident inside the tunnel. Southbound there’s two lanes through the tunnel since it’s continuous two lanes going south beyond the tunnel and it’s much less likely to be queued up through the tunnel.
*In practice, the tightest bottleneck is at Warkworth, so the slow queue usually starts there and grows southwards until it backs up traffic through the tunnel. But even so, cars are moving through the tunnel twice as fast with only one lane than they would if there were two, so there’s less time spent in the confined space with concentrated exhausts, and there’s more room for emergency access if needed.
What bunches my undies about the Puhoi-Warkworth motorway being built is there was an alternative that would deliver almost all the benefits for around a third the cost. Bevan Woodward had been pushing it for years, and my contacts in civil engineering consultancy all thought it was a better option, even just looking at it from a cars/trucks view rather than a wider whole transport system view.
Yes, Warkworth is a bottleneck, even at moderate traffic times. So a bypass there looks justified, so may as well build a new bypass to motorway standard to give a good long passing lane each way. Schedewy’s hill really is a hazard, so eliminate the corners with a cutting or tunnels under the hill. The narrow Pohuehue viaduct is a minor bottleneck, so double it up for a continuous passing lane up the hill.
Do those three upgrades, and the rest of SH1 Puhoi-Warkworth is easily upgradeable if traffic volumes ever grow enough to justify it. Meanwhile, just doing upgrades rather than a whole new motorway would free up resources to tackle problems further north like Dome Valley, a bypass around Wellsford, the Brynderwyns etc.
Warkworth needs a more comprehensive public/mass transport system. It is becoming a commuter suburb to Auckland city (ditto Wellsford), with the increasing development of greenfields development in these areas.
I know one or two long time Warkworth residents who, now given limited work choices, need to commute daily, or fairly regularly, to Auckland CBD. This means a long commute, and very early start and late end times to the day.
The biggest traffic congestion is between Albany and the CDB.
Warkworth town centre gets clogged with cars on weekdays because, for most people, currently the best way to travel around the area is by car.
That, plus eliminating the awful intersection with SHI and the Matakana, Snells Beach roads, would reduce the bottleneck.
And getting more trucks off the roads by an increase in the amount of freight travelling to the north by rail.
I don’t now the locations of places by the names you mention, though can make a guess.
Dome Valley is a major problem. It’s not so bad in good weather. However, I had to travel back from Wellsford one time during a big storm. With limited visibility, slippery conditions, and all those “high crash area” signs in the Dome Valley, it was a very stressful journey.
And there are way too many trucks travelling through the Dome Valley.
That Hill St intersection that’s such a nightmare for Matakana and Snell’s Beach residents shouldn’t be anywhere near as bad when the main road there is no longer SH1. Because it will be able to allocate much more more of the traffic light time to other users, whereas now it has to prioritise SH1 traffic.
Nevertheless, AT has a proposed Matakana Link Road. Which is of no use to Snell’s Beach residents. But surprise, it makes it very convenient for people getting off the new motorway to go to Matakana and Omaha.
Going south not far from Warkworth, there’s the long straight passing lane going up a hill, that narrows down to a two-lane bridge, then has a short passing lane after the bridge. That bridge is the Pohuehue viaduct. Then you have the straightish bit along the top of Windy Ridge, before going down the hill with some tight corners (where there’s a couple of stretches of passing lane for northbound traffic). That downhill windy bit is Schedewy’s Hill.
We regularly travel between Waikato and the Far North in our 5 ton housebus. If we opt to go down SH1 and the Pukeko Tunnel (our name for the Johnstone’s Hill ) it is that two lane/one lane each way/two lane thing happening at Pohuehue that will literally give me nightmares.
I’m not sure what can be misconstrued by the old Bus in the left lane indicating left so vehicles behind know I’m aware and its safe to for them to pass in the passing lane…then, when the passing lane is running out I do the right indicator thing to let following cars know that the passing lane is fast disappearing and I need to move right so I can cross the bridge.
And yes…I’m probably, optimistically, rocketing up the hill at 60 kph… but still no excuse for the fifth car in line behind me thinking…OH! It’s my turn to risk a head on collision on the Pohuehue Bridge today!!! Yay!!! And proceeds to floor it and pass the other four patient cars plus moi.
Result…I have to slow down/stop to let suicidal maniac pass…thereby losing my precious revs and now a steady 20kph is all I can manage from a standing start.
No amount of road building will fix the problem of the impatient psychopath behind the wheel. 🙂
I suggest adopting a somewhat more bullying attitude at the end of the passing lane.
As soon as the dashed line ends, start drifting over to the right while maintaining speed. The idiot attempting a too-late pass can slow down to your 60kph in a very short distance if need be on a fairly steep hill like that. There’s plenty of sealed road to the left if the idiot doesn’t get the message and keeps coming anyway and you need to make emergency room so there isn’t a head-on.
That’s the technique I eventually arrived at when I was regularly towing a large trailer up there at about the same speed.
Thanks. Yes, I pretty much guessed the places you were talking about.
The SH1 move will relieve the congestion around the Hill Street intersection. However, it will do nothing to relieve the road congestion, and parking issues in the town centre.
More buses in the area would be useful.
I’m told some of the residents around the Snells Beach area are from Pacific communities, attracted to the area for work. One of the main factories that employs them is some way down Woodcocks Rd – so why not better bus services through those areas? Especially with the planned increase in residential housing around the outskirts of Warkworth.
And a better bus service for retirees living out around the Matakana Road would maybe also relieve some of the congestion.
I would not call neoliberalism a 30 year old disaster.
It is a living disaster for millions of New Zealanders.
Pretending neoliberal economics doesn’t exist is one of Labour’s blind spots.
You only solve problems by confronting them.
[Same as below. Picked a point. Cut/shifted the sub-thread.] – Bill
[TheStandard: A moderator moved this comment to Open Mike as being off topic or irrelevant in the post it was made in. Be more careful in future.]
I call bulshit @Indiana.
I’m in a place with a billion people (not too disimilar to your handle),
Trickling down and rising tides …. like hell.
Like elswhere the wealth transfer is to the few at the expense of the many
I have in fact been banned with some frequency for sledging the Gnats. But Labour’s original defection remains relevant, because the poor require political representation whether their original party chooses to represent them or not.
Labour have said a number of things in respect of immigration changes, but although Indian student numbers have dropped significantly the expectation in rural industries remains that they have access to ‘skilled’ foreign workers. We will be able recognize material change by the volume of rightwing angst, should it materialize.
Corrupt AF right winger loots the state to finance his campaign, overrides the courts and then sez, we must sit down for dialogue openly and without barriers. ..
TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras (AP) — President Juan Orlando Hernandez was sworn in for a new term in the Honduran capital Saturday, while across town tear gas drifted across flaming barricades in clashes between police and protesters angry over an election the say was marred by fraud.
[…]
The inauguration came after soldiers and riot police fired tear gas to block thousands of demonstrators from marching to the National Stadium to protest. Masked protesters shot rocks from slingshots and kicked canisters back toward security forces as barricades burned and gas billowed on the streets.
“This is how the dictator oppresses his people,” said opposition presidential candidate Salvador Nasralla, who says the election was stolen and he was the true winner of the vote.
“We remain in the struggle to rescue the country from dictatorship and without recognizing Hernandez as president,” Nasralla told The Associated Press.
Hernandez, a 49-year-old lawyer, is Honduras’ first president to be re-elected — a key point in the protests against him.
The 1982 constitution bars presidents from seeking a new term and conservative politicians deposed a leftist president in 2009 for allegedly even considering re-election. But Hernandez won a Supreme Court ruling in 2015 to get around that prohibition.
Martin Bradbury has written a superb piece over at the Daily Blog .
It is a blunt reminder, despite the Jacindamania, that neoliberalism still has New Zealand in a vice like grip.
An excerpt.
“ We cheer Team NZ and sneer at those homeless in cars.
We property speculate ourselves to false illusions of wealth and decry public spending on state housing.
We lose ourselves in the labyrinth of neoliberal identity politics while the richest 1% own almost 30% of everything.
We cheer Lord of the Rings while trashing worker rights.
We shoot a bloody business card into the sky and tell ourselves this individual success of a medium sized enterprise is actually a metaphorical Plato-esk intellectual lantern to light the future of humanity!
The vanity of modern neoliberal NZ is Trump-like in its delusion.”
So how does that sneering remark about losing ourselves “in the labyrinth of neoliberal identity politics” square with your earlier comments about toxic masculinity (an “identity politics” issue), Ed?
Martyn Bradbury relies too much on easy (and lazy) hyperbole and sweeping generalisations for my taste.
Relying too much on easy lazy hyperbole isn’t “speaking truth to power”. Power loves easy lazy hyperbole because it’s completely nonthreatening and steals oxygen from more informed, more cogent critique.
yes Martyn did well also today on another article regarding how our political system which mirrors the US election style also now and that we need to take stock of what our Labour coalition also may face in 2020.
Warning signs are there for us to be aware of going forward.
Rereading Merchants of Doubt by Orestes and Conway.
Worth the time when you hear New Zealand scientists like Rowarth and Edmeades and journalists like Smith, and Mora deliberately muddying the waters here..
To Ed. Obviously a matter of opinion, but I think this is worth repeating.
“This is the first round of employment law changes that this government plans to make. It is the first steps towards reversing 30 years of working people having their rights diminished and losing their fair share of a growing economy”
Changes will occur in steps, over time. It was never going to be an all or nothing in one big swoop. It’s a coalition government. There’s an element of compromise. Patience is required. I’m just thankful and grateful that change has begun.
[Had to pick “somewhere” as the place to shift that huge drift off into Labour Party stuff. The post was specifically about “the standard”] – Bill
[TheStandard: A moderator moved this comment to Open Mike as being off topic or irrelevant in the post it was made in. Be more careful in future.]
The time for incrementalism by a progressive party is past. That’s a late 20th century third way approach, when what we need right now is a significant change with strongly articulated left values and policies.
The time was ripe for a change, but the dominant people in the LP caucus chose to go to the electorate timidly, with cap in hand. (I’m looking at Parker and Robertson, particularly).
It always seemed to me the message I was getting, was that the Labour caucus leaders would prefer an alliance with NZ First to one with the Greens. I thought this before Ardern became leader, but it was reinforced by some of her early responses on becoming leader. I said so at the time.
So, in a way, they set up the conditions to weaken the vote for the Greens – that and the way they worked to adopt and weaken some of the GP policies on climate and social and economic justice.
To me, refraining from being critical of Labour is a lost cause. They have set the left in NZ back by about a decade or two. [Damn right I am angry about it!]
The only hopes are a revival of strong left wing values through a movement at the flax roots, plus a re-strengthened Green Party (with Maramar Davidson as co-leader outside cabinet or a ministry shackle), or a new left wing party.
You may think its past, but change will happen in steps. That’s what we are seeing. What we’ve got, is what we’ve got, working against that achieves what exactly? and I disagree that “they set up the conditions to weaken the vote for the Greens.” It’s not about refraining from criticism, but we should at least be constructive about it.
Julie Anne Genter is very good in all areas of the Green 3 planks. But her main focus is on the environment, much like James Shaw, and transport.
Davidson has always been for the strong and equal integration of the 3 planks, even before joining the Greens. But she puts a stronger focus on participating in community engagement at the flax roots – and does this in the crucial low income areas of South Auckland. where she has experienced first hand the struggles of brown renters, and low income people.
Davidson also engages directly with Māori and Pacific communities.
As Labour and the Greens compete for the same voter pool (in the main) they cannibalize each other’s vote. Just look at the swings before the election.
NZF was the only way to power for Labour (and the Greens). Hence Winston was always in the box seat.
For the Green Party to re-strengthen will require Labour to lose support. Unless you can convince some of the 45% or so of center – center-right voters they should swing left (a lot) it will just be the status quo.
The last thing you need is another leftwing party!
You need the Labour party to be strong while trying to also grow the Green voter base.
The first 10 minutes are hilarious. The US military are awesome at killing everyone! The US military are the world’s biggest polluter. Over all, video 32 minutes long.
You come in with punches against the new Government. As if you were wishing to floor them the first opportunity you can get.
You want them to ban 1080. Full stop.
But you do not succinctly state what you will replace 1080 with.
You go on against the Government for not having a full anti immigration policy. Again you want to floor the Government in its first days. It is a great pity that the green party had not skilled all jobless Nnew Zealanders – so that no immigrants would be required.
But they didn’t – did they.
Can you see why I The Standard gets let down Stuart.
[TheStandard: A moderator moved this comment to Open Mike as being off topic or irrelevant in the post it was made in. Be more careful in future.]
[Take a week off. The post isn’t about anything you wrote in either of the two comments you made that I had to shift over here. And I can’t be arsed to check future comments to see if you’re still wasting space/threads and attacking Stuart Munro. Come back next Sunday.] – Bill
In light of what's going on with #Dreamers, it's time to talk about Japanese internment. Because the #DACA showdown is Japanese internment 2.0.— Sarah Taber (@SarahTaber_bww) January 20, 2018
Japanese immigrants in the 19th & early 20th centuries came to the US in large part for manual farm labor in California. Sound familiar?— Sarah Taber (@SarahTaber_bww) January 20, 2018
“The Racing Minister Winston Peters made the announcement at the official opening of the annual bloodstock sales in Karaka in South Auckland today.
Several races around the country have recently been called off due to rain.
Mr Peters said the track would be funded by both taxpayers and the industry.
“The idea is a very sound idea and it will stop the huge losses that are happening because events that are clearly going to be cancelled have no alternative.””
Horse racing, second only to rodeo in the animal abuse stakes.
And we, the taxpayers, are going to be coughing up mega millions so there can be even more of it.
38% of NZ roads are unsealed. We have a rickety old single lane bridge over the Hurunui River on SH1. We have parents being driven into the arms of loan sharks to buy school uniforms and stationery. Kids go to school hungry and without adequate clothing. People live with chronic pain because of hospital waiting lists. And, and, and….. Winston’s idea of what NZ needs as a priority is an all weather racing track so he and his buddies can bet and booze – because let’s not pretend otherwise – that’s what horse racing is all about.
The Salvation Army’s State of the Nation report shows worsening food poverty and housing shortages mean more than 400,000 people now need welfare support, the highest level since the 1990s. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāLong stories short, the top six things in our political economy around housing, climate and ...
You're just too too obscure for meOh you don't really get through to meAnd there's no need for you to talk that wayIs there any less pessimistic things to say?Songwriters: Graeme DownesToday, I thought we’d take a look at some of the most cringe-inducing moments from last week, but don’t ...
Please note: I’ve delayed my “What can we do?” article for this video.The video above shows Destiny Church members assaulting staff and librarians as they pushed through to a room of terrified parents and young children.It was posted to social media last night.But if you read Sinead Boucher’s Stuff, you ...
Skeptical Science is partnering with Gigafact to produce fact briefs — bite-sized fact checks of trending claims. You can submit claims you think need checking via the tipline. Is sea level rise exaggerated? Sea levels are rising at an accelerating rate, not stagnating or decreasing. Warming global temperatures cause land ice ...
Here is a scenario, but first a historical parallel. Hitler and the Nazis could well have accomplished everything that they wanted to do within German borders, including exterminating Jews, so long as they confined their ambitious to Germany itself. After all, the world pretty much sat and watched as the ...
I’ve spent the last couple of days in Hamilton covering Waikato University’s annual NZ Economics Forum, where (arguably) three of the most influential people in our political economy right now laid out their thinking in major speeches about the size and role of Government, their views on for spending, tax ...
Simeon Brown’s Ideology BentSimeon Brown once told Kiwis he tries to represent his deep sense of faith by interacting “with integrity”.“It’s important that there’s Christians in Parliament…and from my perspective, it’s great to be a Christian in Parliament and to bring that perspective to [laws, conversations and policies].”And with ...
Severe geological and financial earthquakes are inevitable. We just don’t know how soon and how they will play out. Are we putting the right effort into preparing for them?Every decade or so the international economy has a major financial crisis. We cannot predict exactly when or exactly how it will ...
Questions1. How did Old Mate Grabaseat describe his soon-to-be-Deputy-PM’s letter to police advocating for Philip Polkinghorne?a.Ill-advisedb.A perfect letterc.A letter that will live in infamyd.He had me at hello2. What did Seymour say in response?a.What’s ill-advised is commenting when you don’t know all the facts and ...
NZCTU Te Kauae Kaimahi President Richard Wagstaff has called on OJI Fibre Solutions to work with the government, unions, and the community before closing the Kinleith Paper Mill. “OJI has today announced 230 job losses in what will be a devastating blow for the community. OJI needs to work with ...
NZCTU Te Kauae Kaimahi President Richard Wagstaff is sounding the alarm about the latest attack on workers from Minister of Workplace Relations and Safety Brooke van Velden, who is ignoring her own officials to pursue reckless changes that would completely undermine the personal grievance system. “Brooke van Velden’s changes will ...
Hi,When I started writing Webworm in 2020, I wrote a lot about the conspiracy theories that were suddenly invading our Twitter timelines and Facebook feeds. Four years ago a reader, John, left this feedback under one of my essays:It’s a never ending labyrinth of lunacy which, as you have pointed ...
And if you said this life ain't good enoughI would give my world to lift you upI could change my life to better suit your moodBecause you're so smoothAnd it's just like the ocean under the moonOh, it's the same as the emotion that I get from youYou got the ...
Aotearoa remains the minority’s birthright, New Zealand the majority’s possession. WAITANGI DAY commentary see-saws manically between the warmly positive and the coldly negative. Many New Zealanders consider this a good thing. They point to the unexamined patriotism of July Fourth and Bastille Day celebrations, and applaud the fact that the ...
The podcast above of the weekly ‘Hoon’ webinar for paying subscribers on Thursday night features co-hosts & talking about the week’s news with regular and special guests, including: and on the week in geopolitics, including the latest from Donald Trump’s administration over Gaza and Ukraine; on the ...
Up until now, the prevailing coalition view of public servants was that there were simply too many of them. But yesterday the new Public Service Commissioner, handpicked by the Luxon Government, said it was not so much numbers but what they did and the value they produced that mattered. Sir ...
In a moment we explore the question: What is Andrew Bayly wanting to tell ACC, and will it involve enjoying a small wine tasting and then telling someone to fuck off? But first, for context, a broader one: What do we look for in a government?Imagine for a moment, you ...
As expected, Donald Trump just threw Ukraine under the bus, demanding that it accept Russia's illegal theft of land, while ruling out any future membership of NATO. Its a colossal betrayal, which effectively legitimises Russia's invasion, while laying the groundwork for the next one. But Trump is apparently fine with ...
This is a guest post by George Weeks, reviewing a book called ‘How to Fly a Horse’ by Kevin AshtonBook review: ‘How to Fly a Horse’ by Kevin Ashton (2015) – and what it means for Auckland. The title of this article might unnerve any Greater Auckland ...
This story was originally published by Capital & Main and is part of Covering Climate Now, a global journalism collaboration strengthening coverage of the climate story. Within just a week, the sheer devastation of the Los Angeles wildfires has pushed to the fore fundamental questions about the impact of the climate crisis that have been ...
In this world, it's just usYou know it's not the same as it wasSongwriters: Harry Edward Styles / Thomas Edward Percy Hull / Tyler Sam JohnsonYesterday, I received a lovely message from Caty, a reader of Nick’s Kōrero, that got me thinking. So I thought I’d share it with you, ...
In past times a person was considered “unserious” or “not a serious” person if they failed to grasp, behave and speak according to the solemnity of the context in which they were located. For example a serious person does not audibly pass gas at Church, or yell “gun” at a ...
Long stories short, the top six things in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Thursday, February 13 are:The coalition Government’s early 2024 ‘fiscal emergency’ freeze on funding, planning and building houses, schools, local roads and hospitals helped extend and deepen the economic and jobs recession through calendar ...
For obvious reasons, people feel uneasy when the right to be a citizen is sold off to wealthy foreigners. Even selling the right to residency seems a bit dubious, when so many migrants who are not millionaires get turned away or are made to jump through innumerable hoops – simply ...
A new season of White Lotus is nearly upon us: more murder mystery, more sumptuous surroundings, more rich people behaving badly.Once more we get to identify with the experience of the pampered tourist or perhaps the poorly paid help; there's something in White Lotus for all New Zealanders.And unlike the ...
In 2016, Aotearoa shockingly plunged to fourth place in the Transparency International Corruption Perceptions Index. Nine years later, and we're back there again: New Zealand has seen a further slip in its global ranking in the latest Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI). [...] In the latest CPI New Zealand's score ...
1. You’ve started ranking your politicians on how much they respect the rule of law2. You’ve stopped paying attention to those news publications3. You’ve developed a sudden interest in a particular period of history4. More and more people are sounding like your racist, conspiracist uncle.5. Someone just pulled a Nazi ...
Transforming New Zealand: Brian EastonBrian Easton will discuss the above topic at 2/57 Willis Street, Wellington at 5:30pm on Tuesday 26 February at 2/57 Willis Street, WellingtonThe sub-title to the above is "Why is the Left failing?" Brian Easton's analysis is based on his view that while the ...
Salvation Army’s State of the Nation 2025 report highlights falling living standards, the highest unemployment rates since the 1990s and half of all Pacific children going without food. There are reports of hundreds if not thousands of people are applying for the same jobs in the wake of last year’s ...
Mountain Tui is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.Correction: On the article The Condundrum of David Seymour, Luke Malpass conducted joint reviews with Bryce Wilkinson, the architect of the Regulatory Standards Bill - not Bryce Edwards. The article ...
Tomorrow the council’s Transport, Resilience and Infrastructure Committee meet and agenda has a few interesting papers. Council’s Letter of Expectation to Auckland Transport Every year the council provide a Letter of Expectation to Auckland Transport which is part of the process for informing AT of the council’s priorities and ...
All around in my home townThey're trying to track me down, yeahThey say they want to bring me in guiltyFor the killing of a deputyFor the life of a deputySongwriter: Robert Nesta Marley.Support Nick’s Kōrero today with a 20% discount on a paid subscription to receive all my newsletters directly ...
Hi,I think all of us have probably experienced the power of music — that strange, transformative thing that gets under our skin and helps us experience this whole life thing with some kind of sanity.Listening and experiencing music has always been such a huge part of my life, and has ...
Business frustration over the stalled economy is growing, and only 34% of voters are confidentNicola Willis can deliver. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāLong stories short, the top six things in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Wednesday, February 12 are:Business frustration is growing about a ...
I have now lived long enough to see a cabinet minister go both barrels on their Prime Minister and not get sacked.It used to be that the PM would have a drawer full of resignations signed by ministers on the day of their appointment, ready for such an occasion. But ...
This session will feature Simon McCallum, Senior Lecturer in Engineering and Computer Science (VUW) and recent Labour Party candidate in the Southland Electorate talking about some of the issues around AI and how this should inform Labour Party policy. Simon is an excellent speaker with a comprehensive command of AI ...
The proposed Waimate garbage incinerator is dead: The company behind a highly-controversial proposal to build a waste-to-energy plant in the Waimate District no longer has the land. [...] However, SIRRL director Paul Taylor said the sales and purchase agreement to purchase land from Murphy Farms, near Glenavy, lapsed at ...
The US Foreign Corrupt Practices Act has been a vital tool in combatting international corruption. It forbids US companies and citizens from bribing foreign public officials anywhere in the world. And its actually enforced: some of the world's biggest companies - Siemens, Hewlett Packard, and Bristol Myers Squibb - have ...
December 2024 photo - with UK Tory Boris Johnson (Source: Facebook)Those PollsFor hours, political poll results have resounded across political hallways and commentary.According to the 1News Verizon poll, 50% of the country believe we are heading in the “wrong direction”, while 39% believe we are “on the right track”.The left ...
A Tai Rāwhiti mill that ran for 30 years before it was shut down in late 2023 is set to re-open in the coming months, which will eventually see nearly 300 new jobs in the region. A new report from Massey University shows that pensioners are struggling with rising costs. ...
As support continues to fall, Luxon also now faces his biggest internal ructions within the coalition since the election, with David Seymour reacting badly to being criticised by the PM. File photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāLong stories short, the top six things in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate ...
Not since 1988 when Richard Prebble openly criticised David Lange have we seen such a challenge to a Prime Minister as that of David Seymour to Christopher Luxon last night. Prebble suggested Lange had mental health issues during a TV interview and was almost immediately fired. Seymour hasn’t gone quite ...
Three weeks in, and the 24/7 news cycle is not helping anyone feel calm and informed about the second Trump presidency. One day, the US is threatening 25% trade tariffs on its friends and neighbours. The reasons offered by the White House are absurd, such as stopping fentanyl coming in ...
This video includes personal musings and 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). Wherever you look, you'll hear headlines claiming we've passed 1.5 degrees of global warming. And while 2024 saw ...
Photo by Heather M. Edwards on UnsplashHere’s the key news, commentary, reports and debate around Aotearoa’s politics and economy in the week to Feb 10 below. That’s ahead of live chats on the Substack App and The Kākā’s front page on Substack at 5pm with: on his column in The ...
Is there anyone in the world the National Party loves more than a campaign donor? Why yes, there is! They will always have the warmest hello and would you like to slip into something more comfortable for that great god of our age, the High Net Worth Individual.The words the ...
Waste and fraud certainly exist in foreign aid programs, but rightwing celebration of USAID’s dismantling shows profound ignorance of the value of soft power (as opposed to hard power) in projecting US influence and interests abroad by non-military/coercive means (think of “hearts and minds,” “hugs, not bullets,” “honey versus vinegar,” ...
Health New Zealand is proposing to cut almost half of its data and digital positions – more than 1000 of them. The PSA has called on the Privacy Commissioner to urgently investigate the cuts due to the potential for serious consequences for patients. NZNO is calling for an urgent increase ...
We may see a few more luxury cars on Queen Street, but a loosening of rules to entice rich foreigners to invest more here is unlikely to “turbocharge our economic growth”. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāLong stories short, the top six things in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate ...
Let us not dance daintily around the elephant in the room. Our politicians who serve us in the present are not honest, certainly not as honest as they should be, and while the right are taking out most of the trophies for warping narratives and literally redefining “facts”, the kiwi ...
A few weeks ago I took a look at public transport ridership in 2024. In today’s post I’m going to be looking a bit deeper at bus ridership. Buses make up the vast majority of ridership in Auckland with 70 million boardings last year out of a total of 89.4 ...
Oh, you know I did itIt's over and I feel fineNothing you could say is gonna change my mindWaited and I waited the longest nightNothing like the taste of sweet declineSongwriters: Chris Shiflett / David Eric Grohl / Nate Mendel / Taylor Hawkins.Hindsight is good, eh?The clarity when the pieces ...
Photo by Towfiqu barbhuiya on UnsplashHere’s what we’re watching in the week to February 16 and beyond in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty:Monday, February 10The Kākā’s weekly wrap-up of news about politics and the economy is due at midday, followed by webinar for paying subscribers in Substack’s ...
A listing of 23 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, February 2, 2025 thru Sat, February 8, 2025. This week's roundup is again published soleley by category. We are still interested in feedback to hone the categorization, so if ...
Today, I stumbled across a Twitter Meme: the ending of The Lord of the Rings as a Chess scenario: https://x.com/mellon_heads/status/1887983845917564991 It gets across the basic gist. Aragorn and Gandalf offering up ‘material’ at the Morannon allows Frodo and Samwise to catch Sauron unawares – fair enough. But there are a ...
Last week, Kieran McAnulty called out Chris Bishop and Nicola Willis for their claims that Kāinga Ora’s costs were too high.They had claimed Kāinga Ora’s cost were 12% higher than market i.e. private devlopersBut Kāinga Ora’s Chair had already explained why last year:"We're not building to sell, so we'll be ...
Stuff’s Political Editor Luke Malpass - A Fellow at New Zealand IniativeLast week I half-joked that Stuff / The Post’s Luke Malpass1 always sounded like he was auditioning for a job at the New Zealand Initiative.Mountain Tui is a reader-supported publication. For a limited time, subscriptions are 20% off. Thanks ...
At a funeral on Friday, there were A4-sized photos covering every wall of the Dil’s reception lounge. There must have been 200 of them, telling the story in the usual way of the video reel but also, by enlargement, making it more possible to linger and step in.Our friend Nicky ...
Skeptical Science is partnering with Gigafact to produce fact briefs — bite-sized fact checks of trending claims. This fact brief was written by Sue Bin Park from the Gigafact team in collaboration with members from our team. You can submit claims you think need checking via the tipline. Is methane the ...
The Government’s idea is that the private sector and Community Housing Providers will fund, build and operate new affordable housing to address our housing crisis. Meanwhile, the Government does not know where almost half of the 1,700 children who left emergency housing actually went. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāLong ...
Oh, home, let me come homeHome is wherever I'm with youOh, home, let me come homeHome is wherever I'm with youSongwriters: Alexander Ebert / Jade Allyson CastrinosMorena,I’m on a tight time frame this morning. In about an hour and a half, I’ll need to pack up and hit the road ...
This is a post about the Mountain Tui substack, and small tweaks - further to the poll and request post the other day. Please don’t read if you aren’t interested in my personal matters. Thank you all.After oohing-and-aahing about how to structure the Substack model since November, including obtaining ...
This transcript of a recent conversation between the Prime Minister and his chief economic adviser has not been verified.We’ve announced we are the ‘Yes Government’. Do you like it?Yes, Prime Minister.Dreamed up by the PR team. It’s about being committed to growth. Not that the PR team know anything about ...
The other day, Australian Senator Nick McKim issued a warning in the Australian Parliement about the US’s descent into fascim.And of course it’s true, but I lament - that was true as soon as Trump won.What we see is now simply the reification of the intention, planning, and forces behind ...
Among the many other problems associated with Musk/DOGE sending a fleet of teenage and twenty-something cultists to remove, copy and appropriate federal records like social security, medicaid and other supposedly protected data is the fact that the youngsters doing the data-removal, copying and security protocol and filter code over-writing have ...
Jokerman dance to the nightingale tuneBird fly high by the light of the moonOh, oh, oh, JokermanSong by Bob Dylan.Morena folks, I hope this fine morning of the 7th of February finds you well. We're still close to Paihia, just a short drive out of town. Below is the view ...
It’s been an eventful week as always, so here’s a few things that we have found interesting. We also hope everyone had a happy and relaxing Waitangi Day! This week in Greater Auckland We’re still running on summer time, but provided two chewy posts: On Tuesday, a guest ...
Queuing on Queen St: the Government is set to announce another apparently splashy growth policy on Sunday of offering residence visas to wealthy migrants. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāLong stories short, the top six things in our political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Friday, February 7:PM Christopher ...
The fact that Waitangi ended up being such a low-key affair may mark it out as one of the most significant Waitangi Days in recent years. A group of women draped in “Toitu Te Tiriti” banners who turned their backs on the politicians’ powhiri was about as rough as it ...
National’s cuts to disability support funding and freezing of new residential placements has resulted in significant mental health decline for intellectually disabled people. ...
The hundreds of jobs lost needlessly as a result of the Kinleith Mill paper production closure will have a devastating impact on the Tokoroa community - something that could have easily been avoided. ...
Today Te Pāti Māori MP for Te Tai Tokerau, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi, released her members bill that will see the return of tamariki and mokopuna Māori from state care back to te iwi Māori. This bill will establish an independent authority that asserts and protects the rights promised in He Whakaputanga ...
The Whangarei District Council being forced to fluoridate their local water supply is facing a despotic Soviet-era disgrace. This is not a matter of being pro-fluoride or anti-fluoride. It is a matter of what New Zealanders see and value as democracy in our country. Individual democratically elected Councillors are not ...
Nicola Willis’ latest supermarket announcement is painfully weak with no new ideas, no real plan, and no relief for Kiwis struggling with rising grocery costs. ...
Half of Pacific children sometimes going without food is just one of many heartbreaking lowlights in the Salvation Army’s annual State of the Nation report. ...
The Salvation Army’s State of the Nation report is a bleak indictment on the failure of Government to take steps to end poverty, with those on benefits, including their children, hit hardest. ...
New Zealand First has today introduced a Member’s Bill which would restore decision-making power to local communities regarding the fluoridation of drinking water. The ‘Fluoridation (Referendum) Legislation Bill’ seeks to repeal the Health (Fluoridation of Drinking Water) Amendment Act 2021 that granted centralised authority to the Direct General of Health ...
New Zealand First has introduced a Member’s Bill aimed at preventing banks from refusing their services to businesses because of the current “Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Framework”. “This Bill ensures fairness and prevents ESG standards from perpetuating woke ideology in the banking sector being driven by unelected, globalist, climate ...
Erica Stanford has reached peak shortsightedness if today’s announcement is anything to go by, picking apart immigration settings piece by piece to the detriment of the New Zealand economy. ...
Our originating document, theTreaty of Waitangi, was signed on February 6, 1840. An agreement between Māori and the British Crown. Initially inked by Ngā Puhi in Waitangi, further signatures were added as it travelled south. The intention was to establish a colony with the cession of sovereignty to the Crown, ...
Te Whatu Ora Chief Executive Margie Apa leaving her job four months early is another symptom of this government’s failure to deliver healthcare for New Zealanders. ...
The Green Party is calling for the Prime Minister to show leadership and be unequivocal about Aotearoa New Zealand’s opposition to a proposal by the US President to remove Palestinians from Gaza. ...
The latest unemployment figures reveal that job losses are hitting Māori and Pacific people especially hard, with Māori unemployment reaching a staggering 9.7% for the December 2024 quarter and Pasifika unemployment reaching 10.5%. ...
Waitangi 2025: Waitangi Day must be community and not politically driven - Shane Jones Our originating document, theTreaty of Waitangi, was signed on February 6, 1840. An agreement between Māori and the British Crown. Initially inked by Ngā Puhi in Waitangi, further signatures were added as it travelled south. ...
Despite being confronted every day with people in genuine need being stopped from accessing emergency housing – National still won’t commit to building more public houses. ...
The Green Party says the Government is giving up on growing the country’s public housing stock, despite overwhelming evidence that we need more affordable houses to solve the housing crisis. ...
Before any thoughts of the New Year and what lies ahead could even be contemplated, New Zealand reeled with the tragedy of Senior Sergeant Lyn Fleming losing her life. For over 38 years she had faithfully served as a front-line Police officer. Working alongside her was Senior Sergeant Adam Ramsay ...
Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson will return to politics at Waitangi on Monday the 3rd of February where she will hold a stand up with fellow co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick. ...
Te Pāti Māori is appalled by the government's blatant mishandling of the school lunch programme. David Seymour’s ‘cost-saving’ measures have left tamariki across Aotearoa with unidentifiable meals, causing distress and outrage among parents and communities alike. “What’s the difference between providing inedible food, and providing no food at all?” Said ...
The Government is doubling down on outdated and volatile fossil fuels, showing how shortsighted and destructive their policies are for working New Zealanders. ...
Green Party MP Steve Abel this morning joined Coromandel locals in Waihi to condemn new mining plans announced by Shane Jones in the pit of the town’s Australian-owned Gold mine. ...
The Green Party is calling on the Government to strengthen its just-announced 2030-2035 Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) under the Paris Agreement and address its woeful lack of commitment to climate security. ...
Today marks a historic moment for Taranaki iwi with the passing of the Te Pire Whakatupua mō Te Kāhui Tupua/Taranaki Maunga Collective Redress Bill in Parliament. "Today, we stand together as descendants of Taranaki, and our tūpuna, Taranaki Maunga, is now formally acknowledged by the law as a living tūpuna. ...
Labour is relieved to see Children’s Minister Karen Chhour has woken up to reality and reversed her government’s terrible decisions to cut funding from frontline service providers – temporarily. ...
It is the first week of David Seymour’s school lunch programme and already social media reports are circulating of revolting meals, late deliveries, and mislabelled packaging. ...
The Green Party says that with no-cause evictions returning from today, the move to allow landlords to end tenancies without reason plunges renters, and particularly families who rent, into insecurity and stress. ...
The Government’s commitment to get New Zealand’s roads back on track is delivering strong results, with around 98 per cent of potholes on state highways repaired within 24 hours of identification every month since targets were introduced, Transport Minister Chris Bishop says. “Increasing productivity to help rebuild our economy is ...
The former Cadbury factory will be the site of the Inpatient Building for the new Dunedin Hospital and Health Minister Simeon Brown says actions have been taken to get the cost overruns under control. “Today I am giving the people of Dunedin certainty that we will build the new Dunedin ...
From today, Plunket in Whāngarei will be offering childhood immunisations – the first of up to 27 sites nationwide, Health Minister Simeon Brown says. The investment of $1 million into the pilot, announced in October 2024, was made possible due to the Government’s record $16.68 billion investment in health. It ...
New Zealand’s strong commitment to the rights of disabled people has continued with the response to an important United Nations report, Disability Issues Minister Louise Upston has announced. Of the 63 concluding observations of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD), 47 will be progressed ...
Resources Minister Shane Jones has launched New Zealand’s national Minerals Strategy and Critical Minerals List, documents that lay a strategic and enduring path for the mineral sector, with the aim of doubling exports to $3 billion by 2035. Mr Jones released the documents, which present the Coalition Government’s transformative vision ...
Firstly I want to thank OceanaGold for hosting our event today. Your operation at Waihi is impressive. I want to acknowledge local MP Scott Simpson, local government dignitaries, community stakeholders and all of you who have gathered here today. It’s a privilege to welcome you to the launch of the ...
Racing Minister, Winston Peters has announced the Government is preparing public consultation on GST policy proposals which would make the New Zealand racing industry more competitive. “The racing industry makes an important economic contribution. New Zealand thoroughbreds are in demand overseas as racehorses and for breeding. The domestic thoroughbred industry ...
Business confidence remains very high and shows the economy is on track to improve, Economic Growth Minister Nicola Willis says. “The latest ANZ Business Outlook survey, released yesterday, shows business confidence and expected own activity are ‘still both very high’.” The survey reports business confidence fell eight points to +54 ...
Enabling works have begun this week on an expanded radiology unit at Hawke’s Bay Fallen Soldiers’ Memorial Hospital which will double CT scanning capacity in Hawke’s Bay to ensure more locals can benefit from access to timely, quality healthcare, Health Minister Simeon Brown says. This investment of $29.3m in the ...
The Government has today announced New Zealand’s second international climate target under the Paris Agreement, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. New Zealand will reduce emissions by 51 to 55 per cent compared to 2005 levels, by 2035. “We have worked hard to set a target that is both ambitious ...
Nine years of negotiations between the Crown and iwi of Taranaki have concluded following Te Pire Whakatupua mō Te Kāhui Tupua/the Taranaki Maunga Collective Redress Bill passing its third reading in Parliament today, Treaty Negotiations Minister Paul Goldsmith says. “This Bill addresses the historical grievances endured by the eight iwi ...
As schools start back for 2025, there will be a relentless focus on teaching the basics brilliantly so all Kiwi kids grow up with the knowledge, skills and competencies needed to grow the New Zealand of the future, Education Minister Erica Stanford says. “A world-leading education system is a key ...
Housing Minister Chris Bishop and Associate Agriculture Minister Mark Patterson have welcomed Kāinga Ora’s decision to re-open its tender for carpets to allow wool carpet suppliers to bid. “In 2024 Kāinga Ora issued requests for tender (RFTs) seeking bids from suppliers to carpet their properties,” Mr Bishop says. “As part ...
Associate Education Minister David Seymour has today visited Otahuhu College where the new school lunch programme has served up healthy lunches to students in the first days of the school year. “As schools open in 2025, the programme will deliver nutritious meals to around 242,000 students, every school day. On ...
Minister for Children Karen Chhour has intervened in Oranga Tamariki’s review of social service provider contracts to ensure Barnardos can continue to deliver its 0800 What’s Up hotline. “When I found out about the potential impact to this service, I asked Oranga Tamariki for an explanation. Based on the information ...
A bill to make revenue collection on imported and exported goods fairer and more effective had its first reading in Parliament, Customs Minister Casey Costello said today. “The Customs (Levies and Other Matters) Amendment Bill modernises the way in which Customs can recover the costs of services that are needed ...
Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says the Department of Internal Affairs [the Department] has achieved significant progress in completing applications for New Zealand citizenship. “December 2024 saw the Department complete 5,661 citizenship applications, the most for any month in 2024. This is a 54 per cent increase compared ...
Reversals to Labour’s blanket speed limit reductions begin tonight and will be in place by 1 July, says Minister of Transport Chris Bishop. “The previous government was obsessed with slowing New Zealanders down by imposing illogical and untargeted speed limit reductions on state highways and local roads. “National campaigned on ...
Finance Minister Nicola Willis has announced Budget 2025 – the Growth Budget - will be delivered on Thursday 22 May. “This year’s Budget will drive forward the Government’s plan to grow our economy to improve the incomes of New Zealanders now and in the years ahead. “Budget 2025 will build ...
For the Government, 2025 will bring a relentless focus on unleashing the growth we need to lift incomes, strengthen local businesses and create opportunity. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon today laid out the Government’s growth agenda in his Statement to Parliament. “Just over a year ago this Government was elected by ...
Associate Education Minister David Seymour welcomes students back to school with a call to raise attendance from last year. “The Government encourages all students to attend school every day because there is a clear connection between being present at school and setting yourself up for a bright future,” says Mr ...
The Government is relaxing visitor visa requirements to allow tourists to work remotely while visiting New Zealand, Economic Growth Minister Nicola Willis, Immigration Minister Erica Stanford and Tourism Minister Louise Upston say. “The change is part of the Government’s plan to unlock New Zealand’s potential by shifting the country onto ...
Hundreds of engineers are losing their jobs and leaving our shores due to infrastructure project delays, creating "significant" risk to our nation's development, says the head of New Zealand's engineering body. ...
By Caleb Fotheringham, RNZ Pacific journalist Cook Islands Prime Minister Mark Brown says the deal with China “complements, not replaces” the relationship with New Zealand after signing it yesterday. Brown said “The Action Plan for Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (CSP) 2025-2030” provides a structured framework for engagement between the Cook Islands ...
The government should not set military style academies into youth justice law, the children's commissioner says, despite its first bootcamp getting a glowing report. ...
The infamous over-the-suit T-shirt worn by the PM at a Parliament barbecue has gone on sale to raise funds for children living in poverty, in a TradeMe auction. ...
MONDAYSheriff Seymour rode slowly down the main street of Dodge on his faithful white horse Atlas Network.He liked what he saw.Children were being fed free lunches prepared by kind people who collected the scraps from an offal rendering plant.“Very strongly flavoured liver, such as ox liver, can be soaked overnight ...
Once upon a time it was all about being an astronaut, a firefighter or doctor; but these days kids have their sights set on becoming vloggers or YouTubers.That’s according to a 2019 study by Lego that surveyed 3000 children between the ages of eight to 12 from the US, the ...
Madeleine Chapman reflects on the week that was. From the moment I started high school and realised almost every other girl in my year was at least partially interested in what the boys were up to, I realised that I would be single for life. The feeling wasn’t one of ...
The Pacific profiles series shines a light on Pacific people in Aotearoa doing interesting and important work in their communities, as nominated by members of the public. Today, Selina Alesana Alefosio.All photos by Geoffery Matautia.On a bright Sunday morning from her grandparent’s home in Pito-one, I spoke with ...
The White Lotus star reflects on her life in TV, including the local ad reference that doesn’t work in Australia, and her bananas co-star on Neighbours.Morgana O’Reilly was scrolling her phone next to her sleeping son on an idle Saturday morning when she got the call confirming that she ...
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The man problem.
I think the solution to the man problem starts with trespass notices. We can already prosecute the assaults they commit, and that hasn’t worked. So, on top of proecutions for assault, ban them from all sporting venues, whether public or private, by court order, for say, twenty years. If they want to go and see their children play, perhaps the Police can issue special licenses for good behaviour.
Not really fair blaming the security guard for “losing control” where no control existed in the first place. At least they weren’t selling glitter /sarc.
From the article
“The 39-year-old was sitting on the Wellington venue’s grassy bank with her girlfriend, among a group of 100 or so men, who were mostly drunk and aged in their 30s and 40s. She said the men were chanting obscenities, skolling beer and harassing the Pakistani cricketers.”
Mostly in their 30s and 40s.
Racist
Sexist
Drunk
“ a pack of dogs.”
Now let’s look at our sports broadcasters and the message they convey, the laddish, sexist message they put out.
Veitch
Devlin
All two of them?
You didn’t blame the music industry when the man problem occurred at Rhythm and Vines. It also happens on the streets. Do you blame NZTA for that? How about when it happens in homes?
The point is the man problem has one thing in common and it isn’t the venue.
I agree there are more than two.
Two of the most notorious just came to mind.
Yes and the music industry has issues.
And sport plays to male stereotypes in its marketing thereby making sport a particularly bad place to see this underbelly of NZ culture.
*headdesk*
Toxic masculinity is a problem. It exists no matter the venue. But hey, try and turn this into one of your pet hate hobbyhorses by all means 🙄
I am not trying to do that.
You think sports celebs who exhibit and promote toxic masculinity aren’t part of the problem?
No, I think they’re a symptom of the problem. Someone has to employ them, and continue their employment (I note this is now a moot point in Veitch’s case). People have to buy advertising on their effluent, consumers have to buy the stuff in the adverts.
We reward their behaviour. No wonder they feel little incentive to change.
Yes, I do, inasmuch as they help to reinforce the problem; they may not be the root cause of it though, if that’s what you’re asking, and indeed be symptomatic.
Drunk people do what’s acceptable to their peer group. The only contribution of “drunk” is to make public what’s acceptable to that peer group. So the problem here isn’t that these guys drink, the problem is the shit that’s considered normal in their peer group.
+1
Peer pressure or influence is not the only contribution of alcohol consumption to ‘misbehaving’. Drunks misread and misinterpret social cues (e.g. micro-expressions and body language) and even become almost completely unresponsive to any communications from others and the outside world. For example, they misinterpret certain cues (e.g. the simple fact of accidentally making eye contact or just looking in their direction) as disgust or aggression or they think that other cues signal acceptance, encouragement, or invitation even. All this can and does happen without any peer group being present and not always in a ‘social situation’ either. Let the mess start …
I agree.
And excessive drinking is part of the problem.
Public intoxication should be discouraged.
Providing a cricket ground is also part of the problem. Should public cricket be discouraged?
I think alcohol exarcebates the sexist behaviour not cricket.
But it’s too nice a day to argue.
If people are being assaulted and the organisers can’t stop that then yes, public cricket in that ground should be discouraged. Just as well we have some other options, like limiting the amount of alcohol people consume.
I agree with the toxic masculinity argument, but before the revolution comes how about we put in some easier to access solutions as well.
If people are being assaulted and the organisers aren’t bothering to stop that then something needs to be done about the organisers, not people who drink alcohol.
Alcohol restrictions are an easy go-to for people who don’t drink, or are anti-alcohol activists to start with, like Ed. I’m not interested in sport, so my immediate knee-jerk response is that this is what sports fans are like so there should be restrictions on sporting events. Ed’s response is no different. Figuring out what problem we’re trying to solve here is a better process than leaping straight to prejudice-based solutions.
Cut off the abusers’ access to public events. Half the problem is that they drag impressionable dupes into their orbit: a visceral illustration of the way right wing political beliefs enthral generation after generation.
Remove the role models from the situation: let them fester at home during the game/gig/Cabinet Club foodfight.
The culture has to change: in the meantime lets put the needs of the victims (to be free from assault) first.
It basically comes down to having enough security staff and giving them clear rules on what is unacceptable behaviour.
Promotoers want as little security as possible (to save money) before it starts to impact on profits (event cancellation/license issues/pirate recordings). If they don’t have enough staff so everyone is in a zone of control, the staff can’t see what’s going on or aren’t in a position to do anything about it.
Security staff often just work along the lines of which box a punter should be slotted into: ignore, direct to bogs etc, start ejection process. That covers most of it.
Frankly in my opinion the way to knobble them is make it an OSH issue. If promoters aren’t providing a safe environment for members of the public, the promoters should be charged. Then you’ll see a complete sea-change in how events are run.
That scenario sounds ok for large venues. Smaller venues, small-scale promoters, utilising small town security staff, all will be disadvantaged – far better for them to be able to access a register of known problem customers.
..and I don’t much care for the idea of entertainment/hospitality workers maintaining that sort of database.
Oh, everyone has their own list of barred patrons, and some areas have “blanket bans” where trespassed from one pub means trespassed from them all. Yes, knowing jerks works to some extent, but then there’s always a first offender. And then it comes down to which box you put them in – clear guidance is often needed. I worked a few places back in the day, and they always gave the same security briefing: “hands-off, polite, use your words, it’s a good place and a good crowd, be low key”. Only one place really meant it. Others thought choke holds (not a come-along, an actual throttle) were hands off and low key.
But small scale venues are the same as gigs for several thousand people. Actually easier, because you probably have glassies or other staff on the floor as well as security, and they can give you a heads-up (or you can play their role just to let likely lads know you’ve got your eye on them). I’ve worked events and venues from sole-security up to a security team of 30 or 40. So big venue size, but not full stadium level.
Some gigs you really couldn’t control anything more than a couple of feet in front of you because of the crowd density, sound and lighting. Basically it was up to the roving folk (or if there was a mezzanine to spot it from a different angle), wade through the punters, grab the nearest static worker for backup and sort it.
Calculating the safe number of security staff comes down to access points, then a function of crowd number as what I call the radius of influence shrinks (so crowd number also as in density in venue floor area, not just crowd size).
How do local lists of banned patrons make it to organisers of eg: Rhythm & Vines or NZ Cricket? Maybe if they use the same security crew…
They wouldn’t, because most punters at R&V would be from out of town.
In that case they’d be relying on alcohol service enforcement and roving security, mostly.
For bigger events, you’re normally exceeding the locally-available supply of regular security staff. Back in my day I worked a cricket match at the ‘brook (just to give the idea of the time lapse) and they had the main contractors for the tour who hired local security staff who also picked up likely locals/folks they knew.
At another gig the regular security team was supplemented by a rugby club whom we put on static/numpty positions that needed to be filled but weren’t big on nuance.
Regarding R&V, I was surprised the promoter had apparently declined anti-harrassment posters. Those would be an easy way to start the process of gently reminding people there are rules and they are being watched. Additionally, if there was drinking there then there would be empties and litter. And easy thing to do is wander around with a wheelie bin and clean up – speaking with people as you go. It’s relaxed, laid back, but still takes the edge off the “I’m wiv me mates” feedback loop that happens. It’s not an overt “I’ve got my eye on you”, it just reminds folk that other people are around.
Of course, normally it’s cheaper just to have the bare minimum security, throw some bins around, and clean up with brooms and shovels after everyone has left.
When some of my former peer group were sozzled, pretty much anything could be acceptable to them at that time. Hard to predict/control what they might do and the behaviour they might sanction in the moment; a few of them were pretty good at post-booze justifications too.
People tell themselves that, but it’s not actually true. If your peer group doesn’t have any problems with you taking a piss in a shop doorway or picking a fight with someone, you might well do those things when you’re drunk. If your peer group would be horrified by those things and would likely shun you and certainly never drink with you again if you were to do them, you just don’t do stuff like that when drunk. Or, you do and eventually you’re a drunk with no friends. Very few people end up in the latter category.
You can figure it out for yourself via a handy thought experiment: how drunk would I have to be to shout homophobic abuse at someone, grope a woman, take a shit in a shop doorway or king-hit someone for no reason? The answer should be “There is no level of drunkenness at which I’d do any of those.” If your answer identifies a level of drunkenness at which you’d do any of those things, the problem isn’t alcohol, it’s you.
Totally agree
Alexei Sayle.
Or, don’t be drunk…
Alcohol is a masking agent
What are you masking?
What are ‘they’ masking?
Root cause…
I’m not against the use of alcohol and other mood-altering recreational drugs (knock yourself out!), but your peers clearly manage(d) the effects of alcohol on their behaviours and personalities better than the peers of my youth.
I see behaviour and personality as ‘products’ of the brain, a bioelectrical organ of remarkable complexity nevertheless subject to physicochemical processes. IMO it is magical thinking to contend that alcohol cannot temporarily alter what individuals ‘consider’ to be acceptable behaviour.
There are very few individuals who can, by training and/or sheer force of will, consciously (ha ha) resist general anaesthesia. Similarly, the mood-altering properties of ethanol are typically quite reliable, contributing to the popularity of the drug.
We have different experiences regarding the ability of ethanol to temporarily alter a persons judgement and behaviour – I’m happy to agree to disagree about the extent of those effects.
“I think the solution to the man problem….”
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chemical_castration
…or what you said. Plus ban ALL alcohol from the venue. (yeah, as if.)
If nothing else…at the end of the match, I’d lock the gates and not let anyone out until they picked up the bloody rubbish.
Yes, I know, local junior teams often do the grounds clean up for fundraising, but ffs, its as if the basic rules of decent behaviour completely disappear.
And its been well over a decade since I went to a cricket match…same as it ever was.
seriously? eugenics for anti-social behaviour? settle down mengele
The “man problem” goes right to the top in NZ sporting culture.
So, NZ women’s sevens rugby team are into the final in the tournament in Sydney this arvo. The women’s sevens runs parallel to the men’s.
Meanwhile, in the upcoming sevens tournament in Hamilton, there will only be a men’s competition.
As RNZ reports, Natalie Portman does have a point.
Sport is big in NZ’s dominant culture. And the way it’s dominated by implicit assumptions about masculine superiority is indicative, plus sends messages that can have all kinds of repercussions in the behaviour of men at events.
In your first sentence, the word “sporting” is superfluous.
This is what the embankment at the Basin has been like for decades. It starts off with chants targeting businessmen walking past with their ties on – “Get your tie off.. “, then moves onto cat calls and “get your gear off..”
It’s more an environment thing, 1 against the rest. People walking below a crowd by themselves are easy targets and have no defence, and you only need a couple of instigators and the group will follow along.
…so sexual assault is a time-honoured tradition and there’s nothing that can be done about it?
How would you deal with it OAB?
I have suggested alcohol is a key problem and been abused by you for that?
What then would you do?
I refer you to comment 1 on open mike, and please attempt to learn to distinguish between criticism of your behaviour and abuse.
As a guide to what constitutes “abuse”, see the comments I aimed at Chuck yesterday.
The issue goes way beyond sport.
New Zealand is a very sexist country.
I thought this was a very well written article.
An excerpt.
“In the United Nations Report on the Status of Women published in 2011, Aotearoa New Zealand was ranked worst of all OECD countries in rates of sexual violence.
Yet we – our media, our police, our guts – instinctively sympathise with the rapists, especially if they’re rugby players, because routine sexual violence is an integral part of rugby culture.
It is a Kiwi tradition for young men to have sex with drunken, underage girls. When the Roast Busters made headlines, they did so because they talked about their alleged exploits online, which meant that people outside our culture became aware of it.”
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/84167679/new-zealand-is-no-paradise-is-it-the-most-sexist-place-on-earth
Exactly.
Culture can be changed.
Specialist subject.
Why the aggro?
http://www.newshub.co.nz/home/new-zealand/2018/01/glittery-march-report-a-misunderstanding-organiser-says.html
Something isnt adding up here – esp when looking at the original quotes.
Looks like it might be set up to sell photos to tabloids from the original quotes that she now denies.
Are you thinking the charity to be suggested will something like Children Adult Support Helpline?
It was pretty obvious from the start that it was a set up.
More fool the msm and various commentators who were frothing at the mouth at the video captured misogyny.
This sort of fake ‘reality news’ happens for 2 reasons:
To help assist the maker’s philosophical beliefs or
To generate publicity and money for the makers.
In this case I believe the 2nd reason applies.
It is a shame as it denigrates the cases of genuine abuse which occur and the culprits of which deserve public ridicule.
So the woman who was groped by the vile prick wasn’t genuinely abused?
In the same way actors in a movie who appear to get beaten up aren’t actually beaten up.
If you arrange for someone to come and ‘grope’ you in order to capture this on video this is a form of implied consent.
A question for you:
If this indeed was a case of genuine Indecent Assault (which carries a punishment of 7 years in jail) why has the ‘victim’ not made a complaint to Police?
She has perfect evidence and it would be a strike of the sisterhood against pawing neanderthals.
However if it were all fakery then her statement to Police would be false and she might end up in trouble herself but fakery is fine for generating social media publicity.
Beware, not all that glitters is gold. (Pun intended)
Oh, so she arranged someone to come and ‘grope’ her?.
It is one posibility…and still valid at the present time…
Cartesian doubt creating rape culture…
If this indeed was a case of genuine Indecent Assault (which carries a punishment of 7 years in jail) why has the ‘victim’ not made a complaint to Police?
I take it this is your first time reading a left-wing or feminist blog if you can ask that question without putting a /sarc on the end.
Here is the version updated yesterday on the Wireless. Doesn’t make it any more clear, but suggests lawyers were involved to restrict what is being said.
Corporations and their predatory capitalists will do what they do anytime, anywhere, without a moral compass. The Wireless article ends:
Holiday highways.
Yesterday was was first journey up the so-called “holiday highway”, with toll road, early in a holiday period, since it’s been opened. A real eye-opener. I thought at least t was going to make for an easy journey for people in cars during their hols.
I went for work, as I was working on a workplace stall at an outdoor event. Foolishly, I assumed leaving Auckland at 8.30am would mean I would get there in 45-50 minutes. But then the electronic signs started appearing saying “queues before the tunnel”. And so it was… before and for a long while after it. Crawling along – stop star, crawl, stop…..
So this magic tunnel, on a busy 2-3 lane motorway, has one lane in each direction – so of course, a major bottle neck.
These motorway designers really have some weird logic!
We were caught in the same jam and I had the same thought.
I think the problem is the highway narrows back to a 2 way road directly after the tunnel and so the 2 into 1 has to occur somewhere.
With the amount of traffic heading north you would think an expressway expansion would be a priority.
I would like more mass transit options – and that would alleviate the amount of cars on the motorway.
I travel up to the northern reaches of Auckland often for work. Our work policy is to use mass/public transport where possible. If that’s not possible, then take one of the work fleet cars.
At the moment the fleet cars are the only option for work to get there and back in a timely manner.
We desperately need a rail system, plus better local bus services in the north of Auckland.
Careful, much more talk like that and you’ll become a convert to the MoRONS cult! I assume you’re talking about the Johnstone’s Hill tunnels just south of Puhoi.
The logic of narrowing it down to one lane northbound before the tunnel is to ensure the bottleneck and merging happens outside the tunnel. That way the cars are moving a bit more freely through the tunnel, in theory*, and it’s less likely there will be an incident inside the tunnel. Southbound there’s two lanes through the tunnel since it’s continuous two lanes going south beyond the tunnel and it’s much less likely to be queued up through the tunnel.
*In practice, the tightest bottleneck is at Warkworth, so the slow queue usually starts there and grows southwards until it backs up traffic through the tunnel. But even so, cars are moving through the tunnel twice as fast with only one lane than they would if there were two, so there’s less time spent in the confined space with concentrated exhausts, and there’s more room for emergency access if needed.
Yes, it is too easy to get caught up in some dodgy logic when we don’t have travel options.
I get frustrated when my only choice is to use a car, and it turns out to be a pretty poor means of travel.
What bunches my undies about the Puhoi-Warkworth motorway being built is there was an alternative that would deliver almost all the benefits for around a third the cost. Bevan Woodward had been pushing it for years, and my contacts in civil engineering consultancy all thought it was a better option, even just looking at it from a cars/trucks view rather than a wider whole transport system view.
Yes, Warkworth is a bottleneck, even at moderate traffic times. So a bypass there looks justified, so may as well build a new bypass to motorway standard to give a good long passing lane each way. Schedewy’s hill really is a hazard, so eliminate the corners with a cutting or tunnels under the hill. The narrow Pohuehue viaduct is a minor bottleneck, so double it up for a continuous passing lane up the hill.
Do those three upgrades, and the rest of SH1 Puhoi-Warkworth is easily upgradeable if traffic volumes ever grow enough to justify it. Meanwhile, just doing upgrades rather than a whole new motorway would free up resources to tackle problems further north like Dome Valley, a bypass around Wellsford, the Brynderwyns etc.
Warkworth needs a more comprehensive public/mass transport system. It is becoming a commuter suburb to Auckland city (ditto Wellsford), with the increasing development of greenfields development in these areas.
I know one or two long time Warkworth residents who, now given limited work choices, need to commute daily, or fairly regularly, to Auckland CBD. This means a long commute, and very early start and late end times to the day.
The biggest traffic congestion is between Albany and the CDB.
Warkworth town centre gets clogged with cars on weekdays because, for most people, currently the best way to travel around the area is by car.
That, plus eliminating the awful intersection with SHI and the Matakana, Snells Beach roads, would reduce the bottleneck.
And getting more trucks off the roads by an increase in the amount of freight travelling to the north by rail.
I don’t now the locations of places by the names you mention, though can make a guess.
Dome Valley is a major problem. It’s not so bad in good weather. However, I had to travel back from Wellsford one time during a big storm. With limited visibility, slippery conditions, and all those “high crash area” signs in the Dome Valley, it was a very stressful journey.
And there are way too many trucks travelling through the Dome Valley.
That Hill St intersection that’s such a nightmare for Matakana and Snell’s Beach residents shouldn’t be anywhere near as bad when the main road there is no longer SH1. Because it will be able to allocate much more more of the traffic light time to other users, whereas now it has to prioritise SH1 traffic.
Nevertheless, AT has a proposed Matakana Link Road. Which is of no use to Snell’s Beach residents. But surprise, it makes it very convenient for people getting off the new motorway to go to Matakana and Omaha.
https://at.govt.nz/projects-roadworks/matakana-link-road/
Going south not far from Warkworth, there’s the long straight passing lane going up a hill, that narrows down to a two-lane bridge, then has a short passing lane after the bridge. That bridge is the Pohuehue viaduct. Then you have the straightish bit along the top of Windy Ridge, before going down the hill with some tight corners (where there’s a couple of stretches of passing lane for northbound traffic). That downhill windy bit is Schedewy’s Hill.
“That bridge is the Pohuehue viaduct.”
We regularly travel between Waikato and the Far North in our 5 ton housebus. If we opt to go down SH1 and the Pukeko Tunnel (our name for the Johnstone’s Hill ) it is that two lane/one lane each way/two lane thing happening at Pohuehue that will literally give me nightmares.
I’m not sure what can be misconstrued by the old Bus in the left lane indicating left so vehicles behind know I’m aware and its safe to for them to pass in the passing lane…then, when the passing lane is running out I do the right indicator thing to let following cars know that the passing lane is fast disappearing and I need to move right so I can cross the bridge.
And yes…I’m probably, optimistically, rocketing up the hill at 60 kph… but still no excuse for the fifth car in line behind me thinking…OH! It’s my turn to risk a head on collision on the Pohuehue Bridge today!!! Yay!!! And proceeds to floor it and pass the other four patient cars plus moi.
Result…I have to slow down/stop to let suicidal maniac pass…thereby losing my precious revs and now a steady 20kph is all I can manage from a standing start.
No amount of road building will fix the problem of the impatient psychopath behind the wheel. 🙂
I suggest adopting a somewhat more bullying attitude at the end of the passing lane.
As soon as the dashed line ends, start drifting over to the right while maintaining speed. The idiot attempting a too-late pass can slow down to your 60kph in a very short distance if need be on a fairly steep hill like that. There’s plenty of sealed road to the left if the idiot doesn’t get the message and keeps coming anyway and you need to make emergency room so there isn’t a head-on.
That’s the technique I eventually arrived at when I was regularly towing a large trailer up there at about the same speed.
Thanks. Yes, I pretty much guessed the places you were talking about.
The SH1 move will relieve the congestion around the Hill Street intersection. However, it will do nothing to relieve the road congestion, and parking issues in the town centre.
More buses in the area would be useful.
I’m told some of the residents around the Snells Beach area are from Pacific communities, attracted to the area for work. One of the main factories that employs them is some way down Woodcocks Rd – so why not better bus services through those areas? Especially with the planned increase in residential housing around the outskirts of Warkworth.
And a better bus service for retirees living out around the Matakana Road would maybe also relieve some of the congestion.
I would not call neoliberalism a 30 year old disaster.
It is a living disaster for millions of New Zealanders.
Pretending neoliberal economics doesn’t exist is one of Labour’s blind spots.
You only solve problems by confronting them.
[Same as below. Picked a point. Cut/shifted the sub-thread.] – Bill
[TheStandard: A moderator moved this comment to Open Mike as being off topic or irrelevant in the post it was made in. Be more careful in future.]
Was it a disaster for the billion people lifted out of poverty?
I do not debate issues with trolls.
Yeah, but you could get one of your sock puppets to chime in.
Yes Ed there are to many snide bad remarks from the right here now that they re turning folks away now.
Indiana yours is exactly the sort of comment that is part of the unfortunate detritus that The Standard could do without.
The ‘billion people lifted out of poverty’ claim is simply neo liberal rhetoric, not fact.
I call bulshit @Indiana.
I’m in a place with a billion people (not too disimilar to your handle),
Trickling down and rising tides …. like hell.
Like elswhere the wealth transfer is to the few at the expense of the many
A billion peoples, Average dollar, income going up.
Does not equal lifting out of poverty, except in right wing fantasies.
Especially when the income lift goes to 1%, of them.
Meanwhile local farmers and suppliers have lost what little income they had.
Forcing them into city slums, work for Foxcon, and across borders, to survive.
So 42 individuals own more personally that the bottom 50%. Yeah this economic system is working so well.
Just a short piece.
https://leecamp.com/new-billionaire-created-every-2-days-millions-go-hungry/?mc_cid=731a89d5aa&mc_eid=524e48683c
Hi Stuart Munro
So why didn’t you demand all your demands from your friends the Capitalists?. You have had many years to do it. And you did nothing.
As predicted – the same old rants are pouring out.
You clearly have not even read a word of what has been written in the first 100 days of the new Government. Immigration for instance.
Really Stuart. whats wrong with you Labour Haters. ?
In the meantime, The Standard stays as the laughing stock of NZ thought and activity.
Well done Stuart.
[TheStandard: A moderator moved this comment to Open Mike as being off topic or irrelevant in the post it was made in. Be more careful in future.]
So what is your view about the Labour Party signing the TPP?
I have in fact been banned with some frequency for sledging the Gnats. But Labour’s original defection remains relevant, because the poor require political representation whether their original party chooses to represent them or not.
Labour have said a number of things in respect of immigration changes, but although Indian student numbers have dropped significantly the expectation in rural industries remains that they have access to ‘skilled’ foreign workers. We will be able recognize material change by the volume of rightwing angst, should it materialize.
Corrupt AF right winger loots the state to finance his campaign, overrides the courts and then sez, we must sit down for dialogue openly and without barriers. ..
TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras (AP) — President Juan Orlando Hernandez was sworn in for a new term in the Honduran capital Saturday, while across town tear gas drifted across flaming barricades in clashes between police and protesters angry over an election the say was marred by fraud.
[…]
The inauguration came after soldiers and riot police fired tear gas to block thousands of demonstrators from marching to the National Stadium to protest. Masked protesters shot rocks from slingshots and kicked canisters back toward security forces as barricades burned and gas billowed on the streets.
“This is how the dictator oppresses his people,” said opposition presidential candidate Salvador Nasralla, who says the election was stolen and he was the true winner of the vote.
“We remain in the struggle to rescue the country from dictatorship and without recognizing Hernandez as president,” Nasralla told The Associated Press.
Hernandez, a 49-year-old lawyer, is Honduras’ first president to be re-elected — a key point in the protests against him.
The 1982 constitution bars presidents from seeking a new term and conservative politicians deposed a leftist president in 2009 for allegedly even considering re-election. But Hernandez won a Supreme Court ruling in 2015 to get around that prohibition.
https://www.apnews.com/fcc1e19345464dc6a5fed11a8aeb04ba/Honduran-president-starts-new-term-as-fiery-protests-erupt
Martin Bradbury has written a superb piece over at the Daily Blog .
It is a blunt reminder, despite the Jacindamania, that neoliberalism still has New Zealand in a vice like grip.
An excerpt.
“ We cheer Team NZ and sneer at those homeless in cars.
We property speculate ourselves to false illusions of wealth and decry public spending on state housing.
We lose ourselves in the labyrinth of neoliberal identity politics while the richest 1% own almost 30% of everything.
We cheer Lord of the Rings while trashing worker rights.
We shoot a bloody business card into the sky and tell ourselves this individual success of a medium sized enterprise is actually a metaphorical Plato-esk intellectual lantern to light the future of humanity!
The vanity of modern neoliberal NZ is Trump-like in its delusion.”
https://thedailyblog.co.nz/2018/01/28/why-the-vacant-optimism-of-the-humanity-star-perfectly-sums-up-the-vanity-of-modern-neoliberal-nz/
So how does that sneering remark about losing ourselves “in the labyrinth of neoliberal identity politics” square with your earlier comments about toxic masculinity (an “identity politics” issue), Ed?
Martyn Bradbury relies too much on easy (and lazy) hyperbole and sweeping generalisations for my taste.
Fair point.
I like the fact Martin speaks truth to power.
Relying too much on easy lazy hyperbole isn’t “speaking truth to power”. Power loves easy lazy hyperbole because it’s completely nonthreatening and steals oxygen from more informed, more cogent critique.
100% Ed,
yes Martyn did well also today on another article regarding how our political system which mirrors the US election style also now and that we need to take stock of what our Labour coalition also may face in 2020.
Warning signs are there for us to be aware of going forward.
“To be forewarned is to be forearmed.”
Rereading Merchants of Doubt by Orestes and Conway.
Worth the time when you hear New Zealand scientists like Rowarth and Edmeades and journalists like Smith, and Mora deliberately muddying the waters here..
To Ed. Obviously a matter of opinion, but I think this is worth repeating.
“This is the first round of employment law changes that this government plans to make. It is the first steps towards reversing 30 years of working people having their rights diminished and losing their fair share of a growing economy”
Workplace Relations Minister Iain Lees-Galloway
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11981946
Bottom line.
Changes will occur in steps, over time. It was never going to be an all or nothing in one big swoop. It’s a coalition government. There’s an element of compromise. Patience is required. I’m just thankful and grateful that change has begun.
[Had to pick “somewhere” as the place to shift that huge drift off into Labour Party stuff. The post was specifically about “the standard”] – Bill
[TheStandard: A moderator moved this comment to Open Mike as being off topic or irrelevant in the post it was made in. Be more careful in future.]
The time for incrementalism by a progressive party is past. That’s a late 20th century third way approach, when what we need right now is a significant change with strongly articulated left values and policies.
The time was ripe for a change, but the dominant people in the LP caucus chose to go to the electorate timidly, with cap in hand. (I’m looking at Parker and Robertson, particularly).
It always seemed to me the message I was getting, was that the Labour caucus leaders would prefer an alliance with NZ First to one with the Greens. I thought this before Ardern became leader, but it was reinforced by some of her early responses on becoming leader. I said so at the time.
So, in a way, they set up the conditions to weaken the vote for the Greens – that and the way they worked to adopt and weaken some of the GP policies on climate and social and economic justice.
To me, refraining from being critical of Labour is a lost cause. They have set the left in NZ back by about a decade or two. [Damn right I am angry about it!]
The only hopes are a revival of strong left wing values through a movement at the flax roots, plus a re-strengthened Green Party (with Maramar Davidson as co-leader outside cabinet or a ministry shackle), or a new left wing party.
I think a Marama Davidson led Green Party would provide the changes needed
Ed, she’s my pick. I think she would be an excellent co leader
My fear is that the media will attack her like they mauled Turei
That wasn’t the media’s fault that was all on Turei.
I think the media and its witch hunt is indeed at fault.
As Turei’s story started to fall apart and the father of her child and his family were thrown under the bus by Turei her fate was sealed.
Turei’s story didn’t fall apart, her points were clear, the media imo have a lot to answer for.
Turei exposed the hypocrisy, misogyny, racism and bad faith of the NZ establishment, and media.
For that, she will never be forgiven.
Much of what you say is myth and the telling by biased media. The reality is quite different.
You may think its past, but change will happen in steps. That’s what we are seeing. What we’ve got, is what we’ve got, working against that achieves what exactly? and I disagree that “they set up the conditions to weaken the vote for the Greens.” It’s not about refraining from criticism, but we should at least be constructive about it.
Whole-heartedly agree on the NZ Labour/Green/NZF dynamic.
Curious (neutrally so) as to why Maramar Davidson over Julie Ann Genter though.
Julie Anne Genter is very good in all areas of the Green 3 planks. But her main focus is on the environment, much like James Shaw, and transport.
Davidson has always been for the strong and equal integration of the 3 planks, even before joining the Greens. But she puts a stronger focus on participating in community engagement at the flax roots – and does this in the crucial low income areas of South Auckland. where she has experienced first hand the struggles of brown renters, and low income people.
Davidson also engages directly with Māori and Pacific communities.
That is it exactly Carolyn. Also Maramar is inspirational – a born leader.
Marama.
yeah! My bad I saw it too late to edit my poor spelling and hoped no one would notice.
Gotcha. 🙂
As Labour and the Greens compete for the same voter pool (in the main) they cannibalize each other’s vote. Just look at the swings before the election.
NZF was the only way to power for Labour (and the Greens). Hence Winston was always in the box seat.
For the Green Party to re-strengthen will require Labour to lose support. Unless you can convince some of the 45% or so of center – center-right voters they should swing left (a lot) it will just be the status quo.
The last thing you need is another leftwing party!
You need the Labour party to be strong while trying to also grow the Green voter base.
I agree.
I am also happy we have got rid of Key, English, Joyce, Collins….
Me too, Ed.
It was in response to Ed’s comment.
The first 10 minutes are hilarious. The US military are awesome at killing everyone! The US military are the world’s biggest polluter. Over all, video 32 minutes long.
To: Stuart Munro
You come in with punches against the new Government. As if you were wishing to floor them the first opportunity you can get.
You want them to ban 1080. Full stop.
But you do not succinctly state what you will replace 1080 with.
You go on against the Government for not having a full anti immigration policy. Again you want to floor the Government in its first days. It is a great pity that the green party had not skilled all jobless Nnew Zealanders – so that no immigrants would be required.
But they didn’t – did they.
Can you see why I The Standard gets let down Stuart.
[TheStandard: A moderator moved this comment to Open Mike as being off topic or irrelevant in the post it was made in. Be more careful in future.]
[Take a week off. The post isn’t about anything you wrote in either of the two comments you made that I had to shift over here. And I can’t be arsed to check future comments to see if you’re still wasting space/threads and attacking Stuart Munro. Come back next Sunday.] – Bill
C’mon Federer.
I’m not too familiar with Halsey, but her poetry, oh boy,….
(careful, detailed description of sexual abuse)
And if you want to read the poem entire…http://www.popbuzz.com/music/artists/halsey/features/halsey-womens-march-poem-transcript/
And like, seriously…… trigger warning.
My old man always sneered at the notion of scouts.
He wasn’t wrong.
https://books.google.co.nz/books?redir_esc=y&id=MJJOl7SMWIoC&q=boy+scouts#v=snippet&q=boy%20scouts&f=false
It gets worse.
(1&2/30)
https://twitter.com/SarahTaber_bww/status/954774752970801152
Unrolled.
https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/954774752970801152.html
Nonononononono…..
The price of Winston’s handshake…
https://www.radionz.co.nz/news/political/349096/nz-to-get-new-all-weather-horse-racing-track
I can’t bloody believe it.
“The Racing Minister Winston Peters made the announcement at the official opening of the annual bloodstock sales in Karaka in South Auckland today.
Several races around the country have recently been called off due to rain.
Mr Peters said the track would be funded by both taxpayers and the industry.
“The idea is a very sound idea and it will stop the huge losses that are happening because events that are clearly going to be cancelled have no alternative.””
Horse racing, second only to rodeo in the animal abuse stakes.
And we, the taxpayers, are going to be coughing up mega millions so there can be even more of it.
Jesus wept.
38% of NZ roads are unsealed. We have a rickety old single lane bridge over the Hurunui River on SH1. We have parents being driven into the arms of loan sharks to buy school uniforms and stationery. Kids go to school hungry and without adequate clothing. People live with chronic pain because of hospital waiting lists. And, and, and….. Winston’s idea of what NZ needs as a priority is an all weather racing track so he and his buddies can bet and booze – because let’s not pretend otherwise – that’s what horse racing is all about.