Interesting fact considering the way the Azov fighters in Mariupol were portrayed as freedom fighters by media in New Zealand, and raises the question why we support these people in Ukraine at the same time as call them terrorists in New Zealand:
"It was the first thing I noticed as news of the Christchurch shooting came in — the patch on the back of the shooter's rucksack, something that was also emblazoned on the cover of the rambling manifesto.
It's a sonnenrad (sunwheel) or black sun: a symbol commonly used by the far-right, including outright neo-Nazis, originally adapted from a mosaic on the floor on the SS Generals' Hall.
Seeing it in the context of Christchurch reminded me of just how interconnected the global far-right has become.
A manifesto was sent to police believed to be sent from the Christchurch shooter.
A wade through the swamp that is the manifesto shows a peculiar imagined version of Eastern Europe.
And it is clear the shooter matters to some in that region's far-right."
and:
"But there's another country mentioned in the manifesto, the one I'm in right now: Ukraine.
Ukraine is home to a resurgent far-right that uses the same symbolism as the Christchurch shooter, but it hasn't been mentioned much over the past few weeks.
To some extent, this is fair — despite some speculation, we don't yet know for sure if he was even in Ukraine.
Ukraine is home to the Azov movement, a far-right movement originally formed in 2014 as the Azov Battalion to fight Russian-led forces in eastern Ukraine. It quickly earned controversy as a place that accepted open neo-Nazis into its ranks."
We don't know for sure if he was in Ukraine, but its on public record that he told his mother he wanted to move to Ukraine.Yes, every country has its far right problem, but in Ukraine these groups have gained a disproportionate amount of power, and not by democratic means , but by sheer violence and the backing of Avakov, head of the Ministry of internal affairs, who has survived every change of govt since Yanukovich
What Varchenko and the Interior Ministry assiduously avoid mentioning are the compelling grounds for concern about any cooperation between far-right vigilante groups and law enforcement bodies. Such grounds include the views at the basis of the National Corps and previous activities of groups linked with the Azov Civic Corps.
C14, a group whose members have openly expressed neo-Nazi views and been involved in the recent violent attacks on Romany camps in Kyiv, and the far-right affiliated Svoboda political party, are the recipients of Youth and Sports Ministry grants for "national-patriotic education projects," according to a June 13 report by Hromadske Radio.
So deplore the Russian invasion if you will, but portraying Ukraine's fight as one for democracy against autocracy, while ignoring and whitewashing Ukraine's encouragement of far right ideology comes with huge risks to us all
That this is a fight between two white race nations with their own identity issues seems to have escaped you.
We are witnessing the ethnic cleansing of nova russia regions of Ukrainians so those Russian identified can have their land – and this is what you notice.
I didn't and still don't get any sense that they were portrayed as heroes holding out. More that they were soldiers who had been cut off from support and were in a untenable position running out of food and ammunition.
While the resistance of Ukraine as a whole has been portrayed as heroic against larger odds the commentary around the Azov battalion has been less emotive and the connection to the far right has been well discussed and documented and commented on.
It is both possible to be a right wing supporter and bravely fight against an invading country just as it is to be a communist and bravely fight against an invading country. These things aren't contradictions.
Overall I find the commentary on Azov doesn't shy away from their right-wing links nor in fact the right-wing influence in both Ukraine and Russia generally. Europe as a whole has much stronger, louder, visible – to suggest a phrase – "white-wing" groups and politics than we have. /This is just as true in Russia where many see themselves as the last great white Christian country. Again oft written about well before the current invasion.
What you suggest is a fact is really only an opinion. That is part of the problem today – opinions are being described as facts and facts as opinions.
It is primarily about a clash of values between authoritarian closed societies that treat their people as a population who exist only to serve the interests of the power elites – and open liberal societies in which the state exists to serve and protect the interest and freedoms of a people who are it's citizens.
There are extremist ideologues on both the left and the right who openly embrace the closed authoritarian society because they fantasise this is the only way to impose their failed dreams on a captive population – so they can bully, coerce and murder their way to the utopia they believe is always for the greater good.
Events of the past few years have flushed out plenty of left wing examples infesting this site.
That picture should be on the bedroom wall of every young Lefty. On the opposite wall should be a picture of Tonga. In the middle should be a sign saying" New Zealand is heading in one direction, you should head in the other and enjoy the fruits of your labour if you are willing to work for it and change your mindset.
In fact I would amend my above comment and say ''mind set'' is more important than work. Mindset covers a lot of ground. From changing subconscious beliefs that hinder one's life, to working magic in pursuit of your goals.
OK – let's replace these straw men you have thrown out there with some actual 'left' opinions:
"I don't deserve it." Nobody deserves it if it is irrationally disproportionate to talent, effort and the social value created, which it commonly is. Complementing that, nobody deserves to be extremely poor either.
"Money is dirty". Not intrinsically. It depends on how it is obtained and how it is used.
"You need money to make money" – you don't, but you need it to turbocharge and accelerate the growth of your wealth
"Rich people live off the backs of poor people" – see previous reply. Not always or entirely, but enormous and accelerating wealth is based on having the market power to extract from others a portion of the value they create.
"Being wealthy means being selfish." The economic system itself requires selfishness. Individuals can be privately unselfish but systemically selfish. It's a mistake to focus on personal morality. The most we can say about personal morality is that becoming wealthy may make someone more selfish than they were before as their mind turns to retaining it. Or it may not do that.
"God hates rich people" . We can't know if a personal God exists or not, let alone what his/her opinions are. We do know that human cultures and religions have always been suspicious of great wealth – and that worship of it is a fairly recent cultural phenomenon.
You can't rationalise irrational subconscious fears. You can only remove the complex. It matters not what I think, or you think. Some people don't even know they have such beliefs. And those that have some realisation of what they believe still have to have an opposing belief entered into their mind until the problem complex loses its charge.
You may be under the mistaken belief I think only Lefties have wrong beliefs about money. Not true, many Righties have the same problem.
New Zealanders respect genuine inventers, entrepreneurs, and those who made their money through real hard work.
Those who stumbled into lucrative bullshit jobs as financial "consultants”, housing speculators, inheriters of "Daddies money", and Ponzi scheme originators, not so much.
It is the latter who tend to keep blethering about "Tall poppy syndrome".
Those who genuinely "work hard for their money" share the general Kiwi contempt for blowhards.
I can't remember the last time there was an article in the news about a Ferrari owning teacher or nurse upset at the 'tall poppy syndrome' thing they were going through.
You reckon they should have worked harder? Or more effectively? Or charged each and every client $50, 508 like the subject of the current story?
Imagine, 30 kids in my class x $50, 508 = $1,515,250. Ah, get rid of the Ford, get a Ferrari.
I expect she can afford a chauffeur to drive her so you wont be needed. If you work hard and save up, maybe you will one day be able to afford a Ferrari too. Just cause she has done well, doesn't me you or I cant also do well.
Yep, sensible wealthy people know to keep a low profile in New Zealand. Those who flaunt it soon learn the hard way, especially if they go broke.
While the attitude towards wealth isn't as bad as it used to be, it still there. Labour relies on the ''envy factor'' as part of its political strategy. Sir Michael Cullen and David Parker are two fine examples of what the Left think about wealth.
Sir Bob Jones said he used to get the finger about four times a week when he was in his Roller. I think Tui Teka got a pass when he drove his Roller because he was a bro… and he deserved it because of colonisation.
From the link:
''Government officials have estimated 50,000 New Zealanders will leave the country over the next year to head off on an OE or for work as the borders reopen after two years of Covid-19 restricting travel.''
More the question: How many are coming back? Talkback says not many.
I can't see much improving under National, so I'm seriously thinking of moving to Perth. I went to an international removal company site online. They all have calculators for pricing container transport to your destination. I stopped at the beginning when a figure of $16,500 came up on the calculator. I think it's best to buy new in Australia.
Jones is a prime example of those who made money by pushing up land prices. While he tried to shaft the people who he was making money from, and benefit himself by playing political games. No wonder why he got the finger.
Keep listening to National Socialist Radio, and be lead astray. I'm listening to real people from the street. People who have first hand knowledge from all types of industries and government departments. People who have been involved in all types of incidents that make the news.
You meanwhile listen to random streams of thought within your limited intellect, and then have a cheek to say I live in a bubble.
Will do. But first I'm waiting to see how National shapes up after assuming office in 2023.
''And I'm sure you'll be right at home with the Labor government of Western Australia.''
Tells you something about the state of NZ, eh?
BTW – will you be able to hack four or five terms of a Tory government? Just think, in that time some of the old timers on this blog will have passed on. The remaining posters will become more spiteful and frustrated as Labour fail time and again. In fact, it's possible this blog may not be around to enjoy a future Left leaning government. That's what happens when you create a blinkered loop and start believing your own bs instead of facing reality.
Puff piece by the Herald to promote limited tax cuts to the hard pressed middle, to enable large ones (removing the top rate, limiting the bright-line test and restoring tax deductibility for interest to landlords) to the deserving few.
Presumably hoping this middle class does not realise they had better put it and more into health insurance because cutting taxes and underfunding public health will impact them too.
Rule of thumb: anyone complaining about the "tall poppy syndrome" is suffering from narcissistic dejection – they are sad, hurt and surprised to find that other people don't view them as self-evidently a superior being.
There may be exceptions – I'm yet to encounter one.
Why then are you not living in Russia? You love the place so much – yet here you are living in one of those nasty open liberal democracies you hate and you do nothing about it.
BTW twisting someone’s words like that is a deeply dishonest bit of fuckery. But like all tankies you have no conscience so why should I be surprised.
There could be stories in the paper each day about gang members being arrested with images of guns, money, drugs and vehicles confiscated yet the supporters of National and ACT will say nothing is being done about gangs and they're being given free licence.
Arrests….so what? The gangs are growing like weeds. Police are hamstrung by a liberal police commissioner. The justice system is broken. All those arrested are basically replaced overnight, while each week jailed gang bangers are released from prison after serving inadequate sentences.
Meanwhile police become more jaded. The Justice system breaks down that little bit more. Winz and social housing breeds the next generation thugs in an endless cycle.
And what's Labour doing? Putting in bollards.
Here's a reality check, boys. This is happening in the real world, and not in your heads.
Correct. And I said the money would have been better spent on policing. The shortfalls of the governments 6 million spend is clearly spelt out in the clip, along with the problems of lack of police and police attendance times to crime scenes
The clip heading say's 70 % of attacks are unreported. That's staggering if true. I can tell you in my city, a WestPac bank ram raid( enclosed ATM machines) never made the headlines, along with two dairy raids that were only reported locally.
[It’s common courtesy here to start a new thread if you want to divert away from the discussion topic. This avoids the attention of Mods, as it could raise suspicion that you might be a diversion troll, which could see you accidentally banned – Incognito]
My reply was direct and relevant to your comment. You referred to an announcement about government spending. I replied giving examples of previous announcements of spending by this government that have failed to produce results. There was no need to attract the attention of the the moderators, unless they are showing an unhealthy sensitivity to criticism of government around crime.
[Well, well, well, what a surprise, you had to argue against moderation again.
Let me spell it out again for you. Blade and I were discussing the spending or lack of spending on Police and more specifically the $6 million on those bollards.
Your comment diverted away from that with a list of unrelated and thus irrelevant topics.
As I said, you’re free to start your own threads. You’re not entitled to argue with Mods after a warning and attack the Mod. Since you’re already on your last warning I’ll just double the ban if you choose to go down that path, which is quite likely, knowing you – Incognito]
Having more prisons, bigger prisons, cops on every corner with guns, police with extreme powers?
God, I should start a political party with those as my policies. Or just join ACT or National and go with those flows there.
Bollards aren't the ultimate surrender or signs of it. The ultimate surrender is more prisons, bigger prisons, cops on every corner with guns and police with extreme powers.
Quite right, Peter. The ultimate surrender is some NRA nuts calling for teachers to carry concealed weapons in the classroom to be ready for the next mass shooting!
Our police and police minister are doing a sterling job in difficult times.
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With Minister Karen Chhour indicating in the House today that she either doesn’t know or care about the frontline cuts she’s making to Oranga Tamariki, we risk seeing more and more of our children falling through the cracks. ...
The Labour Party is saddened to learn of the death of Sir Robert Martin, a globally renowned disability advocate who led the way for disability rights both in New Zealand and internationally. ...
Labour is calling for the Government to urgently rethink its coalition commitment to restart live animal exports, Labour animal welfare spokesperson Rachel Boyack said. ...
Today’s Financial Stability Report has once again highlighted that poverty and deep inequality are political choices - and this Government is choosing to make them worse. ...
The Green Party is calling on the Government to do more for our households in most need as unemployment rises and the cost of living crisis endures. ...
Unemployment is on the rise and it’s only going to get worse under this Government, Labour finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds said. Stats NZ figures show the unemployment rate grew to 4.3 percent in the March quarter from 4 percent in the December quarter. “This is the second rise in unemployment ...
The New Zealand Labour Party welcomes the entering into force of the European Union and New Zealand free trade agreement. This agreement opens the door for a huge increase in trade opportunities with a market of 450 million people who are high value discerning consumers of New Zealand goods and ...
The National-led Government continues its fiscal jiggery pokery with its Pharmac announcement today, Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall says. “The government has increased Pharmac funding but conceded it will only make minimal increases in access to medicine”, said Ayesha Verrall “This is far from the bold promises made to fund ...
This afternoon’s interim Waitangi Tribunal report must be taken seriously as it affects our most vulnerable children, Labour children’s spokesperson Willow-Jean Prime. ...
Te Pāti Māori are demanding the New Zealand Government support an international independent investigation into mass graves that have been uncovered at two hospitals on the Gaza strip, following weeks of assault by Israeli troops. Among the 392 bodies that have been recovered, are children and elderly civilians. Many of ...
Our two-tiered system for veterans’ support is out of step with our closest partners, and all parties in Parliament should work together to fix it, Labour veterans’ affairs spokesperson Greg O’Connor said. ...
Stripping two Ministers of their portfolios just six months into the job shows Christopher Luxon’s management style is lacking, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said. ...
Tonight’s court decision to overturn the summons of the Children’s Minister has enabled the Crown to continue making decisions about Māori without evidence, says Te Pāti Māori spokesperson for Children, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. “The judicial system has this evening told the nation that this government can do whatever they want when ...
It appears Nicola Willis is about to pull the rug out from under the feet of local communities still dealing with the aftermath of last year’s severe weather, and local councils relying on funding to build back from these disasters. ...
The Government is making short-sighted changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA) that will take away environmental protection in favour of short-term profits, Labour’s environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
Labour welcomes the release of the report into the North Island weather events and looks forward to working with the Government to ensure that New Zealand is as prepared as it can be for the next natural disaster. ...
The Labour Party has called for the New Zealand Government to recognise Palestine, as a material step towards progressing the two-State solution needed to achieve a lasting peace in the region. ...
Some of our country’s most important work, stopping the sexual exploitation of children and violent extremism could go along with staff on the frontline at ports and airports. ...
The Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill will give projects such as new coal mines a ‘get out of jail free’ card to wreak havoc on the environment, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
The government's decision to reintroduce Three Strikes is a destructive and ineffective piece of law-making that will only exacerbate an inherently biased and racist criminal justice system, said Te Pāti Māori Justice Spokesperson, Tākuta Ferris, today. During the time Three Strikes was in place in Aotearoa, Māori and Pasifika received ...
Cuts to frontline hospital staff are not only a broken election promise, it shows the reckless tax cuts have well and truly hit the frontline of the health system, says Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall. ...
The Green Party has joined the call for public submissions on the fast-track legislation to be extended after the Ombudsman forced the Government to release the list of organisations invited to apply just hours before submissions close. ...
New Zealand’s good work at reducing climate emissions for three years in a row will be undone by the National government’s lack of ambition and scrapping programmes that were making a difference, Labour Party climate spokesperson Megan Woods said today. ...
Your Excellency Ambassador Meredith, Members of the Diplomatic Corps and Ambassadors from European Union Member States, Ministerial colleagues, Members of Parliament, and other distinguished guests, Thank you everyone for joining us. Ladies and gentlemen - In diplomacy, we often speak of ‘close’ and ‘long-standing’ relations. ...
The Therapeutic Products Act (TPA) will be repealed this year so that a better regime can be put in place to provide New Zealanders safe and timely access to medicines, medical devices and health products, Associate Health Minister Casey Costello announced today. “The medicines and products we are talking about ...
The Minister Responsible for RMA Reform, Chris Bishop, today released his decision on twenty recommendations referred to him by the Wellington City Council relating to its Intensification Planning Instrument, after the Council rejected those recommendations of the Independent Hearings Panel and made alternative recommendations. “Wellington notified its District Plan on ...
Rape Awareness Week (6-10 May) is an important opportunity to acknowledge the continued effort required by government and communities to ensure that all New Zealanders can live free from violence, say Ministers Karen Chhour and Louise Upston. “With 1 in 3 women and 1 in 8 men experiencing sexual violence ...
Associate Education Minister David Seymour has today announced that the Government will be delivering a more efficient Healthy School Lunches Programme, saving taxpayers approximately $107 million a year compared to how Labour funded it, by embracing innovation and commercial expertise. “We are delivering on our commitment to treat taxpayers’ money ...
New research on the impacts of extreme weather on coastal marine habitats in Tairāwhiti and Hawke’s Bay will help fishery managers plan for and respond to any future events, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. A report released today on research by Niwa on behalf of Fisheries New Zealand ...
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Winston Peters will lead a broad political delegation on a five-stop Pacific tour next week to strengthen New Zealand’s engagement with the region. The delegation will visit Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu, New Caledonia, and Tuvalu. “New Zealand has deep and ...
There has been a material decline in gas production according to figures released today by the Gas Industry Co. Figures released by the Gas Industry Company show that there was a 12.5 per cent reduction in gas production during 2023, and a 27.8 per cent reduction in gas production in the ...
Defence Minister Judith Collins tonight announced the recipients of the Minister of Defence Awards of Excellence for Industry, saying they all contribute to New Zealanders’ security and wellbeing. “Congratulations to this year’s recipients, whose innovative products and services play a critical role in the delivery of New Zealand’s defence capabilities, ...
Welcome to you all - it is a pleasure to be here this evening.I would like to start by thanking Greg Lowe, Chair of the New Zealand Defence Industry Advisory Council, for co-hosting this reception with me. This evening is about recognising businesses from across New Zealand and overseas who in ...
It is a pleasure to be speaking to you as the Minister for Digitising Government. I would like to thank Akolade for the invitation to address this Summit, and to acknowledge the great effort you are making to grow New Zealand’s digital future. Today, we stand at the cusp of ...
New Zealand is urging both Israel and Hamas to agree to an immediate ceasefire to avoid the further humanitarian catastrophe that military action in Rafah would unleash, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “The immense suffering in Gaza cannot be allowed to worsen further. Both sides have a responsibility to ...
A new online data dashboard released today as part of the Government’s school attendance action plan makes more timely daily attendance data available to the public and parents, says Associate Education Minister David Seymour. The interactive dashboard will be updated once a week to show a national average of how ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced Rosemary Banks will be New Zealand’s next Ambassador to the United States of America. “Our relationship with the United States is crucial for New Zealand in strategic, security and economic terms,” Mr Peters says. “New Zealand and the United States have a ...
The Government is considering creating a new tier of minerals permitting that will make it easier for hobby miners to prospect for gold. “New Zealand was built on gold, it’s in our DNA. Our gold deposits, particularly in regions such as Otago and the West Coast have always attracted fortune-hunters. ...
Minister for Trade Todd McClay today announced that New Zealand and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) will commence negotiations on a free trade agreement (FTA). Minister McClay met with his counterpart UAE Trade Minister Dr Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi in Dubai, where they announced the launch of negotiations on a ...
New Zealand Sign Language Week is an excellent opportunity for all Kiwis to give the language a go, Disabilities Issues Minister Louise Upston says. This week (May 6 to 12) is New Zealand Sign Language (NZSL) Week. The theme is “an Aotearoa where anyone can sign anywhere” and aims to ...
Six tertiary students have been selected to work on NASA projects in the US through a New Zealand Space Scholarship, Space Minister Judith Collins announced today. “This is a fantastic opportunity for these talented students. They will undertake internships at NASA’s Ames Research Center or its Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), where ...
New Zealanders will be safer because of a $1.9 billion investment in more frontline Corrections officers, more support for offenders to turn away from crime, and more prison capacity, Corrections Minister Mark Mitchell says. “Our Government said we would crack down on crime. We promised to restore law and order, ...
The OECD’s latest report on New Zealand reinforces the importance of bringing Government spending under control, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The OECD conducts country surveys every two years to review its members’ economic policies. The 2024 New Zealand survey was presented in Wellington today by OECD Chief Economist Clare Lombardelli. ...
The Government has delivered on its election promise to provide a financially sustainable model for Auckland under its Local Water Done Well plan. The plan, which has been unanimously endorsed by Auckland Council’s Governing Body, will see Aucklanders avoid the previously projected 25.8 per cent water rates increases while retaining ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters discussed the need for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, and enhanced cooperation in the Pacific with German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock during her first official visit to New Zealand today. "New Zealand and Germany enjoy shared interests and values, including the rule of law, democracy, respect for the international system ...
The Minister Responsible for RMA Reform, Chris Bishop today released his decision on four recommendations referred to him by the Western Bay of Plenty District Council, opening the door to housing growth in the area. The Council’s Plan Change 92 allows more homes to be built in existing and new ...
Thank you, John McKinnon and the New Zealand China Council for the invitation to speak to you today. Thank you too, all members of the China Council. Your effort has played an essential role in helping to build, shape, and grow a balanced and resilient relationship between our two ...
The Government is modernising insurance law to better protect Kiwis and provide security in the event of a disaster, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly announced today. “These reforms are long overdue. New Zealand’s insurance law is complicated and dated, some of which is more than 100 years old. ...
The coalition Government is refreshing its approach to supporting pay equity claims as time-limited funding for the Pay Equity Taskforce comes to an end, Public Service Minister Nicola Willis says. “Three years ago, the then-government introduced changes to the Equal Pay Act to support pay equity bargaining. The changes were ...
Structured literacy will change the way New Zealand children learn to read - improving achievement and setting students up for success, Education Minister Erica Stanford says. “Being able to read and write is a fundamental life skill that too many young people are missing out on. Recent data shows that ...
Trade Minister Todd McClay says Canada’s refusal to comply in full with a CPTPP trade dispute ruling in our favour over dairy trade is cynical and New Zealand has no intention of backing down. Mr McClay said he has asked for urgent legal advice in respect of our ‘next move’ ...
The rights of our children and young people will be enhanced by changes the coalition Government will make to strengthen oversight of the Oranga Tamariki system, including restoring a single Children’s Commissioner. “The Government is committed to delivering better public services that care for our most at-risk young people and ...
The Government is making it easier for minor changes to be made to a building consent so building a home is easier and more affordable, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “The coalition Government is focused on making it easier and cheaper to build homes so we can ...
New Zealand lost a true legend when internationally renowned disability advocate Sir Robert Martin (KNZM) passed away at his home in Whanganui last night, Disabilities Issues Minister Louise Upston says. “Our Government’s thoughts are with his wife Lynda, family and community, those he has worked with, the disability community in ...
Good evening – Before discussing the challenges and opportunities facing New Zealand’s foreign policy, we’d like to first acknowledge the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs. You have contributed to debates about New Zealand foreign policy over a long period of time, and we thank you for hosting us. ...
From today, passengers travelling internationally from Auckland Airport will be able to keep laptops and liquids in their carry-on bags for security screening thanks to new technology, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Creating a more efficient and seamless travel experience is important for holidaymakers and businesses, enabling faster movement through ...
People with an interest in the health of Northland’s marine ecosystems are invited to a public meeting to discuss how to deal with kina barrens, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones will lead the discussion, which will take place on Friday, 10 May, at Awanui Hotel in ...
Kiwi exporters are $100 million better off today with the NZ EU FTA entering into force says Trade Minister Todd McClay. “This is all part of our plan to grow the economy. New Zealand's prosperity depends on international trade, making up 60 per cent of the country’s total economic activity. ...
There are heartening signs that the extractive sector is once again becoming an attractive prospect for investors and a source of economic prosperity for New Zealand, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. “The beginnings of a resurgence in extractive industries are apparent in media reports of the sector in the past ...
The return of the historic Ō-Rākau battle site to the descendants of those who fought there moved one step closer today with the first reading of Te Pire mō Ō-Rākau, Te Pae o Maumahara / The Ō-Rākau Remembrance Bill. The Bill will entrust the 9.7-hectare battle site, five kilometres west ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has announced 25 new high-speed EV charging hubs along key routes between major urban centres and outlined the Government’s plan to supercharge New Zealand’s EV infrastructure. The hubs will each have several chargers and be capable of charging at least four – and up to 10 ...
The coalition Government will not proceed with the previous Government’s plans to regulate residential property managers, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. “I have written to the Chairperson of the Social Services and Community Committee to inform him that the Government does not intend to support the Residential Property Managers Bill ...
The Government has announced an independent review into the disability support system funded by the Ministry of Disabled People – Whaikaha. Disability Issues Minister Louise Upston says the review will look at what can be done to strengthen the long-term sustainability of Disability Support Services to provide disabled people and ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Next week the government will again next try to get its legislation through to deal with non-citizens who won’t cooperate with efforts to deport them. The bill, which the opposition and crossbench refused to rush ...
A long-term project that will set out an alternative vision for Aotearoa that looks beyond the narrow confines of the policy straight jacket adopted by successive governments. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Bree Hurst, Associate Professor, Faculty of Business and Law, QUT, Queensland University of Technology TK Kurikawa/Shutterstock A much-awaited report into Coles and Woolworths has found what many customers have long believed – Australia’s big supermarkets engage in price gouging. What started ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Daniel Ghezelbash, Associate Professor and Deputy Director, Kaldor Centre for International Refugee Law, UNSW Law & Justice, UNSW Sydney The Albanese government wanted to avoid an inquiry into its migration amendment bill. The report, handed down yesterday by a senate committee that ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Joo-Cheong Tham, Professor, Melbourne Law School, The University of Melbourne Lobbying is at the heart of government. Who has access to and influence over key government officials shapes the decisions governments make – and how they make them. The ability to influence ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Myfany Turpin, Associate Professor, Ethnomusicology, Linguistics and Ethnobiology, University of Sydney The act representing Australia at this year’s Eurovision contest has sadly not qualified for the grand final. Yet for Zaachariaha Fielding and Michael Ross, the duo that makes up Electric Fields, ...
In announcing changes to the school lunches programme, David Seymour said kids would no longer be served ‘woke’ foods. To clear up any confusion, The Spinoff has compiled a guide to the wokeness levels of some common food items. Apple = NOT WOKE Avocado = WOKE Avocado, smashed = EVEN ...
The Minister Responsible for GCSB and the Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security have been notified of this review, and have been provided a finalised Terms of Reference. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Minglu Chen, Senior Lecturer, Government and International Relations, University of Sydney Robert Way/Shutterstock As the past few years have illustrated so clearly, the Australia-China relationship is complicated. As such, it is crucial for Australians to develop a more nuanced understanding of ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mariana Campbell, Research Lecturer, Conservation, Charles Darwin University Marilyn Connell Australian freshwater turtles are facing an alarming trend. Almost half of these species are listed as vulnerable, endangered or critically endangered. The Mary River turtle (Elusor macrurus) is one of Australia’s ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Debbie Passey, Digital Health Research Fellow, The University of Melbourne Algorithms have become integral to our lives. From social media apps to Netflix, algorithms learn your preferences and prioritise the content you are shown. Google Maps and artificial intelligence are nothing without ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Josephine Barbaro, Associate Professor, Principal Research Fellow, Psychologist, La Trobe University Unsplash We’ve come a long way in terms of understanding that everyone thinks, interacts and experiences the world differently. In the past, autistic people, people with attention deficit hyperactive disorder ...
PNG Post-Courier Papua New Guinea’s deputy opposition leader James Nomane has accused the government of “reckless economic management” that has forced devaluation to manage loan repayments in foreign currency and placate the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Prime Minister James Marape “must stop lying to the people of Papua New Guinea”, ...
Welcome to The Spinoff Bookseller Confessional, in which we get to know Aotearoa’s booksellers. This week: Jane Arthur, author of Brown Bird, and former bookseller at Good Books.The book I wish I’d writtenI have been working on not comparing myself to others. On accepting that what I can ...
The final decision on the Wellington District Plan makes it official: High-density housing is legal across most of Wellington. Housing minister Chris Bishop has announced his decision on the Wellington District Plan, approving a series of amendments to radically upzone most of Wellington, allowing tens of thousands of new townhouses ...
Analysis by Dr Bryce Edwards – Democracy Project (https://democracyproject.nz)Political scientist, Dr Bryce Edwards. “Follow the money” is the classic directive to journalists trying to understand where power and influence lie in society. In terms of uncovering who influences various New Zealand political parties and governments, it therefore pays to ...
RNZ News As Israel presses ahead with strikes in Rafah and seizing the Rafah crossing from Egypt, aid agencies are sounding the alarm of a “catastrophic humanitarian situation”. Rafah was “significant” because it was the only part in Gaza that had not been terribly damaged by the conflict, United Nations ...
With funding set to be scrapped for the Hamilton-Auckland commuter train, Te Huia enthusiast Georgie Dansey argues for it to be thrown a lifeline. It’s 5.45am and the chain of my crappy old bike falls off slugging up the one hill in Hamilton. I contemplate yeeting the bike into the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Anna Cooke, Honorary Fellow, School of the Environment, The University of Queensland We feel ecological grief when we lose places, species or ecosystems we value and love. These losses are a growing threat to mental health and wellbeing globally. We all see ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Shauna Brail, Associate Professor, Institute for Management & Innovation, University of Toronto A shift to hybrid and remote work continues to affect worker presence in Toronto’s downtown.(Shutterstock) Downtown Toronto, the core of Canada’s largest city, continues to reel from the lingering ...
Responding to an Auditor-General's report slamming failures in the administration of the 2023 General Election, Taxpayers’ Union Policy and Public Affairs Manager, James Ross, said: ...
Productivity apps now make up a big chunk of the software market. But do they work? And why do they all have AI integrations?Despite being firmly on the record as a physical planner fan, I sometimes dream of something better than my pretty diary and its scrawled, ugly, interior ...
The Taxpayers’ Union says the Beehive need to lead by example, following reports of more than $50,000 spent upgrading video conferencing equipment and furniture in the Prime Minister’s office. Taxpayers’ Union Campaign Manager, Connor Molloy, ...
An objective list of the 50 most powerful people in New Zealand, as judged by the Spinoff Editorial Board. It’s power list season, baby, and we want in on the action. Sure, there’s the rich list and the powerful “c-suite” list and the young people with power (hmmm) but here, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Thalia Anthony, Professor of Law, University of Technology Sydney ShutterstockThis article contains information on deaths in custody and the names of deceased people, and describes ongoing colonial violence towards Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. First Nations people in Australia ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alex Simpson, Senior Lecturer in Criminology, Macquarie University Netflix Baby Reindeer’s phenomenal success has much to do with its writer and lead, Richard Gadd, who plays Donny in a tender semi-autobiographical account of sexual abuse, harassment and stalking. Gadd’s story has ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Clare Collins, Laureate Professor in Nutrition and Dietetics, University of Newcastle KarolinaGrabowska/Pexels If you didn’t have food allergies as a child, is it possible to develop them as an adult? The short answer is yes. But the reasons why are much ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Paul Moon, Professor of History, Auckland University of Technology Ans Westra, self-portrait, c. 1963. National Library ref AWM-0705-F They try but invariably fail – those writers who believe they are capable of encapsulating in prose or verse the essence of ...
Stewart Sowman-Lund looks at the growing concern around the world in this extract from The Bulletin. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here. What’s all this? When Covid-19 arrived on our shores in early 2020, some argued we were too slow, or crucially, ill-prepared for a pandemic. So ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Franco Montalto, Professor of Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering and Director, Sustainable Water Resource Engineering Laboratory, Drexel University Water runs into a storm drain in a Los Angeles alley on Aug. 19, 2023, during Tropical Storm Hilary.Citizen of the Planet/Universal Images ...
The inquest into the death of Gore toddler Lachlan Jones has turned up a new witness who says he saw two teenagers and a small child in a high vis vest in the area where the boy’s body was found the day he died. Lachie’s body was discovered face up ...
Stories from the tenancy trenches, featuring spider infestations, cupboard rats and same-sex discrimination. Lucy’s brother was living in a damp 1930s building in Mt Eden where “he had to tie the cupboard doors closed so the rats didn’t get in”. Although he shared custody of his six-year-old son, his property ...
Simeon Brown, Chris Luxon, and Wayne Brown climbed into a hole and announced a plan to solve Auckland’s water woes. This is how it’ll work. New Zealand’s pipes are munted. They’re cracked and leaking, and struggling to handle all the extra poos excreted by our rising population. It’s a big, ...
I knew Taika Waititi quite well when he was a kid. His mother lived in a tall narrow house in Aro St, and my youngest sister had a similar house two doors along. They were both single mums, they each had a son aged seven. Taika and my nephew Stepan ...
Opinion: “As time passes, knowledge of the circumstances of the August 2016 outbreak will fade and its immediate impact will be lost.” This statement is from the 2017 report of the Official Inquiry into the Havelock North campylobacteriosis outbreak. The then National-led government established the inquiry after the outbreak left ...
Opinion: Nicholas Khoo looks at two key points in the high-stakes foreign policy pact debate – and asks if NZ can engage with as little drama as possible. The post Where to next for the Aukus ruckus? appeared first on Newsroom. ...
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Opinion: ‘Reference-class forecasting’ is at the heart of improving pricing a project and identifying the expected timeframe but it doesn’t appear to be in use here The post ‘Think fast and act slowly’ is failing big projects appeared first on Newsroom. ...
What do a sombrero in Argentina and cognitive driving tests have in common? Don’t worry, we’re not setting up a bad joke. Hinengaro Clinic dementia clinician Gregory Winkelman has the answer on today’s episode of The Detail. “We ask a patient’s spouse or son or daughter: If you went to ...
Wellington long jumper Phoebe Edwards is back and she’s having fun again. Until this year, Edwards, a top athlete in her teens, had never competed as a senior athlete in New Zealand. In March, the 26-year-old won a national long jump title in a lifetime best of 6.28m after ...
After replacing a fifth of their caucus in just four months, the Greens’ opportunity to reset, reshuffle and refocus on the Government is quickly slipping away The post Persistent Green Party scandals delay caucus reset appeared first on Newsroom. ...
ANALYSIS:By Olli Hellmann, University of Waikato When New Zealanders commemorate Anzac Day today on April 25, it’s not only to honour the soldiers who lost their lives in World War I and subsequent conflicts, but also to mark a defining event for national identity. The battle of Gallipoli against ...
By Robin Martin, RNZ News reporter A New Zealand local authority, Whanganui District Council, has passed a motion calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, condemnation of all acts of violence and terror against civilians on both sides of the conflict and the immediate return of hostages. It comes as ...
Asia Pacific Report The Aotearoa chapter of the Women’s International league for Peace and Freedom (WILPF) has appealed to the New Zealand government to call out Israel over the “cruel and barbaric use of force” in Gaza and demand a permanent ceasefire. The league’s open letter was sent to Prime ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra The Albanese government will invest $566 million over a decade on data, maps and other tools to promote exploration and development in Australia’s resources industry. The project will fund “the first comprehensive map of what’s ...
Asia Pacific Report Following an open letter by Auckland University academics speaking out in support of their students’ right to protest against the genocidal Israeli war on Gaza, a group of academics at Otago University have today also called on New Zealand academic institutions to “repair colonial violence” and end ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Linda J. Graham, Professor and Director of the Centre for Inclusive Education, Queensland University of Technology Ryan Tauss/ Unsplash, CC BY Two male students have been expelled from a Melbourne private school for their involvement in a list ranking female students. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Martin, Visiting Fellow, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University The Reserve Bank is now assuming Australians will see no interest rate cuts this year – and quite possibly none before the next federal election, due next May. That’s ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By David Hayward, Emeritus Professor of Public Policy, RMIT University The Victorian budget offered more of the same on Tuesday, with the only change being how the budget papers were packaged. The usual shrink wrap was gone, hinting at savings in the pages ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra The Coalition is demanding extensive amendments to the government’s legislation targeting non-citizens who refuse to co-operate with their removal. In a dissenting report to the senate inquiry into the legislation, the Coalition says it ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Vanita Yadav, Senior Research Fellow, Urban Transformations Research Centre, Western Sydney University Brett Boardman/Belvoir The complex and grappling issue of violence against women takes centre stage in the soul-stirring solo dance drama Nayika: A Dancing Girl. During a dinner conversation ...
Disruption to patient care from a nationwide junior doctors strike is bordering on unsafe, a senior doctor claims, despite what health officials say. ...
Interesting fact considering the way the Azov fighters in Mariupol were portrayed as freedom fighters by media in New Zealand, and raises the question why we support these people in Ukraine at the same time as call them terrorists in New Zealand:
"It was the first thing I noticed as news of the Christchurch shooting came in — the patch on the back of the shooter's rucksack, something that was also emblazoned on the cover of the rambling manifesto.
It was far from the first time I'd seen it.
I'd seen it on t-shirts sold by far-right fashion brands in France. I'd seen it in photos of shields held by white supremacists at the violent "Unite the Right" rally in Charlottesville in 2017. And, here in Ukraine, I'd seen it on the paraphernalia of the far-right Azov movement.
It's a sonnenrad (sunwheel) or black sun: a symbol commonly used by the far-right, including outright neo-Nazis, originally adapted from a mosaic on the floor on the SS Generals' Hall.
Seeing it in the context of Christchurch reminded me of just how interconnected the global far-right has become.
A manifesto was sent to police believed to be sent from the Christchurch shooter.
A wade through the swamp that is the manifesto shows a peculiar imagined version of Eastern Europe.
And it is clear the shooter matters to some in that region's far-right."
and:
"But there's another country mentioned in the manifesto, the one I'm in right now: Ukraine.
Ukraine is home to a resurgent far-right that uses the same symbolism as the Christchurch shooter, but it hasn't been mentioned much over the past few weeks.
To some extent, this is fair — despite some speculation, we don't yet know for sure if he was even in Ukraine.
Ukraine is home to the Azov movement, a far-right movement originally formed in 2014 as the Azov Battalion to fight Russian-led forces in eastern Ukraine. It quickly earned controversy as a place that accepted open neo-Nazis into its ranks."
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-04-10/christchurch-shooting-far-right-groups-in-ukraine-eastern-europe/10983542
We don't know for sure if he was in Ukraine, but its on public record that he told his mother he wanted to move to Ukraine.Yes, every country has its far right problem, but in Ukraine these groups have gained a disproportionate amount of power, and not by democratic means , but by sheer violence and the backing of Avakov, head of the Ministry of internal affairs, who has survived every change of govt since Yanukovich
https://khpg.org/en/1517275970
Azov is not the only far right group getting govt funding C14 gets Ukrainian govt funding to hold summer camps for children
https://www.rferl.org/a/ukrainian-militia-behind-brutal-romany-attacks-getting-state-funds/29290844.html
So deplore the Russian invasion if you will, but portraying Ukraine's fight as one for democracy against autocracy, while ignoring and whitewashing Ukraine's encouragement of far right ideology comes with huge risks to us all
Putin has wrapped up his autocracy with that of the state with his alignment with the Russian Orthodox Church – the partner of Tsars.
He cultivated the support of the Njght Wolves.
His and their Duginite tendency's are as close to ethnic fascism as anything in Ukraine and these are ones in power.
That this is a fight between two white race nations with their own identity issues seems to have escaped you.
We are witnessing the ethnic cleansing of nova russia regions of Ukrainians so those Russian identified can have their land – and this is what you notice.
You making huge speculative leaps and not understanding how the internet mimetics works does not make an "interesting fact".
I didn't and still don't get any sense that they were portrayed as heroes holding out. More that they were soldiers who had been cut off from support and were in a untenable position running out of food and ammunition.
While the resistance of Ukraine as a whole has been portrayed as heroic against larger odds the commentary around the Azov battalion has been less emotive and the connection to the far right has been well discussed and documented and commented on.
It is both possible to be a right wing supporter and bravely fight against an invading country just as it is to be a communist and bravely fight against an invading country. These things aren't contradictions.
Overall I find the commentary on Azov doesn't shy away from their right-wing links nor in fact the right-wing influence in both Ukraine and Russia generally. Europe as a whole has much stronger, louder, visible – to suggest a phrase – "white-wing" groups and politics than we have. /This is just as true in Russia where many see themselves as the last great white Christian country. Again oft written about well before the current invasion.
What you suggest is a fact is really only an opinion. That is part of the problem today – opinions are being described as facts and facts as opinions.
https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2017/02/how-russia-became-a-leader-of-the-worldwide-christian-right-214755/
This conflict has very little to do with race.
It is primarily about a clash of values between authoritarian closed societies that treat their people as a population who exist only to serve the interests of the power elites – and open liberal societies in which the state exists to serve and protect the interest and freedoms of a people who are it's citizens.
There are extremist ideologues on both the left and the right who openly embrace the closed authoritarian society because they fantasise this is the only way to impose their failed dreams on a captive population – so they can bully, coerce and murder their way to the utopia they believe is always for the greater good.
Events of the past few years have flushed out plenty of left wing examples infesting this site.
"left wing examples infesting this site”.
C'mon don't be coy. Name one!
Let’s not. Let’s not start personal attacks and flame wars. Let’s address comments on their contents.
Thanks.
Bullshit. It's about (the prevention of) Western encroachment into territories which, at the very least, should remain neutral.
Good to read a positive story about someone working and being successful. So true what she says about the NZ tall poppy.
Lotto wins over business success: Entrepreneur decries NZ's tall poppy syndrome – NZ Herald
Diddums.
Two Ferraris, and a McLaren and a Porche and a Beamer etc etc…
That picture should be on the bedroom wall of every young Lefty. On the opposite wall should be a picture of Tonga. In the middle should be a sign saying" New Zealand is heading in one direction, you should head in the other and enjoy the fruits of your labour if you are willing to work for it and change your mindset.
Work Hard : Unexpected (reddit.com)
In fact I would amend my above comment and say ''mind set'' is more important than work. Mindset covers a lot of ground. From changing subconscious beliefs that hinder one's life, to working magic in pursuit of your goals.
Common mental blocks concerning wealth are:
OK – let's replace these straw men you have thrown out there with some actual 'left' opinions:
"I don't deserve it." Nobody deserves it if it is irrationally disproportionate to talent, effort and the social value created, which it commonly is. Complementing that, nobody deserves to be extremely poor either.
"Money is dirty". Not intrinsically. It depends on how it is obtained and how it is used.
"You need money to make money" – you don't, but you need it to turbocharge and accelerate the growth of your wealth
"Rich people live off the backs of poor people" – see previous reply. Not always or entirely, but enormous and accelerating wealth is based on having the market power to extract from others a portion of the value they create.
"Being wealthy means being selfish." The economic system itself requires selfishness. Individuals can be privately unselfish but systemically selfish. It's a mistake to focus on personal morality. The most we can say about personal morality is that becoming wealthy may make someone more selfish than they were before as their mind turns to retaining it. Or it may not do that.
"God hates rich people" . We can't know if a personal God exists or not, let alone what his/her opinions are. We do know that human cultures and religions have always been suspicious of great wealth – and that worship of it is a fairly recent cultural phenomenon.
You missed the point by a wide mile.
You can't rationalise irrational subconscious fears. You can only remove the complex. It matters not what I think, or you think. Some people don't even know they have such beliefs. And those that have some realisation of what they believe still have to have an opposing belief entered into their mind until the problem complex loses its charge.
You may be under the mistaken belief I think only Lefties have wrong beliefs about money. Not true, many Righties have the same problem.
I've been internalising a really complicated situation in my head and now my head hurts.
If I were you I’d ask for my money back.
Are the mental blocks concerning wealth the same mental blocks concerning wellbeing or are the latter just bad habits?
Conceited nitwit nobody's ever heard of – RESPECT MAH PRIVILEGE!
/
Hey Joe, what the hell are you on about.. or on for that matter?
New Zealanders respect genuine inventers, entrepreneurs, and those who made their money through real hard work.
Those who stumbled into lucrative bullshit jobs as financial "consultants”, housing speculators, inheriters of "Daddies money", and Ponzi scheme originators, not so much.
It is the latter who tend to keep blethering about "Tall poppy syndrome".
Those who genuinely "work hard for their money" share the general Kiwi contempt for blowhards.
I can't remember the last time there was an article in the news about a Ferrari owning teacher or nurse upset at the 'tall poppy syndrome' thing they were going through.
You reckon they should have worked harder? Or more effectively? Or charged each and every client $50, 508 like the subject of the current story?
Imagine, 30 kids in my class x $50, 508 = $1,515,250. Ah, get rid of the Ford, get a Ferrari.
I'll happily drive her to the airport.
I expect she can afford a chauffeur to drive her so you wont be needed. If you work hard and save up, maybe you will one day be able to afford a Ferrari too. Just cause she has done well, doesn't me you or I cant also do well.
BG and KJT have the wrong mindset. Aiming for an electric scooter MAY be within their reach.
Beemer and boat, mate.
Don't get too envious.
I hope the BMW is electric.
That's the next one.
Probably be a Mazda though.
Better cars.
And here, Ladies and Gentlemen, and others, we have a typical example of New Zealand's right wing mindset.
Making statements without evidence.
Envy Blade? Nope, happy with my house…car…ebike…sailing boat… bank balance.
I just don't want that type of whinging privileged numbat in NZ.
Yep, sensible wealthy people know to keep a low profile in New Zealand. Those who flaunt it soon learn the hard way, especially if they go broke.
While the attitude towards wealth isn't as bad as it used to be, it still there. Labour relies on the ''envy factor'' as part of its political strategy. Sir Michael Cullen and David Parker are two fine examples of what the Left think about wealth.
Sir Bob Jones said he used to get the finger about four times a week when he was in his Roller. I think Tui Teka got a pass when he drove his Roller because he was a bro… and he deserved it because of colonisation.
From the link:
''Government officials have estimated 50,000 New Zealanders will leave the country over the next year to head off on an OE or for work as the borders reopen after two years of Covid-19 restricting travel.''
More the question: How many are coming back? Talkback says not many.
I can't see much improving under National, so I'm seriously thinking of moving to Perth. I went to an international removal company site online. They all have calculators for pricing container transport to your destination. I stopped at the beginning when a figure of $16,500 came up on the calculator. I think it's best to buy new in Australia.
"The envy factor".
“Talkback says”.
You really do live in a bubble, don't you?
Jones is a prime example of those who made money by pushing up land prices. While he tried to shaft the people who he was making money from, and benefit himself by playing political games. No wonder why he got the finger.
Keep listening to National Socialist Radio, and be lead astray. I'm listening to real people from the street. People who have first hand knowledge from all types of industries and government departments. People who have been involved in all types of incidents that make the news.
You meanwhile listen to random streams of thought within your limited intellect, and then have a cheek to say I live in a bubble.
First time I've heard talkback hosts and David Seymour referred to as "real people on the streets".
But. Carry on hanging yourself.
Talkback hosts.. Dave Seymour? Real people? What fuse have you blown this time?
Look, I will simplify it ( again) for you. This from my comment:
I'm listening to real people from the street.
Got it? A studio host isn’t on the street. Dave Seymour is a politician.
Exactly.
Funny how all your “real people on the street” mindlessly parrot them.
Coincidence?
"I'm listening to real people from the street"
You're talking out of your manhole.
Your turn for troll duty tonight?
If the shoe fits.
Yeah, but he's not very good. Popeye would run rings around him.
Did you do up the laces?
Blade likes to think he has servants, with the “wrong mindset” to "do up his laces"!
Be sure to close the door on your way out.
And I'm sure you'll be right at home with the Labor government of Western Australia.
Will do. But first I'm waiting to see how National shapes up after assuming office in 2023.
''And I'm sure you'll be right at home with the Labor government of Western Australia.''
Tells you something about the state of NZ, eh?
BTW – will you be able to hack four or five terms of a Tory government? Just think, in that time some of the old timers on this blog will have passed on. The remaining posters will become more spiteful and frustrated as Labour fail time and again. In fact, it's possible this blog may not be around to enjoy a future Left leaning government. That's what happens when you create a blinkered loop and start believing your own bs instead of facing reality.
So you believe that National will govern enzed for 4 or more terms after 2023 .. and so/and yet plan to live in Perth under a Labour government there.
Will you come back if the next Labour government applies a CGT and wealth/estate taxation and so can fully fund public health?
Very strange how Anti-socialism types, want to move to more Socialist States. LOL.
''And I'm sure you'll be right at home with the Labor government of Western Australia.''
Tells you something about the state of NZ, eh?
Yeah What happens after thirty years of Right Wing twits in Government. Eh?
Puff piece by the Herald to promote limited tax cuts to the hard pressed middle, to enable large ones (removing the top rate, limiting the bright-line test and restoring tax deductibility for interest to landlords) to the deserving few.
Presumably hoping this middle class does not realise they had better put it and more into health insurance because cutting taxes and underfunding public health will impact them too.
Rule of thumb: anyone complaining about the "tall poppy syndrome" is suffering from narcissistic dejection – they are sad, hurt and surprised to find that other people don't view them as self-evidently a superior being.
There may be exceptions – I'm yet to encounter one.
… and open liberal societies in which the state exists to only to serve the interests of the power elites
… so they can bully, coerce and murder their way to the utopia they believe is always for the elite's good.
FIFY. Describes the USA to a tee. Tweedle Dee / Tweedle Dum. It's all about money. Always has been, always will be.
Why then are you not living in Russia? You love the place so much – yet here you are living in one of those nasty open liberal democracies you hate and you do nothing about it.
BTW twisting someone’s words like that is a deeply dishonest bit of fuckery. But like all tankies you have no conscience so why should I be surprised.
Meanwhile the "useless" police and the "useless" police Minister carry on with the job of successfully doing something about gang related gun crime.
Auckland gang shootings: Two arrests, Police seize restricted firearms, ammunition at New Windsor house – NZ Herald
1500 firearms seized in police crackdown on gangs, organised crime – NZ Herald
Operation Tauwhiro sees 64 firearms seized in Northland, 42 arrested | New Zealand Police
Giving the lie to the bullshit flying around from our genuinely useless National politicians, the talking heads on TV and their parrots here..
There could be stories in the paper each day about gang members being arrested with images of guns, money, drugs and vehicles confiscated yet the supporters of National and ACT will say nothing is being done about gangs and they're being given free licence.
Pretty much.
Arrests….so what? The gangs are growing like weeds. Police are hamstrung by a liberal police commissioner. The justice system is broken. All those arrested are basically replaced overnight, while each week jailed gang bangers are released from prison after serving inadequate sentences.
Meanwhile police become more jaded. The Justice system breaks down that little bit more. Winz and social housing breeds the next generation thugs in an endless cycle.
And what's Labour doing? Putting in bollards.
Here's a reality check, boys. This is happening in the real world, and not in your heads.
Blade says:
Blade says here (https://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-26-05-2022/#comment-1890341):
What's your point, or my contradiction?
You wrote them, I read them.
Bollards and Raptor Squad are completely different things for completely different purposes.
I cannot read your mind nor can I do the thinking for you.
Correct. And I said the money would have been better spent on policing. The shortfalls of the governments 6 million spend is clearly spelt out in the clip, along with the problems of lack of police and police attendance times to crime scenes
The clip heading say's 70 % of attacks are unreported. That's staggering if true. I can tell you in my city, a WestPac bank ram raid( enclosed ATM machines) never made the headlines, along with two dairy raids that were only reported locally.
Government is investing over $562 million into Police – Budget 2022.
https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/new-zealand/2022/05/budget-2022-government-announces-major-600m-package-aimed-at-tackling-new-zealand-crime.html
And all you can tell us is that you want to arm Police and spend on Raptor Squad.
Yes this government have a track record of announcing spending money. Not so good with results.
https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2022/03/health-minister-andrew-little-defends-government-s-billion-dollar-mental-health-boost-despite-report-finding-little-has-changed.html
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/464359/auditor-general-finds-failings-in-290m-tourism-support-scheme
Ministry of Social Development Zoom job expos: Taxpayers fork out more than $800,000, only 126 people attend – NZ Herald
[It’s common courtesy here to start a new thread if you want to divert away from the discussion topic. This avoids the attention of Mods, as it could raise suspicion that you might be a diversion troll, which could see you accidentally banned – Incognito]
Mod note
My reply was direct and relevant to your comment. You referred to an announcement about government spending. I replied giving examples of previous announcements of spending by this government that have failed to produce results. There was no need to attract the attention of the the moderators, unless they are showing an unhealthy sensitivity to criticism of government around crime.
[Well, well, well, what a surprise, you had to argue against moderation again.
Let me spell it out again for you. Blade and I were discussing the spending or lack of spending on Police and more specifically the $6 million on those bollards.
Your comment diverted away from that with a list of unrelated and thus irrelevant topics.
As I said, you’re free to start your own threads. You’re not entitled to argue with Mods after a warning and attack the Mod. Since you’re already on your last warning I’ll just double the ban if you choose to go down that path, which is quite likely, knowing you – Incognito]
Mod note
The bollards are the ultimate surrender, a sign that they've given up on stopping the crime wave and now are content with damage limitation.
Don’t get started on speed humps.
Having more prisons, bigger prisons, cops on every corner with guns, police with extreme powers?
God, I should start a political party with those as my policies. Or just join ACT or National and go with those flows there.
Bollards aren't the ultimate surrender or signs of it. The ultimate surrender is more prisons, bigger prisons, cops on every corner with guns and police with extreme powers.
Interesting policy suggestions. But we have Ministers paid to come up with solutions. So far, whatever they've been doing isn't working.
Quite right, Peter. The ultimate surrender is some NRA nuts calling for teachers to carry concealed weapons in the classroom to be ready for the next mass shooting!
Our police and police minister are doing a sterling job in difficult times.
We will forget that gang problems at the moment, are a consequence of an Australian RWNJ Government exporting their home grown problems to us.
The Minister has promised that the gun violence will go down. Unequivocal.
So now let's check back in 3 months and see.
Certainly wouldn't have worked if she'd made the promise any time last year.
Ambulance. Cliff.
Don't you think the Minister of Police should actually be concerned with preventing crime? Or do you think it's ok that Gang recruits have outstripped new police officers in almost all regions under Labour while police response times have grown longer.
US seizes Iranian tanker in Greek waters,offloads oil at sea.
In Retaliation Iran seizes 2 Greek Tankers.
https://twitter.com/Michellewb_/status/1530205277810745345?cxt=HHwWgoCzlfjlsLwqAAAA