Seymour is a dangerous person seeking to sacrifice NZ polity on an alter of a stuffed ideology and hero worship of Ruth Richardson His lost decades bemoan the fact that there is still public education, a public health system, ACC, public roads, state ownership of key assets in energy and transport.
I think that he will not be happy unless he becomes NZ version of Pol Pot: an ideolgue driving insane extremism.
That and much more efficient fracking has turned the US into a net energy exporter for some time. Doesn't make it energy independent, just much less vulnerable to external pressure.
Also as of Friday President Biden has paused all the new LNG investment, which is a spectacular win for environmentalists that I am sure will play into the campaign.
Both Mr Micheal and Ms King said all proposals — from royalty relief to sweeping royalty reforms — were on the table to support the industries.
Capitalists lining up, cap in hand, palm outstretched for govt handout… No market failure tho, just the usual boom/bust cycle. Neolib as drunken sailor.
in the past year the price of lithium has dropped by more than 80 per cent. Meanwhile, nickel is down more than 40 per cent.
Everyone hold hands & chant normalcy shall prevail in unison & everything will be alright again.
Except it requires massive amounts of water for its extraction and processing. Water that they do not have unless it is diverted from farming or other vital uses. The American Public Broadcasting Service had a good discussion on this a couple of days ago,
A funny story from Newsroom by Margaret Mills. Sounds to be true but???
One morning during the weekend the line for coffee was out on the street and not very fast moving. Part way down the line stood our local bald-headed politician (the same one who has a luxury bach on our beach and drove his boat through a rahui because it wasn’t marked) with his bouncer. The Egg goes everywhere with him.
They were getting a tad impatient.
After a bit of muttering The Egg called out, “Would you serve us next, please?”
The barista is rumoured to be Argentinian. He answered, “Listen, Mate, I don’t know who you think you are, but you get served in line, just like everybody else.”
The room was full, everyone else knew who he was, a roar of laughter went up and within seconds there was a phone in every hand.
A notice is often erected for rahui, given that your suggested method is not an effective one in terms of any message that needs to be universally shared.
often solutions need multiple elements in place. If we consider that rahui come from cultures with an oral tradition, then connection to place and people is pretty core.
If I owned a crib on Waiheke, I'd be connecting into the local community in whatever ways were available. Community wellbeing comes from engagement and connection, not just a noticeboard committee.
That makes criticism of the ignorance of a rahui a flawed one. If you are going to criticise people for not respecting a rahui when notifications are in place, then do so. But to criticise someone when none are is petty-mindedness.
Don't employ a step up from a psychic network, to inadequately achieve wider knowledge of a rahui when it is in place.
If you can't see that criticising someone for not having knowledge of a temporary rahui in place, when the location is unmarked then I can't help you.
Either accept the limitations of a verbal communication on a network of linked people (not all) in a community, or do something that will reach all members in that community – linked or not.
"Either accept the limitations of a verbal communication on a network of linked people (not all) in a community, or do something that will reach all members in that community – linked or not."
How to communicate something important in a community (a non-exhaustive list):
signs
MSM messaging
SM messaging
emailing local groups
talking at meetings/hui
Now, please explain how the location could be marked so that everyone knew where it was. Because I don't think that is possible.
“I’ve seen notice at local beaches at boat ramps and on the main waterfront.
This is not unusual.”
Of course. And it’s not going to reach everyone eg someone who comes to the area by sea. Which is why I said community wellbeig (eg a rahui) requires engagement from people as well as public notifications.
“And the issue is criticising someone – when the location is unmarked. There is not enough detail provided by the anecdote to assume anything else.”
I think there wasn’t enough detail in the anecdote to assume anything at all other than that the writer was signalling something pointed about Luxon and that community.
FFS I knew the rahui was in place and I don't even live there. It was in the mainstream media quite a few times. Anyone who lives in NZ should know that when certain things happen that rahui might be in place.
This goes from someone drowning, to polluted shellfish, to depleted fishing stocks or in this case invasive weeds.
How do you know? – you make the effort to find out. It is a pretty normal check for many people. Finding out is about showing respect for the area you are going to, about acknowledging that you are a visitor – you need to have some emotional intelligence to check and not just barge in as if you own the place.
Interestingly there was a feature on fishing on the news tonight about fishing and that different areas have different fishing rules and requirements and that you need to check there before sticking your boat in the water. You can be fined significantly for getting it wrong doing so – though educating is preferred.
If ignorance is no excuse for fishing rules then ignorance is no excuse for rahui either. Stop making excuses for him and his party.
Aboriginal tradition in Oz puts it quite nicely.
"Protocols for welcoming visitors to Country have always been a part of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures. Boundaries were clear, and crossing into another group’s Country required a request for permission to enter.
When permission was granted the hosting group would welcome the visitors, offering them safe passage and protection of their spiritual being during the journey. Visitors had to respect the protocols and rules of the land owner group while on their Country. "
It is a courtesy. No different than when on the odd occasion non-religious me has to go into a church. I always make some effort to understand the particular rules of that church – no different to visiting a marae either – what are the local protocols and customs.
the rahui was across some bays and coastal areas, pretty hard to put signs up everywhere and at sea. This is what I mean about solutions coming from multiple elements. You put signs at the boat ramps, do media and social media work, use local groups and so on. Last time there was a rahui in my area, I learned about it from FB.
Whatever bee you have in your bonnet about criticism of Luxon, my points still stand. Even if there had been signs at the boat ramps, moorings etc, that still isn't going to inform everyone. There is an onus on people to engage as well. Pretty basic community comms, and I would expect Luxon to pay someone to keep him up to date, even just for the real politik and competency side of it.
“Yeah. I guess any opportunity to criticise Luxon needs to be taken if that is where you want to go.”
Or the opportunity to criticise people for criticising Luxon 😉
“I would assume that other locals may have made the same transgression through ignorance, and wouldn’t criticise them either.”
Myself, I hold leaders to a higher standard than the general public. And people with greater resources. Like I said, if he’s not going to engage himself, he can just pay someone to do that for him
maybe try reading and understanding my comments and then you might get it, because I already covered this multiple times:
COMMUNITY WELLBEING NECESSITATES ENGAGEMENT BY PEOPLE AS WELL AS NOTIFICATION.
So yeah, I would expect the PM of NZ to make a considerable effort to understand what is happening in the community where he has a holiday home. As opposed to say a visitor from outside the area, or someone who is working three jobs and trying to look after their kids and just wanted to get out on the beach/water but wasn’t paying attention.
@weka I understand your comments, I am simply disagreeing with them.
While you consider this particular skill in this particular case a priority for our PM – I don't.
The anecdote related an example of arrogant behaviour, that did not need further window dressing by an irrelevance. You consider it relevant, because of your idea of higher standards for community wellbeing. Mine differs.
the problem here for me is that you don’t state disagreement, you just ignore my input and then continue to talk with me as if I hadn’t said those things.
In this case, if you disagree that community wellbeing needs people to actively participate, or that PMs should be held to a higher standard, then please say that up front and I won’t keep repeating myself.
We've lost the large grey quote marks which used to be next to the indent. Now we just have the indent which I don't think is particularly clear. No need to panic, I did make it clear it was an edit of your original quote.
It was a response to highlight the current de-Maorification of New Zealand done to placate the fears and frustrations of the Pakeha far right.
How to use quote marks correctly while making your irrelevant point:
“How do you know if a rahui is in place if it isn't marked" in English"?"
Another example:
"It was a response to highlight the current de-Maorification of New Zealand done to placate the fears and frustrations of the Pakeha far right."
Your response mechanism is predicated on a number of suppositions and fallacies that you can continue to hold.
(Just as I can continue to think they are ludicrous, unless someone can explain persuasively otherwise.)
BTW, it was @ianmac who stated “and drove his boat through a rahui because it wasn’t marked) “. Are you saying that you consider a rahui unmarked because a notice may or may not have been written – because it was in Te Reo?
We've lost the large grey quote marks which used to be next to the indent. Now we just have the indent which I don't think is particularly clear. No need to panic, I did make it clear it was an edit of your original quote.
Good point. That should have been in the css for something like 'div.comment blockquote'. I wonder what plugin (that I have turned off for simplicity) was providing that.
I will add it onto my to-do list for today – but after I get into aircond. Have to have one of the doors closed today because the apartment is getting washed. Feels like the temperature and humidity inside is rising…
Ummm 26C and 52% on a gardening sensor. Not too bad
Simeon Brown punishing the Wellington and Upper Hutt Mayors using specific powers to seek information on water supply investment shows National's tactic for water supply amounts to clubbing the weak.
Which regrettably in NZ's punitive electorate will work just fine.
In public, during stops in states such as New Hampshire, South Carolina and Georgia, Manchin says he believes there’s a role for him as a national icon in the “fiscally responsible and socially compassionate” middle… As Biden tries to assert the success of his presidency, Manchin says he shaped “everything” in the president’s agenda. In an interview with CNN as he drove in New Hampshire, Manchin said the country would have been worse off if he hadn’t used the 50-50 Senate to force Biden to do things his way, arguing, “The way it was presented and the way it ended up are two different things.”
Manchin called the president a “good, decent man” but said he worries about a second Biden term with a White House staff who he believes is dominated by a group of “far, far-left liberals.”
Yeah, could be a goer, given both other contenders are problematic currently.
I would guess Iran is playing to Russia's tune. Russia got the world off it's back over Ukraine when Iran set the Palestinian attacks on Israel in motion. What's the bet some rubles changed hands to get that going.
Craig Murray queued through two wintry nights in The Hague to be one of the 14 people to get admitted to the ICJ hearings. He is a very experienced ex diplomat, used to unpacking these types of documents and is quietly surprised by the depth of trouble Istael now finds itself in. The main points from his analysis are that:
1. The only time "self defence" is mentioned is in acknowledging that a major part of the Israeli defense is around "self defence". The ICJ has thus left off stating the obvious. An occupying power can not claim self defense. They must first leave all occupied territories. It would be absurd to give occupied people the right to fight their oppressors at the same time as their oppressors had the right to self defense. To the ICJ, this is so obvious it does not need to be stated.
2. The genocidal incitement of the senior Israeli government cabinet are written up not as alleged by SA but rather as statements of fact.
3. Statements by the head of UNRWA on the extreme conditions in Gaza and the approaching famine and disease amongst the huge displaced population are written as statements of fact. This will explain the sudden attempt to villify and withdraw funding from the UNRWA.
4. The genocide convention is written into UK law. All supporting military aid, intelligence and logistical support will now need to cease. There is already a case started in the US to put Biden on trial for aiding and abetting genocide. How this will go is anyones guess.
Murray finishes by saying none of these processes will be quick as justice moves slowly but unless there is a massive escalation of the war, it's not looking good for the Israeli government nor for the US and UK.
"This will explain the sudden attempt to vilify and withdraw funding from the UNRWA."
There is no logical/legal/moral reason to defund UNRWA, and therefore starve the Palestinians, on the basis of the actions of (maybe) 12 of its employees.
Keeping in mind UNRWA has lost, as in they are dead, at least 150 employees to the Israeli bombing of civilian infrastructure and the people sheltering there. Not to mention its 13,000 employees who are now refugees themselves.
This is simply the Wests way of showing its support for Israel, and the Wests/Israels unwavering willingness to see this destruction of a country and a people through to the bitter end.
That in itself answers your question as to how any attempt to put Biden on trial will go…
Things may not "Look Good" for these governments, but I see no evidence whatsoever that they care…and lets be honest..those people within the system who supposedly could help hold their co workers in governments to moral account are failing miserably.
People like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez..the darling of many a Standard commentator..who thinks that voting these genocidal war mongers, who are also failing to care for the basic needs of their own populations btw, how voting them back in scot-free is somehow "Being adult about the situation".
Which Nations even temporarily cut diplomatic ties with America over these 12 individuals??…
For my part, given UNRWA's previous form for supporting antisemitic terrorism, I'm unsurprised many of the countries funding it don't find "Look, only 12 of our employees participated in a pogrom" very persuasive.
So UNRWA should have its own police to check every one of its 13,000 employees [IN GAZA] and out of work activities.
After all theres 5.6 mill Palestinians registered with UWRA , Im surprised that theres not many many more than 13 amoung the 30,000 employees in the countries surrounding Israel
Those countries 'finding problems' here , werent they the same ones that said it was 'outrageous' that Israel is being even taken to the International Court over a claim of genocide
The whole existence of 5.6 mill refugees is of course soley laid at the feet of Israel and its Zionist existence
"We have many employees so it's unsurprising some of them participate in pogroms" is likely to be similarly unpersuasive to western donors.
The reason there are so many refugees is highly disputable and disputed. Govts that invaded Israel/Palestine in 1948 for the purpose of dividing the place among themselves and then losing the fight after causing massive population displacement seem to me like more plausible candidates. Those govts are notable for their absence from the list of top UNRWA donors.
The majority of the horrific torture operations, according to the testimonies, start as soon as people are taken from their homes or asylum centres where many Gazans are sheltering from the ongoing Israeli attacks. Soldiers then beat the detained people and strip them naked, except for their undergarments, forcing them to sit on their knees in the street for hours while being harassed and treated with contempt
They are then forced to curse themselves and other Palestinian groups and are violently transfered in trucks to open air detention centres for further beatings.
In 2016 Israel arrested Mohammed El Halabi who was a World Vision worker on fabricated charges of funneling money to Hamas. It is alleged that the confession was beaten out of him and this was the only evidence ever presented.
The Australian government comissioned an audit that found no evidence of any money going anywhere it wasn't supposed to but nevertheless suspended funding to World vision in Gaza.
World Vision stood behind El Halabi and stated on his conviction in 2022 that the arrest, conviction and unjust verdict and (12 year) sentence are emblamatic of actions that hinder humanitarian work in Gaza and the West Bank.
This experience caused World Vision to leave Gaza so you could say a pretty encouraging result for Israel. Worked a treat and seems to be going well this time too.
I'd like to know if these employees actually participated in a pogrom, of if there was a pogrom at all because it looked like a hostage taking mission to neutral observers.
If some UNRWA employees were involved on the day, what was their role? To neutral observers there was plenty of effort to transport hostages safely to Gaza apparently under fire from the IDF. Perhaps this was their role.
These people are resisting a creeping, murderous occupation. Remember?
I'm curious about how many Israeli spies were in UNRWA given their history of infiltrating overseas organisations, using false passports etc. I mean they spy on their allies. It would be naive to think they didn't have spies in UNWRA. What's good for the goose is good for the gander.
The 2004 Israel–New Zealand passport scandal was an incident of passport fraud in July 2004 that led New Zealand to take diplomatic sanctions against Israel. High-level contacts between the two countries were suspended after two Israeli citizens suspected of being Mossad agents, Uriel Kelman and Eli Cara, were caught trying to fraudulently acquire a New Zealand passport using the identity of a man with cerebral palsy. Prime Minister Helen Clark declared that New Zealand government viewed the acts carried out by Kelman and Cara as "not only utterly unacceptable but also a breach of New Zealand sovereignty and international law."
Another reading of this record, though, shows that Pollard’s activities fit a pattern of Israeli espionage efforts. As John Davitt, a 30-year veteran of the Justice Department who resigned in 1980, told the New York Times: “When the Pollard case broke, the general media and public perception was that this was the first time this had ever happened. No, that’s not true at all. The Israeli intelligence service, when I was in the Justice Department, was the second most active in the United States, to the Soviets.”
I think the successes of Israel's espionage capabilities lead people to overestimate them. Spying within Gaza for Israel is incredibly high-risk, it makes spying on the USSR look a doddle. And people who are credible locals are highly unlikely to want to help Israel for obvious reasons.
I'm just not sure why anyone would be surprised that an organisation as large as the UNWRA working in Gaza would not have infiltrators or at the very least sympathisers from Hamas. Israel has certainly accused it of being so in the past.
It would be quite challenging I would think to prevent it. Israel's push to defund (and force further hardship) on the population in Gaza has been ongoing and any discrediting will do.
It's true that as long as UNRWA is employing Palestinians in Gaza its schools will teach Islamist terrorism as a noble virtue and many of its staff will be candidates to participate in pogroms. It's just not obvious to me why we or other liberal democracies would fund that.
What always interested me about the Mossad spies trying to get NZ passports is that someone who has a New Zealand passport has to verify your identity and endorse the photograph. I don't recall ever hearing of someone being prosecuted for making these false statements.
The GOP is taking on Biden over his post Gaza plan for a restoration of the peace process – they call that rewarding Hamas.
Trump ended funding to UNRWA back in 2018, Biden resumed it.
And there is this also
Republicans have also taken Israel's lead on criticizing the Biden administration's continued support of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA). Top GOP lawmakers have demanded clarification on reports that Hamas is diverting humanitarian aid from the UN agency, which is accordingly failing to prevent such incidents, despite the U.S. being UNRWA's single largest donor.
On Friday, the U.S. announced it is suspending funding to UNRWA due to an investigation into 12 employees suspected of involvement in the October 7 attacks in Israel by Hamas. It has since been joined by the United Kingdom, Australia, Finland, Italy, and Canada.
Trump partially cut funding. Biden cut the whole lot off. You might find that part of the problem with Bidens collapsing vote is that people are thouroughly nauseated by endless lesser evil arguments.
You're right on funding. The ICJ says there is a case to answer on genocide, specifically stating the extent with statements of facts as they stand, and Biden's answer is to cut the one last line of humanitarian aid, the effect of which will be to hasten the genocide, and you are making lesser evil arguments?
The decision to suspend funding during an investigation is questionable given the need to improve aid provision in the immediate term.
The GOP pressure in the House for Biden to do so is obvious, but giving BN's government what they want could easily backfire, if they are then seen as in breach on an interim decision that their judge on the ICJ supported.
"The GOP is taking on Biden over his post Gaza plan for a restoration of the peace process"
You are obviously aware that Biden is arming Israel with 2000lb bombs and thousands probably tens of thousands main tank round + lots lots more, which are both the back bone of the Genocide that is taking place right now, and further the USA has never been a peace broker in the ME during it's entire position as world hegemony, let alone in this affair, so please don't offer up that total load of rubbish "restoration of the peace process" wtf…
….the outrageous cognitive dissonance that the Liberal class display out in the open…seemingly totally unaware of the moral and ethical quick sand that is about to finally cover them is nothing short of astounding.
And now Biden stops aid because the country that has just been implicated in a horrific genocide tells him that there are some Hamas fighters working there….this all coming from Israel, one of the most flagrant bullshitters on the face of the planet….the rules based order…yeah right.
Biden is in power..Biden is aiding and abetting Genocide, right now as we speak,humans are starving, dying, being mutilated, humiliated, in their hundreds of thousands..by Biden…not Trump…vote Blue no matter Who,…even a war criminal…is that what you are seriously advocating?
1.The ICJ would have made no statement about the right of Israel to exercise military power in the occupied territories in its self defence because it was focused on the genocide issue before it (and there was also the issue of Hamas taking the fight into Israeli territory – there being no Israeli occupation within Gaza).
4.There has been decision on whether there has been genocide to influence UK government obligation nor therefore a case to answer in the USA either.
Given the time frame of the ICJ process to the duration of the Israeli Gaza offensive the real issue is Israeli response to the interim decisions and UK and USA reaction to that.
The Israeli case centred on self defence. The only other argument was that the ICJ did not have jurisdiction. Its incredible that you can believe that a state can invade and occupy another state and then claim self defence when the locals fight back. The right to fight back is enshrined in the UN Charter. What you propose is contradictory rubbish. You've even called them "occupied territories". Lebanon was also in the right when they evicted the IDF from Southern Lebanon in the 2000s. Im afraid you've just drunk the US and UK cool aid that says empires have the right to invade if they invoke self defence. They do not
The Israeli case may have been based on self defence, but that does not allow war crimes and these war crimes after incitement to genocide is why the case was accepted, is proceeding and Israel is expected to abide by interim decisions, so as to prevent an escalation to genocide.
The occupied territories were not the territory of another state when occupied, no state of Palestine in the area had been declared or even advocated for – the population had accepted Egyptian and Jordan presence as part of a cease-fire in an earlier war to prevent the existence of a Jewish majority nation state.
Gender identity ideology still falling, one case at a time. I couldn't list how many of these there have been. A couple of examples just from today.
1. Vice Chancellor of the Open University in the UK making a public statement apologising to Professor Jo Phoenix, criminologist, for failing to protect her in her work environment from harassment when she starting set up the Gender Critical Research Network.
GCRN is crucial because of the immense pressure on academics to not talk about and research sex-based phenomena. eg in crime, it's the impact of males in women's prisons, or women who have been raped having to listen to their rapist being referred to as she, or safety implications for women where their single sex spaces are now designated as mixed sex.
2. Rip Curl drops one if its women ambassadors and brand wearers because of her gender critical views. Then it chose a trans-identified male to represent women's surfing in an ad campaign. Now it's been boycotted and had to remove its social media featuring the trans identified male.
In the 4pm RNZ news bulletin, in an item about an Auckland physiotherapist who has been censured for inappropriate behaviour has to under go ethics training before he "…can treat female identifying patients…"
I don't think I've heard that term in that sort of context on 'red radio' before.
yeah, that's damn insulting given he was sexually assaulting women*. I wonder if it's RNZ's language, or the language of the ruling against the man?
*although I guess we don't actually know now if it was women he was assaulting, because currently in NZ the word woman has been made a mockery and nonsense.
North and South have published an important article about puberty blockers – very balanced and apolitical. We could be close to a break in the one-sided rhetoric.
It is *so* similar to the Unfortunate Experiment. From an article about medical abuse, and how it happens:
In New Zealand [Herb] Green is infamous as the physician behind the “unfortunate experiment.” His tragic flaw was signaled by a phrase written on his office chalkboard: “Don’t confuse me with the facts—my mind is made up.” Green was convinced that cervical carcinoma in situ (CIS)—a condition in which abnormal cells are found on the surface of the cervix but not yet any deeper—would not progress to invasive cervical cancer. Never mind the scientific evidence, or expert consensus, or even the policy at his hospital, all of which instructed that CIS should be treated, not simply left alone.
Gender identity ideology still holding up in NZ higher circles: this example from the NZ Midwifery Council: who have removed the words -women – and even -baby- from a midwives scope of practice
Not to mention the RSE School curriculum which tells kids that they have a "gendered soul" and can change their sex. And we dish out so called "Puberty Blockers" (off brand) more than many other comparable countries..
Good to see some local light shone on this reckless and ideological practice.
According to the NZEI, your concerns are 'conspiracy based thinking'. And Jan Tinetti, says it's part of some 'imported culture war', and there really is no problem at all.
“We have a really good curriculum in this country. The guidelines are not the curriculum, they are adding to how we can make sure the curriculum is taught well. They are not compulsory, but they are absolutely superb.”
Do you know what No Debate is? It affects gender identity ideologists too. They end up looking stupid, but it's probably ignorance as well as ideological blindness.
Remember when Sean Plunket asked then PM Hipkins the 'what is a woman?' question? And Hipkins stumbled over his answer. He seem unprepared, which was extraordinary given this was post Kellie Jay Keen's visit, and UK Labour had been through years of challenge over that question to the point that they had to change their policy position. It was mindblowing seeing Hipkins unprepared, but it does suggest his advisors are ignorant of what is going on.
Not hard to see it being the same with Tinetti. The other option I guess is that she understands well enough and is being disingenuous.
That was a truly astonishing moment (Hipkins having had no briefing on what to say if asked 'What is a woman?'). Mindblowing alright. The self-confidence that no-one could reasonably disagree with them leaves them completely defenceless if someone does.
Thanks Weka. Yes, I'm well aware of No Debate and the impact it's having on the free exchange of ideas. Or should I say the freedom of gender critical ideas.
Love him or loathe him, Plunkett gives this issue a robust airing, and published this piece by Yvonne Van Dongen just last week. Identity crisis | The Platform
Sean Plunket has platformed a couple of women involved in the Albert Park debacle, who have given succinct accounts. However, when speaking of the himself, his grasp of the topic and the underlying safeguarding and evidence failures seem to be lacking.
Garwhoungle who used to comment (and perhaps author) here, has some good posts on their blog: The Ministry Has Fallen, about some of the aspects and impacts of this ideology:
Many people are unaware that TKI provides education guidelines, not curriculum itself. Curriculum can be sourced, and also delivered by third parties.
The Ministry of Education in the RSE guidelines gives recommendations for which providers to go to for curriculum.
InsideOut is one such organisation. As third-party providers their material is not accessible under an OIA request, because of commercial privacy. This means that parents and caregivers are unable to view and assess for themselves much of the content being delivered. https://insideout.org.nz/resources/
One module – published by the Ministry of Education that can be viewed is the one on pornography. It provides no assessment of the harms of pornography production and viewing, and is intended to remove the shame associated with pornography. There is also no assessment of the supposed advantage to students of consumption of pornography in terms of personal sexual well-being, behaviour or understanding of consent:
NZ is many years behind the UK. We can only hope that the work done by progressive GCFs and others will be something we can use here instead of going down the conservative backlash route.
We are very lucky to have Ovens, and actual left wing person.
And Speak Up For Women did get a court ruling that established to some extent that you can't discriminate on the basis of gender critical belief (in that case, it was for venue hire).
Paula cares, she cares so much she ended the TIA for those on the DPB when Minister.
Now her care extends to those under 25 on the Job Seeker Benefit.
She calls obligations on these people caring. She does not mention the PM's policy in this area – she is preparing the public for that. He has mentioned appointing non W and I people for these people to be accountable to while unemployed.
Damien also cares, here he shills for the governments plans to open up New Zealand to foreign investment, leaving only a national security test.
This will allow land on the coast to be flicked on to foreigners who want investments in scarce assets, not subject to a CGT. And given we have no public domain on the F and S, locals will lose access to the coast as a result.
He pretends that such investment will enable us to produce more goods and services, when in fact it is just leveraging ownership of a scarce resource for an untaxed CGT.
The reason why we lack domestic investment in the productive economy is that our tax system incentivises ownership of assets for CG – opening that up to foreign involvement is not an improvement.
I've been on X and can report about the cancel culture that operates there – Sean Plunkett opposes the National led government funding UNRWA and Leo Molloy wants to defund the UN.
It seems that those who want to rewrite the Treaty have an empathy for those who want all the land without any responsibilityto others it being clearly understood that nothing shall be done which may prejudice the civil and religious rights of existing non-Jewish communities in Palestine. Or un-sign the problematic UNDRIP (indigenous peoplerights)againshowing a disregard for another peoples identity – there the UN determined area for a state for Arab Palestinians.
I think he's pointing to a flash-point, independent of personalities, but typical of meaningful change. My position is; oppose the proposition, but am mindful of the danger of iterative, "soft" change and its vulnerability to unpleasant agents.
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TL;DR: In news breaking this morning:The Ministry of Education is cutting $2 billion from its school building programme so the National-ACT-NZ First Coalition Government has enough money to deliver tax cuts; The Government has quietly lowered its child poverty reduction targets to make them easier to achieve;Te Whatu Ora-Health NZ’s ...
Kia ora. These are some stories that caught our eye this week – as always, feel free to share yours in the comments. Our header image this week (via Eke Panuku) shows the planned upgrade for the Karanga Plaza Tidal Swimming Steps. The week in Greater Auckland On ...
1. What's not to love about the way the Harris campaign is turning things around?a. Nothingb. Love all of itc. God what a reliefd. Not that it will be by any means easye. All of the above 2. Documents released by the Ministry of Health show Associate Health Minister Casey ...
Trust in me in all you doHave the faith I have in youLove will see us through, if only you trust in meWhy don't you, you trust me?In a week that saw the release of the 3,000 page Abuse in Care report Christopher Luxon was being asked about Boot Camps. ...
TL;DR: The podcast above of the weekly ‘hoon’ webinar for paying subscribers last night features co-hosts and talking about the Royal Commission Inquiry into Abuse in Carereport released this week, and with:The Kākā’s climate correspondent on a UN push to not recognise carbon offset markets and ...
TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Friday, July 26, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:Transport: Simeon Brown announced$802.9 million in funding for 18 new trains on the Wairarapa and Manawatū rail lines, which ...
The northern expressway extension from Warkworth to Whangarei is likely to require radical changes to legislation if it is going to be built within the foreseeable future. The Government’s powers to purchase land, the planning process and current restrictions on road tolling are all going to need to be changed ...
Text within this block will maintain its original spacing when publishedFirst they came for the doctors But I was confused by the numbers and costs So I didn't speak up Then they came for our police and nurses And I didn't think we could afford those costs anyway So I ...
Photo by Joshua J. Cotten on UnsplashWe’re back again after our mid-winter break. We’re still with the ‘new’ day of the week (Thursday rather than Friday) when we have our ‘hoon’ webinar with paying subscribers to The Kākā for an hour at 5 pm.Jump on this link on YouTube Livestream ...
Notes: This is a free article. Abuse in Care themes are mentioned. Video is at the bottom.BackgroundYesterday’s report into Abuse in Care revealed that at least 1 in 3 of all who went through state and faith based care were abused - often horrifically. At least, because not all survivors ...
Luxon speaks in Parliament yesterday about the Abuse in Care report. Photo: Hagen Hopkins/Getty ImagesTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy today are:PM Christopher Luxon said yesterday in tabling the Abuse in Carereport in Parliament he wanted to ‘do the ...
About a decade ago I worked with a bloke called Steve. He was the grizzled veteran coder, a few years older than me, who knew where the bodies were buried - code wise. Despite his best efforts to be approachable and friendly he could be kind of gruff, through to ...
Some of the recent announcements from the government have reminded us of posts we’ve written in the past. Here’s one from early 2020. There were plenty of reactions to the government’s infrastructure announcement a few weeks ago which saw them fund a bunch of big roading projects. One of ...
TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:00 am on Thursday, July 25 are:News: Why Electric Kiwi is closing to new customers - and why it matters RNZ’s Susan EdmundsScoop: Government drops ...
Hi,I felt a small wet tongue snaking through one of the holes in my Crocs. It explored my big toe, darting down one side, then the other. “He’s looking for some toe cheese,” said the woman next to me, words that still haunt me to this day.Growing up in New ...
Yesterday I happily quoted the Prime Minister without fact-checking him and sure enough, it turns out his numbers were all to hell. It’s not four kg of Royal Commission report, it’s fourteen.My friend and one-time colleague-in-comms Hazel Phillips gently alerted me to my error almost as soon as I’d hit ...
TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Thursday, July 25, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day were:The Abuse in Care Royal Commission of Inquirypublished its final report yesterday.PM Christopher Luxon and The Minister responsible for ...
The Official Information Act has always been a battle between requesters seeking information, and governments seeking to control it. Information is power, so Ministers and government agencies want to manage what is released and when, for their own convenience, and legality and democracy be damned. Their most recent tactic for ...
TL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy today are:Transport and Energy Minister Simeon Brown is accelerating plans to spend at least $10 billion through Public Private Partnerships (PPPs) to extend State Highway One as a four-lane ‘Expressway’ from Warkworth to Whangarei ...
I live my life (woo-ooh-ooh)With no control in my destinyYea-yeah, yea-yeah (woo-ooh-ooh)I can bleed when I want to bleedSo come on, come on (woo-ooh-ooh)You can bleed when you want to bleedYea-yeah, come on (woo-ooh-ooh)Everybody bleed when they want to bleedCome on and bleedGovernments face tough challenges. Selling unpopular decisions to ...
Please note:To skip directly to the- parliamentary footage in the video, scroll to 1:21 To skip to audio please click on the headphone iconon the left hand side of the screenThis video / audio section is under development. ...
Given the crackdown on wasteful government spending, it behooves me to point to a high profile example of spending by the Luxon government that looks like a big, fat waste of time and money. I’m talking about the deployment of NZDF personnel to support the US-led coalition in the Red ...
TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:40 am on Wednesday, July 24 are:Deep Dive: Chipping away at the housing crisis, including my comments RNZ/Newsroom’s The DetailNews: Government softens on asset sales, ...
As I reported about the city centre, Auckland’s rail network is also going through a difficult and disruptive period which is rapidly approaching a culmination, this will result in a significant upgrade to the whole network. Hallelujah. Also like the city centre this is an upgrade predicated on the City ...
Today, a 4 kilogram report will be delivered to Parliament. We know this is what the report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in State and Faith-based Care weighs, because our Prime Minister told us so.Some reporter had blindsided him by asking a question about something done by ...
TL;DR: As of 7:00 am on Wednesday, July 24, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:Beehive:Transport Minister Simeon Brownannounced plans to use PPPs to fund, build and run a four-lane expressway between Auckland ...
NewstalkZB host Mike Hosking, who can usually be relied on to give Prime Minister Christopher Luxon an easy run, did not do so yesterday when he interviewed him about the HealthNZ deficit. Luxon is trying to use a deficit reported last year by HealthNZ as yet another example of the ...
Back in January a StatsNZ employee gave a speech at Rātana on behalf of tangata whenua in which he insulted and criticised the government. The speech clearly violated the principle of a neutral public service, and StatsNZ started an investigation. Part of that was getting an external consultant to examine ...
Renting for life: Shared ownership initiatives are unlikely to slow the slide in home ownership by much. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy today are:A Deloittereport for Westpac has projected Aotearoa’s home-ownership rate will ...
You're broken down and tiredOf living life on a merry go roundAnd you can't find the fighterBut I see it in you so we gonna walk it outAnd move mountainsWe gonna walk it outAnd move mountainsAnd I'll rise upI'll rise like the dayI'll rise upI'll rise unafraidI'll rise upAnd I'll ...
There’s been a change in Myers Park. Down the steps from St. Kevin’s Arcade, past the grassy slopes, the children’s playground, the benches and that goat statue, there has been a transformation. The underpass for Mayoral Drive has gone from a barren, grey, concrete tunnel, to a place that thrums ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections Global society may have finally slammed on the brakes for climate-warming pollution released by human fossil fuel combustion. According to the Carbon Monitor Project, the total global climate pollution released between February and May 2024 declined slightly from the amount released during the same ...
TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:00 am on Tuesday, July 23 are:Deep Dive: Penlink: where tolling rhetoric meets reality BusinessDesk-$$$’sOliver LewisScoop:Te Pūkenga plans for regional polytechs leak out ...
TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Tuesday, July 23, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:Health: Shane Reti announcedthe Board of Te Whatu Ora-Health New Zealand was being replaced with Commissioner Lester Levy ...
Health NZ warned the Government at the end of March that it was running over Budget. But the reasons it gave were very different to those offered by the Prime Minister yesterday. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon blamed the “botched merger” of the 20 District Health Boards (DHBs) to create Health ...
Long ReadKey Summary: Although National increased the health budget by $1.4 billion in May, they used an old funding model to project health system costs, and never bothered to update their pre-election numbers. They were told during the Health Select Committees earlier in the year their budget amount was deficient, ...
As a momentous, historic weekend in US politics unfolded, analysts and commentators grasped for precedents and comparisons to help explain the significance and power of the choice Joe Biden had made. The 46th president had swept the Democratic party’s primaries but just over 100 days from the election had chosen ...
TL;DR: I’m casting around for new ideas and ways of thinking about Aotearoa’s political economy to find a few solutions to our cascading and self-reinforcing housing, poverty and climate crises.Associate Professor runs an online masters degree in the economics of sustainability at Torrens University in Australia and is organising ...
The Finance and Expenditure Committee has reported back on National's Local Government (Water Services Preliminary Arrangements) Bill. The bill sets up water for privatisation, and was introduced under urgency, then rammed through select committee with no time even for local councils to make a proper submission. Naturally, national's select committee ...
Some years ago, I bought a book at Dunedin’s Regent Booksale for $1.50. As one does. Vandrad the Viking (1898), by J. Storer Clouston, is an obscure book these days – I cannot find a proper online review – but soon it was sitting on my shelf, gathering dust alongside ...
History is not on the side of the centre-left, when Democratic presidents fall behind in the polls and choose not to run for re-election. On both previous occasions in the past 75 years (Harry Truman in 1952, Lyndon Johnson in 1968) the Democrats proceeded to then lose the White House ...
This is a free articleCoverageThis morning, US President Joe Biden announced his withdrawal from the Presidential race. And that is genuinely newsworthy. Thanks for your service, President Biden, and all the best to you and yours.However, the media in New Zealand, particularly the 1News nightly bulletin, has been breathlessly covering ...
A homeless person’s camp beside a blocked-off slipped damage walkway in Freeman’s Bay: we are chasing our tail on our worsening and inter-related housing, poverty and climate crises. Photo: Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy ...
What has happened to it all?Crazy, some'd sayWhere is the life that I recognise?(Gone away)But I won't cry for yesterdayThere's an ordinary worldSomehow I have to findAnd as I try to make my wayTo the ordinary worldYesterday morning began as many others - what to write about today? I began ...
TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:00 am on Monday, July 22 are:Today’s Must Read: Father and son live in a tent, and have done for four years, in a million ...
TL;DR: As of 7:00 am on Monday, July 22, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:US President Joe Biden announced via X this morning he would not stand for a second term.Multinational professional services firm ...
A listing of 32 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, July 14, 2024 thru Sat, July 20, 2024. Story of the week As reflected by preponderance of coverage, our Story of the Week is Project 2025. Until now traveling ...
This weekend, a friend pointed out someone who said they’d like to read my posts, but didn’t want to pay. And my first reaction was sympathy.I’ve already told folks that if they can’t comfortably subscribe, and would like to read, I’d be happy to offer free subscriptions. I don’t want ...
National: The Party of ‘Law and Order’ IntroductionThis weekend, the Government formally kicked off one of their flagship policy programs: a military style boot camp that New Zealand has experimented with over the past 50 years. Cartoon credit: Guy BodyIt’s very popular with the National Party’s Law and Orderimage, ...
Day one of the solo leg of my long journey home begins with my favourite sound: footfalls in an empty street. 5.00 am and it’s already light and already too warm, almost.If I can make the train that leaves Budapest later this hour I could be in Belgrade by nightfall; ...
Do you remember Y2K, the threat that hung over humanity in the closing days of the twentieth century? Horror scenarios of planes falling from the sky, electronic payments failing and ATMs refusing to dispense cash. As for your VCR following instructions and recording your favourite show - forget about it.All ...
Climate Change Minister Simon Watts being questioned by The Kākā’s Bernard Hickey.TL;DR: My top six things to note around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the week to July 20 were:1. A strategy that fails Zero Carbon Act & Paris targetsThe National-ACT-NZ First Coalition Government finally unveiled ...
Summary:As New Zealand loses at least 12 leaders in the public service space of health, climate, and pharmaceuticals, this month alone, directly in response to the Government’s policies and budget choices, what lies ahead may be darker than it appears. Tui examines some of those departures and draws a long ...
The Minister of Housing’s ambition is to reduce markedly the ratio of house prices to household incomes. If his strategy works it would transform the housing market, dramatically changing the prospects of housing as an investment.Leaving aside the Minister’s metaphor of ‘flooding the market’ I do not see how the ...
As previously noted, my historical fantasy piece, set in the fifth-century Mediterranean, was accepted for a Pirate Horror anthology, only for the anthology to later fall through. But in a good bit of news, it turned out that the story could indeed be re-marketed as sword and sorcery. As of ...
An employee of tobacco company Philip Morris International demonstrates a heated tobacco device. Photo: Getty ImagesTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy on Friday, July 19 are:At a time when the Coalition Government is cutting spending on health, infrastructure, education, housing ...
TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 8:30 am on Friday, July 19 are:Scoop: NZ First Minister Casey Costello orders 50% cut to excise tax on heated tobacco products. The minister has ...
Kia ora, it’s time for another Friday roundup, in which we pull together some of the links and stories that caught our eye this week. Feel free to add more in the comments! Our header image this week shows a foggy day in Auckland town, captured by Patrick Reynolds. ...
TL;DR : Here’s the top six items climate news for Aotearoa this week, as selected by Bernard Hickey and The Kākā’s climate correspondent Cathrine Dyer. A discussion recorded yesterday is in the video above and the audio of that sent onto the podcast feed.The Government released its draft Emissions Reduction ...
Save some money, get rich and old, bring it back to Tobacco Road.Bring that dynamite and a crane, blow it up, start all over again.Roll up. Roll up. Or tailor made, if you prefer...Whether you’re selling ciggies, digging for gold, catching dolphins in your nets, or encouraging folks to flutter ...
Waiting In The Wings:For truly, if Trump is America’s un-assassinated Caesar, then J.D. Vance is America’s Octavian, the Republic’s youthful undertaker – and its first Emperor.DONALD TRUMP’S SELECTION of James D. Vance as his running-mate bodes ill for the American republic. A fervent supporter of Viktor Orban, the “illiberal” prime ...
TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Friday, July 19, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:The PSAannounced the Employment Relations Authority (ERA) had ruled in the PSA’s favour in its case against the Ministry ...
TL;DR: The podcast above of the weekly ‘hoon’ webinar for paying subscribers last night features co-hosts and talking with:The Kākā’s climate correspondent talking about the National-ACT-NZ First Government’s release of its first Emissions Reduction Plan;University of Otago Foreign Relations Professor and special guest Dr Karin von ...
Open access notablesImproving global temperature datasets to better account for non-uniform warming, Calvert, Quarterly Journal of the Royal Meteorological Society:To better account for spatial non-uniform trends in warming, a new GITD [global instrumental temperature dataset] was created that used maximum likelihood estimation (MLE) to combine the land surface ...
A late change to charter school legislation will cheat educators out of fair pay and negotiating power proving charter schools are just a vehicle to make profit out of our education system. ...
In 2004 te iwi Māori rallied against the Crown’s attempt to confiscate our coastlines and moana with the Foreshore and Seabed Act. This led to the largest hīkoi of a generation and the birth of Te Pāti Māori. 20 years later, history is repeating itself. Today the government has announced ...
It has been five and a half years since the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care was established to investigate the abuse of children, young people, and vulnerable adults within state and faith-based institutions. Yesterday, the final report - Whanaketia through pain and trauma, from darkness to light ...
The Green Party is calling on the Government to take action off the back of the International Court of Justice ruling on Israel’s illegal occupation of Palestine. ...
On Friday the International Court of Justice reaffirmed what Palestinian’s have been telling us for decades: that the occupation and colonisation of Palestinian lands by Israel is illegal and must end immediately. They also called for reparations for Palestinian’s who have lived under Israeli occupation since it began in 1967. ...
Labour calls on the Government to act after the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled that Israel’s occupation of Palestinian Territories is illegal. ...
The 53.7 percent rise in benefit sanctions over the last year is more proof of this Government’s disdain for our communities most in need of support. ...
Aotearoa could be a country where every child grows up feeling safe, loved and with a sense of belonging in their whānau and community. But for some of our children, this is far from reality. Instead, they are trapped in a maze of intergenerational harm that they can’t escape on ...
Te Pāti Māori are calling for David Seymour to resign as Associate Health Minister in response to his call for Pharmac to ignore the Treaty of Waitangi. “This announcement is just another example of the government’s anti-Tiriti, anti-Māori agenda.” Said Co-leader and spokesperson for health, Debbie Ngarewa-Packer. “Seymour thinks it ...
The soaring price of renting is driving the rise of inflation in this country - with latest figures from Stats NZ showing rents are up 4.8 per cent on average while annual inflation is at 3.3 per cent. ...
National’s Emissions Reduction Plan will take New Zealand further from the economy we need to ensure the next generation has a stable climate and secure livelihoods. ...
Following consultation with named parties and thorough consideration of privacy interests, the Green Party is in a position to release the Executive Summary of the final report from the independent investigation into Darleen Tana. ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon should be asking serious questions of his Minister for Resources Shane Jones now it’s been revealed he misled the public about a dinner with mining companies that he didn’t declare and said wasn’t pre-arranged. ...
Te Pāti Māori have submitted to the Justice Select Committee against the Sentencing (Reinstating Three Strikes) Amendment Bill. The bill will further entrench racism in our justice system and fails to focus on rehabilitation. “Reinstating Three Strikes will empower a systematically racist system and exacerbate the overrepresentation of Māori in ...
The Transport and Infrastructure Committee is set to make a determination on the Residential Tenancies Amendment (RTA) Bill in the coming weeks. “This legislation will give landlords the power to kick our whānau out onto the street for no reason” said Housing spokesperson, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. “Their solution to the housing ...
“National’s campaign was about tackling crime and the best they can do is a two-year long Ministerial Advisory Group,” Labour justice spokesperson Duncan Webb said. ...
“There are more examples of charter schools failing their students than there are success stories. The coalition Government is driving to dismantle our public school system and instead promote a privatised, competitive structure that puts profits before kids,” Jan Tinetti said. ...
“This government is choosing to deliberately mislead and withhold information, keeping our people in the dark about this government’s agenda and the future of our mokopuna,” said co-leader and spokesperson for Health, Debbie Ngarewa-Packer. The call comes after the demand from the Chief Ombudsman that Associate Minister of Health, Casey ...
“Today’s climate announcement by Simon Watts makes clear the National Government is simply paying lip service to meeting its climate change targets,” Megan Woods said. ...
National is choosing to make life harder for workers by taking away the rights our communities have fought hard for. Here's how they’re taking workers backwards. ...
Australia, Canada and New Zealand today issued the following statement on the need for an urgent ceasefire in Gaza and the risk of expanded conflict between Hizballah and Israel. The situation in Gaza is catastrophic. The human suffering is unacceptable. It cannot continue. We remain unequivocal in our condemnation of ...
Attorney-General Judith Collins today reminded all State and faith-based institutions of their legal obligation to preserve records relevant to the safety and wellbeing of those in its care. “The Abuse in Care Inquiry’s report has found cases where records of the most vulnerable people in State and faith‑based institutions were ...
Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says the Government’s online safety website for children and young people has reached one million page views. “It is great to see so many young people and their families accessing the site Keep It Real Online to learn how to stay safe online, and manage ...
Tēnā tātou katoa, Ngā mihi te rangi, ngā mihi te whenua, ngā mihi ki a koutou, kia ora mai koutou. Thank you for the opportunity to be here and the invitation to speak at this 50th anniversary conference. I acknowledge all those who have gone before us and paved the ...
New Zealand’s payroll providers have successfully prepared to ensure 3.5 million individuals will, from Wednesday next week, be able to keep more of what they earn each pay, says Finance Minister Nicola Willis and Revenue Minister Simon Watts. “The Government's tax policy changes are legally effective from Wednesday. Delivering this tax ...
An experimental vineyard which will help futureproof the wine sector has been opened in Blenheim by Associate Regional Development Minister Mark Patterson. The covered vineyard, based at the New Zealand Wine Centre – Te Pokapū Wāina o Aotearoa, enables controlled environmental conditions. “The research that will be produced at the Experimental ...
The Coalition Government has confirmed the indicative regional breakdown of North Island Weather Event (NIWE) funding for state highway recovery projects funded through Budget 2024, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Regions in the North Island suffered extensive and devastating damage from Cyclone Gabrielle and the 2023 Auckland Anniversary Floods, and ...
Indonesia’s Foreign Minister, Retno Marsudi, will visit New Zealand next week, Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced. “Indonesia is important to New Zealand’s security and economic interests and is our closest South East Asian neighbour,” says Mr Peters, who is currently in Laos to engage with South East Asian partners. ...
He aha te kai a te rangatira? He kōrero, he kōrero, he kōrero. The government has reaffirmed its commitment to supporting the aspirations of Ngāti Maniapoto, Minister for Māori Development Tama Potaka says. “My thanks to Te Nehenehenui Trust – Ngāti Maniapoto for bringing their important kōrero to a ministerial ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has thanked outgoing Chair of the Civil Aviation Authority, Janice Fredric, for her service to the board.“I have received Ms Fredric’s resignation from the role of Chair of the Civil Aviation Authority,” Mr Brown says.“On behalf of the Government, I want to thank Ms Fredric for ...
The Government is proposing legislation to overturn a Court of Appeal decision and amend the Marine and Coastal Area Act in order to restore Parliament’s test for Customary Marine Title, Treaty Negotiations Minister Paul Goldsmith says. “Section 58 required an applicant group to prove they have exclusively used and occupied ...
Regulation Minister David Seymour says that opposition parties have united in bad faith, opposing what they claim are ‘dangerous changes’ to the Early Childhood Education sector, despite no changes even being proposed yet. “Issues with affordability and availability of early childhood education, and the complexity of its regulation, has led ...
After receiving more than 740 submissions in the first 20 days, Regulation Minister David Seymour is asking the Ministry for Regulation to extend engagement on the early childhood education regulation review by an extra two weeks. “The level of interest has been very high, and from the conversations I’ve been ...
The Coalition Government is investing $802.9 million into the Wairarapa and Manawatū rail lines as part of a funding agreement with the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA), KiwiRail, and the Greater Wellington and Horizons Regional Councils to deliver more reliable services for commuters in the lower North Island, Transport Minister Simeon ...
Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced his intention to appoint a Crown Manager to both Hawke’s Bay Regional and Wairoa District Councils to speed up the delivery of flood protection work in Wairoa."Recent severe weather events in Wairoa this year, combined with damage from Cyclone Gabrielle in 2023 have ...
Mr Speaker, this is a day that many New Zealanders who were abused in State care never thought would come. It’s the day that this Parliament accepts, with deep sorrow and regret, the Report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care. At the heart of this report are the ...
For the first time, the Government is formally acknowledging some children and young people at Lake Alice Psychiatric Hospital experienced torture. The final report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in State and Faith-based Care “Whanaketia – through pain and trauma, from darkness to light,” was tabled in Parliament ...
The Government has acknowledged the nearly 2,400 courageous survivors who shared their experiences during the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Historical Abuse in State and Faith-Based Care. The final report from the largest and most complex public inquiry ever held in New Zealand, the Royal Commission Inquiry “Whanaketia – through ...
With a week to go before hard-working New Zealanders see personal income tax relief for the first time in fourteen years, 513,000 people have used the Budget tax calculator to see how much they will benefit, says Finance Minister Nicola Willis. “Tax relief is long overdue. From next Wednesday, personal income ...
Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden says a bill that has passed its first reading will improve parental leave settings and give non-biological parents more flexibility as primary carer for their child. The Regulatory Systems Amendment Bill (No3), passed its first reading this morning. “It includes a change ...
Two Bills designed to improve regulation and make it easier to do business have passed their first reading in Parliament, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. The Regulatory Systems (Economic Development) Amendment Bill and Regulatory Systems (Immigration and Workforce) Amendment Bill make key changes to legislation administered by the Ministry ...
New legislation paves the way for greater competition in sectors such as banking and electricity, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly says. “Competitive markets boost productivity, create employment opportunities and lift living standards. To support competition, we need good quality regulation but, unfortunately, a recent OECD report ranked New ...
Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says lotteries for charitable purposes, such as those run by the Heart Foundation, Coastguard NZ, and local hospices, will soon be allowed to operate online permanently. “Under current laws, these fundraising lotteries are only allowed to operate online until October 2024, after which ...
The Coalition Government is accelerating work on the new four-lane expressway between Auckland and Whangārei as part of its Roads of National Significance programme, with an accelerated delivery model to deliver this project faster and more efficiently, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “For too long, the lack of resilient transport connections ...
Sir Don McKinnon will travel to Viet Nam this week as a Special Envoy of the Government, Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced. “It is important that the Government give due recognition to the significant contributions that General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong made to New Zealand-Viet Nam relations,” Mr ...
Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says newly appointed Commissioner, Grant Illingworth KC, will help deliver the report for the first phase of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into COVID-19 Lessons, due on 28 November 2024. “I am pleased to announce that Mr Illingworth will commence his appointment as ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters travels to Laos this week to participate in a series of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)-led Ministerial meetings in Vientiane. “ASEAN plays an important role in supporting a peaceful, stable and prosperous Indo-Pacific,” Mr Peters says. “This will be our third visit to ...
Construction of a new mental health facility at Te Nikau Grey Hospital in Greymouth is today one step closer, Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey says. “This $27 million facility shows this Government is delivering on its promise to boost mental health care and improve front line services,” Mr Doocey says. ...
New Zealand is committing nearly $50 million to a package supporting sustainable Pacific fisheries development over the next four years, Foreign Minister Winston Peters and Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones announced today. “This support consisting of a range of initiatives demonstrates New Zealand’s commitment to assisting our Pacific partners ...
Associate Education Minister David Seymour says proposed changes to the Education and Training Amendment Bill will ensure charter schools have more flexibility to negotiate employment agreements and are equipped with the right teaching resources. “Cabinet has agreed to progress an amendment which means unions will not be able to initiate ...
In response to serious concerns around oversight, overspend and a significant deterioration in financial outlook, the Board of Health New Zealand will be replaced with a Commissioner, Health Minister Dr Shane Reti announced today. “The previous government’s botched health reforms have created significant financial challenges at Health NZ that, without ...
Minister for Space and Science, Innovation and Technology Judith Collins will travel to Adelaide tomorrow for space and science engagements, including speaking at the Australian Space Forum. While there she will also have meetings and visits with a focus on space, biotechnology and innovation. “New Zealand has a thriving space ...
Climate Change Minister Simon Watts will travel to China on Saturday to attend the Ministerial on Climate Action meeting held in Wuhan. “Attending the Ministerial on Climate Action is an opportunity to advocate for New Zealand climate priorities and engage with our key partners on climate action,” Mr Watts says. ...
Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones is travelling to the Solomon Islands tomorrow for meetings with his counterparts from around the Pacific supporting collective management of the region’s fisheries. The 23rd Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Committee and the 5th Regional Fisheries Ministers’ Meeting in Honiara from 23 to 26 July ...
The Government today launched the Military Style Academy Pilot at Te Au rere a te Tonga Youth Justice residence in Palmerston North, an important part of the Government’s plan to crackdown on youth crime and getting youth offenders back on track, Minister for Children, Karen Chhour said today. “On the ...
The Government has welcomed news the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) has begun work to replace nine priority bridges across the country to ensure our state highway network remains resilient, reliable, and efficient for road users, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.“Increasing productivity and economic growth is a key priority for the ...
Acting Prime Minister David Seymour has been in contact throughout the evening with senior officials who have coordinated a whole of government response to the global IT outage and can provide an update. The Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet has designated the National Emergency Management Agency as the ...
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Appalled, I tell you, appalled.
Seymour is a dangerous person seeking to sacrifice NZ polity on an alter of a stuffed ideology and hero worship of Ruth Richardson His lost decades bemoan the fact that there is still public education, a public health system, ACC, public roads, state ownership of key assets in energy and transport.
I think that he will not be happy unless he becomes NZ version of Pol Pot: an ideolgue driving insane extremism.
https://nationalinterest.org/feature/new-lithium-discoveries-can-secure-america%E2%80%99s-clean-energy-future-208808
California now has lithium valley.
That and much more efficient fracking has turned the US into a net energy exporter for some time. Doesn't make it energy independent, just much less vulnerable to external pressure.
https://www.eia.gov/energyexplained/us-energy-facts/imports-and-exports.php
Also as of Friday President Biden has paused all the new LNG investment, which is a spectacular win for environmentalists that I am sure will play into the campaign.
https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/biden-pauses-approval-new-lng-export-projects-win-climate-activists-2024-01-26/#:~:text=WASHINGTON%2C%20Jan%2026%20(Reuters),5%20election.
Continues to make me wonder at how quickly and completely we have drained out sovereign energy independence.
Oz consternation: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-01-26/examining-the-drastic-downturn-in-nickel-and-lithium-prices/103388902
Capitalists lining up, cap in hand, palm outstretched for govt handout… No market failure tho, just the usual boom/bust cycle. Neolib as drunken sailor.
Everyone hold hands & chant normalcy shall prevail in unison & everything will be alright again.
Except it requires massive amounts of water for its extraction and processing. Water that they do not have unless it is diverted from farming or other vital uses. The American Public Broadcasting Service had a good discussion on this a couple of days ago,
A funny story from Newsroom by Margaret Mills. Sounds to be true but???
https://newsroom.co.nz/2024/01/29/an-incident-in-onetangi/
How do you know if a rahui is in place if it isn't marked?
connection to place and people.
A notice is often erected for rahui, given that your suggested method is not an effective one in terms of any message that needs to be universally shared.
often solutions need multiple elements in place. If we consider that rahui come from cultures with an oral tradition, then connection to place and people is pretty core.
If I owned a crib on Waiheke, I'd be connecting into the local community in whatever ways were available. Community wellbeing comes from engagement and connection, not just a noticeboard committee.
That makes criticism of the ignorance of a rahui a flawed one. If you are going to criticise people for not respecting a rahui when notifications are in place, then do so. But to criticise someone when none are is petty-mindedness.
Don't employ a step up from a psychic network, to inadequately achieve wider knowledge of a rahui when it is in place.
What makes you think there were no notifications in place? The piece says it wasn't marked. I took that to mean on site.
If you think how communities function in addition to physical signs is a step up from a psychic network, I probably can't help you.
If you can't see that criticising someone for not having knowledge of a temporary rahui in place, when the location is unmarked then I can't help you.
Either accept the limitations of a verbal communication on a network of linked people (not all) in a community, or do something that will reach all members in that community – linked or not.
How to communicate something important in a community (a non-exhaustive list):
Now, please explain how the location could be marked so that everyone knew where it was. Because I don't think that is possible.
I've seen notice at local beaches at boat ramps and on the main waterfront.
This is not unusual.
And the issue is criticising someone – when the location is unmarked. There is not enough detail provided by the anecdote to assume anything else.
Of course. And it’s not going to reach everyone eg someone who comes to the area by sea. Which is why I said community wellbeig (eg a rahui) requires engagement from people as well as public notifications.
I think there wasn’t enough detail in the anecdote to assume anything at all other than that the writer was signalling something pointed about Luxon and that community.
FFS I knew the rahui was in place and I don't even live there. It was in the mainstream media quite a few times. Anyone who lives in NZ should know that when certain things happen that rahui might be in place.
This goes from someone drowning, to polluted shellfish, to depleted fishing stocks or in this case invasive weeds.
How do you know? – you make the effort to find out. It is a pretty normal check for many people. Finding out is about showing respect for the area you are going to, about acknowledging that you are a visitor – you need to have some emotional intelligence to check and not just barge in as if you own the place.
Interestingly there was a feature on fishing on the news tonight about fishing and that different areas have different fishing rules and requirements and that you need to check there before sticking your boat in the water. You can be fined significantly for getting it wrong doing so – though educating is preferred.
If ignorance is no excuse for fishing rules then ignorance is no excuse for rahui either. Stop making excuses for him and his party.
Aboriginal tradition in Oz puts it quite nicely.
"Protocols for welcoming visitors to Country have always been a part of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures. Boundaries were clear, and crossing into another group’s Country required a request for permission to enter.
When permission was granted the hosting group would welcome the visitors, offering them safe passage and protection of their spiritual being during the journey. Visitors had to respect the protocols and rules of the land owner group while on their Country. "
It is a courtesy. No different than when on the odd occasion non-religious me has to go into a church. I always make some effort to understand the particular rules of that church – no different to visiting a marae either – what are the local protocols and customs.
the rahui was across some bays and coastal areas, pretty hard to put signs up everywhere and at sea. This is what I mean about solutions coming from multiple elements. You put signs at the boat ramps, do media and social media work, use local groups and so on. Last time there was a rahui in my area, I learned about it from FB.
https://waihekegulfnews.co.nz/rahui-placed-as-caulerpa-takes-hold/
https://waihekegulfnews.co.nz/caulerpa-in-crosshairs-for-new-pm-after-rahui-gaffe/
Whatever bee you have in your bonnet about criticism of Luxon, my points still stand. Even if there had been signs at the boat ramps, moorings etc, that still isn't going to inform everyone. There is an onus on people to engage as well. Pretty basic community comms, and I would expect Luxon to pay someone to keep him up to date, even just for the real politik and competency side of it.
Yeah. I guess any opportunity to criticise Luxon needs to be taken if that is where you want to go.
I would assume that other locals may have made the same transgression through ignorance, and wouldn't criticise them either.
Or the opportunity to criticise people for criticising Luxon 😉
Myself, I hold leaders to a higher standard than the general public. And people with greater resources. Like I said, if he’s not going to engage himself, he can just pay someone to do that for him
A higher standard? In terms of not knowing about a temporary (supposedly unmarked location) rahui?
What standard is that exactly?
maybe try reading and understanding my comments and then you might get it, because I already covered this multiple times:
COMMUNITY WELLBEING NECESSITATES ENGAGEMENT BY PEOPLE AS WELL AS NOTIFICATION.
So yeah, I would expect the PM of NZ to make a considerable effort to understand what is happening in the community where he has a holiday home. As opposed to say a visitor from outside the area, or someone who is working three jobs and trying to look after their kids and just wanted to get out on the beach/water but wasn’t paying attention.
@weka I understand your comments, I am simply disagreeing with them.
While you consider this particular skill in this particular case a priority for our PM – I don't.
The anecdote related an example of arrogant behaviour, that did not need further window dressing by an irrelevance. You consider it relevant, because of your idea of higher standards for community wellbeing. Mine differs.
the problem here for me is that you don’t state disagreement, you just ignore my input and then continue to talk with me as if I hadn’t said those things.
In this case, if you disagree that community wellbeing needs people to actively participate, or that PMs should be held to a higher standard, then please say that up front and I won’t keep repeating myself.
FIFY.
How exactly is that an informative response rather than a made up (and irrelevant) supposition?
BTW, quote marks are usually used for quotations, not creative writing.
We've lost the large grey quote marks which used to be next to the indent. Now we just have the indent which I don't think is particularly clear. No need to panic, I did make it clear it was an edit of your original quote.
It was a response to highlight the current de-Maorification of New Zealand done to placate the fears and frustrations of the Pakeha far right.
How to use quote marks correctly while making your irrelevant point:
“How do you know if a rahui is in place if it isn't marked" in English"?"
Another example:
"It was a response to highlight the current de-Maorification of New Zealand done to placate the fears and frustrations of the Pakeha far right."
Your response mechanism is predicated on a number of suppositions and fallacies that you can continue to hold.
(Just as I can continue to think they are ludicrous, unless someone can explain persuasively otherwise.)
BTW, it was @ianmac who stated “and drove his boat through a rahui because it wasn’t marked) “. Are you saying that you consider a rahui unmarked because a notice may or may not have been written – because it was in Te Reo?
Actually, FIFY formatting is used a lot online, along the lines of how MB did it.
Still misuse of the quotation marks, if so. (Social media is not really my go-to for English grammar… which you probably understand.)
Good point. That should have been in the css for something like 'div.comment blockquote'. I wonder what plugin (that I have turned off for simplicity) was providing that.
I will add it onto my to-do list for today – but after I get into aircond. Have to have one of the doors closed today because the apartment is getting washed. Feels like the temperature and humidity inside is rising…
Ummm 26C and 52% on a gardening sensor. Not too bad
Thank you. I think they're useful. Nice, big graphic which added to the look of the site and made the quote clear.
Odd problem. The inclusion directory appears to be having problems.
That is meant to be the theme directory background: url(resource/image/blockquote.gif)
But what I got in inspect was …..
background: url('andard/resource/image/blockquote.gif?x45913') 5px 0 no-repeat;
Something weird is going on.
Updated my UserStyle to fix that… (installed with 'Stylus' browser extension)
https://gist.github.com/roblogic/09d2bb93a67483f05158ccda0ae3fe53
Looks pretty decent IMO… adjust font-family to your preference
Thats priceless
Probably true.
Doesn't Willie Jackson have a place there?
Simeon Brown punishing the Wellington and Upper Hutt Mayors using specific powers to seek information on water supply investment shows National's tactic for water supply amounts to clubbing the weak.
Which regrettably in NZ's punitive electorate will work just fine.
Wild card awaits launch opportunity:
Yeah, could be a goer, given both other contenders are problematic currently.
🙄
This is the guy who singlehandedly sabotaged any sensible move by the US to move towards addressing climate action.
BTW he is heavily involved in Coal production and intends to keep it that way.
So after the attack on the US outpost in Jordan, we get Republicans already messaging "Target Tehran".
Trump being anti-interventionist but stupid will just shout the MAGA instinct whatever it is.
Biden though must be getting similar pressure both via Pentagon and via media.
No one say "Wag the Dog". It's too real.
I would guess Iran is playing to Russia's tune. Russia got the world off it's back over Ukraine when Iran set the Palestinian attacks on Israel in motion. What's the bet some rubles changed hands to get that going.
Craig Murray queued through two wintry nights in The Hague to be one of the 14 people to get admitted to the ICJ hearings. He is a very experienced ex diplomat, used to unpacking these types of documents and is quietly surprised by the depth of trouble Istael now finds itself in. The main points from his analysis are that:
1. The only time "self defence" is mentioned is in acknowledging that a major part of the Israeli defense is around "self defence". The ICJ has thus left off stating the obvious. An occupying power can not claim self defense. They must first leave all occupied territories. It would be absurd to give occupied people the right to fight their oppressors at the same time as their oppressors had the right to self defense. To the ICJ, this is so obvious it does not need to be stated.
2. The genocidal incitement of the senior Israeli government cabinet are written up not as alleged by SA but rather as statements of fact.
3. Statements by the head of UNRWA on the extreme conditions in Gaza and the approaching famine and disease amongst the huge displaced population are written as statements of fact. This will explain the sudden attempt to villify and withdraw funding from the UNRWA.
4. The genocide convention is written into UK law. All supporting military aid, intelligence and logistical support will now need to cease. There is already a case started in the US to put Biden on trial for aiding and abetting genocide. How this will go is anyones guess.
Murray finishes by saying none of these processes will be quick as justice moves slowly but unless there is a massive escalation of the war, it's not looking good for the Israeli government nor for the US and UK.
https://www.craigmurray.org.uk/archives/2024/01/has-international-law-survived-or-has-the-western-political-class-killed-it/
"This will explain the sudden attempt to vilify and withdraw funding from the UNRWA."
There is no logical/legal/moral reason to defund UNRWA, and therefore starve the Palestinians, on the basis of the actions of (maybe) 12 of its employees.
Keeping in mind UNRWA has lost, as in they are dead, at least 150 employees to the Israeli bombing of civilian infrastructure and the people sheltering there. Not to mention its 13,000 employees who are now refugees themselves.
This is simply the Wests way of showing its support for Israel, and the Wests/Israels unwavering willingness to see this destruction of a country and a people through to the bitter end.
That in itself answers your question as to how any attempt to put Biden on trial will go…
Things may not "Look Good" for these governments, but I see no evidence whatsoever that they care…and lets be honest..those people within the system who supposedly could help hold their co workers in governments to moral account are failing miserably.
People like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez..the darling of many a Standard commentator..who thinks that voting these genocidal war mongers, who are also failing to care for the basic needs of their own populations btw, how voting them back in scot-free is somehow "Being adult about the situation".
Which Nations even temporarily cut diplomatic ties with America over these 12 individuals??…
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2010/sep/09/us-soldiers-afghan-civilians-fingers
https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2024/01/24/lgmk-j24.html
I don't believe I have ever been more ashamed of my World than I am today.
For my part, given UNRWA's previous form for supporting antisemitic terrorism, I'm unsurprised many of the countries funding it don't find "Look, only 12 of our employees participated in a pogrom" very persuasive.
So UNRWA should have its own police to check every one of its 13,000 employees [IN GAZA] and out of work activities.
After all theres 5.6 mill Palestinians registered with UWRA , Im surprised that theres not many many more than 13 amoung the 30,000 employees in the countries surrounding Israel
Those countries 'finding problems' here , werent they the same ones that said it was 'outrageous' that Israel is being even taken to the International Court over a claim of genocide
The whole existence of 5.6 mill refugees is of course soley laid at the feet of Israel and its Zionist existence
"We have many employees so it's unsurprising some of them participate in pogroms" is likely to be similarly unpersuasive to western donors.
The reason there are so many refugees is highly disputable and disputed. Govts that invaded Israel/Palestine in 1948 for the purpose of dividing the place among themselves and then losing the fight after causing massive population displacement seem to me like more plausible candidates. Those govts are notable for their absence from the list of top UNRWA donors.
Well, show me an organisation with 100% purity. Further, 0.04% alleged contamination is a good approximation to zero.
Also, speaking of form, Israel has form both in targeting aid agencies working in Gaza and extracting confessions through torture.
From Euromed Human Rights Monitor:
They are then forced to curse themselves and other Palestinian groups and are violently transfered in trucks to open air detention centres for further beatings.
In 2016 Israel arrested Mohammed El Halabi who was a World Vision worker on fabricated charges of funneling money to Hamas. It is alleged that the confession was beaten out of him and this was the only evidence ever presented.
The Australian government comissioned an audit that found no evidence of any money going anywhere it wasn't supposed to but nevertheless suspended funding to World vision in Gaza.
This experience caused World Vision to leave Gaza so you could say a pretty encouraging result for Israel. Worked a treat and seems to be going well this time too.
Ah yes, how many organisations can honestly say none of their employees have participated in a pogrom? None, surely!
I'd like to know if these employees actually participated in a pogrom, of if there was a pogrom at all because it looked like a hostage taking mission to neutral observers.
If some UNRWA employees were involved on the day, what was their role? To neutral observers there was plenty of effort to transport hostages safely to Gaza apparently under fire from the IDF. Perhaps this was their role.
These people are resisting a creeping, murderous occupation. Remember?
I'm curious about how many Israeli spies were in UNRWA given their history of infiltrating overseas organisations, using false passports etc. I mean they spy on their allies. It would be naive to think they didn't have spies in UNWRA. What's good for the goose is good for the gander.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2004_Israel%E2%80%93New_Zealand_passport_scandal
The 2004 Israel–New Zealand passport scandal was an incident of passport fraud in July 2004 that led New Zealand to take diplomatic sanctions against Israel. High-level contacts between the two countries were suspended after two Israeli citizens suspected of being Mossad agents, Uriel Kelman and Eli Cara, were caught trying to fraudulently acquire a New Zealand passport using the identity of a man with cerebral palsy. Prime Minister Helen Clark declared that New Zealand government viewed the acts carried out by Kelman and Cara as "not only utterly unacceptable but also a breach of New Zealand sovereignty and international law."
https://merip.org/1986/01/israeli-spies-in-the-us/
Another reading of this record, though, shows that Pollard’s activities fit a pattern of Israeli espionage efforts. As John Davitt, a 30-year veteran of the Justice Department who resigned in 1980, told the New York Times: “When the Pollard case broke, the general media and public perception was that this was the first time this had ever happened. No, that’s not true at all. The Israeli intelligence service, when I was in the Justice Department, was the second most active in the United States, to the Soviets.”
I think the successes of Israel's espionage capabilities lead people to overestimate them. Spying within Gaza for Israel is incredibly high-risk, it makes spying on the USSR look a doddle. And people who are credible locals are highly unlikely to want to help Israel for obvious reasons.
I'm just not sure why anyone would be surprised that an organisation as large as the UNWRA working in Gaza would not have infiltrators or at the very least sympathisers from Hamas. Israel has certainly accused it of being so in the past.
It would be quite challenging I would think to prevent it. Israel's push to defund (and force further hardship) on the population in Gaza has been ongoing and any discrediting will do.
It's true that as long as UNRWA is employing Palestinians in Gaza its schools will teach Islamist terrorism as a noble virtue and many of its staff will be candidates to participate in pogroms. It's just not obvious to me why we or other liberal democracies would fund that.
What always interested me about the Mossad spies trying to get NZ passports is that someone who has a New Zealand passport has to verify your identity and endorse the photograph. I don't recall ever hearing of someone being prosecuted for making these false statements.
From memory the man they tried to get to do so had significant disabilities.
Lol, "neutral observers." Very droll sir, very droll.
It's not supposed to be droll. Any neutral observer views October 07 a hostage taking mission. All the actual evidence points to that.
The GOP is taking on Biden over his post Gaza plan for a restoration of the peace process – they call that rewarding Hamas.
Trump ended funding to UNRWA back in 2018, Biden resumed it.
And there is this also
https://www.haaretz.com/us-news/2024-01-25/ty-article-magazine/.premium/republicans-are-looking-at-netanyahu-for-how-to-combat-bidens-post-war-gaza-plans/0000018d-4162-d35c-a39f-eb7a4a6e0000?gift=77e2c95918264f3585e10ec0d656c57a
Trump partially cut funding. Biden cut the whole lot off. You might find that part of the problem with Bidens collapsing vote is that people are thouroughly nauseated by endless lesser evil arguments.
Biden “suspended” the funding.
And your reference for a only a partial funding cut by Trump?
https://www.brookings.edu/articles/in-one-move-trump-eliminated-us-funding-for-unrwa-and-the-us-role-as-mideast-peacemaker/
You're right on funding. The ICJ says there is a case to answer on genocide, specifically stating the extent with statements of facts as they stand, and Biden's answer is to cut the one last line of humanitarian aid, the effect of which will be to hasten the genocide, and you are making lesser evil arguments?
The decision to suspend funding during an investigation is questionable given the need to improve aid provision in the immediate term.
The GOP pressure in the House for Biden to do so is obvious, but giving BN's government what they want could easily backfire, if they are then seen as in breach on an interim decision that their judge on the ICJ supported.
"The GOP is taking on Biden over his post Gaza plan for a restoration of the peace process"
You are obviously aware that Biden is arming Israel with 2000lb bombs and thousands probably tens of thousands main tank round + lots lots more, which are both the back bone of the Genocide that is taking place right now, and further the USA has never been a peace broker in the ME during it's entire position as world hegemony, let alone in this affair, so please don't offer up that total load of rubbish "restoration of the peace process" wtf…
….the outrageous cognitive dissonance that the Liberal class display out in the open…seemingly totally unaware of the moral and ethical quick sand that is about to finally cover them is nothing short of astounding.
And now Biden stops aid because the country that has just been implicated in a horrific genocide tells him that there are some Hamas fighters working there….this all coming from Israel, one of the most flagrant bullshitters on the face of the planet….the rules based order…yeah right.
Biden is in power..Biden is aiding and abetting Genocide, right now as we speak,humans are starving, dying, being mutilated, humiliated, in their hundreds of thousands..by Biden…not Trump…vote Blue no matter Who,…even a war criminal…is that what you are seriously advocating?
The GOP of the House is demanding Biden do that and more. Trump has made no criticism of any of it.
The idea that no true leftie should have any preference for Biden over Trump because of … when he is the less worse of the two … is a strange one.
And when one adds in GW activism, labour rights and environment etc, it is rather surprising.
1.The ICJ would have made no statement about the right of Israel to exercise military power in the occupied territories in its self defence because it was focused on the genocide issue before it (and there was also the issue of Hamas taking the fight into Israeli territory – there being no Israeli occupation within Gaza).
4.There has been decision on whether there has been genocide to influence UK government obligation nor therefore a case to answer in the USA either.
Given the time frame of the ICJ process to the duration of the Israeli Gaza offensive the real issue is Israeli response to the interim decisions and UK and USA reaction to that.
The Israeli case centred on self defence. The only other argument was that the ICJ did not have jurisdiction. Its incredible that you can believe that a state can invade and occupy another state and then claim self defence when the locals fight back. The right to fight back is enshrined in the UN Charter. What you propose is contradictory rubbish. You've even called them "occupied territories". Lebanon was also in the right when they evicted the IDF from Southern Lebanon in the 2000s. Im afraid you've just drunk the US and UK cool aid that says empires have the right to invade if they invoke self defence. They do not
The Israeli case may have been based on self defence, but that does not allow war crimes and these war crimes after incitement to genocide is why the case was accepted, is proceeding and Israel is expected to abide by interim decisions, so as to prevent an escalation to genocide.
The occupied territories were not the territory of another state when occupied, no state of Palestine in the area had been declared or even advocated for – the population had accepted Egyptian and Jordan presence as part of a cease-fire in an earlier war to prevent the existence of a Jewish majority nation state.
Gender identity ideology still falling, one case at a time. I couldn't list how many of these there have been. A couple of examples just from today.
1. Vice Chancellor of the Open University in the UK making a public statement apologising to Professor Jo Phoenix, criminologist, for failing to protect her in her work environment from harassment when she starting set up the Gender Critical Research Network.
GCRN is crucial because of the immense pressure on academics to not talk about and research sex-based phenomena. eg in crime, it's the impact of males in women's prisons, or women who have been raped having to listen to their rapist being referred to as she, or safety implications for women where their single sex spaces are now designated as mixed sex.
https://twitter.com/JoPhoenix1/status/1750950590861971530
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/jan/22/open-university-academic-wins-tribunal-case-over-gender-critical-views
2. Rip Curl drops one if its women ambassadors and brand wearers because of her gender critical views. Then it chose a trans-identified male to represent women's surfing in an ad campaign. Now it's been boycotted and had to remove its social media featuring the trans identified male.
https://twitter.com/WomensForumAust/status/1751790204514685058
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13003985/Rip-Curl-transgender-Sasha-Lowerson-Bethany-Hamilton.html
The resistance is still there.
In the 4pm RNZ news bulletin, in an item about an Auckland physiotherapist who has been censured for inappropriate behaviour has to under go ethics training before he "…can treat female identifying patients…"
I don't think I've heard that term in that sort of context on 'red radio' before.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/audio/player?audio_id=2018923844 at about 2 mins 28secs.
yeah, that's damn insulting given he was sexually assaulting women*. I wonder if it's RNZ's language, or the language of the ruling against the man?
*although I guess we don't actually know now if it was women he was assaulting, because currently in NZ the word woman has been made a mockery and nonsense.
North and South have published an important article about puberty blockers – very balanced and apolitical. We could be close to a break in the one-sided rhetoric.
A Terrible Trap — North & South Magazine (northandsouth.co.nz)
It is *so* similar to the Unfortunate Experiment. From an article about medical abuse, and how it happens:
thanks! I hadn't seen that before. Charlotte Paul is another one we are very lucky to have.
Gender identity ideology still holding up in NZ higher circles: this example from the NZ Midwifery Council: who have removed the words -women – and even -baby- from a midwives scope of practice
“ Women’s Rights Party co-leader Jill Ovens:
The scope of practice for all regulated professions should be clear and specific as it sets the boundaries of each profession’s practice. This protects both the professionals and their consumers,” Ms Ovens says.
https://community.scoop.co.nz/2024/01/midwifery-council-erasing-the-words-women-and-mothers/
Petition of Deb Hayes: Investigate Midwifery Council’s removal of ‘woman & baby’ from Scope of Practice
https://petitions.parliament.nz/6e261231-b54c-4a00-a98c-08dc109c0ada
Not to mention the RSE School curriculum which tells kids that they have a "gendered soul" and can change their sex. And we dish out so called "Puberty Blockers" (off brand) more than many other comparable countries..
Good to see some local light shone on this reckless and ideological practice.
https://northandsouth.co.nz/2023/12/24/puberty-blockers-new-zealand/
According to the NZEI, your concerns are 'conspiracy based thinking'. And Jan Tinetti, says it's part of some 'imported culture war', and there really is no problem at all.
“We have a really good curriculum in this country. The guidelines are not the curriculum, they are adding to how we can make sure the curriculum is taught well. They are not compulsory, but they are absolutely superb.”
Government accused of ‘conspiracy’ thinking in sexual education curriculum changes – NZ Herald
Do you know what No Debate is? It affects gender identity ideologists too. They end up looking stupid, but it's probably ignorance as well as ideological blindness.
Remember when Sean Plunket asked then PM Hipkins the 'what is a woman?' question? And Hipkins stumbled over his answer. He seem unprepared, which was extraordinary given this was post Kellie Jay Keen's visit, and UK Labour had been through years of challenge over that question to the point that they had to change their policy position. It was mindblowing seeing Hipkins unprepared, but it does suggest his advisors are ignorant of what is going on.
Not hard to see it being the same with Tinetti. The other option I guess is that she understands well enough and is being disingenuous.
That was a truly astonishing moment (Hipkins having had no briefing on what to say if asked 'What is a woman?'). Mindblowing alright. The self-confidence that no-one could reasonably disagree with them leaves them completely defenceless if someone does.
Thanks Weka. Yes, I'm well aware of No Debate and the impact it's having on the free exchange of ideas. Or should I say the freedom of gender critical ideas.
Love him or loathe him, Plunkett gives this issue a robust airing, and published this piece by Yvonne Van Dongen just last week. Identity crisis | The Platform
Sean Plunket has platformed a couple of women involved in the Albert Park debacle, who have given succinct accounts. However, when speaking of the himself, his grasp of the topic and the underlying safeguarding and evidence failures seem to be lacking.
The article you have linked to is paywalled, but the website for Resist Gender Education can be found here: https://www.resistgendereducation.nz/
Garwhoungle who used to comment (and perhaps author) here, has some good posts on their blog: The Ministry Has Fallen, about some of the aspects and impacts of this ideology:
https://theministryhasfallen.substack.com/
Sean is an arse, but he is one of only a very few who platform gender critical commentators.
Many people are unaware that TKI provides education guidelines, not curriculum itself. Curriculum can be sourced, and also delivered by third parties.
The Ministry of Education in the RSE guidelines gives recommendations for which providers to go to for curriculum.
InsideOut is one such organisation. As third-party providers their material is not accessible under an OIA request, because of commercial privacy. This means that parents and caregivers are unable to view and assess for themselves much of the content being delivered.
https://insideout.org.nz/resources/
One module – published by the Ministry of Education that can be viewed is the one on pornography. It provides no assessment of the harms of pornography production and viewing, and is intended to remove the shame associated with pornography. There is also no assessment of the supposed advantage to students of consumption of pornography in terms of personal sexual well-being, behaviour or understanding of consent:
https://t.co/NN3v7kVj9i
"This means that parents and caregivers are unable to view and assess for themselves much of the content being delivered."
Is that information able to be accessed by parents from the school direct without recourse to OIA? Or are schools resisting releasing that material?
NZ is many years behind the UK. We can only hope that the work done by progressive GCFs and others will be something we can use here instead of going down the conservative backlash route.
We are very lucky to have Ovens, and actual left wing person.
And Speak Up For Women did get a court ruling that established to some extent that you can't discriminate on the basis of gender critical belief (in that case, it was for venue hire).
Paula cares, she cares so much she ended the TIA for those on the DPB when Minister.
Now her care extends to those under 25 on the Job Seeker Benefit.
She calls obligations on these people caring. She does not mention the PM's policy in this area – she is preparing the public for that. He has mentioned appointing non W and I people for these people to be accountable to while unemployed.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/paula-bennett-young-people-on-jobseeker-benefits-need-sanctions/R4N4FCWEWZBZRLOPB6RVWKQDVU/
Damien also cares, here he shills for the governments plans to open up New Zealand to foreign investment, leaving only a national security test.
This will allow land on the coast to be flicked on to foreigners who want investments in scarce assets, not subject to a CGT. And given we have no public domain on the F and S, locals will lose access to the coast as a result.
He pretends that such investment will enable us to produce more goods and services, when in fact it is just leveraging ownership of a scarce resource for an untaxed CGT.
The reason why we lack domestic investment in the productive economy is that our tax system incentivises ownership of assets for CG – opening that up to foreign involvement is not an improvement.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/350160439/we-do-not-produce-enough-goods-and-services-maintain-our-lifestyle
PS The mention of Ireland is misleading, they simply used their membership in the EU to act as a low tax centre for non European actors.
How I wish we had First Dog on the Moon here.
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/picture/2024/jan/29/toto-the-tax-cut-cavoodle-explains-the-updated-stage-three-tax-cuts?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other
I've been on X and can report about the cancel culture that operates there – Sean Plunkett opposes the National led government funding UNRWA and Leo Molloy wants to defund the UN.
https://twitter.com/SeanPlunket/status/1751388665870459138?cn=ZmxleGlibGVfcmVjcw%3D%3D&refsrc=email
https://twitter.com/LeoMolloyNZ/status/1751057158794621128?cn=ZmxleGlibGVfcmVjcw%3D%3D&refsrc=email
It seems that those who want to rewrite the Treaty have an empathy for those who want all the land without any responsibility to others it being clearly understood that nothing shall be done which may prejudice the civil and religious rights of existing non-Jewish communities in Palestine. Or un-sign the problematic UNDRIP (indigenous people rights) again showing a disregard for another peoples identity – there the UN determined area for a state for Arab Palestinians.
sprezzatura
This, from Trotter, is genius, imo.
https://bowalleyroad.blogspot.com/2024/01/the-cuckoos-nest.html
He's pimping for Seymour. You like that?
I think he's pointing to a flash-point, independent of personalities, but typical of meaningful change. My position is; oppose the proposition, but am mindful of the danger of iterative, "soft" change and its vulnerability to unpleasant agents.