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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Macklemore isn’t someone I’d usually think about. Sure I liked his big hit from a few years back, everybody did it was catchy and cool with some memorable lines. But if I was going to think of artists who might speak out on political matters or world events, he wouldn’t ...
Another week goes by in the Luxon government’s efforts to roll back the past 70 years of social progress. The school lunches programme is to be downgraded by $107 million, and women need bother their heads no longer about pay equity, let alone expect ACC to provide adequate sexual violence ...
Brrr, the first cold snap of the year. Hope you’re rugged up nice and warm. Here are some stories that caught our eye this week… This Week on Greater Auckland On Monday, we had a post from a new contributor, Connor Sharp, who dug into the public feedback ...
Almost all of the Wellington City Council’s recommended zoning changes to allow many more apartments and townhouses in its inner-suburbs have been approved.Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The podcast above of the weekly ‘hoon’ webinar for subscribers features co-hosts and , along with regular guest on geopolitics, ...
Open access notablesA Global Increase in Nearshore Tropical Cyclone Intensification, Balaguru et al., Earth's Future:Tropical Cyclones (TCs) inflict substantial coastal damages, making it pertinent to understand changing storm characteristics in the important nearshore region. Past work examined several aspects of TCs relevant for impacts in coastal regions. However, ...
Do you believe New Zealand runs its general elections fairly and competently? As a voter, can you be confident that the votes on your ballot will be counted towards the final result? As a political scientist, I’ve been asked these questions many times and always answered “yes”, with very few ...
Thus far May has followed on from a quiet April in the blogging department, but in fairness, it has been another case of doing what I am supposed to be doing, namely writing original fiction. Plus reading. So don’t worry – I have been productive. But in order to reassure ...
Buzz from the Beehive A new government agency will open for business on July 1 – the Social Investment Agency. As a new standalone central agency effective from 1 July, it will lead the development of social investment across Government, helping ministers understand who they need to invest in, what ...
Bryce Edwards writes – “Follow the money” is the classic directive to journalists trying to understand where power and influence lie in society. In terms of uncovering who influences various New Zealand political parties and governments, it therefore pays to look at who is funding them. The ...
Alwyn Poole writes – After being elected to Parliament in 2008 the maiden speech of Hipkins was substantially around education policy. He was Labour’s spokesperson for education 2011 – 2017. He was Minister for Education from 2017 until February 2023. This is approximately 88% of the time Labour ...
Eric Crampton writes – A fashion industry group is lobbying for protections. They make the usual arguments and a newer one. None of it makes sense. An industry group says it pumped $7.8 billion into the economy last year – that’s 1.9 percent of New Zealand’s GDP. ...
In December 2006, Fiji's military leader Voreqe Bainimarama overthrew the elected government in a coup. He ruled Fiji for the next 16 years, first as dictator, then as "elected" Prime Minister. But now, he's finally been sent to jail where he belongs. Sadly, this isn't for his real crime of ...
Don't like National's corrupt Muldoonist "fast-track" law? Aotearoa's environmental NGO's - Greenpeace, Forest & Bird, WWF, Coromandel Watchdog, Coal Action Network Aotearoa, Kiwis Against Seabed Mining, and others - have announced a joint march against it in Auckland in June: When: 13:00, 8 June, 2024 Where: Aotea Square, Auckland You ...
Seymour describes sushi as too woke for school meals. There are no fish sushi meals recommended by the School Lunches programme. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / Getty ImagesTL;DR: The Government will swap out hot meals for packaged sandwiches to save $107 million on school lunches for poor kids. MSD has pulled ...
I don't mind stealin' bread from the mouths of decadenceBut I can't feed on the powerless when my cup's already overfilled, yeahBut it's on the table, the fire's cookin'And they're farmin' babies, while slaves are workin'The blood is on the table and the mouths are chokin'But I'm goin' hungry, yeahSome ...
The Ardern Government’s chickens came home to roost yesterday with the news that the country is short of natural gas. In 2018, Labour banned offshore petroleum exploration, and industry executives say that the attendant loss of confidence by the industry impacted overall investment in onshore gas fields. Energy Resources Minister ...
Hi,If you’ve been digging through the newly launched Webworm store (orders are being dispatched worldwide as I type!) you’ll have noticed the best model we had was Calvin.This is Calvin.Calvin.Calvin is 7, and is the son of my producer over on Flightless Bird, Rob — aka “Wobby Wob”. Rob also ...
This video includes conclusions of the creator climate scientist Dr. Adam Levy. It is presented to our readers as an informed perspective. Please see video description for references (if any). Climate change is everywhere. And when something's everywhere it can feel like it's nowhere. So how do we get our heads ...
Its a law like gravity: whenever a right-wing government is elected, they start attacking democracy. And now, after talking to their Republican and Tory and Fidesz chums at the International Democracy Union forum in Wellington, National is doing it here, announcing plans to remove election-day enrolment. Or, to put it ...
Yesterday Winston Peters focussed his attention on the important matter at hand. Tweeting. Like the former, and quite possibly next, orange POTUS, from whom he takes much of his political strategy, Winston is an avid X’er.His message didn’t resemble an historic address this time. In fact it was more reminiscent ...
Buzz from the Beehive A significant decline in natural gas production has given Resources Minister Shane Jones an opportunity to reiterate his enthusiasm for the mining and burning of coal. For good measure, he has praised an announcement from Genesis Energy that it will resume importing coal. He and Energy ...
“Follow the money” is the classic directive to journalists trying to understand where power and influence lie in society. In terms of uncovering who influences various New Zealand political parties and governments, it therefore pays to look at who is funding them. The political parties are legally obliged to make ...
Rob MacCullough writes – Here is my subjective ranking on a “most-left” to “most-right” scale of most of our major NZ Universities, with some anecdotal (and at times amusing) evidence to back up the claim.Extreme Left Auckland University of TechnologyEvidenceThe ...
Eric Crampton writes – I hadn’t thought about this one until a helpful email showed up in my inbox.It’s pretty obvious that income tax thresholds should automatically index with inflation – whether to anchor the thresholds in percentiles of the income distribution, or to anchor against a real ...
Jacqui Van Der Kaay writes – Parliament’s speaker had no option but to refer Green MP Julie Anne Genter to the Privileges Committee for her behaviour in the House last Wednesday evening. The incident, in which she crossed the floor to wave a book and yell at National ...
Gary Judd writes – The Dean of the law school at the Auckland University of Technology is someone called Khylee Quince. I have been sent her social media posting in which she has, over the LawNews headline “Senior King’s Counsel files complaint about compulsory tikanga Maori studies for ...
Cleo Paskal writes – WASHINGTON, D.C.: ‘Many of us have received phone calls from [the opposing camp] telling them if they join the camp they will be given projects for their wards and $300,000 [around US$35,000] each’, says former Malaita Premier Daniel Suidani. The elections in Solomon Islands aren’t ...
With hindsight, it was inevitable that (a) Hamas would agree to the ceasefire deal brokered by Egypt and Qatar and that ( b) Israel would then immediately launch attacks on Rafah, regardless. We might have hoped the concessions made by Hamas would cause Israel to desist from slaughtering thousands more ...
Placards and mourners outside the Kilbirnie Mosque following the Christchurch terror attack: MSD has terminated the Kaiwhakaoranga service, which has been used by 415 families since the attacks. Photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: The Government’s pledge to only cut ‘back office’ staff rather than ‘frontline’ services is on increasingly shaky ground, with ...
There’s been a few smaller public transport announcements over the last week or so that I thought I’d cover in a single post. Fareshare I’ve long called for Auckland Transport to offer a way to enable employer-subsidised public transport options. The need for this took on even more importance ...
Parliament’s speaker had no option but to refer Green MP Julie Anne Genter to the Privileges Committee for her behaviour in the House last Wednesday evening. The incident, in which she crossed the floor to wave a book and yell at National Minister Matt Doocey, reflects poorly on Genter and ...
On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
Who likes being sneered at? Nobody. Worse yet, when the sneerer has their facts all wrong, and might well be an idiot.The sneer in question is The adults are in charge now, and it is a sneer offered in retort to criticism of this new Government, no matter how well ...
When in government, Labour pushed to extend the Parliamentary term to four years, to reduce accountability and our ability to vote out a bad government. And now, they're trying to do it through the member's ballot, with a Four-Year Parliamentary Term Legislation Bill. The bill at least requires a referendum ...
A ballot for a single Member's Bill was held today, and the following bill was drawn: Public Works (Prohibition of Compulsory Acquisition of Māori Land) Amendment Bill (Hūhana Lyndon) The bill would prevent the government from stealing Māori land in breach of Te Tiriti o Waitangi. It ...
Simeon Brown, alongside Wayne Brown, is favouring a political figleaf now in exchange for loading up tens of millions in extra interest costs on Auckland ratepayers. Photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: Ratings agency Standard & Poor’s is pushing back hard at suggestions from Local Government Minister Simeon Brown and Mayor Wayne Brown ...
Buzz from the Beehive One headline-grabber from the Beehive yesterday was the OECD’s advice that the government must bring the Budget deficit under control or face higher interest rates. Another was the announcement of a $1.9 billion “investment” in Corrections over the next four years. In the best interests of ...
Chris Trotter writes – Had Zheng He’s fleet sailed east, not west, in the early Fifteenth Century, how different our world would be. There is little reason to suppose that the sea-going junks of the Ming Dynasty, among the largest and most sophisticated sailing vessels ever constructed, would have failed ...
David Farrar writes – Two articles give a useful contrast in balance. Both seek to be neutral explainer articles. This one in the Herald on Social Investment covers the pros and cons nicely. It links to critical pieces and talks about aspects that failed and aspects that are more ...
The tikanga regulations will compel law students to be taught that a system which does not conform with the rule of law is nevertheless law which should be observed and applied…Gary Judd KC writes – I have made a complaint to Parliament’s Regulation ...
The future of Te Huia, the train between Hamilton and Auckland, has been getting a lot of attention recently as current funding for it is only in place till the end of June. The government initially agreed to a five year trial, through to April 2026, but that was subject ...
TL;DR: Hamas has just agreed to Israel’s ceasefire plan. Nelson hospital’s rebuild has been cut back to save money. The OECD suggests New Zealand break up network monopolies, including in electricity. PM Christopher Luxon’s news conference on a prison expansion announcement last night was his messiest yet.Here’s my top six ...
A homicide in Ponsonby, a manhunt with a killer on the run. The nation’s leader stands before a press conference reassuring a frightened nation that he’ll sort it out, he’ll keep them safe, he’ll build some new prison spaces.Sorry what? There’s a scary dude on the run with a gun ...
Hi,I know it’s been awhile since there’s been any Webworm merch — and today that all changes!Over the last four months, I’ve been working with New Zealand artist Jess Johnson to create a series of t-shirts, caps and stickers that are infused with Webworm DNA — and as of right ...
The OECD’s chief economist yesterday laid it on the line for the new Government: bring the deficit under control or face higher Reserve Bank interest rates for longer. And to bring the deficit under control, she meant not borrowing for tax cuts. But there was more. Without policy changes—introducing a ...
After a hiatus of over four months Selwyn Manning and I finally got it together to re-start the “A View from Afar” podcast series. We shall see how we go but aim to do 2 episodes per month if possible. … Continue reading → ...
In 2008, the UK Parliament passed the Climate Change Act 2008. The law established a system of targets, budgets, and plans, with inbuilt accountability mechanisms; the aim was to break the cycle of empty promises and replace it with actual progress towards emissions reduction. The law was passed with near-universal ...
Buzz from the Beehive Local Water Done Well – let’s be blunt – is a silly name, but the first big initiative to put it into practice has gone done well. This success is reflected in the headline on an RNZ report:District mayors welcome Auckland’s new water deal with ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate ConnectionsA farmworker cleans the solar panels of a solar water pump in the village of Jagadhri, Haryana Country, India. (Photo credit: Prashanth Vishwanathan/ IWMI) Decisions made in India over the next few years will play a key role in global ...
Lindsay Mitchell writes – The Children’s Minister, Karen Chhour, intends to repeal Section 7AA from the Oranga Tamariki Act 1989 because it creates conflict between claimed Crown Treaty obligations and the child’s best interests. In her words, “Oranga Tamariki’s governing principles and its act should be colour ...
Geoffrey Miller writes – The gloves are off. That might seem to be the undertone of surprisingly tough talk from New Zealand’s foreign and trade ministers. Winston Peters, the foreign minister, may be facing legal action after making allegations about former Australian foreign minister Bob Carr on Radio New Zealand. ...
Brian Easton writes – This is about the time that the Treasury will be locking up its economic forecasts to be published in the 2024 Budget Economic and Fiscal Update (BEFU) on budget day, 30 May. I am not privy to what they will be (I will report on them ...
TL;DR:Winston Peters is reported to have won a budget increase for MFAT. David Seymour wanted his Ministry of Regulation to be three times bigger than the Productivity Commission. Simeon Brown is appointing a Crown Monitor to Watercare to protect the Claytons Crown Guarantee he had to give ratings agencies ...
The gloves are off. That might seem to be the undertone of surprisingly tough talk from New Zealand’s foreign and trade ministers. Winston Peters, the foreign minister, may be facing legal action after making allegations about former Australian foreign minister Bob Carr on Radio New Zealand. Carr had made highly ...
I could be a florist'Round the corner from Rye LaneI'll be giving daisies to craziesBut, baby, I'll wrap you up real safe Oh, I can give you flowers At the end of every dayFor the center of your table, a rainbowIn case you have people 'round to stay Depending on ...
TL;DR: The six key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to May 12 include:PM Christopher Luxon is scheduled to hold a post-Cabinet news conference at 4 pm today. Finance Minister Nicola Willis will give a pre-budget speech on Thursday.Parliament sits from Question Time at 2pm on ...
The price of the foreign affairs “reset” is now becoming apparent, with Defence set to get a funding boost in the Budget. Finance Minister Nicola Willis has confirmed that it will be one of the few votes, apart from Health and Education and possibly Police, which will get an increase ...
A listing of 26 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, April 28, 2024 thru Sat, May 4, 2024. Story of the week "It’s straight out of Big Tobacco’s playbook. In fact, research by John Cook and his colleagues ...
Yesterday I received come lovely feedback following my Star Wars themed newsletter. A few people mentioned they’d enjoyed reading the personal part at the beginning.I often begin newsletters with some memories, or general thoughts, before commencing the main topic. This hopefully sets the mood and provides some context in which ...
April 30 was going to be the day we’d be calling Mum from London to wish her a happy birthday. Then it became the day we would be going to St. Paul's at Evensong to remember her. The aim of the cathedral builders was to find a way to make their ...
Rob MacCulloch writes – Can’t remember the last book by a Kiwi author you read? Think the NZ government should spend less on the arts in favor of helping the homeless? If so, as far as Newsroom is concerned, you probably deserve to be called a cultural ignoramus ...
Eric Crampton writes – Grudges are bad. Better to move on. But it can be fun to keep a couple of really trivial ones, so you’re not tempted to have other ones. For example, because of the rootkit fiasco of 2005, no Sony products in our household. ...
Today New Zealand First will introduce a Member’s Bill that will protect women’s spaces. The ‘Fair Access to Bathrooms Bill’ will require, primarily in the interest and safety of women and girls, that all new non-domestic publicly accessible buildings provide separate, clearly demarcated, unisex and single sex bathrooms. This Bill ...
The Green Party is welcoming Climate Change Minister Simon Watts’ continuation of Hon. James Shaw’s cross-party work on climate adaptation, now in the form of a Finance and Expenditure Committee Inquiry. ...
The National Government plans to cut 390 jobs at ACC, including roles in the areas of prevention of sexual violence, road safety and workplace safety. ...
The Government has been caught in opposition to evidence once again as it looks to usher in tried, tested and failed work seminar obligations for job-seeking beneficiaries. ...
The Green Party is welcoming the announcement by the Minister Responsible for RMA Reform Chris Bishop to approve most of the Wellington City Council’s District Plan recommendations. ...
David Seymour has failed to get the sweeping cuts he wanted to the free and healthy school lunch programme, Labour education spokesperson Jan Tinetti said. ...
Hon Willie Jackson has been invited by the Oxford Union to debate the motion “This House Believes British Museums are not Very British’ on May 23rd. ...
Green Party MP Hūhana Lyndon says her Public Works (Prohibition of Compulsory Acquisition of Māori Land) Amendment Bill is an opportunity to right some past wrongs around the alienation of Māori land. ...
A senior, highly respected King’s Counsel with decades of experience in our law courts, Gary Judd KC, has filed a complaint about compulsory tikanga Māori studies for law students - highlighting the utter depths of absurdity this woke cultural madness has taken our society. The tikanga regulations will compel law ...
The Government needs to be clear with the people of the Nelson Marlborough region about the changes it is considering for the Nelson Hospital rebuild, Labour health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall said. ...
Ministers must front up about which projects it will push through under its Fast Track Approvals legislation, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
The Government is again adding to New Zealand’s growing unemployment, this time cutting jobs at the agencies responsible for urban development and growing much needed housing stock. ...
With Minister Karen Chhour indicating in the House today that she either doesn’t know or care about the frontline cuts she’s making to Oranga Tamariki, we risk seeing more and more of our children falling through the cracks. ...
The Labour Party is saddened to learn of the death of Sir Robert Martin, a globally renowned disability advocate who led the way for disability rights both in New Zealand and internationally. ...
Labour is calling for the Government to urgently rethink its coalition commitment to restart live animal exports, Labour animal welfare spokesperson Rachel Boyack said. ...
Today’s Financial Stability Report has once again highlighted that poverty and deep inequality are political choices - and this Government is choosing to make them worse. ...
The Green Party is calling on the Government to do more for our households in most need as unemployment rises and the cost of living crisis endures. ...
Unemployment is on the rise and it’s only going to get worse under this Government, Labour finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds said. Stats NZ figures show the unemployment rate grew to 4.3 percent in the March quarter from 4 percent in the December quarter. “This is the second rise in unemployment ...
The New Zealand Labour Party welcomes the entering into force of the European Union and New Zealand free trade agreement. This agreement opens the door for a huge increase in trade opportunities with a market of 450 million people who are high value discerning consumers of New Zealand goods and ...
The National-led Government continues its fiscal jiggery pokery with its Pharmac announcement today, Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall says. “The government has increased Pharmac funding but conceded it will only make minimal increases in access to medicine”, said Ayesha Verrall “This is far from the bold promises made to fund ...
This afternoon’s interim Waitangi Tribunal report must be taken seriously as it affects our most vulnerable children, Labour children’s spokesperson Willow-Jean Prime. ...
Te Pāti Māori are demanding the New Zealand Government support an international independent investigation into mass graves that have been uncovered at two hospitals on the Gaza strip, following weeks of assault by Israeli troops. Among the 392 bodies that have been recovered, are children and elderly civilians. Many of ...
Our two-tiered system for veterans’ support is out of step with our closest partners, and all parties in Parliament should work together to fix it, Labour veterans’ affairs spokesperson Greg O’Connor said. ...
Stripping two Ministers of their portfolios just six months into the job shows Christopher Luxon’s management style is lacking, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said. ...
Tonight’s court decision to overturn the summons of the Children’s Minister has enabled the Crown to continue making decisions about Māori without evidence, says Te Pāti Māori spokesperson for Children, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. “The judicial system has this evening told the nation that this government can do whatever they want when ...
It appears Nicola Willis is about to pull the rug out from under the feet of local communities still dealing with the aftermath of last year’s severe weather, and local councils relying on funding to build back from these disasters. ...
The Government is making short-sighted changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA) that will take away environmental protection in favour of short-term profits, Labour’s environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
Labour welcomes the release of the report into the North Island weather events and looks forward to working with the Government to ensure that New Zealand is as prepared as it can be for the next natural disaster. ...
The Labour Party has called for the New Zealand Government to recognise Palestine, as a material step towards progressing the two-State solution needed to achieve a lasting peace in the region. ...
Some of our country’s most important work, stopping the sexual exploitation of children and violent extremism could go along with staff on the frontline at ports and airports. ...
The Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill will give projects such as new coal mines a ‘get out of jail free’ card to wreak havoc on the environment, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
Introduction Good morning. It’s a great privilege to be here at the 2024 Infrastructure Symposium. I was extremely happy when the Prime Minister asked me to be his Minister for Infrastructure. It is one of the great barriers holding the New Zealand economy back from achieving its potential. Building high ...
Defence Minister Judith Collins today announced the upcoming Budget will include new funding of $571 million for Defence Force pay and projects. “Our servicemen and women do New Zealand proud throughout the world and this funding will help ensure we retain their services and expertise as we navigate an increasingly ...
New Zealand’s ability to cope with climate change will be strengthened as part of the Government’s focus to build resilience as we rebuild the economy, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. “An enduring and long-term approach is needed to provide New Zealanders and the economy with certainty as the climate ...
Jobseeker beneficiaries who have work obligations must now meet with MSD within two weeks of their benefit starting to determine their next step towards finding a job, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “A key part of the coalition Government’s plan to have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker ...
A new standalone Social Investment Agency will power-up the social investment approach, driving positive change for our most vulnerable New Zealanders, Social Investment Minister Nicola Willis says. “Despite the Government currently investing more than $70 billion every year into social services, we are not seeing the outcomes we want for ...
Check against delivery Good morning. It is a pleasure to be with you to outline the Coalition Government’s approach to our first Budget. Thank you Mark Skelly, President of the Hutt Valley Chamber of Commerce, together with your Board and team, for hosting me. I’d like to acknowledge His Worship ...
Your Excellency Ambassador Meredith, Members of the Diplomatic Corps and Ambassadors from European Union Member States, Ministerial colleagues, Members of Parliament, and other distinguished guests, Thank you everyone for joining us. Ladies and gentlemen - In diplomacy, we often speak of ‘close’ and ‘long-standing’ relations. ...
The Therapeutic Products Act (TPA) will be repealed this year so that a better regime can be put in place to provide New Zealanders safe and timely access to medicines, medical devices and health products, Associate Health Minister Casey Costello announced today. “The medicines and products we are talking about ...
The Minister Responsible for RMA Reform, Chris Bishop, today released his decision on twenty recommendations referred to him by the Wellington City Council relating to its Intensification Planning Instrument, after the Council rejected those recommendations of the Independent Hearings Panel and made alternative recommendations. “Wellington notified its District Plan on ...
Rape Awareness Week (6-10 May) is an important opportunity to acknowledge the continued effort required by government and communities to ensure that all New Zealanders can live free from violence, say Ministers Karen Chhour and Louise Upston. “With 1 in 3 women and 1 in 8 men experiencing sexual violence ...
Associate Education Minister David Seymour has today announced that the Government will be delivering a more efficient Healthy School Lunches Programme, saving taxpayers approximately $107 million a year compared to how Labour funded it, by embracing innovation and commercial expertise. “We are delivering on our commitment to treat taxpayers’ money ...
New research on the impacts of extreme weather on coastal marine habitats in Tairāwhiti and Hawke’s Bay will help fishery managers plan for and respond to any future events, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. A report released today on research by Niwa on behalf of Fisheries New Zealand ...
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Winston Peters will lead a broad political delegation on a five-stop Pacific tour next week to strengthen New Zealand’s engagement with the region. The delegation will visit Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu, New Caledonia, and Tuvalu. “New Zealand has deep and ...
There has been a material decline in gas production according to figures released today by the Gas Industry Co. Figures released by the Gas Industry Company show that there was a 12.5 per cent reduction in gas production during 2023, and a 27.8 per cent reduction in gas production in the ...
Defence Minister Judith Collins tonight announced the recipients of the Minister of Defence Awards of Excellence for Industry, saying they all contribute to New Zealanders’ security and wellbeing. “Congratulations to this year’s recipients, whose innovative products and services play a critical role in the delivery of New Zealand’s defence capabilities, ...
Welcome to you all - it is a pleasure to be here this evening.I would like to start by thanking Greg Lowe, Chair of the New Zealand Defence Industry Advisory Council, for co-hosting this reception with me. This evening is about recognising businesses from across New Zealand and overseas who in ...
It is a pleasure to be speaking to you as the Minister for Digitising Government. I would like to thank Akolade for the invitation to address this Summit, and to acknowledge the great effort you are making to grow New Zealand’s digital future. Today, we stand at the cusp of ...
New Zealand is urging both Israel and Hamas to agree to an immediate ceasefire to avoid the further humanitarian catastrophe that military action in Rafah would unleash, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “The immense suffering in Gaza cannot be allowed to worsen further. Both sides have a responsibility to ...
A new online data dashboard released today as part of the Government’s school attendance action plan makes more timely daily attendance data available to the public and parents, says Associate Education Minister David Seymour. The interactive dashboard will be updated once a week to show a national average of how ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced Rosemary Banks will be New Zealand’s next Ambassador to the United States of America. “Our relationship with the United States is crucial for New Zealand in strategic, security and economic terms,” Mr Peters says. “New Zealand and the United States have a ...
The Government is considering creating a new tier of minerals permitting that will make it easier for hobby miners to prospect for gold. “New Zealand was built on gold, it’s in our DNA. Our gold deposits, particularly in regions such as Otago and the West Coast have always attracted fortune-hunters. ...
Minister for Trade Todd McClay today announced that New Zealand and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) will commence negotiations on a free trade agreement (FTA). Minister McClay met with his counterpart UAE Trade Minister Dr Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi in Dubai, where they announced the launch of negotiations on a ...
New Zealand Sign Language Week is an excellent opportunity for all Kiwis to give the language a go, Disabilities Issues Minister Louise Upston says. This week (May 6 to 12) is New Zealand Sign Language (NZSL) Week. The theme is “an Aotearoa where anyone can sign anywhere” and aims to ...
Six tertiary students have been selected to work on NASA projects in the US through a New Zealand Space Scholarship, Space Minister Judith Collins announced today. “This is a fantastic opportunity for these talented students. They will undertake internships at NASA’s Ames Research Center or its Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), where ...
New Zealanders will be safer because of a $1.9 billion investment in more frontline Corrections officers, more support for offenders to turn away from crime, and more prison capacity, Corrections Minister Mark Mitchell says. “Our Government said we would crack down on crime. We promised to restore law and order, ...
The OECD’s latest report on New Zealand reinforces the importance of bringing Government spending under control, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The OECD conducts country surveys every two years to review its members’ economic policies. The 2024 New Zealand survey was presented in Wellington today by OECD Chief Economist Clare Lombardelli. ...
The Government has delivered on its election promise to provide a financially sustainable model for Auckland under its Local Water Done Well plan. The plan, which has been unanimously endorsed by Auckland Council’s Governing Body, will see Aucklanders avoid the previously projected 25.8 per cent water rates increases while retaining ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters discussed the need for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, and enhanced cooperation in the Pacific with German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock during her first official visit to New Zealand today. "New Zealand and Germany enjoy shared interests and values, including the rule of law, democracy, respect for the international system ...
The Minister Responsible for RMA Reform, Chris Bishop today released his decision on four recommendations referred to him by the Western Bay of Plenty District Council, opening the door to housing growth in the area. The Council’s Plan Change 92 allows more homes to be built in existing and new ...
Thank you, John McKinnon and the New Zealand China Council for the invitation to speak to you today. Thank you too, all members of the China Council. Your effort has played an essential role in helping to build, shape, and grow a balanced and resilient relationship between our two ...
The Government is modernising insurance law to better protect Kiwis and provide security in the event of a disaster, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly announced today. “These reforms are long overdue. New Zealand’s insurance law is complicated and dated, some of which is more than 100 years old. ...
The coalition Government is refreshing its approach to supporting pay equity claims as time-limited funding for the Pay Equity Taskforce comes to an end, Public Service Minister Nicola Willis says. “Three years ago, the then-government introduced changes to the Equal Pay Act to support pay equity bargaining. The changes were ...
Structured literacy will change the way New Zealand children learn to read - improving achievement and setting students up for success, Education Minister Erica Stanford says. “Being able to read and write is a fundamental life skill that too many young people are missing out on. Recent data shows that ...
Trade Minister Todd McClay says Canada’s refusal to comply in full with a CPTPP trade dispute ruling in our favour over dairy trade is cynical and New Zealand has no intention of backing down. Mr McClay said he has asked for urgent legal advice in respect of our ‘next move’ ...
The rights of our children and young people will be enhanced by changes the coalition Government will make to strengthen oversight of the Oranga Tamariki system, including restoring a single Children’s Commissioner. “The Government is committed to delivering better public services that care for our most at-risk young people and ...
The Government is making it easier for minor changes to be made to a building consent so building a home is easier and more affordable, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “The coalition Government is focused on making it easier and cheaper to build homes so we can ...
New Zealand lost a true legend when internationally renowned disability advocate Sir Robert Martin (KNZM) passed away at his home in Whanganui last night, Disabilities Issues Minister Louise Upston says. “Our Government’s thoughts are with his wife Lynda, family and community, those he has worked with, the disability community in ...
Good evening – Before discussing the challenges and opportunities facing New Zealand’s foreign policy, we’d like to first acknowledge the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs. You have contributed to debates about New Zealand foreign policy over a long period of time, and we thank you for hosting us. ...
From today, passengers travelling internationally from Auckland Airport will be able to keep laptops and liquids in their carry-on bags for security screening thanks to new technology, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Creating a more efficient and seamless travel experience is important for holidaymakers and businesses, enabling faster movement through ...
People with an interest in the health of Northland’s marine ecosystems are invited to a public meeting to discuss how to deal with kina barrens, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones will lead the discussion, which will take place on Friday, 10 May, at Awanui Hotel in ...
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Recent research reveals the repeal of smokefree measures is not only bad for our health, but also the economy. The Government has repealed various smokefree measures to ensure it keeps collecting $1.2 billion a year in tobacco taxes, in order to pay for tax cuts already being delivered to ...
The club’s surprisingly good season is built on the desire to prove a random A-League YouTuber wrong… and a few other factors.“There’s no way that Wellington Phoenix play finals this year. I can’t see it happening at all.” Those are the words of Lachlan Raeside, an Australian football content ...
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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.