The Zionists are not the only ones who kill Palestinians and get away with it with seeming impunity.
From the very beginning of the Arab Spring in Syria, Syrian Palestinian refugees in Syria because they stood with the Syrian against Assad, have been a particular target of the regime.
The tactic of aerial bombardment directed against the Syrian people in Homs, in Aleppo, in Douma, and first suffered by the Palestinian refugees in Latakia in march 2011, (where I stayed in 2010 and knew intimately) is now being directed against the Palestinian refugees in Yarmouk.
The ICRC is calling on all involved in fighting to allow the immediate and unimpeded passage of urgent humanitarian aid and to permit civilians who wish to leave the camp for safer areas to do so at any time.
“With the recent upsurge in fighting in and around Yarmouk the situation for civilians has deteriorated once again,” said Marianne Gasser, the head of the ICRC in Syria. “People were already worn down by months of conflict and constant shortages of food, water and medicine and they need urgent help.”
Some families have managed to escape Yarmouk for the nearby district of Yelda. Since 3 April, the ICRC and the Syrian Arab Red Crescent (SARC) have delivered 9,500 food parcels to families in Yelda, some of which had fled the camp…….
…….The ICRC has not been able to enter Yarmouk Camp since October 2014, when it delivered medical and water purification supplies in collaboration with the SARC and the Palestine Red Crescent Society.
UNRWA expressed in a statement it issued yesterday, its deep concern about the escalation of fighting and the fate of thousands of Palestinian refugees in Yarmouk camp and the surrounding areas.
UNRWA Commissioner-General, Pierre Krähenbühl, said in his statement, a copy of which was received by the Action Group, that “Yarmouk and its people are in indescribable pain and living in suffering which has lasted over the years of conflict. We are extremely concerned with the fate of the civilians, including the Palestinian refugees, after over a week of dramatically escalating violence.”
UNRWA also warned of the catastrophic consequences of the serious escalation in the fighting, which is affecting Yarmouk camp for Palestinian refugees in Damascus and its surrounding areas.
Syria is a country of approximatly 23 million people … Before thje start of the government overthrow attempts by western / and Israeli backed violent Sunni extremists.
There were approximatly`500,000 palestinian refugees in Syria …. and 1.2 million Iraq refugees
If New Zealand were to take comparable numbers in a ratio sense ,,,, we would need to take in 342 857 refugees,.. aproximatly
342 857 would put quite a strain on New Zealand …. But Syria has the extra burden of usa / nato Sanctions …. described as sanctions of mass destruction … as similar ones killed half a million children in IRAQ … more than all the ‘weapons of mass destruction’ ever used … like nuclear bombs etc
Starvation in Syria …. just like the 400 000 or more dead Syrians killed in our western backed Islamic uprising … lies firmly at the feet of NATO …and their ‘coalition of the killing’
Britain and the USa are making money out of their participation in the starvation and genocide they are waging on Yemen … they make Assad look like a schoolboy.
That poor innocent Assad really did nothing. His shooting of thousands of demonstrators at the beginning of the Arab spring is just a figment of the imagination.
Wayne …..A person who under the Geneva convention definition of war crimes passed after the Nazis were defeated …. Is a war criminal in my eyes.
And thats before his participation in the killing of three year old girls and other children.
And his ‘not knowing’ …. about the torture NZ participated in …
Watch this video and make your own minds up about Wayne …. is he a war criminal / committed crimes against peace
16 minutes 30 seconds https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XiFgrXnSH4g
I give him the trifecta …
A racist ..,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,.. “speak English or die”) with Wayne Mapp criticisng Statistics New Zealand’s decision to offer a joint English / Maori census form in some areas as politically correct bilingualism. According to Mapp,
Warmongering … ” In the case of Iraq the case is clear. Iraq has been in continual defiance of UN resolutions. They possess weapons of mass destruction.” … mapp
Criminal ..,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, “After the war, he claimed that our refusal to participate would ruin relations with Australia and the US, and that our refusal to participate in an illegal war of aggression would cost us a free trade agreement with the USA (guess they were wrong on that too). He even went so far as to demand that the government make a crawling apology to Australia and the US for being right about the war. ”
Waynes remarks about Assad…. should take into account his record of calling dead children ‘ Taliban fighters’,… and his bullshit “Iraq has weapons of mass destruction”,
The man loves war …. and couldn;t give a stuff about the arab or middle eastern victims ….
You have seriously defamed New Zealand soldiers (and myself) by accusing them of being war criminals.
As you know there is an Inquiry into this whole situation, which Inquiry I have encouraged.
I suggest that you leave this matter to the Inquiry rather than making highly defamatory remarks in a situation where many people involved cannot effectively reply.
I’ll try to simplify this down even more for you, Wayne…(I’m speaking only my own views)…
* You have a public profile consisting of words and actions which are documented as a matter of record…
* Your comments on this site are a continuation of your documented public record…
* Your ideological bent which is referenced through your documented public record is also played out through your handle on an incompatible left leaning blog site…
* You ignore the legitimate comments reason has made about your documented public record…
* You’re attempting to play the victim…
What compels you to perform this charade is debateable…that you are seemingly oblivious to the damage your documented public service has done and continues to do lacks later stage life contrition or evidence of reticence…
You frequent this site looking for something….trying unsuccessfully to relieve yourself of [something]…or possibly to find [something]…
What you’re looking for can be found in any mirror…in private…
I put up a post with information about the 1.7 million refugees which were in Syria … Just before their country became the target of western backed Islamic extremists….
If we took that same ratio of refugees into New Zealand … to proportionally match the 1.7 million Syria took in ….. we would have to let in 342,857 people …. aprox
I also mentioned sanctions …. and how these quiet killers have been labeled as “sanctions of mass destruction” …. with up to 500 000 thousand Iraqi children made to suffer, starve and die through them … with Syrian people now suffering from this usa favored weapon of siege
Wayne Mapp ignores the content of my post ….this long trail of mass suffering and killing of children … Seemingly oblivious to the concentration camp scale of victims …
Not caring to comment on the over half a million needless deaths / murders of children …He instead parks a dump of steaming Assad is Hitler dribble.,,,
Regardless … The main thing Waynes post showed me …… is how he ignored all the real suffering and death of children to dish up his stale old war propaganda.
Waynes just demonstrated very clearly the level of his regret … regarding Fatima, his mystery dead three year old Afghanistan girl … the mystery being how she was misrepresented as a Taliban fighter
I’m not sure what he thought he wrote …but what he showed was a complete lack of consideration or care … for all the other children or civilians killed, maimed or bereaved …. and His non existent concern for future victims…. From all the Waynes and Johns and donalds of this world.
In my opinion …Wayne does not give a shit about foreign people, poor people .. or brown kids … he cares more for his reputation.
*********
I’m specifically calling you a war criminal … or wannabe war criminal Wayne … ” War of Aggression” is mentioned in the Geneva convention as the ultimate crime …. trade deals, consummated or not, … do not get you an exemption. Wayne
I have a relative who is SAS … years and years ago at a funeral I asked him about Afghanistan … Summarizing his answer … ‘ it was a load of shit with poorly defined non achievable objectives ‘ … People like you are the threat to our military ,,, in both reputation and conduct, Wayne.
Has any other poster or Author here at The Standard …. ever played a part in the killing or cover-up of a three year old child?.
What reputation do those who have been involved in something as absolutely wrong as that deserve?
Over this subject ..Wayne is like the stupid teenager driving at 140 kms around suburban streets ,,,, and running over a kid .
Saying or feeling sorry does not help the parents much …. what the hell did the teenager / wayne think was going to be the end result of selfish stupid reckless behavior
There are other aspects of Waynes dishonesty which I will raise later ….
I wish you’d stop promoting a disgusting rape denier around here. George Galloway is not someone whose arguments I care to listen too given his mansplaining downgrading of rape because it happened after consensual sex.
I don’t. Still sick of you spamming his links all over here. It tells me you excuse, or perhaps even support given how often you spam his links, his belief that non consensual sex is not necessarily rape.
Wayne, Assad is just a pawn. The issue is the gas pipeline that runs through Syria. The Arabs need to have this halted if the oil price is to clime – it is their only income and any additional fuel supply via Russia would be highly detrimental to the power they yield. Coupled with their religious fundamentalist nature, all bets are off. And the west supports this as it is in their interest to have the energy cake split by as fewer players as possible.
In the end, nothing really has and ever will change – its about power and money. It does not matter in that “game” who gets killed, maimed and left behind starving an dying. Humans are just primitive creatures who have been handed the means of destroying the planet many times over. The yard bullies are in charge right now and reason has left the building.
From the very beginning of the Arab Spring in Syria, Syrian Palestinian refugees in Syria because they stood with the Syrian against Assad, have been a particular target of the regime.
So, as guests in the country they tried to overthrow the government and are now complaining that there’s consequences to that?
The Yarmouk Palestinian refugee camp in South Damascus which has been under a long term starvation siege by the Assad government.
You do understand that there’s a war on right? And that in wars there happens to be shortages?
And that this war was seemingly encouraged by the US?
Assad is no saint but I think you’ll find that the Syrians and refugees would be a hell of a lot better off if the US hadn’t started a civil war there.
Draco puts up a new theory for the war in Syria; It was the Palestinian refugees, that dun it
From the very beginning of the Arab Spring in Syria, Syrian Palestinian refugees in Syria, because they stood with the Syrian [people] against Assad, have been a particular target of the regime.
Jenny
So, as guests in the country they tried to overthrow the government and are now complaining that there’s consequences to that?
Draco T Bastard
In his desperate efforts to justify mass murder, torture and genocide; Any straw to grasp at will do.
Libya Until recently was a modern evolving society …with the highest standard of living on its continent … and it attained this after spending most of last centuary being one of the poorest countries in the world
Gaddafi in a bloodless coup,,, ousted a corrupt monarchy and BP oil ….taking over a country Beset by poverty, slums, cholera, malnutrition and other third world ills and hardships for his people .
Using Libyian resources for the benefit of Libyans in a form of socialism … The largest improvements in quality of life ,,,, were achieved in the shortest period of time … than any other example / country in the world that I can find.
Achievements such as …. went from one of the poorest nations in its continent into the richest nation….it also gained the highest Human Development Index, the lowest infant mortality and the highest life expectancy.
“Health care is [was] available to all citizens free of charge by the public sector.
infant mortality rates had decreased from 105 per 1000 live births in 1970 to an Infant mortality rate 14.0
Confirmed by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), undernourishment was less than 5 %,
Took literacy from 25% up to 87% under with 25% earning university degrees.
University education was free.
Gross primary school enrollment ratio was 97% for boys and 97% for girls (2009) .
(see UNESCO tables
The pupil teacher ratio in primary schools was of the order of 17 (1983 UNESCO data)
Went from a country beset with cholera and unsafe water problems …. to a very low percentage of people without access to safe water (3 percent), health services (0 percent) and sanitation (2 percent) … and was investing in the largest
irrigation project in the world
With regard to Women’s Rights,………… World Bank data point to significant achievements, “In a relative short period of time … passed in 1970 was an equal pay for equal work law…
In secondary and tertiary education, girls outnumbered boys by 10%.” (World Bank Country ….. child marriages were banned and the minimum legal age to marry placed at 18. ……Since 1973, Libyan women have had equal rights in obtaining a divorce. There were also gender-friendly women’s laws passed on marriage and divorce.
Such freedoms for women were hated by ‘rebels’ …. aka british sponsored Islamist extremists such as the Manchester based Libyan Islamic Fighting Group….
“TWENTY-TWO innocent lives were lost on May 22, 2017, when a suicide bomber detonated his device at the Manchester Arena after an Ariana Grande concert.
“The Manchester Bombing: Blowback from British state collusion with jihadists abroad Three quarters of all foreign fighters in Libya came from Manchester. Now that one of their number has returned to bomb the same city, apparently under the influence of ISIL, remarkably few are questioning the British foreign policy decisions David Cameron took while in power.”
What happened to Libya was the destruction of it as a modern state .,… It is now a blood soaked lawless failed state … a Islamic extremist bolt hole …. with women living in fear…. and Libyans of black African decent being ethnically cleansed … or sold into slavery.
Refugees are further abused …”Nearly half the women and children interviewed had experienced sexual abuse during migration,” the report says.” “Often multiple times and in multiple locations.” …..”Libya, as the funnel through which so many journeys pass, has earned itself a shocking reputation as the epicentre of abuse” …
“None of this would be possible if not for … the involvement of a NATO coalition that included the United States.” As in Iraq and Afghanistan, the lesson of Libya is that regime change through military intervention can have catastrophic consequences. That lesson should be taken far more seriously.
“The evidence suggests that British actions in three different theatres — Libya, Iraq and Syria — cannot be viewed in isolation:
In Libya, US and UK led intervention destroyed the functioning state and created a vacuum allowing hardline Islamist fighters to consolidate their foothold in the country. This paved the way for the empowerment of ISIS. The direct line between Libyan and Syrian Islamist rebels fuelled jihadism in both countries.
In Iraq, US and UK led intervention also destroyed the existing state infrastructure and fuelled an Islamist insurgency which incubated al-Qaeda in Iraq and culminated in the emergence of ISIS.
In Syria, US and UK covert action, again in partnership with Gulf states such as Qatar, and Turkey, has had the effect of augmenting the role of al-Qaeda in the rebel movement.
This combination of Anglo-American policies across the region has contributed to further instability and the rise of violent jihadism. In fact, an even stronger conclusion may be warranted based on the evidence of the extent of UK covert and overt action in the region in alliance with states consistently supplying arms to terrorist groups: that agencies of the British government itself have, in some senses, become part of the broader ‘terrorist network’ with which the British public is now confronted.”
What happened in Libya and Iraq was despicable butchery accomplished with murderous dishonesty ..
Libya 23 minutes///
the same tactics, the same Islamist extremism … Almost achieved the same result in Syria …. Until Russia reversed the Sunni extremists expansion … protecting normal Syrians from ethnic cleansing in NATOs latest disaster / NATOs newest Islamic State. https://www.bitchute.com/video/hUaWa8L9YPXL/
You have to appreciate that madmen like Saddam and Gaddaffi had to be removed,because they were jealous of the freedom and democracy of the west.
Now they are free and democratic.
Zorb6: You’re having a laugh, right? “had to be removed,because they were jealous of the freedom and democracy”
If it wasn’t sarcasm… ?
The great USof A where voters are routinely kicked off the electoral roll.
The lesser Great Britain where legitimate Windrush imigrants are being bullrushed from YarlsWood on chartered planes and even their own diplomats have trouble bringing in their own child born overseas.
The majority of people asking for food parcels have never had to ask for help before, the Salvation Army says.
Community Ministries spokesperson Lindsay Andrews said the high cost of everyday living was creating a “working poor”.
“We’re seeing across the country 336 new families presenting each week so that equates to 60 percent of the families requesting help and given that a number of these are not on benefits, that’s quite concerning.”
I don’t think it’s right that neoliberalism is same as feudalism.
The people expected to be heard when they went to the leaders in feudalism. While Europe etc. worked out how to run their societies and who was going to be in control there were big wars. Here is an interesting quote about it. I don’t know if you think that this is akin to neoliberalism:
The 17th century saw very little peace in Europe – major wars were fought in 95 years (every year except 1610, 1669 to 1671, and 1680 to 1682.)[10] The wars were unusually ugly. Europe in the late 17th century, 1648 to 1700, was an age of great intellectual, scientific, artistic and cultural achievement. Historian Frederick Nussbaum says it was:
prolific in genius, in common sense, and in organizing ability. It could properly have been expected that intelligence, comprehension and high purpose would be applied to the control of human relations in general and to the relations between states and peoples in particular. The fact was almost completely opposite.
It was a period of marked unintelligence, immorality and frivolity in the conduct of international relations, marked by wars undertaken for dimly conceived purposes, waged with the utmost brutality and conducted by reckless betrayals of allies.[11]
The worst came during the Thirty Years’ War, 1618-1648, which had an extremely negative impact on the civilian population of Germany and surrounding areas, with massive loss of life and disruption of the economy and society.
Gosh there is so much to learn about the past while we watch with dismay, society’s wheels drop off today.
Here is some more interesting perhaps pertinent stuff:
It’s not just housing, it’s neoliberalism. The private sector has failed and so have the PPP and COO schemes. You should not try to profit from the basics, housing, electricity, food, water, transport.
It takes $34 on cash fare for a family of 4 to go 2 states return in Auckland. Or you pay an extra $40 for 4 HOP cards to get it down.
People have no electricity for days because of underinvestment and the reliance of making a ‘pay as you go’ infrastructure around Auckland which can mean anyone building a house pays around $25k for all the transformers, cables, meters, private pillars and then somehow doesn’t own it, but ‘rents’ if off Vector. Likewise with Vector and the trees somehow it’s more efficient to have 1 million people without cherry pickers and electricity qualifications to be liable to maintain the trees around electricity lines… also easier to make tradies do years of expensive study and then find out that they have no experience and it’s cheaper to get in someone from overseas for cash and then if it all goes wrong, the councils can pick up the tab for remedial work.
People are at the Salvation Army because even if you work full time, wages are so out of whack with the cost of living that it becomes difficult to survive and you need to constantly go around looking for subsidies whether it be WFF, accomodation, community services card, not paying donations at schools, food parcels, emergency grants and so forth. All that takes up a lot of time and pretty hit and miss. I’d like to see that someone employed is able to support a family on one income… like in the old days… now some people can’t support a family on 2 incomes.
Wages need a serious rethink…. with the new minimum wage increases you get $660 less taxes… that is no longer enough to live on with everybody from private companies to COO’s to councils to government wanting more money.
The high paid jobs are not there, and our best and brightest have to leave NZ or work at a fraction of what they should be on, to stay in NZ. Meanwhile the system does everything possible to bring down most people’s wages in real terms.
Universities closing libraries, hospitals outsourcing hospital meals, the list goes on… we are losing jobs or making people get less in the same job, while somehow the prices for all the services keep going up to pay for all the middle men often with top heavy corporations like Serco, keeping this rout going.
And with the houses, resources are concentrated on luxury hotels, private retirement villages, luxury apartments, renovating houses into luxury houses. Those focusing on the bottom end like in Tauranga, well they were condemned before even being lived in… and time to start again.
With the amount of low waged or asset rich but cash poor coming into NZ who are also qualifying for subsidies and competing with the existing poor, it’s hard to make it all work.
Reports are coming out of Gaza that the people have lost their fear, the situation is that bad, they have nothing left, they’ve had enough.
A reporter who has been covering the situation in Gaza for years says she has never seen the people so desperate.
“Their situation is so miserable in Gaza. I’ve been reporting from the Gaza Strip for years and it’s never been this bad.”
Five Fridays of protests… and the death toll is at least 45 Palestinian demonstrators, with more than 6,000 wounded, including medical professionals and journalists since the mass movement began on March 30. There have been no Israeli casualties.
Israeli officials have accused Gaza’s rulers Hamas of instigating the protests, but not a single rocket has been fired from the Gaza Strip since the demonstrations began.
UN are condemning Israel for their actions, but from what I can see no one is taking any action, how long will this go on for?
It’s always talk, talk, then nothing, nada. I see it as systematic genocide.
Does what happened in Libya and Iraq, justify the genocide committed by Assad regime against the Syrian people, and the Palestinian refugees in Latakia and Yarmouk?
These are actually attempts to change the conversation to an unrelated topic; we can call it “whataboutery”. “What about Syria?” the Zionists ask. What about China? What about women? And so on.
These crude distractions have become even harder to sell over the past year, with Israel’s open embrace of US President Donald Trump and his cohort of white supremacists, hard-right Zionists and even Nazi-aligned figures like former advisor Sebastian Gorka.
What happened in Libya and Iraq was despicable butchery accomplished with murderous dishonesty ..
Libya 23 minutes///
the same tactics, the same Islamist extremism … Almost achieved the same result in Syria …. Until Russia reversed the Sunni extremists expansion … protecting normal Syrians from ethnic cleansing in NATOs latest disaster / NATOs newest Islamic State. https://www.bitchute.com/video/hUaWa8L9YPXL/
When the uprisings in Syria unravelled in 2011, most Palestinians wanted to remain neutral, haunted by the memory of what happened to Palestinians in Jordan in the 1970s, Lebanon in the 1980s, Kuwait in 1991, and Iraq in the early 2000s. Joining any opposition to the Syrian regime came with high risks, even within the framework of the popular movement, with which many young Palestinians identified. This identification is unsurprising: The integration of Palestinians into Syrian society meant that they, too, were subject to the social control enforced by the Assad regime throughout the country. Arresting and torturing dissidents was a common practice long before the spirit of the Arab uprisings reached the Syrian streets in 2011. Therefore, while Bashar al-Assad’s anti-Western and anti-Zionist rhetoric made him seem a trustworthy ally to Palestinians, in practice the lives of Syrian Palestinians were no better nor worse than his other subjects.
Does what happened in Libya and Iraq get ignored so US/UK/ISRAEL/FRANCE/SAUDI can destroy and occupy another sovereign nation..
Jenny, your comments are filled with ill thought hypocrisy and a lack of love and empathy for those who are dying…those on the ‘other side’ of the discussion…those who you repeatedly ignore while you push your one wheeled cart around this site..
Taking a side is endorse death, injury and misery…that is what you are doing..
Perhaps unwittingly…perhaps not…
I also can’t but help notice that supporters of the regime like yourself, and others, also maintain a strict silence, amounting to complicity, at any mention of Saydnaya
Actually, most of Assad’s victims are not “headchopping jihadis” – but you are so biased you lump the innocents in with them. This is why we will find no common ground.
And no time whatsoever for the millions of refugees created by Assad’s regime. But lots of time for the saccharine propagandists of RT and their dubious mouthpieces.
There is some very dim bulbs who comment here, Stuart…
I’ve told you multiple times that a primary difference between myself and the likes of you and Jenny….is that I do not take sides…the two of you are openly and unashamedly bias…
The two of you can’t wrap your narrow bandwidth around such a concept….so you continue with the line that is the opposite of what I state in comments…
See if you can widen your narrow bandwidth just enough to let that get into your head…
I’ll help you out…again…
Posting a link does NOT alter the fact that I do not, and will not take a side…
I do have disdain for those such as yourself and jenny who seek to offer validation of illegal foreign invation, occupation and destruction of sovereign nation…after nation…after nation…
Pause to see if you can understand why distain for the position shared by yourself and Jenny, exists…
And if that is beyond your narrow bandwidth…it is likely that you have problems over and above the ignorance born out of prejudice…
I’m always impressed about how you are just as quick to criticise people’s hubris when they say what bad things the US etc are up to as when others criticise Assad and Russia. You jump on both sides equallol, can’t finish that line. You’re just as partisan as everyone else, doofus.
Jenny, you have passion and what does appear to be an honest desire to highlight the plight of peoples who are suffering around the world…
Your comments regarding Syria, are one sided, overly simplistic and indicate that you have barriers preventing you from acknowledging what are mainstream documented happenings inside Syria…
That you repeatedly and undoubtedly, willingly ignore mainstream acknowledgement of ‘western backed rebels’ being funded, armed, trained and supported by international law breaking, UN charter violating sponsors, is unfortunate to observe…
So while you’re ignoring those same sponsors of ‘moderate rebels’ long and document history of regime change/creating failed states…I’ve not raised the subject because I do not pretend to know what is really going on…
But if I were to engage with you at your level using simplistic, lopsided evaluation techniques…regime change/failed state would be the position I would take….because that’s what a simplistic view of history, including recent history indicates is being attempted since 2011 in Syria…
But I’m not saying that’s what is going on…because Syria, is a complex situation….and I will not endorse either or sides…
To your question…not only are you wrong…you are showing yourself to be a ‘well meaning idiot’….
Jennys position appears to be in direct conflict with her efforts to highlight injustice and atrocities…there are not many reasons why she would take that position…
There will be atrocities carried out by every faction involved in the conflict…openly ignoring that truism is dangerous energy to play with…
It’s natural to wish to know whats actually going on…but that’s not possible except through the mediums created by the efforts of others….what we the people are left with is speculation based on constants such as ‘previous form’ and motive…
The honest thing to do is at least pay respect to injustice and atrocities on all sides…
Hi Maui, I enjoy your perspectives…and I appreciate your comments…
Truth is such a mystery…the truth I adide is that humans are not it…babies are close to pure truth…after that…less so by the day without constant self reflection and the awareness to make necessary changes…and not be scared to do so…continually…
You simply can’t grasp the concept that taking sides is the wrong thing to do…it is the opposite of what you need to be doing…what we all need to be doing…
There is no morality to be found in war and atrocity in the M.E…there are only varying degress of atrocity and human suffering…
Rise above the primitive lizard brain and understand that by taking a side, is to be part of the problem…and a barrier to any solution…
When you can understand that simple concept…life as you believe it to be will have a very different perspective for you…
Good luck on the journey….
Edit: don’t equate not taking sides with no longer caring…that’s not what it’s about…it is about having more measured thinking so that you are no longer in reaction mode…step back…evaluate….respond…not react…
Nice informative piece on France and Libya over at The Intercept.
Sarkozy’s dodgy dealings with Gaddafi aside, the fact that the French foreign minister had offered Tunisia’s Zine El Abidine Ben Ali the use of France’s security forces to help quash protests is kinda illuminating.
Sarkozy had found his administration out of step when the Arab Spring broke out in Tunisia. He had a strong relationship with Tunisian dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, and when security forces fired on massive street protests in January, instead of condemning the violence, Sarkozy’s foreign minister offered to share the “savoir-faire” of France’s security forces “in order to settle security situations of this type.”
The National Government inflicted the notorious Waikato University crackpot Jacqueline Rowarth on us to antagonize the conservation movement. The Trump regime pulled the same trick with Scott Pruitt…
EPA ex Chief Scientist Jacqueline Rowarth on glyphosate. … after the EPA ruled that the ingredient used in Roundup was unlikely to be carcinogenic. “This is very good news and of course it’s based on the fact that there is no link to human health issues when used as regulated,” she said.
All so simple, and without a shadow of doubt clouding her perfectly pure scientific mind.
This despite the Ministry of Health, and a group of esteemed Professors from Auckland and Massey universities, and others. Oh, and of course, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) who in 2015 listed glyphosate as a probable carcinogen for humans.
and..
Carcinogenicity of glyphosate: why is New Zealand’s EPA lost in the weeds?
EPA ex Chief Scientist Jacqueline Rowarth on glyphosate. … after the EPA ruled that the ingredient used in Roundup was unlikely to be carcinogenic. “This is very good news and of course it’s based on the fact that there is no link to human health issues when used as regulated,” she said.
All so simple, and without a shadow of doubt clouding her perfectly pure scientific mind.
This despite the Ministry of Health, and a group of esteemed Professors from Auckland and Massey universities, and others. Oh, and of course, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) who in 2015 listed glyphosate as a probable carcinogen for humans.
and..
Carcinogenicity of glyphosate: why is New Zealand’s EPA lost in the weeds?
“National was trying to turn voters against the Labour government by suggesting that the latter’s recently introduced compulsory superannuation scheme might lead to Soviet-style Communism (conveniently ignoring the fact that the Cossack peoples had traditionally been opponents of the Bolsheviks).”
The voiceover said that the superannuation fund would dominate the economy, which would be laughable in today’s open, global, economy. But in Muldoon’s “fortress New Zealand”…. well, history shows what happened. And from the success of our current superannuation funds we can only wonder where New Zealand would be now if Labour had won that election.
” In the first campaign held after the introduction of colour TV, National’s advertising agency, Colenso, engaged the famous American cartoon studio Hanna-Barbera to produce a colourful, animated advert.”
Probably more like Colenso shopped around for the best outfit and naturally got the best offer from the purveyors of the American Dream. The script would have been right up their alley.
That is amazing! What beautiful flowers and yet they signal that the plant will now die.
Thanks so much for sharing it. Seeing it today of all days was rather symbolic, on a very sad day as my dog died last night – a little white troublemaker – probably my last dog ever sadly. He was a little 6kg Maltese who thought he was the size of his former best friend who he had to protect – my Rottweiler/Mastiff cross who at his biggest weighted in at 67kg, who would run away if you said boo and who died two years ago.
Now I will remember him (and the big boy) and this amazing plant all together.
Oh so sad to hear about your little dog VV – they are such good companions. Was he a little white troublemaker with a capital T? We had decided no more animals after our little Honeybear – but a nephew who was moving house and needed a new home for his puss cat (the new home did not permit animals) donated Princess Lollabout to us. 🙂
And thanks Joe for the pic – I enjoy all your posts but this is a special treasure.
Condolences for the sad loss of your little dog veutoviper (11.1) Our loving and loyal pets, particularly dogs, certainly leave a massive void in our lives and our hearts when they are gone. The best friends we will ever have.
Hang on to those wonderful memories. The companionship and devotion of a dog is something very precious and wonderful. But you already know that vv.
Hello V V. So sorry to hear of your companion’s passing.
Your story about your wee dog reminded us of a dear wee Australian terrier we cared for for friends. We loved Molly as she was fearless.
We arrived at the dog park and Molly tried to see off a huge Great Dane who gave her “the regal stare” totally unruffled by 5/6 kgs of bravado.
They leave a huge painful hole, and then you remember the happy times.
A friend, like you, said no more. Then went to the local SPCA described a small gentle house trained dog. They rang her two months later and she took Loxie home. Loxie was a tiny ” bitsa” who settled on her lap and is a loved 5 year old in her second chance home. Hugs xx Trish.
Berner cultists get their racist out, because black people who weren’t Sanders fans aren’t quite progressive enough for them.
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For almost a year now, a very vocal segment of Bernie Sanders supporters have harassed and stalked black activists, journalists and contributors on Twitter and other social media sites. Behind this campaign was the fact that a lot of black voters didn’t vote for Bernie, which was met with incredible anger by a part of the Bernie left.
Instead of analyzing why POC were critical of Bernie, or why Bernie refused to campaign among POC, they started to harass and intimidate black Twitter users.
The list of victims to this aggressive crowd of Bernie supporters is long by now: Joy Ann Reid, Donna Brazile, Jehmu Greene, Neera Tanden, Kamala Harris, Maxine Waters, Yamiche Alcindor, Zerlina Maxwell, and less known Twitter users: Angry Black Lady (Imani Gandy), T_FisherKing, Mr Dane/ Mr Weeks, Sir James, Ange_Amene, Bravenak and many, many more.
What these people have in common is that
A: they’re POC,
B: they’re at times very critical of Bernie Sanders.
This in itself is enough for ongoing extreme harassment, stalking, threats, intimidation and worse.
On top of this, a number of LGTB activists/ writers have met the same fate: be critical at Bernie Sanders at your own peril.
[…]
The user @Jamie_Maz who in November went through Joy’s old blog posts through the so called WayBack machine never mentioned other blog posts, never mentioned there was more ‘homophobic’ content.
Now let me be absolutely clear: I do not have any evidence whether or not Joy Ann Reid’s recently surfaced blog posts were altered, added or whether or not they are genuine. That is also not the subject of this article: the subject is the excessive campaign to get Joy Ann Reid fired by the Bernie left.
I saw the same user @Jamie_Maz post the recently ‘found’ blog posts and at first this just led to great enthusiasm among the Bernie crowd on Twitter. The idea that they found something damaging on Joy Ann Reid was absolutely fantastic to this crowd of Bernie supporters: #FireJoyReid!
Let’s be absolutely clear: this campaign isn’t coming from trump supporters, or breitbart or right wing racists, this is coming from the racist Bernie left.
Although I have no evidence one way or the other it would NOT surprise me at all when in the end we find out this Bernie crowd altered the screenshots, because let’s face it: a crowd who contacts people’s employers with anonymous letters (as in the case of Humorless Kev), who starts internet campaigns to get people fired and posts racist pictures would be very willing to do this
If you want an intelligent and thoroughly researched piece on Joy Reid, then Glen Greenwald’s piece is where I’d suggest you want to be going. (Unless he’s to be avoided because “racist Bernie left”?)
Looks to me like the author’s calling out the cult kiddies enmity for progressives who dare opt for pragmatic incrementalism, rather than their own burn the fucking house down shtick.
btw, thread calling Greenwald on his disingenuous claptrap.
Now that my friend @JoyAnnReid has apologized, my friend @ggreenwald is now pretending denial of authorship and hacking claims by Joy is now and was always "the *only* issue" and asserts her "anti-LGBT bigotry" was "never the issue."And, unfortunately, Glenn is lying.Thread. pic.twitter.com/KSSsnuD0wS— Leah McElrath (@leahmcelrath) April 28, 2018
It basically revolved around the issue of denial and hacking claims. And Greenwald, in relation to her previous phobic writings, has the following as the second para
Most people, at least in the media, seemed quick to accept Reid’s apology — and they were right to do so. People have the right to change their beliefs as they and the society around them grow, learn, and evolve. That process should be encouraged, not stigmatized. Politics, at its core, should be about persuading people to repudiate misguided and destructive beliefs and adopt ones that are more reasoned, humane, and just. And when that happens, it should be celebrated, not scorned.
And later…
If, in response to these new even-uglier posts, Reid had done what she did in December — acknowledged they were hers, owned her mistakes, apologized for the hurt she caused, and explained that she no longer holds these views — the reaction would have almost certainly been the same. Though many would likely be a bit bothered by just how deeply bigoted these writings were, few would hold them against her now. I know I would have reacted the same: If someone repudiates past beliefs and changes their views, they should be judged by their current viewpoints, not ones they held a decade ago.
So sure. He was writing disingenuous claptrap and the “radical centre/dead centre” isn’t consumed by hate these day for just about anyone who doesn’t “toe the line” or is otherwise seen as representing a threat to their (and their world view’s) fading prominence.
McElrath notes how @ggreenwald pushed out the idea @JoyAnnReid is homophobic and transphobic as recently as December of 2017, but revised his position to denial of authorship and hacking claims by Joy is now and was always “the *only* issue” and asserts her “anti-LGBT bigotry” was “never the issue.”.
I raised this point yesterday, my observation it is a left phenomena where intersectional politics trumps individualism and god help you if you identify with a particular supposed left wing group be it black, lgbt, the arts and culture and you step out of the left play book with your own individual opinion Recent examples include Kanya West and Shsnia Twain, your examples been non Bernie black voters is also testament to this To me it’s actually quite racist to expect because you are of a certain colour, sexual orientation you must think and vote s particular way or face vitriol and social media hate Not saying all left is like this as not all left on social media
Bomber lets rip with righteous indignation at Sepuloni’s stalling tactics….and doesn’t hold back with criticism of those ace patch-protectors at the PSA.
We know food parcels are soaring because MSD toxic culture means people will beg from Churches rather than go to WINZ.
We know MSD are still spitefully cutting off welfare for Tinder dates.
We know that the sadists at MSD chase beneficiaries through the courts for obscene debt they should never be forced to pay.
We know that when one judge questioned MSD why they were chasing a beneficiary for $120 000 debt (most of which was penalties and interest) was because she might win Lotto…
…it is unacceptable that the new Government apparently have no idea what to do next.
There are two reasons why the new Government are not doing anything and it comes down to cowardice.
The new government are too cowardly to take on the PSA over their toxic sadism culture and they are too cowardly to go up against right wing media and the bash a beneficiary culture we have in NZ.
It is deeply disappointing to see such a lack of real political courage.”
Methinks this government needs to stop seeing the task in terms of getting a container ship to alter course (the reference I think was on Carmel’s mind) and start acting.
I am pretty sure Susan St. John and Sue Bradford have a few ideas….
MSD needs to strike a balance between preventing fraud and treating those who are entitled with dignity No easy job but probably have not got the balance right, all for recalibration but coming down like ton of bricks on fraudsters
Correct balance:
“Helping people” 100%
“Fraud detection (because it’s not really prevention, is it)” the most basic automated tracking of payments possible, using IRD resources to identify suspicious patterns..
“I had dinner with one of the MSD Auckland senior managers last night.”
I do hope your digestion was not adversely affected Ad. Sitting at the same table, breaking bread with a sociopath.
I could be being harsh…perhaps your dining pal is new to MSD? Parachuted into a senior management role very recently…. on a mission to begin the ‘culture change’?
“Minister Sepuloni simply isn’t on their radar yet.”
Assuming that means they don’t see her as a threat to the status quo, that its full steam ahead in the bene bashing business, I believe after her prevarication today they can rest easy.
If we get long lasting peace in Korea and demilitarisation does Donald trump deserve a Nobel peace prize You would argue so if Obama is the standard. Obama left us with Syria, a weak Iran deal and emboldened Russia with his softly softly let’s not upset any one You could argue the Donald no matter how unagreeable you find him his muscular diplomacy has been far more effective in driving peace
Got to say the madman routine actually seems to have been a significant factor.
If I were the committee I’d want to wait until his term is up, though, just in case he nukes somewhere for the hell of it.
And then there’s the concept of giving a peace prize to someone who contributed to peace by threatening nuclear war, but that’s just semantics, really.
It’s ok. I don’t expect a tory to understand the concept that a genuine coalition of different political parties requires compromise, especially after Joyce’s fiscal trapdoor was discovered.
Lol and if they’d updated the website before Clark’s announcement you’d say they were whitewashing history.
Overall, as far as I can see this is about the first policy point they’ve clearly failed to achieve, and announced that failure well in advance. Not bad for a coalition partner.
It’s clear James and his National Party don’t understand how a real MMP coalition govt works. That’s why National is in opposition. Failiure to negotiate a coalition and still no mates.
Yes James, before you niggle, I know National were in a coalition, but Act, United Future and the Maori Party were no more than National’s well trained lap dogs. Labour, NZ First and the Greens are working together to form policy, that’s how MMP is supposed to work.
National and thier supporters need to realise that they can’t govern alone, otherwise National and Soimun will remain in opposition for a very long time.
I’ve got news for you, James: National has failed to deliver on all its election promises so far. Arguably, they have been delayed, just like Labour’s election promise of cheaper doctors’ visits for all. Only problem is that National’s delay will be at least 3 years, possibly longer 😉
how Tony Blair was able to call a public inquiry into the “suspected suicide” of David Kelly only minutes after being told of Kelly’s apparent death whilst on a long-haul flight, long before Dr Kelly had officially been declared a suicide victim, or the body confirmed as his.
Good news for protesters intent on disrupting the work of oil and gas exploration vessels.
It seems that the heavy handed Andarko Amendment, that was supposed to protect the oil companies from protesters, has turned out to be a bit of a paper tiger.
After some high level behind the scene negotiations. The Crown and Greenpeace have come to an agreement.
Russel Norman and Sara Howel will agree to plead guilty, if the Crown agree to drop the case against Greenpeace.
The understanding being, that both Russel and Sara will not face any penalties at all. and despite their guilty pleas, convictions will not appear on their records. ie Diversion.
Tomorrow at 10am at the Napier District Court, to avoid putting them out, or inconveniencing them in anyway, both Sara and Russel will phone in their court appearance, and make their guilty plea by skype from Auckland. Another First.
Rapist’s descendants annoyed everyone keeps on bringing up all the rapes.
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MANILA – A new memorial dedicated to the Philippines “comfort women” forced into Japan’s military brothels before and during World War II was removed Friday night, days after suspicions surfaced that it was being targeted for demolition.
[…]
The issue of the comfort women, Japan’s euphemism for the girls and women, is a sensitive one for Japan, and the embassy had expressed concerns over the statue, one of many sprouting up in South Korea, the United States and elsewhere to memorialize an episode of history Japan would rather forget
“Can civilisation prolong its life until the end of this century? “It depends on what we are prepared to do.” He fears it will be a long time before we take proportionate action to stop climatic calamity. “Standing in the way is capitalism. Can you imagine the global airline industry being dismantled when hundreds of new runways are being built right now all over the world? It’s almost as if we’re deliberately attempting to defy nature. We’re doing the reverse of what we should be doing, with everybody’s silent acquiescence, and nobody’s batting an eyelid.”
It’s almost as if we’re deliberately attempting to defy nature.
It’s not ‘almost’. We are attempting to defy nature and reality to maintain a few people in wealth and luxury.
think it realistic to note that this theme from an increasing number of informed individuals will become prevalent.
It probably will but, with the help of the RWNJs in National and Labour (and similar parties around the world), probably after we’ve pushed the ecosphere to the point where we will no longer be able to live in it.
The Am Show The closing of that Auckland park to save OUR great Kauri trees the atua of our forest is a big win for us greenies. If business go broke so be it they have had years to come up with plan B or C. We have had a big win in Europe with the banning of those insecticides and other chemicals that kill BEEs now we need to look into it .
When my children were young 2nd 1 was less than 6 months old we stayed across the road from a vineyard our baby had rashes he had breathing problems off in a ambulance twice. As soon as we moved from this location his symptoms disappeared that tells one some thing about man made chemicals .
This inquire on the treatment of children in state care should include church organization after all there is alot of evidence that there has been abuse of the mokopunas in the churches care all around the world and in NZ .
As for Trump I will ease off maybe he should be given the credit for the deescalation of the tension in Korea and then he will not throw a spanner in the works and the peace and diplomacy will work .
OUR Banks need to be investigated if the banks in Aussie are cheating than Our banks will be doing the same . They stereotype people and I say they will turn down people for loans just because they are brown. I am having a tussel with 2 of OURs Banks at the minute.
Charter School are for the 1% the poor mokopunas that end up at these schools will have been targeted for sports and less than 5% of the roll .I want more REO taught in schools
these charter schools will have better grades because they are getting the cream of the crop of mokopunas so one cannot fairly use those stats to justify the existence of these institutions. Ka kite ano
Newshub Ka pai Paddy Gloriavale is not a nice sect especially if they can keep a mans family away from him did you know that most of the sandflies hierarchy are religious fanatics
There you go I was talking about all the sacred sites around Aotearoa that need to be carefully examined buy trained archaeologist like that site that they found the half built Waka that site should be sifted to find other precious Maori relics.
Many thanks to the Australians for taking steps to protect there precious Great Barrier Reef Man is nothing with out mother nature.
The weekends sports was GREAT . Ka kite ano P.S thats another pukana to the sandflies they did not like what I wrote this morning
The Crowd goes Wild the sandflys have stuff with my computer I have a good post on it but it won’t load I told you the are upset Ka kite ano P.S. I will post my post with my pH it will be late but you will have a laugh
The former Green Party co-leader and Sara Howell swam in front of the Amazon Warrior as it searched for oil off the Wairarapa coast in April last year.
They were charged under a 2013 amendment to the Crown Minerals Act, dubbed the “Anadarko Amendment”, by New Zealand Petroleum and Minerals, a division of the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment.
The amendment was designed to stop protests at sea around oil exploration and the case was the first time the amendment was enforced….
…..Convictions were not entered against Norman and Howell as they seek a discharge without conviction and will be sentenced later this year.
Overall a win, win for Greenpeace and a lose, lose, for the Anadarko Amendment on its first ever outing.
With the fangs pulled from the Anadarko Amendment, a new campaign on the water can commence.
The clock has started ticking on achieving a total ban on oil and gas exploration. The campaign that has begun achieving a halt in all new block offers, will finish with a campaign to shut down all deep sea oil and gas exploration
Greenpeace head Russel Norman pleads guilty to obstructing oil survey ship”
New Zealand Herald, 30 Apr, 2018
The former Green Party co-leader and Sara Howell swam in front of the Amazon Warrior as it searched for oil off the Wairarapa coast in April last year.
They were charged under a 2013 amendment to the Crown Minerals Act, dubbed the “Anadarko Amendment”, by New Zealand Petroleum and Minerals, a division of the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment.
The amendment was designed to stop protests at sea around oil exploration and the case was the first time the amendment was enforced….
…..Convictions were not entered against Norman and Howell as they seek a discharge without conviction and will be sentenced later this year.
Overall a win, win for Greenpeace and a lose, lose, for the Anadarko Amendment on its first ever outing.
With the fangs pulled from the Anadarko Amendment, a new campaign on the water can commence.
The clock has started ticking on achieving a total ban on oil and gas exploration. The campaign that has begun achieving a halt in all new block offers, will finish with a campaign to shut down all deep sea oil and gas exploration
by the Council of Disobedient Women When Moana Maniapoto recently lamented that Rachel Stewart was no longer writing for the Herald, political commentator Morgan Godfery was quick to brag on Twitter, like a schoolyard bully, how proud he was of “driving Rachel Stewart from the Herald”. What a contrast Morgan ...
You’re probably aware that the Achievement Standards used to assess senior school students’ learning are being reviewed. Science is one of the ‘pilot’ subjects in this process, where a ‘Subject Expert Group’ has developed 4 draft Science standards¹ (a significant step away from the current 30+, and a response to ...
John MacCormickTo succeed in an unpredictable and changing world, adaptability is the key. Let’s be chameleons. Technology continues to change people’s jobs and work environments. But change so far is not as fast and extensive as some pundits claim. Nor is it as fast and extensive as it needs ...
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Oh look! NZ First's secret slush fund was laundering donations from Talley's:One of the country's biggest fishing companies, Talley's, and its managing director donated nearly $27,000 to the New Zealand First Foundation, which has been bankrolling the New Zealand First Party. The foundation received $26,950 from seafood giant Talley's and ...
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The recent floods in Southland have highlighted the issue of Rio Tinto's illegal toxic waste dump in Mataura. But according to Newsroom, there's an even worse mess in Ruakaka near Whangarei:A Northland property stockpiled one million litres of flammable and toxic chemicals. Almost two years since the situation came to ...
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The government has announced it will strengthen whistleblower protections. The major change is "allowing people to report serious wrongdoing direct to an external authority if they wish", which fixes one of the big flaws in the Act. At present, whistleblowers must generally make their disclosure direct to the body they ...
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Another day, another IPCA report on criminal conduct by policy. This time they kicked a child in the head when he was handcuffed:Police chased him and yelled out for him to stop. When he turned to face the police, he threatened them with a hammer. That's when the officers tasered ...
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The Abortion Legislation Committee has reported back on the Abortion Legislation Bill and recommended that it be passed with some amendments. Unfortunately, the latter include even more hoops to jump through for those seeking abortions after 20 weeks, including a time-wasting requirement to consult a second doctor. No-one casually seeks ...
Brexit is likely to be a disaster for the UK (how sad, never mind). But now that they're out of the EU, the latter has finaly taken the opportunity to blacklist one of their key tax havens:The Cayman Islands, a British overseas territory, is to be put on an EU ...
I’m not quite sure of what to make of the new figures for COVID-19 (as we must now call the novel coronavirus – though I’m not sure the capitalisation is correct) from Hubei province:Image from https://www.bbc.com/news/world-51495484The spike yesterday is a consequence of a using a different way of ...
Bob Jones has dropped his defamation case against Renae Maihi. Good. But at the same time, it perfectly exposes what the case was all about: not protecting Jones' reputation, but punishing someone who had dared to criticise him, and deterring others from doing the same. This rich pompous asshat dragged ...
As I've done for the past few years, I'm curating and presenting The Listening Lounge, the talk programme at Splore. On the morning of Saturday the 22nd at the Living Lounge stage, the korero goes like this.Yes, we're talking about drugs again, not just because I'm professionally interested in drug ...
What Were They Thinking? RNZ's CEO Paul Thompson (left) and Jim Mather, Chairman of the RNZ Board of Governors, attempt to justify the debacle arising out of their attempt to downgrade RNZ Concert to the Economic Development, Science and Innovation Select Committee at Parliament on Thursday, 13 February 2020.WHAT IS ...
Dame Tariana Turia with former PM John KeyWhat is it about Tariana Turia’s grudge against the Labour Party? Not content with attacking the Government over Whānau Ora funding, which was increased by $80 million in 2019, she has now made it personal by saying that Jacinda Ardern is out of her ...
Back in 2017, right after being elected, Jacinda Ardern promised that there would be no new mines on conservation land. Since then, her government has done nothing to make that happen, and now the policy has been officially "parked" for the election:West Coast-Tasman MP Damien O'Connor says the "no new ...
So the guy who advocated for public burning and beheading feels offended because someone called him a racist!Perhaps Bob Jones hasn't heard of the very old saying; Live by the sword, die by the sword?I mean for someone who often writes opinionated nonsense about Maori; this is a ridiculous case ...
The government today announced a major support package aimed at reducing homelessness. A thousand new transitional housing places, more support for people to find homes (or not lose them in the first place), all good stuff. The one problem with it is that they're going to start charging people in ...
Courtroom Drama: There is no off-switch in a courtroom. Neither is it possible to turn the page in disgust. Ill-formed and ill-defended opinions will be exposed ruthlessly and unapologetically. As Shakespeare put it: “Reputation is an idle and most false imposition; oft got without merit, and lost without deserving.” Sometimes the ...
As of today, the novel coronavirus spreading in China is called COVID-19. Why does it matter? Around the office, we’ve had several conversations over the past few weeks about how 2019-nCoV needed its own name. First, it was getting annoying calling it by the above designation, and ‘novel coronavirus’ doesn’t ...
by Philip Ferguson Last month B’Tselem, the Israeli Information Center for Human Rights in the Occupied Territories, reported: “In 2019, Israeli security forces killed 133 Palestinians, including 28 minors. Of the casualties, 104 were killed in the Gaza Strip, 26 in the West Bank (including East Jerusalem) and three within ...
A ballot for a single Member's Bill was held today, and the following bill was drawn: Arms (Firearms Prohibition Orders) Amendment Bill (No 2) (Brett Hudson)Its basicly more "tough on crime" nonsense (its already illegal for unlicensed people to own guns) designed to wedge NZ First against its arsehole base. ...
Kids learn better with a full stomach. That's why we launched our Lunches in Schools programme, which is already providing free and healthy school lunches to thousands of children so they can focus on what's important - learning. ...
Mark Patterson MP, New Zealand First List MP based in Clutha-Southland This afternoon to a crowd of over 100 people in Mataura -- Mark Patterson, New Zealand First List MP based in Clutha-Southland launched a parliamentary petition regarding the aluminium dross issue in Mataura, Southland. The petition asks that the ...
Fletcher Tabuteau MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Regional Economic Development New Zealand First Deputy Leader and Spokesperson for Finance, Fletcher Tabuteau has welcomed Statistics New Zealand’s latest report as a timely reminder of the value that this Coalition Government brings to every day New Zealanders: “This Coalition Government has meant a ...
Today New Zealand First made a pledge to campaign at the election to fund St John Ambulance the 90 per cent it has asked for. Government funding would allow St. John’s to achieve fully funded status. Leader of New Zealand First, Rt Hon Winston Peters publicly declared his determination to deliver ...
Darroch Ball MP, Spokesperson for Law and Order Newly released Police data shows once again the number of fleeing drivers have continued to skyrocket with a record 512 incidents occurring in December – almost tripling the number of incidents occurring just ten years ago, says New Zealand First Law and ...
While the Provincial Growth Fund has provided $2 million to set up temporary water supplies in Kaikohe and Kaitaia, Regional Economic Minister Shane Jones said he is greatly concerned that there are “issues” in implementing the projects. The Minister said the immediate solution was to pipe water from a bore ...
Mark Patterson MP, New Zealand First List MP for Clutha-Southland NZ First is calling on Rio Tinto to accept its responsibilities to the Southland community and enable the immediate removal of the toxic Aluminium Dross from the Mataura Paper Mill site. New Zealand First List MP for Clutha-Southland, Mark Patterson ...
The Coalition Government has announced that a further $500,000 will be given to help residents in Southland and Otago to speed up recovery efforts from the floods. It follows prior government assistance of $200,000 earlier this month where the Southland Mayoral Relief Fund received $100,000 to support communities impacted by ...
Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones was on RNZ’s Morning Report talking about the recent droughts in the Northland region and what the Provincial Growth Fund (PGF) is doing to alleviate its impact. The PGF recently announced a funding of $2 million for temporary water supplies to Kaikohe and Kaitaia, ...
Speaking to The Country’s Jamie Mackay, New Zealand First MP and Cabinet Minister Shane Jones talks water storage, plant-based meat imitation, and superstar Hollywood director James Cameron. While water storage may have its critics, Minister Jones defended the scheme by saying: “unless we invest and continue to invest” in this ...
Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones is accusing northern iwi leaders of selling out Māori by voting for ideologically-driven court cases rather than practical steps to increase water supply. “I just think that iwi leaders who think that water issues are going to be solved by perpetually fighting in the ...
A dairy owner in St Kilda, Dunedin was delighted to hear that an attempted robbery of his establishment was foiled by a government-funded security system. Sean Lee was delighted at how well the anti-theft smoke system worked. When a knife-wielding man entered the store, the shop assistant immediately pressed a ...
Customs says it stopped more than three tonnes of illegal drugs coming into New Zealand last year. This includes 1,180kg of methamphetamine, 329kg of ephedrine and pseudoephedrine precursors, which could have been converted into 246kg of methamphetamine, 739kg and 6469 pills of MDMA or Ecstasy and 60kg of cocaine. Offshore, ...
Hon. Shane Jones, Minister for Regional Economic Development Up to $2 million will be allocated from the Provincial Growth Fund to set up temporary water supplies in Kaikohe and Kaitaia where drought is biting hard, Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones has announced. Drought conditions in Northland have led to ...
Darroch Ball, Spokesperson for Law and Order New Zealand First welcomes the deployment of an Eagle Police helicopter in Christchurch in what is a step towards fulfilling its long-standing goal to increase the use of police helicopters for the front line, particularly in addressing the scourge of fleeing drivers. Christchurch leads ...
It may have been the first sitting week of 2020, but our Government is already in full-swing - managing a strong economy, investing in infrastructure, and working to break the cycle of homelessness. Read below for all that, and more... ...
In a heated debate in Parliament, National's Deputy Leader Paula Bennett claimed that “nearly 1600 patched gang members have been added” since the Coalition Government took power. To illustrate her point, she altered a chart used by Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern to show her government’s progress in housing to instead ...
Speech by the Rt Hon Winston Peters at Parliament’s Opening 2020 "We all need insurance" This year New Zealanders are going to have a clear choice to make That choice is between: Optimism versus pessimism; More progress versus back to the future; Investment versus divestment; Unity versus division. New Zealand ...
Infrastructure Minister Shane Jones has slammed the Board of Auckland Airport following the airport's runway closing twice within two weeks due to maintenance. Around 2,000 passengers were affected by last week’s runway closures, according to 1NEWS. Another maintenance closure on January 24 saw two international flights and three domestic flights ...
Jenny Marcroft, Spokesperson for Broadcasting New Zealand First supports the commissioning of a business case to assess the viability of a new public media entity. “A strong media environment is critical for a healthy democracy. New Zealand First is a strong supporter of a diverse, independent media,” New Zealand First broadcasting spokesperson ...
Pounamou and technology industries in the West Coast region are set to receive more than $2 million in Provincial Growth Fund (PGF) funding. This was announced by the Under-Secretary for Regional Economic Development Fletcher Tabuteau during Waitangi Day commemorations in Hokitika. He said $800,000 would be given to Development West ...
A new partnership programme between the New Zealand Police and Fiji Police will focus on combatting transnational organised crime and enhancing investigative skills, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced on the first day of her visit to Fiji. The programme will see: · New Zealand Institute of Environmental Science and Research ...
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Prime Minister Josaia Voreqe Bainimarama met today in Suva, and renewed their commitment to continue to strengthen Fiji-New Zealand relations on a foundation of shared values and equal partnership. The Prime Ministers acknowledged the kinship between Fijians and New Zealanders, one that has endured over ...
A $19.9 million investment from the Provincial Growth Fund will help develop essential infrastructure for an industrial hub in the Bay of Plenty town of Kawerau, Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones says. “The funding will go to three projects to further develop the Putauaki Trust Industrial Hub, an industrial ...
The Provincial Growth Fund is investing $8.3 million on a roading package for Mahia that will lead to greater and wider economic benefits for the region and beyond, Under Secretary for Regional Economic Development Fletcher Tabuteau announced at an event in Mahia today. The $8.3 million announced consists of: $7 ...
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has welcomed new reporting showing the Coalition Government is on track to meet its child poverty targets, with 18,400 children lifted out of poverty as a result of the Families Package. Stats NZ has released the first set of comprehensive child poverty statistics since the Government ...
Associate Minister of Transport Julie Anne Genter today announced that Bikes in Schools facilities have been rolled out to 20,000 more kiwi kids under this Government. She made the announcement at the opening of a new bike track at Henderson North School in Auckland. “Bikes in Schools facilities give kids ...
Benefit settings rise in line with wages as of 1 April Main benefits will increase by over 3 percent, instead of 1.66 percent, on 1 April with the Government’s decision to annually adjust benefit rates to increases in the average wage. The Minister for Social Development, Carmel Sepuloni, said ...
Strengthening New Zealand’s political and business ties with India will be the focus of Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters’ and Trade and Export Growth Minister David Parker’s visit to India this week. The Ministers are co-leading a high level business delegation to India to support increased people and economic engagement ...
The Minister for Pacific Peoples, Aupito William Sio continues to champion for greater Pacific participation in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) careers with the announcement of the Toloa Awards, with 8 recipients of the Toloa Community Fund and 13 Toloa Tertiary Scholarships. “The Toloa Programme encourages more Pacific peoples ...
Conservation Minister Eugenie Sage has extended the date for people to have their say on proposed changes to improve management of whitebait across New Zealand. Submissions were due to close on 2 March 2020 but will now remain open until 9am on Monday 16 March 2020. “I have ...
The endangered toroa/Antipodean albatross has new international protection for its 100,000km annual migration, thanks to collaborative efforts led by New Zealand, Australia and Chile. Today, 130 countries agreed to strictly protect Antipodean albatross at the Conference of Parties on the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild ...
No sales to under-18-year-olds No advertising and sponsorship of vaping products and e-cigarettes No vaping or smokeless tobacco in smokefree areas Regulates vaping product safety comprehensively, - including devices, flavours and ingredients Ensure vaping products are available for those who want to quit smoking Vaping regulation that balances ...
Justice Minister Andrew Little will travel to Berlin tomorrow to represent New Zealand at a high-level summit on nuclear disarmament. This year, the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) celebrates 50 years since it entered into force. “New Zealand’s proud record and leadership on nuclear disarmament is unwavering, so it’s important we are present ...
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern will visit two of New Zealand’s most important Pacific partners, Fiji and Australia, next week. The visit to Fiji will be the first by a New Zealand Prime Minister in four years and comes during the 50th anniversary of Fijian independence and diplomatic relations between our ...
Justice Minister Andrew Little and New Zealand First MP Darroch Ball, have today announced the appointment of the Chief Commissioner of the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC), the location, and the membership of the Establishment Advisory Group. Colin Carruthers QC has been appointed Chief Commissioner of the CCRC for an ...
Māori Development Minister Hon Nanaia Mahuta and Agriculture Minister Hon Damien O’Connor co-announced the first horticultural finalists for the Ahuwhenua Trophy celebrating excellence in the Māori agricultural sector. The three finalists are Ngai Tukairangi Trust from Mt Maunganui, Otama Marere Trust from Tauranga, and Hineora Orchard Te Kaha 15B Ahuwhenua ...
A new kete of resources to strengthen support for students with dyslexia will provide extra tools for the new Learning Support Coordinators (LSCs) as they start in schools, Associate Education Minister Tracey Martin announced today. The Minister launched the kete in Wellington this morning, at the first of three induction ...
The Government continues to make progress on a fairer and more secure rental market for renters and landlords with the First Reading of the Residential Tenancies Amendment Bill and its referral to the Social Services and Community Select Committee. “Now is the opportunity for landlords, tenants and others who want ...
Papua New Guinea’s Prime Minister Hon James Marape will visit New Zealand from 21-25 February, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced today. “New Zealand and Papua New Guinea have a warm and friendly relationship. I look forward to welcoming Prime Minister Marape here and strengthening the relationship between our two countries,” ...
Thousands of children have begun receiving a free lunch on every day of the school week, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said. The Government’s free and healthy school lunch programme is under way for 7,000 students at 31 schools in Hawke’s Bay / Tairāwhiti and Bay of Plenty / Waiariki, extending ...
The Minister for Social Development Carmel Sepuloni today announced a new approach that continues to broaden the Government’s social sector focus from a narrow, investment approach to one centred on people and wellbeing. Minister Sepuloni said redefining the previous approach to social investment by combining science, data and lived experience ...
The Government is strengthening the Protected Disclosures Act to provide better protection for whistle blowers, Minister of State Services Chris Hipkins said today. “The Protected Disclosures Act is meant to encourage people to speak up about serious wrongdoing in the workplace and protect them from losing their jobs or being ...
Nǐn hǎo (Hello in Mandarin). Xīn Nián Kuài Lè (Happy New Year in Mandarin) Néi Hóu (Hello in Cantonese). Sun Nin Fai Lok (Happy New Year in Cantonese) Tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou katoa. Thank you for your invitation to attend this celebration today. I would like to acknowledge ...
Kia ora. Ngā mihi nui ki a koutou katoa. Nau mai haere mai ki te Whare Pāremata. E ngā mana whenua ki tēnei rohe Taranaki Whānui, Te Upoko o Te Ika, Ngāti Toa Rangatira, Ngāti Raukawa – kei te mihi, kei te mihi, kei te mihi. E ngā mana, e ...
Kia ora. Ngā mihi nui ki a koutou katoa. Nau mai haere mai ki te Whare Pāremata. E ngā mana whenua ki tēnei rohe Taranaki Whānui, Te Upoko o Te Ika, Ngāti Toa Rangatira, Ngāti Raukawa – kei te mihi, kei te mihi, kei te mihi. E ngā mana, e ngā ...
Tougher penalties for gun crime are a step closer with the passage of firearms reform legislation through another stage in Parliament. The Arms Legislation Bill has tonight passed its Second Reading. “The changes have one objective - to prevent firearms falling into the wrong hands,” said Police Minister Stuart Nash. ...
Introduction Mr Speaker We all know why we are here today. It has been a long journey. The journey did not actually begin on 15 March 2019. It began on 30 June 1997. Almost 23 years ago, Justice Sir Thomas Thorp told us what was wrong with our firearms legislation. ...
The Government’s work to put trades and vocational education back on the agenda took another major step forward today with the passing of the Education (Vocational Education and Training Reform) Amendment Bill, Education Minister Chris Hipkins said. “This is a watershed day for trades and vocational education. These law changes formalise ...
Speeding up the return of Christchurch regeneration activities to local leadership is behind the Greater Christchurch Regeneration Amendment Bill introduced to Parliament today by Minister Megan Woods. “As we approach nine years since the February 2011 earthquake in Canterbury, and with the transition to local leadership well underway, the time ...
Hundreds of New Zealanders and international visitors will be able to get back out into nature with the Milford Track partially reopening next week, after extensive assessments and repairs, the Minister of Conservation Eugenie Sage announced today. The popular Great Walk has been closed since 3 February after an extreme ...
Up to 110 new EV chargers nationwide in cities and regions 50 electric vehicles for ride-sharing The Government is helping deliver more infrastructure and options for low emissions transport through new projects, Energy and Resources Minister Dr Megan Woods says. Tauranga, Nelson, Levin, New Plymouth and Oamaru are just some ...
New Zealanders are increasingly better off under this Government as wages rise and families have more disposable income, Finance Minister Grant Robertson says. Stats NZ reported today that average household disposable incomes after housing costs rose 4.9% in 2019. This was the highest rise in four years and came as ...
All New Zealanders need to have their voices heard at work to ensure we have an inclusive and productive economy. Today we introduce a Bill to do this for workers in the New Zealand screen industry, Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Iain Lees-Galloway says. “The Screen Industry Workers Bill will ...
The Government has announced further help for the Southland and Otago regions to speed up recovery efforts from the floods. “I’ve approved Enhanced Taskforce Green (ETFG), making $500,000 available to help with the clean-up in Fiordland, Southland, and the Clutha district in Otago,” Minister for Social Development Carmel Sepuloni said. ...
Following the announcement that more than 340 schools will be funded to run events promoting vocational education, the Government has announced it will fund a further 257 events to be run by employers and industry. “These industry-run events will allow more than 30,000 students to connect with more than 2,000 ...
Today the Government is making progress on a fairer and more secure rental market for renters and landlords with the introduction of the Residential Tenancies Amendment Bill in Parliament. “This Bill includes a series of reforms to improve the wellbeing of the 609,700 households that live in rented homes, and ...
A Government programme to wipe out pea weevil has achieved a world first, with Biosecurity Minister Damien O’Connor today announcing the successful eradication of the noxious pest from Wairarapa. This means the nearly four-year ban on pea plants and pea straw was lifted today. Commercial and home gardeners can again grow ...
Southland residents hit by flooding caused by heavy rainfall can now access help finding temporary accommodation with the Government activating the Temporary Accommodation Service, Minister of Civil Defence Peeni Henare announced today. “The Temporary Accommodation Service (TAS) has been activated by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment to help ...
“Is that it?” That’s Finance Minister Grant Robertson’s response to Simon Bridges’ much-hyped economic speech today. “Simon Bridges just gave the most over-hyped and under-delivered speech that I can remember during my time in politics,” Grant Robertson said. “It’s not surprising. Simon Bridges literally said on the radio this morning ...
A trial deployment of the Police Eagle helicopter in Christchurch will test whether the aircraft would make a significant difference to crime prevention and community safety. “The Bell 429 helicopter will be based in Christchurch for five weeks, from 17 February to 20 March,” said Police Minister Stuart Nash. “The ...
OPINION:By Murray Horton in Christchurch For as long as the Campaign Against Foreign Control of Aotearoa (Cafca) has existed – more than 45 years now – we have called for the closure of the aluminium smelter, owned by giant transnational corporation, Rio Tinto. There are numerous grounds for ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra The inquiry into allegations of misconduct by Australian special forces in Afghanistan is examining 55 separate incidents or issues, according to the Inspector-General of the Australian Defence Force report, tabled Tuesday. These involve “predominantly” allegations ...
Tourism bosses have been invited to join a new advisory group, allowing them to stay in "constant communication" with the government in their response to the coronavirus. ...
Alex Casey delivers her eighth power rankings for The Bachelorette NZ, where a humble avocado changed everything forever. Click here for previous instalments. Glass me with the talking bottle, slice my hand off with a fax machine and send me straight to the Centre De Emergencies, because this was the most ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra The Coalition government has supported Labor’s motion in the Senate to call for men’s rights activist Bettina Arndt to be stripped of her Order of Australia award over her comments on last week’s horrendous murder-suicide ...
he Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa welcomes the withdrawal of the hugely controversial resolution on anti-semitism from the agenda for tomorrow’s meeting. It is a victory for free speech and human rights. PSNA looks forward to working with other organisations ...
Fijian Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama is calling on New Zealand to back his country in pushing Australia to commit more to climate change action. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Bianca Fileborn, Lecturer in Criminology, University of Melbourne The downfall of disgraced Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein has come to a head following his conviction for rape in the third degree and a criminal sex act in the first degree. He was acquitted ...
After days of rumours, Mediaworks have removed Hannah Tamaki as a cast member for the 2020 season of Dancing with the Stars. Sam Brooks reflects on the controversy.On Sunday, the NZ Herald gossip column Spy broke the news that Hannah Tamaki – wife of Destiny Church founder Brian and head of ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rick Sarre, Professor of Law and Criminal Justice, University of South Australia Queensland Coroner James McDougall has handed down his findings into the tragic deaths of four people on Dreamworld’s Thunder River Rapids ride in 2016. He reported a litany of failings ...
Sri Krishnamurthi reflects in this special report on what life is really like trying to live and cope with the effects of a stroke for three years. Those were the most horrifying days of my life. It’s only now that I find the courage to write about my trials ...
Dear Rt Hon Jacinda Ardern (Prime Minister), Hon David Clark (Minister of Health) and Hon Chris Hipkins (Minister of Education) We are students, educators, staff and leaders across the tertiary sector in Aotearoa New Zealand. We have an urgent message ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alan N Williams, Associate Director/National Technical Leader-Aboriginal Heritage, EMM Consulting Pty Ltd, UNSW The latest report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) states that without a substantial decrease in our use of fossil fuels, we are on track for a ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Onno van der Groen, Research Fellow in the school of medical and health sciences, Edith Cowan University You may have heard of binaural beats, an auditory illusion that has been touted as having stress-busing properties, and is the subject of countless hours ...
Over the weekend, a Twitter spat blew up into a full blown controversy when New Zealander Jason Lei Howden blew up his own movie with a bizarre series of tweets.The trailer for Guns Akimbo makes it look like a fun romp, the sort of film your flatmate who keeps all ...
By underfunding investment in the young we've been able to create budget surpluses to be siphoned into the NZ Super Fund at the current rate of nearly $2.5b a year. This has some serious impacts for a lot of families. ...
‘Over the last six months I’ve realised there are always more tears.’ In August, Emily Writes wrote about the tough months following her son’s hospitalisation and diagnosis. This is what’s happened since.Part 1:Ward One: Emily Writes on love and fear and hope at her son’s hospital bedSix months ago I ...
Mercury's first half profit has dropped as weak wholesale conditions and intense competition drove down revenue. The power generator and retailer's net profit dropped 20.2 percent in the six months to December to $83 million, reflecting below average generation and divestment of its smart metering business. Revenue was down 14 ...
He’s been the country’s leading supporter of the strangest films in the world, and now he’s made his first feature film. Sam Brooks talks to Auckland film champ Ant Timpson about his directorial debut, Come to Daddy.My first encounter with industry legend Ant Timpson was from afar, at a 2010 ...
Summerset's annual profit is down with higher wages expected to continue to be a drag on earnings over the coming year. The retirement village operator's net profit fell 18.3 percent to $175.3 million in the year to December, as expenses rose, while the construction of fewer living units contributed to ...
NZME media group has slumped to a large loss after writing down the value of its business as it pursues a merger with its rival Stuff. The company's loss for the year ended December was $165 million, which included a write down of $175m in the value of the business, ...
Whoopee! A pay rise. No – to be precise, a rise in the national super which is paid to some of the team at Point of Order. Super was included in the boost to benefits announced yesterday by Social Development Minister Carmel Sepuloni. Fair to say, this boost did not ...
Movie Mogul Harvey Weinstein has been convicted of rape. But the problem is much bigger and more insidious than a few bad men, writes Victoria University's Jan Jordan. In May 2017, New York Times journalist Jodi Kantor had a conversation with Hollywood actress Rose McGowan that began the downfall of movie ...
Jamela Alindogan reports on journalists in the Philippines protesting and demanding better protection of press freedoms. Video: Al JazeeraBy Neil Joshua N. Servallos in Manila The University of Santo Tomas in the Philippines, which has the biggest and oldest journalism school, has released a statement supporting television broadcaster ...
Homeownership has long been touted as the great Kiwi dream, but not everyone’s looking for a permanent fix. Jihee Junn explores the rising phenomenon of renters by choice.Even if I had a hundred grand sitting in the bank for me to spend right now, I’m not sure buying a house ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jamie Parr, Lecturer, Australian Catholic University German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche (1844-1900) is sometimes dismissed as a malevolent figure, obsessed with the problem of nihilism and the “death of God”. Understandably, these ideas are unsettling: few of us have the courage to confront ...
US politics ain’t for the faint-of-heart. Signs of desperation are emerging in the Democratic Party as Senator Bernie Sanders surges to the lead after three key polls – and party grandees worry whether mainstream United States is ready to elect a “socialist”. Then, Republicans fear the US intelligence agencies, labelled ...
The Opportunities Party (TOP) today proudly announced the first tranche of candidates that will contest the upcoming 2020 New Zealand General Election. After two successive “smile and wave” governments Kiwis can see through the charade. Politics has ...
Media company NZME sees a further modest fall in revenues and earnings - and declares itself the "right owner" for rival Stuff Ltd as it gives more details of its push for political and regulator support. ...
Media company NZME declares itself the "right owner" of Stuff and gives more details of its push for political and regulator support. NZME expects further details of its proposed bid to buy rival Stuff to be made public in "coming weeks" - and any Kiwishare offered to the Government to be ...
The Council of Trade Unions is pleased that the Government is continuing to shine light on the issue of poverty in New Zealand and specifically child poverty with new statistics out today. CTU policy director and economist Andrea Black was at the ...
Forest & Bird is concerned at misinformation circulating regarding a policy statement aimed at protecting New Zealand’s unique biodiversity. The National Policy Statement for Indigenous Biodiversity is being consulted on by the ...
QUOTE from; Article: NZ Energy and Environment Business Week https://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL2002/S00150/govt-vehicle-fleet-emissions-heading-in-wrong-direction.htm First published in Energy and Environment on February 13, 2020. “The latest data shows the Government’s attempts to electrify its vehicle fleet and cut its emissions ...
The defendants in the National Party donations case have pleaded not guilty to charges brought by the Serious Fraud Office. The four men entered their pleas today during their first appearance in the Auckland District Court. Yikun Zhang (48), Shijia (Colin) ...
A teenager who was stabbed more than 16 times by her ex-partner has spoken out about her ordeal, and thanked those who ran to her aid. Crystal Tupou was left fighting for her life after her ex-partner stabbed her multiple times in broad daylight on ...
The New Zealand stock exchange has fallen more than 2 percent on the opening, following drops in global stock markets amid coronavirus fears. Overnight the three main indexes in the US have fallen by about 3 percent, while the UK's FTSE 100 share index closed 3.3 percent lower. Yesterday, the ...
Editor’s Note: Here below is a list of the main issues currently under discussion in New Zealand and links to media coverage.New Zealand Parliament Buildings, Wellington, New Zealand.Today’s contentForeign affairs and trade Barbara Dreaver (1News): Ardern’s visit to Fiji, Australia a test of New Zealand’s climate change ...
Four men facing Serious Fraud Office charges over donations made to the National Party - including MP Jami-Lee Ross - have pleaded not guilty at their first court appearance. ...
It competes directly for talent with the lavishly subsidised film industry, yet Simon Dasan, creative director of Wellington powerhouse A44, says New Zealand’s game creators are still thriving. There’s an uncanny parallel between New Zealand’s gaming industry and Ashen – the action role-playing game which is one of its most accomplished ...
Low observations of Hector’s dolphin calves, and dolphins much further out to sea than usual in early summer, have raised fears for this endangered species only found in New Zealand waters. The concerning summer comes after another delay in the ...
Bay of Plenty Police have acknowledged the findings of an Independent Police Conduct Authority (IPCA) report into an incident at Tauranga Hospital in March 2018. The IPCA investigated an allegation of excessive use of force by officers transporting ...
By Will Steffen of the Australian National University Opposition leader Anthony Albanese’s announcement on Friday that a Labor government in Australia would adopt a target of net-zero emissions by 2050 was a big step in the right direction. But a bit of simple maths reveals the policy is too ...
The Tasman District mayor is vowing to press on with a large irrigation project, despite a 25 percent jump in its cost. When finished in 2022, the Waimea Dam will be 53 metres high and hold 13 billion litres of water - that's more than the contents of 5000 Olympic ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Denise Buiten, Senior Lecturer in Social Justice and Sociology, University of Notre Dame Australia As the country mourns the horrific murders of Hannah Clarke and her three children, Aaliyah, Laianah and Trey at the hands of their father, many people are trying ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jane Varney, Senior Research Dietitian in the Department of Gastroenterology, Monash University The FODMAP diet is used to help manage irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), but it’s becoming more popular. Now bloggers and so-called health gurus have jumped on board, claiming it can ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tanya Notley, Senior Lecturer in Digital Media, Western Sydney University Like adults, children use the news to learn about what’s happening in the world. But the circulation of misinformation, such as the recent spread of fake news about COVID-19 (the disease caused ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Holly Kirk, Postdoctoral Fellow, Interdisciplinary Conservation Science Research Group (ICON Science), RMIT University People living in cities far from the unprecedented bushfires this summer may feel they can do little more to help beyond donating to organisations that support affected wildlife. But ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Katarina Miljkovic, ARC DECRA fellow, Curtin University We’ve all heard of earthquakes, but what about marsquakes? NASA’s InSight mission has, for the first time, recorded seismic activity coming from Mars’ interior. The observations, recorded in 2019 and published today, will help understand ...
In today’s edition: Coronavirus’ harsh impact on New Zealand’s economy starts to reveal itself; Bridges advocates matching Australia’s deportation policies and the Shelly Bay dispute ratchets up.
As major outbreaks were confirmed in Iran and Italy, the impact of Coronavirus on New Zealand’s economy started to become more clear, ...
ReadingRoom is devoting all week to the best-selling book in New Zealand right now, In The Clearing, the brilliant thriller by Ngāpuhi author JP Pomare. Today: Steve Braunias interviews journalist Chris Johnston, who has written extensively about the creepy cult which inspired Pomare's novel. When I looked ...
While two companies give conflicting accounts of past events, authorities are silent on the sale of a piece of equipment which could be used to process the 830,000 litres of dangerous solvents. The distillation unit essential to process the almost million litres of toxic and flammable solvents abandoned in Ruakaka ...
Laura Robertson once hated running, was overweight, then battled a heart condition. But nothing, it seems, will stop the athletic paramedic lining up in the punishing Ironman. Laura Robertson was a cross country cheat. She hated the race and did anything and everything she could to shorten it. She simply wasn’t a ...
Vivienne Martini, who worked for OT and its predecessor CYFS for 15 years, says the case of the boy badly injured at his home in Flaxmere raises deep issues about the practices at the children’s ministry. This case is about the terrible abuse of a child. But it is also ...
A group discovered to be digging for proof of a giant pre-Māori race in the limestone caves of Waikato have not lost their minds all of a sudden, but are continuing a legacy of religion-based racism in the area, writes Scott Hamilton.Earlier this month, RNZ’s Susan Strongman reported that amateur ...
A long-awaited bill to regulate vaping has been unveiled at parliament. Here’s the skinny.What does the bill do?The bill, which associate health minister Jenny Salesa is calling “the most significant change to New Zealand’s smokefree laws since they were introduced 30 years ago”, will introduce a complete ban on the ...
This month's Treaty settlement with Moriori includes an unusual provision - setting the official record on the people's history straight For more than 100 years, New Zealanders have been fed a myth. The myth goes something like this: that once upon a time, Aotearoa was home to a race of ...
By Vasinatta Yama in Mt Hagen Eight prisoners at the Baisu Correctional Service prison near the Western Highlands provincial capital of Mt Hagen are dead following a massive jail breakout. Western Highlands Acting Provincial Police Commander David Kongui confirmed that two prisoners have surrendered, while an unknown number of ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra A foreign intelligence service sent a “sleeper” agent to Australia, who provided logistical support for visiting spies, the head of ASIO, Mike Burgess, has revealed, in a speech pledging to intensify the fight against the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Apart from committing a crime, what do you have to do or say to be stripped of your order of Australia award? Where “a line” should be drawn is the question the Council for the ...
Open Mike 29/04/2018 
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ReadingRoom is devoting all week to the best-selling book in New Zealand right now, In The Clearing, the brilliant thriller by Ngāpuhi author JP Pomare. Today: Steve Braunias interviews journalist Chris Johnston, who has written extensively about the creepy cult which inspired Pomare's novel. When I looked ...23 hours ago
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Laura Robertson once hated running, was overweight, then battled a heart condition. But nothing, it seems, will stop the athletic paramedic lining up in the punishing Ironman. Laura Robertson was a cross country cheat. She hated the race and did anything and everything she could to shorten it. She simply wasn’t a ...23 hours ago
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The Zionists are not the only ones who kill Palestinians and get away with it with seeming impunity.
From the very beginning of the Arab Spring in Syria, Syrian Palestinian refugees in Syria because they stood with the Syrian against Assad, have been a particular target of the regime.
The tactic of aerial bombardment directed against the Syrian people in Homs, in Aleppo, in Douma, and first suffered by the Palestinian refugees in Latakia in march 2011, (where I stayed in 2010 and knew intimately) is now being directed against the Palestinian refugees in Yarmouk.
The Yarmouk Palestinian refugee camp in South Damascus which has been under a long term starvation siege by the Assad government.
Is now under regime and Russian bombardment.
Syria: Civilians in Yarmouk Camp need immediate help
09 APRIL 2015
UNRWA: “Yarmouk camp and its residents suffered from indescribable pain”
Published : 27 April 2018
Syria is a country of approximatly 23 million people … Before thje start of the government overthrow attempts by western / and Israeli backed violent Sunni extremists.
There were approximatly`500,000 palestinian refugees in Syria …. and 1.2 million Iraq refugees
If New Zealand were to take comparable numbers in a ratio sense ,,,, we would need to take in 342 857 refugees,.. aproximatly
342 857 would put quite a strain on New Zealand …. But Syria has the extra burden of usa / nato Sanctions …. described as sanctions of mass destruction … as similar ones killed half a million children in IRAQ … more than all the ‘weapons of mass destruction’ ever used … like nuclear bombs etc
Starvation in Syria …. just like the 400 000 or more dead Syrians killed in our western backed Islamic uprising … lies firmly at the feet of NATO …and their ‘coalition of the killing’
Sanctions are also good for the most cynical of propaganda ,,,,,, blame the victim 11 mins https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xfXddo5JH_s
Britain and the USa are making money out of their participation in the starvation and genocide they are waging on Yemen … they make Assad look like a schoolboy.
That poor innocent Assad really did nothing. His shooting of thousands of demonstrators at the beginning of the Arab spring is just a figment of the imagination.
Wayne …..A person who under the Geneva convention definition of war crimes passed after the Nazis were defeated …. Is a war criminal in my eyes.
And thats before his participation in the killing of three year old girls and other children.
And his ‘not knowing’ …. about the torture NZ participated in …
Watch this video and make your own minds up about Wayne …. is he a war criminal / committed crimes against peace
16 minutes 30 seconds https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XiFgrXnSH4g
I give him the trifecta …
A racist ..,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,.. “speak English or die”) with Wayne Mapp criticisng Statistics New Zealand’s decision to offer a joint English / Maori census form in some areas as politically correct bilingualism. According to Mapp,
Warmongering … ” In the case of Iraq the case is clear. Iraq has been in continual defiance of UN resolutions. They possess weapons of mass destruction.” … mapp
Criminal ..,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, “After the war, he claimed that our refusal to participate would ruin relations with Australia and the US, and that our refusal to participate in an illegal war of aggression would cost us a free trade agreement with the USA (guess they were wrong on that too). He even went so far as to demand that the government make a crawling apology to Australia and the US for being right about the war. ”
Waynes remarks about Assad…. should take into account his record of calling dead children ‘ Taliban fighters’,… and his bullshit “Iraq has weapons of mass destruction”,
The man loves war …. and couldn;t give a stuff about the arab or middle eastern victims ….
as his history shows
What drives Wayne to continue such a lame charade in the face of a well documented history of his own quotes and actions…
Not even the humility or self awareness to slink off into obscurity…
Couldn’t just address the point he made huh?
You have seriously defamed New Zealand soldiers (and myself) by accusing them of being war criminals.
As you know there is an Inquiry into this whole situation, which Inquiry I have encouraged.
I suggest that you leave this matter to the Inquiry rather than making highly defamatory remarks in a situation where many people involved cannot effectively reply.
My last comment (1.1.1.1.3) is specifically directed to reason, and to a lesser extent One Two.
I’ll try to simplify this down even more for you, Wayne…(I’m speaking only my own views)…
* You have a public profile consisting of words and actions which are documented as a matter of record…
* Your comments on this site are a continuation of your documented public record…
* Your ideological bent which is referenced through your documented public record is also played out through your handle on an incompatible left leaning blog site…
* You ignore the legitimate comments reason has made about your documented public record…
* You’re attempting to play the victim…
What compels you to perform this charade is debateable…that you are seemingly oblivious to the damage your documented public service has done and continues to do lacks later stage life contrition or evidence of reticence…
You frequent this site looking for something….trying unsuccessfully to relieve yourself of [something]…or possibly to find [something]…
What you’re looking for can be found in any mirror…in private…
I put up a post with information about the 1.7 million refugees which were in Syria … Just before their country became the target of western backed Islamic extremists….
If we took that same ratio of refugees into New Zealand … to proportionally match the 1.7 million Syria took in ….. we would have to let in 342,857 people …. aprox
To put the scale of that number of refugees another way …. At our present annual quota and intake of refugees … Its over 450 years worth https://www.radionz.co.nz/news/on-the-inside/322576/nz%27s-refugee-numbers-an-awkward-topic-in-europe
I also mentioned sanctions …. and how these quiet killers have been labeled as “sanctions of mass destruction” …. with up to 500 000 thousand Iraqi children made to suffer, starve and die through them … with Syrian people now suffering from this usa favored weapon of siege
Wayne Mapp ignores the content of my post ….this long trail of mass suffering and killing of children … Seemingly oblivious to the concentration camp scale of victims …
Not caring to comment on the over half a million needless deaths / murders of children …He instead parks a dump of steaming Assad is Hitler dribble.,,,
Far more credible people and sources than him provide information,,, that leave Waynes outburst as honest looking …as his claiming 3 year old girls are “Taliban fighters”. James can read it too. https://gowans.wordpress.com/2016/10/22/the-revolutionary-distemper-in-syria-that-wasnt/
Regardless … The main thing Waynes post showed me …… is how he ignored all the real suffering and death of children to dish up his stale old war propaganda.
Waynes just demonstrated very clearly the level of his regret … regarding Fatima, his mystery dead three year old Afghanistan girl … the mystery being how she was misrepresented as a Taliban fighter
I’m not sure what he thought he wrote …but what he showed was a complete lack of consideration or care … for all the other children or civilians killed, maimed or bereaved …. and His non existent concern for future victims…. From all the Waynes and Johns and donalds of this world.
In my opinion …Wayne does not give a shit about foreign people, poor people .. or brown kids … he cares more for his reputation.
*********
I’m specifically calling you a war criminal … or wannabe war criminal Wayne … ” War of Aggression” is mentioned in the Geneva convention as the ultimate crime …. trade deals, consummated or not, … do not get you an exemption. Wayne
I have a relative who is SAS … years and years ago at a funeral I asked him about Afghanistan … Summarizing his answer … ‘ it was a load of shit with poorly defined non achievable objectives ‘ … People like you are the threat to our military ,,, in both reputation and conduct, Wayne.
Has any other poster or Author here at The Standard …. ever played a part in the killing or cover-up of a three year old child?.
What reputation do those who have been involved in something as absolutely wrong as that deserve?
Over this subject ..Wayne is like the stupid teenager driving at 140 kms around suburban streets ,,,, and running over a kid .
Saying or feeling sorry does not help the parents much …. what the hell did the teenager / wayne think was going to be the end result of selfish stupid reckless behavior
There are other aspects of Waynes dishonesty which I will raise later ….
You obviously did not read David Fisher’s article in the Herald last week.
Are you pretending to support human rights, Wayne? You seem to have changed since your time in government.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/90748732/former-defence-minister-wayne-mapp-says-civilian-deaths-in-afghanistan-were-an-accident
https://www.globalresearch.ca/anti-syrian-propaganda-based-on-false-images-of-torture-danish-state-tv/5637801
Why the need for misdirection (lies) in 2011….
Wayne, your comments are pathetic…there is no other word for it…
You’re an apologist at best, and accomplice at worst…to rogue states who commit war crimes…
That’s what YOUR comments here suggest…
Was Dhouma staged?
Peter Hitchens and George Galloway discuss.
I wish you’d stop promoting a disgusting rape denier around here. George Galloway is not someone whose arguments I care to listen too given his mansplaining downgrading of rape because it happened after consensual sex.
Then don’t listen
I don’t. Still sick of you spamming his links all over here. It tells me you excuse, or perhaps even support given how often you spam his links, his belief that non consensual sex is not necessarily rape.
Yawn
I’m reminded of the words of W.S.Gilbert:
But many a king on a first class throne
If he wants to call his crown his own
must manage somehow
to get through
more dirty work than e’re I do
from “I am a pirate king”
in The Pirates of Penzance
Wayne, Assad is just a pawn. The issue is the gas pipeline that runs through Syria. The Arabs need to have this halted if the oil price is to clime – it is their only income and any additional fuel supply via Russia would be highly detrimental to the power they yield. Coupled with their religious fundamentalist nature, all bets are off. And the west supports this as it is in their interest to have the energy cake split by as fewer players as possible.
In the end, nothing really has and ever will change – its about power and money. It does not matter in that “game” who gets killed, maimed and left behind starving an dying. Humans are just primitive creatures who have been handed the means of destroying the planet many times over. The yard bullies are in charge right now and reason has left the building.
Frank Macskasy presents a superb timeline to expose the ” mendacities of the mainstream media” in Syria.
In his usual manner he thoroughly destroys the lies of the corporate press.
Any yet you Wayne and Jenny believe these lies.
https://thedailyblog.co.nz/2018/04/29/syria-the-mendacities-of-the-mainstream-media-part-rua/
So, as guests in the country they tried to overthrow the government and are now complaining that there’s consequences to that?
You do understand that there’s a war on right? And that in wars there happens to be shortages?
And that this war was seemingly encouraged by the US?
Assad is no saint but I think you’ll find that the Syrians and refugees would be a hell of a lot better off if the US hadn’t started a civil war there.
Spot on Draco
+1
Not on the spot Draco. In fact nowhere near the Spot. Just wandering all around it.
Make up your mind.
Is it a US backed invasion, or a civil war?
Assad destroys invading city.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/video/2016/feb/04/drone-footage-homs-syria-utter-devastation-video
Draco puts up a new theory for the war in Syria; It was the Palestinian refugees, that dun it
In his desperate efforts to justify mass murder, torture and genocide; Any straw to grasp at will do.
Libya Until recently was a modern evolving society …with the highest standard of living on its continent … and it attained this after spending most of last centuary being one of the poorest countries in the world
Gaddafi in a bloodless coup,,, ousted a corrupt monarchy and BP oil ….taking over a country Beset by poverty, slums, cholera, malnutrition and other third world ills and hardships for his people .
Using Libyian resources for the benefit of Libyans in a form of socialism … The largest improvements in quality of life ,,,, were achieved in the shortest period of time … than any other example / country in the world that I can find.
Achievements such as …. went from one of the poorest nations in its continent into the richest nation….it also gained the highest Human Development Index, the lowest infant mortality and the highest life expectancy.
“Health care is [was] available to all citizens free of charge by the public sector.
infant mortality rates had decreased from 105 per 1000 live births in 1970 to an Infant mortality rate 14.0
Confirmed by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), undernourishment was less than 5 %,
Took literacy from 25% up to 87% under with 25% earning university degrees.
University education was free.
Gross primary school enrollment ratio was 97% for boys and 97% for girls (2009) .
(see UNESCO tables
The pupil teacher ratio in primary schools was of the order of 17 (1983 UNESCO data)
Went from a country beset with cholera and unsafe water problems …. to a very low percentage of people without access to safe water (3 percent), health services (0 percent) and sanitation (2 percent) … and was investing in the largest
irrigation project in the world
With regard to Women’s Rights,………… World Bank data point to significant achievements, “In a relative short period of time … passed in 1970 was an equal pay for equal work law…
In secondary and tertiary education, girls outnumbered boys by 10%.” (World Bank Country ….. child marriages were banned and the minimum legal age to marry placed at 18. ……Since 1973, Libyan women have had equal rights in obtaining a divorce. There were also gender-friendly women’s laws passed on marriage and divorce.
Such freedoms for women were hated by ‘rebels’ …. aka british sponsored Islamist extremists such as the Manchester based Libyan Islamic Fighting Group….
“TWENTY-TWO innocent lives were lost on May 22, 2017, when a suicide bomber detonated his device at the Manchester Arena after an Ariana Grande concert.
Family and friends of victims as young as eight paid heartbreaking tributes to their loved ones in the wake of the attack which left the nation shocked and in mourning. ” https://medium.com/insurge-intelligence/the-manchester-bombing-as-blowback-the-latest-evidence-83ec2127801d
“The Manchester Bombing: Blowback from British state collusion with jihadists abroad Three quarters of all foreign fighters in Libya came from Manchester. Now that one of their number has returned to bomb the same city, apparently under the influence of ISIL, remarkably few are questioning the British foreign policy decisions David Cameron took while in power.”
What happened to Libya was the destruction of it as a modern state .,… It is now a blood soaked lawless failed state … a Islamic extremist bolt hole …. with women living in fear…. and Libyans of black African decent being ethnically cleansed … or sold into slavery.
Refugees are further abused …”Nearly half the women and children interviewed had experienced sexual abuse during migration,” the report says.” “Often multiple times and in multiple locations.” …..”Libya, as the funnel through which so many journeys pass, has earned itself a shocking reputation as the epicentre of abuse” …
“None of this would be possible if not for … the involvement of a NATO coalition that included the United States.” As in Iraq and Afghanistan, the lesson of Libya is that regime change through military intervention can have catastrophic consequences. That lesson should be taken far more seriously.
“The evidence suggests that British actions in three different theatres — Libya, Iraq and Syria — cannot be viewed in isolation:
In Libya, US and UK led intervention destroyed the functioning state and created a vacuum allowing hardline Islamist fighters to consolidate their foothold in the country. This paved the way for the empowerment of ISIS. The direct line between Libyan and Syrian Islamist rebels fuelled jihadism in both countries.
In Iraq, US and UK led intervention also destroyed the existing state infrastructure and fuelled an Islamist insurgency which incubated al-Qaeda in Iraq and culminated in the emergence of ISIS.
In Syria, US and UK covert action, again in partnership with Gulf states such as Qatar, and Turkey, has had the effect of augmenting the role of al-Qaeda in the rebel movement.
This combination of Anglo-American policies across the region has contributed to further instability and the rise of violent jihadism. In fact, an even stronger conclusion may be warranted based on the evidence of the extent of UK covert and overt action in the region in alliance with states consistently supplying arms to terrorist groups: that agencies of the British government itself have, in some senses, become part of the broader ‘terrorist network’ with which the British public is now confronted.”
What happened in Libya and Iraq was despicable butchery accomplished with murderous dishonesty ..
Libya 23 minutes///
the same tactics, the same Islamist extremism … Almost achieved the same result in Syria …. Until Russia reversed the Sunni extremists expansion … protecting normal Syrians from ethnic cleansing in NATOs latest disaster / NATOs newest Islamic State.
https://www.bitchute.com/video/hUaWa8L9YPXL/
That seems to have been the goal.
It’s easier to steal a countries wealth when there’s not a strong state government to stop it.
+1
Would be interesting to see the statistics on Libya and Iraq pre USA Invasion and post USA Invasion ?
You have to appreciate that madmen like Saddam and Gaddaffi had to be removed,because they were jealous of the freedom and democracy of the west.
Now they are free and democratic.
Libya is neither free nor democratic today.
It is also no longer a state.
It is a group of fiefdoms run by jihadi headchopping warlords.
But I sense you knew that.
Does the leader of Saudi Arabia ‘need to be removed ‘?
And Trump. And Erdogan. And Netanyahu.
Perhaps zorb6 was indulging in hyperbole , at least thats how i took it.
“were jealous of the freedom and democracy of the west.”
That’s not hyperbole.
It’s US propaganda
It is possible to construct hyperbole from snippets of US propaganda.
In the context of the whole comment it was obviously hyperbole/sarcasm.
He certainly needs to grow up.
I imagine the people of Yemen have somewhat different opinions of him.
No doubt – but Yemen is not uniquely of his making – it’s been going on for a while.
Zorb6: You’re having a laugh, right? “had to be removed,because they were jealous of the freedom and democracy”
If it wasn’t sarcasm… ?
The great USof A where voters are routinely kicked off the electoral roll.
The lesser Great Britain where legitimate Windrush imigrants are being bullrushed from YarlsWood on chartered planes and even their own diplomats have trouble bringing in their own child born overseas.
Democracy? Nothing but a stamp on the loo paper.
Like Draco above, I think it was obvious sarcasm. I sniggered!
But there you are.
http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/356187/the-working-poor-driving-up-demand-for-food-parcels-sallies
The majority of people asking for food parcels have never had to ask for help before, the Salvation Army says.
Community Ministries spokesperson Lindsay Andrews said the high cost of everyday living was creating a “working poor”.
“We’re seeing across the country 336 new families presenting each week so that equates to 60 percent of the families requesting help and given that a number of these are not on benefits, that’s quite concerning.”
One word: housing
Another word – Neoliberalism
Neoliberalism is another word for feudalism ask Roger Douglas or Ruth Richardson, they were key proponents of this ideology ?
Refer to the Monte Perelin Society and the Bilderberg Group ?
*Mont Pelerin
I don’t think it’s right that neoliberalism is same as feudalism.
The people expected to be heard when they went to the leaders in feudalism. While Europe etc. worked out how to run their societies and who was going to be in control there were big wars. Here is an interesting quote about it. I don’t know if you think that this is akin to neoliberalism:
The 17th century saw very little peace in Europe – major wars were fought in 95 years (every year except 1610, 1669 to 1671, and 1680 to 1682.)[10] The wars were unusually ugly. Europe in the late 17th century, 1648 to 1700, was an age of great intellectual, scientific, artistic and cultural achievement. Historian Frederick Nussbaum says it was:
The worst came during the Thirty Years’ War, 1618-1648, which had an extremely negative impact on the civilian population of Germany and surrounding areas, with massive loss of life and disruption of the economy and society.
Gosh there is so much to learn about the past while we watch with dismay, society’s wheels drop off today.
Here is some more interesting perhaps pertinent stuff:
Brief listing of major trade periods
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economic_history_of_the_world#Middle_Ages
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_international_trade#Middle_Ages
It’s not just housing, it’s neoliberalism. The private sector has failed and so have the PPP and COO schemes. You should not try to profit from the basics, housing, electricity, food, water, transport.
It takes $34 on cash fare for a family of 4 to go 2 states return in Auckland. Or you pay an extra $40 for 4 HOP cards to get it down.
People have no electricity for days because of underinvestment and the reliance of making a ‘pay as you go’ infrastructure around Auckland which can mean anyone building a house pays around $25k for all the transformers, cables, meters, private pillars and then somehow doesn’t own it, but ‘rents’ if off Vector. Likewise with Vector and the trees somehow it’s more efficient to have 1 million people without cherry pickers and electricity qualifications to be liable to maintain the trees around electricity lines… also easier to make tradies do years of expensive study and then find out that they have no experience and it’s cheaper to get in someone from overseas for cash and then if it all goes wrong, the councils can pick up the tab for remedial work.
People are at the Salvation Army because even if you work full time, wages are so out of whack with the cost of living that it becomes difficult to survive and you need to constantly go around looking for subsidies whether it be WFF, accomodation, community services card, not paying donations at schools, food parcels, emergency grants and so forth. All that takes up a lot of time and pretty hit and miss. I’d like to see that someone employed is able to support a family on one income… like in the old days… now some people can’t support a family on 2 incomes.
Wages need a serious rethink…. with the new minimum wage increases you get $660 less taxes… that is no longer enough to live on with everybody from private companies to COO’s to councils to government wanting more money.
The high paid jobs are not there, and our best and brightest have to leave NZ or work at a fraction of what they should be on, to stay in NZ. Meanwhile the system does everything possible to bring down most people’s wages in real terms.
Universities closing libraries, hospitals outsourcing hospital meals, the list goes on… we are losing jobs or making people get less in the same job, while somehow the prices for all the services keep going up to pay for all the middle men often with top heavy corporations like Serco, keeping this rout going.
And with the houses, resources are concentrated on luxury hotels, private retirement villages, luxury apartments, renovating houses into luxury houses. Those focusing on the bottom end like in Tauranga, well they were condemned before even being lived in… and time to start again.
With the amount of low waged or asset rich but cash poor coming into NZ who are also qualifying for subsidies and competing with the existing poor, it’s hard to make it all work.
Something is wrong.
Reports are coming out of Gaza that the people have lost their fear, the situation is that bad, they have nothing left, they’ve had enough.
A reporter who has been covering the situation in Gaza for years says she has never seen the people so desperate.
“Their situation is so miserable in Gaza. I’ve been reporting from the Gaza Strip for years and it’s never been this bad.”
Five Fridays of protests… and the death toll is at least 45 Palestinian demonstrators, with more than 6,000 wounded, including medical professionals and journalists since the mass movement began on March 30. There have been no Israeli casualties.
Israeli officials have accused Gaza’s rulers Hamas of instigating the protests, but not a single rocket has been fired from the Gaza Strip since the demonstrations began.
UN are condemning Israel for their actions, but from what I can see no one is taking any action, how long will this go on for?
It’s always talk, talk, then nothing, nada. I see it as systematic genocide.
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2018/04/israeli-forces-kill-palestinians-wound-955-gaza-protest-180427170725104.html
Roger Waters is excellent in this interview on the situation.
Thanks for the link Ed, I thoroughly enjoyed that interview, insightful and honest.
It’s already been going on for seven decades – with help from the West. I don’t see that changing any time soon.
Ikr, but now it really seems to be at breaking point.
Somethings going to give very soon.
It wouldn’t surprise me. People that are invaded and oppressed as Palestine has been usually bite back eventually.
Trouble is that the only “give” at this stage will be a forced relocation into Egypt of roughly two million people.
I strongly suspect that this is BB’s objective.
What about Libya?
What about Iraq?
Does what happened in Libya and Iraq, justify the genocide committed by Assad regime against the Syrian people, and the Palestinian refugees in Latakia and Yarmouk?
Isn’t this the same Whataboutery argument that is used by the Zionists to justify their butchery of the Palestinians in Gaza?
related comments:
The act of liberation can only be an act of the people themselves.
My thoughts on the Syrian revolution and civil war.
I was in Syria in late 2010
Basha Assad is no Che Guevara, or Ho Chi Minh, or Patrice Lumumba, fighting imperialism
CV, from the link you provided is this paragraph.
“The agency he co-founded has had a roster of clients including repressive regimes and Asma al-Assad, the wife of the Syrian president.”
I think Bill and CV you need to take this into account when you repost propaganda of a mass murderer as some sort of truth.
The legitimacy of a movement is determined locally, not by Faux News or RT
Does what happened in Libya and Iraq get ignored so US/UK/ISRAEL/FRANCE/SAUDI can destroy and occupy another sovereign nation..
Jenny, your comments are filled with ill thought hypocrisy and a lack of love and empathy for those who are dying…those on the ‘other side’ of the discussion…those who you repeatedly ignore while you push your one wheeled cart around this site..
Taking a side is endorse death, injury and misery…that is what you are doing..
Perhaps unwittingly…perhaps not…
SHAME!
One Two, or maybe some of you other supporters and apologists for Syrian fascism and genocide, might like to explain away Saydnaya.
Just outside of Damascus.
Everyone knows where it is.
Why have none of your embedded regime stooges and self promoting little Lord Haw haws, asked for a guided tour?
One Two, Just like Bill’s complicit silence in the horrific genocidal destruction of Homs.
I also can’t but help notice that supporters of the regime like yourself, and others, also maintain a strict silence, amounting to complicity, at any mention of Saydnaya
“Human Slaughterhouse – Mass Hangings and Extermination at Saydnaya Prison, Syria”.
I notice you constantly take the side of Assad. I tend to have more sympathy for those he bombs, gases, or drives out.
I notice you constantly take the side of the head chopping Jihadis. I tend to have more sympathy for those they bomb, gases, or drives out.
Many critics of the bombing of Syria by the US, the UK and France are not taking sides.
They just don’t want World War 3.
Actually, most of Assad’s victims are not “headchopping jihadis” – but you are so biased you lump the innocents in with them. This is why we will find no common ground.
No I have little time for cheerleaders for ISIS, al Nusra and the rest of ‘the alphabet soup’ of Jihadi headchoppers.
And no time whatsoever for the millions of refugees created by Assad’s regime. But lots of time for the saccharine propagandists of RT and their dubious mouthpieces.
If the Guardian and the BBC tells you something enough times, do you believe it?
“War is peace.
Freedom is slavery.
Ignorance is strength.”
We live in 1984.
There is some very dim bulbs who comment here, Stuart…
I’ve told you multiple times that a primary difference between myself and the likes of you and Jenny….is that I do not take sides…the two of you are openly and unashamedly bias…
The two of you can’t wrap your narrow bandwidth around such a concept….so you continue with the line that is the opposite of what I state in comments…
See if you can widen your narrow bandwidth just enough to let that get into your head…
I’ll help you out…again…
Posting a link does NOT alter the fact that I do not, and will not take a side…
I do have disdain for those such as yourself and jenny who seek to offer validation of illegal foreign invation, occupation and destruction of sovereign nation…after nation…after nation…
Pause to see if you can understand why distain for the position shared by yourself and Jenny, exists…
And if that is beyond your narrow bandwidth…it is likely that you have problems over and above the ignorance born out of prejudice…
I’m always impressed about how you are just as quick to criticise people’s hubris when they say what bad things the US etc are up to as when others criticise Assad and Russia. You jump on both sides equallol, can’t finish that line. You’re just as partisan as everyone else, doofus.
Yes yes – you do not take sides but somehow always support Assad – you’re not fooling anyone except yourself – and maybe Ed.
Nah, Stu…you’re repeatedly making a fool of yourself while I walk through your childish commentary…
I’ve explained it to you so many times, you obviously have a deficiency…
Your interpretation of what constitutes support is your own twisted view…
I support a sovereign nations absolute right to defend itself against illegal, serial foreign invaders….against any invaders actually…
That’s not supporting Assad….see if you can figure out why…
Well actually…..
Going with the ‘regime change’ conspiracy theory, sort of shows you support the Assad regime’s narrative.
Which in my opinion, identifies you as a hard out Assad supporter. (But without the guts to admit it).
Am I wrong?
Jenny, you have passion and what does appear to be an honest desire to highlight the plight of peoples who are suffering around the world…
Your comments regarding Syria, are one sided, overly simplistic and indicate that you have barriers preventing you from acknowledging what are mainstream documented happenings inside Syria…
That you repeatedly and undoubtedly, willingly ignore mainstream acknowledgement of ‘western backed rebels’ being funded, armed, trained and supported by international law breaking, UN charter violating sponsors, is unfortunate to observe…
So while you’re ignoring those same sponsors of ‘moderate rebels’ long and document history of regime change/creating failed states…I’ve not raised the subject because I do not pretend to know what is really going on…
But if I were to engage with you at your level using simplistic, lopsided evaluation techniques…regime change/failed state would be the position I would take….because that’s what a simplistic view of history, including recent history indicates is being attempted since 2011 in Syria…
But I’m not saying that’s what is going on…because Syria, is a complex situation….and I will not endorse either or sides…
To your question…not only are you wrong…you are showing yourself to be a ‘well meaning idiot’….
Jenny is blind to the faults of the opposition.
I admire your viewpoint.
Jennys position appears to be in direct conflict with her efforts to highlight injustice and atrocities…there are not many reasons why she would take that position…
There will be atrocities carried out by every faction involved in the conflict…openly ignoring that truism is dangerous energy to play with…
It’s natural to wish to know whats actually going on…but that’s not possible except through the mediums created by the efforts of others….what we the people are left with is speculation based on constants such as ‘previous form’ and motive…
The honest thing to do is at least pay respect to injustice and atrocities on all sides…
Not so – at least I have the honesty to take a position – that for all their many faults the west is on the whole more reliable than Putin’s spin.
Your constant pretentions of superiority would fare better were they supported by evidence other than your wishful thinking.
On what basis is the West reliable?
Because the BBC and the Guardian told you so?
Did you miss the lies about WMD, the lies about Kuwait, the lies about Ukraine, the lies about Libya, the lies about Vietnam……
You’re a sucker propaganda from the military industrial complex.
Posted by lettuce yesterday night.
‘I do not take sides’. Well said One Two, I greatly respect your viewpoints. You only take the side of truth imo 🙂
Hi Maui, I enjoy your perspectives…and I appreciate your comments…
Truth is such a mystery…the truth I adide is that humans are not it…babies are close to pure truth…after that…less so by the day without constant self reflection and the awareness to make necessary changes…and not be scared to do so…continually…
That’s about the best any adult human can do IMO…
Be well…
I take the side of the people under the bombs and under the gas clouds. That makes Assad an enemy.
You implicitly support the bombers.
It’s not morally tenable.
Atrocities are litmus tests – when you no longer react you’ve lost your moral compass.
It makes both warring groups the enemy as both sides are killing civilians.
Evidence required.
And that means rebels – not ISIS.
Stuart, you are so terribly confused…
You simply can’t grasp the concept that taking sides is the wrong thing to do…it is the opposite of what you need to be doing…what we all need to be doing…
There is no morality to be found in war and atrocity in the M.E…there are only varying degress of atrocity and human suffering…
Rise above the primitive lizard brain and understand that by taking a side, is to be part of the problem…and a barrier to any solution…
When you can understand that simple concept…life as you believe it to be will have a very different perspective for you…
Good luck on the journey….
Edit: don’t equate not taking sides with no longer caring…that’s not what it’s about…it is about having more measured thinking so that you are no longer in reaction mode…step back…evaluate….respond…not react…
Reflection.
So important.
Nice informative piece on France and Libya over at The Intercept.
Sarkozy’s dodgy dealings with Gaddafi aside, the fact that the French foreign minister had offered Tunisia’s Zine El Abidine Ben Ali the use of France’s security forces to help quash protests is kinda illuminating.
Yes, Bill
It’s such a sordid history which some on the site either do not read about, or willfully ignore…
I suspect the Sykes Picot Agreement is unheard of in certain quarters on these boards…
Have you read Frank Macskasy on the daily Blog?
Quite a thorough denunciation of the lies propagated.
That’s a fairly extensive couple of pieces by Frank. Not so easy to read through mind, but still.
Listening to a very good interview of Professor Piers Robinson on Newstalk NB that Brigid linked to.
Worth a listen.
Thank you
Fora Pruitt.
The National Government inflicted the notorious Waikato University crackpot Jacqueline Rowarth on us to antagonize the conservation movement. The Trump regime pulled the same trick with Scott Pruitt…
https://www.democracynow.org/2018/4/27/you_really_should_resign_lawmakers_slam
The Nats also inflicted us with a board of Cronies, (all but one lacking an Environmental bone in either of their body’s’)
https://www.epa.govt.nz/about-us/our-people/management-team/
… And a CE, Dr Allan Freeth, who, rather than deny Climate Change attempts to muzzzle scientists and influence academics careers!
https://thespinoff.co.nz/science/14-03-2018/why-is-nzs-environmental-regulator-trying-to-muzzle-scientist-mike-joy/
About time for further resignations and a dose of Sunshine shone on the EPA
https://fyi.org.nz/request/5656-chief-executive-itemised-listed-of-expenses-for-millbrook-resort-queenstown
…back in the old days in the agricultural industry we were told Round Up was less toxic than table salt ?
EPA ex Chief Scientist Jacqueline Rowarth on glyphosate. … after the EPA ruled that the ingredient used in Roundup was unlikely to be carcinogenic. “This is very good news and of course it’s based on the fact that there is no link to human health issues when used as regulated,” she said.
All so simple, and without a shadow of doubt clouding her perfectly pure scientific mind.
https://thespinoff.co.nz/business/13-12-2017/what-gives-with-the-chief-scientist-of-the-environmental-protection-agency/
This despite the Ministry of Health, and a group of esteemed Professors from Auckland and Massey universities, and others. Oh, and of course, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) who in 2015 listed glyphosate as a probable carcinogen for humans.
and..
Carcinogenicity of glyphosate: why is New Zealand’s EPA lost in the weeds?
https://www.nzma.org.nz/journal/read-the-journal/all-issues/2010-2019/2018/vol-131-no-1472-23-march-2018/7531
EPA ex Chief Scientist Jacqueline Rowarth on glyphosate. … after the EPA ruled that the ingredient used in Roundup was unlikely to be carcinogenic. “This is very good news and of course it’s based on the fact that there is no link to human health issues when used as regulated,” she said.
All so simple, and without a shadow of doubt clouding her perfectly pure scientific mind.
https://thespinoff.co.nz/business/13-12-2017/what-gives-with-the-chief-scientist-of-the-environmental-protection-agency/
This despite the Ministry of Health, and a group of esteemed Professors from Auckland and Massey universities, and others. Oh, and of course, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) who in 2015 listed glyphosate as a probable carcinogen for humans.
and..
Carcinogenicity of glyphosate: why is New Zealand’s EPA lost in the weeds?
https://www.nzma.org.nz/journal/read-the-journal/all-issues/2010-2019/2018/vol-131-no-1472-23-march-2018/7531
David Seymour has finally made the Big Time and given true substance to their policies and philosophies. Dancing with the Stars.
If I were clever I’d get the reds under the bed dancing Cossacks and superimpose Seymour “Dancing with the Csars.”
A gem of a comment Pete (9) Love it. A good laugh for the day 🙂 I remember Muldoon’s dancing Cossacks well.
https://nzhistory.govt.nz/media/video/dancing-cossacks
“National was trying to turn voters against the Labour government by suggesting that the latter’s recently introduced compulsory superannuation scheme might lead to Soviet-style Communism (conveniently ignoring the fact that the Cossack peoples had traditionally been opponents of the Bolsheviks).”
The voiceover said that the superannuation fund would dominate the economy, which would be laughable in today’s open, global, economy. But in Muldoon’s “fortress New Zealand”…. well, history shows what happened. And from the success of our current superannuation funds we can only wonder where New Zealand would be now if Labour had won that election.
That cartoon was supplied by the American Hanna Barbera ..USA influencing the election? You betcha!!
From the link I posted –
” In the first campaign held after the introduction of colour TV, National’s advertising agency, Colenso, engaged the famous American cartoon studio Hanna-Barbera to produce a colourful, animated advert.”
Probably more like Colenso shopped around for the best outfit and naturally got the best offer from the purveyors of the American Dream. The script would have been right up their alley.
Great piece over at Public Address about Stormy Daniels’ lawyer Michael Avenatti and his prediction that Trump will not serve out his term
https://publicaddress.net/hardnews/the-remarkable-rise-of-michael-avenatti/
FYI – after eighty years in the family, my friend’s Queen of the Andes [Puya raimondii] has bloomed.
https://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2010/11/photogalleries/101117-exotic-rare-plant-blooms-flower-pictures/#/28913.jpg
That is amazing! What beautiful flowers and yet they signal that the plant will now die.
Thanks so much for sharing it. Seeing it today of all days was rather symbolic, on a very sad day as my dog died last night – a little white troublemaker – probably my last dog ever sadly. He was a little 6kg Maltese who thought he was the size of his former best friend who he had to protect – my Rottweiler/Mastiff cross who at his biggest weighted in at 67kg, who would run away if you said boo and who died two years ago.
Now I will remember him (and the big boy) and this amazing plant all together.
Oh so sad to hear about your little dog VV – they are such good companions. Was he a little white troublemaker with a capital T? We had decided no more animals after our little Honeybear – but a nephew who was moving house and needed a new home for his puss cat (the new home did not permit animals) donated Princess Lollabout to us. 🙂
And thanks Joe for the pic – I enjoy all your posts but this is a special treasure.
Big tough night there Veuto.
Very sorry to hear it.
Sorry to hear about your loss VV.
The dog is a gentleman; I hope to go to his heaven, not man’s.
~ Mark Twain
Hugs VV.
Condolences for the sad loss of your little dog veutoviper (11.1) Our loving and loyal pets, particularly dogs, certainly leave a massive void in our lives and our hearts when they are gone. The best friends we will ever have.
Hang on to those wonderful memories. The companionship and devotion of a dog is something very precious and wonderful. But you already know that vv.
Take good care.
My condolences VV.
I am reminded of a Rudyard Kipling poem, The power of the dog.
https://m.poets.org/poetsorg/poem/power-dog
always hurts, that.
Hello V V. So sorry to hear of your companion’s passing.
Your story about your wee dog reminded us of a dear wee Australian terrier we cared for for friends. We loved Molly as she was fearless.
We arrived at the dog park and Molly tried to see off a huge Great Dane who gave her “the regal stare” totally unruffled by 5/6 kgs of bravado.
They leave a huge painful hole, and then you remember the happy times.
A friend, like you, said no more. Then went to the local SPCA described a small gentle house trained dog. They rang her two months later and she took Loxie home. Loxie was a tiny ” bitsa” who settled on her lap and is a loved 5 year old in her second chance home. Hugs xx Trish.
Very sorry to hear about your dog Veuto
It is devastating to lose a beloved pet
Great to see the EU ban all nicotinoids for good.
Brilliant news for the bees.
Berner cultists get their racist out, because black people who weren’t Sanders fans aren’t quite progressive enough for them.
.
For almost a year now, a very vocal segment of Bernie Sanders supporters have harassed and stalked black activists, journalists and contributors on Twitter and other social media sites. Behind this campaign was the fact that a lot of black voters didn’t vote for Bernie, which was met with incredible anger by a part of the Bernie left.
Instead of analyzing why POC were critical of Bernie, or why Bernie refused to campaign among POC, they started to harass and intimidate black Twitter users.
The list of victims to this aggressive crowd of Bernie supporters is long by now: Joy Ann Reid, Donna Brazile, Jehmu Greene, Neera Tanden, Kamala Harris, Maxine Waters, Yamiche Alcindor, Zerlina Maxwell, and less known Twitter users: Angry Black Lady (Imani Gandy), T_FisherKing, Mr Dane/ Mr Weeks, Sir James, Ange_Amene, Bravenak and many, many more.
What these people have in common is that
A: they’re POC,
B: they’re at times very critical of Bernie Sanders.
This in itself is enough for ongoing extreme harassment, stalking, threats, intimidation and worse.
On top of this, a number of LGTB activists/ writers have met the same fate: be critical at Bernie Sanders at your own peril.
[…]
The user @Jamie_Maz who in November went through Joy’s old blog posts through the so called WayBack machine never mentioned other blog posts, never mentioned there was more ‘homophobic’ content.
Now let me be absolutely clear: I do not have any evidence whether or not Joy Ann Reid’s recently surfaced blog posts were altered, added or whether or not they are genuine. That is also not the subject of this article: the subject is the excessive campaign to get Joy Ann Reid fired by the Bernie left.
I saw the same user @Jamie_Maz post the recently ‘found’ blog posts and at first this just led to great enthusiasm among the Bernie crowd on Twitter. The idea that they found something damaging on Joy Ann Reid was absolutely fantastic to this crowd of Bernie supporters: #FireJoyReid!
Let’s be absolutely clear: this campaign isn’t coming from trump supporters, or breitbart or right wing racists, this is coming from the racist Bernie left.
Although I have no evidence one way or the other it would NOT surprise me at all when in the end we find out this Bernie crowd altered the screenshots, because let’s face it: a crowd who contacts people’s employers with anonymous letters (as in the case of Humorless Kev), who starts internet campaigns to get people fired and posts racist pictures would be very willing to do this
View at Medium.com
If you want an intelligent and thoroughly researched piece on Joy Reid, then Glen Greenwald’s piece is where I’d suggest you want to be going. (Unless he’s to be avoided because “racist Bernie left”?)
Yeah, Cernovich and Prosobiec are going after Reid, too.
But I’m sure that’s just a coincidence.
/
All I’m seeing in the piece you provided is the “dead centre” lashing out. Again.
Shades of the anti-Momentum, anti- Corbyn bullshit to it all.
Anyway. I saw the name and was reminded of the Greenwald piece and thought it worth linking.
Looks to me like the author’s calling out the cult kiddies enmity for progressives who dare opt for pragmatic incrementalism, rather than their own burn the fucking house down shtick.
btw, thread calling Greenwald on his disingenuous claptrap.
https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/990311780038660096.html
You read the piece Joe, yes?
It basically revolved around the issue of denial and hacking claims. And Greenwald, in relation to her previous phobic writings, has the following as the second para
And later…
So sure. He was writing disingenuous claptrap and the “radical centre/dead centre” isn’t consumed by hate these day for just about anyone who doesn’t “toe the line” or is otherwise seen as representing a threat to their (and their world view’s) fading prominence.
McElrath notes how @ggreenwald pushed out the idea @JoyAnnReid is homophobic and transphobic as recently as December of 2017, but revised his position to denial of authorship and hacking claims by Joy is now and was always “the *only* issue” and asserts her “anti-LGBT bigotry” was “never the issue.”.
And of course, McElrath has a link to that, and the date is from a time after she apologised, right? Yeah, thought not.
I raised this point yesterday, my observation it is a left phenomena where intersectional politics trumps individualism and god help you if you identify with a particular supposed left wing group be it black, lgbt, the arts and culture and you step out of the left play book with your own individual opinion Recent examples include Kanya West and Shsnia Twain, your examples been non Bernie black voters is also testament to this To me it’s actually quite racist to expect because you are of a certain colour, sexual orientation you must think and vote s particular way or face vitriol and social media hate Not saying all left is like this as not all left on social media
Bomber lets rip with righteous indignation at Sepuloni’s stalling tactics….and doesn’t hold back with criticism of those ace patch-protectors at the PSA.
https://thedailyblog.co.nz/2018/04/29/new-government-response-to-msd-sadism-is-just-not-good-enough/
“We know MSD treat beneficiaries with sadism.
We.
Know.
This.
We know food parcels are soaring because MSD toxic culture means people will beg from Churches rather than go to WINZ.
We know MSD are still spitefully cutting off welfare for Tinder dates.
We know that the sadists at MSD chase beneficiaries through the courts for obscene debt they should never be forced to pay.
We know that when one judge questioned MSD why they were chasing a beneficiary for $120 000 debt (most of which was penalties and interest) was because she might win Lotto…
…it is unacceptable that the new Government apparently have no idea what to do next.
There are two reasons why the new Government are not doing anything and it comes down to cowardice.
The new government are too cowardly to take on the PSA over their toxic sadism culture and they are too cowardly to go up against right wing media and the bash a beneficiary culture we have in NZ.
It is deeply disappointing to see such a lack of real political courage.”
Methinks this government needs to stop seeing the task in terms of getting a container ship to alter course (the reference I think was on Carmel’s mind) and start acting.
I am pretty sure Susan St. John and Sue Bradford have a few ideas….
MSD needs to strike a balance between preventing fraud and treating those who are entitled with dignity No easy job but probably have not got the balance right, all for recalibration but coming down like ton of bricks on fraudsters
Correct balance:
“Helping people” 100%
“Fraud detection (because it’s not really prevention, is it)” the most basic automated tracking of payments possible, using IRD resources to identify suspicious patterns..
Here you go Bewildered….a wee primer on how we as a nation deal with benefit fraud as opposed to tax evasion and white collar fraud.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/88924330/Benefit-fraud-v-tax-avoidance-why-is-one-dealt-with-more-harshly-by-courts
Brought to you by our friends at Stuff…so not overly complicated by too many polysyllables.
And there’s charts and graphics and photos!
Comment dedicated to Wendy Shoebridge.
I had dinner with one of the MSD Auckland senior managers last night.
Minister Sepuloni simply isn’t on their radar yet.
“I had dinner with one of the MSD Auckland senior managers last night.”
I do hope your digestion was not adversely affected Ad. Sitting at the same table, breaking bread with a sociopath.
I could be being harsh…perhaps your dining pal is new to MSD? Parachuted into a senior management role very recently…. on a mission to begin the ‘culture change’?
“Minister Sepuloni simply isn’t on their radar yet.”
Assuming that means they don’t see her as a threat to the status quo, that its full steam ahead in the bene bashing business, I believe after her prevarication today they can rest easy.
Plenty of time to kick a few more of the fallen…
Dinner was awesome cheers.
It’s Minister Sepuloni who is going to determine if there will be substantial reform or not. That is where accountability lies.
If we get long lasting peace in Korea and demilitarisation does Donald trump deserve a Nobel peace prize You would argue so if Obama is the standard. Obama left us with Syria, a weak Iran deal and emboldened Russia with his softly softly let’s not upset any one You could argue the Donald no matter how unagreeable you find him his muscular diplomacy has been far more effective in driving peace
Got to say the madman routine actually seems to have been a significant factor.
If I were the committee I’d want to wait until his term is up, though, just in case he nukes somewhere for the hell of it.
And then there’s the concept of giving a peace prize to someone who contributed to peace by threatening nuclear war, but that’s just semantics, really.
Labour breaking promises.
Well there is a shock. Over promising and not delivering.
https://www.labour.org.nz/gp_fees
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12041822
It’s ok. I don’t expect a tory to understand the concept that a genuine coalition of different political parties requires compromise, especially after Joyce’s fiscal trapdoor was discovered.
It’s ok I don’t expect a leftie to understand commitments or promises.
It’s so mush easier to say slogans and go for feelz- it’s the adren government way.
What, like Bridges’ non-bridges?
Most people understand that election pledges are contingent on having the electoral power to follow through on them.
“Adren”, eh? Good name. sounds cool and hip and much more active than your lot ever could be.
“Most people understand that election pledges are contingent on having the electoral power to follow through on them.“
Labour stated (and still have on their website) that they WILL do this starting June this year.
Simply put – they are making promises they cannot deliver and are showing themselves up to be exactly what a lot of us expected.
Lol and if they’d updated the website before Clark’s announcement you’d say they were whitewashing history.
Overall, as far as I can see this is about the first policy point they’ve clearly failed to achieve, and announced that failure well in advance. Not bad for a coalition partner.
Do you feel the Adrenaline rush?
Yeah, I wonder what connection the sleazers were going for when they came up with that one.
As James was saying, they’re going for “feelz” 😂
It’s clear James and his National Party don’t understand how a real MMP coalition govt works. That’s why National is in opposition. Failiure to negotiate a coalition and still no mates.
Yes James, before you niggle, I know National were in a coalition, but Act, United Future and the Maori Party were no more than National’s well trained lap dogs. Labour, NZ First and the Greens are working together to form policy, that’s how MMP is supposed to work.
National and thier supporters need to realise that they can’t govern alone, otherwise National and Soimun will remain in opposition for a very long time.
I’ve got news for you, James: National has failed to deliver on all its election promises so far. Arguably, they have been delayed, just like Labour’s election promise of cheaper doctors’ visits for all. Only problem is that National’s delay will be at least 3 years, possibly longer 😉
how Tony Blair was able to call a public inquiry into the “suspected suicide” of David Kelly only minutes after being told of Kelly’s apparent death whilst on a long-haul flight, long before Dr Kelly had officially been declared a suicide victim, or the body confirmed as his.
https://www.opendemocracy.net/uk/peter-oborne/inconvenient-book-miles-goslett-david-kelly-aaronovitch
Brutal AF.
#Michelle Wolf
Good news for protesters intent on disrupting the work of oil and gas exploration vessels.
It seems that the heavy handed Andarko Amendment, that was supposed to protect the oil companies from protesters, has turned out to be a bit of a paper tiger.
After some high level behind the scene negotiations. The Crown and Greenpeace have come to an agreement.
Russel Norman and Sara Howel will agree to plead guilty, if the Crown agree to drop the case against Greenpeace.
The understanding being, that both Russel and Sara will not face any penalties at all. and despite their guilty pleas, convictions will not appear on their records. ie Diversion.
Tomorrow at 10am at the Napier District Court, to avoid putting them out, or inconveniencing them in anyway, both Sara and Russel will phone in their court appearance, and make their guilty plea by skype from Auckland. Another First.
Related comments and posts:
“Govt drops charges against Greenpeace”
Greenpeace Friday, 27 April 2018, 9:16 am
“Greenpeace Vs Simon Bridges”
Thanks Guys!
That is really great. Thanks for the update Jenny.
Sunday read.
The History of the Shariʿa
How Islam’s divine law emerged, evolved, and spread—then reached a crisis point.
https://www.laphamsquarterly.org/roundtable/history-sharia
Rapist’s descendants annoyed everyone keeps on bringing up all the rapes.
.
MANILA – A new memorial dedicated to the Philippines “comfort women” forced into Japan’s military brothels before and during World War II was removed Friday night, days after suspicions surfaced that it was being targeted for demolition.
[…]
The issue of the comfort women, Japan’s euphemism for the girls and women, is a sensitive one for Japan, and the embassy had expressed concerns over the statue, one of many sprouting up in South Korea, the United States and elsewhere to memorialize an episode of history Japan would rather forget
https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2018/04/28/national/politics-diplomacy/new-comfort-women-memorial-removed-thoroughfare-manila-pressure-japanese-embassy/
“Can civilisation prolong its life until the end of this century? “It depends on what we are prepared to do.” He fears it will be a long time before we take proportionate action to stop climatic calamity. “Standing in the way is capitalism. Can you imagine the global airline industry being dismantled when hundreds of new runways are being built right now all over the world? It’s almost as if we’re deliberately attempting to defy nature. We’re doing the reverse of what we should be doing, with everybody’s silent acquiescence, and nobody’s batting an eyelid.”
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/apr/26/were-doomed-mayer-hillman-on-the-climate-reality-no-one-else-will-dare-mention
think it realistic to note that this theme from an increasing number of informed individuals will become prevalent.
It’s not ‘almost’. We are attempting to defy nature and reality to maintain a few people in wealth and luxury.
It probably will but, with the help of the RWNJs in National and Labour (and similar parties around the world), probably after we’ve pushed the ecosphere to the point where we will no longer be able to live in it.
The Am Show The closing of that Auckland park to save OUR great Kauri trees the atua of our forest is a big win for us greenies. If business go broke so be it they have had years to come up with plan B or C. We have had a big win in Europe with the banning of those insecticides and other chemicals that kill BEEs now we need to look into it .
When my children were young 2nd 1 was less than 6 months old we stayed across the road from a vineyard our baby had rashes he had breathing problems off in a ambulance twice. As soon as we moved from this location his symptoms disappeared that tells one some thing about man made chemicals .
This inquire on the treatment of children in state care should include church organization after all there is alot of evidence that there has been abuse of the mokopunas in the churches care all around the world and in NZ .
As for Trump I will ease off maybe he should be given the credit for the deescalation of the tension in Korea and then he will not throw a spanner in the works and the peace and diplomacy will work .
OUR Banks need to be investigated if the banks in Aussie are cheating than Our banks will be doing the same . They stereotype people and I say they will turn down people for loans just because they are brown. I am having a tussel with 2 of OURs Banks at the minute.
Charter School are for the 1% the poor mokopunas that end up at these schools will have been targeted for sports and less than 5% of the roll .I want more REO taught in schools
these charter schools will have better grades because they are getting the cream of the crop of mokopunas so one cannot fairly use those stats to justify the existence of these institutions. Ka kite ano
Here’s a man who is learning Te reo
Ka pai Jole
https://i.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/comment/columnists/103432641/joel-maxwell-learning-te-reo-has-made-me-whole-for-the-first-time-in-my-life could be whano with that Sir name Ka kite ano P.S I’m envious of him but I will learn te reo and I will have speach to Te whano
Newshub Ka pai Paddy Gloriavale is not a nice sect especially if they can keep a mans family away from him did you know that most of the sandflies hierarchy are religious fanatics
There you go I was talking about all the sacred sites around Aotearoa that need to be carefully examined buy trained archaeologist like that site that they found the half built Waka that site should be sifted to find other precious Maori relics.
Many thanks to the Australians for taking steps to protect there precious Great Barrier Reef Man is nothing with out mother nature.
The weekends sports was GREAT . Ka kite ano P.S thats another pukana to the sandflies they did not like what I wrote this morning
The Crowd goes Wild the sandflys have stuff with my computer I have a good post on it but it won’t load I told you the are upset Ka kite ano P.S. I will post my post with my pH it will be late but you will have a laugh
No probs Pat.
Here’s a good write up of the case by Sam Hurley, NZ Herald court reporter.
Greenpeace head Russel Norman pleads guilty to obstructing oil survey ship”
New Zealand Herald, 30 Apr, 2018
Overall a win, win for Greenpeace and a lose, lose, for the Anadarko Amendment on its first ever outing.
With the fangs pulled from the Anadarko Amendment, a new campaign on the water can commence.
The clock has started ticking on achieving a total ban on oil and gas exploration. The campaign that has begun achieving a halt in all new block offers, will finish with a campaign to shut down all deep sea oil and gas exploration
Thank you Patricia.
Here’s a good write up of the case by Sam Hurley, NZ Herald court reporter.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12042049
Overall a win, win for Greenpeace and a lose, lose, for the Anadarko Amendment on its first ever outing.
With the fangs pulled from the Anadarko Amendment, a new campaign on the water can commence.
The clock has started ticking on achieving a total ban on oil and gas exploration. The campaign that has begun achieving a halt in all new block offers, will finish with a campaign to shut down all deep sea oil and gas exploration