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.
.
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.
.
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
So, You Gov's MRP poll - the weird one that tries to reflect what will happen at a constituency level and which pretty much nailed the hung parliament in 2017 - is not looking too good for Labour:
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Pure Fear: Worse than Heroin, this drug’s addictive power was terrifying. People under its influence didn’t drift off to Elysium. Nor did it persuade inadequate individuals that they could conquer the world. No, this drug – pure crystal methamphetamine, “P” for short – unlocked the gates of Hell itself. It ...
As the rate of measles infection, and of deaths, continues to climb in Samoa, antivaccination activists infectious disease proponents seem intent on doubling down on their claims about vaccination. (Check pretty much any news-media FB post about measles & you’ll see exactly what I mean.) Unfortunately, some of them have ...
Samoa are experiencing a devastating measles epidemic. It is possible that 2-3% of the population will ultimately be infected by the time it is over. Hopefully the mass immunisation campaign currently under way can mitigate some of this, for many it is too late. The first question many people ask ...
Meghan Murphy is a Canadian writer and journalist She runs the Feminist Current website which she founded in 2012. She was a keynote speaker for the Feminism2020 conference in Wellington this month. When Massey University cancelled the original venue booking Feminism2020 was hosted in Parliament by MP David Seymour. Meghan ...
Text and photos by Gearóid Ó Loingsigh Colombia has lived through one week of protests against the economic measures taken by president Duque. What looked like a protest that would fizzle out after its first day on November 21st is still going strong. Part of the reason for the continuance ...
Around a million billion pass through you each second, almost all originating from our sun, but few of them are likely to interact with you enroute. I was reading in a physics magazine earlier in the week about the nature of neutrinos. These are extremely numerous elementary particles, but only ...
By Pallab GhoshThere’s value in covering new research advances, even when the underlying science is unsettled. But there are also risks.The recent announcement that scientists discovered water on the planet K2-18b, 110 light years away, prompted a media swoon. News stories, including a piece written by me, billed ...
I wrote this review a couple of years ago when I was still in the process of getting my head around the politics of transgenderism, and specifically the claim that intersex conditions lend support to the notion that sex is ‘socially constructed’. Since writing this review I have come across ...
Climate Explained is a collaboration between The Conversation, Stuff and the New Zealand Science Media Centre to answer your questions about climate change.If you have a question you’d like an expert to answer, please send it to climate.change@stuff.co.nzHow much does our use of air travel contribute to the ...
Minor planet/asteroid (2309) Mr. Spock is named not for the character in Star Trek, but for a cat that was itself imperturbable, logical, intelligent and had pointed ears. In a preceding blog post I introduced one of my favourite asteroids, (2472) Bradman, and also mentioned (6581) Sobers amongst a few ...
Today the death toll from measles in Samoa rose to 32. All but four of the dead were less than 5 years old. Absolutely terrible, heartbreaking, news. That statistic alone should be enough to give the lie to the common claim by antivaccination activists plague enthusiasts that “measles is a ...
by Gearóid Ó Loingsigh It is late here in Bogotá, almost 11.30pm on Monday the 25th of November as I write this. The day began full of hope with yet more massive marches throughout the country, a mix of the International Day of Non-Violence Against Women and the National Strike. ...
Anti-fluoride activists are rubbing their hands in glee over what they claim is “yet another study” showing fluoride harms the brains of children. But their promotion relies on IQ relationships which the paper’s authors acknowledge disappearing when outliers or other factors are considered. And they completely ignore other relationships ...
The feature below is the conclusion of A History of Economic Thought, whose author was a leading Marxist economist in Russia in the early 20th century, Isaac Ilyich Rubin. The book arose from a course he ran at Moscow University following the Russian Revolution. First published in Russian in 1929, ...
There are many thousands of asteroids with formal names, some humdrum but other more noteworthy (depending on your predilections). One of my favourites, the name of which I was involved in suggesting, is (2472) Bradman, named for the Australian cricketing great. As a minor planet (synonym: asteroid) spotter, I have ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters said that New Zealand's Cook Islands High Commissioner, Tessa Temata, has died over the weekend. Ms Temata, 52, died in Palmerston North and had returned to New Zealand for medical treatment. She was the first New Zealand High Commissioner to the Cook Islands of Cook Island ...
A new defence report has mapped out how New Zealand's soldiers will navigate rising seas, and a year after the Defence Force announced its need to prepare for climate change. In the “Responding to the Climate Crisis” report, the Force restates its operational plan and sets goals to tackle climate ...
Mark Patterson, Spokesperson for Primary Industries New Zealand First spokesperson for Primary Industries, Mark Patterson, has called for awareness to be raised and more stringent biosecurity checks to be put in place for African Swine Fever (ASF), a widespread virus that is uncontrolled in most of Asia and a serious ...
Jenny Marcroft MP, Spokesperson for Human Rights A critical step has been taken to end gender based violence against women and girls in Parliament this evening. New Zealand First Spokesperson for Human Rights Jenny Marcroft MP has welcomed the passing of the first reading of the Crimes (Definition of Female ...
New Zealand First MP Shane Jones says it's time to recognise market forces haven't led to the expected reduction in Māori smoking rates and try a new approach. The Party had recently invoked the agree to disagree clause in their Coalition Agreement with the Labour Party, and will not support ...
Live from the Whanganui Opera House, on the final day of the 2019 Labour Party Conference, Jacinda Ardern announced the largest investment in school property in 25 years. ...
The Coalition Government will be banning foreign donations to political parties and candidates, ahead of next year’s general elections. Legislation will be introduced to Parliament and passed under urgency – emphasising the need for such restrictions to safeguard our democracy. The bill introduces a new requirement that party secretaries and ...
Associate Transport Minister Shane Jones opened Taipā's $19 million bridge recently, improving transport infrastructure in the Northland region. The two-lane bridge is 107m long with a 2.5m-wide shared walking and cycling path, and will reduce the congestion that the old one-lane bridge was notorious for. The project had also included ...
The Overseas Investment Office have rejected the application of Mercury Agriculture LP, which is 92 per cent controlled by Canadian interests, to purchase more than 2000 hectares of South Canterbury and Otago land. Mercury wanted to buy 2000ha at Rangitata, 1494ha near Ashburton, 816ha near Cromwell and 212ha near Temuka. ...
This weekend was Labour's 103rd Party Conference! We welcomed over 500 of our Labour whānau in red to Whanganui, where we reflected on the last two years in Government, and looked ahead to 2020 and beyond. We know the long-term challenges facing New Zealand won't be tackled overnight, but we're making ...
Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones announced that the Provincial Growth Fund will invest $9.6 million to seal the final unsealed section of State Highway 43 from Stratford to Taumarunui. The Minister said sealing the 12-kilometre gravel section of the highway – also called the “Forgotten World Highway” - through ...
Former Finance Minister and former chair of the Tax Working Group, Sir Michael Cullen, has voiced his support for New Zealand First’s decision to oppose the planned increase in tobacco excise tax. In an interview with The Weekend Collective, he said that increasing the price was no longer effective in ...
Māori are natural storytellers. On the marae we use stories to tell our history, to teach the next generation life lessons and to let people know, in our most creative of ways, who we are and where we have come from. ...
Rt Hon Winston Peters, New Zealand First Leader New Zealand First has invoked the ‘Agree to Disagree’ provisions of the Coalition Agreement because it cannot support the announced 11.46 percent increase in the tobacco excise from 1 January 2020. “Studies show that the automatic tobacco excise increases are having less effect ...
Taupō-based company Geo40 has made a breakthrough in extracting near battery-grade lithium from geothermal fluid which its says could be a gamechanger. Its chief executive John Worth said the earth mineral was highly prized, with battery-grade lithium selling for US$10,000 (NZ$15,600) a tonne. Geo40 was founded in 2010 to find ...
Crown research institute AgResearch Ltd, as part of its Future Footprint plan, had intended to relocate top scientists and support staff — particularly those focused on sheep genetics and genomics — from Invermay to Lincoln. However, those plans seem to have been shelved at the request of the Coalition Government. ...
Ten engineering firms in Southland are receiving a total of $2.13 million in Provincial Growth Fund funding to lift productivity and create new jobs. Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones announced in Invercargill that the 10 engineering and manufacturing firms would receive funding to assist them with buying equipment that ...
The number of new residents to New Zealand is the lowest it has been in nearly two decades and it has earned the ire of the immigration industry. The industry alleges that 'Trump-style extreme vetting' is being put in place aimed at keeping a lid on immigration numbers. June Ranson, ...
The Royal New Zealand Air Force is one step closer to modernising its fleet after the United States State Department recently approved the sale of five new C-130J Hercules aircraft to New Zealand. Arms manufacturer Lockheed Martin, in Fort Worth, Texas, will provide the aircraft, but as a "foreign military ...
Forestry Minister Shane Jones wants to create a log barging facility at Hicks Bay and turn the area into a Special Economic Zone. The move would be part of protecting New Zealand's forests from being depleted by India and China, he said. It follows his announcement last week to strengthen ...
New Zealand First supports the changes recommended by the Winter Grazing Taskforce to improve animal welfare outcomes through the winter months, and the establishment of a pan-sector action group to implement them. New Zealand First Primary Industries Spokesperson Mark Patterson says the report highlights areas of concern about the animal ...
Former prime ministers Helen Clark and Sir John Key, formerly from the Labour and National parties respectively, have joined forces in support of New Zealand First’s plan to relocate Auckland's port to Whangārei. While Ms Clark and Sir John spent their political careers on opposite sides of the political divide, ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters is in Japan for the Foreign Ministers' meeting of the G20 grouping of countries as one of nine "invited" countries. He has used the opportunity to cast a spotlight on the plight of Pacific countries, calling out countries which still offered subsidies or Government assistance to ...
It's been a great week of progress: we've celebrated Children's Day, we've made communities safer with 1800 new police, and we've seen almost 90% of eligible schools take up Government funding to scrap school donations - taking pressure off the families of more than 416,000 students. ...
Hon Shane Jones, Minister of Forestry The Government will further strengthen New Zealand’s wood processing sector as part of our focus on ‘value over volume’ in our forestry industry, Forestry Minister Shane Jones says. Minister Jones will today meet with forestry representatives in Northland to signal new measures to help the ...
The Government is lifting capital investment to the highest level in more than 20 years as it takes the next step to future-proof New Zealand. Finance Minister Grant Robertson has announced $12 billion of new investment, with $8 billion for specific capital projects and $4 billion to be added to ...
The Government is forecast to run $12 billion worth of surpluses across the four years to 2023/24 as the economy continues to grow. The surpluses will help fund day-to-day capital requirements each year. These include fixing leaky hospitals, building new classrooms to cover population growth and take pressure off class ...
Budget 2020 will continue the Coalition Government’s focus on tackling the long-term challenges facing New Zealand while also investing to future-proof the economy. When the Government took office in 2017 it was left with crumbling infrastructure, severe underinvestment in public services, degraded rivers and lakes, a housing crisis and rising ...
The Minister responsible for the Marine and Coastal Area (Takutai Moana) Act 2011 (te Takutai Moana Act 2011), Andrew Little has welcomed the launch of an online geospatial tool that provides data-rich, dynamic coastline maps that will significantly boost research and evidence-gathering under the Act. Te Kete Kōrero a Te ...
The Chief Victims Advisor to Government Dr Kim McGregor, QSO, has been reappointed in her role for a further two years. Dr McGregor has held the role since it was established in November 2015. She provides independent advice to government on how to improve the criminal justice system for victims. ...
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters and Civil Defence Minister Peeni Henare have today announced the deployment of a network of DART (Deep-ocean Assessment and Reporting of Tsunami) buoys. “New Zealand and the Pacific region are particularly vulnerable to natural disasters. It is vital we have adequate warning systems in place,” ...
DART Buoys Announcement Aotea Wharf, 9.30am 11 December 2019 Acknowledgements Acknowledgements to Minister for Civil Defence Hon Peeni Henare also here today. White Island It is with regret that this event shadows the tragic natural disaster two days ago. The volcanic eruptions on White Island have claimed 5 lives, ...
Racing Minister Winston Peters has welcomed the first reading of the Racing Industry Bill in parliament today. This is the second of two Bills that have been introduced this year to revitalise New Zealand’s racing industry. “Our domestic racing industry has been in serious decline. The Government is committed to ...
Minister for Disability Issues, Carmel Sepuloni, is pleased to announce that $291,321 is to be awarded to national and local community initiatives to maintain and promote the use of New Zealand Sign Language (NZSL). “New Zealand is one of the few countries in the world where Sign Language is an ...
Minister for Veterans Ron Mark has announced today the Coalition Government’s initial response to work completed by the independent statutory body, the Veterans’ Advisory Board. “When Professor Ron Paterson completed his review of the Veterans’ Support Act in 2018, he made a number of recommendations, including one which I referred ...
The Government will fund the bulk of the cost of a rural water supply for the Ohakea community affected by PFAS contamination, Environment Minister David Parker announced today at a meeting of local residents. This new water scheme will provide a reliable and clean source of drinking water to the ...
I have had the opportunity to be briefed on the details of the volcanic eruption of Whakaari/White Island, off the coast of Whakatane in the Bay of Plenty. The eruption happened at 2.11pm today. It continues to be an evolving situation. We know that there were a number of tourists ...
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Minister of Civil Defence Peeni Henare have today confirmed initial Government support of $100,000 for communities affected by the severe weather that swept across the South Island and lower North Island over the weekend. The contribution will be made to Mayoral relief funds across the ...
New Zealand's High Commissioner to the Cook Islands, Tessa Temata, died in Palmerston North over the weekend, Foreign Minister Winston Peters said today. Ms Temata, 52, had recently returned to New Zealand for medical treatment. "On behalf of the Government and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, we extend ...
Transport Minister Phil Twyford today announced construction is underway on Wellington commuter rail upgrades which will mean more frequent services and fewer breakdowns. The upgrades include converting the Trentham to Upper Hutt single track section to a double track, with a new signalling system, upgraded stations and level crossings, and ...
Minister of Defence Ron Mark and Minister for Climate Change James Shaw have announced the release of a Defence Climate Change Implementation Work Plan, titled Responding to the Climate Crisis: An Implementation Plan. The plan sets out a series of recommendations based on the 2018 New Zealand Defence Assessment, The ...
A medium-scale adverse event has been declared for the South Canterbury district, which will see up to $50,000 in funding made available to support farming communities which have been significantly affected by recent heavy rain and flooding in the area, says Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor. “Two weeks of solid rain ...
Thank you Professor Juliet Gerrard and your team for the comprehensive and extremely helpful report and recommendations. Thank you too to all the stakeholders and interested parties who have contributed ideas and thinking to it. “Making best practice, standard practice” is a great framework for change and the action plan ...
The Government will phase out more single-use plastics following the success of its single-use plastic bag ban earlier this year and the release today of a pivotal report for dealing with waste. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has welcomed the Rethinking Plastics in Aotearoa New Zealandreport, released by her Chief Science Advisor ...
International education continues to thrive as the Government focuses on quality over quantity, Education Minister Chris Hipkins said. The tuition revenue from international education increased to $1.16 billion last year with the average tuition fee per student increasing by $960. The total number of international students enrolled in New Zealand ...
I want to talk about one of the most pressing issues in our national life: the housing crisis and the poor performance of our cities. The argument I want to make to you is that generations of urban land use policy have lacked a decent grounding in economics. The consequences ...
Health Minister Dr David Clark says new appointments to DHBs represent a significant changing of the guard, with 13 new chairs including four Māori chairs. Today 76 appointments have been announced to complement elected board members, as well as eight elected members appointed as either chair or deputy chair. Four ...
Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Foreign Affairs, Fletcher Tabuteau, is travelling to Germany, Poland, Austria, and Spain next week to bolster New Zealand’s political and trade relationships in Europe. While in Spain, Mr Tabuteau will represent New Zealand at the 14th Asia-Europe (ASEM) Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Madrid. “New Zealand strongly supports ...
“I’ve spoken to Minister Faafoi, who has apologised for his poor handling of this issue,” Jacinda Ardern said. “I have confidence in Kris as a hardworking and effective Minister, but this should have been dealt with in a much clearer manner, and I’ve made my views on that very clear ...
Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters met with Tongan Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pohiva Tu'i'onetoa in Wellington today. The pair signed a Statement of Partnership setting out joint priorities for cooperation out to 2023. “We welcomed Prime Minister Tu'i'onetoa on his first visit to New Zealand as Prime Minister. Tonga ...
The Minister of Police Stuart Nash says his sympathies are with the family of a man who died after being shot by Police in Kurow. “Initial reports are that Police were called by a family member to help the man who was threatening to harm himself,” Mr Nash says. “However ...
Ethnic communities will be able to plan and deliver more community initiatives thanks to an increase in Government funding, Minister for Ethnic Communities Hon Jenny Salesa said today. “Ensuring Aotearoa New Zealand is a place we can all be proud to call home has been a key priority of our ...
Healthier waterways, better productivity and farmer wellbeing are front and centre in a new project involving more than 1000 Southland farmers and growers. Minister of Agriculture Damien O’Connor today announced that the Thriving Southland Change and Innovation Project is the first region-wide extension programme supported by the $229 million Sustainable ...
Work to look after nature and restore freshwater quality in Te Hoiere/Pelorus River catchment is getting a significant boost, thanks to new Government funding support Minister for Conservation Eugenie Sage announced in Canvastown today. “Every New Zealander should be able to swim in their local river without getting sick, and ...
Eight Queen’s Counsel have been appointed under a process that includes the new criterion of a commitment to improving access to justice, Attorney-General David Parker announced today. “The new criterion was included this year. It emphasises that excellence and leadership in the profession can be seen through a wider, community ...
Onslow College in Wellington will get 20 new classrooms for more than 400 students, Education Minister Chris Hipkins announced today. The much-needed investment will relieve growth pressure the school has been experiencing for some time. Seven existing classrooms which have deteriorated over time will also be replaced, bringing the total ...
More than 250 young New Zealanders will add international experience to their education, thanks to the latest Prime Minister’s Scholarships for Asia (PMSA) and Latin America (PMSLA), Education Minister Chris Hipkins announced today. This round of scholarships supports 252 recent graduates or current students to undertake study, research or internships ...
Consumers will benefit from a more competitive, transparent retail fuel market as a result of changes the Government will be making in response to the findings of the Commerce Commission’s study of the fuel sector. “We accept the Commission’s findings and, as the Prime Minister has said, we’re ready to ...
Five new cancer medicines have now been funded this year, meaning thousands of people have more treatment options PHARMAC has today announced that it has approved two new medicines for funding – fulvestrant for breast cancer and olaparib for ovarian cancer. This follows earlier decisions on advanced lung cancer treatment alectinib, ...
The Minister of Local Government, Hon Nanaia Mahuta says the Government will consider making changes to local electoral legislation before the 2022 elections to fix the problems that have arisen where elections are settled by a coin toss. The Minister says the recount process in the Murupara- Galatea ward at ...
New Zealand will sign up to new international maritime regulations to reduce ship emissions and lift air quality around ports and harbours, Associate Transport Minister Julie Anne Genter announced today. Subject to completion of the Parliamentary treaty examination process, New Zealand will sign up to Annex VI of MARPOL, an ...
New legislation to transform our urban areas and create sustainable, inclusive and thriving communities will tomorrow be introduced to Parliament, Urban Development Minister Phil Twyford said. “The Urban Development Bill gives Kāinga Ora-Homes and Communities the tools it needs to partner with councils, communities, mana whenua and private developers to ...
Today’s launch of He taonga te Tamaiti: Every child a taonga: The Early Learning Action Plan 2019-2029 provides the foundation for long-lasting changes to early learning, Education Minister Chris Hipkins says. “Early learning will be one of the Government’s top education priorities going into 2020,” Chris Hipkins said. ...
Major decisions made by the Government will now be considered under a climate change lens, Minister for Climate Change James Shaw announced today. “Cabinet routinely considers the effects of its decisions on human rights, the Treaty of Waitangi, rural communities, the disability community, and gender – now climate change will ...
Education Minister Chris Hipkins today announced the appointment of Māori education specialist Dr Wayne Ngata and Business NZ head Kirk Hope to the Board of the Tertiary Education Commission (TEC). Dr Alastair MacCormick has been reappointed for another term. “Wayne Ngata, Kirk Hope and Alastair MacCormick bring a great deal ...
Government books are now expected to go into the red this financial year with a forecast deficit of $900 million, down from a Budget forecast surplus of $1.3 billion. ...
In this hard-hitting episode of current affairs show OTR 24/7, lady journalist Leonie Hayden comes face to face with one of society’s most elusive figures.“Hey baby, show us ya [insert weird word for body part here]!”To many women and non-binary folks this is a common greeting, usually delivered with great ...
Last year, we published the anonymous account of a Koru Club member who was denied their mandated birthright entry into the Koru Club. This Koru Club member returns to give us their harrowing, haunting account of the day the Koru Lounge went dry.“Bye, bye miss American Pie. Drove the Chevy ...
A Labour MP’s private members bill which allowed for bereavement leave for a miscarriage has been withdrawn and resubmitted , in seemingly a deliberate attempt to exclude post-abortive women who may also be suffering grief and loss. It will receive its ...
The police are not ruling out starting the recovery operation today for eight people missing after the Whakaari / White Island eruption but say safety comes first ...
Power Play - The latest report on moving the bulk of Auckland's port operations to Northport will be released tomorrow, but Jane Patterson asks whether it will be possible for Cabinet to press ahead prior to next year's election. ...
Toby Manhire gazes back at the last almost-10 years in New Zealand politics, leadership and tragedy.When I returned to New Zealand after 11 years away in 2010, John Key had been prime minister for a couple of years and it felt like he’d been prime minister forever. He was a ...
The Chief Ombudsman is launching a new inquiry into whether central government agencies have addressed any weaknesses identified in a landmark investigation five years ago. ...
Op-Ed by Kaveh Zahedi and Van NguyenKaveh Zahedi, Deputy Executive Secretary for Sustainable Development, United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP).“The 2030 Agenda is coming to life”, declared the Secretary General at the opening of the first SDG Summit, a quadrennial event for ...
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.Whakaari/White Island eruption Gordon Campbell: On the Whakaari/White Island eruption MIchael Lueck (Stuff): Should NZ look again at risky adventure tourism? Brook ...
The senior doctors’ union, the Association of Salaried Medical Specialists, is welcoming a report from the Medical Protection Society which provides further evidence of doctor burnout and high workload pressures. ...
Responding to reports of New Plymouth District Council’s $1.6 million rates surplus, New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union spokesman Louis Houlbrooke says: “A rates surplus means the Council has taken more from the people of New Plymouth than it needs. It ...
The fatal eruption on Whakaari on Monday may force the tourism industry to review its current rules, writes tourism professor Michael Lueck.The official death toll is six and eight people are still missing, presumed to have died, in Monday’s volcanic eruption at Whakaari/White Island. The people on the island were ...
The Council of Licenced Firearms Owners (COLFO) is calling out Police for stepping up their intimidation campaign of licenced firearms owners as the deadline for firearms compensation draws near. ...
Belong Aotearoa alongside leading organisations working in the resettlement (refugee background) sector is calling on the New Zealand Government to play a greater role in responding to the international refugee crisis, ahead of the Global Refugee Forum ...
Protest groups and human rights supporters are preparing to “unwelcome” bulk carrying cargo ship ‘Federal Crimson’ as it arrives in Dunedin on Wednesday. The ship has carried over 50,000 tonnes of ‘conflict phosphate’ from the non-self ...
Tower boss quits after turning around $6.3m loss with risk-based insurance pricing strategy; and Prime Minister meets with rescuers of Whakaari / White Island survivors. ...
Should we modify the process of government formation to ensure no future incoming PM has the authority and mana of their office compromised from the outset? ...
A petition to Government that would see e-scooters and other personal transport devices banned from New Zealand footpaths is to be presented to the Honorable Tracey Martin, Minister for Children and Seniors on Thursday, 12th December, at 1.00 pm on the steps ...
All eyes today will be on Treasury and Finance Minister Grant Robertson when he releases his "significant infrastructure spending package" at 1pm today. ...
The Auckland Rotuman Fellowship Group Incorporated (ARFGI) is marking today’s International Human Rights Day to draw attention to the NZ Government’s discriminatory policy of only supporting selective Pacific Island languages. ...
Western Australia’s move to legalise voluntary assisted dying continues a worldwide trend supported by a clear majority of New Zealanders, the End-of-Life Choice Society’s President, Dr Mary Panko, said on Wednesday. ...
School support staff have voted to accept collective agreement offers from the Ministry of Education, with the Living Wage of $21.15 as the new minimum pay rate. ...
Our pop culture superfans at The Real Pod look back at the local celebrities who defined the last decade in Aotearoa.If there’s any group of people we can turn to in these uncertain times, it’s celebrities. And lucky for us, New Zealand suddenly seems to have heaps of them. The ...
Wellington’s newest local body political party, the Wellington Party , welcomes the news that if returned to Government, the National Party will accelerate the construction work on the proposed duplicate Mt Victoria tunnel. Party President, David Lloyd, ...
Sweeping law changes proposed by an official inquiry into last year's election and foreign interference have taken too long to be of use for next year's election. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Cameron Webb, Clinical Lecturer and Principal Hospital Scientist, University of Sydney Mosquito-borne disease is a concern for health authorities around Australia. Each year, thousands fall ill to Ross River virus disease caused by mosquito bites. Tracking mosquito populations can help us respond ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Elaine Pearson, Adjunct Lecturer in Law, UNSW As we approach the last days of the decade, it’s important to reflect on the fight for human rights, the setbacks and successes over the past year in Australia and around the world. Our list ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Nathan Kettlewell, Chancellor’s Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Economics Discipline Group, University of Technology Sydney Every year private health insurers raise premiums and every year we rue the hit to our hip pocket. This cycle is heavily regulated: insurers apply to the health minister ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jenny Johnston, Lecturer in Primary Education, Southern Cross University It’s the end of the first year of school for many children and proud parents. Some children may be reading quicker than their classmates, others slower; some can add double digits, others only ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sarah Ann Wheeler, Professor in Water Economics, University of Adelaide For the thousand or so farmers in Canberra in the past week venting their anger at the federal government, it’s the Murray-Darling Basin Plan to blame for destroying their livelihoods and forcing ...
A collective of former refugee leaders, resettlement, human rights, faith-based and humanitarian organisations have signed and sent an open letter to Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Immigration Minister Iain Lees-Galloway. The letter asks the Government ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Ellerton, Lecturer in Critical Thinking; Curriculum Director, UQ Critical Thinking Project, The University of Queensland As bushfires rage and our cities lie shrouded in smoke, climate change is shaping as a likely topic of conversation at the family dinner table this ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jeff Seadon, Senior Lecturer, Auckland University of Technology CC BY-NDClimate Explained is a collaboration between The Conversation, Stuff and the New Zealand Science Media Centre to answer your questions about climate change.If you have a question you’d like an expert to ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrew Butt, Associate Professor in Sustainability and Urban Planning, RMIT University This is the third article in a series to mark the 50th anniversary of the landmark Melbourne Transportation Plan. Like the modernist plans of its time, the 1969 Melbourne Metropolitan Transportation ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Chari Larsson, Lecturer of art history, Griffith University Review: Water, GOMA, Brisbane. As I write these lines, bushfires rage through the ancient forests of New South Wales and our cities are choked with smoke. The severity of these fires is fuelled by ...
Parliament's Justice Select Committee has released its results of its inquiry into the 2017 General and 2016 Local elections and it covers issues around combating foreign interference in elections. ...
Questions remain over who had the power to stop tour companies visiting Whakaari / White Island after the volcanic alert level was raised in recent weeks. ...
Good morning and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: How the Whakaari eruption will be investigated, Greens ditch Budget Responsibility Rules, and more controversy for Crimson Education.There has been a lot of confusion about what investigations will take place after the Whakaari eruption, and what they will focus on. As ...
Through the dark clouds of injury woes, pole vaulting star Eliza McCartney saw a chance to turn her focus to making a cleaner, healthier New Zealand ...
While New Zealand struggles with the volcano tragedy, Australia too, is in the grip of its own disaster. Bushfires in New South Wales have killed 6 people and destroyed nearly 700 homes. Newsroom’s Mark Jennings is currently in Sydney which is blanketed in thick grey smoke. ...
The issue of moving Auckland's port goes beyond party politics - it is an idea whose time has come for commercial, practical and cultural purposes, writes Shane Te Pou. ...
A decade of austerity and four elections in five years have scarred rather than soothed Britain. John Morgan wonders if the electoral barometer might yet swing to change. ...
By providing food boxes to those who have requested food grants, Work and Income is fundamentally misunderstanding how to meet a basic human right, writes Rebekah Graham. Over the past few months, Work and Income has provided Auckland-based beneficiaries who have requested a food grant with a Bargain Box food kit ...
As controversy including a $10m lawsuit and ‘ghost’ offices continues to swirl around Jamie Beaton, his fellow Rhodes scholars have slammed him for trying to recruit them.Those who gain a prestigious Rhodes Scholarship must display “truth, courage, devotion to duty, sympathy for and protection of the weak, kindliness, unselfishness and ...
With the Labour party making a late surge in the opinion polls and getting some good headlines, some pundits are wondering if Britain’s general election on Thursday will end in a repeat of 2017’s hung parliament.Never say never, but this time feels quite different to 2017.That election took ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michael Lueck, Professor of Tourism, Auckland University of Technology The official death toll remains at five, and eight people are still missing, presumed to have died in yesterday’s volcanic eruption at Whakaari/White Island. The people on the island were tourists and tour ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Abishek Santhakumar, Senior Lecturer in Haematology, Charles Sturt University How and why do we get bruises? – Francesca, aged 8. Hi Francesca, thanks for sending in this great question. If you fall off your bike or knock yourself on ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ryan R. Witt, Conjoint Lecturer | Conservation Biology Research Group, University of Newcastle Thousands of koalas may have died in fires burning through New South Wales but expert evidence to a state parliamentary inquiry on Monday said we are unlikely to ever ...
Police Minister Stuart Nash has defended the police decision not to mount a rescue operation at Whakaari / White Island and says he's confident they did everything they could. ...
Sam Brooks interviews Cecily, the local singer behind surprise sleeper hit ‘Thinking ‘Bout Me’.“Getting thinner, feeling fatter, laughing more, feeling sadder.”That’s one of a few killer lines that adorn Cecily’s gem of a sadbanger ‘Thinking ‘Bout Me’, which wound up on the top of every pop music nerd’s favourite New ...
I have written elsewhere (see reference list below) about the important principles that suggest all enfranchised residents should receive a share of public income, and how the realisation of this is essentially a matter of reformed public accounting. Here I just consider two typical New Zealanders of different generations, and ...
Hū ana te whenua, ngārue ana te moana. He aituā! He aituā! E tangi ana i āhua o te parekura i Whakaari inanahi. E aroha ana ki te whānau pani me ngā iwi e honohono kau ana ki te tipua maunga kei te Moana-a-Toi. “The Māori Party expresses its ...
The Prime Minister has sent a message to the family and friends of those overseas tourists caught up in the Whakaari / White Island eruption that New Zealand will hold their loved one close. ...
In the first instalment of our new pop-up podcast, The Spinoff Book Out Loud, Madeleine Chapman reads her poignant, hilarious response to the response to her scandalous ranking of New Zealand chips.In late March 2019, Madeleine Chapman spied her Everest, and she climbed it. “All 123 chip flavours in New ...
We were in the middle of drawing up this list when Potton & Burton quietly dropped a new book – it is optimistic and surprising and all kinds of wonderful, and here is our wee rave about it. Plus, in no particular order, here are the other nine best children’s ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Lachlan Warner, Australian Catholic University Last week Britain’s Turner Prize for visual art was announced. For the first time, the award went to a collective instead of the usual singular winner. The four finalists – Helen Cammock, Oscar Murillo, Tai Shani and ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Genna Churches, PhD Candidate, UNSW After watching this year’s media raids and the prosecution of lawyers and whistleblowers, it’s not hard to see why Australians wonder about excessive police power and dwindling journalistic freedom. But these problems are compounded by another, less ...
Sam Brooks reviews Marriage Story, the latest Netflix movie that tackles that universally horrible experience: divorce.There’s a moment, about halfway into Noah Baumbach’s Marriage Story, Netflix’s new film about the dissolution of a marriage, that hit me harder than anything else in the movie up until that point. During their first mediation ...
Barnardos welcomes He taonga te tamaiti - the 10 Year Early Learning Action Plan recently published by the Ministry of Education. Barnardos particularly welcomes the theme of the Action Plan: every child a taonga. The plan recognises that every ...
Open Mike 29/04/2018 
Back in 2015, then Ombudsman Beverley Wakem conducted a review of the OIA, Not a game of hide and seek. The "review" was a whitewash, which found no need for legislative change, and instead criticised the media and requesters - which destroyed Wakem's reputation, and undermined that of the Office ...33 mins ago
So, You Gov's MRP poll - the weird one that tries to reflect what will happen at a constituency level and which pretty much nailed the hung parliament in 2017 - is not looking too good for Labour:
Sheer Loopiness: Many of those expressing bemusement at the antics of these #turnardern effacers, were convinced that they were yet another expression of the National Party’s increasingly spiteful anti-government propaganda campaign. They marvelled at the oddness of the perpetrators’ mindset and questioned the common-sense of allowing the rest of New Zealand ...3 hours ago
Brad Scott, GNS Science VolcanologistThis post was originally published by GeoNet. Following the 9 December devastating eruption at Whakaari/White Island we have put together some information about the island. New Zealand’s most active volcano Whakaari/White Island is currently New Zealand’s most active volcano, it has been since an eruptive episode ...20 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