People who have accepted climate change as fact need to stop using the word believe when talking about it . It is not a religion that needs you to believe for it to be real it is science fact .
Using the word believe means people have the room to use the word Don’t in front.
Theres alot of media enforced conditioning responsible for that and many other fact/science based issues like child poverty, housing, an underfunded health system, polluted waterways etc.
This is why Turnbull in Oz has the ABC/SBS in his murdoch sponsored gun sights. The annoying facts and science approach they want to shut down.
NBN is a debacle that’s all Malcoms own doing that he’ll not want a fact based approach over as one example. Their latest corp tax cuts another.
It’s also why he keeps pimping for national, those dead rats take awhile to digest and wupert didn’t have any media in NZ to offer up for his cause.
Tthat ‘stool pigeon for anti-climate club Turnbull’ – has just been punished for his igniorance of not accepting climate change is real and here now, – by loosing four out of five bi-election seats last night.
“Revenge is sweet”
Last night Australian Labour won four of the five bi-election seats and Bill Shorten is claiming it as a clear sign Labour will win the next General Election.
Much like the Obama administration, which paid lip service to human rights at the height of the Arab Spring, but behind the scenes gave the Egyptian military an extra $1.3 billion in military aid to the Egyptian Army. Within weeks of receiving the $1.3 billion from the US, the Egyptian military overthrew the democratically elected government and seized control, in a US backed coup.
Looks more certain that the Labor Party will win back control of the Aussie federal government next May. Would have liked to see that horrible, little reactionary John Howard’s face in Auckland last night when the news came through. Another nasty man, Peter Dutton, the Australian Immigration minister who is in a marginal seat in Qld may be soon out of a job.
Be a good one for the liberals to lose, having pushed corp tax cuts through by appeasing the racists in One nation, installed a google exec as ABC CEO and have begun the ‘it’s yesterdays model, we can’t afford the ABC today ‘ mantra in the MSM.
Rudds mining super tax may seem a long time ago but it serves as a reminder as to how long they have been knobbling the average Ozzie via corporate welfare. When they aren’t in power giving it away, they’re in opposition blocking attempts to rebalance it.
Labour will also have their appalling immigration/detention practices to deal with. Like his mate shonky, Mal’s kicked as many cans down the road as possible for someone else to deal with.
As for dutton gez he’s got plenty of mates like Chris Pyne, Michaela cash, George Brandis and remember Tony Abbotts still lurking with intent. Then there’s the christian breakaway led by Cori Bernardi after he was voted back as a liberal……my what a lovely bunch.
Well said Koff; that was a positive rtesiult for labor in Australia eh?
Rid the horrible Liberal/National/coalition Gov’t of Australia they are so bloody toxic.
Yes John Howard the “coward” is a very nasty person for sure.
Last night Australian Labour won four of the five bi-election seats and Bill Shorten is claiming it as a clear sign Labour will win the next General Election.
Dutton’s seat is next door to Longman. If the swing is similar at the general election he’s toast, as is the Coalition government which is becoming really unpopular in Queensland.
So it looks like the Guardian has given up all illusions of being a news source that reports in a fair and balanced way.
For one example they have been relentlessly attacking Corbyn on this ridiculous anti sematic angle for the past two months, only slightly easing up for a couple of days when the Israeli’s massacred over sixty unarmed protesters on the Gaza prison fence.
Of course there are no comments allowed on these stories (slurs) or on any stories that involve Gaza, Israel, Novichok, Russia the slow demise of the DNC establishment etc.
And if you do comment on any of these subjects on another story in a conversation with other commenters, they will delete your comment pretty quickly…no free speech on the Guardian…just shut up and follow the party line.
In fact The Daily Mail of all places, often has more balanced stories on some these subjects than the Guardian…that is the low level that the Guardian has sunk too.
yes wonder how long before their excellent football coverage is impacted.
They’ve outspoken contributors on the bent state of FIFA, UEFA and the run down state that grassroots football is in the UK. Not a message that’s popular among those benefiting from the current status quo.
The Guardian is a liberal establishment rag.
It engages in identitarian skirmishes , having long ago given up on the class and economic war.
Its vicious attacks on Corbyn shows its true colours.
Blow by blow tweeted report on speeches at the Canadian pair’s Melbourne event. In case you have any doubts that these are vile racists.
Trigger warning: there be endless expressions of European superiority and attacks on Aborigines, Chinese, etc and their cultures. And that’s just from Molyneux, before I even read reports on Southern’s stint.
Actually, Southern reported as lacking in charisma, and not as gross as Molyneux – probably the relatively benign and acceptable face of expressions of European ‘superiority’: attacking lefties and the media: attacks multiculturalism; praises free speech and democracy.
It predisposes then that if they come to NZ we will be entertained with a new twist on the history of the Maori race. Bring it on and see what sort of response they will get.
Since folk like them are cowards, they will be on a plane fleeing the country within hours of delivery.
Conservatives are the ones that need trigger warnings. Biggest snowflakes out there. They cry every time they see anything to do with sex on the TV or in literature.
This should be outed for the facism that it is, labelled as such and isolated with a “warning: contains facism” tag. Sheeple need warnings like on fag and medication products.
Compare this with the efforts to keep Holocaust deniers out Vs efforts to get the alt right in as that’s free speech as well isn’t it based on the alt rights definition ?
We allow the rise of facism at our own peril. The alt right is a cancer against a tolerant mutlicultural society.
Southern says women and men are not unequal, we are just different. Says feminists have made life shit for women. Says it was much better for women when they were put on pedestals and loved for the things we do well.
Hanson planning to come to Nz – So what if she does plan…or actually turn up…
The so called left is being absolutely played to perfection…the regressive tendancies are being pried out and are now exposed, by an open and public failure of coping mechanisms…
Gaslighting is a form of psychological manipulation that seeks to sow seeds of doubt in a targeted individual or in members of a targeted group, making them question their own memory, perception, and sanity.
Trying to make it about me is a diversion from a wider and very important issue. It is about power, and marginalised and demonised groups of people, where some advances have been made towards greater social and economic equity. And it’s about the attempts by some to turn back the clock and re-entrench insitutionalised racism, mysogyny, homophobia, etc.
It’s a bigger issue than any one person.
Are you trying to shutdown and silence all those who would speak out against the vileness of the hate speech of Molyneux in particular, and their even more vile followers on and off social media?
As I/S says, more speech at this time, is the way forward by those who oppose the neo-nazis.
Trigger warnings are for those who may find the content distressful. Using that to claim somehow I’ve gone off the deepend, is just diversionary.
The content of the Canadian pairs’ speeches targeted and viciously abused Aboriginal people, and immigrants, and asked for government policies to put them in their ‘inferior’ place in society.
You know the poem
First they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a socialist.
Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a trade unionist.
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.
The people organising for “Love Aotearoa, hate racism” are being led by immigrants, Māori and Pacific people.
‘Gas-lighting’…. for crying out loud Carolyn… clearly you find what others are saying as influential… I’m not concerned what I/S et al have to say…it is not relevant to how I think or feel about this…
Psychological manipulation is precisely what is going on…
The traps have been set…and are being walked into…
It is about the response, it is about the emotive reactions feeding oxyen to a manufactured fire that can’t sustain its energy levels without taking energy from elsewhere….or being handed it willingly…
So this is about you…and those who sound as though they think that confronting it head on is the appropriate approach to take….
People are free to put their energy into anything they so choose but need to realize that energy is finite and taking a ‘bombing the way to peace’ approach is unlikely to achieve genuine outcomes..
Hate – This is a word which too many people have no concept of why they should NEVER use it…and it’s being used as a counter concept…good grief that is poorly thought out…
Neo-natzi – No they aren’t
Bigots – Actors
The so called left are going to capitulate in a seething pile of regressive intolerance…becoming a parody of those very same traits they purport to stand for…
That is far more dangerous to positive future direction than anything those two Canadians ‘represent’….
OK, so we don’t give these two, or hanson, our attention.
That doesn’t mean they go away. That just means they have an unopposed opportunity to find and reinforce their support.
You want a case study of a little closed group reinforcing its exclusivity while being ignored? It’s the gamergate culture that served as an uncubating cyst for this latest neofascist bullshit.
And don’t kid yourself. These two make neofascists feel tough. That’s why “14 words” posters and leaflets are now being distributed around Dunedin. It’s no coincidence.
That link provided a semblance of reporting what they actually said, so it was helpful. The earlier one was just a bunch of kids emoting at each other, total waste of time reading it. Why do such people think that their personal inadequacies deserve more space on the internet than the actual event??
As far as the reportage goes, I didn’t see as much crap as I thought I would. Depictions of abo culture realistic? How would anyone know? If based on historical investigations, then sources must be cited to validate them. Even then, white historical reports will be suspect. Anthropologists in the 19th & early 20th centuries are likely to be unwitting victims of their innate cultural bias. That’s why leftists are prone to conflating their reports with racism.
We’d be more informed if investigations and reportage dealt with current aboriginal cultural practices. If the Canadians had reported stats of child abuse, for instance, that showed children being victimised nowadays more than in white Oz, they’d be on solid ground. Not doing so just looks like cultural bias.
As regards multiculturalism operating like a cult, that’s only true for a small portion of the populace. To claim that most leftists think like that is unfair to leftists. They didn’t actually make that claim according to the report, just implied it. Interesting that she doesn’t identify as alt-right. I get the impression that their attempt to re-balance western societies in the interests of collective sanity is sincere, but the intellectual content of the reasoning must improve to get the result they’re aiming for. Assimilation is indeed the key, and the report suggests they failed to explain the toxic effect of immigrant enclaves operating in a separatist manner and trying to promote exclusive ideologies.
He might be thick but manages to attract curious insects on his flypaper.
It sounds as if Southern is mostly the angel face to provide the glamour to balance and gildd the ole’ down-home Joe dressed in a way that real blokes can identify with.
Do you need to go and explained to people what self-seeking attention seekers are, or indeed what trolls are? If that not enough of an explanation, then point out their racist’s who cause riot’s – should fix most conversations. Why this morbid need to give them oxygen by repeating what they say, I hardly think they are worth it.
As for do nothing, in this case feeding this behaviour helps them. Can’t see how people are missing that. These really are just attention seekers of the lowest order, they love the drama.
Why give way to people who do nothing but promote division, when you could do better by organising and working with people to make a better society – which isn’t racist, chauvinist, and violent.
Sure, if there’s a controversy the self-perceived victimhood is reinforced, and these two might get a flurry of clicks from people wanting to know why people think these two are shits.
But if the only people who know about people spreading this sort of message are the willing recipients of that message, their auditoria will still be full and people might think that this is a normal part of the political spectrum.
If you say “these people are racists who cause riots” the natural response is “what do they say that’s racist”? If you don’t know what they say, your first claim looks pretty weak. But now everyone knows what they say, we can have that discussion. And when that fails (because neofascists aren’t really interested in discussion) everyone knows why they’re fighting.
Come on racists say very few new things, so that argument is silly. Even if that the case, so here me guessing that they said Aboriginals were lazy and subspecies, just like Pauline Hanson said 25 years ago. It’s the same low life crap white people keep repeating like some sort of truth.
And so organising and working with other people is pointless in your opinion then? Because fighting these people is more important, yeah, nah, sorry not buying it.
The hard right have been on this waka for a very long time, these are just the latest bunch of turds to pop up. The people who will buy this crap, are already buying this crap.
The way to fight this stuff is to offer better examples and positive models going forward, and of course humour.
Fascists have been around for a century. How much support they get is what changes.
Organising and working with people who are dogwhistlers for people who like to do torchlight parades chanting about jews replacing them is pointless. History shows us they will work with anyone to further their own ends, then put their former allies on a train when they are no longer useful.
Humour is good, very good. I definitely follow the mel brooks approach to nazis: make them a laughing stock. But when they’re on your doorstep, in your neighbourhood or town, confront them as much as you can. Offer them scorn. Because if you give them respect, you give them validation.
But yes, there is a lot of material in a canadian who wears MAGA gear and US flags cruising around Australasia in order to talk about how bad multiculturalism is.
Like your last paragraph McFlock on the Canadian’s sartorial contradictions.
I was in London when the National Front was a malicious presence in the late 70s. They had marches in areas with a lot of Afro-Caribbean people, intending to intimidate them. Away from media glare, there were bashings and violence against black people – that kind of violence hid behind the public rhetoric.
There were some smallish counter demos by anti-racist groups in those neighbourhoods.
The demos I went on, were massive ones through the centre of London, and brought together diverse groups. (wikipedia on RAR says 100,000 people at one demo)
And there were some big Rock Against Racism gigs, with performers like Elvis Costello, The Clash, X-Ray Specs, and George Michael (at a time when the Wham boys were considered to be superficial airheads.)
Ah, I see where the name “Love Aotearoa, hate racism” comes from. I see the wikipedia article says RAR was reborn in 2002 as “Love Music, hate racism”.
Music can be a great source of inspiration and, done well, can bring people together in a positive way.
Your commentCarolyn_Nth brings up my main problem with this discussion for the last couple of weeks. It’s been reactionary and negative, just like people coming from canada.
Rock against Racism is awesome, having anti-racism rallies is awesome. Feeding into the narrative that attention seeking muppets are generating, is at best a waste of energy at worst, it just replicates them.
Organising a Rock against Racism concert would be better all round. Days of negative merry-go-rounds of “oh look they said such and such”, really help no one.
Are the police really than out of control? Not in NZ, a few casual racists, but NZ police would shut-down anything queer, in a flash. Army too, all good kids, just a bit wild. Anything like this negro shit happening in NZ would be fantasy, Middle Earth maybe…
Somehow writing this shit is beerable if you’re listening to Brian Eno or something smooth.
Yeah, every time ya go to read the news, ya have open a private search window. They have thrown the informed down like porn junkies.
But if the Brits ever really looked like losing there good sense of humour, Prince Harry would step in, rest assured.
Australian news about media. Nine is the magic number there which has been enabled by long ago wiping of controls on joint ownership of different types of media. Now Fairfax has gone and that name wlll be seen no more apparently.
NZ was mentioned in a large document covering the sale/transfer in two sentences at the beginning. They are also planning to get rid of regional newspapers over there. (Let’s face it we are regional also to them.) It is expected that entertainment, gossip and candy floss stuff will be pre-eminent for 9 and no doubt politics Australian style, all bluster, venom and power-and-money first (with gossip and sensation feeding public interest and clicks!).
Here Stuff in its digital reach is going to be of interest to some other owner (probably ME) and feel fairly confident about their future.
There is talk about merger or sale or something with a private equity entity. NZ public should start investing in a financial trust of integrity that holds sufficient funds to buy up base infrastructure and business that is in danger of passing into foreign predatory hands. I know we have Kiwisaver but that has a different role.
Mediawatch also includes coverage about disagreement emotional skewing about babies and pods that the manufacturer ofthem wants to gift and showcase at the ame time. Very interesting. Today, once someone with a business or craze wants to develop it, they have the right to utilise or wipe out anything that is valued by people in the relevant area they want to utilise.
Image caption: Sir Ray Avery on Newshub Nation earlier this month, accusing Helen Clark of grandstanding Actually the ‘grandstanding’ is a pun which he might not be aware of, along with other insensitivities.
Encouraging stuff to listen to. Especially the street choir which is a bridge to the future of what many can do in their periods between unemployment instead of falling between the cracks, and they will make music.
We can take up the mouthy powers-that-be who talked up how good it would be when technology took away the boring repetitive jobs, Which of course left us with nothing but kicks in the bum for being unemployed. The Auckland Street Choir is doing something uplifting. This is the sort of activity that can truly take place after being enabled by the technology doing the grunt work. That is the way we were going to develop so let’s advance this. We can have music wherever we go from the tech-outed now unemployed. And respect these great, creative people who know what aroha is, and we can learn the meaning of the Maori word ‘awhi’.
And be able to start up small local businesses and not be smothered by big-business centred extreme health and safety barriers and middle class perceptions of ‘best practice’. Let us do what we can to get by at a reasonable standard, which is watched over and held to.
Making ice cream for instance.
*********************************************************
Caitlin Goodin, Lillie Cripps, Eda Ye, Victoria Roebuck and Charlotte Houten won the Excellence in Food and Beverage award at the Lion Foundation Young Enterprise regional awards.
Left to Right: Caitlin Goodin, Charlotte Houten, Victoria Roebuck, Lillie Cripps, Eda Ye (Harrison Bell absent).
Testing their wares
Caitlin Goodin, Charlotte Houten, Wallace and Eda Ye
It’s the last day of the Auckland Food Show on Sunday and a group of young college students are taking their cool food product to market. The six students, five from Westlake Girls High School on Auckland’s North Shore and one from Westlake Boys, have been making ice-cream in tubs for the past couple of years, after setting up a business as part of an extra-curricular project. It’s called Miss Tubs and the flavours they make are Jaffa Junkie, Pumpin Pineapple and the newly released Pav-lover. Miss Tubs CEO Caitlin Goodin, marketing manager Charlotte Houten and communications manager Eda Ye explain why they set it up and their plans.
Most of us live our lives without contact with the homeless and marginalised in society. We might pass each other in the street, or throw a couple of coins in the hat. But the Auckland Street Choir is that rare thing: a project where people from profoundly different worlds work together. Auckland Street Choir founder and musical director Rohan MacMahon and some of the choir’s members, including Rawiri Sears-Ngatai, come into the RNZ studio.
A wide ranging look at Syria, its internal future, and how Russia is managing the international politics (investment in Iran’s energy sector while limiting their role in Syria).
Why oh why are our heavy weight boxers such top blokes . You can be trained to perfection but if you havent got the arrogant self belief you will never beat a guy who pulled a bullet out of his own leg
“Finally, the indictment seeks the forfeiture of property involved in the criminal activity. There’s no allegation in this indictment that any American citizen committed a crime. There’s no allegation that the conspiracy changed the vote count or affected any election result.”
So the full speech from Rod Rosenstein has this little gem or nugget in it.
I’m beginning to wonder if we all been taken for a ride whilst the GOP and trump hack and slash what is left of US social services, and plunge their economy full tilt into a war economy.
And since his statement, a woman has been charged with acting as a Russian agent and top NRA officials along with numerous political figures have been implicated, an ongoing probe into whether or not foreign monies were fed to Republican candidates via the NRA has just gotten way juicier, and tRump’s former lawyer has only just begun to sing.
She’s a Russian. So still no yanks. I’m still dubious and what your suggesting is more of the same we have had since trump was elected, lots of allegations – bugger all substance. Reading Vox on it, this is somthing that been happening for years. The sucking up to the NRA, that is.
If as previously alleged, the NRA has been used to funnel offshore money to the tRump campaign, dollars to donuts there will be American neck deep in the scheme.
I’m not going to hold my breath, still to many alligations and not enough substance. I hope it gets the whole campaign, otherwise it’s going to be pence time, and I think that will be worse.
That said, still think we being played – so more evil shenanigans comes from the GOP. Like this.
We won’t see trump resign or be impeached by this. The first requires him to have shame or honour, the second requires the same of the repugs in both houses. A Pence presidency is a very low probability.
At best he’s a one-termer and his replacement doesn’t pardon him. Then Trump is open to federal charges if they happen.
If he gets a federal pardon, New York State might have some hard questions for him.
But he could always walk away scott-free, even if everyone around him gets done for a variety of charges.
As for the GOP evildoing, I think Paul Ryan (at least him) is on record openly hoping the medicaid and federal assistance can be rolled back to pre-FDR levels. As in, literally used the New Deal as being too much big government.
They don’t want to trim the programme. They want it all repealed.
Spain. Dozens of migrants filmed on the beach in southern Spain on Friday. A group of more than 30 migrants land in a boat, after which sprint escapes to the forests surrounding the beach to avoid prosecution by the Spanish border guards. VIDEO! pic.twitter.com/MRo8uMOZDT— Mag (@czarymarybum777) July 28, 2018
“I’m pleased to inform members and supporters that there has been a significantly
positive response to my offer to support a political party that continues to promote
the policy manifesto that The Opportunities Party assembled to contest the 2017
election.
The Board, therefore, has decided to put on hold its plan to deregister TOP as a
political party to give us time to evaluate the responses and specifically to
evaluate how TOP may evolve as a political party.
In order that TOP is given the best chance of continuing, it’s imperative that we
successfully hold our AGM on Monday July 30th. To this end the Board has changed the
quorum rule for the AGM from a minimum of 50 members to 20 members and if this is
not achieved the quorum for the subsequent adjourned meeting from 25 members to 10
members.
We expect to be in a position to announce the results of our deliberations over the
future of the Party during August.”
Good evening The Am Show I’m working for my favorite charity over the last week
my condolences go out to the Aussie farmers going through drought at the minuet
The problem is the banker is your best friend but when one needs there help the most I.E the farmers going through hardship they run and hide farmers are hard workers and deserve our help when in times of extreme weather events thats bankers for you.
I see bridges try to have another kick at that old horse this morning the unemployed stats its time to talk about universal wage this way kiwis only get this I.E resident for 6 years and they could afford to work for $ 16.50 and be better off.
What no one is talking about is one of our biggest exports cash how many billions of cash is exported out of our economy because of the system we have of importing Labour just because business want there profits over whats best for Aotearoa with a unervisal wage they business get there cake and Aotearoa.
Julian Dennison brother has the correct political ambitions a young Labour member
they are intelligent moko’s.
The dentist industry needs a over haul it’s way to expensive the dentist have to much control of there market this is the only reason it cost so much for dental care in
Aotearoa at the minuet. Ka kite ano P.S Eco Maori charity is whano
Good evening Newshub There you go national and dairy dack dune thats what you do to a poison that kill’s people you don’t make it leagle to kill people you ban it and jail the suppliers ka pai Winston Peters .
It makes amazes Eco Maori we have a alcohol problem that cost us in peoples lives and heaps of resources and we go HOW DO WE FIX THIS PROBLEM .
Its quite easy no sales of alcohol after 8 pm no sales in shops that are not bottle stores and brand it with the brand it deserves as a killer of people and ignore the alcohol lobbing group.
Its the same with sugar everyone is saying we have a obesity problem people are dying from this stuff but because two main company’s control the sugar market and have the influence to lobbie for there sugar poison not to be taxed out of reach from the poor common person that’s reality money man wins.
The Auckland city mission patients have dubbled since 2008 and this is on of the reason one reason Eco Maori rains his wrath on the national party who thinks its ok to die on Aotearoa streets while you are sipping your fine wine with out blinking Capitalist that’s WHO.
That fight should have been a draw what example does boxing set for the mokopunas
that if you cheat you win Kevin don’t go talking ——- Joe get people who you can trust to manage your future and you will be fine if it was not for that head but you would have won . Ka kite ano P.S we are getting Rain Ingred it was a beautiful day today
This is the reality of what the Capitalist have dished out to Tangata Whenua
Labour has tryed to stop the facial capitalist from doing serving Tangata Whenua this ———–system ka kite ano
Well, I've been there, sitting in that same chairWhispering that same prayer half a million timesIt's a lie, though buried in disciplesOne page of the Bible isn't worth a lifeThere's nothing wrong with youIt's true, it's trueThere's something wrong with the villageWith the villageSomething wrong with the villageSongwriters: Andrew Jackson ...
ACT would like to dictate what universities can and can’t say. We knew it was coming. It was outlined in the coalition agreement and has become part of Seymour’s strategy of “emphasising public funding” to prevent people from opposing him and his views—something he also uses to try and de-platform ...
Skeptical Science is partnering with Gigafact to produce fact briefs — bite-sized fact checks of trending claims. This fact brief was written by Sue Bin Park from the Gigafact team in collaboration with members from our team. You can submit claims you think need checking via the tipline. Are we heading ...
So the Solstice has arrived – Summer in this part of the world, Winter for the Northern Hemisphere. And with it, the publication my new Norse dark-fantasy piece, As Our Power Lessens at Eternal Haunted Summer: https://eternalhauntedsummer.com/issues/winter-solstice-2024/as-our-power-lessens/ As previously noted, this one is very ‘wyrd’, and Northern Theory of Courage. ...
The Natural Choice: As a starter for ten percent of the Party Vote, “saving the planet” is a very respectable objective. Young voters, in particular, raised on the dire (if unheeded) warnings of climate scientists, and the irrefutable evidence of devastating weather events linked to global warming, vote Green. After ...
The Government cancelled 60% of Kāinga Ora’s new builds next year, even though the land for them was already bought, the consents were consented and there are builders unemployed all over the place. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMōrena. Long stories short, the six things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political ...
Photo by CHUTTERSNAP on UnsplashEvery morning I get up at 3am to go around the traps of news sites in Aotearoa and globally. I pick out the top ones from my point of view and have been putting them into my Dawn Chorus email, which goes out with a podcast. ...
Over on Kikorangi Newsroom's Marc Daalder has published his annual OIA stats. So I thought I'd do mine: 82 OIA requests sent in 2024 7 posts based on those requests 20 average working days to receive a response Ministry of Justice was my most-requested entity, ...
Welcome to the December 2024 Economic Bulletin. We have two monthly features in this edition. In the first, we discuss what the Half Year Economic and Fiscal Update from Treasury and the Budget Policy Statement from the Minister of Finance tell us about the fiscal position and what to ...
The NZCTU Te Kauae Kaimahi have submitted against the controversial Treaty Principles Bill, slamming the Bill as a breach of Te Tiriti o Waitangi and an attack on tino rangatiratanga and the collective rights of Tangata Whenua. “This Bill seeks to legislate for Te Tiriti o Waitangi principles that are ...
I don't knowHow to say what's got to be saidI don't know if it's black or whiteThere's others see it redI don't get the answers rightI'll leave that to youIs this love out of fashionOr is it the time of yearAre these words distraction?To the words you want to hearSongwriters: ...
Our economy has experienced its worst recession since 1991. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMōrena. Long stories short, the six things that matter in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Friday, December 20 in The Kākā’s Dawn Chorus podcast above and the daily Pick ‘n’ Mix below ...
Twas the Friday before Christmas and all through the week we’ve been collecting stories for our final roundup of the year. As we start to wind down for the year we hope you all have a safe and happy Christmas and new year. If you’re travelling please be safe on ...
The podcast above of the weekly ‘Hoon’ webinar for paying subscribers on Thursday night features co-hosts & talking about the year’s news with: on climate. Her book of the year was Tim Winton’s cli-fi novel Juice and she also mentioned Mike Joy’s memoir The Fight for Fresh Water. ...
The Government can head off to the holidays, entitled to assure itself that it has done more or less what it said it would do. The campaign last year promised to “get New Zealand back on track.” When you look at the basic promises—to trim back Government expenditure, toughen up ...
Open access notables An intensification of surface Earth’s energy imbalance since the late 20th century, Li et al., Communications Earth & Environment:Tracking the energy balance of the Earth system is a key method for studying the contribution of human activities to climate change. However, accurately estimating the surface energy balance ...
Photo by Mauricio Fanfa on UnsplashKia oraCome and join us for our weekly ‘Hoon’ webinar with paying subscribers to The Kākā for an hour at 5 pm today.Jump on this link on YouTube Livestream for our chat about the week’s news with myself , plus regular guests and , ...
“Like you said, I’m an unreconstructed socialist. Everybody deserves to get something for Christmas.”“ONE OF THOSE had better be for me!” Hannah grinned, fascinated, as Laurie made his way, gingerly, to the bar, his arms full of gift-wrapped packages.“Of course!”, beamed Laurie. Depositing his armful on the bar-top and selecting ...
Data released by Statistics New Zealand today showed a significant slowdown in the economy over the past six months, with GDP falling by 1% in September, and 1.1% in June said CTU Economist Craig Renney. “The data shows that the size of the economy in GDP terms is now smaller ...
One last thing before I quitI never wanted any moreThan I could fit into my headI still remember every single word you saidAnd all the shit that somehow came along with itStill, there's one thing that comforts meSince I was always caged and now I'm freeSongwriters: David Grohl / Georg ...
Sparse offerings outside a Te Kauwhata church. Meanwhile, the Government is cutting spending in ways that make thousands of hungry children even hungrier, while also cutting funding for the charities that help them. It’s also doing that while winding back new building of affordable housing that would allow parents to ...
It is difficult to make sense of the Luxon Coalition Government’s economic management.This end-of-year review about the state of economic management – the state of the economy was last week – is not going to cover the National Party contribution. Frankly, like every other careful observer, I cannot make up ...
This morning I awoke to the lovely news that we are firmly back on track, that is if the scale was reversed.NZ ranks low in global economic comparisonsNew Zealand's economy has been ranked 33rd out of 37 in an international comparison of which have done best in 2024.Economies were ranked ...
Remember those silent movies where the heroine is tied to the railway tracks or going over the waterfall in a barrel? Finance Minister Nicola Willis seems intent on portraying herself as that damsel in distress. According to Willis, this country’s current economic problems have all been caused by the spending ...
Similar to the cuts and the austerity drive imposed by Ruth Richardson in the 1990’s, an era which to all intents and purposes we’ve largely fiddled around the edges with fixing in the time since – over, to be fair, several administrations – whilst trying our best it seems to ...
String-Pulling in the Dark: For the democratic process to be meaningful it must also be public. WITH TRUST AND CONFIDENCE in New Zealand’s politicians and journalists steadily declining, restoring those virtues poses a daunting challenge. Just how daunting is made clear by comparing the way politicians and journalists treated New Zealanders ...
Dear Nicola Willis, thank you for letting us know in so many words that the swingeing austerity hasn't worked.By in so many words I mean the bit where you said, Here is a sea of red ink in which we are drowning after twelve months of savage cost cutting and ...
The Open Government Partnership is a multilateral organisation committed to advancing open government. Countries which join are supposed to co-create regular action plans with civil society, committing to making verifiable improvements in transparency, accountability, participation, or technology and innovation for the above. And they're held to account through an Independent ...
Today I tuned into something strange: a press conference that didn’t make my stomach churn or the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end. Which was strange, because it was about the torture of children. It was the announcement by Erica Stanford — on her own, unusually ...
This is a must watch, and puts on brilliant and practical display the implications and mechanics of fast-track law corruption and weakness.CLICK HERE: LINK TO WATCH VIDEOOur news media as it is set up is simply not equipped to deal with the brazen disinformation and corruption under this right wing ...
NZCTU Te Kauae Kaimahi Acting Secretary Erin Polaczuk is welcoming the announcement from Minister of Workplace Relations and Safety Brooke van Velden that she is opening consultation on engineered stone and is calling on her to listen to the evidence and implement a total ban of the product. “We need ...
The Government has announced a 1.5% increase in the minimum wage from 1 April 2025, well below forecast inflation of 2.5%. Unions have reacted strongly and denounced it as a real terms cut. PSA and the CTU are opposing a new round of staff cuts at WorkSafe, which they say ...
The decision to unilaterally repudiate the contract for new Cook Strait ferries is beginning to look like one of the stupidest decisions a New Zealand government ever made. While cancelling the ferries and their associated port infrastructure may have made this year's books look good, it means higher costs later, ...
Hi there! I’ve been overseas recently, looking after a situation with a family member. So apologies if there any less than focused posts! Vanuatu has just had a significant 7.3 earthquake. Two MFAT staff are unaccounted for with local fatalities.It’s always sad to hear of such things happening.I think of ...
Today is a special member's morning, scheduled to make up for the government's theft of member's days throughout the year. First up was the first reading of Greg Fleming's Crimes (Increased Penalties for Slavery Offences) Amendment Bill, which was passed unanimously. Currently the House is debating the third reading of ...
We're going backwardsIgnoring the realitiesGoing backwardsAre you counting all the casualties?We are not there yetWhere we need to beWe are still in debtTo our insanitiesSongwriter: Martin Gore Read more ...
Willis blamed Treasury for changing its productivity assumptions and Labour’s spending increases since Covid for the worsening Budget outlook. Photo: Getty ImagesMōrena. Long stories short, the six things that matter in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Wednesday, December 18 in The Kākā’s Dawn Chorus podcast above ...
Today the Auckland Transport board meet for the last time this year. For those interested (and with time to spare), you can follow along via this MS Teams link from 10am. I’ve taken a quick look through the agenda items to see what I think the most interesting aspects are. ...
Hi,If you’re a New Zealander — you know who Mike King is. He is the face of New Zealand’s battle against mental health problems. He can be loud and brash. He raises, and is entrusted with, a lot of cash. Last year his “I Am Hope” charity reported a revenue ...
Probably about the only consolation available from yesterday’s unveiling of the Half-Yearly Economic and Fiscal Update (HYEFU) is that it could have been worse. Though Finance Minister Nicola Willis has tightened the screws on future government spending, she has resisted the calls from hard-line academics, fiscal purists and fiscal hawks ...
The right have a stupid saying that is only occasionally true:When is democracy not democracy? When it hasn’t been voted on.While not true in regards to branches of government such as the judiciary, it’s a philosophy that probably should apply to recently-elected local government councillors. Nevertheless, this concept seemed to ...
Long story short: the Government’s austerity policy has driven the economy into a deeper and longer recession that means it will have to borrow $20 billion more over the next four years than it expected just six months ago. Treasury’s latest forecasts show the National-ACT-NZ First Government’s fiscal strategy of ...
Come and join myself and CTU Chief Economist for a pop-up ‘Hoon’ webinar on the Government’s Half Yearly Economic and Fiscal Update (HYEFU) with paying subscribers to The Kākā for 30 minutes at 5 pm today.Jump on this link on YouTube Livestream to watch our chat. Don’t worry if ...
In 1998, in the wake of the Paremoremo Prison riot, the Department of Corrections established the "Behaviour Management Regime". Prisoners were locked in their cells for 22 or 23 hours a day, with no fresh air, no exercise, no social contact, no entertainment, and in some cases no clothes and ...
New data released by the Treasury shows that the economic policies of this Government have made things worse in the year since they took office, said NZCTU Economist Craig Renney. “Our fiscal indicators are all heading in the wrong direction – with higher levels of debt, a higher deficit, and ...
At the 2023 election, National basically ran on a platform of being better economic managers. So how'd that turn out for us? In just one year, they've fucked us for two full political terms: The government's books are set to remain deeply in the red for the near term ...
AUSTERITYText within this block will maintain its original spacing when publishedMy spreadsheet insists This pain leads straight to glory (File not found) Read more ...
The NZCTU Te Kauae Kaimahi are saying that the Government should do the right thing and deliver minimum wage increases that don’t see workers fall further behind, in response to today’s announcement that the minimum wage will only be increased by 1.5%, well short of forecast inflation. “With inflation forecast ...
Oh, I weptFor daysFilled my eyesWith silly tearsOh, yeaBut I don'tCare no moreI don't care ifMy eyes get soreSongwriters: Paul Rodgers / Paul Kossoff. Read more ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Bob HensonIn this aerial view, fingers of meltwater flow from the melting Isunnguata Sermia glacier descending from the Greenland Ice Sheet on July 11, 2024, near Kangerlussuaq, Greenland. According to the Programme for Monitoring of the Greenland Ice Sheet (PROMICE), the ...
In August, I wrote an article about David Seymour1 with a video of his testimony, to warn that there were grave dangers to his Ministry of Regulation:David Seymour's Ministry of Slush Hides Far Greater RisksWhy Seymour's exorbitant waste of taxpayers' money could be the least of concernThe money for Seymour ...
Willis is expected to have to reveal the bitter fiscal fruits of her austerity strategy in the HYEFU later today. Photo: Lynn Grieveson/TheKakaMōrena. Long stories short, the six things that matter in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Tuesday, December 17 in The Kākā’s Dawn Chorus podcast ...
On Friday the government announced it would double the number of toll roads in New Zealand as well as make a few other changes to how toll roads are used in the country. The real issue though is not that tolling is being used but the suggestion it will make ...
The Prime Minister yesterday engaged in what looked like a pre-emptive strike designed to counter what is likely to be a series of depressing economic statistics expected before the end of the week. He opened his weekly post-Cabinet press conference with a recitation of the Government’s achievements. “It certainly has ...
This whooping cough story from south Auckland is a good example of the coalition government’s approach to social need – spend money on urging people to get vaccinated but only after you’ve cut the funding to where they could get vaccinated. This has been the case all year with public ...
And if there is a GodI know he likes to rockHe likes his loud guitarsHis spiders from MarsAnd if there is a GodI know he's watching meHe likes what he seesBut there's trouble on the breezeSongwriter: William Patrick Corgan Read more ...
Here’s a quick round up of today’s political news:1. MORE FOOD BANKS, CHARITIES, DOMESTIC VIOLENCE SHELTERS AND YOUTH SOCIAL SERVICES SET TO CLOSE OR SCALE BACK AROUND THE COUNTRY AS GOVT CUTS FUNDINGSome of Auckland's largest foodbanks are warning they may need to close or significantly reduce food parcels after ...
Iain Rennie, CNZMSecretary and Chief Executive to the TreasuryDear Secretary, Undue restrictions on restricted briefings This week, the Treasury barred representatives from four organisations, including the New Zealand Council of Trade Unions Te Kauae Kaimahi, from attending the restricted briefing for the Half-Year Economic and Fiscal Update. We had been ...
This is a guest post by Tim Adriaansen, a community, climate, and accessibility advocate.I won’t shut up about climate breakdown, and whenever possible I try to shift the focus of a climate conversation towards solutions. But you’ll almost never hear me give more than a passing nod to ...
A grassroots backlash has forced a backdown from Brown, but he is still eyeing up plenty of tolls for other new roads. And the pressure is on Willis to ramp up the Government’s austerity strategy. Photo: Getty ImagesMōrena. Long stories short, the six things that matter in Aotearoa’s political economy ...
Hi all,I'm pretty overwhelmed by all your messages and emails today; thank you so very much.As much as my newsletter this morning was about money, and we all need to earn money, it was mostly about world domination if I'm honest. 😉I really hate what’s happening to our country, and ...
A listing of 23 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, December 8, 2024 thru Sat, December 14, 2024. Listing by Category Like last week's summary this one contains the list of articles twice: based on categories and based on ...
I started writing this morning about Hobson’s Pledge, examining the claims they and their supporters make, basically ripping into them. But I kept getting notifications coming through, and not good ones.Each time I looked up, there was another un-subscription message, and I felt a bit sicker at the thought of ...
Once, long before there was Harry and Meghan and Dodi and all those episodes of The Crown, they came to spend some time with us, Charles and Diana. Was there anyone in the world more glamorous than the Princess of Wales?Dazzled as everyone was by their company, the leader of ...
The collective right have a problem.The entire foundation for their world view is antiscientific. Their preferred economic strategies have been disproven. Their whole neoliberal model faces accusations of corporate corruption and worsening inequality. Climate change not only definitely exists, its rapid progression demands an immediate and expensive response in order ...
Just ten days ago, South Korea's president attempted a self-coup, declaring martial law and attempting to have opposition MPs murdered or arrested in an effort to seize unconstrained power. The attempt was rapidly defeated by the national assembly voting it down and the people flooding the streets to defend democracy. ...
Hi,“What I love about New Zealanders is that sometimes you use these expressions that as Americans we have no idea what those things mean!"I am watching a 30-something year old American ramble on about how different New Zealanders are to Americans. It’s his podcast, and this man is doing a ...
What Chris Penk has granted holocaust-denier and equal-opportunity-bigot Candace Owens is not “freedom of speech”. It’s not even really freedom of movement, though that technically is the right she has been granted. What he has given her is permission to perform. Freedom of SpeechIn New Zealand, the right to freedom ...
All those tears on your cheeksJust like deja vu flow nowWhen grandmother speaksSo tell me a story (I'll tell you a story)Spell it out, I can't hear (What do you want to hear?)Why you wear black in the morning?Why there's smoke in the air? Songwriter: Greg Johnson.Mōrena all ☀️Something a ...
2024 is now officially my best-ever year for short stories. My 1,850-word dark fantasy piece, As Our Power Lessens, has been accepted for the upcoming solstice edition of Eternal Haunted Summer (https://eternalhauntedsummer.com/), thereby making that six published short stories for the calendar year. As always, see the Bibliography page for ...
National has only been in power for a year, but everywhere you look, its choices are taking New Zealand a long way backwards. In no particular order, here are the National Government's Top 50 Greatest Misses of its first year in power. ...
The Government is quietly undertaking consultation on the dangerous Regulatory Standards Bill over the Christmas period to avoid too much attention. ...
The Government’s planned changes to the freedom of speech obligations of universities is little more than a front for stoking the political fires of disinformation and fear, placing teachers and students in the crosshairs. ...
The Ministry of Regulation’s report into Early Childhood Education (ECE) in Aotearoa raises serious concerns about the possibility of lowering qualification requirements, undermining quality and risking worse outcomes for tamariki, whānau, and kaiako. ...
A Bill to modernise the role of Justices of the Peace (JP), ensuring they remain active in their communities and connected with other JPs, has been put into the ballot. ...
Labour will continue to fight unsustainable and destructive projects that are able to leap-frog environment protection under National’s Fast-track Approvals Bill. ...
The Green Party has warned that a Green Government will revoke the consents of companies who override environmental protections as part of Fast-Track legislation being passed today. ...
The Green Party says the Half Year Economic and Fiscal Update shows how the Government is failing to address the massive social and infrastructure deficits our country faces. ...
The Government’s latest move to reduce the earnings of migrant workers will not only hurt migrants but it will drive down the wages of Kiwi workers. ...
Te Pāti Māori has this morning issued a stern warning to Fast-Track applicants with interests in mining, pledging to hold them accountable through retrospective liability and to immediately revoke Fast-Track consents under a future Te Pāti Māori government. This warning comes ahead of today’s third reading of the Fast-Track Approvals ...
The Government’s announcement today of a 1.5 per cent increase to minimum wage is another blow for workers, with inflation projected to exceed the increase, meaning it’s a real terms pay reduction for many. ...
All the Government has achieved from its announcement today is to continue to push responsibility back on councils for its own lack of action to help bring down skyrocketing rates. ...
The Government has used its final post-Cabinet press conference of the year to punch down on local government without offering any credible solutions to the issues our councils are facing. ...
The Government has failed to keep its promise to ‘super charge’ the EV network, delivering just 292 chargers - less than half of the 670 chargers needed to meet its target. ...
The Green Party is calling for the Government to stop subsidising the largest user of the country’s gas supplies, Methanex, following a report highlighting the multi-national’s disproportionate influence on energy prices in Aotearoa. ...
The Green Party is appalled with the Government’s new child poverty targets that are based on a new ‘persistent poverty’ measure that could be met even with an increase in child poverty. ...
New independent analysis has revealed that the Government’s Emissions Reduction Plan (ERP) will reduce emissions by a measly 1 per cent by 2030, failing to set us up for the future and meeting upcoming targets. ...
The loss of 27 kaimahi at Whakaata Māori and the end of its daily news bulletin is a sad day for Māori media and another step backwards for Te Tiriti o Waitangi justice. ...
Yesterday the Government passed cruel legislation through first reading to establish a new beneficiary sanction regime that will ultimately mean more households cannot afford the basic essentials. ...
Today's passing of the Government's Residential Tenancies Amendment Bill–which allows landlords to end tenancies with no reason–ignores the voice of the people and leaves renters in limbo ahead of the festive season. ...
After wasting a year, Nicola Willis has delivered a worse deal for the Cook Strait ferries that will end up being more expensive and take longer to arrive. ...
Green Party co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick has today launched a Member’s Bill to sanction Israel for its unlawful presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, as the All Out For Gaza rally reaches Parliament. ...
After years of advocacy, the Green Party is very happy to hear the Government has listened to our collective voices and announced the closure of the greyhound racing industry, by 1 August 2026. ...
In response to a new report from ERO, the Government has acknowledged the urgent need for consistency across the curriculum for Relationship and Sexuality Education (RSE) in schools. ...
The Green Party is appalled at the Government introducing legislation that will make it easier to penalise workers fighting for better pay and conditions. ...
Thank you for the invitation to speak with you tonight on behalf of the political party I belong to - which is New Zealand First. As we have heard before this evening the Kinleith Mill is proposing to reduce operations by focusing on pulp and discontinuing “lossmaking paper production”. They say that they are currently consulting on the plan to permanently shut ...
Auckland Central MP, Chlöe Swarbrick, has written to Mayor Wayne Brown requesting he stop the unnecessary delays on St James Theatre’s restoration. ...
Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says Health New Zealand will move swiftly to support dozens of internationally-trained doctors already in New Zealand on their journey to employment here, after a tripling of sought-after examination places. “The Medical Council has delivered great news for hardworking overseas doctors who want to contribute ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has appointed Sarah Ottrey to the APEC Business Advisory Council (ABAC). “At my first APEC Summit in Lima, I experienced firsthand the role that ABAC plays in guaranteeing political leaders hear the voice of business,” Mr Luxon says. “New Zealand’s ABAC representatives are very well respected and ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has announced four appointments to New Zealand’s intelligence oversight functions. The Honourable Robert Dobson KC has been appointed Chief Commissioner of Intelligence Warrants, and the Honourable Brendan Brown KC has been appointed as a Commissioner of Intelligence Warrants. The appointments of Hon Robert Dobson and Hon ...
Improvements in the average time it takes to process survey and title applications means housing developments can progress more quickly, Minister for Land Information Chris Penk says. “The government is resolutely focused on improving the building and construction pipeline,” Mr Penk says. “Applications to issue titles and subdivide land are ...
The Government’s measures to reduce airport wait times, and better transparency around flight disruptions is delivering encouraging early results for passengers ahead of the busy summer period, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Improving the efficiency of air travel is a priority for the Government to give passengers a smoother, more reliable ...
The Government today announced the intended closure of the Apollo Hotel as Contracted Emergency Housing (CEH) in Rotorua, Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka says. This follows a 30 per cent reduction in the number of households in CEH in Rotorua since National came into Government. “Our focus is on ending CEH in the Whakarewarewa area starting ...
The Government will reshape vocational education and training to return decision making to regions and enable greater industry input into work-based learning Tertiary Education and Skills Minister, Penny Simmonds says. “The redesigned system will better meet the needs of learners, industry, and the economy. It includes re-establishing regional polytechnics that ...
The Government is taking action to better manage synthetic refrigerants and reduce emissions caused by greenhouse gases found in heating and cooling products, Environment Minister Penny Simmonds says. “Regulations will be drafted to support a product stewardship scheme for synthetic refrigerants, Ms. Simmonds says. “Synthetic refrigerants are found in a ...
People travelling on State Highway 1 north of Hamilton will be relieved that remedial works and safety improvements on the Ngāruawāhia section of the Waikato Expressway were finished today, with all lanes now open to traffic, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.“I would like to acknowledge the patience of road users ...
Tertiary Education and Skills Minister, Penny Simmonds, has announced a new appointment to the board of Education New Zealand (ENZ). Dr Erik Lithander has been appointed as a new member of the ENZ board for a three-year term until 30 January 2028. “I would like to welcome Dr Erik Lithander to the ...
The Government will have senior representatives at Waitangi Day events around the country, including at the Waitangi Treaty Grounds, but next year Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has chosen to take part in celebrations elsewhere. “It has always been my intention to celebrate Waitangi Day around the country with different ...
Two more criminal gangs will be subject to the raft of laws passed by the Coalition Government that give Police more powers to disrupt gang activity, and the intimidation they impose in our communities, Police Minister Mark Mitchell says. Following an Order passed by Cabinet, from 3 February 2025 the ...
Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of Justice Christian Whata as a Judge of the Court of Appeal. Justice Whata’s appointment as a Judge of the Court of Appeal will take effect on 1 August 2025 and fill a vacancy created by the retirement of Hon Justice David Goddard on ...
The latest economic figures highlight the importance of the steps the Government has taken to restore respect for taxpayers’ money and drive economic growth, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. Data released today by Stats NZ shows Gross Domestic Product fell 1 per cent in the September quarter. “Treasury and most ...
Tertiary Education and Skills Minister Penny Simmonds and Associate Minister of Education David Seymour today announced legislation changes to strengthen freedom of speech obligations on universities. “Freedom of speech is fundamental to the concept of academic freedom and there is concern that universities seem to be taking a more risk-averse ...
Police Minister, Mark Mitchell, and Internal Affairs Minister, Brooke van Velden, today launched a further Public Safety Network cellular service that alongside last year’s Cellular Roaming roll-out, puts globally-leading cellular communications capability into the hands of our emergency responders. The Public Safety Network’s new Cellular Priority service means Police, Wellington ...
State Highway 1 through the Mangamuka Gorge has officially reopened today, providing a critical link for Northlanders and offering much-needed relief ahead of the busy summer period, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.“The Mangamuka Gorge is a vital route for Northland, carrying around 1,300 vehicles per day and connecting the Far ...
The Government has welcomed decisions by the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) and Ashburton District Council confirming funding to boost resilience in the Canterbury region, with construction on a second Ashburton Bridge expected to begin in 2026, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Delivering a second Ashburton Bridge to improve resilience and ...
The Government is backing the response into high pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in Otago, Biosecurity Minister Andrew Hoggard says. “Cabinet has approved new funding of $20 million to enable MPI to meet unbudgeted ongoing expenses associated with the H7N6 response including rigorous scientific testing of samples at the enhanced PC3 ...
Legislation that will repeal all advertising restrictions for broadcasters on Sundays and public holidays has passed through first reading in Parliament today, Media Minister Paul Goldsmith says. “As a growing share of audiences get their news and entertainment from streaming services, these restrictions have become increasingly redundant. New Zealand on ...
Today the House agreed to Brendan Horsley being appointed Inspector-General of Defence, Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith says. “Mr Horsley’s experience will be invaluable in overseeing the establishment of the new office and its support networks. “He is currently Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security, having held that role since June 2020. ...
Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says the Government has agreed to the final regulations for the levy on insurance contracts that will fund Fire and Emergency New Zealand from July 2026. “Earlier this year the Government agreed to a 2.2 percent increase to the rate of levy. Fire ...
The Government is delivering regulatory relief for New Zealand businesses through changes to the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering Financing of Terrorism Act. “The Anti-Money Laundering and Countering Financing of Terrorism Amendment Bill, which was introduced today, is the second Bill – the other being the Statutes Amendment Bill - that ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed further progress on the Hawke’s Bay Expressway Road of National Significance (RoNS), with the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) Board approving funding for the detailed design of Stage 1, paving the way for main works construction to begin in late 2025.“The Government is moving at ...
The Government today released a request for information (RFI) to seeking interest in partnerships to plant trees on Crown-owned land with low farming and conservation value (excluding National Parks) Forestry Minister Todd McClay announced. “Planting trees on Crown-owned land will drive economic growth by creating more forestry jobs in our regions, providing more wood ...
Court timeliness, access to justice, and improving the quality of existing regulation are the focus of a series of law changes introduced to Parliament today by Associate Minister of Justice Nicole McKee. The three Bills in the Regulatory Systems (Justice) Amendment Bill package each improve a different part of the ...
A total of 41 appointments and reappointments have been made to the 12 community trusts around New Zealand that serve their regions, Associate Finance Minister Shane Jones says. “These trusts, and the communities they serve from the Far North to the deep south, will benefit from the rich experience, knowledge, ...
The Government has confirmed how it will provide redress to survivors who were tortured at the Lake Alice Psychiatric Hospital Child and Adolescent Unit (the Lake Alice Unit). “The Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care found that many of the 362 children who went through the Lake Alice Unit between 1972 and ...
It has been a busy, productive year in the House as the coalition Government works hard to get New Zealand back on track, Leader of the House Chris Bishop says. “This Government promised to rebuild the economy, restore law and order and reduce the cost of living. Our record this ...
“Accelerated silicosis is an emerging occupational disease caused by unsafe work such as engineered stone benchtops. I am running a standalone consultation on engineered stone to understand what the industry is currently doing to manage the risks, and whether further regulatory intervention is needed,” says Workplace Relations and Safety Minister ...
Mehemea he pai mō te tangata, mahia – if it’s good for the people, get on with it. Enhanced reporting on the public sector’s delivery of Treaty settlement commitments will help improve outcomes for Māori and all New Zealanders, Māori Crown Relations Minister Tama Potaka says. Compiled together for the ...
Mr Roger Holmes Miller and Ms Tarita Hutchinson have been appointed to the Charities Registration Board, Community and Voluntary Sector Minister Louise Upston says. “I would like to welcome the new members joining the Charities Registration Board. “The appointment of Ms Hutchinson and Mr Miller will strengthen the Board’s capacity ...
More building consent and code compliance applications are being processed within the statutory timeframe since the Government required councils to submit quarterly data, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “In the midst of a housing shortage we need to look at every step of the build process for efficiencies ...
Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey is proud to announce the first three recipients of the Government’s $10 million Mental Health and Addiction Community Sector Innovation Fund which will enable more Kiwis faster access to mental health and addiction support. “This fund is part of the Government’s commitment to investing in ...
New Zealand is providing Vanuatu assistance following yesterday's devastating earthquake, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. "Vanuatu is a member of our Pacific family and we are supporting it in this time of acute need," Mr Peters says. "Our thoughts are with the people of Vanuatu, and we will be ...
The Government welcomes the Commerce Commission’s plan to reduce card fees for Kiwis by an estimated $260 million a year, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly says.“The Government is relentlessly focused on reducing the cost of living, so Kiwis can keep more of their hard-earned income and live a ...
Regulation Minister David Seymour has welcomed the Early Childhood Education (ECE) regulatory review report, the first major report from the Ministry for Regulation. The report makes 15 recommendations to modernise and simplify regulations across ECE so services can get on with what they do best – providing safe, high-quality care ...
The Government‘s Offshore Renewable Energy Bill to create a new regulatory regime that will enable firms to construct offshore wind generation has passed its first reading in Parliament, Energy Minister Simeon Brown says.“New Zealand currently does not have a regulatory regime for offshore renewable energy as the previous government failed ...
Legislation to enable new water service delivery models that will drive critical investment in infrastructure has passed its first reading in Parliament, marking a significant step towards the delivery of Local Water Done Well, Local Government Minister Simeon Brown and Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly say.“Councils and voters ...
New Zealand is one step closer to reaping the benefits of gene technology with the passing of the first reading of the Gene Technology Bill, Science, Innovation and Technology Minister Judith Collins says. "This legislation will end New Zealand's near 30-year ban on gene technology outside the lab and is ...
Cosmic CatastropheThe year draws to a close.King Luxon has grown tired of the long eveningsListening to the dreary squabbling of his Triumvirate.He strolls up to the top floor of the PalaceTo consult with his Astronomer Royal.The Royal Telescope scans the skies,And King Luxon stares up into the heavensFrom the terrestrial ...
Spinoff editor Mad Chapman and books editor Claire Mabey debate Carl Shuker’s new novel about… an editor. Claire: Hello Mad, you just finished The Royal Free – overall impressions? Mad: Hi Claire, I literally just put the book down and I would have to say my immediate impression is ...
Christmas and its buildup are often lonely, hard and full of unreasonable expectations. Here’s how to make it to Jesus’s birthday and find the little bit of joy we all deserve. Have you found this year relentless? Has the latest Apple update “fucked up your life”? Have you lost two ...
Despite overwhelming public and corporate support, the government has stalled progress on a modern day slavery law. That puts us behind other countries – and makes Christmas a time of tragedy rather than joy, argues Shanti Mathias. Picture the scene on Christmas Day. Everyone replete with nice things to eat, ...
Asia Pacific Report “It looks like Hiroshima. It looks like Germany at the end of World War Two,” says an Israeli-American historian and professor of holocaust and genocide studies at Brown University about the horrifying reality of Gaza. Professor Omer Bartov, has described Israel’s ongoing war on Gaza as an ...
The New Zealand government coalition is tweaking university regulations to curb what it says is an increasingly “risk-averse approach” to free speech. The proposed changes will set clear expectations on how universities should approach freedom of speech issues. Each university will then have to adopt a “freedom of speech statement” ...
Report by Dr David Robie – Café Pacific. – COMMENTARY: By Caitlin Johnstone New York prosecutors have charged Luigi Mangione with “murder as an act of terrorism” in his alleged shooting of health insurance CEO Brian Thompson earlier this month. This news comes out at the same time as ...
Pacific Media Watch The union for Australian journalists has welcomed the delivery by the federal government of more than $150 million to support the sustainability of public interest journalism over the next four years. Combined with the announcement of the revamped News Bargaining Initiative, this could result in up to ...
MONDAY“Merry Xmas, and praise the Lord,” said Sheriff Luxon, and smiled for the camera. There was a flash of smoke when the shutter pressed down on the magnesium powder. The sheriff had arranged for a photographer from the Dodge Gazette to attend a ceremony where he handed out food parcels to ...
It’s a little under two months since the White Ferns shocked the cricketing world, deservedly taking home the T20 World Cup. Since then the trophy has had a tour around the country, five of the squad have played in the WBBL in Australia while most others have returned to domestic ...
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People who have accepted climate change as fact need to stop using the word believe when talking about it . It is not a religion that needs you to believe for it to be real it is science fact .
Using the word believe means people have the room to use the word Don’t in front.
Theres alot of media enforced conditioning responsible for that and many other fact/science based issues like child poverty, housing, an underfunded health system, polluted waterways etc.
This is why Turnbull in Oz has the ABC/SBS in his murdoch sponsored gun sights. The annoying facts and science approach they want to shut down.
NBN is a debacle that’s all Malcoms own doing that he’ll not want a fact based approach over as one example. Their latest corp tax cuts another.
It’s also why he keeps pimping for national, those dead rats take awhile to digest and wupert didn’t have any media in NZ to offer up for his cause.
Yes TC and bwaghorn;
Tthat ‘stool pigeon for anti-climate club Turnbull’ – has just been punished for his igniorance of not accepting climate change is real and here now, – by loosing four out of five bi-election seats last night.
“Revenge is sweet”
Last night Australian Labour won four of the five bi-election seats and Bill Shorten is claiming it as a clear sign Labour will win the next General Election.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-07-28/by-election-justin-keay-wins-braddon-antony-green-says/10047350
Long way to go with Murdoch backing Turnbull who btw just removed Hawke/Keatings cross media ownership rules.
By bye fairfax…merging with a celebrity sports tv operation under private equity.
The correct term is (AGW). Anthropocenic Global Warming, BTW.
Climate change, is one of the results.
…guess this shows there are still plently of realists amoung the left.
Fascism in Eygpt
The US writes the cheques while the Al Sisi regime takes a page out of the Al Assad playbook.
“U.S. lifts restrictions on $195 million in military aid for Egypt: official”
Reuters – Wednesday, July 23, 2018
“Egyptian court sentences 75 to death for their involvement in a 2013 sit-in”
The Associated Press – Saturday, July 28, 2018
Much like the Obama administration, which paid lip service to human rights at the height of the Arab Spring, but behind the scenes gave the Egyptian military an extra $1.3 billion in military aid to the Egyptian Army. Within weeks of receiving the $1.3 billion from the US, the Egyptian military overthrew the democratically elected government and seized control, in a US backed coup.
Whatever happened to the real hard men, like Pope Paul II.
He would get this shit sorted in a jiffy.
Good results for the ALP across the ditch in 4 by-elections yesterday.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-07-28/by-election-justin-keay-wins-braddon-antony-green-says/10047350?section=politics
Looks more certain that the Labor Party will win back control of the Aussie federal government next May. Would have liked to see that horrible, little reactionary John Howard’s face in Auckland last night when the news came through. Another nasty man, Peter Dutton, the Australian Immigration minister who is in a marginal seat in Qld may be soon out of a job.
Yeah, but what a lot of simple minded bullshit about nothing..
Sometimes Aussies appear to be as brainless as a Trump.
‘Sometimes Aussies appear to be as brainless as a Trump’ yeh and definitely just as racist.
Yeah an interesting that aussies voted recently the second most happiest population !! No brain …no pain ?
Be a good one for the liberals to lose, having pushed corp tax cuts through by appeasing the racists in One nation, installed a google exec as ABC CEO and have begun the ‘it’s yesterdays model, we can’t afford the ABC today ‘ mantra in the MSM.
Rudds mining super tax may seem a long time ago but it serves as a reminder as to how long they have been knobbling the average Ozzie via corporate welfare. When they aren’t in power giving it away, they’re in opposition blocking attempts to rebalance it.
Labour will also have their appalling immigration/detention practices to deal with. Like his mate shonky, Mal’s kicked as many cans down the road as possible for someone else to deal with.
As for dutton gez he’s got plenty of mates like Chris Pyne, Michaela cash, George Brandis and remember Tony Abbotts still lurking with intent. Then there’s the christian breakaway led by Cori Bernardi after he was voted back as a liberal……my what a lovely bunch.
Well said Koff; that was a positive rtesiult for labor in Australia eh?
Rid the horrible Liberal/National/coalition Gov’t of Australia they are so bloody toxic.
Yes John Howard the “coward” is a very nasty person for sure.
Last night Australian Labour won four of the five bi-election seats and Bill Shorten is claiming it as a clear sign Labour will win the next General Election.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-07-28/by-election-justin-keay-wins-braddon-antony-green-says/10047350
Dutton’s seat is next door to Longman. If the swing is similar at the general election he’s toast, as is the Coalition government which is becoming really unpopular in Queensland.
If anyone deserves to be thrown under the bus, it’s Dutton. He’s a graceless, vindictive troglodyte with all the empathy of a landmine.
So it looks like the Guardian has given up all illusions of being a news source that reports in a fair and balanced way.
For one example they have been relentlessly attacking Corbyn on this ridiculous anti sematic angle for the past two months, only slightly easing up for a couple of days when the Israeli’s massacred over sixty unarmed protesters on the Gaza prison fence.
Of course there are no comments allowed on these stories (slurs) or on any stories that involve Gaza, Israel, Novichok, Russia the slow demise of the DNC establishment etc.
And if you do comment on any of these subjects on another story in a conversation with other commenters, they will delete your comment pretty quickly…no free speech on the Guardian…just shut up and follow the party line.
In fact The Daily Mail of all places, often has more balanced stories on some these subjects than the Guardian…that is the low level that the Guardian has sunk too.
yes wonder how long before their excellent football coverage is impacted.
They’ve outspoken contributors on the bent state of FIFA, UEFA and the run down state that grassroots football is in the UK. Not a message that’s popular among those benefiting from the current status quo.
The Guardian is a liberal establishment rag.
It engages in identitarian skirmishes , having long ago given up on the class and economic war.
Its vicious attacks on Corbyn shows its true colours.
Blow by blow tweeted report on speeches at the Canadian pair’s Melbourne event. In case you have any doubts that these are vile racists.
Trigger warning: there be endless expressions of European superiority and attacks on Aborigines, Chinese, etc and their cultures. And that’s just from Molyneux, before I even read reports on Southern’s stint.
Actually, Southern reported as lacking in charisma, and not as gross as Molyneux – probably the relatively benign and acceptable face of expressions of European ‘superiority’: attacking lefties and the media: attacks multiculturalism; praises free speech and democracy.
https://twitter.com/SimonCopland/status/1023146540649537536
It predisposes then that if they come to NZ we will be entertained with a new twist on the history of the Maori race. Bring it on and see what sort of response they will get.
Since folk like them are cowards, they will be on a plane fleeing the country within hours of delivery.
‘Trigger Warning’
To be ‘triggered’… Being ‘triggered’…
Given the free publicity offored by this blog and other media…anyone ‘triggered’ is still feeding the problem…
‘Triggered’
Oh my
.
Conservatives are the ones that need trigger warnings. Biggest snowflakes out there. They cry every time they see anything to do with sex on the TV or in literature.
LOL, they must be bawling their eyes out each time they connect to the internet then …
This should be outed for the facism that it is, labelled as such and isolated with a “warning: contains facism” tag. Sheeple need warnings like on fag and medication products.
Compare this with the efforts to keep Holocaust deniers out Vs efforts to get the alt right in as that’s free speech as well isn’t it based on the alt rights definition ?
We allow the rise of facism at our own peril. The alt right is a cancer against a tolerant mutlicultural society.
Oh. And Southern is anti-feminist:
https://twitter.com/SimonCopland/status/1023179452837023744
Yes, Aunt Lydia.
One Two, it’s gone beyond that now. Internationally, the neo-nazis are on a roll. It is something that the Trump presidency has green-lighted.
Pauline Hanson is now planning to come to NZ.
Initially, my thoughts were to not give these people oxygen. Now, we need to publicly stand up and support a better view of society and inclusiveness.
Hanson planning to come to Nz – So what if she does plan…or actually turn up…
The so called left is being absolutely played to perfection…the regressive tendancies are being pried out and are now exposed, by an open and public failure of coping mechanisms…
Tc says sheeple need warnings like on fag packets
It’s all dumbing down, and regressive…
Have you been Triggered, CN ?
You are mis-using the term trigger warning, one two.
Those who have least to fear are complacent about the rise in neo-nazis: i.e. white, middle and upper class, heterosexual males.
There is a group now forming (“Love Aotearoa, hate racism”)
If you think standing by and saying nothing while this rolls on internationally, you have not been paying attention.
As Idiot/Savant says:
How have I ‘misused’ , CN ?
Those
Least to fear
Complacent
White
Middle Class
Upper Class
Heterosexual
Males
Standing by
Saying nothing
Not paying attention
Love
Hate
So very misguided …playing directly into the agenda…
So very regressive…
You’re one of the more considered posters on this site over time…but recently your comments have indicated distress…
Sincerely, I hope you’re ok…
You’re first instinct was and still is, appropriate…
Gas lighting isn’t helpful. See the first sentence in the definition.
Gaslighting is a form of psychological manipulation that seeks to sow seeds of doubt in a targeted individual or in members of a targeted group, making them question their own memory, perception, and sanity.
Trying to make it about me is a diversion from a wider and very important issue. It is about power, and marginalised and demonised groups of people, where some advances have been made towards greater social and economic equity. And it’s about the attempts by some to turn back the clock and re-entrench insitutionalised racism, mysogyny, homophobia, etc.
It’s a bigger issue than any one person.
Are you trying to shutdown and silence all those who would speak out against the vileness of the hate speech of Molyneux in particular, and their even more vile followers on and off social media?
As I/S says, more speech at this time, is the way forward by those who oppose the neo-nazis.
Trigger warnings are for those who may find the content distressful. Using that to claim somehow I’ve gone off the deepend, is just diversionary.
The content of the Canadian pairs’ speeches targeted and viciously abused Aboriginal people, and immigrants, and asked for government policies to put them in their ‘inferior’ place in society.
You know the poem
The people organising for “Love Aotearoa, hate racism” are being led by immigrants, Māori and Pacific people.
And Morgan Godfery has been quite vocal on twitter this morning, in response to the report of the Canadian pairs Melbourne appearance.
A big anti-racist demo in Auckland, away from the bigots’ venue, and in other NZ cities, would also be a great way to stand up for a better way.
‘Gas-lighting’…. for crying out loud Carolyn… clearly you find what others are saying as influential… I’m not concerned what I/S et al have to say…it is not relevant to how I think or feel about this…
Psychological manipulation is precisely what is going on…
The traps have been set…and are being walked into…
It is about the response, it is about the emotive reactions feeding oxyen to a manufactured fire that can’t sustain its energy levels without taking energy from elsewhere….or being handed it willingly…
So this is about you…and those who sound as though they think that confronting it head on is the appropriate approach to take….
People are free to put their energy into anything they so choose but need to realize that energy is finite and taking a ‘bombing the way to peace’ approach is unlikely to achieve genuine outcomes..
Hate – This is a word which too many people have no concept of why they should NEVER use it…and it’s being used as a counter concept…good grief that is poorly thought out…
Neo-natzi – No they aren’t
Bigots – Actors
The so called left are going to capitulate in a seething pile of regressive intolerance…becoming a parody of those very same traits they purport to stand for…
That is far more dangerous to positive future direction than anything those two Canadians ‘represent’….
It is unsurpising to witness…
OK, so we don’t give these two, or hanson, our attention.
That doesn’t mean they go away. That just means they have an unopposed opportunity to find and reinforce their support.
You want a case study of a little closed group reinforcing its exclusivity while being ignored? It’s the gamergate culture that served as an uncubating cyst for this latest neofascist bullshit.
And don’t kid yourself. These two make neofascists feel tough. That’s why “14 words” posters and leaflets are now being distributed around Dunedin. It’s no coincidence.
A group called “…Hate Racism?” Countering hate with hate? How does that work? Guess the name could attract good funding though.
Southern carries on about freedom of speech but wants gay pride parades banned.
She would put every single LGBT person in concentration camps.
I need a fucking bath after reading that.
But anyhoo, unrolled.
https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1023146540649537536.html
That link provided a semblance of reporting what they actually said, so it was helpful. The earlier one was just a bunch of kids emoting at each other, total waste of time reading it. Why do such people think that their personal inadequacies deserve more space on the internet than the actual event??
As far as the reportage goes, I didn’t see as much crap as I thought I would. Depictions of abo culture realistic? How would anyone know? If based on historical investigations, then sources must be cited to validate them. Even then, white historical reports will be suspect. Anthropologists in the 19th & early 20th centuries are likely to be unwitting victims of their innate cultural bias. That’s why leftists are prone to conflating their reports with racism.
We’d be more informed if investigations and reportage dealt with current aboriginal cultural practices. If the Canadians had reported stats of child abuse, for instance, that showed children being victimised nowadays more than in white Oz, they’d be on solid ground. Not doing so just looks like cultural bias.
As regards multiculturalism operating like a cult, that’s only true for a small portion of the populace. To claim that most leftists think like that is unfair to leftists. They didn’t actually make that claim according to the report, just implied it. Interesting that she doesn’t identify as alt-right. I get the impression that their attempt to re-balance western societies in the interests of collective sanity is sincere, but the intellectual content of the reasoning must improve to get the result they’re aiming for. Assimilation is indeed the key, and the report suggests they failed to explain the toxic effect of immigrant enclaves operating in a separatist manner and trying to promote exclusive ideologies.
Ta joe – Molyneux is your classic very thick pseudo everything. His thoughts on aboriginal culture show how thick he is and really he is ludicrous.
He might be thick but manages to attract curious insects on his flypaper.
It sounds as if Southern is mostly the angel face to provide the glamour to balance and gildd the ole’ down-home Joe dressed in a way that real blokes can identify with.
Glamour or sex appeal? She’s oft called a “poster girl”, which has a denigrating sound to it when taken literally …
Which virus does that link give? … have they also make modifactions on the malwear softwear..?
Why are you giving them oxygen Carolyn_Nth?
Just wondering how you think that tactic helps?
I found it useful for a start – next time someone asks “but what are they actually saying that’s so bad”, there’s a nice recent blow-by-blow.
Why do you think that doing nothing will help?
Do you need to go and explained to people what self-seeking attention seekers are, or indeed what trolls are? If that not enough of an explanation, then point out their racist’s who cause riot’s – should fix most conversations. Why this morbid need to give them oxygen by repeating what they say, I hardly think they are worth it.
As for do nothing, in this case feeding this behaviour helps them. Can’t see how people are missing that. These really are just attention seekers of the lowest order, they love the drama.
Why give way to people who do nothing but promote division, when you could do better by organising and working with people to make a better society – which isn’t racist, chauvinist, and violent.
Because it’s not just about these two jerks.
Sure, if there’s a controversy the self-perceived victimhood is reinforced, and these two might get a flurry of clicks from people wanting to know why people think these two are shits.
But if the only people who know about people spreading this sort of message are the willing recipients of that message, their auditoria will still be full and people might think that this is a normal part of the political spectrum.
If you say “these people are racists who cause riots” the natural response is “what do they say that’s racist”? If you don’t know what they say, your first claim looks pretty weak. But now everyone knows what they say, we can have that discussion. And when that fails (because neofascists aren’t really interested in discussion) everyone knows why they’re fighting.
Good reply – reasoned like their polemic won’t be.
Come on racists say very few new things, so that argument is silly. Even if that the case, so here me guessing that they said Aboriginals were lazy and subspecies, just like Pauline Hanson said 25 years ago. It’s the same low life crap white people keep repeating like some sort of truth.
And so organising and working with other people is pointless in your opinion then? Because fighting these people is more important, yeah, nah, sorry not buying it.
The hard right have been on this waka for a very long time, these are just the latest bunch of turds to pop up. The people who will buy this crap, are already buying this crap.
The way to fight this stuff is to offer better examples and positive models going forward, and of course humour.
Fascists have been around for a century. How much support they get is what changes.
Organising and working with people who are dogwhistlers for people who like to do torchlight parades chanting about jews replacing them is pointless. History shows us they will work with anyone to further their own ends, then put their former allies on a train when they are no longer useful.
Humour is good, very good. I definitely follow the mel brooks approach to nazis: make them a laughing stock. But when they’re on your doorstep, in your neighbourhood or town, confront them as much as you can. Offer them scorn. Because if you give them respect, you give them validation.
But yes, there is a lot of material in a canadian who wears MAGA gear and US flags cruising around Australasia in order to talk about how bad multiculturalism is.
Like your last paragraph McFlock on the Canadian’s sartorial contradictions.
I was in London when the National Front was a malicious presence in the late 70s. They had marches in areas with a lot of Afro-Caribbean people, intending to intimidate them. Away from media glare, there were bashings and violence against black people – that kind of violence hid behind the public rhetoric.
There were some smallish counter demos by anti-racist groups in those neighbourhoods.
The demos I went on, were massive ones through the centre of London, and brought together diverse groups. (wikipedia on RAR says 100,000 people at one demo)
And there were some big Rock Against Racism gigs, with performers like Elvis Costello, The Clash, X-Ray Specs, and George Michael (at a time when the Wham boys were considered to be superficial airheads.)
Ah, I see where the name “Love Aotearoa, hate racism” comes from. I see the wikipedia article says RAR was reborn in 2002 as “Love Music, hate racism”.
Music can be a great source of inspiration and, done well, can bring people together in a positive way.
Your commentCarolyn_Nth brings up my main problem with this discussion for the last couple of weeks. It’s been reactionary and negative, just like people coming from canada.
Rock against Racism is awesome, having anti-racism rallies is awesome. Feeding into the narrative that attention seeking muppets are generating, is at best a waste of energy at worst, it just replicates them.
Organising a Rock against Racism concert would be better all round. Days of negative merry-go-rounds of “oh look they said such and such”, really help no one.
Bugger the haters.
Are the police really than out of control? Not in NZ, a few casual racists, but NZ police would shut-down anything queer, in a flash. Army too, all good kids, just a bit wild. Anything like this negro shit happening in NZ would be fantasy, Middle Earth maybe…
Somehow writing this shit is beerable if you’re listening to Brian Eno or something smooth.
Where did I say anything to work with them? Sheesh McFlock that is really dishonest argument from you, a total misrepresentation of what I said.
I specifically said why bother with them, then went on to say organise with people for a better society.
Oh sorry.I took the other people question to be the folk we were discussing rather than a complete change in topic.
I can work with a third party while opposing fascists. It’s not my full day.
Yeah, every time ya go to read the news, ya have open a private search window. They have thrown the informed down like porn junkies.
But if the Brits ever really looked like losing there good sense of humour, Prince Harry would step in, rest assured.
Australian news about media. Nine is the magic number there which has been enabled by long ago wiping of controls on joint ownership of different types of media. Now Fairfax has gone and that name wlll be seen no more apparently.
NZ was mentioned in a large document covering the sale/transfer in two sentences at the beginning. They are also planning to get rid of regional newspapers over there. (Let’s face it we are regional also to them.) It is expected that entertainment, gossip and candy floss stuff will be pre-eminent for 9 and no doubt politics Australian style, all bluster, venom and power-and-money first (with gossip and sensation feeding public interest and clicks!).
Here Stuff in its digital reach is going to be of interest to some other owner (probably ME) and feel fairly confident about their future.
There is talk about merger or sale or something with a private equity entity. NZ public should start investing in a financial trust of integrity that holds sufficient funds to buy up base infrastructure and business that is in danger of passing into foreign predatory hands. I know we have Kiwisaver but that has a different role.
https://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/mediawatch/audio/2018655484/takeover-terminates-trans-tasman-media-titan
Mediawatch 30.30 mins
Mediawatch also includes coverage about disagreement emotional skewing about babies and pods that the manufacturer ofthem wants to gift and showcase at the ame time. Very interesting. Today, once someone with a business or craze wants to develop it, they have the right to utilise or wipe out anything that is valued by people in the relevant area they want to utilise.
https://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/mediawatch/audio/2018654971/grandstanding-on-the-big-gig-stadium-stoush
Image caption: Sir Ray Avery on Newshub Nation earlier this month, accusing Helen Clark of grandstanding Actually the ‘grandstanding’ is a pun which he might not be aware of, along with other insensitivities.
(These days people get knighthoods for being thrusting, determined capitalists, and when you see Sir or Dame you know there is an 80/20 chance that they are people to regard warily.)
https://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/mediawatch/audio/2018655684/mediawatch-for-29-july-2018
Radionz on Wallace this morning – good stuff.
Encouraging stuff to listen to. Especially the street choir which is a bridge to the future of what many can do in their periods between unemployment instead of falling between the cracks, and they will make music.
We can take up the mouthy powers-that-be who talked up how good it would be when technology took away the boring repetitive jobs, Which of course left us with nothing but kicks in the bum for being unemployed. The Auckland Street Choir is doing something uplifting. This is the sort of activity that can truly take place after being enabled by the technology doing the grunt work. That is the way we were going to develop so let’s advance this. We can have music wherever we go from the tech-outed now unemployed. And respect these great, creative people who know what aroha is, and we can learn the meaning of the Maori word ‘awhi’.
And be able to start up small local businesses and not be smothered by big-business centred extreme health and safety barriers and middle class perceptions of ‘best practice’. Let us do what we can to get by at a reasonable standard, which is watched over and held to.
Making ice cream for instance.
*********************************************************
https://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/sunday/audio/2018655692/miss-tubs-school-students-kiwiana-ice-cream-business
11:04 Miss Tubs: school students’ Kiwiana ice-cream business
Caitlin Goodin, Charlotte Houten and Eda Ye in RNZ.
Caitlin Goodin, Lillie Cripps, Eda Ye, Victoria Roebuck and Charlotte Houten won the Excellence in Food and Beverage award at the Lion Foundation Young Enterprise regional awards.
Pumpin Pineapple
Jaffa Junkie
Pav Lover
Tasting success
Left to Right: Caitlin Goodin, Charlotte Houten, Victoria Roebuck, Lillie Cripps, Eda Ye (Harrison Bell absent).
Testing their wares
Caitlin Goodin, Charlotte Houten, Wallace and Eda Ye
It’s the last day of the Auckland Food Show on Sunday and a group of young college students are taking their cool food product to market. The six students, five from Westlake Girls High School on Auckland’s North Shore and one from Westlake Boys, have been making ice-cream in tubs for the past couple of years, after setting up a business as part of an extra-curricular project. It’s called Miss Tubs and the flavours they make are Jaffa Junkie, Pumpin Pineapple and the newly released Pav-lover. Miss Tubs CEO Caitlin Goodin, marketing manager Charlotte Houten and communications manager Eda Ye explain why they set it up and their plans.
11:26 Rohan MacMahon: how the Auckland street choir changes lives
Auckland Street Choir with founder and music director Rohan MacMahon front right.
https://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/sunday/audio/2018655693/rohan-macmahon-how-the-auckland-street-choir-changes-lives
Auckland Street Choir with founder and music director Rohan MacMahon front right. Photo: RNZ
Most of us live our lives without contact with the homeless and marginalised in society. We might pass each other in the street, or throw a couple of coins in the hat. But the Auckland Street Choir is that rare thing: a project where people from profoundly different worlds work together. Auckland Street Choir founder and musical director Rohan MacMahon and some of the choir’s members, including Rawiri Sears-Ngatai, come into the RNZ studio.
Some sweet music farcapella? from the people over the seas.
https://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/sunday/audio/2018655693/rohan-macmahon-how-the-auckland-street-choir-changes-lives
Some sweet music arcapella? from the people from over the seas.
Nordic polska
An idiot once said:
“In the west we’re all about altering nature, because nature sucks.”
A wide ranging look at Syria, its internal future, and how Russia is managing the international politics (investment in Iran’s energy sector while limiting their role in Syria).
https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/white-helmets-syria-civil-war-rebels-army-assad-trump-putin-a8465066.html
Why oh why are our heavy weight boxers such top blokes . You can be trained to perfection but if you havent got the arrogant self belief you will never beat a guy who pulled a bullet out of his own leg
“Finally, the indictment seeks the forfeiture of property involved in the criminal activity. There’s no allegation in this indictment that any American citizen committed a crime. There’s no allegation that the conspiracy changed the vote count or affected any election result.”
So the full speech from Rod Rosenstein has this little gem or nugget in it.
https://www.vox.com/2018/7/13/17568838/mueller-rosenstein-russian-hacking-election-dnc-transcript-indictment-announcement
I’m beginning to wonder if we all been taken for a ride whilst the GOP and trump hack and slash what is left of US social services, and plunge their economy full tilt into a war economy.
It’s the lies that hurt.
And since his statement, a woman has been charged with acting as a Russian agent and top NRA officials along with numerous political figures have been implicated, an ongoing probe into whether or not foreign monies were fed to Republican candidates via the NRA has just gotten way juicier, and tRump’s former lawyer has only just begun to sing.
She’s a Russian. So still no yanks. I’m still dubious and what your suggesting is more of the same we have had since trump was elected, lots of allegations – bugger all substance. Reading Vox on it, this is somthing that been happening for years. The sucking up to the NRA, that is.
https://www.vox.com/2018/7/19/17581354/maria-butina-russia-nra-trump
If as previously alleged, the NRA has been used to funnel offshore money to the tRump campaign, dollars to donuts there will be American neck deep in the scheme.
I’m not going to hold my breath, still to many alligations and not enough substance. I hope it gets the whole campaign, otherwise it’s going to be pence time, and I think that will be worse.
That said, still think we being played – so more evil shenanigans comes from the GOP. Like this.
https://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2018/apr/05/ron-wyden/do-republicans-congress-want-take-away-social-secu/
http://www.thestand.org/2018/06/gop-targets-social-security-medicaid-for-cuts/
We won’t see trump resign or be impeached by this. The first requires him to have shame or honour, the second requires the same of the repugs in both houses. A Pence presidency is a very low probability.
At best he’s a one-termer and his replacement doesn’t pardon him. Then Trump is open to federal charges if they happen.
If he gets a federal pardon, New York State might have some hard questions for him.
But he could always walk away scott-free, even if everyone around him gets done for a variety of charges.
I hope you’re right about pence, he gives me nightmares. Especially after his visit to the middle east, and then that speech in Jerusalem.
Burrr.
https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/full-text-u-s-vice-president-mike-pence-s-speech-at-the-knesset-1.5751264
The phrase “American Taliban” comes to mind
As for the GOP evildoing, I think Paul Ryan (at least him) is on record openly hoping the medicaid and federal assistance can be rolled back to pre-FDR levels. As in, literally used the New Deal as being too much big government.
They don’t want to trim the programme. They want it all repealed.
Yeap, trump is a distraction.
For some truly nasty crap from these people.
A big shout out to every parent I’ve ever met!
She’s good – she’s really good!
https://www.tvnz.co.nz/one-news/new-zealand/watch-jacinda-ardern-rocks-baby-neve-she-gives-update-ahead-return-parliament?auto=5815181839001
At 1.06 a woman hands a migrant a what looks like a bottle of water, and he legs it into the dunes. Decency and humanity live.
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DjIQug-XoAEDnyN.jpg
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DjIXwH8X0AEXl9W.jpg
“I’m pleased to inform members and supporters that there has been a significantly
positive response to my offer to support a political party that continues to promote
the policy manifesto that The Opportunities Party assembled to contest the 2017
election.
The Board, therefore, has decided to put on hold its plan to deregister TOP as a
political party to give us time to evaluate the responses and specifically to
evaluate how TOP may evolve as a political party.
In order that TOP is given the best chance of continuing, it’s imperative that we
successfully hold our AGM on Monday July 30th. To this end the Board has changed the
quorum rule for the AGM from a minimum of 50 members to 20 members and if this is
not achieved the quorum for the subsequent adjourned meeting from 25 members to 10
members.
We expect to be in a position to announce the results of our deliberations over the
future of the Party during August.”
Good evening The Am Show I’m working for my favorite charity over the last week
my condolences go out to the Aussie farmers going through drought at the minuet
The problem is the banker is your best friend but when one needs there help the most I.E the farmers going through hardship they run and hide farmers are hard workers and deserve our help when in times of extreme weather events thats bankers for you.
I see bridges try to have another kick at that old horse this morning the unemployed stats its time to talk about universal wage this way kiwis only get this I.E resident for 6 years and they could afford to work for $ 16.50 and be better off.
What no one is talking about is one of our biggest exports cash how many billions of cash is exported out of our economy because of the system we have of importing Labour just because business want there profits over whats best for Aotearoa with a unervisal wage they business get there cake and Aotearoa.
Julian Dennison brother has the correct political ambitions a young Labour member
they are intelligent moko’s.
The dentist industry needs a over haul it’s way to expensive the dentist have to much control of there market this is the only reason it cost so much for dental care in
Aotearoa at the minuet. Ka kite ano P.S Eco Maori charity is whano
Good evening Newshub There you go national and dairy dack dune thats what you do to a poison that kill’s people you don’t make it leagle to kill people you ban it and jail the suppliers ka pai Winston Peters .
It makes amazes Eco Maori we have a alcohol problem that cost us in peoples lives and heaps of resources and we go HOW DO WE FIX THIS PROBLEM .
Its quite easy no sales of alcohol after 8 pm no sales in shops that are not bottle stores and brand it with the brand it deserves as a killer of people and ignore the alcohol lobbing group.
Its the same with sugar everyone is saying we have a obesity problem people are dying from this stuff but because two main company’s control the sugar market and have the influence to lobbie for there sugar poison not to be taxed out of reach from the poor common person that’s reality money man wins.
The Auckland city mission patients have dubbled since 2008 and this is on of the reason one reason Eco Maori rains his wrath on the national party who thinks its ok to die on Aotearoa streets while you are sipping your fine wine with out blinking Capitalist that’s WHO.
That fight should have been a draw what example does boxing set for the mokopunas
that if you cheat you win Kevin don’t go talking ——- Joe get people who you can trust to manage your future and you will be fine if it was not for that head but you would have won . Ka kite ano P.S we are getting Rain Ingred it was a beautiful day today
This is the reality of what the Capitalist have dished out to Tangata Whenua
Labour has tryed to stop the facial capitalist from doing serving Tangata Whenua this ———–system ka kite ano
https://www.newsroom.co.nz/2018/07/29/169208/deafening-silence-on-racial-wealth-gap
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/jul/29/socialism-no-longer-dirty-word-us-scary-for-some these people —————-this show’s Eco Maori that to much money ———your reality SO MAXIMUM EARNING will cure this illness Ana to kai I agree with Draco T basted words