A noteworthy scientific success, with political implications.
Organisms in a cryptobiotic state can endure the complete absence of water or oxygen and withstand high temperatures, as well asfreezing or extremely salty conditions. They remain in a state “between death and life,” in which their metabolic rates decrease to an undetectable level
This state of stasis, a third alternative (to life & death), has also been achieved by our Labour Party. Can it be revived? Unkind commentators will note the uncanny resemblance to the worm (slimy, ultra-tiny brain, etc).
"Yes we can", said Obama. "No we can't", said Hipkins. Luxon has set an extremely low bar for Hipkins to slither under. We can tell from Hipkins' resolute stance that he's serious about getting down there and sliding beneath it.
One of the worst aspects of political discourse is to impugn the humanity of others, such as when Christians refer to others as reptilians.
Generally the left question the mammonesque – celebration of the order of rule of the imperial coin/American dollar capital.
And the right, focus on conservative social values vs liberal tolerance and question the threat to private ownership and wealth via social democratic policy concepts of equity.
Thus the greedy vs those of envy taxation.
Benjamin Disraeli after becoming the prime minister in 1868, "I have climbed to the top of the greasy pole."
And of course poll driven leadership.
Then there is the term down the greasy poll in relation to the ultimate stage of a debate – down the thread, when all there is left to say is insults, one party of which will have deserved.
I suspect the last post today will be classier than the first.
Such likening is traditional, however. Whether it be analogy, metaphor or simile, figures of speech have always been used.
They achieve currency in proportion to (perceived) accuracy, which is why they will remain endemic. Whilst it may be suitably tribal for left-wingers to do the ole christian `holier than thou' at others, doing so shrinks their influence. Trying to eliminate part of humanity will seem inhuman to others.
The Blue Jay, (one of their home bases is Toronto, also the home court of the born again up their above us down below Raptors) love to eat worms.
Blue Jays are related to the Crows, those by the cradle of the born again.
The religious revival (vibrations filling up believers like a wine cup overflowing) of January 1994 began at Vineyard Airport Church Toronto.
Unilever has a long history in Canada having started operating in the 1890's in downtown Toronto with the Lever Brother's soap factory. Lux is now on the brand, for those who believe cleanliness is next to god, rather than the unwashed masses (a joke about those with a little water on a little hair and the adult baptised – full body).
They also retail food for corporate profit.
The Hunger Games referred to the mocking of the parasitic (rentiers who impose their ECA precariat order) overlords (who own central city prime land property, rather than rent in the outer districts).
The Blue Tit of Mother England also likes to eat worms.
One can play by the rules of the establishment, or note that they cannot take their wealth with them, just hand it on to their class descendants till the revolution comes. Wat Tyler, Levellers, 1689, 1893 (Enzed) and 1908 (UK Labour), 1935, 1996 (MMP).
A diet of worms for the those who believe in the lords and masters of imperial capital mammon, or grab that apple, vote and keep the the house safe from the crows of capitalism.
PS Unilever is behind a basic food of the poor called pot noodle.
I love figures of speech and the more extreme or unlikely in content the better.
They remain in a state “between death and life,” in which their metabolic rates decrease to an undetectable level
"This state of stasis, a third alternative (to life & death), has also been achieved by our Labour Party. "
Of course stasis is a biological response to the conditions.
I am keen on the PM continuing with the tradition of explaining is losing concept, particularly in relation to the fresh food/GST so-called leak. So what may be stasis for worms and also biological, may be deliberate policy by the so-called higher powers, humans.
As well as the political context the stasis of these worms is interesting…..is hibernation also classed as stasis?
I thought it was apt. I noted mild-mannered Parker's elegant side-step in the direction of authenticity. All is not lost for Labour but their lethargy remains the only notably aspect of their performance in the campaign thus far.
Re the PM, he's been big on negativity yet he could still deliver a pleasant surprise, so I'll wait & see…
Well, Patricia, I have to say Parker was being principled in my view. There's also been a bunch of msm commentary to similar effect. The gist I noticed was that he & Robertson were amenable to a consensual wealth tax & at least one of them (Parker) seems to have invested a significant amount of time & energy to it. Given their likely coalition partners are both committed to that, seems both sensible and prudent for him to have done that work ahead of the time for negotiating any points of difference. He therefore deserves respect for his political nous. Can't say that for the PM unless he's eyeing up a prospective Nat/Lab option to save neoliberalism.
Re the two rightist options, others have being assiduous & not needed my help but if they come up with anything particularly obnoxious I'll have a go at skewering any prospective rightist govt position…
If you are referring to DMK's quote from SPC bwaghorn, I think he is replying to Dennis Frank's first post of the day. In particular these bits?
… a third alternative (to life & death), has also been achieved by our Labour Party. Can it be revived? Unkind commentators will note the uncanny resemblance to the worm (slimy, ultra-tiny brain, etc).
Luxon has set an extremely low bar for Hipkins to slither under. We can tell from Hipkins' resolute stance that he's serious about getting down there and sliding beneath it.
Still at least, you for one are honest..so maybe no troll !
And you at least aren't a NAct ?
Anyway, FYI for you and other Anti-Labour types.
I get that Labour aren't perfect. But you and the others cant bear to admit to the long list that Labour has achieved. (Its been on here many times..you maybe flick straight past ? )
Maybe you wont be as affected by the alternative NAct govt.
I think reform is sad joke under this economic system.
So for me any so called achievements are not worth the salt, sweat, and tears they cost. As the poor keep being raped and pillaged by brutal economic forces.
"Unkind commentators will note the uncanny resemblance…."
Yes, we noticed the unkindness. Usually, "unkind commentators" would be followed by a critique of that unkindness. not by a further extension of it.
Because that makes it even unkinder, since the commentator is aware of his/her unkindness.
The word 'kind' is also associated with 'kinship'. The lovely Irish song "She Moved Through the Fair" has a line "And my father won't slight you for your lack of kind".
The object of that line is not a fairy, not of the fairy kind, but the singer says that won't matter.
But, in unkindness we try to 'other' the ones we don't like. We say they are not like us. They are not akin to us. We might even compare them to worms.
I have to say that when I wake up in the morning, being 'woke' as it were, and find that Open Mike has not opened with its become usual first contribution, then I am happier. Today I skipped off to work by 8.30 and missed this 8.27 contribution.
I had a good morning. I was kind to my students and they were the same to me. It was my last lesson before final retirement! I sang them a song- "So long, it's been good to know you."
As a life member of the Labour Party I was not enthused to being likened to a worm. That was an unkindly cast, but I guess in the end we, the worms, win, every time………..
Have a happy healthy retirement Mac1. After 22 years I highly recommend it. "Lang may your lum reek" Metaphorically as we are Red and Green or TM Parti lol
Patricia, I thought about my "Lang may your joints creak", your "Lang may your lums reek" and composed this combined version in honour of another contributor here- "Lang may your joints reek!" Cheers, Philip.
Conspiracy to Obstruct Justice charge against Donald John Trump explained
On Thursday, prosecutors unveiled a new indictment, which charges Trump, his co-defendant and valet Walt Nauta and a third Trump employee, Carlos De Oliveira, with attempting to delete security camera footage at Mar-a-Lago after they were sent a grand jury subpoena for the videos in June 2022.
Prosecutors allege De Oliveira told another employee "the boss" wanted a server containing security footage to be deleted.
This time around, Labour’s campaign launch looks to be along the same timelines.
I don’t expect Labour to promise us avocado toast, even with GST removed, instead of ‘boring’ bread & butter policies, but it would be good if they can fill the current narrative vacuum and turn this General Election into a genuine policy contest of ideas founded on core principles & values.
NACT, Te Pāti Māori, and the Greens have started setting the scene and it’s Labour’s move now and it better be bold.
"You can't bullshit a bullshitter"….turns out to be bullshit.
Abstract
Research into both receptivity to falling for bullshit and the propensity to produce it have recently emerged as active, independent areas of inquiry into the spread of misleading information. However, it remains unclear whether those who frequently produce bullshit are inoculated from its influence. For example, both bullshit receptivity and bullshitting frequency are negatively related to cognitive ability and aspects of analytic thinking style, suggesting that those who frequently engage in bullshitting may be more likely to fall for bullshit. However, separate research suggests that individuals who frequently engage in deception are better at detecting it, thus leading to the possibility that frequent bullshitters may be less likely to fall for bullshit. Here, we present three studies (N = 826) attempting to distinguish between these competing hypotheses, finding that frequency of persuasive bullshitting (i.e., bullshitting intended to impress or persuade others) positively predicts susceptibility to various types of misleading information and that this association is robust to individual differences in cognitive ability and analytic cognitive style.
However, separate research suggests that individuals who frequently engage in deception are better at detecting it, thus leading to the possibility that frequent bullshitters may be less likely to fall for bullshit.
Not from my many and varied past experiences.
Not only do they spread bullshit like an out of control fire, but they assume that everybody is like them and into bullshit. Thus they double down and end up causing untold damage to the poor mugs in the firing line.
Yep. You can’t bullshit a bullshitter is a load of bullshit. 🙁
At the geopolitical level ministers of states are proving inadequate:
The EU, represented by Environment Commissioner Virginijus Sinkevičius at the meeting, responded with exasperation. “At the end of our meeting today, is the glass half full or half empty?” Sinkevičius asked in his closing remarks. “It is certainly empty when we look at where we stand on G20 commitments to address climate change — we simply are nowhere.”
“The disappointing G20 energy and climate outcomes show ministers don’t have the mandate to negotiate on the defining issues of our time,” said Luca Bergamaschi, co-founder of Italian climate think tank ECCO. “G20 leaders must step in and together agree the actions needed for a safer planet.”
So the talkfest got no practical results. That ministers lack mana is an interesting conclusion for the activist to draw from their failure:
G20 climate ministers failed to make progress on key issues on Friday, drawing sharp criticism from the European Union. Talks in the southern Indian city of Chennai took place against the backdrop of scientists finding that July is on track to become the world’s hottest month on record. But the discussions wrapped up without consensus on the global transition away from fossil fuels; last week's G20 energy ministerial ended similarly.
The split forced the Indian G20 presidency to publish an incomplete outcome document on issues countries managed to agree on, as well as an additional chair’s summary on others where ministers did not reach consensus.
From my experience leading the consensus process for the Greens for several years, looks like insufficient preliminary work done. Meetings cost time & money – best to get a basis for agreement first via online consensus-building.
Could just be that Adam. Thing is, whereas the ideology is toxic in many respects, there's a paradox due to the benefits it generates in pulling third world nations out of poverty. In a global view, there's actually little that works better.
Consequently, although the report never spelt it out, I suspect those objecting see the benefits of global capitalism as a sufficient reason to retain the status quo. Since they are only ministers, they are as likely as not to be in bed with vested interests. So they can artfully argue benefits to their poor whilst not mentioning their selfish motives.
Neo-idealism, a morally-based approach to geopolitics, grounded in the power of values conceived as ideals to strive for.
.
There is a new idealism at work in international politics. Pioneered by people and politicians in Ukraine, the Baltic states, and the Czech Republic, but increasingly apparent in the actions and words of leaders across the free world, it has opened the door to a better kind of grand strategy for liberal democracies.
The standard bearers for this new hard-edged, forward-looking idealism in (geo)politics include Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas and her erstwhile Finnish counterpart Sanna Marin, as well as President Edgars Rinkēvičs (Latvia) and Foreign Ministers Gabrielius Landsbergis (Lithuania) and Jan Lipavsky (Czechia).
They are joined by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, a leader reborn in the crucible of Europe’s response to Russian aggression. At the head of the pack though is Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky who, channelling the courage and conviction of his people, has done most to pioneer the ‘Neo-Idealist’ synthesis of morality and materiel, principle and progress.
I would cheer Wagner on, only so far as internal russian strife might save Ukrainians. Wagner is nonetheless despicable and I hope both Putin and Wagner lose.
"X did bad. Y opposes X. Therefore Y is good."
Many of the Putin fans commenting here seem to fall into this error.
Encouraging, huh? Strange to say I haven't noticed Biden's idealism yet. From your link:
Even the Biden administration, so crucial yet so hesitant to commit to Ukraine’s victory over Russia, has clearly positioned itself as the leader of a democratic bloc with the intent to face down authoritarian China as a systemic rival. Relatedly, Washington has been more hawkish on geoeconomics than geopolitics as it seeks to move on from Neo-liberal economics.
USA moving on from neoliberalism? Where's the evidence?
Oh, I see, it's a resilience strategy, that's good! From a speech by National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan at the Brookings Institution:
When President Biden came into office more than two years ago, the country faced, from our perspective, four fundamental challenges.
First, America’s industrial base had been hollowed out… The second challenge we faced was adapting to a new environment defined by geopolitical and security competition… The third challenge we faced was an accelerating climate crisis and the urgent need for a just and efficient energy transition.. Finally, we faced the challenge of inequality and its damage to democracy.
Official cognizance of this tetrad is a good basis upon which to proceed. They ought to have told the media about it back then!
Ultimately, our goal is a strong, resilient, and leading-edge techno-industrial base that the United States and its like-minded partners, established and emerging economies alike, can invest in and rely upon together.
President Biden and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen talked about this here in Washington last month. They released a very important statement, which, if you haven’t read it, I really encourage you to read. At its heart, what the statement said was the following: bold public investments in our respective industrial capacity needs to be at the heart of the energy transition. And President von der Leyen and President Biden committed to working together to ensure that the supply chains of the future are resilient, secure, and reflective of our values—including on labor.
They laid out practical steps in the statement to achieve those goals—like aligning respective clean-energy incentives on each side of the Atlantic and launching a negotiation on supply chains for critical minerals and batteries. Shortly after that, President Biden went to Canada. He and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau established a task force to accelerate cooperation between Canada and the United States toward exactly the same end: ensuring our clean-energy supply and creating middle-class jobs on both sides of the border. And just a few days after that, the United States and Japan signed an agreement deepening our cooperation on critical-mineral supply chains.
Now this kind of thing is likely to make a wide swathe of folks less cynical about Democrats. Not airheads after all.
When President Biden came into office more than two years ago, the country faced, from our perspective, four fundamental challenges.
First, America’s industrial base had been hollowed out.
The vision of public investment that had energized the American project in the postwar years—and indeed for much of our history—had faded. It had given way to a set of ideas that championed tax cutting and deregulation, privatization over public action, and trade liberalization as an end in itself.
There was one assumption at the heart of all of this policy: that markets always allocate capital productively and efficiently—no matter what our competitors did, no matter how big our shared challenges grew, and no matter how many guardrails we took down.
Now, no one—certainly not me—is discounting the power of markets. But in the name of oversimplified market efficiency, entire supply chains of strategic goods—along with the industries and jobs that made them—moved overseas. And the postulate that deep trade liberalization would help America export goods, not jobs and capacity, was a promise made but not kept.
Doggy animals Phillip? Our cat does not like guitars banjos or fiddles. If him indoors plays his guitar she is “outta there” The caravan sounds like a friends, well built.
I was in this place ..and I had this old ex-pig hunting dog..who was one of the gentlest dogs I have known..
And I became aware that a feral cat was sleeping underneath my caravan…it wouldn't come near me.. totally feral ..but I would leave a bowl of vegan dog biscuits and water under there for her ..
Sometime later she had a couple of kittens..in a cavity in a cliff..
Shortly after she was caught in a trap..and one of her front legs was just hanging…so she couldn't care for them..
So what she did was she deposited the kittens under my caravan ..and disappeared…
So I had these two hissing/spitting entities to contend with..
And it was a quandary for me…I knew if I handed them to spca/whoever they would likely just off them…(they were very antisocial..)
So I fed them all I had..vegan dog biscuits…and they loved them…
So I sourced them some vegan cat biscuits..(vegan pet food company..off titirangi rd..)…and we were off and running..
But they were still as feisty as..
So what I did was I would sit still and speak softly to them ..(and later on I figured it was like I was purring at them..)
So they eventually melted..and they both just adored the old dog…would sleep curled up on him…he seemed to like it too..
Anyway…the old boy dog died..leaving these two boys…
And I haven't had cats before.. it's always been dogs..
But I hafta say..these two have won me over…their apparent enjoyment of music just part of it..
Tho' I am conflicted still…them being cats and all..
They are on demand food..the bowl is always full…and collars/bells and all that. .but they are cats..still..
If you describe a situation as a virtuous circle, you mean that once one good thing starts happening, other good things happen, which cause the first thing to continue happening.
Such as
I want a virtuous circle of investment and growth in the rail industry. That is the virtuous circle at which we aim. Together, the modernisation of civil justice and the reform of legal aid will complete a virtuous circle.
Vicious Cycle
when the more something is done, the worse it gets, which means that it happens more.
Such as
A vicious cycle is a negative series of events that build on and reinforce each other. If you can't you can't get a job without experience, but you can't get experience without a job, then you are in a vicious cycle.
What is vicious circle in psychology?
A vicious cycle (also known as vicious circle) is used to describe a situation in which events are in a feedback loop in which the action or event is strengthened by its consequence which starts the cycle all over again. It is an event pattern that never reaches equilibrium and is in constant motion.
What is vicious circle in philosophy?
Vicious Circle. Description: The conclusion of the argument is appealed to as one of the truths or principles upon which the argument itself rests.
What is the word for arguing in circles?
A circular argument, also known ascircular reasoning, is an incorrect argument that tries to prove itself using its conclusion as evidence, such as “our boss is the best person for the job because they were promoted to boss.”
This shows the evil of the right. For so long they have avoided climate action of any kind and told us to buy insurance if we were worried. Here it shows how traumatising it can be to just get what you are owed out of your insurer.
Today we also found out how costly dealing with flooding in Auckland will be. God knows what it will be like if this happens more regularly.
Climate change and extreme weather events are going to make inequality worse. We shouldn’t have a business environment where some industries are exempt from doing their part socially, morally or fiscally.
Michael Bassett writes – I’m not sure that it’s much comfort to anyone to know that the post-Covid surge in violent crimes, gang activity, ram raids, random shootings, thuggery and stabbings is occurring in other countries as well as New Zealand. These days, wagging school, out-of-control welfare and ...
Oliver Hartwich writes – Cast your mind back to mid-December. A new Prime Minister had just been sworn in, the new Government started its 100-day programme, and Christmas was only days away.Amid all the haste, a report landed that would have deserved our attention.I am talking about the ...
TL;DR: An unseasonally early icy blast at the same time as some long-overdue maintenance almost caused Aotearoa-NZ’s electricity system to black out this week. That’s because a quadropoly of gentailers1 have prioritised paying dividends from their rising profits and adding debt over investing in 1.5 GigaWatts of new wind farms ...
Hi,Before we crack into today’s Webworm, I wanted to acknowledge the fact that Israel is pushing into Rafah. Over 100,000 Palestinians are now attempting to flee the one place that was deemed “safe”.Trouble is, the place they’re fleeing to is already destroyed. Total annihilation is the end goal here.“Israel is ...
‘It has been said that figures rule the world. Maybe. I am quite sure that it is figures which show us whether it is being ruled well or badly.’ GoetheI was struck at a recent conference on equity for the elderly, how many presenters implicitly relied upon Statistics New Zealand. ...
Buzz from the BeehiveReporting on defence spending late last year, RNZ said the coalition government will have to make some tough calls this term to help the force address staff shortages and ageing infrastructure. “These are huge, huge amounts of government spending. It’s a significant proportion of the government’s ...
Peter Dunne writes – I am always wary when I hear that the Controller and Auditor-General has commented on or made recommendations to the government about an issue of public policy that does not relate strictly to public expenditure. According to the legislation, the role of the Controller ...
How Labour’s and National’s failure to move beyond neoliberalism has brought NZ to the brink of economic and cultural chaos Chris Trotter writes – TO START LOSING, so soon after you won, requires a special kind of political incompetence. At the heart of this Coalition ...
And why did the Crown not challenge the Tribunal’s jurisdiction? Gary Judd writes – Retired District Court Judge, David Harvey, has posted on his A Halflings View Substack an excellent summary of Justice Isacs’ judgment declining to uphold the witness summons issued by the Waitangi Tribunal ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Do you believe New Zealand runs its general elections fairly and competently? As a voter, can you be confident that the votes on your ballot will be counted towards the final result?As a political scientist, I’ve been asked these questions many times and ...
Macklemore isn’t someone I’d usually think about. Sure I liked his big hit from a few years back, everybody did it was catchy and cool with some memorable lines. But if I was going to think of artists who might speak out on political matters or world events, he wouldn’t ...
Another week goes by in the Luxon government’s efforts to roll back the past 70 years of social progress. The school lunches programme is to be downgraded by $107 million, and women need bother their heads no longer about pay equity, let alone expect ACC to provide adequate sexual violence ...
Brrr, the first cold snap of the year. Hope you’re rugged up nice and warm. Here are some stories that caught our eye this week… This Week on Greater Auckland On Monday, we had a post from a new contributor, Connor Sharp, who dug into the public feedback ...
Almost all of the Wellington City Council’s recommended zoning changes to allow many more apartments and townhouses in its inner-suburbs have been approved.Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The podcast above of the weekly ‘hoon’ webinar for subscribers features co-hosts and , along with regular guest on geopolitics, ...
Open access notablesA Global Increase in Nearshore Tropical Cyclone Intensification, Balaguru et al., Earth's Future:Tropical Cyclones (TCs) inflict substantial coastal damages, making it pertinent to understand changing storm characteristics in the important nearshore region. Past work examined several aspects of TCs relevant for impacts in coastal regions. However, ...
Do you believe New Zealand runs its general elections fairly and competently? As a voter, can you be confident that the votes on your ballot will be counted towards the final result? As a political scientist, I’ve been asked these questions many times and always answered “yes”, with very few ...
Thus far May has followed on from a quiet April in the blogging department, but in fairness, it has been another case of doing what I am supposed to be doing, namely writing original fiction. Plus reading. So don’t worry – I have been productive. But in order to reassure ...
Buzz from the Beehive A new government agency will open for business on July 1 – the Social Investment Agency. As a new standalone central agency effective from 1 July, it will lead the development of social investment across Government, helping ministers understand who they need to invest in, what ...
Bryce Edwards writes – “Follow the money” is the classic directive to journalists trying to understand where power and influence lie in society. In terms of uncovering who influences various New Zealand political parties and governments, it therefore pays to look at who is funding them. The ...
Alwyn Poole writes – After being elected to Parliament in 2008 the maiden speech of Hipkins was substantially around education policy. He was Labour’s spokesperson for education 2011 – 2017. He was Minister for Education from 2017 until February 2023. This is approximately 88% of the time Labour ...
Eric Crampton writes – A fashion industry group is lobbying for protections. They make the usual arguments and a newer one. None of it makes sense. An industry group says it pumped $7.8 billion into the economy last year – that’s 1.9 percent of New Zealand’s GDP. ...
In December 2006, Fiji's military leader Voreqe Bainimarama overthrew the elected government in a coup. He ruled Fiji for the next 16 years, first as dictator, then as "elected" Prime Minister. But now, he's finally been sent to jail where he belongs. Sadly, this isn't for his real crime of ...
Don't like National's corrupt Muldoonist "fast-track" law? Aotearoa's environmental NGO's - Greenpeace, Forest & Bird, WWF, Coromandel Watchdog, Coal Action Network Aotearoa, Kiwis Against Seabed Mining, and others - have announced a joint march against it in Auckland in June: When: 13:00, 8 June, 2024 Where: Aotea Square, Auckland You ...
Seymour describes sushi as too woke for school meals. There are no fish sushi meals recommended by the School Lunches programme. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / Getty ImagesTL;DR: The Government will swap out hot meals for packaged sandwiches to save $107 million on school lunches for poor kids. MSD has pulled ...
I don't mind stealin' bread from the mouths of decadenceBut I can't feed on the powerless when my cup's already overfilled, yeahBut it's on the table, the fire's cookin'And they're farmin' babies, while slaves are workin'The blood is on the table and the mouths are chokin'But I'm goin' hungry, yeahSome ...
The Ardern Government’s chickens came home to roost yesterday with the news that the country is short of natural gas. In 2018, Labour banned offshore petroleum exploration, and industry executives say that the attendant loss of confidence by the industry impacted overall investment in onshore gas fields. Energy Resources Minister ...
Hi,If you’ve been digging through the newly launched Webworm store (orders are being dispatched worldwide as I type!) you’ll have noticed the best model we had was Calvin.This is Calvin.Calvin.Calvin is 7, and is the son of my producer over on Flightless Bird, Rob — aka “Wobby Wob”. Rob also ...
This video includes conclusions of the creator climate scientist Dr. Adam Levy. It is presented to our readers as an informed perspective. Please see video description for references (if any). Climate change is everywhere. And when something's everywhere it can feel like it's nowhere. So how do we get our heads ...
Its a law like gravity: whenever a right-wing government is elected, they start attacking democracy. And now, after talking to their Republican and Tory and Fidesz chums at the International Democracy Union forum in Wellington, National is doing it here, announcing plans to remove election-day enrolment. Or, to put it ...
Yesterday Winston Peters focussed his attention on the important matter at hand. Tweeting. Like the former, and quite possibly next, orange POTUS, from whom he takes much of his political strategy, Winston is an avid X’er.His message didn’t resemble an historic address this time. In fact it was more reminiscent ...
Buzz from the Beehive A significant decline in natural gas production has given Resources Minister Shane Jones an opportunity to reiterate his enthusiasm for the mining and burning of coal. For good measure, he has praised an announcement from Genesis Energy that it will resume importing coal. He and Energy ...
“Follow the money” is the classic directive to journalists trying to understand where power and influence lie in society. In terms of uncovering who influences various New Zealand political parties and governments, it therefore pays to look at who is funding them. The political parties are legally obliged to make ...
Rob MacCullough writes – Here is my subjective ranking on a “most-left” to “most-right” scale of most of our major NZ Universities, with some anecdotal (and at times amusing) evidence to back up the claim.Extreme Left Auckland University of TechnologyEvidenceThe ...
Eric Crampton writes – I hadn’t thought about this one until a helpful email showed up in my inbox.It’s pretty obvious that income tax thresholds should automatically index with inflation – whether to anchor the thresholds in percentiles of the income distribution, or to anchor against a real ...
Jacqui Van Der Kaay writes – Parliament’s speaker had no option but to refer Green MP Julie Anne Genter to the Privileges Committee for her behaviour in the House last Wednesday evening. The incident, in which she crossed the floor to wave a book and yell at National ...
Gary Judd writes – The Dean of the law school at the Auckland University of Technology is someone called Khylee Quince. I have been sent her social media posting in which she has, over the LawNews headline “Senior King’s Counsel files complaint about compulsory tikanga Maori studies for ...
Cleo Paskal writes – WASHINGTON, D.C.: ‘Many of us have received phone calls from [the opposing camp] telling them if they join the camp they will be given projects for their wards and $300,000 [around US$35,000] each’, says former Malaita Premier Daniel Suidani. The elections in Solomon Islands aren’t ...
With hindsight, it was inevitable that (a) Hamas would agree to the ceasefire deal brokered by Egypt and Qatar and that ( b) Israel would then immediately launch attacks on Rafah, regardless. We might have hoped the concessions made by Hamas would cause Israel to desist from slaughtering thousands more ...
Placards and mourners outside the Kilbirnie Mosque following the Christchurch terror attack: MSD has terminated the Kaiwhakaoranga service, which has been used by 415 families since the attacks. Photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: The Government’s pledge to only cut ‘back office’ staff rather than ‘frontline’ services is on increasingly shaky ground, with ...
There’s been a few smaller public transport announcements over the last week or so that I thought I’d cover in a single post. Fareshare I’ve long called for Auckland Transport to offer a way to enable employer-subsidised public transport options. The need for this took on even more importance ...
Parliament’s speaker had no option but to refer Green MP Julie Anne Genter to the Privileges Committee for her behaviour in the House last Wednesday evening. The incident, in which she crossed the floor to wave a book and yell at National Minister Matt Doocey, reflects poorly on Genter and ...
On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
Who likes being sneered at? Nobody. Worse yet, when the sneerer has their facts all wrong, and might well be an idiot.The sneer in question is The adults are in charge now, and it is a sneer offered in retort to criticism of this new Government, no matter how well ...
When in government, Labour pushed to extend the Parliamentary term to four years, to reduce accountability and our ability to vote out a bad government. And now, they're trying to do it through the member's ballot, with a Four-Year Parliamentary Term Legislation Bill. The bill at least requires a referendum ...
A ballot for a single Member's Bill was held today, and the following bill was drawn: Public Works (Prohibition of Compulsory Acquisition of Māori Land) Amendment Bill (Hūhana Lyndon) The bill would prevent the government from stealing Māori land in breach of Te Tiriti o Waitangi. It ...
Simeon Brown, alongside Wayne Brown, is favouring a political figleaf now in exchange for loading up tens of millions in extra interest costs on Auckland ratepayers. Photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: Ratings agency Standard & Poor’s is pushing back hard at suggestions from Local Government Minister Simeon Brown and Mayor Wayne Brown ...
Buzz from the Beehive One headline-grabber from the Beehive yesterday was the OECD’s advice that the government must bring the Budget deficit under control or face higher interest rates. Another was the announcement of a $1.9 billion “investment” in Corrections over the next four years. In the best interests of ...
Chris Trotter writes – Had Zheng He’s fleet sailed east, not west, in the early Fifteenth Century, how different our world would be. There is little reason to suppose that the sea-going junks of the Ming Dynasty, among the largest and most sophisticated sailing vessels ever constructed, would have failed ...
David Farrar writes – Two articles give a useful contrast in balance. Both seek to be neutral explainer articles. This one in the Herald on Social Investment covers the pros and cons nicely. It links to critical pieces and talks about aspects that failed and aspects that are more ...
The tikanga regulations will compel law students to be taught that a system which does not conform with the rule of law is nevertheless law which should be observed and applied…Gary Judd KC writes – I have made a complaint to Parliament’s Regulation ...
The future of Te Huia, the train between Hamilton and Auckland, has been getting a lot of attention recently as current funding for it is only in place till the end of June. The government initially agreed to a five year trial, through to April 2026, but that was subject ...
TL;DR: Hamas has just agreed to Israel’s ceasefire plan. Nelson hospital’s rebuild has been cut back to save money. The OECD suggests New Zealand break up network monopolies, including in electricity. PM Christopher Luxon’s news conference on a prison expansion announcement last night was his messiest yet.Here’s my top six ...
A homicide in Ponsonby, a manhunt with a killer on the run. The nation’s leader stands before a press conference reassuring a frightened nation that he’ll sort it out, he’ll keep them safe, he’ll build some new prison spaces.Sorry what? There’s a scary dude on the run with a gun ...
Hi,I know it’s been awhile since there’s been any Webworm merch — and today that all changes!Over the last four months, I’ve been working with New Zealand artist Jess Johnson to create a series of t-shirts, caps and stickers that are infused with Webworm DNA — and as of right ...
The OECD’s chief economist yesterday laid it on the line for the new Government: bring the deficit under control or face higher Reserve Bank interest rates for longer. And to bring the deficit under control, she meant not borrowing for tax cuts. But there was more. Without policy changes—introducing a ...
After a hiatus of over four months Selwyn Manning and I finally got it together to re-start the “A View from Afar” podcast series. We shall see how we go but aim to do 2 episodes per month if possible. … Continue reading → ...
In 2008, the UK Parliament passed the Climate Change Act 2008. The law established a system of targets, budgets, and plans, with inbuilt accountability mechanisms; the aim was to break the cycle of empty promises and replace it with actual progress towards emissions reduction. The law was passed with near-universal ...
Buzz from the Beehive Local Water Done Well – let’s be blunt – is a silly name, but the first big initiative to put it into practice has gone done well. This success is reflected in the headline on an RNZ report:District mayors welcome Auckland’s new water deal with ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate ConnectionsA farmworker cleans the solar panels of a solar water pump in the village of Jagadhri, Haryana Country, India. (Photo credit: Prashanth Vishwanathan/ IWMI) Decisions made in India over the next few years will play a key role in global ...
Lindsay Mitchell writes – The Children’s Minister, Karen Chhour, intends to repeal Section 7AA from the Oranga Tamariki Act 1989 because it creates conflict between claimed Crown Treaty obligations and the child’s best interests. In her words, “Oranga Tamariki’s governing principles and its act should be colour ...
Geoffrey Miller writes – The gloves are off. That might seem to be the undertone of surprisingly tough talk from New Zealand’s foreign and trade ministers. Winston Peters, the foreign minister, may be facing legal action after making allegations about former Australian foreign minister Bob Carr on Radio New Zealand. ...
Brian Easton writes – This is about the time that the Treasury will be locking up its economic forecasts to be published in the 2024 Budget Economic and Fiscal Update (BEFU) on budget day, 30 May. I am not privy to what they will be (I will report on them ...
TL;DR:Winston Peters is reported to have won a budget increase for MFAT. David Seymour wanted his Ministry of Regulation to be three times bigger than the Productivity Commission. Simeon Brown is appointing a Crown Monitor to Watercare to protect the Claytons Crown Guarantee he had to give ratings agencies ...
The gloves are off. That might seem to be the undertone of surprisingly tough talk from New Zealand’s foreign and trade ministers. Winston Peters, the foreign minister, may be facing legal action after making allegations about former Australian foreign minister Bob Carr on Radio New Zealand. Carr had made highly ...
I could be a florist'Round the corner from Rye LaneI'll be giving daisies to craziesBut, baby, I'll wrap you up real safe Oh, I can give you flowers At the end of every dayFor the center of your table, a rainbowIn case you have people 'round to stay Depending on ...
TL;DR: The six key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to May 12 include:PM Christopher Luxon is scheduled to hold a post-Cabinet news conference at 4 pm today. Finance Minister Nicola Willis will give a pre-budget speech on Thursday.Parliament sits from Question Time at 2pm on ...
The price of the foreign affairs “reset” is now becoming apparent, with Defence set to get a funding boost in the Budget. Finance Minister Nicola Willis has confirmed that it will be one of the few votes, apart from Health and Education and possibly Police, which will get an increase ...
Today New Zealand First will introduce a Member’s Bill that will protect women’s spaces. The ‘Fair Access to Bathrooms Bill’ will require, primarily in the interest and safety of women and girls, that all new non-domestic publicly accessible buildings provide separate, clearly demarcated, unisex and single sex bathrooms. This Bill ...
The Green Party is welcoming Climate Change Minister Simon Watts’ continuation of Hon. James Shaw’s cross-party work on climate adaptation, now in the form of a Finance and Expenditure Committee Inquiry. ...
The National Government plans to cut 390 jobs at ACC, including roles in the areas of prevention of sexual violence, road safety and workplace safety. ...
The Government has been caught in opposition to evidence once again as it looks to usher in tried, tested and failed work seminar obligations for job-seeking beneficiaries. ...
The Green Party is welcoming the announcement by the Minister Responsible for RMA Reform Chris Bishop to approve most of the Wellington City Council’s District Plan recommendations. ...
David Seymour has failed to get the sweeping cuts he wanted to the free and healthy school lunch programme, Labour education spokesperson Jan Tinetti said. ...
Hon Willie Jackson has been invited by the Oxford Union to debate the motion “This House Believes British Museums are not Very British’ on May 23rd. ...
Green Party MP Hūhana Lyndon says her Public Works (Prohibition of Compulsory Acquisition of Māori Land) Amendment Bill is an opportunity to right some past wrongs around the alienation of Māori land. ...
A senior, highly respected King’s Counsel with decades of experience in our law courts, Gary Judd KC, has filed a complaint about compulsory tikanga Māori studies for law students - highlighting the utter depths of absurdity this woke cultural madness has taken our society. The tikanga regulations will compel law ...
The Government needs to be clear with the people of the Nelson Marlborough region about the changes it is considering for the Nelson Hospital rebuild, Labour health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall said. ...
Ministers must front up about which projects it will push through under its Fast Track Approvals legislation, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
The Government is again adding to New Zealand’s growing unemployment, this time cutting jobs at the agencies responsible for urban development and growing much needed housing stock. ...
With Minister Karen Chhour indicating in the House today that she either doesn’t know or care about the frontline cuts she’s making to Oranga Tamariki, we risk seeing more and more of our children falling through the cracks. ...
The Labour Party is saddened to learn of the death of Sir Robert Martin, a globally renowned disability advocate who led the way for disability rights both in New Zealand and internationally. ...
Labour is calling for the Government to urgently rethink its coalition commitment to restart live animal exports, Labour animal welfare spokesperson Rachel Boyack said. ...
Today’s Financial Stability Report has once again highlighted that poverty and deep inequality are political choices - and this Government is choosing to make them worse. ...
The Green Party is calling on the Government to do more for our households in most need as unemployment rises and the cost of living crisis endures. ...
Unemployment is on the rise and it’s only going to get worse under this Government, Labour finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds said. Stats NZ figures show the unemployment rate grew to 4.3 percent in the March quarter from 4 percent in the December quarter. “This is the second rise in unemployment ...
The New Zealand Labour Party welcomes the entering into force of the European Union and New Zealand free trade agreement. This agreement opens the door for a huge increase in trade opportunities with a market of 450 million people who are high value discerning consumers of New Zealand goods and ...
The National-led Government continues its fiscal jiggery pokery with its Pharmac announcement today, Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall says. “The government has increased Pharmac funding but conceded it will only make minimal increases in access to medicine”, said Ayesha Verrall “This is far from the bold promises made to fund ...
This afternoon’s interim Waitangi Tribunal report must be taken seriously as it affects our most vulnerable children, Labour children’s spokesperson Willow-Jean Prime. ...
Te Pāti Māori are demanding the New Zealand Government support an international independent investigation into mass graves that have been uncovered at two hospitals on the Gaza strip, following weeks of assault by Israeli troops. Among the 392 bodies that have been recovered, are children and elderly civilians. Many of ...
Our two-tiered system for veterans’ support is out of step with our closest partners, and all parties in Parliament should work together to fix it, Labour veterans’ affairs spokesperson Greg O’Connor said. ...
Stripping two Ministers of their portfolios just six months into the job shows Christopher Luxon’s management style is lacking, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said. ...
Tonight’s court decision to overturn the summons of the Children’s Minister has enabled the Crown to continue making decisions about Māori without evidence, says Te Pāti Māori spokesperson for Children, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. “The judicial system has this evening told the nation that this government can do whatever they want when ...
It appears Nicola Willis is about to pull the rug out from under the feet of local communities still dealing with the aftermath of last year’s severe weather, and local councils relying on funding to build back from these disasters. ...
The Government is making short-sighted changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA) that will take away environmental protection in favour of short-term profits, Labour’s environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
Labour welcomes the release of the report into the North Island weather events and looks forward to working with the Government to ensure that New Zealand is as prepared as it can be for the next natural disaster. ...
The Labour Party has called for the New Zealand Government to recognise Palestine, as a material step towards progressing the two-State solution needed to achieve a lasting peace in the region. ...
Some of our country’s most important work, stopping the sexual exploitation of children and violent extremism could go along with staff on the frontline at ports and airports. ...
The Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill will give projects such as new coal mines a ‘get out of jail free’ card to wreak havoc on the environment, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
New Zealand voted in favour of a resolution broadening Palestine’s participation at the United Nations General Assembly overnight, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “The resolution enhances the rights of Palestine to participate in the work of the UN General Assembly while stopping short of admitting Palestine as a full ...
Introduction Good morning. It’s a great privilege to be here at the 2024 Infrastructure Symposium. I was extremely happy when the Prime Minister asked me to be his Minister for Infrastructure. It is one of the great barriers holding the New Zealand economy back from achieving its potential. Building high ...
Defence Minister Judith Collins today announced the upcoming Budget will include new funding of $571 million for Defence Force pay and projects. “Our servicemen and women do New Zealand proud throughout the world and this funding will help ensure we retain their services and expertise as we navigate an increasingly ...
New Zealand’s ability to cope with climate change will be strengthened as part of the Government’s focus to build resilience as we rebuild the economy, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. “An enduring and long-term approach is needed to provide New Zealanders and the economy with certainty as the climate ...
Jobseeker beneficiaries who have work obligations must now meet with MSD within two weeks of their benefit starting to determine their next step towards finding a job, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “A key part of the coalition Government’s plan to have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker ...
A new standalone Social Investment Agency will power-up the social investment approach, driving positive change for our most vulnerable New Zealanders, Social Investment Minister Nicola Willis says. “Despite the Government currently investing more than $70 billion every year into social services, we are not seeing the outcomes we want for ...
Check against delivery Good morning. It is a pleasure to be with you to outline the Coalition Government’s approach to our first Budget. Thank you Mark Skelly, President of the Hutt Valley Chamber of Commerce, together with your Board and team, for hosting me. I’d like to acknowledge His Worship ...
Your Excellency Ambassador Meredith, Members of the Diplomatic Corps and Ambassadors from European Union Member States, Ministerial colleagues, Members of Parliament, and other distinguished guests, Thank you everyone for joining us. Ladies and gentlemen - In diplomacy, we often speak of ‘close’ and ‘long-standing’ relations. ...
The Therapeutic Products Act (TPA) will be repealed this year so that a better regime can be put in place to provide New Zealanders safe and timely access to medicines, medical devices and health products, Associate Health Minister Casey Costello announced today. “The medicines and products we are talking about ...
The Minister Responsible for RMA Reform, Chris Bishop, today released his decision on twenty recommendations referred to him by the Wellington City Council relating to its Intensification Planning Instrument, after the Council rejected those recommendations of the Independent Hearings Panel and made alternative recommendations. “Wellington notified its District Plan on ...
Rape Awareness Week (6-10 May) is an important opportunity to acknowledge the continued effort required by government and communities to ensure that all New Zealanders can live free from violence, say Ministers Karen Chhour and Louise Upston. “With 1 in 3 women and 1 in 8 men experiencing sexual violence ...
Associate Education Minister David Seymour has today announced that the Government will be delivering a more efficient Healthy School Lunches Programme, saving taxpayers approximately $107 million a year compared to how Labour funded it, by embracing innovation and commercial expertise. “We are delivering on our commitment to treat taxpayers’ money ...
New research on the impacts of extreme weather on coastal marine habitats in Tairāwhiti and Hawke’s Bay will help fishery managers plan for and respond to any future events, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. A report released today on research by Niwa on behalf of Fisheries New Zealand ...
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Winston Peters will lead a broad political delegation on a five-stop Pacific tour next week to strengthen New Zealand’s engagement with the region. The delegation will visit Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu, New Caledonia, and Tuvalu. “New Zealand has deep and ...
There has been a material decline in gas production according to figures released today by the Gas Industry Co. Figures released by the Gas Industry Company show that there was a 12.5 per cent reduction in gas production during 2023, and a 27.8 per cent reduction in gas production in the ...
Defence Minister Judith Collins tonight announced the recipients of the Minister of Defence Awards of Excellence for Industry, saying they all contribute to New Zealanders’ security and wellbeing. “Congratulations to this year’s recipients, whose innovative products and services play a critical role in the delivery of New Zealand’s defence capabilities, ...
Welcome to you all - it is a pleasure to be here this evening.I would like to start by thanking Greg Lowe, Chair of the New Zealand Defence Industry Advisory Council, for co-hosting this reception with me. This evening is about recognising businesses from across New Zealand and overseas who in ...
It is a pleasure to be speaking to you as the Minister for Digitising Government. I would like to thank Akolade for the invitation to address this Summit, and to acknowledge the great effort you are making to grow New Zealand’s digital future. Today, we stand at the cusp of ...
New Zealand is urging both Israel and Hamas to agree to an immediate ceasefire to avoid the further humanitarian catastrophe that military action in Rafah would unleash, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “The immense suffering in Gaza cannot be allowed to worsen further. Both sides have a responsibility to ...
A new online data dashboard released today as part of the Government’s school attendance action plan makes more timely daily attendance data available to the public and parents, says Associate Education Minister David Seymour. The interactive dashboard will be updated once a week to show a national average of how ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced Rosemary Banks will be New Zealand’s next Ambassador to the United States of America. “Our relationship with the United States is crucial for New Zealand in strategic, security and economic terms,” Mr Peters says. “New Zealand and the United States have a ...
The Government is considering creating a new tier of minerals permitting that will make it easier for hobby miners to prospect for gold. “New Zealand was built on gold, it’s in our DNA. Our gold deposits, particularly in regions such as Otago and the West Coast have always attracted fortune-hunters. ...
Minister for Trade Todd McClay today announced that New Zealand and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) will commence negotiations on a free trade agreement (FTA). Minister McClay met with his counterpart UAE Trade Minister Dr Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi in Dubai, where they announced the launch of negotiations on a ...
New Zealand Sign Language Week is an excellent opportunity for all Kiwis to give the language a go, Disabilities Issues Minister Louise Upston says. This week (May 6 to 12) is New Zealand Sign Language (NZSL) Week. The theme is “an Aotearoa where anyone can sign anywhere” and aims to ...
Six tertiary students have been selected to work on NASA projects in the US through a New Zealand Space Scholarship, Space Minister Judith Collins announced today. “This is a fantastic opportunity for these talented students. They will undertake internships at NASA’s Ames Research Center or its Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), where ...
New Zealanders will be safer because of a $1.9 billion investment in more frontline Corrections officers, more support for offenders to turn away from crime, and more prison capacity, Corrections Minister Mark Mitchell says. “Our Government said we would crack down on crime. We promised to restore law and order, ...
The OECD’s latest report on New Zealand reinforces the importance of bringing Government spending under control, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The OECD conducts country surveys every two years to review its members’ economic policies. The 2024 New Zealand survey was presented in Wellington today by OECD Chief Economist Clare Lombardelli. ...
The Government has delivered on its election promise to provide a financially sustainable model for Auckland under its Local Water Done Well plan. The plan, which has been unanimously endorsed by Auckland Council’s Governing Body, will see Aucklanders avoid the previously projected 25.8 per cent water rates increases while retaining ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters discussed the need for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, and enhanced cooperation in the Pacific with German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock during her first official visit to New Zealand today. "New Zealand and Germany enjoy shared interests and values, including the rule of law, democracy, respect for the international system ...
The Minister Responsible for RMA Reform, Chris Bishop today released his decision on four recommendations referred to him by the Western Bay of Plenty District Council, opening the door to housing growth in the area. The Council’s Plan Change 92 allows more homes to be built in existing and new ...
Thank you, John McKinnon and the New Zealand China Council for the invitation to speak to you today. Thank you too, all members of the China Council. Your effort has played an essential role in helping to build, shape, and grow a balanced and resilient relationship between our two ...
The Government is modernising insurance law to better protect Kiwis and provide security in the event of a disaster, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly announced today. “These reforms are long overdue. New Zealand’s insurance law is complicated and dated, some of which is more than 100 years old. ...
The coalition Government is refreshing its approach to supporting pay equity claims as time-limited funding for the Pay Equity Taskforce comes to an end, Public Service Minister Nicola Willis says. “Three years ago, the then-government introduced changes to the Equal Pay Act to support pay equity bargaining. The changes were ...
Structured literacy will change the way New Zealand children learn to read - improving achievement and setting students up for success, Education Minister Erica Stanford says. “Being able to read and write is a fundamental life skill that too many young people are missing out on. Recent data shows that ...
Trade Minister Todd McClay says Canada’s refusal to comply in full with a CPTPP trade dispute ruling in our favour over dairy trade is cynical and New Zealand has no intention of backing down. Mr McClay said he has asked for urgent legal advice in respect of our ‘next move’ ...
The rights of our children and young people will be enhanced by changes the coalition Government will make to strengthen oversight of the Oranga Tamariki system, including restoring a single Children’s Commissioner. “The Government is committed to delivering better public services that care for our most at-risk young people and ...
The Government is making it easier for minor changes to be made to a building consent so building a home is easier and more affordable, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “The coalition Government is focused on making it easier and cheaper to build homes so we can ...
New Zealand lost a true legend when internationally renowned disability advocate Sir Robert Martin (KNZM) passed away at his home in Whanganui last night, Disabilities Issues Minister Louise Upston says. “Our Government’s thoughts are with his wife Lynda, family and community, those he has worked with, the disability community in ...
Good evening – Before discussing the challenges and opportunities facing New Zealand’s foreign policy, we’d like to first acknowledge the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs. You have contributed to debates about New Zealand foreign policy over a long period of time, and we thank you for hosting us. ...
From today, passengers travelling internationally from Auckland Airport will be able to keep laptops and liquids in their carry-on bags for security screening thanks to new technology, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Creating a more efficient and seamless travel experience is important for holidaymakers and businesses, enabling faster movement through ...
“The Bill does not provide environmental protection, good quality decision making, certainty, public participation or speed. It should be withdrawn.” ...
RNZ News Television New Zealand has breached its collective agreement with the E tū union when deciding on discontinuing programmes, the Employment Relations Authority has ruled. It was announced in March that 68 staff members who work for news programmes Midday and Tonight, consumer justice programme Fair Go, current affairs ...
Asia Pacific Report Barangay New Zealand’s Rene Molina has interviewed the country’s first Filipino Green MP Francisco Hernandez who was sworn into Parliament yesterday as the party’s latest member. This is the first interview with Hernandez who replaces former Green Party co-leader James Shaw after his retirement from politics to ...
An Australian Strategic Policy Institute report says Pillar Two could raise the industry to state of the art capability - or "crush" it "under the weight of the globe's biggest player". ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Marlene Longbottom, Associate Professor, Indigenous Education & Research Centre, James Cook University ShutterstockThis article contains information on deaths in custody and the violence experienced by First Nations people in encounters with the Australian carceral system. It also contains references to ...
“Instead of following along countries that are investing in death and better ways of killing people faster, we need to invest in life and in making Aotearoa a fair, just and equitable place where everyone has what they need for a dignified life.” ...
MARIAMENO KAPA-KINGI, TPM MP FOR TAI TOKERAU This Government will not waver in its mission to exterminate Māori. CHRISTOPHER LUXON Oh well look you know I don’t think that hard-working Kiwis want to hear language like that. It’s just really unhelpful rhetoric. My Government is genuinely committed to advancing outcomes ...
The body positivity movement started with women confronting the unrealistic expectations and unrepresentative portrayals of them in media and advertising. Men weren’t part of it … their bodies hadn’t been sexualised to the same extremes and they didn’t really need it. But now that’s changed. And in a warped sort ...
The New Zealand comedy legend takes us through her life in television, including the time she hugged Elton John and the unshakeable legacy of a girl named Lyn. In 1981, Ginette McDonald stood on the stage of Auckland’s St James Theatre and directly addressed Queen Elizabeth II. It was a ...
An essay by Lily Duval from the just-released anthology Otherhood: Essays on being childless, childfree and child adjacent.I was 22 when my friend Alice gave birth in the living room of our pokey Addington flat. She laboured in the blow-up pool for hours. Garish fish swam along the inflated ...
Ella Borrie on the best books about motherhood she’s come across so far. Over the past few years I’ve been drawn to books about motherhood. I’m fascinated by the joys and horrors of becoming a parent. The question of children also feels more pressing than it used to. It’s like ...
Out of gift ideas for mum? You can’t go wrong with a bottle of toilet cleaner and a new squeegee. Emily Writes is the writer and editor of Emily Writes Weekly. This week marks five years since I published a post on The Spinoff about Mother’s Day marketing titled ‘A ...
My husband is posted overseas for 12 months and I’m armed with an expensive, newfangled vibrator. Will I miss him? The Sunday Essay is made possible thanks to the support of Creative New Zealand.A few days after my husband leaves, a new sex toy arrives at the front door. Nestled ...
Jaimie Baird’s new book Here Today Gone Tomorrow is a record of four decades of graffiti and street art in Wellington, told through more than 1,200 photographs. He spoke with Joel MacManus about what inspired the book. How did you first get interested in photographing street art? I remember ...
Editor Madeleine Chapman looks back at a busy week where food of all political leanings dominated. Sometimes you’re just going about your week thinking you’ve got a good handle on what might be coming as far as news topics and then someone (usually a politician) says something so ridiculous that ...
A banner notification alerts me to the fact that I’ve received an Instagram message from @felicity.loves. She always comments on my posts. I shouldn’t have opened the message, but clicked on the notification before rationalising this. OMG! Are you in Wellys? X I debate not replying, but Instagram will inform ...
In Melbourne’s hardscrabble western suburbs where AFL – Aussie rules football – is a state religion, Callum Donaldson has been quietly grafting away, four months into an odyssey that he hopes will take him to another promised land: the NRL. It was a solid 2023 for the softly spoken 20-year-old ...
In a week of cold rain and frost, the climate in courtroom four upstairs at the Invercargill courthouse was simmering with restrained indignation. At times it felt like the famous Mexican standoff scene from Reservoir Dogs, or, as someone watching the proceedings described it, there was so much throwing of ...
Pacific Media Watch Television New Zealand Pacific correspondent Barbara Dreaver has been made an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to investigative journalism and Pacific communities in a ceremony at Government House, reports 1News. She has been the Pacific correspondent for 1News since 2002, breaking many ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Tuesday’s budget will respond to the deepening public agitation over Australia’s housing shortages by pouring new money into crisis accommodation for women and children, social housing and infrastructure. A specially-convened national cabinet late Friday ticked ...
By Kaneta Naimatu in Suva Journalists in the Pacific region play an important role as the “eyes and ears on the ground” when it comes to reporting the climate crisis, says the European Union’s Pacific Ambassador Barbara Plinkert. Speaking at The University of the South Pacific (USP) on World Press ...
Aldora Itunu is back in the Black Ferns squad after a three-year absence. The last of her 24 internationals was an underwhelming loss to France (7-29) in Castres to conclude the disastrous 2021 Northern Tour. The powerhouse prop won a Rugby World Cup in 2017 and thought she was done. ...
The fight to control major transport policy and projects in Auckland has burst into the open again, with councillors rejecting Mayor Wayne Brown’s latest attempt to steer things more under his influence. Councillors from the left and right broke ranks on the mayor’s bid to control Auckland Transport more directly ...
Exhausted by the general election campaign, horrified by the twilight zone of coalition negotiations, distracted by the silly season and waiting for the honeymoon to begin, Raw Politics has been in hibernation since October. From today, we’re back. Our weekly political video show and podcast returns for ...
By Patrick Decloitre, RNZ Pacific correspondent French Pacific desk Authorities in the small town of Boulouparis have commemorated Armistice Day on May 8 with a new memorial honouring New Zealand soldiers who were stationed in New Caledonia during World War II. The ceremony took place in the township on the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sara Dehm, Senior lecturer, international migration and refugee law, University of Technology Sydney The High Court unanimously ruled today that the Australian government can keep asylum seekers in immigration detention indefinitely in cases where they do not “voluntarily” cooperate with their own ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kim Munro, Lecturer, Creative Industries and Digital Media, University of South Australia Twenty-four hours after the release of Macklemore’s pro-Palestine protest song Hind’s Hall on social media on May 7, the video had already notched up over 24 million views. In ...
Failing to anticipate the complexity of the consenting system is being cited as the the current builder's shortcomings, an Infrastructure Commission review says. ...
Failing to anticipate the complexity of the consenting system is being cited as the the current builder's shortcomings, an Infrastructure Commission review says. ...
350 Aotearoa is calling the Environment Select Committee’s decision to allow oral submissions from just 40% of individual, unique submitters who asked to speak to the committee ‘a disgraceful blight to democracy’. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By James Helal, Assistant Dean (Sustainability), The University of Melbourne Dubai skylineAleksandarPasaric/Pexels Since ancient times, people have built structures that reach for the skies – from the steep spires of medieval towers to the grand domes of ancient cathedrals and mosques. Today ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Edward Musole, PhD Law Student, University of New England Girts Ragelis/ShutterstockRecent trends show Australians are increasingly buying wearables such as smartwatches and fitness trackers. These electronics track our body movements or vital signs to provide data throughout the day, with ...
Papua New Guinea experienced a significant earthquake on 24 March in East Sepik and there has also been recent flooding there and in surrounding provinces. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Yousuf Mohammed, Dermatology researcher, The University of Queensland Maridav/Shutterstock You wake up, stagger to the bathroom and gaze into the mirror. No, you’re not imagining it. You’ve developed face wrinkles overnight. They’re sleep wrinkles. Sleep wrinkles are temporary. But as your ...
The Environment Select Committee has just announced that 60 percent of individuals who asked to speak at the hearings will not be heard. This equates to almost 700 people who made individual submissions and more than 1000 more who made a form submission. ...
The Royal New Zealand Ballet is performing Swan Lake around the country. What kind of dream does the ballet sell?Before going to see the Royal New Zealand Ballet perform Swan Lake, I had about as much familiarity with the plot of this ballet as could be expected from having ...
A new poem by Auckland poet Eamonn Tee. High Tide at Local Maxima It is only going to get worse. The streams will be narrow and fickle. The week will bend and buckle like a pot-bellied waist. You will make it to the weekend with one ...
The New Zealand entrepreneur behind beauty business Ethique is gearing up to launch a new eco-venture. This is an excerpt from our weekly environmental newsletter Future Proof. Sign up here. Our thirst for a tasty bevvy is insatiable, but it comes with a hefty plastic price for the planet: 580 billion ...
The only published and available best-selling indie book chart in New Zealand is the top 10 sales list recorded every week at Unity Books’ stores in High St, Auckland, and Willis St, Wellington.AUCKLAND1 James by Percival Everett (Mantle, $38) A retelling of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn from ...
By Kamna Kumar in Suva Pacific Islands Forum Secretary-General Henry Puna stressed the importance of media freedom and its link to the climate and environmental crisis at the 2024 World Press Freedom Day event organised by the University of the South Pacific’s journalism programme. Under the theme “A Planet for ...
Tara Ward previews a new local TV series offering alternative visions of motherhood. This is an excerpt from our weekly pop culture newsletter Rec Room. Sign up here. A woman is clambering up the side of her two-story house, clinging desperately to a drainpipe. Nearby, her child is perched on the ...
Local Government New Zealand (LGNZ) is supportive of the cross-party approach to climate adaptation announced by the Minister of Climate Change today. ...
The Sustainable Business Council (SBC) and Climate Leaders Coalition (CLC) welcome today’s announcement from Government around a bipartisan inquiry into an enduring climate adaptation framework for New Zealand. ...
The Free Speech Union welcomes the decision by the Department of Internal Affairs, and Minister Brooke Van Velden, to abandon proposals to further regulate online speech. ...
Its new building in Wellington will not be nearly big enough for all its records, and it has also run out of money to build its new storage facility in Levin. ...
BusinessNZ is congratulating the Minister of Climate Change for his work in achieving cross-party consensus for a way forward on climate adaptation. ...
Recent research reveals the repeal of smokefree measures is not only bad for our health, but also the economy. The Government has repealed various smokefree measures to ensure it keeps collecting $1.2 billion a year in tobacco taxes, in order to pay for tax cuts already being delivered to ...
The club’s surprisingly good season is built on the desire to prove a random A-League YouTuber wrong… and a few other factors.“There’s no way that Wellington Phoenix play finals this year. I can’t see it happening at all.” Those are the words of Lachlan Raeside, an Australian football content ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By César Albarrán-Torres, Senior Lecturer, Department of Media and Communication, Swinburne University of Technology Apple TV+ As one of billions of bilingual individuals in the world, it disappoints me when a film or TV show with characters of a non-English-speaking background is ...
The under-utilised course is a waste of space, and with a little political will, it could be turned into something better. For the duration of her stay in Wellington, my long-suffering cousin listened to me rant about golf courses. They’re bad for the environment: water intensive and pesticide heavy. They ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Leah Ruppanner, Professor of Sociology and Founding Director of The Future of Work Lab, Podcast at MissPerceived, The University of Melbourne Shutterstock A recent report from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows US fertility rates dropped 2% in ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Amy Corderoy, Medical doctor and PhD candidate studying involuntary psychiatric treatment, School of Psychiatry, UNSW Sydney shop_py/Shutterstock Picture two people, both suffering from a serious mental illness requiring hospital admission. One was born in Australia, the other in Asia. Hopefully, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sarah Treby, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, RMIT University P.j.Hickox, Shutterstock Peatlands store more carbon per square metre than any other ecosystem on Earth. These waterlogged, mossy bogs beat even dense rainforests for their ability to act as carbon reservoirs. Under the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Goss, Adjunct Associate Professor, Health Research Institute, University of Canberra Government spending on health has been growing so rapidly that a decade ago the then health minister Peter Dutton called it “unmanageable” and “unsustainable”. Health spending grew in real terms by ...
New Zealand's largest electricity distributor is warning the country to hurry up with controls around charging electric vehicles or face unnecessary bills running into the billions. ...
New Zealanders have been asked to conserve energy this morning to combat a possible electricity shortfall, writes Stewart Sowman-Lund in this extract from The Bulletin. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here. A call to conserve power New Zealand is facing a possible electricity shortfall, with people up ...
Writer Rebecca K Reilly breaks down the national book awards. What are the Ockhams?The Ockham New Zealand Book Awards are our annual national awards for books published for adults, and have existed in this form since 2016. There are four categories: Fiction, Poetry, General Non-fiction and Illustrated Non-fiction. There ...
Wellington City Council should keep its 34% ownership share in Wellington International Airport, argue Unions Wellington spokespeople Finn Cordwell and Ashok Jacob. Insanity, as the saying goes, is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. Wellington City Council (WCC) is yet again proposing to dispose ...
New Zealand’s largest book publisher has undergone drastic changes this week, leaving its future role in local publishing uncertain. Two of the most recognisable local publishers in New Zealand are among those restructured out of Penguin Random House, it was announced this week. Head of publishing Claire Murdoch will leave ...
In 2021 the Public Interest Journalism Fund launched the Te Rito Journalism project, a $2.4 million initiative to boost diversity in New Zealand’s newsrooms. The initiative was in response to the decades-long shortage of Māori and Pacific journalists in the media industry. It was billed as New Zealand’s ...
A worm was spotted 40m deep down into Siberian permafrost, extracted, dated to 46,000 years ago, and revived: https://edition.cnn.com/2023/07/28/world/worm-resurrected-frozen-siberian-permafrost-intl-scli-scn/index.html
A noteworthy scientific success, with political implications.
This state of stasis, a third alternative (to life & death), has also been achieved by our Labour Party. Can it be revived? Unkind commentators will note the uncanny resemblance to the worm (slimy, ultra-tiny brain, etc).
"Yes we can", said Obama. "No we can't", said Hipkins. Luxon has set an extremely low bar for Hipkins to slither under. We can tell from Hipkins' resolute stance that he's serious about getting down there and sliding beneath it.
One of the worst aspects of political discourse is to impugn the humanity of others, such as when Christians refer to others as reptilians.
Generally the left question the mammonesque – celebration of the order of rule of the imperial coin/American dollar capital.
And the right, focus on conservative social values vs liberal tolerance and question the threat to private ownership and wealth via social democratic policy concepts of equity.
Thus the greedy vs those of envy taxation.
Benjamin Disraeli after becoming the prime minister in 1868, "I have climbed to the top of the greasy pole."
And of course poll driven leadership.
Then there is the term down the greasy poll in relation to the ultimate stage of a debate – down the thread, when all there is left to say is insults, one party of which will have deserved.
I suspect the last post today will be classier than the first.
Completely agree. Slur politics is on the rise and the left should be resisting this with all our might.
Such likening is traditional, however. Whether it be analogy, metaphor or simile, figures of speech have always been used.
They achieve currency in proportion to (perceived) accuracy, which is why they will remain endemic. Whilst it may be suitably tribal for left-wingers to do the ole christian `holier than thou' at others, doing so shrinks their influence. Trying to eliminate part of humanity will seem inhuman to others.
Censorship then?
Nope, self-moderation and not acting as a bastard.
or you will censor?
I’m a Mod here, not a censor.
Well I'd suggest to you, that sometimes it does not look that way.
Take a deep breath, pause I'm not having a go, just giving you feedback.
Because I'm that sort of bastard.
My suggestion to you is to avoid any suggestion of accusing Mods here of censoring, as this is considered an attack even when you say it isn’t.
We take this very recent Post on TS moderation as read & understood (https://thestandard.org.nz/moderation-notes-in-election-year/).
good lord, you're an anarchist and you think the only way to resist slur politics is censorship?
To slur is human…
The Blue Jay, (one of their home bases is Toronto, also the home court of the born again up their above us down below Raptors) love to eat worms.
Blue Jays are related to the Crows, those by the cradle of the born again.
The religious revival (vibrations filling up believers like a wine cup overflowing) of January 1994 began at Vineyard Airport Church Toronto.
Unilever has a long history in Canada having started operating in the 1890's in downtown Toronto with the Lever Brother's soap factory. Lux is now on the brand, for those who believe cleanliness is next to god, rather than the unwashed masses (a joke about those with a little water on a little hair and the adult baptised – full body).
They also retail food for corporate profit.
The Hunger Games referred to the mocking of the parasitic (rentiers who impose their ECA precariat order) overlords (who own central city prime land property, rather than rent in the outer districts).
The Blue Tit of Mother England also likes to eat worms.
One can play by the rules of the establishment, or note that they cannot take their wealth with them, just hand it on to their class descendants till the revolution comes. Wat Tyler, Levellers, 1689, 1893 (Enzed) and 1908 (UK Labour), 1935, 1996 (MMP).
A diet of worms for the those who believe in the lords and masters of imperial capital mammon, or grab that apple, vote and keep the the house safe from the crows of capitalism.
PS Unilever is behind a basic food of the poor called pot noodle.
That's the oddest post comment ive ever read
I think it is brilliant. Thank you DF.
I love figures of speech and the more extreme or unlikely in content the better.
"This state of stasis, a third alternative (to life & death), has also been achieved by our Labour Party. "
Of course stasis is a biological response to the conditions.
I am keen on the PM continuing with the tradition of explaining is losing concept, particularly in relation to the fresh food/GST so-called leak. So what may be stasis for worms and also biological, may be deliberate policy by the so-called higher powers, humans.
As well as the political context the stasis of these worms is interesting…..is hibernation also classed as stasis?
I thought it was apt. I noted mild-mannered Parker's elegant side-step in the direction of authenticity. All is not lost for Labour but their lethargy remains the only notably aspect of their performance in the campaign thus far.
Re the PM, he's been big on negativity yet he could still deliver a pleasant surprise, so I'll wait & see…
Parker at the Leadership contest here in Rotorua was memorable for the number of "I" s in his speech.
Where Andrew Little was the one to say "We have to change and do better"
Grant Robertson said he would like to lead a unified team and would choose Jacinda Ardern as his DP.
Parker's "side step" was petulance in my view. You may consider it elegant, when really it is self serving.
Plus some worms are like white ants and borer destroying the structure as they care not for the host, and do not have a symbiotic relationship.
Dennis where are your barbs for our real foe? Where are your clever word plays on Act and National? ?
Well, Patricia, I have to say Parker was being principled in my view. There's also been a bunch of msm commentary to similar effect. The gist I noticed was that he & Robertson were amenable to a consensual wealth tax & at least one of them (Parker) seems to have invested a significant amount of time & energy to it. Given their likely coalition partners are both committed to that, seems both sensible and prudent for him to have done that work ahead of the time for negotiating any points of difference. He therefore deserves respect for his political nous. Can't say that for the PM unless he's eyeing up a prospective Nat/Lab option to save neoliberalism.
Re the two rightist options, others have being assiduous & not needed my help but if they come up with anything particularly obnoxious I'll have a go at skewering any prospective rightist govt position…
Act wanting to do away with human rights? the Treaty? Not meaty enough for you?
Correct, such blatherings from ACT are devoid of substance therefore not worthy of comment. Posturing only…
But wait, there's more coming? DF's comments are at times seemingly random.
A kind of "stream of conscious (unconscious?) thought " ….
or something.
Best viewed with an open mind. And maybe..a smile : )
If you are referring to DMK's quote from SPC bwaghorn, I think he is replying to Dennis Frank's first post of the day. In particular these bits?
If I’m correct I agree with SPC.
Hi Anne. No, im pretty sure Bwaghorn's comment was in reply direct to DF.
And…I would say it was pretty much as he wrote.. : )
Def high on the Odd scale.
No argument on the ramping anti Labour part…….
Oops yes. I assumed he was replying to DMK.
Nevertheless my comment stands by itself.
Anne you're allgood. And yep lets call out the Anti-Labour troll attempts (on here at least)
And…Keep Left : )
Anti-labour party here 🙂
As economically they are not left.
Ahuh. I could have said..no shit : )
Still at least, you for one are honest..so maybe no troll !
And you at least aren't a NAct ?
Anyway, FYI for you and other Anti-Labour types.
I get that Labour aren't perfect. But you and the others cant bear to admit to the long list that Labour has achieved. (Its been on here many times..you maybe flick straight past ? )
Maybe you wont be as affected by the alternative NAct govt.
I and many hundreds of thousands others will be.
I think reform is sad joke under this economic system.
So for me any so called achievements are not worth the salt, sweat, and tears they cost. As the poor keep being raped and pillaged by brutal economic forces.
Was to df, as far as seques go it was a lonnnng reach.
Too much slurred speech in DF's first post for my taste – I too agree with SPC.
The worm bit @1 was interesting, but couldn’t make head nor tail of the rest of it.
I suspect such pointless provocations will become more frequent, "going forward."
D.frank must surely be a shoo-in for today's groin-stretch-metaphor award..?
46,000 yr old worm…to hipkins-labour..?
whoar..!
Lol. I'd also add, the sheer arm strength needed for that Long Bow stretch. Must be superhuman : )
That 46,000 old frozen worm @ Phillip was reported as being revived/arisen. If only it could speak.
Too much incrementalism leads inevitably to stasis..
.. which is where we are..
"Unkind commentators will note the uncanny resemblance…."
Yes, we noticed the unkindness. Usually, "unkind commentators" would be followed by a critique of that unkindness. not by a further extension of it.
Because that makes it even unkinder, since the commentator is aware of his/her unkindness.
The word 'kind' is also associated with 'kinship'. The lovely Irish song "She Moved Through the Fair" has a line "And my father won't slight you for your lack of kind".
The object of that line is not a fairy, not of the fairy kind, but the singer says that won't matter.
But, in unkindness we try to 'other' the ones we don't like. We say they are not like us. They are not akin to us. We might even compare them to worms.
I have to say that when I wake up in the morning, being 'woke' as it were, and find that Open Mike has not opened with its become usual first contribution, then I am happier. Today I skipped off to work by 8.30 and missed this 8.27 contribution.
I had a good morning. I was kind to my students and they were the same to me. It was my last lesson before final retirement! I sang them a song- "So long, it's been good to know you."
As a life member of the Labour Party I was not enthused to being likened to a worm. That was an unkindly cast, but I guess in the end we, the worms, win, every time………..
Have a happy healthy retirement Mac1. After 22 years I highly recommend it. "Lang may your lum reek" Metaphorically as we are Red and Green or TM Parti lol
Thanks, Patricia. I have no chimney so more appropriate would be "Lang may my joints creak."
Maybe a dram will help
Patricia, I thought about my "Lang may your joints creak", your "Lang may your lums reek" and composed this combined version in honour of another contributor here- "Lang may your joints reek!" Cheers, Philip.
Conspiracy to Obstruct Justice charge against Donald John Trump explained
https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/world/2023/07/the-legal-troubles-of-former-us-president-donald-trump-after-latest-charges.html
Election Day was 17 October in 2020.
Labour released its first election campaign policy on 8 August 2020.
https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2020/08/nz-election-2020-labour-s-first-campaign-policy-revamped-national-policy.html
This time around, Labour’s campaign launch looks to be along the same timelines.
I don’t expect Labour to promise us avocado toast, even with GST removed, instead of ‘boring’ bread & butter policies, but it would be good if they can fill the current narrative vacuum and turn this General Election into a genuine policy contest of ideas founded on core principles & values.
NACT, Te Pāti Māori, and the Greens have started setting the scene and it’s Labour’s move now and it better be bold.
+100 on the narrative vacuum.
Where is Labour? Anyone?
After a lifetime I can't see myself voting for them this time.
And no idea who I will party vote for.
Well said.
Who knew!! People who spread bullshit, are more prone to believing bullshit, due to faulty cognition in both cases.
"You can't bullshit a bullshitter"….turns out to be bullshit.
Not from my many and varied past experiences.
Not only do they spread bullshit like an out of control fire, but they assume that everybody is like them and into bullshit. Thus they double down and end up causing untold damage to the poor mugs in the firing line.
Yep. You can’t bullshit a bullshitter is a load of bullshit. 🙁
At the geopolitical level ministers of states are proving inadequate:
So the talkfest got no practical results. That ministers lack mana is an interesting conclusion for the activist to draw from their failure:
From my experience leading the consensus process for the Greens for several years, looks like insufficient preliminary work done. Meetings cost time & money – best to get a basis for agreement first via online consensus-building.
Neo-liberalism in any form = business as usual.
Could just be that Adam. Thing is, whereas the ideology is toxic in many respects, there's a paradox due to the benefits it generates in pulling third world nations out of poverty. In a global view, there's actually little that works better.
Consequently, although the report never spelt it out, I suspect those objecting see the benefits of global capitalism as a sufficient reason to retain the status quo. Since they are only ministers, they are as likely as not to be in bed with vested interests. So they can artfully argue benefits to their poor whilst not mentioning their selfish motives.
Neo-idealism, a morally-based approach to geopolitics, grounded in the power of values conceived as ideals to strive for.
.
There is a new idealism at work in international politics. Pioneered by people and politicians in Ukraine, the Baltic states, and the Czech Republic, but increasingly apparent in the actions and words of leaders across the free world, it has opened the door to a better kind of grand strategy for liberal democracies.
The standard bearers for this new hard-edged, forward-looking idealism in (geo)politics include Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas and her erstwhile Finnish counterpart Sanna Marin, as well as President Edgars Rinkēvičs (Latvia) and Foreign Ministers Gabrielius Landsbergis (Lithuania) and Jan Lipavsky (Czechia).
They are joined by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, a leader reborn in the crucible of Europe’s response to Russian aggression. At the head of the pack though is Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky who, channelling the courage and conviction of his people, has done most to pioneer the ‘Neo-Idealist’ synthesis of morality and materiel, principle and progress.
https://www.bylinesupplement.com/p/the-rise-of-the-new-idealists
Did you cheer on the wagner group Joe90?
Russian fascists scare the hell of me, the pan European ones scare me just as much.
I would cheer Wagner on, only so far as internal russian strife might save Ukrainians. Wagner is nonetheless despicable and I hope both Putin and Wagner lose.
"X did bad. Y opposes X. Therefore Y is good."
Many of the Putin fans commenting here seem to fall into this error.
You know Wagner are nazis UncookedSelachimorpha?
Real life Russian nazi scum?
Yeah nah, no way I'd supporting nazi scum in any way, my Granddad use to shot them.
Encouraging, huh? Strange to say I haven't noticed Biden's idealism yet. From your link:
USA moving on from neoliberalism? Where's the evidence?
Oh, I see, it's a resilience strategy, that's good! From a speech by National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan at the Brookings Institution:
Official cognizance of this tetrad is a good basis upon which to proceed. They ought to have told the media about it back then!
Now this kind of thing is likely to make a wide swathe of folks less cynical about Democrats. Not airheads after all.
It's almost like they've woken up.
.
When President Biden came into office more than two years ago, the country faced, from our perspective, four fundamental challenges.
First, America’s industrial base had been hollowed out.
The vision of public investment that had energized the American project in the postwar years—and indeed for much of our history—had faded. It had given way to a set of ideas that championed tax cutting and deregulation, privatization over public action, and trade liberalization as an end in itself.
There was one assumption at the heart of all of this policy: that markets always allocate capital productively and efficiently—no matter what our competitors did, no matter how big our shared challenges grew, and no matter how many guardrails we took down.
Now, no one—certainly not me—is discounting the power of markets. But in the name of oversimplified market efficiency, entire supply chains of strategic goods—along with the industries and jobs that made them—moved overseas. And the postulate that deep trade liberalization would help America export goods, not jobs and capacity, was a promise made but not kept.
https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/speeches-remarks/2023/04/27/remarks-by-national-security-advisor-jake-sullivan-on-renewing-american-economic-leadership-at-the-brookings-institution/
The Biden administration’s international economic agenda: National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan
Brookings Institution
Here's the picture:
In my vintage caravan (1957).. a delight of varnished wood/yellow formica/chrome etc..
Parked on a cliff top overlooking a harbour.
There is no wind/rain.
Smoking slim-line joints..a blend of three examples of nz's best..
Listening to back episodes of that cornucopia of musical delights..nashville babylon..
A much loved animal sleeping either side of me ..their ears twitching to the music..as they do…
I've had worse Saturday nites..
(This has been a bulletin from te gypsy lifestyle…)
Doggy animals Phillip? Our cat does not like guitars banjos or fiddles. If him indoors plays his guitar she is “outta there” The caravan sounds like a friends, well built.
I was in this place ..and I had this old ex-pig hunting dog..who was one of the gentlest dogs I have known..
And I became aware that a feral cat was sleeping underneath my caravan…it wouldn't come near me.. totally feral ..but I would leave a bowl of vegan dog biscuits and water under there for her ..
Sometime later she had a couple of kittens..in a cavity in a cliff..
Shortly after she was caught in a trap..and one of her front legs was just hanging…so she couldn't care for them..
So what she did was she deposited the kittens under my caravan ..and disappeared…
So I had these two hissing/spitting entities to contend with..
And it was a quandary for me…I knew if I handed them to spca/whoever they would likely just off them…(they were very antisocial..)
So I fed them all I had..vegan dog biscuits…and they loved them…
So I sourced them some vegan cat biscuits..(vegan pet food company..off titirangi rd..)…and we were off and running..
But they were still as feisty as..
So what I did was I would sit still and speak softly to them ..(and later on I figured it was like I was purring at them..)
So they eventually melted..and they both just adored the old dog…would sleep curled up on him…he seemed to like it too..
Anyway…the old boy dog died..leaving these two boys…
And I haven't had cats before.. it's always been dogs..
But I hafta say..these two have won me over…their apparent enjoyment of music just part of it..
Tho' I am conflicted still…them being cats and all..
They are on demand food..the bowl is always full…and collars/bells and all that. .but they are cats..still..
A funny thing they do…is that because they used to walk with me and the dog…they now walk with me like they are dogs…
It's funny as..
The domino effect, or chain reaction.
Virtuous Circle
Such as
Vicious Cycle
Such as
What is vicious circle in psychology?
What is vicious circle in philosophy?
What is the word for arguing in circles?
Quotes from
https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-d&q=a+virtuous+circle+idiom
This shows the evil of the right. For so long they have avoided climate action of any kind and told us to buy insurance if we were worried. Here it shows how traumatising it can be to just get what you are owed out of your insurer.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/494734/insurance-payout-for-flood-hit-owner-raised-after-months-of-delay
Today we also found out how costly dealing with flooding in Auckland will be. God knows what it will be like if this happens more regularly.
Climate change and extreme weather events are going to make inequality worse. We shouldn’t have a business environment where some industries are exempt from doing their part socially, morally or fiscally.
If NAct (led by Act ) gain control…..NZ, more Climate denial….and much less Climate support.
They wont give a toss.