A Gisborne mayoral candidate is standing by a controversial picture on social media which shows him standing in a hazmat suit with a swastika on the front.
Other posts from Brown included him saying he wanted to cut down 5G towers in January 2020, and writing expletives in October 2018 about people at the speedway letting off fireworks that scared his horses.
Brown's wife, Jen Brown, also features heavily in the posts that have been compiled.
She confirmed she was a member of Voices For Freedom, a group which has encouraged its followers to run for councils to push its agenda.
So we have an ' unofficial ' force of nz soldiers fighting in Ukraine under the genius description of ' unpaid leave ' mightive missed it but i dont remember that being debated in parliament .No wonder its not just a matter of picking up the phone to find out where the body of a dead soldier is !!!
listening to JA being interview on RNZ this morn ive never heard her sounding more evasive or slippery .In between the ducking an diving she sayes bla bla bla " and the war is against Russia " could've been my imagination but it sounded like there was a definite mote of glee in that sentence …..
Did you not know that the Military personnel are supposed to be prevented from engaging in undeclared wars? If the government has declared war on behalf of its US masters we are in for a real shitfest that even NATO wont risk!!
Clearly the government hasn't declared war on anyone. Go sit down and have a cup of tea or you're going to have an aneurysm over one AWOL soldier who wanted to see action.
So, Populuxe1, if the government hasn't declared war on anyone, then why are NZ defence force personnel allowed to go and fight in the Ukraine while they're "on leave"? Are they mercenaries?
Given they are both volunteers (not recruited) and not motivated by the desire for private monetary gain then no, they fail mercenary test conditions a) and c) of the Geneva convention.
Volunteering to fight fascism is not being a mercenary.
They are, in fact, heroes of freedom loving people everywhere.
Probably because he didn't tell them he was going to fight in Ukraine because they're not allowed to? Don't call it "the Ukraine" – it's a sovereign state.
I find it extraordinary you can't conceive that he asked for leave on some pretext or other, it was granted, he flew to Europe and made his way to Ukraine all on his own. It's not that difficult.
Had he survived and been found out it would have brought him before a Court Martial and he almost certainly would have been dishonourably discharged.
It has been reported there may be as many as 100 in Crimea not just one.
What are they doing in Crimea when the action is in Donbas? There's no on the ground fighting in Crimea.
There may be – then again, there may not be.
I would be very much surprised if that number was all active personnel – you might have to provide a source as it sounds like you're conflating ex-service people, civilian volunteers and, for all I know, NZ mercenaries based elsewhere.
Obviously the reference was to Ukraine, not Crimea but instead of politely pointing out the error, you had to turn it into yet another drama. Oh what a surprise.
You have proved you can do research, even if following a 'wrong line', so don't bother asking for links. The nub of the matter is and always was that the Military, for good reason, are required to follow different rules.
Fighting raccoons. How Russian patriots became mercenaries, contacted FSB officers and turned into bandits
[…]
The history of the appearance of the scandalous PMC is interesting in its own way. Its creator is considered the leader of the nationalist movement "Bright Russia" Igor Mangushev. During the escalation of the conflict in the Donbass, he, together with like-minded people, thought about how to give an official status to the actions of the Donbass militias.
In the spring of 2014, reports began to appear that Mangushev and other representatives of the "Light Russia" went to the Donbass on a humanitarian mission together with the Moscow Region branch of the People's Cathedral movement. It was headed by Roman Telenkevich, aka Vodyanoy – he had such a call sign in those years.
You could have said the same thing for the International Brigades in Spain, although these days such is middle class flatulence that makes up so much the modern left's intellectual community you would be unlikely to find any of the West's left wing journalists, novelists, activists and poets in the trenches of the Donbas fighting Putin's fascists.
They prefer these days to sit about on message boards and find excuses for their decadent cowardice in handwringing about the nature of Zelensky's government and seeing false equivalence everywhere.
So we have an ' unofficial ' force of nz soldiers fighting in Ukraine under the genius description of ' unpaid leave ' mightive missed it but i dont remember that being debated in parliament .
Um, no. Sounds like an individual wanted an adventure or felt deeply enough for the cause to volunteer. You know, like Orwell fighting in the Spanish Civil War. It happens. At worst he failed to resign from the NZDF, which, had he lived, would probably have earned him a court martial and dishonourable discharge.
Nah, it was clearly a nod and wink arrangement, a version of don't ask don't tell. Soldier asks for leave without pay to do something and army approves, while respecting the soldiers right to take a holiday without them prying in.
It would only become a political problem if it turned out an entire company of our guys were there. A dozen or so is is just caveat emptor for them.
You read far too many Robert Ludlum novels. He wasn't SAS and was fighting in an international brigade. Even if we were to get involved, which would be highly unlikely as our forces aren't really trained for slogging through Eastern European mud in the winter, we certainly wouldn't be sending ordinary soldiers.
I am intrigued at the number of people who seem to have a bizarre view that our government (a) is somehow able to and should be tracking NZ citizens that go abroad, perhaps particularly if they are on leave from the Defence Force, and (b) are somehow organising a group of people on leave from defence to go to the Ukraine to volunteer to fight. Re (a) any government tracking New Zealanders going overseas would be regarded as wasting money, and re (b) that is so unlikely as to be farcical. There was an implication in one news report that had the soldier returned he may have been disciplined for his actions
Just after midnight tonight, the Artemis I program is launched using the SLS (Space Launch System). I am old enough to remember the Saturn V rockets of the Apollo program. In the next 24 hours we will hopefully see his twin sister, Artemis, rise on the most powerful rocket ever built. Artemis will eventually carry 46 tonnes to trans-lunar injection – three tonnes more than the most powerful Saturn V rocket.
Most powerful rocket ever built was actually the Russian N1 moon rocket, but blew up after a successful liftoff. So you're right if you say "most powerful (successful) rocket ever built ".
A rocket that blows up after launch is a major life fail, if you are a rocket. It begs the existential question all rockets must ask themselves in the quiet early morning dark sitting on the launch pad waiting – if a rocket blows up on launch, is it really a rocket?
Luxon on youth crime – empty bullshit, but dangerous too. Has the f*wit learned nothing from the Royal Commission into State Child Care?
It also signals the end of Bed-leg Sam: if Luxon welcomes him back into the cosy embrace of the Natz after being so outspoken on youth punishment, he'll look a right hypocrite!
I really don't think anyone cares about Sam Uffindel. They do, however care about thugs who punch elderly people in the face getting home detention, while the police spend money on diversity officers and putting rainbow lights on police stations. This government is weak on crime, and we're paying the price.
Uffindell otoh – well, some Kiwis care about how the Gnat's tried and true candidate selection process delivered an MP who admitted to assaulting a 13-year old, if not to other historical character defects.
Give me a child until he is 7 and I will show you the man. – Aristotle/Loyola
Might some Gnat supporters care at least a little? [I know I would!]
Maybe, but certainly not those who consider Uffindell-style japes, hijinks and shenanigans par for the course.
No-one cares. National buried it by actually holding an enquiry (you know, like the one Labour won't hold), and then with Labour's mishandling of Mr Sharma. One day soon the media will report on the outcome of the enquiry, and all will be forgotten.
Letting an MP spend weeks dragging the party through a trial by media.
"Hold an inquiry into what? "
Accusations against Sharma of bullying. Accusations by Sharma he was bullied. Allegations about MP's being coached to bypass OIA obligations. There's no shortage of material. Mind you, Labour have form for trying to bury stuff.
"The person in question was a guest and it as dealt with by the courts."
Oh a 'guest' were they. This 'guest' was (depending upon what you mean) the victim or perpetrator of sexual assault. And it was only after Newsroom broke the story that the "party was shocked into action".
Meanwhile, Sharma, for all you claim he has nothing, is making headlines again today.
So what? Sharma is an attention seeker and is just raving, he still has not produced any evidence to back up his claims.
A guest as in invited and was not a Labour party member.
Some charges were dropped and downgraded.
"There had also been no suggestion, and no evidence, that the offender has any personal connection to the present Labour Party or any member of it, the judge added"
"At sentencing, Judge Collins also said: "I'm not convinced it was for a sexual gratification or any perverted motive.
While not an excuse, the judge added the man's actions were "born out of drunken stupidity"
No I am not LibertyBelle. Did you not read the post?
"There had also been no suggestion, and no evidence, that the offender has any personal connection to the present Labour Party or any member of it, the judge added"
Not allegations, just stating the fact that Sharma hasn't produced any evidence, I noticed you haven't come up with any. No one should condone Sharma bullying his staff.
"There had also been no suggestion, and no evidence, that the offender has any personal connection to the present Labour Party or any member of it, the judge added"
How does that relate to whether or not the party covered the allegations up? The article is fairly clear:
Asked and answered. Sharma has only asked for one thing, AFAIK. An independent inquiry into the employment issues he has raised. The horse has bolted now, but why didn't they just conduct that investigation? Unless they have something to hide.
Perhaps. But Labour have botched this up, and they have a renegade running amok with accusations. They could have cauterised this with an investigation into the employment issues, but for reasons best known only to themselves, they won't.
Which part of a three week delay don't you understand?
"… and it was up to the complainants whether they wanted to tell their parents etc, at the time they chose not to, but felt pressured by media, one of the complainants said it became a political football."
Still doesn't support your claim LibertyBelle. It is not seedy, at 16 years old, it was entirely up the complainants who they told or not, which is their legal right.
Still doesnt prove your point LibertyBelle and it was up to the complainants whether they wanted to tell their parents etc, at the time they chose not to, but felt pressured by media, one of the complainants said it became a political football.
They don't need NZ residency to "fuck off to…..Australia"
Australia is giving them immediate residency unconditionally – they neither need nor benefit from having NZ residency 'first' (and actually may be worse off – it's a lot more beneficial long term, if you're resident in Australia, to become an Australian citizen, rather than a NZ resident/citizen)
The justification for putting nurses in the second tier of immigration is looking more and more threadbare.
Perhaps it's time for Minister Wood to review the situation:
as I've said consistently along the way: the outcome is what matters. I'll be keeping a close eye on how the settings go, bearing in mind the whole system only really kicked in from yesterday.
"If we need to make adjustments as we move forward to get to the outcomes, then I'll certainly be open to doing that."
Australia is giving them immediate residency unconditionally –
Nurses without NZ PR seeking Aussie residency might have their applications considered quickly/rapidly, but "immediate residency unconditionally"? Fake news.
If you meet the criteria (recognized nursing qualification from an approved provider) my understanding is that it is 'unconditional'. You certainly don't have to have a job, or even a job offer, nor do you have to be working for 2 years to gain residency.
Those are the elements where Australia and New Zealand differ.
It seems as though it is more difficult and time-consuming to gain PR in NZ, for nurses, than it is in Oz; and you certainly don't get in with lower qualifications (although Australia also has a pathway to residency through studying nursing programme).
Really, I think that the perception that there were significant numbers of immigrant nurses trying to gain NZ residency as a backdoor into Australia, is a chimera. It might have been true in the past – though I don't really think it's very likely – but certainly hasn't been true for the last few years.
This article talks about the unhappiness with the current delays in processing skilled migrant (nursing) visas in Oz – and what the govt is proposing to do about it.
So, Australia doesn’t have it exactly right yet, but is actively working on the elements which are hindering the process.
[Australian] Assistant Trade Minister Tim Ayres said on Friday that the government had “some work to do” to bring more skilled migrants into the country, while Skills and Training Minister Brendan O’Connor said “we need to increase the permanent skilled migration pathway.”
Good clarification – "immediate residency unconditionally" didn't ring true.
Aotearoa, being Australia’s poorer, smaller sister, may have to do a bit more work with less. Number 8 wire only goes so far.
I was speaking in the context of the OP – who was commenting on NZ-trained immigrant nurses (who can't get residency without spending another 2 years here, away from their families) – leaving for Australia.
So the 'qualified' was implied, in my comment.
Really, the assumption that immigrant nurses will only use NZ as a backdoor to Australia doesn't seem to be based on anything apart from rather dated anecdata. Time for the Minister to bite the bullet, and actually review the settings.
Apologies if I my brief reply (@5.2.1.2.2) failed to make it clear that I was questioning the veracity of a specific assertion @5.2.1.2, to wit:
Australia is giving them [NZ-trained and qualified immigrant nurses?] immediate residency unconditionally –
The veracity of "immediate residency unconditionally" in that context seemed doubtful, and your reply @5.2.1.2.2.1 was a good clarification.
Note, for example, the apparent incongruity between "immediate residency unconditionally" (@5.2.1.2) and "current delays in processing skilled migrant (nursing) visas in Oz" (@5.2.1.2.2.1).
In the context of my comment on the original link – 'immediately' referred to 'once the visa is processed'. Contrasting the situation in Australia, where there is no requirement for a 2 year 'probation' period before residency is granted; while in NZ the nurse has to work for 2 years before residency is granted.
So when the nurse has their approved visa (a process which is technically identical so far as qualifications are concerned in both countries) – Australia has 'immediate residence unconditionally' while NZ has a 2 year delay, as well as requirements over where you have to work, and (possibly- I haven't checked recently) a requirement to have a job offer, before applying. NZ PR is not 'immediate' and not 'unconditional'.
Nurses have been pointing out that difference, highlighting that the Australian model is much more attractive for families – who can settle in 'immediately' rather than family members not being eligible for work or uni, etc, because of the lack of PR status of the parent (and, in NZ, apparently not even able to come, in some circumstances). As well as the natural uncertainty of whether the Government will change the rules on them part-way through the process.
Got it – "unconditional" if conditions for a successful visa application are met – thanks for the further clarifications to sort out semantics.
Nurses plan to leave NZ over residency rules: 'I can't wait any more' [29 August 2022] (also linked to by LB @5.2)
"The work-to-residence path requires two years' work in the role ahead of gaining residence which supports addressing the shortages, whereas a straight-to-residence pathway would not require any time in the role before a worker could potentially leave.
"A two-year period ensures a degree of commitment to the role and to New Zealand.
Imho, qualifying foreign nurses should be on NZ's ‘immediate residency' priority list, as per Gordon Campbell's recent column, but your "immediate residency unconditionally" framing didn't ring true to me – too hyperbolic even for NZ opposition pollies.
As you and I have noted already, it's not all sweetness and light on the NZ and/or Aus immigration fronts – plenty of tension(s) and competing interests. Funnily enough, on a recent visit to the A&E department at our local hospital, Dad was assessed initially by a nurse who had migrated very recently from Australia. She was excellent, but still getting used to using some of the ECG equipment, including plugging it in – apparently it's not standardised across all DHBs, let alone between NZ and Aus.
Aus is a great place to visit, and I wish all who would live there well.
KYIV, Ukraine — As renewed shelling intensified fears about a nuclear accident at the Zaporizhzhia power plant, the Ukrainian authorities stepped up emergency drills on Saturday and rushed to hand out potassium iodide, a drug that can protect people from radiation-induced thyroid cancer, to tens of thousands of people living near the facility.
In a country still haunted by the memory of the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear disaster, officials urged the public not to panic even as complex negotiations to allow for a team of scientists from the International Atomic Energy Agency to visit the Russian-controlled plant in southeastern Ukraine took on added urgency.
China has issued a thinly veiled attack on Russia’s brinkmanship over the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant in Ukraine, as fears of disaster escalate following a near-miss at the site.
A senior Chinese official told the UN on Friday that just one incident might cause a serious nuclear accident “with irreversible consequences for the ecosystem and public health of Ukraine and its neighbouring countries”.
Geng Shuang, China’s deputy permanent representative at the UN, pointedly called on all parties involved “to exercise maximum restraint strictly abide by international law and minimise the risk of accidents”, adding: ”We must not allow the tragedies of the Chernobyl and Fukushima nuclear accidents to be repeated.”
Nothing really, just paste the URL as is in the Text Editor on a separate line and it should work. Your first attempt was not (on) a separate line and your second attempt was an embedded link.
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A new season of White Lotus is nearly upon us: more murder mystery, more sumptuous surroundings, more rich people behaving badly.Once more we get to identify with the experience of the pampered tourist or perhaps the poorly paid help; there's something in White Lotus for all New Zealanders.And unlike the ...
In 2016, Aotearoa shockingly plunged to fourth place in the Transparency International Corruption Perceptions Index. Nine years later, and we're back there again: New Zealand has seen a further slip in its global ranking in the latest Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI). [...] In the latest CPI New Zealand's score ...
1. You’ve started ranking your politicians on how much they respect the rule of law2. You’ve stopped paying attention to those news publications3. You’ve developed a sudden interest in a particular period of history4. More and more people are sounding like your racist, conspiracist uncle.5. Someone just pulled a Nazi ...
Transforming New Zealand: Brian EastonBrian Easton will discuss the above topic at 2/57 Willis Street, Wellington at 5:30pm on Tuesday 26 February at 2/57 Willis Street, WellingtonThe sub-title to the above is "Why is the Left failing?" Brian Easton's analysis is based on his view that while the ...
Salvation Army’s State of the Nation 2025 report highlights falling living standards, the highest unemployment rates since the 1990s and half of all Pacific children going without food. There are reports of hundreds if not thousands of people are applying for the same jobs in the wake of last year’s ...
Mountain Tui is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.Correction: On the article The Condundrum of David Seymour, Luke Malpass conducted joint reviews with Bryce Wilkinson, the architect of the Regulatory Standards Bill - not Bryce Edwards. The article ...
Tomorrow the council’s Transport, Resilience and Infrastructure Committee meet and agenda has a few interesting papers. Council’s Letter of Expectation to Auckland Transport Every year the council provide a Letter of Expectation to Auckland Transport which is part of the process for informing AT of the council’s priorities and ...
All around in my home townThey're trying to track me down, yeahThey say they want to bring me in guiltyFor the killing of a deputyFor the life of a deputySongwriter: Robert Nesta Marley.Support Nick’s Kōrero today with a 20% discount on a paid subscription to receive all my newsletters directly ...
Hi,I think all of us have probably experienced the power of music — that strange, transformative thing that gets under our skin and helps us experience this whole life thing with some kind of sanity.Listening and experiencing music has always been such a huge part of my life, and has ...
Business frustration over the stalled economy is growing, and only 34% of voters are confidentNicola Willis can deliver. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāLong stories short, the top six things in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Wednesday, February 12 are:Business frustration is growing about a ...
I have now lived long enough to see a cabinet minister go both barrels on their Prime Minister and not get sacked.It used to be that the PM would have a drawer full of resignations signed by ministers on the day of their appointment, ready for such an occasion. But ...
This session will feature Simon McCallum, Senior Lecturer in Engineering and Computer Science (VUW) and recent Labour Party candidate in the Southland Electorate talking about some of the issues around AI and how this should inform Labour Party policy. Simon is an excellent speaker with a comprehensive command of AI ...
The proposed Waimate garbage incinerator is dead: The company behind a highly-controversial proposal to build a waste-to-energy plant in the Waimate District no longer has the land. [...] However, SIRRL director Paul Taylor said the sales and purchase agreement to purchase land from Murphy Farms, near Glenavy, lapsed at ...
The US Foreign Corrupt Practices Act has been a vital tool in combatting international corruption. It forbids US companies and citizens from bribing foreign public officials anywhere in the world. And its actually enforced: some of the world's biggest companies - Siemens, Hewlett Packard, and Bristol Myers Squibb - have ...
“The ACT Party can’t be bothered putting an MP on one of the Justice subcommittees hearing submissions on their own Treaty Principles Bill,” Labour Justice Spokesperson Duncan Webb said. ...
The Government’s newly announced funding for biodiversity and tourism of $30-million over three years is a small fraction of what is required for conservation in this country. ...
The Government's sudden cancellation of the tertiary education funding increase is a reckless move that risks widespread job losses and service reductions across New Zealand's universities. ...
National’s cuts to disability support funding and freezing of new residential placements has resulted in significant mental health decline for intellectually disabled people. ...
The hundreds of jobs lost needlessly as a result of the Kinleith Mill paper production closure will have a devastating impact on the Tokoroa community - something that could have easily been avoided. ...
Today Te Pāti Māori MP for Te Tai Tokerau, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi, released her members bill that will see the return of tamariki and mokopuna Māori from state care back to te iwi Māori. This bill will establish an independent authority that asserts and protects the rights promised in He Whakaputanga ...
The Whangarei District Council being forced to fluoridate their local water supply is facing a despotic Soviet-era disgrace. This is not a matter of being pro-fluoride or anti-fluoride. It is a matter of what New Zealanders see and value as democracy in our country. Individual democratically elected Councillors are not ...
Nicola Willis’ latest supermarket announcement is painfully weak with no new ideas, no real plan, and no relief for Kiwis struggling with rising grocery costs. ...
Half of Pacific children sometimes going without food is just one of many heartbreaking lowlights in the Salvation Army’s annual State of the Nation report. ...
The Salvation Army’s State of the Nation report is a bleak indictment on the failure of Government to take steps to end poverty, with those on benefits, including their children, hit hardest. ...
New Zealand First has today introduced a Member’s Bill which would restore decision-making power to local communities regarding the fluoridation of drinking water. The ‘Fluoridation (Referendum) Legislation Bill’ seeks to repeal the Health (Fluoridation of Drinking Water) Amendment Act 2021 that granted centralised authority to the Direct General of Health ...
New Zealand First has introduced a Member’s Bill aimed at preventing banks from refusing their services to businesses because of the current “Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Framework”. “This Bill ensures fairness and prevents ESG standards from perpetuating woke ideology in the banking sector being driven by unelected, globalist, climate ...
Erica Stanford has reached peak shortsightedness if today’s announcement is anything to go by, picking apart immigration settings piece by piece to the detriment of the New Zealand economy. ...
Our originating document, theTreaty of Waitangi, was signed on February 6, 1840. An agreement between Māori and the British Crown. Initially inked by Ngā Puhi in Waitangi, further signatures were added as it travelled south. The intention was to establish a colony with the cession of sovereignty to the Crown, ...
Te Whatu Ora Chief Executive Margie Apa leaving her job four months early is another symptom of this government’s failure to deliver healthcare for New Zealanders. ...
The Green Party is calling for the Prime Minister to show leadership and be unequivocal about Aotearoa New Zealand’s opposition to a proposal by the US President to remove Palestinians from Gaza. ...
The latest unemployment figures reveal that job losses are hitting Māori and Pacific people especially hard, with Māori unemployment reaching a staggering 9.7% for the December 2024 quarter and Pasifika unemployment reaching 10.5%. ...
Waitangi 2025: Waitangi Day must be community and not politically driven - Shane Jones Our originating document, theTreaty of Waitangi, was signed on February 6, 1840. An agreement between Māori and the British Crown. Initially inked by Ngā Puhi in Waitangi, further signatures were added as it travelled south. ...
Despite being confronted every day with people in genuine need being stopped from accessing emergency housing – National still won’t commit to building more public houses. ...
The Green Party says the Government is giving up on growing the country’s public housing stock, despite overwhelming evidence that we need more affordable houses to solve the housing crisis. ...
Before any thoughts of the New Year and what lies ahead could even be contemplated, New Zealand reeled with the tragedy of Senior Sergeant Lyn Fleming losing her life. For over 38 years she had faithfully served as a front-line Police officer. Working alongside her was Senior Sergeant Adam Ramsay ...
Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson will return to politics at Waitangi on Monday the 3rd of February where she will hold a stand up with fellow co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick. ...
Te Pāti Māori is appalled by the government's blatant mishandling of the school lunch programme. David Seymour’s ‘cost-saving’ measures have left tamariki across Aotearoa with unidentifiable meals, causing distress and outrage among parents and communities alike. “What’s the difference between providing inedible food, and providing no food at all?” Said ...
The Government is doubling down on outdated and volatile fossil fuels, showing how shortsighted and destructive their policies are for working New Zealanders. ...
Green Party MP Steve Abel this morning joined Coromandel locals in Waihi to condemn new mining plans announced by Shane Jones in the pit of the town’s Australian-owned Gold mine. ...
The Green Party is calling on the Government to strengthen its just-announced 2030-2035 Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) under the Paris Agreement and address its woeful lack of commitment to climate security. ...
The Government’s commitment to get New Zealand’s roads back on track is delivering strong results, with around 98 per cent of potholes on state highways repaired within 24 hours of identification every month since targets were introduced, Transport Minister Chris Bishop says. “Increasing productivity to help rebuild our economy is ...
The former Cadbury factory will be the site of the Inpatient Building for the new Dunedin Hospital and Health Minister Simeon Brown says actions have been taken to get the cost overruns under control. “Today I am giving the people of Dunedin certainty that we will build the new Dunedin ...
From today, Plunket in Whāngarei will be offering childhood immunisations – the first of up to 27 sites nationwide, Health Minister Simeon Brown says. The investment of $1 million into the pilot, announced in October 2024, was made possible due to the Government’s record $16.68 billion investment in health. It ...
New Zealand’s strong commitment to the rights of disabled people has continued with the response to an important United Nations report, Disability Issues Minister Louise Upston has announced. Of the 63 concluding observations of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD), 47 will be progressed ...
Resources Minister Shane Jones has launched New Zealand’s national Minerals Strategy and Critical Minerals List, documents that lay a strategic and enduring path for the mineral sector, with the aim of doubling exports to $3 billion by 2035. Mr Jones released the documents, which present the Coalition Government’s transformative vision ...
Firstly I want to thank OceanaGold for hosting our event today. Your operation at Waihi is impressive. I want to acknowledge local MP Scott Simpson, local government dignitaries, community stakeholders and all of you who have gathered here today. It’s a privilege to welcome you to the launch of the ...
Racing Minister, Winston Peters has announced the Government is preparing public consultation on GST policy proposals which would make the New Zealand racing industry more competitive. “The racing industry makes an important economic contribution. New Zealand thoroughbreds are in demand overseas as racehorses and for breeding. The domestic thoroughbred industry ...
Business confidence remains very high and shows the economy is on track to improve, Economic Growth Minister Nicola Willis says. “The latest ANZ Business Outlook survey, released yesterday, shows business confidence and expected own activity are ‘still both very high’.” The survey reports business confidence fell eight points to +54 ...
Enabling works have begun this week on an expanded radiology unit at Hawke’s Bay Fallen Soldiers’ Memorial Hospital which will double CT scanning capacity in Hawke’s Bay to ensure more locals can benefit from access to timely, quality healthcare, Health Minister Simeon Brown says. This investment of $29.3m in the ...
The Government has today announced New Zealand’s second international climate target under the Paris Agreement, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. New Zealand will reduce emissions by 51 to 55 per cent compared to 2005 levels, by 2035. “We have worked hard to set a target that is both ambitious ...
Nine years of negotiations between the Crown and iwi of Taranaki have concluded following Te Pire Whakatupua mō Te Kāhui Tupua/the Taranaki Maunga Collective Redress Bill passing its third reading in Parliament today, Treaty Negotiations Minister Paul Goldsmith says. “This Bill addresses the historical grievances endured by the eight iwi ...
As schools start back for 2025, there will be a relentless focus on teaching the basics brilliantly so all Kiwi kids grow up with the knowledge, skills and competencies needed to grow the New Zealand of the future, Education Minister Erica Stanford says. “A world-leading education system is a key ...
Housing Minister Chris Bishop and Associate Agriculture Minister Mark Patterson have welcomed Kāinga Ora’s decision to re-open its tender for carpets to allow wool carpet suppliers to bid. “In 2024 Kāinga Ora issued requests for tender (RFTs) seeking bids from suppliers to carpet their properties,” Mr Bishop says. “As part ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Yanyan Hong, PhD Candidate in Communication and Media Studies, University of Adelaide IMDB On the surface, Ne Zha 2: The Sea’s Fury (2025), the sequel to the 2019 Chinese blockbuster Nezha: Birth of the Demon Child, is a high-octane, action-packed and ...
Wellington travellers say their buses are so hot they’re often forced to get off early and walk. Shanti Mathias explores the impact of non-functioning air conditioning on public transport. When Bella, a young professional living in Wellington, thinks about taking the bus, her first thought is “Ugh”. The bus might ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Annette Kroen, Research Fellow Planning and Transport, RMIT University The cleanup is underway in northern Queensland following the latest flooding catastrophe to hit the state. More than 7,000 insurance claims have already been lodged, most of them for inundated homes and other ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Subha Parida, Lecturer in Property, University of South Australia Carl Oberg/Shutterstock Houses and fire do not mix. The firestorm which hit Los Angeles in January destroyed nearly 2,000 buildings and forced 130,000 people to evacuate. The 2019–20 Australian megafires destroyed ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By David Bowman, Professor of Pyrogeography and Fire Science, University of Tasmania Tasmania has been burning for more than two weeks, with no end in sight. Almost 100,000 hectares of bushland in the northwest has burned to date. This includes the Tarkine rainforest ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Martin Loosemore, Professor of Construction Management, University of Technology Sydney This week, the Productivity Commission released its much-awaited report into productivity growth in Australia’s housing construction sector. It wasn’t a glowing appraisal. The commission found physical productivity – the total number ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Pascale Lubbe, Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Molecular Ecology, University of Otago Royal spoonbills are among several new species that have crossed the Tasman and naturalised in New Zealand. JJ Harrison/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA When people arrived on the shores of Aotearoa ...
Stats NZ’s head is stepping down over the agency’s failure to safeguard census data, and more officials may soon be in the firing line, writes Catherine McGregor in today’s extract from The Bulletin. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here. An ‘absolutely unacceptable’ failure Stats NZ chief ...
Health NZ is under greater government scrutiny, with the new health minister setting up a unit he says will "drive greater accountability and performance". ...
Manurewa Marae acknowledges should have done better at handling completed census forms, following an inquiry into steps government agencies took to protect data. ...
Police failed to protect people from protesters at a high-profile rally and made unlawful arrests at another, the Independent Police Conduct Authority says. ...
Comment: Crypto exchange-traded funds (ETFs) are making it easier for people to invest in cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin and Ethereum without having to handle digital wallets or private keys. These allow investors to buy and sell cryptocurrency through their regular brokerage accounts.This has opened the door for billions of dollars ...
Two long-awaited reports into alleged personal data misuse, centred on census collection and Covid-19 vaccination efforts at Manurewa Marae, were released yesterday. Here’s what you need to know.“Very sobering reading” was how public service commissioner Sir Brian Roche described his organisation’s long-awaited report into the alleged misuse of census ...
Backbench MPs reached new levels of patsy questions in an extraordinarily dull question time on Tuesday. Echo Chamber is The Spinoff’s dispatch from the press gallery, recapping sessions in the House. Columns are written by politics reporter Lyric Waiwiri-Smith and Wellington editor Joel MacManus. “MPs ask questions to explore key issues ...
The New Zealand Government says the Cook Islands must share more information about the deals it has signed with China, following the release of an ‘action plan’ in the face of protests in the Pacific nation’s capital.The Cook Islands government has also revealed plans to spend $3 million on a ...
Loading…(function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){var ql=document.querySelectorAll('A[data-quiz],DIV[data-quiz]'); if(ql){if(ql.length){for(var k=0;k<ql.length;k++){ql[k].id='quiz-embed-'+k;ql[k].href="javascript:var i=document.getElementById('quiz-embed-"+k+"');try{qz.startQuiz(i)}catch(e){i.start=1;i.style.cursor='wait';i.style.opacity='0.5'};void(0);"}}};i['QP']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){(i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o),m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m)})(window,document,'script','https://take.quiz-maker.com/3012/CDN/quiz-embed-v1.js','qp');Got a good quiz question?Send Newsroom your questions.The post Newsroom daily quiz, Wednesday 19 February appeared first on Newsroom. ...
Comment: The recent attack by Destiny Church front groups on a Drag science show at Te Atatū library crossed a line. This wasn’t the first time that Brian Tamaki, the multimillionaire self-appointed ‘apostle’, has ordered acts of aggression against the queer community. Last year, Drag Story Time events were targeted, ...
Martina Salmon is well versed in the fast-paced action on a netball court, but even she was caught by surprise with the speed at which her career changed tack last year.Staying in the fast lane is only part of her drive this season.Fresh off a nine-day camp in Sydney with ...
Last night I may as well have been in Taihape. Or, closer to home, for me at least, somewhere in the Wairarapa. Or Tūrangi, even – which is near where we used to spend the summer when I was a child. For there was that same gorgeous small town feeling ...
Having Auckland’s food scraps dumped onto your rural backyard sounds scandalous, but in the North Island town of Reporoa there’s no fuss about the thousands of tonnes carted here every week.From the same site as one truck drops the waste, another truck picks up fertiliser to spread on local sheep ...
Negotiating rights over freshwater in Treaty settlement negotiations could have extended negotiations a decade, a Ngāi Tahu leader says.Tribal leaders, and its umbrella body, Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu, have taken the Attorney-General to court in a bid to have the Crown recognise its rangatiratanga (chiefly authority) over wai māori ...
Analysis: Poor safeguarding of New Zealanders’ data could be a widespread practice within the public service and certainly within the health system, according to the findings of an independent inquiry into allegations of misused census and Covid-19 vaccination information.The Public Service Commission’s review, led by consultant Pania Gray and former ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jennifer Stone, Principal Research Fellow, School of Population and Global Health, The University of Western Australia Gorodenkoff/Shutterstock Having dense breasts is a clear risk factor for breast cancer. It can also make cancers hard to spot on mammograms. Yet you ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra The National Anti-Corruption Commission will finally investigate whether six people referred to it by the royal commission into Robodebt engaged in corrupt conduct. This follows an independent reconsideration by former High Court judge Geoffrey ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Blaxland, Professor, Strategic and Defence Studies Centre, Australian National University Last week in Europe, the United States sent some very strong messages it is prepared to upend the established global order. US Vice President JD Vance warned a stunned Munich ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra The Reserve Bank has delivered the expected modest rate cut of a quarter of a percentage point, and we’re set for the predictable frenzy of speculation about an April election. The cut is unlikely to ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Hawkins, Senior Lecturer, Canberra School of Politics, Economics and Society, University of Canberra The Reserve Bank cut official interest rates on Tuesday, the first decrease in four years, saying inflationary pressures are easing “a little more quickly than expected”. However, the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra The Reserve Bank has delivered the expected modest rate cut of a quarter of a percentage point, and we’re set for the predictable frenzy of speculation about an April election. The cut is unlikely to ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Allan Fels, Professor Allan Fels, Professor of Law, Economics and Business at the University of Melbourne and Monash University., The University of Melbourne Australia is creeping towards adding a divestiture power to its Competition and Consumer Act. Under such a law, ...
Yea. This couple sound totally reasonable. NOT! Indeed, good to know who they really are….
So we have an ' unofficial ' force of nz soldiers fighting in Ukraine under the genius description of ' unpaid leave ' mightive missed it but i dont remember that being debated in parliament .No wonder its not just a matter of picking up the phone to find out where the body of a dead soldier is !!!
listening to JA being interview on RNZ this morn ive never heard her sounding more evasive or slippery .In between the ducking an diving she sayes bla bla bla " and the war is against Russia " could've been my imagination but it sounded like there was a definite mote of glee in that sentence …..
https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/morningreport/audio/2018856373/prime-minister-on-recovering-body-of-soldier-killed-in-ukraine
New Zealanders traditionally fight fascism wherever we find it.
Got your rocks off baby?
Did you not know that the Military personnel are supposed to be prevented from engaging in undeclared wars? If the government has declared war on behalf of its US masters we are in for a real shitfest that even NATO wont risk!!
Clearly the government hasn't declared war on anyone. Go sit down and have a cup of tea or you're going to have an aneurysm over one AWOL soldier who wanted to see action.
So, Populuxe1, if the government hasn't declared war on anyone, then why are NZ defence force personnel allowed to go and fight in the Ukraine while they're "on leave"? Are they mercenaries?
Given they are both volunteers (not recruited) and not motivated by the desire for private monetary gain then no, they fail mercenary test conditions a) and c) of the Geneva convention.
Volunteering to fight fascism is not being a mercenary.
They are, in fact, heroes of freedom loving people everywhere.
Probably because he didn't tell them he was going to fight in Ukraine because they're not allowed to? Don't call it "the Ukraine" – it's a sovereign state.
I find it extraordinary you can't conceive that he asked for leave on some pretext or other, it was granted, he flew to Europe and made his way to Ukraine all on his own. It's not that difficult.
Had he survived and been found out it would have brought him before a Court Martial and he almost certainly would have been dishonourably discharged.
WTF – Talk about an exaggerating drama queen – you really take the cake.
Perhaps you also need to read before you insult. It has been reported there may be as many as 100 in Crimea not just one.
What are they doing in Crimea when the action is in Donbas? There's no on the ground fighting in Crimea.
There may be – then again, there may not be.
I would be very much surprised if that number was all active personnel – you might have to provide a source as it sounds like you're conflating ex-service people, civilian volunteers and, for all I know, NZ mercenaries based elsewhere.
Look who's talking.
Here's a Link – since you need spoon feeding:
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/473589/nzdf-contacting-nearly-100-soldiers-on-leave-without-pay
Obviously the reference was to Ukraine, not Crimea but instead of politely pointing out the error, you had to turn it into yet another drama. Oh what a surprise.
Um, being on leave without pay is actually a thing. It doesn't automatically mean they're fighting in Ukraine.
https://www.employment.govt.nz/leave-and-holidays/other-types-of-leave/leave-without-pay/
You have proved you can do research, even if following a 'wrong line', so don't bother asking for links. The nub of the matter is and always was that the Military, for good reason, are required to follow different rules.
So basically you're full of it
Fascists, private military companies, organised crime, secret services and ultranationalists.
https://twitter.com/den_kazansky/status/1563753741697916928
Fighting raccoons. How Russian patriots became mercenaries, contacted FSB officers and turned into bandits
[…]
The history of the appearance of the scandalous PMC is interesting in its own way. Its creator is considered the leader of the nationalist movement "Bright Russia" Igor Mangushev. During the escalation of the conflict in the Donbass, he, together with like-minded people, thought about how to give an official status to the actions of the Donbass militias.
In the spring of 2014, reports began to appear that Mangushev and other representatives of the "Light Russia" went to the Donbass on a humanitarian mission together with the Moscow Region branch of the People's Cathedral movement. It was headed by Roman Telenkevich, aka Vodyanoy – he had such a call sign in those years.
https://lenta.ru/articles/2021/12/06/enot/
google translate
The magnified image of purported ideals:
where once we would have joined and fought with unity, now we give them training and weapons.
Those who actually fight are now deniable oddballs for diplomats to solve. No RSA plaque for them.
Ukraine is now the world's largest virtue signal.
You seem to be busting for WW3! There are very good reasons for no foreign "boots on the ground".
You could have said the same thing for the International Brigades in Spain, although these days such is middle class flatulence that makes up so much the modern left's intellectual community you would be unlikely to find any of the West's left wing journalists, novelists, activists and poets in the trenches of the Donbas fighting Putin's fascists.
They prefer these days to sit about on message boards and find excuses for their decadent cowardice in handwringing about the nature of Zelensky's government and seeing false equivalence everywhere.
How is this different from the SCW?
I guess the main difference is the Fascists have now got nukes.
I thought they relinquished their nukes when they became independent.
Cheerleading a colonialist war of imperial aggression to own the libs. Classy.
Um, no. Sounds like an individual wanted an adventure or felt deeply enough for the cause to volunteer. You know, like Orwell fighting in the Spanish Civil War. It happens. At worst he failed to resign from the NZDF, which, had he lived, would probably have earned him a court martial and dishonourable discharge.
Nah, it was clearly a nod and wink arrangement, a version of don't ask don't tell. Soldier asks for leave without pay to do something and army approves, while respecting the soldiers right to take a holiday without them prying in.
It would only become a political problem if it turned out an entire company of our guys were there. A dozen or so is is just caveat emptor for them.
You read far too many Robert Ludlum novels. He wasn't SAS and was fighting in an international brigade. Even if we were to get involved, which would be highly unlikely as our forces aren't really trained for slogging through Eastern European mud in the winter, we certainly wouldn't be sending ordinary soldiers.
I am intrigued at the number of people who seem to have a bizarre view that our government (a) is somehow able to and should be tracking NZ citizens that go abroad, perhaps particularly if they are on leave from the Defence Force, and (b) are somehow organising a group of people on leave from defence to go to the Ukraine to volunteer to fight. Re (a) any government tracking New Zealanders going overseas would be regarded as wasting money, and re (b) that is so unlikely as to be farcical. There was an implication in one news report that had the soldier returned he may have been disciplined for his actions
Just after midnight tonight, the Artemis I program is launched using the SLS (Space Launch System). I am old enough to remember the Saturn V rockets of the Apollo program. In the next 24 hours we will hopefully see his twin sister, Artemis, rise on the most powerful rocket ever built. Artemis will eventually carry 46 tonnes to trans-lunar injection – three tonnes more than the most powerful Saturn V rocket.
What a sight it is going to be.
Most powerful rocket ever built was actually the Russian N1 moon rocket, but blew up after a successful liftoff. So you're right if you say "most powerful (successful) rocket ever built ".
A rocket that blows up after launch is a major life fail, if you are a rocket. It begs the existential question all rockets must ask themselves in the quiet early morning dark sitting on the launch pad waiting – if a rocket blows up on launch, is it really a rocket?
Is a newborn baby a bipedal primate?
No. It is poo creation facility.
Luxon on youth crime – empty bullshit, but dangerous too. Has the f*wit learned nothing from the Royal Commission into State Child Care?
It also signals the end of Bed-leg Sam: if Luxon welcomes him back into the cosy embrace of the Natz after being so outspoken on youth punishment, he'll look a right hypocrite!
https://twitter.com/rugbyintel/status/1563730397976207360
Sam's nightclubbing behaviour is Mr & Mrs Uffindell's fault.
Nice on, Luxxy!
I've gotten old – took at least a minute for the 'nightclubbing' penny to drop.
I really don't think anyone cares about Sam Uffindel. They do, however care about thugs who punch elderly people in the face getting home detention, while the police spend money on diversity officers and putting rainbow lights on police stations. This government is weak on crime, and we're paying the price.
You're right – no one cares about Uffindel.
Uffindell otoh – well, some Kiwis care about how the Gnat's tried and true candidate selection process delivered an MP who admitted to assaulting a 13-year old, if not to other historical character defects.
Might some Gnat supporters care at least a little? [I know I would!]
Maybe, but certainly not those who consider Uffindell-style japes, hijinks and shenanigans par for the course.
Here's another pearl, just for you
No-one cares. National buried it by actually holding an enquiry (you know, like the one Labour won't hold), and then with Labour's mishandling of Mr Sharma. One day soon the media will report on the outcome of the enquiry, and all will be forgotten.
I care and you don't, which will come as a surprise to exactly no one
No, I really don't care. He's part of the nats horrible selection policy failures, and he's theirs to own.
Yes, you don't care – see @4.2.1.1.1. We (you & me) agree – you don't care.
Still, curious that one who really doesn't care would labour the point so
Yes, because contrary to your "No-one cares." assertion @4.2.1.1, I care.
Btw, that's your 3rd post to me on this – shows just how little you care
Oh, you cared enough to delete your comment – there's hope for you yet.
What mishandling? Hold an inquiry into what? Sharma bullying his staff is not in dispute. National are keeping the results of the inquiry private.
"What mishandling?"
Letting an MP spend weeks dragging the party through a trial by media.
"Hold an inquiry into what? "
Accusations against Sharma of bullying. Accusations by Sharma he was bullied. Allegations about MP's being coached to bypass OIA obligations. There's no shortage of material. Mind you, Labour have form for trying to bury stuff.
Well, so much for Sharma falsely claiming he has been silenced. Labour is not responsible for his atrocious behaviour.
Sharma bullying his staff is not in dispute, his allegations are unfounded and he has not produced any evidence to back up his claims.
Your link doesn't prove what you claim. The person in question was a guest and it as dealt with by the courts.
"The person in question was a guest and it as dealt with by the courts."
Oh a 'guest' were they. This 'guest' was (depending upon what you mean) the victim or perpetrator of sexual assault. And it was only after Newsroom broke the story that the "party was shocked into action".
Meanwhile, Sharma, for all you claim he has nothing, is making headlines again today.
So what? Sharma is an attention seeker and is just raving, he still has not produced any evidence to back up his claims.
A guest as in invited and was not a Labour party member.
Some charges were dropped and downgraded.
"There had also been no suggestion, and no evidence, that the offender has any personal connection to the present Labour Party or any member of it, the judge added"
"At sentencing, Judge Collins also said: "I'm not convinced it was for a sexual gratification or any perverted motive.
While not an excuse, the judge added the man's actions were "born out of drunken stupidity"
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/labour-party-summer-camp-case-high-court-dismisses-suppression-bid-as-young-man-fights-for-secrecy/SFSSNY5ZU7SUYWIJ62HLPO443Y/
"A guest as in invited and was not a Labour party member."
You are now justifying the behaviour. Congratulations. I'll take your allegations about Sharma with a grain of salt.
No I am not LibertyBelle. Did you not read the post?
"There had also been no suggestion, and no evidence, that the offender has any personal connection to the present Labour Party or any member of it, the judge added"
Not allegations, just stating the fact that Sharma hasn't produced any evidence, I noticed you haven't come up with any. No one should condone Sharma bullying his staff.
"There had also been no suggestion, and no evidence, that the offender has any personal connection to the present Labour Party or any member of it, the judge added"
How does that relate to whether or not the party covered the allegations up? The article is fairly clear:
Yesterday, when Newsroom broke the story about sexual harassment and assault taking place at a Labour Party youth camp, the party was shocked into action.
You are the one that had an issue with the fact that the person in question was a guest. The party didn't cover it up, the article is an opinion.
"Again, investigation into what?"
Asked and answered. Sharma has only asked for one thing, AFAIK. An independent inquiry into the employment issues he has raised. The horse has bolted now, but why didn't they just conduct that investigation? Unless they have something to hide.
Sharma, for all you claim he has nothing, is making headlines again today.
If he stole a toddler's candy he'd make bigger headlines. So?
As I'm sure you've noticed, the political journos aren't giving credence to his rants any more. Who can blame them?
Perhaps. But Labour have botched this up, and they have a renegade running amok with accusations. They could have cauterised this with an investigation into the employment issues, but for reasons best known only to themselves, they won't.
Again, investigation into what? Sharma bullying his staff is not in dispute. You have no evidence to back up your claim LibertyBelle.
Because National has no form for trying to bury something almost too horrible for words.
//
They both have form. You can engage in whataboutery, or own it.
So far you haven't proved Labour have form LibertyBelle.
Labour camp sexual assault: Who knew what, when? | The Spinoff
and
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/352384/labour-camp-misconduct-victim-reached-out-to-megan-woods
Again, that doesn't prove it that Labour have form.
"Still doesnt prove your point LibertyBelle"
Which part of a three week delay don't you understand?
"… and it was up to the complainants whether they wanted to tell their parents etc, at the time they chose not to, but felt pressured by media, one of the complainants said it became a political football."
That's actually quite seedy. It's not solely up to the complainants to tell the police. They were 16 FFS. "support was only made available to victims on Saturday, a three-week delay, possibly in recognition a story would be coming out." This is disgusting treatment, and politically motivated.
Still doesn't support your claim LibertyBelle. It is not seedy, at 16 years old, it was entirely up the complainants who they told or not, which is their legal right.
Labour decided to deal with accusations of misconduct by a non member sensitively and in a manner that protected victims.
National decided to protect and promote a member charged with crimes almost too horrible for words.
There is no comparison.
"Labour decided to deal with accusations of misconduct by a non member sensitively and in a manner that protected victims."
"However, Newsroom's editor Tim Murphy told Morning Report the affected teenagers didn't get much support until the day before the story was due to break. He said support was only made available to victims on Saturday, a three-week delay, possibly in recognition a story would be coming out. He said a senior cabinet MP was also told about the assault by one of the victims who was dissatisfied with the way it was handled. "It seems to have fallen into a big hole from the event to now," he said."
Still doesnt prove your point LibertyBelle and it was up to the complainants whether they wanted to tell their parents etc, at the time they chose not to, but felt pressured by media, one of the complainants said it became a political football.
Oh people care about uffindell.
But they know that rich privileged people really face justice so shrug their shoulders and think so it goes.
https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/1969/05/17/dresden
rarely?
The state of Victoria will now pay the entire course costs for its nurses and midwives.
The Vic opposition immediately agrees with the pledge.
Any time Labour. Or National.
Little would rather pay $10k a pop to foreigners.
Plus undermine attempts by the local workforce to settle their seemingly eternal pay parity negotiations.
With advisors Little listens to who needs Tories?
And this:
"Frustrated New Zealand-trained migrant nurses are planning to leave the country because they cannot find an immediate path to residency, just as the government tries to entice foreigners to fill thousands of jobs in hospitals, aged care and clinics."
'immediate' path to PR…so they can fuck off to…..Australia.
And the ones that don't will go some way to preventing the system collapsing. Or we could just continue to deny there's a crisis.
They don't need NZ residency to "fuck off to…..Australia"
Australia is giving them immediate residency unconditionally – they neither need nor benefit from having NZ residency 'first' (and actually may be worse off – it's a lot more beneficial long term, if you're resident in Australia, to become an Australian citizen, rather than a NZ resident/citizen)
The justification for putting nurses in the second tier of immigration is looking more and more threadbare.
Perhaps it's time for Minister Wood to review the situation:
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/470399/minister-open-to-immigration-changes-for-nurses-if-new-system-fails
Well said.
Nurses without NZ PR seeking Aussie residency might have their applications considered quickly/rapidly, but "immediate residency unconditionally"? Fake news.
https://www.nursingmidwiferyboard.gov.au/Accreditation/IQNM/Before-you-apply/Immigration-and-employment.aspx
If you meet the criteria (recognized nursing qualification from an approved provider) my understanding is that it is 'unconditional'. You certainly don't have to have a job, or even a job offer, nor do you have to be working for 2 years to gain residency.
Those are the elements where Australia and New Zealand differ.
It seems as though it is more difficult and time-consuming to gain PR in NZ, for nurses, than it is in Oz; and you certainly don't get in with lower qualifications (although Australia also has a pathway to residency through studying nursing programme).
Really, I think that the perception that there were significant numbers of immigrant nurses trying to gain NZ residency as a backdoor into Australia, is a chimera. It might have been true in the past – though I don't really think it's very likely – but certainly hasn't been true for the last few years.
This article talks about the unhappiness with the current delays in processing skilled migrant (nursing) visas in Oz – and what the govt is proposing to do about it.
So, Australia doesn’t have it exactly right yet, but is actively working on the elements which are hindering the process.
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/visas-for-nurses-must-be-fast-tracked-to-fill-critical-shortages-20220824-p5bcbj.html
Good clarification – "immediate residency unconditionally" didn't ring true.
Aotearoa, being Australia’s poorer, smaller sister, may have to do a bit more work with less. Number 8 wire only goes so far.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Number_8_wire#In_language_and_culture
I was speaking in the context of the OP – who was commenting on NZ-trained immigrant nurses (who can't get residency without spending another 2 years here, away from their families) – leaving for Australia.
So the 'qualified' was implied, in my comment.
Really, the assumption that immigrant nurses will only use NZ as a backdoor to Australia doesn't seem to be based on anything apart from rather dated anecdata. Time for the Minister to bite the bullet, and actually review the settings.
Apologies if I my brief reply (@5.2.1.2.2) failed to make it clear that I was questioning the veracity of a specific assertion @5.2.1.2, to wit:
The veracity of "immediate residency unconditionally" in that context seemed doubtful, and your reply @5.2.1.2.2.1 was a good clarification.
Note, for example, the apparent incongruity between "immediate residency unconditionally" (@5.2.1.2) and "current delays in processing skilled migrant (nursing) visas in Oz" (@5.2.1.2.2.1).
Looks like we're down to debating the semantics.
In the context of my comment on the original link – 'immediately' referred to 'once the visa is processed'. Contrasting the situation in Australia, where there is no requirement for a 2 year 'probation' period before residency is granted; while in NZ the nurse has to work for 2 years before residency is granted.
So when the nurse has their approved visa (a process which is technically identical so far as qualifications are concerned in both countries) – Australia has 'immediate residence unconditionally' while NZ has a 2 year delay, as well as requirements over where you have to work, and (possibly- I haven't checked recently) a requirement to have a job offer, before applying. NZ PR is not 'immediate' and not 'unconditional'.
Nurses have been pointing out that difference, highlighting that the Australian model is much more attractive for families – who can settle in 'immediately' rather than family members not being eligible for work or uni, etc, because of the lack of PR status of the parent (and, in NZ, apparently not even able to come, in some circumstances). As well as the natural uncertainty of whether the Government will change the rules on them part-way through the process.
Got it – "unconditional" if conditions for a successful visa application are met – thanks for the further clarifications to sort out semantics.
Imho, qualifying foreign nurses should be on NZ's ‘immediate residency' priority list, as per Gordon Campbell's recent column, but your "immediate residency unconditionally" framing didn't ring true to me – too hyperbolic even for NZ opposition pollies.
As you and I have noted already, it's not all sweetness and light on the NZ and/or Aus immigration fronts – plenty of tension(s) and competing interests. Funnily enough, on a recent visit to the A&E department at our local hospital, Dad was assessed initially by a nurse who had migrated very recently from Australia. She was excellent, but still getting used to using some of the ECG equipment, including plugging it in – apparently it's not standardised across all DHBs, let alone between NZ and Aus.
Aus is a great place to visit, and I wish all who would live there well.
Pak N Save always used to be the cheapest supermarket to shop at, but it seems like Countdown Meadowbank is now the place to go.
Man walks out of Auckland supermarket with loaded trolley without paying – NZ Herald
Omicron vaccine weeks away:
https://www.forbes.com/sites/madelinehalpert/2022/08/26/omicron-specific-boosters-could-be-available-by-labor-day-heres-who-should-get-one/?sh=7eb290654652
The forecast isn't too flash.
https://twitter.com/Gerashchenko_en/status/1563883623673208833
KYIV, Ukraine — As renewed shelling intensified fears about a nuclear accident at the Zaporizhzhia power plant, the Ukrainian authorities stepped up emergency drills on Saturday and rushed to hand out potassium iodide, a drug that can protect people from radiation-induced thyroid cancer, to tens of thousands of people living near the facility.
In a country still haunted by the memory of the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear disaster, officials urged the public not to panic even as complex negotiations to allow for a team of scientists from the International Atomic Energy Agency to visit the Russian-controlled plant in southeastern Ukraine took on added urgency.
https://archive.ph/at5LW (nyt)
Must be serious for China to dip it's oar.
China has issued a thinly veiled attack on Russia’s brinkmanship over the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant in Ukraine, as fears of disaster escalate following a near-miss at the site.
A senior Chinese official told the UN on Friday that just one incident might cause a serious nuclear accident “with irreversible consequences for the ecosystem and public health of Ukraine and its neighbouring countries”.
Geng Shuang, China’s deputy permanent representative at the UN, pointedly called on all parties involved “to exercise maximum restraint strictly abide by international law and minimise the risk of accidents”, adding: ”We must not allow the tragedies of the Chernobyl and Fukushima nuclear accidents to be repeated.”
https://inews.co.uk/news/world/china-putin-russian-roulette-zaporizhzhia-nuclear-plant-ukraine-disaster-near-miss-russia-1818988
Auckland is getting its walking & cycling bridge after all! What I’d call recycling of an old bridge.
https://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/government-restores-vital-connection-across-manukau-harbour
Ngā Hau Māngere looks fantastic. Can't wait to try the fishing.
Some good photos https://www.greaterauckland.org.nz/2022/08/29/cycling-over-one-harbour/
I think I'll leave the fishing until the crowds subside
Nice pun 😉
Have friends who will be very excited to use this.
Top health boss backs action against alcohol harm https://twitter.com/_chloeswarbrick/status/1564083508175179776
Let's try that again..
https://twitter.com/_chloeswarbrick/status/1564083508175179776
FIFY
Ta. What was broken with the link?
Nothing really, just paste the URL as is in the Text Editor on a separate line and it should work. Your first attempt was not (on) a separate line and your second attempt was an embedded link.
Ah, I must have copied the auto-converted link. Phew
Of course he's serious.
/
https://twitter.com/RichardWellings/status/1563099789625270275
The invisible hand is right up Wellings's backside and making his lips move.