“Every murder is devastating for those who know the victim. But during the ten-year period between 2013-2022 only four homicides of trans people were recorded in the UK, once reporting errors were corrected. During the same period, 7,118 homicides were recorded in the UK, combining data for England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. This suggests that murders of trans people were a tiny fraction of all murders, 0.056 per cent. This is around an order of magnitude lower than the Census estimate of the proportion of trans people in the population at 0.58 per cent. In other words, trans people were greatly underrepresented among homicide victims. Thanks to the Census, trans people can have confidence that they may safely ignore alarmist rhetoric encouraging them to fear for their lives.”
that's a very good quote. I'd like to see similar analysis of violence against trans men, and trans women, because I suspect this is a problem. But really we need good research on exactly how discrimination against trans people is functioning. Most of what I see is more qualitative than quantitative.
No, I am not about to forget the Trans Genocide "rhetoric"; Visubversa. I did look at that Spectator piece, and the linked article about "reporting errors". Leaving aside the tone of the writing, the world is bigger than the UK. I don't have the time to track down all original sources from the other side of the world over the past decade, but here is one case that was excluded as a reporting error in the TMM:
…found dead in Heron Court, Victoria Road, Worthing on 19 November.
Two men aged 34 and 63, both from Worthing, were arrested on suspicion of murder and released on bail.
A 63-year-old man has been charged with assaulting Ms… who was known as Jacqui, on 18 November…
"Although we are no longer treating her death as suspicious, we are still investigating the assault on her the night before, during which she was injured."
As well as suffering from depression and epilepsy, she also struggled to control her alcoholism – something she is said to have made great strides to overcome in recent years.”…
A post-mortemproved inconclusive and further tests are to be carried out to confirm the cause of death. Detective Inspector Gordon Denslow said: “We are still trying to confirm exactly what happened in the hours before her death.
If I had to guess, I'd say this Jacqui probably killed herself after being assaulted (I've known people in Aotearoa who have gone that way). Which isn't exactly murder, but still less than desirable.
However the annual; Trans Murder Monitoring (TMM), report itself is upfront with it's methodological limitations. And also that many of those reported murdered are sex workers, as well as being trans (which the "reporting errors" author regards as; "a fact that has been quietly brushed under the carpet."):
The year 2022 saw 327 reported murders of trans and gender-diverse people between 1 October 2021 and 30 September 2022. With 222 cases, Latin America and the Caribbean remains the region that reported most of the murders…
95% of those murdered globally were trans women or trans feminine people;
Half of murdered trans people whose occupation is known were sex workers;
These numbers are just a small glimpse into the reality on the ground. The majority of the data came from countries with a strong network of trans and LGBTIQ organisations that conduct the monitoring.
One of the major problems with the TMM is that there is little data from Africa – with its reliance on LGBTIQ organisations providing it to them, given TGEU's limited budget. But what information does come out of that continent is pretty grim, and what doesn't make it out may be worse:
Being transgender in Kenya can be dangerous. In 2021, her friend was stoned to death by a mob on a beach near the city of Malindi, she said. A few months later, Arya said she was chased by people wielding machetes.
Arya, 27, said the protections of the safe house have been all the more important over the past week as a backlash against lesbian, gay and transgender Kenyans has flared following the death of LGBTQ rights activist Edwin Chiloba.
Chiloba's body was found in a metal box on the roadside near the city of Eldoret… "People were going through other gay people's social media saying, 'Have you seen Chiloba? You are next,'" said Arya…
Amnesty International and other campaign groups last week said there had been increasing cases of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV), as well as domestic abuse, across Kenya.
They said there was an "uncoordinated and often reluctant response to SGBV from State and non-state actors" and called on authorities to do more to investigate crimes and work with survivors.
So turning to now reality of trans genocide; this is not simply the annual death count in any given country (though I am certainly not planning on going to Brazil anytime soon!), but rather seeking to eradicate a group of people from society. The question to me is whether the current laws recognize trans (and wider LGNTQ+) people under the umbrella of; "a national, ethnical, racial or religious group":
Raphäel Lemkin led the campaign to have genocide recognised and codified as an international crime…
The International Court of Justice (ICJ) has repeatedly stated that the Convention embodies principles that are part of general customary international law. This means that whether or not States have ratified the Genocide Convention, they are all bound as a matter of law by the principle that genocide is a crime prohibited under international law. The ICJ has also stated that the prohibition of genocide is a peremptory norm of international law (or ius cogens) and consequently, no derogation from it is allowed.
The ideological constructions of transgender women promoted by gender critical ideologues are particularly genocidal. They share many features in common with other, better known, genocidal ideologies. Transgender women are represented as stealth border crossers who seek to defile the purity of cisgender women, much as Tutsi women were viewed in Hutu Power ideology and Jewish men in Nazi antisemitism. Trans people in general are framed as figures that threaten the wholeness of the patriarchal nuclear family as well as the strength and vitality of national communities, much in the way that ethnic and national targets of genocide are viewed as cosmic enemies of the perpetrator group. Like the religious targets of genocidal violence, trans people are often described as somehow polluted, sinful, or against God. They are blamed for a host of social problems that have nothing to do with them or with the free expression of their identities.
"…So turning to now reality of trans genocide; this is not simply the annual death count in any given country (though I am certainly not planning on going to Brazil anytime soon!), but rather seeking to eradicate a group of people from society. …"
This is assumptive rhetoric, familiar, but not proven by any of your links.
The transgender component has to be isolated out from other factors. As you are no doubt aware, many of the deaths you refer to in Brazil involve those involved in prostitution or the drug trade. Mortality rates are exceptionally high in that environment, transgender or not.
Citation needed on the drug trade bit; Molly, but many trans people certainly do feel they have few options except sex work (fortunately not so much in Aotearoa). I don't personally feel that sex workers are asking to be killed, any more than someone dressed like a sex worker is asking to be sexually assaulted. I do not feel too confident that I can disentangle the ant- trans from sex-worker motivation in Brazilian murders – just not having any intention going there myself anytime soon.
I linked to the UN page that quotes text from the 1948 convention:
In the present Convention, genocide means any of the following acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group, as such:
Killing members of the group;
Causing serious bodily or mental harm to members of the group;
Deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life calculated to bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part;
Imposing measures intended to prevent births within the group;
Forcibly transferring children of the group to another group.
My question is mainly if trans people can be regarded as a "religious group" by the terms of this convention, if the region defining them is not there own. In the USA many anti-laws are promulgated on explicit religious basis, and there is little reason to suppose their present Supreme Court will strike them down on the basis of separation of church and faith.
More legislation has been filed to restrict the lives of trans people so far in 2022 than at any other point in the nation’s history, with trans youth being the most frequent target of lawmakers…
Several governors also have put through their own forms of restrictions.
Earlier this year, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) issued a directive requiring child welfare agents to investigate gender-affirming medical procedures as child abuse — an order that could strip trans children away from their families.
Texas’ child welfare agency is once again blocked from investigating parents who provide gender-affirming care to their transgender children. The injunction applies to any family that belongs to PFLAG, an LGBTQ advocacy group with more than 600 members in Texas.
The injunction also specifically protects a handful of families named in the suit, including the Briggles, outspoken advocates for transgender youth who were among the first to be investigated under this directive.
This is the latest chapter in a monthslong legal battle over whether providing medically indicated gender-affirming health care, under the guidance of a doctor, could result in a finding of child abuse by the state.
I do know that if someone tried to take my children away to give to dubious care of Oranga Tamariki on the basis of supposed child abuse from following medical advice, I would be going to the courts myself. And if the NZ supreme court supported the decision (if say; a new christo-fascist had been elected and had passed a law requiring this), then taking the NZ government to the International Court of Justice on the basis of facilitating genocide would not seem excessive to me.
Fortunately that is not the situation here at present. Places like Brazil, Uganda, Afghanistan, and possibly the USA (depending how the 2024 election goes) might be a different case.
Sex trade is inexorably involved with the drug trade, but it is good to see you acknowledge that the mortality rate in Brazil cannot be attributed to what you refer to as an eradication due to transgender status.
Children are being removed from families in the US and Australia by the equivalent of Oranga Tamariki, for NOT immediately providing affirming social transition and/or medical or surgical transition. These children, many with co-morbidities, are not assessed for these co-morbidities or undergoing exploratory therapy, they are alienated from their families in order to transition. Your imagined scenario is happening in reverse in reality. But that seems often to be the case, imagined persecution versus actual harm.
Recent papers following up on the Dutch Protocol long-term outcomes are not supporting of transition of minors. One such can be found here. There are many more. What has always been missing is robust data supporting the transition of minors. Instead there have been non-medically evidenced activist guidelines being taken as fundamental evidence.
The situation you write of in the state of Texas, is perhaps due to the fact that Texas, unlike California, has looked at the evidence provided for social, medical and surgical transition and found that robust data in respect to net benefits for minors is not available. There is also little quality data available in terms of a positive impact on suicidal ideation. Countries or health authorities who undertake independent literature reviews are unanimously coming to the conclusion that the use of medical or surgical interventions for minors is harmful.
It is likely that with that information to hand, the Gov of Texas, Greg Abbott, asked the Attorney General to ascertain whether the provision of medical and surgical interventions was detrimental to the well-being of children, and falls into the category of child abuse. The written response is sobering:
"I do know that if someone tried to take my children away to give to dubious care of Oranga Tamariki on the basis of supposed child abuse from following medical advice, I would be going to the courts myself. And if the NZ supreme court supported the decision (if say; a new christo-fascist had been elected and had passed a law requiring this), then taking the NZ government to the International Court of Justice on the basis of facilitating genocide would not seem excessive to me."
I have OIA'd the Ministry of Health regarding their guidelines for the medical transitioning of minors, and while appalled, am not surprised to find that our treatment response is the last daisy in a chain that originates from the WPATH guidelines. Once again, guidelines written by activists, without clinical evidence. For this reason, I feel the current medical advice is not only not proven to be beneficial, but given the outcome of actual literature reviews, causes harm. So, I will, along with others be writing to Andrew Little, once more to ask him to do due diligence on this issue, and conduct an independent review of the literature available.
The constant cry of trans genocide, and suicidal ideation is one that I find hard to forgive, when it comes to young people. This is the only time where constant referrals of self harm is magnified by advocates, despite the evidence that doing so actually increases distress and likelihood of harm. Add to that, the association of people not complying with demands in regards to your declared identity, with bigotry, fascism, hatred, transphobia and eradication, and you have another significant harm done to young people who already have personal issues that are overwhelming.
I find your rhetoric in this vein and have very little patience with it.
They are blamed for a host of social problems that have nothing to do with them or with the free expression of their identities.
They are also particularly strident when it comes to their 'right' to invade spaces that exclude biological males for safety reasons. By doing so they have largely discredited themselves, not as individuals, but as a thread of advocacy.
it's useful to differentiate between trans women (who hold a wide ranges of beliefs and have a wide range of behaviours, just like other groups), and gender identity activists (aka trans rights activists).
thanks for this in depth post. I agree that we should be noticing a trans woman who kills herself after being assaulted, and society needs to sort out it's shit that so many trans women are doing sex work. We also have to be able to discuss the reasons for that.
I don't believe that trans people should be included in the definition of peoples affected by genocide. Genocide has a pretty distinct meaning. I also think there is harm in promoting the idea that being trans is a shit experience fraught with danger from murder or suicide. We should be honest about the situations. In the UK murder of trans people is rare. In the US less so, but there from what I understand most are related to sex work or partner violence.
In the English-speaking world, the only country I am aware of that is trying to roll back trans rights is the US, where the fundamentalist right holds a lot of power. They are doing this to women too. In the UK it's a bit different, because most people there still support the human rights of trans people, while rejecting self-ID and TWAW positions. What that tells me is that there is an opportunity for society to integrate trans people more fully. But I can't see that happening if gender activists carry on the way they are including by misleading the public about trans deaths. We can not frame it as genocide but still acknowledge the tragedies when they happen. I'd like to see liberal attention focused on the number of murders of women too.
Weka; it's getting on for time to pick up kids from school, so I am running out of time here. Fortunately, since school started up again yesterday I will have more time to be onsite (though not every hour of every day), so will have to get back to you with reasons why I can indeed frame the attempt to eliminate trans people as a form of genocide (though the Lemkin Institute statement covers a lot of it). But it'll have to be on a different day's OM.
No one is stopping anyone here from focusing on Femicide, which seems to be a worthwhile topic in Aotearoa (though important to acknowledge assaults and problems that fall short of outright murder). I'd certainly rather read that than trans exclusionary arguments from the basis of; Daily Mail, Spectator, and Twitter, sources that I am just not going to click on.
the point is that liberals are focused on identity politics rather than the gnarly issues like women being murdered or raped. Which is why we end up with the ridiculous situation of male rapists being housed in women's prisons and the left saying this is a good thing.
As for the Daily Mail etc, if liberals want liberal media coverage of the issues they can stop No Debate. But they don't, because then we'd have to actually address the problems.
There's nothing wrong with excluding people from places they don't belong. I wouldn't argue that I should be allowed into the spaces of TW, despite the fact that I fit under the contemporary trans umbrella.
”To be clear, Wayne Brown was elected to cut rates and prioritize public services and amenities to the salubrious Eastern and Northern suburbs where the well-heeled and light-skinned live securely and in comfort (even if, to paraphrase Pink Floyd, hanging on in quiet desperation as well). He was installed to serve the interests of a specific demographic rather than the city and its surroundings as a whole, and is therefore not interested in helping (mostly) brown-skinned opposition voters living in flood plains and gullies. For him, the once-in-a-lifetime storm has been more of a nuisance that interferes with his social schedule than a moment to rise above his own ego and partisan biases in service of the commonweal.”
"I will leave it for others to dissect the political entrails of this corpse of a mayor but suffice it to say that a politician who cannot even fake empathy and compassion for those in his electorate who have been negatively impacted by the storm (including many who have lost everything, and in four cases, their lives) and who victim-blames those worst affected and finger-points at his subordinates when it comes to assigning responsibility for response delays and “mistakes” while arguing with media in front of cameras during press stand-ups is not fit to be a parking warden, much less mayor of NZ’s largest city."
What many of us were trying to say yesterday on this site but oh… so much better.
That article is worth a read. The Peter Principle in practice! We will be asking central government about effective emergency management in this Auckland case and by extension to the rest of New Zealand.
For this will not be the last event that will test the calibre of our elected representatives and our civil authorities, our insurance schemes and our personal liabilities be they where we live, how we live, or how we cope with all our disabilities, infirmities of age and health in the midst of pandemic and natural calamities.
Brown could not even acknowledge to interviewer Kim Hill that there is a thing called climate change, FFS.
Luxon is hardly her mate. She is red through and through. Do you not remember the Covid question times "Jessica, then Tova".
And do you realise who her husband is. Here's a clue…."Jessica Mutch is a TVNZ political editor who married Jacinda Ardern's hot bodyguard, Iain McKay."
“A contingent of military officials is quietly pushing the Pentagon to approve sending F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine to help the country defend itself from Russian missile and drone attacks, according to three people with knowledge of the discussions.”
Brown has defended himself against criticism that he did not call for a State of Emergency earlier, saying he followed the advice of the professionals when deciding whether to declare an emergency.
However, today he acknowledged communication with the public on the disaster on Friday fell short.
"I want to say to Aucklanders that yes there have been hiccups of course.
"I accept that communications including mine and my office were not good enough, especially on Friday night.
…
BUT:
…
"I don't think I personally did anything wrong," he said when asked about what "hiccups" he was referring to.
He was MIA, sitting at his desk waiting for the rain to stop or playing tennis or whatever, that was his cardinal professional sin and he is unrepentant. He will not learn from his mistakes when he is unwilling to admit that he made any and he will continue shifting the blame to others although I have not yet heard the emotional-junior-staffer ‘excuse’.
In Wellington the Kindergarten Kids are off until the 14th February when they resume. I guess we will find out who the milk monitors will be before then.
Possibly not the most helpful outcome for people trying to clean up the mess and devastation of their lives.
Not to mention that there are few (if any) holiday programmes running – so parents who don't have flood damage to clean up, have to take time off work (at very short notice) to care for their pre-teens. Of course, white-collar workers can just work from home (albeit, not very efficiently) – but, amazingly, there are many, many workers who are also parents, who are required to actually be physically present to do their jobs.
While there are a few schools with flood damage which would need to close – the vast majority would be performing a much better public service by opening.
Kids are already stir-crazy after the long summer holidays – filled, as it has been, predominantly with bad weather – so not much outside time.
Anyone who thinks that the vast majority of those kids will just stay quietly at home for the next week – is invited to look at the population at the malls and entertainment complexes over this weekend. Bubbling over with kids and families – and with not a carpark to be found.
The following quote also seems entirely counter-intuitive.
"Holsted said schools and kura can open or remain open for onsite instruction but need to provide distance learning."
How can schools be both open for onsite instruction, and closed until the 7th of February?
And my point about the kids/families headed to the malls and entertainment complexes. They're not staying at home. They're still using the roads.
At the very least, keeping the primary schools open (where the majority of the kids have a short distance to travel – and some even *walk*) – would have taken the load off parents (it's a lot harder to get anything useful done with a 6-year-old in tow, than it is with a 12-year-old).
By all means, make a different call for individual rural schools (where roading infrastructure is seriously damaged) – but the vast majority of urban/surburban schools have no reason to close.
This is a hard call in and for tough times but on balance I think it is sensible especially with the Code Red Heavy Rain Warnings issued for the next couple of days.
I'd had two of the articles open (to see if they were saying the same thing) – and linked to the wrong one.
Apparently it’s the provision that O’Connor at Auckland Grammar is relying on, to allow them to open unless specifically directed by the MoE to close [Grammar actually opened last week, and has borders on site]
Newstalk didn’t quote Holsted verbatim, but NZH did and it says something different.
Assuming the Headmaster doesn’t take his cues from NewstalkZB he should re-read the e-mail he received from MoE unless he has problems with reading comprehension or suffers from wishful thinking syndrome.
Only heard O'Connor interviewed – so don't know exactly what coms he had received at the time.
He said that he'd notified MoE of his intentions to remain open (based on the media reports at the time, since he'd not yet received any official notification) – unless specifically directed otherwise. MoE had acknowledged his email, but not yet responded.
Just checked, and the RNZ site now contains an update notification, that O'Connor has emailed parents that Grammar will be closed tomorrow (so, clearly he's now received that directive)
Update: After this interview, Auckland Grammar School Principal emailed parents later on Monday to advise his school will now close until further notice.
It's difficult to track the timelines on all of this. The interview is timestamped at 6.14 – but that will be a broadcast time (or possibly an update time**), not, necessarily, when O'Connor was interviewed. During the interview, he was adamant that he'd had no notification from the MoE – and it looks as though it wasn't sent out until after 5pm (IT failure).
**I don't know if the RNZ timestamp changed when the update was added (I don't think so, but don't know of a way to confirm or deny my belief)
And, you're quite right – I do mean kids who remain during term time, not edges on the map.
The Headmaster should have taken a leaf out of the Mayor’s book and waited at his desk for the complete picture to emerge. Now he looks a little foolish for confusing parents even more so just to give his 2 cts. on radio. He should join ACT and consider a career in politics.
Note that your tweet liknk includes the quote that O'Connor used to justify his stance (it certainly reads as though schools have the option to remain open – but have to provide distance learning)
In the absence of formal notification from MoE – I can see why he'd make the assumption that he could continue opening.
Don't see that Grammar parents are any more (or less) confused than the rest of us.
I received notification at about 10.30 that my teen's school would be open as scheduled this week (since they had relatively minor storm damage, and none to any learning areas). Clearly this was sent before any of the media reports about school closures.
Only to have this reversed at 6.30 pm, after the school had received the MoE directive.
In the interim, I'd received lots of social media updates on the closure – but the delay in the official notification by MoE (because of their IT issues) – clearly caused some confusion with schools.
And, as you've highlighted – the language used in the early reports implied an option (to remain open), which was not evident in the later official communication.
Grammar have been back since last week. So, really, quite a different scenario to (for example, as quoted above) Avondale College, which weren't scheduled back – for most of the school – until Friday this week.
There's quite an operational difference between delaying the start of school; and starting, then stopping, then starting again.
I think O'Connor was looking out for what was best for his students (which is, actually, his job). He was quite clear in the interview, that he would reverse the decision if instructed by the MoE. And, apparantly, that's what he did.
AG did no more flip-flops than any other school: if there were, as you said, 3 emails – they were – 'Go', 'Go', 'MoE says we have to Stop'.
The problem appears to arise in the delayed (because of IT reasons) of the official MoE communication to schools. The interim social media and media posts have an 'option' to remain open, which is not present in the official notification.
In the information vacuum, this was all Grammar had to go on – and they (quite rightly) wanted to let parents know a.s.a.p. (remember, their boys were expecting to be at school on Tuesday morning).
No wonder schools were confused.
NB: About that IT outage. Given that MoE have the details of the actual starting date for all schools – it doesn't seem unreasonable that they should have got directly in touch with the (few) in the Auckland region who had already started the school year – and let them know directly (since the email had failed). It is, after all, quite a bit more time critical for Grammar to know this, than Avondale.
O'Conner believed because his students' families were not impacted much by the weather event and its aftermath because the school zone is elite Auckland and not far to travel, that his first reaction should be to defy the government.
A definite turn-around for Labour.
And both polls put TPM in the kingmaker role (which, we know, means a left government – there's no way they're going with National).
Labour will be looking to build momentum on this.
Looking towards Hipkins' announcement of the refocused legislative priority list next week.
I did notice on my twitter feed but cannot find now that there was an objection from a member of the public to one of the evacuation centres asking for N95 disposable respirators on the usual grounds of Covid19 not being real and/or if it was real it had passed.
I just could not imagine anything worse than getting Covid in a shelter while dealing with the loss of your home, furniture and possibly your car.
Where have these horrible people come from…..don't answer, I know. I think any thoughts that time would put all the anti vaxxer madness behind us is off beam, they have been politicised and are walking among us.
Even on local authorities and now making a concerted campaign to win seats on Conservation Boards.
This is to hearken back to the roots of one wing of VFF and that is as campaigners against 1080. DoC has 1000s of hectares of land to undertake pest control on. Whatever your views on 1080 in some cases it is best suited to the topography.
They're the descendants of the mob back in time who burnt/beat clever women to death because they were believed to be witches and who executed anyone who dared to suggest the earth was a round. (tongue in cheek):
It is sadly more efficient economically. DoC is under-resourced for the scale of the work they are expected to do, and they are reliant on volunteers who can only do so much and often not as regularly as to be effective.
Why do you think he's an idiot (in this particular instance)?
Case in point. The primary school nearest to me (inner Auckland suburb) – on a ridge, little or no storm/water damage. 95% of the pupils live less than 10 minutes drive away (no school buses) – an awful lot of them walk to school (walking school buses).
There is, however, flood damage in the school catchment area. And some of the families will be continuing to clear up the associated mess and damage – and trying to deal with the various 3rd parties (insurance, water, electricity, Council, etc.).
The best thing that the Ministry of Education could do for those families, would be to open the school on schedule.
The result of closing the school:
A. Parents trying to clear up storm damage, will continue to do so, while simultaneously caring for their children.
B. Parents with no storm damage, will have to take additional time of work, at very short notice, to care for their children. No holiday programmes operating.
C. A very large number of the B. category, will be hitting the entertainment complexes and/or malls (local parks sodden, beaches off limits, kids going stir-crazy at home) – and will drive there (i.e. result = more cars on the roads, not fewer)
While I can see, on a case-by-case basis, there might well be a good argument for a rural school, with significant storm damage to the surrounding roading network, to be closed – there seems to be very little benefit to closing the vast majority of inner city and suburban schools.
You could consider replying to those who responded to David Seymour's tweet.
There is, however, flood damage in the school catchment area. And some of the families will be continuing to clear up the associated mess and damage – and trying to deal with the various 3rd parties (insurance, water, electricity, Council, etc.).
Gosh. And so do nurses and doctors, and wastewater engineers and supermarket workers. Should we shut all of those places of employment down as well?
Teachers are neither more nor less privileged than any other worker who is required (for the most part) to be present in order to do their job.
Principals who have a small number of teachers who need to be absent in order to deal with stormwater damage – can call on their relief-teacher network (just as they do in case of illness or family emergency).
Principals who have a very large number of teachers impacted might well choose to close their school.
It's the one-size-fits-all approach I have an issue with.
Earlier today, the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) asked us to take action to help minimise traffic movement on Auckland roads while vital infrastructure is urgently repaired.
With the possibility of further weather damage leading to more disruption, the Secretary for Education has directed that schools, kura, early learning services and Tertiary Organisations in the Auckland region (Wellsford to Pukekohe) to close for physical onsite attendance and instruction until Friday, opening after Waitangi weekend.
"The mayor's suggestion was that schools should close for one day, the ministry seems to have made a unilateral decision to close for one week. There doesn't seem to be much logic for it."
No doubt some consistency will emerge – it's a fluid situation.
Also angry about it from the social infrastructure perspective.
It's almost always Mum who has to tell her boss that she can't work because she has to mind the kids at short notice.
[Yes, I know there are *some* Dads who do this – but it's overwhelmingly Mums]
And, this has inevitable consequences on promotion and salary prospects.
If you want to know why women have life-time earnings deficits – this kind of unpaid expectation is one of the big reasons.
Out of our team of about 100 – the management team touched base with everyone on Friday night – and updated on Saturday – to check in that everyone was OK and see what support was needed. We had 4 people with significant flood damage (including the business owner), and about another 6 with minor issues (wet garage, etc.). So less than 5% seriously impacted, and 10% with some issues.
This evening, I've already had 3 out of the 10 people in my immediate team, tell me they need to take emergency leave to mind kids for the rest of this week (2 mums, 1 grandma). [Notably. None of the men have requested this.] So that's over 30% impacted, directly.
Some will be taking leave without pay – since they've already used their current leave allocation over Christmas. [Actually, we'll almost certainly let them advance leave – but that's a zero sum game – there's never enough leave allowance for parents with school kids – so they either come up short now, or in the next school holidays]
So – the biggest impact on our staff and business isn't the flood – it's closing schools.
So – the biggest impact on our staff and business isn't the flood – it's closing schools.
NEMA, the MoE, Mayor Brown et al. likely consider this impact regrettable. I hope public inconvenience/anger never looms large in their decision making during a state of emergency. Imho we can expect more of this, for all the good it will do.
Rather sad you feel so comfortable ignoring the social impact on women/mothers.
Is that what I did, Belladonna? Fwiw, I have little respect for anyone who casually twists words – imho you just can’t trust such people.
I rather thought that I was expressing my hope that public inconvenience and anger would not unduly influence NEMA's and the MoE's decisions during a state of emergency.
I daresay that Iona Holsted didn't issue her directive lightly, and regrets any inconvenience.
Emergency management requested the closures to minimise traffic while workers do their best to safely clean up and reinstate services. Under normal circumstances most of that work would require complex traffic management plans/road closures and be carried out overnight and during weekends.
The difficulties involved are obviously beyond the idiot.
I seriously doubt that Emergency management requested that every school in Auckland close down. I can certainly believe that they may have requested closure in some areas, where the roading network has been significantly damaged (Riverhead bridge, etc.).
Perhaps you can link to this request?
I've driven through some of the very badly affected-by-flooding areas on the North Shore today (SH1, Wairau Rd, etc.); and while the shops and businesses and homes are still being cleaned and dried out – the roading network, itself is unaffected. There are a few local trees still down across roads due to slips (roads into reserves or yacht moorings – which (quite rightly) aren't being prioritized for clearance)
There is no good (roading) reason why local schools couldn’t be open.
And, as pointed out above, city-based parents and kids will be hitting the malls and entertainment precincts – so, this decision is likely to create more traffic, rather than less.
In other words, for most of those students it means they’d miss only one day at school at which not much learning would have taken place anyway. Seymour knows this but he prefers to call it “a week” which creates the wrong impression, by design, of course.
Any loss of school days could (and will?) be made up later in the term(s) or at the end of the year. Seymour knows this too.
Tim Conner is defying the MOE and reckons his boys are going to school regardless. My own kids' schools will close but one principal did say in the email the government announcement was via media.
I will be out and about on Khyber Pass early tomorrow so shall report back if Auckland Grammar is rebelling0!
"They"? As a past educator, it seems sensible to me. It is a disaster and needs clear instructions and decisions.
Checks on… water quality testing/toilets functions/electricity safely on/ roads and paths safe/staffing and pupil issues met/ food available?/ dry clothing?…materials? to name just a few issues.
The staff and Principal are in "loco parentis'. Responsible from the child's gate 'till safely home after school. The Ministry has deemed the over all risks too great.
What is happening that people quizz every decision as if it is taken to annoy them personally?
I just described how I feel as a parent after this holiday period. It seems 2023 has got off to a start which 2022, 20221, and 2020 would be envious of.
no patricia, you should realize that decision does annoy the easily annoyed. every decision is targeted at them, and them alone, to allow their outrage alarm to go off .
Looks as though Conner said that, since the official communication from the MoE, said that schools could open, but had to provide distance learning – they would be opening, unless specifically directed not to.
Don't know why the MoE waited until after 5 on the day before schools were scheduled to open – to send out their notice … seems a bit… dilatory).
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 ...
TL;DR: In today’s ‘six-stack’ of substacks at 6.06pm on Tuesday, March 19:Kāinga Ora’s dry rot The Spinoff DailyBill McKibben on ‘Climate Superfunds’ making Big Oil pay for climate damage The Crucial YearsPreston Mui on returning to 1980s-style productivity growth NoahpinionAndy Boenau on NIMBYs needing unusual bedfellows Urbanism SpeakeasyNed Resnikoff's case ...
Negative yesterday, negative today. Negative all year, according to one departing reader telling me I’ve grown strident and predictable. Fair enough. If it’s any help, every time I go to write about a certain topic that begins with C and ends with arrrrs, I do brace myself and ask: Again? Are ...
Bryce Edwards writes – It’s been a tumultuous time in politics in recent months, as the new National-led Government has driven through its “First 100 Day programme”. During this period there’s been a handful of opinion polls, which overall just show a minimal amount of flux in public support ...
Inspirational: The Family of Man is a glorious hymn to human equality, but, more than that, it is a clarion call to human freedom. Because equality, unleavened by liberty, is a broken piano, an unstrung harp; upon which the songs of fraternity will never be played.“Somebody must have been telling lies about ...
Tax Lawyer Barbara Edmonds vs Emperor Justinian I- Nolo Contendere: False historical explanations of pivotal events are very far from being inconsequential.WHEN BARBARA EDMONDS made reference to the Roman Empire, my ears pricked up. It is, lamentably, very rare to hear a politician admit to any kind of familiarity ...
It’s been a tumultuous time in politics in recent months, as the new National-led Government has driven through its “First 100 Day programme”. During this period there’s been a handful of opinion polls, which overall just show a minimal amount of flux in public support for the various parties in ...
Buzz from the Beehive Housing Minister Chris Bishop delivered news – packed with the ingredients to enflame political passions – worthy of supplanting Winston Peters in headline writers’ priorities. He popped up at the post-Cabinet press conference to promise a crackdown on unruly and antisocial state housing tenants. His ...
Ele Ludemann writes – The Reserve Bank is advertising for a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion advisor. The Bank has one mandate – to keep inflation between one and three percent. It has failed in that and is only slowly getting inflation back down to the upper limit. Will it ...
Last week former National Party leader Simon Bridges was appointed by the Government as the new chair of the New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA). You can read about the appointment in Thomas Coughlan’s article, Simon Bridges to become chair of NZ Transport Agency Waka KotahiThe fact that a ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Last week former National Party leader Simon Bridges was appointed by the Government as the new chair of the New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA). You can read about the appointment in Thomas Coughlan’s article, Simon Bridges to become chair of NZ Transport Agency ...
TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: Gavin Jacobson talks to Thomas Piketty 10 years on from Capital in the 21st CenturyThe SalvoLocal scoop: Green MP’s business being investigated over migrant exploitation claims StuffSteve KilgallonLocal deep-dive: The commercial contractors making money from School ...
It’s a home - but Kāinga Ora tenants accused of “abusing the privilege” may lose it. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The Government announced a crackdown on Kāinga Ora tenants who were unruly and/or behind on their rent, with Housing Minister Chris Bishop saying a place in a state ...
This is a guest post by Connor Sharp of Surface Light Rail Light rail in Auckland: A way forward sooner than you think With the coup de grâce of Auckland Light Rail (ALR) earlier this year, and the shift of the government’s priorities to roads, roads, and more roads, it ...
Note: As a paid-up Webworm member, I’ve recorded this Webworm as a mini-podcast for you as well. Some of you said you liked this option - so I aim to provide it when I get a chance to record! Read more ...
TL;DR: In my ‘six-stack’ of substacks at 6.06pm on Monday, March 18:IKEA is accused of planting big forests in New Zealand to green-wash; REDD-MonitorA City for People takes a well-deserved victory lap over Wellington’s pro-YIMBY District Plan votes; A City for PeopleSteven Anastasiou takes a close look at the sticky ...
Buzz from the Beehive Here’s hoping for a lively post-cabinet press conference when the PM and – perhaps – some of his ministers tell us what was discussed at their meeting today. Until then, Point of Order has precious little Beehive news to report after its latest monitoring of the ...
David Farrar writes – We now have almost all 2023 data in, which has allowed me to update my annual table of how labour went against its promises. This is basically their final report card. The promiseThe result Build 100,000 affordable homes over 10 ...
I’m a bit worried that I’ve started a previous newsletter with the words “just when you think they couldn’t get any worse…” Seems lately that I could begin pretty much every issue with that opening. Such is the nature of our coalition government that they seem to be outdoing each ...
Geoffrey Miller writes – Timing is everything. And from China’s perspective, this week’s visit by its foreign minister to New Zealand could be coming at just the right moment. The visit by Wang Yi to Wellington will be his first since 2017. Anniversaries are important to Beijing. ...
Depictions of Islam in Western popular culture have rarely been positive, even before 9/11. Five years on from the mosque shootings, this is one of the cultural headwinds that the Muslim community has to battle against. Whatever messages of tolerance and inclusion are offered in daylight, much of our culture ...
Last week Transport Minster Simeon Brown and Mayor Wayne Brown opened the new Auckland Rail Operations Centre. The new train control centre will see teams from KiwiRail, Auckland Transport and Auckland One Rail working more closely together to improve train services across the city. The Auckland Rail Operations Centre in ...
Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Retiring former Labour Finance Minister Grant Robertson said in an exit interview with Q+A yesterday the Government can and should sustain more debt to invest in infrastructure for future generations. Elsewhere in the news in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy at 6:36am: Read more ...
Timing is everything. And from China’s perspective, this week’s visit by its foreign minister to New Zealand could be coming at just the right moment. The visit by Wang Yi to Wellington will be his first since 2017. Anniversaries are important to Beijing. It is more than just a happy ...
TL;DR: The key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to March 18 include:China’s Foreign Minister visiting Wellington today;A post-cabinet news conference this afternoon; the resumption of Parliament on Tuesday for two weeks before Easter;retiring former Labour Finance Minister Grant Robertson gives his valedictory speech in Parliament; ...
New Zealand First Leader Winston Peters’s state-of-the-nation speech on Sunday was really a state-of-Winston-First speech. He barely mentioned any of the Government’s key policies and could not even wholly endorse its signature income tax cuts. Instead, he rehearsed all of his complaints about the Ardern Government, including an extraordinary claim ...
A listing of 35 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, March 10, 2024 thru Sat, March 16, 2024. Story of the week This week we'll give you a little glimpse into how we collect links to share and ...
A listing of 35 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, March 10, 2024 thru Sat, March 16, 2024. Story of the week This week we'll give you a little glimpse into how we collect links to share and ...
“I’ve been internalising a really complicated situation in my head.”When they kept telling us we should wait until we get to know him, were they taking the piss? Was it a case of, if you think this is bad, wait till you get to know the real Christopher, after the ...
Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
.“$10 and a target that bleeds” - Bleeding Targets for Under $10!.Thanks for reading Frankly Speaking ! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.This government appears hell-bent on either scrapping life-saving legislation or reintroducing things that - frustrated critics insist - will be dangerous and likely ...
“It hardly strikes me as fair to criticise a government for doing exactly what it said it was going to do. For actually keeping its promises.”THUNDER WAS PLAYING TAG with lightning flashes amongst the distant peaks. Its rolling cadences interrupted by the here-I-come-here-I-go Doppler effect of the occasional passing car. ...
Subversive & Disruptive Technologies: Just as happened with that other great regulator of the masses, the Medieval Church, the advent of a new and hard-to-control technology – the Internet – is weakening the ties that bind. Then, and now, those who enjoy a monopoly on the dissemination of lies, cannot and will ...
Been Here Before: To find the precedents for what this Coalition Government is proposing, it is necessary to return to the “glory days” of Muldoonism.THE COALITION GOVERNMENT has celebrated its first 100 days in office by checking-off the last of its listed commitments. It remains, however, an angry government. It ...
Bob Edlin writes – And what is the world watching today…? The email newsletter from Associated Press which landed in our mailbox early this morning advised: In the news today: The father of a school shooter has been found guilty of involuntary manslaughter; prosecutors in Trump’s hush-money case ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Is another Green MP on their way out? And are the Greens severely tarnished by another integrity scandal? For the second time in three months, the Green Party has secretly suspended an MP over integrity issues. Mystery is surrounding the party’s decision to ...
For the last few years, the Green Party has been the party that has managed to avoid the plague of multiple scandals that have beleaguered other political parties. It appears that their luck has run out with a second scandal which, unfortunately for them, coincided with Golraz Ghahraman, the focus ...
TL;DR: The six newsey things that stood out to me as of 6:46am on Saturday, March 16.Andy Foster has accidentally allowed a Labour/Green amendment to cut road user chargers for plug-in hybrid vehicles, which the Government might accept; NZ HeraldThomas CoughlanSimeon Brown has rejected a plea from Westport ...
What seemed a booming success a couple of years ago has collapsed into fraud convictions.I looked at the crash of FTX (short for ‘Futures Exchange’) in November 2022 to see whether it would impact on the financial system as a whole. Fortunately there was barely a ripple, probably because it ...
Anybody following the situation in Ukraine and Russia would probably have been amused by a recent Tweet on X NATO seems to be putting in an awful lot of effort to influence what is, at least according to them, a sham election in an autocracy.When do the Ukrainians go to ...
TL;DR:Shaun Baker on Wynyard Quarter's transformation. Magdalene Taylor on the problem with smart phones. How private equity are now all over reinsurance. Dylan Cleaver on rugby and CTE. Emily Atkin on ‘Big Meat’ looking like ‘Big Oil’.Bernard’s six-stack of substacks at 6pm on March 15Photo by Jeppe Hove Jensen ...
Buzz from the Beehive Finance Minister Nicola Willis had plenty to say when addressing the Auckland Business Chamber on the economic growth that (she tells us) is flagging more than we thought. But the government intends to put new life into it: We want our country to be a ...
The Transport and Infrastructure Committee has reported back on the Road User Charges (Light Electric RUC Vehicles) Amendment Bill, basicly rubberstamping it. While there was widespread support among submitters for the principle that EV and PHEV drivers should pay their fair share for the roads, they also overwhelmingly disagreed with ...
Peter Dunne writes – This week’s government bailout – the fifth in the last eighteen months – of the financially troubled Ruapehu Alpine Lifts company would have pleased many in the central North Island ski industry. The government’s stated rationale for the $7 million funding was that it ...
See if you can spot the difference. An Iranian born female MP from a progressive party is accused of serial shoplifting. Her name is leaked to the media, which goes into a pack frenzy even before the Police launch an … Continue reading → ...
Ele Ludemann writes – The government is omitting general Treaty references from legislation : The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last Government in a bid to get greater coherence in the public service on Treaty ...
What was that judge thinking?Peter Williams writes – That Golriz Ghahraman and District Court Judge Maria Pecotic were once lawyer colleagues is incontrovertible. There is published evidence that they took at least one case to the Court of Appeal together. There was a report on ...
TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read:Climate Scorpion – the sting is in the tail. Introducing planetary solvency. A paper via the University of Exeter’s Institute and Faculty of Actuaries.Local scoop:Kāinga Ora starts pulling out of its Auckland projects and selling land RNZ ...
Wellington’s massively upzoned District Plan adds the opportunity for tens of thousands of new homes not just in the central city (such as these Webb St new builds) but also close to the CBD and public transport links. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Wellington gave itself the chance of ...
It’s Friday and we’re halfway through March Madness. Here’s some of the things that caught our attention this week. This Week in Greater Auckland On Monday Matt asked how we can get better event trains and an option for grade separating Morningside Dr. On Tuesday Matt looked into ...
Something you might not know about me is that I’m quite a stubborn person. No, really. I don’t much care for criticism I think’s unfair or that I disagree with. Few of us do I suppose.Back when I was a drinker I’d sometimes respond defensively, even angrily. There are things ...
Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The five things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy that we wrote and spoke about via The Kākā and elsewhere for paying subscribers in the last week included:PM Christopher Luxon said the reversal of interest deductibility for landlords was done to help renters, who ...
It was not so much the Labour Party but really the Chris Hipkins party yesterday at Labour’s caucus retreat in Martinborough. The former Prime Minister was more or less consistent on wealth tax, which he was at best equivocal about, and social insurance, which he was not willing to revisit. ...
Buzz from the BeehiveThe text reproduced above appears on a page which records all the media statements and speeches posted on the government’s official website by Melissa Lee as Minister of Media and Communications and/or by Jenny Marcroft, her Parliamentary Under-secretary. It can be quickly analysed ...
For forty years, Robert Muldoon has been a dirty word in our politics. His style of government was so repulsive and authoritarian that the backlash to it helped set and entrench our constitutional norms. His pig-headedness over forcing through Think Big eventually gave us the RMA, with its participation and ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Is the new government reducing tax on rental properties to benefit landlords or to cut the cost of rents? That’s the big question this week, after Associate Finance Minister David Seymour announced on Sunday that the Government would be reversing the Labour Government’s removal ...
Saudi Arabia is rarely far from the international spotlight. The war in Gaza has brought new scrutiny to Saudi plans to normalise relations with Israel, while the fifth anniversary of the controversial killing of Jamal Khashoggi was marked shortly before the war began on October 7. And as the home ...
Questions need to be asked on both sides of the worldPeter Williams writes – The NRL Judiciary hands down an eight week suspension to Sydney Roosters forward Spencer Leniu , an Auckland-born Samoan, after he calls Ezra Mam, Sydney-orn but of Aboriginal and Torres Strait ...
Ele Ludemann writes – Contrary to what many headlines and news stories are saying, residential landlords are not getting a tax break. The government is simply restoring to them the tax deductibility of interest they had until the previous government removed it. There is no logical reason ...
I can't remember when it was goodMoments of happiness in bloomMaybe I just misunderstoodAll of the love we left behindWatching our flashbacks intertwineMemories I will never findIn spite of whatever you becomeForget that reckless thing turned onI think our lives have just begunI think our lives have just begunDoes anyone ...
Michael Bassett writes – At first reading, a front-page story in the New Zealand Herald on 13 March was bizarre. A group of severely intellectually limited teenagers, with little understanding of the law, have been pleading to the Justice Select Committee not to pass a bill dealing with ram ...
How much political capital is Christopher Luxon willing to burn through in order to deliver his $2.9 billion gift to landlords? Evidently, Luxon is: (a) unable to cost the policy accurately. As Anna Burns-Francis pointed out to him on Breakfast TV, the original ”rock solid” $2.1 billion cost he was ...
TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read:Jonathon Porritt calling bullshit in his own blog post on mainstream climate science as ‘The New Denialism’.Local scoop:The Wellington City Council’s list of proposed changes to the IHP recommendations to be debated later today was leaked this ...
TL;DR:Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said yesterday tenants should be grateful for the reinstatement of interest deductibility because landlords would pass on their lower tax costs in the form of lower rents. That would be true if landlords were regulated monopolies such as Transpower or Auckland Airport1, but they’re not, ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Tom Toro Tom Toro is a cartoonist and author. He has published over 200 cartoons in The New Yorker since 2010. His cartoons appear in Playboy, the Paris Review, the New York Times, American Bystander, and elsewhere. Related: What 10 EV lovers ...
The business section of the NZ Herald is full of opinion. Among the more opinionated of all is the ex-Minister of Transport, ex-Minister of Railways, ex MP for Auckland Central (1975-93, Labour), Wellington Central (1996-99, ACT, then list-2005), ex-leader of the ACT Party, uncle to actor Antonia, the veritable granddaddy ...
Hi,Just quickly — I’m blown away by the stories you’ve shared with me over the last week since I put out the ‘Gary’ podcast, where I told you about the time my friend’s flatmate killed the neighbour.And you keep telling me stories — in the comments section, and in my ...
The first season of Rings of Power was not awful. It was thoroughly underwhelming, yes, and left a lingering sense of disappointment, but it was more expensive mediocrity than catastrophe. I wrote at length about the series as it came out (see the Review section of the blog, and go ...
Buzz from the Beehive Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden told Auckland Business Chamber members they were the first audience to hear her priorities as a minister in a government committed to cutting red tape and regulations. She brandished her liberalising credentials, saying Flexible labour markets are the ...
Chris Trotter writes – TO UNDERSTAND WHY NEWSHUB FAILED, it is necessary to understand how TVNZ changed. Up until 1989, the state broadcaster had been funded by a broadcasting licence fee, collected from every citizen in possession of a television set, supplemented by a relatively modest (compared ...
Bob Edlin writes – The Māori Party has been busy issuing a mix of warnings and threats as its expresses its opposition to interest deductibility for landlords and the plans of seabed miners. It remains to be seen whether they follow the example of indigenous litigants in Australia, ...
The Government has accepted Labour’s change to the Road User Charge (RUC) discount for hybrid vehicles, meaning there will still be some incentive for people to buy greener vehicles. ...
Kicking the most vulnerable people out of state housing and pushing them towards homelessness will result in a proliferation of poverty and trauma across our most vulnerable communities. ...
Te Pāti Māori co-leader and MP for Waiariki, Rawiri Waititi has penned a letter asking MPs to support his members bill to remove GST from all food. The bill is expected to go through its first reading in parliament this Wednesday. “I’m calling on all political parties to support my ...
This year is about getting real with Kiwis and discussing the tough issues, as the National Government exacerbates inequality and divides New Zealand, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said ...
The Government adding Significant Natural Areas (SNAs) to its already roaring environmental policy bonfire is an assault on the future of wildlife that makes Aotearoa unique. ...
After 12 years of fighting to protect our moana we are finding ourselves back at square one and back at court. Today, the Environmental Protection Agency is sitting in Hawera to reconsider an application from Trans-Tasman Resources to dig up 50 million tonnes of the seabed in South Taranaki. This ...
Minister Shane Jones’ decision to step away from a seabed mining project is evidence of the murky waters surrounding the Government’s fast-track legislation. ...
The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last government in a bid to get greater coherence in the publicservice on Treaty matters. When ministers first considered the need for tighter oversight in 2021, there ...
The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last government in a bid to get greater coherence in the publicservice on Treaty matters. When ministers first considered the need for tighter oversight in 2021, there ...
The Coalition Government’s miscalculation saga continues as it has forgotten an eyewatering $90 million gap in its interest deductibility cost figures, say Labour Finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds and Revenue Spokesperson Deborah Russell. ...
He Pou a Rangi Climate Change Commission has today released advice that says if the Government doesn’t act now New Zealand is at risk of not meeting its climate goals. ...
The Coalition Government has today confirmed it is abandoning first home buyers who are struggling to get ahead, says Labour Finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds. ...
The New Zealand public voted for a change in direction at the 2023 general election and that is exactly what this coalition government has been delivering in its first 100 days. There was an immediate focus on the economy, easing the cost of living, cracking down on law and order ...
The Government has left the health system as an afterthought, announcing half-baked targets at the last minute of their 100-day plan, says Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall. ...
Kiwis are still waiting for their promised cost of living support after 100 days of a National Government that is taking us backwards, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
The National Government has spent its first 100 days stopping, cutting and reversing. They have scrapped stuff for stuff for the sake of it, without putting up any solutions of their own – and it’s hardworking New Zealanders who will pay for it. ...
100 days of National taking NZ backwardsThe National Government has spent its first 100 days stopping, cutting and reversing. They have scrapped stuff for stuff for the sake of it, without putting up any solutions of their own – and it’s hardworking New Zealanders who will pay for it. ...
The Government must commit to funding free and healthy school lunches, as thousands of people sign the petition to keep them, education spokesperson Jan Tinetti says. ...
If the Government was serious about moving families into public housing, they would build more houses so there is actually somewhere for people to go. ...
The free and healthy school lunches programme feeds our kids, helps them to learn, and saves families money – but it is at risk under this Government, education spokesperson Jan Tinetti said. ...
The Government’s proposed changes to Firearms Prohibition Orders (FPO) add almost nothing new and are merely an attempt to distract from its plans to loosen gun laws, police spokesperson Ginny Andersen and justice spokesperson Dr Duncan Webb said. ...
The great Victorian era English politician Lord Macauley stood in the British House of Parliament and said, "The gallery in which the reporters sit has become a fourth estate of the realm".He understood and outlined even way back then, the significant role and influence media have in a democracy. ...
The government’s attack on Māori health this week is committing tangata-whenua to a premature death, says Te Pāti Māori. “The government have begun their onslaught on Māori health with the abolishment of the Māori Health Authority and smokefree laws in the same day” said health spokesperson and co-leader, Debbie Ngarewa-Packer. ...
"The Government is moving quickly to realise an additional $46 million in tariff savings in the EU market this season for Kiwi exporters,” Minister for Trade and Agriculture, Todd McClay says. Parliament is set, this week, to complete the final legislative processes required to bring the New Zealand – European ...
New Zealand’s social workers are qualified, experienced, and more representative of the communities they serve, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “I want to acknowledge and applaud New Zealand’s social workers for the hard work they do, providing invaluable support for our most vulnerable. “To coincide with World ...
Cabinet has agreed to a reduced road user charge (RUC) rate for plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. Owners of PHEVs will be eligible for a reduced rate of $38 per 1,000km once all light electric vehicles (EVs) move into the RUC system from 1 April. ...
Minister of Agriculture and Trade, Todd McClay, says that today’s opening of Riverland Foods manufacturing plant in Christchurch is a great example of how trade access to overseas markets creates jobs in New Zealand. Speaking at the official opening of this state-of-the-art pet food factory the Minister noted that exports ...
Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Wellington today. “It was a pleasure to host Foreign Minister Wang Yi during his first official visit to New Zealand since 2017. Our discussions were wide-ranging and enabled engagement on many facets of New Zealand’s relationship with China, including trade, ...
Kāinga Ora – Homes & Communities has been instructed to end the Sustaining Tenancies Framework and take stronger measures against persistent antisocial behaviour by tenants, says Housing Minister Chris Bishop. “Earlier today Finance Minister Nicola Willis and I sent an interim Letter of Expectations to the Board of Kāinga Ora. ...
Tēna koutou katoa. Greetings everyone. Thank you to the Auckland Chamber of Commerce and the Honourable Simon Bridges for hosting this address today. I acknowledge the business leaders in this room, the leaders and governors, the employers, the entrepreneurs, the investors, and the wealth creators. The coalition Government shares your ...
Minister Winston Peters completed the final leg of his visit to South and South East Asia in Singapore today, where he focused on enhancing one of New Zealand’s indispensable strategic partnerships. “Singapore is our most important defence partner in South East Asia, our fourth-largest trading partner and a ...
Minister of Internal Affairs and Workplace Relations and Safety, Hon. Brooke van Velden, will travel to the Republic of Korea to represent New Zealand at the Third Summit for Democracy on 18 March. The summit, hosted by the Republic of Korea, was first convened by the United States in 2021, ...
ICNZ Speech 7 March 2024, Auckland Acknowledgements and opening Mōrena, ngā mihi nui. Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Nor Whanganui aho. Good morning, it’s a privilege to be here to open the ICNZ annual conference, thank you to Mark for the Mihi Whakatau My thanks to Tim Grafton for inviting me ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Lead Coordination Minister Judith Collins have expressed their deepest sympathy on the five-year anniversary of the Christchurch terror attacks. “March 15, 2019, was a day when families, communities and the country came together both in sorrow and solidarity,” Mr Luxon says. “Today we pay our respects to the 51 shuhada ...
Speech for Financial Advice NZ Conference 5 March 2024 Acknowledgements and opening Morena, Nga Mihi Nui. Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Nor Whanganui aho. Thanks Nate for your Mihi Whakatau Good morning. It’s a pleasure to formally open your conference this morning. What a lovely day in Wellington, What a great ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters held discussions in Jakarta today about the future of relations between New Zealand and South East Asia’s most populous country. “We are in Jakarta so early in our new government’s term to reflect the huge importance we place on our relationship with Indonesia and South ...
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters has announced that the Foreign Minister of China, Wang Yi, will visit New Zealand next week. “We look forward to re-engaging with Foreign Minister Wang Yi and discussing the full breadth of the bilateral relationship, which is one of New Zealand’s ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has today opened the new Auckland Rail Operations Centre, which will bring together KiwiRail, Auckland Transport, and Auckland One Rail to improve service reliability for Aucklanders. “The recent train disruptions in Auckland have highlighted how important it is KiwiRail and Auckland’s rail agencies work together to ...
The Government is proud to support the 10th edition of Crankworx Rotorua as the Crankworx World Tour returns to Rotorua from 16-24 March 2024, says Minister for Economic Development Melissa Lee. “Over the past 10 years as Crankworx Rotorua has grown, so too have the economic and social benefits that ...
Legislation implementing coalition Government tax commitments and addressing long-standing tax anomalies will be progressed in Parliament next week, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The legislation is contained in an Amendment Paper to the Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill issued today. “The Amendment Paper represents ...
Associate Environment Minister Andrew Hoggard has today announced that the Government has agreed to suspend the requirement for councils to comply with the Significant Natural Areas (SNA) provisions of the National Policy Statement for Indigenous Biodiversity for three years, while it replaces the Resource Management Act (RMA).“As it stands, SNAs ...
Agriculture Minister Todd McClay has classified the drought conditions in the Marlborough, Tasman, and Nelson districts as a medium-scale adverse event, acknowledging the challenging conditions facing farmers and growers in the district. “Parts of Marlborough, Tasman, and Nelson districts are in the grip of an intense dry spell. I know ...
The Government is helping farmers eradicate the significant impact of facial eczema (FE) in pastoral animals, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced. “A $20 million partnership jointly funded by Beef + Lamb NZ, the Government, and the primary sector will save farmers an estimated NZD$332 million per year, and aims to ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has completed a successful visit to India, saying it was an important step in taking the relationship between the two countries to the next level. “We have laid a strong foundation for the Coalition Government’s priority of enhancing New Zealand-India relations to generate significant future benefit for both countries,” says Mr Peters, ...
Cabinet has agreed to provide $7 million to ensure the 2024 ski season can go ahead on the Whakapapa ski field in the central North Island but has told the operator Ruapehu Alpine Lifts it is the last financial support it will receive from taxpayers. Cabinet also agreed to provide ...
Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says the launch of a new mobile breast screening unit in Counties Manukau reinforces the coalition Government’s commitment to drive better cancer services for all New Zealanders. Speaking at the launch of the new mobile clinic, Dr Reti says it’s a great example of taking ...
Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says the launch of a new mobile breast screening unit in Counties Manukau reinforces the coalition Government’s commitment to drive better cancer services for all New Zealanders. Speaking at the launch of the new mobile clinic, Dr Reti says it’s a great example of taking ...
Unlocking economic growth and land for housing are critical elements of the Government’s plan for our transport network, and planned upgrades to State Highway 29 (SH29) near Tauriko will deliver strongly on those priorities, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “The SH29 upgrades near Tauriko will improve safety at the intersections ...
Unlocking economic growth and land for housing are critical elements of the Government’s plan for our transport network, and planned upgrades to State Highway 29 (SH29) near Tauriko will deliver strongly on those priorities, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “The SH29 upgrades near Tauriko will improve safety at the intersections ...
Lower fruit and vegetable prices are welcome news for New Zealanders who have been doing it tough at the supermarket, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. Stats NZ reported today the price of fruit and vegetables has dropped 9.3 percent in the 12 months to February 2024. “Lower fruit and vege ...
Tēnā koutou katoa and greetings to you all. Chair, I am honoured to address the sixty-eighth session of the Commission on the Status of Women. I acknowledge the many crises impacting the rights of women and girls. Heightened global tensions, war, climate related and humanitarian disasters, and price inflation all ...
Tēnā koutou katoa and greetings to you all. Chair, I am honoured to address the 68th session of the Commission on the Status of Women. I acknowledge the many crises impacting the rights of women and girls. Heightened global tensions, war, climate related and humanitarian disasters, and price inflation all ...
The coalition Government is supporting farmers to enhance land management practices by investing $3.3 million in locally led catchment groups, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced. “Farmers and growers deliver significant prosperity for New Zealand and it’s vital their ongoing efforts to improve land management practices and water quality are supported,” ...
Good evening everyone and thank you for that lovely introduction. Thank you also to the Honourable Simon Bridges for the invitation to address your members. Since being sworn in, this coalition Government has hit the ground running with our 100-day plan, delivering the changes that New Zealanders expect of us. ...
Recommendations from the Climate Change Commission for New Zealand on the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) auction and unit limit settings for the next five years have been tabled in Parliament, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. “The Commission provides advice on the ETS annually. This is the third time the ...
The coalition Government is beginning its fight to lower building costs and reduce red tape by exempting minor building work from paying the building levy, says Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk. “Currently, any building project worth $20,444 including GST or more is subject to the building levy which is ...
Proposed changes to tax legislation to prevent the over-taxation of low-earning trusts are welcome, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The changes have been recommended by Parliament’s Finance and Expenditure Committee following consideration of submissions on the Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill. “One of the ...
Assalaamu alaikum. السَّلَام عليكم In light of the holy month of Ramadan, I want to extend my warmest wishes to our Muslim community in New Zealand. Ramadan is a time for spiritual reflection, renewed devotion, perseverance, generosity, and forgiveness. It’s a time to strengthen our bonds and appreciate the diversity ...
Former Transport Minister and CEO of the Auckland Business Chamber Hon Simon Bridges has been appointed as the new Board Chair of the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) for a three-year term, Transport Minister Simeon Brown announced today. “Simon brings extensive experience and knowledge in transport policy and governance to the role. He will ...
Good morning all, it is a pleasure to be here as Minister of Science, Innovation and Technology. It is fantastic to see how connected and collaborative the life science and biotechnology industry is here in New Zealand. I would like to thank BioTechNZ and NZTech for the invitation to address ...
Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says he is looking forward to the day when three key water projects in Northland are up and running, unlocking the full potential of land in the region. Mr Jones attended a community event at the site of the Otawere reservoir near Kerikeri on Friday. ...
Associate Finance Minister David Seymour has today announced that the Government has agreed to restore deductibility for mortgage interest on residential investment properties. “Help is on the way for landlords and renters alike. The Government’s restoration of interest deductibility will ease pressure on rents and simplify the tax code,” says ...
Sport and Recreation Minister Chris Bishop will travel to Switzerland today to attend an Executive Committee meeting and Symposium of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). Mr Bishop will then travel on to London where he will attend a series of meetings in his capacity as Infrastructure Minister. “New Zealanders believe ...
Chumbawamba have reportedly issued the deputy PM a cease-and-desist notice after he used their song 'Tubthumping' before his state of the nation speech. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Deborah Lupton, SHARP Professor, Vitalities Lab, Centre for Social Research in Health and Social Policy Centre, and the ARC Centre of Excellence for Automated Decision-Making and Society, UNSW Sydney kitzcorner/Shutterstock The assertion from Queensland’s chief health officer John Gerrard that ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Martin, Visiting Fellow, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University Shutterstock Why are musicians so keen to get played on the radio? It can’t be because of the money. In Australia they are paid at rates so low they ...
"Farmers make a point not to tell our urban cousins how to live, yet Chlöe from central Auckland is hell-bent on having her say about farmers," says ACT Rural Communities spokesman Mark Cameron. “On her first day in the House as Green ...
Analysis by Dr Bryce Edwards – Democracy Project (https://democracyproject.nz)Political scientist, Dr Bryce Edwards. It’s been a tumultuous time in politics in recent months, as the new National-led Government has driven through its “First 100 Day programme”. During this period there’s been a handful of opinion polls, which overall just ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tim Curran, Associate Professor of Ecology, Lincoln University, New Zealand Getty Images/Gerald Corsi In the latest move to reform environmental laws in New Zealand, the coalition government has introduced a bill to fast-track consenting processes for projects deemed to ...
Uber has argued it does not have as much control over drivers as the unions suggest, and wants a judgment ruling that drivers are employees and not contractors set aside and sent back to the Employment Court. The 2022 ruling followed a three-week hearing in which four drivers sought to ...
What can and can’t be purchased by disabled people or their carers has been slashed in an effort by the Ministry of Disabled People Whaikaha to save money. The purchasing guidelines, a set of rules that sets out what can be purchased using the various streams of Government disability funding, ...
The Treasury has published today a new Analytical Note by Tod Wright and Hien Nguyen, Fiscal incidence in New Zealand: The effects of taxes and benefits on household incomes in tax year 2018/19 . Analyses of the distributional impact of taxation and government ...
The Treasury has published today a new Analytical Note by Cory Davis, Boston Hart and Benjamin Stubbing, Household cost-of-living impacts from the Emissions Trading Scheme and using transfers to mitigate regressive outcomes . This Analytical Note ...
A coalition of public transport and climate organisations, united as ‘Transport for All’, is actively opposing the government’s transport proposals. The draft Government Policy Statement (GPS) includes plans for higher fares for public transport, ...
Greater Wellington is inviting feedback on proposed changes to its Revenue and Financing Policy. The Revenue and Financing Policy covers the Council’s various sources of funding, and how the cost of services is shared across the region. This includes ...
Labour has conceded it could have done more to deal with disruptive state housing tenants while in government but says the current coalition is going too far. ...
The band has asked their record label to issue a cease and desist to stop the NZ First leader using their 1997 hit to support his ‘misguided political views’. “I get knocked down, but I get up again,” blared through the speakers on Sunday as Winston Peters took the stage ...
By Lydia Lewis, RNZ Pacific journalist Food rationing is underway in remote areas in Papua New Guinea’s Highlands following torrential rain and flash flooding. More than 20 people have been reported dead in Chimbu Province. In nearby Enga Province, the centre of last month’s massacre, a 15-year-old boy has been ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrew Hughes, Lecturer, Research School of Management, Australian National University After months of debate and intrigue, the AFL’s 19th and newest team, the Tasmania Devils, finally launched its jumper, logo and colours in Devonport this week. The Devils will wear green, ...
Brannavan Gnanalingam reviews the debut novel by Saraid de Silva.One of the most baffling things for children who move to a new country is what their parents’ (or grandparents’) lives were like prior to moving – for kids in particular, they’re too busy trying to fit in in their ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stephen Gaunson, Associate Professor in Cinema Studies, RMIT University Narelle Portanier/Binge “If you don’t know who your mob are, you don’t know who you are,” Detective Andrea “Andie” Whitford (played by Leah Purcell) is told early into the new crime ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Elise Klein, Associate professor, Australian National University It’s commonly accepted that women do the vast majority of caregiving in Australian society. But less appreciated is that Indigenous women do larger amounts of unpaid care than any other group. Working with the Aboriginal ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne Joe Biden and Donald Trump have both secured their parties’ nominations for the November 5 United States general election by winning a ...
Comment: There has been a striking contrast in trans-Tasman interest about Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi’s visit to New Zealand and Australia. While the Australian press has been full of articles about the visit – including his curious decision to meet with former prime minister and China booster Paul Keating ...
After years of pressuring banks and other institutions to stop investing in fossil fuels, climate campaigners are making some progress. So how does divestment work?For years, climate activists have been pushing banks and other big institutions to divest from fossil fuels. New research from climate advocacy group 350 Aotearoa ...
For Boba, Ethan and Ashley, K-pop is a place to belong, a way to express themselves, and a bridge to connect with others. The three young Polynesians are part of a K-pop fan community in Tāmaki Makaurau. It’s one of many that have sprung up worldwide as K-pop has gone ...
For Boba, Ethan and Ashley, K-pop is a place to belong, a way to express themselves, and a bridge to connect with others. This one-off documentary presents three intimate portraits of young Polynesians who are pulled into a Korean cultural phenomenon. K-POLYS is directed by Litia Tuiburelevu, Produced by Hex ...
There’s ample evidence demonstrating free school lunch programmes provide wide benefits across schools, households and communities according to public health researchers. ACT Minister David Seymour wants to reduce the spending on Aotearoa New Zealand’s ...
By Wata Shaw in Suva Fiji is facing an exodus of Fijians as many are leaving for overseas seeking employment and education and others are migrating, says Opposition MP Viliame Naupoto. Speaking in Parliament, he said: “His Excellency’s speech (Ratu Wiliame Katonivere) comes after a little over one year of ...
The Taxpayers’ Union is welcoming comments from Christopher Luxon this morning recommitting to ‘no new taxes’ as part of Budget 2024. “Mr Luxon’s refusal at the Post-Cabinet press conference yesterday to repeat the ‘no new taxes’ promise ...
SAFE is urgently calling on the Environment Committee to reject the Government’s Fast-Track Approvals Bill, and is urging New Zealanders to rally behind the call. The proposed Bill, currently under consideration with the Environment select committee, ...
Teammates who spend all their time picking fights with spectators are only helpful for the other team, writes Madeleine Chapman. Anyone who has ever played a team sport competitively, particularly as a child and particularly, for some reason, basketball, will know that there’s a lot of politics involved. While there ...
The long-running Wellington music festival is too focused on the Jim Beam-ness and not enough on the Homegrown-ness.There is something about Homegrown that’s difficult to place. A barely perceptible-ness. Like feeling a ghost is watching you from the corner of the room but when you look, there’s nothing there. ...
The latest Ipsos New Zealand Issues Monitor reveals that fewer New Zealanders believe crime / law and order is one of the top issues facing our country. In 2018, Ipsos New Zealand started tracking the key issues facing New Zealand. In this wave ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kate Griffiths, Deputy Program Director, Budgets and Government, Grattan Institute Australia’s political donations rules are woefully inadequate, but donations reform is finally on the agenda. The federal government has signalled its interest in reform and will soon begin briefing MPs on its ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mark Patrick Taylor, Chief Environmental Scientist, EPA Victoria; Honorary Professor, School of Natural Sciences, Macquarie University Naiyana Somchitkaeo/Shutterstock A recent study published in the prestigious New England Journal of Medicine has linked microplastics with risk to human health. The study ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Albert Van Dijk, Professor, Water and Landscape Dynamics, Fenner School of Environment & Society, Australian National University Global climate records were shattered in 2023, from air and sea temperatures to sea-level rise and sea-ice extent. Scores of countries recorded their hottest year ...
As part of our series exploring how New Zealanders live and our relationship with money, a teacher explains why he and his partner are in frugal mode – and how they’re making it work. Gender: Male Age: 35Ethnicity: Pākehā Role: I am an intermediate school teacher and my partner is ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sarah Bendall, Senior Lecturer, Institute for Humanities and Social Sciences, Australian Catholic University Binge Mary & George, the new British television drama series, depicts the real-life story of Mary Villiers and her son George, and their social climbing at the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jason Nassios, Associate Professor, Centre of Policy Studies, Victoria University This article is part of The Conversation’s series examining the housing crisis. Read the other articles in the series here. Australian state and federal governments spend money in many ways to ...
The finance minister is denying that there’s a $5.6b shortfall in paying for the government’s campaign promises, including tax cuts. At his post-cabinet press conference yesterday, the PM refused to rule out new taxes to pay for the cuts, writes Anna Rawhiti-Connell in this excerpt from The Bulletin, The Spinoff’s ...
Kāinga Ora tenants abused by their neighbours are doubting the government's crackdown on disruptive tenants will make a difference on their behaviour. ...
Kāinga Ora is New Zealand’s biggest residential landlord, housing more than 180,000 vulnerable people in more than 67,000 properties. Yesterday the government announced a crackdown on its tenants who fall behind on rent. One longtime Kāinga Ora tenant shares her experience.For 18 years I lived in a 1960s standalone ...
Why does this myth persist, and what’s the real reason our skin is suffering?It’s one of the biggest international grievances New Zealanders hold, up there with the sinking of the Rainbow Warrior and 1981’s underarm incident. We’re quick to tell international travellers that the world’s pollution led to the ...
Auckland Council is opposing a fast-track development backed by Sir John Kirwan and Spark NZ, because it doesn’t meet stringent new climate adaptation requirements The post Surf-data centre faces new 3.8C climate warming rules appeared first on Newsroom. ...
When the Criminal Proceeds (Recovery) Act was introduced in 2009 it was firmly targeted at gangs and drugs. The legislation means police no longer need a conviction to seize assets that criminals can’t prove were paid for legitimately, as long as their alleged offences are punishable by more than a ...
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Bob’s relationship with certain members of Lincoln’s academic staff continued to deteriorate in the 1990s. Others supported him publicly, though articles such as Roland Clark’s 1993 piece in Growing Today cannot have pleased the university management. Clark wrote that Bob was selling onions from the Biological Husbandry Unit to a ...
SailGP’s races feature in-your-face action, with agile, hydro-foiling catamarans tacking and jibing for the title over several days. However, public comments ahead of the global series’ return to New Zealand have left this past year’s controversy in the shadows, as a key appointment attracts criticism from dolphin advocates. A year ...
Opinion: We are fast approaching a fundamental change in prisons. As the number of people on custodial remand looks set to overtake the number of sentenced prisoners, the main function of prisons in New Zealand may become incarcerating un-sentenced people who may not be guilty of offending. We have already ...
A huge seven months lies in store for the White Ferns, beginning this week with the visit of England and culminating with the T20 World Cup in Bangladesh in September and October. Starting on Tuesday in Dunedin, the world ranked No. 2 visitors will play five T20s and three ODIs, ...
Opinion: In a move that has shocked road safety advocates across the country, the new Minister of Transport, Simeon Brown, is poised to abandon the previous government’s speed limit reduction policy, particularly around schools. Even more alarmingly, he wants school speed limits to be variable rather than full-time, arguing ...
The letters, which were published last week, were addressed to Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) Chairperson Megawati Sukarnoputri, National Democrat Party (NasDem) Chairperson Surya Paloh, National Awakening Party (PKB) Chairperson Muhaimin Iskandar, Justice and Prosperity Party (PKS) President Ahmad Syaikhu and United Development Party (PPP) Chairperson Muhammad Mardiono. In ...
Evicting more people from state housing is ignorant to the consequences of poverty, the Greens say, but the Housing Minister says it's a privilege that can be taken away if abused. ...
Evicting more people from state housing is ignorant to the consequences of poverty, the Greens say, but the Housing Minister says it's a privilege that can be taken away if abused. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Emerald L King, Lecturer in Humanities, University of Tasmania IMDB Between Netflix’s 2023 live-action version of One Piece, and its latest take on Avatar: The Last Airbender, fans are once again asking: why are live-action anime adaptations so tricky to ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Emerald L King, Lecturer in Humanities, University of Tasmania IMDB Between Netflix’s 2023 live-action version of One Piece, and its latest take on Avatar: The Last Airbender, fans are once again asking: why are live-action anime adaptations so tricky to ...
The government says it still intends to deliver tax cuts by July, but will not lock them in until they have got them past their coalition partners. ...
Kiingi Tuheitia Pootatau Te Wherowhero VII has hosted members of the Green Party Caucus at Tuurangawaewae Marae in Ngaaruawahia. The audience follows the King’s Hui-aa-Motu on 20 January, where more than 10,000 people gathered to discuss national ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Dr Rachael Potter, Research Associate and Lecturer in Work and Organisational Psychology, University of South Australia Ground Picture/Shutterstock Pregnant women and workers with children are often unfairly treated by their bosses and colleagues, despite laws to protect against workplace discrimination ...
Reacting to Prime Minister Christopher Luxon’s refusal to rule out introducing new taxes at the budget, Taxpayers’ Union Campaigns Manager, Connor Molloy, said: “Today’s refusal to rule out new taxes suggests the Government is nothing more ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stephen Duckett, Honorary Enterprise Professor, School of Population and Global Health, and Department of General Practice and Primary Care, The University of Melbourne Aila Images/Shutterstock Aged-care workers will receive a significant pay increase after the Fair Work Commission ruled they ...
Hooton has a talent for installing duds – Muller, now Brown. He's the tradie from hell.
hooton is working for a deep left conspiracy outfit,(could tell you thier name but…) who's roll is to destroy the right-wing, johnkey told me.
I believe you. I am sure that 1000s wouldn't though.
But that is Ok as not everybody can be right can they?
Could it be that he can control them from the back room? Power behind the throne?
power behind the throne is comonly called the cistern. hooten should really be in the throne, along with many of his mates.
Forget the "Trans Genocide" rhetoric.
“Every murder is devastating for those who know the victim. But during the ten-year period between 2013-2022 only four homicides of trans people were recorded in the UK, once reporting errors were corrected. During the same period, 7,118 homicides were recorded in the UK, combining data for England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. This suggests that murders of trans people were a tiny fraction of all murders, 0.056 per cent. This is around an order of magnitude lower than the Census estimate of the proportion of trans people in the population at 0.58 per cent. In other words, trans people were greatly underrepresented among homicide victims. Thanks to the Census, trans people can have confidence that they may safely ignore alarmist rhetoric encouraging them to fear for their lives.”
https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/what-the-census-reveals-about-trans-people-in-britain/
that's a very good quote. I'd like to see similar analysis of violence against trans men, and trans women, because I suspect this is a problem. But really we need good research on exactly how discrimination against trans people is functioning. Most of what I see is more qualitative than quantitative.
No, I am not about to forget the Trans Genocide "rhetoric"; Visubversa. I did look at that Spectator piece, and the linked article about "reporting errors". Leaving aside the tone of the writing, the world is bigger than the UK. I don't have the time to track down all original sources from the other side of the world over the past decade, but here is one case that was excluded as a reporting error in the TMM:
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-sussex-26145984
https://www.theargus.co.uk/news/10830573.tributes-pour-in-for-brave-worthing-woman-found-dead-in-flat/
If I had to guess, I'd say this Jacqui probably killed herself after being assaulted (I've known people in Aotearoa who have gone that way). Which isn't exactly murder, but still less than desirable.
However the annual; Trans Murder Monitoring (TMM), report itself is upfront with it's methodological limitations. And also that many of those reported murdered are sex workers, as well as being trans (which the "reporting errors" author regards as; "a fact that has been quietly brushed under the carpet."):
https://transrespect.org/en/tmm-update-tdor-2022/
One of the major problems with the TMM is that there is little data from Africa – with its reliance on LGBTIQ organisations providing it to them, given TGEU's limited budget. But what information does come out of that continent is pretty grim, and what doesn't make it out may be worse:
https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/transgender-kenyans-seek-refuge-amid-backlash-over-activists-death-2023-01-13/
So turning to now reality of trans genocide; this is not simply the annual death count in any given country (though I am certainly not planning on going to Brazil anytime soon!), but rather seeking to eradicate a group of people from society. The question to me is whether the current laws recognize trans (and wider LGNTQ+) people under the umbrella of; "a national, ethnical, racial or religious group":
https://www.un.org/en/genocideprevention/genocide.shtml
https://www.lemkininstitute.com/statements-new-page/statement-on-the-genocidal-nature-of-the-gender-critical-movement%E2%80%99s-ideology-and-practice
"…So turning to now reality of trans genocide; this is not simply the annual death count in any given country (though I am certainly not planning on going to Brazil anytime soon!), but rather seeking to eradicate a group of people from society. …"
This is assumptive rhetoric, familiar, but not proven by any of your links.
There are counties where the birth of twins is considered witchcraft, yet it would be flawed to conflate that with western birth practices.
The transgender component has to be isolated out from other factors. As you are no doubt aware, many of the deaths you refer to in Brazil involve those involved in prostitution or the drug trade. Mortality rates are exceptionally high in that environment, transgender or not.
Citation needed on the drug trade bit; Molly, but many trans people certainly do feel they have few options except sex work (fortunately not so much in Aotearoa). I don't personally feel that sex workers are asking to be killed, any more than someone dressed like a sex worker is asking to be sexually assaulted. I do not feel too confident that I can disentangle the ant- trans from sex-worker motivation in Brazilian murders – just not having any intention going there myself anytime soon.
I linked to the UN page that quotes text from the 1948 convention:
My question is mainly if trans people can be regarded as a "religious group" by the terms of this convention, if the region defining them is not there own. In the USA many anti-laws are promulgated on explicit religious basis, and there is little reason to suppose their present Supreme Court will strike them down on the basis of separation of church and faith.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/2022/10/14/anti-trans-bills/
https://www.texastribune.org/2022/09/16/texas-trans-teens-investigation-child-abuse/
I do know that if someone tried to take my children away to give to dubious care of Oranga Tamariki on the basis of supposed child abuse from following medical advice, I would be going to the courts myself. And if the NZ supreme court supported the decision (if say; a new christo-fascist had been elected and had passed a law requiring this), then taking the NZ government to the International Court of Justice on the basis of facilitating genocide would not seem excessive to me.
Fortunately that is not the situation here at present. Places like Brazil, Uganda, Afghanistan, and possibly the USA (depending how the 2024 election goes) might be a different case.
Sex trade is inexorably involved with the drug trade, but it is good to see you acknowledge that the mortality rate in Brazil cannot be attributed to what you refer to as an eradication due to transgender status.
Children are being removed from families in the US and Australia by the equivalent of Oranga Tamariki, for NOT immediately providing affirming social transition and/or medical or surgical transition. These children, many with co-morbidities, are not assessed for these co-morbidities or undergoing exploratory therapy, they are alienated from their families in order to transition. Your imagined scenario is happening in reverse in reality. But that seems often to be the case, imagined persecution versus actual harm.
Recent papers following up on the Dutch Protocol long-term outcomes are not supporting of transition of minors. One such can be found here. There are many more. What has always been missing is robust data supporting the transition of minors. Instead there have been non-medically evidenced activist guidelines being taken as fundamental evidence.
The situation you write of in the state of Texas, is perhaps due to the fact that Texas, unlike California, has looked at the evidence provided for social, medical and surgical transition and found that robust data in respect to net benefits for minors is not available. There is also little quality data available in terms of a positive impact on suicidal ideation. Countries or health authorities who undertake independent literature reviews are unanimously coming to the conclusion that the use of medical or surgical interventions for minors is harmful.
It is likely that with that information to hand, the Gov of Texas, Greg Abbott, asked the Attorney General to ascertain whether the provision of medical and surgical interventions was detrimental to the well-being of children, and falls into the category of child abuse. The written response is sobering:
https://www.texasattorneygeneral.gov/sites/default/files/opinion-files/opinion/2022/kp-0401.pdf
"I do know that if someone tried to take my children away to give to dubious care of Oranga Tamariki on the basis of supposed child abuse from following medical advice, I would be going to the courts myself. And if the NZ supreme court supported the decision (if say; a new christo-fascist had been elected and had passed a law requiring this), then taking the NZ government to the International Court of Justice on the basis of facilitating genocide would not seem excessive to me."
I have OIA'd the Ministry of Health regarding their guidelines for the medical transitioning of minors, and while appalled, am not surprised to find that our treatment response is the last daisy in a chain that originates from the WPATH guidelines. Once again, guidelines written by activists, without clinical evidence. For this reason, I feel the current medical advice is not only not proven to be beneficial, but given the outcome of actual literature reviews, causes harm. So, I will, along with others be writing to Andrew Little, once more to ask him to do due diligence on this issue, and conduct an independent review of the literature available.
The constant cry of trans genocide, and suicidal ideation is one that I find hard to forgive, when it comes to young people. This is the only time where constant referrals of self harm is magnified by advocates, despite the evidence that doing so actually increases distress and likelihood of harm. Add to that, the association of people not complying with demands in regards to your declared identity, with bigotry, fascism, hatred, transphobia and eradication, and you have another significant harm done to young people who already have personal issues that are overwhelming.
I find your rhetoric in this vein and have very little patience with it.
Summary of Texas Attorney General's advice:
They are blamed for a host of social problems that have nothing to do with them or with the free expression of their identities.
They are also particularly strident when it comes to their 'right' to invade spaces that exclude biological males for safety reasons. By doing so they have largely discredited themselves, not as individuals, but as a thread of advocacy.
it's useful to differentiate between trans women (who hold a wide ranges of beliefs and have a wide range of behaviours, just like other groups), and gender identity activists (aka trans rights activists).
GI activists and allies have a more specific set of beliefs and behaviours (although they're not a hive mind either)
Yes – a good distinction.
thanks for this in depth post. I agree that we should be noticing a trans woman who kills herself after being assaulted, and society needs to sort out it's shit that so many trans women are doing sex work. We also have to be able to discuss the reasons for that.
I don't believe that trans people should be included in the definition of peoples affected by genocide. Genocide has a pretty distinct meaning. I also think there is harm in promoting the idea that being trans is a shit experience fraught with danger from murder or suicide. We should be honest about the situations. In the UK murder of trans people is rare. In the US less so, but there from what I understand most are related to sex work or partner violence.
In the English-speaking world, the only country I am aware of that is trying to roll back trans rights is the US, where the fundamentalist right holds a lot of power. They are doing this to women too. In the UK it's a bit different, because most people there still support the human rights of trans people, while rejecting self-ID and TWAW positions. What that tells me is that there is an opportunity for society to integrate trans people more fully. But I can't see that happening if gender activists carry on the way they are including by misleading the public about trans deaths. We can not frame it as genocide but still acknowledge the tragedies when they happen. I'd like to see liberal attention focused on the number of murders of women too.
Weka; it's getting on for time to pick up kids from school, so I am running out of time here. Fortunately, since school started up again yesterday I will have more time to be onsite (though not every hour of every day), so will have to get back to you with reasons why I can indeed frame the attempt to eliminate trans people as a form of genocide (though the Lemkin Institute statement covers a lot of it). But it'll have to be on a different day's OM.
No one is stopping anyone here from focusing on Femicide, which seems to be a worthwhile topic in Aotearoa (though important to acknowledge assaults and problems that fall short of outright murder). I'd certainly rather read that than trans exclusionary arguments from the basis of; Daily Mail, Spectator, and Twitter, sources that I am just not going to click on.
the point is that liberals are focused on identity politics rather than the gnarly issues like women being murdered or raped. Which is why we end up with the ridiculous situation of male rapists being housed in women's prisons and the left saying this is a good thing.
As for the Daily Mail etc, if liberals want liberal media coverage of the issues they can stop No Debate. But they don't, because then we'd have to actually address the problems.
There's nothing wrong with excluding people from places they don't belong. I wouldn't argue that I should be allowed into the spaces of TW, despite the fact that I fit under the contemporary trans umbrella.
The highlight of Dave Chappelle's recent Netflix special was this story of his transgender friend Daphne.
"I am having a human experience!"
😭💔
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VnqgJGU4u0E
Pablo telling it like it is.
https://www.kiwipolitico.com/2023/01/when-it-rains-it-pours/
”To be clear, Wayne Brown was elected to cut rates and prioritize public services and amenities to the salubrious Eastern and Northern suburbs where the well-heeled and light-skinned live securely and in comfort (even if, to paraphrase Pink Floyd, hanging on in quiet desperation as well). He was installed to serve the interests of a specific demographic rather than the city and its surroundings as a whole, and is therefore not interested in helping (mostly) brown-skinned opposition voters living in flood plains and gullies. For him, the once-in-a-lifetime storm has been more of a nuisance that interferes with his social schedule than a moment to rise above his own ego and partisan biases in service of the commonweal.”
Further excerpt from link:
"I will leave it for others to dissect the political entrails of this corpse of a mayor but suffice it to say that a politician who cannot even fake empathy and compassion for those in his electorate who have been negatively impacted by the storm (including many who have lost everything, and in four cases, their lives) and who victim-blames those worst affected and finger-points at his subordinates when it comes to assigning responsibility for response delays and “mistakes” while arguing with media in front of cameras during press stand-ups is not fit to be a parking warden, much less mayor of NZ’s largest city."
What many of us were trying to say yesterday on this site but oh… so much better.
A big thanks to Pablo.
Thanks Anne,
You are very kind. The post has been updated since this morning with some additional observations about leadership. Cheers.
That article is worth a read. The Peter Principle in practice! We will be asking central government about effective emergency management in this Auckland case and by extension to the rest of New Zealand.
For this will not be the last event that will test the calibre of our elected representatives and our civil authorities, our insurance schemes and our personal liabilities be they where we live, how we live, or how we cope with all our disabilities, infirmities of age and health in the midst of pandemic and natural calamities.
Brown could not even acknowledge to interviewer Kim Hill that there is a thing called climate change, FFS.
Hurrah! On the 4 pm RNZ news Mayor Brown acknowledges climate change involved.
Poll out tonight on TV1. Jessica sounds excited about it so must be good news for her mate Luxon. And may be on on Tv3 as well.
Luxon is hardly her mate. She is red through and through. Do you not remember the Covid question times "Jessica, then Tova".
And do you realise who her husband is. Here's a clue…."Jessica Mutch is a TVNZ political editor who married Jacinda Ardern's hot bodyguard, Iain McKay."
https://showbizcorner.com/jessica-mutch-mckay-husband-iain-mckay
There is one poll that really counts. A great deal may happen between now and then.
Now this would put the cat amongst the Putin pigeons.
https://www.politico.com/news/2023/01/28/pentagon-send-f-16s-ukraine-00080045
“A contingent of military officials is quietly pushing the Pentagon to approve sending F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine to help the country defend itself from Russian missile and drone attacks, according to three people with knowledge of the discussions.”
Something for those who need a distraction form this weeks event and appreciate music from days of old (IMO)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DPZUgfOqAdg&list=RDDPZUgfOqAdg&start_radio=1
Oh look:
BUT:
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/483338/auckland-weather-disaster-mayor-wayne-brown-admits-hiccups-in-response (My bold)
He was MIA, sitting at his desk waiting for the rain to stop or playing tennis or whatever, that was his cardinal professional sin and he is unrepentant. He will not learn from his mistakes when he is unwilling to admit that he made any and he will continue shifting the blame to others although I have not yet heard the emotional-junior-staffer ‘excuse’.
its from the trump book of bullshit. "there were mistakes, but not by me" .
School's out this week in the greater Auckland area!
They only get this week off?
In Wellington the Kindergarten Kids are off until the 14th February when they resume. I guess we will find out who the milk monitors will be before then.
https://www.parliament.nz/en/get-involved/features/sitting-calendar-confirmed-for-2023/
Possibly not the most helpful outcome for people trying to clean up the mess and devastation of their lives.
Not to mention that there are few (if any) holiday programmes running – so parents who don't have flood damage to clean up, have to take time off work (at very short notice) to care for their pre-teens. Of course, white-collar workers can just work from home (albeit, not very efficiently) – but, amazingly, there are many, many workers who are also parents, who are required to actually be physically present to do their jobs.
While there are a few schools with flood damage which would need to close – the vast majority would be performing a much better public service by opening.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/hit-significantly-all-auckland-schools-kura-early-learning-services-and-tertiary-institutions-to-close-until-febuary-7/4J44L2734JFV5ONLAOGBXNUMXA/
Kids are already stir-crazy after the long summer holidays – filled, as it has been, predominantly with bad weather – so not much outside time.
Anyone who thinks that the vast majority of those kids will just stay quietly at home for the next week – is invited to look at the population at the malls and entertainment complexes over this weekend. Bubbling over with kids and families – and with not a carpark to be found.
The following quote also seems entirely counter-intuitive.
"Holsted said schools and kura can open or remain open for onsite instruction but need to provide distance learning."
How can schools be both open for onsite instruction, and closed until the 7th of February?
The cited factor was roading/transport.
And my point about the kids/families headed to the malls and entertainment complexes. They're not staying at home. They're still using the roads.
At the very least, keeping the primary schools open (where the majority of the kids have a short distance to travel – and some even *walk*) – would have taken the load off parents (it's a lot harder to get anything useful done with a 6-year-old in tow, than it is with a 12-year-old).
By all means, make a different call for individual rural schools (where roading infrastructure is seriously damaged) – but the vast majority of urban/surburban schools have no reason to close.
Looks like one-size-fits-all thinking, to me.
To be fair, some of your concerns have been acknowledged by MoE.
https://www.education.govt.nz/news/severe-weather-event-information/
This is a hard call in and for tough times but on balance I think it is sensible especially with the Code Red Heavy Rain Warnings issued for the next couple of days.
I can’t find your quote in your link!?
Apologies
https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/news/emergency/hit-significantly-all-auckland-schools-kura-early-learning-services-and-tertiary-institutions-to-close-until-febuary-7/
It's the 4th para.
I'd had two of the articles open (to see if they were saying the same thing) – and linked to the wrong one.
Apparently it’s the provision that O’Connor at Auckland Grammar is relying on, to allow them to open unless specifically directed by the MoE to close [Grammar actually opened last week, and has borders on site]
Newstalk didn’t quote Holsted verbatim, but NZH did and it says something different.
Assuming the Headmaster doesn’t take his cues from NewstalkZB he should re-read the e-mail he received from MoE unless he has problems with reading comprehension or suffers from wishful thinking syndrome.
I think you meant boarders.
Only heard O'Connor interviewed – so don't know exactly what coms he had received at the time.
He said that he'd notified MoE of his intentions to remain open (based on the media reports at the time, since he'd not yet received any official notification) – unless specifically directed otherwise. MoE had acknowledged his email, but not yet responded.
Just checked, and the RNZ site now contains an update notification, that O'Connor has emailed parents that Grammar will be closed tomorrow (so, clearly he's now received that directive)
https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/checkpoint/audio/2018875688/auckland-grammar-headmaster-wants-school-to-stay-open
It's difficult to track the timelines on all of this. The interview is timestamped at 6.14 – but that will be a broadcast time (or possibly an update time**), not, necessarily, when O'Connor was interviewed. During the interview, he was adamant that he'd had no notification from the MoE – and it looks as though it wasn't sent out until after 5pm (IT failure).
**I don't know if the RNZ timestamp changed when the update was added (I don't think so, but don't know of a way to confirm or deny my belief)
And, you're quite right – I do mean kids who remain during term time, not edges on the map.
The Headmaster should have taken a leaf out of the Mayor’s book and waited at his desk for the complete picture to emerge. Now he looks a little foolish for confusing parents even more so just to give his 2 cts. on radio. He should join ACT and consider a career in politics.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/auckland/local-news/131101944/auckland-schools-must-remain-closed-this-week [16:43, Jan 30 2023]
https://thespinoff.co.nz/live-updates/30-01-2023/auckland-schools-ordered-to-remain-closed-until-february-7
One of the earliest tweets I could find [3:45 PM · Jan 30, 2023]:
https://twitter.com/GIDee123/status/1619889596988538881
You can check any webpage’s metadata for time stamps.
Note that your tweet liknk includes the quote that O'Connor used to justify his stance (it certainly reads as though schools have the option to remain open – but have to provide distance learning)
In the absence of formal notification from MoE – I can see why he'd make the assumption that he could continue opening.
Don't see that Grammar parents are any more (or less) confused than the rest of us.
I received notification at about 10.30 that my teen's school would be open as scheduled this week (since they had relatively minor storm damage, and none to any learning areas). Clearly this was sent before any of the media reports about school closures.
Only to have this reversed at 6.30 pm, after the school had received the MoE directive.
In the interim, I'd received lots of social media updates on the closure – but the delay in the official notification by MoE (because of their IT issues) – clearly caused some confusion with schools.
And, as you've highlighted – the language used in the early reports implied an option (to remain open), which was not evident in the later official communication.
AGS would have sent out an earlier email today or over the weekend welcoming families back to school and updating on the situation.
So O'Conner would have sent three. On, on (when everyone else says off), then off.
He was just being an idiot.
Grammar have been back since last week. So, really, quite a different scenario to (for example, as quoted above) Avondale College, which weren't scheduled back – for most of the school – until Friday this week.
There's quite an operational difference between delaying the start of school; and starting, then stopping, then starting again.
I think O'Connor was looking out for what was best for his students (which is, actually, his job). He was quite clear in the interview, that he would reverse the decision if instructed by the MoE. And, apparantly, that's what he did.
AG did no more flip-flops than any other school: if there were, as you said, 3 emails – they were – 'Go', 'Go', 'MoE says we have to Stop'.
The problem appears to arise in the delayed (because of IT reasons) of the official MoE communication to schools. The interim social media and media posts have an 'option' to remain open, which is not present in the official notification.
In the information vacuum, this was all Grammar had to go on – and they (quite rightly) wanted to let parents know a.s.a.p. (remember, their boys were expecting to be at school on Tuesday morning).
No wonder schools were confused.
NB: About that IT outage. Given that MoE have the details of the actual starting date for all schools – it doesn't seem unreasonable that they should have got directly in touch with the (few) in the Auckland region who had already started the school year – and let them know directly (since the email had failed). It is, after all, quite a bit more time critical for Grammar to know this, than Avondale.
https://www.masseyhigh.school.nz/calendar
Another college in the hard-hit West.
@ Belladonna. Your claim AGS was back the week beginning 23 Jan is just plain wrong and I think you said it for political purposes.
AGS was due to welcome all students 31 Jan. Some secondary schools had a graduated return between 31 Jan and 03 Feb.
Their school calendar says all students started on Tuesday the 24th of January (they had orientation for 3rd formers on the previous Friday.)
https://www.ags.school.nz/events/list/page/2/?eventDisplay=past
Feel free to tell the parents who sent their sons on that day, that they were wrong.
Grammar are well known for always starting their school year before other schools.
Your one-eyed response to anything that I say, is just getting boring.
Makes no difference.
O'Conner believed because his students' families were not impacted much by the weather event and its aftermath because the school zone is elite Auckland and not far to travel, that his first reaction should be to defy the government.
It plays to his (and your) base, I suppose.
Waiting for the apology.
I was not "just plain wrong" – you were.
I've provided a link to support my original (correct) statement.
You challenged it – put up your source. Or admit you were wrong.
Mind you, I won't hold my breath…..
A great leader….leads by example……
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/jacinda-ardern-a-chopper-and-a-digger-owairaka-landtree-slide-call-gets-big-response/YCQWSVAWFVABVNZ7G3Y4YONHLQ/
National loses ground to Hipkins' Labour in two new polls
The 1News Kantar poll had Labour up 5 percentage points to 38, with National down one percentage point to 37.
Newshub Reid Research’s poll had Labour up 5.7 percent to 38, ahead of National which lost 4.1 points, dropping to 36.6.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/483348/national-loses-ground-to-hipkins-labour-in-two-new-polls
Interesting…
A definite turn-around for Labour.
And both polls put TPM in the kingmaker role (which, we know, means a left government – there's no way they're going with National).
Labour will be looking to build momentum on this.
Looking towards Hipkins' announcement of the refocused legislative priority list next week.
Hipkins pips Luxon in the preferred PM poll (and is more trusted) and Labour gets a small bump for managing a smooth transition.
Luxon has been wooing the voters for 12mths +
Hipkins has been wooing the voters for about a week. Spot the difference?
Poor, old David Farrar. He did the usual post highlighting historic preferred PM poll bounce for the benefit of his worried boomer readership.
Number 1 was Geoffrey Palmer who recorded a 16% preferred PM bounce in 1989.
Chippy from the Hutt Valley smashed that with a 44% increase on Palmer's bounce.
Massive backfire for the Taxdodger's Union.
[Please lose the 4 dots from your user name next time thanks – Incognito]
Mod note
I did notice on my twitter feed but cannot find now that there was an objection from a member of the public to one of the evacuation centres asking for N95 disposable respirators on the usual grounds of Covid19 not being real and/or if it was real it had passed.
I just could not imagine anything worse than getting Covid in a shelter while dealing with the loss of your home, furniture and possibly your car.
Where have these horrible people come from…..don't answer, I know. I think any thoughts that time would put all the anti vaxxer madness behind us is off beam, they have been politicised and are walking among us.
Even on local authorities and now making a concerted campaign to win seats on Conservation Boards.
This is to hearken back to the roots of one wing of VFF and that is as campaigners against 1080. DoC has 1000s of hectares of land to undertake pest control on. Whatever your views on 1080 in some cases it is best suited to the topography.
They're the descendants of the mob back in time who burnt/beat clever women to death because they were believed to be witches and who executed anyone who dared to suggest the earth was a round. (tongue in cheek):
https://www.facebook.com/MontyPython/videos/shes-a-witch/491115104860430/
Assuming this is true (and it probably is), DOC uses 1080 in landscapes that are suitable for other methods like trapping. Farmers do too.
It is sadly more efficient economically. DoC is under-resourced for the scale of the work they are expected to do, and they are reliant on volunteers who can only do so much and often not as regularly as to be effective.
Yes I realise that & that is why the effort to stand for the boards.
Idiot.
https://twitter.com/dbseymour/status/1619908041020932096
Why do you think he's an idiot (in this particular instance)?
Case in point. The primary school nearest to me (inner Auckland suburb) – on a ridge, little or no storm/water damage. 95% of the pupils live less than 10 minutes drive away (no school buses) – an awful lot of them walk to school (walking school buses).
There is, however, flood damage in the school catchment area. And some of the families will be continuing to clear up the associated mess and damage – and trying to deal with the various 3rd parties (insurance, water, electricity, Council, etc.).
The best thing that the Ministry of Education could do for those families, would be to open the school on schedule.
The result of closing the school:
A. Parents trying to clear up storm damage, will continue to do so, while simultaneously caring for their children.
B. Parents with no storm damage, will have to take additional time of work, at very short notice, to care for their children. No holiday programmes operating.
C. A very large number of the B. category, will be hitting the entertainment complexes and/or malls (local parks sodden, beaches off limits, kids going stir-crazy at home) – and will drive there (i.e. result = more cars on the roads, not fewer)
While I can see, on a case-by-case basis, there might well be a good argument for a rural school, with significant storm damage to the surrounding roading network, to be closed – there seems to be very little benefit to closing the vast majority of inner city and suburban schools.
You could consider replying to those who responded to David Seymour's tweet.
Teachers have homes too.
Gosh. And so do nurses and doctors, and wastewater engineers and supermarket workers. Should we shut all of those places of employment down as well?
Teachers are neither more nor less privileged than any other worker who is required (for the most part) to be present in order to do their job.
Principals who have a small number of teachers who need to be absent in order to deal with stormwater damage – can call on their relief-teacher network (just as they do in case of illness or family emergency).
Principals who have a very large number of teachers impacted might well choose to close their school.
It's the one-size-fits-all approach I have an issue with.
The Secretary for Education as directed a four-day closure.
https://www.education.govt.nz/news/severe-weather-event-information/
Seems prudent in the circumstances. Mayor Brown suggested a one-day closure:
No doubt some consistency will emerge – it's a fluid situation.
Also angry about it from the social infrastructure perspective.
It's almost always Mum who has to tell her boss that she can't work because she has to mind the kids at short notice.
[Yes, I know there are *some* Dads who do this – but it's overwhelmingly Mums]
And, this has inevitable consequences on promotion and salary prospects.
If you want to know why women have life-time earnings deficits – this kind of unpaid expectation is one of the big reasons.
Out of our team of about 100 – the management team touched base with everyone on Friday night – and updated on Saturday – to check in that everyone was OK and see what support was needed. We had 4 people with significant flood damage (including the business owner), and about another 6 with minor issues (wet garage, etc.). So less than 5% seriously impacted, and 10% with some issues.
This evening, I've already had 3 out of the 10 people in my immediate team, tell me they need to take emergency leave to mind kids for the rest of this week (2 mums, 1 grandma). [Notably. None of the men have requested this.] So that's over 30% impacted, directly.
Some will be taking leave without pay – since they've already used their current leave allocation over Christmas. [Actually, we'll almost certainly let them advance leave – but that's a zero sum game – there's never enough leave allowance for parents with school kids – so they either come up short now, or in the next school holidays]
So – the biggest impact on our staff and business isn't the flood – it's closing schools.
NEMA, the MoE, Mayor Brown et al. likely consider this impact regrettable. I hope public inconvenience/anger never looms large in their decision making during a state of emergency. Imho we can expect more of this, for all the good it will do.
[image resized – Incognito]
Rather sad you feel so comfortable ignoring the social impact on women/mothers.
You might want to look in the mirror for your grumpy old man double.
Is that what I did, Belladonna? Fwiw, I have little respect for anyone who casually twists words – imho you just can’t trust such people.
I rather thought that I was expressing my hope that public inconvenience and anger would not unduly influence NEMA's and the MoE's decisions during a state of emergency.
I daresay that Iona Holsted didn't issue her directive lightly, and regrets any inconvenience.
95% of my comment was about the social impact on women/mothers.
You completely ignored all of it – to seize on the one (final) line you could twist to your purpose.
Hence the comment:
[Or, perhaps, you could quote the thoughtful response that you made to the issue I was raising…. /sarc/]
I know you're proud of your left-wing bias – and are pre-programmed to react negatively to any comment I make, since I don't share your world-view.
Going to leave this here.
Better things to do with my life.
Incorrect – I read your entire comment. The negative impacts of decisions taken during this (or any) state of emergency are regrettable.
Imho, such emergencies will become increasingly common, perhaps necessitating decisions with (even) greater negative impacts.
Don't know about "proud" – I'm certainly comfortable with lefty views.
Did you really expect me to react positively to this comment of yours?
No 'pre-programming' required – honest.
Clearly – you’ve made 14 comments on TS this evening.
Absolutely reject your suggestion that I'm grumpy – I'm simply observing.
Oh dear.
I get it – ‘the left' does it too. And who wouldn't feel grumpy, angry even, when inconvenienced by responses to a state of emergency. Best of luck.
Emergency management requested the closures to minimise traffic while workers do their best to safely clean up and reinstate services. Under normal circumstances most of that work would require complex traffic management plans/road closures and be carried out overnight and during weekends.
The difficulties involved are obviously beyond the idiot.
I seriously doubt that Emergency management requested that every school in Auckland close down. I can certainly believe that they may have requested closure in some areas, where the roading network has been significantly damaged (Riverhead bridge, etc.).
Perhaps you can link to this request?
I've driven through some of the very badly affected-by-flooding areas on the North Shore today (SH1, Wairau Rd, etc.); and while the shops and businesses and homes are still being cleaned and dried out – the roading network, itself is unaffected. There are a few local trees still down across roads due to slips (roads into reserves or yacht moorings – which (quite rightly) aren't being prioritized for clearance)
There is no good (roading) reason why local schools couldn’t be open.
And, as pointed out above, city-based parents and kids will be hitting the malls and entertainment precincts – so, this decision is likely to create more traffic, rather than less.
Seymour does what he does best: politicking. And this is a fine example of disaster politicking.
Seymour knows that not all schools would have opened tomorrow. For example, Avondale College:
https://www.avcol.school.nz/post/term-dates-for-2023
In other words, for most of those students it means they’d miss only one day at school at which not much learning would have taken place anyway. Seymour knows this but he prefers to call it “a week” which creates the wrong impression, by design, of course.
Any loss of school days could (and will?) be made up later in the term(s) or at the end of the year. Seymour knows this too.
Tim Conner is defying the MOE and reckons his boys are going to school regardless. My own kids' schools will close but one principal did say in the email the government announcement was via media.
I will be out and about on Khyber Pass early tomorrow so shall report back if Auckland Grammar is rebelling0!
Don't get me wrong, I am upset by the decision but have filed it under, "shit over the last three years I don't want to think about".
I'm upset because it has been a rubbish summer. Wet, difficult, disrupted recuperation. Clients being asshole, etc.
Was really looking forward to parking it and moving on with the resumption of school. They won't even let me do that. 🙁
"They"? As a past educator, it seems sensible to me. It is a disaster and needs clear instructions and decisions.
Checks on… water quality testing/toilets functions/electricity safely on/ roads and paths safe/staffing and pupil issues met/ food available?/ dry clothing?…materials? to name just a few issues.
The staff and Principal are in "loco parentis'. Responsible from the child's gate 'till safely home after school. The Ministry has deemed the over all risks too great.
What is happening that people quizz every decision as if it is taken to annoy them personally?
"They" is everyone who is not me!
I just described how I feel as a parent after this holiday period. It seems 2023 has got off to a start which 2022, 20221, and 2020 would be envious of.
no patricia, you should realize that decision does annoy the easily annoyed. every decision is targeted at them, and them alone, to allow their outrage alarm to go off .
Looks as though Conner said that, since the official communication from the MoE, said that schools could open, but had to provide distance learning – they would be opening, unless specifically directed not to.
Don't know why the MoE waited until after 5 on the day before schools were scheduled to open – to send out their notice … seems a bit… dilatory).
https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/checkpoint/audio/2018875688/auckland-grammar-headmaster-says-school-will-stay-open