Doesn't sound like the TVNZ HR department did very good background checking on this bloke. Be interesting to see who they replace John Campbell with now.
We’ve also learned that the reasonable majority can be frightened and silenced if caught between extremes, while many others can be captured by mass delusions.”
Military budget of the United States 801 Billion (population 329.5 million )
Military budget of China 261 Billion (population 1.402 billion)
Military budget of Russia 66 Billion (population 144.1 million )
And we all know the truly impressive and extremely long list of countries in which the US has conducted hostile incursions into another country's territories….and lets not even start with the USA's role in meddling in other countries elections….that list would be just ridiculous……., and yet people on this very site will scream at the top of their lungs…FEAR RUSSIA….FEAR CHINA…..
Like most of their rhetoric…logic, common sense (and historical evidence) has to be completely ignored in order to join their new Cold War Club…..unfortunately it seems like they are getting plenty of takers now that Putin has wrongly and stupidly given them the gift of the Ukraine….millions of deaths, untold misery and destruction caused and still being caused by ultra aggressive US/Western militarism…forgotten quite literally in the blink of an eye…..
Putin launched this war precisely because he thought the US was weak and not going to intervene.
At the beginning of this year most people thought it unlikely Urkaine would be invaded – yet here we are. And now Russia is rightly feared and loathed for its vile invasion.
China continues to threaten to invade Taiwan, and are openly pre-positioning themselves to do so. Only a complete fool would could now claim this is unlikely. Indeed you only have to look at their insanely provocative actions in the South Pacific to understand precisely what their intentions are. As a result China is also rightly feared and loathed for continuing down this same medieval, war-mongering path as Russia.
Adrian's undeniable cheerleading for these totalitarian regimes and the neo-colonial invasions they promote renders anything he says about US history to meaningless partisan blather. More to the point – if he lived in Russia or China and was saying comparable things against those regimes, he would very likely be shut down and pay a high cost for it. That he feels free to abuse the relative freedom of speech that he enjoys here in the West to undermine and betray the open society he has the remarkable privilege to live in underscores a profound ignorance and moral bankruptcy.
Alternatively Putin launched his SMO because he recognized America's power play in the ukraine and doing nothing about it was'nt an option .
Agree most observers in the west thought he was'nt going to invade but now that has occurred a great many counties arround the world have some sympathies for the Russian perspective and its predicament ie America's openly stated intention to 'weaken ' Russia . Those countries include China obviously plus India and probably Pakistan South Africa Iran Venezuela Mexico and numerous others .
I had a humorous thought that probably all Reds mum would have had to do when he was an infant was whistle Dixie to get him to suckle vigorously !
Throwing propaganda and unhelpful labels at each other leads to more widespread confusion and division, not just between sides, but also within sides and this is often one of the objectives of propaganda – it becomes self-reinforcing.
A useful idiot becomes less useful for propagandists once he/she start to realise that they are and have been manipulated. When this leads to better understanding of the situation and possibly even an internal dialogue within and between sides there’s an increased chance that a non-binary non-partisan solution might be found and also sooner rather than later. The fact is that some people actually benefit from wars and it is these people who often have a hand (literally) in spreading propaganda aka the vested interests.
If russia and china get free passes because your room is too full of hate for the usa, then it's myopic, one sided and most likely just politically motivated chatter.
I don't take anyone seriously, showing such small minded, blinkered thinking. Blame and consequences should land at all deserving doors.
But do go for it – I'm clearly not the intended audience.
The cause of the war in Ukraine and many other wars and invasions, usually have nothing at all to do with the ridiculous stated reasons, like the murder of an Arch Duke, or neo-nazis in Ukraine.
Hi Adrian, you have provided us an accurate list exposing the reach and spread of the US military empire. Taken together, the US empire's record of invasions and wars around the globe is truly horrific.
But this list of US crime and global power does not account for the current situation. And the very real threat posed by Russian imperialism.
The comparative size and success of imperialist powers is not their only measure.
Let's take an analogy:
Before the Second and First World Wars, the British Empire, not the US empire was the global hegemonic super power. The crimes of the British Empire are well documented, during its reign as the world hegemon the British Empire killed an estimated 40 million people.
…..At its height it was the largest empire in history and, for over a century, was the foremost global power.[1] By 1913 the British Empire held sway over 412 million people, 23 per cent of the world population at the time,[2] and by 1920 it covered 35,500,000 km2 (13,700,000 sq mi),[3] 24 per cent of the Earth's total land area.
Though the German imperialists certainly matched the British imperialists in their level of atrocity and genocide. Compared to the British Empire, the German and Nazi empires never reached anywhere near the size and reach of the British Empire.
As the eponymous character in the anti-war satire 'Black Adder' put it, compared to the British Empire all the German Empire had was a small sausage factory in Tanganyika.
Obviously an exaggeration for theatrical effect, but not that far from the truth.
But this list of US crime and global power does not account for the current situation. And the very real threat posed by Russian imperialism.
"Russian imperialism" is a figment of your imagination. Though there may have been a few imperialist efforts during Tsarist days, mostly aimed at gaining Istanbul.
Try telling the people of Syria under Russian bombing, that Russian imperialism is a figment of their imagination.
I'm not sure what the Ukranians think, and to be honest I don't think it matters. Speculations about what they might be thinking just some of the rubbish you serve up when you can't come up with a cogent argument.
Mikesh, tell me, is Chinese imperialism also a figment of my imagination?
I really have no idea, but if they are then they are doing through diplomatic channels. I don't see any reason to get upset about that.
However, I think your imagination seems a little erratic.
PS: By the way, have you read Harari's Sapiens. Harari thinks that the historical role of empires is to bring nations together, and forge a common way of life.
It is impossible to verify Ziawudun's account completely because of the severe restrictions China places on reporters in the country, but travel documents and immigration records she provided to the BBC corroborate the timeline of her story. Her descriptions of the camp in Xinyuan county – known in Uighur as Kunes county – match satellite imagery analysed by the BBC, and her descriptions of daily life inside the camp, as well as the nature and methods of the abuse, correspond with other accounts from former detainees.
Internal documents from the Kunes county justice system from 2017 and 2018, provided to the BBC by Adrian Zenz, a leading expert on China's policies in Xinjiang, detail planning and spending for "transformation through education" of "key groups" – a common euphemism in China for the indoctrination of the Uighurs. In one Kunes document, the "education" process is described as "washing brains, cleansing hearts, strengthening righteousness and eliminating evil".
The BBC also interviewed a Kazakh woman from Xinjiang who was detained for 18 months in the camp system, who said she was forced to strip Uighur women naked and handcuff them, before leaving them alone with Chinese men. Afterwards, she cleaned the rooms, she said.
"My job was to remove their clothes above the waist and handcuff them so they cannot move," said Gulzira Auelkhan, crossing her wrists behind her head to demonstrate. "Then I would leave the women in the room and a man would enter – some Chinese man from outside or policeman. I sat silently next to the door, and when the man left the room I took the woman for a shower."
The Chinese men "would pay money to have their pick of the prettiest young inmates", she said.
Some former detainees of the camps have described being forced to assist guards or face punishment. Auelkhan said she was powerless to resist or intervene.
Asked if there was a system of organised rape, she said: "Yes, rape."
"They forced me to go into that room," she said. "They forced me to take off those women's clothes and to restrain their hands and leave the room."
A budding imperial power that wants to play the "Great Game" on the world stage, first starts by colonising its hinterland and/or smaller nearest neighbours.. After it has enslaved and murdered and robbed these peoples, only then does it feel confident enough to challenge its rival imperialists on the world stage.
It's the same process followed by the British Empire began in Ireland, And the US empire with its genocidal Manifest Destiny policy against its First People Nations.
It's the pattern followed by Chinese regime against Tibet and against the Uyghur Autonomous Region.
The latest news is that the diplomatic efforts of the Chinese imperialists into the Pacific have been checked.
"I'm not sure what the Ukranians think, and to be honest I don't think it matters….."mikesh 31 May 2022 at 1:08 pm
Of course you don't think it matters what the Ukrainians think, No surprises there. Whenever has anyone, who supports imperialist war and invasions ever thought it matters what the people of the country being invaded and taken over think?
"…the historical role of empires is to bring nations together, and forge a common way of life." mikesh 31 May 2022 at 1:08 pm
That's what every supporter of imperialism, that ever was, has said.
Ghengis Khan, Cecil Rhodes, King Leopold, Adolf Hitler, Joseph Stalin, Hirohito and Vladimir Putin would all agree with you on that one.
Of course you don't think it matters what the Ukrainians think, No surprises there. Whenever has anyone, who supports imperialist war and invasions ever thought it matters what the people of the country being invaded and taken over think?
I would think the Ukrainians would be too worried about bombs dropping on their heads to be interested in whether or not Russia has "imperialist intentions".
Ghengis Khan, Cecil Rhodes, King Leopold, Adolf Hitler, Joseph Stalin, Hirohito and Vladimir Putin would all agree with you on that one
Empires are a fact of life, or a fact of history. Whether anybody supports them, or nobody supports them, is rather pointless to speculate on..
By the way, you forgot about Cyrus the Great, and also Augustus Caesar.
What gets me is that the left spent a decade tearing itself apart over how Assange was a rapist because he didn't use a condom on his morning wood – but when orders Putin the murder of a country somehow he's just a poor misunderstood vlad.
No-one is denying that what is going on in Ukraine is abhorent. Differences that countries have with one another should sorted out by negotiation, and perhaps with arbitration if a settlement cannot be reached. However, if one party (in this case, Zelenskyy) won't come to the the negotiating table, and if that party won't abide by previously arrived at agreements (like the Minsk agreements), then it's difficult to see what options the other party has, other than to declare war.
You twist yourself into pretzels trying to exculpate the murderous Putin regime.
Russia agreed in 1994 to respect Ukraine's sovereignty and national borders in return for Kyiv agreeing to give up its nuclear arsenal. ~ The Budapest Memorandum.
Russia's alternative was to abide by its agreements – now the Putin regime will be crushed – and a good thing too.
Well given that Putin had already egregiously reneged on the prior Budapest Memorandum – to your obvious satisfaction – why then do you demand Ukraine should abide by any agreement either? Why one rule for Russia and another for Ukraine?
“The key political provisions are incompatible, in my opinion, with Ukraine’s existence as a sovereign country,” said Duncan Allan, a fellow at Chatham House who specialises in the Minsk Agreements.
In his analysis, the Minsk plan for the political reintegration of Donbas was put together hastily and contains contradictory points, which has led to the two sides arguing for interpretations that are advantageous to them.
Indeed, other analysts suggest that if Kyiv was pressured into implementing Russia’s version of Minsk, there could be a severe backlash from ordinary Ukrainians that could destabilise the country internally.
Allan believes that the agreements have a “very convoluted and confused sequencing procedure”.
Under the agreements, Ukraine wants Russia and its proxy forces to withdraw and allow Ukraine to take back control of the border before the proposed local elections under international standards take place. Then, instead of granting the territories the special status that Russia has argued for, Kyiv would give the territories some extra powers but essentially incorporate them into its existing decentralisation programme.
Ukraine’s interpretation of the agreement envisions alterations to some of the prickliest political elements, but in doing so, it negates what Russia has shown it wants from Minsk – the ability to continue to control the territories and through them have a say in Ukraine’s national affairs on an ongoing basis.
If Ukraine fulfilled Russia’s interpretation of the agreements, it would give the occupied region special status. In Russia’s eyes, this would include its own police force, described as a ‘people’s militia’; the right to choose judges and prosecutors; support from Kyiv of the region’s transnational cooperation with Russia; amnesty for anyone involved in the fighting on the Russian side; and elections. All of this would happen before the Russian-controlled and Russian forces withdrew.
In essence Putin’s record of lies and betrayals means that nothing he says is of any worth whatsoever. Agreement cannot be reached with such a person.
Whatever. It doesn't excuse the bombing of Donbas. Porochenko (I assume it was him) should rather have been looking at obtaining a negotiated agreement with the Easterners.
Right there in one lazy sneering word. You don't give a shit about Ukraine so long as you get to bang the 'look how good a leftie I am for hating on the US' drum.
I assume you would rather he had returned the nukes? Really? And the initial fighting was not about borders; it was Porochenko, and later Zelenskyy, attacking their own countrymen, just because they were ethnically Russian.
It really doesn't matter how enthusiastically you repeat Putin's lies, Mikesh – Your career as a Tokyo Rose will not end in the plaudits of a grateful dictator.
I would rather Putin had stayed within his borders. No, it was not about Poroshenko and Zelensky – Russian forces had been killing Ukrainians relentlessly since 2014 – over 14 000 of them (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Casualties_of_the_Russo-Ukrainian_War) – the missing column in your mathematics of blame.
But of course it’s okay to for Russia to kill Ukrainians. They have Mikesh’s blessing.
It's a good thing that it's hard for Russia to win, since hard though that may be for you to believe, having soaked up Putin's disinformation like the rest of the poriferae, you do not face the consequence of being forced into a battle with no training, Soviet era equipment, and scant concern for your survival.
Here we can see a recent draft of Donetsk citizens mustering for battle – they entrusted little matters like self-determination to pseudo parental figures like Putin, not unlike certain childish notionally Left persons somewhat closer to home.
To paraphrase John Donne: No country is an island, Entire unto itself …
"Self determination" is all very well, but it doesn't give a country license to do whatever it likes. Ukraine has a rather powerful neighbour who may well have had grave concerns about the way it had been carrying on.
By the way I’m not acquainted with anything Putin has said, irrespective of whether it is information or disinformation.
Of course anyone with any enlightenment values necessarily reviles genocidal warmongering dictators. We notice your lack of such values.
I couldn't care less about Putin.
And yet you repeat his propaganda as enthusiastically as the Hitler Youth repeated his. This is not an appropriate forum for that – you should do that on 8chan.
It's one of life's little curiosities that Yeltsin was considered by Russians to be a sophisticate. He had the Moscow accent – whereas Gorbachev only had a record of successful and popular economic reforms in Primorye.
Turns out your better than Yeltsin president is a danger to many peaceable people in Europe, whereas Yeltsin, besides wrecking Gorbachev's reform and dooming his country to penury, was most dangerous to his own liver.
Yes, ianmac. I've cleaned some houses like that and they were sterile glass and concrete monuments to Mammon. No art on the walls save a faux French clock from a garden shop, no book shelves, a 50" TV at the end of a 15 metre glass gallery and no musical instruments.
Buy/build a small house and get some good art, books, and a piano/guitar. Whatever, but celebrate creative arts and have someone come into the house and be agreeably surprised by functional and creative beauty both.
So true Mac1. I did ask one chap why did he build such a big house overlooking the golf course. "It was what my wife wanted actually." Some people are too rich but it does seem that some big houses are as you say "sterile". A good but sad word.
Which is why the demise of the quarter acre section is so unfortunate. Which I guess is inevitable with the increase in population, but new subdivisions could be designed so that every kid gets room to play barefoot on real grass and learn about how the world and a bee both work.
Only 4br and 3 baths? That is very modest in some quarters. I spent the last years of the last NACT government processing Land Use Consents in Auckland. More like 6br and 5 bathrooms, absolutely maximising the "building envelope" and concreting us as much of the site as the impervious areas rules would permit. I rang one agent who had sent in something with 6br, all with en-suite bathrooms – and an extra bathroom, and said I wanted in writing that they were not building a brothel. I got the statement – but I find it hard to believe that was any sort of family home.
We have one next door. The owners built an 'extension' which more than doubled the size of the house. Went from 3 bedrooms, 1 bathroom, 1 living area; to 7 bedrooms, 2.5 bathrooms, 3 living areas & an internal double garage.
Now has 12+ students living there (including living in the garage). With at least 6 cars parked on the road outside.
If you can, get a copy of Tony Watkins – The Human House.
A NZ architect, and column writer, the book is a series of articles about the human investment in crafting a house to suit your own personality and interests.
I found a copy in my library, and re-read it several times.
I'll admit that despite our tight budget, I ended up buying a copy of the book.
I'm usually a purchaser of library withdrawals and second hand books, but it was nice to indulge in purchasing new knowing that some of the funds would make their way to Tony Watkins.
Very good thread on some of the problems with replacing sex with gender identity in surveys and data collection used to inform policy and law. How does one name the GI of a baby, young child, or child who cannot speak etc?
From an interview with Jordan Carter, outgoing chief executive of Internet NZ:
“The Russian state, for quite a long time, has made use of some of the vulnerabilities of this social media environment to intervene in other countries. They seem to say: ‘Well, we can't ever win a head-on confrontation with the liberal democracies, but we can use these systems they've built to undermine their social and political cohesion.’
"That's a risk people are waking up to,” he said.
“Ever since publishing was invented you've had people publishing bizarre opinions. The problem isn't when some person chooses to express ‘random view X’ they might or might not agree with. The problem is when their systems amplify it in a way that then creates social divisions that weren't necessarily there.
"Media systems have fastened on to the most controversial and polarizing views, and then just keep stirring them up in a way that draws people apart from each other,” he said.
Hot off the press….sitting with an injured relative in Ed. Here since mid day. Corridors full of patients. Staff, calm and kind.
a plea to the Labour govt, stop spending money on earnest and young consultants and re structures. Increase staff numbers and pay. This is what with improve our health system
At Middlemore (3 weeks ago, friend with an injured teen – potential neck/spine injury from an accidental tackle in touch rugby)
Only one support person per patient allowed (a bit of a fuss from some families)
All patients and support people given RAT tests
Everyone had to wear a mask. People who didn't want to were seen elsewhere (removed, not sure where they went – but not in the general waiting room)
Anyone with a positive RAT (regardless of other symptoms) was separated out (friend didn't see where they went, as she was in the non-infected group)
People lying on floors, in corridors, etc. Simply not enough space for the demand.
Time taken to see a doctor with (even with a potentially crippling spinal injury) was 12 hours + radiology time + final interview with the doctor.
Because of the delay in getting the scan – there was a lot of swelling, and they weren't able to get a clear picture – there was still a possibility of a break; but they were sent home at 3am (ambulance, so teen could keep lying flat and wearing the neck brace), because there were no beds to admit him for observation.
Staff were lovely. Clearly doing their best under immense pressure. As is so common in ED, plenty of people under the influence of drugs/alcohol, off-meds or with some form of psychotic breakdown, stupidly aggressive personally or their support people were; as well as heartbreaking cases of kids who clearly needed emergency care for something which could have been treated earlier (but parents couldn't afford/get access to care)
Outcome. Teen didn't have a neck/spinal injury (thank heavens), but did have 2 ribs with intercostal dislocations, a whiplash style neck muscle injury, and severe bruising around the whole ribcage.
Difficult to tell. Suspect staff shortages (overall), compounded by staff shortages due to staff either isolating themselves with Covid, or as a family contact. All made worse by increased demand on ED: some people using it as a GP – because cost; and health conditions in general just worse after care deferred due to lockdowns.
Covid protocols in Wellington ED far more relaxed Han you write of Bella.
I was screened at the door, but just questioned did I have covid or a household member. I told them I had had some exposure with a couple of contacts socially, but they weren’t interested. No rat tests.
everyone wore masks.
there were beds both sides of the corridors, so not as much social distancing as ideal.
my husband who was injured wasn’t given a RAT test.
I know proceedures were a lot tighter in Wellington when omicron was peaking.
I can’t speak highly enough of the staff. They were the epitaxy of grace under pressure
Also need to make exclusive supply relationships (by contract) illegal.
This is where the small, local supplier is locked into a supply deal (often disadvantageously) by one of the big chains; and is contractually prevented from also selling (perhaps at better terms) to the other.
It puts all of the power in the relationship with the big supermarket chain.
The little guys are stuck in a take-it-or-leave it deal, and are unable to leverage sales to negotiate a better deal with the competitor.
Just done a mini-shop this afternoon (Mr 14 is getting braces fitted tomorrow, so stocking up on easy to eat supplies). Ouch. Prices have gone up again in the last fortnight.
New Zealand's capital, Wellington, has been ranked one of the least affordable cities in the world for buying a property. The picture is also grim for renters, with a 12% rise in prices in the past year. That, along with increases in petrol and food prices, has led many to consider moving to nearby Australia – where they have the right to live and work.
Chris, a builder, his partner Harmony and their four daughters recently left Wellington to start a new life in the Australian city of Brisbane. Despite owning their home and earning reasonable salaries, they were still struggling.
"We have four kids, so it was expensive. We'd notice Australians saying you know the cost of living is going up – but that was the cost five years ago in New Zealand," says Chris.
Leaving New Zealand and the rest of her family was a difficult decision for Harmony. But she says the move was necessary for the children.
"You can't make a living in New Zealand. There is no living. You just go backwards. You don't get a choice if you want live, you have to move, or New Zealand has to change. I want a future for my children and there is none in New Zealand," she says.
The New Zealand government has tried to increase some short-term measures like fuel subsidies and halving the cost of public transport – but for many, it's not enough.
When ACT gets in with National they'll be against the Government having anything to do with supermarkets won't they? A 'super' market being one where the Government totally butts out, and it is a 'free' market. Isn't that it?
No budget bump for Labour in tonight's poll. Maybe if they would start listening to kiwis instead of talking to them, they would still be favourite's for a third term.
Kiwis don't want Three waters, co-governance or the Maori health authority. People are also crumbling under the weight of the cost of living crisis. What's Labours answer? push through with divisive policy and offer a token amount of money to half the population, which will effectively achieve nothing.
Next years budget must be a doozy. Reap what you sow!
Results are +\3% so too close to call for either Left or Right.
But agree, no bump in support for Labour following the budget (which I suspect they would have been hoping for) – and what looks like leaking of their left-wing over to the Greens (which will make some commenters here happy).
Maybe if they started listening to kiwis they wouldn't do anything like Three Waters or address the serious issues with Maori health, just let things carry on as they are.
Woe betide them if they listen to experts who say there are serious issues to be dealt with and actually try to do something.
Of course we know they've done nothing with housing. The many new houses I see in Selwyn, Waimakariri, Franklin, Waitakere, Rodney, Whangarei and wherever are all mirages I know.
The Democracy Project releases another work of independent scholarship timed with an opposition attack on a female, Maori, Labour politician, after previously having work supporting Michael Bassett.
Unsuprisingly the work basically runs Winston Peters (another specifically non-racist figure in NZ politics) attacks on Nanaia Mahuta. Mahuta has suffered all kinds of racist and sexist bs since assuming her role, including attacks on her moko. Gerry Brownlee gets treated with reverence of a statesman, despite being turfed out of his electorate after he started a few steps down the path of American style Covid politics.
The piece tries to link a series of hit jobs on 3 Waters with foreign affairs. It’s too much for her.
It ignores the work Mahuta does and has been doing or discounts it with criticism.
It lauds the (week old) work of the new foreign minister of Australia, but ignores the government of Australia Mahuta had been working with.
It ignores the Covid issues the PM is having in get US, as it dismisses Covid concerns for less international travel.
In the sneaky way it presents as journalism, but by listing as ‘opinion’ it can simply repeat or line up one sided criticism without having to get a response from the minister or the government.
The underlying message of the piece is that anything we’ve done is bad and anything done elsewhere is good.
The piece seems to suggest that NZ should be operating separately to its allies and that dropping in on the Solomons would have solved all the tension in the region.
It is a piece of immense cultural cringe. Look how brilliant that Australian minister is because she took a face to face meeting! Neglect to report that our foreign minister was in Fiji in April. Neglect to report, except in criticism of it, that the derided zoom meeting that actually achieved the clear outcome of extending NZ presence in the Solomons. And that off the back of that she will be visiting Solomons.
It repeats Peter’s criticism in embedded tweet that the PM is ‘swanning around the world’, a somewhat sexist way of representing her US trip, you know meeting the head of the other main power in the Pacific during a time of crisis, while deriding Mahuta for not traveling. If a Labour woman does it, it’s swanning around I guess.
It sneaks in little phrases like’To be fair to Mahuta’ after 7 or 8 paragraphs of mostly unfair or poorly contextualised criticism to give the illusion of journalism, while presenting the least charitable possible view of her work.
To add to that- it ignores the criticism of ScoMo by Fiji’s PM, using the language of the Pacific Family from the recent NZ agreement, as opposed to ScoMo’s neo -colonial phrase of the Pacific being in Australia’s backyard.
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Buzz from the Beehive A statement from Children’s Minister Karen Chhour – yet to be posted on the Government’s official website – arrived in Point of Order’s email in-tray last night. It welcomes the High Court ruling on whether the Waitangi Tribunal can demand she appear before it. It does ...
Mr Bombastic:Ironically, the media the academic experts wanted is, in many ways, the media they got. In place of the tyrannical editors of yesteryear, advancing without fear or favour the interests of the ruling class; the New Zealand news media of today boasts a troop of enlightened journalists dedicated to ...
It's hard times try to make a livingYou wake up every morning in the unforgivingOut there somewhere in the cityThere's people living lives without mercy or pityI feel good, yeah I'm feeling fineI feel better then I have for the longest timeI think these pills have been good for meI ...
In 1974, the US Supreme Court issued its decision in United States v. Nixon, finding that the President was not a King, but was subject to the law and was required to turn over the evidence of his wrongdoing to the courts. It was a landmark decision for the rule ...
Every day now just seems to bring in more fresh meat for the grinder.In their relentlessly ideological drive to cut back on the “excessive bloat” (as they see it) of the previous Labour-led government, on the mountains of evidence accumulated in such a short period of time do not ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Megan Valére SosouMarket gardening site of the Itchèléré de Itagui agricultural cooperative in Dassa-Zoumè (Image credit: Megan Valère Sossou) For the residents of Dassa-Zoumè, a city in the West African country of Benin, choosing between drinking water and having enough ...
Buzz from the Beehive Melissa Lee – as may be discerned from the screenshot above – has not been demoted for doing something seriously wrong as Minister of ...
Morning in London Mother hugs beloved daughter outside the converted shoe factory in which she is living.Afternoon in London Travelling writer takes himself and his wrist down to A&E, just to be sure. Read more ...
Mike Grimshaw writes – The recent announcement of the University Advisory Group, chaired by Sir Peter Gluckman, makes very clear where the Government’s focus and priorities lie. The remit of the Advisory Group is that Group members will consider challenges and opportunities for improvement in the university sector including: ...
Eric Crampton writes – The Reserve Bank of New Zealand desperately wants to find reasons to have workstreams in climate change. It makes little sense. They’ve run another stress test on the banks looking to see if they could find a prudential regulation case. They couldn’t. They ...
Rob MacCullough writes – Pundits from the left and the right are arguing that National’s Fast Track Bill that is designed to speed up infrastructure decisions could end up becoming mired in a cesspool of corruption. Political commentator ...
Looking at the headlines this morning it’s hard to feel anything other than pessimistic about the future of humanity.Note that I’m not speaking about the future of mankind, but the survival of our humanity. The values that we believe in seem to be ebbing away, by the day.Perhaps every generation ...
Swabbing mixed breed baby chicks to test for avian influenzaUh oh. Bird flu – often deadly to humans – is not only being transmitted from infected birds to dairy cows, but is now travelling between dairy cows. As of last Friday, Bloomberg News reports, there were 32 American dairy herds ...
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 ...
What is it with the mining industry? Its not enough for them to pillage the earth - they apparently can't even be bothered getting resource consent to do so: The proponent behind a major mine near the Clutha River had already been undertaking activity in the area without a ...
Photo # 1 I am a huge fan of Singapore’s approach to housing, as described here two years ago by copying and pasting from The ConversationWhat Singapore has that Australia does not is a public housing developer, the Housing Development Board, which puts new dwellings on public and reclaimed land, ...
Buzz from the Beehive Reactions to news of the government’s readiness to make urgent changes to “the resource management system” through a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) suggest a balanced approach is being taken. The Taxpayers’ Union says the proposed changes don’t go far enough. Greenpeace says ...
I’m starting to wonder if Anna Burns-Francis might be the best political interviewer we’ve got. That might sound unlikely to you, it came as a bit of a surprise to me.Jack Tame can be excellent, but has some pretty average days. I like Rebecca Wright on Newshub, she asks good ...
Chris Trotter writes – Willie Jackson is said to be planning a “media summit” to discuss “the state of the media and how to protect Fourth Estate Journalism”. Not only does the Editor of The Daily Blog, Martyn Bradbury, think this is a good idea, but he has also ...
Graeme Edgeler writes – This morning [April 21], the Wellington High Court is hearing a judicial review brought by Hon. Karen Chhour, the Minister for Children, against a decision of the Waitangi Tribunal. This is unusual, judicial reviews are much more likely to brought against ministers, rather than ...
Both of Parliament’s watchdogs have now ripped into the Government’s Fast-track Approvals Bill. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMy pick of the six newsey things to know from Aotearoa’s political economy and beyond on the morning of Tuesday, April 23 are:The Lead: The Auditor General,John Ryan, has joined the ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Sarah SpengemanPeople wait to board an electric bus in Pune, India. (Image credit: courtesy of ITDP) Public transportation riders in Pune, India, love the city’s new electric buses so much they will actually skip an older diesel bus that ...
The infrastructure industry yesterday issued a “hurry up” message to the Government, telling it to get cracking on developing a pipeline of infrastructure projects.The hiatus around the change of Government has seen some major projects cancelled and others delayed, and there is uncertainty about what will happen with the new ...
Hi,Over the weekend I revisited a podcast I really adore, Dead Eyes. It’s about a guy who got fired from Band of Brothers over two decades ago because Tom Hanks said he had “dead eyes”.If you don’t recall — 2001’s Band of Brothers was part of the emerging trend of ...
Buzz from the Beehive The 180 or so recipients of letters from the Government telling them how to submit infrastructure projects for “fast track” consideration includes some whose project applications previously have been rejected by the courts. News media were quick to feature these in their reports after RMA Reform Minister Chris ...
It would not be a desirable way to start your holiday by breaking your back, your head, or your wrist, but on our first hour in Singapore I gave it a try.We were chatting, last week, before we started a meeting of Hazel’s Enviro Trust, about the things that can ...
Calling all journalists, academics, planners, lawyers, political activists, environmentalists, and other members of the public who believe that the relationships between vested interests and politicians need to be scrutinised. We need to work together to make sure that the new Fast-Track Approvals Bill – currently being pushed through by the ...
Feel worried. Shane Jones and a couple of his Cabinet colleagues are about to be granted the power to override any and all objections to projects like dams, mines, roads etc even if: said projects will harm biodiversity, increase global warming and cause other environmental harms, and even if ...
Bryce Edwards writes- The ability of the private sector to quickly establish major new projects making use of the urban and natural environment is to be supercharged by the new National-led Government. Yesterday it introduced to Parliament one of its most significant reforms, the Fast Track Approvals Bill. ...
Michael Bassett writes – If you think there is a move afoot by the radical Maori fringe of New Zealand society to create a parallel system of government to the one that we elect at our triennial elections, you aren’t wrong. Over the last few days we have ...
Without a corresponding drop in interest rates, it’s doubtful any changes to the CCCFA will unleash a massive rush of home buyers. Photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: The six things that stood out to me in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, poverty and climate on Monday, April 22 included:The Government making a ...
Sunday was a lazy day. I started watching Jack Tame on Q&A, the interviews are usually good for something to write about. Saying the things that the politicians won’t, but are quite possibly thinking. Things that are true and need to be extracted from between the lines.As you might know ...
In our Weekly Roundup last week we covered news from Auckland Transport that the WX1 Western Express is going to get an upgrade next year with double decker electric buses. As part of the announcement, AT also said “Since we introduced the WX1 Western Express last November we have seen ...
TL;DR: The six key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to April 29 include:PM Christopher Luxon is scheduled to hold a post-Cabinet news conference at 4 pm today. Stats NZ releases its statutory report on Census 2023 tomorrow.Finance Minister Nicola Willis delivers a pre-Budget speech at ...
A listing of 29 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, April 14, 2024 thru Sat, April 20, 2024. Story of the week Our story of the week hinges on these words from the abstract of a fresh academic ...
The ability of the private sector to quickly establish major new projects making use of the urban and natural environment is to be supercharged by the new National-led Government. Yesterday it introduced to Parliament one of its most significant reforms, the Fast Track Approvals Bill. The Government says this will ...
This is a column to say thank you. So many of have been in touch since Mum died to say so many kind and thoughtful things. You’re wonderful, all of you. You’ve asked how we’re doing, how Dad’s doing. A little more realisation each day, of the irretrievable finality of ...
Identifying the engine type in your car is crucial for various reasons, including maintenance, repairs, and performance upgrades. Knowing the specific engine model allows you to access detailed technical information, locate compatible parts, and make informed decisions about modifications. This comprehensive guide will provide you with a step-by-step approach to ...
Introduction: The allure of racing is undeniable. The thrill of speed, the roar of engines, and the exhilaration of competition all contribute to the allure of this adrenaline-driven sport. For those who yearn to experience the pinnacle of racing, becoming a race car driver is the ultimate dream. However, the ...
Introduction Automobiles have become ubiquitous in modern society, serving as a primary mode of transportation and a symbol of economic growth and personal mobility. With countless vehicles traversing roads and highways worldwide, it begs the question: how many cars are there in the world? Determining the precise number is a ...
Maintaining a safe and reliable vehicle requires regular inspections. Whether it’s a routine maintenance checkup or a safety inspection, knowing how long the process will take can help you plan your day accordingly. This article delves into the factors that influence the duration of a car inspection and provides an ...
Mazda Motor Corporation, commonly known as Mazda, is a Japanese multinational automaker headquartered in Fuchu, Aki District, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan. The company was founded in 1920 as the Toyo Cork Kogyo Co., Ltd., and began producing vehicles in 1931. Mazda is primarily known for its production of passenger cars, but ...
Your car battery is an essential component that provides power to start your engine, operate your electrical systems, and store energy. Over time, batteries can weaken and lose their ability to hold a charge, which can lead to starting problems, power failures, and other issues. Replacing your battery before it ...
In most states, you cannot register a car without a valid driver’s license. However, there are a few exceptions to this rule. Exceptions to the RuleIf you are under 18 years old: In some states, you can register a car in your name even if you do not ...
Mazda, a Japanese automotive manufacturer with a rich history of innovation and engineering excellence, has emerged as a formidable player in the global car market. Known for its reputation of producing high-quality, fuel-efficient, and driver-oriented vehicles, Mazda has consistently garnered praise from industry experts and consumers alike. In this article, ...
Struts are an essential part of a car’s suspension system. They are responsible for supporting the weight of the car and damping the oscillations of the springs. Struts are typically made of steel or aluminum and are filled with hydraulic fluid. How Do Struts Work? Struts work by transferring the ...
Car registration is a mandatory process that all vehicle owners must complete annually. This process involves registering your car with the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) and paying an associated fee. The registration process ensures that your vehicle is properly licensed and insured, and helps law enforcement and other authorities ...
Zoom is a video conferencing service that allows you to share your screen, webcam, and audio with other participants. In addition to sharing your own audio, you can also share the audio from your computer with other participants. This can be useful for playing music, sharing presentations with audio, or ...
Building your own computer can be a rewarding and cost-effective way to get a high-performance machine tailored to your specific needs. However, it also requires careful planning and execution, and one of the most important factors to consider is the time it will take. The exact time it takes to ...
Sleep mode is a power-saving state that allows your computer to quickly resume operation without having to boot up from scratch. This can be useful if you need to step away from your computer for a short period of time but don’t want to shut it down completely. There are ...
Te Pāti Māori are demanding the New Zealand Government support an international independent investigation into mass graves that have been uncovered at two hospitals on the Gaza strip, following weeks of assault by Israeli troops. Among the 392 bodies that have been recovered, are children and elderly civilians. Many of ...
Our two-tiered system for veterans’ support is out of step with our closest partners, and all parties in Parliament should work together to fix it, Labour veterans’ affairs spokesperson Greg O’Connor said. ...
Stripping two Ministers of their portfolios just six months into the job shows Christopher Luxon’s management style is lacking, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said. ...
Tonight’s court decision to overturn the summons of the Children’s Minister has enabled the Crown to continue making decisions about Māori without evidence, says Te Pāti Māori spokesperson for Children, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. “The judicial system has this evening told the nation that this government can do whatever they want when ...
It appears Nicola Willis is about to pull the rug out from under the feet of local communities still dealing with the aftermath of last year’s severe weather, and local councils relying on funding to build back from these disasters. ...
The Government is making short-sighted changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA) that will take away environmental protection in favour of short-term profits, Labour’s environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
Labour welcomes the release of the report into the North Island weather events and looks forward to working with the Government to ensure that New Zealand is as prepared as it can be for the next natural disaster. ...
The Labour Party has called for the New Zealand Government to recognise Palestine, as a material step towards progressing the two-State solution needed to achieve a lasting peace in the region. ...
Some of our country’s most important work, stopping the sexual exploitation of children and violent extremism could go along with staff on the frontline at ports and airports. ...
The Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill will give projects such as new coal mines a ‘get out of jail free’ card to wreak havoc on the environment, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
The government's decision to reintroduce Three Strikes is a destructive and ineffective piece of law-making that will only exacerbate an inherently biased and racist criminal justice system, said Te Pāti Māori Justice Spokesperson, Tākuta Ferris, today. During the time Three Strikes was in place in Aotearoa, Māori and Pasifika received ...
Cuts to frontline hospital staff are not only a broken election promise, it shows the reckless tax cuts have well and truly hit the frontline of the health system, says Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall. ...
The Green Party has joined the call for public submissions on the fast-track legislation to be extended after the Ombudsman forced the Government to release the list of organisations invited to apply just hours before submissions close. ...
New Zealand’s good work at reducing climate emissions for three years in a row will be undone by the National government’s lack of ambition and scrapping programmes that were making a difference, Labour Party climate spokesperson Megan Woods said today. ...
More essential jobs could be on the chopping block, this time Ministry of Education staff on the school lunches team are set to find out whether they're in line to lose their jobs. ...
Te Pāti Māori is disgusted at the confirmation that hundreds are set to lose their jobs at Oranga Tamariki, and the disestablishment of the Treaty Response Unit. “This act of absolute carelessness and out of touch decision making is committing tamariki to state abuse.” Said Te Pāti Māori Oranga Tamariki ...
The Government is trying to bring in a law that will allow Ministers to cut corners and kill off native species, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said. ...
Cancelling urgently needed new Cook Strait ferries and hiking the cost of public transport for many Kiwis so that National can announce the prospect of another tunnel for Wellington is not making good choices, Labour Transport Spokesperson Tangi Utikere said. ...
A laundry list of additional costs for Tāmaki Makarau Auckland shows the Minister for the city is not delivering for the people who live there, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...
Te Pāti Māori co-leader Rawiri Waititi, and Mema Paremata mō Tāmaki-Makaurau, Takutai Tarsh Kemp, will travel to the Gold Coast to strengthen ties with Māori in Australia next week (15-21 April). The visit, in the lead-up to the 9th Australian National Kapa haka Festival, will be an opportunity for both ...
The Green Party has today launched a step-by-step guide to help New Zealanders make their voice heard on the Government’s democracy dodging and anti-environment fast track legislation. ...
The National Government’s proposed changes to the Residential Tenancies Act will mean tenants can be turfed from their homes by landlords with little notice, Labour housing spokesperson Kieran McAnulty said. ...
Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson is calling on all parties to support a common-sense change that’s great for the planet and great for consumers after her member’s bill was drawn from the ballot today. ...
A significant milestone has been reached in the fight to strike an anti-Pasifika and unfair law from the country’s books after Teanau Tuiono’s members’ bill passed its first reading. ...
New Zealand has today missed the opportunity to uphold the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment, says James Shaw after his member’s bill was voted down in its first reading. ...
Today’s advice from the Climate Change Commission paints a sobering reality of the challenge we face in combating climate change, especially in light of recent Government policy announcements. ...
Minister for Disability Issues Penny Simmonds appears to have delayed a report back to Cabinet on the progress New Zealand is making against international obligations for disabled New Zealanders. ...
Hundreds of New Zealand families affected by Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) will benefit from a new Government focus on prevention and treatment, says Health Minister Dr Shane Reti. “We know FASD is a leading cause of preventable intellectual and neurodevelopmental disability in New Zealand,” Dr Reti says. “Every day, ...
Regional Development Minister Shane Jones today attended the official opening of Kaikohe’s new $14.7 million sports complex. “The completion of the Kaikohe Multi Sports Complex is a fantastic achievement for the Far North,” Mr Jones says. “This facility not only fulfils a long-held dream for local athletes, but also creates ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters’ engagements in Türkiye this week underlined the importance of diplomacy to meet growing global challenges. “Returning to the Gallipoli Peninsula to represent New Zealand at Anzac commemorations was a sombre reminder of the critical importance of diplomacy for de-escalating conflicts and easing tensions,” Mr Peters ...
Ambassador Millar, Burgemeester, Vandepitte, Excellencies, military representatives, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen – good morning and welcome to this sacred Anzac Day dawn service. It is an honour to be here on behalf of the Government and people of New Zealand at Buttes New British Cemetery, Polygon Wood – a deeply ...
Distinguished guests - It is an honour to return once again to this site which, as the resting place for so many of our war-dead, has become a sacred place for generations of New Zealanders. Our presence here and at the other special spaces of Gallipoli is made ...
Mai ia tawhiti pamamao, te moana nui a Kiwa, kua tae whakaiti mai matou, ki to koutou papa whenua. No koutou te tapuwae, no matou te tapuwae, kua honoa pumautia. Ko nga toa kua hinga nei, o te Waipounamu, o te Ika a Maui, he okioki tahi me o ...
Paul Goldsmith will take on responsibility for the Media and Communications portfolio, while Louise Upston will pick up the Disability Issues portfolio, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon announced today. “Our Government is relentlessly focused on getting New Zealand back on track. As issues change in prominence, I plan to adjust Ministerial ...
Recreational catch limits will be reduced in areas of Fiordland and the Chatham Islands to help keep those fisheries healthy and sustainable, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The lower recreational daily catch limits for a range of finfish and shellfish species caught in the Fiordland Marine Area and ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed an important milestone in New Zealand’s hydrogen future, with the opening of the country’s first network of hydrogen refuelling stations in Wiri. “I want to congratulate the team at Hiringa Energy and its partners K one W one (K1W1), Mitsui & Co New Zealand ...
The coalition Government is delivering on its commitment to improve resource management laws and give greater certainty to consent applicants, with a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) expected to be introduced to Parliament next month. RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop has today outlined the first RMA Amendment ...
Overseas models for regulating the oil and gas sector, including their decommissioning regimes, are being carefully scrutinised as a potential template for New Zealand’s own sector, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. The Coalition Government is focused on rebuilding investor confidence in New Zealand’s energy sector as it looks to strengthen ...
Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell has today released the Report of the Government Inquiry into the response to the North Island Severe Weather Events. “The report shows that New Zealand’s emergency management system is not fit-for-purpose and there are some significant gaps we need to address,” Mr Mitchell ...
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith is today travelling to Europe where he’ll update the United Nations Human Rights Council on the Government’s work to restore law and order. “Attending the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva provides us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while ...
Associate Agriculture Minister, Mark Patterson, formally reopened the world’s largest wool processing facility today in Awatoto, Napier, following a $50 million rebuild and refurbishment project. “The reopening of this facility will significantly lift the economic opportunities available to New Zealand’s wool sector, which already accounts for 20 per cent of ...
Hon Andrew Bayly, Minister for Small Business and Manufacturing At the Southland Otago Regional Engineering Collective (SOREC) Summit, 18 April, Dunedin Ngā mihi nui, Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Ko Whanganui aho Good Afternoon and thank you for inviting me to open your summit today. I am delighted ...
The Government is delivering on its commitment to bring back the Three Strikes legislation, Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee announced today. “Our Government is committed to restoring law and order and enforcing appropriate consequences on criminals. We are making it clear that repeat serious violent or sexual offending is not ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has today announced four new diplomatic appointments for New Zealand’s overseas missions. “Our diplomats have a vital role in maintaining and protecting New Zealand’s interests around the world,” Mr Peters says. “I am pleased to announce the appointment of these senior diplomats from the ...
New Zealand is contributing NZ$7 million to support communities affected by severe food insecurity and other urgent humanitarian needs in Ethiopia and Somalia, Foreign Minister Rt Hon Winston Peters announced today. “Over 21 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance across Ethiopia, with a further 6.9 million people ...
Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage Paul Goldsmith is congratulating Mataaho Collective for winning the Golden Lion for best participant in the main exhibition at the Venice Biennale. "Congratulations to the Mataaho Collective for winning one of the world's most prestigious art prizes at the Venice Biennale. “It is good ...
The Government is reforming financial services to improve access to home loans and other lending, and strengthen customer protections, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly and Housing Minister Chris Bishop announced today. “Our coalition Government is committed to rebuilding the economy and making life simpler by cutting red tape. We are ...
“China remains a strong commercial opportunity for Kiwi exporters as Chinese businesses and consumers continue to value our high-quality safe produce,” Trade and Agriculture Minister Todd McClay says. Mr McClay has returned to New Zealand following visits to Beijing, Harbin and Shanghai where he met ministers, governors and mayors and engaged in trade and agricultural events with the New ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has completed a successful trip to Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines, deepening relationships and capitalising on opportunities. Mr Luxon was accompanied by a business delegation and says the choice of countries represents the priority the New Zealand Government places on South East Asia, and our relationships in ...
New Zealand is demonstrating its commitment to reducing global greenhouse emissions, and supporting clean energy transition in South East Asia, through a contribution of NZ$41 million (US$25 million) in climate finance to the Asian Development Bank (ADB)-led Energy Transition Mechanism (ETM). Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Climate Change Minister Simon Watts announced ...
The Government is today releasing a list of organisations who received letters about the Fast-track applications process, says RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop. “Recently Ministers and agencies have received a series of OIA requests for a list of organisations to whom I wrote with information on applying to have a ...
Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister David Jonathan Boldt as a Judge of the High Court, and the Honourable Justice Matthew Palmer as a Judge of the Court of Appeal. Justice Boldt graduated with an LLB from Victoria University of Wellington in 1990, and also holds ...
Education Minister Erica Stanford will lead the New Zealand delegation at the 2024 International Summit on the Teaching Profession (ISTP) held in Singapore. The delegation includes representatives from the Post Primary Teachers’ Association (PPTA) Te Wehengarua and the New Zealand Educational Institute (NZEI) Te Riu Roa. The summit is co-hosted ...
A stopbank upgrade project in Tairawhiti partly funded by the Government has increased flood resilience for around 7000ha of residential and horticultural land so far, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones today attended a dawn service in Gisborne to mark the end of the first stage of the ...
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters will represent the Government at Anzac Day commemorations on the Gallipoli Peninsula next week and engage with senior representatives of the Turkish government in Istanbul. “The Gallipoli campaign is a defining event in our history. It will be a privilege to share the occasion ...
Science, Innovation and Technology and Defence Minister Judith Collins will next week attend the OECD Science and Technology Ministerial conference in Paris and Anzac Day commemorations in Belgium. “Science, innovation and technology have a major role to play in rebuilding our economy and achieving better health, environmental and social outcomes ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with the President of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos Jr. The Prime Minister was accompanied by MP Paulo Garcia, the first Filipino to be elected to a legislature outside the Philippines. During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon and President Marcos Jr discussed opportunities to ...
The Government has announced that $20 million in funding will be made available to Westport to fund much needed flood protection around the town. This measure will significantly improve the resilience of the community, says Local Government Minister Simeon Brown. “The Westport community has already been allocated almost $3 million ...
The Government is proud to support the first ever Repco Supercars Championship event in Taupō as up to 70,000 motorsport fans attend the Taupō International Motorsport Park this weekend, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. “Anticipation for the ITM Taupō Super400 is huge, with tickets and accommodation selling out weeks ...
Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced an increase to the Rates Rebate Scheme, putting money back into the pockets of low-income homeowners. “The coalition Government is committed to bringing down the cost of living for New Zealanders. That includes targeted support for those Kiwis who are doing things tough, such ...
The Coalition Government is investing in a project to boost survival rates of New Zealand mussels and grow the industry, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones has announced. “This project seeks to increase the resilience of our mussels and significantly boost the sector’s productivity,” Mr Jones says. “The project - ...
Benefit figures released today underscore the importance of the Government’s plan to rebuild the economy and have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker Support, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “Benefit numbers are still significantly higher than when National was last in government, when there was about 70,000 fewer ...
The Government’s commitment to doubling New Zealand’s renewable energy capacity is backed by new data showing that clean energy has helped the country reach its lowest annual gross emissions since 1999, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. New Zealand’s latest Greenhouse Gas Inventory (1990-2022) published today, shows gross emissions fell ...
The Government is bringing the earthquake-prone building review forward, with work to start immediately, and extending the deadline for remediations by four years, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “Our Government is focused on rebuilding the economy. A key part of our plan is to cut red tape that ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and his Thai counterpart, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, have today agreed that New Zealand and the Kingdom of Thailand will upgrade the bilateral relationship to a Strategic Partnership by 2026. “New Zealand and Thailand have a lot to offer each other. We have a strong mutual desire to build ...
RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop and Transport Minister Simeon Brown have today announced the Coalition Government’s intention to extend port coastal permits for a further 20 years, providing port operators with certainty to continue their operations. “The introduction of the Resource Management Act in 1991 required ports to obtain coastal ...
Today’s announcement that inflation is down to 4 per cent is encouraging news for Kiwis, but there is more work to be done - underlining the importance of the Government’s plan to get the economy back on track, acting Finance Minister Chris Bishop says. “Inflation is now at 4 per ...
Analysis by Dr Bryce Edwards, Democracy Project (https://democracyproject.nz)New Zealand Government’s Fast Track legislation. Many criticisms are being made of the Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill, including by this writer. But as with everything in politics, every story has two sides, and both deserve attention. It’s important to understand what the Government ...
Tara Ward talks to presenter Naomi Toilalo about the new TV show that turns food waste into a three course feast. Naomi Toilalo is standing in the warehouse at Good Neighbour Tauranga, helping unpack the two-and-a-half tonnes of rejected food that will arrive at the community support hub that day. ...
Scout is our latest Dog of the Month. This feature was offered as a reward during our What’s Eating Aotearoa PledgeMe campaign. Thank you to Scout’s human, Avril, for her support. Dog name: Scout (named after the little girl in To Kill a Mockingbird – she inherited the independent spirit ...
Megan Alatini takes us through her life in TV, including ‘terrible’ daytime TV, the class of Carol Hirschfeld and her most embarrassing TrueBliss moment. When she responded to a vague newspaper ad asking “do you have what it takes to be a popstar?” 25 years ago, Megan Alatini never guessed ...
A new exhibition in Wellington showcases the faces behind your local goods and services. Back in 1977, when I was a fine arts student at the University of Canterbury, I took a series of photographs of Christchurch shopkeepers. The photos were for a calendar – a project for my end ...
Toomaj and his resistance to tyranny through his songs have become an icon for the youth of Iran, so his sentence has hit the nation hard. Toomaj Salehi is not the first artist to pay the price for standing with the people. ...
My cousin Dylan and I spotted these big eels under the bridge that summer. We watched them lounging under the dark weed, facing into the flow of water, their mouths frozen open. Dylan and I couldn’t stop thinking about those eels. The night we went down to the creek, we ...
Newsroom, home of satire. My long-running weekly satirical series The Secret Diary has moved to Newsroom and will appear every Saturday, with Victor Billot’s wildly popular satirical Odes continuing to appear every Sunday. Diaries, Odes – while serious political columnists toil at meaningful opinions and stroke their chins to an ...
Tara Ward unravels the many nuanced layers of a cartoon about talking dogs.This is an excerpt from our weekly pop culture newsletter Rec Room. Sign up here. It’s not often an episode of a children’s cartoon has adults sobbing into their sleeves, but that’s exactly what happened this week when ...
Working as a doctor in developing countries to help communities achieve better health outcomes is nothing short of a life goal for Jessica Tater. The University of Otago medical student has her sights firmly set on joining the international humanitarian organisation Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) when she qualifies ...
There’s an island in the far reaches of Auckland’s territory, sitting off the tip of the Coromandel Peninsula, 30 minutes by air from the city or four hours on the slow boat. Aotea Great Barrier is off-grid, it has a population of fewer than a thousand people … and most ...
Asia Pacific Report An Australian author and advocate, Jim Aubrey, today led a national symbolic one minute’s silence to mark the “blood debt” owed to Papuan allies during the Second World War indigenous resistance against the invading Japanese forces. “A promise to most people is a promise,” Aubrey said in ...
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Doesn't sound like the TVNZ HR department did very good background checking on this bloke. Be interesting to see who they replace John Campbell with now.
Kamahl Santamaria quits TVNZ: Breakfast show hosts address 'the changes' after host's abrupt departure – NZ Herald
Yesterday the article on Stuff contained a snippet that he'd faced similar accusations working at Al Jazeera. Was very quickly removed.
About sums it up.
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/article-the-american-polity-is-cracked-and-might-collapse-canada-must-prepare/
U.S. the most war like country on Earth…..
USA; 750 military bases around the World
China; 3 military bases around the World
Russia; 8 military bases around the World
Military budget of the United States 801 Billion (population 329.5 million )
Military budget of China 261 Billion (population 1.402 billion)
Military budget of Russia 66 Billion (population 144.1 million )
And we all know the truly impressive and extremely long list of countries in which the US has conducted hostile incursions into another country's territories….and lets not even start with the USA's role in meddling in other countries elections….that list would be just ridiculous……., and yet people on this very site will scream at the top of their lungs…FEAR RUSSIA….FEAR CHINA…..
Like most of their rhetoric…logic, common sense (and historical evidence) has to be completely ignored in order to join their new Cold War Club…..unfortunately it seems like they are getting plenty of takers now that Putin has wrongly and stupidly given them the gift of the Ukraine….millions of deaths, untold misery and destruction caused and still being caused by ultra aggressive US/Western militarism…forgotten quite literally in the blink of an eye…..
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=frKIiKB8iWY&t=7s
Putin launched this war precisely because he thought the US was weak and not going to intervene.
At the beginning of this year most people thought it unlikely Urkaine would be invaded – yet here we are. And now Russia is rightly feared and loathed for its vile invasion.
China continues to threaten to invade Taiwan, and are openly pre-positioning themselves to do so. Only a complete fool would could now claim this is unlikely. Indeed you only have to look at their insanely provocative actions in the South Pacific to understand precisely what their intentions are. As a result China is also rightly feared and loathed for continuing down this same medieval, war-mongering path as Russia.
Adrian's undeniable cheerleading for these totalitarian regimes and the neo-colonial invasions they promote renders anything he says about US history to meaningless partisan blather. More to the point – if he lived in Russia or China and was saying comparable things against those regimes, he would very likely be shut down and pay a high cost for it. That he feels free to abuse the relative freedom of speech that he enjoys here in the West to undermine and betray the open society he has the remarkable privilege to live in underscores a profound ignorance and moral bankruptcy.
I watched a wee animation of Japan's Pacific expansion from 1931 and I was pretty chilled by the recognition of China's moves this decade.
Bad news for the fish, too.
https://twitter.com/CleoPaskal/status/1529297600876273667
What is chilling about that map is the 8 USA areas, doubtless all equipped for military use.
Worked well last time.
" Putin launched this war " etc etc
Alternatively Putin launched his SMO because he recognized America's power play in the ukraine and doing nothing about it was'nt an option .
Agree most observers in the west thought he was'nt going to invade but now that has occurred a great many counties arround the world have some sympathies for the Russian perspective and its predicament ie America's openly stated intention to 'weaken ' Russia . Those countries include China obviously plus India and probably Pakistan South Africa Iran Venezuela Mexico and numerous others .
I had a humorous thought that probably all Reds mum would have had to do when he was an infant was whistle Dixie to get him to suckle vigorously !
Russia even invented a phrase for it.
In political jargon, a useful idiot is a derogatory term for a person perceived as propagandizing for a cause without fully comprehending the cause's goals, and who is cynically used by the cause's leaders.[1][2] The term was originally used during the Cold War to describe non-communists regarded as susceptible to communist propaganda and manipulation.
So when both sides can accuse the other of exactly the same 'useful idiot ' term is anything achieved Alien ?
Like being lectured by an anti vaxxer on healthcare or global warming by a cc denier lol
Fine example of false equivalence with a dash of desperation ! lol
Fit "fake news" and "alternative facts" in your next reply and collect your 25 bonus putin points.
Throwing propaganda and unhelpful labels at each other leads to more widespread confusion and division, not just between sides, but also within sides and this is often one of the objectives of propaganda – it becomes self-reinforcing.
A useful idiot becomes less useful for propagandists once he/she start to realise that they are and have been manipulated. When this leads to better understanding of the situation and possibly even an internal dialogue within and between sides there’s an increased chance that a non-binary non-partisan solution might be found and also sooner rather than later. The fact is that some people actually benefit from wars and it is these people who often have a hand (literally) in spreading propaganda aka the vested interests.
But not you, and the handful like you, who only seem to have the mental capacity to fear the united states.
The USA are easily the biggest war mongers on the planet by a very comfortable margin any body disputing this fact cant even do simple math .
And because of that, you can't make space inside your head to condemn russia and china? Bless.
I notice you've left out Turkmenistan in your condemnations. What's your point?
The point lol
If russia and china get free passes because your room is too full of hate for the usa, then it's myopic, one sided and most likely just politically motivated chatter.
I don't take anyone seriously, showing such small minded, blinkered thinking. Blame and consequences should land at all deserving doors.
But do go for it – I'm clearly not the intended audience.
The cause of the war in Ukraine and many other wars and invasions, usually have nothing at all to do with the ridiculous stated reasons, like the murder of an Arch Duke, or neo-nazis in Ukraine.
Hi Adrian, you have provided us an accurate list exposing the reach and spread of the US military empire. Taken together, the US empire's record of invasions and wars around the globe is truly horrific.
But this list of US crime and global power does not account for the current situation. And the very real threat posed by Russian imperialism.
The comparative size and success of imperialist powers is not their only measure.
Let's take an analogy:
Before the Second and First World Wars, the British Empire, not the US empire was the global hegemonic super power. The crimes of the British Empire are well documented, during its reign as the world hegemon the British Empire killed an estimated 40 million people.
"The law of murder is the law of growth." 19th Century British Imperialist, Winwood Reade
Though the German imperialists certainly matched the British imperialists in their level of atrocity and genocide. Compared to the British Empire, the German and Nazi empires never reached anywhere near the size and reach of the British Empire.
As the eponymous character in the anti-war satire 'Black Adder' put it, compared to the British Empire all the German Empire had was a small sausage factory in Tanganyika.
Obviously an exaggeration for theatrical effect, but not that far from the truth.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tGxAYeeyoIc
The cause of war?
My conclusion is that 99% of war is simply about taking somebody else's stuff.
But this list of US crime and global power does not account for the current situation. And the very real threat posed by Russian imperialism.
"Russian imperialism" is a figment of your imagination. Though there may have been a few imperialist efforts during Tsarist days, mostly aimed at gaining Istanbul.
Try telling the people of Ukraine under Russian bombing, that Russian imperialism is a figment of their imagination.
Try telling the people of Syria under Russian bombing, that Russian imperialism is a figment of their imagination.
How Russian denial of civilian casualties follows tactics used in Syria
Mikesh, tell me, is Chinese imperialism also a figment of my imagination?
Try telling the people of Syria under Russian bombing, that Russian imperialism is a figment of their imagination.
I'm not sure what the Ukranians think, and to be honest I don't think it matters. Speculations about what they might be thinking just some of the rubbish you serve up when you can't come up with a cogent argument.
Mikesh, tell me, is Chinese imperialism also a figment of my imagination?
I really have no idea, but if they are then they are doing through diplomatic channels. I don't see any reason to get upset about that.
However, I think your imagination seems a little erratic.
PS: By the way, have you read Harari's Sapiens. Harari thinks that the historical role of empires is to bring nations together, and forge a common way of life.
but if they are then they are doing through diplomatic channels
The Uighurs might not agree: Xinjiang leak reveals extent of Chinese abuses in Uighur camps | News | Al Jazeera
I think Jenny is referring to China's incursions into the Pacific.
I expect that she is as concerned by oppression within Chinese borders as she is with oppression outside them.
That would be noble of her if such oppression did exist.
The BBC just published the documents that show it exists.
All fake news of course:
Nothing to see here.
'The BBC just published documents
that show it exists.'FIFY Stuart
Brigid LOL at state sponsored genocide.
Brigid makes a typo.
I think the word you were looking for Brigid, was applaud, not appal.
Here, let me fix it for you.
"….I
appal[applaud] violence in all its forms,including[especially] state sanctioned murder." BrigidLOL This, you fascist bitch.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/apr/27/massacre-in-tadamon-how-two-academics-hunted-down-a-syrian-war-criminal.
[A blatant lie: “Brigid LOL at state sponsored genocide.” Brigid did not say or imply such a thing in her comment.
Dredging up old comment threads without providing relevant context – old grievances.
Twisting somebody else’s words aka putting words in their mouth.
FYI, appal is a verb.
Not making a single political point for discussion.
Personal insult and attack – old grievances.
Take a week off – Incognito]
Mod note
It is indicative of your sincerity as a commenter, that you dismiss a substantial body of evidence without even a cursory look.
For shame Brigid.
May the day never come when you are oppressed, and internationals who might have mustered to your defense simply cannot be bothered.
Who Knows. Still, nice deflection on your part, albeit a bit sneaky.
What I think:
A budding imperial power that wants to play the "Great Game" on the world stage, first starts by colonising its hinterland and/or smaller nearest neighbours.. After it has enslaved and murdered and robbed these peoples, only then does it feel confident enough to challenge its rival imperialists on the world stage.
It's the same process followed by the British Empire began in Ireland, And the US empire with its genocidal Manifest Destiny policy against its First People Nations.
It's the pattern followed by Chinese regime against Tibet and against the Uyghur Autonomous Region.
The latest news is that the diplomatic efforts of the Chinese imperialists into the Pacific have been checked.
Of course you don't think it matters what the Ukrainians think, No surprises there. Whenever has anyone, who supports imperialist war and invasions ever thought it matters what the people of the country being invaded and taken over think?
That's what every supporter of imperialism, that ever was, has said.
Ghengis Khan, Cecil Rhodes, King Leopold, Adolf Hitler, Joseph Stalin, Hirohito and Vladimir Putin would all agree with you on that one.
Of course you don't think it matters what the Ukrainians think, No surprises there. Whenever has anyone, who supports imperialist war and invasions ever thought it matters what the people of the country being invaded and taken over think?
I would think the Ukrainians would be too worried about bombs dropping on their heads to be interested in whether or not Russia has "imperialist intentions".
Ghengis Khan, Cecil Rhodes, King Leopold, Adolf Hitler, Joseph Stalin, Hirohito and Vladimir Putin would all agree with you on that one
Empires are a fact of life, or a fact of history. Whether anybody supports them, or nobody supports them, is rather pointless to speculate on..
By the way, you forgot about Cyrus the Great, and also Augustus Caesar.
From Finland and the Baltic states to Moldova, from Eastern Europe, the Caucasus and Central Asia to Siberia, Manchuria and Alaska.
Just a few imperialist efforts.
/
So… ? No-one doubts that Russia is already an empire.
Listen to the truth about Putin, Wormtongue.
She was killed for it of course.
What gets me is that the left spent a decade tearing itself apart over how Assange was a rapist because he didn't use a condom on his morning wood – but when orders Putin the murder of a country somehow he's just a poor misunderstood vlad.
No one is saying US military behaviour is marvellous.
But this "whataboutism" does nothing to excuse the mass murder / rape / destruction Russia is inflicting in the independent democracy of Ukraine.
Nor does it excuse mass persecution of Uyghurs by China.
No-one is denying that what is going on in Ukraine is abhorent. Differences that countries have with one another should sorted out by negotiation, and perhaps with arbitration if a settlement cannot be reached. However, if one party (in this case, Zelenskyy) won't come to the the negotiating table, and if that party won't abide by previously arrived at agreements (like the Minsk agreements), then it's difficult to see what options the other party has, other than to declare war.
You twist yourself into pretzels trying to exculpate the murderous Putin regime.
Russia agreed in 1994 to respect Ukraine's sovereignty and national borders in return for Kyiv agreeing to give up its nuclear arsenal. ~ The Budapest Memorandum.
Russia's alternative was to abide by its agreements – now the Putin regime will be crushed – and a good thing too.
Ukraine also signed up to the Minsk Agreements. But that didn't seem to stop Zelenskyy's minions bombing the Donbas region.
now the Putin regime will be crushed – and a good thing too.
Yes. It's hard to win when your opponent has the brutal and corrupt US regime on your side, supplying you with weapons.
Well given that Putin had already egregiously reneged on the prior Budapest Memorandum – to your obvious satisfaction – why then do you demand Ukraine should abide by any agreement either? Why one rule for Russia and another for Ukraine?
And while the terms of the Budapest agreement were always crystal clear and uncontroversial – the Minsk agreement was quite the opposite:
In essence Putin’s record of lies and betrayals means that nothing he says is of any worth whatsoever. Agreement cannot be reached with such a person.
Whatever. It doesn't excuse the bombing of Donbas. Porochenko (I assume it was him) should rather have been looking at obtaining a negotiated agreement with the Easterners.
Whatever …
Right there in one lazy sneering word. You don't give a shit about Ukraine so long as you get to bang the 'look how good a leftie I am for hating on the US' drum.
Was that an argument? Looked more like a sneering ad hominem to me. And I never claimed to be a leftie FWIW.
The Budapest Agreement was not Putin's agreement. That would been that drunken sot who preceded him.
Not bound by it eh?
Did he return the nukes? No?
Just another dishonorable warmonger then.
And you, God help you, are his Wormtongue.
I assume you would rather he had returned the nukes? Really? And the initial fighting was not about borders; it was Porochenko, and later Zelenskyy, attacking their own countrymen, just because they were ethnically Russian.
It really doesn't matter how enthusiastically you repeat Putin's lies, Mikesh – Your career as a Tokyo Rose will not end in the plaudits of a grateful dictator.
I would rather Putin had stayed within his borders. No, it was not about Poroshenko and Zelensky – Russian forces had been killing Ukrainians relentlessly since 2014 – over 14 000 of them (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Casualties_of_the_Russo-Ukrainian_War) – the missing column in your mathematics of blame.
But of course it’s okay to for Russia to kill Ukrainians. They have Mikesh’s blessing.
Has Putin been telling whoppers. I wouldn't know. I don't think I have heard he has said recently.
It's a good thing that it's hard for Russia to win, since hard though that may be for you to believe, having soaked up Putin's disinformation like the rest of the poriferae, you do not face the consequence of being forced into a battle with no training, Soviet era equipment, and scant concern for your survival.
Here we can see a recent draft of Donetsk citizens mustering for battle – they entrusted little matters like self-determination to pseudo parental figures like Putin, not unlike certain childish notionally Left persons somewhat closer to home.
To paraphrase John Donne: No country is an island, Entire unto itself …
"Self determination" is all very well, but it doesn't give a country license to do whatever it likes. Ukraine has a rather powerful neighbour who may well have had grave concerns about the way it had been carrying on.
By the way I’m not acquainted with anything Putin has said, irrespective of whether it is information or disinformation.
By the way I’m not acquainted with anything Putin has said
Of course you are – you just got it second or third hand.
You have a visceral hatred for Putin. I get that. I couldn't care less about Putin. All my comments are concerned with the goings on in Ukraine.
Though I think I said I said somewhere that I thought Putin a better ruler than the drunken sot who preceded him.
Of course anyone with any enlightenment values necessarily reviles genocidal warmongering dictators. We notice your lack of such values.
I couldn't care less about Putin.
And yet you repeat his propaganda as enthusiastically as the Hitler Youth repeated his. This is not an appropriate forum for that – you should do that on 8chan.
It's one of life's little curiosities that Yeltsin was considered by Russians to be a sophisticate. He had the Moscow accent – whereas Gorbachev only had a record of successful and popular economic reforms in Primorye.
Turns out your better than Yeltsin president is a danger to many peaceable people in Europe, whereas Yeltsin, besides wrecking Gorbachev's reform and dooming his country to penury, was most dangerous to his own liver.
Well I'm sure Comrade Putin doesn't like you very much either. With good reason,
Another example of the effects of this homophobic cult.
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2022/may/29/if-lesbian-prefers-same-sex-dates-thats-not-bigotry-desire-personal-thing?fbclid=IwAR0b7LFokaFo0v1m0Nwue0KgUjDhwY_-23TuxILtj7sHaLzCWY8Zy2WRD4Q
The capture of NGOS,institutions, government departments and 'advisors' is the concern.
Individuals spouting nonsense can be managed with some effort.
It it when such perspectives emerge fully formed in political discourse and legislative and policy changes that the scale of the problem is revealed.
Housing crisis solutions, tiny homes, climate mitigation and adaptation are all connected.
https://twitter.com/wekatweets/status/1531035728871759873
Some couples build 4+ bedroom houses with 3+ bathrooms with a footprint of 300+ square metre. "What the…."
Then I look at the charming functional Madrid house and think "Wow!"
Yes, ianmac. I've cleaned some houses like that and they were sterile glass and concrete monuments to Mammon. No art on the walls save a faux French clock from a garden shop, no book shelves, a 50" TV at the end of a 15 metre glass gallery and no musical instruments.
Buy/build a small house and get some good art, books, and a piano/guitar. Whatever, but celebrate creative arts and have someone come into the house and be agreeably surprised by functional and creative beauty both.
They are allowed a BBQ, though…..
So true Mac1. I did ask one chap why did he build such a big house overlooking the golf course. "It was what my wife wanted actually." Some people are too rich but it does seem that some big houses are as you say "sterile". A good but sad word.
And a shed. Where you can teach the kids wood work and how an internal combustion engine works
And a garden where you can teach the children about how the world and a bee both work.
Which is why the demise of the quarter acre section is so unfortunate. Which I guess is inevitable with the increase in population, but new subdivisions could be designed so that every kid gets room to play barefoot on real grass and learn about how the world and a bee both work.
my house is a small two bedroom cottage. its too big. my shed is a large eight car sized. its too small.(i have one car only)
There is a resource consent application for a house in Wanaka measuring 2,458m2 now under consideration by the Council. My own 3br house is 140m2.
Only 4br and 3 baths? That is very modest in some quarters. I spent the last years of the last NACT government processing Land Use Consents in Auckland. More like 6br and 5 bathrooms, absolutely maximising the "building envelope" and concreting us as much of the site as the impervious areas rules would permit. I rang one agent who had sent in something with 6br, all with en-suite bathrooms – and an extra bathroom, and said I wanted in writing that they were not building a brothel. I got the statement – but I find it hard to believe that was any sort of family home.
I think more areas than concrete are being shown to be impervious here…… to rain, family, sun, gardens, birds, trees, beauty, life itself!
We have one next door. The owners built an 'extension' which more than doubled the size of the house. Went from 3 bedrooms, 1 bathroom, 1 living area; to 7 bedrooms, 2.5 bathrooms, 3 living areas & an internal double garage.
Now has 12+ students living there (including living in the garage). With at least 6 cars parked on the road outside.
If you can, get a copy of Tony Watkins – The Human House.
A NZ architect, and column writer, the book is a series of articles about the human investment in crafting a house to suit your own personality and interests.
I found a copy in my library, and re-read it several times.
https://www.nzgeo.com/stories/celebrating-the-human-house/
Thanks for the link Molly, a great read.
I'll admit that despite our tight budget, I ended up buying a copy of the book.
I'm usually a purchaser of library withdrawals and second hand books, but it was nice to indulge in purchasing new knowing that some of the funds would make their way to Tony Watkins.
Very good thread on some of the problems with replacing sex with gender identity in surveys and data collection used to inform policy and law. How does one name the GI of a baby, young child, or child who cannot speak etc?
https://twitter.com/threditor/status/1530861976141848580
And the Scottish Census people are threatening to prosecute people who "deface" (tell the truth) on an already low response rate Census.
excellent opportunity for some public civil disobedience there.
The entitlement is strong.
/
Rusny stole a ps4 from a man from Mariupol, and now he writes to the mail and asks for a password from the account.
https://twitter.com/OstAnatoliy/status/1530817634060607493
When the toy fits.
https://twitter.com/expatua/status/1525024848698916865
https://twitter.com/Sputnik_Not/status/1530521234269667329
From an interview with Jordan Carter, outgoing chief executive of Internet NZ:
https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/mediawatch/audio/2018843101/two-decades-of-internet-disruption
Heard it all before but it needs repeating, over and over again.
Hot off the press….sitting with an injured relative in Ed. Here since mid day. Corridors full of patients. Staff, calm and kind.
a plea to the Labour govt, stop spending money on earnest and young consultants and re structures. Increase staff numbers and pay. This is what with improve our health system
Amen! From your lips to Little's ears.
what are they doing with people with respiratory symptoms?
At Middlemore (3 weeks ago, friend with an injured teen – potential neck/spine injury from an accidental tackle in touch rugby)
Outcome. Teen didn't have a neck/spinal injury (thank heavens), but did have 2 ribs with intercostal dislocations, a whiplash style neck muscle injury, and severe bruising around the whole ribcage.
Ouch, that's still not a fun injury.
The covid protocol is encouraging. Are the excessive waits due to staff shortages?
Difficult to tell. Suspect staff shortages (overall), compounded by staff shortages due to staff either isolating themselves with Covid, or as a family contact. All made worse by increased demand on ED: some people using it as a GP – because cost; and health conditions in general just worse after care deferred due to lockdowns.
This is the government going against the supermarkets. Catherine Rich can stick it in her ear.
Government Acts On Supermarket Duopoly | Scoop News
· Will introduce:
o An industry regulator
o A mandatory code of conduct
o Compulsory unit pricing on groceries
o More transparent loyalty schemes
And rejected the Commerce Commission's 3 year timetable.
Let's see what The Warehouse can do with that.
Also need to make exclusive supply relationships (by contract) illegal.
This is where the small, local supplier is locked into a supply deal (often disadvantageously) by one of the big chains; and is contractually prevented from also selling (perhaps at better terms) to the other.
It puts all of the power in the relationship with the big supermarket chain.
The little guys are stuck in a take-it-or-leave it deal, and are unable to leverage sales to negotiate a better deal with the competitor.
Just done a mini-shop this afternoon (Mr 14 is getting braces fitted tomorrow, so stocking up on easy to eat supplies). Ouch. Prices have gone up again in the last fortnight.
From a world report about rising costs
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-61584608
It's been that way for a good while. About half the extended family are now in Oz – and all of them are prospering. Here, not so much.
When ACT gets in with National they'll be against the Government having anything to do with supermarkets won't they? A 'super' market being one where the Government totally butts out, and it is a 'free' market. Isn't that it?
No budget bump for Labour in tonight's poll. Maybe if they would start listening to kiwis instead of talking to them, they would still be favourite's for a third term.
Kiwis don't want Three waters, co-governance or the Maori health authority. People are also crumbling under the weight of the cost of living crisis. What's Labours answer? push through with divisive policy and offer a token amount of money to half the population, which will effectively achieve nothing.
Next years budget must be a doozy. Reap what you sow!
Results are +\3% so too close to call for either Left or Right.
But agree, no bump in support for Labour following the budget (which I suspect they would have been hoping for) – and what looks like leaking of their left-wing over to the Greens (which will make some commenters here happy).
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/128805700/political-poll-has-labour-national-close-while-mori-party-remains-kingmaker
Maybe if they started listening to kiwis they wouldn't do anything like Three Waters or address the serious issues with Maori health, just let things carry on as they are.
Woe betide them if they listen to experts who say there are serious issues to be dealt with and actually try to do something.
Of course we know they've done nothing with housing. The many new houses I see in Selwyn, Waimakariri, Franklin, Waitakere, Rodney, Whangarei and wherever are all mirages I know.
The Democracy Project releases another work of independent scholarship timed with an opposition attack on a female, Maori, Labour politician, after previously having work supporting Michael Bassett.
Unsuprisingly the work basically runs Winston Peters (another specifically non-racist figure in NZ politics) attacks on Nanaia Mahuta. Mahuta has suffered all kinds of racist and sexist bs since assuming her role, including attacks on her moko. Gerry Brownlee gets treated with reverence of a statesman, despite being turfed out of his electorate after he started a few steps down the path of American style Covid politics.
The piece tries to link a series of hit jobs on 3 Waters with foreign affairs. It’s too much for her.
It ignores the work Mahuta does and has been doing or discounts it with criticism.
It lauds the (week old) work of the new foreign minister of Australia, but ignores the government of Australia Mahuta had been working with.
It ignores the Covid issues the PM is having in get US, as it dismisses Covid concerns for less international travel.
In the sneaky way it presents as journalism, but by listing as ‘opinion’ it can simply repeat or line up one sided criticism without having to get a response from the minister or the government.
The underlying message of the piece is that anything we’ve done is bad and anything done elsewhere is good.
The piece seems to suggest that NZ should be operating separately to its allies and that dropping in on the Solomons would have solved all the tension in the region.
It is a piece of immense cultural cringe. Look how brilliant that Australian minister is because she took a face to face meeting! Neglect to report that our foreign minister was in Fiji in April. Neglect to report, except in criticism of it, that the derided zoom meeting that actually achieved the clear outcome of extending NZ presence in the Solomons. And that off the back of that she will be visiting Solomons.
It repeats Peter’s criticism in embedded tweet that the PM is ‘swanning around the world’, a somewhat sexist way of representing her US trip, you know meeting the head of the other main power in the Pacific during a time of crisis, while deriding Mahuta for not traveling. If a Labour woman does it, it’s swanning around I guess.
It sneaks in little phrases like’To be fair to Mahuta’ after 7 or 8 paragraphs of mostly unfair or poorly contextualised criticism to give the illusion of journalism, while presenting the least charitable possible view of her work.
Anyway, what a crock. Again.
Miller from the Democracy Project in Stuff
To add to that- it ignores the criticism of ScoMo by Fiji’s PM, using the language of the Pacific Family from the recent NZ agreement, as opposed to ScoMo’s neo -colonial phrase of the Pacific being in Australia’s backyard.