Memory loss, plus I like the notion of a marketplace of ideas. Can you restore, my comment? I think it is a valid issue and of interest to this blog.
[This morning I deleted three comments of yours. They were fine as they were but over the years, and also recently, you have been using many tens (!!) of user handles and associated e-mail addresses. This lack of transparency, without any reason at all other than ‘memory loss’ is a behavioural problem that you must deal with if you want to continue commenting on this site. You have received many warnings about this and have had this explained to you but you are not changing your ways!? So, here is the deal: I will ‘restore’ your three comments and you stick with one handle and e-mail only. I suggest you use Paaparakauta and the corresponding e-mail address. If you continue to play sockpoppets, I will start handing out bans and eventually (??) ban you permanently. If you consider this site a “market place of ideas” and that your comments have and add value because they are “a valid issue and of interest to this blog” then you will have no problem with the minor adjustment to your behaviour for the sake of transparency, honesty, and integrity. The choice is yours – Incognito]
If you need to keep changing your storefront in the marketplace of ideas, it suggests that maybe the problem lies with what you're selling rather than your branding.
A number of people support medicinal but are opposed to voting for wider recreational use.
What people taking that stance need to consider is the recent law change allowing for medicinal use falls far short.
It's only for the terminally ill and those in palliative care.
Therefore, many that require it medicinally find they are not eligible. Hence, opening it up to recreational use will cover the shortfall in the current medicinal use law. Allowing all those (consenting adults) that require it medicinally to have legal access.
Yup, and the money from legal sale of marijuana can help fund drug addiction treatment for tobacco-alcohol-meth/medicinal cannabis treatment costs.
It would also finance the end of legal sale of tobacco by retail – addicts getting a ration supply from a chemist at say $20 a first packet then $30 a packet (those going over the amount having to get addiction treatment).
Exploiting tobacco addicts for tax revenue is a little corrupt.
I don't understand the objections..surely they are misinformed?
My understanding is that cannabis was not found to be a gateway drug. Well, ok…apart from tobacco which nobody can afford to take up, and that's only because it is commonly cut with it (study done overseas where tobacco is cheaper).
I don't understand the objections..surely they are misinformed?
Misinformed and illogical. Unfortunately, for any given issue, a sizable proportion of the population will be misinformed and illogical and this is no different.
A pro-active government would be ordering small homes from a factory in Auckland and transporting them around Northland – and then (state house) building a factory near Whangarei to manufacture locally.
Why, when raising benefits can stimulate the economy (helping to create jobs and boost business returns) and can assist the Government with its goals of addressing poverty, family violence, suicide etc… is the Government dragging its feet?
You are entitled to your opinion but I’d like to contrast yours with another one:
I’ve always said there is far too much hard right wing ideology and opinion being espoused on The Standard. Some threads become virtual neolib sewers. This will restore some much-needed balance.
nothing to do with Obama or any perceived doctor shortage, but simply republicans declaring that womens health is only important so as long as they birth the fetus.
but nice try at deflection. Btw, the resident in the shitty house is not called Obama nor Hillary.
I’m not going to wait until the conversation deteriorates here today, so please stay out of commenting under this post
This is open mike yet my last post failed to show. What's up with that? I might have to start writing (elsewhere where you have no control) about your behavior of silencing posts on this site. Don't fuck with me.
[I put you in premod so I could see if you had seen my mod note. But also useful to see what your response to moderation was. Now you are in the blacklist while I have a think about a ban and talk to the other mods – weka]
[You have been a commenter on TS for a very long time. Quite early on, your comments were already perceived by some as those of a (concern) troll or RW. Quite early on, you also started to attract the attention of Moderators. For example: https://thestandard.org.nz/jeremy-corbyn-wins/#comment-1070168
In short, over a long period of time, you have created a perception of being a concern troll and people here react to this perception accordingly. This riles you because you claim to be “expressing a genuine concern”. Regardless, your comments have a negative effect on discourse on TS.
You have been warned and asked numerous times to change your behaviour to counter this perception yet your steadfast refusal and petulance have only helped to reinforce the perception.
In the end, TS is bigger and more important than any one person; as even previous Authors/Moderators have found out to their detriment.
Contrary to some people’s beliefs, we generally consider longer bans carefully. Naturally, we are sensitive to accusations of shutting down concerns and opinions that we apparently do not agree with in order to create an “echo chamber”. We are aware that all of us are biased, one way or another, and thus we, as moderators, tread carefully around uncomfortable or dissenting comments. As you know, I have spent much time moderating you and I have agonised over how to handle you so that you can keep participating here on TS without derailing threads/posts because of your perceived reputation as a concern troll. I have made it clear that ultimately it is your responsibility to change your behaviour here, which you have yet to acknowledge let alone accept. Again, you have cultivated a long pattern of behaviour of ignoring moderation notes, misunderstanding them, and/or arguing against them. For example: https://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-16092015/#comment-1072607 In short, you are wasting our time.
With your recent threats [plural] against Authors/Moderators and attempted (emotional) blackmail, you clearly overstepped the boundary of acceptable behaviour. Perhaps it was petulance or anger but it was unacceptable regardless.
For this, in particular, you do receive a moderately long ban. If/when you come back here on TS the bans will escalate if you’ll get moderated for anything that you have been warned about. The next time you make threats you will be banned permanently without warning. This instructional ban will enable you to come back here in election year and participate in debate, if you wish. The choice is yours.
Banned for four months until 1 April 2020 – Incognito]
The Conservative party is threatening to review Channel 4’s public service broadcasting obligations after the network replaced Boris Johnson with an ice sculpture at Thursday night’s election debate.
In a dramatic escalation of the war of words between the Tories and Channel 4 that will likely provoke outcry, a Conservative source told BuzzFeed News that if they win the coming election they will reassess the channel’s public service broadcasting licence.
To descend into faking screenshots of supposed communications from the PM is going to far. Even though I don't think Ardern is even remotely competent at her job I cannot believe that she would be so crass and morally corrupt that she would converse with this arsehole.
He is of course the creep who wanted to kill John Key and rape his daughter. He seemed to regard that as perfectly acceptable behaviour and Ardern would surely have nothing to do with him.
Has she, or her office as she will obviously be busy at her party conference, called this prick on his bull and demanded that he withdraw these scurrilous allegations?
If not yet, when is she going to do so? To ignore them will merely lead to people thinking that there must be some truth in what he says. Surely his tales cannot be true.
…I cannot believe that she would be so crass and morally corrupt that she would converse with this arsehole.
Meh. If he breaks his girlfriend's back kicking her down the stairs and then Ardern is happy to be on the radio with him answering questions about which celebs she'd like to fuck, you'll have a point. Until then, this is pretty small beer.
After a google to find out what Alwyn's bullshit was today, I was having difficulty finding words to describe their crass hypocrisy without getting into an hours-long digression.
….Hydes, who will lead the protest in Ashburton along the main street at 10am, prior to the town's Santa parade.
"Essentially we're targeting our protest in Ashburton and Christchurch. That's 40,000 people, plus their supporters. We think there are probably 150,000 people that are our audience."
Yes Jenny, sick in so many ways. I just hope this government sticks hard with its policies on gun control and that prosecutions with real penalties are levied where appropriate.
You seem to have a problem with distinction. Licenced firearm owners are not white supremacists are not crazed mass shooters. You are too ‘generous’ with your abusive labels, which you scatter around in a haze of pig-headed ignorance and hatred without distinction. I’m not talking about this one comment only, BTW.
For displaying such incredibly poor judgment every idiot gun owner who takes part in this completely inappropriate pro gun parade prior to the Santa Parade needs to have their firearms licence revoked they are obviously not fit to have one.
BTW This cowardly scum would never dare try such a stupid stunt in Auckland
Do you realise that you are referring to ordinary law-abiding citizens with families?
People like you worry me. Your crude language and simplistic opinions portray a dogmatic and closed mind of an extremely judgemental person. Dogmatic closed minds are dangerous, no matter on which ‘side’ they claim to be.
Yet it is not me who is rallying before a Santa Parade for the right to have assault rifles.
And you think that this is appropriate?
May I suggest an idea for their float?
A trailer loaded with corpses of all the children shot in school shootings.
Dogmatism like beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
Incognito, if you can give me one reasonable argument why anyone needs a semi-automatic assault weapon, (apart from Right Wing paranoia), then you may (barely), escape the label of 'dogmatic' yourself.
I love your idea for a float. Have you suggested it to the organisers? If it is good enough to float here on TS, it is good enough to go fully public with it, don’t you think?
Your second problem is that your bias clouds your judgement and you don’t seem to acknowledge that. You are so far down in the rabbit hole of your own making with corresponding abusive stereotyping that you even conjure up mental images of a “trailer loaded with corpses of all the [??] children shot in school shootings”. What children are you talking about?
"Policy advisors and legislators are to blame for failing to make sure the firearms he used were not as heavily restricted as other military-style semi-automatic firearms were," said Hydes, who will lead the protest in Ashburton along the main street at 10am, prior to the town's Santa parade.
Besides the mangling of the English language, policy advisors and legislators are now clearly attempting to correct that deficiency in restriction.
Although I do think the Mongrel Mob have a point. I just have no better idea about how to close this hole more fairly while still closing it quickly.
When in doubt, there's always Adam to claim his left is bigger than everyone else's.
I just hope you more-left-than-lefties keep it aligned down the middle so the enormous weight doesn't tip the boat over while the opposition's boat cruises to victory.
A nact government is a high price to pay for blowing on your own leftism.
There's a line, which is something like if you are going poke at someone you can do it within a general point about politics so long as it's within the bounds of the culture of TS, but if you just poke at someone for the sake of making them feel shit or putting them down, then it's a problem (eg it starts flame wars).
The thing being protected there is the robust debate ethic. If flame wars happen, then robust debate diminishes.
Hence PM's comment sailed under the moderator radar, but yours stood out like a sore thumb.
Had a good laugh watching the TV news. The poor redneck hicks crying about their guns and saying they feel victimised. What a brunch of delicate wee petals they are. Pathetic.
You seem to have a problem with distinction. Licenced firearm owners are not white supremacists are not crazed mass shooters. You are too ‘generous’ with your abusive labels, which you scatter around in a haze of pig-headed ignorance and hatred without distinction. I’m not talking about this one comment only, BTW.
We will never organise or lead change together without the most basic logic or good faith.
That’s an interesting word, “othering”, but do you even know what it means? It seems you are redefining it in your head so that it sounds right to you in some kind of ‘common sense’ way. You have a bad habit of using your own personal definitions of interesting words such as “fascist”. It usually means you are so far off the mark that you don’t even realise you have missed by a mile. It makes debating with you an exercise in futility.
As if those who oppose his views don't have families, (or at least families like his.) or by definition are not law abiding.
There are very few human beings who don't have family of some sort.
You know that when a sentence starts with “As if”, it is bound to be a strawman. I’m blown away by your second sentence. You got me there and I concede that are correct.
In your closed-minded opinion, I “attempt[s] to dehumanise those who don't agree with his pro-gun views”. Firstly, I have no pro-gun views nor did I provide any. You seem to be projecting, as usual. Secondly, I did not use dehumanising language unlike your abusive labels such as “grim gun filth”, “crazed mass shooters”, “gun happy scum”, “idiot gun owner”, and “cowardly scum”. Projecting much?
This is the sort of language that justifies the attacks on the victims of his 'othering.'
I have to say, this is your pièce de résistance and the irony is completely lost on you. It is comments like this that inevitably lead to a ban but you seem to be wilfully blind when somebody holds up a mirror to you. Keep up the ‘good work’.
Imperialism bad, Russian/Iranian imperialism not so bad, 'mkay.
//
Russia's Amb to Israel Anatoly Viktorov tells Israel's English info channel: "close partner" Iran is staying put in Syria. Putin's project to gain year-round warm water port access in the Med, along with control of most of the MidEast oil is almost comlete. Trump got played. pic.twitter.com/x4zQg3v3zd
Imperialism bad, Russian/Iranian imperialism not so bad, 'mkay.
What our resident quislings who root for Assad fascism and Russian intervention, in their one eyed depiction of the US as the only danger to world peace forget, is that Nazi Germany was once also the Imperialist underdog fighting for their place in the global world order.
Did she have too many Friday night drinks or is she just another useless National MP with an attitude problem.
National MP Joanne Hayes deleted a nasty unprovoked late night tweet she made on a post celebrating the graduation of Jacinda Ardern's former campaign manager.
It looks a lot like the kind of nasty tweet Jamie Lee Ross got from former lovers. Were I a muck-raking journalist I'd be looking for red-headed young Gnats who've had some association with Joanne Hayes.
Have NZ media said anything about the China Cables?
A new leak of highly classified Chinese government documents has uncovered the operations manual for running the mass detention camps in Xinjiang and exposed the mechanics of the region’s Orwellian system of mass surveillance and “predictive policing.”
In what has been one of her most important diplomatic mission, Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta has opened the door for a visit to Beijing by Prime Minister Chris Hipkins later this year. Such a mission is regarded as vital with a new Prime Minister Li Qiang settling into office. ...
Saturday morning, we went to Albert Park.We were there to show support, to challenge words of demonisation.To repeat those words from Michèle A’Court:Making them sound “other” is a technique used by racists and homophobes to dehumanise whole groups of people who “aren’t like them”. If you dehumanise people, it is ...
Too Strong For The Law’s Web: But, if the USA is too big to punish, why isn’t the Russian Federation? Russia’s economy may be roughly the size of Italy’s, but it’s nuclear arsenal is more than capable of laying human civilisation to waste. Threatening to arrest Vladimir Putin - especially when ...
Nobody likes a fascist, except other fascist’s of course. Thankfully they were completely outnumbered in Auckland last Saturday when a supposed advocate for women’s rights, Kellie-Jay Keen-Minshull aka Posie Parker, tried to give a public speech about how transgender people are worthy of persecution.You can understand why Parker and her ...
On Friday I sent out a newsletter called Posie Parker vs Transgender Rights to provide information about the visit to our shores of Ms Parker. I attempted to show there were multiple points of view but on balance my sympathies were strongly with the counter protest group standing up for ...
Brian Easton writes – Evaluating the recent crashes of Silicon Valley Bank in the US and Credit Suisse in Switzerland plus two other banks (perhaps more by the time you read this) needs to begin with a review of the inevitable instability in the financial sector. The financial sector ...
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This weekend saw a showdown between two tribes of contemporary gender politics: those in favour of progressing transgender rights versus women wishing to defend their spaces. It’s a debate with huge passion, outrage and consequences. The figure at the centre of the clash was the British “trans-exclusionary radical feminist” Posie ...
Tomorrow the Auckland Transport board meet again. Here are some of the highlights from their board papers. The open session starts at 9am and can be watched on this Teams link. Closed Session The closed session is typically where the most interesting items are discussed. Items for Approval ...
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Imagine being a great big business success enjoying your lavish Waiheke island property with infinity pool and ballroom and riparian rights and heli-pad. Sweeeet. But imagine, also, having to take orders from some little bureaucratic oik about how often you can land a chopper on it.I can’t, really, but it ...
Hi,New Zealand’s Life megachurch has confirmed to Webworm it was paid $10,000 by Hillsong for investigating Brian Houston’s sexual misconduct allegations.Following Webworm publishing this piece about the $10,000 payment, Life’s Corporate Communications Manager Phil Irons has confirmed what it was for:Paul [de Jong] was engaged by Hillsong to assist in ...
A chronological listing of news articles posted on the Skeptical Science Facebook Page during the past week: Sun, Mar 19, 2023 thru Sat, Mar 25, 2023. Story of the Week Q&A: IPCC wraps up its most in-depth assessment of climate change The final part of the world’s most comprehensive assessment of ...
by Daphna Whitmore I thought the #LetWomenSpeak meeting would be a good time to talk about free speech and why it is important for the left. Then the mob stampeded the open-air gathering and no one got to speak. Here’s what I was had prepared. Today I want to talk ...
By Don Franks Today my friend Ani O’Briien went to a meeting in Auckland and wrote: “No sooner had Kellie-Jay Keen Minshull arrived at the Rotunda, a protestor (who had managed to get past the barrier) ran at her and threw a red substance all over her and a security ...
Jonathan Milne, managing editor for Newsroom Pro, has expressed his indignation about the outcome of a court decision yesterday in an article headed Posie Parker wins the beautiful freedom to make an ugly argument.Newsroom Pro laments: High Court Justice David Gendall has regretfully allowed an outspoken anti-trans activist to enter New ...
imagine my surprise this week when the National Party, in their infinite wisdom, decided to release an education policy. As you can imagine, this got us so riled up here in the office that we dusted off our Windows XP laptop, waiting 17 hours for all the updates to be ...
Come on Jess thought Mr Evans come on. He watched the large clock on the wall tick closer to 8:40am. Come on girl.In two minutes he had to submit the class attendance report and with Jess having already been late once that term it’d mean an automatic visit from the ...
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Evaluating the recent crashes of Silicon Valley Bank in the US and Credit Suisse in Switzerland plus two other banks (perhaps more by the time you read this) needs to begin with a review of the inevitable instability in the financial sector. The financial sector is inherently unstable, like military ...
1. We see here new police minister Ginny Andersen. Which larger than life NZ political figure was her great-uncle?a. Rob Muldoonb. Bill Andersenc. Richard John Seddond. Norman Kirk2. We see here archival footage of Ginny Andersen coming out of her electorate office to ask ex-tobacco lobbyist Chris Bishop if he ...
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Roundup is back! We skipped last week’s Friday post due to a shortage of person-power – did you notice? Lots going on out there… Our header image this week shows a green street that just happens to be Queen St, by @chamfy from Twitter. This week (and last) in ...
After threatening Prime Minister Chris Hipkins of consequences if he dared to bar her entry, Kellie-Jay Keen-Minshull has been given her visa, regardless. This will enable her to hold rallies in Auckland and Wellington this weekend, and spread her messages of hostility against an already marginalised trans community. Neo-Nazis may, ...
* Bryce Edwards writes – The New Zealand Government has been silent about Australia’s decision to commit up to $400bn acquiring nuclear submarines, even though this is a significant threat to peace and stability in the Asia Pacific. The deal was struck by the Albanese Labor Government as ...
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The New Zealand Government has been silent about Australia’s decision to commit up to $400bn acquiring nuclear submarines, even though this is a significant threat to peace and stability in the Asia Pacific. The deal was struck by the Albanese Labor Government as part of its Aukus pact with the ...
Recently you might have heard of a person called Posie Parker and her visit to Aotearoa. Perhaps you’re not quite sure what it’s all about. So let’s start with who this person is, why their visit is controversial, and what on earth a TERF is.Posie Parker is the super villain ...
The chair of Parliament’s Select Committee looking at the Government’s resource management legislation wants the bills sent back for more public consultation. The proposal would effectively kill any chance of the bills making it into law before the election. Green MP, Eugenie Sage, stressing that she was speaking as ...
Open access notables The United States experienced some historical low temperature records during the just-concluded winter. It's a reminder that climate and weather are quite noisy; with regard to our warming climate,, as with a road ascending a mountain range we may steadily change our conditions but with lots of ...
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Not that long ago, things were looking pretty good for climate change policy in Aotearoa. We finally had an ETS, and while it was full of pork and subsidies, it was delivering high and ever-rising carbon prices, sending a clear message to polluters to clean up or shut down. And ...
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* Bryce Edwards writes – New Zealanders are uncomfortable with the high level of influence corporate lobbyists have in New Zealand politics, and demands are growing for greater regulation. A recent poll shows 62 per cent of the public support having a two-year cooling off period between ministers leaving public ...
New Zealanders are uncomfortable with the high level of influence corporate lobbyists have in New Zealand politics, and demands are growing for greater regulation. A recent poll shows 62 per cent of the public support having a two-year cooling off period between ministers leaving public office and becoming lobbyists and ...
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Buzz from the Beehive Auckland was wiped off the map, when Education Minister Jan Tinetti delivered her speech of welcome as host of the inaugural Conference of Pacific Education Ministers “here in Tāmaki Makaurau”. But – fair to say – a reference was made later in the speech to a ...
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Wealthy vested interests have an oversized influence on political decisions in New Zealand. Partly that’s due to their use of corporate lobbyists. Fortunately, the influence lobbyists can have on decisions made by politicians is currently under scrutiny in Guyon Espiner’s in-depth series published by RNZ. Two of Espiner’s research exposés ...
Yesterday afternoon it rained and traffic around the region ground to a halt, once again highlighting why it is so important that our city gets on with improving the alternatives to driving. For additional irony, this happened on the same day the IPCC synthesis report landed, putting the focus on ...
The Beginning: Anti-Co-Governance agitator, Julian Batchelor, addresses the Dargaville stop of his travelling roadshow across New Zealand . Fascism almost always starts small. Sadly, it doesn’t always stay that way. Especially when the Left helps it to grow.THERE IS A DREADFUL LOGIC to the growth of fascism. To begin with, it ...
Hi,From an incredibly rainy day in Los Angeles, I just wanted to check in. I guess this is the day Trump may or may not end up in cuffs? I’m attempting a somewhat slower, less frenzied week. I’ve had Unknown Mortal Orchestra’s new record on non-stop, and it’s been a ...
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 ...
RNZ has been shining their torch into corners where lobbyists lurk and asking such questions as: Do we like the look of this?and Is this as democratic as it could be?These are most certainly questions worth asking, and every bit as valid as, say:Are weshortchanged democratically by the way ...
RNZ has continued its look at the role of lobbyists by taking a closer look at the Prime Minister's Chief of Staff Andrew Kirton. He used to work for liquor companies, opposing (among other things) a container refund scheme which would have required them to take responsibility for their own ...
Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta has left for Beijing for the first ministerial visit to China since 2019. Mahuta is to meet China’s new foreign minister Qin Gang where she might have to call on all the diplomatic skills at her command. Almost certainly she will face questions on what role ...
TL;DR:The Opportunities Party’s Leader Raf Manji is hopeful the party’s new Teal Card, a type of Gold card for under 30s, will be popular with students, and not just in his Ilam electorate where students make up more than a quarter of the voters and where Manji is confident ...
When I was a kid New Zealand was actually pretty green. We didn’t really have plastic. The fruit and veges came in a cardboard box, the meat was wrapped in paper, milk came in a glass bottle, and even rubbish sacks were made of paper. Today if you sit down ...
Looking back through the names of our Police Ministers down the years, the job has either been done by once or future party Bigfoots – Syd Holland, Richard Prebble, Juduth Collins, Chris Hipkins – or by far lesser lights like Keith Allen, Frank Gill, Ben Couch, Allen McCready, Clem Simich, ...
Chris Trotter writes – The Crown is a fickle friend. Any political movement deemed to be colourful but inconsequential is generally permitted to go about its business unmolested. The Crown’s media, RNZ and TVNZ, may even “celebrate” its existence (presumably as proof of Democracy’s broad-minded acceptance of diversity). ...
Four out of the five people who have held the top role of Prime Minister’s Chief of Staff since 2017 have been lobbyists. That’s a fact that should worry anyone who believes vested interests shouldn’t have a place at the centre of decision making. Chris Hipkins’ newly appointed Chief of ...
Feedback on Auckland Council’s draft 2023/24 budget closes on March 28th. You can read the consultation document here, and provide feedback here. Auckland Council is currently consulting on what is one of its most important ever Annual Plans – the ‘budget’ of what it will spend money on between July ...
by Molten Moira from Motueka If you want to be a woman let me tell you what to do Get a piece of paper and a biro tooWrite down your new identification And boom! You’re now a woman of this nationSpelled W O M A Na real trans woman that isAs opposed ...
Buzz from the Beehive New Zealand Education Minister Jan Tinetti is hosting the inaugural Conference of Pacific Education Ministers for three days from today, welcoming Education Ministers and senior officials from 18 Pacific Island countries and territories, and from Australia. Here’s hoping they have brought translators with them – or ...
Let’s say you’ve come all the way from His Majesty’s United Kingdom to share with the folk of Australia and New Zealand your antipathy towards certain other human beings. And let’s say you call yourself a women’s rights activist.And let’s say 99 out of 100 people who listen to you ...
James Shaw gave the Green party's annual "state of the planet" address over the weekend, in which he expressed frustration with Labour for not doing enough on climate change. His solution is to elect more Green MPs, so they have more power within any government arrangement, and can hold Labour ...
RNZ this morning has the first story another investigative series by Guyon Espiner, this time into political lobbying. The first story focuses on lobbying by government agencies, specifically transpower, Pharmac, and assorted universities, and how they use lobbyists to manipulate public opinion and gather intelligence on the Ministers who oversee ...
Nick Matzke writes – Dear NZ Herald, I am a Senior Lecturer in the School of Biological Sciences at the University of Auckland. I teach evolutionary biology, but I also have long experience in science education and (especially) political attempts to insert pseudoscience into science curricula in ...
MINISTER DAVIDSON MUST RESIGN AFTER 'VIOLENCE' COMMENTS Marama Davidson should stand down as ‘Minister for the Prevention of Family and Sexual Violence’ for the clear and outrageous statement she made at the Posie Parker protest that ‘white straight men’ are the cause of violence. Her offensive, racist, and sexist remarks ...
In response to Newshub and Amelia Wade’s obvious and ham-fisted attempt at a typical and predicted political hit job. As any politically aware reporter would know, any Cabinet subcommittee has a duty and obligation as a part of any government to respond to any UN declaration, in this case ...
Good afternoon. Thank you for the invitation to speak with you today and in your busy lives turning up to this meeting. Forty five years ago, in Howick, often described as racist, and where few Maori lived because it had been a ‘Fencible’ settlement at the time of the Anglo-Maori ...
The Green Party has marked the National Party’s new education policy and given it a fail, especially for its failure to address the underlying drivers of school performance. ...
Political parties that want to negotiate with the Green Party must come to the table with much faster, bolder climate action, co-leaders James Shaw and Marama Davidson emphasised in their State of the Planet speech today. ...
Political parties that want to negotiate with the Green Party after the election must come to the table with much faster, bolder climate action, co-leaders James Shaw and Marama Davidson emphasised today. ...
You will never truly understand, from the pictures you’ve seen in the newspapers or on the six o-clock news, the sheer scale of the devastation wrought by Cyclone Gabrielle. ...
We’re boosting incomes and helping ease cost of living pressures on Kiwis through a range of bread and butter support measures that will see pensioners, students, families, and those on main benefits better off from the start of next month. ...
The error Labour Ministers made by stopping work on a beverage container return scheme will be reversed by the Greens at the earliest opportunity as part of the next Government. ...
“Cabinet needs to do better - and today has shown exactly why we need Green Ministers in cabinet, so we can prioritise action to cut climate pollution and support people to make ends meet,” says Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson. ...
Biggest increase in food prices for over three decades shows the need for an excess profit tax on corporations to help people put food on the table. ...
The Green Party has today launched a submission guide to help Aucklanders give crucial input and prevent potentially disastrous Auckland Council budget proposals. ...
With calls growing for inquiries and action on bank profits, the Greens say the Government has all the information it needs to act now and put a levy on banks. ...
The Government has introduced the Severe Weather Emergency Recovery Legislation Bill to further support the recovery and rebuild from the recent severe weather events in the North Island. “We know from our experiences following the Canterbury and Kaikōura earthquakes that it will take some time before we completely understand the ...
Further assistance is now available to businesses impacted by Cyclone Gabrielle, with Customs able to offer payment plans and to remit late-payments, Customs Minister Meka Whaitiri has announced. “This is part of the Government’s ongoing commitment to assist economic recovery in the regions,” Meka Whaitiri said. “Cabinet has approved the ...
More than 41,000 sole parent families will be better off with a median gain of $20 a week Law change estimated to help lift up to 14,000 children out of poverty Child support payments will be passed on directly to people receiving a sole parent rate of main benefit, making ...
A major investment by Government-owned New Zealand Green Investment Finance towards electrifying the public bus fleet is being welcomed by Climate Change Minister James Shaw. “Today’s announcement that NZGIF has signed a $50 million financing deal with Kinetic, the biggest bus operator in Australasia, to further decarbonise public transport is ...
A world-leading payments system is expected to provide a significant cash flow boost for Kiwi innovators, Minister of Research, Science, and Innovation Ayesha Verrall says. Announcing that applications for ‘in-year’ payments of the Research and Development Tax Incentive (RDTI) were open, Ayesha Verrall said it represented a win for businesses ...
Minister of Transport Michael Wood joined crowds of keen cyclists and walkers this morning to celebrate the completion of the Te Awa shared path in Hamilton. “The Government is upgrading New Zealand’s transport system to make it safer, greener, and more efficient for now and future generations to come,” Michael ...
Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations Minister Andrew Little has delivered the Crown apology to Ngāti Kahungunu ki Wairarapa Tāmaki nui-a-Rua for its historic breaches of Te Tiriti of Waitangi today. The ceremony was held at Queen Elizabeth Park in Masterton, hosted by Ngāti Kahungunu ki Wairarapa Tāmaki nui-a-Rua, with several hundred ...
Minister of Foreign Affairs Nanaia Mahuta has concluded her visit to China, the first by a New Zealand Foreign Minister since 2018. The Minister met her counterpart, newly appointed State Councilor and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Qin Gang, who also hosted a working dinner. This was the first engagement between the two ...
World-class satellite positioning services that will support much safer search and rescue, boost precision farming, and help safety on construction sites through greater accuracy are a significant step closer today, says Land Information Minister Damien O’Connor. Damien O’Connor marked the start of construction on New Zealand’s first uplink centre for ...
Attorney-General David Parker has announced the appointment of Christopher John Dellabarca of Wellington, Dr Katie Jane Elkin of Wellington, Caroline Mary Hickman of Napier, Ngaroma Tahana of Rotorua, Tania Rose Williams Blyth of Hamilton and Nicola Jan Wills of Wellington as District Court Judges. Chris Dellabarca Mr Dellabarca commenced his ...
A new Government-backed project will help ocean-related businesses in the Nelson Tasman region to accelerate their growth and boost jobs. “The Nelson Tasman region is home to more than 400 blue economy businesses, accounting for more than 30 percent of New Zealand’s economic activity in fishing, aquaculture, and seafood processing,” ...
After three years of COVID-19 disruptions schools are finally settling down and National want to throw that all in the air with major disruption to learning and underinvestment. “National’s education policy lacks the very thing teachers, parents and students need after a tough couple of years, certainty and stability,” Education ...
People aged over 50 with innovative business ideas will now be able to receive support to advance their ideas to the next stage of development, Minister for Seniors Ginny Andersen said today. “Seniors have some great entrepreneurial ideas, and this programme will give them the support to take that next ...
A cross government target for relevant government procurement contracts for goods and services to be awarded to Māori businesses annually will increase to 8%, after the initial 5% target was exceeded. The progressive procurement policy was introduced in 2020 to increase supplier diversity, starting with Māori businesses, for the estimated ...
77,000 fewer children living in low income households on the after-housing-costs primary measure since Labour took office Eight of the nine child poverty measures have seen a statistically significant reduction since 2018. All nine have reduced 28,700 fewer children experiencing material hardship since 2018 Measures taken by the Government during ...
Deputy Prime Minister Kamikamica; distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen. Tēnā koutou katoa, ni sa bula vinaka saka, namaste. Deputy Prime Minister, a very warm welcome to Aotearoa. I trust you have been enjoying your time here and thank you for joining us here today. To all delegates who have travelled to be ...
$2.9 million convertible loan for Scapegrace Distillery to meet growing national and international demand $4.5m underwrite to support Silverlight Studios’ project to establish a film studio in Wanaka Gore’s James Cumming Community Centre and Library to be official opened tomorrow with support of $3m from the COVID-19 Response and Recovery ...
Transport Minister Michael Wood has today launched the first national EV (electric vehicle) charging strategy, Charging Our Future, which includes plans to provide EV charging stations in almost every town in New Zealand. “Our vision is for Aotearoa New Zealand to have world-class EV charging infrastructure that is accessible, affordable, ...
Associate Minister for Social Development and Employment Priyanca Radhakrishnan has today launched the Love Better campaign in a world-leading approach to family harm prevention. Love Better will initially support young people through their experience of break-ups, developing positive and life-long attitudes to dealing with hurt. “Over 1,200 young kiwis told ...
Hon Rino Tirikatene, Minister for Courts, welcomes the Ministry of Justice’s appointment of Dr Garry Clearwater as New Zealand’s first Chief Clinical Advisor working with the Coroners Court. “This appointment is significant for the Coroners Court and New Zealand’s wider coronial system.” Minister Tirikatene said. Through Budget 2022, the Government ...
The Government via the Cyclone Taskforce is working with local government and insurance companies to build a picture of high-risk areas following Cyclone Gabrielle and January floods. “The Taskforce, led by Sir Brian Roche, has been working with insurance companies to undertake an assessment of high-risk areas so we can ...
E te huia kaimanawa, ko Ngāpuhi e whakahari ana i tau aupikinga ki te tihi o te maunga. Ko te Ao Māori hoki e whakanui ana i a koe te whakaihu waka o te reo Māori i roto i te Ao Ture. (To the prized treasure, it is Ngāpuhi who ...
113,400 exits into work in the year to June 2022 Young people are moving off Benefit faster than after the Global Financial Crisis Two reports released today by the Ministry of Social Development show the Government’s investment in the COVID-19 response helped drive record numbers of people off Benefits and ...
The Government’s priority to keep New Zealand at the cutting edge of food production and lift our sustainability credentials continues by backing the next steps of a hi-tech vertical farming venture that uses up to 95 per cent less water, is climate resilient, and pesticide-free. Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor visited ...
E nga mana, e nga iwi, e nga reo, e nga hau e wha, tena koutou, tena koutou, tena koutou kātoa. Warm Pacific greetings to all. It is an honour to host the inaugural Conference of Pacific Education Ministers here in Tāmaki Makaurau. Aotearoa is delighted to be hosting you ...
The new renal unit at Taranaki Base Hospital has been officially opened by the Minister of Health Dr Ayesha Verrall this afternoon. Te Huhi Raupō received around $13 million in government funding as part of Project Maunga Stage 2, the redevelopment of the Taranaki Base Hospital campus. “It’s an honour ...
Defence Minister Andrew Little has marked the arrival of the country’s second P-8A Poseidon aircraft alongside personnel at the Royal New Zealand Air Force’s Base at Ohakea today. “With two of the four P-8A Poseidons now on home soil this marks another significant milestone in the Government’s historic investment in ...
Aotearoa New Zealand will provide further humanitarian support to those seriously affected by last month’s deadly earthquakes in Türkiye and Syria, says Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta. “The 6 February earthquakes have had devastating consequences, with almost 18 million people affected. More than 53,000 people have died and tens of thousands more ...
Migrant communities across New Zealand are represented in the new Migrant Community Reference Group that will help shape immigration policy going forward, Immigration Minister Michael Wood announced today. “Since becoming Minister, a reoccurring message I have heard from migrants is the feeling their voice has often been missing around policy ...
Construction has begun on major works that will deliver significant safety improvements on State Highway 3 from Waitara to Bell Block, Associate Minister of Transport Kiri Allan announced today. “This is an important route for communities, freight and visitors to Taranaki but too many people have lost their lives or ...
Prime Minister Chris Hipkins has today appointed Ginny Andersen as Minister of Police. “Ginny Andersen has a strong and relevant background in this important portfolio,” Chris Hipkins said. “Ginny Andersen worked for the Police as a non-sworn staff member for around 10 years and has more recently been chair of ...
Six further bailey bridge sites confirmed Four additional bridge sites under consideration 91 per cent of damaged state highways reopened Recovery Dashboards for impacted regions released The Government has responded quickly to restore lifeline routes after Cyclone Gabrielle and can today confirm that an additional six bailey bridges will ...
Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta departs for China tomorrow, where she will meet with her counterpart, State Councillor and Foreign Minister Qin Gang, in Beijing. This will be the first visit by a New Zealand Minister to China since 2019, and follows the easing of COVID-19 travel restrictions between New Zealand and China. ...
Education Ministers from across the Pacific will gather in Tāmaki Makaurau this week to share their collective knowledge and strategic vision, for the benefit of ākonga across the region. New Zealand Education Minister Jan Tinetti will host the inaugural Conference of Pacific Education Ministers (CPEM) for three days from today, ...
A vital transport link for communities and local businesses has been restored following Cyclone Gabrielle with the reopening of State Highway 5 (SH5) between Napier and Taupō, Associate Minister of Transport Kiri Allan says. SH5 reopened to all traffic between 7am and 7pm from today, with closure points at SH2 (Kaimata ...
Internal Affairs Minister Barbara Edmonds has thanked generous New Zealanders who took part in the special Lotto draw for communities affected by Cyclone Gabrielle. Held on Saturday night, the draw raised $11.7 million with half of all ticket sales going towards recovery efforts. “In a time of need, New Zealanders ...
The Government has announced funding of $3 million for providers to help people, and whānau access community-based Building Financial Capability services. “Demand for Financial Capability Services is growing as people face cost of living pressures. Those pressures are increasing further in areas affected by flooding and Cyclone Gabrielle,” Minister for ...
Minister of Education, Hon Jan Tinetti, has announced appointments to the Board of Education New Zealand | Manapou ki te Ao. Tracey Bridges is joining the Board as the new Chair and Dr Therese Arseneau will be a new member. Current members Dr Linda Sissons CNZM and Daniel Wilson have ...
Fifteen ākonga Māori from across Aotearoa have been awarded the prestigious Ngarimu VC and 28th (Māori) Battalion Memorial Scholarships and Awards for 2023, Associate Education Minister and Ngarimu Board Chair, Kelvin Davis announced today. The recipients include doctoral, masters’ and undergraduate students. Three vocational training students and five wharekura students, ...
High Court Judge Jillian Maree Mallon has been appointed a Judge of the Court of Appeal, and District Court Judge Andrew John Becroft QSO has been appointed a Judge of the High Court, Attorney‑General David Parker announced today. Justice Mallon graduated from Otago University in 1988 with an LLB (Hons), and with ...
A joint force of Indonesian military and police are claiming to have shot dead a member of the West Papua National Liberation Army (TPNPB) in Central Papua Province on Wednesday last week. Jubi TV Papua reports the joint force was conducting aerial surveillance after a motorcycle taxi driver had been ...
By Kelvin Anthony, RNZ Pacific lead digital and social media journalist The Fiji government is signalling that it will not completely tear down the country’s controversial media law which, according to local newsrooms and journalism commentators, has stunted press freedom and development for more than a decade. Ahead of the ...
By Miriam Zarriga in Port Moresby The production and trafficking of methamphetamine (meth), cocaine and now heroin is on the rise with Pacific countries now becoming what many are calling the “Pacific drug highway”. And Papua New Guinea has over three years seen a plane crash, a hotel laboratory, a ...
A requiem for Shiv and Tom, who would like to make love one last time (but can’t).Major spoilers follow for the first episode of Succession’s fourth season. Her eyes flared. His voice wobbled. “Do you want to… talk?” said Tom Wambsgans, the corporate ladder-climbing schmuck who could see his ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tony Wood, Program Director, Energy, Grattan Institute Shutterstock Labor and the Greens have reached a compromise on the safeguard mechanism after months of tense negotiations, giving the government the numbers it needs to pass the bill into law. Greens leader ...
Wayne Brown vowed to stop new roading projects until existing ones finish - and to unclog the city centre's streets - but he now finds himself enthusiastically backing new upheaval for the key crossroad of Victoria St A $50 million beautification project for CBD's Victoria St - which will disrupt businesses from ...
The Green Party co-leader says she was in shock from being hit by a motorcycle, and her comments about white men committing violence should have been clearer. ...
The prime minister has labelled comments made by one of his ministers over the weekend as inappropriate, and revealed his office asked her to walk them back. Marama Davidson, co-leader of the Green Party and a minister, was captured on video ahead of a rally against anti-trans speaker Posie Parker ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Becky Freeman, Associate Professor, School of Public Health, University of Sydney Shutterstock On Friday, the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) updated its review of proposed reforms to the regulation of nicotine vaping products. It reported the federal government is now “actively ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sam John, Senior Lecturer in Neural Engineering, The University of Melbourne Shutterstock Since it was founded in 2016, Elon Musk’s brain-computer interface (BCI) company Neuralink has had its moments in biotech news. Whether it was the time Musk promised ...
Analysis by Keith Rankin. Chart by Keith Rankin. The ‘Young Elderly’ are in essence the post-war baby-boomers. An average young elderly person in these charts was born around 1950 to 1952. The charts look at ‘quarterly excess deaths’, so do not show week-by-week fluctuations in deaths. For example, data ...
The co-leader of the Green Party has clarified comments she made at Saturday’s counter-protest against anti-trans speaker Posie Parker. Caught on camera by a representative for the conspiracy theorist website Counterspin, Marama Davidson claimed: “I am the prevention violence minister, and I know who causes violence in the world, and ...
A friendly reminder that your best intentions of promoting a New Zealand-made film are not actually supporting the artists behind it.For many of us, documenting our day or sharing highlights of our week is a common occurrence on social media. For some, that meant uploading full scenes onto TikTok ...
After two and a half weeks, the Auckland Arts Festival comes to a close with another eclectic week. Sam Brooks reviews (with assistance from Shanti Mathias).The headline show of the week was undoubtedly The Unruly Tourists, which has had more coverage than any opera I can think of in ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Yu Tao, Senior Lecturer in Chinese Studies, The University of Western Australia State Library of Western Australia Does the discovery of a Ming Dynasty Buddha sculpture found near Shark Bay in remote Western Australia “rewrite history” and suggest the Chinese ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Robert G. Patman, Professor of International Relations, University of Otago Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant.Getty Images Russia’s invasion of Ukraine appears to be a defining moment in the evolution of the post-Cold War world. In particular, it is highlighting problems that do ...
If you saw the demonstration at Pasifika Festival – or if you’ve just always wanted to know how it’s done – here’s a step-by-step guide to preparing your own umu oven.A Sāmoan umu is an above-ground oven of hot volcanic rocks. Traditionally, an umu was laid out three times ...
The official Covid-19 death toll has risen by 33 this week, bumping the total to 2,662. The Ministry of Health’s latest update reports 76 new Covid-attributed deaths, but the overall death toll rises by 33 when adjusted to include non-Covid and other unrelated deaths. The daily average number of new ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Milton Speer, Visiting Fellow, School of Mathematical and Physical Sciences, University of Technology Sydney Shutterstock Global warming has led to higher summer temperatures across Sydney over the past 30 years. However, our data analysis shows very hot summer days are ...
Two of the best games of the Super Rugby Aupiki season were saved for finals weekend in Hamilton. Alice Soper recaps.Third/fourth playoff: Blues vs Hurricanes Poua Sometimes a bronze playoff can be a bit of a flop. Still in recovery from the disappointment of missing out on the ...
Analysis by Dr Bryce Edwards. Political Roundup: The Ugly stoking of a culture war in election year This weekend saw a showdown between two tribes of contemporary gender politics: those in favour of progressing transgender rights versus women wishing to defend their spaces. It’s a debate with huge passion, outrage and ...
One of New Zealand’s spy agencies foiled three possible terror events on our shores, it’s been revealed. The Security and Intelligence select committee met today, with bosses from the SIS and GCSB facing questions from MPs including prime minister Chris Hipkins. It was during this hearing that Andrew Hampton, the ...
An anonymous lawyer for children explains what she does, and why it matters. I’m a lawyer who is appointed by courts to represent children in cases where there are concerns about their safety or where the court thinks it necessary. In almost all cases involving disputes around the care of ...
As banks face scrutiny over the size of their profits, it’s been revealed the finance minister looked at a possible “bank tax”. The Herald’s Jenée Tibshraeny reported this morning that Grant Robertson asked for advice from the Reserve Bank on whether it would be possible to save the Crown money ...
The Green Party has announced Neelu Jennings as the candidate for Hutt South. Neelu Jennings is a disabled disability advocate and former athlete. The mother of two aims to use her platform to call for a fair and inclusive Aotearoa where disabled ...
Marama Davidson should stand down as ‘Minister for the Prevention of Family and Sexual Violence’ for the clear and outrageous statement she made at the Posie Parker protest that ‘white straight men’ are the cause of violence. Her offensive, racist, ...
ColensoBBDO has been appointed as the new creative agency of record by pay-gap advocacy group MindTheGap to bring renewed attention to the issue of gender and ethnic pay gaps within New Zealand businesses and government. In the 50 years since the Equal ...
Thousands of women across the country are joining Facebook groups that seek to answer one simple question. This article contains reference to domestic violence and emotional abuse, please take care.A quick scroll through the biggest “Do We Have The Same Boyfriend” Facebook group in the country reveals a sea ...
Bluebridge’s Connemara ferry was back in service yesterday after a mechanical issue caused a string of cancellations on Saturday. It was the third time Connemara had broken down in less than two months of service, according to the NZ Herald. “We understand this is very disruptive to our customers’ travel plans ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Marie-Claire Seeley, PhD Candidate, Australian Dysautonomia and Arrhythmia Research Collaborative, University of Adelaide Shutterstock There is growing interest in a connective tissue condition called Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome. As more adults are diagnosed with autism, some might not be aware their history ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Hattie, Professor, Melbourne Graduate School of Education, The University of Melbourne Shutterstock In 2008, I published my book Visible Learning, which aimed to explain what works best to help student learning. At the time, others claimed it was the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michael Naylor, Senior Lecturer in Economics, Massey University Getty Images As New Zealand considers how to better prepare for a future affected by climate change, the insurance sector needs to be part the discussion on where and how we build ...
The scenes that unfolded at Auckland’s Albert Park on Saturday morning were, according to counter-protesters, largely peaceful and non-violent. British anti-trans campaigner Kellie-Jay Keen Minshull (or Posie Parker) fled New Zealand after her attempts to host a rally in Auckland city were stopped by thousands of protesters. Keen-Minshull has claimed ...
He’s got one of the most prestigious journalism careers in the country, but RNZ’s Guyon Espiner is not slowing down anytime soon. His new series “Mate, Comrade, Brother” on political lobbying in New Zealand has already exposed a number of troubling incidents. He sits down with Duncan Greive to discuss why he ...
Posie Parker said she wanted to ‘speak up for women’. Hundreds of protesters spoke up for trans rights instead, writes Catherine McGregor in this excerpt from The Bulletin, The Spinoff’s morning news round-up. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here.A day of anger and joy ...
The foreign minister has returned from a visit to China saying the relationship is very important and complex, requiring "continual management" to make sure the two countries do not lose sight of each others' views and perspectives. ...
Shock but not surprise – that’s how an Auckland woman reacted to a racist depiction of a black person up for sale at a Mt Eden auction house Diana Phillips felt "immediate straight-up fury" on seeing a racist caricature of a black person for sale in the window of a Mt ...
The inquiry into forestry slash destruction in Tairāwhiti, and review of the Emissions Trading Scheme, should prioritise the state of the planet not the balance sheets of global corporations, writes Dame Anne Salmond. Over the past few weeks, New Zealanders have been exposed to shocking images of local landscapes ravaged ...
Exclusive: A new report into the cultural and economic benefits of Shortland Street shows its power – but as with any good soap, trouble is coming. Duncan Greive reports on its findings.When Shortland Street debuted in 1992, no one could have predicted what it would become. NZ on Air, ...
Keep calm and charge up: an etiquette guide for those wanting to use public EV chargers without leaving a trail of chaos in their wake. It looks like a petrol pump. It is like a petrol pump. But this one doesn’t have any fossil fuels flowing out the hose. Electric ...
The explosive opening chapter of a new novel Identity remains secretA thirty-nine-year-old Point Heed businessman and father of two convicted for possession and distribution of child pornography has been granted permanent name suppression. Bridget’s throat caught. Point Heed: lovely, leafy Point Heed. Her neighbourhood. It was ...
The explosive opening chapter of a new novel Identity remains secretA thirty-nine-year-old Point Heed businessman and father of two convicted for possession and distribution of child pornography has been granted permanent name suppression. Bridget’s throat caught. Point Heed: lovely, leafy Point Heed. Her neighbourhood. It was ...
Watch video: In part 5 of our video series, The Way Forward, Rod Oram looks at big new ideas that can lead our response to climate change and improve sustainability. If we humans are to stand any chance of a liveable future, we must transform everything we do so ...
The Government's Emissions Trading Scheme incentivises the planting of pine forest. But a company looking to cash in on the scheme has left a farm on the East Coast prone to significant erosion within months of taking over. Aaron Smale reports. Satellite images of a former sheep station on the East Coast show a stark ...
Newsroom's Nikki Mandow went hunting for organisations run using a co-governance model and found some have been doing it quietly for years. No power grab, no stolen assets. The Detail hears from leaders of these bodies about what co-governance looks like in practice, and asks - does it work? For Bob ...
The explosive opening chapter of a new novel Identity remains secretA thirty-nine-year-old Point Heed businessman and father of two convicted for possession and distribution of child pornography has been granted permanent name suppression. Bridget’s throat caught. Point Heed: lovely, leafy Point Heed. Her neighbourhood. It was ...
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By Johnny Blades, RNZ The House journalist An increased appetite to learn te reo Māori among members and staff from different parts of the Parliamentary system means the work of Parliament’s Māori Language Service is in demand more than ever. Compared to several years ago there’s now also significantly more acknowledgement ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andy Marks, Pro Vice-Chancellor, Strategy, Government and Alliances, Western Sydney University Dean Lewins/AAP Sometimes defeat can come with small victories. In his NSW election concession speech, defeated Liberal-National Coalition Premier Dominic Perrottet remarked the campaign had been a “race to ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Mikey Burnet Byelections for leaders are rather like steeplechases for horses: there is always the risk of serious injury. Ahead of the 2018 super-Saturday contests, Bill Shorten had an impatient Anthony Albanese ...
National Party leader Christopher Luxon says a controversial British activist has the right to free speech in New Zealand, following the clash at Auckland's counter protest on Saturday. ...
The Queer Endurance / Defiance group had organised this rally for trans acceptance and reproductive rights as soon as they heard Posie Parker planned to come to Wellington. And while the anti-trans campaigner never ended up making it to the nation’s capital after her failed Auckland event, around 3,000 members ...
ANALYSIS:By Nicholas Khoo, University of Otago Former Australian prime minister Paul Keating’s recent strident criticism of the A$368 billion nuclear-powered submarine deal announced under the AUKUS security pactwill have little effect on Australian policy. Canberra’s deepening level of security cooperation is underpinned by a deep political consensus. But the ...
RNZ News British gender activist Posie Parker has left New Zealand, calling it the “worst place for women she has ever visited”. Kellie-Jay Keen-Minshull, also known as Posie Parker, shared a photo on social media showing her being escorted by police through Auckland Airport. She left her rally at Albert ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Frank Bongiorno, Professor of History, ANU College of Arts and Social Sciences, Australian National University Tasmanian Premier Jeremy Rockliff (right) is now the only non-Labor leader at federal or state level.Mick Tsikas/AAP When Dominic Perrottet gave a gracious concession speech after ...
Hundreds of people have gathered by Christchurch’s Bridge of Remembrance to show support for the trans community in the wake of anti-transgender activist Posie Parker’s brief visit to Aotearoa. Bubbles filled the air against a backdrop of trans rights flags and hundreds of signs of support for the LGBTQIA+ community, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne Dean Lewins/AAPThis article was updated March 26. With 36% of enrolled voters counted in today’s New South Wales ...
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[Why are you using this handle and e-mail address when we had agreed that you would stick to one and one only?]
[Edit: comment ‘restored’ on the understanding that this commenter will stop playing sockpoppets]
Do local iwi still support the Shelly Bay development
[Why are you using this handle and e-mail address when we had agreed that you would stick to one and one only?]
[Edit: comment ‘restored’ on the understanding that this commenter will stop playing sockpoppets]
Memory loss, plus I like the notion of a marketplace of ideas. Also, it’s more concise and easier to tap on tablet.
I have copies of your comments, which I can ‘restore’, but you’re wasting my time and I’m more inclined to give you a lengthy ban.
Memory loss, plus I like the notion of a marketplace of ideas. Can you restore, my comment? I think it is a valid issue and of interest to this blog.
[This morning I deleted three comments of yours. They were fine as they were but over the years, and also recently, you have been using many tens (!!) of user handles and associated e-mail addresses. This lack of transparency, without any reason at all other than ‘memory loss’ is a behavioural problem that you must deal with if you want to continue commenting on this site. You have received many warnings about this and have had this explained to you but you are not changing your ways!? So, here is the deal: I will ‘restore’ your three comments and you stick with one handle and e-mail only. I suggest you use Paaparakauta and the corresponding e-mail address. If you continue to play sockpoppets, I will start handing out bans and eventually (??) ban you permanently. If you consider this site a “market place of ideas” and that your comments have and add value because they are “a valid issue and of interest to this blog” then you will have no problem with the minor adjustment to your behaviour for the sake of transparency, honesty, and integrity. The choice is yours – Incognito]
See my Moderation note @ 8:37 AM.
If you need to keep changing your storefront in the marketplace of ideas, it suggests that maybe the problem lies with what you're selling rather than your branding.
A point to ponder on the cannabis debate.
A number of people support medicinal but are opposed to voting for wider recreational use.
What people taking that stance need to consider is the recent law change allowing for medicinal use falls far short.
It's only for the terminally ill and those in palliative care.
Therefore, many that require it medicinally find they are not eligible. Hence, opening it up to recreational use will cover the shortfall in the current medicinal use law. Allowing all those (consenting adults) that require it medicinally to have legal access.
Yup, and the money from legal sale of marijuana can help fund drug addiction treatment for tobacco-alcohol-meth/medicinal cannabis treatment costs.
It would also finance the end of legal sale of tobacco by retail – addicts getting a ration supply from a chemist at say $20 a first packet then $30 a packet (those going over the amount having to get addiction treatment).
Exploiting tobacco addicts for tax revenue is a little corrupt.
I don't understand the objections..surely they are misinformed?
My understanding is that cannabis was not found to be a gateway drug. Well, ok…apart from tobacco which nobody can afford to take up, and that's only because it is commonly cut with it (study done overseas where tobacco is cheaper).
I don't understand the objections..surely they are misinformed?
Misinformed and illogical. Unfortunately, for any given issue, a sizable proportion of the population will be misinformed and illogical and this is no different.
The medical cannabis law is a sad joke from a sad joke of a government.
Who are so far right economically it's hard to tell the difference between them and national on economic issues.
Totally agree, adam.
You seem to think it is panacea for “many that require it medicinally” yet the jury is still out on that: https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/health/117559141/we-dont-know-what-we-dont-know-on-medicinal-cannabis
A pro-active government would be ordering small homes from a factory in Auckland and transporting them around Northland – and then (state house) building a factory near Whangarei to manufacture locally.
https://www.tvnz.co.nz/one-news/new-zealand/northland-housing-woes-people-living-in-trees-car-ports-old-cars
It seems that none of the suggested solutions to the lack of affordable housing actually involve building affordable housing.
Good work to the British police. R.I.P to the victims.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/news/article.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=12289730
A long ( and disturbing) read…..not news as such but a high level of detail
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2019/nov/29/rightwing-thinktank-conservative-boris-johnson-brexit-atlas-network
NZDF, killers, liars, cowboys
Killers,
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/114575682/operation-burnham-inquiry-nzdf-admits-afghan-target-may-have-been-unarmed
Liars,
https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/news/politics/nzdf-stands-by-denial-of-civilian-deaths-in-disastrous-afghan-raid/
Cowboys,
https://www.msn.com/en-nz/news/national/paula-penfolds-fight-for-justice/ar-BBXwUGu?ocid=spartanntp
Why, when raising benefits can stimulate the economy (helping to create jobs and boost business returns) and can assist the Government with its goals of addressing poverty, family violence, suicide etc… is the Government dragging its feet?
Pull your head in, weka.
This is not trolling. I'm expressing a genuine concern. Thus, you are silencing it.
Which will be rid of me but not the concern (which others also share).
Shame you didn't have a decent solution other than to silence me. It looks bad on you, the site and the Greens. But that's clearly your call.
Enjoy your echo chamber.
[TheStandard: A moderator moved this comment to Open Mike as being off topic or irrelevant in the post it was made in. Be more careful in future.]
You are entitled to your opinion but I’d like to contrast yours with another one:
https://thestandard.org.nz/lefties-on-the-standard-redux/#comment-1669788
war on women, or are women even human?
https://twitter.com/DavidNHackney/status/1197473436454535168?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1197473436454535168&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.dailykos.com%2Fstory%2F2019%2F11%2F29%2F1902561%2F-Ohio-Doctors-who-don-t-reimplant-ectopic-pregnancy-face-abortion-murder-charge-under-new-bill
edit: add link to guardian https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/nov/29/ohio-extreme-abortion-bill-reimplant-ectopic-pregnancy
Good Lord! What the hell is wrong with people?
The US will soon face a major Dr shortage. The exodus began the same time Obama care did, adding huge amounts of red tape.
nothing to do with Obama or any perceived doctor shortage, but simply republicans declaring that womens health is only important so as long as they birth the fetus.
but nice try at deflection. Btw, the resident in the shitty house is not called Obama nor Hillary.
This is open mike yet my last post failed to show. What's up with that? I might have to start writing (elsewhere where you have no control) about your behavior of silencing posts on this site. Don't fuck with me.
[I put you in premod so I could see if you had seen my mod note. But also useful to see what your response to moderation was. Now you are in the blacklist while I have a think about a ban and talk to the other mods – weka]
[You have been a commenter on TS for a very long time. Quite early on, your comments were already perceived by some as those of a (concern) troll or RW. Quite early on, you also started to attract the attention of Moderators. For example: https://thestandard.org.nz/jeremy-corbyn-wins/#comment-1070168
In short, over a long period of time, you have created a perception of being a concern troll and people here react to this perception accordingly. This riles you because you claim to be “expressing a genuine concern”. Regardless, your comments have a negative effect on discourse on TS.
You have been warned and asked numerous times to change your behaviour to counter this perception yet your steadfast refusal and petulance have only helped to reinforce the perception.
In the end, TS is bigger and more important than any one person; as even previous Authors/Moderators have found out to their detriment.
Contrary to some people’s beliefs, we generally consider longer bans carefully. Naturally, we are sensitive to accusations of shutting down concerns and opinions that we apparently do not agree with in order to create an “echo chamber”. We are aware that all of us are biased, one way or another, and thus we, as moderators, tread carefully around uncomfortable or dissenting comments. As you know, I have spent much time moderating you and I have agonised over how to handle you so that you can keep participating here on TS without derailing threads/posts because of your perceived reputation as a concern troll. I have made it clear that ultimately it is your responsibility to change your behaviour here, which you have yet to acknowledge let alone accept. Again, you have cultivated a long pattern of behaviour of ignoring moderation notes, misunderstanding them, and/or arguing against them. For example: https://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-16092015/#comment-1072607 In short, you are wasting our time.
With your recent threats [plural] against Authors/Moderators and attempted (emotional) blackmail, you clearly overstepped the boundary of acceptable behaviour. Perhaps it was petulance or anger but it was unacceptable regardless.
For this, in particular, you do receive a moderately long ban. If/when you come back here on TS the bans will escalate if you’ll get moderated for anything that you have been warned about. The next time you make threats you will be banned permanently without warning. This instructional ban will enable you to come back here in election year and participate in debate, if you wish. The choice is yours.
Banned for four months until 1 April 2020 – Incognito]
The Chairman says, "Don't fuck with me."
Bye!
careful, Robert, TC might start writing things elsewhere. Because, like, then the world will know how oppressed TC has been.
See my Moderation note @ 11:42 AM.
Straight out of the Trump/Bolsonaro playbook.
The Conservative party is threatening to review Channel 4’s public service broadcasting obligations after the network replaced Boris Johnson with an ice sculpture at Thursday night’s election debate.
In a dramatic escalation of the war of words between the Tories and Channel 4 that will likely provoke outcry, a Conservative source told BuzzFeed News that if they win the coming election they will reassess the channel’s public service broadcasting licence.
https://www.buzzfeed.com/alexwickham/boris-johnson-is-threatening-to-review-channel-4s
Lying liar who's been sacked twice for lying, lies.
Rapper Tom Scott is obviously struggling to get some publicity for an album.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/entertainment/news/article.cfm?c_id=1501119&objectid=12289507
To descend into faking screenshots of supposed communications from the PM is going to far. Even though I don't think Ardern is even remotely competent at her job I cannot believe that she would be so crass and morally corrupt that she would converse with this arsehole.
He is of course the creep who wanted to kill John Key and rape his daughter. He seemed to regard that as perfectly acceptable behaviour and Ardern would surely have nothing to do with him.
Has she, or her office as she will obviously be busy at her party conference, called this prick on his bull and demanded that he withdraw these scurrilous allegations?
If not yet, when is she going to do so? To ignore them will merely lead to people thinking that there must be some truth in what he says. Surely his tales cannot be true.
…I cannot believe that she would be so crass and morally corrupt that she would converse with this arsehole.
Meh. If he breaks his girlfriend's back kicking her down the stairs and then Ardern is happy to be on the radio with him answering questions about which celebs she'd like to fuck, you'll have a point. Until then, this is pretty small beer.
After a google to find out what Alwyn's bullshit was today, I was having difficulty finding words to describe their crass hypocrisy without getting into an hours-long digression.
You nailed it.
You've never had any problem finding words before flocky.
Your problem is that the words you do find never make any sense.
Not to you, they don’t. Especially words like "integrity", "honesty", "empathy", and so on.
WTF!? This grim gun filth want to hold their pro gun rally prior to a fun family friendly Santa Parade?!?!
Don't they know that this is just the sort of event favoured by crazed mass shooters?
And why are they "targeting" Ashburton and Christchurch
Why do they think their sick message will find fertile ground in these two centres?
Is this the reason?
http://www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/4987990/ChCh-is-home-of-white-supremacists
I can't wait till this gun happy scum announce the date of their protest in Auckland.
Where they won't find their message so well received.
Yes Jenny, sick in so many ways. I just hope this government sticks hard with its policies on gun control and that prosecutions with real penalties are levied where appropriate.
These people make me so angry. Scum of the earth.
You seem to have a problem with distinction. Licenced firearm owners are not white supremacists are not crazed mass shooters. You are too ‘generous’ with your abusive labels, which you scatter around in a haze of pig-headed ignorance and hatred without distinction. I’m not talking about this one comment only, BTW.
For displaying such incredibly poor judgment every idiot gun owner who takes part in this completely inappropriate pro gun parade prior to the Santa Parade needs to have their firearms licence revoked they are obviously not fit to have one.
BTW This cowardly scum would never dare try such a stupid stunt in Auckland
Do you realise that you are referring to ordinary law-abiding citizens with families?
People like you worry me. Your crude language and simplistic opinions portray a dogmatic and closed mind of an extremely judgemental person. Dogmatic closed minds are dangerous, no matter on which ‘side’ they claim to be.
You call me dogmatic
Yet it is not me who is rallying before a Santa Parade for the right to have assault rifles.
And you think that this is appropriate?
May I suggest an idea for their float?
A trailer loaded with corpses of all the children shot in school shootings.
Dogmatism like beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
Incognito, if you can give me one reasonable argument why anyone needs a semi-automatic assault weapon, (apart from Right Wing paranoia), then you may (barely), escape the label of 'dogmatic' yourself.
I love your idea for a float. Have you suggested it to the organisers? If it is good enough to float here on TS, it is good enough to go fully public with it, don’t you think?
Here is you first problem: you seem to assume that I’m on the side of the people attending that protest rally. FYI, the concept of owning or using a gun is an alien concept to me [I hope you don’t miss the hint]. For that reason, I struggle to understand the emotional attachment that some people seem to have to their gun(s) and/or the lifestyle that’s associated with it. They use terms like “heartbreaking”. https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/christchurch-shooting/117841613/destruction-of-nowillegal-guns-desecration-of-nz-history-shooting-champion-says
Your second problem is that your bias clouds your judgement and you don’t seem to acknowledge that. You are so far down in the rabbit hole of your own making with corresponding abusive stereotyping that you even conjure up mental images of a “trailer loaded with corpses of all the [??] children shot in school shootings”. What children are you talking about?
There's nothing wrong with waiting until the Royal Commissions' recommendations come out before enacting further gun-restrictive legislation.
If only Labour had thought to put a float up there as well.
Smart thinking by the protesters.
You cut out the best bit:
Besides the mangling of the English language, policy advisors and legislators are now clearly attempting to correct that deficiency in restriction.
Although I do think the Mongrel Mob have a point. I just have no better idea about how to close this hole more fairly while still closing it quickly.
You left Psycho Milt – I'd of thought that was the very definition of oxymoron.
[TheStandard: A moderator moved this comment to Open Mike as being off topic or irrelevant in the post it was made in. Be more careful in future.]
When in doubt, there's always Adam to claim his left is bigger than everyone else's.
I just hope you more-left-than-lefties keep it aligned down the middle so the enormous weight doesn't tip the boat over while the opposition's boat cruises to victory.
A nact government is a high price to pay for blowing on your own leftism.
Do giggle once in a while McFlock – you angry little man.
Did you miss how Psycho Milt was attacking a self identifying lefty by saying he was more left himself.
Hence the oxymoron jibe – you know humour – Oh dear oh dear oh dear – well I'll leave you to your angry little man world.
But you did add more humour by accusing me of the thing Psycho Milt had already done. Thanks for that.
…Psycho Milt was attacking a self identifying lefty by saying he was more left himself.
Beats me how you could read that into my comment, but written communication is notorious for misunderstandings.
There's a line, which is something like if you are going poke at someone you can do it within a general point about politics so long as it's within the bounds of the culture of TS, but if you just poke at someone for the sake of making them feel shit or putting them down, then it's a problem (eg it starts flame wars).
The thing being protected there is the robust debate ethic. If flame wars happen, then robust debate diminishes.
Hence PM's comment sailed under the moderator radar, but yours stood out like a sore thumb.
My bad, forgot it's tiddlywinks here these days.
Possibly. I'd much rather see more robust debate and in depth political arguing. The bitching and niggling is much easier to ignore then.
heh
Had a good laugh watching the TV news. The poor redneck hicks crying about their guns and saying they feel victimised. What a brunch of delicate wee petals they are. Pathetic.
I have to agree. They can still own guns. Just not the type produced for mass killing of humans beings.
They are indeed pathetic. But more than this they are dangerous.
Note here the 'othering' language of Incognito.
As if those who oppose his views don't have families, (or at least families like his.) or by definition are not law abiding.
There are very few human beings who don't have family of some sort.
The othering language of Incognito is dangerous because it attempts to dehumanise those who don't agree with his pro-gun views.
This is the sort of language that justifies the attacks on the victims of his 'othering.'
Othering? You're grasping at straws. I'd say Incognito had your measure in yesterday's thread you are dredging up:
We will never organise or lead change together without the most basic logic or good faith.
Oops, same thread as this one, not 'yesterday'.
That’s an interesting word, “othering”, but do you even know what it means? It seems you are redefining it in your head so that it sounds right to you in some kind of ‘common sense’ way. You have a bad habit of using your own personal definitions of interesting words such as “fascist”. It usually means you are so far off the mark that you don’t even realise you have missed by a mile. It makes debating with you an exercise in futility.
You know that when a sentence starts with “As if”, it is bound to be a strawman. I’m blown away by your second sentence. You got me there and I concede that are correct.
In your closed-minded opinion, I “attempt[s] to dehumanise those who don't agree with his pro-gun views”. Firstly, I have no pro-gun views nor did I provide any. You seem to be projecting, as usual. Secondly, I did not use dehumanising language unlike your abusive labels such as “grim gun filth”, “crazed mass shooters”, “gun happy scum”, “idiot gun owner”, and “cowardly scum”. Projecting much?
I have to say, this is your pièce de résistance and the irony is completely lost on you. It is comments like this that inevitably lead to a ban but you seem to be wilfully blind when somebody holds up a mirror to you. Keep up the ‘good work’.
Imperialism bad, Russian/Iranian imperialism not so bad, 'mkay.
//
What our resident quislings who root for Assad fascism and Russian intervention, in their one eyed depiction of the US as the only danger to world peace forget, is that Nazi Germany was once also the Imperialist underdog fighting for their place in the global world order.
Did she have too many Friday night drinks or is she just another useless National MP with an attitude problem.
National MP Joanne Hayes deleted a nasty unprovoked late night tweet she made on a post celebrating the graduation of Jacinda Ardern's former campaign manager.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12289780
It looks a lot like the kind of nasty tweet Jamie Lee Ross got from former lovers. Were I a muck-raking journalist I'd be looking for red-headed young Gnats who've had some association with Joanne Hayes.
https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1134685-your-passport-to-mobility-ever-considered-permanent-residency-in-new-zealand/
Sounds good glad I was able to contribute to such a saleable commodity.
"Silly buggers" in Oz…disappearing submissions continue in the Cash Ban bill
Have NZ media said anything about the China Cables?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZWZZ151RyYM&feature=emb_logo