The EMA must expel Alasdair Thompson if it is to retain any credibility as an organisation.
If they don’t then actions need to be taken against them by those entrusted with ensuring democracy and fairness.
For instance though Parliament never released the name of those lobby groups given privileged access to parliament.
You can bet that the EMA is definitely one of them.
This privilege not available to normal citizens should be suspended from the EMA until the time that they distance themselves from Alasdair Thompson.
In a democracy an organisation that tolerates bigotry should have no special arrangement that allows them to influence public policy.
Every woman MP no matter their political affiliation should demand that the EMA special access ‘keys’ and ‘swipe cards’ should be taken off them, until Thompson is dismissed.
The EMA claim that they can weather the Thompson Storm.
I doubt they could weather that storm. As a lobby group they have been very effective, having the ear of parliament, achieving much of their agenda.
The EMA’s special access to parliament and parliamentarians would be a big part of this success.
Till Thomson is sacked the call on the floor of parliament from every women MP should be:
“Remove the EMA special access now! ”
“EMA say they can weather the Thompson Storm”
The EMA must expel Alasdair Thompson if it is to retain any credibility as an organisation.
If they don’t then actions need to be taken against them by our representatives, those entrusted by us to ensuring fairness.
The EMA need to learn that women are not powerless, and that a group that tolerates the prejudice behind justifying lower pay rates, will pay a price.
Parliament never released the name of those lobby groups given privileged access to parliament.
But you can guarantee that the EMA is definitely one of them.
This privilege not available to normal citizens should be suspended from the EMA until the time that they distance themselves from Alasdair Thompson.
In a democracy an organisation that tolerates bigotry should have no special arrangement that allows them to influence public policy.
This should be a given!
Every female MP no matter their political affiliation should demand that the EMA special access ‘keys’ and ‘swipe cards’ should be taken off them, until Thompson is dismissed.
The EMA have claimed; “The EMA can weather the Thompson Storm.”
Let us see if they can “weather” having their special access removed. As a lobby group they have been very effective in achieving their aims, having the ear of parliament would play a large part in that success.
In my opinion the EMA’s special access to parliament and parliamentarians is an affront to democracy in itself, the fact that this group tolerates bigotry against women makes it worse.
Till Thomson is sacked the call on the floor of parliament from every women MP should be:
“If they don’t then actions need to be taken against them by those entrusted with ensuring democracy and fairness.”
Honestly I didn’t read any further than this.
I would have thought it was democratic and fair to let a private organisation (no matter how public their profile) manage their affairs as best they see fit. If they do something that discredits them in the eye of the public, then that is their just deserts.
(“Women are simply less likely to succumb to bugs, the Telegraph reports.
Compared with men, an Australian study found, women have a “much stronger immune response” to rhinoviruses – the germs responsible for the common cold.”)
I answered and said that 300 extra were put into sth Auckland but this was not under Collins. Good question you ask because there was not an increase in the budget for police.
So, following on from Zetetic’s post at http://thestandard.org.nz/howzat/ where he opined that “If best Key can promise for the economy is an increase in a tiny portion of tourism, some time in the future, when a plane that isn’t even operational might start flying here direct from Mumbai, we’re in trouble”, we have this news:
“New Zealand is one step closer to reaching a free trade agreement with India and Kiwi companies are optimistic about their prospects in one of the world’s fastest growing markets.”
G, the devil is in the detail. If its a “fair” trade agreement as opposed to the standard “free” trade agreement I am all for it. Previous so called free trade agreements have probably alerted Zets “shit radar”.
No, it’s not as it’s unsustainable. All it’ll really do is put a bit more money in some peoples pockets while destroying our ability to live as we will have destroyed the environment to get those dollars.
Oh good, we can buy cheaper T-shirts made in sweat shops whilst their very affluent bosses can holiday here, their film industry can gain big subsidies and we can export, well….. our call centre business (or what’s left of it) to Bangalore…
No one involved with the “Macsynna King” book comes out looking any good, but book banning or burning leads to worse places. I’d rather see piles of them sitting in stores unsold then quietly remaindered, or dumped on Wisharts property.
And while I’m on mike, these FB ‘mobs’ seem like bigoted internet talk back, the last pile of crap page of significance bought us a nice Lord Jackson supported anti union march on Labour Day.
I dunno, TM. The two chains have declined to stock the Smacsyna King book. That’s not a ban, it’s a moral decision to put good taste ahead of profits. That’s rare in business, aye? As I said on Open Mike a couple of days ago, if Tepco or BP put the public good ahead of private gain, the world would be a better place.
Wow, just spent a few minutes trawling through the fb page. The page itself calls for a boycott, not a ban, but the tone of many comments is that hanging is too good for them. An amazing outpouring of ignorance, hatred and bile. As you say, TM, just like talkback!
BTW, just to save people the bother of reading the book, I thhink I can sum it up in four words:
‘It wasn’t me, honest’.
The Gormless Fool formerly known as Oleolebiscuitbarrell 4.2.1
I did not like the idea of her making money from the deaths for which she was (at best for her) partly responsible. I understand that Wishart has said she is not and, if that’s true, that must be the end of the issue. People write books about all sorts of horrible things, yet no-one suggests that books about, say, the holocaust should be banned on the grounds that someone is profiting from that misery.
I heard on nine to noon that Wishart has said that she will not be making anything from the book. Take that with whatever skepticism you use with Wishart statements.
Decades ago Wishart used to check himself and his sources much more thoroughly. However I suspect that he has been falling subject to hubris more and more over the years and doing less and less checking when he ‘knows’ the answers.
These days Wishart is a classic case of where a lack of knowledge makes him completely credulous when it comes to both the sources of facts as well as the interpretation. It is really hard to find anything in his recent books that stacks up as being of much relevance beyond being Wisharts opinion (ie not his interpretation – because that would have required that he thought about it and judged it).
Moral outrage is so warming at a time of winter frosts isn’t it! And the superior thinking of FB ticking yes/no like/don’t like is an example of deep thought about the King book about the Kahui twins? North and South have often done stories about people who have been involved in violence and crime so what’s the difference here. Ian Wishhart is different of course but shouldn’t be banned as is happening.
Burning/banning books because ‘I don’t like the subject, the author, the opinions’ is dangerous. Inciting hatred by denigrating some person or group might be a valid reason. But shining a light on dark doings through a book is useful. Especially if we absorb the detail and use that knowledge to change behaviour so the dark doings don’t occur again.
Nothing wrong with boycotting a book without reading it, Ian. I’ve personally boycotted Mein Kampf all my life, because I don’t have to read the thing to now what it means. In this case, King and Wishart are trying to gain from the death of the two kids. Wishart intends to profit financially, King intends to promote her own claim of innocence.
Neither of them are likely to be interested in telling the truth anyway, so the book is unlikely to be anything other than a work of fiction.
VOR. I’m reading a book currently about Stalin in the 1930s. I couldn’t tell if it was worth reading until I had read at least part of it. (Excellent by the way. “The Stalin Epigram.”) Sure it is very unlikely that I would ever read a Wishart book but I rather resent others Censoring my reading a legally published book.
But no one is censoring your reading, Ian. Get it off the net if you want it or go to any of the other bookshops that are stocking it. The call is for a boycott, not a ban. The Stalin book sounds interesting. He’s still rather popular in Russia, often ranking just below Putin in the preferred leader polls.
Ian Wishart answers a number of questions about Macsyna King and why he wrote ‘Breaking the Silence’.
This is a HUGE ‘freedom of expression’ issue and I support 100% Ian Wishart’s right to write and publish his book ‘Breaking the Silence’, and MY right as a customer to be able to purchase it from the Warehouse or Paper Plus or Whitcoulls.
For goodness sake – it wasn’t Ian Wishart who killed the Kahui baby boys!
The CRAP that he’s getting for writing about the killing of the Kahui baby boys is worse than the KILLERS?
Duh?
If Ian’s book results in the Police reopening the Kahui case and it results in a conviction for the deaths of those poor little babies – then surely that will be the outcome that most people want?
Who is this ‘Chris’ that set up the ‘Boycott the Macsyna King Book’ facebook and LIED about Macsyna profiting from ‘Breaking the Silence’ when that was NEVER the case?
What are ‘Chris’s motives, and with whom is he connected?
Use some basic logic here folks!
Who stands to benefit most from trying to ‘silence’ Ian wishart who is trying to ‘break the silence’ about the causes of child abuse in general and the Kahui case in particular?
The killed Kahui baby boys – or the KILLERS of the Kahui baby boys?
Our rights to freedom of expression are under siege.
Whatever you may think about Ian Wishart and his views on a number of issues is surely NOT the point here.
It is a matter of principle.
All those who believe in freedom of expression should be stepping up to the plate – because WHO IS NEXT????
Sorry Penny, but you simply don’t have a right as a customer to be able to purchase it from the Warehouse or Paper Plus or Whitcoulls, nor from any other specific outlet.
VoR Until the killer/s of Chris and Cru are charged with murder the King/Wishart book is exploiting the death of Chris and Cru. If there is ever a right time to write a book, it would be once the killer/s are sentenced.
Do I need to read the book to establish if King or Wishart know who murdered Chris and Cru?
Wishart has stated that King mentions the killer. King needs to go down to the police station with a lawyer and tell the police everything, (I would not allow how I feel about the police to stop myself from talking to them were my two babies murdered).
I don’t give a shit about any talk of censorship as the book can be accessed in NZ. What really pisses me off, is that two beautiful babies were murdered and the King/Wishart book is EXPLOITATION.
Something called “Treetop” is just a tad confused.
1.) If there is ever a right time to write a book, it would be once the killer/s are sentenced.
What? Is there a law against writing a book now? Are you some sort of marketing genius that has assessed the optimum time to release books?
2.) Do I need to read the book to establish if King or Wishart know who murdered Chris and Cru?
I don’t think anyone cares what you need to do. If you know who it was, by the way, why don’t you tell the rest of us?
3.) I don’t give a shit about any talk of censorship…
You illiberal dolt. I think it’s offensive to read ignorant comments on The Standard but I wouldn’t dream of censoring you. Why would you stop me being able to buy a book?
4.) What really pisses me off, is that two beautiful babies were murdered and the King/Wishart book is EXPLOITATION.
Every book that’s ever been written is exploitation. What the hell are you on about?
Morrissey in response to your questions below my questions numbered 1 – 4
1. If there is ever a right time to right a book, it would be once the killer/s are sentenced?
1.1 Is there a law about writing a book now?
No there is not and I did not say that there was a law.
1.2 Are you some sort of market genius that has assessed the optimum time to release a book?
The killer/s are still out there and were the book to aid the killer/s in anyway this would not be the case were there a conviction.
2. Do I need to read the book to estabish if King or Wishart know who murdered Chris and Cru?
2.1 If you know who it was why don’t you tell the rest of us?
Well what is stopping King and Wishart from going to the police as they appear to know more than I do about who took two innocent lives.?
3. I don’t give a shit about any talk of censorship?
3.1 Why would you stop me from being able to buy the book?
How am I stopping you from being able to buy the book?
Just because some book stores will not sell it this is not stopping people from buying the book. The book has not been banned, some outlets chose not to stock it.
4.What really pisses me off, is that two beautiful babies were murdered and the King/Wishart book is EXPLOITATION.
4.1 What the hell are you on about?
Had Wishart written a book about the background of the mother’s of murdered children, there may be some common threads on why their babies and children are fatally harmed or were they to have survived been brain damaged. The risk factors of the mother and child would be better understood and hopefully prevented.
Something called Treetop is a tad confused. You are entitled to have an opinion. I note your comment in 4.2.2.1.3.1 “Actually, Vicky, Wishart is a callous systemic liar. He gives pride of place in his ridiculous monthly magazine to notorious liars and hate mongers like Mark Steyn and Miranda Devine. Have you read any of his unhinged rants against Palestinians and Iraqis?
In this case, King and Wishart are trying to gain from the death of the two kids. Wishart intends to profit financially, King intends to promote her own claim of innocence.
Neither of them are likely to be interested in telling the truth anyway, so the book is unlikely to be anything other than a work of fiction.
I couldn’t agree less! You simply assume Wishart intends to profit financially, which I seriously doubt – I think he sees himself as a campaigner….
I know you are against everything Wishart stands for, and so am I (well, 85% of it), but he would not knowingly tell an untruth.
I know you are against everything Wishart stands for, and so am I (well, 85% of it), but he would not knowingly tell an untruth.
Actually, Vicky, Wishart is a callous and systematic liar. He gives pride of place in his ridiculous monthly magazine to notorious liars and hate-mongers like Mark Steyn and Miranda Devine. Have you read any of his unhinged rants against Palestinians and Iraqis?
Yes, Morrissey, you’re right… Scarily, I think it’s because he believes Steyn and Devine and the rest of the rubbish he spouts is the truth! I think he wouldn’t knowingly lie, but I believe he is a “useful idiot”. That’s IMO worse, and rather sad. I would hate to believe he’s actually a knowing liar, which I don’t believe he is.
I have read his evil magazine (my right-wing sister recommended it) but it makes me vomit.
Close-up tonight.
I missed in what capacity Christine-watch-my-earrings-move-with-my-angry-headshake-Rankin was on the show, (assume as Family Commission spokesperson) but she wasn’t half extolling the virtues of Wishart’s book.
“All New Zealanders must read this book. I know what’s in there even though I haven’t read it myself!”
What?
Incidentally, Christine Rankin was appointed to the Family Commission a couple of years ago now but, from memory, she didn’t actually have a job description for her appointment – has one been written for her yet?
I am also uncomfortable about the “boycott”. While it is called a boycott, it is effectively a form of censorship by applying economic pressure on the booksellers. And I am worried that it smacks of the sort of moral panic (a la NY mosque) that we see so often in the US of A – god forbid that we go down that road.
Like someone said, I too would be happy if it just sat on the shelves. Not that I wouldn’t read the book at the library, but I would not want to directly contribute to the promotion of “her side of the story” – not when the police should have been the first ones told.
As an amateur historian, I have often read source material that people would find objectionable but it allows me to see the context first hand.
The FB page is a way for people to express their feelings, though I wish they would cease from the lynch mob comments.
The book is a lightening rod for the frustration people felt in the face of the arrogant wall of silence from the family, the failure of the court case and the fact that there is still no one held accountable for the murders.
More so at the prospect that Macsyna King would be getting attention when she is either guilty or, if not, was part of the cover up to protect the person guilty of murdering babies.
BTW – Someone at the inquest has fingered her as the murder
and while I’m on mike, these FB ‘mobs’ seem like bigoted internet talk back, the last pile of crap page of significance bought us a nice Lord Jackson supported anti union march on Labour Day.
Exactly right… I went to that group and it’s worse than you could possibly imagine! I made the mistake of signing up to comment, and got abused myself, as a “shithead”, “He-she”, “crack addict”, a childless spinster (which is hilarious) and last but not least I was repeatedly told that I must be a relative of Macsyna King! (If I was, I would have said so, but they were missing the point. What’s next – book-burning, a la Texas?)
Have to say I’m loving what is happening in Greece at the moment 😉
I wonder if New Zealanders would ever get hungry and desperate enough to take to the streets, or are we more like German Jews ? Passively going to the shower block?
Interesting times
Robert, I for one applaud all those brave enough to stand against tyranny whether political or financial. What worries me is the escalation of violence – which one could argue might be innevitable- real people get real wounds / real death.
On the issue at hand the Casino is still running but all bets are off as the players run out of chips. Germany and the financial world could be left with a pile of chips backed by IOUs from every country in Europe with no way of collecting. As the masters in these countries look to flog their people so that they can last a little longer at the table things will get ugly.
Those of us in NZ who think these things wont affect us think again, it is going to be an interesting year as Shonkey tries to keep non existent cash coming in to prop up tax cuts etc (based upon non payable IOUs quietly promised against state assets to be sold and rented back to us).
Apparently Goldman Sachs & Co. have quite a few side bets going that Greece will default. The whole thing is rigged so they can’t lose and will make a packet either way.
Gotta admire these guys. Goldman makes other investment banks quake in their boots. To bad for the people of Greece though, oh well just more collateral damage. The politicians will do OK out of it no doubt.
The collapse of European pension funds due to defaulting will also cause widespread misery.
Meanwhile, RNZ’s Morning Report regularly interviews Goldman Sachs NZ-branch “experts” as if they are something other than members of a gang of economic terrorists.
Tariana Turia used the word ‘holocaust’ to describe a Māori situation and was severely chastised by many sections of society including the jewish community. Instead, why not say ‘sheep to the slaughter’ which most kiwis can relate to although not many can buy under current pricing.
To ‘soften’ the analogy. The trick is encourage people to hold out hope that a warm shower awaits them at the end of a hard road. So, for example, offer them water or the promise of water if they are thirsty ( ‘a rising tide raises all boats’; ‘no gain without pain’; ‘there is no alternative’ etc) and they will be grateful for any expression of humanity or apparent empathy, hold out hope and be acquiescent.
That’s not something you need to do when dealing with or to sheep.
Good stuff Bill. Its a bit like that pathetic Godwin call when you call a spade a spade, a fascist a fascist. One can be sensative but the issue remains.
For the record Adele, Turiana probably had a point, unfortunately our PC use of language took the sting out of the message.
The nature of the events are different and hence the objection to the use of the word holocaust. Holocaust is a loaded term that has come to represent a degree of intentionality and cold-blooded use of industrial methods to utterly extinguish a people group.
It also has been come to be reserved for a specific event in human history.
Her use of the term was ill advised and she got the blow-back that comes from misusing such a loaded and specific term.
For other, similar events (Rwanda/Armenians etc) we now use the word genocide to describe other events that are intended to destroy a people group. As such we look for the presence of a certain set of characteristics that would qualify the event for the name genocide.
Even if she had used the term genocide I would still think that she was wrong. It would not be an appropriate term for what was a series of events that aimed to subjugate, marginalise, rob, disinherit a people group born of a mixture of greed and cultural arrogance.
If an individual seeks money from me that I believe they have no entitlement to, I tell them to fuck off. Doubtless they apply pressure and issue all manner of threats of how dire the future will be if I insist on retaining what is mine.
Seems that’s the situation with Greece and others. The threat coming from the money men is the supposed dire consequences of default. Truth is that default isn’t dire. Well, it is, but not for the defaulter.
Argentina defaulted. There was no sustained outward rush of investment. There were no starving millions. The Argentinian economy was finally able to stand on its feet when the government pushed back against the financial players who kept pushing it to the ground.
But the Greek government, in concert with others, are cowards and idiots acting as enforcers for bullies rather than as defenders of the Greek people.
The Greeks time of relying on failed socialist policies for their economic properity is coming to an end. They have to face up to the fact they can no longer have their cake and eat it as well.
I’d love to see what alternative some of you lefties are proposing for the Greek economy.
Gosman, being slack collecting your taxes, and letting the investment banks convince you that you should take on more and more debt while you trust them to look after the details are not “socialist policies”.
In Greece??? How so considering most rational commentators are stating the problem in Greece is the fact they spend far mor than they earn and the Government sector is far too large and generous?
There was an interview just before 10:00 this morning on the national Programme with a British woman on the Greek issue .Very interesting especially if someone can put up the link. Lehman Bros were involved re manipulating Greeces entry into the EU, also with the ability for some to retire at 50 on the state and that shipping maginates were tax exempt because of the value they allow society to benefit from. Now here is a country that has no ability to experience reality !!!!
Yes, there are better pictures to use….
Following the Judas goat to slaughter.
Sleep walking our way into oblivion.
Striking up another tune on the deck of the Titanic.
Ordering another round when the roof is falling.
Labour leader Phil Goff has got it wrong again. “Hone took that [TTT] from being the safest Maori Party seat in the country to being the most marginal…”, Mr Goff said to Waatea news. Hone Harawira’s seat had the fourth largest majority out of seven seats in the last election. It is interesting to… note that the three lowest majorities in the maori seats included the only two labour MP’s elected, Parekura with a 1645 majority, and Nanaia with only a 888 majority.
Labour leader Phil Goff is in real trouble, it is most likely that his leadership will end after the next election. Phil Goof’s most dangerous enemies are his own labour MP’s, the knives are being sharpened as we speak…
Oh dear. This is clearly a mortal blow for Goff. I won’t be the least bit surprised if not only resigned the leadership, but went as far as locking himself in a quiet room with a bottle of scotch, a revolver and a single bullet. Given the gravity of this appalling error, it would be the only decent thing to do. Thank you both for alerting us to this shocking chain of events and Godspeed you both in your campaign to re-elect Nact, sorry, rejuvenate the Labour Party.
I couldn’t be bothered. I only have a few hours that I can spend there because of work timetables, and listening to him didn’t met the criteria. Unfortunately neither did Rob Oram or any of the keynote speeches to date.
*grin* Sounds like crap – but he is a credulous soul – someone has probably fed this to him to wind him up. Mind you, I think that if I see a hole on his site from here on out (as has existed several times in the past), I will be publishing it rather than my usual practices.
Please don’t hack my site. I’ve been a RWNJ National (under the table) employed lackey for a long time now and I really have to keep blogging crap right up until the next election, otherwise I don’t get my John Key autographed arse warmer.
If you keep stopping graphics from appearing and limiting my links, I’ll huff and puff and blow your house down… Where do you live again?
I know I hacked the Labour Party website, but nobody is allowed to hack my site. It’s just not fair because I rule everything and I have guns.
There was a real lovers tiff between him and Trevor mallard yesterday on Red Alert, and the blubbery one was dishing the threats to TM, along the lines of
Back off or I’ll release more stuff from your server
Cameron gets really really upset at the mention of his friend Simon Lusk. Every time Simon’s name is mentioned he goes ballistic.
Hmm this could be fun.
Simon Lusk, Simon Lusk, Simon Lusk, Simon Lusk, Simon Lusk, Simon Lusk, Simon Lusk, Simon Lusk, Simon Lusk, Simon Lusk, Simon Lusk, Simon Lusk, Simon Lusk, Simon Lusk, Simon Lusk, Simon Lusk, Simon Lusk, Simon Lusk, Simon Lusk, Simon Lusk, Simon Lusk, Simon Lusk, Simon Lusk, Simon Lusk, Simon Lusk, Simon Lusk, Simon Lusk, Simon Lusk, Simon Lusk, Simon Lusk, Simon Lusk, Simon Lusk …
Yet another hilarious revelation – see Red Alert. (Damm I must learn how to link):
Rodney Hide was seen this morning jumping out of his Crown car and taking a photograph of Phil Twyford’s Te Atatu campaign office. So what was that about? An accusation (in due course) of a supposed rorting of tax-payers money by Phil Twyford? If so, I think Twyford may have already successfully killed it.
The rich aren’t the problem. Rich people (the good kind) know their wealth is earned, the kind that lasts, not won by corruption, not won by speculatively excesses, and they will only remain rich if they stay competitive. Just as in any social situation you have cheaters and short-cutters, who seek economic and social recognition at the expense of their own ethics and morals. Wannabes rich, who want to have hundreds of millions in the bank and be PM, but actually have no social platform and so are tools for those who want to cheat to get rich. The wealthy and poor alike know that true prosperity comes of tangible generous spirit. Now National have none, and Labour had little for 9 years, their goal seems to play along. The question for me is where is the social justice debate, why is the political wealth and history denied us? Why? Because Labour introduced the Human Rights Act partially, and created an organisation too close to government (they actively advise government departments!) so the immediacy of their relationship, snotty better than everyone attitude having every branch of government potentially available to their decisions, becomes yet another barrier to Human Rights. As human rights are essentially breach by governments. So yes, we should be compensated for poor government, the poor and the rich, the rich also stand to lose massively from the neo-liberal paradigm when oil, climate crisis, resource wars and food spikes perpetually. So I ask where is the social justice debate on our MSM, where are the independent Human Rights lawyers the hounders of the oppressed? Gone because the Human Rights Commission serves its own and its paymaster role, to hide human rights abuses, loss of political depth, lose of economic rights, lose of social integrity. I am astonished how poor our laws are, that a person can say have a truck hub land next door to them and they have no real recourse! Articulated trucks are horrendously noisy, in any first world economy they are placed well away from homes since the throbbing of them warming up causes heart murmurs and worse. So to hear that a council just dropped a truck hauler next to a home without any noise abatement breaches the human rights of the surrounding property owners. And all the hauler needs to have done is put up some massively large walls and sound protections. Has NZ forgotten how to build substantial walls of breeze blocks, its a half a day process for the price of a roof!
(this story was on TV last night). There was adequate room in the program for a social justice debate about how residential areas have exclusions against such trucks parking over night.
Hey, this is the 21st century and we still get this crap happening, those poor folks who were forced to risk being hauled away themselves by police when they blocked the entrance.
So where are the social justice, and why are they so put down by the likes of Holmes or Henry, if they do show up. Moustache! I think the blind worship of God, Communism, or profit at the expense of anything else is dangerous and we need to rain them in. The Profit God must be brought back down to size and fast.
I think I speak for all of New Zealand when I say our hearts go out to the families of those killed in the Pike River mine disaster. Not only have the families of the deceased had to wait an incessant amount of time for the recovery process to begin, it now appears that it’s been financially mismanaged, and will stall because of a lack foresight by the receivers to set aside enough money to complete the task.
Open letter to Doris Mousdale of the Arcadia Bookshop
Re: your decision to boycott the Macsyna King book
Dear Ms. Mousdale,
I was interested to hear you will refuse to sell the Macsyna King book on moral grounds. That’s a laudable decision.
I presume that you have also refused to sell A Life by Tony Blair, Giving by Bill Clinton and Decision Points by George W. Bush. Each of these authors is directly culpable for the deaths of far more than just two children.
If, however, you do sell any or all of those books, could you please explain why?
With Blair, as with the other two, the terms are interchangeable. One of my favourite press conferences of all time was in London, 2003, when Bush told the assembled media outside No. 10 Downing Street: “I like Tony ‘cos he tells the truth!”
Actually, there is a tape of Bush speaking the truth on just one occasion…
Another open letter this time to lady from Unity Bookshop. Women seem to take the high moral tone to uncomfortable heights often. Are they more sensitive and caring than men or just unable to look directly at unpleasant reality?
Are they more sensitive and caring than men or just unable to look directly at unpleasant reality?
Doris Mousdale does her anodyne book reviews for Leighton Smith and Paul Holmes, two of the most racist, hateful broadcasters in the country. It is absurd to imagine that she is too “sensitive” or “caring” to stock a book which, however bad it might be, will be no worse than an hour of Smith’s or Holmes’s ranting.
Women seem to take the high moral tone to uncomfortable heights often.
I go with the theory that people who protest too much are uncomfortably close to the subject they are protesting about – in this case I’d looking at paid-up members of the smacking brigade or their own close shave with being in the underclass as driving unreasonably high levels of book-banning and hang’em rhetoric.
Why isn’t Jerry the Butt getting off his and organising some package to help the Canterbury regional government with their disaster insurance? He has King-like powers hasn’t he? What a useless type he is. He must have wormed his way into the inner circle to be favoured boy to get his role – or has it just been done on a location thing – he is elected for Christchurch and so everyone has to reap the meagre pickings of what Chch NACTS voted in.
In countries such as Australia, the US, Canada, Spain and Italy, weak planning has ensured that the distinction between town and countryside is blurred. Here you can find the worst of both worlds: a wildly unsustainable, disagregated urban nightmare, in which infrastructure is stretched across sprawling suburbs, people have no choice but to drive, and anonymous dormitory estates seem perfectly designed to generate alienation and anomie.
The uncontrolled growth of our cities that we’ve seen over the last 50 odd years has got to come to and end as we just can’t afford it.
Highly dense urban areas with large numbers of people per sq km will need highly efficient systems of bringing (labour intensive) produce in from rural areas.
Basically the fossil fuels we have left at this stage all need to be reserved for ambulances, tractors and harvesters. Full stop.
Yesterday I received come lovely feedback following my Star Wars themed newsletter. A few people mentioned they’d enjoyed reading the personal part at the beginning.I often begin newsletters with some memories, or general thoughts, before commencing the main topic. This hopefully sets the mood and provides some context in which ...
April 30 was going to be the day we’d be calling Mum from London to wish her a happy birthday. Then it became the day we would be going to St. Paul's at Evensong to remember her. The aim of the cathedral builders was to find a way to make their ...
Rob MacCulloch writes – Can’t remember the last book by a Kiwi author you read? Think the NZ government should spend less on the arts in favor of helping the homeless? If so, as far as Newsroom is concerned, you probably deserve to be called a cultural ignoramus ...
Eric Crampton writes – Grudges are bad. Better to move on. But it can be fun to keep a couple of really trivial ones, so you’re not tempted to have other ones. For example, because of the rootkit fiasco of 2005, no Sony products in our household. ...
A new report warns an estimated third of the adult population have unmet need for health care.Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāHere’s the six key things I learned about Aotaroa’s political economy this week around housing, climate and poverty:Politics - Three opinion polls confirmed support for PM Christopher Luxon ...
Today is May the fourth. Which was just a regular day when my mother took me to see the newly released Star Wars at the Odeon in Rotorua. The queue was right around the corner. Some years later this day became known as Star Wars Day, the date being a ...
Buzz from the Beehive Much more media attention is being paid to something Winston Peters said about former Australian Foreign Minister Bob Carr than to a speech he delivered to the New Zealand China Council. One word is missing from the speech: AUKUS. But AUKUS loomed large in his considerations ...
Is the economy in another long stagnation? If so, why?This is about the time that the Treasury will be locking up its economic forecasts to be published in the 2024 Budget Economic and Fiscal Update (BEFU) on budget day, 30 May. I am not privy to what they will be ...
The annual list of who's been bribing our politicians is out, and journalists will no doubt be poring over it to find the juiciest and dirtiest bribes. The government's fast-track invite list is likely to be a particular focus, and we already know of one company on the list which ...
In the weeks after the October 7 Hamas attacks on Southern Israel I wrote about the possible 2nd, 3rd and even 4th order effects of the conflict. These included new fronts being opened in the West Bank (with Hamas), Golan … Continue reading → ...
Peter Dunne writes – It is one of the oldest truisms that there is never a good time for MPs to get a pay rise. This week’s announcement of pay raises of around 2.8% backdated to last October could hardly have come at a worse time, with the ...
David Farrar writes – Newshub reports: Newshub can reveal a fresh allegation of intimidation against Green MP Julie-Anne Genter. Genter is subject to a disciplinary process for aggressively waving a book in the face of National Minister Matt Doocey in the House – but it’s not the first time ...
The Treasury has published a paper today on the global productivity slowdown and how it is playing out in New Zealand: The productivity slowdown: implications for the Treasury’s forecasts and projections. The Treasury Paper examines recent trends in productivity and the potential drivers of the slowdown. Productivity for the whole economy ...
Winston Peters’ comments about former Australian foreign minister look set to be an ongoing headache for both him and Luxon. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The podcast above of the weekly ‘hoon’ webinar for subscribers features co-hosts and , along with regular guests on Gaza and ...
These puppet strings don't pull themselvesYou're thinking thoughts from someone elseHow much time do you think you have?Are you prepared for what comes next?The debating chamber can be a trying place for an opposition MP. What with the person in charge, the speaker, typically being an MP from the governing ...
The land around Lyme Regis, where Meryl Streep once stood, in a hood, on the Cobb, is falling into the sea.MerylThe land around Lyme Regis, around the Cobb that made it rich, has always been falling slowly but surely into the sea. Read more ...
Buzz from the Beehive Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters was bound to win headlines when he set out his thinking about AUKUS in his speech to the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs. The headlines became bigger when – during an interview on RNZ’s Morning Report today – he criticised ...
The Post reports on how the government is refusing to release its advice on its corrupt Muldoonist fast-track law, instead using the "soon to be publicly available" refusal ground to hide it until after select committee submissions on the bill have closed. Fast-track Minister Chris Bishop's excuse? “It's not ...
As pressure on it grows, the livestock industry’s approach to the transition to Net Zero is increasingly being compared to that of fossil fuel interests. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / Getty ImagesTL;DR: Here’s the top five news items of note in climate news for Aotearoa-NZ this week, and a discussion above ...
The New Zealand Herald reports – Stats NZ has offered a voluntary redundancy scheme to all of its workers as a way to give staff some control over their “future” amidst widespread job losses in the public sector. In an update to staff this morning, seen by the Herald, Statistics New Zealand ...
On Werewolf/Scoop, I usually do two long form political columns a week. From now on, there will be an extra column each week about music and movies. But first, some late-breaking political events:The rise in unemployment numbers for the March quarter was bigger than expected – and especially sharp ...
David Farrar writes – The Herald reports: TVNZ says it is dealing with about 50 formal complaints over its coverage of the latest 1News-Verian political poll, with some viewers – as well as the Prime Minister and a former senior Labour MP – critical of the tone of the 6pm report. ...
Muriel Newman writes – When Meridian Energy was seeking resource consents for a West Coast hydro dam proposal in 2010, local Maori “strenuously” objected, claiming their mana was inextricably linked to ‘their’ river and could be damaged. After receiving a financial payment from the company, however, the Ngai Tahu ...
Alwyn Poole writes – “An SEP,’ he said, ‘is something that we can’t see, or don’t see, or our brain doesn’t let us see, because we think that it’s somebody else’s problem. That’s what SEP means. Somebody Else’s Problem. The brain just edits it out, it’s like a ...
Our trust in our political institutions is fast eroding, according to a Maxim Institute discussion paper, Shaky Foundations: Why our democracy needs trust. The paper – released today – raises concerns about declining trust in New Zealand’s political institutions and democratic processes, and the role that the overuse of Parliamentary urgency ...
This article was prepared for publication yesterday. More ministerial announcements have been posted on the government’s official website since it was written. We will report on these later today …. Buzz from the BeehiveThere we were, thinking the environment is in trouble, when along came Jones. Shane Jones. ...
New Zealand now has the fourth most depressed construction sector in the world behind China, Qatar and Hong Kong. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy at 8:46am on Thursday, May 2:The Lead: ...
Hi,I am just going to state something very obvious: American police are fucking crazy.That was a photo gracing the New York Times this morning, showing New York City police “entering Columbia University last night after receiving a request from the school.”Apparently in America, protesting the deaths of tens of thousands ...
Winston Peters’ much anticipated foreign policy speech last night was a work of two halves. Much of it was a standard “boilerplate” Foreign Ministry overview of the state of the world. There was some hardening up of rhetoric with talk of “benign” becoming “malign” and old truths giving way to ...
Graham Adams assesses the fallout of the Cass Review — The press release last Thursday from the UN Special Rapporteur on violence against women and girls didn’t make the mainstream news in New Zealand but it really should have. The startling title of Reem Alsalem’s statement — “Implementation of ‘Cass ...
This open-for-business, under-new-management cliché-pockmarked government of Christopher Luxon is not the thing of beauty he imagines it to be. It is not the powerful expression of the will of the people that he asserts it to be. It is not a soaring eagle, it is a malodorous vulture. This newest poll should make ...
The latest labour market statistics, showing a rise in unemployment. There are now 134,000 unemployed - 14,000 more than when the National government took office. Which is I guess what happens when the Reserve Bank causes a recession in an effort to Keep Wages Low. The previous government saw a ...
Three opinion polls have been released in the last two days, all showing that the new government is failing to hold their popular support. The usual honeymoon experienced during the first year of a first term government is entirely absent. The political mood is still gloomy and discontented, mainly due ...
National's Finance Minister once met a poor person.A scornful interview with National's finance guru who knows next to nothing about economics or people.There might have been something a bit familiar if that was the headline I’d gone with today. It would of course have been in tribute to the article ...
Rob MacCulloch writes – Throughout the pandemic, the new Vice-Chancellor-of-Otago-University-on-$629,000 per annum-Can-you-believe-it-and-Former-Finance-Minister Grant Robertson repeated the mantra over and over that he saved “lives and livelihoods”.As we update how this claim is faring over the course of time, the facts are increasingly speaking differently. NZ ...
Chris Trotter writes – IT’S A COMMONPLACE of political speeches, especially those delivered in acknowledgement of electoral victory: “We’ll govern for all New Zealanders.” On the face of it, the pledge is a strange one. Why would any political leader govern in ways that advantaged the huge ...
Bryce Edwards writes – The list of former National Party Ministers being given plum and important roles got longer this week with the appointment of former Deputy Prime Minister Paula Bennett as the chair of Pharmac. The Christopher Luxon-led Government has now made key appointments to Bill ...
TL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy at 10:06am on Wednesday, May 1:The Lead: Business confidence fell across the board in April, falling in some areas to levels last seen during the lockdowns because of a collapse in ...
Over the past 36 hours, Christopher Luxon has been dong his best to portray the centre-right’s plummeting poll numbers as a mark of virtue. Allegedly, the negative verdicts are the result of hard economic times, and of a government bravely set out on a perilous rescue mission from which not ...
Auckland Transport have started rolling out new HOP card readers around the network and over the next three months, all of them on buses, at train stations and ferry wharves will be replaced. The change itself is not that remarkable, with the new readers looking similar to what is already ...
Completed reads for April: The Difference Engine, by William Gibson and Bruce Sterling Carnival of Saints, by George Herman The Snow Spider, by Jenny Nimmo Emlyn’s Moon, by Jenny Nimmo The Chestnut Soldier, by Jenny Nimmo Death Comes As the End, by Agatha Christie Lord of the Flies, by ...
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 ...
Have a story to share about St Paul’s, but today just picturesPopular novels written at this desk by a young man who managed to bootstrap himself out of father’s imprisonment and his own young life in a workhouse Read more ...
The list of former National Party Ministers being given plum and important roles got longer this week with the appointment of former Deputy Prime Minister Paula Bennett as the chair of Pharmac. The Christopher Luxon-led Government has now made key appointments to Bill English, Simon Bridges, Steven Joyce, Roger Sowry, ...
Newsroom has a story today about National's (fortunately failed) effort to disestablish the newly-created Inspector-General of Defence. The creation of this agency was the key recommendation of the Inquiry into Operation Burnham, and a vital means of restoring credibility and social licence to an agency which had been caught lying ...
Holding On To The Present:The moment a political movement arises that attacks the whole idea of social progress, and announces its intention to wind back the hands of History’s clock, then democracy, along with its unwritten rules, is in mortal danger.IT’S A COMMONPLACE of political speeches, especially those delivered in ...
Stuck In The Middle With You:As Christopher Luxon feels the hot breath of Act’s and NZ First’s extremists on the back of his neck and, as he reckons with the damage their policies are already inflicting upon a country he’s described as “fragile”, is there not some merit in reaching out ...
The unpopular coalition government is currently rushing to repeal section 7AA of the Oranga Tamariki Act. The clause is Oranga Tamariki's Treaty clause, and was inserted after its systematic stealing of Māori children became a public scandal and resulted in physical resistance to further abductions. The clause created clear obligations ...
Buzz from the Beehive The government’s official website – which Point of Order monitors daily – not for the first time has nothing much to say today about political happenings that are grabbing media headlines. It makes no mention of the latest 1News-Verian poll, for example. This shows National down ...
It Takes A Train To Cry:Surely, there is nothing lonelier in all this world than the long wail of a distant steam locomotive on a cold Winter’s night.AS A CHILD, I would lie awake in my grandfather’s house and listen to the traffic. The big wooden house was only a ...
Packing A Punch: The election of the present government, including in its ranks politicians dedicated to reasserting the rights of the legislature in shaping and determining the future of Māori and Pakeha in New Zealand, should have alerted the judiciary – including its anomalous appendage, the Waitangi Tribunal – that its ...
Dead Woman Walking: New Zealand’s media industry had been moving steadily towards disaster for all the years Melissa Lee had been National’s media and communications policy spokesperson, and yet, when the crisis finally broke, on her watch, she had nothing intelligent to offer. Christopher Luxon is a patient man - but he’s not ...
Chris Trotter writes – New Zealand politics is remarkably easy-going: dangerously so, one might even say. With the notable exception of John Key’s flat ruling-out of the NZ First Party in 2008, all parties capable of clearing MMP’s five-percent threshold, or winning one or more electorate seats, tend ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Polling shows that Wellington Mayor Tory Whanau has the lowest approval rating of any mayor in the country. Siting at -12 per cent, the proportion of constituents who disapprove of her performance outweighs those who give her the thumbs up. This negative rating is ...
Luxon will no doubt put a brave face on it, but there is no escaping the pressure this latest poll will put on him and the government. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on Aotearoa-NZ’s political ...
This is a re-post from The Climate Brink by Andrew Dessler In the wake of any unusual weather event, someone inevitably asks, “Did climate change cause this?” In the most literal sense, that answer is almost always no. Climate change is never the sole cause of hurricanes, heat waves, droughts, or ...
Something odd happened yesterday, and I’d love to know if there’s more to it. If there was something which preempted what happened, or if it was simply a throwaway line in response to a journalist.Yesterday David Seymour was asked at a press conference what the process would be if the ...
Hi,From time to time, I want to bring Webworm into the real world. We did it last year with the Jurassic Park event in New Zealand — which was a lot of fun!And so on Saturday May 11th, in Los Angeles, I am hosting a lil’ Webworm pop-up! I’ve been ...
Education Minister Erica Standford yesterday unveiled a fundamental reform of the way our school pupils are taught. She would not exactly say so, but she is all but dismantling the so-called “inquiry” “feel good” method of teaching, which has ruled in our classrooms since a major review of the New ...
Exactly where are we seriously going with this government and its policies? That is, apart from following what may as well be a Truss-Lite approach on the purported economic “plan“, and Victorian-era regression when it comes to social policy.Oh it’ll work this time of course, we’re basically assured, “the ...
Hey Uncle Dave, When the Poms joined the EEC, I wasn't one of those defeatists who said, Well, that’s it for the dairy job. And I was right, eh? The Chinese can’t get enough of our milk powder and eventually, the Poms came to their senses and backed up the ute ...
Polling shows that Wellington Mayor Tory Whanau has the lowest approval rating of any mayor in the country. Siting at -12 per cent, the proportion of constituents who disapprove of her performance outweighs those who give her the thumbs up. This negative rating is higher than for any other mayor ...
Buzz from the Beehive Pharmac has been given a financial transfusion and a new chair to oversee its spending in the pharmaceutical business. Associate Health Minister David Seymour described the funding for Pharmac as “its largest ever budget of $6.294 billion over four years, fixing a $1.774 billion fiscal cliff”. ...
Bryce Edwards writes – 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 is trying to achieve and its ...
TL;DR: Here’s my top 10 ‘pick ‘n’ mix of links to news, analysis and opinion articles as of 10:10am on Monday, April 29:Scoop: The children's ward at Rotorua Hospital will be missing a third of its beds as winter hits because Te Whatu Ora halted an upgrade partway through to ...
span class=”dropcap”>As hideous as David Seymour can be, it is worth keeping in mind occasionally that there are even worse political figures (and regimes) out there. Iran for instance, is about to execute the country’s leading hip hop musician Toomaj Salehi, for writing and performing raps that “corrupt” the nation’s ...
Yesterday marked 10 years since the first electric train carried passengers in Auckland so it’s a good time to look back at it and the impact it has had. A brief history The first proposals for rail electrification in Auckland came in the 1920’s alongside the plans for earlier ...
The Government is again adding to New Zealand’s growing unemployment, this time cutting jobs at the agencies responsible for urban development and growing much needed housing stock. ...
With Minister Karen Chhour indicating in the House today that she either doesn’t know or care about the frontline cuts she’s making to Oranga Tamariki, we risk seeing more and more of our children falling through the cracks. ...
The Labour Party is saddened to learn of the death of Sir Robert Martin, a globally renowned disability advocate who led the way for disability rights both in New Zealand and internationally. ...
Labour is calling for the Government to urgently rethink its coalition commitment to restart live animal exports, Labour animal welfare spokesperson Rachel Boyack said. ...
Today’s Financial Stability Report has once again highlighted that poverty and deep inequality are political choices - and this Government is choosing to make them worse. ...
The Green Party is calling on the Government to do more for our households in most need as unemployment rises and the cost of living crisis endures. ...
Unemployment is on the rise and it’s only going to get worse under this Government, Labour finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds said. Stats NZ figures show the unemployment rate grew to 4.3 percent in the March quarter from 4 percent in the December quarter. “This is the second rise in unemployment ...
The New Zealand Labour Party welcomes the entering into force of the European Union and New Zealand free trade agreement. This agreement opens the door for a huge increase in trade opportunities with a market of 450 million people who are high value discerning consumers of New Zealand goods and ...
The National-led Government continues its fiscal jiggery pokery with its Pharmac announcement today, Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall says. “The government has increased Pharmac funding but conceded it will only make minimal increases in access to medicine”, said Ayesha Verrall “This is far from the bold promises made to fund ...
This afternoon’s interim Waitangi Tribunal report must be taken seriously as it affects our most vulnerable children, Labour children’s spokesperson Willow-Jean Prime. ...
Te Pāti Māori are demanding the New Zealand Government support an international independent investigation into mass graves that have been uncovered at two hospitals on the Gaza strip, following weeks of assault by Israeli troops. Among the 392 bodies that have been recovered, are children and elderly civilians. Many of ...
Our two-tiered system for veterans’ support is out of step with our closest partners, and all parties in Parliament should work together to fix it, Labour veterans’ affairs spokesperson Greg O’Connor said. ...
Stripping two Ministers of their portfolios just six months into the job shows Christopher Luxon’s management style is lacking, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said. ...
Tonight’s court decision to overturn the summons of the Children’s Minister has enabled the Crown to continue making decisions about Māori without evidence, says Te Pāti Māori spokesperson for Children, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. “The judicial system has this evening told the nation that this government can do whatever they want when ...
It appears Nicola Willis is about to pull the rug out from under the feet of local communities still dealing with the aftermath of last year’s severe weather, and local councils relying on funding to build back from these disasters. ...
The Government is making short-sighted changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA) that will take away environmental protection in favour of short-term profits, Labour’s environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
Labour welcomes the release of the report into the North Island weather events and looks forward to working with the Government to ensure that New Zealand is as prepared as it can be for the next natural disaster. ...
The Labour Party has called for the New Zealand Government to recognise Palestine, as a material step towards progressing the two-State solution needed to achieve a lasting peace in the region. ...
Some of our country’s most important work, stopping the sexual exploitation of children and violent extremism could go along with staff on the frontline at ports and airports. ...
The Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill will give projects such as new coal mines a ‘get out of jail free’ card to wreak havoc on the environment, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
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. ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters discussed the need for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, and enhanced cooperation in the Pacific with German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock during her first official visit to New Zealand today. "New Zealand and Germany enjoy shared interests and values, including the rule of law, democracy, respect for the international system ...
The Minister Responsible for RMA Reform, Chris Bishop today released his decision on four recommendations referred to him by the Western Bay of Plenty District Council, opening the door to housing growth in the area. The Council’s Plan Change 92 allows more homes to be built in existing and new ...
Thank you, John McKinnon and the New Zealand China Council for the invitation to speak to you today. Thank you too, all members of the China Council. Your effort has played an essential role in helping to build, shape, and grow a balanced and resilient relationship between our two ...
The Government is modernising insurance law to better protect Kiwis and provide security in the event of a disaster, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly announced today. “These reforms are long overdue. New Zealand’s insurance law is complicated and dated, some of which is more than 100 years old. ...
The coalition Government is refreshing its approach to supporting pay equity claims as time-limited funding for the Pay Equity Taskforce comes to an end, Public Service Minister Nicola Willis says. “Three years ago, the then-government introduced changes to the Equal Pay Act to support pay equity bargaining. The changes were ...
Structured literacy will change the way New Zealand children learn to read - improving achievement and setting students up for success, Education Minister Erica Stanford says. “Being able to read and write is a fundamental life skill that too many young people are missing out on. Recent data shows that ...
Trade Minister Todd McClay says Canada’s refusal to comply in full with a CPTPP trade dispute ruling in our favour over dairy trade is cynical and New Zealand has no intention of backing down. Mr McClay said he has asked for urgent legal advice in respect of our ‘next move’ ...
The rights of our children and young people will be enhanced by changes the coalition Government will make to strengthen oversight of the Oranga Tamariki system, including restoring a single Children’s Commissioner. “The Government is committed to delivering better public services that care for our most at-risk young people and ...
The Government is making it easier for minor changes to be made to a building consent so building a home is easier and more affordable, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “The coalition Government is focused on making it easier and cheaper to build homes so we can ...
New Zealand lost a true legend when internationally renowned disability advocate Sir Robert Martin (KNZM) passed away at his home in Whanganui last night, Disabilities Issues Minister Louise Upston says. “Our Government’s thoughts are with his wife Lynda, family and community, those he has worked with, the disability community in ...
Good evening – Before discussing the challenges and opportunities facing New Zealand’s foreign policy, we’d like to first acknowledge the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs. You have contributed to debates about New Zealand foreign policy over a long period of time, and we thank you for hosting us. ...
From today, passengers travelling internationally from Auckland Airport will be able to keep laptops and liquids in their carry-on bags for security screening thanks to new technology, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Creating a more efficient and seamless travel experience is important for holidaymakers and businesses, enabling faster movement through ...
People with an interest in the health of Northland’s marine ecosystems are invited to a public meeting to discuss how to deal with kina barrens, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones will lead the discussion, which will take place on Friday, 10 May, at Awanui Hotel in ...
Kiwi exporters are $100 million better off today with the NZ EU FTA entering into force says Trade Minister Todd McClay. “This is all part of our plan to grow the economy. New Zealand's prosperity depends on international trade, making up 60 per cent of the country’s total economic activity. ...
There are heartening signs that the extractive sector is once again becoming an attractive prospect for investors and a source of economic prosperity for New Zealand, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. “The beginnings of a resurgence in extractive industries are apparent in media reports of the sector in the past ...
The return of the historic Ō-Rākau battle site to the descendants of those who fought there moved one step closer today with the first reading of Te Pire mō Ō-Rākau, Te Pae o Maumahara / The Ō-Rākau Remembrance Bill. The Bill will entrust the 9.7-hectare battle site, five kilometres west ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has announced 25 new high-speed EV charging hubs along key routes between major urban centres and outlined the Government’s plan to supercharge New Zealand’s EV infrastructure. The hubs will each have several chargers and be capable of charging at least four – and up to 10 ...
The coalition Government will not proceed with the previous Government’s plans to regulate residential property managers, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. “I have written to the Chairperson of the Social Services and Community Committee to inform him that the Government does not intend to support the Residential Property Managers Bill ...
The Government has announced an independent review into the disability support system funded by the Ministry of Disabled People – Whaikaha. Disability Issues Minister Louise Upston says the review will look at what can be done to strengthen the long-term sustainability of Disability Support Services to provide disabled people and ...
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith has attended the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva and outlined the Government’s plan to restore law and order. “Speaking to the United Nations Human Rights Council provided us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while responding to issues and ...
The Government and Rotorua Lakes Council are committed to working closely together to end the use of contracted emergency housing motels in Rotorua. Associate Minister of Housing (Social Housing) Tama Potaka says the Government remains committed to ending the long-term use of contracted emergency housing motels in Rotorua by the ...
Trade Minister Todd McClay heads overseas today for high-level trade talks in the Gulf region, and a key OECD meeting in Paris. Mr McClay will travel to Riyadh to meet with counterparts from Saudi Arabia and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). “New Zealand’s goods and services exports to the Gulf region ...
Education Minister Erica Stanford has outlined six education priorities to deliver a world-leading education system that sets Kiwi kids up for future success. “I’m putting ambition, achievement and outcomes at the heart of our education system. I want every child to be inspired and engaged in their learning so they ...
The new NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) App is a secure ‘one stop shop’ to provide the services drivers need, Transport Minister Simeon Brown and Digitising Government Minister Judith Collins say. “The NZTA App will enable an easier way for Kiwis to pay for Vehicle Registration and Road User Charges (RUC). ...
Whānau with tamariki growing up in emergency housing motels will be prioritised for social housing starting this week, says Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka. “Giving these whānau a better opportunity to build healthy stable lives for themselves and future generations is an essential part of the Government’s goal of reducing ...
Racing Minister Winston Peters has paid tribute to an icon of the industry with the recent passing of Dave O’Sullivan (OBE). “Our sympathies are with the O’Sullivan family with the sad news of Dave O’Sullivan’s recent passing,” Mr Peters says. “His contribution to racing, initially as a jockey and then ...
Assalaamu alaikum, greetings to you all. Eid Mubarak, everyone! I want to extend my warmest wishes to you and everyone celebrating this joyous occasion. It is a pleasure to be here. I have enjoyed Eid celebrations at Parliament before, but this is my first time joining you as the Minister ...
Associate Health Minister David Seymour has announced Pharmac’s largest ever budget of $6.294 billion over four years, fixing a $1.774 billion fiscal cliff. “Access to medicines is a crucial part of many Kiwis’ lives. We’ve committed to a budget allocation of $1.774 billion over four years so Kiwis are ...
Hon Paula Bennett has been appointed as member and chair of the Pharmac board, Associate Health Minister David Seymour announced today. "Pharmac is a critical part of New Zealand's health system and plays a significant role in ensuring that Kiwis have the best possible access to medicines,” says Mr Seymour. ...
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 ...
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‘
EMA say they can weather the Thompson Storm.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10735208'>EMA
The EMA must expel Alasdair Thompson if it is to retain any credibility as an organisation.
If they don’t then actions need to be taken against them by those entrusted with ensuring democracy and fairness.
For instance though Parliament never released the name of those lobby groups given privileged access to parliament.
You can bet that the EMA is definitely one of them.
This privilege not available to normal citizens should be suspended from the EMA until the time that they distance themselves from Alasdair Thompson.
In a democracy an organisation that tolerates bigotry should have no special arrangement that allows them to influence public policy.
Every woman MP no matter their political affiliation should demand that the EMA special access ‘keys’ and ‘swipe cards’ should be taken off them, until Thompson is dismissed.
The EMA claim that they can weather the Thompson Storm.
I doubt they could weather that storm. As a lobby group they have been very effective, having the ear of parliament, achieving much of their agenda.
The EMA’s special access to parliament and parliamentarians would be a big part of this success.
Till Thomson is sacked the call on the floor of parliament from every women MP should be:
“Remove the EMA special access now! ”
“EMA say they can weather the Thompson Storm”
The EMA must expel Alasdair Thompson if it is to retain any credibility as an organisation.
If they don’t then actions need to be taken against them by our representatives, those entrusted by us to ensuring fairness.
The EMA need to learn that women are not powerless, and that a group that tolerates the prejudice behind justifying lower pay rates, will pay a price.
Parliament never released the name of those lobby groups given privileged access to parliament.
But you can guarantee that the EMA is definitely one of them.
This privilege not available to normal citizens should be suspended from the EMA until the time that they distance themselves from Alasdair Thompson.
In a democracy an organisation that tolerates bigotry should have no special arrangement that allows them to influence public policy.
This should be a given!
Every female MP no matter their political affiliation should demand that the EMA special access ‘keys’ and ‘swipe cards’ should be taken off them, until Thompson is dismissed.
The EMA have claimed; “The EMA can weather the Thompson Storm.”
Let us see if they can “weather” having their special access removed. As a lobby group they have been very effective in achieving their aims, having the ear of parliament would play a large part in that success.
In my opinion the EMA’s special access to parliament and parliamentarians is an affront to democracy in itself, the fact that this group tolerates bigotry against women makes it worse.
Till Thomson is sacked the call on the floor of parliament from every women MP should be:
“Remove the EMA special access now! “
“If they don’t then actions need to be taken against them by those entrusted with ensuring democracy and fairness.”
Honestly I didn’t read any further than this.
I would have thought it was democratic and fair to let a private organisation (no matter how public their profile) manage their affairs as best they see fit. If they do something that discredits them in the eye of the public, then that is their just deserts.
The poor man is trying hard not to join the masses at the dole queue.
I wipe away a tear.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=10735421
Maybe he’s come down with man flu.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/the-hot-button/get-well-soon-guys-man-flu-is-real-study-finds/article2077962/
(“Women are simply less likely to succumb to bugs, the Telegraph reports.
Compared with men, an Australian study found, women have a “much stronger immune response” to rhinoviruses – the germs responsible for the common cold.”)
This may have been answered before but does anyone have actual numbers of extra police in sth akl under Collins.
Also the number/cost of all the extra consultants and various toe cutters the nats have brought in to do ministerial portfolios dirty work?
I answered and said that 300 extra were put into sth Auckland but this was not under Collins. Good question you ask because there was not an increase in the budget for police.
So, following on from Zetetic’s post at http://thestandard.org.nz/howzat/ where he opined that “If best Key can promise for the economy is an increase in a tiny portion of tourism, some time in the future, when a plane that isn’t even operational might start flying here direct from Mumbai, we’re in trouble”, we have this news:
“New Zealand is one step closer to reaching a free trade agreement with India and Kiwi companies are optimistic about their prospects in one of the world’s fastest growing markets.”
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=10735338
Good news, hmmm?
Of course, I guess Zetetic will still be outraged about the lack of tourism …
G, the devil is in the detail. If its a “fair” trade agreement as opposed to the standard “free” trade agreement I am all for it. Previous so called free trade agreements have probably alerted Zets “shit radar”.
Still. Good news that we line up our Defence Force with that of a Nuclear Armed Country. Cosy bedfellows?
ianmac – Saves on uniforms too! To be cheap is our aim isn’t it? And getting nastier too.
See http://www.thestandard.org.nz/keys-to-do-list/ , third to last.
No, it’s not as it’s unsustainable. All it’ll really do is put a bit more money in some peoples pockets while destroying our ability to live as we will have destroyed the environment to get those dollars.
Oh good, we can buy cheaper T-shirts made in sweat shops whilst their very affluent bosses can holiday here, their film industry can gain big subsidies and we can export, well….. our call centre business (or what’s left of it) to Bangalore…
No one involved with the “Macsynna King” book comes out looking any good, but book banning or burning leads to worse places. I’d rather see piles of them sitting in stores unsold then quietly remaindered, or dumped on Wisharts property.
And while I’m on mike, these FB ‘mobs’ seem like bigoted internet talk back, the last pile of crap page of significance bought us a nice Lord Jackson supported anti union march on Labour Day.
I dunno, TM. The two chains have declined to stock the Smacsyna King book. That’s not a ban, it’s a moral decision to put good taste ahead of profits. That’s rare in business, aye? As I said on Open Mike a couple of days ago, if Tepco or BP put the public good ahead of private gain, the world would be a better place.
That’s not a ban, it’s a moral decision to put good taste ahead of profits
These bookshop owners are moral, are they? Have you checked whether they have refused to stock A Life by Tony Blair?
I think their morality may well be selective, Mozza. But I have nothing but praise for the decision in this case.
Wow, just spent a few minutes trawling through the fb page. The page itself calls for a boycott, not a ban, but the tone of many comments is that hanging is too good for them. An amazing outpouring of ignorance, hatred and bile. As you say, TM, just like talkback!
BTW, just to save people the bother of reading the book, I thhink I can sum it up in four words:
‘It wasn’t me, honest’.
Hanging is too good for Macsyna King.
I did not like the idea of her making money from the deaths for which she was (at best for her) partly responsible. I understand that Wishart has said she is not and, if that’s true, that must be the end of the issue. People write books about all sorts of horrible things, yet no-one suggests that books about, say, the holocaust should be banned on the grounds that someone is profiting from that misery.
I heard on nine to noon that Wishart has said that she will not be making anything from the book. Take that with whatever skepticism you use with Wishart statements.
Meh, he’s not always wrong. In fact, I believe he’s seldom if ever wrong on matters of fact – just his interpretation of them.
Decades ago Wishart used to check himself and his sources much more thoroughly. However I suspect that he has been falling subject to hubris more and more over the years and doing less and less checking when he ‘knows’ the answers.
These days Wishart is a classic case of where a lack of knowledge makes him completely credulous when it comes to both the sources of facts as well as the interpretation. It is really hard to find anything in his recent books that stacks up as being of much relevance beyond being Wisharts opinion (ie not his interpretation – because that would have required that he thought about it and judged it).
He is wrong in facts as well as interpretation. The codswallop he has used about Takuu was a classic example – where he seems to have used newspaper clippings from journalists about other islands thousands of kms away as what he made his mind up from. Not to mention his other rationales for being too lazy to actually investigate.
eg…
http://thestandard.org.nz/there-once-was-an-island-in-theatres-this-week/#comment-343639
http://thestandard.org.nz/there-once-was-an-island-in-theatres-this-week/#comment-343925
http://www.baptist.org.nz/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1429:clearing-the-air&catid=172:general&Itemid=196
Umm I wrote a post about a particularly daft example…. Yep here.
Moral outrage is so warming at a time of winter frosts isn’t it! And the superior thinking of FB ticking yes/no like/don’t like is an example of deep thought about the King book about the Kahui twins? North and South have often done stories about people who have been involved in violence and crime so what’s the difference here. Ian Wishhart is different of course but shouldn’t be banned as is happening.
Burning/banning books because ‘I don’t like the subject, the author, the opinions’ is dangerous. Inciting hatred by denigrating some person or group might be a valid reason. But shining a light on dark doings through a book is useful. Especially if we absorb the detail and use that knowledge to change behaviour so the dark doings don’t occur again.
Fancy banning or boycotting a book unread!
Nothing wrong with boycotting a book without reading it, Ian. I’ve personally boycotted Mein Kampf all my life, because I don’t have to read the thing to now what it means. In this case, King and Wishart are trying to gain from the death of the two kids. Wishart intends to profit financially, King intends to promote her own claim of innocence.
Neither of them are likely to be interested in telling the truth anyway, so the book is unlikely to be anything other than a work of fiction.
VOR. I’m reading a book currently about Stalin in the 1930s. I couldn’t tell if it was worth reading until I had read at least part of it. (Excellent by the way. “The Stalin Epigram.”) Sure it is very unlikely that I would ever read a Wishart book but I rather resent others Censoring my reading a legally published book.
But no one is censoring your reading, Ian. Get it off the net if you want it or go to any of the other bookshops that are stocking it. The call is for a boycott, not a ban. The Stalin book sounds interesting. He’s still rather popular in Russia, often ranking just below Putin in the preferred leader polls.
Seen this? http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10735464&ref=rss
Ian Wishart answers a number of questions about Macsyna King and why he wrote ‘Breaking the Silence’.
This is a HUGE ‘freedom of expression’ issue and I support 100% Ian Wishart’s right to write and publish his book ‘Breaking the Silence’, and MY right as a customer to be able to purchase it from the Warehouse or Paper Plus or Whitcoulls.
For goodness sake – it wasn’t Ian Wishart who killed the Kahui baby boys!
The CRAP that he’s getting for writing about the killing of the Kahui baby boys is worse than the KILLERS?
Duh?
If Ian’s book results in the Police reopening the Kahui case and it results in a conviction for the deaths of those poor little babies – then surely that will be the outcome that most people want?
Who is this ‘Chris’ that set up the ‘Boycott the Macsyna King Book’ facebook and LIED about Macsyna profiting from ‘Breaking the Silence’ when that was NEVER the case?
What are ‘Chris’s motives, and with whom is he connected?
Use some basic logic here folks!
Who stands to benefit most from trying to ‘silence’ Ian wishart who is trying to ‘break the silence’ about the causes of child abuse in general and the Kahui case in particular?
The killed Kahui baby boys – or the KILLERS of the Kahui baby boys?
Our rights to freedom of expression are under siege.
Whatever you may think about Ian Wishart and his views on a number of issues is surely NOT the point here.
It is a matter of principle.
All those who believe in freedom of expression should be stepping up to the plate – because WHO IS NEXT????
Penny Bright
http://waterpressure.wordpress.com
Sorry Penny, but you simply don’t have a right as a customer to be able to purchase it from the Warehouse or Paper Plus or Whitcoulls, nor from any other specific outlet.
I would have if The Warehouse and Paper Plus – who originally WERE going to stock ‘Breaking the Silence’ were pressured into not doing so.
That is NOT ok.
WHO IS NEXT????
Penny Bright
http://waterpresure.wordpress.com
With respect, you would have an opportunity, not a right.
Ian can write it. You can read it. The rights don’t extend much further than that, do they?
Ian’s a publisher. Does he have to publish my books? Why not?
Yes, that’s the question that matters… People need to see that!
An interesting question! Amongst the abusive names I got called when I went there and spoke against the boycott (they included crack whore, lmao,
Opps, I meant to add – that the other accusation against me was that I was a member of Macsyna’s family! (If I was, I’d have said so.)
VoR Until the killer/s of Chris and Cru are charged with murder the King/Wishart book is exploiting the death of Chris and Cru. If there is ever a right time to write a book, it would be once the killer/s are sentenced.
Do I need to read the book to establish if King or Wishart know who murdered Chris and Cru?
Wishart has stated that King mentions the killer. King needs to go down to the police station with a lawyer and tell the police everything, (I would not allow how I feel about the police to stop myself from talking to them were my two babies murdered).
I don’t give a shit about any talk of censorship as the book can be accessed in NZ. What really pisses me off, is that two beautiful babies were murdered and the King/Wishart book is EXPLOITATION.
Something called “Treetop” is just a tad confused.
1.) If there is ever a right time to write a book, it would be once the killer/s are sentenced.
What? Is there a law against writing a book now? Are you some sort of marketing genius that has assessed the optimum time to release books?
2.) Do I need to read the book to establish if King or Wishart know who murdered Chris and Cru?
I don’t think anyone cares what you need to do. If you know who it was, by the way, why don’t you tell the rest of us?
3.) I don’t give a shit about any talk of censorship…
You illiberal dolt. I think it’s offensive to read ignorant comments on The Standard but I wouldn’t dream of censoring you. Why would you stop me being able to buy a book?
4.) What really pisses me off, is that two beautiful babies were murdered and the King/Wishart book is EXPLOITATION.
Every book that’s ever been written is exploitation. What the hell are you on about?
Morrissey in response to your questions below my questions numbered 1 – 4
1. If there is ever a right time to right a book, it would be once the killer/s are sentenced?
1.1 Is there a law about writing a book now?
No there is not and I did not say that there was a law.
1.2 Are you some sort of market genius that has assessed the optimum time to release a book?
The killer/s are still out there and were the book to aid the killer/s in anyway this would not be the case were there a conviction.
2. Do I need to read the book to estabish if King or Wishart know who murdered Chris and Cru?
2.1 If you know who it was why don’t you tell the rest of us?
Well what is stopping King and Wishart from going to the police as they appear to know more than I do about who took two innocent lives.?
3. I don’t give a shit about any talk of censorship?
3.1 Why would you stop me from being able to buy the book?
How am I stopping you from being able to buy the book?
Just because some book stores will not sell it this is not stopping people from buying the book. The book has not been banned, some outlets chose not to stock it.
4.What really pisses me off, is that two beautiful babies were murdered and the King/Wishart book is EXPLOITATION.
4.1 What the hell are you on about?
Had Wishart written a book about the background of the mother’s of murdered children, there may be some common threads on why their babies and children are fatally harmed or were they to have survived been brain damaged. The risk factors of the mother and child would be better understood and hopefully prevented.
Something called Treetop is a tad confused. You are entitled to have an opinion. I note your comment in 4.2.2.1.3.1 “Actually, Vicky, Wishart is a callous systemic liar. He gives pride of place in his ridiculous monthly magazine to notorious liars and hate mongers like Mark Steyn and Miranda Devine. Have you read any of his unhinged rants against Palestinians and Iraqis?
Ian Wishart is dedicated to telling untruth.”
Yes I know my name is not Vicky
I couldn’t agree less! You simply assume Wishart intends to profit financially, which I seriously doubt – I think he sees himself as a campaigner….
I know you are against everything Wishart stands for, and so am I (well, 85% of it), but he would not knowingly tell an untruth.
I know you are against everything Wishart stands for, and so am I (well, 85% of it), but he would not knowingly tell an untruth.
Actually, Vicky, Wishart is a callous and systematic liar. He gives pride of place in his ridiculous monthly magazine to notorious liars and hate-mongers like Mark Steyn and Miranda Devine. Have you read any of his unhinged rants against Palestinians and Iraqis?
Ian Wishart is dedicated to telling untruth.
Yes, Morrissey, you’re right… Scarily, I think it’s because he believes Steyn and Devine and the rest of the rubbish he spouts is the truth! I think he wouldn’t knowingly lie, but I believe he is a “useful idiot”. That’s IMO worse, and rather sad. I would hate to believe he’s actually a knowing liar, which I don’t believe he is.
I have read his evil magazine (my right-wing sister recommended it) but it makes me vomit.
Close-up tonight.
I missed in what capacity Christine-watch-my-earrings-move-with-my-angry-headshake-Rankin was on the show, (assume as Family Commission spokesperson) but she wasn’t half extolling the virtues of Wishart’s book.
“All New Zealanders must read this book. I know what’s in there even though I haven’t read it myself!”
What?
Incidentally, Christine Rankin was appointed to the Family Commission a couple of years ago now but, from memory, she didn’t actually have a job description for her appointment – has one been written for her yet?
I am also uncomfortable about the “boycott”. While it is called a boycott, it is effectively a form of censorship by applying economic pressure on the booksellers. And I am worried that it smacks of the sort of moral panic (a la NY mosque) that we see so often in the US of A – god forbid that we go down that road.
Like someone said, I too would be happy if it just sat on the shelves. Not that I wouldn’t read the book at the library, but I would not want to directly contribute to the promotion of “her side of the story” – not when the police should have been the first ones told.
As an amateur historian, I have often read source material that people would find objectionable but it allows me to see the context first hand.
The FB page is a way for people to express their feelings, though I wish they would cease from the lynch mob comments.
The book is a lightening rod for the frustration people felt in the face of the arrogant wall of silence from the family, the failure of the court case and the fact that there is still no one held accountable for the murders.
More so at the prospect that Macsyna King would be getting attention when she is either guilty or, if not, was part of the cover up to protect the person guilty of murdering babies.
BTW – Someone at the inquest has fingered her as the murder
Exactly right… I went to that group and it’s worse than you could possibly imagine! I made the mistake of signing up to comment, and got abused myself, as a “shithead”, “He-she”, “crack addict”, a childless spinster (which is hilarious) and last but not least I was repeatedly told that I must be a relative of Macsyna King! (If I was, I would have said so, but they were missing the point. What’s next – book-burning, a la Texas?)
Have to say I’m loving what is happening in Greece at the moment 😉
I wonder if New Zealanders would ever get hungry and desperate enough to take to the streets, or are we more like German Jews ? Passively going to the shower block?
Interesting times
http://www.democracynow.org/2011/6/29/inside_greeks_general_strike_video_report
Robert, I for one applaud all those brave enough to stand against tyranny whether political or financial. What worries me is the escalation of violence – which one could argue might be innevitable- real people get real wounds / real death.
On the issue at hand the Casino is still running but all bets are off as the players run out of chips. Germany and the financial world could be left with a pile of chips backed by IOUs from every country in Europe with no way of collecting. As the masters in these countries look to flog their people so that they can last a little longer at the table things will get ugly.
Those of us in NZ who think these things wont affect us think again, it is going to be an interesting year as Shonkey tries to keep non existent cash coming in to prop up tax cuts etc (based upon non payable IOUs quietly promised against state assets to be sold and rented back to us).
Apparently Goldman Sachs & Co. have quite a few side bets going that Greece will default. The whole thing is rigged so they can’t lose and will make a packet either way.
Gotta admire these guys. Goldman makes other investment banks quake in their boots. To bad for the people of Greece though, oh well just more collateral damage. The politicians will do OK out of it no doubt.
The collapse of European pension funds due to defaulting will also cause widespread misery.
Meanwhile, RNZ’s Morning Report regularly interviews Goldman Sachs NZ-branch “experts” as if they are something other than members of a gang of economic terrorists.
Teenaa koe, RobAttack
I think the analogy you paint is a bit raw.
Tariana Turia used the word ‘holocaust’ to describe a Māori situation and was severely chastised by many sections of society including the jewish community. Instead, why not say ‘sheep to the slaughter’ which most kiwis can relate to although not many can buy under current pricing.
To ‘soften’ the analogy. The trick is encourage people to hold out hope that a warm shower awaits them at the end of a hard road. So, for example, offer them water or the promise of water if they are thirsty ( ‘a rising tide raises all boats’; ‘no gain without pain’; ‘there is no alternative’ etc) and they will be grateful for any expression of humanity or apparent empathy, hold out hope and be acquiescent.
That’s not something you need to do when dealing with or to sheep.
Good stuff Bill. Its a bit like that pathetic Godwin call when you call a spade a spade, a fascist a fascist. One can be sensative but the issue remains.
For the record Adele, Turiana probably had a point, unfortunately our PC use of language took the sting out of the message.
The nature of the events are different and hence the objection to the use of the word holocaust. Holocaust is a loaded term that has come to represent a degree of intentionality and cold-blooded use of industrial methods to utterly extinguish a people group.
It also has been come to be reserved for a specific event in human history.
Her use of the term was ill advised and she got the blow-back that comes from misusing such a loaded and specific term.
For other, similar events (Rwanda/Armenians etc) we now use the word genocide to describe other events that are intended to destroy a people group. As such we look for the presence of a certain set of characteristics that would qualify the event for the name genocide.
Even if she had used the term genocide I would still think that she was wrong. It would not be an appropriate term for what was a series of events that aimed to subjugate, marginalise, rob, disinherit a people group born of a mixture of greed and cultural arrogance.
kia ora adele – well said
If an individual seeks money from me that I believe they have no entitlement to, I tell them to fuck off. Doubtless they apply pressure and issue all manner of threats of how dire the future will be if I insist on retaining what is mine.
Seems that’s the situation with Greece and others. The threat coming from the money men is the supposed dire consequences of default. Truth is that default isn’t dire. Well, it is, but not for the defaulter.
Argentina defaulted. There was no sustained outward rush of investment. There were no starving millions. The Argentinian economy was finally able to stand on its feet when the government pushed back against the financial players who kept pushing it to the ground.
But the Greek government, in concert with others, are cowards and idiots acting as enforcers for bullies rather than as defenders of the Greek people.
The Greeks time of relying on failed socialist policies for their economic properity is coming to an end. They have to face up to the fact they can no longer have their cake and eat it as well.
I’d love to see what alternative some of you lefties are proposing for the Greek economy.
Gosman, being slack collecting your taxes, and letting the investment banks convince you that you should take on more and more debt while you trust them to look after the details are not “socialist policies”.
The RWNJs are rewriting history already. Gosman, it was failed capitalist policies that caused the financial collapse.
In Greece??? How so considering most rational commentators are stating the problem in Greece is the fact they spend far mor than they earn and the Government sector is far too large and generous?
Funny how the Bankers survive and get bonus payments regardless of how the peasants suffer.
There will certainly be issues for greece if it turns to custard, just one small example as below.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702303936704576399273733104288.html
Got me thinking: Is Greece still paying for the 2004 Athens Olympic Games?
Good point. Wouldn’t surprise me, anyone who’d take on that kind of debt for their own aggrandisement needs their head reading.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/3649268.stm
Thanks for the link.
….are we more like German Jews ? Passively going to the shower block?
This is without question the most ignorant and offensive comment of the year so far. You idiot.
There was an interview just before 10:00 this morning on the national Programme with a British woman on the Greek issue .Very interesting especially if someone can put up the link. Lehman Bros were involved re manipulating Greeces entry into the EU, also with the ability for some to retire at 50 on the state and that shipping maginates were tax exempt because of the value they allow society to benefit from. Now here is a country that has no ability to experience reality !!!!
Shipping magnates are exempt from paying tax. Aristole Onassis from Greece became extremely wealthy through shipping.
And hairdressers, pastry chefs and radio announcers were deemed able to retire on 95% of their final wage aged 50 – wish I had gone and lived there!
robert attack – German Jews deserve not to be slighted by such insensitive, unthinking types as you.
Yes, there are better pictures to use….
Following the Judas goat to slaughter.
Sleep walking our way into oblivion.
Striking up another tune on the deck of the Titanic.
Ordering another round when the roof is falling.
Labour Leader Phil Goff wrong again.
Labour leader Phil Goff has got it wrong again. “Hone took that [TTT] from being the safest Maori Party seat in the country to being the most marginal…”, Mr Goff said to Waatea news. Hone Harawira’s seat had the fourth largest majority out of seven seats in the last election. It is interesting to… note that the three lowest majorities in the maori seats included the only two labour MP’s elected, Parekura with a 1645 majority, and Nanaia with only a 888 majority.
Labour leader Phil Goff is in real trouble, it is most likely that his leadership will end after the next election. Phil Goof’s most dangerous enemies are his own labour MP’s, the knives are being sharpened as we speak…
“… the knives are being sharpened as we speak…”
God I hope they are using power-tools.
If a job’s worth doing…..
…..and this need is urgent!
Oh dear. This is clearly a mortal blow for Goff. I won’t be the least bit surprised if not only resigned the leadership, but went as far as locking himself in a quiet room with a bottle of scotch, a revolver and a single bullet. Given the gravity of this appalling error, it would be the only decent thing to do. Thank you both for alerting us to this shocking chain of events and Godspeed you both in your campaign to re-elect Nact, sorry, rejuvenate the Labour Party.
Goff is doing far more to help National get re-elected, than all blog commenters combined could possibily achieve.
watch Joyce getting loved at nethui;
https://twitter.com/#!/search?q=%23NetHui
I couldn’t be bothered. I only have a few hours that I can spend there because of work timetables, and listening to him didn’t met the criteria. Unfortunately neither did Rob Oram or any of the keynote speeches to date.
Fantastic contribution from the genius. An embarrassment of riches.
I was trying hard to get to it and now I am glad I didn’t.
Cameron is claiming the Labour Party has entered into a contract to bring his site down!!
To quote “Labour has put out a contract amongst the hacking community to deface or take down my site”.
Traffic volume must be down so he needs to boost it up. Honestly though …
Perhaps he should be invited to put up proof or apologise.
*grin* Sounds like crap – but he is a credulous soul – someone has probably fed this to him to wind him up. Mind you, I think that if I see a hole on his site from here on out (as has existed several times in the past), I will be publishing it rather than my usual practices.
“I will be publishing it rather than my usual practices.”
Don’t sink to his level.
Of course because the Labour party are just so gosh darned nice and would never, ever think of doing anything underhanded would they
Perhaps he should write a formal complaint:
Dear Anonymous,
Please don’t hack my site. I’ve been a RWNJ National (under the table) employed lackey for a long time now and I really have to keep blogging crap right up until the next election, otherwise I don’t get my John Key autographed arse warmer.
If you keep stopping graphics from appearing and limiting my links, I’ll huff and puff and blow your house down… Where do you live again?
I know I hacked the Labour Party website, but nobody is allowed to hack my site. It’s just not fair because I rule everything and I have guns.
Yours respectfully,
Cameron Slater.
PS Can you super size my arse warmer please?
There was a real lovers tiff between him and Trevor mallard yesterday on Red Alert, and the blubbery one was dishing the threats to TM, along the lines of
The man is a tosser
“Man” might be stretching it a bit.
Aye Ian
Cameron gets really really upset at the mention of his friend Simon Lusk. Every time Simon’s name is mentioned he goes ballistic.
Hmm this could be fun.
Simon Lusk, Simon Lusk, Simon Lusk, Simon Lusk, Simon Lusk, Simon Lusk, Simon Lusk, Simon Lusk, Simon Lusk, Simon Lusk, Simon Lusk, Simon Lusk, Simon Lusk, Simon Lusk, Simon Lusk, Simon Lusk, Simon Lusk, Simon Lusk, Simon Lusk, Simon Lusk, Simon Lusk, Simon Lusk, Simon Lusk, Simon Lusk, Simon Lusk, Simon Lusk, Simon Lusk, Simon Lusk, Simon Lusk, Simon Lusk, Simon Lusk, Simon Lusk …
‘Perhaps he should be invited to put up proof or apologise’ nice one mickey, bit early for a friday funny but hilarious none the less.
Slater/Wishart/DPF at times are bottom feeders, reminds me of a t-shirt at Despair.com that goes ‘more people have read this t-shirt than your blog’
Yet another hilarious revelation – see Red Alert. (Damm I must learn how to link):
Rodney Hide was seen this morning jumping out of his Crown car and taking a photograph of Phil Twyford’s Te Atatu campaign office. So what was that about? An accusation (in due course) of a supposed rorting of tax-payers money by Phil Twyford? If so, I think Twyford may have already successfully killed it.
The rich aren’t the problem. Rich people (the good kind) know their wealth is earned, the kind that lasts, not won by corruption, not won by speculatively excesses, and they will only remain rich if they stay competitive. Just as in any social situation you have cheaters and short-cutters, who seek economic and social recognition at the expense of their own ethics and morals. Wannabes rich, who want to have hundreds of millions in the bank and be PM, but actually have no social platform and so are tools for those who want to cheat to get rich. The wealthy and poor alike know that true prosperity comes of tangible generous spirit. Now National have none, and Labour had little for 9 years, their goal seems to play along. The question for me is where is the social justice debate, why is the political wealth and history denied us? Why? Because Labour introduced the Human Rights Act partially, and created an organisation too close to government (they actively advise government departments!) so the immediacy of their relationship, snotty better than everyone attitude having every branch of government potentially available to their decisions, becomes yet another barrier to Human Rights. As human rights are essentially breach by governments. So yes, we should be compensated for poor government, the poor and the rich, the rich also stand to lose massively from the neo-liberal paradigm when oil, climate crisis, resource wars and food spikes perpetually. So I ask where is the social justice debate on our MSM, where are the independent Human Rights lawyers the hounders of the oppressed? Gone because the Human Rights Commission serves its own and its paymaster role, to hide human rights abuses, loss of political depth, lose of economic rights, lose of social integrity. I am astonished how poor our laws are, that a person can say have a truck hub land next door to them and they have no real recourse! Articulated trucks are horrendously noisy, in any first world economy they are placed well away from homes since the throbbing of them warming up causes heart murmurs and worse. So to hear that a council just dropped a truck hauler next to a home without any noise abatement breaches the human rights of the surrounding property owners. And all the hauler needs to have done is put up some massively large walls and sound protections. Has NZ forgotten how to build substantial walls of breeze blocks, its a half a day process for the price of a roof!
(this story was on TV last night). There was adequate room in the program for a social justice debate about how residential areas have exclusions against such trucks parking over night.
Hey, this is the 21st century and we still get this crap happening, those poor folks who were forced to risk being hauled away themselves by police when they blocked the entrance.
So where are the social justice, and why are they so put down by the likes of Holmes or Henry, if they do show up. Moustache! I think the blind worship of God, Communism, or profit at the expense of anything else is dangerous and we need to rain them in. The Profit God must be brought back down to size and fast.
Who Pays for Pike River?
I think I speak for all of New Zealand when I say our hearts go out to the families of those killed in the Pike River mine disaster. Not only have the families of the deceased had to wait an incessant amount of time for the recovery process to begin, it now appears that it’s been financially mismanaged, and will stall because of a lack foresight by the receivers to set aside enough money to complete the task.
Open letter to Doris Mousdale of the Arcadia Bookshop
Re: your decision to boycott the Macsyna King book
Dear Ms. Mousdale,
I was interested to hear you will refuse to sell the Macsyna King book on moral grounds. That’s a laudable decision.
I presume that you have also refused to sell A Life by Tony Blair, Giving by Bill Clinton and Decision Points by George W. Bush. Each of these authors is directly culpable for the deaths of far more than just two children.
If, however, you do sell any or all of those books, could you please explain why?
Yours sincerely,
Morrissey Breen
Northcote Point
Was that ‘A Life’ by Tony Blair or ‘A Lie’ by Tony Blair ?
With Blair, as with the other two, the terms are interchangeable. One of my favourite press conferences of all time was in London, 2003, when Bush told the assembled media outside No. 10 Downing Street: “I like Tony ‘cos he tells the truth!”
Actually, there is a tape of Bush speaking the truth on just one occasion…
Another open letter this time to lady from Unity Bookshop. Women seem to take the high moral tone to uncomfortable heights often. Are they more sensitive and caring than men or just unable to look directly at unpleasant reality?
Are they more sensitive and caring than men or just unable to look directly at unpleasant reality?
Doris Mousdale does her anodyne book reviews for Leighton Smith and Paul Holmes, two of the most racist, hateful broadcasters in the country. It is absurd to imagine that she is too “sensitive” or “caring” to stock a book which, however bad it might be, will be no worse than an hour of Smith’s or Holmes’s ranting.
I go with the theory that people who protest too much are uncomfortably close to the subject they are protesting about – in this case I’d looking at paid-up members of the smacking brigade or their own close shave with being in the underclass as driving unreasonably high levels of book-banning and hang’em rhetoric.
Sad but true Rosy.
There are also those who are just using the issue to push their racist agendas, and vent their hatred of Maori.
Good on you Morrissey! Let us know if she replies…
Looks like I will have to look at the spam stuff again this weekend. People have started getting auto-moderated again.
The reason is pretty clear from the akismet anti-spam chart.
Why isn’t Jerry the Butt getting off his and organising some package to help the Canterbury regional government with their disaster insurance? He has King-like powers hasn’t he? What a useless type he is. He must have wormed his way into the inner circle to be favoured boy to get his role – or has it just been done on a location thing – he is elected for Christchurch and so everyone has to reap the meagre pickings of what Chch NACTS voted in.
Tom Petty won’t let the right use his songs – and there are many others!
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/jun/29/michele-bachmann-tom-petty
Read yesterday I think, that he wouldn’t let the Democrats use “I won’t back down”, on the grounds that they probably would. WIN.
No, wouldn’t let Bush use that song
Hero of the Week Award – Anonymous Donor
The Christchurch Earthquake Appeal has received an anonymous donation of $5 million, which is the largest individual donation yet.
Well done that man! (Probably a right-winger)
Anyone on here got a Kindle? Comments please
When the global economic system goes down you are going to want good old fashioned paper books.
PS I understand that Amazon can “kill switch” your books at will e.g. if they have a disagreement with a publisher etc.
Urban density and transport-related energy consumption
Why we need to look at making our cities much smaller. The energy used in large, sprawling cities is astronomical.
And then we have Monbiot’s Sustainable cities must be compact.
The uncontrolled growth of our cities that we’ve seen over the last 50 odd years has got to come to and end as we just can’t afford it.
Highly dense urban areas with large numbers of people per sq km will need highly efficient systems of bringing (labour intensive) produce in from rural areas.
Basically the fossil fuels we have left at this stage all need to be reserved for ambulances, tractors and harvesters. Full stop.