James Clapper CIA head says that the media needs to stop blaming Russia for the DNC email hacks
Some 30,000 Democratic National Committee emails were released by WikiLeaks last Friday, exposing the Democratic National Committee’s bias in favor of Hillary Clinton.
After the release, Clinton’s campaign accused Russia of meddling in the 2016 election campaign. Despite lacking any proof to substantiate their claims, a number of US media outlets picked up the ball and repeated the accusations, claiming Russians had hacked into the DNC’s computer servers and leaked emails to WikiLeaks in order to help the Donald Trump campaign.
Speaking on Thursday, Clapper said that Americans need to stop blaming Russia for the hack, telling the crowd that the US has been running in “reactionary mode” when it comes to the numerous cyber-attacks the nation is continuously facing.
“I’m somewhat taken aback by the hyperventilation on this,” Clapper said, as cited by the Washington Examiner.
“I’m shocked someone did some hacking,” he added sarcastically, “[as if] that’s never happened before.”
On the topic of the DNC, here is some weekend reading (it’s long, but seems thorough). I’ve only scratched the surface, but this is from the conclusions:
Based on this work, Election Justice USA has established an upper estimate of 184 pledged delegates lost by Senator Bernie Sanders as a consequence of specific irregularities and instances of fraud. Adding these delegates to Senator Sanders’ pledged delegate total and subtracting the same number from Hillary Clinton’s total would more than erase the 359 pledged delegate gap between the two candidates. EJUSA established the upper estimate through exit polling data, statistical analysis by precinct size, and attention to the details of Democratic proportional awarding of national delegates. Even small changes in vote shares in critical states like Massachusetts and New York could have substantially changed the media narrative surrounding the primaries in ways that would likely have had far reaching consequences for Senator Sanders’ campaign.
B. RECOMMENDATIONS
…
Finally, we wish to bring the reader’s attention to three simple reforms that would eliminate the mere possibility of the vast majority of fraud types demonstrated or evidenced in this report:
1) Exclusive use of hand-counted paper ballots in all future US elections.
2) Automatic voter registration, with same-day party affiliation switching as a mandatory
condition for all elections that are publicly funded.
3) Restoration of voting rights legislation which would ensure adequate access to polling sites.
Election Justice USA maintains that these recommendations for future elections, contrary to common claims, save taxpayer money.
Having each state’s electoral college votes assigned proportionally according to the % that candidates receive in their state, would also be huge. (And allow fractions of electoral votes up to 1 decimal point eg. NY State could have 20.3 of its electoral college votes go Democratic, 5.6 go Republican, 2.1 Greens, 1.0 Libertarian ).
The US system would benefit greatly from a STV type system. Multiple cases parties blame third party candidates for vote splitting causing overall loss (and probably not incorrectly in some of them).
Hot on the heels of the recently-released LSE study documenting acute anti-Corbyn bias throughout the UK MSM over the last 12 months, a new analysis claims online and television media showed “clear and consistent bias” against Jeremy Corbyn at the start of the present Labour leadership coup,
Also accuses the BBC of giving twice as much airtime to Corbyn’s critics than to his supporters on some programmes during the crisis.
The exclusive study from The Media Reform Coalition and Birkbeck, University of London, analysed TV and online news during the 10 days after the wave of resignations from Corbyn’s shadow cabinet following the Brexit vote in late June … Measuring how much airtime and online coverage was focused on the embattled leader’s allies and opponents, the research found “a marked and persistent imbalance in favour of sources critical of Jeremy Corbyn, the issues that they sought to highlight, and the arguments they advanced.”
As veteran broadcaster, film-maker and Left activist, Paul Mason, has argued, for all its faults “The old BBC would have taken evidence like this seriously. The pre-Hutton BBC would not have let it happen”.
– 465 online articles and 40 prime time news bulletins assessed
– Twice as much airtime given to critical, rather than supportive voices
– Huge imbalance in favour of issues pushed by Corbyn critics on early evening BBC and ITV bulletins – especially pronounced in headline stories
– Strong tendency within BBC main evening news for reporters to use pejorative
language when describing Jeremy Corbyn and his supporters
– Domination of views opposed to the Labour leadership in all but one of the online
outlets sampled, and across both left and right-leaning titles
– Online-only news sites relatively balanced in their coverage, as well as the BBC online
Truth comes out about child abuse. Has an ugly truth about it so expect this to be ignored when the next case hits the media. Default back to that right wing mantra personal responsibility.
I read that article, and I generally accept what the writer says but also think there is more to it. Our big, gadget-designing heads mean that we are born very vulnerable and also have reduced instinct in comparison to, say, a cat. Consequently, we learn how to look after children through community participation and observation. Uprootedness robs people of the conditions under which they learn. In the 20’s, the answer to this problem was Plunket, which offered method and support, and whatever we think of their method now, far less children died from their parents’ inadequacies. More genuine support and less vilification would go a long way toward reducing the harm done to children in NZ.
As a Pākehā I am sorry that this has happened. As colonialists we can’t go and turn the clock back, but each country can work with colonised peoples to ameliorate the damage. This starts, of course, with an acknowledgment of the harm that was done to indigenous nations and communities over time.
I broadly agree with Olwyn about practical support and education, but we also need to go further continue to tackle the institutional and personal discrimination and poor life chances that create more external stresses on indigenous families everywhere. Some of these stresses cross over with other communities, however I can see how the history of colonisation creates a more difficult dynamic that requires more complex solutions. But you’re right. Every time this road gets taken, the bigots come out and turn tragic reality into a political football.
ho hum the same tired old excuses…colonization …maori wernt allowed to speak their own language 100 years ago…maori were really nice to their kids before pakehas came along…..excuses excuses .Nobodies gonna deny maori wernt disinfranchised by white merchants but only the religious ones would have ADVOCATED the beating of children.Surely we are all humans with exactly the same brain and with exactly the same powers of reasoning ability whether we are black white or rainbow coloured .Violence begets violence and if there is four times as many maori in jail today as any other race it has far more to do with maori beating their kids four times as much than for any other reason i.m.h.o.
It’s not for the coloniser to dismiss the continuing impact of his actions on the colonised. In fact it’s incredibly stupid to accord the slightest respect to that analysis. It is such a cover for prejudice.
Prejudice ? nope Like i said violence is violence and beating your kids is the same act no matter if you are black white or rainbow coloured .It is the same no matter what culture you live in because man is the same the world over . Violence is a human problem and humans are the most violent species on earth .I.m.o. its nothing to do with colonizing its about not visiting the sins of the father onto the child again and again and again .
Don’t you want to ask why might there be more abuse in that culture? If Māori still had their lands intact, and had food, environmental and cultural stability, do you really think we would be getting these horrific stories? I don’t think we would.
What were levels of violence like when Māori had all their lands intact? What are levels of violence like in areas post Treaty settlement vs pre Treaty settlement?
Yes, there was pre european inter tribal violence and mass migration into different regions. I just wonder if europeans played by fair rules from the beginning, then maybe Māori could have united without the major social disadvantages they have now.
Obviously post treaty settlement not all Māori see any benefit from the millions given.
You don’t think that Teina Pora’s compensation should be inflation adjusted then? Just paid out the lower sum in the dollars of today, instead of the worth of the dollars from say 20 years ago?
Everyone knows that you have to inflation adjust dollar values from the past because current day dollars are not worth as much.
$20B is a relatively small amount of money, less than 10% of what the Govt spends in a single 3 year term, and a much more suitable amount for compensation IMO.
Over $1 billion sounds like such a huge sum but in the scheme of things it is not.
An example, Canterbury DHB received more than $1.2 billion under population-based health funding in 2015/16 – one year’s funding.
Everyone even today suffers from pressure and stress of one kind or another but still its a choice of whether we take it out on the kids or not and maori do not have a monopoly on family violence .Violence against families is a problem within our pacific island neighbors too although it tends to be reported as violence against women ie wives .If someone cut down all my peach trees and ruined my ability to sustain myself of course id be fucked off id wanna kill those fuckers but i guess unless i was completely out of my mind id hope i wouldnt take it out on the kids .whatever you say about past wrongs etc isnt it still a matter of parental responsibility ?By the way in case you think im coming at this out of a holier than thau attitude i freely admit to as a young parent lashing out at my kids ive booted them wacked their arses and clipped them arround the ears but that was forty years ago and i grew up about the same time .I realized that i was repeating the same stuff that was done to me as a kid that i was saying things like “stop crying or ill give you something to cry about “.Thank goodness for sue bradfords bill putting the issue into legislation because the collective will in regards with whats ok to do to your kids would still just be a matter of whether there was a piece of alkathene handy for a good number of the population .!!!
The bill would give “draconian” power to the commission, King said.
Council chief executive Richard King said the government was forcing the Auckland model on the rest of the country.
The Invercargill City Council is calling on Southland’s councils and members of parliament to unite and stand up for local democracy by opposing the Better Local Services Bill.
Water supply, waste water and transport could be taken from council control and put into council-controlled organisations under the bill.
The commission would have the power to force councils to join existing council-controlled organisations and to transfer functions and powers between councils.
The bill would also remove council’s ability to appoint elected members as directors of multiply-owned council-controlled organisations. That would mean the public would have no say around the board table, King said.
Deputy Mayor Darren Ludlow said the potential for a reduction in local democracy was unacceptable. Proposed council-controlled organisations will increase costs, not efficiencies, he said
Shadbolt said the bill, in his view, should be called the “Crushing of Local Government Democracy and Seizing Control of Their Assets Bill”.
Tim Shadbolt is entirely correct in what he says here and it’s wonderful to see/hear him taking a position on this – like a sleeping giant rousing from his slumber 🙂
. “The more things change the more they stay the same”
. It is not actually true. However the USA never changes.
. Each American is a Hollywood Star. Because life is a fiction fantasy.
. Each American politician and President bombs (sometimes nuclear) any race on the planet that it wishes. Supported by the American philosophy of acquisition, greed and fear. VIOLENCE is the core of the United States of America. Clothed with Disney infantalism.
They shamelessly murder hundreds of thousands of innocent men women and children. Year by Year. Although they have never won a war since they lost Korea 1948. They keep trying to win year after year.
So, Trump and Clinton are just Hollywood productions. Trotted out like Cinema reruns.
.
…recently we have been having our own New Zealand film festival using DVDs from a local DVD shop…and New Zealand films are just fantastic …compared with much Hollywood lightweight floss and gloss and effects … Many New Zealand films have real psychological depth, original drama, sensitivity and are an aesthetic visual feast
When the MSM starts going for one metanarrative over another, it’s really really hard to reverse:
“Greatness regained” beaten by “Love Trumps Hate”
” Ecstasy of communal fear” beaten by “Light out of darkness”
“Patriotism and regionalism” is still winning against “unity and common strength”
This is fantastic for the meme battles; I’m waiting for God to be invoked more often.
Normally, grand narratives are grand because what they narrate is the work of the social imaginary itself.
But today, the left and the right get to expose them as democratic weapons to display and deploy. It’s no mere theatre, although it’s certainly that. It is the contest for symbolic and actual power.
“Those in the Labour Party who do not share the Socialist principles of Momentum routinely accuse it of bullying, of abuse and of orchestrating disruption in local party meetings. Evidence for such accusations is not offered, for such behaviour does not customarily identify itself with Corbyn or Momentum. For instance, a brick was notoriously thrown through the window of the local office of Angela Eagle who, for a few days, was expected to run against Corbyn for the leadership. No individual was ever identified as the perpetrator. And what was even more pertinent was that the window was not of Eagle’s office but of a politically neutral staircase on the other side of the building. Nonetheless, it was widely taken as read that this act illustrated the villainy of Momentum.”
Interesting…
It gets worse really
“Carole Malone in The Mirror[9] accused “thugs acting in Corbyn’s name” of making death threats to Angela Eagle and to her fellow MP Luciana Berger. Berger promptly responded in a tweet that “the man who sent me those messages has nothing to do with @uklabour”, but Malone issued no correction or apology. The hate that columnists like Malone loudly deplore instead fuels their own carelessly damaging prose.”
.
Kevin – thankyou for linking to a great piece of observational writing by W Stephan Gilbert. !
Each of the players stripped to the bone. Blair – the Thatcherite – Kinnock a demented democratic turncoat Lord. Smith a despicable narcissist. Eagle a Liar about her silly window. and on and on.
Jeremy Corbyn, the most respected member of Parliament; the least selfish and the least grasping fingers of any member of Parliament – throughout his 33yrs service.
The Press hate him; The Tories hate him and ridicule him; The Labour Party of which he is Leader hate him with pathetic slander and appalling self aggrandisement.
His 123 appearance supporting “Remain” as against lazy Labour colleagues hardly opening their lips in support of “Remain”. The Eagle girl did 15 appearances for “Remain”.
As W Stephan Gilbert closes his superb article he states:
.
“The greatest difficulty that the anti-Corbyn MPs, the media and the Tories all share is a fact that they simply cannot stomach: Jeremy Corbyn is the most popular politician in Britain.”
I see the Corbyn leadership battle as the worlds ground zero for the re-establishment of socialism as the political force that will bring us back from the brink of economic catastrophe.
Neo-liberalism is dead and that corpse needs to be buried so deep there is no chance of a resurrection. Even Grant Roberston in his Q&A (?) interview last weekend said that in his eyes ‘trickle-down’ (neo-liberal) economics is dead and cited the IMF and World Bank who also say the same.
I believe Corbyn will be re-elected with a larger majority than before. Whether those Tory-Lites in the PLP jump before or after will be interesting.
A real left-wing alternative, who would have thought that 18 months ago!
Thanks Paul, a good thoughtful article, especially the wise words taken from Tony Benn: “Perhaps the hardest thing for politicians to understand, is that government no longer rotates entirely around parliament and the old cycle of inner-party policy formulation – intense electoral propaganda, voters’ mandate and legislative implementation – important as they are. Winning an election without winning the argument may well frustrate at least a part of your purpose; and conversely winning an argument may be sufficient to solve certain problems by creating an atmosphere favourable to the achievement of your objectives…Anyone aspiring to political leadership who really wishes to shape the society in which he lives has now got to devote a part, and probably a majority, of his time and skill and effort to persuading people, and listening in return to what is said to him.” The distinction between winning the election and winning the argument is very pertinent.
“Local gangs were only bit players in the meth trade, and the focus should be on harm reduction, rather than punishment, Detective Superintendent Virginia Le Bas told the Drug Foundation meeting on Friday.”
On the face of it, looks like police have conceded that drug policy isn’t working and a change of direction is needed.
“She said only a few people in New Zealand profited from meth, much of which came from China, Hong Kong, Mexico, and now Canada and Thailand.
Some gang members or associates were themselves part of a “vulnerable community” getting exploited in the meth trade, said Le Bas, national manager of the organised crime unit.
“It’s about reducing the harm. It’s not about removing gangs out of our society,” she told an audience of gang members, police, social workers and healthcare professionals in Wellington. ”
Or, the whole thing’s got that out of control the gangs are asking for police help to contain the mess?
Yeah, there is a function in the w3 total cache that isn’t working correctly. It is meant to cache except for specific page fragments – like personal replies. Seems a bit flakey. Might replace with a async jQuery.
Unfortunately my great nephew (age 5 or 6) was determined to get me to reprogram his meter high robot. Or failing that, to bypass the password on his iPad that his mother won’t tell him so he could get youtube back again. I am ‘horrible’ sitting tonight..
I will get to it in the morning if I can’t figure it out now silence has reaffirmed itself.
“Some are calling 2016 the ‘year of terror’. The recent spate of violence and death has been roundly condemned – this is as it should be. What to do about it is an entirely different question. Does the West have a double standard on what terrorism means?
CrossTalking with Adel Darwish, Catherine Shakdam, and Max Abrahms.”
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The Beginning: Anti-Co-Governance agitator, Julian Batchelor, addresses the Dargaville stop of his travelling roadshow across New Zealand . Fascism almost always starts small. Sadly, it doesn’t always stay that way. Especially when the Left helps it to grow.THERE IS A DREADFUL LOGIC to the growth of fascism. To begin with, it ...
Hi,From an incredibly rainy day in Los Angeles, I just wanted to check in. I guess this is the day Trump may or may not end up in cuffs? I’m attempting a somewhat slower, less frenzied week. I’ve had Unknown Mortal Orchestra’s new record on non-stop, and it’s been a ...
On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
RNZ has been shining their torch into corners where lobbyists lurk and asking such questions as: Do we like the look of this?and Is this as democratic as it could be?These are most certainly questions worth asking, and every bit as valid as, say:Are weshortchanged democratically by the way ...
RNZ has continued its look at the role of lobbyists by taking a closer look at the Prime Minister's Chief of Staff Andrew Kirton. He used to work for liquor companies, opposing (among other things) a container refund scheme which would have required them to take responsibility for their own ...
Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta has left for Beijing for the first ministerial visit to China since 2019. Mahuta is to meet China’s new foreign minister Qin Gang where she might have to call on all the diplomatic skills at her command. Almost certainly she will face questions on what role ...
TL;DR:The Opportunities Party’s Leader Raf Manji is hopeful the party’s new Teal Card, a type of Gold card for under 30s, will be popular with students, and not just in his Ilam electorate where students make up more than a quarter of the voters and where Manji is confident ...
When I was a kid New Zealand was actually pretty green. We didn’t really have plastic. The fruit and veges came in a cardboard box, the meat was wrapped in paper, milk came in a glass bottle, and even rubbish sacks were made of paper. Today if you sit down ...
Looking back through the names of our Police Ministers down the years, the job has either been done by once or future party Bigfoots – Syd Holland, Richard Prebble, Juduth Collins, Chris Hipkins – or by far lesser lights like Keith Allen, Frank Gill, Ben Couch, Allen McCready, Clem Simich, ...
Chris Trotter writes – The Crown is a fickle friend. Any political movement deemed to be colourful but inconsequential is generally permitted to go about its business unmolested. The Crown’s media, RNZ and TVNZ, may even “celebrate” its existence (presumably as proof of Democracy’s broad-minded acceptance of diversity). ...
Four out of the five people who have held the top role of Prime Minister’s Chief of Staff since 2017 have been lobbyists. That’s a fact that should worry anyone who believes vested interests shouldn’t have a place at the centre of decision making. Chris Hipkins’ newly appointed Chief of ...
Feedback on Auckland Council’s draft 2023/24 budget closes on March 28th. You can read the consultation document here, and provide feedback here. Auckland Council is currently consulting on what is one of its most important ever Annual Plans – the ‘budget’ of what it will spend money on between July ...
by Molten Moira from Motueka If you want to be a woman let me tell you what to do Get a piece of paper and a biro tooWrite down your new identification And boom! You’re now a woman of this nationSpelled W O M A Na real trans woman that isAs opposed ...
Buzz from the Beehive New Zealand Education Minister Jan Tinetti is hosting the inaugural Conference of Pacific Education Ministers for three days from today, welcoming Education Ministers and senior officials from 18 Pacific Island countries and territories, and from Australia. Here’s hoping they have brought translators with them – or ...
Let’s say you’ve come all the way from His Majesty’s United Kingdom to share with the folk of Australia and New Zealand your antipathy towards certain other human beings. And let’s say you call yourself a women’s rights activist.And let’s say 99 out of 100 people who listen to you ...
James Shaw gave the Green party's annual "state of the planet" address over the weekend, in which he expressed frustration with Labour for not doing enough on climate change. His solution is to elect more Green MPs, so they have more power within any government arrangement, and can hold Labour ...
RNZ this morning has the first story another investigative series by Guyon Espiner, this time into political lobbying. The first story focuses on lobbying by government agencies, specifically transpower, Pharmac, and assorted universities, and how they use lobbyists to manipulate public opinion and gather intelligence on the Ministers who oversee ...
Nick Matzke writes – Dear NZ Herald, I am a Senior Lecturer in the School of Biological Sciences at the University of Auckland. I teach evolutionary biology, but I also have long experience in science education and (especially) political attempts to insert pseudoscience into science curricula in ...
MINISTER DAVIDSON MUST RESIGN AFTER 'VIOLENCE' COMMENTS Marama Davidson should stand down as ‘Minister for the Prevention of Family and Sexual Violence’ for the clear and outrageous statement she made at the Posie Parker protest that ‘white straight men’ are the cause of violence. Her offensive, racist, and sexist remarks ...
In response to Newshub and Amelia Wade’s obvious and ham-fisted attempt at a typical and predicted political hit job. As any politically aware reporter would know, any Cabinet subcommittee has a duty and obligation as a part of any government to respond to any UN declaration, in this case ...
Good afternoon. Thank you for the invitation to speak with you today and in your busy lives turning up to this meeting. Forty five years ago, in Howick, often described as racist, and where few Maori lived because it had been a ‘Fencible’ settlement at the time of the Anglo-Maori ...
The Green Party has marked the National Party’s new education policy and given it a fail, especially for its failure to address the underlying drivers of school performance. ...
Political parties that want to negotiate with the Green Party after the election must come to the table with much faster, bolder climate action, co-leaders James Shaw and Marama Davidson emphasised today. ...
You will never truly understand, from the pictures you’ve seen in the newspapers or on the six o-clock news, the sheer scale of the devastation wrought by Cyclone Gabrielle. ...
Political parties that want to negotiate with the Green Party must come to the table with much faster, bolder climate action, co-leaders James Shaw and Marama Davidson emphasised in their State of the Planet speech today. ...
We’re boosting incomes and helping ease cost of living pressures on Kiwis through a range of bread and butter support measures that will see pensioners, students, families, and those on main benefits better off from the start of next month. ...
The error Labour Ministers made by stopping work on a beverage container return scheme will be reversed by the Greens at the earliest opportunity as part of the next Government. ...
“Cabinet needs to do better - and today has shown exactly why we need Green Ministers in cabinet, so we can prioritise action to cut climate pollution and support people to make ends meet,” says Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson. ...
Biggest increase in food prices for over three decades shows the need for an excess profit tax on corporations to help people put food on the table. ...
The Green Party has today launched a submission guide to help Aucklanders give crucial input and prevent potentially disastrous Auckland Council budget proposals. ...
With calls growing for inquiries and action on bank profits, the Greens say the Government has all the information it needs to act now and put a levy on banks. ...
The Government has introduced the Severe Weather Emergency Recovery Legislation Bill to further support the recovery and rebuild from the recent severe weather events in the North Island. “We know from our experiences following the Canterbury and Kaikōura earthquakes that it will take some time before we completely understand the ...
Further assistance is now available to businesses impacted by Cyclone Gabrielle, with Customs able to offer payment plans and to remit late-payments, Customs Minister Meka Whaitiri has announced. “This is part of the Government’s ongoing commitment to assist economic recovery in the regions,” Meka Whaitiri said. “Cabinet has approved the ...
More than 41,000 sole parent families will be better off with a median gain of $20 a week Law change estimated to help lift up to 14,000 children out of poverty Child support payments will be passed on directly to people receiving a sole parent rate of main benefit, making ...
A major investment by Government-owned New Zealand Green Investment Finance towards electrifying the public bus fleet is being welcomed by Climate Change Minister James Shaw. “Today’s announcement that NZGIF has signed a $50 million financing deal with Kinetic, the biggest bus operator in Australasia, to further decarbonise public transport is ...
A world-leading payments system is expected to provide a significant cash flow boost for Kiwi innovators, Minister of Research, Science, and Innovation Ayesha Verrall says. Announcing that applications for ‘in-year’ payments of the Research and Development Tax Incentive (RDTI) were open, Ayesha Verrall said it represented a win for businesses ...
Minister of Transport Michael Wood joined crowds of keen cyclists and walkers this morning to celebrate the completion of the Te Awa shared path in Hamilton. “The Government is upgrading New Zealand’s transport system to make it safer, greener, and more efficient for now and future generations to come,” Michael ...
Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations Minister Andrew Little has delivered the Crown apology to Ngāti Kahungunu ki Wairarapa Tāmaki nui-a-Rua for its historic breaches of Te Tiriti of Waitangi today. The ceremony was held at Queen Elizabeth Park in Masterton, hosted by Ngāti Kahungunu ki Wairarapa Tāmaki nui-a-Rua, with several hundred ...
Minister of Foreign Affairs Nanaia Mahuta has concluded her visit to China, the first by a New Zealand Foreign Minister since 2018. The Minister met her counterpart, newly appointed State Councilor and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Qin Gang, who also hosted a working dinner. This was the first engagement between the two ...
World-class satellite positioning services that will support much safer search and rescue, boost precision farming, and help safety on construction sites through greater accuracy are a significant step closer today, says Land Information Minister Damien O’Connor. Damien O’Connor marked the start of construction on New Zealand’s first uplink centre for ...
Attorney-General David Parker has announced the appointment of Christopher John Dellabarca of Wellington, Dr Katie Jane Elkin of Wellington, Caroline Mary Hickman of Napier, Ngaroma Tahana of Rotorua, Tania Rose Williams Blyth of Hamilton and Nicola Jan Wills of Wellington as District Court Judges. Chris Dellabarca Mr Dellabarca commenced his ...
A new Government-backed project will help ocean-related businesses in the Nelson Tasman region to accelerate their growth and boost jobs. “The Nelson Tasman region is home to more than 400 blue economy businesses, accounting for more than 30 percent of New Zealand’s economic activity in fishing, aquaculture, and seafood processing,” ...
After three years of COVID-19 disruptions schools are finally settling down and National want to throw that all in the air with major disruption to learning and underinvestment. “National’s education policy lacks the very thing teachers, parents and students need after a tough couple of years, certainty and stability,” Education ...
People aged over 50 with innovative business ideas will now be able to receive support to advance their ideas to the next stage of development, Minister for Seniors Ginny Andersen said today. “Seniors have some great entrepreneurial ideas, and this programme will give them the support to take that next ...
A cross government target for relevant government procurement contracts for goods and services to be awarded to Māori businesses annually will increase to 8%, after the initial 5% target was exceeded. The progressive procurement policy was introduced in 2020 to increase supplier diversity, starting with Māori businesses, for the estimated ...
77,000 fewer children living in low income households on the after-housing-costs primary measure since Labour took office Eight of the nine child poverty measures have seen a statistically significant reduction since 2018. All nine have reduced 28,700 fewer children experiencing material hardship since 2018 Measures taken by the Government during ...
Deputy Prime Minister Kamikamica; distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen. Tēnā koutou katoa, ni sa bula vinaka saka, namaste. Deputy Prime Minister, a very warm welcome to Aotearoa. I trust you have been enjoying your time here and thank you for joining us here today. To all delegates who have travelled to be ...
$2.9 million convertible loan for Scapegrace Distillery to meet growing national and international demand $4.5m underwrite to support Silverlight Studios’ project to establish a film studio in Wanaka Gore’s James Cumming Community Centre and Library to be official opened tomorrow with support of $3m from the COVID-19 Response and Recovery ...
Transport Minister Michael Wood has today launched the first national EV (electric vehicle) charging strategy, Charging Our Future, which includes plans to provide EV charging stations in almost every town in New Zealand. “Our vision is for Aotearoa New Zealand to have world-class EV charging infrastructure that is accessible, affordable, ...
Associate Minister for Social Development and Employment Priyanca Radhakrishnan has today launched the Love Better campaign in a world-leading approach to family harm prevention. Love Better will initially support young people through their experience of break-ups, developing positive and life-long attitudes to dealing with hurt. “Over 1,200 young kiwis told ...
Hon Rino Tirikatene, Minister for Courts, welcomes the Ministry of Justice’s appointment of Dr Garry Clearwater as New Zealand’s first Chief Clinical Advisor working with the Coroners Court. “This appointment is significant for the Coroners Court and New Zealand’s wider coronial system.” Minister Tirikatene said. Through Budget 2022, the Government ...
The Government via the Cyclone Taskforce is working with local government and insurance companies to build a picture of high-risk areas following Cyclone Gabrielle and January floods. “The Taskforce, led by Sir Brian Roche, has been working with insurance companies to undertake an assessment of high-risk areas so we can ...
E te huia kaimanawa, ko Ngāpuhi e whakahari ana i tau aupikinga ki te tihi o te maunga. Ko te Ao Māori hoki e whakanui ana i a koe te whakaihu waka o te reo Māori i roto i te Ao Ture. (To the prized treasure, it is Ngāpuhi who ...
113,400 exits into work in the year to June 2022 Young people are moving off Benefit faster than after the Global Financial Crisis Two reports released today by the Ministry of Social Development show the Government’s investment in the COVID-19 response helped drive record numbers of people off Benefits and ...
The Government’s priority to keep New Zealand at the cutting edge of food production and lift our sustainability credentials continues by backing the next steps of a hi-tech vertical farming venture that uses up to 95 per cent less water, is climate resilient, and pesticide-free. Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor visited ...
E nga mana, e nga iwi, e nga reo, e nga hau e wha, tena koutou, tena koutou, tena koutou kātoa. Warm Pacific greetings to all. It is an honour to host the inaugural Conference of Pacific Education Ministers here in Tāmaki Makaurau. Aotearoa is delighted to be hosting you ...
The new renal unit at Taranaki Base Hospital has been officially opened by the Minister of Health Dr Ayesha Verrall this afternoon. Te Huhi Raupō received around $13 million in government funding as part of Project Maunga Stage 2, the redevelopment of the Taranaki Base Hospital campus. “It’s an honour ...
Defence Minister Andrew Little has marked the arrival of the country’s second P-8A Poseidon aircraft alongside personnel at the Royal New Zealand Air Force’s Base at Ohakea today. “With two of the four P-8A Poseidons now on home soil this marks another significant milestone in the Government’s historic investment in ...
Aotearoa New Zealand will provide further humanitarian support to those seriously affected by last month’s deadly earthquakes in Türkiye and Syria, says Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta. “The 6 February earthquakes have had devastating consequences, with almost 18 million people affected. More than 53,000 people have died and tens of thousands more ...
Migrant communities across New Zealand are represented in the new Migrant Community Reference Group that will help shape immigration policy going forward, Immigration Minister Michael Wood announced today. “Since becoming Minister, a reoccurring message I have heard from migrants is the feeling their voice has often been missing around policy ...
Construction has begun on major works that will deliver significant safety improvements on State Highway 3 from Waitara to Bell Block, Associate Minister of Transport Kiri Allan announced today. “This is an important route for communities, freight and visitors to Taranaki but too many people have lost their lives or ...
Prime Minister Chris Hipkins has today appointed Ginny Andersen as Minister of Police. “Ginny Andersen has a strong and relevant background in this important portfolio,” Chris Hipkins said. “Ginny Andersen worked for the Police as a non-sworn staff member for around 10 years and has more recently been chair of ...
Six further bailey bridge sites confirmed Four additional bridge sites under consideration 91 per cent of damaged state highways reopened Recovery Dashboards for impacted regions released The Government has responded quickly to restore lifeline routes after Cyclone Gabrielle and can today confirm that an additional six bailey bridges will ...
Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta departs for China tomorrow, where she will meet with her counterpart, State Councillor and Foreign Minister Qin Gang, in Beijing. This will be the first visit by a New Zealand Minister to China since 2019, and follows the easing of COVID-19 travel restrictions between New Zealand and China. ...
Education Ministers from across the Pacific will gather in Tāmaki Makaurau this week to share their collective knowledge and strategic vision, for the benefit of ākonga across the region. New Zealand Education Minister Jan Tinetti will host the inaugural Conference of Pacific Education Ministers (CPEM) for three days from today, ...
A vital transport link for communities and local businesses has been restored following Cyclone Gabrielle with the reopening of State Highway 5 (SH5) between Napier and Taupō, Associate Minister of Transport Kiri Allan says. SH5 reopened to all traffic between 7am and 7pm from today, with closure points at SH2 (Kaimata ...
Internal Affairs Minister Barbara Edmonds has thanked generous New Zealanders who took part in the special Lotto draw for communities affected by Cyclone Gabrielle. Held on Saturday night, the draw raised $11.7 million with half of all ticket sales going towards recovery efforts. “In a time of need, New Zealanders ...
The Government has announced funding of $3 million for providers to help people, and whānau access community-based Building Financial Capability services. “Demand for Financial Capability Services is growing as people face cost of living pressures. Those pressures are increasing further in areas affected by flooding and Cyclone Gabrielle,” Minister for ...
Minister of Education, Hon Jan Tinetti, has announced appointments to the Board of Education New Zealand | Manapou ki te Ao. Tracey Bridges is joining the Board as the new Chair and Dr Therese Arseneau will be a new member. Current members Dr Linda Sissons CNZM and Daniel Wilson have ...
Fifteen ākonga Māori from across Aotearoa have been awarded the prestigious Ngarimu VC and 28th (Māori) Battalion Memorial Scholarships and Awards for 2023, Associate Education Minister and Ngarimu Board Chair, Kelvin Davis announced today. The recipients include doctoral, masters’ and undergraduate students. Three vocational training students and five wharekura students, ...
High Court Judge Jillian Maree Mallon has been appointed a Judge of the Court of Appeal, and District Court Judge Andrew John Becroft QSO has been appointed a Judge of the High Court, Attorney‑General David Parker announced today. Justice Mallon graduated from Otago University in 1988 with an LLB (Hons), and with ...
A joint force of Indonesian military and police are claiming to have shot dead a member of the West Papua National Liberation Army (TPNPB) in Central Papua Province on Wednesday last week. Jubi TV Papua reports the joint force was conducting aerial surveillance after a motorcycle taxi driver had been ...
By Kelvin Anthony, RNZ Pacific lead digital and social media journalist The Fiji government is signalling that it will not completely tear down the country’s controversial media law which, according to local newsrooms and journalism commentators, has stunted press freedom and development for more than a decade. Ahead of the ...
By Miriam Zarriga in Port Moresby The production and trafficking of methamphetamine (meth), cocaine and now heroin is on the rise with Pacific countries now becoming what many are calling the “Pacific drug highway”. And Papua New Guinea has over three years seen a plane crash, a hotel laboratory, a ...
A requiem for Shiv and Tom, who would like to make love one last time (but can’t).Major spoilers follow for the first episode of Succession’s fourth season. Her eyes flared. His voice wobbled. “Do you want to… talk?” said Tom Wambsgans, the corporate ladder-climbing schmuck who could see his ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tony Wood, Program Director, Energy, Grattan Institute Shutterstock Labor and the Greens have reached a compromise on the safeguard mechanism after months of tense negotiations, giving the government the numbers it needs to pass the bill into law. Greens leader ...
Wayne Brown vowed to stop new roading projects until existing ones finish - and to unclog the city centre's streets - but he now finds himself enthusiastically backing new upheaval for the key crossroad of Victoria St A $50 million beautification project for CBD's Victoria St - which will disrupt businesses from ...
The Green Party co-leader says she was in shock from being hit by a motorcycle, and her comments about white men committing violence should have been clearer. ...
The prime minister has labelled comments made by one of his ministers over the weekend as inappropriate, and revealed his office asked her to walk them back. Marama Davidson, co-leader of the Green Party and a minister, was captured on video ahead of a rally against anti-trans speaker Posie Parker ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Becky Freeman, Associate Professor, School of Public Health, University of Sydney Shutterstock On Friday, the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) updated its review of proposed reforms to the regulation of nicotine vaping products. It reported the federal government is now “actively ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sam John, Senior Lecturer in Neural Engineering, The University of Melbourne Shutterstock Since it was founded in 2016, Elon Musk’s brain-computer interface (BCI) company Neuralink has had its moments in biotech news. Whether it was the time Musk promised ...
Analysis by Keith Rankin. Chart by Keith Rankin. The ‘Young Elderly’ are in essence the post-war baby-boomers. An average young elderly person in these charts was born around 1950 to 1952. The charts look at ‘quarterly excess deaths’, so do not show week-by-week fluctuations in deaths. For example, data ...
The co-leader of the Green Party has clarified comments she made at Saturday’s counter-protest against anti-trans speaker Posie Parker. Caught on camera by a representative for the conspiracy theorist website Counterspin, Marama Davidson claimed: “I am the prevention violence minister, and I know who causes violence in the world, and ...
A friendly reminder that your best intentions of promoting a New Zealand-made film are not actually supporting the artists behind it.For many of us, documenting our day or sharing highlights of our week is a common occurrence on social media. For some, that meant uploading full scenes onto TikTok ...
After two and a half weeks, the Auckland Arts Festival comes to a close with another eclectic week. Sam Brooks reviews (with assistance from Shanti Mathias).The headline show of the week was undoubtedly The Unruly Tourists, which has had more coverage than any opera I can think of in ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Yu Tao, Senior Lecturer in Chinese Studies, The University of Western Australia State Library of Western Australia Does the discovery of a Ming Dynasty Buddha sculpture found near Shark Bay in remote Western Australia “rewrite history” and suggest the Chinese ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Robert G. Patman, Professor of International Relations, University of Otago Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant.Getty Images Russia’s invasion of Ukraine appears to be a defining moment in the evolution of the post-Cold War world. In particular, it is highlighting problems that do ...
If you saw the demonstration at Pasifika Festival – or if you’ve just always wanted to know how it’s done – here’s a step-by-step guide to preparing your own umu oven.A Sāmoan umu is an above-ground oven of hot volcanic rocks. Traditionally, an umu was laid out three times ...
The official Covid-19 death toll has risen by 33 this week, bumping the total to 2,662. The Ministry of Health’s latest update reports 76 new Covid-attributed deaths, but the overall death toll rises by 33 when adjusted to include non-Covid and other unrelated deaths. The daily average number of new ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Milton Speer, Visiting Fellow, School of Mathematical and Physical Sciences, University of Technology Sydney Shutterstock Global warming has led to higher summer temperatures across Sydney over the past 30 years. However, our data analysis shows very hot summer days are ...
Two of the best games of the Super Rugby Aupiki season were saved for finals weekend in Hamilton. Alice Soper recaps.Third/fourth playoff: Blues vs Hurricanes Poua Sometimes a bronze playoff can be a bit of a flop. Still in recovery from the disappointment of missing out on the ...
Analysis by Dr Bryce Edwards. Political Roundup: The Ugly stoking of a culture war in election year This weekend saw a showdown between two tribes of contemporary gender politics: those in favour of progressing transgender rights versus women wishing to defend their spaces. It’s a debate with huge passion, outrage and ...
One of New Zealand’s spy agencies foiled three possible terror events on our shores, it’s been revealed. The Security and Intelligence select committee met today, with bosses from the SIS and GCSB facing questions from MPs including prime minister Chris Hipkins. It was during this hearing that Andrew Hampton, the ...
An anonymous lawyer for children explains what she does, and why it matters. I’m a lawyer who is appointed by courts to represent children in cases where there are concerns about their safety or where the court thinks it necessary. In almost all cases involving disputes around the care of ...
As banks face scrutiny over the size of their profits, it’s been revealed the finance minister looked at a possible “bank tax”. The Herald’s Jenée Tibshraeny reported this morning that Grant Robertson asked for advice from the Reserve Bank on whether it would be possible to save the Crown money ...
The Green Party has announced Neelu Jennings as the candidate for Hutt South. Neelu Jennings is a disabled disability advocate and former athlete. The mother of two aims to use her platform to call for a fair and inclusive Aotearoa where disabled ...
Marama Davidson should stand down as ‘Minister for the Prevention of Family and Sexual Violence’ for the clear and outrageous statement she made at the Posie Parker protest that ‘white straight men’ are the cause of violence. Her offensive, racist, ...
ColensoBBDO has been appointed as the new creative agency of record by pay-gap advocacy group MindTheGap to bring renewed attention to the issue of gender and ethnic pay gaps within New Zealand businesses and government. In the 50 years since the Equal ...
Thousands of women across the country are joining Facebook groups that seek to answer one simple question. This article contains reference to domestic violence and emotional abuse, please take care.A quick scroll through the biggest “Do We Have The Same Boyfriend” Facebook group in the country reveals a sea ...
Bluebridge’s Connemara ferry was back in service yesterday after a mechanical issue caused a string of cancellations on Saturday. It was the third time Connemara had broken down in less than two months of service, according to the NZ Herald. “We understand this is very disruptive to our customers’ travel plans ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Marie-Claire Seeley, PhD Candidate, Australian Dysautonomia and Arrhythmia Research Collaborative, University of Adelaide Shutterstock There is growing interest in a connective tissue condition called Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome. As more adults are diagnosed with autism, some might not be aware their history ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Hattie, Professor, Melbourne Graduate School of Education, The University of Melbourne Shutterstock In 2008, I published my book Visible Learning, which aimed to explain what works best to help student learning. At the time, others claimed it was the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michael Naylor, Senior Lecturer in Economics, Massey University Getty Images As New Zealand considers how to better prepare for a future affected by climate change, the insurance sector needs to be part the discussion on where and how we build ...
The scenes that unfolded at Auckland’s Albert Park on Saturday morning were, according to counter-protesters, largely peaceful and non-violent. British anti-trans campaigner Kellie-Jay Keen Minshull (or Posie Parker) fled New Zealand after her attempts to host a rally in Auckland city were stopped by thousands of protesters. Keen-Minshull has claimed ...
He’s got one of the most prestigious journalism careers in the country, but RNZ’s Guyon Espiner is not slowing down anytime soon. His new series “Mate, Comrade, Brother” on political lobbying in New Zealand has already exposed a number of troubling incidents. He sits down with Duncan Greive to discuss why he ...
Posie Parker said she wanted to ‘speak up for women’. Hundreds of protesters spoke up for trans rights instead, writes Catherine McGregor in this excerpt from The Bulletin, The Spinoff’s morning news round-up. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here.A day of anger and joy ...
The foreign minister has returned from a visit to China saying the relationship is very important and complex, requiring "continual management" to make sure the two countries do not lose sight of each others' views and perspectives. ...
Shock but not surprise – that’s how an Auckland woman reacted to a racist depiction of a black person up for sale at a Mt Eden auction house Diana Phillips felt "immediate straight-up fury" on seeing a racist caricature of a black person for sale in the window of a Mt ...
The inquiry into forestry slash destruction in Tairāwhiti, and review of the Emissions Trading Scheme, should prioritise the state of the planet not the balance sheets of global corporations, writes Dame Anne Salmond. Over the past few weeks, New Zealanders have been exposed to shocking images of local landscapes ravaged ...
Exclusive: A new report into the cultural and economic benefits of Shortland Street shows its power – but as with any good soap, trouble is coming. Duncan Greive reports on its findings.When Shortland Street debuted in 1992, no one could have predicted what it would become. NZ on Air, ...
Keep calm and charge up: an etiquette guide for those wanting to use public EV chargers without leaving a trail of chaos in their wake. It looks like a petrol pump. It is like a petrol pump. But this one doesn’t have any fossil fuels flowing out the hose. Electric ...
Watch video: In part 5 of our video series, The Way Forward, Rod Oram looks at big new ideas that can lead our response to climate change and improve sustainability. If we humans are to stand any chance of a liveable future, we must transform everything we do so ...
The Government's Emissions Trading Scheme incentivises the planting of pine forest. But a company looking to cash in on the scheme has left a farm on the East Coast prone to significant erosion within months of taking over. Aaron Smale reports. Satellite images of a former sheep station on the East Coast show a stark ...
Newsroom's Nikki Mandow went hunting for organisations run using a co-governance model and found some have been doing it quietly for years. No power grab, no stolen assets. The Detail hears from leaders of these bodies about what co-governance looks like in practice, and asks - does it work? For Bob ...
The explosive opening chapter of a new novel Identity remains secretA thirty-nine-year-old Point Heed businessman and father of two convicted for possession and distribution of child pornography has been granted permanent name suppression. Bridget’s throat caught. Point Heed: lovely, leafy Point Heed. Her neighbourhood. It was ...
The explosive opening chapter of a new novel Identity remains secretA thirty-nine-year-old Point Heed businessman and father of two convicted for possession and distribution of child pornography has been granted permanent name suppression. Bridget’s throat caught. Point Heed: lovely, leafy Point Heed. Her neighbourhood. It was ...
The explosive opening chapter of a new novel Identity remains secretA thirty-nine-year-old Point Heed businessman and father of two convicted for possession and distribution of child pornography has been granted permanent name suppression. Bridget’s throat caught. Point Heed: lovely, leafy Point Heed. Her neighbourhood. It was ...
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By Johnny Blades, RNZ The House journalist An increased appetite to learn te reo Māori among members and staff from different parts of the Parliamentary system means the work of Parliament’s Māori Language Service is in demand more than ever. Compared to several years ago there’s now also significantly more acknowledgement ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andy Marks, Pro Vice-Chancellor, Strategy, Government and Alliances, Western Sydney University Dean Lewins/AAP Sometimes defeat can come with small victories. In his NSW election concession speech, defeated Liberal-National Coalition Premier Dominic Perrottet remarked the campaign had been a “race to ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Mikey Burnet Byelections for leaders are rather like steeplechases for horses: there is always the risk of serious injury. Ahead of the 2018 super-Saturday contests, Bill Shorten had an impatient Anthony Albanese ...
National Party leader Christopher Luxon says a controversial British activist has the right to free speech in New Zealand, following the clash at Auckland's counter protest on Saturday. ...
The Queer Endurance / Defiance group had organised this rally for trans acceptance and reproductive rights as soon as they heard Posie Parker planned to come to Wellington. And while the anti-trans campaigner never ended up making it to the nation’s capital after her failed Auckland event, around 3,000 members ...
ANALYSIS:By Nicholas Khoo, University of Otago Former Australian prime minister Paul Keating’s recent strident criticism of the A$368 billion nuclear-powered submarine deal announced under the AUKUS security pactwill have little effect on Australian policy. Canberra’s deepening level of security cooperation is underpinned by a deep political consensus. But the ...
RNZ News British gender activist Posie Parker has left New Zealand, calling it the “worst place for women she has ever visited”. Kellie-Jay Keen-Minshull, also known as Posie Parker, shared a photo on social media showing her being escorted by police through Auckland Airport. She left her rally at Albert ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Frank Bongiorno, Professor of History, ANU College of Arts and Social Sciences, Australian National University Tasmanian Premier Jeremy Rockliff (right) is now the only non-Labor leader at federal or state level.Mick Tsikas/AAP When Dominic Perrottet gave a gracious concession speech after ...
Hundreds of people have gathered by Christchurch’s Bridge of Remembrance to show support for the trans community in the wake of anti-transgender activist Posie Parker’s brief visit to Aotearoa. Bubbles filled the air against a backdrop of trans rights flags and hundreds of signs of support for the LGBTQIA+ community, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne Dean Lewins/AAPThis article was updated March 26. With 36% of enrolled voters counted in today’s New South Wales ...
Coated in two spices and ready in five minutes. Easy as.I first heard of marsala chicken when I moved to New Zealand as a 15-year-old. The dish confused me as it didn’t have any spices in it except for garlic. In my head I had confused it with the ...
Author Marty Smith writes from her home, the flood-damaged region of Hawke’s Bay, excavating the extraordinary facets of life amid a disaster.Wednesday 22 February 22, eight days after the flood.It’s easy to drive down Puketitiri Rd: diggers cleared silt and slips on the second day. Looters slide at ...
My trainer said she was happier than she’d ever been. I wanted that.The Sunday Essay is made possible thanks to the support of Creative New Zealand.Illustrations by Note: This essay discusses and describes disordered eating. Please take care.Just 10 burpees to go.I threw myself against the carpet. ...
Bard Billot on the bumbling BaronRace for the Polls Baron Luxon speeds across the polar wastes aboard his electric blue jet sled “Titanic.” The sky is cloudless and the way is clear and the Baron is well in the lead. In his toasty warm fine mink cossack hat ...
Māori women are the backbone of the Warriors and always have been, writes Briar Pomana.Since before I can remember, my mum has been a Warriors fan. Her and other wāhine Māori I know are some of the staunchest supporters out and, in my opinion, are the true face of ...
Reports have described the protest held at Albert Park on Saturday as angry, chaotic and ugly. This attendee found it to be joyful, life-affirming and full of love.Climbing the stairs up to Saturday’s counter-rally where anti-trans activist Posie Parker was meant to speak, my husband and I were hit ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne Dean Lewins/AAP With 36% of enrolled voters counted in today’s New South Wales state election, the Poll Bludger’s results currently ...
James Clapper CIA head says that the media needs to stop blaming Russia for the DNC email hacks
https://www.rt.com/usa/353840-us-intelligence-hyperventilation-dnc-hack/
On the topic of the DNC, here is some weekend reading (it’s long, but seems thorough). I’ve only scratched the surface, but this is from the conclusions:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B6J1ecILnk3UUy1KZ2FUT29iQ1E/view?pref=2&pli=1
These would be very nice changes
Having each state’s electoral college votes assigned proportionally according to the % that candidates receive in their state, would also be huge. (And allow fractions of electoral votes up to 1 decimal point eg. NY State could have 20.3 of its electoral college votes go Democratic, 5.6 go Republican, 2.1 Greens, 1.0 Libertarian ).
The US system would benefit greatly from a STV type system. Multiple cases parties blame third party candidates for vote splitting causing overall loss (and probably not incorrectly in some of them).
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-07-29/australia-headed-for-recession-next-year,-professor-keen-says/7674154
It can be avoided – temporarily – by piling more debt into the system in order to get a bit more cash into the economy…
Hot on the heels of the recently-released LSE study documenting acute anti-Corbyn bias throughout the UK MSM over the last 12 months, a new analysis claims online and television media showed “clear and consistent bias” against Jeremy Corbyn at the start of the present Labour leadership coup,
Also accuses the BBC of giving twice as much airtime to Corbyn’s critics than to his supporters on some programmes during the crisis.
http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/jeremy-corbyn-media-bias-bbc_uk_579a3cd7e4b06d7c426edff0?edition=uk&utm_hp_ref=uk
As veteran broadcaster, film-maker and Left activist, Paul Mason, has argued, for all its faults “The old BBC would have taken evidence like this seriously. The pre-Hutton BBC would not have let it happen”.
Executive Summary of Report
– 465 online articles and 40 prime time news bulletins assessed
– Twice as much airtime given to critical, rather than supportive voices
– Huge imbalance in favour of issues pushed by Corbyn critics on early evening BBC and ITV bulletins – especially pronounced in headline stories
– Strong tendency within BBC main evening news for reporters to use pejorative
language when describing Jeremy Corbyn and his supporters
– Domination of views opposed to the Labour leadership in all but one of the online
outlets sampled, and across both left and right-leaning titles
– Online-only news sites relatively balanced in their coverage, as well as the BBC online
Truth comes out about child abuse. Has an ugly truth about it so expect this to be ignored when the next case hits the media. Default back to that right wing mantra personal responsibility.
http://i.stuff.co.nz/national/faces-of-innocents/82586709/Faces-of-Innocents-High-rates-of-child-abuse-among-Maori-can-be-traced-back-to-colonisation-academic-says
I read that article, and I generally accept what the writer says but also think there is more to it. Our big, gadget-designing heads mean that we are born very vulnerable and also have reduced instinct in comparison to, say, a cat. Consequently, we learn how to look after children through community participation and observation. Uprootedness robs people of the conditions under which they learn. In the 20’s, the answer to this problem was Plunket, which offered method and support, and whatever we think of their method now, far less children died from their parents’ inadequacies. More genuine support and less vilification would go a long way toward reducing the harm done to children in NZ.
Excellent comment, Olwyn. That vulnerability, the reason for it and the communal responsibility to cover for it are exactly the point, imo.
Thanks Robert 🙂
+100 Olwyn
It is an ugly truth.
As a Pākehā I am sorry that this has happened. As colonialists we can’t go and turn the clock back, but each country can work with colonised peoples to ameliorate the damage. This starts, of course, with an acknowledgment of the harm that was done to indigenous nations and communities over time.
I broadly agree with Olwyn about practical support and education, but we also need to go further continue to tackle the institutional and personal discrimination and poor life chances that create more external stresses on indigenous families everywhere. Some of these stresses cross over with other communities, however I can see how the history of colonisation creates a more difficult dynamic that requires more complex solutions. But you’re right. Every time this road gets taken, the bigots come out and turn tragic reality into a political football.
ho hum the same tired old excuses…colonization …maori wernt allowed to speak their own language 100 years ago…maori were really nice to their kids before pakehas came along…..excuses excuses .Nobodies gonna deny maori wernt disinfranchised by white merchants but only the religious ones would have ADVOCATED the beating of children.Surely we are all humans with exactly the same brain and with exactly the same powers of reasoning ability whether we are black white or rainbow coloured .Violence begets violence and if there is four times as many maori in jail today as any other race it has far more to do with maori beating their kids four times as much than for any other reason i.m.h.o.
It’s not for the coloniser to dismiss the continuing impact of his actions on the colonised. In fact it’s incredibly stupid to accord the slightest respect to that analysis. It is such a cover for prejudice.
Prejudice ? nope Like i said violence is violence and beating your kids is the same act no matter if you are black white or rainbow coloured .It is the same no matter what culture you live in because man is the same the world over . Violence is a human problem and humans are the most violent species on earth .I.m.o. its nothing to do with colonizing its about not visiting the sins of the father onto the child again and again and again .
Don’t you want to ask why might there be more abuse in that culture? If Māori still had their lands intact, and had food, environmental and cultural stability, do you really think we would be getting these horrific stories? I don’t think we would.
What were levels of violence like when Māori had all their lands intact? What are levels of violence like in areas post Treaty settlement vs pre Treaty settlement?
Yes, there was pre european inter tribal violence and mass migration into different regions. I just wonder if europeans played by fair rules from the beginning, then maybe Māori could have united without the major social disadvantages they have now.
Obviously post treaty settlement not all Māori see any benefit from the millions given.
In inflation adjusted dollars, the value of Treaty settlements to date is well over $1 billion.
In your opinion. What difference, if any, in levels of violence has this massive financial wealth made?
What difference to levels of violence, if any, would another $1 billion in Treaty settlements make?
Inflaton proofed is a false position because the settlement are paid in the dollars of the day.
Down south the settlement paid was less than 3% of the actual real value of the land .
Inflation proof is a false position?
What do you mean?
A $100M settlement in 1996 is worth way way more financially than a $100M settlement in 2016.
So what
they got the money when they got it
You don’t think that Teina Pora’s compensation should be inflation adjusted then? Just paid out the lower sum in the dollars of today, instead of the worth of the dollars from say 20 years ago?
Everyone knows that you have to inflation adjust dollar values from the past because current day dollars are not worth as much.
Are you thick?
Ngāi Tahu got 170m. Not the equivalent today’s dollar inflation adjusted figure. They got 170m.
As for your first paragraph – wow you’re starting to sound like trump now too.
Hi MM,
CPI adjusted that 1997 settlement of $170M is worth $248M in todays dollars.
Which sounds about right, given that $170M back in 1997 is worth way more financially than the same numerical $170M today.
I hope the little games amuse you. Pick on another group there are plenty to choose from.
You could inflation adjust 20b the low estimated value of what was taken.
$20B is a relatively small amount of money, less than 10% of what the Govt spends in a single 3 year term, and a much more suitable amount for compensation IMO.
Over $1 billion sounds like such a huge sum but in the scheme of things it is not.
An example, Canterbury DHB received more than $1.2 billion under population-based health funding in 2015/16 – one year’s funding.
So $1B to $2B is not that much money in the scheme of things.
Would another $1B to $2B funding make much more difference if the first $1B to $2B have not?
Everyone even today suffers from pressure and stress of one kind or another but still its a choice of whether we take it out on the kids or not and maori do not have a monopoly on family violence .Violence against families is a problem within our pacific island neighbors too although it tends to be reported as violence against women ie wives .If someone cut down all my peach trees and ruined my ability to sustain myself of course id be fucked off id wanna kill those fuckers but i guess unless i was completely out of my mind id hope i wouldnt take it out on the kids .whatever you say about past wrongs etc isnt it still a matter of parental responsibility ?By the way in case you think im coming at this out of a holier than thau attitude i freely admit to as a young parent lashing out at my kids ive booted them wacked their arses and clipped them arround the ears but that was forty years ago and i grew up about the same time .I realized that i was repeating the same stuff that was done to me as a kid that i was saying things like “stop crying or ill give you something to cry about “.Thank goodness for sue bradfords bill putting the issue into legislation because the collective will in regards with whats ok to do to your kids would still just be a matter of whether there was a piece of alkathene handy for a good number of the population .!!!
The bill would give “draconian” power to the commission, King said.
Council chief executive Richard King said the government was forcing the Auckland model on the rest of the country.
The Invercargill City Council is calling on Southland’s councils and members of parliament to unite and stand up for local democracy by opposing the Better Local Services Bill.
Water supply, waste water and transport could be taken from council control and put into council-controlled organisations under the bill.
The commission would have the power to force councils to join existing council-controlled organisations and to transfer functions and powers between councils.
The bill would also remove council’s ability to appoint elected members as directors of multiply-owned council-controlled organisations. That would mean the public would have no say around the board table, King said.
Deputy Mayor Darren Ludlow said the potential for a reduction in local democracy was unacceptable. Proposed council-controlled organisations will increase costs, not efficiencies, he said
Shadbolt said the bill, in his view, should be called the “Crushing of Local Government Democracy and Seizing Control of Their Assets Bill”.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/82637635/southland-mps-and-councils-urged-to-fight-against-legislation-attacking-local-democracy
Thoughts?
“Thoughts?”
after you….
I concur. Councils and members of parliament should unite and oppose this Bill.
On the face of it, +1.
Go tim shadbolt
Tim Shadbolt is entirely correct in what he says here and it’s wonderful to see/hear him taking a position on this – like a sleeping giant rousing from his slumber 🙂
Is this just a back door method for privatization since the amalgamation model has failed after Wellington and Hawkes Bay?
..coming from a council that handed its water services over to a multinational corporation — ie Veolia Water…
Shadbolt and Ludlow should be looking in the mirror here.
”I wish I had that power, man, that would be power.”
Perhaps little man Trump was being sarcastic, but it’s another disturbing sign of what may lie ahead. Good piece in Columbia Journalism Review:
http://www.cjr.org/opinion/donald_trump_hacking_nsa_russia_snowden.php?utm_content=buffer04c11&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_campaign=buffer
Thanks for this Robertina.
Unfortunately I don’t think he was being sarcastic.
. “The more things change the more they stay the same”
. It is not actually true. However the USA never changes.
. Each American is a Hollywood Star. Because life is a fiction fantasy.
. Each American politician and President bombs (sometimes nuclear) any race on the planet that it wishes. Supported by the American philosophy of acquisition, greed and fear. VIOLENCE is the core of the United States of America. Clothed with Disney infantalism.
They shamelessly murder hundreds of thousands of innocent men women and children. Year by Year. Although they have never won a war since they lost Korea 1948. They keep trying to win year after year.
So, Trump and Clinton are just Hollywood productions. Trotted out like Cinema reruns.
.
+1
Good summation.
OT.. an interesting viewpoint. Something to think about.
Get rid of Hollywood
…recently we have been having our own New Zealand film festival using DVDs from a local DVD shop…and New Zealand films are just fantastic …compared with much Hollywood lightweight floss and gloss and effects … Many New Zealand films have real psychological depth, original drama, sensitivity and are an aesthetic visual feast
The NZHerald picks up on the darkness of Trump and puts him into a little historical context:
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/news/article.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=11684369
When the MSM starts going for one metanarrative over another, it’s really really hard to reverse:
“Greatness regained” beaten by “Love Trumps Hate”
” Ecstasy of communal fear” beaten by “Light out of darkness”
“Patriotism and regionalism” is still winning against “unity and common strength”
This is fantastic for the meme battles; I’m waiting for God to be invoked more often.
Normally, grand narratives are grand because what they narrate is the work of the social imaginary itself.
But today, the left and the right get to expose them as democratic weapons to display and deploy. It’s no mere theatre, although it’s certainly that. It is the contest for symbolic and actual power.
And interesting read from a Corbyn insider:
https://off-guardian.org/2016/07/29/the-originis-of-labours-civil-war/
“Those in the Labour Party who do not share the Socialist principles of Momentum routinely accuse it of bullying, of abuse and of orchestrating disruption in local party meetings. Evidence for such accusations is not offered, for such behaviour does not customarily identify itself with Corbyn or Momentum. For instance, a brick was notoriously thrown through the window of the local office of Angela Eagle who, for a few days, was expected to run against Corbyn for the leadership. No individual was ever identified as the perpetrator. And what was even more pertinent was that the window was not of Eagle’s office but of a politically neutral staircase on the other side of the building. Nonetheless, it was widely taken as read that this act illustrated the villainy of Momentum.”
Interesting…
It gets worse really
“Carole Malone in The Mirror[9] accused “thugs acting in Corbyn’s name” of making death threats to Angela Eagle and to her fellow MP Luciana Berger. Berger promptly responded in a tweet that “the man who sent me those messages has nothing to do with @uklabour”, but Malone issued no correction or apology. The hate that columnists like Malone loudly deplore instead fuels their own carelessly damaging prose.”
Off Guardian has lots of interesting articles.
.
Kevin – thankyou for linking to a great piece of observational writing by W Stephan Gilbert. !
Each of the players stripped to the bone. Blair – the Thatcherite – Kinnock a demented democratic turncoat Lord. Smith a despicable narcissist. Eagle a Liar about her silly window. and on and on.
Jeremy Corbyn, the most respected member of Parliament; the least selfish and the least grasping fingers of any member of Parliament – throughout his 33yrs service.
The Press hate him; The Tories hate him and ridicule him; The Labour Party of which he is Leader hate him with pathetic slander and appalling self aggrandisement.
His 123 appearance supporting “Remain” as against lazy Labour colleagues hardly opening their lips in support of “Remain”. The Eagle girl did 15 appearances for “Remain”.
As W Stephan Gilbert closes his superb article he states:
.
“The greatest difficulty that the anti-Corbyn MPs, the media and the Tories all share is a fact that they simply cannot stomach: Jeremy Corbyn is the most popular politician in Britain.”
. Again thankyou Kevin.
No problem.
http://www.off-guardian.com and http://www.thecanary.co are daily reading for me.
I see the Corbyn leadership battle as the worlds ground zero for the re-establishment of socialism as the political force that will bring us back from the brink of economic catastrophe.
Neo-liberalism is dead and that corpse needs to be buried so deep there is no chance of a resurrection. Even Grant Roberston in his Q&A (?) interview last weekend said that in his eyes ‘trickle-down’ (neo-liberal) economics is dead and cited the IMF and World Bank who also say the same.
I believe Corbyn will be re-elected with a larger majority than before. Whether those Tory-Lites in the PLP jump before or after will be interesting.
A real left-wing alternative, who would have thought that 18 months ago!
In the Guardian.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/jul/30/new-zealand-schoolgirls-skip-class-because-they-cant-afford-sanitary-items
Thanks Paul, a good thoughtful article, especially the wise words taken from Tony Benn: “Perhaps the hardest thing for politicians to understand, is that government no longer rotates entirely around parliament and the old cycle of inner-party policy formulation – intense electoral propaganda, voters’ mandate and legislative implementation – important as they are. Winning an election without winning the argument may well frustrate at least a part of your purpose; and conversely winning an argument may be sufficient to solve certain problems by creating an atmosphere favourable to the achievement of your objectives…Anyone aspiring to political leadership who really wishes to shape the society in which he lives has now got to devote a part, and probably a majority, of his time and skill and effort to persuading people, and listening in return to what is said to him.” The distinction between winning the election and winning the argument is very pertinent.
Sorry I posted that comment in the wrong place – it was meant as a response to Kevin at 9.
..and the middle class kiwi mum and dad property investors and power company shareholders laugh all the way to the bank…
You know it’s not often I completely agree with Boomer.
Here is one of those rare times I think he is 100% right.
http://thedailyblog.co.nz/2016/07/30/how-about-we-rename-the-ministry-of-social-development/
Hello, where’s this heading….
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/82107482/dont-get-high-on-meth-hype-top-cop-and-drug-war-critic-says
“Local gangs were only bit players in the meth trade, and the focus should be on harm reduction, rather than punishment, Detective Superintendent Virginia Le Bas told the Drug Foundation meeting on Friday.”
On the face of it, looks like police have conceded that drug policy isn’t working and a change of direction is needed.
“She said only a few people in New Zealand profited from meth, much of which came from China, Hong Kong, Mexico, and now Canada and Thailand.
Some gang members or associates were themselves part of a “vulnerable community” getting exploited in the meth trade, said Le Bas, national manager of the organised crime unit.
“It’s about reducing the harm. It’s not about removing gangs out of our society,” she told an audience of gang members, police, social workers and healthcare professionals in Wellington. ”
Or, the whole thing’s got that out of control the gangs are asking for police help to contain the mess?
The site has its caching all turned back on – so it is quite a lot faster according to the remote sites.
However I’m now running a image optimization of about 14500 images which is sucking up a couple of cores and slowing the system down 😈
Cheers
Lynn
Looks a bit like Bernie actually won, and the DNC are merrily riding roughshod over truth, justice and the American way…
test comment of the time
The replies tab is borked.
Firefox 47.0 in Win10.
Yeah, there is a function in the w3 total cache that isn’t working correctly. It is meant to cache except for specific page fragments – like personal replies. Seems a bit flakey. Might replace with a async jQuery.
Unfortunately my great nephew (age 5 or 6) was determined to get me to reprogram his meter high robot. Or failing that, to bypass the password on his iPad that his mother won’t tell him so he could get youtube back again. I am ‘horrible’ sitting tonight..
I will get to it in the morning if I can’t figure it out now silence has reaffirmed itself.
‘Wave of terror’
https://www.rt.com/shows/crosstalk/353858-global-terrorism-violence-spreading/
“Some are calling 2016 the ‘year of terror’. The recent spate of violence and death has been roundly condemned – this is as it should be. What to do about it is an entirely different question. Does the West have a double standard on what terrorism means?
CrossTalking with Adel Darwish, Catherine Shakdam, and Max Abrahms.”