UNRWA is mandated by the UN to serve Palestinian refugees whom are uniquely defined by the UN. Under UNRWA, a Palestinian refugee is defined as any person whose normal place of residence was Palestine during the period 1 June 1946 to 15 May 1948 and lost both home and livelihood through the 1948 conflict including descendents of fathers. From this we get the 6 million Palestinians that have right of return. These statements by the UN, enshrined in UNWRA are not only their survival safety net but also their last tenuous link to their land. It is their equivalent to our Te Tiriti and it is ultimately the destruction of this that Israel desires.
We and all the settler colonial societies of the West are engaged in supporting the destruction of another indigenous people and agency that safeguards their rights to their land.
Where is China on this. Why do they not fund the UNRWA? They could do it in their sleep. This is a continually unfolding tradgedy and if the UNRWA is lost it will add to the desperation of this genocide
"Chris Gunness, a former UNRWA spokesman, said the UN agency has weeks only before it runs out of money for its crucial aid work to save Palestinian lives in Gaza. More than 26,000 Palestinians have been killed since Israel launched its offensive on October 7.
“My message to the Arab world, particularly to the Gulf, is where are you? Because they’re making billions each day on oil revenues. A tiny fraction of those oil revenues would see UNRWA’s financial problems disappear overnight. This unconscionable gap inflicted by these Western countries would be filled very quickly,” Gunness told Al Jazeera.
“Some of the most desperate people in the Middle East are now facing starvation, they’re facing famine, and the Arab states need to step up to the plate.”"
Absolutely and good to see pressure being applied to all those previously shirking. If the US could manage $300M even with such a strong Israel lobby then it should be an easy thing for the rest of the world to replace.
I don't think the Arab world particularly wants to fund, beyond what they already do, an agency which exists because of Israel's illegal occupation.
UNRWA is a mechanism under which Israel is allowed to continue its supremacist program of ethnocide (and now genocide).
Those countries who created Israel, and support it carrying out its ethnic cleansing manifesto are the ones who are duty bound to most fund UNRWA which is tasked with picking up the pieces of such a flawed apartheid state.
The Arab world would like to see a permanent resolution, a Palestinian state, and fully funding the agency which is a function of the status quo runs counter to that. They’d basically be endorsing and subsidising US and Israeli hegemony.
There are some in the Arab world for whom a permanent solution is the end of the Israeli nation. The people of Gaza elected a government with those aims. Doctrine of Hamas | Wilson Center
There are others in the Arab world who appear to view the Palestinian cause with, at best, indifference, and at times prefer Israel. Here's one example:
"The Palestinian cause is no longer an Arab concern. We fund the Palestinians, and they respond by cursing us and behaving badly. The Arabs and Muslims no longer applaud the Palestinians. We should not be ashamed to establish relations with Israel."
I hope you don't mind if I did a very small amount of research.
In the Wilson Centre article, at the start of the third paragraph I read this and felt I didn't need to go further:
Hamas was founded—in the early days of the first Intifada uprising—amid growing Palestinian fury over the Israeli military occupation of the West Bank and Gaza.
And, the Gatestone Institute is an anti-muslim right wing think tank founded by wealthy American, and Israeli supremacist, Nina Rosenwald:
Her family fund has given financial support to two institutions located in settlements on the West Bank: the Beit El yeshiva, which counsels its students to defy government orders to evacuate illegal outposts, and Ariel University. It also donates to the Central Fund of Israel, a New-York-based NGO which reportedly serves as a major vehicle for the transfer of American donations to "hard-core" settlements on the West Bank.
"In the Wilson Centre article, at the start of the third paragraph I read this and felt I didn't need to go further:"
Well you should have, because my comment was about the people of Gaza electing Hamas to government. Forming a terrorist organisation is one thing, electing it as your government is another thing all together. (BTW, the formation of Hamas is debatable. For example, "Hasan and Sayedahmed (2018) cite multiple sources that say that Hamas was founded in the late 1970s as a religious counterweight to the secular Fatah. "History of Hamas – Wikipedia
"is an anti-muslim right wing think tank founded by"
You must have missed the fact that Gatestone was a source for the quote from Ahmad al-Jaralah, the Kuwaiti journalist. It does pay to read on.
In the 1940s, long before Palestinian resistance groups like Hamas picked up arms against the Israeli occupation, a plethora of Jewish militias were bombing and shooting dead British officials and Palestinian Arabs.
The Jewish groups including Haganah to Irgun, and the Stern Gang (Lehi) actively used terrorism against the British mandate over Palestine and to create fear among the Arab citizens.
In Western popular discourse the term terrorism has long been associated with the Middle East, but particularly with the activities of Palestinian Arab groups, which have dominated the news for the past forty years. But sixty years ago, it was the actions of Jewish terrorists in Palestine that grabbed headlines around the world. Although this campaign is not as well-known today, it raises an important question: is the modern Middle East conflict, in which terrorism plays a prominent role, itself a product of a terrorist campaign?
"How strange that this is never mentioned in the Israel-Palestine rhetoric, nor the fact that over half a million Jews had legally immigrated at the invitation of Palestinian mayors of an array of cities, and also joining with that existing massive Jewish population in the Land. These Jews all 100% purchased their homes. They did not steal one centimeter of land, nor houses. This was all before 1948. So why had der Grossmufti von Jerusalem – Hajj “Amin” Al-Husseini – and his terrorist gangs been massacring Jews for three decades prior to that? It certainly wasn’t because of land theft. It sure wasn’t about “freedom fighting.” It was about hatred of the Jewish People."
Arab violence against Jews is often alleged to have begun with the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948 or as a result of Israel’s capture in 1967 of territories occupied by Jordan. But even before the Mandate for Palestine was assigned to Great Britain by the Allies at the San Remo Conference (April 1920) and endorsed by the League of Nations (July 1922), Palestinian Arabs were carrying out organized attacks against Jewish communities in Palestine. Systematic violence began in early 1920 with murderous assaults by groups of local Arabs against settlements in the north and by Muslim pilgrims against Jerusalem’s Jews. Again in 1921, Arab rioters attacked Jews in Jaffa and its environs.
The Times of Israel article seemed a bit unhinged but that is understandable just days after the Hamas mission. But then I looked at his website, yikes!
The Committee for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting in America is an American non-profit pro-Israel media-monitoring, research and membership organisation.
Critics of CAMERA claim that it is an ‘extreme Israel advocacy group’, aligned with hawkish rightwing viewpoints; that it pays stipended fellows to write anti-Palestinian articles; and that it employs smear and intimidation tactics, routinely targeting media and journalists critical of Israel and pro-Palestinian activists on campuses.
“Critics of CAMERA” will make all sorts of claims, as have you. And so we can bounce around questioning each others sources, but in the end Israeli’s are murdering Palestinians and Palestinians are murdering Israeli’s. Your views are too entrenched to be helpful.
Unlike the IDF, Hamas (and their supporters?) have little interest in protecting the civilian population of Gaza. That IDF munitions have killed tens of thousands of Gazans in under 4 months becomes less problematic when Gazans are characterised as supporters of terrorism, although there's still the inconvenient truth of 10,000 dead children to consider.
History will be the judge of which 'side' behaved most monsterously.
Know their names
Palestinian children killed in Israeli attacks on Gaza
The Gaza Strip is a graveyard for thousands of children, the United Nations has said. Since October 7, Israeli attacks have killed at least 10,000 children, according to Palestinian officials. That is one Palestinian child killed every 15 minutes, or about one out of every 100 children in the Gaza Strip.
It’s a time for choosing [23 Oct 2023] The humanitarian catastrophe unfolding in Gaza requires each of us to make a choice.
Which leads me, finally, to the choice the mostly unrepentant keyboard cavalry who are happily saddling up once more – in derivative columns and hyperbolic appearances on TV – made to side with their home team’s, by now, familiar mantra: Kill first, think later.
Unlike the IDF, Hamas (and their supporters?) have little interest in protecting the civilian population of Gaza.
It’s even worse than that. Hamas put civilians in harms way by design.
That IDF munitions have killed tens of thousands of Gazans in under 4 months becomes less problematic when Gazans are characterised as supporters of terrorism,
Who knows – meantime, why not work with the names we do know?
“An atrocities-filled rampage” vs colateral damage of 10,000 dead children, and counting.
Ignore their attempts at reputation laundering and ongoing tease about some kind of rapprochement with Israel (on their terms and only if daddy US gives them a big enough bribe), the oil states in the Middle East are not nice people pursuing not nice foreign policy objectives.
They're either dour religious fanatics (Saudi) playing a long game against other dour religious fanatics (Iran), or cynical dictators/absolute monarchs that rely on American military aid for security on one hand, and ongoing western/UN involvement in the region as a rallying cry to keep a lid on domestic discontent.
Participating in the UN relief effort would lead to these states either a) being seen as western stooges or b) actually helping relieve a situation that is so much to their advantage.
Better to stay outside the tent and throw money at the occasional hospital or university to look generous and keep the Palestinians onside. All while the Israelis blunder around committing war crimes and bleeding support in the West.
The Balfour Declaration recognised the obvious rights of those in Palestine, most not Jews – while the UK wanted to facilitate a Jewish homeland and enable migration, they did not deny there was a local population that was Arab with their own rights.
For mine whatever one thinks of the UN decision in 1947 to have two states (given the Arabs, neither local nor regional, consented to a separate Jewish state), there was first a UK (who received the League of Nations Palestine mandate) and then subsequent UN acceptance of the rights of the Arab population.
Thus it is reasonable to see it as their Treaty guarantee, despite a Jewish homeland for settlement state. The UN sees it in that light with it being their responsibility rather than that of the UK.
Thus the UNRWA was established after the 1948 war and the departure of and denial of return of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians.
As per the refugees and the UNRWA role, one can quibble about how many of the 6 million or so are now "refugees".
2 million have citizenship in Jordan, etc as a group like UN Watch would note
Whatever the number now, one can then note that one of Israel's prime goals includes ending UNRWA and have the other Arab states follow the example of Jordan.
Which raises the question are those nations cutting funding to UNRWA proposing taking in the Palestinian refugees and if not what are they going to do next?
What is going on now is akin to the settler majority re-writing the principles of the Treaty (one assimilated people etc) and telling Maori to go live in Oz, if they do not like it.
“Mr Robinson was one of five hopefuls for the Rodney selection in 2011, eventually won by Mark Mitchell, who went on to become MP.
Dirty Politics, based on emails stolen from Whale Oil blogger Cameron Slater, appears to show Mr Slater collaborating with political strategist Simon Lusk to push for Mr Mitchell.
Emails between Mr Slater and Mr Lusk appear to show they wanted him to win, and discussed payments from him; Mr Mitchell has emphatically denied ever paying either of them.”
After destroying Robinson's reputation, Cameron Slater and co. then went on to destroy the reputations of the other candidates. And soon there was only their preferred candidate left. But out intrepid new Police minister didn’t know about any of it. 🙄
So that is the level of propriety (or the lack of it) now considered acceptable for a police minister.
Well done Anne to remind us of the calibre of some of these Govt. Ministers. “I know nothink…” yeah right…
Mrs “give it back double” Collins did not come out of “Dirty politics” well either and she is…wait, what… Attorney-General, Minister of Defence, Minister for Digitising Government, Minister Responsible for the GCSB, Minister Responsible for the NZSIS, Minister of Science, Innovation and Technology, and Minister for Space!
Well, there is always the hope that some filthy rich adventurer will take her on a ride into space from whence they disappear… never to be heard of again. 😉
Yes TM, and Anne, bloody amazing. I often wonder what it is that protects her? From Key's wrath, a failed leadership, and now with a fist in the judiciary pie, and he side kick Minister of Police. Guess the Fraud Squad will get big cuts???
I was quite chuffed that the tweet had 19,000 impressions, 1,120 engagements and 475 likes and 118, mostly favourable comments.
However, my tweet seemed to disturb the equilibrium of your columnist who called my tweet: “hair-raising”, “jaw-dropping”, “excitable”, full of “egregious errors”, and making “loud alarums” (I had to look up the dictionary for that one) and “inflammatory claims”. Chris quotes one of the two joint statements released by the US on 11 January that names the 6 nations that were physically involved in the military attacks on the Houthis and Yemen but ignores the “on behalf of statement” of the same date (referred to above) that names NZ as a willing coalition partner.
There is a saying on twitter that a tweet doesn’t age well. However, it seems that mine did. On 22 January 2024 following the first cabinet meeting of the year, the PM, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Minister of Defence in a somewhat bizarre post cabinet standup confirmed that not only was NZ part of the coalition at war with the Houthis, but also that NZ would now be “deploying a Defence Force team of six “highly trained” people to the Middle East to help provide maritime security in the Red Sea”.
In my view if NZ is part of a military coalition and has made a deployment to this coalition, then NZ is at war as my tweet stated. Interestingly respected Otago University academic Robert Patman, 36th Parallel director, Paul Buchanan, and a number of others have come to similar conclusions or at least expressed similar concerns.
To war, or not to war, that is the question. The answer is that it depends where you look. If you look at the govt, you see a stance of helping the warriors without actually being one. A helping stance is useful due to plausible moral justification for doing what's right in any situation – even a marginal influence may steer the thing so as to produce a suitable outcome. The trick is not to define the thing.
In terms of physics, making something definite collapses the wave function. In situations where flow of the whole is the key operational context to use, you adapt using a fluid stance to guide your tactics & strategy. Tacit works better than explicit.
Reid & Trotter are feeling different parts of the elephant, to jump the metaphor shark, and complicity in warfare is happening without the govt being at war in actuality. Note there's only 6 helpers being sent: the govt sadly missed out on the prospect of magical influence by not including a seventh helper…
Might be time for Mr Trotter to turn off the MacBook for a while, when you get down to the level of criticising a working class stalwart such as Robert Reid it is obvious he is not just erratic and vacillating, but joined the ranks of right opportunists. Sad, knew Chris well during his union days with the Distribution Workers Federation and others, but he has clearly been unhappy for a while and if he has thrown his lot in with reactionaries best he admit it rather than playing all sides as he has done for years with his columns.
Years back in the ’80s CT got opprobrium from many unionists when he started writing for the National Business Review which was a big deal back in pre digital times. “Positive engagement” the apologists said, but people’s class position runs deep and not too many jump the fence, ironically Robert Reid did, as he was very briefly, a young Nat! but against CMT (Compulsory Military Training) which he and others campaigned successfully against.
Robert has been a Marxist internationalist for many decades, known around Asia Pacific in particular in such circles. From car industry struggles to TUF to building unions in the Pacific, running First Union, on the WEAG review, he has done more than most NZ online pundits could imagine.
This country had no hardware to smash into one of the poorest countries on the planet along with the heroic poms and yanks–but–we are fully complicit thanks to 5 Eyes connections. Our involvement will help target people to be killed–sounds like participation in armed conflict to me. US Imperialism always wants cover, the “willing” and it is shameful indeed that this Govt. has given it to them during one of the worst examples of vindictive genocide since the WWII Warsaw Ghetto.
I think he's corrupt and has corrupted himself. There's a clear abandonment of left values as described by SPC just below @3.1.2.1.2.2. I believe you were also shocked at his call to arms against Maori the other day.
He's corrupted because this slide to the privileged, authoritarian right has coincided with a move to platforms such as, er, The Platform and various astroturfing outfits like New Zealand Centre for Political Research as described below by Reality @7.
What do they say? You are the company you keep.
I also know you are interested in this as it pertains to your idea that left/right boundaries are becoming less relevant as people find themselves at odds with the political values of the people they normally identify with. This can be true in for single issues maybe (I was against Seymour’s legalised murder legislation but a lot of lefties voted for it), but when the weight of ideals you hold has shifted so far to the right then you’re in trouble.
I could be wrong here because I don't keep up to date with the machinations of the MSM sites as such, but it does seem to me he is no longer among the 'go to' journalists and commentators – at least not in the way he used to be. That would have damaged his ego no end, and could be the reason he's turned to the right wing platforms you mentioned. It gives him the opportunity to remain relevant in the competitive world of political and social commentary.
His opposition to a CGT, because those of his demographic (older people who owned their home) did not support it, is class based – just not left wing or working class.
His narrative that Maori are a threat to democracy makes him part of the Brash/Seymour ilk, the Maori/Treaty etc as a block on global market supremacy over the nation state political society and economy to be removed.
It's a counter-point to transforming what is left of government into a funder of external delivery providers and ending any expectation of government having any role in making society better for the majority. Why, because the many of the next generation might not be property owners in their own land (and that was once seen as the basis for participation in democratic government decision-making) and so they are supposed to settle for worker class wage to pay "occupation" rent until they are too old to work.
His blindness to that and the influence of his peer group 1950's boomer assimilation era New Zealander with property ownership makes him useless to the 21st C left (he'd probably stand on his own grave declaring no estate tax).
If anyone can read the tealeaves of Biden's silence on the response to 3 US soldiers dead and 50 wounded from the missile attack, for a response "at a time of their choosing", resisting all those FoxNews and Republican chickenhawk revenge fantasies for launching attacks directly on Iran, well 'warmongering' isn't the term that springs to mind.
It was only yesterday that the US, Egypt, the UAE, and Saudi Arabia were outlining an interim post-Gaza fighting peace deal. So the US should expect further terrorist provocation like rocket attacks to derail that.
What is on the table from Saudi Arabia and Egypt is a pathway toward a Palestinian state in return for Saudi recognition of Israel. In turn this is the most efficient way to block Iran growing its proxy base.
Biden appears to be holding his nerve better than leaders in Lebanon, Israel, Iran. We need neither peacenik non-interventionists nor warmongers. We need results from hard bargaining.
Hard bargaining from Biden?? Not even a hiccup in the supply of weapons to rain down on Gaza as far as I can see. Only continual reinforcement of US support for Israel and by implication, its active genocide in Gaza. It would be far simpler to make a case for active encouragement than for any kind of "hard bargaining"
I agree that Biden is not using the military supply leveraging that he could. But let's never suggest this is a US problem. The US has no interests to defend in Gaza, socially, economically or militarily.
Biden will never order a "boots on the ground" peace-enforcing role for US troops – ever. So his instruments are diplomacy and missiles in combination.
The more each front opens up, the less possible specific country peace deals become possible. At least not until Netanyahu gets real domestic pressure himself, or Saudi Arabia offers something very, very sweet to him.
You need to read Trotter's "No Right Turn" book again. He documents the key moments that actively conspired against the left from the entire previous century. He did that better than Jesson or anyone else.
However the left evolves in this Parliamentary term, it's probably only Trotter that can show the left how we got here.
I never read it – I never found his writing in his political review journal to be particularly impressive altho some of his essays in recent years have been positive contributions and insightful. Never saw him even attempt to explain why & how the NLP performed so poorly and he's had 30 years or so to get that job done.
Similarly for Jesson although always worth reading and did a good job in his mirror-glass book which I did buy! Tony Simpson was better than both, discerning relevant power dynamics in our historical contexts & an excellent storyteller too.
Simpson was a socialist romantic; fine for the Sugarbag Years and not much chop after WW2.
With Easton's The Economic History of New Zealand that came out late 2022, the gap we have is someone to write The Millennial Political Economy of New Zealand .
Slavish adherence to British precedence, yet the neolib hegemony teeters on this slippery demographic slope:
According to a report published in July by the rightwing thinktank the Institute for Economic Affairs (IEA), younger Britons have taken a decidedly leftwing turn. Nearly 80% blame capitalism for the housing crisis, while 75% believe the climate emergency is “specifically a capitalist problem” and 72% back sweeping nationalisation. All in all, 67% want to live under a socialist economic system. https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2021/sep/20/eat-the-rich-why-millennials-and-generation-z-have-turned-their-backs-on-capitalism
Likely the Tory govt has consolidated the effect in the 2.5 years since that was published. Cue Starmer, headed in on a landslide apparently.
Most people still see him in that category though. I agree that testimony of personal values doesn't feature much in his style. Who do you rate as a leftist opinionator?
He is an atheist but says he is becoming "more Jewish".
If he feels that fickle finger of god tapping on his shoulder, could be the tidal pull of normalcy.
Cohen criticised Ecuador for granting political asylum to Julian Assange and called Ecuador a "petro-socialist authoritarian state". He has also been critical of the CANZUK agreement, calling it "an Anglo-Saxon Narnia".
As if that were a negative thing! Not clever at all. However Maduro's petrosocialist authoritarianism is an enduring style, so he got that right.
I know its not my normal email but I can't seem to post under my proper one?
[lprent: That is because you have a permanent ban for your previous behaviour. Basically being a dim-witted fatuous troll who won’t listen to moderators telling you repeatably to lift your standard of commenting carries consequences. We don’t mind debate here. But it has to actually carry some information, if only about your opinions and the reasons behind them. Just being a brainless parrot trying to be funny doesn’t reach the standard. Try the ever diminishing X or something even more brainless.
A permanent ban means that we don’t allow your comments on this site because you waste the time of our moderators and add nothing to debate.
Eventually I get around to releasing bans even permanent ones. It happens about once every 3-5 years when I think that the size of the banned list is starting to slow the site. Also I have enough faith that eventually even brainless trolls grow up and join humanity.
Johnr – because LPrent owns the standard he considers it gives him absolute license to be abusive and small minded and be a bully to people on here, which is totally against the rules here.
however, none of the mods pull him up against it no matter how much they tell other commentators not to bully or use diminishing words against others.
I don’t particularly pay any attention to what Lynn says because he’s just a grumpy old fuck that thinks because the standard is “his site” he can go ahead and abuse others with impunity.
but between him, advantage, and weka, the standard has become far less enjoyable as a forum for a free exchange of ideas with differences of opinions being thrashed out openly using education, exploration, and elimination.
it’s a crying shame really. From the valuable asset it was in 2008 when a free exchange of ideas was allowed whereas on red alert it was shut down, to weka’s indiscriminate bans on everybody interesting because they didn’t link to stuff/nzh, the standard has become a place of groupthink where only happy ideas can be raised.
wrong – there is plenty of diverse opinion around here. bans are generally handed out after a pattern of repeated antisocial behaviour – some things cause discussion to break down
of course it aint perfect because there are humans involved
'groupthink'; 'grumpy' – well yeah it's a left-wing forum facing a right wing government that is hell-bent on demolishing the social fabric and inciting racial divisions
some examples would be nice… there was some strife during Covid when one (ex)-moderator went anti-vax and got frustrated with everyone constantly rebutting his ‘facts’ so he’s not around much anymore…
Nancy Pelosi being a deranged vicious thug calling Palestine supporters paid Russian agents and demanding the Fbi investigate the Guardian article for reference.
Ever since the democrats lost 2016 the media and public have allowed with no push back for the democrats to blame everything they don't like on Russia.
If you disagree with the democrats you're guilty of treason and the boot of the state should crush your neck according to the democrats.
68% of Americans want a cease fire, including 50% of 2020 democrats (30% are unsure) the whole country and democratic party according to establishment dems are Russian agents.
Pelosi, Biden, Schumer and all these paid corporate war mongering geriatrics are so out of touch they forget they have to actually win elections to stay in power and when they lose it it's not their fault it's china's, it's Russias, it's nazis, anyone but their own unelectable selves.
The 2024 usa election is a grudge match between mask off war mongering, corporate senile geriatric hard right wing authoritarians who like gays and girl bosses
VS mask off xenophobic authoritarian isolationists who don't believe in the constitution.
As someone who spends a lot of time in the states, the latter is far more popular, even among gays, Latinos and African Americans in New York city.
Pelosi, Biden, Schiff, Schumer et all are lunatics.
Its all about money, which which quite normal in USA.
Zionist and other hard line Israeli supporters still have considerable clout in US banking and finance so the Democrats are not likely to give anything but the most lukewarm support to their Palestinian enemies and risk their donations coming to a halt.
Roy Morgan polling reports that a December 2023 political poll shows the NACTZ coalition down 6.5 points from the last poll compared to the Labour-Greens-Te Pati Maori bloc. All three of the triumvirate are down in support.
A relevant quote from the film "Spaceballs".
"I hope it's going to be a long ceremony because it's going to be a short honeymoon…"
How true.
Well, well, well. In today's Post was an insert printed and distributed by the New Zealand Centre for Political Research "The Treaty of Waitangi an Explanation Te Tiriti O Waitangi" by the Hon Sir Apirana Ngata. On looking up the website of this outfit, listed as writing regular articles are Karl du Fresne, Owen Jennings, Chris Trotter, Muriel Newman, Roger Douglas, Michael Bassett.
Seems like the start of a political campaign to influence the public over David Seymour's intentions re the Treaty. Obviously some heavy hitters hard at work behind the scenes.
NZCPR are full-blown climate change and indigenous rights deniers, one of the most malfeasant institutions in the country. For Stuff to take their ad money (and for Newstalk ZB to give founder Muriel Newman a premium platform) is a catastrophic moral failure
Notice how he carefully avoided blaming a junior staffer:
The Herald requested a statement from Hipkins and Labour’s Māori caucus. A Labour spokeswoman only provided a statement from Māori caucus co-chair Willie Jackson, who said the inclusion of the Tate GIF was “clearly an error” and was removed as soon as it was recognised.
Is this adroit or what!!? Just when everyone has been conditioned to expect Labour to always copy National, they don't! I have to give Willie 8/10 for such expertise.
Labour has admitted to an error in using a GIF of divisive influencer Andrew Tate – a man charged with rape and human trafficking – to endorse a post on one of the party’s Instagram accounts. The post, a reel, was put up on the Labour Māori caucus’ account last week. It featured a screenshot of a 1News article about Labour leader Chris Hipkins’ comments at Rātana.
It was complemented with a GIF, an animated image, of Tate accompanied by the word “Correct!”.
Great minds think alike!! Yet inexplicably Labour's pr machine has failed to use this conventional explanation. They just lack the common touch.
Do you really have to ask? Surely you can imagine the desperation within Labour if he were to play the pied piper & lead the Labour Maori off to join the Maori Party.
Not that he's likely to do so currently whilst they present as radicals. Labour's mishandling of co-governance masked good intent: rectifying the official shambles. So Willie will remain within, to respect Labour's marginal grasp on authenticity. You can see the ole good cop analogy for their role in Labour (TMP bad).
On the Police numbers saga, it feels like Mitchell went to Willis and asked for the money required to fund 500 new cops in two years and/or be exempt from the 6.5-7.5% public service cuts…and Willis said no.
So Mark gets up in parliament and lays this bare as if to say, 'I wanted two years but she wouldn't let me'. Now Egg-head has had to flop flop, Mitchell forced to correct, and the cops will come in two, despite the cuts everyone else has to make.
Canny from Mitchell, looks like he called Willis' bluff and got his way:
Sex is not defined by chromosomes, nor by anatomy, nor by psychology or sociology, nor by personal inclination, nor by “assignment at birth”, but by gamete size. It happens to be embryologically DETERMINED by chromosomes in mammals and (in the opposite direction) birds, by temperature in some reptiles, by social factors in some fish. But it is universally DEFINED by the binary distinction between sperms and eggs.
You may argue about “gender” if you wish (biologists have better things to do) but sex is a true binary, one of rather few in biology.
There's a lot of underhanded shit going on – David Seymour spearheading most of it – and people like Josh Drummond are doing important work exposing it.
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We all know something’s not right with our elections. The spread of misinformation, people being targeted with soundbites and emotional triggers that ignore the facts, even the truth, and influence their votes.The use of technology to produce deep fakes. How can you tell if something is real or not? Can ...
This video includes conclusions of the creator climate scientist Dr. Simon Clark. It is presented to our readers as an informed perspective. Please see video description for references (if any). This year you will be lied to! Simon Clark helps prebunk some misleading statements you'll hear about climate. The video includes ...
It is all very well cutting the backrooms of public agencies but it may compromise the frontlines. One of the frustrations of the Productivity Commission’s 2017 review of universities is that while it observed that their non-academic staff were increasing faster than their academic staff, it did not bother to ...
Buzz from the Beehive Two speeches delivered by Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters at Anzac Day ceremonies in Turkey are the only new posts on the government’s official website since the PM announced his Cabinet shake-up. In one of the speeches, Peters stated the obvious: we live in a troubled ...
1. Which of these would you not expect to read in The Waikato Invader?a. Luxon is here to do business, don’t you worry about thatb. Mr KPI expects results, and you better believe itc. This decisive man of action is getting me all hot and excitedd. Melissa Lee is how ...
…it has a restricted jurisdiction which must not be abused: it is not an inquisitionNOTE – this article was published before the High Court ruled that Karen Chhour does not have to appear before the Waitangi Tribunal Gary Judd writes – The High Court ...
Lindsay Mitchell writes – One of reasons Oranga Tamariki exists is to prevent child neglect. But could the organisation itself be guilty of the same?Oranga Tamariki’s statistics show a decrease in the number and age of children in care. “There are less children ...
David Farrar writes: Graeme Edgeler wrote in 2017: In the first five years after three strikes came into effect 5248 offenders received a ‘first strike’ (that is, a “stage-1 conviction” under the three strikes sentencing regime), and 68 offenders received a ‘second strike’. In the five years prior to ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has surprised everyone with his ruthlessness in sacking two of his ministers from their crucial portfolios. Removing ministers for poor performance after only five months in the job just doesn’t normally happen in politics. That’s refreshing and will be extremely ...
TL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the two days to 6:06am on Thursday, April 25:Politics: PM Christopher Luxon has set up a dual standard for ministerial competence by demoting two National Cabinet ministers while leaving also-struggling ...
Hi,Today I mainly want to share some of your thoughts about the recent piece I wrote about success and failure, and the forces that seemingly guide our lives. But first, a quick bit of housekeeping: I am doing a Webworm popup in Los Angeles on Saturday May 11 at 2pm. ...
It is hard to see what Melissa Lee might have done to “save” the media. National went into the election with no public media policy and appears not to have developed one subsequently. Lee claimed that she had prepared a policy paper before the election but it had been decided ...
Open access notablesIce acceleration and rotation in the Greenland Ice Sheet interior in recent decades, Løkkegaard et al., Communications Earth & Environment:In the past two decades, mass loss from the Greenland ice sheet has accelerated, partly due to the speedup of glaciers. However, uncertainty in speed derived from satellite products ...
Buzz from the Beehive A statement from Children’s Minister Karen Chhour – yet to be posted on the Government’s official website – arrived in Point of Order’s email in-tray last night. It welcomes the High Court ruling on whether the Waitangi Tribunal can demand she appear before it. It does ...
Mr Bombastic:Ironically, the media the academic experts wanted is, in many ways, the media they got. In place of the tyrannical editors of yesteryear, advancing without fear or favour the interests of the ruling class; the New Zealand news media of today boasts a troop of enlightened journalists dedicated to ...
It's hard times try to make a livingYou wake up every morning in the unforgivingOut there somewhere in the cityThere's people living lives without mercy or pityI feel good, yeah I'm feeling fineI feel better then I have for the longest timeI think these pills have been good for meI ...
In 1974, the US Supreme Court issued its decision in United States v. Nixon, finding that the President was not a King, but was subject to the law and was required to turn over the evidence of his wrongdoing to the courts. It was a landmark decision for the rule ...
Every day now just seems to bring in more fresh meat for the grinder.In their relentlessly ideological drive to cut back on the “excessive bloat” (as they see it) of the previous Labour-led government, on the mountains of evidence accumulated in such a short period of time do not ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Megan Valére SosouMarket gardening site of the Itchèléré de Itagui agricultural cooperative in Dassa-Zoumè (Image credit: Megan Valère Sossou) For the residents of Dassa-Zoumè, a city in the West African country of Benin, choosing between drinking water and having enough ...
Buzz from the Beehive Melissa Lee – as may be discerned from the screenshot above – has not been demoted for doing something seriously wrong as Minister of ...
Morning in London Mother hugs beloved daughter outside the converted shoe factory in which she is living.Afternoon in London Travelling writer takes himself and his wrist down to A&E, just to be sure. Read more ...
Mike Grimshaw writes – The recent announcement of the University Advisory Group, chaired by Sir Peter Gluckman, makes very clear where the Government’s focus and priorities lie. The remit of the Advisory Group is that Group members will consider challenges and opportunities for improvement in the university sector including: ...
Eric Crampton writes – The Reserve Bank of New Zealand desperately wants to find reasons to have workstreams in climate change. It makes little sense. They’ve run another stress test on the banks looking to see if they could find a prudential regulation case. They couldn’t. They ...
Rob MacCullough writes – Pundits from the left and the right are arguing that National’s Fast Track Bill that is designed to speed up infrastructure decisions could end up becoming mired in a cesspool of corruption. Political commentator ...
Looking at the headlines this morning it’s hard to feel anything other than pessimistic about the future of humanity.Note that I’m not speaking about the future of mankind, but the survival of our humanity. The values that we believe in seem to be ebbing away, by the day.Perhaps every generation ...
Swabbing mixed breed baby chicks to test for avian influenzaUh oh. Bird flu – often deadly to humans – is not only being transmitted from infected birds to dairy cows, but is now travelling between dairy cows. As of last Friday, Bloomberg News reports, there were 32 American dairy herds ...
On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
What is it with the mining industry? Its not enough for them to pillage the earth - they apparently can't even be bothered getting resource consent to do so: The proponent behind a major mine near the Clutha River had already been undertaking activity in the area without a ...
Photo # 1 I am a huge fan of Singapore’s approach to housing, as described here two years ago by copying and pasting from The ConversationWhat Singapore has that Australia does not is a public housing developer, the Housing Development Board, which puts new dwellings on public and reclaimed land, ...
Buzz from the Beehive Reactions to news of the government’s readiness to make urgent changes to “the resource management system” through a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) suggest a balanced approach is being taken. The Taxpayers’ Union says the proposed changes don’t go far enough. Greenpeace says ...
I’m starting to wonder if Anna Burns-Francis might be the best political interviewer we’ve got. That might sound unlikely to you, it came as a bit of a surprise to me.Jack Tame can be excellent, but has some pretty average days. I like Rebecca Wright on Newshub, she asks good ...
Chris Trotter writes – Willie Jackson is said to be planning a “media summit” to discuss “the state of the media and how to protect Fourth Estate Journalism”. Not only does the Editor of The Daily Blog, Martyn Bradbury, think this is a good idea, but he has also ...
Graeme Edgeler writes – This morning [April 21], the Wellington High Court is hearing a judicial review brought by Hon. Karen Chhour, the Minister for Children, against a decision of the Waitangi Tribunal. This is unusual, judicial reviews are much more likely to brought against ministers, rather than ...
Both of Parliament’s watchdogs have now ripped into the Government’s Fast-track Approvals Bill. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMy pick of the six newsey things to know from Aotearoa’s political economy and beyond on the morning of Tuesday, April 23 are:The Lead: The Auditor General,John Ryan, has joined the ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Sarah SpengemanPeople wait to board an electric bus in Pune, India. (Image credit: courtesy of ITDP) Public transportation riders in Pune, India, love the city’s new electric buses so much they will actually skip an older diesel bus that ...
The infrastructure industry yesterday issued a “hurry up” message to the Government, telling it to get cracking on developing a pipeline of infrastructure projects.The hiatus around the change of Government has seen some major projects cancelled and others delayed, and there is uncertainty about what will happen with the new ...
Hi,Over the weekend I revisited a podcast I really adore, Dead Eyes. It’s about a guy who got fired from Band of Brothers over two decades ago because Tom Hanks said he had “dead eyes”.If you don’t recall — 2001’s Band of Brothers was part of the emerging trend of ...
Buzz from the Beehive The 180 or so recipients of letters from the Government telling them how to submit infrastructure projects for “fast track” consideration includes some whose project applications previously have been rejected by the courts. News media were quick to feature these in their reports after RMA Reform Minister Chris ...
It would not be a desirable way to start your holiday by breaking your back, your head, or your wrist, but on our first hour in Singapore I gave it a try.We were chatting, last week, before we started a meeting of Hazel’s Enviro Trust, about the things that can ...
Calling all journalists, academics, planners, lawyers, political activists, environmentalists, and other members of the public who believe that the relationships between vested interests and politicians need to be scrutinised. We need to work together to make sure that the new Fast-Track Approvals Bill – currently being pushed through by the ...
Feel worried. Shane Jones and a couple of his Cabinet colleagues are about to be granted the power to override any and all objections to projects like dams, mines, roads etc even if: said projects will harm biodiversity, increase global warming and cause other environmental harms, and even if ...
Bryce Edwards writes- The ability of the private sector to quickly establish major new projects making use of the urban and natural environment is to be supercharged by the new National-led Government. Yesterday it introduced to Parliament one of its most significant reforms, the Fast Track Approvals Bill. ...
Michael Bassett writes – If you think there is a move afoot by the radical Maori fringe of New Zealand society to create a parallel system of government to the one that we elect at our triennial elections, you aren’t wrong. Over the last few days we have ...
Without a corresponding drop in interest rates, it’s doubtful any changes to the CCCFA will unleash a massive rush of home buyers. Photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: The six things that stood out to me in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, poverty and climate on Monday, April 22 included:The Government making a ...
Sunday was a lazy day. I started watching Jack Tame on Q&A, the interviews are usually good for something to write about. Saying the things that the politicians won’t, but are quite possibly thinking. Things that are true and need to be extracted from between the lines.As you might know ...
In our Weekly Roundup last week we covered news from Auckland Transport that the WX1 Western Express is going to get an upgrade next year with double decker electric buses. As part of the announcement, AT also said “Since we introduced the WX1 Western Express last November we have seen ...
TL;DR: The six key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to April 29 include:PM Christopher Luxon is scheduled to hold a post-Cabinet news conference at 4 pm today. Stats NZ releases its statutory report on Census 2023 tomorrow.Finance Minister Nicola Willis delivers a pre-Budget speech at ...
A listing of 29 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, April 14, 2024 thru Sat, April 20, 2024. Story of the week Our story of the week hinges on these words from the abstract of a fresh academic ...
The ability of the private sector to quickly establish major new projects making use of the urban and natural environment is to be supercharged by the new National-led Government. Yesterday it introduced to Parliament one of its most significant reforms, the Fast Track Approvals Bill. The Government says this will ...
This is a column to say thank you. So many of have been in touch since Mum died to say so many kind and thoughtful things. You’re wonderful, all of you. You’ve asked how we’re doing, how Dad’s doing. A little more realisation each day, of the irretrievable finality of ...
Identifying the engine type in your car is crucial for various reasons, including maintenance, repairs, and performance upgrades. Knowing the specific engine model allows you to access detailed technical information, locate compatible parts, and make informed decisions about modifications. This comprehensive guide will provide you with a step-by-step approach to ...
Introduction: The allure of racing is undeniable. The thrill of speed, the roar of engines, and the exhilaration of competition all contribute to the allure of this adrenaline-driven sport. For those who yearn to experience the pinnacle of racing, becoming a race car driver is the ultimate dream. However, the ...
Introduction Automobiles have become ubiquitous in modern society, serving as a primary mode of transportation and a symbol of economic growth and personal mobility. With countless vehicles traversing roads and highways worldwide, it begs the question: how many cars are there in the world? Determining the precise number is a ...
Maintaining a safe and reliable vehicle requires regular inspections. Whether it’s a routine maintenance checkup or a safety inspection, knowing how long the process will take can help you plan your day accordingly. This article delves into the factors that influence the duration of a car inspection and provides an ...
Mazda Motor Corporation, commonly known as Mazda, is a Japanese multinational automaker headquartered in Fuchu, Aki District, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan. The company was founded in 1920 as the Toyo Cork Kogyo Co., Ltd., and began producing vehicles in 1931. Mazda is primarily known for its production of passenger cars, but ...
Your car battery is an essential component that provides power to start your engine, operate your electrical systems, and store energy. Over time, batteries can weaken and lose their ability to hold a charge, which can lead to starting problems, power failures, and other issues. Replacing your battery before it ...
In most states, you cannot register a car without a valid driver’s license. However, there are a few exceptions to this rule. Exceptions to the RuleIf you are under 18 years old: In some states, you can register a car in your name even if you do not ...
Mazda, a Japanese automotive manufacturer with a rich history of innovation and engineering excellence, has emerged as a formidable player in the global car market. Known for its reputation of producing high-quality, fuel-efficient, and driver-oriented vehicles, Mazda has consistently garnered praise from industry experts and consumers alike. In this article, ...
Struts are an essential part of a car’s suspension system. They are responsible for supporting the weight of the car and damping the oscillations of the springs. Struts are typically made of steel or aluminum and are filled with hydraulic fluid. How Do Struts Work? Struts work by transferring the ...
Car registration is a mandatory process that all vehicle owners must complete annually. This process involves registering your car with the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) and paying an associated fee. The registration process ensures that your vehicle is properly licensed and insured, and helps law enforcement and other authorities ...
Zoom is a video conferencing service that allows you to share your screen, webcam, and audio with other participants. In addition to sharing your own audio, you can also share the audio from your computer with other participants. This can be useful for playing music, sharing presentations with audio, or ...
Te Pāti Māori are demanding the New Zealand Government support an international independent investigation into mass graves that have been uncovered at two hospitals on the Gaza strip, following weeks of assault by Israeli troops. Among the 392 bodies that have been recovered, are children and elderly civilians. Many of ...
Our two-tiered system for veterans’ support is out of step with our closest partners, and all parties in Parliament should work together to fix it, Labour veterans’ affairs spokesperson Greg O’Connor said. ...
Stripping two Ministers of their portfolios just six months into the job shows Christopher Luxon’s management style is lacking, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said. ...
Tonight’s court decision to overturn the summons of the Children’s Minister has enabled the Crown to continue making decisions about Māori without evidence, says Te Pāti Māori spokesperson for Children, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. “The judicial system has this evening told the nation that this government can do whatever they want when ...
It appears Nicola Willis is about to pull the rug out from under the feet of local communities still dealing with the aftermath of last year’s severe weather, and local councils relying on funding to build back from these disasters. ...
The Government is making short-sighted changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA) that will take away environmental protection in favour of short-term profits, Labour’s environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
Labour welcomes the release of the report into the North Island weather events and looks forward to working with the Government to ensure that New Zealand is as prepared as it can be for the next natural disaster. ...
The Labour Party has called for the New Zealand Government to recognise Palestine, as a material step towards progressing the two-State solution needed to achieve a lasting peace in the region. ...
Some of our country’s most important work, stopping the sexual exploitation of children and violent extremism could go along with staff on the frontline at ports and airports. ...
The Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill will give projects such as new coal mines a ‘get out of jail free’ card to wreak havoc on the environment, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
The government's decision to reintroduce Three Strikes is a destructive and ineffective piece of law-making that will only exacerbate an inherently biased and racist criminal justice system, said Te Pāti Māori Justice Spokesperson, Tākuta Ferris, today. During the time Three Strikes was in place in Aotearoa, Māori and Pasifika received ...
Cuts to frontline hospital staff are not only a broken election promise, it shows the reckless tax cuts have well and truly hit the frontline of the health system, says Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall. ...
The Green Party has joined the call for public submissions on the fast-track legislation to be extended after the Ombudsman forced the Government to release the list of organisations invited to apply just hours before submissions close. ...
New Zealand’s good work at reducing climate emissions for three years in a row will be undone by the National government’s lack of ambition and scrapping programmes that were making a difference, Labour Party climate spokesperson Megan Woods said today. ...
More essential jobs could be on the chopping block, this time Ministry of Education staff on the school lunches team are set to find out whether they're in line to lose their jobs. ...
Te Pāti Māori is disgusted at the confirmation that hundreds are set to lose their jobs at Oranga Tamariki, and the disestablishment of the Treaty Response Unit. “This act of absolute carelessness and out of touch decision making is committing tamariki to state abuse.” Said Te Pāti Māori Oranga Tamariki ...
The Government is trying to bring in a law that will allow Ministers to cut corners and kill off native species, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said. ...
Cancelling urgently needed new Cook Strait ferries and hiking the cost of public transport for many Kiwis so that National can announce the prospect of another tunnel for Wellington is not making good choices, Labour Transport Spokesperson Tangi Utikere said. ...
A laundry list of additional costs for Tāmaki Makarau Auckland shows the Minister for the city is not delivering for the people who live there, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...
Te Pāti Māori co-leader Rawiri Waititi, and Mema Paremata mō Tāmaki-Makaurau, Takutai Tarsh Kemp, will travel to the Gold Coast to strengthen ties with Māori in Australia next week (15-21 April). The visit, in the lead-up to the 9th Australian National Kapa haka Festival, will be an opportunity for both ...
The Green Party has today launched a step-by-step guide to help New Zealanders make their voice heard on the Government’s democracy dodging and anti-environment fast track legislation. ...
The National Government’s proposed changes to the Residential Tenancies Act will mean tenants can be turfed from their homes by landlords with little notice, Labour housing spokesperson Kieran McAnulty said. ...
Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson is calling on all parties to support a common-sense change that’s great for the planet and great for consumers after her member’s bill was drawn from the ballot today. ...
A significant milestone has been reached in the fight to strike an anti-Pasifika and unfair law from the country’s books after Teanau Tuiono’s members’ bill passed its first reading. ...
New Zealand has today missed the opportunity to uphold the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment, says James Shaw after his member’s bill was voted down in its first reading. ...
Today’s advice from the Climate Change Commission paints a sobering reality of the challenge we face in combating climate change, especially in light of recent Government policy announcements. ...
Minister for Disability Issues Penny Simmonds appears to have delayed a report back to Cabinet on the progress New Zealand is making against international obligations for disabled New Zealanders. ...
Hundreds of New Zealand families affected by Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) will benefit from a new Government focus on prevention and treatment, says Health Minister Dr Shane Reti. “We know FASD is a leading cause of preventable intellectual and neurodevelopmental disability in New Zealand,” Dr Reti says. “Every day, ...
Regional Development Minister Shane Jones today attended the official opening of Kaikohe’s new $14.7 million sports complex. “The completion of the Kaikohe Multi Sports Complex is a fantastic achievement for the Far North,” Mr Jones says. “This facility not only fulfils a long-held dream for local athletes, but also creates ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters’ engagements in Türkiye this week underlined the importance of diplomacy to meet growing global challenges. “Returning to the Gallipoli Peninsula to represent New Zealand at Anzac commemorations was a sombre reminder of the critical importance of diplomacy for de-escalating conflicts and easing tensions,” Mr Peters ...
Ambassador Millar, Burgemeester, Vandepitte, Excellencies, military representatives, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen – good morning and welcome to this sacred Anzac Day dawn service. It is an honour to be here on behalf of the Government and people of New Zealand at Buttes New British Cemetery, Polygon Wood – a deeply ...
Distinguished guests - It is an honour to return once again to this site which, as the resting place for so many of our war-dead, has become a sacred place for generations of New Zealanders. Our presence here and at the other special spaces of Gallipoli is made ...
Mai ia tawhiti pamamao, te moana nui a Kiwa, kua tae whakaiti mai matou, ki to koutou papa whenua. No koutou te tapuwae, no matou te tapuwae, kua honoa pumautia. Ko nga toa kua hinga nei, o te Waipounamu, o te Ika a Maui, he okioki tahi me o ...
Paul Goldsmith will take on responsibility for the Media and Communications portfolio, while Louise Upston will pick up the Disability Issues portfolio, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon announced today. “Our Government is relentlessly focused on getting New Zealand back on track. As issues change in prominence, I plan to adjust Ministerial ...
Recreational catch limits will be reduced in areas of Fiordland and the Chatham Islands to help keep those fisheries healthy and sustainable, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The lower recreational daily catch limits for a range of finfish and shellfish species caught in the Fiordland Marine Area and ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed an important milestone in New Zealand’s hydrogen future, with the opening of the country’s first network of hydrogen refuelling stations in Wiri. “I want to congratulate the team at Hiringa Energy and its partners K one W one (K1W1), Mitsui & Co New Zealand ...
The coalition Government is delivering on its commitment to improve resource management laws and give greater certainty to consent applicants, with a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) expected to be introduced to Parliament next month. RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop has today outlined the first RMA Amendment ...
Overseas models for regulating the oil and gas sector, including their decommissioning regimes, are being carefully scrutinised as a potential template for New Zealand’s own sector, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. The Coalition Government is focused on rebuilding investor confidence in New Zealand’s energy sector as it looks to strengthen ...
Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell has today released the Report of the Government Inquiry into the response to the North Island Severe Weather Events. “The report shows that New Zealand’s emergency management system is not fit-for-purpose and there are some significant gaps we need to address,” Mr Mitchell ...
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith is today travelling to Europe where he’ll update the United Nations Human Rights Council on the Government’s work to restore law and order. “Attending the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva provides us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while ...
Associate Agriculture Minister, Mark Patterson, formally reopened the world’s largest wool processing facility today in Awatoto, Napier, following a $50 million rebuild and refurbishment project. “The reopening of this facility will significantly lift the economic opportunities available to New Zealand’s wool sector, which already accounts for 20 per cent of ...
Hon Andrew Bayly, Minister for Small Business and Manufacturing At the Southland Otago Regional Engineering Collective (SOREC) Summit, 18 April, Dunedin Ngā mihi nui, Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Ko Whanganui aho Good Afternoon and thank you for inviting me to open your summit today. I am delighted ...
The Government is delivering on its commitment to bring back the Three Strikes legislation, Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee announced today. “Our Government is committed to restoring law and order and enforcing appropriate consequences on criminals. We are making it clear that repeat serious violent or sexual offending is not ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has today announced four new diplomatic appointments for New Zealand’s overseas missions. “Our diplomats have a vital role in maintaining and protecting New Zealand’s interests around the world,” Mr Peters says. “I am pleased to announce the appointment of these senior diplomats from the ...
New Zealand is contributing NZ$7 million to support communities affected by severe food insecurity and other urgent humanitarian needs in Ethiopia and Somalia, Foreign Minister Rt Hon Winston Peters announced today. “Over 21 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance across Ethiopia, with a further 6.9 million people ...
Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage Paul Goldsmith is congratulating Mataaho Collective for winning the Golden Lion for best participant in the main exhibition at the Venice Biennale. "Congratulations to the Mataaho Collective for winning one of the world's most prestigious art prizes at the Venice Biennale. “It is good ...
The Government is reforming financial services to improve access to home loans and other lending, and strengthen customer protections, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly and Housing Minister Chris Bishop announced today. “Our coalition Government is committed to rebuilding the economy and making life simpler by cutting red tape. We are ...
“China remains a strong commercial opportunity for Kiwi exporters as Chinese businesses and consumers continue to value our high-quality safe produce,” Trade and Agriculture Minister Todd McClay says. Mr McClay has returned to New Zealand following visits to Beijing, Harbin and Shanghai where he met ministers, governors and mayors and engaged in trade and agricultural events with the New ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has completed a successful trip to Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines, deepening relationships and capitalising on opportunities. Mr Luxon was accompanied by a business delegation and says the choice of countries represents the priority the New Zealand Government places on South East Asia, and our relationships in ...
New Zealand is demonstrating its commitment to reducing global greenhouse emissions, and supporting clean energy transition in South East Asia, through a contribution of NZ$41 million (US$25 million) in climate finance to the Asian Development Bank (ADB)-led Energy Transition Mechanism (ETM). Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Climate Change Minister Simon Watts announced ...
The Government is today releasing a list of organisations who received letters about the Fast-track applications process, says RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop. “Recently Ministers and agencies have received a series of OIA requests for a list of organisations to whom I wrote with information on applying to have a ...
Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister David Jonathan Boldt as a Judge of the High Court, and the Honourable Justice Matthew Palmer as a Judge of the Court of Appeal. Justice Boldt graduated with an LLB from Victoria University of Wellington in 1990, and also holds ...
Education Minister Erica Stanford will lead the New Zealand delegation at the 2024 International Summit on the Teaching Profession (ISTP) held in Singapore. The delegation includes representatives from the Post Primary Teachers’ Association (PPTA) Te Wehengarua and the New Zealand Educational Institute (NZEI) Te Riu Roa. The summit is co-hosted ...
A stopbank upgrade project in Tairawhiti partly funded by the Government has increased flood resilience for around 7000ha of residential and horticultural land so far, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones today attended a dawn service in Gisborne to mark the end of the first stage of the ...
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters will represent the Government at Anzac Day commemorations on the Gallipoli Peninsula next week and engage with senior representatives of the Turkish government in Istanbul. “The Gallipoli campaign is a defining event in our history. It will be a privilege to share the occasion ...
Science, Innovation and Technology and Defence Minister Judith Collins will next week attend the OECD Science and Technology Ministerial conference in Paris and Anzac Day commemorations in Belgium. “Science, innovation and technology have a major role to play in rebuilding our economy and achieving better health, environmental and social outcomes ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with the President of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos Jr. The Prime Minister was accompanied by MP Paulo Garcia, the first Filipino to be elected to a legislature outside the Philippines. During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon and President Marcos Jr discussed opportunities to ...
The Government has announced that $20 million in funding will be made available to Westport to fund much needed flood protection around the town. This measure will significantly improve the resilience of the community, says Local Government Minister Simeon Brown. “The Westport community has already been allocated almost $3 million ...
The Government is proud to support the first ever Repco Supercars Championship event in Taupō as up to 70,000 motorsport fans attend the Taupō International Motorsport Park this weekend, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. “Anticipation for the ITM Taupō Super400 is huge, with tickets and accommodation selling out weeks ...
Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced an increase to the Rates Rebate Scheme, putting money back into the pockets of low-income homeowners. “The coalition Government is committed to bringing down the cost of living for New Zealanders. That includes targeted support for those Kiwis who are doing things tough, such ...
The Coalition Government is investing in a project to boost survival rates of New Zealand mussels and grow the industry, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones has announced. “This project seeks to increase the resilience of our mussels and significantly boost the sector’s productivity,” Mr Jones says. “The project - ...
Benefit figures released today underscore the importance of the Government’s plan to rebuild the economy and have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker Support, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “Benefit numbers are still significantly higher than when National was last in government, when there was about 70,000 fewer ...
The Government’s commitment to doubling New Zealand’s renewable energy capacity is backed by new data showing that clean energy has helped the country reach its lowest annual gross emissions since 1999, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. New Zealand’s latest Greenhouse Gas Inventory (1990-2022) published today, shows gross emissions fell ...
The Government is bringing the earthquake-prone building review forward, with work to start immediately, and extending the deadline for remediations by four years, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “Our Government is focused on rebuilding the economy. A key part of our plan is to cut red tape that ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and his Thai counterpart, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, have today agreed that New Zealand and the Kingdom of Thailand will upgrade the bilateral relationship to a Strategic Partnership by 2026. “New Zealand and Thailand have a lot to offer each other. We have a strong mutual desire to build ...
RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop and Transport Minister Simeon Brown have today announced the Coalition Government’s intention to extend port coastal permits for a further 20 years, providing port operators with certainty to continue their operations. “The introduction of the Resource Management Act in 1991 required ports to obtain coastal ...
Today’s announcement that inflation is down to 4 per cent is encouraging news for Kiwis, but there is more work to be done - underlining the importance of the Government’s plan to get the economy back on track, acting Finance Minister Chris Bishop says. “Inflation is now at 4 per ...
The pair opened their first fully collaborative exhibition, Nina for Flowers, last Saturday. Gabi Lardies visited their studio to find out who Nina is and what working together was like.‘It didn’t start out like, ‘This is a show about Nina,’” says Josephine Jelicich, gripping a thermos of peppermint tea. ...
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UNRWA is mandated by the UN to serve Palestinian refugees whom are uniquely defined by the UN. Under UNRWA, a Palestinian refugee is defined as any person whose normal place of residence was Palestine during the period 1 June 1946 to 15 May 1948 and lost both home and livelihood through the 1948 conflict including descendents of fathers. From this we get the 6 million Palestinians that have right of return. These statements by the UN, enshrined in UNWRA are not only their survival safety net but also their last tenuous link to their land. It is their equivalent to our Te Tiriti and it is ultimately the destruction of this that Israel desires.
We and all the settler colonial societies of the West are engaged in supporting the destruction of another indigenous people and agency that safeguards their rights to their land.
Where is China on this. Why do they not fund the UNRWA? They could do it in their sleep. This is a continually unfolding tradgedy and if the UNRWA is lost it will add to the desperation of this genocide
Not only China.
"Chris Gunness, a former UNRWA spokesman, said the UN agency has weeks only before it runs out of money for its crucial aid work to save Palestinian lives in Gaza. More than 26,000 Palestinians have been killed since Israel launched its offensive on October 7.
“My message to the Arab world, particularly to the Gulf, is where are you? Because they’re making billions each day on oil revenues. A tiny fraction of those oil revenues would see UNRWA’s financial problems disappear overnight. This unconscionable gap inflicted by these Western countries would be filled very quickly,” Gunness told Al Jazeera.
“Some of the most desperate people in the Middle East are now facing starvation, they’re facing famine, and the Arab states need to step up to the plate.”"
Which countries have cut funding to UNRWA, and why? | News | Al Jazeera
Absolutely and good to see pressure being applied to all those previously shirking. If the US could manage $300M even with such a strong Israel lobby then it should be an easy thing for the rest of the world to replace.
Perhaps take it out of the UN mandate? I mean between raping children in the Congo (UN peacekeepers in Congo hold record for rape, sex abuse | AP News) and bringing Cholera to Haiti (UN admits for first time that peacekeepers brought cholera to Haiti | Global health | The Guardian), maybe there are other agencies /NGO's that have more credibility?
The UN is a deeply flawed institution by design. And yeah, it fails to live up to a bunch of it's aspirations.
That said, even a deeply flawed multilateral institution dedicated to peace and the rule of international law is better than nothing.
Of course. The work has to be done, but is the UN, and UNRWA specifically, the best vehicle for that now, or is it damaged beyond repair?
I don't think the Arab world particularly wants to fund, beyond what they already do, an agency which exists because of Israel's illegal occupation.
UNRWA is a mechanism under which Israel is allowed to continue its supremacist program of ethnocide (and now genocide).
Those countries who created Israel, and support it carrying out its ethnic cleansing manifesto are the ones who are duty bound to most fund UNRWA which is tasked with picking up the pieces of such a flawed apartheid state.
The Arab world would like to see a permanent resolution, a Palestinian state, and fully funding the agency which is a function of the status quo runs counter to that. They’d basically be endorsing and subsidising US and Israeli hegemony.
There are some in the Arab world for whom a permanent solution is the end of the Israeli nation. The people of Gaza elected a government with those aims. Doctrine of Hamas | Wilson Center
There are others in the Arab world who appear to view the Palestinian cause with, at best, indifference, and at times prefer Israel. Here's one example:
"The Palestinian cause is no longer an Arab concern. We fund the Palestinians, and they respond by cursing us and behaving badly. The Arabs and Muslims no longer applaud the Palestinians. We should not be ashamed to establish relations with Israel."
Ahmad al-Jaralah (quoted at Why Arabs Hate Palestinians :: Gatestone Institute
I see no solution to this conflict while the hatred and barbarism continues on both sides.
I hope you don't mind if I did a very small amount of research.
In the Wilson Centre article, at the start of the third paragraph I read this and felt I didn't need to go further:
And, the Gatestone Institute is an anti-muslim right wing think tank founded by wealthy American, and Israeli supremacist, Nina Rosenwald:
"In the Wilson Centre article, at the start of the third paragraph I read this and felt I didn't need to go further:"
Well you should have, because my comment was about the people of Gaza electing Hamas to government. Forming a terrorist organisation is one thing, electing it as your government is another thing all together. (BTW, the formation of Hamas is debatable. For example, "Hasan and Sayedahmed (2018) cite multiple sources that say that Hamas was founded in the late 1970s as a religious counterweight to the secular Fatah. " History of Hamas – Wikipedia
"is an anti-muslim right wing think tank founded by"
You must have missed the fact that Gatestone was a source for the quote from Ahmad al-Jaralah, the Kuwaiti journalist. It does pay to read on.
Since you are apparently keen on a good read:
https://www.trtworld.com/magazine/a-lookback-at-the-zionist-terrorism-that-led-to-israels-creation-15767166
https://journals.lib.unb.ca/index.php/jcs/article/view/10538/11136
And, just three generations ago, does this sound familiar?
It's never been one sided.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1936%E2%80%931939_Arab_revolt_in_Palestine
Exactly.
"How strange that this is never mentioned in the Israel-Palestine rhetoric, nor the fact that over half a million Jews had legally immigrated at the invitation of Palestinian mayors of an array of cities, and also joining with that existing massive Jewish population in the Land. These Jews all 100% purchased their homes. They did not steal one centimeter of land, nor houses. This was all before 1948. So why had der Grossmufti von Jerusalem – Hajj “Amin” Al-Husseini – and his terrorist gangs been massacring Jews for three decades prior to that? It certainly wasn’t because of land theft. It sure wasn’t about “freedom fighting.” It was about hatred of the Jewish People."
Palestinian pogroms before 1948 prove that attacking Jews was never about Israel | Micah Ben David Naziri | The Blogs (timesofisrael.com)
Arab violence against Jews is often alleged to have begun with the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948 or as a result of Israel’s capture in 1967 of territories occupied by Jordan. But even before the Mandate for Palestine was assigned to Great Britain by the Allies at the San Remo Conference (April 1920) and endorsed by the League of Nations (July 1922), Palestinian Arabs were carrying out organized attacks against Jewish communities in Palestine. Systematic violence began in early 1920 with murderous assaults by groups of local Arabs against settlements in the north and by Muslim pilgrims against Jerusalem’s Jews. Again in 1921, Arab rioters attacked Jews in Jaffa and its environs.
Anti-Jewish Violence in Pre-State Palestine/1929 Massacres | CAMERA
You see muttonbird, this is never simple.
The Times of Israel article seemed a bit unhinged but that is understandable just days after the Hamas mission. But then I looked at his website, yikes!
Just so everyone knows, CAMERA is:
“Critics of CAMERA” will make all sorts of claims, as have you. And so we can bounce around questioning each others sources, but in the end Israeli’s are murdering Palestinians and Palestinians are murdering Israeli’s. Your views are too entrenched to be helpful.
Only one people are occupying the other.
Either a majority of Gazan voters were/are supporters of a terrorist organisation, or they were/are desperate (god know why) – possibly both.
https://www.globalr2p.org/countries/israel-and-the-occupied-palestinian-territory/
Unlike the IDF, Hamas (and their supporters?) have little interest in protecting the civilian population of Gaza. That IDF munitions have killed tens of thousands of Gazans in under 4 months becomes less problematic when Gazans are characterised as supporters of terrorism, although there's still the inconvenient truth of 10,000 dead children to consider.
History will be the judge of which 'side' behaved most monsterously.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Casualties_of_the_Israel%E2%80%93Hamas_war#Death_toll
Unlike the IDF, Hamas (and their supporters?) have little interest in protecting the civilian population of Gaza.
It’s even worse than that. Hamas put civilians in harms way by design.
That IDF munitions have killed tens of thousands of Gazans in under 4 months becomes less problematic when Gazans are characterised as supporters of terrorism,
Not really. They had one election and then, well “Hamas generally governs in an authoritarian manner, actively suppressing criticism of its rule.” https://freedomhouse.org/country/gaza-strip/freedom-world/2023
Finally:
https://apnews.com/article/sexual-assault-hamas-oct-7-attack-rape-bb06b950bb6794affb8d468cd283bc51
Will we ever know their names?
Who knows – meantime, why not work with the names we do know?
“An atrocities-filled rampage” vs colateral damage of 10,000 dead children, and counting.
The great tragedy is we don’t know their names either.
Agreed! Absolutely shocking that the rich oil nations are not funding unrwa or stepping into fill the gap.
But why would they, though?
Ignore their attempts at reputation laundering and ongoing tease about some kind of rapprochement with Israel (on their terms and only if daddy US gives them a big enough bribe), the oil states in the Middle East are not nice people pursuing not nice foreign policy objectives.
They're either dour religious fanatics (Saudi) playing a long game against other dour religious fanatics (Iran), or cynical dictators/absolute monarchs that rely on American military aid for security on one hand, and ongoing western/UN involvement in the region as a rallying cry to keep a lid on domestic discontent.
Participating in the UN relief effort would lead to these states either a) being seen as western stooges or b) actually helping relieve a situation that is so much to their advantage.
Better to stay outside the tent and throw money at the occasional hospital or university to look generous and keep the Palestinians onside. All while the Israelis blunder around committing war crimes and bleeding support in the West.
Realpolitik is a bitch.
The Balfour Declaration recognised the obvious rights of those in Palestine, most not Jews – while the UK wanted to facilitate a Jewish homeland and enable migration, they did not deny there was a local population that was Arab with their own rights.
For mine whatever one thinks of the UN decision in 1947 to have two states (given the Arabs, neither local nor regional, consented to a separate Jewish state), there was first a UK (who received the League of Nations Palestine mandate) and then subsequent UN acceptance of the rights of the Arab population.
Thus it is reasonable to see it as their Treaty guarantee, despite a Jewish homeland for settlement state. The UN sees it in that light with it being their responsibility rather than that of the UK.
Thus the UNRWA was established after the 1948 war and the departure of and denial of return of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians.
As per the refugees and the UNRWA role, one can quibble about how many of the 6 million or so are now "refugees".
2 million have citizenship in Jordan, etc as a group like UN Watch would note
https://unwatch.org/item-7/claim/claim-5-palestinian-refugees-have-a-right-of-return/
Whatever the number now, one can then note that one of Israel's prime goals includes ending UNRWA and have the other Arab states follow the example of Jordan.
Which raises the question are those nations cutting funding to UNRWA proposing taking in the Palestinian refugees and if not what are they going to do next?
What is going on now is akin to the settler majority re-writing the principles of the Treaty (one assimilated people etc) and telling Maori to go live in Oz, if they do not like it.
A really balanced and thought provoking post, SPC.
Another day, another "clarification". This time it's Mark Mitchell.
PM says Police Minister Mark Mitchell was wrong on coalition commitment backdown – NZ Herald
The government's best weeks were Christmas/New Year, when politics was on holiday. The public happily ignored them.
But now Parliament is back and political questions are back, and the simple task of saying "our policy is A not B" is too challenging for them.
From that link: “Discussions occurred between the coalition parties’ chiefs of staff overnight and reaffirmed the original deadline.”
So they had to have “discussions” to clarify what they already wrote down in the coalition document!
Always good to be reminded of how Mitchell entered parliament in the first place:
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/disclosures-disgust-defeated-candidate/L2WCON5XJLS6VL4VYKBP7SHV44/
After destroying Robinson's reputation, Cameron Slater and co. then went on to destroy the reputations of the other candidates. And soon there was only their preferred candidate left. But out intrepid new Police minister didn’t know about any of it. 🙄
So that is the level of propriety (or the lack of it) now considered acceptable for a police minister.
Well done Anne to remind us of the calibre of some of these Govt. Ministers. “I know nothink…” yeah right…
Mrs “give it back double” Collins did not come out of “Dirty politics” well either and she is…wait, what… Attorney-General, Minister of Defence, Minister for Digitising Government, Minister Responsible for the GCSB, Minister Responsible for the NZSIS, Minister of Science, Innovation and Technology, and Minister for Space!
Well, there is always the hope that some filthy rich adventurer will take her on a ride into space from whence they disappear… never to be heard of again. 😉
Lol, Elon might have a flight for her…watch out for the eyebrows…
It is hard to believe she is in office again, casually knifing people (politically) with gay abandon…
Yes TM, and Anne, bloody amazing. I often wonder what it is that protects her? From Key's wrath, a failed leadership, and now with a fist in the judiciary pie, and he side kick Minister of Police. Guess the Fraud Squad will get big cuts???
[deleted]
[You must respond to your Mod note (https://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-20-01-2024/#comment-1985677) before commenting – Incognito]
Mod note
A public spat between prominent leftists is always interesting, huh? https://thedailyblog.co.nz/2024/01/31/mediawatch-robert-reid-launches-devastating-strike-against-chris-trotter/
To war, or not to war, that is the question. The answer is that it depends where you look. If you look at the govt, you see a stance of helping the warriors without actually being one. A helping stance is useful due to plausible moral justification for doing what's right in any situation – even a marginal influence may steer the thing so as to produce a suitable outcome. The trick is not to define the thing.
In terms of physics, making something definite collapses the wave function. In situations where flow of the whole is the key operational context to use, you adapt using a fluid stance to guide your tactics & strategy. Tacit works better than explicit.
Reid & Trotter are feeling different parts of the elephant, to jump the metaphor shark, and complicity in warfare is happening without the govt being at war in actuality. Note there's only 6 helpers being sent: the govt sadly missed out on the prospect of magical influence by not including a seventh helper…
Trotter is not a leftist.
Might be time for Mr Trotter to turn off the MacBook for a while, when you get down to the level of criticising a working class stalwart such as Robert Reid it is obvious he is not just erratic and vacillating, but joined the ranks of right opportunists. Sad, knew Chris well during his union days with the Distribution Workers Federation and others, but he has clearly been unhappy for a while and if he has thrown his lot in with reactionaries best he admit it rather than playing all sides as he has done for years with his columns.
Years back in the ’80s CT got opprobrium from many unionists when he started writing for the National Business Review which was a big deal back in pre digital times. “Positive engagement” the apologists said, but people’s class position runs deep and not too many jump the fence, ironically Robert Reid did, as he was very briefly, a young Nat! but against CMT (Compulsory Military Training) which he and others campaigned successfully against.
Robert has been a Marxist internationalist for many decades, known around Asia Pacific in particular in such circles. From car industry struggles to TUF to building unions in the Pacific, running First Union, on the WEAG review, he has done more than most NZ online pundits could imagine.
This country had no hardware to smash into one of the poorest countries on the planet along with the heroic poms and yanks–but–we are fully complicit thanks to 5 Eyes connections. Our involvement will help target people to be killed–sounds like participation in armed conflict to me. US Imperialism always wants cover, the “willing” and it is shameful indeed that this Govt. has given it to them during one of the worst examples of vindictive genocide since the WWII Warsaw Ghetto.
Compared to what?
The right look for partnerships, the left look for traitors.
Compared to Robert Reid, for one.
If the left look for traitors, it looks like they found one in Chris Trotter.
Muttonbird.
Trotter is the most-read and most-popular left columnist New Zealand has.
This is not a moment to encourage the left to fall out with each other.
Stop describing Chris Trotter as left. Just stop it, he's not.
what is he then?
A self appointed critic.
plenty of those that are lw 😉
I think he's corrupt and has corrupted himself. There's a clear abandonment of left values as described by SPC just below @3.1.2.1.2.2. I believe you were also shocked at his call to arms against Maori the other day.
He's corrupted because this slide to the privileged, authoritarian right has coincided with a move to platforms such as, er, The Platform and various astroturfing outfits like New Zealand Centre for Political Research as described below by Reality @7.
What do they say? You are the company you keep.
I also know you are interested in this as it pertains to your idea that left/right boundaries are becoming less relevant as people find themselves at odds with the political values of the people they normally identify with. This can be true in for single issues maybe (I was against Seymour’s legalised murder legislation but a lot of lefties voted for it), but when the weight of ideals you hold has shifted so far to the right then you’re in trouble.
I could be wrong here because I don't keep up to date with the machinations of the MSM sites as such, but it does seem to me he is no longer among the 'go to' journalists and commentators – at least not in the way he used to be. That would have damaged his ego no end, and could be the reason he's turned to the right wing platforms you mentioned. It gives him the opportunity to remain relevant in the competitive world of political and social commentary.
His opposition to a CGT, because those of his demographic (older people who owned their home) did not support it, is class based – just not left wing or working class.
His narrative that Maori are a threat to democracy makes him part of the Brash/Seymour ilk, the Maori/Treaty etc as a block on global market supremacy over the nation state political society and economy to be removed.
It's a counter-point to transforming what is left of government into a funder of external delivery providers and ending any expectation of government having any role in making society better for the majority. Why, because the many of the next generation might not be property owners in their own land (and that was once seen as the basis for participation in democratic government decision-making) and so they are supposed to settle for worker class wage to pay "occupation" rent until they are too old to work.
His blindness to that and the influence of his peer group 1950's boomer assimilation era New Zealander with property ownership makes him useless to the 21st C left (he'd probably stand on his own grave declaring no estate tax).
💯% SPC … Trotter's "class" analysis only applies to people like himself; he's turned into a grumpy old reactionary
Muttonbird.
We will get the results of the Australia-New Zealand Defence+Foreign Affairs summit by Monday.
It likely takes us a long way into commitment deeper than 6 intelligence staff.
What do you mean “we” Ad man?
Sounds like a 5 Eyes obligation to me–further linking this country to more totally unnecessary warmongering via AUKUS.
Warmongering? Please.
If anyone can read the tealeaves of Biden's silence on the response to 3 US soldiers dead and 50 wounded from the missile attack, for a response "at a time of their choosing", resisting all those FoxNews and Republican chickenhawk revenge fantasies for launching attacks directly on Iran, well 'warmongering' isn't the term that springs to mind.
It was only yesterday that the US, Egypt, the UAE, and Saudi Arabia were outlining an interim post-Gaza fighting peace deal. So the US should expect further terrorist provocation like rocket attacks to derail that.
What is on the table from Saudi Arabia and Egypt is a pathway toward a Palestinian state in return for Saudi recognition of Israel. In turn this is the most efficient way to block Iran growing its proxy base.
Biden appears to be holding his nerve better than leaders in Lebanon, Israel, Iran. We need neither peacenik non-interventionists nor warmongers. We need results from hard bargaining.
Hard bargaining from Biden?? Not even a hiccup in the supply of weapons to rain down on Gaza as far as I can see. Only continual reinforcement of US support for Israel and by implication, its active genocide in Gaza. It would be far simpler to make a case for active encouragement than for any kind of "hard bargaining"
I agree that Biden is not using the military supply leveraging that he could. But let's never suggest this is a US problem. The US has no interests to defend in Gaza, socially, economically or militarily.
Biden will never order a "boots on the ground" peace-enforcing role for US troops – ever. So his instruments are diplomacy and missiles in combination.
The more each front opens up, the less possible specific country peace deals become possible. At least not until Netanyahu gets real domestic pressure himself, or Saudi Arabia offers something very, very sweet to him.
You need to read Trotter's "No Right Turn" book again. He documents the key moments that actively conspired against the left from the entire previous century. He did that better than Jesson or anyone else.
However the left evolves in this Parliamentary term, it's probably only Trotter that can show the left how we got here.
I never read it – I never found his writing in his political review journal to be particularly impressive altho some of his essays in recent years have been positive contributions and insightful. Never saw him even attempt to explain why & how the NLP performed so poorly and he's had 30 years or so to get that job done.
Similarly for Jesson although always worth reading and did a good job in his mirror-glass book which I did buy! Tony Simpson was better than both, discerning relevant power dynamics in our historical contexts & an excellent storyteller too.
Simpson was a socialist romantic; fine for the Sugarbag Years and not much chop after WW2.
With Easton's The Economic History of New Zealand that came out late 2022, the gap we have is someone to write The Millennial Political Economy of New Zealand .
Slavish adherence to British precedence, yet the neolib hegemony teeters on this slippery demographic slope:
Likely the Tory govt has consolidated the effect in the 2.5 years since that was published. Cue Starmer, headed in on a landslide apparently.
C'mon Dennis – since when has Chris Trotter been remotely leftist. I gave up on Bowalley Road (and the Daily Blog also) a few years ago now.
Most people still see him in that category though. I agree that testimony of personal values doesn't feature much in his style. Who do you rate as a leftist opinionator?
Some years back I bought & read What's Left: https://www.amazon.com/Whats-Left-How-Lost-its/dp/0007229704
It was actually worthwhile. A younger generational view too. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nick_Cohen
If he feels that fickle finger of god tapping on his shoulder, could be the tidal pull of normalcy.
As if that were a negative thing! Not clever at all. However Maduro's petrosocialist authoritarianism is an enduring style, so he got that right.
I don't read Trotter much, but he is old school left (centre left if you like).
I know its not my normal email but I can't seem to post under my proper one?
[lprent: That is because you have a permanent ban for your previous behaviour. Basically being a dim-witted fatuous troll who won’t listen to moderators telling you repeatably to lift your standard of commenting carries consequences. We don’t mind debate here. But it has to actually carry some information, if only about your opinions and the reasons behind them. Just being a brainless parrot trying to be funny doesn’t reach the standard. Try the ever diminishing X or something even more brainless.
A permanent ban means that we don’t allow your comments on this site because you waste the time of our moderators and add nothing to debate.
Eventually I get around to releasing bans even permanent ones. It happens about once every 3-5 years when I think that the size of the banned list is starting to slow the site. Also I have enough faith that eventually even brainless trolls grow up and join humanity.
I have added this ‘e-mail’ to your ban record. ]
Rosemary, your ban mod note is here,
https://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-06-01-2024/#comment-1983574
When you come back, I'm open to having a conversation about what the problem is. But the upshot is wasting moderator time, we just can't sustain it.
Good God Lprent. I thought personal abuse was verboten. We live and learn
Johnr – because LPrent owns the standard he considers it gives him absolute license to be abusive and small minded and be a bully to people on here, which is totally against the rules here.
however, none of the mods pull him up against it no matter how much they tell other commentators not to bully or use diminishing words against others.
I don’t particularly pay any attention to what Lynn says because he’s just a grumpy old fuck that thinks because the standard is “his site” he can go ahead and abuse others with impunity.
but between him, advantage, and weka, the standard has become far less enjoyable as a forum for a free exchange of ideas with differences of opinions being thrashed out openly using education, exploration, and elimination.
it’s a crying shame really. From the valuable asset it was in 2008 when a free exchange of ideas was allowed whereas on red alert it was shut down, to weka’s indiscriminate bans on everybody interesting because they didn’t link to stuff/nzh, the standard has become a place of groupthink where only happy ideas can be raised.
wrong – there is plenty of diverse opinion around here. bans are generally handed out after a pattern of repeated antisocial behaviour – some things cause discussion to break down
of course it aint perfect because there are humans involved
'groupthink'; 'grumpy' – well yeah it's a left-wing forum facing a right wing government that is hell-bent on demolishing the social fabric and inciting racial divisions
some examples would be nice… there was some strife during Covid when one (ex)-moderator went anti-vax and got frustrated with everyone constantly rebutting his ‘facts’ so he’s not around much anymore…
Nancy Pelosi being a deranged vicious thug calling Palestine supporters paid Russian agents and demanding the Fbi investigate the Guardian article for reference.
Ever since the democrats lost 2016 the media and public have allowed with no push back for the democrats to blame everything they don't like on Russia.
If you disagree with the democrats you're guilty of treason and the boot of the state should crush your neck according to the democrats.
68% of Americans want a cease fire, including 50% of 2020 democrats (30% are unsure) the whole country and democratic party according to establishment dems are Russian agents.
Pelosi, Biden, Schumer and all these paid corporate war mongering geriatrics are so out of touch they forget they have to actually win elections to stay in power and when they lose it it's not their fault it's china's, it's Russias, it's nazis, anyone but their own unelectable selves.
The 2024 usa election is a grudge match between mask off war mongering, corporate senile geriatric hard right wing authoritarians who like gays and girl bosses
VS mask off xenophobic authoritarian isolationists who don't believe in the constitution.
As someone who spends a lot of time in the states, the latter is far more popular, even among gays, Latinos and African Americans in New York city.
Pelosi, Biden, Schiff, Schumer et all are lunatics.
[deleted]
[You must respond to your Mod note (https://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-20-01-2024/#comment-1985677) before commenting – Incognito]
Mod note
Its all about money, which which quite normal in USA.
Zionist and other hard line Israeli supporters still have considerable clout in US banking and finance so the Democrats are not likely to give anything but the most lukewarm support to their Palestinian enemies and risk their donations coming to a halt.
Roy Morgan polling reports that a December 2023 political poll shows the NACTZ coalition down 6.5 points from the last poll compared to the Labour-Greens-Te Pati Maori bloc. All three of the triumvirate are down in support.
A relevant quote from the film "Spaceballs".
"I hope it's going to be a long ceremony because it's going to be a short honeymoon…"
How true.
Is there any explanation over why it's taken so long to be released? It's virtually a month out of date, by now.
No explanation given.
Perhaps it is due to the Christmas/New Year break.
Well, well, well. In today's Post was an insert printed and distributed by the New Zealand Centre for Political Research "The Treaty of Waitangi an Explanation Te Tiriti O Waitangi" by the Hon Sir Apirana Ngata. On looking up the website of this outfit, listed as writing regular articles are Karl du Fresne, Owen Jennings, Chris Trotter, Muriel Newman, Roger Douglas, Michael Bassett.
Seems like the start of a political campaign to influence the public over David Seymour's intentions re the Treaty. Obviously some heavy hitters hard at work behind the scenes.
A glimpse behind the mask.
@joshuadrummond.cynics.guide:
@dejanajuk.bsky.social:
Moana Maniapoto wrote an excellent analysis back in 2016
Māori bashers and the morality of the media who empower them | E-Tangata
Labour was promoting this macho dude online but Willie calls it an error:
Notice how he carefully avoided blaming a junior staffer:
Is this adroit or what!!? Just when everyone has been conditioned to expect Labour to always copy National, they don't! I have to give Willie 8/10 for such expertise.
Great minds think alike!! Yet inexplicably Labour's pr machine has failed to use this conventional explanation. They just lack the common touch.
"he carefully avoided blaming a junior staffer"
I thought that Willie was a junior staffer these days. Does he really have any influence on the Caucus?
Do you really have to ask? Surely you can imagine the desperation within Labour if he were to play the pied piper & lead the Labour Maori off to join the Maori Party.
Not that he's likely to do so currently whilst they present as radicals. Labour's mishandling of co-governance masked good intent: rectifying the official shambles. So Willie will remain within, to respect Labour's marginal grasp on authenticity. You can see the ole good cop analogy for their role in Labour (TMP bad).
On the Police numbers saga, it feels like Mitchell went to Willis and asked for the money required to fund 500 new cops in two years and/or be exempt from the 6.5-7.5% public service cuts…and Willis said no.
So Mark gets up in parliament and lays this bare as if to say, 'I wanted two years but she wouldn't let me'. Now Egg-head has had to flop flop, Mitchell forced to correct, and the cops will come in two, despite the cuts everyone else has to make.
Canny from Mitchell, looks like he called Willis' bluff and got his way:
https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2024/01/mark-mitchell-formally-corrects-record-in-parliament-over-police-numbers-mistake.html
If I were a journalist (and I should be), I’d be asking these questions.
Speak Up For Women's briefings to incoming ministers.
https://www.speakupforwomen.nz/bims
Very nice but I think SUFW overestimates the intellect of your average National MP – need to dumb down those briefings 😛
Richard Dawkins on the subject of biological sex:
A much-needed new blog exploring the machinations of right wing networks operating in Aotearoa
astroturfing.nz — also on bluesky
There's a lot of underhanded shit going on – David Seymour spearheading most of it – and people like Josh Drummond are doing important work exposing it.
Thanks roblogic will follow this, good to have info on back channel dirty stuff corralled in an easy to find spot.