If would be funny but as traffic flows are what they are to see a bunch of selfish liberals think of their agenda at the cost to the many. To want a lane closed and set up barriers for a trial for a very few cyclists to take over a lane especially when the bridge during peak flows is already inadequate. Circle 5 kms either side of the bridge at guess how few cyclists travel between the circle weekdays.
sure the next crossing include this for the selescted few who would utilise this. But not the current crossing.
where is the business case to support this ??
Ps hope all goes well for JAG pregency
Do humans need a ‘business case’ for having babies? Not all impacts can and should be limited and reduced to simple dollar terms; this is where our current economic ideologies are counter-productive [no pun]. Ironically, today the report from the Climate Change Commission will be presented today. What will the ‘business case’ be, I wonder …
Chill. Exactly! You were talking about material stuff only. Just as well Government didn’t wait for Treasury or the RBNZ to prepare a ‘business case’ when it had to act last year. Maybe lives are more important than a ‘business case’? Neo-liberal thinking is so reductionist, short-termist, selfish, and shallow; makes for a good ‘business case’, doesn’t it?
Bikes and babies. A great way of spreading schmaltz on a serious economic and structural problem. Great middle class self-interest combining with future-needed requirements it seems to me. The women can rise for bikes and the environment, but are they there for poor mothers struggling for better conditions trying to balance babies and work and shelter and despair?
If women do have finer feelings and compassion for those women needing help in their community and wider society, it would be seen in great mass shows of concern and solidarity for the strugglers as noticeable and determined as for bike use. But bikes are now the sacred objects to be worshipped and nice people ride them; often rather unpleasant mothers battle with social problems and a dead-centred welfare system, they are not like nice middle-class people, not 'one of us'.
I wonder if Ms Genter considered the effect on the climate of her actions?
How embarrassing if a recommendation in the Climate Commission Report says we should reduce our use of Air Travel?
I understand she lives in Wellington. She would appear to have made a return trip from Wellington to Auckland, almost certainly by plane and at taxpayer expense to take part in this exercise. How much CO2 would this have generated?
Shouldn't someone who purports to care about the effect of mankind on the climate reduce her travel to whatever is really necessary?
Offsetting, is that the thing were rich tossers sooth their conscience by fucking rural communities with their pines while kicking the cc can down the rd, ??
"Shouldn't someone who purports to care about the effect of mankind on the climate reduce her travel to whatever is really necessary?"
Necessary for what?
If she wishes to take effective action against the climate it may be necessary to fly on a plane sometimes – or conversely – it is not necessary to never fly on a plane if that renders you less effective in addressing climate change
And concomitantly – it is therefore not necessary to never fly on a plane simply to avoid bogus accusations of hypocrisy by ideologues who want to dissolve large-scale collective action into individual choices – in order to ensure that no collective action in fact occurs
Ouch! Don't think there'll be any Pink Floyd music at the TYT offices for a while
One of the few rock stars who actually has an intelligent opinion about anything is Roger Waters. He's just brought the hammer down on some especially obnoxious and foolish Russiagaters…
He inspires many more. The people he "pisses off" do not represent anything like a significant number; they know that as well as we do. Fevered denunciation and smearing, like Ana Kasparian and Mr. Uygur reflexively do in this clip, are all they have to offer.
Yes, I saw that thanks Adrian. Wonder if Jesse Mulligan or Kim Hill or Kathryn Ryan will interview Matt Taibbi or Aaron Maté or Max Blumenthal some time in the near future. Or are they going to stick with the likes of Jonathan Freedland , Anne Applebaum and Alistair Campbell?
Bryce Edwards is simply using this piece as a stalking horse to launder far right talking points around "free speech” into mainstream discourse.
The clear implication that "the left" is responsible for the culture wars is nonsense. The origin of the culture wars lies in the political realignment of poor whites in the US South from the early sixties on as a reaction to the civil rights movement.
Of course, if you are a shill of the right it suits to project blame onto someone else if your desire is for a culture war on "free speech" as a distraction from the fact you have no answers to the multiple crises of modern zombie capitalism, and have given up even pretending to have any answers.
Edwards is not stupid, yet he continually – and deliberately in my opinion – continues to conflate "liberal" with the left. His out for this is to simply create a strawman – the "contemporary left" – on whose swinging corpse he can then hang various placards proclaiming it's guilt. His arguments may have held some water twenty years ago, describing what is best called Blairite/Clinton centrism which tarted itself up in the raiments of the left by hijacking it's primary political vehicles across the west. But like many academics in a ivory towers of what are fundamentally neoliberal in funding and outlook organisations his thinking has atrophied. That boat cast off with the GFC, with the collapse of centrism (as evidenced by the Pasokification of social democratic 'centrist" parties across Europe) indicating the left long ago parted ways with the sort of centrist liberal politics he accuses it of.
The truth of the matter is the right is formenting a distraction in the form of a culture war on the nebulous grounds of free speech and in order to get it it needs it's useful idiots in neoliberal academic organs to provide an intellectual framework.
The left can spend it's time much more profitably than debating these sterile, worn out arguments by seeking to own the future with practical solutions to todays and tomorrows issues.
[TheStandard: A moderator moved this comment to Open Mike as being off topic or irrelevant in the post it was made in. Be more careful in future.]
[I specifically said not to attack the author. Three day ban for wasting my moderator time and creating a hostile environment for the people who put up content. – weka]
You’re lucky I didn’t see the second comment, now in trash. Making a note in the backend for future reference. Count this as a second warning about ignoring moderation directions.
Sanctuary – I agree with your view entirely, the only view I've seen that states the right wing as responsible for our wokeness problem. It's just more division strategy from the neo liberal conservatives but it's not really working for them. I as a leftie don't have the slightest problem with it. Well said mate. I don't understand the moderation notes?
Did you read the post? There’s a note at the top saying debate the issues raised, don’t attack the author. It’s longstanding policy to not attack authors because getting posts up on TS is more important than commenters having wee anti author rants instead of engaging in debate. Sanctuary knows this. The blatant disrespect fir moderation is part of the ban.
had Sanctuary’s comment been made without the author attack it would still be under the original post and they wouldn’t have been banned.
I had to read the post before I could agree with it, yes? I note that a few other commenters have possibly attacked the author, although I wouldn't rate any of them (including Sanctuary) as attacks IMHO. This is not an attack on you and thanks for your input.
You said you didn’t understand the mod notes. I asked if you read the post because it clearly explains the boundaries at the top.
no one has to agree with posts. They do have to abide by moderation. I’m guessing you didn’t see Sanctuary’s second comment. They were basically trolling at that point.
I’ve got years of writing and moderation at TS as well as cross posting and encouraging new authors. I’ve been listening to writers say what’s hard about writing here. I have a pretty good idea of what is needed for robust debate and it isn’t long termers ignoring the rules of the site and doing whatever the hell they like.
calling an author a shill is an attack, as an example, and it’s a specious form of debate and it derails. Author attacks are designed to undermine the person, that’s bulkshit tactics.
One of the reasons I put the post up is because I want the left to take a long hard look at itself and go back to debating the issues. Apparently that’s too hard.
That kind of commenting also opens the way for other people to make defamatory comments which puts the site owners at risk.
@Sanctuary
"Edwards is not stupid, yet he continually – and deliberately in my opinion – continues to conflate "liberal" with the left"
This is THE major problem of the Left today..ie separating with extreme prejudice who and what are the Left in most people’s minds from who and what are the Centrist Liberals.
One of my sons is at Uni at the moment and even there they don’t make this critical distinction..except it seems when it suits the arguments of the status quo.
Sorry to see you got kicked off…seems a bit harsh.
Adrian, I feel many in the left drive this wedge themselves.
I always consider myself to be centralist economically, but definitely left socially. That position is based on my life experiences and observations. I have encountered many small business owners being the same.
Many times on TS (and in everyday life) i encounter many in the left that cannot see this is not a contradiction (necessarily) and just hurl personal abuse if one isn't 100% 'left', instead of accepting that a centralist-leftist has significant overlaps with the majority of the left.
I probably have not explained that well, but that's how I feel.
What link? I explained very patiently and carefully. I cannot do more than that. if you lack the experience, knowledge or are just so plain pig headed to understand something which is very basic then I really cannot help you.
This was two days ago. FFS. MOVE ON. THIS IS HARRESSMENT.
MODERATORS PLEASE NOTE. ‘NZ Perverse economy. This poster Louis is WAY out of line.
No need to be obtuse Peter Chch. You cant back up your claim that “Clark repeatedly lied to the media before finally coming clean and apologising for his lies”
You have done what you accused Clark of doing, you lied.
Feeling vulnerable over your ‘Clark hit job’? The pushback is fair, imho.
David Clark is now in charge? Are you joking.
The former Minister of Health who is on record knowingly lying about this very same DHB [Waikato?], who hid under his bed in Dunedin (when he wasn't out breaching lockdown rules) during the worst of the pandemic, who… too many screw ups to record.
He possibly could manage the parliamentary broom cupboard, but thats about his limit. Unbelievable.
Already put up a link date stamped the 30th which was Sunday. You don't speak for most Kiwis PeterChch and will remind you that Clark won his seat convincingly last year so obviously its not as you described. Besides, you have been caught out telling porkies. Very hypocritical of you.
Please note these continual personal attack from this idiot Louis. I put up with this idiot on Saturday with personal abuse. Still at it. Calling someone a lier with no grounds, on top of the endless shit I endured from this cretin on Saturday is not unacceptable!
Yesterday 30th, I asked you for a link to back up your claims, even Incognito said to you "You should still provide a link about all those lies by Clark to the media, thanks"
"Clark says he has already received an apology from acting board chairman Rabin Rabindran for not mentioning the extent of the problem – which supports Clark's version of what he was and wasn't told on March 13"
The quote is from your link that you posted and it doesn't back up your false claims. Why you persist in lying and digging an even greater hole for yourself PeterChCh, is anyone's guess.
…just a thought…from what you are saying….you are not Left socially…you are Liberal Socially…the Leftist position is based and revolves around Economic Theory.
"The independent advice was handed to the Minister today (Monday 31 May). The Commission will publish the advice on its website next Wednesday (9 June) once it has been tabled by the Minister."
When hearing about plans to build a tunnel from Auckland city to North Shore I think about our earthquake potential in NZ. A recent study on earthquake preparedness there contains this:
And it doesn't mention the huge cost of such a tunnel if we take it on though we are in a fast-fading economy. When we run out of houses to sell, we will have to sell ourselves in new ways, just to survive. The cost of a tunnel may be amortised over many decades, but if our economy declines we will be left with an enforceable debt as the financial institutions don't go in for compassionate jubilees for debt.* No, nay, never, anyway probably not now in Our Brave New World.
* The tendency for debts to grow faster than the population's ability to pay has been a basic constant throughout all recorded history. … The concept of a debt jubilee is not new. It dates back to biblical times and the Book of Leviticus where the Hebrews would every 50 years free slaves, prisoners and forgive debts.16/04/2012
Fascinating – kea may be more intelligent than we are – by applying their brain to achieve rational results that benefit them. We seem to believe in SEP – someone will rescue us from the horns of our dilemmas! Ouch! Old news piece from last year, still worth reading.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/410887/study-on-kea-notes-unprecedented-smart-behaviour Mar.4/20 In a paper published today in Nature Communications, University of Auckland experts found the birds can judge statistical odds in a way only ever seen before in infants and great apes. In a range of tests at the Willowbank Wildlife Reserve in Christchurch, kea worked out that choosing a particular coloured token always led to a food reward, and even managed to learn which of their rangers was most likely to pick the token they wanted.
Study co-author Alex Taylor, a psychologist who studies intelligence in animals and birds, said the behaviour they saw was unprecedented in birds.
But this is hard to beat – the Japanese crow and the traffic nut cracker and light service.
Nice one. We definitely need more normalising stories.
yet, the politics.
so how do we do this then? I’d be happy to talk about women’s sex based rights and not talk about trans issues, but it’s really hard to do. I had a fair crack with the census post I wrote. But when left wing men are now taking the position that women don’t get to define their own politics and thus their lives, how is that different than what he is talking about in that post?
The debate isn’t sex based vs gender based rights. It’s existing sex based rights *and gender based rights vs removing sex based rights and replacing with only gender based rights.
Do you have a link about 'sex based' rights that is not just talking about gender-based ones? ie: it is about 'females' rather than 'women'. Doesn't sound like any UN Conventions I know of.
Not really my area at the international level, but I've seen GCFs talking about CEDAW as being sex based. A quick google found this,
Noting that the Universal Declaration of Human Rights affirms the principle of the inadmissibility of discrimination and proclaims that all human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights and that everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms set forth therein, without distinction of any kind, including distinction based on sex,
I'm more familiar with the debate in the UK, where law gives rights to people who transition, and retains rights for women based on sex to the exclusion of males (including trans women) where necessary. Trans lobbyists like Mermaids have been trying to get this removed.
Important to also understand that the word gender is often used to mean sex, especially historically.
Another useful case to look at is in Canada where the Human Rights Tribunal ruled against a pre-op trans woman who was insisting that estheticians waxed their genitals.
Almost none of the Canadian mainstream media would cover the case while it was ongoing, such has been the success of the 'no debate' lobby. It was covered by some conservative media eg The Post Millennial. This is part of why left wing GCFs get called right wing, but where these were the only outlets available (there are also right wing GC people). GCFs went to the tribunal hearings and live tweeted them, which is how GCFs knew what was going on when the rest of the left was clueless. What this has meant is that most of the left don't actually know what the issues are.
That UK link you provided is relying on conflating 'male' with 'men' and 'female' with 'women' throughout.
Perhaps it is men that CGFs could usefully exclude without confusing things – otherwise I can easily see transmen being entitled to be in women's spaces (not that I think they would seek to be). Unless it is penises that are somehow the problem, which seems overblown?
"That UK link you provided is relying on conflating 'male' with 'men' and 'female' with 'women' throughout."
That seems to be what the Canadian case was mostly about. Though the court seemed to agree that not waxing a 'womans' penis wasn't discriminatory, (though the plantifs litigation may have been).
That UK link you provided is relying on conflating 'male' with 'men' and 'female' with 'women' throughout.
I don't think so, it's not conflation, it's normal use of language. Most English speakers understand that men = male and vice versa. And it's clear in the context. I'd certainly expect Labour MPs to read and and be able to understand it.
Perhaps it is men that CGFs could usefully exclude without confusing things – otherwise I can easily see transmen being entitled to be in women's spaces (not that I think they would seek to be).
It's males that are generally the problem. Sometimes they get called male, sometimes they get called men. This is one very good reason to talk about women and trans women, and men and trans men, rather than conflating the two. It's not GCFs that are confusing things.
Unless it is penises that are somehow the problem, which seems overblown?
do you honestly believe that women who have been raped should have to share space with people of whatever gender identity who are male bodied with genitals intact? Share a bedroom in a refuge with a man identifying as a woman? Share a changing room?
There's the Staniland Question:
Do you believe that male-sexed people have the right to undress and shower in a communal changing room with teenage girls?
Good ideas – even if they're controversial – deserve to be published, says Australian philosopher and bioethics professor Peter Singer. To this end, he's co-founded an online academic journal where people can publish under a pseudonym without fear of harassment or harm to their careers.
As a consequentialist and a utilitarian, Singer believes there are no such hard and fast rules.
"A consequentialist believes that whether an act is right or wrong depends on its consequences. So it's not just a matter of saying 'Here's a moral rule, you must never break it no matter what'. For a consequentialist, this 'no matter what' doesn't apply because there may be some circumstances in which a rule you never normally should break you should break because there'd be very bad consequences if you adhere to the rule.
The utilitarian part of it is 'what do you mean by good consequences?' and utilitarians say 'What I mean is something that reduces the amount of suffering in the world or increases the amount of happiness in the world'. We're basically talking about the well-being of people and non-human animals.
"We should be able to say 'yes it may cause some harm to some people but it's important for us to have free debate to find out what are the right views and what are the best policies for dealing with these issues?'"
Freedom of speech should not extend to protecting people's right to hate speech or any malicious incitement of violence, he says….
7th August 2021 7-9.45pm The Trusts Arena, Henderson – Singer will be speaking. $70 up. Funds to alleviate global poverty.
"We should be able to say 'yes it may cause some harm to some people but it's important for us to have free debate to find out what are the right views and what are the best policies for dealing with these issues?'"
Funny how it's always the same social groups his 'debate' causes harm to. And how his need to hear his own voice reliably outweighs that.
I don’t follow PS, or anybody, for that matter, but he does seem to appear in NZ media more than occasionally …
What groups (plural) are singled out and ‘victimised’ by his debates and do you think this is deliberate and intentional? Seems a bit of a contradiction to the PR around his visit and journal!?
In his book Practical Ethics, Singer argues the case for selective infanticide. He deems it unfair that "At present parents can choose to keep or destroy their disabled offspring only if the disability happens to be detected during pregnancy.14/08/2012 The case against Peter Singer – ABC News
However, Associate Minister of Health Ayesha Verrall told the House that financial support was offered to Laura Fergusson Trust. “No discussion was able to be entered into, because the trust informed the Ministry of Health that its decision was final,” Verrall said.
It seems impossible for people to make the reasoned moral judgments that must be made if we are to have any moral judgments at all. It is likely that the PTB will harden, throw their hands up in the air and say the matter is beyond them, and those who are unhappy can get some funds and carry out their own nursing and caring. But then, that is already happening and it will become more burdensome as help is lessened and people are unwilling to face their situation.
I'm always leery of comments about someone else having "no hope of a life" especially when based on perceived quality of life (rather than whether the body is in a condition consistent with the continuation of life). It tends to be a rather subjective assessment.
Now, personally, most babies only a few months old are largely uninteresting and unimpressive, especially prems. But there are two main differences between a born baby and pregnancy: they don't rely on someone else's body to live (by and large), and the birth delineation is a convenient ledge on an otherwise slippery slope.
The other less logical difference is "what sort of person makes a clinical decision to actively kill a baby that would otherwise live with only normal feeding and suchlike? I mean, scalpel? Drug injection? Seriously, wtf?"
I get palliative care for a baby that just has too much going on to survive, but Singer's idea seems to be actively deciding for another person that their quality of life is so unbearable they should die. The bit that the euthenasia act doesn't allow ("be competent to make an informed decision about assisted dying.").
Ah. So. The Gospel according to Greywarshark seems to state that killing a disabled baby is the bestest way of preventing abuse and neglect of that baby by a caregiver in the future.
AND, the $$$ that were being paid for that shitty care would have been better spent on those disabled folk with at least some hope of rehabilitation. Like the young woman tragically made a quadriplegic after a horse riding accident.
Here endeth the moral lessons from Greywarshark for today.
(Oh, a quadriplegic sitting in his chair to my right has a few choice words on this…but good manners prevent me passing them on.)
I have no issue at all with those who comment anonymously who are respectful and engage in good faith.
Although occasionally I do wonder exactly what reputation or position some other anonymous commentators are trying to protect.
Someone who claims the moral, reasoned high ground in advocating for the killing of disabled babies who have "no life" (and adds in an extra societal benefit in that the saved dollars can go towards supporting the clearly more worthy injured) must surely have spine enough to put their actual name and face to their views.
Those straight utilitarians are just a pain in the ass. They have so much in common with the more scientifically bogus parts of New Public Management theory in terms of inputs and outputs being applied to social outcomes.
You know Max, don’t you? He doesn’t register in the polls yet but his daddy still does. National can do with an aspiring DJ because JC makes awful scratchy noises, like an old broken LP on a wonky turntable.
Odd. A Radionz interview between Jesse Mulligan and Fed Farmers David Clark cannot be accessed as audio on Live Canterbury Flooding owing to 'copyright restrictions'.
A Radionz piece can't be repeated on another RNZ piece for copyright restrictions to whom? Is Radionz fragmenting and selling off pieces of itself to the National Radio listeners disadvantage? Is it dividing into units with each one making sufficient money to meet a target?
That is a fascinating theory but what do you base it on? There are 8 members on the Board. Only 2 of them were appointed by the then National Government. They were in December 2015 and September 2017.
The other 6 were all appointed after that date. In other words 6 of the 8, including the Chairman, were appointed by a Labour led Government. You are pretty desperate if you really think that 2 people can order the Board around aren't you?
I suppose that a leak was inevitable. With the matter, whatever it is, being passed on tt at least Hipkins and Mallard under the "No surprises" policy it would only be a matter of when, not if, it was leaked I would surmise.
It is of course time that Smith retired. He has been in the House since 1990 and that is certainly long enough for anyone. It is just a pity that Mallard doesn't go out the door with him. He has been there since 1984 after all. He really ought to be cast out into the outer darkness shouldn't he? Surely there is some senior figure in the Labour Party who can take heed of Eliot's words and ask "Who will rid me of this turbulent prat"
Then Trevor and Nick could be put out to pasture together. Let them spend their remaining time in the sunshine, even if they are really old bulls suitable only for the knacker's yard.
alwyn, why are you trying to blame Hipkins and Mallard? How does it have anything to do with them? In 3 and half years in government Labour haven't leaked a thing about National, so how do you know it wasn't someone within the National party? after all, doesn't National have form in that regard?
" In 3 and half years in government Labour haven't leaked a thing about National".
Ah what blissful belief in the purity of your chosen party. You don't really believe that do you? I mean seriously think that the Labour MPs are truly that saintly. The only way I would think your statement could be true would be if you extend to the whole group of MPs Helen Clark's immortal claim. " "It is a matter of judgment for the Prime Minister how I use information from official reports; by definition I cannot leak.".
Ah what blissful belief in the purity of your chosen party. You don't really believe that do you?
Alwyn, can you move this beyond what you believe? I agree it seems unlikely that, since winning the 2017 general election, Labour hasn't leaked anything about National, but (in the absence of evidence), it could be true – no?
Opposition National party people are sooo leaky; their 'leak prowess' is now the stuff of legend – yes Merv, I'm looking at you. What’s a ‘Labour leaker’ to do?
John Key: If you can't quit leaking, quit National
Former Prime Minister Sir John Key has a staunch message to any National MPs who continue to leak against the party: "If you can't quit leaking, quit the party".
Are you now suggesting that John Key doesn't lie, or at least sometimes doesn't lie?
from Sir (Honest) John Key's 2020 imperative "If you can't quit leaking, quit the [National] party".
Reckon it would be difficult to lie about everything; even inveterate liars can sometimes tell the truth – maybe this was such an occasion.
Btw, while you may consider inveterate' to be an appropriate descriptor of this particular 'Key habit', I would prefer 'shameless' – works for me thee.
But I've gone off topic:
Alwyn, can you move this beyond what you believe? I agree it seems unlikely that, since winning the 2017 general election, Labour hasn't leaked anything about National, but (in the absence of evidence), it could be true – no?
There must be at least one documented example – how difficult can it be?
Its not about Helen Clark though. Its been Jacinda's policy since coming into government that whatever involves the National party it's their business and despite media efforts to draw commentary from the PM Et al in her government they dont leak and neither do they put the boot in. Just because National are inclined to do it doesn't mean every other party does. The Greens don't do it either.
As usual, you’re all over the place, diverting, dodging, denying, but never answering the question with a straight answer. You, Sir, are not debating here, you are trolling again.
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Alwyn Poole writes – After being elected to Parliament in 2008 the maiden speech of Hipkins was substantially around education policy. He was Labour’s spokesperson for education 2011 – 2017. He was Minister for Education from 2017 until February 2023. This is approximately 88% of the time Labour ...
Eric Crampton writes – A fashion industry group is lobbying for protections. They make the usual arguments and a newer one. None of it makes sense. An industry group says it pumped $7.8 billion into the economy last year – that’s 1.9 percent of New Zealand’s GDP. ...
In December 2006, Fiji's military leader Voreqe Bainimarama overthrew the elected government in a coup. He ruled Fiji for the next 16 years, first as dictator, then as "elected" Prime Minister. But now, he's finally been sent to jail where he belongs. Sadly, this isn't for his real crime of ...
Don't like National's corrupt Muldoonist "fast-track" law? Aotearoa's environmental NGO's - Greenpeace, Forest & Bird, WWF, Coromandel Watchdog, Coal Action Network Aotearoa, Kiwis Against Seabed Mining, and others - have announced a joint march against it in Auckland in June: When: 13:00, 8 June, 2024 Where: Aotea Square, Auckland You ...
Seymour describes sushi as too woke for school meals. There are no fish sushi meals recommended by the School Lunches programme. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / Getty ImagesTL;DR: The Government will swap out hot meals for packaged sandwiches to save $107 million on school lunches for poor kids. MSD has pulled ...
I don't mind stealin' bread from the mouths of decadenceBut I can't feed on the powerless when my cup's already overfilled, yeahBut it's on the table, the fire's cookin'And they're farmin' babies, while slaves are workin'The blood is on the table and the mouths are chokin'But I'm goin' hungry, yeahSome ...
The Ardern Government’s chickens came home to roost yesterday with the news that the country is short of natural gas. In 2018, Labour banned offshore petroleum exploration, and industry executives say that the attendant loss of confidence by the industry impacted overall investment in onshore gas fields. Energy Resources Minister ...
Hi,If you’ve been digging through the newly launched Webworm store (orders are being dispatched worldwide as I type!) you’ll have noticed the best model we had was Calvin.This is Calvin.Calvin.Calvin is 7, and is the son of my producer over on Flightless Bird, Rob — aka “Wobby Wob”. Rob also ...
This video includes conclusions of the creator climate scientist Dr. Adam Levy. It is presented to our readers as an informed perspective. Please see video description for references (if any). Climate change is everywhere. And when something's everywhere it can feel like it's nowhere. So how do we get our heads ...
Its a law like gravity: whenever a right-wing government is elected, they start attacking democracy. And now, after talking to their Republican and Tory and Fidesz chums at the International Democracy Union forum in Wellington, National is doing it here, announcing plans to remove election-day enrolment. Or, to put it ...
Yesterday Winston Peters focussed his attention on the important matter at hand. Tweeting. Like the former, and quite possibly next, orange POTUS, from whom he takes much of his political strategy, Winston is an avid X’er.His message didn’t resemble an historic address this time. In fact it was more reminiscent ...
Buzz from the Beehive A significant decline in natural gas production has given Resources Minister Shane Jones an opportunity to reiterate his enthusiasm for the mining and burning of coal. For good measure, he has praised an announcement from Genesis Energy that it will resume importing coal. He and Energy ...
“Follow the money” is the classic directive to journalists trying to understand where power and influence lie in society. In terms of uncovering who influences various New Zealand political parties and governments, it therefore pays to look at who is funding them. The political parties are legally obliged to make ...
Rob MacCullough writes – Here is my subjective ranking on a “most-left” to “most-right” scale of most of our major NZ Universities, with some anecdotal (and at times amusing) evidence to back up the claim.Extreme Left Auckland University of TechnologyEvidenceThe ...
Eric Crampton writes – I hadn’t thought about this one until a helpful email showed up in my inbox.It’s pretty obvious that income tax thresholds should automatically index with inflation – whether to anchor the thresholds in percentiles of the income distribution, or to anchor against a real ...
Jacqui Van Der Kaay writes – Parliament’s speaker had no option but to refer Green MP Julie Anne Genter to the Privileges Committee for her behaviour in the House last Wednesday evening. The incident, in which she crossed the floor to wave a book and yell at National ...
Gary Judd writes – The Dean of the law school at the Auckland University of Technology is someone called Khylee Quince. I have been sent her social media posting in which she has, over the LawNews headline “Senior King’s Counsel files complaint about compulsory tikanga Maori studies for ...
Cleo Paskal writes – WASHINGTON, D.C.: ‘Many of us have received phone calls from [the opposing camp] telling them if they join the camp they will be given projects for their wards and $300,000 [around US$35,000] each’, says former Malaita Premier Daniel Suidani. The elections in Solomon Islands aren’t ...
With hindsight, it was inevitable that (a) Hamas would agree to the ceasefire deal brokered by Egypt and Qatar and that ( b) Israel would then immediately launch attacks on Rafah, regardless. We might have hoped the concessions made by Hamas would cause Israel to desist from slaughtering thousands more ...
Placards and mourners outside the Kilbirnie Mosque following the Christchurch terror attack: MSD has terminated the Kaiwhakaoranga service, which has been used by 415 families since the attacks. Photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: The Government’s pledge to only cut ‘back office’ staff rather than ‘frontline’ services is on increasingly shaky ground, with ...
There’s been a few smaller public transport announcements over the last week or so that I thought I’d cover in a single post. Fareshare I’ve long called for Auckland Transport to offer a way to enable employer-subsidised public transport options. The need for this took on even more importance ...
Parliament’s speaker had no option but to refer Green MP Julie Anne Genter to the Privileges Committee for her behaviour in the House last Wednesday evening. The incident, in which she crossed the floor to wave a book and yell at National Minister Matt Doocey, reflects poorly on Genter and ...
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 ...
Who likes being sneered at? Nobody. Worse yet, when the sneerer has their facts all wrong, and might well be an idiot.The sneer in question is The adults are in charge now, and it is a sneer offered in retort to criticism of this new Government, no matter how well ...
When in government, Labour pushed to extend the Parliamentary term to four years, to reduce accountability and our ability to vote out a bad government. And now, they're trying to do it through the member's ballot, with a Four-Year Parliamentary Term Legislation Bill. The bill at least requires a referendum ...
A ballot for a single Member's Bill was held today, and the following bill was drawn: Public Works (Prohibition of Compulsory Acquisition of Māori Land) Amendment Bill (Hūhana Lyndon) The bill would prevent the government from stealing Māori land in breach of Te Tiriti o Waitangi. It ...
Simeon Brown, alongside Wayne Brown, is favouring a political figleaf now in exchange for loading up tens of millions in extra interest costs on Auckland ratepayers. Photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: Ratings agency Standard & Poor’s is pushing back hard at suggestions from Local Government Minister Simeon Brown and Mayor Wayne Brown ...
Buzz from the Beehive One headline-grabber from the Beehive yesterday was the OECD’s advice that the government must bring the Budget deficit under control or face higher interest rates. Another was the announcement of a $1.9 billion “investment” in Corrections over the next four years. In the best interests of ...
Chris Trotter writes – Had Zheng He’s fleet sailed east, not west, in the early Fifteenth Century, how different our world would be. There is little reason to suppose that the sea-going junks of the Ming Dynasty, among the largest and most sophisticated sailing vessels ever constructed, would have failed ...
David Farrar writes – Two articles give a useful contrast in balance. Both seek to be neutral explainer articles. This one in the Herald on Social Investment covers the pros and cons nicely. It links to critical pieces and talks about aspects that failed and aspects that are more ...
The tikanga regulations will compel law students to be taught that a system which does not conform with the rule of law is nevertheless law which should be observed and applied…Gary Judd KC writes – I have made a complaint to Parliament’s Regulation ...
The future of Te Huia, the train between Hamilton and Auckland, has been getting a lot of attention recently as current funding for it is only in place till the end of June. The government initially agreed to a five year trial, through to April 2026, but that was subject ...
TL;DR: Hamas has just agreed to Israel’s ceasefire plan. Nelson hospital’s rebuild has been cut back to save money. The OECD suggests New Zealand break up network monopolies, including in electricity. PM Christopher Luxon’s news conference on a prison expansion announcement last night was his messiest yet.Here’s my top six ...
A homicide in Ponsonby, a manhunt with a killer on the run. The nation’s leader stands before a press conference reassuring a frightened nation that he’ll sort it out, he’ll keep them safe, he’ll build some new prison spaces.Sorry what? There’s a scary dude on the run with a gun ...
Hi,I know it’s been awhile since there’s been any Webworm merch — and today that all changes!Over the last four months, I’ve been working with New Zealand artist Jess Johnson to create a series of t-shirts, caps and stickers that are infused with Webworm DNA — and as of right ...
The OECD’s chief economist yesterday laid it on the line for the new Government: bring the deficit under control or face higher Reserve Bank interest rates for longer. And to bring the deficit under control, she meant not borrowing for tax cuts. But there was more. Without policy changes—introducing a ...
After a hiatus of over four months Selwyn Manning and I finally got it together to re-start the “A View from Afar” podcast series. We shall see how we go but aim to do 2 episodes per month if possible. … Continue reading → ...
In 2008, the UK Parliament passed the Climate Change Act 2008. The law established a system of targets, budgets, and plans, with inbuilt accountability mechanisms; the aim was to break the cycle of empty promises and replace it with actual progress towards emissions reduction. The law was passed with near-universal ...
Buzz from the Beehive Local Water Done Well – let’s be blunt – is a silly name, but the first big initiative to put it into practice has gone done well. This success is reflected in the headline on an RNZ report:District mayors welcome Auckland’s new water deal with ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate ConnectionsA farmworker cleans the solar panels of a solar water pump in the village of Jagadhri, Haryana Country, India. (Photo credit: Prashanth Vishwanathan/ IWMI) Decisions made in India over the next few years will play a key role in global ...
Lindsay Mitchell writes – The Children’s Minister, Karen Chhour, intends to repeal Section 7AA from the Oranga Tamariki Act 1989 because it creates conflict between claimed Crown Treaty obligations and the child’s best interests. In her words, “Oranga Tamariki’s governing principles and its act should be colour ...
Geoffrey Miller writes – The gloves are off. That might seem to be the undertone of surprisingly tough talk from New Zealand’s foreign and trade ministers. Winston Peters, the foreign minister, may be facing legal action after making allegations about former Australian foreign minister Bob Carr on Radio New Zealand. ...
Brian Easton writes – This is about the time that the Treasury will be locking up its economic forecasts to be published in the 2024 Budget Economic and Fiscal Update (BEFU) on budget day, 30 May. I am not privy to what they will be (I will report on them ...
TL;DR:Winston Peters is reported to have won a budget increase for MFAT. David Seymour wanted his Ministry of Regulation to be three times bigger than the Productivity Commission. Simeon Brown is appointing a Crown Monitor to Watercare to protect the Claytons Crown Guarantee he had to give ratings agencies ...
The gloves are off. That might seem to be the undertone of surprisingly tough talk from New Zealand’s foreign and trade ministers. Winston Peters, the foreign minister, may be facing legal action after making allegations about former Australian foreign minister Bob Carr on Radio New Zealand. Carr had made highly ...
I could be a florist'Round the corner from Rye LaneI'll be giving daisies to craziesBut, baby, I'll wrap you up real safe Oh, I can give you flowers At the end of every dayFor the center of your table, a rainbowIn case you have people 'round to stay Depending on ...
TL;DR: The six key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to May 12 include:PM Christopher Luxon is scheduled to hold a post-Cabinet news conference at 4 pm today. Finance Minister Nicola Willis will give a pre-budget speech on Thursday.Parliament sits from Question Time at 2pm on ...
The price of the foreign affairs “reset” is now becoming apparent, with Defence set to get a funding boost in the Budget. Finance Minister Nicola Willis has confirmed that it will be one of the few votes, apart from Health and Education and possibly Police, which will get an increase ...
Today New Zealand First will introduce a Member’s Bill that will protect women’s spaces. The ‘Fair Access to Bathrooms Bill’ will require, primarily in the interest and safety of women and girls, that all new non-domestic publicly accessible buildings provide separate, clearly demarcated, unisex and single sex bathrooms. This Bill ...
The Green Party is welcoming Climate Change Minister Simon Watts’ continuation of Hon. James Shaw’s cross-party work on climate adaptation, now in the form of a Finance and Expenditure Committee Inquiry. ...
The National Government plans to cut 390 jobs at ACC, including roles in the areas of prevention of sexual violence, road safety and workplace safety. ...
The Government has been caught in opposition to evidence once again as it looks to usher in tried, tested and failed work seminar obligations for job-seeking beneficiaries. ...
The Green Party is welcoming the announcement by the Minister Responsible for RMA Reform Chris Bishop to approve most of the Wellington City Council’s District Plan recommendations. ...
David Seymour has failed to get the sweeping cuts he wanted to the free and healthy school lunch programme, Labour education spokesperson Jan Tinetti said. ...
Hon Willie Jackson has been invited by the Oxford Union to debate the motion “This House Believes British Museums are not Very British’ on May 23rd. ...
Green Party MP Hūhana Lyndon says her Public Works (Prohibition of Compulsory Acquisition of Māori Land) Amendment Bill is an opportunity to right some past wrongs around the alienation of Māori land. ...
A senior, highly respected King’s Counsel with decades of experience in our law courts, Gary Judd KC, has filed a complaint about compulsory tikanga Māori studies for law students - highlighting the utter depths of absurdity this woke cultural madness has taken our society. The tikanga regulations will compel law ...
The Government needs to be clear with the people of the Nelson Marlborough region about the changes it is considering for the Nelson Hospital rebuild, Labour health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall said. ...
Ministers must front up about which projects it will push through under its Fast Track Approvals legislation, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
The Government is again adding to New Zealand’s growing unemployment, this time cutting jobs at the agencies responsible for urban development and growing much needed housing stock. ...
With Minister Karen Chhour indicating in the House today that she either doesn’t know or care about the frontline cuts she’s making to Oranga Tamariki, we risk seeing more and more of our children falling through the cracks. ...
The Labour Party is saddened to learn of the death of Sir Robert Martin, a globally renowned disability advocate who led the way for disability rights both in New Zealand and internationally. ...
Labour is calling for the Government to urgently rethink its coalition commitment to restart live animal exports, Labour animal welfare spokesperson Rachel Boyack said. ...
Today’s Financial Stability Report has once again highlighted that poverty and deep inequality are political choices - and this Government is choosing to make them worse. ...
The Green Party is calling on the Government to do more for our households in most need as unemployment rises and the cost of living crisis endures. ...
Unemployment is on the rise and it’s only going to get worse under this Government, Labour finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds said. Stats NZ figures show the unemployment rate grew to 4.3 percent in the March quarter from 4 percent in the December quarter. “This is the second rise in unemployment ...
The New Zealand Labour Party welcomes the entering into force of the European Union and New Zealand free trade agreement. This agreement opens the door for a huge increase in trade opportunities with a market of 450 million people who are high value discerning consumers of New Zealand goods and ...
The National-led Government continues its fiscal jiggery pokery with its Pharmac announcement today, Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall says. “The government has increased Pharmac funding but conceded it will only make minimal increases in access to medicine”, said Ayesha Verrall “This is far from the bold promises made to fund ...
This afternoon’s interim Waitangi Tribunal report must be taken seriously as it affects our most vulnerable children, Labour children’s spokesperson Willow-Jean Prime. ...
Te Pāti Māori are demanding the New Zealand Government support an international independent investigation into mass graves that have been uncovered at two hospitals on the Gaza strip, following weeks of assault by Israeli troops. Among the 392 bodies that have been recovered, are children and elderly civilians. Many of ...
Our two-tiered system for veterans’ support is out of step with our closest partners, and all parties in Parliament should work together to fix it, Labour veterans’ affairs spokesperson Greg O’Connor said. ...
Stripping two Ministers of their portfolios just six months into the job shows Christopher Luxon’s management style is lacking, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said. ...
Tonight’s court decision to overturn the summons of the Children’s Minister has enabled the Crown to continue making decisions about Māori without evidence, says Te Pāti Māori spokesperson for Children, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. “The judicial system has this evening told the nation that this government can do whatever they want when ...
It appears Nicola Willis is about to pull the rug out from under the feet of local communities still dealing with the aftermath of last year’s severe weather, and local councils relying on funding to build back from these disasters. ...
The Government is making short-sighted changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA) that will take away environmental protection in favour of short-term profits, Labour’s environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
Labour welcomes the release of the report into the North Island weather events and looks forward to working with the Government to ensure that New Zealand is as prepared as it can be for the next natural disaster. ...
The Labour Party has called for the New Zealand Government to recognise Palestine, as a material step towards progressing the two-State solution needed to achieve a lasting peace in the region. ...
Some of our country’s most important work, stopping the sexual exploitation of children and violent extremism could go along with staff on the frontline at ports and airports. ...
The Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill will give projects such as new coal mines a ‘get out of jail free’ card to wreak havoc on the environment, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
New Zealand voted in favour of a resolution broadening Palestine’s participation at the United Nations General Assembly overnight, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “The resolution enhances the rights of Palestine to participate in the work of the UN General Assembly while stopping short of admitting Palestine as a full ...
Introduction Good morning. It’s a great privilege to be here at the 2024 Infrastructure Symposium. I was extremely happy when the Prime Minister asked me to be his Minister for Infrastructure. It is one of the great barriers holding the New Zealand economy back from achieving its potential. Building high ...
Defence Minister Judith Collins today announced the upcoming Budget will include new funding of $571 million for Defence Force pay and projects. “Our servicemen and women do New Zealand proud throughout the world and this funding will help ensure we retain their services and expertise as we navigate an increasingly ...
New Zealand’s ability to cope with climate change will be strengthened as part of the Government’s focus to build resilience as we rebuild the economy, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. “An enduring and long-term approach is needed to provide New Zealanders and the economy with certainty as the climate ...
Jobseeker beneficiaries who have work obligations must now meet with MSD within two weeks of their benefit starting to determine their next step towards finding a job, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “A key part of the coalition Government’s plan to have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker ...
A new standalone Social Investment Agency will power-up the social investment approach, driving positive change for our most vulnerable New Zealanders, Social Investment Minister Nicola Willis says. “Despite the Government currently investing more than $70 billion every year into social services, we are not seeing the outcomes we want for ...
Check against delivery Good morning. It is a pleasure to be with you to outline the Coalition Government’s approach to our first Budget. Thank you Mark Skelly, President of the Hutt Valley Chamber of Commerce, together with your Board and team, for hosting me. I’d like to acknowledge His Worship ...
Your Excellency Ambassador Meredith, Members of the Diplomatic Corps and Ambassadors from European Union Member States, Ministerial colleagues, Members of Parliament, and other distinguished guests, Thank you everyone for joining us. Ladies and gentlemen - In diplomacy, we often speak of ‘close’ and ‘long-standing’ relations. ...
The Therapeutic Products Act (TPA) will be repealed this year so that a better regime can be put in place to provide New Zealanders safe and timely access to medicines, medical devices and health products, Associate Health Minister Casey Costello announced today. “The medicines and products we are talking about ...
The Minister Responsible for RMA Reform, Chris Bishop, today released his decision on twenty recommendations referred to him by the Wellington City Council relating to its Intensification Planning Instrument, after the Council rejected those recommendations of the Independent Hearings Panel and made alternative recommendations. “Wellington notified its District Plan on ...
Rape Awareness Week (6-10 May) is an important opportunity to acknowledge the continued effort required by government and communities to ensure that all New Zealanders can live free from violence, say Ministers Karen Chhour and Louise Upston. “With 1 in 3 women and 1 in 8 men experiencing sexual violence ...
Associate Education Minister David Seymour has today announced that the Government will be delivering a more efficient Healthy School Lunches Programme, saving taxpayers approximately $107 million a year compared to how Labour funded it, by embracing innovation and commercial expertise. “We are delivering on our commitment to treat taxpayers’ money ...
New research on the impacts of extreme weather on coastal marine habitats in Tairāwhiti and Hawke’s Bay will help fishery managers plan for and respond to any future events, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. A report released today on research by Niwa on behalf of Fisheries New Zealand ...
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Winston Peters will lead a broad political delegation on a five-stop Pacific tour next week to strengthen New Zealand’s engagement with the region. The delegation will visit Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu, New Caledonia, and Tuvalu. “New Zealand has deep and ...
There has been a material decline in gas production according to figures released today by the Gas Industry Co. Figures released by the Gas Industry Company show that there was a 12.5 per cent reduction in gas production during 2023, and a 27.8 per cent reduction in gas production in the ...
Defence Minister Judith Collins tonight announced the recipients of the Minister of Defence Awards of Excellence for Industry, saying they all contribute to New Zealanders’ security and wellbeing. “Congratulations to this year’s recipients, whose innovative products and services play a critical role in the delivery of New Zealand’s defence capabilities, ...
Welcome to you all - it is a pleasure to be here this evening.I would like to start by thanking Greg Lowe, Chair of the New Zealand Defence Industry Advisory Council, for co-hosting this reception with me. This evening is about recognising businesses from across New Zealand and overseas who in ...
It is a pleasure to be speaking to you as the Minister for Digitising Government. I would like to thank Akolade for the invitation to address this Summit, and to acknowledge the great effort you are making to grow New Zealand’s digital future. Today, we stand at the cusp of ...
New Zealand is urging both Israel and Hamas to agree to an immediate ceasefire to avoid the further humanitarian catastrophe that military action in Rafah would unleash, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “The immense suffering in Gaza cannot be allowed to worsen further. Both sides have a responsibility to ...
A new online data dashboard released today as part of the Government’s school attendance action plan makes more timely daily attendance data available to the public and parents, says Associate Education Minister David Seymour. The interactive dashboard will be updated once a week to show a national average of how ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced Rosemary Banks will be New Zealand’s next Ambassador to the United States of America. “Our relationship with the United States is crucial for New Zealand in strategic, security and economic terms,” Mr Peters says. “New Zealand and the United States have a ...
The Government is considering creating a new tier of minerals permitting that will make it easier for hobby miners to prospect for gold. “New Zealand was built on gold, it’s in our DNA. Our gold deposits, particularly in regions such as Otago and the West Coast have always attracted fortune-hunters. ...
Minister for Trade Todd McClay today announced that New Zealand and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) will commence negotiations on a free trade agreement (FTA). Minister McClay met with his counterpart UAE Trade Minister Dr Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi in Dubai, where they announced the launch of negotiations on a ...
New Zealand Sign Language Week is an excellent opportunity for all Kiwis to give the language a go, Disabilities Issues Minister Louise Upston says. This week (May 6 to 12) is New Zealand Sign Language (NZSL) Week. The theme is “an Aotearoa where anyone can sign anywhere” and aims to ...
Six tertiary students have been selected to work on NASA projects in the US through a New Zealand Space Scholarship, Space Minister Judith Collins announced today. “This is a fantastic opportunity for these talented students. They will undertake internships at NASA’s Ames Research Center or its Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), where ...
New Zealanders will be safer because of a $1.9 billion investment in more frontline Corrections officers, more support for offenders to turn away from crime, and more prison capacity, Corrections Minister Mark Mitchell says. “Our Government said we would crack down on crime. We promised to restore law and order, ...
The OECD’s latest report on New Zealand reinforces the importance of bringing Government spending under control, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The OECD conducts country surveys every two years to review its members’ economic policies. The 2024 New Zealand survey was presented in Wellington today by OECD Chief Economist Clare Lombardelli. ...
The Government has delivered on its election promise to provide a financially sustainable model for Auckland under its Local Water Done Well plan. The plan, which has been unanimously endorsed by Auckland Council’s Governing Body, will see Aucklanders avoid the previously projected 25.8 per cent water rates increases while retaining ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters discussed the need for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, and enhanced cooperation in the Pacific with German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock during her first official visit to New Zealand today. "New Zealand and Germany enjoy shared interests and values, including the rule of law, democracy, respect for the international system ...
The Minister Responsible for RMA Reform, Chris Bishop today released his decision on four recommendations referred to him by the Western Bay of Plenty District Council, opening the door to housing growth in the area. The Council’s Plan Change 92 allows more homes to be built in existing and new ...
Thank you, John McKinnon and the New Zealand China Council for the invitation to speak to you today. Thank you too, all members of the China Council. Your effort has played an essential role in helping to build, shape, and grow a balanced and resilient relationship between our two ...
The Government is modernising insurance law to better protect Kiwis and provide security in the event of a disaster, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly announced today. “These reforms are long overdue. New Zealand’s insurance law is complicated and dated, some of which is more than 100 years old. ...
The coalition Government is refreshing its approach to supporting pay equity claims as time-limited funding for the Pay Equity Taskforce comes to an end, Public Service Minister Nicola Willis says. “Three years ago, the then-government introduced changes to the Equal Pay Act to support pay equity bargaining. The changes were ...
Structured literacy will change the way New Zealand children learn to read - improving achievement and setting students up for success, Education Minister Erica Stanford says. “Being able to read and write is a fundamental life skill that too many young people are missing out on. Recent data shows that ...
Trade Minister Todd McClay says Canada’s refusal to comply in full with a CPTPP trade dispute ruling in our favour over dairy trade is cynical and New Zealand has no intention of backing down. Mr McClay said he has asked for urgent legal advice in respect of our ‘next move’ ...
The rights of our children and young people will be enhanced by changes the coalition Government will make to strengthen oversight of the Oranga Tamariki system, including restoring a single Children’s Commissioner. “The Government is committed to delivering better public services that care for our most at-risk young people and ...
The Government is making it easier for minor changes to be made to a building consent so building a home is easier and more affordable, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “The coalition Government is focused on making it easier and cheaper to build homes so we can ...
New Zealand lost a true legend when internationally renowned disability advocate Sir Robert Martin (KNZM) passed away at his home in Whanganui last night, Disabilities Issues Minister Louise Upston says. “Our Government’s thoughts are with his wife Lynda, family and community, those he has worked with, the disability community in ...
Good evening – Before discussing the challenges and opportunities facing New Zealand’s foreign policy, we’d like to first acknowledge the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs. You have contributed to debates about New Zealand foreign policy over a long period of time, and we thank you for hosting us. ...
From today, passengers travelling internationally from Auckland Airport will be able to keep laptops and liquids in their carry-on bags for security screening thanks to new technology, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Creating a more efficient and seamless travel experience is important for holidaymakers and businesses, enabling faster movement through ...
An Australian Strategic Policy Institute report says Pillar Two could raise the industry to state of the art capability - or "crush" it "under the weight of the globe's biggest player". ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Marlene Longbottom, Associate Professor, Indigenous Education & Research Centre, James Cook University ShutterstockThis article contains information on deaths in custody and the violence experienced by First Nations people in encounters with the Australian carceral system. It also contains references to ...
“Instead of following along countries that are investing in death and better ways of killing people faster, we need to invest in life and in making Aotearoa a fair, just and equitable place where everyone has what they need for a dignified life.” ...
MARIAMENO KAPA-KINGI, TPM MP FOR TAI TOKERAU This Government will not waver in its mission to exterminate Māori. CHRISTOPHER LUXON Oh well look you know I don’t think that hard-working Kiwis want to hear language like that. It’s just really unhelpful rhetoric. My Government is genuinely committed to advancing outcomes ...
The body positivity movement started with women confronting the unrealistic expectations and unrepresentative portrayals of them in media and advertising. Men weren’t part of it … their bodies hadn’t been sexualised to the same extremes and they didn’t really need it. But now that’s changed. And in a warped sort ...
The New Zealand comedy legend takes us through her life in television, including the time she hugged Elton John and the unshakeable legacy of a girl named Lyn. In 1981, Ginette McDonald stood on the stage of Auckland’s St James Theatre and directly addressed Queen Elizabeth II. It was a ...
An essay by Lily Duval from the just-released anthology Otherhood: Essays on being childless, childfree and child adjacent.I was 22 when my friend Alice gave birth in the living room of our pokey Addington flat. She laboured in the blow-up pool for hours. Garish fish swam along the inflated ...
Ella Borrie on the best books about motherhood she’s come across so far. Over the past few years I’ve been drawn to books about motherhood. I’m fascinated by the joys and horrors of becoming a parent. The question of children also feels more pressing than it used to. It’s like ...
Out of gift ideas for mum? You can’t go wrong with a bottle of toilet cleaner and a new squeegee. Emily Writes is the writer and editor of Emily Writes Weekly. This week marks five years since I published a post on The Spinoff about Mother’s Day marketing titled ‘A ...
My husband is posted overseas for 12 months and I’m armed with an expensive, newfangled vibrator. Will I miss him? The Sunday Essay is made possible thanks to the support of Creative New Zealand.A few days after my husband leaves, a new sex toy arrives at the front door. Nestled ...
Jaimie Baird’s new book Here Today Gone Tomorrow is a record of four decades of graffiti and street art in Wellington, told through more than 1,200 photographs. He spoke with Joel MacManus about what inspired the book. How did you first get interested in photographing street art? I remember ...
Editor Madeleine Chapman looks back at a busy week where food of all political leanings dominated. Sometimes you’re just going about your week thinking you’ve got a good handle on what might be coming as far as news topics and then someone (usually a politician) says something so ridiculous that ...
A banner notification alerts me to the fact that I’ve received an Instagram message from @felicity.loves. She always comments on my posts. I shouldn’t have opened the message, but clicked on the notification before rationalising this. OMG! Are you in Wellys? X I debate not replying, but Instagram will inform ...
In Melbourne’s hardscrabble western suburbs where AFL – Aussie rules football – is a state religion, Callum Donaldson has been quietly grafting away, four months into an odyssey that he hopes will take him to another promised land: the NRL. It was a solid 2023 for the softly spoken 20-year-old ...
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Bikes and babies 🙂
https://www.stuff.co.nz/life-style/parenting/baby/125276498/green-mp-julie-anne-genter-pregnant-with-second-child-you-have-kids-out-of-love
Busy
https://twitter.com/WomenInUrbanism/status/1398837018604425219
If would be funny but as traffic flows are what they are to see a bunch of selfish liberals think of their agenda at the cost to the many. To want a lane closed and set up barriers for a trial for a very few cyclists to take over a lane especially when the bridge during peak flows is already inadequate. Circle 5 kms either side of the bridge at guess how few cyclists travel between the circle weekdays.
sure the next crossing include this for the selescted few who would utilise this. But not the current crossing.
where is the business case to support this ??
Ps hope all goes well for JAG pregency
Do humans need a ‘business case’ for having babies? Not all impacts can and should be limited and reduced to simple dollar terms; this is where our current economic ideologies are counter-productive [no pun]. Ironically, today the report from the Climate Change Commission will be presented today. What will the ‘business case’ be, I wonder …
Ffs sake relax. I was taking about the bikes and bridges.
Chill. Exactly! You were talking about material stuff only. Just as well Government didn’t wait for Treasury or the RBNZ to prepare a ‘business case’ when it had to act last year. Maybe lives are more important than a ‘business case’? Neo-liberal thinking is so reductionist, short-termist, selfish, and shallow; makes for a good ‘business case’, doesn’t it?
Bikes and babies. A great way of spreading schmaltz on a serious economic and structural problem. Great middle class self-interest combining with future-needed requirements it seems to me. The women can rise for bikes and the environment, but are they there for poor mothers struggling for better conditions trying to balance babies and work and shelter and despair?
If women do have finer feelings and compassion for those women needing help in their community and wider society, it would be seen in great mass shows of concern and solidarity for the strugglers as noticeable and determined as for bike use. But bikes are now the sacred objects to be worshipped and nice people ride them; often rather unpleasant mothers battle with social problems and a dead-centred welfare system, they are not like nice middle-class people, not 'one of us'.
As with all major crises, the poor are always hardest hit. Climate Change will be no different and possibly worse than anything before.
A perfectly timed signal for the release of the Climate Commission roadmap to the government today.
Also nice to see a sitting government MP do a bit of gentle civil disobedience to push a policy point.
I wonder if Ms Genter considered the effect on the climate of her actions?
How embarrassing if a recommendation in the Climate Commission Report says we should reduce our use of Air Travel?
I understand she lives in Wellington. She would appear to have made a return trip from Wellington to Auckland, almost certainly by plane and at taxpayer expense to take part in this exercise. How much CO2 would this have generated?
Shouldn't someone who purports to care about the effect of mankind on the climate reduce her travel to whatever is really necessary?
It is called off-setting (AKA compensating) and doing her job as Green MP.
Stop you concern trolling with your disingenuous accusations of hypocrisy; a sure sign that you have nothing better than pathetic snide remarks.
Offsetting, is that the thing were rich tossers sooth their conscience by fucking rural communities with their pines while kicking the cc can down the rd, ??
Some folk use that ‘definition’, because it suits them.
Some folk like to lie to them selves,
12.15pm
So the Greens can litter & pollute because they are the greens ? I might join the Greens !! This offset sounds like a great idea.
With such a profound misunderstanding I’d suggest ACT might be a better fit for you or else, National.
Just curious alwyn – do you care about "the effect of mankind on the climate"?
This seems to be a bit of a bugbear for you. First Thunberg, now Genter.
Some MPs are simultaneously servile and self-serving – Genter is neither, imho.
"Shouldn't someone who purports to care about the effect of mankind on the climate reduce her travel to whatever is really necessary?"
Necessary for what?
Ouch! Don't think there'll be any Pink Floyd music at the TYT offices for a while
One of the few rock stars who actually has an intelligent opinion about anything is Roger Waters. He's just brought the hammer down on some especially obnoxious and foolish Russiagaters…
Yea, big thumbs up.
Roger Waters is great–he must really piss off a number of people.
He inspires many more. The people he "pisses off" do not represent anything like a significant number; they know that as well as we do. Fevered denunciation and smearing, like Ana Kasparian and Mr. Uygur reflexively do in this clip, are all they have to offer.
Hi Morrissey, don't know if you saw this from Matt Taibbi?, it is of course a very very long list…
Master List Of Official Russia Claims That Proved To Be Bogus
https://taibbi.substack.com/p/aaugh-a-brief-list-of-official-russia
This was also worth watching…
Russiagate target Kilimnik speaks out on 'spy' claims, Trump-Russia conspiracy theories
Yes, I saw that thanks Adrian. Wonder if Jesse Mulligan or Kim Hill or Kathryn Ryan will interview Matt Taibbi or Aaron Maté or Max Blumenthal some time in the near future. Or are they going to stick with the likes of Jonathan Freedland , Anne Applebaum and Alistair Campbell?
Bryce Edwards is simply using this piece as a stalking horse to launder far right talking points around "free speech” into mainstream discourse.
The clear implication that "the left" is responsible for the culture wars is nonsense. The origin of the culture wars lies in the political realignment of poor whites in the US South from the early sixties on as a reaction to the civil rights movement.
Of course, if you are a shill of the right it suits to project blame onto someone else if your desire is for a culture war on "free speech" as a distraction from the fact you have no answers to the multiple crises of modern zombie capitalism, and have given up even pretending to have any answers.
Edwards is not stupid, yet he continually – and deliberately in my opinion – continues to conflate "liberal" with the left. His out for this is to simply create a strawman – the "contemporary left" – on whose swinging corpse he can then hang various placards proclaiming it's guilt. His arguments may have held some water twenty years ago, describing what is best called Blairite/Clinton centrism which tarted itself up in the raiments of the left by hijacking it's primary political vehicles across the west. But like many academics in a ivory towers of what are fundamentally neoliberal in funding and outlook organisations his thinking has atrophied. That boat cast off with the GFC, with the collapse of centrism (as evidenced by the Pasokification of social democratic 'centrist" parties across Europe) indicating the left long ago parted ways with the sort of centrist liberal politics he accuses it of.
The truth of the matter is the right is formenting a distraction in the form of a culture war on the nebulous grounds of free speech and in order to get it it needs it's useful idiots in neoliberal academic organs to provide an intellectual framework.
The left can spend it's time much more profitably than debating these sterile, worn out arguments by seeking to own the future with practical solutions to todays and tomorrows issues.
[TheStandard: A moderator moved this comment to Open Mike as being off topic or irrelevant in the post it was made in. Be more careful in future.]
[I specifically said not to attack the author. Three day ban for wasting my moderator time and creating a hostile environment for the people who put up content. – weka]
You’re lucky I didn’t see the second comment, now in trash. Making a note in the backend for future reference. Count this as a second warning about ignoring moderation directions.
Sanctuary – I agree with your view entirely, the only view I've seen that states the right wing as responsible for our wokeness problem. It's just more division strategy from the neo liberal conservatives but it's not really working for them. I as a leftie don't have the slightest problem with it. Well said mate. I don't understand the moderation notes?
Did you read the post? There’s a note at the top saying debate the issues raised, don’t attack the author. It’s longstanding policy to not attack authors because getting posts up on TS is more important than commenters having wee anti author rants instead of engaging in debate. Sanctuary knows this. The blatant disrespect fir moderation is part of the ban.
had Sanctuary’s comment been made without the author attack it would still be under the original post and they wouldn’t have been banned.
I had to read the post before I could agree with it, yes? I note that a few other commenters have possibly attacked the author, although I wouldn't rate any of them (including Sanctuary) as attacks IMHO. This is not an attack on you and thanks for your input.
You said you didn’t understand the mod notes. I asked if you read the post because it clearly explains the boundaries at the top.
no one has to agree with posts. They do have to abide by moderation. I’m guessing you didn’t see Sanctuary’s second comment. They were basically trolling at that point.
I’ve got years of writing and moderation at TS as well as cross posting and encouraging new authors. I’ve been listening to writers say what’s hard about writing here. I have a pretty good idea of what is needed for robust debate and it isn’t long termers ignoring the rules of the site and doing whatever the hell they like.
calling an author a shill is an attack, as an example, and it’s a specious form of debate and it derails. Author attacks are designed to undermine the person, that’s bulkshit tactics.
One of the reasons I put the post up is because I want the left to take a long hard look at itself and go back to debating the issues. Apparently that’s too hard.
That kind of commenting also opens the way for other people to make defamatory comments which puts the site owners at risk.
What is Pasokification?
The decline of left and centre left parties in Europe, see:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pasokification
@Sanctuary
"Edwards is not stupid, yet he continually – and deliberately in my opinion – continues to conflate "liberal" with the left"
This is THE major problem of the Left today..ie separating with extreme prejudice who and what are the Left in most people’s minds from who and what are the Centrist Liberals.
One of my sons is at Uni at the moment and even there they don’t make this critical distinction..except it seems when it suits the arguments of the status quo.
Sorry to see you got kicked off…seems a bit harsh.
Adrian, I feel many in the left drive this wedge themselves.
I always consider myself to be centralist economically, but definitely left socially. That position is based on my life experiences and observations. I have encountered many small business owners being the same.
Many times on TS (and in everyday life) i encounter many in the left that cannot see this is not a contradiction (necessarily) and just hurl personal abuse if one isn't 100% 'left', instead of accepting that a centralist-leftist has significant overlaps with the majority of the left.
I probably have not explained that well, but that's how I feel.
Still waiting for that link Peter ChCh.
What link? I explained very patiently and carefully. I cannot do more than that. if you lack the experience, knowledge or are just so plain pig headed to understand something which is very basic then I really cannot help you.
This was two days ago. FFS. MOVE ON. THIS IS HARRESSMENT.
MODERATORS PLEASE NOTE. ‘NZ Perverse economy. This poster Louis is WAY out of line.
It was yesterday. You were asked to provide a link to support your claim of "repeated lies"
You said it Peter ChCh “Clark repeatedly lied to the media before finally coming clean and apologising for his lies”
Put up a link
You dogged and abused me on Saturday, I assume that is what you are still dogging and abusing me about today?
You really need a life Louis
Not Saturday, it was yesterday.
No need to be obtuse Peter Chch. You cant back up your claim that “Clark repeatedly lied to the media before finally coming clean and apologising for his lies”
You have done what you accused Clark of doing, you lied.
Feeling vulnerable over your ‘Clark hit job’? The pushback is fair, imho.
"Unbelievable" indeed.
That is all factual (ok, 'under his bed' was his displayed mindset rather than fact).
I think you will find most Kiwis (left or right) have little but contempt for Clark.
And no, not feeling vulnerable in any shape or form whatsoever. Just tired of the type of endless crap I got from Louis on Saturday.
Already put up a link date stamped the 30th which was Sunday. You don't speak for most Kiwis PeterChch and will remind you that Clark won his seat convincingly last year so obviously its not as you described. Besides, you have been caught out telling porkies. Very hypocritical of you.
This is the start of it. It progressed to the stage where he admitted he lied. It was well reported at the time but this sets the scene.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/leaked-email-contradicts-health-ministers-claim-that-he-was-briefed-about-only-one-leaky-building-at-middlemore/QVFU6ELYYYX2HARGO3QW4SEE5M/
MODERATORS
Please note these continual personal attack from this idiot Louis. I put up with this idiot on Saturday with personal abuse. Still at it. Calling someone a lier with no grounds, on top of the endless shit I endured from this cretin on Saturday is not unacceptable!
Yesterday 30th, I asked you for a link to back up your claims, even Incognito said to you "You should still provide a link about all those lies by Clark to the media, thanks"
Take note of the date
https://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-30-05-2021/#comment-1795498
Doesn't back you up
"Clark says he has already received an apology from acting board chairman Rabin Rabindran for not mentioning the extent of the problem – which supports Clark's version of what he was and wasn't told on March 13"
No link for that claim Louis.
I can see you intend this to be a repeat of your Saturday crap. I will not reply to you anymore.
'Never argue with an idiot. They will drag you down to their level and beat you with experience'. (Mark Twain)
[watching this thread, hoping I don’t need to become involved, which was forlorn hope 🙁
You made the assertion, you need to provide a link or withdraw and apologise.
I’ve put you in Pre-Moderation for now in anticipation of your response – Incognito]
The quote is from your link that you posted and it doesn't back up your false claims. Why you persist in lying and digging an even greater hole for yourself PeterChCh, is anyone's guess.
See my Moderation note @ 1:09 pm.
…just a thought…from what you are saying….you are not Left socially…you are Liberal Socially…the Leftist position is based and revolves around Economic Theory.
+1 Sanctuary
+10 Louis
Mod note for you.
The report on Climate Change is due out today.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/morningreport/audio/2018797656/climate-change-commission-to-present-final-report
We may have to wait (up to) 2 weeks to find out whats in it it seems
Oh no! That’s how they bury sensitive reports; in two weeks, we’ll have forgotten about it
Labour have until the end of the year to accept the recommendations or present their own plan. Crunch time
That’s a very long to wait for release of the full report to the public!
The report needs to be table in Parliament within two weeks so will then be publicly available.
Ta
End of year is what happens next.
"The independent advice was handed to the Minister today (Monday 31 May). The Commission will publish the advice on its website next Wednesday (9 June) once it has been tabled by the Minister."
https://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/SC2105/S00074/climate-change-commissions-final-advice-delivered-to-government.htm
When hearing about plans to build a tunnel from Auckland city to North Shore I think about our earthquake potential in NZ. A recent study on earthquake preparedness there contains this:
Eruptions in the Auckland volcanic field happen in a new location each time – rather than from one of the 53 existing cones and lakes – and they could be anywhere on land or in the sea. https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/443704/study-assesses-evacuation-window-for-aucklanders-in-volcanic-eruption
And it doesn't mention the huge cost of such a tunnel if we take it on though we are in a fast-fading economy. When we run out of houses to sell, we will have to sell ourselves in new ways, just to survive. The cost of a tunnel may be amortised over many decades, but if our economy declines we will be left with an enforceable debt as the financial institutions don't go in for compassionate jubilees for debt.* No, nay, never, anyway probably not now in Our Brave New World.
* The tendency for debts to grow faster than the population's ability to pay has been a basic constant throughout all recorded history. … The concept of a debt jubilee is not new. It dates back to biblical times and the Book of Leviticus where the Hebrews would every 50 years free slaves, prisoners and forgive debts.16/04/2012
Debt Jubilee for New Zealand – The Great Reset | Scoop News
https://www.scoop.co.nz › Top Scoops
Fascinating – kea may be more intelligent than we are – by applying their brain to achieve rational results that benefit them. We seem to believe in SEP – someone will rescue us from the horns of our dilemmas! Ouch! Old news piece from last year, still worth reading.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/410887/study-on-kea-notes-unprecedented-smart-behaviour Mar.4/20
In a paper published today in Nature Communications, University of Auckland experts found the birds can judge statistical odds in a way only ever seen before in infants and great apes.
In a range of tests at the Willowbank Wildlife Reserve in Christchurch, kea worked out that choosing a particular coloured token always led to a food reward, and even managed to learn which of their rangers was most likely to pick the token they wanted.
Study co-author Alex Taylor, a psychologist who studies intelligence in animals and birds, said the behaviour they saw was unprecedented in birds.
But this is hard to beat – the Japanese crow and the traffic nut cracker and light service.
The mundane reality of one transperson's life.
https://twitter.com/postingdad/status/1399085081130532868
Nice one. We definitely need more normalising stories.
yet, the politics.
so how do we do this then? I’d be happy to talk about women’s sex based rights and not talk about trans issues, but it’s really hard to do. I had a fair crack with the census post I wrote. But when left wing men are now taking the position that women don’t get to define their own politics and thus their lives, how is that different than what he is talking about in that post?
I've not seen a convincing explanation yet about why rights would be described as 'sex-based' rather than 'gender-based'.
The debate isn’t sex based vs gender based rights. It’s existing sex based rights *and gender based rights vs removing sex based rights and replacing with only gender based rights.
Do you have a link about 'sex based' rights that is not just talking about gender-based ones? ie: it is about 'females' rather than 'women'. Doesn't sound like any UN Conventions I know of.
Not really my area at the international level, but I've seen GCFs talking about CEDAW as being sex based. A quick google found this,
https://www.ohchr.org/en/professionalinterest/pages/cedaw.aspx
I'm more familiar with the debate in the UK, where law gives rights to people who transition, and retains rights for women based on sex to the exclusion of males (including trans women) where necessary. Trans lobbyists like Mermaids have been trying to get this removed.
https://legalfeminist.org.uk/2021/03/13/sex-based-rights-a-remedy-to-sex-based-wrongs/
Important to also understand that the word gender is often used to mean sex, especially historically.
Another useful case to look at is in Canada where the Human Rights Tribunal ruled against a pre-op trans woman who was insisting that estheticians waxed their genitals.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/transgender-woman-human-rights-waxing-1.5330807
Almost none of the Canadian mainstream media would cover the case while it was ongoing, such has been the success of the 'no debate' lobby. It was covered by some conservative media eg The Post Millennial. This is part of why left wing GCFs get called right wing, but where these were the only outlets available (there are also right wing GC people). GCFs went to the tribunal hearings and live tweeted them, which is how GCFs knew what was going on when the rest of the left was clueless. What this has meant is that most of the left don't actually know what the issues are.
Despite having 'Women' in its name.
yes. Most people believe that woman is a word used to mean biologically female.
Most women were happy to share that word with trans women up to the point that women's rights were put at risk.
eg you know exactly what I mean by the use of 'women's' in that second sentence.
That UK link you provided is relying on conflating 'male' with 'men' and 'female' with 'women' throughout.
Perhaps it is men that CGFs could usefully exclude without confusing things – otherwise I can easily see transmen being entitled to be in women's spaces (not that I think they would seek to be). Unless it is penises that are somehow the problem, which seems overblown?
"That UK link you provided is relying on conflating 'male' with 'men' and 'female' with 'women' throughout."
That seems to be what the Canadian case was mostly about. Though the court seemed to agree that not waxing a 'womans' penis wasn't discriminatory, (though the plantifs litigation may have been).
I don't think so, it's not conflation, it's normal use of language. Most English speakers understand that men = male and vice versa. And it's clear in the context. I'd certainly expect Labour MPs to read and and be able to understand it.
It's males that are generally the problem. Sometimes they get called male, sometimes they get called men. This is one very good reason to talk about women and trans women, and men and trans men, rather than conflating the two. It's not GCFs that are confusing things.
do you honestly believe that women who have been raped should have to share space with people of whatever gender identity who are male bodied with genitals intact? Share a bedroom in a refuge with a man identifying as a woman? Share a changing room?
There's the Staniland Question:
Interesting use of the word 'though' there Nic.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/ninetonoon/audio/2018797194/peter-singer-freedom-of-expression-and-cancel-culture
Re above link and Singer. Consequentialist….
As a consequentialist and a utilitarian, Singer believes there are no such hard and fast rules.
"A consequentialist believes that whether an act is right or wrong depends on its consequences. So it's not just a matter of saying 'Here's a moral rule, you must never break it no matter what'. For a consequentialist, this 'no matter what' doesn't apply because there may be some circumstances in which a rule you never normally should break you should break because there'd be very bad consequences if you adhere to the rule.
The utilitarian part of it is 'what do you mean by good consequences?' and utilitarians say 'What I mean is something that reduces the amount of suffering in the world or increases the amount of happiness in the world'. We're basically talking about the well-being of people and non-human animals.
"We should be able to say 'yes it may cause some harm to some people but it's important for us to have free debate to find out what are the right views and what are the best policies for dealing with these issues?'"
Freedom of speech should not extend to protecting people's right to hate speech or any malicious incitement of violence, he says….
7th August 2021 7-9.45pm The Trusts Arena, Henderson – Singer will be speaking. $70 up. Funds to alleviate global poverty.
https://events.humanitix.co.nz/peter-singer-auckland
More info: https://thinkinc.org.au/events/singer/?
Funny how it's always the same social groups his 'debate' causes harm to. And how his need to hear his own voice reliably outweighs that.
I don’t follow PS, or anybody, for that matter, but he does seem to appear in NZ media more than occasionally …
What groups (plural) are singled out and ‘victimised’ by his debates and do you think this is deliberate and intentional? Seems a bit of a contradiction to the PR around his visit and journal!?
Have a quick look at his public work on disability and infanticide
In his book Practical Ethics, Singer argues the case for selective infanticide. He deems it unfair that "At present parents can choose to keep or destroy their disabled offspring only if the disability happens to be detected during pregnancy.14/08/2012
The case against Peter Singer – ABC News
It would prevent this:
A woman in her 20s living with quadriplegia and unable to talk suffered "extensive blister burns" from urine after a nurse neglected her care for 12 hours.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/woman-in-20s-with-quadriplegia-suffers-blister-burns-due-to-lack-of-care/WAKF4IF74DO4GMP6BBBSETZEEY/
And that money and 24/7 care for someone who has no hope of a life could go to other needy disabled people like these:
https://www.tvnz.co.nz/one-news/new-zealand/woman-paralysed-in-horse-fall-takes-fight-over-closure-auckland-rehab-centre-parliament
It comes after hundreds of disabled people protested outside of Epsom’s Laura Fergusson Trust rehabilitation centre over the weekend.
The centre provided rehabilitation for young people with disabilities to escape the confines of their homes in the company of others their age.
But it closed last year, claiming it was short of funds, leaving those depending on its services devastated.
However, Associate Minister of Health Ayesha Verrall told the House that financial support was offered to Laura Fergusson Trust.
“No discussion was able to be entered into, because the trust informed the Ministry of Health that its decision was final,” Verrall said.
It seems impossible for people to make the reasoned moral judgments that must be made if we are to have any moral judgments at all. It is likely that the PTB will harden, throw their hands up in the air and say the matter is beyond them, and those who are unhappy can get some funds and carry out their own nursing and caring. But then, that is already happening and it will become more burdensome as help is lessened and people are unwilling to face their situation.
I'm always leery of comments about someone else having "no hope of a life" especially when based on perceived quality of life (rather than whether the body is in a condition consistent with the continuation of life). It tends to be a rather subjective assessment.
Now, personally, most babies only a few months old are largely uninteresting and unimpressive, especially prems. But there are two main differences between a born baby and pregnancy: they don't rely on someone else's body to live (by and large), and the birth delineation is a convenient ledge on an otherwise slippery slope.
The other less logical difference is "what sort of person makes a clinical decision to actively kill a baby that would otherwise live with only normal feeding and suchlike? I mean, scalpel? Drug injection? Seriously, wtf?"
I get palliative care for a baby that just has too much going on to survive, but Singer's idea seems to be actively deciding for another person that their quality of life is so unbearable they should die. The bit that the euthenasia act doesn't allow ("be competent to make an informed decision about assisted dying.").
Ah. So. The Gospel according to Greywarshark seems to state that killing a disabled baby is the bestest way of preventing abuse and neglect of that baby by a caregiver in the future.
AND, the $$$ that were being paid for that shitty care would have been better spent on those disabled folk with at least some hope of rehabilitation. Like the young woman tragically made a quadriplegic after a horse riding accident.
Here endeth the moral lessons from Greywarshark for today.
(Oh, a quadriplegic sitting in his chair to my right has a few choice words on this…but good manners prevent me passing them on.)
It's also laughable (bleakly) that 'freed up' funding would go to other disabled people.
Is that you Michael Laws?
Spouting your eugenicist shit from behind a coward's pseudonym?
Snort, that's funny.
Just a gentle reminder that pseudonyms are an important part of the culture here and for good reasons.
Happy to take a gentle knuckle- rapping weka.
I have no issue at all with those who comment anonymously who are respectful and engage in good faith.
Although occasionally I do wonder exactly what reputation or position some other anonymous commentators are trying to protect.
Someone who claims the moral, reasoned high ground in advocating for the killing of disabled babies who have "no life" (and adds in an extra societal benefit in that the saved dollars can go towards supporting the clearly more worthy injured) must surely have spine enough to put their actual name and face to their views.
Nine years ago this writer (i.e., moi) engaged in an epistolary exchange with Laws. His views were exactly as you describe: eugenicist….
https://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-22022012/#comment-439366
Those straight utilitarians are just a pain in the ass. They have so much in common with the more scientifically bogus parts of New Public Management theory in terms of inputs and outputs being applied to social outcomes.
Funny you should say that: I had another convo here today about ‘business cases’ in the context of bikes & babies.
QUESTION: What's the difference between Bryce Edwards and Brian Edwards?
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ANSWER: Bryce Edwards has not banned this writer (i.e., moi) from his blog for life.
[TheStandard: A moderator moved this comment to Open Mike as being off topic or irrelevant in the post it was made in. Be more careful in future.]
How to turn attention away to a non-entity that is infinitesimally irrelevant (i.e. toi)!! Why don’t you start your own YT channel or a blog?
RNZ just announced Nick Smith is retiring June 10th.
Who’s next on the list, Max?
Umm, Max?
Smith is going now that we have found out about something he regrets and apologised for. Integrity much?
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/443742/national-mp-nick-smith-to-retire-from-parliament
It was only a matter of time until he blew a gasket.
You know Max, don’t you? He doesn’t register in the polls yet but his daddy still does. National can do with an aspiring DJ because JC makes awful scratchy noises, like an old broken LP on a wonky turntable.
Ahh, that was the second guess but I was stuck with Bradford.
Oh no, that Max is older even than unlicensed Tim!
I don't think National has any other qualified engineers on their team.
He did plenty of good stuff for Conservation.
He did plenty of good stuff for Conservation.
????!!?!?!?!?
The people who care about water pollution don't think so.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/assets/news_crops/41536/eight_col_20170904_083133.jpg?1504474292
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/horse-manure-sculpture-of-environment-minister-nick-smith-moves-to-nelson/72CA7IK4SCNOU34ECGEZLRNY5Q/
Thanks for that Morrissey – very good likeness of Nick Smith from the front anyway.
Harete Hipango, according to the Herald. Talk about turning good news into bad news.
Ticks a lot of boxes as a potential future deputy to Nat leader Luxon.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harete_Hipango
Not talented enough to challenge for the role herself, you mean?
Not our Harete.
Well he certainly wont be missed. In fact will Parliament even notice when he's gone?
Yes!! I clapped. Cinny would have been pleased.
I resisted the term Dr Custard…
Dr Custard doesn’t cut the mustard.
Odd. A Radionz interview between Jesse Mulligan and Fed Farmers David Clark cannot be accessed as audio on Live Canterbury Flooding owing to 'copyright restrictions'.
A Radionz piece can't be repeated on another RNZ piece for copyright restrictions to whom? Is Radionz fragmenting and selling off pieces of itself to the National Radio listeners disadvantage? Is it dividing into units with each one making sufficient money to meet a target?
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/443699/live-canterbury-flooding-updates-bridges-collapse-hundreds-of-homes-evacuated
https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/afternoons/audio/2018797701/update-on-flooding-in-mid-cantebury
The National Party placemen on the RNZ board are intent on ruining the public broadcaster. They almost managed to abolish Concert FM last year.
Unfortunately, as he showed during that debacle, the present minister does not appear to have any grasp on his job.
"The National Party placemen on the RNZ board".
That is a fascinating theory but what do you base it on? There are 8 members on the Board. Only 2 of them were appointed by the then National Government. They were in December 2015 and September 2017.
The other 6 were all appointed after that date. In other words 6 of the 8, including the Chairman, were appointed by a Labour led Government. You are pretty desperate if you really think that 2 people can order the Board around aren't you?
Now what do you base your claim on?
Usually means the audio contains copyrighted music.
Lose Yourself?
Pretty often
Don’t worry, be happy.
Even happier Nick Smith has resigned citing employment issues being leaked to the Media tomorrow.
Why on Earth does that make you happy? Why not smoke a joint?
Leaked?
I suppose that a leak was inevitable. With the matter, whatever it is, being passed on tt at least Hipkins and Mallard under the "No surprises" policy it would only be a matter of when, not if, it was leaked I would surmise.
It is of course time that Smith retired. He has been in the House since 1990 and that is certainly long enough for anyone. It is just a pity that Mallard doesn't go out the door with him. He has been there since 1984 after all. He really ought to be cast out into the outer darkness shouldn't he? Surely there is some senior figure in the Labour Party who can take heed of Eliot's words and ask "Who will rid me of this turbulent prat"
Then Trevor and Nick could be put out to pasture together. Let them spend their remaining time in the sunshine, even if they are really old bulls suitable only for the knacker's yard.
alwyn, why are you trying to blame Hipkins and Mallard? How does it have anything to do with them? In 3 and half years in government Labour haven't leaked a thing about National, so how do you know it wasn't someone within the National party? after all, doesn't National have form in that regard?
" In 3 and half years in government Labour haven't leaked a thing about National".
Ah what blissful belief in the purity of your chosen party. You don't really believe that do you? I mean seriously think that the Labour MPs are truly that saintly. The only way I would think your statement could be true would be if you extend to the whole group of MPs Helen Clark's immortal claim. " "It is a matter of judgment for the Prime Minister how I use information from official reports; by definition I cannot leak.".
Alwyn, can you move this beyond what you believe? I agree it seems unlikely that, since winning the 2017 general election, Labour hasn't leaked anything about National, but (in the absence of evidence), it could be true – no?
Opposition National party people are sooo leaky; their 'leak prowess' is now the stuff of legend – yes Merv, I'm looking at you. What’s a ‘Labour leaker’ to do?
But it was, and probably still is, an article of faith for most of the contributors to this blog that John Key was an inveterate liar.
Are you now suggesting that John Key doesn't lie, or at least sometimes doesn't lie? BLIP will not be pleased. How can we tell the difference?
Alwyn, not sure how you got:
from Sir (Honest) John Key's 2020 imperative "If you can't quit leaking, quit the [National] party".
Reckon it would be difficult to lie about everything; even inveterate liars can sometimes tell the truth – maybe this was such an occasion.
Btw, while you may consider inveterate' to be an appropriate descriptor of this particular 'Key habit', I would prefer 'shameless' – works for
methee.But I've gone off topic:
There must be at least one documented example – how difficult can it be?
Its not about Helen Clark though. Its been Jacinda's policy since coming into government that whatever involves the National party it's their business and despite media efforts to draw commentary from the PM Et al in her government they dont leak and neither do they put the boot in. Just because National are inclined to do it doesn't mean every other party does. The Greens don't do it either.
As usual, you’re all over the place, diverting, dodging, denying, but never answering the question with a straight answer. You, Sir, are not debating here, you are trolling again.