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.
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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In our Weekly Roundup last week we covered news from Auckland Transport that the WX1 Western Express is going to get an upgrade next year with double decker electric buses. As part of the announcement, AT also said “Since we introduced the WX1 Western Express last November we have seen ...
TL;DR: The six key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to April 29 include:PM Christopher Luxon is scheduled to hold a post-Cabinet news conference at 4 pm today. Stats NZ releases its statutory report on Census 2023 tomorrow.Finance Minister Nicola Willis delivers a pre-Budget speech at ...
A listing of 29 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, April 14, 2024 thru Sat, April 20, 2024. Story of the week Our story of the week hinges on these words from the abstract of a fresh academic ...
The ability of the private sector to quickly establish major new projects making use of the urban and natural environment is to be supercharged by the new National-led Government. Yesterday it introduced to Parliament one of its most significant reforms, the Fast Track Approvals Bill. The Government says this will ...
This is a column to say thank you. So many of have been in touch since Mum died to say so many kind and thoughtful things. You’re wonderful, all of you. You’ve asked how we’re doing, how Dad’s doing. A little more realisation each day, of the irretrievable finality of ...
Identifying the engine type in your car is crucial for various reasons, including maintenance, repairs, and performance upgrades. Knowing the specific engine model allows you to access detailed technical information, locate compatible parts, and make informed decisions about modifications. This comprehensive guide will provide you with a step-by-step approach to ...
Introduction: The allure of racing is undeniable. The thrill of speed, the roar of engines, and the exhilaration of competition all contribute to the allure of this adrenaline-driven sport. For those who yearn to experience the pinnacle of racing, becoming a race car driver is the ultimate dream. However, the ...
Introduction Automobiles have become ubiquitous in modern society, serving as a primary mode of transportation and a symbol of economic growth and personal mobility. With countless vehicles traversing roads and highways worldwide, it begs the question: how many cars are there in the world? Determining the precise number is a ...
Maintaining a safe and reliable vehicle requires regular inspections. Whether it’s a routine maintenance checkup or a safety inspection, knowing how long the process will take can help you plan your day accordingly. This article delves into the factors that influence the duration of a car inspection and provides an ...
Mazda Motor Corporation, commonly known as Mazda, is a Japanese multinational automaker headquartered in Fuchu, Aki District, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan. The company was founded in 1920 as the Toyo Cork Kogyo Co., Ltd., and began producing vehicles in 1931. Mazda is primarily known for its production of passenger cars, but ...
Your car battery is an essential component that provides power to start your engine, operate your electrical systems, and store energy. Over time, batteries can weaken and lose their ability to hold a charge, which can lead to starting problems, power failures, and other issues. Replacing your battery before it ...
In most states, you cannot register a car without a valid driver’s license. However, there are a few exceptions to this rule. Exceptions to the RuleIf you are under 18 years old: In some states, you can register a car in your name even if you do not ...
Mazda, a Japanese automotive manufacturer with a rich history of innovation and engineering excellence, has emerged as a formidable player in the global car market. Known for its reputation of producing high-quality, fuel-efficient, and driver-oriented vehicles, Mazda has consistently garnered praise from industry experts and consumers alike. In this article, ...
Struts are an essential part of a car’s suspension system. They are responsible for supporting the weight of the car and damping the oscillations of the springs. Struts are typically made of steel or aluminum and are filled with hydraulic fluid. How Do Struts Work? Struts work by transferring the ...
Car registration is a mandatory process that all vehicle owners must complete annually. This process involves registering your car with the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) and paying an associated fee. The registration process ensures that your vehicle is properly licensed and insured, and helps law enforcement and other authorities ...
Zoom is a video conferencing service that allows you to share your screen, webcam, and audio with other participants. In addition to sharing your own audio, you can also share the audio from your computer with other participants. This can be useful for playing music, sharing presentations with audio, or ...
Building your own computer can be a rewarding and cost-effective way to get a high-performance machine tailored to your specific needs. However, it also requires careful planning and execution, and one of the most important factors to consider is the time it will take. The exact time it takes to ...
Sleep mode is a power-saving state that allows your computer to quickly resume operation without having to boot up from scratch. This can be useful if you need to step away from your computer for a short period of time but don’t want to shut it down completely. There are ...
Introduction Computer-Assisted Translation (CAT) has revolutionized the field of translation by harnessing the power of technology to assist human translators in their work. This innovative approach combines specialized software with human expertise to improve the efficiency, accuracy, and consistency of translations. In this comprehensive article, we will delve into the ...
In today’s digital age, mobile devices have become an indispensable part of our daily lives. Among the vast array of portable computing options available, iPads and tablet computers stand out as two prominent contenders. While both offer similar functionalities, there are subtle yet significant differences between these two devices. This ...
A computer is an electronic device that can be programmed to carry out a set of instructions. The basic components of a computer are the processor, memory, storage, input devices, and output devices. The Processor The processor, also known as the central processing unit (CPU), is the brain of the ...
Voice Memos is a convenient app on your iPhone that allows you to quickly record and store audio snippets. These recordings can be useful for a variety of purposes, such as taking notes, capturing ideas, or recording interviews. While you can listen to your voice memos on your iPhone, you ...
Laptop screens are essential for interacting with our devices and accessing information. However, when lines appear on the screen, it can be frustrating and disrupt productivity. Understanding the underlying causes of these lines is crucial for finding effective solutions. Types of Screen Lines Horizontal lines: Also known as scan ...
Right-clicking is a common and essential computer operation that allows users to access additional options and settings. While most desktop computers have dedicated right-click buttons on their mice, laptops often do not have these buttons due to space limitations. This article will provide a comprehensive guide on how to right-click ...
Powering up and shutting down your ASUS laptop is an essential task for any laptop user. Locating the power button can sometimes be a hassle, especially if you’re new to ASUS laptops. This article will provide a comprehensive guide on where to find the power button on different ASUS laptop ...
Dell laptops are renowned for their reliability, performance, and versatility. Whether you’re a student, a professional, or just someone who needs a reliable computing device, a Dell laptop can meet your needs. However, if you’re new to Dell laptops, you may be wondering how to get started. In this comprehensive ...
Two-thirds of the country think that “New Zealand’s economy is rigged to advantage the rich and powerful”. They also believe that “New Zealand needs a strong leader to take the country back from the rich and powerful”. These are just two of a handful of stunning new survey results released ...
In today’s digital world, screenshots have become an indispensable tool for communication and documentation. Whether you need to capture an important email, preserve a website page, or share an error message, screenshots allow you to quickly and easily preserve digital information. If you’re an Asus laptop user, there are several ...
A factory reset restores your Gateway laptop to its original factory settings, erasing all data, apps, and personalizations. This can be necessary to resolve software issues, remove viruses, or prepare your laptop for sale or transfer. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to factory reset your Gateway laptop: Method 1: ...
“You talking about me?”The neoliberal denigration of the past was nowhere more unrelenting than in its depiction of the public service. The Post Office and the Railways were held up as being both irremediably inefficient and scandalously over-manned. Playwright Roger Hall’s “Glide Time” caricatures were presented as accurate depictions of ...
Roger Partridge writes – When the Coalition Government took office last October, it inherited a country on a precipice. With persistent inflation, decades of insipid productivity growth and crises in healthcare, education, housing and law and order, it is no exaggeration to suggest New Zealand’s first-world status was ...
Rob MacCulloch writes – In 2022, the Curriculum Centre at the Ministry of Education employed 308 staff, according to an Official Information Request. Earlier this week it was announced 202 of those staff were being cut. When you look up “The New Zealand Curriculum” on the Ministry of ...
Chris Bishop’s bill has stirred up a hornets nest of opposition. Photo: Lynn Grieveson for The KākāTL;DR: The six things that stood out to me in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, poverty and climate from the last day included:A crescendo of opposition to the Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill is ...
Monday left me brokenTuesday, I was through with hopingWednesday, my empty arms were openThursday, waiting for love, waiting for loveThe end of another week that left many of us asking WTF? What on earth has NZ gotten itself into and how on earth could people have voluntarily signed up for ...
Hello! Here comes the Saturday edition of More Than A Feilding, catching you up on the past week’s editions.State of humanity, 20242024, it feels, keeps presenting us with ever more challenges, ever more dismay.Do you give up yet? It seems to ask.No? How about this? Or this?How about this?Full story Share ...
Determining the hardest sport in the world is a subjective matter, as the difficulty level can vary depending on individual abilities, physical attributes, and experience. However, based on various factors including physical demands, technical skills, mental fortitude, and overall accomplishment, here is an exploration of some of the most challenging ...
The allure of sport transcends age, culture, and geographical boundaries. It captivates hearts, ignites passions, and provides unparalleled entertainment. Behind the spectacle, however, lies a fascinating world of financial investment and expenditure. Among the vast array of competitive pursuits, one question looms large: which sport carries the hefty title of ...
Introduction Pickleball, a rapidly growing paddle sport, has captured the hearts and imaginations of millions around the world. Its blend of tennis, badminton, and table tennis elements has made it a favorite among players of all ages and skill levels. As the sport’s popularity continues to surge, the question on ...
Abstract: Soccer, the global phenomenon captivating millions worldwide, has a rich history that spans centuries. Its origins trace back to ancient civilizations, but the modern version we know and love emerged through a complex interplay of cultural influences and innovations. This article delves into the fascinating journey of soccer’s evolution, ...
Tinting car windows offers numerous benefits, including enhanced privacy, reduced glare, UV protection, and a more stylish look for your vehicle. However, the cost of window tinting can vary significantly depending on several factors. This article provides a comprehensive guide to help you understand how much you can expect to ...
The pungent smell of gasoline in your car can be an alarming and potentially dangerous problem. Not only is the odor unpleasant, but it can also indicate a serious issue with your vehicle’s fuel system. In this article, we will explore the various reasons why your car may smell like ...
Tree sap can be a sticky, unsightly mess on your car’s exterior. It can be difficult to remove, but with the right techniques and products, you can restore your car to its former glory. Understanding Tree Sap Tree sap is a thick, viscous liquid produced by trees to seal wounds ...
The amount of paint needed to paint a car depends on a number of factors, including the size of the car, the number of coats you plan to apply, and the type of paint you are using. In general, you will need between 1 and 2 gallons of paint for ...
Jump-starting a car is a common task that can be performed even in adverse weather conditions like rain. However, safety precautions and proper techniques are crucial to avoid potential hazards. This comprehensive guide will provide detailed instructions on how to safely jump a car in the rain, ensuring both your ...
Graham Adams writes about the $55m media fund — When Patrick Gower was asked by Mike Hosking last week what he would say to the many Newstalk ZB callers who allege the Labour government bribed media with $55 million of taxpayers’ money via the Public Interest Journalism Fund — and ...
Note: this blog post has been put together over the course of the week I followed the happenings at the conference virtually. Should recordings of the Great Debates and possibly Union Symposia mentioned below, be released sometime after the conference ends, I'll include links to the ones I participated in. ...
The following was my submission made on the “Fast Track Approvals Bill”. This potential law will give three Ministers unchecked powers, un-paralled since the days of Robert Muldoon’s “Think Big” projects.The submission is written a bit tongue-in-cheek. But it’s irreverent because the FTAB is in itself not worthy of respect. ...
One Could Reduce Child Poverty At No Fiscal CostFollowing the Richardson/Shipley 1990 ‘redesign of the welfare state’ – which eliminated the universal Family Benefit and doubled the rate of child poverty – various income supplements for families have been added, the best known being ‘Working for Families’, introduced in 2005. ...
Buzz from the Beehive A few days ago, Point of Order suggested the media must be musing “on why Melissa is mute”. Our article reported that people working in the beleaguered media industry have cause to yearn for a minister as busy as Melissa Lee’s ministerial colleagues and we drew ...
1. What was The Curse of Jim Bolger?a. Winston Peters b. Soon after shaking his hand, world leaders would mysteriously lose office or shuffle off this mortal coilc. Could never shake off the Mother of All Budgetsd. Dandruff2. True or false? The Chairman of a Kiwi export business has asked the ...
Jack Vowles writes – New Zealand is said to be suffering from ‘serious populist discontent’. An IPSOS MORI survey has reported that we have an increasing preference for strong leaders, think that the economy is rigged toward the rich and powerful, and political elites are ignoring ‘hard-working people’. ...
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. ...
Cuts to frontline hospital staff are not only a broken election promise, it shows the reckless tax cuts have well and truly hit the frontline of the health system, says Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall. ...
The Green Party has joined the call for public submissions on the fast-track legislation to be extended after the Ombudsman forced the Government to release the list of organisations invited to apply just hours before submissions close. ...
New Zealand’s good work at reducing climate emissions for three years in a row will be undone by the National government’s lack of ambition and scrapping programmes that were making a difference, Labour Party climate spokesperson Megan Woods said today. ...
More essential jobs could be on the chopping block, this time Ministry of Education staff on the school lunches team are set to find out whether they're in line to lose their jobs. ...
The Government is trying to bring in a law that will allow Ministers to cut corners and kill off native species, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said. ...
Cancelling urgently needed new Cook Strait ferries and hiking the cost of public transport for many Kiwis so that National can announce the prospect of another tunnel for Wellington is not making good choices, Labour Transport Spokesperson Tangi Utikere said. ...
A laundry list of additional costs for Tāmaki Makarau Auckland shows the Minister for the city is not delivering for the people who live there, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...
The Green Party has today launched a step-by-step guide to help New Zealanders make their voice heard on the Government’s democracy dodging and anti-environment fast track legislation. ...
The National Government’s proposed changes to the Residential Tenancies Act will mean tenants can be turfed from their homes by landlords with little notice, Labour housing spokesperson Kieran McAnulty said. ...
Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson is calling on all parties to support a common-sense change that’s great for the planet and great for consumers after her member’s bill was drawn from the ballot today. ...
A significant milestone has been reached in the fight to strike an anti-Pasifika and unfair law from the country’s books after Teanau Tuiono’s members’ bill passed its first reading. ...
New Zealand has today missed the opportunity to uphold the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment, says James Shaw after his member’s bill was voted down in its first reading. ...
Today’s advice from the Climate Change Commission paints a sobering reality of the challenge we face in combating climate change, especially in light of recent Government policy announcements. ...
Minister for Disability Issues Penny Simmonds appears to have delayed a report back to Cabinet on the progress New Zealand is making against international obligations for disabled New Zealanders. ...
The Government’s newly announced review of methane emissions reduction targets hints at its desire to delay Aotearoa New Zealand’s urgent transition to a climate safe future, the Green Party said. ...
The Government must commit to the Maitai School building project for students with high and complex needs, to ensure disabled students from the top of the South Island have somewhere to learn. ...
Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey and his Government colleagues have made a meal of their mental health commitments, showing how flimsy their efforts to champion the issue truly are, says Labour Mental Health spokesperson Ingrid Leary. ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed an important milestone in New Zealand’s hydrogen future, with the opening of the country’s first network of hydrogen refuelling stations in Wiri. “I want to congratulate the team at Hiringa Energy and its partners K one W one (K1W1), Mitsui & Co New Zealand ...
The coalition Government is delivering on its commitment to improve resource management laws and give greater certainty to consent applicants, with a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) expected to be introduced to Parliament next month. RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop has today outlined the first RMA Amendment ...
Overseas models for regulating the oil and gas sector, including their decommissioning regimes, are being carefully scrutinised as a potential template for New Zealand’s own sector, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. The Coalition Government is focused on rebuilding investor confidence in New Zealand’s energy sector as it looks to strengthen ...
Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell has today released the Report of the Government Inquiry into the response to the North Island Severe Weather Events. “The report shows that New Zealand’s emergency management system is not fit-for-purpose and there are some significant gaps we need to address,” Mr Mitchell ...
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith is today travelling to Europe where he’ll update the United Nations Human Rights Council on the Government’s work to restore law and order. “Attending the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva provides us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while ...
Associate Agriculture Minister, Mark Patterson, formally reopened the world’s largest wool processing facility today in Awatoto, Napier, following a $50 million rebuild and refurbishment project. “The reopening of this facility will significantly lift the economic opportunities available to New Zealand’s wool sector, which already accounts for 20 per cent of ...
Hon Andrew Bayly, Minister for Small Business and Manufacturing At the Southland Otago Regional Engineering Collective (SOREC) Summit, 18 April, Dunedin Ngā mihi nui, Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Ko Whanganui aho Good Afternoon and thank you for inviting me to open your summit today. I am delighted ...
The Government is delivering on its commitment to bring back the Three Strikes legislation, Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee announced today. “Our Government is committed to restoring law and order and enforcing appropriate consequences on criminals. We are making it clear that repeat serious violent or sexual offending is not ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has today announced four new diplomatic appointments for New Zealand’s overseas missions. “Our diplomats have a vital role in maintaining and protecting New Zealand’s interests around the world,” Mr Peters says. “I am pleased to announce the appointment of these senior diplomats from the ...
New Zealand is contributing NZ$7 million to support communities affected by severe food insecurity and other urgent humanitarian needs in Ethiopia and Somalia, Foreign Minister Rt Hon Winston Peters announced today. “Over 21 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance across Ethiopia, with a further 6.9 million people ...
Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage Paul Goldsmith is congratulating Mataaho Collective for winning the Golden Lion for best participant in the main exhibition at the Venice Biennale. "Congratulations to the Mataaho Collective for winning one of the world's most prestigious art prizes at the Venice Biennale. “It is good ...
The Government is reforming financial services to improve access to home loans and other lending, and strengthen customer protections, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly and Housing Minister Chris Bishop announced today. “Our coalition Government is committed to rebuilding the economy and making life simpler by cutting red tape. We are ...
“China remains a strong commercial opportunity for Kiwi exporters as Chinese businesses and consumers continue to value our high-quality safe produce,” Trade and Agriculture Minister Todd McClay says. Mr McClay has returned to New Zealand following visits to Beijing, Harbin and Shanghai where he met ministers, governors and mayors and engaged in trade and agricultural events with the New ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has completed a successful trip to Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines, deepening relationships and capitalising on opportunities. Mr Luxon was accompanied by a business delegation and says the choice of countries represents the priority the New Zealand Government places on South East Asia, and our relationships in ...
New Zealand is demonstrating its commitment to reducing global greenhouse emissions, and supporting clean energy transition in South East Asia, through a contribution of NZ$41 million (US$25 million) in climate finance to the Asian Development Bank (ADB)-led Energy Transition Mechanism (ETM). Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Climate Change Minister Simon Watts announced ...
The Government is today releasing a list of organisations who received letters about the Fast-track applications process, says RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop. “Recently Ministers and agencies have received a series of OIA requests for a list of organisations to whom I wrote with information on applying to have a ...
Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister David Jonathan Boldt as a Judge of the High Court, and the Honourable Justice Matthew Palmer as a Judge of the Court of Appeal. Justice Boldt graduated with an LLB from Victoria University of Wellington in 1990, and also holds ...
Education Minister Erica Stanford will lead the New Zealand delegation at the 2024 International Summit on the Teaching Profession (ISTP) held in Singapore. The delegation includes representatives from the Post Primary Teachers’ Association (PPTA) Te Wehengarua and the New Zealand Educational Institute (NZEI) Te Riu Roa. The summit is co-hosted ...
A stopbank upgrade project in Tairawhiti partly funded by the Government has increased flood resilience for around 7000ha of residential and horticultural land so far, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones today attended a dawn service in Gisborne to mark the end of the first stage of the ...
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters will represent the Government at Anzac Day commemorations on the Gallipoli Peninsula next week and engage with senior representatives of the Turkish government in Istanbul. “The Gallipoli campaign is a defining event in our history. It will be a privilege to share the occasion ...
Science, Innovation and Technology and Defence Minister Judith Collins will next week attend the OECD Science and Technology Ministerial conference in Paris and Anzac Day commemorations in Belgium. “Science, innovation and technology have a major role to play in rebuilding our economy and achieving better health, environmental and social outcomes ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with the President of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos Jr. The Prime Minister was accompanied by MP Paulo Garcia, the first Filipino to be elected to a legislature outside the Philippines. During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon and President Marcos Jr discussed opportunities to ...
The Government has announced that $20 million in funding will be made available to Westport to fund much needed flood protection around the town. This measure will significantly improve the resilience of the community, says Local Government Minister Simeon Brown. “The Westport community has already been allocated almost $3 million ...
The Government is proud to support the first ever Repco Supercars Championship event in Taupō as up to 70,000 motorsport fans attend the Taupō International Motorsport Park this weekend, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. “Anticipation for the ITM Taupō Super400 is huge, with tickets and accommodation selling out weeks ...
Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced an increase to the Rates Rebate Scheme, putting money back into the pockets of low-income homeowners. “The coalition Government is committed to bringing down the cost of living for New Zealanders. That includes targeted support for those Kiwis who are doing things tough, such ...
The Coalition Government is investing in a project to boost survival rates of New Zealand mussels and grow the industry, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones has announced. “This project seeks to increase the resilience of our mussels and significantly boost the sector’s productivity,” Mr Jones says. “The project - ...
Benefit figures released today underscore the importance of the Government’s plan to rebuild the economy and have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker Support, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “Benefit numbers are still significantly higher than when National was last in government, when there was about 70,000 fewer ...
The Government’s commitment to doubling New Zealand’s renewable energy capacity is backed by new data showing that clean energy has helped the country reach its lowest annual gross emissions since 1999, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. New Zealand’s latest Greenhouse Gas Inventory (1990-2022) published today, shows gross emissions fell ...
The Government is bringing the earthquake-prone building review forward, with work to start immediately, and extending the deadline for remediations by four years, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “Our Government is focused on rebuilding the economy. A key part of our plan is to cut red tape that ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and his Thai counterpart, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, have today agreed that New Zealand and the Kingdom of Thailand will upgrade the bilateral relationship to a Strategic Partnership by 2026. “New Zealand and Thailand have a lot to offer each other. We have a strong mutual desire to build ...
RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop and Transport Minister Simeon Brown have today announced the Coalition Government’s intention to extend port coastal permits for a further 20 years, providing port operators with certainty to continue their operations. “The introduction of the Resource Management Act in 1991 required ports to obtain coastal ...
Today’s announcement that inflation is down to 4 per cent is encouraging news for Kiwis, but there is more work to be done - underlining the importance of the Government’s plan to get the economy back on track, acting Finance Minister Chris Bishop says. “Inflation is now at 4 per ...
Refreshed health guidance released today will help parents and schools make informed decisions about whether their child needs to be in school, addressing one of the key issues affecting school attendance, says Associate Education Minister David Seymour. In recent years, consistently across all school terms, short-term illness or medical reasons ...
Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones is streamlining high-level oceans management while maintaining a focus on supporting the sector’s role in the export-led recovery of the economy. “I am working to realise the untapped potential of our fishing and aquaculture sector. To achieve that we need to be smarter with ...
Associate Agriculture Minister Mark Patterson is speaking at the International Wool Textile Organisation Congress in Adelaide, promoting New Zealand wool, and outlining the coalition Government’s support for the revitalisation the sector. "New Zealand’s wool exports reached $400 million in the year to 30 June 2023, and the coalition Government ...
The Government is making legislative changes to make it easier for new early learning services to be established, and for existing services to operate, Associate Education Minister David Seymour says. The changes involve repealing the network approval provisions that apply when someone wants to establish a new early learning service, ...
Changes to the Resource Management Act will align consenting for coal mining to other forms of mining to reduce barriers that are holding back economic development, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. “The inconsistent treatment of coal mining compared with other extractive activities is burdensome red tape that fails to acknowledge ...
Trade, Agriculture and Forestry Minister Todd McClay has concluded productive discussions with ministerial counterparts in Beijing today, in support of the New Zealand-China trade and economic relationship. “My meeting with Commerce Minister Wang Wentao reaffirmed the complementary nature of the bilateral trade relationship, with our Free Trade Agreement at its ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon today paid tribute to Singapore’s outgoing Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. Meeting in Singapore today immediately before Prime Minister Lee announced he was stepping down, Prime Minister Luxon warmly acknowledged his counterpart’s almost twenty years as leader, and the enduring legacy he has left for Singapore and South East ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. While in Singapore as part of his visit to South East Asia this week, Prime Minister Luxon also met with Singapore President Tharman Shanmugaratnam and will meet with Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong. During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Giovanni E Ferreira, NHMRC Emerging Leader Research Fellow, Institute of Musculoskeletal Health, University of Sydney Last week in a post on X, owner of the platform Elon Musk recommended people look into disc replacement if they’re experiencing severe neck or back pain. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By David Hayward, Emeritus Professor of Public Policy, RMIT University anek.soowannaphoom/Shutterstock NSW Treasurer Daniel Mookhey caught the headlines yesterday, courtesy of a blistering speech condemning the latest GST carve-up. New South Wales, he claimed, would be A$11.9 billion worse off over the ...
While police are "broadly in favour", the government's proposed anti-gang laws are facing pushback from lawyers, rights groups and former gang members. ...
By Miriam Zarriga in Port Moresby Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has arrived at Kokoda Station, Northern province, at the start of his state visit to Papua New Guinea. Both Albanese and Prime Minister James Marape will meet with the locals and the Northern Provincial government before they begin their ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Chris Wallace, Professor, School of Politics Economics & Society, Faculty of Business Government & Law, University of Canberra Shutterstock An important principle was invoked by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese last week in defence of the government’s Future Made in Australia industry ...
By Patrick Decloitre, RNZ Pacific correspondent French Pacific desk Security forces reinforcements were sent from France ahead of two rival marches in the capital Nouméa today, at the same time and only two streets away one from the other. One march, called by Union Calédonienne party (a component of the ...
A poll last August found that just 16% of New Zealanders oppose bringing back the ‘Three Strikes’ law. The nationwide poll of 1,000 New Zealanders was commissioned by Family First NZ and carried out by Curia Market Research. ...
The solo show from Ana Scotney is both sprawling and intimate, and a must-see, writes Mad Chapman. In the opening moments of Scattergun: After the Death of Rūaumoko, writer and performer Ana Scotney lays out the groundwork, literally. Silently moving around the square stage, Scotney is not so much dancing ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kate Burridge, Professor of Linguistics, Monash University Who makes the words? Why are trees called trees and why are shoes called shoes and who makes the names? – Elliot, age 5, Eltham, Victoria Good question Elliot! Let’s start with ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stephen Duckett, Honorary Enterprise Professor, School of Population and Global Health, and Department of General Practice and Primary Care, The University of Melbourne at amRawpixel.com/Shutterstock Roles of health professionals are still unfortunately often stuck in the past. That is, before the ...
COMMENTARY:By Malcolm Evans Last week’s leaked New York Times staff directive, as to what words can and cannot be used to describe the carnage Israel is raining on Palestinians, is proof positive, since those reports are published verbatim here in New Zealand, that our understanding of the conflict is ...
In the case of New Zealand, the results confirm that there is no popular support for the vicious austerity program being imposed by the National Party-led government, which is backed in all fundamental respects by the opposition Labour Party. ...
The ‘Vampire’ singer has never visited our part of the world, but that might all be about to change. We assess the evidence.Olivia Rodrigo’s Guts World Tour is pulling in massive crowds as it whips around the US and Europe, even helping to catapult regular supporting act Chappell Roan ...
Testing of drinking water in rural Canterbury over the weekend by Greenpeace revealed that several public town supplies were reaching levels of nitrate above 5 mg/L - the threshold which a growing body of scientific evidence has linked to increased ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rohan Fisher, Information Technology for Development Researcher, Charles Darwin University It may come as a surprise to hear 2023 was Australia’s biggest bushfire season in more than a decade. Fires burned across an area eight times as big as the 2019–20 Black ...
Responding to the Government’s announcement of changes to resource management laws, Taxpayers’ Union Executive Director, Jordan Williams, said: “These changes are a step in the right direction in terms of removing ideological and unworkable ...
More than two years after the Human Rights Council called for the establishment of a national human rights commission, such a body has yet to be formed. ...
Comment:An emergency management system with wide variations in performance, significant capability gaps, funding shortfalls and above all a setup that is not meeting the needs of New Zealanders at times of crisis. The Government’s inquiry into the response to Cyclone Gabrielle and other severe weather events in the North ...
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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…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eztdgGYcOrY
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
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XaPKvCUcrLM
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.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BGPGknpq3e0
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.