Still pussy-footing on Gaza

Written By: - Date published: 2:59 pm, October 31st, 2023 - 57 comments
Categories: FiveEyes, israel, Palestine, Peace, United Nations, war, Zionism - Tags:

Unlike the other four Eyes, New Zealand voted for a UNGA resolution calling for a humanitarian truce in Gaza. The US had previously vetoed a ceasefire resolution. Finally on RNZ, Ben Strang asked whether  Israel’s response to HAMAS is also a “war crime?’

Professor Robert Patman’s response that “the indiscriminate bombing of civilians has gone way beyond just targeting HAMAS.” and “constitutes intensive bombardment of the civilian population which is effectively collective punishment of the population of Gaza.” That’s a yes, in spades.

Asked about the New Zealand response, he went on to say “the New Zealand response has been regrettably slow… but sensible as its unfolded but New Zealand has evolved and has taken a quite a sensible position having voted for a resolution that called for an “immediate durable, sustained humanitarian truce.”

Regrettably slow is being too kind. Hipkins’ first response was dreadful, dragged out to slap down Nanaia Mahuta as Mickey Savage has descried, he had to read the MFAT notes, putting the FiveEyes talking points about HAMAS brutality and Israel’s right to defend itself, in the wind. Voting differently from the FourEyes in the UN General Assembly definitely showed that there had been some rethinking in MFAT.

But not to worry they’ve got too far away from the others. MFAT covered its arse for the club  in a statement delivered by H.E. Carolyn Schwalger the day after the resolution was passed:

Today’s outcome is an important example of the UN General Assembly discharging our collective responsibility to respond to questions of international peace and security. We voted in support of the resolution after careful consideration.

However, we are deeply disappointed that the resolution failed to identify Hamas as a terrorist entity, and condemn its barbaric terror attacks on Israel on 7 October. As I said this morning, we are appalled by their brutality, their targeting of civilians, and the taking of hostages.

These are clear violations of international law. Further, the resolution would have benefitted from a call for the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages, and a reference to Israel’s right to defend itself, in full compliance with international law, including in respect of actions taken in Gaza.

The question MFAT  don’t seem so concerned about is whether Israel is in full compliance with international law. In my opinion Israel’s actions are also clear violations of international law, for the reasons Patman outlines. What are we doing about that – Hipkins avoided the question of whether we are even talking to the Israeli Ambassador when asked by Ingrid Hipkiss on Morning Report.

I hope Radio New Zealand, and other media,  keep asking Ben Strang’s question. I am sure many more New Zealanders will be looking for the answer.

 

57 comments on “Still pussy-footing on Gaza ”

  1. adam 1

    My view is the IDF should stop acting like nazies

    And Hamas should stop acting like slaves.

    • Anne 1.1

      My view is the IDF should stop being Nazis.

      And Hamas should stop being terrorists.

      And since neither have any intention of stopping… its stalemate folks.

      • Terry 1.1.1

        In my view, Hamas are the Nazis, Hamas have deliberately targeted and Killed innocent civilians, just like the Nazis did during WW 2. My sympathy for the civilians in Gaza, is on the same level as the civilian victims of the bombing campaign of Germany and Japan, but hey your people started it. The Israeli defence forces are not deliberately targeting civilians. They have been given every warning, as to what will happen and they need to evacuate. This is on Hamas.

        It reminds me of the Japanese admiral, who was quoted after the successful attack on Pearl Harbour; I fear that we have awoken a sleeping giant and filled him with a terrible resolve. This is probably what Hamas wanted

        • Subliminal 1.1.1.1

          Hmmm. All the Israeli missiles require targeting. They dont randomly fling them in the direction of Gaza and hope to hit a few Hamas fighters. They deliberately aim them at the houses and hospitals that they hit.

          Now you can and do say that they deserve this but to say that the more than 7 000 dead Palestinians, at least half of these children, is some kind of unfortunate accident, is really stretching even comfortable Western peoples credulity.

        • Ghostwhowalks 1.1.1.2

          Both sides in WW2 deliberately targeted civilians, as a matter of policy

          Your people started it ???

          never heard of the jewish terrorist militias pre 1948 who created barrel bombs to roll into Arab villages

          Jewish state terrorism even continued after 1948 when the Mossad organised a campaign of cinema and library bombings in Egypt. Known as Lavon Affair in Israel

          • Terry 1.1.1.2.1

            The German Nazis started the war in Europe, the Japanese started the war in Asia. The Allies finished the war, using some of the barbaric methods and worse that the aggressors used.

            Hamas have started this particular war with a barbaric and deliberate attack against civilians. No doubt with the intention of sparking the response from Israel.

            Jewish refugees from Eastern Europe had been going to Israel since the 1800’s, and had in general been welcomed by the rulers of the region, but not necessarily by all the local Arab population.

            There has been conflict between the Arabs and Jewish refugees since then.

            Unfortunately the Arabs have rejected any peaceful solution, that included Jewish settlements.

            The official response from any number of Arab leaders has not made any allowances for Jewish communities living in the area now known as Israel. Without saying as much, the implication is that the Jewish communities in Israel are to be exterminated.

            This leads to an interesting question, if Jewish refugees from Eastern Europe, and WW2 are not to be welcomed in Israel/ Palestine, what do we do about the refugees from Africa and the Middle East heading to Europe? Or the refugees from southern/central America going to the USA?

        • adam 1.1.1.3

          but hey your people started it

          What the Palestinians came into their own land and stole it. Dude read a history book.

          • Belladonna 1.1.1.3.1

            Suggest you start with Josephus.

            • adam 1.1.1.3.1.1

              What of his?

              I've read Bellum Judaicum. It's take on Roman Military Tactics is a go to work in the field. Also as a insight into the factions of Jewish War, it was illuminating.

              Would it be his History of Judaism you are suggesting?

      • Adrian Thornton 1.1.2

        Looks like the Yemenis are showing us all yet again that they are one of the few nations of real strength and moral courage….

        Yemeni Ansarullah declares war against Zionist regime

        "General Yahya Saree, the spokesman of the Yemeni armed forces said in a statement in the capital Sana'a on Tuesday that, "We launched a large number of ballistic and cruise missiles and a large number of drones at various targets of the Zionist enemy in the Palestine Occupied Territories."

        "We emphasize that this operation is the third operation in support of our oppressed brothers in Palestine."

        The spokesman of Yemeni armed forces further vowed they would continue with more precise attacks with missiles and drones unless the aggression of the Israeli regime stops.

        "The position of our Yemeni people towards the cause of Palestine is fixed and principled, and the Palestinian people have the full right to defend themselves and use their full rights," Saree added."

  2. SPC 2

    It would nice if we were to propose that all political prisoners in Israeli or PA prisons, who are there for exercise of free speech and right to protest and not any actual crime or violence, to be released in return for release of the Hamas hostages.

  3. SPC 3

    The quote used above comes from 28 October and the link from a speech on 24 October.

    The correct link.

    https://www.mfat.govt.nz/en/media-and-resources/un-general-assembly-10th-emergency-special-session/

  4. Adrian Thornton 4

    Shocking that there are so few comments on this thread…..or is it?

  5. Adrian Thornton 5

    Hundreds of casualties as Israel targets refugee camp in Gaza
    https://www.aa.com.tr/en/middle-east/hundreds-of-casualties-as-israel-targets-refugee-camp-in-gaza-interior-ministry/3039193
    "A series of Israeli airstrikes on a refugee camp in northern Gaza on Tuesday led to hundreds of casualties, the Interior Ministry in the besieged enclave said.

    Israel hit apartment blocks in a residential area of the Jabalia refugee camp, ministry spokesman Iyad al-Bozom told a press briefing.

    The victims mostly included women and children, he said, adding that Israeli warplanes destroyed the entire residential square known as Block 6."

    What the fuck is going on??….if the Russians or Chinese or any other perceived enemy of the West had just slaughtered over 10, 000 civilians in less than three weeks, right out in the open…our media would be losing it's shit 24/7…..why is Israel allowed to commit genocide in plain sight….televised live into our homes FFS…the West has now without question, lost any of the very tattered remaining moral authority it once might have had around the World….and to think gullible fools actually believed that these same Western/US/UK leaders actually gave even the slightest fuck about Ukrainian…or Afghanistan..or Syrian or Libyan or Yemeni civilians…..holy crap….well I guess it does prove propaganda does work…on lazy and/or stupid minds anyway.

    • Tiger Mountain 5.1

      The main problem is US Imperialism which keeps the money and arms flow to Israel on twin turbo boost, and then the Mid East authoritarian regimes who keep a lid on their own populations with violent oppression…and then…the rest of the usual suspects–media channels, online sabotage and troll farms, bourgeois politicians like Keir Starmer and even NZ Labour defending an obvious Israeli attempt at a final solution on the Palestinian people.

      It is so frustrating to observe the Israeli State and Military butchers from afar, NZers can attend the various solidarity events, make donations, support BDS but the fact is we have gutless politicians like Chris Hipkins and Baldrick who have no moral compass, let alone a class left political world view.

      Will no one in the international community send an airlift or sea freight aid shipment to try and break the filthy zionist blockade of Gaza?

      • SPC 5.1.1

        If 5 armies marched on Israel under the banner of river to the sea – it's happened before – would you call it justice/what all Zionists deserved/something else?

        Claiming an attempt to eliminate Hamas as a military force an obvious Israeli attempt at a final solution on the Palestinian people is ridiculous.

        • Tiger Mountain 5.1.1.1

          Mounting numbers daily of Palestinians lying crushed underneath bombed building rubble might not agree their fate was “ridiculous”.

          The IDF is in fact eliminating women and children, who did not choose to be Palestinian or the descendants of those from the Nakba. Nor did they choose to be penned up in a shameful human zoo comparable with the Warsaw Ghetto.

          • SPC 5.1.1.1.1

            Is the Russian invasion an attempt to proffer a final solution to the Ukraine wants to be part of EU and NATO problem?

            Civilians are also "eliminated", power supply destroyed, water supply destroyed.

            Sure when someone launches a war and hides in tunnels under civilian areas there is a risk to lives of civilians and Gaza has half its population under 20.

            The reason for the mention of war crimes is in part because Israel is said to have responsibility for the area from which an armed group attacks it, whereas Russia only has responsibility for areas recognsied as part of Russia.

  6. Reality 6

    Adrian, it could be that the awful history of Palestine and Israel is so never ending and complex people switch off from keeping informed, however superficial that seems. As I see it, both are to blame.

  7. Adrian Thornton 7

    "As I see it, both are to blame"… …why would you say that?

    Israel is illegally occupying land…and that is according to the UN not me..

    Israel has also been holding 2 1/2 Million people in an open air prison and that is according to Human Rights Watch not me….

    Israel is an Apartheid state also according to Human Rights Watch (and others) not me

    Israel is holding children in prison against all internations rules according to Save the Children, not me

    Israel has a known history of slaughtering civilians/aid workers/journos…we all know this to be a fact.

    And this where a peaceful protest got them...

    "Hundreds killed, thousands wounded: A year of Gaza rallies"

    "Palestinians to mark a year of Great March of Return protests after UN found Israel may have committed war crimes."

    What is complex about that?…like I said propaganda works real on lazy and/or stupid minds…and I know you are not stupid my friend.

    This is no time to sit on the fence.

    Free Palestine!!

    • Belladonna 7.1

      "As I see it, both are to blame"… …why would you say that?

      Largely because of the never-ending missile assaults on Israel from Gaza (well before the latest Hamas assault.

      https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palestinian_rocket_attacks_on_Israel

      Because of the history of attacks on Israel without warning, not only from Hamas, but from Middle Eastern States. And the base-assumption from all of these states that Israel has no right to exist.

      Yes Israel is in occupation of Gaza. Why? Because Egypt (who previously occupied this territory) attacked Israel and was comprehensively beaten in 1967. And, the surrounding Arab countries continue to supply military aid to Hamas.

      Yes, Israel's military operation against Hamas is causing civilian casualties.
      Because Hamas have created a network of tunnels below ground, and routinely place significant military targets under civilian areas. It's a deeply cynical move, from an organization which clearly cares little or nothing about the civilians they claim to represent.

      You can argue that Israel is an apartheid state. So are many others using that definition: China, Japan, Fiji, Azerbaijan, and every Middle East country for that matter (if you are not Muslim, you have no rights).

      While I despise the fact that children are incarcerated by Israel – that does not excuse Hamas kidnapping children and removing them from their families. Nor is it substantially different from the criminalization of children in other Middle East countries (indeed, the treatment of children is often worse)

      https://www.asianews.it/news-en/Children-condemned-to-death-and-adults-detained-for-years-without-charge-8523.html

      Journalists slaughtered — does Kashoggi ring a bell?

      https://www.npr.org/2023/10/02/1202937036/jamal-khashoggi-mbs-murder-saudi-arabia-human-rights

      While this is reprehensible – and we'd all like media and human rights workers to be immune – sadly, the reality of working in a war zone, means that your life is at risk.

      If you make the assumption that one side is unilaterally 'right' in this – any solution proposed is bound to fail.

      • Subliminal 7.1.1

        Sorry, but none others of your "list " of apartheid states are recognised as such, by Amnesty. the UN, as well as HRW and B'tselem.

        Your claims that "others do it so why not Israel" is downright weird.

        You may not like it but the fact that Gaza is occupied territory subject to enclosure by an illegal wall and a 16 year old siege gives Palestinians organised in Hamas, or not, the absolute right to attack military installations of their oppressors. There is no doubt that military installations were attacked on Oct 7. And the fact that war crimes may also have been committed by Hamas in no way affects this right of Hamas or Palestinians in general to continue their struggle for liberation. Ongoing war crimes by the IDF have not resulted in any limitations on their operation. The ANC and Nelson Mandela were also once considered terrorists.

        • Belladonna 7.1.1.1

          I was responding to the 'both to blame' rationale.

          And, your … weird … enthusiasm for regarding only the Palestinian side of the war as legitimate … is a prime explanation of why there is zero chance for peace, or even a cease-fire.

          Perhaps you might like to have a think about why none of those other states are regarded by the UN as practising apartheid – even though they are doing exactly what Israel does (obviously within a different population base). I'll await your rational explanation.

          • Subliminal 7.1.1.1.1

            While it may seem that you should be the arbiter of what apartheid does or doesn't mean this is not the case.

            There are many people who are anti UN and in NZ this is on the increase as well. Many don't like the fact that we have signed up to the convention on indigenous rights. Not sure what your beef is but you obviously dont enjoy the indigenous people of Palestine being taken seriously. Would you prefer the days of hunting parties in the outback of Australia or in California? Because Gaza is just the modern day equivalent.

            • Belladonna 7.1.1.1.1.1

              Guess we'll just have to agree to disagree then.

              I look forward to your enlightened influence bringing peace to the Middle East.

            • SPC 7.1.1.1.1.2

              Does indigenous mean majority?

              When Crusaders killed civilians at Jerusalem they spared Christians, but not the Moslems and Jews.

              The Hasmonean and Herodian era were majority Jewish.

              Not early enough?

              After many Israelis and Jews were taken away to Assyria and Babylon, some remained behind – a minority with newcomers who came in.

              Hebrew settlement goes back before the Israeli and Judah kingdoms of course.

              It's previous origins can be related to some Aramean areas – Turkey/Syria.

              The J 1 and J 2 Y male chromosome is from Anatolia and J2 is more common in the north (and also goes east of Anatolia) and J 1 more common in the south – Arabia. Both the Ashkenazi and Sephardim/Mizrahi populations have a similar range of the two types (together up to 50% in each of these two groups – Jewish identity is from the mother by the way).

              A lot of northern Semites, Syria Lebanon and Palestine are also J2 in their male line and of course given Arab migration north, some J 1 as well.

              Saying that either the Jews or Palestinians were/are not indigenous is ignorant.

              • Dennis Frank

                The antagonists are both semitic and it would be interesting to see any authoritative genetic comparison – from a professional, I mean. I haven't noticed any media reports of Palestinians being descendants of the Canaanites who got cleaned out by Joshua & co.

                Zionism seems to have been founded on an assumption that jews were given the right to kill the indigenous inhabitants by their deity YHVH, plus the assumption that they equate to hebrews regardless of centuries of cross-breeding which they likely pretend never happened. Genetics can prove then wrong but they'd probably refuse scientific testing of that.

                • SPC

                  There is no evidence of a conquest of the land, just an end to Egyptian over-rule. The land was made of walled cities and otherwise villagers and or "tribes".

                  The bible still mentions Canaanite practices in the land during the kingdom period.

                  Jews returned to the land after leaving and some Canaanites probably did the same (then there were Jews who became Christians and those some who became Moslems – some of the Palestinians will have had ancestors who were Jews).

              • Subliminal

                That has to be some kind of sick joke though I suspect you're attempting to be serious.

                Transplanting Europeans from Europe into the ME and claiming a 1500 year absence as some kind of property right??

                Israel wont even give Palestinians that were beaten and whipped off their land in 1948 right of return.

                • SPC

                  Meh – you were the one claiming the Palestinians were indigenous (there were Jews in that land before Europeans called Peleshti arrived in Gaza – now you know where the name Palestine comes from).

                  And those Jews had the same male line DNA, as some of those Ashkenazi, now why was that? The major European male line DNA is of the "R" Y chromosome – not common among Jews (nor is I).

                  Of course, you are also ignoring the Sephardim and Mizrahi – there were Jews in North Africa, Egypt, Palestine, Syria, Iraq, Yemen, etc who live in Israel too.

                  No mention how many of them lost their property in the Arabic speaking world before moving into Israel as refugees? No mention of the Jews killed by Arab armies on the West Bank an area actually ethnically cleansed of Jews in 1948.

                  … partisans see with one eye because ….

                  • Subliminal

                    Oh. Another joke. You are seriously putting yourself forward as non partisan??

                    You do have a high opinion of yourself!

                    • SPC

                      Partisans are known to make personal slights against those who disagree with them.

                      They infer greater knowledge, but do not debate anything, they just move to another partisan talking point.

                      Thanks for playing the game, how to identify a partisan.

          • Incognito 7.1.1.1.2

            Where did you see that “enthusiasm”? I hope you weren’t projecting or making up things.

    • UncookedSelachimorpha 7.2

      ""As I see it, both are to blame"… …why would you say that?"

      Adrian must have missed the pre-planned mass-murder of unarmed civilian Israelis, babies, children, mass rape (in front of relatives), beheadings, mutilations, that hamas committed…I guess it was more than three whole weeks ago now.

      “Free Palestine”? I can agree with that, but needs freeing from both Israeli crimes and from terrorist hamas.

      • Francesca 7.2.1

        It pays to be a bit cautious at these initial unverified accounts.

        unless of course the reporting of atrocities suit the more powerful belligerents, in this case Israel and Biden , so that an indiscriminate mass slaughter can be executed with impunity.

        https://theintercept.com/2023/10/11/israel-hamas-disinformation/

      • Subliminal 7.2.2

        Thats some list of atrocities. Its always good to be able to paint the enemy as evil. Babies are always a good one. Whether its the Germans eating babies in WWI or Iraqi soldiers turning off incubators which included an elaborate hoax testimony to Congress. Rape also has a history in the call to war with the claim that Qaddafi's troops consumed quantities of viagra before mass rapes in Libya.

        The 40 beheaded baby story is now also falling apart. The IDF will not confirm it and the only source is Major David Ben Zion who is the Deputy Head of the settler leadership organization, the Samaria Regional Council. He has a history of inciting violence against Palestinians and was the subject of a letter to DOJ in the USA while he was on a visit there to ask for his arrest as he sought funds to carry on his work inciting settlers to violence. As regards the 40 beheaded babies, from the same source:

        On October 11, the Israeli journalist Oren Ziv, who was also on the tour of Kfar Aza, wrote on Twitter, “During the tour we didn’t see any evidence of this, and the army spokesperson or commanders also didn’t mention any such incidents.”

        He continued: “Soldiers I spoke with in Kfar Aza yesterday didn’t mention ‘beheaded babies.’ The army’s spokesperson stated: ‘We can not confirm at this point… we are aware of the heinous acts Hamas is capable of.’”

        We don’t know exactly who the reporters on that tour spoke to, but as of yet, no independent news publication appears to have verified the claim made by Major David Ben Zion about finding beheaded children in Kfar Aza, and the Israeli military has even denied having evidence of the event.

        And other similarly horrific stories that have been reported are also starting to fall apart. The Los Angeles Times has retracted similarly unconfirmed reports of rape, and reporters are beginning to “clarify” or retract their statements about this claim of beheadings.

      • Adrian Thornton 7.2.3

        " beheadings, mutilations, that hamas committed"….please provide an link that proves these allegations please.

        So Hamas are terrorist and the IDF are not?

        Your use of language tells me you are RNZ/Guardian and BBC reader/listener.

        • UncookedSelachimorpha 7.2.3.1

          Your use of language tells me you are RNZ/Guardian and BBC reader/listener.

          Not only! I also have a voracious appetite for MSNBC, Newsweek, Washington Post, The Economist, CBS – the complete spectrum of possible news sources.

          • Adrian Thornton 7.2.3.1.1

            Then I guess you wouldn't know that The daily Mail is actually a better source of information (most days) on this conflict than any of those sources you highlighted..and also better by a country mile on keeping up with the Assange travesty.

            And I see you haven’t put up any neutral links for these allegation ” mass rape (in front of relatives), beheadings, mutilations”
            …so how about you get serious for a change and get those links up on here for us all to see….

            • UncookedSelachimorpha 7.2.3.1.1.1

              OMG you took that seriously.

              It is risky to make assumptions about people here.

              • Adrian Thornton

                Of course I didn't…though I suspect it was at least half true.

                BTW, where are links?….either provide links when you make your many wild allegations on this issue or please refrain from making those incendiary, unsubstantiated comments (in other words misinformation)….that is how I understand this site works?

                • UncookedSelachimorpha

                  "that is how I understand this site works"

                  I believe so, but there comes a point where such evidence is not required. For example, you may believe allegations that the earth is round are incendiary, unsubstantiated, misinformation etc…but I won't be providing proof (and if I did, you wouldn't believe it in any case).

                  Multiple credible sources (including hamas-aligned, and hamas themselves) confirm hamas committed multiple appalling atrocities against civilians on October 7th.

                  This article discusses both true and false claims around the hamas atrocities, to some extent:

                  https://www.factcheck.org/2023/10/what-we-know-about-three-widespread-israel-hamas-war-claims/

  8. Mike the Lefty 8

    While most people – both in Israel and in Gaza – would surely prefer peace, the horrible reality is that there are some on both sides who want war and unfortunately they have the power to make it happen, and so it continues.

    They use the innocent as pawns in their war games.

    • UncookedSelachimorpha 8.1

      Exactly.

    • Anne 8.2

      "They use the innocent as pawns in their war games."

      Precisely. And for that reason it is possible to have compassion for the innocent on both sides. I have no doubt there are many Jewish people around the world, and in Israel, who are appalled at what is now happening in their name. I also have no doubt there are Palestinians and many other Middle Eastern nationals around the world who have nothing but abhorrence for terrorists groups like Hamas.

      A catch 22 situation that will never be solved by brute force.

    • Adrian Thornton 8.3

      Only one side has power…what the hell are you talking about?

  9. SPC 9

    The UN process stuff.

    If there is an impasse on the UNSC there is the option to have a special session of the UNGA.

    What UNGA Res 377A says is here

    Reaffirming the importance of the exercise by the Security Council of its primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security, and the duty of the permanent members to seek unanimity and to exercise restraint in the use of the veto, …

    Conscious that failure of the Security Council to discharge its responsibilities on behalf of all the Member States … does not relieve Member States of their obligations or the United Nations of its responsibility under the Charter to maintain international peace and security,

    Recognizing in particular that such failure does not deprive the General Assembly of its rights or relieve it of its responsibilities under the Charter in regard to the maintenance of international peace and security, …

    Resolves that if the Security Council, because of lack of unanimity of the permanent members, fails to exercise its primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security in any case where there appears to be a threat to the peace, breach of the peace, or act of aggression, the General Assembly shall consider the matter immediately with a view to making appropriate recommendations to Members for collective measures, including in the case of a breach of the peace or act of aggression the use of armed force when necessary, to maintain or restore international peace and security.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Nations_General_Assembly_Resolution_377

    This has happened 11 times since 1950.

    The 11th time was the invasion of Ukraine – Russia and a UNSC veto.

    The 10th began 1997 and resumed October 26 2023

    The tenth emergency special session of the United Nations General Assembly centers on the Israeli–Palestinian conflict: the ongoing occupation of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tenth_emergency_special_session_of_the_United_Nations_General_Assembly

  10. I like thejuicemedia's take on this situation

    Honest Government Ad | Israel & Gaza 🇮🇱 🇵🇸 – YouTube

    1. Hamas' attack on civilians in Israel is fucked and a violation of international law
    2. Israel's collective punishment of civilians in Gaza is fucked and a violation of international law
    3. Both (1) and (2) are happening in the context of an occupation which is fucked and and a violation of international law
  11. UncookedSelachimorpha 11

    This opinion on CNN seemed right to me. (I know this source will annoy some, but stopped clocks twice a day etc).

    The author says Israel's current response won't work and and will result in more terrorists, not less. The only way is to look for a political solution from the very start – while Israel doesn't seem to have any long term plan at this point (and their actions ignore the likely political results).

    • Adrian Thornton 11.1

      The Israeli Zionists don't and have never wanted a political solution…haven't you worked that out yet?

      • UncookedSelachimorpha 11.1.1

        I have worked that out – certainly the Israeli settler groups are racist, violent criminals.

        Hamas are also terrorist murderers who have no interest in a political solution.

    • SPC 11.2

      Sure, the best option is

      1. All political prisoners (those who are mere activists) are released from the Israeli prison the PA prison along with the Israeli hostages.
      2. A cease-fire agreement, Hamas and the other group disarm and the UN completes an agreement for control of Gaza borders from Israel (and supply of power/fuel and water etc) and takes over administrative oversight – securing civil society.

      This is worse than we realise, the IDF took back townships in Israel controlled by gunman who had hostages/civilian shields (and others hiding in homes) by military action. That has to have had a psychological impact …

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  • Willis fails a taxing app-titude test but govt supporters will cheer moves on Te Pukenga and the Hum...
    Buzz from the Beehive The Minister of Defence has returned from Noumea to announce New Zealand will host next year’s South Pacific Defence Ministers’ Meeting and (wearing another ministerial hat) to condemn malicious cyber activity conducted by the Russian Government. A bigger cheer from people who voted for the Luxon ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    1 day ago
  • ELIZABETH RATA: In defence of the liberal university and against indigenisation
    The suppression of individual thought in our universities spills over into society, threatening free speech everywhere. Elizabeth Rata writes –  Indigenising New Zealand’s universities is well underway, presumably with the agreement of University Councils and despite the absence of public discussion. Indigenising, under the broader umbrella of decolonisation, ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    1 day ago
  • Gordon Campbell on the skewed media coverage of Gaza
    Now that he’s back as Foreign Minister, maybe Winston Peters should start reading the MFAT website. If he did, Peters would find MFAT celebrating the 25th anniversary of how New Zealand alerted the rest of the world to the genocide developing in Rwanda. Quote: New Zealand played an important role ...
    2 days ago
  • “Your Circus, Your Clowns.”
    It must have been a hard first couple of weeks for National voters, since the coalition was announced. Seeing their party make so many concessions to New Zealand First and ACT that there seems little remains of their own policies, other than the dwindling dream of tax cuts and the ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    2 days ago
  • Weekly Roundup 8-December-2023
    It’s Friday again and Christmas is fast approaching. Here’s some of the stories that caught our attention. This week in Greater Auckland On Tuesday Matt covered some of the recent talk around the costs, benefits and challenges with the City Rail Link. On Thursday Matt looked at how ...
    Greater AucklandBy Greater Auckland
    2 days ago
  • End-of-week escapism
    Amsterdam to Hong Kong William McCartney16,000 kilometres41 days18 trains13 countries11 currencies6 long-distance taxis4 taxi apps4 buses3 sim cards2 ferries1 tram0 medical events (surprisingly)Episode 4Whether the Sofia-Istanbul Express really qualifies to be called an express is debatable, but it’s another one of those likeably old and slow trains tha… ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    2 days ago
  • The Hoon around the week to Dec 8
    Governor-General Dame Cindy Kiro arrives for the State Opening of Parliament (Photo: Hagen Hopkins/Getty Images)TL;DR: The five things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy that we wrote and spoke about via The Kākā and elsewhere for paying subscribers in the last week included:New Finance Minister Nicola Willis set herself a ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • New Zealand’s Witchcraft Laws: 1840/1858-1961/1962
    Sometimes one gets morbidly curious about the oddities of one’s own legal system. Sometimes one writes entire essays on New Zealand’s experience with Blasphemous Libel: https://phuulishfellow.wordpress.com/2017/05/09/blasphemous-libel-new-zealand-politics/ And sometimes one follows up the exact historical status of witchcraft law in New Zealand. As one does, of course. ...
    2 days ago
  • No surprises
    Don’t expect any fiscal shocks or surprises when the books are opened on December 20 with the unveiling of the Half Yearly Economic and Fiscal Update (HYEFU). That was the message yesterday from Westpac in an economic commentary. But the bank’s analysis did not include any changes to capital ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    2 days ago
  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #49 2023
    113 articles in 48 journals by 674 contributing authors Physical science of climate change, effects Diversity of Lagged Relationships in Global Means of Surface Temperatures and Radiative Budgets for CMIP6 piControl Simulations, Tsuchida et al., Journal of Climate 10.1175/jcli-d-23-0045.1 Do abrupt cryosphere events in High Mountain Asia indicate earlier tipping ...
    2 days ago
  • Phone calls at Kia Kaha primary
    It is quiet reading time in Room 13! It is so quiet you can hear the Tui outside. It is so quiet you can hear the Fulton Hogan crew.It is so quiet you can hear old Mr Grant and old Mr Bradbury standing by the roadworks and counting the conesand going on ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    2 days ago
  • A question of confidence is raised by the Minister of Police, but he had to be questioned by RNZ to ...
    It looks like the new ministerial press secretaries have quickly learned the art of camouflaging exactly what their ministers are saying – or, at least, of keeping the hard news  out of the headlines and/or the opening sentences of the statements they post on the home page of the governments ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    2 days ago
  • Xmas  good  cheer  for the dairy industry  as Fonterra lifts its forecast
    The big dairy co-op Fonterra  had  some Christmas  cheer to offer  its farmers this week, increasing its forecast farmgate milk price and earnings guidance for  the year after what it calls a strong start to the year. The forecast  midpoint for the 2023/24 season is up 25cs to $7.50 per ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    2 days ago
  • MICHAEL BASSETT: Modern Maori myths
    Michael Bassett writes – Many of the comments about the Coalition’s determination to wind back the dramatic Maorification of New Zealand of the last three years would have you believe the new government is engaged in a full-scale attack on Maori. In reality, all that is happening ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    3 days ago
  • Dreams of eternal sunshine at a spotless COP28
    Mary Robinson asked Al Jaber a series of very simple, direct and highly pertinent questions and he responded with a high-octane public meltdown. Photos: Getty Images / montage: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR The hygiene effects of direct sunshine are making some inroads, perhaps for the very first time, on the normalised ‘deficit ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago
  • LINDSAY MITCHELL: Oh, the irony
    Lindsay Mitchell writes – Appointed by new Labour PM Jacinda Ardern in 2018, Cindy Kiro headed the Welfare Expert Advisory Group (WEAG) tasked with reviewing and recommending reforms to the welfare system. Kiro had been Children’s Commissioner during Helen Clark’s Labour government but returned to academia subsequently. ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago
  • Transport Agencies don’t want Harbour Tunnels
    It seems even our transport agencies don’t want Labour’s harbour crossing plans. In August the previous government and Waka Kotahi announced their absurd preferred option the new harbour crossing that at the time was estimated to cost $35-45 billion. It included both road tunnels and a wiggly light rail tunnel ...
    3 days ago
  • Webworm Presents: Jurassic Park on 35mm
    Hi,Paying Webworm members such as yourself keep this thing running, so as 2023 draws to close, I wanted to do two things to say a giant, loud “THANKS”. Firstly — I’m giving away 10 Mister Organ blu-rays in New Zealand, and another 10 in America. More details down below.Secondly — ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    3 days ago
  • The Prime Minister's Dream.
    Yesterday saw the State Opening of Parliament, the Speech from the Throne, and then Prime Minister Christopher Luxon’s dream for Aotearoa in his first address. But first the pomp and ceremony, the arrival of the Governor General.Dame Cindy Kiro arrived on the forecourt outside of parliament to a Māori welcome. ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    3 days ago
  • National’s new MP; the proud part-Maori boy raised in a state house
    Probably not since 1975 have we seen a government take office up against such a wall of protest and complaint. That was highlighted yesterday, the day that the new Parliament was sworn in, with news that King Tuheitia has called a national hui for late January to develop a ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    3 days ago
  • Climate Adam: Battlefield Earth – How War Fuels Climate Catastrophe
    This video includes conclusions of the creator climate scientist Dr. Adam Levy. It is presented to our readers as an informed perspective. Please see video description for references (if any). War, conflict and climate change are tearing apart lives across the world. But these aren't separate harms - they're intricately connected. ...
    3 days ago
  • They do not speak for us, and they do not speak for the future
    These dire woeful and intolerant people have been so determinedly going about their small and petulant business, it’s hard to keep up. At the end of the new government’s first woeful week, Audrey Young took the time to count off its various acts of denigration of Te Ao Māori:Review the ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago
  • Another attack on te reo
    The new white supremacist government made attacking te reo a key part of its platform, promising to rename government agencies and force them to "communicate primarily in English" (which they already do). But today they've gone further, by trying to cut the pay of public servants who speak te reo: ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    3 days ago
  • For the record, the Beehive buzz can now be regarded as “official”
    Buzz from the Beehive The biggest buzz we bring you from the Beehive today is that the government’s official website is up and going after being out of action for more than a week. The latest press statement came  from  Education Minister  Eric Stanford, who seized on the 2022 PISA ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    3 days ago
  • Climate Change: Failed again
    There was another ETS auction this morning. and like all the other ones this year, it failed to clear - meaning that 23 million tons of carbon (15 million ordinary units plus 8 million in the cost containment reserve) went up in smoke. Or rather, they didn't. Being unsold at ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    3 days ago
  • Gordon Campbell On The Government’s Assault On Maori
    This isn’t news, but the National-led coalition is mounting a sustained assault on Treaty rights and obligations. Even so, Christopher Luxon has described yesterday’s nationwide protests by Maori as “pretty unfair.” Poor thing. In the NZ Herald, Audrey Young has compiled a useful list of the many, many ways that ...
    3 days ago
  • Rising costs hit farmers hard, but  there’s more  positive news  for  them this  week 
    New Zealand’s dairy industry, the mainstay of the country’s export trade, has  been under  pressure  from rising  costs. Down on the  farm, this  has  been  hitting  hard. But there  was more positive news this week,  first   from the latest Fonterra GDT auction where  prices  rose,  and  then from  a  report ...
    Point of OrderBy tutere44
    3 days ago
  • ROB MacCULLOCH:  Newshub and NZ Herald report misleading garbage about ACT’s van Veldon not follo...
    Rob MacCulloch writes –  In their rush to discredit the new government (which our MainStream Media regard as illegitimate and having no right to enact the democratic will of voters) the NZ Herald and Newshub are arguing ACT’s Deputy Leader Brooke van Veldon is not following Treasury advice ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago
  • Top 10 for Wednesday, December 6
    Even many young people who smoke support smokefree policies, fitting in with previous research showing the large majority of people who smoke regret starting and most want to quit. Photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: Here’s my pick of the top 10 news and analysis links elsewhere on the morning of Wednesday, December ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • Eleven years of work.
    Well it didn’t take six months, but the leaks have begun. Yes the good ship Coalition has inadvertently released a confidential cabinet paper into the public domain, discussing their axing of Fair Pay Agreements (FPAs).Oops.Just when you were admiring how smoothly things were going for the new government, they’ve had ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    4 days ago
  • Why we're missing out on sharply lower inflation
    A wave of new and higher fees, rates and charges will ripple out over the economy in the next 18 months as mayors, councillors, heads of department and price-setters for utilities such as gas, electricity, water and parking ramp up charges. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Just when most ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • How Did We Get Here?
    Hi,Kiwis — keep the evening of December 22nd free. I have a meetup planned, and will send out an invite over the next day or so. This sounds sort of crazy to write, but today will be Tony Stamp’s final Totally Normal column of 2023. Somehow we’ve made it to ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    4 days ago
  • At a glance – Has the greenhouse effect been falsified?
    On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
    4 days ago
  • New Zealaders  have  high expectations of  new  government:  now let’s see if it can deliver?
    The electorate has high expectations of the  new  government.  The question is: can  it  deliver?    Some  might  say  the  signs are not  promising. Protestors   are  already marching in the streets. The  new  Prime Minister has had  little experience of managing  very diverse politicians  in coalition. The economy he  ...
    Point of OrderBy tutere44
    4 days ago
  • You won't believe some of the numbers you have to pull when you're a Finance Minister
    Nicola of Marsden:Yo, normies! We will fix your cost of living worries by giving you a tax cut of 150 dollars. 150! Cash money! Vote National.Various people who can read and count:Actually that's 150 over a fortnight. Not a week, which is how you usually express these things.And actually, it looks ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    4 days ago
  • Pushback
    When this government came to power, it did so on an explicitly white supremacist platform. Undermining the Waitangi Tribunal, removing Māori representation in local government, over-riding the courts which had tried to make their foreshore and seabed legislation work, eradicating te reo from public life, and ultimately trying to repudiate ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    4 days ago
  • Defence ministerial meeting meant Collins missed the Maori Party’s mischief-making capers in Parli...
    Buzz from the Beehive Maybe this is not the best time for our Minister of Defence to have gone overseas. Not when the Maori Party is inviting (or should that be inciting?) its followers to join a revolution in a post which promoted its protest plans with a picture of ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    4 days ago
  • Threats of war have been followed by an invitation to join the revolution – now let’s see how th...
     A Maori Party post on Instagram invited party followers to ….  Tangata Whenua, Tangata Tiriti, Join the REVOLUTION! & make a stand!  Nationwide Action Day, All details in tiles swipe to see locations.  • This is our 1st hit out and tomorrow Tuesday the 5th is the opening ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago
  • Top 10 for Tuesday, December 4
    The RBNZ governor is citing high net migration and profit-led inflation as factors in the bank’s hawkish stance. Photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: Here’s my pick of the top 10 news and analysis links elsewhere on the morning of Tuesday, December 5, including:Reserve Bank Governor Adrian Orr says high net migration and ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • Nicola Willis' 'show me the money' moment
    Willis has accused labour of “economic vandalism’, while Robertson described her comments as a “desperate diversion from somebody who can't make their tax package add up”. There will now be an intense focus on December 20 to see whether her hyperbole is backed up by true surprises. Photo montage: Lynn ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • CRL costs money but also provides huge benefits
    The City Rail Link has been in the headlines a bit recently so I thought I’d look at some of them. First up, yesterday the NZ Herald ran this piece about the ongoing costs of the CRL. Auckland ratepayers will be saddled with an estimated bill of $220 million each ...
    5 days ago
  • And I don't want the world to see us.
    Is this the most shambolic government in the history of New Zealand? Given that parliament hasn’t even opened they’ve managed quite a list of achievements to date.The Smokefree debacle trading lives for tax cuts, the Trumpian claims of bribery in the Media, an International award for indifference, and today the ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago
  • Cooking the books
    Finance Minister Nicola Willis late yesterday stopped only slightly short of accusing her predecessor Grant Robertson of cooking the books. She complained that the Half Yearly Economic and Fiscal Update (HYEFU), due to be made public on December 20, would show “fiscal cliffs” that would amount to “billions of ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    5 days ago
  • Most people don’t realize how much progress we’ve made on climate change
    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections The year was 2015. ‘Uptown Funk’ with Bruno Mars was at the top of the music charts. Jurassic World was the most popular new movie in theaters. And decades of futility in international climate negotiations was about to come to an end in ...
    5 days ago
  • Of Parliamentary Oaths and Clive Boonham
    As a heads-up, I am not one of those people who stay awake at night thinking about weird Culture War nonsense. At least so far as the current Maori/Constitutional arrangements go. In fact, I actually consider it the least important issue facing the day to day lives of New ...
    5 days ago
  • Bearing True Allegiance?
    Strong Words: “We do not consent, we do not surrender, we do not cede, we do not submit; we, the indigenous, are rising. We do not buy into the colonial fictions this House is built upon. Te Pāti Māori pledges allegiance to our mokopuna, our whenua, and Te Tiriti o ...
    5 days ago
  • You cannot be serious
    Some days it feels like the only thing to say is: Seriously? No, really. Seriously?OneSomeone has used their health department access to share data about vaccinations and patients, and inform the world that New Zealanders have been dying in their hundreds of thousands from the evil vaccine. This of course is pure ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    5 days ago
  • A promise kept: govt pulls the plug on Lake Onslow scheme – but this saving of $16bn is denounced...
    Buzz from the Beehive After $21.8 million was spent on investigations, the plug has been pulled on the Lake Onslow pumped-hydro electricity scheme, The scheme –  that technically could have solved New Zealand’s looming energy shortage, according to its champions – was a key part of the defeated Labour government’s ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    5 days ago
  • CHRIS TROTTER: The Maori Party and Oath of Allegiance
    If those elected to the Māori Seats refuse to take them, then what possible reason could the country have for retaining them?   Chris Trotter writes – Christmas is fast approaching, which, as it does every year, means gearing up for an abstruse general knowledge question. “Who was ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    5 days ago
  • BRIAN EASTON:  Forward to 2017
    The coalition party agreements are mainly about returning to 2017 when National lost power. They show commonalities but also some serious divergencies. Brian Easton writes The two coalition agreements – one National and ACT, the other National and New Zealand First – are more than policy documents. ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • Climate Change: Fossils
    When the new government promised to allow new offshore oil and gas exploration, they were warned that there would be international criticism and reputational damage. Naturally, they arrogantly denied any possibility that that would happen. And then they finally turned up at COP, to criticism from Palau, and a "fossil ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    6 days ago
  • GEOFFREY MILLER:  NZ’s foreign policy resets on AUKUS, Gaza and Ukraine
    Geoffrey Miller writes – New Zealand’s international relations are under new management. And Winston Peters, the new foreign minister, is already setting a change agenda. As expected, this includes a more pro-US positioning when it comes to the Pacific – where Peters will be picking up where he ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago
  • Gordon Campbell on the government’s smokefree laws debacle
    The most charitable explanation for National’s behaviour over the smokefree legislation is that they have dutifully fulfilled the wishes of the Big Tobacco lobby and then cast around – incompetently, as it turns out – for excuses that might sell this health policy U-turn to the public. The less charitable ...
    6 days ago
  • Top 10 links at 10 am for Monday, December 4
    As Deb Te Kawa writes in an op-ed, the new Government seems to have immediately bought itself fights with just about everyone. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Here’s my pick of the top 10 news and analysis links elsewhere as of 10 am on Monday December 4, including:Palau’s President ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    6 days ago
  • Be Honest.
    Let’s begin today by thinking about job interviews.During my career in Software Development I must have interviewed hundreds of people, hired at least a hundred, but few stick in the memory.I remember one guy who was so laid back he was practically horizontal, leaning back in his chair until his ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    6 days ago
  • Geoffrey Miller: New Zealand’s foreign policy resets on AUKUS, Gaza and Ukraine
    New Zealand’s international relations are under new management. And Winston Peters, the new foreign minister, is already setting a change agenda. As expected, this includes a more pro-US positioning when it comes to the Pacific – where Peters will be picking up where he left off. Peters sought to align ...
    Democracy ProjectBy Geoffrey Miller
    6 days ago
  • Auckland rail tunnel the world’s most expensive
    Auckland’s city rail link is the most expensive rail project in the world per km, and the CRL boss has described the cost of infrastructure construction in Aotearoa as a crisis. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The 3.5 km City Rail Link (CRL) tunnel under Auckland’s CBD has cost ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    6 days ago
  • First big test coming
    The first big test of the new Government’s approach to Treaty matters is likely to be seen in the return of the Resource Management Act. RMA Minister Chris Bishop has confirmed that he intends to introduce legislation to repeal Labour’s recently passed Natural and Built Environments Act and its ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    6 days ago
  • The Song of Saqua: Volume III
    Time to revisit something I haven’t covered in a while: the D&D campaign, with Saqua the aquatic half-vampire. Last seen in July: https://phuulishfellow.wordpress.com/2023/07/27/the-song-of-saqua-volume-ii/ The delay is understandable, once one realises that the interim saw our DM come down with a life-threatening medical situation. They have since survived to make ...
    6 days ago
  • Chris Bishop: Smokin’
    Yes. Correct. It was an election result. And now we are the elected government. ...
    My ThinksBy boonman
    6 days ago
  • 2023 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #48
    A chronological listing of news and opinion articles posted on the Skeptical Science  Facebook Page during the past week: Sun, Nov 26, 2023 thru Dec 2, 2023. Story of the Week CO2 readings from Mauna Loa show failure to combat climate change Daily atmospheric carbon dioxide data from Hawaiian volcano more ...
    6 days ago
  • Affirmative Action.
    Affirmative Action was a key theme at this election, although I don’t recall anyone using those particular words during the campaign.They’re positive words, and the way the topic was talked about was anything but. It certainly wasn’t a campaign of saying that Affirmative Action was a good thing, but that, ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    7 days ago
  • 100 days of something
    It was at the end of the Foxton straights, at the end of 1978, at 100km/h, that someone tried to grab me from behind on my Yamaha.They seemed to be yanking my backpack. My first thought was outrage. My second was: but how? Where have they come from? And my ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    7 days ago
  • Look who’s stepped up to champion Winston
    There’s no news to be gleaned from the government’s official website today  – it contains nothing more than the message about the site being under maintenance. The time this maintenance job is taking and the costs being incurred have us musing on the government’s commitment to an assault on inflation. ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    1 week ago
  • What's The Story?
    Don’t you sometimes wish they’d just tell the truth? No matter how abhorrent or ugly, just straight up tell us the truth?C’mon guys, what you’re doing is bad enough anyway, pretending you’re not is only adding insult to injury.Instead of all this bollocks about the Smokefree changes being to do ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 week ago
  • The longest of weeks
    Hello! Here comes the Saturday edition of More Than A Feilding, catching you up on the past week’s editions.Friday Under New Management Week in review, quiz style1. Which of these best describes Aotearoa?a. Progressive nation, proud of its egalitarian spirit and belief in a fair go b. Best little country on the planet c. ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    1 week ago
  • Suggested sessions of EGU24 to submit abstracts to
    Like earlier this year, members from our team will be involved with next year's General Assembly of the European Geosciences Union (EGU). The conference will take place on premise in Vienna as well as online from April 14 to 19, 2024. The session catalog has been available since November 1 ...
    1 week ago
  • Under New Management
    1. Which of these best describes Aotearoa?a. Progressive nation, proud of its egalitarian spirit and belief in a fair go b. Best little country on the planet c. Under New Management 2. Which of these best describes the 100 days of action announced this week by the new government?a. Petulantb. Simplistic and wrongheaded c. ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    1 week ago
  • While we wait patiently, our new Minister of Education is up and going with a 100-day action plan
    Sorry to say, the government’s official website is still out of action. When Point of Order paid its daily visit, the message was the same as it has been for the past week: Site under maintenance Beehive.govt.nz is currently under maintenance. We will be back shortly. Thank you for your ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    1 week ago

  • Ministers visit Hawke’s Bay to grasp recovery needs
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon joined Cyclone Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell and Transport and Local Government Minister Simeon Brown, to meet leaders of cyclone and flood-affected regions in the Hawke’s Bay. The visit reinforced the coalition Government’s commitment to support the region and better understand its ongoing requirements, Mr Mitchell says.  ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • New Zealand condemns malicious cyber activity
    New Zealand has joined the UK and other partners in condemning malicious cyber activity conducted by the Russian Government, Minister Responsible for the Government Communications Security Bureau Judith Collins says. The statement follows the UK’s attribution today of malicious cyber activity impacting its domestic democratic institutions and processes, as well ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Disestablishment of Te Pūkenga begins
    The Government has begun the process of disestablishing Te Pūkenga as part of its 100-day plan, Minister for Tertiary Education and Skills Penny Simmonds says.  “I have started putting that plan into action and have met with the chair and chief Executive of Te Pūkenga to advise them of my ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Climate Change Minister to attend COP28 in Dubai
    Climate Change Minister Simon Watts will be leaving for Dubai today to attend COP28, the 28th annual UN climate summit, this week. Simon Watts says he will push for accelerated action towards the goals of the Paris Agreement, deliver New Zealand’s national statement and connect with partner countries, private sector leaders ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • New Zealand to host 2024 Pacific defence meeting
    Defence Minister Judith Collins yesterday announced New Zealand will host next year’s South Pacific Defence Ministers’ Meeting (SPDMM). “Having just returned from this year’s meeting in Nouméa, I witnessed first-hand the value of meeting with my Pacific counterparts to discuss regional security and defence matters. I welcome the opportunity to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Study shows need to remove distractions in class
    The Government is committed to lifting school achievement in the basics and that starts with removing distractions so young people can focus on their learning, Education Minister Erica Stanford says.   The 2022 PISA results released this week found that Kiwi kids ranked 5th in the world for being distracted ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Minister sets expectations of Commissioner
    Today I met with Police Commissioner Andrew Coster to set out my expectations, which he has agreed to, says Police Minister Mark Mitchell. Under section 16(1) of the Policing Act 2008, the Minister can expect the Police Commissioner to deliver on the Government’s direction and priorities, as now outlined in ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • New Zealand needs a strong and stable ETS
    New Zealand needs a strong and stable Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) that is well placed for the future, after emission units failed to sell for the fourth and final auction of the year, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says.  At today’s auction, 15 million New Zealand units (NZUs) – each ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • PISA results show urgent need to teach the basics
    With 2022 PISA results showing a decline in achievement, Education Minister Erica Stanford is confident that the Coalition Government’s 100-day plan for education will improve outcomes for Kiwi kids.  The 2022 PISA results show a significant decline in the performance of 15-year-old students in maths compared to 2018 and confirms ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Collins leaves for Pacific defence meeting
    Defence Minister Judith Collins today departed for New Caledonia to attend the 8th annual South Pacific Defence Ministers’ meeting (SPDMM). “This meeting is an excellent opportunity to meet face-to-face with my Pacific counterparts to discuss regional security matters and to demonstrate our ongoing commitment to the Pacific,” Judith Collins says. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Working for Families gets cost of living boost
    Putting more money in the pockets of hard-working families is a priority of this Coalition Government, starting with an increase to Working for Families, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon says. “We are starting our 100-day plan with a laser focus on bringing down the cost of living, because that is what ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Post-Cabinet press conference
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