Structural injustice

Written By: - Date published: 8:32 am, May 22nd, 2016 - 54 comments
Categories: law, racism - Tags: , , , ,

Structural injustice is everywhere around us. But sometimes simple cases highlight it so clearly (ht marty mars). Compare:

Outrage over teenagers’ sentence

A sentence of home detention for four Northland teenagers for a burglary spree totalling nearly $80,000 in stolen property has been met with outrage. …

And contrast:

Trout poacher apologises for actions

A trout poacher has been jailed for four months – about 18 months after he was found guilty of the original charges. David Pake Leef, 37, was sentenced in the Rotorua District Court yesterday… His co-offender Thomas Tawha was sentenced to 12 months in jail in April, 2015.

54 comments on “Structural injustice ”

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  1. WILD KATIPO 1
    22 May 2016 at 9:09 am

    Aye….back to the days of Lairds an Ladies ..

    And ye better not be caught hunting the Kings deer lest you be hung in th’ gibbet til death give yer sweet remembrance. What the King does with his own is his own business , the duty of the peasants is merely to obey.

  2. AmaKiwi 2
    22 May 2016 at 9:18 am

    Anthony, I am not sure what structural injustice is. But I know what it looks like when people in positions of power and authority give no thought to the social and environmental consequences their actions.

    On the other hand, the judge may have thought the poacher, David Pake Leef, needed imprisonment in order to acquire criminal skills because he’ll never find a good job with a prison record.

    I forgot. The purpose of prison is what? Rehabilitation? Keep brown people in their place? Provide profits for Serco?

    • weka 2.1
      22 May 2016 at 9:37 am

      Structural injustice is when two sets of people get treated differently because the system responds in a prejudicial way. It’s always hard to tell what would have happened if the specific situations were reversed, except we have records of sentencing for crime that shows that Māori being sent to jail and white people not happens frequently.

      At this stage it looks like blatant institutional racism. In the way the laws are written, in how the prosecutions were taken, and in judgement. DOC, FIsh and Game and the judge should have been cogniscent of natural justice principles and perceptions of racism. They all have some answering to do.

    • katipo 2.2
      22 May 2016 at 4:25 pm

      Linda Tirado on RNZ this morning had some excellent thoughts on the subject….
      http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/sunday/audio/201801602/linda-tirado-down-and-out-in-utah-and-washington-dc

  3. Colonial Viper 3
    22 May 2016 at 9:21 am

    i think the home detention sentence is fine as long as the kids undergo a rehab and counselling programme.

    The trout poaching sentence is way over the top unless he has been in court over this several times before.

    It’ll cost over one hundred thousand in tax payers money to convict and incarcerate these two fishing offenders.

    • Colonial Viper 3.1
      22 May 2016 at 11:23 am

      It looks to me like he could have avoided 1-2 months of this sentence if he had turned up in court when he was supposed to, instead of going on the run from the system for 18 months.

      • Richardrawshark 3.1.1
        22 May 2016 at 11:58 am

        In the UK, if you do not have your drivers license on you, you get a ticket to produce your details, insurance documents etc within 7 days at your nearest police station.

        Well you did in the 90’s.

        They chased me for two years, from Bournemouth where I got the ticket and was living for a short time, to Sunderland, After two years two detectives knocked at the Door and after some, who he’s? and a look at a picture and gotcha moment, I was arrested, held in Jail in Sunderland for a week, flown to London, dragged through the airport, as by then I was being a dick and made them drag me by the handcuffs. Driven to Christchurch, Bournmouth, held in Worchester jail for two months until I got to see a judge who went 40 pound fine andri went home.

        Ahh the joys of wild youth.

        I went in front of one judge in Sunderland who wrote off 147 failed to produces back in them days, think they changed it now and can check electronically.

        You forget things when your Bi-polar, what can I say, and I never new I was back then.

        But what i’m getting at, all that jail time, the flights, and two detectives accompanying, from one end of the country to the other for 40 quid.

        For not producing a drivers license at a police station. Hmm something just doesn’t add up.

        • Colonial Viper 3.1.1.1
          22 May 2016 at 12:06 pm

          This is not about the money it is about the control.

          It is about taking your tax money to apply control over you.

  4. weka 4
    22 May 2016 at 9:33 am

    Legally they can confiscate people’s gear as well, including the car they drive to and from the site being poached.

    I’m appalled at the prison sentence. Shame on DOC and Fish and Game for pursuing this in this way.

    As someone else on twitter said, we allow commerical harvesting of native fish for pet food, but we send people to prison for taking a handful of introduced species that harm the native ecosystem and can actually be replenished pretty easily.

    Maybe there is more to the story that isn’t in the media yet, but DOC and Fish and Game need to front up and state whether they think it’s right and ethical to have done this. DOC are pretty much hamstrung by govt interference these days but Fish and Game do seem to have some ethical standards, so what gives?

    • mauī 4.1
      22 May 2016 at 10:32 am

      I could search the local waterways and night after night take out all the large 50-100 year old long finned eels that are classified as a threatened species and haven’t bred yet. That would be totally fine under the Conservation Act, but these guys…

      (If you’re an eeler this is why you MUST know the difference between short finned and long eels in my opinion)

      • weka 4.1.1
        22 May 2016 at 10:41 am

        The hypocrisy of the law in that is breathtaking. Marty said this is what is wrong with NZ in relation to the sentences, and I think the laws around tuna and trout are another example of what is wrong with NZ. We still have colonisation in practice.

        (don’t get me wrong though, I do love trout).

        • marty mars 4.1.1.1
          22 May 2016 at 4:43 pm

          “We still have colonisation in practice”

          In many ways this is correct – although most often hidden and sly sometimes the ugly makes itself visible.

  5. mauī 5
    22 May 2016 at 9:45 am

    It’s interesting the charges appear to be bought by the Department of Conservation and they were charged through the Conservation Act for removing fish that are an introduced apex predator (and are recognised as one of the biggest threats to native fish species) in the NZ environment. Go figure..

    • mauī 5.1
      22 May 2016 at 9:58 am

      Also, if we had a just system then wouldn’t an investigation look at why the fish were taken? Were they going to on sell the fish or were they for personal consumption. How much did the men’s financial situation influence what they did? How much did cultural beliefs that they have indigenous rights play a part? When taking into account some of the above, how much of the offence constitutes a crime?

      • weka 5.1.1
        22 May 2016 at 10:25 am

        Yep, and apply that to the white guys too. In sentencing, how would a prison term impact not just on that person but their family. It’s hard to know what was taken into account (another fail by the MSM).

      • marty mars 5.1.2
        22 May 2016 at 4:43 pm

        Very good points mauī

    • joe90 5.2
      22 May 2016 at 10:35 am

      (and are recognised as one of the biggest threats to native fish species)

      Buggered if I can find it now but a few years ago I read excerpts from An Entirely Synthetic Fish’: rainbow trout, ecological bully, detailing the disasters wrought the globe over by acclimatisation societies and their damn fish.

      Suppose that more than a century ago, U.S. government officials became concerned democracy itself was at risk because men seemed to be less virile. Suppose that to reverse this trend they decided to populate streams, rivers, and lakes with “an entirely ‘synthetic’ fish”—quarry with which Americans could rediscover their abilities to capture and kill animals. And suppose that, up to the present, these creatures were still being produced and distributed on a massive scale, sometimes even being trained like gladiators and pumped full of the same supplements as the best human athletes so that they would provide a better fight.

      Such is the true story of the rainbow trout. Sometimes vilified for their devastating effects on the native fauna, sometimes glorified as the preeminent sport fish, the rainbow trout is the repository of more than a century of America’s often contradictory philosophies about the natural world. Exhaustively researched and grippingly rendered by award-winning journalist, aquatic ecologist, and lifelong fisherman Anders Halverson, this book chronicles the discovery of rainbow trout, their artificial propagation and distribution, and why they are being eradicated in some waters yet are still the most commonly stocked fish in the United States.

      http://andershalverson.com/about

      http://www.seattletimes.com/entertainment/books/an-entirely-synthetic-fish-rainbow-trout-ecological-bully/

  6. save nz 6
    22 May 2016 at 9:51 am

    Shocking!!!! Hope the poacher appeals!

  7. BM 7
    22 May 2016 at 9:53 am

    These guys are idiots and got what they deserved.
    You tell the court to fuck off and you’re skating on really thin ice.

    Also this wasn’t a first time.

    http://www.newshub.co.nz/nznews/alleged-poachers-jest-at-courts-rights-2014081219#axzz49FDcdEGV

    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/justice-system/news/article.cfm?c_id=240&objectid=11385368&ref=rss

    • weka 7.1
      22 May 2016 at 10:16 am

      What’s being objected to is the sentence not the conviction.

      Not the first time? It looks to me like one instance of poaching and being caught.

      • BM 7.1.1
        22 May 2016 at 10:27 am

        You’re right, I must have miss read it.

        Thing is though you can’t tell the court to piss off and say you don’t recognise it and refuse to turn up.

        That’s why these guys ended up inside, for thumbing their nose at the court system, not for the fish poaching,

        All they had to do is turn up on time, do a few mea culpas and they would have got off with a fine.

        Stupid stuff and now they’re spending time in the big house for their idiocy.

        • Gangnam Style 7.1.1.1
          22 May 2016 at 10:31 am

          That’ll learn ’em, feel all better now?

        • weka 7.1.1.2
          22 May 2016 at 10:50 am

          I still don’t think the sentence fits any of those crimes. And the institutional racism still exists anyway.

        • ianmac 7.1.1.3
          22 May 2016 at 11:15 am

          The Judge did not sentence them for their behaviour. It is not illegal to deny the Court’s authority.

        • marty mars 7.1.1.4
          22 May 2016 at 4:46 pm

          “That’s why these guys ended up inside, for thumbing their nose at the court system, not for the fish poaching,”

          No that is incorrect and there are many Māori that struggle to recognise the ‘system’.

        • save nz 7.1.1.5
          23 May 2016 at 10:17 am

          Maybe they were hungry that is why they caught the fish?

          Or they had no transport to go to court.

          Or they are illiterate and can’t read the paperwork or got the time wrong.

          Anyway who knows, but prison for poaching is not on.

          Also agree the teenagers should not be in prison either.

          Instead of wasting money on prison for Serco there should be courses for these people about life skills, anger management, that they are sentenced to.

          In the ‘old days’ there were jobs for these people, fruit picking, labouring, farm work. Now a days, the jobs are gone with people imported in from Fiji and Philippines rather than bothering with training locals. (And if they were in work they probably would not be up to no good and stealing, because they have money in their pockets from an honest days work and used to getting somewhere on time and following rules).

    • Psycho Milt 7.2
      22 May 2016 at 10:29 am

      Yes, you have to wonder what Leef’s sentence would have been if he hadn’t tried to claim the court had no jurisdiction over him, hadn’t refused legal representation and hadn’t failed to turn up. It’s not clear whether the different outcomes in these cases are due to structural racism, or due to stupidity.

      • weka 7.2.1
        22 May 2016 at 10:48 am

        Or the young white guys had access to better lawyers. See, there’s another aspect of structural injustice.

        It’s not unusual for Māori to argue that they don’t accept the authority of the state. Whether these guys were serious or being stupid I don’t know, but let’s make that structural injustice issue #3.

        • Psycho Milt 7.2.1.1
          22 May 2016 at 11:24 am

          A defendant can argue they don’t accept the authority of the state, sure. I could argue that I don’t accept the law of gravity, but I’m still going to accelerate towards the ground at 9 mps squared if I step off a roof. That’s effectively what’s happened to these guys.

          Also: everybody, regardless of ethnicity, has access to a better lawyer than someone who rejects legal representation.

          • weka 7.2.1.1.1
            22 May 2016 at 12:43 pm

            Except that unlike the laws of physics, the laws of NZ can be interpreted in different ways, and the outcomes different depending on what class one belongs to. Imagine if gravity had instituitional bias. The treaty suggests partnership. Where one partner consistently renegs on the agreement the other side is likely to rethink it too.

            Your second point suggests that there is bias along class and socio economic lines (education is an issue too) as well as ethnicity.

        • Chuck 7.2.1.2
          22 May 2016 at 11:34 am

          “Or the young white guys had access to better lawyers. See, there’s another aspect of structural injustice”

          Money buys better lawyers, no doubt the legal system does favor people who can afford the best. Its far from perfect…

          “It’s not unusual for Māori to argue that they don’t accept the authority of the state.”

          Complete idiots…no doubt listening to some “elders” living a fantasy.

          • marty mars 7.2.1.2.1
            22 May 2016 at 4:48 pm

            “Complete idiots…no doubt listening to some “elders” living a fantasy.”

            that made me chuck chuck – there is a fantasy in this country and it starts with the ‘we are all one so just shut up about any injustice’ bullshit.

            • Chuck 7.2.1.2.1.1
              22 May 2016 at 5:05 pm

              No fantasy marty mars…its fact. Are you suggesting because of bloodlines people can choose to ignore any and all laws of the land?

              In case you think I am a redneck – a good portion of my family has Maori blood running through our veins.

              • marty mars …
                22 May 2016 at 5:12 pm

                the jury is still out, the fight has not finished, the injustice is still being sorted – The Treaty needs to be honored and until then it is a viable, respected position to state that the agencies of justice are not applicable. Of course the agency of justice doesn’t give a monkeys about what indigenous people say – so that is why there are some very, very good Māori lawyers fighting on that front.

                You may disagree but so what

  8. ianmac 8
    22 May 2016 at 10:21 am

    Appalling on the face of it.

  9. Tim 9
    22 May 2016 at 10:43 am

    Bullshit. Different ages, and the trout fullas didn’t turn up to legal proceedings. There are a heap of shop owners in South Auckland who say teenagers (largely Maori/PI) committing armed robbery there are not being sentenced harshly enough

    • mauī 9.1
      22 May 2016 at 10:58 am

      And why are Maori/Pasifika commiting those crimes in South Auckland? The answer might be revealing.

  10. Jenny Kirk 10
    22 May 2016 at 11:16 am

    Moana Maniopoto tells it like it really is – pity some Pakeha cannot see it for what it is :
    institutionalised racism.

    http://e-tangata.co.nz/news/the-racism-that-too-few-of-the-privileged-can-see

    • Colonial Viper 10.1
      22 May 2016 at 11:34 am

      Just note that it was the correct decision not to send those 4 young guys to prison.

      • Richardrawshark 10.1.1
        22 May 2016 at 12:19 pm

        Why? CT( Corrective Training) good sharp shock, 2 months, be justice for the shock to the owners of the properties when they came home.

        • Colonial Viper 10.1.1.1
          22 May 2016 at 12:30 pm

          What is CT? Does it occur in a prison environment?

          • Richardrawshark 10.1.1.1.1
            22 May 2016 at 12:43 pm

            In the 80’s you as a youth got DC , then they changed the name to CT, Corrective Training, Rangipo and Turangi had corrective training camp.

            2 months you could get a month off if you were good carrot stick.

            Ran like Military training induction.

            I know it’s a completely failed system , all it did was make me super fit, gave me a bigger authority chip on my shoulder than I already had, filled my address book up
            with other guys like me into fun and getting wasted and partying. Taught me a few more car thieving tricks.

            When I got out no cop could out run me. for a while. Man I was fit.

            However, the trip through Wikeria on the way to Rangipo with the adult prisoners there, made me damn scared of heading to adult jail. That worked properly.

            I reckon the best thing you can do to shock them straight is force them into a group session with some real hardened criminals, lifers, proper bad buggers, to tell them the truth and what WILL happen to their lives if they don’t change.

            • Colonial Viper 10.1.1.1.1.1
              22 May 2016 at 12:46 pm

              Ahhhh thanks for your detailed reply. Well, if its not in an adult prison environment and some good can come form it, then yeah it should definitely be an option.

              Better than lounging around at home on the XBOX waiting for your folks to cook your meals and do your laundry.

              • Richardrawshark …
                22 May 2016 at 12:56 pm

                The system of justice frankly is 95% wasted money. Do you realize that?

                The years where we should identify antisocial or mental health issues is a non event.

                The rest of the costs are a roll on from not correctly identifying an individuals issue and correctly resolving it.

                I should write an piece, on it, I have excellent inside(pardon the pun) knowledge.

                Take metal health

                How many Bi-polar, depressed, abused, neglected or mentally ill people are allowed to continue acting out before they are treated, instead of thrown through a blame and punishment regime?

                • Colonial Viper …
                  22 May 2016 at 1:05 pm

                  Sure we have a very stupid, inhuman (and inhumane) set up in many areas of our society.

                  Then we support political parties which want to tinker with insignificant parts of it, and try and convince ourselves that voting for the least shite is a virtue.

                  Your knowledge and personal experience is invaluable.

                • weka …
                  22 May 2016 at 1:06 pm

                  Please do write a piece!

                  Completely agree. And the connections between mental health, abuse and prison are known and clear.

        • North 10.1.1.2
          22 May 2016 at 4:11 pm

          That was essentially the borstal of old……there’s no such facility now.

          Main concern re the prison/home detention issue is that poor people are much less able to meet requirements as to housing, location, cellphone coverage and so on. Which denies them access to home detention.

          Relatively thus, poor people don’t get the benefit of the law in the same way as others do. That is egregious. Add to that subliminal racism.

    • marty mars 10.2
      22 May 2016 at 4:49 pm

      + 1 Jenny – very good article indeed!!!

  11. Colonial Viper 11
    22 May 2016 at 11:29 am

    OK so I understand now, DoC and Fish and Game were always going to prosecute to the full someone attacking a trout spawning area.

    I suspect that if he had accepted legal representation and had turned up to court as ordered, he would have had a sentence of 2 months or 3 months max, and would serve only half that time.

  12. weka 12
    22 May 2016 at 12:51 pm

    Felix Geiringer – ‏@BarristerNZ

    Jean Rostand said, “Kill one man, & you are a murderer. Kill millions of men, & you are a conqueror.” It turns out it applies to fish too.

  13. Mosa 13
    22 May 2016 at 2:09 pm

    You can have all the laws you want and decide how to apply them but if entrenched attitudes don’t change then we will get the racist decisions that we see now despite the law.

  14. slumbergod 14
    22 May 2016 at 3:11 pm

    A corrupt MP can bypass airport security with a slap on the wrist and an apology. A beneficiary with a girlfriend or boyfriend is guilty of fraud until they can prove it isn’t a relationship.

    MPs get their salaries upped every year because they need parity with the private sector. Beneficiaries were cheated out of one day’s benefit which they were entitled to by law…except that the govt pushed through a change in legislation to legalise their fraud.

    Not only is there structural injustice, but our parliament is dripping and oozing with corruption. ONE SET OF RULES FOR THE PRIVILEGED; ONE FOR THE POOR.

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    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    2 days ago
  • Not a story

    Yesterday I happily quoted the Prime Minister without fact-checking him and sure enough, it turns out his numbers were all to hell. It’s not four kg of Royal Commission report, it’s fourteen.My friend and one-time colleague-in-comms Hazel Phillips gently alerted me to my error almost as soon as I’d hit ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    2 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Thursday, July 25

    TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Thursday, July 25, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day were:The Abuse in Care Royal Commission of Inquiry published its final report yesterday.PM Christopher Luxon and The Minister responsible for ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • A tougher line on “proactive release”?

    The Official Information Act has always been a battle between requesters seeking information, and governments seeking to control it. Information is power, so Ministers and government agencies want to manage what is released and when, for their own convenience, and legality and democracy be damned. Their most recent tactic for ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    3 days ago
  • 'Let's build a motorway costing $100 million per km, before emissions costs'

    TL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy today are:Transport and Energy Minister Simeon Brown is accelerating plans to spend at least $10 billion through Public Private Partnerships (PPPs) to extend State Highway One as a four-lane ‘Expressway’ from Warkworth to Whangarei ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago
  • Lester's Prescription – Positive Bleeding.

    I live my life (woo-ooh-ooh)With no control in my destinyYea-yeah, yea-yeah (woo-ooh-ooh)I can bleed when I want to bleedSo come on, come on (woo-ooh-ooh)You can bleed when you want to bleedYea-yeah, come on (woo-ooh-ooh)Everybody bleed when they want to bleedCome on and bleedGovernments face tough challenges. Selling unpopular decisions to ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    3 days ago
  • Casey Costello gaslights Labour in the House

    Please note:To skip directly to the- parliamentary footage in the video, scroll to 1:21 To skip to audio please click on the headphone icon on the left hand side of the screenThis video / audio section is under development. ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    3 days ago
  • Why is the Texas grid in such bad shape?

    This is a re-post from the Climate Brink by Andrew Dessler Headline from 2021 The Texas grid, run by ERCOT, has had a rough few years. In 2021, winter storm Uri blacked out much of the state for several days. About a week ago, Hurricane Beryl knocked out ...
    Skeptical Science
    3 days ago
  • Gordon Campbell on a textbook case of spending waste by the Luxon government

    Given the crackdown on wasteful government spending, it behooves me to point to a high profile example of spending by the Luxon government that looks like a big, fat waste of time and money. I’m talking about the deployment of NZDF personnel to support the US-led coalition in the Red ...
    WerewolfBy lyndon
    3 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Pick 'n' Mix for Wednesday, July 24

    TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:40 am on Wednesday, July 24 are:Deep Dive: Chipping away at the housing crisis, including my comments RNZ/Newsroom’s The DetailNews: Government softens on asset sales, ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago
  • LXR Takaanini

    As I reported about the city centre, Auckland’s rail network is also going through a difficult and disruptive period which is rapidly approaching a culmination, this will result in a significant upgrade to the whole network. Hallelujah. Also like the city centre this is an upgrade predicated on the City ...
    Greater AucklandBy Patrick Reynolds
    3 days ago
  • Four kilograms of pain

    Today, a 4 kilogram report will be delivered to Parliament. We know this is what the report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in State and Faith-based Care weighs, because our Prime Minister told us so.Some reporter had blindsided him by asking a question about something done by ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Wednesday, July 24

    TL;DR: As of 7:00 am on Wednesday, July 24, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:Beehive: Transport Minister Simeon Brown announced plans to use PPPs to fund, build and run a four-lane expressway between Auckland ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago
  • Luxon gets caught out

    NewstalkZB host Mike Hosking, who can usually be relied on to give Prime Minister Christopher Luxon an easy run, did not do so yesterday when he interviewed him about the HealthNZ deficit. Luxon is trying to use a deficit reported last year by HealthNZ as yet another example of the ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    3 days ago
  • A worrying sign

    Back in January a StatsNZ employee gave a speech at Rātana on behalf of tangata whenua in which he insulted and criticised the government. The speech clearly violated the principle of a neutral public service, and StatsNZ started an investigation. Part of that was getting an external consultant to examine ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    4 days ago
  • Are we fine with 47.9% home-ownership by 2048?

    Renting for life: Shared ownership initiatives are unlikely to slow the slide in home ownership by much. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy today are:A Deloitte report for Westpac has projected Aotearoa’s home-ownership rate will ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • Let's Win This

    You're broken down and tiredOf living life on a merry go roundAnd you can't find the fighterBut I see it in you so we gonna walk it outAnd move mountainsWe gonna walk it outAnd move mountainsAnd I'll rise upI'll rise like the dayI'll rise upI'll rise unafraidI'll rise upAnd I'll ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    4 days ago
  • Waimahara: The Singing Spirit of Water

    There’s been a change in Myers Park. Down the steps from St. Kevin’s Arcade, past the grassy slopes, the children’s playground, the benches and that goat statue, there has been a transformation. The underpass for Mayoral Drive has gone from a barren, grey, concrete tunnel, to a place that thrums ...
    Greater AucklandBy Connor Sharp
    4 days ago
  • A major milestone: Global climate pollution may have just peaked

    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections Global society may have finally slammed on the brakes for climate-warming pollution released by human fossil fuel combustion. According to the Carbon Monitor Project, the total global climate pollution released between February and May 2024 declined slightly from the amount released during the same ...
    Skeptical Science
    4 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Pick 'n' Mix for Tuesday, July 23

    TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:00 am on Tuesday, July 23 are:Deep Dive: Penlink: where tolling rhetoric meets reality BusinessDesk-$$$’s Oliver LewisScoop: Te Pūkenga plans for regional polytechs leak out ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Tuesday, July 23

    TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Tuesday, July 23, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:Health: Shane Reti announced the Board of Te Whatu Ora- Health New Zealand was being replaced with Commissioner Lester Levy ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • HealthNZ and Luxon at cross purposes over budget blowout

    Health NZ warned the Government at the end of March that it was running over Budget. But the reasons it gave were very different to those offered by the Prime Minister yesterday. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon blamed the “botched merger” of the 20 District Health Boards (DHBs) to create Health ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    4 days ago
  • 2500-3000 more healthcare staff expected to be fired, as Shane Reti blames Labour for a budget defic...

    Long ReadKey Summary: Although National increased the health budget by $1.4 billion in May, they used an old funding model to project health system costs, and never bothered to update their pre-election numbers. They were told during the Health Select Committees earlier in the year their budget amount was deficient, ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    4 days ago
  • Might Kamala Harris be about to get a 'stardust' moment like Jacinda Ardern?

    As a momentous, historic weekend in US politics unfolded, analysts and commentators grasped for precedents and comparisons to help explain the significance and power of the choice Joe Biden had made. The 46th president had swept the Democratic party’s primaries but just over 100 days from the election had chosen ...
    PunditBy Tim Watkin
    5 days ago
  • Solutions Interview: Steven Hail on MMT & ecological economics

    TL;DR: I’m casting around for new ideas and ways of thinking about Aotearoa’s political economy to find a few solutions to our cascading and self-reinforcing housing, poverty and climate crises.Associate Professor runs an online masters degree in the economics of sustainability at Torrens University in Australia and is organising ...
    The KakaBy Steven Hail
    5 days ago
  • Reported back

    The Finance and Expenditure Committee has reported back on National's Local Government (Water Services Preliminary Arrangements) Bill. The bill sets up water for privatisation, and was introduced under urgency, then rammed through select committee with no time even for local councils to make a proper submission. Naturally, national's select committee ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    5 days ago
  • Vandrad the Viking, Christopher Coombes, and Literary Archaeology

    Some years ago, I bought a book at Dunedin’s Regent Booksale for $1.50. As one does. Vandrad the Viking (1898), by J. Storer Clouston, is an obscure book these days – I cannot find a proper online review – but soon it was sitting on my shelf, gathering dust alongside ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    5 days ago
  • Gordon Campbell On The Biden Withdrawal

    History is not on the side of the centre-left, when Democratic presidents fall behind in the polls and choose not to run for re-election. On both previous occasions in the past 75 years (Harry Truman in 1952, Lyndon Johnson in 1968) the Democrats proceeded to then lose the White House ...
    WerewolfBy lyndon
    5 days ago
  • Joe Biden's withdrawal puts the spotlight back on Kamala and the USA's complicated relatio...

    This is a free articleCoverageThis morning, US President Joe Biden announced his withdrawal from the Presidential race. And that is genuinely newsworthy. Thanks for your service, President Biden, and all the best to you and yours.However, the media in New Zealand, particularly the 1News nightly bulletin, has been breathlessly covering ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    5 days ago
  • Why we have to challenge our national fiscal assumptions

    A homeless person’s camp beside a blocked-off slipped damage walkway in Freeman’s Bay: we are chasing our tail on our worsening and inter-related housing, poverty and climate crises. Photo: Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • Existential Crisis and Damaged Brains

    What has happened to it all?Crazy, some'd sayWhere is the life that I recognise?(Gone away)But I won't cry for yesterdayThere's an ordinary worldSomehow I have to findAnd as I try to make my wayTo the ordinary worldYesterday morning began as many others - what to write about today? I began ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago
  • A speed limit is not a target, and yet…

    This is a guest post from longtime supporter Mr Plod, whose previous contributions include a proposal that Hamilton become New Zealand’s capital city, and that we should switch which side of the road we drive on. A recent Newsroom article, “Back to school for the Govt’s new speed limit policy“, ...
    Greater AucklandBy Guest Post
    5 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Pick 'n' Mix for Monday, July 22

    TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:00 am on Monday, July 22 are:Today’s Must Read: Father and son live in a tent, and have done for four years, in a million ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Monday, July 22

    TL;DR: As of 7:00 am on Monday, July 22, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:US President Joe Biden announced via X this morning he would not stand for a second term.Multinational professional services firm ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #29

    A listing of 32 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, July 14, 2024 thru Sat, July 20, 2024. Story of the week As reflected by preponderance of coverage, our Story of the Week is Project 2025. Until now traveling ...
    Skeptical Science
    6 days ago
  • I'd like to share what I did this weekend

    This weekend, a friend pointed out someone who said they’d like to read my posts, but didn’t want to pay. And my first reaction was sympathy.I’ve already told folks that if they can’t comfortably subscribe, and would like to read, I’d be happy to offer free subscriptions. I don’t want ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    6 days ago
  • For the children – Why mere sentiment can be a misleading force in our lives, and lead to unex...

    National: The Party of ‘Law and Order’ IntroductionThis weekend, the Government formally kicked off one of their flagship policy programs: a military style boot camp that New Zealand has experimented with over the past 50 years. Cartoon credit: Guy BodyIt’s very popular with the National Party’s Law and Order image, ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    6 days ago
  • A friend in uncertain times

    Day one of the solo leg of my long journey home begins with my favourite sound: footfalls in an empty street. 5.00 am and it’s already light and already too warm, almost.If I can make the train that leaves Budapest later this hour I could be in Belgrade by nightfall; ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    6 days ago
  • The Chaotic World of Male Diet Influencers

    Hi,We’ll get to the horrific world of male diet influencers (AKA Beefy Boys) shortly, but first you will be glad to know that since I sent out the Webworm explaining why the assassination attempt on Donald Trump was not a false flag operation, I’ve heard from a load of people ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    6 days ago
  • It's Starting To Look A Lot Like… Y2K

    Do you remember Y2K, the threat that hung over humanity in the closing days of the twentieth century? Horror scenarios of planes falling from the sky, electronic payments failing and ATMs refusing to dispense cash. As for your VCR following instructions and recording your favourite show - forget about it.All ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 week ago
  • Bernard’s Saturday Soliloquy for the week to July 20

    Climate Change Minister Simon Watts being questioned by The Kākā’s Bernard Hickey.TL;DR: My top six things to note around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the week to July 20 were:1. A strategy that fails Zero Carbon Act & Paris targetsThe National-ACT-NZ First Coalition Government finally unveiled ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • Pharmac Director, Climate Change Commissioner, Health NZ Directors – The latest to quit this m...

    Summary:As New Zealand loses at least 12 leaders in the public service space of health, climate, and pharmaceuticals, this month alone, directly in response to the Government’s policies and budget choices, what lies ahead may be darker than it appears. Tui examines some of those departures and draws a long ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    1 week ago
  • Flooding Housing Policy

    The Minister of Housing’s ambition is to reduce markedly the ratio of house prices to household incomes. If his strategy works it would transform the housing market, dramatically changing the prospects of housing as an investment.Leaving aside the Minister’s metaphor of ‘flooding the market’ I do not see how the ...
    PunditBy Brian Easton
    1 week ago
  • A Voyage Among the Vandals: Accepted (Again!)

    As previously noted, my historical fantasy piece, set in the fifth-century Mediterranean, was accepted for a Pirate Horror anthology, only for the anthology to later fall through. But in a good bit of news, it turned out that the story could indeed be re-marketed as sword and sorcery. As of ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    1 week ago
  • The Kākā's Chorus for Friday, July 19

    An employee of tobacco company Philip Morris International demonstrates a heated tobacco device. Photo: Getty ImagesTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy on Friday, July 19 are:At a time when the Coalition Government is cutting spending on health, infrastructure, education, housing ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • The Kākā’s Pick 'n' Mix for Friday, July 19

    TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 8:30 am on Friday, July 19 are:Scoop: NZ First Minister Casey Costello orders 50% cut to excise tax on heated tobacco products. The minister has ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • Weekly Roundup 19-July-2024

    Kia ora, it’s time for another Friday roundup, in which we pull together some of the links and stories that caught our eye this week. Feel free to add more in the comments! Our header image this week shows a foggy day in Auckland town, captured by Patrick Reynolds. ...
    Greater AucklandBy Greater Auckland
    1 week ago
  • Weekly Climate Wrap: A market-led plan for failure

    TL;DR : Here’s the top six items climate news for Aotearoa this week, as selected by Bernard Hickey and The Kākā’s climate correspondent Cathrine Dyer. A discussion recorded yesterday is in the video above and the audio of that sent onto the podcast feed.The Government released its draft Emissions Reduction ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • Tobacco First

    Save some money, get rich and old, bring it back to Tobacco Road.Bring that dynamite and a crane, blow it up, start all over again.Roll up. Roll up. Or tailor made, if you prefer...Whether you’re selling ciggies, digging for gold, catching dolphins in your nets, or encouraging folks to flutter ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 week ago
  • Trump’s Adopted Son.

    Waiting In The Wings: For truly, if Trump is America’s un-assassinated Caesar, then J.D. Vance is America’s Octavian, the Republic’s youthful undertaker – and its first Emperor.DONALD TRUMP’S SELECTION of James D. Vance as his running-mate bodes ill for the American republic. A fervent supporter of Viktor Orban, the “illiberal” prime ...
    Bowalley Road
    1 week ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Friday, July 19

    TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Friday, July 19, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:The PSA announced the Employment Relations Authority (ERA) had ruled in the PSA’s favour in its case against the Ministry ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago

  • Joint statement from the Prime Ministers of Canada, Australia and New Zealand

    Australia, Canada and New Zealand today issued the following statement on the need for an urgent ceasefire in Gaza and the risk of expanded conflict between Hizballah and Israel. The situation in Gaza is catastrophic. The human suffering is unacceptable. It cannot continue.  We remain unequivocal in our condemnation of ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    17 hours ago
  • AG reminds institutions of legal obligations

    Attorney-General Judith Collins today reminded all State and faith-based institutions of their legal obligation to preserve records relevant to the safety and wellbeing of those in its care. “The Abuse in Care Inquiry’s report has found cases where records of the most vulnerable people in State and faith‑based institutions were ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    20 hours ago
  • More young people learning about digital safety

    Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says the Government’s online safety website for children and young people has reached one million page views.  “It is great to see so many young people and their families accessing the site Keep It Real Online to learn how to stay safe online, and manage ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    21 hours ago
  • Speech to the Conference for General Practice 2024

    Tēnā tātou katoa,  Ngā mihi te rangi, ngā mihi te whenua, ngā mihi ki a koutou, kia ora mai koutou. Thank you for the opportunity to be here and the invitation to speak at this 50th anniversary conference. I acknowledge all those who have gone before us and paved the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    23 hours ago
  • Employers and payroll providers ready for tax changes

    New Zealand’s payroll providers have successfully prepared to ensure 3.5 million individuals will, from Wednesday next week, be able to keep more of what they earn each pay, says Finance Minister Nicola Willis and Revenue Minister Simon Watts.  “The Government's tax policy changes are legally effective from Wednesday. Delivering this tax ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Experimental vineyard futureproofs wine industry

    An experimental vineyard which will help futureproof the wine sector has been opened in Blenheim by Associate Regional Development Minister Mark Patterson. The covered vineyard, based at the New Zealand Wine Centre – Te Pokapū Wāina o Aotearoa, enables controlled environmental conditions. “The research that will be produced at the Experimental ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Funding confirmed for regions affected by North Island Weather Events

    The Coalition Government has confirmed the indicative regional breakdown of North Island Weather Event (NIWE) funding for state highway recovery projects funded through Budget 2024, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Regions in the North Island suffered extensive and devastating damage from Cyclone Gabrielle and the 2023 Auckland Anniversary Floods, and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Indonesian Foreign Minister to visit

    Indonesia’s Foreign Minister, Retno Marsudi, will visit New Zealand next week, Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced.   “Indonesia is important to New Zealand’s security and economic interests and is our closest South East Asian neighbour,” says Mr Peters, who is currently in Laos to engage with South East Asian partners. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Strengthening partnership with Ngāti Maniapoto

    He aha te kai a te rangatira? He kōrero, he kōrero, he kōrero. The government has reaffirmed its commitment to supporting the aspirations of Ngāti Maniapoto, Minister for Māori Development Tama Potaka says. “My thanks to Te Nehenehenui Trust – Ngāti Maniapoto for bringing their important kōrero to a ministerial ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Transport Minister thanks outgoing CAA Chair

    Transport Minister Simeon Brown has thanked outgoing Chair of the Civil Aviation Authority, Janice Fredric, for her service to the board.“I have received Ms Fredric’s resignation from the role of Chair of the Civil Aviation Authority,” Mr Brown says.“On behalf of the Government, I want to thank Ms Fredric for ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Test for Customary Marine Title being restored

    The Government is proposing legislation to overturn a Court of Appeal decision and amend the Marine and Coastal Area Act in order to restore Parliament’s test for Customary Marine Title, Treaty Negotiations Minister Paul Goldsmith says.  “Section 58 required an applicant group to prove they have exclusively used and occupied ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Opposition united in bad faith over ECE sector review

    Regulation Minister David Seymour says that opposition parties have united in bad faith, opposing what they claim are ‘dangerous changes’ to the Early Childhood Education sector, despite no changes even being proposed yet.  “Issues with affordability and availability of early childhood education, and the complexity of its regulation, has led ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Kiwis having their say on first regulatory review

    After receiving more than 740 submissions in the first 20 days, Regulation Minister David Seymour is asking the Ministry for Regulation to extend engagement on the early childhood education regulation review by an extra two weeks.  “The level of interest has been very high, and from the conversations I’ve been ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Government upgrading Lower North Island commuter rail

    The Coalition Government is investing $802.9 million into the Wairarapa and Manawatū rail lines as part of a funding agreement with the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA), KiwiRail, and the Greater Wellington and Horizons Regional Councils to deliver more reliable services for commuters in the lower North Island, Transport Minister Simeon ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Government moves to ensure flood protection for Wairoa

    Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced his intention to appoint a Crown Manager to both Hawke’s Bay Regional and Wairoa District Councils to speed up the delivery of flood protection work in Wairoa."Recent severe weather events in Wairoa this year, combined with damage from Cyclone Gabrielle in 2023 have ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • PM speech to Parliament – Royal Commission of Inquiry’s Report into Abuse in Care

    Mr Speaker, this is a day that many New Zealanders who were abused in State care never thought would come. It’s the day that this Parliament accepts, with deep sorrow and regret, the Report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care.  At the heart of this report are the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Government acknowledges torture at Lake Alice

    For the first time, the Government is formally acknowledging some children and young people at Lake Alice Psychiatric Hospital experienced torture. The final report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in State and Faith-based Care “Whanaketia – through pain and trauma, from darkness to light,” was tabled in Parliament ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Government acknowledges courageous abuse survivors

    The Government has acknowledged the nearly 2,400 courageous survivors who shared their experiences during the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Historical Abuse in State and Faith-Based Care. The final report from the largest and most complex public inquiry ever held in New Zealand, the Royal Commission Inquiry “Whanaketia – through ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Half a million people use tax calculator

    With a week to go before hard-working New Zealanders see personal income tax relief for the first time in fourteen years, 513,000 people have used the Budget tax calculator to see how much they will benefit, says Finance Minister Nicola Willis.  “Tax relief is long overdue. From next Wednesday, personal income ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Paid Parental Leave improvements pass first reading

    Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden says a bill that has passed its first reading will improve parental leave settings and give non-biological parents more flexibility as primary carer for their child. The Regulatory Systems Amendment Bill (No3), passed its first reading this morning. “It includes a change ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Rebuilding the economy through better regulation

    Two Bills designed to improve regulation and make it easier to do business have passed their first reading in Parliament, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. The Regulatory Systems (Economic Development) Amendment Bill and Regulatory Systems (Immigration and Workforce) Amendment Bill make key changes to legislation administered by the Ministry ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • ‘Open banking’ and ‘open electricity’ on the way

    New legislation paves the way for greater competition in sectors such as banking and electricity, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly says. “Competitive markets boost productivity, create employment opportunities and lift living standards. To support competition, we need good quality regulation but, unfortunately, a recent OECD report ranked New ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Charity lotteries to be permitted to operate online

    Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says lotteries for charitable purposes, such as those run by the Heart Foundation, Coastguard NZ, and local hospices, will soon be allowed to operate online permanently. “Under current laws, these fundraising lotteries are only allowed to operate online until October 2024, after which ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Accelerating Northland Expressway

    The Coalition Government is accelerating work on the new four-lane expressway between Auckland and Whangārei as part of its Roads of National Significance programme, with an accelerated delivery model to deliver this project faster and more efficiently, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “For too long, the lack of resilient transport connections ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Sir Don to travel to Viet Nam as special envoy

    Sir Don McKinnon will travel to Viet Nam this week as a Special Envoy of the Government, Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced.    “It is important that the Government give due recognition to the significant contributions that General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong made to New Zealand-Viet Nam relations,” Mr ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Grant Illingworth KC appointed as transitional Commissioner to Royal Commission

    Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says newly appointed Commissioner, Grant Illingworth KC, will help deliver the report for the first phase of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into COVID-19 Lessons, due on 28 November 2024.  “I am pleased to announce that Mr Illingworth will commence his appointment as ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • NZ to advance relationships with ASEAN partners

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