Love the quote. Unfortunately media tend to focus more on the; “slightly mad”, aspect than the; “internal moral engine”. This is particularly evident down here in Dunedin with incessant harping on about anti-deep sea drilling protestors use of fossil fuels:
“Despite his [Haazen’s] beliefs, he cruised up Otago Harbour on diesel power yesterday, on the ”perfect” still morning. ”We are totally addicted to oil. We need to wean ourselves off our oil addiction,” he said.”
The current lack on an alternative fuel infrastructure being one of the primary points of the protest action! But then, when it comes to basic facts:
“Pro Gas Otago spokesman Andrew Whiley Coyote said he ”struggled”… ”I’m really confused.”
Mr Haazen said Mr Whiley had incorrect information, as [both] oil and gas were being sought.”
A Whiley Coyote isn’t as smart as he thinks he is in Prostituting Otago Oil.
Dunedin seems a particularly compromised choice for risking an oil spill.
Dunedin is one the only place in the southern hemisphere where any species of Albatross breeds on the mainland and Dunedin happens to have the largest one – the Royal Albatross breeding there, they have the Yellow-Eyed Penguins – a species severely challenged already and as I understand it Dunedin is pretty special in that there are a variety of cormorant species (shags) living in the same area – and this is also rare. These are only the things I know about and there are bound to be more – I guess other places in New Zealand would have similar issues.
It would be pretty bad for all the people if oil got into that harbour – and how quickly would the oil ‘be washed away’ in that harbour with the shape that it is?
Many dont understand the greens cos their bottom line isnt money… thats why they label them nutters. Better to consider them insane than correct. Imagine how frightening it is for many to consider that money isnt the most important thing.
Oh so you just come along and squash my concept. Now you mention it … no wonder we are floating around in a sort of black hole … nothing has definite edges any more … it must be that fuzzy logic I’ve heard talked about.
Every political activist I’ve ever met, with the exception of one, was left leaning, and everyone did it for ultraistic motifs. The one exception was my Nat cousin, whose father was a tory throw-back, but even then my cousin turned down the baubles of power, deluded into working to elect a Nat Government. Every other tory has done it for the money. They weren’t activists, just greedy.
To me, a true activist does it for ultraistic reasons. I’m sure JK was at Whangarei for that reason – the right thing to do – whereas your “average” right-wing activist is looking at “what’s in it for me” – payback.
Fair enough. However, many right-wingers want to radically change society (and have); they are not just looking after their own narrow self interest i.e ”what’s in it for me”.
Who is the real activist between say John Minto and Roger Douglas?
It’s in the eye of the beholder I guess.
According to Oxford Dictionaries (online) activism is: ”the policy or action of using vigorous campaigning to bring about political or social change.”
The term activist is often used as a pejorative to dismiss and marginalise people like Jane Kelsey and John Minto, who (regardless of your view of the issue) are advocating the more conservative path. Thus in the minds of the people, opposing the likes of the TPPA is the activist or radical position.
To my mind, those campaigning for a treaty that threatens our sovereignty are pro-TPPA activists.
Alan Gibbs would be better than Douglas in your comparison if feel. But both are activists they just have completely different methods and reasoning. Whilst Minto is much more vocal etc I’d argue that Gibb’s version has had greater effect on NZ. People just cant see it because its all done behind closed doors. …
Good point. Douglas was elected, and got his way by using (manipulating) the parliamentary system. Gibbs used other channels as an activist of the far right for both personal enrichment and political upheaval.
He seems to prefer the identity of ”predator” judging from extracts from ‘Serious Fun: The Life and Times of Alan Gibbs’ penned by National list MP and author Paul Goldsmith.
From the NZ Herald review in August 2012 by Chris Barton:
“Predators seek to incur the least possible risk while hunting,” writes Goldsmith, comparing the law of the jungle with the behaviour of successful, risk-averse businessmen. On a 1987 trip to Zimbabwe and Kenya, Gibbs found the great African plains a revelation. He was fascinated by the way gazelle accommodated to living in constant peril. “The competition for survival in nature was absolute and unsentimental: the strong survived; the weak were eaten.” Goldsmith extends the metaphor to the New Zealand business ecosystem of the 70s – predator-free, with the natural process disrupted by government regulation and protection, allowing “plenty of fundamentally unsound businesses to limp along.” Until, according to Goldsmith, Gibbs restored the balance. “Gibbs had emerged since 1979 as one of the larger local predators, at a time when old protections were starting to lose their power.” Ends
Just to think, they wanted to let this man loose on our health system.
Great post ! Especially on the day when we got up at 5am (groan) in the dark, drove in the dark and wind down to the Whangarei growers market and set up a stall to raise awareness and get written submissions opposing the Local Govt Commission’s proposal for a Unitary Authority for the whole of Northland. We had almost 100 (95 to be exact) handwritten submissions within 3 hours to send off to the LGC. This is on top of the 60 we’ve previously sent off from other stalls. Yeah …. I’d go along with the “slightly mad” description – except for the fact we had umpteen people saying to us – ” thanks for doing this, I wouln’t have got around to sending off a submission otherwise”
Sorry GreyWarbler – I’m just not getting into that scenario yet ….. haven’t sorted out my own submission for the LGC hearings – been too busy raising awareness of the issue locally, and my personal objection is that the draft Unitary proposal takes away a huge amount of current decision-making from local councillors – putting all the major decisions into the hands of one mayor and 9 councillors covering the entire – hugely isolated in parts – of Northland. Its too remote.
The Waitakere local board recently were the “victims” of such decision-making – not even being consulted about the possibility of oil drilling off Auckland’s west coast which is their patch.
“First they ignore you, then they ridicule you, then they fight you, and then you win.” Mahatma Gandhi
<blockquote.âThose who love peace must learn to organize as effectively as those who love war.â Martin Luther King Jr.
Is David Cunliffe placing himself on the wrong side of history, in supporting Deep Sea Oil drilling?
Many tens, if not hundreds of New Zealanders are preparing to blockade our ports against the passage of the Deep Sea Oil rig support ships.
Many thousands protested on our beaches.
Even the most powerful man in the world, the President of the United States of America has been unable to push the XL pipeline through, against opposition from determined US activists.
Deep Sea Oil Drilling is this country’s version of the XL pipeline.
Like the protests against schedule 4 mining that made the National government back down.
Like the protests that drove nuclear warships and Petrobras from our shores.
Sooner or later the movement against Deep Sea Oil will become overwhelming.
Oh, where have you been, my blue-eyed son?
And where have you been my darling young one?
I’ve stumbled on the side of twelve misty mountains
I’ve walked and I’ve crawled on six crooked highways
I’ve stepped in the middle of seven sad forests
I’ve been out in front of a dozen dead oceans
I’ve been ten thousand miles in the mouth of a graveyard
And it’s a hard, it’s a hard, it’s a hard, and it’s a hard
It’s a hard rain’s a-gonna fall.
“Which strategy is best? It depends on whether the change is brought about through violence or resistance. University of Denver political scientist Erica Chenoweth and her colleague Maria Stephan compared violent and nonviolent revolutions and reforms since 1900. They found that âfrom 1900 to 2006, nonviolent campaigns worldwide were twice as likely to succeed outright as violent insurgencies.â And: âThis trend has been increasing over time, so that in the last 50 years nonviolent campaigns are becoming increasingly successful and common, whereas violent insurgencies are becoming increasingly rare and unsuccessful.â Only a small percentage of a population is necessary to bring about change: âNo single campaigns failed after they’d achieved the active and sustained participation of just 3.5 percent of the population.â And if they surpassed the 3.5 percent threshold, all were nonviolent and âoften much more inclusive and representative in terms of gender, age, race, political party, class, and the urban-rural distinction.â It’s a faster track to the 3.5 percent magic number when you are more inclusive and participation barriers are low. Plus, nonviolent resistance does not require expensive guns and weapons.” Michael Shermer Scientific American Febuary 1, 2014
New Zealand must be one of the world leaders in effective peaceful protest, from Vietnam to Schedule 4. and everything in between.
During the Vietnam war era New Zealand had the largest number of anti war protesters per head of population in the world. Though the New Zealand state supported the war, NZ could only send volunteers. Unlike Australia the government could not impose conscription, in fact they even had to abandon the precursor to conscription, Compulsory Military Training, when anti-war protesters blocked the tracks of the trains taking trainees to Papakura and the trainees joined the protests.
In 1975 the Vietnam war ended and the Maori Land March took place under the banner “Not One More Acre” protesting the continuing confiscation of Maori Land primarily through the use of the Public Works Act. This huge mobilisation of Maori and their supporters brought both Auckland and Wellington to a grinding halt when the Land March passed through these cities. Winning several important concessions for Maori in particular the founding of the Maori Land Court to consider all cases of unfair Maori Land alienation.
In 1976 the government decided to subdivide Auckland Council land alienated from Maori in 1882. A peaceful protest to stop the subdivision occupied the land after 500 days the government mobilised over 800 troops and police to evict them. But the government was never able to carry out their plans to subdivide the land for luxury housing. And the protesters won another major concession from the Crown. For the first time ever, the Maori Land Court was given the power to consider historic grievances. And the first ever settlement under the new powers given the land court was to return Bastion Point to the Ngati Whatua o Orakei.
In 1981 protests mounted against racially selected sporting tours culminated in huge protests against the springbok tour, that never saw another sports team from that regime ever visit this country again. ‘nuf said. (except that these protests captured the world’s attention, and gave valuable moral support to the anti-apartheid movement in South Africa itself)
The New Zealand protests against nuclear armed and powered warships brought the world’s most powerful navy to grinding halt. The protests became so huge and powerful that the debate went into parliament. A private members bill to ban nuclear ships was brought onto the floor of parliament by Labour opposition MP Richard Prebble. Under huge public pressure two government MPs were prepared to cross the floor to see the bill passed. The crisis brought down the government. The new administration tried to continue the same policy of neither confirm nor deny to allow US warship the Buchanon back into New Zealand, Nicky Hagar met with Prime Minster Lange and told him any attempt to bring the Buchanon into New Zealand would be met with the same scale of protests that brought down the last government. The day after he told the Buchanon to turn around and go back to the US. David Lange was reported in the Listener as saying the peace movement was the lobby he most feared.
Schedule 4 protests against the mining of conservation land saw another government backdown in the face of huge public protest.
I am proud to say that I have been intimately involved in all these schedules, just like many other tens of thousands of New Zealanders. (except only minimally in the schedule 4 protests)
We have never been beaten and have never found ourselves on the wrong side of history.
Myself and many other experienced activists are now mobilising against Deep Sea Oil drilling, and to save the planet.
RĂu RĂu ChĂuRĂu RĂu ChĂu is a Spanish Christmas song from the 16th Century. The traditional carol would likely have passed unnoticed by the English-speaking world had the made-for-television American band The Monkees not performed the song as part of their special Christmas show back in 1967. The show's ...
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I don't knowHow to say what's got to be saidI don't know if it's black or whiteThere's others see it redI don't get the answers rightI'll leave that to youIs this love out of fashionOr is it the time of yearAre these words distraction?To the words you want to hearSongwriters: ...
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The Green Party is appalled with the Governmentâs new child poverty targets that are based on a new âpersistent povertyâ measure that could be met even with an increase in child poverty. ...
New independent analysis has revealed that the Governmentâs Emissions Reduction Plan (ERP) will reduce emissions by a measly 1 per cent by 2030, failing to set us up for the future and meeting upcoming targets.  ...
The loss of 27 kaimahi at Whakaata MÄori and the end of its daily news bulletin is a sad day for MÄori media and another step backwards for Te Tiriti o Waitangi justice. ...
Yesterday the Government passed cruel legislation through first reading to establish a new beneficiary sanction regime that will ultimately mean more households cannot afford the basic essentials. ...
Today's passing of the Government's Residential Tenancies Amendment Billâwhich allows landlords to end tenancies with no reasonâignores the voice of the people and leaves renters in limbo ahead of the festive season. ...
After wasting a year, Nicola Willis has delivered a worse deal for the Cook Strait ferries that will end up being more expensive and take longer to arrive. ...
Green Party co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick has today launched a Memberâs Bill to sanction Israel for its unlawful presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, as the All Out For Gaza rally reaches Parliament. ...
After years of advocacy, the Green Party is very happy to hear the Government has listened to our collective voices and announced the closure of the greyhound racing industry, by 1 August 2026. ...
In response to a new report from ERO, the Government has acknowledged the urgent need for consistency across the curriculum for Relationship and Sexuality Education (RSE) in schools. ...
The Green Party is appalled at the Government introducing legislation that will make it easier to penalise workers fighting for better pay and conditions. ...
Thank you for the invitation to speak with you tonight on behalf of the political party I belong to - which is New Zealand First. As we have heard before this evening the Kinleith Mill is proposing to reduce operations by focusing on pulp and discontinuing âlossmaking paper productionâ. They say that they are currently consulting on the plan to permanently shut ...
Auckland Central MP, Chlöe Swarbrick, has written to Mayor Wayne Brown requesting he stop the unnecessary delays on St James Theatreâs restoration. ...
Today, the Green Party of Aotearoa proudly unveils its new Emissions Reduction PlanâHe Ara Anamataâa blueprint reimagining our collective future. ...
Kiwis planning a swim or heading out on a boat this summer should remember to stop and think about water safety, Sport & Recreation Minister Chris Bishop and ACC and Associate Transport Minister Matt Doocey say. âNew Zealandâs beaches, lakes and rivers are some of the most beautiful in the ...
The Government is urging Kiwis to drive safely this summer and reminding motorists that Police will be out in force to enforce the road rules, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.âThis time of year can be stressful and result in poor decision-making on our roads. Whether you are travelling to see ...
Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says Health New Zealand will move swiftly to support dozens of internationally-trained doctors already in New Zealand on their journey to employment here, after a tripling of sought-after examination places. âThe Medical Council has delivered great news for hardworking overseas doctors who want to contribute ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has appointed Sarah Ottrey to the APEC Business Advisory Council (ABAC). âAt my first APEC Summit in Lima, I experienced firsthand the role that ABAC plays in guaranteeing political leaders hear the voice of business,â Mr Luxon says. âNew Zealandâs ABAC representatives are very well respected and ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has announced four appointments to New Zealandâs intelligence oversight functions. The Honourable Robert Dobson KC has been appointed Chief Commissioner of Intelligence Warrants, and the Honourable Brendan Brown KC has been appointed as a Commissioner of Intelligence Warrants. The appointments of Hon Robert Dobson and Hon ...
Improvements in the average time it takes to process survey and title applications means housing developments can progress more quickly, Minister for Land Information Chris Penk says. âThe government is resolutely focused on improving the building and construction pipeline,â Mr Penk says. âApplications to issue titles and subdivide land are ...
The Governmentâs measures to reduce airport wait times, and better transparency around flight disruptions is delivering encouraging early results for passengers ahead of the busy summer period, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. âImproving the efficiency of air travel is a priority for the Government to give passengers a smoother, more reliable ...
The Government today announced the intended closure of the Apollo Hotel as Contracted Emergency Housing (CEH) in Rotorua, Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka says. This follows a 30 per cent reduction in the number of households in CEH in Rotorua since National came into Government. âOur focus is on ending CEH in the Whakarewarewa area starting ...
The Government will reshape vocational education and training to return decision making to regions and enable greater industry input into work-based learning Tertiary Education and Skills Minister, Penny Simmonds says. âThe redesigned system will better meet the needs of learners, industry, and the economy. It includes re-establishing regional polytechnics that ...
The Government is taking action to better manage synthetic refrigerants and reduce emissions caused by greenhouse gases found in heating and cooling products, Environment Minister Penny Simmonds says. âRegulations will be drafted to support a product stewardship scheme for synthetic refrigerants, Ms. Simmonds says. âSynthetic refrigerants are found in a ...
People travelling on State Highway 1 north of Hamilton will be relieved that remedial works and safety improvements on the NgÄruawÄhia section of the Waikato Expressway were finished today, with all lanes now open to traffic, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.âI would like to acknowledge the patience of road users ...
Tertiary Education and Skills Minister, Penny Simmonds, has announced a new appointment to the board of Education New Zealand (ENZ). Dr Erik Lithander has been appointed as a new member of the ENZ board for a three-year term until 30 January 2028. âI would like to welcome Dr Erik Lithander to the ...
The Government will have senior representatives at Waitangi Day events around the country, including at the Waitangi Treaty Grounds, but next year Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has chosen to take part in celebrations elsewhere. âIt has always been my intention to celebrate Waitangi Day around the country with different ...
Two more criminal gangs will be subject to the raft of laws passed by the Coalition Government that give Police more powers to disrupt gang activity, and the intimidation they impose in our communities, Police Minister Mark Mitchell says. Following an Order passed by Cabinet, from 3 February 2025 the ...
Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of Justice Christian Whata as a Judge of the Court of Appeal. Justice Whataâs appointment as a Judge of the Court of Appeal will take effect on 1 August 2025 and fill a vacancy created by the retirement of Hon Justice David Goddard on ...
The latest economic figures highlight the importance of the steps the Government has taken to restore respect for taxpayersâ money and drive economic growth, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. Data released today by Stats NZ shows Gross Domestic Product fell 1 per cent in the September quarter. âTreasury and most ...
Tertiary Education and Skills Minister Penny Simmonds and Associate Minister of Education David Seymour today announced legislation changes to strengthen freedom of speech obligations on universities. âFreedom of speech is fundamental to the concept of academic freedom and there is concern that universities seem to be taking a more risk-averse ...
Police Minister, Mark Mitchell, and Internal Affairs Minister, Brooke van Velden, today launched a further Public Safety Network cellular service that alongside last yearâs Cellular Roaming roll-out, puts globally-leading cellular communications capability into the hands of our emergency responders. The Public Safety Networkâs new Cellular Priority service means Police, Wellington ...
State Highway 1 through the Mangamuka Gorge has officially reopened today, providing a critical link for Northlanders and offering much-needed relief ahead of the busy summer period, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.âThe Mangamuka Gorge is a vital route for Northland, carrying around 1,300 vehicles per day and connecting the Far ...
The Government has welcomed decisions by the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) and Ashburton District Council confirming funding to boost resilience in the Canterbury region, with construction on a second Ashburton Bridge expected to begin in 2026, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. âDelivering a second Ashburton Bridge to improve resilience and ...
The Government is backing the response into high pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in Otago, Biosecurity Minister Andrew Hoggard says. âCabinet has approved new funding of $20 million to enable MPI to meet unbudgeted ongoing expenses associated with the H7N6 response including rigorous scientific testing of samples at the enhanced PC3 ...
Legislation that will repeal all advertising restrictions for broadcasters on Sundays and public holidays has passed through first reading in Parliament today, Media Minister Paul Goldsmith says. âAs a growing share of audiences get their news and entertainment from streaming services, these restrictions have become increasingly redundant. New Zealand on ...
Today the House agreed to Brendan Horsley being appointed Inspector-General of Defence, Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith says. âMr Horsleyâs experience will be invaluable in overseeing the establishment of the new office and its support networks. âHe is currently Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security, having held that role since June 2020. ...
Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says the Government has agreed to the final regulations for the levy on insurance contracts that will fund Fire and Emergency New Zealand from July 2026. âEarlier this year the Government agreed to a 2.2 percent increase to the rate of levy. Fire ...
The Government is delivering regulatory relief for New Zealand businesses through changes to the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering Financing of Terrorism Act. âThe Anti-Money Laundering and Countering Financing of Terrorism Amendment Bill, which was introduced today, is the second Bill â the other being the Statutes Amendment Bill - that ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed further progress on the Hawkeâs Bay Expressway Road of National Significance (RoNS), with the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) Board approving funding for the detailed design of Stage 1, paving the way for main works construction to begin in late 2025.âThe Government is moving at ...
The Government today released a request for information (RFI) to seeking interest in partnerships to plant trees on Crown-owned land with low farming and conservation value (excluding National Parks) Forestry Minister Todd McClay announced. âPlanting trees on Crown-owned land will drive economic growth by creating more forestry jobs in our regions, providing more wood ...
Court timeliness, access to justice, and improving the quality of existing regulation are the focus of a series of law changes introduced to Parliament today by Associate Minister of Justice Nicole McKee. The three Bills in the Regulatory Systems (Justice) Amendment Bill package each improve a different part of the ...
A total of 41 appointments and reappointments have been made to the 12 community trusts around New Zealand that serve their regions, Associate Finance Minister Shane Jones says. âThese trusts, and the communities they serve from the Far North to the deep south, will benefit from the rich experience, knowledge, ...
The Government has confirmed how it will provide redress to survivors who were tortured at the Lake Alice Psychiatric Hospital Child and Adolescent Unit (the Lake Alice Unit). âThe Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care found that many of the 362 children who went through the Lake Alice Unit between 1972 and ...
It has been a busy, productive year in the House as the coalition Government works hard to get New Zealand back on track, Leader of the House Chris Bishop says. âThis Government promised to rebuild the economy, restore law and order and reduce the cost of living. Our record this ...
âAccelerated silicosis is an emerging occupational disease caused by unsafe work such as engineered stone benchtops. I am running a standalone consultation on engineered stone to understand what the industry is currently doing to manage the risks, and whether further regulatory intervention is needed,â says Workplace Relations and Safety Minister ...
Mehemea he pai mĆ te tangata, mahia â if itâs good for the people, get on with it. Enhanced reporting on the public sectorâs delivery of Treaty settlement commitments will help improve outcomes for MÄori and all New Zealanders, MÄori Crown Relations Minister Tama Potaka says. Compiled together for the ...
Mr Roger Holmes Miller and Ms Tarita Hutchinson have been appointed to the Charities Registration Board, Community and Voluntary Sector Minister Louise Upston says. âI would like to welcome the new members joining the Charities Registration Board. âThe appointment of Ms Hutchinson and Mr Miller will strengthen the Boardâs capacity ...
More building consent and code compliance applications are being processed within the statutory timeframe since the Government required councils to submit quarterly data, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. âIn the midst of a housing shortage we need to look at every step of the build process for efficiencies ...
Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey is proud to announce the first three recipients of the Governmentâs $10 million Mental Health and Addiction Community Sector Innovation Fund which will enable more Kiwis faster access to mental health and addiction support. âThis fund is part of the Governmentâs commitment to investing in ...
New Zealand is providing Vanuatu assistance following yesterday's devastating earthquake, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. "Vanuatu is a member of our Pacific family and we are supporting it in this time of acute need," Mr Peters says. "Our thoughts are with the people of Vanuatu, and we will be ...
The Government welcomes the Commerce Commissionâs plan to reduce card fees for Kiwis by an estimated $260 million a year, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly says.âThe Government is relentlessly focused on reducing the cost of living, so Kiwis can keep more of their hard-earned income and live a ...
Regulation Minister David Seymour has welcomed the Early Childhood Education (ECE) regulatory review report, the first major report from the Ministry for Regulation. The report makes 15 recommendations to modernise and simplify regulations across ECE so services can get on with what they do best â providing safe, high-quality care ...
The Governmentâs Offshore Renewable Energy Bill to create a new regulatory regime that will enable firms to construct offshore wind generation has passed its first reading in Parliament, Energy Minister Simeon Brown says.âNew Zealand currently does not have a regulatory regime for offshore renewable energy as the previous government failed ...
Asia Pacific ReportSilent Night is a well-known Christmas carol that tells of a peaceful and silent night in Bethlehem, referring to the first Christmas more than 2000 years ago. It is now 2024, and it was again a silent night in Bethlehem last night, reports Al Jazeeraâs Nisa Ibrahim. ...
Summer resissue: Has the country changed all that much in three decades? Loveni Enari compares his two New Zealands. The Spinoff needs to double the number of paying members we have to continue telling these kinds of stories. Please read our open letter and sign up to be a member ...
Summer reissue: Alex Casey goes on a killer journey aboard the Tormore Express.The Spinoff needs to double the number of paying members we have to continue telling these kinds of stories. Please read our open letter and sign up to be a member today.It was a dark and ...
Summer reissue: Speed puzzling is like a marathon for the mind â intense, demanding, surprisingly exhausting. But does turning it into a sport destroy it as a relaxing pastime? The Spinoff needs to double the number of paying members we have to continue telling these kinds of stories. Please read ...
Summer reissue: In October, we counted down the top 100 New Zealand TV shows of the 21st century so far (read more about the process here). Hereâs the list in full, for your holiday reading pleasure. The Spinoff needs to double the number of paying members we have to continue ...
Summer reissue: Told in one crucial moment from every year, by The Spinoffâs founder Duncan Greive. The Spinoff needs to double the number of paying members we have to continue telling these kinds of stories. Please read our open letter and sign up to be a member today.2014: An ...
Loading…(function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){var ql=document.querySelectorAll('A[data-quiz],DIV[data-quiz]'); if(ql){if(ql.length){for(var k=0;k<ql.length;k++){ql[k].id='quiz-embed-'+k;ql[k].href="javascript:var i=document.getElementById('quiz-embed-"+k+"');try{qz.startQuiz(i)}catch(e){i.start=1;i.style.cursor='wait';i.style.opacity='0.5'};void(0);"}}};i['QP']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){(i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o),m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m)})(window,document,'script','https://take.quiz-maker.com/3012/CDN/quiz-embed-v1.js','qp');Got a good quiz question?Send Newsroom your questions.The post Newsroom daily quiz, Wednesday 25 December appeared first on Newsroom. ...
The Court of Appeal has dismissed Mike Smithâs âambitiousâ climate claim against Attorney-General Judith Collins.Smith, a MÄori climate activist, and NgÄpuhi and NgÄti Kahu elder, appealed a High Court decision that found his claims against the Crown â that its action on climate change was inadequate â untenable.The Appeal Courtâs ...
Trish McKelvey is listed 139 times in the index of the New Zealand womenâs cricket tome The Warm Sun On My Face, authored by Trevor Auger and Adrienne Simpson.She wrote the foreword for the book and headlines two chapters addressing crucial events in the evolution of the sport.McKelveyâs appointment as New Zealand ...
Summer reissue: The New Zealand comedy legend takes us through her life in television, including the time she hugged Elton John and the unshakeable legacy of a girl named Lyn.  The Spinoff needs to double the number of paying members we have to continue telling these kinds of stories. Please ...
Summer reissue: You really wonât guess how it ends. The Spinoff needs to double the number of paying members we have to continue telling these kinds of stories. Please read our open letter and sign up to be a member today. First published October 4, 2024. Parliamentâs Economic Development, Science ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mary-Rose McLaren, Professor of Teaching and Learning and Head of Program, Early Childhood Education, Victoria University Collin Quinn Lomax/ Shutterstock Some years ago, my daughter was set a maths problem: how much does it cost to drive a family of ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Catherine E. Wood, Associate Professor and Clinical Psychologist, Swinburne University of Technology Asier Romero/ Shutterstock Christmas is coming, and with it many challenges for parents of young children. You likely have one festive event after another, late nights, party ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Laura Nicole Driessen, Postdoctoral Researcher in Radio Astronomy, University of Sydney Tayla Walsh/Pexels With billions of children around the world anxiously waiting for their presents, Father Christmas (or Santa) and his reindeer must be travelling at breakneck speeds to deliver them ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Daryl Higgins, Professor & Director, Institute of Child Protection Studies, Australian Catholic University Feeling unsure about your child going to a sleepover is completely normal. You might be worried about how well you know the host family, how they manage supervision or ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Milad Haghani, Senior Lecturer of Urban Risk & Resilience, UNSW Sydney Exactly 50 years ago, on Christmas Eve 1974, Cyclone Tracy struck Darwin and left a trail of devastation. It remains one of the most destructive natural events in Australiaâs history. Wind ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Irmine Keta Rotimi, Doctoral Candidate, Marketing and International Business department, Auckland University of Technology Videos of children opening boxes of toys and playing with them have become a feature of online marketing â making stars out of children as young as two. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Joanna Nicholas, Lecturer in Dance and Performance Science, Edith Cowan University Tatyana Vyc/Shutterstock Once the end-of-year dance concert and term wrap up for the year it is important to take a break. Both physical and mental rest are important and taking ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kit MacFarlane, Lecturer, Creative Writing and Literature, University of South Australia Capitol Records For those looking to introduce some musical conflict into the holidays, Bob Dylanâs Christmas in the Heart remains a great choice in its 15th anniversary â like it ...
Opinion: It was February 2024 when my friends started getting in touch with me to suggest I run for the Tauranga City Council mayoralty. Â At the time, the council was governed by four Government-appointed commissioners, who had been in their roles since 2021. Their terms were coming to an end ...
Opinion: As the year winds down and we pause for some reflection, I find myself, as chair of the Holocaust Centre of New Zealand, contemplating the unprecedented hatred aimed at Jewish New Zealanders. Antisemitism â the prejudice, discrimination or hostility directed at Jews â has snowballed to record levels, so much ...
Summer reissue: Joy Cowley reveals her enthralling life story, from a difficult childhood, to getting drunk with Roald Dahl, to encountering an Arctic polar bear. The Spinoff needs to double the number of paying members we have to continue telling these kinds of stories. Please read our open letter and ...
Summer reissue: Alex Casey chats to Nadia Lim and Carlos Bagrie about the challenges of life on a 1,200-acre farm in Central Otago, and why they continue to share it with the nation in Nadiaâs Farm. The Spinoff needs to double the number of paying members we have to continue ...
Summer reissue: Dominion Road has made a name for itself as a destination for authentic, regionally-specific Chinese food. How did it get here?The Spinoff needs to double the number of paying members we have to continue telling these kinds of stories. Please read our open letter and sign ...
Loading…(function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){var ql=document.querySelectorAll('A[data-quiz],DIV[data-quiz]'); if(ql){if(ql.length){for(var k=0;k<ql.length;k++){ql[k].id='quiz-embed-'+k;ql[k].href="javascript:var i=document.getElementById('quiz-embed-"+k+"');try{qz.startQuiz(i)}catch(e){i.start=1;i.style.cursor='wait';i.style.opacity='0.5'};void(0);"}}};i['QP']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){(i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o),m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m)})(window,document,'script','https://take.quiz-maker.com/3012/CDN/quiz-embed-v1.js','qp');Got a good quiz question?Send Newsroom your questions.The post Newsroom daily quiz, Tuesday 24 December appeared first on Newsroom. ...
By Emma Andrews, Henare te Ua MÄori journalism intern at RNZ News From being the headline to creating them, Moana Maniapoto has walked a rather rocky road of swinging between both sides of the media. Known for her award-winning current affairs show Te Ao with Moana on Whakaata MÄori, and ...
Kick Back has growing concerns about the impact that denying young people access to shelter is having on the mental health and physical safety of the young people we serve. ...
By Litia Cava, FBC News multimedia journalist Fiji Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka has revealed how arms and ammunition used to conduct the 1987 military coup were secretly brought into Fiji on board a naval survey ship. Speaking at the commissioning of a new research vessel for the Lands and Mineral ...
Youth advocates are worried tighter rules for emergency housing could lead to someone dying due to the impacts on mental health and physical safety for those denied shelter. ...
âWe urge the Health Select Committee to extend the date for submissions,â concluded Rev Bush. âThere is too much at stake to leave the outcome of this review only in the hands of politicians or those with vested interests.â ...
A separate passport, citizenship and membership of the United Nations are only available to fully independent nations, Winston Peters' office says. ...
By Emma Andrews, Henare te Ua MÄori Journalism Intern at RNZ News The New Zealand fuel company Z Energy is swapping out street names for âcorrectâ kupu on service stops around the country, with the help of local hapĆ«. When Z took over 226 fuel sites from Shell in 2010, ...
Summer reissue: Was it a false measurement, a full-blown conspiracy or just some mild incompetence? Mad Chapman uncovers the truth of Maddi Wescheâs final throw. The Spinoff needs to double the number of paying members we have to continue telling these kinds of stories. Please read our open letter and ...
Love the quote. Unfortunately media tend to focus more on the; “slightly mad”, aspect than the; “internal moral engine”. This is particularly evident down here in Dunedin with incessant harping on about anti-deep sea drilling protestors use of fossil fuels:
“Despite his [Haazen’s] beliefs, he cruised up Otago Harbour on diesel power yesterday, on the ”perfect” still morning. ”We are totally addicted to oil. We need to wean ourselves off our oil addiction,” he said.”
http://www.odt.co.nz/news/dunedin/290091/protest-vessel-arrives
The current lack on an alternative fuel infrastructure being one of the primary points of the protest action! But then, when it comes to basic facts:
“Pro Gas Otago spokesman Andrew Whiley Coyote said he ”struggled”… ”I’m really confused.”
Mr Haazen said Mr Whiley had incorrect information, as [both] oil and gas were being sought.”
A Whiley Coyote isn’t as smart as he thinks he is in Prostituting Otago Oil.
Dunedin seems a particularly compromised choice for risking an oil spill.
Dunedin is one the only place in the southern hemisphere where any species of Albatross breeds on the mainland and Dunedin happens to have the largest one – the Royal Albatross breeding there, they have the Yellow-Eyed Penguins – a species severely challenged already and as I understand it Dunedin is pretty special in that there are a variety of cormorant species (shags) living in the same area – and this is also rare. These are only the things I know about and there are bound to be more – I guess other places in New Zealand would have similar issues.
It would be pretty bad for all the people if oil got into that harbour – and how quickly would the oil ‘be washed away’ in that harbour with the shape that it is?
Have these factors been taken into account?
Link to Greenpeace’s oil spill map
Nutters unite at the Botanics around 1pm today again đ
All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing. Edmund Burke
That is one of my favourite quotes đ
Mine too.
Mine too
you’re really getting the hang of that satire thing…
Many dont understand the greens cos their bottom line isnt money… thats why they label them nutters. Better to consider them insane than correct. Imagine how frightening it is for many to consider that money isnt the most important thing.
đ
Money is the tool of the practical man, it is visually self-sufficient. Whereas ideas, ethics, cognitive decisions, are invisible. Q.E.D.
Of course today, money is electronic and largely invisible too.
Oh so you just come along and squash my concept. Now you mention it … no wonder we are floating around in a sort of black hole … nothing has definite edges any more … it must be that fuzzy logic I’ve heard talked about.
The trappings of wealth are highly visible that’s why wealthy people like to have remuera tractors to look down on the the plebs.
The trappings of wealth are highly visible that’s why wealthy people like to have remuera tractors to look down on the the plebs.
Money is the sledgehammer of the man who cant be bothered using a chisel.
Every political activist I’ve ever met, with the exception of one, was left leaning, and everyone did it for ultraistic motifs. The one exception was my Nat cousin, whose father was a tory throw-back, but even then my cousin turned down the baubles of power, deluded into working to elect a Nat Government. Every other tory has done it for the money. They weren’t activists, just greedy.
There’s plenty of right-wing activists: the asset-selling activists, the free trade at all costs activists, etc.
To me, a true activist does it for ultraistic reasons. I’m sure JK was at Whangarei for that reason – the right thing to do – whereas your “average” right-wing activist is looking at “what’s in it for me” – payback.
Is the word you are meaning altruism ? [selfless consideration for others’ welfare]
Ultraistic means something quite different. [extremism]
The way our society is being reconfigured, being altruistic is going to be considered by the powers that be as ultraistic!!!
The powers that be are ultraistic đ
(New word for me – never heard of it before!)
Sorry, spell-check throws up some curve balls, and balls-ups.
Fair enough. However, many right-wingers want to radically change society (and have); they are not just looking after their own narrow self interest i.e ”what’s in it for me”.
Who is the real activist between say John Minto and Roger Douglas?
Douglas isn’t an activist.
It’s in the eye of the beholder I guess.
According to Oxford Dictionaries (online) activism is: ”the policy or action of using vigorous campaigning to bring about political or social change.”
The term activist is often used as a pejorative to dismiss and marginalise people like Jane Kelsey and John Minto, who (regardless of your view of the issue) are advocating the more conservative path. Thus in the minds of the people, opposing the likes of the TPPA is the activist or radical position.
To my mind, those campaigning for a treaty that threatens our sovereignty are pro-TPPA activists.
Alan Gibbs would be better than Douglas in your comparison if feel. But both are activists they just have completely different methods and reasoning. Whilst Minto is much more vocal etc I’d argue that Gibb’s version has had greater effect on NZ. People just cant see it because its all done behind closed doors. …
Good point. Douglas was elected, and got his way by using (manipulating) the parliamentary system. Gibbs used other channels as an activist of the far right for both personal enrichment and political upheaval.
He seems to prefer the identity of ”predator” judging from extracts from ‘Serious Fun: The Life and Times of Alan Gibbs’ penned by National list MP and author Paul Goldsmith.
From the NZ Herald review in August 2012 by Chris Barton:
“Predators seek to incur the least possible risk while hunting,” writes Goldsmith, comparing the law of the jungle with the behaviour of successful, risk-averse businessmen. On a 1987 trip to Zimbabwe and Kenya, Gibbs found the great African plains a revelation. He was fascinated by the way gazelle accommodated to living in constant peril. “The competition for survival in nature was absolute and unsentimental: the strong survived; the weak were eaten.” Goldsmith extends the metaphor to the New Zealand business ecosystem of the 70s – predator-free, with the natural process disrupted by government regulation and protection, allowing “plenty of fundamentally unsound businesses to limp along.” Until, according to Goldsmith, Gibbs restored the balance. “Gibbs had emerged since 1979 as one of the larger local predators, at a time when old protections were starting to lose their power.” Ends
Just to think, they wanted to let this man loose on our health system.
Great post ! Especially on the day when we got up at 5am (groan) in the dark, drove in the dark and wind down to the Whangarei growers market and set up a stall to raise awareness and get written submissions opposing the Local Govt Commission’s proposal for a Unitary Authority for the whole of Northland. We had almost 100 (95 to be exact) handwritten submissions within 3 hours to send off to the LGC. This is on top of the 60 we’ve previously sent off from other stalls. Yeah …. I’d go along with the “slightly mad” description – except for the fact we had umpteen people saying to us – ” thanks for doing this, I wouln’t have got around to sending off a submission otherwise”
Good stuff JK. Keep up the good work.
Thanks, Mickey.
That’s great activism JK, impressive.
jk
briefly what do you think would work best for northland?
Sorry GreyWarbler – I’m just not getting into that scenario yet ….. haven’t sorted out my own submission for the LGC hearings – been too busy raising awareness of the issue locally, and my personal objection is that the draft Unitary proposal takes away a huge amount of current decision-making from local councillors – putting all the major decisions into the hands of one mayor and 9 councillors covering the entire – hugely isolated in parts – of Northland. Its too remote.
The Waitakere local board recently were the “victims” of such decision-making – not even being consulted about the possibility of oil drilling off Auckland’s west coast which is their patch.
Is David Cunliffe placing himself on the wrong side of history, in supporting Deep Sea Oil drilling?
Many tens, if not hundreds of New Zealanders are preparing to blockade our ports against the passage of the Deep Sea Oil rig support ships.
Many thousands protested on our beaches.
Even the most powerful man in the world, the President of the United States of America has been unable to push the XL pipeline through, against opposition from determined US activists.
Deep Sea Oil Drilling is this country’s version of the XL pipeline.
Like the protests against schedule 4 mining that made the National government back down.
Like the protests that drove nuclear warships and Petrobras from our shores.
Sooner or later the movement against Deep Sea Oil will become overwhelming.
Ugh. Eve Ensler. Whose “activism” includes “dehumanizing women of colour for her own ~personal growth~”
http://ideologicallyimpure.wordpress.com/2013/12/13/oh-fuck-off-eve-ensler-how-white-feminists-dehumanise-women-of-colour-masterclass/
“A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall”
Oh, where have you been, my blue-eyed son?
And where have you been my darling young one?
I’ve stumbled on the side of twelve misty mountains
I’ve walked and I’ve crawled on six crooked highways
I’ve stepped in the middle of seven sad forests
I’ve been out in front of a dozen dead oceans
I’ve been ten thousand miles in the mouth of a graveyard
And it’s a hard, it’s a hard, it’s a hard, and it’s a hard
It’s a hard rain’s a-gonna fall.
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xq1q9k_bob-dylan-a-hard-rain-s-a-gonna-fall-1964_music
Jenny the climate change Goebbels
A scientific take on activism.
New Zealand must be one of the world leaders in effective peaceful protest, from Vietnam to Schedule 4. and everything in between.
During the Vietnam war era New Zealand had the largest number of anti war protesters per head of population in the world. Though the New Zealand state supported the war, NZ could only send volunteers. Unlike Australia the government could not impose conscription, in fact they even had to abandon the precursor to conscription, Compulsory Military Training, when anti-war protesters blocked the tracks of the trains taking trainees to Papakura and the trainees joined the protests.
In 1975 the Vietnam war ended and the Maori Land March took place under the banner “Not One More Acre” protesting the continuing confiscation of Maori Land primarily through the use of the Public Works Act. This huge mobilisation of Maori and their supporters brought both Auckland and Wellington to a grinding halt when the Land March passed through these cities. Winning several important concessions for Maori in particular the founding of the Maori Land Court to consider all cases of unfair Maori Land alienation.
In 1976 the government decided to subdivide Auckland Council land alienated from Maori in 1882. A peaceful protest to stop the subdivision occupied the land after 500 days the government mobilised over 800 troops and police to evict them. But the government was never able to carry out their plans to subdivide the land for luxury housing. And the protesters won another major concession from the Crown. For the first time ever, the Maori Land Court was given the power to consider historic grievances. And the first ever settlement under the new powers given the land court was to return Bastion Point to the Ngati Whatua o Orakei.
In 1981 protests mounted against racially selected sporting tours culminated in huge protests against the springbok tour, that never saw another sports team from that regime ever visit this country again. ‘nuf said. (except that these protests captured the world’s attention, and gave valuable moral support to the anti-apartheid movement in South Africa itself)
The New Zealand protests against nuclear armed and powered warships brought the world’s most powerful navy to grinding halt. The protests became so huge and powerful that the debate went into parliament. A private members bill to ban nuclear ships was brought onto the floor of parliament by Labour opposition MP Richard Prebble. Under huge public pressure two government MPs were prepared to cross the floor to see the bill passed. The crisis brought down the government. The new administration tried to continue the same policy of neither confirm nor deny to allow US warship the Buchanon back into New Zealand, Nicky Hagar met with Prime Minster Lange and told him any attempt to bring the Buchanon into New Zealand would be met with the same scale of protests that brought down the last government. The day after he told the Buchanon to turn around and go back to the US. David Lange was reported in the Listener as saying the peace movement was the lobby he most feared.
Schedule 4 protests against the mining of conservation land saw another government backdown in the face of huge public protest.
I am proud to say that I have been intimately involved in all these schedules, just like many other tens of thousands of New Zealanders. (except only minimally in the schedule 4 protests)
We have never been beaten and have never found ourselves on the wrong side of history.
Myself and many other experienced activists are now mobilising against Deep Sea Oil drilling, and to save the planet.
inheritance brings wealth to children and grandchildren. The work and economy of the forebear is passed on. Is this a crime.