The Kermadecs and racist environmentalism

Written By: - Date published: 6:14 pm, September 18th, 2016 - 154 comments
Categories: Conservation, foreshore and seabed, Maori Issues - Tags: , ,

Originally posted at Boots Theory.

I did a bit of a tweetstorm earlier today, inspired by seeing friends embroiled in frustrating conversations like this one and the decided slant of articles like this about the proposed Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary.

My thoughts resonated with a bunch of people, so here they are in post form, but I’m going to stick up at the front something which I tweeted late in the piece: I’m just a Pākehā woman with a Twitter account and a reflexive critical analysis of political discourse. I’m not an expert in this area. I refer you to far wiser people like Morgan Godfery and the reportage of folk like Maiki Sherman at Newshub.

So. This week has been a revelation in the racist imperialism of mainstream (white) environmental organisations.

We’re not even arguing about meaningful consultation around establishing the Kermadec sanctuary, we’re talking about ZERO consultation by white politicians who assumed they knew best. National are literally in coalition with the Māori Party but didn’t even pick up the phone to give them a heads-up, probably because like every other Pākehā handwringer they just assumed they knew best about whether there’d be an issue.

That’s problem 1: Pākehā assuming they know everything about a complex historical/legal issue which gets really shallow coverage in the media and frequently is only lightly discussed in school, if ever.

Problem 2 is the (very Pākehā) environment lobby’s outrage that anyone might stand in the way of an ocean sanctuary. “Think of the planet!” they cry, which is appallingly arrogant coming from the ethnic group which has done the vast majority of screwing up the planet to start with.

But no, now we know better so let’s do things our way, it’s for the greater good after all!

This also brings in the horrible racist undertones of the Pākehā worldview being more ~sophisticated~ than Māori.

We have to take a hard look at how environmental organisations and Pākehā liberalism exploit indigenous culture. When it suits us, we happily draw on the notion of indigenous people being ~more in touch with the land~ and having a ~spiritual connection to nature~ and painting with all the goddamned colours of the wind. When it helps our agenda, we happily retweet the hashtags opposing oil pipelines and trumpet the importance of honouring the Treaty.

But scratch the surface and all the smug superiority is there. We know better; our thinking is more advanced because we care about ~the whole planet~.

It’s very easy to care about the whole planet when you’re on the team who took it by force.

The third problem I came to is broader than the current debate: it’s the hate-on Pākehā have for the idea that Māori dare to operate in a capitalist framework. Like, we came here, smashed their culture, took their land, tried to destroy their language, imposed capitalism on them, and when we offer a pittance in compensation for what they have lost, we get OUTRAGED when they set up “modern” business structures with it.

Do people have justified concerns about the decisions and operating practices of some Māori corporations? Probably. There are issues with every capitalist construct run for profit. But we treat Māori ones very differently – we treat everything Māori do differently (remember the foreshore and seabed? Remember how nobody seemed to have a problem with rich white people owning whole beaches and islands, but the idea of Māori just having the right to test ownership in court was the end of the world?)

We’ve put Māori in a catch-22: imposing Pākehā capitalism on them, but acting appalled whenever they dare use it to survive.

https://twitter.com/thelittlepakeha/status/777276026007068672

So this is how it goes. Pākehā make a decision to eradicate fishing rights without consulting Māori, because we know better. Then we decry them for not caring about the environment – which we stole from them and exploited for over a century – and imply they only care about money – which is a good thing if you’re in business but not if you’re brown.

And so we pat ourselves on the back for being More Enlightened About The Environment while literally confiscating land & resources from Māori again.

~

A tangent on industrialization, climate change and the environment: let’s consider how all the “first world” “developed” nations got to where they are – by pillaging and strip-mining every piece of the planet we could get our hands on – but now we’ve hoarded all the money and resources and built “sophisticated” economies, suddenly we want to scold “less developed” nations for doing exactly the same thing.

Blade Runner and The Fifth Element knew exactly what they were doing when they showed the working classes living beneath the smog layer, is what I’m saying.

154 comments on “The Kermadecs and racist environmentalism ”

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  1. One Anonymous Bloke 1
    18 September 2016 at 6:23 pm

    I can’t think of anything to add to this other than my 100% agreement. (just in case someone assumes silence is dissent).

    • jcuknz 1.2
      19 September 2016 at 7:53 am

      Reads like a load of hogwash to me… it is a sad day when a minority group question the government which they apparently support when it is handing out lollies but not when they set up a needed restriction on previously granted gifts.

      • One Anonymous Bloke 1.2.1
        19 September 2016 at 7:58 am

        Māori support the government? Citation needed.

        I note the racist thread woven into the fabric of your stated opinions. I doubt you can see it at all.

        • jcuknz 1.2.1.1
          19 September 2016 at 8:20 am

          Sure I am a racist who believes the government makes the decisions rightly or wrongly.

          • One Anonymous Bloke 1.2.1.1.1
            19 September 2016 at 8:33 am

            Except that isn’t the situation.

            Te Tiriti has international and domestic legal standing. Do you understand the difference between a “minority group” (National Party voters, for example) and one of the parties to a treaty between nations?

            Oh, and to clear up your misunderstanding, I described a “thread” as racist, not you, but please feel free to own the label personally if you prefer.

            • Gosman 1.2.1.1.1.1
              19 September 2016 at 3:41 pm

              What international legal standing does it have?

            • srylands 1.2.1.1.1.2
              19 September 2016 at 3:47 pm

              “Te Tiriti has international and domestic legal standing.”

              What do you mean by “international…legal standing”? It is not an international treaty, as it complies with none of the requirements of an international treaty under the Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties.

              • One Anonymous Bloke …
                19 September 2016 at 4:03 pm

                Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples ring any bells?

                • McFlock …
                  19 September 2016 at 4:21 pm

                  that would be the “lalalalalalala!!!” sound that distracts him from reality…

                • Gosman …
                  20 September 2016 at 4:07 am

                  NZ had to ratify this. It wasn’t done so automatically as a result of the Treaty. It also makes no reference to the Treaty as far as I am aware.

                  • One Anonymous Bloke …
                    20 September 2016 at 5:49 am

                    Is that so?

                    So when deliberating on Treaty or other matters that affect indigenous rights, the courts won’t take it into account? Is that how it works Gosman?

                    I only ask because you have a well earned reputation for lying and your knowledge of the law doesn’t exist.

                    • Gosman …
                      20 September 2016 at 5:41 pm

                      You seem to be of a misapprehension that those cases involve international law.

                    • One Anonymous Bloke …
                      20 September 2016 at 7:10 pm

                      By definition, treaties are between nations. So there’s that.

                      As for the individual cases, on Gosman, apparently, domestic legal decisions have no standing internationally. On Earth however, they inform international legal debate on a daily basis, including being cited in court.

                      As I said, your legal knowledge doesn’t exist, and I’d just like to add my personal contempt for you, as a deliberate insult.

                    • srylands …
                      20 September 2016 at 7:27 pm

                      You are being childish.

                    • One Anonymous Bloke …
                      20 September 2016 at 7:36 pm

                      You are being a cynical bludger of taxpayers’ money, and yet the fact that the declaration is considered by the court in this case (not to mention New Zealand Maori Council vs. Attorney-General 2013) supports my assertion, whether or not it does yours.

      • Matthew Whitehead 1.2.2
        19 September 2016 at 11:19 am

        Maori actually have a legal right to be consulted on changes like this under the Treaty principles, so it’s not just a case of Māori throwing their toys out of the sandbox as you might like to imagine, the government has actually breached its treaty obligations by failing to properly consult.

  2. marty mars 2
    18 September 2016 at 6:29 pm

    I battled away on this yesterday. Good luck.

  3. Ad 3
    18 September 2016 at 6:33 pm

    I do get your smog layer point. TOKM are reminding the government quite well that they exist above it.

    A useful counterfactual to National’s approach to the Kermadecs is the Treaty of Waitangi settlement outcome over Uruwera National Park. A fairly nuanced and trusting relationship about both title and management hammered out over a very long time.
    Not saying the grievance is the same, just that this current government has come up with novel governance arrangements that seem to do the same for conservation values. I do think National will get the agreement and get the legislation passed, but Smith needs to be removed from the table, and there will need to be a visible $$ payoff in the 2017 budget for the Maori Party for staying.

    I don’t personally mind the ‘when it suits us’ sense to joining between environmentalist and Maori commercial groups. Sometimes it suits to join, sometimes to oppose. That’s appropriate. Not racist, just tactical.

    Your last point I would probably recast as squarely Minister Smith and Prime Minister Key’s fault. TOKM are far more powerful than the Maori Party. They are their own force; different to National’s NGO base at Federated Farmers or Fonterra, and a planet that National as only National can, needs to bring them into similar orbit.

    • Stephanie Rodgers 3.1
      18 September 2016 at 6:41 pm

      There’s nothing “novel” in the government’s approach on this. They announced a major decision affecting a Treaty settlement with zero consultation with the affected parties. Par for the course for European colonisers in New Zealander, really. No one can be surprised that now Māori have a (somewhat) larger voice in the public discourse, they’re raising hell about it.

      It is clear racism when Māori are expected to accept “full and final” Treaty settlements, the Government of the day unilaterally changes those settlements, and then all the white folk run around pontificating about “commercial interests” and “gifts to the planet” and “extinction of the moa”.

      • Ad 3.1.1
        18 September 2016 at 7:18 pm

        A National Party with Doug Graham in it would have handled this far better.

        Quicker this comes off Smith’s desk and onto Minister Finlaysons’, the better it will be for fishing conservation, and for Maori fishing companies. It’s too big a conservation prize to be held up by poor negotiation.

      • miravox 3.1.2
        18 September 2016 at 7:46 pm

        +1
        A bit ironic also that the undertone of ‘full and final’ bit was due to an Pākehā expectation that Māori would change their minds and say the settlement wasn’t adequate, or would mismanage the proceeds and have nothing left (because, you know, Māori). As is often the case, it’s Executive Power that’s breaking the terms of that ‘full and final’ bit with, so far, only a trickle of dissent from the dominant culture.

      • fisiani 3.1.3
        19 September 2016 at 1:56 pm

        How does it affect a Treaty Settlement? The settlement allows Maori an agreed total catch. That does not change. Not by a single tonne and not by a single fish. No loss whatsoever.
        Maori can fill their quota in other parts of the sea without having free reign to pillage an ocean sanctuary.

        • One Anonymous Bloke 3.1.3.1
          19 September 2016 at 1:59 pm

          Is a silly false dichotomy the best you can do? Not much of an argument is it? Prejudicial too.

          • fisiani 3.1.3.1.1
            19 September 2016 at 2:56 pm

            Where is the false dichotomy? I ask again How does it affect a Treaty Settlement?

            • One Anonymous Bloke 3.1.3.1.1.1
              19 September 2016 at 3:06 pm

              I suspect there are options other than “do nothing” and “free reign to pillage”.

              The answer to your second question is that it’s a loaded question. The treaty affects the decision, not the other way around.

              • fisiani …
                19 September 2016 at 3:50 pm

                You still do not get it. In what possible way does a Kermadec Sanctuary deny Maori a single fish less in their catchable quota. Nothing has been lost.

                • Psycho Milt …
                  19 September 2016 at 4:04 pm

                  I’ll keep this simple, as you seem to struggle with abstract concepts. Look at it this way: you negotiate a contract with a landowner who has 1000 hectares of forest that you’re allowed to hunt a specific quota of animals in that 1000 hectares. All’s well until one day the landowner tells you he’s fenced off 100 acres, so you can only hunt in the remaining 900 hectares. You can still hunt the same number of animals, you just have a slightly smaller area to do it in. So, if you and the landowner are good mates you might feel a bit of annoyance at him unilaterally changing the terms of your contract like that, but he is a mate and you can still hunt the same number of animals, so maybe you’ll let him away with it. But, suppose you and this landowner are not good mates – suppose, in fact, that he’s fucked you over on many occasions and in varied ways, and this is just one more example. In that case, maybe you’d lawyer up and tell him you’re happy to hear his proposals for compensation.

                  • fisiani …
                    19 September 2016 at 4:50 pm

                    Why would you feel annoyed using your metaphor when you have never entered that 100 acres and can still obtain all you would ever need in the other 900. This is just grandstanding, for some other reason.

                    • McFlock …
                      19 September 2016 at 4:58 pm

                      I love how tories are all about contract law until it doesn’t suit them.

                    • One Anonymous Bloke …
                      19 September 2016 at 5:00 pm

                      Since you don’t know the “other reason”, your statement that it is “grandstanding” has no value other than to demonstrate your rather brittle predetermination.

                      Has the National Party anyone who understands conflict of interest?

                  • Naki man …
                    19 September 2016 at 6:41 pm

                    “In that case, maybe you’d lawyer up and tell him you’re happy to hear his proposals for compensation.”

                    Compensation for losses, well that would be a big fat $0

                • Scott …
                  19 September 2016 at 4:09 pm

                  You are quite right, but if they think their quota would be devalued by the imposition of the sanctuary then surely they are entitled to compensation for that (morally rather than legally)? Same for other quota holders.

                  It may be that there is no loss in value at all (as you suggest and that does appear to be the case) but if they dispute that then a fair process would have seen that dispute resolved via arbitration or the like.

                • One Anonymous Bloke …
                  19 September 2016 at 4:18 pm

                  You still do not get it. These attempts to confine the debate to your view won’t work: consultation means the other party has time to form a position and then you listen to them.

                  Otherwise you don’t even know what you’re arguing with. Which is sort of prejudicial, eh. So that’s an own goal prior to kick off.

                  • Scott …
                    19 September 2016 at 5:55 pm

                    Oh I get it. You think I’m trying to confine the issue, and I think you are trying to make it about more than it is.

  4. Colonial Viper 4
    18 September 2016 at 6:37 pm

    Can anyone explain to me why John Key announces the Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary at the UN in Sept 2015, an announcement which got major news coverage here in NZ, yet National and the Maori Party have failed to pick up the phone to each other on this issue for the last 12 months, even as the MfE has continued to do very public work on it?

    As I said yesterday, I think this could be a case of National helping out the Maori Party creating an issue that the Maori Party can both “prove” their “independence” from National on and their ability to “stand up to” the National Government.

    • b waghorn 4.1
      18 September 2016 at 7:15 pm

      I read somewhere yesterday (buggered if i know where but will look) some one calling key out for this being the same as his grandstanding around the pest free law/aspiration.

    • Ad 4.2
      18 September 2016 at 7:15 pm

      By holding off the vote and deferring to the Maori Party, rather than pressing ahead and completing the Parliamentary vote with the Greens, National and Maori Party are re-pricing each other for the post-2017 coalition.

      Meantime if the negotiations get too hard, National will load all the blame on the Maori Party. About that time the Maori Party will realize, as the media piles in, that in elections it’s not the TOKM that vote.

      Hooten was right: Smith seriously needs to be replaced in Parliament.

      • Matthew Whitehead 4.2.1
        19 September 2016 at 12:06 pm

        As a side note… if the Greens vote through a sanctuary without properly consulting with Māori first, there will be a significant rebuke coming from the membership, as honouring the Treaty is one of the core principles of the Party. The Greens aren’t supposed to stand for a National Party-style “white person’s environmentalism,” even if some of their voters absolutely do believe in that.

    • alwyn 4.3
      18 September 2016 at 7:15 pm

      “creating an issue “.
      You may very well be right.
      It could also cause one or more of the following reactions.
      1. Labour take a Maori leaning approach, oppose the sanctuary, and cause a split in the MOU between them and the Green Party. The Green Party can hardly oppose the sanctuary can they?
      2. Labour supports the sanctuary, which was in the policy for the last election, and whip their own Maori MPs into line, thereby showing that Labour don’t really provide any reason for Maori to vote for them.
      3. Alternatively the Labour Party supports the sanctuary and the Maori members of the Labour Party Caucus cross the floor and vote against it.
      Then you get the question of why the Maori members are remaining in the Labour Party at all.
      What do you think the Labour Party are going to do?
      They can hardly paraphrase Walter Nash when he said in 1951 “we are not for the waterside workers, and we are not against them”.

    • Leftie 4.4
      18 September 2016 at 7:49 pm

      Yep, you may be onto something there Colonial Viper, I think this is a set up, and it’s another attempt by National and its Maori party to stay relevant and to hoodwink voters at the next election. IMO, I don’t think there is anything the Maori party can now do, after nearly 9 years, that will show it can stand up to and be independent from the Nats. I don’t trust the words and actions of the Maori party, just like I don’t trust the lying, deceitful Nats.

      • In Vino 4.4.1
        18 September 2016 at 8:03 pm

        +1 Exactly- this is a planned scenario designed to make the Maori Party look good by standing up to their evil friends’ failure to consult them (probably pre-arranged…)

      • miravox 4.4.2
        18 September 2016 at 8:14 pm

        It has also opened a chasm between social justice and environmental justice. People with any sense of either or both need to really think hard and quickly (before the framing is cemented by a gleeful PM) about the strong connections between the two and how they’re managing this injustice.

    • Molly 4.5
      18 September 2016 at 9:03 pm

      The cynic in me – which grows bigger every day – agrees with this possibility.

      • dukeofurl 4.5.1
        19 September 2016 at 10:25 am

        Thats until you consider National had the Greens supporting the legislation and ACT opposing it !

        That canoe they used in advertising last election ( and M&Ms stolen music) looks like its had a change of crew ?

        Dont think so. When its Nick Smith its bound to be a stuff up.

  5. Stuart Munro 5
    18 September 2016 at 6:53 pm

    I’m not sure this is a race/environmentalism issue – though the elements are available. Isn’t the Kermadecs a sanctuary already? The spotted groper were pretty much protected last I heard.

    And since when did the Gnats give a flying feck about environmentalism? More likely there is some commercial tradeoff slipped into the mix, so that if there is opposition the Gnats can claim environmental high ground. Rivers running with bullshit don’t trouble them, bogus carbon credits don’t trouble them, so the ‘Kermadec Sanctuary’ is unlikely to be their motive.

    Race? Probably never entered their empty heads.

  6. Draco T Bastard 6
    18 September 2016 at 7:11 pm

    When it suits us, we happily draw on the notion of indigenous people being ~more in touch with the land~ and having a ~spiritual connection to nature~ and painting with all the goddamned colours of the wind.

    I don’t but that’s because I bothered to read the bloody history. There are some indigenous peoples that live closely to nature and look after the environment but the majority are really just like Pakeha in that they treated the environment as something that they didn’t need to care about.

    Remember how nobody seemed to have a problem with rich white people owning whole beaches and islands,

    No I don’t because the law has always been that private ownership stops at the high tide mark. For Māori to have more rights than that then they’d have to go from private ownership to government ownership.

    And the whole point of Te Tiriti was to ensure that there was only one government and one set of rules (yes, I do accept that Pakeha then proceeded to treat Māori under a different set of rules).

    A tangent on industrialization, climate change and the environment: let’s consider how all the “first world” “developed” nations got to where they are – by pillaging and strip-mining every piece of the planet we could get our hands on – but now we’ve hoarded all the money and resources and built “sophisticated” economies, suddenly we want to scold “less developed” nations for doing exactly the same thing.

    As much as I agree that Pakeha got to their prominent position through pillaging and controlling the wealth of the world is it really too much to ask that people today, of any race or creed, learn that lesson from that appalling history?

    • One Anonymous Bloke 6.1
      18 September 2016 at 7:19 pm

      the law has always been that private ownership stops at the high tide

      🙄

      Always. Since the beginning of time.

      • dukeofurl 6.1.1
        19 September 2016 at 1:15 pm

        Except when it didnt

        “However, from the mid-19th century, grants of land below the high water mark (including parts of the seabed) were made on the assumption that the Crown was the owner. This was particularly, but not universally, the case where it had bought adjoining dry land from Māori. A fee simple grant (permanent and absolute ownership) of the seabed under the Crown’s prerogative was made as early as 1845 during Robert FitzRoy’s governorship…. 1855 the Ngāti Whātua tribe demanded a rent for the use of a shellfish bed in the Kaipara Harbour. ..”
        http://www.teara.govt.nz/en/law-of-the-foreshore-and-seabed/page-1

        • One Anonymous Bloke 6.1.1.1
          19 September 2016 at 1:56 pm

          Nice.

          The Crown’s position has always been “there are more of us than there are of you so get lost”, because they (we) have no case. The only law going on here is of the jungle, not the courtroom.

          It’s shameful.

  7. Takere 7
    18 September 2016 at 7:15 pm

    I couldn’t agree with you more. I have been watching your tweets too and it seems to me (cause I’ve being doing a similar thing with Maori) even the cuzzies are a little gun-shy on speaking out against the Maori Monster Corp’s like Tainui Inc & Ngai Tahu and the kupapa Maori Party? Maybe its the fear of retribution? Or been told the ole bullshit kopapa of stay in-line-ehoa and wait your turn BS which I’m sick of and continually get eye-balled by the cuzzies for speaking out and calling out the “elites” who (some were) before they got involved with the Settlement process were running around on the farm chasing the cows but now have become the rangatira, the “porcelain Gods,” in their own underpants who continue to make poor investments because they’re taking advice from pakeha’s appointed by the Crown?? Nick Smith, MBie, Steven Joyce et al. This Kemadec issue has great potential to be a “watershed” tipping-point too, with the Maori elite, the Entities, the Corporations and the politics that are all playing out in the public arena with people looking on but also a bit confused, who the good guys are in this? There’s the moral outrage brewing so folks are waiting to see what will happens next. Also we have Nick Smith, ” I’ll deny everything I do is racist” yet his actions are detrimental to everything Maori?? WTF! The Greens are fucked(?)….got themselves stuck in the middle of this with the Nat’s siding up to them for this deal which then, they won’t need the Maori Party who’ve now realised that they may have shot their load a little too early by allowing the Greens to get into the bed? Both party’s will be concerned about their core voters who maybe worried too? How this plays out with the back drop of Housing, Homelessness Environment, Legality of Treaty Settlement(s), Poverty the provinces are starting to hurt too, the growing cost of a changing Education system are all elements of what Maori are supposedly failures at or the systemic failure of the Crown & Government has been the cause of Maori to top the tables in these areas? Keep on giving these issues a nudge and these major cornerstone pieces of our society could-should become the focal point for the election to be built around? Maybe this issue of the Kemadec Sanction is another reason why Key is keen on Helen winning the top Seat at the UN? Having her endorse the sanction will be a death-nail in Labours coffin come election time?

  8. WILD KATIPO 8
    18 September 2016 at 7:36 pm

    @ COLONIAL VIPER /comment 4

    Possibly so ,… but another interested party , ie: Te Ohu Kaimoana at first glance it would seem , advocates the ‘ walk away’ option. Particularly Ken Mair. At this stage it is difficult to ascertain whether their is subterfuge from that quarter…

    It may indeed have been designed to showcase some sort of independence to demonstrate autonomy by the Maori party, with Te Ohu Kaimoana acting as the antithesis agent …. with the deferral of the Kermadec decision before the 2017 election both strategic in maintaining the Maori vote to bolster up a National 4th term and assuaging fears of that Maori vote at the same time.

    Seems convoluted, but perhaps… it was discussed from an entirely different motive and perspective beforehand… less a legal or ethical one and more a political one.

    But that sort of thinking seems to me a long shot.

    It does still remain that the Kermadecs were included in the Treaty settlements of 1992.

    Which is a legally binding one. And that includes fishing rights to the region. What compromise is worked out ( because that is the only way I see this happening ) will be interesting to see.

    I mentioned on another post that this issue and its outcome affects all New Zealanders in a broader sense because it involves the legality of guaranteed legal rights regarding private property, propriety , protected public lands etc… and I also mentioned that earlier on in the Key led National party’s tenure that for some time there was open discussion about whether to allow mining ( invariably offshore corporations etc ) in our National parks… to which National beat a hasty retreat from.

    And this is the dilemma if such a mechanism as the TTPA or similar was ever to be introduced , … in that scenario the corporate’s lawyers would be able to draw up a legal case which could ultimately overrule our sovereign position , our laws and – in an extreme case , – could even sue a govt and its people for perceived loss of profit.

    That could not only jeopardize the Treaty of Waitangi but also non treaty issues with a legal standing in this country. Domestically , an arbitrary and autocratic govt could gain confidence to force changes that were unpopular against the wishes of its people – with the Kermadecs being an early litmus test case and yardstick as a guide…

    We have already seen the steady application of the agenda of privatization in sensitive areas been steadfastly pursued by this govt – areas that seem nonsensical and arbitrary and against the wishes of large sectors of the community. The deliberate under-funding and sell off of state housing to pave the way for the private sector being only one small example.

    If they can get away with it , they will.

    While the Kermedecs can be debated from the standpoint of indigenous peoples, it is also one upholding the legal system in a broader sense in its entirety for all sectors. I would hold that this issue holds far more gravitas for future decision making by govts for the population of NZ than meets the eye – thus it becomes more of a political milestone in just what govts feel they can get away with by riding roughshod over the very people who elected them and the legal framework by which they are required to operate under.

    • alwyn 8.1
      18 September 2016 at 9:03 pm

      “It does still remain that the Kermadecs were included in the Treaty settlements of 1992”.
      Where did you discover that? I looked at the agreement and couldn’t find any mention of the Kermadecs.
      All I saw was that it allocated a percentage of the fishing quotas and promised the same share of any other species that were to be included in the QMS.
      Making part of the ocean into a sanctuary, and excluding everyone doesn’t seem to change the conditions at all or alter the agreement. There is still the same fraction of the quota allocated to Maori interests.
      As Smith has pointed out there have been a variety of non-fishing areas that have been set up since that date an they don’t seem to have upset anyone.

      • WILD KATIPO 8.1.1
        18 September 2016 at 10:57 pm

        @ alwyn, from the NZ Herald Editorial today (18/09/2016) ,

        It would be interesting to get further clarification I will admit.

        ‘ Maori take the view that the 1992 agreement, known as the Sealord deal, confirmed a property right. This was how the settlement was framed at the time, and why it had the support of all tribes as it was seen as full and final. Te Ohu filed claims in court as long ago as March arguing the sanctuary extinguished the property right and emerged without consultation.

        The Maori Party has moved in behind Te Ohu, forcing the Government to put the legislation on hold while it searches for a political solution. Maori Party co-leader Te Ururoa Flavell, while stopping short of saying the dispute was a coalition breaker, declared that the sanctuary’s impact on Treaty rights was “very serious”. ‘

    • dukeofurl 8.2
      19 September 2016 at 8:27 am

      the idea that ‘fishing quota’ are a property right doesnt seem quite true either.

      Yes you can sell it, or lease it but it still remains a ‘license from the government’

      the tobacco companies were remined of this when the went to court over their property rights to their trademarks. The court said their case was a 1st year legal student error, as their trademarks were licenses not property ( decision of full bench Federal Court of Australia- but would be similar here)

      This sort of pushback from TOKM isnt really about some ‘ever wise’ maori word view, its a normal legal approach using the court action to change an outcome.
      TOKM is no stranger to legal action over the most arcane of issues. Which can be about non consultation among iwi!
      http://www.maorilandcourt.govt.nz/assets/Documents/Decisions/MLC-MB-112-2014-78-ttk-Te-oOhu-Kaimoana-Trustee-Ltd-v-Te-Rununga-O-Te-Aupouri.pdf

    • Colonial Viper 8.3
      19 September 2016 at 9:08 am

      I mentioned on another post that this issue and its outcome affects all New Zealanders in a broader sense because it involves the legality of guaranteed legal rights regarding private property, propriety , protected public lands etc…

      The courageous Maori Party fighting for Kiwi private property rights against the predations of an over-reaching Crown tending towards absolutism.

      Pull the other one, mate, it makes a nice story but what you are claiming here is a really long stretch, not least because the type of property involved and the type of ownership of that property, and the type of use of that property, is vastly different than anything most NZers will ever engage with.

  9. Richard Rawshark 9
    18 September 2016 at 7:59 pm

    From what info I can gather it just does not sit right. As in. John Key has a group of professional staff advising him, he would certainly have known of the ramification of the announcement at the UN. Yet he proceeded.

    This then surely(honestly i’m not calling you surely) is another pre election con, dirty politics IMHO. Whatever he’s up to, at the end of the day it’ll be to make his partner the Maori party gain votes or keep them from labour and to make himself and National look good.

    He’s already made one delay if i am right soon we will hear after consulting with Maori either a compromise or an about turn with sensibility and good government being the reasons, helped by a compliant media aka Herald and TV and radio, Hi Mike.

    This is not government, it’s playing the Nation to stay in power in a manner that I have never seen before.

  10. joe90 10
    18 September 2016 at 8:16 pm

    a convenient iwi/kiwi division on a softhearted issue

    pricks can’t help themselves

    //

    • Richard Rawshark 10.1
      18 September 2016 at 9:09 pm

      I know!!

      But wouldn’t it be great if that was true or National had been using the media to mass manipulate the population.., kind of, well as in brainwashing.. :/

      and if there somewhere was a paper trail of that.., Rawshark?

      Which got me to thinking, Dirty politics, or public misinformation and manipulation, which does the opposition think would have been the more.., effective way to have labelled Rawsharks revelations?

      To beat this governments dirty politics one needs a snake oil salesman attitude to things, sadly I am like that. I just don’t practise it. 🙂

  11. AveJoe 11
    18 September 2016 at 9:19 pm

    “Environmentalists are racist.” lol

    What dark organization bent this narrative.

    [Stephanie: Your comment reeks of trolling. I advise you to up your game if you want to stick around.]

    • Draco T Bastard 12.1
      19 September 2016 at 10:25 am

      Yep, that’s pretty good.

      Although, that said, we shouldn’t be limited to doing what’s right just because it has commercial value.

      • RedLogix 12.1.1
        19 September 2016 at 10:33 am

        And she managed the entire article without resorting to the r-word once. Ultimately the only resolution to this will come about when everyone listens to each other and a mutually acceptable path forward is found.

        • Stephanie Rodgers 12.1.1.1
          19 September 2016 at 11:28 am

          Your passive-aggressive snark is noted. I do appreciate that some people think the only thing worse than generations of oppression, theft, violence and cultural genocide is being called “the r-word”. 🙄

          • RedLogix 12.1.1.1.1
            19 September 2016 at 11:45 am

            If in your experience you find that calling people racists inclines them to trust, good faith and courageous conversation … then who am I to stand in your way?

            • One Anonymous Bloke 12.1.1.1.1.1
              19 September 2016 at 2:02 pm

              What do you suggest we say then, when sweet lovely cuddly bunnies allow prejudicial crap to poison the well of public discourse?

            • ropata 12.1.1.1.1.2
              19 September 2016 at 4:22 pm

              +1 RedLogix, I avoided this post because of the angry-soapbox-megaphone style headline

  13. Rae 13
    18 September 2016 at 10:10 pm

    My natural instinct tells me a large conservancy such as the Kermadec sanctuary can be nothing but a good thing in oceans that we have plundered for so long.
    I understand that this should have been done collaboratively and really do wish that had been the path taken.

    • WILD KATIPO 13.1
      18 September 2016 at 10:52 pm

      Yeah – ultimately its a good thing. But when political machinations are being used to further a political partys interests – and the conservation thing is a mere byproduct – that does not sit well with the populace.

      Especially when there have been many voices raised about the state of pollution on the main islands of New Zealand.

      It would be a good thing if there were even more such sanctuarys created – but the way Key is going about this smacks of political motive – not environmental considerations.

      • RedLogix 13.1.1
        18 September 2016 at 10:58 pm

        Exactly. If Key truly cared about creating this sanctuary he would have gotten all his ducks lined up and passed it through the House virtually with barely a dissenting vote.

        That he hasn’t smacks either of incompetence (which is rarely the case with this man), or he’s engaging in some convoluted wedge politics as CV suggests.

        • jcuknz 13.1.1.1
          19 September 2016 at 8:10 am

          Yea Right … Its all John Key’s fault …. LOL pull another leg.

        • Macro 13.1.1.2
          19 September 2016 at 1:17 pm

          The more I think on this, the more I become convinced that while it may have been initially incompetence and the urge to be the big “I AM” on the part of Key on the international stage, it is now being turned into wedge politics for the benefit of Nats and the MP.

  14. Observer Tokoroa 14
    19 September 2016 at 6:24 am

    . Does the Treaty mean that one sector in New Zealand gets gifts, but other sectors don’t?

    . If so why do we bother calling our society a Democracy ?

    Shouldn’t all the people share ? and have the same access to assets. Shouldn’t all the people work for a better Society. ?

    .

  15. vto 15
    19 September 2016 at 6:35 am

    ha ha the daily white and/or male blame game

    responsible for all of society’s ills

    but none of societys goodness

    very funny

    [Stephanie: Is it National Oversimplification Day? Get the chip off your shoulder and try genuinely engaging in the conversation instead of imposing your own victim complex on it for once.]

    • One Anonymous Bloke 15.1
      19 September 2016 at 7:22 am

      Ethnicity and/or gender do not predict for bad faith behaviour. The post focuses on bad faith behaviour, but for some reason you think it’s all about you…

      What’s that about?

    • vto 15.2
      19 September 2016 at 1:25 pm

      Straight back at you

      The screeching about all things male and white has rendered further engagement with people such as yourself worthless

  16. RTM 16
    19 September 2016 at 8:02 am

    The debate about the Kermadecs has also shown up an ignorance about Polynesian history. Critics of the Maori Party’s position have often claimed confidently that Maori didn’t travel to the Kermadecs in the period before contact with Europeans.

    But archaeologists have found obsidian from Mayor Island in the Bay of Plenty on Raoull, the largest of the Kermadec Islands, alongside recognisably Maori artefacts. It seems demonstrably true, then, that at least one party of Maori reached the islands long before the coming of Tasman or Cook.

    Raoull obsidian has also been found on Macauley Island, a smaller part of the Kermadec archipelago.

    The finds on Raoull and Macauley and similar discoveries on Norfolk Island are amongst the best evidence we have for the theory that Maori made return voyages to their tropical East Polynesian homeland/s.

    Thusfar, archaeological digs in archipelagos like the Cooks and Australs and Marquesas haven’t uncovered any artefacts or minerals that definitely come from Aotearoa, but that could always change as research progresses.

    There’s another Polynesian people with a much more tragic connection to the Kermadecs. During the Peruvian slave trade of 1863-65, when thousands of Polynesians and Micronesians were kidnapped from their islands and taken to toil in South America, a shipload of stolen Tokelauans were dumped on Raoull Island, which then often known as Sunday Island, by an American captain who had intended to take them to Peru. The Tokelauans had become sick, and their captor had become worried they would infect him and his crews. In his classic study of the Peruvian slave trade Henry Maude estimates that between 60 and 130 Polynesians died of disease and starvation on the island.

    The veteran Pacific journalist Michael Field is asking questions at the moment about why the management plan for the Kermadecs doesn’t seem to include any acknowledgement that Raoull Island is a mass grave.

  17. dukeofurl 17
    19 September 2016 at 10:18 am

    What happened about the other marine sanctuaries that we have

    This map shows dozens ( inc the proposed Kermadecs but also Antipodes, Bounty is etc)
    http://www.doc.govt.nz/pagefiles/524/marine-protected-areas-map-a4.pdf

    “Mimiwhangata Marine Park
    Situated between Whangarei and the Bay of islands, this Marine Park was established in 1984 and is administered by the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) under the Fisheries Act. Commercial fishing has been prohibited since 1994, and recreational fishing methods have been restricted. While there are concerns about the high level of recreational fishing within the park, Mimiwhangata does qualify as an MPA.”

    Was property rights or licenses for quota extiguished when commercial fishing was prohibited ?

    Or even the Cook strait cables ( and other such underwater areas)
    Cable and Pipeline Protection Zones
    These prevent all marine-based activities that may threaten undersea cables or pipelines. They can have the effect of protecting local species and habitat. If the positive effects are strong enough to meet the MPA standard, Cable and Pipeline Protection Zones could qualify for MPA status. They are established under the Submarine Cables and Pipelines Protection Act 1996.

    http://www.doc.govt.nz/nature/habitats/marine/marine-protected-areas/

  18. Scott 18
    19 September 2016 at 10:53 am

    We have three different types of rights to fish in NZ, customary rights, commercial rights (the quota system), and recreational rights.

    In this case the only relevant rights are the commercial rights through the quota system.

    The iwi was given commercial quota as a part of their treaty settlement. Fine. But that is no different to giving them money – it did not replace or displace customary fishing rights.

    The sanctuary would limit where quota rights can be exercised, for all such quota holders be they Maori of not. But, it does so by removing an area where the rights are not commonly (if at all) exercised – the islands are some 800-1000 km offshore and quota holders can and do catch their quota much closer to home.

    I can see why the government thought it a non-issue in those circumstances, but I think all quota rights holders (Maori and not) should be compensated for any loss in value caused by the change. It seems that loss in value may be zero or close to it, but they (all of them) deserve that to be properly considered.

    Racist? No. Treating quota rights held by Maori differently to others would be racist.

    A good process? No. Not in my book anyway, but for different reasons than are being proposed by others.

    • One Anonymous Bloke 18.1
      19 September 2016 at 11:00 am

      Clearly, your opinion of what is ‘relevant’ isn’t shared by everyone.

      • Scott 18.1.1
        19 September 2016 at 11:05 am

        True.

        My understanding is that customary fishing rights are not relevant in the area surrounding the islands because that area was not fished by Maori in the pre-colonization period (for obvious reasons of distance).

        Is that wrong or are you eluding to wider Treaty issues?

        • One Anonymous Bloke 18.1.1.1
          19 September 2016 at 11:18 am

          You’re sure that the seafarers and others who left their artefacts (and graves) there didn’t go fishing? Remarkable.

          For me the biggest issue is bad faith towards our treaty partners. If it’s typical incompetence it’s embarrassing and if it’s a cynical political ploy it’s worse.

          • Scott 18.1.1.1.1
            19 September 2016 at 11:43 am

            I’m sure they did, but that doesn’t establish customary fishing rights.

            I think you’re right though. The real complaint seems to be about bad faith, and the rest a smokescreen. I share that concern in a way, but do in relation to all relevant quota holders. If the sanctuary would diminish the value of their quota rights they ought to be properly compensated.

            • One Anonymous Bloke 18.1.1.1.1.1
              19 September 2016 at 11:50 am

              Alternatively, our treaty partners might take some other view of the matter that drives a truck right through any lesser commercial concerns.

              Since the first step is to consult with them in good faith, and that hasn’t happened yet, you’re jumping the gun a bit.

        • Matthew Whitehead 18.1.1.2
          19 September 2016 at 11:25 am

          That claim is indeed disputed, as you’ll see if you scroll up to comment 16.

          • Scott 18.1.1.2.1
            19 September 2016 at 11:35 am

            RTM was talking about artifacts that are much older than the colonization days. I suspect from during the migration period. He did not suggesting there is any evidence that at the time of the treaty Maori regularly traveled for weeks in the open sea to get to islands 800-1000km away in order to fish for fish they could have caught just off our coast – and that is the sort of thing needed to establish customary fishing rights.

            • One Anonymous Bloke 18.1.1.2.1.1
              19 September 2016 at 11:46 am

              That’s your professional legal opinion is it?

              • Scott …
                19 September 2016 at 11:55 am

                I don’t think it is a legal question really. More one for the historians and the archaeologists.

                • One Anonymous Bloke …
                  19 September 2016 at 12:02 pm

                  Nope, I don’t think they trade in weak straw-men either.

                  No-one is suggesting that Maori regularly traveled (sic) for weeks in the open sea to get to islands 800-1000km away in order to fish.

                  Can you think of any other scenarios?

                  • Scott …
                    19 September 2016 at 12:12 pm

                    Given that it seems the islands were uninhabited at the time of the Treaty no I cannot, not if you want to establish customary rights.

                    If that is wrong, and the islands were inhabited at the time of the treaty, that doesn’t really help anyway. Any customary rights that then existed were abandoned along with the islands.

                    No, it seems the only sensible argument to establish such rights still exist will depend on regular trips of the 800 to 1000km across open sea (and for them to have remained secret for all this time).

                    • One Anonymous Bloke …
                      19 September 2016 at 12:16 pm

                      Has this narrow definition of custom been tested in court?

                      Personally I’m pretty sure that it’s customary for seafarers to fish, and if the Kermadecs have traditionally been used in the ways DtB describes…

                    • Scott []
                      19 September 2016 at 1:23 pm

                      Yes, it has.

              • Draco T Bastard …
                19 September 2016 at 11:58 am

                No, that would be the international legal definition:

                CUSTOMARY RIGHTS. Rights which are acquired by custom. They differ from prescriptive rights in this, that the former are local usages, belonging to all the inhabitants of a particular place or district-the latter are rights of individuals, independent of the place of their residence. Best on Pres. Sec. 79; Cruise, Dig. t. 31, c. 1, Sec. 7; 2 Greenl. Evi 542.

                No Māori tribe, or anyone else for that matter, ever inhabited the Kermadecs. It was used by many peoples of the Pacific as a stop over place on their travels to fish and resupply.

                • One Anonymous Bloke …
                  19 September 2016 at 12:03 pm

                  Yes, customarily.

                  • Draco T Bastard …
                    19 September 2016 at 12:07 pm

                    You missed my last minute edit.

                    But the fact is that they didn’t live there which is what would give them customary rights. And if a tribe had lived there then that tribe would have customary rights and the rest wouldn’t.

                    • One Anonymous Bloke …
                      19 September 2016 at 12:12 pm

                      I edited after your edit 🙂

                      In any case this is just one issue. Nowadays, tangata whenua have access to commercial fishing opportunities. Perhaps they’d decide to leave the Kermadecs alone, perhaps not. Better consult them and find out.

                    • Draco T Bastard …
                      19 September 2016 at 12:34 pm

                      Perhaps they’d decide to leave the Kermadecs alone, perhaps not. Better consult them and find out.

                      That’s actually you now shifting the goal posts as you’ve now thoroughly lost the argument for customary rights.

                      Consultation would have been better most assuredly but it’s solely the province of the quota system and nothing to do with Ti Tiriti except that Māori were given a quota as part of the settlement process.

                    • One Anonymous Bloke …
                      19 September 2016 at 1:42 pm

                      We’ll see.

                      I don’t think one treaty partner has any business determining what is “relevant” or “solely” an issue for the other.

                      I don’t think you’ve made your case that seafarers’ behaviour can’t be “customary” either, for that matter; it wasn’t so much a shift of goalposts as a “let’s agree to disagree and move on”.

                    • Draco T Bastard …
                      19 September 2016 at 2:07 pm

                      I don’t think one treaty partner has any business determining what is “relevant” or “solely” an issue for the other.

                      Customary rights have been set by international precedent.

                      Basically, for Māori to claim customary rights now would be them claiming the islands as Māori territory and they would have had to have that before the British claimed them in 1886.

                      In other words, to claim them now would be to rewrite history.

                      I don’t think you’ve made your case that seafarers’ behaviour can’t be “customary” either, for that matter;

                      The point is that no one claimed them before then but many people stopped by. Polynesians, USians, Canadians, British, French. Pretty much any one who sailed the Pacific in fact.

                      So, who has customary rights under your idea that everyone who stopped there has them?

                      Go the way that you’re suggesting and we’d be stuck in claims and counter claims for all eternity.

                    • One Anonymous Bloke …
                      19 September 2016 at 7:20 pm

                      Yes, grasping settler notions of ownership sit uneasily next to such realities, and yet real they are.

                      I’m not talking about property rights, and I’m not pretending that negotiating these issues is easy. No wonder the National Party wishes they’d go away.

            • Matthew Whitehead 18.1.1.2.1.2
              19 September 2016 at 11:55 am

              I’m not saying I think anyone’s absolutely established customary use or that the evidence cited there applies in that regard.

              What I’m saying is that there are strong feelings from people that they should have customary use rights and are disputing the assumption that they don’t. This is exactly why we should have properly consulted on this issue, so that people’s feelings could be pinned down with relevant evidence, and a fair decision made where people felt like they had been heard.

              Instead we have the government running around saying “nobody fished in the Kermadecs until Pakeha came,” which is a really bad idea, as it pre-judges the issue and makes consultation look like window dressing.

              • Scott …
                19 September 2016 at 11:57 am

                Well the onus should be on them to show that they do have customary fishing rights in the area. Particularly where the claim on its face seems somewhat fanciful. They have not asserted them until now.

              • Draco T Bastard …
                19 September 2016 at 12:02 pm

                What I’m saying is that there are strong feelings from people that they should have customary use rights and are disputing the assumption that they don’t.

                Unless they lived there then it’s really simple: They don’t have customary rights to them.

                Instead we have the government running around saying “nobody fished in the Kermadecs until Pakeha came,”

                They didn’t say that at all – they said that they weren’t used for commercial fishing and thus there was no commercial loss by making it a sanctuary.

                • Scott …
                  19 September 2016 at 12:07 pm

                  Agree.

                  But would add they might have customary rights while not living there if they regularly visited the area to fish – of which there is no evidence and that is unsurprising given it is some 800 – 1000 kms from mainland NZ.

                • Matthew Whitehead …
                  19 September 2016 at 12:13 pm

                  I’ll double-check those statements to be sure I haven’t mischaracterised them, cheers Draco.

                  I agree it’s likely that nobody has customary rights, but we should be allowing people to present evidence and reminding them of the criteria rather than simply assuming nobody does.

                  And I’m not entirely certain you’re correct that you have to live on the Kermadecs to have customary rights, rather that seems to suggest that customary rights accrue to geographical regions as opposed to individuals. If Māori had a tradition of sailing through that area and fishing that was continuous until at least the time of the treaty, then arguably those iwi will have customary fishing rights. If they feel they do, they should be allowed to present arguments and evidence to someone who will consider it with an open mind before we shut off all fishing in the area, and even if someone does have customary rights, that doesn’t mean that a fair compromise can’t be made where they trade those rights for some other right guaranteed by the government that they find of similar value.

                  • Draco T Bastard …
                    19 September 2016 at 12:25 pm

                    And I’m not entirely certain you’re correct that you have to live on the Kermadecs to have customary rights, rather that seems to suggest that customary rights accrue to geographical regions as opposed to individuals.

                    Customary rights apply to a people and not individuals.

                    If Māori had a tradition of sailing through that area and fishing that was continuous until at least the time of the treaty, then arguably those iwi will have customary fishing rights.

                    Nope because:
                    1. Māori weren’t the only people stopping there to resupply
                    2. It wasn’t continuous

                    If they feel they do, they should be allowed to present arguments and evidence…

                    There’s no one living there and hasn’t been for centuries despite having been settled at least once and possibly twice.
                    Stopped there, yes, lived there, no. And living there is the criteria not stopping there on your way through.

                    • One Anonymous Bloke …
                      19 September 2016 at 1:43 pm

                      Then perhaps new criteria will emerge from legal argument.

                    • Matthew Whitehead …
                      20 September 2016 at 10:19 am

                      I agree with you that customary rights apply to the people who live(d) in a particular area, that’s what the opinion you were quoting basically said. (The one at http://www.webster-dictionary.org/definition/Customary%20rights)

                      1. It’s irrelevant if other people also used the same area to resupply. That just means there wasn’t exclusive use, which to my knowledge isn’t part of a customary rights test.
                      2. It’s actually a question for lawyers to determine whether a custom of infrequent visits can count as continuous use. (which it might if those visits corresponded with a regular event or timetable, for instance)

                      While the legal tradition is that customary use is for inhabitants of a nearby area, people should be allowed to make arguments that said tradition is wrong, and judges should be able to hear them. This is how law changes.

                      This isn’t necessarily an open-and-shut matter, although I do agree it’s very unlikely anyone will successfully establish customary rights as it would require an unlikely degree of strong evidence and/or a generous ruling in court. But that’s precisely the sort of decision that should be left to courts or similar impartial entities to decide, rather than being decided by legislators.

            • Richard Rawshark 18.1.1.2.1.3
              20 September 2016 at 10:13 am

              What does it matter Scott, it was just a tiff over something to raise the Maori party profile in the media and get some good publicity. Cannot fool me anymore with these contrived inter-accord squabbles.

              http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11713179

              Lastly Scott, during all the time before Pakeha arrived, do you think the landscape and coastline and islands were the same? What have we worked out is the oldest records of mankind in NZ? 800 years, were there active volcanoes during this time?

              Point i’m making is we actually don’t know the layout of the land or country in the past or at those times to any accuracy so therefore the ability to island hop may have been a whole lot easier, what was the sea levels during this time.

              No one can make any assumptions with accuracy of the past when we get into unrecorded history.

              As for the sanctuary, i’d prefer the whole of the Antarctic off limits for everything. and make it a good latitude out from the poles. Same for the Arctic circle IMHO.

              One tiny sanctuary in the grand scheme of the oceans and doing something, is good but we need to do more.

        • RedLogix 18.1.1.3
          19 September 2016 at 11:36 am

          What are the criteria that need to be met in order to establish a customary fishing right to a particular area?

          I’ve done a bit of googling and no obvious answer came up.

          • Scott 18.1.1.3.1
            19 September 2016 at 11:53 am

            As far as I’m aware all customary rights recognize an established practice at the time of the Treaty that has been continuous since (allowing for the periodic nature of such things or other non-abandonment explanation). For fishing I think they’d add in that it is non-commercial.

            There is some information here: http://www.fish.govt.nz/en-nz/Maori/default.htm

            This is also a interesting read about the topic (NZ Herald article) but comes from one perspective as it is written by Sir Douglas Graham: http://www.nzherald.co.nz/opinion/news/article.cfm?c_id=466&objectid=10583031

          • Draco T Bastard 18.1.1.3.2
            19 September 2016 at 12:03 pm

            What are the criteria that need to be met in order to establish a customary fishing right to a particular area?

            To actually live there and to have done so for generations before the signing of Ti Tiriti.

            • Scott 18.1.1.3.2.1
              19 September 2016 at 12:19 pm

              Most such rights do require living there as you say, but that is due to the nature of the rights concerns. Things like hunting, fishing, and pounamu gathering are slightly different and may not require living in the actual location.

              Given the distance involved here though (800 – 1000km over open sea) they probably amount to the same thing. In practice if they didn’t live there at the time or haven’t continued to do so since then forget it.

              • dukeofurl …
                19 September 2016 at 1:06 pm

                Then how would you allocate the quota to which Iwi ? The far north because the are closest, but that covers quite a few tribal groups.

                • Scott …
                  19 September 2016 at 1:26 pm

                  That issue was grappled with in the settlement process. And for better or worse it was allocated. Since then is has been able to be brought and sold.

                  • One Anonymous Bloke …
                    19 September 2016 at 1:46 pm

                    …and yet here we are, grappling with it.

                    • Scott …
                      19 September 2016 at 1:59 pm

                      No. I don’t think we are. I think we are grappling with an entity (TOKM) who wants compensation for a perceived interference with their property rights (and I agree with them to the extent that perception reflects reality) and the rest is a smokescreen.

                      They sit alongside a few who believe that Maori own everything, the fish, the oil, the water in rivers, everything, and are more than happy to jump aboard any passing bandwagon.

                      You might also add in a few that think this smells like trouble for the present government and are happy to stir any pot that has that odour.

                    • One Anonymous Bloke …
                      19 September 2016 at 2:11 pm

                      You are very keen to corral off areas of relevance. If you’re not careful you’ll be sitting in a room on your own telling yourself what the other party thinks.

                      Oh, wait…

                    • Scott []
                      19 September 2016 at 6:25 pm

                      I just get fed up a bit when serious issue like racism is used to advance commercial negotiations like these. It is not about racism at all, and I think that issue is belittled by its attempted application to this.

                    • One Anonymous Bloke …
                      19 September 2016 at 7:18 pm

                      commercial negotiations

                      Like I said: these attempts to confine the subject to the things you want to discuss, the framework you want to hang them on. They’re transparent, stupid, and counterproductive.

                      If you don’t want people to point at your racism stop displaying it.

                • One Anonymous Bloke …
                  19 September 2016 at 2:22 pm

                  So for a start, I think it’d be good to let iwi decide for themselves what their interests are.

  19. Barfly 19
    19 September 2016 at 11:33 am

    I read here on The Standard earlier a statement attributed to Nick Smith that

    Maori owned companies fishing in the proposed sanctuary has been nil…zero tonnes

    That commercial fishing in the proposed sanctuary was 20 tonnes out of a 450,000 tonne total quota (which explains National’s happiness to make it a sanctuary)

    Minister(s) met with TOKM 10 times over ten months and that TOKM would not budge from having the right to fish commercially in that area.

    I personally despise the National government and pretty much all of its MPs , but the howls of racism and breaching treaty rights here seem to me to be completely cuckoo.

    • Jenny Kirk 19.1
      19 September 2016 at 12:39 pm

      I’m more inclined to agree with CV’s theory at 8.3 – along with the info indicated in Barfly’s comments at 19.

      It just doesn’t make sense otherwise – and remember, this is a very tricky government – up to all sorts of things normal people wouldn’t even think about.
      So it looks to me like the Maori Party (inherently National) – have a good thing going here: plenty of publicity, looks like they’re “standing up” to the government, egged on by TOKM (also inherently National) and us, the suckers, are falling for it.

      This isn’t racism. Its not racism versus conservation. Its dirty politics.

  20. dukeofurl 20
    19 September 2016 at 12:54 pm

    Quite a good ‘broad brush’ overview of the Maori and fishing and the later deals

    http://www.treaty2u.govt.nz/the-treaty-Today/fisheries/index.htm

  21. Matthew Whitehead 21
    21 September 2016 at 11:55 am

    By the by- Metiria has been interviewed on the bill and the Green Party’s position on the mana of iwi Māori. It’s worth a listen if you care about the bill or were concerned that the Greens would go ahead when there were real Treaty of Waitangi concerns.

    http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/morningreport/audio/201816938/greens-its-possible-to-have-sanctuary-and-respect-maori-rights

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  • Weekly Climate Wrap: The unravelling of the offsets

    The ‘50 Shades of Green’ farmers’ protest in 2019 was heavy on climate change denial, but five years on, scepticism and criticism about the idea that pine forests can save us is growing across the board. File photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: Here’s the top six news items of note in climate ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    22 hours ago
  • What makes us tick

    This morning the sky was bright.The birds, in their usual joyous bliss. Nature doesn’t seem to feel the heat of what might angst humans.Their calls are clear and beautiful.Just some random thoughts:MāoriPaul Goldsmith has announced his government will roll back the judiciary’s rulings on Māori Customary Marine Title, which recognises ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    23 hours ago
  • Foreshore and seabed 2.0

    In 2003, the Court of Appeal delivered its decision in Ngati Apa v Attorney-General, ruling that Māori customary title over the foreshore and seabed had not been universally extinguished, and that the Māori Land Court could determine claims and confirm title if the facts supported it. This kicked off the ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    1 day ago
  • Gordon Campbell on the Royal Commission report into abuse in care

    Earlier this week at Parliament, Labour leader Chris Hipkins was applauded for saying that the response to the final report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care had to be “bigger than politics.” True, but the fine words, apologies and “we hear you” messages will soon ring ...
    WerewolfBy lyndon
    1 day ago
  • The Kākā’s Pick 'n' Mix for Friday, July 26

    TL;DR: In news breaking this morning:The Ministry of Education is cutting $2 billion from its school building programme so the National-ACT-NZ First Coalition Government has enough money to deliver tax cuts; The Government has quietly lowered its child poverty reduction targets to make them easier to achieve;Te Whatu Ora-Health NZ’s ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 day ago
  • Weekly Roundup 26-July-2024

    Kia ora. These are some stories that caught our eye this week – as always, feel free to share yours in the comments. Our header image this week (via Eke Panuku) shows the planned upgrade for the Karanga Plaza Tidal Swimming Steps. The week in Greater Auckland On ...
    Greater AucklandBy Greater Auckland
    1 day ago
  • God what a relief

    1. What's not to love about the way the Harris campaign is turning things around?a. Nothingb. Love all of itc. God what a reliefd. Not that it will be by any means easye. All of the above 2. Documents released by the Ministry of Health show Associate Health Minister Casey ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    1 day ago
  • Trust In Me

    Trust in me in all you doHave the faith I have in youLove will see us through, if only you trust in meWhy don't you, you trust me?In a week that saw the release of the 3,000 page Abuse in Care report Christopher Luxon was being asked about Boot Camps. ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 day ago
  • The Hoon around the week to July 26

    TL;DR: The podcast above of the weekly ‘hoon’ webinar for paying subscribers last night features co-hosts and talking about the Royal Commission Inquiry into Abuse in Care report released this week, and with:The Kākā’s climate correspondent on a UN push to not recognise carbon offset markets and ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 day ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Friday, July 26

    TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Friday, July 26, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:Transport: Simeon Brown announced $802.9 million in funding for 18 new trains on the Wairarapa and Manawatū rail lines, which ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 day ago
  • Radical law changes needed to build road

    The northern expressway extension from Warkworth to Whangarei is likely to require radical changes to legislation if it is going to be built within the foreseeable future. The Government’s powers to purchase land, the planning process and current restrictions on road tolling are all going to need to be changed ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    1 day ago
  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #30 2024

    Open access notables Could an extremely cold central European winter such as 1963 happen again despite climate change?, Sippel et al., Weather and Climate Dynamics: Here, we first show based on multiple attribution methods that a winter of similar circulation conditions to 1963 would still lead to an extreme seasonal ...
    Skeptical Science
    2 days ago
  • First they came for the Māori

    Text within this block will maintain its original spacing when publishedFirst they came for the doctors But I was confused by the numbers and costs So I didn't speak up Then they came for our police and nurses And I didn't think we could afford those costs anyway So I ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    2 days ago
  • Join us for the weekly Hoon on YouTube Live

    Photo by Joshua J. Cotten on UnsplashWe’re back again after our mid-winter break. We’re still with the ‘new’ day of the week (Thursday rather than Friday) when we have our ‘hoon’ webinar with paying subscribers to The Kākā for an hour at 5 pm.Jump on this link on YouTube Livestream ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • Will the real PM Luxon please stand up?

    Notes: This is a free article. Abuse in Care themes are mentioned. Video is at the bottom.BackgroundYesterday’s report into Abuse in Care revealed that at least 1 in 3 of all who went through state and faith based care were abused - often horrifically. At least, because not all survivors ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    2 days ago
  • Will debt reduction trump abuse in care redress?

    Luxon speaks in Parliament yesterday about the Abuse in Care report. Photo: Hagen Hopkins/Getty ImagesTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy today are:PM Christopher Luxon said yesterday in tabling the Abuse in Care report in Parliament he wanted to ‘do the ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • Olywhites and Time Bandits

    About a decade ago I worked with a bloke called Steve. He was the grizzled veteran coder, a few years older than me, who knew where the bodies were buried - code wise. Despite his best efforts to be approachable and friendly he could be kind of gruff, through to ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    2 days ago
  • Why were the 1930s so hot in North America?

    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Jeff Masters and Bob Henson Those who’ve trawled social media during heat waves have likely encountered a tidbit frequently used to brush aside human-caused climate change: Many U.S. states and cities had their single hottest temperature on record during the 1930s, setting incredible heat marks ...
    Skeptical Science
    2 days ago
  • Throwback Thursday – Thinking about Expressways

    Some of the recent announcements from the government have reminded us of posts we’ve written in the past. Here’s one from early 2020. There were plenty of reactions to the government’s infrastructure announcement a few weeks ago which saw them fund a bunch of big roading projects. One of ...
    Greater AucklandBy Greater Auckland
    2 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Pick 'n' Mix for Thursday, July 25

    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 Thursday, July 25 are:News: Why Electric Kiwi is closing to new customers - and why it matters RNZ’s Susan EdmundsScoop: Government drops ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • The Possum: Demon or Friend?

    Hi,I felt a small wet tongue snaking through one of the holes in my Crocs. It explored my big toe, darting down one side, then the other. “He’s looking for some toe cheese,” said the woman next to me, words that still haunt me to this day.Growing up in New ...
    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
  • The Hoon around the week to July 19

    TL;DR: The podcast above of the weekly ‘hoon’ webinar for paying subscribers last night features co-hosts and talking with:The Kākā’s climate correspondent talking about the National-ACT-NZ First Government’s release of its first Emissions Reduction Plan;University of Otago Foreign Relations Professor and special guest Dr Karin von ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #29 2024

    Open access notables Improving global temperature datasets to better account for non-uniform warming, Calvert, Quarterly Journal of the Royal Meteorological Society: To better account for spatial non-uniform trends in warming, a new GITD [global instrumental temperature dataset] was created that used maximum likelihood estimation (MLE) to combine the land surface ...
    Skeptical Science
    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
    16 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
    19 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
    19 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
    22 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
    23 hours ago
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