Towards the abyss
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- Date published:
12:34 pm, September 10th, 2024 - 37 comments
Categories: act, Christopher Luxon, david seymour, labour, national, nz first, Politics, racism, racism, same old national, treaty settlements, winston peters -
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Yesterday it was confirmed that Act’s Treaty Principles Bill had been approved by Cabinet for drafting and introduction into Parliament in November this year.
It was also the day that 400 church leaders released an open letter urging the Government not to proceed with the bill.
Christopher Luxon was questioned about the bill at the post Cabinet Press Conference and his indifference was palpable. He clearly did not want to know about the bill and he did not want to talk about the bill.
From Radio New Zealand:
The prime minister has admitted he is yet to see the draft Treaty Principles Bill, despite promising National will back it through its first reading, but no further.
Christopher Luxon was asked a series of questions about updates on the controversial proposed legislation, given Cabinet considered it on Monday, but was not forthcoming on further details.
“I don’t talk or discuss things that are discussed in Cabinet. There’ll be more to say about that shortly, I’m sure, but our position on this is well known and well understood – we support it for first reading, but not beyond that.”
Luxon said ACT leader David Seymour, the bill’s backer, will have more to say on it soon.
The final version will be considered again by Cabinet before it is introduced to Parliament in November.
Luxon was repeatedly asked about the bill at the press conference, but gave the same answer each time – he would not reveal what was said in Cabinet discussions.
Of course he has not seen the bill, it has not been drafted yet. But an outline of the bill would have been clearly set out in the Cabinet Paper Cabinet had just discussed.
And David Seymour, perhaps helpfully, perhaps michieviously, filled in the gaps for Luxon.
From Julia Gabel at the Herald:
Seymour says a “broad outline” of the bill was discussed at Monday’s Cabinet meeting before a draft version is created and publicly released in November.
The Act leader said changes have been made to add references to iwi and hapū to the proposed definitions of the principles.
“I have always believed Article 2 gives all New Zealanders the right of determination over their lives and their properties,” he said.
“The question, I believe, did that mean all New Zealanders as per 1840, or all New Zealanders in perpetuity, whoever may live here. That’s been very contentious.
“I’m proposing explicit mention of the rights that iwi and hapū had in 1840 to allay the concerns that somehow we are taking away the rights of Māori.”
So much for what is said in Cabinet stays in Cabinet.
The revised bill will be interesting to see. Act’s proposed article 2 states “[t]he New Zealand Government will honour all New Zealanders in the chieftainship of their land and all their property”
Including a reference to rights enjoyed by hapū and iwi in 1840 does not change the effect of their proposed change. It still lessens the scope of article 2 which preserves to Maori “their lands, homes, and things important to them”. This was relied on by the Waitangi Tribunal in relation to its decision on the preservation of Te Reo. In that decision the Tribunal said about the phrase “o ratou taonga katoa” contained in article 2 that it “covers both tangible and intangible things and can best be translated by the expression ‘all their valued customs and possessions.'” Act’s proposed amendment would have precluded the Te Reo claim from being heard.
Seymour will no doubt throw up a number of superficially improved amendments to Act’s original bill to further muddy the water. It is more important for the dog whistle racism to continue for as long as possible. The precise contents of the bill are of lesser importance.
And NZ First’s position could be cruical. Shane Jones has confirmed that NZ First would not vote for the bill past first reading. But in Parliament Winston Peters has muddied the waters.
And NZ First have in the past tried to pull a similar stunt in relation to the Treaty. In 2005 by way of a Private Member’s bill it introduced the Principles of the Treaty of Waitangi Deletion Bill the intent of which was to do exactly that. Labour opposed the bill’s introduction but because of the support of National, Act and United Future the bill was introduced.
The Bill would have had some unusual consequences, such as preventing the Waitangi Tribunal from considering the principles of the Treaty.
It failed to get past the second reading when only NZ First voted in support.
And something that Chris Finlayson said during the second reading of the bill resonates. He said:
Having thundered from the pulpit about activist liberal judges and having brought in the example of South Africa, New Zealand First members, after receiving submissions that responded in equally strong terms, said they were very disappointed because they wanted to have a principled discussion of the matter. They said that people should not have reacted to rhetoric but should have dealt with the substance of the legislation. With respect to Mr Paraone, I say that that is a joke. If one goes down that cheapskate, rhetorical kind of road, one will get submissions—and there were a lot of submissions—that will respond to it.
Of course Luxon could minimise the disruption by having a very truncated select committee process. It is something that this Government has done regularly.
But it shows what is really important to Act and to National. This is the issue that held up the formation of the Government. Act really needs the opportunity to engage in racist dog whistling and it does not matter to them that the bill may eventually fail. And National was that keen to gain power that it was willing to severely damage race relations and force the country to engage in an absolute circus just so it could grab the baubles of office.
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- Release: Proposed job losses devastating for Timaru
News that the Smithfield meatworks could close is devastating for the hundreds of people who work there, Timaru and the wider region. ...1 week ago
- Release: Question mark over financial sustainability of Polytechs
The Government is taking tertiary education down a worrying path with new reporting finding that fourteen of the country’s sixteen polytechnics couldn’t survive on their own,” Labour’s tertiary education spokesperson Dr Deborah Russell says. ...1 week ago
- TPM issues warning to Govt: Back down or prepare for the wrath of the million Māori
Today the government announced a $30m cut to Te Ahu o Te Reo Māori- a programme that develops te reo Māori among our kaiako. “This announcement is just the latest in an onslaught of attacks on te iwi Māori,” said Te Pāti Māori Co-Leader Rawiri Waititi. ...1 week ago
- Govt set to break promise on Dunedin Hospital
The Green Party is calling on the Government to honour its promise to Dunedin and build its new hospital to full capacity. ...1 week ago
- Release: Dunedin Hospital d-listed by Government
The non-announcement in Dunedin today had Ministers leaving broken promises and a likely severely diluted hospital build in their wake. ...1 week ago
- Release: Labour welcomes UAE trade deal
The New Zealand Labour Party welcomes the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) signed today with the United Arab Emirates (UAE). ...1 week ago
- Release: Hundreds more jobs cuts on housing frontline
The Government has shown its true intentions for the public service and economy – it’s not to get more public servants back to the office, it’s more job losses. ...1 week ago
- Release: Govt not addressing health workforce crisis
The National Government is hiding the gaps in the health workforce from New Zealanders, by not producing a full workforce plan nearly a year into their tenure. ...1 week ago
- Release: Government cuts fair pay for bus drivers
The Government has cut funding for bus drivers to get paid fairly for the work they do, Labour transport spokesperson Tangi Utikere said. ...1 week ago
- Crown Minerals Bill Advances Colonisation
Today, the Crown Mineral Amendment Bill was read for the first time, reversing the ban on oil exploration off the coast of Taranaki. It was no accident that this proposed law change was read directly after the Government started to unravel the ability of iwi and hapū Māori to have ...2 weeks ago
- Landlord govt finds new way to undermine public housing
Proposed cuts to Kāinga Ora reflect a failure to fully commit to fixing the housing crisis. ...2 weeks ago
- Crown should prove their rights to Foreshore & Seabed – Te Pāti Māori
Te Pāti Māori spokesperson for Justice, Tākuta Ferris, has hit out at the Government, demanding the Crown prove its rights to the foreshore, following the Marine and Coastal Area Amendment Bill, passing its first reading. "Māori rights to the foreshore pre-exist the Declaration of Independence, Te Tiriti o Waitangi, and ...2 weeks ago
- NZ must urgently help whanau in Lebanon
The Government must immediately help evacuate New Zealanders and Lebanese whanau caught up in the current conflict unfolding across south Lebanon. ...2 weeks ago
- Green Government will revoke oil and gas permits
The Green Party vows to reinstate the oil and gas ban and revoke permits when it returns to government following the coalition’s introduction of legislation to reopen offshore oil and gas exploration this afternoon. ...2 weeks ago
- Government introduces controversial MACA legislation
The Government’s introduction of its interventions in the Marine and Coastal Area (Takutai Moana) Act threatens to throw relations between Māori and Crown into deeper disharmony. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Gun lobby bill removes regulation at ranges
Gun lobbyist Nicole McKee and her conflict of interest has struck again, this time removing safety regulations from shooting clubs and ranges in New Zealand. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Govt forgetting the 6000 jobs they’ve cut
The real problem in the public sector is ongoing job losses and cuts to the front line. ...2 weeks ago
- Government undermines public service with WFH crackdown
The Green Party says the Government’s retrograde move to tighten up on Work from Home arrangements is the latest in a series of blows to the Public Service. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Ministers oblivious to cuts’ effect on families
The National Government is oblivious to the impact cuts to services will have on New Zealanders who are doing the hard yards caring for mentally ill family members. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Public service set up to fail under National
Nicola Willis has set up the public service to fail to pay for reckless tax cuts for landlords and the tobacco industry. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Coalition cooking up costly RMA replacement
National continues to dismantle environmental protections in the interests of rushing through unsustainable development that will ultimately cost communities. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: National red-faced as benefit numbers skyrocket
The economy has stagnated and the National Government is having to face the consequences of its atrocious lawmaking, as beneficiary numbers skyrocket past even Treasury’s predictions. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: National allocating police officers not hired yet
There are 104 fewer police officers now than there were when National came into Government. ...2 weeks ago
- Economic decline further cause for tax transformation
Today’s GDP figures combined with the injustice of our tax system will mean more pain for our lowest-income households while those at the top remain relatively unscathed. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: No growth under National, just cuts
The National Government’s decisions have hindered, not helped the economy. ...2 weeks ago
- Govt must act to avoid the worst of NIWA’s climate projections
New climate projections from NIWA underscore how urgently climate action is needed. ...3 weeks ago
- Release: More job losses as Government fails on manufacturing
The Government is failing the manufacturing sector with no plan for its future. ...3 weeks ago
- Ruakākā recreation centre opened
A new multi-purpose recreation centre will provide a valuable wellbeing hub for residents and visitors to Ruakākā in Northland, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. The Ruakākā Recreation Centre, officially opened today, includes separate areas for a gymnasium, a community health space and meeting rooms made possible with support of ...1 day ago - Extra Government support for farmers and growers in Southland and parts of Otago
Agriculture Minister Todd McClay, and Rural Communities Minister Mark Patterson announced up to $50,000 in additional Government support for farmers and growers across Southland and parts of Otago as challenging spring weather conditions have been classified a medium-scale adverse event. “The relentless wet weather has been tough on farmers and ...2 days ago
- Government welcomes move to delay EU Deforestation Regulation
Trade and Agriculture Minister Todd McClay today welcomed a move by the European Commission to delay the implementation of the European Union’s Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) by 12 months, describing the proposal as a pragmatic step that will provide much-needed certainty for New Zealand exporters and ensure over $200 million in ...2 days ago
- Response to Ministerial Inquiry into School Property
The Government is taking decisive action in response to the Ministerial Inquiry into School Property, which concludes the way school property is delivered is not fit for purpose. “The school property portfolio is worth $30 billion, and it’s critically important it’s managed properly. This Government is taking a series of immediate actions ...2 days ago
- New Government support for residential construction market announced
The Government has announced a new support programme for the residential construction market while the economy recovers, Housing Minister Chris Bishop and Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk say. “We know the residential development sector is vulnerable to economic downturns. The lead time for building houses is typically 18 ...2 days ago
- New appointment to the EPA board
Environment Minister Penny Simmonds has confirmed the final appointee to the refreshed Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) board. “I am pleased to welcome Brett O’Riley to the EPA board,” Ms Simmonds says. “Brett is a seasoned business advisor with a long and distinguished career across the technology, tourism, and sustainable business ...2 days ago
- Strengthening resilience with critical road improvement projects
The Government has approved a $226.2 million package of resilience improvement projects for state highways and local roads across the country that will reduce the impact of severe weather events and create a more resilient and efficient road network, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Our Government is committed to delivering ...2 days ago
- Doubling road rehabilitation this summer to prevent potholes
Kiwis will see fewer potholes on our roads with road rehabilitation set to more than double through the summer road maintenance programme to ensure that our roads are maintained to a safe and reliable standard, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Increasing productivity to help rebuild our economy is a key ...2 days ago
- Sir Jerry Mateparae appointed in Bougainville post-referendum moderator role
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has welcomed the announcement of Sir Jerry Mateparae as an independent moderator, to work with the Government of Papua New Guinea and the Autonomous Bougainville Government in resolving outstanding issues on Bougainville’s future. “New Zealand is an enduring friend to Papua New Guinea and the ...3 days ago
- Latest census data highlights New Zealand’s growing ethnic diversity
The latest 2023 Census results released today further highlight New Zealand’s growing ethnic and cultural diversity, says Ethnic Communities Minister Melissa Lee. “Today’s census results are further evidence of the increasingly diverse nature of our population. It’s something that should be celebrated and also serve as a reminder of the ...3 days ago
- FamilyBoost payments make ECE more affordable
Parents and caregivers are now able to claim for FamilyBoost, which provides low-to-middle-income families with young children payments to help them meet early childhood education (ECE) costs. “FamilyBoost is one of the ways we are supporting families with young children who are struggling with the cost of living, by helping ...3 days ago
- South Pacific defence meeting fosters collaboration
This week’s South Pacific Defence Ministers’ Meeting (SPDMM) has concluded with a renewed commitment to regional security of all types, Defence Minister Judith Collins says. Defence Ministers and senior civilian and military officials from Australia, Chile, Fiji, France, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea and Tonga gathered in Auckland to discuss defence and security cooperation in the ...3 days ago
- Minister welcomes larger Police recruitment wings
Associate Police Minister Casey Costello has welcomed the Police announcement that recruitment wings at the Police College will be expanded to 100 recruits next year. “This is good news on two fronts – it reflects the fact that more and more New Zealanders are valuing policing and seeing it as ...3 days ago
- Speech to the Minerals West Coast Forum
Introduction Good morning! What a pleasure to be back in the stunning West Coast at one of my favourite events in the calendar. Every time I come back here, I’m reminded of the Coast’s natural beauty, valuable resources, and great people. Yet, every time I come back here, I’m also ...3 days ago
- Positive progress on Government health targets
Health Minister Dr Shane Reti welcomes new data from Health New Zealand, saying it demonstrates encouraging progress against the Government’s health targets. Health New Zealand’s quarterly report for the quarter to 30 June will be used as the baseline for reporting against the Government’s five health targets, which came into ...3 days ago
- Supporting better access to data for Kiwis
The launch of a new data tool will provide Kiwis with better access to important data, Statistics Minister Andrew Bayly says. “To grow our economy and improve productivity we must adopt smarter ways of working, which means taking a more data driven approach to decision-making. “As Statistics Minister one of ...4 days ago
- Progressing remote building inspections
The Government is progressing plans to increase the use of remote inspections to make the building and consenting process more efficient and affordable, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “We know that the building and construction sector suffers from a lack of innovation. According to a recent report, productivity ...4 days ago
- PPTA accepts charter schools
Associate Education Minister David Seymour welcomes the PPTA putting a proposal to members at its annual conference to change its constitution and allow membership of teachers who work in charter schools. “The PPTA has had a come to Jesus moment on charter schools. This is a major departure from the ...4 days ago
- New TAIC Chief Commissioner appointed
David Clarke has been announced as the Chief Commissioner of the Transport Accident Investigation Commission (TAIC). David Clarke is a barrister specialising in corporate and commercial law and he has over 20 years experience in governance roles in commercial, public and charitable sectors. He also is a current TAIC Commissioner. ...5 days ago
- Government secures market access for blueberries to Korea
The Government has secured market access for New Zealand blueberries to Korea, unlocking an estimated $5 million in annual export opportunities for Kiwi growers Minister for Trade and Agriculture Todd McClay today announced. “This is a win for our exporters and builds on our successful removal of $190 million in ...5 days ago
- South Pacific Defence Ministers meet in Auckland
Partnership and looking to the future are key themes as Defence Ministers from across the South Pacific discuss regional security challenges in Auckland today, Defence Minister Judith Collins says. The South Pacific Defence Ministers’ Meeting (SPDMM) brings together Defence Ministers, Chiefs of Defence and Secretaries of Defence from New Zealand, ...5 days ago
- Keytruda, CGMs, and FamilyBoost welcomed
In a triple whammy of good news, 1 October heralds the beginning of the funding of two major health products and a welcome contribution to early childhood fees, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon says. “Keytruda is the first drug to be funded and made available from the $604 million boost we ...5 days ago
- Children’s Unit opens at Rotorua Hospital
Health Minister Dr Shane Reti today opened the refurbished Children’s Unit at Rotorua Hospital, which will provide young patients and their families in the Lakes District with a safe, comfortable and private space to receive care. “The opening of this unit is a significant milestone in our commitment to improving ...5 days ago
- Minor variations no longer major problem
It is now easier to make small changes to building plans without having to apply for a building consent amendment, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “Previously builders who wanted to make a minor change, for example substituting one type of product for another, or changing the layout of ...5 days ago
- New diplomatic appointments
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has today announced seven diplomatic appointments. “Protecting and advancing New Zealand’s interests abroad is an extremely important role for our diplomats,” Mr Peters says. “We are pleased to announce the appointment of seven senior diplomats to these overseas missions.” The appointments are: Andrew ...5 days ago
- SuperGold Information Hub live
The first iteration of the SuperGold Information Hub is now on-line, Minister for Seniors Casey Costello announced today. “The SuperGold Hub is an online portal offering up-to-date information on all of the offers available to SuperGold cardholders. “We know the SuperGold card is valued, and most people know its use ...5 days ago
- New fund to clean up old landfill and dump sites
A new Contaminated Sites and Vulnerable Landfills Fund will help councils and landowners clean up historic landfills and other contaminated sites that are vulnerable to the effects of severe weather, Environment Minister Penny Simmonds says. "This $30 million fund, part of our Q4 Action Plan, increases the Government’s investment in ...5 days ago
- Increased medicines access welcomed following budget boost
Associate Health Minister with responsibility for Pharmac David Seymour has welcomed the increased availability of medicines for Kiwis resulting from the Government’s increased investment in Pharmac. “Pharmac operates independently, but it must work within the budget constraints set by the Government,” says Mr Seymour. “When our Government assumed office, New ...5 days ago
- Foreign Minister completes successful week of international engagements
Foreign Minister Winston Peters today wrapped up a week of high-level engagements at the United Nations in New York and in Papeete, French Polynesia. “Our visit to New York was about demonstrating New Zealand’s unwavering support for an international system based on rules and respect for the UN Charter, as ...6 days ago
- Final 2024 Action Plan focused on infrastructure
The Government’s Quarter Four (Q4) Action Plan will be focused on making it easier and faster to build infrastructure in New Zealand as part of its wider plan to rebuild the economy, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon says. “My Government has been working at pace to get the country back on ...6 days ago
- Four new laws to tackle crime passed in Q3
New Zealanders will be safer as a result of the Government’s crackdown on crime which includes tougher laws for offenders and gangs delivered as part of the Quarter Three (Q3) Action Plan, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon says. “I’m proud to say we have delivered on 39 of the 40 actions ...6 days ago
- Government partnership boosting vineyard productivity
The Government is backing a new world-leading programme set to boost vineyard productivity and inject an additional $295 million into New Zealand’s economy by 2045, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay today announced. The Next Generation Viticulture programme will transform traditional vineyard systems, increasing profitability by $22,060 per hectare by 2045 without ...6 days ago
- Strong support for NZ minerals strategy
Over 90 per cent of submissions have expressed broad support for a New Zealand minerals strategy, indicating a strong appetite for a considered, enduring approach to minerals development, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. A summary of the 102 submissions on the draft strategy has been published today by the Ministry ...6 days ago
- Snapper catch limits up, orange roughy down
Catch limits for several fisheries will be increased following a review that shows stocks of those species are healthy and abundant. The changes are being made as part of Fisheries New Zealand’s biannual sustainability review, which considers catch limits and management settings across New Zealand’s fisheries. “Scientific evidence and information ...7 days ago
- Reforming the building consent system
The Government is investigating options for a major reform of the building consent system to improve efficiency and consistency across New Zealand, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “New Zealand has some of the least affordable housing in the world, which has dire social and economic implications. At the heart ...1 week ago
- Cost-benefit analysis for potential third medical school completed
The Government has announced that an initial cost-benefit analysis of establishing a third medical school based at the University of Waikato has been completed and has been found to provide confidence for the project to progress to the next stage. Minister of Health Dr Shane Reti says the proposal will ...1 week ago
- Government delivers sensible approach to speed limits
The Government’s new speed limit rule has today been signed to reverse Labour’s blanket speed limit reductions and enable Kiwis to get to where they want to go quickly and safely, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. Reverse Labour’s blanket speed limit reductions on local streets, arterial roads, and state highways ...1 week ago
- Minister to meet with Pacific Island climate leaders
Climate Change Minister Simon Watts is travelling to Fiji on Monday to attend a Ministerial Meeting (Talanoa) with Pacific Island Countries, Australia, and New Zealand. “Attending the Talanoa will reinforce New Zealand’s commitment to supporting climate resilience in the Pacific and advancing action in the areas of climate change,” Mr ...1 week ago
- Human rights recommendations accepted
The Government is accepting the majority of human rights recommendations received at the fourth Universal Period Review in Geneva, Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith says. “We have considered all 259 recommendations from the United Nations. We are supporting 168 and partially supporting 12 of these recommendations. “Recommendations related to women’s rights, ...1 week ago
- Geotech work begins on Warkworth to Te Hana Road of National Significance
The Government is continuing to move at pace on the Northland Expressway, with significant geotechnical investigations now underway for phase one from Warkworth to Te Hana, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “With thousands of motorists and freight travelling through Northland, we’re focused on delivering for this region to grow our economy. ...1 week ago
- An Ode to .. Du Val
Temporary SetbackLord Kenyon and Lady Charlotte walk down the rampOf their magenta and lime green hot air balloon Hubris,In matching Polar Bear fur coats, wraparound shadesEncrusted with diamonds, and a hundredweightOf subtle and discreet chunky gold accessories.At the bottom of the ramp, a squad of burly Bailiffs wait.“What ho, good ...6 hours ago - Health NZ deputy commissioners being paid $200k a year in fees
The three deputy commissioners are trying to turn the public health system around. ...7 hours ago - What’s next for Lebanon and the Middle East?
A new war in Lebanon has begun, but a dual focus on sub- and trans-national dynamics is required to understand what might come next in the Middle East.Starting with the trans-national matters. On ‘April Fools Day’ this year a region-wide game of cat and mouse began between Israeli and Iranian ...8 hours ago
- Fresh Rangers on fast-track to football No.1
Stuck on the wall in the women’s changing room at the West Coast Rangers Football Club is the catchphrase: It means more here.It personifies what it means to players to belong to a club in Auckland’s north-west that’s just three years old, but already has a team who’ve fought their ...1 day ago
- The Secret Diary of .. the Labour Gang
MONDAYA cold wind came down from the mountain range of the Sierra Thorndons and swept through the empty main street of Labour City.It had been the exact same weather for over a year.A few old-timers remembered a time of golden weather. Sometimes they thought they might only have dreamt it ...1 day ago
- One for the language lovers
Inspired by a dictionary’s survey of its online followers, The Detail gathers three professional word-workers to nominate the best and worst of language and the traps of faux erudition, cliche, neuron-breaking elaborate prose, and journalese.Alexia Russell chats with two editors, one who banned overused words and another who makes it ...1 day ago
- ‘Primary school LOTR’: The principal giving Peter Jackson a run for his money
Alex Casey meets the Southland principal who wrote and directed a feature length fantasy epic starring the whole school. Ask a primary school principal how many feature films they’ve made, and most will say zero. Ask Steve Wadsworth, principal of Winton School in Southland, and he will say not one, ...1 day ago - ‘I can’t believe we’re doing this’: John Campbell on his proudest TV moments
The award-winning broadcaster and journalist looks back on his life in television, featuring early morning All Blacks games, his love for The Repair Shop and why he’s turning into his parents. John Campbell doesn’t remember his first ever appearance on television. “Funny, eh?” the broadcaster chuckles over the phone. All ...1 day ago
- The breath out: Kataraina by Becky Manawatu, reviewed
Jenna Todd responds to Kataraina, the sequel to Becky Manawatu’s award-winning first novel Auē. This review contains major spoilers for Auē. Many years after the girl shot the man. I’d almost forgotten who had shot the man in Auē, winner of the Jann Medlicott Acorn Foundation Prize for Fiction in 2020. ...1 day ago
- ‘I am the dancing queen!’: Matthew Young and Jared Frost’s perfect weekend playlist
Big Fan mentor Matthew Young and mentee Jared Frost share their perfect weekend playlist. Breaking into the music industry is no easy feat, but it makes a difference when you have someone who can guide you through the distortion. At Auckland’s Big Fan, a live venue and recording studio, programmes ...1 day ago
- Podcast: Is our retirement system unsustainable?
Treasury’s chief economic adviser, Dominick Stephens, believes the government’s tax, health and pension settings are untenable in the long term. Something’s got to give, he tells Bernard Hickey on The Spinoff’s economics podcast When the Facts Change. New Zealand’s ageing population is about to give the government’s finances a ...1 day ago
- The Weekend: Is Wellington really ‘gayer’ than Auckland?
Anna Rawhiti-Connell reflects on the week that was. As a teenager in the mid to late 90s, I vividly remember a statistical “urban legend” doing the rounds. “15% of the population is gay, so… [insert number based on how many people were in the classroom] must be gay.” I have ...1 day ago
- Missing metal: On language and identity
An elder scolded me for my inability to speak Cantonese: ‘You must learn.’ My father heard my elder’s words and said nothing. My shame was as much his as it was mine. I have three missed calls from my mother. When I finally call her back, she doesn’t even greet ...1 day ago
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Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kerry Brown, Professor of Employment and Industry, School of Business and Law, Edith Cowan University NT_Studio/Shutterstock Should young people be paid less than their older counterparts, even if they’re working the same job? Whether you think it’s fair or not, it’s ...2 days ago - Rocky Road: The Rock In The Hill A Quarry Really, Really Wants To Get Out
A quarry has tried repeatedly to crack a permanent protection to get more rock out of a mountain. Now, it's turning to the 'Fast-track' law. ...2 days ago - New video shows sharks making an easy meal of spiky sea urchins, shedding light on an undersea myste...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jeremy Day, PhD researcher, University of Newcastle Author provided Long-spined sea urchins have emerged as an environmental issue off Australia’s far south coast. Native to temperate waters around New South Wales, the urchins have expanded their range south as oceans warm. ...2 days ago
- A different way of storming the capital: Submission from the floodwaters
Benjamin Nevell made his submission against the Crown Minerals Amendment Bill while wading through flooding Dunedin ...2 days ago
- Making a splash: Is this the most impressive select committee submission ever?
You really won’t guess how it ends. Parliament’s Economic Development, Science and Innovation committee today heard public submissions on its controversial Crown Mineral Amendments Bill. That’s the proposed law, explained Gabi Lardies earlier this week, that would see the previous government’s ban on new oil and gas exploration overturned. The ...2 days ago
- Down and under pressure: US and UK artists are taking over Australian charts, leaving local talent b...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tim Kelly, PhD Candidate, University of Technology Sydney Shutterstock Missy Higgins’ recent ARIA number-one album, The Second Act, represents an increasingly rare sighting: an Australian artist at the top of an Australian chart. My recently published analysis of Australia’s best-selling singles ...2 days ago
- Google threatens to stop linking to NZ news sites if bill passes
It's unhappy with the Fair Digital News Bargaining Bill, which would force tech giants to pay news organisations for their content. ...2 days ago
- Curious Kids: What does the edge of the universe look like?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sara Webb, Lecturer, Centre for Astrophysics and Supercomputing, Swinburne University of Technology Greg Rakozy/Shutterstock What does the edge of the universe look like? Lily, age 7, Harcourt What a great question! In fact, this is one of those questions ...2 days ago
- Dunedin Flood: Climate Crisis Spoils Climate Protest
People in our community are worried about their property and possessions as the water rises, and for this we raise the alarm. This is what climate change looks like - more frequent and severe weather, storms, and flooding,” said spokesperson Annabel ...2 days ago
- ADHD prescribing has changed over the years – a new guide aims to bring doctors up to speed
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Brenton Prosser, Professor of Public Policy and Leadership, UNSW Sydney Ketut Subiyanto/Pexels Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is the most diagnosed childhood neurological disorder in Australia. Over the years, it has been the subject of controversy about potential misdiagnosis and overdiagnosis. There ...2 days ago
- NSW will remove 65,000 years of Aboriginal history from its syllabus. It’s a step backwards for ed...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michael Westaway, Australian Research Council Future Fellow, Archaeology, School of Social Science, The University of Queensland The NSW Education Standards Authority has announced that teaching of the Aboriginal past prior to European arrival will be excluded from the Year 7–10 syllabus as ...2 days ago
- Te Whatu Ora Report Raises Important Questions For Ministers
The report states that $2bn of ‘savings’ are now targeted in health, just in this fiscal year (p.57). That’s a huge potential cut and is clearly not possible from just efficiencies. ...2 days ago
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A new poem by by Jiaqiao Liu. cabbage rolls cut out the hard core pile up stalks, bin later. one, two long lines mimic Dani before they ran to stir the marinara Sally stopped stirring. one, two chopping board burnt with a perfect spiral artfully off-centre. you are good at ...2 days ago
- The Unity Books bestseller chart for the week ending October 4
The only published and available best-selling indie book chart in New Zealand is the top 10 sales list recorded every week at Unity Books’ stores in High St, Auckland, and Willis St, Wellington. AUCKLAND 1 Intermezzo by Sally Rooney (Faber & Faber, $37) Here’s a snippet from Rebecca K Reilly’s review ...2 days ago
- The hidden costs of building a home: what every family should know
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Park Thaichon, Associate Professor of Marketing, University of Southern Queensland Elizaveta Galitckaia/Shutterstock Building a home can come with hidden costs. Unfortunately, many people don’t think about these costs until it’s too late. Some buyers succumb to the tricks marketers use ...2 days ago
- International Condemnation Of NZ Charter Schools Law
Bea Bruske, president of the Canadian Labour Congress, told the Ministers that ‘your lack of support for the workers of the PPTA who provide so much to their students shows a lack of leadership on your part. ...2 days ago
- Daylight saving is about to start. But why do the days get longer?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Laura Nicole Driessen, Postdoctoral researcher in radio astronomy, University of Sydney Kasper Lyngby/Shutterstock The days are getting longer and in Australia, the switch to daylight saving time is almost upon us (for about 70% of the population, anyway). But why ...2 days ago
- Daylight savings is about to start. But why do the days get longer?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Laura Nicole Driessen, Postdoctoral researcher in radio astronomy, University of Sydney Kasper Lyngby/Shutterstock The days are getting longer and in Australia, the switch to daylight saving time is almost upon us (for about 70% of the population, anyway). But why ...2 days ago
- More than 50,000 property investors making losses
Information released under the Official Information Act shows that there were 53,350 taxpayers who reported negative rental income in the 2023 tax year. ...2 days ago
- Health New Zealand Reports Near $1 Billion Dollar Deficit
“These recent figures highlight the financial mismanagement that occurs at Health New Zealand. With news like this, taxpayers are absolutely in their right to demand answers. ...2 days ago
- For the love of landlines
Not so long ago it was an essential tool to aid in the struggles of coming of age. Now less than a third of New Zealand households still have a landline telephone. On Thursday morning at 10.45, a thrill buzzed in the air, possibly only detectable by journalists. Another tranche ...2 days ago
- Government to shake-up ‘bureaucratic and inefficient’ school property system
"Schools were consistently critical of a lack of transparency and unclear prioritisation of projects," a ministerial inquiry has found. ...2 days ago
- Government to temporarily underwrite new housing developments
The Housing Minister says the plan would lower the risk for developers and ensure houses were ready for buyers to enter the market as interest rates drop. ...2 days ago
- What is bankruptcy?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jason Harris, Professor of Corporate Law, University of Sydney Shutterstock Capitalism without insolvency is like Christianity without Hell. Those were the words of former Apollo 8 commander Frank Borman, speaking as chairman of Eastern Airlines in the United ...2 days ago
- Mike Hosking is one of the Warriors’ biggest fans, and it doesn’t make any sense
His world view is famously built on centre-right common sense, with little time for losers and dreamers. Which makes his undying love for the Warriors all the more baffling to this fellow supporter. Hello, my name is Pete, and I am a New Zealand Warriors fan. Actually, it’s a bit ...2 days ago
- Is big tech harming society? To find out, we need research – but it’s being manipulated by big t...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Timothy Graham, Associate Professor in Digital Media, Queensland University of Technology AlexandraPopova/Shutterstock For almost a decade, researchers have been gathering evidence that the social media platform Facebook disproportionately amplifies low-quality content and misinformation. So it was something of a surprise ...2 days ago
This Seymour is a mischievous piece of work and a nasty little b******d, especially when he promotes his Maori blood lines, meanwhile prostituting himself to ACT and the ATLAS Group ???
His coloniser roots have a great-great grandmother who was Maori in the North. That was at a time when advice was given to coloniser men to marry high-ranked Maori women, to gain control over tribal lands. This isn't made up, I read this recently, perhaps in An Illustrated History of NZ, but cannot recap the source.
Who were those scum bags my Grand Father in the 26th use to shoot at, that had a fetish with blood identification?
Dirty Politics did bring us here –
Section on Mark Mitchell if you forgot how this evil political game works
https://dirtypoliticsnz.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/dirty-politics_p55-67.pdf
Power corrupts. PM Luxon is not comfortable with this, but sees it as a necessary evil??
Do we believe these lying toads after all they have done and undone? Hell No!!!
"Everybody Knows our position on that" Weasel words!! The position is he chose to agree to this disruptive action to get power.
The PM has to deal with this before Seymore becomes DP. It is untenable to have a DP who is actively undermining our communities with disruptive bills. The Council Polls are bad enough without this.
I remember Luxon saying he aligned with Act, before the election.
Think this little ooops might bight Mr Luxon
“we’re only honouring agreements”
https://twitter.com/nzmrichards/status/1833051039571812776
Many good billboards and memes in that
I think South Korean shipbuilders would disagree with Luxon. They did not get any of that honour.
Agreeing to allow a debate to take place isn't much of a sacrifice to secure a government.
I personally am not sure why people are so offended by this. A lot of the hyperbole about racism is politicking. I get that.. But in reality there has been more discussion in the past 12 months about what the treaty means, then there has been since the thing was signed.
Seymour is trying to drive a Mac truck through the treaty itself, but that will fail. The debate has in my view been positive as many people, for the first time, are actually being exposed the treaty and what the parties signed up to.
But in reality there has been more discussion in the past 12 months about what the treaty means
Not really. Lots of racism and bullshit – very little discussion. These people don't want discussion in any remotely meaningful sense. There has been loads of opportunities in the past to have input to understand – I remember tents being set up for people to find out more years ago.
There are plenty of land settlement cases to read to find out what actually went on. They haven't read any of them.
They also most probably have not read any of the court cases on which some of the principles were based/fine tuned.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Zealand_Maori_Council_v_Attorney-General
https://teara.govt.nz/en/principles-of-the-treaty-of-waitangi-nga-matapono-o-te-tiriti-o-waitangi/page-2
FFS, do you really think working kiwis are going to read land settlement cases? Like seriously?
Again seriously? There has been loads of discussion this year and it has been one of the hot political topics. There has been numerous media and academic critiques of ACT's policy, which is anything but racist. It has been informative and educational. Especially for people who won't be reading land settlement cases…
https://e-tangata.co.nz/comment-and-analysis/carwyn-jones-the-treaty-bill-is-an-act-of-extreme-bad-faith/
https://www.1news.co.nz/2024/08/16/treaty-principles-bill-a-politically-motivated-attack-waitangi-tribunal/
https://www.1news.co.nz/2024/08/16/treaty-principles-bill-a-politically-motivated-attack-waitangi-tribunal/
https://e-tangata.co.nz/comment-and-analysis/treaty-principles-bill-painting-over-te-tiriti/
James,
Think of it like this:
3 schoolkids are standing together. You and your best mate, and the school bully.
The school bully turns to you and says "I'm going to point the finger at your best mate and belittle him to the rest of the class. Then, I'm going to turn the fire hose on him. Are you with me?"
To which you reply "I'll join in with the finger pointing and the belittling, but I won't be involved in turning the fire hose on him. After all, he's my best friend "
Okaaaay..Very interesting way to think about
The fact that the two other government party leaders has publicly said they will not support the Bill past the first reading, but it still will be introduced only confirms what we already know – this is purely an ACT (specifically a David Seymour) political posturing stunt.
It will serve no good purpose, it will not engineer any meaningful debate, only stir up s.. which the ACT Party will feed on like some overgrown dung beetle.
It borders on abuse of parliamentary procedure and bringing the House into disrepute.
Luxon should grow some balls and put a stop to this b…s, but he won't.
6 months of public consultatin at the select committee. That's more tha ACT, that's Luxon being weak and caving into them. You are right, he could have grown some and made it a short consultation and then killed the charade, but he hasn't.
Seymore is loving this, all the grandstanding and the opportunity to spout forth his ideology and opinions, can't wait to see how he performs as Deputy PM he will be absolutely fizzing at the bung.
I really liked Labour hosting its defence seminar in the Upper Chamber earlier this year. Very clever politics.
Labour should hold another one about the Treaty principles, and invite the new Maori Queen to tell us her view.
Looking forward to Labour having a very smart plan around this one.
It looks like Nat's and Act are playing silly buggers and wasting time while shamelessly stirring up a racial divide. The question is why?
The answer's simple. It's about power, man, power.
BUT BUT BUT THE COST
Huh
Yep, you have to admire Seymour's fiscal responsibility flexibility.
ACT and ATLAS Group there's your answer, taking the country's Race Relations backwards 50 years. Baldrick and Seymore will not be covering themselves in glory with this Stunt IMHO.
It is simple.
If the Nats pull out of backing the first reading then Seymour will see that as breaking an agreement and then pull out of the Coalition and leave Luxon with NO power to Govern.
Hence, the reason why Luxon does nothing and lets Seymour and Peters pull the strings.
He is a mere puppet.
Ruby Tui showed the way.
Every time Seymore appears the crowd should loudly sing "Tu tere mai nga iwi" "Stand together as one so we may enfold each other in love"
(loose translation).
This is a distraction, it's ACT's economic policies that should be of real concern.
100%
Big Hairy News have the opinion (from 1 h onwards) that Seymour's strategy (straight from the Atlas Network playbook) is to sow societal division. An extended 6 months consultaion stage will keep the Bill in the public eye, and encourage Outraged, of Kohimarama, to keep toxic comments flowing in.
That means that those against the Bill must also keep up a sustained opposition. That can include individual submission on the Bill, and as wide a group of non-Maori groups as possible having a say from their perspective. So it's up to us as individuals to balance the narrative.
An extended consultation will also distract from other egregious policy changes sneaked in by the government, and possibly will dominate the 2025 election in its repercussions, through rollover.
I suspect this is mostly upside for Luxon.
Downside is that he looks potentially gutless and power-hungry for not ruling out ACT as a coalition partner if they did not drop the Bill from their coalition negotiation bottom-lines. But the only people who think that would never vote for the CoC anyway, so he can disregard them.
Hmm.
Let's see the upside once ALL local governments are required (at their cost) to hold binding referenda on whether Maori seats should exist at all…….
…. as part of the 2025 election.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/politics/350410988/david-seymours-treaty-principles-released-major-warnings-officials
Someone should set up a book for Luxon's u-turn on the bill. Bring back ipredict.
Why is it OK for the countries constitution to be run by an oligarchy of lawyers,academics,and the Waitangi Tribunal.
Wouldn't it be better for all the people who live here to discuss the issues and decide what constitution they want to live under
The answer is no. It would not be better. All it would do is encourage other racist bigots to crawl out from under the rock.
Always so much fun to discuss a serious topic with the lazy and pig ignorant like you.
It isn't a case of majority rules. Only an complete idiot would think that was the case in NZ. There isn't a constitution in NZ. This is neither a republic or a state with a manufactured written constitutional document
This is not the US – with a constitution formed after a rebellion in 1776. Nor is it Australia with an claim of discovery by the British as being vacant and constitution formed between colonies in 1901. Nor is it as whatever rock that some migrant ship or plane that delivered your stupidity or that of your recent ancestry dragged you from and delivered you to our state.
Clearly you do not know that there were exactly two parties to our founding constitution. On one side was the Crown and on the other was the Maori occupants of these islands in the form of agreement with many of their iwi and hapu.
Everything else has been done since in our 'constitution' was done on the basis of that the two original parties to the Waitangi agreement allowing us to do things in their name, and implicitly with their approval. The monarchy of NZ and the Maori are intertwined and what they allow is our 'constitution'.
If we wanted to follow the same process to modify the constitution as how it was formed, the only the Crown of NZ and the Maori could form it. Parliament is effectively just an expression of their will, and many parts of their state like military, police, judiciary, parliament itself, and many other arms of the Crown
Effectively you cannot get a 'vote' on constitutional matters because you and those like you never played any part in forming our base constitution. Nor did I and my families mostly arrived here between 1822 and 1865.
To establish a change of the constitutional basis for NZ would require the agreement of both those original parties. For some reason, I don't think that either the monarch of the New Zealand, nor Maori will agree when a dimwitted latter day migrant like David Seymour or you says that they should.
Anything else would be effectively an act of rebellion and lawlessness for which the dimwitted rebels like yourself and David Seymour could legally be imprisoned for life. I'd gladly assist. I don't like extreme stupidity and fomenting treason is stupidity..
Consider why that Maori are steadfast about their allegiance to the Crown and the their agreement in the Treaty of Waitangi. Consider that my families were working with Maori prior to the NZ civil wars. Wars that were caused by rapacious idiocy by latter day migrants with your attitudes.
Then consider why neither Maori, settlers of lang lineage, or myself appreciate having recently arrived fuckwits like you, David Seymour, Don Brash, and other simple minded bigots ignorant of our history trying to tell use how to run our society.
Incidentally, this is also why I am not in favour of a republic or even a written constitution. It just encourages the kind of genocidal behaviour that characterised the history of both the US and Australia.
See s73 onwards of the Crimes Act 1961 on Treason and Mutiny.
Lets put all the ignorant idiots on a 747, and they can bugger off back to what ever rock they crawled out of. I'd like that, it would be the best way to start the debate. Because if you take no interest in our our country, and how it was formed, and what political and social events have shaped it to this point, why the bloody hell are you even doing here?
I mean maybe matthew Campbell you could move to New Caledonia, the French settlers there seem to speaking your language. I'm sure you will fit right in.
NZ parliament makes laws, All citizens can contribute to legislation via the select committee process.
All NZ citizens can stand for parliament.
All of that is completely irrelevant and obviously written by a fool who is unaware of how NZ is governed.
Let me see if I can find something simple enough for a ignorant and illiterate like yourself to understand. This should be simple enough. A visitors guide to parliament. It might be a child’s guide to our constitution. But obviously that is how you should be treated – as a child.
Parliament is a instrument of the Crown aka our constitutional monarchy. Parliament wasn’t created in 1840 when the Crown and Maori came to an agreement called the Treaty of Waitangi which is the document that allowed the Crown to participate in law making in NZ. Maori weren’t conquered. Nor were they regarded as not being present as the Australian colonies used as a fiction to justify their heinous racist acts.
The NZ General Assembly was created in 1854 by a 1852 act of the British parliament. The Maori seats were created in 1867 specifically because the the property restrictions for voting imposed upon settlers by British law were incompatible with the Treaty.
The NZ General Assembly finally formally stopped being a appendage of British parliament in 1947 when the British parliament passed the New Zealand Constitution Amendment Act 1947.
The New Zealand Parliament has only formally existed since 1986.
So your story of a supreme parliament is simple crap. Please come back after you learn the constitutional history of this country rather than some mythological bullshit you just made up.
And what has it cost the taxpayers to produce, debate, and whatever else is required to get this bill to it's first reading, whereupon it has already failed?
How many school lunches, how many cancer treatments have been wasted by this government that prides itself on prudent fiscal management, to do something that two of the three coalition partners have said is wasted money, from the outset?