Don’t forget the TPPA demonstration tomorrow 1 pm at Aotea Square in Auckland. Although if you are an American Citizen your consulate thinks you should be careful …
I found these details on a link in the above post :
————–
These details are subject to change and events may be added to this list, so make sure you check in on http://www.itsourfuture.org.nz for the latest updates ahead of TPPA Action Week. If you want to organise something in your area, please contact edwardcrmiller@gmail.com.
Kaitaia
15 August, gather at Memorial Park at 9.30am to create/share placards, then walk through market and main street.
Hokianga
15 August protest, 11am at Kohukohu Village Green.
Whangarei
15 August protest, 11am at the Tarewa Park.
Auckland
15 August protest, 1pm at Aotea Square to march down Queen Street, featuring speakers and music.
Hamilton
15 August protest, Meet @ 1pm outside Cock and Bull carpark on corner of Church and Maui.
Colville
15 August protest, 2pm outside the Colville Community Hall.
Tauranga
14th August – public meeting
15 August protest at 10.30am, Red Square.
Whakatane
15 August protest at 11am, location TBC.
Napier/Hastings
15 August protest, 1pm at Memorial Square.
Wanganui
8 August protest, 1pm, march from Silver Ball in the market to Majestic Square.
New Plymouth
15 August protest, 1pm at Puke Ariki.
Palmerston North
14 August will be a concert in the library at 5pm, then documentary maker and investigative journalist Bryan Bruce will speak at 6pm on Poverty, Inequality & the TPPA.
Many committed P North activists will also be heading to Wellington on 15 August.
Featherston
15 August Rally, 11am at TBC
Wellington
15 August – TPPA Walk Away! Protest action to stop the TPPA. Assemble at Midland Park at 1pm and march to Parliament for speakers and music. More details to come.
Golden Bay
14 August protest, 12pm at Golden Bay Village Green.
Nelson
15 August protest at 11:00am, top of Trafalgar St – 1903 Square.
Christchurch
14 August New Economics Seminar and Expo, 7pm at Horticultural Hall.
15 August protest at 12:30pm. Location: South Hagley Park (corner Deans Ave and Riccarton Rd) marching down Riccarton Rd.
Little River
15 August rally, 12pm at Little River Craft Station.
Timaru
15 August protest, 11am at Bay Piazza.
Dunedin
15 August protest at 1pm, marching from the Dental School to the Octagon.
TPP protest in New Zealand could turn ‘confrontational’ US citizens told by USA !
The United States is warning its citizens in Auckland that a TPP protest planned for Saturday could turn ugly, and they should stay away.
In an email, the US Consulate General in Auckland urged any US citizens to avoid the march as “even demonstrations intended to be peaceful can turn confrontational.”
“We remind citizens to always exercise caution when in the vicinity of any large gatherings, protests, or demonstrations.”
Up to 8000 protesters are expected to gather on Auckland’s Queen St, to march against the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) free-trade agreement.
The 12-nation agreement is in the final throes of negotiation, but has been controversial due to the level of secrecy surrounding it.
————-
Green Party national intelligence and security spokesman Russel Norman said US consular staff needed to “relax”.
“This is democracy in action and it’s not Ferguson. The police won’t be shooting people, it’s not scary.
“They should just come along and they might learn something.”
True, may be they have an inkling that a lot of local Americans opposed to the TPP provisions are actually planning to join the protest, for all we know!
To me, if New Zealand signs this secret deal with all the expected hooks and controls, it will be the biggest mistake that our nation will ever do, when there are easier and safer options of bilateral treaties. May not be as big as the TPPA, but at least we will not be enslaved and lose our freedom and dignity in the bargain.
The large corporates, working for their shareholders and their profits, already have a lot of power around the world. Why give them more control by perpetually enslaving ourselves as a consequence? Once in, we are dead as an independent people.
At least in bilateral agreements, we retain mutually agreed fairness, benefits and more independence. If over time, it turns to custard, it would be easy to renegotiate the terms or terminate the deal more easily. Not so with a multi nation deal, especially for a smaller country like New Zealand.
Reject TPPA. Don’t jump and regret at leisure. Will be too late.
Paranoia is always rife when the Americans become involved.
I am reminded of an occasion when a similar warning went out to American citizens living in NZ. It was January 1991, around the start of the first Gulf War. I was working as a citizen on an Air Force base and one of my superiors was a former American marine officer. (Interesting story there.)
Having once taken part in a peaceful anti-nuclear march up Queen St., that was apparently enough to designate me a dangerous individual. I found myself under intense scrutiny both on and off that base and it eventually turned very nasty. I remember lying in bed at night… my heart thumping with fear.
The Public Service hierarchy closed ranks when I later tried to get some answers for the bizarre behaviour, and as a result nobody was ever brought to account.
This is the first time the Americans I know received one, and the astonishment being expressed on twitter by others indicates that they have never had a warning about demonstrations before.
Yeah. As I read the last one from them I wondered, do they realise they’re actually just doing a nice job of publicising it?
Kinda like reports of their guys in Vietnam clomping through the jungle with their strong smelling soap and toothpaste, and all the rattling of the kit hanging off their bags.
It is almost like they are looking for trouble and that it is being talked up
People are getting desperate
I hope we have thousands outside that embassy and we will make our voices heard
we do not want their TPPA
Yes Draco – NZ did initiate a free trade agreement with Pacific nations. BUT then the USA muscled in on it and turned into a monster ready to take over entire nations! so I think we can blame the USians for what the TPPA has turned out to be – a nightmare for the future of our country.
The American millitary haven’t been training our police force in the latest riot control methods for nothing. And the timing of the roll out of new tasers to all officers, along with this propaganda alert by the American Embassy suggests the cops will be taser happy to zap anyone getting carried away. Take it easy at the rallies and don’t turn it into a shocking experience 🙂
but all the rules and regulations, certification, TISA have not come from NZ. The patent, food labelling, intellectual property regs are largely being driven by corporations via USA.
I don’t think anyone is against the American people. The protest is against the secret TPPA deal that is being driven by the big multinational corporations and some stupid politicians who are about to sell our country’s freedom and sovereignty.
Forget large TPP agreements with all its hooks and shit and instead, let is just stick to bilateral trade agreements between nations where we have better control of our own destiny, independence and democracy.
Walk away from TPPA now, before it is too late.
I hope there are at least a few cabinet ministers and National MPs with enough sense, patriotism and conscience who will revolt against this dangerous TPPA.
U.S. warns nationals away from New Zealand anti-TPP demonstration
English.news.cn 2015-08-14 11:46:31
WELLINGTON, Aug. 14 (Xinhua) — United States diplomats in New Zealand have warned U.S. nationals to avoid going near a march in Auckland to protest against the controversial 12-nation Trans- Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade deal on Saturday.
The U.S. Consulate in Auckland put a notice on its website and reportedly e-mailed U.S. nationals in New Zealand on Friday that New Zealand police expected about 8,000 people would attend the march in central Auckland at 1 p.m. local time.
“We urge citizens to avoid the protest march route as even demonstrations intended to be peaceful can turn confrontational. We remind citizens to always exercise caution when in the vicinity of any large gatherings, protests, or demonstrations,” said the notice on the website.
“The Department of State remains concerned about the threat of violence against U.S. citizens and interests throughout the world. U.S. citizens are reminded to maintain a high level of vigilance, to be aware of their surroundings and to take appropriate steps to increase their security awareness.”
The Auckland march is expected to be the biggest of a series of protests against the TPP scheduled for many of New Zealand’s main centers on Saturday.
Trade spokesperson for the opposition Green Party, Russel Norman, told Radio New Zealand that he would be joining the protests, and U.S. citizens had nothing to fear.
“I’d just say to the U.S. Embassy, Auckland isn’t Ferguson and the police won’t be shooting people,” Norman said.
“It’ll be a peaceful demonstration, they should just relax and maybe they should come along — they might learn something.”
Opponents have objected to the secrecy surrounding the TPP talks and claim many of the provisions will undermine New Zealand’ s sovereignty and allow transnational corporations undue influence over the country’s laws and regulations.
…… ”
____________________________________________________________________________________
However – there are actually a LOT of Americans who are ALSO opposed to the TPPA?
Over 2,000 USA groups Urge Opposition to Fast Track April 27, 2015
Looking forward to as many American citizens who are equally opposed to the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPPA) joining New Zealanders all over the country in our national TPPA – WALK AWAY! day of action Saturday 15 August 2015.
Events planned for all over New Zealand are listed HERE:
I do hope that there are not going to be any saboteurs / provocateurs who attempt to disrupt the planned PEACEFUL protests which are being held all over New Zealand tomorrow?
Loved the huge banner in the photo – I hope it leads the march. Also loved Russel Norman’s response to the Consulate reminder – about it not being Ferguson and nobody will be getting shot. Please be careful everyone as tasers will be out in force and I personally know somebody who has been tasered and it’s nasty. Paranoia isn’t the word for it but I think there are other reasons for the Consulate message and they’re not for their citizen’s safety. A sort of subtle warning “we are watching you” . I bet there will be drones hovering overhead taking shots of the crowds – the dossier of mug shots will be enlarging even more – oh happy days.
Good luck with the protest march, I would be there but I am crook with asthma and I am getting on in years – I have marched in the past so my heart is with everybody doing their bit.
Pouring with rain in Auckland currently, which will affect numbers because there is no shelter in Aotea Square. I will still go as one of “the usual faces” but the numbers attending protests never represent the degree of opposition to an issue.
The comparison with the rugby is pathetic. Eden Park is under cover, but more to the point, those going have already spent a fortune on tickets. Of course they will go.
Gutted to not be able to attend today in Wellington. A serious foot injury and a lingering respiratory infection isn’t ideal for chanting, shouting and marching.
No matter where you are in the country today, go hard, have fun!
PS: Re these comments about tasers. It was only announced fairly recently that all front line Police would be issued with tasers. Is it likely they would already have the large stocks of tasers they need available to them? And if so, is the issuing of tasers immediate?
I can’t think of anything more chilling than attending a rally seeing cops with tasers on their hips.
Clown masks? Pretty shabby assessment of the great work the Police do to protect us from criminals. I do hope you have a viable alternative? Or is it just your delusional paranoia kicking it? It’s quite legendary I hear.
That’s from Chris Trotter who is very experienced at counting people at protest marches. Chris counted the blocks of marchers. He didn’t guess by looking at the square.
Having had many decades of marching in Queen Street, my estimate would be over 10,000. The Herald is claiming 5000 and Stuff 2000, but both figures seemed to be based on Aotea Square. A lot of people were sheltering from the rain in nearby buildings while waiting for the march to start, so the Aotea Square number is not accurate.
The march itself was wide and very, very long. I saw people I hadn’t seen on a march since the Springbok tour.
I am sure the Government security helicopters, GCSB, CIA, SIS, the Police, the satellites, some foreign press etc would be able to give us a more accurate estimate. Waiting to hear Key or Groser reveal this secret number in the house on Tuesday during question time!
where as I heard on RNZ that there were 3000 in wgtn and 2,500 in akld.
Friend texted from the akld rally and told me there were “thousands”. Not sure if meant 15,000 – 20,000 though………….I got the sense that she meant the lower thousands.
Royal NZ Herald says an “estimated 5000” marched in Auckland. Stuff & Nonsense says it was “around 2000” and “around a thousand” marched in Wellington.
An estimated 300-400 of us (estimated by me) marched in Napier from Memorial Square to the Sound Shell chanting lustily as we went and sometimes even at the same time. (Everyone did well really but just got out of sync at times).
Very good turnout for our neck of the woods and I was pleased to be part of it and the opposition across the country..
Auckland was well above 5000, somewhere between 7000 and 10000. And probably closer to the latter. The problem is that you can only really count from above.
I’d concur with that 7-10.000 estimate. Spent many years organising major public events and exhibitions (Earls Court, London and other places where attendances frequently exceeded 60,000 people a day – also Auckland showgrounds 15-20,000 on a very busy day). You get an eye for crowd numbers.
by Philip Ferguson This weekend just past marks the 50th anniversary of Woodstock, the most famous of the great 1960s music festivals. It was held over the weekend (Friday-Monday) of August 15-18, 1969. Woodstock was a highpoint of the US ‘counter-culture’, and also the beginning of its end. When exploring the ...
It looks like the government has won over the public on its vehicle feebate scheme:A feebate scheme that would transfer hundreds of millions of dollars from buyers of higher-emission cars into the pockets of people buying EVs and other more fuel-efficient vehicles has been winning favour with submitters, the Government ...
When people suggest lowering the voting age, others argue that the young are too uneducated or silly to exercise the duties of citizenship. Australian John Quiggin has just blown that argument out of the water:Looking at the array of ignorant and vindictive old men attacking Greta Thunberg and other young ...
In the previous two posts, I laid out the context and set the theoretical framework to answer a question: whether indigenous economies should take the LEAP. This final part outlines ways to conceive of practicing mana motuhake within the existing legal system by carving out special jurisdictions that enable Indigenous ...
Fully Informed? Labour’s 2017 promises raised expectations that were little short of revolutionary. Unfortunately, they were never adequately shaken through the fiscal sieve. The hard economic work was not done – and it shows. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern’s critics have long complained that her grasp of the way the New ...
You cannot expect to pound communities into the ground day after day, year after year, decade after decade and just expect them to take it lying down. There’s a point at which the place will explode. And we’re faced with some very big ructions on both sides of the Atlantic ...
Back in May, Destiny Church leaders Brian and Hannah Tamaki launched another political party. Despite consisting entirely of followers of their religion, they grandly called it "Coalition New Zealand", in a vain effort to suggest it was something broader. But when they applied for registration, submitters opposed the name, as ...
The following article is excerpted and translated from two articles in recent issues of Lutte de Classe (Class Struggle), the magazine of Lutte Ouvrière (Workers Struggle), the revolutionary workers group active in France. We don’t necessarily agree with everything in it – for instance, the 1956-62 war for independence involved rather more revolutionary forces than ...
The Pacific is on the front line of climate change, and if we don't cut emissions quickly, some countries are literally going to be underwater. Because of this, small Pacific states had tried to use this week's Pacific Islands Forum meeting to get Pacific countries to agree to ending coal ...
To Limit Another's Rights Is To Limit One's Own: Is it too much to expect senior members of our Government to be capable of explaining that we protect the rights of human-beings precisely because not even the most depraved act can cancel-out the fact that its perpetrator is also a ...
Going Down? Once truth and propaganda become fused in the minds of one’s followers, debate and discussion become redundant. If one’s opponents are all outrageous liars, then engaging with them in any way is pointless. Rather than waste its time, a political party should, instead, target all its messages at ...
This section builds on Part 1 of this series to provide a theoretical basis for the final instalment (part 3 – to come). Self-determination: law or resurgence — or both? International law promotes the principal of equal treatment and self-determination, which includes peoples’ rights to freely pursue their social, cultural and ...
Everyone was outraged yesterday to learn that the Christchurch shooting accused had been able to send mail from prison to his Nazi fans, apparently pushing more hate. "How could this possibly happen", people asked. Simple: because New Zealand is a civilised country, and so we let prisoners send and receive ...
If we are to avoid dangerous anthropogenic climate change, we need to rapidly decarbonise our transport fleet. The good news: its starting to happen:The number of electric vehicles on New Zealand's roads have nearly tripled in the past two years. There are currently 15,453 registered electric vehicles (EVs), up ...
We need to fundamentally reframe our systems settings to address the drivers causing and underpinning inequality; structural change in systems especially financial. The Equality Network Hui was held in Wellington on 27 June 2019. The hui covered important topics such as child poverty; a living wage; taxation; public health; mental ...
The views-per-page for some of my recent postings:Depressing, isn't it? Provide thoughtful and wise commentary on the mainstream of British politics and no-one notices. Make a passing reference to Tommy DICKHEAD Robinson in a thread title and you get hundreds of views. Write something about anti-Semitism and you get another ...
The government has announced plans to move the Treaty of Waitangi and other taonga to a new site. Great news! So where are they going? Right next to the old one:The new plan will see a new 22,000-square-metre archive built on the former site of Defence House - the former ...
Back in June, StatsNZ went public about a project to track population data on an hourly level by using people's cellphones. It wasn't as bad as it initially looked - they were receiving no individual data, only counts by suburb - but there was still a huge consent problem, so ...
Most economists agree that a currently slowing economy could do with some stimulus – and they would also agree that there is no shortage of infrastructure projects which could be brought to productive fruition with help from that stimulus. In view of the current practice of sub-contracting economic policy decisions ...
I did an interview on the TVNZ Breakfast Show about the situation in Hong Kong. I tried to frame the issue as a collective action problem between two sides with very different end games. The video is here. Because of time constraints we could not discuss the fact that the ...
Image Credit: Wild Rose College A new study reporting the ranges of values for kidney and liver parameters in a healthy population is being actively misrepresented by anti-fluoride campaigners. The Fluoride Action Network’s (FAN) latest ...
Image Credit: Wild Rose College A new study reporting the ranges of values for kidney and liver parameters in a healthy population is being actively misrepresented by anti-fluoride campaigners. The Fluoride Action Network’s (FAN) latest ...
AN OPEN LETTER FOR SIGN ON BY ORGANISATIONS AND MOVEMENTS ACROSS THE WORLD, ALLIED IN THE FIGHT AGAINST INEQUALITY. This letter was released at the UN Political Forum on 9 July, where the Sustainable Development Goal on inequality was reviewed. The purpose of the letter is to call out the ...
We asked a young gay science student and critic of trans ideology and the trans activists’ assault on women’s and gay rights to outline his views on Redline. Thanks to him for his article. by Cian Ó Catháin Gender identity ideology (Gender ID) is ripping through western society at full ...
The Environment Committee is currently hearing submissions on the Zero Carbon Bill, and Stuff is reporting on the submissions. Today, they're covering yesterday they heard from "NZ" Steel:NZ Steel has told MPs it may be forced to close with the loss of thousands of jobs if changes aren't made to ...
Students are striking against climate change on September 27. And this time, they're asking everyone to join them:Students are taking to the streets, beaches and parks on 27 September, and we're inviting everyone to join us. That's right, this is an intergenerational issue, and you're all invited to put pressure ...
Peter McKenzie has a piece on Newsroom this morning about how local body politics is awash with property developer cash. 70% of all the donations in the 2016 Wellington mayoral election came from property developers. And its pretty obvious what they want in exchange:That’s particularly important in local government, according ...
Source: Unknown, twitter user Recently, I wrote a (relatively) short paper titled as above, to explore what self-determination could like in a practical sense. Maybe I’m a bit of an international trade truther or something, but I absolutely believe trade is at the heart of achieving peace and self-determination. Since ...
In the 1960s, after I had graduated with a first-class Oxford postgraduate law degree, I joined the British Foreign Office as the top entrant of my year. There, I worked for a couple of years on European affairs and was eventually posted to the Embassy in Brussels. After this exposure ...
Alone, Alone. All, All Alone: Will it be a good or a bad thing, when humanity’s bright blue spacecraft is stricken by the civilisation-destroying problem of Climate Change, that no Huston Control will be standing-by to rescue the crew?“WE HAVE A PROBLEM, HUSTON.” These were the words used by the ...
I heard a 45 minute interview with Monica Lewinsky talking to TED’s Chris Anderson on BBC Radio 4 over the weekend, and have listened to it another two times out walking. I recommend it. Highly. Man, I am so impressed with how this woman has integrated her life experiences and ...
Jonathan Haidt and Greg Lukianoff, The Coddling of the American Mind: how good intentions and bad ideas are setting up a generation for failure, London, Penguin, 2019, 352pp; reviewed by Gearóid Ó Loingsigh Jonathan Haidt and Greg Lukianoff’s book The Coddling of the American Mind is a timely book, whose ...
When the Justice Committee reported back on the Administration of Justice (Reform of Contempt of Court) Bill, free speech advocates breathed a sigh of relief. As originally introduced, the Bill reitered the ancient offence of "scandalising the court" - basicly, a special sedition law protecting judges from criticism. The select ...
Eighteen months ago, the government promised to strengthen the Bill of Rights Act, by explicitly affirming the power of the courts to issue declarations of inconsistency and requiring Parliament to formally respond to them. Since then - crickets. Which raises the obvious question: are they actually going to do this, ...
Back in March, the Ministry of Justice conducted a public consultation exercise on whether to hold a review of the Official Information Act. 285 people submitted on it. Now, Stuff has trawled through those submissions, and the case for reform is strong:The Justice Ministry asked Kiwis what they thought was ...
National's prisoner voting ban has gone down as one of the worst laws in New Zealand history. Passed after a farcical debate (including this farcial speech from ACT MP Hilary Calvert), it has subsequently been found to be inconsistent with the Bill of Rights Act by the High Court, Court ...
Divided Loyalties: Can the Prime Minister, Jacinda Ardern, be relied upon? That’s what the boys and girls at Foggy Bottom and the Pentagon needed to be reassured about. Because, from the perspective of Washington, it’s looking more and more like Jacinda Ardern and her Labour Party comrades are getting ready ...
This handy Queer Theory Glossary is from thetranswidow.com In case you’ve had trouble keeping up with the spate of new queer theory terms, here’s a handy glossary for your reference. Queer – A straight person with an interesting haircut. Non-binary/genderqueer – A chubby young female, typically 16-28, who has ...
by Daphna Whitmore US social psychologist and author Jonathan Haidt spoke on 1 August in Auckland to a crowd of around one thousand people. He is best known for his bookThe Coddling of the American Mind which examines the new climate of trigger warnings and acute sensitivity of Gen Z. ...
What an extraordinarily depressing experience it is to be compelled to watch, at 12,000 miles distance, the contortions and machinations of the British political class as they set about their determined attempt to overturn the decision taken by the British people that they wish to leave the European Union. The ...
The winter grazing issue is becoming a highly sensitised one that I hope will not become so politicised that it delays solutions and results in the suicides of some very stressed farmers.Winter grazing has hit the headlines after a determined campaign, including the release of a video of some very ...
by Don Franks Way back when British guitar virtuoso Joe Brown was a beginning session guy he got to back a visiting American artist. Young Joe was an able technician but had yet to learn some points of professionalism. Part way through “Five foot high and rising” Joe tired of ...
Since scientists started studying climate change, they have warned that it will reduce food production. And now, its happening:The climate crisis is damaging the ability of the land to sustain humanity, with cascading risks becoming increasingly severe as global temperatures rise, according to a landmark UN report compiled by some ...
The Abortion Legislation Bill just passed its first reading, 94-23. Its a far bigger margin than I expected, even allowing for the Winston factor, and it reflects the overwhelming support there is in this country for reform. but that support isn't a new thing - it has existed for literally ...
The Justice Committee has called for submissions on the Referendums Framework Bill. The Bill does what it says on the label - establishes a framework for referenda. Things you may want to address in your submission: Whether the bill should apply only at the 2020 election, or whether it should ...
The Thompson and Clark / MBIE spying scandal continues to result in fallout, this time in the form of a report on the implementation of MBIE's "Operation Exploration", its internal operation to enforce the infamous Anadarko Amendment which criminalised protests against the oil industry. MBIE's enforcement operation was tainted by ...
So, Winston Peters is defending his last-minute demand for a referendum on abortion by claiming he was "blindsided" by the bill. Really? The bill is a government bill. It has been working through the cabinet approval process since December last year. As part of that process, NZ First was consulted, ...
The Green Part has been accused of lack of transparency in two recent situations. The first was the claimed media lockdown during Green's annual conference and the second was Julie Ann Genter's refusal to release a letter she had sent to Phil Twyford.I do get frustrated when journalist's succumb to ...
The Green Part has been accused of lack of transparency in two recent situations. The first was the claimed media lockdown during Green's annual conference and the second was Julie Ann Genter's refusal to release a letter she had sent to Phil Twyford.I do get frustrated when journalist's succumb to ...
Last week, the ongoing democracy protests in Hong Kong saw a pro-Hong Kong student assaulted at the University of Auckland. The Chinese consulate in Auckland followed this up with a press release "express[ing] its appreciation to the students for their spontaneous patriotism" - effectively condoning the assault and inciting further ...
Only those who close their eyes and minds to the evidence can still be in any doubt that we are facing a climate change crisis. The evidence is conclusive that the world is not only getting inexorably hotter, but also that the rising temperatures are creating a number of other ...
Rural communities are wailing about forestry conversions "taking land out of production" and putting it into locking up carbon. Its driven purely by economics: there's more money and lower costs in carbon than in sheep or beef, and if carbon prices rise, there'll be more net money than dairy even. ...
This week, the government introduced its (underwhelming) Abortion Legislation Bill. And despite having negotiated the text of the bill through the coalition process, Winston Peters is now suggesting that he will demand a referendum on it:NZ First leader Winston Peters has hinted that his party may only support the Government's ...
Blowing-Up The House: Is Winston Peters planning to put himself at the head of all those New Zealanders who refuse to countenance the Coalition Government caving-in to the Ihumatao protesters? The most effective way of doing this would be to issue Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern with an ultimatum. If she ...
Last night the police dramatically incresed their numbers at Ihumātao, shoving over protestors and threatening them with arrest. Despite police talk about the need to maintain "public order" and prevent a "breach of the peace", there appeared to be absolutely no justification for this: the protest camp is, was, and ...
A Cult, that many actors, politicians, and those with a low IQ are joining is sweeping across civilisation, with one main intention – ending humans reign on Earth. Starting as a well meaning though deeply flawed theory, that the Earth was warming due to mankind emitting greenhouse gasses, it was ...
Today's abortion reform announcement is just the latest in a long line of disappointing decisions or outright failures from the Labour government. The 90-day law. KiwiBuild. A capital gains tax. Climate change. Every time they make one of those decisions, we hope for better next time. No repeal of the ...
The Greens used their party conference over the weekend to push for a rent-to-own scheme, where people would be able to work towards home ownership by renting from the government. Its a sensible policy, and one which could make a real difference to home ownership rates. But its also basicly ...
by Daphna Whitmore Over the past fortnight, thousands of people have come to the Ihumātao land protest in South Auckland. On 23 July police prepared to evict a few dozen people who had maintained the encampment at Ihumātao for the past three years. As hundreds of supporters arrived the ...
The following article is translated from an article in Lutte de Classe (Class Struggle), the magazine of the French revolutionary workers’ organisation Lutte Ouvrière (Workers Struggle). The United States’ blacklisting of the Chinese telecommunications company Huawei, which took shape in Google’s ban on Huawei using its systems on its phones, marks a ...
There is a military phrase: “Full spectrum dominance”. It refers to the all-encompassing policy to dominate across all spheres of war. Lately, that has come to include the internet – in other words, cyberwarfare initiatives. That is in addition to land, sea, air and the like. Now, if ...
The IMF issued a Report on the state of the Economy as it is at present. Some of it points out significant issues that certainly warrant attention, but that we know already exist. Some of it is very much tied to the very obvious context of global concerns, that everyone ...
I'm glad to see the Lib Dems won.I had a moment of terror yesterday thinking that the Conservatives might cling on, due to a combination of Johnson's elevation to the premiership, the apparent uselessness of the Lib Dem candidate (who had failed to be elected in other constituencies) and the ...
. . Current Leader of the National Party, Simon Bridges gave the usual rah-rah speech to the Loyal & Faithful in Christchurch today (27 July). With National’s party polling and his own personal popularity sliding steadily in the polls, Mr Bridges has not much left to reverse his fortunes. ...
Those concerned for Langridge’s wellbeing say they hope he’ll change his mind when he sees the ocean coming. The protester who has vowed to stand outside Parliament every day until the Government announces a climate emergency says he accepts that his quest will most likely end in drowning. Ollie Langridge, ...
Opportunities to dodge tax are shrinking with the completion of a new tax agreement with Switzerland, Revenue Minister Stuart Nash announced today. Mr Nash and the Swiss Ambassador David Vogelsanger have today signed documents to update the double tax agreement (DTA). The previous DTA was signed in 1980. “Double tax ...
Small Business Minister Stuart Nash says the report of the Small Business Council will help maintain the momentum for innovation and improvements in the sector. Mr Nash has thanked the members of the Small Business Council (SBC) who this week handed over their report, Empowering small businesses to aspire, succeed ...
Extra Police officers are being deployed from Northland to Southland with the graduation of a new wing of recruits from the Royal New Zealand Police College. “The graduation of 78 constables today means that 1524 new constables have been deployed since the government took office,” says Police Minister Stuart Nash. ...
Ongoing drug-test sanctions contradicts Government’s rhetoric on drugs Reports that two-thirds of beneficiaries who fail drug tests are still having their benefit sanctioned contradicts the Government’s so-called health approach to drugs. Auckland ...
An Auckland Homelessness Collective is optimistic extra government support for sustaining tenancies signals a commitment to a multi-pronged approach to tackling homelessness. ...
Wanaka-based trust ONE New Zealand will be hosting six days of talks, workshops and hands-on activities with local and national experts to educate, inspire and enable grassroots action towards a sustainable future. ...
In last week’s episode of Politics in Full Sentences, David, Brooke and Ruwan discussed why Jacinda Ardern has been lecturing our friends overseas, why Andrew Little called ACT's three strikes law “fascism”, whether he will give prisoners the right to ...
“Community safety must be the paramount consideration when releasing an offender, and the only way for that to be achieved is for the offender to acknowledge their crimes.” ...
“District Health Boards are failing to foster a culture of distributed clinical leadership, despite its demonstrated benefits to the sector,” says Ian Powell, Executive Director of the Association of Salaried Medical Specialists (ASMS). ...
Ratepayers around Auckland were spitting out their morning coffees listening to Phil Goff’s incredible claims on breakfast radio today that this election is about ‘honesty’ and that Aucklanders can trust him on his promises. Auckland Ratepayers’ ...
The Hōkai Rangi plan for reducing Māori reoffending announced today fails to fulfil the Waitangi Tribunal’s recommendations, says justice organisation People Against Prisons Aotearoa. Minister Kelvin Davis announced the plan this morning, which aims ...
Waatea News at the invitation of the North Island Whānau Ora Commissioning Agency will exclusively broadcast the next Māori-led Inquiry into Oranga Tamariki starting today at 1pm. ...
Staff at the Ministry of Social Development say they are enthusiastic about the government’s $54 million investment in housing the homeless, with many describing it as a welcome change. ...
Today posters have gone up outside ANZ branches across New Zealand to expose ANZ’s sponsorship of an exclusive oil industry group, ‘The Petroleum Club’. The satirical posters play on ANZ’s recent ad campaigns, replacing the banks’ tagline ‘healthy ...
Imagine a country where children look forward to walking or cycling to school, parents arrive home safely, and the journeys we take for work or pleasure do more than leave us alive or uninjured, they also improve our lives. This is happening now in countries ...
Sunday, 18 August, 2019 - Environmental groups and well known New Zealanders are preparing to deliver a 55,000 strong petition to the steps of Parliament tomorrow, calling on the Government to protect the world’s smallest dolphin. ...
The Government’s proposed rescue plan must be strengthened because it is the last chance to save Māui dolphins from extinction and secure the future for Hector’s dolphins, Forest & Bird says. ...
Simon Shepherd: Roads, schools, hospitals, prisons, the building blocks that keep society functioning. And we don't have enough. It's called the infrastructure deficit and will be the focus of a major conference this coming week. The man charged with ...
New Zealand has been issued a stark challenge from Pacific leaders to dramatically upscale its action to address climate breakdown, Oxfam says, after a clear rallying cry from nations at this week’s Pacific Islands Forum. ...
Support for Recreational Dope Going ‘Up in Smoke’ Family First NZ is welcoming yet another poll showing plummeting support for legalising cannabis in New Zealand. The Horizon Research poll shows support for legalising has plummeted from 60% last ...
The prospect of ending wider cannabis prohibition looks increasingly unlikely. Over the last nine months, the percentage of New Zealanders who would vote for legalising the personal use of cannabis has declined at a near linear rate of around 10% per ...
“It’s disappointing that news out of the United States of hospitalisations linked to illegal street drugs is somehow seen as relevant to the New Zealand vaping scene,” says Ben Pryor, Director of Alt New Zealand – the largest Kiwi-owned vaping company. ...
The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists (RANZCP) welcomes the successful passing of Misuse of Drugs Amendment Bill through parliament, by the New Zealand Government. ...
Today’s news from the Electoral Commission has provided the party with the clarity it was seeking around use of the word “Coalition” being used as the brand name of the party. ...
A recently released Otago University study has provided further evidence that low-quality housing is a significant problem in Aotearoa. This has prompted the Chief Executive of the Association of Consulting Engineers (ACENZ) Paul Evans to question “why ...
With the BNZ-Business NZ PMI signaling manufacturing is contracting , the Government needs to seriously consider tax relief, says the New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union . ...
The New Zealand Maori Council has called for an overhaul of the Public Services executive ranks as the Corrections debacle shows mis-management and incompetence at the highest level. Matthew Tukaki, Executive Director of the New Zealand Maori Council has said ...
Findings from the 2018 New Zealand Consumer Survey have been released and the results are in; 48 per cent of respondents consider their purchases based on how ethically employees are treated. ...
The responsibility for the fact that Westland Milk Products is now in the hands of an overseas conglomerate 25% owned by the Chinese government can be laid fair and square at our government's doorstep. ...
As Fonterra is projecting multi million dollar losses for the second year in a row, it is clear the writing is on the wall for dairy as more and more Kiwis turn to plant milks. 22nd August is International Plant Milk Day and there is now a different plant ...
The $65,000 granted to Interislander so it can install electric vehicle chargers on its ferries is the most absurd waste of money yet to be delivered by the “Low Emissions” vehicle fund, says the New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union. ...
Wellingtonians will have the chance to hear international child rights experts from Ireland, Scotland and Samoa speak at the Making Child Rights Real in Aotearoa New Zealand seminar to be held in the city on Wednesday 21 August. ...
Paul Evans, Chief Executive of the Association of Consulting Engineers (ACENZ), is advocating a balanced approach to the development of productive land. ...
CPAG (Child Poverty Action Group) says that new research from the University of Otago provides a solid foundation for why the Government must not delay instating a comprehensive Warrant of Fitness for tenanted homes in Aotearoa-New Zealand, and ...
The Independent Police Conduct Authority has found that an officer drove carelessly during a pursuit and that this was the primary cause of a collision with a motorcycle that injured the rider. ...
Responding to the Prime Minister’s commitment of $150 million in funding for climate change response in the Pacific, New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union spokesman Louis Houlbrooke says: “It is no secret that many Pacific nations lack serious oversight when it ...
AUT research not only shows an increase in political affiliation, but that candidates affiliated to a central political party are more likely to win seats in Auckland local government. ...
On the 23rd of August School Strike NZ will join Ollie Langridge in his 100th day of sitting outside of New Zealand Parliament calling for the government to declare a climate emergency. School Strike 4 Climate NZ also demand that Parliament acknowledge ...
You have stood up for what is fair, and I am sure you will speak for over 7 million people who have been muted and rendered voiceless in Indian occupied Kashmir for more than a 10 days now. I am writing to bring to your notice the plight of Kashmiri ...
In the last 10 months alone, 11 petitions have been delivered to Parliament calling for medicines to be funded by Pharmac. Today, another nine petitions have been launched by Patient Voice Aotearoa (PVA) members asking that life changing, saving and extending ...
When we were first working to get Miscanthus approved for import into New Zealand, the Environmental Risk Management Authority (ERMA) waived the fee for their work because they thought that having Miscanthus in New Zealand was so very much in the ...
PHARMAC’s recent decision to fund two additional drugs from December this year has been widely welcomed by patients and the general public alike. The drugs, Kadcyla and Ibrance, are used in the treatment of advanced lung and breast cancers and will ...
Animal rights organisation SAFE is urging the Government to include experts and advocates from outside the agriculture industry on its newly announced winter crop grazing taskforce. ...
The Government’s plans to prohibit housing on ‘productive’ farmland will serve as yet another regulatory tax on housing, and is a shameful breach of Jacinda Ardern’s promise to fix housing supply, says the New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union . ...
The latest round of the Ethnic Communities Development Fund opens today, supporting projects that grow the leadership and capability of ethnic groups, improve cultural understanding, and ensure our ethnic communities are a vibrant and celebrated part ...
The New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union is warning of the dangers of hiking excise tax, in response to calls from a former Prime Minister for stronger action on alcohol harm. Taxpayers’ Union spokesman Louis Houlbrooke says, “It seems inevitable ...
The new joint from the team behind one of Wellington’s favourite craft beer bars is dedicated to minimal-intervention, organic wine – and more exciting things are coming to the heritage building it’s housed in.Before the Cadbury factory opened in Dunedin in 1930, New Zealanders ate Cadbury chocolate made in England. ...
Alex Casey chats to Bree Tomasel about hosting Celebrity Treasure Island NZ, farting in the ZM studio and going viral on the regular. The most important thing you need to know about Bree Tomasel is not the fact that she peed her pants during Celebrity Treasure Island NZ, but the glee ...
Dr Bryce EdwardsAnalysis by Dr Bryce Edwards – The election race is on. The nominations process for local government positions has now closed, and the political campaign is officially underway. But does the public care? Will many of us even vote for any of the various mayoral or council ...
At Eden Park on Saturday night, the Wallabies were on the receiving end of a ruthless players’ revenge, writes Scotty StevensonThe rain came. It always seems to at Eden Park, just as the Wallabies warm up on the pitch, dreaming of ending a drought. It came from the west, the ...
Editor’s Note: Here below is a list of the main issues currently under discussion in New Zealand and links to media coverage.New Zealand Parliament Buildings, Wellington, New Zealand.Today’s content by Dr Bryce Edwards.Local government Michael Fallow (Stuff): Your council – what’s its job description? Dileepa Fonseka and ...
Protesters occupying land at Ihumātao will begin a four-hour hikoi to Mt Albert on Thursday to present a petition calling on the Prime Minister to visit the land. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jamie Walvisch, Lecturer, Monash University This morning an Extinction Rebellion protester was arrested after hanging from a rope over the William Jolly Bridge in Brisbane, blocking all lanes to peak hour traffic. And earlier this month in Brisbane, more than 70 climate ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Laura Jobson, Senior Lecturer in Clinical Psychology, Monash University Many of us enjoy writing in a diary, reading autobiographies or nostalgically reflecting with others about past times. Why is remembering our past so important? Are there downsides? And what can we do ...
Roll Red Roll is a brutal, painfully illuminating documentary on the Steubenville High School rape case, a shocking crime that made headlines worldwide. Emily Writes reviews. This review discusses rape and sexual violenceAugust 11, 2012: two teenage boys rape an unconscious teenage girl as two of their peers watch and ...
By RNZ Pacific Tuvalu’s Prime Minister has condemned the Australian Prime Minister’s conduct at last week’s Pacific Islands Forum, calling Scott Morrison’s attitude “unfortunate” and “neo-colonial,” and questioning Australia’s future in the 18-member body. In an interview with RNZ on Sunday, Enele Sopoaga also threatened to pull Tuvaluan labour from ...
The second hui of the Māori-led inquiry into Oranga Tamariki takes place in Hamilton today. Newsroom, in partnership with Radio Waatea, are broadcasting it live from 1pm. ...
Prolific, award-winning Palmerston North poet Paula Harris somehow manages to be stroppy and properly vulnerable all at once. Here, she writes about her first slam competition – and why she cried all the way home. I am old enough to have given birth to most of the people here.Sure, there’s a ...
High speed rail links between cities could play a massive role in revitalising regional New Zealand, says a visiting transport infrastructure expert. Professor Andrew McNaughton spoke to Alex Braae. Imagine commuting from Hamilton to Auckland, and it only taking an hour to get there. It’s a vision of how the right ...
On the good days, riding a bike is the best. But in Auckland there aren’t nearly enough of those days, and unless decision makers take urgent action, that’s not going to change.This piece originally appeared on Bike AucklandMy first bike crash in central Auckland happened on Symonds Street. I was ...
It's not since 1989 that a mayoralty campaign in the southern city has been so unpredictable - a record 14 candidates have put their names forward. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stephen Mills, Hon Senior Lecturer, School of Social and Political Sciences, University of Sydney On the morning of the last Monday in April, 2019, federal election officials opened the doors of more than 500 pre-poll voting centres around Australia, and waited for ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Veronica Alfano, Research Fellow, Australian Catholic University Memorising poetry was once common in classrooms. But it has, for the most part, gone out of style. There are good reasons for this. Memorisation can clash with creativity and analytical thought. Rote learning can ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Darren Paul Fisher, Head of Directing, Department of Film, Screen and Creative Media, Bond University What do J.J. Abrams, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Shonda Rhimes, David Lynch, Aaron Sorkin, Donald Glover, Jenji Kohan, Jordan Peele, Tina Fey, and Joss Whedon have in common? They ...
Good morning, and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Mayors launch bids to return in Auckland and Wellington, Hamilton’s skyline could change significantly, and support for cannabis legalisation plummets in poll.Two incumbent mayors have launched their re-election campaigns over the weekend, with a bigger fight on their hands than ...
MediaWorks has been lobbying the Government to turn TVNZ 1 into a non-commercial channel to help stem its own financial bleeding. Frustrated, and getting nowhere, it’s decided to change tack. ...
Customs has cracked down on a GST rort, leaving Trade Me to pay back thousands of dollars to customers who had new cameras and smartphones seized at the border. ...
The 37-8 result meant the Black Ferns finished with a handy 5-1 record for the year, suggesting they are tracking well enough towards a successful defence of the 2021 World Cup. ...
New Zealand has long been the world’s imagined lifeboat – and increasingly for something more than just escape, writes Elle Hunt.One Friday morning in January 1847, Charles Dickens wrote to his friend John Forster that he was “disposed to go to New Zealand and start a magazine”. The quote was ...
New Zealand is one of only two developed countries, along with the US, that permits direct-to-consumer advertising of prescription medicines, and it needs to stop, writes Dr David Menkes. It’s been a long time coming: a new Consumer report makes it clear that most New Zealanders want to see a ban ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Scott Morrison has a sharp lecture for bureaucrats about their KPIs, in a comprehensive speech laying down how he expects the Australian Public Service to operate under his government. Morrison stresses the service must be ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Treasurer Josh Frydenberg has issued a timetable for the government’s dealing with the recommendations from the royal commission into banking, superannuation and financial services, which aims to have all measures needing legislation introduced by the ...
By Ghinan Salman in Surabaya As many as 43 Papuan students were taken to the district police headquarters after Indonesian police fired teargas and forced their way into a student dormitory in the East Java provincial capital of Surabaya at the weekend. The Papuan students were forcibly removed from ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kate Griffiths, Senior Associate, Grattan Institute Each new generation of Australians since Federation has enjoyed a better standard of living than the one that came before it. Until now. Today’s young Australians are in danger of falling behind. A new Grattan Institute ...
Jamie Wall reviews Jonah, the two-part Three telefeature that follows the life of our most famous All Black, and finds it an effective but mixed retelling of the legend.Honestly, it’s a wee bit disappointing that the only notable on-screen dramatisation of the All Blacks in recent years was centred on replacement ...
We love it battered and served with chips, but tarakihi stocks aren’t doing well and another big cut to commercial catch limits is in the works. Ah yes, terrakee, that’s a fish, right?Well, first things first, let’s say it correctly. Pronounce every syllable, remember the Māori vowel sounds (A-E-I-O-U), roll the ...
TPPA Rally – Downtown Auckland, 1 pm TODAY 
by Philip Ferguson This weekend just past marks the 50th anniversary of Woodstock, the most famous of the great 1960s music festivals. It was held over the weekend (Friday-Monday) of August 15-18, 1969. Woodstock was a highpoint of the US ‘counter-culture’, and also the beginning of its end. When exploring the ...5 hours ago
Last week, Australia sabotaged the Pacific Forum by opposing action on climate change. Their Deputy Prime Minister followed that up by saying that Pacific Peoples could always pick Australian fruit - just as they had done in the era of blackbirding. And now, that arrogant, tone-deaf approach has drawn a ...5 hours ago
In the previous two posts, I laid out the context and set the theoretical framework to answer a question: whether indigenous economies should take the LEAP. This final part outlines ways to conceive of practicing mana motuhake within the existing legal system by carving out special jurisdictions that enable Indigenous ...1 day ago
Fully Informed? Labour’s 2017 promises raised expectations that were little short of revolutionary. Unfortunately, they were never adequately shaken through the fiscal sieve. The hard economic work was not done – and it shows. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern’s critics have long complained that her grasp of the way the New ...1 day ago
You cannot expect to pound communities into the ground day after day, year after year, decade after decade and just expect them to take it lying down. There’s a point at which the place will explode. And we’re faced with some very big ructions on both sides of the Atlantic ...3 days ago
3 days ago
Going Down? Once truth and propaganda become fused in the minds of one’s followers, debate and discussion become redundant. If one’s opponents are all outrageous liars, then engaging with them in any way is pointless. Rather than waste its time, a political party should, instead, target all its messages at ...3 days ago
We need to fundamentally reframe our systems settings to address the drivers causing and underpinning inequality; structural change in systems especially financial. The Equality Network Hui was held in Wellington on 27 June 2019. The hui covered important topics such as child poverty; a living wage; taxation; public health; mental ...5 days ago
The views-per-page for some of my recent postings:Depressing, isn't it? Provide thoughtful and wise commentary on the mainstream of British politics and no-one notices. Make a passing reference to Tommy DICKHEAD Robinson in a thread title and you get hundreds of views. Write something about anti-Semitism and you get another ...5 days ago
The government has announced plans to move the Treaty of Waitangi and other taonga to a new site. Great news! So where are they going? Right next to the old one:The new plan will see a new 22,000-square-metre archive built on the former site of Defence House - the former ...5 days ago
Back in June, StatsNZ went public about a project to track population data on an hourly level by using people's cellphones. It wasn't as bad as it initially looked - they were receiving no individual data, only counts by suburb - but there was still a huge consent problem, so ...5 days ago
Most economists agree that a currently slowing economy could do with some stimulus – and they would also agree that there is no shortage of infrastructure projects which could be brought to productive fruition with help from that stimulus. In view of the current practice of sub-contracting economic policy decisions ...5 days ago
I did an interview on the TVNZ Breakfast Show about the situation in Hong Kong. I tried to frame the issue as a collective action problem between two sides with very different end games. The video is here. Because of time constraints we could not discuss the fact that the ...5 days ago
Image Credit: Wild Rose College A new study reporting the ranges of values for kidney and liver parameters in a healthy population is being actively misrepresented by anti-fluoride campaigners. The Fluoride Action Network’s (FAN) latest ... 5 days ago
Alone, Alone. All, All Alone: Will it be a good or a bad thing, when humanity’s bright blue spacecraft is stricken by the civilisation-destroying problem of Climate Change, that no Huston Control will be standing-by to rescue the crew?“WE HAVE A PROBLEM, HUSTON.” These were the words used by the ...6 days ago
Divided Loyalties: Can the Prime Minister, Jacinda Ardern, be relied upon? That’s what the boys and girls at Foggy Bottom and the Pentagon needed to be reassured about. Because, from the perspective of Washington, it’s looking more and more like Jacinda Ardern and her Labour Party comrades are getting ready ...1 week ago
This handy Queer Theory Glossary is from thetranswidow.com In case you’ve had trouble keeping up with the spate of new queer theory terms, here’s a handy glossary for your reference. Queer – A straight person with an interesting haircut. Non-binary/genderqueer – A chubby young female, typically 16-28, who has ...1 week ago
The winter grazing issue is becoming a highly sensitised one that I hope will not become so politicised that it delays solutions and results in the suicides of some very stressed farmers.Winter grazing has hit the headlines after a determined campaign, including the release of a video of some very ...1 week ago
The Green Part has been accused of lack of transparency in two recent situations. The first was the claimed media lockdown during Green's annual conference and the second was Julie Ann Genter's refusal to release a letter she had sent to Phil Twyford.I do get frustrated when journalist's succumb to ...2 weeks ago
Blowing-Up The House: Is Winston Peters planning to put himself at the head of all those New Zealanders who refuse to countenance the Coalition Government caving-in to the Ihumatao protesters? The most effective way of doing this would be to issue Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern with an ultimatum. If she ...2 weeks ago
A Cult, that many actors, politicians, and those with a low IQ are joining is sweeping across civilisation, with one main intention – ending humans reign on Earth. Starting as a well meaning though deeply flawed theory, that the Earth was warming due to mankind emitting greenhouse gasses, it was ...2 weeks ago
There is a military phrase: “Full spectrum dominance”. It refers to the all-encompassing policy to dominate across all spheres of war. Lately, that has come to include the internet – in other words, cyberwarfare initiatives. That is in addition to land, sea, air and the like. Now, if ...2 weeks ago
The IMF issued a Report on the state of the Economy as it is at present. Some of it points out significant issues that certainly warrant attention, but that we know already exist. Some of it is very much tied to the very obvious context of global concerns, that everyone ...2 weeks ago
I'm glad to see the Lib Dems won.I had a moment of terror yesterday thinking that the Conservatives might cling on, due to a combination of Johnson's elevation to the premiership, the apparent uselessness of the Lib Dem candidate (who had failed to be elected in other constituencies) and the ...2 weeks ago
. . Current Leader of the National Party, Simon Bridges gave the usual rah-rah speech to the Loyal & Faithful in Christchurch today (27 July). With National’s party polling and his own personal popularity sliding steadily in the polls, Mr Bridges has not much left to reverse his fortunes. ...2 weeks ago
Those concerned for Langridge’s wellbeing say they hope he’ll change his mind when he sees the ocean coming. The protester who has vowed to stand outside Parliament every day until the Government announces a climate emergency says he accepts that his quest will most likely end in drowning. Ollie Langridge, ...2 weeks ago
Opportunities to dodge tax are shrinking with the completion of a new tax agreement with Switzerland, Revenue Minister Stuart Nash announced today. Mr Nash and the Swiss Ambassador David Vogelsanger have today signed documents to update the double tax agreement (DTA). The previous DTA was signed in 1980. “Double tax ...2 weeks ago
Ongoing drug-test sanctions contradicts Government’s rhetoric on drugs Reports that two-thirds of beneficiaries who fail drug tests are still having their benefit sanctioned contradicts the Government’s so-called health approach to drugs. Auckland ...28 mins ago
After alleged Christchurch terrorist wrote to a supporter, Jacinda Ardern says our laws may need an update for the digital age. ...54 mins ago
The Commerce Commission's first market study will wade into the complex fuel market - here's what you need to know. ...3 hours ago
The new joint from the team behind one of Wellington’s favourite craft beer bars is dedicated to minimal-intervention, organic wine – and more exciting things are coming to the heritage building it’s housed in.Before the Cadbury factory opened in Dunedin in 1930, New Zealanders ate Cadbury chocolate made in England. ...3 hours ago
A new five-year strategy comes with a new prison population reduction target from the minister. ...3 hours ago
Alex Casey chats to Bree Tomasel about hosting Celebrity Treasure Island NZ, farting in the ZM studio and going viral on the regular. The most important thing you need to know about Bree Tomasel is not the fact that she peed her pants during Celebrity Treasure Island NZ, but the glee ...4 hours ago
The way things are going, Germany may soon be 'the sick man of Europe' again. ...5 hours ago
5 hours ago
At Eden Park on Saturday night, the Wallabies were on the receiving end of a ruthless players’ revenge, writes Scotty StevensonThe rain came. It always seems to at Eden Park, just as the Wallabies warm up on the pitch, dreaming of ending a drought. It came from the west, the ...5 hours ago
Editor’s Note: Here below is a list of the main issues currently under discussion in New Zealand and links to media coverage.
Protesters occupying land at Ihumātao will begin a four-hour hikoi to Mt Albert on Thursday to present a petition calling on the Prime Minister to visit the land. ...5 hours ago
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jamie Walvisch, Lecturer, Monash University This morning an Extinction Rebellion protester was arrested after hanging from a rope over the William Jolly Bridge in Brisbane, blocking all lanes to peak hour traffic. And earlier this month in Brisbane, more than 70 climate ...6 hours ago
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Laura Jobson, Senior Lecturer in Clinical Psychology, Monash University Many of us enjoy writing in a diary, reading autobiographies or nostalgically reflecting with others about past times. Why is remembering our past so important? Are there downsides? And what can we do ...6 hours ago
Roll Red Roll is a brutal, painfully illuminating documentary on the Steubenville High School rape case, a shocking crime that made headlines worldwide. Emily Writes reviews. This review discusses rape and sexual violenceAugust 11, 2012: two teenage boys rape an unconscious teenage girl as two of their peers watch and ...6 hours ago
By RNZ Pacific Tuvalu’s Prime Minister has condemned the Australian Prime Minister’s conduct at last week’s Pacific Islands Forum, calling Scott Morrison’s attitude “unfortunate” and “neo-colonial,” and questioning Australia’s future in the 18-member body. In an interview with RNZ on Sunday, Enele Sopoaga also threatened to pull Tuvaluan labour from ...6 hours ago
New Zealand's economy is not headed for recession, ASB chief economist Nick Tuffley says. ...8 hours ago
The second hui of the Māori-led inquiry into Oranga Tamariki takes place in Hamilton today. Newsroom, in partnership with Radio Waatea, are broadcasting it live from 1pm. ...8 hours ago
We continue our series on bookstores around New Zealand as Wilma van den Bosch explains how she opened Petronella's in Lake Tekapo. ...8 hours ago
Prolific, award-winning Palmerston North poet Paula Harris somehow manages to be stroppy and properly vulnerable all at once. Here, she writes about her first slam competition – and why she cried all the way home. I am old enough to have given birth to most of the people here.Sure, there’s a ...8 hours ago
The country's wood processors say the international log price war and protected overseas economies are crippling the New Zealand trade. ...9 hours ago
On the good days, riding a bike is the best. But in Auckland there aren’t nearly enough of those days, and unless decision makers take urgent action, that’s not going to change.This piece originally appeared on Bike AucklandMy first bike crash in central Auckland happened on Symonds Street. I was ...10 hours ago
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stephen Mills, Hon Senior Lecturer, School of Social and Political Sciences, University of Sydney On the morning of the last Monday in April, 2019, federal election officials opened the doors of more than 500 pre-poll voting centres around Australia, and waited for ...12 hours ago
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Laura Hart, Senior Research Fellow, University of Melbourne Last week, federal health minister Greg Hunt announced that more than 60,000 Australians will be asked about their mental health and well-being as part of the Intergenerational Health and Mental Health Study. The mental ...12 hours ago
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Veronica Alfano, Research Fellow, Australian Catholic University Memorising poetry was once common in classrooms. But it has, for the most part, gone out of style. There are good reasons for this. Memorisation can clash with creativity and analytical thought. Rote learning can ...12 hours ago
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Darren Paul Fisher, Head of Directing, Department of Film, Screen and Creative Media, Bond University What do J.J. Abrams, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Shonda Rhimes, David Lynch, Aaron Sorkin, Donald Glover, Jenji Kohan, Jordan Peele, Tina Fey, and Joss Whedon have in common? They ...12 hours ago
The inverted yield curve is to economists what Voldemort was to Harry Potter - the dark lord whose name should never be mentioned. ...13 hours ago
Good morning, and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Mayors launch bids to return in Auckland and Wellington, Hamilton’s skyline could change significantly, and support for cannabis legalisation plummets in poll.Two incumbent mayors have launched their re-election campaigns over the weekend, with a bigger fight on their hands than ...14 hours ago
MediaWorks has been lobbying the Government to turn TVNZ 1 into a non-commercial channel to help stem its own financial bleeding. Frustrated, and getting nowhere, it’s decided to change tack. ...15 hours ago
The Wallabies arrived in Auckland with one hand on the Bledisloe Cup and flew home with it amputated. ...15 hours ago
Customs has cracked down on a GST rort, leaving Trade Me to pay back thousands of dollars to customers who had new cameras and smartphones seized at the border. ...15 hours ago
The 37-8 result meant the Black Ferns finished with a handy 5-1 record for the year, suggesting they are tracking well enough towards a successful defence of the 2021 World Cup. ...15 hours ago
Nikki Mandow tells us why social procurement is more exciting than it sounds - and how it might change the world. ...15 hours ago
New Zealand is one of only two developed countries, along with the US, that permits direct-to-consumer advertising of prescription medicines, and it needs to stop, writes Dr David Menkes. It’s been a long time coming: a new Consumer report makes it clear that most New Zealanders want to see a ban ...16 hours ago
A look at how our banks behave when the rules aren't tough enough. ...16 hours ago
By Ghinan Salman in Surabaya As many as 43 Papuan students were taken to the district police headquarters after Indonesian police fired teargas and forced their way into a student dormitory in the East Java provincial capital of Surabaya at the weekend. The Papuan students were forcibly removed from ...20 hours ago
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kate Griffiths, Senior Associate, Grattan Institute Each new generation of Australians since Federation has enjoyed a better standard of living than the one that came before it. Until now. Today’s young Australians are in danger of falling behind. A new Grattan Institute ...21 hours ago
Jamie Wall reviews Jonah, the two-part Three telefeature that follows the life of our most famous All Black, and finds it an effective but mixed retelling of the legend.Honestly, it’s a wee bit disappointing that the only notable on-screen dramatisation of the All Blacks in recent years was centred on replacement ...24 hours ago
We love it battered and served with chips, but tarakihi stocks aren’t doing well and another big cut to commercial catch limits is in the works. Ah yes, terrakee, that’s a fish, right?Well, first things first, let’s say it correctly. Pronounce every syllable, remember the Māori vowel sounds (A-E-I-O-U), roll the ...1 day ago
The debate over cancer drug funding us further complicated by lobby groups and opaque agenda. ...1 day ago
I found these details on a link in the above post :
————–
These details are subject to change and events may be added to this list, so make sure you check in on http://www.itsourfuture.org.nz for the latest updates ahead of TPPA Action Week. If you want to organise something in your area, please contact edwardcrmiller@gmail.com.
Kaitaia
15 August, gather at Memorial Park at 9.30am to create/share placards, then walk through market and main street.
Hokianga
15 August protest, 11am at Kohukohu Village Green.
Whangarei
15 August protest, 11am at the Tarewa Park.
Auckland
15 August protest, 1pm at Aotea Square to march down Queen Street, featuring speakers and music.
Hamilton
15 August protest, Meet @ 1pm outside Cock and Bull carpark on corner of Church and Maui.
Colville
15 August protest, 2pm outside the Colville Community Hall.
Tauranga
14th August – public meeting
15 August protest at 10.30am, Red Square.
Whakatane
15 August protest at 11am, location TBC.
Napier/Hastings
15 August protest, 1pm at Memorial Square.
Wanganui
8 August protest, 1pm, march from Silver Ball in the market to Majestic Square.
New Plymouth
15 August protest, 1pm at Puke Ariki.
Palmerston North
14 August will be a concert in the library at 5pm, then documentary maker and investigative journalist Bryan Bruce will speak at 6pm on Poverty, Inequality & the TPPA.
Many committed P North activists will also be heading to Wellington on 15 August.
Featherston
15 August Rally, 11am at TBC
Wellington
15 August – TPPA Walk Away! Protest action to stop the TPPA. Assemble at Midland Park at 1pm and march to Parliament for speakers and music. More details to come.
Golden Bay
14 August protest, 12pm at Golden Bay Village Green.
Nelson
15 August protest at 11:00am, top of Trafalgar St – 1903 Square.
Christchurch
14 August New Economics Seminar and Expo, 7pm at Horticultural Hall.
15 August protest at 12:30pm. Location: South Hagley Park (corner Deans Ave and Riccarton Rd) marching down Riccarton Rd.
Little River
15 August rally, 12pm at Little River Craft Station.
Timaru
15 August protest, 11am at Bay Piazza.
Dunedin
15 August protest at 1pm, marching from the Dental School to the Octagon.
Invercargill
15 August protest, 12pm at Wachner Place.
Cheers Clemgeopin.
Thanks. My pleasure! Please change the title of post from ‘TOMORROW’ to ‘TODAY’
TPP protest in New Zealand could turn ‘confrontational’ US citizens told by USA !
The United States is warning its citizens in Auckland that a TPP protest planned for Saturday could turn ugly, and they should stay away.
In an email, the US Consulate General in Auckland urged any US citizens to avoid the march as “even demonstrations intended to be peaceful can turn confrontational.”
“We remind citizens to always exercise caution when in the vicinity of any large gatherings, protests, or demonstrations.”
Up to 8000 protesters are expected to gather on Auckland’s Queen St, to march against the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) free-trade agreement.
The 12-nation agreement is in the final throes of negotiation, but has been controversial due to the level of secrecy surrounding it.
————-
Green Party national intelligence and security spokesman Russel Norman said US consular staff needed to “relax”.
“This is democracy in action and it’s not Ferguson. The police won’t be shooting people, it’s not scary.
“They should just come along and they might learn something.”
Norman said it was unlikely the warning had anything to do with bargaining positions on the TPP.
—————–
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/71128096/tpp-protest-could-turn-confrontational-us-citizens-told:
This is ludicrous ! just shows how paranoid American officials can be .
True, may be they have an inkling that a lot of local Americans opposed to the TPP provisions are actually planning to join the protest, for all we know!
To me, if New Zealand signs this secret deal with all the expected hooks and controls, it will be the biggest mistake that our nation will ever do, when there are easier and safer options of bilateral treaties. May not be as big as the TPPA, but at least we will not be enslaved and lose our freedom and dignity in the bargain.
The large corporates, working for their shareholders and their profits, already have a lot of power around the world. Why give them more control by perpetually enslaving ourselves as a consequence? Once in, we are dead as an independent people.
At least in bilateral agreements, we retain mutually agreed fairness, benefits and more independence. If over time, it turns to custard, it would be easy to renegotiate the terms or terminate the deal more easily. Not so with a multi nation deal, especially for a smaller country like New Zealand.
Reject TPPA. Don’t jump and regret at leisure. Will be too late.
Paranoia is always rife when the Americans become involved.
I am reminded of an occasion when a similar warning went out to American citizens living in NZ. It was January 1991, around the start of the first Gulf War. I was working as a citizen on an Air Force base and one of my superiors was a former American marine officer. (Interesting story there.)
Having once taken part in a peaceful anti-nuclear march up Queen St., that was apparently enough to designate me a dangerous individual. I found myself under intense scrutiny both on and off that base and it eventually turned very nasty. I remember lying in bed at night… my heart thumping with fear.
The Public Service hierarchy closed ranks when I later tried to get some answers for the bizarre behaviour, and as a result nobody was ever brought to account.
The US embassy tend to email their citizens here in NZ when protests are planned.
Apparently they’re quite dangerous. To those attending anyway. Apparently.
And this. From the country which purports to bring us “freedom and democracy”.
I guess they miss the irony.
Or that they understand the way our police force operates.
It’s not the protestors who will kick off.
They’re just the ones who will get blamed in the press.
The US consulate sends these out for every demonstration. Sometimes it’s the first indication I get that there’s a demonstration going on.
This is the first time the Americans I know received one, and the astonishment being expressed on twitter by others indicates that they have never had a warning about demonstrations before.
wonder why this one got a press release then. i have been on all prior auckland tpp marches and there has never been a sign of trouble…
Yeah. As I read the last one from them I wondered, do they realise they’re actually just doing a nice job of publicising it?
Kinda like reports of their guys in Vietnam clomping through the jungle with their strong smelling soap and toothpaste, and all the rattling of the kit hanging off their bags.
They do tend to be good at advertising.
It is almost like they are looking for trouble and that it is being talked up
People are getting desperate
I hope we have thousands outside that embassy and we will make our voices heard
we do not want their TPPA
We really can’t blame the USians for the TPPA entirely as NZ was one of the initiating countries.
Yes Draco – NZ did initiate a free trade agreement with Pacific nations. BUT then the USA muscled in on it and turned into a monster ready to take over entire nations! so I think we can blame the USians for what the TPPA has turned out to be – a nightmare for the future of our country.
The American millitary haven’t been training our police force in the latest riot control methods for nothing. And the timing of the roll out of new tasers to all officers, along with this propaganda alert by the American Embassy suggests the cops will be taser happy to zap anyone getting carried away. Take it easy at the rallies and don’t turn it into a shocking experience 🙂
but all the rules and regulations, certification, TISA have not come from NZ. The patent, food labelling, intellectual property regs are largely being driven by corporations via USA.
I don’t think anyone is against the American people. The protest is against the secret TPPA deal that is being driven by the big multinational corporations and some stupid politicians who are about to sell our country’s freedom and sovereignty.
Forget large TPP agreements with all its hooks and shit and instead, let is just stick to bilateral trade agreements between nations where we have better control of our own destiny, independence and democracy.
Walk away from TPPA now, before it is too late.
I hope there are at least a few cabinet ministers and National MPs with enough sense, patriotism and conscience who will revolt against this dangerous TPPA.
seems this warning by the US Consulate has gone far and wide?
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2015-08/14/c_134516072.htm
U.S. warns nationals away from New Zealand anti-TPP demonstration
English.news.cn 2015-08-14 11:46:31
WELLINGTON, Aug. 14 (Xinhua) — United States diplomats in New Zealand have warned U.S. nationals to avoid going near a march in Auckland to protest against the controversial 12-nation Trans- Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade deal on Saturday.
The U.S. Consulate in Auckland put a notice on its website and reportedly e-mailed U.S. nationals in New Zealand on Friday that New Zealand police expected about 8,000 people would attend the march in central Auckland at 1 p.m. local time.
“We urge citizens to avoid the protest march route as even demonstrations intended to be peaceful can turn confrontational. We remind citizens to always exercise caution when in the vicinity of any large gatherings, protests, or demonstrations,” said the notice on the website.
“The Department of State remains concerned about the threat of violence against U.S. citizens and interests throughout the world. U.S. citizens are reminded to maintain a high level of vigilance, to be aware of their surroundings and to take appropriate steps to increase their security awareness.”
The Auckland march is expected to be the biggest of a series of protests against the TPP scheduled for many of New Zealand’s main centers on Saturday.
Trade spokesperson for the opposition Green Party, Russel Norman, told Radio New Zealand that he would be joining the protests, and U.S. citizens had nothing to fear.
“I’d just say to the U.S. Embassy, Auckland isn’t Ferguson and the police won’t be shooting people,” Norman said.
“It’ll be a peaceful demonstration, they should just relax and maybe they should come along — they might learn something.”
Opponents have objected to the secrecy surrounding the TPP talks and claim many of the provisions will undermine New Zealand’ s sovereignty and allow transnational corporations undue influence over the country’s laws and regulations.
…… ”
____________________________________________________________________________________
However – there are actually a LOT of Americans who are ALSO opposed to the TPPA?
Over 2,000 USA groups Urge Opposition to Fast Track April 27, 2015
http://www.citizenstrade.org/ctc/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/FastTrackOppositionLtr_042715.pdf
Looking forward to as many American citizens who are equally opposed to the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPPA) joining New Zealanders all over the country in our national TPPA – WALK AWAY! day of action Saturday 15 August 2015.
Events planned for all over New Zealand are listed HERE:
http://itsourfuture.org.nz/campaigns/tppa-action-week-8-15-august/
I do hope that there are not going to be any saboteurs / provocateurs who attempt to disrupt the planned PEACEFUL protests which are being held all over New Zealand tomorrow?
Penny Bright
+1
All clear.
No danger of confrontation.
The president of “Kiwis for TPPA” is in Hawaii and the other member is skiing in Queenstown.
Hello most American citizens are against the TPP too, they’ll be joining us!!
And we welcome them!
Come USA consulate and join us! Isn’t the USA for freedom of Speech?
Q. – How can you tell the American university students holidaying in Europe?
A. – Their backpacks have Canadian flags on them.
The only Americans you know for sure are war criminals are the ones who live in the White House.
Up your inTIMidation Keygrocer
Loved the huge banner in the photo – I hope it leads the march. Also loved Russel Norman’s response to the Consulate reminder – about it not being Ferguson and nobody will be getting shot. Please be careful everyone as tasers will be out in force and I personally know somebody who has been tasered and it’s nasty. Paranoia isn’t the word for it but I think there are other reasons for the Consulate message and they’re not for their citizen’s safety. A sort of subtle warning “we are watching you” . I bet there will be drones hovering overhead taking shots of the crowds – the dossier of mug shots will be enlarging even more – oh happy days.
Good luck with the protest march, I would be there but I am crook with asthma and I am getting on in years – I have marched in the past so my heart is with everybody doing their bit.
+1. Russel Norman’s response was gold.
DEAR MODS:
Can someone please update the header for the TPPA Protest post ? Thank you
I predict that there will be a lot more people facing the rain to go to Eden Park to watch the rugby that will turn out for this.
You will see the usual faces that protest everything. A few mana and unite union flags.
It always the same, which is why it makes no difference and will be ignored.
and you are so disinterested you had to post.
I predict that there will be a lot more people facing the rain to go to Eden Park to watch the rugby that will turn out for this.
You will see the usual faces that protest everything. A few mana and unite union flags.
It always the same, which is why it makes no difference and will be ignored.
James – I can hear Bomber saying you are a juvenile with the maturity of a can of coke. I agree with him.
“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.”
Margaret Mead
the ’36 Olympics in Berlin were really popular too
Yeah, these protests are always the same and never achieve anything.
Oh wait: http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/3647465/Thousands-march-against-mining
Or this http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/health/3999399/Thousands-in-Dunedin-neurosurgery-march
Pouring with rain in Auckland currently, which will affect numbers because there is no shelter in Aotea Square. I will still go as one of “the usual faces” but the numbers attending protests never represent the degree of opposition to an issue.
The comparison with the rugby is pathetic. Eden Park is under cover, but more to the point, those going have already spent a fortune on tickets. Of course they will go.
Bomber is an irrevolancy desperately looking for attention.
At least Bomber can spell “irrelevancy.” 😉
Gutted to not be able to attend today in Wellington. A serious foot injury and a lingering respiratory infection isn’t ideal for chanting, shouting and marching.
No matter where you are in the country today, go hard, have fun!
PS: Re these comments about tasers. It was only announced fairly recently that all front line Police would be issued with tasers. Is it likely they would already have the large stocks of tasers they need available to them? And if so, is the issuing of tasers immediate?
I can’t think of anything more chilling than attending a rally seeing cops with tasers on their hips.
Cops with guns on their hips ?
Cops in clown masks?
If Greg O Connor had his way, they would be armed with guns.
Clown masks? Pretty shabby assessment of the great work the Police do to protect us from criminals. I do hope you have a viable alternative? Or is it just your delusional paranoia kicking it? It’s quite legendary I hear.
Let’s see… unarmed cops…. what could they do?
15,000 to 20,000 marched in Auckland.
That’s from Chris Trotter who is very experienced at counting people at protest marches. Chris counted the blocks of marchers. He didn’t guess by looking at the square.
Chris must have gone to a different march to the one that I attended.
it’s possible… he’s not the man he was… 😉
will be 2 to 4000 on the news
Having had many decades of marching in Queen Street, my estimate would be over 10,000. The Herald is claiming 5000 and Stuff 2000, but both figures seemed to be based on Aotea Square. A lot of people were sheltering from the rain in nearby buildings while waiting for the march to start, so the Aotea Square number is not accurate.
The march itself was wide and very, very long. I saw people I hadn’t seen on a march since the Springbok tour.
Over 10 000
Easy
I joined in down Queen Street as did many others. The speeches I have heard before.
I would’ve said around 5-6 thousand definitely shy of 10 thousand.
+1
I am sure the Government security helicopters, GCSB, CIA, SIS, the Police, the satellites, some foreign press etc would be able to give us a more accurate estimate. Waiting to hear Key or Groser reveal this secret number in the house on Tuesday during question time!
Interesting how varied assessments of crowd sizes can be. Fairfax says 2000 in akld, 1000 in wgtn
http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/farming/71152277/thousands-march-against-tpp-trade-agreement
where as I heard on RNZ that there were 3000 in wgtn and 2,500 in akld.
Friend texted from the akld rally and told me there were “thousands”. Not sure if meant 15,000 – 20,000 though………….I got the sense that she meant the lower thousands.
where did Trotter say that?
Radio NZ at 4 pm news said the estimate for Auckland was 10,000 and for Wellington, 8,000.
RNZ Latest says, 5,000 for Aukland!
However, Stuff estimated it at 2,000 each, but now have revised it to 5,000 for Auckland and 1,000 for Wellington!
What strange, stupid and shonky reporting!
http://www.radionz.co.nz/audio/player/201766645
http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/farming/71152277/thousands-march-against-tpp-trade-agreement
We need some songs.
The anti-TPPA chants were OK, but marching while singing is fantastic.
I hope some of you out there are talented enough to revive or re-write some songs for future protest marches.
Saying the same to a couple of the other protestors today.
We need to revamp some of those old songs…
I also wondered why this caution got so much coverage, as I’ve had so many in recent years.
“But let’s get real. For 2015 so far:
8000+ US gun deaths
700+ US people killed by police
And they’re sending us a warning?”
http://minimalistmum.blogspot.co.nz/2015/08/public-protest-may-be-hazardous-to-your.html
Royal NZ Herald says an “estimated 5000” marched in Auckland. Stuff & Nonsense says it was “around 2000” and “around a thousand” marched in Wellington.
An estimated 300-400 of us (estimated by me) marched in Napier from Memorial Square to the Sound Shell chanting lustily as we went and sometimes even at the same time. (Everyone did well really but just got out of sync at times).
Very good turnout for our neck of the woods and I was pleased to be part of it and the opposition across the country..
Auckland was well above 5000, somewhere between 7000 and 10000. And probably closer to the latter. The problem is that you can only really count from above.
Are there overhead pictures somewhere?
I’d concur with that 7-10.000 estimate. Spent many years organising major public events and exhibitions (Earls Court, London and other places where attendances frequently exceeded 60,000 people a day – also Auckland showgrounds 15-20,000 on a very busy day). You get an eye for crowd numbers.