After the Auckland flood, Wayne Brown’s election will now be viewed as a cautionary tale. What can happen when someone who is inexperienced and unsuited to political office is elected to important political leadership roles. The blowback of this on the New Zealand right should not be understated, it is bad news for them.
The mass surrender of over 2000 members of the extreme nationalist AZOV battalion in Mariupol is a major win in the fight against global race-based terrorism. These extreme nationalists share the same ideology as the Christchurch and Buffalo assassins. Efforts to combat extremism have focused on the influence of social media on individuals. Insufficient attention is paid to organising centres such as AZOV.
Early days so far but the New Lynn attack will spark a debate about the adequacy of the country’s terrorism suppression laws and about citizenship rights.
Today marks the second anniversary of the Christchurch Mosque shooting.
The 2020 election was more than just a victory for Labour and more than a crushing defeat for the National Party (New Zealand’s main centre-right political party). This result marks a significant watershed in New Zealand politics which will likely have implications long after this parliamentary term.
Critics have dismissed the Jacinda Ardern government as being one of style over substance. This is unfair given the challenges this government has faced and the policy achievements it has had. However, it is a government that has much work to do if it wins a second term. And its over-reliance on Jacinda as party leader is a huge strategic risk, especially when the governments front bench is perceived, rightly or wrongly, to be lightweight.
Today marks the first anniversary of the Christchurch Mosque shooting.
National has chosen for political reasons to oppose the Government’s proposed gun law changes designed to address weaknesses shown up by the Christchurch terrorist attack.
America has suffered two mass shootings of civilians in the past couple of days with at least one being committed by a white supremacist. But the Republican Party is fixated on Antifa, a loose organisation that has been implicated in no mass shootigns.
Newshub has revealed that Winston Peters has received death threats. And the allegations involve the European far right, the Christchurch attack, the anti UN Migrant pact movement and the National Party.
David Seymour is proposing a law change that would protect neo nazis from the effects of their hate speech unless the speech also incited or threatened violence.
A junior Sri Lankan Minister has suggested that the recent bombings was an ISIS inspired response to the Christchurch mosque bombings. But others are not so sure that this is right.
New Zealand is too small for high-achievers and star-performers and does not offer enough challenges and rewards.
Auckland Vice Chancellor Stuart McCutcheon has attracted the ire of Auckland students by suggesting that their concern with recent evidence of fascist behaviour at Auckland campus is because they are being too sensitive.
The emotional junior staffer incident shows that National’s internal discipline is poor and that leaks are continuing.
The Finance and Expenditure Select Committee has reported back the Arms Amendment Bill which will ban the general availability of military style semi automatic weapons with only modest changes.
On top of RSA bigots baying about the use of a prayer on ANZAC day, rugby fans are getting exercised about the possibility of the Canterbury team changing its obviously offensive name. Apparently empathy with the innocent dead in Christchurch only lasts until kick off.
Inn the United Kingdom a neo nazi has been convicted of making plans to kill a female Labour Member of Parliament.
Pro gun lobby groups are making some outlandish claims about the Government’s proposed gun law changes.
The question of prisoners’ rights has hit the news today. That’s rare because we don’t normally care.
A new Guest Post from Maggie puts the case that we walk a tightrope when we seek to simplify the complex issues at play in prison.
The Herald is reporting that Gun City the business that sold the military style semi automatic weapons to the Christchurch Mosque killer, has urged customers to sign a petition against banning military style semi automatic weapons.
Recent criticism of Marama Davidson and Golriz Ghahraman over their drawing links between racism and the Mosque murders is misplaced.
The former leader of various NZ neo Nazi groups reckons the kiwi far right are being driven underground. TRP argues they will instead look for another home.
The Free Speech coalition has attacked the Chief Censor’s decision to rule the Christchurch Mosque killer’s manifesto as objectionable as an attack on free speech. But the New Zealand Council for Civil Liberties has characterised the Censor’s decision as being entirely conventional.
Following the Christchurch Mosque murders there are strong calls for an inquiry into the SIS. But should it be given more power or should it be reformed to remove a pretty clear blind spot.
The Government and some major corporations have called for changes to Facebook in the way it operates.
The terrorist’s published writing has been banned with immediate effect. This is a very good thing.
