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« Say NO to the $140m SkyCity bailout
Open mike 12/02/2015 »

Revolutionary Spain, Revolutionary Syria, and the Bastards We Vote For.

Written By: Bill - Date published: 3:36 pm, February 11th, 2015 - 63 comments
Categories: culture, democracy under attack, democratic participation, education, feminism, history, International, Left, political alternatives, political education, racism, Revolution, social democracy, Syria, vision, war - Tags: democracy, hypocrisy, middle east, revolution, Rojava, Social Democracy, syria

Imagine this – a society where women and men are afforded equal rights and decisions are the result of deeply participatory and grassroots democratic procedures. Believe it or not, that’s the case in Syria today within the autonomous cantons of Efrin, Kobane and Cizire where some 4 million people live

Until last week, when a link to a Wallace Chapman RNZ interview arrived in my inbox, I had heard nothing about any such thing happening in Syria. The interview really ought to be listened to.

Some internet searching has turned up, not what I’d call a ‘huge trawl’ of further information from major media outlets. There was, among precious little else, an opinion piece in the Guardian by David Graeber entitled ‘Why is the world ignoring the revolutionary Kurds in Syria?’ It should be read.

Given that our government, in concert with other western governments, bang on about democracy and women’s rights in the Middle East, some might then wonder why they don’t promote and embrace the Rojava Revolution (as the people of the region have named it), call for an end to sanctions affecting the autonomous Cantons and provide whatever aid and help is required.

The Constitution of the Rojava Cantons states in the pre-amble –

Under the Charter, we, the people of the Autonomous Regions, unite in the spirit of reconciliation, pluralism and democratic participation so that all may express themselves freely in public life. In building a society free from authoritarianism, militarism, centralism and the intervention of religious authority in public affairs, the Charter recognizes Syria’s territorial integrity and aspires to maintain domestic and international peace. (my emphasis)

Again.

Read the David Graeber article linked to above – hell! Read this one too – if you are wondering why our governments would rather such sentiments (and others besides) weren’t expressed in relation to democratic governance. Liberal governments, as history teaches us, despise democracy and would rather embrace fascism than defend or promote it.

Case in point? As of Dec 4th, any Australian going to Syria to aid the Rojavans in any way shape or form will face ten years in jail. The Al-Raqqi Province the Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs has decreed as ‘off limits’ runs between the autonomous Cantons of Cizire and Kobane.

Meanwhile, any financial, medical or other assistance anyone may be tempted to send the way of the peoples of Rojava will instantly fall foul of the blanket western definition of the PKK as a terrorist organisation.

Any attempt to sign the facebook petition calling for the lifting of that definition will find a deleted facebook account.

Thank god then for people like Australia’s Northern Territories Labor Party President Matthew Gardiner. (His face book account has been stripped of all content btw)

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« Say NO to the $140m SkyCity bailout
Open mike 12/02/2015 »

63 comments on “Revolutionary Spain, Revolutionary Syria, and the Bastards We Vote For.”

Comment numbers have changed to permanent references. Older quoted numbers may no longer identify the same comment.

  1. 1
    Chooky
    11 February 2015 at 4:03 pm

    thanks…interesting

    1. 1.1
      Chooky
      11 February 2015 at 4:16 pm

      More on David Graeber

      http://www.theguardian.com/profile/david-graeber

      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Graeber

      ( and he is more handsome than John key)

  2. 2
    Ad
    11 February 2015 at 4:10 pm

    Spanish Civil War, Guatemalan left, Angolan Marxist militants, South African Marxist militants; there are plenty of old leftie analogies to buttress moral urges to get in there.

    There have also been plenty of posts on TS saying how complex the Middle East is, with a strong subtext inferring that intervention by nation-states has been wrong all along and further intervention would be even more wrong. Looks like quietism, caution, cynicism, and the standard retreat to the right wing doing the international heavy lifting because they have historically had fewer qualms about using the military, taking the glory, fudging mistakes, and picking up their gun.

    This wasn’t the left’s pattern in the first half of the twentieth century.

    The Prime Minister only yesterday signaled he will now frame the left hard as cowards. The media will boil this down very hard, very fast. They will both conflate WW1 into it, however fairly or not.

    We have two hard questions ahead, which the left must answer:

    1. Which kind of state-sanctioned professional military intervention do we assent to as citizens?

    2. When does the left pick up a gun?

    1. 2.1
      One Anonymous Bloke
      11 February 2015 at 4:39 pm

      When does the left pick up a gun?

      We did that a long time ago – despite calls to decommission the Army, Navy, Air Force and GCSB, the Left is armed as much as any other party in Parliament.

      Whom do we target, and what are the rules of engagement?

      1. 2.1.1
        Ad
        11 February 2015 at 4:50 pm

        That’s the interesting this about citing the Spanish civil war, because it was a civil war – there were very few rules of engagement. The invitation from Bill is to get into a war with no rules of engagement. Very seductive; it’s the precise analogue of ISIS inviting its own fighters to join them.

    2. 2.2
      Bill
      11 February 2015 at 4:39 pm

      Ad, until last week, any and all western interventions were based on what pack of bastards to back. I’ll stick to my guns (not picking them up) on that one and maintain that all such intervention is wrong.

      Here’s a thing though. Current western intervention is bolstering the embargo on those autonomous regions and more or less delivering heavy weapons to fcking ISIS.

      Current reports from major news outlets consistently fudge and ignore the context of people of Rojava dying fighting ISIS – I mean, the fcking Guardian wanked on about martyrs (dead women combatants) in one article while ignoring the framework or context that led to them taking up arms. (Graeber mentions it in the second link I provided and I’m sure you could find the Guardian article with minimal searching)

      Others laud the US and NATO air strikes ( eg – Yazidis stuck on Mount Sinjar) while ignoring the fact that it was men and women from the Autonomous Regions that facilitated the descent of tens of thousands of men, women and children down the mountain and along the corridor they maintained following those air strikes…

      In the end, unless we prevent it, our governments will sit back and allow the peoples in the Autonomous Cantons to be wiped out by who-ever when their interests no longer coincide with their own…Spain redux.

      And there is nothing ‘lesser’ about anyone on the left providing medical aid or expertise…being a driver…being a builder or a plumber or whatever. BUT. Our own governments have decided that any and all persons traveling to Syria for whatever reason – even the most philanthropic reason – are fcking terrorists.

      1. 2.2.1
        One Anonymous Bloke
        11 February 2015 at 4:41 pm

        Well, the government of Kurdistan has formally recognised the Cantons, and are going to be part of any ongoing solution, especially now Turkey seems more amenable to a Kurdistan existing at all…

        1. 2.2.1.1
          Bill
          11 February 2015 at 4:48 pm

          But if you just take the time to read some of the links, you’ll understand that the Rojava Revolution is predicated on rejecting any notion of a Kurdish state.

          So, Turkey being amenable to a ‘Kurdistan’ is just irrelevant nonsense. And I’m deeply suspicious of your other statement… if you have a link to the Kurdish state government formally recognising the Cantons and, by extension, the Rojava revolution, I’d really appreciate you posting it.

          1. 2.2.1.1.1
            One Anonymous Bloke
            11 February 2015 at 4:53 pm

            I was about to, and then I found a reference to it in your links.

            It’s the Duhok agreement, I think.

            1. 2.2.1.1.1.1
              Bill
              11 February 2015 at 5:25 pm

              If I’m reading the info in that link correctly, there was a positive vote within parliament, and yet no formal recognition by the government.

              The language used in reports of other links (google search for Duhok agreement) is, at best, confusing. It would appear to me that the agreement is between two hierarchical organisations and amounts to an attempt at sidelining the people of the cantons and effectively hi-jacking the Rojava Revolution via ‘recognised’ (liberal)vehicles of authority.

              I could be wrong. It’s just my reading of contradictory and confusing language.

              But how else to explain shit like “The groups agreed to…” where ‘the groups’ are two discreet Political Parties and not, it seems, subject to the democratic mechanisms being developed and honed within the Cantons?

              http://rudaw.net/english/kurdistan/221020141

              I’ll say it again. The Rojava Revolution isn’t just about Kurds and it certainly isn’t about any ambition to form a Kurdistan or any state bound form of representative parliamentary democracy.

              EDIT: Just read the third comment below the linked article and it reflects (confirms?) my own suspicions. -“The main problem in KRG is being divided beetween parties. And know you want to create that problem in Rojava? For your own intrests. There is unity in Rojava. You just want power.”

              1. 2.2.1.1.1.1.1
                One Anonymous Bloke
                11 February 2015 at 5:38 pm

                The Kurdistani government in Iraq espouses similar values: independent media, free elections, democracy, so it isn’t just about Kurds either.

                That said, they’ve spent the last two and a half decades defending their borders against everybody. The desire to expand them cannot be their top priority, especially in the face of Wahhabist (is that what ISIS are?) aggression, not to mention the “war” on “terror”.

                I see the Rojava as an extension of Kurdish democratic revolution, and still the KRG has to respect Realpolitik as much as the House of Saud or the Tea Party.

                The cantons want the KRG to fully open the border. Not exactly what you demand of enemies, eh.

                1. 2.2.1.1.1.1.1.1
                  Bill
                  11 February 2015 at 6:02 pm

                  OAB. I don’t know whether you’re doing what I’d term ‘a TRP’ and willfully refusing to understand, in this instance, the very unique situation within the Cantons (who the peoples are and what they hope to achieve – a form of libertarian municipalism as espoused by Murray Bookchin…which is why his photo is on the front of the post), or whether you genuinely can’t get your head around the gulf in mentality that exists between ‘recognised’ Kurdish liberal authorities of the region and the peoples of the Autonomous Regions.

                  But I have to dash anyway.

                  1. 2.2.1.1.1.1.1.1.1
                    One Anonymous Bloke
                    11 February 2015 at 6:08 pm

                    I get the link.

                    I’m struggling to see the difference between what the KRG has achieved in their existing territory and what the inhabitants of the Cantons have achieved in theirs, other than that the KRG has had ‘relative stability’ for decades rather than years.

                    Probably I’m not paying sufficient attention.

              2. 2.2.1.1.1.1.2
                One Anonymous Bloke
                11 February 2015 at 5:49 pm

                PS: who says that “being divided” is a problem? The Borg?

                Division is a feature of every bloody democracy I’ve had the misfortune to support, I’m willing to bet that the inhabitants of the cantons are similarly diverse, and that the various parties of the KRG will reach out to those factions with shared values.

                1. 2.2.1.1.1.1.2.1
                  Bill
                  11 February 2015 at 6:12 pm

                  More straw men. Can’t see a reference to “being divided”. But that as it may, you do understand the difference between diversity and division, yes?

                  And this “every bloody democracy (you’ve) had the misfortune to support” have always been liberal democracies and not in any way, shape or form like the democracy being forged in the Syrian Autonomous Regions where diverse peoples don’t support what’s going on so much as partake and participate.

                  And liberal democracies are always inimical to genuine democracy. 1930’s Spain is your historical pointer if you need one. Post WW2 Northern Italy affords another historical example if needed.

                  And now I am gone for the evening.

                  1. 2.2.1.1.1.1.2.1.1
                    One Anonymous Bloke
                    11 February 2015 at 6:16 pm

                    The main problem in KRG is being divided between parties.

                    The very comment you quoted as the foundation of your argument, Bill. Don’t forget to breathe.

                    PS: you think the KRG was founded and exists because of a Liberal uprising? Seriously?

                    1. 2.2.1.1.1.1.2.1.1.1
                      Colonial Rawshark
                      11 February 2015 at 6:31 pm

                      Bill’s point I believe is that party politics is toxic to any true democracy.

                    2. 2.2.1.1.1.1.2.1.1.2
                      One Anonymous Bloke
                      11 February 2015 at 6:34 pm

                      CR then so is brain physiology/chemistry/neurobiology, at which point “true democracy” fails the reality check, no?

                    3. 2.2.1.1.1.1.2.1.1.3
                      weka
                      11 February 2015 at 7:34 pm

                      “CR then so is brain physiology/chemistry/neurobiology”

                      How so?

                    4. 2.2.1.1.1.1.2.1.1.4
                      One Anonymous Bloke
                      12 February 2015 at 6:41 am

                      Weka, because they create a spectrum of opinion, aka “divisions”, aka “party politics”.

                      In wartime, people tend to unify. In peacetime, not so much.

                    5. 2.2.1.1.1.1.2.1.1.5
                      weka
                      12 February 2015 at 11:26 am

                      What makes you think biology is the cause of that rather than it being an indicator of some other effect?

                    6. 2.2.1.1.1.1.2.1.1.6
                      Colonial Rawshark
                      12 February 2015 at 11:27 am

                      OAB, not sure why you are trying to liken organisational and institutional impediments to democracy (political party structures) with innate physiological ones.

                      Pretty silly of you.

                    7. 2.2.1.1.1.1.2.1.1.7
                      One Anonymous Bloke
                      12 February 2015 at 3:28 pm

                      CR, Weka, I guess you can argue that biology has no influence on worldview, and that worldview has no influence on politics if you like.

                      Organisational impediments to “true democracy” exist because people organise, even revolutionary people:

                      …the political and moral fabric of a democratic society in order to function with mutual understanding and coexistence within diversity and respect for the principle of self-determination and self-defense

                      The Charter of Social Contract (foundation of the Cantons). My bold.

                  2. 2.2.1.1.1.1.2.1.2
                    One Anonymous Bloke
                    11 February 2015 at 6:29 pm

                    PS: I’m not making light of this, or misinterpreting you deliberately. Just trying to make some sense of it.

                    Am I harbouring illusions about the KRG? Most probably.

          2. 2.2.1.1.2
            One Anonymous Bloke
            11 February 2015 at 4:57 pm

            PS: seriously, you think the Turks are going to take on the Peshmerga in Iraq after how long?

            1. 2.2.1.1.2.1
              Bill
              11 February 2015 at 5:33 pm

              I’m not referring to the Peshmerga. They’re the military arm of the Iraqi Kurdish government not the Kurds and others who are fighting ISIS and defending themselves in Syria.

              Do I have that wrong?

              1. 2.2.1.1.2.1.1
                One Anonymous Bloke
                11 February 2015 at 5:41 pm

                The troops defending Kobani were reinforced in part by Peshmerga after Turkey agreed to allow them (the Peshmerga) free passage through their territory – again, not the actions of enemies.

                1. 2.2.1.1.2.1.1.1
                  Colonial Rawshark
                  11 February 2015 at 6:36 pm

                  NATO and the USA arm twisted Turkey for over a year to allow that to happen.

                  In the mean time, Turkey ran military raids on various groupings of Kurds that they call “terrorists.”

                  Not exactly the actions of friends.

                  1. 2.2.1.1.2.1.1.1.1
                    One Anonymous Bloke
                    11 February 2015 at 6:38 pm

                    I was talking about the Peshmerga.

      2. 2.2.2
        Ad
        11 February 2015 at 4:57 pm

        That’s a really deep moral morass you are inviting us to make sense of.

        I also fully respect that the left needs to find a way to react with the same moral certainty that Key has when he accuses Little of backing away when people are getting their throats cut live on television. Identifying virtuous cantons is a way of reaching for that moral certainty. Finally, someone with modern values worth rescuing.

        I also totally take your point that there are more kinds of intervention than picking up a gun. One could be kinder and ask “When do we go over and join in with the resistance effort?”

        My reaction is the opposite of yours. To me, the more complex the Syrian/Iraq war becomes, the more we (individually and as a nation) should be guided only by nation-states acting to UN mandates.

        1. 2.2.2.1
          Colonial Rawshark
          11 February 2015 at 5:50 pm

          I also fully respect that the left needs to find a way to react with the same moral certainty that Key has when he accuses Little of backing away when people are getting their throats cut live on television

          The Labour Party needs to respond with actual moral certainty, not this faux Crosby Textor BS that Key puts on.

          Can Labour do that? Can Little do that?

          The lines and strategy to push back are easy. The political team I am part of can put together the package in 30 minutes flat. Can Wellington?

      3. 2.2.3
        greywarshark
        12 February 2015 at 9:41 am

        Ad likes to play devil’s advocate.

    3. 2.3
      Colonial Rawshark
      11 February 2015 at 5:43 pm

      2. When does the left pick up a gun?

      When there is a realistic and plausible plan for victory, and when the strategy for the aftermath isn’t going to make things even worse than they are; not when the fucking chicken hawks all start deciding to act and talk all tough.

      Do you see a plan for victory on the table?

      Key is a coward. He sends other people to die in a lose-lose scenarios while he drinks cognac and smokes cigars.

      If the Left can’t pull their PR together to cover off both him and “oh I guess sometimes shit happens” Tony Abbott, then we deserve to be slammed into the media wall.

      1. 2.3.1
        Chooky
        11 February 2015 at 6:07 pm

        +100

      2. 2.3.2
        Marksman33
        11 February 2015 at 8:49 pm

        I’m with you CV, lead on brother.

  3. 3
    tracey
    11 February 2015 at 5:08 pm

    IF the parties seeking to swoop in on IS gave a shit about women or democracy they wouldn’t be so cosily allied with Saudi Arabia.

    1. 3.1
      Bill
      11 February 2015 at 5:29 pm

      indeed

    2. 3.2
      Chooky
      11 February 2015 at 5:34 pm

      Tracey +100…if the Kurds are to be protected the causes of ISIS and the funding of ISIS need to be dried up…(Saudi Arabia and its friends … the opponents of Iran and Assad/Syria…those who have destabilised the Middle East and given the fuel to ISIS)

      ……in the end the solution has to be political and through UN.

      1. 3.2.1
        Bill
        11 February 2015 at 5:44 pm

        The starving of funds and arms for ISIS and the mis-named ‘Syrian Free Army’ and a host of others is probably do-able via the UN and various policy changes by certain Nation States, including NZ.

        But…and it’s a big ‘but’…the UN and all its members are of the liberal tradition and will not tolerate any genuine expression of democratic agency by any of ‘the great unwashed’. That was the parallel between Spain and Syria that Graeber was at pains to point out…

        Any UN or other liberal ‘solution’ would include the rolling back and stomping down of the Rojava Revolution.

        1. 3.2.1.1
          One Anonymous Bloke
          11 February 2015 at 5:55 pm

          That very much depends on the military situation at the beginning of the inevitable ceasefire.

          As such, the KRG is the Rojava revolution’s only credible (less compromised than the other ones) ally. The Peshmerga have already helped defend it with their lives. I’m picking natural alliances have an even chance of success.

          Edit: I’d far rather our forces were placed at the disposal of the Peshmerga than the USA, that’s for sure, especially if the UN are persona non grata.

    3. 3.3
      Chooky
      12 February 2015 at 7:48 am

      This was posted by SaveNZ on Open Mike yesterday …the solution to ISIS has to be through the UN

      Noam Chompsky Solution to ISIS…..

      And to solve the mess, the US again decided to act against the international law, building an anti-ISIS coalition that is “meaningless, apart from being illegal.”

      “A law-abiding state would go to the Security Council, ask for a declaration by the Security Council of a threat to peace, and request the Security Council to organize direct response to it. And that could be done. The US could then participate in it, but so could Iran,” which is a major military force and would probably wipe out ISIS in no time, if it was allowed to join the fight on the ground, Chomsky believes.

      http://rt.com/news/203055-us-russia-war-chomsky/

      1. 3.3.1
        Tracey
        12 February 2015 at 11:28 am

        and, stop selling weapons to non nation states… and then group together and attack the black market of arms dealing …

        to say this is not a solution is wrong. some nations simply will not choose this solution, which is not the same as “there is nothing else we can do”

        1. 3.3.1.1
          Colonial Rawshark
          12 February 2015 at 11:44 am

          Actually the total market of arms dealing has to be hauled dramatically backwards, not just the black market.

  4. 4
    Descendant Of Sssmith
    11 February 2015 at 5:41 pm

    So those on the right wish the left to take up arms.

    Are they inferring therefore that if the US is overthrowing and fighting leftist governments as they have done historically the left should take up arms against the US. Are they inferring that the right would support such moves because the principle of fighting for “your side” makes it a fair and just war. Can’t have the left not having the courage of their convictions

    As the left watches this government, and previous ones including Labour, dismantle one after another the socialist systems that existed / still exist in this country they should take up arms and wrest control back off the right wing bastards that have done this?

    Equally should the right respond with the same take up of arms when their is leftist intervention in right wing governments.

    What is it with this desire to intervene, to fight, to kill, to hurt that drives people like you ad.

    It’s quite clear that the battles various right leaning governments choose to part-take in have very little to do with the atrocities happening in any particular country (otherwise I’d be looking forward to our invasion of China, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, Uzbekistan, Israel et al) and much more to do with strategic and political relationships that they wish to influence (positively or negatively) and foster.

    Probably a good time to reconsider War Is A Racket as well. There’s some people making some good money out of this war-mongering as they have always.

    http://www.ratical.org/ratville/CAH/warisaracket.html

    And besides the Prime Minister framing the left as cowards doesn’t make them cowards. You know he’s taking a political cheap shot but this government is good at insulting it’s own citizens – it has no respect at all for the very people it’s supposed to govern on behalf of.

    I take no responsibility at all for any label he wishes to put on me and nor should anyone else.

  5. 5
    Colonial Rawshark
    11 February 2015 at 5:47 pm

    If only the fucking Left had the guts to back their own people to the hilt, the bottom 50% of NZers, as bravely as they want to pick up guns, approve mass surveillance and be part of capitalist empire extracting labour and resources from the third world (which they created).

    Nauseating.

    1. 5.1
      One Anonymous Bloke
      11 February 2015 at 6:03 pm

      Someone help Colonial Rawshark out to the carpark to throw up so that we don’t end up with bile all over the debate.

    2. 5.2
      Descendant Of Sssmith
      11 February 2015 at 6:10 pm

      In a democracy they’re only “their” people if they vote for them.

      Clearly either the politicians are not left or and/or the voters aren’t.

  6. 6
    dave brown
    11 February 2015 at 11:20 pm

    The parallel between Spain and Syria goes so far but no further.
    In Spain a bourgeois democratic republic was attacked by a fascist army.
    Correctly volunteers from the Western left of all shades joined the ranks of the republican army to defend it against the fascists.
    Some mistakenly joined the bourgeois Spanish regimes in Madrid and Barcelona rather than forming a militia independent of these regimes.
    The Stalinists did so because they feared an independent working class at a time when they were in alliances with the Western democracies against fascism.
    In Barcelona the anarchist leaders betrayed their rank and file by joining the bourgeois regime also.
    The civil war was lost because the fascists were armed by Italy and Germany while the republic was not armed by the ‘democracies’. In fact they did all in their power to prevent the arming of the republic.
    The only way that this war could have been won, was the formation of a popular councils and militias independent of the bourgeoisie and the Stalinists, backed by massive workers brigades from around Europe, that would have begun a revolutionary war to smash fascism right across Europe.

    In Syria we have a fascist dictator, Assad, opposed by a popular democratic revolution.
    Some in the leadership of that revolution, the FSA for example, want to form a bourgeois republic as an alternative to Assad.
    But many revolutionary fighters reject these bourgeois leaders as aligned to one or other imperialist powers.
    There are numerous militias that are locally organised and loosely coordinated so effectively that they have resisted Assad despite being starved of arms by the ‘democracies’, so that without SAMs Assad’s planes dominate.
    Moreover, because most of the Western left has defended Assad and parroted his line that he is being attacked by foreign terrorists (an irony since he has mercenaries from many countries including the Iranian Republican Guards) funded by the Saudis, Turkey, the CIA, you name it. He also released from his jails many who went on to form the ISIS in Syria.
    Because of this reactionary campaign in the West the revolution and its democratic objectives has been largely ignored, and unlike Spain there has been no massive flood of left wing volunteers to join the militias.
    Yet these popular militias that organised Local Coordination Committees that are run on a democratic basis have been able to survive for four years against Assad, and in the last 2 years against the jihadists armed by the West and its local allies.
    Unlike the PYG that has fought to defend Rojava from the ISIS with the benefit of US etc air support, the Syrian revolutionaries have been starved of military support by the West and by the Western left, except for a few notable exceptions.
    One is the Leon Sedov Brigade made up of Trotskyists that still exists as an example how to organise independently of the FSA bourgeoisie, the imperialist powers and their local stooges, and fight on three fronts to link the Syrian revolution to the Palestinian revolution and the wider Arab Revolution.
    Check out the articles on the ongoing popular Syrian revolution here.
    https://syriafreedomforever.wordpress.com/
    In particular this recent overview
    https://syriafreedomforever.wordpress.com/2015/02/02/revolution-reaction-%E2%80%A8and-intervention-in-syria/

    1. 6.1
      dave brown
      12 February 2015 at 12:07 pm

      “The US continues to argue that there is no question of normalising relations with Mr Assad, nor of considering him as an ally against Isis. Yet the underlying impression is that the whole Assad question has been put on the back burner, as if that would enable a swifter victory against Isis. That narrative casts the military effort against Isis in Syria and Iraq as a fight against extremism. Yet extremism was deliberately fed by Mr Assad from the start, when he released jihadi prisoners from his jails and then avoided targeting Isis in places such as Raqqa, its stronghold on Syrian territory. Mr Assad can happily bathe in the ambiguities of claiming that the US-led coalition, through third parties, regularly informs his forces of air strikes.”
      http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/feb/10/guardian-view-bashar-al-assad-bbc-interview-lies-tyrant

      The Guardian underscores that the US is now in an informal alliance with Assad to deal with IS. So sending NZ troops to fight IS and jailing (like Aussie) those who want to fight Assad, is siding with the worst enemies of human rights; the US, its convenient ally Assad, its military ally Israel, against the target, IS, that originated in the US funding the Taliban and Al-Qaeda in the 80s and 90’s.

      Against this coalition of the evil, perpetrators of terror, is the coalition of the masses, popular militias armed and supported by the international working class to defend and extend democracy and socialism.

  7. 7
    Stuart Munro
    12 February 2015 at 1:03 am

    Of course Key will want to form a government of national unity, as NZ does when committing to a serious war…

  8. 8
    Andrew Welsh
    12 February 2015 at 9:23 am

    The argument that the ‘allied’ coalition fighting IS ‘do not give a shit’ because they turn a blind eye to what goes on in Saudi Arabia is no different to the Allies working with the USSR during WW2 to overthrow Hitler. Those on the left may not like it but Stalin was no angel…. A means to an end (working with the USSR), perhaps and the end result (east verses west) was not ideal but after 6 years of war 25 million dead there had to be an end to the madness. IS is no different to the SS, they have to be stopped.
    I also agree with the writer regarding the Kurds, I have followed the PKK since the mid 80’s. I am right in my politics but support the principal of self determination.

    1. 8.1
      vto
      12 February 2015 at 9:25 am

      Where do you get your information from?

      Truth is the first casualty in war.

      I don’t believe anything that comes from mainstream media or western government. They are conflicted all to hell.

    2. 8.2
      adam
      12 February 2015 at 11:09 am

      Andrew, many on the left know that the problems embedded by Lenin, gave rise to an individual like Stalin.

      Here is a couple of books from leftists from the 1920’s who outline out how the revolution had been captured.

      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/My_Disillusionment_in_Russia

      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Bolshevik_Myth

      Both have further links to full versions of the texts.

    3. 8.3
      Colonial Rawshark
      12 February 2015 at 11:47 am

      The argument that the ‘allied’ coalition fighting IS ‘do not give a shit’ because they turn a blind eye to what goes on in Saudi Arabia is no different to the Allies working with the USSR during WW2 to overthrow Hitler.

      Bit of a dumb analogy. The “allies” no where their energy and financial interests lie. That’s what they go to war for. Saudi Arabia is a friend in this regard, ISIS is not.

  9. 9
    Philip Ferguson
    12 February 2015 at 9:24 am

    Some good background articles on Syria: https://rdln.wordpress.com/2015/02/06/on-syria/

  10. 10
    Philip Ferguson
    12 February 2015 at 9:34 am

    One of the weaknesses of the rise of the radical left in Greece is that its electoral support isn’t matched by working class action such as factory takeovers, let alone the emergence of bodies of dual or alternative power to the capitalist system.

    In factory occupations we can at least see the germ of an alternative way of organising society, so an occupation like the Vio.me one in Thessaloniki has pointed the way:

    Greek lessons: workers occupy factory, continue production: https://rdln.wordpress.com/2013/02/12/greek-lessons-workers-occupy-factory-continue-production/:

    Video on the Vio.me struggle: https://rdln.wordpress.com/2013/03/05/4506/

    Greek factory: “the machines of self-management have been turned on”: https://rdln.wordpress.com/2013/02/15/greek-factory-the-machines-of-self-management-have-been-turned-on/

    Workers’ self-management only solution – interview with spokesperson for the Vio.me occupation: https://rdln.wordpress.com/2013/03/05/workers-self-management-only-solution-interview-with-spokesperson-for-vio-me-occupation/

    For a report on Syriza meetings in Ireland to build solidarity see the piece below on the eirigi site: http://eirigi.org/2015/02/08/lessons-from-greece-internationalism-in-action/

  11. 11
    greywarshark
    12 February 2015 at 10:04 am

    Comment on Morning Report this morning Radionz relating to Australian think tank advocating on war issues and making comment on NZ deployment in Middle East.
    http://www.radionz.co.nz/audio/player/20166933
    How handy to have an authority like The Australian Strategic Policy Institute to call on that backs up what the government is planning on doing, yet is against the citizens’ interests.

    And in Oz they are talking about 20 new frigates and submarines, how many, do we need them. Healthy discussion!
    http://www.aspistrategist.org.au/
    Also a bit extra on them (I can’t get this to load)
    The Strategist | The Australian Strategic Policy Institute

    Also – Federal police want to use military drones to spy on Australians from the sky
    http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/federal-police-want-to-use-military-drones-to-spy-on-australians-from-the-sky-20150211-13bvbs.html
    edited

  12. 12
    adam
    12 February 2015 at 11:05 am

    I know I harp on about this guy. But, the world would be a sadder place if he had not fought for the Republic.

    http://www.nzhistory.net.nz/people/douglas-jolly

    This sick and twisted approach to the middle east is just FUBAR. The liberal democracies are at sixes and sevens, and once again working people are the ones who get it in the neck.

    So in effect – thanks Bill – great piece.

  13. 13
    Wayne
    12 February 2015 at 11:13 am

    greywarshark,

    Interesting comment on the role of ASPI. I have written on the subject of the arms buildup in the Asia Pacific for CSIS in Washington and S Rajaratnam School of International Studies in Singapore. They can be accessed on their sites.

    Basically there is a widespread consensus in Australia to have a powerful military. They have quite a different view of their place in the world than does NZ. The Aussies, including the general public consider they must be a serious military player in the Asia Pacific. And indeed they are. I would put them about no 5, after the US, China, Japan and India (maybe also after South Korea)

    1. 13.1
      Colonial Rawshark
      12 February 2015 at 11:36 am

      More money for the military industrial intelligence complex. Meanwhile Australia continues to impose cut backs on areas of community, science and technology unrelated to the war machine.

      Same as we can see happening in the USA.

      1. 13.1.1
        greywarshark
        12 February 2015 at 11:56 am

        CR
        Good comment. It is good that someone does the scan with the light bed of the rationality machine when discussing political moves of all kinds.

      2. 13.1.2
        The Murphey
        12 February 2015 at 7:03 pm

        Q. Does the ‘average aussie’ who is ‘pro military’ understand that by ‘protecting’ their ‘way of life’ they are ensuring it will in reality continue to be taken away ?

        Q. At what point might a realisation occur ?

  14. 14
    finbar
    12 February 2015 at 3:38 pm

    Greece,will be the testing palate.Socialist capitalist governance,defiant on its stand and hard fast too.Capitulation is inevitable,outside aid from China and Russia.They may like to hang the upcoming the other financial collapse on them, that is coming for those not closed to see.

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  • Former CalPERS CFO Charles Asubonten Continues His Over Three-Year, Failed Legal Campaign to Silence Naked Capitalism Reporting With New Federal Suit in the Northern District of Alabama
    Former CalPERS CFO Charles Asubonten doubles down on a losing legal campaign intended to silence Naked Capitalism.
    Naked Capitalism by Yves Smith · Yesterday
  • Charles Asubonten v. Aurora Advisors Incorporated: Filed in Maryland February 2024, Dismissed April 2025, Appeal Dismissed July 2026, Motion to Reconsider Denied August 2026
    The second unsuccessful case by Charles Asubonten seeking to silence Naked Capitalism's reporting.
    Naked Capitalism by Yves Smith · Yesterday
  • Charles Asubonten v. Susan Webber: Filed in Maryland in July 2023, Dismissed February 2024
    The first in a pair of Charles Asubonten's groundless and unsuccessful cases against Naked Capitalism's reporting.
    Naked Capitalism by Yves Smith · Yesterday
  • Mirable Dictu! AI Is Set to Destroy Major Software Quasi Monopolies
    Will AI software clones wreck the predatory business models of giants like Adobe and Microsoft? One can hope.
    Naked Capitalism by Yves Smith · Yesterday
  • Satyajit Das: On Cinema – The Wages of War
    Another Satyajit Das thematic sampling from cinema and discussion, here on war.
    Naked Capitalism by Yves Smith · Yesterday
  • Grattan on Friday: an embattled government tells Australians the pain they feel won’t end any time soon
    Chalmers and Labor face some hard choices to try to curb inflation while the electorate’s mood worsens.
    The Conversation by Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra · Yesterday
  • Opportunity flirt with ruling NZ First out - but then change their mind
    Plus: National Party panics as they record the worst result since 2020. And Labour talk cost of living
    Mountain Tui by Mountain Tūī · Yesterday
  • KiwiStack Live with Bernard Hickey and Chloe Swarbrick on the Green fiscal plan
    In which the Greens’ co-leader challenges the fiscal orthodoxy of forever trying to reduce Government debt & deficits in a mechanistic way, which has worsened poverty, living costs & the environment
    The Kaka by Bernard Hickey · Yesterday
  • KiwiStack Live with Bernard Hickey and Ganesh Nana on fiscal plans in Election 2026
    A recording from Bernard Hickey's live video
    The Kaka by Bernard Hickey · Yesterday
  • CCP enforces its law on Mbappe and football: if you profit in China, you will obey
    And so we see China imposing its censorship on the world. An attack on Mao Zedong and, by extension, the Chinese Communist Party itself has come through an unexpected avenue – an ephemeral media comment ...
    The Strategist by Geoff Wade and Justin Bassi · Yesterday
  • Israel election by the numbers: who might form the next government?
    A who’s who of Israeli politicians who could feature in the next government.
    The Conversation by Digital Storytelling Team, The Conversation · Yesterday
  • Join us at 5pm for this week's Hoon
    Join Peter Bale & Bernard Hickey for the weekly 'Hoon' around news in geopolitics, climate, politics & more with Robert Patman & Shamubeel Eaqub
    The Kaka by Bernard Hickey · Yesterday
  • 29 October 2026
    Today’s Union News includes coverage of strike action across many sectors including food production, retail, health, and insurance. Public service chiefs have also been instructed to plan for 9,000 job cuts during the election campaign. Union coverage Employment The post 29 October 2026 appeared first on NZCTU.
    NZCTU by Aaron · Yesterday
  • It’s time to treat state-sponsored cyber intrusions as attacks
    Democracies made a big cybersecurity mistake in the 1990s when they insisted that cyber intrusions were not acts of war. That insistence meant managing a constant barrage of attacks rather than preventing them, teaching Russia, ...
    The Strategist by Fitriani, Gatra Priyandita and Justin Bassi · Yesterday
  • Victorian state election: what’s at stake for treaty and Indigenous self-determination?
    Victoria has made significant progress in advancing Indigenous rights. However, those achievements sit precariously as the state heads to an election on November 28.
    The Conversation by Bartholomew Stanford, Senior Lecturer of Indigenous Studies, Indigenous Education and Research Centre, James Cook University · Yesterday
  • Can a new government solve NZ’s local council crisis? Why a royal commission could help
    Local government has experienced massive upheaval over the past years, but the big financial and infrastructural challenges remain. A new blueprint is needed.
    The Conversation by Guy C. Charlton, Associate Professor, School of Law, University of New England · Yesterday
  • How can a local cycleway take longer than the CRL?
    In early 2016, Auckland Transport kicked off consultation for a network of connected bike routes linking the Inner West neighbourhoods to each other and to the wider network. By August 2016, they had settled on this plan for the local network: The routes in pink had funding available for construction by the end of 2018, thanks to the Urban Cycleways Programme, kicked off under John Key’s National Government and then-Minister of Transport Simon Bridges.… The post How can a local cycleway take longer than the
    Greater Auckland by Connor Sharp · Yesterday
  • The Māori Leaders Debate.
    Marama Davidson shines while Shane Jones blows a gale.
    Nick's Kōrero by Nick Rockel · Yesterday
  • Climate change plus a super El Niño could add up to a record-wet winter for California
    After the state endured its hottest year-to-date period on record and a multi-million-dollar battering by Hurricane Marie in September and Hurricane Rachel in October, much greater destruction could be on the way this winter. El Niño is continuing to warm coastal waters, and because water expands as it heats, sea levels could rise to unprecedented heights during the coming king tides at Thanksgiving, Christmas, and late January. In concert with the rising seas will likely come a battering by record-wet atmo
    Skeptical Science · Yesterday
  • Early Bird: Nearly half of 18-24s want to leave NZ
    Poll finds almost half of 18-24 year-olds seriously considered moving away from NZ in the last year, with 10% actively trying to leave; 45% of Māori & Pacifica want to go; National under 25%-RNZ/Reid
    The Kaka by Bernard Hickey · Yesterday
  • You’re supposed to turn Bluetooth off when you don’t need it – how risky is it really?
    You don’t need to stop using Bluetooth completely but a few simple habits can reduce unnecessary risks.
    The Conversation by Meena Jha, Associate Professor, College of Information & Communication Technology, School of Engineering and Technology, CQUniversity Australia · Yesterday
  • Fault Lines – Taiwan drones, Timorese deals and New Caledonian diplomacy
    Welcome to the latest edition of ASPI’s Fault Lines. Every fortnight, ASPI’s Defence Strategy Program monitors the actions and developments shaping the regional order and Australia’s security. This edition covers the period from 16 October to 29 October ...
    The Strategist by ASPI Defence Strategy Staff · Yesterday
  • Coffee Break: Elon Musk Has a Hand in Everything from Anthropic to Skydance to Texas Politics
    Elon Musk is playing an outsize role in media, politics and tech in his dealings with Skydance, Anthropic, and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott.
    Naked Capitalism by Nat Wilson Turner · Yesterday
  • Gordon Campbell On How Trump, Peter Thiel And ICE May Gain Access To Your Most Personal Bio-Data
    Already, there are several good reasons for avoiding the United States as a holiday destination, but here’s another one. Under a “partnership” deal that New [...]
    Werewolf by lyndon · Yesterday
  • Americans Hit Hardest by War-Driven Oil Price Surge
    Despite Trump's claims otherwise, American consumers and businesses are the lead victims of Gulf-War-induced oil price increases.
    Naked Capitalism by Yves Smith · Yesterday
  • Links 10/28/2026
    Image article
    Naked Capitalism by Conor Gallagher · Wednesday
  • Election thoughts, including a decision on my Two Votes
    On Special Votes, Voter Suppression, and Opportunity Looms Large…
    Frankly Speaking by Frank Macskasy · Wednesday
  • The Coming Global Spring
    Expect regime change operations to shift into overdrive as destabilizing economic damage from war-induced food and energy crises mounts.
    Naked Capitalism by Conor Gallagher · Wednesday
  • China Continues to Struggle With Overcapacity in Electric Cars, Other Sectors
    While the West has less than stellar economic prospects, persistent overcapacity in China threatens destructive deflation.
    Naked Capitalism by Yves Smith · Wednesday
  • RFK Jr. Condemned Over Baseless and ‘Nakedly Racist’ Anti-Arab Rant at Rogers Event in Michigan
    RFK Jr.'s anti-Arab diatribe confirms the charge that all Trump ultimately has to offer is white supremacy.
    Naked Capitalism by Yves Smith · Wednesday
  • KiwiStack Live with Bernard Hickey and Elliot Crossan on fiscal plans for Election 2026
    A recording from Bernard Hickey's live video
    The Kaka by Bernard Hickey · Wednesday
  • Parents have one of Australia’s most important jobs, so why don’t we have policy for them?
    Australia invests billions in children annually, but we still struggle to keep them safe, happy and healthy. It’s time to include the missing puzzle piece: parents.
    The Conversation by Daryl Higgins, Professor & Director, Institute of Child Protection Studies, Australian Catholic University · Wednesday
  • Australia’s uranium policy undercuts its energy diplomacy
    Treasurer Jim Chalmers told the Australia–Japan Joint Business Conference this month that ‘Japan has no energy provider more loyal than Australia’. He promised to keep working with Tokyo as Australia’s Domestic Gas Reservation Scheme took ...
    The Strategist by Ian Satchwell · Wednesday
  • 'I feel safer in Australia than Aotearoa'
    CW: Transphobia and homophobia. Sully never expected he’d have to leave his home. He loves Aotearoa. He loves the beaches, the forests, and his community. His family - chosen and blood - lives here and he’s close with them. His siblings are here… Still, there was no
    Emily Writes by Emily Writes · Wednesday
  • Israel has voted – but the results will be messy. Here’s how its next government will be formed
    With neither major bloc looking like it will form a majority, the negotiations will begin. And it will take some time before there is a winner.
    The Conversation by Ran Porat, Affiliate Researcher, The Australian Centre for Jewish Civilisation, Monash University · Wednesday
  • 28 October 2026
    Today’s Union News includes an extensive piece from The Post’s Andrea Vance o Health NZ being accused of blocking pay equity claims. Plus, watch Sandra Grey on The Bradbury Group (via Waatea News) discussing the latest election news and our Kaitohutohu Māori, Scotty Giles, pens a piece to mark the anniversary of He Whakaputanga o… Read More »28 October 2026 The post 28 October 2026 appeared first on NZCTU.
    NZCTU by Aaron · Wednesday
  • Where Bluebottles’ long watch pays off
    The long endurance and low speed of Ocius Bluebottle uncrewed surveillance boats make them suitable for sustained observation that requires no rapid repositioning. They have already been used on missions just like that – to ...
    The Strategist by Ha Phuong Vu · Wednesday
  • A tide of change?
    There's been a bunch of elections in the last week, and - so far - they all seem to be going the same way. In Serbia Vučić is out, losing to the leftist, anti-corruption Student List. In Brazil, Lula has been re-elected, and Bolsonaro Jnr has fled the country to avoid prosecution for corruption. And in Israel, it looks like Netanyahu is out, though its not clear if anyone else is in to replace him (because Israeli parties are racist and refuse to work with Arab-Israeli representatives). There's a common the
    No Right Turn by Idiot/Savant · Wednesday
  • Real wages and the cost of living, 2023–26
    This report examines the National-led Government’s record on the cost of living and real wage growth across a number of different metrics. It is a complement to the Three Years of Pain report on the state of the labour market, and the What Are We Giving Up? report, which detailed the findings of NZCTU’s survey… Read More »Real wages and the cost of living, 2023–26 The post Real wages and the cost of living, 2023–26 appeared first on NZCTU.
    NZCTU by Jeremiah Boniface · Wednesday
  • Labour will use sale of state homes to build more houses
    The Ardern Government built 15,000 homes, Luxon’s Government just sold under 10,000. to mostly private developers in a fire sale of state assets
    Mountain Tui by Mountain Tūī · Wednesday
  • Better Way
    Voting for your healthcare.
    Nick's Kōrero by Nick Rockel · Wednesday
  • Most New Zealanders worry about AI’s risks, even as many expect to use it – new survey
    As experts propose a new public institute to guide AI policy, national survey findings show high concern among Māori and Asian people about how their data is used.
    The Conversation by Karaitiana Taiuru, Māori AI and digital governance expert, Indigenous Knowledge · Wednesday
  • 1 in 4 Australians physically abused by parents: study
    Physical abuse can include an adult hitting, pushing, kicking, beating, punching, choking or burning a child.
    The Conversation by Divna Haslam, Associate Professor & Clinical Psychologist, The University of Queensland · Wednesday
  • Why Republicans are on the back foot ahead of US midterm elections
    Sitting presidents are almost always punished in the midterm elections – and 2026 is looking like it will be no exception.
    The Conversation by Ava Kalinauskas, Senior Research Associate, United States Studies Centre, University of Sydney · Wednesday
  • Japan, Australia, US should build a second-island-chain air bridge
    Japan and Australia, with the United States and other partners, should build an air bridge between them in peacetime. This would be a set of regular air corridors with settled overflight and landing rights, refuelling ...
    The Strategist by Shigehiro Noshita · Wednesday
  • We-told-you-so Wednesday: Auckland to Hamilton rail
    Yesterday came news via RNZ and the Waikato Times, of a report from the Waikato Regional Council on securing the future of Te Huia, the intercity rail service that runs between Auckland and Hamilton. Among the recommendations in the report: a new station for central-city Hamilton, hourly services between the two main cities, more stops in between, and electrified trains: The preferred plan boasts a new above-ground terminus in central Hamilton, new stations at Ngāruawāhia, Te Kauwhata, Pōkeno, and Tūākau, n
    Greater Auckland by Patrick Reynolds · Wednesday
  • Early Bird: Rate hike coming back to bite Luxon
    Markets see 96% chance RBNZ will hike OCR by 25 bps to 3.0% at 2 pm; Luxon claimed credit for lower rates in 2025 & early 2026, which The Post-$ describes as ‘ridiculous & dangerous crankery’
    The Kaka by Bernard Hickey · Wednesday
  • Coffee Break: Armed Madhouse – Tactical Nuclear Weapons: A Deadly Temptation
    Originally developed as battlefield weapons, tactical nuclear arms have acquired a new rationale as instruments of incremental deterrence and escalation control. The revival of low-yield nuclear weapons illustrates a dangerous contradiction: efforts to strengthen deterrence may instead increase the risk of catastrophic escalation.
    Naked Capitalism by Haig Hovaness · Wednesday
  • Come Party With Webworm!
    On December 12, Webworm is putting on a show in Auckland, New Zealand.
    David Farrier by David Farrier · Wednesday
  • Anatomy of a Scoop
    Sometimes the biggest stories come from a single email.
    David Farrier by David Farrier · Wednesday
  • Fact brief - Do nearby wind turbines decrease home values by an average of 75%?
    Skeptical Science is partnering with Gigafact to produce fact briefs — bite-sized fact checks of trending claims. You can submit claims you think need checking via the tipline. Do nearby wind turbines decrease home values by an average of 75%? Research has found much smaller effects on nearby home prices, and those effects fade with time and distance from turbines. One 2024 study analyzing data from 1997 to 2020 found that visible turbines were associated with an average sale price decrease of about 1.1%, l
    Skeptical Science · Wednesday
  • Gordon Campbell On The Politics Of Gang Phobia
    Back in 2023, if you could believe Taieri MP Ingrid Leary (and then-Prime Minister Chris Hipkins certainly did) she had ended up at a Mongrel [...]
    Werewolf by lyndon · Wednesday
  • Why Whales Are Climate Heroes — Who Also Need Our Protection
    How whales have outsized and not-sufficiently-well-recognized positive environmental effects.
    Naked Capitalism by Yves Smith · Wednesday
  • Te Pāti Māori launches Mana Takatāpui Policy
    Te Pāti Māori has today launched its Mana Takatāpui Policy, committing $200 million over three years and establishing an independent, Takatāpui governed Commission with real authority over Takatāpui specific funding. Te Pāti Māori Co Leader Rawiri Waititi says the policy is built on a simple principle: Nothing about Takatāpui without Takatāpui. “For too long, decisions have been made about Takatāpui without Takatāpui. Our policy changes who holds the power,” Waititi said.
    Te Pāti Māori by Te Pāti Māori · 23 September 2026
  • We Want Cheaper Power And We Want Our People To Own It.
    Te Pāti Māori has today announced its Energy Sovereignty policy, a plan to cut power costs, build Aotearoa’s energy future and shift ownership into the hands of whānau, hapū, iwi and communities. “Every party is talking about generating more electricity. We’re asking the question they keep avoiding: who will own it?” said Te Pāti Co-Leader Rawiri Waititi “If we replace fossil fuels with renewables but leave ownership and profits concentrated in the same hands, we haven’t transformed the system. We’ve just c
    Te Pāti Māori by Te Pāti Māori · 16 September 2026
  • GOVERNMENT'S LAST ACT IS ANOTHER ATTACK ON TE TIRITI
    In its final days, this Government is trying to strip Te Tiriti from our laws. Three Treaty-related Bills before Parliament would weaken Te Tiriti protections and reduce Crown accountability. Te Pāti Māori opposes every one of them. Instead, Te Pāti Māori are calling for Te Tiriti to be protected through enforceable Crown obligations that no Government can simply discard.
    Te Pāti Māori by Te Pāti Māori · 15 September 2026
  • TE PĀTI MĀORI LAUNCHES TE TIRITI ENTRENCHMENT POLICY
    Te Pāti Māori has today launched its Te Tiriti Entrenchment Policy, a major constitutional reform package that will make Crown obligations arising from Te Tiriti legally enforceable and resource the next stage of Māori-led constitutional transformation. “Te Tiriti is the constitutional foundation of Aotearoa. Its mana does not rise and fall depending on who forms the Government,” Te Pāti Māori Co-Leader Rawiri Waititi said. “Our policy is about certainty, accountability and making sure the Crown keeps its p
    Te Pāti Māori by Te Pāti Māori · 1 September 2026
  • MP for Hauraki-Waikato Hana-Rawhiti Calls on Govt to Honour its Commitments to Waikato and Waipaa Awa
    Hauraki-Waikato MP Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke says the Government’s decision to delay key provisions of Plan Change 1, which sets rules to protect and restore the health of the Waikato and Waipaa awa, puts 3-yearly electoral interests ahead of its obligations to iwi and the environment. “This is bigger than a plan or a process. It is about whether the Crown will keep its word to Waikato-Tainui and honour the commitments it made – and written into legislation” says Maipi-Clarke. “The power of Te Ture Whaimana
    Te Pāti Māori by Te Pāti Māori · 24 August 2026
  • Luxon chose culture wars while basic services failed
    Christopher Luxon has spent too much of his term legislating culture wars while the basic services New Zealanders rely on have been allowed to deteriorate, Te Pāti Māori co-leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer says. “The Prime Minister had a finite term to govern. He chose to spend an extraordinary amount of it undoing Māori rights and weakening Crown obligations while the services New Zealanders depend on were deteriorating,” Ngarewa-Packer said. “He found the time to mobilise 13 government agencies to trawl throu
    Te Pāti Māori by Te Pāti Māori · 18 August 2026
  • Luxon survives today, but he will not survive November 7
    Today’s National Party caucus meeting may have saved Christopher Luxon’s job, but it has not solved National’s deeper problem. This government is consumed by its own survival while whānau are left to carry the cost. For days, New Zealanders have watched a governing party turn inward while families face rising costs, job losses and an economy going backwards. “Luxon may have kept the job, but National has lost the country’s confidence,” said Te Pāti Māori Co-Leader, Rawiri Waititi.
    Te Pāti Māori by Te Pāti Māori · 12 August 2026
  • Oriini Kaipara MP extends aroha following fatal workplace incident in Ōtāhuhu
    Oriini Kaipara, MP for Tāmaki Makaurau, extends her deepest condolences to the whānau, friends and work colleagues of the worker who tragically lost their life at the Auckland Meat Processors facility on Portage Road, Ōtāhuhu. "Our thoughts are first and foremost with the whānau who are now navigating an unimaginable loss. No one should leave for work and not return home to their loved ones." Following notification of the incident, Oriini's office has been actively seeking information to better understand t
    Te Pāti Māori by Te Pāti Māori · 7 August 2026
  • Te Pati Maori will make the Waitangi Tribunal recommendations binding
    Te Pāti Māori Co-Leader Rawiri Waititi says New Zealand First's call to review the Waitangi Tribunal proves the coalition has learnt nothing from the Tribunal's latest report. "The Waitangi Tribunal has found that the Government's Treaty clause review is a major breach of Te Tiriti. Instead of fixing the breach, Shane Jones wants to investigate the institution that exposed it." Waititi says this is about far more than constitutional law.
    Te Pāti Māori by Te Pāti Māori · 6 August 2026
  • Government’s patriarchal noise cannot hide cervical-screening failure
    While this Government and its allies manufacture patriarchal noise and drag public debate into personal attacks, a serious health-system failure involving nearly one million cervical screening notifications demands urgent answers. Health New Zealand says there is “no indication of harm”, but the Government has produced no evidence that proves nobody missed screening, follow-up care or an earlier diagnosis.
    Te Pāti Māori by Te Pāti Māori · 5 August 2026
  • Government rips up another promise of partnership with Māori
    Te Pāti Māori Co-leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer says the Government’s reported decision to scrap existing Mana Whakahono ā Rohe agreements is not planning reform it’s another deliberate step in dismantling the Crown’s relationship with tangata whenua. “This Government isn’t just rewriting planning law. It is rewriting the place of Māori in Aotearoa.” “One law at a time, one institution at a time, one agreement at a time, they are removing the practical ways Te Tiriti is honoured.”
    Te Pāti Māori by Te Pāti Māori · 21 July 2026
  • MFAT Must Act Urgently to Free Everlee Wihongi After Another Delayed Hearing
    Everlee Wihongi was set to appear in court today to be freed from ICE detention. Unfortunately, approximately 80 minutes before it was scheduled to begin, the Immigration Court decided to postpone the hearing until June 30, 2026. ICE has no reason to continue to detain Everlee after the conviction that formed the basis of the immigration case was successfully overturned. Everlee has now been detained for over two months, and this is just the latest in a long line of unnecessary delays. “Our aroha goes out t
    Te Pāti Māori by Te Pāti Māori · 18 June 2026
  • Te Pāti Māori Announces Lisa Marie Murch as Te Tai Tonga Candidate for 2026
    Te Pāti Māori is proud to announce Lisa Marie Murch as its candidate for Te Tai Tonga in the 2026 General Election. Born and raised in Murihiku, Lisa brings lived experience, education, service, and a deep commitment to whānau Māori across Te Waipounamu. A young Māori mother at sixteen, Lisa knows firsthand the realities many whānau face. Her journey from cleaning and baking, to becoming a head baker, bilingual primary teacher, kaupapa Māori educator, and specialist across Murihiku and Ōtepoti schools, is g
    Te Pāti Māori by Te Pāti Māori · 15 June 2026
  • Government Hid Its Own Evidence on LNG
    Te Pāti Māori is calling on the Government to release all remaining redacted advice on the proposed Taranaki LNG import terminal and halt the contract process until full public disclosure has occurred. This week RNZ revealed that officials redacted modelling commissioned by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment showing low need for LNG imports. In some scenarios, no need at all. That information was only made public after RNZ lodged a complaint with the Ombudsman. Parts of the document remain
    Te Pāti Māori by Te Pāti Māori · 11 June 2026
  • Seymour Admits He Never Checked Impact on Māori with Diabetes
    David Seymour Associate Minister of Health confirmed in answers to Written Parliamentary Questions that he supported removing Māori and Pacific priority access to Type 2 diabetes medicines, without any equity analysis, without modelling of Māori complications, and holds no data on how many Māori currently rely on the pathway they're removing. Te Pāti Māori Co-Leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer said the admissions were negligible. "They don't know who they're harming. They don't know how many Māori with diabetes r
    Te Pāti Māori by Te Pāti Māori · 10 June 2026
  • If The Government Really Wants To Lower Power Bills, This Is The Way
    Te Pāti Māori Co-Leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer says the government’s LNG announcement today exposes a fundamental failure of energy policy leadership. “Simeon Brown says he has an answer to our energy security problem. A billion-dollar contract to import liquefied natural gas. From the Middle East. With no plan to pay for it. That’s not energy security, that’s energy dependency,” says Ngarewa-Packer. “Initially the government planned a levy on power bills to fund this facility. Now they want the same gentail
    Te Pāti Māori by Te Pāti Māori · 9 June 2026
  • Govt will Erase Iwi Representation Across Aotearoa
    Today the government announced that they will be removing the voting rights of iwi representatives from all councils across the country. They will be amending the Local Government (System Improvements) Bill after it has already gone through select committee, meaning that there will be no public submission process. “This is another gut punch, and our people are fed up” said Te Pāti Māori Co-Leader, Rawiri Waititi. “Every time we think this government couldn’t possibly harm te iwi Māori any more, they always
    Te Pāti Māori by Te Pāti Māori · 2 June 2026
  • TPM to Entrench Te Tiriti: Government’s Tiriti Purge is Constitutional Vandalism
    Te Pāti Māori is condemning today’s announcement by Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith to strip or weaken Te Tiriti o Waitangi references across 19 pieces of legislation. “This is not policy reform. It is constitutional vandalism.” After failing to redefine Te Tiriti through the Treaty Principles Bill, the Government is now dismantling it clause by clause through legislative review instead. Different vehicle. Same destination.
    Te Pāti Māori by Te Pāti Māori · 15 May 2026
  • Te Pāti Māori responds to announcement of new political party
    Te Pāti Māori acknowledges Mariameno Kapa-Kingi’s announcement that she intends to contest the 2026 General Election under the newly announced Te Tai Tokerau Party. We wish Mariameno well. Te ao Māori has always carried many voices, many rohe, many whakapapa, and many expressions of mana motuhake. We respect the right of whānau, hapū, iwi, rohe and candidates to determine their own political pathway.
    Te Pāti Māori by Te Pāti Māori · 11 May 2026
  • MP Govt Floats Nuclear Jones Must Front Up
    Te Pāti Māori is demanding answers after Shane Jones casually floated nuclear fission in the House today. Co-leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer said, “Aotearoa is not neutral on nuclear. We are proudly anti-nuclear. That position was fought for, defended, and embedded in who we are as a nation.” “Is this Government marching us away from our nuclear-free legacy? Because Aotearoa deserves to know,” said Debbie Ngarewa-Packer.
    Te Pāti Māori by Te Pāti Māori · 29 April 2026
  • KiwiRail to fund additional ferries works in Picton
    KiwiRail will directly fund up to $37.5 million for Picton rail yard upgrades and adding auto-mooring technology to the new wharf as part of the New Ferries project, Rail Minister Winston Peters announced today. “Selecting KiwiRail as the long-term operator of the Interislander has given the company confidence to invest its own funds in commercial assets, meaning the taxpayer is not paying a cent more than our $1.7 billion allocation but still achieves the benefit as the ultimate owner of KiwiRail,” Mr Pete
    Beehive by beehive.govt.nz · 16 October 2026
  • Resilience work underway for key South Island route
    Work to bolster the resilience of a key South Island route vital to New Zealand tourism will soon begin, South Island and Associate Transport Minister James Meager says. “The Government allocated around $40 million in Budget 2026 to fund resilience upgrades to State Highway 94 (SH94) between Te Anau and Milford, as part of a wider $150 million-plus package to strengthen five of the mainland’s most vulnerable state highways,” Mr Meager says. “There will soon be spades in the ground at key sites on SH94 in Fi
    Beehive by beehive.govt.nz · 16 October 2026
  • King’s Counsel appointments 2026
    Attorney-General Chris Bishop today announced the appointments of 12 King’s Counsel. The rank of King’s Counsel is primarily awarded to barristers sole who have met the overarching criteria of excellence in their careers. The 12 new King’s Counsel appointed, from over 100 applications, are Matanuku Mahuika, Karen Radich, Janette Campbell, Matthew Harris, Kirsten Gray, Tim Smith, Polly Pope, Kerry Cook, Sam Lowery, Rob Kirkness, Isaac Hikaka, and Annabel Maxwell-Scott. “The appointment of King’s Counsel reco
    Beehive by beehive.govt.nz · 16 October 2026
  • Levy reduction for cruise industry
    Cruise ship passengers will pay significantly lower Border Processing Levy rates from 1 July 2027, Customs Minister Casey Costello said today. From 1 July 2027, cruise passengers will see a net reduction of NZ$19.91 per person through the combined arrival and departure levy rate changes. The Border Processing Levy for arriving cruise passengers will lower from NZ$27.14 to NZ$7.20, while the levy for outgoing passengers will increase by three cents per person. “The levy system is working as intended. Where f
    Beehive by beehive.govt.nz · 16 October 2026
  • New construction ACOP to bring health and safety clarity
    Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden today launched a new Approved Code of Practice (ACOP) that outlines practical steps businesses and workers can take to meet their health and safety responsibilities on residential construction sites. “This ACOP will provide practical, sector-specific information to help clients, principal contractors, contractors, subcontractors and workers prepare for upcoming changes to health and safety law, and support better outcomes across New Zealand's residen
    Beehive by beehive.govt.nz · 16 October 2026
  • West Coast infrastructure upgrades on course
    Investment from the Regional Infrastructure Fund is delivering progress on key projects on the West Coast, Associate Regional Development Minister Mark Patterson says. "Improvements to key shipping ports and the upgrade of Hokitika Airport are part of the government’s support for the West Coast’s economic growth and resilience,” Mr Patterson says. Mr Patterson joined local leaders and iwi today at the blessing of Greymouth Port's new port sounding vessel, which will be used to monitor and manage the port’s
    Beehive by beehive.govt.nz · 16 October 2026
  • Hunua Quarry development fast-tracked
    A third substantial Auckland quarry project has gained Fast-track approval to expand operations, Infrastructure Minister Chris Bishop and Resources Minister Shane Jones say. This is the 37th project approved through the Fast-track process. Winstone Aggregates lodged its application in March 2026, with approval taking around four months from the appointment of an independent expert panel. The redevelopment of Hunua Quarry will expand existing quarrying activities to allow Winstone Aggregates to deepen the ex
    Beehive by beehive.govt.nz · 15 October 2026
  • SH54 resilience improvements on the way
    A crash-prone bridge in Manawatū currently down to one lane is set to be replaced with funding from the Regional Infrastructure Fund, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones and Transport Minister Chris Bishop say. The project to replace Haynes Bridge on State Highway 54 will receive funding of $6.5 million from the Regional Infrastructure Fund. Mr Jones says the investment in the new bridge on a key Manawatū-Whanganui route will deliver benefits for communities and businesses throughout the region. "Safe
    Beehive by beehive.govt.nz · 15 October 2026
  • New term, same story; attendance up again
    Provisional school attendance data for Term 3 2026 shows despite a tough flu season in person attendance rates were the highest of any Term 3 since 2022, Associate Education Minister David Seymour says. In Term 3 2026, 52.2% of students met the criteria for regular attendance, representing a 1.7 percentage point increase from 50.5% in Term 3 2025. A student attends school ‘regularly’ when they are in class for more than 90 per cent of the term. “This data shows attendance rates continue to rise under this G
    Beehive by beehive.govt.nz · 15 October 2026
  • International tourism nears full recovery
    International visitor numbers are now within a whisker of pre-pandemic levels, with four months left to go in the year and the summer season yet to hit, Tourism and Hospitality Minister Louise Upston says. Stats NZ data out today shows the total number of overseas visitor arrivals in August 2026 was 99 per cent of the 251,100 in August 2019. “In 2025 I set the ambitious goal to increase the number of international visitors to New Zealand to at least 2019 levels by 2026. “This monthly data shows we are well
    Beehive by beehive.govt.nz · 14 October 2026
  • Open ocean opportunities for iwi aquaculture
    The Government has set aside areas suitable for aquaculture to ensure Marlborough iwi have the opportunity to contribute to the region’s open ocean aquaculture boom, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. “The two Aquaculture Settlement Areas (ASAs) ensure suitable space in the region remains available while the Crown and Te Tau Ihu iwi negotiate a settlement under the Māori Commercial Aquaculture Claims Settlement Act,” Mr Jones says. “With the launch earlier this year of New Zealand’s first open
    Beehive by beehive.govt.nz · 14 October 2026
  • Diesel reserve extended to maintain fuel security
    The Government has extended an agreement for a 550,000-barrel strategic diesel reserve until August 2027 to maintain New Zealand’s fuel resilience, Finance Minister Nicola Willis and Associate Energy Minister Shane Jones say. “Maintaining our national fuel security, particularly through a period of global uncertainty, remains a top priority for the Government. That’s why we’re pleased to announce this extension to our existing deal with Z Energy for the diesel reserve at Marsden Point,” Nicola Willis says.
    Beehive by beehive.govt.nz · 14 October 2026
  • Survivor Support and Recognition Fund to open next year
    The Government has approved a third and final round of the Survivor Support and Recognition Fund (SSRF). The fund supports community-led services and initiatives for survivors of abuse and neglect in care This $820,000 contestable fund will be available to non-government organisations and community groups that directly support survivors of abuse in care,” says Lead Coordination Minister Erica Stanford. Applications are expected to open in February 2027. The Department of Internal Affairs' Community Operatio
    Beehive by beehive.govt.nz · 14 October 2026
  • Long overdue replacement for critical bridge
    Another bridge on South Canterbury’s State Highway 82 will be replaced, through funding from the Regional Infrastructure Fund, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones and Transport Minister Chris Bishop say. The Deep Creek Bridge on SH82 will be replaced at a cost of $7.5 million. Elephant Hill Stream Bridge has already been replaced, and Waihao North Bridge is in the process of being replaced Deep Creek Bridge carries about 1850 vehicles each day and supports local journeys, agricultural activity and fre
    Beehive by beehive.govt.nz · 14 October 2026
  • It's all adding up: More maths gains for Kiwi kids
    New independent assessment results show primary and intermediate students made the equivalent of four months' additional progress in mathematics between 2024 and 2026, signalling a turnaround in achievement, Education Minister Erica Stanford says. The latest Progressive Achievement Test (PAT) data, released today by the New Zealand Council for Educational Research (NZCER), show statistically significant improvements in mathematics and reading comprehension and vocabulary. “Our number one priority in educati
    Beehive by beehive.govt.nz · 14 October 2026
  • Auckland gets another Crisis Recovery Café
    People in Auckland in need of mental health or addiction support will have another place to turn for faster access to support, with a new peer-led Crisis Recovery Café officially opening in Mt Eden, Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey says. “Emergency departments aren’t always the best environment for someone experiencing mental distress. They can be busy, brightly lit and feel far too clinical, when often what someone needs is a calm place to sit down and talk to someone who understands. “That’s why we are
    Beehive by beehive.govt.nz · 13 October 2026
  • Damning report shows Teaching Council failed to protect children
    A damning new independent review has revealed how repeated failures by the Teaching Council allowed a teacher with a known history of offending to remain in the profession before he went on to commit indecent acts against children, Minister of Education Erica Stanford says. The independent regulatory review undertaken by Katherine Anderson KC follows the equally damning 2025 Debbie Francis review, which exposed a deeply concerning culture within the Teaching Council. “First and foremost, my thoughts are wit
    Beehive by beehive.govt.nz · 13 October 2026
  • New ward boosts capacity at Hawke’s Bay Hospital
    Hawke’s Bay patients will benefit from faster access to surgical care with the opening of a new 28-bed ward at Hawke’s Bay Hospital, Health Minister Simeon Brown says. “This new ward is a practical solution to meet growing demand, delivering the extra capacity Hawke’s Bay Hospital needs right now and making a real difference for both patients and staff,” Mr Brown says. “It gives surgical patients dedicated space before and after their procedures, along with space for surgical assessment and planning. That m
    Beehive by beehive.govt.nz · 12 October 2026
  • First state school converts to a charter school
    Associate Education Minister David Seymour has today announced that Pakaraka School in Northland has become the first state school to convert to a charter school. “Charter schools give educators more freedom to provide students with an education that suits their needs,” Mr Seymour says. “The Pakaraka community has chosen a new path for its school. They want to be able to build on what is already working for its students, and the charter school model enables them to do that. “In 2024 the school partnered wit
    Beehive by beehive.govt.nz · 12 October 2026
  • Government ambitious for every child’s education
    Thank you, Prime Minister. Over the past three years, we have been focused on one overriding objective: lifting educational achievement for every young New Zealander. And a huge part of that has been closing the equity gap, ensuring that your means do not determine your destiny by providing a world-leading education for every young person in our schools. Because we are ambitious for every child in this country. A world-leading education system starts with ensuring every child learns to read, write and do ma
    Beehive by beehive.govt.nz · 12 October 2026
  • Additional domestic student places for veterinary science at Massey University
    “An increase in the number of funded domestic places in Massey University’s Bachelor of Veterinary Science programme from 125 to 140 per year from 2027 onwards will help address demand for veterinarians in the future,” says Minister for Tertiary Education Penny Simmonds. Minister Simmonds made the announcement during her visit to the university’s Palmerston North campus on Friday, 9 October. “The veterinary workforce plays a key role in our biosecurity, animal welfare, food safety, and export industry. Incr
    Beehive by beehive.govt.nz · 9 October 2026
  • District Court Judges Appointed
    Attorney-General Hon Chris Bishop has announced the appointment of Leighvi Maynard of Gisborne and Nicola Graham of Napier as District Court Judges. Mr Maynard began his legal career at Simpson Grierson in Auckland, where he was a member of the firm’s Environment, Planning and Resource Management team. In 2006 he moved to Gisborne and entered general practice, working across civil, employment, Māori land, family and criminal law jurisdictions before joining the Office of the Crown Solicitor for Rotorua, Tau
    Beehive by beehive.govt.nz · 9 October 2026
  • Simpler food safety, stronger focus on risk
    The Government is proposing changes to make it easier for food businesses to meet their food safety obligations, with less paperwork and a sharper focus on the risks that matter, Food Safety Minister Andrew Hoggard says. Consultation opened today on an updated Simply Safe & Suitable food control plan template. This is New Zealand's main food control template: a pre-approved, plain-language checklist that tells businesses what steps to follow and what records to keep so their food stays safe. "Businesses hav
    Beehive by beehive.govt.nz · 9 October 2026
  • Food and fibre exports hit record $65.2 billion
    Food and fibre exports reached a record $65.2 billion in the year to 30 June 2026, up $4.8 billion on the year before, Agriculture and Forestry Minister Todd McClay says. "Kiwi farmers and growers keep delivering for the New Zealand economy," Mr McClay says. "This year was already on track to be a record. Their hard work has delivered a result that beats expectations." Exports are up 8 per cent on the previous year and ahead of the Ministry for Primary Industries' June forecast of $64.3 billion. "It's a gre
    Beehive by beehive.govt.nz · 9 October 2026
  • Investigation into Apollo Stadium site planning rules
    An investigation has been launched into whether Christchurch planning rules are getting in the way of new housing, economic growth and the future redevelopment of the former Apollo Projects Stadium site, RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop says. The investigation follows a request from Christchurch City Council Mayor Phil Mauger to consider changes to the Christchurch District Plan for the 4.93-hectare site at 95 Jack Hinton Drive in Addington. “The temporary Apollo Stadium has served Christchurch well. Now th
    Beehive by beehive.govt.nz · 9 October 2026
  • Four more school redevelopments get the green light
    The Government is investing a further $37 million to redevelop four schools, taking investment in school redevelopment projects approved this year to more than $200 million, Education Minister Erica Stanford says. “When we came into Government, school property was a mess. Around 350 projects could not be delivered within the funding available, schools had been waiting years for certainty, and classrooms were costing around $1.2 million each. “We said we would fix it, and that is exactly what we have been do
    Beehive by beehive.govt.nz · 8 October 2026
  • Next steps in fight against organised crime
    The new Transnational, Serious and Organised Crime (TSOC) Chief Executive Board has met for the first time today, Associate Police Minister Casey Costello has announced. “We need better organised government to fight organised crime, and the Board will help deliver that,” Ms Costello says. “The Government has made a series of decisions to improve our response to TSOC, including appointing a Ministerial Advisory Group (MAG), and putting in place a new TSOC strategy and Action Plan. A key recommendation of the
    Beehive by beehive.govt.nz · 8 October 2026
  • More Kiwis choosing teaching
    More New Zealanders are choosing to become teachers, with initial teacher education enrolments up 40 per cent since 2023. Education Minister Erica Stanford says the increase shows more Kiwis want to be part of New Zealand’s teaching workforce. “We’ve had a real focus on getting more New Zealanders into teaching so we can grow our own workforce and reduce our reliance on recruiting teachers from overseas. “Overseas-trained teachers make an important contribution to our schools, and we will continue to need t
    Beehive by beehive.govt.nz · 8 October 2026
  • RMA national direction reforms complete
    The Government has completed the biggest overhaul of national direction in the history of the Resource Management Act – with the final changes making it faster, easier and more affordable to build and upgrade New Zealand’s electricity and telecommunications networks, RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop says. “Over the past two years the Government has developed or amended 16 national direction instruments to remove unnecessary barriers to housing, infrastructure, energy and the primary sector,” Mr Bishop says.
    Beehive by beehive.govt.nz · 8 October 2026
  • Government cracks down on rockpool vandals
    Major fishing rule changes will come into force this summer to stop people from stripping rockpools of marine life on the Auckland and Coromandel coastlines, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones and Under-Secretary Jenny Marcroft say. “Fossicking in a rockpool is a Kiwi tradition. It’s a pastime that’s been enjoyed by generations of New Zealanders. However, it’s being exploited by a selfish few who are taking far too much kaimoana. This behaviour is endangering these fragile ecosystems and putting at r
    Beehive by beehive.govt.nz · 8 October 2026
  • ‘What we leave behind is not as important as how we’ve lived’: remembering actor Patrick Stewart
    Passing away this week at 86, Stewart will be remembered as actor, dramaturge, Shakespearean exemplar, mutant professor, and distinguished Starfleet captain.
    Evening Report by The Conversation · 3:10 pm
  • Mushroom murderer Erin Patterson has lost her appeal and received a harsher sentence. Legal experts explain why
    The ‘mushroom murderer’ will spend the rest of her life behind bars after losing her appeal.
    Evening Report by The Conversation · 2:55 pm
  • ‘Uncontrolled warrior culture’: Australia’s special forces under fire in new inquiry
    An inquiry into the culture and command of Australian special forces in Afghanistan could be a moment of reckoning for the country’s military leadership.
    Evening Report by The Conversation · 2:55 pm
  • Spain’s high-speed train network is plagued by old signalling systems. They may have caused the deadly crash
    The crash has killed 69 people, and injured scores more.
    Evening Report by The Conversation · 2:20 pm
  • First-home buyers claim record share of NZ property market
    Lower mortgage rates and less competition are helping first-home buyers secure standalone houses, despite affordability challenges The post First-home buyers claim record share of NZ property market appeared first on Newsroom.
    Newsroom by Susan Edmunds · 2:08 pm
  • Latest Election 2026 charts: National brings in $499k in big donations amid polling woes
    Despite polling woes and a concerted split voting campaign, the National Party reported $499,000 in big donations this week The post Latest Election 2026 charts: National brings in $499k in big donations amid polling woes appeared first on Newsroom.
    Newsroom by Marc Daalder · 1:30 pm
  • “We Want To Come Home”: Why Young New Zealanders Are Enrolled To Vote This Election
    By the deadline for enrolment on 25 October, provisional numbers released show 93.6% voters have enrolled. That is 1% below levels of people enrolled on Election Day 2023.
    Scoop politics · 1:25 pm
  • Ed Miller: Privatising New Zealand's Public Healthcare
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    Big Hairy Network by Big Hairy Network · 1:10 pm
  • Buried cats, exorcisms and a sunken Colonel Sanders – the strange world of sporting curses
    Why would fans of a Japanese baseball team throw a statue of Colonel Sanders into a local canal? Welcome to the world of sporting curses.
    Evening Report by The Conversation · 12:50 pm
  • #BHN Julie Anne Genter LIVE on ferries | Paul Barlow on enrolment coverage | Another poll to digest
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    Big Hairy Network by Big Hairy Network · 12:15 pm
  • CPAG Welcomes Labour’s Benefit Indexation Policy
    Labour was among the parties who engaged with CPAG’s manifesto, through its Child Poverty Reduction spokesperson Jan Tinetti, and Social Development spokesperson Willow-Jean Prime.
    Scoop politics · 12:12 pm
  • Former Kiribati president says Pacific Islands Forum-Israel partnership not ‘morally defensible’
    By Johnny Blades of RNZ Pacific The chair of the Pacific Elders’ Voice (PEV) says the argument that religious affinity justifies the Pacific Islands Forum’s (PIF) partnership with Israel does not stack up. The Forum’s recent decision to make Israel a sectoral partner has drawn widespread criticism by civil society in the region, and is
    Evening Report by Asia Pacific Report · 12:00 pm
  • Parents Need Clarity On Labour’s Education Policies
    Labour's manifesto proposes requiring school boards to give effect to the Treaty of Waitangi, said Executive Director Anya Zohrab.
    Scoop politics · 10:01 am
  • Parents’ Alliance Seeks Answers From National On Education Funding
    Parents, teachers and school leaders deserve certainty about the future of education funding, said Parents' Alliance Chair Cameron Bagrie.
    Scoop politics · 9:59 am
  • Halloween is typically a massive lolly fest for kids – but it doesn’t have to be
    Leave the pillowcase at home. Parents can try giving children a smaller bucket or bag to take trick-or-treating.
    Evening Report by The Conversation · 8:55 am
  • Labor came to power promising a big care agenda. Four years on, how has it fared?
    The Albanese government has modelled a more caring and inclusive form of leadership, but it’s being reminded that vibes are easier to change than policy regimes.
    Evening Report by The Conversation · 8:35 am
  • Using ChatGPT before a medical appointment? How to get the best support for your health questions
    Chatbot advice is readily available, is personalised and can be prompted for greater clarity. But it can also lead to serious patient harm.
    Evening Report by The Conversation · 8:15 am
  • Flying-foxes are turning up starving. Why are we still responding one crisis at a time?
    Wildlife carers have been deluged with distressed flying-foxes. It’s yet another crisis for these vital animals. Is it time to do better?
    Evening Report by The Conversation · 8:15 am
  • A wise woman who turned fish eggs into beasts: meet an ancient witch from Mesopotamia
    Ancient evidence tells us that belief in witchcraft – and feat of witches – is more than 4,000 years old.
    Evening Report by The Conversation · 8:15 am
  • NZ’s Controversial Methane Targets Could Spark Global Race To The Bottom, Says International Report
    According to modeling in the report produced by the think-tank Cerulogy, GWP- allows countries to present negligible cuts in emissions as significant climate victories.
    Scoop politics · 8:06 am
  • #BHN Paul Barlow on how the media covered the last-minute rush to enroll
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    Big Hairy Network by Big Hairy Network · 7:30 am
  • The Black designers redefining British fashion by drawing on their own heritage, culture and history
    The work of these designers offers a vivid picture of modern Britain, shaped by overlapping cultures, communities and histories.
    Evening Report by The Conversation · 7:10 am
  • After three years of relentless reform, what lies beyond the election for education?
    Sweeping changes to the curriculum, NCEA and school governance have divided the education sector, all while major challenges remain overlooked.
    Evening Report by The Conversation · 7:05 am
  • #BHN Julie Ann Genter on the ferry replacement project already hitting government's $1.7b ceiling
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    Big Hairy Network by Big Hairy Network · 7:00 am
  • #BHN Christopher Luxon is very worried about the RNZ poll
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    Big Hairy Network by Big Hairy Network · 6:30 am
  • How porn became so extreme – and how it’s shaping the sex lives of young people
    Extreme pornography has become readily available on mainstream porn sites. Listen to expert Clare McGlynn on The Conversation Weekly on what this is doing to the sex lives of young people.
    Evening Report by The Conversation · 5:20 am
  • What if we paid for electricity through taxes, not bills?
    Taxation is broadly progressive, while levies on energy bills hit poorest households hardest.
    Evening Report by The Conversation · 5:00 am
  • Daily crossword, Friday 30 October
    Test your smarts with Newsroom's daily crossword. The post Daily crossword, Friday 30 October appeared first on Newsroom.
    Newsroom by Newsroom Puzzles · 5:00 am
  • Mini crossword, Friday 30 October
    A mini crossword you can solve in a few minutes. The post Mini crossword, Friday 30 October appeared first on Newsroom.
    Newsroom by Newsroom Puzzles · 5:00 am
  • Newsroom daily quiz, Friday 30 October
    'I'm gonna make him an offer he can't refuse' is an iconic line from which film? The post Newsroom daily quiz, Friday 30 October appeared first on Newsroom.
    Newsroom by Newsroom Puzzles · 5:00 am
  • Hipkins: ‘Our challenge is to be inspiring, but also realistic’
    From The Detail: The Leader of the Opposition says he's dropped the sweeping rhetoric for promises he can keep. How's that going for him? The post Hipkins: ‘Our challenge is to be inspiring, but also realistic’ appeared first on Newsroom.
    Newsroom by Amanda Gillies · 5:00 am
  • NZ’s ‘staggering’ climate rollbacks lambasted on eve of election
    Only the US and Canada have gone further than New Zealand in stripping back climate protections, an international group finds The post NZ’s ‘staggering’ climate rollbacks lambasted on eve of election appeared first on Newsroom.
    Newsroom by Marc Daalder · 5:00 am
  • Wake up NZ, south Asia is quarter of the world’s population – and it’s not just India
    Countries can recover from severe economic crises. NZ must think creatively about how it can connect to these often overlooked small and middle powers. The post Wake up NZ, south Asia is quarter of the world’s population – and it’s not just India appeared first on Newsroom.
    Newsroom by Suzannah Jessep · 5:00 am
  • This week’s bestselling books – October 30
    The latest NielsenIQ BookScan chart of NZ books, plus win a strong contender to win next year's $65,000 fiction prize The post This week’s bestselling books – October 30 appeared first on Newsroom.
    Newsroom by Steve Braunias · 5:00 am
  • After ‘ugly start’, Wellington North campaign wraps in harmony
    Labour's Ayesha Verrall and Green Party MP Tamatha Paul agreed they'd each vote for the other – were they themselves not in the running The post After ‘ugly start’, Wellington North campaign wraps in harmony appeared first on Newsroom.
    Newsroom by Marc Daalder · 5:00 am
  • France’s broken schools spark revolt against inequality
    Comment: The French protests are about inequality, democracy, and attempts to reshape society along neoliberal lines The post France’s broken schools spark revolt against inequality appeared first on Newsroom.
    Newsroom by Dr John Morgan · 5:00 am
  • Treaty, health funding and te reo spark fiery clashes at Kaupapa Māori debate
    With the election campaign dominated by the cost of living, Thursday’s debate laid bare the still deep ideological divides between the parties The post Treaty, health funding and te reo spark fiery clashes at Kaupapa Māori debate appeared first on Newsroom.
    Newsroom by Michael Neilson · 5:00 am
  • Jones opted for smaller-than-advised set net ban to protect hoiho
    Newly released document reveals Fisheries Minister Shane Jones didn’t take official advice to extend the Otago set net ban northwards The post Jones opted for smaller-than-advised set net ban to protect hoiho appeared first on Newsroom.
    Newsroom by Andrew Bevin · 5:00 am
  • A century of sporting ties: India and NZ face off in the globe’s great codes
    In the final of our series on India vs New Zealand at sport Stephen Hewson goes beyond hockey and cricket to the Games and kabaddi The post A century of sporting ties: India and NZ face off in the globe’s great codes appeared first on Newsroom.
    Newsroom by Stephen Hewson · 5:00 am
  • 5 Ontario education unions hold strike votes as cuts squeeze classrooms
    The current stall in negotiations follows the government’s indication that it wants greater control over negotiating issues such as staffing redundancies.
    Evening Report by The Conversation · 4:00 am
  • Is sexual objectification hard-wired? Our study used electrical brain stimulation to find out
    Flipping photos upside down usually exposes a bias in how we see women’s bodies. A weak current to the forehead made it disappear.
    Evening Report by The Conversation · 3:40 am
  • Corruption in South Africa’s police force is rife: why protecting whistleblowers is vital
    When the South African Police Service tolerates retaliation against ethical officers, it weakens the institutional integrity required to confront corruption.
    Evening Report by The Conversation · 3:40 am
  • What animal bones in Malawi teach us about the social lives of people long ago
    The bones of animals at an archaeological site in Malawi show that food was scarce over the last 21,000 years, but people didn’t cooperate far and wide to get it.
    Evening Report by The Conversation · 3:40 am
  • How the quantum vacuum perturbs atoms, shrinks black holes and formed our galaxies
    From the microscopic structure of particles and atoms, to the fate of black holes and the large-scale structure of the universe, the quantum ‘vacuum’ plays a role.
    Evening Report by The Conversation · 3:40 am
  • Deadlock ahead for Israel as election fails to deliver an alternative to Netanyahu coalition
    Stalemate in the Israeli Knesset means Netanyahu is likely to continue as caretaker prime minister.
    Evening Report by The Conversation · 3:01 am
  • Why Donald Trump’s foreign policy could cost Republicans in the midterm elections
    Voters say they care about the economy, but many blame Trump’s wars and tariffs for their bills.
    Evening Report by The Conversation · 3:00 am
  • 70 years ago the Suez crisis exposed British relative decline. Today, the Iran conflict could be doing the same for the US
    Suez showed that Britain had lost the leeway to behave like a superpower.
    Evening Report by The Conversation · 3:00 am
  • Horace Walpole’s The Castle of Otranto turned architecture into horror’s greatest weapon
    Threateningly ill-defined buildings, enough for our imagination to fill in the gaps, seem to be the ideal catalyst to spark terror.
    Evening Report by The Conversation · 3:00 am
  • How London’s 1838 ‘great stink’ created the modern vampire
    Before germ theory, the Victorians had another name for contagion: Dracula.
    Evening Report by The Conversation · 3:00 am
  • When things go bump in the night: how our brains trick us into hearing things that aren’t there
    The boundaries between sleep and wakefulness can become blurred.
    Evening Report by The Conversation · 3:00 am
  • How the law protecting Americans from surprise medical bills is driving up healthcare costs
    A handful of providers are hijacking the arbitration process – and consumers are likely to foot the bill.
    Evening Report by The Conversation · 2:20 am
  • Faculty and students show how reporting is done when a university partners with local news
    Some universities are developing innovative arrangements with universities where students help report and faculty provide guidance.
    Evening Report by The Conversation · 2:20 am
  • Driverless 18-wheelers are on a few highways, but widespread use is a long way down the road
    Chaotic roads are still too difficult for automated trucks to navigate.
    Evening Report by The Conversation · 2:20 am
  • We discovered an organism that lives at blistering temperatures – but what allows it to take the heat?
    This amoeba lives at hotter temperatures than any other eukaryote previously discovered.
    Evening Report by The Conversation · 2:20 am
  • What is Sharia law, and why is it so controversial in the United States?
    Ordinary Muslim religious practices can often be treated as political threats, writes a law professor.
    Evening Report by The Conversation · 2:20 am
  • Federal policy helped widen rural America’s fresh food gap, but a 90-year-old law could help close it
    A food systems researcher shows how trucking deregulation and lax antitrust enforcement let big grocery chains grow as rural distribution thinned.
    Evening Report by The Conversation · 2:05 am
  • Democrats are the unwitting beneficiaries of Trump’s immigration policies
    A quiet US-Mexico border, and the reduced urgency of undocumented immigration, has deprived Republicans of an issue that previously energized voters and offered conservatives an advantage.
    Evening Report by The Conversation · 2:05 am
  • Political information increasingly comes from pop culture, outside of partisan silos but where male creators – and sometimes misogyny – dominate
    Younger Americans’ pop culture favorites have multipartisan appeal, but male creators dominate the list of top influencers, podcasters and comedians.
    Evening Report by The Conversation · 2:05 am
  • Before bans for under-16s, we need to ask: what counts as social media?
    People do not consistently agree on what counts as social media
    Evening Report by The Conversation · 1:46 am
  • The UK wants ‘AI sovereignty’ to cut its reliance on foreign tech – here’s how that can be achieved
    Recent reports have highlighted the risks of relying on foreign suppliers.
    Evening Report by The Conversation · 1:45 am
  • Pan’s Labyrinth at 20: how Guillermo del Toro created his timeless dark fairy tale
    Del Toro’s imagery remains as powerful and arresting as it was 20 years ago.
    Evening Report by The Conversation · 1:45 am
  • Pan’s Labyrinth at 20: a powerful, symbolic tribute to Spanish resilience in the face of fascism
    Censorship, and the rebellious ways art can respond to it through potent symbolism, are central to the film.
    Evening Report by The Conversation · 1:45 am
  • England needs 120% of normal rainfall to come out of drought this winter – storms won’t fix that yet
    A dry winter could have a huge impact on England’s ability to recover from drought.
    Evening Report by The Conversation · 1:45 am
  • What brain scans can reveal, and why they don’t always explain symptoms
    MRI can detect tiny changes in the brain, yet conditions such as epilepsy and migraine may leave no visible trace. Here’s what brain scans can and cannot tell us.
    Evening Report by The Conversation · 1:45 am
  • Scientists probe sound of silence, as National goes awol
    Most researchers think the country is headed in the wrong direction, with one saying the two major parties offer little hope for the sector The post Scientists probe sound of silence, as National goes awol appeared first on Newsroom.
    Newsroom by Fox Meyer · 1:16 am
  • Werewolf mice, ghostly frogs and cockroach zombies: the animal versions of our Halloween horrors
    They have creepy tendencies but these animals are real not fictional.
    Evening Report by The Conversation · 12:50 am
  • Scientists map a distant planet’s atmosphere for the first time – and it’s lopsided
    A new method reveals the skewed shape of a distant planet’s atmosphere.
    Evening Report by The Conversation · 12:10 am
  • Tracy Campbell: Democracy, Israeli-style: Bring your gun to the polling station
    COMMENTARY: By Tracy Campbell Palestinian-Israelis are entitled to vote — sort of. Benjamin Netanyahu and his far-right coalition partners apparently considered this an alarming development. So alarming, in fact, that Netanyahu’s Likud party and Bezalel Smotrich’s Religious Zionism party announced plans to deploy approximately 2000 far-right bozos into Palestinian communities to monitor polling stations. READ
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  • Grattan on Friday: an embattled government tells Australians the pain they feel won’t end any time soon
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