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« Did Hanson’s One Nation Party seek funding from the NRA and the Koch Brothers?
Daily review 27/03/2019 »

The Repentant Right

Written By: te reo putake - Date published: 10:00 am, March 27th, 2019 - 121 comments
Categories: Christchurch Attack, class war, discrimination, national, Politics, racism, Social issues - Tags: class war, fascism, national party

Long time neo-Nazi Kyle Chapman is a changed man. Or so he says.

Speaking on Radio NZ, the former National Front and Right Wing Resistance leader claims to have changed his ways, found God and family, and moved on from politics.

This may be true, and if genuine, is welcome news.

Chapman is also claiming that the backlash against the far right has seen the three main NZ fascist groups disband. These are the National Front, Right Wing Resistance and the Wellington based Dominion Movement.

Again, if true, this is good news.

Chapman cautions that the folding of these organisations means the members will be driven underground. That obviously has dangers too, however the end of public displays of white supremacy from organised groups who seek to intimidate and spread fear and prejudice is to be welcomed.

Obviously, thoughts and prayers go out to any skinheads and fascists who are feeling victimised at present, such as noted sook Vaughan Tocker.

Must be tough being half master race, half snowflake.

We’ve been naively tolerant of these groups for far too long. It would be good if we help keep them from reforming by specifically criminalising hate groups.

Because they will reform.

Maybe not in the goonish way we saw when Kyle Chapman was strutting around the streets of Christchurch in neo Nazi regalia.

It’s more likely they will work as entryist cliques within established conservative parties. The experience in the UK has been of the radical right working to take over UKIP and also to establish a base within the Conservative Party.

Given the anarchy that prevails in British politics at present, they’ve found fertile ground.

So, my suggestion here is that National, ACT and NZ First will need to keep a close eye on membership applications, and in particular, unusually large sign ups in otherwise quiet branches.

It would be a great pity if this historic cleansing of the Fascist filth from our streets only leads to legitimisation within the established forums of the NZ right.

 

PS, the photo I used to illustrate this post reminded me of another pair of idiots from my youth:

 

 

 

 

Chapman and Tocker                                             Ren and Stimpy

 

 

 

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« Did Hanson’s One Nation Party seek funding from the NRA and the Koch Brothers?
Daily review 27/03/2019 »

121 comments on “The Repentant Right”

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

  1. 1
    OnceWasTim
    27 March 2019 at 10:38 am

    Good post @ TRP.
    Except that I’d also suggest that it’s not just National, ACT and NZF that need keep an eye on the ball, but ALL political parties.
    Some people that have suddenly become all contrite, supposedly self-aware and concerned are no more so today than they were yesterday. It’s just that they know they’re being watched

    1. 1.1
      solkta
      27 March 2019 at 11:30 am

      Can’t really see these people making any inroads to the Greens. Can’t see them wanting to try.

      1. 1.1.1
        OnceWasTim
        27 March 2019 at 11:56 am

        True, although there are a few Labour voters (the working man ‘stereotype’ wearing high viz who has only ever voted ‘Labour’), that’s not above calling people ‘towelies’ or rag heads when they think they’re amongst like-minds. (In a just-joking kind of way of course.)
        Supremacists will target some of them if they think they can get traction.

        1. 1.1.1.1
          Maggie
          27 March 2019 at 2:52 pm

          Smart thinking Tim. You’re right. It’s important that we don’t dismiss any potential route. Loads of ‘latent’ racist hide in plain sight and only ‘come out’ when they feel it’s safe to do so.

        2. 1.1.1.2
          Ad
          27 March 2019 at 3:13 pm

          That is not true in my company. Suffice to say we are not small in Australasia.

          Several of my company were shot in Christchurch, and we are still responding internally.

          Leave your shit generalisations about us to yourself unless you’ve got some evidence.

          1. 1.1.1.2.1
            OnceWasTim
            27 March 2019 at 6:57 pm

            We may know some of the same people then @ Ad and I’m actually quite surprised at your response.
            Personal experience and the experiences of others I know is enough ‘evidence’ for me at least, and those that have been the butt of all that ‘just joking’ shit.
            Maybe you should get out a bit more, or maybe just re-read what I said including the word ‘stereotype’

          2. 1.1.1.2.2
            patricia bremner
            27 March 2019 at 11:59 pm

            Oh Ad, how terrible, I can’t imagine the shock and pain. No one here would want to cause more pain, but it is true some people are thoughtless and make fun of difference in workplaces. The chicken pecking syndrome. I suffered it being a red head.

          3. 1.1.1.2.3
            greywarshark
            28 March 2019 at 10:35 am

            Discussion about possible problems based on observed examples and general knowledge labelled ‘shit generalisations’ indicates the power and force of shock and heightened sensitivity I have observed at the moment.
            I don’t think that is a shit generalisation, just a thoughtful statement.

            1. 1.1.1.2.3.1
              OnceWasTim
              28 March 2019 at 1:56 pm

              Well my point being that supremacist/exceptionalist views, racism, homophobia, misogyny et all comes in all shapes, sizes and flavours.

              It’s not limited to specific political parties, classes or demographic groups, although I do appreciate that there is some research showing young males with limited education, and feeling alienated seem to becoming a problem.

              And btw @grey, and Marty Mars and others (Patricia Bremner maybe):
              You might recall I mentioned a workplace assault last week that took place during the ‘two minutes of silence’. The assault by a guy who still seems to think the British Empire still exists.

              As expected, the employer has tried to minimise it all saying things like
              “You provoked him” and “You can resign if you want”
              (It’s possible the quick-to-punch-and goad-and provoke has been spoken to) though my suspicions are, not forcefully enough).

              We’ll see where it all goes, but at least it’s all been put on record if there’s any more of the “go back to your own country” and you’re not under the Queen” shit directed towards the citizen and resident (one from FIji, the other with Indian/Pakistan ancestry)

        3. 1.1.1.3
          KJT
          27 March 2019 at 9:02 pm

          Working men gave up on Labour, after the 80’s.

        4. 1.1.1.4
          SHG
          28 March 2019 at 1:31 pm

          One thing Nazis and the Left have in common: interesting opinions on the Jews.

          On Saturday, a group called Love Aotearoa Hate Racism organised a rally for the victims in Auckland’s Aotea Square.

          Ahmed Bhamji, chairman of the Mt Roskill Masjid E Umar, gave a speech questioning where the gunman got his funding from. He said he suspected it came from “Mossad” and “Zionist business”.

          Mossad is the foreign intelligence agency of Israel responsible for covert operations, intelligence gathering and counterterrorism.

          “I really want to say one thing today. Do you think this guy was alone… I want to ask you – where did he get the funding from?” he can be heard saying in video footage.

          “I stand here and I say I have a very very strong suspicion that there’s some group behind him and I am not afraid to say I feel Mossad is behind this.”

          One person can be heard shouting in support: “It’s the truth. Israel is behind this. That’s right!”

          https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/new-z…ch-attack.html

  2. 2
    KJT
    27 March 2019 at 10:57 am

    Yes, they are arseholes and idiots, but thought policing them, or anyone else, is likely to rebound.
    Sacking someone, from a job unconnected with informing the public, even for, stupid right wing racist comments, seems to me more like conviction for “thought crime”.
    Increasing that individuals sense of being ostracised and excluded, is going to make things worse, not better.

    And, what if the next, right wing Government decides advocating for Green peace, for example, is a crime against the economy?

    Some of the most effective enablers of the alt right are on, breakfast TV.

    Some dangerous precedents are being set, here.

    The right wing do not need any encouragement, or example, to try and destroy the reputation and livelihood of anyone they don’t like. Nick Hagar is just one example.

    1. 2.1
      Peter Christchurch NZ
      27 March 2019 at 11:03 am

      Yep, some extremist factions are definitely seeing this atrocity as an a way of force feeding their views on the public. That Placemakers sacking (IF it is true as reported), is disgraceful.

      1. 2.1.1
        te reo putake
        27 March 2019 at 11:18 am

        That guy wasn’t sacked. He worked for a temp agency, not the firm.

        On a related matter, there is a bill before Parliament that would strengthen temp agency workers’ rights. I think it’s called the Triangular Relationships Bill.

        1. 2.1.1.1
          Peter Christchurch NZ
          27 March 2019 at 11:36 am

          Re Temp workers rights : pleased to hear that, well overdue.

          And thanks for the correction – my mistake obviously!

    2. 2.2
      Puckish Rogue
      27 March 2019 at 11:04 am

      Indeed

    3. 2.3
      marty mars
      27 March 2019 at 11:32 am

      I linked to one today. That guy rattled his bullshit. Everyone felt uncomfortable and scared. The team members complained to management and the person couldn’t continue in that job. Good. Any manager is considering the team and if a person can’t modulate their speech and thoughts at a time like this i’d be fucken scared too.

      https://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=12216465

      1. 2.3.1
        mac1
        27 March 2019 at 12:00 pm

        Read the article. Thanks for the citation. He admitted to being a bit OTT. He admitted hat he shut up after a while. Considering the topic and the timing, and the fact that he liked a far-right commentator because he raised interesting topics for debate, I’d say he said far more than enough, more than what he’s admitting to, and I’d also say his emotional intelligence probably only raised the issue of the effect of his words far too late.

      2. 2.3.2
        mauī
        27 March 2019 at 12:54 pm

        The article says one person complained, not “everyone”. If everyone had complained then that would suggest they probably would have shut him down there and then, and told him this isn’t what we discuss in the workplace, etc, etc and incident averted.

        If Placemakers were genuinely concerned they could have called him in for a please explain, and discussed what this was all about. Found out he wasn’t a fascist, and then get on with having a mix of different people working for them with different views.

        1. 2.3.2.1
          marty mars
          27 March 2019 at 4:13 pm

          Sure crisis actors you fink?

  3. 3
    Peter Christchurch NZ
    27 March 2019 at 11:01 am

    Good post. But the Kyle Chapman types are unlikely to ever be a threat. They just like dressing up and being noticed (like the KKK bit on South Park).

    The real threats are the ones normally dressed, who spew forth racist and bigoted ignorance under the cloak of intellectual discussion and post these views on far right blogs. The likes of Whaleoil, which without Slater has noticeably moved to become a extreme Fundamentalist Christian/Islamophobia sight , pose the real danger as they groom extremist viewpoints.

    But I am also becoming very concerned that even legitimate discussions about immigration or apartheid practices in NZ are now being labelled as hate speech, like with ZB’s Chris Lynch . This is a certain recipe to create right wing extremist nutters.

    1. 3.1
      marty mars
      27 March 2019 at 11:07 am

      “But really, the Kyle Chapman types are unlikely to ever be a threat.”

      A marae is often an ancestor. He is convicted of trying to burn down a marae. No threat to some. Threat to others. Imagine how some thought watching his nazishit. Imagine how some thought about him running for mayor 3 times. The Kyle Chapman types are exactly the ones to watch out for imo because the are thick enough to actually do things and that spreads terror as much as hate speech, burning crosses or Islamophobia t-shirts.

      1. 3.1.1
        Peter Christchurch NZ
        27 March 2019 at 11:20 am

        Yes but he is allowed to stand for office if he so desires. His trashing in the polls each time clearly says what most Kiwis think of him. Thick yes, but also obvious. I was not aware of the attempt to burn down a marae.

      2. 3.1.2
        KJT
        27 March 2019 at 11:29 am

        Yes I agree.
        However, does driving them underground remove the threat?

        So far public ridicule seems to have been the most effective, in reducing Nazi group numbers.

        1. 3.1.2.1
          marty mars
          27 March 2019 at 11:51 am

          I think creating an environment, with less visible and tolerated racism and race/religion haters, enables us to build that world permanently.

          1. 3.1.2.1.1
            KJT
            27 March 2019 at 9:05 pm

            I think Sabine is correct.

            Looking at root causes is going to be more effective long term, than condemnation.

            1. 3.1.2.1.1.1
              marty mars
              27 March 2019 at 11:06 pm

              So the people being hated on just have to turn the other cheek and be the bigger people cos the rights of the haters are more important. And condemnation and ostracizing the haters might drive them underground – is that the way it is or have i got it wrong?

              1. 3.1.2.1.1.1.1
                Maggie
                28 March 2019 at 12:01 am

                It’s not a zero-sum game Marty. You can deal with the filth they spew AND deal with the root cause. Ultimately dealing with the root cause is a solution that respects the rights of victims to not be exposed to further abuse.

                1. 3.1.2.1.1.1.1.1
                  marty mars
                  28 March 2019 at 8:44 am

                  I know it’s not and it depends what values are placed first. Put people first especially those being hated on and everything will be supported from that.

              2. 3.1.2.1.1.1.2
                KJT
                28 March 2019 at 4:58 am

                It is the same as crime.
                Is your goal less crime, or revenge?

              3. 3.1.2.1.1.1.3
                KJT
                28 March 2019 at 7:45 am

                I fully understand why you take this position.
                I’ve felt like punching a few smug arseholes, myself.
                But. What sort of world do we want?

                1. 3.1.2.1.1.1.3.1
                  marty mars
                  28 March 2019 at 8:48 am

                  One where people are safe to walk the streets without being abused for their religion or skin pigmentation.

                  1. 3.1.2.1.1.1.3.1.1
                    KJT
                    28 March 2019 at 9:52 am

                    Agree.

                    There is a but from me.

                    How do we get from multihued toddlers happily playing together, to fear and loathing of the “other”.

                    And. How do we stop that process?

  4. 4
    Bewildered
    27 March 2019 at 11:18 am

    While closing down the white supremist organisation let’s also do the same to gangs who create destruction and misery day in and day out, they are just as much terriost but due to familiarity’s don’t have shock value but actually cause more harm

    1. 4.1
      KJT
      27 March 2019 at 11:26 am

      Definitely close down the National party. Their bene bashing hate has destroyed the lives of hundreds of thousands of people.
      Labour is not guiltless, either.

      1. 4.1.1
        RedLogix
        27 March 2019 at 5:10 pm

        And right there is the problem; over-reach. For the past 10 days the left in this country has been gifted an extraordinary legacy of moral authority, at the cost of 50 lives and a lasting trauma for all who came in contact with it’s malevolence.

        And it’s been very sobering to see what some people have proposed doing with it. OK so we banned the video, then the manifesto, then silenced all the unpleasant nazis and skinheads, then anyone with an opinion on Islam, and then said that all white people were responsible because supremacy.

        Now without pausing for breath we’re banning the National and Labour Party, leaving presumably only the Greens standing. Are you sure all the Green party members are perfectly pure? Maybe a purge or two will sort them out.

        Where were you going to draw the line again? OK so I know your commenting history and I’ve a sense of what you mean, but imagine someone new to this site reading that comment above and taking it at face value. Especially if they’re looking for something to recast in the worst possible light.

        1. 4.1.1.1
          KJT
          27 March 2019 at 9:29 pm

          I know it is confronting to accept that your own, and I include myself, “othering” and tolerance of inhumanity, is part of the problem.

          The real question is how much the tolerant should tolerate the intolerant?
          Or the tolerant the intolerable.

          I think any banning or censorship by the left will backfire. Because, in our society at present, the intolerant and unethical, what I would call right wing, if you like, have the power.

          The “winner takes all” Entitled, cheating, lack of moral compass, is so common in our centres of power, it goes almost unnoticed. I’ve been close enough to see it.

          Which is why Jacinda Adern showing compassion and concern, is so startling.

          I haven’t seen anyone saying all white people. I’ve seen Golriz and Marama holding up a mirror to some, who needed it.
          Who along with many others who have acknowledged the concern, compassion and empathy shown by the majority of New Zealanders, white ones included.

          Which leads me to hope that the Governments of unconcern, of the cheats and of the greedy, are an aberration which doesn’t reflect most of us.

          1. 4.1.1.1.1
            marty mars
            27 March 2019 at 10:19 pm

            Awesome comment mate – really nicely put – thanks

            1. 4.1.1.1.1.1
              patricia bremner
              28 March 2019 at 1:40 pm

              Recently my husband commented that poor employment practice and past money cheats from the big end of town are being held to account.

              He couldn’t believe one was given home detention though. as he put it, free to watch netflix swim in his pool and order in delicacies. Ok for some. A poor beneficiary would more likely get gaol, Especially as the crime involved 17 million. The elete always come out better off!!

              They make the rules, infiltrate government machinery and go slow when they don’t like something. Or they cling to a well paid position until their talons are pried off. (Muldoon)

              Sometimes they read the writing on the wall and mea culpa early.( Bolger)

              The fact that Jacinda Ardern put kindness a a desired quality made her the butt of the shock jocks and right wing spokespeople.

              As her manner and abilities were admired overseas, the attacks swapped to her partner, (which was nipped in the bud) then later to Winston. The chicken peck syndrome is played like pass the parcel. Nasty meme after meme.

              It isn’t a matter of secret police or people watching each other . We just need to bring some sense of kindness and decency into our everyday activities. 25000 people objected to Hoskins on TV. He was gone. We should do the same if he becomes too toxic on the radio, and the other well known voices of the right. Call it out.

          2. 4.1.1.1.2
            RedLogix
            28 March 2019 at 3:56 am

            I think any banning or censorship by the left will backfire.

            Do you stand by your unambiguous wish to ban the National and Labour parties or not? Given that you are an active member of a party that forms at least part of the government, and a prominent Green activist here, it’s not an entirely moot question.

            You make it appear you have walked back on banning, on the pragmatic grounds that they ‘have all the power’ and it would backfire, but presumably in principle you still think it’s a good idea.

            The “winner takes all” Entitled, cheating, lack of moral compass, is so common in our centres of power,

            Indeed the direct implication of the Greens banning National and Labour if they held the power to do so could only be interpreted as exactly that.

            A month ago you would never have openly said such a thing, yet March 15 has gifted the left an unprecedented moral power, and now this is how you would like to use it; on a textbook, authoritarian example of othering and intolerance.

            Oh and just this week:

            Brunei is set to introduce new laws next week that could see LGBT people whipped or stoned to death for same-sex relations, according to human rights groups that have urged the country to abandon the plan.

            Muslims could face whipping or stoning for same-sex relations, adultery and rape

            Brunei delayed implementing the legislation after an international outcry in 2014

            A document posted to a government website shows it will come into effect next week

            Homosexuality is already illegal and punishable by up to 10 years imprisonment in the tiny sultanate, but the changes would see Brunei become the first Asian country to make homosexuality punishable by death.

            https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-03-26/lgbt-muslims-brunei-face-whipping,-stoning-under-new-laws/10938592

            Crickets ….

            1. 4.1.1.1.2.1
              KJT
              28 March 2019 at 5:37 am

              That was rather tongue in cheek.
              As you would realise if you were not simply recycling Trotter.
              Aimed more at those who want to ban/ silence everything they don’t like. Which I thought was obvious.

              But I have high lighted the moral vacuum, that allows for 300 children in poverty, and the misogyny, racism and bene bashing inherent in the right wing attitude to poor brown mums, and others not in the right white club, many times before. Long before this happened.
              If you have followed my commenting, as you claim, you will know I have always advocated for a free, clear, honest, and open contest of ideas.
              Greedy entitled loons, like the recent one from federated farmers, always eventually, out, themselves.
              Not walking back from a ban on National, because I never supported one in the first place.

              1. 4.1.1.1.2.1.1
                RedLogix
                28 March 2019 at 6:01 am

                Not walking back from a ban on National, because I never supported one in the first place.

                As I clearly indicated above when I said OK so I know your commenting history and I’ve a sense of what you mean I understood you were speaking rhetorically, but that’s only because I know you somewhat and we share common values.

                But even though your words contradicted each other, in the interests of good faith I’ll accept your latter clarification … that you do not support a ban on National.

                But I’m not going to let you entirely off the hook here. In the context of March 15 you continue to conflate the actions of a dangerous, criminal extremist with the beliefs and values all conservatives … guilt by association. In your comment above you explicitly double down on this.

                Yet for a sense of exactly how dangerous this is, consider Ardern’s conspicuous embrace of NZ’s Islamic community over the past week; and how you would be rightly very cross with me indeed if I was to say this meant the NZ government, the Greens included, now endorsed stoning homosexuals to death.

                1. 4.1.1.1.2.1.1.1
                  KJT
                  28 March 2019 at 6:23 am

                  What i wrote also. But you obviously didnt read.
                  “thought policing them, or anyone else, is likely to rebound.
                  Sacking someone, from a job unconnected with informing the public, even for, stupid right wing racist comments, seems to me more like conviction for “thought crime”.
                  Increasing that individuals sense of being ostracised and excluded, is going to make things worse, not better.

                  1. 4.1.1.1.2.1.1.1.1
                    RedLogix
                    28 March 2019 at 6:35 am

                    Good. Especially your last point. Yet when a few days back I made exactly the same point wrt to ‘he who shall not be named’ … no-one liked that much at all.

                    Anyone can be empathetic and inclusive with people they like and identify with; it is how we treat the people we don’t like that is the true test. Our terrorist will face the full force of the law, and we will continue to politically contend with conservatives, but we fail a certain basic test when we dehumanise them.

                    1. 4.1.1.1.2.1.1.1.1.1
                      KJT
                      28 March 2019 at 6:48 am

                      I don’t like using the term conservative.
                      That is my own natural inclination.
                      In my work we have a saying. “If it ain’t broke don’t fix it”.
                      Conservative I can work with. They often just need to see there is a need for change.
                      Much of what has been done over the last three decades, has not been conservative!
                      Right wing is not always fair either. I could say I am being lazy, using it as short hand for the Neo-liberal, greed is good right wing.
                      Obviously not all right wingers. But the ones who are in the ascendancy at present.

                2. 4.1.1.1.2.1.1.2
                  KJT
                  28 March 2019 at 6:29 am

                  What hook?

                  Do you think the right wing, in National, and Labours, deliberate policy to impoverish so many people, which they have justified by dog whistling misogyny, racism and bene bashing, is not part of a continuum of hate?
                  I expect a better example from our political parties.

                  WTF, is an arsehole Government in Brunei got to do with it. By the way, I have worked in Brunei. I doubt their Government reflects the Veiw of most of the locals. Who don’t get any choice in their laws. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Politics_of_Brunei

                  1. 4.1.1.1.2.1.1.2.1
                    RedLogix
                    28 March 2019 at 6:54 am

                    which they have justified by dog whistling misogyny, racism and bene bashing, is not part of a continuum of hate?

                    Everything exists on a continuum. Burning crosses on someone’s front lawn and farting in a crowded lift are both unpleasant and undesirable, but it would be absurd to imply this means any doofus in a lift must be a card carrying member of the KKK.

                    At your prompting I did go a read Trotter’s latest, and I have to agree “Davidson and Ghahraman need to ask themselves what the reaction of their parliamentary colleagues is likely to be if it becomes clear that their determination to leverage-off the Christchurch Mosque Shootings to unleash an uncompromising anti-racist campaign encompassing the whole of Pakeha New Zealand,“.

                    Again you can protest ‘that’s not what I meant’, but the Green’s failure to draw distinctions, their conflation of motives and their blatant guilt by association, which you have explicitly endorsed above, is plain enough.

                    Also you might want to look across the Tasman and consider the Australian Green’s disastrous performance this past year or so, for much the same reasons.

                    1. 4.1.1.1.2.1.1.2.1.1
                      KJT
                      28 March 2019 at 7:08 am

                      It is only Trotter who objects to the “anti racist campaign” as he terms it.
                      In the light of events, Golriz and Marama’s asking that we examine our own racism and prejudice, is entirely appropriate.
                      And. One of the good things that may come out of all this.

                    2. 4.1.1.1.2.1.1.2.1.2
                      RedLogix
                      28 March 2019 at 7:19 am

                      In the light of events, Golriz and Marama’s asking that we examine our own racism and prejudice, is entirely appropriate.

                      Again why? 99.999% of New Zealanders, from all backgrounds, were shocked and appalled at March 15. No-one thinks what he did was a good idea. Probably even the skin-heads and nazi’s in ChCh who don’t like Muslims at all, are pretty damned pissed off about it.

                      So precisely why does this give two Green Party MP’s an entry point to demand we all “examine our own racism and prejudice”?

                    3. 4.1.1.1.2.1.1.2.1.3
                      marty mars
                      28 March 2019 at 8:38 am

                      Oh ffs

                      “So precisely why does this give two Green Party MP’s an entry point to demand we all “examine our own racism and prejudice”?”

                      what an absolute tool.

                  2. 4.1.1.1.2.1.1.2.2
                    RedLogix
                    28 March 2019 at 7:00 am

                    WTF, is an arsehole Government in Brunei got to do with it.

                    So WTF does an arsehole loner terrorist got to do with the National Party? Or any conservative for that matter? Do you think they were consulted about his plan for mass murder?

                    Also I’ve yet to see the broad condemnation of the wider Islamic world, say the govt of Saudi for instance, speaking out against Brunei’s actions. Something along the lines “this is not us” might be appropriate.

                    1. 4.1.1.1.2.1.1.2.2.1
                      KJT
                      28 March 2019 at 7:10 am

                      You think the use of racism to justify cruelty is not part of the same problem?
                      Who ever does it.

                    2. 4.1.1.1.2.1.1.2.2.2
                      KJT
                      28 March 2019 at 7:22 am

                      Not sure what you are getting at here.
                      “Muslims do it too”?

                      As the Saudi’s are deliberately murdering people in Yemen, with weapons supplied by the “christian” USA, by the way, I don’t see them taking the moral high ground.
                      Muslims in New Zealand, that I work with, are trying to get away from extremism. They are as unhappy about these things as anybody. Note the Muslim communities support of a synagogue in New York, after mass killings there.

                    3. 4.1.1.1.2.1.1.2.2.3
                      RedLogix
                      28 March 2019 at 7:28 am

                      You think the use of racism to justify cruelty is not part of the same problem?

                      Yes, but not all people with racist ideas are cruel. There is your logical fallacy, and conflating the two causes more problems than it solves.

                    4. 4.1.1.1.2.1.1.2.2.3.1
                      KJT
                      28 March 2019 at 7:58 am

                      Not sure whether you are genuinely mis understanding or not. Given the time of the morning I will give you the benefit of doubt.

                      There is no logical fallacy in equating the cruelty I have seen in WINZ offices, directly caused by senior people in National, with extremism. The effects on peoples lives are still devastating. .
                      Only Jim Bolger had the guts to admit they had it wrong.

                    5. 4.1.1.1.2.1.1.2.2.4
                      RedLogix
                      28 March 2019 at 7:48 am

                      Not sure what you are getting at here.
                      “Muslims do it too”?

                      I explicitly used that to point out the dangers of ‘guilt by association’. As I said above, does this govt’s embrace of the NZ Islamic community this past week, now mean that the NZ Greens endorse stoning homosexuals? Of course not, you would find that an absurd claim.

                      So why do you have so much difficulty understand that most Pakeha’s find it equally repugnant that somehow their ‘unexamined prejudice and racism’ is in some vague and unspecified way responsible for what happened in ChCh?

                    6. 4.1.1.1.2.1.1.2.2.4.1
                      KJT
                      28 March 2019 at 8:06 am

                      You don’t actually believe that extremism is entirely unconnected with characterisation of brown people, as freaks, ferals, useless people, etc etc in main stream discourse

                    7. 4.1.1.1.2.1.1.2.2.5
                      RedLogix
                      28 March 2019 at 8:16 am

                      There is no logical fallacy in equating the cruelty I have seen in WINZ offices, directly caused by senior people in National, with extremism.

                      Turning someone down for a benefit they should get is definitely a bad thing, we agree on that. But it’s not the same thing as the provocative murder of 50 people for a political purpose.

                      This is an intellectual sleight of hand the radical left has been doing for so long I think you cannot even see it any more.

                    8. 4.1.1.1.2.1.1.2.2.6
                      KJT
                      28 March 2019 at 9:41 am

                      The “harming of people for a political purpose” is still there.

                      And both shows a lack of morality.

                      You don’t get to condone the foul treatment of the most disadvantaged in our society, and claim the people in power causing it, are somehow, not as bad as other types of evil.

                      https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11913334
                      “More New Zealand children are killed by diseases linked to cold, damp, and overcrowded housing than in car crashes or drownings”.

                      It is not a slight of hand. It is simply fact. Poverty in New Zealand, was a deliberate policy choice, by the right.
                      And the deliberate use of “othering” and hate, to get public support, was intentional.

                      Even Wayne says, “there was too much equality”. To justify it.

                    9. 4.1.1.1.2.1.1.2.2.7
                      RedLogix
                      28 March 2019 at 10:25 am

                      OK so by the logic you have laid out above the right wing in this country are all equally as culpable as our terrorist. You draw no moral nor practical distinction. So let’s assume I grant you this.

                      In which case you really do need to be honest about the logical outcome; if we are going to convict a mass murderer for 50 deaths and sentence him to life imprisonment; then there is no reason not to apply the exact same penalty to anyone who didn’t vote for the Alliance or the Greens.

                      Or maybe its a case of wrong reasoning leads to absurd outcomes.

                    10. 4.1.1.1.2.1.1.2.2.8
                      KJT
                      28 March 2019 at 1:25 pm

                      No Red. I only think the leaders who knowingly caused the problem, should be jailed.

                      It is one of life’s anomalies that someone who smokes dope, who is only harming themselves, gets two years in jail, while someone who causes immeasurable harm to tens of thousands, gets a knighthood.

            2. 4.1.1.1.2.2
              KJT
              28 March 2019 at 5:55 am

              Red. “They do it too” is not a reason.

  5. 5
    cleangreen
    27 March 2019 at 11:18 am

    Best all political parties now wake up from their slumber and concentrate on the most serious issue ahead as we approach Armageddon.

    one week ago the University of Adelaide released this climate change report citing that even the IPCC is underselling climate change;

    https://phys.org/news/2019-03-ipcc-underselling-climate.html

    Study shows IPCC is underselling climate change
    March 19, 2019, University of Adelaide

    Credit: CC0 Public Domain
    A new study has revealed that the language used by the global climate change watchdog, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), is overly conservative – and therefore the threats are much greater than the Panel’s reports suggest.
    Published in the journal BioScience, the team of scientists from the University of Adelaide, Flinders University, the University of Bristol (UK), and the Spanish National Research Council has analysed the language used in the IPCC’s Fifth Assessment Report (from 2014).
    “We found that the main message from the reports—that our society is in climate emergency—is lost by overstatement of uncertainty and gets confused among the gigabytes of information,” says lead author Dr. Salvador Herrando-Pérez, from the University of Adelaide’s Environment Institute and Australian Centre for Ancient DNA.
    “The IPCC supports the overwhelming scientific consensus about human impact on climate change, so we would expect the reports’ vocabulary to be dominated by greater certainty on the state of climate science—but this is not the case.”

  6. 6
    marty mars
    27 March 2019 at 11:25 am

    I have nothing for these converted ex-racists. I just have no time for words all self serving and dripping with pathos. Get out and do something and prove it Kyle you bastard. Let’s see your bullshit face doing something not just words. imo that is the real proof of the pudding – the real proof of repentance.

    1. 6.1
      McFlock
      27 March 2019 at 5:48 pm

      first step would be for him to write down the names of all his former mates and hand over the list to the SIS/police. Be no end of help in figuring out how effective they are at putting together the network map.

      1. 6.1.1
        RedLogix
        27 March 2019 at 6:07 pm

        Are you sure you know where to stop with this? In East Germany, hundreds of thousands finished up as Stasi informants:

        https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stasi#Alleged_informants

        1. 6.1.1.1
          McFlock
          27 March 2019 at 9:13 pm

          I figure we start and stop with anyone who wants everyone with any agency or existence in the world to be exactly like them. Nazis, ISIS, white supremacists, fascists, and so on.

          You happy nobody wants to steal your pearls now?

        2. 6.1.1.2
          Sabine
          27 March 2019 at 10:46 pm

          you forgot to mention why they ended up as informants.
          btw, it was inofficial informant.

          like 90 % + of East Germans citizens over 18 were informants. Its what people do in a totalitarian regime where your own survival depends on not getting on the shit books of the state. So if he Stasi knocked on your door to politely ask you to keep an eye on yer neighbor, that is what you did. Never mind that they day before they asked the neighbor to keep an eye on you. And you better reported anything they wanted to know, as otherwise your child might not be going to uni, you might not be getting that car that you waited 15 years for, that promotion….not this year.

          panopticon someone called it.

          1. 6.1.1.2.1
            McFlock
            27 March 2019 at 11:11 pm

            Interesting card index system, too.

            Whereas in NZ, it seems pretty evident that our security services are going to be playing catchup on the right wing for the next while. What was it, ten years of monthly intelligence briefings without reference to white supremacists and their ilk?

            So yeah, investigate it like any other criminal network.

            1. 6.1.1.2.1.1
              Sabine
              27 March 2019 at 11:19 pm

              or you find out as they are doing in the States, that a lot of law enforcement is active in these groups 🙂

              1. 6.1.1.2.1.1.1
                McFlock
                28 March 2019 at 12:30 am

                Oh snap that’s funny because it’s true. Sigh.

      2. 6.1.2
        Sabine
        27 March 2019 at 10:47 pm

        IF the SIS / police don’t already have then names then frankly they need more then just an overhaul.

  7. 7
    Stuart Munro.
    27 March 2019 at 11:28 am

    Well, over the years we’ve seen undercover cops and more recently private detectives deployed against practically every Left or Green organization in NZ. Now that it has been unequivocally demonstrated that RWNJ constitute a greater threat, I look forward to their organizations being similarly monitored. Though Kyle Chapman himself may not be a threat, the milieu to which he belongs can no longer escape scrutiny.

    1. 7.1
      KJT
      27 March 2019 at 11:32 am

      Stuart.

      We see some of the most harmful on TV, every morning.

      1. 7.1.1
        Stuart Munro.
        27 March 2019 at 1:04 pm

        My sympathies. I never saw the point in starting my day with a dose of venal and stupid.

    2. 7.2
      Anne
      27 March 2019 at 12:15 pm

      Yes. For years decent, law abiding people – who happened to support environmental protection groups and/or stood up and protested against racist ideology and the race for nuclear-armed superiority by the super powers in the 70s and 80s in particular – found themselves targeted as potentially harmful individuals.

      Then years later wadda y’know… they were shown to have been right all along, and the narrow mindset of the establishment wrong.

  8. 8
    Tiger Mountain
    27 March 2019 at 11:39 am

    Jawhol! Kyle…

    NZ neo nazis can stay underground as long as they like…

    Classic description TRP–half master race, half snowflake…

  9. 9
    Psycho Milt
    27 March 2019 at 1:00 pm

    It would be good if we help keep them from reforming by specifically criminalising hate groups.

    It would be good to remove freedom of expression and freedom of association by criminalising unpopular political groups? I’m not sure you understand what the word “good” means.

    1. 9.1
      I feel love
      27 March 2019 at 3:49 pm

      “First they came for the right wing racists…”?

  10. 10
    patricia bremner
    27 March 2019 at 1:17 pm

    Police as we know them were formed to protect property. The cry of “Law and Order, beloved of the Conservative wings of Politics is often used to keep workers and citizens in line and to establish the order of society the Right favour.

    Therefore Left dissidents activists unionists and those fighting for conservation or Maori rights will always be on the radar. The Right having the money and property look for ways to infiltrate, on Tv radio in print, so it follows they do the same on the internet.

    It took me many years to realise that the Right rationalise their money/property based belief systems through guises which are often diametrically opposed, hiding in plain sight. Religious trappings Charities Fundraisers and Businesses.

    The left have a chip on the shoulder, it comes from anger and hurt built from generations of ill treatment. When they do form groups they argue furiously on any point of law, enjoying stretching their intellect and testing theories but often they have to also work for and with the conservative forces in their lives, and have limited resources. When they do combine to form groups to raise funds they are targets for the machinery of the Right.

    The class system was broken down in early NZ, but two wars bought King/Queen and country back to the fore. Colonisation was done to defeat the old enemy France from taking over NZ. When smart early Maori saw the sale of lands and their loss of business opportunities they appealed to the Queen to protect their rights under her laws. In typical Right wing fashion there were two treaties. Enter the settlements.
    The complexity grows with new differing cultural and religious beliefs, but NZ people made our laws secular to avoid the “troubles” being imported. It worked for a while.

    The the Neo-Liberals infiltrated the Labour Party, changed our money system, and when the Right won the next election they finished the transformation removing hard won workers rights, and stripping back government and public services to a shadow. We have a new Government which is made up of 3 groups with beliefs spread over the spectrum, struggling to change laws to change lives.

    Now in a shrinking world we face fighting joined up groups of far right terrorists.
    For a while the home grown groups have been able to link up with others using the internet. Given the awful beliefs and deeds we have to ask “Why have they not been made illegal?” If they were, we could fiercely find their connections funds and strip them surely? They would leave a plain trail through the internet… so why have we been so slow to put them on our radar? Who or what stopped that happening.?

    This tragedy has thrown into huge relief how fractured our society had become, where minorities are telling tales of mistreatment which should have rung warning bells earlier. Perhaps because so many had been ground down to dealing with our day to day woes these instances were not widely reported or seen as affecting money or business? But this has focussed ordinary NZers, who want peace and safety for all citizens, and now are looking at those who would divide and destroy.

    Quite quickly voices have been raised.. talking of “Freedoms” Freedom of Speech Assembly and so on. When they talk of “Responsibilities” they would get a better hearing, as they are not paying for those freedoms… other groups in society are. Are these groups repentant or just sorry they have been shown up?
    Racism Islamophobia Extreme Right views should find no freedom here. IMO.

    1. 10.1
      WILD KATIPO
      27 March 2019 at 2:53 pm

      Bewildered 4
      27 March 2019 at 11:18 am
      While closing down the white supremist organisation let’s also do the same to gangs who create destruction and misery day in and day out, they are just as much terriost but due to familiarity’s don’t have shock value but actually cause more harm

      Reply
      KJT 4.1
      27 March 2019 at 11:26 am
      Definitely close down the National party. Their bene bashing hate has destroyed the lives of hundreds of thousands of people.
      Labour is not guiltless, either.

      Two good posts…

      Leave no stone un-turned.

      1. 10.1.1
        Skunk Weed
        28 March 2019 at 9:10 am

        The likes of the Rebels/Head Hunters/Tribesmen/Filthy Few do not add a lot of value to society IMHO ?

    2. 10.2
      Maggie
      27 March 2019 at 4:34 pm

      “It took me many years to realise that the Right rationalise their money/property based belief systems through guises which are often diametrically opposed, hiding in plain sight. Religious trappings Charities Fundraisers and Businesses.”

      Interesting connection to Alt-right picking up the “blood and Soil” nationalist slogan expressing Nazi Germany’s ideal of a “racially” defined national body (“blood”) united with a settlement area (“soil”). This is how you know that forcing them underground won’t work. They’re driven to accrue concrete symbols of their beliefs and won’t be content to hold their perceived supremacy as an abstract.

      1. 10.2.1
        Stuart Munro.
        27 March 2019 at 4:51 pm

        “forcing them underground won’t work. They’re driven to accrue concrete symbols ”

        Bunkers! Nazis love bunkers!

    3. 10.3
      left_forward
      28 March 2019 at 6:46 am

      100% Pat.

  11. 11
    Peter
    27 March 2019 at 3:37 pm

    I realise being driven underground is bad because worms thrive there rather than under the light.

  12. 12
    Maggie
    27 March 2019 at 4:09 pm

    I don’t think we can have this conversation and not talk about why we have it. It’s not just NZ, it’s everywhere and whilst I’ll admit to enjoying this article very much I’m still compelled to ask ‘why’. Why are white men (and it is predominantly white men) are going to such extremes.

    I wrote an article about what I believe is really going on and it was a hard write. I’m Ngai Tahu and a feminist so turning my head to the plight of white men wasn’t, isn’t, easy but how else do we stop the insanity? How else do we stop the slaughter of innocent men women and children?

    The article is here if anyone wants to read it. It’s behind a paywall but if you open the link in an incognito tab you can read it for free.

    https://medium.com/@maggie.lawson.in.nz/rooting-out-racism-abdba67b83eb

    1. 12.1
      patricia bremner
      27 March 2019 at 7:02 pm

      Thank you Maggie, some thought provoking material there. You suggest “Where to from here” and I think you are correct.

      I was thinking “Are these people on the Right repentant or just biding their time?”

      Tackling it from your thesis we could prevent contamination of the young men.

      Those who hold these ideologies as adults will find it hard to change, as they feel such anger. So I think you are correct in your suggestion the established Right will want concrete expressions of their beliefs.

      I do believe many” hide in plain sight”… we need to be watching.

      Apps and AI are useful but can steer the young towards sites online.

      1. 12.1.1
        Sabine
        27 March 2019 at 10:52 pm

        He is hiding behind god, whom he found somewhere along the lines, and that god, sure as anything will give him the same believes. Man over women and child. white men over every one else. god above all and that is always so convenient innit, cause god ain’t here and he ain’t gonna come to help either.

        so yeah, they are still here, he is just ‘retired’ now, and they call themselves now ‘identity evropa’ or some other fancy shit.

        1. 12.1.1.1
          patricia bremner
          27 March 2019 at 11:40 pm

          Thanks Sabine. that led to some research. Evropa, something new to me.

    2. 12.2
      Stuart Munro.
      27 March 2019 at 8:01 pm

      That’s rather good.

      I’d be inclined to add something about social roles that is gender but not race based – within living memory a great deal of work was partly physical, so that size and strength favoured males. This is less true than it was. And there is the thing about socially sanctioned violence; war, policing, and informal policing were once roles that men found fell within their sphere of responsibilities, and men are still brought up and culturally reinforced with those expectations.

      I’m not certain what adaptations an enlightened society would make to roles and the culture that defines them, but I’m fairly sure it wouldn’t just lazily abandon everything to the crude accumulatory processes of unregulated markets.

    3. 12.3
      left_forward
      28 March 2019 at 7:05 am

      After reading this, I contemplated one of the solutions many wise Maori elders advocate, and that is a re-education / re-focus for Maori men and women on tikanga Maori (and Te Reo). Roles for men and women are delineated in Te Ao Maori, there is a place for each gender to contribute, and mihi and acknowledgements of the person for who they are (their mana) is such a centrally important activity in powhiri, hui, whakatau, mihimihi, manaakitanga, waiata, tangi, whaikorero, hariru, etc.

      For Pakeha, there is so much value to be gained in understanding and adopting these ancient Nui Tireni traditions into our own lives.

      In a modern western world, focus is so easily lost. Even though we have often heard critique of gender roles in both Maori and Muslim rituals, I think that we should be developing a deeper sense of appreciation.

      For me, your article is much appreciated Maggie.

      [P.S. if I knew how to do this on my device, I would have used macrons]

  13. 13
    adam
    27 March 2019 at 4:14 pm

    WOW, just wow – what a mess this age is.

    And what a age to be an elite.

    As a elite, you get a free pass for everything. Free pass for backing an ideology which has created the mess. You get a free pass form any mass shootings which you helped create. You get cover by the managerial class who throw out distractions faster than winnie can poo. Untouchable.

    Wholesale wreckage and failure on their part, and we all effectively start going squirrel.

    MInd you, why hold the elites to account, why hold to account their complete and utter failure. No need is there, we cross the tipping point environmentally in just under two years.

    May as well keep giving the elites their free pass, it’s the culture now. And it’s not like they don’t know they’re failures, but good on posts like this trying to make them feel good for a few moments.

  14. 14
    Wayne
    27 March 2019 at 6:16 pm

    Not a fair heading to this item. It effectively conflates neo nazi extremists with everyone who has conservative views.

    1. 14.1
      joe90
      27 March 2019 at 6:21 pm

      TBF, conservatives seem to be doing a mighty fine job of conflating themselves with the old fashioned nazi extremists.

      https://twitter.com/SollenbergerRC/status/1110578122569773056

      1. 14.1.1
        WeTheBleeple
        28 March 2019 at 8:32 am

        To be fair, I think I’ve amply demonstrated just how annoying Autistic people can be.

        /sarc

      2. 14.1.2
        Macro
        28 March 2019 at 11:35 am

        Trump’s last five trips to Mar-a-Lago would cover the proposed Special Olympics cuts. Trump’s trips to his private club in Florida cost taxpayers about $3.4 million.
        https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2019/03/27/five-trump-trips-mar-a-lago-would-cover-betsy-devoss-proposed-special-olympics-cuts/?noredirect=on&utm_term=.7633a77301c4

    2. 14.2
      Blazer
      27 March 2019 at 6:24 pm

      its only fair Wayne..after all anyone who has progressive views is a ..COMMUNIST!

    3. 14.3
      Pat
      27 March 2019 at 6:45 pm

      Worry not Wayne…the silly season has started early this year

    4. 14.4
      KJT
      27 March 2019 at 9:00 pm

      Don’t worry Wayne.

      We know you are a radical.

      Neo-liberal!

    5. 14.5
      Sabine
      27 March 2019 at 10:54 pm

      define conservative.

      and maybe you should tell your conservative friends to lay of the ‘these people are useless’, or ‘damn near hopeless’ as spoken by the double dipper from dipton and the federated farmer dude.

      maybe it is the conservatives that need to lay of the dehumanizing and belittling language even when that is all they have left to rouse the followers.

    6. 14.6
      patricia bremner
      27 March 2019 at 11:47 pm

      Wayne, When do conservative views cross over??

    7. 14.7
      left_forward
      28 March 2019 at 8:26 am

      Wayne, you are I think the smartest of the regular right wing commentators on TS. I find your contributions assist in refing my thinking on some issues (usually not in the way you may have hoped). I don’t agree with the fundamentals of the political philosophy that you have often articulated here. I have however some empathy for the old traditional conservatism of the right.

      In this situation that we find ourselves in, following the Christchurch tragedy, you surely acknowledge that the the current right wing of NZ politics is / has been philosophically connected to the extreme views of the Alt Right. We see it manifested for example in the neo-liberal policies of the last Government which have widened inequalities in our communities which in turn have caused a range of negative social consequences, one of which is the disposition of many middle class, under-educated, white males towards despair.

      The Conservative right that has also been so thoroughly infiltrated by neo-liberalism and Alt Right doctrines has encouraged an outlet for these feelings, and one consequence has been this tragedy.

      It is indeed an opportunity for the traditional Conservative right to wake up and repent. Build back some compassion into your philosophy Wayne. Surely this is a no-brainer?

      1. 14.7.1
        I feel love
        28 March 2019 at 9:08 am

        No more reference to the “Standardinistas” Dr Wayne?

      2. 14.7.2
        KJT
        28 March 2019 at 9:28 am

        The despair can equally include similar young brown males, and females.

        So many kids, who are outside of the university stream, in schools, have simply given up. Because they cannot see a future for themselves.

        It is only including all of them, in community which can save them.

        Otherwise, fertile recruiting grounds for any shade of hate group.

        1. 14.7.2.1
          left_forward
          28 March 2019 at 11:17 am

          Yes of course KJT.

  15. 15
    Pat
    27 March 2019 at 6:44 pm

    “So, my suggestion here is that National, ACT and NZ First will need to keep a close eye on membership applications, and in particular, unusually large sign ups in otherwise quiet branches”

    ???????

    1. 15.1
      patricia bremner
      27 March 2019 at 11:51 pm

      Pat, or suspiciously large donations from supposed” NZ groups.

      1. 15.1.1
        KJT
        28 March 2019 at 6:55 am

        As opposed to donations from oversea regimes like China and the USA?

        1. 15.1.1.1
          patricia bremner
          28 March 2019 at 9:00 am

          Yes KJT, that’s why I said “supposed.” P.Hansen QLD group shows how seeking funding does go on at home and abroad. Australia has now enacted laws. Time for us to do the same.

          1. 15.1.1.1.1
            KJT
            28 March 2019 at 9:19 am

            😊

  16. 16
    peterlepaysan
    27 March 2019 at 10:07 pm

    This post has a stupid title.

    The right are never repentant.
    The right are always right.

    How does repentance get a mention?

    1. 16.1
      te reo putake
      27 March 2019 at 10:33 pm

      I’m not big on sarc tags. I trust TS readers to get the drift anyway.

      1. 16.1.1
        peterlepaysan
        28 March 2019 at 10:07 pm

        No evidence of sarcasm. Simple statement of fact.

        1. 16.1.1.1
          te reo putake
          28 March 2019 at 10:41 pm

          No evidence you can comprehend even the easiest of concepts. Simple statement of fact.

    2. 16.2
      patricia bremner
      27 March 2019 at 11:42 pm

      Peterlepaysan, Don’t critisize the authors you plonker.

      1. 16.2.1
        peterlepaysan
        28 March 2019 at 10:12 pm

        I commented on the title. I did not criticise anyone. Simple statement of fact.

        1. 16.2.1.1
          te reo putake
          28 March 2019 at 10:39 pm

          Who do you think wrote the title? You’re a goose. (Simple statement of fact)

  17. 17
    Tiger Mountain
    28 March 2019 at 12:16 pm

    “supremo-cissies” as one FB poster described them, the rough, tough, master race types seem to turn on the tears when before the authorities or astute media…

  18. 18
    greywarshark
    28 March 2019 at 12:21 pm

    Tradie’s Muslim comments get him axed from new job with Placemakers.
    Here is the link about the situation so people know what is being referred to.
    https://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=12216465

    The guy repeated stuff he’d read about UK Muslims and problems.
    He may have been referring to facts that he had researched. Or he may have just been repeating what he’d heard. He comes from Kaitaia and I have observed what I consider some structural, patronising racism up in the Top of the North. The guy likes UK speaker Yiannopoulos’ ‘opinion which created debates’.

    When questioned whether he was a right-wing radical, Knight-Wagener said he wasn’t sure what right or left wing was but he was a supporter of Milo Yiannopoulos – a far-right British speaker who was last week banned from Australia after he blamed the Christchurch terror attack on “extremist leftism and barbaric, alien religious cultures”.

    He said he liked Yiannopoulus due to his opinion which created debates. However, he said he had no problem with Muslims, didn’t condone the attack and said people shouldn’t be dying.

    He probably is just a guy with opinions and not much understanding of others lives or the problems of those in different situations to him. Some people are ready with opinions, and don’t think much for themselves.

    I put some information below with an example of how it is important not to shut down ALL talk, discussion, criticism or mention of known facts in an effort to limit bias and prejudice against immigrants and others of different races, cultures and religion. The results of a lack of equality over judgment of behaviour with a desire to be tolerant can go too far and end up hiding festering problems.

    I have referred here before to the outbreak of immorality and sex rings business exploiting young white girls in Rochdale, north England by young immigrant Pakistani men. I quote this crime situation just as an example of how important it is to treat people impartially, and expose bad situations to public scrutiny which will inevitably draw controversy and expressions of anger and excuses and protests of grievances. For further information use keywords – UK pimping Pakistanis – in Google will bring up a range of sources, opinion pieces and analysis about the problem.

    (Please note that I am not commenting on the sexual aspect in the example given. I am demonstrating how an aversion to making criticism or pointing fault of another race or group, can escalate to a point of serious harm to that group’s reputation and also the good patterns of behaviour, respect and health of society can be affected badly.)

    The results of resiling from facing the problem of questioning reluctant, irate leaders in denial so as to gain reliable information were I think, tragic. But investigation was necessary to enable the shutting down of a ring of pimps controlling teenage girls which had extended to blackmail and threats of violence to their parents over time. This example indicates how an open, fair society with an honest system of law and policing is necessary to prevent negative behaviour, in this case criminal, from spreading and becoming structural.

    The knowledge of different cultural dynamics is a feature here. The understanding of the guilt-shame response requires some thought and explanation. These are two helpful links that introduce westerner individuals to what might be a different way of viewing the world.
    http://www.zwemercenter.com/guide/honor-and-shame-9-keys/
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guilt-Shame-Fear_spectrum_of_cultures

    The police were said to have been hampered because they did not want to be accused of racial-profiling and unfair treatment of ethnic groups. Then the knowledge of the growth of the sex business became a worry and increasing burden to the police management who knew there would blame and a backlash on them, and badly affect the whole police force when the situation became known to the wider public.

  19. 19
    joe90
    28 March 2019 at 5:59 pm

    It’s almost like de-platforming works.

    Remember Baked Alaska, the alt-right memelord who got pepper-sprayed in Charlottesville and memorably cried out for milk? Now he tells me he’s ditching the alt-right, which he says has ruined his life.

    Alaska — real name Timothy Gionet — called me last week from Phoenix, where he’s living after watching his internet fameball career crash and burn along with the rest of his racist movement.

    “It’s been a pretty big disaster, to be honest,” Gionet said. “It’s been terrible for my employment opportunities, my reputation. It’s ruined lifelong friendships, it’s ruined relationships with family. It’s hurt my soul.”

    https://elink.thedailybeast.com/view/5bae99853f92a46ecbcf5b739rlr3.15s/0f27da77

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    NZCTU by Aaron · Tuesday
  • Love of the Common People
    Chris Hipkins, the leader that Aotearoa needs.
    Nick's Kōrero by Nick Rockel · Tuesday
  • National & Labour fiscal plans lock in stagnation
    National & Labour plan sinking lids on non-NZ Super spending to cut size of Govt to under 30% of GDP from 32%; Both need households to spend & borrow more to replace the 2% cut, but it can’t be done.
    The Kaka by Bernard Hickey · Tuesday
  • The US needs its own grey-zone tactics in the South China Sea
    Passive resistance to Beijing’s actions in the South China Sea is not working. If the United States wants to win in the region, it needs a grey-zone strategy of its own. Beijing has spent a decade ...
    The Strategist by William Price · Tuesday
  • Picks n’ Mixes & In the Papers for Tuesday Oct 13
    National’s fiscal plan locks in smaller Government, just as Labour’s does; Peters rules out pensions accord, as does Hipkins; QV reports more house wealth falls; Crowded EDs breach privacy - watchdog
    The Kaka by Bernard Hickey · Tuesday
  • Australia can import AI models, but they may bring their baggage
    Anyone who thinks Australia can achieve full sovereignty in artificial intelligence is dreaming. Modern AI sits on layer after layer of dependency: chips, fabrication equipment, cloud infrastructure, energy, software, data, talent and model development. For ...
    The Strategist by Fergus Ryan and Alex Colville · Monday
  • 12 October 2026
    New Zealand First’s policy announcements around workers’ issues including minimum wage and in-work tax credits are the biggest stories featuring in today’s Union News. Union coverage Employment The post 12 October 2026 appeared first on NZCTU.
    NZCTU by Aaron · Monday
  • Women, Peace and Security has an influence problem
    The future of the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) agenda will not be determined by how many women are present in security institutions. It will be determined by whether those institutions are willing to create ...
    The Strategist by Jen Wittwer · Monday
  • Greens’ youth jobs guarantee is the action young workers need
    The New Zealand Council of Trade Unions Te Kauae Kaimahi welcomes the Green Party’s Youth Jobs Guarantee, which would give every 16- to 24-year-old who has been out of work for six months a pathway into a local job. “Young people are being locked out of work at one of the most important stages of… Read More »Greens’ youth jobs guarantee is the action young workers need The post Greens’ youth jobs guarantee is the action young workers need appeared first on NZCTU.
    NZCTU by Aaron · Monday
  • TOP betrays its supporters
    TOP - now the Opportunity Party - was founded for one purpose: to promote a radical shift in Aotearoa's tax system, from taxing income to taxing land. The right hate the idea, saying it will lower house prices (boo hoo) and drive farmers out of business (showing they were shit at business to begin with). Chris Luxon had ruled out any coalition with the party because they promoted it. And in the face of this pressure, TOP has surrendered and complied in advance - first leaving tax reform off its list of coal
    No Right Turn by Idiot/Savant · Monday
  • Opportunity appears to give up on tax reform
    Quilae Wong says considering ruling out tax reform to tempt Luxon into Govt-forming talks & ‘unrealistic’ to expect reform in 2026-2029; Labour’s fiscal shackle rules out real change from other side
    The Kaka by Bernard Hickey · Monday
  • Conducting the national orchestra to achieve resilience and security
    Australia has spent several years rediscovering the importance of sovereign capability, resilience and economic security. The harder task now is implementation. Governments understand that strategic competition, coercion and concentrated supply chains can turn economic dependencies ...
    The Strategist by John Coyne · Monday
  • Sorting event transport at Kingsland
    It feels like the media have been waiting for a ‘City Rail Link failure’ story – and this weekend they finally got one, kind of, as the weekend saw another big event and another challenge with post-match event trains. Auckland Transport and Eden Park are blaming each other for the issues, as 1News reports: Frustrated rugby fans booed passing trains at Eden Park last night as delays to city-bound services left thousands queuing after the All Blacks thrashed the Wallabies.… The post Sorting event transport at
    Greater Auckland by Matt L · Monday
  • Picks n’ Mixes & In the Papers for Monday Oct 12
    Willis & Edmonds agree cross-party accord on pensions, but with caveats; ACT wants big disability cuts; Greens propose youth jobs guarantee; National to make Year 11 compulsory
    The Kaka by Bernard Hickey · Monday
  • Mister Jones
    Champion of Bottom Trawling, Conservation Mining, and Immigration Capping.
    Nick's Kōrero by Nick Rockel · 11 October 2026
  • Televised Executions
    The US continues its descent away from decency.
    Nick's Kōrero by Nick Rockel · 10 October 2026
  • Twenty-five years on: what Australia gave Afghanistan, and what it still owes
    On 14 September 2001, Prime Minister John Howard announced that Australia would invoke the ANZUS Treaty. On 11 October, Australia established Operation Slipper, its first operation in Afghanistan. By early December, the first Australian special ...
    The Strategist by Sami Omari · 9 October 2026
  • If Chinese AI goes rogue, expect opacity
    We now know that Chinese AI agents are inclined to cheat just as US models are. The big difference is that if one causes a cybersecurity incident, the ways we would find out are much ...
    The Strategist by Alex Colville · 9 October 2026
  • 9 October 2026
    The deterioration of our health system features again in today’s Union News with an article summing up demand for hospitals across the motu. Stuff do an in-depth analysis on the employment situation in Northland. Union coverage Employment The post 9 October 2026 appeared first on NZCTU.
    NZCTU by Aaron · 9 October 2026
  • Comfortably Numb
    National resorts to bashing beneficiaries.
    Nick's Kōrero by Nick Rockel · 9 October 2026
  • Not like the old days: modern sea control will be episodic and local
    A new combination of surveillance, drones and precision strike is eroding the old assumption that navies could generate sea control through superior ships, vessels, aircraft and operational skills alone. Geography still matters, but the new ...
    The Strategist by Sean Andrews · 9 October 2026
  • Weekly Roundup 9-October-2026
    Kia ora and welcome to our regular roundup of stories that caught our eye this week. This Week in Greater Auckland On Monday, we took some time to analyse the election campaign transport announcements… …and on Tuesday, we editorialised about what the recent campaign announcements mean for Auckland On Wednesday, we ran a guest post book review by George Weeks, about rethinking parking… …and on Thursday, we ran a throwback post from 2018, about rethinking Mill Road.… The post Weekly Roundup 9-October-2026 app
    Greater Auckland by Greater Auckland · 9 October 2026
  • The Weekly Hoon: National & Labour budget tracks near identical; Climate distrust; Foreign aid cuts
    Bernard Hickey & Peter Bale discuss the week in geopolitics and NZ’s political economy with regular guests Cathrine Dyer and Robert Patman
    The Kaka by Bernard Hickey · 9 October 2026
  • The Literary Traditions Underpinning The Silmarillion
    Benjamin Bassett (the gentleman behind the Reading Tolkien Podcast/YouTube channel) has raised an interesting question: what the hell is Tolkien’s Silmarillion, in terms of literary tradition? Bassett correctly notes that it cannot be described as either a novel or a short story, but rather as a peculiar chronicle, and further cites Olaf Stapledon’s Star Maker […]
    A Phuulish Fellow by strda221 · 9 October 2026
  • New US air-to-air missiles will finally overthrow China’s range advantage
    With a clutch of new long-range air-to-air missiles (LRAAMs) with ranges of 300 km or more, US forces could dramatically shift the aerial balance of power over the Western Pacific. Travelling at least twice as ...
    The Strategist by David Axe · 8 October 2026
  • Australia is building green industries. Defence could make them strategic
    Australia is spending billions to build green industries while Defence is trying to make the Australian Defence Force harder to disrupt. These efforts should reinforce each other. Future Made in Australia, the government’s clean-industry agenda, ...
    The Strategist by Simran Keshwani · 8 October 2026
  • When everyone is an ‘analyst’, expertise loses meaning
    Australia has developed a growing class of self-declared geopolitical analysts and independent researchers who built their reputations not through research, experience or sustained analytical work but through podcasts, social media feeds and confident commentary. Platforms ...
    The Strategist by John Coyne · 8 October 2026
  • Throwback Thursday: Rethinking the Mill Road Corridor
    With Mill Road back in the news, as a campaign headline from the National Party (see our Tuesday coverage), it’s the perfect time for a look back at our previous coverage of this overscaled project. The post below, by Harriet Gale, first ran in February 2018, and attracted vigorous discussion, with over a hundred comments.… The post Throwback Thursday: Rethinking the Mill Road Corridor appeared first on Greater Auckland.
    Greater Auckland by Greater Auckland · 8 October 2026
  • When I’m a Billionaire
    Forget the quarter-acre paradise; is this the new Kiwi dream?
    Nick's Kōrero by Nick Rockel · 8 October 2026
  • Bookshelf: The closing of the Russian mind (doesn’t bode well for the future)
    Bogged down militarily in Ukraine, with Russia’s economy in a shambles and Ukrainian drones penetrating ever deeper into the heartland and causing popular unrest, President Vladimir Putin’s position is looking increasingly tenuous. In anticipation of ...
    The Strategist by Robert Wihtol · 8 October 2026
  • KiwiStack Live Election Mini-Hoon with Elliot Crossan
    A recording from Bernard Hickey's live video chat with Elliot Cross on fiscal policy options in Election 2026
    The Kaka by Bernard Hickey · 8 October 2026
  • Labour’s sinking-lid fiscal strategy has consequences
    Labour admits will take benefits off teenagers too as its sinking-lid fiscal track to 30.4% of GDP forces similar cuts to National; Thomas Coughlan warns of first-ever, one-term National Govt
    The Kaka by Bernard Hickey · 8 October 2026
  • As allies’ capabilities grow, they need to work with US on nuclear signalling
    The Indo-Pacific’s next deterrence problem may be a shortage not of military capability but of coordination. As Australia, Japan and South Korea acquire long-range strike, missile defence and other strategic conventional capabilities, they are increasingly ...
    The Strategist by Benjamin Zala · 7 October 2026
  • National’s small business plan: 47 band-aids and an attack on workers’ rights
    National’s 47-point small business plan is mostly minor tweaks, re-announcements and overdue housekeeping – but tucked inside it is an attack on working people’s right to bargain collectively, says the New Zealand Council of Trade Unions Te Kauae Kaimahi (NZCTU). “For all the talk of backing small business, the most significant thing in this plan… Read More »National’s small business plan: 47 band-aids and an attack on workers’ rights The post National’s small business plan: 47 band-aids and an attack on wo
    NZCTU by Aaron · 7 October 2026
  • Election-rigging violates the BORA
    Last year the regime attempted to rig the election, overturning 77 years of settled law to cut off enrolment two weeks before the vote, in a desperate effort to stop 100,000 mostly young, mostly opposition supporting people from voting. It was naked American-style election-rigging, of a sort not seen before in Aotearoa, and even at the time the Attorney-General said that it violated the bill of Rights Act, because it overturned longstanding expectations around enrolment. And now, the regime has formally adm
    No Right Turn by Idiot/Savant · 7 October 2026
  • To face AI intrusion, counting legacy systems will be easy. Fixing them won’t
    The Department of Home Affairs has made an important start. In response to an OpenAI agent reaching non-public files on a decades-old Medicare Statistics portal, last week it issued a direction that required agencies to ...
    The Strategist by Rajiv Shah · 7 October 2026
  • Book Review: Rethinking Parking
    Today’s guest post is a book review by George Weeks, of Rethinking Parking: Planning and Urban Design Perspectives by Dr David Mepham. George Weeks is a transport adviser, planner and urban designer based in Auckland. An earlier version of this review originally appeared in Roundabout Magazine, the newsletter of the Transportation Group NZ.… The post Book Review: Rethinking Parking appeared first on Greater Auckland.
    Greater Auckland by Guest Post · 7 October 2026
  • Australia’s Middle East priority should be working with those that can counter Iran
    Australia needs a more active and hardheaded approach towards the Middle East to deal with ongoing conflicts stemming from or worsened by the attack against Israel three years ago today by Hamas and other Iran-backed terrorist ...
    The Strategist by Alex Bristow · 7 October 2026
  • Polls & debate judges put Labour ahead, but weakly
    RNZ-Reid Research, 1News-Verian & Roy Morgan polls show Labour mostly ahead of National, but both below or barely at 30%; Momentum with Greens at 15% & Opportunity over 5%; Hipkins seen winning debate
    The Kaka by Bernard Hickey · 7 October 2026
  • 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.
    Māori Party 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
    Māori Party 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.
    Māori Party 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
    Māori Party 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
    Māori Party 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
    Māori Party 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.
    Māori Party 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
    Māori Party 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.
    Māori Party 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.
    Māori Party 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.”
    Māori Party 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
    Māori Party 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
    Māori Party 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
    Māori Party 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
    Māori Party 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
    Māori Party 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
    Māori Party 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.
    Māori Party 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.
    Māori Party 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.
    Māori Party 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 · Friday
  • 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 · Friday
  • 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 · Friday
  • 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 · Friday
  • 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 · Friday
  • 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 · Friday
  • 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 · Thursday
  • 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 · Thursday
  • 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 · Thursday
  • 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 · Wednesday
  • 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 · Wednesday
  • 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 · Wednesday
  • 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 · Wednesday
  • 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 · Wednesday
  • 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 · Wednesday
  • 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 · Tuesday
  • 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 · Tuesday
  • 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 · Monday
  • 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 · Monday
  • 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 · Monday
  • 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

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