Mole News

'Sovereign citizen' defence mooted for alleged baby killer
The man charged with the cold case murder of a 10-month old baby in 2014 may attempt a "sovereign citizen" defence - a claim that as a Māori, Crown law does not apply to him.

That extraordinary revelation was made at the High Court in Rotorua on Friday by the lawyer for Shane Claude Roberts, 59.

GWPF Newsletter: UK Government Between Industry & Children's Climate Crusade

Middle-Class ‘Green’ Militants Encourage School Children To Demonstrate For Eco-Socialism

In this newsletter:

1) Theresa May Urged To Back UK Shale Revolution As Company Discovers Massive Shale Gas Field In East Midlands
The Sun, 15 February 2019
 
2) UK Government Rejects New Fracking Operation
Financial Times, 12 February 2019

The EU’s Brexit negotiators (who appear to believe that until this moment their knuckle-dusters have been concealed) clearly think that now’s the moment to take off the gloves.

Faced with Theresa May asking them ever so nicely to re-open negotiations to get rid of that troublesome Irish backstop, they have not only said no. They are reportedly now doubling down on their intransigence in the belief that this will force the Brits to come crawling back on their knees. 

There is the prospect of a ‘temporary no-deal’ scenario. This hypothesis — which is not without legal difficulties — would see both sides fail to secure a deal or agree an extension by March 29. The UK would then crash out into a period of severe disruption, a harsh dose of reality that some EU negotiators believe would force it back to the table, more willing to accept the original withdrawal deal and the backstop.

Frank Newman: Taxing issues

Tax has become a topic of hot debate. The precursor is the impending release of the first Final Report of the Tax Working Group (TWG), headed by former Labour Finance Minister, Sir Michael Cullen. That report is now with the Minister of Finance, Grant Robertson.

It's petty much a given that the report will recommend a capital gains tax (CGT); that was the brief given to the TWG by the Labour led government. It's the possible finer details that are attracting a lot of commentary, and criticism. Commentators are rightly pointing out the many practical limitations of a capital gains tax.

A capital gains tax has been considered a number of times previously by other working groups. Each time it has been rejected and there is a general view that for it to work it needs to be applied universally across all asset classes.

Bob Edlin: Studies find exam results turn to pot when students turn to cannabis

Green Party MP Chloe Swarbrick chided the National Party on its drugs policy earlier this year but said she hoped its involvement in public debate was positive.

Her comments followed National announcing deputy leader Paula Bennett’s appointment as the party’s first drug reform spokesperson and Bennett’s thoroughly reasonable insistence that she wanted to know more about the implications of legalising marijuana –

 “I want to know, ‘What does it mean for the illicit drug trade? What does it mean for drug driving? How do we meet our goals of being smoke free if we’re saying it’s okay to have a joint?’ “

GWPF Newsletter: Green Taxes Are Killing Europe’s Economy, Sir Jim Radcliffe Warns

Democrats’ ‘Green New Deal’ Will Turn America Into Venezuela

In this newsletter:

1) Green Taxes Are Killing Europe’s Economy, Sir Jim Ratcliffe Warns
Financial Times, 12 February 2019 

2) Walter Russel Mead: The Incredible Shrinking Europe
The Wall Street Journal, 12 February 2019 

NZCPR-Weekly: Waitangi Week Messages

Dear NZCPR Reader,   

This week we review the funding promises that were made around Waitangi Day and explain why race-based initiative are not the answer to alleviating disadvantage, our NZCPR Guest Commentary is the speech that Dr Don Brash prepared but was not given the opportunity to deliver at Waitangi, and our poll asks whether you agree with Labour’s use of race-based funding.

*To read the newsletter click HERE.
*To register for the NZCPR Weekly mailing list, click HERE.  

Karl du Fresne: Labour and NZ First - a shared fondness for pork-barrel politics

In a memorably pungent turn of phrase, former Maori Party co-leader Marama Fox said of Maori support for Labour in the 2017 election that it was like a battered wife going back to her abuser.

Okay, she was bitter at Maori voters turning against her party. Sour grapes, her critics would have said. But you could see where she was coming from.

Labour has traditionally commanded support from Maori, dating back to its alliance with the Ratana Church in 1936.

Brian Gaynor: Houses and shares deliver a decade of growth

Houses or shares, which is the best investment?

This is a recurring question in New Zealand, although the two asset classes are difficult to compare because they have totally different characteristics, particularly in terms of leverage, maintenance costs and income flows.

Nevertheless, the figures in the table show that New Zealand house prices appreciated 1.8 per cent in 2018 while Auckland prices rose by just 0.1 per cent. These figures are compiled by the Real Estate Institute of New Zealand (REINZ).

GWPF Newsletter: The Oldest Eco-Scare Goes Up In Smoke

Green Madness: UK Government Accused Of Killing Shale Revolution

In this newsletter:

1) The Oldest Eco-Scare Goes Up In Smoke
Lyman Stone, The Wall Street Journal, 7 February 2019
 

2) Germany Alone To Control Russian Gas Pipeline As France Caves In
EU Observer, 8 February 2019

Bob Edlin: The Trough Monitor - Waitangi Day handouts

The  Point of Order Trough Monitor,  which keeps a check on how taxpayers’ money is being invested, spent or given away by the Ardern Government, had a busy week in the run-up to Waitangi Day.

Some announcements seemed shamelessly pitched at pleasing Māori voters.  These included a $100 million fund to support Māori land development in the regions.

Regional Development Minister Shane Jones brayed about the Government stepping in “where the banks fear to tread” - but won’t bankers invest anywhere if they are reasonably confident  they will be backing a winner?

Bryce Edwards: Political Roundup - Fixing Treaty ignorance in politics and schools

2019’s Waitangi commemorations will be mostly remembered for two debates – whether the Prime Minister should be able to recite the detail of the Treaty of Waitangi, and whether the teaching of the Treaty and colonial history in New Zealand should be compulsory.

PM’s unawareness of the Treaty Articles

Jacinda Ardern’s awkward answers about the Treaty of Waitangi were uncomfortable watching, not just for supporters of the Government and a more Treaty-driven politics, but also for anyone wary of being put on the spot about contentious issues. You can watch the encounter here, where TVNZ’s Maiki Sherman asks the PM what the articles of the Treaty say – see: Jacinda Ardern fumbles over what Treaty of Waitangi articles say – 'Article One? On the spot?'

Frank Newman: Taxing issues

Tax has become a topic of hot debate. The precursor is the impending release of the first Final Report of the Tax Working Group (TWG), headed by former Labour Finance Minister, Sir Michael Cullen. That report is now with the Minister of Finance, Grant Robertson.

It's pretty much a given that the report will recommend a capital gains tax (CGT); that was the brief given to the TWG by the Labour led government. It's the possible finer details that are attracting a lot of commentary, and criticism. Commentators are rightly pointing out the many practical limitations of a capital gains tax.

GWPF Newsletter: World Cooling – But Rapid Warming Forecast

GWPF Readers Trounce Met Office In 2018 Temperature Prediction Competition

In this newsletter:

1) World Cooling – But Rapid Warming Forecast
GWPF Observatory, 7 February 2019

2) GWPF Readers Trounce Met Office In 2018 Temperature Prediction Competition
Global Warming Policy Forum, 8 February 2019

NZCPR Weekly: Aotearoa New Zealand

Dear NZCPR Reader,   

This week we reflect on how deliberate misrepresentations regarding the Treaty of Waitangi are being used to gain privilege, our NZCPR Guest Commentator Bob Edlin outlines not only the extent to which this Government has been splashing the cash ahead of Waitangi Day, but also how serious constitutional changes are being made without informed public debate, and our poll asks whether you would support changing the name of our country to Aotearoa New Zealand.

*To read the newsletter click HERE.
*To register for the NZCPR Weekly mailing list, click HERE.  

Signing the Treaty of Waitangi - February 6, 1840.

GWPF Newsletter: India Opens 52 New Coal Mines To Achieve Universal Electrification

Indian Govt announces it has achieved universal household electrification

In this newsletter:

1) India Opens 52 New Coal Mines To Achieve Universal Electrification
Times of India, 23 January 2019
 
2) India Just Achieved Universal Household Electrification
Press Trust of India, 20 January 2019 

Barend Vlaardingerbroek: What the ‘yellow vests’ tell us about today’s Western liberal democracies

Mostly ‘ordinary’ people on ‘ordinary’ incomes who can’t make ends meet. Their problem is that they’re too ‘ordinary’ to matter to today’s socioeconomic elite who are preoccupied with trendy social causes like getting more women and fashionable ethnics into high-salaried positions.

The ‘yellow vest’ movement caught many by surprise. They were even more surprised when it became clear that this spontaneous uprising was no flash in the pan – despite lacking any central control and coordination, it went on and on.

GWPF Newsletter - Empty Planet: The Shock Of Global Population Decline

Nearly One Million Britons Cancel BBC TV Licence

In this newsletter:

1) Empty Planet: The Shock Of Global Population Decline
David Goodhart, The Sunday Times, 3 February 2019 
 
2) The Price Of Bias: Nearly One Million Britons Cancel BBC TV Licence
Daily Mail, 2 February 2019

GWPF Newsletter: New Observations Call AMOC-Climate Disaster Predictions Into Question

Ocean Circulation Observations Could Have Major Consequences For Climate Science

In this newsletter:

1) New Observations Call AMOC-Climate Disaster Predictions Into Question
Science News, 31 January 2019

2) New Ocean Circulation Observations Could Have Major Consequences For Climate Science
The Washington Post, 1 February 2019

Dr Tim Ball and Tom Harris: Record Cold Forces Rethink on Global Warming

Headlines around the world are reporting exceptionally frigid conditions and unusually high levels of snowfall in recent weeks. They tout these events as records, but few people understand how short the record actually is -- usually less than 50 years, a mere instant in Earth’s 4.6-billion year history. The reality is that, when viewed in a wider context, there is nothing unusual about current weather patterns.

Despite this fact, the media -- directly, indirectly, or by inference -- often attribute the current weather to global warming. Yes, they now call it climate change. But that is because activists realized, around 2004, that the warming predicted by the computer models on which the scare is based was not actually happening. Carbon dioxide (CO2) levels continued to increase, but the temperature stopped increasing. So, the evidence no longer fit the theory. English biologist Thomas Huxley commented on this dilemma over a century ago:  "The great tragedy of science -- the slaying of a beautiful hypothesis by an ugly fact."