Sterling Burnett: The Paris Climate Agreement Was Doomed Even Before the US Withdrawal

The Paris climate agreement is a bad deal for America, costing jobs in the United States and putting the country at a competitive disadvantage with our international competitors. By finalizing this starting process on November 4 of this year, President Trump kept his campaign promise to put America first.

“It is time to put Youngstown, Ohio, Detroit, Michigan, and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, along with many, many other locations within our great country before Paris, France,” Trump said at a 2017 Rose Garden event, which initially announced the intention to withdraw.

For America’s sovereignty and continued economic success, Trump’s decision to withdraw the United States from the Paris climate agreement is among the most consequential actions he has taken since being elected president.

Breaking Views Update: Week of 8.12.19

Sunday December 8, 2019 

News:
Sir Michael Cullen to lead Bay of Plenty DHB
Health Minister Dr David Clark has appointed Sir Michael Cullen as the new chair of the Bay of Plenty DHB.

Dr Clark has today announced four Board appointments to each DHB, as well as naming the chairs and their deputies.

Barend Vlaardingerbroek: The start of a new era in the Middle East?

2019 has been a good year for Vladimir Putin with Donald Trump effectively handing over the reins as chief powerbroker in the Middle East, or at least a substantial part thereof, to him.

Putin did not need any further prompting once the US army units began their withdrawal from northern Syria. Within a fortnight he was in direct talks with Erdogan and a ceasefire was put in place. Days later, Turkey announced that it had ended its military operation against the Kurds. Russian and Turkish units began to patrol the 20-mile strip of land adjoining the Turkish border. (Trump claimed a great American diplomatic victory – he had threatened to annihilate the Turkish economy should they try to wipe out the Kurds. A BBC news report fittingly showed a line of Russian armoured vehicles on patrol as they presented this dubious announcement.)

Karl du Fresne: That Garrick Tremain cartoon

Cartoons can be a tricky issue for editors. It’s not enough that they should simply be funny, and indeed some of the best are not. To be truly effective, cartoons need an edge. They should be provocative.

Accordingly, editors need to cut cartoonists a lot of slack. They will sometimes publish cartoons they know some readers will find offensive, and that they may even find offensive themselves.

Brent Edwards: Political Roundup - Should Kris Faafoi be sacked?

The latest allegations of a corruption scandal involving a Cabinet minister suggests this government is far too loose when it comes to providing access to power for friends and associates.

Kris Faafoi is in trouble because of his alleged role in helping a mate with an immigration matter when he was the Associate Minister of Immigration. On the face of it, the evidence is bad for Faafoi, as it looks like he has breached the Cabinet Manual rules which prohibit helping mates out by doing them a personal favour.

NZCPR Weekly: The Dark Age of Political Intrusion

Dear NZCPR Reader,   

This week we reflect on the insidious impact on society of interventionist governments, our NZCPR Guest Commentator Sir Roger Douglas explains the importance of policies to empower New Zealanders and he outlines the dismal state of affairs today, and our poll asks whether you believe New Zealanders are too complacent about the loss of personal freedom.

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

GWPF Newsletter: Revolt Brewing Against EU’s ‘Unrealistic’ Climate Goals

German Car Industry Makes Stand Against New EU Commission's Climate Goals

In this newsletter:

1) Revolt Brewing Against EU’s ‘Unrealistic’ Climate Goals
EurActiv, 5 December 2019
 
2) EU Deeply Split About Net Zero Climate Goals
EURACTIV.com, 4 December 2019

Breaking Views Update: Week of 1.12.19

Saturday December 7, 2019

News:
Why all New Zealanders should speak Māori and how to get them to, according to young people
The Government is backing several youth-led strategies to get more Kiwis speaking te reo Māori.

Nine projects will each get up to $10,000 from Crown entity Te Māngai Paho to get them off the ground.

GWPF Newsletter: Requiem For A Climate Dream

Europe’s Climate Fiasco: EU Set to Miss 2030 Climate Goal

In this newsletter:

1) Europe’s Climate Fiasco: EU Set to Miss 2030 Climate Goal
Associated Press, 4 December 2019
 
2) Nation States More Divided Than Ever Over Climate Policy & Funding As UN Summit Gathers
Financial Times, 1 December 2019

GWPF Newsletter: 30 Years Of UN Climate Policy Failure

China Adds Coal Plants and Cuts Support For Renewable Energy

Japan Tells UN Summit: We Will Keep Using Coal Power Plants

In this newsletter:

1) 30 Years Of UN Climate Policy Failure As China Adds Coal Plants and Cuts Support For Renewable Energy
The Associated Press, 2 December 2019

2) Japan Tells UN Summit: We Will Keep Using Coal-Fired Power Plants
NHK World News, 3 December 2019

James Delingpole: Greta the Teenage Climate Puppet Goes Full Marxist

Greta Thunberg the teenage Climate Puppet has gone full Marxist. 

In her latest public statement, she says that the ‘climate crisis is not just about the environment’:

It is a crisis of human rights, of justice, and of political will. Colonial, racist, and patriarchal systems of oppression have created and fuelled it. We need to dismantle them all.

Chris Trotter: National's Going Gangbusters

Criminal Enterprises: Gangs are not welfare institutions. Nor are they a substitute for the family their members never had. They are ruthless, violent, criminal money-making machines. That is all.

OKAY, first-things-first. Gangs exist for one purpose – and only one. They are a sure-fired, time-tested institution for making crime pay – and pay big. National is right to go after them, not only because most voters will cheer them on for doing so, but also because gangs injure individuals and damage society. Pushing any other kind of argument simply makes National’s job easier. “Look at the Left”, Simon Bridges will crow. “Soft on crime. The gangster’s best friend!”

Karl du Fresne: We need to talk about Islam

New Zealand is overdue for a grown-up conversation about Islam.

It’s a conversation that has been made necessary because as a nation we’re conflicted, to use a popular term, about the religion founded by Mohammad. But the conversation needs to get beyond simplistic, kneejerk allegations of Islamophobia, and it needs to unpick some contradictions and inconsistences in how we view Muslims.

Mike Hosking: Why are we messing with democracy?

It was with dismay I watched last Sunday night not just a bunch of crooks getting given their vote back, but almost a follow-up story on a whinge fest around democracy and why Māori aren't better represented, and how as a result of that, we should have local council seats dedicated to Māori.

The plea starred Dover Samuels and another former Labour Party operator, John Tamihere fresh from his Auckland mayoral bid thrashing.

NZCPR Weekly: Treating New Zealanders Badly

Dear NZCPR Reader,   

This week we highlight how badly Jacinda Ardern’s Government is treating New Zealand’s law-abiding firearms community – and we issue a reminder that the firearm buy-back scheme is due to end on December 20th; our NZCPR Guest Commentator Stephen Franks outlines how Labour’s law changes are vilifying licensed firearm owners while leaving criminal firearm owners untouched; and our poll asks whether you agree that further firearm law changes should be delayed until the Royal Commission of Inquiry into the Christchurch attacks reports back.

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

GWPF Newsletter: Europe Is Losing The Climate Wars As China Demands $100 Billion

New Survey: Climate Change Is Dividing Britain Like Brexit

In this newsletter:

1) New Survey: Change Is Dividing Britain Like Brexit
Sky News, 28 November 2019 
 
2) Europe’s Climate Emergency Success: Mercedes-Benz To Slash More Than 10,000 Jobs 
The Daily Telegraph, 29 November 2019

Breaking Views Update: Week of 24.11.19

Saturday November 30, 2019

News:
Maori Council's outgoing chair defends its role, relevance

The New Zealand Māori Council has advocated for the rights of Māori for more than 50 years, but it's now facing tough questions about its role and relevance today.

It was created under the Māori Community Development Act in 1962, making it the first Māori statutory body of its kind after World War II.

Clive Bibby: Is this the "game changer" we need for our own good?

Voting alliances in this country since the introduction of MMP have frequently produced strange bedfellows but the makeup of the current government has reached farcical levels when almost every decision of cabinet is filtered through the chook entrail brew overseen by Winston Peters' favourite soothsayer.

Everything including the anointment of the Prime Minister of this country appears to be subject to a scrutiny rarely wielded by a politician commanding such a small percentage of the national vote.

Melanie Phillips: A numbed electorate between devil and deep blue sea

In this most dismal and dispiriting general election, a numbed British electorate desperate to end the Brexit nightmare is instead being corralled with its hands tied behind its back towards the likely continuation of that nightmare.

One of the many fundamental negotiating errors made by Theresa May in trying to settle the terms of the UK’s Brexit withdrawal deal with the EU was to rule out leaving with no deal.

Political Roundup: NZ First scandal raises integrity issues for the Government

There are many electoral and political questions arising out of the current NZ First donations scandal. Will the imbroglio tarnish the reputation and popularity of Winston Peters and his party? Or will Peters and his colleagues be exonerated, allowing NZ First to climb back up the moral and polling ladder for the next election?

But the big political questions are about its impact on the Government’s credibility and popularity. And is Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern adequately dealing with the matter?