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Sunday, October 31, 2021

Henry Armstrong: The Capture Is Complete - The Politicisation Of New Zealand’s Universities


An old friend recently sent me a letter reflecting upon many years of university service.  I thought it so important that it is well worth sharing:      

AN OPEN LETTER TO NEW ZEALAND UNIVERSITIES

As a triple graduate, Professor, lecturer, researcher, PhD examiner  and programme director with over 37 years of university service, involving five of our eight universities and their relationships with government, media, public and private organisations, I believe I am in a position to comment on certain current issues and the future direction of our tertiary education sector.

Bob Edlin: Opposition to Three Waters reforms doesn’t wash


National MP Nicola Willis – we trust – learned a wee bit more about the Government’s Three Waters reforms than she learned from Finance Minister Grant Robertson at Question Time in Parliament.

Local Government Minister Nanaia Mahuta confirmed her determination – and the Government’s – to over-ride widespread public disquiet and local authority objections.  She will press ahead in establishing four publicly owned water entities to take over and look after  our drinking, waste and storm water infrastructure.

Clive Bibby: Testing time for local government and media


Along with other more recognisable columnists, l have recently being predicting a backlash from voters against the Government’s recent irrational and dictatorial behaviour.

This was in spite of promises made to allow adequate consultation and the option to opt out of any moves to steal locally owned infrastucture assets worth billions that are essential components of local economies. Tragically, the opposite has happened.

It is a story of betrayal and arrogance rarely seen in a country that prides itself in being one of the few remaining true democracies where governments are elected but the power remains with the people.

Apparently, not any more.

John Porter: Who Is Really the Prime Minister of New Zealand?


As New Zealand, seemingly all too quickly, is rushed into a separatist state by the insidious thrust of Maori control of the country’s administration and infrastructure one has to ask, who really is the prime minister of New Zealand?

Now before those who are immediately rushing to pin the racist tag on me, let me say this. I, like the majority of New Zealanders are in no way opposed to Maori engagement, or even control, in any sector of our society, be it local or national government but surely that must be on an equal basis to the rest of us. Anything less than equal rights is simply unacceptable.

Creating separatism for political motives is undeniably abhorrent to New Zealanders. This must stop!

So just who is running this country?

NZCPR Weekly: The Blame Game



Dear NZCPR Reader,   

In this week’s NZCPR newsletter we outline how a ‘blame game’ is being used by the Government to justify authoritarian rule over Three Waters and Covid-19, our NZCPR Guest Commentator, leading Australian clinical immunologist Emeritus Professor Robert Clancy, explains the importance of early treatment protocols for Covid – as well as vaccinations – to prevent sickness and hospitalisation, and our poll asks whether New Zealand doctors should be free to prescribe whatever treatment and preventative remedies they choose for the treatment of the virus.

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


Saturday, October 30, 2021

Breaking Views Update: Week of 24.10.21







Saturday October 30, 2021 

News:
ORC debates what sort of ‘-ship’ it's in

The Otago Regional Council and local iwi are not just in a relationship, they are partners, the council says.

That nature of the relationship was affirmed by councillors this week, but only after they became embroiled in a lengthy, "petty" debate over how to describe the council’s alliance with iwi this week.

Friday, October 29, 2021

Net Zero Watch: Public ‘want a referendum on Boris Johnson’s Net Zero plans’ by next general election

 





In this newsletter:

1) Public ‘want a referendum on Boris Johnson’s Net Zero plans’ by next general election
The Daily Telegraph, 27 October 2021
  
 
2) 58% of Brits polled, who expressed a preference, want a Net Zero referendum, according to a YouGov/CAR26.Org survey
CAR26.org, 26 October 2021

Mike Hosking: Coutts and Bolton add their voices to the growing displeasure

 

Kudos to Murray Bolton and Russell Coutts this week for making their mark, their contribution, to what I have no doubt is a growing resistance to the absurdity that is the running of this country. 

The danger and dishonesty of the Government and the realisation that the regime of fear and chaos has got to come to an end. 

Coutts of course, is no different to the myriad of other people who have spoken out now for months on end. 

Plank Of The Week with Mike Graham, Laura Dodsworth and Russell Quirk


 

Thursday, October 28, 2021

Net Zero Watch: Glasgow in chaos ahead of COP26 with strikes and room shortages

 





In this newsletter:

1) Glasgow in chaos ahead of COP26 with strikes and room shortages
Guido Fawkes, 26 October 2021
 
 
2) Biden's climate ambitions die in the Senate
The Wall Street Journal, 25 October 2021

Garrick Tremain: Three Waters Looting

 Here is Garrick Tremain's cartoon commentary on Three Waters! 


Heather du Plessis-Allan: Three Waters fiasco has potential to go badly for Labour

 

Nanaia Mahuta's just pushed the nuclear button on the Three Waters reform and potentially picked herself a big fight. 

The Minister for Local Government has done exactly as predicted and announced she’s confiscating the water assets of every single council and territorial authority up and down this country.  

She’s had to confiscate the assets, because after asking nicely, the vast majority of local bodies told her no, they wouldn’t willingly hand them over.  

Ross Meurant: Irony or Tragedy


As the Courts seem to unite in their support for the current Labour government quest for Customary Maori Law to usurp Statutory Law, irony emerges from the dark clouds which gather over the Land of the Long White Cloud.

The irony is; it was not Labour who opened the floodgates which have seen a tsunami of claims. It was National.

Labour now faces increasing hostility and blame for “Maorification” (1) of the country.  Whereas twelve months ago, a few were lone voices, today things have changed.

Wednesday, October 27, 2021

Mike Hosking: More evidence the PM can't handle tough questions

 

You'll be pleased to know the Prime Minister doesn’t have to be in Auckland to understand the lockdown 

Kudos to Barry Soper for being one of the last remaining press gallery operators who actually knows how to ask a proper question and insist on following it up. If you saw it yesterday, the Prime Minister has lost the ability to handle it. 

She's so used to the soft soap acquiescence of the rest of the gallery who are either asleep, spineless or apparatchiks. She was well and truly taken aback when old father-to-be Soper rocks up with a few nerve inducing questions around why she hadn't been to her hometown in months. And why she hadn't visited the very electorate that sent her to Parliament to represent them. 

Net Zero Watch: Tempers fray as Tories fail to unite for COP26 climate talks

 





In this newsletter:

1) Tempers fray as Tories fail to unite for COP26 climate talks
The Sunday Times, 24 October 2021
 

2) Net Zero Britain: A third of UK companies may force staff to work at home to cut their energy bills
Daily Mail, 25 October 2021

Barry Soper: The Prime Minister ought to front up to Aucklanders

 

It's not the Prime Minister's fault that she hasn't visited her Mt Albert constituency, or indeed the wider locked-up mega city of Auckland, nothing ever is. 

It's the fault of the Inspector General of Parliament Trevor Mallard, who clearly needs to feel powerful - he requires any MP, or for that matter anyone working in the place, to have a double negative Covid test if they're coming from Auckland to self-isolate for five days. 

Other essential workers returning to the capital don't have to go through that sort of rigmarole but Jacinda Ardern says as an essential worker it's her job "to run the country" and not spend time at home twiddling her thumbs, unlikely of course, with a toddler in tow. 

Tuesday, October 26, 2021

Net Zero Watch: Russia demands sanctions relief for climate deal at COP26

 





In this newsletter:

1) Russia demands sanctions relief for climate deal at COP26
Bloomberg, 22 October 2021
 
 
2) Welcome to Net Zero power: Putin issues ultimatum to Germany as EU summit exposes divide on energy crisis
Daily Express, 22 October 2021 

Kate Hawkesby: There's no equity in our Delta roadmap

 

It’s hard not to feel disillusioned this week - struggling to understand this new traffic light system. It feels like we’re being asked to reach an unrealistic goal by an ambitious PM who wants to score some points. 

And in achieving that goal, what do we get for it? A red light.   

As we’ve been told many times by this government, Delta didn’t come with a roadmap. 

That’s actually not true in our case. The roadmap was rolling out in front of us. 

Charles Moore: The Cost of the West’s Unilateral Eco-disarmament


Cop26 is a problem for Boris Johnson. It is unlikely to reach consensus, and voters at home are wary of the implications of ‘net zero’

As it happens, I shall be 65 on the day the Cop26 meeting opens in Glasgow. So I am old enough to remember during my adult life the genesis of the Cop (Conference of the Parties) process which sees itself as the way to save the planet. The occasion also makes me reflect on what causes the public to wake up to any issue.

Bob Edlin: Maori Health Authority Segregation Bill


Maori Health Authority must engage with “relevant” groups under new Bill – but guess who gets to define “relevant”?

As we expected when we last reported news from the Beehive, Health Minister Andrew Little has introduced his health reform bill to Parliament to abolish the country’s district health boards and centralise the provision of health services.  Most notably, the Bill segregates the country’s health services by establishing a Māori Health Authority and formalising the role of iwi-Māori partnerships.

Compared with the existing legislation, moreover, it significantly expands on the place of the Treaty of Waitangi in health legislation.

There is plenty to digest in the Bill – the Pae Ora (Healthy Futures) Bill –  and your Point of Order team has not thoroughly examined it. But we were fascinated by some of the accountability provisions for the new Māori Health Authority.

Monday, October 25, 2021

Clive Bibby: Models and Control


To some extent, Charles Darwin’s “Origin of the Species”, the IPCC’s doctrine blaming human activity for the current cycle of climate change and modern epidemiologist’s theories about the origin of the Delta variant all enjoy their status and self proclaimed authority based on a unanimity, promoting links (as yet unproven) that are at best debatable - at worst pure fantasy. 

The last two of these theories are supported almost entirely by models that plot the potential damage caused by these modern threats to human survival. 

The evidence gleaned from these models are then used by governments in desperate need of answers to justify the introduction of draconian measures to control a restless population. They manipulate the populace, craftily playing on a fear of the unknown.

Owen Jennings: The Price to be Paid


The service station down the road in Auckland has 91 priced over $2.65 per litre for the first time.  It was only a few months ago it was under $2.00. 

Prime Minister Ardern said we are being “fleeced”.  More like we are being “skinned”, wool and all.  It seems to slip her mind that half the “fleecing” is being done by her government.  They are grabbing $1.45 of that $2.65.  Having ratcheted up spending the government now needs all the revenue they can get their hands on. Having captured a moment’s limelight for making the claim she has moved on, yet again to another publicity podium, unable to deliver any outcome of substance.

Our electricity prices are also escalating. 

Henry Armstrong: How to Unmake and Remake New Zealand History


Introduction

This essay has been initiated regarding the concerns of  a group of New Zealand academics, teachers, historians and commentators, many of whom have held prestigious positions in relaying our history to generations of young New Zealanders, over many years. They are concerned that the history of our nation is presented to our young people in a comprehensive, truthful, unbiased and informative manner. Their aim is that a truthful presentation of New Zealand history is delivered in our schools from 2022, the date whereby a revised School Histories Curriculum prepared by the Ministry of Education, is to be taught.

The Ministry proposed a revised curriculum in early 2021, calling for submissions by 31 May. The result of over 5000 submissions on the draft reveals virtually no changes from the initial proposals. It is clear that a politically-focused curriculum is to be delivered in which untruths, distorted descriptions of recorded events and biased interpretations of the past will now be included.

Net Zero Watch: China, India and developing nations join hands against 'unjust' Net Zero agenda

 







In this newsletter:

1) Emerging economies slam COP26 Net Zero push as ‘anti-equity’

Climate Change News, 20 October 2021 

  

2) Fear of a Cop Flop grows as COP26 chief Alok Sharma 'is raging' at Boris Johnson for talking up climate summit
Daily Mail, 21 October 2021

Sunday, October 24, 2021

Garrick Tremain: Three Waters

 Here is Garrick Tremain's cartoon commentary on Three Waters! 


NZCPR Weekly: Dividing Our Country



Dear NZCPR Reader,   

In this week’s NZCPR newsletter we investigate the Government’s race-based agenda and raise concerns about the divisive impact it is having on New Zealand, our NZCPR Guest Commentator Anthony Willy outlines the danger of introducing tikanga into the law, and our poll asks whether you believe all references to ‘race’ and ‘ethnicity’ should be removed from legislation and regulation.

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


Saturday, October 23, 2021

Breaking Views Update: Week of 17.10.21







Saturday October 23, 2021 

News:
New fund to accelerate Māori vaccinations

The Government has established a $120 million fund to accelerate Māori vaccination rates and support communities to prepare for the implementation of the new COVID-19 Protection Framework.

The new Māori Communities COVID-19 Fund will directly fund Māori, Iwi, community organisations and providers to deliver local vaccination initiatives for whānau, and support Māori and communities to prepare for the new protection framework.

Friday, October 22, 2021

Lindsay Mitchell: MSD stocktake - "not yet following the desired direction of travel..."


The Ministry of Social Development, Carmel Sepuloni's portfolio, has just released its annual report. 

Here are some of the indicators of their 'progress':

Average future years on a benefit:

Net Zero Watch: Nations to accelerate oil, coal and gas production over the next decade, UN discovers

 





In this newsletter:

1) Nations to accelerate oil, coal and gas production over the next decade, UN discovers
The Times, 20 October 2021

 

2) Why COP26 will flop: Coal continues to dominate global energy mix and will do so for decades to come
Bloomberg, 20 October 2021 

Mike Hosking: UK Free Trade deal a rare bright spot

 

Yet another reason to thank Boris Johnson and be grateful that there remain a few visionaries about the place that want us to prosper and succeed. 

By all accounts, our free trade deal with the UK is a winner. It's open and truly free, the hurdles remain few and far between. The gains we stand to make are enormous. 

It's a tangible example of what we envisaged when we entered into the world of free trading all those years ago under the previous Labour govt of David Lange and Sir Roger Douglas. We are the free trade pioneers and we deserve this level of success. 

Karl du Fresne: The cabal that controls the national conversation


Cabal (noun): 1. A secret intrigue. 2. A political clique or faction.

These are the two main definitions in my Oxford Dictionary. There’s a third, historical one which reveals that the word originated under King Charles II, who had a committee of five ministers whose surnames happened to begin with the letters C, A, B, A and L (who knew?).

But it’s the modern understanding of the word that I’m concerned with, because in many ways “cabal” seems an apt description of how New Zealand is being run in 2021.

Okay, cabal implies a small, secretive group, which is not what I’m talking about here. The cabal I’m talking about is neither small nor secretive. On the contrary, it’s big and far-reaching, with an agenda that’s very much out in the open. It’s a cabal so supremely confident about its power that it feels no need to be furtive.

Roger Childs: “Loaded” draft for consultation


No Significant Change Expected in the History Curriculum

There will not be any radical changes to the content and any additional content will be in line with what currently exists. Ministry of Education Report on the submissions to the Draft Curriculum for Year 1-10 students

The History Draft for Year 1-10 students came out in February and almost four months was allowed for submissions. But unfortunately this has proved to be a case of paying lip service to the process of public consultation, with no intention of making any significant adjustments to the document.

The draft, as many submitters and critics pointed out, was a highly flawed, uneven proposal riddled with factual errors and saturated with references to Maori history, heritage, tradition and knowledge. There were also serious omissions in the content, skills and understandings to be covered. But the Ministry didn’t want to know.

Bob Edlin: Oh dear – ECan to spare Ngai Tahu the bother of winning votes at the ballot box


Oh dear – ECan has dug up a bad Bill (that was buried in 2019) to spare Ngai Tahu the bother of winning votes at the ballot box.

Legislation to entrench Ngai Tahu representatives on Environment Canterbury – these would be  guaranteed appointments, to spare them the bother of pitching for popular support – failed to pass its first reading in Parliament in 2019.

On that occasion,  New Zealand First’s Shane Jones featured in scuttling a bill which would have entitled Ngai Tahu to appoint two representatives to sit with elected councillors after the local elections later that year.

It seemed that was the end of a bad Bill – but hey:  a few weeks ago the regional council announced it was again promoting a Bill that will provide “for mana whenua representation around the Council table”, by empowering Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu to appoint up to two members of the Council. This will be in addition to the elected members.

Thursday, October 21, 2021

Gerrard Eckhoff: Murky Waters


Nanaia Mahuta is quite correct to state that the three water reforms are not about shifting ownership of council assets to Government control. Ownership of assets is not needed as the Government seems to regard ownership as a very fleeting thing. The three waters reforms are obviously about the redistribution and control of those vital assets to a new entity made up entirely of Ministerial appointments. 

Ownership, even by councils is now far from essential if a government can legislate to subjugate ownership of land and water use rights to political control for political advantage. By applying this understanding, the once murky three waters rationale becomes crystal clear. 

The current government three waters reform is more about locking in the Government’s Maori caucus, the Maori Party, and the Green Party as we move towards co -governance of New Zealand. Readers will also be aware of claims to fresh water filed with the courts by Maori interests. The back door is now wide open for the stalking horse of re-distribution to co-governance. (see Maori Health Authority /demise of DHBs/ separate tax system/ renaming of New Zealand)

Ross Meurant: Perils of Abandoning Philosophy


National’s decision to support Labour’s left-wing policies (1) is tantamount to abandoning a long-standing core National Party philosophy: “Reap the Rewards of your Efforts and Enterprise”.

Judith Collins now emerges as a prime candidate to lead a new party which advocates equality, not of ethnicity (for maori are now being accorded special rights which Collins does not appear to dispute), but predicated on tangible assets.

Until now, tangible assets have invariably been a reflection of how hard an individual has applied themselves to study, work and prudent behaviour.  The accumulation of asset wealth has been the, “reaped reward”.

Net Zero Watch: COP26 faces debacle as China & developing nations demand $trillions

 





In this newsletter:

1) To strike a climate deal, poor nations demand $trillions from rich ones
The Wall Street Journal, 18 October 2021 
 
2) China's COP26 strategy: Western countries 'shoulder responsibility for climate change and need to pay up'
ITV News, 19 October 2021

Hugh Perrett: Open letter to Government and the Prime Minister

Open letter to Government and the Prime Minister on the Mandatory teaching and learning of Maori and other major “Maorification” related agenda issues.

Prime Minister, I must take strong issue with Government’s well publicised agenda and action to make the teaching and learning of Maori language mandatory in our schools and the learning/speaking of Maori a precondition to working for the Government Service (arguably to facilitate “stacking” the Public Service with activists keen to reinforce and support Government’s Maorification agendas).  

Latin has recently been deleted from school syllabuses because it no longer has utility as a language and would therefore be wasting some 15/20percent of time available to students for educational options much more relevant, useful and beneficial to their future lives.

Wednesday, October 20, 2021

Mike Hosking: Refreshing to see political unity over housing

 

Surely in these dark and troubled times, a level of cooperation from unlikely foes has to be welcomed. 

The deal done between the Government and National over housing at last addresses, at least in part, one of the biggest obstacles to supply. The councils. 

We have, for years, argued around all the other issues that prevent supply growth in housing. That includes labour, materials, and interest rates. But above and beyond it all, is the councils and their determination to hang onto to land come hell or high water, or at least make the process so difficult people simply give up. 

Net Zero Watch: Biden's climate agenda dead in the water

 





In this newsletter:

1) Biden’s climate agenda likely to be cut because of Joe Manchin's opposition
The New York Times, 16 October 2021
   
2) Marc Thiessen: It’s the 1970s all over again, and Joe Biden is the new Jimmy Carter
The Washington Post, 15 October 2021

Tuesday, October 19, 2021

Kate Hawkesby: Yesterday's press conference was disingenuous and plain cruel

 

You knew when the PM started selling the idea that we should be so grateful not to be going into level 4, that the mind games were on, and she was going to make Level 3 sound like a picnic. 

And picnics as it turns out, is all we got. Two more weeks of them. 

I could not have called this more wrong. Yesterday, I optimistically said they’d definitely free up some restrictions. I thought a zoo or a museum or the odd library may get thrown a bone. 

How wrong I was. Two more weeks at Level 3 for Auckland, and the announcement that a slew of announcements will be dripfed over the coming week. If we thought we were living week by week on dripfed news by the Government, it just got worse. It’s now day by day. We are being dictated our terms, and our lives, in 24-hour cycles. 

Lindsay Mitchell: No jab, no unemployment benefit


As this country inches closer to a 'no vaccination, no job' scenario, the question on my mind - one I'm sure must have crossed others - is, will vaccinations be mandated for receipt of an unemployment (or other) benefit?

The 2011 welfare working group set up under National (not to be confused with the Labour's WEAG headed by Cindy Kiro, about to be sworn in as new GG) considered whether benefits could be used to compel parents to immunise their children. The idea was never implemented. A condition of receiving the Young Parent Payment for 16-19 year-olds stopped at, "you must also enrol your child (or children) at a medical centre or with a doctor."

Australia financially penalises parents who fail to immunse their child through reducing family benefit. That began under the Howard government. So there is a sort of precedent for linking vaccination to benefit receipt.

Hugh Perrett: Distorted governance perspective


Prime Minister I believe I am speaking for the vast majority of New Zealanders (90percent plus)  in expressing  major concern at the seriously out of balance governance perspective your Government is continuing to pursue in line with your hugely distorted ideological bias, as reflected in your Maorification agendas. 

This distortion clearly reflects the lack of balance in your caucus in favour of its Maori activist members. 

It seems clear that this strongly out of balance bias reflects a deliberate structuring to pursue an ideological obsession favouring your Maori activist caucus members and their personal ambitions for self-enrichment, power and control - observably all strongly endorsed and supported by you. 

Monday, October 18, 2021

Net Zero Watch: China snubs COP26

 





In this newsletter:

1) Chinese president to snub UN climate summit
The Times, 15 October 2021


2) Hopes of an ambitious climate deal hit after China and Saudi Arabia fail to make written commitments
iNews, 15 October 2021

Bob Edlin: Waste Management Consultation – segregated and iwi come first

We can discuss waste management as one people – but consultation on indigenous rights is segregated (and iwi come first).
- first published 15 October. 

Latest from the Beehive –

The last item we recorded after monitoring the Beehive website yesterday was headed E whakarite ana Te Kāwanatanga i ngā tūāpapa mō tewhakamaumahara ki Te Petihana Reo Māori ka tū ā tērā tau.  The accompanying news dealt with a government decision to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the presentation of the Māori language petition and Māori Language Day as a major anniversary next year:

Lindsay Mitchell: MSD - "What's happening to the number of sole parents on a benefit?"

Until the welfare reforms of 2013 most sole parents on a benefit relied on the DPB - not exclusively but mainly.

Since the introduction of the Sole Parent Support (SPS) benefit, which sole parents only qualify for until their youngest child turns 14, it's been harder to track how many sole parents are actually reliant on welfare. Far more are now receiving Jobseeker support.

Usefully MSD released some research in September, "What's happening to the number of sole parents on a benefit?" Numbers have been increasing - in part due to the economic effect of lock downs  - and they wanted to predict whether the growth trend will continue. More on that later.

John Porter: An Open Letter to the Prime Minister


Dear Prime Minister,

I am writing on behalf of, what I believe to be, many, many thousands of concerned New Zealanders.

New Zealanders who now feel disenchanted, disenfranchised and apprehensive about where your government is leading New Zealand.

In New Zealand we are so fortunate to live in a country where we can enjoy not only quality of life but also equality of life.

Sadly, we now consider that quality of life and, most definitely, equality of life is under serious threat.

Clive Bibby: Common sense isn’t common

I admit the headline to this column isn’t my own.

It comes from a recent Australian Sky News Public affairs programme that was celebrating the “breath of fresh air” that is the arrival of the new NSW Premier, Dominic Perrottet.

The discussion included the public yearning, as in this country, for a return to governments who acted in the best interests of the majority while being sensitive to the genuine grievances and needs of the minority.

Sunday, October 17, 2021

NZCPR Weekly: Covid Wins



Dear NZCPR Reader,   

In this week’s NZCPR newsletter we examine the Government’s Covid-19 strategy and question the Prime Minister’s authoritarian approach, our NZCPR Guest Commentator UK journalist Ross Clark shares his Daily Telegraph critique of our PM’s performance, and our poll asks whether you think it is possible to contain the Delta outbreak.

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