David Harvey: Unlawful

The UN Charter and the Iranian Conflict

Helen Clark and latterly Phil Goff have criticized the Government for failing to condemn the attack on Iran by the US and Israel. Ms Clark condemned the Government’s approach as servile towards the US and a disgrace.

The main argument advanced by Ms Clark is that the attacks were illegal. And she wants the Government to endorse that approach.

Bob Edlin: Who has views on WHO?.....

Who has views on WHO? RNZ turned to Phil Goff to tell us what he thinks of Winston Peters’ musings…


PoO was drawn to the news beneath an RNZ headline which trumpeted:

Former Foreign Minister says NZ must stand up to Trump, defends WHO work

Peter Dunne: Goff and Mallard appointments

It is difficult not to see Sir Trevor Mallard’s sacking as New Zealand’s Ambassador to Ireland as anything other than an act of political vengeance by Foreign Minister Winston Peters. After all, there has been considerable antagonistic history between the pair, culminating in then-Speaker Mallard’s trespassing of Peters during the 2022 occupation of Parliament’s grounds by Covid19 protestors.

Simon O'Connor: More biased voices wanted

Stuff is calling for kiwis to share views on what's happening in Israel and Gaza, but don't expect there to be any balance.

The Stuff headline (below) can be best described as a lie. To date, Stuff has shown little interest in presenting a range of views on this complicated conflict, and this call made at the start of the week will be no different. I would anticipate a careful selection of ‘voices’ that reinforce the single narrative Stuff has been pushing for months now. More worryingly, it will probably enable the usual tropes, slurs, and half-truths to be repeated. What we are witnessing is not reporting but propaganda.

Simon O'Connor: The op-ed Stuff won't publish

Whether ignored, overlooked, or declined - a recent op-ed I submitted to Stuff has not been published - so I thought I would share directly here via Substack.

Phil Goff, a former Labour MP, Minister, and High Commissioner to London, recently wrote an op-ed on the Israel-Gaza conflict, published by Stuff. Much was made of Mr Goff being a former Minister of Foreign Affairs. I decided, as a former Chair of Parliament’s Foreign Affairs and Defense committee to write a reply, now over a week ago. To date, my reply has not been published. Granted, Stuff is under no obligation to do so, but one would think a bit of balance would be welcome including from someone who is also a former politician, involved in foreign affairs, and who has actually been to Israel recently.

Damien Grant: Why free speech isn’t always free

Phil Goff was amongst friends. An event at Chatham House in London and the Finnish foreign minister had just given a speech finishing with a quote from Winston Churchill: “ To each, there comes a moment ... when they are figuratively tapped on the shoulder and offered the chance to do a special thing, unique to them and their talents.”

This was a cue for Goff to ask the Foreign Minister; “President Trump has restored the bust of Churchill to the Oval Office. But do you think he really understands history?”

Kerre Woodham: Phil Goff stuffed up royally and paid the price

Crikey, I barely stepped away from the microphone yesterday and we had a double whammy news-wise. Phil Goff sacked as High Commissioner to London for an intemperate comment and question, Greg Foran resigning as Air New Zealand CEO. I heard someone on The Huddle with Ryan Bridge last night saying Greg Foran can now become the High Commissioner, Adrian Orr would become Air New Zealand CEO, and Phil Goff will take over as Reserve Bank Governor - all change.

Ele Ludemann: Diplomatic failure

People who aren’t diplomats can ask non-diplomatic questions,diplomats should not:

Phil Goff’s position as High Commissioner to the United Kingdom is now “untenable”, Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters has made clear, after “deeply disappointing” comments the former Auckland Mayor made about United States President Donald Trump.

David Farrar: Goff sacked

The Herald reports:

Phil Goff’s position as High Commissioner to the United Kingdom is now “untenable” Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters’ office says, off the back of “deeply disappointing” comments the former Auckland mayor made regarding Donald Trump.

Point of Order: Mahuta was finding a job for Goff and keeping miners off the seabed

So what does she make of further dismantling of our democracy?

The news we expected to hear from Nanaia Mahuta, as Minister of Local Government, was not to be found on the Beehive website when we checked around noon.

We refer to the far-from-surprising but nevertheless deeply disturbing news that the Government-appointed review of local government is recommending the further dismantling of democratic governance in New Zealand

Karl du Fresne: Pssst ... don't mention the iwi

From disgrace to sham to travesty and back again – that pretty much sums up the Three Waters project so far. (I won’t use the government’s preferred term “reform”, because reform means a change for the better.)

When it became clear last year that Nanaia Mahuta’s pet ideological project faced concerted opposition across a broad front, the government sought to defuse it by setting up an “independent working group” to review the proposed governance arrangements.

The working group’s report is now in, and it has justifiably been slammed for merely tinkering at the edges – hardly surprising, given that the group was stacked with iwi representatives and people broadly sympathetic to the government. (One example is my own mayor, Lyn Patterson, a reliable friend of Labour who told the Wairarapa Times-Age that the report addresses local government’s concerns. Yet her own council recently joined 29 others in opposing Three Waters and looking at alternative proposals.)

Kate Hawkesby: I've never been more tempted to run for Mayor

 

I had an infuriating interview with Phil Goff yesterday, and I say infuriating because as a proud born and bred Aucklander, I feel very despondent about what has happened to our once great city. It’s a shambles. That’s putting it politely.

A word starting with cluster and ending in something that rhymes with duck would be more appropriate.

But basically, Mayor Phil Goff has taken a leaf out of the Jacinda and Ashley playbook, of literally denying reality and refuting any facts thrown his way. In Phil’s world, we’re all on buses, trains, ferries, and bikes. We love public transport and only want to use more of it; we don’t need or want our cars. I don’t know what planet Phil’s living on, but it’s not Planet Auckland.