Bob Edlin: Te Papa is now being criticised for trying to reduce staff numbers...

Te Papa (which has one fewer Treaty pieces among its exhibits) is now being criticised for trying to reduce staff numbers


Uh, oh. PoO couldn’t muster a team to report on the doings of E tū members at Te Papa Tongarewa, who rallied this afternoon to save jobs after the museum proposed a restructure that would axe 14 roles and realign dozens more across the organisation.

Members were to hold a rally at the Te Papa forecourt from 12pm to 2pm and were inviting the public to attend in support.

Bob Edlin: Māori activists are buoyed by decision to drop Treaty vandalism charges....

Māori activists are buoyed by decision to drop Treaty vandalism charges – but Te Papa prefers to stay stum

An outfit called Te Waka Hourua issued a press statement to welcome a court’s dismissal of all charges against someone named Te Wehi Ratana “for action taken At Te Papa In ’23”.

Action?

That’s one word for it.

Blatant vandalism is another.

Heather du Plessis-Allan: It's time to punish protestors properly

Turns out, the person who painted over the rainbow crossing on Auckland's K road 3 weeks ago is related to Brian Tamaki by marriage - what a surprise.

He is married to Brian Tamaki’s granddaughter and is the father of, I think four, of Tamaki's great-grand kids. The reason I'm not surprised is - of course Destiny Church was doing this with the rainbow crossings in Gisborne earlier.

Anyway, today he appeared in court and pleaded guilty - and was convicted, discharged and fined $16,000.

Now as far as I can tell,  this is the toughest sentence given in recent times to a protestor who caused damage, but is it really tough?

Bob McCoskrie: Vandalism is a ‘hate’ crime… sometimes

I want to tell you about four acts of vandalism and how the media and the cultural elites treated them.

Now please let me clarify from the outset – we campaign on a lot of things, but we don’t endorse vandalism. No matter how much we may agree or disagree with the protestors, our strategy has always been to inform, and to protest through official channels and promoting good legislation, and educating and empowering parents. That’s where we’re at. You may agree or disagree with that.

Mark Stocker: Captain Cook’s Loss of Face in Christchurch

The statue of James Cook in Christchurch, New Zealand, has been vandalised recently. Here, a Christchurch resident and History Reclaimed author, Dr. Mark Stocker, explains the history of the statue and what should now be done.