liberation: January 2015

This is a selection of some of the more interesting tweets about the resignation of Russel Norman from the Green Party co-leadership today. The most recent are first. If there’s any good ones missing, please add them to the comments section. More will be added later. [Read more below]

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Top tweets wildly speculating on mystery Green Party announcement

This is a selection of some of the more interesting tweets about the mystery Green Party press conference today. The most recent are first. If there’s any good ones missing, please add them to the comments section. [Read more below]

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Cartoons & images of Cattongate

This is a selection of various cartoons, memes and other social media images relating to controversy over Eleanor Catton's public statements about New Zealand and politics. [Read more below]

Scott - Dominion Post 29 January 2015

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NZ Politics Daily - 29 January 2015: State of the Nation speeches; Eleanor Catton; Mike Sabin inquiry

State of the Nation speeches

John Armstrong (Herald): 'Market' swept under social housing rug

Chris Trotter (Bowalley Road): “Jobs. Jobs. Jobs.” Reflecting On Labour Priorities: Past and Present

Vernon Small (Stuff): Key opts for state of state houses over state of the nation

Tim Watkin (Pundit): State of the Nation II - John Key

Tim Watkin (Pundit): State of the Nation I - Andrew Little

Vernon Small (Stuff): Key trumps Little on speech day

RNZ: Charities 'not ready' for housing

Kurt Bayer (Herald): Reaction to John Key's state housing policy: 'He's forgotten where he came from'

TVNZ: State of Nation speeches 'lacklustre' and 'underwhelming'

Chris Keall (NBR): Will Labour buy back state houses? Little responds (paywalled)

Rob Hosking (NBR): Key, Little, dribble the political ball (paywalled)

Nick Grant (NBR): Key provides post-speech executive summary, a Little sledging

Patrice Dougan (Herald): National's state house plan will push up rents: Andrew Little

RNZ: Emergency housing 'needs strengthening'

Herald: Editorial: Key's 'State of Nation' a lost opportunity

Dom Post: Both Labour and National offer crude positioning and suspect policies

Timaru Herald: Editorial: Don't forget that selling state houses affects people

The Press: Editorial: Leaders set out their agendas

ODT: Editorial: Social housing conundrum

Vernon Small (Stuff): Little gets message across, but questions remain

Duncan Garner (RadioLive): Little – Is that it?

Audrey Young (Herald): Labour's big ideas on small business

No Right Turn: Hot air

Ben Uffindell (Civilian): Key hopes state housing plan will ensure no one like him ever becomes Prime Minister again

Audrey Young (Herald): The Government's new social housing plan

Vernon Small (Stuff): Government to sell 1000 - 2000 state houses - John Key

Dene Mackenzie (ODT): State house sales likely this year

Dene Mackenzie (ODT): 'Pie in the sky wish list'

Jane Patterson (RNZ): PM states housing intentions

Stuff: John Key's state of the nation speech: 12 things to know

Martyn Bradbury (Daily Blog): Key’s Spite of the Nation – privatising state houses & abdicating social obligations

Rob Salmond (Polity): Key deluded on housing progress

Audrey Young (Herald): John Key's state of the nation speeches over the years

Briar Marbeck and Simon Wong (TV3): Social housing gets funding boost

TVNZ: Key reveals Govt plan to sell up to 2000 state houses

Paul McBeth (BusinessDesk): Govt to begin selldown of state housing, expand rent subsidies – Key

Rob Salmond (Polity): National's social housing plan

No Right Turn: Shuffling the deckchairs

Nicole Pryor (Radio NZ): Call for specifics ahead of PM's speech

The Jackal: Nationals housing failure

Simon Wong (TV3): At A Glance: Andrew Little's State of the Nation

Eric Crampton (Offsetting Behaviour): Zero-hour

Pete George (Your NZ): Little speaks to his strengths, needs to build on them

Tova O’Brien (TV3): Andrew Little: Show me the policy

Tova O’Brien (TV3): Little aims for lowest unemployment rate in OECDLittle aims for lowest unemployment rate in OECD

David Farrar (Kiwiblog): Little’s state of the nation speech

Eleanor Catton

Danyl Mclauchlan (Dim Post): Literature and politics collide!

Simon Wilson (Metro): Eleanor Catton Confronts the Men with Scythes

Brian Easton (Pundit): How Shallow is Intellectual Life in New Zealand?

Gordon Campbell (Scoop): On the Eleanor Catton rumpus

RadioLive: Sean Plunket addresses Eleanor Catton controversy

Herald: Booker prize winner Keri Hulme defends successor Eleanor Catton

Brendan Manning (Hreald): Hulme quick to back Catton

Andrew Geddis (Pundit): Theme of the Traitor and the Hero

Elton Rikihana Smallman (Stuff): Being called a 'hua' no big deal

Ben Uffindell (The Civilian): Key says there were better New Zealand novels than The Luminaries, such as Lord of the Rings

Cameron Slater (Whaleoil): John Key upset at “stuck up” New Zealand authors

Martyn Bradbury (Daily Blog):Je Suis Traitor

David Farrar (Kiwiblog): Dear Eleanor

Campbell Gibson (NBR): Eleanor Catton says NZ run by greedy politicians

Ben Uffindell (The Civilian): Sean Plunket pre-emptively takes self to boss’s office, stays there

Alan Duff (Herald): Why Eleanor Catton was right about NZ

RNZ: Catton's claim dismays judge

Curwen Ares Rolinson (Daily Blog): The (Neoliberal) Luminaries

Scott Yorke (Imperator Fish): A clarification

The Ruminator: Fisking Eleanor

The Standard: Taxpayers Union Press Release on Eleanor Catton

Steven Cowan (Against the Current): Sean Plunket is a hua korero

Dan Satherley (TV3): John Key: I'm not 'profit-crazed'

Cameron Slater (Whaleoil): Green Taliban fighter Eleanor Catton attacks most popular PM in recent history

Eric Crampton (Offsetting Behaviour): Neo-lib anti-culture support for the arts

Bryce Edwards (Liberation): Top tweets about #JohnKeyLiterature

Mike Sabin inquiry

Heather du Plessis-Allan (TVNZ): John Key refuses to comment on Mike Sabin assault allegations

Andrea Vance (Stuff): MP Sabin to grill cops

David Farrar (Kiwiblog): Should there be a stand down?

Patrice Dougan (Herald): National MP Mike Sabin to remain law and order chairman during investigation into alleged assault

Jamie Ball (NBR): National knew of Sabin assault allegations

Martyn Bradbury (Daily Blog): Sabin to grill Police while he is under investigation for serious allegations?

Cameron Slater (Whaleoil): John Key between a rock and a hard place?

Cameron Slater (Whaleoil): National will have to lance the Sabin boil eventually, might as well be now

Other

Michael Field (Stuff): NZ farms eyed as 'boltholes' for world's super rich

Claire Trevett (Herald): Irish builders, burqas, tall poppies? Yep, still mad

Catherine Harris (Stuff): Unpaid caring hits household incomes

Anna Pearson (Stuff): Social service resources 'tied up' by chasing funds

Martin van Beynen (Press): Sutton to thank staff at farewell function

Neil Ratley (Dom Post): New Zealand passports targeted by criminals, terrorists

Brian Easton (Pundit): Treating Capital Gains Efficiently

Chris Trotter (Bowalley Road): Getting Behind The Rage

Bernard Orsman (Herald): John Banks back in the dock over charge of filing false electoral return

Stuff: John Banks faces retrial over electoral returns

Michael Wright (Press): Minister to hear judges' concerns

Stuff: New baby for Greens co-leader Russel Norman and wife

RNZ: Refugee status for blasphemy accused

Rosemary McLeod (Taranaki Daily News): Farmers and financial advisers are an arrogant bunch

Jenée Tibshraeny (Interest): Little to re-consider Labour's plan to establish new State-owned insurer 'KiwiAssure'

Nelson Mail:Editorial: Beware being spied upon

Thomas Carnegie (Café Pacific): Stop the press - a stimulating contribution to NZ media debate

Karl du Fresne (Manawatu Standard): Taking us for a ride with our own cash

The Hand Mirror: On the subject of David Rankin and his latest outburst

Phil McCarthy (Southland Times): Skills and expertise a trade asset – minister

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Top tweets about #JohnKeyLiterature

This is a selection of some of the more interesting uses of the #JohnKeyLiterature hashtag in response to the row between Eleanor Catton and John Key. The most recent are first. If there’s any good ones missing, please add them to the comments section. [Read more below]

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NZ Politics Daily - 28 January 2015

State of the Nation speeches

Vernon Small (Stuff): Labour leader Andrew Little targets unemployment in state of nation speech

Audrey Young (Herald): Andrew Little focuses Labour's image on being the 'jobs party' in first major speech

TVNZ: Andrew Little: Zero hour contracts would be scrapped under Labour

Bryce Edwards (Liberation): Top tweets about Andrew Little’s SOTN speech

Danyl Mclauchlan (Dim Post): SOTN

Rob Salmond (Polity): Andrew Little State of the Nation

Briar Marbeck (TV3): Jobs, small businesses Labour's new focus

Rob Salmond (Polity): Growth and inequality

Chris Bramwell (RNZ): Small business Labour's priority

RNZ: Little's speech to focus on economic growth

Martyn Bradbury (Daily Blog): Andrew Little’s Snooze of the Nation – selling Labour to the middle

RNZ: John Key to outline plan for social housing

Duncan Garner (RadioLive): Key vs Little – What they must do tomorrow

Audrey Young (Herald): State of the Nation: John Key's plan to boost housing

Newswire: Andrew Little to take Labour back to basics

Frances Cook (Newstalk ZB): State of the Nation speeches delivered today

Mike Hosking (Newstalk ZB): State of the Nation

Paul McBeth (BusinessDesk): Labour's Little promises to back NZ small business in drive to lower unemployment

Paul McBeth (BusinessDesk): Key to outline social housing programme in first major speech of 2015

Hamish Rutherford (Stuff): Key set to air plan on state houses

TV3: Greens: State housing sell-off an asset 'fire sale'

Stuff: Labour leader Andrew Little's state of the nation speech: 10 things to know

TVNZ: Coming up: The state of the nation - as seen by John Key and Andrew Little

Cameron Slater (Whaleoil): 'Independent’ political commentator Bryce Edwards has no clue

Pete George (Your NZ): Battle of the speeches

Isis

Claire Trevett (Herald): Decision on contribution to Isis fight still weeks away

Newswire: Islamic State combat decision weeks away – John Key

Eleanor Catton

Lincoln Tan (Herald): Prize-winning author Eleanor Catton throws the book at NZ

TV3: Eleanor Catton hits out at Govt

Bryce Edwards (Liberation): Top tweets about Eleanor Catton vs John Key

David Kennedy (Local Bodies): Eleanor Catton is Not Alone

Martyn Bradbury (Daily Blog): Eleanor Catton is a hero

Pete George (Your NZ): Eleanor Catton and the Greens

Rob Salmond (Polity): Grumpy John

Mike Sabin inquiry

Claire Trevett (Herald): PM won't comment on Sabin investigation

RNZ: PM dismisses investigation 'rumours'

Andrea Vance (Stuff): John Key distances himself from MP Mike Sabin

Gordon Campbell (Scoop): On the Sabin case, the pressures on Greece and coyotes

NZ response to death of Saudi King

Herald: Editorial: Half-mast flag for Saudi King over the top

Brian Rudman (Herald): Welcome to 'lickspittles to foreign dictators' club

Eric Crampton (Offsetting Behaviour): State's gonna State

Scott Yorke (Imperator Fish): Back When: PM sends condolences as German leader dies

David Farrar (Kiwiblog): Why did they not complain about half mast for Chavez?

Arthur Taylor electoral petition

Waikato Times: Editorial: Don't count Taylor out

Andrew Geddis (Pundit): Tilting at Helensvilles' windmills

Stuff: No prisoner voting rights a 'dangerous precedent'

Lee Taylor (TVNZ): Election results should be voided - jailhouse lawyer

RNZ: Taylor: PM broke rules on election day

Kelly Dennett (Stuff): Court told no evidence PM John Key unlawfully won seat

Trade

Fran O'Sullivan (Herald): Time for NZ to take a stand over TPP

Stephen Jacobi (Herald): Clock ticks on trade talks as detractors grow

Paul McBeth (Business Desk): TPP talks could be wrapped up in first-half of 2015 – Key

Pattrick Smellie (Idealog): Opinion: Could we be missing a trick in India?

Education

TVNZ: 'Paint and skipping ropes are not priorities' - Parata fires back over school costs

Peter Lyons (Herald): Charter schools all about freedom of choice

Herald: Winston Peters criticises foreign student numbers

RNZ: NZ First challenges student visa promotion

Labour Party president

Vernon Small (Stuff): Labour to elect new president

David Farrar (Kiwiblog): Two nominees for Labour President

Cameron Slater (Whaleoil): Labour’s next president

Justice

No Right Turn: Must-read: Police cover up for Corrections

Anne Clarkson (Stuff): Restorative justice issues bring court to a halt

Employment

Patrice Dougan (Herald): NZDF employee to receive $70,000 after winning employment battle

Thomas Heaton (Stuff): Young and unskilled jobseekers stuck on benefits

Other

Maria Slade (Stuff): Len Brown quiet on Auckland mayoral plans

David Farrar (Kiwiblog): NZ The Way You Want It

Nick Grant (NBR): SkyCity questions remain but Joyce ‘has said all he intends to’ (paywalled)

Nevil Gibson (NBR): NZ climbs ladder of world economic freedom (paywalled)

Nathan Smith (NBR): Kaumatua calls for 'banning the burqa' at Waitangi (paywalled)

PMC: NZ: Race relations advocate says country is at 'diversity crossroads'

Sue Kedgley (Herald): Kiwis in the dark about irradiated fruit and vegetables

Manawatu Standard: Editorial: Threats go way beyond freedom of speech

Thomas Heaton (Manwatu Standard): Still cause for alarm despite decrease in child abuse

Jack Montgomerie (Stuff): Irrigation lobbyists seek easier cash

David Snell and Jo Doolan (Stuff): Labour's tax amnesty a blunt instrument, EY

Sally Lindsay (NBR): Updated report reveals climbing costs of Auckland’s development consents (paywalled)

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Top tweets about Eleanor Catton vs John Key

This is a selection of some of the more interesting responses to the row between Eleanor Catton and John Key. The most recent are first. If there’s any good ones missing, please add them to the comments section. Another ‘Top tweets’ blog post will cover the #JohnKeyLiterature tweets. [Read more below]

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Top tweets about Andrew Little’s SOTN speech

This is a selection of some of the more interesting responses to Andrew Little’s ‘state of the nation’ Labour Party speech. The most recent are first. If there’s any good ones missing, please add them to the comments section. [Read more below]

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NZ Politics Daily - 27 January 2015: The political year; Housing & RMA; Inequality and wealth; Welfare; Media and blogosphere

Political parties and political year

Gordon Campbell (Scoop): On tomorrow’s speeches by John Key and Andrew Little

TV3: Can Andrew Little rebuild the Labour Party?

Vernon Small (Stuff): Key talks housing while Little backs small business

Liam Hehir (Stuff): Labour needs to devise a strategy

Rob Hosking (NBR): Key, Little, to launch new political year (paywalled)

Newswire: John Key back for first Cabinet meeting

No Right Turn: Labour: Time to stop being a valet

Claire Trevett (Herald): Nominees announced for Labour Party presidency

TV3: Two contesting Labour presidency

Claire Trevett (Herald): Little cash for Labour leader - rivals got more

Colin James (Otago Daily Times): The environment is changing — even for Greens

Cameron Slater (Whaleoil): No, it’s the benefit of having an accurate pollster on the payroll

Pete George (Your NZ): Has Bradbury given up on Mana?

Radio NZ: Land and language top priorities for Flavell

Housing and RMA reform

Liam Dann (Herald): Time-lag a risk in housing supply boost

John Palethorpe (On the Left): Sort Your Act Out

Nelson Mail: Editorial – Balancing act needed in RMA revamp

John Braddock (WSWS): Housing affordability crisis worsens in New Zealand

Inequality and wealth

Eric Crampton (Offsetting behaviour): CEO pay and inequality

Peter Lyons (Herald): Forget evil rich - flaw is in the system

Eileen Goodwin (ODT): Corporate pay levels queried

Stuff: The hidden mansions of Billionaire's Bay

Jess McAllen (Stuff): Super-rich kids: How the other half lives

Rachael Goldsmith (Daily Blog): CEO pay rises show health system is upside down

Lewis Holden: Wages: Labour Cost Index vs Quarterly Employment Survey

Welfare

Catriona MacLennan (Herald): Benefit debt punishment out of all proportion to 'crime'

Waikato Times: Editorial – Welfare policies not delivering

Geoff Simmons (Gareth’s world): Ten Reasons to Scrap our Benefit System

Media and blogosphere

David Farrar (Kiwiblog): Should we ditch Concert FM?

Pete George (Your NZ): The Blubble

Ben Uffindell (The Civilian): The Civilian 2.0

Whaleoil: Whaleoil by numbers

Lyn Prentice (The Standard): Where is Cameron Slater?

Death of Saudi King

Herald: Flag tribute to late Saudi King Abdullah a bridge too far for many

No Right Turn: National loves foreign despots

No Right Turn: A question

Auckland mayoralty

Mitch McCann (RadioLive): Len Brown denies seeking third term

Bernard Orsman (Herald): Len Brown wants another term as Auckland's mayor

David Farrar (Kiwiblog): Brown has one vote!

Dog attacks and ethnicity

Stuff: SPCA: Bad dogs not a race issue

Brendan Manning (Herald): SPCA boss Bob Kerridge dogged by comments about owner ethnicity and dog attack convictions

Other

Waikato Times: Editorial: If SkyCity abandons convention centre, too bad

Karl du Fresne (NZCPR): Heavy-handed Policing

Belinda Feek (Waikato Times): Sensible Sentencing Trust calls for more tracking of sex offenders

No Right Turn: What happens if you question our sacred cows

Gareth Morgan: What does the Treaty of Waitangi mean to you?

Donna-Lee Biddle (Waikato Times): Patient frustrated after having acute surgery postponed four times

Stella Blake-Kelly and Megan Whelan (The Wireless): Beyond the ballot box

Steven Cowan (Against the current): Where is our Syriza?

Tim Montgomerie (Conservative Home): The world’s most successful conservative? Ten observations about New Zealand’s John Key

Danyl Mclauchlan (Dim-Post): Vague Trotteresque Musings of the Day

The Press: Editorial: Official Information Act vital to open government

Waikato Times: Editorial: Information is critical

Ben Heather (Stuff): Taitville least religious place in NZ

Pete George (Your NZ): Aotearoa New Zealand?

Talia Shadwell (Stuff): Women a growing force in police ranks

Chris Trotter (Daily Blog): Liberty. Equality. Fraternity. Some Thoughts on the Political Trinity

Laura Bootham (Radio NZ): Moves to reassure public over water rights

TVNZ: Petition to wipe gay sex convictions wins support on Facebook

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NZ Politics Daily - 26 January 2015: Housing and RMA reform; Parliament and political year; Farming and free speech; Media; Ratana

NZ Politics Daily is an email service, sent out to subscribers for free Monday-to-Friday. The daily email contains the text below, as well as a PDF of the full text of the all the items. To subscribe, send an email to: [email protected]

Housing and RMA reform

John Armstrong (Herald): Nick Smith sets up RMA as straw man for housing

Vernon Small (Stuff): RMA reforms no long-term solution

Bernard Hickey (Herald): Cut it out, you RMA spoilsports

Fran O’Sullivan (Herald): Nick Smith's calculation stretch on housing crisis headline-grabbing but way off the mark

Bryan Gould: Solving the Housing Crisis – Facts or Ideology?

Southland Times: Editorial: A bit of RMA-wrestling

ODT: Editorial: 'Reforming' the RMA

Rob Salmond (Polity): Herald on Smith on RMA

Simon Collins (Herald): If you don't own a home by 40, you don't have much hope, warns study

Simon Collins (Herald): Mr Rental now thinking about buying house

Winston Peters (RadioLive): Govt trying to hide housing crisis

Scott Yorke (Imperator Fish): Kill the RMA

Martyn Bradbury (Daily Blog): Gen Xers and Gen Y locked out of property ownership forever

Phil Hayward (Whaleoil): On Auckland and the RMA reforms

Brennan McDonald: Slimmer RMA won’t improve affordability

Eric Crampton (Offsetting Behaviour): Costs, benefits, and apartments

Eric Crampton (NZ Initiative): RMA changes necessary, but not sufficient

Peter Cresswell (Not PC): How the RMA continues to protect polluters

Cameron Slater (Whaleoil): RMA reform will be an uphill battle

Cameron Slater (Whaleoil): Will Nick Smith slash and burn the RMA? Or will it be as effective as his housing efforts?

Isaac Davison (Herald): Auckland Council red tape in the spotlight

Pete George (Your NZ): RMA reform proposal

Craig McCulloch (RNZ): Keep RMA standards high says group

Nick Smith: Annual speech to Nelson Rotary

Parliament and political year

Claire Trevett (Herald): NZ's political leaders to push their plans

Matthew Hooton (NBR): The year the worm may turn (paywalled)

Dom Post: Voters await signs of a new game plan

RNZ: Key and Little to give State of the Nation

David Farrar (Kiwiblog): Fairfax’s 2015 predictions

Rob Salmond (Polity): Speech duel

Newswire: National surges to highest rating since 2014 election

David Farrar (KIwiblog): 1st poll of 2015

Martyn Bradbury (Daily Blog): Is it over for the Greens?

Andrea Vance (Stuff): NZ First MPs make most of summer lull

Audrey Young (Herald): Meet the backbenchers: Back home to make a contribution – Mark Mitchell

NZ Parliament: Introducing Parliament 101

Lewis Holden: Restoring our upper house – I

Ian Steward (Stuff): Arthur Taylor claims John Key's election as MP unlawful

Craig McCulloch (Radio NZ): Greens reject purely green focus

Ratana

Claire Trevett (Herald): Andrew Little survives at Ratana but Peters steals show

Tova O’Brien (TV3): Opposition slams Key's Ratana no-show

Claire Trevett (Herald): Ratana: Turei launches stinging attack on Key

Martyn Bradbury (Daily Blog): Andrew Little at Ratana – ignoring the battle to win the war

Martyn Bradbury (Daily Blog): Of course the Greens should be political on a political day

David Kennedy (Local Bodies): Turei Ratana Speech Justified

Patricia Greig (Herald): MP attracts hoots of laughter

Key in Europe

Audrey Young (Herald): Davos 2015: John Key networking 'like speed dater in first class'

Melissa Davies (TV3): Key in Davos: 'Europe's time will come again'

Mellissa Davies (TV3): Key wants TPPA ready within six months

TVNZ: Key tries to woo Europe during 'speed dating' in Davos

Chris Trotter (Bowalley Road): To Lunchtime And Beyond! Why There’s No More Loyal Servant Of The Anglo-Saxon Empire Than The New Zealand National Party

Don Franks (Redline): Looking inside John Key’s club

David Farrar (Kiwiblog): Montgomerie on Key

Farming and free speech

Rachel Stewart (Stuff): Farmers not exempt from country's laws

Lucy Townend (Stuff): Police investigate threat to columnist Rachel Stewart

RNZ: Threat to columnist 'should be handled by police'

Anthony Robins (Standard): The image of farming

Martyn Bradbury (Daily Blog): The Standard defends Farmer rape threats

Economy

Vernon Small (Stuff): Better Budget deficit renews Government surplus hopes

Herald: Govt's operating deficit smaller than expected

Fiona Rotherham (Idealog): Do we really have a rockstar economy?

TVHE: Why doesn’t NZ need a fiscal rule?

Death of Saudi King

Herald: Governor-General to attend Saudi King's funeral

Newswire: Key pays tribute after Saudi king dies

Scott Yorke (Imperator Fish): Our dear Saudi friends

Media

John Drinnan (Herald): Concert station gets a tune-up

Stuff: Prime News production moves to NZ

Martyn Bradbury (Daily Blog): Dear Lynn Prentice – I have no interest in Scoop closing

Bill Bennett (Scoop): How Freelancers & Bloggers Inform NZ's $23 Bn ICT Industry

Bill Rosenberg (Scoop): News Before Profits

Pete George (Your NZ): What’s happening On The Left?

Stephanie Rodgers (The Standard): The meaning of dirty politics

Pete George (Your NZ): Left versus lefter

Lynn Prentice (Standard): The prince and the pea

Martyn Bradbury (Daily Blog): Blogwatch: Has Lynn Prentice apologised to his best blogger for outing him yet?

Isis

Herald: McCully to go to Jordan to discuss Syria, Isis

Cameron Walker (Redline): Ramping up state powers: the Terrorism Suppression Act since 2007

The Civilian: Editorial: Why ISIL is great and we don’t want to die

Other

Bernard Orsman (Herald): Ratepayer cash won't go into convention centre, mayor promises

Tom Pullar-Strecker (Stuff): New cyber-defence system for NZ

TV3: The week in politics - January 22, 2015

Rob Salmond (Polity): Quadratic voting

Stacey Kirk (Stuff): McCully slates Russia, but shies away from attacking Putin

Andrea Vance (Stuff): History in bin when the PM deletes texts

Charlie Mitchell (Stuff): The language of John Key, akshually

TV3: Inequality in NZ - how bad is it?

Lisa Knight (Stuff): Pay boost for health board boss riles snubbed hospital staff

Integrity Talking Points: New Zealand remains an open data leader

Newswire: Little outruns Robertson in Wellington

Waikato Times: Editorial: My home, my castle

Steve Kilgallon (Stuff): Celebrity boxing pits Cameron 'Whaleoil' Slater against Jesse Ryder

TV3: Light rail gets thumbs up from opposition

TV3: Helen Clark pressures businesses to support sustainability

Isaac Davison (Herald): Elective surgery patients miss out on treatment

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NZ Politics Daily - 23 January 2015: Housing and RMA reform; John Key in Europe; Treaty and Ratana; Inequality

Housing and RMA reform

Chris Trotter (Bowalley Road): New Zealand Doesn't Need A "Developers' Charter"

Herald: Editorial: RMA move too important for bare majority

Dominion Post: Editorial – Scant detail on Nick Smith's proposed RMA overhaul

Brent Edwards (Radio NZ): Powerplay

Audrey Young (Herald): RMA will do 'nothing' for house prices - Winston Peters

John Armstrong (Herald): We all know the act is not the problem

Isaac Davison (Herald): Govt to unveil home affordability plans in new-look RMA

Isaac Davison (Herald): Nick Smith announces 10 dramatic changes to Resource Management Act

Vernon Small (Stuff): Smith lays some bait lines on RMA remodeling

Martyn Bradbury (Daily Blog): Renters Rights

Pattrick Smellie (BusinessDesk): A reform that would give healthy gains

Dominion Post: Editorial: Many facets to housing solution

Hamish Rutherford and Kelly Dennett (Stuff): National pushes on with Resource Management Act reform

Rob Hosking (NBR): Nick Smith declares full speed ahead on RMA reform (paywalled)

Rob Salmond (Polity): Nick Smith's gambit

TVNZ: 'There is no silver bullet to housing' - Housing Minister

Scott Yorke (Imperator Fish): On the RMA changes

Duncan Garner (Radiolive): Smith’s sentiment right but it lacks details

Bill Moore (Stuff): Smith vows to cut 'red tape gone mad' in RMA

Peter Cresswell (Not PC): RMA reform? Mush, without any details to give it form

Nevil Gibson (NBR): Why Labour must support RMA reforms (paywalled)

Eric Crampton (Offsetting behaviour): Auckland SimCity

David Kennedy (Local bodies): RMA Changes, A Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing?

TV3: Labour: RMA reforms won't build more homes

TVNZ: NZ house prices could fall by up to 25% - Brian Gaynor

Gareth Vaughan (Interest): Brian Gaynor says he's not quite as positive as he was a year ago

Craig McCulloch (Radio NZ): Smith's RMA speech strident, says Dunne

Tova O'Brien and Simon Wong (TV3): RMA changes 'biggest in 25 years'

Greg Presland (The Standard): Nick Smith’s RMA reforms – low cost housing in Epsom?

Martyn Bradbury (Daily Blog): The real problem with affordable housing

Eye of the fish: RMA vs Affordable housing

Pete George (Your NZ): RMA reform – same old opposition

Elinor Chisholm (One Two Three Home): Building housese for poor people in 1912 and 2013

Stuff: Cost of building a new home rising fastest in Auckland

Amy Brooke (100 Days): Is this fair play for New Zealanders? Unaffordable housing a disgrace…

Waikato Times: Editorial – Resource Management Act reform needs support

Catherine Harris (Stuff): Investors driving Auckland property market

Rebecca Quilliam (Herald): Haggle, but rents will still rise: expert

Andrew McRae (RNZ): Home truths for property buyers

RNZ: Call for thousands of new homes

TVNZ: Wages must increase to make housing affordable - Andrew Little

Duncan Garner (Dom Post): Time to boost workers' pay, and first home buyers

Laura Walters (Stuff): Auckland in world top ten for housing unaffordability: report

Anne Gibson (Herald): Property: Mad truths on home prices in Auckland

ODT: Editorial: Heeding housing advice

Anne Gibson (Herald): Government's Auckland Housing Accord: Where are all the houses?

TV3: Auckland housing fix underway

Chris Hutching (NBR): Smith tries to take heat out of scorching housing report

Cameron Slater (Whaleoil): Special housing areas a total failure

RNZ: Call for more stable housing for Maori

The Standard: Where have all the houses gone?

Anna Pearson (Stuff): Housing fraud investigations 'free up' 180 houses

Andrew Chen (Mashed Calculus): Property Price to Income Ratios

Duncan Garner (RadioLIve): Ten reasons why houses are unaffordable

Asher Goldman (On the Left): Instability, home ownership and kids

Simon Wong and Dan Satherley (TV3): Govt's RMA changes gains some support

Dan Satherley (TV3): Greens: RMA changes won't make a dent in house prices

RNZ: Marama Fox wants closer look at RMA

Hamish Rutherford (Stuff): Government has numbers to pass RMA vote

TV3: Govt passing RMA change without support 'unwise'

RNZ: RMA changes no quick fix

Jono Natusch (Occasionally Erudite): (Almost) unconditional support: Act forgets to play its hand

The Standard: RMA reforms … be very afraid

Peter Cresswell (Not PC): So they’re “reforming” the RMA again?

John Key in Europe

Fran O'Sullivan (Herald): PM can strut rock star economy in Davos

Rob Salmond (Polity): Davos

Andrea Vance (Stuff): John Key and David Cameron compare notes over jelly and icecream

Herald: Editorial: 'Club's' rules of engagement not set in stone

Audrey Young (Herald): Prime Minister John Key: Isis fight 'price of the club'

TVNZ: John Key: The price of being part of Five Eyes is joining ISIS fight

Scott Yorke (Imperator Fish): A statement from the Prime Minister

Stuff: NZ part of international anti-Islamic State coalition - Prime Minister John Key

Audrey Young (Herald): John Key meets David Cameron: Isis fight tops the agenda

No Right Turn: Not worth the price

Mike Smith (Standard): But which club?

Anthony Robins (Standard): The price of the club

TVNZ: John Key talks Charlie Hebdo with British PM David Cameron

Tony Field (TV3): Davos 2015 to focus on wealth gap

Melissa Davies (TV3): NZ's links with UK, EU focus of London talks

Gordon Campbell (Scoop): On the similarities between John Key and David Cameron

Karl du Fresne (Dom Post): John Key: Mr Nice Guy's unbelievable aura of serenity

Treaty of Waitangi and Ratana

Andrea Vance (Stuff): Greens use Ratana meeting to attack John Key

TV3: Joint politicians' welcome a first at Ratana

Newswire: Political year kicks off in Ratana

Gareth Morgan’s Ratana speech

TV3: Treaty settlements not 'genuine partnership' – Greens

Dan Satherley (TV3): Gareth Morgan: Rednecks 'off their tree' over book

Claire Trevett (Herald): The great crusader comes up short

David Fisher (Herald): Gareth Morgan: Get radical on race issues

Claire Trevett (Herald): Gareth Morgan lays down challenge on Treaty and Maori seats

Mike Butler (Herald): Morgan errs on land-loss rhetoric

Gareth’s World: We need to lift Pakeha understanding of the Treaty of Waitangi

Rob Salmond (Polity): I agree with Gareth Morgan

RenewNZ: Gareth Morgan has been studying fashion – not facts

Newswire: Pakeha 'ignorant' about Waitangi – Gareth Morgan

Matthew Grocott (Stuff): Ratana birthday celebration begins

Inequality

Manawatu Standard: Editorial: Power and money in the hands of a few

RNZ: Over 100,000 NZers in world's top 1%

Catriona MacLennan (Herald): Benefit debt punishment out of all proportion to 'crime'

Donna Wynd (CPAG): We must get on the same page about child poverty numbers

Anthony Robins (Standard): Beneficiaries falling

Education

Jamie Morton (Herald): Cost of 'free' education in New Zealand: $35,000 or more a child

Dom Post: Editorial: Time to revisit government-funded food in schools

Jody O’Callaghan (Stuff): School costs pile up for parents

Audrey Young (Herald): Rise in tertiary fees outstrips living allowance

Michael Forbes (Stuff): High debt scares off Victoria University prospects

Media

Alastair Thompson (Scoop): Reinventing News As A Public Right - A Public Conversation

Alison McCulloch (Scoop): Stop The Press : Alison McCulloch

Scoop: Setting Free The News - The Story Of Scoop #1 | 500 Words

Scoop: Scoop Independent News Launches "Operation Chrysalis"

Martyn Bradbury (Daily Blog): Scoop’s latest attempt to rebrand itself

Damian Christie (Public Address): Absolute Genius: The New Paul Henry Show

Labour Party

Andrea Vance (Stuff): A game-plan that may just work for Little

Martyn Bradbury (Waatea News): What can Maori expect from Andrew Little's first speech on January 28th?

GCSB

The Press: Editorial: Confidence in agency crucial

Herald: Editorial: Opposition should help pick spy chief

Rob Salmond (Polity): Herald on GCSB appointment

Employment

Katherine Percy (Herald): Bill puts focus on safe health practices

Geoff Simmons (Gareth’s World): Ten Types of People Who Would be Better Off with an Unconditional Basic Income

Audrey Young (Herald): Public sector staff on hunt for pay rise

Audrey Young (Herald): English: Smaller wage increases on the table due to low inflation

Paul McBeth (Newswire): English to restrain public sector pay

Colin James (ODT): Work is not what it used to be

Christie Hall (Stuff): Where next for equal pay

Martyn Bradbury (Daily Blog): Time for Andrew Little to give unions teeth

Other

Herald: The Insider: MPs bask in a longer summer

Adam Bennett (Herald): Meet the backbenchers: Mother's courage showed the way

Chris Trotter (Daily Blog): Why Jamie Whyte’s Daughter Is A Better Philosopher Than Her Dad

Dita de Boni (Herald): NZ daftly addicted to smart solutions

TVNZ: NZ flag change a matter of patriotism - John Key

Patrice Dougan and Kurt Bayer (Herald): Cabinet to look at David Bain compensation

Susan Devoy (Herald): We can't afford complacency in race relations

No Right Turn: More harassment of Dotcom

Liam Hehir (Manawatu Standard): Democracy's bitter taste worth bearing

Audrey Young (Herald): McCully denies he's quitting for UN envoy role

Michael Cox (Herald): Clark's sad legacy in '84 affair shrinks UN hopes

Martyn Bradbury (Daily Blog): Is Islam intrinsically evil? Reflections on Rupert Murdoch’s text

Scott Hamilton (Reading the maps): A quick non-contribution to a constitutional debate

Eric Crampton (Offsetting behaviour): False equivalences

Greg Presland (The Standard): Dirty Politics in 2015

Deborah Morris-Travers (Herald): Kids should top Key's New Year resolutions

Rebecca Macfie (Listener): Dying wishes (paywalled)

Redline: Capitalism and the state

Greg Presland (The Standard): What John Key actually believes in

Carrie Stoddart-Smith (Ellipsister): Twitter. It can be rough

Fairfax: How accurate were our political predictions for 2014?

David Farrar (Kiwiblog): 2015 predictions

Dominion Post: Editorial: New Zealand faces big choices in 2015

James Griffin (Herald): My 2015 to-do list by PM John Key

Fran O'Sullivan (Herald): Sloganeering offers little protection for our freedoms and values

Steve Braunias (Herald): The secret diary of ... 2015

David Fisher (Herald): NZ spies to combat new terror threats

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NZ Politics Daily - 16 January 2015: Gareth Morgan and Treaty of Waitangi; GCSB; Charlie Hebdo; Law & order

Gareth Morgan and Treaty of Waitangi

Joshua Hitchcock (Herald): Tribunal a part of healing process

Joshua Hitchcock (Herald): Economic growth key to future for Maori

John Moore (liberation): Treaty politics versus class politics - How the Treaty settlement process has delivered bugger-all for most Maori

Bryce Edwards (Liberation): Top tweets about Gareth Morgan and the Treaty

Te Kāea: Gareth Morgan thinks Waiting Tribunal should be scrapped

Dion Tuuta (Stuff): Ward hysteria is an election distraction

Gareth Morgan: About the Treaty project

Gareth Morgan: Who owns the Treaty – can only Maori discuss it?

Gareth Morgan: Why should Pakeha care/ have an opinion on the Treaty?

Gareth Morgan: Why do you think an economist can teach us anything about the Treaty?

Gareth Morgan: Which is the ‘correct’ version of the Treaty?

Gareth Morgan: Why is the Treaty not a legal document?

Gareth Morgan: Who is making money from the Treaty?

Gareth Morgan: Are policies evaluated properly in NZ?

Gareth Morgan: What does the evidence say about the quality of devolved services?

Gareth Morgan: How do we ensure minimum standards are maintained?

Gareth Morgan: Is devolution a good idea and how can we make it work?

Gareth Morgan: What would it take to properly respect Maori property rights?

Gareth Morgan: How do we sort the ethnic bias in disadvantage?

Gareth Morgan: How can Maori achieve their aspirations without unique political rights?

Gareth Morgan: In what situations is positive discrimination okay? Who decides?

Gareth Morgan: How do we interpret the articles of the Treaty?

Gareth Morgan: What is all the fuss about rangatiratanga?

Gareth Morgan: What does rangatiratanga really mean?

Ian Fletcher resignation

Gordon Campbell (Scoop): On Ian Fletcher resignation & GCSB’s new role

Toby Manhire (Herald): I spy next boss of secret agency

Dom Post: Editorial: GCSB head must be bipartisan choice

Andrea Vance (Stuff): Spy chief's resignation 'out of the blue'

Isaac Davison (Herald): GCSB spy chief Ian Fletcher's departure raises questions

Martyn Bradbury (Daily Blog): Can Andrew Little really take moral high ground on GCSB?

No Right Turn: Waihopaiology

Dan Satherley (TV3): GCSB boss quits for 'family reasons'

Isaac Davison (Herald): Kim Dotcom on spy chief's resignation: Ian Fletcher is 'leaving sinking ship'

Rob Salmond (Polity): Fletcher's resignation

Andrea Vance (Stuff): New Zealand spy chief Ian Fletcher quits

Lisa Owen (TV3): Fletcher weathered controversy in GCSB role

Martyn Bradbury (Daily Blog): Spy boss suddenly steps down

David Farrar (Kiwiblog): Fletcher resigns

Charlie Hebdo and free speech

Paul Thomas (Herald): No 'buts' over attacks on freedom of expression

Chris Trotter (Bowalley Road): Je Suis Charlie

Cameron Slater (Whaleoil): Are we really all Charlie?

Brian Rudman (Herald): Paris mourners display shameless hypocrisy

Wayne Mapp (Pundit): After Charlie Hebdo: What happens next?

Anne Salmond (Dom Post): Erosion of democratic rights

Martyn Bradbury (Waatea News): Derek Fox and bum biting

Rob Isaac: On ultimatums

Lauren Baker (RNZ): Call for NZ blasphemy law to be scrapped

Chris Trotter (Bowalley Road): Tolerance In Arms

Straight White Man: Sir David Low: Courageous ‘Disrespect and Irreverence’

Paul Casserly: Je suis Ches 'n' Dale

John Palethorpe (Shinbone Star): Propaganda of the Powerless

Taranaki Daily News: Freedom comes with responsibilities

Jono Natusch (Occasionally Erudite): Fundamentalist Islam and freedom of speech

Rosemary McLeod (Dom Post): After Charlie Hebdo, what do we laugh at?

Cameron Slater (Whaleoil): The weasel words and hypocrisy of the NZ Herald

Cameron Slater (Whaleoil): The Charlie Hebdo front page the NZ Herald are too gutless to publish

Danyl Mclauchlan (Dim Post): The treachery of images; also, links

The Press: Protecting actual free speech

Law & Order

Simon Bradwell (Stuff): Taser death in NZ 'likely', former Green MP Keith Locke says

Kevin Hart (Herald): Editorial: Minister should not interfere in police strategy

Dom Post: Editorial: Police minister shares blame for 'zero tolerance' confusion

Taranaki Daily News: Editorial: Not his problem? Not so fast...

Karl du Fresne: Police claim public support for crackdown. Hmmm ...

Stuff: Speed tolerance to be reviewed

Anna Leask (Herald): Police Minister orders speed-blitz inquiry

The Ruminator: All sorted for Es and Whizz

Press: Editorial: Justice muddle must be fixed

Nicole Mathewson (Stuff): Cases taking longer 'expected' with restorative justice

Mike Yardley (Press): Gratuitous restorative scheme has slashed wheels of justice

Taranaki Daily News: Editorial: Lawmakers make an ass of the law

Sky City Convention Centre

Brian Rudman (Herald): Heads you lose, tails you lose

David Fisher (Herald): Special report: A most unconventional agreement

Matt Nippert (Herald): SkyCity convention centre supporters go cool over cash plea

Eric Crampton (Offsetting Behaviour): Convention Centre your way to being on the map

David Fisher (Herald): SkyCity shows its hand on new convention centre

Anthony Robins (Standard): SkyCity a nightmare for the Nats

Inequality

Richard Randerson (Herald): Moral society must vote against poverty

Anthony Robins (Standard): No quick fix for diseases of poverty

Work

Jackie Blue (Herald): Safe workplace goal on way to being achieved

Rob Salmond (Polity): Work-life balance: Kiwi fail

Labour Party

Guyon Espiner (Listener): Big little leader (paywalled)

Mike Williams (Listener): Game on (paywalled)

Vernon Small (Stuff): Andrew Little seeking positive coverage

Newswire: Andrew Little seeks new media director

Media

Martyn Bradbury (Daily Blog): John Key’s crimes against Journalism

Pete George (Your NZ): Freed from what?

Peter Aranyi (Paepae): Nicky Hager on protecting sources

Election

Andrew Geddis (Pundit): And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire

Martyn Bradbury (Daily Blog): The actual cost of buying a NZ election

Chris Trotter (Bowalley Road): Online Voting? Not If You Value Democracy!

Key in Europe

RNZ: NZ to attend Five Eyes meeting

Vernon Small (Stuff): Key travels to Europe

TVNZ: John Key to join world's heavyweights at Switzerland Economic Forum

Land ownership

Chloe Winter (Stuff): Overseas demand for land on the rise

Waikato Times: Editorial: Foreign land ownership register sensible

Jamie Whyte (NBR): Opinion: Why the Overseas Investment Office should be abolished

Other

Isaac Davison (Herald): Meet the backbenchers: Julie Anne Genter

Nick Sheppard (Herald): Clark strong choice if gender trumps geography

Colin James (ODT): For the economy, a year of uncertainty and debate

Fran O'Sullivan (Herald): White Gold Rush hits sticky patch

Herald: Editorial: Information act overdue for overhaul

Peter Greener (Stuff): Weighing up the alternatives to NZ's Hercules fleet

Newswire: Navy should fire warning shot at illegal fishers – NZ First

Herald: Max Key's photo with 'felon' a hoax

Stuff: Kiwi censors banned 320 publications last year

Newswire: David Seymour calls on government to review Uber laws

NZ Parliament: Parliament prepares for emergencies

Cate Broughton (Stuff): Kiwis don't want sugar tax

Fundamentally Useless: Tips for bringing people over to the Left

Peter Lyons (Herald): Why bubbles don't go down well at barbecues

Jody O’Callaghan (Stuff): Size of Christchurch's new schools to be boosted

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John Moore: Treaty politics versus class politics - How the Treaty settlement process has delivered bugger-all for most Maori

Maori in New Zealand are disproportionate poor and stuck in low-paid jobs. Added to this situation of inequality, Maori are often hit the hardest during times of economic recession and government restructuring. Yet despite the transfer of hundreds of millions of dollars of assets to Maori tribal organisations over the last few decades, this reality of inequality between Maori and non-Maori continues unabated. And also, despite the failures of Treaty settlements to improve the material position of the majority of Maori, advocates of Treaty politics and identity politics would have us believe that the solution for Maori ills still lies in the continued empowering of iwi-tribal Maori organisations. That is, they continue to push the notion that through the transfer of further assets and capital to iwi from the state, as well as through transferring state responsibilities in areas such as health and education to Maori organisations, Maori general social and economic position will be 'further' positively transformed. In this guest blog post, John Moore argues that this Treaty politics solution just hasn't worked. [Read more below]

Continue reading "John Moore: Treaty politics versus class politics - How the Treaty settlement process has delivered bugger-all for most Maori" »

Posted at 11:49 AM | Permalink | Comments (5) | TrackBack (0)

Top tweets about Gareth Morgan and the Treaty

This is a selection of recent tweets about Gareth Morgan’s latest articles and book about the Treaty of Waitangi. As usual, the most recent tweets are first. This collection will be updated as more tweets appear. [Read more below]

Continue reading "Top tweets about Gareth Morgan and the Treaty" »

Posted at 08:42 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

NZ Politics Daily - 12 January 2015: NZ reaction to Paris killings; Treaty of Waitangi and Gareth Morgan

NZ reaction to Paris killings

Dominion Post: Editorial: Freedom of speech cuts both ways

Dave Armstrong (Stuff): Satire in short supply here

Sunday Star Times: Editorial – In New Zealand, the threat to free speech is within

Gordon Campbell (Scoop): On the Charlie Hebdo killings and response

Keith Locke (Daily Blog): Free speech for everyone, from Charlie Hebro to the jihadists

Marlborough Express: Editorial – Satire is serious stuff

Robert Patman (ODT): Paris massacre highlights deeper political problems

Mandy Hager (The Standard): The Hypocrisy of Hate

Bryce Johns (Sunshine Coast Daily): Could we see terror attack on Australian journalists?

Occassionally erudite: Fundamentalist Islam and freedom of speech

Max Towle (Radio NZ): Multi faith vigil condemns terror attacks

Tim Watkin (Pundit): Walking the moral tightrope

Steven Cowan (Against the current): Freedom for the one who thinks differently

Mamari Stephens (Sparrowhawk/karearea): The Paris attacks, Derek Fox, and the chimera of free speech

Finetooth column: Ayatollah Assahola

Lindsay Perigo (Breaking views): Mohammed's Murderous Minions

Greg Presland (The Standard): The difference between the left and the right

Grant Duncan (Policy matters): My right to make you look ridiculous

Steven Cowan (Against the Current): The Hypocritical champions of free speech

Carrie Stoddart-Smith (Ellipsister): Freedom: the front for exceptionalism

Josie Pagani (Pundit): Nous sommes Charlie aussi

Grant Shimmin (Stuff): Paris atrocity an assault on democracy

Rob Mitchell (Stuff): Editorial: Freedom of expression also requires thought

Nelson Mail: Editorial – Attack threatens freedom of speech

Martyn Bradbury (Daily Blog): Am I really Charlie? On freedom of speech, double standards and true satire

Danyl Mclauchlan (Dim-Post): Brief thoughts on the Charlie Hebdo massacre

Curwen Rolinson (Daily Blog): You Wouldn’t Brand Yourself With #IAmWhaleOil…

ODT: Editorial – Freedom of speech

Herald: Editorial: Thousands thumb noses at attack on press freedom

Scott Yorke (Imperator Fish): A thousand apologies

Joanna Norris (Stuff): Charlie Hebdo shootings an 'attack on freedom of expression'

Nikki Papatsoumas (Herald): NZ political leaders unite in condemning French killings

Matt Nippert (Herald): Cartoonists rocked by Paris slayings

Isaac Davison (Herald): Paris terror attack: Derek Fox's views not ours, says Maori Party

TVNZ: NZ broadcaster under fire for saying Paris victim paid the 'price for his arrogance'

Dominion Post: Editorial – Free speech includes the right to offend

Chris Ford: Islamophobic hatred should not flow following Charlie Hebdo shooting

Nikki Papatsoumas and Rebecca Quilliam (Herald): NZ vigils to be held for Charlie Hebdo victims

Radio NZ: Cartoonists, keep drawing - Tom Scott

Greg Presland (The Standard): On Freedom of Speech and Tolerance and Powers of Surveillance

The Standard: John Key on media freedom

David Farrar (Kiwiblog): Awful views from Derek Fox

Mark Hubbard (Life behind the iron drape): Je Suis Charlie – My (Quick) Take

Kerre McIvor (Herald): Violence the resort of weak-minded

Isaac Davison (Herald): Paris terror attacks: Derek Fox slammed for 'disgusting' Facebook post

Sam Hurley (Hawke’s Bay Today): Fox comments condemned by local leaders

Treaty of Waitangi and Gareth Morgan

Gareth Morgan (Herald): Treaty justice triumph of commonsense

Gareth Morgan (Herald): One-sided tribunal process recipe for ongoing tension

Gareth Morgan (Herald): Co-operation needed to deliver rangatiratanga fairly

Gareth Morgan (Herald): We can honour 1840 promises without dividing nation

Morgan Godfery (Maui St): Gareth Morgan and the Pākehā Pathology

Joshua Hitchcock (Ka Tonuitanga): Reflections on Te Tiriti o Waitangi: Part 1

Mike Butler (Breaking Views): Gareth Morgan wrong on treaty

Potaua Biasiny-Tule (Tangata Whenua): Will Gareth Morgan be the new Moses to ignite a Maori Exodus?

Potaua Biasiny-Tule (Tangata Whenua): Gareth Morgan, Treaty Partnerships and the Mercy of the Majority

Potaua Biasiny-Tule (Tangata Whenua): Gareth Morgan and Pakeha Rangatiratanga

Potaua Biasiny-Tule (Tangata Whenua): Gareth Morgan, Wairua and the Challenge of Love

Reuben Chapple (Breaking views): Maori Land

Other

Damian Christie (Public Address): New Year, New Post.

Philip Matthews (Stuff): What is Twitter all about?

Karen Mangnall (Radio NZ): Election lessons on winning Pasifika vote

Geoff Cumming (Herald): Pushing the boundaries

Duncan Garner (Stuff):'Zero tolerance' policy should be scrapped

Chris Trotter (Bowalley Road): 2015 - 2017: A Struggle For Time And Power

Toby Manhire (Herald): A Welcome to Newzild tourist guide

Richard Prebble (Listener): Land of milk and oil (paywalled)

Newswire: Govt writes off $5b tax debt

Radio NZ: The changing media scene

Elspeth McLean (ODT): Transparent public service remains a rarity

Herald: Meet the backbenchers: Kris Faafoi

Isaac Davison (Herald): Auckland councillor Dick Quax gets tweeters all a-twitter

Deidre Mussen (Stuff): Sensible Sentencing Trust: Garth McVicar's election bid cause of division

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John Moore: How the left has failed Charlie Hebdo

The left in general is going at lengths to apologise for the fanatical terrorists who stormed the offices of French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo. In part, this grotesque response from the left comes from identity politics advocates wanting to be seen as siding with oppressed Muslims. In this guest blog, John Moore argues that rather than siding with the oppressed and taking a 'nuanced' take on the Paris terrorist attack, the politically correct left is in reality acting as apologists for religious fascists. And although the leftwing intelligentsia may claim that the ‘Islamic’ rage we have seen in Paris comes from a genuine feeling of offence amongst Muslims, in fact such rage, as author Salmon Rushdie has pointed out, is completely manufactured and political and ideological in nature. That is, this is a manufactured rage used by fundamentalist Islamic leaders and politicians for their own pursuit of power.

Leftwing apologists for rightwing murderers

Although ostensibly condemning the murders, many social-leftists, so called advocates of the oppressed, have been at pains to point out the apparent ‘racist, ‘sexist’, and ‘Islamophobic’ nature of the Charlie Hebdo satirical magazine.

Perhaps the most disturbing example in New Zealand of such apologising for the killers’ actions has come from former Maori broadcaster and Maori Party candidate, Derek Fox. In a bizarre rant on Facebook, Fox chose not to condemn the fanatical terrorists, but rather the murdered editor of the French satirical magazine, Stephane Charbonnier.

The former Maori Party candidate argued that the Charlie Hebdo editor had acted as a ‘bully’ for ‘insulting other peoples culture’. Fox then went on to claim that the editor and his colleagues have ‘paid the price’ for criticising and lampooning religious beliefs. And on a sinister note, Fox even went as far to condemn the New Zealand media, who he claims are equally guilty of such ‘cultural insensibility’. A chilling statement, which could easily be used as a future justification for violence against New Zealand journalists.

Other politically correct pundits chose also to 'explain' the apparent motivation for the killers, by pointing out at length the 'Islamophobic' and 'racist' nature of the murdered French satirists. For such liberal and leftist commentators, merely acting to mock or ridicule religious belief equates to being a bigot and a racist. This is despite the fact that all currents of liberal and leftwing thought are derived from the ideas of Enlightenment thinkers, who aimed to put an end to the political power of religious obscurantists. But for the modern day leftists, 'respect' and 'tolerance' supersedes any right to criticise others' beliefs. And the logic of such political correctness has led to a number of leftwing bloggers, including the Daily Blog editor Martyn Bradbury, effectively laying the blame on the Paris terrorist attack on the staff at Charlie Hedbo themselves. One New Zealand leftwing activist and anarchist rightly put ridicule to such an outlook:

“There was a time not so long ago when the left stood up for free speech, against censorship, and against religious bigotry. It is quite depressing seeing how much has been written in the last 24 hours about how offensive and unpleasant the murdered cartoonists were, and how freedom of speech is some sort of dangerous establishment trick that exits to oppress us.”

The perverse logic of identity politics

On the face of it is rather perplexing that the majority of modern-day liberals and leftists feel unable to condemn outright the actions of reactionary fanatics. The ideology of such religious extremists is completely antithetical to any form of progressive thought. Certainly, when Christian extremists, with a similar obscurantist world view to Islamists, carry out acts in the name of God, then the Western left are all to quick to condemn the culprits. And rightly so. Yet when reactionaries who claim to act in the name of the Islamic faith, attack those they see as sinners, including ‘blasphemers’, Jews, gays, liberated women or even fellow Muslims, politically correct leftists either remain silent or try to 'contextualise' the actions of such obscurantists. Why is this?

For the modern-day social-liberal and leftist, Muslims as a whole represent an oppressed or marginalised group. And so to criticise any ideology stemming from this demographic is to effectively side with the oppressor. The oppressor in this case being Western imperialism or even Western society in general.

Supporting struggles of marginalised people is certainly a good thing. But acting as apologists for perverse ideologies, whose adherents claim to represent a marginalised or oppressed people, is something else all together. But modern-day leftists just don’t get this. So for example, while many Western leftwingers rightly show solidarity with the Palestinian people when they are attacked by the Israeli state, such liberals go further and act to support reactionary orgaisations such as Hamas, a rightwing Islamist organisation with a base within the Palestinian community. The reason why social liberals fail to condemn such rightwing - if not outright fascist - groups such as Hamas, is because of the perverse logic of identity politics which now holds sway in the West.

Why identify politics liberals side with reactionaries

The Western left’s response to the Paris terrorist attack, where many pundits have felt the need to act as apologists for the terrorists, comes from an ideological crisis of the left. The left’s inability to unequivocally condemn rightwing Islamists partly comes from equating Muslims, and other oppressed groups, with the proletariat. Now that working class struggle and consciousness has all but disappeared in the West, the identity politics left has transferred their championing of the working class to that of certain identity politics favoured groups. So because groups such as Muslims are seen as oppressed and marginalised, the left therefore sees as something inherently progressive, or at least anti-Establishment, in the politics stemming from modern-day Islam.

In many ways this response is a continuation of where the New Left set of in the 1960s. The New Left ditched the old left’s class-focussed politics, and aimed to find other groups and movements to replace the working class as the agents for progressive change. So at various times the New Left hailed, Blacks, Third World peasants, and leftwing nationalist and Maoist anti-colonial movements, as the new agents for an anti-capitalist revolution.

The difference between the New Left ideology and that of the contemporary identity politics left is that oppressed groups aren’t supported as agents of change, but merely because of their marginalised social position. Therefore the modern left doesn’t so much advocate liberation for marginalised and oppressed groups, but merely promotes the need for an environment of ‘tolerance’ and ‘respect’ towards such communities such as Muslims.

The elitist racism of social-leftists

The Western left’s response to the Paris terrorist events shows, in an odd way, the inherent racism and elitism of this current. An argument put forward by communist philosopher Slovoj Zizek is that multi-culturalist leftists essentially have a condescending view of non-secular whites. They view communities such as Muslims as being inherently unable to give up their traditions and religion, and of being also unable to handle any form of critique off their beliefs. Only the middle class leftist apparently can engage in rigorous debate and critique, whereas a censoring environment of ‘respect’ and ‘tolerance’ must be the norm for others. Essentially, identity politics leftwingers position themselves as culturally superior to the ‘sensitive’ and ‘easily offended’ non-white masses:

“One of the most irritating liberal-tolerant strategies is to oppose Islam as a great religion of spiritual peace and compassion to its fundamentalist-terrorist abuse …This is liberal-tolerant racism at its purest: this kind of “respect” for the other is the very form of appearance of its opposite, of patronizing disrespect. The very term “tolerance” is here indicative: one “tolerates” something one doesn’t approve of, but cannot abolish, either because one is not strong enough to do it or because one is benevolent enough to allow the Other to stick to its illusion – in this way, a secular liberal “tolerates” religion, a permissive parent “tolerates” his children’s excesses, etc.”

Leftwing apologising for the reactionaries who murdered the staff at Charle Hebdo reveal how bankrupt identity politics is. For a return to the politics of class and universilism, and for a rejection of liberal-tolerant racism!

Posted at 12:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)