we are doing good

I’ve been on a journey down south to support mum who suffered another small stroke. She is okay and doing well. The trip was eventful and overall the impression I have of the last few days is of kindness. From the start to the finish I was surrounded and supported by kindness – and I enjoyed it. The exchange of kindness via support creates obligations above and beyond any monetary value and those obligations feel natural and will be fulfilled because that is the way we do it, that is utu.

One of the unintended consequences was I really missed the by-election. Sure I heard some reports and have caught up a bit now, but I missed it. Although unintended it has been positive because I have had time to mull and consider what happened and what should happen now in regards to Mana.

It is great the Hone won and I am very pleased about that because it is the seed for the Mana Party – from this win a great tree will grow and that tree will supply shelter to those who need it. I also feel that the by-election result was a win for labour. The numbers tell the story and that majority is very slender now. I have zero time for goff – he is just a boneless weakling and his continued line about not working with Mana is idiotic and false – I don’t expect anything else from goff, but I do from labour and that hope is an illusion.

I had a number of chats with people on the road and often although they like Hone sortof they don’t like the impression that he can’t get on with people. This meme has gained traction especially amongst Ngāi Tahu I spoke to and shows the value of hitting a consistent message, albeit negative. Hone has contributed to this obviously and I think the ‘white motherfucker’ line has done more damage than anything. What to do. Hone is Hone and that will never change and I don’t want him to. Hone is quite statesmanlike when he wants to be and he is gracious too. But I think the challenge for Mana is to find a leader who is a Māori female a toa wahine. I think Hone is better and more effective when he has the room to move and he hasn’t got that as the leader of the Mana Party. Now is the time to sort this – before the election - as the list is announced and this will create media and the ability to put the message out to the people which definitely needs to be done as the by-election result shows. There is a danger that it could be perceived negatively but within the hailstorm of deliberate undermining of Mana it won’t make a difference in their messages but it would broaden the support base of Mana.

Anyway, just some thoughts.

I am with Sandra Lee on the olive branch to the maori party issue – no - we are following Hone because he is following a different kaupapa to the maori party. The people are investing Hone with mana to lead them with integrity. Of course working together is no problem but there can be no deal on the seats – that one is to be sorted in the ballot because otherwise they will not learn the lesson and they will always whinge on about how they were right – no - they will get smashed to bits and from those bits will again rise up and there will be a vehicle to represent them and it will be Mana.

So all good really. The big advantage of the by-election is to listen to the messages coming back and find the gaps and the areas where improvement can be made. People are crying out for a political party to represent them, the challenge is to show them how Mana is that Party. 

Kindness to others and to ourselves - we are doing good.

highly toxic waste oil spilled

What a disaster that this truck has crashed and spilled its 24,000 litres load of highly toxic waste oil into the Awakino River. 


Stuff


Waikato Regional Council spokesman David Stagg said

The oil would definitely have detrimental effects on the ecosystem of the popular whitebaiting river, he said. "Waste oil in the river will not be any good for it and will cause some degree of harm," he said. "Unfortunately in the gorge area, because of the swift nature of the river, there's no opportunity to contain it."

Mr Stagg didn't know what type of waste oil the truck had been carrying. "It may be from vehicles or it may include other materials and some of those things can be more toxic than the waste oil itself."

Who knows? Someone hopefully but the spill cannot be contained in the fast flowing river in the gorge - the highly toxic waste oil is in the system now and all we can do is mitigate the effects.  The more oil we bring up the more likely that accidents and disasters can occur. The more we stick our heads in the sand about oil and petrol and the whole industry the harder the shock will be when that lifestyle and world breaks down, as it has already begun to.

the mayor of hubris

Some talk of hubris on the by-election trail mostly directed at Hone by supporters of the labour candidate. Good post at The Standard on that. And Morgan has a good one up about the 'mare of Tariana's comments about the maori party candidate Solomon Tipene. I like Solomon a lot better than Kelvin who is really the one out of his depth. anyway for hubris how about this - not so much the apology from Tariana for taking the legs off their candidate but how flavell frames it

NewstalkZB

MP Te Ururoa Flavell fronted media this afternoon. "Having heard from one or two that took the wrong end of the stick, the belief was that she needed to make it really clear that it was never the intent by her own statement, a mistake was made, we're owning up to it and we're just saying let's get on and finish this campaign with a victory on Saturday."

 You may be wondering what exactly hubris is - wikipedia to the rescue

Hubris ( /ˈhjuːbrɪs/), also hybris, means extreme haughtiness, pride or arrogance. Hubris often indicates a loss of contact with reality and an overestimation of one's own competence or capabilities, especially when the person exhibiting it is in a position of power.

Yes it is all there in that statement from Te Ururoa Flavell - can't wait for this election.

busy time

Exam today and tomorrow - ahhh it is challenging being an older student but with time comes some wisdom - hopefully :)

Lots going on with the by-election and whatnot - I have some views as you would expect and they will come forth a bit later in the week.

Royksopp - what else is there?

Clearing the head time - te reo Māori exam tomorrow

Royksopp - what else is there - mesmerising vocals and song.

seeing shadows

Hone has posted his reasons for visiting Destiny Church. 

Mana Party

Kia ora koutou katoa
I understand that my going to Destiny Church last week has offended some members of MANA, and that my attendance and speech have been seen as an endorsement of Destiny’s stance on homosexuality.
That is not so.
I value the broad support that MANA has attracted from all sectors of our society, and I owe it to everyone to explain things from my own point of view.
You see … like everyone else I have gay people in my whanau, and like everyone else I also have straight people in my whanau, and like everyone else I love them all.
I would sincerely hope that my attendance at the Destiny hui is not seen as an endorsement by either myself or MANA of the views held by Bishop Brian Tamaki and the Destiny Church, in the same way that I hope my attendance at the Mormon Stake Conference on Saturday is not seen as an endorsement of their more unsavoury racial practices of the recent past, or my attendance at an Anglican church service seen as an endorsement of their practice of stealing Maori land over the centuries.
But the fact is that, like all of you, I have whanau in these as well as other churches, and I don’t think we do ourselves any justice by saying we will talk to these ones but we won’t talk to those ones, and neither do I think it wise to reject your own whanau simply because of their faith.
My brother for example, has chosen one of the newer style religions which preaches an end to your past (including your Maori history), which really sucks as far as I’m concerned, but I still love my brother (and keep my fingers crossed that he will see the light some day!). But when his pastor asked me to help out at a function, I did so gladly because that was where my brother was at.
I can even recall my girl Te Whenua happily trotting off to Mormon services with her cousins every Sunday when she was little. In the end she stopped going of her own choice but if she’d chosen to become a Mormon I would have loved her just the same.
And at the risk of offending somebody else, let me say just quietly, that I enjoyed the speakers at the Mormon hui on Saturday night, because the values and the principles they talked about there were the same as those my grandparents raised us on.
So life is not black and white, but let’s get back to Destiny …
Destiny can be criticised for discriminating against people on the grounds of sexual orientation and often is by the mainstream media, but when was the last time you saw a programme on mainstream TV that congratulated Destiny for the work they do with guys the world wants to forget, or for families that social services are too scared to deal with?
I was asked to go and speak and I agreed because Destiny is where many of my people choose to meet and to share their faith. It is not my faith, but they are most certainly my people, and while I don’t subscribe to their philosophies, neither will I berate them in their own house for holding to them.
I didn’t go to Destiny to point out the rights and wrongs of their religion, or to question the rationale for their beliefs. I went to talk about values and principles, to talk about the potential of MANA, to talk about the importance of Maori standing up and speaking up for themselves, and to talk about the need for unity.
MANA is a new movement, and we owe it to everyone who wants to join, to present our kaupapa and to see whether or not there is common ground, and to date we have done so – students, kaumatua and kuia, socialists, marae, churches, iwi, unions, whanau and hapu, gangs, and kura kaupapa.
There will be those who want to leap in and go hard, those who can be encouraged to join, those who hang on the fringes and only commit when things are going well, and those who say yes to your face and vote for somebody else when you’re not looking. And there will be those with such deep political convictions that they won’t work with certain groups, and those with religious beliefs who won’t associate with others as well.
But MANA is still an emerging force, and nowhere near being so well-defined that we should be slamming doors on anyone at the moment. All I ask, from everyone, is a bit of lateral thinking while we search for an equilibrium that most of us can live with.
And don’t forget – the needs of those less fortunate than ourselves are our greatest priority, not who can and who can’t be in MANA. If we are to become a movement big enough and powerful enough to wrest control from the super rich so that our people might flourish, then we need to put our immediate focus on building the movement, not tearing it down.
Folks – I don’t know if this allays any fears that you may have about MANA and Destiny, but I hope it helps you understand where I am coming from, and where I hope MANA is heading in terms of building the movement.
Thank you for your concern, thank you for your understanding and thank you for your love.
“Ehara taku toa i te toa takitahi, engari takimano…”
Mine is not the strength of one alone, but the strength of many…
Hone

These paragraphs jump out at me.

Destiny can be criticised for discriminating against people on the grounds of sexual orientation and often is by the mainstream media, but when was the last time you saw a programme on mainstream TV that congratulated Destiny for the work they do with guys the world wants to forget, or for families that social services are too scared to deal with?

I was asked to go and speak and I agreed because Destiny is where many of my people choose to meet and to share their faith. It is not my faith, but they are most certainly my people, and while I don’t subscribe to their philosophies, neither will I berate them in their own house for holding to them.

Umm you could berate them afterwards or before - priorities i suppose - those who are discriminated against because of gender and sexuality just have to stick up for themselves. Destiny discrimination is REPORTED by the MSM but PRACTICED by Destiny Church members - I see a difference in that.

I went to talk about values and principles, to talk about the potential of MANA, to talk about the importance of Maori standing up and speaking up for themselves, and to talk about the need for unity.

Have you listened to their rants Hone - do you know what they say? It is not about being Māori or speaking for yourself - it is about allegiance - to the christian god via the Bishop - the only unity is unity for the Bishop and he has declared that he and his kind want to run this country - how will they do that I wonder. If he gets his minions to vote for Mana will Mana give Destiny high list placings? stealth takeover? Can't happen? Look at the Māori Women's Welfare League - what is happening there? 

At a candidate's meeting in Auckland, Destiny Church ordered its members out when a past league president, Christine Panapa, questioned what Destiny was up to. "I could have cut the air with a knife; it was them and us, there was no unification at all," Panapa said. Destiny was a sect and the league's constitution explicitly said it was to be a non-sectarian organisation, she said.

Be very wary, be very alert.


That is my moan.


Hone reiterates many strong themes in his post and I congratulate him for addressing the issue. Sure I am not fully satisfied but I don't expect to be. Mana is a movement that takes different people with a common kaupapa - we will all have to work out how to work together to reach our goals - and we will all be challenged by that process.

believe in Mana

Good call by the Northern Arm of Ratana in organising a hikoi in support of Hone. Their reasons are compelling

 Voxy

“The Northern Arm of Ratana support Hone in his endeavours to help our people. Contrary to what is being said, we believe that MANA is the vehicle to unite all people who are struggling, who are impoverished, who cannot find that life-line in the major political parties. If they have the courage to stand up for those rights, it will be a voice that will need to be noticed. Hone is the only candidate in the Te Tai Tokerau By-Election who is aware of what the issues are for our people, who knows what needs to be done about the, and who is committed to ensuring that something is done about it. Our movement has spoken – we will help Hone Harawira in his quest to lay down the foundation of a new political party that carries our people’s hopes, dreams and aspirations”.

That is a statement of truth and integrity.

Danyl at the Dimpost has an interesting post up about the Māori TV survey and Duncan Garner’s comment that many supporters of Hone are not enrolled to vote. The comments on the post are interesting with noted commenters discussing how it is possible for the survey to have been done, based on a database of eligible voters – and find that some of the respondents are not eligible to vote. Very fishy indeed.

Believe - we can make it happen, it is happening now. Hone and Mana are real and with the agenda of the gnats out there, the need for them has never been stronger. BELIEVE and get to the mahi - people power will make it all happen.

solar flare politics

There is a solar flare coming to politics in this country and it is called the Mana Party. Now I don't agree with everything Hone does, not by a long shot, but I do back him and his policies and the Mana Party. Hone has bounced an idea of a Māori Parliament where members from all sides work together for Māori interests. 

NZH

He said the power of the Maori voice in Parliament was diluted because Maori MPs were spread across parties and had to stick to party lines. "The trouble is that there are 20 of us and 19 are too scared to stand up. There are some very talented Maori MPs in there, but they are locked in to their parties and so they just go quiet. Well, I don't think anyone elected us to go quiet." 

I have entertained this idea and it certainly has merits - if it could be achieved. And that is where I get into some problems because members of a Party owe their allegiance firstly to the Party. There is no choice unless you want to walk as we have seen some do. Most don't walk, they have gone quietly. But people change and who knows - I can't see any harm in trying - I'd love to be wrong.

I'm not sure why Hone has raised the issue now - seems like there are other important issues to put out there. It does contribute to a more statesmanlike approach I suppose. 

For me rather than a Māori Parliment, at this time i'd like to see The Mana Party grow in strength and became so influencial that these other politicians will see that the kaupapa is tika and the way forward. Then they can join and help paddle the waka.

The Mana Party has a mauri of it's own and it is attracting people who believe in the kaupapa. Hone is the inspirational leader no doubt, he has the mana and the people are rightly following him. But the Mana Party is not Hone - they are intertwined yet seperate: the burst of energy that causes a solar flare is connected yet discrete.

catch up

This is a catch up post on a few issues that have caught my eye.

I support the call for all teachers to learn te reo Māori. I am glad that principals are coming out in support too.

Stuff

Compulsory teacher training in Maori language and culture is a move welcomed by college principals in Marlborough.

Some history...

In the 1986 Te Reo Report the Waitangi Tribunal stated equivocally that te reo Māori is a taonga. Within Article 2 of te Tiriti, Rangatira are assured of tino rangatiratanga over taonga [ō rātou taonga katoa (all their valued customs and possessions] and this is also 'guaranteed' [“confirms and guarantees the full exclusive and undisturbed possessions of their lands… for as long as they wish to retain them”], in Article 2 of the English version. The Crown's use of this word 'guarantee' indicates active protection not the inadequate and dismissive attention that the Government has achieved to date. It wasn’t until the Wai 11 Te Reo Claim in 1986 that te reo Māori and te Tiriti received legal attention, and the Māori language Act 1987 came into force. This Act recognised Te reo Māori as an Offical language of this country. 

It really is time for this country to grow up about te reo Māori. It is up to all of us to do our bit and save our language - OUR language. Me ako ngā tamariki o Aotearoa i te reo Māori ka tika, nē rā?

The latest poll showing labour's Kelvin Davis 1 point behind Hone is not a concern for me. I don't really care how Hone wins as long as he wins, and if he doesn't - so be it. I'm more concerned with Hone and Destiny and his endorsement albeit tacit, of their discriminatory position on gender and sexuality. Their views make me sick and I will not support them or a party that supports them. 

The controversy regarding the Taniwha Horotiu has been enlightening. Carwyn has linked to a really good article by Kepa Morgan on this and Mr Trotter has written a very good piece for the Press. Morgan has got rightly upset about the insulting framing of the debate and I agree with him. As for me - I don't consider Taniwha as metaphors. Where I live there are many Taniwha - believe it or not - I don't care and neither do they. 

Sorry about all the font issues - I can't seem to sort it at the moment.

underreported struggles 50

Ahni at Intercontinental Cry has some very important underreported struggles this month.

The Philippines government, in a surprise move, cancelled its Financial and Technical Assistance Agreements (FTAAs) for several mining concessions in Palawan. However, the Indigenous People of Palawan are not quite ready to celebrate, given recent moves by the MacroAsia Corporation, not to mention the Health Departments near-portrayal of Indigenous People as "dirty animals".

The Goa government ordered the closure of an illegal open cast iron mine after a sustained protest by Indigenous villagers. The villagers, concerned about a mining company's takeover of a hill vital to their beliefs, wisely set up a protest camp outside the private home of Chief Minister Digambar Kamat, an official who had the authority to shut down the mine.The Minister conceded to the villagers after just one day.

Hundreds of Maasai, Sukuma, Barbaig and Taturu pastoralists refused to leave the Maswa Game Reserve because of their historical ties to the land. The Tanzania government wants the pastoralists out of the reserve, which borders the world-famous Serengeti National Park, because of an all-too-familiar claim: "environmental degradation concerns".

TVI Resource Development, Inc. (TVIRDI), after years of violating the human rights and customary laws of the Subanon People, admitted its wrongdoings in a cleansing Ceremony led by the Subanon's traditional judicial authority. During the ceremony, the company acknowledged that Mount Canatuan is indeed a sacred site and that they were wrong for desecrating it. They also agreed to pay the fines as stipulated by the traditional authority.

Owners of the Arizona Snowbowl ski area began construction of a wastewater pipeline on the San Francisco Peaks, a sacred site to more than 13 Indigenous Nations. Local environmental justice organizations, Tribal representatives, and members of Flagstaff community are currently preparing a course of action to defend the Peaks.

And many more - please visit Intercontinental Cry and read about these struggles.

you should listen to this nobody

There is some disquiet with the Mana party and Hone in the Maori blogosphere. I also share it because i cannot stand injustice and discrimination. Abusing and dehumanising people because of their sexuality or gender is sick and wrong. Speaking at a conference to get votes is supporting them and what they believe. The bigotry of Destiny Church should be denounced not supported for fucking votes. Let me be quite plain Hone - this is just off mate, this is the sort of thing that will drop Mana before it even gets going. You can't have it both ways - you can't be for equality when you support inequality. It is still possible to step back from this (hopefully) and it will take a statement from you Hone saying you were wrong and declaring not to do it again. I know, I know - who the hell am I to be saying all that - well I'm a nobody, just a blogger, like these bloggers

Ana at Whenua Fenua Enua Vanua who has published Dr Leonie Pihama's statement (below) and made many true comments on the blogs below

The scenes of Pita Sharples, Hone Harawira, Tau Henare and Shane Jones lining up to be ‘blessed’ and to hear their platitudes of thanks to a homophobic and misogynist institution is not merely disturbing it is sickening. We should never forget the ‘enough is enough’ hate marches instigated by Destiny Church. We should never forget the kinds of hate speeches that Māori gay and lesbian whānau were bombarded with during the Civil Union debate, and the ongoing homophobia that Destiny Church leaders and members continue to openly express with both fervor and hatred.

Joshua at Maori Law and Politics

The Destiny Church should not be supported by Maori politicians, it should be criticised and ostracised from the Maori political debate.  We, as Maori men, need to realise that just as it is not ok to hit our partners or our children, nor is it ok to hate others because of their sexual orientation.  Sadly, our political leaders did not live up to that ideal over the weekend.

Kim at He Hōaka

Seven years ago, parliament removed some legal discrimination against same-sex relationships. Thousands of Destinites marched to parliament in protest. I will not forget the righteous arrogance of those Destinites who threatened, pushed, hit, spat at, and generally abused those few who dared to stand for queer solidarity that day. Naively, I had hoped Mana would take the opportunity to stand with us last night.

And Morgan at Maui St

I am disappointed with Hone Harawira. He should not, as a matter of principle, be appearing before these fundamentalists. After all Hone perpetuates the notion that he is a principled politician. I guess it is a matter of definition. I read Destiny Church as a toxic ideological cult that actively encourages discrimination against Takatapui and, through a bigoted patriarchal system, encourages discrimination against Wahine.

 Strong comments from all of these bloggers. Listen to them Mana Party, listen to these voices.

it is something

Good news that four important features up North have been renamed with their Māori names. This is part of the treaty settlement for Ngāti Manuhiri. I really believe in renaming features because it is a way to bring people and communities together in shared history and knowledge. Renaming strengthens mana whenua and is an expression of rangatiratanga.


Stuff

Although the English names can still be used, the features will be official known in Maori as Te Hauturu-o-Toi (resting place of the wind) for Little Barrier, Paepae-o-Tu for Bream Tail, Te Hawere-a-Maki for Goat Island and Te Kohuroa (many mists) for Mathesons Bay.

Beautiful, evocative names connecting the past and the future - I hope everyone used them.

In the settlement, the Crown acknowledges that in purchasing Mahurangi and Omaha in 1841, they breached the Treaty of Waitangi, signed the year earlier. They also accept that the Crown showed "blatant disregard" for the people living on Te Hauturu/Little Barrier and forcibly evicted them in 1896. "The Crown profoundly regrets its breaches of the Treaty of Waitangi and its principles which left Ngati Manuhiri with few landholdings by 1865," the settlement says.

Renaming features was part of the $2.5 million settlement.

Not much is it, for the deprivations suffered. But it is something and it can be built upon for the good of the people and mana of Ngāti Manuhiri.

relativity clause

The Otago daily Times has a good article on their OIA enquiries about the latest 'relativity clause' statement which relates to the settlements of both Ngāi Tahu and Tainui. Some will argue that the clause shouldn't apply but they are wrong. Consider that the economic losses caused by the Crown purchases of Ngāi Tahu land is estimated to be valued at over 20 Billion and the Crown's Settlement Offer was $170 million. Enough said really.

ODT

The Office of Treaty Settlements declined to release the latest relativity clause statement, which the Otago Daily Times requested under the Official Information Act. Director Peter Galvin confirmed the clauses were likely to be triggered in the next one or two years, and the latest statement "does not differ significantly" from the previous period. "As we draw nearer to the triggering of the relativity mechanisms, the need for confidentiality among the parties to the relativity mechanism contracts increases."

What is the relativity clause from Ngāi Tahu's point of view

A special 'top-up' mechanism - a form of 'insurance' called the Relativity Clause - was also negotiated. Under this mechanism, if the value of all Treaty settlements between 1994 and 2044 ends up being more than $1 billion, then Ngāi Tahu will be entitled to a top-up payment to ensure its position is maintained relative to other tribes that settle.

This awesome graphic explains how it works

I hope this is sorted sooner rather than later. This relativity clause maintains fairness and with the rebuild of Ōtautahi/Christchurch beginning and the significant influence of Ngāi Tahu in that rebuild, additional pūtea will be welcome. Ngāi Tahu are exercising and strengthening rangatiratanga, manaakitanga and whānaungatanga as they lead and coordinate the support for the people and the rebuild of the city and communities.

deaker darkness

Murray Deaker is a racist plain and simple. On his Sky TV show he described someone as "working like a nigger" - yep that is what he said. The excuses from Sky TV are offensive - apparently "that's a phrase that's widely used" they say, and you know what? It may be a term widely used in some circles - the fearful, hateful circles of racists but it is not right - it is very wrong and must be dealt to every time it happens. In the last few weeks i have been told of at least 5 anti-Māori texts, jokes and emails doing the rounds.  Sure it would be easy to put the racists on some antarctic island but that will not fix it really. It is ingrained because of the crooked foundation that this country is built upon. Lies and illusion, fear and privilege. The only real solution is to fix the foundations and actualise tino rangatiratanga. Believe it or not, it will make things better not worse. The racists will still be racists although some may change, but the difference will be that they will not be expousing their bile from a state of ascendency.


Another aspect of the report is the story told by Willie Lose

About six years ago Lose was playing golf with Deaker, alongside boxer David Tua and former rugby and league star Inga Tuigamala, when the broadcaster made several inflammatory comments regarding people with darkened skin. Shortly after the game, Deaker sought help for a mental illness. "He was in la-la land," Lose said.

There is a whole horrible industry dedicated to blaming everything on mental illness, from rape, murder, violence - whatever doesn't really matter - the blame has been sorted. Racism is being added to that list but Deaker made his statement simply because he is a racist. No one in our society is unaware of the offense of the word and the connotations. Deaker should go, he needs help.


Hat tip No Right Turn

testing our defences

I agree with the Greens on this new Environmental Protection Agency when they say that there is a lack of environmental advocates on the Board. Anake is there but one or two voices  will not stop the rest. And the other members of the board include "former managing director of road building giant Fulton Hogan David Faulkner, former Wellington mayor Kerry Prendergast and former Security Intelligence Service chief executive Richard Woods." as well as Anake Goodall, Tim Lusk, Graham Pinnell, Taria Tahana and Gillian Wratt.

NZH (Adam Bennett)

Greens co-leader Dr Norman said the legislation which allowed for the establishment of the authority "had nothing in there" about environmental protection. "It's mainly being used to fast track roading projects... now it's going to have the job of fast tracking deep sea mining."

"You haven't got a bunch of environmental specialists there, it's been set up to enable short term economic development under the pretence of environmental protection. It is a totally dishonest process."

The EPA will have big responsibilities.

The legislation will make the newly established Environmental Protection Authority responsible for issuing consents, monitoring and enforcement of activities within the EEZ which lies from 12km to 200km offshore and the Extended Continental Shelf, which lies beyond that. The EPA begins full operation next month and will process resource consent applications for nationally significant projects such as oil rigs and power stations.

The usual suspects pipe up

Petroleum Exploration and Production Association executive officer John Pfahlert told Morning Report that the proposed rules are similar to those imposed by other countries. He says tighter controls mean more costs for companies and a higher end price for oil and gas at the pump.

Yes higher prices so that the companies can manitain their profit - that is why they are fake concerns - the companies still make their profit and extra costs are loaded onto the pumps.


Greywolf are gone but they are just the expendable bunny sent to test the defences. Where the defences are strong the opponents begin to weaken them. Where the defences are weak, the opponents build up their forces and lines. We are strong in people power but we are vulnerable to multiple attacks and that is what they will exploit - human wave tactics - lots of applications, lots of resources they want, lots of areas all around our country. They will try to splinter opposition to their plans, they will try to alienate maori and environmentalists and communities. They will try to discredit and mock. They will cry false tears on marae and they go back and work out how to use that to their advantage. Make no mistake this is a serious game and they play seriously.

Great blogs

I just want to highlight some blogs that i have added to my blogroll and a couple that i visit frequently.


Māori blogs are really going well. I have added Quite Interested which is very interesting and comes from a 'National supporter' viewpoint. 

A blog about things that interest, annoy and excite me with a focus on general and iwi politics in New Zealand, by a well travelled Maori professional.

And because that is a politically 'right' blog, and i am a very 'left' blog i've moved roarprawn and BB into here too, even though I generally have the opposite view to her.

Another Māori blog I like is Maori Law and Politics. I often disagree with Joshua but it is so great to have voices in the blogosphere to disagree with.

Welcome to Maori Law and Politics, a site for the discussion of issues relation to law, politics, and policy within Te Ao Maori.

Morgan at Maui Street is such a fantastic voice for Māori. His success is well deserved and his mana is evident. I hope Hone is having a word - he'd be a great Mana Party MP - he is man with a massive future. His latest post is so on the money.

I am disappointed with Hone Harawira. He should not, as a matter of principle, be appearing before these fundamentalists. After all Hone perpetuates the notion that he is a principled politician. I guess it is a matter of definition. I read Destiny Church as a toxic ideological cult that actively encourages discrimination against Takatapui and, through a bigoted patriarchal system, encourages discrimination against Wahine.

I visit Robb at Musings from Aotearoa often, and for a while he took a break from blogging. He has started again and his writing is as evocative, as honest and brilliant as ever. He weaves many threads together and I found this latest post, Hokia ki nga maunga (Return to the Mountains) really affected me.

I am once again in the back yard of Top Maropea gazing down the valley and mist shrouded peaks above it. This time, however, I will be venturing further into those alluring views. The next five days will be spent roaming about with my oldest son, who returns here after almost a two year absence from the hills

So many great sites and awesome voices. Go and visit them and read their back catalogue, it will be well worth it.

in like a needle out like a plough

Good work by labour's David Parker on highlighting the plans of the Chinese company wanting to buy Crafar farms. Thank the gods for the Official Information Act and those who know how to use it to get this information out into the open.

Stuff

Shanghai Pengxin's aspirations to branch beyond the $200 million-plus farm purchase into real estate, infrastructure development and mining in New Zealand are included in its application to the Overseas Investment Office, released to BusinessDay under the Official Information Act.

In the application the company said it regarded the proposed purchase as its "initial" investment in New Zealand.

"[Shanghai Pengxin] will actively seek other opportunities to invest in New Zealand in agribusiness, real estate development, mining and infrastructure, utilising its expertise in these areas gained in China and elsewhere in the world.

There is a saying - In like a needle out like a plough - and this is exactly what these bridgehead 'investments' are. As Green Party co-leader Russel Norman says

"We'd be idiots if we let the Chinese companies buy up all this stuff. But Labour and National have shown they are capable of it in the past so I wouldn't be surprised if they let them do it again."

Reports have said that the Chinese Investment Corporation may invest up to 6 Billion or 1.5% of their fund into this country's assets. That compares with 2% that they have supposedly set aside for Australia. Jeepers if true that will have society changing consequences for this country. We know that the government wants to sell our assets and they are going to try really hard to. To tell you the truth I don't care who stops them as long as someone does. The Mana Party will be strongly opposed, as will the Greens. Winston will rally against it and Labour will have a go, as Parker has here. It may be asking too much for Labour to lead this as they oppose Hone and Mana even more than the maori party, and as Russ mentioned their track record is not good. 

People power is the answer - it works and puts real fear in our opponents hearts.

d-spinning

What's the time Mr Wolf, what's the time.



Good articles on the attack on our most vulnerable.

Gordon Campbell

If John Key is the face of moderation, there’s not much room left on the margins for the extremism of Don Brash. “Moderation” evidently means asset sales, tax breaks for the rich, cuts to government spending, a view that public services are “unsustainable” and unaffordable” plus – as Key indicated at yesterday’s post -Cabinet press conference - forced contraception for women on benefits as an idea worthy of further consideration. If you can get all that from the smiling face of “moderation” who needs the Act Party?

Sue Bradford

I sincerely hope that over the next few months the majority of New Zealanders won’t continue to be fooled by John Key’s crocodile smile.  Underneath, sadly, he has the soul and aspirations of an investment banker – a heart of darkness.

 In both of these articles the spin and bullshit from key is exposed. He is oblivious to the truth and is committed to this agenda. What's the time Mr Wolf?