Make New Zealand Proud Again
Headlines: Proud Boys, NZ less safe for tamariki, and Seymour contradicts Luxon on RNZ budget cuts +
Prime Minister Luxon makes Alt-Right Extremist Group Proud Boys Legal Again
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has removed the extremist group “Proud Boys” from New Zealand’s terrorist list despite its history of violence1 and far-right extremism.
Journalist Paula Penfold notes the group is operating cross border, and have made their own New Zealand Proud Boys insignia.
When Penfold asked the Prime Minister’s office why Luxon removed them from the terrorist list, the prime minister's office "didn't specifically answer that".
NZ made headlines in 2022 for declaring Proud Boys a terrorist organisation. It remains a terrorist group in Canada.
David Seymour’s ECE Changes Endangers Babies
David Seymour’s Early Child Education (ECE) rules amend the rules for checking on infants from every 10 minutes up to every 15 minutes.
Chief adviser of the Office of Early Childhood Education, Dr Sarah Alexander said this will endanger children and cites the case of a South Auckland baby who died during his sleep.
She says the rules need to be tightened, not loosened.
Since becoming Minister of Regulation, Seymour has set about changing the ECE sector, claiming the rules are “excessive”.
However, his proposals have been frequently criticised as endangering tamariki, while making it cheaper and easier for ECE centres.
In New Zealand, the largest ECE provider is Best Start, run by the Wright Family.
95% + chance that tamariki could suffer injury/ illness with disabling effects as child concerns soar
Newsroom’s Tim Murphy reports “there is a 95 percent-plus chance that children could suffer ‘injury or illness with disabling effects’”.
Furthermore, “Oranga Tamariki won’t be able to deal adequately with tips about children at risk over the next year or two.”
The agency admits this as reports of concern rose to 95,000 last year, a 34% year on year jump and a 60% jump compared to the second half of last year.
OT has had job cuts and sudden contract changes to community providers under Karen Chhour, which the Auditor General recently slammed as “unacceptable” and will adversely impact children and families.
Local elections are being astroturfed
Candidate nominations are now open for local council elections. Paul, The Other One is reporting that Groundswell (which is linked to Taxpayers Union’s Jordan Williams) is now running candidates by stealth, and like VFF, not declaring affiliations.
ACT is also running a slew of candidates.
Comments are gold
Sir Geoffrey Palmer’s piece in Newsroom on the exacting dangers of the Regulatory Standards Bill to our democracy is accompanied by a vibrant comments section, which is well worth the read.
Sir Palmer confirms that the Bill represents “a back-door method of interfering with the work of MPs”
It also “establishes one minister as a wide-ranging regulatory supremo backed by a small Regulatory Standards Board comprising hand-picked appointees.”
He notes “the board has statutory and enforceable legal powers to compel information and data.” and “establishes an elaborate mechanism to influence government regulation in New Zealand”.
Masterfully, Palmer extrapolates why it’s a trojan horse bill - for example, the bill purports not to have any legal rights or influence, which merely takes it outside the realm of the courts, and undermines the separation of powers defined by the constitution, while subjecting the Executive to Seymour’s influences and demands.
There are other niggly, cunning parts to the bill which Palmer extrapolates on - a bill that has been rejected 3 times before by the country.
Its original architect, Bryce Wilkinson, an Atlas Network NZ Initiative fellow, aims to cement neo-liberalism into our laws by stealth - using their front-man libertarian David Seymour and the weakness and/or co-operation of PM Christopher Luxon.
Nothing gets clicks for Stuff like Jacinda Ardern
Stuff is profiting off the Ardern name again - running a survey and more articles on her handling of Covid, after Sir Ian Taylor’s critical piece earlier in the week.
There’s so much significant news to cover, but Stuff prefers clicks and profits - which is what Paddy “I like billionaries” Gower, Lloyd Burr and Jacinda Ardern’s name illicits, in my view.
Stuff is also ceasing a number of printed publications - in favour of digital press which it says now reaches 1.5 million Kiwis, and is significantly cheaper to produce.
The closed publications are Auckland Community Newspapers, Cambridge Edition, Feilding Rangitīkei Herald, Franklin County News, Hutt News, Kapi Mana News, Nelson and Tasman Leader, Northern Outlook, South Taranaki Star, Southern Outlook.
Christopher Luxon denies budget cuts to RNZ was “sending a message” - but Seymour said it does
Glenn McConnell reports Prime Minister Christopher Luxon denied reducing RNZ funding was motivated by influencing its journalism.
But Deputy Prime Minister David Seymour contradicted the PM, saying the RNZ funding cut did send "a message" to the public broadcaster.
Labour's Reuben Davidson said Seymour exhibited “snowflake behaviour”, given his comments about cutting RNZ’s funding
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The Proud Boys are also proud supporters of Donald Trump, and were pardoned by Trump for their violent actions during the January 6 insurrection. They are against any progressive values and have been linked to white supremacist ideologies and groups.
It is outrageous that funding is being cut to RNZ our designated civil defence station which has been broadcasting vital information just in the past few days with regard to the flooding in the Nelso area.
That Newsroom comments section gives me hope for NZ society. It seems that most of the public who are aware of the RSB are opposed to it. That’s a good sign. Most are probably not aware of it, but it seems to have few vocal supporters. I love the way Wilkinson was lambasted in that comments section.