John Campbell’s remarkable investigation at the beginning of the week into a Government agency tasked with looking after earthquake survivors using corporate spies to secretly tape those complaining was made more important by the remarkable announcement midweek from the NZ Police that found nothing illegal in the actions of anyone involved.
There was much anguish made about the NZ Police decision to shut down and limit ANZAC Day events this year. Many felt that it was capitulating to the white supremacist who had committed the Christchurch atrocity and others felt we should not in any way shape or form change who were are or what we do because such acquiescence gives terrorists what they want.
Let’s be honest, for a Bill that is hearing its second reading next month, the Euthanasia debate has been woeful.
The latest state of the climate report by the World Meteorological Organisation out this month makes for some grim reading.
It’s not odd that Corrections is trying to ascertain how many prisoners might become terrorists because of the oppressive and violent environment they create, what is odd is that they aren’t looking at how their environment creates that extremism nor that they seem to have learnt anything about the inadequacy of their so called ‘intelligence’ abilities.
No one could expect Jacinda Ardern to be able to fix 9 years of grotesque public service underfunding in just a year. The damage to the wider society National’s short sighted social policies hit Māori harder than most and Jacinda promised a hope that pain would not only pass but reverse trend.
The country has been shocked and surprised at the grace of the Waitangi Marae by inviting Dr Don Brash to speak at the Waitangi Forum Tent on Tuesday.
With John Tamihere throwing his hat in the ring for the Mayoralty, Auckland could get it’s first Māori Mayor.
Beyond the rushed judgements and our need to see the worst in the other, we have a cultural landscape lacking in basic kindness and dignity. In the hyper critical environment of social media where hot takes and lack of all facts leaves us with little more to go on than ill judged opinions and easy anger, we are becoming nothing more than a baying lynch mob.
The Alt-Right in NZ intend to harness anger over open ended migration swamping poorly funded infrastructure and housing and the political vehicle they will try and use is the New Conservatives.