thedailyblog--2020-10-01--You Know What? Collins Could Win This.

You Know What? Collins Could Win This.

THIS IS SERIOUS now .
Judith Collins is leading the National Party back into electoral contention .
Against all the appearances of just a fortnight ago , Labour ’ s 50 percent fortress is proving to be alarmingly vulnerable .
Jacinda could lose this .
If the 200,000 former National voters , most of them women over 45 years-of-age , who crossed over to Labour in recognition of Jacinda ’ s management of the Covid-19 emergency , begin to waver , then the shape of the battle-lines will change dramatically .
Instead of a cake-walk to victory , this election @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
In the light of Collins ’ two pretty good Leaders ’ Debate performances , it is highly likely that the wavering has already begun .
What ’ s more , if it ’ s picked up by Colmar Brunton ’ s and Reid Research ’ s pollsters , then the pace and scale of that wavering will only increase .
The trickle of Nats returning to the fold , will become a flood .
By Election Day the two main parties could be duking it out for the prize of a percentage @ @ @ @ @ @ @ where the two major parties do end up , then the share of the Party Vote won by Act and the Greens will be critical to the election ’ s outcome .
In this situation , the Right has the advantage .
National deserters returning to the fold will come , overwhelmingly , from Labour .
What that is likely to precipitate is a stampede back to Labour by left-leaning voters who ’ d made a strategic decision to support the Greens .
That would be the very worst thing they could do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t stop them .
Their panic-driven determination to rally-round Jacinda , to protect the Queen , will drown out the voice of political rationality .
If this sudden surge from the Greens to Labour is too large , then it ’ s all over .
Driven below the 5 percent MMP threshold , the Greens ’ inadequate share of the Party Vote will be redistributed among the successful parties .
National and Act , together , will have more than enough seats to form a government .
Labour will be out .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ scenario is that there is so very little that Labour can do to defend itself .
It is important to recall that in 2017 , with “ Jacindamania ” in full-swing , Labour could attract no more than 37 percent of the Party Vote .
That was 7 percentage points shy of National ’ s 44 percent .
The raw political arithmetic of these results is not encouraging .
Even with the more progressive remnants of NZ First in its pocket , Labour ’ s 2020 numbers – sans National ’ s deserters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more than 40 percent .
It gets worse .
Labour , in its pride , has ruled out a deal in Auckland Central .
So , unlike National and Act , if Labour ’ s numbers end up being even marginally fattened by “ strategic ” Green voters returning to the fold , then that extra fat could kill its chances of re-election stone-dead .
By contrast , Act can fall below the 5 percent threshold without denying its National Party ally the additional seats needed to govern .
Perhaps it ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ how badly it wants Helen White to beat Chloe Swarbrick ?
Labour ’ s strategists ’ dreams about building an unbeatable “ centrist coalition ” out of the professional-managerial middle-class and the upwardly-mobile working-class : a broad electoral alliance from which the extremes of right and left could be shaken-off ; were always ridiculously optimistic .
The idea of a new kind of politics , accessible to “ progressive New Zealanders ” , but not to the backward-looking National Party , always grossly over-estimated the middle-class ’ s willingness to share .
That @ @ @ @ @ @ @ most marginalised New Zealanders as being permanently alienated from electoral politics , left Labour with no Plan-B .
If all it takes to woo back National ’ s 200,000 deserters are a few well-rehearsed zingers from Judith Collins , then from whence can Labour possibly hope to replace them ?
Unfortunately , there ’ s no “ progressive ” answer to that question .
Surely , there must be something Labour can do to hold its Covid Converts in place ?
Yes , there is , and it can be summed-up in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and her colleagues need to pivot away immediately from their current message of rather complacent optimism , and towards the imminent threat of a National-Act programme of ruthless economic austerity .
Scare the bejesus out of the nurses and teachers Judith Collins is forever appealing to .
Make them feel the fear of cuts and lay-offs as Paul Goldsmith – egged-on by David Seymour – plays Edward Scissorhands with public health and education .
Make all those 45+ women hear , in their mind ’ s ear , the demented cackle of Collins @ @ @ @ @ @ @ many of her sisters have fallen for her “ Nice Judith ” routine .
Ask moderate voters to ask themselves why Collins has suddenly taken to describing herself as a Christian .
To whom , exactly is this new , devout , Judith appealing ?
To which faction of the National Party caucus has this newly-minted Christian Collins sworn her undying loyalty ?
Do moderate voters really want to see their country pitched into the sort of culture wars that have brought the United States to the brink of civil war ?
When @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Labour needs to make them see Donald Trump .
Too much ?
Not at all .
Who do you think National ’ s going to go after over the course of the next fortnight ?
Who do they need people to flee from in terror ?
No , not Labour !
National ’ s target will be the Greens .
The party ’ s message will be brutally simple : the only way to avoid paying a Wealth Tax ; the only way to prevent the dairy industry from being destroyed ; the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ free speech ; is to Party Vote National .
Jacinda couldn ’ t say no to Winston Peters , the Covid Converts will be told , so can you really see her saying no to Marama Davidson and Golriz Ghahraman ?
See how easy it is !
Scare the Covid Converts back to National .
That will scare the strategic Green voters back to Jacinda .
That takes the Greens below the 5 percent MMP threshold .
And that ’ s ‘ Game Over ’ .
So , you know what ?
Labour @ @ @ @ @ @ @ re-election is to scare them the hell back .

THIS IS SERIOUS now. Judith Collins is leading the National Party back into electoral contention. Against all the appearances of just a fortnight ago, Labour’s 50 percent fortress is proving to be alarmingly vulnerable. Jacinda could lose this.
If the 200,000 former National voters, most of them women over 45 years-of-age, who crossed over to Labour in recognition of Jacinda’s management of the Covid-19 emergency, begin to waver, then the shape of the battle-lines will change dramatically. Instead of a cake-walk to victory, this election will become a knife-fight for political survival.
In the light of Collins’ two pretty good Leaders’ Debate performances, it is highly likely that the wavering has already begun. What’s more, if it’s picked up by Colmar Brunton’s and Reid Research’s pollsters, then the pace and scale of that wavering will only increase. The trickle of Nats returning to the fold, will become a flood. By Election Day the two main parties could be duking it out for the prize of a percentage beginning with 4. If that is where the two major parties do end up, then the share of the Party Vote won by Act and the Greens will be critical to the election’s outcome.
In this situation, the Right has the advantage. National deserters returning to the fold will come, overwhelmingly, from Labour. What that is likely to precipitate is a stampede back to Labour by left-leaning voters who’d made a strategic decision to support the Greens. That would be the very worst thing they could do, of course, but it won’t stop them. Their panic-driven determination to rally-round Jacinda, to protect the Queen, will drown out the voice of political rationality. If this sudden surge from the Greens to Labour is too large, then it’s all over. Driven below the 5 percent MMP threshold, the Greens’ inadequate share of the Party Vote will be redistributed among the successful parties. National and Act, together, will have more than enough seats to form a government. Labour will be out.
The truly terrifying aspect of this grim scenario is that there is so very little that Labour can do to defend itself. It is important to recall that in 2017, with “Jacindamania” in full-swing, Labour could attract no more than 37 percent of the Party Vote. That was 7 percentage points shy of National’s 44 percent. The raw political arithmetic of these results is not encouraging. Even with the more progressive remnants of NZ First in its pocket, Labour’s 2020 numbers – sans National’s deserters – will struggle to add up to more than 40 percent.
It gets worse. Labour, in its pride, has ruled out a deal in Auckland Central. So, unlike National and Act, if Labour’s numbers end up being even marginally fattened by “strategic” Green voters returning to the fold, then that extra fat could kill its chances of re-election stone-dead. By contrast, Act can fall below the 5 percent threshold without denying its National Party ally the additional seats needed to govern. Perhaps it’s time for Labour to ask itself exactly how badly it wants Helen White to beat Chloe Swarbrick?
Labour’s strategists’ dreams about building an unbeatable “centrist coalition” out of the professional-managerial middle-class and the upwardly-mobile working-class: a broad electoral alliance from which the extremes of right and left could be shaken-off; were always ridiculously optimistic. The idea of a new kind of politics, accessible to “progressive New Zealanders”, but not to the backward-looking National Party, always grossly over-estimated the middle-class’s willingness to share. That those same strategists assessed the poorest and most marginalised New Zealanders as being permanently alienated from electoral politics, left Labour with no Plan-B. If all it takes to woo back National’s 200,000 deserters are a few well-rehearsed zingers from Judith Collins, then from whence can Labour possibly hope to replace them? Unfortunately, there’s no “progressive” answer to that question.
Surely, there must be something Labour can do to hold its Covid Converts in place? Yes, there is, and it can be summed-up in a single word: “Fear.” Jacinda and her colleagues need to pivot away immediately from their current message of rather complacent optimism, and towards the imminent threat of a National-Act programme of ruthless economic austerity. Scare the bejesus out of the nurses and teachers Judith Collins is forever appealing to. Make them feel the fear of cuts and lay-offs as Paul Goldsmith – egged-on by David Seymour – plays Edward Scissorhands with public health and education. Make all those 45+ women hear, in their mind’s ear, the demented cackle of Collins on election night as she discovers how many of her sisters have fallen for her “Nice Judith” routine.
TDB Recommends NewzEngine.com
Ask moderate voters to ask themselves why Collins has suddenly taken to describing herself as a Christian. To whom, exactly is this new, devout, Judith appealing? To which faction of the National Party caucus has this newly-minted Christian Collins sworn her undying loyalty? Do moderate voters really want to see their country pitched into the sort of culture wars that have brought the United States to the brink of civil war? When the voters look at Judith Collins, Labour needs to make them see Donald Trump.
Too much? Not at all. Who do you think National’s going to go after over the course of the next fortnight? Who do they need people to flee from in terror? No, not Labour! National’s target will be the Greens. The party’s message will be brutally simple: the only way to avoid paying a Wealth Tax; the only way to prevent the dairy industry from being destroyed; the only way to preserve your right to free speech; is to Party Vote National. Jacinda couldn’t say no to Winston Peters, the Covid Converts will be told, so can you really see her saying no to Marama Davidson and Golriz Ghahraman?
See how easy it is! Scare the Covid Converts back to National. That will scare the strategic Green voters back to Jacinda. That takes the Greens below the 5 percent MMP threshold. And that’s ‘Game Over’.
So, you know what? Labour’s only real chance of securing re-election is to scare them the hell back.


thedailyblog--2020-10-02--Teenage Schoolgirl Waitresses – Predatory Manager – Owner: “Not My Problem”

This story started out as two workers pushed out of their jobs in an upmarket Auckland café .
Teenage waitresses at the café were required to attend work but were only paid when they were physically on the floor .
The rest of the time they sat in the staffroom unpaid .
It was outrageous , but it was a simple case of exploitation .
However , during a meeting with the bosses , it went dark .
The manager , we found out , was having serial “ relationships ” with his schoolgirl charges .
There were accusations of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , she said she didn ’ t get involved in the romantic relationships of her employees .
Really ?
These schoolgirls were 16-year-old .
He was their adult boss .
This case began when I met two teenagers who worked after school .
Both of them were from reasonably wealthy families who didn ’ t actually need to work .
Their parents wanted them to have the responsibility of earning their own money .
The café was in the swanky end of town .
The customers were the well-heeled .
We settled this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were very happy about .
Unfortunately for us , the terms of settlement mean I can ’ t identify the people involved or the business .
But by telling this story , other young workers might come forward and get justice .
This story won ’ t be unique .
I am told by other young hospitality workers that not being paid for downtime whilst still being required to be at work , is not unusual .
This is pure exploitation .
I hope any affected worker will contact us if this is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seeking sexual favours is standard fare in many workplaces .
But schoolgirls preyed upon by their adult manager is something much more sinister .
This is serious abuse at the top end .
I got a call from an official from another union who asked if I would help with a case .
I was introduced to two young teenagers .
They were both bright and chatty .
One was 16 and the other 17-years-old .
The two girls had been frozen out of their part-time jobs after they had complained about their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ workplace , the waitresses were mainly students on part-time shifts .
There was a rostered start time , but no finish time .
When the workers arrived , they were sent to the staffroom .
They didn ’ t go onto the floor to serve customers unless instructed by the manager .
When it got quiet , they ’ d be sent back .
They would clock in and clock out as the moved between the floor to the staffroom .
They were only paid for the time on the floor .
This @ @ @ @ @ @ @ exploitative .
These two girls had kept all their shift and wage details .
After reading through their evidence I could see they were shortchanged in about one in three shifts .
Over the months they had worked there , it amounted to several thousands of dollars .
One girl was paid for 20 minutes on one night but was required to sit in the staff room for four hours .
Whilst this is an outrageous case in its own right , I thought the employer would claim a ‘ misunderstanding ’ and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ move on .
But no .
Their lawyer responded in her first email that the company had no case to answer .
I looked up the business on-line .
The company had several other upmarket outlets .
The owner lived in a leafy liberal enclave and proudly promoted environmental causes on her website .
Over several exchanges , her lawyer , on her behalf , continued to refuse admitting any wrongdoing .
This was before I was writing for Daily Blog and had no UTU truck to turn up outside their café to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reluctantly agreed to mediation .
The boss turned up with an entourage exuding charm and relentless positivity .
Her sales pitch was she was doing the girls a favour .
According to this self-proclaimed benefactor , all the schoolgirls she employed really appreciated that they could sit in the staffroom for long periods and complete their homework .
And having the opportunity get paid for interludes on the floor was a win/win for everyone .
She beamed at me expectedly .
I think that was a cue for me to praise her largesse @ @ @ @ @ @ @ see her big picture .
When the girls said they were ostracised after they raised their complaints , she was affronted and asked for evidence .
When they went through several examples of being left out of the “ it ” crowd , such as not being invited to parties and banned from the Christmas party , the boss and her lawyer feigned boredom with eye rolls .
I finally understood the popularity of the teenage film “ Mean Girls ” .
Ugh !
Just before a break , things got real nasty @ @ @ @ @ @ @ slips the lawyer a note with a side whisper .
The lawyer looks up at us .
She reads out a name and asks the 16-year-old if she knows the name .
The young woman next to me tenses .
I immediately respond : “ we will answer after the break ” .
The lawyer smirks .
“ It ’ s a simple question , we ’ d like her to answer it ?
” I clip back that these girls have just said they were bullied by their managers and this was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the mediator to force the girl to answer .
I told them to piss off !
In the break , the 16-year-old said the person was her 25-year-old manager .
They ’ d had “ an affair ” .
Her mate said that everyone had been annoyed at work because she had got preferred shifts from the manager .
I asked if there were others .
They said there had been four girls during the time they were employed .
I sat there stunned .
Both girls had been there less than a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about every two months ?
” “ Yes ” .
Geezers .
We reconvene .
I ask did they know the name they raised before the break .
“ Yes ” .
“ Why was it raised then ?
” “ There were issues between the manager and her , she hadn ’ t disclosed.
” Me , looking at the boss , who isn ’ t looking quite as poised .
Does she think it ’ s appropriate for her managers to groom their young employees for sex ?
She replied employees @ @ @ @ @ @ @ business .
Did she feel a 16-year-old entering into a relationship with her adult manager was not her business ?
The gap between her and her 25 years old boss is surely a generation gap .
The owner replies it ’ s no longer a problem as he no longer works there .
“ Was he sacked ?
” No .
According to the boss , he was “ very popular ” , and she continued to have a “ good relationship ” with him .
Extraordinary .
The young girl pipes up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ takes full responsibility for her actions ” .
There are certainly people in the room who should be taking responsibility for their actions .
But not the youngest person , and certainly not the victim .
The sound of crickets on the other side of the table was deafening .
Disgusting !
I ’ d had enough .
The gloves came off .
The only thing that saved this owner was that the two girls didn ’ t want to drag the process out any further .
And understandably , the victim @ @ @ @ @ @ @ know the full trauma she had been through .
A deal was done , the girls got all their wages backdated and in addition received a modest compensation .
They thought it was fantastic .
I wanted more , a lot more .
But then , it ’ s not about me .
None of the other side acknowledged their former employees ’ mistreatment , let alone offered an apology .
As with any case in mediation , any outcome it is confidential , and the perpetuators don ’ t have to admit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
At least the girls were chuffed .
They were so happy they got some justice .
They were rapt about getting all their back hours paid and getting an unexpected lump sum compensation .
But the boss and her flunkies were never held accountable .
It cost them some money .
But loose change , really .
The owner never conceded her managers or herself had done anything wrong .
The opportunity to write articles on the Daily Blog will tip the scales for future cases like this .
I am now @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the real struggles of working-class people in the precariat .
I can do this before I get muzzled in the legal framework .
This article should upset you .
But I want to inspire you to help me do something about how vulnerable workers are being crushed every day .
We will campaign to publicly expose these exploiters and abusers .
To help the project I purchased our little UTU bus .
It ’ s getting fitted out at this very moment and will be ready next week .
I needed $ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
I ’ ve never done a Give-a-Little Page before I started writing on Daily Blog a fortnight ago .
I am extraordinarily grateful to many Daily Blog readers who have chipped in over $ 2,500 so far .
I need to raise the rest by next week .
If I had this bus when I first met these girls , I would have turned up at this café and exposed their employer ’ s behavior .
If you know of similar incidences of workplace abuse email us at justice @ oneunion.org.nz If @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it does me , then help me do something practical about it .
Our little team are doing our best .
If you can chip in , I ’ d be grateful .
Click through here and help us reach our funding target so we get our little UTU bus on the road .
This really is a story you need to share with everyone you know .
The more people who know , the easier it will be to end exploitation and abuse in the workplace .
Matt McCarten is the National @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trustee

This story started out as two workers pushed out of their jobs in an upmarket Auckland café. Teenage waitresses at the café were required to attend work but were only paid when they were physically on the floor. The rest of the time they sat in the staffroom unpaid. It was outrageous, but it was a simple case of exploitation. However, during a meeting with the bosses, it went dark.
The manager, we found out, was having serial “relationships” with his schoolgirl charges. There were accusations of favourtism. When I queried the owner, she said she didn’t get involved in the romantic relationships of her employees. Really? These schoolgirls were 16-year-old. He was their adult boss.
This case began when I met two teenagers who worked after school. Both of them were from reasonably wealthy families who didn’t actually need to work. Their parents wanted them to have the responsibility of earning their own money. The café was in the swanky end of town. The customers were the well-heeled.
We settled this particular case in mediation which the girls were very happy about. Unfortunately for us, the terms of settlement mean I can’t identify the people involved or the business. But by telling this story, other young workers might come forward and get justice. This story won’t be unique.
I am told by other young hospitality workers that not being paid for downtime whilst still being required to be at work, is not unusual. This is pure exploitation. I hope any affected worker will contact us if this is still happening in their workplace. Managers seeking sexual favours is standard fare in many workplaces. But schoolgirls preyed upon by their adult manager is something much more sinister. This is serious abuse at the top end.
I got a call from an official from another union who asked if I would help with a case. I was introduced to two young teenagers. They were both bright and chatty. One was 16 and the other 17-years-old. The two girls had been frozen out of their part-time jobs after they had complained about their treatment to their bosses.
At this workplace, the waitresses were mainly students on part-time shifts. There was a rostered start time, but no finish time. When the workers arrived, they were sent to the staffroom. They didn’t go onto the floor to serve customers unless instructed by the manager. When it got quiet, they’d be sent back. They would clock in and clock out as the moved between the floor to the staffroom. They were only paid for the time on the floor. This is illegal. Clearly, it is exploitative.
These two girls had kept all their shift and wage details. After reading through their evidence I could see they were shortchanged in about one in three shifts. Over the months they had worked there, it amounted to several thousands of dollars. One girl was paid for 20 minutes on one night but was required to sit in the staff room for four hours.
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Whilst this is an outrageous case in its own right, I thought the employer would claim a ‘misunderstanding’ and backpay the two workers and we could move on. But no. Their lawyer responded in her first email that the company had no case to answer.
I looked up the business on-line. The company had several other upmarket outlets. The owner lived in a leafy liberal enclave and proudly promoted environmental causes on her website. Over several exchanges, her lawyer, on her behalf, continued to refuse admitting any wrongdoing. This was before I was writing for Daily Blog and had no UTU truck to turn up outside their café to focus their minds. Eventually, they reluctantly agreed to mediation.
The boss turned up with an entourage exuding charm and relentless positivity. Her sales pitch was she was doing the girls a favour. According to this self-proclaimed benefactor, all the schoolgirls she employed really appreciated that they could sit in the staffroom for long periods and complete their homework. And having the opportunity get paid for interludes on the floor was a win/win for everyone. She beamed at me expectedly. I think that was a cue for me to praise her largesse.
Clearly, I couldn’t see her big picture. When the girls said they were ostracised after they raised their complaints, she was affronted and asked for evidence. When they went through several examples of being left out of the “it” crowd, such as not being invited to parties and banned from the Christmas party, the boss and her lawyer feigned boredom with eye rolls. I finally understood the popularity of the teenage film “Mean Girls”. Ugh!
Just before a break, things got real nasty. One of their flunkies present covertly slips the lawyer a note with a side whisper. The lawyer looks up at us. She reads out a name and asks the 16-year-old if she knows the name. The young woman next to me tenses. I immediately respond: “we will answer after the break”. The lawyer smirks. “It’s a simple question, we’d like her to answer it?” I clip back that these girls have just said they were bullied by their managers and this was an example. The lawyer asks for the mediator to force the girl to answer. I told them to piss off!
In the break, the 16-year-old said the person was her 25-year-old manager. They’d had “an affair”. Her mate said that everyone had been annoyed at work because she had got preferred shifts from the manager. I asked if there were others. They said there had been four girls during the time they were employed. I sat there stunned. Both girls had been there less than a year. “That’s one about every two months?” “Yes”. Geezers.
We reconvene. I ask did they know the name they raised before the break. “Yes”. “Why was it raised then?” “There were issues between the manager and her, she hadn’t disclosed.” Me, looking at the boss, who isn’t looking quite as poised. Does she think it’s appropriate for her managers to groom their young employees for sex? She replied employees’ romantic relationships weren’t her business. Did she feel a 16-year-old entering into a relationship with her adult manager was not her business? The gap between her and her 25 years old boss is surely a generation gap. The owner replies it’s no longer a problem as he no longer works there. “Was he sacked?” No. According to the boss, he was “very popular”, and she continued to have a “good relationship” with him. Extraordinary.
The young girl pipes up, helpfully letting us all know she “takes full responsibility for her actions”. There are certainly people in the room who should be taking responsibility for their actions. But not the youngest person, and certainly not the victim. The sound of crickets on the other side of the table was deafening. Disgusting!
I’d had enough. The gloves came off. The only thing that saved this owner was that the two girls didn’t want to drag the process out any further. And understandably, the victim didn’t want her parents to know the full trauma she had been through. A deal was done, the girls got all their wages backdated and in addition received a modest compensation. They thought it was fantastic. I wanted more, a lot more. But then, it’s not about me. None of the other side acknowledged their former employees’ mistreatment, let alone offered an apology.
As with any case in mediation, any outcome it is confidential, and the perpetuators don’t have to admit any wrongdoing. And they never do. At least the girls were chuffed. They were so happy they got some justice. They were rapt about getting all their back hours paid and getting an unexpected lump sum compensation.
But the boss and her flunkies were never held accountable. It cost them some money. But loose change, really. The owner never conceded her managers or herself had done anything wrong.
The opportunity to write articles on the Daily Blog will tip the scales for future cases like this. I am now able to write what really goes on in the real struggles of working-class people in the precariat. I can do this before I get muzzled in the legal framework.
This article should upset you. But I want to inspire you to help me do something about how vulnerable workers are being crushed every day.
We will campaign to publicly expose these exploiters and abusers. To help the project I purchased our little UTU bus. It’s getting fitted out at this very moment and will be ready next week. I needed $5,000 to get it on the road. I’ve never done a Give-a-Little Page before I started writing on Daily Blog a fortnight ago. I am extraordinarily grateful to many Daily Blog readers who have chipped in over $2,500 so far. I need to raise the rest by next week. If I had this bus when I first met these girls, I would have turned up at this café and exposed their employer’s behavior.
If you know of similar incidences of workplace abuse email us at justice@oneunion.org.nz
If this story upsets you as much as it does me, then help me do something practical about it. Our little team are doing our best. If you can chip in, I’d be grateful. Click through here and help us reach our funding target so we get our little UTU bus on the road.
This really is a story you need to share with everyone you know. The more people who know, the easier it will be to end exploitation and abuse in the workplace.
Thank you / Nga Mihi,
Matt McCarten is the National Director of One Union and an UTU Trustee


Palestinian homes matter

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs ( OCHA ) has reported a sharp increase in the number of Palestinian houses being destroyed by Israel : Between 29 August and 8 September : “ Israeli authorities demolished , forced people to demolish , or seized 13 Palestinian-owned structures in Area C [ of the West Bank ] and East Jerusalem , displacing 44 and affecting the livelihoods or access to services of 12 others ” .
Since the beginning of the Corona pandemic , destruction of homes and other buildings has increased by 60 % .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ responded to the most recent Israeli demolitions , saying : “ The global pandemic has increased the needs and vulnerabilities of Palestinians who are already trapped in the abnormality of prolonged military occupation.
” On 11 September , a non-binding United Nations General Assembly Resolution , calling for the suspension of all economic sanctions while the coronavirus continues to be out of control , passed by 159 votes for and two against .
Predictably , the two against came from Israel and the United States .
The humanitarian appeal expressed the need for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ contain , mitigate and overcome the pandemic and its consequences.
” Struggling governments and overloaded health-care systems desperately need the freedom to import food and medicine but , sadly , neither the mainstream news media nor our politicians showed much interest in the vote .
Also of little interest to mainstream news media , are Israel ‘ s relentless acts of violence in Gaza , which it justifies , with the assertion , that they are only ever in response to what it calls ‘ Hamas terrorism ’ .
As at 25 September @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the year ( an average of 25 per week ) while Palestinian missile-launches towards the Green Line , over the same period , totalled just 78 .
Israel depends upon retaliatory missile-firings from Gaza to draw attention away from its own , far more numerous , attacks on the enclave that accompany its crippling blockade .
The most recent Palestinian missile-launching was on 15 September , following a four-week lull during which Israel committed 53 Gaza ceasefire violations , including air strikes , waste-laying incursions and attacks on fishing boats .
Palestinian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Army made an 8am waste-laying incursion into Gaza , to the east of Juhur al-Dik , that persisted until 5:30pm .
Shortly before that finished , an Israeli Army position behind the Green Line opened fire at 5pm , on farmland east of Abasan .
Palestinian Resistance eventually responded at 8:15pm by firing two missiles from Northern Gaza towards the Green Line .
And so another cycle began that ended early the next morning , with Resistance fighter responding with five more missiles at 5:05 and 5:10am .
From then on , there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after another Israeli air strike at 6:15am .
There have since been 45 more Israeli military attacks , air strikes and incursions , with no Palestinian Resistance responses .
Zionists , including David Cumin , Co-Director of the Israel Institute of New Zealand , are cock-a-hoop over the new UAE , Bahrein , Israel alliance , which betrays the Palestinian people and ignores much of the Fourth Geneva Convention ’ s human rights provisions .
Cumin praised the agreement , saying “ .
.
.
there ’ s no escaping the enormity of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ term ‘ enormity ’ can also mean , and in this regard more appropriately , an extremely evil act or the quality of being extremely evil .
The UAE and Israel have never been at war with each other and the idea that this is a peace deal is misleading .
The agreement completely ignores Palestine , and provides not the slightest relief from the daily Occupation , blockade and discrimination suffered by its people .
According to the Israeli newspaper , Haaretz , Israeli legislators are overjoyed at cuts made to humanitarian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Occupied West Bank ‘ s Area C , which some describe as a ‘ virus , ’ ‘ cancer ’ or ‘ territorial terror ’ .
The US website Jewish Light notes that : “ While Israel has made certain commitments not to annex parts of the West Bank in the short term — but hasn ’ t totally ruled it out — it has not committed to any concrete sacrifices on the Palestinian front.
” Of course not , and as Haaretz explains , Israel has “ sought constantly , through cynical @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the number of Palestinians living there.
” The US gains because the agreement enhances its Middle East influence , and ever-more rewarding arms deals will ensue , besides which , Jewish Light tells us that , “ following decades of clandestine contacts ” , the UAE and Israel can now collaborate openly on military intelligence and technological development .
The Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa ( PSNA ) is encouraging everyone to : “ Send an email to Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters ( and copy in the Prime Minister ) condemning the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ‘ agreement between the US , Israel , the UAE and Bahrain.
” Peters has welcomed the agreement which has been reproduced , with comments , in PSNA Newsletter No 32 .
While most Green Party members appear to agree with policies in support of Palestine and international humanitarian law , it is proving difficult to get any response from the Greens regarding support , or otherwise , for the Palestinian movement for Boycott , Divestment and Sanctions ( BDS ) .
David Cumin , commenting gleefully on the 8 September Aro Valley @ @ @ @ @ @ @ anti-Semitism against the international Boycott , Divestment and Sanctions movement ( BDS ) surprisingly made by Green Party co-leader James Shaw see video .
He stated that , in the debate , “ .
.
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antisemitism within the BDS campaign was exposed by all political parties.
” Actually , neither Labour nor The Opportunities Party ( TOP ) made any reference to ‘ anti-Semitism ’ in the debate .
Bearing in mind the many failed attempts by Israel to provoke Palestinian Resistance , it is particularly ironic that Cumin should complain that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ incitement were conspicuously absent from the candidates ’ responses .
.
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” On the other hand , he has never once acknowledged that Israeli forces destroy Palestinian homes and , along with Occupation settlers , uproot olive trees and seize ever more Palestinian land – Zionism introduced modern terrorism to Palestine .
Last month , the PSNA sent out three election pledges to all candidates from all parties standing in the 2020 general election .
New Zealanders already show strong support for Palestinian human rights .
It is , however , imperative @ @ @ @ @ @ @ abide by United Nations resolutions and international law .
The Network states : “ New Zealand votes the right way at the United Nations but takes no effective steps to back this up with practical policies .
The outcome is 53 years of brutal military occupation of Palestinian land by Israel – the longest military occupation in modern history.
” In the event , it was encouraging that most Green Party candidates , including all present Green MPs , responded in support of all three pledges .
On 17 September , the Palestine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Green Party co-leader , James Shaw , regarding his harsh comments concerning the Boycott , Divestment and Sanctions movement ( BDS ) .
In answer to an appeal for him to support BDS , Shaw replied that it is “ often used as cover for anti-Semitic movements and so I can not agree to the proposition because that particular movement actually has a very , very nasty undercurrent to it.
” Many Jewish human rights organisations , both internationally and within Israel , support BDS .
Writers , such as Ilan Pappe and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Son ) and organisations , such as Jewish Voice for Peace in the US , Jews for Justice for Palestinians in the UK and , in Israel , Breaking the Silence and B ’ Tselem , are among the many , many witnesses who speak truth to power concerning Zionist atrocities .
The PHRC email urged the Green Party Co-Leader to listen to the voices of Jews who reject Zionism , as well as those of the Palestinian victims of Zionism who live under a foreign military occupation that dictates when , where @ @ @ @ @ @ @ homes in their own land .
As yet , there has been no answer from Mr Shaw nor anyone else in the New Zealand Green Party , and we still await anxiously to know exactly what the Party ’ s position is regarding support , or otherwise , for the international BDS movement .
Most relevant to this are environmental issues and concern for human rights that we sent earlier in an email to the Greens , copied below ( in part ) : “ The Israeli military Occupation of the West Bank @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the environment in both areas .
Emissions and chemical waste , ruining Palestine ’ s agriculture and polluting both the air and groundwater , endangers the health and well-being of future generations of Palestinians.
” “ Israel ’ s most powerful supporter , the climate-change denier , US President Donald Trump , is financing Israel ’ s behaviour while , at the same time , doing his best to reverse rules designed to protect the environment in the US .
This , at a time when wildfires are destroying vast areas in California @ @ @ @ @ @ @ series of hurricanes are causing floods so devastating that large areas are becoming uninhabitable .
Trump also opposes BDS and , by Executive Order , has allowed the Federal Government to withhold funds from colleges , universities and other educational institutions that defend Palestinian human rights , including BDS.
” A 10 September report from the United Nations Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs ( OCHA ) states that : “ The period from March to August 2020 saw the demolition or confiscation of 389 Palestinian-owned structures in the West Bank , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the highest average destruction rate in four years.
” OCHA ’ s Humanitarian Co-ordinator , Jamie McGoldrick , said that : “ Early during the COVID-19 pandemic , the Israeli authorities indicated that they would restrain their longstanding policy of demolishing inhabited Palestinian homes .
Sadly , demolitions during the period March-August 2020 left 442 Palestinians homeless , further exposing many to risks associated with the pandemic .
In August alone , 205 people were displaced , more than in any other single month since January 2017 .
“ The destruction of property @ @ @ @ @ @ @ occupation is prohibited under international humanitarian law .
Today , such devastation inflicted during the COVID-19 pandemic is particularly menacing as it inevitably compounds the risks faced in the already highly vulnerable West Bank.
” Global support for BDS reflects the principles affirmed on the Green Party ’ s website , regarding human rights .
On 15 May 2016 , the Green Party of Canada ( GPC ) declared that it “ supports the use of divestment , boycott and sanctions ( “ BDS ” ) that are targeted to those sectors of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ profit from the ongoing occupation of the OPT .
“ BDS offers a non-violent way for the world community to bring pressure upon Israel to render less profitable its totally unacceptable abuses of Palestinian human rights .
With the election fast approaching , there should be no ambivalence regarding New Zealand ’ s Green Party policy towards BDS.
” Julian Assange – an appeal to the Australian Parliament On 9 September , as the Trump Administration ’ s extradition hearing began in the UK , Julian Assange ’ s legal adviser , Jennifer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ case could set a chilling precedent for press freedoms around the world .
Julian has been charged under the Espionage Act , for the first time in the history of the United States , for receiving and publishing US classified information , including the Collateral Murder publication , Iraq and Afghan war logs , war crimes in Iraq and US secrecy , hiding what they were up to in those conflicts , as well as State Department cables covering corruption and human rights abuses the world over .
His services to journalism led @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Nobel Peace Prize and the Sydney Peace Prize , and he won the Australian Walkley Award for the most outstanding contribution to journalism .
The Australian filmmaker and journalist , James Ricketson , who , for following his career , had been sentenced to six years imprisonment in Cambodia on charges of espionage , has written to members of the Australian Parliament on behalf of his fellow Australian , Julian Assange .
As Ricketson points out in his letter , the ‘ Collateral Murder ’ video released by Wikileaks in 2010 is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is facing a 170-year term of imprisonment in the US if he is extradited from the UK after these proceedings.
” The Defence has presented to the court the facts related to the video , that can be viewed here .
Ricketson writes : “ Ask yourselves also if an Australian citizen deserves to die in a US prison for bringing to light this possible war crime , when it is an integral part of a journalist ’ s job , his or her professional responsibility , to do just that.
” Read @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , as they were demonstrated to the court and watch the video , then judge for yourselves .
The importance of speaking up in defence of Julian Assange can not be emphasised too strongly .
The US accuses him of violating its espionage law but US law can not be applied extraterritorially in pursuit of a politically-motivated objective .
In any case , if Assange were such a threat to the US , why was he offered a way to avoid prosecution by denying that Russia was involved in leaking Democratic Party emails @ @ @ @ @ @ @ media and our lawmakers is calculated to move the wider public into believing that it is Assange who is the threat , and that support for him is nothing more than fringe extremist politics .
Nothing could be further from the truth .
Even Australia ’ s former Prime Minister , Kevin Rudd , has demanded to know why “ should Mr Assange be tried , convicted and incarcerated while those who publicly released the information are afforded protection under provisions of the US constitution concerning press freedom ?
” In a letter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ In the very rare circumstances that the internal complaint systems within governments are corrupted , it is important that genuine whistle-blowers have the last resort of going to the media.
” An announcement by 161 prominent international political figures , including 13 former national presidents , past prime ministers and current or retired members of national parliaments , have declared their opposition to the injustice inflicted upon Assange , including his imprisonment in Britain ’ s maximum-security Belmarsh Prison , even though he has not been convicted of any crime .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the British Government issued last month by the Lawyers for Assange .
Comprising more than 150 legal experts from around the world , as well as bar associations covering major countries , the world over , the group draws attention to the reality that there is an unprecedented appeal to the UK Government by the international political community in defence of Assange .
There are major concerns raised by Amnesty International , the Council of Europe , the American Civil Liberties Union , Reporters Without Borders , Human Rights Watch , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ grim threat that Assange ’ s prosecution represents to future Press freedom .
If the US and its allies get their way , Western society , especially the Five Eyes partners , will become increasingly subject to authoritarian expectations .
The virus of political complicity is spreading rapidly because it serves those who covet power .
Covert silence is the thin end of the wedge of totalitarianism ; without freedom and clarity of speech , there can be no vestige of democracy .
“ First they came for .
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”

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has reported a sharp increase in the number of Palestinian houses being destroyed by Israel: Between 29 August and 8 September: “Israeli authorities demolished, forced people to demolish, or seized 13 Palestinian-owned structures in Area C [of the West Bank] and East Jerusalem, displacing 44 and affecting the livelihoods or access to services of 12 others”.
Since the beginning of the Corona pandemic, destruction of homes and other buildings has increased by 60%. The UN Humanitarian Co-ordinator, Jamie McGoldrick, responded to the most recent Israeli demolitions, saying: “The global pandemic has increased the needs and vulnerabilities of Palestinians who are already trapped in the abnormality of prolonged military occupation.”
On 11 September, a non-binding United Nations General Assembly Resolution, calling for the suspension of all economic sanctions while the coronavirus continues to be out of control, passed by 159 votes for and two against. Predictably, the two against came from Israel and the United States. The humanitarian appeal expressed the need for “intensified international co-operation and solidarity to contain, mitigate and overcome the pandemic and its consequences.” Struggling governments and overloaded health-care systems desperately need the freedom to import food and medicine but, sadly, neither the mainstream news media nor our politicians showed much interest in the vote.
Israel’s 2020 Gaza ceasefire violations already exceed 1,000
Also of little interest to mainstream news media, are Israel‘s relentless acts of violence in Gaza, which it justifies, with the assertion, that they are only ever in response to what it calls ‘Hamas terrorism’. As at 25 September, Israeli Gaza ceasefire violations exceeded 1,000 for the year (an average of 25 per week) while Palestinian missile-launches towards the Green Line, over the same period, totalled just 78. Israel depends upon retaliatory missile-firings from Gaza to draw attention away from its own, far more numerous, attacks on the enclave that accompany its crippling blockade.
The most recent Palestinian missile-launching was on 15 September, following a four-week lull during which Israel committed 53 Gaza ceasefire violations, including air strikes, waste-laying incursions and attacks on fishing boats.
Palestinian missile-firing retaliation resumed only after the Israeli Army made an 8am waste-laying incursion into Gaza, to the east of Juhur al-Dik, that persisted until 5:30pm. Shortly before that finished, an Israeli Army position behind the Green Line opened fire at 5pm, on farmland east of Abasan. Palestinian Resistance eventually responded at 8:15pm by firing two missiles from Northern Gaza towards the Green Line.
And so another cycle began that ended early the next morning, with Resistance fighters responding with five more missiles at 5:05 and 5:10am. From then on, there were no more Palestinian missile-launches, even after another Israeli air strike at 6:15am. There have since been 45 more Israeli military attacks, air strikes and incursions, with no Palestinian Resistance responses.
TDB Recommends NewzEngine.com
UAE, Bahrain agreements, Israel
Zionists, including David Cumin, Co-Director of the Israel Institute of New Zealand, are cock-a-hoop over the new UAE, Bahrein, Israel alliance, which betrays the Palestinian people and ignores much of the Fourth Geneva Convention’s human rights provisions. Cumin praised the agreement, saying “ . . . there’s no escaping the enormity of such peace in our time.” The term ‘enormity’ can also mean, and in this regard more appropriately, an extremely evil act or the quality of being extremely evil. The UAE and Israel have never been at war with each other and the idea that this is a peace deal is misleading.
The agreement completely ignores Palestine, and provides not the slightest relief from the daily Occupation, blockade and discrimination suffered by its people. According to the Israeli newspaper, Haaretz, Israeli legislators are overjoyed at cuts made to humanitarian projects funded by the EU in the Occupied West Bank‘s Area C, which some describe as a ‘virus,’ ‘cancer’ or ‘territorial terror’. The US website Jewish Light notes that: “While Israel has made certain commitments not to annex parts of the West Bank in the short term — but hasn’t totally ruled it out — it has not committed to any concrete sacrifices on the Palestinian front.” Of course not, and as Haaretz explains, Israel has “sought constantly, through cynical bureaucratic and military methods, to reduce the number of Palestinians living there.” The US gains because the agreement enhances its Middle East influence, and ever-more rewarding arms deals will ensue, besides which, Jewish Light tells us that, “following decades of clandestine contacts”, the UAE and Israel can now collaborate openly on military intelligence and technological development.
The Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa (PSNA) is encouraging everyone to: “Send an email to Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters (and copy in the Prime Minister) condemning the government’s welcoming the ‘normalisation‘ agreement between the US, Israel, the UAE and Bahrain.” Peters has welcomed the agreement which has been reproduced, with comments, in PSNA Newsletter No 32. While most Green Party members appear to agree with policies in support of Palestine and international humanitarian law, it is proving difficult to get any response from the Greens regarding support, or otherwise, for the Palestinian movement for Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS).
Israel Institute of New Zealand applauds James Shaw
David Cumin, commenting gleefully on the 8 September Aro Valley candidate debate, welcomed insulting allegations of anti-Semitism against the international Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement (BDS) surprisingly made by Green Party co-leader James Shaw see video. He stated that, in the debate, “ . . . antisemitism within the BDS campaign was exposed by all political parties.” Actually, neither Labour nor The Opportunities Party (TOP) made any reference to ‘anti-Semitism’ in the debate. Bearing in mind the many failed attempts by Israel to provoke Palestinian Resistance, it is particularly ironic that Cumin should complain that “. . . Palestinian terror and incitement were conspicuously absent from the candidates’ responses . . .” On the other hand, he has never once acknowledged that Israeli forces destroy Palestinian homes and, along with Occupation settlers, uproot olive trees and seize ever more Palestinian land – Zionism introduced modern terrorism to Palestine.
PSNA: Election pledges for Palestine find strong support
Last month, the PSNA sent out three election pledges to all candidates from all parties standing in the 2020 general election. New Zealanders already show strong support for Palestinian human rights. It is, however, imperative that action be taken requiring Israel to abide by United Nations resolutions and international law. The Network states: “New Zealand votes the right way at the United Nations but takes no effective steps to back this up with practical policies. The outcome is 53 years of brutal military occupation of Palestinian land by Israel – the longest military occupation in modern history.” In the event, it was encouraging that most Green Party candidates, including all present Green MPs, responded in support of all three pledges.
Green Party
On 17 September, the Palestine Human Rights Campaign (PHRC) emailed Green Party co-leader, James Shaw, regarding his harsh comments concerning the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement (BDS). In answer to an appeal for him to support BDS, Shaw replied that it is “often used as cover for anti-Semitic movements and so I cannot agree to the proposition because that particular movement actually has a very, very nasty undercurrent to it.”
Many Jewish human rights organisations, both internationally and within Israel, support BDS. Writers, such as Ilan Pappe and Miko Peled (The General’s Son) and organisations, such as Jewish Voice for Peace in the US, Jews for Justice for Palestinians in the UK and, in Israel, Breaking the Silence and B’Tselem, are among the many, many witnesses who speak truth to power concerning Zionist atrocities.
The PHRC email urged the Green Party Co-Leader to listen to the voices of Jews who reject Zionism, as well as those of the Palestinian victims of Zionism who live under a foreign military occupation that dictates when, where and even if, they may build homes in their own land.
As yet, there has been no answer from Mr Shaw nor anyone else in the New Zealand Green Party, and we still await anxiously to know exactly what the Party’s position is regarding support, or otherwise, for the international BDS movement. Most relevant to this are environmental issues and concern for human rights that we sent earlier in an email to the Greens, copied below (in part):
Environmental
“The Israeli military Occupation of the West Bank and blockade of Gaza are severely damaging the environment in both areas. Emissions and chemical waste, ruining Palestine’s agriculture and polluting both the air and groundwater, endangers the health and well-being of future generations of Palestinians.”
US support for Israeli Occupation
“Israel’s most powerful supporter, the climate-change denier, US President Donald Trump, is financing Israel’s behaviour while, at the same time, doing his best to reverse rules designed to protect the environment in the US. This, at a time when wildfires are destroying vast areas in California, Oregon and Washington and an unprecedented series of hurricanes are causing floods so devastating that large areas are becoming uninhabitable. Trump also opposes BDS and, by Executive Order, has allowed the Federal Government to withhold funds from colleges, universities and other educational institutions that defend Palestinian human rights, including BDS.”
UN deplores Israeli aggravation of West Bank pandemic risk
A 10 September report from the United Nations Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) states that: “The period from March to August 2020 saw the demolition or confiscation of 389 Palestinian-owned structures in the West Bank, on average, 65 per month, the highest average destruction rate in four years.” OCHA’s Humanitarian Co-ordinator, Jamie McGoldrick, said that: “Early during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Israeli authorities indicated that they would restrain their longstanding policy of demolishing inhabited Palestinian homes. Sadly, demolitions during the period March-August 2020 left 442 Palestinians homeless, further exposing many to risks associated with the pandemic. In August alone, 205 people were displaced, more than in any other single month since January 2017.
“The destruction of property on territory subjected to foreign, military occupation is prohibited under international humanitarian law. Today, such devastation inflicted during the COVID-19 pandemic is particularly menacing as it inevitably compounds the risks faced in the already highly vulnerable West Bank.”
Human Rights Policy
Global support for BDS reflects the principles affirmed on the Green Party’s website, regarding human rights. On 15 May 2016, the Green Party of Canada (GPC) declared that it “supports the use of divestment, boycott and sanctions (“BDS”) that are targeted to those sectors of Israel’s economy and society which profit from the ongoing occupation of the OPT.
“BDS offers a non-violent way for the world community to bring pressure upon Israel to render less profitable its totally unacceptable abuses of Palestinian human rights. With the election fast approaching, there should be no ambivalence regarding New Zealand’s Green Party policy towards BDS.”
Julian Assange – an appeal to the Australian Parliament
On 9 September, as the Trump Administration’s extradition hearing began in the UK, Julian Assange’s legal adviser, Jennifer Robinson, told the world that the case could set a chilling precedent for press freedoms around the world. Julian has been charged under the Espionage Act, for the first time in the history of the United States, for receiving and publishing US classified information, including the Collateral Murder publication, Iraq and Afghan war logs, war crimes in Iraq and US secrecy, hiding what they were up to in those conflicts, as well as State Department cables covering corruption and human rights abuses the world over. His services to journalism led to Assange’s nomination for both the Nobel Peace Prize and the Sydney Peace Prize, and he won the Australian Walkley Award for the most outstanding contribution to journalism.
The Australian filmmaker and journalist, James Ricketson, who, for following his career, had been sentenced to six years imprisonment in Cambodia on charges of espionage, has written to members of the Australian Parliament on behalf of his fellow Australian, Julian Assange. As Ricketson points out in his letter, the ‘Collateral Murder’ video released by Wikileaks in 2010 is “one of the key reasons Assange is facing a 170-year term of imprisonment in the US if he is extradited from the UK after these proceedings.”
The Defence has presented to the court the facts related to the video, that can be viewed here. Ricketson writes: “Ask yourselves also if an Australian citizen deserves to die in a US prison for bringing to light this possible war crime, when it is an integral part of a journalist’s job, his or her professional responsibility, to do just that.” Read the key ‘Collateral Murder’ facts, as they were demonstrated to the court and watch the video, then judge for yourselves.
The importance of speaking up in defence of Julian Assange cannot be emphasised too strongly. The US accuses him of violating its espionage law but US law cannot be applied extraterritorially in pursuit of a politically-motivated objective. In any case, if Assange were such a threat to the US, why was he offered a way to avoid prosecution by denying that Russia was involved in leaking Democratic Party emails?
The continuing indifference of the news media and our lawmakers is calculated to move the wider public into believing that it is Assange who is the threat, and that support for him is nothing more than fringe extremist politics. Nothing could be further from the truth. Even Australia’s former Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd, has demanded to know why “should Mr Assange be tried, convicted and incarcerated while those who publicly released the information are afforded protection under provisions of the US constitution concerning press freedom?” In a letter concerning the Assange case he noted, “In the very rare circumstances that the internal complaint systems within governments are corrupted, it is important that genuine whistle-blowers have the last resort of going to the media.”
An announcement by 161 prominent international political figures, including 13 former national presidents, past prime ministers and current or retired members of national parliaments, have declared their opposition to the injustice inflicted upon Assange, including his imprisonment in Britain’s maximum-security Belmarsh Prison, even though he has not been convicted of any crime. The signatories to the declaration endorsed a letter to the British Government issued last month by the Lawyers for Assange. Comprising more than 150 legal experts from around the world, as well as bar associations covering major countries, the world over, the group draws attention to the reality that there is an unprecedented appeal to the UK Government by the international political community in defence of Assange. There are major concerns raised by Amnesty International, the Council of Europe, the American Civil Liberties Union, Reporters Without Borders, Human Rights Watch, and numerous other human rights organisations regarding the grim threat that Assange’s prosecution represents to future Press freedom.
If the US and its allies get their way, Western society, especially the Five Eyes partners, will become increasingly subject to authoritarian expectations. The virus of political complicity is spreading rapidly because it serves those who covet power. Covert silence is the thin end of the wedge of totalitarianism; without freedom and clarity of speech, there can be no vestige of democracy. “First they came for . . .”


thedailyblog--2020-10-04--Voter enrolment and turnout will decide the cannabis referendum

The cannabis referendum will be decided by turnout , not the facts or evidence .
If that were the case , cannabis would have been made legal years ago , and we wouldn ’ t be fighting a dirty campaign of lies run by the Nopers .
The Nope campaign is based on fear , misunderstanding and distrust , while the Hopers campaigning to make it legal take the moral high ground with truth and evidence .
The outcome of this referendum vote will determine whether further generations of Kiwis are criminalised ; whether your kids are helped or persecuted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ; whether historic convictions for pot will continue to be an albatross around the necks of workers seeking new jobs ; and whether Maori continue to bear the brunt of discriminatory law enforcement or are supported with new economic opportunities under legalisation .
That choice is up to you , and everyone else who votes .
With voting places open now to election day on 17 October , every New Zealander aged over 18 can have their say – if they ’ re enrolled to vote .
It ’ s far from a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the air .
As Aunty Helen Clark has said , the polls run the gamut .
While some recent polls have shown Yes and No tied in a dead heat , or too close to call , the latest TVNZ Colmar Brunton poll of intending voters shows Hope trailing Nope by 35 % to 53 % .
These polls show every vote will count .
These polls also only count intending voters .
The difference between winning and losing will come down to voter turnout .
There are far more people who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ between Yes and No in any polls .
The big issue here is that most older people vote religiously ( and they tend to vote more conservatively ) , whereas many younger people who support cannabis law reform are not yet enrolled to vote .
If you don ’ t vote , you are effectively voting No .
I think Yes would win comfortably if everyone voted .
NORML has therefore developed a very simple to win this referendum with a positive Yes vote : You must be enrolled to vote in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ www.vote.nz or call 0800 56 76 36 .
Check your friends & whanau are all enrolled and voting too !
2 .
Vote from 3 October , through to election day 17 October Voting opens on October 3rd .
Your last chance to vote is election day on October 17th .
This year you can vote at more places , and you can even enrol to vote in person on the day you vote ( just bring your drivers licence or passport ) .
Find your nearest voting place at www.vote.nz At home @ @ @ @ @ @ @ R20 ) .
Remember , the only way we can make it legal is to Vote Yes .
NORML is supporting this grass roots campaign with billboards , online ads , leaflets , raising awareness at markets and events , letterbox drops , writing letters , and supporting effective projects through grants and other resources .
Our campaign is run by ordinary folk running on a few kind donations .
We have no American lobbyists or churches sending us tithes from their congregations .
Given the apparent budget thrown around by the Nopers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Goliath battle .
But it is a battle we can win !
Sign up to help here , and donate to support our work here ( all donations are anonymous ) , and make sure all your friends and whanau are supported to vote Yes .
Together we can do this : we just have to vote for it .
Chris Fowlie is the president of the National Organisation for the Reform of Marijuana Laws NZ Inc ; developer of the CHOISE model for cannabis social equity ; CEO of Zeacann Limited , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the New Zealand Medical Cannabis Council ; co-founder of The Hempstore Aotearoa ; resident expert for Marijuana Media on 95bFM ; cannabis blogger for The Daily Blog , and court-recognised independent expert witness for cannabis .
The opinions expressed here are his own .

The cannabis referendum will be decided by turnout, not the facts or evidence.
If that were the case, cannabis would have been made legal years ago, and we wouldn’t be fighting a dirty campaign of lies run by the Nopers.
The Nope campaign is based on fear, misunderstanding and distrust, while the Hopers campaigning to make it legal take the moral high ground with truth and evidence.
The outcome of this referendum vote will determine whether further generations of Kiwis are criminalised; whether your kids are helped or persecuted if they are caught experimenting with weed; whether historic convictions for pot will continue to be an albatross around the necks of workers seeking new jobs; and whether Maori continue to bear the brunt of discriminatory law enforcement or are supported with new economic opportunities under legalisation.
That choice is up to you, and everyone else who votes.
With voting places open now to election day on 17 October, every New Zealander aged over 18 can have their say – if they’re enrolled to vote.
It’s far from a foregone conclusion. The result is up in the air.
As Aunty Helen Clark has said, the polls run the gamut.
TDB Recommends NewzEngine.com
While some recent polls have shown Yes and No tied in a dead heat, or too close to call, the latest TVNZ Colmar Brunton poll of intending voters shows Hope trailing Nope by 35% to 53%.
These polls show every vote will count. These polls also only count intending voters.
The difference between winning and losing will come down to voter turnout.
There are far more people who don’t vote than the difference between Yes and No in any polls.
The big issue here is that most older people vote religiously (and they tend to vote more conservatively), whereas many younger people who support cannabis law reform are not yet enrolled to vote.
If you don’t vote, you are effectively voting No.
I think Yes would win comfortably if everyone voted.
NORML has therefore developed a very simple 3-step plan to win this referendum with a positive Yes vote:
1. Enrol to vote Yes
You must be enrolled to vote in the cannabis referendum. Do it now at www.vote.nz or call 0800 56 76 36. Check your friends & whanau are all enrolled and voting too!
2. Vote from 3 October, through to election day 17 October
Voting opens on October 3rd. Your last chance to vote is election day on October 17th. This year you can vote at more places, and you can even enrol to vote in person on the day you vote (just bring your drivers licence or passport). Find your nearest voting place at www.vote.nz
3. Enjoy legal cannabis!
At home, or at specially licensed premises (R20). Remember, the only way we can make it legal is to Vote Yes.
NORML is supporting this grass roots campaign with billboards, online ads, leaflets, raising awareness at markets and events, letterbox drops, writing letters, and supporting effective projects through grants and other resources.
Our campaign is run by ordinary folk running on a few kind donations. We have no American lobbyists or churches sending us tithes from their congregations. Given the apparent budget thrown around by the Nopers, it really is a David vs Goliath battle.
But it is a battle we can win! Sign up to help here, and donate to support our work here (all donations are anonymous), and make sure all your friends and whanau are supported to vote Yes.
Together we can do this: we just have to vote for it.
—
Chris Fowlie is the president of the National Organisation for the Reform of Marijuana Laws NZ Inc; developer of the CHOISE model for cannabis social equity; CEO of Zeacann Limited, a cannabis science company; co-founder of the New Zealand Medical Cannabis Council; co-founder of The Hempstore Aotearoa; resident expert for Marijuana Media on 95bFM; cannabis blogger for The Daily Blog, and court-recognised independent expert witness for cannabis. The opinions expressed here are his own.


thedailyblog--2020-10-04--Dr Liz Gordon: Between two election campaigns

The one has all the drama ; the other has the comfort and familiarity of home .
While I am trying to get excited about the New Zealand election campaign , my attention is constantly pulled away to another campaign in the United States .
Donald Trump has downplayed the Covid 19 pandemic from the start .
Let me count the ways .
He has denied its name , calling it the ‘ Chinese virus ’ and hinting it was somehow manufactured and planted .
He has denied it ’ s spread , noting on numerous occasions that the numbers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ disappear .
He has treated attempts to control it as the work of extreme leftist forces .
He told Carl Bernstein that he did not believe he would get it .
He was not able to say why , but only that he would not catch it .
This irrational view , or hubris if you like ( hubris is such a good word for everything Trump ) meant that he mostly would not wear a mask .
His followers picked up masklessness as a political statement , thus probably ensuring thousands more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In my little bloggy poem on the DB the other week , I imagined Trump getting the virus and getting quote sick , thus delaying the selection of Ruth Bader Ginsberg ’ s successor on the Supreme Court , which is likely to plunge that Court to te far right .
I did not imagine him dying as I am not into death wishes .
But now he has it and the possibilities in terms of the election campaign , the vote itself and the outcomes are dizzying .
This is indeed a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ There is a little bit of human nature that likes smug and mouthy people to get their comeuppance .
There is a pleasure in seeing the mighty fall .
It is good when political opponents lose ground .
For all these reasons , the Trump Show is riveting and , really , it is not surprising that I can not take my eyes off the US media .
And , as Anthony Fauci would say , the Covid is a slippery little number that should not be underestimated .
And it is worth @ @ @ @ @ @ @ someone like Trump , when they catch a virus they essentially don ’ t believe in ?
In recent weeks Trump has been telling his supporters that the danger has passed , that the pandemic is on the wane .
It is easy to forget when riveted to the Trump Show that politics is supposed to be about policy .
It is always nice to watch Jacinda going around the country mixing with people and announcing policy , but it is also true that there is little that is new or astounding .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ interest by her rather self-conscious pitch for the Christian vote on the right .
It was a bit embarrassing , having her kneel in the pew for the cameras .
Unlike in the USA , this country has always observed a de facto separation between politics and religion , and it was awkward to see that breached .
I wondered ( again ) whether she is being guided by political consultants of the Crosby/Textor genre , because she often seems to doing things that are out of character for her .
I thought @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all the face-pulling and eye-rolling , might be part of some sophisticated strategy .
Or not .
I will be attending the Christchurch debate on Tuesday night and will blog my thoughts thereafter , Perhaps something in that will spark my interest in this flat campaign .
I haven ’ t voted yet .
The little orange card is sitting accusingly on my dining table , waiting for me to exercise my democratic right .
I might wait for another week ’ s polling yet .
Dr Liz Gordon is a researcher and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ neo-liberalism in all its forms and moving towards a socially just society .
She usually blogs on justice , social welfare and education topics .

The one has all the drama; the other has the comfort and familiarity of home. While I am trying to get excited about the New Zealand election campaign, my attention is constantly pulled away to another campaign in the United States.
Nemesis
Donald Trump has downplayed the Covid 19 pandemic from the start. Let me count the ways. He has denied its name, calling it the ‘Chinese virus’ and hinting it was somehow manufactured and planted. He has denied it’s spread, noting on numerous occasions that the numbers were falling and it was going to disappear. He has treated attempts to control it as the work of extreme leftist forces.
He told Carl Bernstein that he did not believe he would get it. He was not able to say why, but only that he would not catch it. This irrational view, or hubris if you like (hubris is such a good word for everything Trump) meant that he mostly would not wear a mask. His followers picked up masklessness as a political statement, thus probably ensuring thousands more cases than would otherwise be necessary.
In my little bloggy poem on the DB the other week, I imagined Trump getting the virus and getting quote sick, thus delaying the selection of Ruth Bader Ginsberg’s successor on the Supreme Court, which is likely to plunge that Court to te far right. I did not imagine him dying as I am not into death wishes. But now he has it and the possibilities in terms of the election campaign, the vote itself and the outcomes are dizzying. This is indeed a drama playing out across the world.
There is a little bit of human nature that likes smug and mouthy people to get their comeuppance. There is a pleasure in seeing the mighty fall. It is good when political opponents lose ground. For all these reasons, the Trump Show is riveting and, really, it is not surprising that I cannot take my eyes off the US media.
And, as Anthony Fauci would say, the Covid is a slippery little number that should not be underestimated. And it is worth asking what does it do psychically to someone like Trump, when they catch a virus they essentially don’t believe in? In recent weeks Trump has been telling his supporters that the danger has passed, that the pandemic is on the wane.
Policy and politics
TDB Recommends NewzEngine.com
It is easy to forget when riveted to the Trump Show that politics is supposed to be about policy. It is always nice to watch Jacinda going around the country mixing with people and announcing policy, but it is also true that there is little that is new or astounding.
Judith has brought a little bit of interest by her rather self-conscious pitch for the Christian vote on the right. It was a bit embarrassing, having her kneel in the pew for the cameras. Unlike in the USA, this country has always observed a de facto separation between politics and religion, and it was awkward to see that breached. I wondered (again) whether she is being guided by political consultants of the Crosby/Textor genre, because she often seems to doing things that are out of character for her. I thought calling Jacinda ‘dear’, plus all the face-pulling and eye-rolling, might be part of some sophisticated strategy. Or not.
I will be attending the Christchurch debate on Tuesday night and will blog my thoughts thereafter, Perhaps something in that will spark my interest in this flat campaign. I haven’t voted yet. The little orange card is sitting accusingly on my dining table, waiting for me to exercise my democratic right. I might wait for another week’s polling yet.
Dr Liz Gordon is a researcher and a barrister, with interests in destroying neo-liberalism in all its forms and moving towards a socially just society. She usually blogs on justice, social welfare and education topics.


thedailyblog--2020-10-05--Bringing National To Its Knees.

Bringing National To Its Knees.

WHAT IS WRONG with the picture of Judith Collins at prayer ?
In her maiden speech to Parliament , Collins testified to her belief in God .
Presumably , then , her Christian faith is a longstanding facet of her political persona .
Why should anyone take exception to the images of her kneeling in prayer .
There are many reasons for New Zealanders to furrow their brows at these images .
First and foremost , as any reasonably well-educated Christian knows , such public displays of piety are frowned upon by Jesus himself .
It took an old-fashioned Sunday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ few moments to locate the relevant verses from the sixth chapter of Matthew ’ s gospel : “ And when you pray , do not be like the hypocrites , for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others .
Truly I tell you , they have received their reward in full .
But when you pray , go into your room , close the door and pray to your Father , who is unseen.
” It is curious that Judith Collins appears @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they precede what is , arguably , the most quoted passage from the New Testament – The Lord ’ s Prayer .
Certainly , a Christian more familiar with Jesus ’ s teachings would have hesitated to pray in circumstances where her actions would , inevitably , be captured by the news media and broadcast across the entire country .
Does praying alone in an empty chapel while the cameras rolled constitute going into your room and closing the door ?
Or , is it more akin to praying on the street corners @ @ @ @ @ @ @ those New Zealanders whose feet have never crossed the threshold of a church or a Sunday school would likely have reacted uneasily to Collin ’ s display .
In part this is a reflection of New Zealand society ’ s rapidly increasing secularisation .
In the 2018 Census , only 37 percent of the population were prepared to declare themselves Christian .
Forty years ago , by way of contrast , the fraction of New Zealanders declaring themselves Christian was well in excess of two-thirds .
The unavoidable conclusion ?
That the overt @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unusual in New Zealand .
Judith Collins praying in the pose of an altar-panel saint looked odd because it was odd .
For political secularists , Collins behaviour is especially objectionable .
It has long been a central tenet of New Zealand ’ s democratic political system that Church and State remain strictly separated .
As far back as Nineteenth Century , this principle was reflected in New Zealand legislation .
The Education Act of 1877 clearly stipulated that the provision of public education in New Zealand was to be “ free , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ period in New Zealand political history when a citizen ’ s membership of a specific Christian denomination became an excuse for something pretty closely resembling persecution was during , and immediately after , the First World War .
New Zealand ’ s wartime government was dominated by the right-wing Reform Party leader and Prime Minister , Bill Massey .
A member of the rabidly Protestant Orange Order , Massey regarded New Zealand Catholics as both a religious and political threat .
Massey ’ s bigotry found strong institutional support in the Protestant Political @ @ @ @ @ @ @ PPA worked hand-in-glove with the Reform Party to maintain the ascendancy of Protestantism in New Zealand .
They were especially concerned to block the rise of the NZ Labour Party .
Formed in 1916 , Labour was strongly supported by New Zealand ’ s large Irish-Catholic community .
The most notorious instance of religious bigotry in this fractious period of New Zealand history came in 1922 when the Catholic Assistant-Bishop of Auckland , James Liston , was put on trial for sedition for recalling in a speech he delivered on St Patrick ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the 1916 Easter Rising .
The all Protestant jury acquitted him , but could not refrain from noting that Liston had committed “ a grave indiscretion ” .
On the Left , the vexed question of how to integrate Catholic schools into New Zealand ’ s secular public education system remained a cause of considerable contention right up until the early 1970s .
It was in hopes of bringing this contentious issue to a favourable conclusion that the quasi-official Catholic newspaper “ The Tablet ” came out openly for the Labour Party @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The reconciliation effected between Catholics and socialist secularists by the creation of “ Integrated Schools ” was , however , short-lived .
The rise of feminism and the ongoing campaign for a woman ’ s right to choose to have an abortion pretty much sundered orthodox Catholicism from the secular labour movement .
The success of the so-called “ new social movements ” – most especially in relation to their expansion of women ’ s and LGBTQ+ rights – threw the principle of Church/State separation into particularly sharp relief .
Increasingly , Christianity @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , or , in the case of the Catholic Church , rigid doctrinal orthodoxy .
Liberal Christianity was in full retreat as the principal protestant denominations turned their faces from the agitation for the creation of gay and lesbian ministers and the right of LGBTQ+ Christians to marry .
For conservative Christians , the willingness of the secular state to legislate over the objections of the churches , had made it necessary for the churches to take control of the state .
The most obvious means of securing such control is to increase @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the parties of the Right .
If conservative parties could be made beholden to conservative Christian voters , then , upon taking office , their legislators could re-enshrine the moral certainties the secularists have so wickedly overturned .
Thanks to groups like the Maxim Institute , this seeding of the socially-conservative Right with Christian candidates has been proceeding steadily for some time .
Maxim ’ s chosen vessel , the NZ National Party , has , for more than fifteen years , been choosing evangelical fundamentalist Christians to represent the party in safe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ point where Christian support , if not already crucial to the success of an aspiring leader , is fast becoming so .
The recent departure of so many of National ’ s liberal MPs , and the projected loss of still more in the general election already underway , seems certain to strengthen the influence of National ’ s Christian Right .
Adding to the internal pressures applied by National ’ s own Christian MPs , is the rise of the even more conservative New Conservative Party .
With the latter rumoured to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from National , is it any wonder Judith Collins fell to her knees in the chapel and began an earnest conversation with God !

WHAT IS WRONG with the picture of Judith Collins at prayer? In her maiden speech to Parliament, Collins testified to her belief in God. Presumably, then, her Christian faith is a longstanding facet of her political persona. Why should anyone take exception to the images of her kneeling in prayer.
There are many reasons for New Zealanders to furrow their brows at these images.
First and foremost, as any reasonably well-educated Christian knows, such public displays of piety are frowned upon by Jesus himself. It took an old-fashioned Sunday school graduate like Winston Peters only a few moments to locate the relevant verses from the sixth chapter of Matthew’s gospel:
“And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen.”
It is curious that Judith Collins appears to be unfamiliar with these verses since they precede what is, arguably, the most quoted passage from the New Testament – The Lord’s Prayer. Certainly, a Christian more familiar with Jesus’s teachings would have hesitated to pray in circumstances where her actions would, inevitably, be captured by the news media and broadcast across the entire country. Does praying alone in an empty chapel while the cameras rolled constitute going into your room and closing the door? Or, is it more akin to praying on the street corners to be seen by others?
Even those New Zealanders whose feet have never crossed the threshold of a church or a Sunday school would likely have reacted uneasily to Collin’s display. In part this is a reflection of New Zealand society’s rapidly increasing secularisation. In the 2018 Census, only 37 percent of the population were prepared to declare themselves Christian. Forty years ago, by way of contrast, the fraction of New Zealanders declaring themselves Christian was well in excess of two-thirds. The unavoidable conclusion? That the overt expression of religious belief is fast becoming unusual in New Zealand. Judith Collins praying in the pose of an altar-panel saint looked odd because it was odd.
For political secularists, Collins behaviour is especially objectionable. It has long been a central tenet of New Zealand’s democratic political system that Church and State remain strictly separated. As far back as Nineteenth Century, this principle was reflected in New Zealand legislation. The Education Act of 1877 clearly stipulated that the provision of public education in New Zealand was to be “free, compulsory and secular”.
The only period in New Zealand political history when a citizen’s membership of a specific Christian denomination became an excuse for something pretty closely resembling persecution was during, and immediately after, the First World War. New Zealand’s wartime government was dominated by the right-wing Reform Party leader and Prime Minister, Bill Massey. A member of the rabidly Protestant Orange Order, Massey regarded New Zealand Catholics as both a religious and political threat.
TDB Recommends NewzEngine.com
Massey’s bigotry found strong institutional support in the Protestant Political Association. Formed in 1919, the PPA worked hand-in-glove with the Reform Party to maintain the ascendancy of Protestantism in New Zealand. They were especially concerned to block the rise of the NZ Labour Party. Formed in 1916, Labour was strongly supported by New Zealand’s large Irish-Catholic community.
The most notorious instance of religious bigotry in this fractious period of New Zealand history came in 1922 when the Catholic Assistant-Bishop of Auckland, James Liston, was put on trial for sedition for recalling in a speech he delivered on St Patrick’s Day the Irish patriots who fell in the 1916 Easter Rising. The all Protestant jury acquitted him, but could not refrain from noting that Liston had committed “a grave indiscretion”.
On the Left, the vexed question of how to integrate Catholic schools into New Zealand’s secular public education system remained a cause of considerable contention right up until the early 1970s. It was in hopes of bringing this contentious issue to a favourable conclusion that the quasi-official Catholic newspaper “The Tablet” came out openly for the Labour Party in the general election of 1972. The reconciliation effected between Catholics and socialist secularists by the creation of “Integrated Schools” was, however, short-lived. The rise of feminism and the ongoing campaign for a woman’s right to choose to have an abortion pretty much sundered orthodox Catholicism from the secular labour movement.
The success of the so-called “new social movements” – most especially in relation to their expansion of women’s and LGBTQ+ rights – threw the principle of Church/State separation into particularly sharp relief. Increasingly, Christianity retreated into the theology of evangelical fundamentalism, or, in the case of the Catholic Church, rigid doctrinal orthodoxy. Liberal Christianity was in full retreat as the principal protestant denominations turned their faces from the agitation for the creation of gay and lesbian ministers and the right of LGBTQ+ Christians to marry.
For conservative Christians, the willingness of the secular state to legislate over the objections of the churches, had made it necessary for the churches to take control of the state. The most obvious means of securing such control is to increase the influence of conservative Christian morality in the parties of the Right. If conservative parties could be made beholden to conservative Christian voters, then, upon taking office, their legislators could re-enshrine the moral certainties the secularists have so wickedly overturned.
Thanks to groups like the Maxim Institute, this seeding of the socially-conservative Right with Christian candidates has been proceeding steadily for some time. Maxim’s chosen vessel, the NZ National Party, has, for more than fifteen years, been choosing evangelical fundamentalist Christians to represent the party in safe seats. This has progressed to the point where Christian support, if not already crucial to the success of an aspiring leader, is fast becoming so. The recent departure of so many of National’s liberal MPs, and the projected loss of still more in the general election already underway, seems certain to strengthen the influence of National’s Christian Right.
Adding to the internal pressures applied by National’s own Christian MPs, is the rise of the even more conservative New Conservative Party. With the latter rumoured to be stripping thousands of Christian votes away from National, is it any wonder Judith Collins fell to her knees in the chapel and began an earnest conversation with God!