New Zealand’s 2015: the year we hid from a world in need

The long fragrant grass is yellowing out the open door, life burning off exposed to our southern sun. A quiet breeze dances with stubbornly green trees and a few sheep regard me thoughtfully as they chew cud. The strangely dramatic music of children’s programming competes with the stereo for attention and children struggle with each… Read More New Zealand’s 2015: the year we hid from a world in need

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Liar, liar, pants on fire! English just makes up a new reason why we sold our electricity companies

With the Paris Climate Change Conference beginning today and the public memorial service for Jonah Lomu, you may have missed the news that “tens of thousands” of investors who bought shares in the sell off of Genesis and Meridian Energy in 2013/14 have in turn sold off those shares which has seen an increase in,… Read More Liar, liar, pants on fire! English just makes up a new reason why we sold our electricity companies

grahamcameron

My (over-priced) house, my castle? Tauranga’s catching Auckland’s housing fever

Tauranga City Council has just completed its latest housing valuations from which it will determine the rates we pay for the next few years. Our personal house and property value jumped a massive 22 percent from the previous valuation. Only 28 percent of that increase was improvements to the house; the majority can really only… Read More My (over-priced) house, my castle? Tauranga’s catching Auckland’s housing fever

grahamcameron

Then they came for me: Australia’s increasingly fascist regime begins the deportation of NZers

One of the main strands of thought in the feedback on my reflections on the evictions of First Nations Australians from their communities and the response of Māori was that we had no responsibility nor obligation; it wasn’t our issue. I’ve always taken the position that we have an imperative to respond to the suffering… Read More Then they came for me: Australia’s increasingly fascist regime begins the deportation of NZers

grahamcameron

Our first, & not our last, climate change refugee at NZ’s barricade

In July of this year, the Supreme Court denied the application of Ioana Teitiota from Kiribati to be granted asylum in Aotearoa New Zealand as a climate change refugee. In its ruling, the Supreme Court said he could not be granted asylum as he was not in danger of harm because Kiribati were taking steps… Read More Our first, & not our last, climate change refugee at NZ’s barricade

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Part II: A quick critique of the Understanding Whānau-centred Approaches report

Having done the GP comparison report, I thought I’d also have a look at Understanding whānau-centred approaches: Analysis of Phase One Whānau Ora research and monitoring results. Te Ururoa and Winston have been at loggerheads over what we’ve actually learnt from this report. It says nothing about where the money has gone. But what it… Read More Part II: A quick critique of the Understanding Whānau-centred Approaches report

grahamcameron