Peaceful Demonstration Outside Wet Pets Pet Centre In Palmerston North
The purpose of the protest is to call for a thorough investigation of Wet Pets, to raise awareness about the cold underbelly of the pet shop industry, and to spread the message 'Adopt, Don't Shop'. More >>
Animals Going To Slaughter Reduce Activists To Tears
Tuesday, 23 August 2022, 5:06 pm | Sandra Kyle
Around thirty animal activists converged at two AFFCO meatworks in Whanganui on Sunday 21st and Monday 22nd to 'bear witness' to animals going to slaughter. The concept of bearing witness is inspired by Russian writer Leo Tolstoy, who wrote: ... More >>
New Trade Deal With UK A Disaster
Wednesday, 27 October 2021, 11:39 am | Sandra Kyle
Sandra is a Whanganui-based animal rights campaigner, writer and teacher. This week I watched the news with dismay as Jacinda Ardern and UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson congratulated each other on their new trade deal. In the new arrangement Aotearoa ... More >>
Waitotara Stock Truck Crash
Tuesday, 30 March 2021, 2:12 pm | Sandra Kyle
On Monday the 35-year old driver transporting cattle to slaughter was airlifted to Whanganui hospital after he lost control of his truck. The man was subsequently discharged, but many of the cows aboard had to be euthanised. The state of their ... More >>
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NZ Herald
15 hours ago
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David Seymour criticises UN official over indigenous rights letter
Deputy Prime Minister David Seymour has told a United Nations official their views on the Government's indigenous rights agenda are wrong and 'an affront to New Zealand's sovereignty'. Last month, the Government received a letter from Geneva-based Albert K. Barume, the United Nations' Special Rapporteur on the rights of
Otago Daily Times
a day ago
- Otago Daily Times
Brics may be losing its bite
No-shows by key leaders at an annual summit underscored the difficulties of an international bloc that once sought to reshape world politics, James Kynge, of The Observer , writes. The annual summit of Brics, a growing world grouping seen as the Global South's answer to the G7, met in the Brazilian capital this week. But its two heaviest hitters stayed away. So what? Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin were absent at a time when the coalition faces the toughest test of its relevance since it was founded in 2009, even as it expands. The 11 members of Brics account for about 40% of global GDP, and their average growth rate remains significantly ahead of the rest of the world. But the Rio summit faced critical challenges including last year's addition of Iran, Egypt, Ethiopia, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Indonesia, which has brought fresh divisions and entrenched old ones; wars in the Middle East and Ukraine; and Donald Trump's tariff threats. Xi's no-show. China is by far the largest Brics economy and styles itself as a leader of the developing world. So Xi not turning up for the first time in more than a decade, without a credible excuse, has to be seen as a downgrading of the importance Beijing accords the group. Lula's loss. Xi's absence was particularly felt by Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who has ambitions to bolster his country's leadership role within Brics and among developing countries seeking the democratisation of the international system. Putin's absence. Putin, Xi's closest ally in Brics, beamed in by video link to claim the liberal world order is "obsolete". He faced arrest if he travelled to Brazil in person since the country is part of the International Criminal Court, which has an outstanding warrant for Putin for the alleged abduction of thousands of Ukrainian children. Another Bric in the wall. The grouping called the bombing of Iran, one of its new faces, a "blatant breach of international law" but didn't mention the US or Israel by name — an indicator of the limited influence of Brics, which cannot back up statements with policies. Autocratic drift. The more than doubling of Brics membership last year, largely driven by China, drew concerns from members such as India and Brazil because it tilts the grouping much further towards autocracy. Among the new members, only Indonesia is a democracy, while Iran, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Ethiopia and the UAE are authoritarian states in varying degrees. Competing loyalties. The Saudis and Emiratis, meanwhile, are staunch military allies of the United States, while India is also stepping up its defence partnerships with the West. This has further fragmented a bloc that was already struggling for cohesion. At a meeting in April, its foreign ministers failed to agree on a final statement. And yet. The grouping remains useful politically, especially to Russia. Its statement — signed off by two key US allies in Saudi Arabia and the UAE — barely mentioned Russia's actions in Ukraine, beyond calling for a "sustainable peace settlement" and criticising Ukraine's strikes on Russian infrastructure. For developing nations, the bloc still represents the most credible alternative to the US-led West and is a useful forum for expressing dissatisfaction with the current world order. About 30 countries have applied to join or expressed interest in joining, including Malaysia, Bangladesh and Turkey, a Nato member. Talk of the town. While its statement covered everything from AI and food production to boosting the representation of the Global South in multilateral institutions, Trump's trade policies took up much of the summit's attention. The bloc lamented "unilateral tariff and non-tariff measures", but did not directly call out the Trump administration — another pulled punch. That's unlikely to stop Trump ... In fact, he immediately hit back with a threat to impose extra duties of 10% on countries that align themselves with "anti-American policies".
Scoop
2 days ago
- Scoop
Reviewers Of Legislation Treaty Clauses Expected To Report Back In Months
Friday, 11 July 2025, 4:43 pm Article: RNZ Russell Palmer, Political Reporter The reviewers of all Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation include three lawyers and a director, and will be expected to report back "within months". New Zealand First secured the commitment to a comprehensive review of all legislation (except when it is related to, or substantive to, existing full and final Treaty settlements) that includes "The Principles of the Treaty of Waitangi and replace all such references with specific words relating to the relevance and application of the Treaty, or repeal the references" in its coalition deal with National. The creation of the group has been led by Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith, who is also the Treaty Negotiations Minister. His office confirmed former Waitangi Tribunal member David Cochrane would chair the review group, which also includes Marama Royal, James Christmas and John Walters. They would be "reporting back in the next few months". Cochrane is a Wellington-based lawyer who has been practising public and commercial law since the 1980s, has worked on the Parliamentary Counsel which drafts legislation, and has been a member of the Law Society's Reform Committee and the Legislation Advisory Committee. Royal (Ngāti Whātua ki Tāmaki) is a former public servant and chairs - or is a member of - several boards including Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei Trust, Pou Take Āhuarangi under the National Iwi Chairs Forum, the Variety children's charity, Sky City Community Trust and several Māori or community trusts. She previously worked for the Courts and Ministry of Justice, and was last year named a member of the New Zealand Order of Merit. Christmas is a lawyer and former senior advisor to then-Attorney General Christopher Finlayson, who was also Treaty Negotiations Minister in the John Key government. He also advised Sir John and his successor as Prime Minister, Sir Bill English. Christmas stood for National as a list-only candidate at 28th in 2023, missing out on a seat in Parliament partly as a result of the party's success in electorate races. John Walters is a founding partner at his law firm Walters Law, specialising in property, commercial and trust law, serving clients including large corporates and businesses, Māori Trusts and iwi, and acted as a Treaty claims negotiator for his iwi Te Aupōuri. In a report based on hearings in early May last year on the proposed review, alongside its consideration of the Treaty Principles Bill, the Waitangi Tribunal said the outcomes of the review were pre-determined and the Crown had not acted in good faith by failing to consult with Māori on it. The review would likely remove or narrow Treaty clauses in the law, the Tribunal said, impacting Māori rights and breaching the principles of partnership, active protection, equity, redress, good government and the article 2 guarantee of rangatiratanga. The Tribunal recommended putting the review on hold until it could be reconceptualised through collaboration with Māori. The review will examine about 28 pieces of legislation dating back to 1986. New Zealand First's 2023 election manifesto included no mention of the Treaty, but the party has a long-standing view that the Treaty was what first formed New Zealand as a nation, but it does not have principles - and to try to define principles will not push the country forward. During a media conference last Monday, Goldsmith said the review was underway and a panel had been appointed to give initial advice. "There's about 20 pieces of legislation that we're looking at... over years we've developed a whole lot of references, a wide variety of phrases that have been interpreted very broadly by some government departments and other places. And so we want to be clearer about what we do, and what we don't mean." NZ First leader Winston Peters interjected that, "if they should be there they'll be there, and if they shouldn't be there they won't be there". © Scoop Media
