It has been a long and difficult year since the first nationwide lockdown to take Covid-19 out of the community and keep the deadly virus… Read More »A virus is not deterred by bishops or anybody else
In a world of angry and sometimes fearful people shouting past each other over all manner of real and imagined problems it is refreshing to… Read More »Citizenship Ructions and a Rabbit
A couple of weeks ago, following an unseemly bout of infantile intolerance over the use of te reo Maori at a Grey Power meeting, I… Read More »When traditions prevent common sense
These tough times will include the most dramatic changes in farming systems since we put the last of the working horses out to pasture and began using electricity to replace steam engines. There will be fewer and smaller dairy and beef cattle herds, improved breeding technology for cattle and sheep. There will also no doubt be a requirement for a much-reduced reliance on artificial fertilisers.
We have proven to ourselves, and to the world, that we are very good at handling emergencies when we all pull together for a common cause. We now have two new closely linked emergencies for many people simply because one section of the community is taking advantage of the situation to make obscene profits from the unavoidable hardship of others.
In spite of some recent inaccurate rhetoric from both sides of the political debate racism has always been here, as it has in most other nations and communities. It is as difficult to define as it will be to eradicate and screaming racism at everything we don’t like or understand doesn’t help. But, if anyone can succeed we can and we will be the first nation in the world to do so.
It is difficult to understand why so many people are taking the unnecessary risk of losing their homes through unmanaged mortgage default when a rescue package is available simply for the asking.
We won the first round against Covid-19 on points only. We took a bit of a hammering and collected a few bruises in the process but the fight is far from over. We also dodged a few low blows from some in the audience who wanted the government to drop its guard and relax border controls.
Monuments and memories of the past have been in the news in recent weeks and on almost all occasions for all the wrong reasons. It… Read More »More korero, less shouting on preserving our history
Many people will be relieved that a group of amateur explorers have given up their search for evidence of a race of eight-foot pre-Polynesian people in… Read More »Giant Tale maks cynical attempt to undermine NZ’s original people.