FROM JOHN MINTO

As Christmas approaches there isn’t a shred of goodwill from the New Zealand government for the Palestinians facing genocidal slaughter in Gaza.

Nationwide rallies, marches and vigils will continue this weekend as the government again fails to speak out and condemn Israel or apply any effective pressure to end the wholesale killing of Palestinians in Gaza.

The poster above, prepared a week ago is now hopelessly out of date. Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor now estimates at least 10,000 Palestinians children have been slaughtered by Israel in the past two months – the equivalent of all the children in 36 average-size New Zealand primary schools.

Meanwhile, the government has supported a UN motion for a humanitarian pause in the fighting and issued a statement with Canada and Australia repeating what we have ineffectively said many times before calling for steps towards a ceasefire.

The Luxon/Peters government is happy to do anything provided it is ineffective and doesn’t upset Israel or the US. It’s a case of “look busy – the people are watching”.

We expect the government to do the bare minimum:

• Condemn the Israeli slaughter of Palestinians in Gaza
• Call for an International Criminal Court investigation into all war crimes since October 7th attack on Israel – including the crimes of genocide and apartheid
• Sever all links with Israel, including expelling the apartheid Israel ambassador, till Israel stops its slaughter of Palestinians and provides everyone “between the river and the sea” with equal rights

John Minto

National Chair

Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa

johnminto

0220850161

www.PSNA.nz

PALESTINE-AOTEAROA

William Hewett (Newshub): Israel-Hamas conflict: Former PM Helen Clark says UN has been ‘missing in action’, critical of NZ’s joint statement

Reuters: Australia, Canada, New Zealand back ‘sustainable ceasefire’ in Gaza

Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa: International solidarity turns the tables on apartheid Israel

NZ Herald: Large pro-Palestine rally gathers in Auckland city in continued calls for ceasefire in Israel-Hamas war

Mick Hall: Govt urged to boycott Israeli products as ethnic cleansing in occupied West Bank intensifies

Barry Coates – Spinoff: What’s your money doing in Palestine?

Robert Patman (Post): No ifs or buts: NZ must back a ceasefire in Gaza now (paywalled)
Gordon Campbell: On the skewed media coverage of Gaza

Adam Hollingworth (Newshub): Thousands of pro-Palestinian protesters march through Auckland’s CBD, stick ‘wanted’ photos to US consulate

Newshub: Israel-Hamas conflict: Pro-Palestine protesters douse US Consulate in red paint

Michael Neilson (Herald): NZ’s Israel-Palestine joint statement gives US a middle option amid UN calls for ceasefire (paywalled)

Leslie Bravery: In Occupied Palestine – 12 December 2023

NEW GOVERNMENT

Godon Campbell: On The Ferry Follies Of Nicola Willis

The Kaka: Record high net migration now deemed “unsustainable”

NZ Herald: Trashing brand NZ for political gain – Mike Munro

Luke Malpass (Post): The infrastructure deficit that came back to bite (paywalled)

Post: Fixing NZ – the Government’s big infrastructure headache

Leighton Heikell (Newshub): Four unions demand Finance Minister Nicola Willis resign over scrapping of new ferry terminal funding

COST OF LIVING

Max Rashbrooke (Guardian): Labour failed but New Zealand can’t put a wealth tax ‘back in the bottle’

Interest: Gross domestic product declined in the September quarter as household spending on durable goods dropped to a record low

Amy Williams (RNZ): Cost of living crisis: ‘People up at night worrying’ as retirement savings dry up

Free Fares NZ: Petition Calling For New Government To Keep Public Transport Affordable

Stuff: Are ‘double-income-no-kids’ households really better off?

Gordon Campbell: On how the state aims to dictate what the unemployed are allowed to buy

1News: Ghost houses – time to tax the owners of uninhabited homes?

RNZ: Big power companies paying large dividends at consumers’ expense – unions

MAORI

Anne Salmond (Newsroom): The Treaty debate: Māori and Pākehā think differently

Max Harris (Post): The promise we should be keeping around the Treaty (paywalled)

Damien Venuto (Herald): Front Page: National-led Government faces years of protests over Māori issues

Margaret Mutu: The coalition agreements are a catalyst for Māori

Debbie Jamieson (Stuff): Large Napier demonstration against Government’s policies impacting Māori

1News: Landmark Waitangi Tribunal report recommends Govt return Ngāpuhi land
Peter de Graaf (RNZ): Another march on the cards if new government lets Ngāpuhi down – Hinerangi Cooper-Puru

1News: Māori, Pasifika doctors continue to be under-represented

Simon Wilson (Herald): The Government and te reo Māori: Are they trying to start a culture war? (paywalled)

Joel Maxwell (Stuff): Some steps were giant, some tiny, but the waka always moved forward

RNZ: Iwi files for urgent tribunal hearing on government’s te reo Māori, Treaty of Waitangi policies

Te Ahipourewa Forbes (Re: News): Māori activists explain why they’re marching against the new government

Ryan Anderson (Stuff): Protesters arrested after defacing Treaty of Waitangi exhibit at Te Papa

Richard Shaw (1News): Opinion: Treating people equally can be bad for their health

HEALTH
Otaihanga Second Opinion: When smoke gets in your eyes the outcome is perversity

Public Health Coalition: Stubbing out democracy: no Government mandate for smokefree repeal

RNZ: Warning sounded over any moves to defund Covid-19 vaccine

Public Health Coalition: Smoking prevalence and trends: Māori on track to miss the Smokefree Aotearoa 2025 goal by a wide margin

WORKERS
Shane Te Pou – NZ Herald: Cabinet leak – Fair Pay Agreements make a massive difference for blue-collar workers

Amy Ridout (Nelson Mail): ‘This has to change’: Early childhood educators protest government’s bid to repeal Fair Pay Act

Radio NZ: Union members protest over plans to scrap Fair Pay Agreements

Sullivan Harnett (Newshub): New poll shows majority of Kiwis want free prescriptions to remain

Rob Campbell (Newsroom): Strong and stable pay for all – not just for politicians

CTU: FPA Repeal Contravenes EU Free Trade Agreement, Says NZCTU

Radio NZ: Te Whatu Ora owes health professionals more than $3b for leave and holiday pay

Tracy Neal (Herald): Fishing company Sealord fined more than a quarter of a million dollars after crew exposed to asbestos on boat

Radio NZ: Former restaurant owners who exploited migrants ordered to pay $423,000

RNZ: Finance minister should resign over scrapping of Interislander upgrade funding – unions

Isaac Davison (Herald): More than 100 University of Auckland academics sign letter complaining of unsafe workplace

Kate Green (RNZ): Made It Here factory workers say they were blindsided by closure

Lauren Crimp (RNZ): Police believe they may have uncovered human trafficking, migrant exploitation in Hawke’s Bay

RNZ: Former restaurant owners who exploited migrants ordered to pay $423,000

PACIFIC
Rod Oram – Newsroom: COP28: ‘We will not go silently to our watery graves’

Damon Salesa : Decolonising our Indigenous ocean

People’s World: Hands off the Solomon Islands!

CLIMATE CHANGE, ENVIRONMENT
Rebekah White (Guardian): New Zealand’s environmental credentials on the line as coalition takes power

Olivia Wannan (Stuff): Neil Finn joins the call urging the Government to walk away from new oil and gas

Spinoff: Once were maunga: What’s crushed when roads are built

Newsroom: Climate Commission report makes for awkward reading

MEDIA

Wayne Hope (Daily Blog): Media Ownership in Aotearoa New Zealand 2023

Peter Griffin (Listener): Social media became more toxic than ever in 2023, is there a way out? (paywalled)

REVIEWS
Spinoff: The Aotearoa books of the year for 2023