kayakr.bsky.social
@kayakr.bsky.social
Reposted by kayakr.bsky.social
It’s heartbreaking to see the rivers I used to swim in as a boy being slowly killed to irrigate dairy farms. Climate change will make dairying impossible in Canterbury before too long; but no, we’re going to wring the last few $$ out of the environment while we can.
A once abundant native fish is on the verge of extinction. It is seemingly linked to the rapid collapse of the Rakaia river ecosystem www.thepress.co.nz/nz-news/3609...
What happened to all the fish?
For the first time in more than 40 years, this year’s Rakaia fishing competition will not involve fishing. What has gone wrong?
www.thepress.co.nz
February 6, 2026 at 9:15 PM
It’s heartbreaking to see the rivers I used to swim in as a boy being slowly killed to irrigate dairy farms. Climate change will make dairying impossible in Canterbury before too long; but no, we’re going to wring the last few $$ out of the environment while we can.
Reposted by kayakr.bsky.social
Confirmed that the tangerine fascist’s administration has withdrawn from the Open Government Partnership that @barackobama.bsky.social’s administration led the work to establish.
Another clear demonstration of democratic retreat in the USA.
www.opengovpartnership.org/news/the-uni...
Another clear demonstration of democratic retreat in the USA.
www.opengovpartnership.org/news/the-uni...
The United States Withdraws from the Open Government Partnership - Open Government Partnership
Washington, D.C. – The United States government has formally withdrawn from the Open Government Partnership (OGP), a global, voluntary partnership dedicated to government transparency, participation, ...
www.opengovpartnership.org
January 30, 2026 at 11:40 AM
Confirmed that the tangerine fascist’s administration has withdrawn from the Open Government Partnership that @barackobama.bsky.social’s administration led the work to establish.
Another clear demonstration of democratic retreat in the USA.
www.opengovpartnership.org/news/the-uni...
Another clear demonstration of democratic retreat in the USA.
www.opengovpartnership.org/news/the-uni...
Reposted by kayakr.bsky.social
It is apparent that, given the choice of following the path of Carney or Trump, they have chosen Trump.
NZ's political leaders continue to cheer on the destruction of the very international norms and institutions that have allowed small countries like NZ to have a voice in global affairs and not be completely dominated by great powers. 🤦♂️
#nzpol
#nzpol
'Unelected globalist bureaucrats' - Peters praises United States' WHO withdrawal
The United States has officially exited the WHO, a year since President Donald Trump gave notice via executive order.
www.rnz.co.nz
January 23, 2026 at 6:40 AM
It is apparent that, given the choice of following the path of Carney or Trump, they have chosen Trump.
Reposted by kayakr.bsky.social
I should have said: if there's something you'd like to discuss at the conference, broadly on the topic of public and civil society involvement around public sector technology, we've still got room for more small table discussions. Let me know.
🚨 Come to our Power and participation in public tech conference in Manchester on 6th March! 🚨
There'll be inspiration and lessons from practitioners, reformers and activists, as well as time to connect and discuss the topics you care about with peers.
Sign up at connectedbydata.org/events/2026-...
There'll be inspiration and lessons from practitioners, reformers and activists, as well as time to connect and discuss the topics you care about with peers.
Sign up at connectedbydata.org/events/2026-...
Power and participation in public tech
This conference is for anyone interested in how to achieve better outcomes in the delivery of digital, data and AI work in the public sector through the involvement of the public, communities and work...
connectedbydata.org
January 22, 2026 at 8:18 AM
I should have said: if there's something you'd like to discuss at the conference, broadly on the topic of public and civil society involvement around public sector technology, we've still got room for more small table discussions. Let me know.
Reposted by kayakr.bsky.social
Reposted by kayakr.bsky.social
It’s taken 80 years to go from universal recognition that respect for international rule of law is a crucial safeguard for human dignity and rights — and avoiding repetition of the horrors of the 1930s and WWII — to that respect being wontonly shredded.
Israel and the USA are the worst shredders.
Israel and the USA are the worst shredders.
This is the same state that our governments and institutions have repeatedly shielded from criticism and scrutiny.
At a time when international law needs defending, our governments, in their cowardice, are too often aiding and abetting its destruction.
At a time when international law needs defending, our governments, in their cowardice, are too often aiding and abetting its destruction.
Israel starts demolishing former UN aid agency headquarters
The UN has labelled Israel's move to bulldoze a former UNRWA headquarters a "serious violation of international law".
www.abc.net.au
January 20, 2026 at 10:34 AM
It’s taken 80 years to go from universal recognition that respect for international rule of law is a crucial safeguard for human dignity and rights — and avoiding repetition of the horrors of the 1930s and WWII — to that respect being wontonly shredded.
Israel and the USA are the worst shredders.
Israel and the USA are the worst shredders.
Reposted by kayakr.bsky.social
BREAM: Is the FBI investigating the ICE agent who shot Renee Good?
BLANCHE: What happened has been reviewed by millions of Americans bc it was recorded. We investigate when it's appropriate. That is not the case here. We are not going to bow to pressure. So no, we are not investigating.
BLANCHE: What happened has been reviewed by millions of Americans bc it was recorded. We investigate when it's appropriate. That is not the case here. We are not going to bow to pressure. So no, we are not investigating.
January 18, 2026 at 4:24 PM
BREAM: Is the FBI investigating the ICE agent who shot Renee Good?
BLANCHE: What happened has been reviewed by millions of Americans bc it was recorded. We investigate when it's appropriate. That is not the case here. We are not going to bow to pressure. So no, we are not investigating.
BLANCHE: What happened has been reviewed by millions of Americans bc it was recorded. We investigate when it's appropriate. That is not the case here. We are not going to bow to pressure. So no, we are not investigating.
Reposted by kayakr.bsky.social
Unfortunately, the government has already agreed to fuck us over: the NZ-EU FTA requires us to extend the copyright term to 70 years by May 2028. Which will lock all works by people who died in 1978 or later behind a paywall for another 20 years...
December 28, 2025 at 12:38 AM
Unfortunately, the government has already agreed to fuck us over: the NZ-EU FTA requires us to extend the copyright term to 70 years by May 2028. Which will lock all works by people who died in 1978 or later behind a paywall for another 20 years...
Reposted by kayakr.bsky.social
Doctorow on anti-circumvention laws:
"The world’s governments agreed to protect this racket in exchange for tariff-free access to American markets. Now that the US has reneged on its side of the bargain, these laws serve no useful purpose."
www.wired.com/story/us-tra...
"The world’s governments agreed to protect this racket in exchange for tariff-free access to American markets. Now that the US has reneged on its side of the bargain, these laws serve no useful purpose."
www.wired.com/story/us-tra...
US Trade Dominance Will Soon Begin to Crack
Savvy countries will discover there’s a way to mitigate the harm incurred by Trump’s tariffs—and it’ll boost their own economies while making goods cheaper too.
www.wired.com
December 26, 2025 at 10:05 PM
Doctorow on anti-circumvention laws:
"The world’s governments agreed to protect this racket in exchange for tariff-free access to American markets. Now that the US has reneged on its side of the bargain, these laws serve no useful purpose."
www.wired.com/story/us-tra...
"The world’s governments agreed to protect this racket in exchange for tariff-free access to American markets. Now that the US has reneged on its side of the bargain, these laws serve no useful purpose."
www.wired.com/story/us-tra...
Reposted by kayakr.bsky.social
Ridiculously, this government is going to give the Commerce Commission the power to take information outside the scope of the OIA for TEN YEARS.
Completely unacceptable and unnecessary as there are already provisions protecting this kind of information.
#nzpol
legislation.govt.nz/bill/governm...
Completely unacceptable and unnecessary as there are already provisions protecting this kind of information.
#nzpol
legislation.govt.nz/bill/governm...
December 18, 2025 at 10:37 PM
Ridiculously, this government is going to give the Commerce Commission the power to take information outside the scope of the OIA for TEN YEARS.
Completely unacceptable and unnecessary as there are already provisions protecting this kind of information.
#nzpol
legislation.govt.nz/bill/governm...
Completely unacceptable and unnecessary as there are already provisions protecting this kind of information.
#nzpol
legislation.govt.nz/bill/governm...
Reposted by kayakr.bsky.social
Resharing the year’s best commentary on the New Zealand science scene, from @mehr.nz. newsroom.co.nz/2025/10/29/w...
Winner of top science prize blames ‘batshit’ Budget for brain drain
Dr Samuel Mehr says the Government values science, but their ‘idiotic’ approach to funding it will cost them their brightest.
newsroom.co.nz
December 15, 2025 at 7:37 PM
Resharing the year’s best commentary on the New Zealand science scene, from @mehr.nz. newsroom.co.nz/2025/10/29/w...
Reposted by kayakr.bsky.social
So, 16 years after John Key hollowed out the State Services Commission by removing e-Government functions from it and transferring them to DIA, Judith Collins is reversing that move.
A new release is available from Hon Judith Collins KC.
Public service digital transformation accelerates
The Government is taking the next step in its plan to modernise and streamline digital services for New Zealanders by simplifying and coordinating the delivery of IT systems, Digitising Government and Public Service Minister Judith Collins says.
www.beehive.govt.nz
December 15, 2025 at 9:23 PM
So, 16 years after John Key hollowed out the State Services Commission by removing e-Government functions from it and transferring them to DIA, Judith Collins is reversing that move.
Reposted by kayakr.bsky.social
Many countries will be examining their resilience and independence from grossly improper US influence.
The fact that the EU doesn’t have resilience to protect its citizens banking abilities is a massive failure in this regard. Not the rule of law there, but the rule of US law and policy.
The fact that the EU doesn’t have resilience to protect its citizens banking abilities is a massive failure in this regard. Not the rule of law there, but the rule of US law and policy.
December 11, 2025 at 12:24 AM
Many countries will be examining their resilience and independence from grossly improper US influence.
The fact that the EU doesn’t have resilience to protect its citizens banking abilities is a massive failure in this regard. Not the rule of law there, but the rule of US law and policy.
The fact that the EU doesn’t have resilience to protect its citizens banking abilities is a massive failure in this regard. Not the rule of law there, but the rule of US law and policy.
Reposted by kayakr.bsky.social
TIL about a memorial ceremony in Iceland in 2019 to mark the end of a glacier, changing the place name from Okjökull to Ok (jökull = glacier). Uncompromising wording on the bronze plaque:
"This is to acknowledge that we know what is happening and what needs to be done. Only you know if we did it".
"This is to acknowledge that we know what is happening and what needs to be done. Only you know if we did it".
December 7, 2025 at 5:17 PM
TIL about a memorial ceremony in Iceland in 2019 to mark the end of a glacier, changing the place name from Okjökull to Ok (jökull = glacier). Uncompromising wording on the bronze plaque:
"This is to acknowledge that we know what is happening and what needs to be done. Only you know if we did it".
"This is to acknowledge that we know what is happening and what needs to be done. Only you know if we did it".
Reposted by kayakr.bsky.social
Hoggard is minister of animal welfare, where he has extended the farrow crate agony of pigs, minister of food safety, where he has weakened food safety regs, and assoc minister of enviro, where he allowed more freshwater pollution. Just a regular Federated Farmers guy. www.rnz.co.nz/news/politic...
Minister Andrew Hoggard assures PM he's following Cabinet rules after complaint
SAFE has made a complaint to the prime minister after the decision to allow the continued use of farrowing crates and mating stalls.
www.rnz.co.nz
November 25, 2025 at 12:13 AM
Hoggard is minister of animal welfare, where he has extended the farrow crate agony of pigs, minister of food safety, where he has weakened food safety regs, and assoc minister of enviro, where he allowed more freshwater pollution. Just a regular Federated Farmers guy. www.rnz.co.nz/news/politic...
Reposted by kayakr.bsky.social
““We know data privacy is important to New Zealanders. Any technology solutions will be required to comply with the Road User Charges Act which contains strong privacy safeguards and strictly limits what information can be accessed.”
Narrator: There are not strong privacy safeguards in fact.
Narrator: There are not strong privacy safeguards in fact.
A new release is available from Hon Chris Bishop.
RFI launched for future road user charges system
The Government is making progress on transitioning New Zealand’s 3.6 million light petrol vehicles to road user charges (RUC), today launching a Request for Information (RFI) on paying for RUC electronically, Tr
www.beehive.govt.nz
November 20, 2025 at 10:46 PM
““We know data privacy is important to New Zealanders. Any technology solutions will be required to comply with the Road User Charges Act which contains strong privacy safeguards and strictly limits what information can be accessed.”
Narrator: There are not strong privacy safeguards in fact.
Narrator: There are not strong privacy safeguards in fact.
Reposted by kayakr.bsky.social
So you mistakenly dismembered a journalist?
MBS claims the murder of Khashoggi was "a huge mistake and we're our doing our best that this doesn't happen again."
November 18, 2025 at 6:12 PM
So you mistakenly dismembered a journalist?
Reposted by kayakr.bsky.social
NEW: Chris Bishop used housing money to fund a bridge in his electorate his own Govt had killed off.
Officials were against the move and Labour say he shouldn’t have been anywhere near the decision.
www.thepost.co.nz/politics/360...
Officials were against the move and Labour say he shouldn’t have been anywhere near the decision.
www.thepost.co.nz/politics/360...
Chris Bishop diverts Kāinga Ora money to fund a bridge in his electorate
Officials warned against the use of housing funds for bridge building but Bishop says it was a “pragmatic choice”.
www.thepost.co.nz
November 17, 2025 at 6:04 PM
NEW: Chris Bishop used housing money to fund a bridge in his electorate his own Govt had killed off.
Officials were against the move and Labour say he shouldn’t have been anywhere near the decision.
www.thepost.co.nz/politics/360...
Officials were against the move and Labour say he shouldn’t have been anywhere near the decision.
www.thepost.co.nz/politics/360...
Reposted by kayakr.bsky.social
Reposted by kayakr.bsky.social
If you'd told me that a speaker at the Free Speech Union conference would call for banning non-Christian public expressions of faith to an applauding crowd, I would have said yes, obviously that is going to happen newsroom.co.nz/2025/11/10/t...
November 9, 2025 at 8:30 PM
If you'd told me that a speaker at the Free Speech Union conference would call for banning non-Christian public expressions of faith to an applauding crowd, I would have said yes, obviously that is going to happen newsroom.co.nz/2025/11/10/t...
Reposted by kayakr.bsky.social
Timely reading for those attending #COP30. If you’re in Belem, please ask the New Zealand delegation difficult questions about this.
At every turn, the Government has opted for whatever would actually lead to more pollution and a warmer world – even if it costs more, jeopardises NZ’s reputation, overturns a campaign promise or clashes with the Government’s other priorities.
The long retreat:
newsroom.co.nz/2025/11/07/g...
The long retreat:
newsroom.co.nz/2025/11/07/g...
Govt's climate strategy: Let it burn
Comment: The Government has relentlessly pursued policies that boost climate pollution – even if they cost more or jeopardise NZ's reputation, Marc Daalder writes
newsroom.co.nz
November 6, 2025 at 11:35 PM
Timely reading for those attending #COP30. If you’re in Belem, please ask the New Zealand delegation difficult questions about this.
Reposted by kayakr.bsky.social
Reposted by kayakr.bsky.social
So not only does Shane Jones want to deny you access to the footage of fishing boat operators breaching catch limits and dealing with bycatch, he want you to pay for having no right to access this information.
#OGPNZ
#corruption
#OIA
#OGPNZ
#corruption
#OIA
Fisheries NZ are currently consulting on a proposal that the Crown bear $3.76 million in annual costs for the onboard camera programme. In our view it is neither lawful nor fair for the Crown not to recover these costs from the fishing industry.
newsroom.co.nz/2025/10/22/f...
newsroom.co.nz/2025/10/22/f...
Taxpayer to be tapped for half the cost of $8.7m cameras on boats scheme
The Environmental Law Initiative believes the Fisheries Act doesn't allow for taxpayers to co-fund the cameras-on-boats programme
newsroom.co.nz
October 23, 2025 at 10:30 PM
So not only does Shane Jones want to deny you access to the footage of fishing boat operators breaching catch limits and dealing with bycatch, he want you to pay for having no right to access this information.
#OGPNZ
#corruption
#OIA
#OGPNZ
#corruption
#OIA
Reposted by kayakr.bsky.social
Simeon Brown tells young jobseekers to “get a paper run” on RNZ this morning 🙀
He is so out of touch, he thinks neighbourhoods still get a daily newspaper delivered
#nzpol
He is so out of touch, he thinks neighbourhoods still get a daily newspaper delivered
#nzpol
October 14, 2025 at 7:17 PM
Simeon Brown tells young jobseekers to “get a paper run” on RNZ this morning 🙀
He is so out of touch, he thinks neighbourhoods still get a daily newspaper delivered
#nzpol
He is so out of touch, he thinks neighbourhoods still get a daily newspaper delivered
#nzpol