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newsletter #41 for Monday, August 28th, 2023

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Gangs given the soft glove by media and Government

Black Power and Mongrel Mob are criminal biker gangs associated with illegal drugs and violence. Yet the media platforms some members to opine on various topics as if they’re pillars of society. Meanwhile, some doctors and teachers are banned from presenting in some media for life for their opinions.

Climate change is political theatre in New Zealand

NZ’s over-ambitious climate policies are pitched as virtuous but anything extra we do, more than an ”average” country, has essentially no global impact. Media amplify alarmism, which government uses to justify centralising power, restricting freedoms, and pushing for economic control. Like with so many things done in the name of ideology, NZ’s economy and the cost of living are collateral damage.

Don’t be afraid of anti-co-governance, aka democracy

“Nothing to fear” is the condescending refrain of co-governance proponents casting opponents as irrational (and racist). Would co-governance be rule by billion dollar ethnic-based “sophisticated entities” (aka iwi)? Polls rarely, if ever, mention co-governance as a category to choose, making it seem less of an issue. Anti co-governance is, in fact, nothing to fear. It’s the repudiation of racism, not its endorsement.

Even something with the mathematical precision of taxes has become largely emotional

Labour tried politicising tax analysis by causing the IRD to release a blatantly misleading report. The media pushed the Government’s IRD report as proof the rich aren’t paying their “fair” share. The contrasting OliverShaw report was ignored. Both reports use different assumptions so they’re not directly comparable, but the IRD report is certainly better for the left to campaign on.

Should One News be subject to the election rules?

One News polls Kiwis about support for the Green party’s proposed free dental care funded by a wealth tax. Is One News electioneering? It seems strange for a “news” outlet to take such initiative on a minor party policy, especially one that Labour has ruled out. One News was recently also caught up in the cash for coverage scandal and a co-governance related defamation action. Do Electoral Commission rules need tightening to cover media, especially government funded media?

Facial Recognition Technology and the end of anonymity

Facial Recognition Technology (FRT) is mainstream, with free apps. What’s possible is both incredible and disturbing. Privacy concerns and mistaken identity are major drawbacks to FRT. Major grocery chains are using FRT to stop crime. Police have FRT that can identify scars and tattoos. The Government has been slow to implement the necessary framework and guidelines to ensure the tech is used responsibly.

How can you change the world if you can't pay the rent?

- Ezra Levant

NZ News Essentials Ltd.

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