General Debate 09 August 2026

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General Debate

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Positan

Intellectual practicability very rarely exudes from Green Party MPs, so Tamatha Paul’s time-wasting rave about the “bastardisation of English” certainly didn’t elevate my expectations.

I found it fascinating that she could promote such matchless hypocrisy in overlooking the substance of her Maori language which, demonstrably, simply has to be the most bastardised language promulgated in today’s world.

English has always embraced and absorbed words from other languages where they filled an unmet or existing gap – and utilised them with the same spelling as their country of origin.

Words like “verandah, bungalow and shampoo” from Hindi/Urdu. “Ballet, café and entrepreneur” from French. “Spaghetti and graffiti” from Italian. “Fiesta, guerilla and tomato” from Spanish. “Tsunami and anime” from Japanese. “Ombudsman” from Sweden, etc.

However, for absolutely phoney and nonsensical Maori reasons, English words are totally bastardised and contaminated into a semblance of “Maori” that never before existed.

Take “pirihimana”, the invention for “police”, or “hato hone” for “St John” as in ambulance. Absurdly, in the latter instance, “hato” substitutes for “halo” (around the saint’s head) – but there is no “L” in Maori, so while the “T” may appear similar enough to replace “L”, the resultant pronunciation comes across solely as regressive.

Among other bizarre postulations, “kotahi rau tekau ma tahi” serves to convey “111” in Maori – which with the eleven syllables required would have many emergencies over and done with before any alarm call managed to be communicated.

Tamatha Paul might have been “head girl” at college and first Maori woman elected president of Victoria University Student’s Association. However, it readily appears that somewhere along the way she’s failed to absorb any of the skills that might have contributed to the exercising of sensible rationale instead of untrammelled blethering.

As the saying goes, sometimes it’s best to be silent and be thought a fool – than to speak and remove all doubt.
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August 9, 2026 8:03am
- David Garrett
  
  Positan: good examples. “Te kooti” is one of my pet hates…as if there was any kind of justice system before whitey came along…or certainly no “system” which bore the slightest resemblance to ours.
  I do rather like “whare paku” or “shit house” …a direct translation.
  
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  August 9, 2026 8:22am
Cassandra

How grown ups behave: Japan is reviewing its nuclear policy in the face of changing circumstances. Its government is gradually edging towards acceptance eg allowing US Navy ships to base, accepting their nuclear armaments.

The Hiroshima survivors association is contemplating dissolution as its members age.

New Zealanders continue to confuse their interests with feelz.
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August 9, 2026 8:04am
- Positan
  
  A great many university “educated” NZers have never been able to discern the difference between nuclear reactors and nuclear weapons.
  A nuclear power station here would have greatly reduced electricity charges and, in all probability, obviated the need for our plague-like infestation of all those expensive, short-life, non-recyclable, wind-farm eyesores.
  
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  August 9, 2026 8:32am
  - peterwn
    
    It is easy to lump things for effect just like ‘Four legs good – two legs bad’. The original Greenpeace supported the peaceful use of the atom especially for energy production as being good for the environment then split into two factions with the complete ‘anti-nuke’ faction prevailing.
    
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    August 9, 2026 9:09am
Yvette

If there is to be a referendum on a four year Government term, and another question about whether MMP is still the right voting procedure for New Zealand, may be there should be a question too about the Special Maori Electorates and Seats – and that their establishing provision to franchise Maori, who under their group ownership of property did not originally qualify and did individual settler owners, a qualification which no longer exists?
The idea of a referendum may not be so silly after all.
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August 9, 2026 8:20am
Tomtoddy

I usually enjoy reading Damien Grant, not because I always agree with him, but he does, typically, introduce a different view on subjects the rest of the media covers only by parroting each other’s drivel.

His expose on Luxon in Stuff annoyed me not because he is necessarily wrong but because it adds to the constant, carping by the MSM about National’s failures and Luxon’s so-called gaffes.

OK. Luxon could do better, but he continues to hold a coalition together despite big egos and never-ending wiliness and there are many pluses for their work in education, removing regulation, trade etc. Those gains rarely get covered by the MSM.

What annoyed me most is Grant devoted a bare half dozen words to point out how devastating the alternative would be, given their past record and the few promises made by the left’s hangers-on.

Reality is that some might claim we are in the frying pan now but if we get to be in the fire by electing Hipkins and co we stand to be burnt very severely. Grant knows that for sure and he should drive the point home more forcefully.
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August 9, 2026 8:20am
artemisia

Mistake to omit creative arts technologies from new school subjects, drama teachers say

Annette Thomson is president of the drama teachers’ association Whakaari Aotearoa Drama New Zealand. She says there are critical skill shortages in the creative sector. That may well be true but have they provided the Minister with an assessment of the impact of this critical skills shortage? Perhaps they have provided details and maybe it is later on the priority list.

That would be interesting to know. For example. What studio or production opportunities have been lost and why. Is the critical skills shortage global or could we be importing some of those critical skills even temporarily as needed. How essential are more NCEA credits if students are getting the production experience at school anyway.

Because without at least a few specifics it just sounds like a group of self serving teachers joining the long list of those asking for more OPM because.

https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/education/938197/mistake-to-omit-creative-arts-technologies-from-new-school-subjects-drama-teachers-say
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August 9, 2026 8:25am
- Gravelroad
  
  @Art-
  Just as an aside- the large primary school here which goes up to Year 8, has in the winter term/s “clubs” on a Friday afternoon.
  Students are invited to enlist in a club of their choice.
  Currently one of my grandchildren is in the mountain biking club. Was in “sports” last time which gave young students an experience of various other sporting codes – not just rugby tackling each other in the playground at lunchtime.
  The other one is in arts and crafts club where he is constructing a convoluted car racing track out of balsa wood or similar. Prior to this choice he has done computer coding and gaming (which he knows a fair bit about anyway). And before that he did art painting and one of his efforts was picked to be shown as part of a kids exhibition in a local art gallery.
  These activities are all supervised by appropriate and qualified adults.
  Mountain biker has only fallen off once so far.
  
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  August 9, 2026 9:04am
David George

“Professor” Arday has destroyed the value in the saying “you couldn’t make it up”.
He has, unintentionally, created a new one though.
“Ardaying” your CV is now a thing
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August 9, 2026 8:45am
Yvette

Go back to your own country
Peters did open a hole in his own defence though, when he said: “I stand by all my comments as the Minister of Foreign Affairs. I also stand by my comments as the New Zealand First Party leader.”
That’s Peters the minister of foreign affairs saying he agrees with the “racist and offensive” things said by Peters the MP. That may become the subject of future questions for Peters the minister.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/politics/943814/the-house-luxon-and-peters-who-are-you-today

“As Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Peters, what do you think of a Leader of Parliament Party expressing himself in racist terms and under-mining, indeed sabotaging the diplomatic work you seem to do so well, especially when such insulting language leaves New Zealanders and China ignorant of what you were actually talking about – covid.’

Why doesn’t a non-existent “journalist” with the guts to do so, ask Winston that?

At least Chinese officials complaining to the Department of Foreign Affairs seem to have understood the moronic irony of the incident.

Which really just leaves David Seymour a little grieved after firing off a scathing, unauthorized letter to UN Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, Albert K. Barume, calling his critique of the Regulatory Standards Bill an “affront to New Zealand’s sovereignty” – a letter Seymour later withdrew after a rebuke from Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Foreign Minister Winston Peters
But Winston will not exercise either part of his forked tongue to apologise to David.
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August 9, 2026 8:53am