Amanda Thomas

Wow, not even close!

a little girl is standing in a living room and saying `` i don 't know . '' ALT: a little girl is standing in a living room and saying `` i don 't know . ''

"Our government is taking action to reduce child poverty by fixing the basics and building the future."

What does this mean???

So my submission is - keep regional representation, mana whenua must be at the heart of environmental democracy, and this proposal offers nothing meaningful on Te Tiriti. Yet, the vast majority of us want Te Tiriti to be respected and upheld. That is what democracy here means. Ends.

And they learned about what democracy here is like "I think you couldn’t do this work without the rūnanga. They’ve contributed quite significantly to consensus … that gifting and gaining. At different times when we’ve been stuck, that gifting and gaining has been good to go back on. It’s good" /6

Pākehā loved it because they learned so much and it made sense - they said things like "When we got to understand what kaitiakitanga actually meant, those are concepts that most people can buy into, the idea that if you use the river, you’ve got some obligation to look after it" /5

The longer background, predictably, is of terrible relationships between councils and iwi, and the most awful, racist decisions by councils. But then, through partially devolved freshwater mgt, rūnanga had to be at the freshwater table. And people loved it /4

One good thing that came out of it all, at the end of those 6 years was Ngāi Tahu representation to the regional council, which received it's own special legislation in 2022. This legislation has been targeted by ACT as "undemocratic" - this misunderstands democracy and the processes within iwi /3

Canterbury went 6 years with govt appointed commissioners. One of them told me he had a "duty" to the public but "I am appointed by the government so I am responsible to the government" ie not only did Cantabrians lose their regional vote, there was an enormous centralisation of power w ctrl govt /2

Celebrate! And then write your submission on the draft proposal for local government reform. My submission draws a lot on my PhD research on freshwater reforms in Canterbury in the 2010s. I am really worried about the mention of Crown observers or commissioners in the document /1

Running the government is a lot like playing recorder – it doesn’t work if you suck.

#makeitstop by letting those in power know just how many people care about primary education in NZ. Share this film, sign our petition, or just make some noise for teachers & educators at makeitstop.co.nz

That was in response to a question about climate change and he was completely let off the hook.

Mark Mitchell: “it’s just weather” ☠️

oh to be a fat bear floating lazily in clear water

Turning my brain to this tonight 🫩😮‍💨

Polanski is a pleasure to interview because he will answer any question about anyone. Wes Streeting? “Wes is attacking me every day on social media because I’m another gay man in politics who is not willing to throw the trans community under the bus and that exposes his abject immorality. He must know what it’s like to be othered but he’s more bothered about power than protecting the other. It’s disgraceful.”

Okay but Zack Polanski has been coming out with bangers

Even in the darkest days of the Nazi regime ordinary people found ways to resist.

Non-compliance is always a choice.

Excellent news!

A serious-looking woman with glasses stands against a dark background. Text reads, "No ceasefire in Gaza; the world has normalized genocide of Palestinians - Francesca Albanese."

The United Nations special rapporteur on human rights in Palestine, Francesca Albanese, stated that what is happening in Gaza does not constitute a humanitarian ceasefire"(PalTimes News) #Gaza #Genocide

The US military is stockpiling critical minerals and Aotearoa New Zealand should have exactly nothing to do with fascist militarism
climateandcommunity.org/research/min...

And should just do it anyway!

Kids activities squeezed by cost of living Active NZ survey for the year to June 2025 found two thirds of 5-17 year olds would like to be doing more physical activity, and a record high 22.3 percent saying their families couldn't afford activi...

If a social media ban is brought in here, we need to make alternative social spaces accessible eg a voucher system for extra curricular activities like in Victoria
newsroom.co.nz/2026/01/30/k...

"Clear majority of New Zealanders value the influence of the Treaty on Government decisions or thinking there should be more" is another way to package exactly the same results. A Choice that RNZ picked the way in the QT.

I could tell you how good this is but I wouldn't be able to do it justice. This is dildo-filled poetry that will resonate with Kiwis especially.
#DildoBaggins

BDS and academic conferences - there are great examples of academic associations adopting BDS policies, but I'm struggling to find guidelines and examples for how PACBI is implemented at academic conferences. Anyone got some good clues? 🍉

BDS and academic conferences - there are great examples of academic associations adopting BDS policies, but I'm struggling to find guidelines and examples for how PACBI is implemented at academic conferences. Anyone got some good clues? 🍉

"We should be demanding a government-wide commitment to climate risk reduction, incl. binding emissions cuts, adaptation plans, and a national programme to stabilise vulnerable landscapes using science-informed, Indigenous-led land stewardship." manucaddie540258.substack.com/p/a-brief-hi... #nzpol

The past doesn’t determine the future, but it can inform its challenges.

We’ve had a decade of local police killings caught on camera, coupled with a bipartisan increase of police funding—and no decrease in police killings.

ICE killings caught on camera will face similar forces and challenges.

Iran Protest Death Toll Could Top 30,000: Local Officials According to two senior officials of the country’s Ministry of Health who spoke with TIME.

"As many as 30,000 people could have been killed in the streets of Iran on Jan. 8 and 9 alone, two senior officials of the country’s Ministry of Health told TIME—indicating a dramatic surge in the death toll."

time.com/7357635/more...

we have won the horse girls. repeat: we have won the horse girls

Still confused about why this didn’t get way more attention??