Xenophile – one attracted to foreign cultures, customs, people, styles or things.
It’s about trust
02/02/2020National leader Simon Bridges has ruled out working with New Zealand First after this year’s election:
Bridges’ messaging is all about bundling New Zealand First, Labour and the Greens together saying: “a vote for NZ First is a vote for Labour and the Greens.”
It was three years ago even though around half the people who voted for NZ First wanted it to support National in government.
“I don’t believe we can work with NZ First and have a constructive trusting relationship,” Bridges says.
“When National was negotiating in good faith with NZ First after the last election, its leader was suing key National MPs and staff. I don’t trust NZ First and I don’t believe New Zealanders can either.”
It’s about trust and Peters can’t be trusted.
This makes NZ First dependent on gaining at least 5% of the vote on September 19 unless it wins a seat.
That’s very unlikely unless Labour throws it a lifeline by campaigning for the party vote in a seat it holds.
That would be rank hypocrisy from both parties which have vehemently criticised for National holding back to help Act in Epsom.
But hypocrisy is not unusual in a politician who can’t be trusted.
Mike Moore 28.1.49 – 2.2.20
02/02/2020Mike Moore ONZ AO PC has died.
Former New Zealand Prime Minister Mike Moore has died. He was 71.
Moore served as prime minister with Labour from September to November in 1990, at the age of 41, installed by caucus just weeks before the 1990 general election, replacing Sir Geoffrey Palmer.
At the time he was New Zealand’s third prime minister in 13 months, and lasted 59 days until Labour lost the general election. . .Â
In 1999, Moore secured the job of director-general of the World Trade Organisation, a job he kept until 2002. . .Â
His enthusiasm for trade was unbounded, although it took nearly 30 years before his idea of lamb burgers was taken up.
New Zealand owes him gratitude for his work for free trade while leading the WTO and when he was New Zealand’s ambassador to the United States.
Invisible Farmer Project – Steph Evans
02/02/2020The Invisible Farmer Project was an initiative of Museums Victoria:
The Invisible Farmer Project was the largest ever study of Australian women on the land, uncovering the histories and stories of Australian women in agriculture. It began as a pilot project (2015-2016) and evolved into a three year (2017-2020) nation-wide partnership between rural communities, academic, government and cultural organisations, funded by the Australian Research Council. It sought to address the historical and contemporary invisibility of Australian farm women and to celebrate the creative and vital role that women play in sustaining Australian farms and rural communities. It combined personal narratives and academic research to map the diverse, innovate and vital role of women in Australian agriculture. Key outcomes of the project were:
- Creation of new histories of rural Australia, including a series of interviews collected for Museums Victoria’s Invisible Farmer Project collection;
- Enhanced understandings about the diverse, innovative and vital role of women in agriculture and rural communities;
- Educate communities about the diverse, innovative and vital role of women in agriculture and rural communities;
- Stimulation of public discussions about contemporary issues facing rural Australia and its future;
- Development of significant public collections that will shape research, industry and public policy into the future;
- A widespread media and social media campaign that saw hundreds of thousands of community members engaging with the stories of Australian farm women via the Project’s website (www.invisiblefarmer.net.au), Instagram, Facebook and Twitter (@invisfarmer).
Sunday soapbox
02/02/2020Sunday’s  soapbox is yours to use as you will â within the bounds of decency and absence of defamation. Youâre welcome to look back or forward, discuss issues of the moment, to pontificate, ponder or point us to something of interest, to educate, elucidate or entertain, amuse, bemuse or simply muse, but not abuse.
I’m not sure if resilience is ever achieved alone. Experience allows us to learn from example. But if we have someone who loves us, I don’t mean indulges us, but who loves us enough to be on our side then it’s easier to grow resilience, to grow belief in self, to grow self-esteem. And it’s self-esteem that allows a person to stand up. – Maya Angelou