A New Zealand pilot was abducted last week by rebels in the West Papua province of Indonesia after he landed his aircraft in the remote region of Nduga.
Philip Mehrtens, 37, was a pilot for Indonesian airline company Susi when he was captured on February 7 by the West Papua National Liberation Army (TPNPB), an armed branch of the Free Papua Movement, The New York Post <a href="https://nypost.com/2023/02/15/kidnapped-new-zealand-pilot-phillip-mehrtens-is-safe-papua-separatist-rebels/">reported</a>. The separatist group released photos and videos of Mehrtens on Tuesday, held at gunpoint, with a warning that he would only stay “safe” if Indonesian authorities refrain from retaliating.
The separatists set fire to the small plane flown by Mehrtens, which contained six people when it was captured, before taking him hostage. Sebby Sambom, a spokesperson for the rebels, sent <a href="https://apnews.com/article/rebellions-and-uprisings-indonesia-fires-6e77f64bfdc7bfb47bd27b7ddf2e1f9d">a statement</a> to the Associated Press saying Mehrtens had been taken hostage as part of their liberation movement, but that the other five people on board the plane had been released since they were indigenous Papuans.
“We have taken the pilot hostage and we are bringing him out,” Sambom said in the statement. “We will never release the pilot we are holding hostage unless Indonesia recognizes and frees Papua from Indonesian colonialism.”
On Thursday, The Jakarta Post <a href="https://www.thejakartapost.com/indonesia/2023/02/17/tni-ready-for-operation-to-free-new-zealand-pilot-if-talks-fail.html">reported</a> that Papua police announced a “law enforcement operation” was in the works to free Mehrtens if negotiations for his safe release fell through.
Cendrawasih Military Command Maj. Gen. Muhammad Saleh Mustafa reportedly said that a team of local politicians is expected to make contact with the TPNPB to negotiate for Mehrtens’ release, after figuring out where he was being kept based on photos from the separatist group.
“We want everyone to pray that we can finish the job without causing another incident, [that] we can get the pilot released and everything goes back to normal,” Papua Police Chief Inspector Matthius Fakhiri said, according to the outlet.
In a video <a href="https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/police-locate-where-kiwi-pilot-is-being-held-in-papua-and-are-sending-team/HRQ5CQVBOJGEBMT4VSZ3PKGJXQ/">sent to Radio New Zealand</a>, Mehrtens is seen wearing a denim jacket and a Free Papua T-shirt, surrounded by men holding guns. The video also shows some men holding bows and arrows.
“The Papuan military that has taken me captive to fight for Papuan independence, they ask for the Indonesian military to go home to Indonesia and if not, I will remain captive for my life,” Mehrtens says in the video.
“Indonesia needs to recognize Papuan independence,” he added.
The New Zealand Herald <a href="https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/police-locate-where-kiwi-pilot-is-being-held-in-papua-and-are-sending-team/HRQ5CQVBOJGEBMT4VSZ3PKGJXQ/">reported</a> that three New Zealand diplomats and two staff members from the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs arrived in the capital of Mimika Regency, Central Papua Province to monitor the situation with Mehrtens.

Midsection Of Woman Tied Up With Rope On Chair In Room

A New Zealand Pilot Is Being Held Captive By A Papua Separatist Group

Global Politics

Indonesia

New Zealand

World

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern — noted authoritarian and overall <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/wont-somebody-tell-the-busybodies-at-the-world-economic-forum-to-kick-rocks" target="_blank" rel="noopener">busybody</a> — announced her <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/breaking-leftist-new-zealand-prime-minister-jacinda-ardern-unexpectedly-resigns" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pending resignation</a> Thursday, and it seems that those who will miss her most are &#8220;reporters&#8221; from legacy media.
Ardern, known for telling her constituents that they should consider the New Zealand government their &#8220;<a href="https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/jacinda-ardern-truth/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">single source of truth</a>&#8221; promptly before locking down the country, will officially step down in February because she is simply exhausted from the job. In turn, lapdog media outlets such as The New York Times, Bloomberg, The Washington Post, and CNN rushed out to mourn the loss of the Kiwi girl boss.
In Bloomberg, Andreea Papuc <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/jacinda-ardern-gives-the-world-a-lesson-in-humility/2023/01/19/55ebf00c-97b8-11ed-a173-61e055ec24ef_story.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wrote</a>, &#8220;Ardern achieved rock-star status after she became the world’s youngest female leader at 37.&#8221; Papuc also praised Ardern for gun-control efforts while opining, &#8220;The pandemic tested her mettle, but she was credited with keeping the virus at bay with one of the world’s strictest lockdowns.&#8221;
Of course, Ardern also advised <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/dont-talk-to-your-neighbors-new-zealand-enters-nationwide-lockdown-over-single-covid-case" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Aucklanders</a> to avoid talking to their neighbors altogether and implemented a nationwide lockdown in August 2021 over a single man being diagnosed with the virus.
Per The Washington Post, however, Ardern should be <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2023/01/19/jacinda-ardern-highlights-new-zealand-prime-minister/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">remembered</a> for her &#8220;empathetic leadership style&#8221; and for being  &#8220;seen by many liberals as a young, center-left antidote to populist politics elsewhere.&#8221;
Amongst her accomplishments listed by the Post was the fact that she joined forces with globalists around the world for an international initiative urging &#8220;tech giants and other governments to commit to combating the spread of extremism on social media.&#8221; In other words, Ardern should be credited with kickstarting an elite effort toward fascism.
Over at The New York Times, one writer <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/01/19/world/asia/jacinda-ardern-resigns-covid.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">named</a> Damien Cave lamented, &#8220;In a part of the world where coronavirus restrictions lingered, Jacinda Ardern struggled to get beyond her association with pandemic policy.&#8221;
Cave also remarked that Ardern had reached &#8220;celebrity status with the speed of a pop star.&#8221;
After a COVID vaccine became available, New Zealanders weren&#8217;t allowed to get haircuts or work for a living without the jab, Cave noted. Throughout it all, the country experienced on-and-off lockdowns &#8220;so severe that even retrieving a lost cricket ball from a neighbor’s yard was banned.”
Then Ardern infamously <a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/tv/news/new-zealand-jacinda-ardern-coronavirus-vaccines-ve5572e26" target="_blank" rel="noopener">affirmed</a> that she wanted to create two classes of citizens — vaccinated and unvaccinated.
The vaccine didn&#8217;t quite work out as intended and Ardern&#8217;s demand that every citizen receive it seems to be what really sullied her shot at any political future — on top of everything else she implemented while in office.
It turns out that pitting your citizens against one another isn&#8217;t such a wise move as a leader.
“The disillusionment around the vaccine mandates was important,” Dr. Simon Thornley, an epidemiologist at the University of Auckland, told The Times. “The creation of a two-class society and that predictions didn’t come out as they were meant to be, or as they were forecast to be in terms of elimination — that was a turning point.”
The writing is on the wall, and it seems Ardern would get smoked in her next election.
According to CNN though, the real lesson here isn&#8217;t that world leaders should avoid becoming despots under the guise of emergencies. The main takeaway is that it&#8217;s okay to quit a job if you&#8217;re tired.
&#8220;Burnout is real – and it’s nothing to be ashamed of,&#8221; CNN&#8217;s Hilary Whiteman <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2023/01/19/world/new-zealand-jacinda-ardern-leadership-intl-hnk/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">claimed</a>. &#8220;That’s the conclusion trailblazing New Zealand leader Jacinda Ardern seems to have reached after almost six brutal years in office.&#8221;
Buried in her analysis is this revealing tidbit:
<blockquote>Ardern may have been feted on the world stage for bringing humanity and empathy to the role, but at home the rising cost of living, housing shortages, and economic anxiety had some wondering if her government could do more to ease their pain.</blockquote>
In other words, Ardern was a total failure in her job. But, she deserves heaps of praise because she was a young woman who advanced the Left&#8217;s agenda. Legacy Media will miss her, but assuredly another totalitarian leader will rise up to reclaim the mantle of the most beloved leader by the free press.
The views expressed in this piece are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

Jacinda Ardern

Legacy Media Weeps Over Authoritarian Jacinda Ardern’s Departure

Legacy Media Weeps Over Authoritarian Jacinda Ardern's Departure

COVID

Legacy Media

Media

Leftist New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced Wednesday that she is resigning from her position because she does not have the stamina to seek re-election.
“I’m leaving, because with such a privileged role comes responsibility,&#8221; she said. &#8220;The responsibility to know when you are the right person to lead and also when you are not. I know what this job takes. And I know that I no longer have enough in the tank to do it justice. It’s that simple.”
Her term will end on February 7 and an election will be held on October 14.
Ardern was known for clamping down on the freedoms of people in her country while in office, including draconian pandemic lockdowns, gun bans, and advocating for regulating speech online.
Ardern held such fringe positions on the pandemic that she <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/dont-talk-to-your-neighbors-new-zealand-enters-nationwide-lockdown-over-single-covid-case" target="_blank" rel="noopener">authorized</a> a nationwide lockdown because one case had been reported in the country. “Don’t talk to your neighbors,&#8221; she said at the time. &#8220;Please keep to your bubble.”
The 42-year-old also rushed to seize a moment of political opportunity following a shooting several years ago when she <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-newzealand-shootout-ardern-guncontrol/new-zealand-bans-military-type-semi-automatic-weapons-used-in-mosque-massacre-idUSKCN1R205Z" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced</a> that the country would ban semi-automatic long guns and would force people to turn them in. New Zealand&#8217;s buyback program was a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/new-zealands-gun-buyback-was-a-total-flop-report-says" target="_blank" rel="noopener">failure</a>.
Ardern faced <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/new-zealand-prime-minister-slammed-for-comparing-free-speech-to-weapons-of-war-in-fact-evil" target="_blank" rel="noopener">condemnation</a> after she compared online speech to a weapon of war during a speech at the United Nations back in September.
“As leaders, we are rightly concerned that even those most light-touch approaches to disinformation could be misinterpreted as being hostile to the values of free speech we value so highly,” she claimed. “But while I cannot tell you today what the answer is to this challenge, I can say with complete certainty that we cannot ignore it. To do so poses an equal threat to the norms we all value.”
“After all, how do you successfully end a war if people are led to believe the reason for its existence is not only legal but noble?” she continued. “How do you tackle climate change if people do not believe it exists?”
“The weapons may be different but the goals of those who perpetuate them is often the same: To cause chaos and reduce the ability of others to defend themselves, to disband communities, to collapse the collective strength of countries who work together,” she added. “But we have an opportunity here to ensure that these particular weapons of war do not become an established part of warfare.”
Correction: A previous version of this story incorrectly stated that New Zealand&#8217;s gun ban followed a shooting in Australia. It was a shooting in New Zealand.

Leftist New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern Unexpectedly Resigns

General

Lockdowns

Air New Zealand decked Great Britain’s Prince Harry after seeing a claim he made about them in his book “Spare” that they said was demonstrably false.
In the book, Harry claims that his wife, Meghan Markle, bought a first-class ticket on the airline from Mexico to Great Britain for her father Thomas because she was concerned about media harassment.
“We told him, leave Mexico right now: A whole new level of harassment is about to rain down on you, so come to Britain,” Harry, the Duke of Sussex, wrote in the book <a href="https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/air-new-zealand-takes-sussexclass-dig-at-prince-harry-meghan-3688205" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to NDTV. “Air New Zealand, first class, booked and paid for by Meg.&#8221;
But Air New Zealand said that it had never operated a flight between Mexico and Great Britain and offers Business Premier service rather than first class. &#8220;We&#8217;ve never had flights between Mexico and the UK. And we only have Business Premier,&#8221; a spokesman told the New Zealand Herald.
The airline then tweaked Harry and his wife, tweeting, “Introducing #SussexClass. Apparently coming soon.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Introducing <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SussexClass?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SussexClass</a> 👑 Apparently coming soon 👀
&mdash; Air New Zealand ✈️ (@FlyAirNZ) <a href="https://twitter.com/FlyAirNZ/status/1613640629975912448?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 12, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
British commentator Piers Morgan has <a href="https://dailywire.com/news/what-disingenuous-tripe-piers-morgan-unloads-on-prince-harry-in-scathing-book-review/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ripped Harry</a> for the alleged lies he has promoted in the controversial memoir.
“As I have said many times, and reiterate now, Harry and Meghan must be stripped of all their remaining titles immediately. And they shouldn’t be allowed anywhere near the coronation in May,&#8221; Morgan said. &#8220;They’ve made their treacherous bed, and they can lie in it, just as they lie about everything else.”
Whoever serves as the head of the British monarchy also serves as the sovereign and head of state in New Zealand, which is part of the Commonwealth of Nations, now headed by Great Britain’s King Charles. New Zealand’s status as part of the British Empire was established in 1840 in the Treaty of Waitangi between Queen Victoria and the native Maori chiefs.
The Commonwealth of Nations, formerly the British Commonwealth of Nations, includes 56 independent and equal countries. There are no mutual legal obligations; they are connected through their use of the English language and historical ties. Gabon and Togo are the most recent countries to join the group, in 2022.
Much of how the Commonwealth works was established during a conference in the early 20th century. &#8220;At the 1926 conference, Britain and the Dominions agreed that they were all equal members of a community within the British Empire. They all owed allegiance to the British king or queen, but the United Kingdom did not rule over them. This community was called the British Commonwealth of Nations or just the Commonwealth,&#8221; the Commonwealth of Nations website <a href="https://thecommonwealth.org/history" target="_blank" rel="noopener">explains</a>.

Collage Maker-13-Jan-2023-07.52-AM

Air New Zealand Mocks Prince Harry’s Claim In ‘Spare’

Great Britain

Meghan Markle

Prince Harry

Spare

New Zealand’s prime minister, Jacinda Ardern, a hard-line supporter of lockdowns vis-à-vis the coronavirus, was caught on a hot mic insulting the leader of the opposition with nasty language.
The exchange during which Ardern insulted David Seymour was prompted by Seymour confronting her, asking if Ardern could “give an example of her making a mistake, apologizing for it properly and fixing it,” The Guardian <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/dec/13/jacinda-arden-caught-on-hot-mic-calling-minor-opposition-party-leader-an-arrogant-prick" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>.
Ardern initially responded by admitting that the public had suffered from her “managed isolation” plan, but as she sat down, turned to her deputy Grant Robertson and told him Seymour was “such an arrogant p****.”
Seymour asked the speaker to urge Ardern to apologize and withdraw the comment, but it was fruitless since Arden had left the chamber.
Seymour said later that Ardern had texted him to apologize. “[She] said ‘I apologize, it’s not something I should have said,’” he acknowledged. “She said, as my mum would say, if you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say it.”
“I agree with the sentiment and it is all good as far as I am concerned,” he continued. “I just said, thank you and I hope you have a very merry Christmas. At the end of the day, it’s not the end of the world.”
In August 2021, Ardern authorized a nationwide lockdown after a 58-year-old man tested positive for the virus in Auckland. Ardern initiated a “level 4” lockdown, in which “essential services” were left unaffected but schools, offices, and businesses had to close.
“I want to assure New Zealand that we have planned for this eventuality. Going hard and early has worked for us before,” Ardern insisted.
“We ask people to stay two meters away from anyone you pass, stay local, and do not congregate,” she stated. “Don’t talk to your neighbors. Please keep to your bubble.”
In October 2021, Ardern smiled as she acknowledged creating two different classes of people with different levels of freedom depending on whether they were vaccinated.
The New Zealand Herald <a href="https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/covid-19-delta-outbreak-new-traffic-light-system-all-you-need-to-know-about-todays-announcements/X7W2WC55EVXKH3NMNHIYPSVMGU/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> Ardern had “announced the country would move into the new traffic light system when each District Health Board has 90 percent of its population with both doses of the vaccine.”
“So, you&#8217;ve basically said, this is gonna be like, well it&#8217;s almost like, and you probably don&#8217;t see it like this, [inaudible] two different classes of people, if you&#8217;re vaccinated or if you&#8217;re unvaccinated,” an interviewer prompted. “You have all these rights if you are vaccinated —&#8221;
“That it is what it is,” Ardern replied, smiling, “So, yep. Yep.”
Related:
 <a href="https://dailywire.com/news/dont-talk-to-your-neighbors-new-zealand-enters-nationwide-lockdown-over-single-covid-case/">‘Don’t Talk To Your Neighbors’: New Zealand Enters Nationwide Lockdown Over Single COVID Case</a>
<a href="https://dailywire.com/news/new-zealands-prime-minister-on-if-vaccine-certificates-are-about-creating-two-classes-of-people-yep/">New Zealand’s Prime Minister On If Vaccine Certificates Are About Creating Two Classes Of People: ‘Yep’</a>

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern Gives COVID-19 Update

Hot Mic Catches New Zealand Prime Minister Calling Rival Nasty Name

COVID-19

Hot Mic

Politics

A male rugby player in <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/new-zealand">New Zealand</a> collapsed and died over the weekend during a match.
The player collapsed and died during a festival match between Ruatoria City&#8217;s 2022 squad and a Ruatoria Centennial XV, the New Zealand <a href="https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/rugby-player-collapses-dies-during-east-coast-centennial-celebration-match/PUW43HX5TCEPSFXOZAW3MHB4SQ/">reported</a>.
The player collapsed after some sort of &#8220;on-field incident,&#8221; the report said, but it gave no elaboration on what happened and if there was some sort of contact that preceded the player&#8217;s collapse.
The report said that there were &#8220;extensive efforts to save him&#8221; but that he ended up dying at the scene.
The match was canceled and &#8220;his body was removed from the pitch,&#8221; the report added.
Players reportedly took turns paying their respects to the player on the field and the ground was &#8220;to be blessed.&#8221;
Despite the man&#8217;s death, officials decided to move forward with the Lochore Cup final.
A spectator told the publication that within a few minutes of the player collapsing, multiple ambulances drove onto the field before a helicopter arrived on scene.
Last week, a football player at Mississippi State University <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/breaking-mississippi-state-football-player-dies-suddenly-at-age-18">collapsed and died</a> in an incident in which officials have provided few details.
Samuel Westmoreland, of Tupelo, Mississippi, announced back in March that he had decided to join the team after a “long and exciting recruiting process.”
Westmoreland, who received awards for his football achievements while at Tupelo High School, decided to major in industrial technology at Mississippi State University.
“The Mississippi State Athletics Family is heartbroken by the sudden death of Sam Westmoreland,” Head Coach Mike Leach said in a statement. “Sam was a beloved son, brother and teammate, and a tremendous young man with a limitless future.”
“He will always be remembered and deeply missed by everyone who knew and loved him,” Leach continued. “The entire MSU Family mourns as our thoughts and prayers go out to the Westmoreland family. Our highest priority is the support of the Westmoreland family and our student-athletes during this troubling time.”
No details were released by the university about the cause of Westmoreland’s death and the school said that it was cooperating with an ongoing investigation into the matter by Oktibbeha County Sheriff’s Office and the Oktibbeha County Coroner’s Office.
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/talented-high-school-singer-collapses-and-dies-on-stage-while-performing-at-all-state-event-report">Talented High School Singer Collapses And Dies On Stage While Performing At All-State Event</a>

Munster v Cardiff Blues – Guinness PRO14 Rainbow Cup

Male Rugby Player Collapses And Dies During Match: Report

Sports

<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/farming" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Farmers</a> in <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/new-zealand" target="_blank" rel="noopener">New Zealand</a> are taking their frustrations to the streets in protest over the government’s newly proposed tax on emissions from animals, such as burps and urine.
As The Daily Wire <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/new-zealand-farmers-fume-after-government-proposes-animal-gas-tax" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> last week, New Zealand proposed the first-ever tax on farm animal emissions. <a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-new-zealand-animals-emissions-reduction-climate-and-environment-6f8847bc10ecdd0ba4d5c23bdab5617d" target="_blank" rel="noopener">It claimed</a> that those in the agricultural industry could recoup that tax money by charging customers more for their eco-friendly items. 
Thousands of people in the agricultural sector <a href="https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/10/20/new-zealand-farmers-protest-worlds-first-livestock-burp-tax" target="_blank" rel="noopener">protested</a> the potential tax on Thursday. Groundswell New Zealand organized the event, and its co-founder, Bryce McKenzie, said rural areas would be harmed.
“The government’s ideological commitment to punitive and counterproductive emissions taxes on food production is an existential threat to rural communities,” McKenzie said, adding that the move would be counterproductive. He said whatever reductions that occur “will be replaced by less efficient foreign farmers.”
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor acted as if the tax would essentially be a good thing for farmers, but the people who would potentially be impacted don’t appear to feel the same way. 
“New Zealand’s farmers are set to be the first in the world to reduce agricultural emissions, positioning our biggest export market for the competitive advantage that brings in a world increasingly discerning about the provenance of their food,” Ardern said, noting that the fees garnered from the tax would go back into the farming industry.
“Farmers are already experiencing the impact of climate change with more regular drought and flooding,” O’Connor said. “Taking the lead on agricultural emissions is both good for the environment and our economy.”
Farmers spoke out at the time, with the Federated Farmers lobby saying the proposal would “rip the guts out of small-town New Zealand” and reduce the number of farms in the country, which has <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2022/10/20/new-zealand-farmers-cow-burp-protest-00062675" target="_blank" rel="noopener">10 million dairy and beef cattle</a>, as well as 26 million sheep. The nation itself only has around 5 million people.
Critics say the end result of the tax would likely be more farmers leaving the industry altogether. 
Dave McCurdy, a farmer protesting on Thursday, said farmers care about the environment and treat it well. 
“It’s our life, our family’s lives,” he said. “We’re not out there to wreck it, we wouldn’t make any money. We love our farms. That’s what annoys us. We’re painted as these bad guys, but many farmers have spent generations looking after that land.”
McCurdy said that many farmers would suffer if the proposal and herd cutbacks move forward. “I’m out,” he said. “Waste of time.”

C0CEA3F5-3E3D-46F0-9D99-AEFACEC19470_1_201_a

New Zealand Farmers Protest Proposed Farm Animal Emissions Tax

New Zealand Farmers Protest Proposed Tax On Farm Animal Emissions Like Burps And Urine

Animals

Farmers

Taxes

New Zealand farmers fumed about a new tax proposed by government officials Tuesday that would charge agriculturalists for greenhouse gases, biogenic methane, and nitrous oxide belched or urinated out from cows and sheep.
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said such taxes would fuel the industry by funding new technology, research, and incentives for the farmers, The Associated Press <a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-new-zealand-animals-emissions-reduction-climate-and-environment-6f8847bc10ecdd0ba4d5c23bdab5617d">reported</a>.
“New Zealand’s farmers are set to be the first in the world to reduce agricultural emissions, positioning our biggest export market for the competitive advantage that brings in a world increasingly discerning about the provenance of their food,” Ardern said.
Reuters <a href="https://www.reuters.com/business/environment/new-zealand-price-agricultural-long-lived-gases-methane-separately-2022-10-10/">reported</a> that the proposed plan would go into effect in 2025, making New Zealand the first country to impose a livestock emissions levy on farmers.
But farm workers feel unsettled about such plans, claiming it would “rip the guts out of small town New Zealand,” adding the country would see fewer farms and more trees.
Andrew Hoggard, president of the lobbying group Federated Farmers, said farmers have attempted to work with government officials since 2020 on a plan to reduce emissions while maintaining current food production levels. Still, the new plan would force them to sell their farms “so fast you won’t even hear the dogs barking on the back of the ute [pickup truck] as they drive off,” he said, per The Associated Press.
Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor said that while farmers are already experiencing regular droughts and flooding, it poses an good opportunity for them and the country.
“Taking the lead on agricultural emissions is both good for the environment and our economy,” O’Connor said, according to The Associated Press.
However, opposing lawmakers said the plan would increase worldwide emissions by forcing other countries to make up for the lack of farming in New Zealand, which produces dairy products that are vital to its economy.
The Associated Press reports that while the country’s population caps at around 5 million people, the number of beef and dairy cattle in the country is double that size.
According to Reuters, the proposal goes to consultation before officials can pass and impose the law.
Government officials have pledged to reduce methane emissions from farm animals by 10% by 2030 and up to 47% by 2050, at which point they hope the country will be carbon neutral.

TO GO WITH AFP STORY “NZealand-farm-emis

New Zealand Farmers Fume After Government Proposes Animal Gas Tax

carbon

Climate Change

Gas Tax

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern faced condemnation after she compared online speech to a weapon of war during a speech at the United Nations this week.
“As leaders, we are rightly concerned that even those most light-touch approaches to disinformation could be misinterpreted as being hostile to the values of free speech we value so highly,” she claimed. “But while I cannot tell you today what the answer is to this challenge, I can say with complete certainty that we cannot ignore it. To do so poses an equal threat to the norms we all value.”
“After all, how do you successfully end a war if people are led to believe the reason for its existence is not only legal but noble?” she continued. “How do you tackle climate change if people do not believe it exists?”
“The weapons may be different but the goals of those who perpetuate them is often the same: To cause chaos and reduce the ability of others to defend themselves, to disband communities, to collapse the collective strength of countries who work together,” she added. “But we have an opportunity here to ensure that these particular weapons of war do not become an established part of warfare.”
Notable responses to Ardern&#8217;s remarks included:
<ul>
<li>Dan Bongino, political commentator: &#8220;One of the most dangerous speeches you’ll hear this year, or next. The liberal totalitarian impulse is increasingly evident.&#8221;</li>
<li>Adam Baldwin, actor: &#8220;Things nasty rhetorical radical communists say: &#8216;… the values of free speech that we [Leaders™] value so highly, but…'&#8221;</li>
<li>Bev Turner, media personality: &#8220;She doesn&#8217;t like &#8216;chaos.&#8217; Remember the opposite of chaos is total control. As she says they have &#8216;weapons&#8217; to tackle anything which challenges HER version of truth. She really is the worst type of totalitarian leader using the needs of the collective &#8216;for your own good.&#8217; Terrifying.&#8221;</li>
<li>David Harsanyi, The Federalist: &#8220;Flat out authoritarian.&#8221; He added, &#8220;Good luck controlling the Internet, tho.&#8221;</li>
<li>Nick Searcy, actor: &#8220;Climate change has always existed, for millions and millions of years. Only in the last 100 years have evil communists claimed that they can control it in order to enslave the stupid idiots they can scare into believing them.&#8221;</li>
<li>Glenn Greenwald, journalist: &#8220;This is the face of authoritarianism &#8211; even though it looks different than you were taught to expect. And it&#8217;s the mindset of tyrants everywhere: This is someone so inebriated by her sense of righteousness and superiority that she views dissent as an evil too dangerous to allow.&#8221;</li>
<li>Ned Ryun, political commentator: &#8220;She’s an absolute authoritarian. In fact, evil.&#8221;</li>
<li>Nick Palmisciano, Diesel Jack Media CEO: &#8220;Yes, please bring on the government disinformation service. What could possibly go wrong? It’s not like we ever see government officials abuse their power to their own ends.&#8221;</li>
</ul>

New Zealand Prime Minister Slammed For Comparing Free Speech To ‘Weapons Of War’: ‘In Fact, Evil’

New Zealand Prime Minister Slammed For Comparing Free Speech To 'Weapons Of War': 'In Fact, Evil'

United Nations

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern called for censoring the internet during her recent speech at the United Nations, arguing that unregulated free speech on the internet was a &#8220;weapon of war.&#8221;
&#8220;As leaders, we are rightly concerned that even those most light-touch approaches to disinformation could be misinterpreted as being hostile to the values of free speech that we value so highly,&#8221; she claimed. &#8220;But while I cannot tell you today what the answer is to this challenge, I can say with complete certainty that we cannot ignore it. To do so poses an equal threat to the norms we all value.&#8221;
&#8220;After all, how do you successfully end a war if people are led to believe the reason for its existence is not only legal but noble?&#8221; she continued. &#8220;How do you tackle climate change if people do not believe it exists?&#8221;
&#8220;The weapons may be different but the goals of those who perpetuate them is often the same: To cause chaos and reduce the ability of others to defend themselves, to disband communities, to collapse the collective strength of countries who work together,&#8221; she added. &#8220;But we have an opportunity here to ensure that these particular weapons of war do not become an established part of warfare.&#8221;
WATCH:
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PM Jacinda Ardern calls internet freedom a “weapon of war” in most recent UN speech. Calls for a new type of internet with “rules and transparency”. “How do you tackle climate change if people don’t believe it exists”. Source: <a href="https://t.co/ZaBdZq6N0U">https://t.co/ZaBdZq6N0U</a> <a href="https://t.co/c0V66jEvfG">pic.twitter.com/c0V66jEvfG</a>
&mdash; Wittgenstein (@backtolife_2023) <a href="https://twitter.com/backtolife_2023/status/1575002436808298501?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 28, 2022</a></blockquote>
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PARTIAL TRANSCRIPT:
<blockquote>JACINDA ARDERN, PRIME MINISTER: This week we launched an initiative alongside companies and non-profits to help improve research and understanding of how a person&#8217;s online experiences are curated by automated processes. This will also be important in understanding more about mis and disinformation online. A challenge that we must as leaders address.
Sadly, I think it&#8217;s easy to dismiss this problem as one in the margins. I can certainly understand the desire to leave it to someone else.
As leaders, we are rightly concerned that even those most light-touch approaches to disinformation could be misinterpreted as being hostile to the values of free speech we value so highly.
But while I cannot tell you today what the answer is to this challenge, I can say with complete certainty that we cannot ignore it. To do so poses an equal threat to the norms we all value.
After all, how do you successfully end a war if people are led to believe the reason for its existence is not only legal but noble? How do you tackle climate change if people do not believe it exists? How do you ensure the human rights of others are upheld, when they are subjected to hateful and dangerous rhetoric and ideology?
The weapons may be different but the goals of those who perpetuate them is often the same. To cause chaos and reduce the ability of others to defend themselves. To disband communities. To collapse the collective strength of countries who work together.
But we have an opportunity here to ensure that these particular weapons of war do not become an established part of warfare. &#8230;.
In these times, I am acutely aware of how easy it is to feel disheartened. We are facing many battles on many fronts.
But there is cause for optimism. Because for every new weapon we face, there is a new tool to overcome it.
For every attempt to push the world into chaos, is a collective conviction to bring us back to order.
We have the means; we just need the collective will.</blockquote>
RELATED: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/new-zealands-prime-minister-on-if-vaccine-certificates-are-about-creating-two-classes-of-people-yep">New Zealand’s Prime Minister On If Vaccine Certificates Are About Creating Two Classes Of People: ‘Yep’</a>

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern Compares Free Speech Online To ‘Weapons Of War’

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern Compares Free Speech Online To 'Weapons Of War'

A <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/new-zealand" target="_blank" rel="noopener">New Zealand</a> journalist could not contain her laughter while the teenage climate activist she was interviewing admitted to recently visiting the very place she said others should avoid due to <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/climate-change" target="_blank" rel="noopener">climate change</a>, and now the activist’s mother claims that her daughter was “bullied.”
Izzy Cook, a 16-year-old from New Zealand involved with the School Strike 4 Climate movement in her country, joined radio host Heather du Plessis-Allan on NewstalkZB to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/it-is-pretty-ironic-radio-interview-with-teen-climate-activist-goes-sideways-in-3-2-1">discuss</a> her activism. “Am I allowed to go to Fiji? Is that necessary?” the radio host asked. “In the current climate crisis, I don’t think that’s necessary travel,” Cook responded.
“When was the last time you were on a plane?” du Plessis-Allan pressed.
“I’m not sure. Maybe a few months ago, to be honest,” Cook hesitantly replied.
“Where’d you go?” du Plessis-Allan asked again.
After a moment, Cook admitted: “Fiji.”
“Izzy!” the host shouted amid uncontrollable laughter. “Izzy! Don’t you care about the climate, Izzy?”
When asked why she went to the South Pacific island paradise, Cook said that her parents brought her on vacation.
“Are you embarrassed your parents did that to the planet and then forced you to do it as well?” du Plessis-Allan questioned.
“Of course I am not embarrassed,” Cook replied.
“Did you have a terrible time?” du Plessis-Allan pressed.
“Not really,” Cook said before the host cut her off with more guffawing.
Despite the point raised by du Plessis-Allan, Rose Cook — the mother of Izzy Cook — penned an <a href="https://thespinoff.co.nz/media/25-09-2022/heather-du-plessis-allan-should-be-ashamed-of-how-she-bullied-my-daughter">opinion piece</a> for New Zealand news outlet The Spinoff contending that her daughter was “bullied.”
“Commentators like du Plessis-Allan don’t give a s*** about climate change,” wrote the mother, who admitted that she and her daughter flew to Fiji in July. “They don’t care that Arctic ice is melting at four times the expected rate, or that we are seeing more and more extreme weather events killing and displacing people across the globe… These sorts of commentators use ad hominem arguments and ‘gotcha’ moments for point-scoring and discrediting their opponents.”
Rose Cook also praised her daughter’s conscientious lifestyle. “She’s vegetarian, uses public transport, and buys second-hand… The conversation needs to be about radically reimagining the way we live, building sustainable communities, and producing and consuming locally, not gotchas and petty point-scoring.”
Fiji is roughly 1,600 miles away from Wellington, the capital of New Zealand — approximately the same distance from New York City to Austin, Texas. An airplane produces roughly 53 pounds of carbon dioxide per mile, according to an <a href="https://blueskymodel.org/air-mile#:~:text=On%20average%2C%20a%20plane%20produces,(CO2)%20per%20mile.">estimate</a> from the open-source emissions project BlueSkyModel.
The interview occurred as the European Union, which has adopted the official <a href="https://ec.europa.eu/clima/eu-action/climate-strategies-targets/2050-long-term-strategy_en">policy</a> of becoming “a climate-neutral society” by 2050, struggles to secure reliable oil and gas supplies amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. While many European nations resort to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/europeans-resort-to-burning-wood-amid-desperate-search-for-energy-now-greta-thunberg-wants-to-limit-that-too">burning wood</a> chips, adolescent Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg sharply rebuked the move.
“Forest biomass takes minutes to burn, whereas it takes anywhere from decades to centuries for the climate and environmentally harmful tree plantations to resequester the carbon emitted,” the 19-year-old wrote in an <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/commentisfree/2022/sep/05/burning-forests-energy-renewable-eu-wood-climate">article</a> for The Guardian. “This equals decades of carbon debts that we do not have time for.”
Izzy Cook is far from the only climate activist accused of unnecessary plane travel. John Kerry, the climate czar for President Joe Biden, was <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/john-kerry-family-jet-has-emitted-30-times-more-carbon-in-2021-than-average-vehicle-does-in-year-report">widely criticized</a> last year after a report showed that his family’s private jet was used for at least 20 trips in the first two-thirds of 2021, with each trip emitting 30 times more carbon than the typical passenger vehicle.

Paradise Cove, Yasawa Islands, Fiji

Interviewer Laughs At Teenage Climate Activist Once She Admitted To Flying To Fiji. Now Her Mom Claims She Was ‘Bullied.’

Mom Of Teenage Climate Activist Claims Her Daughter Was 'Bullied' When Called Out On Hypocrisy

Greta Thunberg

John Kerry

A radio interview with New Zealand teen climate activist Izzy Cook went sideways when Heather du Plessis-Allan, Host of Wellington Mornings, challenged the 16-year-old on the reality of her own <a href="https://dailywire.com/news/guilty-celebrities-ignore-our-massive-carbon-footprints-please/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">carbon footprint</a>.
Cook, who helped organize <a href="https://www.1news.co.nz/2022/09/23/photos-hundreds-turn-out-for-climate-strikes-across-nz/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Friday&#8217;s School Strike 4 Climate</a>, hit the streets with hundreds of others in Wellington, Christchurch, New Plymouth, and Auckland — where they demanded that the government step up and address climate change &#8220;for the crisis that it is.&#8221;
&#8220;This year for our strike we&#8217;re focusing specifically on agriculture,&#8221; she said. &#8220;Two of our demands are our main focus: ban synthetic nitrogen fertilizers and halving the herd of cows in NZ &#8230; the government is just not doing enough.&#8221;
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16-year old Izzy Cook from SS4C:
&quot;This year for our strike we&#39;re focusing specifically on agriculture. Two of our demands are our main focus: ban synthetic nitrogen fertilisers and halving the herd of cows in NZ&#8230;the government is just not doing enough.&quot;<a href="https://t.co/CK6RBO4nnP">https://t.co/CK6RBO4nnP</a>
&mdash; Adam Currie (@Adam_Currie_NZ) <a href="https://twitter.com/Adam_Currie_NZ/status/1573071724329209856?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 22, 2022</a></blockquote>
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Cook spoke with du Plessis-Allan about the strike — and about climate change in general — but the interview took an interesting turn when the topic turned to air travel.
LISTEN:
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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/schoolstrike4climate?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#schoolstrike4climate</a> &quot;It is pretty ironic,&#8230;&quot; <a href="https://t.co/M5a3WwQ9kK">pic.twitter.com/M5a3WwQ9kK</a>
&mdash; Waiting an Adernity (@smoothie_nz) <a href="https://twitter.com/smoothie_nz/status/1573225915878117376?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 23, 2022</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;So we would have to apply to have, like, approved events to be able to fly for,&#8221; du Plessis-Allan prompted.
&#8220;Well, that&#8217;s one thing that you could look at doing,&#8221; Cook replied.
&#8220;Am I allowed to go to Fiji? Is that necessary?&#8221; du Plessis-Allan asked.
&#8220;In the current climate crisis, I don&#8217;t think that that&#8217;s necessary travel,&#8221; Cook said, but du Plessis-Allan immediately pushed back.
&#8220;When was the last time you were on a plane?&#8221; she asked.
Cook paused briefly before answering, &#8220;Um &#8230; I&#8217;m not sure. A few months ago, to be honest.&#8221;
&#8220;Where&#8217;d you go?&#8221; du Plessis-Allan asked.
After another long pause, Cook answered: &#8220;Fiji.&#8221;
&#8220;Izzy!&#8221; du Plessis-Allan burst out laughing then, chastising the teen activist. &#8220;Izzy! Don&#8217;t you care about the climate, Izzy?&#8221;
&#8220;Of course I care about the climate,&#8221; Cook insisted — to which du Plessis-Allan replied, &#8220;Not enough.&#8221;
&#8220;You went to Fiji!&#8221; the host said again, still laughing. &#8220;Izzy, come on, mate! Are you serious?&#8221;
After another lengthy pause, Cook conceded, &#8220;It&#8217;s pretty ironic. It is pretty ironic, but to be honest, it&#8217;s not really a trip that I wanted to go on, but I can&#8217;t really get out of it.&#8221;
Cook then clarified that her parents had planned the trip and told her that she had no choice but to go along.
The host continued to press Cook about the trip, asking whether she was embarrassed that her parents had taken such a trip and forced her to take part in it — and whether or not she&#8217;d had a &#8220;terrible time.&#8221;

there is no plante b, climate change protest

‘It Is Pretty Ironic’: Radio Interview With Teen Climate Activist Goes Sideways In 3… 2… 1…

Radio Interview With Teen Climate Activist Izzy Cook Goes Sideways

Air Travel

Environmentalism

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