Tika Tangata said "what's with your ideological bias, mate?"

To close: don't use a veneer of science and evidence to try and cloak your ideological agenda when there are SO many other examples of low-quality evidence interventions we use all the time. The limitations to evidence for gender affirming care may be unavoidable but not unacceptable.

This whole page is excellent. MoH found evidence for benefit to mental health and immediately discarded it. HRC have said "no, mental health is a part of right to health and you cannot discard this evidence without good reason"

Manatū Hauora's review didn't consider evidence for alternative treatments because the 'alternative' could be considered a conversion practice which is illegal in Aotearoa. They also didn't consider the evidence of harm of withholding this care.

The increase in visibility and acceptance is the likely cause of an increase in those accessing healthcare, & not cause for moral panic. They note that they are not examining this care for cis children - this & unprecedented open consultation is differential treatment which could be found unlawful.

Tika Tangata make it clear that access needs to be strengthened, not restricted, and rightly note that trans people still have their human rights violated in Aotearoa. HRC receive regular complaints - most commonly about discrimination enacted by the Government.

Really strong submission from Tika Tangata on puberty blockers 🧵

HRC point out that MoH's evidence brief did not include any evidence of irresponsible and concerning prescribing. I have in an OIA request that the Ministry KNOW there is no irresponsible or concerning prescribing, and have known since April 2024.

If the Luxon-"led" gov't in Aotearoa can block access to healthcare for our trans whānau, they can block access to abortion again. Trust that the anti-choice health minister Simeon Brown*WILL* block access if they stay in power next election. They'll see it as a mandate. #nzpol #trans #abortion

Week in Review: From Auckland University - Opinion: How much did the Govt pay for a curriculum that is so inferior to the version already mandated in our schools? And how else might we have spent that money?

I am glad I was right about that guy all along.

10 hours. Underfunding that leads to long wait times at emergency departments cause extreme risk to health. Support striking health workers.

Nurses, Doctors and other healthcare workers are striking for better pay, staffing, and services to protect us from the shambles and probable deaths caused by the Govt’s severe underfunding, misinformation and lack of concern for those that use public health services. Support the strike. #nzpol

I know the Trump WH wouldn't acknowledge this publicly, but this admin (and its supporters) surely know the White House exists because of the labor of enslaved people, and I have to think they're excited to tear at least part of it down as a fuck-you message to those workers, specifically.

I can't remember if it stands for 'anthony comstock is a bitch' in this case but i'm definitely telling people it is if they ask me about it (via @autonomynews.co! get yours: www.bonfire.com/all-comstock...)

What was actually in the fine print of yesterday's roading announcement: a $40-to-$50 billion bill that we could not pay without bankrupting ourselves. This has been implicit for a long time and should be in the damn headlines. greaterauckland.substack.com/p/reality-bi...

Ireland: More detailed information on abortions carried out in hospitals across the country will be made available by the Health Service Executive. It will include patient demographics including age, previous pregnancies, contraception use, and previous terminations.

Spain's prime minister is not demanding a "blacklist" of so-called conscientious objectors. It's a registry that would hold accountable doctors (finally!) who abandon patients in favour of their own personal beliefs.

Oh great, more disinformation. This stuff can cause real harm to people's lives in the form of unwanted pregnancies, and all the trouble and stress that results from that. Don't get medical advice from fkn TikTok. #nzpol #abortion @alranz.bsky.social

This is a very bad thing - and it’s a very bad thing particularly for vulnerable communities. It’s also much less indicative of the removal of red tape than the rapidly increasing, and very deliberate eroding of democratic norms.

History has many painful lessons.

I always pay attention to what stories People Magazine and other consumer media outlets cover. That's how you can tell that something has broken through the usual political and news bubbles. This horrific Chicago story has broken through. people.com/ice-agents-o...

When the news is coming this fast, I need a place to talk it out—and that means a livestream. This week, I couldn’t think of a better partner-in-fire than @mintimm.bsky.social of @reproductivefreedomforall.org Join us live: open.substack.com/live-stream/...

Gaslighter in chief - Luxon - is back on his bullshit. Job seekers are applying for 1 job that 900+ are also applying for. It’s not PlayStation that’s the problem, it’s the govt crashing the economy, forcing job cuts in the public sector and the knock on effect in the private sector. #nzpol

Aside from the (so very many) logical fallacies happening in whatever this is trying to be, it’s truly fascinating that someone with editorial responsibility was sufficiently impressed with this to press go.

The strongest National supporter I know told me last week how worried he was that his grandson had applied for so many jobs and was still unemployed. I think this comment will infuriate even him cause he believes in work & knows people aren't sitting on the couch. www.nzherald.co.nz/rotorua-dail...

I will leave this here because it happened! On camera!

All those generals and senior officers flown in from their actual jobs, at enormous taxpayer expense, only to listen to two idiots blathering in ways that defy credulity. Their group chats must be on fire.

It’s really funny that Hegseth’s little GI Joe fantasy league speech was met with… silence.

I really need all of us to abandon any impostor syndrome. It’s time.

If any other president in all of history said the military should use American cities as a training ground he would be removed from office that same day. The hardest thing to tolerate in all this is how relatively silent elected democrats are. It’s ridiculous.

If you're on tiktok please go interact with the video there - I've been shadow-banned, along with lots of other folks who make videos about abortion www.tiktok.com/@auntiekillj...

All eyes on South Carolina, where the anti-abortion movement is using the state as a testing ground for what they want nationally

On the one hand, I'm so proud and in awe of these young people who are taking care of their community. On the other, I can't believe in 2025 that women have been reduced to starting underground birth control networks apnews.com/article/abor...

Jane Goodall, ethologist and conservationist, has died. She was 91

New Zealander ‘kidnapped’: Everything we know about the Global Sumud Flotilla attempting to reach Gaza thespinoff.co.nz/society/02-1...

"If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor. If an elephant has its foot on the tail of a mouse, and you say that you are neutral, the mouse will not appreciate your neutrality." - Desmond Tutu

An intellectually dishonest position riddled with internal inconsistencies concluding with a retreat into a defensive crouch? Par for the course then.

We watch a people go through an attempted genocide, and we sit back and say you are no people. You have no state. For you see, we are friends with both you and your murderer.

Yeo in the ODT today

Inquiry to look into National's Carl Bates' failure to declare properties

To be clear: obviously this is about autism in as much as a they’re trying to stigmatize and demonize! But not because they actually care. (Got so caught up ranting and want to be precise!) More at the newsletter: jessica.substack.com/i/174352827/...

Let's talk about Tylenol and pregnancy. Fundamentally, this is about making sure women do not get one ounce of relief, but it's also about criminalization. How long do you think it's going to be before they arrest someone for taking Tylenol during a pregnancy? We are going down that road.

Ethnicity is a powerful indicator of health needs – cutting it from a new GP funding formula is a mistake

#nzpol Worth listening to the interview video if you haven't seen it yet. Sounds rough for everyone in Christchurch at the moment. IMHO, no NZ hospital staffing levels are currently at a level that could cope with a mass casualty event. Huge EQs are overdue here! www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/christchu...

😂

Kiwi teen Sam Leason describes 'scary' drone attacks by Israel on the peaceful Gaza-bound humanitarian Global Sumud Flotilla The NZ Government must now speak up #nzpol www.rnz.co.nz/news/nationa...

⚡Please watch this powerful, emotive & furious speech by Violet Affleck at #UNGA80 She rightly states that for children there has been a neglect of the highest order, even though we have the tech "Our present is being stolen in front of our eyes" 👉Clean Air is a human right

Two big takeaways from this:- 1) Our country, and the world, lost so much when she stepped down as Prime Minister. She was a shining example of how to lead with empathy. 2) She is doing more to advocate for New Zealand globally than Luxon could ever dream of doing. www.youtube.com/watch?v=xJg1...

After Peters, Luxon comes out to attack the UN as well, piggybacking off of Trump's fiery speech This is a f**king disgraceful timeline, folks #nzpol #Kiwi