Category: MIL-OSI

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Media Release – 12 March 2025

Family First NZ is welcoming moves by the Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters to ‘weed out the wokeness’ from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade as a result of an exposé by Family First on some of the content on the MFAT website and also its actions around the Pacific Islands.

In a Substack by CEO Bob McCoskrie by CEO Bob McCoskrie, the government body that should represent New Zealand to other governments, ensure security in the region, and negotiate trade agreements has become fully captive to DEI (diversity, equity & inclusion) & wokeness.

Their website zeroes in on sexual orientation and gender identity, intersectionality, “inclusion of our rainbow communities”, and they have even produced a glossary of reo Māori terminology for people of diverse SOGIESC – compliments of the taxpayer.

MFAT says: “In this way, we celebrate the place of rainbow communities in Aotearoa New Zealand as part of the diversity of the peoples of Te Moana-nui-a-Kiwa.”

The MFAT website says:

“Indigenous Takatapui LGBTQIA+ terminology are crucial for people-centred development in the Pacific as they honour and recognise the diverse cultural expressions and experiences of Indigenous peoples of Te Moana-nui-a-Kiwa…. It fosters cultural pride, self-determination, and social cohesion, promoting inclusive and sustainable development in the region.”

The then-Labour government also appointed an “Ambassador for Gender Equality (Pacific) / Tuia Tangata” in 2022 who travelled around Pacific countries pushing wokeness.

According to a report on the Newsroom website in 2022;

“Foreign Affairs Minister Nanaia Mahuta announced Louisa Wall’s appointment as a new ambassador for gender equality in the Pacific – less than a fortnight after Wall announced the end of her 14-year career in Parliament. The timing of Wall’s appointment, coupled with the well-established tensions between the outspoken MP and some within Labour, led to speculation that the role – to which she was appointed directly, without advertisement – had been created to move her on from Parliament.”

In response to the expose, the Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters released a statement this morning, saying:

“Since returning to the Foreign Affairs portfolio in November 2023, the Minister has been concerned about the impact that the woke agenda of his predecessor and the Ardern/Hipkins Government had on New Zealand’s diplomacy and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

Over the past 16 months, the Minister has made clear to successive Secretaries of Foreign Affairs and Trade that he expects MFAT and New Zealand’s diplomats to reflect the agenda of the current New Zealand Government. This has included a determination to remove references to the previous government’s policy priorities from the Ministry’s online publications.

While the Minister continues to hold New Zealand’s diplomats in the highest esteem, he is disappointed that there continue to be outdated references to discretionary legacy initiatives of the previous Labour Government on the MFAT website. He has instructed Secretary of Foreign Affairs and Trade Bede Corry to review the Ministry’s website and ensure its alignment with the Coalition Government’s agenda.

He looks forward to that review being conducted with a sense of urgency.”

It’s time that MFAT got back to their core activity – foreign affairs and trade, security in the region (including especially the Cook Islands), free trade deals – rather than ramming down DEI and Wokeism 101 down the throat of every other country.

This appears to be the target of the NZ First bill released last week, and should be supported by the coalition partners National and ACT.

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MEDIA RELEASE

30 January 2025

Family First is calling for an immediate end to new prescribing of puberty blockers due to the clear lack of quality probative evidence of efficacy and safety.

It comes at the same time as more than 100 doctors, academics, lawyers, politicians and “detransitioners” are calling for the Albanese government in Australia to launch an immediate inquiry into youth gender medicine and to pause the use of puberty blockers and hormone therapies for children in Australia.

Family First and its legal representatives met with the Puberty Blocker Consultation Team from the Ministry of Health in January.

Family First has subsequently written to both the PBC Team and Health NZ to reiterate the following points regarding the safety and efficacy requirements under the Medicines Act 1981 (the Medicines Act) and Family First’s concerns about inconsistent standards, stating the following:

“We are aware that these provisions do not apply directly to off-label use of puberty blockers under section 25 of the Medicines Act, but we have been advised that the Medicines Act generally requires proof of safety and efficacy before allowing the sale and supply of new medications for specific indications in New Zealand.

“Throughout the Medicines Act, there are strict conditions relating to safety and efficacy both for a medicine to first obtain consent to be used in New Zealand and secondly for it to be removed from the market if concerns arise about its safety and efficacy, including the following:

1. Applications for the Minister’s consent under section 20 of the Medicines Act require evidence to be provided, under section 21(2), of both the safety and efficacy of the medicine.
2. Section 35 enables the Minister to revoke or suspend a consent under sections 20 or 23 if he is of the opinion that either the medicine can no longer be administered or used safely or that the efficacy of the medicine can no longer be regarded as satisfactory.
3. Section 36 enables the Director-General to give notice and require an importer or manufacturer to satisfy him of the “safety or efficacy of that medicine” if he “has reason to believe that any medicine, not being a new medicine, may be unsafe or ineffective for the therapeutic purpose for which is it sold”. This process can also then lead to a notice from the Minister prohibiting the sale or supply of the medicine under section 36(3)(a).
4. Even a change in an existing approved medicine can be referred to the Minister for consideration, under section 24(5), if the Director-General considers that despite the evidence supplied he is insufficiently informed of the safety or efficacy of the medicine after that change.

“As discussed, we are concerned about the ability of patients to give their informed consent for puberty blockers for Gender Dysmorphia prescribed under section 25 when they have not been proven to be safe, efficacious or reversible for the purposes they are currently being prescribed and used for in New Zealand.

“This is based on the Ministry of Health’s own Position Statement on the Use of Puberty Blockers in Gender-Affirming Care dated 21 November, 2024, following the release of an evidence brief which examined the safety and long-term impacts of puberty blockers when used in the context of gender-affirming care. [View the Impact of Puberty Blockers in Gender-Dysphoric Adolescents: An evidence brief.]

Family First’s position remains that there should be an immediate end to new prescribing of puberty blockers due to the clear lack of quality probative evidence of efficacy and safety. Existing users need to be transitioned from Puberty Blockers in a medically appropriate way or at the very least, have the lack of quality evidence on safety, efficacy and reversibility explained to them with a view to confirming they and their parents or guardians do provide informed consent.  This in turn also means the Ministry’s Position Statement must be updated immediately to remove the factually incorrect statements regarding efficacy, safety, and future risks, including any references to the PATHA Guidelines.”

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MEDIA RELEASE

18 December 2024  

Abortions Increase 23% Since Law Change

The Abortion Services Annual Report was released yesterday.

It shows a disturbing trend with the number of abortions increasing 23% since abortion was decriminalised. There has been a 15% increase in just the past 12 months alone. 16,000+ abortions were performed last year.

The ratio of abortions has increased since the law change from 18.6% to about 22.1% of known pregnancies ending in an abortion. This means that on average, every day, 45 children are killed in the womb in New Zealand.

There has also been a 67% increase in late-term abortions (20 weeks onwards) between 2021 and 2023.

Taking abortion out of the criminal code and inserting it into health legislation has given the unborn baby the same status as an appendix, gall bladder or tonsils – simply ’tissue’ removed as part of a ‘health procedure’.

But anyone who has viewed the ultrasound of an unborn child will know that this is a gross abuse of human rights. It also creates inconsistency with other legislation and public health messaging which clearly recognises the rights of the unborn child.

Abortion is both a health issue and a legal issue – for both the mother and the unborn child.

READ MORE about New Zealand’s Abortion Law

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In an effort to promote sustainable fishing and stronger stewardship of Belize’s rich marine environment, the Government of Belize and World Wildlife Fund (WWF) today announced they are joining forces with the Development Finance Corporation of Belize and Wildlife Conservation Society to establish a pilot program to support licensed artisanal fishers through loans tailored to their needs. In response, Chris Holtz, WWF-US vice president for Earth for Life said:

“Successful ocean conservation in Belize depends on sustainable livelihoods for fishers as much as long-term fisheries protection. By partnering with Belize’s Development Finance Corporation, we will support licensed fishers to invest in the gear and practices to fish more sustainably. The Artisanal Fishing Loan pilot is more than just a loan product co-designed with fisherman. It is a package of support that includes training in financial literacy, fisheries management, and data collection methods. As the test case for including this type of development finance in a Project Finance for Permanence initiative, WWF is excited for the potential opening up of new financing options for both community livelihoods and conservation.”

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BNZ has today announced it is cutting its popular standard 6-month fixed home loan rate to 5.99% p.a, giving it the lowest advertised 6-month rate of the five major banks*.

BNZ General Manager Home Lending James Leydon says this change supports New Zealanders’ demand for shorter term fixed rates in a falling interest rate environment.

“Customers are paying close attention to interest rates and we’re currently seeing over 90% of customers taking out home loans on fixed terms of 12 months or less as they look to make the most of the drop in interest rates.

“We’re always looking to pass on rate reductions to our customers. Today’s rate cut will hopefully provide some welcome interest relief to customers which could help with cashflow as we head into the festive season,” he says.

BNZ has also cut its standard 1-year fixed home loan rate to 5.95%.

BNZ’s new standard 6-month and 1-year fixed home loan rates will be available from 21 November 2024 for both new and existing customers.

BNZ lending criteria (including minimum equity requirements), and terms apply. Rates subject to change. Up to $150 establishment fee and early repayment charges may apply.

*At as 7am 21 November 2024

The post BNZ cuts 6-month home loan interest rate appeared first on BNZ Debrief.

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En un esfuerzo por promover la pesca sostenible y una mejor administración del rico entorno marino de Belice, el Gobierno de Belice y World Wildlife Fund (WWF) anunciaron hoy que unirán fuerzas con Development Finance Corporation de Belice y Wildlife Conservation Society para establecer un programa piloto que ayude a los pescadores artesanales autorizados a través de préstamos adaptados a sus necesidades. En respuesta a lo anterior, Chris Holtz, vicepresidente de Earth for Life de WWF-US, dijo:

“La conservación exitosa de los océanos en Belice depende tanto de los medios de subsistencia sostenibles de los pescadores como de la protección de las pesquerías a largo plazo. Al asociarnos con Development Finance Corporation de Belice, apoyaremos a los pescadores autorizados para que inviertan en artes y prácticas para pescar de manera más sostenible. El programa piloto de préstamos para pesquerías artesanales es más que un simple producto de préstamo diseñado conjuntamente con los pescadores. Es un paquete de apoyo que incluye capacitación en materia de educación financiera, gestión pesquera y métodos de recopilación de datos. Como caso de prueba y para incluir este tipo de financiamiento para el desarrollo como una iniciativa de los Proyectos de Financiamiento para la Permanencia, WWF está entusiasmado ante la posible apertura de nuevas opciones de financiamiento tanto para los medios de subsistencia comunitarios como para la conservación”.

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Today, the Copernicus Climate Change Service released data detailing the record-breaking temperatures recorded in January 2024, making it the warmest January on record. The data shows that Earth endured 12 consecutive months with global warming of 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels. In response, World Wildlife Fund (WWF) issued the following statement from Marcene Mitchell, WWF senior vice president of climate change: 

“This is yet another reminder that while much has been accomplished, our work to-date to address climate change isn’t enough. This warmest January on record marked the eighth month in a row of record-setting temperatures. It’s time to stop ignoring the bell that tolls for a climate tragedy, and use this data to inform our next steps, both in the U.S. and globally.   

“We must act in the next six years to bend the curve on emissions, so what we decide to do now is more important than ever before — and the solutions are within our reach. Action now must consist of activities like tripling renewable energy deployment, phasing out fossil fuels, taking gas cars off the road, electrifying our homes and buildings, and investing in green technologies to transform industry and food systems. 

“It’s going to require active intervention, but committing to these steps can significantly shift the fight against climate change in our favor. We must pick up the pace to ensure a healthier, more just, and sustainable future.”

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Today, World Wildlife Fund (WWF) joined several NGOs and foundations to issue a letter to President Biden calling for him to institute a whole-of-government approach at the federal level to advance ambitious solutions to plastic pollution, both in the U.S. and internationally. WWF issued the following statement from Alejandro Pérez, senior vice president of policy and government affairs:

“With plastic pollution devastating our environment and threatening the economic and human health of our communities, we need bold action at all levels of society with the U.S. government leading the way. We are calling on the President to elevate this issue across his Administration, activating the full power of the federal government and signaling American leadership on an issue of global significance.

“The Administration has already demonstrated significant leadership, including by working with other countries toward securing an international agreement to end plastic pollution. We must seize this once-in-a-generation opportunity to set ourselves on a course to a future where plastic no longer ends up in nature.

“By instituting a whole-of-government approach at the federal level, you can empower these growing efforts, help them flourish, and add significant momentum to efforts to advance ambitious solutions to plastic pollution in the U.S. and internationally. We respectfully encourage you to take such presidential action…” – Excerpt from Letter to President Biden

“We also need concerted action in the U.S. to put solutions in place now. Presidential action to address plastic pollution here at home will spur the regulatory certainty that leading companies are calling for to enable them to innovate and move further faster. It will also help to drive global ambition at a pivotal moment.

“President Biden has an opportunity to put the full weight of the federal government behind solutions to catalyze a circular economy and set the stage for concerted global action. We are witnessing a groundswell of support from business and the American public. It’s time to supercharge it with a government-wide approach to reducing plastic pollution.”

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Read the letter here.