NZ-pledged weapons fund should be for humanitarian relief – Green Party
Green Party Defence spokesperson Golriz Ghahraman said while it was great some of the new funding was being spent on humanitarian relief, the Government should commit the entire $13m to it.
“That amount could make a huge difference if we had given it in humanitarian relief. It could save so many more lives and make so many more people safe.”
Ghahraman said she believed New Zealand’s contribution to weapons for Ukraine was driven by diplomatic relations and alignment with international partners.
“In terms of where New Zealand is best-placed to get engaged in this war, it isn’t by providing weapons and being that kind of actor. It’s less effective, we do it less well and we’re contributing to something that we understand less of.
“What New Zealand and the entire international community has been called upon – to provide immediate humanitarian relief and we’ve now somehow made a decision that we’re giving more in military aid than humanitarian relief, so that’s a bit disappointing.”
Golriz is 100% right!
I know we are disgusted and sickened by the images out of the Ukraine, you wouldn’t be human if such reckless violence against civilians didn’t move you!
I know we are also right now frightened and angry and feeling the squeeze of Omicron economically and socially which is driving the desire to lash out.
But we mustn’t lash out!
Our strength is in our pacifism and principled stance on war. We heal, we protect, we defend, we talk and we de-escalate.
We don’t go throwing money into weapons for conflict.
We are cruising dangerously close to thresholds where war is declared and while I feel every day for the people of Ukraine, they are up against a desperate tyrant who has forced his army into an unprovoked war and whose violence is being borne by a civilian population who are innocent.
Who also has nuclear weapons.
The focus must be on the devastation of fleeing refugees, bringing everyone to the negotiation table and the immediate cessation of hostilities.
There is no military solution in Ukraine and the threat of a desperate leader with nukes miscalculating doesn’t need our pile on.
Right after we made this declaration, Government websites in NZ went off line…
Government websites inaccessible after being affected by privacy issue
Government websites including the New Zealand Parliament website and the Companies Office were inaccessible and showing security warnings on Tuesday afternoon.
The Government’s RealMe portal login.realme.govt.nz, which is used for a range of services including Inland Revenue and My Covid Record, was unavailable throughout the afternoon.
The Companies Office website could not be accessed, and instead showed a message saying: “Attackers might be trying to steal your information from login.realme.govt.nz“.
Later the site said: “The resource you are looking for has been removed, had its name changed, or is temporarily unavailable.”
…looks like the Russians noticed.
This weird cry for the NZDF to send weapons to Ukraine to kill evil Russians is strangely similar to the middle class Marxists screaming for police to bash the smelly lumpenproletariat nazis off Parliament’s lawns and is now extending to a new SIS Stasi to dob in enemies of the State who say mean things about you on line.
When did we go from peace loving kiwis to righteous violence?
Where is our ‘enemy to none, friend to all’ headspace?
It seems that ever since the Wellington Middle Class Marxists got spooked by the Dumb Lives Matter protest, any perception of threat is now met with a Trevor Mallard level over reaction.
This sudden rush of blood to the head is directing demands for us to give Ukrainians lethal military aid which when you consider the dangers of escalation with a dangerously bogged down and nuclear armed Putin is the antithesis of what we should be doing.
It’s like our feelings now rule social policy debate and drive actual policy implementation!
We feel angry and frightened by the Dumb Lives Matter protestors so send in the Army and riot police.
We feel angry and frightened by the images we see on TV, so send lethal military aid.
We feel angry and frightened by people saying mean things anonymously online so demand an SIS Stasi!
In each case our fear and anger is making us want severe responses.
We need to chill the fuck out.
Golriz is 100% right on this issue. We shouldn’t be sending lethal aid.
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The ONLY thing that she has said that is true…finally!
Not a fan of Golriz but she was also right and prepared to speak out on Julian Assange, that’s two things!
I disagree we should be sending all our anti tank missiles and all the 7.62×39 ammo we have. Ukraine needs to win this war or another one will start up again.
so 3 panzerfausts and some out of date boxes of .303 then ted?
Nice gagarin nice …
Peas in a pod.
No stocks of our army’s Javelins and sizable store of 7.62×39
The ONLY thing that she has said that is true…finally!
100% right, but then what? A bit disappointing alright.
Are the greens not in government? Is there a non violence principle that the Green Party has as a matter of principle?
I’d really like to know if there is a bottom line at which support for the government is no longer possible?
Where would that be? What would we need to see for support to be withdrawn? Or are all principles subordinate to being ‘at the table’
Agree
100% Correct, but then what? It’s OK
to say it’s a bit disappointing, but…… crickets….
Non violence is a founding principle for the Green Party – they are part of the government that has made this decision.
My question is what is the bottom line for continuing to support the government – what would it take to walk away? Is there a bottom line, is there a principle that can withstand political power
Non-violent conflict resolution is the process by which ecological wisdom, social responsibility and appropriate decision making will be implemented. This principle applies at all levels.
Where does the decision to send weapons sit with this. What is a bottom line from The Green Party
Bhahahahahaha. So true. Anyone keen on a sweepstake on where in the world the C130 will break down. My guess is it will splutter into some east Asian airfield and need parts from US that can’t be shipped due to parts that rely on materials from Russia/Ukraine.
You are indeed correct and no doubt our Chinese overloads will look on this unfavorably. Watch for some bullshit on the Chinese wharves in the next 60 days.
What will be fascinating is the West’s resolve given mad Vlad is digging in. France is up first and if Le Pen manages to pull a rabbit from the hat where to for Biden and co then? Putin fan boys in Hungry and Serbia have been re-elected with larger majorities. What’s more important gas and power or principles?
We live in interesting times…..
Tend to agree Martyn, however, there does come a time when appeasement no longer works and Ukraine is reaping the results of 20 years of appeasement. All morality aside, Putin will not stop at Ukraine and Xi will be emboldened. Easy for us to say that we are jumping in with righteous indignation but I think it is more that the West has woken up to the strategic need to have the battle fought in Ukraine and stop expansionism in its tracks. Truth be told, they probably dont much care about Ukraine and it’s people but do care very much about Eastern expansionism under autocratic leaders.
The Poles see the Donbas as another Sudetenland and are absolutely screaming at the West to take notice. Asking why no-one remembers WW2 and how that kicked off? They dont want to be the first domino to fall again.
and putin could use exactly the same excuses
Never thought I would agree with her. But there you have it. Why do we need to stick our sticky beaks in? Haven’t seen Patagonia or Denmark or Malawi or Chili get involved…why us??? Surely the whole world should send weapons then?
If you were forced to try and protect your own family against invading Russian soldiers try doing that with only a bag of rice and a tent.
They should have thought about that during the 8-9 years of bombing civilians in the Donbass and kill about 20,000 innocent Russian speaking Ukrainians.
All well documented for those that REALLY want to know the truth.
My God, I agree with something Golriz has said. It might be a first.
Yes a first for me too.
Agree.
Read around the subject. The west is pure propaganda about what is happening in Ukraine.
I recommend Scott Ritter to get a WAY better overview of; why this started, who’s to blames, The Bucha affair and why the Ukraines most likely did it. etc etc
Our media doesn’t touch on ANY of this stuff, so NO WONDER we’re all reacting like a puppet with our strings being pulled by horrid/lying/manipulating people and being played for dumb idiots.
And our GOVT KNOWS all this, yet still does what it does.
Tells you how under the USA control we really are.
If you think the Ukrainians killed all those civilians in Bucha you must be braindead. I guess this logic says the Ukrainians have been bombing the shit out of Muriupol, Khirkiv and other cities as well.
Wrong wrong wrong wrong. Appeasement does not work! Without weapons supplied by the West, Kyiv would have fallen, Zelensky would be dead or in exile and Ukraine would no longer be a country.
Peace through strength is what has been forgotten since the end of the Cold War.
Tents and Tim tams are no substitute for tanks, drones and javelin missiles.
If our cyber security is that woeful dare I suggest the government spend what’s needed (a minimum of 2% of GDP) to keep our critical infrastructure safe so we cease to be a sitting duck a la NZX for the most basic of hacks/attacks.
Without weapons being supplied by the West there never would have been a war .
D J S
Security theatre. Fabricate a problem and blame it on everyday day folk not being well behaved enough. Then bring in the solution which really sux and proles people and makes people more upset. Fabricate another problem and provoke and upset.. Then bring in the security measures to ensure no more uprisings. Tried and true from da commie recipe book.. Sure to rise recipe
Security theatre. Fabricate a problem and blame it on everyday day folk not being well behaved enough. Then bring in the solution which really sux and provokes people and makes people more upset. Fabricate another problem and provoke and upset.. Then bring in the security measures to ensure no more uprisings. Tried and true from da commie recipe book.. Sure to rise recipe
‘dumb lives matter’ was organised by govt and Wgtn mayor and faux freedom leaders and took advantage of people rightfully confused and upset by govt over reach
Dumb Lives Matter movement at Parliament was a right wing protest with their figurehead/frontpersons and icons Seymore, Hyde, Winston, Luxon, Bridges, Pugh, King, Baker, Alps, Chapman, Fox, Tamaki, Billy TK. The NATZ dirty politics inspired protesters were rounded up and thrown off the battle field like losers. Saw a swastika, hammer and sickle, nuremburg adverts, white supremists, etc – no left wingers, Greens or social democrats there. Jacinda/Coster 10 Right wing losers ZERO.
The world is looking for a leader and they saw it with Jacinda as the only leader to protect citizens from one of its first foreign invader, COVID. The rest of the world (and NATZ) were a failure so raised the white flag, desreted the trenches, surrendered to the invisible enemy and then suffered a horrendous body count.
With Ukraine Jacinda has made the right decision and followed the right strategy by giving $$$$$ to purchase modern weapons from USA, Sweden, Ireland, – Javelins are handy but are a dime a dozen and tanks will have a lesser role. They need land to Air missiles like stingers but better still Drones. Its going to be difficult defending against a nuclear and chemical weapons super power but good weapons and soldiers are the only answer. NZ would have some good forensics experts to help identify victims of the war.
If most of the commenters above were gifted a brain it would be lonely!
Golriz has been right on many things for those who are class left focused.
If you are a political floater, or a Kiwiblog fan that has slipped their collar to appear here then she is never going to be right on anything surely?
Aotearoa NZ desperately needs an independent foreign policy and to join the Non Aligned Movement where bilateral trade and cultural agreements are well suited to Climate Disaster and COVID disrupted supply lines.
Time to leave 5 Eyes and step away from imperialist wars.
Hmm. Left criticism of NATO as the eastward expansion of the US imperialism, provoking Russia into this invasion, can’t really account for reports that Sweden & Finland are beginning to express interest in joining. Here, the angle seems to be Martyn trying awfully hard to convince himself that Golriz Gharaman has got this right, and that a war of aggression launched by a nuclear-armed great power should not be cause for small states everywhere to demonstrate their support for the state under attack, no matter how paltry in the scheme of things.
No.
I certainly do believe we must support the Ukraine.
Don’t be stupid! Remember IRAQ! AFGHANISTAN! YEMEN! Syria!
Don’t be a sucker!
Oh dear. More than 1000 Azov Nazis surender. A large number of Ukrainian troops laying down arms in Mariupol began to emerge on Tuesday. These were supported by footage from war correspondents on the ground, showing what appears to be groups of people wearing military uniforms in captivity.
For over a month the marines fought with no supplies of ammo, without food, without water, pretty much drinking from puddles, and died in droves,” the message read. “Our wise generals are telling us to capture ammo from the enemy.
Still got to win the ground war if aod is to be distributed, usually by the winning side.
the finns hate and fear the russians anyway, look at their shared history both sides have invaded the other and tried to annex territory, I think the swedes are just jumping on the bandwagon.
I just hope the cheerleading squad will be as enthusiastic when the 1st kiwi comes home in a box..logistical troops if stationed within the ukraine (which hasn’t been ruled out) are a fair and legitimate target for the russians…we’ll see how hard the gung ho gobshites are then.
plus any kiwi terrorist who goes to the ukraine as a ‘foreign fighter’ should be treated the same as an ISIS volunteer and not helped one tiny bit if they get into strife…no consular help nothing.
it’s nowt to do with us as a nation, let’s keep it that way.
Ok Bomber, if you were at the negotiating table or in government – how does this war end? Who does what? Are the people of Ukraine expected to give concessions of territory to a dictator? Genuinely interested in your take. Humanitarian aid is all very well but it won’t do a thing to actually END this.
If Golriz was from China or Russia the commentariat would be screaming about some entitled foreigner infiltrating our government and Jacinda would be saying go home.
Bellis sided with the Teleban and declared that they were more supportive to a pregnant woman than the Labour Government. What an insult on the 10 dead soldiers other soldiers. All sorts of NATZACT dirty politics influences spread to the right wing here and overseas. Russia is the Teleban in the Bellis saga. Where do NATZ DP stand.
I can’t believe the brainwashing by msm; “lethal aid” is an oxymoron. A total contradiction in terms. Newspeak.
Where is the food aid?
Go Golriz- you are absolutely right.
@TM yep- time to leave 5 eyes, like yesterday.
Missile launchers and drones for what? Escalation of a proxy was that benefits no one except the arms manufacturers and Hollywood.