Daily Archives: May 31, 2024

The campaign for the freedom of the socialist Bogdan Syrotiuk from his imprisonment by the Ukrainian regime continues to gain support in Australia and New Zealand. Bogdan has been the victim of a political frame-up. He was jailed in late April on the bogus charge of high treason and is threatened with life in prison.

David North, the chairperson of the WSWS International Editorial Board, explained in a statement of May 17 that the real reason for his arrest is that Bogdan called for the unity of the Russian, Ukrainian and international working class on a socialist program against imperialist barbarism, including the US/NATO war against Russia.

We urge all readers to sign the ICFIs online petition here and send in statements demanding his immediate release.

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Mick Hall, a New Zealand-based journalist who was the victim of a hysterical McCarthyite campaign

Last year, Hall was pushed to resign from Radio New Zealand because he refused to conform to the medias pro-NATO propaganda on the war in Ukraine. The WSWS received the following statement in defence of Bogdan from him.

The imprisonment of socialist organiser Bogdan Syrotiuk is an affront of democratic rights and one of several worrying examples of political repression against young people campaigning for a genuine peace across the world, whether it be in Palestine, Ukraine or other places where Western imperialism runs riot.

Accusations against the 25-year-old political activist of spreading Russian propaganda and acting as a Kremlin agent, are both spurious and predictable.

Falsely conflating a correct appraisal of the Ukrainian proxy war with ideological support for the Kremlin has been a crude means of suppressing dissent and punishing those who have articulated it since the invasion on February 24, 2022. It has now been used to criminalise and incarcerate Bogdan.

The conflict makes young working-class Ukrainians like himself cannon-fodder to forward the geopolitical interests of Western elites. Bogdans voice was a threat to those interests and the increasingly tenuous position of the Zelensky regime, which now has no semblance of democratic legitimacy. Zelensky has banned opposition parties and jailed his opponents, while his neo-Nazi allies have murdered others. It is now a classic vassal state of the United States.

He has courageously made appeals to unite against those political elites pushing this obscene war, one that may yet end in nuclear annihilation, as NATO pushes for further escalation. The very least we can do is draw attention to his plight and demand his release.

He tweeted the April 30 statement calling for Bogdans release.

Bogdan Syrotiuk, has been framed, arrested and incarcerated. His arrest is unlawful, oppressive and draconian. Fighting for Bogdans release is also fighting for an end to the repression of the working class and the sadistic proxy wars in Ukraine and Gaza.

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Bogdan Syrotiuk was vocal in his opposition to the Ukraine-Russian war that serves as NATOs proxy war against Russia. The Zelensky regime have arrested Bogdan citing clearly false accusations of collusion with Russia.

Opposition to this war, in which 500,000 Ukrainians have been killed, is opposition to the unnecessary loss of life of the Ukrainian and Russian working class. The suppression of this antiwar sentiment exposes the class interests of the Zelensky regime, as do the tactics used to falsely incriminate Bogdan which should serve as a warning to all who oppose war.

This desperate suppression of the international antiwar youth movement reveal that the Zelensky regime consider Bogdan and his stance a significant threat and reveals the power of the international working class united against war, imperialism, and capitalism. We must demand the immediate release of comrade Bogdan!

The IYSSE at Western Sydney University echoes the call to workers and youth around the world to come to the defence of our comrade Bogdan Syrotiukthe founder and leader of the Young Guard of Bolshevik-Leninists (YGBL) in Ukraine. Following his arrest on April 25 by the Security Service of Ukraine, state officials are attempting to present Bogdan as an agent and supporter of the Russian regime through blatant lies. The real crime of Bogdanin the eyes of the Ukrainian regimeis his fight for the principled unity of the Ukrainian and Russian working class in opposition to both the US-NATO backed regime of Zelensky and the oligarchic Putin regime in the midst of this devastating war, which threatens nuclear annihilation.

The Ukrainian regime, like its counterparts around the world, is terrified of the very real prospect of revolutionary upheavals as a result of its criminal policies. It realises the significant threat posed by revolutionary leadership like Bogdan Syrotiuk and the YGBL and is attempting to use police-state measures to prolong its survival.

The attack on Bogdan is an attack on the entire working class! The genuine enforcers of democracy are the international youth and working class, not the profit-dominated judiciary system of Ukraine, or anywhere else for that matter.

In our defence of Bogdan Syrotiuk is the defence of our right to oppose the interests of the bloodthirsty capitalist class. This fight becomes ever more urgent, as the current socioeconomic order marches once more down the path of world war. Workers and students must turn to the ICFI in coordinating strike action and economic struggles against the corporations, universities, governments and union bureaucracies bankrolling and abetting war, genocide and the destruction of basic living conditions, making part of your demands Bogdans immediate release!

Bogdan Syrotiuk, a principled Trotskyist, has been arrested on a bogus charge of high treason. The real reason for his arrest is that he calls for the unity of Ukrainian and Russian workers, in opposition to the conflict in the region, a prospect that the ruling class fears.

Bogdans arrest is a stark warning to workers around the world that anyone who opposes the imperialist wars being waged, currently or those being prepared, will become a target of the various state apparatuses. Bogdans struggle is our struggle; I salute his bravery and add my voice to those who demand his immediate release.

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The campaign to free Ukrainian Socialist Bogdan Syrotiuk continues to gain support in Australia and New Zealand - WSWS

New Zealand's provincial rugby unions have voted against proposed governance reforms pushed by the sport's national governing body and players' association in a move that could lead to a split in the domestic game.

At a special general meeting in Wellington, the unions voted 59-31 against a proposed leadership structure pushed by New Zealand Rugby chairwoman Patsy Reddy who called for all members of the board to be independent, as advised by a governance review.

The unions instead voted 69-21 in favour of their own "Proposal 2", which demands at least three of the nine members have two years' experience on one of their boards.

The rejection of NZR's proposal is a major blow for the governing body's leadership and paves the way for major board upheaval.

Reddy said in March she would consider her position if her proposal failed to pass at the SGM.

The NZR board acknowledged the decision in a statement.

"This represents a significant change, and it is in the best interests of rugby that we move forward together," it read.

"The NZR board will implement this decision as quickly as possible, including the process for applications for board positions to ensure it has the best possible mix of skills, diversity and perspectives."

The vote followed a threat by the players' association last week to split with NZR and set up a new governing body for the professional game if Reddy's proposal was blocked.

The New Zealand Rugby Players' Association criticised the provincial unions in a statement soon after the vote.

"It was a great opportunity for the game to make the changes required," NZRPA boss Rob Nichol said.

"It's incredibly unfortunate we haven't taken that opportunity and ended up with what the expert labelled status quo or worse."

The provincial rugby unions said the vote would ensure the board retained strong links with the 150,000 people who play the game in New Zealand.

"The NZ Rugby board oversees the entire game, bottom to top, so we are pleased the NZ board will remain anchored in the entire game, bottom to top," said spokeswoman Rowena Duncum.

"We will have a board capable of overseeing NZR's international and commercial activity, and its management of the domestic game."

The governance review was commissioned in December 2022 after NZR secured a NZ$200 million ($A185m) cash injection by selling a stake in its commercial business to US private equity firm Silver Lake.

The review said NZR's leadership structure was not fit for purpose in the modern age.

Link:

New Zealand provincial unions block governance reforms - Rugby.com.au

Tudors Born To Dare manifesto reverberates across the New Zealand All Blacks rugby team from the Haka to their test matches.

In the world of team sports, several names have immortalised themselves as legends of the game thanks to their sporting success and dominance across the decades. The Reds of Manchester United and Ferrari are household names of football and Formula 1, while across the Atlantic Ocean, the Los Angeles Lakers, New York Yankees and the New England Patriots come to mind. In the world of rugby, that title belongs to the New Zealand All Blacks.

(From left to right) Tepaea Cook-Savage, Leroy Carter and Ngarohi McGarvey-Black of the New Zealand All Blacks Sevens.

What is it like to be daring from birth, to possess courage and fearlessness in pushing norms and boundaries? Some crumble under pressure, while others live up and soar beyond expectations. The New Zealand All Blacks rugby national team are on a different level, up for anything from when they don their iconic silver fern-crested black jersey and perform the world-famous Mori haka to laying their bodies on the line in fearsome rugby test matches.

(From left to right) Alena Saili, Risaleaana Pouri-Lane and Jorja Miller of the New Zealand Black Ferns Sevens.

If anyone is wondering, the games are regarded as test matches because every players and teams physicality, skill level, endurance and mental ability are laid bare on the pitch with nowhere to hide. This spirit resonates with Tudors Born To Dare manifesto. Earlier in May, the All Blacks Sevens and Black Ferns Sevens the New Zealand rugby sevens mens and womens teams were in Singapore to compete and conquered the HSBC SVNS Singapore. The Tudor Singapore team hosted some of the players and Mens Folio had the privilege of hearing from the players first-hand before the tournament about their pride in performing the haka and donning the iconic black jersey, and what Born To Dare means to them.

The Tudor manifesto is Born To Dare. How does this resonate with you and maybe the team as well? Leroy Carter (LC): Well, it can be pretty ruthless, especially in our game of Sevens. So, if you go into games and are not ready to put your body on the line, you can come out second-best. Its going to the games and willing to do whatever you can to get the job done. I think thats where there are many similarities to Tudors Born to Dare.

Jorja Miller (JM): Born To Dare in the rugby context is being courageous and having that courage. In a team like ours, we embrace it. Courage and bravery on and off the field are big things that lean into what we do daily. Courage plays a significant role in shaping our daily actions and mindset.

Risaleaana Pouri-Lane (RP): The first thing that comes to mind is going beyond expectations. We strive for greatness, to be the best at what we can be, and to be more than others try to achieve. It also relates to you guys theres no ceiling, and you can strive for whatever you want.

Alena Saili (AS): Courage was also the first word that came to my mind. Also, authenticity not being afraid to be yourself and bringing what you have to the table.

There are so much expectations and pressure going into the competitions. How do you handle them in terms of mental preparation and getting into that headspace? Tepaea Cook-Savage (TC): It starts back home with the preparation and being savage on the basics, being accountable for your learning and growth, and being able to put your head down and get stuck in training days. Its also bringing the mahi (Maori for the hard work necessary to get the job done). When were on tour, we think of the boys who dont get selected putting in the hard yards back home. Thats one thing that keeps me going, knowing that I can be back home and not travel. You cant take it for granted when youre travelling.

RP: Expectations and pressures come with the privilege of wearing the black jersey and representing our country. Its about shifting our perspective to see these challenges as opportunities. We understand that expectations and pressure will always be present, but its how we harness them positively that matters most. Experience teaches us valuable lessons; we learn and grow from facing different situations. Perfection isnt always attainable, but we continue to learn and progress by acknowledging the external noise and staying united.

One of the interesting things especially this year is that we are getting the womens Sevens team. In a sport that males traditionally dominate, what does it mean to be a female and trailblazer in this sport? AS: At this stage, Im really lucky to have reached a point where I have because there are good people before me such as my parents, even some of the girls on the team, Sarah, Portia, and Kelly, who all played in the Olympics in 2016. Seeing women come through and understanding that there is a pathway for women, girls, and even little boys makes me feel like its something to aspire to, especially in a sport that Im really interested in.

Women in different sports have been fighting for that level of performance. To see that come through in a sport especially after the work has been done by the women before what do you think is going to be the next step? Do you think youll be able to maintain this? JM: 100%; I think that even these days, the womens game has grown so much more than the mens, especially in New Zealand. Many people come out to us and say, Oh, we love watching you guys; the men are pretty boring at the moment. So thats really cool to get. And then, I guess, additionally, the culture within our team allows us to keep pushing that boat out. I cant say it especially our team but for rugby for women in general, it is never going backwards anytime soon.

What is it like coming into the team where the culture of winning has already been set-up and to establish this culture within the younger girls who are coming through the team? JM: Its cool coming in young, knowing you can be a sponge and soak up all the older players experience and knowledge. Coming into a culture like that, you know that from day one, you have to work hard because things will not be given to you. You have to work hard to get there and feel that when youre with the team.

AS: Just driving standards for the younger girls coming through and making sure that everyones at the gym and nutrition, sleep, and recovery are taken care of. So its preparing them mentally and getting them into the program.

What initially drew you to rugby? Whenever you think of New Zealand, you automatically think of rugby, but was it always going to be rugby for you guys? Ngarohi McGarvey-Black (NM): Back where Im from in New Zealand, rugby is like a religion and going to church on a Sunday. Youre born into rugby, and its the first thing you get into; every kid in New Zealand knows about the sport, grows up loving it and watches it every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday when its on. Its a way of life for us. As you get older, you turn it into an opportunity and a job, and get to travel the world.

Tell us about your feeling when you don the iconic black jersey. Is it a weight of expectation? LC: Its a hard question to answer; you dont really know, but youre proud. We dont feel the expectation or pressure when we put on the jersey. Its a special feeling within the group, and you dont want it to go away. Of course, the tournaments finish, and its almost sad you have to take it off, but then you cant wait to get into the next tournament. Its a special feeling, almost unreal, and there are no words to describe it.

The All Blacks are famous for the Haka. What does the Haka mean for you as a team? RP: We all perform the haka after we win, which goes back many years. Its such an important part of our Polynesian culture, and the Haka tells stories about our people. We talk about who we are, what the game means to us, and what it means to play alongside each other when we win.

NM: Its something special for me because Im Maori. Haka is our identity, and its what you do growing up and every day of the week. Coming into this group (the All Blacks team) was something that I prided myself on. Although its part of my culture and not Leroys, hell understand it better if I show him how we do it. He can bring his flair and attitude towards a haka when performing it. We feed off the audiences energy; the higher their energy, the better our energy and haka will be. Thats what haka is about: compassion, the challenge, love, anger, different emotions, and its up and down.

It is important that you see playing as a privilege and not for granted, and daring to push the boundaries and go beyond says a lot. Other than the physical aspects of training and beyond the physicality of it, what are the lessons you have learned from this sport? LC: Sometimes youre so tired that everything in your head tells you to give up, but you have to keep going. Thats what Tepaea said about our preparations back home we got to go into those dark places on the training field. Otherwise, we wont be able to perform well on the pitch. I think the mental side of the games is probably bigger than the physical aspect. The mental battles that go through your head during a game are something that you work a lot on.

As high-performance players, please give us some advice on how to not be under the pressure of the moment as you try to dare. What can we learn from your experience in the All Blacks? NM: Its to stay mentally present and in the moment, and not think about what has happened and is going to happen. Your sole focus is whats in front of you after. Obviously, have a plan. For us, everything will fall into place if we stick to the plan and nail it. Things will happen, even if its uncontrollable. Its what you can and cant control.

TC: Similarly to what Ngarohi said: nail your preparations, do everything you can and then surrender to the moment. Win or lose, whatever happens, happens.

Photo by Yong Teck Lim/Getty Images

This interview took place days prior to the HSBC SVNS Singapore tournament. The New Zealand All Blacks Sevens and Black Ferns Sevens were later crowned tournament champions.

Once you are done with this story, click hereto catch up with our May 2024 issue.

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The New Zealand All Blacks and Black Ferns are #BornToDare - Men's Folio

New Zealand universities have been given breathing space in the 30 May budget, with the government boosting their teaching subsidies by 2.5 per cent and authorising tuition fee increases of up to 6 per cent.

Policy expert Dave Guerin said the governing coalitions first budget was neutral for universities, with increased teaching revenue likely to offset inflation. But student debt will escalate, thanks to higher fees and a reorienting of the former governments fees free scheme.

Tertiary education minister Penny Simmonds said that from 2025, fees would be waived for final year rather than first year students. This is a much better way to incentivise students to complete their studies, she said. Were rewarding hard work and success.

Tertiary institutions will share a NZ$266 million (128 million) boost to their teaching subsidies over the next four years, with the eight universities attracting slightly over half of this money.

Universities New Zealand chief executive Chris Whelan said the increase would help cover universities costs while ongoing reviews considered more fundamental reform. The increases that have come through today [are] not going to deal with our long-term problems. But they will help us until we can get to the point where we can start talking about addressing those long-term problems.

The budget offers no additional research funding. Mr Whelan said support for research training had been unchanged since 2019, despite inflation of almost 30 per cent over that period. He said every university had been forced to reduce doctoral numbers to ensure that PhD stipends kept pace with cost-of-living increases.

The Tertiary Education Union said the budget had forced students to shoulder the burden of maintaining the real value of tertiary education funding. [It] will limit opportunities, block pathways, increase inequalities and remove the ability of many young people from low-income families to see a future for themselves, said national secretary Sandra Grey.

The minister seems to think moving fees free to the final year of study will encourage completion. It wont. What stops students from completing study is rent, food, transportation, need to work and mental health.

Budget papers project that the changes to the fees free policy will deliver the government a NZ$877 million sugar hit over the next four years, because new students will be forced to wait typically until 2027 before attracting fee waivers. This figure does not take account of the extra costs of bankrolling loans for first-year study.

The back-ending of the fees free programme will be administratively complicated, given that the affected courses which range from vocational certificates to doctorates vary substantially in length, making it difficult to determine which years fees should be waived.

Other budget measures include increases to interest charges and late penalty payments for overseas-based kiwis with unpaid student loans. Higher visa fees, for international students among others, will net the government another NZ$457 million.

A further NZ$24 million will be recouped through efficiency savings on Education New Zealand and the TEC.

The budget allocates almost NZ$3 million for an independent cost-benefit analysis and business case development for the proposed medical school at the University of Waikato. And it cuts over NZ$3 million from the budget of the National Centre of Research Excellence for Preventing and Countering Violent Extremism, based at Victoria University of Waikato.

john.ross@timeshighereducation.com

Continue reading here:

Fees and teaching subsidies rise in New Zealand budget - Times Higher Education

NZR and the professional players union are backing a proposal of far-reaching changes, primarily that the nine-strong board all be independently elected.

That was a key point among the recommendations set out in a stinging independent review of the games governance last year.

However, the influential 26 provincial unions from New Zealand rugbys amateur heartlands have tabled their own proposal.

They agree some change is needed at the top, but want to keep their current powers to decide three places on the nine-strong board.

Ahead of the vote, the New Zealand Rugby Players Association upped the stakes by threatening to break away from New Zealand Rugby and instead form their own rebel body to govern professional rugby if the provincial unions get their way.

If neither proposal reaches the two-thirds threshold needed from the 90 votes, there will be stalemate and ongoing rancour.

All Blacks great John Kirwan, part of the side that won the 1987 World Cup, worries that the infighting at the top could drive fans away.

The saddest thing for me is people do not give an (expletive) any more because theyre just sick of it, he told radio station Newstalk ZB.

If you just stop caring, thats when our game is in real danger, he added.

However, Canterbury Rugby Union chairman Pete Winchester warned that the 11th-hour breakaway threat from the professional players is only likely to harden attitudes in the provinces.

We look after 150,000 amateur players, (spread) around 26 provincial unions in the country, Winchester told Newstalk ZB.

Its a complex business. We are just saying it would be good to have three people with experience of working in provincial rugby.

Richie McCaw, who captained the All Blacks to back-to-back Rugby World Cup triumphs, called on all stakeholders to look beyond themselves.

I would urge people that make the decision to not just think about their own patches, but to step above that and think what is right for New Zealand rugby in the long term, McCaw told The New Zealand Herald.

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Breakaway threat by players union looms as New Zealand Rugby votes on competing proposals about leadership ... - South China Morning Post

From 31 May 2024 electric vehicle owners in NZ must have an EV licence or face financial penalties.

New Zealand electric vehicle (EV) owners have just hours left to register for a road-user charge licence or risk hefty fines.

From 31 March 2024, any electric car and plug-in hybrid vehicle (PHEV) weighing less than 3500kg will be required to pay the new tax with the grace period set to end today, 31 May 2024.

After today, drivers without a road-user charge (RUC) licence will be slapped with roadside fines by police of around $200 for an individual, as well as handed an invoice backdated to 1 April, and given a penalty for late payment.

According to the NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi, one third of the countrys roughly 105,000 EV owners still have yet to register.

If you havent already bought your licence, nows the time to do it, said Tara Macmillan, Head of Strategic Regulatory Programmes at NZTA in a statement.

Its an offence for a RUC vehicle to not have a current and valid RUC licence. We hold details of all EVs and PHEVs in our system, so well know who hasnt bought their first licence and will be following up directly.

Every time a vehicle goes for a warrant of fitness, well also get the odometer reading which means we can match that to any unpaid RUC so buy your RUC licence if you want to avoid any large bills.

The charge has been introduced to try to recoup revenue lost from the petrol excise, the New Zealand Government said, with EVs and PHEVs having been exempt from the RUC since 2009.

Traditional hybrid and mild-hybrid vehicles as well as electrified vehicles weighing more than 3500kg will remain exempt from the road-user tax until 1 January 2026.

However, government officials have admitted all vehicles will eventually be required to pay the distance-based charge.

The cost of the RUC is based on distance travelled, with a starting point of $76 for 1000km for an EV and $38 per 1000km for a PHEV the latter being cheaper because plug-in hybrids also pay tax through the fuel excise.

On top of this there is a $12.44 admin fee for paying online, or $13.71 for doing it through an agent in person.

Owners need their number plate and current odometer reading ready to register, with the licence to be displayed in a pouch on the vehicles windscreen as New Zealand still requires drivers to display registration details.

Originally from the UK, Kathryns working background in journalism is more red-top tabloid than motoring. A born-and-bred newshound, Kathryn has worked her way up through the ranks reporting for, and later editing, two renowned UK regional newspapers and websites, before moving on to join the digital newsdesk of one of the worlds most popular newspapers The Sun. More recently, shes done a short stint in PR in the not-for-profit sector, telling the stories of adults and children with terminal and life-limiting illnesses.

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New Zealand electric car owners to be fined for not paying road-user charge - Drive

Much like my relationship, the Pokmon Center has officially soft-launched online in Australia and New Zealand. If youve been waiting (im)patiently to cop official Pokmon merchandise in our neck of the woods since news of the opening of an Aussie online store dropped, get your wallets ready: as spotted by VOOKS, its finally time.

Based on the FAQs and a quick browse of the site, theres a slightly different range to whats available in other regions with the Pokmon Center online store, although the site does say to check back frequently for updates the welcome message promises that the team is working hard to add new product lines continually. Unfortunately, this means you cant yet treat yourself to 34 inches of Lapras, but hey! Theres a Lapras fedora if youre freaky like that (and a whole heap of apparel and plushies to choose from).

While the Pokmon Center FAQ does note that any Australian and New Zealand address can be delivered to, the pop-up on the site notes that only Australian addresses can receive deliveries and the checkout seems to not have an option for NZ deliveries just yet whether this is one of the hiccups mentioned in the welcome message as the site gets on its feet isnt quite clear yet.

The products available on the Aussie Pokmon Center website do appear to be shipping from another country, with shipping costs coming in at slightly higher than your average local retailer (on checking a Victorian address, an 8-inch Pikachu plushie would cost around $15AUD to ship regularly, or almost $30 to express post). Whether well see this change and find those very tempting Pokmon Center goods shipped direct from Australia or NZ in future with a shipping cost (and time) decrease to boot is anyones guess right now.

Are you keen to cop some goodies from the Aussie Pokmon Center online store? Let us know what youre eyeballing in the comments.

Image: Pokmon Company International/ Kotaku Australia

Original post:

The Pokmon Center Soft Launches Online In Australia & New Zealand, Sadly No 34 Inches Of Lapras Just Yet - Kotaku Australia

Photo: AFP / MIGUEL MEDINA

The New Zealand Rugby Players Association intends to push ahead with plans to establish a separate body to run the professional game.

A proposal to radically revamp New Zealand Rugby's governance structure failed to be approved at a special meeting in Wellington on Thursday.

The proposal to have a fully independent board, which was backed by the NZ Rugby Players' Association and the NZ Mori Rugby Board, received only 31 votes in favour while 59 were opposed.

Instead Proposal 2, a Provincial Union Governance model, was passed securing three places on the nine member board for people with previous provincial board experience.

Earlier this month the NZRPA in a letter to the provincial unions said "the professional players do not want to see a divided and further complicated governance system but will not under any circumstances be governed under Proposal 2 or the status quo."

NZRPA boss Rob Nichol Photo: Photosport

The statement also said the adoption of Proposal 2 would result in the NZRPA being forced to establish a new governance arrangement for professional rugby in New Zealand.

It outlined a split between the professional game and the community game.

"'The Professional Rugby Tribunal', will govern, in some sort of partnership with NZRU, the sale of media rights, the contracting of sponsors, the revenue share model, international and national competitions, the high-performance programmes and development pathways and any other activity that impacts the careers, safety, remuneration, workplace and development of professional players," the letter signed by a group of leading players and former All Blacks captains David Kirk and Richie McCaw.

"NZRU will continue to govern alone the community and amateur game including provincial rugby, club rugby and other non-professional rugby activities," the letter went on to say.

NZRPA boss Rob Nichol said they would now forge ahead with the plan for a new body.

"We would be one component to the group," he told Morning Report.

"We need expertise and focus on the professional game but what we are not prepared to do is to allow New Zealand Rugby to go off and do that themselves.

"We are not going to trust their governance structures to deliver what we need."

Nichol said they will still be contracted with New Zealand Rugby to drive the professional game.

"We want the tribunal focused on the professional game with the expertise required to govern the game in a way that keeps it successful.

"We have to do that with them, we can't do that separately."

-RNZ

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New Zealand Rugby Players Association to forge ahead with separate body - RNZ

The trailer of Jemaine Clements latest big-budget movie has been released. Photo / Getty Images

Ricardo Simich reveals movie news for talented Kiwis.

Next weekend New Zealand movie A Mistake will premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival in New York and in the meantime, the trailer of Jemaine Clements latest big-budget movie has been released.

Fans of Clement are going to love seeing him star alongside Shazam luminary Zachary Levi in Columbia Pictures Harold and the Purple Crayon.

Levi stars as a man who has had a magical purple crayon since his childhood that makes whatever he draws come to life.

The live-action movie is based on Crockett Johnsons beloved childrens 1955 book of the same name.

Clement is at his deadpan best playing Gary, who, at first befriends Harold before turning villainous when he gets hold of a piece of Harolds crayon to use for evil.

Clement is in great comic company in a zany plotline that is sure to be a hit when the movie comes out in September.

New Girls Zooey Deschanel plays Harolds possible love interest and Lil Rel Howery of The Carmichael Show plays one of Harolds animal friends, a moose that becomes human in the real world.

Levi is due in New Zealand later this year to film world-famous New Zealand stuntwoman and co-ordinator Zo Bells feature film directorial debut here in the action-packed movie Free Fall.

Clement is having a big year. He is understood to be currently filming Aussie rugby league series Plum across the Tasman, which comes off the back of filming Andrew Niccols I, Object in Wellington and Jason Momoas Minecraft in Auckland earlier this year. Mixed in with all of that, he is featured as Dr Garvin in the Avatar 3, 4 and 5 movies, which film in Wellington.

New Zealand movie A Mistake, which had Hollywood megastar Elizabeth Banks base herself in Auckland last year during filming, will have its world debut this Friday at the prestigious Tribeca Film Festival in New York.

The films Kiwi director, Christine Jeffs of Sylvia fame, is confirmed to be in attendance and Spy is hoping some of Banks New Zealand co-stars - who include Matthew Sunderland, Rena Owen, Joel Tobeck, Fern Sutherland, Robbie Magasiva, Emmett Skilton, Niwa Whatuira and Ally Xue - might make the red carpet too.

Banks performance as a surgeon unravelling under her split-second decision has already been critiqued as powerful.

Jeffs co-produced A Mistake with Matthew Metcalfe of GFC Films, who tells Spy he is thrilled Jeffs can make it and he is very sad he wont be able to make it himself, as he is filming in London.

Metcalfe is in pre-production for Moss & Freud, which will also shoot in New Zealand later this year.

The NZ Film Commission is helping fund the movie about the intimate friendship between supermodel Kate Moss and the late British painter Lucian Freud.

The film depicts 80-year-old Freud painting a nude and pregnant Moss over nine months in 2002, after he read an interview with her in which she said shed like to pose for him.

Metcalfe is working with Academy Award-winning writer and director James Lucas. Lucas pitched the idea to Metcalfe before the pair approached Moss about the project.

I was immediately intrigued, Metcalfe told Spy last year.

His take was fascinating and showed a side of the iconic Kate Moss that I had never seen. I am a huge fan of James and greenlit development straight away, he says.

Once they had the story worked out and they felt confident - they approached Moss.

All three then selected UK actress, Disney+ Willow star Ellie Bamber to play Moss.

When Kate and Ellie met, they hit it off and we knew we had made the right casting decision.

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Jemaine Clements magical new movie and other film news - Spy - New Zealand Herald

New Zealand is one of the most car-centric countries in the world. With the exception of the capital Wellington, New Zealand cities have some of the highest rates of car ownership globally.

In central Auckland, roads occupy 18% of all land and a further 25% of land is car parks.

Ask people what public space means and they probably wont mention roads because these are assumed to be for cars.

But New Zealanders pay for roads, especially road maintenance, through fuel taxes, road user charges and general taxation. So is there a way road space could be used differently?

One city that has worked to reinvent the concept of public space is Barcelona. Over 30 years, the city has developed superblocks neighbourhoods where traffic speeds are reduced and through-traffic is limited.

There is no reduction in access for cars or emergency services. Its more a redefinition of the bus and car network, coupled with lower speed limits in certain areas.

By reducing the priority given to cars in some parts of the city, Barcelona has released public land for a range of uses such as play, business, markets and active travel such as walking and cycling. Significant benefits include lower air pollution and noise, increased green space, more physical activity, fewer premature deaths and higher economic activity.

It is true that cities in Europe are older and denser than in Oceania. But during a recent visit to New Zealand, the inventor of superblocks, urban ecologist Salvador Rueda, outlined how they could work in cities such as Christchurch and Auckland and the benefits this could deliver.

Here are his suggestions, in order of how easy they would be to implement.

New Zealand has a tendency to favour big infrastructural projects to change cities. Whether it is a new tunnel under Wellington, as proposed by the coalition government, or a light-rail system for Auckland, such projects imply the only solutions are big and expensive.

But because cities are networks, there are often far cheaper options that can be implemented with careful analysis and reallocation of space. This shift in thinking and planning needs to happen first.

The most climate-efficient, readily available and flexible system to reduce car use in cities is the bus network.

However, organising the bus network in a grid of orthogonal routes that follow perpendicular lines is key. Radial systems leave large gaps of unserviced areas. An orthogonal grid means the city is served equally by buses no matter how large it becomes.

Buses are also frequent and fast. They can easily outcompete cars, and high frequencies can also mitigate any concerns about having to transfer between buses.

Free parking does not actually exist. The question is rather who is paying for it the user or everyone. In private developments, the user pays in some way. But this is not the case for public spaces.

In Japan, people have to prove they have access to a local parking space before they can buy a car.

But generally, on-street car parking represents a major subsidy to drivers through the use of public space that could be put to other uses. Car parking creates large areas of paved roads that reduce social and business opportunities.

Any revenue gains from parking charges are a false economy, especially when enforcement is weak.

At the moment, New Zealand cities are designed for unlimited through traffic, with unfettered access across the city.

As much as possible, the citys public spaces should be divided into those for movement across the network and those which are for mixed uses for all, including pedestrians and those with mobility needs.

In New Zealand, the One Network Framework facilitates this, but few streets seem to actually prioritise people. In Barcelona, in the streets which are for movement, car traffic is aligned with the bus transit, using a one-way system and speed limits of 30km/h.

This comes with many benefits, including less congestion and safer streets.

On the inside of Barcelonas superblocks, speeds are reduced to 10km/h to allow for different activities.

If the experience of Barcelona demonstrates anything, it is that the creation of public space underwrites a whole range of commercial (as well as social) activity that uncovers latent demand.

In other words, the creation of public space in our cities supports small businesses and commercial activity because people shop and buy coffee, and cars dont.

The New Zealand government acknowledges that boosting density is critical to addressing the housing shortage. Denser housing offers multiple benefits, including lower emissions, reduced infrastcructure costs and better physical and mental health.

Systemic planning changes to enable density are required to maximise the benefits of a superblock approach to development. But a final reason for considering superblocks is their low cost. They dont require investment in hard infrastructure, demolition of buildings or massive development. They represent very low-tech urbanism.

To mitigate any risk and allay any fears, superblocks can be trialled as low-cost temporary interventions. At a time of necessary cost savings, perhaps New Zealand cities should embrace low-cost, high-impact change.

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Rethinking roads as public spaces what NZ cities can learn from Barcelona's 'superblock' urban design - The Conversation Indonesia