During a Sunday sermon, Destiny Church leader Brian Tamaki stated that he directed his followers to “storm the library and shut it down” in response to a drag queen’s children’s show in Auckland. ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏

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Health

Briefing for 17 February 2025

Destiny Church clashes with Pride events as Luxon says protest went ‘too far’

Destiny Church protests against a children’s drag event and Auckland’s Rainbow Parade erupted into a confrontation over the weekend, drawing condemnation from Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown, and Labour leader Chris Hipkins, and praise from supporters online.

Destiny’s Man Up and Legacy Sisterhood groups interrupted a drag queen’s science show at a Te Atatū library. Hours later, the same groups disrupted the Auckland Rainbow Parade, pushing through police barricades before being dispersed.

Trump appoints RFK Jr. to lead ‘Make America Healthy Again’ commission

Just hours after Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was confirmed as Secretary of Health and Human Services, US President Donald Trump signed an executive order establishing the Make America Healthy Again commission.

The task force, chaired by Kennedy, will investigate the root causes of America’s chronic disease crisis, with a particular focus on childhood illnesses, medication overuse, and environmental toxins.

Rodney Hide: English class used to push Te Ao Māori worldview

Rodney Hide argues that New Zealand’s education system is prioritising ideological indoctrination over traditional learning, using his 13-year-old’s English class as an example.

The class, titled An Introduction to Culture and Identity in Literature, included a video, How colonisers went from learning te reo Māori to trying to exterminate it, featuring Victoria University sociolinguist Dr Vini Olsen-Reeder.

In the video, Olsen-Reeder states: “Once the Pākehā government was established here, from there the desire grew to exterminate the Māori people.”

GMO deregulation could put New Zealand farmers at risk

The government’s plan to deregulate genetically modified organisms (GMOs) could have serious consequences for farmers, warns UCLA professor and sustainability advocate David Williams.

Williams, a professor of ophthalmology and neurobiology, argues that deregulation lacks strong scientific or economic justification—and could endanger food safety and New Zealand’s premium export markets.

Helen Clark: China deal with Cook Islands damages ties with NZ

Former Prime Minister Helen Clark has slammed Cook Islands Prime Minister Mark Brown for signing a partnership agreement with China without consulting New Zealand, calling it a “clandestine” move that has “damaged” relations.

The deal’s contents remain undisclosed, raising concerns over potential Chinese involvement in deep-sea mining and unsustainable debt.

Stanford pushes back on Seymour’s teacher-only day crackdown

Education Minister Erica Stanford has criticised associate minister David Seymour for “overstepping the mark” when he announced a crackdown on teacher-only days last year.

Speaking on TVNZ’s Q&A, Stanford suggested Seymour had not consulted her before making the announcement and reaffirmed that the decision ultimately rests with her.

Canadian doctors refuse to debate COVID report exposing lockdown failures

The Final Report of the Alberta COVID Pandemic Data Review Task Force, commissioned by the province’s premier, Danielle Smith, criticises lockdowns and vaccine mandates while recommending a different approach to future public health crises.

Rather than engage with its 269 pages of findings, the Alberta Medical Association (AMA) and dozens of doctors have dismissed it outright—without serious debate.