Search Results
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Comment:The Big Budget Backflip *
Date published: 4:48 pm, June 3rd, 2024You shouldn't underestimate the power of social media. ...They backtracked on it because the landlords lobby groups gave National...their election campaign but the people that needed the cancer drugs didn't... National's scheme of things the latter are dispensable.
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Comment:The QE2 covenant, the Mining Company and the donation to NZ First
Date published: 1:48 pm, June 2nd, 2024... will start threatening to bring the government down and both he... and Seymour know that the Nats will do almost anything...
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Comment:Anti-Muslim, anti-black, pro-Zionist: UK Labour goes for purge
Date published: 10:20 am, June 2nd, 2024... anything that could possibly lose the election. They just want to..., almost certainly, but only because the Tories have made themselves unelectable... programme. Interestingly, Reform UK (formerly the Brexit Party) is not acting...
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Comment:The Budget Day Protests
Date published: 12:51 pm, May 30th, 2024"The strike is illegal". Luxon demonstrating ...
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Comment:Open mike 29/05/2024
Date published: 7:46 pm, May 29th, 2024Oh yeah the "squeezed middle class". What we used to call "yuppies" back in the 80s. The only squeezing that affects them is bodily functions.
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Comment:Open mike 29/05/2024
Date published: 1:16 pm, May 29th, 2024Israel's capacity to keep the war going would quickly diminish if the US stopped sending them weapons and money. Biden is too scared to act decisively because of the coming election and fears that the not inconsiderable Jewish vote will go to Trump.
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Comment:Is our investment in defence value for money?
Date published: 1:08 pm, May 29th, 2024... where you always have the question how much is ...you base it on? The probability of attack by ...a hostile force? The basic argument on defence spending...vital force capable of defending the country if attacked, or... do we go the way of spending and ...
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Comment:What is that word that starts with "C" and ends with "orruption"?
Date published: 1:40 pm, May 27th, 2024This bill is National's payment for massive support and donations by landlords' groups for the previous election.
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Comment:Open mike 27/05/2024
Date published: 12:41 pm, May 27th, 2024It possibly would have if we actually had a constitution in the first place. Geoffrey Palmer wanted to create one in the 1990s but just about everyone laughed and said we didn't need it because we had no corruption in New Zealand. We should have listened.
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Comment:What is that word that starts with "C" and ends with "orruption"?
Date published: 12:38 pm, May 27th, 2024A very anonymous handle you chose, did you think of it yourself or did you need help?
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Comment:What is that word that starts with "C" and ends with "orruption"?
Date published: 6:08 am, May 27th, 2024Just based on a long life and experience with all kinds of politicians from the early 70s. If you are talking about idiots in politics that is a completely different question with probably a completely different answer.
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Comment:What is that word that starts with "C" and ends with "orruption"?
Date published: 7:06 pm, May 26th, 2024... too drastic or obvious for the most part - we aren't Indonesia..., that's just an invention of the left. But when someone from... it when it happens on the left. The left are expected to... impeccably at all times - especially the Greens. Perhaps we should forgive...
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Comment:Is Shane Jones Right About Mining?
Date published: 4:47 pm, May 25th, 2024... everyone and that the mining companies will support the community. Except he... didn't add that most of the workers will come from overseas...on his wizard act in the historical heart of unionised New... Zealand but that he and the government will make damned sure...
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Comment:Open mike 24/05/2024
Date published: 6:10 pm, May 24th, 2024... metres from a police station. The police say they have known... about trouble in the area for some time but... police officer to walk the beat in the area for about an... would within spitting distance of the station. Doesn't say much about...
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Comment:Open mike 24/05/2024
Date published: 10:03 am, May 24th, 2024... lot to administer compared to the amount of tax taken. Should... ago. It affects me because the government takes a cut of... the employer kiwisaver contribution. Greedy b.......
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Comment:"It's the end of the Tories..."
Date published: 7:55 pm, May 23rd, 2024It will be what Martyn Bradbury on The Daily Blog tags a "grudge f...". like what happened to our Labour government last year. Except that this time the Conservatives actually deserve it.
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Comment:Open mike 23/05/2024
Date published: 11:10 am, May 23rd, 2024At the same time could we please have a National MP that can do basic maths and not forget to carry the 1? They need your help badly Jimmy, go tiger!
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Comment:National MP *forgets* to declare $178,000 in donations
Date published: 2:35 pm, May 22nd, 2024... was from a party of the left it would definitely be... a COI and the ZB Hosking would be screaming... immediate resignation. Will the police prosecute and the court declare his election...
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Comment:Open mike 22/05/2024
Date published: 2:29 pm, May 22nd, 2024Keep guessing Jimmy, that's all you will ever do. You don't actually know anything, you just guess.
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Comment:A Deliberate Recession
Date published: 1:30 pm, May 21st, 2024Your story would be one of hindsight.
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Comment:National MP *forgets* to declare $178,000 in donations
Date published: 12:31 pm, May 21st, 2024I doubt the Electoral Commission would have the balls to carry this to... to resign over it. The failure of the National Party organisation to... pick this up before the returns were filed suggest it...
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Comment:A Deliberate Recession
Date published: 11:27 am, May 21st, 2024One day the story of how many people would have died if National had been in power during the COVID crisis will be written, based on the opposition they voiced to so many of Labour's measures. That won't be pretty either.
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Comment:A Deliberate Recession
Date published: 6:52 pm, May 20th, 2024... parties for talking the economy down. Perhaps for the first time in... have a ruling government talking the economy down. My suspicious cynical... wealth speculator or is on the rich list - that is. They... rise will be announced in the budget. See if I'm wrong...
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Comment:Open mike 20/05/2024
Date published: 12:31 pm, May 20th, 2024... traffic offence. Another item in the Herald's Green smear campaign to...
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Comment:Fonterra's Brand Sale Continues to Drag New Zealand Down
Date published: 5:38 pm, May 19th, 2024...material for others to make the goods. So now Fonterra ...wants to divest themselves of the (few) processed products that...manufacture and stick with exporting the bulk unprocessed stuff. For ... backward looking to me. The farmer shareholders should put their...
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Comment:Open mike 17/05/2024
Date published: 1:21 pm, May 19th, 2024Every report is "damning" these days, that word has become just another journalistic cliché.
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Comment:Open mike 17/05/2024
Date published: 4:34 pm, May 17th, 2024When you are the sixth biggest dairy company in the world and the Southern hemisphere's largest - according to Wikipedia - you should be acquiring more assets, not selling them off, shouldn't you? Is Fonterra run by ACT Party cronies?
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Comment:Open mike 17/05/2024
Date published: 12:25 pm, May 17th, 2024...images and innuendo about how The Alliance and Labour working ...be a case of "the tail wagging the dog"? Have you ...better example of the tail wagging the dog than the present coalition government... "feel good" measures, like the $63 million to surf lifesaving...
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Comment:Charter schools are back
Date published: 1:09 pm, May 16th, 2024Perhaps in their charters the children will be required to ... their coalition agreement gives ACT the power and National the weakest link.
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Comment:Open mike 15/05/2024
Date published: 7:06 pm, May 15th, 2024Charter schools are one step towards privatisation of education. The next step for Seymour will be education vouchers, like his hero the Great Rogernome, wanted to do.
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Comment:Power cuts or Powerdown?
Date published: 11:18 am, May 11th, 2024... with public health in the early 1990s. The business moguls were absolutely... was THE ECONOMY, not the CONSUMER, which people didn't realise the significance of the... difference at the time. There is...
- There’s news today of guns and gongs – and of the PM’s trip to Niue and Fiji while Shane Jones...
Buzz from the Beehive Guns, gongs and goings feature on the government’s official website today. Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee has announced the Government is delivering on a commitment made in the National-ACT coalition agreement by commencing a review of the Firearms Registry. That takes care of the “guns” part ...17 hours ago - ‘Beads and blankets’ buying votes
Ele Ludemann writes – There is so much wrong with what is alleged here: A Te Pāti Māori MP and the marae she once ran are at the centre of claims that private information collected during the census was used for political campaigning. Stats NZ, the Government’s official ...18 hours ago - Bernard's pick 'n' mix for Monday, June 3
TL;DR: The Tiwai Point aluminium smelter, which consumes over 15% of the motu’s renewable electricity, has struck a deal to stay open for another 20 years. This will delay Aotearoa-NZ’s transition to carbon zero and make it more expensive and unfair for the 100,000 households who currently can’t afford their ...18 hours ago - maBaguette
Today we rolled through troglodyte caves and ate a fresh roast chook by the river, the mighty Loire River, the still quite angry-looking Loire River. The Loire is not itself because it has been raining here for the last seven months without a break, the locals have been telling us, ...18 hours ago - Empty Promises.
Fighting out of the blue corner, wearing a pale pink jacket, a half hearted smile, and a lot of flack from the left and the right, it’s your Finance Minister - Nicola Willis.Her challenger will probe the Minister for answers. Armed with boyish charm and tricky questions, the last remaining ...20 hours ago - 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #22
A listing of 33 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, May 26, 2024 thru Sat, June 1, 2024. Story of the week Sometimes one story is not enough. Our ongoing 2023-2024 experiences with lethal heatwaves, early wildfires and a threatening Atlantic hurricane season ...1 day ago - Treaty Principles Bill: Smokescreen for sweeping change?
Much has been said about how the coalition government’s Treaty Principles Bill distorts te Tiriti o Waitangi. However, it could also serve as a Trojan horse, installing an extreme libertarian agenda. We don’t know the intent driving the proposed Bill; however, many serious effects may ensue. Far from simply clarifying the ...2 days ago - Modern elections are supposed to be choreographed and disciplined – but not in Britain
British PM Rishi Sunak seems to have surprised everyone with last week’s announcement of a snap poll. Perhaps even himself, to judge by his surprisingly upbeat mood. Labour leader Keir Starmer’s troubles have probably cheered him up a bit, with the spotlight coming onto Starmer’s efforts to purge some of ...2 days ago - Fact Brief – Have climate models overestimated global warming?Skeptical Science is partnering with Gigafact to produce fact briefs — bite-sized fact checks of trending claims. This fact brief was written by John Mason in collaboration with members from the Gigafact team. You can submit claims you think need checking via the tipline. Have climate models overestimated global warming? Climate ...2 days ago
- Te Pati Loco?
Normally I would not write about Maori issues. I may have been living in NZ for over 25 years but I do not feel that it is my place to opine because I am not an expert on Maori history … Continue reading ...2 days ago - Finding more for cancer drugsEle Ludemann writes – National campaigned on funding more cancer drugs but the government wasn’t able to do that in this Budget. These drugs would make the difference in both quality and length of life for some, and could be the difference between life and death for others. ...3 days ago
- Budget 2024 shows NZ has some tough choices to make – Scandinavia or SingaporeBryce Edwards writes – To truly understand yesterday’s [May 30] Budget, it’s worth returning to a statement made in 2020 by the then British High Commissioner Laura Clark that New Zealand has “Scandinavian ambitions in terms of quality of life and public services, but a US attitude to ...3 days ago
- Falling monkeys and 'kitty cat' stormsTornado damage, like this in Oklahoma, has left the insurance industry reeling at the accumulated scale of losses. Photo: Getty ImagesTL;DR: Here’s the top six news items of note in climate news for Aotearoa-NZ this week, and a discussion above between Bernard Hickey and The Kākā’s climate correspondent Cathrine Dyer:A ...3 days ago
- The Hoon around the week to June 1Poster on Cuba St, Wellington. Similar signs were prominent at the Budget Day protests around the country. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The podcast above of the weekly ‘hoon’ webinar for paying subscribers features co-hosts and talking with:The Kākā’s climate correspondent about extreme heat in India ...3 days ago
- Superannuitants who were disappointed by the Budget will be cheered (if they are hunters) by conserv...Buzz from the Beehive Finance Minister Nicola Willis hadn’t finished with wanting to tell us about Budget 2024 at the end of play on Budget Day. She had more announcements yesterday. One of these informed us that people will get to keep more of their own money from 31 July ...3 days ago
- Pedalling flat out
3 days ago - “Since 2009 I've Been Running a Facebook Page Devoted to Reptilian-Shapeshifters”
Hi,When Webworm contributor Jackson James Wood (the guy who marathoned Lord of the Rings and investigated Kremelta’s horny recipes) told me he’d been secretly running a Facebook page dedicated to reptilian shapeshifters for 15 years I said, “You must write about what you’ve learnt about both reptilians and the human ...3 days ago - 2024 Reading Summary: May (+ Writing Update)
Completed reads for May: The King of Elfland’s Daughter, by Lord Dunsany The House on the Borderland, by William Hope Hodgson The Book of Wonder (collection), by Lord Dunsany Fifty-One Tales (collection), by Lord Dunsany Magna Carta (1215) The Creole Village, by Washington Irving Tales of Wonder (collection), by ...3 days ago - On Hens, Eggs, Temperature and CO2The original version of this blog – written by Giacomo Grassi, with contributions from Stefano Caserini, Giorgio Vacchiano, Gianni Comoretto, Claudio della Volpe, and Mario Grosso - appeared in the Italian climate website Climalteranti. The version here has been checked and further enriched by Pierre Friedlingstein (Global Carbon Project). A recent ...3 days ago
- The Taxpayers’ Union at Eleven
How to run a successful pressure group.In 2013 a group of idealists, led by Jordan Williams and David Farrar, established the Taxpayers’ Union. To celebrate its first decade as surely New Zealand’s most successful political pressure group NZTU published The Mission: The Taxpayers Union at 10, ten short interviews (by ...3 days ago - Bryce Edwards: Budget 2024 shows NZ has some tough choices to make – Scandinavia or Singapore
To truly understand yesterday’s Budget, it’s worth returning to a statement made in 2020 by the then British High Commissioner Laura Clark that New Zealand has “Scandinavian ambitions in terms of quality of life and public services, but a US attitude to tax”. Her point is that New Zealand politicians ...4 days ago - The Disease That Didn't Spread.
Not Wanted: What is truly astonishing about Pukekohe is that it was the only place in New Zealand where the vicious racism endemic to the other Anglo-states took hold with sufficient force to construct a permanent system of overt racial oppression and humiliation. At a moment in history when Western racial ...4 days ago - Naked corruption
There's been all sorts of corruption swirling around the government's Muldoonist fast-track law, with various donors invited to apply. And now we have another case, with a donor demanding specific amendments to help it in a legal dispute: A NZ First donor wants Fast Track legislation to free up ...4 days ago - Willis borrows an extra $12b to pay for $14.7b of tax cuts
Willis is dancing not-so-daintily on the head of a fiscal pin when she describes the tax cuts as ‘fully funded’ by spending cuts and a few little revenue increases. Photo: Hagen Hopkins / Getty ImagesTL;DR: Finance Minister Nicola Willis has delivered her first Budget, deciding to go ahead with long-promised ...4 days ago - The 2024 no-frills BudgetBryce Edwards writes – Today’s anti-government protests around the country will not be convinced by Nicola Willis’s budget. She has announced exactly what critics were expecting—a right-wing Budget containing tax cuts and further cuts to government programmes. Yet the Budget is far from being the “neoliberal” or radical ...4 days ago
- There WAS something in the Budget for Maori – it’s the farm sector and rural communities that Wi...Buzz from the Beehive Agriculture – the backbone of the economy – was not mentioned in Finance Minister Nicola Willis’ first Budget speech. Nor was there any mention of “farming” or “horticulture” or “rural”. Hmm. Maybe there’s something for the farm sector in the deluge of press statements from Ministers ...4 days ago
- How Much a Fortnight?
I was supposed to be sent awayBut they forgot to come and get meI was a functioning alcoholic'Til nobody noticed my new aestheticAll of this to say I hope you're okayBut you're the reasonAnd no one here's to blameBut what about your quiet treason?Those first lines resonate, having done my ...4 days ago - Gordon Campbell on Nicola Willis and her surplus fetish
So…. according to the Treasury, we’ll have to borrow $17.1 billion by June 2028, to help fund ( among other things) a nearly $10 billion tax cut programme, also paid for by slashing billions – and 240 line items – from our public services. Conventional political wisdom to the contrary, ...4 days ago - Budget learnings
And so this is budget week, and what have we learned? Or rather: what are the takeaway learnings going forward?Learning number 1: Just saying a thing is true doesn’t make it so Remember last year when these people were all like: Oh, we can totally do all this without borrowing we can ...4 days ago - Weekly Roundup 1-June-2024
Welcome to June, a long weekend (happy birthday to all the kings and queens of urbanism out there), and another Rāmere Roundup! Here are a few things that caught our eye this week. Header image: Toitū te Tiriti march moving down Queen St, Thursday 30 May 2024 This Week ...4 days ago - The next cuts will be the deepestA slowing economy and, consequently, a lower tax take means we are looking at three years of economic austerity from the Government. That austerity will be the product of what will need to be more deep cuts to Government spending. That much was evident from yesterday’s Budget, which showed tax ...4 days ago
- The Incredible Shrinking Nicola Willis
What you see is what you get. Mostly. For all the coalition haggling, culture wars and “let me be clear” obfuscation we’ve seen in the first six months of this government, National has delivered a very National budget. It’s not so much the axe being swung in this budget as ...4 days ago - Of George R.R, Martin, Adaptations, and Improving the Story
George R.R. Martin has taken a potshot at the adaptation process, arguing that screenwriters’ desire to improve on source material leads to a worse story outcome: https://georgerrmartin.com/notablog/2024/05/24/the-adaptation-tango/ “Everywhere you look, there are more screenwriters and producers eager to take great stories and “make them their own.” It does ...4 days ago - Skeptical Science New Research for Week #22 2024Open access notables Unveiling Unprecedented Methane Hotspots in China's Leading Coal Production Hub: A Satellite Mapping Revelation, Han et al., Geophysical Research Letters: China is likely the world's largest anthropogenic source of methane emissions, with coal mine methane (CMM) being the predominant contributor. Here, we deploy 2 years of satellite observations ...4 days ago
- This mattersI've been watching the reports of the Māori-led protests all around the country this morning, seeing huge crowds not just in Auckland and Wellington and other major cities, but in much smaller places like Nelson and Whangārei. Its a significant show of opposition to the government, and hopefully they are ...5 days ago
- This mattersI've been watching the reports of the Māori-led protests all around the country this morning, seeing huge crowds not just in Auckland and Wellington and other major cities, but in much smaller places like Nelson and Whangārei. Its a significant show of opposition to the government, and hopefully they are ...5 days ago
- Taking less, not giving moreEle Ludemann writes – Ever since National talked about helping us by allowing us to keep some of our own money, critics have been vociferous in opposition. There are so many urgent needs in core public services – education, health, infrastructure, police . . . it’s not hard ...5 days ago
- Winston sums it up wellDavid Farrar writes – The Herald reports: Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters has taken aim at Te Pāti Māori, calling them “radical extremists” and accusing them stoking racial division. Peters was responding to Te Pāti Māori’s promotion of the nationwide protests planned for Budget Day and comments ...5 days ago
- Karen Chhour has spoken about family violence – but the media are waiting for the Budget speech (a...Buzz from the Beehive We drew a blank, almost, when we checked the government’s official website this morning. Yes, there was a speech by the redoubtable Minister for the Prevention of Family and Sexual Violence, Karen Chhour. For the rest of it, our comfortably paid ministers of the Crown have ...5 days ago
- Communication Breakdown.Inadequately Equipped: Forget the loud-hailers Minister, what you need is TikTok. Shane Jones marches into Blackball preaching the gospel of “Mine, Baby, Mine!” the old-fashioned way.IT ALMOST WORKED. “Matua Shane”, local supporters in tow, advanced down the main street of Blackball. Had the Minister for Resources, Shane Jones, been supplied with a ...5 days ago
- Communication Breakdown: Roy Orbison.A treat for all those who have just read the preceding post. Roy Orbison sings (as only Roy Orbison can sing) his 1966 hit, Communication Breakdown.Video courtesy of YouTubeThis post is exclusive to Bowalley Road. ...5 days ago
- Nationwide Activation Day
Hi all,I thought I’d write a quick note on the start of a long day. Protests this morning, speeches soon, then that budget thingy, and no doubt a lot of post match analysis.After the appalling weather last evening I was a little reluctant to get up, but this was no ...5 days ago - What you need to know about record-breaking heat in the AtlanticThis is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Michael Lowry Over 90% of the tropical Atlantic is experiencing record or near-record warm sea surface temperatures for late May. Waters across the Atlantic’s tropical belt — extending from the coast of Africa through the Caribbean — are hotter now ...5 days ago
- Bernard’s Dawn Chorus and pick ‘n’ mix for Thursday, May 30
5 days ago - In praise of alleyways and paths through parksThe Waitematā Local Board is currently consulting on the cutely named Local Active Modes Plan (aka LAMP), which aims to illuminate a programme of quick wins for walking and cycling. There’s a nifty drop-a-pin map here. Get in quick – consultation closes tomorrow, Friday 31 May, presumably at midnight. In the ...5 days ago
- Can Willis beat the bank?The success – or otherwise — of today’s Budget will depend as much as anything else on the views of one man, Reserve Bank Governor Adrian Orr. If the Bank concludes that the deficit track is either unconvincing or too lax, then despite the “back pocket boost” tax cuts, the ...5 days ago
- Tom Bombadil to Appear in Rings of Power
Rumours can be glorious things. One some time ago went so far as to suggest that Melkor/Morgoth will appear in Season Two of Rings of Power… disguised as Tom Bombadil. And now we know that crazy rumour had a grain of truth to it. He might not be ...5 days ago - Going some place and there's no going back
Been busy getting on bikes and pointing them towards Europe.Been feeling melancholy, seeing Karren off at the train, back to Heathrow, back to Auckland, back to the seaside village; hugging Mary-Margaret goodbye after one last coffee at Hackney 215. Even though you’ve been really really looking forward to this road ...5 days ago - Performer of a karakia in Parliament was not miffed by being muzzled – but Waititi demands reprima...Buzz from the Beehive Six ministers have posted announcements on the government’s official website in the past 24 hours, two of them contributing to one media statement in the matter of the decision to support the Papua New Guinea response to the devastating landslide in Enga Province. Three statements ...6 days ago
- Member’s DayToday is a Member's Day. First up there is the committee stage of the McLean Institute (Trust Variation) Bill, some private law for a charity. This will be followed by the third reading of Greg O'Connor's Child Protection (Child Sex Offender Government Agency Registration) (Overseas Travel Reporting) Amendment Bill (law ...6 days ago
- Not thinking at allEle Ludemann writes – Environmentalists preach that we should think global and act local. It’s a good message but one which too often they don’t follow, in some cases they don’t appear to be thinking at all. Demanding that New Zealand reduce livestock farming is a case in ...6 days ago
- Climate Change: Another budget hole for National?National's 2023 campaign was all about tax cuts for landlords. And one of the key ways they were planning to fund it was a "climate dividend" - basically, pillaging ETS revenue and redirecting it from decarbonisation straight into the pockets of the rich. But there's a problem: there might not ...6 days ago
- The most vital thing about the re-introduction of Charter Schools is that EVERYTHING is done wellAlwyn Poole writes – I have no doubt Chris Hipkins is the worst and most ignorant (or dishonest) Minister of Education our nation has seen. He said this on NewstalkZB last week: “If people are concerned about kids who aren’t achieving in mainstream schooling, the area ...6 days ago
- Is it time for an Integrity Commission to monitor conflicts of interest?Bryce Edwards writes – News that the Government’s new Parliamentary Undersecretary for Health, Todd Stephenson, has been pressured today to sell his investments in pharmaceutical companies shows how New Zealand is becoming more sensitive and suspicious about politicians’ “conflicts of interest”. Yet, we need to get much more ...6 days ago
- Bernard’s Dawn Chorus and pick ‘n’ mix for Wednesday, May 29
6 days ago - Gas Station watchGas Stations sit the very intersection of transport, land use, and the energy transition, so are interesting to watch. Especially in the city core. The three buildings shown here are all on the sites of former gas stations in central Auckland. The longer term fact is that gas stations are ...6 days ago
- Nicola's Bag of Money.
Have you seen my bag of money?I left it in the parlour,It was your party and they were your friends,I see you got a nice new car and a brand new pair of pants.So what’s it going to be New Zealand? The Money or the Bag? Do you want those ...6 days ago - The Media Outlets & Millionaires Enabling The Elderly Edgelords
Hi,I am sort of loath to write this newsletter today because I fear it’s playing into the hands of a bunch of elderly edgelords. These are typically older white men who generate their income by saying the most hideous stuff they can, all while self-righteously screaming about the merits of ...6 days ago - Film-makers follow the money on ‘disinformation’ bandwagon
Graham Adams writes that while Web of Chaos gets a rerun on TVNZ, River of Freedom is left out in the cold. If you are a film-maker looking for an injection of taxpayer cash, a pitch focused on fake news purportedly propagated by “conspiracy theorists” looks to be a good ...6 days ago - At a glance – What is the link between hurricanes and global warming?On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...6 days ago
- Nicola Willis brings us up to date with state service job cuts – while Tamatha Paul (is this overk...Buzz from the Beehive Finance Minister Nicola Willis has estimated the loss of around 2500 jobs from the public sector during the cost-saving since the general election last October. Another 1150 vacancies in Government departments have been removed from the books and 500 are expected to go, she said during ...6 days ago
- Bryce Edwards: Is it time for an Integrity Commission to monitor conflicts of interest?News that the Government’s new Parliamentary Undersecretary for Health, Todd Stephenson, has been pressured today to sell his investments in pharmaceutical companies shows how New Zealand is becoming more sensitive and suspicious about politicians’ “conflicts of interest”. Yet, we need to get much more serious about creating rules and procedures ...7 days ago
- Forget the loud-hailers Minister, what you need is TikTokChris Trotter writes – It almost worked. “Matua Shane”, local supporters in tow, advanced down the main street of Blackball. Had the Minister for Resources, Shane Jones, been supplied with a full-sized loud-hailer to amplify his pro-mining slogans, then the photo-op would have been an unqualified success. Unfortunately, the ...7 days ago
- Did the Reserve Bank massage its OCR forecasts to help Labour keep power? (we’ve found evidence po...Rob MacCulloch writes – Last year, in the lead up to the national election, Governor Orr said in May 2023 that he was “very confident” there would not be further interest rate hikes, stating the Reserve Bank had done enough in terms of rate rises. He was interviewed by ...7 days ago
- Parliament’s increasingly toxic ethnic identity warsBryce Edwards writes Toxicity and disinformation are becoming a big part of New Zealand politics. And much of this relates to debates about ethnicity, race, and racism. We should all be concerned about this trend. Personal abuse, dishonesty, and contempt in the public sphere are bad for democracy, ...7 days ago
- Bernard’s Dawn Chorus and pick ‘n’ mix for Tuesday, May 28
House-building and infrastructure industry leaders are begging the Government for project-pipeline certainty and warning of a 2009/10-style exodus of skilled staff overseas. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The National-ACT-NZ First Coalition Government won last year’s election with a pledge to ‘get things done’ and ‘get New Zealand back on ...7 days ago - Slippery People.
What's the matter with him? (He's alright)How do you know? (The Lord won't mind)Don't play no games (he's alright)Love from the bottom to the top.You’re alright, but how about her, or him? What makes them tick? Are they a solid citizen or a slippery fecker? Why are we all so ...7 days ago - Children’s Voices in Auckland’s FutureRecently, the transport consultancy Crank publicly released a report about children’s vision for transport in Auckland. It was produced in 2023 to help shape Auckland Council’s Vehicle Kilometres Travelled (VKT) Reduction Strategy. That got me thinking, and after going back to the recent Long Term Plan Consultation Feedback results, one ...7 days ago
- Med school backdown the “right thing” says SeymourOne of National’s showpiece election promises appears to be in more trouble with Waikato University yesterday withdrawing its call for tenders to develop a new medical school. The move will delay any substantial increase in the number of doctors being trained in New Zealand. The University’s decision just over a ...7 days ago
- Of ‘said’ and Dialogue Tags in WritingToday, I ran across a Twitter thread about writerly use of the word ‘said’: https://x.com/APoetForThePyre/status/1794895108581859794 As a writer, I have my opinions about this, and since it has been a long, long time since I offered thoughts on the unwritten rules of writing, I thought I would explore the matter ...1 week ago
- The silent tragedy of local restrictions on renewable energyThis story by James Goodwin was originally published by The Revelator and is part of Covering Climate Now, a global journalism collaboration strengthening coverage of the climate story. Communities across the United States may soon find themselves facing a grim scenario. By adopted local ordinances that obstruct the development of new renewable energy resources within ...1 week ago
- Bryce Edwards: Parliament’s increasingly toxic ethnic identity warsToxicity and disinformation are becoming a big part of New Zealand politics. And much of this relates to debates about ethnicity, race, and racism. We should all be concerned about this trend. Personal abuse, dishonesty, and contempt in the public sphere are bad for democracy, social cohesion, and the integrity ...1 week ago
- What to say on the government’s racist Māori wards billI've spent the afternoon working on my submission on the Local Government (Electoral Legislation and Māori Wards and Māori Constituencies) Amendment Bill - National's racist bill to eliminate Māori representation from local government. It's an important bill, and the timeframe for submissions is tight - only two days left! National ...1 week ago
- Collins will be abroad when critics react to science funding – but Matauranga money should not be ...Buzz from the Beehive With just a few days to go before Finance Minister Nicola Willis delivers her first Budget speech, her colleagues have been focused in recent days on issues beyond our shores. Education Minister Erica Stanford made the only announcement of concern to citizens who want to know ...1 week ago
- New Caledonia’s troublesJames Kierstead writes – White sand beaches. Palm trees waving in a gentle breeze. Seas of turquoise and ultramarine, cobalt and denim stretching out as far as the eye can see. Such is the view of New Caledonia that you get on travel websites. And it’s not an ...1 week ago
- National’s climate cuts will take us backwards
The National Government has shown all their talk about meeting climate targets is just hot air as they cut more than $3 billion in climate-related work, said Labour climate spokesperson Megan Woods. ...4 days ago - Release: Budget not enough to cover rent increasesRents will keep going up according to yesterday’s Budget, while Kiwis are finding out they aren’t getting as much as they were promised. ...4 days ago
- Government throws the environment on the scrap heap
The Government has shown its disdain for nature by undermining and cutting programmes which protect and conserve our environment. ...4 days ago - Budget neglects Māori and disregards Te TiritiThe Green Party’s Te Mātāwaka (Māori and Pasifika) caucus has labelled this year’s Budget as unambitious for Māori and unapologetic in its disregard for Te Tiriti. ...4 days ago
- The Coalition Government and its road to yesterdayToday’s Budget will lead our transport network down a road of more emissions and more misery. ...4 days ago
- Funding for Māori slashed in BudgetNicola Willis’ Budget represents the worst outcome for Māori in a generation. ...4 days ago
- Trickle-down tax cuts while the planet and social contract burnsThe Government’s bloody-minded commitment to delivering trickle-down tax cuts at all costs comes at the expense of investment in people and planet. ...4 days ago
- Government missing in action on Pasifika issuesThis year’s Budget reflects the heartlessness of the Coalition Government when it comes to Pasifika, according to the Green Party’s Te Mātāwaka (Māori and Pasifika) caucus. ...5 days ago
- Release: Back out budget breaks promisesThe budget today is a sad state of affairs and the country can now see the result of Finance Minister Nicola Willis’ wrong choices and the Government’s broken promises. ...5 days ago
- Coalition of cowards slashes investment in climate actionActions speak louder than words and this Government's attack on the climate will ripple through generations, says the Green Party. ...5 days ago
- Release: Economy goes backwards under incompetent coalition govtFinance Minister Nicola Willis has repeatedly said she will not be borrowing for tax cuts and denied fiscal irresponsibility. Today, the budget has revealed Nicola Willis has borrowed $12 billion – and her tax cuts cost $10 billion. ...5 days ago
- Government gives nothing to climate and inequality crisesThe coalition Government has offered Aotearoa little hope and even less ambition in this year’s Budget. ...5 days ago
- Release: National Government takes anti-housing stanceIn six short months the Minister for Housing has shrunk the pool of potential home owners in New Zealand, removed housing security for renters, re-introduced competition on existing stock between investors and speculators, and served power and billions of dollars to landlords on a silver platter, says Labour housing spokesperson ...1 week ago
- Speech: Commemoration of 145th Anniversary of Girmit in Fiji...1 week ago
- New Zealand First Member’s Bill to protect Freedom of Speech
Today New Zealand First will introduce a Member’s Bill that will protect New Zealanders' right of free speech. The “Protection of Freedom of Expression Bill” will ensure that no organisation or individual, when acting within the law, is unreasonably denied use of a public venue for an organised event or ...2 weeks ago - Government trying to rush Māori wards legislation through without public sayThe Green Party unequivocally condemns the governing parties’ attempts to limit the public’s say on the controversial Māori wards legislation, after the select committee considering the legislation set a deadline for submissions of just five days. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Statement from housing spokesperson Kieran McAnulty“Today it sounds like the Minister for Housing and his associate are announcing 500 homes that already exist,” Kieran McAnulty said. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Mining on conservation land will take NZ backwardsShane Jones’s speech today demonstrates once again that he will put his political theatrics ahead of New Zealand’s workers and their futures. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Disabled children latest to lose access to fundingDisabled children and families nationwide have recently found out they’re no longer able to use disability support funding for programmes during school hours in another quiet update from the Government. ...2 weeks ago
- Coalition of coal will prove catastrophic for climateThe Government’s plans to ramp up coal mining in the heat of a climate crisis will see our chances of a liveable future melt away. ...2 weeks ago
- Aotearoa must follow in the footsteps of countries recognising Palestinian statehoodThe Green Party is calling on the Government to follow in the footsteps of Ireland, Spain and Norway in recognising Palestinian statehood. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Time to make stalking a crimeFollowing a horrific case of stalking that ended in tragedy, Labour’s police spokesperson Ginny Andersen has drafted a bill that would add stalking to the Crimes Act. ...2 weeks ago
- $24 million for free mental health counselling for young kiwisThe Rt Hon Winston Peters, joined by Mike King, has announced $24 million over four years for the ‘I Am Hope Foundation’, and will provide young people aged between 5 to 25 years with free mental health counselling services. This funding will help I Am Hope’s ‘Gumboot Friday’ initiative give ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Strong support for disability fundingTwo thirds of Kiwis in a new poll want funding flexibility reinstated for disabled people and carers. ...2 weeks ago
- Petition launched to save Māori babies and their right to be with whakapapaTe Pāti Māori have launched a petition to stop the repeal of Section 7AA from the Oranga Tamariki Act. This announcement comes prior to the first reading of the Section 7AA repeal bill in Parliament today. “Section 7AA forces the Government to adhere to Te Tiriti o Waitangi with respect ...2 weeks ago
- Government introduces Bill to roll back Māori WardsThe Green Party has sounded the alarm over the Government’s introduction of legislation to remove Māori Wards and roll back years of progress. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Pre-Budget Speech: Barbara Edmonds...2 weeks ago
- Release: Another announcement, still no funding for more public housesThe Government has yet again failed to do the one thing that needs to happen to ensure houses can be built – commit to ongoing funding, Labour housing spokesperson Kieran McAnulty said. ...2 weeks ago
- Government must build more public houses, not find excuses to sell themThe Green Party says the Government must use the review of Kāinga Ora as a platform to build more homes, not an excuse to sell them off. ...2 weeks ago
- Government must build more public houses, not find excuses to sell themThe Green Party says the Government must use the review of Kāinga Ora as a platform to build more homes, not an excuse to sell them off. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Treasury advice show flaws in Fast Track Approvals BillTreasury officials have outlined many ways in which the Fast Track Approvals Bill is deeply flawed, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking says. ...2 weeks ago
- State of the Planet speeches, 2024Green Party co-leaders Marama Davidson and Chlöe Swarbrick used this year's State of the Planet to call on the Government to prioritise people and planet as the delivery of the Budget approaches. A full transcript of their speeches can be found below. ...2 weeks ago
- State of the Planet: Government must be guided by values not moneyGreen Party co-leaders Marama Davidson and Chlöe Swarbrick have used their State of the Planet speeches to challenge the Government to prioritise people and planet over profit as the delivery of the Budget approaches. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Chris Hipkins’ speech: New Zealand in 2040 – A vision worth fighting for...2 weeks ago
- Release: 4,500 jobs lost – and countingMore than 4,500 jobs are set to go as the National Government continues its deep cuts to services to pay for irresponsible and ill-timed tax cuts. ...3 weeks ago
- No-cause evictions leave no hope for rentersThe Government’s introduction of legislation that would enable landlords to end tenancies with no reason marks a dark day for the 1.4 million people who rent their home in Aotearoa. ...3 weeks ago
- Release: National winding back mental health workThe Minister for Mental Health has found the Suicide Prevention Office and mental health support for 111 calls slipping through his fingers, says Labour spokesperson for Mental Health Ingrid Leary. ...3 weeks ago
- Government to sign groundbreaking Indo-Pacific agreements
Trade Minister Todd McClay and Climate Change Minister Simon Watts travel to Singapore tomorrow to sign three Indo Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF) agreements. IPEF’s 14 partners represent 40 per cent of global GDP and account for 50 per cent of New Zealand’s exports. They include critical markets for Kiwi exporters ...11 hours ago - King’s Birthday Honours recognise significant contributions to educationMinister of Education Erica Stanford today recognises the significant achievements of those included in the King’s Birthday 2024 Honours List, particularly those being celebrated for their services to education. “This year’s King’s Birthday Honours recognises the commitment, dedication and passion that those who have been honoured have shown,” Ms Stanford ...11 hours ago
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- King’s Birthday Honours for East Coast championMe aro koe ki te hā o Hine-ahu-one The devotion shown by Katareina Kaiwai to improving the lives of people across her community is an inspiration to all New Zealanders, Māori Development Minister Tama Potaka says. Katareina Kaiwai (Ngāti Porou, Rongomaiwahine, Ngāti Kahungunu ki Heretaunga) has been awarded a King’s Service Medal ...22 hours ago
- Ethnic communities recognised in King’s Birthday HonoursEthnic Communities Minister Melissa Lee has congratulated the King’s Birthday 2024 Honours recipients hailing from ethnic communities, saying they embody the valuable contributions of diverse peoples to New Zealand society. “The King’s Birthday 2024 Honours List recognises a number of outstanding individuals for their services to New Zealand’s ethnic and ...22 hours ago
- King’s Birthday Honours recognise significant contributions to medical sciences and Pacific leader...Minister of Health and Pacific Peoples Dr Shane Reti today recognises the significant work of those included in the King’s Birthday 2024 Honours List, particularly those being honoured for services to health and medical sciences and services to Pacific communities. “This year’s King’s Birthday Honours List represents a massive breadth ...22 hours ago
- PM congratulates King’s Birthday Honours recipientsPrime Minister Christopher Luxon has congratulated the recipients included on the King’s Birthday 2024 Honours List, saying they reflect the best of New Zealand. The 176 recipients include the appointments of two Dames and two Knights. “The New Zealanders being honoured in this year’s King’s Birthday Honours have given decades ...22 hours ago
- Speech to the IISS Shangri-La Dialogue 2024Thank you to the International Institute for Strategic Studies for the invitation to speak on this panel today, and for your ongoing work organising the Shangri-La Dialogue. It’s great to be here today alongside my Thai and Canadian colleagues to discuss security connections across the wider Indo-Pacific. I am so ...1 day ago
- Prime Minister heads to Niue and FijiPrime Minister Christopher Luxon will travel to Niue and Fiji this week (4-7 June), as New Zealand continues to sharpen its focus and engagement in the Pacific. It will be Mr Luxon’s first visit to the region as Prime Minister. “Niue and Fiji are two of New Zealand’s closest friends ...2 days ago
- Certainty for marine farms through reformsThe Coalition Government is delivering New Zealand’s aquaculture industry the confidence and security it needs to grow, says Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones. A Bill which passed its first reading in Parliament today will extend current resource consents for marine farms by up to 20 years, removing a significant ...2 days ago
- Government commences Firearms Registry reviewThe Government is delivering on a commitment made in the National-ACT coalition agreement by commencing a review of the Firearms Registry. “Cabinet has agreed to the registry review terms of reference and the review is now underway,” Associate Minister of Justice, Hon Nicole McKee says. “It is important that we ...3 days ago
- People to keep more of their own money from 31 JulyAverage-income households will be up to $102 a fortnight better off from 31 July following passage of The Taxation (Budget Measures) Bill in Parliament today, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. “The bill gives effect to the coalition Government’s promise to allow New Zealanders who have been experiencing a prolonged cost ...3 days ago
- More than 240,000 hits on Tax CalculatorWithin 18 hours of the Budget being released, there have been 240,821 visits to our tax calculator website which outlines exactly how much tax relief lower and middle income New Zealanders will receive, says Finance Minister Nicola Willis. “Hardworking Kiwis, who often work two jobs and juggle family commitments need ...3 days ago
- NZ celebrates 12 months free trade with the UKThe Government is encouraging businesses to take advantage of the reduced tariff rates under our free trade agreement with the United Kingdom (UK). The UK is now our fastest growing export market, Trade Minister Todd McClay says. The deal entered into force one year ago today. Mr McClay meet with ...4 days ago
- Handheld thermal tech now allowed on public conservation landTechnology making it easier for hunters to find animals will be allowed on public conservation land from 1 June, Hunting and Fishing Minister Todd McClay has announced. The use of hand-held thermal technology during daylight hours will add to safety and help hunters to better identify animals,” Minister McClay ...4 days ago
- Government to repeal costly log trade legislationThe Government will repeal legislation this weekend requiring the compulsory registration of log traders and forestry advisers, Forestry Minister Todd McClay announced. “The current system fails to deliver outcomes and places unnecessary costs on forest businesses,” Mr McClay says. “The repeal will be delivered at speed, with changes coming into ...4 days ago
- New direction for Health New ZealandProfessor Lester Levy has been appointed as a member and Chair of the Board of Health New Zealand - Te Whatu Ora (Health NZ), Health Minister Dr Shane Reti announced today. “Professor Levy has extensive experience working in the health system and will provide strong leadership to Health NZ through ...4 days ago
- Government welcomes smelter agreementThe signing of individual 20-year bilateral long-term contracts between the New Zealand Aluminium Smelter (NZAS), Meridian Energy, Contact Energy, and Mercury NZ will provide certainty for the electricity market and will be a welcome relief for the Southland economy, Energy Minister Simeon Brown says. “The Tiwai Smelter is New Zealand’s ...4 days ago
- Foreign Minister to visit South East AsiaForeign Minister Winston Peters will travel to South East Asia next week. “South East Asia is critical to maintaining and building New Zealand’s security and prosperity,” Mr Peters says. “My travel to the region is a further demonstration of the Coalition Government’s strong commitment to boosting New Zealand’s ...4 days ago
- Budget delivers on promises to KiwisPrime Minister Christopher Luxon says Budget 2024 delivers on the Government’s promises, with savings across the public sector being reinvested in frontline services and meaningful tax reductions to support hard-working Kiwis. “This Budget is prudent and fiscally responsible. By identifying billions of dollars of lower-value spending across the public sector, ...5 days ago
- Nicola Willis – Budget 2024 SpeechMr Speaker, I move that the Appropriation (2024/25 Estimates) Bill be now read a second time. Tēnā koutou katoa. E mihi ana ki a Ahumairangi, ki a Tangi-te-keo, ki te Whanganui-a-Tara. Tāne whakapiripiri e tū nei, e ngā tāngata whenua o te rohe, e ngā mema ...5 days ago
- Budget supports practical climate actionResponsible and effective climate related initiatives that support New Zealand to reduce emissions, and adapt to the future effects of climate change are a priority, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. “Our Government is committed to meeting emission reduction targets, including the overall goal of carbon net-zero by 2050, while ...5 days ago
- More than $1 billion for Cyclone relief, resilience and emergency preparednessBudget 2024 invests more than $1 billion in a package of initiatives to further support the rebuild and recovery of communities affected by Cyclone Gabrielle and the 2023 Auckland Anniversary floods to improve New Zealand’s emergency preparedness, Transport Minister Simeon Brown and Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell say. ...5 days ago
- Waste levy changes to improve environmentRevenue from the Waste Disposal Levy will be spent on a wider range of projects supporting the environment and climate change mitigation and adaptation in addition to minimising waste, Environment Minister Penny Simmonds says. “The Government will introduce a Bill as part of Budget 2024 legislation which expands the scope ...5 days ago
- Rewarding hard work in tertiary education and trainingBudget 2024 sets the path for a sustainable tertiary education sector that supports and incentivises hard working learners, businesses, and tertiary education providers, Tertiary Education Minister, Penny Simmonds says. “The first year Fees Free policy was an expensive failure and did not deliver its aim of more students going into ...5 days ago
- Investing in transport for growthBudget 2024 confirms a $2.68 billion investment in roads, rail, and public transport to unlock economic growth and enable Kiwis and freight to get to where they want to go quickly and safely, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “This funding includes a billion-dollar increase over that signalled during the consultation ...5 days ago
- Budget assures funding for Te MatatiniKua tū te haka a Tāne Rore me ngā mahi a Hine Rēhia! Secure long-term funding of $48.7 million from 2025 will ensure the future of Te Matatini prospers with the support of the Government, Māori Development Minister Tama Potaka says. I tēnei tahua pūtea kua whakangaoa e te Kāwanatanga ...5 days ago
- Regional resilience and prosperity focus of new fundSupporting regional productivity, prosperity and resilience will be at the heart of the Regional Infrastructure Fund, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. “The coalition Government is committed to building a stronger, more productive economy, and this fund will help support our regional economies to grow,” Mr Jones says. “Building infrastructure ...5 days ago
- $1.1 billion investment to support disabled peopleCritical support services that improve the lives of disabled people, their families, and those who care for them will receive significant investment through Budget 2024. “The coalition Government wants the best outcomes for the disability community, which is why we are prioritising the essential frontline services they rely on,” says ...5 days ago
- Fixing New Zealand’s infrastructure deficitBudget 2024 lays the foundations for a better performing infrastructure system, with investments to ensure Kiwis spend less time waiting in traffic, that improve our climate resilience, and in modern classrooms that support our kids to achieve at school, Infrastructure Minister Chris Bishop says. “The Government is determined to address ...5 days ago
- Budget 24 turns tide on wasteful spendingAssociate Finance Minister David Seymour says this Budget makes a good start in reducing low value government spending, and there is more efficiency to be found in future Budget cycles. “The coalition Government inherited a dire fiscal situation. Core Crown expenditure increased nearly 70 percent between 2017 and 2023. Debt ...5 days ago
- 500 more Police to improve public safetyFrontline Police numbers will be increased by 500 officers by the end of 2025 to help reduce crime and improve public safety, Associate Police Minister Casey Costello says. “We are serious about restoring law and order and that starts with having more Police on the beat to deter crime and ...5 days ago
- Budget backs Police on the front lineA focus on supporting frontline Police in this year’s Budget will keep our communities safer, Police Minister Mark Mitchell says. “We are serious about cracking down on crime and keeping communities safe so people can go about their lives in peace. We back our Police and are giving them more ...5 days ago
- $2.93 billion investment to lift educational achievementThe coalition Government is boosting education spending by $2.93 billion over the next four years to improve student outcomes, Education Minister Erica Stanford says. "The investment includes extra funding for new classrooms, additional teacher support and early childhood education,” Ms Stanford says. “It also includes previously announced additional funding for ...5 days ago
- Budget prioritises frontline health services & workersHealth will get a significant funding boost of $16.68 billion across three Budgets as part of our plan to invest in frontline services such as emergency departments, primary care, medicines and public health to ensure New Zealanders can get the healthcare they deserve, Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says. “Our ...5 days ago
- Rebuilding the New Zealand economyBudget 2024 restores discipline to spending to get the books back in order, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. Operating allowance for Budget 2024 lowered to $3.2 billion: the lowest operating allowance since Budget 2018 Future operating allowances lowered to $2.4 billion The Multi-Year Capital Allowance receives a $7 billion top-up, ...5 days ago
- Responsible tax relief for the squeezed middleBudget 2024 delivers overdue tax relief to 3.5 million New Zealanders so they can keep more of what they earn. Tax relief as set out in the National Party’s 2023 tax plan From 31 July this year average income households receive tax relief of up to $102 a fortnight and ...5 days ago
- Budget 2024 delivers for New ZealandBudget 2024 sets out the Government’s plan to rebuild the economy, ease the cost of living, deliver better health and education services and restore law and order, says Finance Minister Nicola Willis. “This is a fiscally responsible Budget that delivers on key coalition Government commitments.” Tax relief for the squeezed ...5 days ago
- Speech to National Family Violence Conference 2024Hon. Karen Chhour National Network of Family Violence Services National Family Violence Conference 2024 9:25am Wednesday 29 May 2024 It is an honour to open this conference, and I want to acknowledge the broad range of expertise, experience, and hard work represented by the people here in this room. ...5 days ago
- Government improves mass arrival managementThe Government has strengthened settings for managing a mass arrival, with the passing of the Immigration (Mass Arrivals) Amendment Bill today. “While we haven’t experienced a mass arrival event in New Zealand, it is an ongoing possibility which would have a significant impact on our immigration and court systems,” Immigration ...6 days ago
- Who gets to decide what counts as ‘disorder’?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jess Reia, Assistant Professor of Data Science, University of Virginia Police drag away a tent from a pro-Palestinian encampment at the University of California, Irvine on May 15, 2024. Leonard Ortiz/MediaNews Group/Orange County Register via Getty Images As a scholar of urban ...2 hours ago - Mexico has elected its first female president. Claudia Sheinbaum inherits a polarised, violent count...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Luis Gómez Romero, Senior Lecturer in Human Rights, Constitutional Law and Legal Theory, University of Wollongong On October 17, 1953, constitutional reform granted women the right to vote in Mexico, and two years later, women cast ballots for the first time in ...5 hours ago
- 50 years of challenge and change: David Robie reflects on a career in Pacific journalismThis King’s Birthday, the New Zealand Order of Merit recognises Professor David Robie’s 50 years of service to Pacific journalism. He says he is astonished and quite delighted, and feels quite humbled by it all. “However, I feel that it’s not just me, I owe an enormous amount to my ...6 hours ago
- Independent committee needed for Fiji MPs’ salaries, says parliament chiefBy Repeka Nasiko in Suva “Let other people decide your salaries” is the latest message in the Fiji parliamentary pay controversy. This is the call of Fiji’s longtime House of Representatives Secretary Edward Blakelock, who believes that the Special Emoluments Committee must be independent. He said the Emoluments Committee, traditionally ...7 hours ago
- Low-paid wages up 3.75%, with more to come for childcare and health professionalsSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Buchanan, Professor, Discipline of Business Information Systems, University of Sydney Business School, University of Sydney The Fair Work Commission has boosted the wages of workers on awards by 3.75%, just a touch above the official inflation rate of 3.6%. The increase ...7 hours ago
- Former NZ First MP Barbara Stewart dies
Former New Zealand First MP Barbara Stewart has died at the age of 72. ...7 hours ago - Little Ima puts a question to PM Marape for Mulitaka survivorsBy Miriam Zarriga in Mulitaka, Papua New Guinea Little Ima met Papua New Guinea Prime Minister James Marape last Friday during the “haus krai” in Mulitaka, Enga, after the landslide disaster more than a week ago. His meeting happened when Marape beckoned him to get water from him. The action ...9 hours ago
- Carriage romps, good vibrations and a web of lies: what we’re streaming in JuneSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Erin Harrington, Senior Lecturer in English and Cultural Studies, University of Canterbury The Conversation June is set to be a month of holding up the mirror to reality, with our experts recommending three new non-fiction watches. No streaming list is ...11 hours ago
- Josh Frydenberg rules out seeking Kooyong preselectionSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Former Treasurer Josh Frydenberg has ruled out attempting to displace Amelia Hamer as the Liberals’ candidate for Kooyong. Frydenberg’s quick decision comes after a public backlash against the possibility he could push aside an ...11 hours ago
- King’s Birthday Honours: NZ journalist reflects on work in the PacificBy Alakihihifo Vailala of PMN News Flipped “back in time” is how New Zealand author, journalist and media educator Dr David Robie describes the crisis in New Caledonia. Robie has covered the Asia-Pacific region for international media and educated Pacific journalists for more than four decades. He reported on the ...12 hours ago
- The housing crisis hit Queensland hard. Jolted into action, the state has raised its gameSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Hal Pawson, Professor of Housing Research and Policy, and Associate Director, City Futures Research Centre, UNSW Sydney Post-COVID housing stress has been especially intense in Queensland. Brisbane property prices have climbed by 65% since the pandemic began. That’s almost double the Australian ...13 hours ago
- What’s the difference between vegan and vegetarian?Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Katherine Livingstone, NHMRC Emerging Leadership Fellow and Senior Research Fellow at the Institute for Physical Activity and Nutrition, Deakin University Creative Cat Studio/Shutterstock What’s the difference? is a new editorial product that explains the similarities and differences between commonly confused health ...13 hours ago
- Outpouring of grief following death of acclaimed Samoan poet and writerRNZ Pacific Tributes are pouring in for an acclaimed American Samoan poet and teacher who was murdered last Saturday in Apia allegedly by a fellow poet. According to local police Dr Caroline Sinavaiana-Gabbard, a retired professor from the University of Hawai’i Manoa, was found dead at the Galu Moana Theatre ...13 hours ago
- Could a green investment deal help Indonesia and Australia overcome their past tensions?Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Cahyani Widi Larasakti, PhD Student in International Relations, The University of Melbourne MMES Studio/Shutterstock Australia and Indonesia have long had an uneasy relationship, over issues ranging from Timor-Leste’s independence to asylum seekers and bans on live cattle export to the aftermath ...14 hours ago
- Patents based on traditional knowledge are often ‘biopiracy’. A new international treaty will fi...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Margaret Raven, Senior Scientia Lecturer (Research), UNSW Sydney wk1003mike / Shutterstock Last week, at a conference in Geneva, the member states of the World Intellectual Property Organisation agreed on a new treaty aimed at preventing the for-profit piracy of traditional knowledge. ...16 hours ago
- Migration has been in the news a lot lately. What’s going on?Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sara Dehm, Senior lecturer, International Migration and Refugee Law, University of Technology Sydney Anyone following recent news reporting may rightly think Australia’s migration system is in “crisis”. Much of this reporting is fixated on the perceived threat posed by non-citizens to the ...19 hours ago
- Australia can afford to bulk bill all GP visits. So why don’t we?Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Yuting Zhang, Professor of Health Economics, The University of Melbourne Monkey Business Images/Shutterstock Being able to afford health care is a pressing issue for many Australians. And encouraging GPs to bulk bill is one measure the government is taking to ease ...19 hours ago
- Why do so few people cycle for transport in Australia? 6 ideas on how to reap all the benefits of bi...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Melanie Davern, Associate Professor, Director Australian Urban Observatory, Centre for Urban Research, RMIT University Abdul Razak Latif/Shutterstock Less than 1% of the 12 million Australians who travelled to work on Census Day in 2021 rode a bicycle to get there. Bicycles ...19 hours ago
- How should the skilled migration points test be reformed? It’s an $84 billion questionSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Brendan Coates, Program Director, Economic Policy, Grattan Institute Photoroyalty/Shutterstock As the government consults on potential reforms to points-tested visas for skilled migrants, the stakes couldn’t be higher. Skilled migrants contribute enormously to Australia’s prosperity – shaping our diverse society, making ...19 hours ago
- Sue me, if you can. How laws that prevent directors being sued make firms less likely to recall pote...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Arvid O. I. Hoffmann, Professor of Marketing, University of Adelaide About half the states in the United States have introduced so-called universal demand laws that make it harder for aggrieved shareholders to sue company directors and hold managers personally liable for decisions ...19 hours ago
- Author charged with murder: the inside story
A close friend of Samoan novelist Sia Figiel, charged with the alleged murder last weekend of another Pasifika author in a village near Apia, has told Newsroom that the two women had a kind of literary dispute that may have veered wildly out of control. The friend, artist Vanya Taule’alo, ...20 hours ago - A full-body experience: Fox Spirit on a Distant Cloud, reviewed
Chris Tse reviews Lee Murray’s genre-breaking book about women of the Chinese diaspora in Aotearoa. Reading Lee Murray’s Fox Spirit on a Distant Cloud is a full-body experience: your pulse races and your skin prickles in response to the searing and visceral imagery, and the heaviness of the injustices that ...20 hours ago - Budget 2024: Disappointment over broken promise to fund more mental health specialistsPsychiatrists are disappointed they won't get the 13 additional psychiatry registrar places National had committed to. ...22 hours ago
- The 50 kings you need to knowToday is King’s birthday, but there are oh so many kings to acknowledge. Here’s 50 to think about on your day of rest. 50. King Charles Obligatory inclusion because it’s his fake birthday. 49. King George VI From the Colin Firth movie. 48. The King of Hearts Hearts is the ...22 hours ago
- Not my king’s birthdayLiam Rātana is tired of honouring colonisation, colonisers, and an establishment that represents all that is wrong with the world. Personally, I despise the monarchy and everything it represents. The Crown has built its wealth on stolen land, exploited resources, slavery and genocide. These are facts, not opinions. So why ...22 hours ago
- Sex, drugs, rock’n’roll and cricket: An excerpt from First Things by Harry RickettsIn an excerpt from his new memoir, the poet and literary scholar remembers losing his virginity, his first experience with LSD, and the 1970 Bath Festival. The first person kind enough to go to bed with me was a student at Somerville. It was early on the morning of Friday ...22 hours ago
- The nature and interests of Middle East regimesOpinion: In a previous article I wrote just days after the October 7 attack on Israel, I was guilty of obliquely stating that we are all responsible for the violence in Gaza. But I left the idea hanging there. Although we like to theorise and indulge in self-effacing intellectual rhetoric ...22 hours ago
- The shape of a Māori ParliamentThousands gathered at Omāhu marae last week for the year’s second Hui Taumata, where speakers followed a high-profile national hīkoi the day before by sharing a discussion about what a Māori Parliament could look like. While the term ‘parliament’ was debated, the principle of the matter was steadfast: people wanted ...22 hours ago
- Daily crossword, Monday 3 JuneThe post Daily crossword, Monday 3 June appeared first on Newsroom. ...22 hours ago
- Newsroom daily quiz, Monday 3 JuneLoading…(function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){var ql=document.querySelectorAll('A,DIV,A[data-quiz],DIV[data-quiz]'); if(ql){if(ql.length){for(var k=0;k<ql.length;k++){ql[k].id='quiz-embed-'+k;ql[k].href="javascript:var i=document.getElementById('quiz-embed-"+k+"');try{qz.startQuiz(i)}catch(e){i.start=1;i.style.cursor='wait';i.style.opacity='0.5'};void(0);"}}};i['QP']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){(i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o),m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m)})(window,document,'script','https://take.quiz-maker.com/3012/CDN/quiz-embed-v1.js','qp'); Got a good quiz question? Send Newsroom your questions. The post Newsroom daily quiz, Monday 3 June appeared first on Newsroom. ...22 hours ago
- View from The Hill: Josh Frydenberg mulls political temptation after Kooyong gets new draft boundari...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Josh Frydenberg is mulling over whether to try to make a lunge for his old Melbourne seat of Kooyong, now that new circumstances have suddenly raised his political heart rate. Friday’s draft redistribution of ...1 day ago
- PNG’s police and defence force close ranks to foil ‘opportunist crimes’PNG Post-Courier Papua New Guinea’s Police Commissioner David Manning has commended the coordinated efforts between police and defence intelligence units in the lead up to and during the current sitting of Parliament. Commissioner Manning said claims made over the past five months, particularly on social media, had led to heightened ...1 day ago
- Government fails to pass everything it wanted under post-Budget urgencyOpposition parties were able to delay the government passing three bills overnight under urgency. ...1 day ago
- Déjà vu in New Caledonia: why decades of political failure will make this uprising hard to contai...ANALYSIS: By David Small, University of Canterbury With an air force plane on its way to rescue New Zealanders stranded by the violent uprising in New Caledonia, many familiar with the Pacific island territory’s history are experiencing an unwelcome sense of déjà vu. When I first visited the island territory ...1 day ago
- Newshub closures: creating waves of change across the PacificBy Alana Musselle of Te Waha Nui Cook Islands News, the national newspaper for the Cook Islands, is one of many Pacific news media agencies expecting change in the face of New Zealand’s NewsHub closure next month. The organisation has content-sharing agreements with traditional NZ media organisations including Stuff, New ...2 days ago
- Lowering voting age to 16 'not a matter of if, but when'A youth advocate is not giving up on their campaign to lower the voting age, despite the government ruling it out. ...2 days ago
- Christopher Luxon to visit Niue and FijiChristopher Luxon will make his first visit to the Pacific as prime minister this week. ...2 days ago
- In pictures: What Budget Day looked like at ParliamentA peek inside Parliament on the day Finance Minister Nicola Willis and the coalition government delivered its first Budget. ...2 days ago
- What it’s like to release a kiwi into the wildEsme Stark spends two days in the hills of Wellington with Capital Kiwi, introducing 12 kiwi to their new home. Kiwi are returning to Wellington. After years of intensive trapping and the release of 140 kiwi since November 2022 by the Capital Kiwi Project, Wellington’s wild western hills now provide ...2 days ago
- An Ode to .. Guilty TrumpThe Abyss The scientific observers cheerfully set off In the submersible vessel USS Ship of State. Down under the waves they slide, And the blue light plays pleasingly on the seas. The explorers watch in amazement As a graceful Bernie’s Porpoise slips by in the shallows. Down into a dusky ...2 days ago
- Gaza and the Middle East: A beginners’ guide to the never-ending catastrophe Opinion: Perhaps the best way to try to demystify the Middle East crisis zone is to start close to home and work our way towards the current epicentre of catastrophe – Gaza. On a recent Saturday, I took my daughter for her monthly sugary treat in the normally somnolent town ...2 days ago
- ‘France has caused this crisis’ – Pacific Islands Forum offers support to New CaledoniaBy Lydia Lewis, RNZ Pacific journalist Cook Islands Prime Minister and Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) chair Mark Brown has written to the president of the government of New Caledonia to offer support in finding a way forward. Brown said the political situation in the French territory — which is a ...2 days ago
- What Donald Trump’s fiery reaction to his conviction says about this moment in US politicsSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Emma Shortis, Adjunct Senior Fellow, School of Global, Urban and Social Studies, RMIT University In the week leading up to the conviction delivered in a Manhattan courtroom on Friday, right-wing media was focused on Donald Trump’s innocence. Hosts of the popular podcast ...2 days ago
- NZ foreign minister Peters calls for ‘calm wise heads’ in New Caledonia crisisRNZ Pacific New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters says “calm wise heads” are needed to sort out the crisis in New Caledonia. A security force of more than 3000 personnel — more than half of them flown in from France — have returned to the capital Nouméa of the French ...3 days ago
- Budget 2024 a 'mixed bag' for disabled peopleOpinion - Relief over a boost for Whaikaha is tempered by disappointment that flexibility for individualised funding was not restored, Chris Ford writes. ...3 days ago
- 12 reportedly dead after tribal clashes near PNG landslide in EngaBy Eleisha Foon, RNZ Pacific senior journalist Papua New Guinean Prime Minister James Marape visited Wabag, the capital of Enga province, to meet authorities before flying to the site of last week’s landslide disaster to inspect the damage up close. Tribal violence between two clans in Tambitanis is still active, ...3 days ago
- Government's freshwater bill will result in more polluted waterways, critics sayA bill changing freshwater protection rules is prompting more accusations of the coalition government prioritising profit over protection. ...3 days ago
- Focus on Politics: Budget makes careful cuts with little room for errorAt last, the Budget tease is over. The headline was only ever going to be tax and spending cuts - and it was almost exactly as promised. ...3 days ago
- The Weekend: Welcoming The Spinoff’s new Ātea editorEditor Madeleine Chapman looks back on a busy week for budgeters and protesters. Mōrena and welcome to The Weekend, where it is hopefully sunny in your neck of the woods. Today was a big week for all New Zealanders, no matter how politically engaged you are. On Thursday, finance minister ...3 days ago
- ‘Sounds like brushstrokes’: Vera Ellen’s perfect weekend playlistTaite Music Prize winner Vera Ellen curates her perfect playlist for a weekend of painting in the sun. Vera Ellen has had a busy few weeks. First, she won the 2024 Taite Music Prize for her album Ideal Home Noise, which she describes as a “full circle moment” from her ...3 days ago
- ‘Pretty terrifying’: Matt Heath’s near death experience in a monkey costumeMatt Heath takes us through his hectic life in television, including the local actor that left his dad starstruck, ‘come burger’ and the time he saw Chandler Bing in a bookshop. Matt Heath is undoubtedly the only person on Earth to ever talk about the cult comedy series Back of ...3 days ago
- The entire history of my noseFrom my Greek great-grandfather all the way to the cosmetic surgeon’s office. The Sunday Essay is made possible thanks to the support of Creative New Zealand. In a lush waiting room in a renovated Remuera villa, I shift restlessly on the edge of my chair. I’m ridiculously early. I spent 20 ...3 days ago
- I went to the Phoenix’s sold-out semifinal and all I got was this overwhelming sense of prideŌtautahi-based Wellington Phoenix FC evangelist Joseph Harper reflects on the incredible climax to a historic season. A fortnight ago the Phoenix played their first home A-League semifinal in over a decade. Over 33,000 fans, the team’s biggest ever crowd, made the pilgrimage to Sky Stadium to support them. Some were ...3 days ago
- Three Kiwi golfing sisters having triple the fun on tourSisters often do it for themselves, but for the three Keh siblings from Auckland, their golfing adventures are very much all in the family. Munchin aged 32, Wenyung, 27, and Siyi, 25, started playing after their father Michael took up the game. In his spare time, he would play 18 ...3 days ago
- Dark horses in black singletsIt won’t be hard to spot a black singlet on the Olympic athletics track in Paris. Rather than being corralled into the throwing corner, our champions are running and jumping over a wealth of disciplines. For athletics commentator Hayden Shearman, the breadth of this team is the stand-out factor. “It’s almost ...3 days ago
- Short story: The visit, by Anna WoodsHe starts with the shoes, taking two stiff bristled brushes labelled on and off, and dips on into the tin of cracked and dried polish. Scraping with the edge of the brush to pick up enough colour, there’s a satisfying swish as it abrades the shoe. Quick sharp strokes until ...3 days ago
- The Secret Diary of .. the Nicola Willis Budget StagecoachMONDAY An icy wind crept through the streets of Dodge. Winter had come early. It looked as though it would last a long time. Governor Luxon stood at the window of his office above the saloon. He bit down on his cheroot, and thrust his hands deep into the pockets ...3 days ago
- Young Labour Budget Response
It is outrageous to heap the cost of inflation on students and their families through jacked-up fees. To give our full-time students a mere $2 a week in tax cuts at a time when their landlords are increasing rents is purely insulting. ...3 days ago - View from The Hill: parliamentary sittings have become as painful for Albanese as they were for Mor...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra It was often said of the former Morrison government that it found parliamentary sittings particularly fraught. The same has become true of its successor. Labor has had a very ragged sitting week, and there ...3 days ago
- Opinion: Budget 2024 lives up to a dispiriting tradition of short-termismOpinion - This Budget, like many before it, is convenient for today but stores up problems for future generations, Shamubeel Eaqub writes. ...3 days ago
- Campaign To Free Ukrainian Socialist Bogdan Syrotiuk Discussed On Te Upoko o te Ika RadioOn May 24, John Braddock and Tom Peters, World Socialist Web Site writers and members of the Socialist Equality Group (SEG) in New Zealand, spoke with Dean Hapeta (aka Te Kupu) on his radio show Te Kupu Nā Te Kupu, on the Wellington Māori station ...3 days ago
- Five powers plan bigger, deeper Asia military drillsFive countries have agreed to stage more complex military drills in the region this year involving drones, fifth-generation fighter planes and surveillance aircraft. ...3 days ago
- Report finds ‘clear need’ for an Australian Human Rights Act. What difference would it make?Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Bruce Chen, Senior Lecturer, Deakin Law School, Deakin University Shutterstock This week, the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Human Rights reported on its Inquiry into Australia’s Human Rights Framework. By majority, it recommended the federal government introduce an Australian Human Rights Act. ...3 days ago
- The Delhi heatwave is testing the limits of human endurance. Other hot countries should beware and p...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Liz Hanna, Honorary Associate Professor in Environmental Health, Australian National University Delhi is reeling from the most extreme heatwave India has ever seen. While the record-breaking maximum recorded temperature of 52.9°C has been called into question by India’s Meteorological Department, it’s entirely ...3 days ago
- Why do we need a Net Zero Economy Authority? And how can it fulfil its promise?Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Frank Jotzo, Professor, Crawford School of Public Policy and Head of Energy, Institute for Climate Energy and Disaster Solutions, Australian National University Love Silhouette/Shutterstock To support its climate agenda, the Albanese government is building new institutions. One of the most important ...3 days ago
- An inquiry has recommended Australia legislate a Human Rights Act. Here’s why we need oneSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Paula Gerber, Professor of Human Rights Law, Monash University Australia is the only Western democracy that does not have a national Human Rights Act, but this may be about to change. After an inquiry lasting more than a year, the Parliamentary Joint ...3 days ago
- From injuries to infectious diseases, what are the health risks in the aftermath of PNG’s landslid...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Meru Sheel, Associate Professor and Epidemiologist, Infectious Diseases, Immunisation and Emergencies Group, Sydney School of Public Health, University of Sydney It’s a week since Papua New Guinea (PNG) experienced a massive landslide in the Enga province, in the country’s highlands. More ...3 days ago
- Winston Peters calls for 'calm wise heads' in New Caledonia crisisThe foreign minister would not be drawn on New Zealand's position on Kanak aspirations for decolonisation. ...3 days ago
- Labor slightly helped by Victorian and WA draft federal redistributionsSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne The electoral commission today released draft boundaries from a federal redistribution of Victoria and Western Australia. In WA, the new seat of ...3 days ago
- All Eyes on Rafah: sharing images of war comes with a moral responsibility. What can we make of this...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sara Oscar, Senior Lecturer, Visual Communication, School of Design, University of Technology Sydney Over the past few days, one image has been shared at least 45 million times on Instagram. It shows an aerial landscape with hundreds of thousands of ...3 days ago
- Line by line: The coalition's Budget cuts in one listThe government has made a virtue of its tax cuts being paid for through 240 savings and reprioritisations, unveiled in Thursday's budget. Here's what's been cut, by how much. ...3 days ago
- Samoan community rally in support of citizenship billCommunity members are backing a bill which will provide a pathway to citizenship for a group of older Samoans. ...3 days ago
- Raw Politics: Nicola prescribes a tummy tuckSo many numbers, so many claims and counter claims, and so much planned so far into the future that we might never see it bear fruit. This week’s Raw Politics tries to sift the real from the risible in this year’s Budget and to judge whether the coalition will get ...3 days ago
- Labour Party asks for tax cuts to be donated to them after criticising govt's moveLabour leader Chris Hipkins is defending his party's decision to suggest supporters donate their tax cuts to it. ...3 days ago
- Rugby union cops another body blow as the Melbourne Rebels are axed. How can the sport bounce back?Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tim Harcourt, Industry Professor and Chief Economist, University of Technology Sydney The axing of the Melbourne Rebels from the Super Rugby competition, though not unexpected, is another blow to rugby union in Australia. The Rebels were axed because they were in ...4 days ago
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