It will be interesting to see how Brownlee, as Speaker, deals with time-wasting, meaningless points of order and challenges to the Speaker's ruling that he specialised in as an opposition member.
Any question like that to Seymour would not be allowed by the Clerk of the House. For a question to a Minister to be admissible, there must be ministerial responsibility for the subject matter of the question.
What is Seymour's ministerial responsibility in whether or not he went to a Ratana Church function?
It's a tad irrelevant as to how Seymour, Luxon et al go.
Satisfying for our egos when they stumble but what really matters is, as you say, how L,G,TPM, coordinate, prioritise and perform.
It's disheartening to see the 'left' still grinding and nashing their teeth, months after the election result a'la National supporters post 2017 election.
What you give your attention to gets stronger. As a group we need to focus on what the Labour party looks like and for whom it stands for.
It's disheartening to see the 'left' still grinding and nashing their teeth, months after the election result a'la National supporters post 2017 election.
Not really a good comparison. Political tragics like us might be engaged in what Labour & co have to propose for the next election, but the public aren’t interested, and won’t be for months.
The opposition now (broadly, the "left") are quite rightly attacking the government for its incoherence, and especially for the gap between what Luxon said before the election, and now. They should be capable of doing this job, while at the same time holding internal reviews away from the headlines.
But in 2017 National were "grinding and gnashing" at the existence of the Ardern government. Big difference.
AFAIK nobody (of any relevance) on the left is suggesting the current government is not legitimate. But in 2017 there were National MPs saying exactly that.
Yep, hard to disagree with that. It's the holding on to the grieving.
I do think us tragics have a role to play. Not in grizzling about Gordon Brittas every move, more about articulating a positive or, dare I say it, a radical and bright direction to move in.
F.T.T. coupled with a UBI perhaps. A reinvestment in a Department of Works with an upgraded ferry terminal on both sides of Cook Strait as it's first project.
Limiting immigration to key high skilled candidates. Less of the truck drivers, cooks and welders…
If I get a moment I will do a post on how this government is setting up to trash local government.
Fascinating to hear the debates trading off whether to rebuild a town hall versus a cycleway versus a drinking water system. As if they are either-or choices.
Government is just going to keep bashing our last alternative democratic voice, and offload all the blame it can. I just need to go back to Jesson's Only Their Purpose Is Mad and Kelsey's Rolling Back The State, and a bit of early Easton.
If ever we needed a coherent state and strong local government, it's now.
Difficult though it is to admit, the bullying of politicians and their staffers is the most effective way of separating the innocently ambitious – those who just want to make the world a better place – from the ruthlessly ambitious – those who just want to get to the top of the greasy pole.
In the context of a democratic legislature, physical violence perforce gives way to emotional violence.
Does he mean to imply snowflake idealists are morphed by our neocolonial system into conditioned pc-driven servants while the cynic mercenaries prosper?
Six hundred years ago Baldasarre Castiglione catalogued these political skills in his celebrated “Book of the Courtier”. Where his contemporary, Niccolo Machiavelli, was all about painting the big picture of political power, Castiglione concentrated on describing how best to manoeuvre one’s way through its mazes. The quality he was looking for he called sprezzatura – an Italian word which largely defies translation, but which may be rendered, roughly, as “studied nonchalance”, or, “grace under pressure”. Someone who has sprezzatura can keep her cool.
Style suffices. However, artistry enhances. Those who deploy both skills together are more-likely to produce game-changing outcomes, whatever arena they play to.
Front-line services could face cut-backs as the coalition government looks to shave more than a billion dollars in annual public sector spending, the minister of finance has acknowledged.
But Nicola Willis said the chief executives of government departments were expected to use "good judgement" when proposing where savings could be made.
I have read of some comments recently by the likes of Doug Graham and Chris Finlayson and most surprisingly Jenny Shipley on their disquiet of the current National off-hand treatment of te aou Māori, and wondering if we could but hope for an intervention by the old guard.
The public service job cuts – I read recently the number of job cuts required in each department. What a surprise (not really as was to be expected) the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet is not included in these percentage cuts.
On another note, what was Jenny Shipley doing popping up at the recent hui? Very strange. Perhaps she is looking for some consultancy work these days.
According to Wikipedia China is the top world economy by PPP in projections by the IMF for 2024. And yet I cannot find them on a list of the top 20 donor countries to the UNWRA for 2022. Neither in a list of pledges for 2023 (pdf)
This is not good enough. The stability of the Middle East depends to some degree on the continuing work of the UNRWA in the face of an ongoing genocide. Now is the time for China to fill the space vacated by the US and the West with money for the last fragile aid still available to Palestinians. If they refuse to do this then they no longer can claim to support peace in the Middle East.
Stand by for a flood of "poor James, if only the Greens had let him be green" garbage from commentators who wouldn't vote Green even if their co-leaders proposed corporal punishment in schools and selling off hospitals.
James Shaw was consistently one of the most thoughtful, decent, and insightful MP's that I have had the honour of working with. Parliament will be a poorer place without him there. Thank you @jamespeshaw for your tireless efforts in making Aotearoa a better place.
I agree Helen Clark is the voice of reason here, but…
The ideological purity banner has been taken up by the far right in this country – They are in for their pound of flesh.
The daily blog says we should ask for the money back from the IDF for the staff it has killed. Which is a reminder of the insanity of supporting people who are in the throws of a genocide court case.
Israel can use the cut in funding by the USA and UK etc to maintain their Dahiya doctrine strategy a while longer and appear compliant in enabling other aid in more quickly (but it will take time to develop more extensive local delivery systems than they have now).
The stated objective of Israel is to remove Hamas from governance in Gaza and end UNRWA (they run ops in Lebanon, Syria, Jordan as well as WB and Gaza).
The cut in funding will have impact in more areas than Gaza.
The underlying reason for cutting UNWRA is that it gives Palestinians in Gaza who are descendents of the Nakba continuos refugee status and following from this, the right of return. Israel wants right of return to end and if this is the end of UNRWA or if it gets subsumed by some other UN agency, right of return is in jeopardy.
This means more homelessness, more potholes, more children going hungry so that the CEO class can buy a second yacht. Good review of the Nats track record by Nick Rockel;
The arsonist never lets anyone know where the burning down will be until they get their hands on their Beehive matchstickbox.
Made by Bryant and May (subsidiary of British Match) in Tory Street Wellington (1924) and Montgomery Crescent (Remutaka electorate of the former PM) from 1971.
Now we import them from Sweden and suffer Stockholm Syndrome whenever the blue and gold are in power (NACT).
I thought this was an interesting critique of progressive movements – it's a little wide of the mark IMO but expresses mainstream resentment at what they perceive as 'fringe left activism'
I don't think I'm the only progressive with a ton of resentment, built up over a decade, at the fringe online left. It's such a cancerous set of tactics. Waves of anonymous accounts acting like cops. Morally loaded language out of proportion to any issue at hand. Taking statements out of context and twisting them in dishonest ways for a dunk. An inability to provide credible sources for extraordinary claims. A total disdain for nuance. […]
I'll always be a progressive, because I think the policies are the right ones. But, it's time to admit that online progressives are too destructive to ever be a meaningful political force in America, except in the sense we are driving normal people into the arms of the right.
IMO this is a terrible attitude. Twitter is awash in right wing bots and paid trolls and accounts with 1 follower amplifying false RW talking points. But you're upset at a few lefties sermonizing at you. The reality is, the Left is on the side of human rights, and the Right is completely nuts
IMO the actual problem is neoliberalism. Social and economic and cultural divisions have only widened after Covid. Neoliberal "left" governments are only superficially progressive but do not fundamentally change the capitalist narrative: TINA. And thus we have a massively disaffected working and middle class being "progressively" shut out of home ownership and a decent future.
Heh! A commentator on Stuff's report of Shaw's step-down suggested he join Labour. I immediately imagined him plunging his head into a tub of wet concrete & waiting for it to dry, whilst holding his breathe. Labour tends to have that effect on people.
Pity no one commenting on Stuff's report suggested Shaw join National – would have been such fun to read Dennis' 'plungent' criticism of Nat pollies and their supporters.
James Shaw steps down as Green co-leader, to ease out of politics
[30 Jan 2024]
Unfortunately for the Green party to be effective they have to stop ruling out working with National.
…
They are far better off and much more likely to be effective working within a National led government.
Dennis' 'plungent' criticism of the Nats and their supporters
I'm trying to keep an open mind on Lux's fraught prospects, for now. My habitual Nat stance is something like `bunch of hopeless cretins', but that's those in parliament & my view of Nat supporters isn't quite so favourable.
I read Trotter's latest negative view of Labour this morning but found nothing worth quoting. However if Labour does anything even halfway intelligent I will be delighted to rate them accordingly in a comment here, albeit that anything above 6/10 seems of marginal likelihood.
However, to be more positively fortthcoming about it, I promise to award them 10/10 if they promise to hold a referendum to establish the consensual Aotearoan view of income inequality. I think it was Plato who specified the 4:1 ideal (upper to lower class). Since 7 is the magic number I advocated 7:1 to the west Ak Greens about a decade back but they wouldn't let me present my double-sided A4 advocacy. Why solve the inequality problem when they can continue to bleat about it in public? Me expecting them to be proactive seemed to make them fearful.
My habitual Nat stance is something like `bunch of hopeless cretins'…
… However if Labour does anything even halfway intelligent…
… Me expecting them [the west Ak Greens] to be proactive seemed to make them fearful.
We had all the stuff about the ‘first 100 days’ and how that was to be some sort of magic marker of a marvellous new government.
What did it all get down to, what did it all mean?
The sad spectacle of Mark Mitchell in the House today confronting the reality, this early in the piece, that he won’t be able to meet his police numbers promises. All piss and wind.
Buzz from the Beehive Much more media attention is being paid to something Winston Peters said about former Australian Foreign Minister Bob Carr than to a speech he delivered to the New Zealand China Council. One word is missing from the speech: AUKUS. But AUKUS loomed large in his considerations ...
Is the economy in another long stagnation? If so, why?This is about the time that the Treasury will be locking up its economic forecasts to be published in the 2024 Budget Economic and Fiscal Update (BEFU) on budget day, 30 May. I am not privy to what they will be ...
The annual list of who's been bribing our politicians is out, and journalists will no doubt be poring over it to find the juiciest and dirtiest bribes. The government's fast-track invite list is likely to be a particular focus, and we already know of one company on the list which ...
In the weeks after the October 7 Hamas attacks on Southern Israel I wrote about the possible 2nd, 3rd and even 4th order effects of the conflict. These included new fronts being opened in the West Bank (with Hamas), Golan … Continue reading → ...
Peter Dunne writes – It is one of the oldest truisms that there is never a good time for MPs to get a pay rise. This week’s announcement of pay raises of around 2.8% backdated to last October could hardly have come at a worse time, with the ...
David Farrar writes – Newshub reports: Newshub can reveal a fresh allegation of intimidation against Green MP Julie-Anne Genter. Genter is subject to a disciplinary process for aggressively waving a book in the face of National Minister Matt Doocey in the House – but it’s not the first time ...
The Treasury has published a paper today on the global productivity slowdown and how it is playing out in New Zealand: The productivity slowdown: implications for the Treasury’s forecasts and projections. The Treasury Paper examines recent trends in productivity and the potential drivers of the slowdown. Productivity for the whole economy ...
Winston Peters’ comments about former Australian foreign minister look set to be an ongoing headache for both him and Luxon. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The podcast above of the weekly ‘hoon’ webinar for subscribers features co-hosts and , along with regular guests on Gaza and ...
These puppet strings don't pull themselvesYou're thinking thoughts from someone elseHow much time do you think you have?Are you prepared for what comes next?The debating chamber can be a trying place for an opposition MP. What with the person in charge, the speaker, typically being an MP from the governing ...
The land around Lyme Regis, where Meryl Streep once stood, in a hood, on the Cobb, is falling into the sea.MerylThe land around Lyme Regis, around the Cobb that made it rich, has always been falling slowly but surely into the sea. Read more ...
Buzz from the Beehive Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters was bound to win headlines when he set out his thinking about AUKUS in his speech to the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs. The headlines became bigger when – during an interview on RNZ’s Morning Report today – he criticised ...
The Post reports on how the government is refusing to release its advice on its corrupt Muldoonist fast-track law, instead using the "soon to be publicly available" refusal ground to hide it until after select committee submissions on the bill have closed. Fast-track Minister Chris Bishop's excuse? “It's not ...
As pressure on it grows, the livestock industry’s approach to the transition to Net Zero is increasingly being compared to that of fossil fuel interests. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / Getty ImagesTL;DR: Here’s the top five news items of note in climate news for Aotearoa-NZ this week, and a discussion above ...
The New Zealand Herald reports – Stats NZ has offered a voluntary redundancy scheme to all of its workers as a way to give staff some control over their “future” amidst widespread job losses in the public sector. In an update to staff this morning, seen by the Herald, Statistics New Zealand ...
On Werewolf/Scoop, I usually do two long form political columns a week. From now on, there will be an extra column each week about music and movies. But first, some late-breaking political events:The rise in unemployment numbers for the March quarter was bigger than expected – and especially sharp ...
David Farrar writes – The Herald reports: TVNZ says it is dealing with about 50 formal complaints over its coverage of the latest 1News-Verian political poll, with some viewers – as well as the Prime Minister and a former senior Labour MP – critical of the tone of the 6pm report. ...
Muriel Newman writes – When Meridian Energy was seeking resource consents for a West Coast hydro dam proposal in 2010, local Maori “strenuously” objected, claiming their mana was inextricably linked to ‘their’ river and could be damaged. After receiving a financial payment from the company, however, the Ngai Tahu ...
Alwyn Poole writes – “An SEP,’ he said, ‘is something that we can’t see, or don’t see, or our brain doesn’t let us see, because we think that it’s somebody else’s problem. That’s what SEP means. Somebody Else’s Problem. The brain just edits it out, it’s like a ...
Our trust in our political institutions is fast eroding, according to a Maxim Institute discussion paper, Shaky Foundations: Why our democracy needs trust. The paper – released today – raises concerns about declining trust in New Zealand’s political institutions and democratic processes, and the role that the overuse of Parliamentary urgency ...
This article was prepared for publication yesterday. More ministerial announcements have been posted on the government’s official website since it was written. We will report on these later today …. Buzz from the BeehiveThere we were, thinking the environment is in trouble, when along came Jones. Shane Jones. ...
New Zealand now has the fourth most depressed construction sector in the world behind China, Qatar and Hong Kong. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy at 8:46am on Thursday, May 2:The Lead: ...
Hi,I am just going to state something very obvious: American police are fucking crazy.That was a photo gracing the New York Times this morning, showing New York City police “entering Columbia University last night after receiving a request from the school.”Apparently in America, protesting the deaths of tens of thousands ...
Winston Peters’ much anticipated foreign policy speech last night was a work of two halves. Much of it was a standard “boilerplate” Foreign Ministry overview of the state of the world. There was some hardening up of rhetoric with talk of “benign” becoming “malign” and old truths giving way to ...
Graham Adams assesses the fallout of the Cass Review — The press release last Thursday from the UN Special Rapporteur on violence against women and girls didn’t make the mainstream news in New Zealand but it really should have. The startling title of Reem Alsalem’s statement — “Implementation of ‘Cass ...
This open-for-business, under-new-management cliché-pockmarked government of Christopher Luxon is not the thing of beauty he imagines it to be. It is not the powerful expression of the will of the people that he asserts it to be. It is not a soaring eagle, it is a malodorous vulture. This newest poll should make ...
The latest labour market statistics, showing a rise in unemployment. There are now 134,000 unemployed - 14,000 more than when the National government took office. Which is I guess what happens when the Reserve Bank causes a recession in an effort to Keep Wages Low. The previous government saw a ...
Three opinion polls have been released in the last two days, all showing that the new government is failing to hold their popular support. The usual honeymoon experienced during the first year of a first term government is entirely absent. The political mood is still gloomy and discontented, mainly due ...
National's Finance Minister once met a poor person.A scornful interview with National's finance guru who knows next to nothing about economics or people.There might have been something a bit familiar if that was the headline I’d gone with today. It would of course have been in tribute to the article ...
Rob MacCulloch writes – Throughout the pandemic, the new Vice-Chancellor-of-Otago-University-on-$629,000 per annum-Can-you-believe-it-and-Former-Finance-Minister Grant Robertson repeated the mantra over and over that he saved “lives and livelihoods”.As we update how this claim is faring over the course of time, the facts are increasingly speaking differently. NZ ...
Chris Trotter writes – IT’S A COMMONPLACE of political speeches, especially those delivered in acknowledgement of electoral victory: “We’ll govern for all New Zealanders.” On the face of it, the pledge is a strange one. Why would any political leader govern in ways that advantaged the huge ...
Bryce Edwards writes – The list of former National Party Ministers being given plum and important roles got longer this week with the appointment of former Deputy Prime Minister Paula Bennett as the chair of Pharmac. The Christopher Luxon-led Government has now made key appointments to Bill ...
TL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy at 10:06am on Wednesday, May 1:The Lead: Business confidence fell across the board in April, falling in some areas to levels last seen during the lockdowns because of a collapse in ...
Over the past 36 hours, Christopher Luxon has been dong his best to portray the centre-right’s plummeting poll numbers as a mark of virtue. Allegedly, the negative verdicts are the result of hard economic times, and of a government bravely set out on a perilous rescue mission from which not ...
Auckland Transport have started rolling out new HOP card readers around the network and over the next three months, all of them on buses, at train stations and ferry wharves will be replaced. The change itself is not that remarkable, with the new readers looking similar to what is already ...
Completed reads for April: The Difference Engine, by William Gibson and Bruce Sterling Carnival of Saints, by George Herman The Snow Spider, by Jenny Nimmo Emlyn’s Moon, by Jenny Nimmo The Chestnut Soldier, by Jenny Nimmo Death Comes As the End, by Agatha Christie Lord of the Flies, by ...
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 ...
Have a story to share about St Paul’s, but today just picturesPopular novels written at this desk by a young man who managed to bootstrap himself out of father’s imprisonment and his own young life in a workhouse Read more ...
The list of former National Party Ministers being given plum and important roles got longer this week with the appointment of former Deputy Prime Minister Paula Bennett as the chair of Pharmac. The Christopher Luxon-led Government has now made key appointments to Bill English, Simon Bridges, Steven Joyce, Roger Sowry, ...
Newsroom has a story today about National's (fortunately failed) effort to disestablish the newly-created Inspector-General of Defence. The creation of this agency was the key recommendation of the Inquiry into Operation Burnham, and a vital means of restoring credibility and social licence to an agency which had been caught lying ...
Holding On To The Present:The moment a political movement arises that attacks the whole idea of social progress, and announces its intention to wind back the hands of History’s clock, then democracy, along with its unwritten rules, is in mortal danger.IT’S A COMMONPLACE of political speeches, especially those delivered in ...
Stuck In The Middle With You:As Christopher Luxon feels the hot breath of Act’s and NZ First’s extremists on the back of his neck and, as he reckons with the damage their policies are already inflicting upon a country he’s described as “fragile”, is there not some merit in reaching out ...
The unpopular coalition government is currently rushing to repeal section 7AA of the Oranga Tamariki Act. The clause is Oranga Tamariki's Treaty clause, and was inserted after its systematic stealing of Māori children became a public scandal and resulted in physical resistance to further abductions. The clause created clear obligations ...
Buzz from the Beehive The government’s official website – which Point of Order monitors daily – not for the first time has nothing much to say today about political happenings that are grabbing media headlines. It makes no mention of the latest 1News-Verian poll, for example. This shows National down ...
It Takes A Train To Cry:Surely, there is nothing lonelier in all this world than the long wail of a distant steam locomotive on a cold Winter’s night.AS A CHILD, I would lie awake in my grandfather’s house and listen to the traffic. The big wooden house was only a ...
Packing A Punch: The election of the present government, including in its ranks politicians dedicated to reasserting the rights of the legislature in shaping and determining the future of Māori and Pakeha in New Zealand, should have alerted the judiciary – including its anomalous appendage, the Waitangi Tribunal – that its ...
Dead Woman Walking: New Zealand’s media industry had been moving steadily towards disaster for all the years Melissa Lee had been National’s media and communications policy spokesperson, and yet, when the crisis finally broke, on her watch, she had nothing intelligent to offer. Christopher Luxon is a patient man - but he’s not ...
Chris Trotter writes – New Zealand politics is remarkably easy-going: dangerously so, one might even say. With the notable exception of John Key’s flat ruling-out of the NZ First Party in 2008, all parties capable of clearing MMP’s five-percent threshold, or winning one or more electorate seats, tend ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Polling shows that Wellington Mayor Tory Whanau has the lowest approval rating of any mayor in the country. Siting at -12 per cent, the proportion of constituents who disapprove of her performance outweighs those who give her the thumbs up. This negative rating is ...
Luxon will no doubt put a brave face on it, but there is no escaping the pressure this latest poll will put on him and the government. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on Aotearoa-NZ’s political ...
This is a re-post from The Climate Brink by Andrew Dessler In the wake of any unusual weather event, someone inevitably asks, “Did climate change cause this?” In the most literal sense, that answer is almost always no. Climate change is never the sole cause of hurricanes, heat waves, droughts, or ...
Something odd happened yesterday, and I’d love to know if there’s more to it. If there was something which preempted what happened, or if it was simply a throwaway line in response to a journalist.Yesterday David Seymour was asked at a press conference what the process would be if the ...
Hi,From time to time, I want to bring Webworm into the real world. We did it last year with the Jurassic Park event in New Zealand — which was a lot of fun!And so on Saturday May 11th, in Los Angeles, I am hosting a lil’ Webworm pop-up! I’ve been ...
Education Minister Erica Standford yesterday unveiled a fundamental reform of the way our school pupils are taught. She would not exactly say so, but she is all but dismantling the so-called “inquiry” “feel good” method of teaching, which has ruled in our classrooms since a major review of the New ...
Exactly where are we seriously going with this government and its policies? That is, apart from following what may as well be a Truss-Lite approach on the purported economic “plan“, and Victorian-era regression when it comes to social policy.Oh it’ll work this time of course, we’re basically assured, “the ...
Hey Uncle Dave, When the Poms joined the EEC, I wasn't one of those defeatists who said, Well, that’s it for the dairy job. And I was right, eh? The Chinese can’t get enough of our milk powder and eventually, the Poms came to their senses and backed up the ute ...
Polling shows that Wellington Mayor Tory Whanau has the lowest approval rating of any mayor in the country. Siting at -12 per cent, the proportion of constituents who disapprove of her performance outweighs those who give her the thumbs up. This negative rating is higher than for any other mayor ...
Buzz from the Beehive Pharmac has been given a financial transfusion and a new chair to oversee its spending in the pharmaceutical business. Associate Health Minister David Seymour described the funding for Pharmac as “its largest ever budget of $6.294 billion over four years, fixing a $1.774 billion fiscal cliff”. ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Many criticisms are being made of the Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill, including by this writer. But as with everything in politics, every story has two sides, and both deserve attention. It’s important to understand what the Government is trying to achieve and its ...
TL;DR: Here’s my top 10 ‘pick ‘n’ mix of links to news, analysis and opinion articles as of 10:10am on Monday, April 29:Scoop: The children's ward at Rotorua Hospital will be missing a third of its beds as winter hits because Te Whatu Ora halted an upgrade partway through to ...
span class=”dropcap”>As hideous as David Seymour can be, it is worth keeping in mind occasionally that there are even worse political figures (and regimes) out there. Iran for instance, is about to execute the country’s leading hip hop musician Toomaj Salehi, for writing and performing raps that “corrupt” the nation’s ...
Yesterday marked 10 years since the first electric train carried passengers in Auckland so it’s a good time to look back at it and the impact it has had. A brief history The first proposals for rail electrification in Auckland came in the 1920’s alongside the plans for earlier ...
Right now, in Aotearoa-NZ, our ‘animal spirits’ are darkening towards a winter of discontent, thanks at least partly to a chorus of negative comments and actions from the Government Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on ...
You make people evil to punish the paststuck inside a sequel with a rotating castThe following photos haven’t been generated with AI, or modified in any way. They are flesh and blood, human beings. On the left is Galatea Young, a young mum, and her daughter Fiadh who has Angelman ...
April has been a quiet month at A Phuulish Fellow. I have had an exceptionally good reading month, and a decently productive writing month – for original fiction, anyway – but not much has caught my eye that suggested a blog article. It has been vaguely frustrating, to be honest. ...
A listing of 31 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, April 21, 2024 thru Sat, April 27, 2024. Story of the week Anthropogenic climate change may be the ultimate shaggy dog story— but with a twist, because here ...
Hi,I spent about a year on Webworm reporting on an abusive megachurch called Arise, and it made me want to stab my eyes out with a fork.I don’t regret that reporting in 2022 and 2023 — I am proud of it — but it made me angry.Over three main stories ...
The new Victoria University Vice-Chancellor decided to have a forum at the university about free speech and academic freedom as it is obviously a topical issue, and the Government is looking at legislating some carrots or sticks for universities to uphold their obligations under the Education and Training Act. They ...
Do you remember when Melania Trump got caught out using a speech that sounded awfully like one Michelle Obama had given? Uncannily so.Well it turns out that Abraham Lincoln is to Winston Peters as Michelle was to Melania. With the ANZAC speech Uncle Winston gave at Gallipoli having much in ...
The Government is again adding to New Zealand’s growing unemployment, this time cutting jobs at the agencies responsible for urban development and growing much needed housing stock. ...
With Minister Karen Chhour indicating in the House today that she either doesn’t know or care about the frontline cuts she’s making to Oranga Tamariki, we risk seeing more and more of our children falling through the cracks. ...
The Labour Party is saddened to learn of the death of Sir Robert Martin, a globally renowned disability advocate who led the way for disability rights both in New Zealand and internationally. ...
Labour is calling for the Government to urgently rethink its coalition commitment to restart live animal exports, Labour animal welfare spokesperson Rachel Boyack said. ...
Today’s Financial Stability Report has once again highlighted that poverty and deep inequality are political choices - and this Government is choosing to make them worse. ...
The Green Party is calling on the Government to do more for our households in most need as unemployment rises and the cost of living crisis endures. ...
Unemployment is on the rise and it’s only going to get worse under this Government, Labour finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds said. Stats NZ figures show the unemployment rate grew to 4.3 percent in the March quarter from 4 percent in the December quarter. “This is the second rise in unemployment ...
The New Zealand Labour Party welcomes the entering into force of the European Union and New Zealand free trade agreement. This agreement opens the door for a huge increase in trade opportunities with a market of 450 million people who are high value discerning consumers of New Zealand goods and ...
The National-led Government continues its fiscal jiggery pokery with its Pharmac announcement today, Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall says. “The government has increased Pharmac funding but conceded it will only make minimal increases in access to medicine”, said Ayesha Verrall “This is far from the bold promises made to fund ...
This afternoon’s interim Waitangi Tribunal report must be taken seriously as it affects our most vulnerable children, Labour children’s spokesperson Willow-Jean Prime. ...
Te Pāti Māori are demanding the New Zealand Government support an international independent investigation into mass graves that have been uncovered at two hospitals on the Gaza strip, following weeks of assault by Israeli troops. Among the 392 bodies that have been recovered, are children and elderly civilians. Many of ...
Our two-tiered system for veterans’ support is out of step with our closest partners, and all parties in Parliament should work together to fix it, Labour veterans’ affairs spokesperson Greg O’Connor said. ...
Stripping two Ministers of their portfolios just six months into the job shows Christopher Luxon’s management style is lacking, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said. ...
Tonight’s court decision to overturn the summons of the Children’s Minister has enabled the Crown to continue making decisions about Māori without evidence, says Te Pāti Māori spokesperson for Children, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. “The judicial system has this evening told the nation that this government can do whatever they want when ...
It appears Nicola Willis is about to pull the rug out from under the feet of local communities still dealing with the aftermath of last year’s severe weather, and local councils relying on funding to build back from these disasters. ...
The Government is making short-sighted changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA) that will take away environmental protection in favour of short-term profits, Labour’s environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
Labour welcomes the release of the report into the North Island weather events and looks forward to working with the Government to ensure that New Zealand is as prepared as it can be for the next natural disaster. ...
The Labour Party has called for the New Zealand Government to recognise Palestine, as a material step towards progressing the two-State solution needed to achieve a lasting peace in the region. ...
Some of our country’s most important work, stopping the sexual exploitation of children and violent extremism could go along with staff on the frontline at ports and airports. ...
The Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill will give projects such as new coal mines a ‘get out of jail free’ card to wreak havoc on the environment, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
The government's decision to reintroduce Three Strikes is a destructive and ineffective piece of law-making that will only exacerbate an inherently biased and racist criminal justice system, said Te Pāti Māori Justice Spokesperson, Tākuta Ferris, today. During the time Three Strikes was in place in Aotearoa, Māori and Pasifika received ...
Cuts to frontline hospital staff are not only a broken election promise, it shows the reckless tax cuts have well and truly hit the frontline of the health system, says Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall. ...
The Green Party has joined the call for public submissions on the fast-track legislation to be extended after the Ombudsman forced the Government to release the list of organisations invited to apply just hours before submissions close. ...
New Zealand’s good work at reducing climate emissions for three years in a row will be undone by the National government’s lack of ambition and scrapping programmes that were making a difference, Labour Party climate spokesperson Megan Woods said today. ...
More essential jobs could be on the chopping block, this time Ministry of Education staff on the school lunches team are set to find out whether they're in line to lose their jobs. ...
Te Pāti Māori is disgusted at the confirmation that hundreds are set to lose their jobs at Oranga Tamariki, and the disestablishment of the Treaty Response Unit. “This act of absolute carelessness and out of touch decision making is committing tamariki to state abuse.” Said Te Pāti Māori Oranga Tamariki ...
The Government is trying to bring in a law that will allow Ministers to cut corners and kill off native species, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said. ...
Cancelling urgently needed new Cook Strait ferries and hiking the cost of public transport for many Kiwis so that National can announce the prospect of another tunnel for Wellington is not making good choices, Labour Transport Spokesperson Tangi Utikere said. ...
A laundry list of additional costs for Tāmaki Makarau Auckland shows the Minister for the city is not delivering for the people who live there, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...
Te Pāti Māori co-leader Rawiri Waititi, and Mema Paremata mō Tāmaki-Makaurau, Takutai Tarsh Kemp, will travel to the Gold Coast to strengthen ties with Māori in Australia next week (15-21 April). The visit, in the lead-up to the 9th Australian National Kapa haka Festival, will be an opportunity for both ...
The Minister Responsible for RMA Reform, Chris Bishop today released his decision on four recommendations referred to him by the Western Bay of Plenty District Council, opening the door to housing growth in the area. The Council’s Plan Change 92 allows more homes to be built in existing and new ...
Thank you, John McKinnon and the New Zealand China Council for the invitation to speak to you today. Thank you too, all members of the China Council. Your effort has played an essential role in helping to build, shape, and grow a balanced and resilient relationship between our two ...
The Government is modernising insurance law to better protect Kiwis and provide security in the event of a disaster, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly announced today. “These reforms are long overdue. New Zealand’s insurance law is complicated and dated, some of which is more than 100 years old. ...
The coalition Government is refreshing its approach to supporting pay equity claims as time-limited funding for the Pay Equity Taskforce comes to an end, Public Service Minister Nicola Willis says. “Three years ago, the then-government introduced changes to the Equal Pay Act to support pay equity bargaining. The changes were ...
Structured literacy will change the way New Zealand children learn to read - improving achievement and setting students up for success, Education Minister Erica Stanford says. “Being able to read and write is a fundamental life skill that too many young people are missing out on. Recent data shows that ...
Trade Minister Todd McClay says Canada’s refusal to comply in full with a CPTPP trade dispute ruling in our favour over dairy trade is cynical and New Zealand has no intention of backing down. Mr McClay said he has asked for urgent legal advice in respect of our ‘next move’ ...
The rights of our children and young people will be enhanced by changes the coalition Government will make to strengthen oversight of the Oranga Tamariki system, including restoring a single Children’s Commissioner. “The Government is committed to delivering better public services that care for our most at-risk young people and ...
The Government is making it easier for minor changes to be made to a building consent so building a home is easier and more affordable, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “The coalition Government is focused on making it easier and cheaper to build homes so we can ...
New Zealand lost a true legend when internationally renowned disability advocate Sir Robert Martin (KNZM) passed away at his home in Whanganui last night, Disabilities Issues Minister Louise Upston says. “Our Government’s thoughts are with his wife Lynda, family and community, those he has worked with, the disability community in ...
Good evening – Before discussing the challenges and opportunities facing New Zealand’s foreign policy, we’d like to first acknowledge the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs. You have contributed to debates about New Zealand foreign policy over a long period of time, and we thank you for hosting us. ...
From today, passengers travelling internationally from Auckland Airport will be able to keep laptops and liquids in their carry-on bags for security screening thanks to new technology, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Creating a more efficient and seamless travel experience is important for holidaymakers and businesses, enabling faster movement through ...
People with an interest in the health of Northland’s marine ecosystems are invited to a public meeting to discuss how to deal with kina barrens, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones will lead the discussion, which will take place on Friday, 10 May, at Awanui Hotel in ...
Kiwi exporters are $100 million better off today with the NZ EU FTA entering into force says Trade Minister Todd McClay. “This is all part of our plan to grow the economy. New Zealand's prosperity depends on international trade, making up 60 per cent of the country’s total economic activity. ...
There are heartening signs that the extractive sector is once again becoming an attractive prospect for investors and a source of economic prosperity for New Zealand, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. “The beginnings of a resurgence in extractive industries are apparent in media reports of the sector in the past ...
The return of the historic Ō-Rākau battle site to the descendants of those who fought there moved one step closer today with the first reading of Te Pire mō Ō-Rākau, Te Pae o Maumahara / The Ō-Rākau Remembrance Bill. The Bill will entrust the 9.7-hectare battle site, five kilometres west ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has announced 25 new high-speed EV charging hubs along key routes between major urban centres and outlined the Government’s plan to supercharge New Zealand’s EV infrastructure. The hubs will each have several chargers and be capable of charging at least four – and up to 10 ...
The coalition Government will not proceed with the previous Government’s plans to regulate residential property managers, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. “I have written to the Chairperson of the Social Services and Community Committee to inform him that the Government does not intend to support the Residential Property Managers Bill ...
The Government has announced an independent review into the disability support system funded by the Ministry of Disabled People – Whaikaha. Disability Issues Minister Louise Upston says the review will look at what can be done to strengthen the long-term sustainability of Disability Support Services to provide disabled people and ...
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith has attended the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva and outlined the Government’s plan to restore law and order. “Speaking to the United Nations Human Rights Council provided us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while responding to issues and ...
The Government and Rotorua Lakes Council are committed to working closely together to end the use of contracted emergency housing motels in Rotorua. Associate Minister of Housing (Social Housing) Tama Potaka says the Government remains committed to ending the long-term use of contracted emergency housing motels in Rotorua by the ...
Trade Minister Todd McClay heads overseas today for high-level trade talks in the Gulf region, and a key OECD meeting in Paris. Mr McClay will travel to Riyadh to meet with counterparts from Saudi Arabia and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). “New Zealand’s goods and services exports to the Gulf region ...
Education Minister Erica Stanford has outlined six education priorities to deliver a world-leading education system that sets Kiwi kids up for future success. “I’m putting ambition, achievement and outcomes at the heart of our education system. I want every child to be inspired and engaged in their learning so they ...
The new NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) App is a secure ‘one stop shop’ to provide the services drivers need, Transport Minister Simeon Brown and Digitising Government Minister Judith Collins say. “The NZTA App will enable an easier way for Kiwis to pay for Vehicle Registration and Road User Charges (RUC). ...
Whānau with tamariki growing up in emergency housing motels will be prioritised for social housing starting this week, says Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka. “Giving these whānau a better opportunity to build healthy stable lives for themselves and future generations is an essential part of the Government’s goal of reducing ...
Racing Minister Winston Peters has paid tribute to an icon of the industry with the recent passing of Dave O’Sullivan (OBE). “Our sympathies are with the O’Sullivan family with the sad news of Dave O’Sullivan’s recent passing,” Mr Peters says. “His contribution to racing, initially as a jockey and then ...
Assalaamu alaikum, greetings to you all. Eid Mubarak, everyone! I want to extend my warmest wishes to you and everyone celebrating this joyous occasion. It is a pleasure to be here. I have enjoyed Eid celebrations at Parliament before, but this is my first time joining you as the Minister ...
Associate Health Minister David Seymour has announced Pharmac’s largest ever budget of $6.294 billion over four years, fixing a $1.774 billion fiscal cliff. “Access to medicines is a crucial part of many Kiwis’ lives. We’ve committed to a budget allocation of $1.774 billion over four years so Kiwis are ...
Hon Paula Bennett has been appointed as member and chair of the Pharmac board, Associate Health Minister David Seymour announced today. "Pharmac is a critical part of New Zealand's health system and plays a significant role in ensuring that Kiwis have the best possible access to medicines,” says Mr Seymour. ...
Hundreds of New Zealand families affected by Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) will benefit from a new Government focus on prevention and treatment, says Health Minister Dr Shane Reti. “We know FASD is a leading cause of preventable intellectual and neurodevelopmental disability in New Zealand,” Dr Reti says. “Every day, ...
Regional Development Minister Shane Jones today attended the official opening of Kaikohe’s new $14.7 million sports complex. “The completion of the Kaikohe Multi Sports Complex is a fantastic achievement for the Far North,” Mr Jones says. “This facility not only fulfils a long-held dream for local athletes, but also creates ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters’ engagements in Türkiye this week underlined the importance of diplomacy to meet growing global challenges. “Returning to the Gallipoli Peninsula to represent New Zealand at Anzac commemorations was a sombre reminder of the critical importance of diplomacy for de-escalating conflicts and easing tensions,” Mr Peters ...
Ambassador Millar, Burgemeester, Vandepitte, Excellencies, military representatives, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen – good morning and welcome to this sacred Anzac Day dawn service. It is an honour to be here on behalf of the Government and people of New Zealand at Buttes New British Cemetery, Polygon Wood – a deeply ...
Distinguished guests - It is an honour to return once again to this site which, as the resting place for so many of our war-dead, has become a sacred place for generations of New Zealanders. Our presence here and at the other special spaces of Gallipoli is made ...
Mai ia tawhiti pamamao, te moana nui a Kiwa, kua tae whakaiti mai matou, ki to koutou papa whenua. No koutou te tapuwae, no matou te tapuwae, kua honoa pumautia. Ko nga toa kua hinga nei, o te Waipounamu, o te Ika a Maui, he okioki tahi me o ...
Paul Goldsmith will take on responsibility for the Media and Communications portfolio, while Louise Upston will pick up the Disability Issues portfolio, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon announced today. “Our Government is relentlessly focused on getting New Zealand back on track. As issues change in prominence, I plan to adjust Ministerial ...
Recreational catch limits will be reduced in areas of Fiordland and the Chatham Islands to help keep those fisheries healthy and sustainable, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The lower recreational daily catch limits for a range of finfish and shellfish species caught in the Fiordland Marine Area and ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed an important milestone in New Zealand’s hydrogen future, with the opening of the country’s first network of hydrogen refuelling stations in Wiri. “I want to congratulate the team at Hiringa Energy and its partners K one W one (K1W1), Mitsui & Co New Zealand ...
The coalition Government is delivering on its commitment to improve resource management laws and give greater certainty to consent applicants, with a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) expected to be introduced to Parliament next month. RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop has today outlined the first RMA Amendment ...
Overseas models for regulating the oil and gas sector, including their decommissioning regimes, are being carefully scrutinised as a potential template for New Zealand’s own sector, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. The Coalition Government is focused on rebuilding investor confidence in New Zealand’s energy sector as it looks to strengthen ...
Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell has today released the Report of the Government Inquiry into the response to the North Island Severe Weather Events. “The report shows that New Zealand’s emergency management system is not fit-for-purpose and there are some significant gaps we need to address,” Mr Mitchell ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Nicola Henry, Professor & Australian Research Council Future Fellow, Social and Global Studies Centre, RMIT University Shutterstock Following an emergency meeting of the National Cabinet this week, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has announced a raft of measures to tackle the problem ...
Analysis - A poll showing the opposition is more popular than the government raises questions, politicians go through their 'trial by pay rise' and a Green MP loses her cool in the debating chamber. ...
The entire stretch of Tokomaru Bay on the East Coast will be subject to a joint customary marine title for two hapū, and extending up to four miles out to sea. A High Court judge has found the two groups, who during the case settled a dispute over boundaries for ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By James Hall, Lecturer, Media & Cultural Studies, Edith Cowan University A longstanding feud between TikTok and Universal Music Group seems to have finally reached an end, with both parties signing a deal that will see Universal-backed music returned to the social media ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Siobhan O’Dean, Postdoctoral Research Associate, The Matilda Centre for Research in Mental Health and Substance Use, University of Sydney After several highly publicised alleged murders of women in Australia, the Albanese government this week pledged more than A$925 million over five years ...
Political parties have now fully disclosed the donations they received last year - with National getting more than double the cash of any other party. ...
A Pacific regionalism expert has called out New Zealand's Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters for withholding information from the public on AUKUS military pact. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Richard de Grijs, Professor of Astrophysics, Macquarie University Bruno Scramgnon/Pexels All systems are “go” for tonight’s launch of China’s next step in a carefully planned lunar exploration program. Placed on top of a powerful Long March 5 rocket, the Chang’e 6 ...
National returned a massive donation the day after a Newsroom story linked the donors to a property being investigated for operating unlawfully as a migrant workers’ hostel. The party’s 2023 donation filings, released on Friday, show it returned a $200,000 donation from Buen Holdings on August 23. That was the ...
Pacific Media Watch New Zealand has slumped to an unprecedented 19th place in the annual Reporters Without Borders World Press Freedom Index survey released today on World Press Freedom Day — May 3. This was a drop of six places from 13th last year when it slipped out of its ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Joshua Black, Political Historian and Administrator Officer, Australian Historical Association, Australian National University Australia has had its fair share of public record-keeping controversies in recent years. Some have been mere farce, as in the case of two formerly government-owned filing cabinets (containing ...
Heavenly Culture, World Peace, Restoration of Light (HWPL), a United Nations-affiliated organization dedicated to fostering peace through civilian-led initiatives, has issued a statement in response to the escalating conflict between Israel and Iran. ...
A poem by Tessa Keenan, from AUP New Poets 10. Mātou These days we are a photograph; one of a farm strewn with cows that used to be bright harakeke or swamp. The kids point at it and say the sun sits behind a smudge (left by someone at Christmas); ...
The only published and available best-selling indie book chart in New Zealand is the top 10 sales list recorded every week at Unity Books’ stores in High St, Auckland, and Willis St, Wellington.AUCKLAND1 Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan (Faber & Faber, $25)The masterful Irish writer ...
Marriage and civil union statistics record the number of marriages and civil unions registered in New Zealand each year, and divorce statistics record the number of divorces granted in New Zealand each year. Key facts Marriages and civil unions In ...
Marriage and civil union statistics record the number of marriages and civil unions registered in New Zealand each year, and divorce statistics record the number of divorces granted in New Zealand each year. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Lennon Y.C. Chang, Associate Professor of Cyber Risk and Policy, Deakin University Taiwan stands out as a beacon of democracy, innovation and resilience in an increasingly autocratic region. But this is under growing threat. In recent years, China has used a variety ...
In this excerpt from her new memoir, Dame Susan Devoy remembers her turn as star contestant on the 2022 season of Celebrity Treasure Island. The most anxious time of every day was pre-elimination, when you knew this could be your final day on the show. I felt such contradictory emotions, ...
A week that began in triumph ended in an all-too-familiar disaster for the Green Party. Duncan Greive asks if there’s something in the mission that breaks its best and brightest. A long, strange week for the Green party began with a fantastic poll result. On one level this is hardly ...
By Lydia Lewis, RNZ Pacific journalist Vanuatu’s former prime minister and opposition MP Ishmael Kalsakau has stepped down — just two days after he confirmed he was the rightful opposition leader. Kalsakau, MP for Port Vila, confirmed to ABC’s Pacific Beat, and the Vanuatu Daily Post on Thursday that he ...
What’s to blame for the coalition’s choppy start? Six months in, and the mojo meter is in the doldrums. A new poll would put National out of power and sees its leader, Chris Luxon, sliding in popularity. How much is it about policy, how much coalition management and a perception ...
The striking report goes far beyond the proposed repeal of the Oranga Tamariki Act’s Treaty of Waitangi provision, and its impact should be felt far beyond the unique circumstances of the claim it addresses. Earlier this week, the Waitangi Tribunal released an interim report on the government’s proposed repeal of ...
The world has been experiencing a productivity slowdown, from which New Zealand has not been exempt. COVID-19 temporarily boosted labour productivity, but more recently, productivity has retreated. The overall trend since 2007 has been one of slow productivity ...
What’s more wasteful than spending $315k on syrup and machine maintenance? Trying to drum up a controversy about it.Cast your mind back to the pre-pandemic idylls of 2019. A “rat” was a disgusting rodent and not a self-administered plague test; the sixth Labour government was in power; and the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kate Fitz-Gibbon, Professor of Social Sciences, Faculty of Arts, Monash University, Monash University Ken stocker/Shutterstock In the wake of numerous killings of women allegedly by men’s violence in 2024, thousands of Australians have joined rallies across the country to demand action ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Henry Cutler, Professor and Director, Macquarie University Centre for the Health Economy, Macquarie University Oleg Ivanov IL/Shutterstock Waiting times for public hospital elective surgery have been in the news ahead of this year’s federal budget. That’s the type of non-emergency surgery ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Konstantine Panegyres, McKenzie Postdoctoral Fellow, Historical and Philosophical Studies, The University of Melbourne Amna Artist/Shutterstock One of the earliest descriptions of someone with cancer comes from the fourth century BC. Satyrus, tyrant of the city of Heracleia on the Black Sea, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Rose, Professor of Sustainable Future Transport, University of Sydney LanaElcova/Shutterstock Electric vehicles are often seen as the panacea to cutting emissions – and air pollution – from transport. Is this view correct? Yes – but only once uptake accelerates. Despite the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Giselle Natassia Woodley, Researcher and Phd Candidate, Edith Cowan University There is widespread agreement Australia needs to do better when it comes to gender-based violence. Anger and frustration at the numbers of women being killed saw national rallies over the weekend and ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By James Graham, Lecturer in Economics, University of Sydney Mark and Anna Photography/Shutterstock As home ownership moves further out of reach for many Australians, “rentvesting” is being touted as a lifesaver. Rentvesting is the practice of renting one property to live ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sukhmani Khorana, Associate Professor, Faculty of Arts, Design and Architecture, UNSW Sydney Netflix The new season of Heartbreak High is garnering mixed reviews. Critics are writing about the racy story lines, comparing it to other coming-of-age series about teenage relationships and ...
Bob Carr intends to launch legal action against Winston Peters and Julie Anne Genter is facing a second allegation of bullying. Both sucked the air out of an announcement on education, writes Anna Rawhiti-Connell in this excerpt from The Bulletin, The Spinoff’s morning news round-up. To receive The Bulletin in ...
In 1995, Sally Clark went out on her own in a bold and unorthodox attempt to join an illustrious group of equestrian riders conquering the world. In the days of glovebox road maps, brick cell phones, and the hit song How Bizarre, Clark refused to follow Sir Mark Todd, Blyth ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ben Beaglehole, Senior Lecturer, Department of Psychological Medicine, University of Otago niphon/Getty Images The number of people accessing medication for attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in Aotearoa New Zealand increased significantly between 2006 and 2022. But the disorder is still under-diagnosed and ...
To celebrate the start of New Zealand music month, we look back at the best local tuneage that managed to weasel its way into Hollywood productions. There’s nothing quite like the thrilling zap of recognition when New Zealand weasels its way into a glamorous Hollywood production. Crack open a Tui ...
People trust other people more than institutions. So how can the media gain that trust through journalists without losing what’s important about the institution? Anna Rawhiti-Connell reflects on two years of curating the news for The Bulletin.Amonth ago, armed cops descended on my neighbourhood as calls to “lock your ...
Opinion: PFAS – per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances – are a class of thousands of man-made chemicals used widely in everyday consumer items such as textiles, packaging, and cookware, popular for their water, grease and stain-repellent properties. However, the very properties that make PFAS so attractive to manufacturers are also what ...
NONFICTION 1 The Last Secret Agent by Pippa Latour & Jude Dobson (Allen & Unwin, $37.99)’ This is the hottest book in New Zealand, number one with a bullet in its first week, selling more than any overseas title, and demand is so huge that it’s already been reprinted. A ...
Loading…(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, Friday 3 May appeared first on Newsroom. ...
A warning – suicide is discussed in this podcast New Zealand’s own long-running soap Shortland Street doesn’t hesitate to kill off its much-loved characters. But would TVNZ dare to kill off our favourite soap? That’s the fear as times get tough in television – even though it’s been pointed out ...
Essay: If the Crown harms children, how do you hold it accountable? Analysis by Aaron Smale in light of the Waitangi Tribunal court decision. The post The Crown versus Māori Children appeared first on Newsroom. ...
Asia Pacific Report A West Papuan resistance leader has condemned the United Nations role in allowing Indonesia to “integrate” the Melanesian Pacific region in what is claimed to be an “egregious act of inhumanity” on 1 May 1963. In an open letter to UN Secretary-General António Guterres, Organisasi Papua Merdeka-OPM ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra A key part of the Albanese government’s political strategy is to fill the news cycle with its presence and messaging. Ministers are deployed to the maximum, even when they’ve little to say. This week ...
Recent extreme weather events showed the importance of a well-functioning insurance system, says Commerce and Consumer Affairs minister Andrew Bayly. ...
By Jo Moir, RNZ News political editor, and Craig McCulloch, deputy political editor New Zealand’s Labour Party is demanding Winston Peters be stood down as Foreign Minister for opening up the government to legal action over his “totally unacceptable” attack on a prominent AUKUS critic. In an interview on RNZ’s ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Christian Brakenridge, Postdoctoral research fellow at Swinburne University, Centre for Urban Transitions, Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute The Conversation, Gorodenkoff/Shutterstock People have a pretty intuitive sense of what is healthy – standing is better than sitting, exercise is great for overall ...
The Wellington-based Reserve Force soldier is now almost three years into his New Zealand Army career with 5th/7th Battalion, Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment. ...
"The Government needs to release the review immediately as this reckless approach to change risks disjointed decision making and creates more distress and uncertainty for staff," Fitzsimons said. ...
Question Time today – let's see what they've got!
Yes, it will be interesting to see if L,G,TPM, have formed an opposition coalition with a stragic plan.
And whether Gerry Brownlee can keep his cool under pressure.
And whether Luxon will actually answer any questions with more than vague platitudes!
It will be interesting to see how Brownlee, as Speaker, deals with time-wasting, meaningless points of order and challenges to the Speaker's ruling that he specialised in as an opposition member.
I'd like to hear Chloe question Brooke.
Will someone please ask Seymour why he didn't go to Rātana Pā?
Any question like that to Seymour would not be allowed by the Clerk of the House. For a question to a Minister to be admissible, there must be ministerial responsibility for the subject matter of the question.
What is Seymour's ministerial responsibility in whether or not he went to a Ratana Church function?
Ah, the Key-Hat trick, eh!
Why do you think, alwyn, Seymour was a no-show?
He would have gone but when he stood up to go his spine turned into a yellow liquid that ran down his leg and pooled at his feet.
I thought he answered it pretty clearly when he said IIRC he felt no need to visit a cult.
ACT is a cult too, so I'm not sure how that works.
I'm with you John.
It's a tad irrelevant as to how Seymour, Luxon et al go.
Satisfying for our egos when they stumble but what really matters is, as you say, how L,G,TPM, coordinate, prioritise and perform.
It's disheartening to see the 'left' still grinding and nashing their teeth, months after the election result a'la National supporters post 2017 election.
What you give your attention to gets stronger. As a group we need to focus on what the Labour party looks like and for whom it stands for.
They have got to act in partnership. This government is placing the country in a serious situation. Read Nick Rockel in the sidebar.
Edit: and here is the latest
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/507907/no-more-aid-for-un-aid-agency-until-peters-satisfied-luxon
Jesus wept! We should be assisting the UN with funding and to get to the bottom of the allegations etc., not hanging them out to dry.
Stupid, tunnel visioned, sycophantic decision making which is eventually going to land us in awful strife.
It's disheartening to see the 'left' still grinding and nashing their teeth, months after the election result a'la National supporters post 2017 election.
Not really a good comparison. Political tragics like us might be engaged in what Labour & co have to propose for the next election, but the public aren’t interested, and won’t be for months.
The opposition now (broadly, the "left") are quite rightly attacking the government for its incoherence, and especially for the gap between what Luxon said before the election, and now. They should be capable of doing this job, while at the same time holding internal reviews away from the headlines.
But in 2017 National were "grinding and gnashing" at the existence of the Ardern government. Big difference.
AFAIK nobody (of any relevance) on the left is suggesting the current government is not legitimate. But in 2017 there were National MPs saying exactly that.
Yep, hard to disagree with that. It's the holding on to the grieving.
I do think us tragics have a role to play. Not in grizzling about Gordon Brittas every move, more about articulating a positive or, dare I say it, a radical and bright direction to move in.
F.T.T. coupled with a UBI perhaps. A reinvestment in a Department of Works with an upgraded ferry terminal on both sides of Cook Strait as it's first project.
Limiting immigration to key high skilled candidates. Less of the truck drivers, cooks and welders…
Nice going to hold onto that one!
My impression of QT today is that Hipkins, Davidson and Shaw missed the mark when they directed questions to Luxon!
Their questions were too long, and Luxon couldn't follow or understand, so he was able to fall back on vague nothings as answers.
Words of one syllable and sentences of no more than 10 words in future, please!
Exactly. If you want to direct a Minister to answer, you need to ask a series of short questions with little room for an answer you don't expect.
A question with several limbs allows the Minister to waffle and ignore the key point.
The opening exchanges between Shaw and Luxon were good entertainment though. I thought Shaw's response was particularly humorous.
If I get a moment I will do a post on how this government is setting up to trash local government.
Fascinating to hear the debates trading off whether to rebuild a town hall versus a cycleway versus a drinking water system. As if they are either-or choices.
Government is just going to keep bashing our last alternative democratic voice, and offload all the blame it can. I just need to go back to Jesson's Only Their Purpose Is Mad and Kelsey's Rolling Back The State, and a bit of early Easton.
If ever we needed a coherent state and strong local government, it's now.
Trotter on parliamentary social darwinism:
Does he mean to imply snowflake idealists are morphed by our neocolonial system into conditioned pc-driven servants while the cynic mercenaries prosper?
Style suffices. However, artistry enhances. Those who deploy both skills together are more-likely to produce game-changing outcomes, whatever arena they play to.
http://bowalleyroad.blogspot.com/2024/01/the-cuckoos-nest.html
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/507888/nicola-willis-expects-agency-chief-executives-to-use-good-judgement-when-deciding-on-public-service-cuts
HAH Good judgement You know just like me.
GEEZ
I have read of some comments recently by the likes of Doug Graham and Chris Finlayson and most surprisingly Jenny Shipley on their disquiet of the current National off-hand treatment of te aou Māori, and wondering if we could but hope for an intervention by the old guard.
When have young upstarts ever heeded wise council!!
The public service job cuts – I read recently the number of job cuts required in each department. What a surprise (not really as was to be expected) the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet is not included in these percentage cuts.
On another note, what was Jenny Shipley doing popping up at the recent hui? Very strange. Perhaps she is looking for some consultancy work these days.
You’re incorrect, the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet has been included in the list and has been asked to find cuts of 6.5%.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/507659/the-public-service-agencies-asked-to-cut-spending
According to Wikipedia China is the top world economy by PPP in projections by the IMF for 2024. And yet I cannot find them on a list of the top 20 donor countries to the UNWRA for 2022. Neither in a list of pledges for 2023 (pdf)
This is not good enough. The stability of the Middle East depends to some degree on the continuing work of the UNRWA in the face of an ongoing genocide. Now is the time for China to fill the space vacated by the US and the West with money for the last fragile aid still available to Palestinians. If they refuse to do this then they no longer can claim to support peace in the Middle East.
There's a post up about James Shaw's resignation as co-leader of the Green Party
https://thestandard.org.nz/shaw-stands-down-as-greens-co-leader/
Let the speculation begin.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/507913/watch-live-james-shaw-resigns-as-green-party-co-leader
Chloe will be the new co-leader. That's my speculation
Can't disagree with you, it was my initial reaction.
I raise you Efeso Collins.
Jingos!
The radicals that were cranky at Shaw last year, would pooh in the hummus at Collins.
lol classic
Stand by for a flood of "poor James, if only the Greens had let him be green" garbage from commentators who wouldn't vote Green even if their co-leaders proposed corporal punishment in schools and selling off hospitals.
If only Labour had let him be green…
CTU economist and director
https://twitter.com/CLRenney/status/1752098246447816780
Good to see Helen Clark coming out and being her well informed, commonsense self:
https://www.1news.co.nz/2024/01/30/ex-pm-helen-clark-urges-nz-to-continue-unrwa-funding/
Naturally the current government chose not to listen. I think they may live to regret it.
Clark is right of course.
At this point though the government is playing for time – given the next funding is not till June.
I agree Helen Clark is the voice of reason here, but…
The ideological purity banner has been taken up by the far right in this country – They are in for their pound of flesh.
The daily blog says we should ask for the money back from the IDF for the staff it has killed. Which is a reminder of the insanity of supporting people who are in the throws of a genocide court case.
The wider issue
Israel can use the cut in funding by the USA and UK etc to maintain their Dahiya doctrine strategy a while longer and appear compliant in enabling other aid in more quickly (but it will take time to develop more extensive local delivery systems than they have now).
The stated objective of Israel is to remove Hamas from governance in Gaza and end UNRWA (they run ops in Lebanon, Syria, Jordan as well as WB and Gaza).
The cut in funding will have impact in more areas than Gaza.
The underlying reason for cutting UNWRA is that it gives Palestinians in Gaza who are descendents of the Nakba continuos refugee status and following from this, the right of return. Israel wants right of return to end and if this is the end of UNRWA or if it gets subsumed by some other UN agency, right of return is in jeopardy.
The USA and Germany are the big donors gone.
The EU and French are where we are.
If it is just Norway and Sweden left, then the Gulf states have a decision to make.
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/1/28/which-countries-have-cut-funding-to-unrwa-and-why
https://www.unrwa.org/newsroom/press-releases/unrwa-sweden-high-level-consultations-and-strong-strategic-partnership
As does China
Nicotine Willis announces cuts to front line services, breaking a campaign promise.
https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2024/01/frontline-services-could-face-cutbacks-nicola-willis-acknowledges.html
This means more homelessness, more potholes, more children going hungry so that the CEO class can buy a second yacht. Good review of the Nats track record by Nick Rockel;
https://open.substack.com/pub/nickrockel/p/austerity-20
The arsonist never lets anyone know where the burning down will be until they get their hands on their Beehive matchstickbox.
Made by Bryant and May (subsidiary of British Match) in Tory Street Wellington (1924) and Montgomery Crescent (Remutaka electorate of the former PM) from 1971.
Now we import them from Sweden and suffer Stockholm Syndrome whenever the blue and gold are in power (NACT).
https://uhcl.recollect.co.nz/nodes/view/27484
I thought this was an interesting critique of progressive movements – it's a little wide of the mark IMO but expresses mainstream resentment at what they perceive as 'fringe left activism'
IMO this is a terrible attitude. Twitter is awash in right wing bots and paid trolls and accounts with 1 follower amplifying false RW talking points. But you're upset at a few lefties sermonizing at you. The reality is, the Left is on the side of human rights, and the Right is completely nuts
IMO the actual problem is neoliberalism. Social and economic and cultural divisions have only widened after Covid. Neoliberal "left" governments are only superficially progressive but do not fundamentally change the capitalist narrative: TINA. And thus we have a massively disaffected working and middle class being "progressively" shut out of home ownership and a decent future.
Heh! A commentator on Stuff's report of Shaw's step-down suggested he join Labour. I immediately imagined him plunging his head into a tub of wet concrete & waiting for it to dry, whilst holding his breathe. Labour tends to have that effect on people.
Thank you for that 'plungent' criticism of Labour Party members. I am sure you know more about them than does, say, a life member………
Pity no one commenting on Stuff's report suggested Shaw join National – would have been such fun to read Dennis' 'plungent' criticism of Nat pollies and their supporters.
Dennis' 'plungent' criticism of the Nats and their supporters
I'm trying to keep an open mind on Lux's fraught prospects, for now. My habitual Nat stance is something like `bunch of hopeless cretins', but that's those in parliament & my view of Nat supporters isn't quite so favourable.
I read Trotter's latest negative view of Labour this morning but found nothing worth quoting. However if Labour does anything even halfway intelligent I will be delighted to rate them accordingly in a comment here, albeit that anything above 6/10 seems of marginal likelihood.
However, to be more positively fortthcoming about it, I promise to award them 10/10 if they promise to hold a referendum to establish the consensual Aotearoan view of income inequality. I think it was Plato who specified the 4:1 ideal (upper to lower class). Since 7 is the magic number I advocated 7:1 to the west Ak Greens about a decade back but they wouldn't let me present my double-sided A4 advocacy. Why solve the inequality problem when they can continue to bleat about it in public? Me expecting them to be proactive seemed to make them fearful.
Old habits eh
We had all the stuff about the ‘first 100 days’ and how that was to be some sort of magic marker of a marvellous new government.
What did it all get down to, what did it all mean?
The sad spectacle of Mark Mitchell in the House today confronting the reality, this early in the piece, that he won’t be able to meet his police numbers promises. All piss and wind.