Posts Tagged ‘john key’
Cabinet Club
Written By: - Date published: 11:34 pm, May 6th, 2014 - 223 comments
It’s called “Cabinet Club” but National claims Ministers aren’t actually acting as Ministers when they use it to raise money.
Which is why they called it “Cabinet Club” and not something with Ministerial connotations like… um… “Cabinet Club”
his precious $
Written By: - Date published: 8:20 am, March 22nd, 2014 - 41 comments
As reported on TV3 news a few nights ago, John Key said that “I have a very strong sense of how precious children are…” The children, that is, of Chinese consumers who are buying milk powder… As for kiwi kids, well…how precious are they, John? National cares so much for kiwi kids they were prepared […]
Dinner money
Written By: - Date published: 3:38 pm, March 9th, 2014 - 60 comments
The reason we know about John Key’s Antoine’s dinner donations was that they were grouped into a single donation that had to be declared.
But what about all the other dinners where each seat is considered a separate donation?
Filibustering
Written By: - Date published: 2:51 pm, March 9th, 2014 - 14 comments
On the odd occasion when the media has picked up on the magnitude of a big issue, eg GCSB, Key was under the spotlight and he was sweating…
Give us the names or pay the money back, John
Written By: - Date published: 11:59 am, March 8th, 2014 - 157 comments
John Key has taken at least $165,000 in anonymous donations through secret dinner donations.
Will he follow David Cunliffe’s example and either name names or pay the money back? Or is Key too tricky for that?
Key hides advice, Collins goes to ground
Written By: - Date published: 11:36 pm, March 6th, 2014 - 76 comments
Radio New Zealand has reported that John Key is refusing to release the advice he claims clears Judith Collins over her conflict of interest. And is now claiming that the Cabinet rules are ” just a guideline anyway”
Lying Key
Written By: - Date published: 7:21 am, March 6th, 2014 - 126 comments
Martyn’s got a post up over at the daily blog documenting some of the blatant lies Key has told that have been repeated without criticism by the media: 1: Key claimed on Firstline that Cunliffe had been to TVNZ for a Labour Party meeting at the height of the Shane Taurima affair when no such […]
Rotten
Written By: - Date published: 4:24 pm, February 14th, 2014 - 270 comments
Stuff has an astounding interview with John Key where he reveals he has regular catch-ups with Cameron Slater.
We’ve always known that there were close ties between National and the abomination that is Whaleoil but now we know that the ties go right to the top.
Useless
Written By: - Date published: 10:33 pm, October 2nd, 2013 - 81 comments
So John Key goes out into the world to represent our interests and what does he get? His good mate David Cameron tells him to get stuffed when he asks for better access to the UK for Kiwis. A meeting with the Queen that made us look like a bunch of hicks. A “hard hitting” […]
Liar
Written By: - Date published: 6:11 am, August 26th, 2013 - 90 comments
Nearly 60% of New Zealanders think John Key is a liar according to the latest Fairfax-Ipsos poll. That shouldn’t be surprising given the number of times he’s been caught out being less than honest
GCSB Bill to be debated today
Written By: - Date published: 12:22 pm, August 6th, 2013 - 37 comments
The GCSB bill is due to be debated in Parliament this afternoon. It appears that the Government will have the numbers to pass the Bill but what will be of interest will be the linguistic somersaults Key will engage in to show why he should be allowed to strongly defend his own rights of privacy but trash Andrea Vance’s rights and Dunne will engage in to show that there is a principle at stake when he protects his rights of privacy but there is no need to protect our rights of privacy if the price is right.
Key throws Thorn to the wolves
Written By: - Date published: 7:12 pm, August 1st, 2013 - 146 comments
In a desperate move to stop the spygate political scandal from reaching into National’s machine, Key has thrown Parliamentary Services head, Geoff Thorn, to the wolves (if you think he jumped I’ve got a bridge you may be interested in buying).
GCSB Bill opposition heats up
Written By: - Date published: 10:21 am, July 26th, 2013 - 123 comments
The stop the GCSB Bill meeting in Auckland last night was well attended and had a series of high quality presentations made. A series of protests are planned for this weekend. Momentum is building …
John Key threatens Human Rights Commission funding
Written By: - Date published: 3:03 pm, July 12th, 2013 - 76 comments
John Key has criticised the Human Rights Commission for not submitting on time about the GCSB bill. But he fails to understand that the HRC has the obligation to report to him any time a bill may affect human rights. And to compound things he has made a veiled threat about the HRC’s funding.
Is the Government bailing out Solid Energy using the Future Investment Fund or not?
Written By: - Date published: 2:15 pm, July 8th, 2013 - 18 comments
The Government is planning to spend up to $100 million from the sale of one SOE, Mighty River Power, to prop up another SOE, Solid Energy. And the Prime Minister thinks one day that it definitely isn’t and the next day it may but it probably won’t and it is all too complex. Confused?
Who represents who
Written By: - Date published: 9:38 pm, July 5th, 2013 - 58 comments
The Herald is reporting that the SkyCity deal to increase human misery pokie machines in exchange for a white elephant convention center was done at 8pm this evening.
Nothing moderate about National’s employment changes
Written By: - Date published: 3:41 pm, June 11th, 2013 - 71 comments
There is nothing ‘moderate’ about pushing policy that increases the power of the powerful and reduces the power of those dependent on them for a living, says the EPMU’s Rachel Mackintosh.
National’s employment changes will drive wages down and increase insecurity and poverty in this country.
Giving the game away
Written By: - Date published: 2:16 pm, May 3rd, 2013 - 180 comments
Aaron Gilmore, eh? He’s clearly finished in the National Party. Not for the view he expressed when he threatened to get a young waiter sacked, but because by doing so he’s lifted the veil on the carefully covered elitism that drives the national party’s agenda.
Weapons of mass distraction
Written By: - Date published: 6:32 pm, April 15th, 2013 - 111 comments
I knew John Key was getting desperate, but really?
Weapons of Mass Destruction?
How stupid does he think we are?
“Privacy assured!” Politics, the police & surveillance
Written By: - Date published: 11:45 am, October 16th, 2012 - 27 comments
Public trust in the police is at a new low. But what of the trust in our government? How much collusion is there between the police, government, spy agencies and foreign governments? However, citizens are also using the technologies of the surveillance society to hold the government and state authorities to account.
‘What crisis?’ Rudderless ship, stormy seas
Written By: - Date published: 8:03 am, October 14th, 2012 - 133 comments
There is ample evidence of a deep and lasting crisis, but in the delusional world of Planet Key it doesn’t exist. The EPMU Job Crisis Summit opened a much needed conversation. Russel Norman likened the New Zealand economy to a rudderless sailing ship In Stormy Seas. Will the summit be the start of a sea change for NZ?
Selling New Zealand: 100% Muddle-Urf
Written By: - Date published: 9:45 am, October 11th, 2012 - 18 comments
Why is John Key backing the flagging tourist industry as a major export earner for NZ’s future? His trip to Hollywood was partly about using the Hobbit to promote NZ as a tourist destination. Why is the government so fixated on attracting more US tourists?
Hollywood Rules
Written By: - Date published: 11:10 am, October 8th, 2012 - 76 comments
In another slippery John Key u-turn, after his mission to Hollywood ‘sweeteners’ are now on the table. Key is bending over to let US-based conglomerates extend their dominance in NZ, in support of their own interests and values.
Of Hollywood, Hobbits & NZ-US politics: Episode II
Written By: - Date published: 8:17 am, October 4th, 2012 - 66 comments
As Key heads off to the US to promote the NZ film industry, I look back at the Hobbit union-busting case and the issues it raised. Will Key’s latest mission to Hollywood, boost the economy, increase jobs and provide benefits to the NZ film industry? Or will it actually undermine the NZ’s economy and democracy, further Americanising NZ’s culture along with it?
Why was GCSB spying on Dotcom? Big business is watching you!
Written By: - Date published: 1:49 pm, October 2nd, 2012 - 22 comments
Kim Dotcom was arrested on charges related to copyright infringement, not national security or “terrorism”. There is a worrying trend that the GCSB is part of an international security networks that have shifted from their original mission related to national security and is providing support to corporate interests.
I’d love to see wages drop
Written By: - Date published: 7:32 am, May 15th, 2012 - 125 comments
Remember when John Key said he’d love to see wages drop? Yep? How about when Bill English claimed our low wages were our competitive advantage. Uh-huh.
Well the changes they’re bringing in to undermine working Kiwis’ bargaining power will do exactly that.
Compulsory vaccination for shareholders’ children
Written By: - Date published: 3:37 pm, May 12th, 2012 - 12 comments
In a shock new announcement the Prime Minister has confirmed recipients of corporate welfare will be forced to vaccinate their children.
Nat’s sell Kiwis out for their mates (again)
Written By: - Date published: 9:05 am, April 27th, 2012 - 188 comments
Remember way back when the government were changing the law to take rights off film workers and increase tax breaks for Warners? It was all about keeping Kiwi jobs they said.
Well it turns out that at the same time they were doing this they were also making promises to Peter Jackson that those Kiwi jobs would be given to imported workers.
Key’s vicious cycle
Written By: - Date published: 12:19 pm, April 21st, 2012 - 94 comments
If anything has marked John Key’s tenure as PM it’s his use of his personal brand to run his cabinet.
But what happens to his control as that brand runs out of steam?
Collins’ last stand
Written By: - Date published: 6:55 pm, April 2nd, 2012 - 46 comments
It looks like Collin’s has got herself into a bind with her defamation case and Key’s not gonna get her out.
And why would he? Her flailing offers an excellent distraction from the real PR damage of this dispute – the fact his government is only interested in looking after its mates.
- Steven Joyce’s revolving door entry into a $4000/day govt appointment
Bryce Edwards writes – Former National Government Finance Minister Steven Joyce is being paid $4000 a day to chair the new Government’s “expert advisory panel” on infrastructure. That’s over twice what Prime Minister Christopher Luxon gets, and makes Joyce New Zealand’s highest-paid public servant. At the same time, ...2 weeks ago - The debt rules being used to strangle NZIn reality, there is far too little ‘future proofing’ being undertaken by councils, mainly because of the fear of the perceptions of councillors, officials, mayors (and Government ministers) that they’ll be punished for being ‘fiscally reckless’. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: My top six news items of note on ...2 weeks ago
- A data scientist’s case for ‘cautious optimism’ about climate change
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Michael Svoboda Against the regular drumbeat of negative news on climate and the environment, a positive note can be both startling and therapeutic. To keep pressing forward, we need to know that progress has been — and still can be — made. ...2 weeks ago - Suddenly Seymour.
I know Seymour's the greatestBut I'm dating a semi-sadistSo I've got a black eyeAnd my arm's in a cast.Still, that Seymour's a cutieWell, if not, he's got inner beautyAnd I dream of a placeWhere we could be together at last..How are you feeling about David Seymour, six months after the ...2 weeks ago - The Kaka’s diary for the week to April 8 and beyond
TL;DR: The key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to April 8 include:PM Christopher Luxon is scheduled to hold a post-cabinet news conference at 4pm today.Parliament is not sittingBuilding consents data is due on Thursday.Photo by Marissa Grootes on UnsplashThe Kaka’s diary for the week to ...2 weeks ago - Daughters of Derbyshire: Published
My 4300-word historical fiction piece, Daughters of Derbyshire, is now out, via The Lesbian Historical Motif Podcast. Print format: https://alpennia.com/blog/lesbian-historic-motif-podcast-episode-283-daughters-derbyshire-daniel-stride Audio format: https://lesbianhistoricmotif.podbean.com/e/daughters-of-derbyshire-by-daniel-stride-the-lesbian-historic-motif-podcast-episode-283/ It concerns seventeenth century English Puritans – at once alien to modernity, and yet also a story written in the grim shadow of 2020. ...2 weeks ago - A moment of friction.
In strategic studies “friction” is a term that it is used to describe the moment when military action encounters adversary resistance. “Friction” is one of four (along with an unofficial fifth) “F’s” in military strategy, which includes force (kinetic mass), … Continue reading ...2 weeks ago - Spotlight on the CourtsMuriel Newman writes – “Houston, we have a problem!” New Zealand’s Supreme Court – the highest court in our land – has been captured by activist judges. What is heartening, is the emergence of a wide range of eminent legal voices all openly criticising the Court and calling ...2 weeks ago
- NZ Government announces ban on walking
RNZ reports: As part of their ‘100 Day Plan – Phase 2’, the government today announced a ban on walking on streets and in most public spaces. Transport Minister Simeon Brown says the move is part of the Government’s plan to boost economic growth and productivity. “Walking is just too ...2 weeks ago - 2024 Reading Summary (+ Writing Update)Completed reads for March: Lamia (poem), by John Keats The Moon Pool, by Abraham Merritt A Brief History of Time, by Stephen Hawking Inverted World, by Christopher Priest Fugue for a Darkening Island, by Christopher Priest The Secrets of Dr John Taverner (collection), by Dion Fortune St Benedict’s Rule ...2 weeks ago
- 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #13A listing of 34 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, March 24, 2024 thru Sat, March 30, 2024. Story of the week When it comes to polar sea ice appearances can be deceptive, trends may be obvious ...2 weeks ago
- Love is Love.
There are three comedians I particularly like. One Scottish, one American, and one Australian. No walking into a bar in this joke, they’re all at various stage of alcoholism - funny how that works. They’re all liberal more than necessarily left - although the Scottish one is typically socialist. It’s ...2 weeks ago - In journalism facts should be verifiable
Fact-Checkers’ personal biases will often lead to presenting fake news as factual, or facts as fake news. Image credit: “The Psychology of Fact-Checking.” I ... 2 weeks ago- The Origins of Rage
Hi,I dyed my hair pink* this week. If I was being pretentious I’d say it was an art project. I’d used a pink-hair filter on social media earlier this month, which had people evenly split between “Oh my God you dyed your hair!” to “That’s clearly a filter!”At some point ...2 weeks ago- The Missing Body.
“And when they had bound him, they led him away, and delivered him to Pontius Pilate the governor.” – Matthew 27:2“THIS COURT OF INQUIRY will come to order!”The Presiding Officer surveyed the room. The tables arranged to form a hollow square. The soldiers in their dress uniforms. The evidence folders placed neatly ...2 weeks ago- National’s Governing For (Crony) Capitalists – Not Capitalism.
Gimme, Gimme, Gimme! The late Bruce Jesson used to say that while National governed for capitalists, Labour governed for Capitalism. Jesson’s suggestion: that National was so firmly locked inside the individualist logic of the private sector that it struggled to see the broader capitalist picture; was a shrewd one.WHY IS THE ...2 weeks ago- Rapture and Rage.
When Push Came To Shove: If Jacinda Ardern’s government struggled to contain 3,000 angry Kiwis in 2022, how will Christopher Luxon’s cope with 300,000 in 2025?THE OCCUPATION OF PARLIAMENT GROUNDS stands as one of the oddest moments in New Zealand political history. Not the least of its oddities was the mixture ...2 weeks ago- Things I’d have hoped we could all agree on
Eric Crampton writes – This week’s Budget Policy Statement was disappointing. There are a few things I’d have thought we could all have agreed on. They seem pretty basic. If the Reserve Bank is still using monetary policy to push against inflation, fiscal stimulus is a pretty bad ...2 weeks ago- Labour’s crime legacy of the last three years
Michael Bassett writes – The Labour Government lost the 2023 election when its support halved from 2020. It deserved to lose on economic grounds alone. Covid lockdowns that went beyond the prudent and wrecked livelihoods in the name of saving lives; an orgy of careless spending of borrowed ...2 weeks ago- Heroes and Rogues.
Happy Easter. 🙂As with last week’s review I’ll begin today with the the view from the right. Which last week seemed cloudy, and lacking in the ideal accoutrements for depth perception. Hosking’s Hall of Heroes.Donald Trump: 7/10 He floated and made a fortune and got a bond reduction with more time ...2 weeks ago- Getting Laid with Lamiae: The Origins of Sexy Vampires
I ran across a recent essay from The Brothers Krynn, which attempts to map common horror monsters onto the Seven Deadly Sins: https://canadianculturecorner.substack.com/p/horror-monsters-and-vice My interest, however, is not in the meat of the piece, but rather the opening paragraph: It is an interesting fact that in recent decades, Vampires have ...3 weeks ago- Here’s hoping road users don’t depend only on ministerial advice to stay alive
Buzz from the Beehive Transport Minister Simeon Brown dutifully issued advice to all road users to keep safe on our roads during the Easter weekend. He encouraged them to stay safe, plan their journeys ahead of time, and be patient with other drivers while travelling around this Easter long weekend. ...3 weeks ago- Luxon’s challenge – Fiscal discipline or tax cuts
Oliver Hartwich writes – New Zealanders recently learned about a new feature film. It will be about former Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern – and taxpayers will subsidise it to the tune of NZ$800,000. Ardern had nothing personally to do with either the film or the subsidy. But her government’s ...3 weeks ago- Failing to internalise new realities
TL;DR: Here’s the top six news items of note in climate news for Aotearoa-NZ this week, and a discussion above that was recorded yesterday afternoon above between and The Kākā’s climate correspondent : An independent review panel into the emergency response to Cyclone Gabrielle in Hawkes Bay concluded “that ...3 weeks ago- Auckland Council’s astute feedback on the GPS
There are now only a few days left to give feedback on the Draft Government Policy Statement (GPS) on Land Transport 2024-34 (see our earlier post this week on GPS submission guides). As we’ve reported, the GPS is a disaster for Local Government, so we were particularly interested to hear ...3 weeks ago- The Hoon around the week to March 29
Willis has pledged to go ahead with the debt-funded tax cuts, despite growing opposition from her own supporters worried about appearing fiscally irresponsible. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The five things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy that we wrote and spoke about via The Kākā and elsewhere for ...3 weeks ago- Skeptical Science New Research for Week #13 2024
Open access notables A survey of interventions to actively conserve the frozen North, van Wijngaarden et al., Climatic Change: The frozen elements of the high North are thawing as the region warms much faster than the global mean. The dangers of sea level rise due to melting glacier ice, increased ...3 weeks ago- Why NZ First shouldn’t get any apologies for the SFO’s failed prosecution
Bryce Edwards writes – New Zealand’s biggest-ever political donations scandal is finally at an end. But what is the conclusion? No one can really be sure. The Court of Appeal released its judgement on Tuesday about the Serious Fraud Office case against the NZ First Foundation. On ...3 weeks ago- National’s total reversal on marine protection
In 2015, then-Prime Minister John Key announced plans for a huge ocean sanctuary around the Kermadec Islands, banning fishing and mining from 15% of Aotearoa's EEZ. It was bold, it was ambitious, and it suggested that National might actually care about the environment. Except they fucked it up: Key failed ...3 weeks ago- Lee, Costello, Hoggard and Simmonds walk into a bar
1. Who has just been given the accolade New Zealander of the Year?a. The Kokakob. The Cook Strait Ferryc. Fair God. Dr Jim Salinger 2. Which of these is an affront to decent society?a. Dame Edna Everageb. Mrs Doubtfire c. Dr. Frank-N-Furterd. Brian 3. Who is Penny Simmonds?a. The aspiring actress in Big ...3 weeks ago- Bryce Edwards: Why NZ First shouldn’t get any apologies for the SFO’s failed prosecution
New Zealand’s biggest-ever political donations scandal is finally at an end. But what is the conclusion? No one can really be sure. The Court of Appeal released its judgement on Tuesday about the Serious Fraud Office case against the NZ First Foundation. On the face of it, the court found ...3 weeks ago- Paying for the RoNS like Rail
Note: Consultation on the GPS closes on Monday The Government’s Draft Policy Statement (GPS) on Land Transport contains many ideological burbs and inconsistencies. One of the many of those is around the rail network. For example, it talks about how rail freight investment has seen a significant increase in recent ...3 weeks ago- Past plans are undone by a government keen to make the most of ocean resources and cut that “dam r...
Buzz from the Beehive Waves of rain are set to lash much of the North Island during Easter Weekend as a low-pressure system forms east of New Zealand, according to a weather forecast published in the past day or so. Niwa was warning of a “moisture-laden” long weekend, with rain expected ...3 weeks ago- Who Ordered the Culture Wars?
Look around us…Nicola Willis’ promises of balancing the books, of cutting spending without reducing services, and of delivering game changing tax cuts are disappearing before her eyes.Everyday we see stories of violent crime ending in horrific injuries, or worse. The cost of living worsens, whereas the PM claimed renters would ...3 weeks ago- Borrowing $15b more to pay for $14.9b of tax cuts
TL;DR: My top six news of note on the morning of Thursday, March 28 include:The Government will have to borrow between $10 billion to $15 billion more than previously expected in order to make up for a slowing economy and to pay for $14.9 billion of tax cuts, according to ...3 weeks ago- You can start applying for the American Climate Corps next month
This story was originally published by Grist and is part of Covering Climate Now, a global journalism collaboration strengthening coverage of the climate story. The long-awaited jobs board for the American Climate Corps, promised early in the Biden administration, will open next month, according to details shared exclusively ...3 weeks ago- Gordon Campbell on the US opposition to mortgage interest deductibility for landlords
Should landlords be able to deduct the interest on the loans they take out to bankroll their property speculation? The US Senate Budget Committee and Bloomberg News don’t think this is a good idea, for reasons set out below. Regardless, our coalition government has been burning through a ton of ...3 weeks ago- Willis’s tax cuts dilemma
Treasury’s first report on the economy since the change of government presents a damning indictment of Labour’s economic management. The problem for National is that it is so damning that logically, coupled with a rapidly slowing economy, Finance Minister Nicola Willis should respond to it by postponing or even cancelling ...3 weeks ago- The American Nightmare
Hi,Back in 2020 Webworm wrote about how “Havana Syndrome” was bullshit. If you missed it, America claimed its diplomats in Cuba were under attack from sonic weapons, causing everything from vomiting to brain damage. They termed it Havana Syndrome. During this time, Webworm kept writing about how it was bullshit ...3 weeks ago- How Are We to Think About Winston Peter’s Fiscal Hole Claim?
Budget tensions are becoming evident within the Coalition Government. Winston Peters made numerous political points in his speech to the NZF annual conference. But the attack on his own government’s fiscal policies raised issues of substance. ‘Today in the Sunday Star Times, journalist and former advisor to the Labour ...3 weeks ago- After hogging out on the Budget Policy Statement, media had less appetite for science reform “plan...
Buzz from the Beehive The media – sure enough – have been binging on Finance Minister Nicola Willis’ release of the Budget Policy Statement and a statement headed Government announces Budget priorities This assures us – or rather, this parrots the Luxon team mantra – that the Budget “will deliver ...3 weeks ago - The Origins of Rage
- Trillions of tonnes of carbon locked in soil has been left out of environmental models – and it’...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Yuanyuan Huang, Research Scientist, CSIRO TaraPatta / Shutterstock We all know about the carbon in Earth’s atmosphere, and probably about the carbon contained in plants and the bodies of animals. But a substantial fraction of the carbon in the planet’s ...4 days ago - Murray Valley encephalitis: summer is over but mosquito-borne disease remains a risk in northern Aus...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Cameron Webb, Clinical Associate Professor and Principal Hospital Scientist, University of Sydney encierro/Shutterstock Cooler temperatures are fading our memories of summer and reducing numbers of mosquitoes in southern parts of Australia. But up north, warmer temperatures and plenty of rain ...4 days ago
- Australia’s live music crisis is essentially a crisis of confidence. How could we bring it back?Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rod Davies, Lecturer in Popular Music, Monash University It has been a big few weeks in the Australian live music scene. The cancellations of major festivals Groovin’ the Moo and Splendour in the Grass have ushered in a stream of news reports ...4 days ago
- Health NZ chairperson resigns after less than a year in position
Dame Karen Poutasi has resigned after just over nine months in the job. ...4 days ago - Australia is playing catch-up with the Future Made in Australia Act. Will it be enough?Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Naoise McDonagh, Senior Lecturer, School of Business and Law, Edith Cowan University IM Imagery/Shutterstock Australia is a trading nation. Its economy relies on a strong and open global trade environment. Australian governments have historically rejected protectionist industrial policies that ...4 days ago
- Tickle vs Giggle: in a world where transgender people are under attack, this is a test case for Aust...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Paula Gerber, Professor of Human Rights Law, Monash University Around the world, the human rights of transgender people are under attack. Media reports of trans women being vilified, excluded and discriminated against are frequent, and the consequences of this rise in hatred ...4 days ago
- The politics of recognition: Australia and the question of Palestinian statehoodSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Micaela Sahhar, Lecturer, History of Ideas, Trinity College, The University of Melbourne What is the significance of the Australian government signalling this week that it may finally recognise Palestinian statehood? Though not universally popular, Foreign Minister Penny Wong’s diplomatic gesture towards Palestinian ...4 days ago
- Australia is playing catchup with the Future Made in Australia Act. Will it be enough?Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Naoise McDonagh, Senior Lecturer, School of Business and Law, Edith Cowan University IM Imagery/Shutterstock Australia is a trading nation. Its economy relies on a strong and open global trade environment. Australian governments have historically rejected protectionist industrial policies that ...4 days ago
- Department of Internal Affairs announces cuts, winds up water reform teamsTwenty-eight jobs will be cut at the Department of Internal Affairs' National Library and the Māori, Strategy and Performance branch, the agency has confirmed. ...4 days ago
- Government Spending Cuts Force DIA To Contract Out Critical Legal Work
Commercial work undertaken by a Department of Internal Affairs’ legal team will be fully outsourced to private law firms under proposed job cuts to meet the Government’s drive for spending cuts. "How does fattening the profits of law firms make sense ...4 days ago - Public Submissions Open On Te Korowai O Wainuiārua Claims Settlement BillThis bill seeks to give effect to certain matters contained in the deed of settlement signed on 29 July 2023 by the Crown and Te Korowai o Wainuiārua. ...4 days ago
- Our supermarket aisles are ‘rife with greenwashing’
While New Zealand is yet to even size up the scale of greenwashing, other parts of the world are forging ahead with new rules. This is an excerpt from our weekly environmental newsletter Future Proof. Sign up here. The loo paper in my shopping basket is “earth smart”. The cotton buds, ...4 days ago - Indigenous rights flag-burning protest rocks CNMI communityBy Mark Rabago, RNZ Pacific Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas correspondent A man on Saipan has burned the official CNMI flag in protest, saying that it does not truly represent Indigenous people of the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas (CNMI). A public video of the flag-burning was posted by Raymond ...4 days ago
- School attendance held back by sickness – Ministry of EducationJust over half of students regularly attended school in term four last year, up on the same term in 2022. ...4 days ago
- No, beetroot isn’t vegetable Viagra. But here’s what else it can doSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Lauren Ball, Professor of Community Health and Wellbeing, The University of Queensland CLICKMANIS/Shutterstock Beetroot has been in the news for all the wrong reasons. Supply issues in recent months have seen a shortage of tinned beetroot on Australian supermarket shelves. ...4 days ago
- Green economy summit: how can Australia get more from its relationship with Vietnam?Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Trang Nguyen, Southeast Asia Lead, Climateworks Centre Nguyen Quang Ngoc Tonkin, Shutterstock Next week, more than 100 green energy, technology, education and finance companies from Australia and Vietnam will gather in Ho Chi Minh City. The meeting is billed as ...4 days ago
- The Friday Poem: ‘狐 fox’ by Lee MurrayA poem from Lee Murray’s new collection Fox Spirit on a Distant Cloud. 狐 fox You are running through the streets of a city—Tāmaki Makaurau, or maybe Pōneke—quiet paws scampering over the broken concrete footpaths, where spindly weeds grow from the cracks. You must not be ...4 days ago
- The Unity Books bestseller chart for the week ending April 12The 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. AUCKLAND 1 The Creative Act: A Way of Being by Rick Rubin (Canongate, $55) Unstoppable! 2 Butter by Asako ...4 days ago
- EDS Calls For Fast-track Approvals Bill To Be Abandoned In Submission To Select CommitteeThe Environmental Defence Society (EDS) has filed its final substantive submission on the Fast-track Approvals Bill. ...4 days ago
- City planners love infill development. So why are cities struggling with it, and how can they do bet...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Neil G Sipe, Honorary Professor of Planning, The University of Queensland Forestville, Adelaide Renewal SA, CC BY Infill development is an increasingly hot topic in Australian cities. It involves building on unused or underutilised land within existing urban areas. City planners ...4 days ago
- The Petrov affair: how a real-life Cold War defection became a soothing spy story for anxious Austra...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Melanie Brand, Lecturer in Intelligence Studies, Macquarie University This year marks 70 years since Soviet diplomat Vladimir Petrov sensationally defected to Australia shortly before the 1954 election, beginning what came to be known as the “Petrov affair”. The defection itself is interesting ...4 days ago
- Government warned against repealing Oranga Tamariki's Treaty commitmentsThe Government has been warned against repealing Oranga Tamariki's Treaty commitments. ...4 days ago
- Geopolitical reasons why Warner Bros were always going to mutilate NZ’s NewshubCOMMENTARY: By Martyn Bradbury, editor of The Daily Blog The day the news axe fell: Presenters, insiders fear ‘huge blow for democracy’ The future of New Zealand’s media landscape is becoming clearer by the day, with confirmation that it will no longer feature one of the country’s big two TV ...4 days ago
- Grant Robertson is swapping cabinet for academia – but should ex-politicians lead universities?Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tom Baker, Associate Professor in Human Geography, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau Getty Images The appointment of former Labour finance minister Grant Robertson as vice-chancellor is a first for Otago University, which has never had a non-academic in the ...4 days ago
- Watercare signals possible 25% increase in water ratesAuckland's water provider chair says she knows struggling residents won't welcome the prospect. ...4 days ago
- The aftershocks keep coming in gripping new psychological drama Friends Like HerSet in small town Kaikōura, Three’s sharp new local drama follows two best friends and a surrogacy pact that goes wrong. This is an excerpt from our weekly pop culture newsletter Rec Room. Sign up here. Kaikōura has never looked better than in new psychological drama Friends Like Her, with its ...4 days ago
- The week in politics: Targets, truants and MPs' pay pickleAnalysis - A look back at "ambitious" public service targets, plans to fix school attendance and pay rises for politicians. ...4 days ago
- Charter Schools establishment board pay revealedThe eight-member board will provide strategic oversight and advice on the model for the schools. ...4 days ago
- Manawatū Tenants Union Condemns Proposed Residential Tenancies Act AmendmentsThe Manawatū Tenants Union has expressed deep concern over the proposed amendments to the Residential Tenancies Act put forward by Housing Minister Chris Bishop. The changes, aimed at revitalising the rental property market, have raised significant ...4 days ago
- Enga ‘isn’t that bad’, says Australian diplomat on troubled area visitPNG Post-Courier The Australian High Commissioner to Papua New Guinea, John Feakes, has become the first foreign diplomat to visit the “valley of tears” in Wapenamanda, Enga, province. Feakes braved fears of tribal warfare when he visited Australian government-funded projects at a tribal fighting zone on Wednesday. The battlefields of ...4 days ago
- 'Devastated': Widow pleads for late husband’s dream to be realisedThe wife of a late Rotorua councillor is pleading with the council not to shelve her late husband's dream of a skatepark. ...4 days ago
- Pseudoephedrine could be back on the shelves as soon as JuneMedsafe has approved 11 cold and flu medicines containing the medicine. ...4 days ago
- Annual Food Price Inflation Slows To 0.7 PercentFood prices increased 0.7 percent in the 12 months to March 2024, the smallest increase since April 2021, according to figures released by Stats NZ today. The 0.7 percent increase followed a 2.1 percent increase in the 12 months to February 2024, and is ...4 days ago
- Public Submissions Open On The Te Pire Whakatupua Mō Te Kāhui Tupua/Taranaki Maunga Collective Red...The Māori Affairs Committee is calling for public submissions on the Te Pire Whakatupua mō Te Kāhui Tupua/Taranaki Maunga Collective Redress Bill. This bill would give effect to certain matters contained in Te Ruruku Pūtakerongo/the Taranaki Maunga ...4 days ago
- When Wellington starred in a Bollywood spy thriller: a scene-by-scene breakdownSubways, palaces, gold heists, rockets on trains and luxury nightlife? You Bollywood in Wellington. I still remember the first Bollywood movie I ever watched. The year was 2001, I was eight years old, and my cousins had just brought home a copy of Khabbie Khushi Khabie Gham that they’d bought ...4 days ago
- Fast-track bill: Which projects could be approved for quicker consent?There is consensus among advocates on which projects are most likely to try their hand at a path of lesser resistance. ...4 days ago
- Fast-track bill: Which projects could be approved for quicker consent?There is consensus among advocates on which projects are most likely to try their hand at a path of lesser resistance. ...4 days ago
- Despite what you might hear, weather prediction is getting better, not worseSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrew King, Senior Lecturer in Climate Science, The University of Melbourne Australia’s weather bureau copped harsh criticism after El Niño failed to deliver a much-vaunted dry summer in eastern Australia. Parts of northern Queensland in the path of Tropical Cyclone Jasper had ...4 days ago
- All the things we won’t know in 10 yearsAn ongoing survey measuring child poverty has been axed, and a longitudinal study of child health is at risk. Are we throwing the literal baby out with the bathwater? The year is 2034. Four journalists and 120 trained bots assemble to report on a speech from the prime minister in the ...4 days ago
- Watch live: PM Christopher Luxon talks to media in AucklandThe Prime Minister is back in Auckland and talks to journalists during a bleak week for media and public servants. ...4 days ago
- Half a million more Australians on welfare? Not unless you double-countSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Whiteford, Professor, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University Shutterstock The Daily Telegraph and Herald Sun carried an exclusive story on Sunday headed “Half a million extra on welfare”. It was subheaded: NDIS blowing the budget. The story ...4 days ago
- Foy & Gibson’s 8,100,000 miles of yarn: how Australians were sold ‘fashionable’ (and ‘he...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Lorinda Cramer, Lecturer, Cultural Heritage and Museum Studies, Deakin University How do you describe the feel of wool against your skin? For some that feel is snuggly soft. Others remember a prickly sensation. But would you call wool “healthy”, “comfortable” or ...4 days ago
- Choice and control: are whitegoods disability supports? Here’s what proposed NDIS reforms saySource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Helen Dickinson, Professor, Public Service Research, UNSW Sydney Shutterstock Many Australians with disability feel on the edge of a precipice right now. Recommendations from the disability royal commission and the NDIS review were released late last year. Now a draft ...4 days ago
- It’s common to ‘stream’ maths classes. But grouping students by ability can lead to ‘massive...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Elena Prieto-Rodriguez, Professor, University of Newcastle Karolina Grabowska/Pexels, CC BY It is very common in Australian schools to “stream” students for subjects such as English, science and maths. This means students are grouped into different classes based on their previous ...4 days ago
- RNZ's pips are changing – Can you hear the difference?The iconic beeps that mark each hour are getting a shake-up. ...4 days ago
- AUKUS, Gaza on agenda during Winston Peters Antony Blinken talks in WashingtonBoth agreed there are powerful reasons Aotearoa should engage with AUKUS. ...4 days ago
- Does Melissa Lee have a plan to help media?The media minister’s stubborn unwillingness to share any details of what she proposes has drawn both criticism and ridicule, writes Catherine McGregor in this excerpt from The Bulletin, The Spinoff’s morning news round-up. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here. A tough day to be media ...4 days ago
- RNZ's brand new current affairs show: 30 with Guyon EspinerGuyon Espiner says "there might be the odd f-bomb dropped" in his new, unedited 30 minute interview show. ...4 days ago
- Lessons from Manchester as Govt works out how it wants city deals run
A presentation to NZ mayors and chief executives by Greater Manchester’s Andy Burnham has added fuel to the growing discussion about city deals and devolution The post Lessons from Manchester as Govt works out how it wants city deals run appeared first on Newsroom. ...4 days ago - Ranking the best and worst of Wellington’s tourism adsFrom ‘Absolutely Positively Wellington’ to ‘You would in Wellington’, the coolest little capital sure has seen plenty of slogans. Wellington’s promotional agency, WellingtonNZ, has revealed its latest ad campaign to attract tourists to the capital city, centred around a new slogan: “You would in Wellington”. Over the past three decades, ...4 days ago
- Stuff, The Spinoff, Newsroom, SYSCA and NZ Geographic on the media crisisAbove the Fold: as two of our biggest media organisations face radical downsizing, Duncan Greive asks media leaders what’s going on, and what can be done about it. Today: the leaders of Stuff and a number of key independent news and magazine publishers. This is part five of Above the ...4 days ago
- Auckland credit union to hand over operations as costs mountCredit Union Auckland fell foul of the Reserve Bank’s Capital requirements midway through last year The post Auckland credit union to hand over operations as costs mount appeared first on Newsroom. ...4 days ago
- Is netball’s top league tough enough?Last year was a disappointing one for netball in New Zealand, with the Silver Ferns missing out on a medal for the first time in their rich Netball World Cup history. After the Ferns lost to Jamaica in the bronze medal match in Cape Town, it raises the question: Is ...4 days ago
- Daily crossword, Friday 12 AprilThe post Daily crossword, Friday 12 April appeared first on Newsroom. ...4 days ago
- This week’s bestselling books, April 12NONFICTION 1 Evolving by Judy Bailey (HarperCollins, $39.99) Judy Bailey! Legend; nice person; the New Zealander of pretty much every year. A free copy of her guide to ageing is available in this week’s book giveaway. To enter, email stephen11@xtra.co.nz with the subject line in screaming caps OLD AGE IS ...4 days ago
- NZ urgently needs to invest in strong climate researchLong-term climate research funding is needed to properly understand what weather extremes NZ faces in the future The post NZ urgently needs to invest in strong climate research appeared first on Newsroom. ...4 days ago
- Minister left $46b benefit of smokefree reforms out of Cabinet paperNZ would only reach a five percent smoking rate in 2061 if smokefree reforms were repealed, officials warned The post Minister left $46b benefit of smokefree reforms out of Cabinet paper appeared first on Newsroom. ...4 days ago
- Newsroom daily quiz, Friday 12 AprilLoading…(function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){var ql=document.querySelectorAll('A[quiz],DIV[quiz],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 12 April appeared first on Newsroom. ...4 days ago
- Winston goes to WashingtonThe Right Honourable Winston Peters is back on the world stage, and showing every sign of relishing his new, old, job. But it won’t be business as usual for him despite having held the Foreign Affairs role twice before. “I think we’re seeing a sea-change in New Zealand foreign policy,” ...4 days ago
- Lobbying: an industry devoid of principles?Opinion: The problem with lobbying lies somewhere between affable arrogance, profit maximisation and abrogation of duty The post Lobbying: an industry devoid of principles? appeared first on Newsroom. ...4 days ago
- Auckland housing hearings halt until certainty returnsAuckland’s councillors have provided some certainty to residents on whether or not they need to be preparing for hearings on the future of intensification in areas like the former Auckland Light Rail corridor. The National-led Government came into power on the back of strong promises around housing and transport, such ...4 days ago
- Grattan on Friday: Albanese government can’t be accused of excessive caution any longerSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Commentators used to complain the Albanese government was being too cautious. That charge can’t easily be levelled now. Take two totally different issues on which the government in recent days has defined itself by ...5 days ago
- Pacific states could help ‘help prevent’ nuclear war, says advocateBy Eleisha Foon, RNZ Pacific senior journalist Pacific nations and smaller states are being urged to unite to avoid being caught in the crossfire of a possible nuclear conflict between China and the US. On the cusp of a new missile age in the Indo-Pacific, a nuclear policy specialist suggests ...5 days ago
- Politics with Michelle Grattan: Josh Burns on being a Jewish MP during a terrible conflictSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra The death of Australian Zomi Frankcom and other World Central Kitchen aid workers in Gaza in an Israeli strike has led to yet more intense and critical scrutiny over how Israel is prosecuting the war ...5 days ago
- Corrections defends pace of change: 'There is no reluctance'Corrections is pushing back against claims it's been too slow to make changes after Covid. ...5 days ago
- Late Night with the Devil is a sly, gleefully horrifying Aussie hit that invites you to be hypnotise...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Erin Harrington, Senior Lecturer in English and Cultural Studies, University of Canterbury Maslow Entertainment The ’70s-throwback found-footage horror comedy, Late Night with the Devil, joins a long list of recent Australian horror success stories. Framed as a tabloid-style retrospective, the ...5 days ago
- Women set to bear brunt of Tertiary Education Commission losses – unionThe government agency overseeing universities and polytechnics is cutting 28 roles, mainly held by women. ...5 days ago
- Once enemies, Japan and US strengthen their alliance – and it goes beyond AUKUSSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Craig Mark, Adjunct Assistant Professor, Undergraduate Faculty (Japan Campus), Temple University Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s state visit to the White House has already resulted in one of the most ambitious boosts to the United States-Japan alliance. This alliance is now at ...5 days ago
- Department of Conservation set to lose scientific expertise in job cuts"DOC won't have the capacity to deliver on species conservation programmes," an academic says. ...5 days ago
- Israel accused of using AI to target thousands in Gaza, as killer algorithms outpace international l...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Natasha Karner, PhD Candidate, International Studies, RMIT University The Israeli army used a new artificial intelligence (AI) system to generate lists of tens of thousands of human targets for potential airstrikes in Gaza, according to a report published last week. The report ...5 days ago
- Former Green Party co-leader James Shaw to leave parliament next monthJames Shaw will deliver his valedictory statement on 1 May. ...5 days ago
- Why an intention to conserve an area for only 25 years should not count for Australia’s target of ...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By James Fitzsimons, Adjunct Professor in Environmental Sciences, Deakin University Protected areas have been the cornerstone of efforts to conserve nature for more than a century. Most countries have some form of protected areas, national parks being the best-known examples. A key element ...5 days ago
- Surgery won’t fix my chronic back pain, so what will?Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Christine Lin, Professor, University of Sydney Planter Studio/Shutterstock This week’s ABC Four Corners episode Pain Factory highlighted that our health system is failing Australians with chronic pain. Patients are receiving costly, ineffective and risky care instead of effective, low-risk treatments ...5 days ago
- Master Plumbers Support Government Plans To Cut Red TapeMaster Plumbers was pleased to hear how the Government is focused on making it quicker and easier to build. Speaking at the NZ Plumbing Conference in Wellington today, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk said the Government wants to remove ...5 days ago
- If you squat in a vacant property, does the law give you the house for free? Well, sort ofSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Cathy Sherry, Professor in Law, Macquarie University Shutterstock Nothing excites law students like the idea of a free house. Or alternatively, enrages them. It depends on their politics. As a result, academics condemned to teaching property law find it hard ...5 days ago
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