Super City’s handling of the storm event
Written By:
Date published: 1:40 pm, January 29th, 2023 - 51 comments
Categories: auckland supercity, climate change, labour, local government, science, supercity
Tags:
As Auckland slowly recovers but ready itself for further storms there is some attention being given to review Council’s response to the super storm. The initial impression, and this is held widely is that the response was sub optimal.
Take Care Auckland and Northland
Written By:
Date published: 9:22 pm, January 27th, 2023 - 112 comments
Categories: climate change, disaster
Tags: auckland, flooding
Heavy rain has caused severe flooding in Auckland, leading to evacuations, power outages, and high risk warnings of sewerage on beaches.
People are being urged to stay home if safe, and stay off the roads. Please also check on neighbours and people who may be struggling especially disabled people, elderly, those on their own, and those with young children and pets.
Open mike 29/01/2023
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Date published: 6:00 am, January 29th, 2023 - 71 comments
Open mike is your post. For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy). Step up to the mike …
Open mike 28/01/2023
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Date published: 6:00 am, January 28th, 2023 - 90 comments
Open mike is your post. For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy). Step up to the mike …
Daily review 27/01/2023
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Date published: 5:30 pm, January 27th, 2023 - 10 comments
Daily review is also your post. This provides Standardistas the opportunity to review events of the day. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy). Don’t forget to be kind to each other …
National is showing its class prejudice
Written By:
Date published: 8:54 am, January 27th, 2023 - 25 comments
National Deputy Leader Nicola Willis said yesterday that it was a great shame that the minimum wage had increased by so much because it means the Government can’t do it now to help low-income Kiwis make ends meet without stoking inflation.
Open mike 27/01/2023
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Date published: 6:00 am, January 27th, 2023 - 58 comments
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Can Rishi Sunak save the Conservative Government?
Written By:
Date published: 12:26 am, January 27th, 2023 - 5 comments
Despite everything that has happened, it would be a serious mistake to underestimate the British Conservative Party which has proven time and again to be an electoral force to be reckoned with. In England, where over 80% of British voters live, Tory is the default option in many parts of the country. The polarisation within Britain is high with tensions from the Brexit debate and ongoing calls for Scottish Independence still simmering. The Tories can certainly play these divisions to their advantage in the hope of winning support
Daily review 26/01/2023
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Date published: 5:30 pm, January 26th, 2023 - 55 comments
Daily review is also your post. This provides Standardistas the opportunity to review events of the day. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy). Don’t forget to be kind to each other …
Luxon blunders again
Written By:
Date published: 2:38 pm, January 26th, 2023 - 25 comments
Chris Luxon has provided another example of his ineptness by suggesting in an MMP environment that a vote in a Maori Seat is worth more than a vote in an European seat.
Open mike 26/01/2023
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Date published: 6:00 am, January 26th, 2023 - 90 comments
Open mike is your post. For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy). Step up to the mike …
Daily review 25/01/2023
Written By:
Date published: 5:30 pm, January 25th, 2023 - 25 comments
Daily review is also your post. This provides Standardistas the opportunity to review events of the day. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy). Don’t forget to be kind to each other …
Why do rationalists position Science against Mātauranga Māori?
Written By:
Date published: 9:41 am, January 25th, 2023 - 121 comments
Another piece on the internet by a Western scientist calling indigenous knowledge superstitious woo that should be separated from the Mighty Western Science way of knowing. Take that as a content warning either way if you are reading on.
Open mike 25/01/2023
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Date published: 6:00 am, January 25th, 2023 - 82 comments
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Daily review 24/01/2023
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Date published: 5:30 pm, January 24th, 2023 - 4 comments
Daily review is also your post. This provides Standardistas the opportunity to review events of the day. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy). Don’t forget to be kind to each other …
There is no misogyny in New Zealand *
Written By:
Date published: 8:48 am, January 24th, 2023 - 62 comments
* sung to the famous tune from Blam Blam Blam.
Jacinda Ardern – How will her five years in power be remembered?
Written By:
Date published: 7:13 am, January 24th, 2023 - 46 comments
It is too soon to say what Jacinda’s legacy will be. She will certainly be remembered for becoming a mother whilst being a world leader. For her presence on the world stage as a voice for feminism and progressive politics. She ushered in a generational and attitudinal change in New Zealand politics. While internationally she offered an alternative to the politics of Trump, Bolsonaro, Scott Morrison, and Viktor Orban.
Open mike 24/01/2023
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Date published: 6:00 am, January 24th, 2023 - 71 comments
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Daily review 23/01/2023
Written By:
Date published: 5:30 pm, January 23rd, 2023 - No comments
Daily review is also your post. This provides Standardistas the opportunity to review events of the day. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy). Don’t forget to be kind to each other …
CTU – Put the cost of fixing inflation on those who caused it, not on working people
Written By:
Date published: 5:29 pm, January 23rd, 2023 - 104 comments
Given the real causes of high inflation, the idea that the answer to inflation is to cut wages, cut employment, and cut public services is ridiculous. It’s more than ridiculous. It’s immoral.
Open mike 23/01/2023
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Date published: 6:00 am, January 23rd, 2023 - 74 comments
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Behind every strong woman leader are more strong women leaders
Written By:
Date published: 12:49 pm, January 22nd, 2023 - 59 comments
Chris Hipkins and Carmel Sepuloni have been confirmed as the next Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister of New Zealand.
Open mike 22/01/2023
Written By:
Date published: 6:00 am, January 22nd, 2023 - 165 comments
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It will be Chippy for PM
Written By:
Date published: 10:36 am, January 21st, 2023 - 101 comments
Chris Hipkins is now set to become prime minister. I rather expected that would be the likely outcome. Helps the election campaign as it will mute the revolting misogynist arsehole conservatives of the right and some on the left. I’m really tired of listening to them, and I suspect that way more than half of the countries population are as well.
Open mike 21/01/2023
Written By:
Date published: 6:00 am, January 21st, 2023 - 69 comments
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Running on empty
Written By:
Date published: 8:23 am, January 20th, 2023 - 180 comments
Jacinda Ardern has realised that she was not in a position to commit to four more years as Prime Minister and has called it quits. Recent levels of abuse and misogyny shown to her have clearly played their part.
Nick Kelly’s email to Jacinda Ardern
Written By:
Date published: 6:53 am, January 20th, 2023 - 6 comments
In particular, I wish to acknowledge the strong compassionate leadership you took after the Christchurch Mosque attack. Your simple statement “they are us” regarding Muslims living in Aotearoa had a profound impact and broke down barriers of hate and ignorance at a time when tensions were so high. I still tear up thinking about how important your showing humanity and compassion was at that dark time. Thank you.
Open mike 20/01/2023
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Date published: 6:00 am, January 20th, 2023 - 56 comments
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Jacinda Ardern has announced she is standing down as PM …
Written By:
Date published: 1:08 pm, January 19th, 2023 - 260 comments
Jacinda Ardern has just announced she is standing down as Prime Minister from February 7 and will not seek re-election. Further details will follow.
Slater and Lusk limp again
Written By:
Date published: 9:53 am, January 19th, 2023 - 2 comments
Cameron Slater and Simon Lusk have been accused of engaging in underhand tactics to upset National’s Tukituki selection process.
Open mike 19/01/2023
Written By:
Date published: 6:00 am, January 19th, 2023 - 59 comments
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- The Bewildering World of Christopher Luxon – Leadership, Labour vs National
Thanks for reading Frankly Speaking ! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.The recent leadership change in the governing Labour party resulted in a very strange response from National’s (current) leader, Christopher Luxon. Mr Luxon berated Labour for it’s change of leader, citing no actual change.As ...6 hours ago - 2023 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #4
A chronological listing of news articles posted on the Skeptical Science Facebook Page during the past week: Sun, Jan 22, 2023 thru Sat, Jan 28, 2023. Story of the Week New Study Reveals Arctic Ice, Tracked Both Above and Below, Is Freezing Later Climate change is affecting the timing of both ...7 hours ago - Flooding flushes out more evidence of life in the Beehive
Buzz from the Beehive Yes, there’s life – and the hint of ministerial hum – in the Beehive. The latest announcement on the Beehive website deals with flood relief for Auckland: Government steps up to assist Auckland during flooding As the Mayor of Auckland has announced a state of emergency, the ...9 hours ago - A calm look at public housing
Thanks for reading Frankly Speaking ! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.It was another ‘SHOCK! HORROR!’ headline from a media increasingly venturing into tabloid-style journalism:Andrea Vance’s article seemed to focus on the "million dollar sums from the Government as the country grapples with a housing ...1 day ago - Brian Easton: Christmas briefing papers — what was the PM reading in the runup to Election Year?
Dr Brian Easton writes: It’s the summer break. Everyone settles down with family, books, the sun and some fishing. But the Prime Minister has a pile of briefing papers prepared just before Christmas, which have to be worked through. I haven’t seen them. Here is my guess at some ...1 day ago - Christmas Briefing Papers
What Was the Prime Minister Reading in the Runup to Election Year?It’s the summer break. Everyone settles down with family, books, the sun and some fishing. But the Prime Minister has a pile of briefing papers prepared just before Christmas, which have to be worked through. I haven’t seen them. ...2 days ago - A significant loophole
In case you hadn't noticed, FYI, the public OIA request site, has been used to conduct a significant excavation into New Zealand's intelligence agencies, with requests made for assorted policies and procedures. Yesterday in response to one of these requests the GCSB released its policy on New Zealand Purpose and ...2 days ago - Farm leaders are watching whether O’Connor keeps Agriculture as the climate lobby presses for meth...
Farming leaders are watching closely whether Damien O’Connor keeps the key portfolios of Agriculture and Trade when Prime Minister Chris Hipkins restructures his Cabinet. O’Connor has been one of the few ministers during Labour’s term in office who has won broad support for what he has done ...2 days ago - Let the farmers pay for their own poor decisionsSouth Islands farmers are whining about another drought, the third in three years. If only we knew what was causing this! If only someone had warned them that they faced a drying climate! But we do know what is causing it: climate change. And they have been warned, repeatedly, for ...2 days ago
- Ministers are muted – or missing in action, maybeBuzz from the Beehive Nothing to report, folks. Other than Willie Jackson’s tribute on Wednesday to Titewhai Harawira, ministers of the Crown have posted nothing on the Beehive website since the day ...2 days ago
- Gordon Campbell on the bad outlook for fuel and transport costs
Ok, there’s good news and bad news in this week’s inflation figures, but bad > good. Our inflation rate held steady but hey, at a level below the inflation rate in Australia. The main reason for the so/so result here? A fall in petrol prices of 7.2% offset the really ...2 days ago - Bryce Edwards’ Political Roundup: Time for a sober discussion about toxicity and personality in p...Dr Bryce Edwards writes: Since her shock resignation announcement, Jacinda Ardern has been at pains to point out that she isn’t leaving because of the toxicity directed at her on social media and elsewhere, rebutting journalists who suggested misogyny and hate may have driven her from office. Yet ...2 days ago
- Bryce Edwards: Time for a sober discussion about toxicity and personality in politics
Since her shock resignation announcement, Jacinda Ardern has been at pains to point out that she isn’t leaving because of the toxicity directed at her on social media and elsewhere, rebutting journalists who suggested misogyny and hate may have driven her from office. Yet there have been dozens of columns ...2 days ago - Jung At Heart.
The Clinical Magus: Of particular relevance to New Zealanders struggling to come to terms with the sudden departure of their prime minister, Jacinda Ardern, is Jung’s concept of the anima. Much more than what others have called the feminine principle, the anima is what the human male has made out ...3 days ago - Weekly Roundup 27-January-2023
Kia ora. Welcome to January’s last (!) Weekly Roundup. The week in Greater Auckland Monday’s post raised the possibility of a Manukau Road light rail route. On Tuesday, Matt wondered what the outcomes of this year’s rail network shutdowns will be now that the first, from Ōtāhuhu to Newmarket, ...3 days ago - Committee slashes broadcasting bill but it may be too lateThe Select Committee, considering the proposed RNZ-TVNZ merger, has come back with a report conceding many of the criticisms that were made of the original legislation. In what is one of the most comprehensive demolitions of a Bill submitted to a Select Committee, the Economic Development, Science and Innovation ...3 days ago
- Left and Right Alike: Undermining Democracy in New Zealand
Such are the 2020s, the age when no-one, it seems, actually respects the basic underpinnings of democracy. Even in New Zealand. This week, I stumbled across a pair of lengthy and genuinely serious articles, that basically argue that Something is Rotten in the state of New Zealand democracy. One ...3 days ago - Skeptical Science New Research for Week #4 2023Open access notables Some of our more esoteric discussions with geophysics rejectionists (aka "climate science deniers") involve warming of the upper troposphere. Resolving the 21st century temperature trends of the upper troposphere–lower stratosphere with satellite observations by Ladstädter, Steiner & Gleisner via Nature Scientific Reports brings in new orbital instrumentation and makes some important progress in quantifying ...3 days ago
- Garrick Tremain’s view …
... 3 days ago - Tribute has been paid to Titewhai Harawira but Beehive has missed govt response to the CPI and Crown...Buzz from the Beehive Hurrah. Today we found something fresh on the Beehive website, Beehive.govt.nz, which claims to be the best place to find Government initiatives, policies and Ministerial information. It wasn’t from Finance Minister Grant Robertson, whose reaction to the latest inflation figures would have been appreciated. So, too, ...3 days ago
- After Ratana.3 days ago
- Ominous Similarities.Extremism Consumes Itself: The plot of “Act of Oblivion” concerns the relentless pursuit of the “regicides” Edward Whalley and William Goffe – two of the fifty-nine signatories to King Charles I’s death warrant. As with his many other works of historical fiction, Robert Harris’s novel brings to life a period ...3 days ago
- You could dismiss co-governance critics as racist – or you could consult Thomas Cranmer (and see h...To challenge the Government’s promotion of co-governance, to share power between Maori and public authorities and agencies, is to invite accusations of racism. An example: this article by Martyn Bradbury on The Daily Blog headed Luxon’s race baiting hypocrisy at Ratana. The article was triggered by National leader Christopher Luxon, ...3 days ago
- Political Roundup: 26 January 2023RĀTANA, CO-GOVERNANCE, THREE WATERS Chris Trotter (Daily Blog): After Ratana Thomas Manch (Stuff): Could Three Waters be on the chopping block? Here’s what Prime Minister Chris Hipkins could do Ted Greensmith-West (Stuff): Co-governance is less controversial than Christopher Luxon makes out John MacDonald (Newstalk ZB): Luxon’s done Rātana. Is Rātana ...4 days ago
- Getting the full story about Ukraine
A very informative video discussion: Are we getting the whole story about Ukraine? | Robert Wright & Ivan Katchanovski Getting objective information on the situation in Ukraine and the cause of this current war is not easy. There is the current censorship and blatant mainstream media bias – which ...4 days ago - The Mayor on Light RailYesterday the Herald ran an op-ed from Mayor Wayne Brown titled “The case for light rail is lighter than ever” and a few things stood out. However, it’s getting more and more tricky to make a strong economic case for spending up to $29 billion on a single route of ...4 days ago
- Checklist: How to take advantage of brand-new clean energy tax creditsThis is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Samantha Harrington Imagine it’s a cold February night and your furnace breaks. You want to replace it with an electric heat pump because you’ve heard that tax credits will help pay for the switch. And you know that heat pumps can reduce ...4 days ago
- National goes back to BrashIn 2005, then-National Party leader based his entire election campaign on racism, with his infamous racist Orewa speech and racist iwi/kiwi billboards. Now, Christopher Luxon seems to want to do it all again: Fresh off using his platform at this week's Rātana celebrations to criticise the government's approach to ...4 days ago
- Inflation is not slowing down yet, so can Hipkins take a tip from Prebble and risk a snap election?Inflation is showing little sign of slowing down, posing a problem for freshly minted PM Chris Hipkins. According to that old campaigner Richard Prebble, Hipkins should call a snap election. If he waits till October, he risks being swept away. The dilemma for the new leader is that fighting an election ...4 days ago
- Alas, we must rely on the media to find what our leaders said while pitching for the Maori vote at R...Buzz from the Beehive A great deal has happened since January 19. Among other things, a new Prime Minister and deputy have been sworn in and our leaders (past, present and aspiring) have delivered speeches at Ratana. Newshub reported that politicians of all stripes had descended upon Rātana for the ...4 days ago
- Introducing Chippy, the new bloke
It’s a big day for New Zealand; our 41st Prime Minister has taken office and the new, “Chippy” era of politics is underway. Or, on the other hand, the Labour Party continues to govern with an overall majority and much the same leadership team in place. Life goes on and ...4 days ago - Thomas Cranmer: Chris Hipkins on co-governance – “No-one understands what it means”New Zealand has another Prime Minister who does not have a basic grasp of the three articles of the Treaty of Waitangi. THOMAS CRANMER writes: It is simply astonishing that New Zealand’s next Prime Minister, Chris Hipkins, is unable to give even a brief explanation of the three articles ...4 days ago
- Graham Adams: Misogyny, the media and the martyrdom of Jacinda ArdernA statue of a semi-naked Nick Smith puts the misogyny debate into perspective. GRAHAM ADAMS writes … In the wake of Ardern’s abrupt resignation, the mainstream media are determined to convince us she was hounded from office mainly because she is a woman and had to fall on her sword ...4 days ago
- Chris Trotter: Does Chris Hipkins have the spinal steel to force a change in Labour’s course?A Different Kind Of Vibe: In the days and weeks ahead, as the Hipkins ministry takes shape, the only question that matters is whether New Zealand’s new prime minister possesses both the wisdom and the courage to correct his party’s currently suicidal political course. If Chris “Chippy” Hipkins is ...4 days ago
- Political Roundup: 25 January 2023Items of interest and importance today RĀTANA AND CO-GOVERNANCE Luke Malpass (Stuff): Rātana mission complete for Christopher Luxon, but outshone by Chris Hipkins Felix Desmarais (1News): Analysis: Co-governance casts shadow over PM’s exit at Rātana Thomas Cranmer: Luxon talks co-governance at Rātana Pā Tova O’Brien (Today FM): All political parties ...5 days ago
- NIMBYs go BANANAs over young singles in their areaAn editorial in the NZ Herald last week, titled “Nimbyism goes bananas as housing intensifies“, introduced Herald readers to a couple of acronyms that go along with the now-familiar NIMBY (Not in My Back Yard): “bananas” (build absolutely nothing anywhere near anyone) “cave” dwellers (citizens against virtually everything). The editorial ...5 days ago
- What Robertson has learned from Covid and how it will define this election yearBack in the dark autumn of 2020, when the prospect of Covid was freaking the country out, Finance Minister Grant Robertson set himself and Treasury a series of questions about what a post-Covid economy might look like. Those were fearful days, and the questions in part reflected a series ...5 days ago
- The U.S. had 18 different billion-dollar weather disasters in 2022This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Jeff Masters and Bob Henson The contiguous United States suffered 18 billion-dollar weather disasters in 2022, according to NOAA, tied for the third-highest number in inflation-adjusted data going back to 1980. Only 2020, with 22 billion-dollar weather disasters, and 2021, with 20, had more. NOAA ...5 days ago
- Our politicians have swarmed to Ratana where Hipkins may cause some buzz when he explains his co-gov...Buzz from the Beehive Yet another day has passed without Ministers of the Crown posting something to show they are still working for us on the Beehive website. Nothing new has been posted since January 17. Perhaps the ministers are all engaged in the bemusing annual excursion ...5 days ago
- Framing an election-winning budget a priority for Hipkins-led team — but will inflation erode an...Incoming Prime Minister Chris Hipkins has already indicated he intends making the tax system “fairer”. That points to the route a government facing an election could take to tilt the odds towards winning in its favour, given Labour’s support in the last months of the Ardern era had been ...5 days ago
- Wage rises, not tax cutsNewsHub has a poll on the cost-of-living crisis, which has an interesting finding: the vast majority of kiwis prefer wage rises to tax cuts: When asked whether income has kept up with the cost of living, 54.8 percent of people surveyed said no and according to 58.6 percent of ...5 days ago
- Gordon Campbell On The Shrinking Of Labour’s VisionLabour has begun 2023 with the centre-left bloc behind in the polls and losing ground. That being so, did his colleagues choose Chris Hipkins as the replacement for Jacinda Ardern because they think he has a realistic shot at leading them to victory this year, or because he‘s the best ...5 days ago
- Political Roundup: 24 January 2023Items of interest and importance today GOVERNMENT, PARLIAMENT Simon Wilson (Herald): Chippy vs the donors de Luxe (paywalled) Rachel Smalley (Today FM): The power of vulnerability – Can Chris Hipkins heal our country? Henry Cooke: Nine thoughts on Prime Minister Chippy Branko Marcetic (Jacobin): Jacinda Ardern’s Leadership Was a Cautionary Tale ...6 days ago
- What Is Co-Governance?Two Flags, Two Masters? Just as it required a full-scale military effort to destroy the first attempt at Māori self-government in the 1850s and 60s (an effort that divided Maoridom itself into supporters and opponents of the Crown) any second attempt to establish tino rangatiratanga, based on the confiscatory policies ...6 days ago
- What are the Rail Network Shutdown Outcomes?The first of Kiwirail’s big network shutdowns to fix the foundations on our tracks is now well underway with the Southern Line closed between Otahuhu and Newmarket. This is following on from the network wide Christmas/New Year shutdown, during which Kiwirail say that nearly 1,300 people working across 69 different ...6 days ago
- Input to USDA about how to allocate IRA climate-smart agriculture fundsThis is a re-post from the Citizens' Climate Lobby blog In last year’s passage of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), Congress included about $20 billion earmarked for natural climate solutions. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is responsible for deciding how those funds should be allocated to meet the climate ...6 days ago
- The real reason Jacinda Ardern resigned
You’ve really got to wonder at the introspection, or lack thereof, from much of the mainstream media post Jacinda Ardern stepping down. Some so-called journalists haven’t even taken a breath before once again putting the boot in, which clearly shows their inherent bias and lack of any misgivings about fueling ...6 days ago - On the darkness behind the PM’s departure.
Over the weekend I was interviewed by a media outlet about the threats that Jacinda Ardern and her family have received while she has been PM and what can be expected now that she has resigned. I noted that the level of threat she has been exposed to is unprecedented ...6 days ago - When Sepuloni finds time to check on the latest benefit stats, perhaps she will explain what has bee...Buzz from the Beehive Again we must report that nothing fresh has been posted on the Beehive website since 19 January, when Jacinda Ardern announced the General Election will be held on 14 October and her resignation as Prime Minister. But we are eagerly awaiting the posting of a statement ...6 days ago
- Bryce Edwards’ Political Roundup: Labour shifts focus from Grey Lynn to West AucklandDr Bryce Edwards writes: The days of the Labour Government being associated with middle class social liberalism look to be numbered. Soon-to-be Prime Minister Chris Hipkins and Deputy Prime Minister Carmel Sepuloni are heralding a major shift in emphasis away from the constituencies and ideologies of liberal Grey ...6 days ago
- Does Chris Hipkins Have The Spinal Steel To Force A Change In Labour’s Course?A Different Kind Of Vibe: In the days and weeks ahead, as the Hipkins ministry takes shape, the only question that matters is whether New Zealand’s new prime minister possesses both the wisdom and the courage to correct his party’s currently suicidal political course. If Chris “Chippy” Hipkins is able to steer ...6 days ago
- Bryce Edwards: Labour shifts focus from Grey Lynn to West AucklandThe days of the Labour Government being associated with middle class social liberalism look to be numbered. Soon-to-be Prime Minister Chris Hipkins and Deputy Prime Minister Carmel Sepuloni are heralding a major shift in emphasis away from the constituencies and ideologies of liberal Grey Lynn and Wellington Central towards the ...6 days ago
- A different Tunnelled Light Rail OptionFollowing the surprise resignation of Jacinda Ardern last week, her replacement, Chis Hipkins, has said: Over the coming week, Cabinet will be making decisions on reining in some programs and projects that aren’t essential right now That messaging is similar to what Jacinda Ardern said late last year and as ...7 days ago
- Hipkins “reset” was all in the plans anywayMuch of what will mark the early days of Chris Hipkins’ Prime Ministership would have happened anyway. By December, the Prime Minister and Finance Minister were making it clear the summer break and early days of this year were going to be spent on a reset of government policy. ...7 days ago
- Mutterings about Musk
Going to try to get into the blogging thing again (ha!) what with an election coming up and all that. So today I thought I'd start small and simple, by merely tackling the world's (second) richest man.I'm no fan of Elon Musk. You don't want to know why, but I'll ...1 week ago - 2023 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #3A chronological listing of news articles posted on the Skeptical Science Facebook Page during the past week: Sun, Jan 15, 2023 thru Sat, Jan 21, 2023. Story of the Week State of the climate: How the world warmed in 2022 With a new year underway, most of the climate data for ...1 week ago
- The Revenge of the Managerialists: Hipkins It Is
Well, that was a disappointment. As of today, the New Zealand Labour Caucus opted for Chris Hipkins as our new Prime Minister, and I cannot help but let loose a cynical cackle. ... 1 week ago - Bryce Edwards: PM Hipkins resets Labour to the rightGet ready for a major political reset once Chris Hipkins is sworn in as Prime Minister this week. Labour’s new leader is likely to push the Government to the right economically, and do his best to jettison the damaging perceptions that Labour has become “too woke” on social issues. Overall, ...1 week ago
- 2023: a crucial year for Aotearoa already, fair thinking voters need to step up right now
Things have gone sideways… and it’s only the third week of January? It was political earthquake time. For some the Prime Minister made a truly significant announcement. For others – did you have this on your bingo card? – a body double did so (sit tight, you’ll understand later, ...1 week ago - The Hipkins bit of the conjecture about Labour’s leadership has been settled – now for the deput...Buzz from the Beehive Because our hard-working Ministers of the Crown are engaged in Labour Party caucus stuff in Napier, no doubt jockeying to ensure they keep their jobs or get a better one, Point of Order was not surprised to find no fresh news on the Beehive website this ...1 week ago
- Danyl Mclauchlan: The Visions of Jacinda ArdernBy the end of 2019, Jacinda Ardern was a political superstar heading towards an election defeat. She was an icon, internationally beloved, on track to be an ex-prime minister before the age of forty. It was the year of the Christchurch terror attack when Ardern’s response to the atrocity saw ...1 week ago
- Bullshit Work
People complain about their jobs being meaningless. Does it matter?David Graeber, author of Bullshit Jobs: The Rise of Pointless Work and What We Can Do About It, would have smiled at Elon Musk’s sacking half the Twitter workforce. Musk seems to be confirming the main thesis of the book, that ...1 week ago - Bryce Edwards’ Political Roundup: Why Jacinda Ardern’s resignation changes everythingDr Bryce Edwards writes: Should New Zealand have a snap election? That’s one of the questions arising out of the chaos of Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern’s shock resignation. There’s an increased realisation that everything has changed, and the old plans and assumptions for election year have suddenly evaporated. ...1 week ago
- A scourge of cockroaches might be among the culprits as commentators conjecture on the PM’s decisi...
Buzz from the Beehive There has been nothing fresh on the Beehive website, since Jacinda Ardern gave us a double whammy yesterday – the announcement of her resignation and the date (14 October) ... 1 week ago - Bryce Edwards: Why Jacinda Ardern’s resignation changes everythingShould New Zealand have a snap election? That’s one of the questions arising out of the chaos of Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern’s shock resignation. There’s an increased realisation that everything has changed, and the old plans and assumptions for election year have suddenly evaporated. So, although Ardern has named an ...1 week ago
- The west vs the rest – the world is changingI warned about the trap of virtue signaling in my article Virtue signaling over Ukraine. This video is still relevant – but have we moved on since then? The Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 was universally condemned at the time. Or was it? Certainly, the political atmosphere ...1 week ago
- In the face of China’s “coercive tendencies”, is it time for NZ to shape its own “Indo-Pac...Earlier this week Point of Order carried a post by Geoffrey Miller on how Japan under a new security blueprint is doubling its defence spending. The plans see Japan buying up advanced weaponry – including long-range Tomahawk cruise missiles from the US – and spending more on ...1 week ago
- Weekly Roundup 20-January-2023Anyone else suffering back-to-work-blues? We’re battling, but still upright. Haere tonu! Today’s cover image is of sunset over Tirohanga Whānui Bridge, sourced from Twitter. The week in Greater Auckland On Monday, Jolisa pondered the fate of AT’s ‘Statements of Imagination’. Tuesday’s post was a guest post by Grady ...1 week ago
- Labour — nothing can be taken for grantedLabour’s inner circle will ideally want this Sunday’s caucus meeting to end with a sole nominee for party leader and their deputy. ...1 week ago
- Skeptical Science New Research for Week #3 2023Open access notables Bad news delivered by an all-star cast of familiar researchers: Another Year of Record Heat for the Oceans. From the abstract: In 2022, the world’s oceans, as given by OHC, were again the hottest in the historical record and exceeded the previous 2021 record maximum. According to IAP/CAS data, ...1 week ago
- PM makes NZ a world leader
The resignation of Jacinda Ardern has already made more global headlines than you might expect for that of the PM of a small commonwealth nation like say Sierra Leone (population 6.5 million) or Singapore (population 5.5 million). But international observers might not be too surprised by Ardern’s announcement that ...1 week ago - Into the Valley of Something Unexpected: The Resignation of Jacinda Ardern
One of my earliest political memories is the resignation of Prime Minister David Lange in August 1989. I remember this because of a brown felt-tipped pen drawing I did of the Beehive, the building that houses the Executive of the New Zealand Government. More than thirty years later, we ...1 week ago - Yes, the PM did have something to say in Napier – NZ will go to the polls on 14 October (without h...Buzz from the Beehive Hard on the heels of our Buzz from the Beehive earlier today, the PM has made two announcements – the 2023 general election will be held on Saturday 14 October and she will not be campaigning to win a third term as Prime Minister. She will ...1 week ago
- Geoffrey Miller: Jacinda Ardern’s outsized New Zealand foreign policy legacyJacinda Ardern had an outsized impact on New Zealand’s international relations. While all Prime Ministers travel internationally, Ardern’s calendar was fuller than most. Ardern’s first major foreign trip came within weeks of her election in 2017, to the APEC summit in Vietnam. The meeting gave Ardern her first in-person encounter ...1 week ago
- Jacinda
She gave it her all. No New Zealand Prime Minister has ever dominated the political scene at home as she has done, or has established an international profile to match hers. No New Zealand Prime Minister has had to confront such a sequence of domestic and international catastrophes – from ...1 week ago
- Urgent action needed to support families
The tools exist to help families with surging costs – and as costs continue to rise it is more urgent than ever that we use them, the Green Party says. ...4 days ago - Green Party writes to new Prime MinisterThe Green Party has written to Prime Minister Chris Hipkins outlining a plan for a fairer Aotearoa. ...4 days ago
- Green Party looks forward to working with Chris HipkinsThe Green Party welcomes Chris Hipkins as the sole nominee for leader of the Labour Party, and the next Prime Minister of Aotearoa New Zealand. ...1 week ago
- Greens recognise Prime Minister Ardern’s serviceThe Green Party is today acknowledging Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern’s service to Aotearoa. ...1 week ago
- Government steps up to assist Auckland during flooding
As the Mayor of Auckland has announced a state of emergency, the Government, through NEMA, is able to step up support for those affected by flooding in Auckland. “I’d urge people to follow the advice of authorities and check Auckland Emergency Management for the latest information. As always, the Government ...2 days ago - Poroporoaki: Titewhai Te Huia Hinewhare HarawiraKa papā te whatitiri, Hikohiko ana te uira, wāhi rua mai ana rā runga mai o Huruiki maunga Kua hinga te māreikura o te Nota, a Titewhai Harawira Nā reira, e te kahurangi, takoto, e moe Ka mōwai koa a Whakapara, kua uhia te Tai Tokerau e te kapua pōuri ...4 days ago
- Enhanced Task Force Green Approved following Cyclone HaleCarmel Sepuloni, Minister for Social Development and Employment, has activated Enhanced Taskforce Green (ETFG) in response to flooding and damaged caused by Cyclone Hale in the Tairāwhiti region. Up to $500,000 will be made available to employ job seekers to support the clean-up. We are still investigating whether other parts ...5 days ago
- General Election to be held on 14 October 2023The 2023 General Election will be held on Saturday 14 October 2023, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced today. “Announcing the election date early in the year provides New Zealanders with certainty and has become the practice of this Government and the previous one, and I believe is best practice,” Jacinda ...1 week ago
- Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announces resignationJacinda Ardern has announced she will step down as Prime Minister and Leader of the Labour Party. Her resignation will take effect on the appointment of a new Prime Minister. A caucus vote to elect a new Party Leader will occur in 3 days’ time on Sunday the 22nd of ...1 week ago
- Trade and Agriculture Minister to attend World Economic Forum and Global Forum for Food and Agricult...The Government is maintaining its strong trade focus in 2023 with Trade and Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor visiting Europe this week to discuss the role of agricultural trade in climate change and food security, WTO reform and New Zealand agricultural innovation. Damien O’Connor will travel tomorrow to Switzerland to attend the ...2 weeks ago
- Government funding relief for flood-affected Wairarapa farmers and growersThe Government has extended its medium-scale classification of Cyclone Hale to the Wairarapa after assessing storm damage to the eastern coastline of the region. “We’re making up to $80,000 available to the East Coast Rural Support Trust to help farmers and growers recover from the significant damage in the region,” ...2 weeks ago
- Government provides support to flooded Tairāwhiti communitiesThe Government is making an initial contribution of $150,000 to the Mayoral Relief Fund to help communities in Tairāwhiti following ex-Tropical Cyclone Hale, Minister for Emergency Management Kieran McAnulty announced. “While Cyclone Hale has caused widespread heavy rain, flooding and high winds across many parts of the North Island, Tairāwhiti ...2 weeks ago
- Government support for flood-affected Gisborne Tairāwhiti farmers and growersRural Communities Minister Damien O’Connor has classified this week’s Cyclone Hale that caused significant flood damage across the Tairāwhiti/Gisborne District as a medium-scale adverse event, unlocking Government support for farmers and growers. “We’re making up to $100,000 available to help coordinate efforts as farmers and growers recover from the heavy ...2 weeks ago
- Emergency mobile alert sent warning of heavy rain
Auckland Emergency Management have issued an emergency mobile alert ahead of the potential for extremely heavy rain to hit the Auckland region. The alert warned Aucklanders of MetService’s orange heavy rain warning between now and Monday. The Met Service issued an orange heavy rain warning due to an active line of thunderstorms ...1 hour ago - Flood-hit Māngere family thanks community support in disaster
By Barbara Dreaver, 1News Pacific correspondent The Moungavalu family in Aotearoa New Zealand are grateful to be alive. Their Māngere home in Auckland, along with others in their street, was hit hard by flooding with chest-deep water sweeping down the road. Mohe Mougavalu says the water went down their no ...2 hours ago - Wayne Brown on flood reaction: 'There may have been some incorrect decisions'
Auckland's mayor says lessons have been learned following the region's highest ever rainfall over 24 hours, which left four people dead and forced hundreds of people out of their homes. ...5 hours ago - Why the north and east have had such a dreadful summer
Oceans are at their warmest state ever and that has consequences, Kevin Trenberth writes I am a climate scientist who has been around watching the climate crisis grow from one of little concern to one where enough extremes of weather have grabbed the attention of the public. It is now ...6 hours ago - The forecast for todayThe deputy prime minister, Carmel Sepuloni, and transport minister Michael Woods spoke Sunday afternoon and updated on the government’s response to the state of local emergency in Auckland. Today there will be 70-80 case managers supporting those calling the MSD helpline for assistance. Sepuloni encouraged anyone needing any assistance (food, ...6 hours ago
- Deputy PM on flooding response: ‘We do have each other's backs’
Deputy Prime Minister Carmel Sepuloni says it has been "incredibly heartening" to see the way Aucklanders had helped each other out over the past few days. Sepuloni and Transport Minister Michael Wood have provided today's government update on the ongoing state of emergency in Auckland. Sepuloni thanked the many organisations ...7 hours ago - Deputy PM Carmel Sepuloni on flooding response: 'We do have each other's backs'The deputy prime minister says it has been "incredibly heartening" to see the way Aucklanders had helped each other out over the past few days. Watch the latest government update here. ...7 hours ago
- Watch live: Deputy PM Carmel Sepuloni provides government update on flood responseThe deputy prime minister and the transport minister are providing today's government update on the ongoing state of emergency in Auckland. Watch it live here. ...8 hours ago
- Auckland floods: even stormwater reform won’t be enough – we need a ‘sponge city’ to avoid f...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Timothy Welch, Senior Lecturer in Urban Planning, University of Auckland Getty Images We’ve built our cities to be vulnerable to – and exacerbate – major weather events such as the one we saw in Auckland on Friday. While almost no ...8 hours ago
- Recipe: Wafer per eeduIf you’ve managed to secure some eggs, here’s a tasty dish from the Parsi cuisine which essentially revolves around eggs… Even if they were an acquired taste for Perzen Patel. I’ve always been mentally allergic to eggs. I’ll eat cakes that have eggs and dishes where I can’t see or ...9 hours ago
- PNG rural agency condemns ‘ghost projects’ in K1 billion delivery cash cowPNG Post-Courier Papua New Guinea’s Service Improvement Programme worth more than K1 billion (NZ$440 million) has become a major cash cow for “irresponsible” leaders, says the monitoring agency. In the past decade, the Provincial and District Services Improvement Programme has delivered much but has not achieved what it set out ...10 hours ago
- Heavy metal lovers: A night rehearsing with the St Matthew’s bellringersTwice a week, church bells ring out through Auckland’s CBD. Sam Brooks meets the people who make it happen. If you happen to be on the Victoria Park side of the CBD on a Tuesday night or a Sunday morning, you’ll hear the sound of eight bells ringing clear as, ...10 hours ago
- When storytellers ruled the world – and how stories rule usAn excerpt from a keynote speech delivered in November last year to mark Ben Brown’s time as Te Awhi Rito New Zealand Reading Ambassador. We imagine ourselves into existence and a universe comes with us. This is the first and most important function of language, revealed to us ideally ...10 hours ago
- Wayne Brown pens sternly worded letter to the rainOr if he did, it might read something like this Vexed, defensive, shouty, Mayor Brown the Second wore the countenance of a man who had just discovered, to his irritation and horror, that he is, you know, the mayor of Auckland. At Saturday’s press conference in response to the record-breaking, ...14 hours ago
- Essay on Sunday: The sense-defying magic of the Pitcairn IslandsWhen you consider their remote location, perilous terrain and dark, sometimes ugly history, it seems incredible that anyone still lives on Pitcairn Island. But almost 50 people do and, as Graeme Lay discovers, they live very well. The supply ship Claymore II stands off the north coast of Pitcairn Island. ...14 hours ago
- Slips and floods close state highways, more rain on way
Heavy rain has hit Bay of Plenty and Coromandel overnight and there's more rain on the way for Auckland, but people are beginning to take stock of the damage. A home has collapsed in Tauranga and residents have been evacuated. There are a number of road closures mainly in the ...15 hours ago - Ardern squandered her chance at transformational change at every turn
In the second of a three-part series on Labour's leadership transition, Elliot Crossan focuses on how Labour's economic handling of the Covid crisis created an explosion in inequality. Read part one here. Opinion: In her emotional resignation speech, Jacinda Ardern described how she no longer had “enough in the tank to do ...16 hours ago - Auckland floods a future sign – city needs stormwater systems fit for climate changeANALYSIS: By James Renwick, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington The extraordinary flood event Auckland experienced on the night of January 27, the eve of the city’s anniversary weekend, was caused by rainfall that was literally off the chart. Over 24 hours, 249mm of rain fell — well ...21 hours ago
- ‘Take care of each other’, says PM Hipkins after assessing Auckland flood damageRNZ News Prime Minister Chris Hipkins has acknowledged the way Aucklanders have come together and opened their homes to those in need, with the New Zealand government focused on providing the resources needed to get the city back up and running. The new prime minister — just four days into ...1 day ago
- Auckland thunderstorm: Furore over unsent Civil Defence warning textsRNZ News Minister for Emergency Management Kieran McAnulty has asked for communication on support after the severe thunderstorm in Auckland to be stepped up. It comes after a Civil Defence warning text failed to be sent out, and Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown told RNZ they will be reviewing the response, ...1 day ago
- Three dead, at least one missing, and airport closes in Auckland floodsRNZ News Three people are dead and at least one person is missing following the flooding overnight in Auckland, New Zealand’s largest city. About 1000 people were still stranded today after Auckland Airport was closed last night because of flooding of the arrival and departure foyers. Flights were cancelled for ...1 day ago
- ‘You have to communicate facts’: Brown criticises councillors for speaking outWayne Brown has doubled down on his decision last night to shun the media until close to midnight and only order a state of emergency at 9.30pm. In a defensive display to the media this afternoon, the Auckland mayor was questioned on comments other councillors made last night, including some ...1 day ago
- Three deaths linked to floods; Brown defends emergency responsePrime minister Chris Hipkins has confirmed there are three deaths linked to the extreme weather event in Auckland over the past 24 hours. There is also at least one person missing. Speaking at a press conference in Auckland, Hipkins said the priority was to make sure Aucklanders were safe, housed ...1 day ago
- The Auckland floods are a sign of things to come
*This story was first published on The Conversation and is republished with permission* Until New Zealand's stormwater drain system adapts to our rising climate, it will never be able to cope with the level of flooding seen in Auckland on Friday night, writes James Renwick The extraordinary flood event Auckland experienced ...1 day ago - Watch live: PM Hipkins to speak after surveying Auckland damageChris Hipkins has experienced his first major event as prime minister, just days into his tenure. He’s spent the day in Auckland alongside emergency services, surveying the damage and assessing next steps. He’s due to speak at 3.15pm alongside Auckland mayor Wayne Brown. Thanks to Stuff, here is a livestream. ...1 day ago
- ‘Heartbreaking decision’: Laneway Festival officially cancelledDue to the “unprecedented weather event” in Auckland, organisers have confirmed the “heartbreaking decision” to cancel this year’s Laneway Festival. “We were so excited to deliver this show to our biggest crowd ever in New Zealand, our team has been working around the clock to do everything they can to ...1 day ago
- How to clean up after a floodWith the rain easing for a moment, many will be beginning the arduous task of cleaning out their flooded property. Auckland council has release advice for cleaning up after a flood. Cleaning up after a flood It is important to clean and dry your house and everything in it. Floodwater ...1 day ago
- Air NZ: ‘It might take a few days to get everything back on track’Air New Zealand Chief Operational Integrity and Safety Officer Captain David Morgan says the airline’s domestic flights in and out of Auckland resumed from 12pm today as Auckland Airport re-opens. But he said with a backlog of flights and customers, the priority is those who need to travel urgently. “Those ...1 day ago
- No decision on Auckland’s Laneway FestivalFestival-goers holding on hope for Laneway, set to take place at Western Springs on Monday, will have to wait a bit longer for an official update. A brief post on Facebook this afternoon stated: “Safety is Laneway Festival’s number one priority. With the large weather event Auckland is currently experiencing, ...1 day ago
- ‘Will be interesting to see how well prepared Wellington is when the earthquake strikes’ – Way...Wayne Brown has defended the timing of a declaration of a state of emergency last night following record rainfall in Auckland. “The state of emergency is a prescribed process, it’s quite formal, and I had to wait until I had the official request from the emergency management centre. The moment ...1 day ago
- ‘I’m so sorry’: Elton John cancels Auckland showsAfter the 11th hour cancellation last night, Elton John has cancelled the second concert of his farewell tour at Mt Smart, which had been scheduled for this evening. In a statement, John said: “Following the instruction of the emergency services, we have no option but to cancel tonight’s show in ...1 day ago
- Jacinda Ardern posts message to constituentsThe member of parliament for Mt Albert, Jacinda Ardern, has posted a message on Facebook following the flooding in Auckland. “I’m very conscious that it’s been a while since I posted, and there have been a few big things happening. But today the most important thing is everyone’s wellbeing and ...1 day ago
- No international arrivals at Auckland Airport todayFlooding of the runway, the check-in and arrivals areas on the ground floor and surrounding roads has disrupted operations at Auckland International, halting all departures until at least 5pm today, with no arrivals before 4:30am tomorrow. “People are asked not to come to the International Terminal at this time for ...1 day ago
- The Auckland floods are a sign of things to come – the city needs stormwater systems fit for clima...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By James Renwick, Professor, Physical Geography (climate science), Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington Victoria Park near the Auckland CBD on January 27. Getty Images The extraordinary flood event Auckland experienced on the night of January 27, the eve of the ...1 day ago
- Insurance claims in Auckland already top 1,000New Zealand’s largest insurance group, IAG, says it is on track to receive more than 1,100 claims from Aucklanders by lunchtime after the city was deluged in the wettest day on record. Those claims, said the group which includes AMI, State and NZI Insurance, span property damage to homes and ...1 day ago
- What’s happening with Elton John, Laneway, Festival One and One Love?The rampant flooding in Auckland didn’t just detonate its provincial public holiday weekend – it coincided with the biggest weekend of the year to date for live events. A pair of Elton John concerts at Mt Smart stadium had a combined capacity of over 80,000, while both Laneway at Western ...1 day ago
- ‘Auckland was clobbered’: latest advice from emergency services after wettest day on recordAuckland is beginning a clean-up after its wettest day since records began. “Auckland was clobbered on Friday,” said emergency management duty controller Andrew Clark. “We won’t start to get a good idea of numbers affected until later today and, even then, this will take time, with information still coming in ...1 day ago
- Hipkins flies to AucklandThe prime minister, Chris Hipkins, is travelling to Auckland after devastating floods hit the city overnight. With the airport out of operation until at least midday, he is landing at Whenuapai air base on a New Zealand Defence Force Hercules aircraft from Wellington. ...1 day ago
- Prime Minister Chris Hipkins arrives in Auckland to assess damage
Prime Minister Chris Hipkins has arrived in Auckland for a daylong visit to the city following its catastrophic flood on Friday night. Flying in an Air Force Hercules to Whenuapai, Hipkins will spend roughly three hours on the ground assessing flood damage in the city before returning. He will receive ...1 day ago - How TikTok decisively won the media coverage of Auckland’s floodsA quirk of timing left all Auckland’s institutions on the back foot. But social media, particularly TikTok, graphically showed just how bad the situation was. Late afternoon on a Friday is known as time to quietly drop bad news. You have the plausible deniability of it happening during work hours, ...1 day ago
- Hear me out: Stop putting your feet up on the dashboardIt’s a common sight during summer. It’s also a recipe for disaster. I recently drove with my family from New Plymouth to Tāmaki Makaurau and, just like how I lost count of how many cows I saw on the way, I lost count of how many cars had a passenger ...1 day ago
- This election year voters should beware of reading too much into political pollsOpinion - Election year has begun with a bang, and already the punditry and speculation are ramping up, but Grant Duncan warns not to treat polls as gospel. ...2 days ago
- Chris Hipkins summons Beehive bunker in response to Auckland floodsNew Zealand’s new prime minister, Chris Hipkins, is formally facing down an emergency just a few days after being sworn in, summoning the National Crisis Management Centre to the Beehive. The Beehive Bunker is being stood up to help with coordination of the emergency response in Auckland. I’ve asked ...2 days ago
- Judging Jacinda Ardern on her seven biggest projectsAnalysis - Jacinda Ardern is one of New Zealand's most historically significant leaders. But she did not achieve the grand vision for Aotearoa her outsized rhetoric promised. ...2 days ago
- Why travelling Brits should engage with te ao Māori
Brits abroad can be an asset to Aotearoa - but only if we make an effort to engage with te ao Māori, writes Scottish expat Fran Barclay Earlier this week, the UK High Commissioner signalled a promising intention to address the barriers facing young Māori and Pasifika who aspire to ...2 days ago - Short story: Malolactic, by Shelley Burne-Field
"They want the Māoris out": provincial life in NZ She hadn’t learned to shut her mouth. Howard was tired of Councillor Kemp harping on and on and on. He pushed himself deeper into the boardroom chair and leaned back as far as he could force it. This woman had ranted ...2 days ago - The power of the disappointing affirmationPositive affirmation quotes often aren’t helpful for tāngata whai ora. But taking the piss out of them can be. Early in January, on the first day of what would be a week of staying in bed with the curtains pulled, I put a disappointingaffirmations Instagram post up on my stories. ...2 days ago
- On the predator-free frontlines in the CoromandelEllen Rykers visits Mahakirau Forest Estate, ‘a crown jewel in the Coromandel Range’, where pest control is serious business. This is an excerpt from our weekly environment newsletter Future Proof – sign up here. The Mahakirau Forest Estate is not your average subdivision. Enter through its tall ...2 days ago
- Auckland airport flood: latest flight information, options for Air NZ ticket holdersAs Auckland tackles severe floods and the city’s airport emerges from a deluge on both the runway and in terminals, Air New Zealand has confirmed that no flights will leave or arrive before noon on Saturday at the earliest. In a statement, the airline said anyone booked for a flight ...2 days ago
- Auckland mayor declares emergency as wild weather lashes NZ’s northRNZ News Mayor Wayne Brown has shut down criticism that he was too slow in declaring a state of emergency after severe flooding in Auckland, New Zealand’s largest city. In a media stand-up late on Friday evening, Brown said he was following advice from experts and as soon as they ...2 days ago
- State of emergency: Auckland floods 'a wake-up call'
The Prime Minister has gone down to the Beehive bunker to help coordinate the emergency response, as the Insurance Council warns some Aucklanders whose homes and business are flooded face very hard times ahead. Jonathan Milne reports. Comment: Standing by the south-western motorway, I watched in dismay as hundreds of cars ...2 days ago - Auckland state of emergency: What you need to knowA state of emergency has been declared in Auckland as severe weather causes major flooding across much of the city. It’s expected the rain will continue into the morning. This post will be updated as more information is shared. What does a state of emergency mean? A state of emergency ...2 days ago
- Brown says he couldn’t have declared emergency earlier, rebukes councillorAuckland’s mayor Wayne Brown said he declared an emergency in Auckland as soon as he possibly could – and he made the decision without listening to the “clamour” of the public. There has been some criticism of the mayor for his relative silence today throughout the deadly flooding that’s hit ...2 days ago
- Auckland in state of emergencyWelcome to a special late night edition of The Spinoff’s live updates as Auckland enters a state of emergency. Stewart Sowman-Lund is on deck, with help from our news team. The top lines Auckland is in a state of emergency. It will remain in place for seven ...2 days ago
- PM Hipkins says government agencies working ‘flat out’ in AucklandPrime minister Chris Hipkins is pleased the call was made to declare a state of emergency in Auckland. All government agencies were working “flat out” to help in what was an “extraordinary set of circumstances”, Hipkins said in a tweet. “The emergency response is underway and the government is ready ...2 days ago
- ‘Do not put yourself at risk’: Wayne Brown urges Aucklanders to follow adviceAuckland’s mayor Wayne Brown has released a statement following the decision to declare a state of emergency in Auckland. Brown has faced criticism this evening for his relative silence throughout today’s major flooding, with the first public pronouncement of the state of emergency coming from his deputy. Brown said the ...2 days ago
- Luxon criticises delay in declaring Auckland state of emergencyChristopher Luxon has criticised the time it took for the state of emergency in Auckland to be declared. The National Party leader is currently in Southland, but told Today FM he intends to get back to Auckland as soon as possible. Earlier in the night, Luxon sent a tweet “urging” ...2 days ago
- In full: the latest Civil Defence adviceHere is, verbatim, that latest information we have from Civil Defence on tonight’s state of emergency in Auckland: Auckland Emergency Management has opened a Civil Defence Centre to assist those that have been displaced or need assistance following today’s severe weather. The centre is open now and is based at ...2 days ago
- Where is Wayne Brown?Severe flooding has ravaged Auckland today but the mayor of the city is barely visible. As I write, the airport has flooded, check-in areas looking like a public pool. Motorways are overflowing and cars have been seen floating down streets like a river. A person has died in floodwaters in ...2 days ago
- Jim Chalmers lays out agenda for pursuit of ‘values-based capitalism’Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Treasurer Jim Chalmers has laid out an economic blueprint for pursuing “values-based capitalism”, involving public-private co-investment and collaboration and the renovation of key economic institutions and markets. In a 6000-word essay in The Monthly ...2 days ago
- Live: State of emergency declared in AucklandThis is live coverage of the developing situation in Auckland. We will continue to update this with photos and information as it comes to hand. After a day of torrential rain, and new reports of at least one death in the flood water, a state of emergency has been declared ...2 days ago
- AT concert travel muck-up: 'It's embarrassing'
Fans are describing Auckland Transport's plans to help them get to and from Elton John's concerts in the supercity this weekend as a fiasco with tonight's concert now cancelled due to the weather. Two concerts were due at Mt Smart Stadium before tonight's concert was called off in the face ...2 days ago - State of emergency declared in Auckland
A state of emergency has been declared in Auckland due to severe flooding that has caused people to evacuate their homes. It was officially declared at 9.54pm. Meanwhile, Auckland Airport has closed its international terminal check-in due to flooding inside the building. The airport says it is sincerely sorry to ...2 days ago - Tokelau declares 2023 elections result in spite of comms problemsBy Lydia Lewis, RNZ Pacific journalist The government of Tokelau has declared the results of the 2023 national general elections. Voting took place on all three atolls, and also in the Apia office of the administration on January 23. The final results for the election of 20 members of the ...2 days ago
- Wild weather lashes NZ’s Auckland, Northland regionsRNZ News Residents in flood-prone areas of West Auckland are being asked to prepare to evacuate as bad weather causes power cuts and car crashes across Tāmaki Makaurau, with a severe thunderstorm watch in place for the north of Aotearoa New Zealand. Auckland Emergency Management said the severe weather across ...2 days ago
- Why Queensland is still ground zero for Australian deforestationSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Ward, Postdoctoral research fellow, The University of Queensland Five years ago, bulldozers with chains cleared forests and woodlands almost triple the size of the Australian Capital Territory in a single year. Brazil? Indonesia? No – much closer: Queensland. In 2018-19, ...2 days ago
- AT apologises for confusion over Elton John transport optionsAuckland Transport has apologised for confusing messaging that suggested attendees of tonight’s Elton John concert should drive. In a post on Facebook last night, AT said “driving to the concert is recommended” – a suggestion that prompted backlash due to the lack of parking options near the stadium. The announcement ...2 days ago
- Asteroid 2023 BU just passed a few thousand kilometres from Earth. Here’s why that’s excitingSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Steven Tingay, John Curtin Distinguished Professor (Radio Astronomy), Curtin University Asteroid 20223 BU’s path in red, with green showing the orbit of geosynchronous satellites. NASA/JPL-Caltech There are hundreds of millions of asteroids in our Solar System, which means new asteroids are discovered ...2 days ago
- Hipkins, Albanese meeting likely after Waitangi DayPrime Minister Chris Hipkins' office is working to secure an in-person meeting with Australian counterpart Anthony Albanese. ...2 days ago
- How common is penis frostbite actually?In his memoir Spare, Prince Harry revealed he attended the future King and Queen of England’s wedding with a frostbitten penis. A veteran of Antarctic expeditions says it’s not an issue that crops up often, if at all. Now that the avalanche of coverage about the Duke of Sussex’s memoir ...2 days ago
- The Friday Poem: ‘objects in the mirror are closer than they appear’ by Ash Davida JaneA new poem by Wellington poet and publisher Ash Davida Jane. objects in the mirror are closer than they appear if a dog digs in the right spot and unearths a rib what do I care if a woman grows from that bone take her in and tend to her ...2 days ago
- The Unity Books bestseller chart for the week ending January 27The 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 Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan (Grove Press, $25) Everyone’s chowing down on fiction ...2 days ago
- Are your cats fighting or playing? Scientists analysed cat videos to figure out the differenceSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Susan Hazel, Associate Professor, School of Animal and Veterinary Science, University of Adelaide schankz/Shutterstock Have you ever worried if the play between your cats was getting too rough? A new study published in Scientific Reports has investigated play and fighting ...2 days ago
- Ingredient of the week: CucumberMore water than anything else, the cucumber is the perfect counter to intense and fiery flavours. Cucumber is without a doubt the most refreshing vegetable*, the antidote to hot summer days. At 95% water, a cucumber is basically an edible, crunchy, waste-free water bottle. Beside water, the cucumber has almost ...2 days ago
- Speaking to the world, but mirroring Australia’s off-again, on-again Pacific engagementREVIEW: By Rowan Callick Radio Australia was conceived at the beginning of the Second World War out of Canberra’s desire to counter Japanese propaganda in the Pacific. More than 70 years later its rebirth is being driven by a similarly urgent need to counter propaganda, this time from China. Set ...2 days ago
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