Archive for September, 2009
DL Auckland: The Republic
Written By: - Date published: 4:03 pm, September 14th, 2009 - Comments Off on DL Auckland: The Republic
Drinking Liberally is on again in Auckland this Wednesday, with guest speaker Lewis Holden of the Republican Movement of Aotearoa New Zealand speaking about their new book, The New Zealand Republic Handbook. When: 7pm, Wednesday, 16 September Where: Galatos, 17 Galatos St, Newton, Auckland [hat tip: No Right Turn]
The emerging consensus to keep MMP
Written By: - Date published: 2:00 pm, September 14th, 2009 - 18 comments
Unexpectedly, a consensus is emerging to keep MMP. A search of the Herald, Stuff and other sites shows that most editorial pages and political commentators are against changing systems, citing MMP as fair and a check on the unbridled power the largest party enjoyed under First Past the Post*. The only notable exception is Fran […]
Condoms and democracy
Written By: - Date published: 12:30 pm, September 14th, 2009 - 36 comments
Have to disagree with Zet’s call for Labour to ‘just put it away‘ on the remit to conference calling for subsidised condoms in shops to help reduce unplanned pregnancies and our high rate of sexually transmitted diseases. Sure, if Labour were putting it up as a policy priority there might be an argument. I’m completely […]
Close the loopholes
Written By: - Date published: 11:30 am, September 14th, 2009 - 30 comments
I am heartened that Phil Goff is trying to work with the Government to address over-investment in residential property. However, I think a capital gains tax is the wrong way to go about it. In my view, the rush to get on the rental property bandwagon is the single biggest problem facing the New Zealand […]
Be bold on smoking
Written By: - Date published: 9:27 am, September 14th, 2009 - 21 comments
Very good piece by Anthony Hubbard in the Sunday Star Times: The Maori Party is pressuring the government to take tough new anti-smoking measures including a hefty price rise and a ban on retail displays and is calling for a select committee inquiry to “bring these bastards from the tobacco companies out in the open”. […]
Says it all
Written By: - Date published: 8:00 am, September 14th, 2009 - 17 comments
From the firefighters’ protest against John Key’s pay freeze: Really highlights the double standard in a government that tolerates Bill English’s rorts then has the cheek to turn around and tell the rest of us to show restraint. On another note, it was interesting to see in the 3 News piece John Key using private […]
Another lagging indicator
Written By: - Date published: 5:02 am, September 14th, 2009 - 11 comments
The New Zealand Council of Christian Social Services has released its annual Vulnerability Report. Due to rising unemployment, 219,000 children now live in households whose main income is a benefit- up 20,000 in the past year – and one in six newborns are born into a benefit dependent home. These children growing up in poverty-ridden houses […]
No good faith from Nats
Written By: - Date published: 8:30 pm, September 13th, 2009 - 25 comments
Finance Minister Bill English has told doctors, teachers, and other public servants that they will not be getting pay-raises when their collective contracts come up for renewal. That is constitutionally outrageous and a big political mistake. Ministers are not allowed to direct public sector pay negotiations. It is clearly against the rules of the State Sector […]
Just put it away
Written By: - Date published: 2:24 pm, September 13th, 2009 - 32 comments
I know this free condoms idea is just a remit, not Labour Party policy, but it’s exactly the kind of thing that the right has used to drive a wedge between Labour and it’s working-class base. It is a liberal idea that conservatives on the left and right will be repelled by and it creates […]
SIS? Or who’s spying now?
Written By: - Date published: 12:54 pm, September 13th, 2009 - 27 comments
On Thursday Animal Rights Activists did a protest outside the Norwegian Embassy against the fur trade there. This was to support the campaign in Norway, where activists have just released an investigation into 50 fur farms. During the protest a man was observed sitting in a car across the road taking photographs of the protest […]
Examining the scientific consensus on climate change
Written By: - Date published: 10:30 am, September 13th, 2009 - 87 comments
There was an interesting preview paper published back in January by by Peter Doran and Maggie Kendall Zimmerman. It sheds light on how the scientists who work in the field view the probability of climate change happening. It is pretty clear from the results that those closest to the data and who know the factors […]
A bit of culture
Written By: - Date published: 6:11 am, September 13th, 2009 - 2 comments
If you’re looking for something to do on a Sunday that’s a bit more uplifting than arguing politics, why not check out some NZ literature instead? This is brilliant: 1000 New Zealand classics released as eBooks New Zealanders can now freely download—and store in their pockets—hundreds of our most well-known books, courtesy of Victoria University’s […]
Those pesky boundaries for Auckland
Written By: - Date published: 3:23 pm, September 12th, 2009 - 31 comments
There are a couple of things that I hadn’t realised about the rather strange changes to the Auckland super-city boundaries. They are just weird and show a strange idea of what Auckland. About 50% of Auckland’s water comes from the Hunua’s. Surely the provision of fresh water is a “core service” of local bodies. Sure […]
Which side are you on?
Written By: - Date published: 11:38 am, September 12th, 2009 - 7 comments
Following on from the workers’ rights/class war theme of the last few days, here’s an old classic:
Labour needs to get back to its roots
Written By: - Date published: 8:00 am, September 12th, 2009 - 107 comments
Goff is using Labour’s national conference to swallow some dead rats, distancing himself and the party from the social reform agenda of the previous Labour government. Good. People like the socialist element of Labour’s agenda – retention of public assets, nationalisation of important infrastructure (Kiwirail), intervention in failing markets (eg Kiwibank), redistribution of wealth, stronger […]
Jim Anderton on organisation
Written By: - Date published: 8:24 pm, September 11th, 2009 - 20 comments
The most interesting feature of the Labour conference so far has been from Jim Anderton. It looks like the Progressives are now able to have dual membership with Labour. However he also talking about better organisation of the party towards campaign planning. Some of his ideas are a bit dated (well at least to me). […]
Ninny state
Written By: - Date published: 3:27 pm, September 11th, 2009 - 44 comments
Phil Goff is quoted today as saying “we made mistakes” with policies that were perceived as “nanny state”: Asked if he would apologise to the conference for the nanny state policies, Mr Goff replied: “I think we want to draw a line under the past and say, yes, we made mistakes, we didn’t listen.” Mr […]
Redundancy protection – it’s only fair
Written By: - Date published: 3:00 pm, September 11th, 2009 - 20 comments
A coalition of unions, Labour, the Greens, the Maori Party, and community groups has come together to support Darian Fenton’s Redundancy Protection Bill. There’s a website, facebook group, petition, and other ways you can get involved. The Bill, due to be debated later this month, would set a minimum level of redundancy protection for all […]
Battlelines
Written By: - Date published: 2:00 pm, September 11th, 2009 - 7 comments
We’re seeing a new pattern in work relations emerging. The big employers, emboldened by having their party in power and using the recession as an excuse, are attacking workers’ pay and conditions. But this isn’t 1991 redux. The unionised workers of today have joined voluntarily and believe in collective action; the unions are no longer […]
National-linked dairy company threatens six week lockout
Written By: - Date published: 12:26 pm, September 11th, 2009 - 31 comments
There’s a nasty dispute brewing at Open Country Cheese involving a six week lockout threat, some highly aggressive anti-union PR, calls for the Government to gut labour laws and major links between the company and senior National Party figures. It’s early days yet, but this could be a big one. Open Country Cheese was founded […]
Welfare for whom?
Written By: - Date published: 9:28 am, September 11th, 2009 - 61 comments
Remember the iconic photos of the first Labour Prime Minister Michael Joseph Savage and his cabinet celebrating the introduction of State Housing by carrying furniture into the first home at 12 Fife Lane, Miramar? State housing in New Zealand was set up to provide relief for low income tenants, from insecurity and rack renting by […]
Time for Telecom to come to its senses
Written By: - Date published: 5:43 am, September 11th, 2009 - 11 comments
Today, 200 Telecom engineers in Auckland and Northland will be fired. Not because there’s no work for them but because Telecom and it’s $7 million CEO want to cut ‘labour costs’ – that’s workers’ incomes, families’ livelihoods to you and me. Here’s how Telecom’s scam goes. Currently, the engineers are employees of Telecom contractors Transfield […]
Labour and the RMA
Written By: - Date published: 3:55 pm, September 10th, 2009 - 40 comments
No Right Turn and Frogblog both have pieces up on Labour’s decision to vote in support of the Government’s moves to gut the RMA last night. It’s disappointing to say the least. I’d be interested to hear from some Labour MPs why they voted this way, either in the comments section of this post or […]
Brash and Banks try to profit off vulnerable
Written By: - Date published: 2:13 pm, September 10th, 2009 - 31 comments
Former National Party leader Dr Don Brash and Auckland Mayor John Banks love making the big bucks. And what better way to do it than hitting the most vulnerable in society. Today the National Party stalwarts are after mental patients. The Herald notes: KiwiSaver targets mental patient An Auckland woman is dismayed her 25-year-old son […]
Labour conference bits and pieces
Written By: - Date published: 1:15 pm, September 10th, 2009 - 24 comments
The Labour party conference is on in Rotorua this weekend, so I’ll be heading there Friday morning. If the writers and readers want to catch up then I’ll generally be around the Mt Albert delegation – they can direct you towards my grey hairs. I’m particularly interested in people who think that they can write […]
Telecom solidarity fundraiser
Written By: - Date published: 12:30 pm, September 10th, 2009 - 18 comments
Socialist Aotearoa have organised a Telecom solidarity fundraiser on Friday night. Not for $7m man Paul Reynolds, but for the lines engineers his contractors are busy laying off with no redundancy and trying to force into sham dependent contracts. If you’re in Auckland head along and show your support. The engineers are sure going to […]
It ain’t over ’til it’s over
Written By: - Date published: 11:46 am, September 10th, 2009 - 11 comments
The economists think the recession is probably over (for now). If you’re one of the lucky ones, you may very well be thinking ‘well that wasn’t so bad’ but what does the end of the recession mean? All it means is that the economy is has stopped shrinking. Now, say you and me were out climbing a mountain […]
Currency too high, recovery could falter – Fed Farmers
Written By: - Date published: 10:39 am, September 10th, 2009 - 12 comments
“I’d really like to know what Treasury is on for it to be so bullish about the economy, as it must be good stuff.” – Federated Farmers press release, 09, Sep. 2009 The day after Herald and TV headlined a Treasury report announcing a recovery, the right wing business pressure group Federated Farmers has released […]
Firestarter
Written By: - Date published: 9:01 am, September 10th, 2009 - 51 comments
r0b’s post on John Key’s ‘uprising’ comment (which was written last night) seems grimly ironic in light of this morning’s news. Someone has thrown some kind of incendiary device, like a molotov cocktail, through a window of Key’s electorate office. Obviously, such actions are to be condemned and it’s good to hear the damage is limited. […]
How big is an uprising?
Written By: - Date published: 6:05 am, September 10th, 2009 - 12 comments
There was an odd little piece in The Herald on Tuesday: Uprising would force Super City changes: PM Prime Minister John Key says the Government will back down on the new Super City boundaries for Rodney and Franklin if there is enough of a community uprising. Mr Key said he would be happy to overrule […]
Why Supplementary Member sucks
Written By: - Date published: 7:08 pm, September 9th, 2009 - 64 comments
National and the business elite led by former Telecom chairman Peter Shirtcliffe (who led the pro-FPP campaign back in the 1990s) want to replace MMP with a voting system called Supplementary Member. SM is kind of a halfway house between FPP and MMP. Rather than the total number of seats a party has in Parliament […]
- Why the UK parliament is monitoring our fast-track consenting bill
In this extract from The Bulletin, Stewart Sowman-Lund looks at the proposed law and the ongoing concern about it. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here. Where we’re at with the fast-track ...7 days ago - NZTA tells dealers to repay Clean Car rebates on almost 200 EVs
Waka Kotahi has found almost 200 cases where car dealers pocketed electric vehicle subsidies, then broke the law. ...7 days ago - Heath funding fails to keep up with inflation or demand – doctors' unionSome experts argue it's time to consider alternatives ways to pay for healthcare which could take politics out of it. ...7 days ago
- Can you really provide meals for teens for $3 a pop? And will they eat it?The revamped school lunch programme is budgeting $3 per lunch, rather than the current $8. But is it really so simple to cut costs? Shanti Mathias investigates. Last week, associate education minister and Act Party leader David Seymour announced the government’s revamped school lunch programme, which will provide food to ...7 days ago
- A Kiwi mermaid in Paris, 100 years ago
Exactly 100 years ago, on the eve of another Paris Olympics, young Kiwi Gwitha Shand was the talk of the swimming world. The 19-year-old from Christchurch had broken the world record in the 440-yard freestyle multiple times leading up to the 1924 Olympics, and was described in newspapers as one ...7 days ago - Ockhams: Penguin shock on eve of book awardsThe New Zealand book trade is still reeling after the shock news that Penguin has axed its head of publishing. The redundancy comes just as the biggest week of the year in New Zealand literature is set to take place. The winners of the Ockham national book awards are announced ...7 days ago
- The haves and have-nots of aged careA rest home with a concierge, iced tea fountain, hybrid Jaguars to drive, and caviar on the menu. That’s not imaginary or from some far-flung country – it’s reality here in Aotearoa. Oceania Healthcare just officially opened ‘The Helier’ – a retirement apartment and aged-care complex in the Auckland suburb ...7 days ago
- I don’t know what Aukus is and at this point I’m afraid to askThe USA and China are beefing, Winston Peters is getting sued by some Australian guy, and Helen Clark and Don Brash are friends now? Here’s everything you need to know about Aukus but were too afraid to ask. What is Aukus? Aukus, which stands for Australia, the United Kingdom, and ...7 days ago
- Job seekers feel the pressure as labour market softens againBusiness & investing: All regions recorded an annual double-digit percentage decline in job ads The post Job seekers feel the pressure as labour market softens again appeared first on Newsroom. ...7 days ago
- No need to shock with a fake crisisOpinion: The cold weather and spikes in power demand have been well handled by the electricity system The post No need to shock with a fake crisis appeared first on Newsroom. ...7 days ago
- Auckland’s gravity-defying debt swallows the airport share millionsAuckland’s debt remains stubbornly high, despite a large airport share sale, but the Watercare deal and new limits might start to tame the beast The post Auckland’s gravity-defying debt swallows the airport share millions appeared first on Newsroom. ...7 days ago
- Explainer: Why new school attendance data doesn’t match the rhetoricAnalysis: The Government has launched its crackdown on truancy, with daily attendance data reporting The post Explainer: Why new school attendance data doesn’t match the rhetoric appeared first on Newsroom. ...7 days ago
- Mining lobby: Fast-track bill’s ministerial powers ‘not unusual’ Ministers make the final decision in many areas, but the ability to control the front and back end of the process would be unique The post Mining lobby: Fast-track bill’s ministerial powers ‘not unusual’ appeared first on Newsroom. ...7 days ago
- Newsroom daily quiz, Monday 13 MayLoading…(function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){var ql=document.querySelectorAll('A,DIV,A[data-quiz],DIV[data-quiz]'); if(ql){if(ql.length){for(var k=0;k<ql.length;k++){ql[k].id='quiz-embed-'+k;ql[k].href="javascript:var i=document.getElementById('quiz-embed-"+k+"');try{qz.startQuiz(i)}catch(e){i.start=1;i.style.cursor='wait';i.style.opacity='0.5'};void(0);"}}};i['QP']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){(i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o),m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m)})(window,document,'script','https://take.quiz-maker.com/3012/CDN/quiz-embed-v1.js','qp'); Got a good quiz question? Send Newsroom your questions. The post Newsroom daily quiz, Monday 13 May appeared first on Newsroom. ...7 days ago
- Daily crossword, Monday 13 MayThe post Daily crossword, Monday 13 May appeared first on Newsroom. ...7 days ago
- Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters meets with new Solomon Islands PMThe foreign affairs minister has landed in Solomon Islands for the first leg of his Pacific tour, and an audience with the newly elected Prime Minister. ...1 week ago
- Season two of The Boy in the WaterOn an unusually hot night in January 2019, a little boy’s lifeless body was found face up in a small town’s sewage oxidation pond. To the police, it was an open and shut case: three-year-old Lachlan Jones had run away from his home in the Southland town of Gore, climbed ...1 week ago
- Pre-budget teasers increase exposure – and scrutinyMediawatch looks at how one pre-Budget announcement played well for a minister last week - but this week, one was badly botched. ...1 week ago
- An Ode to .. SeymourGrub Street King Luxon rode through the streets Of King’s Landing, and was troubled By the sight of hungry urchins in the mud. “Who would be the best of my Lords To deal with this negative optic?” He pondered. The answer came to him instantly. “Seymour!” he said to himself. ...1 week ago
- Fast Track Bill Should Be Withdrawn
“The Bill does not provide environmental protection, good quality decision making, certainty, public participation or speed. It should be withdrawn.” ...1 week ago - Fast-track Approvals Bill: Chief Ombudsman calls for accountability by lawDemocracy will be the "loser" if sweeping executive powers are granted to ministers under the new bill, the Chief Ombudsman warns. ...1 week ago
- Australian Strategic Policy Institute warns AUKUS could 'crush' its defence industryAn Australian Strategic Policy Institute report says Pillar Two could raise the industry to state of the art capability - or "crush" it "under the weight of the globe's biggest player". ...1 week ago
- UN vote: NZ supports 'enhancing Palestine's status' – PetersNew Zealand has voted in favour of a resolution to broaden the Palestinian role at the United Nations General Assembly. ...1 week ago
- Cold houses to blame for people needing to 'blast the heater' – Green Building Counc...New Zealand's housing building standards are decades behind most other countries in the OECD, green building advocates say. ...1 week ago
- Austerity For Everyone Except Weapons Dealers“Instead of following along countries that are investing in death and better ways of killing people faster, we need to invest in life and in making Aotearoa a fair, just and equitable place where everyone has what they need for a dignified life.” ...1 week ago
- The Secret Diary of .. Te Pāti MāoriMARIAMENO KAPA-KINGI, TPM MP FOR TAI TOKERAU This Government will not waver in its mission to exterminate Māori. CHRISTOPHER LUXON Oh well look you know I don’t think that hard-working Kiwis want to hear language like that. It’s just really unhelpful rhetoric. My Government is genuinely committed to advancing outcomes ...1 week ago
- When body positivity morphs into toxic masculinityThe body positivity movement started with women confronting the unrealistic expectations and unrepresentative portrayals of them in media and advertising. Men weren’t part of it … their bodies hadn’t been sexualised to the same extremes and they didn’t really need it. But now that’s changed. And in a warped sort ...1 week ago
- ‘A curse and a blessing’: Ginette McDonald on how Lyn of Tawa changed her lifeThe New Zealand comedy legend takes us through her life in television, including the time she hugged Elton John and the unshakeable legacy of a girl named Lyn. In 1981, Ginette McDonald stood on the stage of Auckland’s St James Theatre and directly addressed Queen Elizabeth II. It was a ...1 week ago
- ‘Mothering looked beautiful but also chaotic and stifling’: On flatting with a newbornAn essay by Lily Duval from the just-released anthology Otherhood: Essays on being childless, childfree and child adjacent. I was 22 when my friend Alice gave birth in the living room of our pokey Addington flat. She laboured in the blow-up pool for hours. Garish fish swam along the inflated ...1 week ago
- Motherhood: A reading journeyElla Borrie on the best books about motherhood she’s come across so far. Over the past few years I’ve been drawn to books about motherhood. I’m fascinated by the joys and horrors of becoming a parent. The question of children also feels more pressing than it used to. It’s like ...1 week ago
- The Steve Awards 2024: Honouring the year’s worst Mother’s Day marketingOut of gift ideas for mum? You can’t go wrong with a bottle of toilet cleaner and a new squeegee. Emily Writes is the writer and editor of Emily Writes Weekly. This week marks five years since I published a post on The Spinoff about Mother’s Day marketing titled ‘A ...1 week ago
- The Sunday Essay: A buzzy yearMy husband is posted overseas for 12 months and I’m armed with an expensive, newfangled vibrator. Will I miss him? The Sunday Essay is made possible thanks to the support of Creative New Zealand. A few days after my husband leaves, a new sex toy arrives at the front door. Nestled ...1 week ago
- Tracing four decades of Wellington street artJaimie Baird’s new book Here Today Gone Tomorrow is a record of four decades of graffiti and street art in Wellington, told through more than 1,200 photographs. He spoke with Joel MacManus about what inspired the book. How did you first get interested in photographing street art? I remember ...1 week ago
- The Weekend: How the woke sausage is madeEditor Madeleine Chapman looks back at a busy week where food of all political leanings dominated. Sometimes you’re just going about your week thinking you’ve got a good handle on what might be coming as far as news topics and then someone (usually a politician) says something so ridiculous that ...1 week ago
- Short story: Message me, by Lucy O’ConnorA banner notification alerts me to the fact that I’ve received an Instagram message from @felicity.loves. She always comments on my posts. I shouldn’t have opened the message, but clicked on the notification before rationalising this. OMG! Are you in Wellys? X I debate not replying, but Instagram will inform ...1 week ago
- Callum Donaldson has his head in the gameIn Melbourne’s hardscrabble western suburbs where AFL – Aussie rules football – is a state religion, Callum Donaldson has been quietly grafting away, four months into an odyssey that he hopes will take him to another promised land: the NRL. It was a solid 2023 for the softly spoken 20-year-old ...1 week ago
- The Boy in the Water: Police caught in ‘zone of uncertainty’ In a week of cold rain and frost, the climate in courtroom four upstairs at the Invercargill courthouse was simmering with restrained indignation. At times it felt like the famous Mexican standoff scene from Reservoir Dogs, or, as someone watching the proceedings described it, there was so much throwing of ...1 week ago
- Why the Defence Force has been calling for a Budget boostFailing accommodation, tarmac problems and a deteriorating naval base were all laid bare before a $571 million spend-up was unveiled today. ...1 week ago
- Back in Black: Aldora’s year gets even betterAldora Itunu is back in the Black Ferns squad after a three-year absence. The last of her 24 internationals was an underwhelming loss to France (7-29) in Castres to conclude the disastrous 2021 Northern Tour. The powerhouse prop won a Rugby World Cup in 2017 and thought she was done. ...1 week ago
- ‘Who’s actually governing this city?’The fight to control major transport policy and projects in Auckland has burst into the open again, with councillors rejecting Mayor Wayne Brown’s latest attempt to steer things more under his influence. Councillors from the left and right broke ranks on the mayor’s bid to control Auckland Transport more directly ...1 week ago
- The return of .. Raw PoliticsExhausted by the general election campaign, horrified by the twilight zone of coalition negotiations, distracted by the silly season and waiting for the honeymoon to begin, Raw Politics has been in hibernation since October. From today, we’re back. Our weekly political video show and podcast returns for ...1 week ago
- Transmission Gully could need new builder – Infrastructure Commission reviewFailing to anticipate the complexity of the consenting system is being cited as the the current builder's shortcomings, an Infrastructure Commission review says. ...1 week ago
- Transmission Gully could need new bulider – Infrastructure Commission reviewFailing to anticipate the complexity of the consenting system is being cited as the the current builder's shortcomings, an Infrastructure Commission review says. ...1 week ago
- Proposed repeal of Oranga Tamariki Act section 7AA breaches Treaty of Waitangi – TribunalThe government is planning to repeal Treaty obligations from the Oranga Tamariki Act. ...1 week ago
- Committee Silences Majority Of Submitters On Fast-track Bill350 Aotearoa is calling the Environment Select Committee’s decision to allow oral submissions from just 40% of individual, unique submitters who asked to speak to the committee ‘a disgraceful blight to democracy’. ...1 week ago
- Labour Up, Greens Down But Centre-Right Remains AheadThis is the first time since February that voters have had a net positive view of the country direction. ...1 week ago
- RNZAF Hercules, NZDF Personnel Arrive In Papua New Guinea To Help Distribute Relief SuppliesPapua New Guinea experienced a significant earthquake on 24 March in East Sepik and there has also been recent flooding there and in surrounding provinces. ...1 week ago
- Week in Politics: Triumph and disaster, but no austerityAnalysis - A big announcement about Auckland's water woes was overshadowed by a chaotic press conference about prisons, Peter Wilson writes. ...1 week ago
- Community Groups Furious That Government Silencing Hundreds In Fast-Track HearingsThe Environment Select Committee has just announced that 60 percent of individuals who asked to speak at the hearings will not be heard. This equates to almost 700 people who made individual submissions and more than 1000 more who made a form submission. ...1 week ago
- Review: Swan Lake is a reminder of how much work it takes to look effortlessThe Royal New Zealand Ballet is performing Swan Lake around the country. What kind of dream does the ballet sell? Before going to see the Royal New Zealand Ballet perform Swan Lake, I had about as much familiarity with the plot of this ballet as could be expected from having ...1 week ago
- The Friday Poem: ‘High Tide at Local Maxima’ by Eamonn TeeA new poem by Auckland poet Eamonn Tee. High Tide at Local Maxima It is only going to get worse. The streams will be narrow and fickle. The week will bend and buckle like a pot-bellied waist. You will make it to the weekend with one ...1 week ago
- The plastic-heavy drinks industry is in for a shake-upThe New Zealand entrepreneur behind beauty business Ethique is gearing up to launch a new eco-venture. This is an excerpt from our weekly environmental newsletter Future Proof. Sign up here. Our thirst for a tasty bevvy is insatiable, but it comes with a hefty plastic price for the planet: 580 billion ...1 week ago
- The Unity Books bestseller chart for the week ending May 10The 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 James by Percival Everett (Mantle, $38) A retelling of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn from ...1 week ago
- Downsizing Of ERO Inconsistent With Govt Priority Of Lifting Student AchievementThe PSA is concerned that Government spending cuts have forced ERO to downsize at a time when student achievement is a significant challenge. ...1 week ago
- Education Review Office set to cut 13 jobs, union saysThe Education Review Office is set to cut 13 jobs, the Public Service Association says. ...1 week ago
- Judith Collins announces $571 million Defence spend-upAn extra half a billion dollars is going to Defence in this year's Budget for pay and equipment upgrades, the Defence Minister has announced. ...1 week ago
- This new TVNZ anthology is Motherhood as you’ve never seen it beforeTara Ward previews a new local TV series offering alternative visions of motherhood. This is an excerpt from our weekly pop culture newsletter Rec Room. Sign up here. A woman is clambering up the side of her two-story house, clinging desperately to a drainpipe. Nearby, her child is perched on the ...1 week ago
- LGNZ Supportive Of Cross-party Approach To Climate AdaptationLocal Government New Zealand (LGNZ) is supportive of the cross-party approach to climate adaptation announced by the Minister of Climate Change today. ...1 week ago
- SBC And CLC Welcome Bipartisan Climate Adaptation InquiryThe Sustainable Business Council (SBC) and Climate Leaders Coalition (CLC) welcome today’s announcement from Government around a bipartisan inquiry into an enduring climate adaptation framework for New Zealand. ...1 week ago
- Another Victory For Free Speech: DIA Abandons Proposals For Online CensorshipThe Free Speech Union welcomes the decision by the Department of Internal Affairs, and Minister Brooke Van Velden, to abandon proposals to further regulate online speech. ...1 week ago
- Archives NZ says it has enough space – for nowIts new building in Wellington will not be nearly big enough for all its records, and it has also run out of money to build its new storage facility in Levin. ...1 week ago
- Consensus WelcomedBusinessNZ is congratulating the Minister of Climate Change for his work in achieving cross-party consensus for a way forward on climate adaptation. ...1 week ago
- How many lives is that tax cut worth?Recent research reveals the repeal of smokefree measures is not only bad for our health, but also the economy. The Government has repealed various smokefree measures to ensure it keeps collecting $1.2 billion a year in tobacco taxes, in order to pay for tax cuts already being delivered to ...1 week ago
- How the Phoenix went from wooden spoon favourites to title contendersThe club’s surprisingly good season is built on the desire to prove a random A-League YouTuber wrong… and a few other factors. “There’s no way that Wellington Phoenix play finals this year. I can’t see it happening at all.” Those are the words of Lachlan Raeside, an Australian football content ...1 week ago
- Ministry cuts will harm Pacific health, wellbeing – unionThe PSA is warning cuts at the Ministry for Pacific Peoples will have severe consequences for the health and wellbeing of Pasifika families. ...1 week ago
- Power shortages: What's being done to keep the lights on?Officials are looking at better ways of choosing who gets the power during shortages amid relentlessly growing demands. ...1 week ago
- It’s time to ditch Berhampore Golf CourseThe under-utilised course is a waste of space, and with a little political will, it could be turned into something better. For the duration of her stay in Wellington, my long-suffering cousin listened to me rant about golf courses. They’re bad for the environment: water intensive and pesticide heavy. They ...1 week ago
- Govt must regulate to smooth EVs and data centres' demand on power grids – VectorNew Zealand's largest electricity distributor is warning the country to hurry up with controls around charging electric vehicles or face unnecessary bills running into the billions. ...1 week ago
- Could you be about to lose your power?New Zealanders have been asked to conserve energy this morning to combat a possible electricity shortfall, writes Stewart Sowman-Lund in this extract from The Bulletin. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here. A call to conserve power New Zealand is facing a possible electricity shortfall, with people up ...1 week ago
- What actually are the Ockhams?Writer Rebecca K Reilly breaks down the national book awards. What are the Ockhams? The Ockham New Zealand Book Awards are our annual national awards for books published for adults, and have existed in this form since 2016. There are four categories: Fiction, Poetry, General Non-fiction and Illustrated Non-fiction. There ...1 week ago
- Selling Wellington Airport would be colossally carelessWellington City Council should keep its 34% ownership share in Wellington International Airport, argue Unions Wellington spokespeople Finn Cordwell and Ashok Jacob. Insanity, as the saying goes, is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. Wellington City Council (WCC) is yet again proposing to dispose ...1 week ago
- Two senior publishers axed at Penguin Random House amid major restructureNew Zealand’s largest book publisher has undergone drastic changes this week, leaving its future role in local publishing uncertain. Two of the most recognisable local publishers in New Zealand are among those restructured out of Penguin Random House, it was announced this week. Head of publishing Claire Murdoch will leave ...1 week ago
- What will Willis’ social investment fund look like?Experts in financing social investment initiatives say New Zealand is in a prime position to tackle social issues via a social investment approach The post What will Willis’ social investment fund look like? appeared first on Newsroom. ...1 week ago
- Three waters repeal hitting Far North hard as Auckland signs dealForced to lift rates by 33 percent to fund water infrastructure, a fifth of the Far North’s ratepayers have missed their first payment The post Three waters repeal hitting Far North hard as Auckland signs deal appeared first on Newsroom. ...1 week ago
- All trained up and nowhere to writeIn 2021 the Public Interest Journalism Fund launched the Te Rito Journalism project, a $2.4 million initiative to boost diversity in New Zealand’s newsrooms. The initiative was in response to the decades-long shortage of Māori and Pacific journalists in the media industry. It was billed as New Zealand’s ...1 week ago
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