Archive for November, 2009
Brash report tipped to be toxic
Written By: - Date published: 11:19 am, November 26th, 2009 - 35 comments
Jenni McManus reports in The Independent [offline]: The first report from the 2025 Taskforce is due on Monday and the word is its recommendations are likely to be toxic to the Government. Taskforce chairman Don Brash this week refused to reveal what it contains but The Independent understands its recommendations are light years away from […]
Rolling maul of disasters
Written By: - Date published: 10:47 am, November 26th, 2009 - 28 comments
In case you’re just waking up to it, this government is a disaster zone. If it’s not one or the other of the support parties falling apart, it’s a corrupt minister. If it’s not either of those, it’s a minister behaving bizarrely or a shambolic attempt to pass an awful law over the head of […]
Maori Party meltdown
Written By: - Date published: 9:39 am, November 26th, 2009 - 12 comments
How long can the Maori Party survive before it collapses under the weight of its own contradictions? The idea of a single party to represent all Maori has always been a fallacy. When the Maori Party first appeared, I wished it well as a left-wing fellow traveller but since then, because of its impossible goal […]
Our word is our bond
Written By: - Date published: 8:30 am, November 26th, 2009 - 22 comments
Maori Party policy on the environment: We aspire to work together to make the economy great but not at the expense of our environment. Climate change affects us all and the biggest emitters must take responsibility to change the way they do business. Any cost they pass on to consumers must encourage environmentally responsible choices. […]
Open mike 26/11/09
Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, November 26th, 2009 - 37 comments
Topics of interest, announcements, general discussion. The usual rules apply (see the link to Policy in the banner). Step right up to the mike…
National / Maori ETS now law
Written By: - Date published: 7:31 pm, November 25th, 2009 - 32 comments
So, the National / Maori ETS is now law. Waiho mÄ te WhakamÄ e Patu. Shame on those who supported this appalling legislation and the anti-democratic process used to ram it in to law.
New Zealand Political Studies Association Annual Conference
Written By: - Date published: 6:03 pm, November 25th, 2009 - 1 comment
The New Zealand Political Studies Association is holding its Annual Conference from Nov 30 – 1 Dec in Auckland, hosted by the University of Auckland Political Studies Department. The conference will run five simultaneous streams presenting papers in the fields of: Political Theory, New Zealand and Comparative Politics, International Relations, Political Communications and Media, Public […]
As newspapers die, what comes next?
Written By: - Date published: 4:16 pm, November 25th, 2009 - 22 comments
The recession, combined with the long-term shift to internet-based media struck a king-hit to US newspapers over the last year. Circulation fell 10.9%. There is now just one newspaper produced per day for every ten Americans (produced, not sold, many are given away). In the UK, things were slightly better but the drop was still […]
Sharples and the Maori Party revolt
Written By: - Date published: 3:40 pm, November 25th, 2009 - 9 comments
Via Newsroom [offline], Pita Sharples has confirmed reports of an internal revolt within the Maori Party over its support for National’s ETS. The Maori Party will honour its deal to back National’s emissions trading scheme despite many in the party being opposed to much of the ETS bill, co-leader Pita Sharples has said in a […]
Education flaws: Just plain scary
Written By: - Date published: 3:06 pm, November 25th, 2009 - 24 comments
Primary school education has been the focus of debate here in NZ with the introduction of ‘national standards’. Today we hear on RNZ that: Four of the country’s top educational academics have condemned the Government’s national standards policy. In an open letter Education Minister Anne Tolley, four senior assessment academics say the brief time frame […]
Reminder – Drinking Liberally Auckland
Written By: - Date published: 2:19 pm, November 25th, 2009 - 5 comments
Just a reminder the next Auckland Drinking Liberally features Labour Party leader Phil Goff discussing his political values and the challenges facing the Sixth Labour Government. Should be interesting given his announcement on monetary policy last week. When: 7pm TONIGHT 25 November Where: THE LONDON BAR, upstairs cnr Queen and Wellesley Streets, Auckland CBD Who: […]
Thickest. Minister. Ever.
Written By: - Date published: 2:09 pm, November 25th, 2009 - 70 comments
So, imagine you’re the Minister for Education. You’re meeting with the PPTA executive, and sometime soon you’re expecting to announce big teacher layoffs. How do you handle the situation? How about reading the executive a children’s story book! This one should be good: “The Short and Incredibly Happy Life of Riley”. It’s a sweet little […]
Maori Party caucus divided on ETS?
Written By: - Date published: 1:00 pm, November 25th, 2009 - 12 comments
Maori Party whip Te Ururoa Flavell is doing what he can to play down internal divisions that suggested the party could vote against John Key’s Emissions Trading Scheme. But in light of the divisions that surfaced on stuff, one must wonder why the Maori Party on this crucial piece of legislation is only casting four […]
Rod Oram on ETS and Monetary Policy
Written By: - Date published: 12:15 pm, November 25th, 2009 - 5 comments
Rod Oram did a business segment on Nine to Noon yesterday. As usual he went quite deep into the issues. A welcome contrast to Colin Espiner and his very limited level of understanding (“they did it too”) on the complete change of direction in the short-sighted changes to the Emissions Trading Act being pushed through […]
Armstrong on Calamity Nick
Written By: - Date published: 11:59 am, November 25th, 2009 - 10 comments
Wrapped in a bit of fluff, John Armstrong has some pretty damning things to say about Nick Smith today: He can be headstrong. He can be unpredictable. He can sometimes be the veritable bull in the china shop. He is prone to saying the wrong thing at the wrong time. His cockiness can land him […]
ETS – last chance!
Written By: - Date published: 10:43 am, November 25th, 2009 - 40 comments
Breaking news. It seems that turmoil within the Maori Party may derail the ETS after all: EXCLUSIVE: An 11th hour revolt within the Maori Party is threatening to torpedo the Emissions Trading Scheme deal with the Key Government. Even if the revolt does not succeed – Environment Minister Nick Smith is hoping to secure passage […]
Employers ripping off job ops money
Written By: - Date published: 10:02 am, November 25th, 2009 - 3 comments
National has only come up with one employment policy to counter the recession. No, not the cycleway – ‘job ops‘. It works like this: employers get given $5,000 for employing a young person in an entry-level role. To qualify, the must be new and would not exist if the Job Ops subsidy was not available, […]
Who’s next?
Written By: - Date published: 9:04 am, November 25th, 2009 - 13 comments
I was watching that vid by the Greens on ACC and bikoi. What caught my attention was the bikers’ chant: “who’s next, who’s next?” The Right loves to atomise us – make us think of ourselves only as individuals or narrow interest groups. Our reaction to the bikers getting hammered with these unecessary ACC hikes […]
Key’s busy day
Written By: - Date published: 8:09 am, November 25th, 2009 - 14 comments
Ha! But seriously, I doubt that Key changes his own oil.
With friends like these…
Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, November 25th, 2009 - 2 comments
John ‘Mayor for Remuera’ Banks would’ve been gagging on his morning gruel after reading this headline on page two of Monday’s Herald: Jeers and boos greet Banks’ stand-in at debate. Ouch. Citrats councillor, and Don Brash/John Banks hagiographer, Paul Goldsmith turned up to a super-city conference to outline his party’s bleak view for services in […]
Open mike 25/11/09
Written By: - Date published: 5:58 am, November 25th, 2009 - 16 comments
Topics of interest, announcements, general discussion. The usual rules apply (see the link to Policy in the banner). Step right up to the mike…
Shane Jones on National’s ETS
Written By: - Date published: 5:20 pm, November 24th, 2009 - 12 comments
Not all ETSs are created equal
Written By: - Date published: 2:32 pm, November 24th, 2009 - 34 comments
On his blog, Colin Espiner writes: “it’s also extremely ironic to hear Labour wringing its hands about the impact of the ETS when…HELLO…Labour passed the Emissions Trading Scheme!!!” Oh dear. That’s like saying ‘Labour is opposed to National’s ACC policy but Labour had an ACC policy of its own, hello!!!’ Labour isn’t (and I really […]
CCDs. Worms perhaps?
Written By: - Date published: 2:15 pm, November 24th, 2009 - 73 comments
It has been fascinating over the last few days watching the CCDs (Climate Change Deniers) make an another attempt to scale the bastion of scientific thinking and language. In this case someone hacked a copy of decade of e-mails at the Climate Research Unit (CRU) at a insecure University of East Anglia webmail server. There […]
Gerrymandering Auckland city
Written By: - Date published: 1:00 pm, November 24th, 2009 - 11 comments
Due to recovering from a cold over the weekend, I haven’t had time to blog about the super-shitty electoral boundaries released on friday in traditional style. However jarbury has done a great analysis over at the Auckland Transport blog. If you look at the all-important councillors, the striking thing is the inequities of the voting […]
Lunch time quiz
Written By: - Date published: 12:05 pm, November 24th, 2009 - 8 comments
1) National MP Paul Quinn is under investigation for breaching the State Services Act and the neutrality of the public service by holding a political meeting in conjunction with a WINZ seminar. John Key is: a) relaxed b) comfortable c) on holiday d) not Helen Clark, at least 2) Key is not going to Copenhagen […]
Zero percent won’t pay the rent
Written By: - Date published: 11:04 am, November 24th, 2009 - 2 comments
If you can, get along to support the hospital support staff, the school support staff, and all the other low-paid public sector workers this Friday. (full size image here)
A plague on both your houses
Written By: - Date published: 10:15 am, November 24th, 2009 - 35 comments
So, as far as National and Maori leaders are concerned, it’s a done deal: “Maori Party to support ETS – bill to become law in days”. Unless (as suggested by Eddie) some Maori Party MPs remember their principles and vote against it, National’s ETS will be forced through parliament under urgency. NRT weighs in with […]
It’s not spin, the govt told me
Written By: - Date published: 9:18 am, November 24th, 2009 - Comments Off on It’s not spin, the govt told me
The Dompost reports: “The number of places available on a programme to get young people off the dole will be increased after the Government credited it with a drop in unemployment”. Sigh, it’s the seasons, stupid. There has been no drop in unemployment, that went up to 6.5% in the last stats. The number of […]
Harawira and Katene to cross the floor?
Written By: - Date published: 8:15 am, November 24th, 2009 - 14 comments
National wants to get its shambolic ETS through the House this week. It’s not quite clear what the hurry is; there’s no actual reason why it should be passed before the Copenhagen meeting in December, it’s just an artificial deadline that National have set themselves. We already know the ETS will cost taxpayers hundreds […]
- Join us at 5pm for 2024’s last Hoon
Photo by Mauricio Fanfa on UnsplashKia oraCome and join us for our weekly ‘Hoon’ webinar with paying subscribers to The Kākā for an hour at 5 pm today.Jump on this link on YouTube Livestream for our chat about the week’s news with myself , plus regular guests and , ...3 weeks ago - Christmas Gifts: Ageing Boomers, Laurie & Les, Talk Politics.
“Like you said, I’m an unreconstructed socialist. Everybody deserves to get something for Christmas.”“ONE OF THOSE had better be for me!” Hannah grinned, fascinated, as Laurie made his way, gingerly, to the bar, his arms full of gift-wrapped packages.“Of course!”, beamed Laurie. Depositing his armful on the bar-top and selecting ...3 weeks ago
- ‘Utterly heartbreaking’: Two children allegedly murdered in grim start to 2025
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The founder of Te Pāti Māori is being buried at her marae at Whangaehu. ...1 day ago
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- Cane toads on the barbie? How eating invasive species might help manage them
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Inland Revenue is changing the interest rates paid by and to taxpayers who over and underpay their tax. ...1 day ago
- ‘I don’t hold the hose, mate’: Australia’s political history is full of gaffes. Here are som...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Frank Bongiorno, Professor of History, ANU College of Arts and Social Sciences, Australian National University The Oxford English Dictionary defines a gaffe as a “blunder, an instance of clumsy stupidity, a ‘faux pas’.” It evokes a sense of triviality rather than high ...1 day ago
- Can apps and digital resources support your child with autism or ADHD? Here’s what to look for
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kelsie Boulton, Senior Research Fellow in Child Neurodevelopment, Brain and Mind Centre, University of Sydney Fabio Principe/Shutterstock Neurodevelopmental conditions such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and autism affect about one in ten children. These conditions impact development, behaviour and wellbeing. ...1 day ago
- Fully recovering Australia’s threatened species would cost 25% of GDP. We can’t do it all at onc...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By April Reside, Lecturer in Conservation, The University of Queensland An endangered golden-shouldered parrot Imogen Warren/Shutterstock Australia has already lost at least 100 species since European colonisation. Across land and freshwater habitats, 1,657 species are currently threatened with the same fate. Their populations ...1 day ago
- Wellington’s secondhand bookshops, ranked and reviewed
Summer reissue: Claire Mabey assesses the browsing merits of the capital’s secondhand bookstores. The Spinoff needs to double the number of paying members we have to continue telling these kinds of stories. Please read our open letter and sign up to be a member today. Secondhand bookstores are extremely dangerous ...1 day ago - It’s time for the Greens to grow up – Swarbrick
The Green Party has increasingly faced the probably unfair (at least inaccurate) criticism that it’s abandoned its raison d’être.During the 2024 adjournment debate, where Green Party co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick refused to stick with the convention of making niche political jokes and bad puns, Act leader David Seymour accused Swarbrick of ...1 day ago - Where is she now? Wendy Frew
The search for Wendy Frew takes you to Pine Crescent Park, Rosedale, in Invercargill. “Possibly windswept and interesting” to quote a Billy Connolly-ism.It’s a setting that nurtured a remarkable deep-south sporting family dynasty – one fit to rival the Bracewells of the North.Among the eight children of Karen and Colin ...1 day ago
- A plea for more politicians of conviction
Opinion: The sad passing of Dame Tariana Turia has rightly drawn attention to the value of politicians who have strong convictions which they pursue even when it is difficult to do so. Not all of the people who have expressed admiration for her were moved to that emotion when she ...1 day ago
- ‘The room went dead quiet’: Josh Thomson on his worst 7 Days moment
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- Final day for public feedback on Treaty Principles Bill
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- Dame Tariana Turia to be laid to rest today
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- How Wellington became a cornucopia of Malaysian food
Summer reissue: Our capital is a far cry from hot, bustling Kuala Lumpur, so why is this freezing city full of excellent Malaysian cuisine? My dad once told me that there are more Malaysian restaurants in Wellington per square kilometres than there are back in Malaysia. He was completely ...1 day ago
- Newsroom daily quiz, Tuesday 7 January
Loading…(function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){var ql=document.querySelectorAll('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, Tuesday 7 January appeared first on Newsroom. ...1 day ago
- Daily crossword, Tuesday 7 January
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Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rob Newton, Professor of Exercise Medicine, Edith Cowan University ZR10/Shutterstock Exercise training while wearing a weighted vest is undergoing somewhat of a renaissance. Social media posts and trainers are promoting them as a potential strategy for improving fitness and health. ...2 days ago
- Live: Hīkoi mō te Tiriti supporters invited to honour Dame Tariana Turia at tangi
The Prime Minister is visiting Whangaehu Marae to pay his respects. ...2 days ago
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Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Daniel Eldridge, Senior Lecturer in Chemistry, Swinburne University of Technology kamitana/Shutterstock It’s summertime, and for many of us that means plenty of time outside – and, unfortunately, mosquitoes. The combination of the increase in temperature and plenty of water is ideal ...2 days ago
- Even calm people can fly into a rage behind the wheel. Here’s how to curb your road rage – befor...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Milad Haghani, Senior Lecturer of Urban Risk & Resilience, UNSW Sydney Marian Weyo/Shutterstock If someone bumps into us on the footpath or in the mall, we’re generally quite forgiving. We instinctively apologise or step aside, and usually don’t scream at, stalk, ...2 days ago
- Relentless warming is driving the water cycle to new extremes, the 2024 global water report shows
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Albert Van Dijk, Professor, Water and Landscape Dynamics, Fenner School of Environment & Society, Australian National University EPA/MIGUEL ANGEL POLO Last year, Earth experienced its hottest year on record − for the fourth year in a row. Rising temperatures are changing ...2 days ago
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Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rupert Sutherland, Professor of tectonics and geophysics, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington Office of Ocean Exploration and Research/NOAA, CC BY-SA Continents and oceans have scientific definitions that underpin international law. The idea of dividing the world into geographical ...2 days ago
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Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Nisa Salim, Senior Lecturer at the School of Engineering, Swinburne University of Technology Dasha Petrenko/Shutterstock The Bureau of Meteorology has warned Australia is facing one of the hottest summers on record. As the weather warms, many of us reach for light-coloured ...2 days ago
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Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Gamze Koseoglu, Senior Lecturer, The University of Melbourne fizkes/Shutterstock Have you ever kept a brilliant idea to yourself, fearing your boss’s reaction? This hesitation is more common than you might think, especially when working under perfectionist leaders. Some of the most ...2 days ago
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- Why you should treat workplace friendships like your diet – aim for balance and variety
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stefan Korber, Senior Lecturer in Innovation and Entrepreneurship, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau Getty Images The list of organisations abandoning the option of fully remote work for employees has grown recently, with the likes of Amazon, IBM, JPMorgan and Meta ...2 days ago
- Sunglasses reflect more than the light: a brief history of shades, from Ancient Rome to Hollywood
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Margaret Maynard, Associate Professor, School of Communication and the Arts, The University of Queensland State Library Victoria Sunglasses, or dark glasses, have always guarded against strong sunlight, but is there more to “shades” than we think? The pupils of our ...2 days ago
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- Stanford braces herself for a year of cuts – and reform
“Next year is going to be a tough year for me, because I’m going to have to make some very, very difficult decisions,” Education Minister Erica Stanford says.That means cuts. Or at least replacements.“This is the problem in education: we never stop doing things.”This leads to a disjointed system, where ...2 days ago
- Protecting our democracy by reforming Parliament
Opinion: Aotearoa New Zealand currently exists in an unstable world. Democracies are under challenge across the globe, and we are not immune.As the inhabitants of one of the world’s oldest democracies, New Zealanders are accustomed to electing their Members of Parliament every three years and we value the importance of ...2 days ago
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