Archive for June, 2010
Assets the big issue for 2011
Written By: - Date published: 12:07 am, June 22nd, 2010 - 15 comments
The post-Budget bump for National in the Roy Morgan polls was there but was small and it’s already evaporating. Fundamentally, National’s policies just aren’t popular,as the poll showing 80% opposition to asset sales proves. National is still pursuing privatisation by stealth (whanua ora, PEDA, water etc), giving the Left an opportunity make public assets the big issue of 2011.
The more things change
Written By: - Date published: 6:32 pm, June 21st, 2010 - 33 comments
Colin Espiner says MP’s shouldn’t protest but then gets some basic facts wrong trying to show why.
I guess he’s made a point. But not the one he meant to…
Latest polls
Written By: - Date published: 4:53 pm, June 21st, 2010 - 38 comments
Two polls: Roy Morgan who say “The latest New Zealand Roy Morgan Poll shows support for John Key’s National-led Government has weakened to 55.5% (down 2%)” and TV3 “National are up 3.2 percent to 55.3 percent, Labour are down 3.3 percent to 30.5 percent and the Greens are down to 7.7 percent.” Wish I was a pollster…
Uranium on the breeze
Written By: - Date published: 4:45 pm, June 21st, 2010 - 30 comments
The Environmental Risk Management Authority has given approval for shipments of uranium to pass through New Zealand on the way to the United States. This seems to violate the principles of the New Zealand Nuclear Free Zone, Disarmament, and Arms Control Act 1987.
Money for tax cuts for rich, none for doctors’ pay
Written By: - Date published: 12:22 pm, June 21st, 2010 - 9 comments
Tony Ryall, like Anne Tolley, is facing a big fight over wages. The health budget is chock-full of cuts as it is and Ryall says there simply isn’t any money to give doctors pay rises as they and other workers face nearly 6% inflation next year. The government can find billions for tax cuts for the rich but not to pay doctors and teachers. Priorities.
Groser and McCully’s booze breaches the rules
Written By: - Date published: 11:04 am, June 21st, 2010 - 31 comments
Tim Groser and Murray McCully charged thousands of dollars to his ministerial credit card when it’s clearly against the rules on Travel, Accommodation, Attendance, and Communication Services Available to Members of the Executive: 2. Examples of goods and services that will generally not be paid for:… (i) Alcohol unless it relates to a portfolio/ministerial function. They’ve got to go.
Speculators – Our Evil Overlords
Written By: - Date published: 9:49 am, June 21st, 2010 - 44 comments
Many think that Capitalism has been corrupted, socialised. It hasn’t – it’s been purified. We used to have capitalists that produced things; they weren’t the worker’s friend, but they did actually serve a purpose, setting up factories, providing the machinery for workers to use. But now we have a new class of capitalist that doesn’t […]
Open mike 21/06/2010
Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, June 21st, 2010 - 47 comments
Open mike is your post. It’s open for discussing topics of interest, making announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. Comment on whatever takes your fancy. The usual good behaviour rules apply (see the link to Policy in the banner). Step right up to the mike…
English misleads on PEDA money
Written By: - Date published: 1:00 am, June 21st, 2010 - 31 comments
Georgina Te Heuheu and Bill English have been saying the money allocated in the Budget to PEDA might go to some other organisation. That would be a huge abuse of the Budget process, whereby the Government asks Parliament for permission to spend money on specific activities. Of course, really the Nats are just trying to muddy the water as questions on PEDA continue.
All Whites game 2
Written By: - Date published: 9:49 pm, June 20th, 2010 - 27 comments
No, I’m not staying up for it. Have fun, those of you who do! Guess I’ll be kicking myself if the All Whites pull off a miracle…
Chinese democracy
Written By: - Date published: 1:41 pm, June 20th, 2010 - 142 comments
According to Chinese State media. The Key government has secretly apologised to the Chinese dictatorship for allowing Russel Norman to protest new vice-dictator Xi Jinping. Since when was a peaceful protest something we apologise for? No apology from the Chinese appears to have been sought or recieved. Shameful, corwardly behaviour from our kowtowing government. [Update. The Herald reports our PM personally called the Chinese to apologise. Jaw-dropping]
Heroes
Written By: - Date published: 11:03 am, June 20th, 2010 - 9 comments
Good interview on RNZ this morning with the author of a book on the early life of Nelson Mandela. Reminded me that I have been meaning for a while now to try a Sunday occasional post series on heroes. Heroes, past and present, of democracy, the labour movement, or the environment.
Open mike 20/06/2010
Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, June 20th, 2010 - 52 comments
Open mike is your post. It’s open for discussing topics of interest, making announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. Comment on whatever takes your fancy. The usual good behaviour rules apply (see the link to Policy in the banner). Step right up to the mike…
Do we now kowtow?
Written By: - Date published: 2:09 pm, June 19th, 2010 - 49 comments
The police won’t lay charges against the security guard who assaulted Russel Norman. Fair enough I guess. They’re out of here today. Probably too minor to justify a prosecution. That doesn’t make what happened OK. A thug for a foreign power violated the rights of one of our MPs on the grounds of our Parliament. A display of contempt for our sovereignty. And our democracy.
Numbers I pulled out of my arse show Brown unhurt by Nat smears
Written By: - Date published: 1:40 pm, June 19th, 2010 - 24 comments
My new poll shows Len Brown will get 90% of the vote. Even though the survey is unscientific and consisted of a self-selected group most of whom think like me, it provides an interesting take on the two weeks of intense political and media scrutiny of Mr Brown’s credit card expenses.
The harsh reality of climate change
Written By: - Date published: 11:45 am, June 19th, 2010 - 1,346 comments
The most comprehensive collection and analysis of global temperature trends comes from NOAA.Their global temperatures report for May 2010 makes sobering reading. Since 1880, the globally hottest 10 years have happened in the last 15 years. It looks like 2010 will beat the previous hottest year in 2005, and we’re still at the least energetic part of the sunspot cycle.
After the goldrush
Written By: - Date published: 11:11 am, June 19th, 2010 - 3 comments
“After the goldrush†Oil painting and words – Chuck Joseph 2010
When the circus left town, we had a parade,
the band played on and floats were made.
I looked sideways as they passed,…
School boards revolt
Written By: - Date published: 10:20 am, June 19th, 2010 - 14 comments
Several schools have spoken out against the imposition of national standards, and three have gone so far as to completely refuse to cooperate. This creates a dilemma for the Nats. How will they respond? Not, I hope, by following one moronic suggestion to cut funding to schools
Open mike 19/06/2010
Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, June 19th, 2010 - 15 comments
Open mike is your post. It’s open for discussing topics of interest, making announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. Comment on whatever takes your fancy. The usual good behaviour rules apply (see the link to Policy in the banner). Step right up to the mike…
The Right and the foreshore and seabed deal
Written By: - Date published: 1:33 am, June 19th, 2010 - 14 comments
We know that the foreshore and seabed deal does not do what the Maori Party was established to achieve but, almost paradoxically, it gives iwi the veto and mineral rights that will be seen by businesses wanting to undertake activities like aquaculture, tourism, and undersea mining as imposing an unknown and possibly very large tax from an unaccountable power.
Chinese security attack MP
Written By: - Date published: 1:22 pm, June 18th, 2010 - 162 comments
A security guard for Chinese Vice-President Xi Jinping attacked Green MP Russel Norman today while Norman was protesting at the Chinese delegation’s arrival, and holding a Tibetan flag. Our Government needs to make a formal protest to China over this incident.
PEDA divisions in government
Written By: - Date published: 12:51 pm, June 18th, 2010 - 15 comments
Someone has been trying to shut down investigations into the PEDA slush fund. But the damage is already done, Nats are abandoning the sinking ship. Bill English is first overboard, leaving Gerogina te Heuheu stranded.
Herald’s Brown smears fail to stick
Written By: - Date published: 12:27 pm, June 18th, 2010 - 27 comments
The Herald will be disappointed. Over the last two weeks it has been a willing soldier in John Bank’s smear campaign against Len Brown. It’s a desperate last ditch strategy by the right as it faces defeat. And it’s not working. Even the Herald’s on online poll still has Brown beating Banks.
Let’s not rush things
Written By: - Date published: 11:01 am, June 18th, 2010 - 7 comments
President Obama has just come out and said the US and the world needs to get off its oil addiction. But, just as we’ve been talking about climate change for nearly two centuries, before it was even a problem, and done nothing about it, Presidents have been declaring its time to end the oil age for 40 years and nothing has changed. Why can’t we get serious about saving ourselves?
A well-earned punishment
Written By: - Date published: 9:30 am, June 18th, 2010 - 44 comments
Speaker Lockwood Smith has removed 22 free carparks at Parliament from TV One and TV3 as punishment for their disgraceful behaviour in chasing Chris Carter around the House the other day. Good. There are a few, non-onerous, rules about where and when the media can go and take its cameras. They completely ignored those rules for the sake of tabloid journalism.
Open mike 18/06/2010
Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, June 18th, 2010 - 30 comments
Open mike is your post. It’s open for discussing topics of interest, making announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. Comment on whatever takes your fancy. The usual good behaviour rules apply (see the link to Policy in the banner). Step right up to the mike…
Solid Energy on the block?
Written By: - Date published: 12:48 am, June 18th, 2010 - 34 comments
Solid Energy chairman John Palmer has suggested that a partial sale of the SOE could be on the cards. John Key has backed down on every time when he has been challenged on whether he would ever sell a specific asset. We now have permanent promises that Kiwibank and NZPost will never be sold, in full or in part. Someone should ask him if he’s ever going to sell Solid Energy.
Whistleblowers
Written By: - Date published: 3:02 pm, June 17th, 2010 - 37 comments
Currently the “hunt” is on for whistleblowers in cases both within NZ, and internationally. When a whistleblower takes on a big organisation over a matter of genuine public significance they are taking a risk, in some cases a huge risk. Let’s hope that there will always be people who are brave enough to make sure that we the people know the truth.
Ratepayers face $120K bill for Banks hagiography
Written By: - Date published: 1:48 pm, June 17th, 2010 - 22 comments
So, you’re the mayor of a council with nearly a billion dollars of debt. Your council is about to be abolished and you’re running to be the mayor of the new supercity. Your attack dogs are fixed on your opponent, who has been beating you hands-down in the race. Now what? How about getting your soon-to-be former council pay $120,000 for a book saying how great you are?
Who is JR?
Written By: - Date published: 12:30 pm, June 17th, 2010 - 53 comments
More information is emerging about PEDA director Anthony Joseph Pereira (aka. JR Pereira). His connections with National, especially English, are deep and go back to before the last election. The Ministry of Pacific Island Affairs warned of “risks for ministers” in dealing with PEDA. The government’s refusal to give straight answers is just making the situation worse.
The golden curse
Written By: - Date published: 10:05 am, June 17th, 2010 - 15 comments
You know, if we don’t give those mining companies some more free seismic data, rent-free access to our most precious natural environments, and only demand low royalties when they dig up our minerals, we’ll lose them to the lucky country. That’s right, Afghanistan. It’s sitting, quite literally, on a gold mine and it makes ours look like small change.
- Skeptical Science New Research for Week #15 2025
Open access notables Global and regional drivers for exceptional climate extremes in 2023-2024: beyond the new normal, Minobe et al., npj Climate and Atmospheric Science: Climate records have been broken with alarming regularity in recent years, but the events of 2023–2024 were exceptional even when accounting for recent climatic trends. ...2 weeks ago - The US harms its image in the Pacific with aid cuts and tariffs
USAID cuts and tariffs will harm the United States’ reputation in the Pacific more than they will harm the region itself. The resilient region will adjust to the economic challenges and other partners will fill ...2 weeks ago - Good fucking riddance
National's racist and divisive Treaty Principles Bill was just voted down by the House, 112 to 11. Good fucking riddance. The bill was not a good-faith effort at legislating, or at starting a "constitutional conversation". Instead it was a bad faith attempt to stoke division and incite racial hatred - ...2 weeks ago - Join us at 5pm for this week’s Hoon
Photo by Beth Macdonald 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 with myself, and regular guests climate correspondent and on climate ...2 weeks ago - The threat spectrum
Democracy watch Indonesia’s parliament passed revisions to the country’s military law, which pro-democracy and human rights groups view as a threat to the country’s democracy. One of the revisions seeks to expand the number of ...2 weeks ago
- Australia needs a civilian cyber reserve. State emergency services are the model
Australia should follow international examples and develop a civilian cyber reserve as part of a whole-of-society approach to national defence. By setting up such a reserve, the federal government can overcome a shortage of expertise ...2 weeks ago
- Drawn
A ballot for three Member's Bills was held today, and the following bills were drawn: Life Jackets for Children and Young Persons Bill (Cameron Brewer) Sale and Supply of Alcohol (Restrictions on Issue of Off-Licences and Low and No Alcohol Products) Amendment Bill (Mike Butterick) Crown ...2 weeks ago
- Thursday 10 April
Te Whatu Ora is proposing to slash jobs from a department that brings in millions of dollars a year and ensures safety in hospitals, rest homes and other community health providers. The Treaty Principles Bill is back in Parliament this evening and is expected to be voted down by all parties, ...2 weeks ago - Paying For Small Indignities
Hi,The piece I wrote last week about the chances of being rounded up and evicted (and/or detained) by the United States seems more… pressing.To be clear: antisemitism is fucking horrible — and in that same breath I also wonder what today’s statement from The Department of Homeland security means for ...2 weeks ago - Joint naval exercises with Russia undermine Indonesia’s commitment to international law
Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto has repeatedly asserted the country’s commitment to a non-aligned foreign policy. But can Indonesia still credibly claim neutrality while tacitly engaging with Russia? Holding an unprecedented bilateral naval drills with Moscow ...2 weeks ago
- Wednesday 9 April
The NZCTU have launched a new policy programme and are calling on political parties to adopt bold policies in the lead up to the next election. The Government is scrapping the 30-day rule that automatically signs an employee up to the collective agreement when they sign on to a new ...2 weeks ago
- Anticipating what Trump wants: Taiwan puts money in America first
Taiwan’s President Lai Ching-te must have been on his toes. The island’s trade and defence policy has snapped into a new direction since US President Donald Trump took office in January. The government was almost ...2 weeks ago
- Auckland’s Big Easter Rail Shutdown
Auckland’s ongoing rail pain will intensify again from this weekend as Kiwirail shut down the network for two weeks as part of their push to get the network ready for the City Rail Link. KiwiRail will progress upgrade and renewal projects across Auckland’s rail network over the Easter holiday period ...2 weeks ago - Renewables allow us to pay less, not twice
This is a re-post from The Electrotech Revolution by Daan Walter Last week, UK Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch took the stage to advocate for slowing the rollout of renewables, arguing that they ultimately lead to higher costs: “Huge amounts are being spent on switching round how we distribute electricity ...2 weeks ago
- Refusing to Disappear
That there, that's not meI go where I pleaseI walk through wallsI float down the LiffeyI'm not hereThis isn't happeningI'm not hereI'm not hereSongwriters: Philip James Selway / Jonathan Richard Guy Greenwood / Edward John O'Brien / Thomas Edward Yorke / Colin Charles Greenwood.I had mixed views when the first ...2 weeks ago - Bernard’s Dawn Chorus & Pick ‘n’ Mix Six
(A note to subscribers: I’m going to keep these daily curated news updates shorter in future to ensure an earlier and more regular delivery. Expect this format and delivery around 7 am Monday to Friday from now on. My apologies for not delivering yesterday. There was too much news… This ...2 weeks ago - Gordon Campbell On Marketing The Military Threat Posed By China
As Donald Trump zigs and zags on tariffs and trashes America’s reputation as a safe and stable place to invest, China has a big gun that it could bring to this tariff knife fight. Behind Japan, China has the world’s second largest holdings of American debt. As a huge US ...2 weeks ago - Seabed sensors and mapping: what China’s survey ship could be up to
Civilian exploration may be the official mission of a Chinese deep-sea research ship that sailed clockwise around Australia over the past week and is now loitering west of the continent. But maybe it’s also attending ...2 weeks ago
- South Korea must move beyond partisan division to tackle security threats
South Korea’s internal political instability leaves it vulnerable to rising security threats including North Korea’s military alliance with Russia, China’s growing regional influence and the United States’ unpredictability under President Donald Trump. South Korea needs ...2 weeks ago
- Billionaire Bust-Ups
Here are 5 updates that you may be interested in today:Speed kills and costs - so why does National want more of it?James (Jim) Grenon Board Takeover Gets Shaky - As Canadian Calls An Australian Shareholder a “Flake” Billionaire Bust-ups -The World’s Richest Men Are UncomfortableOver 3,500 Australian doctors on ...2 weeks ago - Member’s Day
Today is a Member's Day, and its all first readings. First up is Laura McClure's Employment Relations (Termination of Employment by Agreement) Amendment Bill, followed by Carl Bates' Juries (Age of Excusal) Amendment Bill, Adrian Rurawhe's Employment Relations (Collective Agreements in Triangular Relationships) Amendment Bill and then Kieran McAnulty's Sale ...2 weeks ago
- Australia’s cyber strategy needs a vulnerability disclosure upgrade
Australia is in a race against time. Cyber adversaries are exploiting vulnerabilities faster than we can identify and patch them. Both national security and economic considerations demand policy action. According to IBM’s Data Breach Report, ...2 weeks ago
- The Comparative Notebook on Trump’s Tariffs.
The ever brilliant Kate Nicholls has kindly agreed to allow me to re-publish her substack offering some under-examined backdrop to Trump’s tariff madness. The essay is not meant to be a full scholarly article but instead an insight into the thinking (if that is the correct word) behind the current ...2 weeks ago - Humanitarian assistance in the Pacific should be led by Pacific countries
In the Pacific, the rush among partner countries to be seen as the first to assist after disasters has become heated as part of ongoing geopolitical contest. As partners compete for strategic influence in the ...2 weeks ago
- Tariff madness and monetary policy
We’ve seen this morning the latest step up in the Trump-initiated trade war, with the additional 50 per cent tariffs imposed on imports from China. If the tariff madness persists – but in fact even if were wound back in some places (eg some of the particularly absurd tariffs on ...2 weeks ago - Weak
Weak as I am, no tears for youWeak as I am, no tears for youDeep as I am, I'm no one's foolWeak as I amSongwriters: Deborah Ann Dyer / Richard Keith Lewis / Martin Ivor Kent / Robert Arnold FranceMorena. 🙂This morning, I couldn’t settle on a single topic. Too ...2 weeks ago - Getting Cross with AT’s awful last minute re-designs of Project K
A few weeks ago, I wrote a post extensively detailing the scandal of what happened with the Upper Mercury Lane part of the Karanga-a-Hape Station precinct integration project (also known by its cool title, Project K). It was a prime example of Auckland Transport’s habitual failure to follow through on ...2 weeks ago
- Climate risks to security in the Indo-Pacific: Indonesia in 2035
Australian policy makers are vastly underestimating how climate change will disrupt national security and regional stability across the Indo-Pacific. A new ASPI report assesses the ways climate impacts could threaten Indonesia’s economic and security interests ...2 weeks ago
- Brace position
So here we are in London again because we’re now at the do-it-while-you-still-can stage of life. More warm wide-armed hugs, more long talks and long walks and drinks in lovely old pubs with our lovely daughter.And meanwhile the world is once more in one of its assume-the-brace-position stages.We turned on ...2 weeks ago - To Dire Wolf Or Not To Dire Wolf?
Hi,Back in September of 2023, I got pitched an interview:David -Thanks for the quick response to the DM! Means the world. Re-stating some of the DM below for your team’s reference -I run a business called Animal Capital - we are a venture capital fund advised by Noah Beck, Paris ...2 weeks ago - A Bit Of Nuance Would Be Nice: Some Thoughts on the Trump Tariffs
I didn’t want to write about this – but, alas, the 2020s have forced my hand. I am going to talk about the Trump Tariffs… and in the process probably irritate nearly everyone. You see, alone on the Internet, I am one of those people who think we need a ...2 weeks ago - No, it’s not new. Russia and China have been best buddies for decades
Maybe people are only just beginning to notice the close alignment of Russia and China. It’s discussed as a sudden new phenomenon in world affairs, but in fact it’s not new at all. The two ...2 weeks ago
- The dishonest crown
The High Court has just ruled that the government has been violating one of the oldest Treaty settlements, the Sealord deal: The High Court has found the Crown has breached one of New Zealand's oldest Treaty Settlements by appropriating Māori fishing quota without compensation. It relates to the 1992 ...2 weeks ago
- Middle Arm project: the infrastructure enabler for Northern Territory development
Darwin’s proposed Middle Arm Sustainable Development Precinct is set to be the heart of a new integrated infrastructure network in the Northern Territory, larger and better than what currently exists in northern Australia. However, the ...2 weeks ago
- Grooming us for identity theft
2 weeks ago
- As tensions grow, an Australian AI safety institute is a no-brainer
Australia needs to deliver its commitment under the Seoul Declaration to create an Australian AI safety, or security, institute. Australia is the only signatory to the declaration that has yet to meet its commitments. Given ...2 weeks ago
- Hine Ruhi (Slice Of Heaven)
Ko kōpū ka rere i te paeMe ko Hine RuhiTīaho mai tō arohaMe ko Hine RuhiDa da da ba du da da ba du da da da ba du da da da da da daDa da da ba du da da ba du da da da ba du da da ...2 weeks ago - ‘We can afford more drones, but not more homes’
Army, Navy and AirForce personnel in ceremonial dress: an ongoing staffing exodus means we may get more ships, drones and planes but not have enough ‘boots on the ground’ to use them. Photo: Lynn GrievesonLong stories short in Aotearoa’s political economy this morning: PM Christopher Luxon says the Government can ...2 weeks ago - Oliver’s struggle: a case study in the frustration of trying to join the ADF
If you’re a qualified individual looking to join the Australian Army, prepare for a world of frustration over the next 12 to 18 months. While thorough vetting is essential, the inefficiency of the Australian Defence ...2 weeks ago
- NZD Freefall, Winston Peters Linked To Green Party Attack Ads & More
I’ve inserted a tidbit and rumours section1. Colonoscopy wait times increase, procedures drop under NationalWait times for urgent, non-urgent and surveillance colonoscopies all progressively worsened last year. Health NZ data shows the total number of publicly-funded colonoscopies dropped by more than 7 percent.Health NZ chief medical officer Helen Stokes-Lampard blamed ...2 weeks ago - Tuesday 8 April
Three billion dollars has been wiped off the value of New Zealand’s share market as the rout of global financial markets caught up with the local market. A Sāmoan national has been sentenced for migrant exploitation and corruption following a five-year investigation that highlights the serious consequences of immigration fraud ...2 weeks ago
- Wherefore now with Kiwirail
This is a guest post by Darren Davis. It originally appeared on his excellent blog, Adventures in Transitland, which we encourage you to check out. It is shared by kind permission. Rail Network Investment Plan quietly dropped While much media attention focused on the 31st March 2025 announcement that the replacement Cook ...2 weeks ago
- More unneeded officers, more military influence. Indonesia’s law revision is a mistake
Amendments to Indonesia’s military law risk undermining civilian supremacy and the country’s defence capabilities. Passed by the House of Representatives on 20 March, the main changes include raising the retirement age and allowing military officers ...2 weeks ago
- Gordon Campbell On Peter Dutton’s Fading Election Prospects.
So New Zealand is about to spend $12 billion on our defence forces over the next four years – with $9 million of it being new money that is not being spent on pressing needs here at home. Somehow this lavish spend-up on Defence is “affordable,” says PM Christopher Luxon, ...2 weeks ago
- A letter to America from an appreciative ally
Donald Trump’s philosophy about the United States’ place in the world is historically selfish and will impoverish his country’s spirit. While he claimed last week to be ‘liberating’ Americans from the exploiters and freeloaders who’ve ...2 weeks ago
- Myanmar’s scam centres demand ASEAN-Australia collaboration
China’s crackdown on cyber-scam centres on the Thailand-Myanmar border may cause a shift away from Mandarin, towards English-speaking victims. Scammers also used the 28 March earthquake to scam international victims. Australia, with its proven capabilities ...2 weeks ago
- The return of dirty politics
At the 2005 election campaign, the National Party colluded with a weirdo cult, the Exclusive Brethren, to run a secret hate campaign against the Greens. It was the first really big example of the rich using dark money to interfere in our democracy. And unfortunately, it seems that they're trying ...2 weeks ago
- Our MOOC Denial101x has run its course
Many of you will know that in collaboration with the University of Queensland we created and ran the massive open online course (MOOC) "Denial101x - Making sense of climate science denial" on the edX platform. Within nine years - between April 2015 and February 2024 - we offered 15 runs ...2 weeks ago
- In trade, nothing can replace the US consumer. Still, Asian countries look to each other
How will the US assault on trade affect geopolitical relations within Asia? Will nations turn to China and seek protection by trading with each other? The happy snaps a week ago of the trade ministers ...2 weeks ago
- Why Did Police Clear Brian Tamaki Of All Charges?
I mentioned this on Friday - but thought it deserved some emphasis.Auckland Waitematā District Commander Superintendent Naila Hassan has responded to Countering Hate Speech Aotearoa, saying police have cleared Brian Tamaki of all incitement charges relating to the Te Atatu library rainbow event assault.Hassan writes:..There is currently insufficient evidence to ...2 weeks ago - Reviewing the intelligence reviews (so far)
With the report of the recent intelligence review by Heather Smith and Richard Maude finally released, critics could look on and wonder: why all the fuss? After all, while the list of recommendations is substantial, ...2 weeks ago
- Healthy Beginnings, Hopeful Futures
Well, I don't know if I'm readyTo be the man I have to beI'll take a breath, I'll take her by my sideWe stand in awe, we've created lifeWith arms wide open under the sunlightWelcome to this place, I'll show you everythingSongwriters: Scott A. Stapp / Mark T. Tremonti.Today is ...2 weeks ago - Monday 7 April
Staff at Kāinga Ora are expecting details of another round of job cuts, with the Green Party claiming more than 500 jobs are set to go. The New Zealand Defence Force has made it easier for people to apply for a job in a bid to get more boots on ...2 weeks ago
- Australia’s food security needs national-security frameworks
Australia’s agriculture sector and food system have prospered under a global rules-based system influenced by Western liberal values. But the assumptions, policy approaches and economic frameworks that have traditionally supported Australia’s food security are no ...2 weeks ago
- Trump just detonated a neutron bomb under the global economy, but NZ could win
Following Trump’s tariff announcement, US stock values fell by the most ever in value terms (US$6.6 trillion). Photo: Getty ImagesLong story shortest in Aotearoa’s political economy this morning: Donald Trump just detonated a neutron bomb under the globalised economy, but this time the Fed isn’t cutting interest rates to rescue ...2 weeks ago - 2025 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #14
A listing of 36 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, March 30, 2025 thru Sat, April 5, 2025. This week's roundup is again published by category and sorted by number of articles included in each. The formatting is a ...3 weeks ago
- Trump’s Secret Sauce Spills Over
This is a longer read.Summary:Trump’s tariffs are reckless, disastrous and hurt the poorest countries deeply. It will stoke inflation, and may cause another recession. Funds/investments around the world have tanked.Trump’s actions emulate the anti-economic logic of another right wing libertarian politician - Liz Truss. She had her political career cut ...3 weeks ago - Wouldn’t really go that far
We are all suckers for hope.He’s just being provocative, people will say, he wouldn’t really go that far. They wouldn’t really go that far.Germany in the 1920s and 30s was one of the world’s most educated, culturally sophisticated, and scientifically advanced societies.It had a strong democratic constitution with extensive civil ...3 weeks ago - Fact brief – Is Mars warming?
Skeptical Science is partnering with Gigafact to produce fact briefs — bite-sized fact checks of trending claims. You can submit claims you think need checking via the tipline. Is Mars warming? Mars’ climate varies due to completely different reasons than Earth’s, and available data indicates no temperature trends comparable to Earth’s ...3 weeks ago
- Maxing out – next steps for progressives
Max Harris and Max Rashbrooke discuss how we turn around the right wing slogans like nanny state, woke identity politics, and the inefficiency of the public sector – and how we build a progressive agenda. From Donald Trump to David Seymour, from Peter Dutton to Christopher Luxon, we are subject to a ...3 weeks ago - Maxing out – next steps for progressives
Max Harris and Max Rashbrooke discuss how we turn around the right wing slogans like nanny state, woke identity politics, and the inefficiency of the public sector – and how we build a progressive agenda. From Donald Trump to David Seymour, from Peter Dutton to Christopher Luxon, we are subject to a ...3 weeks ago
- FACT CHECKING DAVID SEYMOUR
I was interested in David Seymour's public presentation of the Justice Select Committee's report after the submissions to the Treaty Principles Bill.I noted the arguments he presented and fact checked him. I welcome corrections and additions to what I have written but want to keep the responses concise.The Treaty of ...3 weeks ago - It’s All Over Now
Well, he runs around with every racist in townHe spent all our money playing his pointless gameHe put us out; it was awful how he triedTables turn, and now his turn to cryWith apologies to writers Bobby Womack and Shirley Womack.Eight per cent, asshole, that’s all you got.Smiling?Let me re-phrase…Eight ...3 weeks ago - Bernard’s Pick ‘n’ Mix on Saturday, April 5
In short this morning in our political economy:The S&P 500 fell another 5.6% this morning after China retaliated with tariffs of 34% on all US imports, and the Fed warned of stagflation without rate cut relief.Delays for heart surgeries and scans are costing lives, specialists have told Stuff’s Nicholas Jones.Meanwhile, ...3 weeks ago - Unlike China’s flotilla, the Great White Fleet came in friendship
When the US Navy’s Great White Fleet sailed into Sydney Harbour in 1908, it was an unmistakeable signal of imperial might, a flexing of America’s newfound naval muscle. More than a century later, the Chinese ...3 weeks ago
- Resource Management and Property Rights
While there have been decades of complaints – from all sides – about the workings of the Resource Management Act (RMA), replacing is proving difficult. The Coalition Government is making another attempt.To help answer the question, I am going to use the economic lens of the Coase Theorem, set out ...3 weeks ago - Bookshelf: the evolution and future of amphibious warfare
2027 may still not be the year of war it’s been prophesised as, but we only have two years left to prepare. Regardless, any war this decade in the Indo-Pacific will be fought with the ...3 weeks ago
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When the Parliament Bill Committee rejected calls for Parliamentary agencies to be subject to the Official Information Act last month, their excuse was interesting: Parliament didn't need the transparency of the OIA because it already had its own transparency regime! Which came as rather a surprise to everyone working in ...3 weeks ago
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Australia must do more to empower communities of colour in its response to climate change. In late February, the Multicultural Leadership Initiative hosted its Our Common Future summits in Sydney and Melbourne. These summits focused ...3 weeks ago
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Questions 1. In his godawful decree, what tariff rate was imposed by Trump upon the EU?a. 10% same as New Zealandb. 20%, along with a sneer about themc. 40%, along with an outright lie about France d. 69% except for the town Melania comes from2. The justice select committee has ...3 weeks ago - The ideology of grovelling to Trump
Yesterday the Trump regime in America began a global trade war, imposing punitive tariffs in an effort to extort political and economic concessions from other countries and US companies and constituencies. Trump's tariffs will make kiwis nearly a billion dollars poorer every year, but Luxon has decided to do nothing ...3 weeks ago
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Here’s 7 updates from this morning’s news:90% of submissions opposed the TPBNZ’s EV market tanked by Coalition policies, down ~70% year on yearTrump showFossil fuel money driving conservative policiesSimeon Brown won’t say that abortion is healthcarePhil Goff stands by comments and makes a case for speaking upBrian Tamaki cleared of ...3 weeks ago - Thanks, Folks: Mountain Tūī Hits A Milesone
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Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Craig Barker, Head, Public Engagement, Chau Chak Wing Museum, University of Sydney Sony Music The 1972 concert film Pink Floyd Live at Pompeii, back in cinemas this week, remains one of the most unique concert documentaries ever recorded by a rock ...1 day ago - Gambling in Australia: how bad is the problem, who gets harmed most and where may we be heading?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alex Russell, Principal Research Fellow, CQUniversity Australia Mick Tsikas/AAP, Joel Carret/AAP, Darren England/AAP, Ihor Koptilin/Shutterstock, The Conversation, CC BY Gambling prevalence studies provide a snapshot of gambling behaviour, problems and harm in our communities. They are typically conducted about every five ...1 day ago
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Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alexander Gillespie, Professor of Law, University of Waikato Fiona Goodall/Getty Images Following some very public protests, including Victoria Cross recipient Willie Apiata handing back his medal, the government’s announcement of an expanded official definition of the term “veteran” brings some good ...1 day ago
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The prime minister says New Zealand would need to see a ceasefire in Ukraine before deciding whether to take part in peacekeeping arrangements. ...1 day ago - Court case against big NZ polluters remains focused after ruling
Iwi leader Mike Smith is hailing the High Court's refusal to expand his "internationally significant" case against big New Zealand polluters to thousands of other companies as a victory. ...1 day ago
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MP Ibrahim Omer lived in the old Arlington flats; he welcomes progress on the stalled development, but worries about the loss of community space The post Building firms trim specs to get biggest state housing project over the line appeared first on Newsroom. ...1 day ago - Te Pāti Māori face public hearing over haka in Parliament
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New Zealand already has several checks and balances in the health system, but advocates have called for another to make "effective change". ...1 day ago
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In a swift importation of global culture wars, NZ First has introduced a new member’s bill. Paul Thistoll explains why it’s ill-conceived on a number of levels. Last week, the UK Supreme Court ruled that, for the purposes of the Equality Act, “woman” means biological woman. The decision, welcomed by ...1 day ago
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The passing of Pope Francis gets one lapsed Catholic wondering if it’s time to bring back the faith. On a crisp April morning in the Vatican City, under a cloudless sky, Pope Francis and I prayed together. It was hardly a personal moment – every Wednesday the pontiff holds his ...1 day ago
- Newsroom daily quiz, Wednesday 23 April
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, Wednesday 23 April appeared first on Newsroom. ...1 day ago
- A counter to consumerism
Comment: The post A counter to consumerism appeared first on Newsroom. ...1 day ago
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Breast is best, but not all new parents can do that.That’s why infant formula forms such a vital part of the lives of people just trying to feed their babies.The rules around the product are highly regulated – actually it’s one of the most highly regulated products in the world.Some ...1 day ago
- Safe haven assets that can help nervous investors ride out volatility
https://player.vimeo.com/api/player.jsUS trade tariffs, government spending cuts and growth revisions are causing uncertainty after two years of stellar returns. Mohandeep Singh from Craigs Investment Partners explains how to minimise risk and why time can be an investor’s best friend.Disclaimer: This information is general in nature and should not be regarded ...
1 day ago - As US rejects globalisation the rest of us need to step up
Analysis: April 2 marked what the current US administration termed “Liberation Day”, a milestone it claimed would restore America’s economic freedom. On that day, new import tariffs were introduced on a broad range of goods from numerous countries. New Zealand secured one of the lowest rates at 10 percent, and ...1 day ago
- Gisborne doctors dispute Government’s ‘inaccurate’ hiring figures
The Government said eight new doctors had started work in Tairāwhiti, but those working in the hospital say there has been just one new permanent hire The post Gisborne doctors dispute Government’s ‘inaccurate’ hiring figures appeared first on Newsroom. ...1 day ago
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Comment: Only using fully approved medicines by trusted regulators overseas will not help us in any pandemic The post ‘Rule of Two’ medicines approval needs improving appeared first on Newsroom. ...1 day ago
- Daily crossword, Wednesday 23 April
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- The Herald, heartlessly
The year after my son Roger’s death was a rollercoaster emotionally. Somehow my survival instinct, and possibly a certain amount of adrenalin deriving from the stress of events, had kept me afloat through the spell leading up to and including the funeral. But then I became emotionally numb and inwards ...1 day ago
- Court bolsters Mackenzie protection but Govt reforms cast a shadow
The Mackenzie Basin’s ecological values and distinctiveness need a bespoke regime to prevent further ecological losses, a court finds The post Court bolsters Mackenzie protection but Govt reforms cast a shadow appeared first on Newsroom. ...1 day ago
- Dutton promises Coalition would increase defence spending to 3% of GDP ‘within a decade’
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Opposition Leader Peter Dutton will promise a Coalition government would boost Australia’s spending on defence to 2.5% of GDP within five years and 3% within a decade. Launching the Coalition’s long-awaited defence policy on ...2 days ago
- Leaders trade barbs and well-worn lines in unspectacular third election debate
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Joshua Black, Visitor, School of History, Australian National University Anthony Albanese and Peter Dutton have met for the third leaders’ debate of this election campaign, this time on the Nine network. And while the debate traversed much of the same ground as ...2 days ago
- Election Diary: Dutton in third debate gives Labor ammunition for its scare about cuts
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra In the leaders’ third head-to-head encounter, on Nine on Tuesday, Peter Dutton’s bluntness when pressed on cuts has given more ammunition to Labor’s scare campaign about what a Coalition government might do. “When John Howard ...2 days ago
- To truly understand Pope Francis’ theology – and impact – you need to look to his life in Buen...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Fernanda Peñaloza, Senior Lecturer in Latin American Studies, University of Sydney Pope Francis’ journey from the streets of Flores, a neighbourhood in Buenos Aires, Argentina, to the Vatican, is a remarkable tale. Born in 1936, Jorge Bergoglio was raised in a ...2 days ago
- Bougainville takes the initiative in mediation over independence
By Don Wiseman, RNZ Pacific senior journalist In recent weeks, Bougainville has taken the initiative, boldly stating that it expects to be independent by 1 September 2027. It also expects the PNG Parliament to quickly ratify the 2019 referendum, in which an overwhelming majority of Bougainvilleans supported independence. In a ...2 days ago
- Australia had a national reckoning over domestic violence, but where’s the focus this election?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kate Fitz-Gibbon, Professor (Practice), Faculty of Business and Economics, Monash University For most of this federal election campaign, politicians have said very little about violence against women and children. Now in the fourth week of the five-week campaign, Labor has released ...2 days ago
- The government has pledged $10 million for inclusive LGBTQIA+ health care. Here’s what that means
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Karinna Saxby, Research Fellow, Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research, The University of Melbourne Lee Charlie/Shutterstock Last week, the federal government announced a $10 million commitment to make Medicare more inclusive for LGBTQIA+ Australians. It aims to improve their ...2 days ago
- A landmark ruling will tackle the gender pay gap for thousands of workers
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Fiona Macdonald, Policy Director, Centre for Future Work at the Australia Institute and Adjunct Principal Research Fellow, RMIT University Lordn/Shutterstock The Fair Work Commission has found award pay rates in five industrial awards covering a range of female-dominated occupations and industries ...2 days ago
- Greenpeace Adds Support To Denniston Coal Mining Protest
Greenpeace spokesperson Amanda Larsson says, "There comes a time when we have to stand up to the forces that conspire to put life on Earth at risk, and this is one of those moments. ...2 days ago - Tiny dips in sea level reveal flow of climate-regulating underwater waterfalls
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Matthis Auger, Research Associate in Physical Oceanography, University of Tasmania NASA ICE via Flickr, CC BY Beneath the surface of the Southern Ocean, vast volumes of cold, dense water plunge off the Antarctic continental shelf, cascading down underwater cliffs to the ...2 days ago
- Caitlin Johnstone: The Pope has died, and the Palestinian people have lost an important advocate
Report by Dr David Robie – Café Pacific. – COMMENTARY: By Caitlin Johnstone Pope Francis has died after using his Easter Sunday address to call for peace in Gaza. I don’t know who the cardinals will pick to replace him, but I do know with absolute certainty that there ...2 days ago
- What would Australia be willing to go to war over? This needs to be made clear in our defence strate...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrew Carr, Associate Professor, Strategy and Australian Defence Policy, Australian National University In 2024, the National Defence Strategy made deterrence Australia’s “primary strategic defence objective”. With writing now underway for the 2026 National Defence Strategy, can Australia actually deter threats to ...2 days ago
- ER Report: A Roundup of Significant Articles on EveningReport.nz for April 22, 2025
ER Report: Here is a summary of significant articles published on EveningReport.nz on April 22, 2025. How will a new pope be chosen? An expert explains the conclaveSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Darius von Guttner Sporzynski, Historian, Australian Catholic University Following the death of Pope Francis, we’ll ...2 days ago
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New Zealand First is pushing for the term "woman" to be defined in law as "an adult human biological female" as the party vows to fight "cancerous social engineering" and "woke ideology". ...2 days ago
- Government extends assistance for drought affected-farmers
The payment amounts are equivalent to the jobseeker benefit. ...2 days ago
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The What is a woman? campaign last year called for ‘woman’ to be defined as ‘an adult human female’ in all our laws, public policies and regulations and was signed by more than 23,500 people and presented to Parliament last August. We are still ...2 days ago
- Here’s every streaming service available in NZ – which ones do you actually need?
We break down the smorgasbord of streaming services available in Aotearoa. We’re spoiled for choice when it comes to streaming services in New Zealand, but as more and more services put their subscription prices up, it’s easy to wonder: who deserves my hard earned dollar? Which platform has the best ...2 days ago
- How will a new pope be chosen? An expert explains the conclave
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Darius von Guttner Sporzynski, Historian, Australian Catholic University Following the death of Pope Francis, we’ll soon be seeing a new leader in the Vatican. The conclave – a strictly confidential gathering of Roman Catholic cardinals – is due to meet in a ...2 days ago
- Haka in the House: what will Te Pāti Māori’s protest mean for tikanga in parliament?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Dominic O’Sullivan, Professor of Political Science, Charles Sturt University and Adjunct Professor Stout Research Centre, Victoria University of Wellington and Auckland University of Technology., Charles Sturt University Te Pāti Māori’s Debbie Ngarewa-Packer and Hana-Rāwhiti Maipi-Clarke lead a haka with Eru Kapa-Kingi outside ...2 days ago
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