Archive for December, 2011
Thank you Phil, Annette
Written By: - Date published: 7:47 am, December 15th, 2011 - 43 comments
Now that Labour’s new leaders are settling in, I think we should all take a moment to thank the outgoing leaders, Phil Goff and Annette King.
Open mike 15/12/2011
Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, December 15th, 2011 - 252 comments
Open mike is your post. For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the link to Policy in the banner). Step right up to the mike…
David Shearer – The Backstory
Written By: - Date published: 7:19 pm, December 14th, 2011 - 44 comments
One of David Shearer’s campaign volunteers organised this video as a surprise for David on the night of the Mt Albert By-Election in 2009. We played it to David and the Labour Party activists during the election night celebrations and I’ve had it sitting on my computer ever since. After re-watching it with my partner […]
Auckland’s election result was not so bad
Written By: - Date published: 2:55 pm, December 14th, 2011 - 50 comments
micky savage writes about Labour’s results in Auckland. There were some stunning results, particularly in South Auckland where Labour’s share of the vote increased by 10.2% in Mangere, 7.3% in Manukau East and 5.2% in Manurewa. And in Phil Goff’s Mount Roskill it increased by 1%. These were very good results in an election where the tide was going out.
ImperatorFish: “You talkin’ to me?”
Written By: - Date published: 2:38 pm, December 14th, 2011 - Comments Off on ImperatorFish: “You talkin’ to me?”
Scott at Imperator Fish has kindly given us permission to syndicate posts from his blog – the original of this post is here
Richard Prosser: Satirists need have nothing to fear from the new Parliament, even if Muslim women now do.
What to do with Cunliffe
Written By: - Date published: 10:59 am, December 14th, 2011 - 62 comments
There’s talk Shearer might hand Cunliffe the poisoned chalice of foreign affairs. As Clark did her main rival, Goff. That’s no job for a man with a young family. Anyway, Goff’ll want it back ahead of taking the Chinese ambassadorship. Instead, let Cunliffe swap with Parker, who was invisible in economic development and energy, and take on Joyce.
Countering the Tories’ bait & switch
Written By: - Date published: 9:00 am, December 14th, 2011 - 89 comments
Congratulations David Shearer, you’re leader of the Left now, and the prime target for the Right’s smear machine. The Right’s strategy is obvious: bait and switch. Having proclaimed Shearer’s virtues to high heaven, they (and their useful idiots) will now say ‘who is this man?’, try to frame unreasonable expectations, and try to beat up leadership rumours.
Open mike 14/12/2011
Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, December 14th, 2011 - 93 comments
Open mike is your post. For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the link to Policy in the banner). Step right up to the mike…
O Canada!
Written By: - Date published: 11:20 pm, December 13th, 2011 - 89 comments
Canada is to withdraw from the Kyoto Protocol, making it one of 2 nations in the world to be formally outside it. What will National do when the inevitably large fines roll in for us under their eviscerated ETS?
The poor get richer?
Written By: - Date published: 9:33 pm, December 13th, 2011 - 81 comments
Phil O’Reilly’s article in today’s DomPost headed “The rich get richer but so do the poor ” is appalling. Responding to the OECD report on inequality, he is following in the footsteps of Alasdair Thompson. BusinessNZ are still dinosaur employers from the Victorian age.
David Shearer
Written By: - Date published: 6:34 pm, December 13th, 2011 - 69 comments
Here is David Shearer’s first speech as Labour party leader.
Selections I have known
Written By: - Date published: 5:18 pm, December 13th, 2011 - 38 comments
I’ve now seen David Shearer in three Labour selection contests – I was on the panel in Waitakere in 2002 and Mt Albert in 2009, and I was in Wesley Church last Wednesday in Wellington. He’s won two out of three, and been most impressive every time. Had I been a caucus member today, he would have had my vote. This is why.
ImperatorFish: Analysing The Reshuffle
Written By: - Date published: 2:19 pm, December 13th, 2011 - 11 comments
Scott at Imperator Fish has kindly given us permission to syndicate posts from his blog – the original of this post is here
The King of the Gods, Zeus, yesterday announced a reshuffle of his pantheon, in an effort to freshen up his front bench. Getting the pantheon lineup right was always going to be one of the trickier tasks facing the Father of Gods and Men, and he will have had to manage some bruised egos during the process…
This can’t go on
Written By: - Date published: 12:03 pm, December 13th, 2011 - 18 comments
140 more jobs have been lost in Christchurch. Employment in the region had already fallen by 26,800 in the year to September. DoL research says that 18% of surviving businesses cut staff due the earthquakes, 40% lost revenue, 50% survived with government support, and 28% a finding they are losing more staff. The economy is […]
And the decision is…
Written By: - Date published: 11:11 am, December 13th, 2011 - 340 comments
Labour have come out of their caucus after their vote on who should succeed Phil Goff as leader. The new leadership team is David Shearer and Grant Robertson.
ImperatorFish: Phil and Carmel’s Greatest Hits
Written By: - Date published: 9:10 am, December 13th, 2011 - 3 comments
Scott at Imperator Fish has kindly given us permission to syndicate posts from his blog – the original of this post is here
Holding the blogosphere to account: how did dpf, Trotter and WhaleOil do on their predictions for Phil Twyford and Carmel Sepuloni after Carmel won the Waitakere nomination…
Good luck, David
Written By: - Date published: 8:27 am, December 13th, 2011 - 31 comments
To Cunliffe and Shearer, good luck. To the 34 people choosing the next Labour leader, remember your task is to choose the person who can represent a million+ centre and left voters. The man to take the centre-left to victory in 2014. Don’t you dare let petty personal issues cloud your judgement. We, whom you are privileged to represent, deserve better.
“We believed in ourselves”
Written By: - Date published: 7:35 am, December 13th, 2011 - 48 comments
Read this and weep: New rolling stock (carriages) for South Island scenic rail journeys are as good as, or better than anything I have experienced anywhere else. They rival equipment used on Switzerland’s premier scenic rail journeys, including the famed Zermatt to St Moritz Glacier Express. And, best of all, the new rail vehicles, classified […]
Not the Dunne thing…
Written By: - Date published: 7:07 am, December 13th, 2011 - 46 comments
Peter Dunne has – according to Alcohol Action NZ spokesperson Professor Doug Sellman – “deliberately suppressed” the biggest and best survey on Kiwi attitudes to drink legislation this country has (not) seen.
Open mike 13/12/2011
Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, December 13th, 2011 - 44 comments
Open mike is your post. For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the link to Policy in the banner). Step right up to the mike…
The lesson of Lange
Written By: - Date published: 10:59 pm, December 12th, 2011 - 65 comments
David Lange was a good man with a sharp mind, he was quick as a cat thinking on his feet – especially debating – he was an excellent communicator. With only six years’ parliamentary experience before becoming leader of the NZLP he was also the least experienced of all Labour’s twelve leaders to date. David Lange got eaten alive.
Nanaia Mahuta
Written By: - Date published: 8:18 pm, December 12th, 2011 - 21 comments
I believe that a strong platform of investment in education, skills and training makes all the difference for many hard working families.
We need to be relevant to aspirations in the provinces, this means that we need to support our provincial candidates more effectively so that they are not having to fight an election on a single issue and not without the resources and support of the party.
Glorious BlackCaps destroy Australia by 7 runs
Written By: - Date published: 4:56 pm, December 12th, 2011 - 37 comments
Sorry to interrupt the politics with sport, but this is our first test victory in Australia since before our strike bowlers Southee and Bracewell were born. And only our 3rd victory in Australia ever.
ImperatorFish: The Labour Leadership Indecision
Written By: - Date published: 3:43 pm, December 12th, 2011 - 10 comments
Scott at Imperator Fish has kindly given us permission to syndicate posts from his blog – the original of this post is here
The Labour leadership contest is not a left-right battle, but a tough call between an Obama-like orator and a down-to-earth guy who lives his values. Both talented and want to reform the party: but hard to chose who’s best to lead the fight to National.
3 more years of this
Written By: - Date published: 2:08 pm, December 12th, 2011 - 37 comments
On Breakfast this morning, John Key said that losing a confidence vote “by definition, constitutionally means a snap election”. No. If a government loses the House’s support, then another one can be formed that does have Parliament’s support. Only if that cannot happen is there an election. Key has been PM for 3 years. He should know the basics.
Tolley Drops
Written By: - Date published: 1:47 pm, December 12th, 2011 - 69 comments
The new cabinet is out, and the Biggest Loser is Anne Tolley.
The big win
Written By: - Date published: 11:22 am, December 12th, 2011 - 41 comments
The new government comprises the same parties as the previous one: National, ACT, United Future, and the Maori Party but with 64 votes, not 69. The governing parties’ total vote fell from 51.84% to 50.41%. Even the narrower Nat+ACT bloc fell. National’s ‘big win’ was just one more seat. And the most powerful man in the country now? Peter Dunne.
Right-whiner: Paula Bennett
Written By: - Date published: 9:53 am, December 12th, 2011 - 33 comments
Paula Bennett did pretty well in 2008, she won a seat that gave more party votes to Lab+Greens than Nat+ACT. But she was a bad MP. The electorate swung away from Nat+ACT and Bennett lost. But does she take it with grace? No she whines that Labour used “nasty and vicious” tactics like “mobilising the left” and getting out the vote on election day.
2c on the leadership
Written By: - Date published: 9:02 am, December 12th, 2011 - 116 comments
In the end it comes down to two questions. Are the public looking for a good bloke, or are they looking for a compelling politician? Which of the two can unite, motivate, and lead, the caucus and the wider party?
Labour leadership – have your say!
Written By: - Date published: 8:44 am, December 12th, 2011 - 70 comments
Tomorrow morning the Labour caucus will meet to vote on a new leader.
That means there’s just one day left for party member to have their say.
So email or phone your nearest labour MP and let them know who you want. It’s time for party members to own their party’s future.
The face of asset sales
Written By: - Date published: 7:33 am, December 12th, 2011 - 152 comments
Peter Dunne could stop the sale of our assets but he won’t.
Even though he didn’t campaign on selling them.
If he had it’s unlikely he’d have won his seat – let’s hope his constituents hold him accountable.
- Is saving one minute of a politician's time worth nearly $1 billion?
Is speeding up the trip to and from Wellington airport by 12 minutes worth spending up more than $10 billion? Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The six news items that stood out to me in the last day to 8:26 am today are:The Lead: Transport Minister Simeon Brown announced ...1 week ago - Long Tunnel or Long Con?
Yesterday it was revealed that Transport Minister had asked Waka Kotahi to look at the options for a long tunnel through Wellington. State Highway 1 (SH1) through Wellington City is heavily congested at peak times and while planning continues on the duplicate Mt Victoria Tunnel and Basin Reserve project, the ...1 week ago - Smoke And Mirrors.
You're a fraud, and you know itBut it's too good to throw it all awayAnyone would do the sameYou've got 'em goingAnd you're careful not to show itSometimes you even fool yourself a bitIt's like magicBut it's always been a smoke and mirrors gameAnyone would do the sameForty six billion ...1 week ago - What is Mexico doing about climate change?
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections The June general election in Mexico could mark a turning point in ensuring that the country’s climate policies better reflect the desire of its citizens to address the climate crisis, with both leading presidential candidates expressing support for renewable energy. Mexico is the ...1 week ago - State of humanity, 2024
2024, it feels, keeps presenting us with ever more challenges, ever more dismay.Do you give up yet? It seems to ask.No? How about this? Or this?How about this?When I say 2024 I really mean the state of humanity in 2024.Saturday night, we watched Civil War because that is one terrifying cliff we've ...2 weeks ago - Govt’s Wellington tunnel vision aims to ease the way to the airport (but zealous promoters of cycl...
Buzz from the Beehive A pet project and governmental tunnel vision jump out from the latest batch of ministerial announcements. The government is keen to assure us of its concern for the wellbeing of our pets. It will be introducing pet bonds in a change to the Residential Tenancies Act ...2 weeks ago - The case for cultural connectedness
A recent report generated from a Growing Up in New Zealand (GUiNZ) survey of 1,224 rangatahi Māori aged 11-12 found: Cultural connectedness was associated with fewer depression symptoms, anxiety symptoms and better quality of life. That sounds cut and dry. But further into the report the following appears: Cultural connectedness is ...2 weeks ago - Useful context on public sector job cutsDavid Farrar writes – The Herald reports: From the gory details of job-cuts news, you’d think the public service was being eviscerated. While the media’s view of the cuts is incomplete, it’s also true that departments have been leaking the particulars faster than a Wellington ...2 weeks ago
- Gordon Campbell On When Racism Comes Disguised As Anti-racism
Remember the good old days, back when New Zealand had a PM who could think and speak calmly and intelligently in whole sentences without blustering? Even while Iran’s drones and missiles were still being launched, Helen Clark was live on TVNZ expertly summing up the latest crisis in the Middle ...2 weeks ago - Govt ignored economic analysis of smokefree reversal2 weeks ago
- True Blue.
True loveYou're the one I'm dreaming ofYour heart fits me like a gloveAnd I'm gonna be true blueBaby, I love youI’ve written about the job cuts in our news media last week. The impact on individuals, and the loss to Aotearoa of voices covering our news from different angles.That by ...2 weeks ago - Who is running New Zealand’s foreign policy?While commentators, including former Prime Minister Helen Clark, are noting a subtle shift in New Zealand’s foreign policy, which now places more emphasis on the United States, many have missed a key element of the shift. What National said before the election is not what the government is doing now. ...2 weeks ago
- 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #15A listing of 31 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, April 7, 2024 thru Sat, April 13, 2024. Story of the week Our story of the week is about adults in the room setting terms and conditions of ...2 weeks ago
- Feline Friends and Fragile Fauna The Complexities of Cats in New Zealand’s Conservation Efforts
Cats, with their independent spirit and beguiling purrs, have captured the hearts of humans for millennia. In New Zealand, felines are no exception, boasting the highest national cat ownership rate globally [definition cat nz cat foundation]. An estimated 1.134 million pet cats grace Kiwi households, compared to 683,000 dogs ...
2 weeks ago - Or is that just they want us to think?
Nice guy, that Peter Williams. Amiable, a calm air of no-nonsense capability, a winning smile. Everything you look for in a TV presenter and newsreader.I used to see him sometimes when I went to TVNZ to be a talking head or a panellist and we would yarn. Nice guy, that ...2 weeks ago - Fact Brief – Did global warming stop in 1998?Skeptical Science is partnering with Gigafact to produce fact briefs — bite-sized fact checks of trending claims. This fact brief was written by Sue Bin Park in collaboration with members from our Skeptical Science team. You can submit claims you think need checking via the tipline. Did global warming stop in ...2 weeks ago
- Arguing over a moot point.
I have been following recent debates in the corporate and social media about whether it is a good idea for NZ to join what is known as “AUKUS Pillar Two.” AUKUS is the Australian-UK-US nuclear submarine building agreement in which … Continue reading ...2 weeks ago - No Longer Trusted: Ageing Boomers, Laurie & Les, Talk Politics.
2 weeks ago - Mortgage rates at 10% anyone?
No – nothing about that in PM Luxon’s nine-point plan to improve the lives of New Zealanders. But beyond our shores Jamie Dimon, the long-serving head of global bank J.P. Morgan Chase, reckons that the chances of a goldilocks soft landing for the economy are “a lot lower” than the ...2 weeks ago - Sad tales from the leftMichael Bassett writes – Have you noticed the odd way in which the media are handling the government’s crackdown on surplus employees in the Public Service? Very few reporters mention the crazy way in which State Service numbers rocketed ahead by more than 16,000 during Labour’s six years, ...2 weeks ago
- In Whose Best Interests?On The Spot: The question Q+A host, Jack Tame, put to the Workplace & Safety Minister, Act’s Brooke van Velden, was disarmingly simple: “Are income tax cuts right now in the best interests of lowering inflation?”JACK TAME has tested another MP on his Sunday morning current affairs show, Q+A. Minister for Workplace ...2 weeks ago
- Don’t Question, Don’t Complain.
It has to start somewhereIt has to start sometimeWhat better place than here?What better time than now?So it turns out that I owe you all an apology.It seems that all of the terrible things this government is doing, impacting the lives of many, aren’t necessarily ‘bad’ per se. Those things ...2 weeks ago - Auckland faces 25% water inflation shock
Three Waters became a focus of anti-Government protests under Labour, but its dumping by the new Government hasn’t solved councils’ funding problems and will eventually hit the back pockets of everyone. Photo: Lynn Grieveson/Getty ImagesTL;DR: The six news items that stood out to me at 8:06 am today are:The Government ...2 weeks ago - Small accomplishments and large ironies
2 weeks ago - The Song of Saqua: Volume VII
In order to catch up to the actual progress of the D&D campaign, I present you with another couple of sessions. These were actually held back to back, on a Monday and Tuesday evening. Session XV Alas, Goatslayer had another lycanthropic transformation… though this time, he ran off into the ...2 weeks ago - Accelerating the Growth Rate?
There is a constant theme from the economic commentariat that New Zealand needs to lift its economic growth rate, coupled with policies which they are certain will attain that objective. Their prescriptions are usually characterised by two features. First, they tend to be in their advocate’s self-interest. Second, they are ...2 weeks ago - The only thing we have to fear is tenants themselves
1. Which of these acronyms describes the experience of travelling on a Cook Strait ferry?a. ROROb. FOMOc. RAROd. FMLAramoana, first boat ever boarded by More Than A Feilding, four weeks after the Wahine disaster2. What is the acronym for the experience of watching the government risking a $200 million break ...2 weeks ago - Peters talks of NZ “renewing its connections with the world” – but who knew we had been discon...Buzz from the Beehive The thrust of the country’s foreign affairs policy and its relationship with the United States have been addressed in four statements from the Beehive over the past 24 hours. Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters somewhat curiously spoke of New Zealand “renewing its connections with a world ...2 weeks ago
- Muldoonism, solar farms, and legitimacy
NewsHub had an article yesterday about progress on Aotearoa's largest solar farm, at "The Point" in the Mackenzie Country. 420MW, right next to a grid connection and transmission infrastructure, and next to dams - meaning it can work in tandem with them to maximise water storage. Its exactly the sort ...2 weeks ago - NZTA does not know how much it spends on conesBarrie Saunders writes – Astonishing as it may seem NZTA does not know either how much it spends on road cones as part of its Temporary Traffic Management system, or even how many companies it uses to supply and manage the cones. See my Official Information Act request ...2 weeks ago
- If this is Back on Track – let's not.
I used to want to plant bombs at the Last Night of the PromsBut now you'll find me with the baby, in the bathroom,With that big shell, listening for the sound of the sea,The baby and meI stayed in bed, alone, uncertainThen I met you, you drew the curtainThe sun ...2 weeks ago - Welfare: Just two timid targets from the National governmentLindsay Mitchell writes – The National Government has announced just two targets for the Ministry of Social Development. They are: – to reduce the number of people receiving Jobseeker Support by 50,000 to 140,000 by June 2029, and – (alongside HUD) to reduce the number of households in emergency ...2 weeks ago
- The Hoon around the week to April 12Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The podcast above features co-hosts Bernard Hickey and Peter Bale, along with regular guests Robert Patman on Gaza and AUKUS II, Merja Myllylahti on AUT’s trust in news report, Awhi’s Holly Bennett on a watered-down voluntary code for lobbyists, plus special guest Patrick Gower ...2 weeks ago
- A Dead Internet?
Hi,Four years ago I wrote about a train engineer who derailed his train near the port in Los Angeles.He was attempting to slam thousands of tonnes of screaming metal into a docked Navy hospital ship, because he thought it was involved in some shady government conspiracy theory. He thought it ...2 weeks ago - Weekly Roundup 12-April-2024Welcome back to another Friday. Here’s some articles that caught our attention this week. This Week in Greater Auckland On Wednesday Matt looked at the latest with the Airport to Botany project. On Thursday Matt covered the revelation that Auckland Transport have to subsidise towing illegally parked cars. ...2 weeks ago
- Weekly Roundup 12-April-2024Welcome back to another Friday. Here’s some articles that caught our attention this week. This Week in Greater Auckland On Wednesday Matt looked at the latest with the Airport to Botany project. On Thursday Matt covered the revelation that Auckland Transport have to subsidise towing illegally parked cars. ...2 weeks ago
- Antarctic heat spike shocks climate scientistsA ‘Regime Shift’ could raise sea levels sooner than anticipated. Has a tipping point been triggered in the Antarctic? Photo: Juan Barreto/Getty Images TL;DR: Here’s the top six news items of note in climate news for Aotearoa-NZ this week, and a discussion above that was recorded yesterday afternoon between and ...2 weeks ago
- Skeptical Science New Research for Week #15 2024Open access notables Global carbon emissions in 2023, Liu et al., Nature Reviews Earth & Environment Annual global CO2 emissions dropped markedly in 2020 owing to the COVID-19 pandemic, decreasing by 5.8% relative to 2019 (ref. 1). There were hopes that green economic stimulus packages during the COVD crisis might mark the beginning ...2 weeks ago
- Everything will be just fine
In our earlier days of national self-loathing, we made a special place for the attitude derided as she’ll be right.You don't hear many people younger than age Boomer using that particular expression these days. But that doesn’t mean there are not younger people in possession of such an attitude.The likes of ...2 weeks ago - Farmers and landlords are given news intended to lift their confidence – but the media must muse o...Buzz from the Beehive People working in the beleaguered media industry have cause to yearn for a minister as busy as Todd McClay and his associates have been in recent days. But if they check out the Beehive website for a list of Melissa Lee’s announcements, pronouncements, speeches and what-have-you ...2 weeks ago
- National’s war on rentersWhen the National government came into office, it complained of a "war on landlords". It's response? Start a war on renters instead: The changes include re-introducing 90-day "no cause" terminations for periodic tenancies, meaning landlords can end a periodic tenancy without giving any reason. [...] Landlords will now only ...2 weeks ago
- DrawnA ballot for two Member's Bills was held today, and the following bills were drawn: Repeal of Good Friday and Easter Sunday as Restricted Trading Days (Shop Trading and Sale of Alcohol) Amendment Bill (Cameron Luxton) Consumer Guarantees (Right to Repair) Amendment Bill (Marama Davidson) The ...2 weeks ago
- At last some scienceEle Ludemann writes – Is getting rid of plastic really good for the environment? Substituting plastics with alternative materials is likely to result in increased GHG emissions, according to research from the University of Sheffield. The study by Dr. Fanran Meng from Sheffield’s Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, ...2 weeks ago
- Something important: the curious death of the School Strike 4 Climate MovementThe Christchurch Mosque Massacres, Covid-19, deep political disillusionment, and the jealous cruelty of the intersectionists: all had a part to play in causing School Strike 4 Climate’s bright bubble of hope and passion to burst. But, while it floated above us, it was something that mattered. Something Important. ...2 weeks ago
- The day the TV media died…Peter Dunne writes – April 10 is a dramatic day in New Zealand’s history. On April 10, 1919, the preliminary results of a referendum showed that New Zealanders had narrowly voted for prohibition by a majority of around 13,000 votes. However, when the votes of soldiers still overseas ...2 weeks ago
- What's the point in Melissa Lee?
While making coffee this morning I listened to Paddy Gower from Newshub being interviewed on RNZ. It was painful listening. His hurt and love for that organisation, its closure confirmed yesterday, quite evident.As we do when something really matters, he hasn’t giving up hope. Paddy talked about the taonga that ...2 weeks ago - Bernard's Top 10 'pick 'n' mix' at 10:10 am on Thursday, April 11
TL;DR: Here’s the 10 news and other links elsewhere that stood out for me over the last day, as at 10:10 am on Wednesday, April 10:Photo by Iva Rajović on UnsplashMust-read: As more than half of the nation’s investigative journalists are sacked, Newsroom’s Tim Murphy shows what it takes to ...2 weeks ago - Gordon Campbell On Winston Peters’ Pathetic Speech At The UNGood grief, Winston Peters. Tens of thousands of Gazans have been slaughtered, two million are on the brink of starvation and what does our Foreign Minister choose to talk about at the UN? The 75 year old issue of whether the five permanent members should continue to have veto powers ...2 weeks ago
- Subsidising illegal parkingHopefully finally over his obsession with raised crossings, the Herald’s Bernard Orsman has found something to actually be outraged at. Auckland ratepayers are subsidising the cost of towing, storing and releasing cars across the city to the tune of $15 million over five years. Under a quirk in the law, ...2 weeks ago
- When 'going for growth' actually means saying no to new social homesTL;DR: These six things stood out to me over the last day in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy, as of 7:06 am on Thursday, April 11:The Government has refused a community housing provider’s plea for funding to help build 42 apartments in Hamilton because it said a $100 million fund was used ...2 weeks ago
- https://www.politik.co.nz/?p=12733As the public sector redundancies rolled on, with the Department of Conservation saying yesterday it was cutting 130 positions, a Select Committee got an insight into the complexities and challenges of cutting the Government’s workforce. Immigration New Zealand chiefs along with their Minister, Erica Stanford, appeared before Parliament’s Education and ...2 weeks ago
- Bernard's six-stack of substacks at 6:06 pm on Wednesday, April 10
TL;DR: Six substacks that stood out to me in the last day:Explaining is winning for journalists wanting to regain trust, writes is his excellent substack. from highlights Aotearoa-NZ’s greenwashing problem in this weekly substack. writes about salt via his substack titled: The Second Soul, Part I ...2 weeks ago - EGU2024 – Picking and chosing sessions to attend virtuallyThis year's General Assembly of the European Geosciences Union (EGU) will take place as a fully hybrid conference in both Vienna and online from April 15 to 19. I decided to join the event virtually this year for the full week and I've already picked several sessions I plan to ...2 weeks ago
- But here's my point about the large irony in what Luxon is saying
Grim old week in the media business, eh? And it’s only Wednesday, to rework an old upbeat line of poor old Neil Roberts.One of the larger dark ironies of it all has been the line the Prime Minister is serving up to anyone asking him about the sorry state of ...2 weeks ago - Govt gives farmers something to talk about (regarding environmental issues) at those woolshed meetin...Buzz from the Beehive Hard on the heels of three rurally oriented ministers launching the first of their woolshed meetings, the government brought good news to farmers on the environmental front. First, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced an additional $18 million is being committed to reduce agricultural emissions. Not all ...2 weeks ago
- Climate change violates human rightsThat's the ruling of the European Court of Human Rights today: Weak government climate policies violate fundamental human rights, the European court of human rights has ruled. In a landmark decision on one of three major climate cases, the first such rulings by an international court, the ECHR raised ...2 weeks ago
- Which govt departments have grown the most?David Farrar writes – There has been a 34% increase over six years in the size of the public service, in terms of EFTS. But not all agencies have grown by the same proportion. Here are the 10 with the largest relative increases between 2017 and ...2 weeks ago
- What’s to blame for the public’s plummeting trust in the media?Bryce Edwards writes – The media is in crisis, as New Zealand audiences flee from traditional sources of news and information. The latest survey results on the public’s attitude to the media shows plummeting trust. And New Zealand now leads the world in terms of those who want ...2 weeks ago
- Something Important: The Curious Death of the School Strike 4 Climate Movement.The Hope That Failed: The Christchurch Mosque Massacres, Covid-19, deep political disillusionment, and the jealous cruelty of the intersectionists: all had a part to play in causing School Strike 4 Climate’s bright bubble of hope and passion to burst. But, while it floated above us, it was something that mattered. Something ...2 weeks ago
- Cow Farts and Cancer Sticks.
What do you do if you’re a new government minister and the science is in. All of the evidence and facts are clear, but they’re not to your liking? They’re inconsistent with your policy positions and/or your spending priorities.Well, first off you could just stand back and watch as the ...2 weeks ago - Member’s DayToday is a Member's day. First up is James Shaw's New Zealand Bill of Rights (Right to Sustainable Environment) Amendment Bill, which does exactly what it says on the label. Despite solid backing in international law and from lawyers and NGOs, National will likely vote it down out of pure ...2 weeks ago
- Bernard's Top 10 'pick 'n' mix' at 10:10 am on Wednesday, April 10
2 weeks ago - What’s happening with Airport to BotanyOne of the few public transport projects the current government have said they support is the Airport to Botany project (A2B) and it’s one we haven’t covered in a while so worth looking at where things are at. A business case for the project was completed in 2021 before being ...2 weeks ago
- Bishop more popular than Luxon in Curia pollCount the Chrises: Chris Bishop (2nd from right) is moving up in the popularity polls. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: These six things stood out to me over the last day in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy, as of 7:06 am on Wednesday, April 10:The National/ACT/NZ First coalition Government’s opinion poll ...2 weeks ago
- Silmarillion Fan Poetry: A Collection (2022-2024)
It’s been some time since I properly exercised my poetic muscles. Prose-writing has been where it’s at for me, these past few years. Well, to get back into practice, I thought I’d write the occasional bit of jocular fan poetry, based off Tolkien’s Silmarillion… with this post being a collection ...2 weeks ago - At a glance – The Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO) is not causing global warmingOn February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...2 weeks ago
- Bryce Edwards: What’s to blame for the public’s plummeting trust in the media?
The media is in crisis, as New Zealand audiences flee from traditional sources of news and information. The latest survey results on the public’s attitude to the media shows plummeting trust. And New Zealand now leads the world in terms of those who want to “avoid the news”. But who ...2 weeks ago - Dead on target
My targets for today are: 1 newsletter sent out by 4.30pm 800 words of copy delivered to a client by COB, as we say in the world of BAU1 dinner served by sunset GST returnSo far so good. Longer-term targets are: Get some website copy finished before I get on a plane on Saturday ...2 weeks ago - The PM sets nine policy targets- and in case you missed the truancy one, Seymour has provided some...Buzz from the Beehive Targets and travel were a theme in the latest flow of ministerial announcements. The PM announced a raft of targets (“nine ambitious Government Targets to help improve the lives of New Zealanders”) along with plans to head for Singapore, Thailand, and Philippines. His Deputy and Foreign ...2 weeks ago
- Climate Change: Unwelcome adviceYesterday He Pou a Rangi Climate Change Commission released two key pieces of advice, on the 2036-40 emissions budget and the 2050 target. Both are statutorily required as part of the Zero Carbon Act budgeting / planning process, and both have a round of public consultation before being finalised and ...2 weeks ago
- In a structural deficit, the only real tax cut is a spending cutEric Crampton writes – This week’s column in the Stuff papers. A snippet: Tabarrok warned that America had two political parties – “the Tax and Spenders and the No-Tax and Spenders” – and neither was fiscally conservative. In the two decades after Tabarrok’s warning, the federal government ...2 weeks ago
- A Return to Kindness?
New Zealanders are a pretty fair minded bunch. By and large we like to give people a go.Ian Foster, for example, had a terrible record as a head rugby coach. Like not even good, and did we let that bother us? Yeah, but also Nah. Because we went ahead and ...2 weeks ago - Aukus or not, New Zealand’s foreign policy is being remadeGeoffrey Miller writes – This could be a watershed week for New Zealand’s international relations. Winston Peters, the foreign minister, is heading to Washington DC for a full week of meetings. The surprisingly lengthy trip just happens to coincide with a major trilateral summit of leaders from the United States, ...2 weeks ago
- Back to the future, with a 2032 deadlineAiming to look visionary and focused, Luxon has announced nine targets to improve measures for education, health, crime and climate emissions - but the reality is only one target is well above pre-Covid levels. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The six news items of note for me in Aotearoa-NZ’s ...2 weeks ago
- Why Rod Carr is optimistic farmers can beat climate changeThe future of farming went on the line yesterday when the Climate Change Commission presented its first review of New Zealand’s target of net zero emissions by 2050. The Commission said New Zealand’s target was unlikely to be consistent with the 2015 Paris Agreement goal of holding temperature rise to ...2 weeks ago
- $4.9m project completed with marae reopening
A significant marae has reopened in the heart of Rotorua marking the end of renovations for the Ruatāhuna Marae Renovation Cluster, a project that provided much-needed jobs and regional economic stimulus, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones was at the official reopening of Mātaatua ki Rotorua Marae today. ...3 weeks ago - Pure Tūroa Limited to operate Tūroa ski fieldKo Tahuarangi te waka – Tahuarangi is the ancestral vessel Ko Rangitukutuku te aho – Rangitukutuku is the fishing line Ko Pikimairawea te matau – Pikimairawea is the hook Ko Hāhā te Whenua te ika kei rō-wai – Hāhā te whenua is the fish (of Māui) whilst under the ocean ...3 weeks ago
- Methane targets to be independently reviewedRebuilding New Zealand’s economy will rely on the valuable agricultural sector working sustainably towards our climate change goals. Today, the Climate Change and Agriculture Ministers announced that an independent panel of experts will review agricultural biogenic methane science and targets for consistency with no additional warming. Agriculture Minister Todd McClay ...3 weeks ago
- Israeli Ambassador To New Zealand’s Unchallenged On TVNZ Q+A Programme, Allowed To Spread Misinfor...
New Zealand’s Palestinian community and Palestinian Youth Aotearoa are voicing alarm and disappointment with the lack of factual rigour present during the Israeli Ambassador’s appearance as a guest on TVNZ’s Q+A With Jack Tame Sunday (21/04). ...3 days ago - Selwyn residents fighting for homes after being told they need to leave them by 2039
And entire community has been told it'll be evicted - but some are feeling stressed and cannot afford to buy anywhere else. ...3 days ago - Tax cuts: Finance Minister maintains commitment to no extra borrowingNicola Wills says tax cuts will be fully funded through reprioritising money and targeted revenue measures - and won't add to inflation. ...3 days ago
- End of Life Choice Act: Changes needed in review, say advocatesBoth ACT leader David Seymour, who played a key role in drawing up the assisted dying law, and hospice leaders say it's time the legislation was changed. ...3 days ago
- Have gang numbers really ‘skyrocketed’ in recent years?
Public submissions on proposed gang control laws are being heard today. Rising gang membership has been cited as rationale for a crackdown – but what do we actually know about how many people belong to gangs in New Zealand? What’s all this then? A rise in the number of gang ...3 days ago - Why Restore Passenger Rail has set its sights on stopping cruise shipsClimate activists are setting their sights on an unpopular target, and hoping to bring lots of the public with them. It’s hard to miss the Majestic Princess: the enormous cruise ship, docked at Auckland’s Prince’s Wharf, looms over the nearby buildings. The ship, which can fit nearly 6,000 people, ...3 days ago
- Political donor fails in final appeal over Chinese cultural defence
The Supreme Court rejects a bid to argue a Chinese New Zealander convicted of lying to the SFO did so for cultural reasons The post Political donor fails in final appeal over Chinese cultural defence appeared first on Newsroom. ...3 days ago - From ling to liquidation for New Zealand Coastal SeafoodsA former director of the Australia-listed company is asking tough questions about disclosure as local operations are liquidated The post From ling to liquidation for New Zealand Coastal Seafoods appeared first on Newsroom. ...3 days ago
- A new kind of city dealOpinion: Making sure developers, local and central government, and landowners are all on the same page makes sense The post A new kind of city deal appeared first on Newsroom. ...3 days ago
- Newsroom daily quiz, Tuesday 23 AprilLoading…(function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){var ql=document.querySelectorAll('A[quiz],DIV[quiz],A[data-quiz],DIV[data-quiz]'); if(ql){if(ql.length){for(var k=0;k<ql.length;k++){ql[k].id='quiz-embed-'+k;ql[k].href="javascript:var i=document.getElementById('quiz-embed-"+k+"');try{qz.startQuiz(i)}catch(e){i.start=1;i.style.cursor='wait';i.style.opacity='0.5'};void(0);"}}};i['QP']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){(i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o),m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m)})(window,document,'script','https://take.quiz-maker.com/3012/CDN/quiz-embed-v1.js','qp'); Got a good quiz question? Send Newsroom your questions. The post Newsroom daily quiz, Tuesday 23 April appeared first on Newsroom. ...3 days ago
- Rotorua kuia: ‘I’m disgusted at the investment of my own iwi in a luxury spa’The following korero between Ngāhuia te Awekōtuku, author of the newly published memoir Hine Toa, one of the year’s most important books, and Dale Husband from e-tangata, was first published in October. It traverses her involvement with the activist group Ngā Tamatoa at Auckland University in the early 1970s, her ...3 days ago
- The de-railing of New ZealandIn the 16 years since it was bought by the government for $690 million, KiwiRail has had several overhauls and turnaround plans worth billions of dollars. Its ambitions as a successful, profitable operator of tourism, freight and ferries have often been derailed by disasters from earthquakes to cyclones, mine explosions ...3 days ago
- Daily crossword, Tuesday 23 AprilThe post Daily crossword, Tuesday 23 April appeared first on Newsroom. ...3 days ago
- King of backs begins her Black Ferns reignBlack Ferns trailblazer Kendra Cocksedge was on the verge of tears when her young protégé, Hannah King, unassumingly broke the news. Three-time Rugby World Cup winner Cocksedge and Lincoln agriculture student King meet every few weeks over a hot chocolate, in an enduring mentorship that’s spanned years. “Before we even ...3 days ago
- New emergency services radio network plans off-trackA new radio network for emergency responders should already be up and running in Canterbury The post New emergency services radio network plans off-track appeared first on Newsroom. ...3 days ago
- West is best? How we stack up against AustraliaOpinion: We’ve kicked the tyres on the perception NZ’s economy is in a parlous state compared to Australia. We take a quick tour of relative trends in GDP, housing markets, labour markets, trade, the fiscal situation, and the outlooks for inflation and interest rates. We find the cyclical positions of ...3 days ago
- NZ’s Foreign Minister Winston Peters ‘defers’ recognition of Palestine
By Russell Palmer, RNZ News digital political journalist New Zealand’s Foreign Minister Winston Peters is putting off recognition of Palestine as a state, despite opposition Labour’s formal request that he make the move. Peters said diplomatic recognition of Palestine was a matter of “when not if”, but doing so now ...3 days ago - Three strikes 'political posturing' with 'grossly unfair results' – opposi...The opposition has laid into the government's plan to reintroduce a "three strikes" regime, saying it's inequitable and there's very little evidence it works. ...3 days ago
- High Court reserves decision on Waitangi Tribunal summons to Minister for Children Karen ChhourThe Crown claims the Tribunal has acted in an unlawful and coercive manner, despite having the authority to summons Karen Chhour. ...4 days ago
- Elon Musk is mad he’s been ordered to remove Sydney church stabbing videos from X. He’d be more ...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rob Nicholls, Senior research associate, University of Sydney Australia’s eSafety Commissioner has ordered social media platform “X” (formerly known as Twitter) to remove graphic videos of the stabbing of Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel in Sydney last week from the site. The incident ...4 days ago
- Nearly 140 roles proposed to go at Customs and DIANearly 140 roles are proposed to go at Customs and at the Department of Internal Affairs (DIA), a larger number than PSA announced this afternoon. ...4 days ago
- More than coral: the unseen casualties of record-breaking heat on the Great Barrier ReefSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Turnbull, Postdoctoral Research Associate, University of Sydney John Turnbull, CC BY-NC-ND In past bleaching events on the Great Barrier Reef, the southern region has sometimes been spared worst of the bleaching. Not this time. This year’s intense underwater heat has ...4 days ago
- New play The Exact Dimensions of Hell explores the chaos and contradiction of teenage girlhood – a...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sarah Austin, Lecturer in Theatre, The University of Melbourne Darren Gill/Mackey, Darling & Collaborators The relationship between witchcraft and teenage girls has been the subject of many books, films and television shows. Over time, the traditional image of witch as crone ...4 days ago
- Bryce Edwards Analysis – Time for “Fast-Track Watch”Analysis by Dr Bryce Edwards, Democracy Project (https://democracyproject.nz) Political scientist, Dr Bryce Edwards. Calling all journalists, academics, planners, lawyers, political activists, environmentalists, and other members of the public who believe that the relationships between vested interests and politicians need to be scrutinised. We need to work together to make sure ...4 days ago
- Far North mayor hits out at government's Māori ward changesMoko Tepania says the government's plan is 'disheartening' when they are already on the back foot with issues facing the region. ...4 days ago
- Fast Track Approval Bill: Government watchdogs seek substantial curbs on ministers' powersThe Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment says the role of ministers as decision-makers should be scrapped. ...4 days ago
- The UK plans to phase out smoking. What does this new law mean for tobacco control in Australia?Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Becky Freeman, Associate Professor, School of Public Health, University of Sydney Andres Siimon/Unsplash There are no silver bullets, magic tricks or secret hacks to solving complex public health problems. Taking on the global tobacco industry and reducing the devastating consequences of ...4 days ago
- We mapped a massive explosion in space, showing how galaxies ‘pollute’ the cosmosSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adam B. Watts, Research Associate in galaxy evolution, The University of Western Australia ESO/A. Watts et al., CC BY We breathe oxygen and nitrogen gas in our atmosphere every day, but did you know that these gases also float through space, ...4 days ago
- Watch: Three strikes policy to return with changes, PM announcesThe coalition will reintroduce the sentencing law later this year - but it will be slightly different than last time. ...4 days ago
- Opioids more potent than fentanyl have been detected in Australia. So what are nitazenes?Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Suzanne Nielsen, Professor and Deputy Director, Monash Addiction Research Centre, Monash University Maxime Bhm/Unsplash A new group of drugs called nitazenes has been detected in Australia. They have been sold as heroin as well as other drugs like ketamine. Concerns ...4 days ago
- Two people want to share the job of MP for Higgins. Is it constitutional?Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Anne Twomey, Professor emerita, University of Sydney Image from Bradlow + Bock campaign Can the job of being a federal member of parliament be shared by two or more persons? Two prospective candidates for the inner-Melbourne federal seat of Higgins, Lucy ...4 days ago
- Family law has been overhauled. With the new changes about to kick in, how will they affect children...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Zoe Rathus, Senior Lecturer in Law, Griffith University Shutterstock In October 2023, the federal parliament passed major changes to how children’s cases are decided under the Family Law Act, which kick in next month. Among other things, they repeal a ...4 days ago
- Archie Moore’s Venice triumph: the sublime kith and kin is simultaneously somber and stirringSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Wes Hill, Associate Professor, art history and visual culture, Southern Cross University Archie Moore in kith and kin 2024. Australia Pavilion at Venice Biennale 2024. Photographer Andrea Rossetti. © the artist. Image courtesy of the artist and The Commercial This article ...4 days ago
- Activists defy Israel with Gaza-bound ‘freedom’ flotilla and humanitarian aidBy Salwa Amor in Istanbul Palestine solidarity activists are preparing a flotilla to deliver urgently needed humanitarian aid to Gaza, vowing to break Israel’s blockade of the Palestinian territory on board the Akdeniz, a seven-deck passenger ship. Currently docked in Istanbul, the ship will carry 800 people from more than ...4 days ago
- Auditor-General's Submission On The Fast-track Approvals BillWe’d like your feedback: Our website includes a feedback form. Please tell us if you found our information useful. ...4 days ago
- More Frontline Cuts As Government Goes Soft On Organised CrimeThe Government is putting at risk the defences of our land and sea borders against organised crime, and our online defences against child exploitation, terrorism and online crime with cuts to critical frontline roles at Customs and Internal Affairs. ...4 days ago
- Supermarket facial recognition failure: why automated systems must put the human factor firstSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mark Rickerby, Lecturer, School of Product Design, University of Canterbury Getty Images The incident of a woman misidentified by facial recognition technology at a Rotorua supermarket should have come as no surprise. When Foodstuffs North Island announced its intention to trial ...4 days ago
- Job cuts: Proposal for 79 roles to go at airports, portsWorkers from teams such as boarder operations, intelligence and compliance service delivery are on the chopping block, PSA says. ...4 days ago
- New to streaming: What to watch on Netflix NZ, Neon and more this weekWe round up everything coming to streaming services this week, including Netflix, Amazon Prime, Disney+, Apple TV+, ThreeNow, Neon and TVNZ+. If you love a good cry: All of Us Strangers (Disney+) It’s the dreamlike, emotional film that had viewers running from the cinema in floods of tears, and ...4 days ago
- Foreign Minister Winston Peters defers recognition of PalestineThe foreign minister says diplomatic recognition of Palestine is a matter of "when not if", but doing so now could impede progress towards a two-state solution. ...4 days ago
- Watch live: Three strikes policy to return with changes, PM announcesThe coalition will reintroduce the sentencing law later this year - but it will be slightly different than last time. ...4 days ago
- Global Military Spending Increase Threatens Humanity And The PlanetSIPRI has estimated global military expenditure last year was at least $2,443 billion (USD, ±$4,150 billion NZD), an increase of 6.8% in real terms from 2022 and the steepest year-on-year increase since 2009. ...4 days ago
- Why the Waitangi Tribunal has summonsed a minister – and why the Crown is fighting itToday in the High Court, Crown lawyers will argue that the minister for children shouldn’t have to appear in front of the Waitangi Tribunal to answer questions about proposed changes to the Oranga Tamariki Act. Carwyn Jones explains. The past week has seen two cabinet ministers publicly criticise the actions ...4 days ago
- What do we make of The Tortured Poets Department?Our tortured critics department reviews the new Taylor Swift album. On Friday, Taylor Swift smashed records held by the likes of Taylor Swift and Taylor Swift, when her new album The Tortured Poets Department became the most streamed album on Spotify in a single day. Her 11th album had only ...4 days ago
- Labor maintains narrow Newspoll lead but drops in other pollsSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne A national Newspoll, conducted April 15–18 from a sample of 1,236, gave Labor a 51–49 lead, unchanged from the previous Newspoll in ...4 days ago
- More than half of Solomon Islands election results in as counting continuesBy Koroi Hawkins, RNZ Pacific editor in Honiara More than 60 percent of the national results of the Solomon Islands election are now in. So far, two female MPs have been elected and three former prime ministers may be in the running for the top job. Counting is still progressing ...4 days ago
- Daily crossword, Monday 22 AprilThe post Daily crossword, Monday 22 April appeared first on Newsroom. ...4 days ago
- How Popstars and TrueBliss changed reality television foreverThis week we’re celebrating 25 years since the first episode of Popstars, a series that cemented TrueBliss in our pop culture history and created a new genre of reality television. Today, Alex Casey looks back at the origin story of Popstars and its impact. It could have been our own ...4 days ago
- Newsroom daily quiz, Monday 22 AprilLoading…(function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){var ql=document.querySelectorAll('A[quiz],DIV[quiz],A[data-quiz],DIV[data-quiz]'); if(ql){if(ql.length){for(var k=0;k<ql.length;k++){ql[k].id='quiz-embed-'+k;ql[k].href="javascript:var i=document.getElementById('quiz-embed-"+k+"');try{qz.startQuiz(i)}catch(e){i.start=1;i.style.cursor='wait';i.style.opacity='0.5'};void(0);"}}};i['QP']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){(i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o),m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m)})(window,document,'script','https://take.quiz-maker.com/3012/CDN/quiz-embed-v1.js','qp'); Got a good quiz question? Send Newsroom your questions. The post Newsroom daily quiz, Monday 22 April appeared first on Newsroom. ...4 days ago
- Health NZ denies it's ordered a hiring freezeThe agency says it is still recruiting to fill shortages after writing about a ban on double shifts and closing some vacant roles. ...4 days ago
- Government risks own goal in cutting funding for Growing up in New ZealandA study that tracks the life course of 6,000 kids provides crucial data for government decision making and spending, say those involved. Yet the axe hovers over Growing up in New Zealand, writes Max Rashbrooke. The government risks sabotaging its own targets – on school attendance, for instance – if ...4 days ago
- How will US foreign policy affect Joe Biden’s chances of re-election in November?Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Emma Shortis, Adjunct Senior Fellow, School of Global, Urban and Social Studies, RMIT University When big questions about American foreign policy collide with an election, it’s rarely good news for a sitting president. Like many leaders before him, US President Joe ...4 days ago
- Unstable employment while you’re young can set you up for a wage gap later in life – even if you...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Irma Mooi-Reci, Professor in Labour Sociology, The University of Melbourne The Conversation/Pexels/Unsplash, CC BY As they kick off their careers, young people often have to navigate a maze of short-term and casual jobs. In Australia, many of them also wish to ...4 days ago
- Lending rule changes a prelude to bigger overhaul of CCCFAThe government has announced tweaks to the much-maligned law, but isn’t scrapping the lending affordability regulations – at least, not yet, writes Catherine McGregor in this excerpt from The Bulletin, The Spinoff’s morning news round-up. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here. The first stage of ...4 days ago
- Financial mentoring services sound warning over wind-back of lending regulationsThe government is reforming the Credit Contracts and Consumer Finance Act (CCCFA), which it says has created unnecessary compliance costs, and blown out the timeframes for accessing a loan. ...4 days ago
- New Zealand Passport system upgrades lead to longer processing timesThe government target for processing passports is 10 days but the current wait-time guideline is much longer than that. ...4 days ago
- In demand but disempowered: why low-skilled migrant workers face even worse exploitation under NZ’...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Francis L Collins, Professor of Sociology, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau Arkadiusz Warguła/Getty Images The New Zealand government claims its recently announced changes to visa rules will address exploitation and unsustainable migration. In reality, the new rules are likely to ...4 days ago
- Consultants are just the sound of cans being kicked down potholed roadsOpinion: We do not need to spend resources on identifying our problems because the big ones are already obvious The post Consultants are just the sound of cans being kicked down potholed roads appeared first on Newsroom. ...4 days ago
- At least two businesses invited to apply for fast-track consents have donated to National, says Labo...Labour is warning that allowing just three ministers the last word on fast-tracking infrastructure projects opens them up to accusations of bias, especially when political donations might muddy the waters. ...4 days ago
- There’s no need to make emergency housing harder. It’s hard enough alreadyTrust me, I know: I’ve been living in a damp, violent hotel in central Auckland for six months and counting. I get it, Minister. I really do. You want us out of emergency housing. And believe me, so do we. I have been living in emergency accommodation in a hotel ...4 days ago
- A list of transport projects Wellington could actually deliver in the next 10-15 yearsMetlink is warning Wellington commuters to expect buses to replace trains on weekends for the next 10-15 years. But there are a few things to look forward to while we wait. Thomas Nash is a Greater Wellington Regional Councillor. Ten to fifteen years. Four little words that sparked a mini ...4 days ago
- Maths education more than just test scoresOpinion: There has been a lot of talk of late about maths education due to New Zealand’s poor results in international testing. We can certainly improve maths learning experiences in our classrooms, and outcomes. However, I’m concerned that the desire to get better test results might lead to undesirable curriculum ...4 days ago
- Breaking barriers on sexual assault figuresAlison Mau had two choices when she was laid off from Stuff – carry on in journalism but not her specialist #MeToo reporting or quit the industry and try to make a meaningful difference in that area. She chose the latter and teamed up with another high-profile campaigner, barrister Zoe ...4 days ago
- Where is she now? Sonia WaddellIn a full circle moment, Olympic rower Sonia Waddell is back entrenched in the sport of athletics – the first of three codes in which she’s worn the silver fern. “Athletics will always be my passion, even though I ended up rowing at the Olympics,” laughs Waddell, at home ...4 days ago
- Taiwan wants NZ support to counter ‘expanding authoritarianism’Taiwan’s foreign minister says the territory can also expand ties with New Zealand in areas less likely to attract Chinese ire The post Taiwan wants NZ support to counter ‘expanding authoritarianism’ appeared first on Newsroom. ...4 days ago
- Markets at a tipping point as outlook darkensBusiness and investing: Half a year of stock market gains seem to be over as uncertainty starts to grow The post Markets at a tipping point as outlook darkens appeared first on Newsroom. ...4 days ago
- Iwi, business lay down the wero for climate ministerTangata whenua has laid down the wero for the climate minister, while business is urging the Government to go faster and further The post Iwi, business lay down the wero for climate minister appeared first on Newsroom. ...4 days ago
- How NZ can truly be independent in foreign policyComment: This country talks up its independent foreign policy but in reality it is not much more than an aspiration, still wedded to western worldviews The post How NZ can truly be independent in foreign policy appeared first on Newsroom. ...4 days ago
- The revolution will be memoired1967: I hadn’t heard from my family in Rotorua for months and months, not a letter or a phone call, nothing. One weekend I decided to go back on the Herald bus, along with bundles of newspapers tied up with rough twine that were stacked in the side compartments and ...4 days ago
- View from The Hill: Albanese to walk Kokoda track and engage in some jungle diplomacySource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Anthony Albanese will trek the Kokoda track on Tuesday and Wednesday before attending the Anzac Day dawn service at the Isurava Memorial site that commemorates one of the toughest battles the Australians fought in the ...4 days ago
- Australian author leads silent protest over ‘blood debt’ owed to PapuansAsia Pacific Report An Australian author and advocate, Jim Aubrey, today led a national symbolic one minute’s silence to mark the “blood debt” owed to Papuan allies during the Second World War indigenous resistance against the invading Japanese forces. “A promise to most people is a promise,” Aubrey said in ...4 days ago
- EDS Highlights Reputational Risks Of Fast-track Inclusion“Make no mistake: this proposed legislation, with its Ministerial overreach and capacity for environmental harm, is extremely radical and controversial,” said EDS CEO Gary Taylor. ...5 days ago
- Government agrees to raise concerns about forcible deportation of Afghans with PakistanThe government has promised to raise concerns about the forcible deportation of Afghans with Pakistan. ...5 days ago
- Australia’s social cohesion under strain, challenges and solutionsPacific Media Watch Australians are being urged to stay united following the horrific events in Sydney last week, reports the ABC’s Saturday Extra programme. Five women and one man were killed in a mass stabbing at Bondi Junction last Saturday by a man with a history of mental illness, and ...5 days ago
- Government announces lending changesThe government has announced it will reform financial services in a bid to make it easier to get home loans and other lending, and strengthen customer protections. ...5 days ago
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