Archive for April, 2013
Sunday Reading
Written By: - Date published: 9:32 am, April 21st, 2013 - 9 comments
My regular Sunday piece of interesting, longer, deeper stories I found during the week. It’s also a chance for you to share what you found this week too. Those stimulating links you wanted to share, but just didn’t fit in anywhere. This week: Vienna 1913, politics in our genes, burying Thatcher and failed economic theories.
The “socialist” vs capitalist PR war: NZ Power
Written By: - Date published: 8:19 am, April 21st, 2013 - 123 comments
The Key government and its allies are playing the “red scare” gambit, the Greens get to the heart of the reason for NZ Power, Parker goes Third Way, while Bernard Hickey and Matt McCarten weigh in to support the (alleged) “socialist” NZ Power policy. Bomber Bradbury adds some words of caution. [updated title]
Open mike 21/04/2013
Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, April 21st, 2013 - 142 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…
Plunket on NZ Power
Written By: - Date published: 1:22 pm, April 20th, 2013 - 44 comments
Sean Plunket’s piece on NZ Power wasn’t quite what I expected. After invoking the usual grim vision of the 1970s (although I swear I detected a slight wistful nostalgia) he breaks out the following conclusion…
Nonsensical Sentencing Trust plays the Obi-Wan card
Written By: - Date published: 10:00 am, April 20th, 2013 - 14 comments
The Sensible Sentencing Trust does not support vigilantism. From a certain point of view.
Rentiers on notice
Written By: - Date published: 9:06 am, April 20th, 2013 - 36 comments
The Green/Labour NZ Power announcement is a clear warning to the owners of electricity companies that their days of rentier profits are coming to an end. Joyce cries for the declining value of their shares but that fall tells us that the market thinks Labour and the Greens will govern, NZ Power will work, and it will knock hundreds of millions off power bills.
Reaction to NZ power
Written By: - Date published: 7:09 am, April 20th, 2013 - 98 comments
The Labour / Green electricity proposals picked up very significant support from Vector CEO Simon Mackenzie. Other analysts and commentators have weighed in with support, while some of the reaction from the business community has been (like the Nats) bordering on the unhinged.
Poverty Watch – Special edition on fuel poverty
Written By: - Date published: 7:06 am, April 20th, 2013 - 6 comments
Given the drama surrounding the Labour / Green electricity policy it seems appropriate for this week’s Poverty Watch to explore the topic of fuel poverty in NZ. It’s a killer, and it’s long past time that something was done.
Open mike 20/04/2013
Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, April 20th, 2013 - 151 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…
Exhuming the Dancing Cossacks
Written By: - Date published: 9:10 pm, April 19th, 2013 - 24 comments
Some commenters on PowerCo have said Labour/Greens will once again be devastated by ad’s like National’s famous “dancing cossacks.” I don’t think so. That ad attacked 1975 Labour’s compulsory superannuation plan. If voters hadn’t been seduced by Muldoon then we would now have a sovereign wealth fund that would be in advance of Australia’s. Key and Joyce are like Muldoon – shysters.
Do the lights ever go out on Planet Key?
Written By: - Date published: 8:19 pm, April 19th, 2013 - 33 comments
John Key says that the Labour-Green Power policy is “barking mad” and will take people back to the power cuts of the 1970s. Another John Key brainfade, or just being “clueless”? I look at power cuts and fuel poverty since the 1990s.
ImperatorFish: Yes, Steven, this is just like North Korea
Written By: - Date published: 2:25 pm, April 19th, 2013 - 7 comments
Scott earnestly compares Labour & the Greens’ NZ Power to the North Korean model.
Weekend social 19/04/2013
Written By: - Date published: 2:00 pm, April 19th, 2013 - 24 comments
Weekend social is for non political chat. What’s on for the weekend, gigs, film or book reviews, sports, or whatever. No politics, no aggro, why can’t we all just get along?
The buck stops with the directors: Pike River
Written By: - Date published: 11:00 am, April 19th, 2013 - 9 comments
Pike River found guilty of breaches of health and safety, leading to the death of of 29 miners. The CTU is calling for law changes to make company directors responsible for their company’s negligence. And the NZ MSM coverage of the catastrophe immediately after it happened?
Westpac workers fed up with pushing debt
Written By: - Date published: 10:43 am, April 19th, 2013 - 34 comments
Bank profits are up again. A 10 per cent increase over the past three months it was announced yesterday. What we don’t often hear though is how this profit is generated. It basically goes like this. Bank staff are all under sales targets. They need to sell a certain level of debt to meet these […]
Workers Memorial Day – mourn for the dead and fight for the living!
Written By: - Date published: 10:42 am, April 19th, 2013 - 4 comments
Here is a link to the CTU Workers Memorial Day event in Auckland on 28 April. We will be bringing together families that have lost loved ones in the Forestry Industry to tell their stories and call for change. I hope some of you can make it! Workers Memorial Day 2013
Stealth Taxers
Written By: - Date published: 10:09 am, April 19th, 2013 - 16 comments
National, far from being their idealised “low tax party” are in fact the “stealth tax party”. While they’ve lowered the top rate of tax and the company rate, helping out the wealthiest, there has been regressive tax after regressive tax increase on the smaller hidden things.
Dunne abandons charter schools
Written By: - Date published: 9:15 am, April 19th, 2013 - 33 comments
Peter Dunne is concerned about the use of unqualified teachers in charter schools. As well he should be – the Ministry of Education has issued a detailed warning against this daft policy.
Nats panicking on NZ Power
Written By: - Date published: 7:33 am, April 19th, 2013 - 347 comments
National’s reaction to the Labour/Greens NZ Power announcement was telling. They panicked. There was no genuine critique, just ‘won’t someone think of the shareholders’. The funniest bit was when National tried to say that it is a North Korean idea. In truth, it’s South Korea that has a Single Buyer like NZ Power. And their power prices have fallen while ours have risen.
Open mike 19/04/2013
Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, April 19th, 2013 - 75 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…
Nats 40.5% in Roy Morgan
Written By: - Date published: 8:20 pm, April 18th, 2013 - 61 comments
I don’t think this is a rogue poll – and it came before the Powerco announcement! The trend line is certainly clear now and should reassure Eddie. John Key better get his knighthood sorted.
NZ Power and the next step
Written By: - Date published: 7:43 pm, April 18th, 2013 - 54 comments
The NZ Power policy is the most significant break from the neoliberal political consensus we’ve seen for a long time.
Which is why it’s likely to draw a lot of fire from the elite. Let make sure there’s a lot of push back.
Classic Nat press releases
Written By: - Date published: 4:28 pm, April 18th, 2013 - 23 comments
The best that the Nats can come up with in response to the Labour / Green electricity reforms is juvenile posturing about Stalinist extremism and “comrades Norman and Shearer”. This from the National Party that brought you cancelled democratic elections, harsh punishments for protestors, and increased powers to spy on the people. Oh, the irony.
The disconnected: the future of the left?
Written By: - Date published: 12:30 pm, April 18th, 2013 - 42 comments
The current direction of Key’s government, and the challenging circumstances of the 21st century create a need for urgent attention to the form of a new left politics; one that embraces the working class, trade union solidarity, gender, diversity & the emerging “precariat”.
NZ Power
Written By: - Date published: 12:02 pm, April 18th, 2013 - 223 comments
At noon today Labour and the Greens jointly announced new energy policies. “NZ Power” is big and it’s bold. It will completely restructure the way the electricity sector is run, and result in lower power prices for both domestic and business consumers.
Tough on tax cheats?
Written By: - Date published: 9:26 am, April 18th, 2013 - 51 comments
This government is tough on welfare cheats and soft on tax cheats, and they shouldn’t bother trying to pretend otherwise.
Open mike 18/04/2013
Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, April 18th, 2013 - 197 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…
Best (so far). The bill passed well.
Written By: - Date published: 9:07 pm, April 17th, 2013 - 144 comments
The marriage equity bill has passed with a strong majority.
This is a watershed moment in New Zealand’s political history.
Mondayisation Bill passes
Written By: - Date published: 6:31 pm, April 17th, 2013 - 20 comments
As expected David Clark’s private member’s bill to “Mondayise” holidays passed its final reading this evening. The vote was 61 to 60 with National and ACT voting against.
- 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 ...1 week 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 ...1 week 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 ...1 week 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 ...1 week 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 ...1 week ago - Govt ignored economic analysis of smokefree reversal
1 week 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 ...1 week 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. ...1 week ago
- 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #15
A 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-2024
Welcome 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
- Grifters, Bigots & Booling With the Dawgs
2 weeks ago - Goldsmith spots a cost-saver in his Justice domain – let’s further erode our right (under Magna ...Bob Edlin writes – Chapter 39 of the Magna Carta (from memory) includes the guarantee that no free man may suffer punishment without “the lawful judgment of his peers.” This was a measure which the barons forced on England’s King John to delegate part of his judicial authority ...2 weeks ago
- Climate Adam: Is Global Warming Speeding Up?This video includes conclusions of the creator climate scientist Dr. Adam Levy. It is presented to our readers as an informed perspective. Please see video description for references (if any). Thanks to climate change, 2023 has shattered heat records, and 2024 is continuing where last year left off. With this devastating ...2 weeks ago
- Brooke is on the TV, being a Minister!
Brooke is on the TV, being a Minister! She is going to talk to Jack on the TV!It's hard to watch Jack on the TV without thinking to yourself:How can anyone be that good-looking,and also be even brainier than they are good-looking?Talk about lucky!But also, Jack works for the TV news. So ...2 weeks ago
- Methane targets to be independently reviewed
Rebuilding 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 - NZ and Nordics: likeminded partnersForeign Minister Winston Peters has highlighted the strong ties that bind New Zealand and the Nordic countries of Northern Europe during a trip to Sweden today. “There are few countries in the world more likeminded with New Zealand than our friends in Northern Europe,” Mr Peters says. “We ...3 weeks ago
- Watch: Three strikes policy to return with changes, PM announces
The coalition will reintroduce the sentencing law later this year - but it will be slightly different than last time. ...3 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 ...3 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 ...3 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 ...3 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 ...3 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 ...3 days ago
- Auditor-General's Submission On The Fast-track Approvals Bill
We’d like your feedback: Our website includes a feedback form. Please tell us if you found our information useful. ...3 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. ...3 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 ...3 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. ...3 days ago
- New to streaming: What to watch on Netflix NZ, Neon and more this week
We 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 ...3 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. ...3 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. ...3 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. ...3 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 ...3 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 ...3 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 ...3 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 ...3 days ago
- Daily crossword, Monday 22 April
The post Daily crossword, Monday 22 April appeared first on Newsroom. ...3 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 ...3 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. ...3 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. ...3 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 ...3 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 ...3 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 ...3 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 ...3 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. ...3 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. ...3 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 ...3 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. ...3 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. ...3 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 ...3 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 ...3 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. ...3 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. ...3 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 ...3 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 ...3 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 ...3 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 ...3 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. ...3 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. ...3 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. ...4 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. ...4 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 ...4 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. ...4 days ago
- Who helps with the 'huge emotional toll' of being an MP?The House - MPs have some of the highest pressure jobs in New Zealand, and the stressors aren't always what you might think. ...4 days ago
- How to read a poem: All day on Ma’uke by Rob HackThe latest in a semi-regular series that breaks down a poem to analyse what it’s really trying to tell us. In this edition of How to Read a Poem, Vaughan Rapatahana reads All day on Ma’uke by Rob Hack, published in a new anthology called Katūīvei: Contemporary Pasifika poetry from ...4 days ago
- Hear me out: It’s embarrassing that Wellington doesn’t have an ice rink Wellington’s lack of ice rinks undermines our credibility as a ‘capital’, much less a ‘city’, writes ice enthusiast Fox Meyer. When I moved to Aotearoa to study, I had several universities to choose from. I ignored all their academic merit and simply googled “best ice rink in New Zealand”. Google ...4 days ago
- Prime Minister Christopher Luxon returning from Southeast Asian tripPolitical issues such as the war in the Middle East had not overshadowed Southeast Asian mission, Christopher Luxon says. ...4 days ago
- Luxon pushes at an open door in Southeast AsiaAnalysis: Christopher Luxon’s first trip outside Australasia should be seen as a success. But the real test is whether he can translate his new friendships into a cohesive strategy for Asia, backed by the resources to see it through. During the Prime Minister’s five days travelling through Singapore, Bangkok and ...4 days ago
- Time to give your heart (and wallet) an oil changeOpinion: Extreme weather events in Europe, where most of our olive oil is imported from, have led to reduced olive harvests and higher prices for olive oil on our supermarket shelves. In March it was estimated to be the highest global price in 26 years. Only about 10 percent of ...4 days ago
- An Ode to .. Simeon BrownSimeon’s Hole The Profit Simeon walked upon The Concrete Overpasses of the Holey Land. “Cancel everything,” he told his followers. “Including the ferries …?” “Cancel.” “Auckland light rail … ?” “Cancel.” “The Mt Victoria double tunnels of prophecy …?” “Cancel.” His followers wondered aloud at this zealous fervour. But the ...4 days ago
- Lest we forget? The shame of our two-tier veteran’s systemOur laws are leaving many veterans who served after 1974 out in the cold. I know, because I’m one of them. The Sunday Essay is made possible thanks to the support of Creative New Zealand. As I write this story, I am in constant pain. My hands shake with adrenaline, and the ...4 days ago
- Five reasons why you should watch new reality series My Mum, Your Dad NZThree’s new dating show breaks all the reality rules, writes Tara Ward. This is an excerpt from our weekly pop culture newsletter Rec Room. Sign up here. If you think dating shows are only for the young, think again. From The Bachelor, to Too Hot to Handle, to Love Is Blind, there’s ...4 days ago
- Firms invited to apply for fast-track consents include 'environmental destroyers' – ...Environmentalists have slammed a list of organisations who have been invited to apply to the Government's proposed fast-track approvals scheme. ...5 days ago
- Solomon Islands political chess begins with Manasseh Sogavare re-elected in East ChoiseulBy Koroi Hawkins, RNZ Pacific editor in Honiara Solomon Islands’ incumbent prime minister Manasseh Sogavare has been re-elected in the East Choiseul constituency. It is the opening move in the political chess match to form the country’s next government. Returning officer Christopher Makoni made the declaration late last night after ...5 days ago
- The moment of friction.Headline: The moment of friction. – 36th Parallel Assessments In strategic studies “friction” is a term that it is used to describe the moment when military action encounters adversary resistance. “Friction” is one of four (along with an unofficial fifth) “F’s” in military strategy, which includes force (kinetic mass), ...5 days ago
- Fast-track Bill A Fraud Being Perpetrated On All Future GenerationsThe Fast-track Bill, if passed, would allow three Ministers, unchallenged and unchecked, to approve the immediate extraction and exhaustion of one-off resources. ...5 days ago
- Focus on Politics: Luxon boosts defence amid rising global tensionsAs global tensions escalated this week, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon was touring Southeast Asia, strengthening defence and security ties. ...5 days ago
- Why the pathology bulk-billing campaign is more about driving industry profits than saving you moneySource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stephen Duckett, Honorary Enterprise Professor, School of Population and Global Health, and Department of General Practice and Primary Care, The University of Melbourne iamharin/Shutterstock For many people, the term “bulk billed” refers to a GP visit they don’t have to pay ...5 days ago
- All about Emma: Three writers talk about the name they share in commonEmmas Hislop, Sidnam and Wehipeihana discuss what’s in a name. Emma Sidnam: Hello Emmas! Thank you so much for agreeing to do this with me. My first question for you is related to what’s been on my mind for a while. It’s very important. You see we’ve recently had some ...5 days ago
- Restoring coastal habitat boosts wildlife numbers by 61% – but puzzling failures mean we can still...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michael Sievers, Research Fellow, Global Wetlands Project, Australia Rivers Institute, Griffith University Chris Brown Humans love the coast. But we love it to death, so much so we’ve destroyed valuable coastal habitat – in the case of some types of habitat, ...5 days ago
- Public sector job cuts: Affected staff criticise leaders' handling of announcementsStaff are shell shocked and frustrated, and say leaders handled the announcements poorly. ...5 days ago
- ‘The room went dead quiet’: Josh Thomson on his worst 7 Days momentJosh Thomson on the 80s milk ad jingle he can’t stop singing, the beauty of The Simpsons, why Jersey Shore is as good as Shakespeare and more. For someone who spends a lot of time on our screens, popping up in everything from 7 Days to Taskmaster, Educators to Good ...5 days ago
- Shadow-boxing turns real for Israel and IranIn apparent defiance of the Biden administration, the Netanyahu government has now initiated missile strikes against Iran. Last Saturday night (Sunday morning in New Zealand) Iran launched more than 300 drones, cruise missiles and ballistic missiles against Israeli military targets. With the assistance of US, UK and possibly French forces, ...5 days ago
- Prime Minister Christopher Luxon meets KPIs on Southeast Asia missionPower Play - Asked for his own assessment of the visit, the prime minister said he was returning home "excited and energised". ...5 days ago
- Embracing Māori Representation Enriches Democracy, Not Divides ItMāori representation brings a perspective that encompasses not only the interests of Māori communities but also a broader, holistic approach to environmental stewardship and community well-being, principles deeply embedded in Te Ao Māori (the Māori ...5 days ago
- Anne Salmond: My open submission on this radical, flawed fast-track billThis week in Auckland, a group of young people took over the microphone at a ministerial press conference, to explain why they oppose the Fast-Track Approvals Bill. One young woman said, ‘We’re here because we love Aotearoa New Zealand. We want to raise our children in an environment that’s thriving, ...5 days ago
- Short story: Finally, by Caoimhe McKeoghThe summer was wonderful. Evie was wonderful, too; finally a teenager, finally worthy of long, hot days. She shaved her legs for the first time and bought cut-off shorts from the op-shop that made them look long. She got a Warehouse singlet so tight on her new shape that her ...5 days ago
- Thomas James is a master of inventionWhen Thomas James was on his solo camp as part of Outward Bound, the keen outdoorsman didn’t find it too challenging, as others often do. In what might just be the perfect illustration of his character, he saw it as a great opportunity to solve a few problems. “I thought, ...5 days ago
- All 28 road tunnels in New Zealand ranked from worst to bestFrom the unstable and drippy to the hi-tech and pretty, here’s our ranking of all the tunnels you can drive through in this country. The first tunnel seems to have been built in 2200BC in Babylonia, kicking off a global phenomenon for digging holes in order to get places more ...5 days ago
- How to make the most of your market haulLucinda Bennett on the art of being greedy but resourceful. This is an excerpt from our weekly food newsletter, The Boil Up. When I picture the market, it is always this time of year. Crisp air, dripping nose, counting coins with cold fingers. Sunlight pale, filtered through specks of dew still ...5 days ago
- From a library basement comes a fashion historyZoë Colling’s favourite piece in the ‘That’s So Last Century’ collection is a lubrication chart for a sewing machine from the ’60s. It’s about the size of a postcard, and carefully maintained. “I like it that this piece of ephemera highlights that manual and technical side of the skill involved ...5 days ago
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