Archive for June, 2013
Child poverty: Are we that heartless?
Written By: - Date published: 11:10 am, June 15th, 2013 - 34 comments
New Zealand’s issue of child poverty has lingered around for the past thirty-odd years, and although the rate is lower than it was in the 1980′s, it is by no means at an encouraging level. 1 in 4 kiwi kids live below the threshold, that’s around 270,000, equivalent to filling Eden Park five and half times with impoverished kids
Water under pressure
Written By: - Date published: 8:12 am, June 15th, 2013 - 38 comments
Water is becoming a precious resource, under threat from pollution, over use, population growth, & commercial profiteering. The Green & Labour Parties are very critical of Key’s government weakening the RMA in favour of commercial gains, while over-riding local government plans.
Poverty Watch 35
Written By: - Date published: 7:56 am, June 15th, 2013 - 4 comments
Welcome to Poverty Watch, a weekly update on National’s lack of response to the urgent and growing issue of poverty in NZ. This week, a brief note about a coming episode of “The Vote” on the following topic: “Our kids – The problem’s not poverty, it’s parenting”.
Inconvenient indeed
Written By: - Date published: 7:17 am, June 15th, 2013 - 62 comments
Your favourite smug, self-aggrandising Tory and mine, David Farrar, wrote a post yesterday about something called the “Performance of Manufacturing Index”, which is a wee survey that the BNZ does. Apparently, it shows manufacturing on the grow. ‘How inconvenient’ for people worried about the crisis in manufacturing, Farrar chortled. Then, Blenheim’s largest manufacturer laid off 84 workers.
Open mike 15/06/2013
Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, June 15th, 2013 - 111 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…
A fighting liberal
Written By: - Date published: 8:48 pm, June 14th, 2013 - 42 comments
Lieutenant General David Morrison schools the misogynists and shows how you can be tough and liberal.
Best quote:
“You may find another employer where your attitude and behaviour is acceptable but I doubt it. The same goes for those that think toughness is build on humiliating others.”
Weekend social 14/06/2013
Written By: - Date published: 2:00 pm, June 14th, 2013 - 14 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?
Workers’ rights under attack
Written By: - Date published: 9:55 am, June 14th, 2013 - 85 comments
Key’s government is continuing its attack on workers’ rights, pay, conditions & collective bargaining with Jami-Lee Ross’s ‘Strike Breaking’ Bill. Darien Fenton, the CTU & EPMU say why it is wrong. All parties and MPs should oppose this and other proposed changes to employment law.
Deep hypocrisy vs government for sale
Written By: - Date published: 9:39 am, June 14th, 2013 - 214 comments
While it was stupid of Labour MPs to muddy the waters, the real scandal goes unremarked.
Revolting young
Written By: - Date published: 8:54 am, June 14th, 2013 - 400 comments
Bernard Hickey asked such an interesting question on Twitter that it’s worth a post and discussion here. When and how will the young revolt?
Open mike 14/06/2013
Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, June 14th, 2013 - 116 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…
DPF oops
Written By: - Date published: 10:02 am, June 13th, 2013 - 110 comments
Bad day for National’s favourite blogger yesterday (plus journalist David Fisher on the Kiwiblog comments section).
Networks of influence: Key, Peter Thiel & the GCSB
Written By: - Date published: 9:21 am, June 13th, 2013 - 70 comments
We don’t know how often John Key has met with Peter Thiel, co-founder of Palantir which developes cyber-intell systems like PRISM, & is now operating in NZ. Thiel’s involvement in NZ is extensive. He has been pursuing his “utopian” libertarian, cyber-focused agenda in NZ for a few years.
Classy right wing politics
Written By: - Date published: 8:05 am, June 13th, 2013 - 41 comments
A classic case of classy right wing politics from Australia is currently in the news. Reminds me of a similar example here last year.
Spies and lies – can anyone trust Key?
Written By: - Date published: 6:52 am, June 13th, 2013 - 46 comments
The angles and implications of the GCSB / PRISM / Palantir story are multiplying at a frightening rate, and only a mug would trust anything coming out from the government about it. Key is openly contradicting himself on the GCSB law, it’s farcical.
Open mike 13/06/2013
Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, June 13th, 2013 - 128 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…
From a sinking ship
Written By: - Date published: 12:43 pm, June 12th, 2013 - 61 comments
Ongoing problems for Peter Dunne and United Future.
National standards nonsense
Written By: - Date published: 9:53 am, June 12th, 2013 - 34 comments
If there was a national standard in scientific method than the right wing spinsters talking up yesterday’s national standards results would all fail it.
Why can’t the Right face the manufacturing crisis?
Written By: - Date published: 7:00 am, June 12th, 2013 - 117 comments
The NBR (motto: ‘our circulation’s falling at 12% per year’) and the Right blogs are all aflutter after supposedly proving that Russel Norman is wrong and there haven’t been 40,000 manufacturing jobs lost since 2008. NBR’s Rob Hosking claims the number is only 10,000-20,000. Because, you know, that would be OK. But the truth is, Norman’s right – 40,000 manufacturing job losses since June 2008.
Open mike 12/06/2013
Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, June 12th, 2013 - 181 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…
Nothing moderate about National’s employment changes
Written By: - Date published: 3:41 pm, June 11th, 2013 - 71 comments
There is nothing ‘moderate’ about pushing policy that increases the power of the powerful and reduces the power of those dependent on them for a living, says the EPMU’s Rachel Mackintosh.
National’s employment changes will drive wages down and increase insecurity and poverty in this country.
The corruption of democracy
Written By: - Date published: 11:07 am, June 11th, 2013 - 69 comments
Similar neoliberal, corporate-friendly, beneficiary-bashing, anti-worker, anti-democratic & big-brotherish measures favoured by the US & UK governments have been adopted by Key’s government. Prism, Thin Thread and Kim Dotcom documents, show the GCSB & SIS need to be reigned in. How to ensure a fair, just & democratic society?
Hooton spouting nonsense
Written By: - Date published: 9:23 am, June 11th, 2013 - 179 comments
Matthew Hooton is spinning like mad to talk up the economy. Unfortunately his spin sometimes bends the truth beyond breaking point, and there were three examples of that yesterday.
Open mike 11/06/2013
Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, June 11th, 2013 - 156 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…
Thin end of the wedge to get thicker?
Written By: - Date published: 11:38 am, June 10th, 2013 - 54 comments
The Nats’ attacks on workers rights and conditions started with the “fire at will” (90 day probation) Bill. No surprise to find pressure from employers to double the duration.
Whistleblowers and services to journalism
Written By: - Date published: 10:00 am, June 10th, 2013 - 57 comments
Two leakers (one a true whistleblower), are in the news right now, both focused on the US-led surveillance society, operating in the interests of corporate power. And today, in relation to this, 2 journalists show the importance of the fourth estate to democracy. Kim Hill & Glenn Greenwald take a bow.
The hairdo takes a haircut from the smiling assassin?
Written By: - Date published: 9:05 am, June 10th, 2013 - 31 comments
In politics, one week is a long time.
And for this year, the week on either side of Queen’s birthday weekend was especially interesting. And particularly hectic for some key people!
Positioning and reality
Written By: - Date published: 7:31 am, June 10th, 2013 - 72 comments
There’s a lot of talk at the moment about whether Labour is too close to the Greens. Lately, we’ve seen spin coming out that Labour might be able to govern without the Greens, favouring NZF instead. Meanwhile, the Greens seem happy to talk about a future Greens-Labour government. National’s leaking to Peters and Peters is playing the race card. What’s going on?
Open mike 10/06/2013
Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, June 10th, 2013 - 351 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 Greens: Party democracy and parliamentary politics
Written By: - Date published: 9:00 am, June 9th, 2013 - 106 comments
John Armstrong follows Lusk’s plan in attacking The Green Party’s democratic change to Conference remit procedures. Isaac Davison gives a more balanced account& points to preparation for a Labour-Green government. How much bottom-up democracy can there be in a top-down parliamentary system?
- Climate Change: Turning the tide
The annual inventory report of New Zealand's greenhouse gas emissions has been released, showing that gross emissions have dropped for the third year in a row, to 78.4 million tons: All-told gross emissions have decreased by over 6 million tons since the Zero Carbon Act was passed in 2019. ...3 weeks ago - Join us for the weekly Hoon on YouTube Live
3 weeks ago - How to Unlock Your Computer A Comprehensive Guide to Regaining Access
Experiencing a locked computer can be frustrating, especially when you need access to your files and applications urgently. The methods to unlock your computer will vary depending on the specific situation and the type of lock you encounter. This guide will explore various scenarios and provide step-by-step instructions on how ...3 weeks ago - Faxing from Your Computer A Modern Guide to Sending Documents DigitallyWhile the world has largely transitioned to digital communication, faxing still holds relevance in certain industries and situations. Fortunately, gone are the days of bulky fax machines and dedicated phone lines. Today, you can easily send and receive faxes directly from your computer, offering a convenient and efficient way to ...3 weeks ago
- Protecting Your Home Computer A Guide to Cyber AwarenessIn our increasingly digital world, home computers have become essential tools for work, communication, entertainment, and more. However, this increased reliance on technology also exposes us to various cyber threats. Understanding these threats and taking proactive steps to protect your home computer is crucial for safeguarding your personal information, finances, ...3 weeks ago
- Server-Based Computing Powering the Modern Digital LandscapeIn the ever-evolving world of technology, server-based computing has emerged as a cornerstone of modern digital infrastructure. This article delves into the concept of server-based computing, exploring its various forms, benefits, challenges, and its impact on the way we work and interact with technology. Understanding Server-Based Computing: At its core, ...3 weeks ago
- Vroom vroom go the big red trucks
The absolute brass neck of this guy.We want more medical doctors, not more spin doctors, Luxon was saying a couple of weeks ago, and now we’re told the guy has seven salaried adults on TikTok duty. Sorry, doing social media. The absolute brass neck of it. The irony that the ...3 weeks ago - Jones finds $410,000 to help the government muscle in on a spat project
Buzz from the Beehive Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones relishes spatting and eagerly takes issue with environmentalists who criticise his enthusiasm for resource development. He relishes helping the fishing industry too. And so today, while the media are making much of the latest culling in the public service to ...3 weeks ago - Again, hate crimes are not necessarily terrorism.
Having written, taught and worked for the US government on issues involving unconventional warfare and terrorism for 30-odd years, two things irritate me the most when the subject is discussed in public. The first is the Johnny-come-lately academics-turned-media commentators who … Continue reading ...3 weeks ago - Despair – construction consenting edition
Eric Crampton writes – Kainga Ora is the government’s house building agency. It’s been building a lot of social housing. Kainga Ora has its own (but independent) consenting authority, Consentium. It’s a neat idea. Rather than have to deal with building consents across each different territorial authority, Kainga Ora ...3 weeks ago - Coalition promises – will the Govt keep the commitment to keep Kiwis equal before the law?Muriel Newman writes – The Coalition Government says it is moving with speed to deliver campaign promises and reverse the damage done by Labour. One of their key commitments is to “defend the principle that New Zealanders are equal before the law.” To achieve this, they have pledged they “will not advance ...3 weeks ago
- An impermanent public service is a guarantee of very little else but failureChris Trotter writes – The absence of anything resembling a fightback from the public servants currently losing their jobs is interesting. State-sector workers’ collective fatalism in the face of Coalition cutbacks indicates a surprisingly broad acceptance of impermanence in the workplace. Fifty years ago, lay-offs in the thousands ...3 weeks ago
- What happens after the war – Mariupol
Mariupol, on the Azov Sea coast, was one of the first cities to suffer almost complete destruction after the start of the Ukraine War started in late February 2022. We remember the scenes of absolute destruction of the houses and city structures. The deaths of innocent civilians – many of ...3 weeks ago - Babies and benefits – no good newsLindsay Mitchell writes – Ten years ago, I wrote the following in a Listener column: Every year around one in five new-born babies will be reliant on their caregivers benefit by Christmas. This pattern has persisted from at least 1993. For Maori the number jumps to over one in three. ...3 weeks ago
- Should the RBNZ be looking through climate inflation?
3 weeks ago - Bernard's pick 'n' mix of the news links
The top six news links I’ve seen elsewhere in the last 24 hours, as of 9:16 am on Thursday, April 18 are:Housing: Tauranga residents living in boats, vans RNZ Checkpoint Louise TernouthHousing: Waikato councillor says wastewater plant issues could hold up Sleepyhead building a massive company town Waikato Times Stephen ...3 weeks ago - Gordon Campbell on the public sector carnage, and misogyny as terrorism
It’s a simple deal. We pay taxes in order to finance the social services we want and need. The carnage now occurring across the public sector though, is breaking that contract. Over 3,000 jobs have been lost so far. Many are in crucial areas like Education where the impact of ...3 weeks ago - Meeting the Master Baiters
Hi,A friend had their 40th over the weekend and decided to theme it after Curb Your Enthusiasm fashion icon Susie Greene. Captured in my tiny kitchen before I left the house, I ending up evoking a mix of old lesbian and Hillary Clinton — both unintentional.Me vs Hillary ClintonIf you’re ...3 weeks ago - How extreme was the Earth's temperature in 2023
This is a re-post from Andrew Dessler at the Climate Brink blog In 2023, the Earth reached temperature levels unprecedented in modern times. Given that, it’s reasonable to ask: What’s going on? There’s been lots of discussions by scientists about whether this is just the normal progression of global warming or if something ...3 weeks ago - Backbone, revisited
The schools are on holiday and the sun is shining in the seaside village and all day long I have been seeing bunches of bikes; Mums, Dads, teens and toddlers chattering, laughing, happy, having a bloody great time together. Cheers, AT, for the bits of lane you’ve added lately around the ...3 weeks ago - Ministers are not above the lawToday in our National-led authoritarian nightmare: Shane Jones thinks Ministers should be above the law: New Zealand First MP Shane Jones is accusing the Waitangi Tribunal of over-stepping its mandate by subpoenaing a minister for its urgent hearing on the Oranga Tamariki claim. The tribunal is looking into the ...3 weeks ago
- What’s the outfit you can hear going down the gurgler? Probably it’s David Parker’s Oceans Sec...Buzz from the Beehive Point of Order first heard of the Oceans Secretariat in June 2021, when David Parker (remember him?) announced a multi-agency approach to protecting New Zealand’s marine ecosystems and fisheries. Parker (holding the Environment, and Oceans and Fisheries portfolios) broke the news at the annual Forest & ...3 weeks ago
- Will politicians let democracy die in the darkness?Bryce Edwards writes – Politicians across the political spectrum are implicated in the New Zealand media’s failing health. Either through neglect or incompetent interventions, successive governments have failed to regulate, foster, and allow a healthy Fourth Estate that can adequately hold politicians and the powerful to account. ...3 weeks ago
- Matt Doocey doubles down on trans “healthcare”Citizen Science writes – Last week saw two significant developments in the debate over the treatment of trans-identifying children and young people – the release in Britain of the final report of Dr Hilary Cass’s review into gender healthcare, and here in New Zealand, the news that the ...3 weeks ago
- A TikTok Prime Minister.
One night while sleeping in my bed I had a beautiful dreamThat all the people of the world got together on the same wavelengthAnd began helping one anotherNow in this dream, universal love was the theme of the dayPeace and understanding and it happened this wayAfter such an eventful day ...3 weeks ago - Texas Lessons
This is a guest post by Oscar Simms who is a housing activist, volunteer for the Coalition for More Homes, and was the Labour Party candidate for Auckland Central at the last election....
3 weeks ago - Bernard's pick 'n' mix of the news links at 6:06 am
The top six news links I’ve seen elsewhere in the last 24 hours as of 6:06 am on Wednesday, April 17 are:Must read: Secrecy shrouds which projects might be fast-tracked RNZ Farah HancockScoop: Revealed: Luxon has seven staffers working on social media content - partly paid for by taxpayer Newshub ...3 weeks ago - Fighting poverty on the holiday highwayTurning what Labour called the “holiday highway” into a four-lane expressway from Auckland to Whangarei could bring at least an economic benefit of nearly two billion a year for Northland each year. And it could help bring an end to poverty in one of New Zealand’s most deprived regions. The ...3 weeks ago
- Taxpayers’ Union Slams Secret List Of Judges’ Perks
Responding to the long-awaited release of judges’ special allowances, including free air travel and hotels for spouses, generous sabbaticals, and access to limousines, Taxpayers’ Union spokesman Alex Murphy said: “In what world does your employer ...5 days ago - Winston Peters expected to give update on AUKUS talks in speech
Analysis - The United States has unveiled plans to boost the weapons trade with Australia and the UK, on the same day that Winston Peters is expected to sketch NZ's position on AUKUS. ...5 days ago - Why did the Voice referendum fail? We crunched the data and found 6 reasons
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrea Carson, Professor of Political Communication, Department of Politics, Media and Philosophy, La Trobe University Since Australia’s First Nations Voice to Parliament referendum in October 2023, diverse commentaries have sought to explain why it failed. But what does an analysis of media ...5 days ago - Court hears appeal of Waitangi Tribunal summons decision
Lawyers representing two iwi as well as the Māori Women’s Welfare League on Wednesday asked the Court of Appeal to overturn last week’s High Court decision on the Waitangi Tribunal’s decision to summons Children’s Minister Karen Chhour. The Tribunal is currently investigating the Government’s decision to repeal section 7AA of ...5 days ago - Former MPs Louisa Wall, Simon O'Connor claim to be targets of China-backed cyber attackThe spy agencies are being questioned after two former MPs claim they were never informed they were victims of a China-backed cyber-attack. ...5 days ago
- Kāinga Ora home vacancies 'trending downwards' after minister's letterThe agency recently changed the way it counts vacancies so it is more accurate. ...5 days ago
- Albanese government flags measures to tackle online misogyny in the battle against violence towards ...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra The Albanese government will introduce legislation to ban deepfake pornography and provide more funding for the eSafety Commission to pilot age-assurance technologies. The contribution of internet sites to gender-based violence was one major issue ...5 days ago
- Average Hourly Earnings Up 5.2 Percent Annually – Stats NZAverage ordinary time hourly earnings, as measured by the Quarterly Employment Survey (QES), increased 5.2 percent in the year to the March 2024 quarter, according to figures released by Stats NZ today. Annual wage cost inflation, as measured by the ...5 days ago
- Job scams are on the rise. What are they, and how can you protect yourself?Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Dimitrios Salampasis, FinTech Capability Lead | Senior Lecturer, Emerging Technologies and FinTech, Swinburne University of Technology Clem Onojeghuo/Unsplash In the digital era, the job market is increasingly becoming a minefield – demanding and difficult to navigate. According to the Australian Bureau ...5 days ago
- Two Decades Of Youth Employment And Education – Stats NZAs of the March 2024 quarter, we can now look back on 20 years of data related to youth not in employment, education, or training (NEET), as collected by the Household Labour Force Survey (HLFS), according to figures released by Stats NZ today. "The ...5 days ago
- May Day: The Biggest Threat To NZ Workers In 2024 Is Our GovernmentThousands of workers attended public events in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch today to celebrate International Workers’ Day (May Day), but union representatives are urging caution and vigilance over the Government’s blatantly "anti-worker" ...6 days ago
- Unemployment Rate At 4.3 Percent – Stats NZThe seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 4.3 percent in the March 2024 quarter, compared with 4.0 percent in the previous quarter, according to figures released by Stats NZ today. ...6 days ago
- David Seymour wants to stop 'lazily' categorising by raceThe ACT leader rails against "lazily looking at everyone through the lens of race" in latest episode of RNZ's new in depth interview show. ...6 days ago
- Private Info Of New Zealanders Will Be Breached By Latest Government CutsThe PSA is warning the Government that the sensitive information of New Zealanders held by various agencies will fall into the wrong hands if the latest round of proposed cuts goes ahead. ...6 days ago
- Curious Kids: how do sugar rushes work?Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Talitha Best, Professor of Psychology, CQUniversity Australia Victoria Rodriguez/Unsplash How do sugar rushes work? – W.H, age nine, from Canberra What a terrific question W.H! Let’s explore this, starting with some of the basics. What is sugar? ...6 days ago
- Our research shows a strong link between unemployment and domestic violence: what does this mean for...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Karinna Saxby, Research Fellow, Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research, The University of Melbourne MART PRODUCTION/Pexels Increasing income support could help keep women and children safe according to new work demonstrating strong links between financial insecurity and domestic violence. ...6 days ago
- From Gallipoli to Gaza: remembering the Anzacs not as a ‘coming of age’ tale but as a lesson for...ANALYSIS: By Olli Hellmann, University of Waikato When New Zealanders commemorate Anzac Day today on April 25, it’s not only to honour the soldiers who lost their lives in World War I and subsequent conflicts, but also to mark a defining event for national identity. The battle of Gallipoli against ...6 days ago
- ‘A major shakeup’: the Optus outage has been investigated. What’s going to change now?Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mark A Gregory, Associate Professor, School of Engineering, RMIT University The telecommunications industry faces a major shakeup following the release of the post-incident report on last November’s 12-hour Optus outage. Telecommunications companies will have to share more information with customers during future ...6 days ago
- ‘There is some properly foul content in this book’: What a bookseller reads
Welcome to The Spinoff Bookseller Confessional, in which we get to know Aotearoa’s booksellers. This week: Eden Denyer, bookseller at Unity Books Auckland. Weirdest question/request you’ve had on the shop floor A mother came in looking for anything we might have on Alaskan bison as that was her little boy’s ...6 days ago - Unemployment Data Shows Need For Govt To Act NowNZCTU Economist Craig Renney said new data released by Statistics New Zealand shows the need for Government to act now, with unemployment rising from 3.4% to 4.3%. ...6 days ago
- Polls are nothing if not a bit of political theatre The outpouring of anger over Maiki Sherman’s hyperbolic presentation of this week’s ‘nightmare’ poll is itself an overreaction, argues Stewart Sowman-Lund. Politicians love nothing more than to pretend they don’t care about polls. This week, deputy prime minister Winston Peters said he didn’t give a “rat’s derriere” about a TVNZ ...6 days ago
- Ngāti Kahungunu becomes NZ’s first iwi to call for a Gaza ceasefireAsia Pacific Report Ngāti Kahungunu in Aotearoa New Zealand’s Hawkes Bay region has become the first indigenous Māori iwi (tribe) to sign a resolution calling for a “ceasefire in Palestine”, reports Te Ao Māori News. Reporter Te Aniwaniwa Paterson talked to Te Otāne Huata, who has been organising peace rallies ...6 days ago
- PNG businesses want grants, not loans over Black Wednesday riotsBy Dale Luma in Port Moresby “We want grants and not concessional loans,” is the crisp message from Papua New Guinea businesses directly affected by the Black Wednesday looting four months ago. The businesses, which lost millions after the January 10 rioting and looting, say they need grants as part ...6 days ago
- Pay bump for politicians: What you need to knowExplainer - MPs are about to get a pay bump, but is it fair and how does it compare to other countries? ...6 days ago
- School lunches funding likely to be time-limitedIt's an approach to funding the government has spent months criticising Labour over - calling them "fiscal cliffs" . ...6 days ago
- Cum chairs, stolen pay and shitting bans: Workers share their horror stories with usHappy May Day. Join a union. Q: What’s worse than a staff break room where the only place to sit and have a cup of tea is on a teetering stack of old pornography magazines? A: Your boss replacing the magazine stacks with chairs that are “heartily encrusted with ...6 days ago
- Landlord Government Once Again Pushes Renters Into The ColdThe Coalition is trying to axe yet another opportunity to improve rentals by dropping the Residential Property Managers Bill. ...6 days ago
- Ready, set, go in Solomons PM race – Jeremiah Manele vs Matthew WaleBy Koroi Hawkins, RNZ Pacific editor Former opposition leader Matthew Wale has been announced as the second prime ministerial candidate ahead of the election in Solomon Islands tomorrow. He will face off against former foreign affairs minister Jeremiah Manele, who was announced by the Coalition for National Unity and Transformation ...6 days ago
- Unemployment rate rises to 4.3%Fewer jobs are created and immigration is increasing the size of the workforce, Stats NZ says. ...6 days ago
- The art of the three-day birthdayWe get but one birthday a year – why not make it last as long as possible by scheduling as many meals with friends and family as you can? This is an excerpt from our weekly food newsletter, The Boil Up. How do you celebrate your birthday? Do you celebrate at ...6 days ago
- If the industry is to survive, journalists need to convince the public of their worthA Koi Tū discussion paper released today proposes sweeping changes to New Zealand’s media industry. The principal’s key author, Gavin Ellis, explains how journalists have a key role to play in making others value their role in society. This is an abridged version of a piece first published on knightlyviews.com ...6 days ago
- Government Risks Wellbeing Of Māori With Proposed Cuts To Te Puni KōkiriThe Government’s spending cuts are again targeting support for Māori with proposed reform of the agency charged with advising on Māori wellbeing and development. ...6 days ago
- What just happened to Bonza? Why new budget airlines always struggle in AustraliaSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ian Douglas, Honorary Senior Lecturer, UNSW Aviation., UNSW Sydney The history of budget jet airlines in Australia is a long road littered with broken dreams. New entrants have consistently struggled to get a foothold. Low-cost carrier Bonza has just become the industry’s ...6 days ago
- Free trade deal with the European Union comes into forceThe European Union ambassador says the FTA will have immediate wins for kiwifruit, apple, and onion growers. ...6 days ago
- Violence against women is both a legal and cultural problem. What can we do to address it?Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rosalind Dixon, Director, Gilbert + Tobin Centre of Public Law, UNSW Sydney Australia is finally having a sustained conversation about violence against women and what we can do about it. It is more than time. Australian women and girls continue to experience ...6 days ago
- GP clinics are going to pay more payroll tax, which could reduce bulk billingSource: 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 stockfour/Shutterstock Preliminary bulk billing data released this week shows a 2.1% rise in bulk billing up to March. ...6 days ago
- ‘Make me a sandwich’: our survey’s disturbing picture of how some boys treat their teachersSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Samantha Schulz, Senior Lecturer, University of Adelaide Australia is once again grappling with how we can stop gendered violence in our country. Protests over the weekend show there is enormous community anger over the number of women who are dying and National ...6 days ago
- Australians lose $5,200 a minute to scammers. There’s a simple thing the government could do to re...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Martin, Visiting Fellow, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University AnastasiaDudka/Shutterstock What if the government was doing everything it could to stop thieves making off with our money, except the one thing that could really work? That’s how it ...6 days ago
- Psychological drama, wilderness reality and everyone’s favourite dog: the best of streaming this M...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Erin Harrington, Senior Lecturer in English and Cultural Studies, University of Canterbury The Conversation It seems to be a time of old favourites. This month our experts have recommended two new seasons – the second season of Alone Australia (although ...6 days ago
- Te Tiriti o Waitangi could be heading home after 'long and arduous journey'After 184 years, Te Tiriti o Waitangi may be on its way home. ...6 days ago
- The Eta Aquariid meteor shower is about to peak and could be the best this century – here’s how ...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jonti Horner, Professor (Astrophysics), University of Southern Queensland A bright Eta Aquariid meteor photobombed this photo of comet C/2020 F8 (SWAN) in May 2020. Jonti Horner Meteors – commonly known as shooting stars – can be seen on any night of the ...6 days ago
- Wondering what Australia might look like in a hotter world? Take a glimpse into the distant pastSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tim Flannery, Honorary fellow, The University of Melbourne Shutterstock Current concentrations of carbon dioxide (CO₂) in Earth’s atmosphere are unprecedented in human history. But CO₂ levels today, and those that might occur in coming decades, did occur millions of years ago. ...6 days ago
- Foreign minister speech tipped to shed light on Aukus involvementWinston Peters has been keen to dismiss speculation on our involvement in Aukus but will give a speech tonight on the direction of our foreign policy, writes Anna Rawhiti-Connell in this excerpt from The Bulletin, The Spinoff’s morning news round-up. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here. ...6 days ago
- Will New Zealand’s school phone ban work? Let’s see what it does for students’ curiositySource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Patrick Usmar, Lecturer in Critical Media Literacies, Auckland University of Technology Getty Images With the coalition government’s ban of student mobile phones in New Zealand schools coming into effect this week, reaction has ranged from the sceptical (kids will just get ...6 days ago
- School's struggle with asbestos removal: 'It's destroyed me'An Auckland school's efforts to get rid of asbestos has been so tough its principal thought of quitting the job. ...6 days ago
- Hospital hiring has to go through head office in 'short term' budget moveHospitals around the country are not allowed to make a single hiring decision without the approval of Te Whatu Ora's head office, including for cleaners and administration staff. ...6 days ago
- Urgent democratic need to save NZ’s journalism ecosystemA new report on protecting journalism and democracy in New Zealand recommends a levy be charged on global platforms like Facebook and Google to fund media firms undertaking public interest reporting. It also calls for the reinstatement of a powerful Broadcasting Commission to distribute public funding for journalism and other ...6 days ago
- Unions Celebrate May Day During Tough Time For Working PeopleOn International Workers' Day, also known as May Day, the New Zealand Council of Trade Unions Te Kauae Kaimahi and the wider union movement are celebrating the proud history of the labour movement during a tough time for working people. ...6 days ago
- 'Never a right time' – MPs respond to pay rise newsThe pay rises are not particularly great timing when the public is doing it tough, ACT Party leader David Seymour says. ...6 days ago
- The highs and lows of James Shaw’s 10 years in parliamentFrom bills to beards, a walk through the former Green co-leader’s time in politics. After close to a decade in politics, James Shaw is preparing to bid farewell to parliament. Tonight will see the former minister deliver his valedictory address, certain to be a speech filled with Shaw’s trademark wit ...6 days ago
- Efeso Collins deserved better than what parliament offered yesterdayTwo months ago, MPs unanimously voted to give themselves a week off in Efeso Collins’ honour. On Tuesday, most were too busy to give even an hour of their time. The day Fa’anānā Efeso Collins died, parliament felt different. In a building that operates at a breakneck pace, everyone stopped ...6 days ago
- What you need to know about the world’s biggest election, happening right nowIndia’s election involves hundreds of millions of people and is a months-long affair. Here’s how voting works and what’s at stake. The biggest-ever election in world history started on April 19, with more than 10% of the world’s population eligible to vote. Elections in India, the world’s most populous country ...6 days ago
- Daily crossword, Wednesday 1 MayThe post Daily crossword, Wednesday 1 May appeared first on Newsroom. ...6 days ago
- Boards, don’t just wait for the axe to fallOpinion: Community organisation board members need to step up their strategic thinking The post Boards, don’t just wait for the axe to fall appeared first on Newsroom. ...6 days ago
- We have an emergency emergencyAfter the Christchurch earthquake, the then-national civil defence boss compared his experience to “putting a team on the rugby field who have never ever played together before”. Now, eight years later – and following a damning inquiry into the emergency response of cyclones Gabrielle, Hale and the Auckland anniversary weekend floods – ...6 days ago
- A body in Devonport“I had just come off the end of a major robbery case which I had been working on for six months when I got a call on the afternoon of September 1, 1992, that some remains had been found at a building site in Devonport, so I drove over with ...6 days ago
- Newsroom daily quiz, Wednesday 1 MayLoading…(function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){var ql=document.querySelectorAll('A,DIV,A[data-quiz],DIV[data-quiz]'); if(ql){if(ql.length){for(var k=0;k<ql.length;k++){ql[k].id='quiz-embed-'+k;ql[k].href="javascript:var i=document.getElementById('quiz-embed-"+k+"');try{qz.startQuiz(i)}catch(e){i.start=1;i.style.cursor='wait';i.style.opacity='0.5'};void(0);"}}};i['QP']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){(i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o),m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m)})(window,document,'script','https://take.quiz-maker.com/3012/CDN/quiz-embed-v1.js','qp'); Got a good quiz question? Send Newsroom your questions. The post Newsroom daily quiz, Wednesday 1 May appeared first on Newsroom. ...6 days ago
- Beef and beliefs: EU diplomat on the NZ relationshipBrussels’ man in Wellington on our newly active trade deal and the shared values underpinning ties The post Beef and beliefs: EU diplomat on the NZ relationship appeared first on Newsroom. ...6 days ago
- If not journalists, then who?Comment: Journalists are very good at telling other people’s stories, but they fall well short when writing about their own profession. Perhaps that is why it is so undervalued. Every successive poll on the public’s attitude toward journalism is more alarming than the last. In the last month we have ...6 days ago
- Preterm babies deserve better careOpinion: A young Māori woman and her Pacific partner arrive at their local hospital by ambulance. She has gone into labour at just under 24 weeks, but the couple haven’t recognised the symptoms – and don’t know the risks of premature birth for their baby. By the time they arrive, ...6 days ago
- Bishop backtracks after fast-track backlashBehind closed doors, NZ First will be arguing fiercely against any watering down of the ministerial decision-making powers in the Bill The post Bishop backtracks after fast-track backlash appeared first on Newsroom. ...6 days ago
- Boy in the Water: Mum speaks publicly for first timeEmotional scenes played out in the Invercargill courthouse on the first two days of the coronial inquest into the death of Gore toddler Lachlan Jones, in which the boy’s mother was accused of disposing of her son’s body. The second season of Newsroom’s award-nominated podcast The Boy in the Water ...6 days ago
- When the doghouse is an upgrade, ECE is in troubleOpinion: The impression from the carpark is very inviting. The area is well fenced but barred so there is easy visibility of loved ones. Inside, the spaces are welcoming and clean and staff are friendly and clearly comfortable. I am greeted by ‘Kim’. She has worked here for three years, ...6 days ago
- Pacific alliance condemns France over bid to ‘derail’ Kanaky decolonisationAsia Pacific Report A Pacific civil society alliance has condemned French neocolonial policies in Kanaky New Caledonia, saying Paris is set on “maintaining the status quo” and denying the indigenous Kanak people their inalienable right to self-determination. The Pacific Regional Non-Governmental Organisations (PRNGOs) Alliance, representing some 15 groups, said in ...6 days ago
- New Koi Tū future report calls for overhaul of outdated NZ mediascape to restore trustKoi Tū New Zealand cannot sit back and see the collapse of its Fourth Estate, the director of Koi Tū: The Centre for Informed Futures, Sir Peter Gluckman, says in the foreword of a paper published today. The paper, “If not journalists, then who?” paints a picture of an industry ...6 days ago
- Chalmers outlines a more ‘risk-based’ foreign investment policy and guardrails around Future Mad...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Foreign investment proposals with implications for Australia’s strategic or economic security will face tougher scrutiny, under a policy overhaul to be announced by Treasurer Jim Chalmers on Wednesday. At the same time, the government ...6 days ago
- National first introduced piece of Oranga Tamariki Act legislation it now seeks to repeal – Wi...A Waitangi Tribunal inquiry report has warned government that a repeal of Section 7AA of the Oranga Tamariki Act could cause harm to children in care. ...6 days ago
- New Papers On Government Consumption Multipliers, Automatic Stabilisers And Economic ShocksThe Treasury has published today three new papers covering government consumption multipliers, automatic stabilisers and the impacts of global shocks on New Zealand’s economy. ...6 days ago
- Pacific state of Hawai’i first in US to pass dual Gaza ceasefire resolutionsAsia Pacific Report The Pacific state of Hawai’i’s House of Representatives has joined the state’s Senate in calling for a ceasefire in Israel’s war on Gaza, becoming the first state to pass such a resolution, reports Hawaii News Now. In March, the Senate passed a ceasefire resolution with a 24–1 ...6 days ago
- Australia just made a billion-dollar bet on building the world’s first ‘useful’ quantum comput...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Christopher Ferrie, A/Prof, UTS Chancellor’s Postdoctoral Research and ARC DECRA Fellow, University of Technology Sydney PsiQuantum The Australian government has announced a pledge of approximately A$940 million (US$617 million) to PsiQuantum, a quantum computing start-up company based in Silicon Valley. Half ...6 days ago
- What are heart rate zones, and how can you incorporate them into your exercise routine?Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Hunter Bennett, Lecturer in Exercise Science, University of South Australia Cameron Prins/Shutterstock If you spend a lot of time exploring fitness content online, you might have come across the concept of heart rate zones. Heart rate zone training has become more ...6 days ago
- Ministry of Māori Development proposes to cut 38 positionsA recruitment pause put in place last year had reduced the scale of job losses necessary, says the secretary for Māori development. ...6 days ago
- 'A man of the people': MPs pay tribute to Fa'anānā Efeso CollinsThe MPs reflected on the impact Fa'anānā had in Parliament, in his communities, and their long friendships with him. ...6 days ago
- School phone ban for 16-year-olds 'very backward' – principalTwo secondary school principals are not convinced a phone ban is warranted and say it will be difficult to enforce. ...6 days ago
- 27 years in captivity – free Marwan Barghouti, ‘Palestine’s Mandela’SPECIAL REPORT: By Eugene Doyle He is the most popular Palestinian leader alive today — and yet few people in the West even know his name. Absolutely no one in Gaza or the West Bank does not know him. That difference speaks volumes about who dominates the media narrative that ...6 days ago
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