Archive for February, 2014
Open mike 23/02/2014
Written By: - Date published: 7:07 am, February 23rd, 2014 - 250 comments
Open mike is your post. For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy). Step up to the mike …
Labour’s Manukau East candidate selection
Written By: - Date published: 1:22 pm, February 22nd, 2014 - 42 comments
Today the Labour Party selects its candidate for the Manukau East seat. The seat is one of the safest Labour seats in the country and whoever wins could be in Parliament for a long time. There is a strong lineup of candidates and the selection is a wide open one. Update: and Jenny Selesa has been selected.
Politicheck New Zealand factcheck website
Written By: - Date published: 8:31 am, February 22nd, 2014 - 69 comments
New Zealand is getting its very own fact check website.
Open mike 22/02/2014
Written By: - Date published: 7:04 am, February 22nd, 2014 - 174 comments
Open mike is your post. For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy). Step up to the mike …
Rock star – “No depression”
Written By: - Date published: 11:46 am, February 21st, 2014 - 104 comments
Popular songs can capture the heartbeat of communities. “Rock Star” economy”? Or “No Depression in New Zealand”? A song that links the NZ of Muldoon & John Key. “History Never Repeats”? Who has pulled up the ladder & who wants to replace ladders with something more accessible to all?
The GCSB can’t count
Written By: - Date published: 7:30 am, February 21st, 2014 - 31 comments
The GCSB has eroded public confidence in its performance by displaying a concerning inability to count beyond four …
Open mike 21/02/2014
Written By: - Date published: 6:52 am, February 21st, 2014 - 257 comments
Open mike is your post. For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy). Step up to the mike …
Home thoughts from abroad
Written By: - Date published: 7:19 pm, February 20th, 2014 - 55 comments
Porirua mayor Nick Leggett has put up a couple interesting posts about Labour’s prospects in the upcoming election in progressonline. I think his political message is timely and true: Labour’s approach to this election cannot be “just a list of things that you’re against,” rather it should focus on what it’s for, and what it will do for New Zealanders. That could be very popular with voters.
David Cunliffe’s home
Written By: - Date published: 2:56 pm, February 20th, 2014 - 227 comments
National is now targeting David Cunliffe and his family. Metiria Turei was attacked for living in a castle and wearing designer jackets, and now David Cunliffe is being attacked for being wealthy. The criticisms miss the point. There is nothing inherently wrong with being wealthy. But there is everything wrong in setting fire to the ladder of social support after you have had the opportunity to climb it.
Polity: Chris Trotter – “gaseous exhalations”
Written By: - Date published: 11:37 am, February 20th, 2014 - 71 comments
Yesterday, Rob Salmond offered Chris Trotter a bet based on Chris writing an over-excited interpretation of an online poll. Who writes posts on the basis of online polls of less than 400 people? It is the same problem as interpreting small junk “markets” like iPredict which are rife with idiots of the right trying to push the odds away from reality with small amounts of cash. Really!
Tale of two Irelands
Written By: - Date published: 9:41 am, February 20th, 2014 - 42 comments
Tracey recounts the rise and fall of the `financial genius` John Key’s pet financial hub for NZ to emulate the paragon economies that tried it. Like Ireland – the home of the jobless and deserted housing projects.
Fortunately he was somehow prevented from stuffing NZ in this way. However he did put in some legislation of dubious value to allow NZ to be used as a haven for hot money fleeing taxes…
Open mike 20/02/2014
Written By: - Date published: 6:56 am, February 20th, 2014 - 210 comments
Open mike is your post. For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy). Step up to the mike …
Forestry families bringing their message to Parliament
Written By: - Date published: 7:42 pm, February 19th, 2014 - 7 comments
Readers of The Standard have read and engaged on the campaign for forestry safety. There is now a Review underway and we need to maintain the organising momentum to ensure change is made. On 28 April is International Workers Memorial Day and we have invited the families of all workers killed since 2008 (that we have […]
NRT: No justice for electoral fraud
Written By: - Date published: 4:05 pm, February 19th, 2014 - 28 comments
Daljit Singh got an inappropriately short sentence for committing electoral fraud. It is hardly a deterrent to prospective politicians from trying to fiddle the electoral system. What was interesting was the way that the fraud was picked up – using back end systems. Far better than the type of populist stupidity to intimidate voters that National MP’s are currently supporting.
Polity: Key practices 56% truth inflation
Written By: - Date published: 3:48 pm, February 19th, 2014 - 21 comments
John Key makes up the figures during a session of parliament for the expected unemployment in coming years when he took office. The apparent reason is to make his governments piss-poor performance running the economy look better. Of course there is that problem that Rob Salmond can link to the December 2008 projections from the Treasury which show John Key to be lying (yet again).
Journalism (The Intercept)
Written By: - Date published: 10:59 am, February 19th, 2014 - 38 comments
Glenn Greenwald, Laura Poitras, and Jeremy Scahill have launched a new on-line investigative journalism site.
Poverty on the agenda
Written By: - Date published: 10:26 am, February 19th, 2014 - 81 comments
The documentary ‘Mind the Gap’ and an interview with a UNICEF advocacy manager focus on poverty and inequality. Zombie “neoliberal” policies have increased poverty & inequality, damaging the futures of too many children. We will all benefit from good government policies underpinned by a commitment to collective approaches and responsibility.
Open mike 19/02/2014
Written By: - Date published: 6:59 am, February 19th, 2014 - 243 comments
Open mike is your post. For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy). Step up to the mike …
LB: Greens’ Solar Sense and National’s Nonsense
Written By: - Date published: 4:00 pm, February 18th, 2014 - 28 comments
Local Bodies looks at some (very cool) solar installations and the Greens solar policy. We are now seeing a stark contrast between a Government desperate to support the status quo of increasing charges and large company profits, while the future focussed Greens are truly progressive in their thinking.
Polity: Fizzy drinks: Tax or no tax?
Written By: - Date published: 2:48 pm, February 18th, 2014 - 80 comments
There has been some discussion recently about whether we should tax fizzy drinks as a threat to public health. Otago University public health people say yes. Various anti-tax groups say no. Here’s Rob Salmond’s 2c worth.
Some interesting arguments
Cameron Slater gets starring role in TVNZ drama
Written By: - Date published: 2:21 pm, February 18th, 2014 - 23 comments
Susan Nact reporting. In a dramatic turn of events, cadet reporter Tracy Whatshite (drinking in a Ponsonby cafe), found an envelope labelled “Top Secret, Property of TVNZ”. We can reveal that inside was a script for a new television series that will be screening on Channel Two later this year. The new drama, has a […]
Russel Norman to Colin Craig – Bring it on
Written By: - Date published: 7:28 am, February 18th, 2014 - 121 comments
Colin Craig has threatened Russel Norman with defamation proceedings unless he apologises for saying that Craig prefers women to be in the kitchen and gays should be in the closet. Norman has refused to apologise. At the risk of being thrown out of the Lawyers’ union shouldn’t they debate these issues publicly and let the public decide rather than fight it out in Court?
Open mike 18/02/2014
Written By: - Date published: 6:50 am, February 18th, 2014 - 355 comments
Open mike is your post. For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy). Step up to the mike …
Easy Vote or Voter Intimidation?
Written By: - Date published: 9:19 pm, February 17th, 2014 - 123 comments
Good to see Labour has stood up against National’s “harder-to-vote” revisions to the Electoral Amendment Bill, especially making voters now have to state their name to get a voting paper. The reason for this is to allow scrutineers to more easily challenge a voter’s credentials, and is similar to voter intimidation practices in conservative States in the US. Expect National Party scrutineers questioning more voter credentials in the 2014 election.
CANA: Bathurst hits its own “perfect storm”
Written By: - Date published: 3:35 pm, February 17th, 2014 - 22 comments
Coal Action Network Aotearoa has this characteristic story of the problems with the cost structure of opportunistic mining in NZ. The current world price of the coal found on the Denniston Plateau has sunk considerably below Bathurst Resources’ stated break-even price and shows no signs of rising. What is the bet that NZ is going to wind up with another unwanted hole in the ground as a shell company gets folded up?
Plausible deniability: Smoke & mirrors
Written By: - Date published: 12:56 pm, February 17th, 2014 - 79 comments
It’s puzzling why John Key diverted attention from who spied on Winston Peters, by implicating Cameron Slater. Following revelations about the 5 Eyes spying capabilities, & illegal surveillance of Kim Dotcom, there is much at stake for Key. Recapping some significant details in the surveillance saga.
National’s Herald shows its true colours
Written By: - Date published: 8:04 am, February 17th, 2014 - 113 comments
The NZ Herald starts cuddling up even closer to the National party. I guess they have definitely dropped that shallow facade of being the “Newspaper of Record”. Mind you, it isn’t a good look when Paula Bennett, the minister meant to take care of children, cuddles up with the heartless hypocrite who laughs at dead children. National really must be worried about this election.
Open mike 17/02/2014
Written By: - Date published: 6:56 am, February 17th, 2014 - 178 comments
Open mike is your post. For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy). Step up to the mike
Russel Norman’s Campaign Conference Speech 2014: Going Solar
Written By: - Date published: 2:59 pm, February 16th, 2014 - 239 comments
The text of Russel Norman’s speech to the Green Party Conference given today.
Positive Things
Written By: - Date published: 2:27 pm, February 16th, 2014 - 21 comments
Change becomes embedded when it emanates from and across many quarters and traditions.
Fairfax quotes Government cheerleader
Written By: - Date published: 2:06 pm, February 16th, 2014 - 30 comments
Fairfax posted an article recently where three businessmen were interviewed on what they thought the political parties should be discussing this election year. The comments from the first interviewee were basically a John Key love in so I thought we should try and provide some balance …
- National numbers on the decline.
Last night there was a One News political poll which was welcomed by the left and will cause some concern in the opposition camp. A poll that showed no path to victory for ACT and National and which would likely result in another Labour/Greens government, possibly with the inclusion, or ...1 week ago - Wasn't this the rainy day we saved for?1 week ago
- Bryce Edwards’ Political Roundup: Labour’s refocus is working
Dr Bryce Edwards writes – Labour’s shift in focus is working. Under Jacinda Ardern they were a party and government focused on the voters and ideologies of liberal Grey Lynn and Wellington Central. Now under Prime Minister Chris Hipkins Labour has a laser-like focus directed at ...1 week ago - Bryce Edwards: Labour’s refocus is working
Labour’s shift in focus is working. Under Jacinda Ardern they were a party and government focused on the voters and ideologies of liberal Grey Lynn and Wellington Central. Now under Prime Minister Chris Hipkins Labour has a laser-like focus directed at the working class politics of places like West Auckland ...1 week ago - How heat pumps of the 1800s are becoming the technology of the future
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Chris Baraniuk It was an engineering problem that had bugged Zhibin Yu for years — but now he had the perfect chance to fix it. Stuck at home during the first UK lockdown of the Covid-19 pandemic, the thermal engineer suddenly had all ...1 week ago - What We Learnt From The Oscars
Hi,I just wanted to say hello as this week really gets going, and check in about a few things. They’re a series of fractured random thoughts, so bear with me! First up — I haven’t watched the Oscars in ages and I’m really glad I watched yesterday. It felt like ...1 week ago - Is Auckland Light Rail getting even more off-track?
Yesterday the Prime Minister laid out the next tranche of plans to scale back the ambition of Labour’s policy/delivery programme – and this time the Auckland light rail project gets a mention. “I can also confirm today that we will roll out transport projects in Auckland in stages. “Reducing transport ...1 week ago - No more time for words; Hipkins becomes action man
The Hipkins Government revealed its true colours yesterday as it chopped a whole series of “nice to have” policies — many of them promoted by the Greens — and instead diverted the savings to relieve the impact of inflation. His approach is all about taking action; no more excuses, ...1 week ago - Parliamentary Sovereignty And Its Discontents.
Saving The People From ... The People: The strangest aspect of the mass Israeli protests, from a New Zealand perspective, is that the judicial reforms proposed by Benjamin Netanyahu’s government would only confer upon Israel’s parliament, the Knesset, powers which the New Zealand House of Representatives has not only exercised ...1 week ago - Labour: We can’t do this
Another week, and another post-cabinet press conference consisting of the Prime Minister reeling off a long list of policies being scrapped or pushed out past the election. Yes, they're dumping climate change policies in a climate emergency, while betraying young people over the voting age, and ensuring hoons can continue ...1 week ago - Govt’s plan for lifting productivity and wages entails a $30m investment and a role for the state ...
Buzz from the Beehive One economic measure which Ministers of Finance can’t brag about is productivity growth. It has been an issue of concern for decades. In the 2022 IMD World Competitiveness Ranking, New Zealand suffered the biggest drop in rankings among 63 nations compared on measures which include business productivity. ...1 week ago - It is entirely unnecessary to fill your face and endanger your life in order to be interesting on Th...
1 week ago - Pruning The Consultancy Money-Tree.In Need Of Pruning: Small wonder the National Party chose the massive government spend on consultants as its most promising source of savings. Ceasing to pay these parasitic characters $9,000 per week, and then applying the money saved to something as wholesome as reducing child-care costs for Kiwi families battling ...1 week ago
- Hawkesby goes to Helltown.
Kate Hawkesby wrote today of her harrowing experiences visiting central Auckland over the weekend. She was especially concerned with what tourists must think. Be prepared to be afraid - that could’ve been the title of her article, but more on that later.It started with a visit to the mean streets ...1 week ago - A Whole Lot of Less is More
Hello! I have made a collection of recent Sunday columns free to all to read and share. The links are here:Less Is MoreWhat an appetite for destruction we have acquired, in the name of convenience and mindless consumption.More Less is MoreThe recurring heroes of Christopher Luxon’s sloganeering are New Zealanders ...1 week ago - What SVB's collapse says about our world
Always a bailout? Then-Finance Minister Bill English talks to reporters about the collapse of South Canterbury Finance in 2010. Photo: Mike Heydon/Getty Images TLDR: The fastest rise in US interest rates since 1979 just claimed its first big scalp in the form of the collapse of its 16th biggest bank ...1 week ago - BRIAN EASTON: Gabrielle’s Trumpet challenges fiscal stabilityBrian Easton writes – Cyclonic Storms Raise Economic Questions. Some years back – it was in the time of the Key-English Government so, as usual, this column is not making a party-political point – a friend working in the climate change area wondered to me whether we ...1 week ago
- Gordon Campbell on AUKUS and Australia’s decision on nuclear subsChina may well regard Taiwan as a renegade province. Yet the invasion of Taiwan – as the Australian economist and commentator John Quiggin points out – would pose massive challenges for the forces or Xi Jinping. Basically, sea-borne invasions are very, very difficult to pull off. Even with the benefit ...1 week ago
- Bryce Edwards’ Political Roundup: The Big “consultocrats” debate needs to carry on* Dr Bryce Edwards writes – A parasitic blight on our democracy? Or a useful and necessary aid to our government departments? Those are two perspectives on the usefulness of the Wellington consultant class that contract to government agencies. The role of business management consultants took centre stage last ...1 week ago
- Bryce Edwards: The Big “consultocrats” debate needs to carry onA parasitic blight on our democracy? Or a useful and necessary aid to our government departments? Those are two perspectives on the usefulness of the Wellington consultant class that contract to government agencies. The role of business management consultants took centre stage last week when National’s Christopher Luxon called time ...1 week ago
- Human Rights Commission hires He Puapua authorThe Human Rights Commission has appointed the chair of the Committee that produced the controversial He Puapua report to its staff. Indigenous rights scholar and activist Professor Claire Charters is stepping into a role with the Human Rights Commission but will continue her work in the University of Auckland’s ...1 week ago
- Q&A with Jack Tame.
This morning saw the first major political interview of the year. The first interview of Chris Hipkins with Q&A since he became Prime Minister.Which Jack Tame would turn up? The one that asks the tough questions or the one that floats up great juicy patsy questions. You never quite know ...1 week ago - The hoon for the week that was to March 12Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTLDR: This week’s news in geo-politics and the political economy covered on The Kākā included:National proposed a select committee inquiry into bank profits, which prompted the Government to say it was considering a full market study of the banking sector by the Commerce Commission (Thursday’s ...1 week ago
- 2023 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #10A chronological listing of news articles posted on the Skeptical Science Facebook Page during the past week: Sun, Mar 5, 2023 thru Sat, Mar 11, 2023. Story of the Week The Paris Agreement Will Fail Without Slashing Methane Emissions From Dairy and Meat, Researchers Say A new study projects the Earth ...1 week ago
- Robots coming for your job, your horse, and your claim
A gold rush story can be captivating. I loved The Luminaries, I liked Deadwood even more. Both creations had the same fragrance of fresh-sawn pine hanging in the air, buildings rising in a great flurry, the hapless and over-eager throwing in with the malign and downright evil, all that naivete ...1 week ago - Attack, slash, privatise: the real public theft and gravy train waiting to leave the station under L...
We’re seeing more and more what passes for policy positions coming out from the Opposition Parties. And while some in the Press continue to hawk the line that we’ve simply got to get to know Luxon better – haven’t people actually seen it, and we’re simply turning away? You ...1 week ago - Tinetti goes back to school after her truancy numbers are questioned in ParliamentBuzz from the Beehive Education Minister Jan Tinetti no doubt welcomed the opportunity to go back to school after being tested on a few portfolio issues at Question Time in Parliament. She popped up at Puketapu School in Napier yesterday to say the Government would repair and rebuild damaged education ...1 week ago
- We are better than this.
Last night I watched a speech from Nanaia Mahuta, New Zealand’s first female Foreign Affairs Minister. It was on division, long standing injustice, bigotry and the sad ignorance of those that want to carry it on today.It wasn’t about Israel, or the Ukraine, it wasn’t about the southern states in ...1 week ago - Teachers action deserves support, not white anting
By Don Franks There may yet be a shittier article written about next week’s teacher’s strike than Martin Bradbury’s effort in today’s Daily Blog but it will take some doing. Bradbury writes : “I think the Teacher Unions may well have overplayed their hand here with news of a general ...2 weeks ago - Gabrielle’s Trumpet Challenges Fiscal Stability
Cyclonic Storms Raise Economic Questions.Some years back – it was in the time of the Key-English Government so, as usual, this column is not making a party-political point – a friend working in the climate change area wondered to me whether we should be putting more effort into adaptation. Whatever ...2 weeks ago - This pill is a good thing
The phrase often used to describe a displeased expression on the face of prime minister Helen Clark was death stare.In many instances, it was perfect. But not always. Once, in search of the right words, I turned instead to a description of our cat, and her response to being given ...2 weeks ago - Nash crows about gang crackdown – his changes for the fishing industry (the 40% Māori portion) a...Buzz from the Beehive As Minister of Police, Stuart Nash was obviously chuffed about the Police filing over 28,000 charges related to something called Operation Cobalt and a “crack down on gangs” to “keep our communities safe”. His delighted can be found in a ministerial press statement headed Milestone reached ...2 weeks ago
- The Great Kiwi OE – Upgrade.
The OE, or Overseas Experience, as much a kiwi tradition and birthright as the quarter acre pavlova paradise. Generations of young Kiwis have left these shores, usually to London but in more recent years to other places, to experience working and living somewhere else.An opportunity for New Zealanders, so far ...2 weeks ago - Stuck in two worlds.
I have been loath to write more about the situation in my cyclone-ravaged coastal community, but since we are going on a month since Gabrielle hit and things are not […] ...2 weeks ago - National’s Problem
It is becoming increasingly clear that National, under Christopher Luxon’s leadership, cannot win the next election. A Labour government, having recently brought about a smooth change of leadership, and currently being confronted with a series of unprecedented challenges – the impact on the economy and health services of the covid ...2 weeks ago - Ask Me Anything about the week to March 10
Photo by Dario Brönnimann on UnsplashIt’s that time of the week for an ‘Ask Me Anything’ session for paying subscribers about the week that was for the next hour, including:Michael Wood’s about-face on a new transport policy prioritising emissions reductions;the Labour Government finally deciding to look at doing a market ...2 weeks ago - Weekly Roundup 10-March-2023Tēnā koutou, everyone – hope your week has been a good one. This Week in Greater Auckland A busy week in the blog mines for Matt in particular. Just a reminder that we always welcome guest posts (and reposts) on topics relevant to the field of urbanism and the ...2 weeks ago
- Hillsong allegedly commits fraud, evades tax, and pays Life Church $10,000 along the way.
Hi,Thanks for all the feedback to yesterday’s newsletter ‘Thou Shalt Not Blog’ (141 comments and counting), in which I responded to a series of questions from Life church’s Corporate Communications Manager Phil Irons.After emailing my response to Phil yesterday morning (which included: “Considering I am carefully addressing all your questions ...2 weeks ago - Political Roundup: 10 March 2023PUBLIC SERVICE NEUTRALITY AND CONSULTANT CRACKDOWNS Duncan Greive (Spinoff): This public service neutrality scandal is (weirdly) New Zealand at its most beautiful Glenn McConnell (Stuff): Cheat sheet: Why public servants have been warned about their political comments Sam Sachdeva (Newsroom): The public sector problems behind talk of ‘consultant crackdown’ Brent ...2 weeks ago
- A dictator fallsAt the end of last year, Fijian dictator Voreqe Bainimarama lost an election, and his grip on power. He didn't cope with the change very well, giving a speech denouncing Fiji's president which saw him suspended from parliament. While I was concerned about the length of the suspension, the point ...2 weeks ago
- Skeptical Science New Research for Week #10 2023152 articles in 59 journals by 1,026 contributing authors Physical science of climate change, effects Competing effects of vegetation on summer temperature in North Korea Oh & Lee Lee, Theoretical and Applied Climatology, Open Access 10.1007/s00704-023-04413-4 Large Contribution of Ozone-Depleting Substances to Global and Arctic Warming in the ...2 weeks ago
- A friend tells a friend tells a friend
The big promise of the Internet is that it can connect you to all manner of things, all kinds of people.I still hold the most vivid image of my very first web connection, 29 years ago now. It was the homepage of someone somewhere out west in America — let’s say ...2 weeks ago - Public posts and the code of conduct: two former Labour MPs are brought into the spotlightBuzz from the Beehive It’s been educative, noting who is in and who is out when it comes to public service big-wigs keeping or losing their jobs when they breach rules which call for them to be politically impartial Former Labour MPs have done better than Rob Campbell, who was ...2 weeks ago
- Still mixed signals on the export price front, with a worrying cloud on the edge of the horizon
As New Zealand’s export season gains momentum, there are some encouraging signs for the farming industries on the price front. For good measure, the NZ dollar has eased in value against the US dollar. The ANZ Bank’s world commodity price index increased 1.3% ...2 weeks ago - Champion of mātauranga Māori dabbles with a myth: European navigators didn’t fear sailing too cl...Dave Armstrong, a columnist for state-subsidised Stuff, went out to bat for mātauranga Māori this week and to remonstrate with Richard Dawkins, the renowned British biologist, science communicator and atheist. During his recent New Zealand tour, Dawkins had written an article for The Spectator about our government’s decision for Māori “Ways of ...2 weeks ago
- Labour is governing for the BoomersIn 2019 the Tax Working Group recommended that Aotearoa adopt a capital gains tax to plug a hole in the tax system, which sees the rich's income go mostly untaxed, while the rest of us pay on every cent we earn. Sadly, Labour chickenshitted out, as usual, with then-Prime Minister ...2 weeks ago
- Little Joe McCarthy And The Red Under His Bed.
“Are you now, or have you ever been a member of the Labour Party?” the inquisitor demanded in an American midwest accent, knowing full well that the accused was on the rack.“Well, you know I have”, said Ruth.“Ah ha, I knew it. And is it not true that the colour ...2 weeks ago - Political Roundup: 9 March 2023Items of interest and importance today BANKS Rob Stock (Stuff): By the numbers: Here’s why some people think banks are making too much money Gareth Vaughan (Interest): How the RBNZ, Payments NZ & the Government have contributed to holding back competition in NZ banking Bridie Witton (Stuff): National seeks to ...2 weeks ago
- CRL progress – Mar-23It’s been a while since we took a look at the City Rail Link and they’ve been putting out some pretty interesting images, videos and information on their social media channels recently so here are some of the best ones. Yesterday CRL released this video of a drone flying through ...2 weeks ago
- Dawn Chorus: Finally, Labour is eyeing a market study of banksWith the election fast approaching, will Labour’s new warmth towards the need for a market study into bank profits actually translate into action and change? Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTLDR: After years of downplaying the need for a market study into high bank profitability, the Labour Government is finally ...2 weeks ago
- Thou Shalt Not Blog
Hi,Recently Webworm tried to engage with a megachurch about various accusations against them. Webworm contributor Hayden Donnell had reached out to Life church. He and I were co-writing this piece — ‘Holy Hell’ — and we needed comment. Hayden and I worked on the Arise series last year. Some pieces he ...2 weeks ago - Census Musings, Or Why I Identify as ‘Pakeha’
Time for that most delightfully bureaucratic of tasks: filling out the New Zealand census form (it theoretically applies to 7th March, but never mind). And one of those census questions is the ... 2 weeks ago - Simeon Brown and Peter Hughes clash over the state of the public servicePublic Service Commissioner Peter Hughes yesterday found himself head-on up against National’s Simeon Brown, who was pushing his party’s claims that there has been a massive blowout in the size and cost of the public service under Labour. The pair clashed at Parliament’s Governance and Administration Committee, but what ...2 weeks ago
- The Revolution Has Begun.Whose Country? The ideology driving New Zealand’s latest top-down revolution is not neoliberalism, it’s ethnonationalism. A potent amalgam of indigenous mysticism and neo-tribal capitalism has captured the imagination of the professional and managerial class and is relying on the latter’s administrative power and influence to drive through a revolutionary transformation of ...2 weeks ago
- What you might get in a saner world
In a saner world, the twerpish tosh that Simeon Brown puts into his tweets and memes would count for nothing at all.In a more sober world, Simeon Brown would not get the time of day. But here we are, and on and on he goes, stirring up indignation and hostility.Labour ...2 weeks ago - High-tech company Rakon due to open plant in India will enhance its (and NZ’s) competitive advanta...A high-tech company, Rakon, flies under the radar in New Zealand but it continues to expand and soon will open a plant in India which will double its capacity. In a sense, it is not only strengthening its own industrial capacity, but also that of NZ, which some economists believe ...2 weeks ago
- Perhaps if we hired consultants we could come up with an accurate accounting of the costs of the Cro...Buzz from the Beehive It’s hard to call it news, because it is simply a variant of previous press statements from Finance Minister Grant Robertson, issued each time the Treasury releases a set of monthly Crown Financial Statements. Invariably, the Minister assures us the books are in a healthy state, ...2 weeks ago
- Can our government really hold itself to account for torture?Newsroom has an important story on the Royal Commission into State Abuse's formal finding of torture at Lake Alice, and what it means for the government. Firstly, in terms of legal liability, which the government response has always been focused an avoiding, and how the tactics used in that avoidance ...2 weeks ago
- Nobody writes songs about Wednesdays.
No one likes a Wednesday. They’re tolerated at best. Neither loved nor hated they are just, well, Wednesdays.People write songs about the things they care about. Colours, moods, the seasons of the year, and even the days of the week. But nobody writes songs about Wednesdays. I wonder why?MondayNo one ...2 weeks ago - More Labour cowardiceWhen the Supreme Court ruled that Aotearoa's voting age was unjustifiably discriminatory, then-Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern promised to introduce a bill to fix it. Now, Labour looks set to break that promise: The commitment of former prime minister Jacinda Ardern to introduce a bill to lower the voting age ...2 weeks ago
- Gordon Campbell on using the trade weapon against ChinaYikes. First Rob Campbell, now Steve Maharey. It seems we are going to fire – or expect public self-flagellation –from every chair of a Crown agency that ever dares to express a “political” opinion about a serious policy matter. What does that say about the maturity of our public discourse? ...2 weeks ago
- Young prefer wealth tax to fuel tax, while the old oppose such taxesTLDR: A survey ordered by the Ministry of Transport has found more than 80% of young people wanted a wealth tax, congestion charges and/or pollution pricing to pay for improvements in public transport, walking and cycling, rather than only through fuel taxes, as is the case now. However, the University ...2 weeks ago
- Political Roundup: 8 March 2023Items of interest and importance today PUBLIC SERVANTS, CONSULTANTS AND CONTRACTORS Jamie Ensor (Newshub): Health Minister Dr Ayesha Verrall says Pharmac chair Steve Maharey has offered resignation, she’s seeking advice Claire Trevett (Herald): Health Minister Ayesha Verrall fronts on Rob Campbell sacking, says Steve Maharey offered to resign after columns criticising ...2 weeks ago
- International Working Women’s Day 2023: the sex trade is misogynyThe vast majority of those who are prostituted are women and girls while the vast majority of buyers and pimps are men. Attempts to reframe the misogynistic nature of the sex industry as regular work does not change the grim reality. In this speech Chelsea Geddes gives a first-hand account ...2 weeks ago
- Flashback Wednesday: Where do we put our fury and our grief?This post was originally written almost exactly a year ago by several Greater Auckland writers, with a contribution from Jon Turner, the deputy chair of the Puketāpapa Local Board. We still often think of Levi James and his family, and how they were failed by Auckland Transport. A person ...2 weeks ago
- At a glance – Is Antarctica losing or gaining ice?On 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
- Back on the road
The previous cliffhanger edition of this newsletter signed off in a mood of existential angst, so let’s pick things up right there.Hello! I’m feeling better, thanks. The head cold is virtually gone, we had a lovely time away with friends and family, and I am so very grateful for all ...2 weeks ago - Rob Campbell’s dismissal from Te Whatu Ora has alarm bells ringing not just through the capitalPrime Minister Chris Hipkins appeared like a startled rabbit caught in the headlights when confronted on the AM show with questions on why Steve Maharey, chairman of Pharmac, had not been sacked like Rob Campbell from his role for being “political” and criticizing the National Party in a column. When ...2 weeks ago
- U-turn on transport policy was rapid – but it wasn’t top of the list of big issues when Hipkins ...Buzz from the Beehive A change in the government’s transport plans has been described as a U-turn – and a rapid one. A gutless one, too, for some commentators. No Right Turn said a stronger focus on repairs obviously is necessary, given the damage suffered by the roading network in ...2 weeks ago
- Climate Change: Too expensive?Ever since it became clear that we needed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, climate change deniers have claimed it is "too expensive". This is based on a one-sided analysis which ignores the costs of climate change - costs which Cyclone Gabrielle has just demonstrated are enormous. Now, a new report ...2 weeks ago
- Aotearoa 2032.
The room was cool and dark as she arose, slipped on a pair of jandals and went out to the verandah. The first rays of sunshine were beginning to creep forward over the horizon, a slow moving wave of light that would soon engulf her house and these lands of ...2 weeks ago - Political Roundup: NZ’s foreign policy hardens under new leadership* Geoffrey Miller writes – Times are changing in New Zealand foreign policy. That seems to be the message from New Zealand’s new triumvirate of ministers with responsibility for foreign affairs and defence – Prime Minister Chris Hipkins, foreign minister Nanaia Mahuta and defence minister Andrew Little. Jacinda Ardern’s ...2 weeks ago
- Ford Ranger Man drives over Michael WoodKeep the cars on top: A strategy to prioritise transport spending around cycling, walking and public transport has been dumped after a front page article and online outrage. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTLDR: This is how politics works in the real world: outrage erupts over the prospect of fuel ...2 weeks ago
- Geoffrey Miller: New Zealand’s foreign policy hardens under new leadershipTimes are changing in New Zealand foreign policy. That seems to be the message from New Zealand’s new triumvirate of ministers with responsibility for foreign affairs and defence – Prime Minister Chris Hipkins, foreign minister Nanaia Mahuta and defence minister Andrew Little. Jacinda Ardern’s departure as Prime Minister was always ...2 weeks ago
- Who doesn’t want to build back better?At a time when the need to address climate change is becoming more evident than ever before, it’s astounding that Labour seem to be running scared of addressing it. Last week we covered the government’s indicative priorities for their next Government Policy Statement (GPS). Some of the key updates over ...2 weeks ago
- Government investments drive health and business outcomes in the Bay of Plenty
A new health centre has opened with financial support from the Government and further investment has been committed to projects that will accelerate Māori economic opportunities, Regional Development Minister Kiri Allan says. Community health provider QE Health will continue its long history in Rotorua with the official opening of the ...2 weeks ago - UK NZ Working Holiday Scheme upgradedThe new three year NZ UK Working Holiday Visas (WHV) will now be delivered earlier than expected, coming into force by July this year in time to support businesses through the global labour shortages Prime Minister Chris Hipkins says. The improved WHV, successfully negotiated alongside the NZ UK Free trade ...2 weeks ago
- 2023 Offshore Renewable Energy Forum, New PlymouthIt seems like only yesterday that we launched the discussion document Enabling Investment in Offshore Renewable Energy, which is the key theme for this Forum. Everyone in this room understands the enormous potential of offshore wind in Aotearoa New Zealand – and particularly this region. Establishing a regime to pave ...2 weeks ago
- Milestone reached in crack down on gangsPolice has reached a major milestone filing over 28,000 charges related to Operation Cobalt. “I’m extremely proud of the fantastic work that our Police has been doing to crack down on gangs, and keep our communities safe. The numbers speak for themselves – with over 28,000 charges, Police are getting ...2 weeks ago
- New funding for Cyclone waste removalThe Government will provide $15 million in the short term to local councils to remove rubbish, as a longer-term approach is developed, the Minister for Emergency Management Kieran McAnulty announced today. “Several regions are facing significant costs associated with residential waste removal, which has the potential to become a public ...2 weeks ago
- Government working faster and smarter to support response and recovery$15 million of immediate reimbursement for marae, iwi, recognised rural and community groups $2 million for community food providers $0.5 million for additional translation services Increasing the caps of the Community and Provider funds The Government has announced $17.5 million to further support communities and community providers impacted by Cyclone ...2 weeks ago
- More Māori getting access to mental health and addiction servicesThe Government’s approach of using frontline service providers to address inequities for Māori with mental health and addiction needs is making good progress in many communities, a new report says. An independent evaluation into the Māori Access and Choice programme, commissioned by Te Whatu Ora has highlighted the programme’s success ...2 weeks ago
- New website to better connect people to free wellbeing servicesMinister of Health Dr Ayesha Verrall said a new wellbeing website will give those with mild and moderate mental health and addiction issues an easier pathway to free support. “Improving mental health and addiction support is a priority for this Government and is why we invested $455 million from the ...2 weeks ago
- Completion of Taupō projects strengthens regional economic resilienceThree community-led projects that will strengthen economic resilience in Taupō and the wider region have been completed with the support of a $29 million Government investment, Regional Development Minister Kiri Allan says. The Taupō Town Centre Transformation project, new Taupō Airport terminal and Eastern Arterial Shared Path were officially opened ...2 weeks ago
- 67th session of the Commission on the Status of Women: New Zealand National StatementTēnā koutou katoa [I acknowledge and greet you all] Excellencies, and distinguished guests. Chair, I am honoured to speak to you today at the sixty-seventh session of the Commission on the Status of Women. Aotearoa New Zealand aligns with the statements delivered on behalf of the Pacific Islands Forum ...2 weeks ago
- Two new Bay of Plenty schools to open in ŌmokoroaŌmokoroa, in the Bay of Plenty, will get a new primary school and secondary school in the southwest of the township, with construction expected to begin in 2024, Education Minister Hon Jan Tinetti announced today. “The recent consultation with Iwi, other schools, and the local community shows there is strong ...2 weeks ago
- Public service neutrality for Crown Entity Board Chairs and membersLast night, the Government received advice from the Public Service Commissioner that Steve Maharey’s actions did breach the Code of Conduct but do not justify dismissing him from his posts, Prime Minister Chris Hipkins said. “The Commissioner has characterised Mr Maharey’s actions as ‘unwise’, but at the ‘lower end of ...2 weeks ago
- Public feedback wanted on resilience measures for trees near powerlinesOptions propose to improve the resilience of the electricity network and prepare New Zealand for a changing climate. Feedback sought on amendments to Electricity (Hazards from Trees) Regulations 2003. The Regulations cover the trimming of trees near power lines and aim to protect the security of New Zealand’s electric supply ...2 weeks ago
- Pay equity roll out delivers over half a billion dollars to nursesNurses have received an historic bump in pay, with interim equity payments being completed across the country, Minister of Health Ayesha Verrall said. “This Government said it would deliver pay equity for nurses, and I’m delighted to be able to acknowledge this,” Dr Verrall said. “Today, backdated interim payments were ...2 weeks ago
- Government extends business support package to WairarapaMinisters have agreed to extend the interim support package for cyclone and flood affected businesses to include the Wairarapa region. “As further information has come to hand about the extent of the damage, it is clearer that businesses in the Wairarapa have also been affected by Cyclone Gabrielle, so it ...2 weeks ago
- Poroporoaki: Georgina BeyerTangi kau ana te maunga titohea a Taranaki i te rironga a te uri o Te Āti Awa, e karapoti ana a Wharekaurī i ngā tai o te ahiahi i te rironga a te uri o Ngāti Mutunga, he ua kōpatapata e kōrehurehu ana i ngā whārua i te rironga ...2 weeks ago
- Impacts of extreme weather yet to show in Govt accountsThe Government’s sound financial management means New Zealand is well placed to support families and businesses dealing with cost of living pressures and extreme weather events. For the seven months to the end of January, the Operating Balance before Gains and Losses (OBEGAL) recorded a deficit of $2.4 billion, close ...2 weeks ago
- Interim Board Chair appointedMinister of Health Ayesha Verrall has appointed Naomi Ferguson as the interim Board Chair for Te Whatu Ora – Health New Zealand. “Naomi Ferguson is a highly accomplished leader and brings a wealth of experience both in governance and as an executive, having served as Commissioner and Chief Executive of ...2 weeks ago
- New High Commissioner to Port Moresby announcedForeign Affairs Minister Nanaia Mahuta today announced the appointment of Peter Zwart as Aotearoa New Zealand’s next High Commissioner to Papua New Guinea. “Aotearoa New Zealand and Papua New Guinea have a warm and long-standing relationship, underpinned by shared history, growing people-to-people links, and partnerships spanning a range of sectors — including ...2 weeks ago
- Pay equity settlement for school librarians and science technicians reachedThe Government is recognising the important work of school librarians, library assistants and science technicians with a historic pay equity settlement signed today, Minister of Education Jan Tinetti said The settlement includes pay increases of up to 40 percent, covering more than 1,200 librarians and library assistants and around 400 ...2 weeks ago
- Government approves $26 million grant extension for farmers and growersAs farmers and growers continue their work to re-establish their businesses in the wake of Cyclone Gabrielle, the Government is providing a boost of $26 million to meet the need in the recovery efforts. This sits alongside the initial $4 million rural community recovery fund already available to sector and ...2 weeks ago
- State of National Emergency extended for Tairāwhiti and Hawke’s BayThe Minister for Emergency Management Kieran McAnulty has today extended the state of national emergency declared on 14 February for a further seven days for the Tairāwhiti and Hawke’s Bay areas, to manage the continuing impacts from Cyclone Gabrielle in these regions. “The impact of Cyclone Gabrielle continues to be ...2 weeks ago
- A win for our oceans: Aotearoa New Zealand welcomes the conclusion of a new global treaty for ocean ...Minister of Foreign Affairs, Nanaia Mahuta, has welcomed a new global treaty to protect and restore high seas biodiversity. She said the conclusion of negotiations followed two decades of talks at the United Nations. “This new agreement is a huge win for our oceans, and a huge win for global ...2 weeks ago
- Speech at the French Pacific Business ForumE ngā mana, E ngā reo, rau rangatira ma. Tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou katoa. Bonjour, Bienvenue, ia ora na, Bocu I am very pleased to welcome you all here today to the first ever French Pacific Business Forum. Firstly, I would like to recognise the work of those ...2 weeks ago
- Aotearoa New Zealand sends relief to VanuatuAotearoa New Zealand is sending much-needed humanitarian supplies to Vanuatu following two destructive cyclones within two days of each other, Foreign Affairs Minister Nanaia Mahuta announced today. A Royal New Zealand Air Force C-130 Hercules will depart this morning from Whenuapai carrying relief supplies, including water containers, kits for temporary shelters, and family hygiene kits. Cyclones Judy and Kevin ...2 weeks ago
- Hundreds of talented Pacific students awarded STEAM scholarshipsA record number of Pacific students have been awarded scholarships to pursue careers and opportunities in STEAM (Science, Technology, Education, Arts, Mathematics) subjects, Minister for Pacific Peoples Barbara Edmonds said today. “STEAM subjects are our future and by supporting the next generation to succeed in them, we are ensuring whole ...3 weeks ago
- Additional mental wellbeing support for cyclone-affectedThe Government has confirmed $3.25 million in funding to support the immediate mental wellbeing needs of people impacted by Cyclone Gabrielle, says Minister of Health Ayesha Verrall. The funding confirmation came as Minister Verrall met with frontline mental health workers dealing with wellbeing issues arising in Hawke’s Bay. This adds ...3 weeks ago
- Speech to the UN Human Rights Council 52nd sessionToday, I am proud to reaffirm our strong and enduring commitment to universal human rights and the international human rights system. Human rights are universal values – values we all committed to 75 years ago - and it is critical that we work together to uphold these values for the ...3 weeks ago
- Speech to the UN Humans Rights Council 52nd sessionToday, I am proud to reaffirm our strong and enduring commitment to universal human rights and the international human rights system. Human rights are universal values – values we all committed to 75 years ago - and it is critical that we work together to uphold these values for the ...3 weeks ago
- National States of Emergency end for some regionsThe Government has ended the states of national emergency declared on 14 February over the Northland, Auckland, and Waikato Civil Defence Emergency Management Group areas and the Tararua District, Minister for Emergency Management Kieran McAnulty announced today. Minister McAnulty gave notice of a national transition period over these areas, which ...3 weeks ago
- Key transport connections restoredThe Government is deploying Bailey Bridges across six sites in the North Island to reconnect isolated communities impacted by Cyclone Gabrielle and the Auckland floods, says Transport Minister Michael Wood. “The roading network has been hit hard in cyclone and flood-affected areas,” Michael Wood said. “Our primary focus has been ...3 weeks ago
- Statement from Environment Minister on EPA Board ChairEnvironment Minister David Parker has today removed Rob Campbell from his role as chair and board member of the Environmental Protection Authority. “Today I have decided to exercise my power under section 36 of the Crown Entities Act to remove Rob Campbell from this role on the EPA board, effective ...3 weeks ago
- Government keeping Kiwis’ ACC costs lowThe Government is topping up payments to non-contracted ACC providers to ensure the cost of treatment stays low, ACC Minister Peeni Henare announced today. “Like other businesses, the health professionals who treat injured New Zealanders have faced higher labour and other business costs over the past few years,” Peeni ...3 weeks ago
- What is myrtle rust and why has this disease closed Lord Howe Island to visitors?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Robert Park, Judith and David Coffey Chair in Sustainable Agriculture, Plant Breeding Institute, University of Sydney Shutterstock Some 70% of the World Heritage-listed Lord Howe Island has been closed to non-essential visitors in response to a recurrence of the plant ...23 hours ago - Scammers can slip fake texts into legitimate SMS threads. Will a government crackdown stop them?Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Suranga Seneviratne, Senior Lecturer – Security, University of Sydney Shutterstock Are you tired of receiving SMS scams pretending to be from Australia Post, the tax office, MyGov and banks? You’re not alone. Each year, thousands of Australians fall victim to ...24 hours ago
- Introducing Fear and Wonder: The Conversation’s new climate podcastSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Misha Ketchell, Editor, The Conversation Thanks in no small part to the work of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), today few people would be foolish enough to dispute the scientific consensus on the climate crisis. But as ...24 hours ago
- Why sports stars get less support than other injured workers – and how we can fix itSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Eric Windholz, Senior Lecturer and Associate, Monash Centre for Commercial Law and Regulatory Studies, Monash University Inadequate, inequitable, and in some cases possibly in breach of workers’ compensation laws. That’s how bad the current insurance arrangements are for Australia’s professional sports people, ...1 day ago
- New Police Minister Must Check Police Equations Behind Firearm Fee Increase
The newly-minted Police Minister, Ginny Andersen, has been called on by the Council of Licensed Firearm Owners (COLFO) to investigate how the previous Minister allowed Police to propose extraordinary fee increases for licensed firearm owners without ...1 day ago - How did millions of fish die gasping in the Darling – after three years of rain?Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Richard Kingsford, Professor, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, UNSW Sydney Bill Ormonde, Author provided Millions of dead fish float on the surface of the river. Native bony herring and introduced young carp, as well as a few mature ...1 day ago
- Ginny Andersen named new Minister of Police
Ginny Andersen will be the new minister of police, Prime Minister Chris Hipkins says. ...1 day ago - Free Information And Advice In Your LanguageThings make more sense when people are speaking your language! This CAB Awareness Week (20-26 March), we are celebrating diversity and multiculturalism within our service. At the Citizens Advice Bureau, we are committed to making sure our service ...1 day ago
- All spaces great and small: Week two of the Auckland Arts Festival
The second week of the Auckland Arts Festivals showed the versatility of the city’s spaces, even when not matched entirely correctly with shows. Sam Brooks reviews (with assistance from Shanti Mathias). I often dismay at the lack of performance spaces we have in Auckland, and it takes something like the ...1 day ago - Getting Flipped By The BirdThe free and easy SMS two factor authentication (2FA) to log into your Twitter account ends today. That concerns Privacy Commissioner Michael Webster because it takes away one of the most common ways to verify who users are on their free accounts, which ...1 day ago
- Junior minister Ginny Andersen takes over police role from Stuart NashNew Zealand’s new minister of police will be one of the freshest faces around the cabinet table. Ginny Andersen, the MP for Hutt South, has been named as the new minister taking over from Stuart Nash. Andersen first became an MP in 2017 and only became a minister for the ...1 day ago
- More bailey bridges confirmed for restoring access after cycloneRoad workers have reported being subjected to abuse by passing motorists, which is unacceptable, Prime Minister Chris Hipkins says. ...1 day ago
- Cyclone Gabrielle: More damaged roads reconnectedThe government has announced further roading reconnections, several weeks on from Cyclone Gabrielle. Earlier this morning it was confirmed the link between Napier and Taupō had been reestablished. And now, transport minister Michael Wood said another six bailey bridges would be constructed. “Our immediate priority has been to reopen lifeline ...1 day ago
- Government Should Not Be Spending Taxpayer Money To Lobby ItselfThe Taxpayers’ Union has slammed the revelation that government agencies and State Owned Enterprises are spending hundreds of thousands of taxpayers’ dollars on lobbying firms as revealed by Radio NZ this morning. Taxpayers’ Union Campaigns Manager, ...1 day ago
- Foreign Minister Mahuta to visit China counterpartNew Zealand's Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta is leaving for Beijing tomorrow to meet with China's State Councillor and Foreign Minister Qin Gang. ...1 day ago
- ‘A place to dance and a place to cry’: Pride (R)evolution is an authentic exhibition for queer c...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter McNeil, Distinguished Professor of Design History, UTS, University of Technology Sydney Sydney World Pride and Mardi Gras 2023 were a huge success. Sydney was activated in a way rarely seen – block and street parties, cultural festivals and dance parties for ...1 day ago
- Mahuta heading to China – first visit by a minister since 2019For the first time since 2019, a New Zealand minister will head to China this week. Foreign minister Nanaia Mahuta will meet with her Chinese counterpart Qin Gang in Beijing. “I intend to discuss areas where we cooperate, such as on trade, people-to-people and climate and environmental issues. I will ...1 day ago
- Chief Ombudsman Concludes Investigation Into Council Decisions Over National Erebus MemorialThe Chief Ombudsman Peter Boshier has completed his investigation into complaints about Auckland Council’s role in the National Erebus Memorial project. The complaints relate to the council’s approval and consents process for the memorial site in ...1 day ago
- The post-COVID crisis hit Queensland hardest. With 100,000 households needing low-cost housing, here...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Hal Pawson, Professor of Housing Research and Policy, and Associate Director, City Futures Research Centre, UNSW Sydney Pandemic-generated pressures have left our rental housing market reeling. Australia-wide, vacancy rates are at rock-bottom levels. Rents are soaring at record rates. Queensland has ...1 day ago
- Review: Homegrown remains New Zealand’s most consistent music festivalThe first edition felt like a breath of fresh, local music-filled air. This year, with many of the same headliners as 2008 (and every year since), the formula has grown stale. It’s finally time to admit that on a cold night in Palmy 20 years ago, I felt Shihad frontman ...1 day ago
- Review: The Homegrown festival formula needs a shake-upThe first edition felt like a breath of fresh, local music-filled air. This year, with many of the same headliners as 2008 (and every year since), the long-running Wellington festival has grown stale. It’s finally time to admit that on a cold night in Palmy 20 years ago, I felt ...1 day ago
- Anti-trans activist’s visit now under reviewThe anti-transgender activist that provoked aggressive protests in Australia over the weekend may not be able to enter New Zealand. Kellie-Jay Keen-Minshull, the British anti-transgender campaigner, is scheduled to visit New Zealand next weekend for two public events. But according to a new statement from Immigration NZ, her ability to ...1 day ago
- Local Government Minister Should Meet Taxpayers’ Union On Three WatersThe New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union is pleased to hear that the Minister of Local Government, Kieran McAnulty, has invited concerned mayors to the Beehive to discuss the Three Waters reforms but believe he should meet with the country’s largest ...1 day ago
- NSW Resolve poll has narrow lead for Labor five days before electionSource: 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 Dan Himbrechts/Paul Braven/AAP The New South Wales state election will be held on Saturday. I had a preview of both ...1 day ago
- Breaking: Anti-trans campaigner’s NZ visit ‘under reviewWhether the anti-trans campaigner can enter the country without a visa is now up in the air. Controversy surrounds the upcoming visit by Kellie-Jay Keen-Minshull, the British anti-transgender campaigner on a global tour who is scheduled to visit New Zealand next weekend for two public events. During an appearance in Melbourne ...1 day ago
- Pharmac prioritised Māori and Pacific patients for access to new diabetes drugs – did they get it...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Lynne Chepulis, Associate Professor Health Sciences, University of Waikato Getty Images The controversial 2021 decision by the government drug-buying agency Pharmac to prioritise Māori and Pacific patients in its funding of two game-changing new diabetes drugs appears to have paid ...1 day ago
- Why a teal deal has no appealThe idea of the Greens flirting with National gets an airing before almost every election. It remains as much of a nonstarter as ever, writes Henry Cooke. This article was first published in Henry Cooke’s politics newsletter, Museum Street. It’s far more reliable than clockwork. Every election cycle – often several ...1 day ago
- Lotto draw raises $11.7m for Cyclone Gabrielle reliefWith half the value of all Lotto, Powerball and Strike tickets going to cyclone relief, the "Must-be-won" draw for $15.5 million on Saturday went to a Canterbury player. ...1 day ago
- Wayne Brown (re)declares war on road conesAuckland’s mayor has taken aim at road closures and traffic disruption around the super city, revealing a plan to reduce road cones. Wayne Brown had previously pledged to clean up the city of road cones and set it out as an “immediate priority” for the council’s transport agency. Now, he’s ...1 day ago
- Credit Suisse is the car crash in its own Bonfire of the Vanities
The name's Bond – unhedged Treasury bond. Jonathan Milne argues that bond traders have again become sexy, for all the wrong reasons. Analysis: Giant Swiss bank UBS has agreed to buy its rival Credit Suisse for 3 billion Swiss francs (US$3.23 billion) and to assume up to $5.4 billion in losses, in a shotgun ...1 day ago - A dummy’s guide to having your say on the Auckland budget‘Don’t fucking come and talk to me, write a submission,’ reckons Mayor Wayne Brown. So how do you do that? Let’s be honest, most people don’t understand local politics. We know that we vote for a mayor and councillors every couple of years, and that’s about it. But local politics ...1 day ago
- Major cyclone-damaged highway reopensThe link between Napier and Taupō has reopened this week for the first time since it was damaged in Cyclone Gabrielle. State highway five will be open to all traffic between 7am and 7pm, with overnight closure points at Kaimata Road, Glengarry Road and Matea Road. Kiri Allan, the associate ...1 day ago
- Geoffrey Miller’s Political Roundup: NZ’s Middle East strategy, 20 years after the Iraq WarAnalysis by By Geoffrey Miller. Political Roundup: NZ’s Middle East strategy, 20 years after the Iraq War This week marks the twentieth anniversary of the Iraq War. While it strongly opposed the US-led invasion, New Zealand’s then Labour-led government led by Prime Minister Helen Clark did deploy military engineers to try to help rebuild Iraq ...1 day ago
- Your bank is here to helpIf you find yourself stressing about the cost of living crisis and how it will impact your home loan, talking to your bank as soon as possible is important. If you are experiencing financial challenges or think you might in the future, it’s important to reach out to your bank ...1 day ago
- The plan to end classroom streaming by 2030, explainedDespite being entrenched practice in New Zealand schools, the practice of academic streaming in schools might not be around much longer. A plan launched today sets out a pathway to achieve this. If you went to school in Aotearoa, odds are that streaming was part of your experience. The numerically-inclined ...1 day ago
- High Number Of Dog Attacks Concerns Child Health ExpertsThe Paediatric Society of New Zealand/Te Kāhui Mātai Arotamariki o Aotearoa are very concerned about the high number of tamariki injured by dogs in Aotearoa. Auckland emergency doctor Natasha Duncan-Sutherland says, “Over 2800 dog-related injuries ...1 day ago
- The Bulletin: Candidate selected to replace Grant Robertson in WellingtonMP Ibrahim Omer will replace Grant Robertson as Labour’s candidate in the Wellington Central electorate after beating former party president Claire Szabo in the candidate selection race. Omer arrived in New Zealand as a refugee and worked as a cleaner before enrolling at Victoria University in 2014. “As someone who has ...1 day ago
- Alcohol Advertising On Social Media PlatformsA new report from Australia highlights the significant community exposure to alcohol advertising through social media platforms. Over a one-year period researchers observed nearly 40,000 advertisements from a subset of alcohol-related accounts on Meta platforms ...1 day ago
- The ‘great resignation’ didn’t happen in Australia, but the ‘great burnout’ didSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Leah Ruppanner, Professor of Sociology and Founding Director of The Future of Work Lab, The University of Melbourne pexels/tara winstead, CC BY-SA You’ve probably heard about the “great resignation” which saw large numbers of people resigning from their jobs in ...1 day ago
- Ozempic helps weight loss by making you feel full. But certain foods can do the same thing – witho...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Emma Beckett, Senior Lecturer (Food Science and Human Nutrition), School of Environmental and Life Sciences, University of Newcastle Shutterstock You’ve probably heard about the medication Ozempic, used to manage type 2 diabetes and as a weight loss drug. Ozempic (and ...1 day ago
- Extinct but not gone – the thylacine continues to fascinate usSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Menna Elizabeth Jones, Associate Professor in Zoology, University of Tasmania Human life on Earth is utterly dependent on biodiversity but our activities are driving an increase in extinctions. Yet some extinct species continue to hold our fascination. New methods in genetics and ...1 day ago
- School principals are reaching crisis point, pushed to the edge by mounting workloads, teacher short...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Paul Kidson, Senior Lecturer in Educational Leadership, Australian Catholic University Shutterstock Australian schools have been under huge pressures in recent years. On top of concerns about academic progress and staff shortages, schools have faced significant, ongoing disruptions due to ...1 day ago
- The Greens don’t want to be taken for granted anymoreThe Green Party has made it clear it’s frustrated after being shafted by Labour during last week’s so-called policy bonfire. The prime minister recently ditched a number of policies announced during Jacinda Ardern’s tenure, many of which were backed strongly by the Greens. In a state of the nation address ...1 day ago
- Is this the end of interest rate rises?The US banking crisis may help force a rethink by the Reserve Bank here, 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. Did last week’s turmoil stop interest rate hikes in their tracks? ...1 day ago
- Frustrated Greens take aim at 'visionless government' and possible National-ACT coalitionThe Greens have laid down a challenge to potential coalition partners: come to the table with faster and stronger climate action if you want our support. ...1 day ago
- Jim Mather on the founding days of Whakaata MāoriThe early days of Māori Television were chaotic. After the founding CE was fired and imprisoned for fraud, Dr. Jim Mather was tapped to lead the fledging broadcaster. An account with no previous media experience, he was an unlikely choice for the role, but ended up leading the channel through ...1 day ago
- The utter folly of cutting public transport funding in the regionsRegional public transport is where money can do the most good in the shortest time. So why is the government giving the regions’ funding to the main centres? I used to think of public transport mainly as a way to reduce our environmental impact. It was only when I started ...2 days ago
- How much blood is too much blood during your period?The most recent piece of research on actual menstrual blood volume was conducted in 1964, which has left many people without key health information, writes researcher Claire Badenhorst. Last month, after being in the office for only half a day, I headed home early for the sole reason that I ...2 days ago
- Council consents 62nd Waiheke helipad
Auckland Council has consented yet another helipad on Waiheke Island. That’s more than 60 on an island less than 20km long. Kim Whitaker asks how has council got it so wrong? A landowner in Church Bay, Waiheke Island, got some welcome news on Friday afternoon, when their helipad consent application ...2 days ago - Why our economy is too important to leave to the experts
The jargon-dense economic commentary reinforces our belief we are unqualified to have a view on how our economy should be designed, but it's time to democratise economics and demand an economy that works for people and the planet Opinion: Imagine a day when you tune into the financial news and the announcer reports: ...2 days ago - Ports plan missing crucial customer voice
A plan to make ports safer places for workers has skipped insight from a critical player. ...2 days ago - Does it pay to be a top author?
Does it pay to be a great novelist in New Zealand? The Detail talks to two authors about how they make a living spinning a good yarn. Catherine Chidgey Catherine Chidgey has been writing novels for almost 30 years - and she's one of our most celebrated writers on the scene ...2 days ago - The secret to success with India
Australia's ties with India have blossomed, while NZ's have stagnated - here's why. ...2 days ago - How to sell 30,000 copies of a self-published debut novel
The amazing success story of a Takapuna writer In 2021, I self-published The Lighthouse, a novel I had been working on for 10 years. Something that kept me going was the thought I might one day walk into a bookstore and see my book sitting on the shelf. Would ...2 days ago - Farming: The next steps
Watch video: In part 4 of our video series, The Way Forward, Rod Oram looks at big new ideas that can lead our response to climate change and improve sustainability. Agriculture generates half New Zealand’s greenhouse gases, but the sector is still moving very slowly and reluctantly towards cutting ...2 days ago - Gold price surges as banking tensions worsen: 'Where might trouble appear next?'
The precious metal surged almost 4 percent as investors, shaken by US bank collapses and trouble at the venerable Swiss bank Credit Suisse, fled to a safe haven ...2 days ago - Newsroom daily quiz, Monday 20 March
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...2 days ago - Labour list MP Ibrahim Omer selected to contest Wellington CentralLabour has selected list MP Ibrahim Omer to contest the Wellington Central seat at the 2023 election. ...2 days ago
- ‘Sleepless nights’ admits PNG’s security minister over stretched policeBy Miriam Zarriga in Port Moresby Papua New Guinea’s Internal Security Minister Peter Tsiamalili Jr says the Royal PNG Constabulary is “stretched” with only 5000 men and women serving the country of more than 9 million people. “Now more than ever we need leadership, we are stretched as a force, ...2 days ago
- I’m a polar oceanographer – this is what I doFrom his office at NIWA headquarters in Wellington, scientist Craig Stewart gets updates from the Southern Ocean, where climate change is starting to melt the ice shelves. All week on The Spinoff we’re delving into our relationship with the world of work in Aotearoa. For more Work Week stories, click ...2 days ago
- Greens lay down climate change election challenge to other partiesThe Greens have told other parties to come to the table with faster, bolder climate action if they want their support at the election. ...2 days ago
- Recipe: Zucchini and pine nut saladCelebrate the last of the summer veg with this crisp, crunchy, flavour-packed salad. If you grow zucchini or are lucky enough to know someone who does then you’ll know that when they come on, they produce in abundance – and figuring out exactly what to do with them all can ...2 days ago
- Hear me out: Stop doing encoresUnless, that is, the crowd truly demands it. Mt Smart Stadium was a sea of colour and noise last week. Handwritten signs, screams, singalongs and hollered appreciation of the main attraction via the chant, “Harry, Harry, Harry [contd]”. Puzzlingly, however, when Mr Styles departed the stage after 70 minutes or ...2 days ago
- It seems as if Wayne Brown doesn't know what a library is
The Auckland Mayor’s comments belittle the skills, expertise and commitment of library staff and undermine the library profession more generally Opinion: Volunteer-run libraries for Auckland have been proposed by Mayor Wayne Brown as a cost-cutting measure that could help the council address the spiralling costs of the City Rail Link ...2 days ago - How to vent healthily
Though venting has its place and can be a helpful way to cope under the right conditions, there are many other strategies that offer benefits more consistently Opinion: When we have a long and stressful day, we often want to talk about it with someone close to us. Whether it ...2 days ago - An Ode to .. Stuart Nash
Bard Billot on the Labour blatherer Mates "Mate," says Lord of Punishings Stu, "Can we get a bit more enthusiastic With the floggings and beheadings?" "Sure, mate," replies Centurion Andronicus, "Just give us the word, mate." The mates companionably swill a yard of warm ale And watch the ...2 days ago - Why the South Auckland rubbish collectors of the 1990s are my heroesWaste collection is a vital, yet often unsung type of work. Charlotte Muru-Lanning writes about her obsession with a 1992 documentary about a crew of razzle dazzle ‘dusties’. All week on The Spinoff we are delving into our relationship with the world of work in Aotearoa. For more Work Week ...3 days ago
- The Sunday Essay: The machine of progressAuthor Matt Suddain offers advice for navigating your way in a (nearly) post-pandemic, pre-apocalyptic workplace. The Sunday Essay is made possible thanks to the support of Creative New Zealand. Illustrations by Daniel Vernon (@yeehawtheboys) You’re anxious about your future. What will the working world be like in 10 years? Will there ...3 days ago
- Are Russian transfers of Ukrainian children to re-education and adoption facilities a form of genoci...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Yvonne Breitwieser-Faria, PhD Candidate and Academic in Law, The University of Queensland Throughout Russia’s war against Ukraine, there have been countless reports of alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity. Now, there are also allegations of genocide involving the forced transfer of ...3 days ago
- 'I'm back': Trump returns to YouTube and Facebook after two-year banFormer US President Donald Trump has returned to the tech platforms he used to power his political rise until he was cut off following the 2021 attack on Congress by his followers. ...3 days ago
- I am a publishing assistant – this is what I doIt’s more clicking on emails from a swivel chair than red pens and comfy armchairs, writes publishing assistant Lauren Donald. All week on The Spinoff we are delving into our relationship with the world of work in Aotearoa. For more Work Week stories, click here. This week I open my laptop ...3 days ago
- Why would anyone let Ted Lasso quit now?The new season is supposedly the last – but is everyone’s favourite cornball coach bowing out too soon? This is an except from our Rec Room newsletter. Sign up here. Microphones are laid out on the table. Cameras are live streaming every word. The coach eyes the packed press gallery ...3 days ago
- Focus on Politics: Making a Nash of itStuart Nash's self-destruct sequence as police minister is a clear example of a political own-goal - and cost his boss no small amount of political capital. ...3 days ago
- Watch out for Charlisse Leger-Walker in this year’s NCAA March MadnessThe New Zealand basketball phenom just led her US college team to its first-ever conference championship. Now the national tournament awaits – and could a spot in the WNBA draft be next? In 2017 The Spinoff profiled 16-year-old New Zealand basketball player Charlisse Leger-Walker. At the time, she was tearing ...3 days ago
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