Archive for May, 2014
NRT: “No intention to interfere”
Written By: - Date published: 2:02 pm, May 1st, 2014 - 20 comments
When the Prime Minister found out that Maurice Williamson had contacted police over their investigation of a National Party donor on domestic violence charges, Williamson “assured [him] that he did not in any way intend to influence the Police investigation”. That is bullshit. But it gets worse. The police gave the Minister exactly what he asked for.
Williamson’s head isn’t the only one that should be on a spike.
NRT: Two obvious questions
Written By: - Date published: 1:29 pm, May 1st, 2014 - 70 comments
Maurice Williamson was sacked within the space of 2 hours this morning after the Herald revealed he had attempted to interfere in a police investigation on behalf of a party donor. Its exactly what should happen when a Minister behaves corruptly and pisses on our constitutional norms like this. At the same time, it raises an obvious question: why hasn’t Judith Collins suffered the same fate? Or is corrupt behaviour only punished when it involves older Ministers the PM would like to dispose of?
Williamson now. How corrupt is the National cabinet?
Written By: - Date published: 10:30 am, May 1st, 2014 - 199 comments
It never seems to end does it? A National Party Minister contacted a top ranking police officer after a wealthy businessman with close ties to him was arrested on domestic violence charges. The Prime Minister’s office is understood to be considering Maurice Williamson’s future as a Minister, following Herald inquiries into the phone call that he made and over his involvement with Donghua Liu’s criminal case.
Bunji: And he’s gone – resigned as a Minister
Williamson in trouble
Written By: - Date published: 10:06 am, May 1st, 2014 - 23 comments
Maurice William’s career is in the balance as news of an inappropriate approach to the police on behalf of a National Party donor emerges.
Open mike 01/05/2014
Written By: - Date published: 6:50 am, May 1st, 2014 - 193 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 …
- National returned $200,000 donation day after Newsroom story
National returned a massive donation the day after a Newsroom story linked the donors to a property being investigated for operating unlawfully as a migrant workers’ hostel. The party’s 2023 donation filings, released on Friday, show it returned a $200,000 donation from Buen Holdings on August 23. That was the ...1 week ago - Greens have 'historically bad' start to the year – political scientist
The party has had faced a challenging set of circumstances over the past five months, Lara Greaves says. ...1 week ago - HWPL Calls For Peace Amid Rising Tensions Between Israel And Iran
Heavenly Culture, World Peace, Restoration of Light (HWPL), a United Nations-affiliated organization dedicated to fostering peace through civilian-led initiatives, has issued a statement in response to the escalating conflict between Israel and Iran. ...1 week ago - The Friday Poem: ‘Mātou’ by Tessa Keenan
A poem by Tessa Keenan, from AUP New Poets 10. Mātou These days we are a photograph; one of a farm strewn with cows that used to be bright harakeke or swamp. The kids point at it and say the sun sits behind a smudge (left by someone at Christmas); ...1 week ago - The Unity Books bestseller chart for the week ending May 3The only published and available best-selling indie book chart in New Zealand is the top 10 sales list recorded every week at Unity Books’ stores in High St, Auckland, and Willis St, Wellington. AUCKLAND 1 Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan (Faber & Faber, $25) The masterful Irish writer ...1 week ago
- Marriages, Civil Unions, And Divorces: Year Ended Dec 2023Marriage and civil union statistics record the number of marriages and civil unions registered in New Zealand each year, and divorce statistics record the number of divorces granted in New Zealand each year. Key facts Marriages and civil unions In ...1 week ago
- Marriages, Civil Unions, And Divorces: Year Ended December 2023Marriage and civil union statistics record the number of marriages and civil unions registered in New Zealand each year, and divorce statistics record the number of divorces granted in New Zealand each year. ...1 week ago
- ‘There was life in the old girl yet’: Dame Susan Devoy on taking reality TV by stormIn this excerpt from her new memoir, Dame Susan Devoy remembers her turn as star contestant on the 2022 season of Celebrity Treasure Island. The most anxious time of every day was pre-elimination, when you knew this could be your final day on the show. I felt such contradictory emotions, ...1 week ago
- Auditor-General criticises way University of Waikato contracted Steven JoyceJohn Ryan says the University of Waikato did not invite multiple contractors and reached out to the former finance minister directly. ...1 week ago
- 'Not my first legal rodeo' – Winston Peters on defamation threatForeign Affairs Minister Winston Peters says he will not be cowed by threats of legal action, having received a legal letter from Bob Carr. ...1 week ago
- Can the Green Party’s holy mission survive its fallible disciples?A week that began in triumph ended in an all-too-familiar disaster for the Green Party. Duncan Greive asks if there’s something in the mission that breaks its best and brightest. A long, strange week for the Green party began with a fantastic poll result. On one level this is hardly ...1 week ago
- Winston Peters gives China speech amid legal drama and AUKUS questionsThe Foreign Minister spoke about the NZ-China relationship amid lingering questions about the AUKUS security alliance . ...1 week ago
- Gone By Lunchtime: Mojo machine misfires, honeymoon cancelledWhat’s to blame for the coalition’s choppy start? Six months in, and the mojo meter is in the doldrums. A new poll would put National out of power and sees its leader, Chris Luxon, sliding in popularity. How much is it about policy, how much coalition management and a perception ...1 week ago
- The Waitangi Tribunal’s latest report is about far more than just child protectionThe striking report goes far beyond the proposed repeal of the Oranga Tamariki Act’s Treaty of Waitangi provision, and its impact should be felt far beyond the unique circumstances of the claim it addresses. Earlier this week, the Waitangi Tribunal released an interim report on the government’s proposed repeal of ...1 week ago
- Live Winston Peters gives China speech amid legal drama and AUKUS questionsThe Foreign Minister was speaking at the New Zealand China Council while questions linger about the AUKUS security alliance . ...1 week ago
- 'We weren't informed': Apprentice working on school unaware of asbestosThe Education Ministry is promising to do more about asbestos problems in schools, with tighter controls over detection and removal. ...1 week ago
- New Treasury Paper On The Productivity SlowdownThe world has been experiencing a productivity slowdown, from which New Zealand has not been exempt. COVID-19 temporarily boosted labour productivity, but more recently, productivity has retreated. The overall trend since 2007 has been one of slow productivity ...1 week ago
- The prison slushy story is back, baby, and it’s less nutritious than everWhat’s more wasteful than spending $315k on syrup and machine maintenance? Trying to drum up a controversy about it. Cast your mind back to the pre-pandemic idylls of 2019. A “rat” was a disgusting rodent and not a self-administered plague test; the sixth Labour government was in power; and the ...1 week ago
- Winston Peters receives legal letter from Bob Carr after defamation threatBob Carr has confirmed his intention to take legal action against the NZ First leader. ...1 week ago
- Legal action and bullying allegations: Peters and Genter knock government agenda off its perchBob Carr intends to launch legal action against Winston Peters and Julie Anne Genter is facing a second allegation of bullying. Both sucked the air out of an announcement on education, writes Anna Rawhiti-Connell in this excerpt from The Bulletin, The Spinoff’s morning news round-up. To receive The Bulletin in ...1 week ago
- New law looks to shake up insuranceThe Minister for Commerce and Consumer Affairs says insurance laws are too complicated and change is long overdue. ...1 week ago
- Winston Peters' comments about former Australian minister 'unstatesmanlike' – L...David Parker says he has never heard a current minister speak about a senior, retired politician from another country in such a way. ...1 week ago
- Where is she now? Sally ClarkIn 1995, Sally Clark went out on her own in a bold and unorthodox attempt to join an illustrious group of equestrian riders conquering the world. In the days of glovebox road maps, brick cell phones, and the hit song How Bizarre, Clark refused to follow Sir Mark Todd, Blyth ...1 week ago
- Knocked Up, American Pie, the Bean movie: A brief history of NZ music in Hollywood To celebrate the start of New Zealand music month, we look back at the best local tuneage that managed to weasel its way into Hollywood productions. There’s nothing quite like the thrilling zap of recognition when New Zealand weasels its way into a glamorous Hollywood production. Crack open a Tui ...1 week ago
- Why I told a cop about my lasagne and what it’s got to do with the mediaPeople trust other people more than institutions. So how can the media gain that trust through journalists without losing what’s important about the institution? Anna Rawhiti-Connell reflects on two years of curating the news for The Bulletin. Amonth ago, armed cops descended on my neighbourhood as calls to “lock your ...1 week ago
- Low levels of ‘forever chemicals’ doesn’t mean we can wash our hands of themOpinion: PFAS – per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances – are a class of thousands of man-made chemicals used widely in everyday consumer items such as textiles, packaging, and cookware, popular for their water, grease and stain-repellent properties. However, the very properties that make PFAS so attractive to manufacturers are also what ...1 week ago
- This week’s biggest selling books – May 3NONFICTION 1 The Last Secret Agent by Pippa Latour & Jude Dobson (Allen & Unwin, $37.99)’ This is the hottest book in New Zealand, number one with a bullet in its first week, selling more than any overseas title, and demand is so huge that it’s already been reprinted. A ...1 week ago
- Newsroom daily quiz, Friday 3 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, Friday 3 May appeared first on Newsroom. ...1 week ago
- Daily crossword, Friday 3 MayThe post Daily crossword, Friday 3 May appeared first on Newsroom. ...1 week ago
- A cry of help for the James Bond of the bird worldSecretive and shy, the nationally critical, native bitterns are on the edge in Canterbury, a researcher says The post A cry of help for the James Bond of the bird world appeared first on Newsroom. ...1 week ago
- Drama as the knife hovers over Kiwi soapA warning – suicide is discussed in this podcast New Zealand’s own long-running soap Shortland Street doesn’t hesitate to kill off its much-loved characters. But would TVNZ dare to kill off our favourite soap? That’s the fear as times get tough in television – even though it’s been pointed out ...1 week ago
- Fast-track bill is a lolly scramble for deep-pocketed applicantsOpinion: There’s nothing transparent about the fast-track bill despite what ministers say The post Fast-track bill is a lolly scramble for deep-pocketed applicants appeared first on Newsroom. ...1 week ago
- Electoral donations under the microscope with full disclosure imminentGovernment consenting and fisheries policy has seen large donations and those directly to MPs scrutinised – full donations will be released as soon as Friday The post Electoral donations under the microscope with full disclosure imminent appeared first on Newsroom. ...1 week ago
- Fire and Emergency payroll plan scrapped after spending $29mAfter three years and millions of dollars, Fire and Emergency’s payroll replacement project is back to square one The post Fire and Emergency payroll plan scrapped after spending $29m appeared first on Newsroom. ...1 week ago
- Into The Deep End – Karori Lifeguard Up For Challenge As Reserve Force SoldierThe Wellington-based Reserve Force soldier is now almost three years into his New Zealand Army career with 5th/7th Battalion, Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment. ...2 weeks ago
- Government Cuts Put 130 Jobs On The Line At Kāinga Ora, And 40 At HUD"The Government needs to release the review immediately as this reckless approach to change risks disjointed decision making and creates more distress and uncertainty for staff," Fitzsimons said. ...2 weeks ago
- NZQA Jobs To Go As Government Education Cuts Roll OnThe NZQA proposal released to staff today would involve a net loss of 35 roles. There are 66 roles being disestablished with 13 of those currently vacant, and 31 new roles proposed, said Fleur Fitzsimons Public Service Association Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga ...2 weeks ago
- The star-studded New Zealand movie you need to see as soon as possibleAlex Casey talks to Loren Taylor, the writer, director and star of new film The Moon is Upside Down, about assembling her dream ensemble cast, toilet paper pads and turning literal dreams into reality. There’s a moment in The Moon is Upside Down where frazzled anaesthetist Briar (Loren Taylor) gets ...2 weeks ago
- Luxon’s leadership test: what would it take to win back unimpressed NZ voters?Opinion: The Prime Minister's coalition partners are testing - even undermining - his authority and credibility. ...2 weeks ago
- ASB Workers To Strike As Bank Proposes An Effective Pay CutWorkers at a major ASB contact centre in Auckland have voted to take strike action and withdraw their labour following disappointing pay negotiations with the employer and an "offer" to workers that would leave them worse off than the previous year. ...2 weeks ago
- Where else should phones be banned? The most unruly classroom of all – parliamentAs the government tries to get the country back on track with a school phone ban, Tara Ward has an idea for where they should turn their attention to next. New Zealand students returned to school on Monday morning, but their cellphones did not. The government’s new phone ban began ...2 weeks ago
- Government’s Cuts Put Work Of Stats NZ At RiskThe PSA is concerned that the voluntary redundancies being offered to staff by Stats NZ will impact on the agency’s ability to deliver on its core functions. ...2 weeks ago
- Is cooking with dog food instead of meat actually fine? I gave it a goResults ranged from surprisingly yum to soul-destroying. I love cooking. The kitchen is a hearth of culinary creation, of sensory delights, of gastronomic poetry. I also can’t afford anything nice. Why does a pack of instant noodles and some milk cost ten bucks? I love you, Aotearoa, but I miss ...2 weeks ago
- Fast-track Submitters Must Not Be Silenced Through Poor Select Committee Process“We’re concerned that if the Select Committee process is poorly run members of the public will be silenced on this deeply troubling Bill.” ...2 weeks ago
- Help Me Hera: My friend’s boyfriend Steve is always, always, always aroundHe’s fine but it feels like I’m losing a friend and it’s making me bitter. How do I say ‘enough is enough’? Want Hera’s help? Email your problem to helpme@thespinoff.co.nz Hey Hera, I’ve recently moved in with a girlfriend, her partner Steve, and his friend. We all live in a lovely little house. ...2 weeks ago
- Unemployment up, business confidence downLabour market figures came in softer than the Reserve Bank had forecast, but they won’t be enough to move the needle on interest rates, 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. Unemployment ...2 weeks ago
- Citizenship (Western Samoa) Act 1982 Bill Steering Committee Launches Community Engagement CampaignThe campaign will engage the community and encourage submissions on the bill to the New Zealand government by the closing submission deadline of Friday 31st of May 2024 4pm. ...2 weeks ago
- Shaky Foundations: Why Our Democracy Needs Trust | Limit Urgency To Rebuild Trust: New ResearchThe paper raises concerns about declining trust in New Zealand's political institutions and democratic processes, and the role that the overuse of Parliamentary urgency plays in that. ...2 weeks ago
- My co-housing project failed, but I still think it’s a great ideaThe Urban Habitat Collective was an attempt to built an innovative new form of apartment building in Wellington. Here’s why it failed, and why the idea could still work, writes co-founder Bronwen Newton. When we started the Urban Habitat Collective in November 2018, we thought we were starting a revolution, ...2 weeks ago
- A new generation of activism: Marking 20 years since the foreshore and seabed hīkoiTwo decades ago this week, a controversial law that attempted to define ownership of the foreshore and seabed prompted a formidable display of outrage and kōtahitanga as 15,000 marched to parliament. Jamie Tahana looks back. ‘Hīkoi, hīkoi,” they chanted by the thousands as the biggest Māori march in a generation ...2 weeks ago
- Te Kāhui Tika Tangata Human Rights Commission Pays Tribute To Sir Robert Martin MNZMSir Robert devoted his life to disability rights after living in institutions in his younger years, says Kaihautū Tika Hauātanga | Disability Rights Commissioner Prudence Walker. ...2 weeks ago
- Passing Of Sir Robert Martin KNZMPeople First New Zealand Ngā Tāngata Tuatahi is deeply saddened by the passing of Life Member Sir Robert Martin KNZM. ...2 weeks ago
- Taxpayers’ Union Slams Secret List Of Judges’ PerksResponding 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 ...2 weeks 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 ...2 weeks 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 ...2 weeks 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" ...2 weeks 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. ...2 weeks 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. ...2 weeks ago
- ‘There is some properly foul content in this book’: What a bookseller readsWelcome 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 ...2 weeks 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%. ...2 weeks 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 ...2 weeks 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 ...2 weeks 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. ...2 weeks 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 ...2 weeks 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 ...2 weeks 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. ...2 weeks 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. ...2 weeks 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. ...2 weeks 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 ...2 weeks 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 ...2 weeks 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 ...2 weeks 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. ...2 weeks ago
- ‘When the ship docks’: Publishing the poetry of the late Schaeffer LemaluPublisher Chris Holdaway reflects on the unique project of collecting the work of the late, terrific poet Schaeffer Lemalu. One of the nice things you can do as a truly independent publisher is to make the books that writers want to make, whatever they happen to be. That’s how I’ve ...2 weeks ago
- Afghanistan Service Recognised In NZ Post’s Modern Veterans Stamp SeriesThose profiled in the stamp series served on overseas deployments from 1995 onwards, and all have been awarded theNew Zealand Operational Service Medal. ...2 weeks ago
- On the politics of vengeanceLast night’s dismal poll result for the coalition government shows the limits of trying to govern as an opposition, argues Joel MacManus. There’s a quote from the American political activist Barbara Deming: “Vengeance is not the point; change is. But the trouble is that in most people’s minds, the thought ...2 weeks ago
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