Archive for March, 2022
Two years of living dangerously
Written By: - Date published: 1:53 pm, March 1st, 2022 - 75 comments
Yesterday marked the second anniversary of the first Covid case in New Zealand. What a time it has been.
Remarkably Hopeful
Written By: - Date published: 7:30 am, March 1st, 2022 - 18 comments
We will probably never get over the feeling that somehow, if enough people just banded together, it would all get better again, like we did when the United Nations charter was struck.
Convoy protest 29/2/22
Written By: - Date published: 6:05 am, March 1st, 2022 - 94 comments
A general discussion post.
Open mike 01/03/2022
Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, March 1st, 2022 - 122 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 …
- The leaf NZ should take out of Australia’s Budget
Opinion: As Australia faces a national crisis of violence against women, its government has launched a national strategy explicitly focused on improving gender equality. The 88-page Women’s Budget Statement, delivered in this year’s Australian Budget, provides a comprehensive look at the government’s strategy for addressing a wide range of gender-related ...5 days ago - Kanaky New Caledonia unrest: Fiji, PNG call for UN decolonisation mission
BenarNews staff Fiji and Papua New Guinea have urged the UN’s Decolonisation Committee to expedite a visit to the French-controlled Pacific territory of Kanaky New Caledonia following its pro-independence riots last month. Nine people have died, dozens were injured and businesses were torched during unrest in the capital Noumea triggered ...5 days ago - 100-million-year-old fossil find reveals huge flying reptile that patrolled Australia’s inland seaSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adele Pentland, PhD candidate, Curtin University Gabriel Ugueto One hundred million years ago, during the Cretaceous period, much of northeastern Australia was underwater. The inland Eromanga Sea was home to a myriad of marine creatures, from turtles and dolphin-like ichthyosaurs to ...5 days ago
- Australia, New Zealand more wary on China as Premier Li visits
Regional security concerns will overshadow lucrative trade ties when China's Premier Li Qiang visits New Zealand and Australia this week. ...5 days ago - Deepfake AI pornography is becoming more common – what can parents and schools do to prevent it?Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Gabrielle Hunt, PhD Candidate, Australian Catholic University A Victorian school community is reeling after fake, sexually explicit images of female students were generated using artificial intelligence and then shared on social media. About 50 high school students at Bacchus Marsh Grammar had ...5 days ago
- What to do if you, or someone you know, is targeted with deepfake porn or AI nudesSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Nicola Henry, Professor & Australian Research Council Future Fellow, Social and Global Studies Centre, RMIT University Shutterstock This week, about 50 female students from Victoria’s Bacchus Marsh Grammar School had fake, sexually explicit images of them shared without their consent on ...5 days ago
- Christchurch makes case to government for secure community housing fundingCentral government will get more houses if it guarantees funding for local-led community projects, Canterbury's mayor says. ...5 days ago
- Free Kanaky, Free Te Moana-Nui-a-Kiwa
Te Pāti Māori stand with the people of Kanaky who are fighting for their independence and their lives against oppressive French occupation. The colonisation of the Pacific relies on the manufactured disconnection of Aotearoa from our Pasifika whanaunga. ...5 days ago - ‘We remain concerned’: Senate inquiry into PwC tax scandal calls for reform, but overuse of cons...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stephen Bartos, Professor of Economics, University of Canberra The final report of a Senate inquiry kicked off by the PwC scandal has finally been released. The inquiry, which began in March last year, looked at how consultancy firms work with the ...5 days ago
- Michael Mosley reportedly died from heat exhaustion. How can extreme heat turn deadly?Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Lily Hospers, PhD Candidate in Human Environmental Physiology, Heat and Health Incubator, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney Andrea Piacquadio/Pexels British television host and celebrity doctor Michael Mosley went missing last Wednesday while holidaying on the Greek island of ...5 days ago
- The government is not on track to get every younger person out of aged care by next year. What now?Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Di Winkler, Adjunct Associate Professor, Living with Disability Research Centre, La Trobe University Lisa lives with multiple sclerosis. She used to live in aged care after being admitted there in her late 40s. It isn’t living, it is existing. You ...5 days ago
- ABC’s new comedy Austin grapples with autism stereotypes – with mixed successSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Beth Radulski, Manager, Neurodiversity Inclusion, La Trobe University ABC ABC’s new comedy series Austin follows its 28-year-old namesake (played by autistic actor Michael Theo, from the reality dating series Love on the Spectrum), an autistic man connecting for the first time ...5 days ago
- New Zealand Uyghur Community Seek Answers From Chinese Premier Li QiangMembers of the New Zealand Uyghur community have requested that the Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs seek answers for them from the Chinese Premier Li Qiang. Uyghur Solidarity Aotearoa has provided the letter sent to the Prime Minister ...5 days ago
- New Zealand Pro-Palestine Protester Ends 19-day Hunger StrikeThe anti-war movement can only move forward to the extent that the working class takes its own action, in opposition to Labour and the entire capitalist political establishment, including the trade union apparatus and the pseudo-left organisations ...5 days ago
- Three-quarters of Australian workers think now is a good time to change jobs. This is what managers ...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Libby (Elizabeth) Sander, MBA Director & Assistant Professor of Organisational Behaviour, Bond Business School, Bond University Kaspars Grinvalds/Shutterstock Australian workers are more likely than those elsewhere to be planning to change jobs, with 74% reporting now is a good time to ...5 days ago
- Coles has imposed limits on egg purchases – but is there actually a crisis?Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Flavio Macau, Associate Dean – School of Business and Law, Edith Cowan University Lin Xiu Xiu/Shutterstock Australians are no strangers to a supply crunch. During the pandemic and its aftermath, there were shortages of all kinds of products, from AdBlue diesel ...5 days ago
- Police are frustrated with mental health callouts – here’s how to reduce their involvement and i...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Katey Thom, Associate Professor in Law, Auckland University of Technology Getty Images Jurisdictions around the world are struggling with the growing number of police callouts to respond to people in mental health distress. New Zealand is no exception. In the ...5 days ago
- Is Parliament's housing allowance system fit-for-purpose?MPs' perks are back in the spotlight. ...5 days ago
- Should I get my child a baseline concussion test before they start junior sports?Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sarah Hellewell, Research Fellow, Faculty of Health Sciences, Curtin University, and The Perron Institute for Neurological and Translational Science, Curtin University shutterstock Dziurek/Shutterstock Concussions can occur in many different ways, but they are more likely to occur when playing fast-paced team sports ...5 days ago
- Government asks for inquiry into banking competitionFinance Minister Nicola Willis has requested an inquiry into the state of competition in New Zealand banking, with a particular focus on rural areas. ...5 days ago
- Nick Rockel: RIMPAC 2024 training – NZ’s sabre dance with Israel ͏COMMENTARY: By Nick Rockel in Tāmaki Makaurau This morning I did something I seldom do, I looked at the Twitter newsfeed. Normally I take the approach of something that I’m not sure is an American urban legend, or genuinely something kids do over there. The infamous bag of dog poo ...5 days ago
- To-do list got you down? Understanding the psychology of goals can help tick things off – and keep...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kim M Caudwell, Senior Lecturer – Psychology | Chair, Researchers in Behavioural Addictions, Alcohol and Drugs (BAAD), Charles Darwin University New Africa/Shutterstock It feels like we are living in busy times. According to the OECD Better Life Index, 12.5% of ...5 days ago
- ‘A word that cradles the reader’: Laurence Fearnley’s world of books
Welcome to The Spinoff Books Confessional, in which we get to know the reading habits of Aotearoa writers, and guests. This week: Laurence Fearnley, author of At the Grand Glacier Hotel. The book I wish I’d written Sue Wootton’s The Yield. When I read Sue’s poems, I am aware of ...5 days ago - It's Not A Crime To Abuse An Elder In New Zealand: Call For ChangeAs we mark World Elder Abuse Awareness Day on June 15, the Positive Ageing Trust Hawke's Bay is sounding the alarm on the escalating issue of elder abuse in our country. Despite alarming statistics, elder abuse is not recognised as a specific criminal ...5 days ago
- Government orders inquiry into banking competitionFinance Minister Nicola Willis has ordered an inquiry into the state of competition in New Zealand banking, with a particular focus on rural areas. ...5 days ago
- Crowds gather as Fieldays opens at Mystery CreekPolitics, new equipment and the tractor pull contest have taken centre stage on the opening day of the New Zealand Fieldays. ...5 days ago
- Care And Support Workers Call “Time’s Up”, & Take Long-overdue Pay Equity Claim To...Unions for care and support workers will take their long-overdue pay equity claim to the Employment Relations Authority (ERA) in Wellington on Thursday (13 June). ...5 days ago
- Climate holdout Japan drove Australia’s LNG boom. Could the partnership go green?Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Wesley Morgan, Research Fellow, Griffith Asia Institute, Griffith University Sakarin Sawasdinaka/Shutterstock Without funding from Japan, many of Australia’s gas projects wouldn’t have gone ahead. Massive public loans from Japanese taxpayers are propping up Australia’s now-enormous fossil gas industry. Japan is also ...5 days ago
- RNZ played ‘motherfucker’ and ‘bussy’ on air yesterday. What the fuck is going on?Radio New Zealand has let a spate of swear words slip through on air this week. Madeleine Chapman calls a crisis meeting. We were listening to the national broadcaster exactly as god intended: two gay women sitting in my dad’s diesel ute after buying toilet paper from a suburban Woolworths. ...5 days ago
- Federated Farmers Launch Rural Banking PetitionOn the opening morning of Fieldays, Federated Farmers have launched a petition putting pressure on the Government to announce an independent inquiry into rural banking. ...6 days ago
- NZ’s Best Homes is the opposite of Sunday. Maybe that’s why it’s workingInitial ratings show the flashy replacement for TVNZ’s Sunday has done exactly what the broadcaster would have hoped. Stewart Sowman-Lund asks what that does for the argument to fund current affairs. When TVNZ announced it would be dumping its long-running current affairs show Sunday, there was an understandable outpouring of ...6 days ago
- Activists Blockade Todd Energy House During Energy ForumThe Energy Resources Taranaki Forum was supposed to hold their annual conference in New Plymouth today but due to climate activists coming from across the country to stop them, they decided to cancel and meet online. The climate protectors wasted ...6 days ago
- Why can’t we stop watching Border Patrol? Alex Casey talks to the makers of of one of our longest-running TV series about its enduring popularity both here and overseas. Border Patrol is like a contraband box of chocolates – you never know what you’re going to get. It might be a festering horse head, a Latvian national ...6 days ago
- Government setting up 'smokescreen' to look away from climate change – Chloe Swarbri..."The science does tell us that we do need to de-intensify," the Green Party says. ...6 days ago
- Chris Hipkins open to looking at MP accommodation allowanceHowever, the Opposition leader says he doesn't think a change would save much public money. ...6 days ago
- Oil and gas drilling changes include loss of community consultationThe proposed law change would introduce a way to obtain a drilling permit without having to tender for it. ...6 days ago
- The government is drafting anti-hate speech laws. Here are 4 things they should includeSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Dr Nicole Shackleton, Lecturer, Graduate School of Business and Law, RMIT University Andre Hunter/Unsplash In May, the federal government confirmed it’s working on new laws to prohibit hate speech, sometimes called vilification, based on sex, gender, sexuality, race or religion. ...6 days ago
- Extreme heat is a killer for outdoor sporting events – let’s plan properly to keep everyone safeSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Hannah Mason, Research assistant in Public Health, Medical, and Veterinary Sciences, James Cook University Attending outdoor sporting events can be life-threatening. Amid soaring temperatures, event organisers need to take extra care – not just for athletes, but also for officials, spectators and ...6 days ago
- Some online platforms are starting to measure ‘student engagement’ at school. Here’s what you ...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Chris Zomer, Associate Research Fellow at the Centre of the Digital Child, Deakin University Julia M Cameron/ Pexels , CC BY There is increasing concern children are less focused in school. This is often blamed on smartphones and social media. At ...6 days ago
- Shakespeare, Beowulf and Chaucer could be back in the NZ English curriculum – should they be?Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Claudia Rozas, Lecturer, Faculty of Education and Social Work, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau For the second time in as many years, New Zealand’s secondary school English curriculum will be rewritten, a move which has generated disquiet from teachers and academics ...6 days ago
- No, AI doesn’t mean human-made music is doomed. Here’s whySource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alexander Crooke, Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Music Therapy, The University of Melbourne Shutterstock Recently we have seen the launch of artificial intelligence programs such as SOUNDRAW and Loudly that can create musical compositions in the style of almost any artist. We’re ...6 days ago
- Australia’s hardline deportation policy and what it means for the governmentNew polling shows crime is becoming more of a concern for New Zealanders, writes Stewart Sowman-Lund in this extract from The Bulletin. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here. A threat to ...6 days ago
- Playful young male dolphins grow up to have more offspringSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kathryn Holmes, Staff Scientist, Sarasota Dolphin Research Program, Brookfield Zoo Chicago, and PhD Researcher, The University of Western Australia Shark Bay Dolphin Research As humans, we grow up playing with other children. Animals of many species likewise play with their peers. ...6 days ago
- Too many Australians are waiting for a home care package. Here’s how to fix the delaysSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Hal Swerissen, Emeritus Professor of Public Health, La Trobe University Davor Geber/Shutterstock Waiting lists for older people who need home care have blown out again. Twice as many people are now waiting for a Commonwealth Home Care Package as last year. ...6 days ago
- The Coalition wants to dump our 2030 emissions target, yet somehow hit 2050’s. Behavioural economi...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Martin, Visiting Fellow, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University Love Silhouette/Shutterstock If you are anything like me, the nearer you get to a deadline, the more desperately you want to postpone it, no matter how much harder that ...6 days ago
- The states want a bigger say in skilled migration – but doing that actually leaves them worse offSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Brendan Coates, Program Director, Economic Policy, Grattan Institute Magnifical Productions/Shutterstock State and territory governments have long wanted a bigger say in Australia’s migration system. But our latest report shows states would actually be better off if the federal government no longer ...6 days ago
- Do you have $500 in savings for an emergency? One in three don’t, says surveyThe impact of the cost of living crisis on New Zealanders’ savings has been highlighted by new research that reveals the extent to which we’re living paycheck to paycheck. For the past two years, stories of the cost of living crisis have shown the impact of rising costs, rising unemployment ...6 days ago
- Eden Park operators urge fast-track process for more stadium eventsAllowing events to be fast-tracked under proposed laws could 'streamline' the Auckland stadium's consultation with its neighbours, operators say. ...6 days ago
- What happens when disabled people lose flexible funding In March, sudden changes to purchasing rules highlighted the ongoing struggles of the disabled community – and advocates say extra money allocated to Whaikaha in the budget can’t come close to countering chronic underfunding. Cherie Cawdron has driven the same exact loop around her neighbourhood hundreds of times: driving ...6 days ago
- Character housing goes to court: Will Wellington’s new District Plan survive?A character housing group is suing to stop new housing from going up in Wellington’s character suburbs. Do they have any chance? Character housing advocacy group LIVE WELLington (Not to be mistaken for Wellington – Live) has filed a judicial review application in the High Court attempting to block the ...6 days ago
- Where is she now? Leanne WalkerSt Mary’s College, Wellington, is inscribed on the 2017 national secondary schools basketball title. But anyone who witnessed the final in Palmerston North that year would have been astonished by the performance of Charlisse Leger-Walker. The Year 11 guard from St Peter’s Cambridge scored 48 of her side’s 62 points ...6 days ago
- Daily crossword, Wednesday 12 JuneThe post Daily crossword, Wednesday 12 June appeared first on Newsroom. ...6 days ago
- Why should New Zealanders care about Australia’s Budget?Opinion: Both Australia and New Zealand are grappling with similar immediate challenges such as the cost-of-living crisis. By examining how the Australian government addresses these concerns through tax cuts, targeted spending, and funding priorities, New Zealanders can gain insights into the competitiveness of their own economy in relation to their ...6 days ago
- Learning from others, a burning issueOpinion: The State of Victoria addressed climate emergency response after 173 deaths caused by the 2009 bushfires The post Learning from others, a burning issue appeared first on Newsroom. ...6 days ago
- Newsroom daily quiz, Wednesday 12 JuneLoading…(function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){var ql=document.querySelectorAll('A,DIV,A[data-quiz],DIV[data-quiz]'); if(ql){if(ql.length){for(var k=0;k<ql.length;k++){ql[k].id='quiz-embed-'+k;ql[k].href="javascript:var i=document.getElementById('quiz-embed-"+k+"');try{qz.startQuiz(i)}catch(e){i.start=1;i.style.cursor='wait';i.style.opacity='0.5'};void(0);"}}};i['QP']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){(i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o),m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m)})(window,document,'script','https://take.quiz-maker.com/3012/CDN/quiz-embed-v1.js','qp'); Got a good quiz question? Send Newsroom your questions. The post Newsroom daily quiz, Wednesday 12 June appeared first on Newsroom. ...6 days ago
- The billion-dollar win for Kiwi power usersOpinion: Cuts to how much lines companies can charge consumers is a chance to embrace innovation The post The billion-dollar win for Kiwi power users appeared first on Newsroom. ...6 days ago
- Court rules for greater regulation of pawn shopsThe Commerce Commission’s view that pawnbrokers fall under the CCCFA was supported by the High Court The post Court rules for greater regulation of pawn shops appeared first on Newsroom. ...6 days ago
- The calls for Māori representationOn Budget Day – also a day of nationwide protest by Māori – Te Pāti Māori co-leaders Rawiri Waititi and Debbie Ngarewa-Packer announced calls for a Māori parliament. But experts say this idea is nothing new. Margaret Mutu, a professor of Māori studies at Auckland University, has long investigated the ...6 days ago
- Best-case scenario: 5% survive Milford Sound tsunamiA recent Master’s thesis has detailed how quickly a landslide-driven tsunami could reach tourists in Milford Sound, giving an “optimistic” fatality rate of 95 percent. The post Best-case scenario: 5% survive Milford Sound tsunami appeared first on Newsroom. ...6 days ago
- Calls for Oranga Tamariki to keep Office of Chief Social WorkerMarie Connelly, who was the chief social worker from 2005-2010 when the entity was Child, Youth and Family, said it was critical the Chief Social Worker role was not undermined The post Calls for Oranga Tamariki to keep Office of Chief Social Worker appeared first on Newsroom. ...6 days ago
- Minister foreshadows hard choices for Conservation DepartmentDoC will pull back from some areas but focus more keenly on others, the minister says, while seeking external partners and investors The post Minister foreshadows hard choices for Conservation Department appeared first on Newsroom. ...6 days ago
- FestPAC 2024: ‘One body, one people, one ocean, one Pacific’By Tiana Haxton, RNZ Pacific journalist in Hawai’i “One body, one people, one ocean, one Pacific” was Samoa’s powerful statement during the parade of nations at the official opening of the 13th Festival of Pacific Arts and Culture (FestPAC). It was a sentiment echoed loudly and proudly by all other ...6 days ago
- Pacific churches call at UN for France to drop ‘limbo law’ to restore peace in KanakyAsia Pacific Report The Pacific Conference of Churches (PCC) has called on France to drop the “limbo” proposed law on electoral changes in Kanaky New Caledonia opposed by the indigenous pro-independence movement and restore the path to peace and self-determination. General secretary Reverend James Bhagwan made the call at the ...6 days ago
- Foreign Minister announces $8.6m plan to improve lives of women, girls in PhilippinesNew Zealand will contribute to the initiative as part of efforts to build ties with the Pacific nation, Winston Peters says. ...6 days ago
- Dutton won’t announce medium term emissions targets before election – Albanese says that’s wal...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Peter Dutton has taken a further controversial step in his climate change policy, indicating a Coalition government would only announce its medium term emission reduction targets after the election. Dutton on Tuesday reaffirmed the ...6 days ago
- Married at First Sight NZ Power Rankings: The toothbrush of uncomfortabilityAlex Casey power ranks the third week of Married at First Sight NZ. Hello and welcome back to Extreme Makeover: Man Edition, where every single MAFSNZ groom underwent a dramatic physical makeover in the name of love this week. Piripi shaved off his curls, Michael trimmed 0.005cm off his beard, ...6 days ago
- There are ‘forever chemicals’ in our drinking water. Should standards change to protect our heal...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ian A. Wright, Associate Professor in Environmental Science, Western Sydney University Today’s news coverage reports potentially unsafe levels of “forever chemicals” detected in drinking water supplies around Australia. These include human-made chemicals: perfluorooctane sulfonate (known as PFOS) and perflurooctanic acid (PFOA). They ...6 days ago
- Climate Change Minister Leaves EDS Conference, Climate Activists Claim WinA group of young activists from School Strike for Climate and Climate Liberation Aotearoa cut Simon Watts’ speech short today at the Environmental Defense Society conference at Te Pae with chants and banners opposing new oil and gas exploration. ...6 days ago
- New cancer treatments to be funded 'as soon as we possibly can' – RetiInstead, he said new cancer treatments would be funded "as soon as we possibly can". ...6 days ago
- Government Urged To Abandon RIMPAC 2024New Zealand must immediately withdraw from the 2024 US-led RIMPAC military exercises due to take place from June 26th to August 2nd around Hawaii. ...6 days ago
- What’s new about the latest UN ceasefire resolution for Gaza, and will it have any better chance o...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Marika Sosnowski, Postdoctoral research fellow, The University of Melbourne The UN Security Council has passed yet another resolution calling for a ceasefire in Gaza. This is the fourth such resolution adopted by the council since Hamas’ October 7 attack on southern Israel ...6 days ago
- Agriculture ETS delay: Govt accused of risking NZ's competitive advantage in foreign marketsThe sector is welcoming the move, but it's being panned by environment groups and the opposition. ...6 days ago
- Company, Manager Fined $28,000 Over Biosecurity RisksFreight company and manager fined $28,000 for delivering sea containers to unapproved location ...6 days ago
- NZ Defence Force to station toops North / South Korea Demilitarised ZoneSix of the 41 new troops will join the UN's Honour Guard - with the rest joining a security battalion operating in the Korean Demilitarised Zone. ...6 days ago
- DCANZ Committed To Continued Work On Farm EmissionsDCANZ welcomes the Government’s announcement that it will introduce legislation to remove the liability on processors for on-farm emissions in the ETS and continue working with the sector on practical and effective approaches to reduce emissions ...6 days ago
Recent Comments