Archive for May, 2022
Open mike 01/05/2022
Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, May 1st, 2022 - 141 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 …
- Watch: 'Tough choices' Luxon defends scrapping first home grants
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has stood by the coalition's decision to scrap the First Home Grants scheme. ...5 days ago - US hostility towards the ICC is nothing new – it has long supported the court only when it suits A...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrea Furger, Graduate Researcher and Teaching Fellow in International Law, The University of Melbourne This week, the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) applied for arrest warrants for three Hamas leaders, as well as Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu and Defence Minister ...5 days ago - Ministry of Social Development proposes further job cutsIts workforce is set to drop by more than 700, after further proposed cuts announced today. ...5 days ago
- It’s not just retiring athletes who need mental health support – young sportspeople need it, tooSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Vita Pilkington, Research Assistant, PhD Candidate, The University of Melbourne Retiring from professional sport can be anguishing for some athletes. In Australia, high-profile athletes such as Brendan Cannon, Nathan Bracken, Stephanie Rice and Lauren Jackson have spoken about the loss of ...5 days ago
- Need a side hustle in these tough times? Here are your National-approved options
Getting by in a cost of living crisis is easier than you think. Just open a mine (plus five other brilliant ideas). Like all times, it’s a bad time to be poor. Food is expensive. Rents continue to rise. My local second-hand stores are now selling Anko clothing for more ...5 days ago - Watch live as Nicola Willis gives pre-budget speech to business leadersThe finance minister is speaking to the Employers and Manufacturers Association ahead of Budget 2024. ...5 days ago
- Nicola Willis gives pre-budget speech to business leadersThe finance minister is speaking to the Employers and Manufacturers Association ahead of Budget 2024. ...5 days ago
- The Vatican is cracking down on miracles. Here are the new rules for ‘supernatural’ occurrencesSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Philip C. Almond, Emeritus Professor in the History of Religious Thought, The University of Queensland Gustave Moreau’s The Apparition (1876-1877). © President and Fellows of Harvard College, CC BY-NC-SA New norms for differentiating supernatural phenomena from the natural within Roman Catholicism took ...5 days ago
- More Kiwis arrive home from riot torn New CaledoniaThere will be no rescue flights on Thursday after France declined applications amid Emmanuel Macron's visit to Noumea. ...5 days ago
- NZTA to axe 24 more jobs in third round of proposed cutsThe proposed further reduction of 24 jobs will affect staff working on road safety campaigns. ...5 days ago
- What it’s like to go through a MAFS divorceIn a rarity for the international franchise, the first season of Married at First Sight NZ saw contestants legally wed to a stranger. Seven years later, Alex Casey talks to one groom who only just finalised his divorce. The man behind the counter at the courthouse was combing through the ...5 days ago
- Repeal of Section 7AA fuels fiery debate in ParliamentLabour's Willow-Jean Prime says the level of frustration is building and concern is mounting over what the government will set its sights on next. ...5 days ago
- Budget 2024: A novice's cheat sheet, and what to expectWith one week to go, this handy-dandy cheat sheet will bring you up to speed on all the jargon you need to impress your friends. ...5 days ago
- How to end the wasteful boom-bust cycle driving NZ’s infrastructure gap: new reportSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Timothy Welch, Senior Lecturer in Urban Planning, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau Getty Images Debates about infrastructure often turn around money – with good reason. It’s estimated New Zealand’s infrastructure deficit – the amount we would need to spend to ...5 days ago
- French President Emmanuel Macron lands in Nouméa amid unrestBy Lydia Lewis, RNZ Pacific journalist French president Emmanuel Macron has landed in Nouméa. The French Ambassador to the Pacific Véronique Roger-Lacan was on the flight. “The unrest in New Caledonia is absolutely unacceptable,” Roger-Lacan told RNZ Pacific in an interview. She had just arrived back from Caracas where she ...5 days ago
- What can disabled people expect in the budget?The finance minister says Whaikaha is in line for a funding boost, but disabled people won’t be holding their breath, writes Robyn Hunt. The mother of all budgets in 1991 was the last time I remember feeling pessimistic, or anything much, about a budget announcement. Disabled people are used to ...5 days ago
- ETS Tinkering: Willis Plunging Into Waters Too Deep For Her
The price signalling that ETS auction floor and CCR settings might be lowered is redolent of economic, political, legal and climate risks. Minister of Finance and Associate Minister of Climate Change, Nicola Willis, appears oblivious to all these. ...5 days ago - ETS Tinkering: Willis Plunging Into Waters Too Deep For HerThe price signalling that ETS auction floor and CCR settings might be lowered is redolent of economic, political, legal and climate risks. Minister of Finance and Associate Minister of Climate Change, Nicola Willis, appears oblivious to all these. ...5 days ago
- ‘Facebook probably knows I sell drugs’ – how young people’s digital footprints can threaten ...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Robin van der Sanden, Postdoctoral Fellow, Public Health, SHORE & Whāriki Research Centre, Massey University Marco Piunti/Getty Images Social media and messaging apps such as Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and Messenger are increasingly used to buy and sell drugs in many countries. ...5 days ago
- What it's like to be a renting MPMarama Davidson is in a minority in Parliament - one of just a handful who do not own a home. ...5 days ago
- Community housing providers welcome fund to 'crack on' with building stalled projectsAbout 500 homes have been in limbo due to a lack of funding, a community housing group says. ...5 days ago
- Five data points that show the New Zealand economy may be in worse shape than you thinkAnalysis - It's bad, but could it be worse than it looks? ...5 days ago
- Parenting a perfectionist? Here’s how you can respondSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Elizabeth Westrupp, Associate Professor in Psychology, Deakin University Annie Spratt/Unsplash Some children show signs of perfectionism from early on. Young children might become frustrated and rip up their drawing if it’s not quite right. Older children might avoid or refuse to ...5 days ago
- New research suggests girls in single-sex schools do slightly better in exams than girls in co-ed en...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Claire Charles, Senior Lecturer in Education (Pedagogy and Curriculum), Deakin University Mary Taylor/Pexels , CC BY Students at all-girls’ schools do slightly better in their exams than girls at co-educational schools, according to new research from the United Kingdom. This ...5 days ago
- Help Me Hera: Is it too late to yell at my ex?We ended on good terms last year, but I saw them recently and, well, turns out I’m furious. How do I deal with my rage? Want Hera’s help? Email your problem to helpme@thespinoff.co.nz Dear Hera, Last year I ended my first and only long-term relationship after a good few years together. It was ...5 days ago
- A rare find in ancient Timorese mud may rewrite the history of human settlement in AustralasiaSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mike W. Morley, Associate Professor and Director, Flinders Microarchaeology Laboratory, Flinders University View of the Lailea River from on top of the hill containing Laili rockshelter. Mike Morley Humans arrived in Australia at least 65,000 years ago, according to archaeological evidence. These ...5 days ago
- Peter Dutton wants to cut migration for the sake of housing. Here’s why that’s not a good ideaSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter McDonald, Honorary Professor of Demography, Centre for Health Policy, The University of Melbourne Opposition Leader Peter Dutton has suggested the level of Australia’s permanent migration program be reduced from 185,000 – as proposed by the government in the budget – to ...5 days ago
- What is ‘Net Zero’, anyway? A short history of a monumental conceptSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ruth Morgan, Associate Professor of History, Australian National University Last month, the leaders of the G7 declared their commitment to achieving net zero emissions by 2050 at the latest. Closer to home, the Albanese government recently introduced legislation to establish a Net ...5 days ago
- War in space: US assesses NZ's ability to quickly launch satellitesThe United States has been assessing New Zealand's capability to help with rapid rocket and satellite launches if war breaks out in space. ...5 days ago
- Businesses and directors could face multi-million dollar penalties if they fail to disclose their cl...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Pamela Hanrahan, Emerita Professor, UNSW Business School, UNSW Sydney Large businesses will have to publicly disclose detailed information about what they are doing to reduce carbon emissions and other climate-related financial information under legislation before federal parliament. Under the new legislation companies ...5 days ago
- The sudden death of the first home grantThe agency was found to be underperforming and ‘not financially viable’, explains Stewart Sowman-Lund in this extract from The Bulletin. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here. Well that didn’t take long. On Tuesday night, Newshub’s Jenna Lynch reported that the government was poised to scrap the first home ...6 days ago
- Budget 2024: A novice's guide and what to expectWith one week to go, this handy-dandy cheat sheet will bring you up to speed on Budget jargon and allow you to impress all your friends. ...6 days ago
- Successful city parks make diverse communities feel safe and welcome − this Minnesota park is an e...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Dan Trudeau, Professor of Geography, Macalester College ‘Meditation,’ by Lei Yixin, near the picnic pavilion in Lake Phalen Regional Park City of Saint Paul, CC BY-ND What makes a city a good place to live? Practical features are important, such as well-maintained ...6 days ago
- First homes grant scrapped: 'It sets you back'A prospective first-home buyer says he is gutted the government has scrapped the First Homes Grants scheme, and fears he'll now miss out on the house he was looking at. ...6 days ago
- Christchurch homeowner's house featured in social housing postA Christchurch homeowner was shocked to see her house featured in an Instagram post by Housing Minister Chris Bishiop and other National MPs about building more social housing. ...6 days ago
- Dozens of free budgeting services face closure after missing out on fundingA third of the country's free budgeting services face closure during a cost of living crisis, after missing out on the latest round of government funding. ...6 days ago
- The real meaning of tax reliefThere’s a reason why National prefers the phrase to the more standard – and accurate – ‘tax cuts’, writes Max Rashbrooke. The American pollster and strategist Frank Luntz is famous – or infamous, depending on your point of view – for coining the phrase “death tax” to describe estate duties. ...6 days ago
- Jemaine Clement’s new comedy band could be great – but opening night was a disasterReview: Goth 2 A Flame, the new musical comedy act by Jemaine Clement and Jonny Brugh, shares the same magic that made Flight of the Conchords world famous. But their debut performance fell well short. Twenty-eight years ago, Jemaine Clement first performed at Wellington’s BATS Theatre alongside Bret McKenzie in ...6 days ago
- The deal with charter schools
By the time term one starts next year up to 35 state schools will be open as charter schools, six years after the model was abolished the first time around. They have just six months to get ready for the change but even the old charter schools haven’t decided whether ...6 days ago - Failed entrepreneur resurfaces with bold business claimsA property development in Waimate, a global parallel import syndicate, a silo, and a resin factory. The disgraced entrepreneur Evan Price is back. The post Failed entrepreneur resurfaces with bold business claims appeared first on Newsroom. ...6 days ago
- Too many public servants isn’t the problemOpinion: Did we really have too many public servants loitering in the back office? The Government will have felt justified in trimming back the numbers, especially those whose evidence it no longer wished to consider or whose findings it no longer wished to hear. It may have even led to ...6 days ago
- The swathe of mysterious Belt and Road agreementsNZ’s stance on China’s Belt and Road is purposefully vague, and it’s leading to contradictions between the country’s foreign policy and locally signed agreements The post The swathe of mysterious Belt and Road agreements appeared first on Newsroom. ...6 days ago
- Daily crossword, Thursday 23 MayThe post Daily crossword, Thursday 23 May appeared first on Newsroom. ...6 days ago
- A brief history of racist lawOver half of Fragile Foundations, a new history of criminal trials in New Zealand before 1907 by former Solicitor-General and Court of Appeal judge David Collins, is devoted specifically to how English criminal law impacted on Māori communities. Prior to 1840 tikanga was the law of the land. Māori who ...6 days ago
- Govt paid Kāinga Ora reviewers out of urgent housing fundBuried deep in Cabinet papers released with Sir Bill English’s radical review of Kāinga Ora is a two-line table that stood out like the proverbial canine’s family jewels. The table, from the minutes of the Cabinet 100-day Plan Committee’s meeting on December 13, shows approval for a “fiscally neutral adjustment” ...6 days ago
- Government accidentally killed off loan sharks, review findsLending provisions introduced in 2020 wanted to cut the number of ‘high-cost’ loans by 40 percent, but none were issued last year. The post Government accidentally killed off loan sharks, review finds appeared first on Newsroom. ...6 days ago
- Pacific Island delegations are not junketsOpinion: Overseas MP delegations provide a rare chance for engagement on subjects often missing on the official agenda The post Pacific Island delegations are not junkets appeared first on Newsroom. ...6 days ago
- Newsroom daily quiz, Thursday 23 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, Thursday 23 May appeared first on Newsroom. ...6 days ago
- Vanuatu minister calls for referendum voters in spite of Nouméa crisisBy Tensly Sumbe Vanuatu’s Elections Minister Johnny Koanapo is urging every Ni-Vanuatu person living in New Caledonia to take part in the upcoming vote for the national referendum next Wednesday. He highlighted that the current situation in New Caledonia presented exceptional circumstances that could impact on people’s participation on polling ...6 days ago
- Solidarity action group calls on NZ to support Kanak, Papuan independenceAsia Pacific Report A New Zealand solidarity action group has called on the New Zealand government to back indigenous independence calls in the Pacific and press both France to grant Kanaks sovereignty and Indonesia to end its rule in West Papua. Catherine Delahunty, a former Green Party MP and spokesperson ...6 days ago
- Journalists challenge PNG government over ‘media control’ policyBy Stephen Wright of BenarNews The Papua New Guinea government’s push for news organisations to become its cheer-leading squad is under further scrutiny this week as Parliament hears testimony from journalists and top officials. The effort to wield influence over the news, first announced last year as a “media development ...6 days ago
- Stringent criteria blamed for lower than expected uptake of first home buyer grants"A lot of criteria, a lot of boxes to be ticked" is said to be part of the reason. ...6 days ago
- NZ Refugee Ahmed Zaoui Languishes In Jail In Algeria, No Trial Date On The HorizonThe New Zealand refugee and political activist was arrested at gunpoint in October. ...6 days ago
- PCE Condemns Govt’s Property Rights Approach To Environmental ProtectionGreenpeace Aotearoa says that it’s clear the Government’s approach to environmental policies is actively harming nature after the release of the Going With the Grain report today by the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment (PCE). ...6 days ago
- New Zealand Needs To Confront The Challenges Of Land Use ChangeGoing with the grain: Changing land uses to fit a changing landscape, sets out the multiple environmental problems facing rural New Zealand and makes suggestions on how to approach the land use change needed to prevent further degradation. ...6 days ago
- Are some routes more prone to air turbulence? Will climate change make it worse? Your questions answ...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Doug Drury, Professor/Head of Aviation, CQUniversity Australia Trinity Moss/Unsplash A little bit of turbulence is a common experience for air travellers. Severe incidents are rare – but when they occur they can be deadly. The recent Singapore Airlines flight SQ321 from ...6 days ago
- How risky is turbulence on a plane? How worried should I be?Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Hassan Vally, Associate Professor, Epidemiology, Deakin University Melnikov Dmitriy/Shutterstock The Singapore Airlines turbulence incident that has sadly left one person dead and others hospitalised has made many of us think about the risks of air travel. We’ll hear more in coming ...6 days ago
- Labor takes a hit in Resolve polls in Queensland and VictoriaSource: 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 The Queensland state election will be held in October. A Resolve poll for The Brisbane Times, conducted over four months from February ...6 days ago
- Chickens, ducks, seals and cows: a dangerous bird flu strain is knocking on Australia’s doorSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Wille, Senior research fellow, The University of Melbourne A dangerous strain of avian influenza (bird flu) is now wreaking havoc on every continent except Australia and the rest of Oceania. While we remain free from this virus for now, it’s only ...6 days ago
- Chickens, ducks, seals and cows: a dangerous bird flu strain is everywhere but Australia, for nowSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Wille, Senior research fellow, The University of Melbourne A dangerous strain of avian influenza (bird flu) is now wreaking havoc on every continent except Australia and the rest of Oceania. While we remain free from this virus for now, it’s only ...6 days ago
- NZ Students Join Global Campus ProtestsThis nationwide protest expresses our unapologetic solidarity with Palestinians and our commitment to the Palestinian struggle for liberation. We refuse to be silent or complicit in genocide, and we reject all forms of cooperation between our institutions ...6 days ago
- Oranga Tamariki warned of legal action if job cuts delay release of victims' recordsA law firm that works with survivors of abuse in state care says job cuts will further slow down the release of victims' records. ...6 days ago
- Age verification for social media would impact all of us. We asked parents and kids if they actually...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Justine Humphry, Senior Lecturer in Digital Cultures, University of Sydney Shutterstock This month the Australian government announced a A$6.5 million commitment to trial an age-verification program that will restrict children’s exposure to inappropriate online content, including pornography and potentially social media. ...6 days ago
- Age verification for porn and social media would impact all of us. We asked parents and kids if they...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Justine Humphry, Senior Lecturer in Digital Cultures, University of Sydney Shutterstock This month the Australian government announced a A$6.5 million commitment to trial an age-verification program that will restrict children’s exposure to inappropriate online content, including pornography and potentially social media. ...6 days ago
- ‘France lost the plot’ – journalist David Robie on Kanaky New Caledonia riotsBy Lydia Lewis, RNZ Pacific journalist Liberation “must come” for Kanaky New Caledonia, says one of the few New Zealand journalists who have worked consistently on stories across the French Pacific territories. Journalist David Robie was arrested at gunpoint by French police in January 1987, and is no stranger to ...6 days ago
- Someone must front cost of land-use changes to protect environment, report warnsSomeone will have to front the cost of land-use changes necessary to protect the environment, the government's top environmental advisor warns. ...6 days ago
- Government confirms First Home Grants to be scrappedBut Housing Minister Chris Bishop has also announced $140 million in new funding for 1500 new social housing places from July next year. ...6 days ago
- Reserve Bank holds official cash rate at 5.5 percentThe central bank has not moved the rate since May last year. ...6 days ago
- ‘Anyone who’s written one will tell you…’: Jo Pearson on the picture book that nails itWelcome to The Spinoff Bookseller Confessional, in which we get to know Aotearoa’s booksellers. This week: Jo Pearson, illustrator of Five Wee Pūteketeke (written by Nicola Toki) and owner of children’s bookshop and studio Pictura in Port Chalmers, Ōtepoti. The book I wish I’d written I Want my Hat Back by ...6 days ago
- Don’t eat that! Food recalls, explainedWhat happens when contaminated food accidentally makes it onto consumers’ shelves? Shanti Mathias explains the process of food recalls. A small sign at the supermarket announcing a problem with a product you’ve never heard of in your life might be all you ever hear of a food recall. Or maybe, ...6 days ago
- How much have First Home Grants really been helping buyers?They look like they're on the way out, but how much difference were they making? ...6 days ago
- Strong Support For Disability FundingTwo thirds of Kiwis in a new poll want funding flexibility reinstated for disabled people and carers. ...6 days ago
- Former justice minister Kiri Allan pleads guilty to crash chargesThe former justice minister was charged with careless driving and failing to accompany a police officer after a late-night crash. ...6 days ago
- Greens Justice Spokesperson, Academics To Protest MegaprisonWHAT: Prison abolitionist community group People Against Prisons Aotearoa has called for a demonstration to protest the Government’s announcement of a $1.9 billion megaprison in Waikeria. The protest will call for the Government to cancel the prison ...6 days ago
- If you want to actually help people in Gaza, don’t just block celebs. Do BDSSocial media stars are being targeted by a campaign aimed at drawing attention to the bombing of Palestinian civilians. Gabi Lardies looks at what the ‘blockout’ hopes to achieve, and the alternative way to boycott. On May 6, celebrities flocked to the Met Gala wearing tulle, crystals, lace and lamé. ...6 days ago
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