Like other recent calls for citizen initiated referendums, the referendum on asset sales was deemed to need more signatures after the initial submission. The eight week window to gather more signatures is now over, and the new signatures will be presented to Parliament today. Lots of them:
Asset petition gathers 45,000 more names
Opponents of the Government’s asset sales programme say they have gathered more than 45,000 new signatures to bump the petition over the threshold for a referendum.
After coming up about 16,500 valid signatures short two months ago, the Keep Our Assets coalition, which includes Labour, the Greens and other opposition parties, along with Grey Power, will present the newly gathered signatures to the Clerk of the House of Representatives tomorrow.
16,500 needed, 45,000 submitted, hopefully after inspection it will be enough to do the trick.
Coalition spokesman Andrew Campbell says that despite the Government already selling 49 percent of Mighty River Power, there was still public enthusiasm to stop further sales of power companies. “You might have thought there would be some weakening of resolve, but we found people were still as committed to getting this referendum,” he told NZ Newswire.
Stupid ideas are always worth opposing, whether the government of the day is half way through implementing them or not. The referendum isn’t binding of course, but other factors may yet derail the remaining sales:
Mr Campbell said the Government’s plan to sell up to 49 percent of power companies was in trouble. The Government would struggle to sell more power company shares as MRP shares were not snapped up by “mum and dad” investors the share price had dropped since the sale, Mr Campbell said.
MRP shares initially went on sale at $2.50 each but are now worth $2.29. On the Australian stock exchange they have dropped from $A2.16 to $A1.97.
You’d have to be a mug to invest in the Nats’ next planned Meridian sale – and they know it, having resorted to desperate tactics to try and drum up interest.
Congratulations to all involved in putting pressure on the government on this issue, and particularly to the organisers and volunteers who collected an amazing number of signatures. The chickens aren’t hatched yet, but either way it has been an amazing effort.
Excellent work! I would expect the majority of the 45000 new signatures will be accepted, because both collectors and the public understand the process better. The great thing is that the issue doesn’t go away for National. For the second election in a row, they will have to advance their pro sales position against the wishes of the majority of kiwis. And I confidently predict National will again fail to get a mandate for the sales.
But you can’t confidently predict that national will lose the election. Which is in effect not gaining a mandate anyway. So you can’t confidently predict anything without looking like a twat.
They already have a mandate and you know it, they won an election with this as their main policy and what’s more they will easily win the next election.
You seem to forget that stopping asset sales labours main policy at the last election, they got thumped.
Oh, dear. Have you forgotten the result of the election already Rich? National didn’t get an outright majority, hence no mandate. They were, however, able to get enough votes to pass the sales legislation with the assistance of ACT, who campaigned for the sales, and United Future, who did not. Parties opposed to the sales fell just short of a majority. That may well change next time around, especially now that the referendum will be a live issue at the same time.
United Future campaigned on supporting the asset sales of the energy SOEs and Air NZ while also campaigning on opposing any further sales beyond those companies.
I don’t mind the right lying out of their asses, it’s what they do. But I’m getting really sick of the centre and left resorting to lie and misinformation; we should be better than that.
Petitions, the lowliest form of political activity, but the torys, âthey donât like it up âem!â As Lance Corporal Jones said repeatedly. Who? âDadâs Armyâ Brit Com.
You guys keep going on about the down trodden and poor in the country and how the gap of equality is growing bigger – figure me this – why is it that John Key is over 60% popular.
There are so many small fractional parties now I don’t know who to vote for:
Is there any truth in the rumour there is a urgent caucus meeting tonight?
for a start your comparing two things that arent easily comparable in a soundbite driven environment
but a few items that are in the mix
1) polls as we know them arent that accurate and highly open to manipulation
2) 60% thought key was the best option for PM ie: out of what there is currently available – not whether they actually like him as PM. Its a comparison question
3) the question asked in the poll was highly unlikely to worded in a way as to link Keys popularity with the current and historical social environment of the country
4) many people dont actively understand and link political ideologies to statistical trends in society – theyre too busy working and/or living in their bubbles
5) the media (and by extensions – us) only really look at politics as a series of isolated events rather than as parts of a timeline that fits certain aspirations and plans
theres more that could be added here – but why does it even need to be pointed out? Is your knowledge of politics and society in NZ, both historical and contemporary really that lacking?
1) polls as we know them arent that accurate and highly open to manipulation (really!!! tell Gillard that in Australia)
2) 60% thought key was the best option for PM ie: out of what there is currently available â not whether they actually like him as PM. Its a comparison question (still 60%)
3) the question asked in the poll was highly unlikely to worded in a way as to link Keys popularity with the current and historical social environment of the country (stll 60%)
4) many people dont actively understand and link political ideologies to statistical trends in society â theyre too busy working and/or living in their bubbles (which makes them really happy with John boy – still 60%)
5) the media (and by extensions â us) only really look at politics as a series of isolated events rather than as parts of a timeline that fits certain aspirations and plans (yep that plane keeps going up for John – as for Labour – they are as bumping as a plane landing in Wellington in reverse)
1) your really thick
2) your being thick on purpose
so, either attempt to show some comprehension in your answer, or at least admit you dont have a clue what your talking about.
When the question you, yourself asked is “why is it that John Key is over 60% popular. “. Just saying “still 60%” over and over again doesnt actually prove anything other then reinforcing the assumption that your a clueless idiot or a tr0ll
come on! – you stink up plenty of threads with you posturing and derailments – how about behaving like an educated adult for a change
“2) 60% thought key was the best option for PM ie: out of what there is currently available â not whether they actually like him as PM. Its a comparison question (still 60%)”
just to highlight (and godwin myself a little) – heres the problem with this
You live some years back in western europe and youve been rung up by a polling company. The question is “Who of the following would you prefer as ruler of europe – hitler, mussolini or stalin?”
Now, if you choose none of the above your answer isnt counted – So do the poll results have an accurate reflection of any of the three candidates actual popularity? or does it more accurately reflect their popularity only in relation to each other, and only by not including the answers where some one didnt make a particular choice?
WTF are you even going on about? what the fuck does cliff fucking richard have to do with anything?
your not even making sense.
did you or did you not ask this question?
—-“why is it that John Key is over 60% popular”
yes/no?
so when someone attempts to have, you know, a civil discussion with you about what the answer to your question might involve, you just sit there and go “still 60%” and “I did 60%” (did 60% of what? 60% of all the crack??)
and if you hadn’t figured out yet – its a logic question, its designed to highlight the problem with assuming a question that asks you to pick from a list of choices is an indicator of actual feeling
I dont really give a shit what the % is, or whether you agree with me or not – but if the best argument youve got is to keep spouting a number all anyone can assume is either your not that bright, your about 3 years old, or your off your meds. Fucks sake – whats wrong with you?
Its as pointless and pathetic as your attempts at basic addition when your were stomping about the place trying to claim that union membership is only 6%. Crawl back under your rock now – go on – off you go
I understand your logic…the polls show 60%.. you were trying to show that it maybe lower…I understand that. However it is not what the public is told. They are told 60%.
For completeness you are right.
For reporting the answer given to the public is 60%… so 60% is all we are ever going to know. So if you can get the pollsters to give the detail you are stuffed.
However the reverse is still the same for the other preferred pm’s. Therefore overall the average of the answers are correct which 60% of whatever number is still 60%.
Maybe you should ease off and accept the poll result
i was replying to YES’s comment “you gave a example of a survey of three dead dictators which makes your anaylsis (sic) very outdated” by making the example more modern and NZ based; since YES seemed to miss the point of your quite obvious point.
^^ Oh, Yes. You’re very good at running the media/WO lines but in this case you seemed to be on the “coup rumor” du jour a lot faster than anyone else.
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The Green Party has today put forward an amendment to the Electoral (Registration of Sentenced Prisoners) Amendment Bill to ensure all people in prisons can vote in general elections. ...
The Green Party welcomes the decision to not proceed with Public Public Investment (PPI) delivery of Auckland’s light rail project and to instead run the process through the public service. ...
Hon Ron Mark, New Zealand First List MP based in the Wairarapa New Zealand First List MP Hon Ron Mark welcomes the announcement of Provincial Growth Funding investment of $1.4 million to help secure the Wairarapa’s water supply. The funding boost will allow the Greater Wellington Regional Council (GWRC), and ...
New Zealand First list MP Mark Patterson has been selected to represent the party in the newly formed Taieri electorate at the upcoming election. Mr Patterson, his wife Jude and two daughters farm sheep and beef at Lawrence and Waitahuna. He previously stood in the Clutha-Southland electorate however boundary changes ...
Hon Shane Jones, Associate Minister for State Owned Enterprises A new ‘super depot’ to be built for NZ Post in Wellington will create around 350 jobs during construction, Associate Minister for State Owned Enterprises Shane Jones says. Shane Jones today attended a ground-breaking and blessing ceremony for the parcel-processing depot ...
Our strong economic management prior to COVID-19 - with surpluses, low debt and near-record-low unemployment - put us in a good position to weather the impact of the virus and start to rebuild our economy much earlier than many other countries.Now we're putting our plan to recover and rebuild ...
Darroch Ball MP, New Zealand First Spokesperson for Law and Order Recently released Police fleeing driver statistics have shown yet another increase in incidents with another record-high in the latest quarter. “This new quarterly record-high is the latest in a string of record-high numbers since 2014. The data shows incidents ...
New Zealand First MP Fletcher Tabuteau is pleased to be confirmed today as the party’s candidate for the Rotorua electorate. Speaking at the Rotorua AGM for New Zealand First, Mr Tabuteau said this is an election that is incredibly important for the people of Rotorua. “The founding principles of New ...
The Human Rights Commission’s PRISM report on the issues impacting people based on their sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, and sex characteristics (SOGIESC) provides an excellent programme of work for future governments to follow, say the Greens. ...
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters said the trans-Tasman bubble had not been jeopardised after aborder botch-upresulted in New Zealand having two active cases of COVID-19. On Friday, Mr Peters told RNZ's Morning Report he had heard from Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison that borders for trans-Tasman travel would open by ...
Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters said today he was pleased the army was now running the quarantine and isolation process - up until now it has been the Ministry of Health. Peters told Newstalk ZB's Mike Hosking that the army knew how to introduce and follow protocols and instil discipline. ...
Hon Ron Mark, New Zealand First List MP based in the Wairarapa New Zealand First MP and Minister for Defence and Veteran’s Affairs Ron Mark has confirmed his bid for the Wairarapa seat.“The Coalition Government has done a lot of good work throughout the Wairarapa, but many constituents have told ...
New Zealand First is pleased to release the names of its next tranche of candidates for the 2020 election. We’re proud to announce these hardworking New Zealanders that have put their hand up to fight for a commonsense and resilient future.Jamie Arbuckle – Kaikoura Mark Arneil – Christchurch Central Jackie ...
Rt Hon Winston Peters, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs Hon Ron Mark, Minister of Defence A massive joint effort between New Zealand Government agencies, employers, and the Vanuatu Government is underway to repatriate over 1000 Vanuatu nationals stranded in New Zealand, Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters and Defence Minister Ron ...
Hon Shane Jones, Minister of Regional Economic Development Reprioritised funding of $40 million from the Provincial Growth Fund will support up to 1000 regional apprenticeships, Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones said today. The Regional Apprenticeship Initiative is part of the wider Apprenticeship Boost announced by Education Minister Chris Hipkins ...
The Green Party welcomes the ACC’s announcement to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050 but emphasises the need to go further, and faster to truly meet the climate change challenge. ...
Farmers are rejoicing after Labour agreed to an amendment pushed by New Zealand First in the firearms bill that will allow the use of restricted guns for pest control. Concessions on gun control mean farmers will be able to apply for a licence to use restricted firearms for pest control. ...
A new programme, which sets a firm course for the Building and Construction sector to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions, has been announced by the Minister for Building and Construction Jenny Salesa. “A significant amount of New Zealand’s carbon emissions come from the building and construction sector. If we’re serious ...
The Provincial Growth Fund is investing more than $7.5 million in Northland ventures to combat the economic impact of the COVID-19 virus, Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters and Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones have announced. The Provincial Growth Fund (PGF) investment is going to the Northern Adventure Experience and ...
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Education Minister Chris Hipkins today announced significant funding for Auckland’s Northcote College as part of the first wave of a new nationwide school redevelopment programme to upgrade schools over the next 10 years. The $48.5 million project brings the total investment in Northcote College to ...
The Government has opened an urgent response fund to support schools and early learning services to get children and young people back on track after the Covid-19 lockdown. “While we are seeing improvements in attendance under Alert Level 1 Ministry of Education data shows that attendance rates in our schools ...
The law to boost the economic recovery from the impact of COVID-19 by speeding up resource consenting on selected projects has passed its second and third readings in the House today. “Accelerating nationwide projects and activities by government, iwi and the private sector will help deliver faster economic recovery and ...
Five port-related projects in Whanganui will receive a $26.75 million Provincial Growth Fund investment to support local economic recovery and create new opportunities for growth, Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones announced today. “This is a significant investment that will support the redevelopment of the Whanganui Port, a project governed ...
Whanganui’s Sarjeant Gallery will receive an investment of up to $12 million administered by the Provincial Growth Fund to support its redevelopment, Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones announced today. The project is included in a $3 billion infrastructure pipeline announced by Finance Minister Grant Robertson and Shane Jones yesterday. ...
The Provincial Growth Fund is investing nearly $2.5 million into three Te Ara Mahi programmes to support Manawatū-Whanganui jobseekers and employees to quickly train and upskill, Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones announced today. “Up to 154 local people will be supported into employment within the first year by these ...
This morning I have formally tendered my resignation as Minister of Health, which was accepted by the Prime Minister. Serving as Minister of Health has been an absolute privilege – particularly through these extraordinary last few months. It’s no secret that Health is a challenging portfolio. I have given ...
Scholarships for 57 early-career agricultural emissions scientists from 20 developing countries is another example of New Zealand’s international leadership in primary sector sustainability, says Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor. Mr O’Connor, announcing the scholarships today, says hundreds of applications were received for this fourth round of the CLIFF-GRADS programme (Climate, Food ...
A project to help rejuvenate the Horowhenua town of Foxton will receive a Provincial Growth Fund investment of $3.86 million, Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones announced today. “This funding for the Foxton Regeneration project will be used to make the well-known holiday town even more attractive for visitors and ...
Moa bones and other sub-fossil remains of extinct species are set to have improved protection with proposals to prevent the trade in extinct species announced the Minister of Conservation Eugenie Sage today. “We have lost too many of our native species, but these lost species, such as moa, remain an ...
The Government’s free and healthy school lunches programme moves south for the first time creating jobs for around 30 people in Otago and Southland. “Eighteen schools with 3000 students are joining the programme – 11 have already begun serving lunches, and seven are preparing to start during Term 3. This is ...
Thousands of Kiwi jobs and investment in New Zealand productions will be protected through a screen sector support package announced today by Associate Minister for Arts Culture and Heritage Carmel Sepuloni, Minister for Economic Development Phil Twyford and Minister for Broadcasting Kris Faafoi. The package also includes investment in broadcasting ...
The Government has established a new $10 million fund for the domestic events sector to help save jobs and protect incomes as it recovers from the impacts of COVID-19, Minister of Economic Development Phil Twyford announced today. This funding from Budget 2020 follows talks with the event sector designed to ...
The Government has taken another step in its commitment to making sure New Zealanders get a fairer deal at the petrol pump with the introduction of legislation to improve competition in the retail fuel market, says Energy and Resources Minister Megan Woods. “The fuel market study that this Government ordered ...
New Zealand has joined a global initiative that aims to enable all countries to access a safe and effective Covid-19 vaccine, Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters announced today. The COVAX Facility was recently launched by Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance. The Alliance includes the World Health Organization, UNICEF, the World Bank ...
From today new legislation takes effect to both restore the right to legal representation at the start of a Care of Children (CoCA) dispute in the Family Court, and allow parties to those proceedings to access legal aid where eligible. During a visit to the Family Court in Auckland today, ...
Home-based early childhood education (ECE) subsidised by the government will transition to a fully qualified workforce by 2025 to ensure better and more consistent quality, Education Minister Chris Hipkins announced today. “Quality early learning helps provide children with a strong foundation for their future,” Chris Hipkins said. From 1 January ...
The new Criminal Cases Review Commission | Te Kāhui Tātari Ture (CCRC) has started work and can now independently investigate claimed miscarriages of justice. “Even though we have appeal rights and safeguards against unsafe convictions, from time to time our justice system does get things wrong. The design of the ...
E ngā mana, e ngā reo, e ngā karangatanga maha, tēnā koutou Ki a koutou Te Āti Awa, Taranaki Whānui, Ngāti Toa Rangatira, ngā mana whenua o te rohe nei, tēnā koutou Ko Te Whare Wānanga o Aotearoa ki ngā take o te Ao (NZIIA), Ko te Rōpū Tohu Tono ...
The Government’s increase to paid parental leave kicks in today with another 4 weeks taking New Zealand up to a full 6 months (26 weeks, up from 22 weeks) leave for new parents, and the maximum weekly payment will increase by $20pw, Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Iain Lees-Galloway says. ...
A new package of infrastructure investments will help kick-start the post-COVID rebuild by creating more than 20,000 jobs and unlocking more than $5 billion of projects up and down New Zealand. Finance Minister Grant Robertson and Infrastructure Minister Shane Jones today outlined how the $3 billion infrastructure fund in the ...
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters today expressed the New Zealand Government’s deep disappointment at the passage by China’s National People’s Congress Standing Committee of a national security law for Hong Kong. “New Zealand has consistently emphasised its serious concern about the imposition of this legislation on Hong Kong without inclusive ...
More jobs and more family time with newborns are the centrepiece of a suite of Government initiatives coming into effect today. July 1 is a milestone day for the Government as a host of key policies take effect, demonstrating the critical areas where progress has been made. “The Coalition Government ...
Environment Minister David Parker has today “called in” Auckland’s application to the Waikato Regional Council to take an extra 200 million litres of water a day from the lower reaches of the Waikato River for Auckland drinking water and other municipal uses. The call-in means the application has been referred ...
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters and Trade and Export Growth Minister David Parker announced today that New Zealand’s hosting of APEC in 2021 will go ahead using virtual digital platforms. Mr Peters said the global disruption caused by COVID-19, including resultant border restrictions, had been the major factor in the ...
The start of construction on a new link road between Matakana Road and State Highway 1 will create jobs and support the significant population growth expected in the Warkworth area, Transport Minister Phil Twyford and Mayor Phil Goff announced today. Transport Minister Phil Twyford said construction of the Matakana Link ...
The Government is prioritising its latest investment in PPE for frontline health workers, including staff at managed isolation and quarantine facilities, Health Minister David Clark says. “With no community transmission of COVID-19 our response now has a firm focus on keeping our border safe and secure. “We must ensure that ...
The Parihaka Papakāinga Trust in Taranaki will receive up to $14 million for a new visitor centre and other improvements at the historic settlement that will boost the local economy and provide much-needed jobs, Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones and Minister for Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations Andrew Little have ...
Protections for workers who are employees of one employer but working under the direction of another business or organisation have come into force, closing a gap in legislation that made the personal grievance process inaccessible for some workers, says Workplace Relations Minister Iain Lees-Galloway. “This Government is working hard to ...
A range of improvements are already underway to address issues identified in the rapid review of the Managed Isolation and Quarantine system released today, Housing Minister Megan Woods said. The review was commissioned just over a week ago to identify and understand current and emerging risks to ensure the end-to-end ...
The important brown kiwi habitat around Whakatāne will receive added protection through an Iwi-led predator free project announced by Minister of Conservation Eugenie Sage and Under Secretary for Regional Economic Development Fletcher Tabuteau. “The Government is investing nearly $5 million into Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Awa’s environmental projects with $2.5 ...
An extra 4,000 tonnes of offcuts and scraps of untreated wood per year will soon be able to be recycled into useful products such as horticultural and garden mulch, playground safety surfacing and animal bedding as a result of a $660,000 investment from the Waste Minimisation Fund, Associate Environment Minister ...
The Governor-General has referred Scott Watson’s convictions for murder back to the Court of Appeal, Justice Minister Andrew Little announced today. Mr Watson was convicted in 1999 of the murders of Ben Smart and Olivia Hope. His appeal to the Court of Appeal in 2000 was unsuccessful, as was his ...
A new five-year funding agreement for the Reserve Bank will mean it can boost its work to protect New Zealanders’ finances, Finance Minister Grant Robertson says. “New Zealand has a strong and stable financial system. Financial stability is an area that we are not prepared to cut corners for, particularly ...
A law change has been introduced to make it easier for forgotten funds in institutional accounts to be returned more easily to their rightful owners. Revenue Minister Stuart Nash has introduced an amendment to the Unclaimed Money Act 1971. It will update the rules controlling forgotten sums of money held ...
The Government is delivering on election commitments and a key recommendation of He Ara Oranga: Report of the Government Inquiry into Mental Health and Addiction with the establishment of a permanent independent Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission, Health Minister Dr David Clark says. Legislation enabling the establishment of the fully ...
A Bill to replace New Zealand’s Privacy Act passed its third reading in Parliament today, Justice Minister Andrew Little has announced. “The protections in the Privacy Bill are vitally important. The key purpose of the reforms is to promote and protect people’s privacy and give them confidence that their personal ...
Extra support is being provided to tourism businesses operating on public conservation land announced Tourism Minister Kelvin Davis and Conservation Minister Eugenie Sage today. The Government is providing $25m worth of support to tourism operators impacted by COVID-19, with a decision to waive most Department of Conservation tourism related concession ...
Sam Brooks reviews Auckland writer Lil O’Brien’s memoir Not That I’d Kiss A Girl, and finds it a valuable yet unclear story of the author’s struggle with her own acceptance.As queer people, we can be unnecessarily harsh on media that is about us, and by us. I think of the ...
For all The Spinoff’s latest coverage of Covid-19 see here. Read Siouxsie Wiles’s work here. New Zealand is currently in alert level one – read about what that means here. For official government advice, see here.The Spinoff’s coverage of the Covid-19 outbreak is made possible thanks to donations from Spinoff Members. To support this ...
In the wake of lockdown, Volunteering New Zealand is calling on people to reshape the way they think about volunteering. To unite with whānau, friends and workmates to make a group commitment to a community or cause that matters to them. Covid-19 ...
Mahesh Bindra has been a loyal member of NZ First for almost 15 years. But as an Indian-New Zealander, what does he make of members of his party attacking his community? Multicultural Times editor Gaurav Sharma reports.Winston Peters, deputy prime minister and leader of New Zealand First, likes to say ...
As Auckland suffers its worst drought in 27 years, many of the city’s self-service car washes are doing a roaring trade. Michael Andrew finds out how these businesses are getting around the strict water restrictions.Car washing may seem like a wasteful luxury in the middle of a drought, but take ...
Call it last, call it the foundation: Georgie Dansey is 84th on the Labour Party list for the 2020 election. Here she explains how she got there.What does it take to come last on the Labour list? It’s a bit of a story, so if you’re feeling tl;dr then just ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, University of Melbourne At Saturday’s Eden-Monaro byelection, Labor’s Kristy McBain currently leads the Liberals’ Fiona Kotvojs by a 50.7-49.3 projected margin in The Poll Bludger’s Eden-Monaro election page. This page has all the ...
The controversial MP says his former party put a target on the minister’s back, but Melissa Lee insists there was no concerted campaign.The MP who exited the National Party in a tailspin attack on former leader Simon Bridges has publicly apologised to Clare Curran for his role in the treatment ...
By Jane Patterson, political editor of RNZ News The State Services Minister says the government will do everything it can to track down who is responsible for a massive privacy breach relating to New Zealand’s active covid cases, and is not ruling out pursuing criminal charges. An investigation has been ...
The National editorial Hundreds walked the Sir John Guise drive on Thursday calling for justice for the brutal death of 19-year-old mother-of-two – Jenelyn Kennedy last week. Jenelyn’s battered lifeless body was taken into the Port Moresby General Hospital last Tuesday by four men (one believed to be the father ...
*Watch the full video in the player below*In the first 48 hours of life, blood from newborn New Zealand babies is taken and tested. Most parents will never hear back. For others, it’s life-changing, and life-saving. Frank Film investigates. Performed 48 hours after birth, it’s a medical procedure ...
Latest from the Beehive Shane Jones, the Minister of Munificence, in a joint statement with fellow Northlander and Deputy PM Winston Peters, wrapped up a week of handout investment announcements with news of more millions for the people of his patch in the Far North. This time it was a ...
By Rebecca Kuku in Port Moresby A passionate plea by men, women and children has echoed around the Papua New Guinean capital of Port Moresby – that it is time to turn the corner on addressing gender-based violence in the country. Gatherings, a peaceful march and a vigil were staged ...
Former Race Relations Commissioner Gregory Fortuin has called out National MP Hamish Walker for his racist comments towards people of colour. This follows Walker's press release objecting to people from Pakistan, India and Korea potentially being quarantined ...
Khruangbin have established their live reputation with spacious instrumentals, but the band’s third album, Mordechai, features prominent vocals and disco-funk jams. Andrew Drever interviews the Texas-based trio upon its release.While the Covid-19 pandemic continues to rage in the US, the situation has actually been a blessing in disguise for Khruangbin ...
The State Services Minister says the government will do everything it can to track down who is responsible for a massive privacy breach relating to New Zealand's active Covid cases, and is not ruling out pursuing criminal charges. ...
For all The Spinoff’s latest coverage of Covid-19 see here. Read Siouxsie Wiles’s work here. New Zealand is currently in alert level one – read about what that means here. For official government advice, see here.The Spinoff’s coverage of the Covid-19 outbreak is made possible thanks to donations from Spinoff Members. To support this ...
With the collapse of Bauer NZ resulting in Australian magazines flooding our shelves, Wendyl Nissen looks back at her battle to get homegrown content given the star billing it deserved.Thanks to some hard-fought battles 30 years ago, New Zealand women have been enjoying their own version of Woman’s Day and ...
Extending the franchise to prisoners is the latest in a series of contentious electoral reforms enacted by this government, but history suggests the ‘convention’ for consensual election reform is more imagined than real.The Electoral (Registration of Sentenced Prisoners) Amendment Act, passed last week and corrected this week, extends the franchise ...
Since publication of Newsroom’s extensive investigation into serious issues at Oranga Tamariki, our inbox has been flooded with stories from more current and former employees. In less than 48 hours after Newsroom’s in-depth inquiry into the children's ministry was published we received a high volume of correspondence from current and former ...
“She’d come into town on the bus. The photographer, so her mother had told her, was famous”: a short story by Wellington writer Elspeth Sandys. It was to be a present for her father who was dying. A photograph of her in her first ball gown. When she reached for ...
Those who can’t afford to travel will “attend” the terror sentencing via video link, the Immigration Minister says. David Williams reports The Immigration Minister is demanding officials give urgent help to overseas victims of the Christchurch terror attack and their families. Yesterday, High Court Justice Cameron Mander announced the terrorist, ...
Controversy over Wellington's Shelly Bay has ensnared iwi, the council and politicians for years. Investigative journalist Nicky Hager uses official documents to lay out the roles of money, power and wheels-within-wheels on this most contentious of developments. Any time I am asked whether we have corruption in New Zealand, I ...
Is the answer to saving New Zealand's professional sports teams creating super-franchises? The Extra Time podcast asks sports leaders. Professional sport is slowly emerging from the grip of the pandemic but its financial future is far from certain. Covid-19 highlighted a weakness in the structure of professional sport in New ...
Before Covid-19, it’d take a long flight and half a grand to see Hamilton in the flesh. Now, the biggest musical of the past two decades is available to watch on Disney+. Sam Brooks takes stock of this extraordinary move. Right now, Broadway is a sleeping dragon. New York theatres ...
Sacked cabinet minister Clare Curran speaks for the first time about the brutal end to her political career – and what she calls the toxicity and bullying that marked her years in parliament. By Donna Chisholm.Of all the humiliations – often self-inflicted – that Clare Curran endured during her 12-year ...
On 03 July Children’s Commissioner was given additional responsibility by the Minister of Justice which extended its role as the independent monitor of the conditions and treatment of children and young people in secure detention centres. The Children’s ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sarah Perkins-Kirkpatrick, ARC Future Fellow, UNSW The term “heatwave” is no stranger to Australians. Defined as when conditions are excessively hot for at least three days in a row, these extreme temperature events have always punctuated our climate. With many of us ...
Pacific Media Watch A senior Indonesian government official and a New Zealand journalism professor have clashed over differing perspectives on access for journalists and media to the West Papua region. Speaking on a webinar organised by the Jubi newspaper in Jayapura, Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ director of the European affairs ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Barbara Mintzes, Senior Lecturer, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Sydney To beat the coronavirus pandemic, countries need to collaborate. We need the best possible science to develop vaccines and drugs, and to test, track and contain the virus. If we’ve learned anything ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Russell Dean Christopher Bicknell, Post-doctoral researcher in Palaeobiology , University of New England Let’s turn back the hands of time. Before extinction knocked dinosaurs off their pillar, before the “Great Dying” extinction wiped out 95% of all organisms – we had the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jane Williams, Researcher at the Centre for Values, Ethics and the Law in Medicine (VELiM), University of Sydney Last week, outgoing chief medical officer Brendan Murphy announced all returned travellers would be tested for COVID-19 before and after quarantine. Some were surprised ...
A new package to help foreign nationals stuck in New Zealand due to Covid-19 is inadequate and needs to be supplemented with the emergency benefit, say Community Law Centres O Aotearoa (CLCA) and the Human Rights Commission (HRC). The assistance ...
With Shortland Street’s 7,000th episode screening tonight, Tara Ward salutes the soap for keeping calm and carrying on through level three lockdown. It’s been one heck of a week on Shortland Street. Leanne lost her winning $8 million Lotto ticket, Louis slipped over in a pile of vomit, and Desi tried ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Brendan Clift, Teaching Fellow and PhD candidate, University of Melbourne In recent days, the prime ministers of the UK and Australia each declared they are working toward providing safe haven visas for Hong Kong residents. In the US, lawmakers passed a bill ...
How two multi-millionaires, two pandemic futurists, Air NZ’s former boss, a dairy executive on a break, a retired anaesthetist (and a few others) nearly saved NZ. ...
A commitment from Labour to protect productive farmland from blanket afforestation if re-elected is a step in the right direction, Federated Farmers Meat & Wool Chairperson William Beetham says. "We’re really pleased there is now ...
Tomorrow, 4 July, will see protests in at least nine centres around New Zealand against Israeli plans to steal more Palestinian land (Details are at the end of this media release) “Virtually the entire international community is standing together ...
Pacific Media Watch Australia’s ABC has revealed the Australian Federal Police (AFP) recommendation regarding the Afghan Files investigative journalism report is for the Commonwealth DPP to consider charging journalist Dan Oakes for his role in the leak. The revelation has prompted a renewed call by the Alliance for Journalists’ Freedom ...
While we’re growing in confidence that we are in the enviable position of basically eliminating Covid-19, our trading nation at the bottom of the world is also in the unenviable position of locking off our economy to the world. “No is not an answer ...
Netflix’s new adaptations of The Baby-Sitters Club makes long-time fan Tara Ward fall in love with the series all over again. When I was 12 years old, my class had to write a letter to a famous person. Some of my classmates wrote to an All Black, Tom Cruise or ...
The New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union is questioning the scale and value of the Government’s $230m screen industry recovery package. Union spokesperson Jordan Williams says: “The official justification for this ‘recovery package’ is the impact of COVID-19 ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ian Kemish, Former Ambassador and Adjunct Professor, School of Historical and Philosophical Inquiry, The University of Queensland Chinese activity in Papua New Guinea was not the only factor behind Australia’s Pacific “Step-Up”. As a former high commissioner to PNG, I know it ...
Pacific Media Centre Newsdesk A Papuan church leader and advocate for social justice has penned an open letter to the Indonesian government calling for justice and an end to racism to enable a genuine self-determination process for the Melanesian region. “The problem of Papua has become increasingly complex and severe ...
Latest from the Beehive – Nine press releases (when we checked this morning) had flowed from the Beehive since we last reported. Eight of them brayed about the money Ministers have been spending and (as they prefer to put it) investing. The sole exception came from Environment Minister David ...
CEAC pre-election review of National Party ‘climate change policy’, is lacking in substance without any clear policy, that will leave voters with no idea of what National Party plans for saving our climate, and glancing at their ‘Transport plans’, ...
Film crews can get exemptions to enter New Zealand, so why not the families and supporters of terror victims, David Williams asks. OPINION: If the public needs a sign last year’s terrorist attack has slipped off the Government’s radar, this is it. A sentencing date has been set for the ...
A new poem by Michaela Keeble.Only the ocean only the oceanturns me overlike this only the oceanturns meon like this only the oceangives warning: what will changeand when so it doesn’t comeacrosslike violence white capsdrift inon the rising tide i feel likeopening my legs i don’t wantto do anything elsetoday i don’t wantto goto work i want to lie downwith ...
As the Covid-19 pandemic rages round the world, New Zealanders are re-discovering food production is the fundamental engine of the economy. And farming is not a sunset industry. Instead of being rubbished by lobby groups for so-called “dirty dairying”, the country’s core export industry has the chance to transform itself ...
The world-famous 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.AUCKLAND1 Humankind: A Hopeful History by Rutger Bregman (Bloomsbury, $34)This is the one that kicks off with the essay about the Tongan ...
The New Zealand Down syndrome community is urging the Government to ignore the recommendations in the recent Health and Disability Sector Review. “New Zealand has made terrific progress to enhance the quality of life for people with Down syndrome and other disabilities ...
The Covid Plan B group says New Zealand can minimise the economic consequences of Covid-19 if it opens its borders following the rest of the world. The group, which has critiqued the Government's lockdown response since March, has today added its ...
Auckland will soon be receiving an additional 75 million litres of water per day from the Waikato River as an interim measure to help ease the worst water shortage in 25 years. A Ngāti Whātua historian says this sharing of resources between Tāmaki Makaurau and Waikato goes back a very ...
Athletes from the Papua New Guinea’s national team joined the peaceful “cry for justice” march in the nation’s capital of Port Moresby. Video: EMTV NewsBy EMTV News Many wore black yesterday in rallies against gender-based violence in Papua New Guinea in a day chosen to remember the young mother ...
The government will remain "cautious" when it comes to the border as despite calls for a pragmatic strategy for reopening, new Health Minister Chris Hipkins says. ...
A new report measuring New Zealanders’ financial wellbeing highlights how key sectors of our population are feeling stressed over money, and how Covid-19 has made that worse.Money can’t buy happiness, but it sure can help. After all, it’s what puts food on the table, a roof over our heads, and ...
The Tahr Foundation is asking the Conservation Authority to represent all New Zealanders and their recreational pursuits in National Parks, including the tens of thousands of hunters who flock to them every year. The Foundation’s plea is in response to ...
Councils can now borrow money equivalent to 300% of annual revenue, and the Public Service Association says this will allow them to maintain operational expenditure, invest in important community services and proceed with long-overdue infrastructure ...
Dunedin's mayor says conversations about managed isolation and quarantine can be held in a mature fashion without "getting into an unhelpful conversation about where our citizens might be returning from". ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sara Webb, PhD candidate in Astrophysics, Swinburne University of Technology What does the Sun’s core look like? Sophie, aged 8, Perth What does the Sun’s core look like? This is a fantastic question Sophie, and one we will need ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Spencer Zifcak, Allan Myers Chair of Law/Professor of Law, Australian Catholic University After a lengthy delay due to the coronavirus pandemic, the legal case that constitutes the most significant threat to freedom of expression in this country will soon play out in ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Deborah Williamson, Professor of Microbiology, The Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity A cornerstone of containing the COVID-19 pandemic is widespread testing to identify cases and prevent new outbreaks emerging. This strategy is known as “test, trace and isolate”. The standard ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alexandra Jones, Research Fellow (Food Policy and Law), George Institute for Global Health As you read this, health officials are busy finalising the government’s review of the health star rating system on packaged foods. One of the issues the review is looking ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Chris Briggs, Research Principal, Institute for Sustainable Futures, University of Technology Sydney As the global renewables transition accelerates, the future for coal regions has become a big worry. This raises an important question: can renewables create the right jobs in the right ...
45,000 more signatures 
A chronological listing of news articles linked to on the Skeptical Science Facebook Page during the past week: Sun, June 28 through Sat, July 4, 2020 Editor's Choice '2040': A funny, entertaining, upbeat climate documentary A timely Australian documentary takes a 'solutions' approach, with the filmmaker inspired by visions of ...7 hours ago
Racist National MP Hamish WalkerEven before Todd Muller's coup ousted Simon Bridges by a single vote, it was patently obvious that the National Party promotes and stands for white privilege. In fact they’ve always worked to ensure the discriminatory status quo in New Zealand doesn’t change.So it’s no surprise that ...21 hours ago
Dave Heatley Zero community transmission. Just a handful of active cases, all in quarantine. New Zealand is in an attractive situation, at least compared to much of the world. The situation could be robust and enduring – or it might be fragile, just one border incursion away from a “second ...1 day ago
Is the consequence of the Simpson Report proposals for restructuring the health system poorer accountability to people? When in doubt, centralise‘ has been a persistent theme in New Zealand public policy throughout our history. The current government is no exception. Here are some examples. - The regional polytechs have been ...2 days ago
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Should have had them all first go. That would have had some impact.
Silly – the impact will be delivered by the result, which will show just how out of touch with New Zealand you are.
Errr, Labour at 30%. I’m not the one out of touch.
no – the fact youve equated two completely different things proves youve got your finger on the pulse of the nation
Too Little. Too Late.
Too late for the 2011 election, that’s for sure. Not too late for the next one though. The timing should be just right in fact đ
Oh, and all straws are “little”, but the camel’s spine still snaps.
Excellent work! I would expect the majority of the 45000 new signatures will be accepted, because both collectors and the public understand the process better. The great thing is that the issue doesn’t go away for National. For the second election in a row, they will have to advance their pro sales position against the wishes of the majority of kiwis. And I confidently predict National will again fail to get a mandate for the sales.
But you can’t confidently predict that national will lose the election. Which is in effect not gaining a mandate anyway. So you can’t confidently predict anything without looking like a twat.
Assets sales vs Man ban.
Ding, ding “And it’s a knock out win to asset sales in the first round.”
đ
They already have a mandate and you know it, they won an election with this as their main policy and what’s more they will easily win the next election.
You seem to forget that stopping asset sales labours main policy at the last election, they got thumped.
Oh, dear. Have you forgotten the result of the election already Rich? National didn’t get an outright majority, hence no mandate. They were, however, able to get enough votes to pass the sales legislation with the assistance of ACT, who campaigned for the sales, and United Future, who did not. Parties opposed to the sales fell just short of a majority. That may well change next time around, especially now that the referendum will be a live issue at the same time.
Straws. Clutching. Wildly……
Straws, meet camel đ
Oh for crying out loud.
United Future campaigned on supporting the asset sales of the energy SOEs and Air NZ while also campaigning on opposing any further sales beyond those companies.
I don’t mind the right lying out of their asses, it’s what they do. But I’m getting really sick of the centre and left resorting to lie and misinformation; we should be better than that.
Its all just dead trees, I’m afraid. This government has no interest in public opinion, they have shown this again and again and again.
I’m sure you man ban ,stop everything dreamers will love this.
MRP up 6cents this morning, still down but and looking good.
Your use of conjunctions still betraying hubris and or but insecurity.
Petitions, the lowliest form of political activity, but the torys, âthey donât like it up âem!â As Lance Corporal Jones said repeatedly. Who? âDadâs Armyâ Brit Com.
Store the boxes safely till recycling day.
wow – extremely well constructed arguments from the right on this thread
You guys keep going on about the down trodden and poor in the country and how the gap of equality is growing bigger – figure me this – why is it that John Key is over 60% popular.
There are so many small fractional parties now I don’t know who to vote for:
Is there any truth in the rumour there is a urgent caucus meeting tonight?
Is there any truth in the rumour there is a urgent caucus meeting tonight?
Probably not, Key is safe for now. But Collins is lurking.
“why is it that John Key is over 60% popular”
Brilliant, and a bit of the old-answer-is-contained-within-the-question there.
theres so many factors in play
for a start your comparing two things that arent easily comparable in a soundbite driven environment
but a few items that are in the mix
1) polls as we know them arent that accurate and highly open to manipulation
2) 60% thought key was the best option for PM ie: out of what there is currently available – not whether they actually like him as PM. Its a comparison question
3) the question asked in the poll was highly unlikely to worded in a way as to link Keys popularity with the current and historical social environment of the country
4) many people dont actively understand and link political ideologies to statistical trends in society – theyre too busy working and/or living in their bubbles
5) the media (and by extensions – us) only really look at politics as a series of isolated events rather than as parts of a timeline that fits certain aspirations and plans
theres more that could be added here – but why does it even need to be pointed out? Is your knowledge of politics and society in NZ, both historical and contemporary really that lacking?
(comments in brackets)
1) polls as we know them arent that accurate and highly open to manipulation (really!!! tell Gillard that in Australia)
2) 60% thought key was the best option for PM ie: out of what there is currently available â not whether they actually like him as PM. Its a comparison question (still 60%)
3) the question asked in the poll was highly unlikely to worded in a way as to link Keys popularity with the current and historical social environment of the country (stll 60%)
4) many people dont actively understand and link political ideologies to statistical trends in society â theyre too busy working and/or living in their bubbles (which makes them really happy with John boy – still 60%)
5) the media (and by extensions â us) only really look at politics as a series of isolated events rather than as parts of a timeline that fits certain aspirations and plans (yep that plane keeps going up for John – as for Labour – they are as bumping as a plane landing in Wellington in reverse)
your answers have only proven one of two things
1) your really thick
2) your being thick on purpose
so, either attempt to show some comprehension in your answer, or at least admit you dont have a clue what your talking about.
When the question you, yourself asked is “why is it that John Key is over 60% popular. “. Just saying “still 60%” over and over again doesnt actually prove anything other then reinforcing the assumption that your a clueless idiot or a tr0ll
come on! – you stink up plenty of threads with you posturing and derailments – how about behaving like an educated adult for a change
“2) 60% thought key was the best option for PM ie: out of what there is currently available â not whether they actually like him as PM. Its a comparison question (still 60%)”
just to highlight (and godwin myself a little) – heres the problem with this
You live some years back in western europe and youve been rung up by a polling company. The question is “Who of the following would you prefer as ruler of europe – hitler, mussolini or stalin?”
Now, if you choose none of the above your answer isnt counted – So do the poll results have an accurate reflection of any of the three candidates actual popularity? or does it more accurately reflect their popularity only in relation to each other, and only by not including the answers where some one didnt make a particular choice?
still 60%
still not answering the question
still thick?
I did 60%. you gave a example of a survey of three dead dictators which makes your anaylsis very outdated.
You should take their posters off your wall now. It’s sort of like saying cliff Richard never has had cosmetic surgery
WTF are you even going on about? what the fuck does cliff fucking richard have to do with anything?
your not even making sense.
did you or did you not ask this question?
—-“why is it that John Key is over 60% popular”
yes/no?
so when someone attempts to have, you know, a civil discussion with you about what the answer to your question might involve, you just sit there and go “still 60%” and “I did 60%” (did 60% of what? 60% of all the crack??)
and if you hadn’t figured out yet – its a logic question, its designed to highlight the problem with assuming a question that asks you to pick from a list of choices is an indicator of actual feeling
I dont really give a shit what the % is, or whether you agree with me or not – but if the best argument youve got is to keep spouting a number all anyone can assume is either your not that bright, your about 3 years old, or your off your meds. Fucks sake – whats wrong with you?
Its as pointless and pathetic as your attempts at basic addition when your were stomping about the place trying to claim that union membership is only 6%. Crawl back under your rock now – go on – off you go
I understand your logic…the polls show 60%.. you were trying to show that it maybe lower…I understand that. However it is not what the public is told. They are told 60%.
For completeness you are right.
For reporting the answer given to the public is 60%… so 60% is all we are ever going to know. So if you can get the pollsters to give the detail you are stuffed.
However the reverse is still the same for the other preferred pm’s. Therefore overall the average of the answers are correct which 60% of whatever number is still 60%.
Maybe you should ease off and accept the poll result
I can’t parse a single sentence of that.
to clarify relevance of 3 dead dictators:
Question: Who is your prefered Prime Minister? John key, David Shearer, Russel Norman, Winston Peters or some one else?
Answer: Someone else
Question: Who would that be?
Answer: Anyone else
…
Analyst: category: unknown/did not say
Results: Do not include unknown
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Is John Key still preferred by 60% of respondents?
no because of “Results: Do not include unknown”
you havent clarified anything at all (if this is still “yes” talking – your icon keeps changing so im only assuming its the same person here)
stop being stupid and stop side stepping around how a conversation actually works.
I am not YES, and I was trying to clarify the point for Yes… Or at least make his trolling more obvious…
oh his trolling is pretty obvious – it doesnt need any help đ
but i will note that you didnt actually clarify anything, youve just posed the same logic question i did but with different names
i was replying to YES’s comment “you gave a example of a survey of three dead dictators which makes your anaylsis (sic) very outdated” by making the example more modern and NZ based; since YES seemed to miss the point of your quite obvious point.
ahh – righto. My apologies – sometimes the reply chain gets a little confusing once it reaches its limit. đ
“Yes” didn’t miss anything.
“Yes” is wasting your time.
I’d pick Mussolini over Hitler or Stalin. The food would be better. Or was that a trick question?
^^ Oh, Yes. You’re very good at running the media/WO lines but in this case you seemed to be on the “coup rumor” du jour a lot faster than anyone else.
I am really intrigued…
we have in the bag even with a 30 percent failour rate we have the numbers. watch the might river share price thats the best opinion poll.
Should really put more effort into keeping the ones we have left.
Can someone explain to me why a number of right wing contributors on this subject seem so worried about having a public vote on asset sales?
Surely if asset sales in such a good idea, Key has such a strong mandate and so many people are in favour, then a public vote would show that? Surely?