Open mike 02/10/2024
Written By:
- Date published:
6:00 am, October 2nd, 2024 - 10 comments
Categories: open mike -
Tags:
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 …
CommentsOpinions
Recent Comments
FeedsPartyGovtMedia
- Luxon escapes having to pay $70,000 in ‘brightline’ capital gains taxes
The timing was fortuitous for Luxon, saving him over $70,000. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāKia ora. Long stories short, here’s my top six things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Wednesday, October 2:PM Christopher Luxon was able to escape having to pay ‘brightline’ ...1 hour ago - A Podcast Direct From Hell
Hi,I will explain the horrifying painting of New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon shortly.But first, I got a text from my friend Aaron over the weekend:In short, Aaron had loaded about a year’s worth of our text history into Google’s AI (privacy, what privacy?) — and instructed the AI to ...1 hour ago - Where is National’s care and concern for the South Island? Probably off having dinner with the CCP...
National has a representation issue. Not in terms of gender, or race, or disability, or socio-economic background (though they do also have a lack of all of those), but with its representation for the South Island. Is it any surprise we’re the ones getting shafted when there’s only a single ...6 hours ago - Government Moves To Privatise Health
Often when folks ask me what we can do about this government’s short sighted and often dubious policies1, I frequently veer to a similar answer:Share information, stay aware, act locally where you can, stay positive, and wait.Wait - for what?Well tonight it became clear.On 1News tonight, it was revealed Health ...11 hours ago - Luxon just became a poster boy for taxing the rich
Whenever our politicians are caught with their hand in the till, they loudly proclaim that their theft from the public was "within the rules". The problem is that they are the ones writing the rules, and there's a certain suspicion that they write them to suit themselves. And so their ...15 hours ago - At the end of the day we’ll always have John Key
He dumped us years ago, but the media still pines for him, stalks his Insta, has a little flutter of the heart whenever he saunters back into the room.So naturally Stuff wanted to hear everything John Key had to say about the US election. And although the tape goes for ...15 hours ago - VIDEO: Health Commissioner Lester Levy: “It’s not up to me to fix everything”
Related links:Auckland University of Technology Professor Lester Levy is also the Part Time Health NZ Commissioner charging taxpayers $320,000 a yearPM says no doctor for Dargaville Hospital cardiac arrest 'challenging' - Dr Payinda noted a "nervous, worried, concerned nurse" was left alone to manage the cardiac arrest and "rely on ...17 hours ago - Climate Change: Fossil fuels versus free trade
One of the arguments against National's gas fantasy is that it breaches our environmental commitments under various free trade agreements, including the NZ-EU FTA, which requires us to meet our Paris commitments and not weaken our environmental protections. And it turns out that MFAT agrees: Legal advice from the ...18 hours ago
- ‘I don’t know what the point of the questioning is.’
Kia ora. Long stories short, here’s my top six things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Tuesday, October 1:PM Christopher Luxon has made $460,000 in tax-free income this year from capital gains on the sale of two of his rental properties, almost as much ...22 hours ago - In the Waiting Line
Do you believeIn what you seeMotionless wheelNothing is realWasting my timeIn the waiting lineDo you believe inWhat you seeSongwriters: Henry Binns, Sam Hardaker, Sophie Alexandra Jessica BarkerOctober already. This year feels like it’s going quickly, provided you don’t count it out in WTF moments from the coalition. Before we know ...23 hours ago - Land of The Bullies
Kāinga Ora When Chris Bishop asked Bill English to help him do an “independent review” of Kāinga Ora last year, who here could guess that English’s report said exactly what Bishop already indicated?A reminder of how it went down:For the modest payday of $500,000, Bill English was paid from the ...24 hours ago - Stealth mode: the surprisingly powerful city centre access hack
Patrick Reynolds is deputy chair of the City Centre Advisory Panel and a candidate in this months Entrust election It might surprise you to learn that in Auckland, our harbour city, wrapped around the shores of the beautiful Waitemata, bikes bring as many people to the city centre in the ...1 day ago - The Right Are Furious That Abuse Doesn’t Work
We must have sympathy for the right.After all, it’s difficult being a conservative these days. Progressive politics are proceeding at a rapid pace. World leaders preaching kindness and compassion are lavished with praise and acclamations. You can’t hit your kids anymore, you can’t hit your dog, you can’t hit your ...1 day ago - The Dunedin hospital crisis may be about more than just a hospital
The news that the University of Waikato med school proposal has passed its cost-benefit analysis just two days after the Dunedin Hospital funding crisis announcement may not be linked, but one certainly impacts the other. POLITIK understands that ACT opposes the Waikato proposal and NZ First is lukewarm, but somehow, ...1 day ago
- Gordon Campbell on the Dunedin hospital fiasco
The word “blow-out” is such a politically loaded term. It carries a strong whiff of extravagance and incompetence. In fact, and with public health budgets in particular, going “over budget” is a sign that reality has finally caught up with what – from the outset – was always a budget ...1 day ago
- 2024 Reading Summary: September (+ Writing Update)
Completed reads for September: Old English Genesis A & B (poetry), by Anonymous Old English Exodus (poetry), by Anonymous The Life of St Guthlac of Crowland (poetry), by Anonymous The Death of St Guthlac (poetry), by Anonymous Maxims I [The Exeter Book Maxims] (poetry), by Anonymous Maxims II [The ...1 day ago - Hayden Donnell raises my ‘grim’ Hamish to ‘furious’ Hamish
Delightful piece from Hayden Donnell at The Spinoff (how did I miss it?) — Huge opportunity: Could you be the guy standing behind the PM looking furious? OK, so I thought ‘grim’, right? But Hayden has brought receipts, as the saying goes… and his view is ‘absolutely ropeable’. Lol. “Usually ...2 days ago - The problem, and the solution
Reader Pete Hodgson was in touch after Saturday’s edition to offer his speech notes from the Dunedin rally. They are excellent, they deserve the widest audience. My name is Pete Hodgson, and I chaired or served on the governance group of the new hospital for 6 years until last Xmas. ...2 days ago - Climate Change: The end of coal in the UK
It's official: coal has been eliminated from the UK's electricity system: Britain’s only remaining coal power plant at Ratcliffe-on-Soar in Nottinghamshire will generate electricity for the last time on Monday after powering the UK for 57 years. The power plant will come to the end of its life in ...2 days ago
- The Bewildering World of Chris Luxon – Broken Promises, An Angry Country, and a Govt on Life S...
..Thanks for reading Frankly Speaking ! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.National Party leader (current), Christopher Luxon, speaking at a public meeting in Gore, in January last year:“Now lets be clear, Dunedin Hospital, started under a National Government, mucked around under a Labour Government for ...2 days ago - A tipping point?
The National Party has been promising Dunedin - and the lower South Island - a new hospital since 2008. Despite those promises, the Key government did nothing during its nine years in office, and it was left to Labour to actually start the process in 2017. National promptly criticised them ...2 days ago
- Wake Me Up When September Ends
A bit disoriented this morning. I’ll blame Daylight Savings; I slept late. To be fair, it was probably the new mattress. After going to Rotorua the other week, we realised just how terrible ours was.“Scalloped” is a term that will be familiar to guitarists. It describes how some guitars have ...2 days ago - Rays of Sunshine – Bravo, Bravo !
Cartoon: Guy BodySam Sharpe Studio brought “Wrecking Ball Luxon” to the marchPlease consider supporting my work and subscribing. Thanks, Tui.Oliver Mould provided an exciting statistic yesterday.He wrote in the comments:Source: Why Civil Resistance Works The Strategic Logic of Nonviolent ConflictAnd I paused…It was exciting to read that. Thanks, OM. A ...2 days ago - Is this our least worldly Minister of Transport?
Over the weekend, the Minister of Transport Simeon Brown proudly announced his new speed-setting rule, a decision that will undoubtedly lead to greater harm on our roads. It’s a tragically predictable decision by a Minister who seems to be on only nodding acquaintance with both evidence and international norms. Fueled ...2 days ago
- One in four march against Govt in Dunedin
Kia ora. Long stories short, here’s my top six things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Monday, September 30:Over 35,000 people marched in Dunedin on Saturday to protest against the Government’s plans to downgrade the new hospital being built there.In the scoop of the ...2 days ago - 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #39
A listing of 30 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, September 22, 2024 thru Sat, September 28, 2024. Story of the week Given the headlines dominance of hot oceans lofting water into the atmosphere where it then obeys the Clausius-Clapeyron relationship thereby ...2 days ago - Seymour vs Tame
But what a fool believes, he seesNo wise man has the power to reason awayWhat seems to beIs always better than nothingThan nothing at allSongwriters: Kenny Loggins, Michael McDonaldWe begin.“Welcome to Q&A, I’m Jack Tame. Today, for a government that says it’s fixated on waste, what’s the point in a ...3 days ago - Kiwi Power !
35,000 strong march in Dunedin to protest Government hospital cuts - showing us how it’s done. Thank you Dunedin!IN PICTURES Photo Credits : RNZ, ODT, Debunking Conspiracies Aotearoa, BHN, NZH, Stuff Related Reading:Bye Bye Health Verrall to Levy: "Health NZ NDAs are North Korean - Get rid of it."Lester Levy ...3 days ago - Stranded in paradise
Oh, you should have seen Reefton in 1888. It glowed. It was illuminated by the future.In August of that year — and I am confident I have my facts right because I am quoting directly from the town's own website — Reefton became the first place in New Zealand and ...3 days ago - Dunedin Protests Against Hospital Cuts
Dunedin is not a happy city at the moment. We are used to being ignored in the nationwide New Zealand media – wrong end of the country and all – but the Government’s recent announcement on the Dunedin Hospital rebuild has got people motivated. How motivated? Well, I couldn’t make ...4 days ago - The One Who Saw Too Much: accepted
A nice bit of news. I can report that I have had a short story success – my 3,600 word gothic horror piece, The One Who Saw Too Much, has been accepted ... 4 days ago - Broken Stone
And another pitch shattersAnother little bit gets lostTell me what else really mattersOh, such a costLike pebbles on a beachKicked around, displaced by feetOh, like broken stonesThey're all trying to get homeSong by Paul WellerDoes it feel as though your country has been hijacked? That terrible people have taken the ...4 days ago - I’m Glad The Right Wing Coalition Won
Dame Jacinda Adern would not accept “acceptable death rates” during Covid. But in the UK the Tory government said “Let them die”.Additions belowYesterday, when I saw the news that a Timaru factory with hundreds of jobs on the line was going to close, I couldn't help but think:"I'm so glad ...4 days ago - We will never give you up, let you down, or Rickroll you
1. What did the National party promise Dunedin last election?a. We will build the hospital you needb. We will never give you up, let you down, or Rickroll you c. We will bring back John Keyd. Pandas2. What is the National party promising Dunedin now?a. A sawn-off half-pint watery version of ...4 days ago - The 48 Hours Leading Up To An Execution
Note: This is obviously a very heavy topic — it took me three days to manage to write it — so please read with care. In saying that, in amongst the awfulness I think this piece also contains some hope, and plenty of humanity. Thanks to those of you who ...4 days ago - Remembering our friend John Mason
We are extremely sad to say that our esteemed Skeptical Science colleague— and good friend to many of us— John Mason passed away on Friday September 20, 2024. Only last week, we blew a horn of appreciation for John's remarkable gift for telling stories about science. Our expectation was that ...5 days ago
- How has the New Zealand economy been doing?
Stagnation and ContractionIn this column I use the less familiar measure of GDP per capita instead of the GDP measure favoured by the commentariat. I became familiar with it when I began doing international comparisons because of the population differences between countries, while I depended upon the measure while working ...5 days ago - Luxon taking his cues from Amazon
This is embarrassing: I just had to google who Andrew Jassy is.I come to substack to learn terrible thingsIn my defence, they promoted him during the pandemic and I had other things on my mind. Also watching Amazon injure their workers at a rate of over four times the US ...5 days ago - The Hoon around the week to Sept 27
The podcast above of the weekly ‘Hoon’ webinar for paying subscribers on Thursday night features co-hosts & talking about the week’s news with:The Kākā’s climate correspondent on the latest climate news, including research suggesting a doubling of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere could trigger 8° of warming ...5 days ago
- Could a doubling of Co2 trigger 8° of warming?
Long stories short, here’s the top six news items of note in climate news for Aotearoa this week, and a discussion above between Bernard Hickey and The Kākā’s climate correspondent Cathrine Dyer:A seventh planetary boundary, for ocean acidification will soon be breached, and may have already done so, according to ...5 days ago
- Trust Us, Luxon Said
Just a little something for the painHospital food getting you down?Honey now I'm not one to complainBut this hangin' aroundIs wearing me outSong by David Gray.Yesterday, Dr Shane Reti, the Minister of Health, and Chris Bishop, the duty Minister for looking sad, sincere and determined, announced that Dunedin’s promised new ...5 days ago - Treasury warns of unprecedented cuts in real spending per capita to achieve surplus
Kia ora. Long stories short, here’s my top six things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Friday, September 27:Treasury’s Chief Economics Adviser Dominick Stephens gave the year’s most important speech yesterday, saying real and per-capita cuts in public spending implied by the Government’s surplus ...5 days ago - Weekly Roundup 27-September-2024
Welcome to the end of the week and the end of the month. Ready to “spring forward” to Daylight Saving Time this weekend? As always, this post is brought to you by a largely volunteer crew. If you’d like to support our work and keep the posts coming, we welcome ...5 days ago
- Please consider submitting on the offshore mining bill: We have 4 full days left
The National led Coalition government intends to bring back offshore oil and gas mining. Shane Jones made that clear as soon as he got into power last year:“Mining is coming back!” he declared in Parliament in December.And this year: “Drill, Baby, Drill!”It’s his brand of politics.It feels futile but I ...5 days ago - The Long and the Short: Ageing Boomers, Laurie & Les, Talk Politics.
“While a nationwide vote to confirm, or not, the public’s understanding of our foundational constitutional document would be ‘divisive’, ‘racist’, a ‘blunt instrument’, and therefore completely out of the question, a referendum to extend the life expectancy of elected politicians, which no one not deeply involved with the governing process ...5 days ago - Procedures, Processes and Principles: Is It Possible To Defend The Treaty Of Waitangi And Democracy?
Out Of The Loop: The great insight of sympathetic Pakeha jurists, like Sir Geoffrey Palmer, was that, suitably empowered, the judiciary and the executive branch of the state could take on the role formerly played by the non-elected governors of mid-nineteenth century New Zealand. Māori resources could be protected, and ...5 days ago
- Has Government Become A Public-Private Partnership?
Dirty Deals Done In The Dark: There will be times when it is to the considerable advantage of both National and Labour to be able to shrug philosophically and pardon themselves for cooperating in the introduction of controversial and divisive policies by explaining to an outraged public that this is simply ...5 days ago
- Is National A White Supremacist Party?
By Their Deeds Shall Ye Know Them: When the defeated Reform and United parties were persuaded to unite under the rubric of “National” in 1936, the values advanced were unashamedly imperialist and white supremacist. Eighty-eight years later, National is at pains to distance itself (coalition agreements permitting) from the most obvious ...5 days ago
- On the way to another “Mother of All Budgets”?
Finance Minister Nicola Willis yesterday dismissed a grim warning from the Treasury that the country was headed for a fiscal crisis. Treasury Deputy Secretary Dominick Stephens said that fulfilling the Government’s promise to get the country’s books back to surplus by 2027-28 would require cuts to Government services “unprecedented in ...5 days ago
- The Three-Headed Taniwha Has Begun Biting Itself
When ACT, National, and New Zealand First joined together in a three-way coalition at the end of the last year, it was met with predictions of backstabbing, stonewalling, and inter-party politics. Many seemed convinced this government would get little done with such a diverse agenda. If only that had been ...5 days ago - Skeptical Science New Research for Week #39 2024
Open access notables Refined Estimates of Global Ocean Deep and Abyssal Decadal Warming Trends, Johnson & Purkey, Geophysical Research Letters: Deep and abyssal layer decadal temperature trends from the mid-1980s to the mid-2010s are mapped globally using Deep Argo and historical ship-based Conductivity-Temperature-Depth (CTD) instrument data. Abyssal warming trends are widespread, ...6 days ago
- Embrace the heresy, touch the third rail
Let’s examine some numbers.This is a public transport number.3% And this is an invitation to make an educated guess: In the morning rush hour in Wellington on Thorndon Quay, what proportion of the vehicles are buses?Yes indeed …the answer is:3% However, what do we find if we look inside those buses? Care ...6 days ago - Another abuse of democracy
This week National introduced its long-threatened bill to repeal the offshore drilling ban and promote the fossil fuel industry, and rammed it through to select committee. Today the select committee opened for submissions. If you have an opinion on this corrupt, ecocidal legislation, you will need to speak up quick ...6 days ago
- Bye, Bye Health !
Bye, Bye hospital plans.Today Rachel Thomas reported - $3.2 billion is sleighted to come out of “hospital and mental health infrastructure projects”, and it seems the first formal casualty is Dunedin hospital, South Island.ODT reports former Labour Cabinet minister Pete Hodgson saying:“At the end of the day, the question is ...6 days ago - Geoffrey Miller: New Zealand’s trade deal with the UAE could unlock Middle East
New Zealand and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) are moving closer together – at record pace. Just a year after agreeing to enter initial talks, Wellington and Abu Dhabi have concluded negotiations on a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (or CEPA for short). The deal will go down as one of ...6 days ago - Things That Make You Go… Dang
Pull up like a shipwreck in reverseYeah, I do, yeah, I doMaybe it's foreverMaybe it's just shampooDangSong by Caroline PolachekToday, a few things that, depending on your age, might make you go - that’s outrageous, or hmm, maybe WTAF, or just plain old dang.Specifically, I’ll be covering:When Press Secretaries resign, ...6 days ago - Minister ignored widespread concern about GPS, official documents confirm
Two weeks ago, the Ministry of Transport proactively released two tranches of documents that show the advice officials provided to Minister of Transport Simeon Brown as he directed the shaping of his draft and final Government Policy Statement (GPS) on Land Transport. You can find the documents via the MoT ...6 days ago
- An attack ‘unbecoming of a leader’
Kia ora. Long stories short, here’s my top six things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Thursday, September 26:Days after realising hundreds of thousands of tax-free gains on the sale of one of his rental properties, PM Christopher Luxon responded yesterday to ANZ CEO ...6 days ago - On The Government’s Bizarre Hostility To A Capital Gains Tax
Oyez oyez, CEO Antonia Watson, CEO of the biggest bank in New Zealand has come out in favour of a capital gains tax! Actually, this is not a daring new idea. Over the past three decades the IMF, the World Bank, the expert Tax Working Group and most mainstream economists ...6 days ago
- Hamish is out. Has had enough of Luxon role
Following on from my earlier post … ‘Hamish Rutherford always looks grim these days‘, well, it seems that enough is enough for Hamish Rutherford (and fair enough too). Stuff reports: [Rutherford’s] message said: “It has been an absolute honour to work for Christopher Luxon both in Opposition and for the ...6 days ago
- Climate Adam: Turning the Tide on Climate Change
This video includes conclusions of the creator climate scientist Dr. Adam Levy. It is presented to our readers as an informed perspective. Please see video description for references (if any). As the world heats, we face the consequences from rising seas, extreme weather, and the spread of disease. But what can ...7 days ago
- Reasons to feel positive
Reason to feel positive # 1The next of Life's Little Victories could be just around the cornerSince I got back I have been hearing a wheezing choking rasping sound coming from the Number One Boss element of our gas stove. Wheezy gas is never something you want to hear coming ...7 days ago - David Seymour Got His Wish – Charter Schools Are Back. Who Is Getting the $$$ ?
OPINIONThis morning I wrote that the Charter Schools Bill had passed its final reading. Jan Tinetti called it a “sad, sad day for New Zealand education”. And Green Party MP Dr Lawrence Xu-Nan said the move is “not about education, it’s about privatisation”.$153mn for charter schools in what teachers and ...7 days ago - David Seymour: “The Government is Broke” & Other Politics Headlines
Note: Video of the fricken’ targets and a nanny state mentality at end. Read more ...7 days ago - Climate Change: We can’t afford the gas industry
Yesterday, National finally introduced its long-threatened bill to repeal the offshore drilling ban and promote the fossil fuel industry to the House. They'll be ramming it through its first reading under urgency this afternoon, and while it will go to select committee, they will almost certainly try their usual stunt ...7 days ago
- Calling Occupants of Interplanetary Craft
In your mind you have capacities, you knowTo telepath messages through the vast unknownPlease close your eyes and concentrateWith every thought you thinkUpon the recitation we're about to singCalling occupants of interplanetary craftCalling occupants of interplanetary, most extraordinary craftSongwriters: John Woloschuk / Terry DraperThink of the capabilities of the human ...7 days ago - Nine public transit lessons from Perth
This guest post by Darren Davis originally appeared on his excellent blog, Adventures in Transitland, and is republished here by kind permission. A while ago, I wrote about Perth’s public transport journey, outlining how Perth got to where it is now. I recommend reading that piece if you haven’t already, ...7 days ago
- ANZ CEO says ‘it’s time’ for a Capital Gains Tax
Kia ora. Long stories short, here’s my top six things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Wednesday, September 25:Ad agency climate activist group Comms Declare today launched the New Zealand version of the globally compiled ‘F list,’ which names 14 local agencies “which have ...7 days ago - Parliament to get its own police force
Parliament yesterday moved to give its security staff powers of search, seizure and arrest. In effect it is establishing a quasi Parliamentary police force which will have the power to handcuff and detain offenders. But it will be a force with some heavy restrictions on what it can do. Most ...1 week ago
- How to complain about a delayed OIA release
A few years back, Te Kawa Mataaho / Public Service Commission started releasing OIA statitistics, on the theory that this would allow failure to be identified and managed, and so improve performance. It may have done so initially, but then the iron laws of bureaucracy (and specifically, Goodhart's and Campbell's) ...1 week ago
- Just have a think: Arctic Sea Ice minimum 2024. Three degrees Celsius warming now baked in?
This video includes conclusions of the "Just have a Think" channel's creator Dave Borlace. It is presented to our readers as an informed perspective. Please see video description for references (if any). From the video‘s description: Arctic Sea ice reaches it's minimum extent each year around the middle of September. This ...1 week ago
- Let them eat glue
What is real, what is fake? Do we really know any more?Let's say you want to make tonight’s dinner a bit more appealing by trying something new.Why don't I google it? You say.You type: Idea for fresh and exciting meal.Google tells you: Pizza! Here's a topping combo that will wow ...1 week ago - The Narcissist in Life
OPINIONYesterday, after the Polkinghorne case verdict, Philip Polkinghorne told reporters:"Now we can grieve and let Pauline rest in peace. That is the best gift we can possibly give her."And today his defence lawyer Elizabeth Hall said the case showed the justice system was working as intended.Jurors could not land the ...1 week ago - Do you know what the Coalition Government has done for you in its first 100 days? Here’s a lis...
I decided to finally write my “About Mountain Tui” page and found some of my old posts that I wanted to transfer here. This won’t be distributed by email, but will serve as a record of my writing.Here is one of them:Repealed under urgency No more Fair Pay Agreements, a ...1 week ago - Back in the Office
These things that I've been told can rearrangeMy world, my doubt in time but inside outThis is the working hourWe are paid by those who learn by our mistakesSongwriters: Ian Stanley / Roland Orzabal / Immanuel Franklin EliasSince Covid, life has been tough for many central city businesses. As you ...1 week ago
- End of free RAT tests means more exposure to virus
The end of free Rapid Antigen Tests today is another sign the Government is giving up on the challenge of protecting the community from Covid-19. ...2 days ago - Release: Government breaks promise on ferry plan
Time has run out for Nicola Willis who has failed to keep her promise to deliver a solution to replace the Interislander ferries by today. ...2 days ago - Release: Labour supports marches for better health
Labour supports Buller and Dunedin communities who are marching today and calling on the Government to act urgently to fix the health crisis. ...2 days ago
- Raising speed limits will cost our communities
The Government’s move to disregard all evidence and increase speed limits will result in serious harm. ...4 days ago
- Greens stand in solidarity with Buller community
The Green Party stands in solidarity with the Buller community in its silent protest for better healthcare. ...4 days ago
- Release: Proposed job losses devastating for Timaru
News that the Smithfield meatworks could close is devastating for the hundreds of people who work there, Timaru and the wider region. ...5 days ago
- Release: Question mark over financial sustainability of Polytechs
The Government is taking tertiary education down a worrying path with new reporting finding that fourteen of the country’s sixteen polytechnics couldn’t survive on their own,” Labour’s tertiary education spokesperson Dr Deborah Russell says. ...5 days ago
- TPM issues warning to Govt: Back down or prepare for the wrath of the million Māori
Today the government announced a $30m cut to Te Ahu o Te Reo Māori- a programme that develops te reo Māori among our kaiako. “This announcement is just the latest in an onslaught of attacks on te iwi Māori,” said Te Pāti Māori Co-Leader Rawiri Waititi. ...6 days ago
- Govt set to break promise on Dunedin Hospital
The Green Party is calling on the Government to honour its promise to Dunedin and build its new hospital to full capacity. ...6 days ago
- Release: Dunedin Hospital d-listed by Government
The non-announcement in Dunedin today had Ministers leaving broken promises and a likely severely diluted hospital build in their wake. ...6 days ago
- Release: Labour welcomes UAE trade deal
The New Zealand Labour Party welcomes the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) signed today with the United Arab Emirates (UAE). ...6 days ago
- Release: Hundreds more jobs cuts on housing frontline
The Government has shown its true intentions for the public service and economy – it’s not to get more public servants back to the office, it’s more job losses. ...6 days ago
- Release: Govt not addressing health workforce crisis
The National Government is hiding the gaps in the health workforce from New Zealanders, by not producing a full workforce plan nearly a year into their tenure. ...6 days ago
- Release: Government cuts fair pay for bus drivers
The Government has cut funding for bus drivers to get paid fairly for the work they do, Labour transport spokesperson Tangi Utikere said. ...6 days ago
- Crown Minerals Bill Advances Colonisation
Today, the Crown Mineral Amendment Bill was read for the first time, reversing the ban on oil exploration off the coast of Taranaki. It was no accident that this proposed law change was read directly after the Government started to unravel the ability of iwi and hapū Māori to have ...6 days ago
- Landlord govt finds new way to undermine public housing
Proposed cuts to Kāinga Ora reflect a failure to fully commit to fixing the housing crisis. ...7 days ago
- Crown should prove their rights to Foreshore & Seabed – Te Pāti Māori
Te Pāti Māori spokesperson for Justice, Tākuta Ferris, has hit out at the Government, demanding the Crown prove its rights to the foreshore, following the Marine and Coastal Area Amendment Bill, passing its first reading. "Māori rights to the foreshore pre-exist the Declaration of Independence, Te Tiriti o Waitangi, and ...7 days ago
- NZ must urgently help whanau in Lebanon
The Government must immediately help evacuate New Zealanders and Lebanese whanau caught up in the current conflict unfolding across south Lebanon. ...7 days ago
- Green Government will revoke oil and gas permits
The Green Party vows to reinstate the oil and gas ban and revoke permits when it returns to government following the coalition’s introduction of legislation to reopen offshore oil and gas exploration this afternoon. ...1 week ago
- Government introduces controversial MACA legislation
The Government’s introduction of its interventions in the Marine and Coastal Area (Takutai Moana) Act threatens to throw relations between Māori and Crown into deeper disharmony. ...1 week ago
- Release: Gun lobby bill removes regulation at ranges
Gun lobbyist Nicole McKee and her conflict of interest has struck again, this time removing safety regulations from shooting clubs and ranges in New Zealand. ...1 week ago
- Release: Govt forgetting the 6000 jobs they’ve cut
The real problem in the public sector is ongoing job losses and cuts to the front line. ...1 week ago
- Government undermines public service with WFH crackdown
The Green Party says the Government’s retrograde move to tighten up on Work from Home arrangements is the latest in a series of blows to the Public Service. ...1 week ago
- Release: Ministers oblivious to cuts’ effect on families
The National Government is oblivious to the impact cuts to services will have on New Zealanders who are doing the hard yards caring for mentally ill family members. ...1 week ago
- Release: Public service set up to fail under National
Nicola Willis has set up the public service to fail to pay for reckless tax cuts for landlords and the tobacco industry. ...1 week ago
- Release: Coalition cooking up costly RMA replacement
National continues to dismantle environmental protections in the interests of rushing through unsustainable development that will ultimately cost communities. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: National red-faced as benefit numbers skyrocket
The economy has stagnated and the National Government is having to face the consequences of its atrocious lawmaking, as beneficiary numbers skyrocket past even Treasury’s predictions. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: National allocating police officers not hired yet
There are 104 fewer police officers now than there were when National came into Government. ...2 weeks ago
- Economic decline further cause for tax transformation
Today’s GDP figures combined with the injustice of our tax system will mean more pain for our lowest-income households while those at the top remain relatively unscathed. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: No growth under National, just cuts
The National Government’s decisions have hindered, not helped the economy. ...2 weeks ago
- Govt must act to avoid the worst of NIWA’s climate projections
New climate projections from NIWA underscore how urgently climate action is needed. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: More job losses as Government fails on manufacturing
The Government is failing the manufacturing sector with no plan for its future. ...2 weeks ago
- Tāmaki-Makaurau MP Urges Immediate Support for Families Impacted by Mill Closure
Te Pāti Māori Member of Parliament for Tāmaki Makaurau is urging a full wraparound of services to intervene quickly with families affected by today's announced closure of the Penrose Mill. Seventy-five people are set to lose their jobs right on the eve of Christmas. "I want to extend my thoughts ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Sentencing package misses the mark by a mile
Sentencing policy announced by Minister Paul Goldsmith today is anything but new, merely window dressing to make up for backwards violent crime statistics under the National Government. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Seymour’s Ministry of Double Standards
David Seymour doesn’t stick to his own standards of good regulation despite having a multimillion-dollar vanity ministry set up to do so. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Labour Leader to travel to UK
Labour Leader Chris Hipkins will travel to the United Kingdom this week to attend the annual UK Labour Party conference in Liverpool and meet with members of the new Labour Government. ...2 weeks ago
- Govt Warned – Increasing Snapper Quota Breaches Fisheries Settlement
An imminent decision to increase the total allowable commercial catch (TACC) for snapper would be a direct violation of the first-ever Treaty Settlement and inevitably breach Te Tiriti o Waitangi, says Te Pāti Māori. Te Ohu Kaimoana has sought a High Court declaration to prevent the Minister of Oceans and ...2 weeks ago
- Govt attacks workers’ rights once again
Today’s announcement from the Minister of Workplace Relations emphasises how deep in the pocket of big business this Government really is. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Māori business not a priority for this Govt
Scrapping the Progressive Procurement programme designed to support and grow Māori businesses is a missed opportunity. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: March 15 inquiry grants cut by Government
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith has cut grants helping overseas family of victims to attend the next phase of the Coronial Inquiry into the 15 March 2019 Christchurch Masjidain Attack. ...2 weeks ago
- New TAIC Chief Commissioner appointed
David Clarke has been announced as the Chief Commissioner of the Transport Accident Investigation Commission (TAIC). David Clarke is a barrister specialising in corporate and commercial law and he has over 20 years experience in governance roles in commercial, public and charitable sectors. He also is a current TAIC Commissioner. ...17 hours ago - Government secures market access for blueberries to Korea
The Government has secured market access for New Zealand blueberries to Korea, unlocking an estimated $5 million in annual export opportunities for Kiwi growers Minister for Trade and Agriculture Todd McClay today announced. “This is a win for our exporters and builds on our successful removal of $190 million in ...19 hours ago
- South Pacific Defence Ministers meet in Auckland
Partnership and looking to the future are key themes as Defence Ministers from across the South Pacific discuss regional security challenges in Auckland today, Defence Minister Judith Collins says. The South Pacific Defence Ministers’ Meeting (SPDMM) brings together Defence Ministers, Chiefs of Defence and Secretaries of Defence from New Zealand, ...19 hours ago
- Children’s Unit opens at Rotorua Hospital
Health Minister Dr Shane Reti today opened the refurbished Children’s Unit at Rotorua Hospital, which will provide young patients and their families in the Lakes District with a safe, comfortable and private space to receive care. “The opening of this unit is a significant milestone in our commitment to improving ...20 hours ago
- Minor variations no longer major problem
It is now easier to make small changes to building plans without having to apply for a building consent amendment, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “Previously builders who wanted to make a minor change, for example substituting one type of product for another, or changing the layout of ...21 hours ago
- New diplomatic appointments
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has today announced seven diplomatic appointments. “Protecting and advancing New Zealand’s interests abroad is an extremely important role for our diplomats,” Mr Peters says. “We are pleased to announce the appointment of seven senior diplomats to these overseas missions.” The appointments are: Andrew ...23 hours ago
- SuperGold Information Hub live
The first iteration of the SuperGold Information Hub is now on-line, Minister for Seniors Casey Costello announced today. “The SuperGold Hub is an online portal offering up-to-date information on all of the offers available to SuperGold cardholders. “We know the SuperGold card is valued, and most people know its use ...24 hours ago
- New fund to clean up old landfill and dump sites
A new Contaminated Sites and Vulnerable Landfills Fund will help councils and landowners clean up historic landfills and other contaminated sites that are vulnerable to the effects of severe weather, Environment Minister Penny Simmonds says. "This $30 million fund, part of our Q4 Action Plan, increases the Government’s investment in ...1 day ago
- Foreign Minister completes successful week of international engagements
Foreign Minister Winston Peters today wrapped up a week of high-level engagements at the United Nations in New York and in Papeete, French Polynesia. “Our visit to New York was about demonstrating New Zealand’s unwavering support for an international system based on rules and respect for the UN Charter, as ...2 days ago
- Final 2024 Action Plan focused on infrastructure
The Government’s Quarter Four (Q4) Action Plan will be focused on making it easier and faster to build infrastructure in New Zealand as part of its wider plan to rebuild the economy, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon says. “My Government has been working at pace to get the country back on ...2 days ago
- Four new laws to tackle crime passed in Q3
New Zealanders will be safer as a result of the Government’s crackdown on crime which includes tougher laws for offenders and gangs delivered as part of the Quarter Three (Q3) Action Plan, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon says. “I’m proud to say we have delivered on 39 of the 40 actions ...2 days ago
- Government partnership boosting vineyard productivity
The Government is backing a new world-leading programme set to boost vineyard productivity and inject an additional $295 million into New Zealand’s economy by 2045, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay today announced. The Next Generation Viticulture programme will transform traditional vineyard systems, increasing profitability by $22,060 per hectare by 2045 without ...2 days ago
- Strong support for NZ minerals strategy
Over 90 per cent of submissions have expressed broad support for a New Zealand minerals strategy, indicating a strong appetite for a considered, enduring approach to minerals development, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. A summary of the 102 submissions on the draft strategy has been published today by the Ministry ...2 days ago
- Snapper catch limits up, orange roughy down
Catch limits for several fisheries will be increased following a review that shows stocks of those species are healthy and abundant. The changes are being made as part of Fisheries New Zealand’s biannual sustainability review, which considers catch limits and management settings across New Zealand’s fisheries. “Scientific evidence and information ...3 days ago
- Reforming the building consent system
The Government is investigating options for a major reform of the building consent system to improve efficiency and consistency across New Zealand, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “New Zealand has some of the least affordable housing in the world, which has dire social and economic implications. At the heart ...3 days ago
- Cost-benefit analysis for potential third medical school completed
The Government has announced that an initial cost-benefit analysis of establishing a third medical school based at the University of Waikato has been completed and has been found to provide confidence for the project to progress to the next stage. Minister of Health Dr Shane Reti says the proposal will ...4 days ago
- Government delivers sensible approach to speed limits
The Government’s new speed limit rule has today been signed to reverse Labour’s blanket speed limit reductions and enable Kiwis to get to where they want to go quickly and safely, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. Reverse Labour’s blanket speed limit reductions on local streets, arterial roads, and state highways ...4 days ago
- Minister to meet with Pacific Island climate leaders
Climate Change Minister Simon Watts is travelling to Fiji on Monday to attend a Ministerial Meeting (Talanoa) with Pacific Island Countries, Australia, and New Zealand. “Attending the Talanoa will reinforce New Zealand’s commitment to supporting climate resilience in the Pacific and advancing action in the areas of climate change,” Mr ...4 days ago
- Human rights recommendations accepted
The Government is accepting the majority of human rights recommendations received at the fourth Universal Period Review in Geneva, Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith says. “We have considered all 259 recommendations from the United Nations. We are supporting 168 and partially supporting 12 of these recommendations. “Recommendations related to women’s rights, ...5 days ago
- Geotech work begins on Warkworth to Te Hana Road of National Significance
The Government is continuing to move at pace on the Northland Expressway, with significant geotechnical investigations now underway for phase one from Warkworth to Te Hana, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “With thousands of motorists and freight travelling through Northland, we’re focused on delivering for this region to grow our economy. ...5 days ago
- Free mental health resources for business owners
The Government and Auckland Business Chamber have entered a memorandum of understanding which will enable mental health and wellbeing resources for business owners to be freely available, Small Business and Manufacturing Minister Andrew Bayly says. “As a former business owner, I know first-hand the toll running a business can take ...5 days ago
- Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission board appointment announced
Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey and Rural Communities Minister Mark Patterson have announced the Government has appointed Wayne Langford to the Board of the Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission for a five-year term of office. Mr Langford is the National President of Federated Farmers and is also their spokesperson for ...5 days ago
- New Game Animal Council appointments
Hunting and Fishing Minister Todd McClay today announced one new, and one returning, appointment to the Game Animal Council (GAC). Mr McClay is thrilled to announce first time appointment Glenn MacPherson and welcomes the reappointment of keen pig and deer hunter Eugene Rewi. MacPherson is currently president of the Te ...5 days ago
- STAR attendance system template released
Associate Education spokesperson David Seymour says the Government has released a new resource to inform the introduction of Stepped Attendance Response (STAR) systems in every school. “The response to the announcement of the STAR system has been hugely supportive. Educators have been in touch to express their support, which gives ...5 days ago
- New Zealand National Statement to the UN General Assembly – ‘The Spirit of San Francisco’
Mr. President Nearly four score years ago, nations exhausted from a cataclysmic World War came together in San Francisco to create the United Nations Charter. Forged in the immediate aftermath of that war, then New Zealand Prime Minister Peter Fraser held “the greatest hopes” for the Charter’s success, which he ...5 days ago
- Charter Schools Authorisation Board appointments announced
Associate Education Minister David Seymour has today announced his appointments to the new statutory Charter Schools Authorisation Board. Leading Kiwi educator Justine Mahon has been appointed as Chair of the Board. She is joined by Board members Catherine Isaac, Neil Paviour-Smith, Professor Elizabeth Rata, Rōpata Taylor, Dee-Ann Wolferstan and Doran ...5 days ago
- Clubs and Ranges Bill passes first reading
Improvements to the way shooting clubs and ranges are regulated are on the way with the Arms (Shooting Clubs, Shooting Ranges and Other Matters) Amendment Bill passing its first reading says Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee. “The package of reforms in this Bill will enable simple and effective regulation ...6 days ago
- Want to make a difference? Go to school
Students should be in school and learning instead of protesting during school hours, Associate Education Minister David Seymour says in response to the school climate strike planned for Friday 27th September. “If students feel strongly about sending a message, they could have waited until Monday, when the end of term ...6 days ago
- Peer Mental Health Service Launched, Further Support Planned
Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey says the new peer support service launched in Middlemore’s Emergency Department today is a positive step towards improving mental health outcomes. “Having someone with lived experience available to support someone in mental distress can make a crucial difference. With the right training and clinical supervision, ...6 days ago
- New reporting for amateur charter fishing vessels
A proposed new electronic reporting system will make it simpler for amateur charter vessels to record and report fish catch information, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. “The new digital reporting, via an app, will replace the paper-based system which is out of date and slow,” Mr Jones says. ...6 days ago
- Building a stronger weather forecasting system
The Government is looking at integrating the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA) and the MetService to improve the weather forecasting system for New Zealand, Science, Innovation & Technology Minister Judith Collins says. “We have agreed in-principle to NIWA acquiring the MetService, with the MetService retaining its role ...6 days ago
- Next steps on the New Dunedin Hospital
The Government is seeking advice on two options for delivering the New Dunedin Hospital project within its existing funding appropriation to ensure the people of Dunedin get the modern, fit-for-purpose medical facilities they need. At the same time, Ministers have warned that much-needed upgrades to other regional hospitals could be ...6 days ago
- No child left behind with STAR system
Associate Education Minister David Seymour says that the Government is delivering real solutions to get kids back in the classroom, introducing the Stepped Attendance Response (STAR) system. “Any student who reaches a clearly defined threshold of days absent will trigger an appropriate and proportionate response from their school and the ...6 days ago
- New Zealand concludes trade agreement with the UAE
New Zealand and the United Arab Emirates have concluded negotiations on a trade agreement, which will unlock economic opportunities for Kiwi exporters and create stronger supply chains with one of our most important trading partners in the Gulf region. This agreement was concluded in just over 4 months following the launch ...6 days ago
- Data shows school attendance is on the rise
Associate Education Minister David Seymour says data released today shows increased school attendance in Term 2 of 2024 with 53.2 per cent of students regularly attending, an increase of 6.1 percentage points compared to the same term last year. Regular attendance across primary students increased by 7 percentage points, to ...6 days ago
- Supercharging schools to teach maths
The coalition Government is supercharging schools to lift maths achievement by delivering new resources and more support for teachers and students for Term 1 next year. “$30 million will fund resources including workbooks, teacher guidance and lesson plans for the 2025 school year. Resources will be available in English and ...6 days ago
- Tougher sentences on the horizon for criminals
Sentencing reforms that will ensure criminals face tougher consequences and victims are prioritised have passed first reading in Parliament today, Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith says. “Despite a 33 per cent increase in violent crime, there has been a concerning trend where the courts have imposed fewer and shorter prison sentences. ...6 days ago
- Changes to improve prison safety and rehabilitation
The Corrections Amendment Bill has passed its third reading in Parliament today, making a number of changes to improve safety and rehabilitation in prisons. Corrections Minister Mark Mitchell says it’s important the law is reflective of the increasingly complex prison environment. “Corrections manages some of New Zealand’s most dangerous people, ...6 days ago
- Better options for same-sex parents
Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says the Government is delivering better flexibility for same-sex parents in New Zealand by making changes to the Births, Deaths, Marriages, and Relationships Regulations. “Parents notifying the birth of their child will soon be able to choose whether they are named as a ...7 days ago
- Speech to the Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder Symposium 2024
Thank you very much for the generous welcome Reverend Reihana. Thank you to Alcohol Healthwatch and your organising committee, including representatives from: FASD-CAN Aotearoa; Te Iho Tātai-ā-Rongo (the Māori FASD Coalition); Hauora Māori Services and Health Promotion Directorates, Health New Zealand; Oranga Tamariki; and the Centre for Addiction Research, University ...7 days ago
- The Foodstuffs merger is dead – but that still won’t fix NZ’s over-concentrated supermarket se...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Lisa M. Katerina Asher, Retail Expert, PhD Candidate & Sessional Academic, University of Sydney Two of the dominant players in New Zealand’s supermarket sector – Foodstuffs North Island and Foodstuffs South Island – have failed in their quest to officially join forces. ...35 mins ago - Spying, fake personas and rule breaking – MBIE cracks down on its investigators
Immigration investigators have broken the rules on using fake online profiles to spy on people's social media, and been ordered to shape up. ...46 mins ago - Foodstuffs merger declined, so what happens next?
ComCom was worried about the possible impacts on competition and consumers, writes Stewart Sowman-Lund in today’s extract from The Bulletin. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here. Foodstuffs merger declined Yesterday morning, ...1 hour ago - Minister meeting with Ngāpuhi hapū as ‘sovereignty question’ lingers
The minister for Treaty negotiations will meet formally with Ngāpuhi hapū for the first time today. ...2 hours ago
- Shane Jones uses Indonesian coal to defend government policy again – is he right?
Analysis - Resources Minister Shane Jones loves talking about Indonesian coal, and is now using it to justify undoing the oil and gas exploration ban, but do his claims stack up? ...3 hours ago
- Search for public service head comes down to one name
There has been no head of the public service for seven months, and RNZ understands there is now just one name lined up for the top job. ...3 hours ago
- Paris is burning: Will New Zealand abandon its climate change targets?
We’re unlikely to meet our target by buying carbon credits or reducing our emissions. So will we just leave the Paris Agreement? “Are we going to hit it?” It was a yes or no question that climate change minister Simon Watts should have been able to hit out of the ...3 hours ago
- The Casey Costello guide to the school holidays
Are you a child just trying to make it through the break? We have some independent advice for you. Like it or not, politicians are looked to as role models. In their commitment to the constituencies they serve, their advocacy for issues that matter and decorum in the House of ...3 hours ago
- Select committee fails to clarify who should pay for climate adaptation
A cross-party select committee report into adapting to climate change has produced a range of high-level recommendations for the Government to consider but still provided no concrete advice on who should pay the costs.Successive expert reports, select committee inquiries and policy consultations have for years failed to make a call ...3 hours ago - Rushed minerals changes ‘bad lawmaking and they know it’
An onslaught of environmental overhauls has left policy groups unable to keep up, while the timeframes for public scrutiny get smaller The post Rushed minerals changes ‘bad lawmaking and they know it’ appeared first on Newsroom. ...3 hours ago
- Oranga Tamariki staff investigated for ‘excessive’ force kept jobs
More than three years on from a Newsroom investigation, Te Oranga remains mothballed. And those investigated over alleged assault have walked away. The post Oranga Tamariki staff investigated for ‘excessive’ force kept jobs appeared first on Newsroom. ...3 hours ago
- Don’t scroll on by abuse against women in power
Opinion: We should join Nicola Willis’ call to ‘belittle the trolls’ and tell them to ‘stuff off’ as well The post Don’t scroll on by abuse against women in power appeared first on Newsroom. ...3 hours ago
- Supermarkets merger would ‘exploit’ suppliers and enable price-fixing
Analysis: The Commerce Commission’s thinking throughout the Foodstuffs merger centred on the threat to suppliers; the rise in checkout prices is unquantified The post Supermarkets merger would ‘exploit’ suppliers and enable price-fixing appeared first on Newsroom. ...3 hours ago
- Newsroom daily quiz, Wednesday 2 October
Loading…(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.Loading...(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');The post Newsroom daily quiz, Wednesday 2 October appeared first on Newsroom. ...3 hours ago
- Winni by name, winning by nature
Winni Goldsbury got her first bike when she was just six-months-old, meaning she could ride before she walked.Goldsbury and her twin brother Boyd were given a pair of bikes by their grandfather, which had been handcrafted from old Kauri from his property. Both still ride, but its Winni who’s the ...3 hours ago
- Auckland Airport’s new mall another irritant for airlines
It has views over the bay, an attractive food court, 100 shops and boasts a prestigious environmental rating but does our newest shopping mall have that magic ingredient for ultimate success – escapism?Yes, if you judged it by the crowds in the first two weekends of opening; but not everyone ...3 hours ago
- Becky Manawatu and ‘the Māori novel’
If I were ever to be pressed about the unique qualities of ‘the Māori novel’, my first answer would be the importance of shifting perspectives. Sure, it’s not unique to the work of Māori novelists, but there’s something striking about how indispensable the ability to encompass the eyes of many ...3 hours ago
- Daily crossword, Wednesday 2 October
The post Daily crossword, Wednesday 2 October appeared first on Newsroom. ...3 hours ago
- Qatar Airways is set to acquire 25% of Virgin Australia. Who will be the winners?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Dr Rico Merkert, Professor in Transport and Supply Chain Management and Deputy Director, Institute of Transport and Logistics Studies (ITLS), University of Sydney Business School, University of Sydney Peter Gudella/Shutterstock Qatar Airways has announced plans to buy a 25% minority stake ...9 hours ago
- View from The Hill: Should we accept displaying the Hezbollah flag as (shocking) free expression?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra In May 1970, about 70,000 people occupied the Melbourne CBD for the moratorium protest against the Vietnam war. The Age newspaper reported: There were Viet Cong flags – carried mainly by members ...10 hours ago
- Transitioning Tai Rāwhiti away from forestry
Experts are urging the government to put more effort into helping the region transition to more sustainable land use and other economic opportunities. ...12 hours ago
- Help on the way for students struggling to pass new NCEA tests – Minister
Next term Erica Stanford will be announcing new support for those who "are still not getting there". ...13 hours ago
- Calls for government to invest in addiction programmes rather than lock people up
"They are rehashing old strategies that have been tried in the past, and simply do not work," a criminologist and counsellor says. ...14 hours ago
- Enough, already: why humanity must get on board with the concept of ‘sufficiency’
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By David Angus Ness, Adjunct Professor, UniSA STEM, University of South Australia Shutterstock Humanity’s rapacious consumption is more than Earth and its climate can handle, which is driving an ecological crisis. Australians are the worst offenders per person due to our excessive ...14 hours ago
- Building consent overhaul: How to deal with the issue of overheating homes
The Green Building Council wants the government to look at better ways of building homes. ...14 hours ago
- ‘Happy wives, happy social lives?’ Men are more emotionally disconnected than women – what can...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Roger Patulny, Professor, Academy of Geography, Sociology and International Studies, Hong Kong Baptist University FotoDuets/Shutterstock Many of us are worried about loneliness and isolation, and both decade-old and recent data suggest they impact men more than women. Loneliness predicts health ...15 hours ago
- Israel has a history of unsuccessful invasions of Lebanon. Will this time be any different?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Amin Saikal, Emeritus professor of Middle Eastern and Central Asian Studies, Australian National University Following a massive bombardment of Lebanon, Israel has begun a land invasion of its northern neighbour. Troops have entered southern Lebanon in a bid to push Hezbollah back ...15 hours ago
- The government’s latest time warp
A month has turned into six days, and six months have been compressed into one – the government is in a big hurry to pass the Crown Minerals Amendment Bill, which will repeal the oil and gas exploration ban. It is a widely accepted fact that things take time. Fifteen ...15 hours ago
- Gen Z supports sustainability – and fuels ultra-fast fashion. How does that work?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Marian Makkar, Senior Lecturer in Marketing, RMIT University Netrun78/Shutterstock Generation Z has been called “the sustainability generation”. Born between 1997 and 2013, 58% of this consumer cohort seek to buy products that are sourced sustainably. Australian Gen Zs say they ...17 hours ago
- IAG New Zealand Urges Priority Focus On Consensus
We now need to follow through and keep building understanding and dialogue between political parties on this important issue, so New Zealanders can have much more certainty. ...17 hours ago - Cross Party Consensus Needed To Prepare NZ For Increased Climate Risk
New Zealand is particularly vulnerable to natural hazards risks and the report shows the pressing need to adapt to the changing climate. The Auckland Anniversary Weekend and Cyclone Gabrielle events resulted in nearly $4 billion in insurance claims. ...17 hours ago
- Politics with Michelle Grattan: Josh Bornstein on how big companies are taking away employees’ pri...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Governments around the world are battling to regulate big tech companies. As the world becomes more interconnected, people are increasingly aware of the vast, often negative, influence these companies play in our lives. More ...18 hours ago
- Can I trust my period-tracking app? Here’s what it can tell you – and what to watch out for
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tessa Copp, NHMRC Emerging Leader Research Fellow in Reproductive Health, School of Public Health, University of Sydney Alex Green/Pexels As many as 50 million people now have a record of their menstrual cycle on their personal devices. But how much should ...18 hours ago
- I watched Christopher Luxon watch the World of Wearable Art
For all the spectacle of WoW, Alex Casey couldn’t tear her eyes off Christopher Luxon in the front row. The best thing about the World of Wearable Art is that the show begins long before you walk through the doors of TSB arena. Even hours before the opening night gala, ...18 hours ago
- Happy, sad or angry? AI can detect emotions in text according to new research
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sanghyub John Lee, Professional Casual Staff, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau Artificial intelligence (AI) has begun to permeate many facets of the human experience. AI is not just a tool for analysing data – it’s transforming the way we communicate, work ...19 hours ago
- Have Your Say On The Parliament Bill
The committee intends to hold hearings on the bill on the afternoons of 7 and 14 November 2024 and asks anyone who wishes to make an oral submission to keep these afternoons free. ...19 hours ago
- If Paul Goldsmith Asks Dumb Questions, He’ll Get Stupid Answers
“Further, it is entirely unclear what definition will be used to define ‘hate-motivation’, and it seems very likely to remain unclear as this review progresses. ...19 hours ago
- Government’s repeal on oil and gas ban risked NZ’s reputation with trading partners
"There are risks to NZ's relationships with its global and Pacific Island partners around the perception of a policy departure on the transition and our climate change goals," legal advice said. ...20 hours ago
- Mexico has a trailblazing new president. But does she have any new ideas to tackle spiralling crime?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Philip Johnson, Lecturer, College of Business, Government and Law, Flinders University On October 1, Claudia Sheinbaum will take an oath, receive a sash and become the first female president of Mexico. Sheinbaum is the former mayor of Mexico City and a ...20 hours ago
- Climate Adaptation Inquiry Completed
The committee recommends to the Government that it work with local government, researchers, and the private sector to compile information about what is currently being spent on climate adaptation and improve estimates of the potential future costs of adaptation. ...20 hours ago
https://www.1news.co.nz/2024/10/01/health-nz-urges-govt-to-consider-privately-run-public-hospitals/
The 40 year mission to destroy our health system and privatize it appears to be complete!
ACT party policy. It includes school buildings.
The money they have allocated for roads would fund all the buildings, and better fund health with public money.
The lease cost burden would result in allowing others to run for profit hospitals – the old funder provider split.
Charter hospitals.
And at some point, the public will find out the only way to access a GP is via health insurance.
Then it will be Charter primary health centres.
The UK will have a taxpayer funded NHS and we won’t. They will have higher wages and productivity, and higher levels of home ownership and the media will report of their post Brexit decline.
Why, they have CGT and estate tax to fund government. And we do not. We have a government that provides what it thinks the precariat deserves, so they can retain lifestyles for the wealthy and well to do.
Newstalk ZB seems to be on a mission to get everyone to buy medical insurance which benefits private hospitals.
There seems to be a noticeable shift towards a two-tier health system. As Tui says in the sidebar, this government is happy to promote privatisation of the health system in NZ.
My understanding is that Shane Reti has interests in private hospital(s)-maybe TS commentators know more on this.
You suffer or you pay.
There's already a 3-tier system:
Private insurance, ACC, and the poor sods who can't afford insurance (or are uninsurable), and not covered by ACC.
Dr Cigaretti is well ensconced in the private sector–check out PLA’s 1.2.2 links.
The National-ACT Agreement included this.
https://assets.nationbuilder.com/nationalparty/pages/18466/attachments/original/1700778592/National_ACT_Agreement.pdf?1700778592
Presumably it was on this basis that HM staff acting like cyborgs to the Hive mind …
The National-NZ First Agreement, as to funding
(Most of their focus was on seniors policy)
https://assets.nationbuilder.com/nationalparty/pages/18466/attachments/original/1700778597/NZFirst_Agreement_2.pdf?1700778597
The Hubris of Empire
Abraham Accords deal dies in the ruins of Gaza, US to Blame
The Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi, hammers another nail into the coffin lid of the Abraham Accords.
https://english.alarabiya.net/News/middle-east/2024/09/30/israel-can-live-in-peace-with-arab-states-if-palestinian-state-established-jordan-fm
What Arab or majority Muslim state could possibly want to normalise relations with Israel after this?
From 'StandWithUs' Israeli Fact Sheet on the Abraham Accords:
The Abraham Accords multi-partner deal to normalise diplomatic and trade and political ties between the US, the pro-US totalitarian Arab dictatorships and autocracies, and the Apartheid settler state of Israel, was set to ensure US led Western dominance of this oil rich region of the globe in perpetuity.
Normalising relations between all the pro-US Arab states and Israel, was on the condition that the Arab States would ignore, or at least not object, to Israel's slow strangulation and takeover of the Palestinian Arab territories.
The Abraham Accords would be the death knell of the Palestinian people's dream of an independent sovereign state, free from Israeli occupation and oppression.
Instead, following the Hamas led attack on October 7, and Israel's genocidal retaliation, the bell is being tolled for the Abraham Accords.
The Abraham Accords Time Line:
'The Intercept' June 2022 – (15 monthis before October 7, 2023)
'The Intercept' October 9, 2023 – (2 Days after the Hamas led attack on Israel)
'Alarabiya News' 30 September, 2024 at the UN (358 days and counting, after October 7, 2024)
What if Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar's offer for a long-term truce, that Sinwar put in a letter written in Hebrew to Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu, would October 7 have been prevented? (Sinwar had studied Hebrew and became fluent during his 22 years of incarceration in the Israeli prison system, until he was freed in a prisoner swap).
What if Israel instead of launching a genocidal war of retribution against the Gaza strip had negotiated a prisoner exchange?, would the Abraham Accords still have been possible?
We will never know.
One thing we know for certain, is that any hopes of the Abraham Accords to normalise relations between America's Arab allies and Israel are finished now..
The position of yet another Minister in the C of C government has been questioned.
A Minister serving her boss, the Tsar of inadequate regulation, or lipspittle (dribble down apologetics of failure to act), as they call it at Atlas NeTwerk.
Yes first we proffer ridicule, then we campaign and then we vote and win.
https://www.1news.co.nz/2024/10/02/opinion-nzs-current-laws-wont-tackle-modern-slavery/
Iran sent a highly choreographed & highly telegraphed warning to Israel last April, where Israel, the USA, the UK and Jordan all got plenty of time to prepare for an attack of largely OWA (One-Way Attack) drone and cruise missiles – easily intercepted – with a few IRBMs thrown in to show what Iran could achieve. Israel basically ignored the warning, and now they've been hit by 300-500 IRBMs, many (most?) of which seem to have accurately hit their targets. Notable by their absence this time is active US and British military help in intercepting these ballistic missiles, or threats of US action against Iran. Israel is also being sent a message by omission from the Americans.
Despite its size this attack by Iran is yet another warning to Israel. The Iranians have several thousand ballistic missiles and a vast arsenal of OWA drones and cruise missiles. A full-on attack would involve a sustained saturation and segmented attack by OWAD, cruise missiles and ballistic missiles. Hopefully (but unlikely) this Iranian attack will sober up an Israel drunk on violence and cause them to pause and think.