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Comment: The Left Went That Way
Written By: DS - Date published: 3:42 pm, January 16th, 2025
"The working class is mostly female, and it ain’t white. It is simply an outdated notion about the composition of progressive party electorates. It may appear that the working class resides in the UFC audience, until you register that industrial workers ...Comment: Is the Epsom seat goneburger?
Written By: DS - Date published: 10:07 pm, October 25th, 2024
No. Invercargill has to keep eating more of rural Southland, to the point where it should probably just take the name too. Taieri will get the rest of Clutha. The longer-term question... if Selwyn continues to expand, Timaru might get kicked southwards in ...Comment: Is the Epsom seat goneburger?
Written By: DS - Date published: 10:03 pm, October 25th, 2024
There is another solution: increase the South Island quota to 17 seats. This would do wonders in terms of shoring up the Dunedin electorates, and also make some of the South Island seats less geographically mad. I would note that the major alternative to ...Comment: Chris Trotter’s Arguments for the Treaty Principles Bill Are Flawed
Written By: DS - Date published: 12:54 am, October 22nd, 2024
Or at least rationalising her as acceptable: https://bowalleyroad.blogspot.com/2024/07/closer-than-you-think-ageing-boomers.htmlComment: Chris Trotter’s Arguments for the Treaty Principles Bill Are Flawed
Written By: DS - Date published: 6:26 pm, October 21st, 2024
I've been tolerant of Trotter longer than most. I am, after all, a Class Leftist, who rolls my eyes at the stupidity of modern Identity Politics and the middle-class fetish of what passes for the Labour Party. But Trotter is an Auckland Boomer at this ...Comment: Chris Trotter’s Arguments for the Treaty Principles Bill Are Flawed
Written By: DS - Date published: 6:21 pm, October 21st, 2024
IIRC, Palmer was also Prime Minister when Telecom was sold. Fuck him.Comment: The Hospital Dunedin needs?
Written By: DS - Date published: 2:51 pm, September 28th, 2024
The South Island as a whole is still a quarter of the country's population (versus the third in Auckland). The real problem is that nineteen out of twenty cabinet ministers are North Islanders (the one South Islander is Cantabrian). This is a government by ...Comment: The Hospital Dunedin needs?
Written By: DS - Date published: 1:59 pm, September 28th, 2024
The Dunedin City Council estimates that the protest turnout was about 35,000. In a city of 120,000 (including students).Comment: The Hospital Dunedin needs?
Written By: DS - Date published: 1:57 pm, September 28th, 2024
It's genuinely hilarious watching the mayor (who is incredibly loyal to the Nats) having to suddenly act like an actual mayor.Comment: The Hospital Dunedin needs?
Written By: DS - Date published: 1:54 pm, September 28th, 2024
Since Michael Woodhouse left, they don't even have any Nat list MPs here any more. Mark Patterson (NZ First) is the closest government MP we have, and he's Balclutha.Comment: The New Zealand left are in the worst place in a century
Written By: DS - Date published: 12:56 am, September 27th, 2024
Very little of that is the fault of the present government. Every New Zealand government since 1984 is culpable for the depraved economic conditions swathes of this country now lives in. Some more so than others. This government is substantially less ...Comment: The New Zealand left are in the worst place in a century
Written By: DS - Date published: 10:46 pm, September 26th, 2024
I used the word "perspective" because I was replying to the dubious assertion that the present government is somehow the most right-wing in 160 years. I presented multiple reasons for this not being the case. I still have no idea what your point is here.Comment: The New Zealand left are in the worst place in a century
Written By: DS - Date published: 4:57 pm, September 26th, 2024
I have no idea what your point is.Comment: The New Zealand left are in the worst place in a century
Written By: DS - Date published: 1:01 am, September 26th, 2024
New Zealand has the most right wing government it’s had since Governor George Grey determined to eradicate all Maori power by systematic war and then systematic legislative theft in 1863. Not remotely true. This bunch are cruel, stupid, and petty, but ...Comment: Where Does Labour Rebuild?
Written By: DS - Date published: 10:29 pm, August 26th, 2024
I'll ignore the jibes about the working class (hint - ever wondered why South Dunedin is so Labour? You know, the electorate that produces more party votes for Labour than anywhere else in the country?). But I thought I'd laugh about this in particular: ...Comment: Where Does Labour Rebuild?
Written By: DS - Date published: 10:14 pm, August 26th, 2024
Starmer's victory is entirely due to the giant split in the right-wing vote, and anti-Conservative tactical voting.Comment: We should have kept the power company shares
Written By: DS - Date published: 10:50 pm, August 13th, 2024
To point out the obvious: Labour had six years, three as a majority government, to buy back the shares - ideally at the price they were sold for. They did nothing.Comment: The implications of UK Labour’s success for NZ Labour
Written By: DS - Date published: 7:32 pm, July 7th, 2024
Silly me for thinking about the next election.Comment: The implications of UK Labour’s success for NZ Labour
Written By: DS - Date published: 5:56 pm, July 7th, 2024
"A whopping majority" that derives not from love of Labour, but from hatred of the Tories and SNP. And from massive vote-splitting on the Right. It's a majority built on a foundation of sand. And might well get knocked away in 2029.Comment: Should Joe Biden do an Andrew Little?
Written By: DS - Date published: 11:52 am, June 30th, 2024
The problem: Biden falling out of the contest at this point would cause multiple people to try for the nomination. Which would turn the Democratic Party convention in August into a brokered convention, rather than a showpiece for the candidate. In short, ...Comment: Do the EU elections matter in Britain?
Written By: DS - Date published: 3:07 pm, June 17th, 2024
As always, Northern Ireland is a case of letting sleeping dogs lie. Reunification will eventually happen sometime this century, but it benefits no-one for Starmer to go there, so long as the situation is peaceful.Comment: Do the EU elections matter in Britain?
Written By: DS - Date published: 3:04 pm, June 17th, 2024
Spain will block Scottish entry.Comment: British politics – hurry up and wait for a general election
Written By: DS - Date published: 7:09 am, May 21st, 2024
It's fairly safe to suggest that a giant section of the Tory base has run off to the right-wing nutters at Reform. One imagines that the Tories are frantically trying to lure those people back.Comment: While the gender/sex culture war rages…
Written By: DS - Date published: 9:17 pm, May 17th, 2024
Thinking back twenty years or more... no-one back then went around asserting that Georgina Beyer was a man. Her existence was quite happily tolerated.Comment: The future of UK Labour and what it means for Aotearoa
Written By: DS - Date published: 1:06 am, April 3rd, 2024
From 1950 to 1997, the only British Labour leader to win an election was Harold Wilson. So what?Comment: The future of UK Labour and what it means for Aotearoa
Written By: DS - Date published: 1:02 am, April 3rd, 2024
An English Parliament would be a rival House of Commons - England is 84 percent of the UK population.Comment: Chris Hipkins – Values Matter
Written By: DS - Date published: 3:07 am, March 26th, 2024
"Mixed feelings"? The 1984-1993 economic reforms were evil. No mixed feelings about that. Quite apart from the obvious point: Hipkins has no values.Comment: Open mike 05/03/2024
Written By: DS - Date published: 7:04 pm, March 5th, 2024
A world where all List MPs live in Wellington is a world where half of Parliament is made up of Wellingtonians. That's not exactly a representative Parliament, is it? A List MP from outside Wellington ought to get the allowance too.Comment: Open mike 05/03/2024
Written By: DS - Date published: 4:25 pm, March 5th, 2024
National's Michael Woodhouse was a Dunedin-based List MP for years. Katherine Rich before him. He'd never win the electorate, of course, but him being a list MP based out of Dunedin provided the city with extra representation that wasn't just Labour. List ...Comment: A sad lament from the serial left
Written By: DS - Date published: 6:08 pm, February 14th, 2024
North Otago is not as conservative as Rural Southland. Rural Southland is hard-right conservative. North Otago, assuming you include Oamaru, is actually pretty close to a national bellwether. Taking out Oamaru still leaves North Otago as moderately blue - ...
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6 days ago - ACT’s problem is Luxon’s problem
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- Climate Change: Beyond irresponsible
Back in November, He Pou a Rangi provided the government with formal advice on the domestic contribution to our next Paris target. Not what the target should be, but what we could realistically achieve, by domestic action alone, without resorting to offshore mitigation. Their answer was startling: depending on exactly ...1 week ago
- Skeptical Science New Research for Week #5 2025
Open access notables Revisiting the Last Ice Area projections from a high-resolution Global Earth System Model, Fol et al., Communications Earth & Environment: The Last Ice Area—located to the north of Greenland and the northern Canadian Arctic Archipelago—is expected to persist as the central Arctic Ocean becomes seasonally ice-free within ...1 week ago
- Join us at 5pm for this week’s Hoon
Photo by Mauricio Fanfa on UnsplashKia oraCome and join us for our weekly ‘Hoon’ webinar with paying subscribers to The Kākā for an hour at 5 pm today.Jump on this link on YouTube Livestream for our chat about the week’s news with myself , plus regular guest David Patman and ...1 week ago - Luxon for growth growth growth
I don't like to spend all my time complaining about our government, so let me complain about the media first.Senior journalistic Herald person Thomas Coughlan reported that Treasury replied yeah nah, wrong bro to Luxon's claim that our benighted little country has been in recession for three years.His excitement rose ...1 week ago - The SIS and the “mosaic effect”
Back in 2022, when the government was consulting internally about proactive release of cabinet papers, the SIS opposed it. The basis of their opposition was the "mosaic effect" - people being able to piece together individual pieces of innocuous public information in a way which supposedly harms "national security" (effectively: ...2 weeks ago
- MP Views: Waitangi Day 2025
Our originating document, the Treaty of Waitangi, was signed on February 6, 1840. An agreement between Māori and the British Crown. Initially inked by Ngā Puhi in Waitangi, further signatures were added as it travelled south. The intention was to establish a colony with the cession of sovereignty to the Crown, ...2 days ago - Release: Health leadership in disarray while Kiwis miss out
Te Whatu Ora Chief Executive Margie Apa leaving her job four months early is another symptom of this government’s failure to deliver healthcare for New Zealanders. ...3 days ago - PM must condemn Trump’s ethnic cleansing plan
The Green Party is calling for the Prime Minister to show leadership and be unequivocal about Aotearoa New Zealand’s opposition to a proposal by the US President to remove Palestinians from Gaza. ...3 days ago - Public Works Act overhaul fails to protect Māori land
The Government’s so-called overhaul of the Public Works Act will fail to prevent further injustices around the confiscation of Māori land. ...5 days ago
- Release: Māori and Pacific people hit hardest by lack of jobs
The latest unemployment figures reveal that job losses are hitting Māori and Pacific people especially hard, with Māori unemployment reaching a staggering 9.7% for the December 2024 quarter and Pasifika unemployment reaching 10.5%. ...5 days ago
- Govt’s lack of a plan shows in soaring unemployment stats
The latest labour market figures confirm unemployment has risen to levels not seen since the height of the Covid-19 pandemic. ...5 days ago
- Release: Unemployment soars as Government fails Kiwis
The latest unemployment figures reveal that job losses are hitting Kiwis hard, with unemployment reaching 5.1%—a four-year high. ...5 days ago
- Waitangi Day must be community and not politically driven – Shane Jones
Waitangi 2025: Waitangi Day must be community and not politically driven - Shane Jones Our originating document, the Treaty of Waitangi, was signed on February 6, 1840. An agreement between Māori and the British Crown. Initially inked by Ngā Puhi in Waitangi, further signatures were added as it travelled south. ...5 days ago
- Release: Still no commitment to build more public houses
Despite being confronted every day with people in genuine need being stopped from accessing emergency housing – National still won’t commit to building more public houses. ...6 days ago
- Government plan fails on growing public housing stock
The Green Party says the Government is giving up on growing the country’s public housing stock, despite overwhelming evidence that we need more affordable houses to solve the housing crisis. ...6 days ago
- MP Views: Tough on crime, water storage, Easter trading laws, and vocational training
Before any thoughts of the New Year and what lies ahead could even be contemplated, New Zealand reeled with the tragedy of Senior Sergeant Lyn Fleming losing her life. For over 38 years she had faithfully served as a front-line Police officer. Working alongside her was Senior Sergeant Adam Ramsay ...1 week ago
- Marama Davidson to mark return to politics at Waitangi
Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson will return to politics at Waitangi on Monday the 3rd of February where she will hold a stand up with fellow co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick. ...1 week ago
- Our Tamariki Deserve Better than Seymour’s Slop
Te Pāti Māori is appalled by the government's blatant mishandling of the school lunch programme. David Seymour’s ‘cost-saving’ measures have left tamariki across Aotearoa with unidentifiable meals, causing distress and outrage among parents and communities alike. “What’s the difference between providing inedible food, and providing no food at all?” Said ...1 week ago
- Release: Mining plan offers false promises with real damage
The Government is doubling down on outdated and volatile fossil fuels, showing how shortsighted and destructive their policies are for working New Zealanders. ...1 week ago
- Release: Dunedin wins, hospital build continues
The people of Dunedin have won in an almost year-long battle to have their hospital confirmed, but National’s delays have cost dearly. ...1 week ago
- Greens stand with Coromandel locals against Luxon’s destructive mining policy
Green Party MP Steve Abel this morning joined Coromandel locals in Waihi to condemn new mining plans announced by Shane Jones in the pit of the town’s Australian-owned Gold mine. ...1 week ago
- Where’s the “culture of yes” on climate ambition?
The Green Party is calling on the Government to strengthen its just-announced 2030-2035 Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) under the Paris Agreement and address its woeful lack of commitment to climate security. ...1 week ago
- Taranaki Maunga Granted Legal Personhood
Today marks a historic moment for Taranaki iwi with the passing of the Te Pire Whakatupua mō Te Kāhui Tupua/Taranaki Maunga Collective Redress Bill in Parliament. "Today, we stand together as descendants of Taranaki, and our tūpuna, Taranaki Maunga, is now formally acknowledged by the law as a living tūpuna. ...1 week ago
- Release: Frontline providers deserve certainty, not name-calling
Labour is relieved to see Children’s Minister Karen Chhour has woken up to reality and reversed her government’s terrible decisions to cut funding from frontline service providers – temporarily. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Seymour’s school lunch cuts already failing kids
It is the first week of David Seymour’s school lunch programme and already social media reports are circulating of revolting meals, late deliveries, and mislabelled packaging. ...2 weeks ago
- Open season on renters begins with no-cause evictions
The Green Party says that with no-cause evictions returning from today, the move to allow landlords to end tenancies without reason plunges renters, and particularly families who rent, into insecurity and stress. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Govt soft on prosecuting migrant exploitation
The National Government’s big talk on combatting the exploitation of migrant workers has been exposed as a sham today. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: More road deaths likely if evidence not followed
Any road deaths as a result of increased speed limits will now be on the Government’s hands. ...2 weeks ago
- Raising speed limits on undivided highways invites trouble
The Government’s move to increase speed limits substantially on dozens of stretches of rural and often undivided highways will result in more serious harm. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Luxon misleading on the economy
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon is misleading the public by falsely claiming the economy has been in recession for three years. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Nicola Willis prioritises visitors over everyday Kiwis
In her first announcement as Economic Growth Minister, Nicola Willis chose to loosen restrictions for digital nomads from other countries, rather than focus on everyday Kiwis. ...2 weeks ago
- Luxon waves goodbye to record number of NZers with no plan in sight
Christopher Luxon’s State of the Nation speech today offered no real hope nor vision for a unified and prosperous Aotearoa New Zealand. ...3 weeks ago
- Govt’s sanctions regime fails us all
The Government’s newly released data paints a damning picture: the sanctions regime targeting beneficiaries is an abject failure. ...3 weeks ago
- Release: Nicola Willis has a new job while she oversees New Zealanders losing theirs
There are still struggles ahead with rising rents, rates, insurance and high unemployment, despite today’s inflation data. ...3 weeks ago
- Government spin won’t pay the rent
The latest Consumer Price Index figures show rents rising almost twice as fast as general inflation. ...3 weeks ago
- Aotearoa must step up as Trump plays with climate fire
The Green Party is calling on the Government to stand firm and work with allies to progress climate action as Donald Trump signals his intent to pull out of the Paris Climate Accords once again. ...3 weeks ago
- Release: Cabinet reshuffle a futile exercise from failing government
National's Cabinet reshuffle is a futile attempt to turn around a failing government. ...3 weeks ago
- 98 per cent of potholes repaired within 24 hours
The Government’s commitment to get New Zealand’s roads back on track is delivering strong results, with around 98 per cent of potholes on state highways repaired within 24 hours of identification every month since targets were introduced, Transport Minister Chris Bishop says. “Increasing productivity to help rebuild our economy is ...1 week ago - Decision reached on Dunedin Hospital
The former Cadbury factory will be the site of the Inpatient Building for the new Dunedin Hospital and Health Minister Simeon Brown says actions have been taken to get the cost overruns under control. “Today I am giving the people of Dunedin certainty that we will build the new Dunedin ...1 week ago
- First Plunket site begins delivering childhood immunisations
From today, Plunket in Whāngarei will be offering childhood immunisations – the first of up to 27 sites nationwide, Health Minister Simeon Brown says. The investment of $1 million into the pilot, announced in October 2024, was made possible due to the Government’s record $16.68 billion investment in health. It ...1 week ago
- Government confirms international commitment to disability community
New Zealand’s strong commitment to the rights of disabled people has continued with the response to an important United Nations report, Disability Issues Minister Louise Upston has announced. Of the 63 concluding observations of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD), 47 will be progressed ...1 week ago
- Major milestone reached with launch of Minerals Strategy and Critical Minerals List
Resources Minister Shane Jones has launched New Zealand’s national Minerals Strategy and Critical Minerals List, documents that lay a strategic and enduring path for the mineral sector, with the aim of doubling exports to $3 billion by 2035. Mr Jones released the documents, which present the Coalition Government’s transformative vision ...1 week ago
- A new direction for the minerals sector to grow the economy
Firstly I want to thank OceanaGold for hosting our event today. Your operation at Waihi is impressive. I want to acknowledge local MP Scott Simpson, local government dignitaries, community stakeholders and all of you who have gathered here today. It’s a privilege to welcome you to the launch of the ...1 week ago
- Tax policy proposal would boost NZ racing
Racing Minister, Winston Peters has announced the Government is preparing public consultation on GST policy proposals which would make the New Zealand racing industry more competitive. “The racing industry makes an important economic contribution. New Zealand thoroughbreds are in demand overseas as racehorses and for breeding. The domestic thoroughbred industry ...1 week ago
- Business confidence signals progress
Business confidence remains very high and shows the economy is on track to improve, Economic Growth Minister Nicola Willis says. “The latest ANZ Business Outlook survey, released yesterday, shows business confidence and expected own activity are ‘still both very high’.” The survey reports business confidence fell eight points to +54 ...1 week ago
- Hawke’s Bay patients to benefit from new and improved radiology and cancer treatment services
Enabling works have begun this week on an expanded radiology unit at Hawke’s Bay Fallen Soldiers’ Memorial Hospital which will double CT scanning capacity in Hawke’s Bay to ensure more locals can benefit from access to timely, quality healthcare, Health Minister Simeon Brown says. This investment of $29.3m in the ...1 week ago
- Setting New Zealand’s second international climate target
The Government has today announced New Zealand’s second international climate target under the Paris Agreement, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. New Zealand will reduce emissions by 51 to 55 per cent compared to 2005 levels, by 2035. “We have worked hard to set a target that is both ambitious ...1 week ago
- Major negotiations with iwi of Taranaki conclude
Nine years of negotiations between the Crown and iwi of Taranaki have concluded following Te Pire Whakatupua mō Te Kāhui Tupua/the Taranaki Maunga Collective Redress Bill passing its third reading in Parliament today, Treaty Negotiations Minister Paul Goldsmith says. “This Bill addresses the historical grievances endured by the eight iwi ...1 week ago
- Relentless focus on literacy & numeracy at school
As schools start back for 2025, there will be a relentless focus on teaching the basics brilliantly so all Kiwi kids grow up with the knowledge, skills and competencies needed to grow the New Zealand of the future, Education Minister Erica Stanford says. “A world-leading education system is a key ...2 weeks ago
- Ministers welcome Kāinga Ora’s revised approach to wool carpets
Housing Minister Chris Bishop and Associate Agriculture Minister Mark Patterson have welcomed Kāinga Ora’s decision to re-open its tender for carpets to allow wool carpet suppliers to bid. “In 2024 Kāinga Ora issued requests for tender (RFTs) seeking bids from suppliers to carpet their properties,” Mr Bishop says. “As part ...2 weeks ago
- New school lunch programme serves up first healthy lunches
Associate Education Minister David Seymour has today visited Otahuhu College where the new school lunch programme has served up healthy lunches to students in the first days of the school year. “As schools open in 2025, the programme will deliver nutritious meals to around 242,000 students, every school day. On ...2 weeks ago
- Barnardos decision reversed
Minister for Children Karen Chhour has intervened in Oranga Tamariki’s review of social service provider contracts to ensure Barnardos can continue to deliver its 0800 What’s Up hotline. “When I found out about the potential impact to this service, I asked Oranga Tamariki for an explanation. Based on the information ...2 weeks ago
- Customs’ levies bill passes first reading
A bill to make revenue collection on imported and exported goods fairer and more effective had its first reading in Parliament, Customs Minister Casey Costello said today. “The Customs (Levies and Other Matters) Amendment Bill modernises the way in which Customs can recover the costs of services that are needed ...2 weeks ago
- Citizenship applications completed up 54 per cent in December
Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says the Department of Internal Affairs [the Department] has achieved significant progress in completing applications for New Zealand citizenship. “December 2024 saw the Department complete 5,661 citizenship applications, the most for any month in 2024. This is a 54 per cent increase compared ...2 weeks ago
- Speed limit reduction reversals begin
Reversals to Labour’s blanket speed limit reductions begin tonight and will be in place by 1 July, says Minister of Transport Chris Bishop. “The previous government was obsessed with slowing New Zealanders down by imposing illogical and untargeted speed limit reductions on state highways and local roads. “National campaigned on ...2 weeks ago
- Budget will be delivered on 22 May
Finance Minister Nicola Willis has announced Budget 2025 – the Growth Budget - will be delivered on Thursday 22 May. “This year’s Budget will drive forward the Government’s plan to grow our economy to improve the incomes of New Zealanders now and in the years ahead. “Budget 2025 will build ...2 weeks ago
- PM emphasises importance of growth in 2025
For the Government, 2025 will bring a relentless focus on unleashing the growth we need to lift incomes, strengthen local businesses and create opportunity. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon today laid out the Government’s growth agenda in his Statement to Parliament. “Just over a year ago this Government was elected by ...2 weeks ago
- Students are back at school
Associate Education Minister David Seymour welcomes students back to school with a call to raise attendance from last year. “The Government encourages all students to attend school every day because there is a clear connection between being present at school and setting yourself up for a bright future,” says Mr ...2 weeks ago
- Going for Growth: New rules for visiting tourists
The Government is relaxing visitor visa requirements to allow tourists to work remotely while visiting New Zealand, Economic Growth Minister Nicola Willis, Immigration Minister Erica Stanford and Tourism Minister Louise Upston say. “The change is part of the Government’s plan to unlock New Zealand’s potential by shifting the country onto ...2 weeks ago
- Housing Minister opens new Epuni development
The opening of Kāinga Ora’s development of 134 homes in Epuni, Lower Hutt will provide much-needed social housing for Hutt families, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. “I’ve been a strong advocate for social housing on Kāinga Ora’s Epuni site ever since the old earthquake-prone housing was demolished in 2015. I ...2 weeks ago
- Trade and Investment Minister to hold trans-Tasman discussion
Trade and Investment Minister Todd McClay will travel to Australia today for meetings with Australian Trade Minister, Senator Don Farrell, and the Australia New Zealand Leadership Forum (ANZLF). Mr McClay recently hosted Minister Farrell in Rotorua for the annual Closer Economic Relations (CER) Trade Ministers’ meeting, where ANZLF presented on ...2 weeks ago
- New podiatry clinic brings much-needed service to Wairoa
A new monthly podiatry clinic has been launched today in Wairoa and will bring a much-needed service closer to home for the Wairoa community, Health Minister Simeon Brown says.“Health New Zealand has been successful in securing a podiatrist until the end of June this year to meet the needs of ...2 weeks ago
- Commissioner recommends panel inquire into Judge’s conduct
The Judicial Conduct Commissioner has recommended a Judicial Conduct Panel be established to inquire into and report on the alleged conduct of acting District Court Judge Ema Aitken in an incident last November, Attorney-General Judith Collins said today. “I referred the matter of Judge Aitken’s alleged conduct during an incident ...2 weeks ago
- Schools to accelerate maths achievement
Students who need extra help with maths are set to benefit from a targeted acceleration programme that will give them more confidence in the classroom, Education Minister Erica Stanford says. “Last year, significant numbers of students did not meet the foundational literacy and numeracy level required to gain NCEA. To ...2 weeks ago
- New diplomatic appointments
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters has announced three new diplomatic appointments. “Our diplomats play an important role in ensuring New Zealand’s interests are maintained and enhanced across the world,” Mr Peters says. “It is a pleasure to announce the appointment of these senior diplomats from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and ...2 weeks ago
- Emergency Housing target achieved five years early
Ki te kahore he whakakitenga, ka ngaro te Iwi – without a vision, the people will perish. The Government has achieved its target to reduce the number of households in emergency housing motels by 75 per cent five years early, Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka says. The number of households ...2 weeks ago
- Palmerston North’s biggest social housing development opens
The opening of Palmerston North’s biggest social housing development will have a significant impact for whānau in need of safe, warm, dry housing, Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka says. The minister visited the development today at North Street where a total of 50 two, three, and four-bedroom homes plus a ...2 weeks ago
- New Public Advisory Committee on Disarmament and Arms Control
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced the new membership of the Public Advisory Committee on Disarmament and Arms Control (PACDAC), who will serve for a three-year term. “The Committee brings together wide-ranging expertise relevant to disarmament. We have made six new appointments to the Committee and reappointed two existing members ...3 weeks ago
- State of the Nation 2025
Ka nui te mihi kia koutou. Kia ora, good morning, talofa, malo e lelei, bula vinaka, da jia hao, namaste, sat sri akal, assalamu alaikum. It’s so great to be here and I’m ready and pumped for 2025. Can I start by acknowledging: Simon Bridges – CEO of the Auckland ...3 weeks ago
- Invest New Zealand opens doors to the world
The Government has unveiled a bold new initiative to position New Zealand as a premier destination for foreign direct investment (FDI) that will create higher paying jobs and grow the economy. “Invest New Zealand will streamline the investment process and provide tailored support to foreign investors, to increase capital investment ...3 weeks ago
- Reforms to boost science sector and economy
Science, Innovation and Technology Minister Judith Collins today announced the largest reset of the New Zealand science system in more than 30 years with reforms which will boost the economy and benefit the sector. “The reforms will maximise the value of the $1.2 billion in government funding that goes into ...3 weeks ago
- Economic growth the key to better days ahead
Turbocharging New Zealand’s economic growth is the key to brighter days ahead for all Kiwis, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon says. In the Prime Minister’s State of the Nation Speech in Auckland today, Christopher Luxon laid out the path to the prosperity that will affect all aspects of New Zealanders’ lives. ...3 weeks ago
- Runaway spending growth checked
The latest set of accounts show the Government has successfully checked the runaway growth of public spending, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. “In the previous government’s final five months in office, public spending was almost 10 per cent higher than for the same period the previous year. “That is completely ...3 weeks ago
- Welfare that Works making a difference
The Government’s welfare reforms are delivering results with the number of people moving off benefits into work increasing year-on-year for six straight months. “There are positive signs that our welfare reset and the return consequences for job seekers who don't fulfil their obligations to prepare for or find a job ...3 weeks ago
- Two new appointments to Film Commission Board
Jon Kroll and Aimee McCammon have been appointed to the New Zealand Film Commission Board, Arts Minister Paul Goldsmith says. “I am delighted to appoint these two new board members who will bring a wealth of industry, governance, and commercial experience to the Film Commission. “Jon Kroll has been an ...3 weeks ago
- Drop in domestic inflation hailed
Finance Minister Nicola Willis has hailed a drop in the domestic component of inflation, saying it increases the prospect of mortgage rate reductions and a lower cost of living for Kiwi households. Stats NZ reported today that inflation was 2.2 per cent in the year to December, the second consecutive ...3 weeks ago
- New appointments bring business expertise to the Employment Relations Authority
Two new appointed members and one reappointed member of the Employment Relations Authority have been announced by Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden today. “I’m pleased to announce the new appointed members Helen van Druten and Matthew Piper to the Employment Relations Authority (ERA) and welcome them to ...3 weeks ago
- Most retirees who rent live in poverty. Here’s how boosting rent assistance could help lift them o...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Brendan Coates, Program Director, Housing and Economic Security, Grattan Institute Marlinde/Shutterstock Most Australians can look forward to a comfortable retirement. More than three in four retirees own their own home, most report feeling comfortable financially, and few suffer financial stress. But ...4 hours ago - View from The Hill: Labor faces risk of Victorians using federal poll as referendum on both Allan an...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra The weekend byelection in the outer suburban seat of Werribee saw the widely-anticipated slap-in-the-face to Victorian Labor, which is absolutely on the nose. The question is: to what degree were electors venting against federal Labor ...7 hours ago
- NZ Media In The Middle Of Diplomatic Drama
Mediawatch -Trump's alarmed the world with trade tariffs, turning off aid and proposing to take over Gaza. But New Zealand's had diplomatic drama in the news too - with the media in the middle of it. ...9 hours ago - NZ must take robust Gaza stance – ‘stop tip-toeing’ around Trump, warns academic
By Rachel Helyer Donaldson, RNZ News journalist New Zealand should be robust in its response to the “unacceptable” situation in Gaza but it must also back its allies against threats by the US President, says an international relations academic. Otago University professor of international relations Robert Patman said the rest ...9 hours ago
- Christchurch Man Says Family In Gaza Will Never Leave Despite US Proposal
A Christchurch man who lost 55 relatives in three Israeli airstrikes on Gaza says his remaining family will never leave, despite a US proposal to remove them. ...9 hours ago
- Changes to business investor visa announced
The government is overhauling its so called 'golden visa' scheme to lure wealthy investors to New Zealand. ...13 hours ago - PSNA’s Minto hits back at Gaza ‘genocide hotline’ critics, insists NZ should deny Israeli sold...
Asia Pacific Report A national Palestine advocacy group has hit back at critics of its “genocide hotline” campaign against soldiers involved in Israel’s war against Gaza, saying New Zealand should be actively following international law. The Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa (PSNA) dismissed a “predictable lineup of apologists for Israel” for ...14 hours ago
- David Seymour says letter to police on Philip Polkinghorne was due to role as MP
ACT Party leader David Seymour said he wrote to police about the treatment of Philip Polkinghorne because it's an electorate MP's job to pass on the concerns of their constituents. ...14 hours ago
- Mediawatch: NZ media in the middle of Asia-Pacific diplomatic drama
MEDIAWATCH: By Colin Peacock, RNZ Mediawatch presenter By the time US President Donald Trump announced tariffs on China and Canada last Monday which could kickstart a trade war, New Zealand’s diplomats in Washington, DC, had already been deployed on another diplomatic drama. Republican Senator Ted Cruz had said on social ...15 hours ago
- Mark Brown on China deal: ‘No need for NZ to sit in the room with us’
By Caleb Fotheringham, RNZ Pacific journalist Cook Islands Prime Minister Mark Brown says New Zealand is asking for too much oversight over its deal with China, which is expected to be penned in Beijing next week. Brown told RNZ Pacific the Cook Islands-New Zealand relationship was reciprocal. “They certainly did ...16 hours ago
- Victorian byelections: Liberals gain Prahran from Greens and Labor ahead in Werribee
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne Byelections occurred on Saturday in the Victorian state seats of Prahran and Werribee. The Liberals gained Prahran from the Greens by a ...16 hours ago
- The House: The summer of 300,000 submissions
Behind the scenes ...17 hours ago
- The highest peak: a eulogy for Brian Turner
A long time ago, Brian Turner wrote a poem in which, among the mountains, as he slept on a river flat … My speechless ancestors played like mice among my dreamsand he woke to the river running over my bed of stone. I have come to know that where a ...22 hours ago - ‘Journalism has become a blood sport. It is harder and harder to tell the truth’
A investigative journalism programme — Organised Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) — that has pubiished exposes about the South Pacific and has not been impacted on by the “freeze” of USAID funding has hit back in an editorial calling for support of independent media. EDITORIAL: By the OCCRP editors ...1 day ago
- Trump’s foreign aid freeze throws independent journalism into chaos
Pacific Media Watch President Donald Trump has frozen billions of dollars around the world in aid projects, including more than $268 million allocated by Congress to support independent media and the free flow of information. Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has denounced this decision, which has plunged NGOs, media outlets, and ...1 day ago
- New Zealand must make Gaza stance clear, ‘stop tip-toeing’ around Trump, expert says
Otago University professor of international relations Robert Patman says New Zealand should provide a robust response to Donald Trump's Gaza plan, and also "should stop tip-toeing" around Trump. ...1 day ago
- Government backpedals on some automatic speed reversals, says consultation now possible
The new minister of transport has opened the door for public consultation on at least some of the speed limit changes the government said would be automatic. ...2 days ago
- Trump’s memecoin drops in value, and critics aren’t surprised
Officially, they’re called ‘memecoins,’ but Kōura Wealth founder Rupert Carlyon says the crypto world has another name for them: ‘shitcoins’.In digital finance, that phrase is used for tokens that have no true value – in essence, a money-grab.A few days before his inauguration, US President Donald Trump launched his own ...2 days ago
- Guy Williams delivers a cautionary tale for armchair journalists
Madeleine Chapman reflects on the week that was. Guy Williams has made a whole show off the joke that he is a “volunteer” journalist. So getting publicly owned by David Seymour while trying to act as a journalist is a good and timely reminder not to underestimate the nuance and ...2 days ago - The Chinese origins of Sāmoa’s most popular dish, chop suey
Many of Sāmoa’s beloved dishes are the result of cultural collaboration, writes Madeleine Chapman. All photos by Jin Fellet If you ever find yourself at a barbecue in a Sāmoan home, there’s 99% chance that sapasui (chop suey) will be on the table. For the past century, sapasui has ...2 days ago
- ‘I felt terrible’: The Jono and Ben prank that still haunts Jono Pryor
The funnyman takes us through his life in television, including Jono and Ben mayhem, live Telethon flubs, and funnelling all those experiences into his new comedy Vince. There’s an inciting incident in Three’s new comedy Vince where morning television presenter Vince Walters (Jono Pryor) is visiting sick kids in hospital ...2 days ago
- The Spinoff Essay: The celebration you’re looking for is just around the bend
People often claim they just want Waitangi Day to be a celebration. At Waitangi, away from the headlined political acrimony and the marae ātea, celebrating is what most people are doing. The Spinoff Essay showcases the best essayists in Aotearoa, on topics big and small. Made possible by the generous ...2 days ago
- The freshest fits from the Treaty Grounds on Waitangi Day
Is there anything more fashionable than a Māori get together? One of the best things about Northland is that nobody cares what they look like — probably because they’re all naturally more stylish than the rest of us, famously. Māori from the Far North, especially. In 27 degree heat, wearing ...2 days ago
- Short story: Pōneke Ghosts, by Devon Webb
I’ve been in love with him since last July, but it’s only now in this tepid hotel room that I find myself wondering why. The first thing he does when we arrive is smoke a cone in the bathroom – he emerges, hacking up a lung, fists thrust into his ...2 days ago
- The Secret Diary of .. Tim Jago
MONDAY“Name,” barked a representative of the lower orders.I regarded him with a look of stern disapproval, and told him from up high, “May I remind you that I have name suppression. I shall also thank you to ask with more respect as befits a former president of the Act Party, ...2 days ago
- ‘My story with taonga begins in 1984’: an excerpt from Books of Mana
Books of Mana: 180 Māori-Authored Books of Significance, edited by Jacinta Ruru, Angela Wanhalla and Jeanette Wikaira has just been released by Otago University Press. In this essay, Books are Taonga, Jeanette Wikaira explores her personal relationship to books and their value. For me, books are taonga. The knowledge ...2 days ago
- Dog of the month: Tara, who doesn’t really care if she’s dog of the month or not
Get to know Tara, our latest Dog of the Month. This feature was offered as a reward during our What’s Eating Aotearoa PledgeMe campaign. Thank you to Tara’s human for their support! Dog name: Tara Age: Two Breed: Mostly Border Collie and a little bit Catahoula Leopard dog If dog ...2 days ago
- Margie Apa resigns: ‘Impossible task’ to lead Health NZ with systemic issues – med...
Health NZ's CEO has resigned, but frontline healthworkers are sceptical that installing new leadership will make any difference to a system grappling with problems. ...2 days ago
- Margie Apa resigns: ‘Impossible task’ to lead Health NZ with systematic issues – m...
Health NZ's CEO has resigned, but frontline healthworkers are sceptical that installing new leadership will make any difference to a system grappling with problems. ...2 days ago
- Govt Select Committee Process In Its Hearings On The Oranga Tamariki Serious Youth Offending Bill Un...
Gail Duncan, Chairperson of the St Peter’s on Willis Social Justice Group, one of the organisations invited to submit on the Bill, says the Government’s actions are unprecedented. ...2 days ago
- Rebels are continuing their march in eastern Congo – what is their long-term goal?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Amani Kasherwa, School of Nursing, Midwifery and Social Work, The University of Queensland In late January, a rebel group that has long caused mayhem in the sprawling African nation of Democratic Republic of Congo took control of Goma, a major city of ...2 days ago
- Misleading and false election ads are legal in Australia. We need national truth in political advert...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Yee-Fui Ng, Associate Professor, Faculty of Law, Monash University An ad falsely depicting independent candidate Alex Dyson as a Greens member. ABC News/Supplied The highly pertinent case of a little-known independent candidate in the Victorian seat of Wannon has exposed a gaping ...2 days ago
- Cook Islands PM on China deal: ‘No need for NZ to sit in the room with us’
Mark Brown says NZ is asking for too much oversight over its deal with Beijing which is expected to be signed next week. ...2 days ago
- Next group of public submissions on Treaty Principles Bill announced
There are almost 500 people named, from the general public to former MPs, academics and Māori leaders. ...2 days ago
- Are eggs good or bad for our health?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Lauren Ball, Professor of Community Health and Wellbeing, The University of Queensland Nik/Unsplash You might have heard that eating too many eggs will cause high cholesterol levels, leading to poor health. Researchers have examined the science behind this myth again, and ...2 days ago
- Treaty principles bill hearings, day three: The Justice Committee works from home
Everything you missed from the third day of the Treaty principles bill hearings, when the Justice Committee heard four hours of oral submission. Read our recaps of day one of the hearings here, and day two here. Parliament was quiet on Friday for the third day of hearings on the ...2 days ago
- What is botulism? How this ‘nerve-paralysing illness’ can be linked to dodgy botox
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Thomas Jeffries, Senior Lecturer in Microbiology, Western Sydney University Tijana Simic/Shutterstock The news last week that three people in Sydney were hospitalised with botulism after receiving botox injections has raised questions about the regulation of the cosmetic injectables industry. The ...2 days ago
- Taking the ‘forever’ out of ‘forever chemicals’: we worked out how to destroy the PFAS in ba...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jens Blotevogel, Principal Research Scientist and Team Leader for Remediation Technologies, CSIRO Mino Surkala, Shutterstock Lithium-ion batteries are part of everyday life. They power small rechargeable devices such as mobile phones and laptops. They enable electric vehicles. And larger versions store ...2 days ago
- Belle Gibson built a ‘wellness’ empire on a lie about cancer. Apple Cider Vinegar expertly unrav...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Edith Jennifer Hill, Associate Lecturer, Learning & Teaching Innovation, Flinders University Netflix Netflix’s new limited series, Apple Cider Vinegar, tells the story of the elaborate cancer con orchestrated by Australian blogger Annabelle (Belle) Gibson. The first episode opens with Gibson’s ...2 days ago
- An ‘earthquake swarm’ is shaking Santorini. It could persist for months
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Dee Ninis, Earthquake Scientist, Monash University Greece’s government has just declared a state of emergency on the island of Santorini, as earthquakes shake the island multiple times a day and sometimes only minutes apart. The “earthquake swarm” is also affecting other ...3 days ago
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