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Comment: How does the left win the Auckland Mayoralty?
Written By: Ian B - Date published: 3:33 pm, October 9th, 2024
Mickey: Not being an Aucklander, my knowledge is rather limited. Its all well and good positing a left candidate, but from where would they come?Any names out there actually worth considering? Clearly it can't be a Labour or Labour-backed candidate, ...Comment: Open mike 16/06/2024
Written By: Ian B - Date published: 2:42 pm, June 16th, 2024
Really? I only know of 2... [TheStandard: A moderator moved this comment to Open Mike as being off topic or irrelevant in the post it was made in. Be more careful in future.]Comment: National announced more subsidies in farming for capital gains
Written By: Ian - Date published: 5:31 pm, June 15th, 2024
can you tell me again how much filthy ,real money pastoral farming earns for New Zealand.Comment: UK General Election – the mood on the doorstep
Written By: Ian B - Date published: 10:04 am, June 15th, 2024
100%. British Labour is, not unlike here, aTory-lite, neoliberal party. [Please stick to your pre-approved user name, of which you have a few, thanks - Incognito]Comment: Fonterra’s Brand Sale Continues to Drag New Zealand Down
Written By: Ian - Date published: 9:11 pm, May 20th, 2024
If you want to change how Fonterra operates buy a dairy farm,get some skin in the game and become a shareholder.Or [deleted].Comment: What if climate collapse comes much sooner than we expected?
Written By: Ian - Date published: 8:45 pm, April 8th, 2024
In this world our competitive advantage is our ability to grow Ryegrass and clover and produce protein for food cheaply and efficiently.With the adoption of modern plant breeding techniques and shortly when the playing field is levelled with the rest of ...Comment: What if climate collapse comes much sooner than we expected?
Written By: Ian - Date published: 7:33 pm, April 8th, 2024
Plants are our future,in particular the opportunities our temperate climate provides to grow clover and ryegrass to match a dairy cows requirements over a lactation with minimal need for supplement ,expensive housing and cut and carry. My bank recognises ...Comment: Open mike 26/01/2024
Written By: ian - Date published: 5:51 pm, January 26th, 2024
your wave is a dunper mate.Comment: Open mike 26/01/2024
Written By: ian - Date published: 5:46 pm, January 26th, 2024
I am a carrier of stress and don't show any symptoms. I am also a conservative who can see light at the end of a very dark tunnel.. Ardern killed kindness by preaching it and doing the opposite. As a farmer I am welcoming climate change as it is a positive ...Comment: Open mike 26/01/2024
Written By: ian - Date published: 5:38 pm, January 26th, 2024
I thought it was her media colleagues buttering up their last resort readers. she should never have got the job she was incapable of. She should shut up and take the punishment.Comment: Which side are you on?
Written By: ian - Date published: 10:22 pm, January 25th, 2024
Keep up the debate and let sunlight in to expose the truth. Everyone will have the opportunity to have their say at the select committee.Nothing sneaky about that unless you don't want to hear the truth.Comment: Shame Jones
Written By: Ian - Date published: 8:16 pm, December 13th, 2023
Jones is a turncoat but he has found his home base.Good to have a dirty politician on your sideComment: The Government is leaking like a leaky thing
Written By: Ian - Date published: 10:58 pm, December 10th, 2023
I think you guys need to go away on holiday for 6 months,or more and all will be a lot better when you come back home. If all you have got is a leaking soon to be ex public servant ,you may as well go home. The media you refer to are already scrambling to ...Comment: How not to make friends and influence people
Written By: Ian Macdonald - Date published: 12:56 pm, November 28th, 2023
Chris Bishop ran the well-funded social media campaign for National. He was before he entered parliament, the corporate affairs manager for Phillip Morris. He is in lockstep with Willis, and the pair of them seem to be the primary lieutenants of Luxon. ...Comment: Nigel Haworth – Back to the Future?
Written By: Ian B - Date published: 6:00 pm, November 27th, 2023
Where was this voice when you were president of the NZLP? Bloody hell.Comment: “Cease-fire Now:” Revolt in UK Labour
Written By: Ian - Date published: 7:07 pm, November 16th, 2023
Any word If your side are going to release the hostages and the murderers of October 7 th will be brought to justice ?Comment: National’s gang policy has no foundation
Written By: Ian Macdonald - Date published: 2:08 pm, October 31st, 2023
How long will it be before a requirement that women must cover their hair in public?Comment: Don’t get angry, get organised
Written By: Ian B - Date published: 10:13 am, October 24th, 2023
When I came home in 2011 after living in America, I joined the Labour Party in the hope that it would push back against Key's neoliberal regime. What a bitter disappointment it has been. Almost the entire political landscape has been captured by the ...Comment: Daily review 17/10/2023
Written By: Ian - Date published: 9:00 pm, October 17th, 2023
I am pretty disgusted with the idiots here going on about bald headed bullies and how much they are worth. Why don't you useless munts go out and grow the economy ,increase the tax take and start moving our economy forward,rather than calling the people ...Comment: Can’t we have more charging stations AND the clean car discount?
Written By: Ian Macdonald - Date published: 3:30 pm, September 9th, 2023
We have now owned a Tesla for a year. We live in rural north Auckland and travel frequently from between Whangarei and Auckland Central. We have never used a charging station. All the power we use is from our home charger. So, in practice, our initial ...Comment: New Zealand’s Greatest Economic Threat is Fonterra
Written By: Ian - Date published: 8:33 pm, September 2nd, 2023
interesting links that mostly support a very bright future for irrigated dairy farming in Canterbury.We can dribble a bit more N on and provide nutrients to allow grass to grow to it's full potential if CO2 levels keep rising.The extra CO2 gobbled up by ...Comment: New Zealand’s Greatest Economic Threat is Fonterra
Written By: Ian - Date published: 8:21 pm, September 1st, 2023
You joke,of course. Plant science 101 .Heat,Co2,add water and you going to grow a lot of grass .Comment: New Zealand’s Greatest Economic Threat is Fonterra
Written By: Ian - Date published: 11:11 pm, August 29th, 2023
What a load of twaddell. Blaming Fonterra for 6 years of Government mismanagement is laughable. Dairy farmers will weather the current storm and come out of it stronger .Global warming is a very big positive for low cost New Zealand milk production in the ...Comment: Superannuation policy becomes political
Written By: Ian Boag - Date published: 2:40 pm, May 30th, 2023
the Cullen fund has been described as a well-respected and well-performing sovereign wealth fund which has set a high standard in socially responsible investing. To me the term "sovereign wealth fund" applies to the likes of Norway where it is left-over ...Comment: Superannuation policy becomes political
Written By: Ian Boag - Date published: 12:43 pm, May 30th, 2023
No need to set up fancy pantsy means testing. What's fancy about income testing/abatement. Super of course is a benefit - the money for today's oldies comes from today's taxpayers. Noone has "paid into a pension fund" because there has never been one. IRD ...Comment: The great reset
Written By: Ian B - Date published: 9:22 am, February 9th, 2023
BULLSEYE!Comment: Daily review 12/12/2022
Written By: Ian - Date published: 8:58 pm, December 13th, 2022
Anyone watching Mahuta this afternoon in parliament would be left in little doubt she is walking a tightrope. 1 slip and she will fall.Comment: Daily review 12/12/2022
Written By: Ian - Date published: 11:04 am, December 13th, 2022
You must have your head in the sand or somewhere darker if you have no suspicions regarding Mahuta and her nepotism. Time will tell on this subject .Any prime minister in the past,including Helen Clark would have removed Mahuta and Jackson from cabinet as ...Comment: Daily review 12/12/2022
Written By: Ian - Date published: 6:52 pm, December 12th, 2022
It's been a few years since I have commented here and see familiar names still fighting for the cause. But who would have thought that radical ,activist maori would have taken over the labour party when there was so much opportunity to do real good in the ...Comment: This is what the climate crisis looks like in New Zealand, so far
Written By: Ian - Date published: 8:03 pm, August 19th, 2022
Thats where bridges are very handy.
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- Live long, maybe prosper
I have now lived long enough to see a cabinet minister go both barrels on their Prime Minister and not get sacked.It used to be that the PM would have a drawer full of resignations signed by ministers on the day of their appointment, ready for such an occasion. But ...32 minutes ago - Colonialism towards the Cook Islands
Last week, 1 News broke the news of a major diplomatic rift between New Zealand and the Cook Islands, over the latter's plans to sign a "comprehensive strategic partnership agreement". Foreign Minister Winston Peters felt that he should have been consulted. Cook Islands Prime Minister Mark Brown disagreed. So who's ...1 hour ago - All about AI (artificial inteligence)
This session will feature Simon McCallum, Senior Lecturer in Engineering and Computer Science (VUW) and recent Labour Party candidate in the Southland Electorate talking about some of the issues around AI and how this should inform Labour Party policy. Simon is an excellent speaker with a comprehensive command of AI ...1 hour ago - Good riddance
The proposed Waimate garbage incinerator is dead: The company behind a highly-controversial proposal to build a waste-to-energy plant in the Waimate District no longer has the land. [...] However, SIRRL director Paul Taylor said the sales and purchase agreement to purchase land from Murphy Farms, near Glenavy, lapsed at ...2 hours ago
- United States of corruption
The US Foreign Corrupt Practices Act has been a vital tool in combatting international corruption. It forbids US companies and citizens from bribing foreign public officials anywhere in the world. And its actually enforced: some of the world's biggest companies - Siemens, Hewlett Packard, and Bristol Myers Squibb - have ...3 hours ago
- Who does Shane Jones Work For?
December 2024 photo - with UK Tory Boris Johnson (Source: Facebook)Those PollsFor hours, political poll results have resounded across political hallways and commentary.According to the 1News Verizon poll, 50% of the country believe we are heading in the “wrong direction”, while 39% believe we are “on the right track”.The left ...4 hours ago - Tuesday 11 February
A Tai Rāwhiti mill that ran for 30 years before it was shut down in late 2023 is set to re-open in the coming months, which will eventually see nearly 300 new jobs in the region. A new report from Massey University shows that pensioners are struggling with rising costs. ...7 hours ago - First polls of 2025 show coalition losing
As support continues to fall, Luxon also now faces his biggest internal ructions within the coalition since the election, with David Seymour reacting badly to being criticised by the PM. File photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāLong stories short, the top six things in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate ...8 hours ago - Seymour tells Luxon where to go
Not since 1988 when Richard Prebble openly criticised David Lange have we seen such a challenge to a Prime Minister as that of David Seymour to Christopher Luxon last night. Prebble suggested Lange had mental health issues during a TV interview and was almost immediately fired. Seymour hasn’t gone quite ...12 hours ago - Gordon Campbell On Surviving The 47th US President
Three weeks in, and the 24/7 news cycle is not helping anyone feel calm and informed about the second Trump presidency. One day, the US is threatening 25% trade tariffs on its friends and neighbours. The reasons offered by the White House are absurd, such as stopping fentanyl coming in ...15 hours ago - Climate Adam: Is it Game Over for the 1.5 Degree Climate Limit?
This video includes personal musings and 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). Wherever you look, you'll hear headlines claiming we've passed 1.5 degrees of global warming. And while 2024 saw ...23 hours ago - The Kākā’s weekly roundup on politics and economics to Feb 10
Photo by Heather M. Edwards on UnsplashHere’s the key news, commentary, reports and debate around Aotearoa’s politics and economy in the week to Feb 10 below. That’s ahead of live chats on the Substack App and The Kākā’s front page on Substack at 5pm with: on his column in The ...1 day ago - Wait ’til you see what Disney can do for it
Is there anyone in the world the National Party loves more than a campaign donor? Why yes, there is! They will always have the warmest hello and would you like to slip into something more comfortable for that great god of our age, the High Net Worth Individual.The words the ...1 day ago - A reminder about soft power.
Waste and fraud certainly exist in foreign aid programs, but rightwing celebration of USAID’s dismantling shows profound ignorance of the value of soft power (as opposed to hard power) in projecting US influence and interests abroad by non-military/coercive means (think of “hearts and minds,” “hugs, not bullets,” “honey versus vinegar,” ...1 day ago - Monday 10 February
Health New Zealand is proposing to cut almost half of its data and digital positions – more than 1000 of them. The PSA has called on the Privacy Commissioner to urgently investigate the cuts due to the potential for serious consequences for patients. NZNO is calling for an urgent increase ...1 day ago
- Why NZ’s new looser ‘golden visa’ won’t ‘turbocharge’ GDP
We may see a few more luxury cars on Queen Street, but a loosening of rules to entice rich foreigners to invest more here is unlikely to “turbocharge our economic growth”. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāLong stories short, the top six things in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate ...1 day ago - Were politicians ever honest?
Let us not dance daintily around the elephant in the room. Our politicians who serve us in the present are not honest, certainly not as honest as they should be, and while the right are taking out most of the trophies for warping narratives and literally redefining “facts”, the kiwi ...1 day ago - 2024s Busiest Bus Routes
A few weeks ago I took a look at public transport ridership in 2024. In today’s post I’m going to be looking a bit deeper at bus ridership. Buses make up the vast majority of ridership in Auckland with 70 million boardings last year out of a total of 89.4 ...1 day ago - Leadership D.O.A.
Oh, you know I did itIt's over and I feel fineNothing you could say is gonna change my mindWaited and I waited the longest nightNothing like the taste of sweet declineSongwriters: Chris Shiflett / David Eric Grohl / Nate Mendel / Taylor Hawkins.Hindsight is good, eh?The clarity when the pieces ...1 day ago - The Kākā’s diary for the week to Feb 16 & beyond
Photo by Towfiqu barbhuiya on UnsplashHere’s what we’re watching in the week to February 16 and beyond in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty:Monday, February 10The Kākā’s weekly wrap-up of news about politics and the economy is due at midday, followed by webinar for paying subscribers in Substack’s ...2 days ago - 2025 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #06
A listing of 23 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, February 2, 2025 thru Sat, February 8, 2025. This week's roundup is again published soleley by category. We are still interested in feedback to hone the categorization, so if ...2 days ago
- Sauron’s Predicament: As a Chess Position
Today, I stumbled across a Twitter Meme: the ending of The Lord of the Rings as a Chess scenario: https://x.com/mellon_heads/status/1887983845917564991 It gets across the basic gist. Aragorn and Gandalf offering up ‘material’ at the Morannon allows Frodo and Samwise to catch Sauron unawares – fair enough. But there are a ...2 days ago - Kieran McAnulty is severely underrated: How Chris Bishop Got Away with Blowing Up Kāinga Ora & ...
Last week, Kieran McAnulty called out Chris Bishop and Nicola Willis for their claims that Kāinga Ora’s costs were too high.They had claimed Kāinga Ora’s cost were 12% higher than market i.e. private devlopersBut Kāinga Ora’s Chair had already explained why last year:"We're not building to sell, so we'll be ...2 days ago - The Condundrum of David Seymour
Stuff’s Political Editor Luke Malpass - A Fellow at New Zealand IniativeLast week I half-joked that Stuff / The Post’s Luke Malpass1 always sounded like he was auditioning for a job at the New Zealand Initiative.Mountain Tui is a reader-supported publication. For a limited time, subscriptions are 20% off. Thanks ...2 days ago - All your dreams are on their way
At a funeral on Friday, there were A4-sized photos covering every wall of the Dil’s reception lounge. There must have been 200 of them, telling the story in the usual way of the video reel but also, by enlargement, making it more possible to linger and step in.Our friend Nicky ...2 days ago - Fact brief – Is methane the largest driver of recent global warming?
Skeptical Science is partnering with Gigafact to produce fact briefs — bite-sized fact checks of trending claims. This fact brief was written by Sue Bin Park from the Gigafact team in collaboration with members from our team. You can submit claims you think need checking via the tipline. Is methane the ...3 days ago
- Bernard’s Saturday Soliloquy for Feb 8
The Government’s idea is that the private sector and Community Housing Providers will fund, build and operate new affordable housing to address our housing crisis. Meanwhile, the Government does not know where almost half of the 1,700 children who left emergency housing actually went. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāLong ...3 days ago - Home Time
Oh, home, let me come homeHome is wherever I'm with youOh, home, let me come homeHome is wherever I'm with youSongwriters: Alexander Ebert / Jade Allyson CastrinosMorena,I’m on a tight time frame this morning. In about an hour and a half, I’ll need to pack up and hit the road ...3 days ago - My Decision on Mountain Tui After The Poll
This is a post about the Mountain Tui substack, and small tweaks - further to the poll and request post the other day. Please don’t read if you aren’t interested in my personal matters. Thank you all.After oohing-and-aahing about how to structure the Substack model since November, including obtaining ...4 days ago - The Yes Prime Minister
This transcript of a recent conversation between the Prime Minister and his chief economic adviser has not been verified.We’ve announced we are the ‘Yes Government’. Do you like it?Yes, Prime Minister.Dreamed up by the PR team. It’s about being committed to growth. Not that the PR team know anything about ...4 days ago - Let It Be Said – Loudly & Clearly!
The other day, Australian Senator Nick McKim issued a warning in the Australian Parliement about the US’s descent into fascim.And of course it’s true, but I lament - that was true as soon as Trump won.What we see is now simply the reification of the intention, planning, and forces behind ...4 days ago - On the DOGE data sweep..
Among the many other problems associated with Musk/DOGE sending a fleet of teenage and twenty-something cultists to remove, copy and appropriate federal records like social security, medicaid and other supposedly protected data is the fact that the youngsters doing the data-removal, copying and security protocol and filter code over-writing have ...4 days ago
- Oh, Jokerman
Jokerman dance to the nightingale tuneBird fly high by the light of the moonOh, oh, oh, JokermanSong by Bob Dylan.Morena folks, I hope this fine morning of the 7th of February finds you well. We're still close to Paihia, just a short drive out of town. Below is the view ...4 days ago - Weekly Roundup 7-February-2025
It’s been an eventful week as always, so here’s a few things that we have found interesting. We also hope everyone had a happy and relaxing Waitangi Day! This week in Greater Auckland We’re still running on summer time, but provided two chewy posts: On Tuesday, a guest ...4 days ago
- Govt grasping at economic growth straws
Queuing on Queen St: the Government is set to announce another apparently splashy growth policy on Sunday of offering residence visas to wealthy migrants. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāLong stories short, the top six things in our political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Friday, February 7:PM Christopher ...4 days ago
- The quiet Waitangi that said a lot
The fact that Waitangi ended up being such a low-key affair may mark it out as one of the most significant Waitangi Days in recent years. A group of women draped in “Toitu Te Tiriti” banners who turned their backs on the politicians’ powhiri was about as rough as it ...5 days ago
- Review: The Narnia books, by C.S. Lewis (1950-1956) – Part Two
Last time round, I took a look at the first two Narnia books (chronologically speaking): https://phuulishfellow.wordpress.com/2025/01/14/review-the-narnia-books-by-c-s-lewis-1950-1956-part-one/ Time to take a look at the next two books of the series – The Horse and His Boy, and Prince Caspian. The Horse and His Boy The Horse and His Boy ...5 days ago - Skeptical Science New Research for Week #6 2025
Open access notables Doing better rather than promising more: A basic principle applicable to both climate modelling and climate policies, Douville, PLOS Climate: A growing number of scientists are expressing concerns about the inadequacy of climate change policies. Fewer are questionning the dominant climate modelling paradigm and the IPCC’s success ...5 days ago
- Fake Seizure Guy Has Been Arrested
Hi,This week’s Flightless Bird episode was about “fake seizure guy” — a Melbourne man who fakes seizures in order to get members of the public to sit on him.The audio documentary (which I have included in this newsletter in case you don’t listen to Flightless Bird) built on reporting first ...5 days ago - The fossil fuel industry spent $219 million to elect the new U.S. government
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Karin Kirk The 119th Congress comes with a price tag. The oil and gas industry gave about $24 million in campaign contributions to the members of the U.S. House and Senate expected to be sworn in January 3, 2025, according to a ...5 days ago
- Right Where We Belong
Early morning, the shadows still long, but you can already feel the warmth building. Our motel was across the road from the historic homestead where Henry Williams' family lived. The evening before, we wandered around the gardens, reading the plaques and enjoying the close proximity to the history of the ...5 days ago - Snippets: Backs Turn on Seymour, The USA Coup continues & Employment Falls by the Highest Rates ...
Thanks folks for your feedback, votes and comments this week. I’ll be making the changes soon. Appreciate all your emails, comments and subscriptions too. I know your time is valuable - muchas gracias.A lot is happening both here and around the world - so I want to provide a snippets ...6 days ago - Unemployment climbs above 5%
Data released today by Statistics NZ shows that unemployment rose to 5.1%, with 33,000 more people out of work than last year said NZCTU Te Kauae Kaimahi Economist Craig Renney. “The latest data shows that employment fell in Aotearoa at its fastest rate since the GFC. Unemployment rose in 8 ...6 days ago
- 34,000 unemployed under National
The December labour market statistics have been released, showing yet another increase in unemployment. There are now 156,000 unemployed - 34,000 more than when National took office. And having thrown all these people out of work, National is doubling down on cruelty. Because being vicious will somehow magically create the ...6 days ago
- Govt to sell billions of dollars worth of state housing land
Boarded up homes in Kilbirnie, where work on a planned development was halted. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāLong stories short, the top six things in our political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Wednesday, February 5 are;Housing Minister Chris Bishop yesterday announced Kāinga Ora would be stripped of ...6 days ago - Trains are back but slower
This week Kiwirail and Auckland Transport were celebrating the completion of the summer rail works that had the network shut or for over a month and the start of electric trains to Pukekohe. First up, here’s parts of the press release about the shutdown works. Passengers boarding trains in Auckland ...6 days ago
- Gordon Campbell On The Government’s Epic Fails In Jobs And Housing
Through its austerity measures, the coalition government has engineered a rise in unemployment in order to reduce inflation while – simultaneously – cracking down harder and harder on the people thrown out of work by its own policies. To that end, Social Development Minister Louise Upston this week added two ...7 days ago
- Sabin 33 #14 – Do we have sufficient mineral resources for solar development?
On November 1, 2024 we announced the publication of 33 rebuttals based on the report "Rebutting 33 False Claims About Solar, Wind, and Electric Vehicles" written by Matthew Eisenson, Jacob Elkin, Andy Fitch, Matthew Ard, Kaya Sittinger & Samuel Lavine and published by the Sabin Center for Climate Change Law at Columbia ...7 days ago
- Te Tiriti needs a guardian
This year, we've seen a radical, white supremacist government ignoring its Tiriti obligations, refusing to consult with Māori, and even trying to legislatively abrogate te Tiriti o Waitangi. When it was criticised by the Waitangi Tribunal, the government sabotaged that body, replacing its legal and historical experts with corporate shills, ...7 days ago
- An incoming leader’s onslaught of depredations
Poor old democracy, it really is in a sorry state. It would be easy to put all the blame on the vandals and tyrants presently trashing the White House, but this has been years in the making. It begins with Margaret Thatcher and Ronald Reagan and the spirit of Gordon ...1 week ago - Dear Mum and Dad
The new school lunches came in this week, and they were absolutely scrumptious.I had some, and even though Connor said his tasted like “stodge” and gave him a sore tummy, I myself loved it!Look at the photos - I knew Mr Seymour wouldn’t lie when he told us last year:"It ...1 week ago - An appropriate process?
Back in December Energy Minister Simon Watts appointed John Carnegie and Vijay Goel to the board of the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority. The appointments looked dubious - Carnagie is chief executive of Energy Resources Aotearoa, previously known as the Petroleum Exploration and Production Association of New Zealand: basically, an ...1 week ago
- NZ jobs contracting as Australia’s expands
The tighter sanctions are modelled on ones used in Britain, which did push people off ‘the dole’, but didn’t increase the number of workers, and which evidence has repeatedly shown don’t work. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāLong stories short, the top six things in our political economy around housing, ...1 week ago - NZ mirrors the US in significant ways
Catching you up on the morning’s global news and a quick look at the parallels -GLOBALTariffs are backSharemarkets in the US, UK and Europe have “plunged” in response to Trump’s tariffs. And while Mexico has won a one month reprieve, Canada and China will see their respective 25% and 10% ...1 week ago - Gondolas for mass transit?
This post by Nicolas Reid was originally published on Linked in. It is republished here with permission. Gondolas are often in the news, with manufacturers of ropeway systems proposing them as a modern option for mass transit systems in New Zealand. However, like every next big thing in transport, it’s hard ...1 week ago
- January sets an unexpected temperature record
This is a re-post from The Climate Brink Both 2023 and 2024 were exceptionally warm years, at just below and above 1.5C relative to preindustrial in the WMO composite of surface temperature records, respectively. While we are still working to assess the full set of drivers of this warmth, it is clear that ...1 week ago
- Flooding The Zone With Shit
Hi,I woke up feeling nervous this morning, realising that this weekend Flightless Bird is going to do it’s first ever live show. We’re heading to a sold out (!) show in Seattle to test the format out in front of an audience. If it works, we’ll do more. I want ...1 week ago - There are better ways to get hospitals
From the United-For-Now States of America comes the thrilling news that a New Zealander may be at the very heart of the current coup. Punching above our weight on the world stage once more! Wait, you may be asking, what New Zealander? I speak of Peter Thiel, made street legal ...1 week ago - Balancing Act.
1 week ago - ACT’s problem is Luxon’s problem
Back in 2023, a "prominent political figure" went on trial for historic sex offences. But we weren't allowed to know who they were or what political party they were "prominent" in, because it might affect the way we voted. At the time, I said that this was untenable; it was ...1 week ago
- Going Up the Country
I'm going, I'm goingWhere the water tastes like wineI'm going where the water tastes like wineWe can jump in the waterStay drunk all the timeI'm gonna leave this city, got to get awayI'm gonna leave this city, got to get awayAll this fussing and fighting, man, you know I sure ...1 week ago - Waitangi Day events across the motu
Waitangi Day is a time to honour Te Tiriti o Waitangi and stand together for a just and fair Aotearoa. Across the motu, communities are gathering to reflect, kōrero, and take action for a future built on equity and tino rangatiratanga. From dawn ceremonies to whānau-friendly events, there are ...1 week ago
- Can you please share your ideas and suggestions with me, Brain Trust?
1 week ago - The Kākā’s weekly roundup on politics and economics to Feb 3
Here’s the key news, commentary, reports and debate around Aotearoa’s political economy on politics and in the week to Feb 3:PM Christopher Luxon began 2025’s first day of Parliament last Tuesday by carrying on where left off in 2024, letting National’s junior coalition partner set the political agenda and dragging ...1 week ago - Monday 3 February
The PSA have released a survey of 4000 public service workers showing that budget cuts are taking a toll on the wellbeing of public servants and risking the delivery of essential services to New Zealanders. Economists predict that figures released this week will show continued increases in unemployment, potentially reaching ...1 week ago
- Going for growth…..perhaps
The Prime Minister’s speech 10 days or so ago kicked off a flurry of commentary. No one much anywhere near the mainstream (ie excluding Greens supporters) questioned the rhetoric. New Zealand has done woefully poorly on productivity for a long time and we really need better outcomes, and the sorts ...1 week ago - How Donald Trump’s tariff shock will change our political economy
President Trump on the day he announced tariffs against Mexico, Canada and China, unleashing a shock to supply chains globally that is expected to slow economic growth and increase inflation for most large economies. Photo: Getty ImagesLong stories short, the top six things in our political economy around housing, climate ...1 week ago - The Kākā’s diary for the week to Feb 9 & beyond
Photo by Towfiqu barbhuiya on UnsplashHere’s what we’re watching in the week to February 9 and beyond in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty:Monday, February 3Politics: New Zealand Government cabinet meeting usually held early afternoon with post-cabinet news conference possible at 4 pm, although they have not been ...1 week ago - Gordon Campbell On Trump’s Tariff Wars
Trump being Trump, it won’t come as a shock to find that he regards a strong US currency (bolstered by high tariffs on everything made by foreigners) as a sign of America’s virility, and its ability to kick sand in the face of the world. Reality is a tad more ...1 week ago
- 2025 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #05
A listing of 24 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, January 26, 2025 thru Sat, February 1, 2025. This week's roundup is again published soleley by category. We are still interested in feedback to hone the categorization, so if ...1 week ago
- The politics of cruelty.
What seems to be the common theme in the US, NZ, Argentina and places like Italy under their respective rightwing governments is what I think of as “the politics of cruelty.” Hate-mongering, callous indifference in social policy-making, corporate toadying, political bullying, intimidation and punching down on the most vulnerable with ...1 week ago
- Standing for Auckland
If you are confused, check with the sunCarry a compass to help you alongYour feet are going to be on the groundYour head is there to move you aroundSo, stand in the place where you liveSongwriters: Bill Berry / Michael Mills / Michael Stipe / Peter Buck.Hot in the CityYesterday, ...1 week ago - A little good news
Shane Jones announced today he would be contracting out his thinking to a smarter younger person.Reclining on his chaise longue with a mouth full of oysters and Kina he told reporters:Clearly I have become a has-been, a palimpsest, an epigone, a bloviating fossil. I find myself saying such things as: ...1 week ago - Tim Jago is part of a bigger ACT Party issue
Warning: This post contains references to sexual assaultOn Saturday, I spent far too long editing a video on Tim Jago, the ACT Party President and criminal, who has given up his fight for name suppression after 2 years. He voluntarily gave up just in time for what will be a ...1 week ago - Fact brief – Is global warming promoting biodiversity?
Skeptical Science is partnering with Gigafact to produce fact briefs — bite-sized fact checks of trending claims. This fact brief was written by Sue Bin Park from the Gigafact team in collaboration with members from our team. You can submit claims you think need checking via the tipline. Is global warming ...1 week ago
- NZ First Introduces Fluoridation Referendum Bill
New Zealand First has today introduced a Member’s Bill which would restore decision-making power to local communities regarding the fluoridation of drinking water. The ‘Fluoridation (Referendum) Legislation Bill’ seeks to repeal the Health (Fluoridation of Drinking Water) Amendment Act 2021 that granted centralised authority to the Direct General of Health ...4 hours ago - Release: Health system will suffer from ‘let it fail’ strategy
National’s cutting of digital staff in our health system will put patients at risk and leave hospitals vulnerable to cyber-attack. ...1 day ago - Release: Cuts to school bus routes put Northland kids at risk
The Government is putting cost-cutting ahead of kids’ safety with its decision to cut rural school bus routes in Northland. ...1 day ago
- NZ First Introduces Bill To Fight ‘Woke Banks’
New Zealand First has introduced a Member’s Bill aimed at preventing banks from refusing their services to businesses because of the current “Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Framework”. “This Bill ensures fairness and prevents ESG standards from perpetuating woke ideology in the banking sector being driven by unelected, globalist, climate ...1 day ago
- Release: Watered down investor visa will fail economy
Erica Stanford has reached peak shortsightedness if today’s announcement is anything to go by, picking apart immigration settings piece by piece to the detriment of the New Zealand economy. ...1 day ago
- Release: Craven silence on ICC conveys consent
New Zealand has long been a member of the International Criminal Court, which impartially prosecutes serious war criminals for atrocities. ...1 day 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, ...4 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. ...4 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. ...4 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. ...6 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%. ...6 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. ...6 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. ...6 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. ...6 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. ...1 week 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. ...1 week 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 ...2 weeks 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. ...2 weeks 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. ...2 weeks 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. ...2 weeks 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. ...2 weeks 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. ...2 weeks 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
- 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 ...2 weeks 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 ...2 weeks 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 ...2 weeks 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 ...2 weeks 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 ...2 weeks 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 ...2 weeks 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 ...2 weeks 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 ...2 weeks 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 ...2 weeks 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 ...2 weeks 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 ...2 weeks 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 ...3 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 ...3 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 ...3 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 ...3 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 ...3 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
- Byelections show Labor is in trouble in Victoria – but how much will Peter Dutton benefit?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Paul Strangio, Emeritus Professor of Politics, Monash University Is history repeating itself in Labor’s fortress state of Victoria? At the 1990 federal election, Bob Hawke’s Labor government had a near-death experience when it lost nine seats in Victoria. A furious Hawke laid ...26 minutes ago - What are physician assistants? Can they fix the doctor shortage?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Lisa Nissen, HERA Program Director – Health Workforce Optimisation Centre for the Business & Economics of Health, The University of Queensland Rawpixel.com/Shutterstock If you’ve tried to get an appointment to see a GP or specialist recently, you will likely have felt ...26 minutes ago
- Labour open to considering Parliamentary Commissioner for Te Tiriti
Two potential coalition partners, Labour and Te Pāti Māori, are "pretty much in the same camp" around protecting Te Tiriti. ...29 minutes ago - Explainer: what does it actually mean to ‘firm’ renewables?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peta Ashworth, Professor and Director, Curtin Institute for Energy Transition, Curtin University Large power grids are among the most complicated machines humans have ever devised. Different generators produce power at various times and at various costs. A generator might fail and another ...56 minutes ago
- Thousands of Australian pets may soon have ‘useless’ microchips. It’s a symptom of a bigger pr...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Bronwyn Orr, Veterinarian, Southern Cross University Mitchell Orr/Unsplash Late last year, rumours swirled online that HomeSafeID, a private Australian pet microchip registry, had stopped operating. On Feburary 5 2025, a notice appeared on the HomeSafeID website, ostensibly from the site’s ...2 hours ago
- Government taking too long to fulfill social home pledge – provider
The government is taking far too long to allocate the 1500 social homes it announced nine months ago and the hold up is stalling desperately-needed homes, says a community housing provider. ...2 hours ago
- Seymour won’t be punished by Parliament for Land Rover stunt, but police charges possible
David Seymour will not be punished for the stunt in Parliament, the speaker says, but whether police lay charges is up to them. ...2 hours ago
- A gentle reminder: please leave animals alone
The media is rife with headlines about people killing animals for kicks. Please don’t. In memory of an Auckland swan, a Bay of Plenty octopus and a Taranaki striped marlin. Imagine this. It’s 7.15am. You’re paddling around on a serene lake with your sweetheart. It seems likely that she’ll give ...2 hours ago -
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra US President Donald Trump has agreed to “consider” exempting Australia from the 25% tariff he has imposed on imports of steel and aluminium to the US. Trump gave the undertaking during a wide-ranging 40-minute ...2 hours ago
- Do men and women agree on how easy it is for each other to find a job or a date?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stephen Whyte, Deputy Director – Behavioural Economics, Society and Technology (BEST) Research Group. Chief-Investigator – ARC ITTC Centre for Behavioural Inisghts for Technology Adoption (BITA).), Queensland University of Technology The Conversation, DenPhotos/Shutterstock, Mehaniq/Shutterstock Typically, you don’t have to write a cover ...3 hours ago
- Israeli police cite children’s ‘colouring book’ for Palestinian bookshop raid
Pacific Media Watch Israeli police have confiscated hundreds of books with Palestinian titles or flags without understanding their contents in a draconian raid on a Palestinian educational bookshop in occupied East Jerusalem, say eyewitnesses. More details have emerged on the Israeli police raid on a popular bookstore in occupied East ...3 hours ago
- China: Cook Islands’ relationship with Beijing ‘should not be restrained’
By Caleb Fotheringham, RNZ Pacific journalist China and the Cook Islands’ relationship “should not be disrupted or restrained by any third party”, says Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun, as opposition leaders in Rarotonga express a loss of confidence in Prime Minister Mark Brown. In response to questions from the ...4 hours ago
- As Trump abandons the old world order, NZ must find its place in a new ‘Pax Autocratica’
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Chris Ogden, Associate Professor in Global Studies, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau Donald Trump is moving rapidly to change the contours of contemporary international affairs, with the old US-dominated world order breaking down into a multipolar one with many centres of ...4 hours ago
- Is Steve Smith set to become the best? What data says about Test cricket’s elite 10,000+ run club
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ronnie Das, Associate Professor in Data Analytics, The University of Western Australia In the recent Border-Gavaskar series against India, Steve Smith agonisingly missed out reaching 10,000 Test runs in front of his home crowd at the Sydney Cricket Ground, falling short by ...4 hours ago
- Politics live: MPs distance themselves from David Seymour, PM retains confidence
Follow the latest politics news with RNZ's live blog. ...5 hours ago
- National MPs play down row with ACT’s David Seymour
Luxon says he does not spend much time thinking about Seymour, but has had to talk to him about his "ill-advised" actions. ...5 hours ago
- Watch the first episode of Bryn and Ku’s Singles Club now
In a brand new documentary series for The Spinoff, comedians and best friends Brynley Stent and Kura Forrester embark on a cross-country quest to find love. Bryn & Ku’s Singles Club is a brand new documentary series for The Spinoff following award-winning comedians and friends Brynley Stent and ...5 hours ago
- Chapter one: ‘She likes the hardcore gamers’ | Bryn & Ku’s Singles Club | The Spinoff
🚐 Bryn and Ku pack their bags and swap the bleak dating scene of Tāmaki Makaurau for some meet and mingle events in Ōtautahi that will take them out of their comfort zone. ❣️ Bryn & Ku’s Singles Club follows comedians Brynley Stent and Kura Forrester as they head out ...5 hours ago
- Cook Islands’ relationship with China ‘should not be restrained’
"The relationship between China and the Cook Islands does not target any third party," the Chinese Foreign Ministry says, as opposition leaders in Rarotonga plan protest. ...6 hours ago
- There’s something fishy lurking under this season of MAFS AU
From tradwives to ‘petite blonde’ preferences, this season feels like a throwback for all the wrong reasons, writes Alex Casey. First of all: I know. Complaining about bad stuff on Married at First Sight Australia is like complaining that water is wet. But I’ve been bobbing around in these waters ...7 hours ago
- The cost of being: A 24-year-old who worries about her lack of savings
As part of our series exploring how New Zealanders live and our relationship with money, a public servant who’s ‘trying to get better’ explains her approach to spending and saving. Want to be part of The Cost of Being? Fill out the questionnaire here. Gender: Female. Age: 24. Ethnicity: Pākehā and ...8 hours ago
- ‘World leading’ climate disclosure rules likely to be weakened
Just a year after the country's "world leading" climate disclosure rules came into force, the bar looks likely to be lowered. ...9 hours ago
- Google has dropped its promise not to use AI for weapons. It’s part of a troubling trend
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Zena Assaad, Senior Lecturer, School of Engineering, Australian National University Ziv Lavi/Shutterstock Last week, Google quietly abandoned a long-standing commitment to not use artificial intelligence (AI) technology in weapons or surveillance. In an update to its AI principles, which were first ...9 hours ago
- Where should we look for new metals that are critical for green energy technology? Volcanoes may poi...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Brenainn Simpson, PhD Candidate, The University of Queensland Florian Nimsdorf / Shutterstock About 400 kilometres northwest of Sydney, just south of Dubbo, lies a large and interesting body of rock formed around 215 million years ago by erupting volcanoes. Known as ...9 hours ago
- Antisemitism goes beyond overt acts of hate – subtle forms of bias take their toll, too
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mareike Riedel, Senior lecturer in law, Macquarie University The dramatic rise in antisemitic incidents has dominated headlines in Australia in recent months, with calls for urgent action to address what many are calling a crisis. The Executive Council of Australian Jewry ...9 hours ago
- Climate impacts are forcing people from their homes. When, how and why do they have valid refugee cl...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jane McAdam, Scientia Professor and ARC Laureate Fellow, Kaldor Centre for International Refugee Law, UNSW Sydney For a long time, it seemed refugee law had little relevance to people fleeing the impacts of climate change and disasters. Nearly 30 years ago, ...9 hours ago
- Australia’s clinical guidelines shape our health care. Why do so many still ignore sex and gender?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Maggie Kirkman, Senior Research Fellow, Global and Women’s Health, School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University Krakenimages.com/Shutterstock You’ve heard of the gender pay gap. What about the gap in medical care? Cardiovascular diseases – which can lead to heart ...9 hours ago
- Nature and shops: here’s what people told us they want most from urban planning
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Iain White, Professor of Environmental Planning, University of Waikato Getty Images Urban planning has a long history of promoting visionary ideas that advocate for particular futures. The most recent is the concept of the 15-minute city, which has gained traction globally. ...9 hours ago
- Earth is already shooting through the 1.5°C global warming limit, two major studies show
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrew King, Associate Professor in Climate Science, ARC Centre of Excellence for 21st Century Weather, The University of Melbourne Earth is crossing the threshold of 1.5°C of global warming, according to two major global studies which together suggest the planet’s climate has ...9 hours ago
- Poor polls and ‘political sideshows’ distract from government’s growth message
As support for the coalition dips, the PM and his soon-to-be-deputy have engaged in a public war of words. Stewart Sowman-Lund has the details in today’s edition of The Bulletin. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here. Support slips If there was ever a political honeymoon, or ...10 hours ago
- Politics live: Seymour letter criticised, polls put centre-left ahead of government
Follow the latest politics news with RNZ's live blog. ...11 hours ago
- Court claim seeks to force water co-management
Failure by successive governments has left the South Island’s freshwater in a near disastrous state, the High Court has been told, in a case that could force the Crown to jointly manage water bodies with Ngāi Tahu.Individual Ngāi Tahu leaders, and the collective group Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu, are ...11 hours ago - Chief Victims Advisor takes swipe at David Seymour’s handling of criminal cases
The government's new Chief Victims Advisor says Seymour was was wrong and out of line in the way he handled two criminal cases. ...12 hours ago
- One wheel drive: the Ken Looi story
Nearing the end of his career, the world’s greatest unicycle racer chases the sport’s most elusive record. There’s something different about world-class athletes. Even if you know nothing about their sport, you can see it. It’s the way they move – precise, powerful. It’s how they carry themselves – focused, ...12 hours ago
- The visa changes to lure rich investors to Aotearoa, explained
Migrants with money are the focus of new visa settings that the government hopes will boost the economy. Alice Neville explains. What’s all this then? On Sunday, as part of the government’s big plan to kickstart economic growth, changes were announced to the Active Investor Plus visa category, with the ...12 hours ago
- A step up in fake news
We’re on the brink of a ‘tidal wave’ of misinformation.No one knows the size of it, but there’s a warning that leaving it to the government to sort out won’t work.In the year of local government elections, expect computer-generated content where the sources and authenticity are murky; more complaints about ...12 hours ago
- Hawke’s Bay council next in gun as flood insurers pursue ‘negligence’
As in Bay of Plenty and West Coast, the regional council may face court action over flooding The post Hawke’s Bay council next in gun as flood insurers pursue ‘negligence’ appeared first on Newsroom. ...12 hours ago
- Newsroom daily quiz, Tuesday 11 February
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- Paranoia and politics
Comment: The next four years are going to bring a terrible information environment, with absurd claims bubbling up from fever swamps overseas The post Paranoia and politics appeared first on Newsroom. ...12 hours ago
- Only an innovative Auckland can turn around NZ’s performance
Analysis: Copenhagen, Dublin, Edinburgh, Vancouver, Adelaide – what’s the one thing these booming cities have that we don’t? The post Only an innovative Auckland can turn around NZ’s performance appeared first on Newsroom. ...12 hours ago
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