Author Archive
Climate Scientists Open Up
Written By: - Date published: 2:24 pm, October 1st, 2017 - 17 comments
Four climate scientists offer a little bit of their personal stories, and their plans in relation to global warming.
When the Bubble Pops.
Written By: - Date published: 1:57 pm, September 22nd, 2017 - 95 comments
Let’s talk about NZ Labour – hopefully the party that heads up the next government of New Zealand.
I’d say it’s undeniable that there’s a general mood for change in NZ society and that NZ Labour have somewhat ridden on the back of that sentiment.
But does it end well?
Why I voted two ticks Green
Written By: - Date published: 11:42 am, September 20th, 2017 - 83 comments
Because we need to knock Liberalism on the head.
A Tale of Two Privileges.
Written By: - Date published: 11:52 am, September 16th, 2017 - 72 comments
Bad title. Whatever.
Yesterday there were two responses to Michelle’s guest post, that in conjunction deserve better exposure than “soon to be forgotten” comments buried in a post thread.
The Bullshit
Written By: - Date published: 8:37 pm, September 12th, 2017 - 84 comments
National up, NZ Labour down, Greens dead? Really!?
Scottish Labour. On the Cusp?
Written By: - Date published: 6:02 pm, August 30th, 2017 - 17 comments
Liberals depart and Liberals tank.
Vote for NZ Labour if…
Written By: - Date published: 1:00 pm, August 30th, 2017 - 53 comments
- You want a TPP Agreement.
Dear Winston.
Written By: - Date published: 11:28 am, August 30th, 2017 - 136 comments
How many of these did you receive over your 7 years of over-payments?
WINZ and Super Scandals
Written By: - Date published: 11:40 am, August 28th, 2017 - 138 comments
Here’s the scandal.
Do you?
Written By: - Date published: 9:00 am, August 11th, 2017 - 69 comments
In the interests of keeping it simple, an obvious fact or two and a basic proposition.
No Way Back.
Written By: - Date published: 6:58 pm, August 9th, 2017 - 79 comments
There comes a point…
Corbyn-esque NZ
Written By: - Date published: 6:17 pm, August 9th, 2017 - 13 comments
This post was written and ready to go and then news of Metiria Turei stepping down hit. Some of it might read a little strangely because of that. I’ve changed some of the tenses used.
Metiria for PM
Written By: - Date published: 6:52 am, August 8th, 2017 - 45 comments
Yes. Quite seriously.
So NZ Labour wanted the Headlines.
Written By: - Date published: 3:29 pm, August 1st, 2017 - 50 comments
Well, now they have them. But…
US Leaves Kansas.
Written By: - Date published: 4:28 pm, July 31st, 2017 - 18 comments
I guess it’s kind of hard to anchor something that’s all up in the air…
Lies. Damned Lies. And Diesel.
Written By: - Date published: 2:12 pm, July 26th, 2017 - 48 comments
Britain follows France in banning the sale of new diesel and petrol vehicles from 2040. Good news?
Break Left!
Written By: - Date published: 1:01 pm, July 20th, 2017 - 109 comments
A simple and obvious message to the Green Party that others have ignored to their cost. Please don’t join that list.
#IamMetiria
Written By: - Date published: 7:00 am, July 20th, 2017 - 35 comments
If you know that feeling of dread when you get a WINZ letter, or if you’ve had roiling anxiety from being ‘called in’ for a WINZ interview, or sighed with relief when the letter from WINZ turns out to be a replacement community services card, then follow #IamMetiria. And if you just don’t recognise those, then you might want to follow #IamMetiria to find out why others do…
This is not an image of a Low Flying Penguin.
Written By: - Date published: 1:40 pm, July 16th, 2017 - 62 comments
It’s also is not a picture of a person claiming entitlements who has not felt compelled to bend the truth when dealing with WINZ. Both images would be equally difficult to find.
Incrementalists ‘Brick It’
Written By: - Date published: 7:00 am, July 16th, 2017 - 11 comments
Meet Christiana Figueres, former executive secretary of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, and original negotiator behind the Paris Agreement. She’s co-signed an article, published in Nature and signed by over 60 scientists as well as business leaders and other ‘pillars of the global community’ that headlines – “Three years to safeguard our climate”
Non-news News and News Non-news
Written By: - Date published: 12:22 pm, July 13th, 2017 - 100 comments
A politician said their party would insist on being a part of government depending on the vote falls in September, while another gets called out for his habitual stirring at the pot of ethnic division. In a place like the South Africa of old, we all know which one would be the story. But this is New Zealand and this is now.
This Bloody Vote.
Written By: - Date published: 11:53 am, July 7th, 2017 - 212 comments
Disentangling the veritable plate of spaghetti that’s been set before us this election.
Same Old, Same Old.
Written By: - Date published: 1:03 pm, July 2nd, 2017 - 148 comments
This time last year, there was a smattering of posts put up about average global ocean and land surface temperatures. They didn’t make for comfortable reading.
Oil and Water Mix.
Written By: - Date published: 11:17 am, June 20th, 2017 - 23 comments
Our economic paradigm (market capitalism) and oil don’t mix. False hope (BECCS) and survival doesn’t mix. Current political settings (Paris pledges produce 3- 4 degrees C warming with the US on board) and intelligent action don’t mix. Incrementalism (time is not on our side) and AGW doesn’t mix. Whatever can’t be mixed into some AGW solution needs to be flushed.
Scary, huh? Well, yes and no…
Homeless Housing.
Written By: - Date published: 3:19 pm, June 16th, 2017 - 24 comments
Did Jeremy Corbyn just cut through a whole pile of smash?
Andrew Little – Last Labour PM of NZ?
Written By: - Date published: 4:48 pm, June 3rd, 2017 - 136 comments
A wee bit of speculation for a long week-end.
UK Defense Secretary on Corbyn
Written By: - Date published: 12:22 pm, May 28th, 2017 - 49 comments
A quite remarkable interview of Michael Fallon by Channel 4 News in the UK.
Corbyn on terrorism and UK settings.
Written By: - Date published: 11:44 am, May 27th, 2017 - 26 comments
Full speech given by Jeremy Corbyn yesterday.
Why Islam is incidental.
Written By: - Date published: 12:21 pm, May 26th, 2017 - 133 comments
How (According to The Guardian) a neo-nazi turned Islamist flipped terror narratives upside down.
Labour’s Manifesto
Written By: - Date published: 11:50 am, May 11th, 2017 - 293 comments
Old school Social Democracy. (Remember that?)
- Cars in Australian cities are emitting less – but in the regions exhaust emissions are growing
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kai Li Lim, St Baker Fellow in Electric Mobility, The University of Queensland becauz gao/Shutterstock Within five years, transport is expected to be Australia’s top source of greenhouse gas emissions. While renewables and storage are bringing down emissions from the electricity ...7 days ago - Te Pāti Māori’s Rawiri Waititi says Luxon may be ‘drop-nuts’ if he doesn’t...
The prime minister not attending Waitangi Day would show he "has no balls and may be a drop-nuts", Te Pāti Māori co-leader Rawiri Waititi says. ...7 days ago - Can Syria avoid becoming another Libya or Iraq? A week after Assad’s fall, here are 3 possible fut...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ali Mamouri, Research Fellow, Middle East Studies, Deakin University After the fall of the Bashar al-Assad’s regime in Syria, the world was moved by emotional scenes of liberation — families reuniting after years of separation and former prisoners walking free from the ...7 days ago
- The fiscal update is no Christmas present for the government – but signs of a slow recovery are th...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stephen Hickson, Economics Lecturer and Director Business Taught Masters Programme, University of Canterbury After a slow economic year, many New Zealanders are eyeing 2025 with uncertainty but also a degree cautious optimism. Interest rates are dropping and unemployment rates remain below expectations. ...7 days ago
- Immigration Minister Delivers Changes In Time For Christmas
"It’s been an incredibly tough few seasons, with huge pressure on farmers who have been unable to find the staff they need to run their businesses." ...7 days ago - Live: ‘Brutal austerity’ – reaction to opening of govt’s books
The PSA says the reckless drive to cut costs shows the government is prepared to put dollars ahead of Kiwis' lives. ...7 days ago
- ‘Brutal austerity’ – reaction to opening of govt’s books
The PSA says the reckless drive to cut costs shows the government is prepared to put dollars ahead of Kiwis' lives. ...7 days ago
- Why do we revert to our childhood selves when we visit family?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Gery Karantzas, Professor in Social Psychology / Relationship Science, Deakin University TORWAISTUDIO/Shutterstock You’re an independent, capable adult all year round. But when you gather with family for a holiday such as Christmas, suddenly the child in you comes out. Maybe ...7 days ago
- Serious youth offenders numbers drop by 7%
It equates to being over a third of the way towards the government's target of 15 percent fewer youth offenders by 2030, Oranga Tamariki says. ...7 days ago
- HYEFU revealed: Nicola Willis deploys convenient new measure amid bleak books
Analysis - The opening of the books at Treasury has revealed a bleak economic outlook, and a new measure to improve that picture. ...7 days ago
- New Zealanders Be Warned – More Brutal Cuts To Public Services Coming
"History and now fresh evidence tell us that austerity doesn’t work, but the Government is failing to listen. Today in the Budget Policy Statement it set the stage for further deep and broad cuts which will impact the services New Zealanders need now and in ...7 days ago
- The best books of 2024: The people’s choice
The results of our reader survey of the best books of the year. Over 300 Spinoff members responded to our call out to discover what people enjoyed reading locally and internationally this year. The results show a healthy crossover with The Spinoff’s best New Zealand books of 2024, with some ...7 days ago - Now We Know Why Nicola Willis Didn’t Want Experts In The Room: Changes OBEGAL Calculation To Appea...
“Nicola Willis is guilty of manipulating the fiscal indicators in the same way then Opposition Finance Spokesperson Nicola Willis jumped up-and-down about when Grant Robertson changed the way Net Core-Crown Debt was calculated to make the numbers ...7 days ago
- Minimum Wage Decision A Conscious Decision To Increase Poverty
It is an indefensible attack on working people and will only serve to inflame poverty and undermine a weak economy. ...7 days ago
- What makes a great sports coach? We identified 17 of the world’s best, and found some patterns
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Cliff Mallett, Professor of Sport Psychology and Coaching, The University of Queensland red mango/Shutterstock The study of leadership in high-performance coaching aims to deepen the understanding of how and why coaches lead the way they do, rather than just what they ...7 days ago
- Government makes it easier for businesses to hire migrants
Cabinet has also agreed in principle to bring in two new seasonal visas from late 2025. ...7 days ago
- HYEFU: Government books to stay deep in deficit until 2029
And Nicola Willis has adopted a new measure for its finances, excluding the impact of ACC, which it said distorted previous forecasts. ...7 days ago
- Forecast surplus delayed two years, Willis vows earlier end to deficit
The Treasury’s end-of-year fiscal and economic update shows the Government’s return to surplus has been delayed by two years on current projections.Using either the traditional operating balance measure or a new measure announced Tuesday, the Government will run a deficit for at least two years more than forecast at the ...7 days ago - Why zoning reform won’t solve the housing crisis
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Raphaël Fischler, Professeur titulaire à l’École d’urbanisme et d’architecture de paysage, Université de Montréal Montréal’s Plateau-Mont-Royal neighbourhood and downtown are exemplary places for functional diversity. (Shutterstock) There are many good reasons to bring about reforms in zoning, but reducing the cost ...7 days ago
- How can you stay safe from cyber attacks? Here are 2 simple checklists from experts
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jing Jia, Senior Lecturer, Business School, University of Newcastle cottonbro studios/Pexels “Cyber security” may sound like a far-off worry for big corporations or telcos, but that’s far from the case. Cyber security simply means the practice of safeguarding your sensitive data ...7 days ago
- NZTA settles High Court battle with Transmission Gully builder
The The Transport Agency and Wellington Gateway Partnership have been wrangling over claims that work areas have not been properly cleared up. ...7 days ago
- Minimum Wage Announcement “A Pay Cut For The Most Vulnerable”
“The Government has made another callous decision which will make in-work poverty even worse in Aotearoa,” E tū Assistant National Secretary, Annie Newman says. ...7 days ago
- The Spinoff’s favourite TV shows of 2024
From evil penguins to globe-trotting jackals, here are the TV shows that we were animals for this year. We’ve already covered off our favourite local television moments of the year, but there is still so much more to dive into beyond our televisual shores. It was predicted that 2024 would ...7 days ago
- Smallest minimum wage increase ‘since the 1990s’
The minimum wage will rise by 1.5 percent to $23.50 from April 1, it was announced Tuesday. ...7 days ago
- Wellington Council moves ahead with submission against Treaty Principles Bill
One councillor called it a waste of time and ratepayers' money, saying the council should keep out of "central government barn politics". ...7 days ago
- Media Should Make Point Of Speaking To The CTU This Afternoon On HYEFU
Banning the CTU, the Taxpayers’ Union, and groups like Business NZ and the Federated Farmers is not a strategy to get back to surplus. At best, it’s a cheap PR ploy to attempt to control the media narrative. ...7 days ago
- ‘Taken the local out of local government’: Councils react to crackdown
Mayors are accusing ministers of taking "the local out of local government" with proposed changes to rates and spending rules. ...7 days ago
- Empty classrooms, silent language: Kōhanga reo faces a crisis
As the fight to revitalise te reo Māori continues, kōhanga reo are grappling with severe teacher shortages, outdated facilities, and a lack of trust in their national leadership. Te Reo Māori is integral to understanding the Māori worldview. It provides a window into te ao Māori that is nearly impossible ...7 days ago
- NZCTU Put Brooke Van Velden On Notice Over WorkSafe Cuts
The NZCTU Te Kauae Kaimahi have sent an open letter to Minister for Workplace Relations and Safety Brooke van Velden, following another round of devastating job cuts at WorkSafe. ...7 days ago
- Open Letter Urges Govt Not To Accept Appointment Of New Israeli Ambassador
Those who have signed the letter are urging the New Zealand government to not maintain diplomatic relations with Israel until it is prepared to comply with international law. ...7 days ago
- ‘Enormous mismatch’: What can you do when your leave doesn’t cover the school holi...
The a new movement is encouraging employers to focus more on output, not the number of hours worked. ...7 days ago
- The cost of being: A public servant and mum who’s saving for a house deposit
As part of our series exploring how New Zealanders live and our relationship with money, a 47-year-old public servant, mother and musician shares her approach to spending and saving. Want to be part of The Cost of Being? Fill out the questionnaire here. Gender: Female. Age: 47. Ethnicity: Pākehā. Role: Public ...7 days ago
- Minimum wage set to get modest bump to $23.50 in April
The increase strikes a "balance" between supporting workers and limiting further costs on business, the Workplace Relations and Safety Minister says. ...7 days ago
- Should non-disclosure agreements be restricted in cases of workplace sexual harassment? Here’s wha...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Lisa Heap, Senior Researcher Centre for Future Work at the Australia Institute; Sessional Academic RMIT University, The Australia Institute Tomasz Trojanowski/Shutterstock Non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) are again in the spotlight – mostly because of how they can affect the way companies deal ...7 days ago
- Fantasia 2000: celebrating 25 years of a concertless film in search of a concert
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Will Jeffery, Sessional Academic, Discipline of Film Studies, University of Sydney IMDB/Disney Imagine attending a concert including excerpts from Ludwig van Beethoven’s 5th Symphony, Ottorino Respighi’s Pines of Rome, George Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue, Dmitri Shostakovich’s 2nd Piano Concerto, Camille Saint-Saëns’s ...7 days ago
- Live: ‘Pipes before cycleways’: Christopher Luxon on council spending crackdown
"I don't think roof top gardens on bus stops are a great idea," the prime minister says at the government removes "wellbeing" provisions from the Local Government Act. ...7 days ago
- An imaging company gave its patients’ X-rays and CT scans to an AI company. How did this happen?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stacy Carter, Professor and Director, Australian Centre for Health Engagement, Evidence and Values, University of Wollongong Zamrznuti tonovi/Shutterstock Australia’s biggest radiology provider, I-MED, has provided de-identified patient data to an artificial intelligence company without explicit patient consent, Crikey reported recently. ...7 days ago
- 5 things to know before boarding your dog or cat this summer
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Melissa Starling, Postdoctoral Researcher in Veterinary Science, University of Sydney Tatiana Kovaleva/Shutterstock Around this time of year, pet owners across the country are scrambling to finalise holiday care arrangements. Some lucky animals go to the home of a familiar family member, ...7 days ago
- NZ’s government may ask the public to underwrite the risk of fossil fuel exploration – this coul...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Nathan Cooper, Associate Professor of Law, University of Waikato Hagen Hopkins/Getty Images After reversing the ban on new offshore oil and gas exploration permits, New Zealand’s coalition government is now considering whether to share the risks of exploration with the fossil ...7 days ago
- More Australian families are choosing private schools – we need to understand why
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sally Larsen, Senior Lecturer in Education, University of New England The shape of Australia’s school system is undergoing a significant change. Enrolments in independent schools are growing, while fewer students are going to public schools. Why are more families choosing an ...7 days ago
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