Author Archive
When you smile….
Written By: - Date published: 2:30 pm, August 8th, 2008 - 8 comments
Hitting the email circuit is a video on the leaks within the National party over the Hollow Men.
Gordon Campbell on the ethics of taping politicians
Written By: - Date published: 2:07 pm, August 7th, 2008 - 48 comments
You’d be hard pressed to have missed the story on what some National MPs have been caught saying behind closed doors. We’ve seen discussions over the content, questions on the law. Now Gordon Campbell asks: …is it more unethical for a delegate to tape someone speaking candidly or a for a political party to dedicate its campaign efforts to […]
A quick Brethren reference
Written By: - Date published: 10:56 pm, August 2nd, 2008 - 121 comments
At last an upfront acknowledgement of the Exclusive Brethren’s support for National during the 2005 election campaign. According to Colin Espiner: Day One of National’s annual conference is nearly over and so far the biggest clanger has been departing Tauranga MP Bob Clarkson’s thank-you to the Exclusive Brethren during his departing remarks to delegates. There was […]
90 Day no rights makes no sense
Written By: - Date published: 10:21 am, July 31st, 2008 - 18 comments
The National party may prefer not to have their policy examined in great detail, but in today’s Herald Nigel Haworth, professor of human resource development at Auckland University’s Business School, provides some interesting observations about their 90 no-rights plans. Nigel Haworth suggests that: “National’s intention to introduce, if elected, a 90-day probationary employment period, possibly in the small business […]
Kiwi style to walk the world stage
Written By: - Date published: 5:03 pm, July 30th, 2008 - 7 comments
So US Secretary of State Condolezza Rice has left our shores. She inspired protest. She met the PM and said “New Zealand is now a friend and an ally.” She provided timely distraction for Mr Peters, travelling to meet with the Pacific Island forum. But the item that stirred my Kiwi pride was reading that […]
So National DO have a policy, errr sorry…
Written By: - Date published: 3:29 pm, July 30th, 2008 - 9 comments
So the news went out! National DID have some policy said Colin James: …in behind the bland one-pagers lies quite a lot of study, consultation with outsiders and internal shadow cabinet debate. A 34-page paper backed the workplace relations one-pager. Law and order policy was well footnoted… But no, Colin James seems to have got […]
What was it about that Herald poll?
Written By: - Date published: 5:24 pm, July 29th, 2008 - 20 comments
Should Labour be worried about today’s poll in the Herald which contrary to other recent polls showed the gap between the parties rising? Colin Espiner doesn’t seem to think so, suggesting: I wouldn’t take much notice of the Herald DigiPoll. This one’s even worse than the last one. It was taken over THREE WEEKS and interviewed […]
Does anyone care about the gender wage gap?
Written By: - Date published: 3:22 pm, July 29th, 2008 - 38 comments
I recently caught a story on the radio about the gender wage gap of new graduates – and in the failed search to locate it came across some other related stories. As we head into an election campaign with political parties offering up their solutions for the future I had to ask myself – does anyone […]
Oram’s Ides of March
Written By: - Date published: 5:32 pm, July 20th, 2008 - 53 comments
Rod Oram can nearly always be relied upon for insightful analysis that takes debate a step further. In the SSTimes today he asks: “are we being realistic about the current state of the nation? Each person will have his or her own view. But if, as individuals and a society, we’re gloomier than the facts […]
So what is a subprime then?
Written By: - Date published: 10:26 pm, July 19th, 2008 - 23 comments
The phrase “subprime” seems to have become part of our universal vocabulary – reflecting global uncertainty, events beyond our control, and financial complexities. A subject of great importance and seriousness – until I saw this clip from Bird and Fortune…perfect Sunday viewing.
Painting a portrait of Mr Key
Written By: - Date published: 9:43 pm, July 19th, 2008 - 47 comments
I read with interest the NZ Herald’s “In Search of John Key“. I know at least some commentors on this blog have questioned our continued examination of the National party leader – so it was reassuring to see the Herald statement that “he remains relatively unknown. Who really is John Key? Where did he come […]
It’s not ok
Written By: - Date published: 12:13 pm, July 9th, 2008 - 56 comments
Is it a sign of a successful campaign regarding family violence – that “it’s not ok” – which sees broadcaster Tony Veitch taking time away from his television and radio shows in the wake of revelations that he allegedly assaulted his former partner? It certainly seems to have generated quite a bit of discussion amongst […]
The making of some (commercial) magic
Written By: - Date published: 8:36 pm, July 5th, 2008 - Comments Off on The making of some (commercial) magic
As usual we’ve been running the hot political stories this week but I, for one, need a breather. And what better way to relax than to watch people create an amazing scene of fluffy white stuff floating around? It’s not the snow and wintry weather that’s covering the country. This is the Making of Foam […]
Buying trains gets noticed in Britain
Written By: - Date published: 1:44 pm, July 4th, 2008 - 16 comments
The buy back of rail has been put in a British context in this article from the Guardian. Here are some excerpts: “New Zealand has long had a record of being ahead of the political game. It was the first country in the world to accept women’s right to vote, in 1893. In the 1930s, […]
Mr Key’s real concerns
Written By: - Date published: 12:49 pm, July 1st, 2008 - 37 comments
While more questions will no doubt be asked about Mr Key’s choice of hiring infamous Aussie spin-stars, Crosby/Textor, (no doubt some more of them will feature here) I thought this point raised by Barry Soper yesterday was a good one: There’s clearly a concern how this information is yet again leaking from the National Party office. I mean, […]
Leadership: What’s nice got to do with it?
Written By: - Date published: 5:03 pm, June 25th, 2008 - 18 comments
An interesting article in the Washington Post poses the question: “You thought our presidential candidates were nice guys, regular guys, guys with whom you’d like to sit down and have a beer? Guess what, lots of people are now telling me: They aren’t. But why on Earth should anyone expect them to be? In its […]
Lovin’ our corner of the world
Written By: - Date published: 10:47 am, June 11th, 2008 - 23 comments
Wanting something that’s great to be even better is no bad thing – but the Mercer 2008 Quality of Living survey our today shows we’ve quite a bit to be happy about. Auckland (#5 in the world) is the city in Asia Pacific with the best quality of living, followed by Sydney (#10) and Wellington […]
Body image gone bad
Written By: - Date published: 5:51 pm, June 10th, 2008 - 7 comments
We’re used to the importance of presentation in the world of politics, but no-one does it quite so blatently as the fashion world. We’ve seen it in the waif-like size of girl/women models, an acknowledged under-representation of ethnic diversity on the cat walk and now male models are also under pressure to down-size. In the Melbourne […]
Advice for future aides
Written By: - Date published: 3:22 pm, June 3rd, 2008 - 3 comments
Those interested in the political situation in the States will be wanting to read the new book written by Scott McClellan (former White House press secretary), with potentially some lessons for operators in NZ. This piece in the Washington Post suggests that the people who should read it the most are the people least likely to take the time to […]
The status of KiwiSaver
Written By: - Date published: 3:03 pm, May 27th, 2008 - 34 comments
Tracy Watkins reports: “National has been forced into an embarrassing u-turn on KiwiSaver after its industrial relations spokeswoman Kate Wilkinson appeared to put the kibosh on a major component of the scheme. Ms Wilkinson was forced to retract comments made earlier today suggesting National would do away with the compulsory employer contribution.” On his blog Vernon […]
Predictions on Parliament
Written By: - Date published: 10:29 pm, May 26th, 2008 - 9 comments
We’ve seen many of the commentators suggest that National is coming up short on policy proposals after the Budget last week. What I’ll be looking for is whether Mr Key takes his attack to the PM and Michael Cullen in the House tomorrow. The hints continue to be that tax cuts will be larger and […]
Hidden costs of private hospitals
Written By: - Date published: 2:39 pm, May 26th, 2008 - 13 comments
If you’re paying for your health care you’d expect good service wouldn’t you? The release of four health commissioner decisions over the weekend and covered by the Sunday Star Times, focused attention on private hospitals and the potential for catastrophic outcomes from relatively minor operations. According the report, Health Commissioner Ron Paterson says the cluster of cases […]
Feeling mean? Which Disney villain are you?
Written By: - Date published: 10:52 pm, May 21st, 2008 - 12 comments
Get “scientific” with this poll and determine “which Disney villain are you”?
National – more women-friendly?
Written By: - Date published: 4:52 pm, May 20th, 2008 - 52 comments
Colin Espiner pointed it out the other week, National “needs more women. Never over-represented in National at the best of times, the party is looking increasingly estrogen-lite.” So there would have been a sigh of relief in National circles that they can now distance themselves from comments such as these from declared departee Bob Clarkson: […]
California lifts gay marriage ban
Written By: - Date published: 8:24 am, May 17th, 2008 - 41 comments
California’s top court has ruled that a state law banning marriage between same-sex couples is unconstitutional, accrording to a BBC report. The state’s Supreme Court said the “right to form a family relationship” applied to all Californians regardless of sexuality. I wonder if this ruling will re-ignite debate on the status of relationships here in […]
Two stories on crime in Christchurch
Written By: - Date published: 11:54 am, May 15th, 2008 - 8 comments
Christchurch hosted a public meeting on crime within the city last week. But the thing that caught my eye, despite the very laudable aim, was how National MP, Nicky Wagner, managed to present two contrasting opinions on the state of crime in the Garden City, in close succession: I do think the statistics are sometimes […]
Workers be careful, says Aussie Unionist
Written By: - Date published: 10:13 pm, May 7th, 2008 - 158 comments
Sharan Burrow (President of Australian Council of Trade Unions) talked to Morning Report about the union experiences in Australia under a conservative government, and their hope for the future with Kevin Rudd. She also had some words of warning for NZ workers: “We say to your workers here, be very careful, you don’t want to […]
Petrol prices score political points
Written By: - Date published: 4:15 pm, May 6th, 2008 - 1 comment
It seems that NZers are not the only ones interested in petrol prices. From The Guardian: Barack Obama, facing increasingly close primary contests today in Indiana and North Carolina, fought off a populist push by Hillary Clinton to capitalise on American unease at rising petrol prices. The BBC has this on the unrelenting politics: To […]
Would Key scrap GST on food?
Written By: - Date published: 3:12 pm, May 5th, 2008 - 5 comments
With hints that regional fuel tax could be put on the “go slow” list, along with parts of the emissions trading scheme, it seems like we shouldn’t take any policy on taxes for granted. For example, there’s a belief that National and Labour have consensus on not removing GST on food. A couple of comments […]
A broadband world
Written By: - Date published: 2:24 pm, April 23rd, 2008 - 6 comments
So John Key has announced that a National-led government would spend “up to” $1.5 billion on fibre optic cable to the home. Well that’s a good thing right? Even I can appreciate the importance of Kiwi homes and businesses getting access to high speed broadband (even if it is solely for the use of my children’s […]
A ring of truth in the Hollow Men
Written By: - Date published: 11:33 pm, April 17th, 2008 - 18 comments
Congratulations to Dr Brash for fronting up and going to see the play The Hollow Men at the Maidment Theatre in Auckland (that’s based on Nicky Hager’s book of the same name). Dr Brash admitted some parts of The Hollow Men were spot on. I wish I knew which bits weren’t! The Hollow Men is […]
- Face-off against surveillance
Opinion: We are constantly being watched and recorded. Thanks to the proliferation of AI facial recognition technologies we are being watched even more: on the street, in the bank, in shopping malls, on public transport, at the supermarket check-out, even our phones are likely watching us. Are AI facial recognition ...1 day ago - Where are we all going? Our population trends in 10 charts
Opinion: The shape of NZ’s changing regional population profile is always a popular point of discussion. Since we wrote on it last year, population growth has peaked and turned rapidly lower. Here, we take another tour of the regions to see how this slowing has been experienced, and what the impacts ...1 day ago
- Is there a worse way of discussing one of NZ’s founding documents?
Opinion: The select committee needs to call for submissions from people who have constitutional, legal and Indigenous rights expertise The post Is there a worse way of discussing one of NZ’s founding documents? appeared first on Newsroom. ...1 day ago
- Where is the global leadership fighting climate change now?
Opinion: World leaders from more than 100 countries are gathering this week at the United Nations climate conference in Baku, Azerbaijan, at COP29, to discuss the threats of a rapidly warming world.Under the 2015 Paris Climate Accord, which has been signed by almost every country in the world, there is a requirement ...1 day ago
- Trump has won, but are there any winners in the Middle East?
A week after the ‘shock’ re-election of Donald Trump to the Whitehouse and over a year into one of the most blood-soaked periods of the Middle East’s tortured modern history, the question is, what has been lost and has anything been won, and what impact might Trump II have on ...1 day ago
- Majority of landlords reject Government’s no-cause evictions
Though a majority of landlords oppose no-cause evictions, their return will be celebrated by the few large property investors who called for them The post Majority of landlords reject Government’s no-cause evictions appeared first on Newsroom. ...1 day ago
- Newsroom daily quiz, Wednesday 13 November
Loading…(function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){var ql=document.querySelectorAll('A,DIV,A[data-quiz],DIV[data-quiz]'); if(ql){if(ql.length){for(var k=0;k<ql.length;k++){ql[k].id='quiz-embed-'+k;ql[k].href="javascript:var i=document.getElementById('quiz-embed-"+k+"');try{qz.startQuiz(i)}catch(e){i.start=1;i.style.cursor='wait';i.style.opacity='0.5'};void(0);"}}};i['QP']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){(i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o),m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m)})(window,document,'script','https://take.quiz-maker.com/3012/CDN/quiz-embed-v1.js','qp');Got a good quiz question? Send Newsroom your questions. .wp-block-newspack-blocks-homepage-articles article .entry-title { font-size: 1.2em; } .wp-block-newspack-blocks-homepage-articles .entry-meta { display: flex; flex-wrap: wrap; align-items: center; margin-top: 0.5em; } .wp-block-newspack-blocks-homepage-articles article .entry-meta { font-size: 0.8em; } .wp-block-newspack-blocks-homepage-articles article .avatar { height: 25px; width: ...1 day ago
- The last voyage of the Rainbow Warrior – Rongelap podcast series
ABC Radio Australia and RNZ You probably know about the last moments of the Greenpeace flagship Rainbow Warrior in 1985. But what do you know about the environmental campaign ship’s last voyage before it was bombed by French secret agents in New Zealand on 10 July 1985? Where had it ...2 days ago - Jim Chalmers to announce $900 million fund for states to boost competition and productivity
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Treasurer Jim Chalmers will announce a fund of up to $900 million for states and territories to improve productivity and competition, in a Wednesday speech urging an all-out effort to tackle one of Australia’s biggest ...2 days ago
- Despite the national apology, abuse in state care is still happening – only systemic change wi...
Tuesday marks a long-awaited milestone for survivors of the state care system, writes Jennifer Montgomery of Victoria University of Wellington. ...2 days ago - View from The Hill: Albanese plays ‘captain’s pick’ to maximise Labor’s election prospects i...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Anthony Albanese prides himself on his eye for a good candidate. In 2020, when he was opposition leader, he drafted Kristy McBain to run for a byelection in the marginal NSW seat of Eden-Monaro. If ...2 days ago
- The Treaty Principles Bill
Human Rights Commission’s Tino Rangatiratanga leaderJulia Whaipooti explains what has been happening. ...2 days ago - Wellington Airport sale still possible – council’s chief financial officer
But Andrea Reeves stressed it is not their preferred option. ...2 days ago
- Predictably, domestic airfares surged after the collapse of Rex. There aren’t many good solutions
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Doug Drury, Professor/Head of Aviation, CQUniversity Australia Australia’s airline industry is famously duopolistic. Just two companies – Qantas and Virgin Australia – service 98% of the domestic passenger market. That’s not for a lack of other companies having tried to secure a ...2 days ago
- NZ abuse in care apology called PR stunt,’tokenistic’ by some survivors
By Lillian Hanly, RNZ News political reporter Survivors of abuse in care arrived at Parliament today to hear the formal apology from the state which oversaw and inflicted harm on children. Public sector leaders from Oranga Tamariki, the Ministry of Health, New Zealand Police, and Ministry of Education also apologised, ...2 days ago
- Our new study shows teen vaping is linked to childhood trauma. Here’s why it might be harder to qu...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Amy-Leigh Rowe, Postdoctoral Researcher in Mental Health and Substance Abuse, University of Sydney sergey koleskinov/Shutterstock If you experience trauma during childhood, there’s a greater chance you’ll use substances such as alcohol, tobacco and other drugs later. But what does the evidence ...2 days ago
- Survivors Must Receive Redress To Have The Opportunity To Heal: Save The Children
Today’s vision shared of New Zealand is of an Aotearoa where every child has their rights understood, respected and upheld ensuring they live good lives now and have a bright future to look forward to. ...2 days ago
- How the federal government’s misinformation bill might impede freedom of speech
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Anne Twomey, Professor Emerita in Constitutional Law, University of Sydney The federal government’s proposed legislation on misinformation and disinformation has passed the House of Representatives, but faces a rocky time in the Senate. Opponents have dubbed it the MAD Bill, and ...2 days ago
- As it happened: Hīkoi mō te Tiriti leaves Dargaville, headed for Auckland
Kaipara Māori Ward councillor Pera Paniora urged locals to join the hikoi and take the fight for their rights to Parliament.. ...2 days ago
- Abuse in care apology called PR stunt, ‘not genuine’ and ‘tokenistic’ by som...
Survivors of abuse in care described today's formal apology as "a PR stunt" questioning whether it was authentic. ...2 days ago
- Govt Axes Specialist Māori Body Advising Pharmac Without Consulting Māori
"This is another sad indictment of the priority the National-led Government places on improving the health of Māori," said Fleur Fitzsimons, Assistant Secretary for Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahi Public Service Association. ...2 days ago
- An Apology For The Apology? Blind Survivor Deplores Use Of Ableist Slur By Prime Minister At Histori...
“The phrase "turn a blind eye" is an inherently ableist expression that wrongly equates blindness with ignorance, neglect, or deliberate stupidity. This phrase reinforces the dangerous & outdated stereotype that blind people are less perceptive, capable, ...2 days ago
- Care Experienced Young People Say Apology Means Nothing Without Action
The apologies seemed sincere, but amongst those listening there was disappointment that there is still no redress system; and a sense that unless the apology is followed by action the words will seem hollow. ...2 days ago
- A day when sorry seemed to be the easiest word
A historic day and national apology left survivors wanting more The post A day when sorry seemed to be the easiest word appeared first on Newsroom. ...2 days ago
- Watch: Christopher Luxon apologises to survivors of abuse in care
The Prime Minister's long-awaited and historic apology to survivors of abuse in care included the announcement of a national remembrance day, but some say they wanted more detail about the redress plan. ...2 days ago
- Abuse in care apology will never erase what happened but helps with ‘closure’
An apology without action is just empty words, survivors say, after hours of speeches from heads of government agencies and politicians were broadcast around the country. ...2 days ago
- Ara Taiohi Calls For Abuse Apology To Be Backed Up By Rangatahi-centred Policies
We must build back better, build a system with rangatahi at its very centre. The legacy of this government will be measured by their ability to respond appropriately, to create a physically safe and emotionally nurturing environment for children and ...2 days ago
- Right now, the Sun is far more active than predicted – and small satellites are paying the price
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kyle McMullan, PhD Candidate in Aerospace Engineering, Curtin University Last week, three tiny Australian satellites from Curtin University’s Binar Space Program burned up in Earth’s atmosphere. That was always going to happen. In fact, Binar means “fireball” in the Noongar language of ...2 days ago
- Despite the national apology, abuse in state care is still happening – only systemic change will w...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jennifer Montgomery, Faculty of Health Research Associate, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington Getty Images Today marks a long-awaited milestone for survivors of the state care system, with the formal apology by Prime Minister Christopher Luxon acknowledging the catastrophic ...2 days ago
- ‘The room was aching’: Survivors in Wellington, Auckland and Christchurch gather for apology
Joel MacManus reports from parliament as the prime minister delivers the national apology for abuse in state care, while Lyric Waiwiri-Smith in Auckland and Alex Casey in Christchurch join survivors watching the livestream. As Andrew Bridgman, the acting chief executive of Oranga Tamariki, began the speeches at the national apology ...2 days ago - Three rooms, one apology: Survivors gather across the motu for abuse in care reckoning
Joel MacManus reports from parliament as the prime minister delivers the national apology for abuse in state care, while Lyric Waiwiri-Smith in Auckland and Alex Casey in Christchurch join survivors watching the livestream. ‘It’s not enough’ – Wellington As Andrew Bridgman, the acting chief executive of Oranga Tamariki, began the ...2 days ago
- Hollow Apology Fails To Resonate With Survivors
Today, the Government had an historic and monumental opportunity to start righting decades of wrongs against survivors. Unfortunately, the Government has yet again let down survivors who placed their trust in it. ...2 days ago
- Defence Minister uses ‘extraordinary’ power to allow soldiers to do civillian work durin...
About 1000 civilian workers have ramped up industrial action in the last week, with NZDF refusing to offer a pay increase. ...2 days ago
- How could Donald Trump target the LGBTQ+ community? Project 2025 is a ready blueprint for discrimina...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Justin Ellis, Lecturer in Criminology at the University of Newcastle, University of Newcastle Donald Trump’s victory in last week’s US election has sent shockwaves through the LGBTQ+ community, given the president-elect’s divisive rhetoric and demonisation of the trans community in particular. ...2 days ago
- Vale Leon Paroissien: the first director of the Museum of Contemporary Art who shaped how Australian...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Joanna Mendelssohn, Honorary Senior Fellow, School of Culture and Communication. Editor in chief, Design and Art of Australia Online, The University of Melbourne Graeme Andrews ‘Working Harbour’ Collection/City of Sydney Archives, CC BY-NC-ND In 1975 when Gough Whitlam opened the Manet ...2 days ago
- Live: Hīkoi mō te Tiriti leaves Dargaville, headed for Auckland
Former Kaipara Māori Ward councillor Pera Paniora urged locals to join the hikoi and take the fight for their rights to Parliament.. ...2 days ago
- Trump win, 1.5 C warming breach weigh on UN climate ‘finance COP’
By Sera Sefeti of Benar News Pacific delegates fear the implications of a Trump presidency and breach of the 1.5 degree Celsius warming target will overshadow negotiations on climate finance at the UN’s annual COP talks that have started in Azerbaijan this week. At the COP29 summit — dubbed the ...2 days ago
- ‘You deserved so much better’ – Christopher Luxon apologises to survivors of abuse...
The Prime Minister's long-awaited and historic apology to survivors of abuse in care included the announcement of a national remembrance day as emotions ran high around the country ...2 days ago
- Pharmac to disestablish its Māori advisory group
Input form Pharmac's Māori advisory group will be replaced by outside partnerships, Pharmac has said. ...2 days ago
- Anticipation in sports: why do some athletes seem to be one step ahead of their opponents?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrew Kennedy, Casual Academic Performance Psychology and Sports Coaching, The University of Queensland With less than 30 seconds remaining in the Australia-Belgium women’s basketball bronze medal game at the Paris Olympics, Belgium was trailing by three points and on the attack, advancing ...2 days ago
The server will be getting hardware changes this evening starting at 10pm NZDT.
The site will be off line for some hours.
Recent Comments