Author Archive
Blogs and election fatigue
Written By: - Date published: 10:00 am, August 18th, 2020 - 28 comments
One of the characteristics of a political blog in New Zealand is the way that our operations reflect the political cycle. Coming into an election after mid-year, we have a steadily increasing level of traffic, posts, and comments. Moderators, commenters and even authors start showing a more cranky disposition. Now we have a extra month of the campaign. Be kind. Because there tends to be a problem when the system operator gets cranky.
Let them have gardening leave…
Written By: - Date published: 6:59 pm, August 17th, 2020 - 25 comments
“A bunch of retired MPs will now have to come back to work as well, which they will no doubt hate. But at least with current border restrictions, they are unlikely to have fled the country.”. Uh – why exactly? They are almost a sixth of the current parliament. They’re out the door, and there is no substantive work for them to do. I’m sure that puritans of thought will think otherwise – but I think gardening leave is appropiate.
Extend advance voting
Written By: - Date published: 9:15 am, August 17th, 2020 - 11 comments
One thing that Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern should look at asking the Electoral Commission to do would be to extend the period of Advance voting. This was more than a third of the votes in 2017, and is ideal for pandemic voting. It allows to the pressure on polling places to reduce to something similar to queuing for the supermarket.
Covid-19 vs 1918 influenza
Written By: - Date published: 5:29 pm, August 15th, 2020 - 67 comments
Reading a number of articles in the NZ Herald in recent days calling for change in how we handle outbreaks of covid-19 in NZ. The implied precept is the damage covid-19 poses to the population of NZ over time is less than the immediate economic damage. That covid-19 is like the flu and results in herd immunity. However it is far worse than the influenza pandemic of 1918, much longer lasting and we probably won’t reach herd immunity naturally for generations.
Well that is a bit shit. Auckland level 3. Rest of NZ level 2
Written By: - Date published: 10:14 pm, August 11th, 2020 - 48 comments
Four cases of community transmission from the same family – presumably without an obvious cause. Lock down for 3 days in the Auckland super city area at level 3 starting noon Wednesday. Level 2 for everywhere else outside of Auckland. Allows time for contact tracing and a later decision once facts are known. Good response.
Mea culpa
Written By: - Date published: 12:48 pm, August 2nd, 2020 - 33 comments
Back in 2017 I was upset, we had a leadership vote only in caucus – just before the election. I didn’t realise at the time that Andrew Little was actually stepping down in favour of Jacinda Ardern. She’d had the potential, but I hadn’t realised that Little thought she was up for the task. I’m delighted with the result. Thank you Andrew.
Quarantine costs – critics fruitlessly whine
Written By: - Date published: 9:13 am, July 30th, 2020 - 28 comments
I’m reasonably happy with where the coalition wound up on the quarantine cost recovery. It sends a clear economic signal to businesses and the fools who want to travel during a global pandemic. It will discourage some of the stupidity of the travel addicted. It also balances the legal position. Something that most of the critics clearly aren’t thinking through and cause them to whine without realistic alternatives
Pandemic: a flourishing enterprise. Business needs to get real.
Written By: - Date published: 9:49 am, July 28th, 2020 - 40 comments
A few weeks ago we were at 14 million cumulative confirmed cases of Covid-19 worldwide. A million more cases in just 4 days. Now a few weeks later, we are at 16 million confirmed cases worldwide. The lobbyists and business groups affected by our blocked borders need to get real. We won’t be opening our borders until we get a widely used vaccine later next year (at the earliest). It is too expensive to do so.
COVID-19: A human adapted virus
Written By: - Date published: 9:30 am, July 24th, 2020 - 23 comments
It has been obvious about COVID-19 that it is very well adapted to humans. It has evolved a good entry system to the humans, often has mild symptoms, long pre-symptomatic infectious period, and doesn’t kill many of its hosts. What has been less obvious is where it came from. It looks more like South East Asia rather than China.
Authorised by me
Written By: - Date published: 11:00 am, July 23rd, 2020 - Comments Off on Authorised by me
I finally perused the June 2020 Third Party handbook put out by the Electoral Commission. This morning I activated my authorisation notice. Activists should consider what adverts or promotional material that they’d like me to put up in the right column on the site. It must be directly related to the election day for parliament or for the referendums. And conform to the handbook.
National needs a safe pair of hands: Amy Adams
Written By: - Date published: 9:14 am, July 14th, 2020 - 98 comments
I realise that National probably won’t appreciate my advice. However I actually would like to have a viable competent opposition. I don’t even want an election to be as much of a pushover as this one is likely to be. If I was a stalwart National supporter or a member of their caucus, I’d be pushing for Amy Adams.
National’s ethics
Written By: - Date published: 10:05 am, July 13th, 2020 - 49 comments
There is a particularly resonant piece by Tim Watkin in Pundit. “National’s problem with privacy and privilege”. I’m only surprised that he seems to think that the National party is redeemable. They’re so into their internal myths that they fail to regard anyone or any threat as unless their voting base poll well on it. But that is National for you – they’ve consistent…. Stupid, unhelpful and short on ethics.
Requiem for a smelter
Written By: - Date published: 11:58 am, July 9th, 2020 - 53 comments
New Zealand was always a odd place to have a aluminium smelter. Untapped hydroelectricity capacity at the bottom of the world. But thousands of kilometers from raw material sources. Tens of thousands of kilometers from the major markets. Now our ever rising electricity prices show that we really need that 13% of power in our electricity market rather than making aluminium.
National’s dilemma – business as usual is failing them.
Written By: - Date published: 9:52 am, July 6th, 2020 - 99 comments
Audrey Young’s take in Granny Herald was interesting. “No ordinary Labour speech by Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern”. That is because the political ‘business as usual’ approach by the business orientation of National campaigning using the politics of fear and envy doesn’t work well in times of crisis. Business simply has too short a viewpoint to be acceptable in government at present – or increasingly in our uncertain future.
Judith Collins – dirty politics hypocrite.
Written By: - Date published: 1:31 pm, June 28th, 2020 - 19 comments
I’ve just been reading Andrea Vance’s review of Judith Collin’s released biography. One thing that usually infuriates me is whining arseholes. I have always thought Judith Collins has always been one of them. Vindictive, small-minded, and ignorant. She whines even through a review that merely quotes her.
We don’t know how lucky we are
Written By: - Date published: 10:59 am, June 24th, 2020 - 32 comments
Looking at the rises in covid-19 infections worldwide is just damn depressing. Looking at the media and Nat supporters, the world, and covid-19 -ll I can say is thank you for the internet. And the kiwis who aren’t listening to the whining about here because they can see the slow disaster unfolding elsewhere with incompetent governments.
Humans – doing it to themselves
Written By: - Date published: 11:48 am, June 23rd, 2020 - 30 comments
About the only thing that surprised me was that it took so long for a pandemic to really break out into the modern world. Because our evolutionary and recorded history is mainly punctuated and constrained by disease and environmental change. We invented large cities many times in the past and lost them to plague or drought. It looks like we’re going through that phase again – just at a larger level.
Viable treatment – cheap and proven
Written By: - Date published: 8:10 am, June 17th, 2020 - 9 comments
A medical treatment of drug used since the 1960s in medicine has proven to be effective in reducing the worst effects of human body over-reactive immune responses to covid-19 infections. This will be a boon for the countries with under developed hospital systems that are at the forefront of the current rising wave of infections. And it isn’t quack ‘science’.
Covid-19 still raging.
Written By: - Date published: 9:01 am, June 15th, 2020 - 25 comments
A quick look at rising second wave in the US as covid-19 digs deeper into the less populated states and counties. Because of its deliberate lack of governmental cohesion, the US is a rack of petri dishes testing different strategies. When that comes to disease control and covid-19, that strategy is a bit of a disaster.
Direct small business loan scheme is now working
Written By: - Date published: 12:06 pm, May 27th, 2020 - 26 comments
It was interesting reading this morning that the updated small business owner loan scheme is now working (unlike the previous guarantee through the banks version). National’s new Small Business shadow minister Todd Muller should be all over this between now and the election offering helpful suggestions. I’m going to be fascinated looking at those to see what type of small business he is trying to help…
The current National party.
Written By: - Date published: 3:06 pm, May 24th, 2020 - 62 comments
The change of leadership inside of National is essentially meaningless. All it seems to have started is exposing the kind of internecine factional warfare that is lurking below their party surface. I can’t see the inexperienced National team, even with Amy Adams back in it, being able to make the kinds of long-term decisions required in a modern world.
Don’t infect your feline master!
Written By: - Date published: 9:29 am, May 16th, 2020 - 16 comments
In terrible news, our feline masters can both get covid-19, and they can infect other cats. Fortunately so far they have largely been asymptomatic apart from some big cats.
We don’t know if there can be cat to human transmission. But I suspect it is likely. Obvious implications about being a issue for breaking transmission chains.
Covid-19: may be endemic
Written By: - Date published: 8:51 am, May 15th, 2020 - 53 comments
Like measles, covid-19 could become endemic. Never dying out entirely. Needing to be controlled in human denser populations into the indefinite future. That is the warning from top World Health Organisation officials. Like me, they’re looking at reported research into covid-19 immunities and the picture isn’t encouraging. This is no time to be complacent.
Viruses love liberty – they can breed more.
Written By: - Date published: 11:59 am, May 14th, 2020 - 25 comments
Viruses and other diseases simply don’t care about abstractions like ‘human rights’. They just want to breed. We need a better legislative toolkit to deal with epidemics. There is only so long that a draconian state of emergency should be maintained. Like 1918 we need to start thinking about the future Health Act with reserve powers like level 2 and 1. In the meantime, we’ll deal with the virus with this imperfect act as a tool.
Dimwitted habeas corpus duo
Written By: - Date published: 12:50 pm, May 11th, 2020 - 28 comments
The well-known duo of Dermot Nottingham and Robert McKinney were the appellants in habeas corpus High Court case against Arden, Bloomfield, and Stuart-Black over the covid-19 lockdown. As was usual for this pair, the grounds that they made their case on were completely flawed, failed to be presented correctly, and make a damn good case against self-representation from vexatious litigants like them.
Transmission Gully PPP
Written By: - Date published: 10:46 am, May 7th, 2020 - 56 comments
I’d agree with what No Right Turn says..
“The entire project looks to be an expensive failure. Rather than transferring risk to the private sector, it turns out to be the usual scam of privatising profits and socialising losses.”
dear sysop: on covid-19 debt
Written By: - Date published: 3:33 pm, April 25th, 2020 - 60 comments
We put in guest posts occasionally. These days I’m the person who runs the email account and sees the general ones. Mostly I don’t give any feedback as much as anything else because a lack of time. But I should. This is the first to get that editorial attention. The topic itself is worth discussing. What is the process of raising debt for the cobid-19 economic response.
New electorate boundaries
Written By: - Date published: 9:05 am, April 20th, 2020 - 37 comments
I missed it, but we got the new electorate boundaries on Friday. Now electorate boundaries simply don’t matter as much as they used to because of MMP. These days mostly the only people who notice them are electorate MPs, political parties that are too close to the 5% list party boundary, and of course sock-puppet parties like Act and their National party hand. Plus of course political blog sites.
Don’t plan on a vaccine or persistent natural immunity.
Written By: - Date published: 3:42 pm, April 18th, 2020 - 93 comments
Don’t plan on a vaccine or persistent natural immunity. Unless we’re incredibly lucky, neither are very likely for much of the coming decade. We don’t have the bat immunity systems. Learn to embrace the bets of the future rather than the clinging to the comfy blanket of the past that has now gone.
From the inside out
Written By: - Date published: 10:32 am, April 8th, 2020 - 62 comments
I feel that many kiwis are quite unaware exactly how exceptional our plague performance has been so far. It is interesting reading the perspective published in the Washington Post by a recently returned kiwi. Less interesting was the mathematical illiteracy on the MP David Seymour who managed to ignore all medical facts while advising on how to bulk kill our citizens.
Bill Gates – lets prevent the next inevitable epidemic!
Written By: - Date published: 9:56 pm, April 5th, 2020 - 37 comments
Bill and Melinda Gates have been plowing wealth into mitigating and preventing epidemics over the last decade. Like the World Health Organisation and just about anyone with any sense of medical history, he predicted very accurately the type of epidemic we are now facing – a worldwide respiratory pandemic. He talks about the current pandemic, and how to prevent the next one.
- Another one bites the dust
Another offshore energy permit was surrendered on Friday: permit 60094, owned by Todd Energy: The permit covered an area of Māui dolphin habitat, so its surrender is good news on that front too. According to NZPAM's map, there are now only six offshore exploration permits remaining: one owned by ...1 week ago - Passport To Covid Safety.
The Badge Of Good Citizenship: Why are foreign governments insisting that people wishing to enter their country must present proof of vaccination and non-infection? Because they are committed to keeping their people safe. Why will our own government soon be requiring us to present a vaccination passport before entering a ...1 week ago - Support accurate birth certificate for trans and non-binary people
Content note: suicide, transphobia I’d wanted to get this done a lot earlier, but we bought a house in the middle of lockdown and that has a tendency to throw every other plan out the window. It’s definitely not perfect and I apologise for anything I’ve missed or messed up ...1 week ago - NZ Politics Daily: 13 September 2021
NOTE TO SUBSCRIBERS: Today, we’re continuing with the NZ Politics Daily subscriber drive – please see the testimonial below from Andrew Geddis. Unfortunately, just as the subscriber drive kicked off on Friday, our website went down for the first time. So, if anyone tried to subscribe they would have found ...1 week ago - 2021 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #37
Listing of articles linked to on the Skeptical Science Facebook Page during the past week: Sun, September 5, 2021 through Sat, September 11, 2021 The following articles sparked above average interest during the week: Climate change deniers are as slippery as those who justified the slave trade, People don’t know what ...2 weeks ago - Liam Hehir: The authenticity of Simon BridgesSimon Bridges may not have exuded authenticity when he was Leader of the Opposition, but his new book, National Identity, is exactly that according to reviewer Liam Hehir. He says “It is not a book about conservatism, but it is an honourably conservative book.” I had no expectation of ...2 weeks ago
- Coronacapitalism: Reverse the Reset
by Kobad Ghandy Kobad Ghandy a well known communist in India examines the world economy and the lockdowns of the past 18 months. How deep the economic difficulties facing capitalism run and how sharp any depression may be is a contested area. Redline has mostly argued that the recessions have ...2 weeks ago - Reposted articles from Thinking is PowerIn early August 2021 we started to repost selected articles from the Thinking is Power website maintained by Melanie Trecek-King where she regularly writes about many aspects of critical thinking in an effort to provide accessible and engaging critical thinking information to the general public. This page lists the reposted articles in ...2 weeks ago
- A Beautiful Cage: But Bernard… You Say It Like It’s a Bad Thing
Commentator Bernard Hickey has a pretty astute piece on New Zealand’s predicament in a Coronavirus world: https://thekaka.substack.com/p/dawn-chorus-time-to-stop-kidding The core of Hickey’s argument is that New Zealand can’t re-open its borders, because our health system would be shortly overwhelmed by the virus. Ergo, the borders must remain closed for ...2 weeks ago - Renting in New Zealand, a sick joke
by Don Franks Everything seemed right with the world yesterday. Sun shining and in Wellington level 2 we can emerge from our bubble and visit friends. While enjoying that freedom, I noticed two doors down from where we were, quite a lot of activity. An estate agent was carefully marshalling ...2 weeks ago - Bile and Hostility
Mike Hosking is a professional journalist and, as such, he presumably wants to be read – and not only read, but taken seriously and believed. It is surprising, therefore, that he seems not to have grasped a basic principle – that someone whose every utterance is obviously coloured by an ...2 weeks ago - Implications for mitigating methane emissions in agricultureThis is a re-post from And Then There's Physics Since I was discussing methane in yesterday’s post, I thought I would highlight a paper on [u]nderstanding the implications for mitigating methane emissions in agriculture (H/T Miles King). The reason I found it interesting, is that it uses GWP* (which I try to explain here), rather ...2 weeks ago
- Should I take Ivermectin?
This guide will help you with that big decision ...2 weeks ago - Liberal-Conservatives and Social Democrats: The Future of MāoriMichael Cullen set out his political philosophy in his autobiography. So has Chris Finlayson. His is having significant impact on Māori development. Chris Finlayson was Minister for Treaty Negotiations (and Attorney General) between 2008 and 2017. (Alas, he was Minister of Arts, Culture and Heritage for only six of those ...2 weeks ago
- Too many cows in the NetherlandsThe Netherlands has a water quality problem. Too many cows, producing too much shit and piss, which flows into the rivers and poisons them. But they also have a solution: forcing farmers to destock or sell up: Dutch politicians are considering plans to force hundreds of farmers to sell ...2 weeks ago
- Packaging generates a lot of waste – now Maine and Oregon want manufacturers to foot the bill for ...
Jessica Heiges, University of California, Berkeley and Kate O’Neill, University of California, Berkeley Most consumers don’t pay much attention to the packaging that their purchases come in, unless it’s hard to open or the item is really over-wrapped. But packaging accounts for about 28% of U.S. municipal solid waste. ...2 weeks ago - Hard News: Pearl, prescriptions and patient experts
As I've noted here before, for various reasons, the clinical evidence for cannabis as a teatment for pain and other conditions is not yet compelling. This doesn't mean it won't be, but as the International Association for the Study of Pain put it in a recent position statement, "promising" advances ...2 weeks ago - Strange And Disturbing Times 2.0Strange And Disturbing: If we are not living through revolutionary times, then what sort of times are we living through? Is there another great historical era that bears comparison with our present period of intellectual and moral ferment? While finding an exact historic parallel is, obviously, an impossibility – no two periods ...2 weeks ago
- The world is desperate for new antibiotics, and New Zealand’s unique fungi are a source of promisi...Siouxsie Wiles, University of Auckland While we’re all rightly focused on the COVID-19 pandemic at the moment, the SARS-CoV-2 virus isn’t the only microbial threat we face. Back in 2014, the World Health Organization (WHO) warned that within a decade, antibiotic-resistant bacteria could make routine surgery, organ transplantation and ...2 weeks ago
- Resolving a genetic mash-up: reconstructing an accurate evolutionary history of kākārikiPrioritising species conservation and over-stretched government funding is built upon an accurate understanding of evolutionary relationships and taxonomy. But what if that evolutionary history is wrong? More importantly, what are the consequences for endangered biodiversity as conservation funding and resources are re-assigned? Numerous examples have come to light in recent ...2 weeks ago
- Improving ventilation in schools: a key protection against Covid-19 outbreaks and an enduring legacy...Dr Amanda Kvalsvig, Dr Julie Bennett, Dr Jin Russell, Dr Jennifer Summers, Dr Leah Grout, Prof Michael Baker, and Prof Nick Wilson* As much of the country moves down Alert Levels, children are returning to in-person learning with little or no protection against the potential spread of Covid-19 infection in ...2 weeks ago
- Making The Terrorism Suppression Act Fit-For-Purpose.Infamous Day: Tomorrow, 11 September 2021, is the twentieth anniversary of the New York and Washington terrorist attacks. Think of the preliminary steps required to make 9/11 happen. Had they been detected, the tragedy could have been prevented. We need legislation equal to that task. HE WAS PROBABLY the smartest student ...2 weeks ago
- Languishing, burnout and stigma are all among the possible psychological impacts as Delta lingers in...Dougal Sutherland, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington As New Zealand remains under different levels of restriction, the psychological toll of the Delta outbreak may start to show, even as lockdown eases for everyone outside Auckland. We know that stress and isolation associated with a lockdown can ...2 weeks ago
- Skeptical Science New Research for Week #36, 2021108 articles by 621 contributing authors Physical science of climate change, effects Arctic amplification of climate change: a review of underlying mechanisms Previdi et al. Environmental Research Letters Open Access 10.1088/1748-9326/ac1c29 (provisional link) Understanding physical drivers of the 2015/16 marine heatwaves in the Northwest Atlantic 10.1038/s41598-021-97012-0 Observations of climate change, ...2 weeks ago
- Cancel this odious debtWriting on Newsroom, Laura Walters makes a case for cancelling student debt: [A]t the moment, loan debt is hurting the economy, holding back everything from small business formation, to new home buying, and even marriage and reproduction. So rather than offering interest-free borrowing, or expecting people to refinance their ...2 weeks ago
- Climate Change: The CCR is a failed, counterproductive policyWriting on Interest, and in the context of carbon farming displacing traditional sheep and beef farming, Keith Woodford says: Given that this year’s cost-containment reserve is already exhausted, there is considerable speculation as to what will happen as soon as the next auction on 1 December. The Government will ...2 weeks ago
- Licensing bonanza in computational life sciences* By Florian Pichlmueller (University of Auckland) and Christina Straub (ESR) . 2min read GPL, MIT, BSD, CC – no they’re not a secret vocabulary, these are in fact acronyms for open source licenses that allow code to be freely used, modified and shared. And there are many more – take ...2 weeks ago
- NZ Politics Daily: 9 September 2021Mall terror attack Andrew Geddis (Pundit): Why Not Just Send The Auckland Terrorist Back? Paul Buchanan (Kiwipolitico): The supermarket stabbing spree was not a terrorist act Hanlie Booysen (The Conversation): Social inclusion is important in Aotearoa New Zealand — but so is speaking honestly about terrorism Thomas Coughlan (Herald): Act and Greens agree on ...2 weeks ago
- Submission on Conversion Not-A-Therapy Bill
. . . . . References Legislation: Conversion Practices Prohibition Legislation Bill Other Blogs Boots Theory: End conversion therapy in Aotearoa . . . Liked what you read? Feel free to share. Have your own thoughts? Leave a comment. (Trolls need not bother.)rolls need not bother.) . = fs ...2 weeks ago - Equality, Equity & The Great Race Of Life.2 weeks ago
- The Person Who Lies To You The Most…. Is YouThis is a re-post from the Thinking is Power website maintained by Melanie Trecek-King where she regularly writes about many aspects of critical thinking in an effort to provide accessible and engaging critical thinking information to the general public. The difference between Cognitive Dissonance, Motivated Reasoning, and Confirmation Bias Dorothy Martin awoke early ...2 weeks ago
- Graham Adams: David Seymour is cast into hell… alongside Tova O’BrienTweets about giving Maori priority access to vaccines have blown up. Graham Adams assesses the damage. In his epic 14th-century poem Inferno, Dante depicted sinners who questioned established religion or whose heretical views damaged the fabric of society as trapped in burning tombs in the Sixth Circle of Hell, ...2 weeks ago
- Bryce Edwards: Political Roundup – What’s going on in the National Party?What exactly is plaguing the National Party? And would another leadership change help? These are the big and enduring questions that have surrounded the opposition party since they lost power in 2017. For the best answers to these questions, it’s well worth reading the latest piece by Matthew Hooton in ...2 weeks ago
- Musicians are urging us to vaccinate: the Australian federal government should learn from these movi...Andrea Fenton, Swinburne University of Technology A new ad has been released from the LIVE Alliance (Live Industry Venues + Entertainment) a music industry collective, under the guidance of advertising veteran Russel Howcroft. The campaign, Vax the Nation, is set to Powderfinger’s My Happiness. Here, the lyrics take on ...2 weeks ago
- More Labour secrecyThe government introduced a new Civil Aviation Bill to modernise the 30-year-old Civil Aviation Act and 55-year-old Airport Authorities Act today. Which is not normally the sort of bill I would comment on, except that it includes not one, but two new secrecy clauses. The first of these in section ...2 weeks ago
- The supermarket stabbing spree was not a terrorist act.
Blood had not even been mopped up from the floor after the supermarket stabbing spree when the prime minister strode to the parliamentary theatre podium and declared it to be an act of terrorism committed by an individual following an extremist ideology. Within minutes of her pronouncement the media sped ...2 weeks ago - Stupidly counterproductiveLast night the government made it mandatory for businesses to collect contact records. There are obvious concerns here around abuse - for example, the police forcing the production of someone's covid app data under a production order - and these concerns are a disincentive for some people to sign in ...2 weeks ago
- David Seymour – Arsehole of the Week
2 weeks ago - The OIA has a problem with extensionsThe Ombudsman released their latest OIA complaint stats today, and the headline is a rise in overall complaints. But buried in the data is something interesting: extension complaints have increased massively. There were 54 complaints about extensions in the first half of this year, compared to 29 in the previous ...2 weeks ago
- Why not just send the Auckland terrorist back?
In the wake of the LynnMall terror attack, there’s been a lot of questions asked and potential legal “fixes” proposed to the problem of why the terrorist was able to be active in the community. One particular issue, however, has yet to be fully addressed: what to do about the ...2 weeks ago - New research reveals animals are changing their body shapes to cope with climate changeSara Ryding, Deakin University and Matthew Symonds, Deakin University Global warming is a big challenge for warm-blooded animals, which must maintain a constant internal body temperature. As anyone who’s experienced heatstroke can tell you, our bodies become severely stressed when we overheat. Animals are dealing with global warming in ...2 weeks ago
- NZ Politics Daily: 8 September 2021Mall terror attack Bryce Edwards (Democracy Project): Political Roundup – Could government agencies have averted the development of a terrorist? Marc Daalder (Newsroom): How to stop the next terrorist RNZ: The Detail: Turning around a terrorist Kris Gledhill (The Conversation): Despite deportation and detention attempts, could New Zealand have done more to prevent Friday’s ...2 weeks ago
- With lockdowns easing for the rest of New Zealand, Auckland becomes the elimination frontlineMichael Plank, University of Canterbury and Shaun Hendy, University of Auckland The number of new cases in New Zealand’s Delta outbreak is now on a downward trend and we have a good chance of eliminating it, even as lockdown restrictions ease for most of the country from tomorrow. After ...2 weeks ago
- Geoffrey Miller: How 9/11 changed New Zealand’s foreign policyInternational analyst Geoffrey Miller reflects on the impact that the September 11 attacks had on New Zealand’s foreign policy This week’s anniversary of the September 11 attacks on the United States in 2001 is also an opportunity to recall the impact the tragedy – and the response to it ...2 weeks ago
- Bryce Edwards: Political Roundup – Could government agencies have averted the development of a ter...The tragic terrorist attack at an Auckland shopping mall on Friday has led to a lot of debate about how it could have been prevented. It turns out authorities were well aware of Ahamed Aathill Mohamed Samsudeen’s severe mental health problems and his capacity for violent extremism if not dealt ...2 weeks ago
- Show me the money: a new slogan for the climate movementThis is a repost from Medium by Karl Burkart of OneEarth When climate activists make generic statements like, “It’s time for climate action” or “Governments need to act like it’s a climate crisis”, what specifically do they mean? At this stage of the game, with the UN proclaiming a “Code Red ...2 weeks ago
- Language Matters: Kiwi metaphors of Covid-19Featured image: ‘’Romantic love is sometimes described as a journey: our relationship is at a crossroads, it’s been a bumpy road, we can’t turn back now, we decided to go our separate ways, this relationship isn’t going anywhere.’’ OPINION: If you are anything like me, you have probably been scouring ...2 weeks ago
- E-cigarettes: misconceptions about their dangers may be preventing people from quitting smokingJamie Hartmann-Boyce, University of Oxford When electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) first emerged, they became a popular way for people to quit smoking. But in 2019, a mysterious lung condition emerged that primarily affected young people, particularly those who vaped. This left many questioning the safety of e-cigarettes. The condition was named ...2 weeks ago
- trends in human evolution – the shoulderHumans are the only living hominid that can throw objects accurately & at speed – while some of the other great apes can throw objects, their speed & accuracy is not the best. (In his musing on human evolution, Darwin noted that adaptations allowing this would be at a selective ...2 weeks ago
- NZ Politics Daily: 7 SeptemberMall terror attack Clarke Jones (Guardian): I assessed the Auckland terrorist – our approach to extremism has to change Anneke Smith (RNZ): Muslim leader ‘baffled’ Corrections passed up rehabilitation offer for LynnMall terrorist Edward O’Driscoll (Newshub): Community leaders say Corrections shouldn’t have housed supermarket terrorist in mosque Charlotte Cook (RNZ): Terrorist threw faeces, assaulted ...2 weeks ago
- Life in lockdown, Round Two – Day 20 (@L3). . . . . . References Newshub: As it happened: Latest on COVID-19 community outbreak – Sunday, September 5 RNZ: Covid-19 update – 20 new community cases reported in New Zealand today The Border Mail: Truck driver in isolation with COVID, exposure site listed at Henty NZ Herald: Covid ...2 weeks ago
- Hollow Laughter, Mixed With Tears.Guarding The Stable Door: In the absence of the hard evidence only an actual terrorist atrocity can supply, the ability of New Zealand’s national security apparatus to pre-empt such attacks is legally and politically compromised. Indeed, even in the aftermath of an all-too-real terrorist massacre, the judicial and bureaucratic machinery ...2 weeks ago
- Down to Level 2: 2021 Edition (+ Rant about Australian Plague)
New Zealand’s struggle against Delta has been going pretty well. We’re not out of the woods yet, but we’ve only had one death so far, and Lockdown is getting eased. In fact, the country outside Auckland is moving out of Level 3 Lockdown, and into Level 2 (“heightened ...2 weeks ago - Too many cows in CanterburyMore than a decade ago, the then-National government overthrew the elected Canterbury Regional Council (ECan) and imposed a Wellington-appointed dictatorship to steal Canterbury's water for farmers. As part of the PR for this, they promised "ambitious" goals to improve water quality. A decade on, have they met those goals? Of ...2 weeks ago
- NZ is introducing mandatory record keeping to help contact tracers. But is the data protected enoug...Andrew Chen, University of Auckland From 11:59pm on Tuesday September 7, every person in Aotearoa New Zealand over the age of 12 will be required to keep a record of their whereabouts, either by scanning QR codes or signing paper registers many businesses and event organisers will have to ...2 weeks ago
- NZ Politics Daily: 6 September 2021Mall terror attack Thomas Manch (Stuff): The terrorist was a ‘highly damaged’ refugee, and efforts to help him failed Sam Hurley (Herald): The terrorist I knew and the attack I had long feared (paywalled) Andrew Geddis (Spinoff): Would harsher terrorism laws have prevented the mall attack? Alexander Gillespie (The Conversation): New Zealand needs to go ...2 weeks ago
- Life in lockdown, Round Two – Day 19 (@L3). . . . . . References RNZ: Covid-19 wrap for day 18 of lockdown Facebook: COVID-19 update – 5 September 2021 (video, @ 25:22) BBC: Coronavirus doctor’s diary – A super-spreading funeral that led to three deaths Fox4: Texas funeral becomes ‘super spreader’ event after 40 ...2 weeks ago
- A Smokefree Aotearoa – could taking the nicotine out of smoked tobacco products help us get there?Nick Wilson, Janet Hoek, Nhung Nghiem, Jennifer Summers, Leah Grout, Richard Edwards* This blog presents key findings from a modelling study where we estimated the impact that denicotinising smoked tobacco products could have on smoking prevalence in Aotearoa New Zealand. A policy requiring that all smoked tobacco products are virtually ...2 weeks ago
- Amanda McLean on trans rights orthodoxy...2 weeks ago
- Colombia: Petro – A Change to Change Nothing?Gearóid Ó Loingsigh 31 August 2021 Gustavo Petro would seem to be the presidential candidate of the self-proclaimed Historic Pact, a coalition of parties that claim to be progressives or left such as Colombia Humana, the Democratic Pole and various other personalities from the Colombian right such as the Senators ...3 weeks ago
- 2021 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #36Listing of articles linked to on the Skeptical Science Facebook Page during the past week: Sun, August 29, 2021 through Sat, September 4, 2021 The following articles sparked above average interest during the week: From tweet to updated rebuttal - a little saga, The Person Who Lies To You The Most…. ...3 weeks ago
- Now is not the time to overreactIsis Terrorist - Ahamed Aathill Mohamed SamsudeenWe all agree that the attack on innocent people at LynnMall on Friday was a cowardly and despicable act. Six people were seriously injured, with three still remaining in a critical condition at Auckland City Hospital.However, this is not the time for a knee ...3 weeks ago
- Life in lockdown, Round Two – Day 17 & 18 (@L3). . . . . . References Stuff media: Covid-19 outbreak situation report – what happened today, September 2 RNZ: Covid-19 case numbers – 28 new community cases in NZ today Stuff media: Covid-19 outbreak situation report – what happened today, September 2 RNZ: Covid-19 case numbers ...3 weeks ago
- A Grim Future for NationalJudith Collins must now know that the game is up. The Herald has decided that she must go – and the Herald can always be relied on to reflect the view of the National party. The signs are now coming thick and fast – and they are unmistakable. The latest ...3 weeks ago
- Staying Focused: Why Labour Still Won’t Help The Poor.Still Waiting: Triennium after triennium, this tawdry charade goes on. Labour’s leaders speak of rescuing the poor, not because they have any intention of doing so – the poor don’t even register such promises anymore – but because Labour knows that the kind, well-educated women voters, who now constitute its ...3 weeks ago
- Are We Undermining Science’s Credibility?
Perhaps one of the reasons for vaccination hesitancy is that we are too casual about what constitutes science.Some Māori health providers recently speculated that misinformation spread via social media is partly to blame for the poor vaccination rates among Māori (below the age of 40 – it is about two-thirds ...3 weeks ago - Climate Change: We need a total carbon budgetOn Wednesday the government blew its carbon budget, flooding the market with 7 million tons of extra pollution (at a social cost of over a billion dollars) in a failed attempt to keep carbon prices low. In the aftermath, Stuff quoted Climate Change Minister James Shaw as saying he would ...3 weeks ago
- Speech to SPREP Environment Ministers
Talofa Honourable Ulu of Tokelau Faipule Kelihiano Kalolo Tēnā koutou katoa and warm Pacific greetings from Aotearoa to your excellencies, ladies and gentlemen. The new science released by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change on 8 August paints an alarming picture of the projected impacts of climate change on the ...2 weeks ago - Additional Resurgence Support Payments to support businessBusinesses affected by higher Alert Levels will be able to apply for further Resurgence Support Payments (RSP). “The Government’s RSP was initially intended as a one-off payment to help businesses with their fixed costs, such as rent. Ministers have agreed to provide additional payments to recognise the effects of an ...2 weeks ago
- More Dawn Raids scholarships announcedDetails of the ‘Manaaki New Zealand Short Term Training Scholarships’, a goodwill gesture that follows the Government’s apology for the Dawn Raids of the 1970s, were released today by Pacific Peoples Minister Aupito William Sio. “These scholarships that are targeted to the Pacific will support the kaupapa of the Dawn Raids’ ...2 weeks ago
- One-way quarantine-free travel for RSE workers starting in OctoberOne-way quarantine-free travel for Recognised Seasonal Employer (RSE) workers from Samoa, Tonga and Vanuatu starts in October New requirement for RSE workers to have received their first vaccination pre-departure, undertake Day 0 and Day 5 tests, and complete a self-isolation period of seven days, pending a negative Day 5 ...2 weeks ago
- Govt boosts Pacific suicide prevention supportApplications have opened for the Pacific Suicide Prevention Community Fund as the Government acts to boost support amid the COVID delta outbreak. “We know strong and connected families and communities are the most important protective factor against suicide and this $900,000 fund will help to support this work,” Health Minister ...2 weeks ago
- Govt parks the expiry of licenses, WoFs and regosAs a result of the Delta outbreak, driver licences, Warrants of Fitness (WoFs), Certificates of Fitness (CoFs), vehicle licences (‘regos’) and licence endorsements that expired on or after 21 July 2021 will be valid until 30 November 2021, Transport Minister Michael Wood has announced today. “While this extension won’t officially ...2 weeks ago
- COVID-19 community fund to provide support for vulnerable women and girlsMinister for Women Jan Tinetti today announced a $2 million community fund that will provide support for women and girls adversely affected by COVID-19. “We know that women, particularly those who are already vulnerable, are disproportionally affected by the kind of economic disruption caused by COVID-19,” Jan Tinetti said. ...2 weeks ago
- Next phase of support for Fiji’s COVID-19 response announcedA further NZ$12 million of support for Fiji’s COVID-19 response has been announced by Foreign Minister Hon Nanaia Mahuta today. The package builds on previous tranches of assistance Aotearoa New Zealand has provided to Fiji, totalling over NZ$50 million. “Fiji remains in a very challenging position in their response to ...2 weeks ago
- Robotic asparagus harvester aimed at addressing industry challengesThe Government is backing a $5 million project to develop a commercial-scale autonomous robotic asparagus harvester, Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor announced today. The Sustainable Food and Fibre Futures fund (SFF Futures) is contributing $2.6 million to the project. Project partner Robotics Plus Limited (RPL) will build on a prototype asparagus ...2 weeks ago
- Additional Pfizer vaccines to arrive tomorrowMore than a quarter of a million additional doses of the Pfizer vaccine are on their way from Spain to New Zealand, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced today. The additional doses will arrive in Auckland on Friday morning to help meet the current surge in demand for vaccination. “It’s been ...2 weeks ago
- Young people to have their voices heard in Youth Parliament 2022The dates and details for Youth Parliament 2022 have been announced today by Minister for Youth Priyanca Radhakrishnan, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives. Youth Parliament is an opportunity for 141 young people from across Aotearoa New Zealand to experience the political process and learn how government works. ...2 weeks ago
- Boosting support for tertiary students affected by COVID-19Students facing a hard time as a result of COVID-19 restrictions will continue to be supported,” Education Minister Chris Hipkins confirmed today. The Government is putting a further $20 million into the Hardship Fund for Learners, which will help around 15,000 students to stay connected to their studies and learning. ...2 weeks ago
- COVID-19: Immediate relief available for Māori and iwi organisationsThe Government has reprioritised up to $5 million to provide immediate relief to vulnerable whānau Māori and communities during the current COVID-19 outbreak Minister for Māori Development Willie Jackson announced today. The COVID-19 2021 Whānau Recovery Fund will support community-driven, local responses to gaps in access and provision of critical ...2 weeks ago
- New beef genetics programme to deliver cows with smaller environmental hoof-printThe Government is backing a genetics programme to lower the beef sector’s greenhouse gas emissions by delivering cows with a smaller environmental hoof-print, Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor announced today. Informing New Zealand Beef is a seven-year partnership with Beef + Lamb New Zealand that is expected to result in more ...2 weeks ago
- Appointments to the New Zealand Qualifications AuthorityEducation Minister Chris Hipkins today announced new appointments to the board of the New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA). Former Associate Minister of Education, Hon Tracey Martin, has been appointed as the new Chair for NZQA, replacing the outgoing Acting and Deputy Chair Professor Neil Quigley after an 11-year tenure on ...2 weeks ago
- Govt supports residential house building by allowing manufacture of building suppliesThe Government has agreed to allow some building product manufacturing to take place in Auckland during Covid lockdown to support continued residential construction activity across New Zealand. “There are supply chain issues that arise from Alert Level 4 as building products that are manufactured domestically are mostly manufactured in Auckland. ...2 weeks ago
- Government invests in scientific research to boost economy, address climate change and enhance wellb...Research, Science and Innovation Minister Hon Dr Megan Woods has today announced the recipients of this year’s Endeavour Fund to help tackle the big issues that New Zealanders care about, like boosting economic performance, climate change, transport infrastructure and wellbeing. In total, 69 new scientific research projects were awarded over ...2 weeks ago
- Transport to drive economic recoveryThe Government is investing a record amount in transport services and infrastructure to get New Zealand moving, reduce emissions and support the economic recovery, Transport Minister Michael Wood announced today. The 2021-24 National Land Transport Programme (NLTP) was released today which outlines the planned investments Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency ...2 weeks ago
- Government congratulates NZ Paralympic teamThe Government has congratulated New Zealand’s Paralympic Team following an outstanding showing at the Tokyo Paralympic Games. “Our New Zealand Paralympian athletes have once again shown incredible talent, tenacity and determination at the Tokyo Paralympic Games winning 12 medals, with every athlete who represented New Zealand making us so proud,” ...2 weeks ago
- Aotearoa mourns passing of creative icon Billy AppleArts, Culture and Heritage Minister Carmel Sepuloni has expressed her condolences at the passing of Billy Apple, one of New Zealand’s most influential artists. “Today we’ve lost a giant of New Zealand art. Billy was a creative visionary, an inspiration and a friend to so many,” Carmel Sepuloni said. “Billy ...2 weeks ago
- Government attempted to deport terroristThe lifting of final suppression orders relating to the Auckland terrorist shows Immigration New Zealand had been attempting for years to deport him and also sought to detain him while deportation was considered in order to keep him out of the community. “The individual arrived in New Zealand in October ...3 weeks ago
- Prime Minister’s update on the 3 September Auckland terrorist attack***Check against delivery*** I want to begin with an update on the status of our victims from yesterday’s attack. We’re aware now that there were a total of seven people injured. There are five people in hospital, three are in a critical condition. The remaining victims have been treated and are ...3 weeks ago
- Tonga’s language week goes virtual This year’s Tonga Language week is going to be a virtual affair because of the nationwide lockdowns for Covid 19, said the Minister for Pacific Peoples Aupito William Sio. “We have been working closely with the Tongan community ahead of Uike Lea Faka-Tonga, and they have selected the theme Fakakoloa ...3 weeks ago
- PNG doctor from Daru Hospital dies from covid-19
Asia Pacific Report newsdesk A Papua New Guinean doctor evacuated from Daru in Western Province to Port Moresby last Tuesday has died – the latest medical person to succumb to the covid-19 pandemic in the country, reports The National. The doctor was flown to Port Moresby after she suffered severe ...1 day ago - Melodownz pays tribute to his ‘old as’ first car
Tāmaki Makaurau rapper Melodownz tells us about his first gig, first car, a short-lived pet goldfish and more in this week’s episode of FIRST. Melodownz is an acclaimed Avondale artist / MC / poet who you might have seen interviewing the likes of John Campbell and Paddy Gower over a bowl ...1 day ago - How Cuban medical training has helped Pacific nations face the pandemic challengeSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sharon McLennan, Senior Lecturer in Development Studies, Massey University Kiribati President Taneti Maamau (rear middle) watches the country’s vaccination campaign roll out in early September. GettyImages With the COVID-19 pandemic stretching health systems worldwide, Pacific countries have capitalised on their relative isolation ...1 day ago
- Mental health 10-year plan to guide government decisions – Minister Little
The government has announced a 10-year plan for improving mental health outcomes, and set up an external oversight group. ...1 day ago - Police Safety ‘Investment’: ‘Half-pie Do Nothing Announcement’
“The announcement today by the Minister of Police Poto Williams and Police Commissioner Andrew Coster, shows the pressure they have been under to deal with the rise and rise of gun violence – but have failed to deliver anything of any real substance,” ...1 day ago - Newsletter: New Zealand Politics Daily – September 22 2021Editor’s Note: Here below is a list of the main issues currently under discussion in New Zealand and links to media coverage. You can sign up to NZ Politics Daily as well as New Zealand Political Roundup columns for free here. Today’s content Govt Covid strategy Charlotte Cook (RNZ): Delta outbreak ...1 day ago
- Improving The Safety And Capability Of Frontline PolicePolice Commissioner Andrew Coster has today unveiled details of a new Tactical Response Model, following the Government’s funding commitment to improve the safety and capability of frontline staff. “Our frontline officers operate in a dynamic and ...1 day ago
- Balance Of Payments And International Investment Position: Year Ended 31 March 2021Key facts As at 31 March 2021: Of New Zealand’s $316.3 billion total investment abroad: 66.7 percent was in the United States of America, Australia, and the United Kingdom 9.3 percent was direct investment 65.5 percent was portfolio investment ...1 day ago
- Increasing Dangers Of Current Policing Recognised – Police AssociationThe New Zealand Police Association says today’s announcement of a new police tactical response model acknowledges that the proliferation and use of illegal firearms has changed this country’s policing environment, and officers and communities need ...1 day ago
- Dear Hilary: thank you for the readingThis lockdown, Hilary Barry spent half an hour every afternoon on Facebook, reading Pride and Prejudice to the nation. Adoring listener Pam Jones responds. Dear Hilary,Firstly, a weird disclaimer from one about to wax excitedly about your readings to the plebs: I didn’t listen to you all of the time. In ...1 day ago
- Stranded Orca Calf Documents ReleasedFollowing strong public interest, the Department of Conservation (DOC) has today published a series of documents outlining its response to the orca calf stranding near Plimmerton, north of Wellington, in July this year. The young, unweaned orca ...1 day ago
- Petition Launched To ‘Get 2 Vets’ Into NZ Per WeekAs New Zealand’s dire shortage of veterinarians continues to negatively impact both human and animal welfare, a petition has been launched urging the Government to allocate just two MIQ spaces per week so we can Get 2 Vets into NZ per week . ...1 day ago
- Classification Office To Collaborate With Project ArachnidThe New Zealand Classification Office has started a one year pilot collaboration with Project Arachnid, a global tool to decrease the availability of child sex abuse material on the internet. Chief Censor David Shanks said the worldwide scope of the ...1 day ago
- Government fails to front for Afghan interpreters who made trip to ParliamentA group of interpreters stood outside Parliament for hours on Monday, hoping to meet with the minister of immigration. No-one from the government showed. ...1 day ago
- Some Thoughts On Our Democratic InfrastructureDemocratic infrastructure We hear a lot about infrastructure, and the backlog of maintenance of roads and drains, the poor state of many of our older, and not so old, buildings. Millions, if not billions, of dollars are rightly allocated towards ...1 day ago
- Water reforms: Beleaguered Govt offers olive branch to mayors
Exclusive: New working group set up to find compromise on big new water authorities. ...1 day ago - Stopping Violence Needs MenA lack of male counsellors and social workers in the family violence sector is hindering efforts to effect change. National Network of Family Violence Services Kaiarahi/CEO Merran Lawler believes male practitioners are essential. She is concerned about ongoing ...1 day ago
- Executive Director Appointed For Abuse In Care Royal CommissionThe Department of Internal Affairs has appointed Helen Potiki to the role of Executive Director at the Abuse in Care Royal Commission for the remaining duration of the Inquiry. Ms Potiki has been acting in the role since July this year. She replaces ...1 day ago
- When takeaways mean so much moreThe return of takeaways has become a national shorthand for the shift from level four to level three, taking on a symbolism that goes beyond the food in the box, writes Charlotte Muru-Lanning.Apart from my habitual weekend flat white at my favourite cafe on Auckland’s Dominion Road, buying coffee made ...1 day ago
- NZ Primary Industry About To Lose BigA new visa scheme offering 3 years in Australia to agricultural workers threatens to crush NZ’s primary sector. Opinion piece: Immigration Lawyer Aaron Martin from NZIL Australians must be laughing at our immigration woes. The Australian government ...1 day ago
- Licensing Changes Not Enough To Get Kiwis MovingProposed changes to extend the renewal period of drivers licenses will do little to support Kiwis to become fully licensed, says Driving Change Network national coordinator Wendy Robertson. “Urgent action is needed to help the estimated 70,000 to 90,000 ...1 day ago
- Being bombarded with delivery and post office text scams? Here’s why — and what can be doneSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ismini Vasileiou, Associate Professor in Information Systems, De Montfort University ScamWatch For most people, the ping of an incoming SMS will induce some level of excitement — or mild intrigue at least. But with SMS scams on the rise, many may ...1 day ago
- How COVID has shone a light on the ugly face of Australian antisemitismSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Naama Carlin, Lecturer, UNSW The increased prominence of antisemitic incidents during the COVID pandemic may leave you wondering: has antisemitism always been part of the Australian social fabric, or are we facing a new, sinister trend? Members of Melbourne’s Jewish community have ...1 day ago
- Here’s what happens when you’re hospitalised with COVIDSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Julian Elliott, Executive Director, National COVID-19 Clinical Evidence Taskforce, and Professor, School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University The number of people infected with COVID-19 and requiring treatment in hospital is rapidly increasing. Vaccination provides very effective protection against ...1 day ago
- Curious kids: why do sloths go slow?Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Shelby A. Ryan, PhD Candidate | School of Environmental and Life Sciences, University of Newcastle Shutterstock Why do sloths go slow? Nina, Sydney, aged 5 You’re right, sloths do move very slowly! Sloths live in tropical ...1 day ago
- Early childhood educators are slaves to the demands of box-ticking regulationsSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Marg Rogers, Lecturer, Early Childhood Education, University of New England Shutterstock More than two-thirds of Australian early childhood educators reported working many extra hours to satisfy regulatory requirements in our 2021 survey. Half did unpaid work during accreditation — the ...1 day ago
- What are the protests against Victoria’s construction union all about? An expert explainsSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Giuseppe Carabetta, Senior Lecturer, Sydney University Business School, University of Sydney After violence on Monday outside the Melbourne offices of the Construction, Forestry, Maritime, Mining and Energy union, the Victorian government ordered a snap two-week shutdown of the construction industry. Yesterday these ...1 day ago
- What this collaboration between artists and health-care leaders teaches us about living through COVI...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Barbara Doran, Lecturer in Creativity and Innovation, Transdisciplinary School, UTS, University of Technology Sydney Topsy Turvy, Author provided A new project that spotlights the strain from COVID-19 on our health systems and the people who work in them has invited health-care ...1 day ago
- Comic of the Month: Levelling Out, By Zoë CollingThis month on Comic of the Month we take a look at a story of everyday lockdown emotions with Zoë Colling.Honest, real, funny and perfectly observed are all ways you could describe the work of Zoë Colling. Her full comics can be hard to find online (though there are a ...1 day ago
- Live updates, September 22: Elimination does not mean zero cases, says BloomfieldWelcome to The Spinoff’s live updates for September 22, by Stewart Sowman-Lund. Say hello at stewart@thespinoff.co.nz.8.10am: Newshub shake-up will see AM Show line-up changeMorning TV will look a little different in 2022, with Newshub announcing Amanda Gillies and Mark Richardson will leave The AM Show at the end of the ...1 day ago
- A stronger anti-terror law is coming fastLabour and National are united to pass a counter-terrorism bill by next week, despite opposition in parliament and from legal experts who want to take more time, Justin Giovannetti writes in The Bulletin.A new anti-terror law is speeding through parliament. After the terror attack in New Lynn on September 3, the ...1 day ago
- Clean Vehicles Bill passes first reading in ParliamentThe government's plan to reward those who buy EVs and low-emission vehicles and charge those importing gas guzzlers is now a step closer to becoming law. ...1 day ago
- Newsroom daily quiz, Wednesday 22 September1 day ago
- Newsroom daily crossword, Wednesday 22 September1 day ago
- How to talk to loved ones who are vaccine hesitantApproach the conversation not with anger and frustration, but with patience, respect and aroha, advises Kate Hannah.The team of 1.7 million – that’s the good people of Tāmaki Makaurau – and our wider teammates across Aotearoa need to get vaccinated, if they can. We need to do this so we ...1 day ago
- Cleaner, greener cars are finally on their way to our roads. But at what price?Emissions from imported vehicles may plummet as the government introduces new vehicle emissions standards. Some have called the policy the most significant step to reducing the country’s greenhouse emissions yet, while others claim it’s another tax that will do little for the environment. Who is right?Two months after the government ...1 day ago
- MIQ hopefuls – holidaymakers or just trying to come home?
While more than 5000 people were able to secure a room in Monday’s first round of MIQ’s virtual lobby and queue, there’s no certainty for the tens of thousands who missed out when the lobby opens again next week The new MIQ booking system may be the great leveller. Everyone ...1 day ago - The Speaker's new rules for the unvaccinated
Parliament will eventually be out of bounds for unvaccinated. ...1 day ago - Sorry, Mother!
A personal essay which asks: why does everyone always blame the mother? "Everyone blames the mother," Mum once said. It was an open address. But in my case it was true. For decades of my adult life, I blamed my mother. For what? Loving too much. That was Mum’s crime. ...1 day ago - Playing chicken: Police investigate failed poultry dealmaker
Customers promised plump returns shipping Brazilian chicken meat to China. ...1 day ago - Jo Cribb: Much at stake for women workers
Jo Cribb lifts the bonnet on our gender pay gap - and doesn't like what she finds. ...1 day ago - The feral dogs of the Far North
Packs of feral dogs have been causing heartbreaking stock losses throughout the Far North, and authorities are ill-equipped to deal with them All-night patrols with guns, baiting, trapping, surveillance cameras - Far North locals are trying everything to get rid of the feral dogs roaming the area and mauling their animals. ...1 day ago - Blockchain not just a case of good or bad
There's a lot to be gained by taking a balanced view of the opportunities and risks of blockchain technology, writes Simon Mackenzie. Here he explains how it's much more than just gambling on Bitcoin’s price volatility. Opinion: Hang on a minute, I think I’ve just been called a charlatan and a climate criminal. ...1 day ago - Kiwi handball captain aiming to change the world
Ardent New Zealand handballer Erin Roxburgh-Makea is empowering young women on and off the court, helping them realise they, too, have the skills to be leaders. At 29, Erin Roxburgh-Makea feels like she’s finally coming into her sporting prime. But the stages of her career where she can truly make a ...1 day ago - Govt won't review derailed efforts to rehabilitate terrorist
Justice Minister Kris Faafoi has refused to entertain a specific review of the failed efforts to rehabilitate the September 3 terrorist, which were interrupted before they truly began. ...1 day ago - Pat Baskett: The climate clock is ticking
New Zealand is dragging its feet taking action on what's supposed to be an emergency. Pat Baskett looks to the EU's Green Deal for inspiration on how we should be addressing climate change. The delay until May of the announcement of the Government’s strategies for the climate crisis is only the most ...1 day ago - Manufactured outrage over Shaw's Glasgow trip
James Shaw's limited delegation to the Glasgow climate summit has been the target of bad faith attacks weaponising the frustrations of New Zealanders stuck overseas, Marc Daalder writes Comment: James Shaw's forthcoming trip to the famed resort town of Glasgow is not likely to be much of a vacation. The United ...1 day ago - Concern over 'censorship' rules of NZ-Chinese news site
An influential Chinese-language media outlet in New Zealand warned its users their information could be shared with 'relevant state agencies' if they violated Chinese laws A popular news site could be exposing New Zealanders to Chinese state surveillance, Newsroom can reveal. The revelation raises questions about the role of media ...1 day ago - Energy chaos – coming to a market near you
If the great Russian novelist, Leo Tolstoy, had been an economist he might have written: “All happy market outcomes are alike, but each policy error is disastrous in its own way”. Certainly the implosion of the UK’s energy market manages to combine many familiar bad policy interventions, while nonetheless ...1 day ago - View from The Hill: Morrison and Macron need to talkSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra After mishandling its cancellation of the French submarines contract, the Morrison government is making things worse by suggesting the French really must have, or should have, known what was coming. As Labor keeps saying on ...2 days ago
- Podcast with Michelle Grattan: The Furious French and Porter’s fallSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra As well as her interviews with politicians and experts, Politics with Michelle Grattan now includes “Word from The Hill”, where she discusses the news with members of The Conversation politics team. In this ...2 days ago
- Clean vehicles bill passes its first reading in ParliamentA bill that sets up the legal framework for the government's clean car discount and fees for high-emission imports has passed its first checkpoint to becoming law this evening. ...2 days ago
- Counter-Terrorism Legislation Bill passes second readingLegislation that will introduce a new offence - planning a terrorist attack - is a step closer to becoming law. ...2 days ago
- Word from The Hill: The Furious French and Porter’s fallSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra As well as her interviews with politicians and experts, Politics with Michelle Grattan now includes “Word from The Hill”, where she discusses the news with members of The Conversation politics team. In this ...2 days ago
- Doherty modelling update provides the goalposts, but local insights will determine playSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Christopher Baker, Research Fellow in Statistics for Biosecurity Risk, The University of Melbourne The Doherty Report, released 10 August, underpins the vaccination targets in the federal government’s national reopening plan of 70% and 80% of the population aged over 16. However, since ...2 days ago
- If NZ’s covid elimination strategy is abandoned now ‘more Māori and Pasifika people will die’ANALYSIS: By Collin Tukuitonga, University of Auckland Auckland’s move to alert level 3 has also triggered speculation about whether the national covid-19 elimination strategy has failed or is even being abandoned. While the New Zealand government denies it, others clearly believe it is at least a possibility. The uncertainty is ...2 days ago
- NZ covid-19 breaches: Infringement fines to increase dramaticallyRNZ News Breaching covid-19 restrictions in New Zealand will now mean an increased infringement fee of up to $12,000 for individuals when imposed by a court, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has announced. Speaking at the daily covid-19 briefing today, Ardern said fines for breaches of the Covid-19 Public Health Response ...2 days ago
- Samoa Observer: The fallacy of a nuclear submarine deal for peaceEDITORIAL: By the Samoa Observer editorial board It perhaps wasn’t a remarkable coincidence that last month Samoa’s former Ambassador to the United Nations called on the United States to ratify a treaty declaring the South Pacific a nuclear-free zone. Ali’ioaiga Feturi Elisaia, currently Samoa’s High Commissioner to Fiji, made the ...2 days ago
- NZ experts say Auckland move to alert level 3 ‘risky’ – but PM still confidentBy Rowan Quinn, RNZ News health correspondent Alert level 3 is being called a roll of the dice that could either eliminate delta or send the country back into level 4. From tomorrow, Auckland will make the move after five weeks at alert level 4. Covid-19 modeller – and Aucklander ...2 days ago
- Pacquiao says boxing career over in favour of his presidency questBy Roy Luarca in Manila Filipino boxing icon Manny Pacquiao is leaving the sport that propelled him to stardom as he seeks the Philippine presidency in 2022 He is no longer fighting in the ring. “My boxing career? My boxing career is already over,” Senator Pacquiao told actress Toni Gonzaga ...2 days ago
- ‘It’s almost like grooming’: how anti-vaxxers, conspiracy theorists, and the far-right came to...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Josh Roose, Senior Research Fellow, Deakin University Scenes of protesters clad in hi-vis jackets and shouting anti-vaccination slogans have dominated the news this week. As the ABC reported: Some of those gathered held a banner reading ‘freedom’, while others sang the ...2 days ago
- Shaw says COP26 conference most important since Paris AgreementThe climate minister's trip to the COP26 conference and his delegation's use of MIQ spaces upon their return is again being criticised by the opposition. ...2 days ago
- Want to improve our education system? Stop seeking advice from far-off gurus and encourage expertise...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Glenn C. Savage, Associate Professor of Education Policy, The University of Western Australia Over the past two decades, Australian governments have committed exorbitant energy and resources to transform our nation’s schools. The driving force behind many reforms has been a narrative of ...2 days ago
- Opinion: My opinion on NZ’s Covid strategy is bold, unwavering and probably wrongIn the wake of the government’s decision to move Auckland down to alert level three, Hayden Donnell rises to the challenge that faces him, a human with a byline, to issue an opinion on elimination, lockdowns, and whether it’s possible to contain a delta outbreak.It’s official. The government has or ...2 days ago
- If you were called by a melody, how would it sound? Communities in Ethiopia and PNG name people with...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Hannah Sarvasy, Research Fellow in Linguistics, Western Sydney University Binoora Bhultse demonstrates the two-handed _moyzé_ whistling technique used in the Oyda district of southwest Ethiopia. Azeb Amha, Author provided 36-year-old Binoora Bhultse lives in Garda village in the Oyda district of ...2 days ago
- From ‘Mädchen’ to ‘Mutti’: as Angela Merkel departs, she leaves a great legacy of leadershi...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Gabriele Suder, Professor. Dean, New Business Acceleration, Federation University Australia AAP/EPA/Focke Strangmann With Chancellor Angela Merkel departing as one of the most significant politicians in a generation, the German elections of September 26 will be very closely watched. This is ...2 days ago
- New Campaign Aims To Highlight Mental Health Issues Stemming From Online Abuse And CyberbullyingCyberbullying is defined as “the use of electronic communication to bully a person, typically by sending messages of an intimidating or threatening nature.” The campaign You Wouldn’t Say It To Their Face produced by mental health charity Voices of Hope ...2 days ago
- No, we aren’t part of the nuclear submarine pact, but CER keeps us in a relationship with our cobb...
Reassuring news about this country’s relationship with Australia emerged from the office of Trade Minister Damien O’Connor yesterday after his virtual meeting with his Aussie counterpart. It was reassuring because of the concerns raised in some quarters after this country (where we pride ourselves on shunning nuclear power) was left ...2 days ago - Keith Rankin Analysis – New Zealand Superannuation: The Rules versus Common SenseAnalysis by Keith Rankin. Keith Rankin. Radio New Zealand (Checkpoint) ran stories last week about New Zealanders aged over 65 stranded in Australia who are at risk of having their pensions (‘New Zealand Superannuation’)stopped, and then having to repay the funds they received while in Australia. There is a simple ...2 days ago
- How to survive on Drag Race Down UnderWith news that RuPaul’s Drag Race Down Under is holding an open casting call, we asked this year’s queens to share their advice for season 2 hopefuls.What’s that I hear? Is it a Kylie Minogue song? Is it the unique twang of a New Zealand accent? Is it a door ...2 days ago
- Yet Another Greyhound Tests Positive For Prohibited Substances In ChristchurchIn a judgement released this week by the Racing Integrity Board, Craig Roberts was fined $2,000 after his dog Willene Bale tested positive for Ketoprofen at Addington Raceway in July 2021. This is the third time one of Roberts’ dogs had tested positive ...2 days ago
- Covid-19 update: PM says best way to flush out mystery cases is 'to test, test, test'Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern is also asking level 3 workers returning to work tomorrow to get vaccinated. ...2 days ago
- Personality traits may drive our ideas about fairness and sharingSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Milan Andrejević, PhD Candidate in Psychology, The University of Melbourne Shutterstock Disputes over fairness can create conflict. Families squabble over inheritances, societies polarise around the question of how to distribute wealth fairly, and nations become mired in territorial quarrels. ...2 days ago
- Unitec Cuts Shine Light On Broken SystemTe Hautū Kahurangi | Tertiary Education Union is once again dismayed but not surprised to note yet another Aotearoa New Zealand polytechnic attempting to cut its way to growth despite this repeatedly failed strategy contradicting the wishes of its parent ...2 days ago
- Shaw's Scottish Odyssey Insults Stranded Expats And TaxpayersResponding to the revelation that Climate Change Minister James Shaw will bring 14 staff to Glasgow for climate talks, and receive a special MIQ allowance , New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union spokesman Jordan Williams says: “We held a naïve optimism ...2 days ago
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