Author Archive
The Auckland Disease (var. North Shore)
Written By: - Date published: 8:42 am, July 26th, 2011 - 27 comments
There is a long and sordid relationship between National governments and developers. Just how many favours have National done for developers over the years? Are the so-called ‘Roads of National Significance’, especially the Holiday Highway, just a continuation of this practice? Is it any coincidence that Nicky Hager’s Hollow Men are all Shore Boys?
- Child welfare in the age of capitalist decay – a glimpse of New Zealand’s stolen generation
James Robb looks at the systemic issues surrounding the state taking children from their families. A shocking documentary video released last week by Newsroom reporter Melanie Reid, shows the attempts by social workers employed by Oranga Tamariki, the New Zealand state’s child welfare agency, ...1 hour ago - A fraught inquiry.
The inquiry into whether the SAS acted illegally during a nighttime raid on a suspected insurgent’s hideout in Afghanistan in 2010 (code named Operation Burnham), which resulted in six civilian deaths and serious wounds to 15 others, is slowly coming ...4 hours ago - The Ombudsman on Horowhenua District Council
The Ombudsman has tabled a report in parliament on the Horowhenua District Council's compliance with the Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act. While it finds no wrongdoing, its not exactly good. The money quote:In relation to official information requests, ...5 hours ago - Climate Change: Wellington joins the crowdWellington has joined the growing list of local authorities declaring a climate and ecological emergency. And to back it up, they've adopted a zero-carbon plan as well, pushing them towards greater investment in public transport and cycleways, building energy efficiency ...6 hours ago
- This changes nothingThe core claims of Jon Stephenson and Nicky Hager's Hit & Run are that the New Zealand SAS raided two villages in Afghanistan in search of "insurgents" who weren't there, and in the process killed six civilians including a three-year-old ...8 hours ago
- What Is A White Supremacist?
9 hours ago - How to Reduce Accountability: Downgrade the Chief Archivist!
One of the major issues which face a democratic nation is the challenge of keeping its bureaucracy accountable and responsive to the public. Over the years a variety of arrangements have developed with this objective.read more ...10 hours ago - StatsNZ to engage in mass-surveillanceStatistics New Zealand is planning to track everyone through their cellphones "for statistical purposes":Stats NZ is partnering with cellphone companies to launch a new way of tracking people's movements every hour. The population density programme will launch next month and ...1 day ago
- ReACTionary Politics.
1 day ago - Good riddance
Another major oil company has given up exploring in New Zealand: Chevron and Norwegian oil giant Equinor have opted to abandon their joint exploration efforts off the east coast of the North Island. The two firms have applied to surrender ...1 day ago - An invitation to corruptionWhen Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern hired a lobbyist to set up her government in 2017, she assured us that everything was above board and any conflicts of interest would be managed. She lied:The lobbyist who served as the prime minister’s ...1 day ago
- Budget 2019: How do we know transformation when we see it?
NZ has dethroned GDP as a measure of success, but will Ardern’s government be transformational? When you’re in politics, words are a high-stakes game. Voters and journalists hold you to them and there is a risk in using ...2 days ago - New Research for Week #24, 2019
A note of appreciation and a changing of the guardFor the past over eight years Skeptical Science staff volunteer Ari Jokimäki has produced a weekly list of links to recent academic publications concerning the fundamental science of climate change, global ...2 days ago - Speaking tour on West Papua
...2 days ago - From the vaults: The independence struggle in West Papua New Guinea (1978)The article below first appeared in the April 7, 1978 issue of the fortnightly left-wing workers’ paper Socialist Action. The article is referred to in Maire Leadbeater’s new book on NZ and West Papua – we’ll be reviewing the book ...2 days ago
- Imagine a world of speech without rules …This morning I had a chat to RNZ’s Morning Report about the ACT Party’s “plan to protect freedom of expression”.read more ...2 days ago
- Climate Change: Ireland will ban fossil fuelled carsIf humanity is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and avoid making the Earth uninhabitable, we need to stop burning fossil fuels. Transport is a key emitter, so this means we need to stop using fossil fuelled vehicles. A number of ...2 days ago
- The whitewash becomes a farceThe government's Operation Burnham whitewash has become a farce, with the SAS's victims refusing to participate any further:Afghani villagers are turning their backs on a Government inquiry into allegations six civilians were killed and a further 15 injured in a ...2 days ago
- Ocean advocates are increasingly concerned about climate change
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Daisy Simmons SACRAMENTO, Calif. – The world’s oceans are deeply affected by climate change – and vice versa. But until recent years, ocean advocates throughout California had long tackled issues like over-fishing ...2 days ago - The “Smiling Assassin” rides again: Key defends Hisco and more of ANZ’s “oversights”
There’s so much one could say about Key’s assessment of Hisco right now…
Suffice to say it was definitely the following: A) Perfectly reflective of the ... 3 days ago - Climate Change: Advice it was right to ignoreA story on Scoop from NZ Energy and Environment Business Week about how the government had "ignored advice" when setting its methane target caught my eye last night. The story is based on a week-old press release from National climate ...3 days ago
- “Oversight”New Zealand's spy agencies are supposedly subject to the rigorous oversight of the Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security, an independent watchdog appointed to keep an eye on them and ensure they don't break the law again. But that watchdog depends ...3 days ago
- My Universe just lost one of its brightest stars…
. . This morning, a little after 4am, Sharlene lost her brave fight against cancer. Rest in peace, Sharlene. You were always one of my brightest stars… . . Advertisements ...4 days ago - Ripped Away From Their Parents
4 days ago - 2019 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #24
A chronological listing of news articles posted on the Skeptical Science Facebook Page during the past week, i.e., Sun, Jun 9 through Sat, June 15, 2019 Editor's Pick Costa Rica Doubled Its Forest Cover In Just 30 Years! Costa ...4 days ago - Opinion Polling In 2019: More Art Than Science?
4 days ago - Climate Change Survivalism Is Not The Answer
4 days ago - Planetary health and ’12 years’ to actThis is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Jeffrey Kiehl Life makes us wake up to needed changes. A visit to the doctor’s office and accompanied tests indicate you have been diagnosed as pre-diabetic. Your doctor indicates two pathways to ...6 days ago
- Why hasn’t New Zealand been building more wind farms?New Zealand needs to decarbonise its electricity supply, while also increasing it to cope with the extra demand from electric vehicles. Wind energy is an obvious solution for this: we have an excellent wind resource, and its cheaper than fossil ...6 days ago
- Colombia: Coca, cocaine and negotiating with the stateby Gearóid Ó Loingsigh The coca issue has gained a new lease of life in Duque’s Colombia, although to be truthful it never really lost its importance to the state. Trump’s scolding of Duque for not doing enough to halt ...6 days ago
- Chemical watchdog confirms suppressed report but justifies the suppression
Director-General of OPCW Fernando Arias Gonzales admits Douma engineers report was legit and he was part of the FFM – but attempts to justify suppression of the report. France 24 reports that the head of the Organisation for the ...6 days ago - Strikes workWhen teachers demanded more time and more money to do their jobs, Education Minister Chris Hipkins was adamant: there was no more money and they should expect disappointment. No, after a joint strike and facing five weeks of rolling stoppages, ...6 days ago
- Equality comes to EcuadorEcuador's Constitutional Court has legalised same-sex marriage:Ecuador's highest court has approved same-sex marriage in a landmark ruling in the traditionally Catholic country. The vote at the nine-member Constitutional Court came as they ruled on the lawsuits by two same-sex couples ...6 days ago
- Arundhati Roy: ‘I don’t want to become an interpreter of the east to the west’Arundhati Roy is speaking at the Auckland Writers Festival on July 17. In this interview in The Guardian Roy discusses her writing and political activism. Gary Younge: One of the things I’m intrigued by at this moment is the way ...6 days ago
- Japan’s deadly 2018 heatwave ‘could not have happened without climate change’
This is a re-post from Carbon Brief by Daisy Dunne The record-breaking 2018 summer heatwave in Japan in which more than 1,000 people died “could not have happened without human-induced global warming”, a study finds. And the extreme heat felt in ...6 days ago - Access: Jim’s Truth
I've had a bit to say of late about YouTube, its algorithms and the escalating allure of certain facile "creators" to young men. I worry about this stuff. But I think it's also important to acknowledge that the alt-lite and ...1 week ago - Climate Change: National commits to failureNational released a policy document on the primary sector today, in which they commit to ensuring farmers do not have to do anything to reduce emissions: On climate change, National recommends farmers remain outside the ETS, while critics such as ...1 week ago
- Climate Change: Time to fix the RMAOMV's application for resource consent for drilling offshore exploration wells has highlighted a major flaw in our environmental legislation. Climate change, caused by greenhouse gas emissions, is our most pressing environmental threat. But the EPA, which is deciding the application, ...1 week ago
- Farmers are still poisoning CanterburyIn 2018, ECan decided to "solve" the problem of farmers poisoning the water with nitrates by raising nitrate limits so they could make the problem disappear. Of course, this didn't fix anything. Instead, its still getting worse:In Canterbury, polluting nitrates ...1 week ago
- Googling OIA requesters violates the Privacy ActI saw an interesting article from FOIMan - a UK-based fredom of information site - on the subject of agencies googling requesters. This is apparently a common practice, but their short advice is "don't": its not just creepy and intimidating, ...1 week ago
- From the vaults: Vanua’aku Pati declares provisional government – struggle for independence grow...The article below is part of our ‘From the Vaults’ series and first appeared in the fortnightly left-wing NZ paper, Socialist Action, February 10, 1978. We hope to be expanding our Pacific coverage in future. The Republic of Vanuatu came ...1 week ago
- Shirley Smith: In Her Own RightThere are a number of ways of reading Sarah Gaitanos’s biography Shirley Smith: An Examined Life. In my view – I knew Shirley a little – she would want to you to read it as her struggle to be recognised, ...1 week ago
- Dear friends: please stop hating on Clarke GayfordMultiple motivations are behind my various attempts to reduce involvement in online life. The preciousness of time is a big one. The pointlessness of digital feuds is another. The inevitable temptation to meanness is a third.read more ...1 week ago
- Britain’s criminal spiesLast month, we learned that MI5 had "compliance issues" around its data storage, and is retaining information for longer than necessary in violation of the law. But it turns out that its worse than that: they've been obtaining spy warrants ...1 week ago
- Botswana decriminalises homosexualityBotswana's High Court has ruled that colonial laws outlawing homosexuality are unconstitutional:High court judges in Botswana have ruled that laws criminalising same-sex relations are unconstitutional and should be struck down, in a major victory for gay rights campaigners in Africa. ...1 week ago
- Jacinda Ardern and the working poorby Don Franks In his June 8th piece “Jacinda Ardern looks unbeatable” journalist Martin van Beynen appeared unbeatable himself – at fawning praise. This week I was reading about John F Kennedy, the American president assassinated in 1963, and saw ...1 week ago
- Climate change: sea level rise could displace millions of people within two generations
Jonathan Bamber, Professor of Physical Geography, University of Bristol and Michael Oppenheimer, Professor of Geosciences and International Affairs, Princeton University This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. Antarctica is further from ...1 week ago - Justice denied is not justice at allI am fortunate enough to be a citizen of three countries – New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and Ireland – which gives me the right to live in all three places. So, let’s imagine I am a very bad person. ...1 week ago
- Another industry no-one wants to be a part ofWe see regular stories from farmers and orchards complaining that no-one wants to work long hours in terrible conditions for poor pay in their shitty industry. And now, its fishers. But in the process, they neatly explain why:"It's a hard ...1 week ago
- Climate Change: A climate emergency in AucklandNew Zealand's largest city has just declared a climate emergency. And its not just a symbolic move:While the declaration is largely symbolic, it signals the start of a more urgent and focussed approach by councillors to curbing greenhouse gas emissions. ...1 week ago
- FinallyNew Zealand troops are coming home from Iraq next year. Good. Their mission there was never moral, and seems to have involved directly assisting the Iraqi army in a murderous war, as well as assisting the US with mass biometric ...1 week ago
- The OIA and Parliamentary PrivilegeImmediately after being elected in 2017, the government started playing bullshit games over answers to written parliamentary questions. Since those games seemed to be systematic, I asked the likely culprit - Chris Hipkins - whether he'd given advice to other ...1 week ago
- Lobbying against key US climate regulation ‘cost society $60bn’, study finds
This is a re-post from Carbon Brief by Josh Gabbatiss Political lobbying in the US that helped block the progress of proposed climate regulation a decade ago led to a social cost of $60bn, according to a new study. Environmental economists Dr ...1 week ago - Not the transformation we were promised
The Wellbeing Budget opens with, “What is wellbeing?”, a question that has been widely posed and little understood. Treasury says “Wellbeing is when people are able to lead fulfilling lives with purpose, balance and meaning to them.” Long-term challenges facing ...1 week ago - The Public Sector Pay Puzzle
Who would have thought that so many different groups of public sector workers would have discovered at roughly the same time that they have been underpaid and under-resourced to such an extent? No one doubts that teachers of different kinds ...1 week ago - Rocket Man a glitzy spectacleby Don Franks Rocket Man is a glitzy spectacle, scooping up on the extravagant showmanship side of Elton John. Two hours of energy and flair. The relentlessly full on song and dance sequences mostly work, especially the fantasy sequence where ...1 week ago
- Climate Change: End pollution subsidies nowWhen National gutted the ETS in 2009, one of the ways they did it was to hand out huge subsidies to big polluters. Now the climate crisis is here, but the polluters want their subsidies to continue:The latest climate pleaders ...1 week ago
- Will NZ Post sabotage local body elections?School board of trustees elections were held last week. Unfortunately, NZ Post seems to have sabotaged them:Voting in the triennial elections for most school boards closed at noon on Friday, June 7. But Ponsonby Primary School principal Dr Anne Malcolm ...1 week ago
- The Tamakis Quest For Dominion: More “Handmaid’s Tale”, Less “Modern Family”.
2 weeks ago - 2019 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #23
A chronological listing of news articles posted on the Skeptical Science Facebook Page during the past week, i.e., Sun, Jun 2 through Sat, June 8, 2019 Editor's Pick White House Tried to Stop Climate Science Testimony, Documents Show Rod ...2 weeks ago - Israel’s snipers have injured thousands protesting the blockade of GazaSince March 30 2018 Palestinians have protested along the fenced border with Israel calling for a return to the lands they were expelled from in 1948. Israel maintains direct external control over the territory’s air and maritime space, most of ...2 weeks ago
- Media Link: The March 15 aftermath.I was interviewed as part of an Al Jazeera documentary on the aftermath of the March 15 terrorist attacks in Christchurch. The program is well worth watching because it addresses subjects that most of the NZ media do not want ...2 weeks ago
- Time for some accountabilityThe Herald (paywalled) reports that the GCSB called the Beehive to try and stop the government from announcing the Budget had been "hacked". Why? Because it was false, and they'd told Treasury Secretary Gabriel Makhlouf so. But instead, he lied ...2 weeks ago
- Getting what they paid for againOur fishing industry is pervasively criminal, with widespread under-reporting, dumping, and other illegal behaviour. The most effective way of stopping this crime is to put cameras on fishing boats to watch catches as they are brought aboard, enabling under-reporting, dumping ...2 weeks ago
- Climate Change: National still peddling denialOne of the core ideas underlying the Zero Carbon Act is the idea of policy durability: that in order to be effective, climate change policy has to survive multiple changes of government. As a result, the Bill has been watered ...2 weeks ago
- The Least We Could Do.
2 weeks ago - Was it Really a Wellbeing Budget?On the Friday morning previous to Budget Thursday, the Prime Minister gave what amounted to a pre-budget speech. It was not welcomed by the listeners, even though most New Zealanders may have found it promising But the audience was from ...2 weeks ago
- Not a good international citizenI've spent the afternoon crafting a brief submission to Parliament on the International Treaty Examination of The War Crimes Amendments to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court. The government wants to ratify a treaty amendment which would make ...2 weeks ago
- Climate Change: Chile going carbon neutralNew Zealand is currently in the process of enacting legislation to set us on a pathway to carbon neutrality (except for cows) by 2050. Meanwhile, Chile - not a country we think of as being especially rich - is going ...2 weeks ago
- New Fisk2 weeks ago
- Climate Change: An existential threatHow bad is the threat of climate change? Existential risk to civilisation bad:A new climate report co-authored by a former fossil fuel executive has painted a bleak outlook for the future of human civilisation - including nuclear war. Existential climate-related ...2 weeks ago
- Controversy Creates Cash: Simon Bridges and the Monday Night WarsWhen Simon Bridges leaked details of last week’s budget, it was a bit of a gamble.read more ...2 weeks ago
- No press freedom in Australia IIYesterday the Australian government raided a journalist for revealing its plans to spy on Australian citizens. Today, they're raiding the ABC for revealing that war crimes were committed by Australian soldiers:Australian Federal Police officers are raiding the ABC's Sydney headquarters ...2 weeks ago
- Climate Change: Try not to flyHow are people reducing their ecological impact to deal with climate change? In Sweden, they're giving up flying:The number of Swedes taking the train for domestic journeys has risen as plane journeys inside the country have fallen, reflecting rapidly growing ...2 weeks ago
- Europe – Left and RightThe Labour Party has always been an uncomfortable alliance between those on the one hand who are content to seek a politics that declines to accept the infallibility of market-driven outcomes and accordingly seeks to achieve greater social justice within ...2 weeks ago
- Compliance strengthened for property speculation
Inland Revenue is to gain greater oversight of land transfer information to ensure those buying and selling properties are complying with tax rules on property speculation. Cabinet has agreed to implement recommendation 99 of the Tax Working Group’s (TWG) final ...2 days ago - Plan to expand protection for Maui and Hector’s dolphinsThe Government is taking action to expand and strengthen the protection for Māui and Hector’s dolphins with an updated plan to deal with threats to these native marine mammals. Minister of Conservation Eugenie Sage and Minister of Fisheries Stuart Nash ...2 days ago
- Cameras on vessels to ensure sustainable fisheriesCommercial fishing vessels at greatest risk of encountering the rare Māui dolphin will be required to operate with on-board cameras from 1 November, as the next step to strengthen our fisheries management system. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Fisheries Minister ...2 weeks ago
- Greatest number of new Police in a single yearA new record for the number of Police officers deployed to the regions in a single year has been created with the graduation today of Recruit Wing 326. Police Minister Stuart Nash says the graduation of 78 new constables means ...2 weeks ago
- Ensuring multinationals pay their fair share of taxNew Zealand is pushing on with efforts to ensure multinational companies pay their fair share of tax, with the release of proposed options for a digital services tax (DST). In February Cabinet agreed to consult the public on the problem ...2 weeks ago
- Ngāpuhi tamariki in care nearly double any other Iwi
Chairman of Te Rūnanga Ā Iwi O Ngāpuhi, Rāniera Tau acknowledges that there is much work to be done if we are to collectively improve social outcomes for our people and reduce these terrible statistics. “We of Ngāpuhi Iwi have ...3 hours ago - Farmers department store workers taking strike actionWorkers at Farmers Department Stores who are members of FIRST Union are taking further strike action starting today. ...4 hours ago
- Chief Ombudsman releases first LGOIMA investigation reportChief Ombudsman Peter Boshier has published the results of his first investigation into how our local authorities are working with the Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act (LGOIMA). ...5 hours ago
- EU Security Union Commissioner on hate crime, terrorismThe European Union’s Commissioner for the Security Union, Sir Julian Beresford King KCVO CMG will present the annual National Centre for Research on Europe’s (NCRE) prestigious Europa Lecture at the University of Canterbury on Thursday 27 ...6 hours ago
- Tyre dust is another plastic pollution hazardIn a Ministry of Transport official documented study released shows that tyre wear from a truck is at least 100 times more than an average car. ...6 hours ago
- Buy-back scheme must work for rural firearms ownersThe firearms buy-back process for what are now prohibited semi-automatic firearms must work for rural firearms owners, Federated Farmers says. ...7 hours ago
- Borrowers’ pain demands “ambulance at top of cliff”As submissions closed last Friday on the Credit Contracts Amendment Bill, the clarion call from Ngā Tangata Microfinance , FinCap , budgeting services and poverty-focussed agencies throughout the country was unanimous: an interest rate cap must be a priority. ...9 hours ago
- Gun Control NZ welcomes announcement of firearms buy-backGun Control NZ welcomes the start of the buy-back of prohibited weapons. ...9 hours ago
- XE Data Update – New Zealand Q1 GDP ReleaseThe NZ GDP for Q1 has just been released. The GDP for Q1 came in better than forecast overall: Adjusted GDP Q1/ Annual : GDP +0.6% / +2.5% Consensus +0.6% / +2.3% NZ GDP over the last 12 months has ...9 hours ago
- GDP growth steady at 0.6 percentGross domestic product increased 0.6 percent in the March 2019 quarter, following a 0.6 percent rise in the December 2018 quarter, Stats NZ said today. ...9 hours ago
- Members “blind-sided” by Sanford job cuts proposalE tū says its members at Sanford’s Bluff fish-processing plant have been blind-sided by job cuts proposed by the company. ...9 hours ago
- Public consultation on information sharingTe Tari Taiwhenua – the Department of Internal Affairs (DIA) – is pleased to invite public consultation on the proposed Customer Nominated Services Approved Information Sharing Agreement (Customer Nominated Services AISA). ...10 hours ago
- Kiwi Sentenced for Assisted Suicides of Disabled PeopleYesterday Auckland-born euthanasia advocate, Sean Davison (58), appeared in the Western Cape High Court, South Africa, on three charges of premeditated murder. ...12 hours ago
- ANZASW statement on uplift inquiryThe Aotearoa New Zealand Association of Social Workers (ANZASW) welcomes the announcement by the Ombudsman to conduct a wide-ranging inquiry into Oranga Tamariki, Ministry for Children’s practices and processes when removing new born children under court ...1 day ago
- AMINZ welcomes Farm Debt Mediation BillThe Arbitrators’ and Mediators’ Institute of New Zealand today welcomed the Government’s introduction of a Farm Debt Mediation Bill. ...1 day ago
- Ministry of Justice bows to political agendaA Research and Evaluation Team from the Ministry of Justice have just issued what they euphemistically call an ‘Evidence Based brief’ on New Zealands’ Three Strikes Law. ...1 day ago
- Ombudsman to investigate removal of newborn babiesChief Ombudsman Peter Boshier is conducting his own wide-ranging and independent investigation into the steps Oranga Tamariki takes when newborn babies are removed. ...1 day ago
- New Police report sheds light on data often asked aboutPolice has today (19 June) released a new publication that provides a snapshot of Police data often asked about by the public. ...1 day ago
- Why is MBIE allowing Restaurant Brands to cheat workers?Unite Union is asking for Restaurant Brands to pay annual leave entitlements back further than they have agreed to do with the Ministry of Business Innovation and Enterprise. ...1 day ago
- Caritas promotes message to journey with migrant communityAcross New Zealand this week, Caritas is marking the National Day of Prayer for Refugees and Migrants on Sunday, 23 June, the day is set aside each year to fall as close as possible to the internationally celebrated World Refugee ...1 day ago
- Last oil giant isolated after majors pull outWednesday, June 19: Oil majors Chevron and Equinor have abandoned their oil and gas exploration permits off the east coast of the North Island, leaving Austrian oil company OMV as the last remaining oil giant in New Zealand. ...1 day ago
- Online certificates and passports – avoid ‘dodgy dotcoms’Registrar-General Births, Deaths and Marriages, Jeff Montgomery warns kiwis against unofficial websites selling New Zealand birth certificates. ...1 day ago
- XRQL requests a Climate and Ecological Emergency declarationOn 27 June, Extinction Rebellion Queenstown Lakes will present a deputation to QLDC requesting it declares a "Climate and Ecological Emergency". The council would be following the lead of more than 600 elected bodies representing some 74 million people ...1 day ago
- Australian professor condemns Kiwi euthanasia billA series of short videos featuring local and international euthanasia experts will be released across the #DefendNZ social media channels on Facebook , Twitter and Instagram from today. They are being released in the lead up to the likely Second ...1 day ago
- Don’t let your loved ones fall victim to scamsNew Zealand Police want to help prevent your loved ones falling victim to scams – and we need you to spread the word with your friends and families. ...1 day ago
- Oranga Tamariki – the health of childrenIn Te Ao Māori, the child is born of its parents, but belongs to the entire whānau. They are a taonga, someone to be celebrated and supported into their adulthood, where they can continue to contribute to their whānau, hapū ...1 day ago
- Minister Jones is totally wrong on 50 Shades of GreenMinister Jones is both wrong in fact and totally out of court with his accusations against the conservation lobby group 50 Shades of Green. ...2 days ago
- Farm Debt Mediation Bill a welcome reliefDairyNZ chief executive Dr Tim Mackle is welcoming yesterday’s announcement of the Farm Debt Mediation Bill as an example of an initiative that will mean a lot to farmers who may be feeling financial pressure. ...2 days ago
- Dolphin Protection Simple but Government’s Plan InadequateChristine Rose, Campaign Manager, World Animal Protection says: “The New Zealand Ministers for Conservation and Fisheries today (11/06/19) launched the long awaited Threat Management Plan (TMP) for Māui and Hector’s dolphins. But the consultation ...2 days ago
- Waimakariri LEC hosts Health Minister, Dr David ClarkOn Thursday 13 June, Waimakariri Labour Electrorate Committee (LEC) hosted Dr David Clark, Health Minister for an update on the Governents progress on mental health support for the people of North Canterbury. ...2 days ago
- Foundation sets up givealittle page for Afghan villagersThe Human Rights Foundation of Aotearoa New Zealand says the withdrawal of the villagers of Naik and Khak Khudday Dad from the Operation Burnham Inquiry is a sad indictment of the way the Inquiry has been conducted. The lawyers for ...2 days ago
- 2018 Abortion Statistics Show Opportunity for ImprovementALRANZ Abortion Rights Aotearoa said the abortion statistics released today by Stats NZ show little change in the general abortion numbers, but point to opportunities for improvement in health care if abortion law reform passes. ...2 days ago
- Hector’s and Māui Dolphin TMP Critical to their SurvivalOSOF welcomes the public consultation of the Threat Management Plan Review for protecting Hector’s and Māui dolphins from fishing-related and other threats. ...2 days ago
- Concerns at changes to Overseas Development Assistance“Recent changes in Government Overseas Development Assistance ODA and its support of New Zealand International NGO’s is of concern” says Rotary’s Stuart Batty. Prior to past Foreign Affairs Minister Murry McCully taking office, about eight of ...2 days ago
- IWC calls for end to set nets in Maui dolphin zoneThe International Whaling Commission is calling on the government to stop commercial fishing with set nets and trawling in the range of Maui dolphins. ...2 days ago
- Submissions called for on the Partnership Law BillThe closing date for submissions is Thursday, 25 July 2019. ...2 days ago
- Whanau First continues call for Royal Commission of InquiryNew parent advocacy group Whanau First is calling for the Government to start looking seriously at the cause of the issues which have led to the crisis over state separation of children from their families. ...2 days ago
- Excessive use of force by off-duty officerThe Independent Police Conduct Authority has found that an off-duty officer unnecessarily involved himself in a dispute between his friend, Mr V, and the friend's former partner, Ms S, in Christchurch in November 2015. When the dispute escalated, the officer ...2 days ago
- Proposed fishing catch limits released for public feedbackFisheries New Zealand wants public feedback on proposals to change catch limits for 20 fish stocks around the country. The proposals are part of a rolling set of annual reviews to ensure sustainability for current and future generations, says Fisheries ...2 days ago
- Banning unsafe cars may not improve safetyAttempts to improve safety by banning the import of older vehicles may actually keep older vehicles on the road longer, says the car review website dogandlemon.com. ...2 days ago
- Q+A: Health Minister Dr David Clark interviewed by Jack TameHealth Minister Dr David Clark refused to be drawn on whether DHB’s are underfunded, but conceded they’re under pressure. ...2 days ago
- Hector’s and Maui Dolphin Threat Plan Action needs more workThe government’s proposals to protect Maui and Hector’s dolphin are far too weak, are over- complicated, and do not include proposals for dolphin protection to the 100m countour that have been endorsed by many including international organisations, ...2 days ago
- Haere Atu Brian Tamaki"Self-appointed Bishop and prosperity-gospel confidence trickster of the poor and vulnerable, Brian Tamaki is using anti-Muslim racism to gain a political profile," says Sina Brown-Davis spokesperson for Tāmaki Anti Fascist Action (TAFA). ...2 days ago
- Second New Zealand Walking SummitThought-leaders to share plans to improve the walking experience at second New Zealand Walking Summit ...3 days ago
- Backbone: Open Letter to Prime MinisterOpen Letter to Prime Minister, Rt Hon Jacinda Ardern Re: Urgent need for a Royal Commission of Inquiry into New Zealand Family Court and Oranga Tamariki We are writing on behalf of the women and children of New Zealand in ...3 days ago
- Have your say on fair pay for support workersThe Health Committee is seeking submissions on the Support Workers (Pay Equity) Settlements Amendment Bill. The bill aims to address historical inequalities and ensure support workers receive fair pay. It seeks to do this by clearly defining the role of ...3 days ago
- Q + A – Monday June 17Judith Collins talks to Jack Tame about what National would do about our housing affordability problem. It’s her first big interview since she took the lead over Simon Bridges in our preferred Prime Minister poll. ...3 days ago
- Eating Meat is Killing the PlanetIt's the even bigger inconvenient truth! Eating meat is killing our planet! Although Kiwis have reduced their red meat intake over the last 10 years, dropping from 85 to 72kg, p.a, it's still way above new world health guidelines which ...3 days ago
- Maori Council, Hobson’s Pledge and huiNew Zealand Maori Council calls Hobson’s Pledges claims that they would accept an invitation for a hui LIES – after the organisation declines mediation over Human Rights Commission complaint. ...3 days ago
- An independent assessment of New Zealand defence policyIn early May 2019, and partly as a result of the accelerating impacts of climate change, a loose association of independent analysts determined that there was a need to highlight what we perceive to be significant national security risks and ...3 days ago
- Watch: Building boom masks economic slowdown
Kiwibank chief economist Jarrod Kerr says fewer Chinese visitors to NZ and a quiet housing market is putting the services sector under pressure. ...31 mins ago - Why we should be wary of expanding powers of the Australian Signals Directorate
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Terry Goldsworthy, Associate Professor in Criminology, Bond University Last week, Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton reignited the debate about new spying powers for Australian authorities during an interview on the ABC Insiders ...43 mins ago - NSW budget: giving schools extra money only if they meet ‘outcomes’ can hamper teaching standard...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kellie Bousfield, Associate Head of School, School of Education, Charles Sturt University This week’s New South Wales budget delivered some good news for education. The government promised 4,600 extra public school teachers, ...1 hour ago - Does gun buyback strike the right balance?
The buyback will only be effective if it's fair, but uncertainty remains over whether the balance has been struck. ...2 hours ago - The Aussie venture capitalist investing in NZ businessesBusiness is Boring is a weekly podcast series presented by The Spinoff in association with Callaghan Innovation. Host Simon Pound speaks with innovators and commentators focused on the future of New Zealand, with the interview available as both audio and ...2 hours ago
- MH17 charges: who the suspects are, what they’re charged with, and what happens next
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Amy Maguire, Associate Professor, University of Newcastle Four men – three Russians and one Ukrainian – will be charged in relation to the shooting down of the Malaysia Airlines flight MH17, which ...2 hours ago - Memo to the environment minister: a river does need all its water
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Paul Humphries, Senior lecturer in Ecology, Charles Sturt University Given her new role as federal environment minister, one of Sussan Ley’s comments in an interview with Nine Newspapers was eyebrow-raising, to put ...2 hours ago - There are 70 million refugees in the world. Here are 5 solutions to the problem
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Gerhard Hoffstaedter, Senior lecturer in Anthropology, The University of Queensland This week, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi, labelled the world’s refugee problem a crisis that is primarily impacting developing ...3 hours ago - There are 70 million refugees in the world. Here are 5 solutions how to help themSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Gerhard Hoffstaedter, Senior lecturer in Anthropology, The University of Queensland This week, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi, labelled the world’s refugee problem a crisis that is primarily impacting developing ...3 hours ago
- The Real Pod: When the dance floor closes, a firehouse door opens
The Real Pod assembles to dissect the week in reality television and real life, with special thanks to Nando’s.The team is back to give it a good old Kiwi try across the seas this week, perhaps one of the biggest reality ...3 hours ago - The insider’s guide to cycling Auckland’s inner west
Mt Albert isn’t exactly known as a cyclist’s paradise, but it has some good rides if you know where to look. Local rider Helen King shares her secrets to cycling in the suburb.Being a bike enthusiast in Mt Albert can ...4 hours ago - There are 70 million refugees in the world. Here are five solutions how to help themSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Gerhard Hoffstaedter, Senior lecturer in Anthropology, The University of Queensland This week, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi, labelled the world’s refugee problem a crisis that is primarily impacting developing ...4 hours ago
- NZ must add its voice to China-Canada dispute
The friend of a Canadian academic detained by China says Jacinda Ardern should do more to raise his plight. ...4 hours ago - Gun owners angry, disappointed over government buyback scheme
Gun owners feel angry, disappointed and ripped-off by the government's buyback plan, a local lobby group says. ...4 hours ago - GDP steady in first quarter
Economic growth has risen modestly in the first three months of the year. ...4 hours ago - The Offspin Podcast: Can you even call South Africa’s loss a choke?In episode eight of The Offspin, we break down the best game of the tournament so far, and talk about the shattered dreams of South African cricket. Writer and journalist James Borrowdale grew up with dreams of South African cricket running ...4 hours ago
- Media Files: Australians’ trust in news media is falling as concern over ‘fake news’ growsSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrea Carson, Associate Professor at La Trobe University. Department of Politics, Media and Philosophy, La Trobe University On today’s episode, we hear from Caroline Fisher, an assistant professor of journalism at the ...5 hours ago
- A definitive list of fireable offences over 15 seasons of Grey’s Anatomy
After 15 seasons, pretty much every doctor on Grey’s Anatomy should be fired or in jail. Sam Brooks revisits all the wild fireable offences that have happened in television’s longest-running medical drama.Fourteen years ago, a little show called Grey’s Anatomy descended upon ...5 hours ago - Peters backs Boris Johnson for British PMDeputy Prime Minister Winston Peters has given a glowing endorsement to UK prime ministerial candidate Boris Johnson. ...5 hours ago
- Revealed: Christopher Luxon is not definitely the next National PMThe CEO of Air New Zealand Christopher Luxon has resigned, leading to feverish speculation that not only will he get into politics, but that he’ll be the next National PM. Why?Watching the takes unfold around the apparently imminent and glorious ...5 hours ago
- Voters to be able to enrol on election day – Andrew LittleVoters will be able to enrol and vote on election day next year, Justice Minister Andrew Little says. ...5 hours ago
- At risk and on the menu
Longfin eels are available for live export. They have the same threatened species as North Island brown kiwi but don't enjoy the same level of protection. ...6 hours ago - Here’s how to make our cities breastfeeding-friendly
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jenny Donovan, Urban Designer and Sessional Lecturer, La Trobe University Seen through the eyes of new mothers, our towns and cities can often seem like uncomfortable and uninviting places to breastfeed. Although ...6 hours ago - Bryce Edwards’ Political Roundup: Have corporate lobbyists been running this government?When politicians are in bed with vested interests it shapes the world in a particular way. It means that the most powerful and rich in society get their way, and the will of ordinary people is sidelined in a democracy. ...7 hours ago
- Newsletter: New Zealand Politics Daily – June 20 20197 hours ago
- Immigration NZ offers Israel apology after map error
Winston Peters has slammed a "careless and shoddy mistake" which led to Israel being left off an official map. ...7 hours ago - PNG police minister uses social media to arrest alleged sex offender
Pacific Media Watch Newsdesk Papua New Guinea’s Police Minister Bryan Kramer has used social media to arrest a man accused of sexually abusing his granddaughter. Kramer wrote a Facebook post in which he described being notified of a post ...7 hours ago - Cross-over cocktail: Indies & Idols mixes rock stars with modern Polish composers
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By David Larkin, Senior Lecturer in Musicology, University of Sydney Review: Indies & Idols, Australian Chamber Orchestra, Sydney Opera House “The most heterogeneous ideas are yoked by violence together”: what Samuel Johnson wrote ...7 hours ago - A beloved bike recycle co-op is closing down to make way for a car park
For anyone considering fixing up a bike, sourcing bike parts, or just has an interest in perusing a yard full of years’ worth of trash-turned-treasure, now is your time.Loop Groop – the Eden Terrace co-op that rescues and repairs old ...7 hours ago - After Eat, Pray, Love: a flamboyant new novel by Elizabeth Gilbert, reviewed
City of Girls is not a cautionary tale, but rather a celebration of what happens when women cease to be cautious, writes Scarlett Cayford. I’ve loved Liz Gilbert for a while now. It wasn’t Eat, Pray, Love that won me over, ...7 hours ago - Curious Kids: how is the Sun burning?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alina Donea, Senior Lecturer, Monash Centre for Astrophysics, Monash University Curious Kids is a series for children. If you have a question you’d like an expert to answer, send it to curiouskids@theconversation.edu.au ...8 hours ago - Converting nitrates: science’s alternative solution for clean drinking waterConcern about nitrates in Canterbury municipal water supplies emphasises the need for new ways to solve the nitrate problem, and Dr Anna Garden might be the scientist to do it.Dr Anna Garden is not your typical chemist. You won’t find ...8 hours ago
- MediaRoom: the post-paywall audience numbers
The new Herald paywall has not deterred many people from visiting its website, but when they go there they are viewing fewer news stories. ...8 hours ago - Vanuatu government more open under information law, says journalist
By RNZ Pacific One of Vanuatu’s leading journalists has said the right to information law has contributed to an air of openness in the country. The Right to Information Act was passed two years ago and will be extended ...8 hours ago - A ‘profound collapse’ in Treasury advice led to pre-budget leak sagaPublic service chief executives are now more interested in making their mark than providing government ministers with decent advice – and it’s having disastrous consequences, a former senior Treasury official writes.Sometimes on a Tuesday morning you may hear a low, ...10 hours ago
- PM defends handling of senior staffer’s conflicts of interestPrime Minister Jacinda Ardern says she's comfortable with the way her interim chief of staff's conflicts of interest were managed. ...11 hours ago
- New research could lead to a pregnancy test for endangered marsupials
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Oliver Griffith, ARC DECRA Fellow, University of Melbourne Many women realise they are pregnant before they’ve even done the test – perhaps feeling a touch of nausea, or tender, larger-than-usual breasts. For ...12 hours ago - ‘I didn’t want to be homeless with a baby’: young women share their stories of homelessness
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jacki Montgomery, Lecturer, Advertising and Media, Western Sydney University Increasing numbers of women lack a safe and secure place to call home. But most women who are homeless are “invisible”. You don’t ...12 hours ago - Weekly Dose: Krokodil, the Russian ‘flesh-eating’ drug, makes a rare appearance in AustraliaSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Julaine Allan, Senior research fellow, Charles Sturt University A young man recently turned up at a rural drug and alcohol service in New South Wales seeking help because of an infection in ...12 hours ago
- Here’s what teachers look for when kids start school
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Amy Graham, PhD Candidate, Charles Darwin University Many parents believe teaching their child to read is the best way to get them ready to start school, but teachers often disagree. Teachers generally ...12 hours ago - Buck-passing on apartment building safety leaves residents at riskSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Geoff Hanmer, Adjunct Lecturer in Architecture, UNSW Hundreds of residents in a Sydney apartment complex, the 122-unit Mascot Towers, were evacuated last Sunday when cracks began to appear due to a serious ...12 hours ago
- Myth busted. Boosting super would cost the budget more than it saved on age pensions
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Brendan Coates, Program Director, Household Finances, Grattan Institute It is often claimed that Australia’s superannuation system will ease the budgetary burden of an ageing population. It’s certainly the impression put about by ...12 hours ago - Frozen was our most important feminist film but the sequel won’t have the same impact
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Darren Paul Fisher, Head of Directing, Department of Film, Screen and Creative Media, Bond University “Elsa, the past is not what it seems.” The opening line from the latest Frozen II trailer ...12 hours ago - The Bulletin: Bleak task ahead for Oranga Tamariki inquiries
Good morning, and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Third Oranga Tamariki inquiry announced, Herald highlights iniquities in health sector, and significant new claims around Operation Burnham.A third inquiry into Oranga Tamariki has been announced, and this one looks like ...13 hours ago - Luxon readies for political takeoff
Christopher Luxon may want to emulate John Key's path to the National Party leadership and the ninth floor of the Beehive. Bernard Hickey argues he will have to be careful to avoid copying Don Brash instead. ...13 hours ago - When Newsroom briefed the Govt on KiwiBuild
Treasury used a Newsroom story to remind ministers they couldn't sell Crown land on the cheap for KiwiBuild. ...15 hours ago - World Refugee Day: ‘Alive’ tells stories of Cambodian resettlement in New Zealand
A mortar and pestle, a pair of scissors and a cooking pot are among the objects Cambodian refugees have kept with them since resettling in New Zealand.Kim Hak grew up in Cambodia just after the fall of the Khmer Rouge ...15 hours ago - World Refugee Day: Who will write the history of the Christchurch terror attack?We’ve heard a great deal about the Kiwi response to the Christchurch terror attack but less from inside the event. Historian Ann Beaglehole considers how we support victims to ensure the history is written from their perspectives.When outside forces attack, ...15 hours ago
- World Refugee Day: ‘I have wondered what some people might really think of me being here’
It is going to be a long journey to rebuild communities where people feel safe after the Christchurch terror attack. But if we commit to working together, it’s possible, former refugee Dennis Maang writes on World Refugee Day. Following the ...15 hours ago - World Refugee Day: ‘Mum, I am safe in a country called New Zealand’
Wahida Zahedi’s love for Christchurch began with a postcard of the Port Hills, sent from almost 14,700km away. This World Refugee Day, she shares her journey from Afghanistan to her new home.Christchurch. How can I describe this magical city? The ...15 hours ago
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