Author Archive
What does The Standard mean for you?
Written By: - Date published: 7:00 am, June 20th, 2021 - 60 comments
Let’s hear from you in this unscientific survey!
The Non-Partisan Populism of Popper’s Paradox
Written By: - Date published: 6:18 pm, May 22nd, 2021 - 91 comments
When democracy and free speech are hijacked to silence others, they can no longer support their principles and become a contradictio in terminis.
The Problem with Personification in Politics
Written By: - Date published: 7:00 am, April 19th, 2021 - 12 comments
It is a grave mistake to treat Ministries as if they are real persons.
Einstein versus Trump*
Written By: - Date published: 7:00 am, April 18th, 2021 - 10 comments
Einstein tried to explain complex things and understand reality; Trump tried to explain it away and distort reality.
Covid Zeitgeist
Written By: - Date published: 12:04 pm, March 21st, 2021 - 31 comments
NZ politics needs recharging and renewal to move forward. We need more charging stations.
The Unbearable Lightness of the Bright-Line Test
Written By: - Date published: 4:20 pm, March 13th, 2021 - 96 comments
The bright-line test is a red herring and does nothing to deter housing speculation.
You have 30 min to get your business in order!
Written By: - Date published: 12:50 pm, March 12th, 2021 - 77 comments
Government should have announced the decision for Auckland to go down to Level 1 first thing this morning.
So, You Want To Buy Your First Home?
Written By: - Date published: 7:00 am, March 7th, 2021 - 75 comments
Money does not grow on trees, it grows on houses. It is pure magic!
An Introvert’s Guide to Spending Money*
Written By: - Date published: 1:38 pm, December 29th, 2020 - 30 comments
Don’t waste your money on shit, spend it on good shit.
Words of Outrage or Outrageous Action?
Written By: - Date published: 7:00 am, December 24th, 2020 - 30 comments
Do you reward rage with rage or do you ignore it and walk away quietly?
Tranquillum
Written By: - Date published: 7:28 pm, December 6th, 2020 - 134 comments
Don’t expect a jellyfish to grow a spine, they just bob along on the current and keep moving, gently, slowly, kindly.
A Bit About How (my) Moderation Works (at present)
Written By: - Date published: 9:58 pm, November 29th, 2020 - 26 comments
An attempt to clarify some misconceptions and dispel some urban myths about (my) moderation.
PPE from a Universe Far, Far Away
Written By: - Date published: 2:33 pm, August 22nd, 2020 - 11 comments
An antidote against the pounding waves of BS coming from inside and outside Aotearoa.
A Stunt Scene from Mission Impossible*
Written By: - Date published: 3:52 pm, August 17th, 2020 - 16 comments
In NZ politics, the perception of fairness matters more than actual fairness.
National Has Found a Moral Compass
Written By: - Date published: 3:46 pm, June 6th, 2020 - 34 comments
National has embarked on a moral crusade to not lose the Election.
Is National Just Inconsistent or Incompetent?
Written By: - Date published: 7:00 am, June 1st, 2020 - 65 comments
National’s new job-creation scheme appears to be inconsistent with their desire to fully re-instate the 90-day trial period.
Draconian Tourism or no Tourism?
Written By: - Date published: 7:00 am, April 27th, 2020 - 192 comments
If overseas tourists want to visit NZ, they may have to give up a little bit of their privacy to keep all of us safe.
How Not to Engage in Public Debate
Written By: - Date published: 7:00 am, April 15th, 2020 - 95 comments
The best way to engage in public debate on the lockdown is to be open, clear, and transparent and show the facts. A press release full of beliefs and reckons is unhelpful and irresponsible.
Are the Vultures Already Circling Above?
Written By: - Date published: 7:00 am, April 14th, 2020 - 116 comments
We cannot go back to business as usual after the lockdown but can we shape the way things will be for the greater good?
National’s Petition is Cynical Populism
Written By: - Date published: 12:45 pm, April 9th, 2020 - 124 comments
National is trying to steal show political leadership and relevance by launching a petition.
Addendum added
About Carrots and Sticks
Written By: - Date published: 2:41 pm, April 4th, 2020 - 119 comments
How can we improve motivation to stamp out this virus in New Zealand?
Holding the Government to Account or Concern Trolling?
Written By: - Date published: 8:00 am, March 31st, 2020 - 35 comments
When Opposition Spokespersons behave like concern trolls, we have a problem.
One Virus to Rule Them All
Written By: - Date published: 2:33 pm, March 28th, 2020 - 37 comments
Trying to make sense of what’s happening is mindboggling.
Constructive Criticism and Team Work In Politics
Written By: - Date published: 1:51 pm, January 26th, 2020 - 34 comments
Team play is more important than ever in politics.
Known Knowns and All the Other Ones
Written By: - Date published: 12:49 am, January 4th, 2020 - 6 comments
We cannot know everything and our only option is to trust others who know stuff that we don’t.
It Is the Thought That Counts
Written By: - Date published: 12:33 am, December 28th, 2019 - 70 comments
Antagonistic personalities are an obstacle to effective politics tackling major present problems.
MMP Mark II*
Written By: - Date published: 11:57 pm, December 25th, 2019 - 24 comments
What beats MMP? Open-list proportional representation with a low threshold would be a good option.
Democratisation by Social Media and the Internet Is Just Meaningless Waffle
Written By: - Date published: 1:35 pm, December 24th, 2019 - 22 comments
Social Media and the Internet are literally in our faces 24/7 but our political engagement is diminishing.
Two Referendums Too Many
Written By: - Date published: 1:32 pm, November 16th, 2019 - 50 comments
The referendums on two contentious issues could cloud and crowd out the General Election.
Smells Like Stale Male Spirit
Written By: - Date published: 7:01 am, August 18th, 2019 - 92 comments
We live in a rich and diverse society but this is not reflected in our local government.
Dinosaurs Fight Extinction Rebellion
Written By: - Date published: 12:46 am, July 17th, 2019 - 181 comments
Dinosaurs are speeding up our extinction.
- 2021 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #30
Listing of articles linked to on the Skeptical Science Facebook Page during the past week: Sun, July 18, 2021 through Sat, July 24, 2021 The following articles sparked above average interest during the week: Extreme rainfall in China: over 25 inches falls in 24 hours, leaving 33 dead, As scientists have ...6 hours ago - Capitalists in Space
. . Billionaire Richard Branson did it. Also-billionaire, Jeff Bezos, did it. Both will be the first money-hoarders into space (or sub-orbital near-space, to be more specific). Also-also-billionaire, Elon Musk – not content with sub-orbital ‘jaunts’ – has expressed a desire to go Full Interplanetary and personally colonise Mars. Meanwhile, ...9 hours ago - Elizabeth Rata: Responding to Andrew Geddis on Treaty Partnerships
My recent article about the role that the concept of a Treaty ‘partnership’ has played in the development of ethno-nationalism provoked a critical response from Professor Andrew Geddis. We obviously have different opinions about the value of a Treaty partnership in New Zealand’s liberal democracy. My purpose here is to ...12 hours ago - When tough on crime goes wrong
If there’s one thing that you can safely rely on, it’s right-wing politicians grandstanding with tough on crime rhetoric. It's understandable being that such propaganda is usually a sure bet, obviously because a very large proportion of the public wants to see less crime and fewer criminals in their communities.However ...2 days ago - Billionaire space race: the ultimate symbol of capitalism’s flawed obsession with growth
Tim Jackson, University of Surrey Mars ain’t the kind of place to raise your kids, laments the Rocket Man in Elton John’s timeless classic. In fact, it’s cold as hell. But that doesn’t seem to worry a new generation of space entrepreneurs intent on colonising the “final frontier” as fast ...2 days ago - Michael Cullen’s Policy Achievements
Philosophers have hitherto only interpreted the world in various ways; the point is to change it.Implicit in the title of the Michael Cullen’s memoir Labour Saving is his greatest policy achievement of improving the savings of the economy, as well as his saving the Labour Party from neoliberalism. But first, ...2 days ago - Call to ‘come home’ does not apply to our sleeper cells in Australia, says Government
A map of believed New Zealand sleeper cells in Australia, which the Australian Secret Intelligence Service has described as “painfully obvious” and believes is “pretty much comprehensive.” As the Covid-19 travel bubble with Australia closes once more, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Covid Response Minister Chris Hipkins have made clear ...2 days ago - Cranky Uncle game now being translatedThe Cranky Uncle game is now being translated into multiple languages, paving the way to building public resilience against misinformation across the world. So far, we have had volunteers offer to help translate the game into Danish, French, German, Italian, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Russian, and Ukrainian. But we are always looking ...2 days ago
- Andrew Geddis: Responding to Elizabeth Rata on Treaty PartnershipsIn a recent post on this site, Prof Elizabeth Rata expressed her concerns at the growth of what she terms “ethno-nationalism” and the role that the concept of a “Treaty partnership” has played in this development. She does so by telling a story about how this idea of a Treaty ...3 days ago
- The Greatest Cyber-Weapon May Be The Truth.
Who's Hacking Who? So, let’s be clear: the very same Western powers who were voicing their alarm at China’s alleged outsourcing of its cyber-attack capabilities to private actors, are the identical Western powers who, for years, have winked at their friends in Jerusalem outsourcing their intelligence gathering to a shadowy Tel ...3 days ago - Morbid Symptoms: Why Are Māori Vaccination Rates Plummeting?Not Enough Shots In The Arm: The percentage of 8-month-old Māori babies in Counties Manukau receiving their primary course of immunisation on time has fallen from 85 percent in May 2020 to 68 percent in May 2021. A report prepared for the Counties Manukau DHB attributes this startling drop-off to: ...3 days ago
- Skeptical Science New Research for Week #29, 202194 articles Physical science of climate change, effects Three flavors of radiative feedbacks and their implications for estimating Equilibrium Climate Sensitivity Rugenstein & Armour Geophysical Research Letters DOI: 10.1029/2021gl092983 Observations of climate change, effects Multi-decadal change in western US nighttime vapor pressure deficit DOI: 10.1029/2021gl092983 Recent changes in ...3 days ago
- Looking for more coal is indefensible
Siberia is burning. China is flooding. Westport flooded last weekend. And against this backdrop of climate breakdown, the Southland District Council thinks its a good time to approve new coal exploration. This is a terrible idea. But its also a waste of time. Any coal discovered can never be burned ...4 days ago - An end to imprisoning refugees?Back in May, Amnesty International exposed New Zealand's repuslive system of refugee detention, and the ongoing human rights abuses it leads to. It clearly embarassed the government, because today they've announced a formal inquiry into the practice - the first step to ending it: But following the release in ...4 days ago
- Bryce Edwards: Political Roundup – The Seriousness of the rural revoltIt’s nearly a week since the “Howl of a Protest” took place throughout the country, and we’re still talking about the rural revolt. What are the farmers’ concerns? Are they legitimate? Has the rural-urban divide has become too deep, and will any of this have an impact on politics in ...4 days ago
- Extreme heat warning: what the first-ever UK Met Office alert meansChloe Brimicombe, University of Reading Summer 2021 will mark a turning point in how heat is seen by the public and communicated by experts. For the first time in its 167-year history, the UK’s Met Office has issued an amber warning for extreme heat for much of Wales and parts ...4 days ago
- Hydrogen in Southland?New Zealand wants to move to more renewable electricity. But there's a barrier: the Tiwai Point aluminium smelter. It sucks up 13% of our total electricity supply, but its continued threats to shut down create ongoing uncertainty about demand, which puts people off building the additional renewables we need. But ...4 days ago
- When an ancient volcanic ‘supereruption’ caused sudden cooling, early humans got luckyBen Black, Rutgers University and Anja Schmidt, University of Cambridge Around 74,000 years ago, a “supereruption” on the island of Sumatra, Indonesia, blasted out an estimated 5,000 cubic kilometres of magma. This was the Toba eruption, the largest volcanic eruption of the past 2 million years. To put 5,000 ...4 days ago
- Talley’s Group Ltd – Arsehole of the Week4 days ago
- Climate Crisis Intensifies Dramatically in 2021
In 2007 an organisation chose its name based on the scientific consensus that 350 parts per million of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere was the uppermost level to avoid a climate tipping point. We are currently just short of 420pp of carbon and the last seven years have been the hottest ...4 days ago - Samoa’s women’s quota: Have I missed something?(Narrator voice: Yes, yes I did. See correction at the bottom) Another election petition was finalised in Samoa today, seeing the first finding of an illegal practice against a FAST candidate (a party roadshow made a customary gift - koha in NZ terms - during a period where these are ...4 days ago
- A promising startThe "rebate" half of the government's feebate scheme to lower transport emissions came into force three weeks ago. And it looks like its had an immediate effect, with two months worth of EVs registered in the first 19 days alone: More than 1300 electric or plug-in hybrid vehicles ...5 days ago
- Taking shortsighted penny-pinching to a whole new levelOver the weekend Westport was hit by devastating floods. Half the town had to be evacuated, 89 homes (so far) are uninhabitable, and another 400 (of ~1700) need serious repairs. The total cost hasn't come in yet, but its going to be well into the tens of millions of dollars. ...5 days ago
- TORN’s Spy Report on the Amazon LOTR/Second Age Series
It’s been a while since we got an update on the upcoming Amazon Second Age series. Not since the leaked Synopsis. The poor fandom twisted itself into knots speculating about supposed nudity in a Tolkien adaptation, and then… nothing. Well, that has suddenly changed. The One Ring.Net has ...5 days ago - As scientists have long predicted, warming is making heatwaves more deadlyThis is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections In its 2001 Third Assessment Report, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) foresaw that global warming would lead to increasingly deadly heatwaves. “More hot days and heatwaves are very likely over nearly all land areas,” the world’s top climate scientists warned. “These increases ...5 days ago
- Geoffrey Miller: NZ’s statement on China a shot across the bowA statement issued by the New Zealand Government alleging Chinese state involvement in hacking goes much further than a simple, pro forma endorsement of the views of New Zealand’s allies. Geoffrey Miller explains the significance. New Zealand joined Western allies on Monday by issuing a statement that called out ...6 days ago
- Climate Change: Calling time on “leakage”When New Zealand was trying to implement carbon pricing back in the early 2000s, polluters whined about "leakage", either threatening to take their production overseas so they could continue to pollute for free, or complaining that paying the full cost of their pollution would mean they would be out-competed by ...6 days ago
- Plague ships put elimination strategy at risk6 days ago
- Baby talk 4: first transfer
Read the full Baby Talk series Content note: this one involves my vagina, like, a lot. Also blood. And that whole infertility/anxiety thing. Of our four fertilised eggs, two were deemed high-quality enough to proceed to the next stage, embryo transfer. The old days of putting multiple embryos back into ...6 days ago - Hate Speech Laws: The Polling
After the March 2019 Christchurch mosque attack, the New Zealand Government set up a Royal Commission of Inquiry into matters surrounding the tragedy. The Commission came back with recommendations, including a tightening of laws regarding Hate Speech. The Ardern Government has indicated support for such proposals, but has yet ...6 days ago - Virgin Galactic and Blue Origin: can they be more than ‘space’ joyrides for millionaires?Ian Whittaker, Nottingham Trent University and Gareth Dorrian, University of Birmingham Billionaire entrepreneur Richard Branson and his team successfully flew to the “edge of space” on the Unity 22 mission aboard a Virgin Galactic plane on July 12. The event was hailed as the start of space tourism, narrowly beating ...6 days ago
- Exporting their social licenceOne of the slogans of Friday's ugly farmer protests was "no farms, no food". But the truth is that most of what farmers grow is exported, and kiwis are increasingly being priced out of eating it at all: If you feel like red meat is more expensive than it ...7 days ago
- Graham Adams: Ardern’s nightmarish weekendCriticism of the government funding gangs and the media followed hard on the heels of nationwide protests by farmers It should have been a weekend of media adulation to further burnish the Prime Minister’s international reputation as a consensus-builder. Late on Friday night, Jacinda Ardern hosted a virtual Asia-Pacific ...7 days ago
- Why climate change is forcing conservationists to be more ambitious: by moving threatened species to...Sarah Elizabeth Dalrymple, Liverpool John Moores University As climate change brings record droughts and floods, extended fire seasons continue to make headlines, and the role of humans in this terrible situation is now undisputed, institutional change has been slow and unsteady. In particular, conservationists have been wary of pointing to ...7 days ago
- The government needs to act on this warningOver the weekend devastating floods hit the South Island. Half the population of Westport were forced from their homes, and it looks like hundreds have been made permanently homeless. Its a taste of what we can expect in the future due to climate change, and things are only going to ...7 days ago
- Free Speech vs Hate Speech – By Numbers.We Can Stop Guessing: New Zealand owes the newly-formed Free Speech Union (FSU) a debt of gratitude for commissioning Curia Research to find out exactly where the country stands on the Government’s Hate Speech proposals. JACINDA ARDERN faces a considerably less daunting task in selling her Hate Speech laws than many ...7 days ago
- 2021 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #29Listing of articles linked to on the Skeptical Science Facebook Page during the past week: Sun, July 11, 2021 through Sat, July 17, 2021 The following articles sparked above average interest during the week: Repustar Fact Brief: Is carbon dioxide incapable of warming the planet any more than it already has?, The ...1 week ago
- Some farmers are very sick puppiesI'm not sure if you're aware, but there's a significant problem within our farming community that needs to be addressed, and that’s this whole belief that Labour is anti-farming. The reality is that the current Government loves farmers. From free trade agreements that open up new markets to keeping farming ...1 week ago
- Why were all these tails wagging the farm dogs through our towns and cities again?
Because for many of these ones it’s often about feelings alone, not the facts. There’s been some entirely manufactured hysterics over the so-called “ute” tax, and rural issues as a whole, coupled with some decidedly off-the-wall, so-called impending Communist takeover and the co-option of issues by the rabid Right, ...1 week ago - Mike King needs to get his shit together1 week ago
- Weaponising They Are Us: The Draft Script
You may recall that mass shooting at the Christchurch mosque a couple of years ago. It feels an eternity, of course, what with the shooting taking place in the Before Coronavirus era. There is currently an attempt to make a film about the event, under the title They ...1 week ago - Milley-tary Intervention.1 week ago
- Geoffrey Miller: Jacinda Ardern’s APEC diplomacy could be the start of something biggerGeoffrey Miller looks over the lessons from the special APEC summit Today’s special virtual APEC summit was so modest in its aims that it was officially referred to only as an ‘informal leaders’ retreat on Covid-19’. From the outset, host Jacinda Ardern dampened down expectations for the meeting, warning reporters ...1 week ago
- In Defence of Social Democracy
I used to josh Michael Cullen that he should write a memoir about his 27 years in parliament which ended in 2009, including 12 years as a minister. He always said he was too busy and it was not his thing. Sadly things have changed. Learning he has terminal lung ...1 week ago - Media Link: “A View from Afar” on YouTube.
I am glad to report that the “A View from Afar” podcast is now available on the 36th Parallel Assessments YouTube channel. As a teaser, the first video is taken from an interview done in Karekare with German TV about the scourge of white supremacism/right-wing extremism. ...1 week ago - A howl of uglinessFarmers are protesting today, invading cities with tractors and utes in protest against water and climate change policy. The core message of their "howl of protest" is meant to be "no farmers, no food" - which rather undermines their own case, given that 80% of the food they produce is ...1 week ago
- Drawing The Heat.A Matter Of Signals: What is a government saying about itself when it parlays with known criminals? What is it signalling about its willingness to openly confront them? More to the point, what message does it send to all the decent, law-abiding, charity-workers who struggle every day to convince their ...1 week ago
- Skeptical Science New Research for Week #28, 2021Decomposition of increasing atmospheric methane points to a decomposing Amazon Methane is a powerful greenhouse gas, relatively short-lived in the atmosphere compared to CO2 but far more effective at "helping" to retain heat, gram-for-gram. With its radiative effects "super powers," methane is a potentially dramatic additional contributor to disastrous levels ...1 week ago
- Proactive release: What is the government afraid of?Last month, Newsroom reported on the government's slow progress on reviewing its proactive release policy. The story quoted Public Service Minister Chris Hipkins as saying that there had been "ongoing reviews" about the effectiveness of proactive releases. Naturally, I asked for these reviews using the OIA. Naturally, I got dicked ...2 weeks ago
- The Adventures of Annalax: Volume XXV
Session Fifty-Four This session was about tying up loose ends, and transitioning to something different (at last!). Manya gave birth to the shadow creature thing the Hag had cursed her with. The child – which is growing quickly – is an aggressive little psychopath. Annalax still doesn’t ...2 weeks ago - In NZ and around the world, women are still more likely to present and report the news than appear i...Susan Fountaine, Massey University Women are more visible in the world’s news than ever before — but they’re still far from achieving parity with men. According to the just released Global Media Monitoring Project (GMMP), women made up 40% of reporters and 25% of news sources across print, TV, ...2 weeks ago
- UK plans amnesty for war criminalsEngland's massacres in Northern Ireland during "the Troubles" are just another in its long list of colonial crimes. And like their other colonial crimes, they plan to sweep them under the carpet, with an effective amnesty for their colonial criminals: All criminal prosecutions relating to the Troubles and future ...2 weeks ago
- Nothing Left – Or Right – To Say.Or, Better Still, Start It! When did philosophical literacy cease to be a core competence of political leadership? Past New Zealand political leaders managed to explain themselves and their parties with reasonable fluency, why not the present crop?THE NATIONAL PARTY’s “Demand the Debate” campaign speaks volumes about the Right’s ideological ...2 weeks ago
- The Ministry of health’s transparency problem againRNZ has an interesting piece this morning about the Ministry of Health's efforts to hide the truth about its misleading and nonsensical vaccine rollout graph, which showed second doses being given before first doses. The "graph" was in fact marketing bullshit, and many Ministry of Health staff were uncomfortable with ...2 weeks ago
- Climate explained: is New Zealand losing or gaining native forests?Climate explained is a collaboration between The Conversation, Stuff and the New Zealand Science Media Centre to answer your questions about climate change. If you have a question you’d like an expert to answer, please send it to climate.change@stuff.co.nz In recent decades, has New Zealand lost ...2 weeks ago
- Four in five New Zealanders plan to get vaccinated, but many people want more information about vacc...Jagadish Thaker, Massey University New Zealanders’ intention to get a COVID-19 vaccine is at its highest since last year, at 81% of the adult population, according to our latest research. Ministry of Health surveys, which have been tracking public acceptance of COVID-19 vaccines since last year, also confirm the ...2 weeks ago
- Geoffrey Miller: Ardern’s foreign policy address pro-US, but not necessarily anti-ChinaJacinda Ardern has delivered a keynote speech on foreign policy. Geoffrey Miller reads between the lines. It was about APEC. And the Indo-Pacific. But most of all, it was about China. Jacinda Ardern’s keynote foreign policy address on Wednesday – at the annual conference of the New Zealand Institute ...2 weeks ago
- Death Valley, California, breaks the all-time world heat record for the second year in a rowThis is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Jeff Masters For the second consecutive year, Death Valley, California, has set a world record for the hottest reliably measured temperature in Earth’s history. Death Valley National Park’s Furnace Creek Visitor Center hit an astonishing 130.0 degrees Fahrenheit (54.4°C) on Friday afternoon, ...2 weeks ago
- Do you answer emails outside work hours? Do you send them? New research shows how dangerous this can...Amy Zadow, University of South Australia What could be so bad about answering a few emails in the evening? Perhaps something urgent pops up, we are tidying up an issue from the day, or trying to get ahead for tomorrow. Always being online and available is one of the ...2 weeks ago
- Climate Change: Fixing the government’s fuckupNewsroom today has a piece on the ETS price crisis and the risk that poor market design means we will blow the carbon budget in its first real year of operation. But can we do anything about it? According to Climate Change Minister James Shaw, the answer is "no": ...2 weeks ago
- The alarms are flashing red: Five reasons to upgrade our Alert Level system before the next Covid-po...Amanda Kvalsvig, Nick Wilson, Cheryl Davies, Carmen Timu-Parata, Virginia Signal, Michael G. Baker Aotearoa New Zealand (NZ’s) Alert Level system worked well in 2020, but the Covid-19 landscape is changing and the system needs to change with it to keep NZ ahead of the pandemic. In this blog we summarise ...2 weeks ago
- National should move on from racism2 weeks ago
- Judith Collins and National: It’s a trust thing. . . Clever strategies . There are firm reasons why National continually fails to gain traction with the voting public (recent Roy Morgan poll notwithstanding, as one fall does a trend not make). The ongoing in-fighting. The revolving door on leadership changes. It’s lack of coherent policy and direction. ...2 weeks ago
- What’s the right Covid-19 risk to live with – an Australian perspectiveBlog syndicated with permission from “The Pursuit” at Melbourne University, Australia By Professor Tony Blakely, Dr Tim Wilson and Associate Professor Vijaya Sundararajan, University of Melbourne As Australia looks toward opening its international borders, new virus modelling provides scenarios that can help us decide what’s the right risk to ...2 weeks ago
- Additional fact briefs published on RepustarWith an initial batch of eight published Fact Briefs we announced our partnership with the fact-checking organization Repustar at the end of April 2021. Since then, work has progressed in the background and seven more Fact Briefs have been published and are now available for quick rebuttals. ...2 weeks ago
- Billionaire circle jerk2 weeks ago
- A significant number of New Zealanders overestimate sea-level rise — and that could stop them from...Rebecca Priestley, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington; Richard Levy, GNS Science; Taciano L. Milfont, University of Waikato; Timothy Naish, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington, and Zoë Heine, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington Following a recent storm surge in Wellington, some ...2 weeks ago
- Women will not be silenced
Speak Up for Women have just published this press release: After just 24hours, GO Media have pulled down a billboard which displayed simply the dictionary definition of the word ‘woman’ along with the website address speakupforwomen.nz. Despite a recent High Court judgement declaring that Speak Up For Women cannot rationally ...2 weeks ago - With seas rising and storms surging, who will pay for New Zealand’s most vulnerable coastal prope...Tom Logan, University of Canterbury The major storm surge and coastal flooding in Wellington earlier this month was another reminder that the sea is now lapping close to a lot of New Zealand’s front doors. The ominous question is: who will pay when it crosses the threshold? But that’s ...2 weeks ago
- National: Funded by racistsThe National party is currently running a(nother) racist campaign, whipping up fears of "Māori separatism" (again) over basic measures for equality. So who did they get to fund it? Racist crank Don Brash: National leader Judith Collins asked Don Brash to raise $300,000 for a billboard campaign attacking the ...2 weeks ago
- Louisa Wall: Rebel In A Wrong Cause2 weeks ago
- Running for the exitsToday is another key date in the ongoing Samoan constitutional crisis, with the HRPP-stacked Judicial Service Commission meeting to determine whether to suspend the Chief Justice. Not for any actual misconduct, but essentially because the HRPP doesn't like the decisions he (and other judges) have made. A suspension would only ...2 weeks ago
- Paper Victories.When Things Turn Nasty: How does a commercial enterprise enforce a legal right against an ever-expanding body of human resistance, without the conflict escalating well beyond its original causes?WILL THE MARINA at Kennedy Point (Pūtiki Bay) on Waiheke Island ever be completed? On paper, the answer is an emphatic “Yes!” ...2 weeks ago
- Language Matters: Why focus on ‘native’ speakers may be misplacedOPINION: People still ask me: what is your native language? Another variant is how any/which languages do you speak?, and the closely related where are you from? question. Linguists know that native language does not always equate to the language you are most proficient in, or the language you dream in, or the language in which you silently ...2 weeks ago
- The making of a one-of-a-kind climate change PR professionalThis is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by James Hoggan In the world of environmental communication, we are learning as we go. For years, we thought facts and outrage changed minds in ways we now know they don’t. We need to explore reliable new ways to speak, listen, and connect ...2 weeks ago
- Building back better
It’s a three-week recess in Parliament – so, no bills are going through the House and no select committees are meeting. But the hard work of our ministers continues, and many of our MPs are back in their electorates, taking the opportunity to meet with local communities and businesses about ...3 days ago - Greens call for a Warrant of Fitness for rental homes
The Green Party is launching a petition today calling on the Government’s Healthy Homes Standards to be backed up with a proper Warrant of Fitness (WoF) for rental homes. ...6 days ago - Securing our recovery: By the numbersOur plan to secure New Zealand’s recovery from COVID-19 is working, with the past three months seeing the second-highest number of people moved off a main benefit into work since records began. ...2 weeks ago
- More Kiwis in work through recovery planThe latest statistics show the Government’s focus on jobs is working. The net number of people on a main benefit dropped by around 11,190 people during the past three months, with around 31,240 people moving off a benefit into work. ...2 weeks ago
- Green Party appoints new Chief of StaffThe Green Party has appointed a new Parliamentary Chief of Staff, Robin Campbell. ...2 weeks ago
- We’re turning 105!It’s our birthday! Today, 105 years ago, the New Zealand Labour Party was founded. And we haven’t stopped moving since: fighting for workers’ rights, expanding protections to boost equality, and upholding democratic socialist ideals. We’re now the oldest political party in New Zealand and, as we celebrate our 105 years, ...3 weeks ago
- Principles for guiding the Emissions Reduction Plan SpeechTēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou katoa. ...3 weeks ago
- New station a platform for AirportLink to take off
Every Aucklander with access to the rail network will now have a quick and convenient trip to the airport, Transport Minister Michael Wood and Auckland Mayor Phil Goff said during the official opening of the new Puhinui Interchange today. The new interchange links the rail platform with a new bus ...2 days ago - 10 days sick leave for employees deliveredLegislation doubling employees’ minimum sick leave entitlement to 10 days comes into effect today, bringing benefits to both businesses and employees, Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Michael Wood announced today. “Our Government is delivering on a key manifesto commitment to help Kiwis and workplaces stay healthy,” Michael Wood said. “COVID-19 ...2 days ago
- Prime Minister congratulates Fiame Naomi Mata’afa on Election WinPrime Minister Jacinda Ardern tonight congratulated Prime Minister-elect Fiame Naomi Mata’afa on her victory in the Samoa’s general election. “New Zealand has a special relationship with Samoa, anchored in the Treaty of Friendship. We look forward to working with Samoa’s new government in the spirit of partnership that characterises this ...2 days ago
- Quarantine Free Travel with Australia suspendedQuarantine Free Travel from all Australian states and territories to New Zealand is being suspended as the Covid situation there worsens, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and COVID-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins announced today. From 11.59pm today Australians will no longer be able to enter New Zealand quarantine-free. This will be ...3 days ago
- Growing conservation efforts in GisborneA big injection of Jobs for Nature funding will create much-needed jobs and financial security for families in TeTairāwhiti, and has exciting prospects for conservation in the region, Conservation Minister Kiri Allan says. “The projects target local communities most affected by the economic consequences of COVID 19 and are designed ...3 days ago
- Flood recovery given further assistanceThe Government is contributing a further $1 million to help the flood battered Buller community, Acting Emergency Management Minister Kris Faafoi announced today. “Buller is a small community which has found itself suddenly facing significant and ongoing welfare costs. While many emergency welfare costs are reimbursed by Government, this money ...4 days ago
- Funding for five projects to reduce food wasteThe Government is funding five projects to help address the growing problem of food waste, Environment Minister David Parker announced today. “New Zealand households throw away nearly 300,000 tonnes of food every year, half of which could still be eaten. By supporting these initiatives, we’re taking steps to reduce this ...4 days ago
- Temporary Accommodation Service activated for West Coast flooding eventThe Temporary Accommodation Service (TAS) has been activated today - meaning residents on the West Coast of the South Island and in the Marlborough region hit by flooding over the weekend can now access help finding temporary accommodation, announced Associate Minister of Housing (Public Housing) Poto Williams in Westport today. ...5 days ago
- Pause to Quarantine Free Travel from South Australia to New ZealandQuarantine Free Travel from South Australia to New Zealand will be paused from 11.59am (NZT) tonight, COVID-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins has announced. However, people currently in the state who ordinarily live in New Zealand will be able to return on “managed return” flights starting with the next available flight, ...5 days ago
- New Zealand condemns malicious cyber activity by Chinese state-sponsored actorsNew Zealand has established links between Chinese state-sponsored actors known as Advanced Persistent Threat 40 (APT40) and malicious cyber activity in New Zealand. “The GCSB has worked through a robust technical attribution process in relation to this activity. New Zealand is today joining other countries in strongly condemning this malicious ...6 days ago
- Remarks to Diplomatic CorpsIt is a pleasure to be with you all this evening. Some of you may have been surprised when you received an invitation from the Minister of Disarmament and Arms Control, and I would forgive you if you were. New Zealand is unique in having established a Ministerial portfolio ...6 days ago
- Early Pfizer shipment boosts vaccine scheduleThe largest shipment of the Pfizer vaccine to date has arrived into New Zealand two days ahead of schedule, and doses are already being delivered to vaccination centres around the country, COVID-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins says. “The shipment of more than 370,000 doses reached New Zealand yesterday, following a ...7 days ago
- Backing for Bay of Islands predator free effortThe Government is throwing its support behind an ambitious project to restore native biodiversity and build long-term conservation careers, Conservation Minister Kiri Allan says. Predator Free Bay of Islands aims to eradicate predators from the three main peninsulas in the region, and significantly reduce their impact throughout the wider 80,000-plus ...7 days ago
- Government commits $600,000 to flood recoveryThe Government is contributing $600,000 to help residents affected by the weekend’s violent weather with recovery efforts. Acting Minister for Emergency Management Kris Faafoi and Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor have been in the Buller district this afternoon to assess flood damage and support the local response effort. They have announced ...1 week ago
- Government assisting local responses to heavy rainfall and high windActing Minister of Emergency Management Kris Faafoi says Central Government is monitoring the severe weather across the country, and is ready to provide further support to those affected if necessary. “My thoughts are with everyone who has been affected by this latest event, particularly communities on the West Coast and ...1 week ago
- PM Ardern chairs APEC Leaders’ meeting on COVID-19New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has chaired a meeting of Leaders representing the 21 APEC economies overnight. “For the first time in APEC’s history Leaders have come together for an extraordinary meeting focused exclusively on COVID-19, and how our region can navigate out of the worst health and economic ...1 week ago
- Health Minister welcomes progress on nurses’ payThe New Zealand Nurses Organisation’s decision to take the Government’s improved pay offer to members and to lift strike notices is a positive move towards settling district health board nurses’ pay claims, Health Minister Andrew Little said. “It’s encouraging that the discussions between NZNO and DHBs over the nurses’ employment ...1 week ago
- Boost for Pacific regional businessPacific businesses will get a much-needed financial boost as they recover from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic thanks to the new Pacific Aotearoa Regional Enterprise Fund, said Minister for Pacific Peoples Aupito William Sio. The new $2 million fund will co-invest in Pacific business projects and initiatives to create ...1 week ago
- PM Ardern call with President BidenPrime Minister Jacinda Ardern spoke with US President Biden this morning, ahead of the APEC Informal Leaders’ Retreat on COVID-19. “President Biden and I discussed the forthcoming APEC leaders meeting and the critical importance of working together as a region to navigate out of the COVID-19 pandemic”, Jacinda Ardern said. ...1 week ago
- Renewed partnership creates jobs for New Zealand youthThe Government has signed a new memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Mayors Taskforce for Jobs, strengthening the partnership to get more young people into work. The Mayors Taskforce for Jobs (MTFJ) is a nationwide network of all Mayors in New Zealand, who are committed to making sure all young ...1 week ago
- South Island areas prioritised in tourism fundFive South Island areas are prioritised in the latest round of decisions from a tourism fund that is supporting infrastructure projects from Cape Reinga to Stewart Island and the Chathams. Tourism Minister Stuart Nash has announced details of 57 nationwide projects to receive support from the Tourism Infrastructure Fund (TIF). ...1 week ago
- New code sets clear expectations for learner safety and wellbeing in tertiary educationA new code of practice for the pastoral care of domestic tertiary and international students will be in place from January next year, Education Minister Chris Hipkins announced today The code, which makes clear that creating an environment that supports learning and wellbeing is a shared responsibility between tertiary providers, ...1 week ago
- First TAB New Zealand Board appointments announcedThe members of the first TAB NZ Board come with experience in racing and sport administration, business and governance, the betting industry, broadcasting and gambling harm minimisation. “This Board will progress from the excellent work done by the interim board, put in place in August 2020,” Grant Robertson said. “The ...1 week ago
- Northland Maori Pathways initiative introducedThe Government has today launched Māori Pathways at Northland Region Corrections Facility, a ground-breaking series of initiatives designed in partnership with Māori to reduce re-offending and improve outcomes for whānau. A key part of the Hōkai Rangi strategy, Māori Pathways looks to achieve long-term change and involves a number of ...1 week ago
- Extended Essential Skills visas being rolled outTwo year Essential Skills visa to provide certainty to at least 18,000 visa holders Streamlined application process to benefit at least 57,000 visa holders The Government is increasing the duration of some Essential Skills visas and streamlining the application process to provide more certainty to employers and visa holders while ...1 week ago
- Pause to Quarantine Free Travel from Victoria to New ZealandQuarantine Free Travel from Victoria to New Zealand will be paused from 1.59am (NZT) Friday, COVID-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins has announced. The decision follows updated public health advice from New Zealand officials and a growing number of cases and locations of interest. The pause will run for at least ...1 week ago
- Hydrogen arrangement signed with SingaporeThe signing of an Arrangement of Cooperation on low-carbon hydrogen with Singapore heralds the start of greater collaboration between it and New Zealand as both countries transition towards low carbon economies, says Energy and Resources Minister Megan Woods. The cooperation arrangement between New Zealand’s Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment ...2 weeks ago
- Hydrogen agreement signed with SingaporeThe signing of a Memorandum of Cooperation on low-carbon hydrogen with Singapore signals the start of greater collaboration between the two countries as they transition towards low carbon economies, says Energy and Resources Minister Dr Megan Woods. The cooperation agreement between New Zealand’s Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment and ...2 weeks ago
- Speech to LGNZ ConferenceKia ora koutou katoa and thank-you for the invitation to speak to you all today. I would like to acknowledge Local Government New Zealand President Stuart Crosby, and Chief Executive, Susan Freeman-Greene, Te Maruata Chair, Bonita Bigham, and our host, Mayor John Leggett. I also acknowledge all the elected members ...2 weeks ago
- Government to provide support for water reforms, jobs and growthThe Government today announced a $2.5 billion package to support local government transition through the reforms to New Zealand’s drinking water, wastewater and stormwater services. The package will also stimulate local economies while creating jobs and unlocking infrastructure for housing. “New Zealand’s water systems are facing a significant crisis and ...2 weeks ago
- Government Initiatives Contribute to Fall in Benefit NumbersMinister for Social Development Carmel Sepuloni has welcomed the release of the June quarter Benefit Statistics which show a continuing fall in the number of people receiving a Main Benefit. “This Government’s plan to increase work focused support for Jobseekers is paying off,” Carmel Sepuloni said. “All up Benefit numbers ...2 weeks ago
- Tourism support package continues rolloutMental wellbeing support is being rolled out to five South Island communities most affected by the absence of international tourists. Tourism Minister Stuart Nash today announced details of how tourism operators and communities can access the help announced in May as part of the government’s $200 million Tourism Communities: Support, ...2 weeks ago
- NZ-PNG Sign Statement of PartnershipNew Zealand’s Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Papua New Guinea’s Prime Minister James Marape signed the first ever New Zealand - Papua New Guinea Statement of Partnership today. “This new Statement of Partnership reflects the importance we place on the close economic, cultural and people-to-people links our two countries have ...2 weeks ago
- Further advice being sought on new cases in VictoriaFurther advice is being sought from public health officials following seven new positive cases of COVID-19 in Victoria today, COVID-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins says. “There are also a growing number of locations of interest that are of concern, including a sports stadium on Saturday and several pubs,” Chris Hipkins ...2 weeks ago
- Christchurch Learning Community Hubs supporting ethnic familiesAs part of the Government’s ongoing commitment to working with the victims and those affected by the March 15 terror attacks, today Associate Minister of Education Hon Jan Tinetti released the report ‘Voices from the Ōtautahi’ on the Christchurch Learning Community Hubs. “It’s so important we continue to support the ...2 weeks ago
- Hundreds more hands funded to work for natureSupporting biodiversity protection through community-led projects and on private property will create at least 500 more jobs under the Mahi mō te Taiao/Jobs for Nature programme, Minister of Conservation Kiritapu Allan announced today. “The work we are funding includes everything from pest control and restoration planting to plant propagation, skill ...2 weeks ago
- Saliva testing expansion for frontline border workersAll frontline border workers who are required to be regularly tested for COVID-19 will soon be able to choose regular saliva testing as a full replacement for nasopharyngeal testing, COVID-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins has announced. Saliva testing will be expanded as an option for all those on a regular ...2 weeks ago
- Government consults on freshwater farm planThe Government is inviting farmers and growers to provide their practical ideas to help develop high-quality and workable freshwater farm plans, in line with its freshwater goals said Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor and Environment Minister David Parker. The ministers today released the consultation documents for freshwater farm plans and stock exclusion low slope maps. Comment is being sought on a new, more ...2 weeks ago
- Increased support for midwivesNew measures to help bolster the midwifery workforce as they care for the next generation of New Zealanders, have been announced today by Associate Minister of Health Dr Ayesha Verrall. “New Zealand’s midwives are committed to the wellbeing of women and whānau, but they’re facing significant challenges. The DHB midwifery ...2 weeks ago
- Prime Minister's Speech to NZIIA Annual ConferenceLadies and gentlemen, distinguished guests, ata mārie, tēnā koutou katoa. It’s a great pleasure to attend an event on such an important topic as New Zealand’s future in the Indo-Pacific region. Thank you to the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs for bringing this hui together. I am encouraged to ...2 weeks ago
- Morrison government orders Pfizer ‘boosters’, while hoping new ATAGI advice will warm people to ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra While still struggling with a current shortage of Pfizer, the Morrison government announced it has secured 85 million doses of that vaccine for future “booster” shots. This will be made up of 60 million doses ...7 hours ago - The Tokyo Lowdown: Day 2
Day two was generally a cracker for our Kiwi sportswomen at the Olympics, especially on the water and the artificial turf in Tokyo. LockerRoom's daily update on our women athletes continues. Performances of the day Living on the outside of the Olympic Village, Holly Pearson was pulled into the Black ...7 hours ago - ‘God, not my girls’: Auckland councillor receives bomb threat following TV show criticism
Fa’anana Efeso Collins says he has been reflecting on his future in politics after death threats were made against him and his family in response to comments about Police Ten 7. Justin Latif reports. “God, not my girls” is the thought that immediately ran through Fa’anana Efeso Collins’ mind as he ...17 hours ago - Gay law reform: a tactics masterclass
The House: Thirty five years later, Fran Wilde and Trevor Mallard discuss the campaign, strategy and tactics involved in the 1985-86 campaign to legalise gay sex. ...20 hours ago - An ode for … Lorde
New Zealand's semi-detached poet laureate composes an ode for Solar Ella One Lorde to rule them A weird and uncanny mood falls upon the land of the long white nitrate plume. On both sides of the Great Wall of the Polls, premonition hangs, heavy as a ...23 hours ago - Our IVF storyWhen Jana Te Nahu Owen and her wife began their fertility journey, they never imagined that it was the start of a three-year battle to conceive. Today is World IVF day. It’s also 15 months since our beautiful pēpi was born. I remember it well, like a surreal dream inside ...23 hours ago
- How the whiff of cow shit led me to travel the land of Milk and MoneyA six-part documentary series investigating New Zealand’s dairy industry, Milk and Money, launches on TVNZ OnDemand today. Journalist and host of the series Baz Macdonald explains why he made it.About a year ago I was sitting on the coast of Riverton, a tiny seashore village in Southland, and all I ...24 hours ago
- The Sunday Essay: Mariposa, the Mexican feminist street dogWhile north of the border Trump speaks of bad hombres and building walls, Julie Hill befriends a dog named Butterfly. The Sunday Essay is made possible thanks to the support of Creative New ZealandOriginal illustrations by Amane & Me.Once, this town was called the Place of Dogs, and by night, dogs are ...24 hours ago
- Not declaring the Great Barrier Reef as ‘in danger’ only postpones the inevitableSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jon C. Day, PSM, Adjunct Senior Research Fellow, ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University Shutterstock After much anticipation, the World Heritage Committee on Friday decided against listing the Great Barrier Reef as “in danger”. The ...1 day ago
- Very genki, slightly kitsch, occasionally compelling: the Olympic opening ceremony put humanity in c...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Leah Mercer, Associate Professor of Theatre Arts, Curtin University The Yomiuri Shimbun via AP Images The rising of the Japanese flag and the singing of the national anthem is the first moment of stillness. Devoid of external commentary, before a ...1 day ago
- The birth of a movement that divided NZ – and changed us foreverAs New Zealand marks 40 years since the Springbok tour that changed everything, we republish this essay by Trevor Richards, founding chairperson of Hart – Halt All Racist Tours.Originally published in 2019, on the 50th anniversary of the anti-apartheid group’s formation.It has been said that if you can remember the ...2 days ago
- Not all workers will benefit from new sick leave entitlements – and only some projects are favoure...
Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Michael Wood is braying about new labour legislation “bringing benefits to both businesses and employees” and “delivering on a key manifesto commitment to help Kiwis and workplaces stay healthy”. Actually, employers are doing the delivering. If they don’t deliver, it is fair to suppose, they ...2 days ago - Radicalism mixed with openness: how Desmond Tutu used his gifts to help end ApartheidSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrew McGowan, Dean and President of Berkeley Divinity School, Yale University AAP/EPA/Nic Bothma This piece is part of a new series in collaboration with the ABC’s Saturday Extra program. Each week, the show will have a “who am I” quiz ...2 days ago
- Podcast: Hate speech debate gets mired in politicsFocus on Politics - "Our communities suffered greatly and politicising it is actually demeaning". Minorities are growing frustrated at the direction hate speech debate has gone, Anneke Smith reports. ...2 days ago
- Forget Tokyo. For me, the real opening ceremony was in the TVNZ studioHow did TVNZ’s Olympic team warm us up for last night’s big event? Tara Ward tunes in. I am an athlete in my prime, and sleep is for losers. The Tokyo Olympics 2020 launched yesterday, and although the opening ceremony began deep into the New Zealand night, I was ready. I’d ...2 days ago
- Controlled digital lending – is it ‘piracy’?
Copyright lawyer Michael Wolfe argues that the future of our libraries does not hinge on the outcome of an American court case The National Library is sending books removed from its collections to the Internet Archive, a charitable library in the United States, to see them digitised and preserved in ways ...2 days ago - Changing South: World peace easier than fixing damaged house
Kate Dewes fought for peace on the global stage, but trying to get her earthquake-damaged home in Christchurch repaired “nearly finished me” Kate Dewes is a peace negotiator of global standing. A long-time activist for disarmament, she successfully lobbied for New Zealand’s Nuclear Free Zone, Disarmament, and Arms Control Act, ...2 days ago - Short story: The Day in Bed, by James Courage
A classic short story from 1959 by the great North Canterbury writer James Courage In the middle of the morning, an hour after the doctor's car had left the farm-house, the man lying in bed heard his wife's voice calling to him half-way up the stairs: "Jonathan, will you have ...2 days ago - Freedom For All
New Conservative stands for Human Rights, freedom for all, our freedom, and freedom as stated in the NZ Bill of Rights Act. Our Prime Minister, Jacinda Ardern, is working hard to silence the words we speak through so-called ‘hate speech’ laws so we ...2 days ago - Ted Lasso is the heartfelt comedy the world needs right nowA new season of the charming US-UK comedy arrived on Apple TV+ last night, and Ted fans could not be more excited. But why does everyone love Ted Lasso so much? Ted Lasso wants us to believe. He also wants us to be as wise as a goldfish, but mostly, ...2 days ago
- Your queer Chinese-New Zealand teenage fantasy: How we wrote Yang/Young/杨Yang/Young//杨 is a brand-new Gen-Z coming-of-age story with a Kiwi-Asian twist, part of Auckland Theatre Company’s Here & Now Festival. Co-writer Sherry Zhang reflects on writing her first play. I never thought I’d write a play. In a scene that puts High School Musical’s Troy Bolton to shame, I chose the ...2 days ago
- ‘Don’t tell me how to run the ball’: Louisa Wall on forging her own path in politicsShe’s more visible than many cabinet ministers, but Louisa Wall languishes on the Labour backbench. Justin Giovannetti catches up with the outspoken MP and asks: why is she not getting the promotions?It’s hard to imagine someone better placed to be at the heart of a progressive centre-left government than an ...2 days ago
- Pfizer doses to be spaced out in NSW crisis, but state fails to get change in vaccination programSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra AAP/Mick Tsikas Pfizer doses in NSW will be spaced out to enable more first jabs to be administered quickly, as the Berejiklian government on Friday declared the Sydney COVID crisis a “state of ...2 days ago
- The Tokyo Lowdown: Day Zero
In your daily guide recapping the fortunes of Kiwi sportswomen at the Tokyo Olympics, our rowers had an up and down Day Zero. Performance of the day Emma Twigg took the first strokes on her row to Olympic redemption. Fourth in London, fourth in Rio, Twigg came out of retirement to ...2 days ago - Samoa’s highest court declares FAST government legal – impasse endsBy Lanuola Tusani Tupufia-Ah Tong in Apia Samoa’s Court of Appeal ruled today that the Faatuatua ile Atua Samoa ua Tasi (FAST) party was the country’s new government bringing three months of political stalemate to a close. The court, the highest in the country, found that a swearing-in ceremony conducted ...2 days ago
- Reporting Greenpeace to police shows KPK has become authoritarian, says watchdogBy Irfan Kamil in Jakarta Indonesia Corruption Watch (ICW) has condemned the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) under the leadership of Firli Bahuri as an “authoritarian and anti-criticism” institution over the Greenpeace laser protest. ICW researcher Kurnia Ramadhana said this after the KPK had reported Greenpeace Indonesia to the South Jakarta ...2 days ago
- Nine takeaways from the Mā’ohi Nui Lives Matter solidarity rally in NZBy Ena Manuireva and Tony Fala About 35 people joined an Auckland rally last Sunday in solidarity with a Mā’ohi Nui Lives Matter demonstration by thousands of Tahitians happening in Pape’ete, the capital. In solidarity and in sync with the Pape’ete event, the Mai te Paura Atōmī i te ti’amara’a: ...2 days ago
- Fiji medics save newborn babies – mothers among 21 new covid deathsBy Timoci Vula in Suva Two Fijian pregnant women are among the 21 covid-19 deaths reported within a seven-day period from July 14. Their babies, however, were saved via a caesarean operation by the obstetric team. Health Secretary Dr James Fong revealed this in his covid-19 live update last evening ...2 days ago
- ‘Pacific Islander’ an insulting umbrella term, researcher tells Royal CommissionBy Andrew McRae, RNZ News reporter The umbrella term Pacific Islander or Polynesian has been criticised as degrading and insensitive. Researcher Dr Seini Taufa, who is a New Zealand-born Tongan, said the names were not indigenous terms and were insulting. Dr Taufa is research lead for Moana Research and Senior ...2 days ago
- VIDEO: Michelle Grattan on the PM’s apology and Brisbane 2032Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra University of Canberra Professorial Fellow Michelle Grattan and University of Canberra Vice-Chancellor and President Professor Paddy Nixon discuss the week in politics. This week Michelle and Paddy discuss the proposed changes to the vaccine rollout ...2 days ago
- Keen to sign up for space tourism? Here are 6 things to consider (besides the price tag)Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Steven Freeland, Professorial Fellow, Bond University / Emeritus Professor of International Law, Western Sydney University, Western Sydney University Blue Origin/AP It’s been a momentous month for space-faring billionaires. On July 11, British entrepreneur Sir Richard Branson’s Unity “rocket-plane” flew him ...2 days ago
- You may have heard the ‘moon wobble’ will intensify coastal floods. Well, here’s what that mea...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mark Gibbs, Principal Engineer: Reef Restoration, Australian Institute of Marine Science Shutterstock Extreme floods this month have been crippling cities worldwide. This week in China’s Henan province, a year’s worth of rain fell in just three days. Last week, catastrophic ...2 days ago
- Clever cockatoos in southern Sydney have learned to open kerb-side bins — and it has global signif...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Martin, Adjunct lecturer, University of Sydney Barbara Klump, Author provided In a small, isolated village in southern Sydney, the local sulphur-crested cockatoos are particularly clever. Once a week, when the neighbours roll their wheelie bins to the kerb, cockies ...2 days ago
- How caring for children can help Aboriginal Elders during lockdownSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Susan Collings, Research Fellow, University of Sydney Quotes in this research are from participants who cannot be named due to research ethics requirements. Pandemic-induced lockdowns have provided stories of both hardship and resilience. This extends to families in the community caring for ...2 days ago
- NZ takes prudent approach in closing bubble
The decision to pause trans-Tasman travel is appropriately risk-averse in light of the devastation that the Delta strain could wreak in New Zealand, writes Marc Daalder Analysis: Imagine if our Level 4 lockdown in April 2020 hadn't worked. Imagine if, despite the stringent measures and people mostly following them, the ...3 days ago - Forget the medals, the real game of the Olympics is soft power — and the opening ceremony is keySource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Caitlin Vincent, Lecturer in Creative Industries, The University of Melbourne The Olympic Games are often hailed as a neutral celebration of athletic achievement. “The Olympic Games are not about politics,” wrote the International Olympic Committee president, Thomas Bach, in the Guardian last ...3 days ago
- Eradicating smallpox: the global vaccination push that brought the world ‘arm-to-arm’Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michael Bennett, Professor in School of History and Classics, University of Tasmania Edward Jenner vaccinating his son, held by Mrs Jenner; a maid rolls up her sleeve, a man stands outside holding a cow. Coloured engraving by C. Manigaud after ...3 days ago
- Good one, ASA, for saying this gas ad misleads. Shame on you for failing to call it irresponsibleWhen you’re faced with advertising telling people we can help solve climate change by burning fossil fuels, it shouldn’t be difficult to condemn it in the strongest possible terms, argues lawyer Steven Price.In about 2050, when the climate has gone further to hell in a handbasket, there are going to ...3 days ago
- The Unity Books bestseller chart for the week ending July 23The only published and available best-selling indie book chart in New Zealand is the top 10 sales list recorded every week at Unity Books’ stores in High St, Auckland, and Willis St, Wellington.AUCKLAND1 In Our Own Backyard by Anne Kayes (Bateman, $22)This YA novel ties together Covid-19, Black Lives Matter ...3 days ago
- The Friday Poem: End Papers, by Mitch MarksA poem by Melbourne-based writer and publisher Mitch Marks.End papersWhen I write my novel, which all of you are in I’ll write it in the morning while my wounds are wide Tonguing them to bring the sting to the skin’s surface I’ll string it around my wrists and throat Tight ...3 days ago
- To watch or not to watch? The Tokyo Games raises difficult questions for fansSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adam Karg, Associate Professor, Swinburne University of Technology Sue Ogrocki/AP/AAP When the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games officially begin on Friday night, they will do so with the host city under a state of emergency due to COVID-19. For the ...3 days ago
- Enshrine Local Government Into ConstructionMajor changes are in the wind with the Labour government is giving itself unprecedented powers over local government. This is worrying and why KCDC Councillor Bernie Randall and Deputy Chair of the Paraparaumu/Raumati Community Board Guy Burns are calling ...3 days ago
- To watch or not watch? The Tokyo Games raises difficult questions for fansSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adam Karg, Associate Professor, Swinburne University of Technology Sue Ogrocki/AP/AAP When the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games officially begin on Friday night, they will do so with the host city under a state of emergency due to COVID-19. For the ...3 days ago
- A tragic’s guide to watching the OlympicsTop tips for getting the most from the Games, from your couch.One of my earliest memories is of watching Cathy Freeman win the 400m final at the 2000 Sydney Olympics. I was six years old and there was a girl in my class who looked exactly like Freeman and was ...3 days ago
- New Rules Introduced To Protect Sea-run Salmon FisheryTo help save New Zealand’s wild Chinook salmon species, a ground-breaking change to freshwater fishing regulations will introduce a season bag for sea-run salmon in the 2021/22 fishing season, in place of a daily catch limit. "The wild sea-run ...3 days ago
- How a Covid-19 policy put the final nail in the coffin of first-home buyers’ dreamsThe Reserve Bank’s monetary policy may have saved our economy from the worst of the Covid-19 pandemic, but at what cost?This story was originally published in Bernard Hickey’s email newsletter The Kākā and is republished with permission.As the saying attributed to an apocryphal commander in the Vietnam War goes, “it became necessary ...3 days ago
- Labour Inspectorate Concludes Inquiry Into GloriavaleThe Labour Inspectorate has found that the members of the Gloriavale Christian community cannot currently be considered employees under New Zealand legislation. This means the Inspectorate has no jurisdiction and will not undertake further investigation ...3 days ago
- It’s just the thing for reducing our leftovers and slops – a trough which has provided almost $1...The Government has announced funding aimed at reducing food waste, which – according to the United Nations Environment Programme’s 2021 Food Waste Index – is well on the way to becoming a billion-tonne problem around the globe. In this country, we have a Love Food Hate Waste campaign run by Councils ...3 days ago
- Number of rejections for emergency housing tripled in 2020About 3000 requests for emergency housing were rejected by the government last year, nearly triple the number the year before. ...3 days ago
- The online GP service helping Kiwis get healthcare from their homesA collaboration between ProCare and Southern Cross Health Insurance is helping remove barriers to healthcare for those who find it hard to access. For some, attending a GP appointment in person can be a major logistical burden. It can mean time away from work, time navigating traffic or travelling long distances ...3 days ago
- Fossil tooth fractures and microscopic detail of enamel offer new clues about human diet and evoluti...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ian Towle, Postdoctoral fellow, University of Otago Author provided, Author provided Teeth can tell us a lot about the evolution of prehistoric humans, and our latest study of one of our species’ close relatives may finally resolve a long-standing mystery. ...3 days ago
- New Zealand's relationship with China 'maturing' – Foreign MinisterThe New Zealand government says the relationship with its biggest trade partner China is maturing, however, issues and concerns will be called out. ...3 days ago
- Most Hated Group Opposes Hate Speech RulesDirect Action Everywhere New Zealand are part of the animal rights movement that has been gaining traction in New Zealand. As a result, we are hated. In fact research has shown vegans are among the most hated groups on the planet. Nevertheless, we ...3 days ago
- Bryce Edwards’ Political Roundup: The Seriousness of the rural revoltAnalysis by Bryce Edwards. Political scientist, Dr Bryce Edwards. It’s nearly a week since the “Howl of a Protest” took place throughout the country, and we’re still talking about the rural revolt. What are the farmers’ concerns? Are they legitimate? Has the rural-urban divide has become too deep, and will ...3 days ago
- Keith Rankin Chart Analysis – Covid19: East Europe in the European Union, Excess Deaths in Context3 days ago
- Panuku Admits Social Housing Quota Is IllegalAuckland Council Property Development arm Panuku has conceded that thousands of Māori and Pacific Island elders, single parents and beneficiaries have been forced on to Government Housing Waiting List by their flawed and unlawful social housing ...3 days ago
- Post-viral cacophony: The cough that won’t quitThe flu’s back, baby, and we’re more on edge about it than ever before. Here’s why you might sound like you’ve got Covid-19, even when you don’t.It started with one guy, three weeks ago, sucking down Lemsip and declaring he had a “post-viral cough”. Now the air is filled with ...3 days ago
- Silence over hate speech laws has allowed misinformation in, minorities sayMinority groups say the government has confused the debate around its proposed hate speech laws and allowed discord to spread. ...3 days ago
- Safer Sick Leave StartsWorking people are celebrating paid sick leave increasing from 5 to 10 days effective from Saturday 24 July 2021. CTU President Richard Wagstaff is encouraging working people to ensure they are getting their entitlement. "Working people successfully ...3 days ago
- More Sick Leave A Win For Working PeoplePSA members welcome the increase in sick leave entitlement to 10 days, that comes into effect tomorrow. PSA national secretary, Kerry Davies says, "The doubling of statutory sick leave entitlement from five days to 10 will make a huge difference ...3 days ago
- The science of underwater swimming: how staying submerged gives Olympians the winning edgeSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Anthony Blazevich, Professor of Biomechanics, Edith Cowan University Shutterstock To win swimming gold in Tokyo, swimmers not only have to generate incredible power with their arms and legs to propel themselves through the water; they also have to overcome the ...3 days ago
- As the Tokyo Games begin, the stakes could not be higher for Japan — and the Olympics themselvesSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jack Anderson, Professor of Sports Law, Melbourne Law School, The University of Melbourne Martin Meissner/AP History shows there nothing in sport quite like an Olympics. Equally, there is nothing in Olympic history quite like what is happening now in Tokyo ...3 days ago
- Most expensive, greatest gender parity, most sports: Tokyo Olympics by the numbersSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Wes Mountain, Multimedia Editor The Tokyo Olympics officially open on July 23 – one year later than originally planned and in an Olympic stadium that will be empty of spectators thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic. While Tokyo is not the first Olympics ...3 days ago
- The Olympic movement claims political neutrality. In reality, that ideal is often selectively applie...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Daryl Adair, Associate Professor of Sport Management, University of Technology Sydney More than 200 nations are represented at the Tokyo 2021 Olympics. As ever, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) asserts the games are a means of unifying humanity through elite sport. At ...3 days ago
- Is Delta defeating us? Here’s why the variant makes contact tracing so much harderSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By C Raina MacIntyre, Professor of Global Biosecurity, NHMRC Principal Research Fellow, Head, Biosecurity Program, Kirby Institute, UNSW Joel Carrett/AAP The Greater Sydney lockdown began on June 26 and almost a month later, New South Wales is recording around 100 new ...3 days ago
- Clever cockatoos in southern Sydney have learned to open curb-side bins — and it has global signif...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Martin, Adjunct lecturer, University of Sydney Barbara Klump, Author provided In a small, isolated village in southern Sydney, the local sulphur-crested cockatoos are particularly clever. Once a week, when the neighbours roll their wheelie bins to the curb, cockies ...3 days ago
- Unis are killing the critical study of religion, and it will only make campuses more religiousSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Christopher Hartney, Lecturer of Religion, University of Sydney Adam Calaitzis/Shutterstock Global developments in tertiary education suggest the critical scientific study of religion is endangered. One of the departments slated for extinguishment amid the pandemic-related upheavals was my own at the ...3 days ago
- The Brisbane Olympics are a leap into an unknowable futureSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By David Rowe, Emeritus Professor of Cultural Research, Institute for Culture and Society, Western Sydney University Toru Hanai/AP There’ll be two types of Australian high jump in Tokyo this month. The first, most likely scripted, was Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk’s front ...3 days ago
- We’re losing the vaccination race because of bungling, not bad luckSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Richard Holden, Professor of Economics, UNSW Eric Surprenant/Shutterstock As one big international competition begins, another one is nearing its end. At least we hope so. I am, of course, talking about the Tokyo Olympic Games and the international roll-out ...3 days ago
- ‘What country have you walked?’ Why all Australians should walk an Indigenous heritage trailSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stephen Muecke, Professor of Writing, Flinders University Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers are advised this article contains images and names of deceased people. The Goolarabooloo community in Broome has been running the Lurujarri Heritage Trail for over 30 years. In July ...3 days ago
- Chris Hipkins needs a reality check on kids with special learning needsThe education minister’s claim that all learners are supported in state schools is so clearly untrue that it makes me despair, argues Jai Breitnauer.In late 2017, I interviewed incoming education minister Chris Hipkins about NZ’s human rights abuses against SEN (special educational needs) children in schools for an article in ...3 days ago
- Live updates, July 23: New 0800 number lets you book your group three vaccine nowWelcome to The Spinoff’s live updates for July 23, bringing you the latest news updated throughout the day. Get in touch at stewart@thespinoff.co.nz8.00am: New 0800 number launched to speed up group three vaccine bookingsA new 0800 number has just launched, allowing people in “group three” who have not received the ...3 days ago
- The Bulletin: Christchurch stadium design downsized amid cost blowoutGood morning and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Christchurch stadium design downsized amid cost blowout, FMA gives damning insurance industry assessment, and mental health pilot programme fails to get near targets.A new design will be needed for the proposed stadium in Christchurch, after cost-overruns caused the original design ...3 days ago
- Marae standoff: A sense of hope
Family Court processes are again in the spotlight after a baby was ordered by the court to be removed from his mother and whānau and placed with a relative. Karakia took place at a marae before the mother and whānau of a nine-month-old baby left for a Hastings court room to attend a ...3 days ago - Newsroom daily quiz, Friday 23 July
Got a good quiz question? Send Newsroom your questions. ...3 days ago
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