Author Archive
Fighting for a just cause is empowering
Written By: - Date published: 8:49 am, October 8th, 2018 - 29 comments
A purpose in life is an awesome Force of Nature.
Modern Technology Is Eroding Our Society
Written By: - Date published: 11:12 pm, September 30th, 2018 - 52 comments
People are losing their people skills rapidly and it is having an effect on society.
- Opinion: Honestly, I am fucking useless
By Maureen Pugh. Simon was right. I am fucking useless. I’m not ashamed of it. I never have been. In fact, that’s why I became an MP. I became an MP because I wanted to represent you, the people of ...3 hours ago - The Journey to Prison: Celia Lashlie’s writing revisited
by Don Franks “New Zealand has one of the highest imprisonment rates in the world, second only to the United States, with over 5000 people currently in our 17 prisons. We could be excused for thinking the problem is huge, ...6 hours ago - Ross, Bridges and The Electoral Act 1993
During his re-enactment of The Joker’s “everything burns” scene from The Dark Knight, Jamie-Lee Ross levelled some very serious allegations against Simon Bridges.read more ...8 hours ago - Will Labour vote to weaken workers’ rights?
Labour's Film Industry Working Group has reported back on National's "Hobbit law", which arbitrarily excluded film industry workers from basic employment protections. But rather than recommending that it be repealed, they have recommended massively expanding it to cover all "screen ...10 hours ago - Time to fix electoral donationsJami-Lee Ross' explosive allegations that National Party leader Simon Bridges criminally laundered donations to hide their origin has put the issue of electoral donations and transparency back int he spotlight again. In a background piece, Stuff highlights the horrific fact ...11 hours ago
- Member’s DayToday is a Member's Day, and the long slog through later stages of bills continues. First up is the committee stage of Jan Tinetti's Education (National Education and Learning Priorities) Amendment Bill. Following that, there's the second readings of Gareth ...12 hours ago
- Climate Change: More bad faith from LabourRemember when Jacinda Ardern called climate change "my generation's nuclear-free moment"? It turns out that she didn't really mean it. At least, that's the impression you'd get from the government's actions in granting foreign oil giant OMV a two year ...13 hours ago
- What a coincidence!Yesterday, ex-National MP Jami-Lee Ross made a series of explosive allegations against National Party leader Simon Bridges, alleging that he had asked him to hide a $100,000 donation from a Chinese businessman in violation of the Electoral Act. But it ...13 hours ago
- Developing Park & Ride sites
Park & Ride is always a hot topic of debate, being seen by some as the key to get more people on public transport. We believe the issue is much more complex, in large part because they take up a ...16 hours ago - SkS Analogy 15 – Ice Tea and Temperature Rise
Tag Line Even on a hot day, as long as your glass of tea has ice it is a nice, cool drink. Only when the ice disappears does your drink start to warm up. Elevator Statement The height of a ...23 hours ago - Judith Collins loses all control of host body
There are fears in Collins’ camp that the real Jami-Lee Ross may be regaining control of his mind. National MP Judith Collins is said to be panicking after her mind lost all control of one of its host bodies in ...1 day ago - British police spied on democracyThe Guardian last night had a horrifying piece on the extent of the British police's anti-democratic spying, showing they had infiltrated at least 124 green, anti-racist, and leftwing groups over four decades:Police deployed 24 undercover officers to infiltrate a small ...1 day ago
- Wireless Docs: In Search of Tūrangawaewae
Fijian-born Pradodh Kumar Mishra's memories are like a trip through history: During his first career in Fiji's Foreign Affairs he met the Queen and was told by Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, that kava was “foul, muddy stuff”; During Fiji's 1987 coup, he ...1 day ago - Lime e-scooters launch in Auckland
Overseas e-scooters have very quickly become a disruptive player in urban transportation in many of the cities where they’ve launched. Being powered and relatively easy to use and taking up even less space than a bike, they’re ideal for short ...1 day ago - This will get people to care about climate changeDanyl Mclauchlan thinks that people will never care about climate change, because its all so abstract. Here's something that will make them care: its goign to fuck up the global beer supply:Trouble is brewing for the world’s beer drinkers, with ...1 day ago
- National’s corrupt electoral practicesThe National Party mess has just gone thermonuclear, with Jami-Lee Ross making public allegations that party leader simon Bridges repeatedly engaged in corrupt electoral practices. In his unscheduled press standup, he specifically accused Bridges of knowingly falsifying the identity of ...1 day ago
- MPs must vote to give students and staff a strong voice
Tertiary Education Union (TEU) national president Sandra Grey and NZ Union of Students’ Associations (NZUSA) president Jonathan Gee today welcomed a new amendment to the Education Amendment Bill tabled by Green MP Chlöe Swarbrick that, if passed, will increase student and staff ...2 days ago - Viewshaft E10: A Billion Dollar View on Auckland
This is a guest post from Geoff Cooper, Chief Economist for Auckland Council, on work he’s done looking at viewshafts. The Journal of New Zealand Economic Papers recently published ‘City With A Billion Dollar View’ by Geoff Cooper (Princeton University, but now ...2 days ago - Leaks, dirt, and ethicsSo, National leader Simon Bridges thinks he has found his leaker: the same MP he granted leave to a few weeks ago for "embarassing" personal health reasons. Given that the leaker supposedly sent text messages to Bridges and the Speaker ...2 days ago
- Our racist health systemWhen Don Brash and his ilk talk about "Māori advantage", they're ignoring a hell of a lot of empirical data showing that Māori are in fact disadvantaged. And now there's another data point for the pile: our health system is ...2 days ago
- The “solution” that wasn’tIn 2013, National introduced its "solution" to housing unaffordability. Its "Special Housing Areas" were basicly a developer's charter, with fast-tracked resource consents and lax oversight. The aim, as stated in the bill's purpose clause, was to "enhance housing affordability by ...2 days ago
- Hard News: Shots Fired
Last night's 11-minute debate on cannabis law reform on Q+A was hardly the first time the issue has been discussed on national television. But it can fairly be considered the opening round of the long argument that will precede the ...3 days ago - NZDF decorated a war criminalNicky Hager has a new piece in North & South today, with new dirt on the defence force, including drunkenness in the field in Afghanistan, and a systematic failure to investigate a sexual assault. But the worst of it is ...3 days ago
- 2018 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming Digest #41
Story of the Week... Opinion of the Week... Legal Matters... Toon of the Week... Coming Soon on SkS... Climate Feedback Reviews... SkS Week in Review... Poster of the Week... 2022124 ...3 days ago - Fuel Prices an opportunity for change
Increasing petrol prices have unsurprisingly remained a hot topic of conversation. Brian Fallow wrote an excellent piece on the subject last week. So why not give drivers a break? Because fuel prices are too low, not too high. This week ...3 days ago - September ’18 – NZ blogs sitemeter ranking
A view of the Montserrat Monastery, Catalonia, from above. Views from the mountaintop were amazing Apologies for the delay this month. But my excuse is excellent – a Wine, Tapas and Walking Tour in Spain. I have come back ...3 days ago - 2018 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #41
A chronological listing of news articles posted on the Skeptical Science Facebook Page during the past week including numerous articles about the IPPC's Special Report, Editor's Pick Mary Robinson on climate change: ‘Feeling “This is too big for me” is ...4 days ago - Book review: Protecting Paradise: 1080 and the fight to save New Zealand’s wildlife by Dave Hansf...by Don Franks Along New Zealand roadsides, especially on the South Island’s west coast, are hammered hand painted signs. “1080 poisons our water”, “Kea killed in 1080 drop”, “1080 kills everything”. The accused 1080 is an organic salt, sodium ...4 days ago
- Donald Trump And The Art Of Populist Grotesque.
5 days ago - New research, October 1-7, 2018
A selection of new climate related research articles is shown below. Climate change Understanding the abrupt climate change in the mid-1970s from a phase-space transform perspective Temperature, precipitation, wind Distinguishing trends and shifts from memory in climate data Persistence of ...5 days ago - Flashback Saturday: If you want more consumption choices, live near lots of other people
Every weekend we dig into the archives. This post by Peter was originally published in March 2015. One of the many reasons that people choose to live in cities is that cities offer variety. As Stu Donovan has argued before, ...5 days ago - Yale versus NZ Super Asset Allocation
Disclaimer: Punakaiki Fund Limited has lodged a Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) for a Public Offer. Please read the PDS if you are considering an investment. Yale Investment Office have just announced their latest results (good, especially with the lower risk they carry) and their ...5 days ago - Invercargill Spring Eco Fest
Guest blogger, Southland Forest and Bird Chair Lori Johnston, reflects on the Invercargill Spring Eco Festival theme ‘Climate Change: You Make the Difference’ The future hasn’t been written yet, but I saw previews of it at the Spring Eco Fest in ...5 days ago - Let’s make student and staff voice the lawThe Education Amendment Bill returns to Parliament shortly. Currently, the Bill will give students and staff one seat each on all tertiary education institution councils – reversing National’s decision to remove these seats, therefore excluding us from decision-making at our institution. Green Party ...5 days ago
- Cuts killAnother example of how austerity kills. A couple of years ago, when National was looking for things to penny-pinch on so it could pay for its tax cuts for the rich, NZTA cut the number of checks it made on ...5 days ago
- The IPCC Report: All Of A Sudden – Nothing Happened.
5 days ago - Just how much of the $2 billion Kiwibuild fund has Phil Twyford spent on Fortnite?
On the left is one thing we’re talking about. On the right is another thing we’re talking about. You see them here juxtaposed. You are now informed. One Auckland mother is reportedly furious and distraught after finding her finances several ...6 days ago - One state at a timeWhile America is looking like a pretty horrible place at the moment, there's some progess: the Washington state supreme court just abolished the state's death penalty:The Washington state Supreme Court on Thursday unanimously struck down the death penalty there as ...6 days ago
- Over-estimating the importance of City-Airport trips
At its core, the argument over between the proposed City Centre to Mangere light-rail line and a Puhinui-Airport heavy rail spur boils down to the importance we place on serving direct trips between the City Centre and the Airport, compared ...6 days ago - Invisible ChildrenI do not know whether we were once the best country in the world for children. Certainly when I grew up in the 1950s we thought we were – even if there were no systematic comparisons. We returned from our ...6 days ago
- Water Whirler doubles in value after beaning titanic douchemonger
Praise has been ubiquitous for the inanimate carbon rod. The Wellington man who broke the Len Lye Water Whirler sculpture may be relieved today after a report revealed that his antics on the waterfront art piece have actually doubled its ...6 days ago - Victims of Hurricane Michael voted for climate deniersFloridians are staring down a very powerful Category 4 typhoon that is causing extensive damage. The high winds, heavy rains, and storm surge will cost billions of dollars. We know that climate change is making these storms stronger. The storms feed off of ...6 days ago
- Canterbury Socialist Society Founding Statement
The Christchurch-based Canterbury Socialist Society has been organising educational talks, film showings and social events since last year. The public talks have ranged from Marx’s analysis of the working day to war resisters in New Zealand to the Frankfurt School. ...6 days ago - Government will provide therapy for business owners to help them feel more confident
Numbers notably don’t indicate whether it’s the business owners or if the businesses themselves are sad. In an attempt to ease plummeting business confidence, the not-Labour-led Government says it plans to spend some of its unexpectedly large surplus on therapy ...6 days ago - Hard News: Friday Music: Indeed a good one"That was my first Silver Scrolls – was it a good one?" asked Aldous Harding, who I'd just met, at the after-party."It was a good one," I said, before blathering on about the cultural import of Silver Scrolls ceremonies over ...6 days ago
- Submission on the Crown Minerals (Petroleum) Amendment BillI support the Crown Minerals (Petroleum) Amendment Bill and ask that it be passed with the amendments suggested below. As this week's IPCC report shows, humanity needs to move rapidly away from fossil fuels if we are to have ...6 days ago
- VC’s first duty is to serve the public goodSharn Riggs, national secretary of the Tertiary Education Union, responds to an article by the chair of Universities New Zealand, Stuart McCutcheon, and reminds all vice-chancellors of their responsibility to improve tertiary education and enrich the contribution our public institutions make to society. ...6 days ago
- Māori women are now effectively working for freeOn 6 October Māori women effectively started working for free until 2019, because of the gender pay imbalance compared with the pay of men. Per hour of work, Māori women on average receive $24.26, compared with the $31.82 received by Kiwi men. ...6 days ago
- Focus on student and staff wellbeing more important than everTo mark Mental Health Awareness Week, the Tertiary Education Union is calling on all tertiary institutions to make student and staff wellbeing a priority. Last year the TEU published its second state of the sector report, revealing a serious drop in staff ...6 days ago
- “Unionism has been a significant part of my life” Te Tumu Araki candidate Hūhana WāteneHūhana Wātene is standing for Te Tumu Araki, Māori vice-president. She says “unionism has been a significant part of my life”. Her father was a watersider and her grandfather a “die-hard unionist”. She’s been active in the union for over 20 years. ...6 days ago
- Let’s carry on the work of Te Tiriti group, Te Tumu Arataki candidate Bill RogersBill Rogers is standing again for Te Tumu Arataki, Māori vice-president. Bill has been an architectural tutor at Northtec for nearly 20 years. Bill is Ngāpuhi and grew up in the Matawaia marae area. He is the current Tumu Arataki Māori ...6 days ago
- Equality must be embedded in all we do, women’s VP elect Sarah Proctor ThomsonWomen’s vice-president elect of the Tertiary Education Union, Sarah Proctor Thomson, is an academic at Nelson Marlborough Institute of Technology, coordinating a degree. She’s been in this role since February and was in a general staff role at NMIT prior to that. ...6 days ago
- All institutions should adopt the Living Wage, ITP vice-president elect, George TongariroGeorge Tongariro is standing unopposed for the role of Tertiary Education Union industrial and professional vice-president. A senior IT lecturer at Whitireia in Porirua, George has recently stood down as branch co-chair, a position he’s held since 2010. George was ...6 days ago
- Voting opens for next TEU leadersUnion members across New Zealand have the chance to decide who will lead the Tertiary Education Union for the next two years as voting opened earlier this week to elect a range of leadership positions, including the national president. Two vice-president roles have, ...6 days ago
- Latest commissioner appointment heaps pressure on Education Minister for urgent changeEducation Minister Chris Hipkins’ decision to formally dissolve the combined council of WelTec and Whitireia and appoint a commissioner in its place is a clear sign that New Zealanders cannot afford for the current model of tertiary education provision to continue any ...6 days ago
- A Change Of Plan.
7 days ago - Dumping Simon Bridges May Be Just the Easy Option
Simon Bridges may seem to have been around for a long time but, in truth, he has been leader of the National party for a matter of only months rather than years. The qualities that persuaded his colleagues to vote ...7 days ago - The All Blacks Aren’t Done YetThe All Blacks may have retained the Bledisloe Cup, won the Rugby Championship with a game to spare, and beaten both the Wallabies and the Pumas twice in a row, but their single loss to the Springboks and their dramatic ...7 days ago
- Benefit sanctions don’t workThe Greens are currently campaigning to end benefit sanctions, under which people have their benefits cut and are left to starve if they refuse an arbitrary and demeaning drug test, or fail to take the first shit job they are ...7 days ago
- Private Funding for Penlink?
There was some interesting news late last week with the Auckland Chamber of Commerce announcing it had achieved a “breakthrough” on a funding deal for Penlink An unsolicited bid by an international group to establish a joint venture with a ...7 days ago - SkS Analogy 14 – Inertia and Inevitability
Tag Line Inertia is your friend … until it isn’t. Elevator Statement Inertia delays the response … But for each CO2 level there is a guaranteed response … Be patient, the response is coming … And when it finally comes ...1 week ago - “Surplus”So, the government thinks its in surplus, to the tune of $5.5 billion. Of course, its nothing of the sort. As I noted last time, when there are queues for basic healthcare, people without homes, underpaid public servants, and kids ...1 week ago
- Confronting Despotic Interference.
It is hard to fix a precise date when despotic politics entered the liberal democratic world, and then again when it began to corrode the rules-based international order. Some say that it started with the emergence of right-wing nationalism in ...1 week ago - Bigotry loses in RomaniaRomanians went to the polls over the weekend to vote in a constitutional referendum to ban same-sex marriage. Or rather, they didn't - because the referendum failed due to miserably low turnout:A referendum to establish a constitutional ban on same-sex ...1 week ago
- Petrol Pump Politics.
1 week ago - Airport connections, consider the whole network
The idea of a heavy rail spur to the airport has been getting an airing again and there’s a lot of deliberately false and misleading information being presented as fact as part of this. We’ve discussed the issue of a ...1 week ago - Australia wants to destroy the worldAustralia's response to the IPCC's dire climate warning yesterday? Full denial:The Australian government has rejected the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report’s call to phase out coal power by 2050, claiming renewable energy cannot replace baseload coal power. The deputy ...1 week ago
- Don’t let OMV destroy the planetLast month, we learned that Labour's "commitment" to end offshore oil drilling wasn't. In an act of bad faith with their coalition parner, and total, two-faced dishonesty, they were quietly planning to extend existing offshore drilling permits, giving polluters more ...1 week ago
- Unnecessary intrusionOne of the aims of the Privacy Act was to regulate government use of information matching. The Act prevents unauthorised disclosure, so any government use for (for example) seeing if people on the electoral roll are citizens or residents and ...1 week ago
- Cruel and barbaricOver the weekend, Nauru threw out NGO Médecins Sans Frontières, which had been providing mental health services to the suicidal inmates of australia's concentration camp there. So what is the Nauruan regime going to do about suicidal refugees now that ...1 week ago
- That was Then, This is Now #29 – Joyce’s $11.7 billion hole – goneburger!
. . “Billions of dollars extra cash that are there that they could dip into“, eh? It would appear that Ms Kaye has inadvertently ‘sunk’ Steven Joyce’s claims of Labour’s $11.7 billion “hole” made during last year’s election campaign. . ...1 week ago - Fuel Prices talk of the town
Petrol prices have dominated news and opinion columns for the last week or so as they reach record levels. In most cases the blame for them has been directed at the government following the most recent increase in petrol tax that ...1 week ago - The Trump administration has entered Stage 5 climate denialA cartoon illustration of the Trump administration’s climate policy logic Illustration: John Cook Several years ago, I wrote about the five stages of climate denial. To date, the Trump administration has pinballed between Stages 1, 2, and 3, calling ...1 week ago
- We should be trying to raise petrol prices, not lower themToday the IPCC released a devastating report showing that we have only a decade or less to deal with climate change, and that we need to cut emissions to zero by 2050 if we want to avoid catastrophe. Meanwhile, at ...1 week ago
- Remembering CheBelow is a list of pieces here on Redline by and about Che, executed without trial by the imperialists, October 9, 1967. Fidel Castro on the death of Che Ireland’s Che Guevara stamps The Legacy of Che Guevara Che’s African ...1 week ago
- e-Invoicing to boost productivity
Small Business Minister Stuart Nash is encouraging the Australian and New Zealand public to provide feedback on a joint electronic invoicing (e-Invoicing) initiative that will save businesses time and money. “Research indicates that the economic benefits of e-Invoicing could exceed ...10 hours ago - Clearer picture of community drug useA picture of New Zealand’s drug use is set to become clearer with the expansion of wastewater testing across New Zealand, says Police Minister Stuart Nash. “The Commissioner of Police today announced that wastewater testing at 38 sites in each ...1 week ago
- Criminal justice conversation continuesJustice Minister Andrew Little continues the conversation about how to fix the broken criminal justice system by announcing the advisory group visits to the regions. ...1 week ago
- Cleaning up our rivers
Our streams, rivers, and lakes are precious to all of us. Freshwater is the lifeblood of our communities. That’s why we’re pleased that the Government is continuing work to deliver on the Green Party’s commitment to clean up our rivers ...1 week ago - Te Patukirikiri sign Deed of SettlementMinister for Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations Andrew Little has announced Te Patukirikiri signed a Deed of Settlement with the Crown in Thames. ...1 week ago
- New appointments to the Human Rights CommissionDistinguished human rights advocate and lawyer Professor Paul Hunt has been appointed as Chief Human Rights Commissioner, Justice Minister Andrew Little announced today. ...2 weeks ago
- Electoral (Integrity) Amendment Bill passes third readingThe Electoral (Integrity) Amendment Bill has passed its third reading in Parliament and will become law, Justice Minister Andrew Little said. ...3 weeks ago
- Significant step to correct miscarriages of justiceJustice Minister Andrew Little has introduced the Bill to establish a Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC). ...3 weeks ago
- First two expungements granted under Criminal Records (Expungement of Convictions for Historical Hom...Justice Minister Andrew Little has announced the first two expungements of unjust historical convictions under the Criminal Records (Expungement of Convictions for Historical Homosexual Offences) Act 2018. ...3 weeks ago
- EPA must reassess glyphosate and neonics
The Soil & Health Association is calling for an enquiry into the independence of New Zealand’s Environmental Protection Authority (EPA), following the EPA’s announcement of priority chemical reassessments for possible bans or new controls. ...6 hours ago - Complaint received regarding political donationsPolice can confirm that a complaint has been received today at Wellington Central police station regarding the disclosure of political donations under the Electoral Act. ...7 hours ago
- Protest Against Agenda to Remove God from ParliamentHundreds of Christians will take part in another rally at Parliament on Tuesday 30 October but this time it’s an official protest at the removal of “Jesus Christ” from the Parliamentary Prayer. ...8 hours ago
- Sacking required over Justice Summit cost blowoutsToday’s news that three registration desks at the Government’s Justice Summit cost more than $20,000 should lead to a sacking, says the New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union . Taxpayers’ Union spokesman Louis Houlbrooke says, “In effect, four minimum ...8 hours ago
- Government warned about suicide cultGreenpeace will be warning senior Government figures tomorrow not to trust the "honeyed words" of oil companies - likening the industry to a "suicide cult." ...8 hours ago
- Elliot Ikilei to Contest Botany for New ConservativeNew Conservative has been quick to throw its hat in the ring for the Botany By-election announcing that Deputy Leader Elliot Ikilei will contest the seat on a platform of Family, Justice and Democracy. ...9 hours ago
- Youth tackle big issues via creative activismArtistic high school students with bold ideas on how to tackle gnarly social and global problems are being urged to take part in Massey University’s Create1World creative activism and global citizenship conferences next month in Auckland and Wellington. ...9 hours ago
- Hapu: Tribunal’s troubled ballot in matrix muddleThe Waitangi Tribunal's controversial voting scheme on the Whakatohea Treaty settlement mandate continues into a third week of polling beset by legal and ballot problems that threaten to derail the government-funded attempt to get the Iwi to take a $100m ...9 hours ago
- Chief Ombudsman says Annual Report highlights progressAn increased clearance rates for complaints is the highlight of the Chief Ombudsman’s Annual Report 2017/18 tabled in Parliament this afternoon. ...9 hours ago
- Treasury’s 2017/18 year shaped by Living Standards FrameworkThe Treasury Annual Report 2017/18 highlights many areas of work where the Treasury can take pride in its performance, Secretary to the Treasury Gabriel Makhlouf said today. ...9 hours ago
- Green Party calling for bold steps to tackle housing issuesThe Green Party agrees with the Salvation Army that bold new steps are needed to stop a worrying trajectory of increased rent rises and homelessness. ...10 hours ago
- First NZ Conference on Cannabis Referendum AnnouncedThe Cannabis Referendum Coalition announces the first New Zealand Conference on Cannabis Referendum. The Conference will feature panel discussions, and offer an opportunity to engage in dialogue around the forthcoming referendum. ...11 hours ago
- Working Group produces tripartite recommended modelCouncil of Trade Unions President Richard Wagstaff was pleased to have announced today a working model for moving forward with better employment laws for those in the film and screen industry. Mr Wagstaff, who was a member of the Film ...11 hours ago
- Recommendations for screen sector workplace relationsA recommended model to allow collective bargaining for contractors in the screen sector has today been unveiled by the Government-convened Film Industry Working Group. ...11 hours ago
- Urgency sought for hearing over Partnership SchoolsClaimants Sir Toby Curtis, Dame Iritana Tawhiwhirangi, Dame Tariana Turia and Pem Bird have filed for their Treaty of Waitangi claim, Wai 2770, to be heard by the Waitangi Tribunal with urgency. ...12 hours ago
- Playing Cynical Politics With Cannabis MedicineAnti-drug group Family First NZ believes that Labour and Greens are playing cynical politics with the cannabis medicine issue because of the upcoming referendum on recreational dope, and patients who could benefit will be the ones that suffer. ...12 hours ago
- Stats NZ seeks views on what constitutes housing qualityFeedback is being sought on a proposed housing quality conceptual framework, co-designed by Stats NZ, the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE), and the Building Research Association of New Zealand (BRANZ). ...12 hours ago
- Conflict Resolution Day – When families break downOctober 18 is Conflict Resolution Day. While conflict happens near and far, conflict in the family can impact the personal wellbeing of every family member. It may have long lasting and severe impacts on children and young people. Children, who ...14 hours ago
- MPI only paying lip service to animal welfareMPI’s inability to investigate complaint proves it’s only paying lip service to animal welfare ...14 hours ago
- Home ownership subsidies should be rejectedThe Salvation Army’s home ownership subsidy agenda would be a disaster says the New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union. ...14 hours ago
- More than half a million people call for KFC to end cruelty17 October 2018: World Animal Protection has just delivered a petition (CDT 16 October) on – World Food Day – to the fast food giant’s global HQ in Louisville, Kentucky, USA. ...14 hours ago
- Govt backtracks on climate action, grants drill extensionThe Government has just granted oil giant OMV a two-year extension to drill in the Great South Basin, despite issuing a ban on new oil and gas exploration permits in April. ...14 hours ago
- KiwiBuy the only answer to the housing shortageGrowing homelessness, rent rises and struggles for private investors could be on the way without serious changes to the housing market, The Salvation Army says. ...15 hours ago
- Genuine move to enshrine pay equity in lawThe Council of Trade Unions today welcomed the passing of the first reading of the Equal Pay Amendment Bill in parliament as a critical historic step towards women accessing their right to be fairly paid. CTU President Richard Wagstaff said ...1 day ago
- Statement from Peter Goodfellow – National Party PresidentWe can find no proof of the accusations and assertions made by Jami-Lee Ross today in regard to the handling of our political donations. ...1 day ago
- Prime Minister’s obstinacy on tax cuts immoral“It’s incredibly frustrating to see the Government rule out tax cuts at a time when the government books are already bursting,” says Taxpayers’ Union Executive Director Jordan Williams in response to the Prime Minister’s comments today . “With ...1 day ago
- Action underway as NZTA compliance investigation progressesNZ Transport Agency Chief Executive Fergus Gammie says 63 of the 152 high priority compliance files being closely investigated for any safety issues have now been assessed. ...1 day ago
- Education workers optimistic about Pay Equity Amendment BillAs the Equal Pay Amendment Bill has its first reading, a 12-year struggle for pay equity will also draw to a close for Education Support Workers, who will be receiving their first payslips with pay increases of up to 30% ...1 day ago
- New Zealand tops list of most-scammed countriesNew Zealand, 16 October 2018 – New Zealanders are the most likely people in the world to have experienced a tech support scam, according to a new study from Microsoft. ...1 day ago
- Secretary to the Treasury invited to observe policy meetingsThe Secretary to the Treasury, Gabriel Makhlouf, has accepted Reserve Bank Governor Adrian Orr’s invitation to attend monetary policy deliberation and decision meetings as an observer from the end of this month. ...1 day ago
- Auditor-General’s Annual report 2017/18 publishedThe Auditor-General’s Annual report 2017/18 was presented to the House of Representatives today. In this report we describe the Office’s work in 2017/18, and give an update on progress against our strategic intentions and the public sector outcomes we seek ...1 day ago
- Coastguard swamped with demandCoastguard swamped with demand – Give generously to Coastguard and help them save 19 lives today ...1 day ago
- Women deserve ‘game-changing’ breast cancer medicinesWomen marching to Parliament today, to present two petitions calling for Government funding of vital medicines, have 100% support from a coalition representing than 30 breast cancer organisations. ...2 days ago
- Organise Aotearoa holds protest outside NZDF officesOrganise Aotearoa, a new socialist organisation is holding a joint protest today with Auckland Peace Action to condemn war crimes, including the killing of children, perpetrated by the New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) in Afghanistan. The protest is ...2 days ago
- MPs must vote to give students and staff a strong voiceTertiary Education Union (TEU) national president Sandra Grey and NZ Union of Students’ Associations (NZUSA) president Jonathan Gee today welcomed a new amendment to the Education Amendment Bill tabled by Green MP Chlöe Swarbrick that, if passed, will ...2 days ago
- Toothless rodeo recommendations bowing to animal abusersThe animal charity says the long-awaited report by the National Animal Welfare Advisory Committee is extremely disappointing and fails to implement any meaningful changes. ...2 days ago
- Lack of funding “height of cruelty”Breast Cancer Foundation NZ’s chief executive Evangelia Henderson describes the lack of funding for drugs that extend the lives of advanced breast cancer patients as heartless and cruel. ...2 days ago
- E-scooters a menace on footpaths “Living Streets Wellington”Footpaths are under threat from vehicle-aggedon. The most recent NZTA decision to declare e-scooters to not be motor-vehicles will allow these small wheelers, that can travel up to 27km hour, to be ridden on our footpaths. They join a growing ...2 days ago
- Women with advanced breast cancer demand what they need“We’re going to die soon if you don’t give us the medicines we need.” ...2 days ago
- Student presidents call on MPs to strengthen BillStudent presidents from all eight universities and numerous polytechnics have signed an open letter calling on Members of Parliament to strengthen student representation on tertiary education councils. MPs have been urged to support a Supplementary Order ...2 days ago
- Loan shark net tightens, but holes still remainNgā Tangata Microfinance (NTM) welcomes the new measures announced by Minister for Commerce and Consumer Affairs Kris Faafoi, that will strengthen the net of protection for vulnerable consumers in the Credit Contracts and Consumer Finance Act (CCCFA). ...2 days ago
- Animal welfare in rodeo practices report releasedThe National Animal Welfare Advisory Committee (NAWAC), the independent committee that advises the Minister responsible for Animal Welfare, has today released a report on animal welfare in rodeos, together with advice to the Minister making recommendations ...2 days ago
- University lecture tackles housing crisis head-onFrontline social housing worker Bernie Smith will look at how to restore secure housing for all New Zealanders in the Bruce Jesson Memorial Lecture hosted by Faculty of Arts on October 23. ...2 days ago
- Shakti calls for pay equity for NGO sectorWith the recent pay equity settlement for Oranga Tamariki workers, Shakti echoes the distressed concerns of Anglican Trust for Women and Children and Barnados. The widening of the pay gap between the NGO sector and government will result in further ...2 days ago
- Submissions on recent proposals15 October 2018: The Auditor-General has provided submissions to the State Services Commission and the Treasury on proposals to reform the State Sector Act 1988, to set up an Independent Fiscal Institution, and to embed a focus on wellbeing in ...2 days ago
- Govt must also do more to increase early childhood teachersTe Rito Maioha Early Childhood New Zealand says the government must also do more to increase early childhood teacher numbers. ...2 days ago
- Rail union urges govt to keep promise, save electric trainsRail union urges government to keep promise, save electric trains The Rail & Maritime Transport Union calls on the government to honour it’s campaign pledge of maintaining electric locomotives on the North Island Main Trunk. Almost a year ...2 days ago
- Teachers set to vote on strike actionPrimary teachers and principals are set to begin voting tomorrow on whether to undertake a week of strike action in November. ...2 days ago
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- NZTA compliance review necessaryThe decision by NZTA to review its compliance files and toughen up its enforcement is necessary to restore confidence in the Agency’s compliance functions says Road Transport Forum CEO Ken Shirley. ...2 days ago
- Wealthy political donor suggested friend as National candidate
Earlier in the year, Simon Bridges and Jami-Lee Ross discussed a wealthy donor nominating his business partner as a National candidate. But experts are divided over whether this adds weight to growing questions around China’s political influence, writes Laura Walters. Following ...1 hour ago - Politics Podcast: Peter Jennings on Morrison’s Jerusalem move
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Director of the Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI), Peter Jennings, says it would be “silly” to claim – as Scott Morrison does – that there ...1 hour ago - Another jaw-dropping day piles more pressure on Simon Bridges
Jami Lee-Ross’s secret recording may not contain a smoking gun on party donations, but the comments about ethnicity and his own MPs leave National’s leader on shaky ground, writes RNZ’s political editorGo here to read or listen to the recording ...2 hours ago - Follow the money and the influence
Bernard Hickey calls out our politicians for being soft on China and its attempts to influence our politics. He argues for inquiries into electoral finance rules and China's activities here. Someone has to say it if our politicians are too ...3 hours ago - Dirty Politics is back
Dirty politics is back, but who is slinging the mud? After another brutal day of internecine conflict, Simon Bridges and Jami-Lee Ross mutually accused each other of playing dirty. Ross cast the first stone, having to defend his involvement ...3 hours ago - Long days stretch on for National as Ross’ allegations unroll
Opinion - The days in politics are long and the past few days for National have been some of the longest. ...3 hours ago - Fighting frog fungus: Lee Berger wins PM’s Life Scientist 2018 awardSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Lee Berger, University of Melbourne Lee Berger is the 2018 recipient of the Frank Fenner Prize for Life Scientist of the Year, one of the Prime Minister’s Prizes for Science announced on ...4 hours ago
- Senate inquiry calls for tougher rules on pet food in AustraliaSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Bronwyn Orr, Veterinarian and PhD candidate, University of Sydney Compulsory rules for the standards and labelling of pet food in Australia are among the recommendations in a Senate inquiry report released late ...5 hours ago
- Greens call for inquiry into murdered journalist
Golriz Ghahraman is calling for an independent inquiry into the presumed murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in the Saudi Arabian consulate in Istanbul, Turkey. Khashoggi has not been seen since he entered the Saudi Arabian consulate on October 2 to ...5 hours ago - ‘He has defamed me and he is a liar’ – Simon BridgesSimon Bridges has spoken to media after Jami-Lee Ross released a recording of a phone call between them - in which Mr Bridges called MP Maureen Pugh 'f***ing useless'. ...5 hours ago
- Watch live: ‘He has defamed me and he is a liar’ – Simon BridgesLive: Simon Bridges is speaking to media after Jami-Lee Ross released a recording of a phone call between them - in which Mr Bridges called MP Maureen Pugh 'f***ing useless'. ...6 hours ago
- Watch live: Simon Bridges responds to Jami-Lee Ross recordingLive: Simon Bridges is speaking to media after Jami-Lee Ross released a recording of a phone call between them - in which Mr Bridges called MP Maureen Pugh 'f***ing useless'. ...6 hours ago
- Roses are red, violets are fucken blue: Poetry Slam is coming to a stage near you
Slam poetry! God it makes for awful, debased literature but it’s also a wildly popular live entertainment, writes Ben Fagan, who is masterminding slam events across the country this month.One of my favourite poetry moments happened a few years ago. I was at ...6 hours ago - Moving the Australian embassy to Jerusalem makes sense: here’s whySource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ran Porat, Lecturer in Israel Studies and Middle Eastern History, Monash University Apparently looking to garner the support of Jewish constituents behind the Liberal candidate, David Sharma, in the upcoming critical Wentworth ...6 hours ago
- Listen: Jami-Lee Ross recording releasedJami-Lee Ross has released the audio of a phone conversation between himself and Simon Bridges, during which they talk about which MPs they need to get rid of. ...6 hours ago
- Ellison’s Kiwi co revamping boats for America’s Cup rival
A Warkworth-based company owned by multi-billionaire IT mogul Larry Ellison and part-funded by Callaghan Innovation is at the centre of a bid to take the wind out of the sails of the next America’s Cup competition in Auckland. New Zealand ...6 hours ago - Port of Tauranga eyes record profit
Port of Tauranga says annual profit may rise as much as 8.1 percent, based on increased cargo volumes in the first quarter. The country's biggest port expects net profit of between $96 million and $101 million in the year ending June ...7 hours ago - The Jami-Lee plot tapes: a transcript of the Ross and Bridges donation chatIn a post as Facebook Jami-Lee Ross has published audio which he says “confirms Simon Bridges and I discussing a $100k donation on 25 June. Simon Bridges says I’m lying – this is part of the evidence I gave to ...7 hours ago
- Conversation between Jami-Lee Ross and Simon Bridges releasedJami-Lee Ross has released the audio of a phone conversation between himself and Simon Bridges, during which they talk about which MPs they need to get rid of. ...7 hours ago
- Jami-Lee Ross gives police loan details
Former National MP Jami-Lee Ross has laid a police complaint against Simon Bridges over allegations he illegally covered up the identity of a wealthy Chinese donor. Speaking to media outside Wellington Police Station, Ross said the police will now be investigating ...7 hours ago - North Island transport study
d He said the potential of the port, and the importance of Marsden’s landholdings directly behind it, are obvious to the company’s shareholders. Yet in the past that message had not resonated “quite so loudly.” “It is therefore gratifying to ...8 hours ago - If Jami-Lee Ross’s donations claims are true, what charges could Bridges face?Jami-Lee Ross says police have told him they’ll investigate his claims that National leader Simon Bridges has breached the law. Law professor Andrew Giddens explains the possible implications, legal and otherwiseDuring his re-enactment of The Joker’s “everything burns” scene from The ...8 hours ago
- Screen sector needs special employment framework
New Zealand's screen sector needs its own employment framework to remain globally competitive, a working group says. The government set up the Film Working Group in January to deal with concerns of a power imbalance in a sector dominated by ...8 hours ago - 40 luxury Maseratis for PNG, but little effort put into climate change
Papua New Guinea has shown unwavering commitment to next month’s Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation summit with its controversial purchase of 40 Maserati luxury sedans. While preparations for APEC take priority, climate change plans are in crisis, reports Pauline Mago-King of Asia-Pacific ...8 hours ago - Celebrate National Boss’s Day with some stories about really bad bossesDo you have a terrible boss story? We asked friends and whānau to share their worst for National Boss’s Day*.It’s a fact that a significant portion of bosses are jerks. Many are great**, but a great many are jerks***. Here ...9 hours ago
- Newsletter: New Zealand Politics Daily – October 17 2018
Newsletter: New Zealand Politics Daily – October 17 2018 Editor’s Note: Here below is a list of the main issues currently under discussion in New Zealand and links to media coverage. The Beehive and Parliament Buildings.National Party Richard Harman (Politik): The ...9 hours ago - Newsletter: New Zealand Politics Daily – October 16 2018Newsletter: New Zealand Politics Daily – October 16 2018 Editor’s Note: Here below is a list of the main issues currently under discussion in New Zealand and links to media coverage. The Beehive and Parliament Buildings.National Party John Armstrong (1News): Simon ...9 hours ago
- Just some memes about Jami-Lee Ross and the National Party
Every great political moment births a thousand not-so-great political memes. Madeleine Chapman gets the ball rolling on the Ross-Bridges sagaPolitics is happening! Jami-Lee Ross began his Tuesday as the National MP for Botany and Simon Bridges’ “numbers man”. He ended ...9 hours ago - Why legislation should ban schools from discriminating against LGBTIQ+ students and teachersSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Emily Gray, Senior Lecturer in Education Studies, RMIT University Over the weekend, Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced his government would make amendments to discrimination legislation to make clear no student at a ...9 hours ago
- SwipedOn sells for $11 million
Kiwi software firm SwipedOn has been sold to UK company SmartSpace Software for $11 million. The British company provides workspace management software and has wanted to expand that offering through an acquisition since July. Tauranga-based SwipedOn's software helps visitors sign in ...10 hours ago - Giraffe Town is the perfectly creepy game for Halloween
While fakers are playing so-called big budget horror spectacles like Call of Duty Black Ops 4 Zombie mode and Call of Duty Black Ops 4 Black Out, Adam Goodall knows where to find the best and most meaningful scares: a little ...10 hours ago - Jami-Lee Ross will release recording this afternoonFormer National MP Jami-Lee Ross has arrived at Wellington police station to lay a complaint against Simon Bridges over allegations he illegally covered up the identity of a wealthy Chinese donor. Walking into the station alone, Ross briefly spoke to ...10 hours ago
- Curious Kids: Why do we need food?Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Amanda Devine, Professor of Public Health Nutrition, Edith Cowan University This is an article from Curious Kids, a series for children. The Conversation is asking kids to send in questions they’d like ...10 hours ago
- Ally McBeal was peak nineties
Unisex bathrooms, weird homophobia and even weirder visual effects. Sam Rutledge revisits the simultaneously regressive and progressive Ally McBeal.“Men are like gum anyway – after you chew a while they lose their flavour.”Calista Flockhart’s titular Ally McBeal delivers this line in ...11 hours ago - AWF Madison drops 3.7%
AWF Madison Group shares fell 3.7 percent after the labour-hire firm said the collapse of three building companies dented its earnings. The company has taken an $800,000 provision after two customers failed in Christchurch and another fell over in Auckland. ...11 hours ago - The Modern Slavery Bill is a start, but it won’t guarantee us sweeter chocolateSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Dumay, Associate Professor – Department of Accounting and Corporate Governance, Macquarie University Is the Modern Slavery Bill at present before the Senate onerous? It is if you are Nestle, because it ...11 hours ago
- Fijian students design superheroes to challenge ‘Silence’ in comic contest
Students at Holy Trinity Primary School in Suva, Fiji, presented their superheroes designed during a workshop held on Monday. Image: UNICEF Pacific Media Centre Newsdesk Advocacy groups have called on children and young people to defeat the “ultimate supervillain” ...11 hours ago - Genesis partners with Tilt in Taranaki wind farm
Genesis Energy is partnering with Tilt Renewables to develop a 100 MW wind farm at Waverley on the southern Taranaki coast. Chief executive Marc England said the deal with Tilt, still be to finalised, could see construction beginning next year ...12 hours ago - The Jami-Lee Ross vs Simon Bridges shit-fight in seven questionsThe developments at parliament yesterday are almost without precedent, as renegade National MP Jami-Lee Ross threw astonishing accusations at his party leader Simon Bridges. In this post drawn from this morning’s Bulletin, the Spinoff’s daily email newsletter, Alex Braae takes ...12 hours ago
- NZ Steel grabs blocking stake in Steel & Tube
New Zealand Steel has paid a 17 percent premium for a blocking stake in distributor Steel & Tube Holdings, the latest move in an ongoing tussle for the Lower Hutt-based steel products supplier. NZ Steel, a unit of BlueScope Steel ...12 hours ago - NZ heading for gas supply gap – OMV
New Zealand is heading into a gas supply gap and will need a new discovery to arrest the production decline it is on now, MPs heard yesterday. The country has just seven years’ firm supply, and production is forecast to ...13 hours ago - Is there any way for Simon Bridges to escape this political bonfire?To have a hope of surviving the fallout from Jami-Lee Ross’s extraordinary attacks, a lot of things have to go right for the National leader – and they have to go right at the right time, writes RNZ’s Guyon EspinerFor ...13 hours ago
- Ross offers another moment of truthOpinion - There are several repeating elements in our modern political scandals - a National Party leader, a recording device, a moment of truth and only smoke instead a gun, writes David Slack. ...13 hours ago
- A2 sales meet expectations
A2 Milk Co still sees annual revenue growth piggybacking off the strength of its infant formula products, after first-quarter sales met expectations. The milk marketer's share of China's infant formula consumption grew to 5.8 percent in the three months through September, ...13 hours ago - How do you make the perfect cup of tea, really?
Inspired by a weak reality TV brew and The Spinoff’s own teabag tapes, Alex Casey spills the tea on making the perfect cuppa. Last week was a huge week for tea disasters. It began on Married at First Sight NZ, where ...14 hours ago - NZD at 2-week high
The New Zealand dollar rose to a two-week high as yesterday's stronger than expected inflation data lowered traders' expectations for a rate cut. The kiwi increased to 65.90 US cents as at 8am in Wellington from 65.68 cents yesterday. The trade-weighted ...14 hours ago - Married at First Sight NZ Power Rankings: Surrender now or prepare to fight
It’s week three on Married at First Sight NZ, and it’s going downhill faster than Ksenia in a minivan. What a tremendous week on the greatest show on Earth. We got our first visit back to the big old brick commitment ...15 hours ago - Bridges did talk to businessman at centre of donation claim – BennettNational Party deputy leader Paula Bennett says Simon Bridges did talk with Chinese businessman Yikun Zhang, but is unsure whether they talked about a donation. ...15 hours ago
- Dairy product prices descend
Dairy product prices fell at the Global Dairy Trade auction as whole milk powder slid amid the prospect of increased supply. The GDT price index slipped 0.3 percent from the previous auction two weeks ago. The average price was US$2,885 ...15 hours ago - Why R2D2 could be your child’s teacher sooner than you thinkSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kristyn Sommer, PhD Candidate, The University of Queensland C3PO, R2D2 and Wall-E: three distinctly memorable robots that captured our hearts as they rolled and beeped across the silver screen. But pint-sized and ...15 hours ago
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