Author Archive
An Ineffectual Opposition Is Bad News
Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, October 28th, 2018 - 42 comments
An ineffectual Opposition creates a vacuum that will be filled by the Mainstream and Social Media as they will assume the role of unelected and non-representative opposition in effectuo.
What are we waiting for?
Written By: - Date published: 11:47 am, October 20th, 2018 - 66 comments
We seem to be waiting for something? But what is it?
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.
- After the November 4 referendum: For a free New Caledonia
Workers’ protest, Noumea, January 2016 by Phil Duncan Sunday November 4 saw the long-awaited referendum in New Caledonia on whether to become independent or stay part of France. Given the population make-up, as the French government has historically ensured a ...7 hours ago - Big Brother wants your DNA
The Law Commission is currently reviewing the law around the use of DNA in criminal investigations, and one of the issues they are looking at is whether to create a universal DNA databank holding the DNA of every kiwi:A review ...8 hours ago - A referendum on the greenLast week Parliament legislated for a medicinal cannabis regime. And today, the government has followed it up by announcing a referendum on recreational cannabis at the 2020 election:A binding referendum on legalising cannabis for personal use will be held at ...10 hours ago
- Nothing to see here, move alongThe police have also reported back on their inquiry into the use of external security consultants, and (as expected) concluded that there has been no systematicly inappropriate behaviour, though a few police officers may have behaved inappropriately. In particular, the ...10 hours ago
- A private StasiThe State Services Commission has released its report into the use of "external security consultants" (aka Thompson and Clark Investigations) by government agencies, and it has revealed some very disturbing behaviour. Various agencies used Thompson and Clark as a private ...11 hours ago
- An Absent Mirror: Why Can’t This Country Produce Its Own Political Television Series?
14 hours ago - Downtown Works about to kick off
In just over a week, work will start on transforming Auckland’s Downtown area with a series of projects due to be completed by the America’s Cup in 2021. There’s a lot going on and here are some of the key ...18 hours ago - The Census Flop
A modern state depends on a regular population census. It is usual at this stage to mention a host of administrative services – such as the funding of District Health Boards – which require accurate population counts. But the use ...1 day ago - The intolerance of transactivists
by Daphna Whitmore A law to allow anyone to change the sex on their birth certificate, no questions asked, is before parliament. This demand arose under the banner of transgender rights. Measures to make life easier for transgender people should ...1 day ago - Differential Justice.
For some time now I have wondered about standards of justice in NZ. Coming from the US and Latin America it seems that all to often people convicted of serious crimes are handed fairly light sentences, including violent recidivists. I ...1 day ago - Climate Change: Unfit for officeNational Party leader Simon Bridges was interviewed this morning on climate change. And in the process, he revealed that National are still deeply in denial about the the threat we face: He still thinks New Zealand should act "proportionately" to ...1 day ago
- Farmers pollute, we payAnimal shit from farms has made three Whanganui district streams toxic and unsafe for swimming. Horizons' "solution" for this? Subsidise the people who poisoned them:Faecal coliform bacteria from sheep and cattle are the main pollutants of three coastal Whanganui streams ...1 day ago
- 2018 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming Digest #50
Story of the Week... Editorial of the Week... Toon of the Week... SkS in the News... Coming Soon on SkS... Poster of the Week... SkS Week in Review... Story of the Week... UN climate accord 'inadequate' ...2 days ago - Access: The stories the Royal Commission needs to hear about state care abuse and disability
In the 1960s a New Zealand woman gave birth to a baby boy with Down Syndrome. There was no celebration at the birth and the family GP told the parents that the best thing would be to put the baby ...2 days ago - Hard News: Public Address Word of the Year 2018: Time to vote!The debate has been had and the longlist has been written. It's time now for you, the public, to vote. Just use the form embedded below to register your top three choices for Word of the Year – and go ...2 days ago
- This seems to be a real thing that is real
If Twitter existed in the 1980s, when climate change was just creeping into public consciousness, this degree of cluelessness might - MIGHT - have been forgivable. In 2018, however ...DeFazio on climate: "This is the existential threat to the future ...2 days ago - Our current top 202 days ago
- Road Safety Programme announced
Good news yesterday with the government announcing a huge road safety programme that they expect to prevent 160 deaths and serious injuries a year and all for the cost of about one motorway project. Transport Minister Phil Twyford and Associate ...2 days ago - 2018 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #50
A chronological listing of news articles posted on the Skeptical Science Facebook Page during the past week, i.e., Sunday, Dec 9 through Saturday, Dec. 15 Editor's Pick [To be added — Waiting for latest news from Cop24] 2306829 ...3 days ago - Lashing Back.
3 days ago - The Salvation Army’s Latest Report: Identifying the Sins – but not the Solutions.
3 days ago - From a rules based order to a state of nature.One of the most disappointing aspects of the last decade as been the erosion of a rules-based majoritarian consensus in the conduct of international relations. Slowly but surely the painstakingly crafted set of institutions, norms, laws and rules by and ...3 days ago
- Problems at COP24 Climate Change conference
UN chief attempts to revive flagging climate change talks by Fiona Harvey, Ben Doherty and Jonathan Watts – The Guardian Dec 13 2018 – António Guterres returns to Katowice to urge China to intervene as world is ‘running ...4 days ago - New research, December 3-9, 2018A selection of new climate related research articles is shown below. Climate change Temperature, precipitation, wind Hot days and tropical nights in Nigeria: trends and associated large-scale features Recent decadal variability of daily observed temperatures in Hindukush, Karakoram and Himalaya ...4 days ago
- Torches and pitchforks timeAppalling news from the UK today, with a report from the TUC showing that the average worker is earning a third less in real terms than they did in 2008:Research by the Trades Union Congress (TUC) found that the average ...4 days ago
- Working hospo is hard mahi: ‘we get groped, harassed, and spoken to like worthless trash by custom...
Exploitation, wage theft, and harassment is rife in the New Zealand hospitality industry. So, when I read articles by journalists who care more about the most trivial things like prices not being displayed in cafes, I have to check myself ...4 days ago - A plea for safer urban design: We want to get home safely!
This is a Guest Post from Women in Urbanism Aotearoa Since the horrific and heart-breaking story of Grace Millane began unfolding, women have been coming forward to talk about all the things they do to protect themselves. Michèle ...4 days ago - Little lays down the law to the GCSBYesterday we learned from the Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security that the GCSB appeared to be breaking the law, by using Type 2 warrants (which have a lower level of oversight and scrutiny) to illegally scoop up New Zealanders' private ...4 days ago
- The SIS conducted unlawful searchesTwo years ago, we had a series of rulings about police access to banking records, which found that their practice of asking banks to "voluntarily" disclose information on their customers violated people's privacy and constituted an unreasonable (and thus unlawful) ...4 days ago
- ECan votes to poison peopleIndustrial dairy on the Canterbury plains is poisoning Christchurch's water and turning it into a carcinogen. So what is ECan doing about this crisis? Raising the legal limit for nitrate so they can pretend it doesn't exist!Christchurch drinking water will ...5 days ago
- That time Louise Mensch claimed I’m a Russian spy
(This being by far the craziest thing that has happened to me all year. Possibly all decade. As originally reported at Overland.) It started quite innocently, as these social media collisions always do. A friend and I were discussing on ...5 days ago - Our Regional Public Transport Plan Submission
Today is the final day for submissions on the draft Regional Public Transport Plan (RPTP). You can read our first post on it here. Below is our submission on the RPTP (although there may be some tweaks today before we ...5 days ago - The UnpreparedFor those interested in the totality of New Zealand politics the most extraordinary story of the year may be the finding that our public service was, broadly, unprepared for the change of government.read more ...5 days ago
- Australia finally acts on corruptionAfter years of dismissing federal corruption as a "fringe issue" and complaining about state-level corruption investigations "persecuting" people, the Australian government is finally going to establish a federal anti-corruption agency:Prime Minister Scott Morrison has announced a new anti-corruption commission, having ...5 days ago
- Speaker: We shouldn’t have to look back on those moments and think: I was lucky“It’s not a gender issue.”If you’ve read any online comments since Grace Millane’s horrific murder, you’ve no doubt seen that one.“And don’t meet Tinder dates alone.”“But it’s not a gender issue.”Only, it is.It’s tragic and it’s horrifying and every person ...5 days ago
- Downtown Parking price changes
Parking all day in Auckland Transport’s huge Downtown carpark is about to get a lot more expensive with news they’re raising prices from January 21. From January 21 the capped price for parking at the Auckland Transport-owned car park will ...6 days ago - The GCSB appear to be breaking the law againWhen Parliament passed the Intelligence and Security Act 2017, one of the aims was ostensibly to give Ministers greater clarity over the spying activities they were being asked to authorise, so they could properly judge the necessity and proportionality of ...6 days ago
- Hard News: Just quietly, this is a big dealIt's in the nature of politics that this morning's announcement about changes to drug laws is headed 'Crackdown on synthetic drug dealers'. The billing is not inaccurate: it's no secret that that the government has been seeking to the two ...6 days ago
- Climate Change: Ignoring the cow in the roomEarlier in the year the government ran a consultation on improvements to the Emissions Trading Scheme, aimed at making it actually work. Yesterday, they announced their decisions. Most importantly, the total number of units available to the ETS will be ...6 days ago
- Small is e-Beautiful
The electric revolution on our city streets, already underway, looks much more like a scooter than a Tesla. Why? Physics. And geometry: Size really matters for both energy consumption and spatial efficiency. And both drive affordability and therefore the speed ...6 days ago - On the passing of internet time.
Some years ago, New Zealand poet and scholar Michele Leggott was able to date a series of poems by Robin Hyde after noticing that one of the pages of the manuscript bore faint traces of another piece of writing. It ...6 days ago - A win for democracyFor the past few elections, local authorities have been obsessed with online voting as a way to cut costs. They were planning a trial at next year's local body elections. But now its been cancelled:The proposed trial of online voting ...6 days ago
- WINZ undermines KiwiSaverThe idea of KiwiSaver was to encourage new Zealanders to save for their retirement. But WINZ is undermining the scheme by demanding that people use their retirement savings rather than giving them benefits:The number of people looking to dip into ...6 days ago
- Member’s DayToday is the last Member's Day of the year, but it looks like it will be taken up with local business. First off, the government is ramming through its Muldoonist Tasman District Council (Waimea Water Augmentation Scheme) Bill, designed to ...7 days ago
- Normalising The Unthinkable.
7 days ago - Climate Change: Forfeiting the profits of fraudSince 2008, the New Zealand government has pursued a climate change policy based on fraud, using dodgy or outright fraudulent Russian and Ukranian "credits" to "offset" our ever increasing domestic emissions. And we've banked the "surplus" from that fraud, and ...7 days ago
- A Polish Joke – At The Planet’s Expense.
7 days ago - Dances With Elephants.
7 days ago - South Island Kaka thank DOC for its EffortsSee the stoat creating havoc in the Kaka’s nest in this video. Then look at the impact on nesting numbers after the aerial 1080 drop was completed – 30 times more nests! This is what the battle to save and ...7 days ago
- Speaker: Cannabis: make it legal but don’t let anyone make money from itI don’t want big business marketing marijuana to my kids. This is what will happen in Canada with the recent purchase of a market-leading marijuana business by a major tobacco company. In Aotearoa, right now, we have a chance to do something different.I’m ...7 days ago
- Dec-18 AT Board Meeting
Yesterday Auckland Transport held their last board meeting for the year and it was an important one with some key decisions being made. The big one, was that the board have approved for consultation their draft speed bylaw. This is ...7 days ago - Hard News: Public Address Word of the Year 2018The years keep getting weirder, but one thing doesn't change: the Public Address Word of the Year is annually chosen by the people of the internet as the strange light fades into Christmas. Will this year's people's choice be a ...7 days ago
- At last – A fundamental shift in social policy
The child wellbeing strategy represents the most significant shift in social policy in over four decades because of its focus on children as a population group and its emphasis on addressing structural issues in promoting economic and social wellbeing. This ...7 days ago - Like health care, climate policy could tip electionsIn the November 2018 midterm elections, Democrats won the U.S. House of Representatives popular vote by a margin of about 8.6 percent and gained 40 seats in that chamber. For perspective, President Obama won his convincing 2008 and 2012 elections by 7.2 ...1 week ago
- Colombia: the real and bloody legacy of Belisario Betancurby Gearóid Ó Loingsigh Belisario Betancur, the ex-president of Colombia (1982-1986) died in his bed on the 7th of December, 2018. He corpse hadn’t even time to go cold before he received and avalanche of eulogies from politician, ns and ...1 week ago
- Colombia: the real and bloody legacy of Belisario Betancurby Gearóid Ó Loingsigh Belisario Betancur, the ex-president of Colombia (1982-1986) died in his bed on the 7th of December, 2018. He corpse hadn’t even time to go cold before he received and avalanche of eulogies from politician, ns and ...1 week ago
- If this is “terrorism”, we should all be terroristsYesterday, December 10, was human rights day. And the UK celebrated it by convicting 15 human rights protesters of "terrorism":In a prosecution that has been condemned by human rights groups, Alistair Tamlit and Benjamin Smoke and the other members of ...1 week ago
- Great streets for Grey Lynn: a beauty of a reboot!
This is a cross post from our friends over at Bike Auckland. Feedback is now open on the revamped designs for Grey Lynn, which include not only neighbourhood bikeways, but great stuff for pedestrians, more trees, and quality landscaping. Here’s Auckland ...1 week ago - Legal Beagle: Name suppression appealsI recently published a tweet thread, which I thought I might copy and past here, for anyone interested.=============I have long thought that the 20 working days allowed to appeal a refusal to make a suppression order is too long, when ...1 week ago
- AccountabilityOver the past months we've learned of a crisis in NZTA's oversight of vehicle warrants of fitness, with garages allowed to issue thousands of dodgy warrants to unsafe vehicles and the work of truck inspectors not checked. People have died ...1 week ago
- A convenient failureHow many children in state care have mental health issues or have attempted suicide? Conveniently, CYFS doesn't know:A psychiatrist says it's a "failing of the system" that Oranga Tamariki, the Ministry for Children, does not know how many children in ...1 week ago
- Protest worksFor the past month France has been brought to a standstill, as members of the yellow vest movement have protested against inequality, the cost of living, and president Emmanuel Macron. And today, a week after serious riots in Paris, Macron ...1 week ago
- AT’s Consultation Crunch
Consultation is an important part of the process for public agencies but getting it right is easier said than done. Sometimes the issues with consultation stem from what is included, sometimes from how the results are interpreted – only those ...1 week ago - Australia – Moving to Renewable Energy
Solar and Wind Australia’s six States and two Territories have always had primary responsibility for implementing policies on the transition away from fossil fuels to renewables as an energy source. As a result, there has been a significant increase in the ...1 week ago - Public Television
Around the turn of the century, I had the privilege and pleasure of serving on the board of Television New Zealand for a period of about ten years. I enjoyed the experience enormously and welcomed the chance to make my ...1 week ago - Public TelevisionAround the turn of the century, I had the privilege and pleasure of serving on the board of Television New Zealand for a period of about ten years. I enjoyed the experience enormously and welcomed the chance to make my ...1 week ago
- Climate Change: Punching above our weightNew Zealanders are usually proud when New Zealand ranks highly at something when measured per capita. But one measurement of that nature which we shouldn't be proud of: we're one of the worst countries in the world for per-capita greenhouse ...1 week ago
- Hard News: Music: A Teutonic TonicOne of the many challenges posed by Christmas is Christmas music. Christmas carols are all very well, but spending the day actually listening to carols? That way lies madness, or at least an unseasonable degree of suffering. In our house, ...1 week ago
- The First CRL Breakthrough
1 week ago - Climate Change: Fingers in their earsBack in October the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change warned that we have to limit global warming to less than 1.5 degrees above pre-industrial temperatures, and that we had only 12 years left to do so. The stark description of ...1 week ago
- The British establishment’s propaganda problemFrom 1948 to 1978, the UK Foreign Office ran a secret domestic propaganda operation, the Information Research Department, which targeted UK trade unions and left politics under the guide of "countering communism". Forty years after that operation was shut down, ...1 week ago
- Hard News: A complicated pathway to wellnessHe Ara Oranga: Report of the Government Inquiry into Mental Health and Addiction was published last week and while it offers a substantial list of recommendations for the way such services should be conceived and delivered, I found what it ...1 week ago
- A victory for transparencyThis morning the government announced that it will be proactively releasing ministerial diaries from January next year:Government ministers are trying to shake the image of shady politicians holding secret meetings by opening up their diaries. The State Services Minister will ...1 week ago
- Letters of Low Expectations – tomorrow’s work at Auckland Council
It seems that almost every day we learn more about the urgent need for radical action to avert catastrophic climate change. Not only are the disastrous consequences becoming clearer, but after years of relatively stable emissions, they are actually increasing ...1 week ago - What we do
With the horrible, tragic case of Grace Millane in the news, we’ve been talking a lot about what women do – and what we shouldn’t have to – to be safe in our country. So I wrote on Twitter: My ...1 week ago
- Ngāti Hinerangi and Crown initial Deed of Settlement
The Crown and Ngāti Hinerangi have initialed a Deed of Settlement for the iwi historical Treaty claims, Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations Minister Andrew Little announced today. ...4 days ago - Ngāti Tūwharetoa passes third readingMinister for Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations, Andrew Little, today welcomed Te Ariki Tā Tumu Te Heuheu and members of Ngāti Tūwharetoa to Parliament to witness the Third Reading of their Treaty Settlement legislation, the Ngāti Tūwharetoa Claims Settlement Bill. ...5 days ago
- Crackdown on synthetic drug dealersCrackdown on synthetic drug dealers The Government is responding to increased drug-related deaths by cracking down on the suppliers of synthetic drugs while making it easier for those with addiction problems to get treatment, Health Minister Dr David Clark ...5 days ago
- Milestone in Police recruitmentA milestone in Police recruitment has been achieved with the deployment of more than 1,000 new constables around the country since the government was formed. Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters and Police Minister Stuart Nash congratulated graduates of Wing 321 ...6 days ago
- Government ropes in livestock rustlingJustice Minister Andrew Little today introduced a supplementary order paper (SOP) on the Crimes Amendment Bill to crack down on livestock rustling. ...6 days ago
- Small business the focus of Australian talksEfforts to progress a seamless trans-Tasman business environment will take another step at a ministerial roundtable meeting in Sydney tomorrow. Small Business Minister Stuart Nash and Australian Assistant Treasurer Stuart Robert will co-host a roundtable meeting of senior government and ...1 week ago
- Andrew Little – Speech to Amnesty International event to mark the 70th Anniversary of the Univ...ANDREW LITTLE - SPEECH TO AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL EVENT TO MARK THE 70TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE UNIVERSAL DECLARATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS ON WORLD HUMAN RIGHTS DAY, PARLIAMENT, WELLINGTON ...1 week ago
- Tax reforms focus on fairnessNew tax legislation has been introduced to Parliament to ensure greater fairness in the way the tax system shapes commerce, investment decisions and social policies. Revenue Minister Stuart Nash has introduced the Taxation (Annual Rates for 2019-20, GST Offshore Supplier ...2 weeks ago
- Preventing death and injury on our roadsPolice Minister Stuart Nash and Associate Minister of Transport Julie Anne Genter are encouraging road users to be alert to a new safety campaign launched today by Police and the NZ Transport Agency in the lead up to the Christmas. ...3 weeks ago
- Spying by companies for government agencies condemned
Spying by companies for government agencies condemned – major overhaul of NZ Petroleum and Minerals called for. ...5 hours ago - How NZ gets crime, immigration, unemployment & climate wrongCrime, immigration, unemployment and climate change – how New Zealanders get it wrong: Ipsos ‘Perils of Perception’ study ...7 hours ago
- MBIE spying on political parties ‘affront to democracy’: SSCThe "very close relationship" between the government's exploration regulator and private security firm Thompson & Clark led the agency to become involved in surveillance activity involving two political parties - the Green and Mana parties, an inquiry ...7 hours ago
- Inquiry reveals mining regulator captured by industryThe Government agency charged with regulating mining under the Crown Minerals Act has been captured by industry, the State Services Commission (SSC) inquiry into private spies Thompson and Clark revealed today. ...8 hours ago
- Thompson & Clark said it will consider reportThompson & Clark said it will consider all aspects of the report released by the State Services Commission today into work the security industry has carried out with government departments. ...8 hours ago
- Barnardos welcomes new children’s legislationBarnardos says that the passing of the Child Poverty Reduction Bill and Children’s Amendment Bill in Parliament today signals a landmark moment for children. ...8 hours ago
- CPRA “An historic cause for celebration”Children’s Commissioner Andrew Becroft says the passing of the Child Poverty Reduction legislation third reading today is “an historic cause for celebration”. ...8 hours ago
- Court rules that “donning & doffing” is paid workIn a landmark decision for the Meat Industry, the Employment Court has determined that the requirement to put on and remove specialised clothing and equipment at the beginning and end of each shift and at rest and meals breaks (donning ...9 hours ago
- Rejection of Vic name change is a victory for taxpayersResponding to the Education Minister’s decision to reject an application to change the name of Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union spokesman and VUW alumni Louis Houlbrooke says: “This is exactly what we have been calling ...10 hours ago
- Reducing the exploitation of migrant workersTemporary work visa proposals could go a long way to reducing the exploitation of migrant workers and to protecting the working rights of everyday working people ...10 hours ago
- Pitfalls of inappropriate surveillanceThe failings in use of external security consultants by government agencies uncovered in today’s findings by the State Services Commission contain valuable lessons. ...11 hours ago
- Investigation into the use of external security consultantsPolice has today released its investigation report into the engagement of external security consultants between 2003 and 2018. ...11 hours ago
- National Party v Eight Mile Style – damages reducedThis summary is provided to assist in the understanding of the Court’s judgment. It does not comprise part of the reasons for that judgment. The full judgment with reasons is the only authoritative document. The full text of the judgment ...12 hours ago
- Scrapping of ‘chief technology officer’ roleResponding to the Government’s announcement that it will scrap the specific Chief Technology Officer role, New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union spokesman Louis Houlbrooke says: ...12 hours ago
- Government use of spy firm unacceptable affront to democracyAmnesty International is extremely concerned to see the details of a report out today on the relationship between some government agencies and the private investigation firm Thompson and Clark. The State Services Comissioner Peter Hughes has identified ...12 hours ago
- Democracy threatened by Govt Stasi-like surveillanceOn the back of a report released today revealing seven government departments have engaged with a spy agency that acted unlawfully, Greenpeace has accused the state of assisting in systematic and oppressive Stasi-like surveillance. ...12 hours ago
- New Treasury Working Paper PublishedSource: The Treasury "Living Standards Analysis Model: The First Prototype". http://bit.ly/2R3qJhy ENDS ...13 hours ago
- First National: drug rules a ‘dogs breakfast’ for LandlordsFirst National Real Estate Chief Executive Bob Brereton has hit out at Government moves to weaken drug laws saying that the proposals are a ‘dogs breakfast’ and a further attack on Landlords in the wake of the controversial ‘Gluckman Report’ ...13 hours ago
- #makeitlegal Campaign “Ready To Go” As Referendum Date SetThis is the message from the #makeitlegal Campaign following Minister Andrew Little’s announcement today that the referendum on Cannabis Legalisation will be held in 2020. ...13 hours ago
- External security consultants’ inquiry findingsA State Services Commission investigation into the use of external security consultants by government agencies has uncovered failings across the public service, including breaches of the code of conduct. ...14 hours ago
- Darker side emerging of exploitation of migrant workersIn reference to the New Zealand resident who allegedly brought Samoan nationals to do illegal work for him in the horticultural industry on a regular basis for decades. ...14 hours ago
- Changes to migrant labour system for employers welcomedCouncil of Trade Unions President Richard Wagstaff today welcomed the opening of a consultation process on changes for employers wanting to hire people on migrant work visas. ...14 hours ago
- No holiday break for employment standardsEmployment Services is reminding businesses over the holiday season to maintain a focus keeping employment standards up to scratch and to be mindful of their supply chains to avoid the risk of a bad business reputation. ...15 hours ago
- Public to have say on use of DNA in criminal InvestigationsThe Law Commission has released an Issues Paper and is inviting public input on the use of DNA in criminal investigations. ...1 day ago
- Road safety programme should include new highwaysThe Government’s investment in road safety improvements should include the building of critical new highways, says Road Transport Forum Chief Executive Nick Leggett. ...2 days ago
- Australia Govt Supports Charity Advocacy For MarriageThe Australian government has accepted a recommendation from the Ruddock review into religious freedom to amend their Charities Act to ensure that groups who say marriage is between a man and a woman are not stripped of their charitable status. ...2 days ago
- Man arrested for human trafficking and slaveryA 64-year-old man has been arrested and charged with human trafficking and slavery, following a lengthy investigation by Immigration New Zealand (INZ) and NZ Police. ...2 days ago
- Census 2018 – Heads should roll, incompetence reignsThe New Zealand Maori Council has poured scorn on Statistics New Zealand for what is turning out to be an embarrassing waste of resources, money and planning when it comes to the 2018 Census. “The New Zealand Census is one ...2 days ago
- COP24 ends without firm promises to raise climate actionSunday, December 16 : Just two months after the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) warned we have 12 years left to save the world, COP24 ended with no clear promise of enhanced climate action. ...3 days ago
- OECD report adds to growing body of evidenceWith the Mental Health and Addiction Inquiry report having only freshly landed in Government’s in-tray, the OECD report Mental Health and Work: New Zealand has followed shortly behind, adding to the growing body of evidence for change in the way ...4 days ago
- EPA: New Zealand introduces HFC gas permit schemeThe Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) is implementing a new permitting system in response to the Kigali Amendment, an international agreement the New Zealand Government has signed, to reduce the levels of hydrofluorocarbons (HFC) gases in the Earth’s ...4 days ago
- Good to see brakes being applied to chief executive payThe Public Service Association (PSA) is welcoming signs in today’s Senior Pay Report 2018 that the trajectory of chief executive pay rises is levelling out. ...4 days ago
- Mediation proves a productive stepPPTA and the Ministry of Education met yesterday for mediated bargaining talks about their collective agreement negotiations. ...4 days ago
- ECan staff to strike on Monday 17 DecemberPSA members at Environment Canterbury (ECan) have voted to take strike action on Monday after unsuccessful bargaining. ...4 days ago
- Pacific women paid lowest in New Zealand’s Public ServicePacific women paid lowest in New Zealand’s Public Service A pay gap of 21% for Pacific women working in the public service is alarming and needs to be addressed urgently, says Equal Employment Opportunities Commissioner Saunoamaali’i Dr Karanina ...4 days ago
- Seymour Concedes Opponents’ Euthanasia Concerns Are CorrectFamily First NZ is welcoming ACT MP David Seymour’s significant backdowns on his assisted suicide bill, and says that this indicates just how weak and flawed the bill is. ...5 days ago
- Seymour Struggling to Save his Contentious Euthanasia BillMembers of Parliament should not be seduced by David Seymour’s proposed ammendments to his euthanasia bill. Right to Life contends that David Seymour knew from the outset that in order to get any Euthanasia bill across the line he had ...5 days ago
- Waitara Lands Bill a Chance to Establish a Positive FutureThe New Plymouth District Council (Waitara Lands) Bill has passed its Third Reading in Parliament today providing Waitara hapū Manukōrihi and Otaraua an opportunity to build a positive foundation for the future. ...5 days ago
- Lack of Insulation Devastating for Whānau HealthAn MBIE monitoring report that shows up to 220,000 rental properties are still uninsulated, with many likely to be meet the deadline, is concerning but unsurprising for the Manawatū Tenants’ Union. ...5 days ago
- Seymour is grasping at straws to try salvage his Death BillLast night David Seymour published a 73-page Sponsor’s Report which includes several pages of amendments to his proposed End of Life Choice Bill, only three weeks after allegedly claiming that his Bill was “perfect” . ...5 days ago
- NZSIS welcomes the Inspector-General’s reportThe New Zealand Security Intelligence Service (NZSIS) welcomes the Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security’s report relating to requests made to financial services providers. The report looks at a snapshot of three months and captured 13 case studies ...5 days ago
- IGIS Report into NZSIS practiceThe Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security (IGIS), Cheryl Gwyn, has today published a report summarising a review she completed into the NZSIS’s practices in 2016/17 of acquiring personal information from New Zealand banks about customers ...5 days ago
- Superbugs found in overseas pork products13 December 2018, LONDON — Bacteria resistant to antibiotics most critically important to humans has been found in pork from supermarket shelves in Spain, Brazil and Thailand. The routine overuse of antibiotics is propping up low-welfare practices in pig farming ...5 days ago
- MHF welcomes Government’s response to synthetic drug useThe Mental Health Foundation (MHF) welcomes the Government’s announcement that it will make it easier for those with synthetic drug use problems to get the help they deserve. ...5 days ago
- Action needed to help people with mental health issues: OECDNew Zealand has carried out major health and welfare reforms over the past decade but needs to do more to help people with mental health issues stay in work or find a job, according to a new OECD report. ...5 days ago
- New Zealand needs to take a human-rights based approachActing Chief Human Rights Commissioner Paula Tesoriero will highlight significant human rights issues in New Zealand with United Nations member states in Geneva this week. ...5 days ago
- Tahu-Whaoa celebrate Tūwharetoa Claims Settlement BillTahu-Whaoa celebrate Tūwharetoa Claims Settlement Bill passing The Ngati Tahu – Ngati Whaoa Runanga Trust congratulates Ngāti Tūwharetoa on achieving its comprehensive Treaty of Waitangi claims settlement. The Ngāti Tūwharetoa Claims Settlement Bill ...5 days ago
- Mental Health Foundation welcomes the Budget 2019 prioritiesThe Mental Health Foundation (MHF) welcomes the Budget 2019 priorities released by the Minister of Finance today. ...5 days ago
- Diverse group answer Fire and Emergency’s callFire and Emergency New Zealand has welcomed a diverse group of 22 new firefighters at a graduation ceremony at the National Training Centre in Rotorua today. ...5 days ago
- Maintaining Illegality Of Drugs Vital For Public HealthFamily First NZ says that the Government’s announcement of taking a tough line on synthetic cannabis is the right move, but maintaining the illegality of drugs is also important because we should continue fighting drugs and the devastation its ...5 days ago
- View from The Hill: Michael McCormack fails leadership test in handling of Broad scandal
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra It took disgraced Nationals MP Andrew Broad 24 hours after the “sugar baby” story broke to announce the inevitable – that he won’t recontest his ...3 hours ago - Southern Response chair resigns following spying revelations
The Southern Response chair Ross Butler has resigned following a damning report that found a private security firm acting on the crown agency's behalf made potentially illegal recordings of quake claimants. ...4 hours ago - The Great Kiwi Bake Off Finale power rankings: Sausage rolling to victory
The week’s episode of the Great Kiwi Bake Off was a right old sausage-fest, but we wouldn’t have it any other way. Tara Ward power ranks the grand finale. This is how we roll on the Great Kiwi Bake Off: sausage-fests ...4 hours ago - Sroubek’s prison call to ex-wife behind minister’s u-turn on decisionIt's been revealed a recording of Karel Sroubek calling his wife from prison was the "new information" that prompted the Immigration Minister to reassess his decision not to deport him. ...4 hours ago
- Little lays down the law for Google in NZ
Justice Minister tells Google it's not above the law, after the search giant breached suppression orders. ...5 hours ago - Little meets with Google reps over suppression lawsJustice Minister Andrew Little is putting multinational companies on notice over their obligations to follow suppression laws in New Zealand. ...5 hours ago
- Govt may ditch Chief Technology Officer roleThe government is looking to ditch the role of Chief Technology Officer and share it among a group of people instead. ...6 hours ago
- Podcast: It’s the Dietary Requirements Christmas special!Dietary Requirements is The Spinoff’s monthly podcast in which we eat, drink and talk about it too, with special thanks to Freedom Farms and Fine Wine Delivery Co.In this very special – and very, er, extended – festive edition of Dietary Requirements, the ...6 hours ago
- Politics with Michelle Grattan: Tanya Plibersek on a united LaborSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra The Labor party has emerged from its three day national conference in Adelaide looking united and projecting itself as “ready to govern”. Labor deputy leader ...7 hours ago
- Poll wrap: Labor widens lead in Ipsos; US Democrats gained 40 House seats at midtermsSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, University of Melbourne This week’s Fairfax Ipsos poll, conducted December 12-15 from a sample of 1,200, gave Labor a 54-46 lead, a two-point ...7 hours ago
- Labor’s housing pledge is welcome, but direct investment in social housing would improve itSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Julie Lawson, Honorary Associate Professor, Centre for Urban Research, RMIT University Despite recent falls in the housing market, housing costs and indebtedness bite deeply into household budgets, especially at Christmas time. Just ...8 hours ago
- Telstra to join Southern Cross Cable
Australian telco Telstra will join Southern Cross Cable Network's SX NEXT project as an anchor customer and take a quarter stake in the trans-Pacific underwater link operator. ...8 hours ago - Pét-nat, what the heck’s that?
This lightly sparkling natural wine has been popping up on drinks lists all over the show, and it’s not going away any time soon.Pét-nats are kind of a big deal right now. It may be tempting to dismiss this as ...8 hours ago - Credit unions seek scale and profitability
Five of New Zealand's credit unions are to merge and create the country's largest single union of member-owned, low-cost lenders as the sector struggles with the cost of new banking software and a recent credit rating downgrade. ...8 hours ago - The Spinoff Presents: The Get It to Te Papa Christmas SpecialIn a very special Christmas episode of Get It to Te Papa, our series following journalist Hayden Donnell on an ambitious quest to collect underappreciated Kiwi cultural artefacts and get them into our national museum, Hayden sets out to restore ...8 hours ago
- Tidelands struggles to stay afloat in its first seriesSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adam Turner, PhD student, University of Newcastle Review: Tidelands, Netflix The first original Netflix series filmed in Australia, Tidelands, is a speculative story about half-human/half-siren beings who live in the coastal Queensland ...8 hours ago
- No name change for Victoria University
The 'stick with Vic' campaign reigns victorious in university name change battle. ...9 hours ago - Little to meet with Google reps over suppression lawsJustice Minister Andrew Little is putting multinational companies on notice over their obligations to follow suppression laws in New Zealand. ...9 hours ago
- Napier Port profit hits record
Napier Port reported another record profit this year as the amount of cargo handled also hit a record. ...9 hours ago - McDermott leaving RBNZ for Motu
Reserve Bank chief economist John McDermott will be leaving the bank next year to join the economic research institute Motu as an executive director. ...10 hours ago - The fourth best book of 2018: Simple by Yotam Ottolenghi
All week this week we count down the five best books of 2018. Number four: Linda Burgess reviews the Ottolenghi cookbook Simple.Why the hell do people buy recipe books? Someone should do their PhD on the number of people who ...10 hours ago - Newsletter: New Zealand Politics Daily – December 18 2018
Newsletter: New Zealand Politics Daily – December 18 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.Cannabis referendum to be held ...10 hours ago - Moody’s give approval on government finances
Moody’s Investors Service says the Labour-led government’s latest half-year economic and fiscal update maintains its commitment to fiscal discipline which supports its “Aaa” sovereign credit rating and stable outlook. ...10 hours ago - NZ business confidence gets a pre-Christmas lift
Business confidence finally saw a lift in December, after tanking towards the end of last year on political uncertainty when the new Labour-led government took office. ...10 hours ago - Govt scraps CTO role
The government has abandoned its vexed search for a Chief Technology Officer in favour of "a small group of people" to assist it in mapping policy to guide New Zealand's digital technology environment. ...10 hours ago - Wake up Sheeple: Elf on the Shelf is a tool of a fascist governmentEmily Writes goes to war with Elf on the Shelf and its disturbing surveillance agenda. A 20015 picture book introduced Elf on the Shelf. Carol Aebersold and her daughter Chanda Bell wrote the book to apparently spread Christmas cheer. The story describes how “Santa’s elves” ...11 hours ago
- Why there can be big money in being a wholesale importer
From furniture to food, wholesale import businesses are on an upward trend.From plush, leather Chesterfield sofas to marble coffee tables framed with brushed stainless steel, wholesale furniture company Hawthorne has managed to strike a pleasant middle ground between classical and ...11 hours ago - We finally have the rulebook for the Paris Agreement, but global climate action is still inadequateSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kate Dooley, Researcher, Australian German Climate and Energy College, University of Melbourne Three years after the Paris Agreement was struck, we now finally know the rules – or most of them, at ...11 hours ago
- Pleas weak, costs too heavy: Nats win Eminem appeal but must pay $225kThe National Party has won its bid to reduce the amount of damages it has to pay Eminem for copyright infringement over its 2014 election campaign advertisement. ...11 hours ago
- Victoria University of Wellington name change declined by education ministerChris Hipkins said he wasn't convinced the university had "engaged sufficiently" with stakeholders whose views should have been considered. ...11 hours ago
- Howard Morrison, Telethons and Lionel Skeggins: a brief history of NZ TV
For nearly 60 years our image of who we are has been reflected back at us from our TV screens. Tara Ward explores the evolution of New Zealand television. Some people reckon the internal combustion engine is the world’s greatest invention, ...12 hours ago - Outlander recap: What’s going on with Brianna?
Brianna fell down the time-travelling rabbit hole in this week’s episode of Outlander, but who did she meet there? Tara Ward recaps. Chuck me in the Fraser bathtub and sponge me down with a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, because ...12 hours ago - New guidelines for responding to cyber attacks don’t go far enoughSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adam Henry, Adjunct Lecturer, UNSW Debates about cyber security in Australia over the past few weeks have largely centred around the passing of the government’s controversial Assistance and Access bill. But while ...12 hours ago
- Talking to our young men may unlock answers to the Grace Millane tragedyThey may denounce violence, but the attitude of many young New Zealand men towards women remains toxic, says Dr Christina Vogels.Over the past two weeks a number of narratives have threaded their way through the conversation about the Grace Millane ...13 hours ago
- Binding referendum on legalising cannabis for personal use to be held at 2020 electionThe referendum on cannabis for personal use will be held at the 2020 general election. ...13 hours ago
- Thompson and Clark spied on earthquake victims, inquiry findsMultiple government departments have breached the State Services code of conduct according to an investigation into 131 departments and their use of external security consultants. ...13 hours ago
- Binding cannabis referendum in 2020
New Zealanders will decide whether to legalise cannabis for personal use in 2020. ...13 hours ago - Stop telling young people NZ Super is unaffordable
The pension probably will still be around when today’s youth retire, but refusing to change the system at all will mean a tougher working life, writes Jenesa Jeram.It’s hard to make young people care about New Zealand Superannuation.I should know. ...14 hours ago - OceanaGold cleared to continue Waihi operations
OceanaGold has been granted consent to extend mining at its Waihi site by about 12 years. ...14 hours ago - Bryce Edwards’ Political Roundup: Rolling back “neoliberalism” in our schooling system
15 hours ago - The Spinoff Hot Take Advent Calendar: December 18
Every day in the lead-up to Christmas, open the door to reveal a Spinoff writer’s short, sizzling commentary on a weighty subject. Our arbitrary and strictly enforced word limit: 365. Today: Madeleine Chapman doesn’t understand the obsession with Michael Bublé.Before ...15 hours ago - Migration scheme overhaul aimed at regions
An ambitious proposal aims to address regional skills shortages, stop migrant worker exploitation, and deal with long-term skills shortages. ...16 hours ago - Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern discusses protecting migrant workersThe government has steps to take to better protect migrant workers from exploitation, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern says. ...16 hours ago
- Conform to the social norm: why people follow what other people doSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Campbell Pryor, PhD Student in Psychology, University of Melbourne Why do people tend to do what others do, prefer what others prefer, and choose what others choose? Our study, published today in ...16 hours ago
- We’re not as Grinchy as we think: how gift-giving is inspired by beliefs-based altruismSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Vera L. te Velde, Lecturer in Economics, The University of Queensland ’Tis the season for gift-giving and for the scrooges among us to complain about the wastefulness of gift-giving. Why give gifts, ...16 hours ago
- Why naming all our mozzies is important for fighting diseaseSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Bryan Lessard, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, CSIRO Notorious for spreading diseases like malaria and Zika virus overseas, mosquitoes contribute to thousands of cases of human disease in Australia each year. But only half ...16 hours ago
- What’s your beef? How ‘carbon labels’ can steer us towards environmentally friendly food choic...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian R. Camilleri, Senior Lecturer in Marketing, University of Technology Sydney What did you have for dinner last night? Might you have made a different choice if you had a simple way ...16 hours ago
- MYEFO rips A$130 million per year from research funding despite budget surplusSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Margaret Gardner, President and Vice Chancellor, Monash University Yesterday morning, the mid-year budget update unveiled research funding cuts of A$328.5 million over the next four years. This budget raid on research was ...16 hours ago
- Teleporting and psychedelic mushrooms: a history of St Nicholas, Santa and his helpersSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Louise Pryke, Lecturer, Languages and Literature of Ancient Israel, Macquarie University There are many sides to the beloved figure of Santa Claus – a giant of pop culture, he also has “miraculous” ...16 hours ago
- NZ shares follow Asian rally
New Zealand shares rallied late in the trading session to follow Asian markets higher, led by export-focused firms including Fisher & Paykel Healthcare and A2 Milk. ...17 hours ago
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