Author Archive
Pulling Teeth For Poverty
Written By: - Date published: 8:00 am, June 17th, 2018 - 363 comments
Poverty is directly responsible for a growing number of people losing their teeth to decay. Adults unable to afford dental treatment are resorting to using pliers to extract their own teeth. Meanwhile, children as young as one are also losing their teeth. The numbers losing their teeth is phenomenal. During the 2015 and 2016 period alone over 29,000 children had teeth removed and over 6,600 children were hospitalised because of rotting teeth.
Killing Them Softly With…
Written By: - Date published: 10:24 am, June 11th, 2018 - 48 comments
In New Zealand there is sufficient evidence to show that poor peoples’ lives are cut short because of poverty related poor nutrition. While food banks are alleviating the worst impacts of hunger, their kindness may well be contributing to the problem. Food poverty is a systemic issue and requires a systemic response, a response that successive governments are able to avoid while charities continue to provide a buffer for the system.
Who Really is Judging the Poor?
Written By: - Date published: 2:46 pm, June 3rd, 2018 - 89 comments
Some conversations about poverty are harming those in need. Those conversations contribute to the stigma and shame experienced by struggling families, who are barely surviving, but still trying to maintain some dignity. As a result even those in need are differentiating between the deserving and undeserving poor.
Housing Band Aids
Written By: - Date published: 9:54 am, May 26th, 2018 - 54 comments
What lies behind the homelessness crisis in Aotearoa New Zealand? Is it a housing crisis or are the homeless to blame? If the problem is a housing crisis, why is there an assumption that the homeless themselves need extra services to secure and maintain rental housing?
Why is Mark Richardson such a Nimby and …?
Written By: - Date published: 11:58 am, May 25th, 2018 - 46 comments
Being a nimby is the least of Mark Richardson’s problems. His disguised hate speech is harmful to his victims and anyone else in need of help who are left feeling the shame imposed upon them by such careless dialogue.
Is New Zealand really as ‘racist as fuck’?
Written By: - Date published: 1:35 pm, April 12th, 2018 - 85 comments
I am inclined to believe that there are at least some New Zealanders who are as “racist as fuck”.
Home Sweet Home
Written By: - Date published: 11:52 am, November 4th, 2017 - 23 comments
The changing face of New Zealand.
- Leaks, dirt, and ethics
So, 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 ...11 hours 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 ...11 hours 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 ...13 hours 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 ...13 hours 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 ...13 hours 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 ...13 hours 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 ...17 hours 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 ...1 day 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 ...2 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 ...2 days ago - Donald Trump And The Art Of Populist Grotesque.
3 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 ...3 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, ...3 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 ...3 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 ...3 days ago - Let’s make student and staff voice the law
The 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 ...3 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 ...3 days ago
- The IPCC Report: All Of A Sudden – Nothing Happened.
4 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 ...4 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 ...4 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 ...4 days ago - Invisible Children
I 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 ...4 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 ...4 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 ...4 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. ...4 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 ...4 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 ...4 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 ...4 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. ...4 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. ...4 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 ...4 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. ...4 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 ...4 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. ...4 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 ...4 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, ...4 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 ...4 days ago
- A Change Of Plan.
5 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 ...5 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 ...5 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 ...5 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 ...5 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 ...5 days 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 ...5 days 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 ...5 days 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 ...5 days ago
- Petrol Pump Politics.
5 days 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 ...6 days 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 ...6 days 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 ...6 days 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 ...6 days 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 ...7 days 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. . ...7 days 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 ...7 days 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
- 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 - Climate change: A line in the sand for our speciesThe Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has released its special report on limiting warming to 1.5 degrees, and argued strongly that the current two degree target is too dangerous:At 1.5C the proportion of the global population exposed to water stress ...1 week ago
- New climate report a wakeup call for all governments, including NZ
PRESS RELEASE The IPCC report on 1.5˚C should be a wake-up call for the government as it negotiates the Zero Carbon Act with the opposition, says Coal Action Network Aotearoa. The report, just released today, says C02 emissions need to ...1 week ago - The exception that proves the ruleOn Friday, the police announced they were charging the secretary of the People's Party with failing to declare donations on time. Great! Parliament has made it clear that they regard this as a crime, and its good to see the ...1 week ago
- Australia wants refugees to dieAustralia is currently detaining hundreds of refugees in a concentration camp on Nauru. Being detained indefinitely without hope pretty obviously causes mental health issues, and self-harm and attempts at suicide are regular occurances. To some extent, this problem is mitigated ...1 week ago
- They Do Things Differently There“The past is a foreign country: they do things differently there.” So said the English writer, L. P. Hartley, in the first sentence of his famous novel, The Go-Between. In the light of recent events in the United States, we ...1 week ago
- A funny thing happened at the Mall…. . The other day I was at Johnsonville Mall, one of Wellington’s northern suburbs. Michael Wolff’s exposé, Fire and Fury was available at the mall’s Whitcoull’s at a discount, and I was keen to read for myself what was ...1 week ago
- 2018 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming Digest #40Calls to Action... Story of the Week... Editorial of the Week... SkS Highlights... El Niño/La Niña Update... Toon of the Week... Quote of the Week... Graphic of the Week... SkS in the News... Photo of the Week... SkS Spotlights... ...1 week ago
- Riding the Northern New Network
1 week ago - 2018 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #40
A chronological listing of news articles posted on the Skeptical Science Facebook Page during the past week. Editor's Pick The Nihilism of Trump’s Climate Policy The administration cites the likelihood of catastrophic global temperature rise to justify gutting fuel-efficiency ...1 week ago - The Political Amnesia Of Winston Peters’ Critics
1 week ago - New research, September 24-30, 2018A selection of new climate related research articles is shown below. Climate change mitigation Climate change communication Enduring Extremes? Polar Vortex, Drought, and Climate Change Beliefs Not in my back yard: Egocentrism and climate change skepticism across the globe Climate ...1 week ago
- War – the line between rememberance and glorification. . Without doubt or argument, the World War 1 exhibitions at the former Dominion Museum and Te Papa museum were feats of outstanding technical achievement. The abilities of creators Peter Jackson and Weta Workshop’s Richard Taylor are a stunning ...1 week ago
- Flashback Saturday: Demographia fails Urban Economics 101
Every weekend we dig into the archives. This post by Peter was originally published in March 2015. Every year since 2005, pro-sprawl think-tank Demographia has published a new edition of its “International Housing Affordability Survey“. They report a “median multiple” ...1 week ago - Looking into itSo, Callaghan Innovation's treatment of OIA requests from the Taxpayer's Onion and its wrongful release of personal information about them seems to have backfired badly, with the Ombudsman announcing that they may launch an investigation. And they should. Because apart ...1 week ago
- MI5 supports criminalsOne of the functions of Britain's MI5 is to support law enforcement agencies in the prevention and detection of serious crime. But it turns out they're doing the opposite, with an official policy of ignoring serious crimes by their agents ...1 week ago
- An unrepentant bullyThe Department of Internal Affairs has released the redacted investigation report into the allegations of bullying against former Minister Meka Whaitiri, showing that the investigator David Patten found it probable that Whaitiri grabbed (that is, assaulted) her staffer and yelled ...1 week ago
- New Fisk2 weeks ago
- Clearer picture of community drug use
A 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 ...5 days 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. ...7 days 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
- Information sharing to target organised crimeRevenue Minister Stuart Nash and Customs Minister Kris Faafoi are encouraging feedback on a proposal to extend an information sharing agreement designed to crack down on organised crime. Since 2014 Inland Revenue and Police have worked together under the Serious ...3 weeks ago
- Ngāpuhi momentum and progress continuesAndrew Little, Minister for Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations, is pleased that Tūhoronuku Independent Mandated Authority (TIMA) and Te Kotahitanga o Ngā Hapū Ngāpuhi (TKT) representatives have agreed to hold additional hui next month, so Ngāpuhi can consider a proposal to ...3 weeks ago
- Loan shark net tightens, but holes still remain
Ngā 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). ...5 hours 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 ...8 hours 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. ...9 hours 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 ...9 hours 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 ...10 hours 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. ...10 hours 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 ...10 hours 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. ...11 hours ago
- Organise Aotearoa condemns NZDF culture of abuseA North & South magazine article released today details the New Zealand Defence Force’s (NZDF) involvement in war crimes, and reveals a culture of sexual abuse and homophobia. ...11 hours ago
- 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. ...12 hours ago
- Search begins for next Kiwi delegate to ‘plant their path’Auckland, 15 October 2018 – Now’s the time to step up and share your ideas with the world – that’s the call from Bayer New Zealand, which is on the lookout for a Kiwi delegate to represent New Zealand at ...12 hours ago
- Action against NZDF crimes & toxic culture tomorrow“Auckland Peace Action and Organise Aotearoa are holding a demonstration outside the NZDF recruiting office at 284 Great North Road tomorrow, Tuesday, 16 October at 12:30 to demand justice and an end to the war in Afghanistan. People are invited ...12 hours ago
- Pohokura gas shutdown exposes urgent need for solarMonday, October 15: Skyrocketing power prices linked to a shutdown at the offshore Pohokura gas field are just another reminder that we need to fast-track the rollout of solar energy, says Greenpeace. ...13 hours ago
- NZTA getting tough on enforcementThe NZ Transport Agency has an extensive review of compliance files underway and is toughening up its enforcement regime. An increase in the number of suspensions and other legal action is expected to follow as a result of review findings ...13 hours ago
- Understanding gay – a public lectureDifferences between gay and non-gay people is not about sex according to School of Social Work Professor Mark Henrickson, who will propose in a lecture next month that it is more about the ways we understand the world and decide ...13 hours ago
- Public conversation on criminal justice & reformSeveral hundred expected at first public conversation on criminal justice & reform before Government advisory panel hosted by Manukau Urban Māori Authority ...13 hours ago
- Tenancy reforms miss the main point — unpaid rentEvidence obtained on Friday under the Official Information Act shows that Housing Minister Phil Twyford’s tenancy law tinkering misses the main issue, which is unpaid rent, Tenancies War spokesman Mike Butler said today. ...14 hours ago
- James Shaw agrees Gov should formally apologise over MeshThe leaders of New Zealand mesh patient advocacy group Mesh Down Under Charlotte Korte, Carmel Berry and Patricia Sullivan wrote to the Associate Health Minister James Shaw to request that an apology is made by the New Zealand Government to ...14 hours ago
- North & South alleges heinous crimes in our armed forcesDisturbing new allegations of war crimes and sexual violence inside New Zealand’s armed forces – alongside dangerous binge drinking, bullying and a crisis of post-deployment mental health problems – are revealed in investigative journalist Nicky Hager’s ...14 hours ago
- Government’s 100-day Pledge could slip to 1000 daysDocuments released to MCANZ under the official information act show that the regulations associated with the government medical cannabis bill could take years, with a planned go-live of mid-2020. This go-live date is subject to change and with the current ...15 hours ago
- Women’s Refuge Examines Reproductive Coercion in New ZealandWomen’s Refuge has today released a study that examines reproductive coercion. While some research on reproductive coercion has been undertaken in other countries, like the United States, to date there has not been a comprehensive study of reproductive ...15 hours ago
- Medical cannabis regulations require urgencyNew Zealand’s first licensed medicinal cannabis company says a Government plan for regulations to be set by mid-2020 could backfire politically. ...15 hours ago
- Reproductive coercion report shows tragic reality of abuseWomen’s Refuge has published New Zealand’s first ever report on reproductive coercion and Family Planning says the courage of the women who responded to the study needs to be met with an equally courageous response from agencies working in the ...15 hours ago
- Minimal Support For Removing Abortion From Crimes ActFamily First NZ says that information received from the Law Commission under the Official Information Act reveals that the Law Commission received almost 3,500 submissions regarding the abortion law review, and of those submissions, just 18% - less than ...1 day ago
- Steps to fix teacher shortage are welcome but…Steps to fix teacher shortage are welcome but class sizes and pay must be addressed to keep teachers ...1 day ago
- Key challenges of jobs, climate change on agendaKey challenges of jobs, climate change on agenda at alternative trade strategy hui 19-20 October Discussions on trade strategy in New Zealand usually focus on market access for primary products. Yet today’s free trade agreements have 20-plus chapters ...2 days ago
- Waitangi Tribunal’s troubled Whakatohea voteTribunal's finding of unfair, bad faith mandate at odds with pro-govt, anti-Hapu vote process ...2 days ago
- The Nation: Tim McKinnel and Nick ChisnallOn Newshub Nation: Emma Jolliff interviews private investigator Tim McKinnel and criminal barrister Nick Chisnall ...2 days ago
- The Nation: Energy Minister Megan Woods• Energy Minister Megan Woods says regulating the price of petrol is one of the options that will be considered but no decisions would be made until the Commerce Commission comes back with their market report. ...2 days ago
- Maori Crime will reduce – If Maori are in ChargeAll four Iwi/Community Panel providers came together today to look at how successful their work was in dealing with Maori and other crimes within Metro Auckland. The Iwi Community Panels known as Te Pae Oranga was launched 4 years ago ...2 days ago
- Greenpeace launches trainings to confront oil driller OMVSaturday, October 13: Greenpeace has launched the first of a series of national training workshops to prepare for the arrival of oil giant, OMV. ...2 days ago
- US ambassador to NZ continues public attacks on ChinaUS ambassador to New Zealand continues public attacks on China By Tom Peters, Socialist Equality Group ...3 days ago
- Israel Institute rejects fine on kiwi BDS activistsIsrael Institute rejects fine on kiwi BDS activists Support for the rights of Boycott, Divest and Sanctions’ (BDS) advocates’ to have their say has come from a surprising source with Israel Institute of New Zealand co-director, Dr David Cumin, defending ...3 days ago
- Corporate welfare for brewers is hypocrisyCorporate welfare for brewers is a hypocritical policy, says the New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union . Taxpayer’s Union spokesman Louis Houlbrooke says, “The Ministry of Primary Industry’s decision to throw money at research for ‘top tier’ beer markets ...3 days ago
- Climate groups protest ANZ roadblock to real climate actionClimate groups protest ANZ as “roadblock to real climate action” in light of IPCC 1.5°C report ...3 days ago
- Free Speech Coalition responds to Israeli court orderResponding to an Israeli court order for damage payments from New Zealanders who campaigned to cancel a Lorde concert, Free Speech Coalition spokesman Dr David Cumin says: ...3 days ago
- New Zealanders want full access to cigarette alternativesNine out of ten New Zealanders believe adult smokers should have access to alternative products if shown to have the potential to reduce the risk of smoking compared to cigarettes, according to a new survey*. ...3 days ago
- Crisis in the New Zealand Racing industryWinston Peters, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Racing, recently presented the Messara Report, to the New Zealand Racing Industry(NZRB). The report made 17 recommendations. Many of these recommendations are not new. But the failure to implement ...3 days ago
- One Week Left: Tell Government your Thoughts on RentingAt Auckland Disability Law (ADL) we see a lot of people having problems renting homes, both in the private rental market and with Housing New Zealand. The Government is looking to change the law around renting with the reform of ...3 days ago
- Criminal Justice Advisory Group to visit South AucklandThe Government’s Safe and Effective Justice Programme Advisory Group – Te Uepū Hāpai i te Ora – will visit South Auckland on October 15 and 16 as part of its nationwide consultation to gather information on the criminal justice system. ...3 days ago
- RainbowYOUTH reaches $75,000 target with help from HELLRainbowYOUTH’s joint initiative with HELL Pizza, which saw 3,000 T-shirts up for sale in support of LGBTQIA+ rights in Aotearoa, has raised a “game-changing” $75,000 and increased awareness of the issues facing one of the country’s more ...3 days ago
- TÜV Rheinland signs MoU with Environmental Choice NZTÜV Rheinland, a global leader for independent inspection services, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the New Zealand Government’s official ecolabelling programme, Environmental Choice New Zealand (ECNZ). ...4 days ago
- Biosecurity Award finalists reflect huge national effortThere is a heartening national effort taking place to safeguard the country’s biosecurity, says New Zealand Biosecurity Awards judging panel Chair, Dr John Hellstrom. ...4 days ago
- Millennials turn out in force for political panelWAIKATO Political Punch , a panel event spearheaded by Seed Waikato to get more millennials engaged in politics, was attended by nearly 100 people. ...4 days ago
- Te Puoho (TP) Katene joins the Board at Ākina FoundationThe Ākina Foundation announces a new addition to their governance team, welcoming new Board of Trustees member, Te Puoho (TP) Katene. ...4 days ago
- NZ government bans “foreigners” from buying housesNew Zealand government bans “foreigners” from buying houses By Sam Price, Socialist Equality Group 11 October 2018 (original url: http://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2018/10/11/nzfb-o11.html ) ...4 days ago
- Half a million people in debt with MinistryReports obtained through the Official Information Act revealed that as of March 2018, half a million people are in debt with the Ministry of Social Development, with the total debt being $1.5 billion. Most of the debt comes from overpayments ...4 days ago
- Academics urge united response to achieve 1.5°C limitAcademics urge united response to achieve 1.5°C limit The IPCC's long anticipated report on Global Warming of 1.5 degrees C says that Global warming is likely to reach 1.5°C between 2030 and 2052 if it continues to increase at the ...4 days ago
- Ministers vote for effective pregnancy warning labelsThe wellbeing of future generations of Kiwi and Australian children has finally been placed ahead of alcohol industry profits following a decision on alcohol and pregnancy warning labels in Australia. ...4 days ago
- MPs agree there’s much more to do on safety in forestryPoliticians have responded with shock to revelations from forestry and wood processing workers at a symposium on the future of work in the industry. ...4 days ago
- Simon Bridges has thrown down the gauntlet
Opinion - National Party leader Simon Bridges is either extremely naïve and bumbling, or is a gambler with nerves of steel, writes *Bryce Edwards* ...2 hours ago - Transport Agency failed over WoFs and licences
Transport industry leaders have repeatedly raised concerns that the system for certifying warrants of fitness and driver licences is flawed. Transport Minister Phil Twyford and the Transport Agency announced on Monday they could not be sure that all the cars on ...3 hours ago - PNG government faces mounting pressure over Maseratis splurge
One of the 40 Maseratis imported by Papua New Guinea for APEC 2018 … threatened two-day strike looms. Image: EMTV News By Johnny Blades of RNZ Pacific Papua New Guinea’s government is under mounting pressure to account for a ...3 hours ago - Project Runway Power Rankings, week three: Ctrl+Alt+Shifty
In the third episode of Project Runway New Zealand, the designers had to make a two-piece look out of scrapped technology. Henry Oliver ranks the results.Project Runway is back, baby! After complaining last week about the lack of quips, the ...3 hours ago - I’m So Lucky
Column: Barbara Sumner – How special do you feel? What factors make up your sense of special – or otherwise? Many adopted people remember being told they were ‘special.’ “We chose you,” is a standard phrase for adopted people. ...4 hours ago - I’m So SpecialColumn: Barbara Sumner – How special do you feel? What factors make up your sense of special – or otherwise? Many adopted people remember being told they were ‘special.’ “We chose you,” is a standard phrase for adopted people. ...4 hours ago
- National to decide what to do with Jami-Lee Ross
A year into opposition and the National Party could be moving to expel one of its MPs, following the protracted leak saga. Tomorrow the National caucus is expected to vote on whether to suspend Jami-Lee Ross, after an inquiry into ...4 hours ago - Australians care about animals – but we don’t buy ethical meat
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Amelia Cornish, PhD student, University of Sydney Australians clearly care about animal welfare: our research has found 92% shoppers in Sydney considered animal welfare to be important. However, when we look at ...4 hours ago - For the sake of our retirement savings, it’s time to reform the investment management boys’ clubSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sarah Oxenbridge, Research Fellow, University of Sydney Business School, University of Sydney Australians have A$2.6 trillion in superannuation assets. We conducted a study of Australian women who influence or make decisions about ...5 hours ago
- The Monday Excerpt: Maurice Gee on the boy who played rapist
Maurice Gee – recently named the author of the best New Zealand book of the past 50 years – writes a memoir of the boy who had a dark, terrifying idea for a game: “You be a girl, eh, and I’ll be a man ...5 hours ago - University of the South Pacific annual journalism awards – celebrating 50 yearsAuthor profile: Event date and time: Friday, October 19, 2018 – 18:00 – 20:00 ANNUAL JOURNALISM AWARDS AT UNIVERSITY OF THE SOUTH PACIFICThe Pacific Media Centre’s director, Professor David Robie, has been invited as keynote ...6 hours ago
- Gender reassignment surgery cap lifted
The Government plans to dramatically increase the number of genital reassignment surgeries for transgender patients, Newsroom can reveal. The number of publicly funded surgeries performed was previously capped at three male-to-female surgeries and one female-to-male surgery every two years. The ...6 hours ago - A new take on An Enemy of the People fizzes with contemporary relevanceSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Huw Griffiths, Senior Lecturer in English Literature, University of Sydney Review: An Enemy of the People, Belvoir. The fitness of Henrik Ibsen’s plays to address the political questions of our modern lives ...6 hours ago
- Boyer Lectures: the new eugenics is the same as the old, just in fancier clothesSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ross L Jones, Honorary Senior Fellow, Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience, University of Melbourne; Associate, Centre for Health Law and Society, La Trobe University, University of Melbourne This year marks the 60th ...6 hours ago
- Poll wrap: Labor slips in Newspoll, but gains in Ipsos, in Wentworth and in VictoriaSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, University of Melbourne This week’s Newspoll, conducted October 11-14 from a sample of 1,707, gave Labor a 53-47 lead, a one-point gain for ...7 hours ago
- Watch: Jami-Lee Ross identified as National Party leakerSimon Bridges has identified Jami-Lee Ross as the National Party leaker after the party's inquiry into the leak, but the MP is denying he was responsible. ...8 hours ago
- National leak scandal: what we know so farThe National Party leak scandal has unfolded over the past two months, leading to Simon Bridges today identifying Jami-Lee Ross as the leaker. Here's what happened in the lead-up to today's announcement. ...8 hours ago
- Salt Funds to open up carbon trading
Salt Funds Management plans to list a dedicated carbon fund, opening up the green commodity directly for retail investors. Salt's Carbon Fund is expected to be 98 percent invested in carbon commodities, with 2 percent held in cash and equivalents. The ...9 hours ago - One little leak has plunged Simon Bridges into a deep political nightmare
Political leaders and their advisers know that the kind of disunity evidenced by the Jami-Lee Ross attacks is uniquely toxic with the public, writes Danyl MclauchlanIt was such a reasonable assumption. When someone leaked Simon Bridges’ travel expenses the National ...9 hours ago - Connecting cities to their land through design
In the second episode of The Good Citizen, a new podcast of interviews with exciting and innovative New Zealanders, Jeremy Hansen talks to Henry Crothers about having the bravery to transform our urban landscapes.“We need to stop chickening out.”Landscape architect ...9 hours ago - ComCom wants transparency about Fonterra
The Commerce Commission is concerned Fonterra Cooperative Group's plans to mothball processing plants are too opaque. The commission reviews the milk price manual at the start of each season to make sure Fonterra is calculating its farmgate milk price in line with ...10 hours ago - What the hell just happened? The Jami-Lee Ross vs Simon Bridges leakwar explainedIn a dramatic turn of events, the National Party expenses leak has suddenly turned about a thousand times more toxic. What the hell is going on?In a series of four tweets, National MP Jami-Lee Ross has detonated a bomb under ...10 hours ago
- Jami-Lee Ross labelled as National’s leaker
National Party leader Simon Bridges has blamed the leaking of his travel expenses on National MP Jami-Lee Ross, who he says may be facing suspension. However, just moments before Bridges announced the result of the party's leak inquiry, Ross unleashed a ...11 hours ago - Shock confession: I love plane food
Think aeroplane food is bleak, cliched and kind of awful? You’re wrong, and here’s why. It’s the mid 90s. You’re in a smoky comedy club in New York City, a single spotlight illuminating the exposed brickwork, with a single mic on ...12 hours ago - Simon Bridges amended electoral donation return, insider claimsA National Party insider has told RNZ News that leader Simon Bridges amended his personal electoral donation return to remove two donations totalling $24,000. ...12 hours ago
- Newsletter: New Zealand Politics Daily – October 15 2018
12 hours ago - Twyford vents “extreme disappointment” at regulator
NZTA cannot be sure that all the cars on our roads meet safety standards, after discovering some of the companies that certify vehicles and transport operators did not comply with the agency’s standards. The certification process affects everything from companies ...12 hours ago - Gone By Lunchtime Extra, featuring Jacinda Ardern
In this special edition of our politics podcast, Spinoff editor Toby Manhire talks to the prime minister about her first year in the job.Last week Jacinda Ardern swung by Spinoff HQ to reflect on the first year in office and, ...12 hours ago - Fletcher quits pursuit of Steel & Tube
Fletcher Building won't keep chasing Steel & Tube Holdings after failing to win over the board with its latest offer. The country's biggest listed construction company was willing to pay $1.90 a share and let Steel & Tube pay a 5 ...12 hours ago - I tried New Zealand’s first brand of period proof undies
Alex Casey talks to Michele Wilson of I am Eva, New Zealand’s first brand of period proof undies, and takes a pair for a spin. It does seem pretty wild that you can 3D print yourself a sex robot in 2018, ...13 hours ago - Fulton Hogan heads off quarry quandry
Fulton Hogan allayed competition concerns surrounding its purchase of Stevenson Group's construction materials business by leaving the Huntly quarry out of the acquisition. The Commerce Commission opened an investigation into the deal in June after the two companies announced the transaction ...13 hours ago - Michael Hill finds transition harder
Michael Hill International is finding it harder to shift away from discount pricing than it anticipated, posting an 8.8 percent decline in first-quarter sales. The jewellery chain's sales from continuing operations fell to A$112.12 million in the three months ended ...14 hours ago - Steel & Tube wary of increased Fletcher bid
Steel & Tube Holdings hasn't been won over by an increased takeover offer from Fletcher Building but will hire an independent expert to review the bid. Last Friday, Fletcher raised its non-binding offer to buy Steel & Tube to $1.90 per ...15 hours ago - And the Dirtbag Bird of the Year 2018 is…
Last year it was the ubiquitous seagull! But who has nabbed the title of the Dirtbag Bird of the Year 2018? Sam Brooks has the result.It’s been a fierce two days of votes, deep-seated resentment and Facebook comments. I’ve done ...15 hours ago - NZD gains vs Aussie
The New Zealand dollar gained against its trans-Tasman counterpart as investors look to consumer price data tomorrow expected to show a faster pace of inflation. The kiwi rose to 91.54 Australian cents as at 8am in Wellington from 91.33 cents on ...15 hours ago - Economists: RBNZ and inflation
Rising oil prices, Auckland's regional fuel tax, and a sharply weaker New Zealand dollar are likely to have pushed inflation higher in the third quarter but not enough to ruffle any feathers at the Reserve Bank. Economists expect the consumers price ...15 hours ago - Tasman deathtrap: the brutal toll of Australia’s deportation policy
As the number of New Zealand citizens deported from Australia grows, so too does the death toll. Don Rowe reports on the rising human costs of Australia’s immigration reforms. This feature was made possible thanks to reader contributions via the Spinoff ...16 hours ago - VR technology gives new meaning to ‘holidaying at home’. But is it really a substitute for trave...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Vikki Schaffer, Program Co-ordinator and Lecturer, Tourism, Leisure and Event Management, University of the Sunshine Coast As virtual reality technology improves, it creates new opportunities for travellers seeking new experiences. This is ...16 hours ago
- All eyes on November’s G20 meeting as tensions between China and the US ratchet upSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tony Walker, Adjunct Professor, School of Communications, La Trobe University When G20 finance ministers met in Bali last week to review economic developments in the lead-up to the annual G20 summit, they ...16 hours ago
- Boyer Lectures: gene therapy is still in its infancy but the future looks promisingSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Merlin Crossley, Deputy Vice-Chancellor Academic and Professor of Molecular Biology, UNSW This year marks the 60th anniversary of the ABC’s Boyer Lectures. Delivered by Professor John Rasko, the 2018 Life Engineered lectures ...16 hours ago
- Big firms voice lack of faith in ‘cumbersome’ and ‘impractical’ Emissions Reduction FundSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jayanthi Kumarasiri, Lecturer in Accounting, RMIT University Four years after it was launched, the federal government’s A$2.55 billion Emissions Reduction Fund (ERF) has still not attracted the participation of many of Australia’s ...16 hours ago
- Curious Kids: why do some dogs get ‘snow nose’ in winter?Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Aaron Herndon, Senior Lecturer – Small Animal Internal Medicine, The University of Queensland This is an article from Curious Kids, a series for children of all ages. The Conversation is asking young ...16 hours ago
- Four fundamental principles for upholding freedom of speech on campusSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrienne Stone, Redmond Barry Distinguished Professor, Kathleen Fitzpatrick Australian Laureate Fellow, Director, Centre for Comparative Constitutional Studies, University of Melbourne It goes without saying – or at least it ought to – ...16 hours ago
- Is it time to move beyond the limits of ‘built environment’ thinking?Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Christian Tietz, Senior Lecturer in Industrial Design, UNSW The constructed world around us provides the stage for our daily life. The term “built environment” is in the past tense, describing a scenario ...16 hours ago
- Local film and TV content makes up just 1.6% of Netflix’s Australian catalogueSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ramon Lobato, Senior research fellow, RMIT University Over the last few years we have been studying the catalogues of Netflix and Stan to see how much local screen content each service carries ...16 hours ago
- UK QC questions Chief Justice’s judgment
A senior London-based barrister is questioning Chief Justice Dame Sian Elias’ impartiality in a case she heard last year. In an opinion on the case, Queen’s Counsel Richard Coleman says Elias should have declared her shareholding interests in insurance company IAG ...17 hours ago - The Bulletin: Desperate drive to address teacher shortage
Good morning, and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Massive increase in overseas teacher recruitment drive, NZ activists reject Israeli court ruling, and the horrible state of Lake Horowhenua is in focus. The government is ramping up efforts to recruit ...17 hours ago - Jacinda Ardern ‘upgrades position’ on climate change as nuclear-free momentThe challenge is greater, because of the battle to get everyone on board, says the PM as part of a wide ranging interview with the Spinoff. And New Zealand’s methane emissions problem prompts a new analogy from Ardern: the moon ...18 hours ago
- ‘Transformation does take time’: a cup of tea with Jacinda Ardern, one year on
Ahead of the first anniversary of Winston Peters’ knife-edge announcement, Jacinda Ardern pops by Spinoff HQ to talk to Toby Manhire about what’s been achieved, what hasn’t, and whether or not she’s allowed to say ‘Labour-led government’ any more. A year ...18 hours ago - From vacuumer to America’s Cup boss
True story: Tina Symmans was the woman at the end of the vacuum cleaner in Emirates Team New Zealand’s base in Bermuda last year. And now she’s in charge of running the 2021 America’s Cup in Auckland. Sitting in CEO Grant Dalton’s ...18 hours ago
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