Author Archive
Pulling Teeth For Poverty
Written By: - Date published: 8:00 am, June 17th, 2018 - 361 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 - 47 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.
- New Zealand celebrates separation of child from mother
One country’s humanitarian tragedy is another country’s happy miracle. An historic day, said the media. A happy day, said Acting Prime Minister Winston Peters. Fine day across the South, said Metservice. Though Peters later clarified he wasn’t talking about the ...5 hours ago - Hundreds of journalists rushed to hospital following major incident
Journalists are being treated with snacks, WiFi, and reachable power outlets. Several hundred journalists are in Auckland Hospital today following a major incident in the city. The journalists were admitted to the hospital early this morning, wearing tags and barcodes ...9 hours ago - The EU needs to stand up against its racists
The European Union is founded on values of "respect for human dignity, freedom, democracy, equality, the rule of law and respect for human rights, including the rights of persons belonging to minorities". Those values are under threat from several of ...9 hours ago - Hard News: They want to blow it all up
In recent weeks, it has been more difficult than ever to assess and comprehend all the stupid, awful deeds and words of President Donald Trump. The tantrum and chaos of the G7 meeting bleeds into his preposterous accounts of the ...10 hours ago - State of the Union: The ‘when a child is born’ version
As Jacinda Ardern and Winston Peters stand poised to fulfill very different dreams, neither of them will be terribly happy with where the government stands on the brink of this wee bit of history.read more ...11 hours ago - A childish tantrumThat's the only way to describe events in Parliament last night. Faced with the opposition filibustering two time-sensitive bills, the government moved urgency, then attempted to amend the instruction to the committee to prevent any debate on what was being ...12 hours ago
- New Zealand’s Very Own Pinkertons.
12 hours ago - Hard News: I Am: An authentic autism family experienceWatching this week's episode of TVNZ's new I Am strand, I Am Living With Aspergers, the story of David RS Greer and his family, pushed a lot of buttons for me.To be clear, neither of our ASD sons has ever ...13 hours ago
- Is the middle class squeezed or spoilt?
If your household brings in $100,000 and you still struggle to make ends meet, is it your own fault or an indictment on today’s cost of living? Bonnie Sumner investigates The average New Zealand income is $100,000 but ...13 hours ago - Can Auckland lead the world?
Last week I took a look at how public transport ridership in Auckland might grow over the next decade, if it continues current strong growth rates and lines up with the transport modelling predictions in ATAP. On a per ...17 hours ago - The United States has gone rogue!
Under President Donald Trump (and his growing swamp of a government) the United States of America has now become a fully identifiable "rogue nation" that ignores basic human rights and international agreements.While the US constitution provides protections for civil and ...1 day ago - David Seymour asks why the government needs to provide holidays when you can already buy them online
Seymour suggested employees could choose to take all of their annual holidays on the same day, which could even have the added bonus of helping them not lose their job. ACT Party leader and star of recent Three mockumentary series ...1 day ago - As nation waits for baby, medical experts say it might just stay in there forever
Doctors say if the baby hasn’t arrived at the end of the week, it probably won’t. Three days have passed since Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern was due to give birth to the greatest baby known to have ever been born ...1 day ago - Well done Canada. NZ? High time to move out of the Dark Ages for once…
Canada just sent a strong signal on recreational cannabis use. And in the UK, even the some of the most hard Conservative voices, yes, even those of Theresa May’s own Cabinet are urging serious reform, insofar as medical use ...1 day ago - NZ must speak out for its valuesAt the moment, the USA is separating children from their parents and putting them in concentration camps. This is utterly abhorrent to most New Zealanders. So what is our government saying about it? Nothing: Winston Peters is coming under pressure ...1 day ago
- Sanity in CanadaCanada has taken a major step towards ending America's insane "war on drugs", by legalising recreational cannabis use:Recreational cannabis use in Canada is to become legal after the Senate approved the legislation. The measure is expected to come into effect ...1 day ago
- A return to the banality of evil.
When Hannah Arendt wrote about the “banality of evil” in Nazi Germany, she was referring not to the leaders but to the thousands of bureaucrats, soldiers, civil servants, cops, tax collectors and everyday citizens who went along with the Nazi ...1 day ago - Can Auckland just ‘do a Christchurch’ to solve the Housing Crisis?
Fresh from saying there is no crisis in Auckland housing now Steven Joyce is saying it’s just like post-earthquke Christchurch: “In Christchurch you had a shock in the market. There’s a real shortage of housing, a real shortage of land, ...1 day ago - HealthCarePlus Newsletter Winter 2018
HealthCarePlus is a not-for-profit incorporated society that assists participating union members and their families access to competitive health cover. Read the latest HealthCarePlus newsletter here. ...1 day ago - One way of fixing itThe USA - which is currently kidnapping the children of refugees and sticking them in concentration camps - has consistently complained that the UN Human Rights Council is not fit for purpose. For a start, it criticises Israeli human rights ...2 days ago
- Mycoplasma bovis, foot and mouth, National Party, and other nasty germs
. . Intro The Mycoplasma bovis crisis confronting New Zealand is a story that will be dissected and commented on for decades to come. This was not simply a matter of a bacteria infecting cattle. This was a story ...2 days ago - Midweek Reading 20 June 2018
There were a couple of news articles that caught my attention over the weekend. Public Transport in Christchurch The Press ran a great piece on Saturday about the trade-off between driving and public transport. Commuting by bus could save Christchurch ...2 days ago - Are NZ’s “breaking news” cycles showing disturbing, partisan tendencies at present, and far le...
Are certain Media outlets almost bitter that National lost the election? For some observers, based on the screaming headlines coming out, it really does come across that way… But there’s also a deeper strain of stilted and constrained debate, commentary ...2 days ago - Cosy corruptionSince Thompson and Clark have been in the news over their undemocratic and bullying behaviour around Southern Response, people have been looking hard at what parts of government they've been doing business with and what exactly they're doing. And the ...2 days ago
- Who will help the helplines?
While Youthline and Lifeline struggle to stay afloat, leaving calls for help unanswered, the government is funding a brand new helpline. Illustration: Lee Smith-Gibbons / The Wireless A teenage girl sends a text to 234. She's suicidal. The ...2 days ago - Guest Post: Co-Housing Part One
This is a guest post by Biddy Livesey who is a housing policy analyst, researcher, and future resident of Cohaus. Part One: Introduction to collective housing development: Cohousing Our cities are changing. The cost of land is increasing, the way we ...2 days ago - Time for the government to pay upYesterday, the New Zealand Nurses Organisation voted to take strike action. While they'd been offered a half billion dollar pay package by DHBs, this was mostly focused on divide and rule and raising salaries for those already at the top ...2 days ago
- Can The Nurses Win On Their Own?
3 days ago - Let’s do thisWestpac has been modelling the effects of the government's proposed capital gains tax, and concluded that it would be effective in lowering house prices:House prices would fall, rents would rise but home ownership would improve if a capital gains or ...3 days ago
- If you take care of your character, your reputation will take care of itselfWhen lawyers read news like Sir Bob Jones threatening defamation proceedings because a tweet called him a racist we feel a strange mix of emotions. read more ...3 days ago
- Cycling is on the rise
Every year Auckland Transport have an independent company survey Aucklanders about walking and cycling. They’ve just released the 2018 numbers and they’re fantastic. In total 1,459 took part in this year’s survey and are said to be representative of the Auckland ...3 days ago - A choice of master
Two decades ago New Zealand uncoupled the security and trade strands in its foreign policy. The decision stemmed from the removal of New Zealand’s preferential trade status with the UK in the early 1970s and the fallout to the embrace ...3 days ago - Due to nationwide shortage of buzzy bee toys, New Plymouth sends Prime Minister actual bees
The bees are reportedly “not calm, not calm at all.” Sort-of-but-not-technically-husband to the Prime Minister Clarke Gayford has confirmed that he and Jacinda Ardern have received a “lovely” gift to the tune of some 600 live bees from the town ...3 days ago 
by Daphna Whitmore This deceptively slim book covers a lot of ground. The author, Ilan Pappe, is a well-known expatriate Israeli historian, critic and social activist. He is one of the ‘new historians’ arising in Israel who have challenged the ...3 days ago- Not achievedBack in 2010, the then-National government sacked the elected Canterbury Regional Council and replaced it with a group of unelected dictators. One of the key tasks of National's dictators was to implement the Canterbury Water Management Strategy, a collaboratively developed ...3 days ago
- The RMA and deterrenceOur environment is under threat. We have farmers polluting our rivers and sucking aquifers dry. Our own "defence" force is poisoning people's drinking water. Greedy property developers cut down protected native trees. And that's just a few recent examples. In ...4 days ago
- Stopping the orcs in their tracksWhen the government was elected, they promised to end mining on conservation land. And they're delivering:An application to mine coal on public conservation land near Te Kuha in the Buller District has been declined, Minister of Conservation Eugenie Sage and ...4 days ago
- Victoria Quarter walking & cycling improvements coming
The Victoria Quarter in the western city centre is an area that is rapidly developing and will be home to thousands more residents in the coming years. Yet despite this, there had been little planned to improve the appalling state ...4 days ago - 2018 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming Digest #24
Story of the Week... Editorial of the Week... El Niño/La Niña Update... Toon of the Week... Quote of the Week... Coming Soon on SkS... Climate Feedback Reviews... SkS Week in Review... Poster of the Week... Story of the ...4 days ago - It’s not easy being Green and even harder being a Green Minister
Land Information Minister Eugenie Sage was subjected to some angry comments from party members on social media after her decision to allow (in principle) a large Chinese water bottling company to purchase land to extend their plant. The decision by ...4 days ago - MyThinks: newer and improveded
From time to time in the world of pseudojournalism, there comes a point when a lack of funds forces one to take stock and reassess one’s place in the world. Recently the crew at MyThinks has been doing a lot ...4 days ago - Judith Collins wins a Hypocrisy Award. . On 8 June, Coalition government minister, Phil Twyford announced the formation of a new Ministry of Housing and Urban Development. In a media statement, Minister Twyford said; “Addressing the national housing crisis is one of the biggest challenges ...5 days ago
- 2018 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #24
A chronological listing of news articles posted on the Skeptical Science Facebook Page during the past week. Editor's Pick In a Warming World, Deadly Bacteria Are More Resistant to Antibiotics E. coli bacteria. Source: NIAID Tom Patterson became ill in 2015 ...5 days ago - Pregnant Auckland women hopeful their babies will be accidentally switched with the Prime Minister...
Pregnant women all around Auckland are crossing their fingers and hoping to experience the great miracle of medical malpractice Pregnant Auckland women due to give birth this weekend are excited at the possibility that their baby may be accidentally switched ...5 days ago - Mass rallies, occupations, protests in Argentina for women’s right to abortion
The Congress in Argentina has been discussing abortion law reform in that country. Mass action in support of reform has taken place in the streets, there have been school occuaptions and other action. Below is the mass march and rally ...5 days ago - Burger King workers’ strike, June 15The strike at Burger King in Queen Street, Auckland, Friday, June 15: ...5 days ago
- Shortland Street special to depict the hospital scrambling to deliver Prime Minister’s baby
PICTURED: A still from Monday night’s highly anticipated special Beloved New Zealand soap opera and renowned hospital show, Shortland Street, will commemorate the birth of Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern’s baby with a special, feature-length episode in which the eponymous hospital ...5 days ago - Rally behind Burger King workersBurger King workers are taking on their bosses over pay and conditions, with strike action on Friday (June 15) and continuing pickets and protests. The following was sent out by Unions Otago earlier today: Unions Otago calls on all members ...5 days ago
- Te Kuha protection a “victory for the people, climate change, and great spotted kiwi”
PRESS RELEASE 16 June 2018 The decision to protect a section of the West Coast’s Mt Rochfort Conservation area from becoming a coal mine – announced today by the Government – will come as an enormous relief to a lot ...5 days ago - If Labour Wants Fewer Prisoners, Then It Needs To Create More Prison Space – Not Less.
6 days ago - The Symptom … And The Cure?
6 days ago - Flashback Saturday – Cycling: the benefits of complete networks
Every weekend we dig into the archives. This post by Peter was published in October 2014. A group of New Zealand researchers recently published an excellent paper on the costs and benefits of investing in a complete cycle network and ...6 days ago - New research, June 4-10, 2018
A selection of new climate related research articles is shown below. Climate change impacts Mankind The Inequality of Climate Change From 1.5 to 2°C of Global Warming (open access) "The Paris Agreement aims to keep global warming well below 2°C above ...6 days ago - Enabling Us to Assess Government Performance BetterDespite the hoopla at the time, the 1994 Fiscal Responsibility Act (FRA) was an extension of the 1989 Public Finance Act (PFA) which set out new standards for the government accounts. The accounts are retrospective describing what has happened. The ...6 days ago
- Farmers covering up their epidemicThe government is currently trying to eradicate Mycoplasma Bovis, at huge expense to the taxpayer. But there's a problem: farmers are refusing to cooperate:A crucial part of the puzzle in working out how far the cow disease has spread is ...6 days ago
- Climate Change: National’s forked tongueSo, National says it wants to work with the government on climate change:National leader Simon Bridges has offered bipartisan support to the Government on climate change. Bridges wrote to the prime minister on Friday saying he wants to help find ...6 days ago
- Hard News: Friday Music: Radio With Pictures – communiques from the outside worldIn Lee Borrie's oral history of Radio With Pictures, the first part of which is published this week on Audioculture, Bruce Russell recalls a Sunday night student ritual: you'd watch Radio With Pictures, and then you'd watch what everyone referred ...6 days ago
- A living wage for public servantsThe government will be paying all public servants a living wage:All core public service employees are being given a pay rise to at least the living wage of $20.55. The new hourly rate, which works out to an annual salary ...6 days ago
- More lies from NZDFWhen NZDF was first forced to admit that their firefighting foam was poisoning water around their bases, they said it was a historical problem and that the foams hadn't been used for many years. They lied about that. Then when ...7 days ago
- Legal Beagle: Littering!I published my Select Committee submission on the Contempt of Court Bill yesterday. Part of the reason it was both late and short was that I decided that my submission on the Litter (Increased Infringement Fee) Amendment Bill was probably ...7 days ago
- Guest Post: A Letter to Shane Ellison – CEO of Auckland Transport
This is a Guest Post by Lance Wiggs. It first appeared here and is republished with permission. Dear Shane You’ve begun your role as the Chief Executive Officer of Auckland Transport at a moment of crisis, with hundreds of Auckland ...7 days ago - Greens in mortal danger1 week ago
- Legal Beagle: The Contempt of Court BillI have just filed a Select Committee submission on the Contempt of Court Bill. My submission was made a lot easier by the submission prepared by Leonid Sirota and Edward Willis, which raised almost all of the issues with the ...1 week ago
- The legal fight to leave the dirtiest fossil fuels in the groundTar sands are the dirtiest fossil fuels. These are low-quality heavy tar-like oils that are mined from sand or rock. Much of the mining occurs in Alberta Canada, but it is also mined elsewhere, in lesser quantities. Tar sands are the ...1 week ago
- Slash
We – and by “we” I mean all of us – have been awfully slow to learn some important lessons. We still believe that it is permissible to despoil our environment and destroy and waste our natural resources, ...1 week ago - Big things are happening on the Korean Peninsula, whether you like who is involved or not…
You don’t have to “like” Trump, or the DPRK, or its leader Kim Jong-Un, and it doesn’t mean you have to condone anything legitimately called out (stress on the concept of legitimate here) and done by them – just don’t ...1 week ago - Marx Bicentennial. . .This year is Marx’s bicentennial. He was born in 1818 (May 5). And March 14 was the 135th anniversary of his death. This year is also the 170th anniversary of the Communist Manifesto. Below are some of the pieces we ...1 week ago
- “Shared values”
Whenever New Zealand leaps to join Australia in another foreign war, the politicians always talk about our countries' 'shared values". Well, this is an example of the Australian values we are supposed to "share": That's an Australian SAS truck in ...1 week ago - Climate change: Melting fasterBad news on the climate change front: Antarctica is melting much faster than we expected, and the rate of melting has tripled in the last five years:Ice in the Antarctic is melting at a record-breaking rate and the subsequent sea ...1 week ago
- Magical World Cup Gala Concert
I have attended several concerts in public squares during European summers and always enjoyed them. Great atmosphere. But thanks to international broadcasting and modern smartphones I woke up this morning to this concert and it was magical. Red square on ...1 week ago - An “investigation”Last year, Stuff published The Valley, an in-depth investigation into NZDF's actions on Afghanistan. It alleged that, among other things, SAS soldiers had deliberately abused civilians in order to provoke "insurgents" into combat, and that a "very senior officer" had ...1 week ago
- A terrible ideaWhen the then-Labour government first advocated American-style asset forfeiture laws way back in 2004, I highlighted the danger that they would begin to see it as a way of raising revenue - effectively incentivising police to make dubious seizures in ...1 week ago
- What’s Wrong With The Progressive Movement’s Bloody Ships?
1 week ago - FIFA Pitch: The most intriguing off-field stories of the 2018 World Cup
An Egyptian love triangle, a shock sacking, and the fear of racism and homophobia in host country Russia are enduring narratives ahead of this year’s tournament. Russian ballet dancers stage a protest for gay rights. Photo: AFP ...1 week ago - What does PT look like in a decade, by the numbers
Auckland was once considered a case study of what not to do with transport. Our singular focus on motorway building with almost no attention towards improving public transport saw PT usage rates in the region plummet before starting to recover ...1 week ago
- Heretaunga Tamatea Claims Settlement Bill
Minister for Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations Andrew Little has welcomed and acknowledged rangatira of Heretaunga Tamatea iwi who attended Parliament today to hear the third reading of their Treaty settlement legislation. ...7 hours ago - Aquaculture drives seafood export earningsNew Zealand’s export earnings from seafood are on the rise, with aquaculture leading the way, says Fisheries Minister Stuart Nash. The Ministry for Primary Industries’ Situation and Outlook report for June 2018 predicts New Zealand’s seafood export earnings will grow ...1 week ago
- Consent granted for overseas purchase of Whakatane water bottling plant
As Land Information Minister I and the Associate Finance Minister are sometimes required to decide whether or not overseas persons, including overseas owned companies, can buy areas of rural land in New Zealand of more than five hectares. The law ...1 week ago - Three Strikes repeal not going to CabinetA proposal to repeal Three Strikes is not going before Cabinet today on the basis that New Zealand First have indicated they would be unlikely to support it, says Justice Minister Andrew Little. ...2 weeks ago
- Largest intake of Police recruits in decadePolice recruitment has stepped up a gear with the largest intake of recruits in more than a decade beginning training at the Royal New Zealand Police College near Porirua. “I offer congratulations and welcome to the 100 new recruits who ...2 weeks ago
- A day of universal pride for NZers – Taxpayers’ Union
21 JUNE 2018 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Responding to the reported delivery of the Prime Minister's baby girl, New Zealand Taxpayers' Union Executive Director Jordan Williams says: ...3 hours ago - “Trade for All” in the EU NZ FTA Offers No New Direction‘As negotiations begin on the first free trade agreement that this Government has not inherited from National, Trade Minister David Parker will count his blessings that he can share the stage with the seemingly benign European Union’, says University ...5 hours ago
- ‘Successive parliaments have stifled student voice’ – NZUSA‘Successive parliaments have stifled student voice’ – NZUSA Students have told MPs that they have an opportunity to turn the tide on previous laws which have stifled the student voice in tertiary education. This comes as Parliament debates ...7 hours ago
- Lifewise response to Minister of Children’s visionAlleluia! Lifewise completely endorses Minister Tracey Martin's vision of fewer children in state care. ...7 hours ago
- Learning from examplesThe Auditor-General’s report Digital access to information and services: Learning from examples was presented to the House of Representatives today. ...10 hours ago
- Legalising cannabis in Canada is good for public healthAnchorCanada’s landmark decision to introduce a strictly regulated legal cannabis market is a public health win, and something the New Zealand government should look to emulate. ...10 hours ago
- Councils across country must confirm stance on fuel taxThe New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union is calling on every council in New Zealand to confirm where it stands on regional fuel tax, after 14 councils were revealed to be discussing implementing one. Taxpayers’ Union spokesperson Jordan Williams says, ...11 hours ago
- EU and New Zealand launch trade negotiationsToday, in the New Zealand capital of Wellington, EU Commissioner for Trade Cecilia Malmström and New Zealand's Minister for Trade and Export Growth David Parker officially launched negotiations today for a comprehensive and ambitious trade agreement. ...11 hours ago
- GDP growth eases slightlyGross domestic product (GDP) rose 0.5 percent in the March 2018 quarter, Stats NZ said today. This followed a 0.6 percent increase in the December 2017 quarter. Growth in service industries more than offset a fall in construction activity. ...12 hours ago
- NZ Q1 GDP ReleasThe NZ Gross Domestic Product (GDP) for Q1 has just been released. ...13 hours ago
- Post Budget health analysis shows reverse in downwards trendCouncil of Trade Unions Economist Dr Bill Rosenberg and the Association of Salaried Medical Specialists Director of Policy Lyndon Keene today jointly released detailed analysis of the 2018/2019 health budget which shows $2.5 billion would need to be ...13 hours ago
- University Library Restructures condemnedA New University, a group committed to the democratisation of the University of Auckland, strongly condemns the decision made by Stuart McCutcheon, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Auckland, to restructure the University's Libraries and Learning ...13 hours ago
- “Winston’s Dowry” – policy costing trackerWith Winston Peters now the Prime Minister, the New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union is launching a new policy cost tracking project – to calculate the cost of Mr Peters and his Party in forming the coalition Government. ...15 hours ago
- Dunne Speaks: I am almost feeling sorry for the GreensI am almost feeling sorry for the Greens. The self-proclaimed party of principle has struggled with the reality of Government, ever since it joined the unholy alliance with Labour and New Zealand First last October. They are the awkward members ...15 hours ago
- $91,000 spent to kill zero goatsAuckland Ratepayers’ Alliance spokesperson Jo Holmes responds to Auckland Council’s spend of $91,000 on a goat hunt that didn’t kill any goats : ...1 day ago
- DHBs across the country prepare for industrial actionDistrict Health Boards have begun implementing contingency plans following notice to strike by the New Zealand Nurses Organisation. ...1 day ago
- Honouring our refugeesREFUGEES who have resettled in New Zealand should be acknowledged as some of the bravest, kindest and most resilient people amongst us, Race Relations Commissioner Dame Susan Devoy says. ...1 day ago
- ANZASW celebrates World Refugee DayToday we honour the invaluable work that social workers across the world do to assist refugees to overcome trauma, build self-esteem and develop their lives. Social workers are active both in camps for the displaced and in the nations to ...1 day ago
- Regional Fuel Tax becomes contagiousIt comes as no surprise to learn that 14 councils around the country are seeking a regional fuel tax similar to Auckland’s, says Road Transport Forum Chief Executive Ken Shirley. ...1 day ago
- Majority support all-party action on climate changeA majority of New Zealanders support all parties in Parliament agreeing on plans to act on climate change. ...1 day ago
- One in Three Teens Keep Abortion A SecretMEDIA RELEASE 20 June 2018 EMBARGOED UNTIL WEDNESDAY 20TH One in Three Teens Keep Abortion A Secret SELECT COMMITTEE AND ABORTION SUPERVISORY COMMITTEE MISLED PUBLIC ...1 day ago
- Abortion Stats Show Rate Continues to DecreaseALRANZ Abortion Rights Aotearoa MEDIA RELEASE 19 June 2018 Abortion Stats Show Rate Continues to Decrease Statistics New Zealand reports 13,285 induced abortions were provided in 2017, compared with 12,823 in 2016. ...2 days ago
- Significant Interest in Abortion Law ReviewAccording to information received from the Law Commission by Family First under the Official Information Act, the Law Commission has received almost 3,500 submissions regarding the abortion law review. 58 submissions were from organisations and the ...2 days ago
- Research shows Swim Reaper cutting throughNew research by Water Safety New Zealand (WSNZ) shows the Swim Reaper water safety campaign appears to be changing attitudes and behaviour. ...2 days ago
- New report: Wage data debunks public sector union claimsOver the last 25 years, public sector incomes have grown much faster than the private sector, while public sector employees also enjoy a higher rate of sick leave costing taxpayers $173 million, according to Public Sector Wage Gap: The taxpayer-funded ...2 days ago
- Red Cross urges action on refugee quota on World Refugee DayNew Zealand Red Cross urges action on refugee quota on World Refugee Day, 20 June This World Refugee Day, New Zealand Red Cross is acknowledging the resilience of the 22.5 million refugees across the world. Of those, less than 1% ...2 days ago
- Cycling advocates call for urgent action on road safetyTen years after the death of Police Superintendent Steve Fitzgerald while cycling home, cycling advocates are calling for urgent action on road safety. ...2 days ago
- NGOs call for more support for countries hosting refugeesNGOs call for more support for countries hosting the most refugees - World Refugee Day 19 June 2018 (World Refugee Day is Wednesday June 20) There are more people displaced by conflict, hunger or persecution than ever before, and New ...2 days ago
- WHO moves on transgender classification welcomedAN INTERNATIONAL health agency’s removal of transgender identities from its list of mental disorders should be reflected in legislation currently before the New Zealand Parliament, the Human Rights Commission (HRC) says. ...2 days ago
- MERAS Lodges Pay Equity ClaimThe union that represents the majority of employed midwives (DHB midwives) has lodged a pay equity claim with DHBs. ...2 days ago
- ACC adds insult to injury“ACC has added insult to injury by planning to cut medical advisory staffing and then responding in a very cavalier way to our members’ quite reasonable requests for improvements to their collective employment agreement,” says Lloyd Woods, Senior ...2 days ago
- MPI Statement on SSC inquiryThe Ministry for Primary Industries has uncovered evidence of potential serious staff misconduct relating to events that occurred some years ago. This involved several employees who no longer work for MPI ...2 days ago
- External security consultants’ inquiry broadenedState Services Commissioner Peter Hughes has widened an inquiry into the use of external security consultants to cover all of the State services. ...2 days ago
- Refugee Crisis Not Over – Five Things You May Not KnowRefugee Crisis Not Over – Five Things You May Not Know About Refugees On World Refugee Day Save the Children NZ would like to highlight the fact that the refugee crisis is not over. Save the Children NZ CEO Heidi ...2 days ago
- Do we even need a Chief Technology Officer?Responding to the Government having to look overseas for its proposed Chief Technology Officer, New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union spokesperson Louis Houlbrooke says: “The Government hasn’t actually proven the need to fork out $500,000 per year for a ...2 days ago
- Abortion Stats Up for Year Ended December 2017“Today we mourn the 13,285 unborn lives lost, and the even more thousands of women and men whose lives have been touched by abortion," says Voice for Life National President Jacqui de Ruiter. ...3 days ago
- Abortion statistics: Year ended December 2017The number of abortions performed in New Zealand rose slightly in 2017, Stats NZ said today. A total of 13,285 induced abortions were performed, compared with 12,823 in 2016. However, the number of abortions has been generally decreasing since 2003. ...3 days ago
- Low Abortion Rate Will Be Welcomed By AllFamily First NZ is welcoming the lowest rates of abortion since 1990 - but is sounding a warning that this positive trend will be reversed if Parliament removes the safeguards in the current abortion law and introduce extreme abortion laws ...3 days ago
- REINZ welcomes softened stance on Overseas Investment BillREINZ welcomes softened stance on Overseas Investment Amendment Bill but still believes ban won’t solve housing price issues ...3 days ago
- Rally today at Parliament against Waikeria expansionPrisoner advocacy organisation People Against Prisons Aotearoa (PAPA) has organised a rally outside Parliament, to be held today at 1pm to oppose the government’s decision to build a new 600 bed unit at Waikeria Prison. ...3 days ago
- New leadership at the United Nations AssociationThe United Nations Association of New Zealand (UNA NZ) welcomes the appointment of Mr Peter Nichols as the new National President of the United Nations Association of New Zealand. Peter was appointed National President at the recent Annual General ...3 days ago
- Māori still in shock at Green Party “water rape” decisionA kuia and Māori environmentalist says so many Māori are still in shock from the Green Party’s decision last week to support a foreign company to bottle and export even more water from Otakiri Springs near Whakatāne. ...3 days ago
- Fundraiser launched for filmmakers’ defence fundCommunity campaigning organisation ActionStation have launched a Givealittle fundraising campaign in support of filmmaker and mum Renae Maihi. ...3 days ago
- Smoke alarms save livesFire and Emergency New Zealand is urging people to ensure they and their family and friends have working smoke alarms following the death of a 68-year-old male in a house fire in Mangere Bridge on Sunday 10 June. ...3 days ago
- Health bosses need to step up“It’s up to health bosses now to put aside their point-scoring and knuckle down to the task of reaching an agreement with nurses to avoid national strikes,” says Ian Powell, Executive Director of the Association of Salaried Medical Specialists ...3 days ago
- It’s My Life, But is It My Death?The public debate between senior Central Otago/Lakes school students, and the Upper Clutha Anglican Church parish, on the controversial issue of voluntary euthanasia, will be held this coming Sunday afternoon in Wanaka. ...3 days ago
- NZNO seeking urgent mediationNZNO seeking urgent mediation Media Release STRICT EMBARGO 1.05pm 18 June 2018 NZNO seeking urgent mediation The latest revised DHB MECA offer has been strongly rejected by NZNO members. However, Industrial Services Manager Cee Payne says that as nursing ...3 days ago
- Nurses’ vote shows frustration has reached tipping pointThe Council of Trade Unions President Richard Wagstaff said that today’s vote from New Zealand Nurses Organisation members to reject the latest agreement offer from District Health Boards showed the cumulative strain of nine years of health ...3 days ago
- Renewed calls for sugar, tobacco and alcohol taxesA Massey University professor is among an international group drawn from academia and international agencies, including the Word Bank, United Nations (UN) and World Health Organisation (WHO), calling for taxes on sugar, tobacco and alcohol in order ...3 days ago
- Sit down unionists: MBIE, IRD officials already overpaidState Services Minister Chris Hipkins needs to demonstrate that he is not a pushover for self-serving unionists, says the New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union . Taxpayers’ Union Executive Director Jordan Williams says, “First it was nurses, and now it’s ...3 days ago
- Recap: PM ‘feeling very lucky’ after birth of healthy baby
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has given birth to a baby girl at Auckland Hospital. Look back at our live blog. ...2 hours ago - ‘Welcome to our village wee one’: PM gives birth to a baby girlPrime Minister Jacinda Ardern and partner Clarke Gayford announced the birth of their baby girl this afternoon on Instagram this afternoon, saying they were "feeling very lucky". ...3 hours ago
- ‘Welcome to our village wee one’: PM gives birth to baby girlPrime Minister Jacinda Ardern and partner Clarke Gayford announced the birth of their baby girl this afternoon on Instagram this afternoon, saying they were "feeling very lucky". ...3 hours ago
- The political bout: Urgency at Parliament explainedAnalysis - Parliament sat under urgency today, to debate two tax bills. ...3 hours ago
- Minister for Women defends Little on controversial assault commentMinister for Women Julie Anne Genter is defending Justice Minister Andrew Little after he was accused of trivialising sexual assault. ...3 hours ago
- Jacinda Ardern welcomes baby girl
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has given birth to a baby girl. In a statement, Ardern's office confirmed she gave birth to a "healthy baby girl", weighing 3.31 kilograms, at 4.45pm on Thursday. "I'm sure we're going through all the emotions new ...5 hours ago - Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern gives birth to a baby girlPrime Minister Jacinda Ardern has given birth to a baby girl this afternoon and says all are doing well. ...5 hours ago
- Emily Writes: Dear Jacinda and Clarke
The prime minister Jacinda Ardern and her partner Clarke Gayford have just announced the safe arrival of their baby girl. She arrived at 4.45pm, weighing 3.31kg (7.3lb). Our parents editor sends her congratulations to the new parents. Dear Jacinda and Clarke,I ...5 hours ago - Live: PM ‘feeling very lucky’ after birth of healthy babyLive updates - Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has given birth to a baby girl at Auckland Hospital this afternoon. Here's how everyone is reacting. ...5 hours ago
- Bridgit Hawkins’ app is helping farmers save water, money and timeBusiness is Boring is a weekly podcast series presented by The Spinoff in association with Callaghan Innovation. Host Simon Pound speaks with innovators and commentators focused on the future of New Zealand, with the interview available as both audio and a transcribed ...6 hours ago
- Why has business lost its confidence? And can we help?
GDP came out today, and it was fine – but that’s yesterday’s sales. The real question is, how does business feel about the future?It sounds a bit like one of those earnest startup pitches. Gross domestic product (GDP) provides a snapshot ...7 hours ago - Is it normal?: My toddler won’t poo!Is it Normal is the Spinoff Parents advice column. Today we’re looking at poo and we have expert help from toilet training expert Laura Morley.Is it Normal? is The Spinoff Parents’ advice column, a place for parents to ask experts the questions ...8 hours ago
- Book of the Week: The subtle and tremendously self-serving art of not giving a fuck
John Summers gets to grips with one of the year’s most popular books, a self-help guide to feeling good, deciding what’s really important in your life, and “banging blondes”: The Subtle Art of Not Giving a Fuck.Surely weekends are the ...8 hours ago - NZ marks milestone with EU trade negotiationsNew Zealand and the European Union have formally launched negotiations for a trade agreement. ...8 hours ago
- Are Flight of the Conchords the biggest NZ live act ever?
This week Flight of The Conchords play three nights in a row at the O2 Arena, one of the UK’s biggest covered venues with a capacity of 20,000 people. Gareth Shute determines how they stack up in the history of ...8 hours ago - Bryce Edwards’ Political Roundup: Thompson and Clark has been doing the dirty work of the state
9 hours ago - Newsletter: New Zealand Politics Daily – June 21 2018 – Today’s content
10 hours ago - Supreme Court acquits ‘creepy’ photographer
The Supreme Court has quashed the conviction of a man who took long-distance photos of three teenage girls at a beach and was confronted by an off-duty policeman. The man, Graham Thomas Rowe, was convicted in the district court for ...12 hours ago - Method Recycling proves that rubbish bin design doesn’t need to be rubbish
Every week on The Primer we ask a local business or product to introduce themselves in eight simple takes. This week we talk to Steven Korner, co-founder of Method Recycling, whose aim is to encourage better waste disposal habits by making ...13 hours ago - Baby on board: Jacinda Ardern in hospital to give birthPrime Minister Jacinda Ardern has gone into hospital to give birth and was driven there by partner Clarke Gayford this morning. ...13 hours ago
- Fletcher unveils yet more losses
New Fletcher CEO reveals $90m more in losses, with more writedowns to come on its Rocla and Roof Tile units. Board cleanout due on Friday. Fletcher Building chief executive Ross Taylor said the company expects to take restructuring charges of ...13 hours ago - Early voting in Northcote reaches new highFinal results from the Northcote by-election are in and one clear voting trend has emerged, more and more people are voting early. ...14 hours ago
- Baby’s on the way: Jacinda Ardern in hospital to give birthPrime Minister Jacinda Ardern has gone into hospital to give birth, her office says. ...14 hours ago
- Trump finally acts on migrant kids
Speaker Paul Ryan is pushing ahead with votes on rival House GOP immigration bills, but neither appears to have enough support for passage, prompting President Donald Trump to take executive action Wednesday to stem the crisis of family separations at ...14 hours ago - Should NZ ditch public holidays? David Seymour thinks soShould New Zealand do away with public holidays and just let Kiwis decide when to have a break? ...15 hours ago
- Should NZ ditch public holidays? David Seymour open to ideaShould New Zealand do away with public holidays and just let Kiwis decide when to have a break? ...15 hours ago
- Trade negotiations with EU begin todayTalks for a significant trade deal with the European Union - that's been years in the making - will be formally launched today. ...16 hours ago
- NZers wake to exciting news as PM to have babyLive updates - Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has gone into hospital to give birth. Here's how everyone is reacting. ...17 hours ago
- Tabuteau takes on task of NZ First rejuvenation
Fletcher Tabuteau was once mistaken for Winston Peters’ security detail - now, he’s filling in for him on the world stage. Tabuteau spoke to Sam Sachdeva about racking up the miles as an undersecretary, working in the shadow of Peters ...17 hours ago - The Bulletin: Breaking – Labour PM in labour
Good morning, and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Winston Peters is now officially acting PM, minister signals big policy shift for kids in state care, and David Seymour wants to abolish some public holidays.In breaking news, PM Jacinda ...17 hours ago - Winston Peters now acting PM
Jacinda Ardern and Clarke Gayford arrived at Auckland Hospital this morning to have their baby. Winston Peters is now acting Prime Minister. Bernard Hickey reports. The Prime Minister's office has announced Jacinda Ardern and her partner Clarke Gayford arrived at ...17 hours ago - Winston Peters is in charge: His duties explainedAnalysis - Ardern has arrived at hospital to have her baby and Peters is in charge of the country. He has every reason to ensure the six weeks runs smoothly under his watch, writes Jane Patterson. ...17 hours ago
- Are drug drivers really killing us by the droves?
For the first time drug driving deaths have eclipsed drink drivers. Or have they? Don Rowe looks at the media furore around an AA press release some experts argue is unsubstantiated. Last week news broke that for the first time in ...18 hours ago - Foundation honouring Dalton’s memory to a T
Tania Dalton's legacy lives on, with the help of some Silver Ferns legends, and a strong dose of her fun and humour. Suzanne McFadden reports. There’s a grand pool table at the heart of the Tania Dalton Foundation, which doubles as the ...18 hours ago - Former military chief warns PNG soldiers could be ‘outgunned’ in Mendi strife
Report by Dr David Robie – Café Pacific. – Deadly MAG 58 Model 60-20 machine guns mounted on a cabin-top truck in the Southern Highlands. Image: PNGAttitude From Asia Pacific Report A former Papua New Guinea military ...1 day ago - Heartbreak Island Power Rankings: Everything goes absolutely cactus
Alex Casey goes for a stroll on the foot-shaped sands of Heartbreak Island, week two.The passion play plus can now take place. The passion play plus can now take place. The passion play plus can now take place. Now that ...1 day ago - Youngest migrants held in ‘tender age’ shelters
Trump administration officials have been sending babies and other young children forcibly separated from their parents at the US-Mexico border to at least three “tender age” shelters in South Texas. Lawyers and medical providers who have visited the Rio Grande ...1 day ago - How to throw a party right: an expert guide
Wellington’s party experts share their tips on how to nail your next blowout. Throwing a party, whether for four people around the dinner table at home or for 40,000 people at a festival, is a complicated chess game. All the different ...1 day ago - Inside the Surrey Hotel: less than 24 hours to meet the deadline for New Zealand’s finest writers ...
As the deadline looms for the 2018 Surrey Hotel writers residency award, and entries continue to pour in from published authors and exciting nobodies, 2017 winner Charlotte Graham-McLay files a report on her experience at the Surrey. She danced a ...1 day ago - MPI refuses to explain Thompson and Clark decisionsSecrecy remains over evidence of serious misconduct from Ministry of Primary Industries and SIS staff in dealing with security firm Thompson and Clark. ...1 day ago
- Finally, Sony puts the gay in gaymer
This year’s E3 was quite possibly the gayest E3 ever. Of course, Sony’s naughty kiss was one of the main head-turners, but there was a lot more simmering under the surface during the 2018 expo.E3 takes place in Los Angeles, ...1 day ago - Maths is hard: Mike Hosking’s brave battle with statistics
After the release of an Auckland Transport survey claiming two thirds of Aucklanders support more cycleways, Mike Hosking stepped into the ring to fight Statistics. Madeleine Chapman reports.David v Goliath. Roe v Wade. And now, Mike Hosking v Statistics. These ...1 day ago - Putting diversity in lights on the Auckland Harbour Bridge
One of the best reasons for lighting the Auckland Harbour Bridge is that it makes diversity impossible to ignore, writes Vector’s Beth Johnson.These days, the words ‘kia ora’ are everywhere: it’s part of our everyday chat throughout New Zealand. It’s ...1 day ago - Fonterra embroiled in new Chinese infant formula safety controversy
Mothers warned to “be aware” by media after formula maker Beingmate reportedly failed to check additives came from licensed suppliers.Chinese media are reporting that Fonterra’s troubled investment Beingmate failed to check additives in its infant formula came from licensed suppliers, ...1 day ago - Will New Zealand stand silent while Trump’s America tortures children?When the US is ripping children from the arms of their parents and throwing them into cages, we are firmly at the point in history where future generations might ask, ‘what would I have done?’ writes the Greens’ human rights spokesperson Golriz ...1 day ago
- Emily Writes: How to give birth – the definitive guideSpinoff Parents editor Emily Writes is giving out advice again. Watch out.There’s so much advice out there about how to have the perfect birth. There are thousands, if not hundreds of thousands, of books; many, many blogs by experts whose ...1 day ago
- Children’s Ministry shifts away from putting kids in careChildren's Minister Tracey Martin is signalling a shift away from putting children into care, and towards intensive intervention in a child's home. ...1 day ago
- Don’t make XXXTentacion a martyr for tortured soulsXXXTentacion, a controversial rapper, was awaiting charges of aggravated battery of a pregnant woman, domestic battery by strangulation, false imprisonment and witness tampering when he was shot and killed yesterday. Excusing his behaviour and showing support for him because he has ...1 day ago
- What can a horrified New Zealander do about children in cages?Practical steps to take right now if you’re appalled at the news coming out of the United States.From the far side of an ocean, we in Aotearoa are watching, horrified, as human rights abuses unfold in real time on the ...1 day ago
- UN Human Rights Council joins Trump dust heap
The United States announced Tuesday it was leaving the United Nations' Human Rights Council, with Ambassador Nikki Haley calling it "an organisation that is not worthy of its name". It was the latest withdrawal by the Trump administration from an ...1 day ago
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