Author Archive
$1.80 petrol = recession
Written By: - Date published: 8:42 am, March 14th, 2011 - 53 comments
The other day I was arguing $100 a barrel oil equals a global recession. I wanted be more precise: is there a certain price of petrol, above which the economy goes into recession? There is, and we’re way above it. The political upshot: the best way to promote growth is decreasing our oil dependence.
Meltdown
Written By: - Date published: 12:13 am, March 13th, 2011 - 186 comments
The Sendai Earthquake cut the power supply to the pumps at Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant. With no cooling water being pumped through the reactors, the nuclear fuel rods heated themselves until reactor 1 melted. But it should have been OK. The containment building should have kept the radiation from escaping. Then an explosion blew the containment building apart.
Disaster in Japan
Written By: - Date published: 11:00 pm, March 11th, 2011 - 111 comments
A 8.9 Richter-scale earthquake has struck just off the coast of northeastern Japan. At a depth of just 24km and only 60km offshore, it released 8,000 times more energy than the second Christchurch earthquake. The Kurihara seismic station recorded a 7 on the destructiveness scale, the maximum reading. Swathes of 70K city of Kesennuma ablaze. Death toll unknown. $100 billion to $1 trillion damage. 20+ aftershocks over 5.5 are reported so far. Tsunami warnings across the Pacific.
$100 oil spells recession
Written By: - Date published: 1:10 pm, March 11th, 2011 - 19 comments
As we wait to see what Saudi Arabia’s ‘Day of Rage’ will bring and if it will send oil prices into the stratosphere, some economists, including our Reserve Bank Governor, are trying to pretend we’re not in the midst of an oil shock and there is no threat to the economy. They’re dead wrong.
Building our future
Written By: - Date published: 12:00 pm, March 10th, 2011 - 69 comments
Facing a housing shortage in Auckland now and a massive rebuilding programme in Christchurch to come, the Government has announced the biggest public building initiative since World War 2. Thousands of unemployed young people will be paid to train as apprentices in building trades and contribute to their country’s future.
Beyond a joke
Written By: - Date published: 12:50 pm, March 9th, 2011 - 60 comments
John Key and Gerry Brownlee are the two most powerful men in the country right now. In their actions and in their words they hold the hopes of tens of thousands of people whose lives have been turned upside down and the future of a major city. We really need these men to do a good job. So, this Laurel and Hardy impersonation has to stop.
Blame it on the quake
Written By: - Date published: 9:16 am, March 9th, 2011 - 23 comments
Last week, John Key said that, due to the earthquakes, “from June to June, my guess is that we’ve lost $12 billion in GDP”. Later, he said it was $15b over 4 years due to the quakes. Now, Treasury says most of that $15b is from the recession Key and English had led us into before the quakes. The Nats are trying to use the quakes to hide their failings.
How to put half a billion into working families’ pockets
Written By: - Date published: 6:18 am, March 9th, 2011 - 58 comments
I/S at No Right Turn has done more excellent work. He’s revealed the official advice Kate Wilkinson was given on the minimum wage. The advice says there is a trade-off between jobs and the minimum wage, but even a rise to $15 an hour would cause an increase wages for low-income earners well above the cost in jobs.
For God’s sake, be straight with us
Written By: - Date published: 1:50 pm, March 7th, 2011 - 115 comments
John Key and Gerry Brownlee made extremely foolish comments attacking the coronal staff trying to identify the dead and about knocking down all the historic buildings. Now, they’re lying about those statements. This crisis is too big for this childish bullshit. John, you need to be a real leader, not a naughty schoolboy lying to cover your mistakes.
Farrar fluffs food figures
Written By: - Date published: 11:28 am, March 7th, 2011 - 51 comments
I thought that with a devastating earthquake, a record oil/food price spike, an unemployment tsunami, and a double-dip recession that the Nats’ apologists might have realised it was time for honest discussion of the issues and solutions. Instead, they’re still trying to bury our heads in the sand.
Day of rage
Written By: - Date published: 9:04 am, March 7th, 2011 - 24 comments
You know things are bad when the AA is saying that high petrol prices are here to stay and there needs to be more investment in public transport. Global supply and demand is so tight that tiny disruptions are causing massive spikes. What if Saudi Arabia erupts?
Why I’m not a millennialist
Written By: - Date published: 11:16 am, March 6th, 2011 - 81 comments
Peak oil, peak food, peak metals, climate change. By over-exploiting the world, we have enjoyed tremendous improvements in the standard of living. And now the payback is coming. We’re clearly on a downward economic slope. Things have been going backwards for 3 years and the outlook is worse, not better. But it’s not the end of the world.
Embarrassing result for Nats in Botany
Written By: - Date published: 10:22 pm, March 5th, 2011 - 78 comments
So another corrupt Nat minister has gone and Jami-Lee Ross has taken her seat in Botany. What an embarrassing resulting. The majority reduced by 7,000 and Michael Wood reduced the gap from 36% to 28%. Nat strategists will be crapping themselves over the New Citizens’ Party’s result. Considering that Wood had acknowledged from the start […]
Unemployment tsunami hits Chch
Written By: - Date published: 12:12 pm, March 5th, 2011 - 28 comments
3065 people have already claimed the special benefit for people left unemployed due to the Christchurch earthquake. Once that payment expires in a few weeks they’ll be on the dole, if they’re eligible. The quake killed and did physical damage in seconds but, without action, it will keep strangling the economy and taking jobs for […]
Farrar illustrates WfF folly
Written By: - Date published: 9:02 am, March 4th, 2011 - 46 comments
John Key has tidied up the confusion he caused yesterday and says that the quakes will cost the government $5 billion in rebuilding and $5 billion in lost revenue over the next 4 years. Big bikkies but easily covered by an emergency levy and canning the white elephant motorways. So, why are the Nats obsessed with tinkering with Working for Families?
Key: quakes to cost 125,000 jobs
Written By: - Date published: 12:45 pm, March 3rd, 2011 - 70 comments
We’ve heard figures of $20 billion damage from the Christchurch quakes, $5 billion uninsured for the government to cover. Now, Key has given an estimate of the lost economic output this year – $12 billion, 6% of GDP. He says that will mean $5 billion less government revenue – a hole the size of the defence and law and order budgets combined. updated
The knife edge
Written By: - Date published: 11:00 am, March 2nd, 2011 - 43 comments
To get enough oil for global demand requires expensive technologies, and expending more energy. If the price is too low those investments won’t be feasible, meaning not enough production. But too high and the world can’t afford it and we enter global recession. The ‘goldilocks’ in the middle is shrinking, to a knife edge. It’s the same story with food and metals.
The Shock Doctrine
Written By: - Date published: 11:31 pm, March 1st, 2011 - 147 comments
I’m really pissed off that politics has come into the Christchurch earthquake so quickly. But make no mistake, the Nats are pursuing a strongly ideological agenda. They’re using the quake as cover for radically cutting important policies and making other extreme decisions, while preserving the tax cuts for the rich. It’s called the Shock Doctrine.
Govt must lead Chch rebuild
Written By: - Date published: 12:20 pm, March 1st, 2011 - 44 comments
The government’s wage subsidy and universal redundancy for quake-affected workers is a start. But with 750 red-stickered buildings in the CBD alone and 200+ jobs already lost, it is just a start. The private sector won’t rebuild without demand, that will have to be supplied by the government upping its spending, and that needs to be paid for.
The Domino recessions
Written By: - Date published: 11:21 am, February 25th, 2011 - 67 comments
I read a book a while back that was set in the near future after what it called the ‘Domino recessions’ – successive oil shocks had created a series of economic and political crises, each one before the world had recovered from the previous recession. As the second oil shock in three years hits, that scenario looks to be coming to true.
Rebuilding
Written By: - Date published: 10:50 am, February 24th, 2011 - 76 comments
Frustration had rightly been growing at the lacklustre leadership of the recovery from Christchurch’s September earthquake. Obviously, this new quake is going to require a whole new level of energy and resource. I don’t think the government will be so negligent as to go at this half-arsed or half-cocked. Here’s some things it can do.
Welfare Working Group promotes eugenics
Written By: - Date published: 10:55 am, February 23rd, 2011 - 183 comments
The Welfare Working Group wants to get poor women to breed less by giving them free long-term contraception. Sure, this is all an ‘Overton window‘ exercise but eugenics? Seriously? Trying to stop one ‘undesirable’ strata of society from breeding is one step from forced sterilisations. Has the Right reverted 80 years?
Gaddafi not going quietly
Written By: - Date published: 9:21 am, February 23rd, 2011 - 36 comments
Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi has appeared on TV saying he will die a martyr in Libya, rather than flee into exile in the face of gathering protesters. The scale of the loyalist military’s attacks on protesters seems to be intensifying, while evidence of more troops refusing orders and defecting is also coming out. NATO may need to intervene.
Bashing benes no solution to joblessness
Written By: - Date published: 10:30 am, February 22nd, 2011 - 26 comments
National’s grand plan for the economy in the age of peak, peak food, and climate change: give tax cuts to the rich and take from the poor. It’s classic Nat class war. They want to force 100,000 people off the benefit in the ludicrously long time-frame of 10 years. But they won’t be creating any jobs so other workers will be displaced and wages will be forced down.
Trends good for Left, much work to do
Written By: - Date published: 7:25 am, February 21st, 2011 - 80 comments
It can be depressing to see a week of the government on the ropes and then polls showing National with an apparently commanding lead. But lets go beyond the shallow analysis offered by the talking heads and look at the trends. The Left has more than halved the Right’s lead since its peak. The question is: can the Left close the remaining gap in time?
Key out of touch on food & poverty
Written By: - Date published: 10:52 am, February 20th, 2011 - 67 comments
Hunger and malnutrition are stalking New Zealand families. Hundreds of thousands are just one shock – whether an illness, or a large bill – from not being able to afford basic food. This is not good enough in our land of plenty. Multi-millionaire John Key doesn’t empathise. To him poverty is a moral failing but he’s seriously out of touch.
Cullen Fund cuts cost $334m
Written By: - Date published: 10:54 am, February 19th, 2011 - 24 comments
The limo issue reveals everything wrong with the Key government in microcosm: greedy, elitist, hypocritical, liars. Against the background of the failing economy, it’s one hell of a bad look. But in monetary terms, it pales in to comparison beside their decision to cancel Cullen Fund contributions, which has now cost $334 million.
Decline & fall of the odd-spot PM
Written By: - Date published: 10:59 am, February 18th, 2011 - 57 comments
Yesterday, the Nats panicked. Under fire for failing to deliver jobs, for planning to sell assets to pay for tax cuts for the rich, and the gross hypocrisy of the BMW debacle, they put out 5 press releases less than 2 hours trying to spin their way out of trouble. It didn’t work. Nor does smile and wave anymore. The NBR calls this John Key’s ‘Wile E Coyote moment’.
2 to 1 against privatisation
Written By: - Date published: 7:53 am, February 18th, 2011 - 52 comments
Kiwis are strongly against selling our public assets. National’s policy is opposed by 60% and supported by just 30%. That’s more opposition than the mining proposal. There’ll be no back-down from the Nats – pillaging the State is a core reason for them wanting power. On these numbers, it may lose them the election.
More Wong lies uncovered
Written By: - Date published: 12:30 pm, February 17th, 2011 - 10 comments
Remember all those unanswered questions over the abuse of public money by Pansy Wong and her husband? So does Campbell Live, which has uncovered the story of Sammy’s former business partner Steven Priest, who claims that Sammy ripped him off with Pansy’s help. It was Pansy’s signature on Priest’s contract that first got her in trouble.
The Nats’ useful bludger myth
Written By: - Date published: 1:30 pm, February 16th, 2011 - 14 comments
Under Labour, when there was effectively full employment, there were still 1,700 people who had been continuously on the dole for over 4 years. I was prepared to accept most of these were ‘bludgers’. Turns out I was too cynical. Paula Bennett found only 658 were ineligible. Werewolf has an excellent article busting more benefit myths.
- Submission on the NZ Post Deed of Understanding 2024 review
Postal services enable individuals, businesses, and communities to build and maintain social connections, and to participate economically, culturally, and politically. The NZCTU is concerned that the proposed changes in this MBIE consultation on postal services will further undermine the provision of this essential public service and have major social and economic ...1 week ago - What I saw, sort of, at the emergency eye clinic
In a moment, the latest instalment of Once Again Dave Finds Himself in Hospital Even Though He Looks Quite Fit and Healthy Really, but first, a little bit of an insight into the way Ministers like Chris Penk and Casey Costello use data.Allow me to illustrate, using my own personal ...1 week ago - Bringing the House into disrepute
Last month we all thrilled to see Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke's haka in parliament in response to National's racist, anti-constitutional Treaty "Principles" Bill. Of course, the targets of that haka did not like someone speaking so forcefully and well against them - so they had Maipi-Clarke named and suspended from Parliament for ...1 week ago - NZCTU urges political parties to vote down extreme anti-worker bill
NZCTU Te Kauae Kaimahi Acting President Rachel Mackintosh is calling on political parties to vote down Brooke van Velden’s Employment Relations (Pay Deductions for Partial Strikes) Amendment Bill, as it would undermine the ability of workers to engage in industrial action and may even lead to workers losing pay for ...1 week ago
- Atlas Network? Yawn.
One of the most compelling articles I’ve read about Atlas Network is from The Guardian columnist George Monbiot. His article is titled: “What links Rishi Sunak, Javier Milei and Donald Trump? The shadowy network behind their policies.”It’s an excellent summation outlining the strategies and modus operandi of the Atlas Network, ...1 week ago - Tuesday 10 December
Government has introduced legislation under urgency to allow employers to deduct workers pay for engaging in partial strikes, which will give further power to bosses to intimidate workers and will lead to the escalation of industrial disputes. NZNO workers begin rolling strikes in Auckland today, in their latest round of ...1 week ago
- As renewables rise, the world may be nearing a climate turning point
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections Climate pollution caused by burning fossil fuels hit a record 37.4 billion metric tons in 2024, marking a 0.8% rise from the previous year – and dashing hopes that a peak in global emissions might occur this year. That’s according to ...1 week ago - Govt eyes ‘PPP-lite’ for health centres
Wellington’s Children’s Hospital under construction in 2018, largely funding by a philanthropic donation. Now there are fears of a type of creeping privatisation within the health system, starting with buildings. Photo: Lynn Grieveson Mōrena. Long stories short, the six things that matter in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and ...1 week ago - Book Review: The Future Embraced
This is a guest post by George Weeks, reviewing a book called The Future Embraced by Kobus Mentz The Future Embraced is more than a book. It is an accumulation of 50 years of work, 13 years in the making. It takes the tone of a mentor, reflecting the accumulated ...1 week ago - Dream Scenario
2023, directed by Kristoffer Borgli Dream Scenario is a movie about a mild-mannered (read: kind of pathetic and outright whiny) professor played by a nigh on unrecognisable to me Nicolas Cage who suddenly starts appearing in people’s dreams. At first he’s not doing anything other than just watching, failing to ...1 week ago - How Fed Farmers is driving Willis’s campaign against the banks
The pressure on the retail banks might only be just starting.Finance Minister Nicola Willis yesterday announced that she was changing the Reserve Bank remit to make it more pro-active in encouraging competition within the retail bank sector.And, Federated Farmers, who have been a major prod in the government’s side over ...1 week ago - Poll number 4: Dead Govt Walking
..Thanks for reading Frankly Speaking ! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.RNZ reports the latest TVNZ/Verian Poll results:National: 37%, n/c (46 seats)Labour: 29%, n/c (36 seats)Greens: 10%, -2% points (12 seats)ACT: 8%, n/c (10 seats)Te Pāti Māori: 7%, up 3% (9 seats)NZ First: 6%, -1% ...1 week ago - Guest post!
David has, unfortunately, been losing pieces of himself and turns out it’s a bit hard to write a column when the affected parts are your eyeballs and it’s painful to read, so I offered to add to his pain by writing a guest column for him and the fool said ...1 week ago - Climate Change: An alternative plan
The government is supposed to release its second Emissions Reduction Plan any day now, and if its anything like the draft, it will be a pile of false accounting and wishful thinking, which will do nothing to actually reduce emissions. The central problem here is that national is legally required ...1 week ago
- Monday 9 December
The families of two workers killed in the forestry industry are pushing for a boss connected to both deaths to be pushed out of the industry, highlighting the need for corporate manslaughter legislation. Politicians are heading to Tokoroa to attend the Save Our Mill meeting regarding the significant proposed job ...1 week ago
- Climate Change: Sabotaging the Climate Commission
Throughout its term in government National has been annoyed by repeated unwelcome advice from He Pou a Rangi Climate Change Commission to move faster, do more, or even just do something. But Rod Carr's term as commission chair expired over the weekend, as did those of two other board members. ...1 week ago
- I Put A Spell On You
You know I can't stand itYou're running aroundYou know better, daddyI can't stand it 'cause you put me downOh, noI put a spell on youBecause you're mineSongwriter: Jay Hawkins.Please note that there is a paywall later in this newsletter, so before I begin, a reminder of my current offers and ...1 week ago - A Confession
Hi,I have a confession to make — I have been on holiday. I don’t really do holidays. They fill me with guilt. I need to be making something, or trying to make something. It’s all tied in with my sense of self worth, but we’ll get to that another day.I’ve ...1 week ago - Simeon Brown alienates another National electorate
Brown’s abrupt and ideological rulings have overturned locally driven plans and expectations and angered locals in yet another National electorate. Photo: Lynn GrievesonMōrena. Long stories short, the six things that matter in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Monday, December 9 are:Warkworth residents are angry that Transport ...1 week ago
- Monday Wrap Up: Politics News
1. Anti-red tape ministry advises against anti-red tape bill (The Post, Andrea Vance)David Seymour's anti-red tape ministry says his new bill to slash red tape is unnecessary.An interim regulatory impact statement from [The Ministry of Regulation] said while it supports the overall objectives [of Seymour’s bill], it says the legislation ...1 week ago - Simeon Brown’s fanaticism kills Warkworth intersection fix
I grew up in Warkworth, and the infamous Hill Street intersection has been an issue not just my whole life, but for decades before I was even born. My dad told me stories of how, back in the 80s, he’d set up seats overlooking the intersection and sit watching the ...1 week ago
- Gordon Campbell on the fall of Assad, and the new Dylan movie
Hold the champagne. Ugly and brutal as it was, the Assad regime may have been the lesser evil for Syria, the Middle East region and the rest of the world. The last time an extremist Sunni fighting force – called Islamic State (IS) – exerted control over large swathes of ...1 week ago - 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #49
A listing of 24 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, December 1, 2024 thru Sat, December 7, 2024. Alternative listing prototype Instead of a "Story of the Week" we added a listing by assigned category, so this installment will ...1 week ago
- Mokopuna Thinking
Because the sky is blueIt makes me crySongwriters: Paul McCartney / John Lennon.This morning, I went along to the launch of the Greens’ alternative plan for emissions reduction. Contrasting the coalition’s approach of burying their head in the sand and glowering “thou shalt not” at others who try to stop ...1 week ago - Are Lester Levy and Shane Reti “cooking the books?”
This news piece is important enough it serves as a recap of events:Please consider supporting my work if you can afford to.In July, after most Health NZ Board members had already resigned – many without notice and it was starting to look embarrassing for the sitting Government - Shane Reti ...2 weeks ago - Watching the Tide
So I'm just gonna sit on the dock of the bayWatching the tide roll awayI'm sittin' on the dock of the bayWastin' timeSongwriters: Stephen Lee Cropper / Otis ReddingChristmas PartiesAs you might recall from yesterday’s newsletter, last night was Christmas Party time for the Rockels.One of the younger members of ...2 weeks ago - My Saturday Soliloquy for Dec 7
Mōrena. Long stories short, the six things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty in this week were:PM Christopher Luxon said his Goverment was ‘re-learning’ the austerity-infused economic lessons taught by former National Finance Minister Ruth Richardson in 1991, when she slashed spending to reduce public ...2 weeks ago
- TKP 26/50 solutions: A new home without a power bill
As part of The Kākā Project of 2026 for 2050 (TKP 26/50) and When The Facts Change ,I interviewed Octopus Energy Zero Bills Technical Director Nigel Banks from the UK about this week's launch in New Zealand of a partnership with Classic Homes to build new homes in Auckland1 with ...2 weeks ago
- A wellbeing economy is the only option!
I recently attended a conference organised by WEALL (Wellbeing Economy Alliance) Aotearoa. WEALL defines 'economy' differently from the current neoliberal approach and that is simply 'the way that we produce and provide for one another'. Attending this conference made me even more aware of how far we have drifted away ...2 weeks ago
- Interview with John Cook about misinformation and artificial intelligence
In March, John Cook met with Adam Ford from Science, Technology & the Future to talk about his work researching misinformation and how to counter it. The interview - published on October 10 - explored the complex and evolving landscape of climate misinformation, covering a range of topics including the different types ...2 weeks ago
- Economic Progress May Not Add To Wellbeing
How the Prospect Theory of Behavioural Economics Makes Economic Analysis DifficultBehavioural economics has been described as the most revolutionary thing which has happened to economics for ages. The notion that people do not behave like ‘rational economic men’ (women are mainly ignored) undermines the microeconomic foundations of the subject. Not ...2 weeks ago - National finds out
Since coming to power last year, National has viciously cut the public service, sacking nearly 10,000 public servants (to date). Those people weren't just doing nothing, and it was obviously going to have an impact on something other than the government's books. But while National's over-paid, privately-insured, and DPS-guarded Ministers ...2 weeks ago
- Lockout of disability workers before Christmas unacceptable
NZCTU Te Kauae Kaimahi Acting President Rachel Mackintosh is condemning the actions of disability support provider Te Roopu Taurima o Manukau Trust in deciding to respond to legitimate strike action by locking out their workers with just a few weeks before Christmas. “The actions of Te Roopu Taurima are totally ...2 weeks ago
- Friday 6 December
In another blow to the media landscape, Māori TV’s daily news service is set to end after 20 years, following the announcement that they have cut 27 jobs. PSA members at MBIE have voted to initiate industrial action, after rejecting a pay offer because it failed to keep up with ...2 weeks ago
- An experiment and our Christmas offer to subscribe to The Kākā
Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāIt’s that time of the year when we offer 50% off for a year to new subscribers for the next fortnight until December 21, which is ‘Gravy Day’1. It’s our version of a Christmas/Black Monday/Cyber Monday/Singles Day/Boxing Day offer. We call it the ‘Gravy Day ...2 weeks ago
- The State of David Seymour’s Shameless Condescension and Unbridled Arrogance
.Thanks for reading Frankly Speaking ! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work..Setting the stageQuestion: How does one make money, when something stands in the way?Answer: Get rid of that thing. Or at least dilute it.Present Day, Aotearoa New ZealandIn his Beehive media statement, Seymour recently ...2 weeks ago - Weekly Roundup 06-December-2024
It’s another Friday and it has been a big week in Auckland. We hope everyone’s excited to be in the final stretch of the year! Here’s some of the stories that have caught our attention this week. This post, like all our work, is brought to you by a largely ...2 weeks ago
- The Days Go By
It must be your skin, I'm sinkin' inIt must be for real, 'cause now I can feelAnd I didn't mind, it's not my kindIt's not my time to wonder whySongwriter: Gavin Rossdale.As the year winds up, I’m feeling a bit mentally drained, so today’s newsletter is one of reminiscing. Today, ...2 weeks ago - The Hoon around the week to December 6
The podcast above of the weekly ‘Hoon’ webinar for paying subscribers on Thursday night features co-hosts & talking about the week’s news with: on Trade and Agriculture Minister Todd McClay saying New Zealand would not buy emissions credits overseas, effectively admitting we’ll renege on our Paris commitments. (RNZ) ...2 weeks ago
- Paying for National’s roads
The Government has promised 17 Roads of National Significance, but the brutal truth is that it cannot afford them. So Transport Minister Simeon Brown yesterday announced that from now on, tolls and other user charges will be the way New Zealand pays for new roading infrastructure. Tolls are likely ...2 weeks ago
- Confession: Why Shane Reti & Ayesha Verrall’s Performance Helps Me
Video above. These videos are also designed for those not versed in the detailed subject matter so excuse any repeats of Health NZ facts you are aware of from reading Mountain Tui for too long!Recently, I read a Substack article which, on my brief skim, lamented the rise of critiquing ...2 weeks ago
- Skeptical Science New Research for Week #49 2024
Open access notables Global emergence of regional heatwave hotspots outpaces climate model simulations, Kornhuber et al., Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences: Multiple recent record-shattering weather events raise questions about the adequacy of climate models to effectively predict and prepare for unprecedented climate impacts on human life, infrastructure, and ecosystems. Here, we ...2 weeks ago
- The Bewildering World of Chris Luxon – Three Bad Polls – Three Strikes for National?
.Thanks for reading Frankly Speaking ! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work..As I wrote on 3 December:“One bad poll for a government can be dismissed as “rogue”. Two? That’s damaging.”Three bad polls? That is when Red Alert lights start flashing; klaxons start to blare; and ...2 weeks ago - Climate Change: More unwelcome advice
He Pou a Rangi / Climate Change Commission has just released its Review of the 2050 emissions target including whether emissions from international shipping and aviation should be included. After noting that there have been significant changes since the target was originally set in 2019 - stronger evidence that we ...2 weeks ago
- Join us at 5pm for The Hoon
2 weeks ago - No sweat
Let's say I want to run a marathon, but I’m not keen on all that running.At the registration desk I say, I want to start at the last kilometre. What's the fee for that?They tell me,We don't offer that option. You have to do the whole race.I reply,Yeah but I ...2 weeks ago - Climate Change: National wants to cheat on Paris II
Back in September, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts shocked us by suggesting that New Zealand could refuse to meet its international commitments under the Paris Agreement. Now Forestry Minister Todd McClay has echoed that position: Minister for Agriculture and Forestry Todd McClay says the Government won't be buying carbon ...2 weeks ago
- Marsden Fund changes will undermine prosperity and social cohesion
The Government’s rewrite of the Marsden Fund’s investment plan and terms of reference demonstrates a complete lack of understanding and risks undermining the breadth of research that is essential for the wellbeing and prosperity of New Zealanders, said NZCTU Te Kauae Kaimahi Acting President Rachel Mackintosh. “Humanities and social science ...2 weeks ago
- Thursday 5 December
The Government has announced further changes to the personal grievance regime that will make it even tougher for workers, and changes to the Marsden Fund investment plan to stop funding for humanities and social sciences research. Workers at Kinleith mill are worried that they will lose even more jobs. A ...2 weeks ago
- Can desalination quench agriculture’s thirst?
This article by Lela Nargi originally appeared in Knowable Magazine, a nonprofit publication dedicated to making scientific knowledge accessible to all. Sign up for Knowable Magazine’s newsletter. Ralph Loya was pretty sure he was going to lose the corn. His farm had been scorched by El Paso’s hottest-ever June and ...2 weeks ago
- A housing market with bits tacked on doesn’t need many (if any) pure scientists
The humanities and social sciences panels of The Marsden fund will be disbanded and no longer supported, because “real impact on our economy will come from areas such as physics, chemistry, maths, engineering and biomedical sciences,” said Judith Collins. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMorena. Long stories short in Aotearoa’s ...2 weeks ago
- Cooking the Books
Come with me, and you'll beIn a world of pure imaginationReach out, touch what was onceJust in your imaginationDon't be shy, it's alrightIf you feel a little trepidationSometimes, these things don't needExplanationSongwriters: Anthony Newley / Leslie Bricusse.If you don’t ask, you don’t get... Dream big, or go home… Ask for ...2 weeks ago - Kirikiriroa Rising
This post is essentially an update on a very similar one I wrote seven years ago. Hamilton: City of the Future, the intervening years have confirmed those speculations. The case for good passenger rail service between our biggest city and its fast growing neighbour remains compelling. Below I offer a ...2 weeks ago
- Treasury to Government; cut super or raise taxes
The warnings from the Treasury about the state of the country’s finances are starting to appear on a regular basis. So far, they have been delivered by Treasury’s Chief Economic Advisor Dominick Stephens, and yesterday, he faced the Finance and Expenditure Committee to answer questions on Treasury’s long-term thinking about ...2 weeks ago
- Gordon Campbell On How Slavishly This Government Is Serving Its Corporate Donors
For much of 2024, centre stage has been taken by (a) the government’s relentless attacks on all forms of Māori empowerment and (b) by the wholesale embrace of mid-1980s style austerity policies, which even the most conservative economies in Europe abandoned a decade ago. Easy to miss that the government ...2 weeks ago
- Big Eyes
2014, directed by Tim Burton I didn’t expect to be watching a Harvey Weinstein movie today. How it happened was, I had a few hours to kill before my regular afternoon streamer came on, so I was browsing Netflix looking for something I hadn’t already seen that didn’t look terrible, ...2 weeks ago
- What a thing to happen.
Subjection!Poor, unloved, disparaged, AT. What a thing to happen.In the Game of Thrones version, smirking Little Lord Simeon orders them to disrobe and commands them to parade along K Road, across the rainbow crossings, down Queen Street to Britomart while being pelted with trash, rotten produce and Big Mac boxes.Here ...2 weeks ago - Government’s personal grievance changes will empower bad employers
NZCTU Te Kauae Kaimahi Acting President Rachel Mackintosh is saying that the Government’s proposal to further weight the scales in favour of employers in personal grievance cases will make workplace culture worse and harm efforts to create a fair playing field for workers. “Making the personal grievance regime even tougher ...2 weeks ago
- Climate Change: The ETS needs reform
The final ETS auction of the year was held today, resulting in a partial clearance: 4 million of the available 11.1 million units were sold, at the minimum price of $64/ton. Once you add in March's partial sale, the government managed to sell just over 7 million tons all year ...2 weeks ago
- Throw Away All You Know.
In the cradle of the civilised disobedience derivedFrom a forlorn weeping widow crying tearsthat don’t see eye to eyeKeep the well fullA thirst forgotten A misery made for twoThat’ll use you then throw you awayThat’ll use you then throw you awayThat’ll use you then throw you awaySong: Nowhere.Today, I’m feeling ...2 weeks ago - NZCTU Rūnanga calling for submissions on proposed changes to NZ Post
The CTU Rūnanga is asking affiliates to support postal workers and get out and make submissions against contracting out postal delivery, to stop job cuts and ensure fair pay and conditions for postal workers. The Postal Workers Union is fighting NZ Post’s plans to replace postal workers with contracted couriers. ...2 weeks ago
- ‘The cuts will continue until the economy improves’
Health Minister Shane Reti has even more cuts in his sights. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMorena. Long stories short on Wednesday, December 4, with more detail and analysis in the podcast above:Health Minister Shane Reti says spending cuts will continue for an extra year into 2027 because of a ...2 weeks ago
- Auckland Transport (mostly) goneburger
Auckland Transport has long been a easy punching bag for the public, politicians and media, sometimes deservedly so, other times not. That could all be about to change following an announcement yesterday by the Browns – Wayne and Simeon. Greater Auckland is brought to you by a largely volunteer crew ...2 weeks ago
- Luxon Takes A Beating
The latest polls are in.Mountain Tui is a reader-supported publication. And who could have guessed that a government that destroys the economy (‘economic vandalism on steroids’), tears up our public health system (‘National is BAD for health’), de-stabilises Crown-Māori relations (‘largest protest in modern history’), eviscerates environmental progress and protections ...2 weeks ago - It’s not easy being green
As Kermit the frog said, it isn’t easy being green. A Select Committee yesterday heard how difficult it was for the country’s electricity grid operator, Transpower, to prepare for the electrification of New Zealand that will be required if we are to meet net zero carbon emissions by 2050. Their ...2 weeks ago
- *THOSE* polls! And *NOT* a hung Parliament!
..Thanks for reading Frankly Speaking ! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.One bad poll for a government can be dismissed as “rogue”. Two? That’s damaging.A recent Talbot Mills done for the Labour Party - released on 1 December - had startling results that would’ve raised ...2 weeks ago - Sabin 33 #5 – Is solar energy worse for the climate than burning fossil fuels?
On November 1, 2024 we announced the publication of 33 rebuttals based on the report "Rebutting 33 False Claims About Solar, Wind, and Electric Vehicles" written by Matthew Eisenson, Jacob Elkin, Andy Fitch, Matthew Ard, Kaya Sittinger & Samuel Lavine and published by the Sabin Center for Climate Change Law at Columbia ...2 weeks ago
- We like to watch
Some millions of years ago, our ancestors learned the trick of standing upright. This made it much easier to reach the bottles on the top shelf and surely aided our progress towards splitting the atom.It also made us more vulnerable. Giving birth became more perilous. Our infants - needing to ...2 weeks ago - Waimate Water: Not A New Problem
The last time residents of Waimate received a nitrate warning was only two years ago. In 2022, the Glenavy township in South Canterbury were unable to drink their own water for over four months due to it containing nitrate levels high enough to kill an infant. This restriction was lifted ...2 weeks ago - Restoring the status quo is not enough
Labour held its party conference over the weekend, and Chris Hipkins gave a speech promising to make the current coalition a one term government. Along the way he made some policy promises: restoring free prescriptions, resuming the Smokefree Aotearoa policy, restarting the build of Dunedin hospital, restoring state housing investment, ...2 weeks ago
- No Matter What I Do, Everything I Do Is Bad
Hi,I wanted to share something that’s been on my mind a bit lately, and I’m not quite sure how to say it besides expressing this idea that on some days I feel like throwing myself into the sea.I am saying this metaphorically — don’t worry — but it’s just this ...2 weeks ago - Political Wrap Up: 11,000 construction jobs gone, Nurses Strike & Unemployment to reach Pandemic...
Good morning, here’s a quick wrap up of 10 developments:1. HEALTH: AUSTERITY BUDGETFront-line hospital workers told jobs could soon be gone (RNZ / Lauren Crimp)The government is set to fire non-clinical front line roles in Auckland as part of its cost saving measures. This includes teams who support clinical logistics, ...2 weeks ago - Tuesday 3 December 2024
Today NZNO healthcare workers are striking for safe staffing and fair pay. More job losses are on the line at NZDF due to budget deficits. In political news, Chris Hipkins is trying to build some momentum following the Labour Party conference. Union coverage NZNO: 36,000 Health NZ nurses to ...2 weeks ago
- Where Is My Mind?
With your feet in the air and your head on the groundTry this trick and spin it, yeah (Yeah)Your head will collapse, and there's nothing in itAnd you'll ask yourselfWhere is my mind?Where is my mind?Where is my mind?Songwriter: Black FrancisClear craniums are the order of the day. Not to ...2 weeks ago - Gt North Rd improvements to finally start
After around 10 years of delays and frustration, Auckland Transport are finally going to make Gt North Rd greater. In an update sent out yesterday, they said: We are pleased to advise that we have appointed JFC Ltd to deliver the work and they’ll be starting work early January. The ...2 weeks ago
- Govt continues to punch down
The Government’s new initiative to get people off the benefit won’t address the core drivers of poverty such as low incomes, lack of access to adequate housing and lack of employment opportunities. ...2 weeks ago - Release: Labour urges ACC to pull investments in Israel’s illegal settlements
Labour is urging ACC to divest from companies identified by the United Nations as complicit in the building and maintenance of Israel’s illegal settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. ...2 weeks ago - Release: Further evidence to stop school lunch cuts
A new report provides further proof that David Seymour should not be messing with the free school lunch programme. ...2 weeks ago
- Jamie Arbuckle: Inquiry into Banking Competition
This week was the start of the bank inquiry hearings into banking competition. The inquiry was confirmed in the NZ First/National Coalition agreement. 140 submissions were received on the inquiry, and we will hear from over 60 submitters including all the major banks. ANZ, New Zealand's largest bank, was first ...2 weeks ago - Casey Costello: What Once Was…
Entering politics is a privilege afforded to very few and, as the saying goes, with great power comes great responsibility. Being an MP is a call to service. Whatever your politics you have a duty to show up. Whatever your party's policy, you have made a promise to those who ...2 weeks ago
- Casey Costello: International Day of Older Persons
Throughout New Zealand it is difficult to think of a sports club, charity, church group, festival, foundation, or service organisation that does not owe its existence, effectiveness, or success to the contribution of older New Zealanders. October 1st is International Day of Older Persons so please take a moment to consider ...2 weeks ago
- NZ First Member’s Bill To Disestablish Auckland Transport
Today New Zealand First has introduced a Member’s Bill that will restore democratic control over transport management in Auckland City by disestablishing Auckland Transport (AT) and returning control to Auckland Council. The ‘Local Government (Auckland Council) (Disestablishment of Auckland Transport) Amendment Bill’ intends to restore democratic oversight, control, and accountability ...2 weeks ago
- Tanya Unkovich: It’s time to start the debate on palliative care as a ‘right’
There is one topic that is the great human leveller, and that is of death and dying. One day, we will all have to face it, and I am of the belief that being able to pass away with grace and dignity is a vital, basic, human right. How we ...2 weeks ago
- Mark Patterson: Farmers understand we have their backs
Spring is here which means the start of the A&P show season. Those treasured community days where town meets country. There's no rural-urban divide here, just a chance to meet up with family and old friends and celebrate all things that make rural New Zealand so special. I'm embarking on ...2 weeks ago
- Release: A Labour Government will not join AUKUS
New Zealand will not sign up to the nuclear-powered pillar one, or the pillar two of AUKUS under a Labour Government. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Labour will build Dunedin Hospital
Labour will build Dunedin Hospital as it was committed to prior to election 2023. ...2 weeks ago
- Chris Hipkins: Speech to Labour Party Conference 2024
E ngā mana, e ngā reo, e ngā iwi, e rau rangatira ma Tena koutou tēnā koutou tēnā koutou katoa ...2 weeks ago
- Luxon Folds on ACT’s Treaty Principles Bill
Te Pāti Māori Co-Leader, Debbie Ngarewa-Packer, is calling Luxon’s leadership a joke after it was revealed this morning on Q+A that ACT’s Treaty Principles Bill was not a bottom line. "New Zealand officially has a laughing-stock Prime Minister whose leadership folded as he trades away the rights of tangata whenua ...2 weeks ago
- Prime Minister shirks responsibility on global climate commitment
In an interview with Q&A this morning, the Prime Minister refused to say whether he would commit to meeting the Paris Agreement, the international climate agreement which commits all countries to act locally to keep global warming below 1.5 degrees. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: All workers deserve fair treatment
The Government’s latest change to the Employment Relations Act has no justification apart from making it easier to sack employees without having to follow due process. ...3 weeks ago
- COURT OF APPEAL RULING: SFO METHODS “OVERREACH, UNLAWFUL, OPPRESSIVE”
Today the Court of Appeal has found the Serious Fraud Office has been acting indiscriminately and unlawfully throughout an eight year long investigation. The SFO has shown their incompetence and arrogance and shown to be abusing their authority to conduct its own overreaching and unlawful fishing expeditions. The Court of Appeal said the SFO has relied on its misuse of compulsory interview ...3 weeks ago
- Covid Inquiry report underlines need to invest in Health
The Green Party says the report from the Royal Commission of Inquiry into the Covid-19 Response underlines the need for proper investment in our health system so we are prepared for future pandemics. ...3 weeks ago
- Waititi Orders Police Withdraw from Matapihi
Te Pāti Māori co-leader and MP for Waiariki is demanding that the Police Minister immediately remove the heavy Police presence in the Matapihi community, as hundreds of officers saturate the Western Bay of Plenty area. “Minister Mitchell must intervene immediately and order the removal of the armed Police presence in ...3 weeks ago
- Release: Opposition parties unite on way forward to protect ECE
Early childhood education needs to be treated as a public good, say Labour, the Green Party, and Te Pāti Māori in their newly released report of findings from public hearings they held into the Government’s ECE Regulatory Review. ...3 weeks ago
- TIPENE to open in term 1 2025
Associate Education Minister David Seymour has today announced that TIPENE is the final charter school to open in term one 2025. “This announcement is another significant step in the Government’s efforts to lift educational achievement in New Zealand,” says Mr Seymour. “Charter schools will make New Zealand’s education system more ...5 days ago - Invigorating New Zealand’s capital markets
The Government is taking steps to invigorate New Zealand’s capital markets to encourage investment in infrastructure and productive businesses, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly says. “Kiwis work incredibly hard but do not see the same level of return for their labour as other advanced nations. The Government is ...5 days ago
- Welcome progress on youth vaping
New Zealand is turning the corner on youth vaping and the Government’s law changes will reinforce that trend, Associate Health Minister Casey Costello said today. “The ASH survey of youth vaping and smoking released today shows that smoking rates for year 10 students remain very low – they have turned ...5 days ago
- Consultation opens on fisheries sustainability
Catch limits for rock lobster and Pacific bluefin tuna are being reviewed, with consultation opening today, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. Catch limits for spiny red rock lobster in CRA 2 (Hauraki Gulf, Coromandel and Bay of Plenty) CRA 7 (Otago), and Pacific bluefin tuna in TOR 1 ...5 days ago
- Gravy train well and truly over for consultants
New data shows the public service is on track to save more than double the Government’s initial target on contractors and consultants. Minister for the Public Service Nicola Willis says it shows “the consultant gravy train is well and truly over”. “Taxpayers are not a cash cow for consultants and ...5 days ago
- Speech to Employment and Manufacturers Association on Holidays Act
Good morning everyone, and thank you for the kind introduction, Alan. As always, it is a pleasure to be here, and I appreciate the time you’ve all taken to come out during what is undoubtedly the busiest season of the year for some of you. It has certainly felt ...5 days ago
- Minister response to consultation on Holidays Act replacement
Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden says she has directed her officials to change the proposed direction of Holidays Act reform. “The Government recently conducted targeted consultation on an exposure draft Bill which built on work that had started under the previous Government. The feedback I have seen ...5 days ago
- Stalking legislation takes first step
Legislation that will make stalking illegal with a maximum penalty of up to five years in prison has been introduced and passed through first reading in Parliament today, Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith says. “Existing harassment laws haven’t kept pace with trends in this dangerous area. Since I announced this Bill, ...5 days ago
- New tools to be added to Traffic Light System
Legislation that will introduce new non-financial benefit sanctions into the welfare Traffic Light System and require people on Jobseeker Support to reapply every six months has passed its first reading in Parliament today. “The Social Security Amendment Bill expands the welfare Traffic Light System that launched in August with new ...5 days ago
- Changes to encourage more rental homes passed into law
The Residential Tenancies Amendment Bill has passed its third reading, delivering on the coalition Government’s commitment to deliver sensible changes to tenancy laws, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. “The previous Government’s war on landlords ultimately caused worse outcomes for tenants: rents up by $170 per week from 2017 to 2023, ...5 days ago
- Second RMA Amendment Bill introduced to Parliament
The coalition Government’s second RMA Amendment Bill, introduced to Parliament this week, will help drive economic growth and increased productivity by making it easier to get things done in New Zealand,” RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop says. “Our second RMA Amendment Bill is a precursor to full replacement of the ...5 days ago
- NZGIF update
Cecilia Tarrant has announced she has resigned as Chair of New Zealand Green Investment Finance, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. “I want to acknowledge the work Ms Tarrant has led over the last six years and thank her for her service.” Ms Tarrant will stand down with effect from ...5 days ago
- Speech to the New Zealand China Council
It is a pleasure to be here this afternoon and thank you to John McKinnon and the New Zealand-China Council for the invitation. New Zealand greatly values its long-standing relationship with China. The connections between our two countries are strong, although recovering after being deeply affected by the impacts of ...5 days ago
- Hairdressers and barbers to receive a regulatory clean shave
Minister for Regulation David Seymour has today announced that the third sector review, led by the Ministry for Regulation, will cut red tape for the hairdresser and barber industry. “Hairdressers and barbers provide a valuable service in every community. They make up a billion-dollar industry of more than 5000 mostly ...5 days ago
- Aucklanders save $899 million in water charges with Local Water Done Well
The Government has approved the Watercare Charter to keep Auckland’s water services affordable, saving households about $899 million over four years while ensuring improved service quality and record infrastructure investment to unlock housing growth in Auckland says Local Government Minister Simeon Brown.Local Government Minister Simeon Brown says the Watercare Charter which was ...5 days ago
- Fintech innovation to boost consumer competition
The launch of a bespoke pilot programme for financial technology companies will help boost competition for Kiwi consumers and improve choice in the financial and banking sectors, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly says. “The Government is relentlessly focused on improving competition so we can lift productivity and improve outcomes ...5 days ago
- Karen Walker and Keven Mealamu join CNZ Board
Fashion designer Karen Walker CNZM and former All Black Keven Mealamu MNZM have been appointed to the Creative New Zealand Board, Arts Minister Paul Goldsmith says. “I am excited to have these two highly respected individuals join Creative New Zealand, who will undoubtedly add great experience and perspectives to New ...5 days ago
- Health targets encouraging – work continues
New data shows that the Government’s focus on health targets is putting the brakes on the steep decline in delivery seen over the past five years. Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says while there is much more work to do, health target results in the three months to 30 September ...5 days ago
- Independent review of ACC announced
ACC Minister Matt Doocey has today announced an independent review of ACC because of concerns about declining rehabilitation rates and increasing costs. “ACC provides critical support to New Zealanders in times of need, but I am concerned that ACC’s performance has been declining for a decade. Rehabilitation rates are down, ...6 days ago
- New research to aid tourism and hospitality sector
Tourism and Hospitality Minister Matt Doocey today announced investment in a suite of new surveys and research which will help fill critical gaps in tourism and hospitality sector data. “Government investment totalling around $3 million will fund essential research including a domestic visitor survey, tourism sentiment survey, new research into ...6 days ago
- Seafood sector a ‘Kiwi success story’
New Zealand’s seafood exports are set to hit a record $2.2 billion in the year to June 2025, and increase to $2.4b the following year, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. “Our seafood sector is a Kiwi success story. The sector’s hard work, healthy demand, tight global supply and ...6 days ago
- Food and Fibre sector set to break records
New Zealand’s food and fibre exports are forecast to hit $56.9 billion by 30 June 2025 and climb to a record $58.3 billion the following year, showcasing the strength and resilience of the sector, Agriculture and Forestry Minister Todd McClay announced today. “The hard work and innovation of our world ...6 days ago
- Thai Foreign Minister to visit
Thailand’s Foreign Minister Maris Sangiampongsa will visit New Zealand this week, Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced. “Thailand is an important economic and security partner for New Zealand in Southeast Asia,” Mr Peters says. “The visit is another important step as our two countries work to lift our relationship to a ...6 days ago
- New ferries will ensure safe, resilient connection
The Government is establishing a new company to procure two new ferries to ensure a safe, reliable and commercially viable ferry service, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. “This decision will ensure New Zealand has a safe, reliable and resilient service to move people and freight between the North and South ...6 days ago
- Milestone for Iwi Māori Partnership Boards
Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says Iwi Māori Partnership Boards have taken a major step as part of the Government’s commitment to the health of Māori communities. Minister Reti has now received 15 IMPB community health plans, representing the vision and plans of the boards for health and wellbeing in ...7 days ago
- New seafood processing factory opens in Porirua
A new seafood processing factory in Porirua north of Wellington will bring export revenue, jobs and opportunities for the community, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The Wellington Kaimoana Hub, a joint venture between Māori owned seafood companies Moana New Zealand and Port Nicholson Fisheries, was formally opened by ...7 days ago
- Gisborne receives mental health beds boost
Minister for Mental Health Matt Doocey today opened Gisborne Hospital’s new acute mental health unit, Te Whare Awhi Ora, and says the region will be better served by a bigger, more therapeutic acute mental health unit.“I have been clear that we need to build a strong mental health and addiction ...7 days ago
- Our journey towards net zero
The Government has unveiled its second Emissions Reduction Plan, outlining a path to keep New Zealand on track to meet its climate change targets while supporting the economy to thrive, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. “The plan sets the foundation to meet our net zero 2050 target as early ...7 days ago
- Repealing advertising restrictions for media
Legislation that will repeal all advertising restrictions for broadcasters on Sundays and public holidays has been introduced to Parliament today, Media Minister Paul Goldsmith says. “Traditional media outlets are operating in an extremely difficult environment and as the Government we must ensure regulatory settings are enabling the best chance of ...1 week ago
- Government announces future of greyhound racing in New Zealand
Racing Minister Winston Peters has announced the Government’s plans to end greyhound racing in New Zealand. “This is not a decision that is taken lightly but is ultimately driven by protecting the welfare of racing dogs. “Despite significant progress made by the greyhound racing industry in recent ...1 week ago
- Government cuts red tape for food exporters
The Government is delivering on its commitment to cut red tape and increase the value of exports by making it easier for exporters to deliver safe New Zealand food to more markets, says Food Safety Minister Andrew Hoggard. “Food exports are the bedrock of our economy, so when industry asked ...1 week ago
- Relationships & Sexuality Education refresh
The Government welcomes a new report which confirms the way Relationship and Sexuality Education (RSE) is taught in schools isn’t fit for purpose, Education Minister Erica Stanford says. “In a world that’s rapidly changing, young people deserve every opportunity to be equipped with the knowledge and skills they need to ...1 week ago
- Applications open for mental wellbeing campaigns
Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey announced that applications will open today for the $5 million Mental Health Promotion Fund for organisations to run campaigns that promote mental wellbeing while at the Digital Mental Health Summit. “Strengthening the focus on prevention and early intervention is one of my key priorities. Our ...1 week ago
- Raising the visibility of New Zealand’s ethnic communities
A first-of-its-kind report launched today lays the groundwork for growing the visibility of New Zealand’s ethnic communities through data, Ethnic Communities Minister Melissa Lee says. “Too often and for too long, ethnic communities have largely been invisible in public sector data. As a result, their voices have not always been ...1 week ago
- Pay deductions for partial strikes to be reintroduced
Changes to collective bargaining will help rebalance the rights and consequences of industrial action, Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden says. A bill to allow for pay deductions in response to partial strikes will be introduced today. “Partial strikes are industrial actions that normally involve turning up to ...1 week ago
- Strategic leasing another tool in the infrastructure procurement belt
The Government is issuing strategic leasing guidance to agencies to ensure more efficient use of taxpayer dollars where the private sector is better placed to own and maintain infrastructure, Infrastructure Under-Secretary Simon Court says. “On a basic level, strategic leasing is like any other government leasing arrangement, where the government ...1 week ago
- Next steps for banking competition
The Government is pushing ahead with moves to increase banking competition by boosting Kiwibank and taking steps to ensure the Reserve Bank places greater importance on competition in the sector, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. “The change will enable the New Zealand-owned bank to more vigorously compete against the ...1 week ago
- New campaign promotes alcohol-free pregnancies
Health Minister Dr Shane Reti has launched a new public health campaign to prevent fetal alcohol spectrum disorder by promoting alcohol-free pregnancies. FASD is the leading cause of preventable intellectual and neurodevelopmental disorders in New Zealand, causing lifelong physical, behavioural, learning and mental health problems. “The impact of FASD in ...1 week ago
- New Climate Change Commission Chair appointed
Rt Hon Dame Patsy Reddy has been appointed as the new chair of the Climate Change Commission, the independent Crown entity that provides the Government advice, monitoring and reporting to support New Zealand’s transition to a climate-resilient, low emissions future, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. “I’m pleased that Dame ...1 week ago
- Commonsense changes to insulation standards
The Government is proposing commonsense changes to reduce the upfront cost of building, while maintaining robust energy efficiency standards, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “We know from a social investment point of view that Kiwis do much better when they have access to affordable, insulated, secure housing. “However, ...1 week ago
- ‘Enormous mismatch’: What can you do when your leave doesn’t cover the school holi...
The a new movement is encouraging employers to focus more on output, not the number of hours worked. ...15 hours ago - The cost of being: A public servant and mum who’s saving for a house deposit
As part of our series exploring how New Zealanders live and our relationship with money, a 47-year-old public servant, mother and musician shares her approach to spending and saving. Want to be part of The Cost of Being? Fill out the questionnaire here. Gender: Female. Age: 47. Ethnicity: Pākehā. Role: Public ...16 hours ago - Minimum wage set to get modest bump to $23.50 in April
The increase strikes a "balance" between supporting workers and limiting further costs on business, the Workplace Relations and Safety Minister says. ...16 hours ago
- Should non-disclosure agreements be restricted in cases of workplace sexual harassment? Here’s wha...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Lisa Heap, Senior Researcher Centre for Future Work at the Australia Institute; Sessional Academic RMIT University, The Australia Institute Tomasz Trojanowski/Shutterstock Non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) are again in the spotlight – mostly because of how they can affect the way companies deal ...16 hours ago - Fantasia 2000: celebrating 25 years of a concertless film in search of a concert
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Will Jeffery, Sessional Academic, Discipline of Film Studies, University of Sydney IMDB/Disney Imagine attending a concert including excerpts from Ludwig van Beethoven’s 5th Symphony, Ottorino Respighi’s Pines of Rome, George Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue, Dmitri Shostakovich’s 2nd Piano Concerto, Camille Saint-Saëns’s ...16 hours ago
- Live: ‘Pipes before cycleways’: Christopher Luxon on council spending crackdown
"I don't think roof top gardens on bus stops are a great idea," the prime minister says at the government removes "wellbeing" provisions from the Local Government Act. ...16 hours ago
- An imaging company gave its patients’ X-rays and CT scans to an AI company. How did this happen?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stacy Carter, Professor and Director, Australian Centre for Health Engagement, Evidence and Values, University of Wollongong Zamrznuti tonovi/Shutterstock Australia’s biggest radiology provider, I-MED, has provided de-identified patient data to an artificial intelligence company without explicit patient consent, Crikey reported recently. ...16 hours ago
- 5 things to know before boarding your dog or cat this summer
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Melissa Starling, Postdoctoral Researcher in Veterinary Science, University of Sydney Tatiana Kovaleva/Shutterstock Around this time of year, pet owners across the country are scrambling to finalise holiday care arrangements. Some lucky animals go to the home of a familiar family member, ...16 hours ago
- NZ’s government may ask the public to underwrite the risk of fossil fuel exploration – this coul...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Nathan Cooper, Associate Professor of Law, University of Waikato Hagen Hopkins/Getty Images After reversing the ban on new offshore oil and gas exploration permits, New Zealand’s coalition government is now considering whether to share the risks of exploration with the fossil ...16 hours ago
- More Australian families are choosing private schools – we need to understand why
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sally Larsen, Senior Lecturer in Education, University of New England The shape of Australia’s school system is undergoing a significant change. Enrolments in independent schools are growing, while fewer students are going to public schools. Why are more families choosing an ...16 hours ago
- When you wish upon a star, is it already dead? An astronomer crunches the numbers
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Laura Nicole Driessen, Postdoctoral researcher in radio astronomy, University of Sydney ESO/Luis Calçada/Herbert Zodet, CC BY When you wish upon a star, Jiminy Cricket told us, your dreams come true. But according to an idea doing the rounds on social media, ...16 hours ago
- Harold Holt is a meme today, but when the prime minister went missing in December 1967, it was no la...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Joshua Black, Visitor, School of History, Australian National University At some point, Australians stopped grieving Harold Holt’s death and many started to laugh about it instead. The sudden disappearance of a prime minister at a Victorian beach in December 1967 has furnished ...16 hours ago
- Advocates plea for scrapping of boot camps in open letter to the prime minister
Youth advocates want the government to scrap a bill which would make boot camps permanent. ...17 hours ago
- Councils back on the government’s naughty step
Sharp rates increases are the latest target for the PM and Simeon Brown, explains The Bulletin’s Stewart Sowman-Lund. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here. ...17 hours ago
- Commerce Commission clampdown won’t stop ‘insane’ card surcharges
Further cuts to bank interchange charges expected this week – even though new data shows card surcharges have only increased The post Commerce Commission clampdown won’t stop ‘insane’ card surcharges appeared first on Newsroom. ...18 hours ago - Hundreds of MBIE workers begin strike action after 0% pay offer
"Offensive" zero percent pay offers could see a wave of strike action across the public sector in coming months, the Public Service Association is warning. ...18 hours ago
- Te Pāti Māori roasts Electoral Commission over Manurewa marae apology
Debbie Ngarewa-Packer is accusing the commission of bowing to "a bit of political heat" after it apologised for using Manurewa marae as a voting place. ...18 hours ago
- Xmas: the best nonfiction book of 2024
Up and down the motu, house to house, party to party, tangi to tangi, car to car, Talia Marshall is always on the move in her memoir Whaea Blue. She’s running from something, or to something. In the space of 350 pages we move from the Mormon church in which ...18 hours ago
- Live: Larger deficits expected as the government opens its books
Treasury will release its half-year economic and fiscal update today. ...18 hours ago
- Waitangi Day: PM won’t confirm if he will attend commemorations at Waitangi
Christopher Luxon said he had received "a number of invitations" to Waitangi Day commemorations but hasn't yet decided his schedule. ...19 hours ago
- HYEFU preview: Pre-emptive blame game ahead of opening of the books
The latest economic and fiscal update is expected to show a sluggish economy and weaker tax take will lead to bigger deficits for longer. ...19 hours ago
- Windbag: Tear down the City to Sea Bridge
Why demolishing the bridge would make Te Ngākau Civic Square a much better public space. Earlier this month, Wellington City Council voted to demolish the City to Sea Bridge and replace it with a ground-level pedestrian crossing on Jervois Quay. A new pedestrian bridge will be considered for funding at ...20 hours ago
- What can we learn from Australia’s version of the Marsden Fund furore?
Humanities and social science research topics being tweaked rhetorically to seem airy-fairy, impractical and/or ‘woke’ is nothing new. Joanne Wilkes explains how political intervention in funding for academic research played out across the ditch. As a retired academic from an arts faculty – I taught English literature at Auckland University ...20 hours ago
- Trump’s declaration of war on universities
Opinion: Public support for US universities is relatively low, and highly polarised The post Trump’s declaration of war on universities appeared first on Newsroom. ...20 hours ago
- Govt fails KPI because of ‘rushed lawmaking’
Analysis: A drafting error delays oil and gas ban repeal, after bill was initially rushed through Parliament The post Govt fails KPI because of ‘rushed lawmaking’ appeared first on Newsroom. ...20 hours ago
- Newsroom daily quiz, Tuesday 17 December
Loading…(function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){var ql=document.querySelectorAll('A[data-quiz],DIV[data-quiz]'); if(ql){if(ql.length){for(var k=0;k<ql.length;k++){ql[k].id='quiz-embed-'+k;ql[k].href="javascript:var i=document.getElementById('quiz-embed-"+k+"');try{qz.startQuiz(i)}catch(e){i.start=1;i.style.cursor='wait';i.style.opacity='0.5'};void(0);"}}};i['QP']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){(i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o),m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m)})(window,document,'script','https://take.quiz-maker.com/3012/CDN/quiz-embed-v1.js','qp');Got a good quiz question? Send Newsroom your questions.The post Newsroom daily quiz, Tuesday 17 December appeared first on Newsroom. ...20 hours ago
- NZ can’t keep H5N1 bird flu virus out for ever
Analysis: Avian influenza keeps popping up in our newsfeeds, and we are reminded of the unpredictable and unwieldy nature of infectious diseases that threaten our health. Given that we are still dusting ourselves off from Covid-19, no one is particularly keen to hear about another imminent viral threat. Just what ...20 hours ago
- Warning over cosmetic cowboys as industry pins hopes on new regulation
Therapeutic Products Act Repeal Bill clears the way for new legislation that will safeguard consumers from rogue practitioners The post Warning over cosmetic cowboys as industry pins hopes on new regulation appeared first on Newsroom. ...20 hours ago
- ‘Luxon Hustle’ targets foreign tech and infrastructure investors
By leveraging the fast-track in closed doors meetings, the PM hoped deep pockets would invest in NZ development The post ‘Luxon Hustle’ targets foreign tech and infrastructure investors appeared first on Newsroom. ...20 hours ago
- Daily crossword, Tuesday 17 December
The post Daily crossword, Tuesday 17 December appeared first on Newsroom. ...20 hours ago
- How cities are reinventing the public-private partnership − 4 lessons from around the globe
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Debra Lam, Founding Director of the Partnership for Inclusive Innovation, Enterprise Innovation Institute, Georgia Institute of Technology Cities tackle a vast array of responsibilities – from building transit networks to running schools – and sometimes they can use a little help. That’s ...22 hours ago
- US on target in Guam with first Marine redeployment and missile test
By Mar-Vic Cagurangan in Hagatna, Guam The United States is advancing the fortification of its territory closest to China with the arrival of the first Marines from Okinawa and its first interceptor missile test in Guam last week. About 100 Marines from Japan landed on Saturday, the vanguard of about ...1 day ago
- Wellbeing provisions distracting councils from core job – Simeon Brown
The local government minister says they're also driving up rates - Labour says it's "a complete fabrication". ...1 day ago
- Government warned operating Aratere ferry until 2029 ‘simply not possible’
A leaked report authored by the government's expert ministerial advisory group warns the Aratere should be retired as early as next year. ...1 day ago
- Government Washes Its Hands Of “Unethical” Plastic Waste Exports
Chai says the Government’s final decision to reject her petition “gives a lot of reasons for doing nothing”. ...1 day ago - Ngāti Kahungunu Submits In Opposition To The Treaty Principles Bill
The Ngāti Kahungunu submission clearly states the reasons why it opposes the Treaty Principles Bill, “due to its inherent contradictions and potential for detrimental consequences. Each principle, while seemingly benign, harbours flaws that necessitate ...1 day ago
- More coal and gas, less renewables: what a nuclear power plan for Australia would really mean
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Quiggin, Professor, School of Economics, The University of Queensland Bilanol/Shutterstock Opposition Leader Peter Dutton’s plan for nuclear power in Australia has provoked a great deal of discussion and analysis – most of it critical. Experts point out the Coalition’s long-awaited ...1 day ago
- Fast-track project publication a brick through window of democracy
It beggars belief that the government has redacted the wannabe seabed miner Trans Tasman Resources application's economic benefits to Aotearoa New Zealand, for a bill whose only purpose is the economic benefit to Aotearoa New Zealand. ...1 day ago
- What Christopher Luxon makes of his government’s 2024 efforts
The PM says 2024 has been a good start - but "I'll be the first to tell you we have a lot more to do". ...1 day ago
- What is a dark comet? A quick guide to the ‘new’ kids in the Solar System
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rebecca Allen, Co-Director Space Technology and Industry Institute, Swinburne University of Technology Artist’s impression of ‘Oumuamua. ESA/Hubble, NASA, ESO, M. Kornmesser In 2017, NASA discovered and later confirmed the first interstellar object to enter our Solar System. It wasn’t aliens. But ...1 day ago
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