Author Archive
The great political heist that wasn’t
Written By: - Date published: 10:47 am, January 21st, 2020 - 39 comments
National has hinted darkly that the theft of laptops from its headquarters was possibly motivated by political considerations even though it had been told of a similar burglary of a neighbouring office had also occurred recently.
Bridges will talk tough to the Philippines but not China
Written By: - Date published: 9:36 am, January 20th, 2020 - 17 comments
Simon Bridges is visiting the Philippines. And unlike his recent trip to China this time he has decided to talk tough to the local leaders about human rights.
Federated Farmers launches petition against its business model
Written By: - Date published: 9:20 am, January 19th, 2020 - 129 comments
Federated Farmers has started a petition against an educational resource that teaches about climate change and activism because it does not present their industry in a sufficiently positive way.
National created more working groups than Labour
Written By: - Date published: 8:00 am, January 18th, 2020 - 31 comments
The Herald has reported that National in its first two years of Government created *more* working groups than Labour.
McClay accused of supporting China’s mass detention of muslims
Written By: - Date published: 8:26 am, January 17th, 2020 - 51 comments
Freedom House has criticised National MP Todd McClay for reinforcing Chinese descriptions of the mass imprisonment of Muslim minorities as vocational training centres.
News Corp climate change denial attacked by (checks notes) James Murdoch …
Written By: - Date published: 10:04 am, January 15th, 2020 - 116 comments
News Corp has had a bad week in the media with many questioning its continued climate change denial and its support for politicians refusing to accept the reality of climate change. But the most surprising opposition has been expressed by Rupert Murdoch’s son and News Corp director James Murdoch.
Housing consents at highest level since 1974
Written By: - Date published: 9:03 am, January 15th, 2020 - 20 comments
Statistics New Zealand has confirmed that in the last year the number of new housing consents was the highest since 1974.
National politicises police by claiming Government is politicising police
Written By: - Date published: 10:41 am, January 14th, 2020 - 19 comments
Simon Bridges has alleged the police of being politicised after a person who holds rather right wing views and libertarian views on gun ownership had a search warrant for illegal firearms executed on his property.
A message for conservatives about climate change and nuclear power
Written By: - Date published: 3:21 pm, January 9th, 2020 - 142 comments
David Farrar has criticised young people not for their passion about addressing climate change, but for not supporting nuclear power as a potential solution. Even though it is too risky, too expensive, and too late.
Iran attacks US bases in Iraq
Written By: - Date published: 2:11 pm, January 8th, 2020 - 174 comments
There are reports of two US bases being hit by missiles launched from within Iran and it is being reported that Iran’s air force is in the air.
Simon Bridges went to China
Written By: - Date published: 11:21 am, January 8th, 2020 - 44 comments
It has been revealed that Simon Bridges’trip to China last year was organised by National MP and former teacher of English to Chinese spies Jian Yang and that an offer of assistance from MFAT was declined.
Australia is no longer the lucky country
Written By: - Date published: 9:57 am, January 6th, 2020 - 112 comments
Australia is arguably no longer the lucky country. And if it does not resolve its addiction to coal it may not have a future.
The power of positive campaigning
Written By: - Date published: 2:42 pm, December 31st, 2019 - 123 comments
With the 2020 election just round the corner and recent complaints about the left’s treatment of the #TurnArdern campaign it is a perfect time to think about the importance of language and positive uplifting campaign themes.
Bridges and the Robertson trial
Written By: - Date published: 8:53 am, December 30th, 2019 - 22 comments
National has released a video of Simon Bridges talking about the trial he conducted against Tony Robertson and suggesting he is in politics to change the law. But the particular law he appears to be targeting was unchanged during the term of the last National Government.
T’was the day of Christmas
Written By: - Date published: 10:37 am, December 26th, 2019 - 13 comments
National’s social media team spent Christmas day deleting tweets suggesting there was any link between its MPs and members of the #turnardern campaign.
What Cheeto, Bojo and Scomo are up to
Written By: - Date published: 3:56 pm, December 21st, 2019 - 76 comments
It has been a tough week for conservative leaders with Trump impeached and the evangelical magazine Christianity Today calling for his resignation, Johnson in the UK announcing voter fraud measures reminiscent of the American deep South, and in Australia Morrison being criticised for missing in action, upstaged by a 13 year old girl and pushing through protection for religious bigotry that Israel Folau would be pleased with.
Rush to Judgment redux
Written By: - Date published: 7:12 am, December 20th, 2019 - 151 comments
Barrister Maria Dew has delivered a strong conclusion in the report concerning allegations of sexual assault by one Labour Party member against another member. And Paula Bennett has not as yet apologised for her totally unfounded allegations against third parties.
Bridges fights losing twitter battle with Nigel Latta
Written By: - Date published: 7:52 am, December 19th, 2019 - 18 comments
Simon Bridges’s twitter account has chosen to celebrate Christmas by engaging in a twitter spat with well known Media personality Nigel Latta. And has not fared well.
How to counter angry boomer campaigns
Written By: - Date published: 8:15 am, December 17th, 2019 - 154 comments
The UK election was won not by Russian bots but by older voters with limited technical skills circulating poorly designed ads. What can be done in New Zealand to counter what is clearly a right wing campaign tactic?
Then they came for public art
Written By: - Date published: 7:00 am, December 11th, 2019 - 6 comments
The conservative leadership in the United States and in Australia are both taking steps to attack the sustainability of public art. Shame on them.
The freedom to lie during an election campaign
Written By: - Date published: 6:55 am, December 11th, 2019 - 75 comments
Two recent National advertisements involving drastically inaccurate graphics have attracted attention. And at the same time National is opposing changes to the Electoral Law that would extend the time that it is an offence to publish a false and misleading advertisement during an election period.
Right wing lies
Written By: - Date published: 8:29 am, December 6th, 2019 - 110 comments
New Zealand and the United Kingdom are both cursed with the right wing parties having the same advisors and similar means of campaigning
Time to become a republic
Written By: - Date published: 8:09 am, December 5th, 2019 - 85 comments
There are indications that Elizabeth the UK Queen may stand down from her office in the next two years. That may be the perfect time for Aotearoa New Zealand to cast aside constitutional provisions based on heredity and become constitutionally independent of the old country.
Government to ban foreign donations to political parties
Written By: - Date published: 12:19 pm, December 3rd, 2019 - 66 comments
The Government has announced that it will pass under urgency changes to the Electoral Law to ban overseas donations.
Why some MPs should not tweet
Written By: - Date published: 9:16 am, December 3rd, 2019 - 7 comments
National MP Joanne Hayes has provided a textbook example of the perils of Twitter.
Labour’s infrastructure spend announcement
Written By: - Date published: 12:06 pm, December 1st, 2019 - 35 comments
Is the Government commitment to the budget responsibility rules weakening? Because at the Labour Party Conference Grant Robertson has indicated that the Government will shortly announce a big capital spend on infrastructure.
Bridges calls for investigation into National’s handling of electoral donations
Written By: - Date published: 9:29 am, November 29th, 2019 - 24 comments
Simon Bridges’ demand of an investigation into the New Zealand First Foundation appears to have backfired after it emerges that the NZ First Foundation was modelled on the National Party Foundation.
Strike Force Raptor for the win
Written By: - Date published: 8:14 am, November 28th, 2019 - 40 comments
National has proposed significant changes to the Criminal Justice system to create a Police group without evidence that it works, and that if enacted would make our prisons less safe and plug holes in our law that do not exist.
National’s Youth lauranorda rhetoric
Written By: - Date published: 2:16 pm, November 27th, 2019 - 20 comments
National is proposing changes to the Youth Court system that show not only a disregard for working in the interests of young people but disturbingly show a complete lack of understanding about how the Youth Court works.
Little announces changes to Prisoner voting rights
Written By: - Date published: 12:58 pm, November 26th, 2019 - 44 comments
Andrew Little has announced a review of prisoner voting rights to overturn National’s law change which the Courts have ruled to be in breach of fundamental rights and unjustified. Simon Bridges has announced that National will reverse any such law change. And he has topped this off by proposing that Tauranga City Council should prosecute and fine beggars and homeless people.
Hypocrites
Written By: - Date published: 7:37 am, November 22nd, 2019 - 57 comments
National’s attacks on NZ First’s Foundation are hypocritical in the extreme given that it also has a Foundation and has used this foundation to hide the identity of donors who have collectively potentially contributed huge amounts of money to the party.
- Educating New Zealand’s future workforce
Judy Kavanagh Do you remember your first day at school? The education I received was for a very different world than the world of today. Along with huge social shifts there have been big changes in the New Zealand economy and the work people do. There are occupations unheard of ...6 mins ago - A casual attitude towards transparency
Back in December, when the government was introducing new secrecy legislation on an almost daily basis, I posted about the Infrastructure Funding and Financing Bill. The Bill establishes a new class of public entity, "special purpose vehicles", which collect and spend public money and enjoy statutory powers. Despite this, they ...10 mins ago - Against a carbon bailoutIf we are to avoid making the planet uninhabitable, we need to cut carbon emisisons fast. Which basicly means putting the fossil fuel industry - coal, gas, and oil - out of business. But this means that the banks and other lenders who have bankrolled the industry's environmental destruction will ...31 mins ago
- Still a criminal industryMore evidence that the fishing industry suffers from pervasive criminality, with Forest & Bird highlighting some odd numbers in the annual statistics:The Annual Review Report For Highly Migratory Species Fisheries 2018/19 (Pg 4, Table 4) showed only 4% of commercial long lining trips for tuna and swordfish reported non-fish bycatch ...44 mins ago
- Controversy? Or Manufactroversy?A few days ago, New Zealand’s Minister of Education announced the wider release of a resource on climate change, which was initially trialled at a Christchurch school during 2018. According to the Minister, children will learn about “the role science plays in understanding climate change, aids understanding of both the response ...3 hours ago
- The emerging coronavirus outbreak in ChinaBy now you’ve probably heard of the new virus causing an outbreak of severe pneumonia in China. The question on most people’s minds is, how worried should we be, especially as hundreds of millions of people will soon be travelling across China and beyond to visit family for the Lunar ...17 hours ago
- How did climate change get so controversial?
An excerpt from the book Cranky Uncle vs. Climate Change, released Feb 25. Our human brain is poorly equipped to deal with a threat like climate change. Over millions of years, we’ve evolved to avoid life-threatening dangers like predators jumping out of bushes. We’ve survived by quickly detecting and avoiding immediate, short-term ...19 hours ago - Farmers are ruining Canterbury’s riversIts summer, so people naturally want to go for a swim. But in South Canterbury, you can't, because the rivers are full of toxic goo:As of Monday, the Waihi River at Wilson Street footbridge, Geraldine, the Waihao River at Bradshaws Bridge, and three spots on the Opihi River - at ...1 day ago
- Sack Shane JonesLate last year, NZ First was caught trying to enrich itself from public office, with a dodgy forestry company linked to a number of NZ First figures sticking its hand out repeatedly for government money. Regional Economic Development Minister shane Jones' "explanations" were patently unconvincing, and his recusal from deciding ...1 day ago
- BIG idea physicsThis morning I’ve been having a quick look through some documentation from The Ministry of Education on proposed changes to NCEA Level 1 Science. For those not familiar with the NZ secondary education system, a typical student would complete NCEA level 1 at the end of year 11. In this ...1 day ago
- Revolution in New Zealand? Not Even Close!
No Fires Thanks, We're Kiwis: For the moment, in those close-to-home places where revolutions are born, there may be tetchiness and resentment, frustration and complaint, but nowhere is anybody uttering the cry that will bring a New Zealand revolution into being: “We have found the way to make tomorrow better ...1 day ago - 2020 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming Digest #3Story of the Week... Editorial of the Week... Toon of the Week... Quote of the Week... Graphic of the Week... Coming Soon on SkS... Climate Feedback Claim Reviews... SkS Week in Review... Poster of the Week... Story of the Week... 'It's heart-wrenching': 80% of Blue Mountains and 50% of ...2 days ago
- Britain exits the European Union and takes a sharp right turn
by John Smith Britain’s exit from the imperialist bloc known as the European Union (EU) is now irreversible. The crushing electoral defeat of the Labour Party has dismayed many workers and youth who had placed their hopes in Jeremy Corbyn, its left-wing leader. This article assesses these historic events, neither of which ...2 days ago - 2020 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #3A chronological listing of news articles linked to on the Skeptical Science Facebook Page during the past week, i.e., Sun, Jan 12, 2020 through Sat, Jan 18, 2020 Editor's Pick The Past and the Future of the Earth’s Oldest Trees Bristlecone pines have survived various catastrophes over the millennia, and they ...3 days ago
- How climate change influenced Australia’s unprecedented firesThis is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections, and has been adapted into a new myth rebuttal on climate-wildfire connections with the short URL sks.to/wildfires Australia’s frightening bushfires, which kicked off an early fire season in September 2019, have already had cataclysmic effects, and the continent is still just in the early ...4 days ago
- Gender Identity Ideology – A Partial Bibliography of Online CoverageThis great resource has been contributed to Redline by Janie Doebuck. Janie made some notes on the bibliography: 1) It is by no means exhaustive. There are tons more gender critical posts, essays, articles, podcasts, youtube videos, etc. online. 2) There are links in the bibliography that are behind paywalls. There ...5 days ago
- About those biased Oscar Nominations
There’s been a lot written about the 2020 Oscar Nominations and their apparent lack of diversity. It’s true, there are in fact no women nominated for the Best Director and very few nominees of colour across the board. But is this a result of a biased process or a symptom ...5 days ago - How New Zealand media reports chronic painHemakumar Devan Around three million New Zealanders access news media (both paper and online) every week. Yes, you heard that right! So, the potential for news media to shape public health beliefs is common sense. As chronic pain affects one in five New Zealanders, we wanted to find out how ...5 days ago
- Still Waiting For American Democracy.Unfinished Republic: Though the United States' crimes against democracy are legion, most Americans are blissfully unaware of them. The brutal realities of American life: the officially sanctioned violence; the refusal to hold racists accountable for their actions; the seemingly endless tragedy of African-American suffering; of which White America is the ...5 days ago
- In Outrage Over Its Bunk Science, Goop Finds Fuel for GrowthMichael Schulson For years, experts have said that Goop, the wellness and lifestyle brand founded by the actor and entrepreneur Gwyneth Paltrow, markets pseudoscience and overblown cures. And for years, despite the criticism, Goop has just kept growing. Now the company, which was valued at $250 million in 2018, ...6 days ago
- Tobacco Excise Taxes and the Smokefree 2025 Goal: Some Ways ForwardJanet Hoek, Richard Edwards, George Thomson, Andrew Waa, Nick Wilson Debate over tobacco tax increases has intensified as research indicates potentially conflicting policy directions. On the one hand, excise tax increases continue to stimulate quit attempts among smokers yet, on the other hand, they may lead to financial hardship for ...6 days ago
- Skeptical Science New Research for Week #2, 2020Conflation and how to fix it VIa AMS, Raul Lejano looks at what in a layperson's thinking would be called conflation— confusion and blending of entirely different topics— when people think about climate change. Ideology and the Narrative of Skepticism (open access) starts with some arguably frightening false connections between the science and ...6 days ago
- ‘Cranky Uncle’ smart phone game will show you how to disarm climate deniersThis is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Bud Ward (Image: Courtesy of John Cook) When it comes to climate change, it seems every family has its own version of the proverbial Cranky Uncle. An uncle, cousin, grandparent, in-law, neighbor, whatever. Just think back to the recent holiday season’s large ...7 days ago
- Science in the ’20s – part 1Outrageous, immoral or downright dangerous. That’s a description of the lifestyle of women “flappers” in the 1920s. Could it apply to science (and scientists) in the 2020s? Actually, you could look back at the past decade and see those, or similar terms, used about some science and scientists. Sometimes ...7 days ago
- Postscript: Citizenship Granted.
I am pleased to say that I have been granted NZ citizenship. I need to do the ceremony for things to be official, but the application was a success. I now join my son as a dual NZ-US citizen. To be fair, very little will change other than the fact ...1 week ago - Hard News: Music: Morales is coming
It will be no secret to longtime readers that I, Russell Brown, love the disco. So I'm pretty excited by the fact that one of the greats of the game is returning this summer – and also pleased to say I have tickets to give away.Legendary mixer and DJ ...1 week ago - The WHO Vaccine Safety Summit – from someone who was actually thereThe conspiracy I saw a new conspiracy theory flying around the other day. According to the conspiracy (that seems to originate from Del Bigtree), the World Health Organization have been ‘caught on camera’ questioning the safety of vaccines. Gosh this sounds as though someone was a mole at a ...1 week ago
- The timely death of the British Labour PartyBelow is an article submitted to Redline by Alec Abbott At its inception, the British Labour Party was a vehicle for the propagation of racist and imperialist views within the working-class. Such views are still widespread in the party, as they are in Europe’s Social-Democratic parties, though, in the case of ...1 week ago
- Mystery China pneumonia outbreak likely caused by new human coronavirusConnor Bamford, Queen’s University Belfast Since December 2019, there has been a cluster of 59 cases of pneumonia in Wuhan, eastern China. The pneumonia is associated with a previously unidentified coronavirus related to the deadly SARS virus. Seven of those cases are thought to be serious, and one person – ...1 week ago
- Yes, koalas are cute – but should we bring them to NZ? Errm, noIt’s been hard to miss the extreme fires raging across Australia and the tragic plight of the animals – human and otherwise – affected by the fires’ insatiable spread. I know I’ve been captivated and concerned by the tales of how Australia’s famous wildlife has been coping. Koalas approaching cyclists ...1 week ago
- National’s negative campaigningAnybody who looked into the Dirty Politics saga knows all too well that honesty is often in short supply within the National Party. You would think that after the exposure the John Key government received over their untruthful attack politics, the National Party would learn from its "mistakes" and leave ...1 week ago
- Ending the government’s charade over waterFor the past decade, the government has been responding to the obvious Treaty issues raised by water allocation with the mantra that "no-one owns water". But last year, the Waitangi Tribunal ruled that actually, Māori owned it, and that those rights had never been extinguished. They recommended that iwi bring ...1 week ago
- Northern Ireland joins the civilised worldSame-sex marriage has finally become legal in Northern Ireland. But not through any decision of the Northern Irish Executive or Assembly, which has only just reformed after a three year walkout by the DUP; instead, Westminster made that decision for them. I've talked before about the constitutional impropriety of this, ...1 week ago
- I had an intense conversation at work today.Claire Cohen-Norris volunteers with Citizens Climate Lobby as a chapter founder and leader in rural New York. Her climate advocacy sprung from her drive to provide a secure, joyful and fulfilling life for her two wonderful children. It has become a life’s mission, shared with her like-minded husband and partner. Claire ...1 week ago
- French transport workers take on Macron over pension reform
by John Edmundson Starting on December 5th, 2019 workers in the Parisian rail network commenced an open-ended strike in opposition to French President Emmanuel Macron’s proposed changes to their pension scheme. Rail workers in the Metro Underground have, for decades, had retirement conditions that compensate them for the low wages, ...1 week ago - What a difference the decimal point makesI’m back at work following a nearly three-week break over Christmas. We were fortunate to be offered a house to stay in for a week over Christmas, which enabled us to have a holiday in Dunedin and see the extended family reasonably cheaply. But the house came with a catch: ...1 week ago
- Who’s Going To Stop Him?Blank And Pitiless: Having ordered the assassination of the Iranian General, Qasem Soleimani, President Donald Trump promised to reduce the cultural monuments of Iran’s 3,000 year-old civilisation to rubble if a revenge attack was mounted. A breach of international law? Certainly. A war crime? Indisputably. Who’s going to stop him? Nobody.WHAT ...1 week ago
- A worker’s storyThis interview is from Aotearoa Workers Solidarity Movement (AWSM) and is the first of an ongoing series of interviews they plan to do with workers from various sectors who are having their well being and livelihoods damaged. They begin with an educator in Southland. Due to the attitude and actions ...1 week ago
- 2020 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #2A chronological listing of news articles linked to on the Skeptical Science Facebook Page during the past week, i.e., Sun, Jan 5, 2020 through Sat, Jan 11, 2020 Editor's Pick Debunked Australian Bushfire Conspiracy Theories Were Pushed by Alex Jones, Murdoch Media As unusually intense and widespread bushfires have ...1 week ago
- J.K. Rowling, the Seattle Library, and the Issue That Must Not Be NamedThis article was submitted to Redline by Seattle-based activist Lucinda Stoan J.K. Rowling recognizes repression when she sees it. That’s why the author of the wildly popular Harry Potter books recently tweeted in defense of Maya Forstater. Forstater lost her job for stating that sex is real and immutable. A judge ...2 weeks ago
- Rules of Empire: Laws simply do not apply and “National Security” excuses all else.
Empires rise and fall, and the American Empire is absolutely no different. But while an Empire, in order to further the footprint, it seems to pay to do one primary thing above all else: project that everything – everything – is “simply for the good of the world” at large, ...2 weeks ago - Indian lessons for NZ workers – the January 8 general strikeby Phil Duncan On Wednesday (January 8) another massive general strike took place in India. Some 250 million industrial workers, white-collar workers, agricultural labourers struck against the government’s economic policies and attacks on the Muslim population through new proposed citizenship rules. This ...2 weeks ago
- Climate Change: The action that countsOver on Newsroom, Professor Jacqueline Beggs writes about the action she is taking on climate change. Its the usual list: reduce meat, don't fly, consume less. I'm doing some of this myself, and none of it hurts - but the way our economic system is constructed means the impact of ...2 weeks ago
- Fossil fuel political giving outdistances renewables 13 to oneThis is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Karin Kirk Corporations, special interest groups, and individuals inject billions of dollars into the American political system every year. Much of the financial support in politics is concealed from public view, as some rules – and loopholes – allow “dark money” and ...2 weeks ago
- Animal response to a bushfire is astounding. These are the tricks they use to surviveDale Nimmo, Charles Sturt University Have you ever wondered how our native wildlife manage to stay alive when an inferno is ripping through their homes, and afterwards when there is little to eat and nowhere to hide? The answer is adaptation and old-fashioned ingenuity. Australia’s bushfire season is far from ...2 weeks ago
- Should I ditch my fossil-fueled car?Yes. Reducing the number of cars in your household, or switching from petrol/diesel to electric, will dramatically reduce your greenhouse gas emissions. It’s one of the easiest and highest-impact climate steps you can take. New Zealand is being flooded with cars The New Zealand vehicle fleet is increasing rapidly. In ...2 weeks ago
- Speaker: Planet History: Taking Tea with QuentinThis interview with Quentin Crisp is part of a series of articles republished from Planet, the independent magazine I edited in the early 90s from a base at 309 Karangahape Road, along with Grant Fell, Rachael Churchward, Fiona Rae, David Teehan, Mere Ngailevu and others.Inevitably, you forget things, and over ...2 weeks ago
- Skeptical Science New Research for Week #1, 2020Supply Side How are we doing with CO2 emissions? It's an important question, increasingly posed to a mixed bag of CO2 contributors who may or may not provide accurate reportage. Liu et al present a new, additional means of measurement based on satellite observations of nitrogen dioxide co-emitted from ...2 weeks ago
- Is the prostitute the seller or the sold?Excerpts from Being and Being Bought, by Kajsa Ekis Ekman, Spinifex Press, 2013. Ekman, a Swedish journalist and critic, brings together a Marxist and feminist analysis of prostitution and surrogacy in this groundbreaking book. This is the third part of a synopsis and brief commentary of the book by Daphna Whitmore. Part 1 was ...2 weeks ago
- The climate crisis is also a biodiversity crisisDr Andrea Byrom Like many of us, the summer break has seen me transfixed with horror at the scale and magnitude of the bushfire crisis in Australia. As an ecologist, I can’t help but be appalled at the loss of some of Australia’s most beautiful ecosystems and landscapes. And ...2 weeks ago
- Apathy in the face of disasterWarning: This article contains topics that might trigger right wing snowflakes!Unless you’ve had your head buried in a billabong for the last four months you’d of heard about the Australian bush fires. The fires have been unprecedented, with approximately five million hectares (12.35 million acres) of land burned nationwide. More ...2 weeks ago
- Labour opposes leisureFinland's new Prime Minister has made headlines by pushing for a 4-day week. So what does new Zealand's "centre-left" government think? Nope. They'd rather people kept working themselves into misery and death:The Government does not plan to follow Finland's lead to encourage businesses to offer staff a four-day week. [...] ...2 weeks ago
- Who’s afraid of the non-native accent? Everyone … unless you tell them about itAs someone who learnt English late-ish in life, I was always on the look-out for signs which betray my foreignness, afraid that my clumsy mispronunciation or syntactic misalignment will give away my outsider status. And for once, sadly, my worries were well-founded it seems. It’s bad, prejudice is rife! In ...2 weeks ago
- Donald Trump’s strategic gambleThere’s a meme going around the Internet at the moment claiming that Donald Trump is a bit of an idiot. To outside eyes it does seem as though the President of the United States thumbs his nose at his own countries laws and administration far too often to be taken ...2 weeks ago
- More Spanish repressionBack in December, the European Court of Justice ruled that jailed Catalan politician Oriol Junqueras was a Member of the European Parliament and therefore had immunity from prosecution. In a democratic state under the rule of law, he would have been immediately released from prison (and compensated for his illegal ...2 weeks ago
- Doubling down: Researchers investigate compound climate risksThis is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Daniel Grossman It was a grim day in Moscow on July 25, 2010. The English-language Moscow Times reported that the Russian capital had broken the 1936 temperature record for July: 98 degrees Fahrenheit. That month, the city, where air conditioning was (and still is) ...2 weeks ago
- Everyone, we must be united and work together (now we’ve got rid of the Corbyn)
Yvette Cooper has written a piece in the Guardian outlinig 'Seven things Labour Must Do To Win The Next Election'.I'll overlook the absurd headline - no-one is talking about Labour winning the next election and I assume that Cooper didn't write the headline (she doesn't mention winning the next election anywhere ...2 weeks ago - “A common interest in war with Iran” say those who will NOT be in the firing line
Well, things have certainly escalated. Brent Crude hits $70 in light of recent geopolitical incidents. There’s a British nuclear sub on its way to thump Iran if needed, and Netenyahu says “everyone” is keen on war with Iran. Of course in terms of the oil prices, that’ll have downstream ...2 weeks ago - 2020 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming Digest #1Story of the Week... Editorial of the Week... El Niño/La Niña Update... Toon of the Week... Coming Soon on SkS... Climate Feedback Claim Reviews... SkS Week in Review... Poster of the Week... Story of the Week... The signal of human-caused climate change has emerged in everyday weather, study finds ...2 weeks ago
- New Fisk2 weeks ago
- Climate Change: Complementary measuresFor the past twenty-five years, climate change policy in New Zealand has been all about emissions pricing. Policy makers thought that all you needed to do was make people pay for their pollution via a carbon tax or emissions trading scheme, and the problem would be solved. This mechanism was ...2 weeks ago
- Jeremy Clarkson – God is an arsonistYou've really got to wonder if Jeremy Clarkson is worshiping the right deity? I mean thinking that Australia is somehow deserving of the calamity that has befallen it in the form of unprecedented bush fires is one thing, but claiming God intentionally likes to cause people and animals immeasurable pain ...2 weeks ago
- We are no longer welcome in IraqLast Friday, the US murdered a high-ranking Iranian general, ostensibly as retaliation for Iraqi militias attacking US troops in Iraq. It was a stupid move, a mistake as well as a crime (to misquote Talleyrand), and it is already having the expected effects: the Iranian nuclear deal is now completely ...2 weeks ago
- Miscalculation, escalation and the law of unintended consequences.Note: I penned a series of tweets on the consultancy page offering my thoughts on the Soleimani assassination. I have decided to gather them together, add some more material, and edit them into a blogpost. Here it is. The US drone strike in Baghdad that killed Iranian Quds force commander ...2 weeks ago
- 2020 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #1A chronological listing of news articles linked to on the Skeptical Science Facebook Page during the past week, i.e., Sun, Dec 29, 2019 through Sat, Jan 4, 2020 Editor's Pick There Is No Safe Global Warming Australia Bushfire - Shutterstock Safety is something we all crave. It’s human nature. ...2 weeks ago
- The strike on Suleimani: a Neocon gambit for rolling the MIC onwards to a new chapter of global dest...
Anyone who thinks this was merely a so-called “precision strike” on “a really bad man!” and doesn’t get the wider geopolitical ramifications of this is beyond deluded. Probably those who think Commando comics are actually transcripts from a lost war documentary, and GI Joe was the biography of a real ...3 weeks ago - This is goodStill feeling very kicked in the head. Took some time off over Christmas and New Year to think about stuff, contemplating the unthinkable idea that i might have been ... wrong. But, after a thorough deconstruction of my cerebellum and rigorous self examination, I conclude I was not, am not.Okay, ...3 weeks ago
- A standout example of Right-wing truth inversion: “debating” responsibility for the Aust...
Many people must have seen the copious amounts of emotive, highly charged blame being increasingly passed onto “the bloody environmentalists!” and “the bloody Greenies” for this absolute debacle. This blame has been fomented by the Rightwing press, and the Governing coalition under Scott Morrison, who it must be said never ...3 weeks ago - Someone To Follow, Something To Blame.Poshing The Proletariat: As we enter the third decade of the twenty-first century, the question for New Zealand politicians is a simple one. Will workers’ expectations of fair treatment erode faster than their rising political determination to find someone to follow and something to blame? Significant sections of the United ...3 weeks ago
- Provincial Growth Fund to help Waipukurau Pā sites attract thousands of tourists
The Ngā Ara Tipuna - Waipukurau Pā Site Interpretation project is receiving $2.798 million from the Provincial Growth Fund. It is is expected to boost the town's employment and tourism, creating sixteen new jobs once completed and attract up to 15,000 visitors a year. Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Regional Economic Development ...2 hours ago - “Common sense will prevail, not extremism” Winston Peters backs Shane Jones’ pro-meat stanceNew Zealand First leader Winston Peters is backing his MPs who have spoken out against a new climate change teaching resource that advises students to eat less meat to save the planet. The new teaching resource, announced by Education Minister Chris Hipkins and Climate Change Minister James Shaw, tells students ...1 day ago
- Acting PM Winston Peters confirms NZDF troops in Iraq not hit by Iranian attacksActing Prime Minister Winston Peters called for calm and diplomacy following Iranian missile strikes on bases housing United States troops in Iraq, but confirmed New Zealand's base in the country was not hit. The New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) was earlier today investigating claims New Zealand's base in Iraq had ...2 days ago
- Housing consents hit highest level since 1974Housing consents have hit a 45-year high, as Statistics NZ data shows a total of 37,010 residential consents were issued in the year to November --- the first time they have breached the 37,000 mark since the mid-1970s. Statistics NZ said the trend had been rising since late 2011, when ...1 week ago
- Darroch Ball MP: “Violence against first responders is a problem on the rise”New Zealand First MP Darroch Ball says that a paramedic being kicked unconscious last night in an attempted burglary in Warkworth, north of Auckland, is a symptom of a larger problem. "Incidents like this are becoming more and more frequent...and it’s getting worse," Mr Ball said. The MP is pushing for ...1 week ago
- Minister Ron Mark asks NZDF to conduct fire risk assessment from defence point of viewDefence Minister Ron Mark said there was nothing to prevent similar large-scale bushfires seen in Australia from also happening in New Zealand, and has asked the New Zealand Defence Force to conduct a nfire risk assessment from a defence point of view. The defence assessment would help prevent a disaster ...2 weeks ago
- Defence Minister Mark expresses “absolute confidence” in NZDF forces stationed in IraqWhile feeling worried about increased Middle East tensions, Defence Minister Ron Mark said he had "absolute confidence" in New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) leadership. His statements come as the fate of Kiwi troops stationed in Iraq comes under intense scrutiny. Forty-five Defence Force personnel were thought to be in the ...2 weeks ago
- Defence Minister Ron Mark: “NZDF focused on protecting troops in Iraq from retaliation”As tensions in the Middle East continue to grow after the assassination of top Iranian general Qasem Soleimani, the New Zealand Defence Force is focusing on the protection of Kiwi troops deployed in Iraq. Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters says that "recent attacks on coalition bases and embassies constitute unacceptable ...2 weeks ago
- Wairoa gets up to $6.1m to rebuild heart of CBD
The Provincial Growth Fund (PGF) is investing up to $6.1 million to revitalise business and tourism opportunities in Wairoa, Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Regional Economic Development Fletcher Tabuteau announced today. The PGF is funding: Up to $4.8 million for the Wairoa Integrated Business and Tourism Facility Up to $960,000 for the ...3 hours ago - Major Events support for creative and cultural eventsCreative and cultural events that highlight New Zealand’s diverse culture and build national pride are set to get a funding boost through the Major Events Fund, Economic Development Minister Phil Twyford said today. The new Creative and Cultural Events Incubator, which is funded through the Major Events Fund, will open ...3 hours ago
- Construction workforce, apprenticeships hit record highsWorking with industry and committing to rebuild New Zealand’s infrastructure has produced a record high number of Kiwis working in the construction industry and learning trades, says Minister for Building and Construction Jenny Salesa. New figures available today from the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment and the Tertiary Education ...7 hours ago
- NZ concludes digital economy trade talks with Singapore and ChileA new trade agreement concluded today helps New Zealand exporters and consumers take advantage of opportunities from digital trade. Minister for Trade and Export Growth David Parker together with Chile’s Vice Minister of Trade Rodrigo Yañez and Singapore’s Minister of Trade and Industry Chan Chun Sing, have announced conclusion of ...15 hours ago
- Provincial Growth Fund to fund Waipukurau cultural development and tourismThe Ngā Ara Tipuna - Waipukurau Pā Site Interpretation project will receive $2.798 million from the Provincial Growth Fund to create an authentic cultural tourism experience, Under-Secretary for Regional Economic Development Fletcher Tabuteau announced today “The project will inform visitors about the history of six pā sites in Waipukurau with a combination ...1 day ago
- 21 new judges boost diversity, improve access to justiceTwenty-one new District Court judges have been appointed in a move that will improve access to justice and boost diversity on the bench. The new judges include replacements for retirements and 10 new positions. Attorney-General David Parker today announced the 14 judges who can immediately be named, with the remainder ...1 day ago
- Puhinui to Auckland Airport in 10 minutesAucklanders are another step closer to getting rapid transit to the airport, with the start of construction to upgrade State Highway 20B to the airport, Transport Minister Phil Twyford announced today. SH20B will be upgraded with additional lanes in each direction, dedicated to bus and high-occupancy vehicles between Pukaki Creek ...1 day ago
- Advancing New Zealand’s trade agenda focus of Europe meetingsWorld Trade Organisation reform, agricultural trade and a free trade agreement with the United Kingdom will be the focus of Minister for Trade and Export Growth David Parker’s visit to Europe this week. David Parker leaves on Tuesday for a series of meetings in the UK and Switzerland that aim ...2 days ago
- Minister of Defence to visit counterparts in US and CanadaThe Minister of Defence, Ron Mark, departed today for the United States and Canada where he will meet with his counterparts. While in Canada Minister Mark will meet with his counterpart, Minister of National Defence Harjit Sajjan. “New Zealand and Canada are close friends, and share an instinctive like-mindedness on ...2 days ago
- Government to deliver family carers $2000 pay rise, expand scheme to spouses this yearThe Coalition Government is delivering this year the changes to Funded Family Care the disability sector has long-asked for, says Associate Minister of Health Jenny Salesa. “Today we are announcing the details of our big changes to Funded Family Care, including an annual average pay boost of $2,246.40 for funded ...3 days ago
- Ko te reo kua mū: Piri SciasciaMinister for Māori Development Nanaia Mahuta joins te ao Māori in their sorrow as they learn of the loss of one of the great orators and spokespersons of a generation – Piri Sciascia. “The son of Pōrangahau was a staunch advocate for Māori development and served his people for over ...4 days ago
- Minister opens new ecosanctuary at Cape FarewellA new ecosanctuary with a predator proof fence on Golden Bay’s Cape Farewell, which will restore a safe home for sea birds, rare native plants, giant snails, and geckos, was officially opened today by the Minister of Conservation Eugenie Sage. “There has been a fantastic community effort supported by the ...4 days ago
- Pacific partners work together to provide additional support to AustraliaThe NZDF continues to support the Australian Defence Force (ADF) as it battles fires in Victoria and New South Wales, including by transporting Republic of Fiji Military engineers from Nadi to Australia, announced Defence Minister Ron Mark. On Saturday morning a NZDF Boeing 757 will depart New Zealand to uplift ...5 days ago
- Kaikōura $10.88 million boost in tourism & businessThe Provincial Growth Fund (PGF) is investing $10.88 million to boost business and tourism opportunities in Kaikōura, Parliamentary Undersecretary for Regional Economic Development, Fletcher Tabuteau announced today. As part of the Kaikōura Marina Development Programme, the following two projects will receive PGF funding: A $9.88 million investment to begin the ...5 days ago
- Govt accounts in surplus, debt remains lowThe Government’s books are in good shape with the accounts in surplus and expenses close to forecast, Finance Minister Grant Robertson says. The Treasury today released the Crown accounts for the five months to November. The operating balance before gains and losses (OBEGAL) was above forecast by $0.7 billion resulting ...5 days ago
- Auckland focus for first Police graduation of 2020The number of Police on the Auckland frontline is increasing with the graduation today of a special locally-trained wing of new constables. Police Minister Stuart Nash says the graduation of eighteen officers from Recruit Wing 333-5 means that more than 1900 new Police have been deployed since the Coalition Government ...6 days ago
- Wairarapa gets $7.11m PGF water boostThe Provincial Growth Fund is putting $7.11 million into creating a sustainable water supply for Wairarapa, Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Regional Economic Development Fletcher Tabuteau announced today. The following two projects will receive Provincial Growth Fund (PGF) funding: A $7 million investment in Wairarapa Water Limited for the pre-construction development of ...1 week ago
- Progress with new Police station in MahiaCommunity safety and crime prevention in the East Coast community of Mahia has moved forward with the opening of a new Police station to serve the growing coastal settlement. Police Minister Stuart Nash has officially opened the new station, which was relocated almost 20 kilometres along the coast from the nearby ...1 week ago
- Plans to protect the future of whitebaiting announcedWith several native whitebait species in decline the Minister of Conservation Eugenie Sage has today released proposals to standardise and improve management of whitebait across New Zealand. “The need for action for a healthy whitebait fishery has never been greater,” Eugenie Sage said. “Four of the six whitebait species are ...1 week ago
- New resource for schools to increase awareness and understanding of climate changeA new Ministry of Education resource available for schools in 2020 will increase awareness and understanding of climate change, Education Minister Chris Hipkins said today. “The resource, Climate Change – prepare today, live well tomorrow, will help students understand the effects of climate change at a local, national and global ...1 week ago
- Getting more out of our most productive firmsFinance Minister Grant Robertson has approved the terms of reference for an Inquiry into the economic contribution of New Zealand's frontier firms. Frontier firms are the most productive firms in the domestic economy within their own industry. “These firms are important as they diffuse new technologies and business practices into ...2 weeks ago
- NZDF sends more support to AustraliaThe New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) is sending an Environmental Health Team, a Primary Health Care Team and a Chaplain to Australia, boosting New Zealand support for the Australian Defence Force (ADF) as it battles bush fires in Victoria and New South Wales, Defence Minister Ron Mark announced today. The ...2 weeks ago
- New Zealand joins partners in calling for full investigation into air crash in IranActing Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Rt Hon Winston Peters says that developments suggesting a surface-to-air missile is responsible for the downing of the Ukrainian International Airlines flight in Iran is disastrous news. “New Zealand offers its deepest sympathies to the families of the 176 victims. It is ...2 weeks ago
- Staying connected to Australian agricultureAgriculture Minister, Damien O’Connor, says the Ministry for Primary Industries is continuing to stay connected to federal authorities in Australia as devastating fires affect the country. “The Ministry is using an existing trans-Tasman forum for discussions on the agricultural impact of the fires and the future recovery phase,” says Damien ...2 weeks ago
- Investment in schools – a commitment to communitiesThousands of school-age children, their teachers and wider communities are benefiting from the Government’s multi-million dollar investment upgrading and renewing schools, Education Minister Chris Hipkins said today. “We want New Zealand to be the best place to be a child and that means learning in warm, comfortable and modern classrooms,” ...2 weeks ago
- New Zealand Defence Force sends support to AustraliaMinister of Defence Ron Mark today announced New Zealand is sending three Royal New Zealand Air Force NH90 helicopters and crew, and two NZ Army Combat Engineer Sections as well as a command element to support the Australian Defence Force efforts in tackling the Australian fires. The New Zealand Defence Force ...2 weeks ago
- Better access to books for blind and low vision citizens on World Braille Day"Today is World Braille Day and I am delighted to announce that an international treaty giving blind and low vision New Zealanders access to books and literary works comes into force today,” Minister for Disability Issues Carmel Sepuloni announced today. “Today the Marrakesh Treaty and the associated amendments to the ...3 weeks ago
- New Zealand to send further firefighter support to AustraliaThe New Zealand Government is sending a further 22 firefighters to help fight the Australian fires. “The devastation caused by these fires is taking a substantial toll on our Australian neighbours and we will continue to do what we can to assist as they deal with this extremely dynamic, dangerous ...3 weeks ago
- Response to Taxpayers’ Union Press Release
The New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union got it wrong in saying that West Coast Regional Councillors had been given a 41% pay increase by the Remuneration Authority. ...31 mins ago - Maori Council to establish a national taskforceThe New Zealand Maori Council has announced the establishment of a National Taskforce for Science and Technology. Council Executive Director, Matthew Tukaki, has said that Maori are and will play an increasing role in the sectors from a social, economic, ...59 mins ago
- Govt says flag lowering at Ihumātao “significant”
A deal appears to have been reached at Ihumātao days before parties appear at Rātana Pā for the first political event of the year. ...2 hours ago - What’s on RNZ News at midday – Jan 22
The Government says it acknowledges the significance of the Kiingi Tūheitia’s decision today to lower his flag at Ihumātao. ...2 hours ago - Heading into election year on a knife edge
With the Govt yet to learn some basic lessons, Labour could repeat the historic feat of losing after one term in office ...2 hours ago - Nurse staffing crisis looming for primary healthThe New Zealand Nurses Organisation (NZNO) says a crisis is looming in the Primary Health Care Sector (general practices and accident and medical centres) if funding is not increased to allow practice and registered nurse salaries to match those of ...2 hours ago
- Scientists hate to say, ‘I told you so’. But Australia, we warned you
Bushfire conditions will become more severe. We call on Australians, particularly our leaders, to heed the science, writes Will Steffen of the Australian National UniversityThose who say “I told you so” are rarely welcomed, yet I am going to say it here. Australian scientists warned the country could face a climate ...3 hours ago - Youth Vaping and the Laws of AotearoaThe government needs to address the lack of age restrictions on vape products to limit youth access, via immediate regulation to place the products under the same age restricted R18 category as other “adult only” consumer products, such as ...3 hours ago
- E tū response to Imperial Tobacco closure proposalE tū has been meeting with our members at Imperial Tobacco in Petone, where workers learned this week about a proposal by global parent company Imperial Brands to close the plant. ...3 hours ago
- How to afford a holiday if you’re poor? Beryl has some ideasIt can be near impossible for many New Zealanders to afford the most meagre of holidays. But there is an answer, and that answer turns out to be: go foraging berries. Emily Writes explains.Stuff published a fantastic article by Josephine Franks the other day. The rise of ‘holiday hunger’: The ...3 hours ago
- The dispute at Ihumātao has been settledOn day 1,173 of the occupation at Ihumātao, a resolution appears to have been agreed. Leonie Hayden reports from Mangere. This morning Kiingi Tuheitia travelled to Ihūmātao and lowered the flag of the Kiingitanga.Six years after ancestral land at Ihumātao in Manukau was earmarked for a future housing development, and more ...4 hours ago
- The flag comes down at Ihumātao, pointing to a resolutionOn day 1,173 of the occupation at Ihumātao, a resolution looks imminent. Leonie Hayden reports from Mangere. This morning Kiingi Tuheitia travelled to Ihūmātao and lowered the flag of the Kiingitanga.Six years after ancestral land at Ihumātao in Manukau was earmarked for a future housing development, and more than three years ...4 hours ago
- Charges filed in case of far-right soldier
A soldier with ties to the far-right who was arrested in December at Linton Military Camp has been charged with an "unauthorised disclosure of information". ...5 hours ago - Dairy prices rise in latest auction
Prices have risen in the global dairy auction overnight. ...5 hours ago - Bernard’s Pick of the links- Jan 22
Police Minister admits NZ has a gang problem; and NZ-born Laybuy to list on ASX over NZX ...6 hours ago - Why are taxpayers funding astrology-based health services?The New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union is alarmed to learn that taxpayers are funding astrology-based health services, in the name of “traditional Māori healing”. In a comment to Stuff , the Ministry of Health says it is encouraging its Healthy ...6 hours ago
- Whānau Ora claim must be fast tracked, says Māori PartyThe Māori Party supports the urgent claim to the Waitangi Tribunal lodged by five distinguished leaders and announced by Māori Party co-founder Dame Tariana Turia. ...6 hours ago
- In defence of Davos: if it didn’t exist, someone would have to invent itThe case for the meeting that everyone loves to hate, by someone who used to go.This week sees 3,000 of the “global elite” gather on the top of a Swiss mountain to opine on the state of the world and people could not be more outraged. Again.The stereotype of the ...6 hours ago
- What’s on RNZ News at 8am – Jan 22
The National Party Deputy Leader Paula Bennett says Shane Jones appears to have misled Parliament over his dealings with a forestry company that applied for Government funding. ...6 hours ago - Imperial Tobacco plans Petone Factory closureImperial Tobacco has today announced a proposal to close its cigarette manufacturing facility in Petone. ...7 hours ago
- We found the world’s oldest asteroid strike in Western Australia. It might have triggered a global...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Aaron J. Cavosie, Senior research fellow, Curtin University The world’s oldest remaining asteroid crater is at a place called Yarrabubba, southeast of the town of Meekatharra in Western Australia. Our new study puts a precise age on the cataclysmic impact – showing ...7 hours ago - Juries need to be told how they’re allowed to use the internet to ensure fair trialsSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jemma Holt, Research Fellow/ Acting Executive Officer (Research), Tasmania Law Reform Institute, University of Tasmania Juries are supposed to consider evidence without influence or bias from the outside world. However, the widespread access to and use of the internet and social media ...7 hours ago
- I’m taking antibiotics – how do I know I’ve been prescribed the right ones?Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Christine Carson, Senior Research Fellow, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Western Australia In the days before antibiotics, deaths from bacterial infections were common. Seemingly minor illnesses could escalate in severity, becoming deadly in a matter of hours or days. These days, ...7 hours ago
- Scientists hate to say ‘I told you so’. But Australia, you were warnedSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Will Steffen, Emeritus Professor, Australian National University Those who say “I told you so” are rarely welcomed, yet I am going to say it here. Australian scientists warned the country could face a climate change-driven bushfire crisis by 2020. It arrived on ...7 hours ago
- Bushfire education is too abstract. We need to get children into the real worldSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Briony Towers, Research Fellow, Centre for Urban Research, RMIT University Children and young people have been deeply impacted by the current bushfire crisis. Schools have been destroyed and thousands of houses have burnt down. Hazardous air pollution is causing major public health ...7 hours ago
- Shane Jones on funding conflict of interest, forestry meeting
Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones is hitting back at fresh criticisms of a conflict of interest saying he can meet with whomever he likes at Parliament's restaurant Bellamy's. ...7 hours ago - The science backs Harry and Meghan turning in their royal privilege. Fame and fortune aren’t the k...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jolanda Jetten, Professor, School of Psychology, ARC Laureate Fellow, The University of Queensland If you’ve ever dreamt of fame and fortune, Prince Harry and his wife Meghan Markle turning their backs on the royal lifestyle might seem churlish. So too their desire ...7 hours ago
- New year, new strategy? Unheralded change to budget targets creates space for stimulusSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Danielle Wood, Program Director, Budget Policy and Institutional Reform, Grattan Institute In public, the government is crab-walking away from its commitment to a budget surplus, saying since the bushfires that other things have become more important. Asked directly on Tuesday whether he ...7 hours ago
- The rise of the ‘porntropreneur’: even hustlers need side hustles in the gig economySource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sophie Pezzutto, PhD Candidate in Anthropology, Australian National University “Porn is the billboard. Cam is the product,” my housemate and porn performer in Las Vegas tells me. She makes most of her money from camming: a form of live streaming, where viewers ...7 hours ago
- Why StuffME won’t become NZ’s ‘Mediaterra’
Will the Govt do for media what it did for the dairy industry when it legislated to create Fonterra? Bernard Hickey explains why that is unlikely. ...7 hours ago - What’s in the newspapers – Jan 22
Motorists are still confused about the “ambiguous” drink-drive laws, with many believing they are fine to get behind the wheel after three drinks. ...7 hours ago - The Bulletin: What the UN climate refugee ruling meansGood morning, and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: What the UN climate refugee ruling means, Whānau Ora funding battle escalates, and what’s going on with Ihumātao?A United Nations ruling on an i-Kiribati man who sought asylum as a climate refugee in New Zealand could have global implications. Ioane Teitiota ...8 hours ago
- Why Creative New Zealand killed New Zealand Books
ReadingRoom literary editor Steve Braunias receives some flimsy answers from Creative New Zealand about its decision to kill the distinguished journal, New Zealand Books. ...9 hours ago - Are bats to blame for China’s virus?
As bats and humans cross paths, more viruses are making the jump from bat to people. China’s latest virus is the latest coronavirus to affect humans with which is likely to have its origins in bats. ...9 hours ago - It is folly to take on social dysfunction while avoiding all mention of the p-wordNew research encourages ‘interventions’ – things like programmes aimed at helping poorer families to ‘be better parents’ – without addressing substantially issues of poverty, and it’s a bit like trying to prop up a crumbling brick wall with a piece of four-by-two, writes Max Rashbrooke.Imagine a team of explorers who, ...10 hours ago
- We’re hiring: The Spinoff seeks parliament-based politics editor We’re recruiting a political journalist to join the press gallery in Wellington – a brand new position, made possible by our members programme.Politics has been a bedrock of The Spinoff’s coverage for a number of years, and we’re excited to announce its expansion through our recruitment of a new staff ...10 hours ago
- Cheat sheet: Five Māori leaders vote ‘no confidence’ in Whānau Ora ministerA group of Māori leaders have made an urgent Waitangi Tribunal claim on behalf of the Whānau Ora Commissioning Agency, and issued a biting rebuke to Jacinda Ardern and Peeni Henare.What’s this ‘no confidence’ about, then?Some of Aotearoa’s most powerful wāhine have had enough. A statement from the Whānau Ora ...10 hours ago
- West Papua: Sad plight of the Nduga internally displaced childrenSPECIAL REPORT: By Arnold Belau, Ligia Giay, Febriana Firdaus and Belinda Lopez of Voice of Papua Everything about what happened in the Papuan provincial regency of Nduga just over a year ago is still a blur and closed off. It remains an elephant in the room, just like another ...18 hours ago
- Congestion charging ‘inevitable,’ but not now
A congestion charge is being ruled out by the Minister of Transport for now, but he is thinking longer term about how to use GPS transponders to charge road user fees ...19 hours ago - Whānau Ora head warns minister over funding allocationWhānau Ora minister Peeni Henare can kiss Māori progress goodbye if he continues to allow other agencies to dip into its funding, the organisation's head has warned. ...20 hours ago
- Australia needs more engineers. And more of them need to be womenSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Lisa Harvey-Smith, Professor and Australian Government’s Women in STEM Ambassador, UNSW Engineering skills underpin the functioning of our societies and economies. As we face the global challenges presented by a changing climate, food and water scarcity, loss of biodiversity and globalisation, these ...21 hours ago
- It’s hard for people with severe mental illness to get in the NDIS – and the problems don’t st...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Nicola Hancock, Lead, Mental Health Stream, Centre for Disability Research and Policy, University of Sydney The National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) promises a life-changing opportunity for Australians living with disabilities to get the supports they need to engage and participate fully in ...21 hours ago
- Govt focus on mitigating climate change, not climate refugeesThe government remains focused on mitigating climate change impacts rather than preparing for climate refugees, despite a recent United Nations ruling. ...21 hours ago
- Airport screening for Coronavirus needed nowNew Zealand health authorities’ decision not to screen at the country’s airports for the Coronavirus emanating from China is like passengers on the Titanic being told not to worry because the ship was unsinkable. ...22 hours ago
- Hidden women of history: Australian undercover journalist in hospitalsBy Kerrie Davies and Willa McDonald in Sydney In 1886, a year before American journalist Nellie Bly feigned insanity to enter an asylum in New York and became a household name, Catherine Hay Thomson arrived at the entrance of Kew Asylum in Melbourne on “a hot grey morning with ...23 hours ago
- Yep, you guessed right if you figured Northland is getting more than a fair share from the PGF
About the same time as Fletcher Tabuteau was announcing the latest handouts from the Provincial Growth Fund, the Point of Order Trough Monitor was massaging all available data on where the money from the fund has been going. The figures take us up to November 30 2019 and affirm what ...23 hours ago - NZSki angers local outdoor community with summer tollLocal recreation clubs are upset and angry at the news that NZSki plan to operate a toll on the road to the Remarkables Ski Area this summer. While foot and cycle access are to remain free, vehicles will be charged $10 to use the road from February ...23 hours ago
- Many of our plants and animals have adapted to fires, but now the fires are changingSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Cris Brack, Associate Professor, Fenner School of Environment and Society, Australian National University Australia is a land that has known fire. Our diverse plant and animal species have become accustomed to life with fire, and in fact some require it to procreate. ...23 hours ago
- The Mad Butcher on being NZ’s greatest food influencerAlex Casey counts down more of The Mad Butcher’s maddest Insta-breakfasts, with bonus commentary from The Butch himself. We live in very uncertain times. We don’t know what the future of our planet looks like, we don’t know if Minou and Jay-Jay will ever see each other again and we can’t ...24 hours ago
- Matthew Tukaki: The Maori Party and the General ElectionReports and articles have been appearing about my involvement with the Maori Party. Articles have also appeared about my involvement in a “dream team” that could either win back several Maori Seats or be on the list of the Party. ...24 hours ago
- To keep NGO services open, close the pay gapANZASW, Aotearoa New Zealand’s professional social work body, is calling on the government to prioritise fair pay and funding for social workers in the community sector to avert crisis, cuts and closures. ...24 hours ago
- ‘When I was carving my whakapapa, I could feel my ancestors helping me’A new programme replacing woodwork at two Hamilton intermediate schools is helping young Māori connect through the art of whakairo. Outside the wharenui bearing his carvings, Matua Rei Mihaere drives his closed fist through the air.Thirteen pairs of eyes look up at him as he asks, “If you see this ...1 day ago
- Funding boost for age-friendly projectsThe Office for Seniors has announced the nine successful applicants in the latest round of Community Connects grants. ...1 day ago
- Fletcher Building takes down fences at Ihumātao
Fletcher Building is pulling down fences at Ihumātao, but the future of the disputed site is still to be settled. ...1 day ago - Scammed Chinese workers promised fairness instead told to go
Construction workers from China caught in an employment scam were promised fair treatment by the Immigration Minister but instead have been asked to leave the country. ...1 day ago - OMV fails in Taranaki – win for the climate"OMV's failure to find fossil fuels in its recent drilling campaign off the Taranaki coast is a win for the climate" says Urs Signer, member of Climate Justice Taranaki. ...1 day ago
- Future uncertain for all five big news outlets
2020 could see the biggest changes to our news media in more than a generation. ...1 day ago - Here’s how long it’ll take to watch some of the most bingeable showsWant to watch Friends but not sure how much time you’ll have to commit? Never fear, Sam Brooks has you covered with how long it’ll take to binge some of the most bingeable shows.Want to know a fun fact? If your full-time job was watching Shortland Street and you started ...1 day ago
- What’s on RNZ News at midday – Jan 21
Hundreds of passengers have been stranded as domestic flights out of Wellington were delayed or cancelled because of fog ...1 day ago - Agricultural sector’s commitments questionedThe Environmental Defence Society (EDS) has lodged its submission on amendments proposed to the Climate Change Response (Emissions Trading Reforms) Amendment Bill; specifically those that seek to give effect to aspects of the Primary Sector’s ...1 day ago
- A new year on NZ TV: Jesse Mulligan has a carrot and he’s on a ‘path to hotness’On the 20th day of 2020, New Zealand’s current affairs shows finally came back to work. Or did they? Tara Ward tuned in to the first episodes of Breakfast, The AM Show, The Project NZ and Seven Sharp to find out just what the New Year would bring. Breakfast Look at John and ...1 day ago
- Ihumātao: a Pākehā ally’s perspective
Frances Hancock, a Mangere Bridge local who has worked alongisde the SOUL group to preserve Ihumātao, pays tribute to those still protecting the land as they wait for a settlement. ...1 day ago - Farmers, wildlife and residents alike face water shortages as regions dry up fast
Water cuts are looming in pockets of the country drying up fast. ...1 day ago - Textbooks should highlight Marcos dictatorship atrocities, says RobredoBy Llanesca T. Panti in Manila Textbooks should be changed to underscore the atrocities committed by the Philippines martial law regime of former dictator Ferdinand Marcos, rather than make light of these violations and rehabilitate the Marcos’ reputation as proposed by former Senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., says Vice-President ...1 day ago
- NZ-born Laybuy to list on ASX over NZX
The buy now, pay later software company Laybuy is looking to list on the Australian stock exchange (ASX) to fund its expansion. ...1 day ago - Vodafone’s early finish initiative ‘will have a big impact on morale’
Telecommunications company Vodafone is letting some of its employees clock off early on a Friday afternoon, and it's a win-win situation, says an organisational psychologist. ...1 day ago - Government must end exploitative ‘forum shopping’ practiceFIRST Union is today calling on the New Zealand Government to intervene in the shocking case of a Filipino migrant worker and carpenter who, until Monday last week, was unable to return to his fixed employment in New Zealand after his former employer, ...1 day ago
- Māori leadership launch legal challengeFIVE of the most outstanding Māori women leaders have lodged legal action against the Government and written to the Prime Minister saying they have “no confidence” in her Whānau Ora Minister. ...1 day ago
- National calls for investigation on Shane Jones and forestry companyThe National Party says the Regional Development Minister has serious questions to answer about his knowledge of a forestry company's application for $15m from the Provincial Growth Fund. ...1 day ago
- Cheat sheet: Should we be freaking out about the mysterious virus in China?A strange pneumonia-causing virus has broken out in China, and the number of cases is rising rapidly. How worried should we be? What’s all this then?Like Sars, swine flu and ebola before it, a new virus is hitting the headlines. The outbreak of a new type of coronavirus is centred around ...1 day ago
- Govt’s ongoing vaping delay is helping no oneThe Government keeps promising to regulate vaping. However, with no end in sight independent Kiwi vape businesses are left hanging and many smokers remain confused about transitioning to something that’s actually 95% safer, says Jonathan Devery, ...1 day ago
- Bernard’s Pick of the links- Jan 21
NZ First-linked company in government loan bid says it met with Shane Jones; and new chief executive for Presbyterian Support Southland. ...1 day ago - What’s on RNZ News at 8am – Jan 21
The National Party suspects dirty politics are at play after laptops were stolen from its headquarters, but a business next door was victim to the exact same crime a couple of months ago. ...1 day ago - Prisoner numbers in Australia have decreased, but we’re not really sure why yetSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Hilde Tubex, Future Fellow, Crime Research Centre, University of Western Australia The latest release of the Australian Bureau of Statistics Prisoners in Australia data provides a surprising change: for the first time in seven years, the national imprisonment rate has not increased. ...1 day ago
- Cousin took a DNA test? Courts could use it to argue you are more likely to commit crimesSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Allan McCay, Law Teacher, University of Sydney How similar do you think you are to your second cousin? Or your estranged great aunt? Would you like to have people assess your behaviour from what your great aunt has done? How would you ...1 day ago
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