Author Archive
What happens when the Covid vaccine becomes available?
Written By: - Date published: 7:42 am, December 4th, 2020 - 49 comments
The United Kingdom has used emergency procedures to approve for general use the Pfizer Covid vaccine. But this will nor provide overnight respite from Covid. How do you handle the mass vaccination of pretty well the whole planet? And what are the implications for New Zealand’s border policy?
Parliament’s climate change declaration
Written By: - Date published: 7:53 am, December 3rd, 2020 - 25 comments
Parliament has finally declared that the country is in a climate emergency. And it has also told the public service that it has to become carbon neutral within five years.
National’s gonna National
Written By: - Date published: 8:25 am, December 2nd, 2020 - 72 comments
On two issues, pill testing at music festivals and tax changes to address the housing crisis, National yesterday indicated that it will do what conservative parties do and oppose any meaningful change.
Stuff apologises for decades of racist reporting
Written By: - Date published: 7:58 am, November 30th, 2020 - 123 comments
In a headline I thought I would never read this morning Stuff has apologised for decades of racist reporting, and has in its own words “grappled with the truth that our journalism has often unfairly portrayed Maori, ranging from racist to blinkered”.
Auckland’s tree protection problem
Written By: - Date published: 11:17 am, November 28th, 2020 - 24 comments
Currently in Auckland far too many of our magnificent trees are not protected. Here are some thoughts on what the Government and Auckland Council should do to change this.
Comrade David signals radical rewrite of Act’s living wage policy
Written By: - Date published: 7:36 am, November 25th, 2020 - 75 comments
Comrade David Seymour has signalled that Act may argue for a minimum wage of $50 per hour.
National announces terms of reference for its election campaign review
Written By: - Date published: 7:45 am, November 24th, 2020 - 62 comments
National wants to work out what went wrong during the last election.
Georgian Republicans are part of the deep state threat to Trump
Written By: - Date published: 8:05 am, November 23rd, 2020 - 22 comments
Over in the US of A some amazing claims are being made with Trump’a lawyer claiming that in Georgia, which has perfected the art of disenfranchising Black American voters, there has been a deep seated conspiracy to lose the state for Trump. And Venezuela is involved.
National’s annual conference
Written By: - Date published: 9:47 am, November 22nd, 2020 - 64 comments
National has heeded the calls for change and rejuvination by returning Peter Goodfellow as its president.
South Australia’s new Covid strain
Written By: - Date published: 7:53 am, November 19th, 2020 - 16 comments
During a week in which two Covid vaccines have been announced there is disturbing news coming out of Australia where a new more potent strain of the virus has appeared in South Australia.
Trump’s chances of winning the Presidential Election through legal action
Written By: - Date published: 9:05 am, November 18th, 2020 - 19 comments
To win the Presidential Election Donald Trump has to win multiple legal challenges in multiple states. So far his cases have not gone very well.
The million MAGA muppet march
Written By: - Date published: 9:33 am, November 16th, 2020 - 37 comments
America is in some trouble. Covid19 is surging. The third wave is hitting hard. Suddenly 100,000 daily new infections is not a scary possibility, 200,000 is. And a group of Americans have been persuaded that Trump has had the election stolen off him.
Capitalism’s end game
Written By: - Date published: 8:07 am, November 13th, 2020 - 145 comments
In Aotearoa New Zealand we are facing a new crisis. Not Covid, although the recent case of community spread is deeply concerning. The crisis is the value of houses.
Some men just want to see the World burn
Written By: - Date published: 8:24 am, November 12th, 2020 - 58 comments
Normally when you lose an election you say nice things about the winner and make way for them. But is Trump doing this in the US of A? No sirree. From refusing Biden transition resources to instructing officials not to cooperate with Biden’s team to mass sackings of Defense officials to various failed cases Trump is obstructing the transition every step of the way.
What should the left make of the US election result?
Written By: - Date published: 7:43 am, November 10th, 2020 - 76 comments
Now the dust is settling on the US election result the one question I have is why was it even close?
Lawyers, guns and money
Written By: - Date published: 8:05 am, November 9th, 2020 - 51 comments
Over in the United States of America the country is descending into chaos. But so far the farcical type of chaos as opposed to the violent type of chaos and this is a good thing.
Donald Trump’s letter to Joe Biden
Written By: - Date published: 8:53 am, November 8th, 2020 - 19 comments
It is customary for outgoing Presidents to leave for the incoming President a short letter of introduction. The Standard has managed to obtain a early draft copy of Donald Trump’s letter to Joe Biden drafted while he was playing golf.
If Biden wins, then what?
Written By: - Date published: 11:29 am, November 7th, 2020 - 39 comments
I hope that I am not tempting fate by saying this but a Biden presidency seems almost inevitable. But presuming he prevails the transition is going to be one of the most difficult and most important in America’s history.
Final election result – Labour ascendant National down and out
Written By: - Date published: 2:26 pm, November 6th, 2020 - 56 comments
The Electoral Commission has released the final results of the 2020 election and if election night was a shocker for National the final result is even worse.
In support of Nanaia Mahuta
Written By: - Date published: 8:11 am, November 6th, 2020 - 70 comments
Some elements of the right as well as Comrade Chris Trotter have decided to attack Nanaia Mahuta’s appointment as Foreign Affairs minister. In my view they could not be more wrong and I believe she will be an outstanding Minister of Foreign Affairs.
Blood sucking leeches blame young for blood supply crisis
Written By: - Date published: 8:48 am, November 3rd, 2020 - 118 comments
The Property Investor Federation’s executive officer has expressed the opinion that every time a first home buyer buys a house it makes the housing crisis worse.
Labour’s new Oceans Ministry
Written By: - Date published: 8:19 am, November 3rd, 2020 - 23 comments
Jacinda Ardern’s decision to rename the Fisheries Ministery to “Oceans and Fisheries” and install David Parker instead of Stuart Nash shows a welcome desire to protect this most precious of resources.
Labour’s cabinet
Written By: - Date published: 1:48 pm, November 2nd, 2020 - 78 comments
Some details of the new Cabinet announced today by Jacinda Ardern.
The Covid crisis
Written By: - Date published: 11:43 am, November 1st, 2020 - 51 comments
A surge in Covid infections in Europe and in the United States is raising the specter that the most pessimistic predictions about the disease and its effect on the health system may occur. And right wing governments appear to be spectacularly unable to deal with the crisis.
The reeferendum fails
Written By: - Date published: 2:46 pm, October 30th, 2020 - 207 comments
The referendum seeking to decriminalise cannabis appears to have failed narrowly although special votes are still to be counted.
Aotearoa New Zealand is a hell hole paradise dystopian democracy
Written By: - Date published: 8:09 am, October 29th, 2020 - 55 comments
Fox News has seized upon a four month old video of Jacinda Ardern to suggest that New Zealand has a terrifying new response to the disease and are throwing people into quarantine camps.
The boy from Matamata
Written By: - Date published: 8:28 am, October 28th, 2020 - 43 comments
Trump deputy chief of staff Chris Liddell, who is also a Kiwi, has announced his candidacy to be head of the OECD. The Greens have announced their opposition because he has been part of inhumane decisions and also decisions that undermine international institutions. The right back him because he is a kiwi. What should Labour do?
Justice Coney Barrett appears to be a climate change denier
Written By: - Date published: 7:00 am, October 28th, 2020 - 10 comments
Newly appointed Republican and Trump supported Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett is not convinced that humans are changing the world’s climate. Meanwhile China and Japan are convinced and have announced dates by which time they intend to be carbon neutral.
Melbourne gets on top of Covid
Written By: - Date published: 8:36 am, October 27th, 2020 - 15 comments
Yesterday the city of Melbourne recorded its first day of no new reported covid infections in nearly five months. At the same time in America the White House has effectively said that control is too difficult and that it is giving up.
Labour day
Written By: - Date published: 8:54 am, October 26th, 2020 - 41 comments
Enjoying your weekend? Thank a unionist!
What should Labour do in the next three years?
Written By: - Date published: 10:01 am, October 25th, 2020 - 74 comments
With the hand brake gone and the Government’s policy platform already complete what should the Labour Government set out to achieve this term?
- Sinful or Harmful?
We need to change public policy if our aim is to minimise the harm from drugs.The background to the incident described in the next paragraph is that I was involved in a multidisciplinary international working party setting standards for measuring the cost of substance abuse. The report is published by ...11 hours ago - Overthrowing democracy in Tauranga
Back in 2010, the then-National government overthrew the elected government of Canterbury to impose a dictatorship. Now, Labour is going to do it to Tauranga. The reson for this is that the council is "dysfunctional". But so was the previous Labour - NZ First government, and that wasn't taken as ...11 hours ago - Julie Bindel talks about woke misogyny
In this interview Julie Bindel covers a lot of ground including the rift within feminism, the entitlement of the blue fringe luvvies, how the extreme trans activist fringe are not as much of a risk as the liberals who have capitulated, the distinction between no-platforming and de-platforming. Also, prostitution why ...16 hours ago - Climate Change: Denmark ends fossil fuelsThe Danish government has put an official end-date on fossil fuel extraction: Denmark’s government on Thursday agreed with a majority in parliament to put and end to all oil and gas exploration and extraction in the North Sea by 2050 as well as cancel its latest licensing round. The ...16 hours ago
- Climate Change: Reducing transport emissionsThe Herald this morning has a piece on how to halve Auckland's transport emissions within a decade. Its based on an interactive web tool by the 1.5 project, which lets you play around with all the variables and experiment with different combinations. The Herald highlights one of the surprises in ...19 hours ago
- The Last Thing Working-Class New Zealanders Need Is “Stability And Certainty”.
Make Some Noise! The problem with keeping conditions stable and certain for the middle-class is that it more-or-less obliges the Government to refrain from implementing policies likely to produce significant improvements in the condition of the working-class. Most especially, it obliges Jacinda Ardern and her colleagues to do next-to-nothing for ...20 hours ago - How declining ice in clouds makes high ‘climate sensitivity’ plausible
This is a re-post from Carbon Brief by Dr Tim Carlsen, a postdoctoral fellow in meteorology and oceanography at the University of Oslo; Jenny Bjordal , a doctoral research fellow in meteorology and oceanography at the University of Oslo; Prof Trude Storelvmo, a professor at the University of Oslo and the Nord University Business School; and Dr Kari Alterskjær, ...21 hours ago - Health and Economic Impacts of the COVID-19 Response: NZ Compared to OECD Countries
Prof Nick Wilson, Dr Leah Grout, Dr Jennifer Summers, Dr Nhung Nghiem, Prof Michael Baker (author details*) Aotearoa/NZ has achieved the lowest death rate in the OECD from the COVID-19 pandemic, equivalent to around 2000 lives and 32,000 life-years saved compared to the OECD average. With regard to economic harm, ...22 hours ago - Graeme Edgeler: New Zealand’s worst law
Last week, New Zealand’s newly-elected MPs met in Wellington to be sworn in. A day later, they trooped back to hear the speech from the throne: the just-after-the-election speech by the Governor-General setting out the new government’s priorities. This week, Parliament has been meeting under urgency to start on ...23 hours ago - Looking For “The Drummer”.Drumming-Up Support For The Nationalist Right: They’ll know “The Drummer” when they see him. He’ll be raffish, but not dishevelled. He’ll be articulate, but not slick. He’ll tell the most outrageous lies, which they will want to believe. But, most important of all, he’ll tell the most outrageous truths, which nobody else has ...23 hours ago
- Project Northmoor: A Red Light Over Tolkien’s House
The internet is currently buzzing with stories about Project Northmoor: the plan to buy J.R.R. Tolkien’s old house in Oxford, with the aim of turning it into a Centre: https://thewertzone.blogspot.com/2020/12/middle-earth-fans-raising-funds-to-buy.html As interesting as this is, there are some significant flies in the ointment. Before anyone considers donating, I ...1 day ago - Dunedin Bookwormery Mourns: The Demise of Scribes BookshopThis won’t mean much to those of you who aren’t familiar with my little corner of the world… but I thought I would devote a post to it anyway. Scribes, the premier second-hand bookshop in Dunedin, is closing at the end of the year: https://www.odt.co.nz/news/dunedin/after-30-years-%E2%80%98dunedin-institution%E2%80%99-set-close I prefer buying used ...1 day ago
- Māori and Pacific academics paid and promoted lessGlass ceilings are a reality for Māori and Pacific academics at New Zealand universities, according to new research. This group is already in the minority, making up just 5% and 2% respectively of the academic workforce, with less than 4% and 1% employed at professor level positions. These employment levels ...2 days ago
- ConflictedParliament passed the government's new top tax rate this morning. But as expected, National and ACT objected to it. And they particularly objected to the IRD's new power - not the one subject of a section 7 report by the Attorney-General - to require new information from trusts. So what ...2 days ago
- An important public purpose?It seems that Labour can't even pass a tax bill without intruding on human rights. The Taxation (Income Tax Rate and Other Amendments) Bill - currently going through the House under all-stages urgency - has attracted a negative report from the Attorney-General warning that it is inconsistent with the Bill ...2 days ago
- Skeptical Science New Research for Week #48, 2020Captivating paper on practical negative emissions Mineralization of CO2 is a tantalizing means of getting a grip on our accidental changing of the atmosphere. But serious challenges stand in the way of this being a significant means of CO2 removal. Researchers Corey Myers and Takao Nakagaki provide a quick synopsis of roadblocks to deployment, ...2 days ago
- Outliving his usefulness.
With his whining about the “stolen” election, Drumpf does not appear to understand a basic rule of politics: politicians are only valuable because of their utility to others. Once they stop being useful they become expendable, and political utility never lasts forever. With his transactional approach to everything, Drumpf should ...3 days ago - Climate Change: Hurry up and waitParliament is currently debating the declaration of a climate emergency. As part of this, the government is announcing that the public service will be carbon neutral by 2025. Which is fine, but on a similar scale to electric buses. Sure, it'll help (because every little bit helps). But its somewhat ...3 days ago
- Climate Change: Wellington failsLast year, Wellington City Council declared a climate emergency and committed to reducing emissions by 43% by 2030, as an interim step towards a goal of carbon neutrality by 2050. So how are they going to get there? According to their own plans, they're not: Last year, Wellington ...3 days ago
- To Apologise For Your Country's History, Is To Admit That You Don't Understand it.Retrospective Moralising: Ideas that have, generation after generation, been ingrained in the minds of children by their parents, taught in school textbooks, and articulated forcefully by teachers, preachers, politicians and journalists of every stripe, are extremely hard to kill. All the more so when the identity of those to whom ...3 days ago
- I Published a Fake Paper in a ‘Peer-Reviewed’ JournalBradley Allf Back in April, I received a strange email from a pair of academic journals inviting me to submit my research to one of their latest issues. The email was written in a jarring mix of fonts, and riddled with formatting mistakes and bungled idioms. The editor who ...3 days ago
- Sagan om ringen (1971): The Swedish Lord of the RingsAs I have previously noted, I have a fondness for truly obscure Tolkien screen adaptations. Sure, there are Rankin-Bass and Bakshi, but while they have been eclipsed by Peter Jackson, no-one can call them unknown. The 1966 Snyder Hobbit, the 1985 Soviet Hobbit, and the 1993 Finnish Lord of ...3 days ago
- Raise trust taxes too!The government today will introduce a bill to create a new top tax rate for those earning over $180,000 a year. This is good, but there are concerns that a large number of those affected will cheat, and funnel their income through trusts and other vehicles in order to evade ...4 days ago
- Why the way we approach transgender and non-binary healthcare needs to changeRona Carroll, University of Otago Demand for healthcare for transgender people is on the rise in New Zealand but training for health professionals to develop basic competencies is lagging behind. There is little teaching on gender and sexuality at either of New Zealand’s medical schools. It’s partly due to lack ...4 days ago
- Climate Change: Europe must defend itself in courtThe European Court of Human Rights has fast-tracked a case by young climate change activists challenging whether European states are doing enough on climate change. And now, 33 countries are going to have to defend their policies in court: In a sign of the urgency of the climate crisis, ...4 days ago
- November ’20 – NZ blogs sitemeter ranking
Image credit: Blogging for business: Your questions answered I notice a few regulars no longer allow public access to the site counters. This may happen accidentally when the blog format is altered. If your blog is unexpectedly missing or the numbers seem very low please check this out. After ...4 days ago - Ancient sponges or just algae? New research overturns chemical evidence for the earliest animalsLennart van Maldegem, Australian National University; Benjamin Nettersheim, Max Planck Institute; Christian Hallmann, Max Planck Institute; Ilya Bobrovskiy, California Institute of Technology, and Jochen Brocks, Australian National University Sponges are the simplest of animals, and they may stand at the root of all complex animal life on Earth, including us ...4 days ago
- Bioethicists, Scientists and Politicians; Decision Making in a PandemicDr Ben Gray* To date New Zealand has come through the pandemic well. The role of political leadership and scientific input has been well covered. Part of this success was built upon having a clear ethical framework for managing a pandemic that had been developed in advance following the SARS ...4 days ago
- Fighting climate change: Cheaper than 'business as usual' and better for the economyThis is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections and has been adopted as the rebuttal to the myth 'climate change solutions are too expensive' at the short URL sks.to/costs The often-repeated and seldom-challenged view that climate change solutions are expensive and uneconomical has long dampened public support in the U.S. for even ...4 days ago
- 2020 Just Reading: November
Completed reads for November: Nutcracker, by E.T.A. HoffmannThe Mask of Anarchy, by Percy Bysshe ShelleyFire and Hemlock, by Diana Wynne Jones Hoffman’s Nutcracker is Ralph Manheim’s translation (illustrated by Maurice Sendak). ** A very quiet month in the reading department, though I made some decent progress with writing. ...4 days ago - What did we actually vote for and give a mandate to?
Well it may be 2020 but, looking around, this blogger is really connecting to the mindset my Great Grandmother had when she ran a boarding house for workers to escape to, in between fighting extremely hard against Governments and their many enforcers almost exactly a century ago, and why ...4 days ago - Labour finally does the right thingThe government has finally introduced a bill to double sick leave entitlements to ten days a year. Good. But its worth remembering that despite a global pandemic raging, Jacinda Ardern originally ruled this out, just as she has ruled out wealth taxes or a capital gains tax. Its unclear whether ...5 days ago
- Ready to be let down.The Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) on the Christchurch terrorist attacks has tabled its report with the Governor General and Minister of Internal Affairs. The Report will be introduced to parliament and released to the public before Christmas. In the lead up to its release the office of the Department ...5 days ago
- The wrong conclusionBack in September, we learned (thanks to a whistleblower) that the SIS had looked the other way on child abuse. Today, the Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security released their report on the issue. Their verdict is basicly the Scottish one: "not proven". Why? Because there are no records showing the ...5 days ago
- Blaming anyone but themselvesLabour is increasingly under pressure over its refusal to implement a wealth tax or similar solution to end house hoarding. Their answer? Blame the public: Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern is putting some onus on the public for the housing crisis, saying the Government had tried taxation to ease the ...5 days ago
- 2020 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming Digest #48Story of the Week... Toon of the Week... Coming Soon on SkS... Climate Feedback Claim Review... SkS Week in Review... Poster of the Week... Story of the Week... Saudis and Europeans reach compromise on climate as G20 projects unity EU leaders endorsed Riyadh’s contentious “circular carbon economy” vision ...5 days ago
- Sport Must Be the Winner
The All Blacks’ win last weekend against the Pumas, and their reminder to us of how good they can be, brought a great deal of pleasure to thousands of kiwis. But we have also had evidence over recent days and weeks that sport is not always a generator of sweetness ...5 days ago - Geoffrey Miller: New Zealand’s surprising relationship with the Middle EastGeoffrey Miller looks at New Zealand’s growing relationship with the Middle East and North Africa – and contemplates its future Amidst New Zealand’s level 4 coronavirus lockdown in March, all but a handful of the country’s troops stationed in Iraq returned home, three months earlier than scheduled. The New Zealand ...5 days ago
- And Then There Were Four: Book Publishing and Oligopoly
Most people would be surprised to learn that there are only five major English-language book publishers on the planet. Book-publishing isn’t as glamorously naughty as, say, the oil industry, so this concentration of industry power largely exists outside popular consciousness. Besides, the existence of imprints (trade names) disguises ...6 days ago - Media reaction: Boris Johnson’s ‘10-point’ net-zero plan for climate changeThis is a re-post from Carbon Brief The UK prime minister Boris Johnson has announced a long-awaited “10-point plan” laying out measures to scale up the nation’s climate ambition. These policy proposals and funding packages have been framed as a means to create jobs, promote a “green recovery” from Covid-19 and help ...1 week ago
- The secret advice on Labour’s RMA “fast-track”Back in June, Labour steamrolled the COVID-19 Recovery (Fast-track Consenting) Bill into law, using urgency and a sham select committee process which left too little time for submitters to respond effectively. The law created a separate "fast-track" process for resource consents for "shovel-ready" projects, which cuts the public out of ...1 week ago
- Transformation or Progress?
Why this government will not be transformative; do we want it to be?Half of the current cabinet could not vote in the 1990 election when the neoliberal government, among other things, attacked the foundations of the welfare state – an attack which has not been reversed. Only a quarter could ...1 week ago - Always more fish in the sea? Maybe not
The recent article by Andrea Vance on Stuff , ‘The way we protect the oceans is badly outdated. Will the Government change that?’ is timely, but needs further unpacking. For this is an important issue.In it, she rightly claims “We are far behind the rest of the world and failing ...1 week ago - Climate Change: Calling us on our bullshitUnder Jacinda Ardern, New Zealand is - rhetorically at least - pretending to be a leader on climate change. Meanwhile, our emissions keep going up and up, with the second-highest percentage increase among Annex I countries. And now, our friends are finally calling us on our bullshit: New Zealand's ...1 week ago
- Devastated by disease in the past, Samoa is on high alert after recent coronavirus scaresTootoooleaava Dr. Fanaafi Aiono-Le Tagaloa, University of Waikato Within minutes of news that crew members of the cargo ship Fesco Askold had tested positive for COVID-19, a social media storm broke across Samoa. COVID-free until then, the island nation’s anxiety was understandable. More so when you consider its history. Memories ...1 week ago
- Labour sells out kiwisSo, Labour has given in to the whining from farmers, and will be allowing 2,000 RSE workers into the country to pick their fruit, though with tighter conditions: they'll have to be paid a living wage and employers must pay for their quarantine. Which sounds good, until you remember that ...1 week ago
- Mining companies are required to return quarried sites to their ‘natural character’. But is that...Shaun Rosier, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington New Zealand has more than 1,100 registered quarries. Some of these mined sites are small, rural operations, but a significant number are large and complex, and within a city’s urban boundaries. As part of the resource consent application for a ...1 week ago
- Up and Down with COVID-19: Could President Trump Be Right (Twice!) In The End?
We all witnessed President Trump in denial about COVID-19 at his political rallies. The mantra 'we have turned the corner' ('bigly', no doubt!), became a daily diet for Trump's base in the final days of the US presidential campaign, notwithstanding overwhelming evidence to the contrary. Similarly, he promised that a ...1 week ago - The Second Term (With Apologies To William Butler Yeats)Yearning and yearning for a comforting liarThe people will not hear the truth, nor trust the truth-teller;Stories fall apart, the centre is not real;Mere dull geometry to gull a duller world.Our poll-driven narrative is loosed, but everywhereThe target audience refuses to be wowed.The best shun social-media, while the worstStill tweet ...1 week ago
- Spit & Polish: A National Party Story.Consensus Politician: Following his victory in the 1960 general election, National’s second prime minister, Keith Holyoake, stretched himself out like a smug family cat over the sunny years of the early 1960s and purred. THERE’S A STORY about the National Party that always struck me as important. It concerns National’s ...1 week ago
- A Caucus Of Velvet Gloves.Uniformly Diverse: There is one very simple reason why this government, comprised overwhelmingly of members of the Professional-Managerial Class, will find it almost impossible to understand what the bottom half of New Zealand society needs: because it is supremely confident that it already does. NEW ZEALAND now boasts one of ...1 week ago
- Climate Change: An emergencySome good news today: Parliament will declare a climate emergency next week: The Government has revealed plans to pass a climate change emergency motion in Parliament next week. An attempt was made to pass one last term but NZ First opposed it. The motion itself would have no practical ...1 week ago
- NZDF should not be allowed to handle this in-houseYesterday we learned that an NZDF soldier with links to Nazi groups has been charged with espionage (along other things) and will be prosecuted via court-martial. Whether the charges are justified is for a court to determine, but it seems deeply inappropriate to use a military court for this. The ...1 week ago
- 5 reasons why banishing backpackers and targeting wealthy tourists would be a mistake for NZJames Higham, University of Otago and Hazel Tucker, University of Otago Raise your hand if you’ve ever travelled for weeks or months as a backpacker on a limited daily budget. Keep your hand up if you were made welcome in the places you visited on your OE, enjoyed chance encounters ...1 week ago
- The Adventures of Annalax: Volume XIIISo… Ember the Demon Thing. Not nice. Not nice at all. Annalax asked Alan the Wizard if he knew anyone who could possibly deal with this mess. Alan said a certain unhinged female acquaintance near the Mountains of Madness might have the sufficiently dodgy knowledge to pull it ...1 week ago
- Skeptical Science New Research for Week #47, 2020"Don't make us stop the car." Climate change of a different kind: Examining the climate effects of a regional nuclear weapons exchange using a multiscale atmospheric modeling approach, investigated by Wegman, Lundquist et al. There's good news: the main proximate cause of the resulting global mess might last only about 4 ...1 week ago
- Taking the pissWhile the borders are closed, employers can still get visas for "essential" workers. But some of the jobs deemed "essential" don't seem to be: Applications were approved for 633 different jobs ranging from low skilled roles including taxi driver, cafe worker and cleaner, through to highly skilled jobs such ...1 week ago
- A Parliament that sounds like AotearoaI'm watching the swearing in of MPs today on Parliament TV, and pleased to hear the linguistic diversity in our Parliament. In addition to a good number of MPs doing their oaths or affirmations in Te Reo, there's also been Samoan, Tongan, Dutch, Korean, plus (as best as I can ...1 week ago
- Changing stuff…By Professor Peter Dearden, Director Genomics Aotearoa Science is an excellent way of allowing us to question test and understand the world we live in. But that knowledge also provides us with something else; the ability to change things, to solve problems, and to make life on earth a bit ...1 week ago
- Letter to the Reserve Bank
This is how you fix something. ...1 week ago - Gas-powered cars: Beginning of the end in California?This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Bruce Lieberman Can California really do it? Can it completely ban the sale of new gas-powered cars in 15 years – 15 years – and lead the country toward a fossil fuel-free future? Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom says so. In a ...1 week ago
- The COVID-19 pandemic in Aotearoa/NZ: A brief photo-essay with 10 photosLuke Pilkinton-Ching, Prof Michael Baker, Prof Nick Wilson In this photo-essay of the COVID-19 pandemic in Aotearoa/NZ, each photo is accompanied by a brief comment on the pandemic impact or response. In some instances these images reflect success factors such as the relatively early introduction of border controls and the ...1 week ago
- A Phuulish Fellow Turns Five Years OldOn 25th November, 2015, this humble blog made its debut. Five years to the day later… it has evolved into something I could not have predicted. In the early days, of course, it was primarily about my own writing, and thoughts on the wider fantasy genre. Since then ...1 week ago
- Why some people find it easier to stick to new habits they formed during lockdownMatthew Jenkins, University of Otago and Elaine Hargreaves, University of Otago Periods of lockdown represent a massive disruption to people’s daily routines, but they also offer an opportunity to establish new habits. Our research focus is on what motivates people to change their behaviour, particularly when it comes to physical ...1 week ago
- ‘Courageous’ investment means innovation stays in NZ, not sold off overseasJessica C Lai, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington and Jesse Pirini, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington New Zealand is in an economic recession and the government is trying to spend its way through it with direct investment to boost the economy and jobs. At ...2 weeks ago
- Aches on a plane – new findings on in-flight Covid transmissionOne of the good things about New Zealand pursuing an elimination strategy for Covid-19 (aside from the obvious) is that we are able to help answer some of the questions there are about how the SARS-CoV-2 virus transmits between people. Take air travel. As many people in the US start ...2 weeks ago
- Reading the roomIt looks like the government has finally read the room on the housing crisis, with Finance Minister grant Robertson writing to the Reserve Bank to tell them to start looking at controlling house prices: Finance Minister Grant Robertson has told Reserve Bank Governor Adrian Orr that it’s time to ...2 weeks ago
- Why the Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine is now a global game changerMichael Head, University of Southampton In the long dark tunnel that has been 2020, November stands out as the month that light appeared. Some might see it as a bright light, others as a faint light – but it is unmistakably a light. On November 9, Pfizer announced the interim ...2 weeks ago
- Graeme Edgeler: The Vague promise of a better tomorrow: Why a three-year Parliamentary term is good ...New Zealand is not the only country with a three-year term of Parliament, but there aren’t many others. Most countries have longer terms, with theoretically less of a democratic check on political power. Most other countries also have some combination of: a bicameral legislature, a supreme constitution, strong judicial review ...2 weeks ago
- “Goodfellas”: The Neoliberal National Party Shows Its Ugly Face.Unaccountable? A reasonable National Party member might have anticipated that a president who led his party to the second-worst defeat in its history would feel obliged to fall upon his sword in recognition of the scale of his failure. Such a member would have been disappointed. Peter Goodfellow (above) was ...2 weeks ago
- Big Eye Wide, But ShutA few days ago the US National Science Foundation (NSF) announced the decommissioning of the Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico. This story has been the subject of items in the mass media around the globe, and also in New Zealand. Cables supporting the massive horns and radio receivers above ...2 weeks ago
- From revolution to narcissismFor much of the 20th century the progressive movement was focused on real and crucial issues. What is called progressive now is a farce. ...2 weeks ago
- The Church of Woke...2 weeks ago
- 2020 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming Digest #47Story of the Week... Toon of the Week... Coming Soon on SkS... Climate Feedback Claim Review... SkS Week in Review... Poster of the Week... Story of the Week... Warm Arctic, Cold Continents? It Sounds Counterintuitive, but Research Suggests it’s a Thing Scientists suspect that rapid warming in the ...2 weeks ago
- Ardern’s crocodile tears won’t fix the housing crisisPeople are getting very grumpy at the government's refusal to act on the housing crisis. Jacinda Ardern's response? To tell everyone she cares,/A>: Jacinda Ardern says one of the things that sets her Government apart from the National Party is Labour's concern over skyrocketing house prices. The median house ...2 weeks ago
- Green Party sign on to international campaign to #MakeAmazonPay
Green Party spokesperson on Human Rights and Foreign Affairs Golriz Ghahraman has signed on to a letter from law makers around the world, pledging to make Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos pay his debts to workers, communities and the planet. ...22 hours ago - Government should fix COVID-19 leave loophole before summer seasonal work startsGreen Party Spokesperson for Workplace Relations Jan Logie is calling on the Government to extend the COVID-19 Leave Support Scheme to anyone awaiting a COVID-19 test result, as more people start summer jobs without sick leave available to them. ...22 hours ago
- New Zealand declares climate emergency
New Zealand has declared a climate emergency, committing to urgent action on reducing emissions. ...3 days ago - Green Party to abstain from tax changes that will worsen house crisis in absence of tax on assetsThe Green Party will abstain from a bill that will make slight changes to income tax brackets. ...3 days ago
- Legal drug checking this festival season will help protect our young people: Green PartyThe Green Party are glad to see urgent law changes to ensure legal drug checking services by this summer festival season. ...4 days ago
- “The Government books are doing better than expected”: Grant Robertson on our economic r...This week we presented the audited Government accounts for the year to 30 June 2020. These always take a while to be audited and published. But this year, with all that is been happening they cover a time that seems long ago! ...1 week ago
- Greens call for decent working conditions for all horticulture workersThe Green Party is calling on the Government to ensure all people working in horticulture are paid liveable wages and have access to quality accommodation. ...1 week ago
- SPEECH: Opening the 53rd ParliamentE aku hoa i te ara o te whai, Kia kotahi tā tātou takahi i te kō, ko tōku whiwhi kei tō koutou tautoko mai. ...1 week ago
- Oranga Tamariki head should question whether she has trust of Māori communities“When considering whether to resign, Oranga Tamariki head Grainne Moss should question whether communities on the ground, particularly Māori, have trust and faith in her to do the job”, Green Party Māori Development spokesperson Dr Elizabeth Kerekere said today. ...1 week ago
- Green Party welcome Adrian Orr’s full and frank advice on taxWe welcome Adrian Orr signalling that he will provide advice to the Finance Minister on fiscal measures, include tax changes, to cool the housing market, Green Party Finance spokesperson Julie Anne Genter said today. ...1 week ago
- “We can do better”: Kelvin Davis talks tackling racism in education"Racism exists – we feel little and bad." Those were the unprompted words of one student during an interview for the Education Matters to Me report produced by the Children’s Commissioner in 2018. ...1 week ago
- Green Party respond to Government review of housing settingsIt is a positive step that the Government is looking at options to take the heat out of the housing market, and has written to the Reserve Bank to that effect, but they must be open to using all the tools available to them, Green Party Co-leader and spokesperson on ...2 weeks ago
- Speeding up recovery: fast-tracking projects to boost jobs, build housesWe’ve announced three additional projects to go through the fast-track resource consenting process. Read below for a quick rundown of what these projects are, what the fast-tracking process means, and why the Government is using fast-tracking as one way to create jobs sooner and accelerate our economic recovery from COVID-19. ...2 weeks ago
- Reports of prisoner abuse show need for prisons rethink and independent oversightReports of an asthmatic woman being bombed in her cell with pepper spray, being forced to lie face down on the ground to be fed, and having to show used sanitary items to guards to receive more, shows obscene human rights violations that need addressing, Green Party Corrections and Human ...2 weeks ago
- Green Party announce portfolio reshuffle with talented and energised caucus teamThe Green Party Co-leaders have announced their portfolio reshuffle for the 53rd Parliament. “The Green Party caucus offers a breadth of talent and energy to the Parliament this term. In ten MPs you have a small business owner, a human rights lawyer, an academic, a climate negotiator, a transport planner, ...2 weeks ago
- Nearly 50 percent increase in Kiwi apprenticesAs we recover and rebuild from COVID-19, we’re investing in major shovel-ready and long-term infrastructure projects up and down the country – creating thousands of jobs in the trades nationwide. ...2 weeks ago
- Celebrating World Children's DayThis World Children’s Day, we’re taking a look at all the ways we’re working to make New Zealand the best place in the world to be a child. ...2 weeks ago
- Report of alleged war crimes by Australian Defence Force in Afghanistan a distressing reminder of th...The Green Party strongly condemns the revelation of alleged war crimes by the Australian Defence Force in Afghanistan, with an alleged unlawful killing of 39 people by 25 Special Forces personnel. ...2 weeks ago
- SPEECH: 10th Anniversary of Pike River tragedyTēnei te mihi ki a tātau katoa e huihui nei i tēnei rā I greet us all who are gathered here today ...2 weeks ago
- Greens commit to ensuring strong oceans protection this termThe Green Party will work with Labour this term to ensure better protections for our oceans, Green MP Eugenie Sage said today. ...2 weeks ago
- Kiwis deserve fair prices at the supermarket2020 has been a tough year. Not only has COVID-19 presented unique challenges to the way we work, play and socialise, for many Kiwis the pandemic has also meant more of a strain on the back pocket. ...3 weeks ago
- Auckland COVID-19 case shows need for extended sick leave before busy Christmas periodThe case of an Auckland city worker heading to work with COVID-19 symptoms shows the need for urgent extended sick leave, Green Party Workplace Relations spokesperson Jan Logie said today. ...3 weeks ago
- Government receives interim report from the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Historical Abuse
The Government has received an interim report from the Royal Commission into Historical Abuse in State Care and in the Care of Faith-Based Institutions. The terms of reference for the Royal Commission required a progress report on the inquiry‘s work to date to be delivered to the Government by the ...14 hours ago - Minister of Foreign Affairs announces diplomatic appointments to Malaysia and AustriaForeign Minister Hon Nanaia Mahuta has announced Pam Dunn as New Zealand’s next High Commissioner to Malaysia and Brian Hewson as New Zealand’s next Ambassador to Austria and UN Permanent Representative, Vienna. Malaysia “New Zealand and Malaysia enjoy a warm bilateral relationship. We have had diplomatic relations for more than 60 years, ...15 hours ago
- Intention to appoint a Commission for Tauranga City CouncilMinister of Local Government, Hon Nanaia Mahuta, has confirmed the Tauranga City Council has been advised of her intention to appoint a Commission in response to significant governance problems among the Council’s elected representatives and the findings of an independent review. “I have been closely watching the conduct of the ...16 hours ago
- Pacific Health Scholarships 2021 about improving access to healthcare for Pacific communitiesAssociate Minister of Health, Aupito William Sio is calling on any Pacific students studying health or disability-related courses to apply now for a Ministry of Health Pacific Health Scholarship. “These scholarships acknowledge the vital role Pacific people play in our health workforce. This was most visible through our Pacific workforce's ...17 hours ago
- NCEA Level 1 changes give students a broader foundationThe Government is making changes to NCEA Level 1 to ensure it remains a strong, credible qualification that supports young people into employment and further education, Education Minister Chris Hipkins said today. “Last term, the Government initiated a wide-scale review of the National Certificates of Educational Achievement (NCEA), involving consultation ...2 days ago
- Crown accounts reflect positive economic trendThe Government’s books were again better than expected as the economy continued to recover post COVID lockdown, the Finance Minister Grant Robertson says. The Crown Accounts for the four months to the end of October were far more favourable than what was forecast in the Pre-election Economic and Fiscal Update ...2 days ago
- Increase to supplier diversity through new procurement target for Maori BusinessMāori enterprises are in line for greater opportunities to do business with government agencies under an initiative to spread the benefits of the economic recovery. The Ministers for Māori Development and Economic and Regional Development have announced a new target to encourage public service agencies to cast the net ...2 days ago
- Climate emergency declaration will be matched with long-term actionToday’s climate emergency declaration will be backed with ambitious plans to reduce emissions, the Minister for Climate Change, James Shaw today. “Our Government has put New Zealand at the forefront of climate action over the last three years. Declaring a climate emergency and backing this with long-term action to reduce ...3 days ago
- Celebrating the success of Prime Minister’s Oranga Tamariki Award winners28 young achievers who have been in the care of Oranga Tamariki or involved with the youth justice system have received Oranga Tamariki Prime Minister Awards in recognition of their success and potential, Children’s Minister Kelvin Davis announced today. At the awards ceremony in Parliament, Kelvin Davis congratulated the rangatahi ...3 days ago
- Public sector to be carbon neutral by 2025Public sector to be carbon neutral by 2025 Immediate focus on phasing out largest and most active coal boilers Government agencies required to purchase electric vehicles and reduce the size of their car fleet Green standard required for public sector buildings The Government has launched a major new initiative to ...3 days ago
- Government fulfils election undertaking on new top tax rateThe Government will today keep its election promise to put in place a new top tax rate of 39 per cent on income earned over $180,000. “This will only affect the top two per cent of earners. It is a balanced measure that is about sharing the load so everyone ...3 days ago
- Sir Robert Martin re-elected to UN CommitteeNew Zealand welcomes the news that Sir Robert Martin has been re-elected to the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, says Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta and Minister for Disability Issues Carmel Sepuloni. “Sir Robert has been a lifetime advocate for persons with disabilities and his experience brings a ...3 days ago
- New rules to protect Kiwis from unaffordable loansThe Government is making sure all consumers who borrow money get the same protections, regardless of where they get their loans. “Building on the work to crack down on loan sharks last year, we’re now making the rules clearer for all lenders to help protect borrowers from unaffordable loans” ...3 days ago
- New visitor attraction to boost tourismThe opening of the first major new tourism attraction since the global outbreak of COVID-19 closed borders to international travellers will provide a welcome boost to visitor numbers in our largest city, says Tourism Minister Stuart Nash. Mr Nash has this afternoon taken part in the official opening ceremony of ...4 days ago
- Govt moves on drug checking to keep young New Zealanders safer this summerThe Government will pass time limited legislation to give legal certainty to drug checking services, so they can carry out their work to keep New Zealanders safer this summer at festivals without fear of prosecution, Health Minister Andrew Little says. Next year the Government will develop and consult on regulations ...4 days ago
- Public Service Commissioner reappointedMinister for the Public Service Chris Hipkins announced today that Public Service Commissioner Peter Hughes CNZM has been reappointed for three years. The Public Service Commissioner is appointed by the Governor-General on the recommendation of the Prime Minister. “Mr Hughes’ reappointment reflects the need for strong leadership and continuity to ...4 days ago
- Pōwhiri marks the start of a critical year for APECNew Zealand kicked off its APEC host year today, with a pōwhiri taking place on Wellington’s waterfront with local iwi Te Atiawa, and a number of Government ministers welcoming representatives from the other 20 APEC economies. “APEC is a hugely important international event, and New Zealand is hosting amidst the ...4 days ago
- Speech at APEC 21 Opening Pōwhiri9am, Tuesday 1 DecemberTe Whare Waka o Pōneke, Wellington Central He Mihi Kei aku rangatira no ngātapito e whā o te ao huri noa, tātou e huihui mai nei. Tēnā rā kōutou katoa. He tangiapakura ki ngā tini aituā kei waenganui i a tātou, ka tangi tonu te ngākau ki ...4 days ago
- Government extends business debt relief to October 2021To assist with the ongoing economic recovery from COVID-19, rules allowing affected businesses to put their debt on hold have been extended by 10 months. “New Zealand’s economy is recovering better than we expected, but the impacts of the pandemic are far-reaching and some businesses need continued support to keep ...4 days ago
- Bill introduced to support workers with 10 days sick leaveThe Government is delivering on a key commitment by introducing a Bill to Parliament to expand sick leave entitlements from five days to ten days a year, Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Michael Wood announced today. “COVID-19 has shown how important it is to stay at home when people are ...5 days ago
- Progress on pay equity for DHB staffToday’s initial agreement between DHBs and the PSA on pay equity for clerical and administration staff is an important step toward better, fairer pay for this crucial and largely female workforce, Health Minister Andrew Little says. If ratified, the agreement between the Public Service Association and the country’s 20 District ...5 days ago
- Iconic Milford Track officially reopensOne of New Zealand’s premier hikes and a cornerstone of the Te Anau community, the Milford Track has officially reopened, “From today, hikers booked on the popular Great Walk will be able to complete the walk end-to-end for the first time since early February,” Minister of Conservation Kiri Allan says. ...5 days ago
- Support for farmers beefed up ahead of La NiñaFurther funding for feed support services and new animal welfare coordinators will help farmers who continue to feel the effects of an extended drought, says Rural Communities Minister Damien O’Connor. “In March this year, I classified the drought in the North Island, parts of the South Island and the Chathams ...7 days ago
- Next steps for Christchurch Hospital campus redevelopmentCanterbury DHB will be better placed to respond to future demand for services and continue to deliver high quality care, with the next stage of the campus redevelopment programme confirmed, Health Minister Andrew Little says. The Government has approved $154 million in funding for the construction of a third tower ...1 week ago
- Five Power Defence Arrangements Defence Ministers’ Joint StatementThe Defence Ministers from Australia, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore and United Kingdom reaffirmed their nations’ continued commitment to the Five Power Defence Arrangements (FPDA), and commended the achievements over the past 49 years as the FPDA moves towards its 50th Anniversary in 2021. The Ministers recognised the FPDA’s significant role ...1 week ago
- Jobs for Nature funding protects health of Hawke’s Bay waterwaysA joint Government and Hawke’s Bay Regional Council project will invest $4.2 million to protect local waterways, enhance biodiversity and employ local people, Environment Minister David Parker announced today. Over two years, the Hāpara Takatū Jobs for Nature project will fence 195km of private land to exclude stock from vulnerable ...1 week ago
- New Year border exception for seasonal workers in the horticulture and wine industries2000 additional RSE workers to enter New Zealand early next year employers must pay these workers at least $22.10 an hour employers will cover costs of managed isolation for the RSE workers RSE workers will be paid the equivalent of 30 hours work a week while in isolation From January ...1 week ago
- Government increases support for New Zealanders to work in seasonal jobsThe Government is offering further financial support for unemployed New Zealanders to take on seasonal work. These new incentives include: Up to $200 per week for accommodation costs $1000 incentive payment for workers who complete jobs of six weeks or longer increasing wet weather payments when people can’t work to ...1 week ago
- Government receives Royal Commission of Inquiry report into the Terrorist Attack on Christchurch Mos...Minister for Internal Affairs Jan Tinetti has today received the Royal Commission of Inquiry report into the Terrorist Attack on Christchurch Mosques, and will table it in Parliament on Tuesday December 8. “I know this will have been a challenging process for whānau, survivors and witnesses of the terrorist attack ...1 week ago
- New Zealand Government to declare a climate emergencyThe Government will declare a climate emergency next week, Climate Change Minister James Shaw said today. “We are in the midst of a climate crisis that will impact on nearly every ...1 week ago
- Call for urgent action on Pacific conservationA declaration on the urgency of the global biodiversity crisis and the need for immediate, transformative action in the Pacific was agreed at a pan-Pacific conference today. The 10th Pacific Islands Conference on Nature Conservation and Protected Areas is taking place this week across the Pacific. Minister of Conservation Kiritapu ...1 week ago
- Speech from the throneE aku hoa i te ara o te whai, Kia kotahi tā tātou takahi i te kō, ko tōku whiwhi kei tō koutou tautoko mai. Ko tāku ki a koutou, hei whakapiki manawa mōku. He horomata rangatira te mahi, e rite ai te whiwhinga a te ringatuku, me te ringakape ...1 week ago
- Keynote address to Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand conferenceSpeech to the CAANZ conference - November 19, 2020 Thank you, Greg, (Greg Haddon, MC) for the welcome. I’d like to acknowledge John Cuthbertson from CAANZ, the Commissioner of Inland Revenue Naomi Ferguson, former fellow MP and former Minister of Revenue, Peter Dunne, other guest speakers and CAANZ members. I ...1 week ago
- Expert independent advisory group appointed to strengthen the future of Māori broadcastingA panel of seven experts are adding their support to help shape the future of Māori broadcasting, Minister for Māori Development Willie Jackson has announced today. “Today I will meet with some of the most experienced Māori broadcasters, commentators and practitioners in the field. They have practical insights on the ...1 week ago
- Government to review housing settingsNew Zealand’s stronger-than-expected economic performance has flowed through to housing demand, so the Government will review housing settings to improve access to the market, the Finance Minister Grant Robertson announced today. “Our focus is on improving access to the housing market for first home buyers and ensuring house price growth ...2 weeks ago
- Crown accounts reflect Govt’s careful economic managementThe better-than-expected Crown accounts released today show the Government’s careful management of the COVID-19 health crisis was the right approach to support the economy. As expected, the Crown accounts for the year to June 2020 show the operating balance before gains and losses, or OBEGAL, was in deficit. However that ...2 weeks ago
- Community launch marks next step in addressing racism in educationThe launch of Te Hurihanganui in Porirua today is another important milestone in the work needed to address racism in the education system and improve outcomes for Māori learners and their whānau, Associate Education Minister Kelvin Davis says. Budget 2019 included $42 million over three years to put Te Hurihanganui ...2 weeks ago
- Government to consider recommendations on DNA use in criminal investigationsThe Minister of Justice has received the Law Commission’s recommending changes to the law governing the way DNA is used in criminal investigations. The report, called The Use of DNA in Criminal Investigations – Te Whahamahi I te Ira Tangata I ngā Mātai Taihara, recommends new legislation to address how ...2 weeks ago
- Speech to Wakatū Nelson regional hui on tradeFirst, I want to express my thanks to Te Taumata for this hui and for all the fantastic work you are doing for Māori in the trade space. In the short time that you’ve been operating you’ve already contributed an enormous amount to the conversation, and developed impressive networks. I ...2 weeks ago
- Speech to Primary Industries SummitThank you for the opportunity to speak to you today about the significant contribution the food and fibres sector makes to New Zealand and how this Government is supporting that effort. I’d like to start by acknowledging our co-Chairs, Terry Copeland and Mavis Mullins, my colleague, Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor, ...2 weeks ago
- Hero for active girls runs solo ultramarathon
A Kiwi trailblazer in getting girls active, Fran McEwen is running a 220km ultramarathon of her own creation through the forests of the lower North Island to help more young women. Around about now, Fran McEwen should have been running 100km through the sands of the Sinai desert, along a ...15 mins ago - Covid tests a way of life for squash queen Joelle King
LISTEN: In this week's Extra Time podcast, Kiwi squash star Joelle King says she's become a "professional at Covid-19 testing", while living in the UK hoping to get time on court. World No.8 squash player Joelle King has undergone close to 40 Covid-19 tests this year, having decided to stay put in ...30 mins ago - Turning tragedy and trash into business triumph: The Saia Latu story
Saia Latu has experienced enough ups and downs for several lifetimes. The man behind one of New Zealand’s most successful recycling companies – and the recently named Pacific business entrepreneur of the year – tells Justin Latif how he made it to the top. Saia Latu’s life reads like a ...42 mins ago - I’m the 13th star sign, Ophiuchus. And I’m ready to live this lifeAfter discovering he’s been living a Sagittarian lie, Eli Matthewson learns to embrace life under his strange new sign.Sagittarius season and for me, a once proud Sagi, it started badly. I was pointed to the direction of an announcement from Nasa – yes, that Nasa – which described how incremental ...44 mins ago
- National security review recommends complete overhaul of electronic surveillance – but will it wor...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rebecca Ananian-Welsh, Senior Lecturer, TC Beirne School of Law, The University of Queensland The most extensive review of Australia’s intelligence sector since the 1970s has released its public report. The Comprehensive Review of the Legal Framework of the National Intelligence Community – ...8 hours ago - Keith Rankin Chart Analysis – Covid-19: Transmission and ConvergenceAnalysis by Keith Rankin. Note Spain, United Kingdom and Germany. Chart by Keith Rankin. This week, Covid19 cases in most large European countries are passing their peak following four months of exponential growth, thanks to belated new ‘lockdown’ restrictions. The exception – or laggard – is Germany, which has generally been ...10 hours ago
- Papuan flag day protests in Yogya, Jakarta reject ‘special autonomy’Pacific Media Centre Newsdesk December 1 flag day protests have taken place in several cities around Indonesia including the capital Jakarta, Yogyakarta (Central Java), Ternate (North Maluku) and Sinjai (South Sulawesi), reports Arah Juang. The actions were launched to commemorate West Papua Independence Day. But even before the actions were ...12 hours ago
- Week in Politics: Labour shows what a majority government can do
Analysis - Jacinda Ardern's majority government was on the charge this week, Parliament voted to declare a climate emergency and the Māori Party let everyone know it was back. ...13 hours ago - For sale: the original artwork from the webseries Two Sketches with Toby MorrisWe’re selling original art from some of New Zealand’s top artists and illustrators to raise money for a great cause. Browse the artwork and other merch at The Spinoff Shop now.Two artists. Two drawings. One good long conversation. It was a simple idea, and one we were lucky enough to ...14 hours ago
- Review: In Mank, David Fincher tells the possibly true story behind Citizen KaneDavid Fincher marks his feature film Netflix debut with Mank, a biopic about the man who may or may not have written the bulk of Citizen Kane, and it’s his loosest effort yet, writes Christopher Smol. Can one word explain a whole life? Citizen Kane is structured around that question, ...14 hours ago
- The meaning behind Dame Whina Cooper, the boring machine breaking ground in AucklandToday’s official unveiling of the tunnel boring machine (TBM), named after one of New Zealand’s most iconic civil rights leaders, wasn’t just for ceremonial purposes, but a sign of the genuine relationship City Rail Link wants to forge with Māori.It would be easy to become bogged down by the plethora ...14 hours ago
- New Campaign Launched Calling On Grant Robertson To Stay True To His Word
The New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union has today launched its ‘ Stick to Your Word ’ campaign calling on Grant Robertson to keep his promise made six weeks ago not to touch the bright line test. Union Campaigns Manager, Louis Houlbrooke, said: “Despite ...15 hours ago - VIDEO: Michelle Grattan on the difficult bilateral relationship between Australia and ChinaSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra University of Canberra Professorial Fellow Michelle Grattan and University of Canberra Vice-Chancellor and President Professor Paddy Nixon discuss the week in politics. This week Michelle and Paddy discuss the bilateral relationship between Australia and China, ...15 hours ago
- The Friday Poem: Leftovers by Fardowsa MohamedA new poem from Auckland poet Fardowsa Mohamed.LeftoversI burned the bariis on the bottom of the pot my mother shakes her head, and we joke that I am a failed girl At lunchtime the next day I don’t remove the lid fully but they still said I smell burnt and ...15 hours ago
- Human reproductive technologies like sperm freezing and IVF could be used to save threatened speciesSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Lachlan G. Howell, Casual Academic and PhD Candidate | School of Environmental and Life Sciences, University of Newcastle More and more threatened species are relying on captive breeding to avoid extinction. Some species on the brink only exist in captivity, and others ...15 hours ago
- Film review: the immoderate adventures of Oliver SacksSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Matthew Wade, Lecturer in Social Inquiry, La Trobe University Review: Oliver Sacks: His Own Life, directed by Ric Burns Apropos of nothing but a bowl of jello placed before him, a stifled laugh escapes from Oliver Sacks, the famed neurologist, writer and ...15 hours ago
- LGNZ Supports Tough Tauranga City Council DecisionLocal Government New Zealand’s National Council says it supports Minister of Local Government Nanaia Mahuta’s decision to seek the appointment of a Commission at Tauranga City Council, saying it is a tough call that puts the interests of the community ...16 hours ago
- It’s Been A Bad Year So Let’s Put Up Our PricesAuckland Council’s new 10-year Recovery Budget proposes to do what no business would or could do, if it wants to survive, and “say it’s been a bad year so let’s put up our prices”. We know Council is looking at a billion dollar income hole, ...16 hours ago
- The Unity Books bestseller chart for the week ending December 4The only published and available best-selling indie book chart in New Zealand is the top 10 sales list recorded every week at Unity Books’ stores in High St, Auckland, and Willis St, Wellington.AUCKLAND1 Hiakai: New Māori Cuisine by Monique Fiso (Godwit, $65)Meri kirihimete!2 A Promised Land by Barack Obama (Penguin Random ...16 hours ago
- NZ First Foundation defendants lose right to name suppressionThe two people charged over the handling of donations to the New Zealand First Foundation have lost a legal bid to keep their names secret. ...16 hours ago
- Yesterdaze: A state of great urgency
A climate emergency declaration, a swiftly passed tax hike and a last minute pill-testing law. It was a week of urgency and brutal put-downs, writes James Elliott in his news of the week. You may not have noticed but we’ve been living under a state of emergency since Wednesday. And it’s ...16 hours ago - Anti-conspiracist campaigners take aim at ‘Mothers for Freedom’ eventThe gathering at the Grey Lynn Library Hall promises to take on a ‘corrupted election’, 5G, Covid-19 and ‘Satanic ritual abuse’.A new online group has formed to combat conspiracy and disinformation, and their first project is challenging an event scheduled for a council-run venue in the Auckland suburb of Grey ...16 hours ago
- Stuff and more nonsense – the perturbing case of political adverts being rejected
Having declared its intention to be guided by a set of treaty principles, Stuff has set about suppressing the views of a political group which questions the establishment of special seats for Maori on local local authorities. Or rather, two publications in the Stuff stable have got into the suppression ...16 hours ago - Almost half a million tests, zero positives: how statistics shows we can be confident COVID-19 is go...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michael P.H. Stumpf, Professor for Theoretical Systems Biology, University of Melbourne How do you know that something you are looking for is not there? Looking for a needle in a haystack is fundamentally easy – however laborious and tedious – if you ...17 hours ago
- Financial Incentive Such As ‘feebate’ Scheme Urgently NeededMedia Statement by Neeraj Lala, Chief Executive Officer, Toyota New Zealand If we are not careful, New Zealand will become the Cuba of the South Pacific, a dumping ground of Europe’s dirty diesels and high carbon-emitting petrol-fuelled cars. ...17 hours ago
- Toyota warns NZ will become 'Cuba of South Pacific' with dumped diesels
Car company Toyota has asked the new transport minister to set in place financial incentives for electrified vehicles Toyota New Zealand's chief executive has issued a strongly-worded call for a "feebate scheme" to bring electric vehicles within the reach of business and household budgets. "If we are not careful, New Zealand will ...17 hours ago - Newsletter: New Zealand Politics Daily – December 04 2020Editor’s Note: Here below is a list of the main issues currently under discussion in New Zealand and links to media coverage. Today’s content Climate change Peter Dunne: It is now stand and deliver time for Labour on climate change Rachel Thomas (RNZ): Carbon neutrality by 2050 requires taking a financial hit – economist ...17 hours ago
- September 2020 Quarter Gross Domestic Product And COVID-19 – Methods PaperSeptember 2020 gross domestic product and COVID-19 provides technical users with information about our approach to measuring COVID-19 in the forthcoming release of Gross domestic product: September 2020 quarter (scheduled for 17 December 2020). ...18 hours ago
- Siouxsie Wiles: Britain’s emergency rush to a vaccine rollout, explainedBoris Johnson has announced that the Pfizer vaccine will be distributed from next week. How did that happen, and are they cutting corners? Siouxsie Wiles explains.The UK has become the first country in the world to approve a Covid-19 vaccine. It’s an emergency approval but means they’re likely to start ...18 hours ago
- Mayor Urgently Needs Lessons About Ratepayer MoneyThe New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union is offering Whanganui Mayor Hamish McDouall free financial literacy training after his extraordinary comment which demonstrated complete disregard for ratepayers and the sacrifices they make to fund councils. Union spokesperson ...18 hours ago
- Chloe Gong is 21, she’s from the North Shore, and she just wrote a US bestsellerYoung adult novel These Violent Delights was released in the US three weeks ago and is already a massive hit. Sherry Zhang introduces a star. Chloe Gong wrote These Violent Delights in her childhood home in Auckland in May 2018. As in: that month she started writing it, and also finished. ...18 hours ago
- Hamilton Councillors Must Vote “no” To Five Rates IncreasesThe New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union Says Hamilton City Council Needs To Reject Their Staff’s Proposed 4.9% Rates Hike And The Imposition Of Another Additional Four ‘targeted Rates.’ Union spokesperson Louis Houlbrooke said: “The proposed rate ...18 hours ago
- The Fold: Turning words into action, with Laura O’Connell RapiraThe outgoing director of grassroots community campaigning organisation ActionStation joins Duncan Greive to talk about a busy, and effective, few years in the job.ActionStation was formed in 2014, but it feels like it’s been around much longer than that. The independent, crowdfunded community organisation has led a number of highly ...18 hours ago
- Tokophobia is an extreme fear of childbirth. Here’s how to recognise and treat itSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Julie Jomeen, Professor of Midwifery and Dean in the Faculty of Health Sciences, Southern Cross University Many pregnant women worry about birth. Some, however, suffer from a much more serious condition called tokophobia: a severe and unreasoning dread of childbirth, which is ...18 hours ago
- Humour over rumour: How South Auckland is pushing back against 5G conspiracy theoriesA new series of videos uses comedy to debunk misinformation that’s proved to be particularly visible in South Auckland. Justin Latif spoke with local community leaders about why these theories find South Auckland such fertile ground, and what can be done to curtail their spread. “I have family who believes in ...19 hours ago
- Northern Marianas gets vaccine freezers for covid-19 treatmentBy RNZ Pacific The Northern Marianas is ready for its allocation of covid-19 vaccines from Pfizer after acquiring 10 ultra-cold freezers from South Korea. The acquisition of the freezers came as the CNMI waits for the Pfizer vaccines to get Emergency Use Authorisation approval from the US Food and Drug ...19 hours ago
- Update On Managed Isolation Emergency ApplicationsThe Range Of Circumstances For Those Who Need To Apply For An Emergency Allocation In Managed Isolation To Travel Home To New Zealand Urgently Has Been Widened. ...20 hours ago
- Māori Party's Rawiri Waititi says there's appetite for transformationMāori Party co-leader Rawiri Waititi says there is public appetite for unapologetically Māori voices and it is his party's job to provide them. ...20 hours ago
- As Air NZ is buffeted by turbulence, let’s think about returning it to public ownership
Air NZ is in a parlous state. Its long-haul Boeing 777 fleet is in storage in the US and few people in the company expect them to return to service. They are heavy, less fuel-efficient than the 787 Dreamliners. The company has been hammered by the Covid-19 pandemic with international ...21 hours ago - The forgotten environmental crisis: how 20th century settler writers foreshadowed the AnthropoceneSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Philip Steer, Senior Lecturer in English, Massey University Just as writers and artists today are responding to the Anthropocene through climate fiction and eco art, earlier generations chronicled an environmental crisis that presaged humanity’s global impact. The Anthropocene is a proposed geological ...21 hours ago
- The endemic playground attacks of New Zealand, revisitedDo your childhood memories include being randomly attacked by your classmates? Josie Adams looks back at the strangely violent schoolyard culture of dead arms, noogies, tabletops and more. Illustrated by Toby Morris.They say your school years are the best of your life. Remember being nine, playing marbles, and swapping your ...21 hours ago
- The Hayabusa2 spacecraft is about to drop a chunk of asteroid in the Australian outbackSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Trevor Ireland, Professor of Geochemistry and Cosmochemistry, Australian National University Before most people wake up this Sunday morning, a small space capsule will be dropped off to Earth, landing in Woomera, South Australia. The capsule contains fragments of the surface of a ...21 hours ago
- A vaccine will be a game-changer for international travel. But it’s not everythingSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Esterman, Professor of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, University of South Australia The United Kingdom yesterday became the first country to approve the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for widespread use. Following a review by the country’s drug regulator, the UK government announced it will ...21 hours ago
- We don’t need banks teaching kids about money. Schools have it coveredSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Catherine Attard, Associate Professor, Mathematics Education, Western Sydney University The Victorian government this week announced it would ban all banking schemes from operating in public schools from 2021. This includes the controversial Dollarmites program, run by Commonwealth Bank, which teaches primary school ...21 hours ago
- Bitcoin’s rebound: 3 reasons this time is (sort of) differentSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jason Potts, Professor of Economics, RMIT University Bitcoin is back. Three years after the bubble that inflated its value from US$5,000 to US$20,000 in less than three months burst in spectacular fashion, plunging more than 80%, the cryptocurrency is again on the ...21 hours ago
- Friday essay: the singlet — a short history of an Australian iconSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Lorinda Cramer, Postdoctoral Research Associate, Australian Catholic University There’s no denying the popularity of the singlet. The Chesty Bond, Australia’s best known singlet, has notched up more than 350 million sales. At last year’s Deniliquin Ute Muster, more than 3,970 blue singlets ...21 hours ago
- Researchers, librarians, filmmakers and teachers are eager for the copyright reforms the government ...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kylie Pappalardo, Senior Lecturer, School of Law, Queensland University of Technology In August, the communications minister announced a series of changes to copyright laws to “better support the needs of Australians and public institutions to access material in an increasingly digital environment”. ...21 hours ago
- From ‘arse-ropes’ to ‘flying venom’, a history of how we have come to talk about viruses and...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kate Burridge, Professor of Linguistics, Monash University Symptom, virus, epidemic, quarantine. We’ve become used to these terms in 2020. But the “COVID-19 vocabulary” might have been very different had it not been for a few twists and turns in English history. If ...22 hours ago
- Housing prices: where to next?
The year 2020 probably has a trick or two left up its sleeve in the final month, but for the housing market the tide of rapidly rising prices may be about to turn. ...22 hours ago - Live updates, December 4: The shocking new Covid-19 record broken by the USWelcome to The Spinoff’s live updates for December 4. Get in touch at stewart@thespinoff.co.nz7.50am: US Covid-19 deaths top 3100 in a single dayThe US has recorded a shocking 3100 deaths from Covid-19 in one day, the highest number of daily fatalities since the virus took hold.Meanwhile, for the first time, ...22 hours ago
- The Bulletin: Select committee seats and what each party wantsGood morning and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Early focus put on health select committee, international day for persons with disabilities marked, and appliance delays holding up new builds.The select committees are in the process of being selected. One of the processes of making a law is that it goes ...23 hours ago
- New home building consents at 14-year high
Business & Investing: More new homes were approved this year to October than any year since 2006, Plus F& P Healthcare named Company of the Year ...24 hours ago - Police will have to buy carbon credits for new cruisers
Police will have to cycle 2000 new Škoda cruisers out of their fleet by 2025 or fork up the cash for carbon credits under the Government's new carbon neutrality policy. ...1 day ago - Nathan-Wong reinvigorated for next big sevens goal
Tyla Nathan-Wong continues to set new benchmarks with the Black Ferns Sevens. But returning to the grassroots - and discovering a new sport - has refreshed her for the next goal: Olympic gold. Just before Covid-19 derailed 2020, Tyla Nathan-Wong coolly kicked her way into the history books. The 26-year-old became ...1 day ago - We all must face up to the stark truth on climate
The future of humankind depends on personal responses to the climate emergency, worldwide. ...1 day ago - NZ's line in the sand on cyber attacks
The Government has set out how countries should be allowed to respond to state-sanctioned hacking. ...1 day ago - No pandemic planning without solidarity
A central ethical value in pandemic planning is kotahitanga - solidarity. If we do not do this together, we will not get through, writes Dr Ben Gray The National Ethics Advisory Committee produced a document in 2007 titled Getting Through Together, ethical values for a pandemic. This document was the result ...1 day ago - 'What can we do to heal?'
The latest disturbing revelations from our prisons are symptoms of a system designed by Pākehā but ensnaring Māori inmates, writes columnist Rachel Peters When I lived in Australia, I had a friend who was traumatised by the genocidal history of his country and the racism he had endured. I believe there was ...1 day ago - The super Spinoff ethical Christmas gift guide 2020Following the raging success of the 2018 and 2019 non-goat ethical Christmas gift guides, we present – done up in reusable gift wrap – the 2020 list of ethical, sustainable, socially conscious and charitable gift ideas to satisfy all kinds of family members and budgets.By some miracle, this absolute arsehat ...1 day ago
- We miss New Zealand desperately, but we’re staying put in education exileHalf a million New Zealanders are predicted to return home in the wake of Covid-19, but our family won’t be on that list until New Zealand sorts out its approach to special needs and disability education.In August 2019 we left our beloved New Zealand, the country my husband and kids ...1 day ago
- Why 'sorry' matters
How meaningful really was Stuff's extraordinary apology this week? Stuff's public apology for its portrayal of Māori in the last 160 years has been described as monumental and a "day of joy" but a Māori media expert says the news organisation will be closely watched to make sure it does ...1 day ago - Grattan on Friday: China plays reverse ‘poke the bear’Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra In the moment, Scott Morrison’s angry denunciation of the offensive Chinese tweet about alleged Australian war crimes seemed a reasonable response. In retrospect, it was probably ill-judged. This is so even though the response had ...1 day ago
- The new maths of Question TimeThe House: The new parliament has a different shape, and very different maths. As a result Question Time will also be quite a different beast. ...1 day ago
- Health experts offer speculation about Covid-19 vaccine rolloutDetails of a New Zealand rollout of Covid-19 vaccines are being kept heavily under wraps, and are due to be announced soon. ...1 day ago
- Record number of people waiting for social housingThe social housing waitlist has hit a record high, with nearly 22,000 applicants on the register. ...1 day ago
- Māori Party leaders aspire to transform Aotearoa for the better in maiden speechesThe Māori Party co-leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer has pulled no punches in her maiden speech, describing early New Zealand governments as "monsters, murderers and rapists". ...1 day ago
- Should Australians be worried about waiting for a COVID vaccine when the UK has just approved Pfizer...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Joel Lexchin, Professor Emeritus of Health Policy and Management, York University, Emergency Physician at University Health Network, Associate Professor of Family and Community Medicine, University of Toronto The news that Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine has gained emergency approval in the United Kingdom and ...1 day ago
- Climate change is resulting in profound, immediate and worsening health impacts, over 120 researcher...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Celia McMichael, Senior Lecturer in Geography, University of Melbourne Climate change is resulting in profound, immediate and worsening health impacts, and no country is immune, a major new report from more than 120 researchers has declared. This year’s annual report of The ...1 day ago
- 6 unis had Hindi programs. Soon there could be only 1, and that’s not in Australia’s best intere...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Christopher L. Diamond, Lecturer in Hindi, Australian National University La Trobe University is in talks to discontinue its Hindi program, along with Greek and Indonesian. In the mid-1990s, six Australian universities taught Hindi. If La Trobe ends its program, Australia will be ...1 day ago
- Pharmac probe unlikely to examine commercial details – LittleWork has started on setting up an inquiry into Pharmac but it's unlikely to have access to commercial information. ...2 days ago
- Film review: Thomas Banks’ Quest for Love tackles life as a gay man with disabilitySource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Amie O’Shea, Lecturer, Disability & Inclusion, Deakin University Review: Thomas Banks’ Quest for Love, directed by Pip Kelly In Thomas Banks’ Quest for Love, Banks — a writer and comedian with cerebral palsy — addresses the additional taboos experienced by people with ...2 days ago
- Back to the future: Ardern govt refashions a 2007 commitment to make the state service carbon-neutr...
The government’s declaration of a national emergency on climate change has taken symbolism in politics to new heights. It’s an art form perfected by Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and the bulk of New Zealanders, it seems, like it. Look at how she kept New Zealanders free of the Covid-19 virus ...2 days ago - Why can politicians so easily dodge accountability for their mistakes? The troubling answer: because...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Chris Aulich, Adjunct Professor at the University of Canberra, University of Canberra In recent days, the issue of government accountability was brought into sharp focus — again — when NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian admitted that community grants awarded primarily to councils in ...2 days ago
- Oh look – 28 potential good-news stories about young people overcoming challenges (but Stuff has m...The Dom-Post gave front-page treatment today to the government’s declaration of a climate emergency. This emergency – says Climate Change Minister James Shaw – will be backed with ambitious plans to reduce emissions. Another of yesterday’s press releases from the Beehive, about an awards ceremony, did not pass muster with ...2 days ago
- Feeling sore after exercise? Here’s what science suggests helps (and what doesn’t)Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrea Mosler, Post-Doctoral Research Fellow, Sport and Exercise Medicine Research Centre, La Trobe University Have you been hitting the gym again with COVID restrictions easing? Or getting back into running, cycling, or playing team sports? As many of you might’ve experienced, the ...2 days ago
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