Author Archive
National’s alternative budget doesn’t add up
Written By: - Date published: 9:36 am, September 26th, 2020 - 4 comments
If ever you needed a symbol of National’s current plight it is the handling of the release of its alternative budget. It has been a complete and utter shambles. A clusterf&*k of epic proportions. Because if there is one part of National’s reputation that needs to be defended at all costs it is the perception that they are competent financial managers and making multiple billion dollar mistakes in your alternative budget at election time is the one thing over all else that will hurt that part of your reputation.
So much for the climate change consensus
Written By: - Date published: 10:50 am, September 25th, 2020 - 39 comments
Ten months ago National supported the Zero Carbon Bill and called for a consensus between the major political parties on the overall framework through which climate change issues are addressed. This week National trashed all of that to try and shore up its sagging support.
National’s many and varied Covid border policies
Written By: - Date published: 7:31 am, September 24th, 2020 - 11 comments
On Tuesday National announced the fifth variation of its Covid border policy this year.
How low can National go?
Written By: - Date published: 7:44 am, September 22nd, 2020 - 43 comments
With news of a second mistake in National’s draft budget its campaign is in trouble and support for other right wing parties appears to be surging. Update: Stuff is reporting a further $3.9 billion dollar mistake …
Paora Goldsmith is National’s $4 billion dollar man
Written By: - Date published: 4:17 pm, September 20th, 2020 - 116 comments
Paul Goldsmith has blighted National’s campaign launch by making a $4 billion dollar mistake in National’s budget costings.
The Auckland Central Poll
Written By: - Date published: 9:08 am, September 20th, 2020 - 33 comments
A Reid Research poll has suggested that Helen White is well ahead of Emma Mellow and Chloe Swarbrick and that Labour’s support is still sky high.
National’s lolly scramble tax cuts
Written By: - Date published: 8:34 am, September 19th, 2020 - 55 comments
Despite claiming that the PREFU figures were catastrophic and despite stating a month ago that it would not do this National has come out with a policy of temporary tax cuts favouring the rich. They must be desperate.
Reti’s running
Written By: - Date published: 7:50 am, September 18th, 2020 - 61 comments
Yesterday Shane Reti ignited leadership rumours after he was asked if he wanted to be National leader and did not pledge support for existing leader Judith Collins.
The PREFU is much better than National wanted
Written By: - Date published: 4:33 pm, September 16th, 2020 - 51 comments
The Prefu is out! And it is not as scary as National would have wanted.
Taxpayer’s Union is wasting taxpayers’ money
Written By: - Date published: 9:24 am, September 15th, 2020 - 35 comments
The Taxpayer’s Union, which claims to be opposed to Government waste, is wasting taxpayer’s resources by lodging a spurious complaint with the Broadcasting Standards Authority against Labour’s free apprenticeship policy.
National’s Upper Harbour problem
Written By: - Date published: 8:31 am, September 14th, 2020 - 41 comments
This has been quite a year for National. It is onto its third leader, has lost a slew of experienced MPs, and has had other MPs resign in curious circumstances. And now it appears that it has a crisis involving its Upper Harbour candidate, Jake Bezzant.
Labour’s social welfare policy
Written By: - Date published: 12:20 pm, September 13th, 2020 - 62 comments
Labour has announced that if elected they will significantly increase abatement levels for beneficiaries and reinstitute the Training Incentive Allowance Scheme, the policy that Paula Bennett famously had the benefit of but then cancelled once she was Minister.
Covid, the US President and the Evangelical churches
Written By: - Date published: 8:30 am, September 10th, 2020 - 123 comments
There has been disturbing local news that some members of a local evangelical church, influenced by American equivalents, refused to accept the threat posed by the virus. And in America a new book from Bob Woodward suggests strongly that Donald Trump knew how big a threat Covid would be but chose for political reasons to downplay the risk.
Labour announces tax policies
Written By: - Date published: 12:55 pm, September 9th, 2020 - 98 comments
Labour and the Greens have both recently announced taxation policies. Meanwhile there is no sign of any fiscal policy or alternative budget from National.
What did Brownlee know about Southern Response’s misleading and deceptive conduct?
Written By: - Date published: 4:37 pm, September 8th, 2020 - 27 comments
The Court of Appeal has ruled that Southern Response has engaged in misleading and deceptive conduct and has potentially short changed thousands of Cantabrians hundreds of millions of dollars.
Will NZ First make it back into Parliament?
Written By: - Date published: 10:07 am, September 8th, 2020 - 43 comments
One of the most interesting questions about the current election campaign is will New Zealand First make it back into Parliament after the election, with polling and a slew of not dissimilar parties on the right suggesting that Winston’s time may be up.
Landlord lobby group hopes National Government will ditch warm flat requirement
Written By: - Date published: 8:49 am, September 7th, 2020 - 56 comments
The NZ Property Investors Federation has proposed to its members they should hold off on making flats warmer and drier just in case there is a change of government.
Covid – New Zealand has similar levels of freedom to Sweden
Written By: - Date published: 1:41 pm, September 6th, 2020 - 83 comments
Simon Thornley is claiming that New Zealand’s covid response is a failure and we should be more like Sweden. But it appears that in more recent times Sweden has toughened its stringency tests so that they are similar to New Zealand’s.
The Herald’s idea of balance
Written By: - Date published: 6:30 am, September 2nd, 2020 - 43 comments
The Herald yesterday posted a story suggesting that Aucklanders were split over the second lockdown when the actual reality was the vast majority were supportive. And a subsequent article pointing out how positive the result was does not clear the perception of negative bias.
Left wing twitter is the worst *
Written By: - Date published: 7:42 am, September 1st, 2020 - 69 comments
* but you should see what Judith Collins’ husband has been posting.
Kia kaha Greens
Written By: - Date published: 9:06 am, August 29th, 2020 - 304 comments
The Green Party is facing major push back from members relating to a decision to give shovel ready funding to a private school involved in education about the environment.
Everybody got together on that day as one brother
Written By: - Date published: 8:45 am, August 27th, 2020 - 32 comments
The sentencing of the Christchurch Mosque mass murderer was shaping up to be a circus and allow the person in the dock to spread his message of hate. But so far it has been a cathartic event and has given the victims a chance to vent their feelings. And it has provided a chance for us to reinforce our solidarity with our Muslim brothers and sisters.
If National wins the hope for clean water and swimmable rivers will be gone by lunchtime
Written By: - Date published: 8:03 am, August 27th, 2020 - 40 comments
National has promised that if it gains power rules designed to improve water quality in our streams and rivers will be “gone by lunchtime.
National’s latest deception
Written By: - Date published: 8:45 am, August 26th, 2020 - 98 comments
National’s social media team has published an edited version of a response to a written question by Chris Hipkins to suggest that returning kiwis in quarantine were not subject to compulsory testing, when the reality is anyone refusing a test can be held for up to 26 days following the fortnight stay.
Should 16 year olds have the vote?
Written By: - Date published: 9:36 am, August 25th, 2020 - 54 comments
A current case before the High Court is asking the question should 16 year olds be permitted to vote.
The election campaign and the sponsored Herald article
Written By: - Date published: 8:42 am, August 25th, 2020 - 58 comments
Radius Chair and NBR rich lister Brien Cree has a sponsored article in the Herald this morning that is critical of the Government’s Covid response.
Covid 19 catastrophisation
Written By: - Date published: 1:05 pm, August 24th, 2020 - 43 comments
Recent catastrophisation of the Government’s response to Covid by National is overplayed and overhyped, although some of the investigation by the media has been helpful in highlighting weaknesses in the response where improvement is important.
Is New Zealand or the United States the Covid cot case?
Written By: - Date published: 9:39 am, August 22nd, 2020 - 28 comments
This week Donald Trump has defended the US’s abysmal handling of Covid 19 by claiming that the disease is out of control in New Zealand. And National’s rhetoric continues to match what he is saying.
The Covid Court Case
Written By: - Date published: 8:18 am, August 20th, 2020 - 30 comments
The High Court has ruled that for technical reasons during the first nine days of the lockdown statements that New Zealanders were legally required to remain at home were incorrect.
What does Judith do about Gerry?
Written By: - Date published: 9:32 am, August 19th, 2020 - 113 comments
Gerry Brownlee has chosen to not only repeat his conspiracy theories involving Ashley Bloomfield but also claim that the media is against National. Both claims have no factual foundation.
Why we need to get on with the election
Written By: - Date published: 8:23 am, August 17th, 2020 - 114 comments
A coalition of losers has appeared demanding that the election is be delayed. Update: Ardern has announced a short deferral of election day to October 17.
- National behind the times
When Todd Muller resigned as leader of the National Party and allowed for Judith Collins to assume command, you could tell the blue “team” was desperate and in search of past glories. After all, Crusher is towards the end of her political career and from a bygone era where dirty ...25 mins ago - Coronavirus: the road to vaccine roll-out is always bumpy, as 20th-century pandemics show
Samantha Vanderslott, University of Oxford If you have been following the media coverage of the new vaccines in development for COVID-19, it will be clear that the stakes are high. Very few vaccine trials in history have attracted so much attention, perhaps since polio in the mid-20th century. A now ...1 hour ago - PREFU: The State of Government Accounts
‘The Pre-election Economic and Fiscal Update’ (PREFU) tells us something about the future of the Public Sector but it requires careful analysis to assess how it is going. The 2020 PREFU is the most important economic statement during any election campaign. Unfortunately the commentariat tends to treat it briefly ...18 hours ago - Predatory delay
Farmers are whining again about being expected to clean up their act: Canterbury farmers want politicians to stop painting them as climate change villains, listen to their needs and allow them more time to boost environmental standards. [...] “The targets are necessary for the environment, but do we ...22 hours ago - Flight to nowhere sends the wrong message in climate crisisQantas Airlines’ 7-hour “flight to nowhere”, that sold out in 10 minutes with prices from A$787 to A$3787, seemed like a sick joke to climate advocates. Apart from the waste of fuel and the pointless emissions, passengers would be able to see first-hand, from a plane just like those that ...1 day ago
- Speaker: The cannabis referendum – a doctor’s perspective
Cannabis is part of our culture: 80% of adults have tried it sometime. Intuition tells us that legalising cannabis will increase use – science suggests that is not likely. Our Dunedin and Christchurch studies show that cannabis use peaks in our 20s. Older people are less frequent users whether it ...1 day ago - First steps: Jerry DeSilva on the evolution of bipedalismYesterday morning I got up (at the rather early and unaccustomed hour of 3.30am) to listen to a webinar by paleoanthropologist Dr Jeremy DeSilva¹. Titled “First Steps”, his presentation was about the origins of bipedalism in the human lineage. It was a fascinating session & I thought I’d turn my ...1 day ago
- True Believers In A False God.
Down The Rabbit Hole: "Social psychologists have found that when fearful people contemplate potential misfortunes, they tend to feel helpless and pessimistic, but when angry people contemplate the same, they feel a sense of optimism and control. And one simple way to transmute fear into anger is to perceive an evil ...1 day ago - Majority Rule Requires Majorities That Are Real.Fifty Percent Plus One: New Zealand’s genuine-majority-delivering two-party system endured for five elections only (1938, 1943, 1946, 1949, 1951) a period of just 16 years. Very few New Zealanders alive today can boast of participating in an election which delivered a true majority to either Labour or National. Someone who ...1 day ago
- Labour super exploitation
This is the second in the lecture series by Andy Higginbottom on superexploitation. Here he looks at Marini’s theory of labour super-exploitation and Capital ...1 day ago - Small asteroid to make near-miss of Earth in NZ skies tonightSorry for the late notice on this one, but I only just heard myself, in common with most of the human race. A small asteroid, somewhere between the size of a truck and the size of a house in dimensions, will hurtle past the Earth tonight, dipping closer to ...2 days ago
- This is not what accountability looks likeWhen someone commits trespass, assault with a weapon, and kidnapping, you'd expect them to be prosecuted, right? But apparently the rules are different if you wear a blue uniform: A police investigation has found officers in Northland trespassed on a man's property, then unlawfully pepper sprayed him and arrested ...2 days ago
- Cycling: head injuries ignored because of entrenched macho cultureHoward Hurst, University of Central Lancashire and Jack Hardwicke, University of Winchester Competitive road cycling is a demanding and unique sport. One where crashing is inevitable – especially at the professional level. While the risk of head injury is relatively low in cycling – approximately 5-13% – compared to contact ...2 days ago
- The coming US shitshowToday President Trump once again refused to commit to a peaceful transfer of power if he loses the US election. Coincidentally, The Atlantic has a long article on exactly what that means, from voter suppression by armed thugs in the name of "ballot security", to refusing to allow the vote ...2 days ago
- A moral voidThat's the only way to describe the SIS, who - like their British counterparts - decided to look the other way on child abuse: The SIS knew a young woman was being sexually abused by her father but failed to lodge a complaint with the police, effectively allowing the ...2 days ago
- When will Goldsmith resign?The National Party’s campaign has gone from bad to worse with a further two large miscalculations being uncovered in their alternative fiscal plan. Firstly, National’s economic spokesperson and list MP, Paul Goldsmith, used May's Budget figures instead of last week's PREFU numbers, and came up with a whopping $4.3 billion ...2 days ago
- The Adventures of Annalax: Part IX
The initial session was a struggle. Annalax and Magni tried sorting out the details with the Isaac twins (the people pursuing the mountain trip). Annalax happened to mention his devotion to Lolth… whom the Isaacs, being ... 2 days ago - This is bullshitOn March 13, three plainclothes police officers kicked in Breonna Taylor's door under a no-knock warrant targeting another person. When a person inside reasonably assumed they were home invaders and (this being America) started shooting, they shot up the place and everyone around them - killing Taylor. Today, one of ...2 days ago
- Arctic sea ice is being increasingly melted from below by warming Atlantic waterTom Rippeth, Bangor University Arctic sea ice today (white) is covering a much smaller area than in 1980-2010 (orange line). National Snow and Ice Data Center, University of Colorado, Boulder, CC BY-SA Each September, scientists like me look out for the point when the Arctic’s meagre summer fizzles out and ...2 days ago
- The long-term health burden of COVID-19: further justification for NZ’s elimination strategyProf John D. Potter* This blog briefly surveys the emerging scientific evidence on the longer-term burden of symptoms and disease in survivors of the COVID-19 pandemic. Many of these symptoms point to damage in the brain and heart. These long-term harms add to the wide range of other reasons for ...2 days ago
- Going High, Going Low: An Assessment Of The First Leaders’ Debate.Uncrushed: Jacinda Ardern knew exactly what was expected of her in the first Leaders' Debate. Labour’s dominant position, three weeks out from the general election, is constructed out of the admiration and gratitude of hundreds of thousands of New Zealanders who, more often than not, vote National. Nothing she said ...2 days ago
- The smokefree policies of political parties: Do they care about people who smoke?George Thomson*, Nick Wilson, Janet Hoek, Andrew Waa, Richard Edwards In this time of Covid-19, helping people who smoke to quit their addiction has an even greater importance. Smokers are more vulnerable to many harmful health effects, including severe effects from the virus. Policies that support people who smoke to ...2 days ago
- The Fog Of Economic Policy Is Starting To Clear…
Bryan Bruce, https://www.facebook.com/www.redsky.tv, 19 September 2020 National’s economic policy of temporary tax cuts yesterday proved, if proof be needed, that they are unapologetic neoliberals. While their claim that with more money in their pockets people will spend more might sound attractive, the reality is that tax cuts always benefit the ...3 days ago - Skeptical Science New Research for Week #38, 2020
Highlighted article: Carbon pricing and planetary boundaries Engström et al take what might be called a systems approach to evaluating carbon pricing, taking into a account various economic sectors affected by and affecting paying for emissions. The conclusions are overall a rare pleasant surprise— a feature predicated on cooperation. Abstract: ...3 days ago - Humans ignite almost every wildfire that threatens homesNathan Mietkiewicz, National Ecological Observatory Network and Jennifer Balch, University of Colorado Boulder CC BY-ND Summer and fall are wildfire season across the western U.S. In recent years, wildfires have destroyed thousands of homes, forced hundreds of thousands of people to evacuate and exposed tens of millions to harmful ...3 days ago
- Climate Change: China steps upChina has increased its climate change ambition, and set a target to be carbon-neutral by 2060: China will reach carbon neutrality before 2060 and ensure its greenhouse gas emissions peak in the next decade, Xi Jinping has told the UN general assembly. “China will scale up its intended nationally ...3 days ago
- Humans have dealt with plenty of climate variabilityClimate Explained is a collaboration between The Conversation, Stuff and the New Zealand Science Media Centre to answer your questions about climate change. If you have a question you’d like an expert to answer, please send it to climate.change@stuff.co.nz How much climate variability have humans dealt with since we ...3 days ago
- Indigenous perspectives on unrestricted access to genomic dataBy Genomics Aotearoa researcher Maui Hudson, University of Waikato It is vital that genomics research respects genomic data and genetic heritage from indigenous communities. Genomics research is a rapidly growing field of study, and there is a strong push to make the huge amount of data being produced open ...3 days ago
- Terrible luck: lockdowns on learning and youth job prospectsWhat is bad luck? Bad luck is spilling spaghetti sauce down your shirt right before an important meeting. When the person in front of you gets the last seat on the bus, that’s bad luck. Bad luck is when it’s sunny outside, so you leave the house without a coat, ...3 days ago
- Ian Powell: Does private healthcare threaten public healthcare in New Zealand?
Is the private health system impacting negatively on the public health system? Health commentator Ian Powell evaluates a recent NZ Herald article by Natalie Akoorie (“Public v private healthcare: Moonlighting, skimming, duplication – should NZ do better”), and looks at how the dual system works, and concludes that the answer ...3 days ago - A rabbit-hole election debate: So do you want more avocado orchards?
We live in strange and unusual times. It’s been a century since we’ve endured a global pandemic like this, more than half a century since we’ve had economic woes like this. So maybe we got an opening election debate for the times - because that was a strange and unusual ...3 days ago - LIVE: Jacinda Ardern vs. Judith Collins, First Debate
Tonight, The Civilian will be live-blogging the first of too many debates between Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and National Party leader Judith Collins, and also the last fifteen minutes of the news. Be sure to tune in from 6:45pm for regular updates, which can be accessed by refreshing this page ...4 days ago - Hundreds of Aucklanders arrested after illegal mass gathering on Harbour BridgeAn enormous drive-in party, shown here, was held this morning on Auckland’s Harbour Bridge, where police were forced to intervene. Hundreds of Aucklanders were arrested this morning on public health grounds, after an apparent illegal mass gathering on the city’s Harbour Bridge. Police say hundreds of Aucklanders gathered in their ...4 days ago
- The Looming Fight.Social Distancing Be Damned - It's Jacinda! Shortly after ascending to Labour’s leadership, Jacinda described herself as a “pragmatic idealist”. It was an inspired oxymoron – packing into just two words the essence of the social-democrat’s dilemma. It was good to know that she knew what lay ahead of her. ...4 days ago
- Climate Change: Moving fasterBack in 2017, the UK announced that it would ban the sale of new fossil fuel vehicles by 2040. Its a basic climate change measure, aimed at reducing emissions by shifting the vehicle fleet to cleaner technologies. Now, in the wake of the pandemic, they're planning to bring it forward ...4 days ago
- The Australian courts have had enough of refugee detentionFor the past decade, Australia has had a racist, anti-refugee policy. Those claiming refugee status are imprisoned without trial and left to rot in the hope they would "voluntarily" return to be tortured and murdered. When the courts have granted them visas, the government has immediately revoked them on racial ...4 days ago
- Friction and the Anti-lock Braking SystemYesterday afternoon I had to call on my car’s anti-lock braking system (ABS). For reasons best known to its driver, a car pulled out of a side road right in front of me while I was driving home after work, and I needed to stop in a hurry. I rather ...4 days ago
- The Inside Word: New Zealand Quarantine
There are a fair few misconceptions about conditions within New Zealand’s Quarantine Hotels. Madeline Grant’s misplaced accusations being one prominent example, though she is not alone. Today, I thought I’d share the inside word, so to speak. A friend of mine has recently returned to New Zealand from overseas, and ...4 days ago - Hard News: ASA: Let’s not talk about thisLast week, major newspapers carried a full-page ad as part of the campaign for a "No" vote to the referendum question about supporting the Cannabis Legalisation and Control Bill. The ad was authorised by the SAM NZ Coalition, which takes its name from a controversial American anti-cannabis group and includes ...4 days ago
- This is not kindNew Zealand has a serious homelessness problem, due to skyrocketing rents and a lack of state houses. One of the ways we stick a band-aid on it is to put people up in motels. Previously, they were charged full commercial rates, saddled with odious debt due to the government's failure ...4 days ago
- Wokies are the establishment
by Ani O’Brien In the absence of a better word with which to refer to the rabid activists who claim progressivism while demanding adherence to an increasingly prescriptive set of political beliefs, I call them “woke”. With its roots in Black American slang, the term originally denoted a person or ...5 days ago - How to strengthen the post-isolation Covid rulesOver the weekend, the Ministry of Health reported a case of Covid-19 in Auckland that is not related to the current Auckland cluster. Before we start to panic, here’s how I think the case happened and how we can strengthen our current border controls. The new Covid-19 case is someone ...5 days ago
- Neuralink and You: A Human-AI SymbiosisBecky Casale Elon Musk reckons his Neuralink brain implant is much more than a medical device–that one day it will drive a symbiosis between humans and artificial intelligence. “Good morning! I’m Dr Benedict Egg and I’ll be supervising your Neuralink insertion today. Do you have any questions?” “Yes, Doc. ...5 days ago
- Liam Hehir: Our obsession with American politicsMany New Zealanders take a strong interest in US politics, with the death of Supreme Court Judge Ruth Bader Ginsberg being the latest example. Liam Hehir wonders if it very wise for New Zealanders to get so worked about it. Many politically engaged New Zealanders are now furiously ...5 days ago
- COVID: Back to Level 1
After stamping the Coronavirus out via strict lockdown between March and May, New Zealand went through a good three months without any community cases. Then a local outbreak in Auckland rather buggered things up last month. Auckland’s been in level 3 and level 2.5 for the past six weeks. ...5 days ago - Climate Change: Climate injusticeWho's causing our skyrocketing emissions? As with most of our other problems, It's the rich: The wealthiest 1% of the world’s population were responsible for the emission of more than twice as much carbon dioxide as the poorer half of the world from 1990 to 2015, according to new ...5 days ago
- Good riddanceThe border closure and resulting lack of foreign slave-workers is driving the fishing industry out of business: One fishing company is effectively out of business while others are bracing for large financial hits as the deepwater New Zealand industry, unable to get skilled foreign workers into the country, have ...5 days ago
- 2020 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming Digest #38Story 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... The tipping points at the heart of the climate crisis Many parts of the Earth’s climate system have been destabilised by ...5 days ago
- Anyone for Collins?
In the absence of national public opinion polls, we have had to make do in recent weeks with other guides to voter intentions. Those guides, such as the Auckland Central poll, the incidence of google enquiries and the responses to Vote Compass questions, have suggested, not unexpectedly, that Labour is ...5 days ago - Crusher’s fiscal malfunctionCrusher Collins - National Party leaderWe all know that the National Party is desperate to gain some traction during this election campaign and have been throwing pretty much everything at the Labour Party in order to try and undermine Jacinda Ardern and what the Coalition Government has achieved. But unfortunately ...5 days ago
Much of the commentariat’s reporting of the most recent GDP figure was misleading and unhelpful. The prize for the stupidest remark about the GDP figure for second quarter 2020 (2020Q2) released on Thursday (17 Sept) goes to Judith Collins, whose response to Grant Robertson’s comments indicated she did not ...6 days ago- Love and Hate as Complementary Revolutionary Actsby Gearóid Ó Loingsigh goloing@gmail.com (19/09/2020) Che Guevara said that a true revolutionary is motivated by love i.e. love of the oppressed, the poor, the children dying from preventable illnesses. This phrase of his is true but has been used by reformists and their more hippy wing have taken advantage ...6 days ago
- 2020 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #38A chronological listing of news articles linked to on the Skeptical Science Facebook Page during the past week: Sun, Sep 13, 2020 through Sat, Sep 19, 2020 Editor's Choice Get to Net-Zero by Mid-Century? Even Some Global Oil and Gas Giants Think it Can Be Done A report by a ...6 days ago
- Tax cuts for all!!! (except you, you, and you)
With the National Party this week announcing a new policy of tax cuts to spice up the election campagin. MyThinks went along to the launch and afterwards we spoke to the party’s finance spokesperson Paul “Golden Touch” Goldsmith. MT: Thanks for speaking to us Mr Goldsmith. PG: No. Thank you. ...1 week ago - Great Waves Washing Over New Zealand
Always to islanders danger Is what comes over the seas ‘Landfall in Unknown Seas’ (Allen Curnow)Six economic issues external to New Zealand, which will greatly impact upon us. 1. The Diminishing Global Dominance of the US. Since 1941 America has dominated the world economically and politically. Probably it could ...1 week ago - New Zealand has role to play in resolving crisis on ‘geopolitical fault line’, Helen Clark saysBy Geoffrey Miller New Zealand should continue to champion human rights in Belarus amidst an ongoing crackdown on protests by the country’s regime, former Prime Minister Helen Clark says. Protests in the country often referred to as ‘Europe’s last dictatorship’ erupted after the country’s disputed presidential elections on August 9 ...1 week ago
- Euthanasia referendum: How to cut through the emotionsJacqui Maguire, registered clinical psychologist This podcast episode highlights how difficult it is to have effective conversations about euthanasia due to how polarised people’s views are. I’m a clinical psychologist, with a passion for science communication. In early 2020 I founded the podcast Mind Brew, with an aim to make psychological ...1 week ago
- Why we need cameras on boatsIn case anyone needed further convincing, there's another example today of why we need cameras on fishing boats: reported seabird bycatch doubled during a camera trial: Commercial fishers operating off Auckland's coast around vulnerable seabirds are twice as likely to report accidentally capturing them when cameras are on ...1 week ago
- Graham Adams: The religious right’s campaign to spike the euthanasia referendumIn the leadup to the euthanasia referendum, an array of conservative Christian political organisations is running an expensive campaign to sow doubt about the safety of assisted dying. Graham Adams argues that these religious forces know that Christian arguments aren’t convincing the public, but that it is in the public ...1 week ago
- Opportunistic lootingThe National Party has spent the last six months acting horrified at the cost of supporting people through the pandemic and banging on about how the debt must be repaid. So what was their economic policy released today? Massive tax-cuts for the rich, of course! National has walked back ...1 week ago
- Uncomfortable Choices.Dangerous Times: This will be the choice confronting those coming of age in the 2020s. Embrace Neoliberalism’s belief in racial and sexual equality; adopt its secular and scientific world view; and cultivate the technocratic, multicultural, global outlook required of those who keep the machinery of hyper-capitalism humming. Or, throw your ...1 week ago
- Tony Burton: Covid and benefit paymentsIt would be a great time to reform the benefit system, according to former Deputy Chief Economic Advisor at the Treasury, Tony Burton. He argues the complexity of benefit system means that it’s failing to achieve its difficult three core objectives, which form an “iron triangle”. New Zealand’s benefit ...1 week ago
- Talking tax: How to win support for taxing wealthTax Justice UK, September 2020 Serious tax reform is on the political agenda for the first time in decades due to the coronavirus crisis. As this debate hots up it is important to understand what people think about public spending, wealth and tax. Tax Justice UK, along with Survation and ...1 week ago
- Getting Tough.Not Mucking Around: With upwards of 800 dead from the virus’s resurgence in the Australian state of Victoria, leniency is not on Premier Daniel Andrews’ agenda. The Victorian Police are cracking down hard on the protesters the Australian press has labelled "Covidiots".IMAGES OF POLICE, some in riot gear, others on ...1 week ago
- Media Link: Nuclear strategy, then and now.
Although I had the fortune of being a graduate student of some of the foremost US nuclear strategists of the day (1970s) and later rubbed shoulders with Air Force and Naval officers who were entrusted with parts of the US nuclear arsenal, I seldom get to write or speak about ...1 week ago - The Chinese List.News that Zhenhua Data, an arm of China Zhenhua Electronics Group, a subsidiary of the military-connected China Electronic Information Industry Group (CETC), maintains a list of 800 New Zealanders on a “Overseas Key Information Database” that contains personal information on more than 2.4 million foreign individuals, has caused some consternation ...1 week ago
- Things that grow fast, and things that surprise usMarie Becdelievre January 2020. The number of news article mentioning coronavirus exploded and anxious voices whispered about a global pandemic. Whisper? To me, it was only a whisper. I tend to learn about the world through non-fiction books, conferences, and academic research rather than news and social media, so ...1 week ago
- Skeptical Science New Research for Week #37, 20202,082,476,000,000,000 Viability of greenhouse gas removal via the artificial addition of volcanic ash to the ocean (not open access, unfortunately) walks us through the numbers on a particular means of CO2 removal, addition of volcanic tephra to the ocean. The mechanism is straight chemistry and the cost is fully an order of ...1 week ago
- Barbados to become a republicBarbados is planning to remove the queen as head of state and become a republic in time for the 55th anniversary of its independence in 2021: Barbados has announced its intention to remove the Queen as its head of state and become a republic by November 2021. [...] Reading ...1 week ago
- Party Like It’s 1989: Bait and Switch is a Bad Look, Mr Hipkins
At the 2017 election, the New Zealand Labour Party promised a Fees Free Policy for tertiary students. Basically, it would make the first year of university education free in 2018, with a second year in 2021, and a third in 2024. It also promised to restore Post-Graduate access to the ...1 week ago - Will the tropics eventually become uninhabitable?Climate Explained is a collaboration between The Conversation, Stuff and the New Zealand Science Media Centre to answer your questions about climate change. If you have a question you’d like an expert to answer, please send it to climate.change@stuff.co.nz What is the impact of temperature increases in the tropics? ...1 week ago
- A first-hand look: What it’s like to live in a 2020 California wildfire evacuation zoneThis is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Daisy Simmons It felt like 100 degrees in my in-laws’ Grass Valley, California, kitchen, but at least the lights were on and for the moment we were safely “distanced” from the Jones Fire. We’d just finished dessert, after pizza and a movie ...1 week ago
- COVID-19 is not the only infectious disease New Zealand wants to eliminate, and genome sequencing is...Nigel French, Massey University Genome sequencing — the mapping of the genetic sequences of an organism — has helped track the spread of COVID-19 cases in Auckland, but it also plays an important role in the control of other infectious diseases in New Zealand. One example is Mycoplasma bovis, a ...2 weeks ago
- A flaw in our electoral transparency regimeA key part of our electoral funding regime is a requirement for some transparency around donations, on the basis that if we can find out who has bought our politicians (typically after we have voted for them) then everything is alright. There are a lot of problems with that regime ...2 weeks ago
- Don’t Steal This BookOn “In Defense of Looting” Matt Taibibi takes an entertaining look at this generation of woke activists and how they compare with Abbie Hoffman the iconic anti-Vietnam war counter-culture figure of the 1960s On Thursday, August 27th, the same day Donald Trump formally accepted the Republican nomination, National Public Radio ...2 weeks ago
- Healthy, affordable homes a Green Party priority for Wellington
The Green Party would push to ensure everyone in Wellington has a warm, safe and affordable place to live as part of the next Government. ...24 hours ago - Environment and climate will be decimated by National’s dangerous agriculture policyThe Green Party is slamming National’s agriculture policy as a huge step backwards which puts future generations at risk. ...2 days ago
- Reducing costs for Kiwi farmers
New Zealand’s farmers and growers play a key role in our economy and in our communities. Labour has set out a clear vision to transition to a carbon-neutral economy and today we committed to supporting our farmers and growers to achieve this goal. ...3 days ago - Jacinda Ardern sets out Labour’s plan in first TV debateTonight was the first Leaders’ Debate, broadcast live on TVNZ 1. It was the first time New Zealanders have seen Jacinda Ardern side-by-side Opposition Leader Judith Collins this campaign. ...4 days ago
- Our plan to keep New Zealand movingLast updated 30 July 2020. The whole world is battling with COVID-19, and no country is immune. In New Zealand, our focus is getting the latest resurgence under control and making sure we put in place immediate financial supports to cushion the economic blow. As before, the best economic response is ...4 days ago
- Our AchievementsLed by Jacinda Ardern, our strong, stable government has delivered results and put people first every step of the way. In health, housing, education and more, we've got a strong track record of delivering for New Zealanders. Now, we’re continuing to put people first with our decisive response to COVID-19. ...4 days ago
- Why should I vote for Labour?Labour has a strong track record of making progress on the big issues facing our country. Now, as we recover and rebuild from COVID-19, we’re rolling out our plan to grow our economy, support businesses and communities, and keep New Zealand moving. If you’re still undecided ahead of this year’s ...4 days ago
- Greens call for a bus lane to bypass congestion on Harbour BridgeThe Green Party is calling for Waka Kotahi the NZ Transport Agency to convert a lane over the Auckland Harbour Bridge to bus-only and make buses free to use across the bridge until all lanes are back in operation. ...5 days ago
- Greens to protect Aotearoa’s oceans with marine sanctuaries, bottom trawling and set-netting restr...The Green Party has released its Thriving Oceans Plan, which would dramatically increase marine protected areas and ban bottom trawling on seamounts. ...6 days ago
- Week that was: Jobs, trades training and supporting Kiwi workersIt was another busy week out on the campaign trail, with Labour focused on jobs, training, and supporting Kiwi workers. As we continue to roll out our five-point plan for recovery, we’re investing in our people, businesses, communities and vital services, so we can keep our economy moving as we ...7 days ago
- Labour is backing our regions for recoveryOur regions are a vital part of our economic recovery plan. They’re home to innovative and creative businesses, and the backbone of our export economy - which is why Labour will continue to support our regions to grow as together, we rebuild better. ...7 days ago
- Green Party will work next term with Labour to quickly implement Fair Pay Agreements and extended si...The Green Party welcome Labour committing to implement fair pay agreements and extended sick leave for workers in the next term of Government. ...7 days ago
- No surprise in National’s latest attempt to slash public servicesNational’s ‘alternative budget’ that includes huge cuts to the government’s operating allowance would risk gutting critical public services, and put health, education and nature at dire risk. ...1 week ago
- Latest figures show stronger economic recoveryData released this week shows that, while New Zealand is not immune to the economic impacts of the global pandemic, our strong health response has meant we’ve been able to get our economy going faster than many other countries. ...1 week ago
- 17 ways to get involved with the 2020 electionThis year’s election is on 17 October - and it’s coming up fast! With one month to go until Election Day, we’ve come up with 17 ways you, your friends and family can get involved in our campaign and help Labour keep New Zealand moving. ...1 week ago
- PREFU shows efforts to keep us all healthy, now we need to revenue raisePREFU has given a good insight into what was required to ensure New Zealanders were largely supported to continue work and remain healthy during COVID-19, but it is clear we need additional revenue raising measures ongoing, Green Party Co-leader James Shaw said today. ...1 week ago
- Greens now the only political party sticking up for studentsThe Green Party is disappointed with the Labour Party’s decision to reverse their three free years education policy and back down on their commitment to postgraduate student allowances. ...1 week ago
- Labour are backing teachers and building a stronger, fairer education systemIn the first two years of our term in Government, we gave teachers record pay rises as a way of recognising the lack of adequate adjustments over the previous decade and the significant role they play in the lives of children and young people. We also increased the number of ...2 weeks ago
- Carmel Sepuloni: Backing families to get aheadInvesting in people has never been so important - and it’s a key part of Labour’s five point economic plan. ...2 weeks ago
- Labour supports working New ZealandersLabour has a proud history of supporting working New Zealanders, whether through the implementation of the 40hr work week or the introduction of the Working for Families package. ...2 weeks ago
- Greens will push next term for Government to expand dignified income beyond public service with Fair...The Green Party welcome Labour’s commitment to extend the living wage to Government contractors, but will push for Fair Pay Agreements across industries in the next Government so more New Zealanders can earn a dignified income. ...2 weeks ago
- Government must walk the talk on commitment to te reo MāoriThe Green Party is urging the Government to act on its commitment to te reo Māori, by making it a core subject up to year 10, and including te reo courses in the Targeted Training and Apprenticeships scheme. ...2 weeks ago
- Week That Was: Back on the campaign trailWe're officially back to the campaign for the 2020 General Election. The campaign may look a little different this year, but our candidates are still getting out and about in their communities and spreading the word about how another term of Labour will keep New Zealand moving in the right ...2 weeks ago
- Labour’s plan to bring down debt: Your questions answeredYou might have heard a bit of discussion about Government debt lately, as experts weigh in on the COVID-19 economic recovery. If you’re wondering why it’s such a contested topic, or even if you’re unsure of what Government debt actually is, then read on - we’ve got you covered! ...2 weeks ago
- Greens unveil $297m fund to support sustainable food and farmingThe Green Party has released its Farming for the Future Plan, including a $297m fund to support farmers and growers to transition to climate-friendly practices. ...2 weeks ago
- Labour’s plan for tax: Your questions answeredWe believe every New Zealander deserves the chance to make an informed decision on Election Day. We’ve answered some of the most common questions on our 2020 tax policy, including how much money will be raised from our new top tax rate, and how this will be used to control ...2 weeks ago
- Labour’s energy policy shows progress, but more action needed to protect the planetThe Green Party says Labour’s energy policy is a step in the right direction, but the Greens would go further and faster to meaningfully tackle the climate crisis. ...2 weeks ago
- How does tax work?All this tax talk leaving you a bit dazed and confused? Read below to find out more about our progressive tax system and what Labour's policy means for you. ...2 weeks ago
- Grant Robertson: A balanced plan for managing debtThe world is facing its most challenging battle in generations with an insidious and new virus as the enemy. ...2 weeks ago
- Debt: What’s Labour’s plan?We’re committed to managing the Government’s books responsibly and keeping debt under control while supporting our people and our economy through the 1-in-100 year shock caused by COVID-19. ...2 weeks ago
- Tax should close the inequality gap between people who own and people who earn: GreensThe Labour Party has moved towards more progressive income tax, but is not addressing the growing wealth gap and inequality in Aotearoa. Labour’s new revenue policy also doesn’t help pay for the necessary response to the COVID-19 crisis, Green Party Co-leader James Shaw said today. ...2 weeks ago
- Tax: What’s Labour’s plan?For 98% of New Zealanders, there will be no changes to income tax. Earn less than $180,000? No changes to your income tax. ...2 weeks ago
- 5 ways Labour’s SME policy will help small businessesAre you the owner of a small business? We’ve got one simple message for you: we’ve got your back. ...3 weeks ago
- Greens pleased with Labour’s support for Matariki DayThe Green Party welcomes Labour backing a Matariki public holiday. ...3 weeks ago
- BREAKING: Labour will make Matariki a public holidayAs New Zealanders we are proud of who we are, what we stand for, and the way we weave together different worlds and cultures to create our unique national identity. ...3 weeks ago
- Lobby group advice to keep homes cold until after Election Day dangerousIt is appalling and negligent that landlords are being encouraged to keep their properties cold and damp until after the election, as advised by the NZ Property Investors Federation, Green Party Co-leader Marama Davidson said today. ...3 weeks ago
- Minister of Foreign Affairs makes two diplomatic appointments
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced two new diplomatic appointments: • Michael Appleton as New Zealand’s first resident High Commissioner to Sri Lanka. • Tredene Dobson as New Zealand’s next Ambassador to Viet Nam. Sri Lanka “New Zealand is opening a post in Colombo in 2021 because we are ready ...19 hours ago - NZ’s most prestigious conservation award – Loder Cup presented to Graeme AtkinsThe Minister of Conservation Minister, Eugenie Sage, today presented Aotearoa New Zealand’s most prestigious conservation award, the Loder Cup, to the 2020 winner Graeme Atkins while in Gisborne/Tūranga-nui-a-Kiwa. “Graeme Atkins of Ngāti Porou is a Department of Conservation ranger whose contribution to conservation goes well above and beyond his employment,” ...20 hours ago
- Parliament to install solar and cut carbonParliament is leading by example by taking action to cut its carbon footprint by installing solar and improving energy efficiency, the Minister for Climate Change, James Shaw said today. The Minister confirmed that Parliamentary Services will receive support through the Clean-Powered Public Service Fund to install solar PV and LED ...22 hours ago
- Tuvalu Language Week theme promotes community resilience in the face of COVID-19The Minister for Pacific Peoples, Aupito William Sio says the 2020 Tuvalu Language Week theme of “Fakatili Te Kiloga Fou” which means “Navigating the changing environment” is a call on all Pacific peoples to be strong and resilient in the face of COVID-19. “This theme is a reminder to us ...23 hours ago
- International sport back up and running in New ZealandThe Government is welcoming today’s announcement that the West Indies and Pakistan cricket teams will tour New Zealand this summer. “A lot of hard work has been undertaken by sports officials including New Zealand Cricket, Netball New Zealand and government officials to ensure that international sport can return safely to ...24 hours ago
- 1BT funds for Northland forest taongaNorthland’s indigenous tree canopy is set to grow for the benefit of mana whenua and the wider community thanks to nearly $2 million in One Billion Trees funding, Forestry Minister Shane Jones announced today. Te Komanga Marae Trust has received more than $1.54 million to restore and enhance the native ...1 day ago
- Better health care for West Coasters as Te Nikau Hospital officially openedThe Government has delivered a new hospital for Greymouth and is starting work on a much needed new health centre in Westport, ensuring local communities will benefit from better access to high quality integrated health services. Today, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Associate Health Minister Peeni Henare officially open Te ...1 day ago
- Government backing local with PGF loanA West Coast distillery will benefit from a Provincial Growth Fund investment that will enable it to expand its operations and create jobs in the town of Reefton, Rural Communities Minister Damien O’Connor and Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones have announced. The Reefton Distilling Co will receive a $928,000 ...1 day ago
- Primary sector exports and jobs up againPrimary sector exports and jobs are up again, demonstrating the sector’s underlying strength amid the COVID-19 global pandemic and US-China trade war, and supporting New Zealand’s economic recovery. Stats NZ today reported New Zealand’s merchandise exports in August were up 8.6% on a year ago, driven by an increase in ...2 days ago
- Clean energy future for more schoolsSchools across Aotearoa New Zealand will be supported by the Government to upgrade to run on clean energy, the Minister for Climate Change James Shaw announced today. The Minister has allocated $50 million from the Clean Powered Public Service Fund to replace, or convert, coal boilers in schools with clean ...2 days ago
- Building business strength with digital toolsNew training and tools for digital commerce will give small businesses, especially in the tourism sector, the support they need to adapt and innovate in a COVID world. Tourism Minister Kelvin Davis and Small Business Minister Stuart Nash have announced details of how $20 million digital capability funding set aside ...2 days ago
- New pest lures to protect natureThe Department of Conservation (DOC) is investing $1.4 million to develop new predator lures that would be game-changers for trapping and surveillance towards a predator-free Aotearoa, the Minister of Conservation Eugenie Sage, announced in Christchurch today. The proposal is to develop long-life lures attractive to a range of predators—rats, mustelids ...2 days ago
- Support for innovative Pacific education responses to COVID-19 needsSupporting new and creative Pacific education practices as part of our COVID-19 response and recovery is the focus of a new $28.5 million Pacific Education Innovation Fund announced today by Associate Minister of Education Jenny Salesa. “There is already an incredible amount of innovative and creative work going on in ...3 days ago
- Eligibility expanded for COVID-19 leave supportThe expanded scheme will cover: People who have COVID-19 like symptoms and meet the Ministry of Health’s criteria, and need to self-isolate while awaiting the results of a COVID-19 test. People who are directed to self-isolate by a Medical Officer of Health or their delegate or on advice of their ...4 days ago
- Seasonal work visa available to more peopleThe Government is putting in place a range of immigration policy changes to help fill labour shortages in key industries while ensuring New Zealanders, who have lost jobs due to COVID-19, have the chance to find new employment. “Two key sectors we are moving to help are horticulture and wine ...4 days ago
- More border exceptions for critical rolesThe Government has established class exceptions for border entry for a limited number of veterinarians, deep sea fishing crew, as well as agricultural and horticultural machinery operators. “Tight border restrictions remain the backbone of the Government’s border strategy to protect New Zealand against COVID-19 and ensure New Zealand citizens and ...4 days ago
- Crown will not appeal Dodds v Southern Response decisionThe Crown will not appeal the Court of Appeal decision in the Dodds v Southern Response case, Grant Robertson announced today. “Southern Response will be paying the damages awarded by the Court to Mr and Mrs Dodds shortly. The Crown was already meeting their legal costs for this appeal. “The ...4 days ago
- Crucial PGF investments for NorthlandThe Provincial Growth Fund is investing nearly $30 million in a diverse range of projects that will create immediate and long-term jobs and lift economic and social outcomes for Northland and its people. Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters and Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones made the announcement today in ...4 days ago
- $27million investment in global vaccine facilityThe Coalition Government has committed to invest $27 million in COVID-19 vaccine development through the global COVAX Facility, Foreign Minister Winston Peters announced today. “The COVAX Facility is a key part of our COVID-19 Vaccine Strategy to obtain safe and effective vaccines. It allows us to invest in a high-quality, ...5 days ago
- Government backing Māori landownersThe Government will provide up to $1.69 million through the One Billion Trees programme to Māori landowners to make their whenua more productive through the planting of forests, both native and exotic, and improve economic and environmental outcomes, Forestry Minister Shane Jones has announced. “Around 1.5 million ha of land ...1 week ago
- New tools to make nature more accessiblePeople planning to head outdoors now have a resource that lets them know how accessible an area is for people with varying levels of mobility, Minister of Conservation Eugenie Sage announced today. The Halberg Foundation, Sensibel, and the Department of Conservation (DOC) have launched Accessibel, a new tool which helps ...1 week ago
- PGF makes Māori history more accessibleOne of the most significant battle sites of the 1860s Land Wars will receive $2.96 million from the Provincial Growth Fund to improve the site and help tell the New Zealand story to visitors, Māori Development Minister Nanaia Mahuta and Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones have announced. Nanaia Mahuta ...1 week ago
- Making it official: The journey of te reo Māori | Kia whakapūmautia: Ngā piki me ngā heke o te r...The journey towards recognising Māori as an official language and taonga has been captured as a web series and launched today during Te Wiki o te Reo Māori, announced Associate Arts, Culture and Heritage Minister Carmel Sepuloni. “Te reo Māori is a living language, and understanding its significance, and pathways to ...1 week ago
- Better-than-forecast GDP reflects decision to protect New ZealandToday’s better-than-forecast GDP figures show the expected impact of the decision to act quickly to protect New Zealanders from the global COVID-19 pandemic. GDP fell 12.2% in the June quarter from March, reflecting decisions to close New Zealand’s borders and enter Alert Level 4. “This result was better than the ...1 week ago
- Boost for COVID-19 related Pacific education needsThe Government is investing $39.7 Million over four years to support the educational needs of Pacific learners and families in the regions hardest hit by COVID-19, with Auckland getting an immediate boost, Associate Minister of Education Jenny Salesa says. “Like all New Zealanders Pacific families want learners to do well ...1 week ago
- More resources for kiwi conservationNew Zealand’s goal of 100,000 kiwi by 2030 is being helped by an extra $19.7 million in funding to accelerate iwi and community efforts to protect kiwi, Minister of Conservation Eugenie Sage announced. “$19.7 million of Jobs for Nature funding is being invested in kiwi conservation activities including increased predator ...1 week ago
- Improving access to affordable electricityEnsuring New Zealanders can get the best deal on their electricity takes a step in the right direction today with the South Island launch of the EnergyMate pilot run by the Electricity Retailers’ Association, says Minister of Energy and Resources, Dr Megan Woods. EnergyMate is an industry-led programme providing coaching ...1 week ago
- Government achieves 50 percent women on state boardsMinister for Women Julie Anne Genter announced today that the Government has reached its target of 50 percent on women on state sector board and committees – setting a new record level of women on state sector boards. “This Government is committed to having more women in leadership roles - ...1 week ago
- Record transport investment to help economic recovery and save livesTransport Minister Phil Twyford released today the final Government Policy Statement on land transport (GPS) 2021 which outlines the planned $48 billion investment in services and infrastructure over the next decade. “The final GPS supports our Government’s five-point plan for economic recovery by confirming our record investments in transport infrastructure ...1 week ago
- Advancing clean energy technologyThree ambitious and cutting-edge research programmes that will lift New Zealand’s advanced energy technology research capability over seven years, have been supported by Government today, says Research, Science and Innovation Minister Megan Woods. The projects will each receive a share of $40.7 million investment from the Strategic Science Investment Fund. ...1 week ago
- Major milestone reached in Pike River Re-entryThe critical area for forensic examination known as Pit Bottom in Stone has been reached in what is a major milestone for the Pike River re-entry project, Minister Responsible for Pike River Re-entry Andrew Little announced. “The infrastructure located in Pit Bottom in Stone is of very significant interest in ...1 week ago
- Economic recovery guides Govt response to retirement income policy reviewThe Government is working on how New Zealand’s retirement income policies and settings can best support Kiwis in light of the COVID-19 economic recovery, with the help of the Retirement Commissioner’s latest review, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Kris Faafoi said. “The Retirement Commissioner’s three-yearly review into New Zealand’s retirement ...1 week ago
- Iwi community hub opens in MuruparaA new digital hub and development centre in Murupara will be instrumental in growing the region’s productivity, said Under-Secretary for Regional Economic Development Fletcher Tabuteau at the official opening of two community initiatives today. “I’m pleased to be here celebrating a significant milestone for two projects set to make a ...1 week ago
- PREFU shows economy doing better than forecastPREFU shows economy doing better than forecast Unemployment to peak at 7.8%, down from 9.8% forecast in the Budget Year-to-June accounts show tax revenue, debt and OBEGAL better than forecast Global forecast downgraded as COVID-19 second waves and uncertainty grows Balanced plan to support critical public services, manage debt and ...1 week ago
- Spruce-up for Ōtaki community facilitiesThe Kāpiti Coast town of Ōtaki will receive $1.4 million in Government funding for two projects providing scores of jobs for locals while improving community facilities, Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones has announced. The Māoriland Charitable Trust will receive a $900,000 Provincial Growth Fund (PGF) grant to upgrade the ...1 week ago
- PGF funding for Jobs for Nature programmeThe Provincial Growth Fund will provide $11.88 million to fund fencing and waterway projects nationwide that will improve the environment and create jobs in their communities, Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones has announced. “These projects will create more than 100 jobs nationwide with work starting within the next couple ...1 week ago
- Procurement to promote jobs, Māori and Pasifika businesses and sustainabilityAs part of the COVID-19 recovery, the Government has strengthened its procurement rules to ensure its annual $42 billion spend creates more jobs, uses more sustainable construction practices and results in better outcomes for Māori and Pasifika, Government Ministers announced today. Economic Development Minister Phil Twyford says the $42 ...1 week ago
- Timaru’s Theatre Royal to be upgraded and new heritage facility builtThe Government is supporting a major upgrade of Timaru’s iconic Theatre Royal and the construction of a new connected Heritage Facility museum and exhibition space with $11.6 million from the Government’s Infrastructure Fund, Jacinda Ardern announced today. “We heard the call from the community and the council. The Theatre Royal ...2 weeks ago
- District Court judge appointedChrissy Montague (formerly Armstrong), barrister of Auckland has been appointed as a District Court Judge with Family Court jurisdiction to be based in Wellington, Attorney-General David Parker announced today. Ms Montague commenced practice in Auckland in 1987 and went into general practice dealing with Wills, Estates, Trusts, Conveyancing, Relationship Property ...2 weeks ago
- Approval given to Commercial Film and Video Production ProposalA Proposal to provide for the development and operation of commercial film and video production facilities in areas of Christchurch has been given the go ahead. Hon Poto Williams, Associate Minister for Greater Christchurch Regeneration, has approved the Proposal, which was prepared and submitted by Regenerate Christchurch. Minister Williams ...2 weeks ago
- Creative differences: Labour, National and the Greens debate 2020 arts policy
On Thursday night, arts trust Te Taumata Toi-A-Iwi, in association with The Spinoff, hosted a pre-election forum on arts policy. Sam Brooks picks out the best moments.A conversation about arts policy is never going to get quite the same number of eyeballs as, say, an episode of The Chase, but ...10 mins ago - We need to talk about fashion’s waste problemIn recent years, an influx of cheaply made clothes has had a devastating effect not only on our local industry, but the entire planet. Rose Jackson takes a look at the wider impact of fashion’s waste issue, in a piece originally published by Ensemble.It’s hard to know where this story ...1 hour ago
- Election Live, September 26: Police officer killed in London from New ZealandWelcome to The Spinoff’s Election Live for September 26, bringing you the latest on election 2020 and other NZ news. The essential campaign dates are here. For all you need to know about the cannabis referendum click here. For the assisted dying referendum click here. Explore the parties’ pledges at Policy. I’m ...2 hours ago
- And Jesus makes threeIn the latest instalment of her series chronicling the ins and outs of dating in 2020, Alie Benge details the unique challenges of dating while Christian. I’m part of a rare Christian archetype: the unmarried 30-year-old. You’ll see us prowling the edges of a congregation, hook noses and one blind ...2 hours ago
- Will pumped hydro result in significant energy price hikes for NZ?
Will transitioning to 100 percent renewable electricity generation increase power prices in New Zealand? ...2 hours ago - Short story: Father figure, by Laura Borrowdale
"Julia tells her therapist how soft her lover’s hands are": inside a therapy session, by Christchurch writer Laura Borrowdale Julia remembers her father’s fingers curling around the head of her newborn baby. They are long, the nails rectangular and pared, clean, pink and white, like the baby. The baby’s head ...6 hours ago - Campaign diary no. 3: Deborah Russell, MP
In the third of a weekly election diary, Labour MP Deborah Russell takes the electorate's pulse on the streets of New Lynn and makes it through the electorate's first candidates' meetings. Tomorrow is National's Chris Bishop. We finally got back on to the streets of New Lynn again this week, ...6 hours ago - New life behind a mask for Kiwi basketballer in US
Rising basketballer and future Tall Fern Ashlee Strawbridge is adjusting to a new life in the United States after taking up a scholarship with the College of Southern Idaho. Strawbridge is one of over 50 Kiwi women on basketball scholarships in the US right now. She’s set to take to the court alongside fellow ...6 hours ago - Top journalists give election picks
*Watch the panel discussion in the video player below* The poll, the debate, the state of the minor parties and the issues that the politicians are avoiding. These were all topics discussed by a panel of journalists moderated by Newsroom’s co-editor, Tim Murphy, earlier this week. The panel ...6 hours ago - Extra Time: A high point for mixed martial arts
Mixed martial arts has undoubtedly been on the up and up as a sport in New Zealand in recent years, but that rise reaches a new high point this weekend. No fewer than four fighters from Auckland's City Kickboxing gym will compete at UFC 253, headlined by middleweight world champion Israel Adesanya ...6 hours ago - Dr James Jap on a life centred around deathDr James Jap regularly watches people die. He talks to Michelle Langstone about how working in palliative care has shaped his outlook, his family, and his wardrobe.James Jap had never seen anyone die until his fourth year of medical school. On an overnight shift with St John’s ambulance, he was ...6 hours ago
- Review: The problem with The Social DilemmaNetflix’s new ‘must-see’ documentary is an alarming watch, but a bunch of woke tech bros commodifying fear is not enough to impress Anna Rawhiti-Connell. The Social Dilemma, Netflix’s latest “must see” documentary, opens with a line-up of gulping, nervous white men (and one or two women), who are asked to try ...6 hours ago
- USP staff slam Fiji’s freezing of F$28m grant as holding university to ransom
Pacific Media Centre Newsdesk Staff of the regional University of the South Pacific have condemned the Fiji government’s “dictatorial” action in freezing a $28 million grant, accusing it of holding the governing University Council to ransom and jeopardising the future of students. “Fiji is reneging on its commitment to its ...9 hours ago - The new 15-minute test has potential, but standard tests are still the best way to track COVID-19Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Katherine Gibney, NHMRC early career fellow, The Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity Testing remains a vital component of Australia’s success in managing COVID-19. We need to diagnose people infected with SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, as early as possible ...15 hours ago
- At last, the arts Revolution — Archibald winners flag the end of white male dominanceSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Joanna Mendelssohn, Principal Fellow (Hon), Victorian College of the Arts, University of Melbourne. Editor in Chief, Design and Art of Australia Online, University of Melbourne The 2020 Archibald, Wynne and Sulman Prizes, held under the strangest of all circumstances, has produced a ...18 hours ago
- You wouldn’t hit a dog, so why kill one in Minecraft? Why violence against virtual animals is an e...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Simon Coghlan, Senior Research Fellow in Digital Ethics, Centre for AI and Digital Ethics, School of Computing and Information Systems, University of Melbourne Violence against animals in video games is ubiquitous. Players can kill or torture animals in various popular games, including ...18 hours ago
- VIDEO: Michelle Grattan on the upcoming budget, government reform, and the NBNSource: 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 upcoming 6 October budget, the government’s ...18 hours ago
- What Are Universal Basic Services – And Could They Work In Aotearoa?
Some of you may have listened in to the webinar co-hosted by BFF and the PSA, New Zealand’s largest union, which featured leading UBS expert Andrew Percy, from the Institute of Global Prosperity . If you missed it, you can watch it at the link above. ...19 hours ago - Australia’s natural history and native species should be on the citizenship testSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Thomas M Wilson, Honorary Research Fellow in Literature and Environment, University of Western Australia Australia’s proposed changes to the citizenship test has raised questions about whether you can really evaluate someone’s “Australian values” via a set of exam questions. But here’s another ...19 hours ago
- Rent Freeze Must Be Extended For At Least 6 Months: TOPThe rent freeze needs to be extended for at least 6 months, say The Opportunities Party (TOP), who are calling on the government to protect vulnerable renters experiencing financial instability as a result of Covid-19. The current rent freeze ends on the ...19 hours ago
- Findings Of Independent Review Into Public Claims Of Racism At The University Of Waikato ReleasedThe reviewers commissioned to assess public claims of racism at the University of Waikato have presented their final report to the University Council. ...20 hours ago
- We accidentally found a whole new genus of Australian daisies. You’ve probably seen them on your b...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alexander Schmidt-Lebuhn, Research Scientist, CSIRO When it comes to new botanical discoveries, one might imagine it’s done by trudging around a remote tropical rainforest. Certainly, that does still happen. But sometimes seemingly familiar plants close to home hold unexpected surprises. We recently ...20 hours ago
- Is Malaysia heading for ‘BorneoExit’? Why some in East Malaysia are advocating for secessionSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By James Chin, Professor of Asian Studies, University of Tasmania Unity is a common theme every year on Malaysia Day, the holiday celebrated last week that marks the day Malaysia became a federation in 1963. That year, Britain agreed to relinquish control of ...21 hours ago
- Winston Peters says NZ First ‘staved off any action’ on Ihumātao before electionNZ First leader Winston Peters has used a speech at Orewa to call Ihumātao protesters "malcontents who got so much unjustified publicity, sticking mainly in the throat of traditional Māori". ...21 hours ago
- Once known as “mother’s ruin”, it is made all over NZ – including Reefton (where there’s g...
The West Coast has been the focus of two lots of good news from the Beehive in the past 24 hours or so. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Associate Health Minister Peeni Henare officially opened Te Nikau Hospital and Health Centre in Greymouth and then turned the first sod at ...21 hours ago - Refusal To Provide Contraception Stigmatises UsersALRANZ Abortion Rights Aotearoa sadly welcomes the results of Family Planning’s survey of contraception users, which shows 5% experience health practitioners obstructing their access to contraception. “It’s maddening that in 2020 people still have ...21 hours ago
- Televising school sport could put too much focus on performance, a price too high for young athletesSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Chris Whatman, Associate Professor, Sport and Exercise Science, Auckland University of Technology A new deal to televise and live stream more secondary school sports in New Zealand has attracted significant attention and debate. First XV secondary school rugby in New Zealand has ...21 hours ago
- Stratford District Council’s Navel-gazing Over Logo Is EmbarrassingStratford District Council’s review of its logo is an embarrassing waste of time and money, says the New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union . Union spokesman Louis Houlbrooke says, “Stratford District Councillors need to seriously re-evaluate their priorities. ...21 hours ago
- The Unity Books bestseller chart for the week ending September 25The 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 Rage by Bob Woodward (Simon & Schuster, $55)“A better title for Rage, perhaps, would be Rabid ...22 hours ago
- The Friday Poem: Shark and Leg by James McNaughtonA new poem from novelist and poet James McNaughton.Shark and LegSeventeen years already of making the bed together,husband and wife.They say you never step in the same river twiceand that change is the only constant in life, and trulythe linen has changed, the beds, ...22 hours ago
- Fresh Water Management And Winter GrazingThe new Fresh Water Management legislation became law on the 5th August 2020 and parts of the policy are impractical, with changes already being undertaken to try and improve it. It is clumsy, heavy-handed and will require most farmers to get a ...23 hours ago
- A night in Gore with New Zealand’s most formidable conservative campaignersFamily First have been on tour over the election campaign, pounding out the message that voters should say no on both referendums. Alex Braae caught up with them in Gore. I’ve long been fascinated and mystified in equal parts by Family First. At a time when it often looks like the ...23 hours ago
- One Small Step To DevolutionWhānau Ora CEO & Māori Party Co-Leader John Tamihere says a new collaborative contract with Oranga Tamariki, Te Puni Kokiri, ACC, and Whānau Ora is a first and positive step towards devolution of services to Māori by Māori for Māori. It also ...23 hours ago
- Campaign in the Neck: Mike’s debate review largely about Mike
Mike Hosking was frustrated with the slow pace of the leaders' debate in a way only a man stuck in rush hour traffic in a Maserati can be. James Elliott reviews Mike's review of John Campbell's performance as debate moderator. There’s nothing like an election campaign to fire up the pundits, ...24 hours ago - Emily Writes: It’s time to act now on endometriosisHaving surgery was the best thing I ever did. Everybody deserves the option.I am 10 days post-surgery. Everyone seems surprised at how well I’m doing. There’s just one group who get it, who understand why I’m so happy. They’re those who haven’t yet been able to get the surgery that ...24 hours ago
- Keith Rankin Analysis – The 2020 New Zealand Election is Not a Foregone Conclusion24 hours ago
- Frydenberg is setting his budget ambition dangerously lowSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Brendan Coates, Program Director, Household Finances, Grattan Institute Treasurer Josh Frydenberg’s announcement that he’ll prioritise reducing unemployment ahead of reducing government debt is welcome news. The government is required by the Charter of Budget Honesty to develop and publish a fiscal strategy ...24 hours ago
- Non-disclosure of child abuse would be an offence under National governmentNational is pledging to make non-disclosure of child abuse an offence with a maximum three-year jail sentence and establish a reduction target for children suffering material hardship if elected. ...24 hours ago
- Fiji academic calls for more action to reverse Suva foreshore pollutionBy Sheldon Chanel in Suva Fiji’s Suva foreshore has been under “enormous” pressure from decades of destructive practices with little to no public awareness about the various afflictions, says prominent academic professor Vijay Naidu. The problems have been exacerbated by no sustained public awareness campaign, absence of environmental issues in ...24 hours ago
- Options Development Group Appointed As Partial Reviews Of Conservation Policies Get Under WayDirector-General of Conservation Lou Sanson today announced the appointment of 12 people who will provide advice and recommendations on the partial reviews of the Conservation General Policy and the General Policy for National Parks. The general ...1 day ago
- Newsletter: New Zealand Politics Daily – September 25 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 Election Tim Watkin (RNZ): Sending out the political assassins as National shoots itself in the foot Peter Dunne: Greens’ fate uncertain, but the rest of the election jigsaw ...1 day ago
- Balance Of Payments And International Investment Position: Year Ended 31 March 2020Balance of payments records the value of the country's transactions with the rest of the world. It shows changes in financial claims on, and liabilities to, the rest of the world. International investment position is a snapshot of the country's financial ...1 day ago
- Russel Norman: Enough with the delays, it’s time to put cameras on fishing boatsWith Stuart Nash kicking the can down the road to 2024, the oceans have lost out in favour of fishing corporations yet again, writes Russel Norman.A few weeks ago the minister of fisheries, Stuart Nash, backed into a corner by John Campbell’s relentless reporting on the state of our fisheries, ...1 day ago
- Election 2020: Paul Goldsmith and Grant Robertson go head-to-head in finance debateNational's Paul Goldsmith and Labour's Grant Robertson talk about budget issues, tax cuts, housing, inequality and more. ...1 day ago
- Bold Changes Needed To Grow Conservation And TourismTourism Industry Aotearoa is calling on the incoming Government to be bold in overhauling conservation legislation in the interests of both the natural environment and tourism. The key legislation governing the operations of the Department of Conservation dates ...1 day ago
- Local Trust Secures $500,000 To Help Rangatahi Enter The WorkplaceOho Mauri Solutions Charitable Trust has secured $500,000 from the Ministry of Social Development to continue giving rangatahi the tools, skills and experience to enter the workplace that is most meaningful for them. The successful funding application ...1 day ago
- New Report On Cultural Safety And Health Equity For MāoriThe Medical Council of New Zealand, in partnership with Te Ohu Rata O Aotearoa (Te ORA), has released an independent research report outlining findings on the current state of cultural safety and health equity delivered by doctors in Aotearoa New Zealand. ...1 day ago
- Greyhound pups must be tracked from birth to death, so we know how many are killedSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alexandra McEwan, Lecturer: Law, CQUniversity Australia It’s been more than four years since New South Wales greyhound racing was rocked by a special inquiry that found overwhelming evidence of systemic animal cruelty, including mass killings. Overbreeding and euthanasia of healthy dogs is ...1 day ago
- Survey shows many Indonesians think ‘covid doesn’t exist’ amid new spikeBy Ivany Atina Arbi in Jakarta Indonesia saw a one-day record of 4465 new covid-19 cases on Wednesday, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 257,388 nationwide, government data shows. More than 4000 new covid-19 cases have been reported per day since Monday. At least 9977 people have succumbed ...1 day ago
- Beyond AirPods: The best true wireless earbudsThink a good pair of wireless earbuds means shelling out for Apple’s ubiquitous white sticks? Think again, writes tech reviewer Henry Burrell.The iPhone 7 was the first popular phone to lose the headphone jack, and frankly I’ve been furious ever since. One of the most universal and user-friendly tech interfaces ...1 day ago
- Charities Board Still Gunning To Deregister Family FirstFamily First New Zealand has been notified that the Charities Board intend to appeal the recent decision in the Wellington Court of Appeal which opposed deregistration of Family First New Zealand from the Charities Register. “This decision is a threat ...1 day ago
- The Real Pod returns from the crypt for a Twilight specialAfter more than a year of social distancing for Alex, Jane and Duncan are back in the same room for an emotional reunion and to talk about a cinematic masterpiece.Approximately a thousand years ago, the idea of The Real Pod maybe, possibly, perhaps one day recapping the Twilight movie was ...1 day ago
- Ōtautahi Christchurch Universities Rally Aotearoa New Zealand Behind Roadmap To SustainabilityAotearoa New Zealand’s third SDG Summit Series, which will be announced in Ōtautahi Christchurch on 25 September to mark five years since the world committed to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), will stimulate sustainability ...1 day ago
- Daylight Saving Time Starts This SundayNew Zealand springs forward this weekend as Daylight Saving time begins. Clocks will go forward by one hour at 2am on Sunday 27 September. Daylight saving time will continue until Sunday 4 April 2020, when clocks will go back by one hour to NZ Standard ...1 day ago
- Election 2020: Grant Robertson and Paul Goldsmith go head-to-head in finance debateLabour's Grant Robertson and National's Paul Goldsmith talk about budget issues, tax cuts, housing, inequality and more. ...1 day ago
- Statement From Rt. Hon Helen Clark On End Of Life Choice“I believe the Act is compassionate in giving people who are suffering in ways that are very difficult to alleviate, the right to say their farewells at the time of their choice. “I have spent many years travelling the world as part of my work, ...1 day ago
- Vital Signs. Google shouldn’t subsidise journalism, but the government couldSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Richard Holden, Professor of Economics, UNSW You might have missed it – what with the biggest recession since the 1930s and a pandemic going on – but there may be big, and bad, changes happening to a media landscape near you. Right ...1 day ago
- Winners Of The Cruelty Free NZ Awards 2020 AnnouncedThe first-ever winners of the Cruelty Free NZ Awards have been announced with cruelty-free brands Kester Black, the Bonbon Factory and Aleph Beauty receiving first, second and third place. This new annual awards programme has been set up by the New Zealand ...1 day ago
- Regulating Free Speech Leads To BrutalityThe NZ Labour/Greens/NZ First coalition government has again heralded their incredibly dangerous push towards further restrictions on free speech. New Conservative, first and foremost responder in the attacks on free speech since the current government ...1 day ago
- As a second wave of COVID looms in the UK, Australia is watching closelySource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ben Wellings, Senior Lecturer in Politics and International Relations, Monash University The United Kingdom has already been battered by COVID-19, with about 410,000 cases and more than 41,000 deaths. But after some respite over summer — and entreaties to “Eat Out to ...1 day ago
- COVID-19 has offered us an unexpected opportunity to help more people quit smokingSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Simone Pettigrew, Professorial fellow, George Institute for Global Health Smokers are worried. A respiratory disease is running rampant across the globe and people with unhealthy lifestyle habits appear to be especially vulnerable. We know smokers hospitalised with COVID-19 are more likely to ...1 day ago
- Greyhound pups must be tracked from birth to death, so we know how many are slaughteredSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alexandra McEwan, Lecturer: Law, CQUniversity Australia It’s been more than four years since New South Wales greyhound racing was rocked by a special inquiry that found overwhelming evidence of systemic animal cruelty, including mass killings. Overbreeding and euthanasia of healthy dogs is ...1 day ago
- We looked at 35 years of rainfall and learnt how droughts start in the Murray-Darling BasinSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Chiara Holgate, Hydrologist & PhD Candidate, Australian National University The extreme, recent drought has devastated many communities around the Murray-Darling Basin, but the processes driving drought are still not well understood. Our new study helps to change this. We threw a weather ...1 day ago
- Google and Facebook shouldn’t subsidise journalism, but the government couldSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Richard Holden, Professor of Economics, UNSW You might have missed it – what with the biggest recession since the 1930s and a pandemic going on – but there may be big, and bad, changes happening to a media landscape near you. Right ...1 day ago
- Testamentary trusts are one of the last truly outrageous means of avoiding taxSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Dale Boccabella, Associate Professor of Taxation Law, UNSW It’s one thing to bring forward tax cuts, as the government is thinking of doing in the October budget. It’s another to leave wide open an arrangement that allows substantial tax minimisation (or elimination) ...1 day ago
- Friday essay: who was Jeanne Barret, the first woman to circumnavigate the globe?Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Danielle Clode, Senior Research Fellow in Creative Writing, Flinders University In 1765, a young, peasant woman left a remote corner of rural France where her impoverished family had scraped a living for generations. She set out on a journey that would take ...1 day ago
- Election Live, September 25: National defends economic plan after Labour attacksWelcome to The Spinoff’s Election Live for September 25, bringing you the latest on election 2020 and other NZ news. The essential campaign dates are here. For all you need to know about the cannabis referendum click here. For the assisted dying referendum click here. Explore the parties’ pledges at Policy. I’m ...1 day ago
- The Bulletin: Focus on the farming plansGood morning and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Focus on the various farming plans put out this week, concerns raised about contacts of new positive Covid cases, and huge bill coming for Wellington region water.For a lead story today, a look at the various farming policies that will ...1 day ago
- Fact Check: Has state housing wait list increased under Labour coalition?Are there 20,000 people on the state housing waiting list in New Zealand, up from 5000 at the end of the last National government? AAP FactCheck finds out. ...1 day ago
- Agriculture industry, environmentalists lukewarm on National, Labour policiesAgriculture has found itself in a policy tug of war between National's Judith Collins and Labour's Jacinda Ardern this election. ...1 day ago
- Business & Investing: A rare trade surplus
Falling imports give NZ an annual trade surplus, plus the Kiwi dollar facing its worst week since March ...1 day ago - Crown set up secret Lake Alice meeting
Ex-Lake Alice chief psychiatrist flew from Australia for secret mediation meeting. David Williams reports Crown lawyers were instrumental in organising – and hushing up – a meeting to settle a $1.5 million lawsuit which involved the secret return to New Zealand of the former head psychiatrist of a notorious children’s ...1 day ago - Play for rural vote causing harmful divisions
Politicians are stoking a perceived rural-urban divide, while under-pressure farmers struggle with their mental health. ...1 day ago - National says fiscal plan stacks up after Labour insists there’s another mistakeNational's finance spokesperson Paul Goldsmith remains defiant the party's economic plan stacks up - but has had to make another correction after using out of date figures. ...1 day ago
- Big-money donors dry up for political parties
New Zealand’s political parties are finding it harder to pocket big donations than in previous elections. Sam Sachdeva looks at why that may be happening, and how campaigns are being funded instead. The economic effects of Covid-19, the spectre of the Serious Fraud Office, and a pivot towards online fundraising ...1 day ago
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