Author Archive
Youtube punishes Murdoch’s Sky News for pedalling Covid misinformation
Written By: - Date published: 7:44 am, August 3rd, 2021 - 25 comments
This will have the conspiracy theorists spinning. Youtube have stopped Murdoch’s Sky News Australia from uploading videos for the next seven days after the channel uploaded videos questioning Covid and advocating for the use of alternative medicines including Donald Trump’s favourite hydroxychloroquine
The latest Reid Research Poll result
Written By: - Date published: 8:30 am, August 2nd, 2021 - 123 comments
Last night’s Reid Research poll result suggests that the electorate is reverting back to a more conventional dynamic after the stratospheric heights that Labour enjoyed immediately post Covid elimination.
Lies damned lies and Crime statistics
Written By: - Date published: 10:39 am, August 1st, 2021 - 13 comments
It should be an offence for political parties to deliberately misrepresent law and order statistics as National has done this week. It should be an aggravating feature if the party is a conservative party that champions law and order issues. After all fraud is an offence and if we don’t punish it appropriately then everyone will do it.
Citizenship is a human right
Written By: - Date published: 9:40 am, July 29th, 2021 - 81 comments
National has responded to the impending return to New Zealand of Suhayra Aden by hinting that they may follow Australia and breach human rights by bringing in laws allowing countries to arbitrarily remove rights of citizenship.
Letting private enterprise handle Covid quarantine is a really stupid idea
Written By: - Date published: 11:55 am, July 27th, 2021 - 31 comments
Leader of the Opposition David Seymour has proposed that private enterprise should provide quarantine services. The recent experience of Melbourne where private security firms failed dramatically to properly managed quarantine facilities suggests that this is a really stupid idea.
The many and varied takes of Des Gorman on covid
Written By: - Date published: 3:05 pm, July 25th, 2021 - 30 comments
A review of Des Gorman’s comments about Covid over the last 15 months, pretty well all of which have been negative, makes you wonder how it is possible that we have been able to maintain an effective Covid free status in Aotearoa New Zealand.
The bubble pops
Written By: - Date published: 11:32 am, July 24th, 2021 - 32 comments
The appearance of community spread Delta variant Covid in Australia has caused New Zealand to suspend the trans Tasman travel bubble.
Act likes some rights but not others
Written By: - Date published: 7:50 am, July 22nd, 2021 - 37 comments
Following on from its campaign to protect freedom of expression Act has come out with policy on gangs which if enacted would involve some pretty egregious attacks on freedom of association and movement and due process.
Mother Nature gives Groundswell NZ the middle finger
Written By: - Date published: 8:17 am, July 20th, 2021 - 78 comments
With record floods in Marlborough, half of Westport evacuated, disastrous flooding in Germany and the North East and the threat of record bushfires in the North West of the United States Mother Nature is passing rather cruel judgment on Groundswell NZ’s recent protest.
Freedom day
Written By: - Date published: 7:55 am, July 19th, 2021 - 58 comments
As infection rates of Covid in the United Kingdom surge Boris Johnson has announced that today will be the UK’s Freedom day and will be removing pretty well all mandatory Covid restrictions, even the wearing of masks and social distancing.
Trump and Russia
Written By: - Date published: 9:15 am, July 18th, 2021 - 41 comments
The Guardian has reported on claims of a leaked Russian Government paper which on the face of it confirms Russian support for the Trump 2016 election at the highest level.
The problem with English Soccer
Written By: - Date published: 7:38 am, July 16th, 2021 - 13 comments
Last week’s final between England and Italy showed that there is still an ugly racist underside to what should be a beautiful game.
Rare misstep
Written By: - Date published: 7:22 am, July 14th, 2021 - 37 comments
Simeon Brown in his attack on the Government for allegedly funding the Mongrel Mob has shown a disturbing ability to understand how Government works and an even more disturbing inability to perform basic maths.
Demand the debate
Written By: - Date published: 8:13 am, July 13th, 2021 - 52 comments
In two separate leaks it has emerged that Judith Collins privately briefed Don Brash on National’s demand the debate campaign and that Brash wrote to wealthy donors seeking $300,000 for an Iwi Kiwi style billboard response.
The billionaire race into space
Written By: - Date published: 8:06 am, July 12th, 2021 - 90 comments
UK billionaire Richard Branson has won the rich man’s pissing competition by being the first billionaire into space even though 12 months ago he was urgently seeking Government grants while at the same time paying no tax because of his tax residency status.
The Covid Crisis – the perils of half hearted responses
Written By: - Date published: 4:59 pm, July 11th, 2021 - 40 comments
The New South Wales’ half hearted response to community outbreak has seen infected numbers increase while in the UK Boris Johnson is planning to remove all restrictions something top scientists describe as “dangerous and premature”.
About the Hate Speech law changes
Written By: - Date published: 12:06 pm, July 6th, 2021 - 94 comments
The debate about the Government’s consultation on proposed changes to hate speech laws continues, with the level of heat increasing, but the level of actual understanding of what is being proposed in critical shortage.
Judith Collins is not John Key
Written By: - Date published: 7:52 am, July 2nd, 2021 - 168 comments
I honestly am not sure what Judith’s game plan. Supporting someone who on twitter called for the lynching of a person with a contrary view is not a way to reach to the middle of New Zealand politics.
The Pausing of the Travel Bubble
Written By: - Date published: 9:11 am, June 28th, 2021 - 81 comments
So far there have been no discovered cases of community spread of the Covid delta variant in Wellington following the recent visit by an Australian tourist who was infected with the variant. Meanwhile in Australia the authorities are trying to stamp out community flareups that are appearing in different parts of the country.
Stick a fork in them, they’re done
Written By: - Date published: 7:58 am, June 25th, 2021 - 84 comments
The details of a particularly brutal National Party caucus meeting that resulted in Todd Muller announced his pending retirement from Parliament have been leaked in detail to the Herald’s Claire Trevett.
Todd’s going … who is next?
Written By: - Date published: 7:31 am, June 24th, 2021 - 67 comments
Yesterday National suffered further damage to its ranks when Harete Hipango was outed as the MP with Parliamentary Services resources issues and Todd Muller announced that he will stand down as an MP at the end of this term nominally so that he can eventually spend more time with his family.
Will the last remaining National MP please turn all the lights off
Written By: - Date published: 8:08 am, June 23rd, 2021 - 38 comments
Oh dear. There is yet another story about yet another National MP in trouble because of their born to rule impulses. Update: the Herald has reported that the MP is Harete Hipango. These blue on blue attacks are getting out of hand.
Fisheries reform is under way
Written By: - Date published: 7:57 am, June 23rd, 2021 - 10 comments
David Parker has shown a deft handling of the Oceans and Fisheries portfolio and in the past week has announced the accelerated roll out of cameras on fishing boats and a suite of actions designed to address the failing health of the Waitemata Harbour.
He’s baaack
Written By: - Date published: 7:56 am, June 21st, 2021 - 30 comments
For the first time since the election Winston Peters has reemerged. But instead of talking about the country’s problems such as climate change, child poverty and recovering from the global pandemic he chose to concentrate on the “over” use of Te Reo, cycleways and gangs.
Fear and loathing in cycleland
Written By: - Date published: 3:52 pm, June 15th, 2021 - 32 comments
I am pleased the right have moved on from overtly racist attacks on minorities. But I am bemused by the current level of vitriol that has been thrown at a group who apart from wearing lycra is doing nothing wrong.
Government to issue an apology for the dawn raids
Written By: - Date published: 7:33 am, June 15th, 2021 - 23 comments
The Government has announced it will publicly apologise for the treatment of Pacific people in the 1970s when they were harassed and discriminated against by the Police because of the place of their birth and the colour of their skin.
The Government’s Feebate scheme
Written By: - Date published: 7:00 am, June 14th, 2021 - 70 comments
Labour and the Greens have announced the establishment of a Feebate scheme to incentivise the purchase of electric vehicles and disincentivise the purchase of gas guzzlers.
Auckland’s Northern Pathway
Written By: - Date published: 7:00 am, June 11th, 2021 - 144 comments
Last week’s announcement of major changes to the New Zealand Upgrade program in my view was welcome.
Colonisation and widespread theft of Maori land is apparently good for them
Written By: - Date published: 7:53 am, June 9th, 2021 - 78 comments
Paora Goldsmith, who last hit National headlines for botching up National’s alternative budget, has again hit the headlines and for the wrong reasons. And this time members of his caucus publicly disagree with him.
Openness and transparency
Written By: - Date published: 12:20 pm, June 8th, 2021 - 117 comments
On the weekend Andrea Vance gave the Government a bit of a serve about its record on openness and transparency. But a deeper dig into the issue suggests that the cause may have nothing to do with the Government’s preferences and everything to do with the volume of information requests made by the opposition.
The week when Scomo came to visit
Written By: - Date published: 11:12 am, June 6th, 2021 - 5 comments
This week has seen the Australian Broadcasting Corporation to suggest that Australia is adopting a principled stand and New Zealand has sold its soul to China for trade. But the comments by Morrison and Ardern made after their Queenstown meeting suggests the opposite.
- Our brains perceive our environment differently when we’re lying down
David I. Shore, McMaster University You’re agitated by the sound of a mosquito buzzing around your head. The buzzing stops. You feel the tiny pinprick and locate the target. Whack! It’s over. It’s a simple sequence, but it demands complex processing. How did you know where the mosquito was ...3 hours ago - Incentives work
Huh. It turns out that incentives to buy EVs and lower their price relative to fossil vehicles work: The first month of the "feebate" saw a huge spike in electric vehicle sales, which nearly quadrupled. There were 1944 pure EV and hybrid light vehicle new registrations during July, according ...3 hours ago - NZ Politics Daily: 3 August 2021
Opinion polls, government, political parties Claire Trevett (Herald): Poll should be death knell for Judith Collins but a Covid hangover is hitting for PM Jacinda Ardern (paywalled) Mark Quinlivan (Newshub): Newshub-Reid Research Poll: Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern not bothered by result as Labour plummets to 43 percent Zane Small (Newshub): Newshub-Reid Research Poll: Judith ...6 hours ago - The government is breaching the right to housingHousing is a human right, one which the New Zealand government accepts through its adherence to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. And now the Human Rights Commission has stated the obvious: we're breaching it: Successive Governments have breached New ...1 day ago
- Mass vaccination event wasn’t a shambles
1 day ago - Climate Change: A $3.5 billion mistakeIn May last year the government increased the ETS fixed price option to $35, as a prelude to moving to an auction-based system with a cost-containment reserve. At the time, carbon prices were $25 - hard up against the previous price cap - so it must have looked impossibly high. ...1 day ago
- Neither Passionless, Nor Zombies.
Once Again With Feeling: What the parties on both sides of the aisle need to understand, however, is that New Zealanders are not passionless, and they are certainly not zombies. They are voters – and they want change. Now.I NEVER BOUGHT Gordon McLauchlan’s Passionless People argument. The book was published ...1 day ago - NZ Politics Daily: 2 August 2021NOTE TO SUBSCRIBERS AND READERS I’m very pleased to bring back the “NZ Politics Daily” email service today. During the break I’ve been able to secure some funding so that a research assistant can help put the service together. I will, however, need to find more money to make the service sustainable. ...1 day ago
- Collins is crushing her own credibilityEven before Judith Collins became overlord of the National Party, you could tell there was a huge ideological divide between her questionable values and those of the party’s former leaders. And just over a year after becoming the opposition's de facto leader, that chasm between Crusher and what her party ...1 day ago
- Legal Beagle: The New New Prohibition
In the decades leading up to the 18th Amendment, the case for the prohibition of alcohol was made repeatedly. The harms of alcohol were substantial, and the US experience was worse than most. The victims made the case, and campaigners made the case for those who couldn’t speak for themselve. ...2 days ago - Let’s talk about sex self ID
Speak Up For Women have toured New Zealand in the last month speaking on the proposed law change that would allow people to change their birth certificate sex by a simple declaration. It was a great opportunity to meet with hundreds of people and exchange ideas. Here is the talk: ...2 days ago - 2021 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #31
Listing of articles linked to on the Skeptical Science Facebook Page during the past week: Sun, July 25, 2021 through Sat, July 31, 2021 The following articles sparked above average interest during the week: The insect apocalypse: ‘Our world will grind to a halt without them’, State of the climate: 2021 ...2 days ago - July ’21 – NZ blogs sitemeter ranking
Image credit: Nicole MamaNYC 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. ...2 days ago- The Adventures of Annalax: Volume XXVI
Session Fifty-Six Annalax’s schemes were, alas, put on hold at the start of the session, due to a horrifying discovery of a mangled body outside the town brothel. The victim had been hideously mutilated, complete with faux-antlers being driven into their skull. And, sure enough, a crowd was ...3 days ago- 2021 Reading Log: July (+ Writing Update)
Completed reads for July: The Caesars, by Emperor Julian the ApostateThe A.B.C. Murders, by Agatha ChristieFive Little Pigs, by Agatha ChristieThe Works of Edgar Allan Poe (Vols 2-4 of 6) The Works of Poe is the six volume 1896 edition, edited by Stoddard. The library was missing the first ...3 days ago- Clouds study finds that low climate sensitivity is ‘extremely unlikely’
This is a re-post from Carbon Brief by Ayesha Tandon It is “very likely” that the way clouds change as the world warms will drive further temperature rise, a new study finds. The response of clouds to a change in global temperature – known as the “cloud feedback” – plays a ...3 days ago- Are We Nudging Enough?
Inside the Nudge Unit by David Halpern, provides new insights into behaviour which New Zealand public policy is steadily taking into consideration.Have you noticed that the defaults or first choices in the website of a commercial entity favour the business’s goal? Fill in their forms and, as like as not, the ...4 days ago- Ending royal corruption in Scotland?
Earlier in the week, The Guardian reported that England's monarch had been secretly having laws amended to carve out exemptions for herself, using a procedure called "crown consent". Its a corrupt holdover from the days of absolute monarchy, and something which has no place in a modern democracy, or even ...4 days ago- Government must ban synthetic fertilisers
4 days ago- Ending conversion “therapy”
The government has introduced a bill to outlaw homophobic conversion "therapy": Practices intended to change or suppress someone's sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression, also referred to as gay conversion therapy, will become a criminal offence under legislation announced today. Minister of Justice Kris Faafoi said today the ...4 days ago- The Sin Of Cheapness.
Commodities, Commodities, Everywhere - And None Of Them Are Cheap! No less an authority than the Commerce Commission has determined that New Zealanders are paying too much for their food and groceries. An apparent aversion to aggressive competition has led the dominant players to match one another’s’ prices rather than better ...4 days ago- Should We Trust The Science – Or Ourselves?
“Pure” Science: The lesson to be drawn from the history of science, however, is that knowledge is always and everywhere embedded in culture. That the one cannot be separated from the other. Culture can empower knowledge, or suppress it; advance it or divert it to the utmost wickedness. Knowledge goes where it’s told. “TRUST ...4 days ago- Kids set free to roam on their own feel more confident navigating in adulthood
Vanessa Vieites, Rutgers University The distance from home that kids are allowed to roam and play has shrunk significantly over the last 50 years. That’s largely due to parents’ concerns over safety, especially in cities. More recently, the COVID-19 pandemic has further restricted children’s independent activity. As a Ph.D. ...4 days ago- Running into Trouble: COVID-19 in Japan during the Tokyo Olympics
Dr Leah Grout, Dr Jennifer Summers, Prof Nick Wilson, Prof Michael Baker * The 2020 Olympic Games were originally postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The delayed event has now opened, with the opening ceremonies held on 23 July 2021 and competitions scheduled to take place through 9 August 2021. ...4 days ago- Simon Bridges cannot be trusted
You may recall former National Party leader Simon Bridges gaining a lot of public attention last month after claiming he was a witness to a gang fight. The former Crown Prosecutor made a huge song and dance about it all over Facebook and Twitter while also attacking the Government with ...4 days ago- Skeptical Science New Research for Week #30, 2021
88 articles Physical science of climate change, effects Energetics of surface melt in West Antarctica Ghiz et al. The Cryosphere Open Access pdf 10.5194/tc Quantifying the Mechanisms of Atmospheric Circulation Response to Greenhouse Gas Increases in a Forcing–Feedback Framework Zhang et al. Journal of Climate 10.1175/jcli ...5 days ago- Hate Speech law is unworkable
Make a submission to stop this mess being codified into law The Free Speech Union is urging people to make submissions to halt the proposal putforward by the Ministry of Justice for hate speech laws. The FSU state: “[T]he proposals put forward by the Ministry of Justice are dangerously vague ...5 days ago- Bryce Edwards: Political Roundup – How the Government has fuelled rampant increases in wealth
Jacinda Ardern’s household wealth increased by an estimated $290,000 over the last year. Although she earnt nearly half a million dollars from her job, her windfall was solely due to the value of her Auckland house increasing. And by her own policy designs, it’s a capital gain which is untaxed. ...5 days ago- Climate Change: The other Tiwai scam
Newsroom has a good piece this morning about the government's consultation on industrial free allocations, revealing that Fletcher Building is getting an extra $5 million a year ($7 million at today's prices) due to miscalculated carbon subsidies. That's bad, and it needs to be stopped by resetting emissions baselines to ...5 days ago- End the Tiwai scam
A little over a year ago, Rio Tinto was pleading povery, claiming its Tiwai Point aluminium smelter was unprofitable, and threatening to close it unless it got a government handout to keep it running. Their bluff worked, and we ended up paying the BluffGeld by giving them lower electricity prices ...5 days ago- Holes in the Tundra: Why Burping Cows Are the Least of Our Worries.
5 days ago- Piers Morgan – Arsehole of the Week
5 days ago- Climate change and tornadoes: Any connection?
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Bob Henson Climate change may be the existential threat of our lives, yet when it comes to in-your-face weather, tornadoes are in a class of their own. Fortunately, human-warmed climate isn’t making violent U.S. tornadoes any more frequent. However, climate change may ...6 days ago- Bryce Edwards: Political Roundup – Labour’s sacrificing of the poor
Jacinda Ardern and Grant Robertson like to think of themselves as leftwing politicians. So why aren’t they prioritising and championing the vulnerable at the bottom of society? Since Covid hit they have chosen economic policies that benefit the rich while pushing more into poverty. Increasing inequality was thrown into stark ...6 days ago- Climate Change: Just predatory delay again
Another day, another story arguing that climate change is Just Too Hard for farmers, and that they should be given more time to wait for a magic technological solution which will cut emissions while allowing them to continue doing exactly what they're doing at the moment. Today, the magic Technological ...6 days ago- A note on the “jihadi bride.”
I ruffled a few feathers by referring to Gerry Brownlee as a “buffoon” during a radio interview this week. The subject in question was the involuntary repatriation of Suharya Aden and her children to NZ after Australia cancelled her citizenship. Brownlee was blathering about her being a terrorist security threat, ...6 days ago- Militaries plunder science fiction for technology ideas, but turn a blind eye to the genre’s socia...
Will Slocombe, University of Liverpool Military planning is a complicated endeavour, calling upon experts in logistics and infrastructure to predict resource availability and technological advancements. Long-range military planning, deciding what to invest in now to prepare armed forces for the world in thirty years’ time, is even more difficult. ...6 days ago- Still the same question
The Independent Police Conduct authority has found another case where police used excessive force in making an arrest: A police officer broke a woman’s arm with a baton before dragging her out of her car by the hair following a chase. The Independent Police Conduct Authority has found the ...6 days ago- The Danger from the Extreme Right
Like other readers, no doubt, I recently experienced a “believe it or not” moment, when I read an account of a crowd at a recent Trump rally cheering the news that the US Women’s Football Team had been beaten at the Olympic Games. The reason for the cheering was, apparently, ...6 days ago- Aggressive marketing has driven the rise of the double-cab ute on New Zealand streets — time to hi...
Kirsty Wild, University of Auckland and Alistair Woodward, University of Auckland “Explore your inner beast.” That was the slogan used last year to sell the Ford Ranger. At 2.4 tonnes, that’s a lot of “light” truck, but the stakes are rising. This year, the 3.5 tonne Ram 1500 “eats ...6 days ago- Why calling ordinary Kiwi cyclists ‘elitist’ just doesn’t add up
Timothy Welch, University of Auckland Something strange has happened to the perception of cyclists and cycling in the more than 200 years they’ve been around. Once a novelty, bike riding has moved from being a critical transport mode to a children’s pastime to now being popularly perceived as an ...6 days ago- How do Olympic athletes stack up against invertebrates? Not very well
Caitlyn Forster, University of Sydney and Eliza Middleton, University of Sydney Olympians spend years training to be the best of the best. Scientists and sportspeople have spent decades researching the mechanics of the human body to ensure our elite athletes are always reaching higher, faster and stronger. But how ...6 days ago- Zebra Ethics: The Amazon Second Age Series and Lessons from Game of Thrones
Today I stumbled across a genuinely interesting reddit article, which looks at the (positive) influence Game of Thrones may have on the upcoming Amazon Tolkien series: https://www.reddit.com/r/LOTR_on_Prime/comments/oqvi81/amazons_the_lord_of_the_rings_show_going_got/ Essentially, the argument is that the framework of Tolkien’s Second Age material inherently lends itself to “Machiavellian Thriller” stories, rather than to ...7 days ago- The War over Sex and Gender: Kathleen Stock talks to the Free Speech Union
Speakeasy #1: Free Speech and the War over Sex and Gender from Free Speech Union on Vimeo. ...7 days ago- Why governments will have to consider the costs of long COVID when easing pandemic restrictions
Richard Meade, Auckland University of Technology With governments worldwide under pressure to ease pandemic restrictions as vaccination rates rise and impatience with border restrictions grows, new threats become clearer. One of the costliest, it is now feared, could be a tsunami of “long COVID” cases. Long COVID is a ...1 week ago- Taxpayers' Union gets destroyed
The Taxpayers’ Union scored another own goal yesterday when they decided to have a go at well-known journalist David Farrier (not to be confused with David Farrar) over Government funding he’d received to make a documentary.While that slinging match isn’t really worth reporting on, being that it was mainly just ...1 week ago- Gender-specific health programs address important issues, but risk creating new biases
Matthew Jenkins and Victoria Chinn, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington Gone are the days when health programmes were designed to simply punish or reward people to encourage behaviour change. We now know lasting behaviour change is more complex and nuanced, and this has prompted a proliferation ...1 week ago- Fossil tooth fractures and microscopic detail of enamel offer new clues about human diet and evolut...
Ian Towle; Carolina Loch, and Thomas Loho, University of Auckland Teeth can tell us a lot about the evolution of prehistoric humans, and our latest study of one of our species’ close relatives may finally resolve a long-standing mystery. The genus Paranthropus is closely related to ours, Homo, ...1 week ago- Bryce Edwards: Political Roundup – “Year of the vaccine” at risk
A consensus is emerging that the Government has generally managed the Covid crisis very well over the last 18 months, but they have dropped the ball when it comes to the crucial vaccine rollout. This was nicely encapsulated in opinion polling last week showing that while 69 per cent of ...1 week ago- Profiteering politicians delegitimise parliament
Why aren't politicians interested in actually solving the housing crisis? Because virtually the entire political class is making massive profits from it: MPs have pocketed $50 million in capital gains from their property interests in the last year amid a growing housing affordability crisis, a Stuff analysis has found. ...1 week ago- Democracy wins in Samoa
Over three months ago Samoa had an election, in which the people voted out the incumbent Human Rights Protection Party and voted in the opposition FAST Party. The incumbent Human Rights Protection Party ignored the results and clung to power, hoping to get their patsy head of state to call ...1 week ago- Climate Change: The solution farmers don’t want us to talk about
RNZ this morning has a piece asking Can NZ really meet its methane emissions targets?. Posing it as a question like this frames it as difficult, more of the "but its too hard!" whine from farmers. But its not hard at all. Pretty obviously, we can meet methane reduction targets ...1 week ago- A Conversation That Never Happened.
1 week ago- Graham Adams: Parliament is in recess but Kris Faafoi is too busy to discuss proposals for hate-spee...
The Minister of Justice appears to have gone into hiding. Graham Adams provides an update on how the public debate on hate speech regulation is going, especially in terms of whether political opinion should or shouldn’t receive an exemption from new laws. It fell to RNZ to break the ...1 week ago- Engineering A Miracle: Can Judith Collins Reprise Rob Muldoon?
Miracle Worker? But Judith Collins and National cannot regain power by simply hoping for the worst. Elections are won by politicians like Rob Muldoon, who persuade the voters that the incumbent government is the worst choice.WAITING FOR THE MIRACLE, as Leonard Cohen observed, is an agonising test. Especially if its ...1 week ago- Hearing loss and social isolation – the silent burden
Feature image: this picture was chosen as it illustrates two elderly people in each other’s company. Tying in with the theme of hearing loss and social isolation, this depicts the importance of connection to each other and the world in which we live. Charlotte Gordon* Untreated hearing loss is a ...1 week ago- 2021 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #30
Listing of articles linked to on the Skeptical Science Facebook Page during the past week: Sun, July 18, 2021 through Sat, July 24, 2021 The following articles sparked above average interest during the week: Extreme rainfall in China: over 25 inches falls in 24 hours, leaving 33 dead, As scientists have ...1 week ago- Capitalists in Space
. . Billionaire Richard Branson did it. Also-billionaire, Jeff Bezos, did it. Both will be the first money-hoarders into space (or sub-orbital near-space, to be more specific). Also-also-billionaire, Elon Musk – not content with sub-orbital ‘jaunts’ – has expressed a desire to go Full Interplanetary and personally colonise Mars. Meanwhile, ...1 week ago- Elizabeth Rata: Responding to Andrew Geddis on Treaty Partnerships
My recent article about the role that the concept of a Treaty ‘partnership’ has played in the development of ethno-nationalism provoked a critical response from Professor Andrew Geddis. We obviously have different opinions about the value of a Treaty partnership in New Zealand’s liberal democracy. My purpose here is to ...1 week ago- When tough on crime goes wrong
If there’s one thing that you can safely rely on, it’s right-wing politicians grandstanding with tough on crime rhetoric. It's understandable being that such propaganda is usually a sure bet, obviously because a very large proportion of the public wants to see less crime and fewer criminals in their communities.However ...1 week ago- Billionaire space race: the ultimate symbol of capitalism’s flawed obsession with growth
Tim Jackson, University of Surrey Mars ain’t the kind of place to raise your kids, laments the Rocket Man in Elton John’s timeless classic. In fact, it’s cold as hell. But that doesn’t seem to worry a new generation of space entrepreneurs intent on colonising the “final frontier” as fast ...1 week ago- Michael Cullen’s Policy Achievements
Philosophers have hitherto only interpreted the world in various ways; the point is to change it.Implicit in the title of the Michael Cullen’s memoir Labour Saving is his greatest policy achievement of improving the savings of the economy, as well as his saving the Labour Party from neoliberalism. But first, ...2 weeks ago- Call to ‘come home’ does not apply to our sleeper cells in Australia, says Government
A map of believed New Zealand sleeper cells in Australia, which the Australian Secret Intelligence Service has described as “painfully obvious” and believes is “pretty much comprehensive.” As the Covid-19 travel bubble with Australia closes once more, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Covid Response Minister Chris Hipkins have made clear ...2 weeks ago- Cranky Uncle game now being translated
The Cranky Uncle game is now being translated into multiple languages, paving the way to building public resilience against misinformation across the world. So far, we have had volunteers offer to help translate the game into Danish, French, German, Italian, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Russian, and Ukrainian. But we are always looking ...2 weeks ago- Andrew Geddis: Responding to Elizabeth Rata on Treaty Partnerships
In a recent post on this site, Prof Elizabeth Rata expressed her concerns at the growth of what she terms “ethno-nationalism” and the role that the concept of a “Treaty partnership” has played in this development. She does so by telling a story about how this idea of a Treaty ...2 weeks ago- The Greatest Cyber-Weapon May Be The Truth.
Who's Hacking Who? So, let’s be clear: the very same Western powers who were voicing their alarm at China’s alleged outsourcing of its cyber-attack capabilities to private actors, are the identical Western powers who, for years, have winked at their friends in Jerusalem outsourcing their intelligence gathering to a shadowy Tel ...2 weeks ago- Morbid Symptoms: Why Are Māori Vaccination Rates Plummeting?
Not Enough Shots In The Arm: The percentage of 8-month-old Māori babies in Counties Manukau receiving their primary course of immunisation on time has fallen from 85 percent in May 2020 to 68 percent in May 2021. A report prepared for the Counties Manukau DHB attributes this startling drop-off to: ...2 weeks ago- Skeptical Science New Research for Week #29, 2021
94 articles Physical science of climate change, effects Three flavors of radiative feedbacks and their implications for estimating Equilibrium Climate Sensitivity Rugenstein & Armour Geophysical Research Letters DOI: 10.1029/2021gl092983 Observations of climate change, effects Multi-decadal change in western US nighttime vapor pressure deficit DOI: 10.1029/2021gl092983 Recent changes in ...2 weeks ago- Looking for more coal is indefensible
Siberia is burning. China is flooding. Westport flooded last weekend. And against this backdrop of climate breakdown, the Southland District Council thinks its a good time to approve new coal exploration. This is a terrible idea. But its also a waste of time. Any coal discovered can never be burned ...2 weeks ago- An end to imprisoning refugees?
Back in May, Amnesty International exposed New Zealand's repuslive system of refugee detention, and the ongoing human rights abuses it leads to. It clearly embarassed the government, because today they've announced a formal inquiry into the practice - the first step to ending it: But following the release in ...2 weeks ago- Bryce Edwards: Political Roundup – The Seriousness of the rural revolt
It’s nearly a week since the “Howl of a Protest” took place throughout the country, and we’re still talking about the rural revolt. What are the farmers’ concerns? Are they legitimate? Has the rural-urban divide has become too deep, and will any of this have an impact on politics in ...2 weeks ago- Extreme heat warning: what the first-ever UK Met Office alert means
Chloe Brimicombe, University of Reading Summer 2021 will mark a turning point in how heat is seen by the public and communicated by experts. For the first time in its 167-year history, the UK’s Met Office has issued an amber warning for extreme heat for much of Wales and parts ...2 weeks ago- Hydrogen in Southland?
New Zealand wants to move to more renewable electricity. But there's a barrier: the Tiwai Point aluminium smelter. It sucks up 13% of our total electricity supply, but its continued threats to shut down create ongoing uncertainty about demand, which puts people off building the additional renewables we need. But ...2 weeks ago- When an ancient volcanic ‘supereruption’ caused sudden cooling, early humans got lucky
Ben Black, Rutgers University and Anja Schmidt, University of Cambridge Around 74,000 years ago, a “supereruption” on the island of Sumatra, Indonesia, blasted out an estimated 5,000 cubic kilometres of magma. This was the Toba eruption, the largest volcanic eruption of the past 2 million years. To put 5,000 ...2 weeks ago- Talley’s Group Ltd – Arsehole of the Week
2 weeks ago - The Adventures of Annalax: Volume XXVI
- Green Party welcomes conversion therapy prohibition bill
The Green Party welcomes the announcement by Minister of Justice Kris Faafoi to introduce a bill to prohibit conversion therapy used against Rainbow communities. ...4 days ago - Green Party welcomes Commerce Commission’s draft findings, cautions against wait and hope solution...The Green Party welcomes the findings of the Commerce Commission’s report on competition in the retail grocery sector, which takes aim at the duopoly formed by Woolworths NZ and Foodstuffs. ...5 days ago
- Building back better
It’s a three-week recess in Parliament – so, no bills are going through the House and no select committees are meeting. But the hard work of our ministers continues, and many of our MPs are back in their electorates, taking the opportunity to meet with local communities and businesses about ...2 weeks ago - Greens call for a Warrant of Fitness for rental homesThe Green Party is launching a petition today calling on the Government’s Healthy Homes Standards to be backed up with a proper Warrant of Fitness (WoF) for rental homes. ...2 weeks ago
- Securing our recovery: By the numbersOur plan to secure New Zealand’s recovery from COVID-19 is working, with the past three months seeing the second-highest number of people moved off a main benefit into work since records began. ...3 weeks ago
- More Kiwis in work through recovery planThe latest statistics show the Government’s focus on jobs is working. The net number of people on a main benefit dropped by around 11,190 people during the past three months, with around 31,240 people moving off a benefit into work. ...3 weeks ago
- Protecting unique land for generation next
The Government is boosting legal protection for critically important natural habitats on private land, Minister of Conservation Kiri Allan says. “An $8 million investment over four years will see Queen Elizabeth II National Trust Ngā Kairauhī Papa (QEII) work with government agencies, councils and others to provide legal protection of ...2 hours ago - New Zealand’s support for Fiji’s COVID-19 response continues with vaccine delivery, operational ...Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta has announced further support for Fiji, including funding support for nursing staff and 100,000 doses of vaccines due to arrive in country today. “Our thoughts remain with Fiji during this incredibly challenging period,” Nanaia Mahuta said. “New Zealand has funded 100,000 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine ...2 hours ago
- Poroporoaki: Dr Hōhepa (Joe) MasonKo koe tēnā e te hurumanu e Hōhepa, te tōwenetanga a te iti, te māpihi herenga mahara o te tini, ka tauawhi tonuhia koe e to iwi ki te uma pupuri ai. Me pēhea he kupu kia koutou kua puta i nga ākinga a nga tau kua hori, kua waia ...6 hours ago
- Finance Minister and RBNZ Governor agree to update MOU on macro-prudential policyFinance Minister Grant Robertson and Reserve Bank Governor Adrian Orr have updated the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on macro-prudential policy to further protect the financial system and support the Government’s housing objectives. “This change will ensure that the Reserve Bank has the flexibility to respond to emerging financial stability risks ...6 hours ago
- Government commits further assistance for drought and flood-affected rural communitiesFarmers and growers affected by this year’s drought or floods in Marlborough, Tasman, West Coat, Canterbury, Otago and the Chatham Islands will have access to Rural Assistance Payments (RAPs) from today, Social Development and Employment Minister Carmel Sepuloni has announced. “The Government is committed to easing the financial pressures on ...22 hours ago
- Cook Islands youth lead Language WeekThe Cook Islands Language Week theme for 2021 highlights the vital role language plays in maintaining young people’s links to their Pacific home, said Minister for Pacific Peoples Aupito William Sio. “The Epetoma o te reo Māori Kūki ‘Āirani – Cook Islands Language Week – theme is ‘Ātuitui’ia au ki ...24 hours ago
- Government offers formal apology for Dawn RaidsA formal and unreserved apology for the Dawn Raids The Government will offer education scholarships as part of the apology Manaaki New Zealand Short Term Scholarship Training courses Support Pacific artists and historians to develop a comprehensive written and oral account of the Dawn Raids Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has ...2 days ago
- Speech to Dawn Raids ApologyTēnā koutou katoa, Kia orana kotou katoatoa, Fakaalofa lahi atu ki mutolu oti, Tālofa nī, Mālō nī koutou, Ni sa bula vinaka, Fakatalofa atu, Noa'ia 'e mauri, Kam na mauri, Malo e lelei, Sioto'ofa, Mālō lava le lagi e mamā ma le soifua maua, Oue tulou, tulou atu, tulouna lava ...2 days ago
- Bridging the gap – last piece of Northcote Safe Cycle Route now completeThe opening of two bridges over Auckland’s Northern Motorway is the last link of a cycling and walking route which provides a safe, active alternative for students and commuters, Transport Minister Michael Wood said today. Michael Wood cut the ribbon for the completion of the Northcote Safe Cycle Route, at ...2 days ago
- Progress in establishment of Aged Care CommissionerRecruitment for an Aged Care Commissioner will start next month, to ensure greater oversight of New Zealand’s aged care sector. “This sector is responsible for supporting a large and often vulnerable population. While most people are able to access quality care, there have been cases where that care has fallen ...3 days ago
- New record number of homes consentedIn the year ended June 2021, the actual number of new dwellings consented was 44,299, up 18 percent from the June 2020 year. In June 2021, the seasonally adjusted number of new dwellings consented rose 3.8 percent. In June 2021, 4,310 new dwellings were consented, an increase of 3.8 per ...4 days ago
- Communities backed to tackle wilding pinesTwelve community projects across New Zealand will receive a share of $2 million to carry out wilding pine control, Biosecurity Minister Damien O’Connor announced as part of Biosecurity Week. “Wilding pines are a serious problem that threaten many of the unique landscapes that New Zealanders value. Community groups and trusts ...4 days ago
- Health Minister Andrew Little responding to the New Zealand Nurses Organisation's rejection of ...I was advised last night that the result of the ballot of Tōpūtanga Tapuhi Kaitiaki o Aotearoa New Zealand Nurses Organisation members have rejected the latest proposal to settle their collective agreement. Let me be clear: the proposal was one they put to the Government. The Nurses Organisation rejected their ...4 days ago
- Conversion Practices Prohibition Legislation introduced to ParliamentLegislation has been introduced to Parliament to protect against practices intended to change or suppress someone’s sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression. Introducing the Conversion Practices Prohibition Legislation Bill, Minister of Justice, Kris Faafoi, said the measures proposed were aimed at ending conversion practices which don’t work, are widely ...4 days ago
- New kaupapa Māori mental health and addiction services to support people in central North IslandNew mental health and addiction services rolling out across the central North Island will improve outcomes and equity for Māori, Associate Minister of Health (Māori Health) Peeni Henare says. Today the Minister met with providers of the new kaupapa Māori primary mental health and addiction service, Poutama Ora, which will ...4 days ago
- New school site for booming West AucklandThe Government will build on a new school site in West Auckland to cope with rapid population growth in the area, Education Minister Chris Hipkins says. The Ministry is working with existing local schools to determine how the 1.5-hectare site at 279 Hobsonville Point Road will be used to support ...4 days ago
- Trans-Tasman travel window to close at midnight tomorrowA further 500 MIQ rooms released for managed returnees from NSW Further Government actions announced today are balanced to provide more certainty for Kiwis wanting to return from Australia, while continuing to protect New Zealand from COVID-19, acting Minister for COVID-19 Response Ayesha Verrall says. The actions were foreshadowed last ...5 days ago
- Govt investing millions in Hawke's Bay and Tairāwhiti schoolsNapier Boys’ and Girls’ High Schools are among those set to benefit from a $16.5 million investment in the Hawke's Bay and Tairāwhiti region, Economic and Regional Development Minister Stuart Nash announced today. The Government has set aside money in Budget 2021 to accelerate five projects in Napier, Hastings, Havelock North ...5 days ago
- Game changing Jobs for Nature investment for NorthlandConservation Minister Kiri Allan has announced Jobs for Nature funding for a portfolio of projects that will create ‘game changing’ gains for nature and communities across Northland/Te Tai Tokerau as part of the Government’s acceleration of the economic recovery from COVID. “This portfolio of 12 projects will see over $20 ...5 days ago
- Third COVID-19 vaccine receives provisional approvalNew Zealand’s regulatory authority Medsafe has granted provisional approval of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine for individuals 18 years of age and older, Acting Minister for COVID-19 Response Dr Ayesha Verrall announced today. New Zealand secured 7.6 million doses (enough for 3.8 million people) of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine through an ...5 days ago
- Bowel-cancer screening programme is saving livesMore than 1000 New Zealanders have had bowel cancer – New Zealand’s second-most-common cause of death from cancer - detected under the Government’s National Bowel Screening Programme, Health Minister Andrew Little said today. More than 1200 New Zealanders died from bowel cancer in 2017. The screening programme aims to save ...5 days ago
- Govt welcomes draft report on the retail grocery sectorThe Commerce Commission’s draft report into the retail grocery sector is being welcomed by Government as a major milestone. “I asked the Commerce Commission to look at whether this sector is as competitive as it could be and today it has released its draft report for consultation,” Commerce and Consumer ...5 days ago
- Christchurch’s Youth Hub ‘set to go’ thanks to further Government fundingConstruction of New Zealand’s first, purpose-built centre for youth well-being is ready to get underway thanks to an extra $2.5 million of COVID-19 response funding, Housing Minister and Associate Minister of Finance, Megan Woods announced today. “The Christchurch Youth Hub is about bringing together all the things young people need ...5 days ago
- Next step to protect Milford Sound PiopiotahiExpert group lays out plan to better protect iconic UNESCO World Heritage site Milford Sound Piopiotahi and its surrounds Funding confirmed for dedicated unit and Establishment Board to assess the recommendations and provide oversight of the process from here Milford Opportunities Project a test case for transformational change in tourism ...6 days ago
- Funding for projects to reduce waste from construction and demolitionThe Government has announced funding for projects in Auckland and the lower North Island to help reduce construction and demolition waste. “Construction is the main source of waste sent to landfill, and much of this could be reduced, reused and recovered,” Environment Minister David Parker said. “The Government is funding ...6 days ago
- Speech at the launch of the National Hepatitis C Action PlanTēnā koutou katoa. Thank you Anglesea Pharmacy and Te Manawa Taki for hosting this event. As a doctor, I saw first hand the impact of hepatitis C. I met Moana in 2019; she came to the infectious diseases outpatient clinic at Wellington Hospital having tested positive for hepatitis C. Like ...6 days ago
- Plan to eliminate hepatitis C as a major health threat by 2030A plan to eliminate hepatitis C in New Zealand, reducing liver cancer and the need for liver transplants, has been released today by Associate Minister of Health Dr Ayesha Verrall. “Around 45,000 New Zealanders have hepatitis C, but only around half know they have it,” said Ayesha Verrall. “Symptoms often ...6 days ago
- School upgrades and new classrooms for West Coast, Tasman and CanterburyA funding injection from Budget 2021 to complete four shovel ready projects and new classrooms at six schools and kura will provide a real boost to local communities, Minister Dr Megan Woods announced today. “This Government has committed to providing quality fit for purpose learning environments and 100,000 new student ...6 days ago
- Warmer Kiwi Homes smashes annual targetThe Government's highly successful insulation and heating programme, Warmer Kiwi Homes, is celebrating a key milestone with the completion of more than 38,000 insulation and efficient heater installs in the year to the end of June, smashing its target of 25,000 installs for the year. “The Warmer Kiwi Homes scheme ...1 week ago
- Exemption granted for Wallabies to enter NZBledisloe Cup rugby will be played in New Zealand after the Australian rugby team received an economic exemption to enter New Zealand. Travel between Australia and New Zealand was suspended on Friday for at least eight weeks following the worsening of the COVID outbreak across the Tasman. New Zealanders have ...1 week ago
- Minister of Foreign Affairs makes three diplomatic appointmentsForeign Affairs Minister Nanaia Mahuta today announced three New Zealand Head of Mission appointments. They are: Mike Walsh as Ambassador to Iran Michael Upton as Ambassador to Ethiopia and the African Union Kevin Burnett as Ambassador to Indonesia Iran “Aotearoa New Zealand has a long-standing and constructive relationship with Iran, despite a ...1 week ago
- Enhanced Task Force Green Approved for West Coast and MarlboroughThe Government has activated Enhanced Task Force Green (ETFG) in response to the West Coast and Marlborough floods, Social Development and Employment Minister Carmel Sepuloni announced today. “To assist with the clean-up, up to $500,000 will be made available to support the recovery in Buller and Marlborough which has experienced ...1 week ago
- Govt support for upgrade of Eden Park players facilitiesMinister for Sport and Recreation Hon Grant Robertson has announced funding to upgrade the players facilities at Eden Park ahead of upcoming Women’s World Cup events. Eden Park is a confirmed venue for the Rugby World Cup 2021, the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2022, and a proposed venue for matches of ...1 week ago
- More jobs and quicker public transport motoring towards West AucklandWork to improve public transport for West Aucklanders and support the region’s economic recovery by creating hundreds of jobs has officially kicked off, Transport Minister Michael Wood announced today. Michael Wood and Auckland Mayor Phil Goff this morning marked the start of construction on the Northwestern Bus Improvements project. It ...1 week ago
- Government backs critical health researchResearch into some of New Zealanders’ biggest health concerns including cancer, diabetes, and heart disease is getting crucial support in the latest round of health research funding, Health Minister Andrew Little announced today. The funding, awarded through the Health Research Council of New Zealand, covers 31 General Project grants ($36.64 ...1 week ago
- New Bay of Islands hospital facilities to bring services closer to homePrime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Health Minister Andrew Little have joined a ceremony to bless the site and workers for Phase Two of the redevelopment of the Bay of Islands Hospital in Kawakawa today. The new building will house outpatients and primary care facilities, as well as expanded renal care ...1 week ago
- Raukokore re-imagined with ‘smart’ relocatable rent to own housingIwi, Crown Partnership Relocatable, fully insulated housing, connected to a new solar plant Provides a pathway to home ownership New housing in the remote eastern Bay of Plenty community of Raukokore shows how iwi and Crown agencies can work together effectively to provide warm, dry, energy efficient homes in a ...1 week ago
- Cabinet accepts Turkish authorities’ request for the managed return of three NZ citizensCabinet has agreed to the managed return of a New Zealand citizen and her two young children from Turkey, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced today. The three have been in immigration detention in Turkey since crossing the border from Syria earlier this year. Turkey has requested that New Zealand repatriate ...1 week ago
- Govt delivers more classrooms so children can focus on learningExtra Government investment in classrooms and school building projects will enable students and teachers to focus on education rather than overcrowding as school rolls grow across the country, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Associate Education Minister Kelvin Davis say. The pair visited Ruakākā School in Whangārei today to announce $100 ...1 week ago
- New station a platform for AirportLink to take offEvery Aucklander with access to the rail network will now have a quick and convenient trip to the airport, Transport Minister Michael Wood and Auckland Mayor Phil Goff said during the official opening of the new Puhinui Interchange today. The new interchange links the rail platform with a new bus ...1 week ago
- Reserve Bank gets green light to tighten lending rules for housing (hopefully without impeding first...
The Reserve Bank has been given the government’s go-ahead to tighten mortgage lending rules to try to take some heat out of the housing market. An updated Memorandum of Understanding between the Minister of Finance and the Reserve Bank will enable it to implement its proposal to reduce the amount ...22 mins ago - National MP floats ban on public sector using 'Aotearoa'
National MP Stuart Smith has found himself advocating a crackdown on public sector use of te reo in a war on a phantom name change, Marc Daalder writes Analysis: New Zealand's sleek black passports could undergo a revamp to remove the prominent placement of the word 'Aotearoa' - if National Party MP ...37 mins ago - Here are all the levers the government isn’t pulling to fix our housing catastrophe
In response to claims successive governments have enabled a massive human rights failure, the prime minister says hers is doing all it can to fix the housing crisis. Bernard Hickey disagrees. This column was first published on Bernard Hickey’s newsletter, The Kākā.PM Jacinda Ardern defended her government against the Human Rights Commission’s ...52 mins ago - Young Australians are supposedly ‘turning their backs’ on democracy, but are they any different ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Intifar Chowdhury, PhD Candidate/Data Archivist, Australian National University Joel Carrett/AAP The 2019 federal election saw the lowest voter turnout since compulsory voting was introduced in 1924. Only 91% of Australians voted, amid reports young people “turned their back on democracy”. ...1 hour ago - The pain and poetry of online beauty reviewsAlix Higby was just looking for a new cleanser. What she found was something much more powerful. It is a truth universally acknowledged that no one skincare or makeup routine fits all. Particularly if you have sensitive skin and the kind of allergies that, in Jane Austen’s world, would see you ...2 hours ago
- Fiji police warn public against violence and ‘fake profiles’ after two firesAsia Pacific Report newsdesk Fiji police have warned that any attempts to destabilise and cause instability will be investigated and dealt with, reports The Fiji Times. The warning came from Acting Commissioner Police Rusiate Tudravu yesterday in the wake of two major fires in Ba and Raiwai at the weekend. ...4 hours ago
- BSA Finds Comments On COVID-19 Vaccine Safety And ‘anti-vaxxers’ Did Not Breach Standards
The Broadcasting Standards Authority (BSA) has not upheld a complaint about an item on Seven Sharp in which co-host Hilary Barry made comments about the safety of the COVID-19 Pfizer vaccine and “anti-vaxxers”. The comments included a suggestion ...5 hours ago - Police Encounter With Christian Preachers A Startling Omen Of Things To ComeResponding to the video posted on TikTok by jesuspreachingNZ, the Free Speech Union says the video shows everything that is wrong with the Government’s vague and dangerous hate speech proposals. “New hate speech laws haven’t even been written yet but ...5 hours ago
- Anti-vax group’s ‘free speech’ billboards pulled from RNZ buildingVoices for Freedom just launched an advertising campaign against the government’s hate speech laws, but the digital billboards were gone within a day.The anti-vaccination group Voices for Freedom has had advertisements removed from digital billboards, including the side of Radio New Zealand’s Auckland office, after boasting about them online.Posts shared ...5 hours ago
- Revealed: Andrew Little's “former” Gang Member Claim Was WrongA new interview with Hard2Reach director Harry Tam confirms that he is a lifetime patched member of Mongrel Mob Notorious. New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union spokesman Jordan Williams says: “This revelation means Andrew Little has some explaining ...5 hours ago
- Govt and Reserve Bank agree on new moves to tighten mortgage lending
*This article first appeared on RNZ and is republished with permission. The government and Reserve Bank have agreed on new moves to tighten mortgage lending, including tougher loan to value ratios and debt to income ratios, to cool the housing market. In a statement, Finance Minister Grant Robertson said ...5 hours ago - Newsletter: New Zealand Politics Daily – August 3 2021Editor’s Note: Here below is a list of the main issues currently under discussion in New Zealand and links to media coverage. Click here to subscribe to Bryce Edwards’ Political Roundup and New Zealand Politics Daily. Today’s content Opinion polls, government, political parties Claire Trevett (Herald): Poll should be death knell for ...6 hours ago
- Pork and Poll Taxes: Reclaiming New Zealand’s forgotten history on stageJihee Junn talks to the writer/director of a new play about the earliest Chinese New Zealanders – and the families they left behind.The first time Talia Pua learnt about the Chinese poll tax was as a teenager researching for a high school drama assessment. While the rest of her classmates ...6 hours ago
- Instagram’s privacy updates for kids are positive. But plans for an under-13s app means profits st...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tama Leaver, Professor of Internet Studies, Curtin University Shutterstock Facebook recently announced significant changes to Instagram for users aged under 16. New accounts will be private by default, and advertisers will be limited in how they can reach young people. ...7 hours ago
- Secret history: the release of the Mountbatten archives and the fight to access royal diariesSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jenny Hocking, Emeritus Professor, Monash University Lord Mountbatten, Ghandi and Lady Mountbatten in New Delhi in 1947. AP/AAP An immense trove of the most important royal historical material for decades has quietly been released in the United Kingdom. These are the diaries ...7 hours ago
- Dodgy tree loppers are scamming elderly homeowners and hacking up healthy trees. Here’s what you n...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Gregory Moore, Doctor of Botany, The University of Melbourne Shutterstock Have you had a knock on the door or perhaps a card in your letterbox telling you the trees in your garden are dangerous and need urgent work? Maybe you’ve ...7 hours ago
- Equality and fairness: vaccines against this pandemic of mistrustSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tony Ward, Fellow in Historical Studies, The University of Melbourne The COVID crisis has laid bare a crisis of trust. In many Western nations there’s a small but significant minority refusing to follow distancing guidelines, wear masks or get a vaccination. ...7 hours ago
- If I could go anywhere: India’s Varanasi — a sacred site on a river of rituals and altered state...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Cherine Fahd, Associate Professor, School of Design, University of Technology Sydney In this series we pay tribute to the art we wish could visit — and hope to see once travel restrictions are lifted. Varanasi, or Banaras as the locals call it, ...7 hours ago
- Live updates, August 3: Winston Peters claims success despite losing latest court battleWelcome to The Spinoff’s live updates for August 3, bringing you the latest news updated throughout the day. Get in touch at stewart@thespinoff.co.nz8.00am: Peters claims success despite losing latest court battleWinston Peters has made a rare post-politics media appearance after losing a court battle over the leaking of details about ...7 hours ago
- All thoroughbred horses in the southern hemisphere had a birthday on SundayBreak out the carrot cake. Thoroughbred race horses in this half of the world all just turned a year older. That’s right. All thoroughbreds have the same birthday. Mirjam Guesgen explains why.Some get a deep tissue massage, some eat cake, others just chill out and take a break from racing ...7 hours ago
- The Bulletin: Seasonal workforce to swell this summerGood morning and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Seasonal workforce to swell this summer, government sets date to present post-Covid roadmap, and tens of thousands facing hospital delays.The seasonal workforce is expected to be significantly larger next summer, with the announcement of a one-way bubble from several Pacific ...8 hours ago
- Why Hubbard was overwhelmed at the Games
After global attention in the buildup to her event, transgender Kiwi weightlifter Laurel Hubbard's performance at the Tokyo Games was bettered by all seven other women. It’s been contentious, divisive and trailblazing, provoking a global debate around inclusion that’s transcended sport. But with the world's eyes on her, Laurel Hubbard’s long-awaited ...9 hours ago - Subsidies not soft drinks: The brave new world of Kiwishop
A state-sponsored grocery chain could offer supplier subsidies and healthy eating credits for beneficiaries ...10 hours ago - Newsroom daily quiz, Tuesday 3 August
Got a good quiz question? Send Newsroom your questions. ...10 hours ago - Newsroom daily crossword, Tuesday 3 August
...10 hours ago - Sir Roger Douglas: Fund human healthcare like veterinary care
Gone to the dogs? A senior vet thinks Sir Roger Douglas' proposal is barking ...10 hours ago - Three big questions as Ardern prepares to unfurl the road map to a post-Covid NZMark August 12 in your calendar because it could be one of the most important discussions the country has this year: What does the end of Covid look like? Justin Giovannetti reports.The big questions around the future of New Zealand’s Covid-19 response will take centre stage next Thursday when Jacinda ...10 hours ago
- It’s time to put car yard sexism in the rearview mirrorTwo decades into the 20th century, too many car salesmen still think it’s OK to make sexist jokes that should have been left in the 1970s. But a handful of car saleswomen around Auckland are offering refuges from such outdated attitudes, reports Chris Schulz. On a sunny Sunday at an ...10 hours ago
- 'A criminal law in name only': NZ's ban on prison labour imports
Work on a review of prison labour prohibition is on ice, despite some concerns. ...10 hours ago - Cookbooks and out-and-out classic, dirty old sexism
An appreciation of the nation's most-loved books - cookbooks Our appetite for cookbooks is insatiable. The biggest-selling book in New Zealand of all time is, of course, that perennial classic, The Edmonds Cookbook. As well, the three biggest-selling books in New Zealand in 2010, 2014 and last year were all ...10 hours ago - Online grocer faces 'bully tactics' from big supermarkets
Fresh food start-up gets a taste of what Costco and other new grocery stores can expect to face. ...10 hours ago - Sir Peter Gluckman: Covid-19's ticking clock
Societal cohesion, mental health, wellbeing, and even democracy may all be at stake if lessons are not learned quickly from this pandemic, writes Sir Peter Gluckman The rapid development of multiple Covid vaccines has been a triumph of science. But the entire Covid story is certainly not a triumph for ...10 hours ago - Electricity regulator seeks more info on gas sector
The Electricity Authority found its lack of access to the gas sector hampered its ability to respond to dry year risk this winter. ...10 hours ago - When the government stirs the waters
Crumbling pipes, polluted beaches, bugs in drinking water ... something has to be done about the nation's ageing water infrastructure. But is Three Waters the right solution? There's something in the water. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern made sure to nail that point home at the Local Government New Zealand conference ...10 hours ago - The problem with Australia’s opening plan is that it closes things
Australian PM Scott Morrison is under pressure from a Delta Covid outbreak that just won’t go away and a vaccination programme which – what shall we say – lacks urgency. So it’s the right time to bring out a bold long-term plan for re-integrating Australia into the modern world. ...13 hours ago - Albanese calls for $300 vaccination incentive, as rollout extended to vulnerable childrenSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra The opposition has urged the government to provide a $300 incentive payment to everyone who is fully vaccinated by December 1, to accelerate the rollout. This payment should include those already vaccinated, the opposition says. ...15 hours ago
- Tail whips and flairs: the jaw-dropping, high-flying tricks that won BMX freestyler Logan Martin the...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Eva Ellmer, The University of Queensland KYDPL KYODO/AP BMX freestyle has had its debut in the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games and Logan Martin just made history by winning the first gold medal for Australia in the sport. The fresh, ...20 hours ago
- Should we vaccinate children against COVID-19? We asked 5 expertsSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Phoebe Roth, Deputy Editor, Health+Medicine Shutterstock Australia’s Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) recently announced provisional approval for the Pfizer vaccine to be used in 12-15-year-olds. We learned on Monday that the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI) has advised that ...20 hours ago
- The Tokyo Lowdown: Day 10
Following in our rowers' wake, the Kiwi paddlers had a fruitful first day on the water in Tokyo. Our daily wrap, looking at the fortunes of our NZ sportswomen, continues. Performances of the day Day one of six straight days of Olympic paddling for Lisa Carrington done, and three boxes ...21 hours ago - If I’ve already had COVID, do I need a vaccine? And how does the immune system respond? An expert ...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sunit K. Singh, Professor of Molecular Immunology and Virology, Institute of Medical Sciences, Banaras Hindu University Andre Coelho/EPA/AAP Over a year into the pandemic, questions around immune responses after COVID continue to confound. One question many people are asking ...22 hours ago
- Muscles are important, but stiff tendons are the secret ingredient for high-speed performanceSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Anthony Blazevich, Professor of Biomechanics, Edith Cowan University The fastest sprinter is the world right now is Lamont Marcell Jacobs, who won Olympic gold in the men’s 100-metre sprint with a time of 9.80 seconds. You might be surprised to learn that ...22 hours ago
- Ardern announces RSE workers allowed one-way quarantine-free travel
Seasonal workers from Tonga, Samoa and Vanuatu will be allowed into the country without having to go into managed isolation from September, the government says. ...22 hours ago - Thinking of taking a language in year 11 and 12? Here’s what you need to knowSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mairin Hennebry-Leung, Lecturer in Languages and TESOL, University of Tasmania Shutterstock This article is part of a series providing school students with evidence-based advice for choosing subjects in their senior years. Some students elect to study languages in their senior ...22 hours ago
- Tuila’epa supporters demonstrate over ‘disintegration’ of Samoa constitutionBy Soli Wilson in Apia Heavy rain early today failed to deter more than 1000 Human Rights Protection Party (HRPP) supporters who gathered in front of the Government building in Apia — some travelling hours to get there — to protest against what they claim to be the “disintegration” of ...22 hours ago
- Michael Field: On saying sorry – who next? The Banabans?COMMENT: By Michael Field of The Pacific Newsroom Apologies are, more or less by custom, the end of things. Say sorry, and don’t mention it again. As warm and moving as New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern’s apology was over the immigration Dawn Raids of the 1970s, it will mostly ...22 hours ago
- Samoa confirms China-backed Vaiusu Bay port project shelvedRNZ Pacific Samoa’s new prime minister has opted not to proceed with a China-backed port development project championed by her predecessor. Fiame Naomi Mata’afa said the US$100 million (NZ$139m) project would have significantly added to the country’s exposure to China which already accounts for 40 percent of its external debt. ...22 hours ago
- Fiji police, fire agency jointly probe two separate urban firesBy Talebula Kate in Suva The Fiji Police Force and the National Fire Authority are currently investigating two separate fires that broke out last night — at the Central Arcade in Ba and at Tappoos warehouse in Raiwai. Police say the first report of fire was received at the Ba ...22 hours ago
- Climate Change To Be Embedded In Council DecisionsKāpiti Coast District Council’s adoption of a Climate Emergency Action Framework means thinking about climate change will be even more firmly embedded in all Council decisions. Councillor Sophie Handford says Council has heard calls from the community ...23 hours ago
- Live: PM Jacinda Ardern speaks to media after Cabinet meetingPrime Minister Jacinda Ardern is speaking to media in the first regular post-Cabinet briefing in two weeks. Watch live. ...23 hours ago
- Dawn raids ceremony explained: Why Jacinda Ardern sat under a woven matApulu Reece Autagavaia was among those who yesterday packed into Auckland Town Hall to witness the formal apology for the dawn raids. He explains the significance of the ifoga custom and what he hopes will follow this landmark event.Last night, we witnessed the prime minister Jacinda Ardern perform the ifoga, ...24 hours ago
- Appeal court throws out Peters' last claims over leak
After four years of ever-changing legal fighting, Winston Peters fails again to pin blame and win damages from government officials over a leak about his seven year overpayment of superannuation Former deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters has lost again in his spray of allegations against a government department, senior mandarins, ...1 day ago - The Mana Wāhine inquiry isn’t over yetClaimants to the Mana Wāhine inquiry tell Liam Rātana how the Waitangi Tribunal can start to address the damage done to Māori women by colonisation.I descend from a wāhine toa. She was a fearless leader of our people and held great mana in the area I’m from. Growing up, I ...1 day ago
- Gamers know the power of ‘flow’ — what if learners could harness it too?Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Simon McCallum, Senior Lecturer in Software Engineering, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington www.shutterstock.com One of the constant challenges in education is keeping the learner engaged, motivated and connected in a world increasingly filled with distractions. Social media, ...1 day ago
- Landmark Coal Case For Future GenerationsForest & Bird is acting on behalf of future generations in taking the Southland District Council to court over coal exploration expansion, says Chief Executive Kevin Hague. Papers were served this week on the Southland District Council, ...1 day ago
- Response To Our Recommendations And Controller UpdateIn 2019, our report Using “functional leadership” to improve government procurement looked at how well public sector leadership over procurement was helping deliver on the expectations that public organisations understand and treat procurement as ...1 day ago
- Winston Peters' superannuation privacy leak appeal dismissedWinston Peters has had his appeal in the leaking of his superannuation details before the 2017 General Election dismissed by the Court of Appeal. ...1 day ago
- Polls results won’t deter Labour from its reform programme – but they shouldn’t unnerve the Na...
Latest opinion polling has created a stir among the political cognoscenti. On one side, ACT’s rise is being seen as a big problem for National. From another, Labour’s fall by 9.7 points from the previous poll points to sharp disillusion with the Ardern government. TV3’s AM Show told viewers ACT’s ...1 day ago - Young People Experiencing Homelessness And Living In Emergency Accommodation 'feel Terrified�...Lifewise supports the Human Rights Commissioner calling the housing crisis a human rights crisis. Working daily at the coalface of the crisis, Lifewise sees people experiencing homelessness, especially young people, who 'feel terrified' living in ...1 day ago
- Why it’s so hard to launch a new supermarket in New ZealandForget the pie in the sky ‘KiwiGrocer’ idea, writes Eric Crampton for BusinessDesk – we need to make it easier for a overseas player to enter our grocery market.If you’re going to read the Commerce Commission’s market study on supermarkets in New Zealand, I’d suggest starting with the first half ...1 day ago
- Covid-19: Border plans set to be revealed next weekPrime Minister Jacinda Ardern will next week set out whether and how the government plans to open the country's borders. ...1 day ago
- Newsletter: New Zealand Politics Daily – August 2 2021Editor’s Note: Here below is a list of the main issues currently under discussion in New Zealand and links to media coverage. Click here to subscribe to Bryce Edwards’ Political Roundup and New Zealand Politics Daily. Today’s content Commerce Commission Supermarket Report Luke Malpass (Stuff): Labour’s $22 billion supermarket problem — and ...1 day ago
- I am grateful, I am blessed: A life with diabetesJessica Kirikava shares her story of grit and hope and remarkable recovery. This is a lightly abridged version of one of 12 essays published in the new anthology Te Kinakina: E Ngara I te Ngari / Remember who you are and where you come from. The book was written by Cook Islands ...1 day ago
- Public servants stuck overseas are feeling they have been abandoned because of the MIQ lottery
A head of pressure is building among New Zealanders overseas at the difficulties in securing Managed Isolation and Quarantine (MIQ) slots. No, these aren’t holiday-makers off to see their rellies, stranded tourists or those with dual citizenship who flit between countries according to the levels of Coronavirus infections. Rather, these ...1 day ago - Petition To Ban Greyhound Racing Heading To Parliament On WednesdaySAFE and the Greyhound Protection League are delivering their 37,000 strong petition to Parliament on Wednesday, which calls for a ban on greyhound racing and to rehabilitate and rehome all dogs bred for racing. This petition was supported by Grey2K USA Worldwide. ...1 day ago
- Has the High Court shown the way for successful Māori claims to marine title?Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Martin Fisher, Lecturer, University of Canterbury www.shutterstock.com Nearly two decades on from the bitter political battle over ownership of the seabed and foreshore, a recent precedent-setting High Court decision passed almost without comment in the mainstream media. Perhaps that is ...1 day ago
- Do Shareholders Realise Marsden Point Conversion Could Cost More Than Half A Billion Dollars?FIRST Union, the union representing workers at Refining NZ, are querying whether shareholders voting on Friday on whether to convert the Marsden Point refinery to an import-only terminal realise the conversion could cost $650-700 million dollars. ...1 day ago
- E Tipu E Rea Press Statement: Young Parents Are Invisible In Government’s Housing Strategy.Child Poverty Action Group’s new report The first year of Covid-19: Initial outcomes of our collective care for low-income children in Aotearoa New Zealand has highlighted that the lack of a strategy to end youth homelessness led to gross inequalities and ...1 day ago
- Real talk: The highlights of Neon’s Documentary SpotlightA bunch of the best TV documentaries of the year arrive on Neon this week. Here are the ones you won’t want to miss.Rescue Chimpanzees of the Congo with Jane Goodall (premieres August 1, weekly thereafter)Everyone loves a second chance, so prepare for your heartstrings to be pulled and your ...1 day ago
- NZ government makes apology over Dawn Raids targeting PasifikaRNZ Pacific New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern today delivered the government’s apology for the Dawn Raids against Pasifika overstayers. She apologised for the raids in the 1970s which happened under both Labour and National governments. “The government expresses its sorrow, remorse and regret that the Dawn Raids and random ...1 day ago
- What’s the biggest queer game developer in the world doing in New Zealand?Robert Yang has made some of the most notorious (and notoriously great) queer video games of the past decade. He talks to The Spinoff about his latest game, We Dwell in Possibility, and his recent move to New Zealand.If you look at Robert Yang’s oeuvre, you might be surprised that ...1 day ago
- What Olympic athletes can teach us about regulating our emotions and staying dedicatedSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Thomas Hannan, Postdoctoral research fellow, Griffith University Alessandra Tarantino/AP Olympians are often seen as the epitome of human performance, with incredible physical and mental strength. And with the 2020 Tokyo Olympic games well underway, it’s hard to not be impressed ...1 day ago
- Who were Australia’s best prime ministers? We asked the expertsSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Paul Strangio, Professor of Politics, Monash University Public Domain except Hawke, Keating and Howard (Commonwealth of Australia CC-BY-SA) Who have been Australia’s most accomplished prime ministers? Curiously, it’s a question that is seldom asked. We enthusiastically compile lists of the ...1 day ago
- Aboriginal people near the Ranger uranium mine suffered more stillbirths and cancer. We don’t know...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rosalie Schultz, Adjunct Senior Lecturer, College of Medicine and Public Health Centre for Remote Health, Flinders University This article mentions stillbirth deaths in Aboriginal communities. The Ranger uranium mine, surrounded by Kakadu National Park in the Northern Territory, operated for 40 ...1 day ago
- Australia’s international education market share is shrinking fast. Recovery depends on unis offer...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ian Anderson. Palawa, Deputy Vice-Chancellor Student and University Experience, Australian National University Shutterstock Governments and universities are planning for the recovery of our international student market once Australia can start easing border closures that have had huge impacts on universities ...1 day ago
- Orangutans, gibbons and Mr Sooty: what the origins of words in Southeast Asia tell us about our long...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Wayan Jarrah Sastrawan, Research associate, University of Sydney Shutterstock Forest creatures include some of humanity’s closest biological relatives. Due to human threats, they are also some of the most endangered animals on our planet. Southeast Asia hosts many unique ...1 day ago
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