Author Archive
Bernie runs again
Written By: - Date published: 7:22 am, February 20th, 2019 - 8 comments
Bernie Sanders has announced he will seek the Democratic candidacy for the presidency and has described Trump as being a pathological liar, a fraud, a racist, a sexist, a xenophobe and someone who is undermining American democracy.
What China crisis?
Written By: - Date published: 12:58 pm, February 18th, 2019 - 50 comments
Claims that New Zealand is at a crisis point in terms of its relationship with China appear to be somewhat overegged.
Pike River mine evidence went missing
Written By: - Date published: 7:52 am, February 18th, 2019 - 72 comments
It has been alleged that a potentially vital piece of evidence in the Pike River mine fatality that may show the cause of the explosion may have gone missing.
Blomfield beats Slater
Written By: - Date published: 9:58 am, February 16th, 2019 - 26 comments
Matt Blomfield has obtained judgment in his long running defamation case against Cameron Slater.
The end of tenure review
Written By: - Date published: 11:45 am, February 15th, 2019 - 29 comments
Land Information Minister Eugenie Sage has ended the policy of tenure review, under which large tracts of land were privatised and onsold for huge profits and sensitive ecological areas wrecked.
National crashes select committee meeting
Written By: - Date published: 11:11 am, February 13th, 2019 - 208 comments
National has decided to play politics and sabotaged today’s Finance and Expenditure Select Committee meeting.
The leader has my full support
Written By: - Date published: 7:39 am, February 13th, 2019 - 44 comments
National’s message discipline on support for Leader Simon Bridges is strangely missing.
Sheepgate the final chapter
Written By: - Date published: 7:38 am, February 12th, 2019 - 44 comments
The final chapter of the Saudi Sheepgate saga has now been written with David Parker pulling the pin on the deal and saving the country $1 million.
Simon Bridges twitter game
Written By: - Date published: 2:40 pm, February 11th, 2019 - 27 comments
Simon Bridges’ twitter account has been tweeting about unusual subjects lately.
Right wing environmental sock puppet party launched
Written By: - Date published: 8:01 am, February 11th, 2019 - 195 comments
No friends National’s sock puppet party has now been announced.
Ross taunts Bridges about mental health system
Written By: - Date published: 8:19 am, February 10th, 2019 - 119 comments
Jami-Lee Ross has implied that Simon Bridges is being hypocritical in criticising a Government review into mental health.
What does the right have against Venezuela?
Written By: - Date published: 8:10 am, February 9th, 2019 - 131 comments
Simon Bridges has claimed that the Government is going to follow a “Venezuela model” in making much needed reform of the Polytechnic sector. But no one knows what he means.
Trump restarts Nuclear Arms race
Written By: - Date published: 7:55 am, February 8th, 2019 - 58 comments
Donald Trump has announced that the US will be withdrawing from the Intermediate Range Nuclear Forces Treaty and Russia has also given notice. Stand by as the nuclear arms race restarts.
What should Jacinda Ardern say in her state of the nation speech?
Written By: - Date published: 9:00 am, February 7th, 2019 - 71 comments
What are the issues Jacinda Ardern should be talking about when she gives her state of the nation speech tomorrow?
Happy Waitangi day
Written By: - Date published: 9:41 am, February 6th, 2019 - 30 comments
Waitangi day should be a day of celebration and a day of reflection.
Mr Brash goes to Waitangi
Written By: - Date published: 7:45 am, February 5th, 2019 - 32 comments
Don Brash is heading to Waitangi to tell local iwi that treaty settlements will not make them personally rich.
Herald and Du Plessis-Allan present compelling argument in favour of industry wide bargaining
Written By: - Date published: 7:48 am, February 4th, 2019 - 26 comments
Heather Du Plessis-Allan has written as compelling an article in favour of the the Government’s proposed industry wide negotiations as you could ever think possible.
Auckland’s yellow jacket protest
Written By: - Date published: 1:14 pm, February 3rd, 2019 - 24 comments
Some observations on yesterday’s yellow jacket protest in Auckland. Basically it was pretty mundane but continued vigilance is important.
The Meathead tax
Written By: - Date published: 11:28 am, February 2nd, 2019 - 85 comments
National’s claim that the Government wants to impose a meat tax suffers from the reality that the Government has done no such thing and the proposal comes from an International collective of academics.
Westpac becomes accredited living wage employer
Written By: - Date published: 9:41 am, February 1st, 2019 - 33 comments
Westpac Bank has agreed to become an accredited living wage employer which means that its contractors as well as its staff are to be paid a living wage.
Simon Wilson thinks Epsom could be offered to Blue-Greens
Written By: - Date published: 8:17 am, February 1st, 2019 - 62 comments
Simon Wilson has suggested that the only way National may have to establish a Blue Green presence in Parliament is to offer them the seat of Epsom.
Show us the money Simon
Written By: - Date published: 9:06 am, January 31st, 2019 - 82 comments
Hopefully the media will ask of National the tough questions, like how it is going to increase spending in critical areas, pay down debt and give us a tax cut at the same time.
A detailed analysis of Simon Bridges’ state of the nation speech
Written By: - Date published: 4:59 pm, January 30th, 2019 - 88 comments
As a public service the writers of the Standard provides you with this in depth analysis of the contents of Simon Bridges’ state of the nation speech delivered this afternoon.
The world cannot afford to have billionaires
Written By: - Date published: 8:48 am, January 30th, 2019 - 246 comments
American politician Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has said that it is immoral to have a world that allows for billionaires. She may well be right.
The Blue Green oxymoron
Written By: - Date published: 9:18 am, January 28th, 2019 - 252 comments
National appears to be well advanced in the formation of a new puppet party, one with an environmental theme that will present a challenge to the Green Party.
About that $100,000 National Party donation
Written By: - Date published: 10:20 am, January 27th, 2019 - 88 comments
Fran O’Sullivan has correctly stated that the investigation of the $100,000 donation made to the National Party that was partitioned to hide it should be of much greater concern to the New Zealand Police than Sarah Dowie’s texts.
Roastbusters redux
Written By: - Date published: 9:46 am, January 27th, 2019 - 92 comments
One of the Roastbusters this week has talked publicly about what happened in an apparent attempt to start a music career. And John Tamihere has started his Mayoral campaign having to answer questions about his attitude to what happened.
Herald names Dowie as the sender of that text to Jami-Lee Ross
Written By: - Date published: 8:02 am, January 25th, 2019 - 205 comments
Sarah Dowie has been identified as the MP under police investigation for sending the text to Jami-Lee Ross saying that he deserved to die.
Taxpayers Union receives funding from British American Tobacco
Written By: - Date published: 7:36 am, January 25th, 2019 - 39 comments
Sam Sachdeva at Newsroom has connfirmed that the Taxpayer’s Union (*not a real union) has received funding from British American Tobacco.
Stuff is now an official mouthpiece of the National Party
Written By: - Date published: 10:03 am, January 24th, 2019 - 47 comments
Mark Mitchell is an early contender for most stupid utterance by a politician this year. And Stuff has packaged up his utterance and uncritically made it a headline.
National’s Jami-Lee Ross problem
Written By: - Date published: 8:59 am, January 23rd, 2019 - 56 comments
Jami-Lee Ross has written a somewhat conciliatory facebook post which essentially confirms that he is not going to resign as an MP.
- What Role Should Celebrities Play in Our Lives?
We live, like it or not, in the age of the celebrity. High achievers in entertainment or sport have always commanded attention and headlines, but the reach, in today’s society, of film and television, and particularly of the social media, ...1 hour ago - Malaysian Regional Rapid Rail
This is a Guest Post by Nick R. The Malaysian rail network is remarkably similar to New Zealand’s. So similar in fact they actually run some old New Zealand Rail carriages on a tourist train the length of the country. ...2 hours ago - A Green New Deal for Aotearoa
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has caused much angst amongst many conservative republicans in the US by promoting a Green New Deal (GND). The deal is attractive to progressives and those on the left because it is a package or political manifesto that ...16 hours ago - They can’t take it with them when they go
Simon Bridges, leader of the party of the rich, is spreading the usual scare stories about how taxing capital income will see people leaving New Zealand. Its supposed to suggest that the tax will be ineffective, that people will leave ...18 hours ago - Hard News: Always asking the wrong questions about cannabis
"How many shops will there be? How many shops will there be? How many shops will there be? How many shops will there be? How many shops will there be?" Duncan Garner demanded of Chloe Swarbrick MP towards the end ...18 hours ago - “More ambitious”?Newsroom reports on the OGP IRM report into our last Open Government Partnership Action Plan. They highlight the IRM' assessment of progress as "marginal" and their criticism that the "commitments" were chosen so they "would get completed in that time ...18 hours ago
- Just Like “Rogernomics”, A Capital Gains Tax Would Traumatize The New Zealand Economy.
1 day ago - Jan-18 Ridership
Just over a week after we saw the results for December. Now the high level ridership numbers for January are out and they are looking good. January is typically the quietest month of the year thanks to a number of ...1 day ago - A day at Waitangi, and at the beach
The Prime Minister says she hopes every New Zealander, at least once in their lifetimes, gets a chance to go to Waitangi for Waitangi Day. Firstly, because it’s a special place to be, and secondly so they can see how ...1 day ago - UnlawfulThat's the view of a UK House of Lords committee on the country's arms sales to Saudi Arabia:The UK is on “the wrong side of the law” by sanctioning arms exports to Saudi Arabia for the war in Yemen and ...2 days ago
The media frenzy about the NZ-PRC relationship got me to thinking, but as I got to thinking I found myself meandering off of my original train of thought. You see, at first I was pondering the one-sided, hectoring nature of ...2 days ago- Martina Navratilova comes out for fairness in sports
In an article in The Times, 17 February 2019, Martina comes out strongly for fairness in sports. The current rules on trans athletes reward cheats and punish the innocent Letting men compete as women simply if they change ...2 days ago - Climate change: The threat of methaneMore climate change bad news: methane may fry us:Dramatic rises in atmospheric methane are threatening to derail plans to hold global temperature rises to 2C, scientists have warned. In a paper published this month by the American Geophysical Union, researchers ...2 days ago
- The 1080 referendum questionThe Clerk of the House has determined the final form of the question for the proposed citizen's inititated referendum on 1080:Should New Zealand stop using all cruel and inhumane poisons, such as 1080, brodifacoum, and PAPP, to kill wildlife, because ...2 days ago
- A transit oriented development at Smales Farm?
The Northern Busway has been one of Auckland’s most successful transport investments. In the 11 years since it opened it has become the best and most used public transport corridor in probably all of the country. AT peak times in ...2 days ago - 2019 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming Digest #7
Story of the Week... Editorial of the Week... El Niño/La Niña Update... Toon of the Week... Coming Soon on SkS... Poster of the Week... SkS Week in Review... Story of the Week... 16-Year-Old Greta Thunberg Cheers 'Beginning of ...2 days ago - The Chinese “Message”.The indications that China is displeased with New Zealand cannot be mistaken. China is a country where nothing of this kind happens by accident; the government’s reach into every aspect of Chinese life is virtually unlimited. Nothing happens without the ...3 days ago
- Political Sadism, Or Moral Inertia? Explaining David Clark.
3 days ago - 2019 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #7
A chronological listing of news articles posted on the Skeptical Science Facebook Page during the past week, i.e., Sun, Feb 10 through Sat, Feb 16, 2019 Editor's Pick What we can learn about climate change from the Titanic Kate ...3 days ago - A new ‘centrist’ party?
It's a day ending in 'Y' so that means there must be some new feverish speculation about the British Labour Party splitting.Today it comes courtesy of The Guardian, a paper with a proud record of taking any possible negative story ...4 days ago - Flashback Saturday: The Victoria St Linear Park: Why it is vital, but not really a park.
Every weekend we dig into the archives. This post by Patrick was originally published in October 2016. This is one of a series of posts I intend to do about about the city streetscape we ought to be able to expect as a ...4 days ago - Nikki Kaye – playing politics with children’s health
. . It is a given that most politicians will do whatever it takes to win voters to get elected. It’s pretty much why their reputation is often at the same level as telemarketers and sex-workers (which, fair to say, ...4 days ago - “How many are coming from your job?”: notes on the Wellington Trades Council
by Don Franks The Vietnam war continued. Muldoon was yet to dominate New Zealand’s parliament, there was no internet and the Waitangi Tribunal did not exist. ...4 days ago - Process Heat In New Zealand: CANA Submission Guide
The Energy Efficiency and Conservation Agency (EECA) and MBIE are calling for submissions on their paper Process Heat in New Zealand: Opportunities and barriers to lowering emissions. We’d love you to make a submission, because 60% of process heat in ...5 days ago - Why is Labour subsidising bad employers?The government has declared a seasonal labour shortage for Hawke's Bay, effectively subsidising employers with cheap migrant labour. But why do they have a labour shortage? Perhaps those same employers' attitude to wages have something to do with it...Fruit may ...5 days ago
- Spare a thought for Anne-Marie.Put yourself in the following position: You are a professor at a NZ university, a NZ citizen who although well-known in your academic sub-field is virtually unknown outside of academia. Your research interests focus on the foreign policy of an ...5 days ago
- New research, February 4-10, 2019
A selection of new climate related research articles is shown below. Climate change mitigation Upscaling from the grassroots: potential aggregate carbon reduction from community-based initiatives in Europe Climate change communication An assessment of public perceptions of climate change risk in ...5 days ago - Not one hectare more!Yesterday the government announced that it was ending the farmer's rort of high country tenure review, under which over 350,000 hectares of public land has been corruptly privatised for next to nothing (and then frequently flicked on for 500 times ...5 days ago
- Mixed Messages.
Incoming Calls: While she’s contemplating the ever-widening ramifications of the United States’ and the United Kingdom’s increasingly reckless endangerment of so many of this country’s longstanding diplomatic, military and trade relationships, she might also consider asking herself how New Zealand’s ...5 days ago - Commentary Is Free – But Facts Are Sacred.
5 days ago - Mad dogsLast night the police were asked to help a mentally ill person in Hawke's Bay. They were meant to help him. Instead, they killed him: A man - who police had been trying to locate because of fears for his ...5 days ago
- Wheelly good growth on the cycleways
February is bike month and often the busiest month time of the year for people riding bikes. As such it’s a good time to look at the numbers to see how we’re progressing. Are the bike lanes empty, like Mike ...5 days ago - Meditating on Nelson and Population Growth
In terms of ambience and style, Nelson City reminds me of the New Zealand I grew up in half a century and more ago. I do not mean that it is not a modern city. The shops reflect today’s customers ...6 days ago - The law means nothingDisposing of public records without authorisation is a crime. Destroying them to prevent their release under the OIA is an aggravating factor in that crime. But when push comes to shove, it seems that the Chief Archivist isn't actually interested ...6 days ago
- Trump thinks winter weather invalidates climate change…
The post Trump thinks winter weather invalidates climate change… appeared first on Coal Action Network Aotearoa. ...6 days ago - “The most transparent government ever” – again6 days ago
- The end of tenure review?High country tenure review is organised corruption, which has seen the privatisation of huge swathes of our country. Hundreds of millions of dollars of public land has been effectively given to farmers for free, and then flicked on for enormous ...6 days ago
- China flexing it’s economic muscle again?. . Reported in the NZ Herald today (10 February 2019), this curious incident; . . The story continued; Shortly after 11.30am this morning, Hundman was sent a txt from Air NZ saying “As you were advised onboard, the aircraft ...6 days ago
- Victoria’s Secret
Victoria’s traffic fatalities dropped by 17.8% last year, to 213. This means their traffic authority, VicRoads, is on track for meeting its interim Vision Zero target of fewer than 200 lives lost in 2020. Each one of the lives lost ...6 days ago - Politically expedient “moderation!” has simply allowed far bigger storms to gather power
As we look around the world, we see movements for change (and often the individuals that spur them by extension) that are often called out as wanting to go “too fast, too soon!”. We’re at the point however where that ...7 days ago - Climate Damages: Uncertain but Ominous, or $51 per Ton?This is a re-post from Triple Crisis by Frank Ackerman. Second in a series of posts on climate policy. Find Part 1 here. According to scientists, climate damages are deeply uncertain, but could be ominously large (see the previous post). Alternatively, according to ...7 days ago
- It is not contrary to reason to prefer the destruction of the whole world to the scratching of my fi...On Wednesday something happened in Parliament that was on its face a clever but petty political move designed to capture headlines, yet at a deeper level ought to concern anybody interested in how New Zealand governs itself. Forgive me while ...7 days ago
- New Fisk7 days ago
- More censorship with Speak Up For Women’s posters taken downOn February 11 the campaign group Speak Up for Women received notification from Phantom Billstickers that their poster campaign calling for public consultation on the controversial Births, Deaths, Marriages, and Relationships Registration Bill would be removed from over 60 sites ...7 days ago
- Bold proposal puts people at the heart of vocational education
Staff can turn their attention to opening doors for students and communities with creative teaching, learning, and research under bold changes proposed today for vocational education says the Tertiary Education Union. ...7 days ago - A good questionThe government is currently waiting to formally consider and release the advice from its Tax Working Group, which is widely expected to recommend a capital gains tax. But Green co-leader James Shaw has pre-empted it by asking whether they deserve ...7 days ago
- VET reform – our voice mattersTogether we have made sure that students, iwi, communities, and staff are at the heart of bold changes proposed for the vocational education sector. And we need to keep working together to ensure life-long learning is accessible to New Zealanders ...7 days ago
- Basic humanity in Australia?Australia's anti-refugee policy is based on cruelty. According to the Australian government, refugees claiming their rights under international law are a "threat", which can only be deterred by imprisoning them without trial forever in concentration camps, neglecting them, allowing them ...7 days ago
- Is Israel Democratic?An interesting thing happened after I wrote last week’s first blog post about Venezuela ( http://www.kiwipolitico.com/2019/02/on-the-venezuelan-mess/). A gentleman from the Israel Institute of New Zealand wrote me at my business email address to request a correction or retraction for something ...7 days ago
- A Duplicitous Minister?
In a ‘Breakfast’ interview with Fran Kelly on ABC Radio National, the Minister for Energy, Angus Taylor, made a number of statements which are either wrong or misleading. A record of the interview is available here. 1. The Minister claims that a ...1 week ago - Queens Wharf to be closed to the public again
“Today, Queens Wharf becomes the public’s wharf,” said then Auckland Regional Council (ARC) Chairman Mike Lee in 2010 when the red gates were flung open, once again allowing the public to access the prime piece of Auckland’s waterfront, ending its ...1 week ago - Democracy on trialTwelve Catalan political leaders went on trial in Madrid today. Their crime? Advocating peacefully for an independent Catalonia and organising a referendum on the issue. The Spanish government calls this "sedition" and "rebellion". But what it really is is democracy. ...1 week ago
- Open Government: MarginalThat's the verdict of the Open Government Partnership's Independent Reporting Mechanism on New Zealand's OGP progress for the last two years:Although this report reflects high commitment completion, change in government practice stood as marginal overall. Notably, the government’s early efforts ...1 week ago
- Intimations of MortalityThe last week has been a momentous one for my wife and me. I had a birthday at the beginning of the week; my reaction to turning 80 is one of restrained enthusiasm – it is at least better than ...1 week ago
- Climate change: Our future is burningLike many, I've spent the last week watching the Nelson fire in horrified fascination as the Australian-style spectacle of a huge long-lasting fire threatening an urban area played out. But while it looks like we were lucky this time, the ...1 week ago
- Good riddanceMurray McCully's sordid Saudi sheep bribe is finally over: The controversial Saudi sheep deal been shut down, which the Government says will save about $1 million. [...] But Trade Minister David Parker said the deal has now been axed. "We're ...1 week ago
- Feb-19 AT Board Meeting
Today the Auckland Transport board meet for their first formal meeting of the year. Here are some of the highlights from the papers going to the board. Closed Session The closed session is usually where most of the interesting items ...1 week ago - Newshub poll: If this is the winter of Bridge’s discontent, he can’t be too discontented...1 week ago
- Harrowing Statistics: The Left’s Supposed To Shrink The Social Hell Of Joblessness – Not Expand ...
1 week ago - Socialist Rhetoric No Substitute For Socialist Substance.
1 week ago - On Buying Insurance, and Ignoring Cost-Benefit AnalysisThis is a re-post from TripleCrisis by economist Frank Ackerman First in a series of posts on climate policy. The damages expected from climate change seem to get worse with each new study. Reports from the IPCC and the U.S. Global Change Research Project, ...1 week ago
- What’s happening with light rail?
In recent months it has been immensely frustrating how little progress seems to have been made on the City Centre to Mangere project. Large and complicated projects always take time of course, but Auckland Transport had been working on it ...1 week ago - The slow killing of Fares Baroud
Palestinian prisoner Fares Baroud, 51, from al-Shati refugee camp in Gaza, died on Wednesday, 6 February only hours after being suddenly transferred to intensive care from Ramon prison. Baroud ...1 week ago - 2019 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #6
A chronological listing of news articles posted on the Skeptical Science Facebook Page during the past week, i.e., Sun, Feb 3 through Sat, Feb 10, 2019 Editor's Pick Seven take-aways from the Green New Deal launch Sweeping in scope, an ...1 week ago - The Brexit PartyNigel Farage has set up a new political vehicle to drive his ego about in. With startling originality, he's called it The Brexit Party. Interesting timing. You'd have thought they would have waited until after Brexit to see if it was ...2 weeks ago
- Flashback Saturday: Removing the RUB won’t necessarily work as planned
Every weekend we dig into the archives. This post by Matt was originally published in May 2016. Yesterday Phil Twyford announced that it would be Labour’s policy to abolish Auckland’s Rural Urban Boundary (RUB), as part of a policy to ...2 weeks ago - An Advisory to the West Coast Regional Council. . In July last year (2018), the West Council Regional Council announced in a submission to the Ministry for the Environment that they would not be supporting the Coalition Government’s proposed Zero Carbon Bill. The Council stated; The West ...2 weeks ago
- New research, January 28 – February 3, 2019A selection of new climate related research articles is shown below. Climate change impacts Mankind Historical Analysis of U.S. Tornado Fatalities (1808-2017): Population, Science and Technology (open access) Climate Change and Psychology: Effects of Rapid Global Warming on Violence and Aggression ...2 weeks ago
- Climate change: A step in the right directionSome good news on climate change from Australia: for the first time, a court has refused permission for a new coal mine, explicitly on the basis of climate change:The controversial Rocky Hill coalmine in the Hunter Valley will not go ...2 weeks ago
- The Incredible Lightness of Being Green.
2 weeks ago - Hands Off Venezuela!
2 weeks ago - Dec-18 Ridership
With public transport fares set to increase this weekend, it’s useful to look at how public transport use has been growing and with December’s ridership numbers now out, we can do just that. We’ve also been waiting to see the ...2 weeks ago - Reflections on a day at Waitangi and ‘the c word’The chap waiting in the Mr Whippy queue with me wearing his grandfather's Maori Warden helmet used the 'c' word. So did one of the aunties on the waka stage, as she introduced her kapahaka group. It's a word that ...2 weeks ago
- Staff are the foundation for the future of tertiary educationThe TEU has launched its vision for the future of ITPs ahead of the Minister's announcement on proposed reforms next week. ...2 weeks ago
- Climate Change: Breaching the thresholdLast year the IPCC warned us that the Paris Agreement target of limiting climate change to no more than 1.5 degrees above pre-industrial levels was a line in the sand for our species and that if we miss it, we ...2 weeks ago
- Making sure multinationals pay their fair share
New Zealand is to consult on the design of changes to tax rules which currently allow multinational companies in the digital services field to do business here without paying income tax. Finance Minister Grant Robertson and Revenue Minister Stuart Nash ...22 hours ago - Fewer victims of crime during 2018New data shows a significant drop in the number of people who were victims of crime in the past year. Police Minister Stuart Nash says the number of victimisations recorded by Police during 2018 fell by 2.7 per cent. “This ...2 days ago
- Hearing victims/survivors of crimeA new survey is allowing victims/survivors of crime to be heard, in their own words, about how our broken criminal justice system can be fixed, says Justice Minister Andrew Little. ...5 days ago
- Joint effort on organised crime in the PacificNew Zealand Police are to work more closely with their counterparts from Australia, Tonga and Fiji in a multinational effort to tackle organised crime. Police Minister Stuart Nash says an agreement signed today in Sydney by the New Zealand Commissioner ...6 days ago
- Next phase in fisheries management reformNext phase in fisheries management reform The next phase of reform of the fisheries management system has been launched with a call for public input into new rules for the commercial industry. Fisheries Minister Stuart Nash has released a ...2 weeks ago
- PEPANZ gas report nothing but “fake news and flatulence”
Tuesday, February 19: An oil industry-commissioned report claiming to show the Government’s oil and gas exploration ban will cost billions is nothing but "fake news and flatulence", according to Greenpeace. ...14 hours ago - NZIER report shows $28b blow to economy from oil and gas banLast year’s oil and gas exploration decision could cost the New Zealand economy $28 billion by 2050, according to a new study by the New Zealand Economic Institute for Economic Research (NZIER). ...14 hours ago
- Government inaction sees social housing waiting list spiralThe Government has seen the social housing waiting list double since it took power, with over 10,000 people waiting for social housing . Auckland Action Against Poverty condemns the inaction by successive Governments for failing to build enough public ...16 hours ago
- 19 capital gains tax details to look out for on ThursdayThe Taxpayers’ Union has listed the top 19 details Kiwis will be looking out for on Thursday in the Tax Working Group’s capital gains tax proposal. Taxpayers’ Union spokesman Louis Houlbrooke says “In our recent report, Five Rules for a ...16 hours ago
- Government needs to look after New Zealand farmersNew Zealand farmers are working hard to lead the world in sustainable farming practices, yet it seems that the government is still determined to undermine their efforts by using misleading accounting methods. ...16 hours ago
- Students Get Green Light For Dangerous Drug UseFamily First NZ says that allowing drug use and drug testing at university orientation weeks is flawed and dangerous, and is being used by drug-friendly groups and a government apparently soft-on-drugs as a wedge for the normalisation of drug use. ...18 hours ago
- Government continues to enable motels to profit from crisisA recent investigation by Stuff , coupled with information obtained through the Ministry of Social Development shows that a single motel which charges up to $1,500 per week per room has received over $3 million worth of Government funds to ...20 hours ago
- New guidance for collecting data about sexual identityIntroducing a statistical standard for sexual identity and a framework for sexual orientation is an important step in ensuring all New Zealanders can see themselves in official statistics, Stats NZ said today. ...21 hours ago
- Commission seeks assurance on poll questionsState Services Commissioner Peter Hughes today announced details of his examination of the circumstances which led to Inland Revenue commissioning a public poll that included a question about the political leanings of taxpayers. This follows the Minister ...23 hours ago
- Predator control funding welcomedNews that the Government is investing nearly $20 million from the Provincial Growth Fund into innovative predator control methods so as to reduce the reliance on 1080 is a major step in the right direction, says Game Animal Council Chair ...23 hours ago
- Predator Free NZ 2050, a Fool’s NotionRecently something strange happened on Newshub. The media showed some news lacking in bias towards a nonsense notion about pest control. ...23 hours ago
- What evidence-based ‘healthy home’ standards look likeEvidence-based rental property standards would require ceiling insulation to the 1978 standard, no sub-floor insulation, and nothing more, Tenancies War spokesman Mike Butler said today. ...24 hours ago
- Challenges ahead for Shane JonesRight from the start Shane Jones said he would have preferred the fisheries portfolio to the forestry portfolio. He has said that he took forestry at the request of his leader. After just over a year in the job the ...24 hours ago
- Fourth junior doctors’ strike will affect some surgeryFourth junior doctors’ strike will affect some surgery and outpatient clinics planned for next Tuesday 26 and Wednesday 27 February ...24 hours ago
- Q+A: Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern interviewed by Corin DannPrime Minister doesn’t rule out Huawei having a future role in NZ’s 5G network ...24 hours ago
- Economist Rodney Jones interviewed by Corin DannNo need to panic over China - Economist Rodney Jones ...1 day ago
- National Party MP promotes woeful fake news on methaneMāori Climate Commissioner, Donna Awatere Huata, has criticised National Party MP Stuart Smith for last week promoting fake news on methane. ...1 day ago
- DoC ‘Managed’ Iconic Station Only TB Infected FarmA former pest worker with wide experience of 1080 poison has labelled the toxin as ‘an ecosystem poison’ Laurie Collins employed in his working life with the Forest Service and on pest work in Marlborough, has pointed out the region’s ...1 day ago
- New Predator Free funds for regions and new technologiesPredator Free 2050 Limited has initiated a second funding round to support predator eradication in regional New Zealand and fast track the production of improved predator control tools and technologies. ...2 days ago
- Brash to explain how ‘partnership’ hijacked the TreatyMaori and the Crown are not partners in any sense of the word yet an ideology of Treaty partnership has hijacked the Treaty of Waitangi, Don Brash will explain at a public lecture on Saturday. ...2 days ago
- Consultation opening on future management of kauri diebackFurther public consultation on a new national plan and options for the best type of agency to protect kauri into the future are being opened, as efforts to deal with kauri dieback disease are stepped up. “Kauri face a significant ...2 days ago
- New infrastructure body welcomed by local governmentLocal Government New Zealand welcomes plans to form The New Zealand Infrastructure Commission, Te Waihanga, and supports its aim to deliver long term strategy and coordination of infrastructure planning. “Unprecedented population growth and the need to adapt ...2 days ago
- Tax on internet giants must be revenue neutralResponding to the Government’s stated intention to introduce a new tax on foreign internet companies , New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union spokesman Louis Houlbrooke says: “Taxing foreign corporates will be popular with the public, but it’s also hugely ...2 days ago
- Asia Pacific region deadliest region for journalistsE tū, the union for journalists says it’s disturbing that the Asia Pacific region has once again been named as the deadliest region for journalists. ...2 days ago
- Letters published on OAG websiteOn 14 February 2019, we sent a letter to the Chancellors and Chairs of Tertiary Education Institution Councils/Te Mana Whakahaere. We also sent a copy of this letter to the Chief Executives/Te Taiurungi/Vice-chancellors of the Tertiary Education Institutions, ...2 days ago
- Trapping predators is not “Provincial Growth”Responding to the announcement of $19.5 million in Provincial Growth Funding for predator control , New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union spokesman Louis Houlbrooke says: ...2 days ago
- Zero Hour for Climate ActionYouth Climate movements across the world are creating waves. Here in New Zealand, a crowd will march at Parliament to demand accelerated climate action, on Tuesday 19th Feb, at 12pm . ...2 days ago
- Job advertisements rise by 2.0 per cent in December quarterJobs Online figures released today by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment show the number of job advertisements rose by 2.0 per cent in the December 2018 quarter. Dr Rose Ryan, Workforce and Workplace manager, in the Evidence and ...2 days ago
- National population estimated at 4.93 millionThe estimated resident population as at 31 December 2018 is 4.93 million, up from 4.84 million in December 2017, Stats NZ said today. ...2 days ago
- Report about Maori Nationalist organisations a “crock”The New Zealand Maori Council has called on the Department of Corrections to name names in a confidential internal report naming Maori Nationalist organisations as a threat. Council Executive Director Matthew Tukaki has called the comments “from ...2 days ago
- Report calls for action to address harassment onlineA comprehensive new report from ActionStation launched Monday examines the harm that unmoderated and under-regulated online platforms are causing New Zealanders. ...2 days ago
- New And Unique Role Between Te Kāhui O Taranaki And DoCTe Kāhui o Taranaki and the Department of Conservation (DOC) are pleased to announce the appointment of Wayne Capper into the unique and newly developed role of Kaitiaki Whenua Ranger. ...2 days ago
- EDS not convinced abandoning tenure review is a good thingThe Environmental Defence Society (EDS) has concerns about the decision to abandon tenure review, as described in the discussion paper released by Land Information New Zealand (LINZ) today. ...3 days ago
- Housing crisis intensifies under Labour governmentNew Zealand housing crisis intensifies under Labour government By John Braddock, Socialist Equality Group 15 February 2019, url https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2019/02/15/nzho-f15.html ...4 days ago
- Bill aiming to ban rodeo cruelty welcomed by SAFESAFE says a Member’s Bill, announced by Green Party MP Gareth Hughes, today, means some of the cruellest aspects of rodeo could be banned. ...4 days ago
- High Court lifts suppression on Whale Oil defenceToday, the High Court lifted a suppression order on its 26 October 2018 judgment in my case against Cameron Slater. In that judgment, the High Court essentially struck-out all of Slater’s various defences against my claim of defamation. ...5 days ago
- ANZASW response to “State of the Nation” reportThe Aotearoa New Zealand Association of Social Workers (ANZASW) welcomes the release of the Salvation Army’s annual State of the Nation report this week. We believe that the study contains findings and proposals that should be seriously considered ...5 days ago
- Higher taxes for super rich gets voter tic“Taxes, taxes, taxes, and all the rest is b******t.” That was the message that went viral at the Davos Economic Forum last month, and it’s the message our Government needs to hear if it wants to tackle inequality in New ...5 days ago
- Taxpayers look to Winston Peters to balance James ShawFEBRUARY 15 2019 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE The New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union is calling on Winston Peters to take a critical view of the Tax Working Group’s proposals, as the Green Party doubles down on its capital-gains-tax-at-any-cost stance. Taxpayers’ ...5 days ago
- Motor Industry Association Doesn’t Support Roll-up of ITOsOn Wednesday the Minister of Education Hon Chris Hipkins released wide-ranging proposals for vocational education in New Zealand, announcing three proposals for public consultation. The proposed reforms will: • Create one institution combining the 16 polytechnics, ...5 days ago
- Seasonal Labour Shortage in Hawke’s Bay DeclaredThe Ministry of Social Development has declared a seasonal labour shortage across Hawke’s Bay. ...5 days ago
- Government is being stymied by bureaucratsThis week we saw salvation army releasing their “state of the nation” report “ that showed that Jacinda’s vision of a “Kinder gentler caring Government is not being nurtured by the bureaucrats who still have an iron grip on government ...5 days ago
- Maori Council demands PM step into Cancer death debate“No Government Agency should be a law unto itself and it is time for an accounting of PHARMAC – it is time that this recalcitrant Government body, funded by the taxpayer, and meant to have the best interests of all ...5 days ago
- Time for Government to abandon KiwibuildThe Reserve Bank’s analysis that Kiwibuild is crowding out private building , along with reports of minimal interest from buyers , shows yet again why Kiwibuild should be abandoned, says the New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union . Taxpayers’ Union ...5 days ago
- ‘Ban Rodeo’ protest at Waikato RodeoOn Saturday, anti-rodeo protesters will demonstrate outside the Waikato Rodeo in Kihikihi holding tombstone shaped placards with “RIP” written on them. ...5 days ago
- Ombudsman’s investigations will ensure voices heardThe Ombudsman’s investigations into the oversight of facilities and services for people with learning disabilities is timely says Disability Rights Commissioner Paula Tesoriero. ...5 days ago
- New victim statistics good news, but work remains to be doneVictim Support is welcoming statistics released today showing a 2.7 per cent decline in victimisations over the last year. ...5 days ago
- Fish and Game welcomes the halt to tenure reviewsFish and Game is welcoming the government’s move to end tenure review of the South Island High Country, saying the controversial process has cost New Zealanders dearly. ...6 days ago
- Forest & Bird welcomes end to tenure reviewAn end to tenure review is a vital reprieve for some of New Zealand’s most endangered species, says Forest & Bird. “We’ve argued for many years that not only is tenure review a spectacularly bad deal for New Zealanders, it’s ...6 days ago
- Mayors praise heritage building lifelineA number of iconic heritage buildings will benefit from the Government’s announcement of a revamped Heritage EQUIP programme, helping to breathe life into regional town centres across New Zealand, says LGNZ President Dave Cull. ...6 days ago
- Exploration ban may cut GDP by $38 billion – NZIER
The government’s ban on new offshore exploration will reduce the country’s GDP by between $15 billion and $38 billion, raise prices and reduce investment during the next 30 years, the New Zealand Institute of Economic Research estimates. ...19 mins ago - Why international law is failing to keep pace with technology in preventing cyber attacks
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Lorraine Finlay, Lecturer in Law, Murdoch University The prime minister’s announcement yesterday that a “sophisticated state actor” had hacked the computer networks of Australia’s major political parties again highlights the serious threat ...32 mins ago - Everyone can be an effective advocate for vaccination: here’s howSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jessica Kaufman, Postdoctoral researcher in vaccine acceptance and communication, Murdoch Children’s Research Institute The World Health Organisation (WHO) has named vaccine hesitancy as one of their top 10 threats to global health ...33 mins ago
- Feral cat cull: why the 2 million target is on scientifically shaky groundSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tim Doherty, Research Fellow, Deakin University The Australian government’s target of killing 2 million feral cats by 2020 attracted significant public interest and media attention when it was unveiled in 2015. But ...33 mins ago
- Choosing a career? These jobs won’t go out of styleSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Lisa Denny, Research Fellow – Institute for the Study of Social Change, University of Tasmania Sensationalist claims that 40% of jobs in Australia won’t exist in the future are unhelpful for young ...33 mins ago
- Why falling house prices do less to improve affordability than you might thinkSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Chris Leishman, Professor of Housing Economics, University of Adelaide Housing prices are falling in Sydney and Melbourne, so housing must be becoming more affordable – right? The annual growth of house prices ...33 mins ago
- Amazon’s Dash Buttons, now banned in Germany, might be pushing legal limits in AustraliaSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mark Giancaspro, Lecturer in Law, University of Adelaide Online retail giant Amazon’s “Dash Buttons” are considered a key part of Amazon’s strategy to dominate online shopping around the globe. Derided as “gimmicky” ...33 mins ago
- Desert River Sea is a vibrant, compelling tour of the KimberleySource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ted Snell, Professor, Chief Cultural Officer, Cultural Precinct, University of Western Australia Review: Desert River Sea: Portraits of the Kimberley, Art Gallery of Western Australia. For the past century, the curator has ...34 mins ago
- NZD lifts as US-China return to negotiating table
The New Zealand dollar lifted as a new round of talks between the US and China kicked off in Washington and after headlines that the US is pressuring China to keep the yuan stable as part of a potential deal. ...39 mins ago - The Bulletin: Social housing list balloons amid heavy demand
Good morning, and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Social housing list balloons amid heavy demand, bizarre development in NZ-China relations takes in former PM, and another species of foreign fruit fly found.The social housing waiting list has cracked 10,000, ...2 hours ago - Capital gains tax – a vested interest
Battle lines are once more being drawn in the never-ending debate over the capital gains tax. But what some might not realise is that many have a vested interest. ...2 hours ago - The tussle to host netball’s holy grail
New Zealand and South Africa are wrestling for the right to host the 2023 Netball World Cup - but they're coming at it from two very different corners. ...3 hours ago - Why is building a house so expensive?
Everything from competition around supplying materials to how many lights you have in a room can determine the cost of building a house, says Box co-founder Dan Heyworth. You’re not imagining things – the cost of designing and building really is going ...4 hours ago - View from the Hill: Minister who watches the nation’s credit card overlooks his ownSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Mathias Cormann’s 2018 family holiday in Singapore is costing him a good deal more than the $2780.82 he belatedly paid for airfares booked with Helloworld ...8 hours ago
- Technology and learning in the classroom: six tips to get the balance rightSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Christian Moro, Assistant Professor of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Bond University Australia was one of the first countries in the world to have more computers than students in schools. But as the ...11 hours ago
- National Party on offense ahead of capital gains tax report
The Opposition has already started to launch pre-emptive attacks about a potential capital gains tax, two days before the Tax Working Group reveals its final recommendations. ...12 hours ago - How NZ advertisers got unwittingly linked to a child porn racket on YouTube
Two years after David Farrier helped to unearth the exploitation of children on YouTube, the sexualisation of children on the platform continues – and NZ companies are inadvertently appearing alongside it. Oskar Howell reports.New Zealand businesses are advertising their goods ...13 hours ago - Research shows students are as good as professors in tutorial teachingSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jan Feld, Senior Lecturer, Victoria University of Wellington Professors and graduate students are at opposite ends of the university hierarchy in terms of experience, qualifications and pay. But at many universities, both ...13 hours ago
- NZ shares fall
New Zealand shares fell, with A2 Milk weaker after an analyst dubbed it overvalued and as weak Chinese sales by Australian supplements maker Blackmores weighed on the dairy company. ...14 hours ago - Govt’s Wellbeing Budget labelled ‘nonsense’Ever wondered what making a new friend is worth? ...14 hours ago
- NZD falls after second fruit fly discovered
An already weak New Zealand dollar fell further on the news that a second fruit fly has been found in Auckland. ...14 hours ago - The ‘recycling crisis’ may be here to staySource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Trevor Thornton, Lecturer, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University Over the weekend, Victoria’s Environment Protection Authority issued notices for a major recycling company to stop receiving waste at two of ...14 hours ago
- Rock art shows early contact with US whalers on Australia’s remote northwest coastSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jo McDonald, Director, Centre for Rock Art Research + Management, University of Western Australia Rock inscriptions made by crews from two North American whaleships in the early 19th century were found superimposed ...15 hours ago
- Rock art shows early contact with US whalers on Australia’s remote north west coastSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jo McDonald, Director, Centre for Rock Art Research + Management, University of Western Australia Rock inscriptions made by crews from two North American whaleships in the early 19th century were found superimposed ...15 hours ago
- Twitter’s ‘huge fail’ on online abuse
We need global and systematic responses to online bullying, both from the tech platforms and from governments. ...15 hours ago - Japan stuck in past, as future threats grow
Japan's relationship with its would-be allies is dominated by the war, a fact it resents. ...16 hours ago - Newsletter: New Zealand Politics Daily – February 19 2019
Newsletter: New Zealand Politics Daily – February 19 2019 Editor’s Note: Here below is a list of the main issues currently under discussion in New Zealand and links to media coverage. The Beehive and Parliament Buildings.Today’s content China-NZ relations Audrey ...16 hours ago - Salvation Army marches in with an ethical shopping truck for South Auckland
The Sallies are so fed up with mobile traders preying on poor areas and trapping people into crushing debt that they’re firing back with a rival service.When the Salvation Army first started in New Zealand in the 1800s it noticed ...17 hours ago - Pay equity bill puts teachers’ case at risk – PPTA
About 3500 part-time teachers are paid 12 percent less than their full-time counterparts, but their bid for equity could be at risk. ...18 hours ago - Food podcast: Fritters, cocktails and the resurrection of Al BrownDietary Requirements is The Spinoff’s monthly podcast in which we eat, drink and talk about it too, with special thanks to Freedom Farms.Back in January, we had Al Brown round for a barbecue and recorded a podcast while we were at ...18 hours ago
- From refugees to social media to pill testing, church signs are getting politicalSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Louise Moana Kolff, Lecturer, UNSW In recent times, church signs have become a stage for political commentary. In an age where most of our public debates happen digitally, and where welcoming public ...18 hours ago
- China invites New Zealand to attend infrastructure forumTrade Minister David Parker is playing down an invitation to attend the second Belt and Road forum in China in April. ...18 hours ago
- Drug testing on the menu at Otago University O-WeekStudents at the University of Otago will be able to separate the tinnys from the sinnyz this Orientation Week in a first-ever trial between OUSA and KnowYourStuff NZ.This article first appeared in Critic Te Arohi, the University of Otago student ...18 hours ago
- John Oliver’s weird fixation on New Zealand: the complete works (so far)Joining dancing dildos, flags, Eminem and ponytails, getting-left-off-maps can now be added to our rolling collection of the Last Week Tonight show’s coverage of its most favoured/lampooned nation. Update, February 19, 2019: Topical comedy programme Last Week Tonight has returned to HBO for 2019, ...18 hours ago
- Wrightson warns weak wool demand
PGG Wrightson has lowered expectations for its continuing operations even further, saying weak international demand for wool and a slow start to spring farm listings weighed on earnings. ...19 hours ago - Public servants warned after IRD survey asks political questionsPublic sector chiefs have been warned none of their agencies should be collecting information on people's political leanings. ...19 hours ago
- In Kwongkan, Indian and Australian performers convey an urgent climate change messageSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Vivienne Glance, Hon Research Fellow in Poetry and Theatre studies, University of Western Australia Review: Kwongkan, Perth Festival 2019 “Kwongkan” means sand in the language of the Nyoongar people, the first inhabitants ...19 hours ago
- Why does Heartbreak Island make everybody so mad?
When reality show mutant Heartbreak Island launched last year, people lost their collective minds. But why?I’m basically a reality-TV virgin, but when Heartbreak Island aired last year, I was obliged to watch at least one episode because my brother was involved. There ...19 hours ago - Herald paywall to kick off in June
Readers of the nzherald.co.nz website have just four months before free access to content is curtailed and they are asked to pay a subscription for "premium" journalism. ...19 hours ago - ASHY: The young Christchurch artist poised to be NZ’s next big pop starSam Brooks talks to ASHY about her brilliant new single ‘Temporary Crush’, the hustle of being self-managed, and her hopes for 2019.I ran into ASHY’s music completely by accident. Every week I do a trawl through a few new music ...20 hours ago
- OMV eyes Asia’s growing gas demand
Multi-national OMV is reorganising its regional activities to better meet increasing energy demand in South-East Asia, which may spin out an export opportunity for New Zealand. ...20 hours ago - NZ comedy series Fresh Eggs: ‘There’s something to offend everybody’
The new local black comedy Fresh Eggs premieres on TVNZ2 tonight. Sam Brooks talks to the creators about what makes it so different.Fresh Eggs doesn’t look or feel like anything else on New Zealand televsion right now – or ever.The show, about ...21 hours ago - New report shines light on who commits animal cruelty and how they are punishedSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Paul McGorrery, PhD Candidate in Criminal Law, Deakin University The Sentencing Advisory Council has just released the first ever review of how animal cruelty offenders are sentenced in Victoria. That report was ...21 hours ago
- Hard-hitting documentary explores Tongan ‘deportee dumping’ lives
In Gangsters in Paradise – Deportees of Tonga, Vice embeds with four Tongan nationals who have been sent back to where they were born after serving prison time in New Zealand and the United States. Video: Vice Zealandia By Philip ...21 hours ago - These are the 10 best sandwich fillings
Emily Writes is hungry so she wrote about sandwiches, the most perfect food in the universe.My husband is a healthy-eating type of person which is quite grating, since I’m not. About a year ago he decided bread was bad and ...21 hours ago - The day of digital reckoning is drawing nearDoes yesterday’s surprise announcement around the tax status of digital giants indicate a willingness to tackle the vast problems they create?Yesterday was just another Monday for the global tech giants: a select committee in the UK referred to Facebook as ...21 hours ago
- Cricket’s odd progression towards acceptance
Two blokes annoyed with each other have a snarky exchange in which one questions the other’s sexuality. It ends with both agreeing there’s nothing wrong with homosexuality. That's progress. ...22 hours ago - Hello Darkness, Goodbye Peter
Jeremy Hansen pays tribute to author Peter Wells, who died yesterday – exactly a week after the launch of his final book, Hello Darkness, a memoir of living with his fatal illness.The past is a foreign country, especially if you ...22 hours ago - Tower affirms earnings guidance
Tower has affirmed its annual earnings guidance, with gains in gross written premium and a lower claims ratio offset by a bigger bill for an extended and more staggered roll-out of its new digital platform. ...22 hours ago - Life quickly finds a way: the surprisingly swift end to evolution’s big bangSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mike Lee, Professor in Evolutionary Biology (jointly appointed with South Australian Museum), Flinders University The Cambrian explosion more than 500 million years ago is often considered biology’s “big bang”. Virtually all the ...22 hours ago
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