Author Archive
The future of the left
Written By: - Date published: 6:45 pm, July 1st, 2018 - 40 comments
Australian Guardian columnist Van Badham writes “the future of the left is bright if it looks like Jacinda Ardern and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortes.” She concludes “We can hope the influence of Jacinda Ardern and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortes spread, or we can ensure that it does. The stakes for the marginalised remain life and death.” Very worth a read.
Photoshop Wars?
Written By: - Date published: 4:03 pm, April 17th, 2018 - 56 comments
The Independent’s Robert Fisk reports from Douma, where he interviewed one of the clinic doctors who said that the images that outraged Trump, May and Macron were real, but the cause was oxygen starvation from dust, not poisonous gas. Could it be that misleading images started a bombing war? What might this say about Western values?
Evidence-based foreign policy
Written By: - Date published: 6:07 pm, April 2nd, 2018 - 99 comments
In the second stage of a false flag attack, facts go out the window and the sole issue becomes “are you for us or against us.” Our media and National Party politicians are well into this stage in the Skripal affair. But as questions mount and skeptics proliferate from all sides, Jacinda Ardern and Winston Peters may well be wiser than media advisers by not following blindly the western herd. 26 countries is not the whole world. Update: Porton Down unable to establish Novichok of Russian origin.
Underpants not Underarm
Written By: - Date published: 9:45 pm, March 25th, 2018 - 17 comments
In the days of the British Raj unsportsmanlike behaviour was condemned by saying “it isn’t cricket.” Australian batsman Cameron Bancroft hiding ball-tampering sandpaper in his trousers in a forlorn attempt to avoid the cameras showed that for Aussies “it is cricket.” We’ve seen it before of course with the Chappells. Heads must roll.
Russian to Judgment
Written By: - Date published: 5:55 pm, March 16th, 2018 - 517 comments
The possible poisoning of Sergei Skripal and the consequent hysteria have all the signs of another false flag operation, as we saw before the second American invasion of Iraq. The chain of circumstantial evidence has more holes in it than a swiss cheese, and while attempted murder (if that is what it is) is a criminal act Winston Peters and Jeremy Corbyn are sane voices calling for evidence before any attribution still less action.
Tax Haven Man in Town
Written By: - Date published: 10:08 pm, February 20th, 2018 - 11 comments
The Lord Mayor of the City of London is visiting New Zealand. Its not Sadiq Khan, Charles Bowman is a PwC partner leading London’s financial centre lobby. He’s here to talk to business and regulators. He’ll no doubt be talking up more deregulation.
The Dogs of War
Written By: - Date published: 9:12 pm, January 31st, 2018 - 20 comments
At a Union/NDP conference in March 2002 in Ottawa I saw wall-to-wall US TV attacking Iraq in my room. My caucus report that America was going to war was instinctive. Helen Clark stood up immediately and said that we wouldn’t be following. The US war dogs are barking again, this time over Korea. A recent […]
Jac-in-da-Box
Written By: - Date published: 6:58 pm, January 15th, 2018 - 48 comments
“Wedger Wayne” Mapp in todays’s Spinoff does his best to stuff Jacinda Ardern into a Tony Blair “Third Way” box. Too glib by far. True in 2002 Blair did promise to eliminate child poverty by 2020; but poverty’s now the highest in 20 years in Britain. I’d back Jacinda to do much better. Besides, instead of Mandy she’s got David Parker.
The Yellow Peril?
Written By: - Date published: 10:30 pm, November 15th, 2017 - 338 comments
What’s with the academic panic epidemic about China? Two in our media in the same week, referencing each other with vague warnings about the Chinese bogey. It’s not quite Lionel Terry in Haining Street again; more likely in my view a case of singing to someones else’s geopolitical tune. No prizes for guessing whose.
800th Anniversary of Charter of the Forest
Written By: - Date published: 8:25 pm, November 5th, 2017 - 21 comments
Issued alongside the Magna Carta on November 6, 1217, the Charter of the Forest is among the first ecological charters in history and among the first to assert the rights of ordinary people to the right to subsistence. 800 years old tomorrow.
Books but no beds
Written By: - Date published: 6:11 pm, October 18th, 2017 - 19 comments
Most viewed story on the Guardian website today: “New Zealand library cracks case of missing books.” Turns out some of Auckland’s 23,000 homeless were hiding bookmarked books in odd places so they wouldn’t lose their place. The library will now keep their books safe. Good on them. Finding homes for homeless must be a high priority for Aotearoa’s next government.
Passchendaele and Pyongyang
Written By: - Date published: 3:14 pm, October 12th, 2017 - 19 comments
The massive artillery barrage at Passchendaele was supposed to cut the German wire and make advance easy. All it did was churn up the mud though which so many doomed New Zealanders slogged and died. A monument to military incompetence and political disaster. These days they prefer bombs, which are equally deadly and equally futile. Its time we said no more.
Politics or Policy?
Written By: - Date published: 5:46 pm, October 9th, 2017 - 56 comments
Policy is everything, Winston Peters said today. This should not be a surprise. Before every election, he has refused to give any hint of Party support preference until after the vote. But he will have thought a lot about what he might want, as it has long been clear that his Party would decide the outcome. So what are his policies?
She’s got what it takes
Written By: - Date published: 12:23 am, September 17th, 2017 - 73 comments
Great read in London today – full page Guardian article headlined “I’ve got what it takes, says the charismatic Labour leader taking New Zealand by storm.” Send it far and wide.
Fire and Fury over North Korea
Written By: - Date published: 3:00 pm, August 12th, 2017 - 60 comments
Donald Trump may not know it but Koreans certainly remember the last time the United States unleashed fire and fury over North Korea. In the 1950s, B-29s used bombs and napalm to flatten every North Korean city. Gen Curtis Lemay boasted that the USAF killed off 20% of the population. That’s why this time they have nuclear weapons.
Politics in the Age of Populism
Written By: - Date published: 9:28 pm, July 6th, 2017 - 3 comments
Bryce Edwards, Stephanie Rodgers and Rob Egan. Connolly Hall, Guildford Street, Wellington, 5:30 pm Friday 7th July.Fabian society, all welcome.
New information on Glenda Hughes?
Written By: - Date published: 8:12 pm, June 28th, 2017 - 43 comments
On 20 June after Melanie Read’s Newsroom interview Andrew Geddis blogged about possible obstruction of justice by a National Party Board member. That was based on new information in the Barclay case, and may be why the Police have since re-interviewed Glenys Dickson.
Follow the money
Written By: - Date published: 10:39 pm, June 22nd, 2017 - 49 comments
Bill English’s texted electorate chair Stuart Davie on 21st February 2016 saying Glenys Dickson was given an extra payout from the Leader’s fund “to avoid potential legal action.” It was the only source available for an extra payout for confidentiality. English said today no-one in February knew there was any issue of illegality. Then what legal action and why an extra payment?
Dirty Politics 2017 style
Written By: - Date published: 4:05 pm, June 8th, 2017 - 27 comments
Latest polls and some anecdotal evidence from the doorstep are showing a move back to the Tories in Britain. If so it may in part be due to last-minute dark and dirty personally targeted Facebook advertising to voters in marginal seats. They cost so will need to be watched later on here.
Hager Hit & Run and NZ’s Asian wars
Written By: - Date published: 8:23 pm, June 5th, 2017 - 13 comments
Nicky Hager will talk about his book Hit and Run, and the issues it raises about New Zealand’s values and role in the world at 5:30pm on Wednesday 7th June at Connolly Hall, Guildford Terrace, Wellington. The book is about important events and the incoherence of New Zealand fighting it’s longest ever war in Central Asia. This talk is particularly timely in view of this week’s visit of the American Secretary of State, Rex Tillerson.
Scots git on Q+A
Written By: - Date published: 2:11 pm, March 27th, 2017 - 12 comments
I went to Q+A yesterday in search of political comment and was astonished to see John McTernan aka “Malcolm Tucker without the charm” given ten minutes to burble. McTernan promotes himself as a former political adviser to Blair and Gillard, but his last real job was chief of staff to Jim Murphy who led the Scottish Labour Party to oblivion in 2015.
Social investment meets the surveillance state
Written By: - Date published: 11:14 pm, March 4th, 2017 - 45 comments
First they came for the budgeting services. Now we know that every social service agency has to provide clients’ private personal data to the Ministry of Social Development or get no funding. Apparently it’s essential to Bill English’s much-touted and little understood “social investment” strategy, which is sounding more like something out of Orwell’s 1984. […]
Thanks Annette
Written By: - Date published: 11:38 am, March 3rd, 2017 - 9 comments
I well remember going to see new Minister of Employment Annette King in 1989 to ask for support for group apprenticeship in the motor industry. “Seems like a good idea, we’ll put up $50,000.” she said. I nearly fell off my chair. It was not the usual response from Ministers in those days, but is Annette King to a T – positive, decisive, and supportive.
Good ideas in Gisborne
Written By: - Date published: 1:28 pm, February 17th, 2017 - 97 comments
Andrew Little’s announcement yesterday in Gisborne of Labour’s pledge of up to $20million to build a prefabricated timber plant there is a much-needed boost to the area and a sign that Labour’s 100,000 new house pledge first made by David Shearer in 2012 has legs.
Key gives up on us, keeps International Democratic Union.
Written By: - Date published: 9:00 am, February 10th, 2017 - 33 comments
The Herald informs us that Key is going on the speaking circuit and will go back into finance (not that he ever left). Like John Howard before him, he also intends to carry on chairing the International Democratic Union of right-wing parties. Not a surprise.
Prof John Quiggin – After Reform, What Comes Next?
Written By: - Date published: 10:26 pm, February 9th, 2017 - Comments Off on Prof John Quiggin – After Reform, What Comes Next?
University of Queensland Professor John Quiggin, author of Zombie Economics, will speak on this topic for the Fabian Society in Wellington on Monday 13th and Auckland Thursday 16th of this month. All welcome, details and registration inside. Will be interesting.
Peter Thiel’s Libertarian Dream – for New Zealand?
Written By: - Date published: 11:08 am, February 2nd, 2017 - 86 comments
From a Business Insider article in the OIA papers: Thiel is a long-term thinker, so what’s the big picture? What could the contrarian investor see in a country of 4 million people whose economy is based on agriculture and tourism? Maybe Peter Thiel wants to turn New Zealand into the next Silicon Valley. Or maybe even the libertarian utopia of his dreams.”
75th Anniversary Battle of Endau
Written By: - Date published: 4:24 pm, January 26th, 2017 - 9 comments
Today marks 75 years to the day since the suicidal Battle of Endau, when obsolete aircraft were sent to prevent the Japanese landing. Of the 72 aircrew from Nos. 36 and 100 Squadrons who participated in the raids, 27 were killed, seven were wounded and two were captured. My uncle was killed but Ron Reid survived the raid and captivity. He is interviewed by Dave Homewood of WONZ in memory of the day.
2017: Political Year in Prospect
Written By: - Date published: 7:28 pm, January 25th, 2017 - 9 comments
Morgan Godfery, Mike Munro and Stephanie Rodgers will discuss this topic Thursday 26 January at Connolly Hall, Guildford Terrace, Wellington at 5:30pm for the Fabian Society. All welcome – will be interesting.
Trump’s First Press Conference
Written By: - Date published: 9:38 am, January 12th, 2017 - 41 comments
You have to say he is not afraid to take on the heavy mob. A very direct attack on Big Pharma – a US version of Pharmac? A very direct attack on the armaments industry’s star program the F-35 fighter-bomber and its cost overruns. Then there is the intelligence community and the mainstream news media. Read the transcript for yourself.
Spy vs Spy
Written By: - Date published: 10:47 pm, January 9th, 2017 - 127 comments
It is MAD. In the frenzy leading up to Trump’s inauguration, we have the extraordinary spectacle of the CIA interfering in the US election by accusing the Russians of interfering in the same election. The CIA used only to interfere in other people’s elections. On the serious side this intervention means the war party hasn’t given up yet, no matter what Trump may say.
- Are you a Nazi?
You've probably been called a Nazi recently by someone who disagreed with you online. But how can you tell if you really are a piece of fetid fascist garbage? Take the test. ...9 hours ago - Ocean Temperature – Part 2
Ocean Temperature – Part 2 We are coming back to the topic of sea-surface temperature measurements, which we have taken on in the article “Ocean Temperature – Part 1”. This time, we will discuss issues concerning satellite measurements. Pictet Mirrors ...13 hours ago - Have your say: Country of Origin Food Labelling
People want and deserve to know where their food comes from. That is the intention behind my member’s bill (originally Steffan Browning’s) the Consumers’ Right to Know (Country of Origin of Food) Bill which has re-opened for submissions. There is ...14 hours ago - Doomed?
Good news from Nelson: the Waimea dam project - the one National wants to pass a Muldoonist Enabling Act to rip land out of a forest park for - has escalated in price and looks doomed:Updated costs for the proposed ...18 hours ago - A curious absenceThe Free Speech Coalition has filed its suit against Phil Goff and the Auckland Council over their cancellation of a Nazi event, seeking to have the decision overturned. But reading the statement of claim, there's an odd omission: while they ...18 hours ago
- Mainstream media “mob violence” over Helsinki summit
Professor Cohen is always good value and we should take these comments of his seriously. After all, there is nothing more serious today than the threat of war between the US and the Russian Federation. Yet we have politicians and ...21 hours ago - Hop out of the way of that falling truck, honey
This is a guest post by reader Heidi O’Callahan On Thursday 8th March this year, a truck heading east up Great North Rd from Waterview failed to negotiate the right-turn corner into Carrington Rd, at the heart of the Pt Chevalier ...24 hours ago - Hard News: Miles on the Clock
It took no great insight to suppose that the main casualties of the report by the Office of the Prime Minister's Chief Science Advisor debunking the "meth contamination" hysteria would be the companies who for years made a profitable business ...2 days ago - Another transparency failureLast month, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones claimed he had received 365 text messages supporting his criticism of Fonterra. But surprisingly, he's refusing to release them under the OIA:Self-styled "provincial champion" Jones launched a blistering attack on the long-serving dairy ...2 days ago
- Trump, tariffs, tantrums and trade – grandstanding or real trade war?
by The Spark Since the spring (NZ autumn – Redline), the Trump administration has imposed a wave of tariffs on 1,102 imported goods, from aluminum and steel, that is, the building blocks of basic industry, to consumer items like washing ...2 days ago - When police investigate policeAnother IPCA report is out today, this time into an officer's use of pepper spray in a police cell. The inquiry found that the officer's actions were unjustified, in breach of police policy, and unlawful. So there's the obvious question ...2 days ago
- UK drone pilots are criminalsThat's the conclusion of a UK Parliamentary inquiry into drone strikes:British military personnel could be prosecuted for killing civilians in drone strikes and risk becoming complicit in alleged war crimes committed by the US, an inquiry has found. A two-year ...2 days ago
- Wireless Docs: The Forest of Tiriwa
Maunga Waitakere supplies drinking water to the wider region, and drives significant tourism value through its iconic scenery. With some Pākehā showing confusion over the recently established rāhui, now is the time to discuss the wider cultural life of the region. In ...2 days ago - Quay St works to be unveiled soon
In just three years Auckland’s waterfront is going to look dramatically different. The completion of a $268 million suite of projects on and around Quay St will transform the area, creating a people friendly space from Silo Park through to Britomart and ...2 days ago - Who do we think we are? The free speech debate
I argued in my previous post that a free speech debate played into the hands of the numpties - Lauren Southern and Stefan Molyneux - who wanted to come to New Zealand to make their case for racial superiority and prejudice. ...3 days ago - New Zealand should ratify the Kampala AmendmentIn 2010, the parties to the International Criminal Court agreed the Kampala Amendment, which finally gave a formal, legal definition to the crime of aggression (you know, the one they convicted the Nazis of), allowing the court to prosecute it. ...3 days ago
- AT’s (lack of) Achievement of Carbon Emission and Fuel Usage Targets
This is a guest post from reader Takaite Background As 40% of Auckland’s carbon emissions are due to transport, if Auckland is to contribute its share to NZ’s carbon reduction targets this is an area where reductions have to be ...3 days ago - An Inconvenient Truth About Free Speech Denialism.
3 days ago - Elon Musk didn’t go AWOL with his idiotic tweet, he did what these “gurus” often do: throw an ...
When Elon Musk struck out on Twitter with his unsubstantiated (and now deleted) “pedo” comment over the refusal to use his latest gadget to help rescue the Thai boys and their coach the other week, he didn’t really sink to ...3 days ago - Fixing housing crises – lessons for San Francisco and Auckland
A great recent article takes a “deep dive” look at the steps San Francisco’s new mayor could take to fix their housing crisis. The new mayor – London Breed – is a breath of fresh air in a city with ...3 days ago - Comprehensive study: carbon taxes won’t hamper the economy
Eleven teams participated in a recent Stanford Energy Modeling Forum (EMF) project, examining the economic and environmental impacts of a carbon tax. The studies included “revenue recycling,” in which the funds generated from a carbon tax are returned to taxpayers either ...4 days ago - Hard News: Music: What the Flying Nun donation means, and why everyone should be looking at itFlying Nun Records' donation of hundreds of original master tapes to the Alexander Turnbull Library, announced on Friday, is significant in any number of ways. Firstly, it's a big step in addressing the problem of deteriorating masters, which has been ...4 days ago
- Israel’s new apartheid lawIsrael is an apartheid state. But the pretence in Israel has always been that this is about the occupation and "security" against their victims, and that Arab citizens are equal in law. Now, a new law aims to allow formal, ...4 days ago
- Wireless Docs Season 4: Call for proposals
Here’s your chance to make a documentary. We’re excited to announce that The Wireless is now accepting proposals for a fourth season of Wireless Docs. We’ll be commissioning six new made-for-web documentary films to be released in ...4 days ago - Auckland Land Values
One of the neat features of the Council’s GIS viewer is the ability to put on an overlay showing the land values per m² for the Auckland Region. Council valuations are conducted every three years and the 2017 data is ...4 days ago - Will Talleys get what they paid for?Talleys is one of the country's largest political donors. Last year it dished out $49,000 to election candidates, including $10,000 to NZ First's Shane Jones. Talleys also hates the idea of the government properly regulating the criminal fishing industry, and ...4 days ago
- Crime and Punishment: Will freeing more prisoners work?
Grisly attacks and brutal murders convinced New Zealand that criminals should be locked up for longer. Now, with jails bursting at the seams, the government wants to slash prisoner numbers. Will Kiwis panic, or get behind the changes? Susan Strongman reports. ...4 days ago - The Costa Rican Solution.
4 days ago - Riding the Central New Network
4 days ago - What this Economist Has Learnt From BrexitI have found Brexit rivetting. As a piece of Econ 101, it is straight forward. (OK, I simplify; it is rare for first year students to study in any depth the implications of intra-industry trade, supply chains, the economies of ...5 days ago
- Free Speech Denialism Is Fascism In Action.
5 days ago - The Free-market, Hyper-individualism… and a Culture of Cruelty?
. . Up till recently, I had believed that there were two facets comprising to create a neo-liberal economy (not “society” – neo-liberalism does not recognise community or society where individuals organise for a greater collective good). The first was ...5 days ago - 2018 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #28
A chronological listing of news articles posted on the Skeptical Science Facebook Page during the past week. Editor's Pick Heat Records Falling Around the World in 2018 Above: A sampling of all-time high temperatures reported around the world in 2018 ...5 days ago - Flashback Saturday: Population-weighted densities in New Zealand and Australia
Every weekend we dig into the archives. This post by Peter was originally published in September 2014. Urban population density is a hot topic – some people complain that it’s getting too high in Auckland, while others worry that it’s ...6 days ago - The Minister for Open Government, yet againClare Curran attended a secret meeting with Google and refused to take notes about it:At least two Cabinet ministers attended a dinner at an exclusive club hosted by Google's top lawyer under secretive "Chatham House" rules, but made no notes ...7 days ago
- Better news than it soundsLast night, a German court ruled that exiled Catalan President Carles Puigdemont could be extradited to Spain - but only on charges of "misuse of public funds". The charge Spain really wants to stick him with - "rebellion" - was ...7 days ago
- Climate change: Getting rid of petrol carsWhat does the government's target of zero net emissions by 2050 mean in practice? James Shaw states the obvious: no more petrol cars:If New Zealand is to meet its zero carbon pledge, nearly all the country's cars will have to ...7 days ago
- Noise Pollutes
Yesterday was wonderfully warm and sunny at Ohiwa Beach where we live in the Eastern Bay of Plenty. Our enjoyment of the winter sunshine, as we sat on our deck overlooking the beach, was however ruined by the noise made ...7 days ago - Testing The Boundaries Of Political Discourse.
7 days ago - Northwest Light Rail in the news
The Herald have been running a number of articles on Light Rail this week Light Rail to Kumeu On Tuesday, it was presented with some surprise that light rail will eventually reach Kumeu Major changes are on the way for ...7 days ago - Auckland Herald covers for drug dealers
by Don Franks “Auckland’s phoney homeless make $100 a day on the streets” is a Herald piece by Amanda Saxton, about a few skid row alcoholics who assemble early each morning to sit together and drink. A group of apparently ...1 week ago - Māui dolphins deserve better
Like many of us, I feel a deep connection to our oceans. The rich marine life that surrounds our shores is what makes our place in the world so special and why we’re so passionate about protecting it. There are ...1 week ago - Rising ocean waters from global warming could cost trillions of dollarsOcean waters are rising because of global warming. They are rising for two reasons. First, and perhaps most obvious, ice is melting. There is a tremendous amount of ice locked away in Greenland, Antarctica, and in glaciers. As the world warms, ...1 week ago
- Make your voice heard on the Zero Carbon Bill
We’ve put together a quick guide so you can make a submission on the Zero Carbon Bill. Making a full submission is a much better contribution than simply signing a form on a website (although if you don’t have time, ...1 week ago - Report exposes the reality of tertiary students’ mental health
Adjusting to tertiary study, feelings of loneliness and academic anxiety have been identified as major triggering factors of depression, stress and anxiety amongst students, in a new study released by the New Zealand Union of Students’ Associations (NZUSA). The Kei Te Pai? report ...1 week ago - Campaign to eliminate family and sexual violence in Pasifika communitiesA new government-backed campaign has been launched to help eliminate family and sexual violence, and suicidal behaviour among Pasifika young people in Aotearoa New Zealand. The Atu-Mai violence prevention programme has been developed to equip Pasifika young people and their families with the ...1 week ago
- Working with government and community to keep tertiary education localSandra Grey, national president of the Tertiary Education Union, reflects on what the future holds for the provision of tertiary education in Northland. It’s been a rocky road in recent years for staff, students, and communities reliant on tertiary education provided ...1 week ago
- Brexit as a natural disasterSomething bad is about to happen. The government has plans to stockpile food and medicine to ensure continued supplies, and to float thousands of generators on barges in the irish Sea to provide electricity to Northern Ireland. A hurricane, earthquake, ...1 week ago
- Street Talks: Transforming Public Transport with Auckland’s New Network
An event readers may be interested in: Street Talks: Transforming Public Transport with Auckland’s New Network – with Anthony Cross 5:30pm – 7:00pm Wednesday 18th July, Whare Wānanga, Papa Tuarua/ Second Floor, Tāmaki Pātaka Kōrero/ Central Library, Lorne Street Auckland has made ...1 week ago - Time to fix rentingRenters United this morning launched The Plan to Fix Renting, a set of policy proposals building on last year's People's Review of Renting. Things like giving renters security of tenure by banning no-cause evictions and requiring landleeches to give reasons ...1 week ago
- GA’s Low Emissions Economy Submission
Patrick wrote last month about Greater Auckland’s submission on a draft report by the Productivity Commission: “Low-Emissions Economy”. Our full submission is available here. We looked at three chapters of the report – Land Use, Transport, and The Built Environment. ...1 week ago - We need to protect dolphins from miningConservation Minister Eugenie Sage appears to have granted a permit to explore for ironsands in a Marine Mammal Sanctuary:A mining exploration permit has been quietly granted inside a marine sanctuary set up to protect the endangered Māui dolphins. The decision ...1 week ago
- We need to talk about Stuart McCutcheonSilencing staff, cutting the Faculty of Education and Social Work in the midst of a nationwide teacher shortage, and refusing to listen to serious concerns about the direction he is taking the University of Auckland. It is time we talked about Vice-Chancellor ...1 week ago
- Freedom of speech means what we want it to mean(With Colin Gavaghan)read more ...1 week ago
- Driverless Cars Progressing Slower Than Expected?The hype of driverless cars has been strong in recent years. However, a recent article by transport expert Christian Wolmar suggests that things might not be progressing as well as the earlier hype suggested. Wolmar visited an autonomous vehicle exhibition ...1 week ago
- The unnecessary martyrdom of Southern & Molyneux and the need to win the argumentNow I'm up for a free speech stoush as much as the next person, however I can't help but see the debate that has arisen in the past week about the now-abandoned show in New Zealand by a pair of ...1 week ago
- Interview with Danish anti-imperialistThe following interview was published on leftwingbooks.net This is the English version of an interview with Torkil Lauesen that Gabriel Kuhn conducted for the German daily junge Welt. Torkil Lauesen ...1 week ago
- Taking on dirty dairyingTaranaki is one of the country's biggest dairying districts. And somewhat surprisingly, the Taranaki Regional Council appears to be taking on dirty dairying, with prosecutions and fines:A dairy farmer collapsed in the dock and cried into her husband's arms after ...1 week ago
- No incentiveThe UK Information Commissioner looks likely to fine Facebook £500,000 over its enabling of Cambridge Analytica:Facebook is set to be fined £500,000 by the UK’s privacy watchdog after it concluded the social media giant broke data laws. The California-headquartered company ...1 week ago
- In defence of trolls
They're thought of as the scourge of the internet, but Aimie Cronin finds trolls aren't always dangerous and, in fact, can sometimes be helpful. The Wireless/Luke McPake In June 2015, David Farrier wrote an opinion piece called ‘It’s ...1 week ago - Guest Post: Co-Housing Part Three
This is a guest post by Biddy Livesey who is a housing policy analyst, researcher, and future resident of Cohaus. Post Three – Planning for collective housing development: Consenting Cohaus In this third post on cohousing, we consider how cohousing is ...1 week ago - Make our Parliament accessible to parentsIn addition to the Prime Minister, several other MPs have already become parents this term. And one of them is highlighting that Parliament's new travel rules pose a big barrier for new parents:One of Parliament's new parents, Kiri Allen, has ...1 week ago
- PrioritiesNurses are going on strike tomorrow for higher pay, after years of being underfunded. The government has condemned that underfunding, and says it wants to help, but also says that they have no more money to give. And meanwhile, their ...1 week ago
- What Brexit Is Really AboutThe current turmoil in British politics, with leading Cabinet members resigning over the progress, or lack of it, in the talks over Brexit, will have left many readers in this part of the world confused as to what it ...1 week ago
- Guide to making a submission on the Election Access Fund BillOur democracy should be accessible for everyone. One of the fundamental things about civil society is that it’s supposed to be by the people, for the people. Currently, it’s harder than it should be for some people to take part. ...1 week ago
- Southern and Molyneux: hard questions and no easy answersUp until about a week ago, I and most of New Zealand hadn’t the faintest clue who Lauren Southern or Stefan Molyneux were. Having better things to do than mine the seamier veins of the internet, I still haven’t really engaged ...1 week ago
- Is AT doing enough to support the New Network?
The new bus network on the isthmus rolled out on Sunday and many people have been finding the changes positive. It follows on the heels of the roll outs in the South, West and East of the city, all of ...1 week ago - Are Loans Income?Had the Court come to any other conclusion, those businessmen jailed for fraudulently booking their business loan receipts as income (to hide a deficit in their flow of current receipts) would have asked for their sentences to be quashed and ...1 week ago
- Don’t let the garage door hit you
And so, it has come to an end, as obnoxiously as it began: with a short press release, in which the leader and owner of the Opportunities Parties declared the organisation disbanded and bid a fond farewell to the voters, ...1 week ago - Ocean Temperature – Part 1
How have we measured the temperature of the ocean’s upper layer in the last 150 years? How does understanding physical processes and observational errors help to standardise climate data and understand climate change? Why do we measure ocean temperature? ...1 week ago - “Merely Conservative commentators!”… or something else entirely…?
“Hate speech doesn’t have a debate component with it. its basically a spray incite and walk away scenario leaving heated hate filled bickering in its wake.” Lauren Southern and Stefan Molyneux style themselves as merely “conservative commentators”, who speak about ...1 week ago - Doing the right thing for the wrong reasonsA "free speech coalition" is planning a judicial review of Auckland mayor Phil Goff's decision to ban a pair of visiting Nazis from speaking in a council venue. A judicial review is welcome: I think Goff has behaved illegally, and ...1 week ago
- If we were you, Education Minister, this is how we’d do itAll future policy and funding must be based on the understanding that an accessible, fully funded and quality tertiary education sector is a core part of people’s every day lives. That’s the advice staff working in the sector have given to the Education ...1 week ago
- Lutte Ouvriere: Fortress Europe is anti-migrant and anti-workerLutte Ouvriere’s 2018 fete The piece below is the July 2 editorial from the national network of workplace bulletins produced all over France every week by the revolutionary workers’ current Lutte Ouvriere.The bulletins are read by hundreds of thousands of workers. ...1 week ago
- The pathway to an equal parliamentHelen Clark has called for political parties to put more women on their party lists:Political parties need to promote more women on their lists, former Prime Minister Helen Clark says. Clark was speaking on Tuesday on a panel at Parliament ...1 week ago
- Have your say: Country of Origin Food Labelling
People want and deserve to know where their food comes from. That is the intention behind my member’s bill (originally Steffan Browning’s) the Consumers’ Right to Know (Country of Origin of Food) Bill which has re-opened for submissions. There is ...14 hours ago - Government announces the panel to recruit new Human Rights Commissioners
Justice Minister Andrew Little today announced the process for the appointment of a new Chief Human Rights Commissioner, Race Relations Commissioner and Equal Employment Opportunities Commissioner. ...4 days ago - Police initiatives across AucklandTwo new policing initiatives are being launched in Auckland with the objective of preventing crime, improving community safety, and reducing reoffending. Police Minister Stuart Nash will today launch an iwi community justice panel, Te Pae Oranga, at Hoani Waititi Marae ...7 days ago
- Māui dolphins deserve betterLike many of us, I feel a deep connection to our oceans. The rich marine life that surrounds our shores is what makes our place in the world so special and why we’re so passionate about protecting it. There are ...1 week ago
- Fixing our broken justice system: first stepsJustice Minister Andrew Little has revealed the first steps in fixing our broken criminal justice system, so we can make communities safer. ...1 week ago
- Guide to making a submission on the Election Access Fund BillOur democracy should be accessible for everyone. One of the fundamental things about civil society is that it’s supposed to be by the people, for the people. Currently, it’s harder than it should be for some people to take part. ...1 week ago
- Ngati Tamaoho Treaty settlement third readingMinister for Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations Andrew Little acknowledges and welcomes the rangatira of Ngāti Tamaoho who came to Parliament for the significant third reading of their Treaty settlement legislation. ...2 weeks ago
- Unacceptable culture and conductJustice Minister Andrew Little and Under-Secretary Jan Logie have received the independent review into allegations of sexual misconduct, harassment and bullying at leading law firm Russell McVeagh. ...2 weeks ago
- Eighty new Police recruits begin trainingPolice recruitment is taking another significant step forward with the arrival of eighty new recruits who begin training today at the Royal New Zealand Police College. Police Minister Stuart Nash has extended a welcome to the recruits of Wing 319 ...2 weeks ago
- Minister signs off Mine re-entry Concept Plan
Minister Responsible for Pike River Re-entry Andrew Little has signed off the Pike River Recovery Agency’s Concept Plan outlining three re-entry options. ...13 hours ago - Covert filming doctor name suppression appeal declinedThe identity of a doctor who earlier this year pleaded guilty to eight charges of making an intimate visual recording can now be made public after the High Court upheld the District Court’s decision declining him name suppression. ...15 hours ago
- Call for BYO containers at delisHannah Blumhardt and Liam Prince of The Rubbish Trip; Rachel Benefield, founder of Plastic Free Kāpiti; Wellington-based waste advocacy group Waste-ed; and Kristy Lorson, the owner of zero waste business EarthSavvy and the founder of the 19,000 ...16 hours ago
- Julie Haggie appointed CEO of Transparency International NZTransparency International New Zealand (TINZ) has appointed Julie Haggie to become its Chief Executive Officer (CEO). She will take up this appointment on 10 September. ...17 hours ago
- Māori Party proud of Flavell’s legacyKawea mai te Kawekawea i ngā rongo o te wā kia whakataukī ake te Wharauroa i te karere hirahira, kūī, kūī, whitiwhiti ora! ...18 hours ago
- Helen Clark to speak at national conferenceWELLINGTON — The Arbitrators’ and Mediators’ Institute of New Zealand is absolutely thrilled to announce Helen Clark will be a keynote guest at next month’s national conference in Wellington. ...18 hours ago
- Ministry of Health admits failure of tobacco tax hikesMinistry of Health admits failure of tobacco tax hikes 19 JULY 2018 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE ...18 hours ago
- MSD should only promote decent jobsThe Council of Trade Unions welcomes the Ministry of Social Development’s statement that helping Tranzit recruit for bus-driving jobs that are under dispute was inappropriate. CTU President Richard Wagstaff says the call, made yesterday, is the right one. ...20 hours ago
- Time Out for TarakihiThe east coast population of one of New Zealand’s favourite fish, tarakihi, has fallen by over 80% in the past 50 years and the stock is now overfished. LegaSea, the recreational fishing lobby group, is urging the Minister of Fisheries ...21 hours ago
- No room for racism in Aotearoa“Auckland Peace Action will join with other activist and community groups across Auckland to resist racism if any public events involving right wing extremist speakers Lauren Southern and Stefan Molyneux go ahead,” said Valerie Morse, member of Auckland ...22 hours ago
- Proceedings now filed against Mayor Goff and CouncilThe Free Speech Coalition has now filed proceedings against Mayor Goff and Auckland Council under the New Zealand Bill of Rights Act. This came after the Coalition presented the Mayor with an open letter suggesting he avoid the cost of ...2 days ago
- Prison inspection report released for Invercargill PrisonThe Office of the Inspectorate today released an inspection report into Invercargill Prison. ...2 days ago
- Provincial New Zealand dominates economic growth prospectsNew Zealand’s provincial economies are poised to drive growth in the economy, building on the recovery in dairy prices during 2016, according to Infometrics latest economic forecasts. Spending activity in the regions is comfortably outpacing activity ...2 days ago
- New animal welfare award and grant launchedThe National Animal Ethics Advisory Committee (NAEAC) has today launched the Aotearoa New Zealand Three Rs Awards. ...2 days ago
- Health Minister at the crossroads“The Minister of Health needs to avoid the easy but wrong-headed option of structural change in his review of New Zealand’s public health and disability sectors,” says Ian Powell, Executive Director of the Association of Salaried Medical Specialists ...2 days ago
- Immigration Minister joins calls for refugee sponsorshipAmnesty International welcomes the joint statement made this week by Immigration ministers from around the world committing to advancing community-based refugee sponsorship. ...2 days ago
- NZNO & DHB NegotiationsThe New Zealand Nurses’ Organisation and District Health Boards met in Wellington yesterday to explore options to settle the current employment negotiations. ...2 days ago
- NZNO and DHB MECA negotiations updateThe New Zealand Nurses Organisation and District Health Boards met in Wellington yesterday to explore options to settle the current employment negotiations for the DHB Multi-Employer Collective Agreement for Midwives and Nurses. ...2 days ago
- Erebus National Memorial DelayedErebus National Memorial Delayed! The Ministry for Culture and Heritage has recently told Erebus families that the Erebus National Memorial will not be ready for the 40th anniversary of the accident on 28th November 2019. The scale and complexity ...3 days ago
- ANZASW statement on World Day for International JusticeThe Aotearoa New Zealand Association of Social Workers (ANZASW) welcomes the World Day for International Justice. ...3 days ago
- Electricity Authority appoints new Chief Executive17 July 2018 Electricity Authority Chair Brent Layton today announced the appointment of James Stevenson-Wallace as the Authority's new Chief Executive. ...3 days ago
- Placing Soap in the Hands of Those in NeedPlacing Soap in the Hands of Those in Need ‘ Hotel to Hands. From Around New Zealand to Around the World’ CHRISTCHURCH, New Zealand – For nearly thirty years, New Zealand owned and operated, Scenic Hotel Group has been committed ...3 days ago
- Innovative projects recognised in LGNZ EXCELLENCE AwardsPalmerston North City Council and Rotorua Lakes Council have led the way at the Local Government New Zealand EXCELLENCE Awards. ...3 days ago
- ACC medical advisors on strike todayThe majority of highly experienced senior doctors employed by ACC to assess medical claims have gone on strike this morning for improvements to their collective employment agreement. ...3 days ago
- Ministers & National put their cases: EDS 2018 ConferenceGreen Light or Light Green? The Government’s environmental reforms 1-2 August 2018, Grand Millennium Auckland ...4 days ago
- Net zero emission targets should be legislated nowReaching net zero emission by 2040 should be legislated now, as championed by OraTaiao: The New Zealand Climate and Health Council with other health sector organisations, says the NZ College of Public Health Medicine (NZCPHM). ...4 days ago
- Free Speech Coalition on details of legal actionThe Free Speech Coalition can confirm it will this week be filing judicial review proceedings against Auckland Council for its ban on two Canadian speakers from Council-owned venues. The pro-free speech group believes the Council and/or Mayor acted in breach ...4 days ago
- ANZASW statement on Nurses strikeThe Aotearoa New Zealand Association of Social Workers (ANZASW) wishes to once again express its solidarity with nurses who have been engaged in industrial action. ...4 days ago
- Councillor honoured for contribution to local governmentLocal Government New Zealand has honoured Rotorua leader Cr Trevor Maxwell MZNM with the Minister of Local Government EXCELLENCE Award for Outstanding Contribution to Local Government. ...4 days ago
- Walking the same path on climate change adaptation strategyCentral and local government showed strong alignment on strategy for climate change adaptation as Local Government New Zealand President Dave Cull and Minister for Climate Change Hon James Shaw shared the stage today at the annual LGNZ Conference in Christchurch. ...4 days ago
- Kmart steps in where The Warehouse failsFIRST Union is pleased to announce retailer Kmart has stepped in where The Warehouse has failed, it has promised priority placement of 60 Red Shed workers at 14 of its stores nationwide. ...4 days ago
- Clean, Flowing Rivers Must be Restored- Trout Fishing LobbyRestoring clean flowing rivers is the goal of a national trout fishing advocacy the New Zealand Federation of Freshwater Anglers (NZFFA). ...4 days ago
- Realising Māori potential focus of dynamic new partnershipA shared vision to reduce child poverty rates and social inequity is at the heart of a new funding arrangement between Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu and the Peter McKenzie Project (an initiative of the J R McKenzie Trust). ...4 days ago
- Dr O’Sullivan visits appalling homes of sick Kiwi kidsLeading New Zealand doctor and health system disruptor Dr Lance O’Sullivan says rental properties owned by the government are in appalling third world conditions which is directly burdening the nation’s health system. ...4 days ago
- Greater local powers must come with great responsibilityMEDIA RELEASE Greater local powers must come with great responsibility 16 JULY 2018 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE ...4 days ago
- ACC medical advisors start rolling strikes tomorrow“ACC medical advisors are poised to walk off the job tomorrow because they’ve had a gutsful of their employer’s cavalier approach to their pay, conditions and well-being,” says Lloyd Woods, a Senior Industrial Officer at the Association of ...4 days ago
- Rail workers slam KiwiRail as “green-washing hypocrites”The Rail and Maritime Transport Union says its members are laughing at the idea KiwiRail belongs in a ‘Climate Leaders Coalition’. ...4 days ago
- MPI whitewash leaves a dirty stain on NZ’s reputationSAFE is outraged to learn that the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) has, yet again, let animals down by giving a green-light to the Timaru pig farm exposed last week for breaking the law. ...4 days ago
- Protest to HNZ Minister over sick home creating sick kidsDr O'Sullivan's protest to Minister of Housing NZ over sick homes creating sick kids ...4 days ago
- Population transfer and refugeesOn 13 July, United Nations Member States (the United States excepted) agreed to an all-encompassing Global Compact to better manage international migration . The United States had withdrawn from the negotiations at the end of last year, under orders ...5 days ago
- Revitalising democracy: LGNZ President Dave CullMinisters Hon Grant Robertson, Hon Dr Megan Woods, Hon Eugenie Sage, members of parliament Hon Jacqui Dean and Lawrence Yule, former LGNZ President, delegates, central government officials, LGNZ partners and particularly our members, New Zealand’s 78 local governments. ...5 days ago
- LGNZ and The New Zealand Initiative start ‘Project Localism’Bringing government back to the people: LGNZ and The New Zealand Initiative start ‘Project Localism’ Instead of relying on central government to decide what is good for our communities it is time to empower councils and communities themselves ...5 days ago
- Substantial review of local government funding welcomeSubstantial review of local government funding welcome and needed Local Government New Zealand is pleased with the terms of reference for the Productivity Commissions’ forthcoming inquiry into local government funding and finance which were launched ...5 days ago
- Local government debates key issues at annual conferenceLocal government debates key issues at annual conference LGNZ’s annual conference kicked off today with the Local Government New Zealand Annual General Meeting where thirteen policy remits were voted on. This year remits focused on infrastructure ...5 days ago
- Palestine Solidarity on Israel/PalestineTwo more Palestinian children were killed by an Israeli missile yesterday as Israel intensified its bombing of the Gaza Strip. According to the health ministry the victims were 15-year-old and 16-year-old boys with at least 25 others injured in the ...5 days ago
- Israel Institute demands a New Zealand responseIsrael Institute demands a New Zealand response to continuing Hamas attacks on Israel Israel Institute of New Zealand director, Dr David Cumin, is calling on the Government to strongly condemn the latest round of attacks on Israel by Palestinian terror ...5 days ago
- Q+A: Phil Goff interviewed by Corin DannMayor Goff confident of court victory over speaker ban decision Auckland mayor Phil Goff is confident he can win a court case over a decision to ban two right-wing speakers from using a council venue for a seminar next month. ...5 days ago
- Q+A: Sir Lockwood Smith interviewed by Corin DannSir Lockwood Smith: Soft Brexit not the answer for the UK Former New Zealand High Commissioner to the UK Sir Lockwood Smith says Britain needs to seize an opportunity to strike a meaningful post-Brexit trade deal with the EU. ...5 days ago
- The Nation: NZNO, NZEI and EMAOn Newshub Nation: Lisa Owen interviews NZ Nursing Organisation’s Cee Payne, NZEI Te Riu Roa’s Lynda Stuart and Kim Campbell of the Employer and Manufacturers Association ...6 days ago
- Climate Leader CEOs Misleading Their CompaniesReports that CEOs of 60 of the 25,000 companies operating in New Zealand have signed up to a Climate Leaders Coalition to support “carbon budgeting” are highly misleading, according to Terry Dunleavy, honorary secretary of the New Zealand Climate Science ...7 days ago
- Why more money won’t fix our youth mental health services
If our adult mental health system needs to be restructured, our youth mental health system needs to be completely obliterated and rebuilt from the ground up.Content warning: suicideI’ve been a youth development worker for almost 10 years, and sitting in ...52 mins ago - Skiff sailing duo still striving for synchronicity
Olympic silver medallists Alex Maloney and Molly Meech are trying to stay in sync for a very strong shot at the 49erFX world title in Denmark. Suzanne McFadden reports. Above a millpond ocean, without a zephyr of a breeze, Alex ...53 mins ago - Little gives sign-off on Pike River re-entry plans
The Minister Responsible for Pike River re-entry has signed off on plans which outline several re-entry options into the mine. ...11 hours ago - Decolonising through design: the community at Te Rewarewa
Whangārei architect Jade Kake has made a career changing behaviour through design, decolonising Māori thought patterns and outcomes through altering the environment in which they take place. But her next project at Te Rewarewa is by far the most ambitious ...14 hours ago - Where is the compassion for parents of children with allergies?Exhausted parents of children with severe allergies have been verbally beaten up on Facebook after sensational articles about birthday cake bans at pre-schools whipped some Stuff commenters into a frenzy. Spinoff Parents editor Emily Writes spoke to Malena Penney, a ...15 hours ago
- Book of the Week: Good Picasso, Bad Picasso, Great Picasso
Anthony Byrt reviews an exciting new study of Pablo Picasso, genius and visionary, who comedian Hannah Gadsby called out as a disgusting #metoo pig.One way to measure Picasso’s greatness is that he’s never far beneath the surface of our collective ...15 hours ago - Why public sector target setting is such a minefieldIn resetting targets for health, the challenge is to identify and articulate the underlying map, writes Paul DuignanWill health targets end up on target? Imagine that you are talking to an Air Force chief in a war somewhere. You have ...15 hours ago
- A new citywide compost company is taking on Auckland’s coffee drinkers
Almost 30% of organic waste goes straight to landfill, sparking two leading businesses in the composting sector – Innocent Packaging and We Compost – to team up and launch The Full Package, the first citywide compost collection of its kind ...16 hours ago - Former Māori Party MP Te Ururoa Flavell has resigned as co-leaderFormer Māori Party MP Te Ururoa Flavell has resigned as the party's co-leader to take up a new position as the chief executive of Te Wānanga o Aotearoa. ...17 hours ago
- In defence of Otago University’s Loch Ness DNA project
The editor of Dunedin’s student magazine may not like it, but the University of Otago’s hunt for Nessie was science communication at its finest, argues Ellen Rykers.In a recent column, Critic Te Arohi editor Joel MacManus lambasted the Loch Ness ...17 hours ago - UK interested in joining revamped Trans-Pacific Partnership dealThe United Kingdom has expressed interest in joining the revamped TPP trade deal, even before the 11 nation agreement has been ratified. ...17 hours ago
- Eden Park boss – what Aussie court found
The new chief executive of Eden Park was dismissed from a key role at a sports stadium in Melbourne for serious misconduct, including trading free tickets for his personal benefit, and "elements of dishonesty". Nick Sautner, a former Aussie rules star in ...17 hours ago - How to cool down your data
Whether you’re mining bitcoin or Googling yourself, you’re creating a lot of heat somewhere. A group of New Zealand scientists have found a way to take the heat off data centres. Each time you Google something, a data centre responds. This ...18 hours ago - Who is Kygo? How did he get so many streams? And what is tropical house?Here’s everything you need to know about the very chilled-out, extremely popular tropical house DJ. Hang on a minute – I thought ‘tropical house’ was something they have at the botanical gardens. What is it?You know that Ed Sheeran song ...18 hours ago
- PNG needs to ‘pull its weight’ over Bougainville vote, says MomisBougainville President John Momis … considering going to the United Nations for advice. Image: Ramumine By RNZ Pacific The President of the Autonomous Region of Bougainville has raised concerns that the Papua New Guinea Government is not pulling its ...19 hours ago
- Housing issue not just ethnic – Pākehā leaders have ‘failed’, says author
AUT Policy Observatory’s Dr David Hall (from left, podium) with fellow “fair borders” panellists Dr Arama Rata, Andrew Chen and Dr Evelyn Masters at last night’s discussion. Image: Rhahul Bhattarai/PMC By Rahul Bhattarai Author and researcher David Hall has ...19 hours ago - ComCom fears Chch Airport plans for excessive profit
The Commerce Commission says Christchurch International Airport may be planning to make excessive profits from security, freight storage, and some terminal lounges, though it's "broadly satisfied" with its planned earnings from most of its assets. In an initial finding published ...19 hours ago - FMA eyes life insurer sanctions
The Financial Markets Authority may take regulatory action against three financial services firms after its latest probe into replacement life insurance. The market watchdog has been concerned about the sale of replacement life insurance for several years, largely around sales ...19 hours ago - Good c*nts and pōkokohua: What words do New Zealanders find most offensive?The latest Broadcasting Standards Authority survey on offensive language is out, and it shows as a nation we’re becoming more progressive and nuanced about how and why we take offence. Some strong language to follow. Alas for broadcasters, that the word ...20 hours ago
- Do not fear the dark side – drink itFill the void of those long, lonely winter nights with a dark beer – there’s one out there for you, we promise. There’s no denying that these are dark times, friends – both symbolically and literally. Yes, the world has gone ...20 hours ago
- Vitamin supplements: full of goodness or full of hot air?
The road to health is long and winding but should it be paved with vitamin supplements? Madeleine Chapman dives into the world of monthly vitamin subscriptions.Seven-minute abs, that one trick for a slim waist, and the perfect fruit to get ...23 hours ago - BePure statement re Spinoff vitamin storyNatural health company BePure provided the following statement to the Spinoff for our story about vitamins, which you can read here. We certainly empathise that the area of natural health and supplementation can be both confusing and be misleading with the ...23 hours ago
- Young Labour, Young Greens launch petition to ban gay conversion therapyYoung Labour and the Young Greens are throwing their weight behind calls for the government to ban gay conversion therapy. ...24 hours ago
- The Bulletin: Court action going ahead over extremist speakers
Good morning, and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Court action over Southern-Molyneux speech proceeds, courier work conditions exposed, and Northland activists target P-pipe stores.Legal action against Phil Goff and Auckland Council has gone ahead over the Southern-Molyneux venue banning, ...24 hours ago - Struggling Queenstown names its price
The poster-child of New Zealand tourism has put a number on what it wants from the Government to maintain its status as an international drawcard. David Williams delves into Queenstown’s business case for a cash injection – or a bed ...24 hours ago - Super grass is here, and it’s a green breakthrough. Can Greens stomach it?A new strain of ryegrass developed in NZ promises to reduce water demands and curb emissions. But it’s genetically modified, and no matter how settled the science, the politics may be unpalatable, writes Bob Edlin of the Point of Order blog, ...1 day ago
- Rising shot put star leaves the best till last
New world junior shot put champion Maddison Wesche may be lauded as the next Dame Valerie Adams, but she's determined to make her own name in global athletics. Sarah Cowley Ross reports. The two times I’ve seen Maddison Wesche - the newly-crowned world ...1 day ago - The Block NZ, week 2: Chlo chokes, Stu and Amy go for broke
Ahoy there mateys and welcome back to The Block NZ, where tempers flared like an over-primed diesel heater and emotions flowed down the broken downpipe of hopes and dreams. Tara Ward recaps.Week two gave us drama aplenty as we witnessed ...1 day ago - Growing up in the climate action movement
Submissions to the Zero Carbon Bill close on Thursday July 19. Laura Somerset, a Wellington-based convener of Generation Zero, looks back on the early days of the climate action movement.At 16, I unwittingly became a climate activist because I wanted ...1 day ago - Vitamin supplements: full of goodness or full of shit?The road to health is long and winding but should it be paved with vitamin supplements? Madeleine Chapman journeys to the heart of monthly vitamin subscriptions.Seven-minute abs, that one trick for a slim waist, and the perfect fruit to get ...1 day ago
- The Real Pod: The Block NZ experiences a dramatic solar flareThe Real Pod assembles to dissect the week in New Zealand pop culture and real life, with special thanks to Nando’s.On this week’s Real Pod, the dream team are back together after a mad week and there is much to discuss ...2 days ago
- Travelling with the dead: One final journey with my grandmotherIn a beautiful personal essay, Neesha Bremner writes of my grandmother’s past and her journey to the place she was happiest. In my carry on luggage is a little grey plastic box. On that little grey plastic box is ...2 days ago
- Calling all aspiring Māori writers: this one’s for you
Nadine Anne Hura (Ngāti Hine, Ngāpuhi) is one of six writers who have been selected for Te Papa Tupu 2018, a writing programme developed by the Māori Literature Trust and organised by Huia Publishers. We asked her to write about what ...2 days ago - ‘Is it that Māori don’t read, or is it that there aren’t enough books out there we actually w...Nadine Anne Huru (Ngāti Hine, Ngāpuhi) is one of six writers who have been selected for Te Papa Tupu 2018, a writing programme developed by the Māori Literature Trust and organised by Huia Publishers. We asked her to write about what ...2 days ago
- Māori voices should take prominence in the justice debate
‘Nothing about us without us’ is becoming a popular catch cry of indigenous people the world over. Now the University of Otago is asking for Māori perspectives only on Māori incarceration.Earlier this year, the government announced it will spend $750 million ...2 days ago - The Wellington bus network is melting down and commuters are losing their shitThis school holiday Danyl Mclauchlan caught the bus to Wellington Zoo. It was not fun.“Please,” I pleaded, standing in the door of a bus at Wellington’s Railway Station, my six-year old daughter’s tiny hand in mine, “We just want to ...2 days ago
- How I learned that likening a film to being hit by a hammer isn’t a great sellFilm critic David Larsen admits his strategy to urge audiences to see Hunger failed, and pleads you to see another movie called Hunger, without recourse to hammer analogiesI once opened a film review by suggesting that instead of investing fifteen ...2 days ago
- The Hamilton Press Club stands with Vincent O’Malley
Hamilton Press Club life president Steve Braunias reveals the next guest speaker at the most glamorous social event in New Zealand journalism held in Hamilton.Dr Vincent O’Malley is campaigning to get the New Zealand Wars taught in New Zealand schools. ...2 days ago - The vegans are coming! Why the end of meat could be closer than we think
In a time of shifting consumer tastes, mounting health trends, environmental issues and the rise of alternative proteins, meat-eating farm boy Daniel Eb looks to a vegan future.For many Kiwi food producers, the future of meat is hard to stomach. ...2 days ago - What’s Katherine Heigl been up to, you guys?
Season eight of Suits starts dropping on Lightbox tomorrow – and Katherine Heigl is coming along with it. Sam Brooks details where the former TV princess has been up to since her heyday.Katherine Heigl has had a strange career, you ...2 days ago - Traumatised Papuan villagers flee Indonesian military in NdugaBy RNZ Pacific Thousands of West Papuan villagers have reportedly fled from their homes in a remote regency due to conflict between Indonesian military forces and pro-independence fighters. This follows a string of deaths in Nduga regency where Indonesian security ...2 days ago
- Provincial NZ dominates economic growth prospects
New Zealand’s provincial economies are poised to drive growth in the economy, building on the recovery in dairy prices during 2016, according to Infometrics latest economic forecasts. Spending activity in the regions is comfortably outpacing activity in the main centres, ...2 days ago - The three stages of my vegetarianismA journey through toasted lizards, Indian feasts, plain spaghetti and service-station pies. Stage 1When I was 12, I accidentally cooked a lizard in the toaster at my dad’s house in Fiji. I was home alone watching a Zoey 101 marathon on ...2 days ago
- #notyourstoo: On the Pop-Up-Globe’s ‘Abuse of Power’ season
Yesterday, the Pop-Up Globe announced their new season of work, with #metoo and #timesup hashtags flying wild in their marketing. Penny Ashton responds.“Scarce can I speak, my choler is so great: O, I could hew up rocks and fight with flint,I ...2 days ago - The Bulletin: How local should government go?
Good morning, and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Local government proposals raise support and concerns, Wellington buses have been a mess, and Te Papa’s CEO defends job cut restructure proposals.We touched on the Local Government NZ conference a bit ...2 days ago - The muddy place between personal and public
This false distinction between the public and the private has emerged regularly in the euthanasia debate. But life is not neatly compartmentalised, writes Jannah Dennison. Recently it was reported that David Seymour is open to changing the requirement in his euthanasia ...2 days ago - Why it’s not OK for human skeletal remains to figure in NZ Freemason rituals
Reports that the organisation holds human skull and crossbones are alarming – just because it’s ceremonial, doesn’t make it appropriate, writes bioarchaeologist Siân HalcrowI’ve often heard talk the Freemasons have strange rituals and traditions, but assumed this was essentially gossip. Last week, however, ...2 days ago - The little gym producing legends
City Kick Boxing has become one of the hottest training venues in Australasia and is rapidly gaining world renown for punching way above its weight. Newsroom combat sports pundit Mike Angove, who lurks around the place instructing people how to ...2 days ago - Rating your Kiwi Childhood: The pros and cons of Saturday morning sport
Adam Mamo’s new series ‘Rating your Kiwi Childhood’ is all about looking back on your formative experiences as a little kid in the 1980s and a bigger kid in the 1990s. Today, Adam tackles the highs and very low lows ...3 days ago - Changing our approach to autism through music (and some common sense)Play It Strange CEO Mike Chunn met a young autistic drummer and quickly realised how hard things were for those with Autism Spectrum Disorder, especially the young.When Play It Strange and Rotary Newmarket supported the recording of 16-year-old Kane Chong’s song ...3 days ago
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