Caption Competition
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2:48 pm, October 28th, 2009 - 44 comments
Categories: education, humour, john key -
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44 comments on “Caption Competition”
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- PGF boosts job training in Turangi and WhanganuiFletcher Tabuteau, Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Regional Economic Development The Provincial Growth Fund (PGF) through its skills and employment programme, Te Ara Mahi, will invest nearly $600,000 to ensure work opportunities for locals in Turangia and Whanganui, Parliamentary Under Secretary for Regional Economic Development Fletcher Tabuteau announced today. “I’m pleased to announce the PGF ...3 weeks ago
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- Provincial Growth Fund invests in Gisborne food-growing technology, more than 100 jobsRegional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones announced today in Gisborne an investment of $17.27m into bringing “world-leading” food-growing technology and the creation of more than 100 new jobs in the East Coast city. The funding comes from the Provincial Growth Fund, and included a $15 million loan to LeaderBrand, a ...3 weeks ago
- PGF support for Tolaga Bay employment initiativesHon Shane Jones, Minister for Regional Economic Development More than 100 people in Tairāwhiti’s Tolaga Bay will benefit from two employment initiatives supported by the Provincial Growth Fund, Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones and Employment Minister Willie Jackson announced today. “Tolaga Bay is an incredibly tight-knit community, but one in ...3 weeks ago
- PGF invests to boost production and jobs in TairawhitiHon Shane Jones, Minister for Regional Economic Development The Provincial Growth Fund (PGF) is supporting Gisborne business Leaderbrand to produce salad vegetables year round and create more jobs in the Tairāwhiti region, Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones announced today. “Our support for Leaderbrand will help them build large greenhouses ...3 weeks ago
- Pacific Peoples Minister to attend Our Ocean Conference in Norway
Minister for Pacific Peoples Aupito William Sio, heads to Oslo today to represent New Zealand at the sixth Our Ocean Conference, which is being hosted by the Norwegian Government from the 23-24 October. “The Our Ocean Conference mobilises real action on issues like marine plastic pollution and the impacts of ...4 hours ago - Government announces 27 percent increase in Trades Academy placesTwo secondary-school initiatives are being expanded as part of the Government’s plan to see more young New Zealanders take up a trade to help close the skills gap. This includes the largest single increase in Trades Academy places in recent years. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Education Minister Chris ...6 hours ago
- Methane reducing cattle feed one step closerThe Government today announced its support for a project that could substantially reduce agricultural greenhouse gas emissions from cattle. The announcement was made as part of Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern’s and Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor’s visit to Nelson’s Cawthron Aquaculture Park. The Cawthron Institute will receive $100,000 from the Government’s ...3 days ago
- Bill to refresh superannuation system passes first readingSocial Development Minister Carmel Sepuloni has welcomed the first reading of the New Zealand Superannuation and Veteran’s Pension Legislation Amendment Bill. “Every New Zealander has a stake in New Zealand Superannuation and Veteran’s Pension,” says Carmel Sepuloni. “They are our most common form of social assistance – nearly 800,000 New ...3 days ago
- Government announces next steps in fight against measlesBabies in Auckland aged six months and over can receive a free vaccination and children will all have access to vaccines, Associate Minister of Health Julie Anne Genter announced today at Papatoetoe High School. The move comes as part of Government efforts to step up the fight against measles. ...3 days ago
- Speech to the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs, Pacific Futures: Connections, Identity...***Check against delivery*** Good morning. It is a pleasure to be here, and to have the honour of opening this important conference on behalf of the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs. Let us take the opportunity to acknowledge all the people who have helped make today possible, including our special ...3 days ago
- Police trial new response to high risk eventsPolice Minister Stuart Nash says the safety of frontline officers and members of the public will be the focus of a new trial of specialist Police response teams in three of our largest urban centres. Police have this morning released details of an initiative to be trialled in Counties Manukau, ...3 days ago
- New awards celebrate fisheries sustainabilityThe Minister of Fisheries is calling for entries for a new public award to celebrate innovation in our seafood sector. “I have established the Seafood Sustainability Awards to recognise and celebrate those throughout industry, tangata whenua and communities who demonstrate outstanding dedication and innovation towards the sustainability of New Zealand’s ...3 days ago
- More progress for women and we can do moreMinister for Women Julie Anne Genter welcomes leaders in the private sector taking action on closing their gender pay gaps to ensure a fairer workplace for all New Zealanders. Ms Genter today launched a new report, Addressing the gender pay gap and driving women’s representation in senior leadership, from the Champions for ...3 days ago
- Proposals to curb environmental damage help our coasts and the oceansGovernment Ministers today welcomed the release of a marine environment report highlighting the four key issues affecting our oceans, estuaries and coastlines. The release underlines the importance of government proposals to combat climate pollution, ensure clean freshwater, protect biodiversity, make land use more sustainable, and reduce waste and plastic. Environment ...4 days ago
- New mental health facility for WaikatoThe Government has approved funding for a new acute mental health facility for Waikato which will provide better care and support to people with mental health and addiction issues. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Health Minister Dr David Clark announced the $100 million project to replace the aging Henry Rongomau ...4 days ago
- 500 new te reo Māori champions in our classroomsThe Government is making progress on its goal to integrate te reo Māori into education by 2025, with over 500 teachers and support staff already graduating from Te Ahu o te Reo Māori, Associate Education Minister Kelvin Davis announced today. Kelvin Davis made the announcement at an awards ceremony in Waikanae today, for ...4 days ago
- Minister James Shaw welcomes 2018 Census first releaseStatistics Minister James Shaw has welcomed the first release of 2018 Census data. The first release of data today, 23 September, includes key data on population, regional growth, the number of homes and the size of different ethnic groups in New Zealand. Data from the 2018 Census will support the ...4 days ago
- Driving transparency, ethics and accountability in government use of algorithmsMinister for Statistics James Shaw today announced a public consultation on a proposed algorithm charter for government agencies. The charter has been developed by the Government Chief Data Steward in response to growing calls for more transparency in government use of data. Computer algorithms – procedures or formulas for solving ...4 days ago
- New Zealand and the Netherlands working together on climate changeAgriculture Minister Damien O’Connor, Climate Change Minister James Shaw and visiting Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte co-hosted a business roundtable in Auckland this morning focused on working together to address climate change. “The Netherlands is an important partner for New Zealand. We share a strong agricultural history. Sustainable agribusiness and ...4 days ago
- Protecting fairness for workers and businessesThe Government is taking action to build an inclusive economy where more of us receive our fair share at work and businesses can compete on great products and services, not undercutting wages and conditions, Immigration and Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Iain Lees-Galloway says. Two consultations launched today seek feedback ...4 days ago
- Indigenous Freshwater Fish Bill PassesThe future for New Zealand’s threatened indigenous freshwater fish looks brighter with the passing of the Conservation (Indigenous Freshwater Fish) Amendment Bill in Parliament today said Minister of Conservation, Eugenie Sage. “Until now, our freshwater fish legislation has been 20 years out of date. We have lacked effective tools to ...5 days ago
- Kiwis to take part in world’s biggest earthquake drillAt 1.30pm tomorrow, hundreds of thousands of Kiwis will join about 65 million people around the globe in ShakeOut, the world’s biggest earthquake drill. The annual drill is to remind people of the right action to take during an earthquake which is to Drop, Cover, Hold, and to practise their ...5 days ago
- Rising wages and low inflation supporting KiwisKiwis are benefiting from higher wage growth and low inflation under the Coalition Government. Stats NZ data out today shows the rise in the cost of living remains low, as annual Consumers Price Index (CPI) inflation fell to 1.5% in September from 1.7% in June. “The low inflation comes as ...5 days ago
- NZ economy strong amid global headwindsNew Zealand’s economic strength and resilience has been recognised in a major update on the state of the global economy. The IMF’s latest World Economic Outlook released overnight shows a reduced global growth forecast over the next two years as issues like the US-China trade war and Brexit take hold. ...5 days ago
- Keeping New Zealanders safer with better counter-terrorism lawsJustice Minister Andrew Little has today introduced a new Bill to prevent terrorism and support the de-radicalisation of New Zealanders returning from overseas. The Terrorism Suppression (Control Orders) Bill gives the New Zealand Police the ability to apply to the High Court to impose control orders on New Zealanders who ...5 days ago
- Improved succession and dispute resolution core of Ture Whenua changesA Bill that proposes targeted changes to simplify the processes for Māori land owners when engaging with the Māori Land Court has had its First Reading today. “The approach taken by the Government is to ensure that the protection of Māori land remains a priority as we seek to improve ...5 days ago
- Speech to CTU Biennial ConferenceLet me first thank all the new unionists and members in the room. There is nothing more important to improving people’s working lives than people making the decision to care, to get on board and help, to take up the reins and get involved. Congratulations to you. You bring the ...5 days ago
- Minister ensures continued Whenuapai flight operationsMinister of Defence Ron Mark has signed a certificate exempting the activity of engine testing at Whenuapai Airbase from the Resource Management Act 1991. The Act gives the Minister of Defence the power to exempt activities for the purposes of national security. The certificate will mean the recent Environment Court ...5 days ago
- NZ joins Coalition of Finance Ministers for Climate ActionFinance Minister Grant Robertson has announced New Zealand will join the Coalition of Finance Ministers for Climate Action while attending APEC meetings in Chile. The objective of the 39 member Coalition is to share information and promote action to tackle climate change. It was formed in April this year, in ...5 days ago
- Feedback Sought – Section 71 – Lyttelton ParkingFeedback sought– Lyttelton commercial zone parking The Associate Minister for Greater Christchurch Regeneration, Poto Williams, is seeking feedback on a proposal to remove on-site car parking requirements for new developments in the Lyttelton commercial zone. The proposal, by Christchurch City Council, asks that powers under section 71 of the Greater ...6 days ago
- Feedback Sought – Section 71 – Hagley OvalHon Minister Poto Williams Associate Minister for Greater Christchurch Regeneration MEDIA STATEMENT Tuesday 15 October 2019 Feedback sought – Hagley Oval The Associate Minister for Greater Christchurch Regeneration, Poto Williams, is seeking feedback on a proposal about Hagley Oval. The proposal was developed by Regenerate Christchurch ...6 days ago
- CTU speech – DPMLadies and gentlemen, NZCTU President Richard Wagstaff, members of respective unions – thank you for the invitation to speak to you today. This might be preaching to the choir, but the importance of trade unions in New Zealand’s historical arch is difficult to understate. And it is my belief that ...6 days ago
- Police Association Annual Conference"Let’s start by acknowledging that it has been a huge year. " Police Association Annual Conference James Cook Grand Chancellor Hotel Wellington Nau mai, haere mai. Tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, ka nui te mihi, ki a koutou katoa. President of the Police Association, Chris Cahill; Members of the Association and ...6 days ago
- New Zealand announces a further P-3 deployment in support of UN sanctionsMinister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters and Minister of Defence Ron Mark have announced the New Zealand Government’s decision to again deploy a Royal New Zealand Air Force P-3K2 (P-3) maritime patrol aircraft to support the implementation of United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolutions imposing sanctions against North Korea. New ...6 days ago
- New Zealand deeply concerned at developments in north-east SyriaForeign Affairs Minister Winston Peters says New Zealand continues to have serious concerns for peace and stability in north-east Syria. “Recent reports that hundreds of ISIS-affiliated families have fled from a camp are deeply concerning from a humanitarian and security perspective”, Mr Peters says. “While we acknowledge Turkey’s domestic security ...6 days ago
- Government on high alert for stink bugsBiosecurity Minister Damien O’Connor is warning travelling Kiwis to be vigilant as the high-season for the crop-eating brown marmorated stink bug (BMSB) is under way. “We’re on high alert to stop BMSB arriving in NZ. The high season runs until April 30 and we’ve strengthened our measures to stop stink ...6 days ago
- Better protections for students in halls of residenceThe Government is moving swiftly to change the law to improve the welfare and pastoral care of students living in university halls of residence and other tertiary hostels. Cabinet has agreed to several changes, including creating a new mandatory Code of Practice that sets out the duty of pastoral care ...7 days ago
- New trapping guide for community and expert trappers alikeThe Minister for Conservation Eugenie Sage has launched a new comprehensive trapping guide for community trappers to help them protect our native birds, plants and other wildlife, at Zealandia in Wellington today. ‘A practical guide to trapping’, has been developed by the Department of Conservation (DOC), and was launched during ...1 week ago
- Widening Access to Contraceptives WelcomedAssociate Health Minister Julie Anne Genter welcomes PHARMAC’s move to improve access to long-acting reversible contraception (LARCs). PHARMAC has today announced it will fund the full cost of Mirena and Jaydess for anyone seeking long term contraception, lifting previous restrictions on access to Mirena. “I welcome women having greater choices ...1 week ago
- Major upgrade for Taranaki Base HospitalThe Government has approved the next stage of a major redevelopment of Taranaki Base Hospital, which will deliver new and improved facilities for patients. Health Minister Dr David Clark has announced details of a $300 million dollar project to build a new East Wing at the New Plymouth hospital. It ...1 week ago
- Extra support for rural familiesExtra funding will allow Rural Support Trusts to help farming families, says Minister for Rural Communities and Agriculture Damien O’Connor. “I know that rural families are worried about some of the challenges facing them, including the ongoing uncertainty created by the Mycoplasma bovis outbreak. “Those concerns sit alongside ongoing worries ...1 week ago
- Howard Leaque Beekeeper programme graduationThank you for the opportunity to be here to present certificates to the 16 graduates who have completed a beekeeping course delivered by the Howard League. Let us start by acknowledging Auckland Prison’s Deputy Prison Director Tom Sherlock, and Acting Assistant Regional Commissioner of Corrections Northern Region Scott Walker - ...1 week ago
- Finance Minister to attend APEC meetingsFinance Minister Grant Robertson leaves this weekend to attend the APEC Finance Ministers meeting in Santiago, Chile. Discussions between APEC Finance Ministers at the meeting will include the effects of the current global economic uncertainty, risks for APEC economies and sustainable development of the region. While at APEC Grant Robertson ...1 week ago
- Pacific languages are a source of strength, they ground us and build confidenceThe Minister for Pacific Peoples Aupito William Sio says for Pacific people, language can be a source of strength. It can help ground us and give us confidence. When we speak them, our languages provide us with an immediate and intimate access to our identity and our story - and ...1 week ago
- Meet the bakers of the Great Kiwi Bake Off 2019
Hold on to your sponge nubbins, New Zealand’s loveliest reality show Great Kiwi Bake Off is back for a second serving. Before the show’s return on November 3, Tara Ward takes a sneak peek at 2019’s contestants. Lay me down on a soft bed of whipped cream and swab my forehead with a ...37 mins ago - A criminal asked to design anti-money laundering laws would probably keep our current ones
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ronald F Pol, Senior researcher NZ, La Trobe University Money laundering rarely gets as literal as the case in Thailand last week, where police raided homes of a ring suspected of laundering a billion baht (about A$48 million) of drug proceeds and ...1 hour ago - Migrant communities keep our cemeteries alive as more Anglo-Australians turn to cremationSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Wilfred Wang, Lecturer, Communications & Media Studies, Monash University The Australian society has changed significantly since cemeteries in Victoria were planned and designed 150 years ago. But there haven’t been any major redevelopment or review of the community’s changing requirements for what ...1 hour ago
- NZ Post’s failure to maintain adequate postal voting
NZ Post’s failure to maintain an adequate postal voting infrastructure has been the subject of two submissions to Parliamentary Select Committees by the Postal Workers Union since the last Local Authority postal vote in 2016. The union maintained that ...2 hours ago - Australia quiet on trans-Tasman mānuka honey row
New Zealand honey growers appear to have so far avoided the heavy hand of the Australian government in their dispute with apiarists across the Tasman. ...2 hours ago - Weaker US vehicle sales likely to affect THL’s profit
A downturn in Tourism Holdings' (THL) vehicle sales business in the United States is likely to have a material negative affect on its full year results, the company warns. ...2 hours ago - Cheat sheet: Auckland’s tram project goes off the railsThe troubled Auckland Light Rail project is back in the news again, and not for good reasons. So what does it all mean for transport and traffic congestion in New Zealand’s biggest city?What’s all this then?It seemed like such a good plan at the time. Over the course of 10 ...2 hours ago
- Peters puts the spotlight on Pacific and partnership in policy address to international affairs inst...
Since taking office in this Govt, Foreign Minister Winston Peters has applied heft to NZ’s role in the Pacific. Now, 18 months on, he reflects on what has been achieved. Speaking to the NZ Institute of International Affairs, he said NZ is moving away from the donor-recipient dynamics of the ...2 hours ago - Don’t bother lobbying the government about arming (or disarming) the police – Nash says it’s n...
A white police officer who shot and killed an African American woman in her home in Fort Worth, Texas, in the presence of her eight-year-old nephew has been charged with murder after resigning from the force. The Fort Worth Police Department said its officers had been responding to a call from a neighbour, ...2 hours ago - A 12 year old reviews the Auckland Philharmonia OrchestraMadeleine Chapman took her piano-playing nephew Harper to see the orchestra for the first time. Madeleine: When I was very small, I used to sit in the hallway at home with my closest siblings and we would ask our brother Bernard, a teenager at the time, to play songs on the ...4 hours ago
- Taking ag-tech from Dunedin to Ethiopia and beyondOtago-grown agricultural technology company Techion has cornered an international market. Its founder, Greg Mirams, explained how the internet of things and fast fibre broadband has transformed the way he does business.In a Dunedin bedroom in 1992, Greg Mirams invented Techion’s founding product: FEKPAKG2. It was developed to help local farmers ...5 hours ago
- Botany Deserves More in 2020Botany is an electorate that deserves a representative who is committed to their community which is the reason New Conservative has confirmed Elliot Ikilei as the candidate for the 2020 election. ...6 hours ago
- Ten Days left to make submissions to Oranga Tamariki InquiryAnyone who would like to submit an account of their experience of state care to the Māori Inquiry into Oranga Tamariki has 10 days left before submissions close. ...7 hours ago
- Science prizes are still a boys’ club. Here’s how we can change thatSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Justine Shaw, Conservation Biologist, The University of Queensland This year, five of the seven Prime Minister’s Prizes for Science were awarded to women. While this is a welcome development, the great majority of awards and prizes for science, technology, engineering and mathematics ...8 hours ago
- Morrison says China knows ‘where Australia is coming from’, after meeting Chinese vice-presidentSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Scott Morrison seized the opportunity of his Jakarta weekend visit for Indonesian President Joko Widodo’s inauguration to obtain a meeting with Chinese Vice President Wang Qishan. Morrison told a news conference he had come out ...8 hours ago
- The Trump presidency should not be shocking. It’s a symptom of our cultural malaiseSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Brendon O’Connor, Associate Professor in American Politics at the United States Studies Centre, University of Sydney During the 2016 US presidential campaign, people around the world were regularly reassured by election experts that Donald Trump was too outrageous to be elected president. ...8 hours ago
- 4 ways to talk with vaccine skepticsSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Julie Leask, Professor, University of Sydney Your neighbour is telling you about his new baby. He feels nervous about vaccinating, and says he’s considering delaying Lucy’s vaccines. Your mother’s group is chatting about vaccines. One mother tells the group Jimmy isn’t vaccinated, ...8 hours ago
- Who’s responsible for the slaughtered ex-racehorses, and what can be done?Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kate Fenner, PhD Candidate (Equine Training and Welfare), University of Sydney This weekend saw protests at Caulfield racecourse, following a shocking report last week on the ABC’s 7:30 program on the fate of thousands of racehorses in Australia. It is a confronting ...8 hours ago
- Growing numbers of renters are trapped for years in homes they can’t affordSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Hal Pawson, Associate Director – City Futures – Urban Policy and Strategy, City Futures Research Centre, Housing Policy and Practice, UNSW Low-income tenants in Australia are increasingly likely to be trapped in rental stress for years. New evidence from the Productivity Commission ...8 hours ago
- Arrogance destroyed the World Trade Organisation. What replaces it will be even worseSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Quiggin, Professor, School of Economics, The University of Queensland In line with his usual practice, Prime Minister Scott Morrison has backed Donald Trump over the World Trade Organisation, criticising of China’s status in it as a “developing country”. Critics of the ...8 hours ago
- The voice unmasked: how we hear image, emotion and identitySource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kristal Spreadborough, Casual Academic, University of New England As the Australian premier season of The Masked Singer draws to a close, fans are listening hard to guess which celebrities remain behind the weird and wonderful costumes. Although the celebrities throw listeners a ...8 hours ago
- Young New Zealand First made its presence felt at conference
Move over Grey Power, here comes Young New Zealand First. ...9 hours ago - Floating in a liberal bubble about Jacinda
Steve Braunias reviews Michelle Duff’s portrait of Jacinda Ardern, published today. ...9 hours ago - The Bulletin: Pivotal party moving beyond Winston First?Good morning, and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: NZ First holds crucial party conference, roving AOS trial sparks concerns, and Mediaworks facing dramatic days ahead.The most pivotal political party in the country right now has held their annual conference, a year out from what will be a make ...9 hours ago
- Sometimes you can win when you lose
Canon Focus on Rugby: Jim Kayes reports from the madness at Oita as the Brave Blossoms' journey at the Rugby World Cup is blown apart. ...10 hours ago - Around the world in five cannabis marketsFive experts, all from countries with varying levels of cannabis legality, came to Auckland to speak on the benefits and costs of the drug before New Zealand’s cannabis referendum in 2020. Alice Webb-Liddall reports.While New Zealanders wait for the cannabis referendum in 2020, the government is working hard to draft ...11 hours ago
- Turning ugly into transformational
Protesting has brought about enormous social change in NZ. Will transformational groups emerge from the climate and Ihumātao protests? Trevor Richards hopes so. ...11 hours ago - Blockchain and the technology of truth
Dr Olivier Jutel goes deep on blockchain, explaining why we should be cognisant of sweeping ideological claims masquerading as the technology of truth. ...11 hours ago - Warning: tariffs are scarier than you think
Donald Trump’s tariff war is hitting the world economy hard, and there's no sign of a truce. But it's scarier than that. Nikki Mandow reports. ...11 hours ago - Of chocolate biscuits and conflicted bank directors
Could New Zealanders be short-changed by a conflicted relationship between New Zealand bank leaders and their Aussie parent companies? ...11 hours ago - How do you solve the problem of no Maria?
Are the Silver Ferns ready to lose the world's best shooter, Maria Folau, still at the top of her game? ...11 hours ago - Young NZ First steps up to be heard
They've long been the butt of jokes, but NZ First's youth wing is serious about having a greater say within the party. ...11 hours ago - Peters light on policy, heavy on punches as National attacks continue
The NZ First leader offered up his greatest hits to an adoring crowd - but did little to suggest a change of team is viable come 2020. ...11 hours ago - A view from the sharp end of New Zealand’s suicide problemA psychiatric doctor who helps suicidal teenagers says the Ministry of Health’s suicide reduction plans miss much of the wider issue. We need to listen to affected communities, and equip them to make the changes they need, he writes.Last week, as I left yet another 3am crisis interview in ED ...11 hours ago
- Gloom in a boom
The construction industry is more optimistic and better off than gloomy confidence surveys would suggest. ...11 hours ago - Police are trialing new heavily armed units. This ex-cop thinks that’s a very dangerous ideaHighly trained, armed police are a necessary tool in emergency situations, but roving teams eager to find work could be a recipe for disaster, writes investigator and former police officer Tim McKinnel for RNZ. Police announced yesterday they are to introduce a trial of Armed Response Teams (ARTs) in Auckland, Waikato ...21 hours ago
- EDS: Second working paper on resource management reformMedia Release: EDS releases second working paper in Phase 2 of its Resource Management Reform project ...22 hours ago
- NZ First conference: No policy announcement from PetersThere was no big policy announcement from New Zealand First leader Winston Peters today despite promising there would be. ...1 day ago
- Proposals to curb environmental damage help our coasts“Proposals to curb environmental damage help our coasts and the oceans Government Ministers today welcomed the release of a marine environment report highlighting the four key issues affecting our oceans, estuaries and coastlines. We at CEAC also ...1 day ago
- Iran’s great global adventurers – around the lost world in 10 yearsDavid Robie, concluding his three-part series about Iran, profiles an extraordinary pair of Tehran brothers who have been pioneering global research adventurers. They have been dubbed the “Persian Indiana Joneses”. Their adventures are fabled and hair-raising, as shown by a Jivaro shrunken human head and relics from curious rituals ...1 day ago
- Smith plays conductor in All Blacks masterclass
Patience was a key virtue as the All Blacks dismantled Ireland ...1 day ago - NZ First to reconsider position on drug testingNew Zealand First members have voted in favour of reconsidering the party's position on drug testing at festivals. ...1 day ago
- Bikes are the new carsFour months ago Caroline Shaw bought an e-bike. She explains why they’re the answer to our lethal car culture.Four months ago we took what felt like a huge leap of faith and bought an e-cargo bike. The combination of three things tipped us over the edge: feeling the need to ...1 day ago
- The curious case of Auckland Mag, the most popular website you’ve never heard ofThe online magazine that boasted a bigger Instagram following than most New Zealand media has abruptly come to an end. So what was Auckland Mag? Why did it exist? And who was it mysterious founder Dan Rolph? David Farrier investigates. The reply from Dan Rolph at Auckland Magazine came quickly. It came ...1 day ago
- New Zealand media: a health checkIn the wake of the shocking revelations about Three, Duncan Greive assesses the health of New Zealand’s six big media companies.Winston Peters has studied the cold, pitiless heart of a certain strand of New Zealander for four decades now, and has become our foremost expert on both expressing its feelings ...1 day ago
- Colonialism, drug laws and incarceration: a tragedy in three partsUS justice reform activists Deborah Small and asha bandele say white supremacy and colonialism are at the heart of punitive drug laws. They spoke to Teuila Fuatai about how drug reform can reverse their effects on minority communities. Deborah Small sees Donald Trump as the US Dorian Gray. “He’s the physical ...1 day ago
- How to eat Christchurch in one dayMadeleine Chapman spent a day learning about Christchurch through its most famous dishes.What is there do with with a day in Christchurch? Thanks to the inexplicably early check-out times at hotels all over the world and a 7pm flight back to Auckland, I had a full day to wander the ...1 day ago
- NZ First would only work with a National that ‘goes back to what it used to be’The National Party in it's current state wouldn't be worth negotiating with, Winston Peters says. ...2 days ago
- NZ First revs engine on first day of party conference
Winston Peters says his party is a handbrake on bad ideas and a "supercharged turbo" for good ones - but will it be in the driver's seat come 2020? ...2 days ago - John Key just met the most powerful man in China. How and why remains a mysteryOur former prime minister secured a meeting with Chinese premier Xi Jinping outside all normal diplomatic channels. Interest’s Jenée Tibshraeny asks what it means for New Zealand’s evolving relationship with the superpower.Former prime minister John Key secured a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping this week without the involvement of ...2 days ago
- 10 reasons why tourists must visit IranDavid Robie continues his three-part series about travelling in Iran. I stumbled on the scene by chance. Our host family in Iran’s second city Mashhad, a modern and beautiful metropolis that would comfortably fit in New Zealand’s entire population, was taking us on a drive to the outskirts to ...2 days ago
- Winston Peters lashes out at mediaNew Zealand First leader Winston Peters has lashed out at the media, in particular, MediaWorks, just a day after the company announced it was selling off its television arm. ...2 days ago
- Gun owners force Winston Peters out of NZ First conferenceAbout a hundred disgruntled licensed gun owners have descended on the New Zealand First conference to tell the party leader Winston Peters that they feel like victims. ...2 days ago
- The Nation: Simon Shepherd Interviews Golriz GhahramanThe prospect of ISIS fighters returning home to New Zealand is becoming more likely by the day. ...2 days ago
- The Nation: Wellington Mayor-elect Andy FosterAndy Foster scraped into the Wellington mayoralty with a tiny majority on a lead of 62 votes. ...2 days ago
- NZ First conference: 90-day job trials for ex-prisoners among remitsNew Zealand First members will vote on a policy today that would allow businesses of all sizes to enforce 90-day trials when they employ people straight out of prison. ...2 days ago
- Saturday short story: Hayfever, by Alice Tawhai
"Each time she held her lighter underneath the pipe and sucked the smoke into the back of her throat, the promise was there": a New Zealand tragedy by Alice Tawhai. ...2 days ago - Kamahl Santamaria: What made – and still makes – Three differentWith the future of Mediaworks’ TV business hanging in the balance, Al Jazeera news presenter Kamahl Santamaria reflects on what the imperilled channel meant, and continues to mean, to him.I always liked the logo. The fresh bright colours, the nod to a koru in its shape, and just the fact ...2 days ago
- Postal voting is a flimsy antique. The future is social votingThere are still many barriers preventing people from voting in local elections. Laura O’Connell Rapira proposes some social solutions.The Spinoff local election coverage is made possible thanks to The Spinoff Members. For more about becoming a member and supporting The Spinoff’s journalism click here.To vote in the local elections, I cast ...2 days ago
- Japanese fans have lit up the World Cup – and show us all how to back our teamsWhat’s really stood out for me being back in Tokyo is the unique qualities of Japan’s spectators, writes Richard Light, professor of sport coaching at the University of Canterbury.The Rugby World Cup has thrown a global spotlight on Japan over recent weeks. Not just the rugby: the distinctive culture and ...2 days ago
- Winston Peters and the survival conundrum: will NZ First quit the coalition?As the New Zealand First Party gathers for its annual conference, the question swirling in the year is how it can carve out a path to avoid electoral defeat in 2020, writes Jo Moir for RNZ. It’s not you, it’s me. It’s a familiar break up excuse that’s used ...2 days ago
- Emily Writes: A love letter to the people that keep our houses standingTo the early intervention therapists, to the teachers, to the speech therapists, the occupational therapists, music therapists, diabetes nurses and all: you change the world.When I was married almost a decade ago we had the following reading at our wedding:You are holding up a ceilingwith both arms. It is very ...2 days ago
- Boris triumphant. Looks like it
The faces said it all. The smiles of the European leaders crowded round Boris after the Brexit deal was struck. The deal his opponents – no, pretty much everyone – said was impossible. So what’s in it? The detail is still opaque, but subject to gremlins in the fine print, ...3 days ago - Iran a hugely ‘friendly’ country behind the sabre-rattlingIran attracts an onslaught of negative media in New Zealand and Western media. But is it fair or deserved? David Robie has spent several weeks travelling in the country on sabbatical and finds the media negativity far from the reality of the “most friendly” country he has ever visited ...3 days ago
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Must tell Crusher that this new prison is a beauty, but the fences could be higher.
“Hi kids, how is your day going?”
National unveil’s new bare bones classroom.
Under National’s new rules kids, lollies are for men like me and not for brownies like you.
John Key at a School
Oh look…where i belong….behind bars!!!
Potential private prison operators successfully lobby John Key for a new national standards test for schools.
… and those who fail go into the cage
“I enjoyed your post on the Standard the other day. Actually, I thought you were younger.”
Kiwi kids enjoying the latest addition to the zoos primate house…
“ummmm ….. ummmmm ….. – am i supposed to touch these kids?
Do you have my gloves?
ahhhmmmmm!!!! – Mr Handler, are you listening?!!
What, no gloves? Shit, i’ll just have to wing it …
Ok … Tarloofa larva tamariki
Now, about those new books we promised you … well, it’s not in the budget any more, and our party demographers tell me that most of you guys will just end up in a rathar similar position to your present one, or in a job where you don’t really need to read anyhow, so we figure it’s a rational spending curtailment.
We will however be increasing spending on prisons, so your accommodation will be fully government funded in the future!”
(Key flourishes peace signs with both hands) …
You want to get through the fence and go to the toilet, little girl? You can do that at the end of the day.
Young child, pointing:
“Everybody run! That big guy looks hungry.”
I can’t see Parekura or Gerry in the photo ?
National unveils its new approach to prison overcrowding – condition them while they’re young.
Todays’ fool checking out tomorrows school….. Battery education
Thinks to self…” great photo opp…..they don’t look japanese aside from the height….where’s Disneyland ? ….oh well another good weeks work, especially claimimg credit for that 4 year in the making trade deal…..awesum”
‘If your parents worked harder, you could be on this side of the fence with me’
(best thing we ever did, passing (under urgency) the sins of the father Act)
“Ur chainsawed edjucashun systum – let me show u eet”
I’ll have that one . . . that one . . and that one. Make sure they’re skinned, gutted and delivered before the weekend. Thanks.
That’s not very funny.
John Key goes shopping for his Waitangi Day chaperone.
lolz
The children the children let me touch the small children please please let me touch the children.
Eeew.
“Do you remember that day last year, kids, when those big Union vans came to take your parents away? Yes, scary wasn’t it!”
And the kids all sang:
“Ding Dong, the witch is dead!
Which old witch?
The wicked witch!
Ding Dong the wicked witch is dead!”
If you try really hard in your next test ‘Chopper’ Tolley might consider letting you out.
Quite a few strange comments about this caption competition.
There are adults here? or is this year 4?
Child no.1: Are you enjoying our trip to the circus?
Child No.2: Yes,it’s great! Hey isn’t that the clown that was on the Letterman show?
“Ok under privilaged kiddies lets free you all from labours welfare trap”
Hey kid, do you know where I can get my ghetto pass from?
one child: “Hello Mr Key”
another child: “Hello Prime Minister”
a couple of other childs: “giggle giggle”
Sign on fence says, Kids,Please don’t feed the Don Key.
Get used to it – your sort will always be on that side, my kind will always be on this side
“Watch my smile. See? When you have learned to read and count, then I will let you out. Trust me.”
get used to bars kids because labour wants to keep you poor
John Key receives family visit.
“Oooh, small hands. Great for picking fruit.”
[But seriously, righties? You could at least try to be funny with your entries.]
[ i know, it’s so sad]
KIDDIES WELCOME LEI-TEST PM NOSE-PROTECTOR: EYE-POKE-SAFE BUT HAND-SLIME STILL A PROBLEM SAY PARENTS
😆
Children farewell Ronald McDonald at Reykjavik airport.
wooohoo look at me….NZ’s single worst PM who has followed NZ’s single most successful PM.