Caption contest
Written By:
- Date published:
5:00 pm, November 27th, 2014 - 116 comments
Categories: caption contest, humour -
Tags:
Keep it seemly …
116 comments on “Caption contest ”
- Comments are now closed
- Comments are now closed
Recent Comments
- Building a norm against nuclear weapons
Back in 2017, the UN General Assembly approved the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, and New Zealand was one of the first countries to sign. Now, a 50th ratification is finally going to bring it into force: Campaigners have hailed a "new chapter" after a key step ...2 hours ago - Change wins in ChileThis time last year, Chile was in rebellion against its government. Protests against a train fare increase turned into protests against inequality, and then, when the right-wing government deployed the military to crush them, into protests against the government and the dictator-imposed constitution. And the protestors won: half the cabinet ...3 hours ago
- Speaker: Rewarding competence
If you were listening to New Zealand’s punditocracy in the days since Labour won the general election with a record-setting outright majority, you’d be forgiven for thinking that Labour had actually lost.Last time around pundits could barely deal with the fact that the National government had lost its majority, and ...8 hours ago - NZ Politics Daily â 27 October 2020
Today’s content Labour Party and new Labour Government Andrea Vance (Stuff): ‘Labour Connect’ the data analysis tool that boosted Jacinda Ardern’s campaign Heather du Plessis-Allan (Herald): Time for Govt to take some risks (paywalled) Audrey Young (Herald): Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern on her big win and big plans (paywalled) Audrey Young: What Kelvin Davis wants for MÄori from ...9 hours ago - Thirty Years Ago Today: Musings on the Fourth Labour Government
The New Zealand media and the New Zealand public are still chattering about what Jacinda Ardern will do with her brand-spanking-new single party majority Government. The consensus – apart from a few wishful-thinkers – is “probably not much.” This is the era of “incrementalism”, which during the Helen Clark ...10 hours ago - Water on the Moon?
The space news this week is largely focused on an announcement from NASA regarding the discovery of water on the Moon. Not liquid water – the lunar surface is far too cold for that – but apparently ice deposits in the surface layers in near-polar regions, and perhaps deeper ...12 hours ago - Yes Minister.
What it is like to be a new Minister Good morning Minister? Congratulations, you are minister for the very important department of state which I run as Chief Excutive. Have they fixed you up with all the accoutrements of office: the chauffeured limousine, your own car, state supplied accommodation ...19 hours ago - The Debunking Handbook 2020: Debunk often and properly
This blog post is part 4 of a series of excerpts from The Debunking Handbook 2020 which can be downloaded here. The list of references is available here. Debunk often and properly If you cannot preempt, you must debunk. For debunking to be effective, it is important to provide detailed ...23 hours ago - The Debunking Handbook 2020: ReferencesThis is the list of references for The Debunking Handbook 2020Lewandowsky, S., Cook, J., Ecker, U. K. H., Albarracín, D., Amazeen, M. A., Kendeou, P., Lombardi, D., Newman, E. J., Pennycook, G., Porter, E. Rand, D. G., Rapp, D. N., Reifler, J., Roozenbeek, J., Schmid, P., Seifert, C. M., Sinatra, ...23 hours ago
- When the dictator wears capes.
Today Chileans voted overwhelmingly to elect a constitutional assembly and redraft the 1980 Constitution promulgated by the dictatorship of Agusto Pinochet. I regret that my old friend Bob Barros, whose death I wrote about a while ago, is not around to see this moment because he was the first person ...1 day ago - Everyone I donât like is Hitler, or, how i got banned by Facebook
I do not really use Facebook anymore. I used to. For several years now, however, my drug of choice has been Twitter. It is equally pointless but is more agreeable better than Zuckerberg's monster is for me.I haven't deactivated my account because I still use FB as a means of ...1 day ago - Gal Gadot, The Orient and Identity Politics
by GearĂłid Ă Loingsigh (14/10/2020) A row has recently erupted over the casting of the Israeli actress Gal Gadot as Cleopatra in an upcoming film. Part of the objections to her playing the role are based on the fact that she is not only Israeli, but a Zionist to boot, ...1 day ago - Getting Our Priorities Right
Much of the political debate over the past few months – as we have grappled with the coronavirus pandemic – has centred on the question of whether it is the interests of business or the health of the community that should take priority in policy terms. Much has been made ...1 day ago - 2020 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming Digest #43Story of the Week... Toon of the Week... Quote of the Week... Coming Soon on SkS... Poster of the Week... SkS Week in Review Story of the Week... Alarm as Arctic sea ice not yet freezing at latest date on record Delayed freeze in Laptev Sea could have ...1 day ago
- 2020 â Post mortem or Prologue?
. . A narcissistic, third-rate, Bond-villain code-named “Trump” takes control of the United States; a global pandemic brings human civilisation to a near stand-still; Whakaari/White Island erupts creating a hellish tragedy; Level 4 and 3 Lockdowns result in deserted streets straight out of The Quiet Earth; a new “Fortress ...1 day ago - Media Link: Some Bolivian and NZ post-election analysis on âA View from Afar.âThis last week’s podcast featuring Selwyn Manning and I focused on post-election analysis in two small states, one land locked and the other surrounded by water. Check it out here. ...2 days ago
- Analysis of an Election â Aaaarghghgh! What happened????
With a week or so gone since the catastrophic election result for the National Party of Aotearoa New Zealand, MyThinks have set the team to work to come up with their hot takes on what has caused the previous all powerful party of government to collapse under the weight of ...2 days ago - A response to Judith ButlerFeminist Ani O’Brien takes a critical look at Judith Butler and the Kim Hill interview (17/10/20): It has been a while since I have done a bit-by-bit response piece, but this weekend Radio New Zealand journalist Kim Hill interviewed Professor Judith Butler on the conflict between trans activists and âTERFsâ and I have ...2 days ago
- 2020 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #43A chronological listing of news articles linked to on the Skeptical Science Facebook Page during the past week: Sun, Oct 18, 2020 through Sat, Oct 24, 2020 Editor's Choice A second Trump term would mean severe and irreversible changes in the climate No joke: It would be disastrous on the ...2 days ago
- Nationalâs electoral slaughter
Judith (Crusher) CollinsWe all agree that the 2020 general election was a complete disaster for the National Party. Not only did the blue âteamâ receive only 26.8 per cent support, the results also left those who did unwisely back the National Party with a lingering bad taste in their mouths.In ...3 days ago - The Ideal and the Reality for a New MP
Being an MP is not quite what you think. Hello Mr Orange Man, Iâve really depended on you during the election over the last few weeks. Thankyou for helping me to get elected to parliament. So what are you doing here, meeting me in parliament, now I have ...4 days ago - COVID-19: backing our front rowNew Zealand has been called out as an outstanding player in managing COVID-19. Weâve done well,[1] but weâre far from perfect. We could do a lot better at backing our front row. Epidemiologists advise nations not to play âwait and seeâ. If By the time they do see, itâs all ...4 days ago
- Fleeing to the Dawn â accepted
Good bit of news on the short story front: my 1700 word fantasy piece, Fleeing to the Dawn, has been accepted for the Autumn 2020 edition of Shorts Magazine: http://shortsmagazine.com/ This one was a case of a previously unsuccessful story being dusted off and polished up. It is ...4 days ago - The Debunking Handbook 2020: The elusive backfire effectsThis blog post is part 3 of a series of excerpts from The Debunking Handbook 2020 which can be downloaded here. The list of references is available here. The elusive backfire effects Ten years ago, scholars and practitioners were concerned that corrections may “backfire”; that is, ironically strengthen misconceptions rather ...4 days ago
- Prosecute ICEWe knew that US Immigration and Customs Enforcement was a moral void: they run concentration camps, and forcibly separate children from their parents. And now they're outright torturing people: US immigration officers allegedly tortured Cameroonian asylum seekers to force them to sign their own deportation orders, in what lawyers ...4 days ago
- Fly on the wall of the first National caucus since electionOver the past several months, the team at MyThinks have been involved in a vast insect training programme. We have been working to teach our six-legged friends to become the finest of political reporters. This week we sent our deputy political diptera into the National Party caucus room for their ...4 days ago
- The Twilight Of Boomer Power.
4 days ago - NZ Politics Daily â 23 October 2020Today’s content Labour government Peter Dunne (Newsroom):Â At the highwater mark with little wriggle room RNZ: Caucus:Â Explaining The Red Tide: Kiwis hug Jacinda back as Labour breaks records Chris Trotter (Daily Blog):Â Itâs Time For Some âEarnest Struggleâ Chris Trotter:Â “Change That Sticks.” Chris Trotter (Daily Blog):Â The Twilight Of Boomer Power Brent Edwards ...4 days ago
- “Change That Sticks.”Implementing Change With Us - Not Imposing It On Us: Jacinda Ardern, like Mickey Savage before her, understands what her more revolutionary critics do not: that the only sort of socialism that endures is democratic socialism â socialism by popular demand and with popular consent.AFTER THE BIGGEST WIN in nearly ...4 days ago
- Science at the movies: The new comet impact filmDisaster movies forever capture the public attention… but did you ever stop to think that the word disaster actually means bad star? That is, ‘dis’ implies a pejorative (as in disease, or disgust, or disrespect), while ‘aster’ comes from the Latin astrum, similarly the Greek astron. Asteroids are called that ...5 days ago
- The Adventures of Annalax: Volume XI
Yes, dinosaurs. Annalax would think of them as giant horned lizards. They were also terrified of us, what with Magni still being covered in spider goo, and hence smelling like a Leng Spider. The ... 5 days ago - PrioritiesMuch of the political debate over the past few months – as we have grappled with the coronavirus pandemic – has centred on the question of whether it is the interests of business or the health of the community that should take priority in policy terms. Much has been made ...5 days ago
- Farmers earning their reputation againNew Zealand farmers routinely complain about the public viewing them as environmental vandals. At the same time, they're opposing basic environmental regulation: Federated Farmers has asked that a wide-ranging plan change setting water use rules for South Canterbury remove all references to the protection of âindigenous fishâ. [...] ...5 days ago
- NZ Politics Daily â 22 October 2020Labour-Greens talks, Labour govt Henry Cooke (Stuff): There is no evidence National voters backed Labour to keep the Greens out Audrey Young (Herald): Labour holds all the cards as Ardern’s talks with Greens get underway RNZ: Greens better off independent – Former Green MP Catherine Delahunty Heather du Plessis-Allan (Newstalk ZB): Greens would be ...5 days ago
- Geoffrey Miller: Stardust across the Middle East: How Arab media reported on NZâs electionNews is not in short supply in the Middle East, and on Saturday, Arab media remained focused heavily on the conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia in Nagorno-Karabakh. Nevertheless, the New Zealand election – and especially Jacinda Ardern’s personal success – received significant attention from Arabic-language TV news channels, newspapers and ...5 days ago
- Geoffrey Miller: Stardust across the Middle East â how Arab media covered the New Zealand electionNews is not in short supply in the Middle East, and at the weekend, Arabic-language media remained firmly focused on the conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia in Nagorno-Karabakh. Nevertheless, the New Zealand election â and above all Jacinda Ardern’s personal success â still received significant attention from Arabic-language TV news ...5 days ago
- It's Time For Some “Earnest Struggle”.5 days ago
- Party Like Itâs 1936: Songs for the Philologists
It’s the most obscure Tolkien book of all… so obscure that only fourteen copies exist: Songs for the Philologists, a 1936 collection of thirty humorous verses, by Tolkien (who wrote thirteen), E.V. Gordon, and ... 6 days ago - Bryce Edwards: Political Roundup â Nationalâs catastrophic collapse and fraught rebuildThe National Partyâs defeat has been so comprehensive that few in the party seem optimistic they will recover anytime soon. Falling from 47% in 2017 to just 27% (which might drop as low as 25% once special votes are counted), is one of the most severe collapses in New Zealandâs ...6 days ago
- Skeptical Science New Research for Week #42, 2020Dust-up at the Denial Corral, in "journal time" Way back in 2017 the Institute of Physics publication Environmental Research Letters (ERL) published a featured article, Assessing ExxonMobil's climate change communications (1977–2014), by Supran & Oreskes. The article reverberated widely as it exposed a documented a pattern of behavior arguably described as perfidious. The authors ...6 days ago
- Nowâs the time â expand ACC
Having ruled out Capital Gains Tax and Wealth Tax, the incoming Labour government must be looking for some significant progressive policies that they havenât already ruled out. Expanding the ACC scheme fits that brief, and the Green Party have conveniently already proposed doing so. But, how to fund it? The accident/illness ...6 days ago - Managing to the targetNew Zealand's health system is chronicly underfunded, and so almost all DHBs run deficits. Last month, just before he bailed out Canterbury DHB, Health Minister Chris Hipkins was repeating the mantra that DHBs must live within their means and "have a credible plan to return to financial sustainability". But yesterday, ...6 days ago
- Solarise all the things!If we are to avoid dangerous levels of climate change, we need to decarbonise the economy and shift our energy supply completely to renewables. The good news is that the International Energy Agency thinks that that is going to happen. The reason? Interest rates have dropped. And this means that ...6 days ago
- New Zealand weighs up a nation-sized batteryIan Mason and Robert McLachlan Climate change was a small but perceptible part of the recent election. On climate change, Labour pointed proudly to their record of legislating for net zero emissions by 2050 (nicknamed the âZero Carbon Actâ), establishing a Climate Change Commission to set carbon budgets and advise ...6 days ago
- WHO reform: a call for an early-warning protocol for infectious diseasesPeter Gluckman and Alexander Gillespie, University of Waikato The World Health Organization (WHO) has come in for its share of criticism for its handling of the COVID-19 pandemic. While some faults are the responsibility of the WHO, others were caused by member states, which did not always act as quickly ...6 days ago
- NZ Politics Daily â 21 October 2020Today’s content Election Jack Vowles (The Conversation):Â The 2020 NZ election saw record vote volatility â what does that mean for the next Labour government? Jason Walls and Chris Knox (Herald):Â 20 fascinating facts about the 2020 election you might have missed Stuff:Â Labour Day: A vote-by-vote analysis of New Zealandâs historic shift ...6 days ago
- Do Landslides Change the Landscape in the Long Run?
It was easy for election night commentators to use the âlandslideâ trope to describe Labourâs winning of the 2020 election. But the historical record suggests that such landslides may not last long. In 1935, the First (Savage-Fraser) Labour Government won 53 seats in a parliament of 80; National ...7 days ago - The Debunking Handbook 2020: Prevent misinformation from sticking if you canThis blog post is part 2 of a series of excerpts from The Debunking Handbook 2020 which can be downloaded here. The list of references is available here. Prevent misinformation from sticking if you can Because misinformation is sticky, it’s best preempted. This can be achieved by explaining misleading or ...7 days ago
- Graeme Edgeler: Mandates are not mandatory, but they are also not meaninglessThere’s a lot of talk about what the Labour Government’s new mandate is. For a discussion of exactly what that might mean, Graeme Edgeler explores the murky logic of what they can and can’t do, pointing out that ultimately voters decide if this mandate was properly used in three years. ...1 week ago
- Hyping it up over fluoridation
In my time as a scientific researcher, honest scientists used to condemn colleagues who over-hyped their science. To our mind there should have been a special place in hell for scientists who misrepresented their ... 1 week ago - Donât fall for the Covid contrariansAs life in Aotearoa gets back to some kind of normal after our latest Covid-19 outbreak, cases in the northern hemisphere are on the rise again and that puts us all at risk. Because no one is safe until we are all safe. This is a tricky virus. We now ...1 week ago
- Liam Hehir: Online abuse and the standard you walk byThereâs a lot of nastiness in the online public sphere, much of it tribal, petty and personal. Political commentator and Twitter enthusiast Liam Hehir has seen too much of it, and explains why heâs going to actively stand up against it. I did a radio interview a little while ...1 week ago
- Tanzania: elections, neoliberalism and economic diplomacyPolitics in New Zealand is the main focus of Redline, along with supporting liberation movements and anti-imperialist struggles. We have had little material from the African continent, so are pleased to print this submission from a Tanzanian writer on their pending elections. Tanzania will be going to the polls on ...1 week ago
- Governing For All Of Us.The Kind Colossus: There are those on the Left who fear that Jacindaâs attachment to the centre will prevent her from doing what so urgently needs to be done in housing, welfare, child poverty, industrial relations and climate change. They argue that the only people she and her government will ...1 week ago
- NZ Politics Daily â 20 October 2020Today’s content Coalition negotiations, shape of government Gordon Campbell:Â On why the Greens shouldnât join the government Andrew Geddis (Pundit):Â What Sort Of Relationship Might Labour And The Greens Agree On? Audrey Young (Herald):Â Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern holds preparatory talks with Greens but coalition looking unlikely Thomas Coughlan (Stuff):Â Jacinda Ardern tight-lipped after ...1 week ago
- What sort of relationship might Labour and the Greens agree on?
Even without knowing the final election result (because, donât forget thereâs about 500,000 special votes still to count and they very likely will change Saturdayâs results), we can say two things for certain about the next government. Jacinda Ardern will be its Prime Minister. And Labour will be at its core. But ...1 week ago - Bryce Edwards: Political Roundup â Leftwing euphoria meets realityThe political left has been euphoric since Saturdayâs night historic landslide victory for Labour. But political commentators from across the spectrum are united in warning that the new Government isnât about to be transformative. Instead, we will see more of a status quo administration grappling with a crisis, with very ...1 week ago
- Yes, a mandate for sure⌠but issues for NZ will be far, far more difficult now
With the NZ General Election and Referendums over for 2020, Jacinda Ardern is to form a Government over the next few weeks, “there are some areas we do want to crack on with, that we will need to expedite”, and talks will begin to form around what the voters ...1 week ago - Labour Party landslide – 2020 Election in reviewJacinda Ardern - Prime Minister of New ZealandThe 2020 General Election has been one of the most interesting in New Zealandâs political history. Not only did we have voters provide the Labour Party with a stratospheric 49.1% mandate to govern, the results also delivered National with a crushing 26.8% defeat ...1 week ago
- Be careful what you wish for: Labour's difficult triumph
Labourâs overwhelming victory at the election has been greeted with rousing cheers on the left of New Zealand politics and the start of transformational demands. Itâs a multi-generational win for Labour, out-polling the Kirk, Lange and Clark victories. You have to go back to 1938 for a bigger percentage (55.8%) ...1 week ago - A Skeptical Science member's path to an experiment on carbon sequestrationDuring what now seems like another era entirely- back in February of this long year- Skeptical Science regular RedBaron (aka Scott Strough) mentioned in a discussion thread here that he'd been working on an idea for no-till cultivation of vegetables, was seeking to quantify what appeared to be promising results. Scott ...1 week ago
- Jacinda Will Keep Us Moving â To The Same Place.Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes? Not Likely: Though few New Zealanders would express it in such a fashion: Jacindaâs and Labourâs general handling of the Covid-19 crisis proved both to be highly effective defenders of the capitalist status quo. She, and they, kept the lights on. And that, in the absence of an alternative ...1 week ago
- The Greens and LabourWith an absolute majority, Labour can govern in its own right, and doesn't need partners. But while unnecessary, they're a nice-to-have, both as backup and for PR reasons. Ardern has talked about "consensus", and there are obvious benefits for her of having government policy endorsed by as many parties as ...1 week ago
- 2020 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming Digest #42Story of the Week... Toon of the Week... Coming Soon on SkS... Climate Feedback Claim Review... SkS Week in Review... Poster of the Week... Story of the Week... Earth has warmest September on record, and 2020 may clinch hottest year Record warmth in Europe and Asia overwhelms a ...1 week ago
- Josh Van Veen: The Vindication of Winston PetersAn egalitarian spirit is currently being revived in New Zealand, and we should thank Winston Peters for keeping alive that spirit. Josh Van Veen, who once worked with the NZ First leader, pays his tribute. With New Zealand First receiving less than 3% of the vote, critics are happily ...1 week ago
- The Hunt for Red October: Musings on Taieri
So New Zealand has had its general election. Jacinda Ardern has managed a single-party majority government, New Zealand’s first in twenty-six years, and its first since the adoption of proportional representation. I intend to do a comment on that further down the line – my feelings on the Sunday ...1 week ago - Lessons from the ElectionThis yearâs general election has broken new ground – and not just in terms of its outcome, the seats won and votes cast, and – in an MMP environment – the margin of victory. It also suggests that something quite fundamental has changed in New Zealand politics. The outcome is ...1 week ago
- The unexpected resultThe people have spoken, and its a Labour majority government. This wasn't meant to happen under MMP, and in fact its exactly what the system was designed to prevent: no majority governments, no elected dictatorships, unless we really, really want it (which at the time seemed unlikely on 40 years ...1 week ago
- Schadenfreude is a dish best served blueWhat started out as the largest party in parliament has ended election night scratching the back door of the house of irrelevance. ...1 week ago
- 2020 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #42A chronological listing of news articles linked to on the Skeptical Science Facebook Page during the past week: Sun, Oct 11, 2020 through Sat, Oct 17, 2020 Editor's Choice A FIELD GUIDE TOTHE ELECTION AND CLIMATE CHANGE The presidential election is just weeks away, and climate change has broken ...1 week ago
- Legal Beagle: Election '20: The Special VotesThe 2020 General Election has a preliminary result. For reasons I am unable to really explain, we will not have even a preliminary result for the end of life choice and cannabis legalisation referendums for some weeks (I dropped the ball on that one when the referendum legislation was before ...1 week ago
- National rejects tonightâs result as a ârogue pollâ
National are dismissing tonightâs election result as an âobvious outlierâ Half an hour into counting, National Party leader Judith Collins and deputy leader Gerry Brownlee are already dismissing tonightâs election result as a ârogue pollâ, saying itâs an incomplete survey with shoddy methodology. Brownlee called an emergency media stand-up just ...1 week ago - Jacinda Ardern ran down four National supporters with her car this morning but due to electoral law ...Dr. Ashley Bloomfield reported at todayâs 1pm health briefing that the Coronavirus turns out not to exist, but that information was also withheld on the same grounds. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern began her election morning by ruthlessly driving her car into a family of National supporters just blocks from her ...1 week ago
- Six weird animals that have nothing to do with the electionGet a load of these things! Some of these animals are just crazy. You wouldnât want a single one of these animals anywhere near your kids. It could ruin them for life. Last thing youâd want is your kid growing up around any of these, and thinking thatâs what animals ...1 week ago
- 1pm Covid Health Update for 17th October, 2020What follows is todayâs 1pm health update from the Ministry of Health There are 12 new cases of Covid-19 today, six in managed isolation, three escaped, and three are wealthy foreigners so itâs fine. One of these cases is a man in his 50s who visited Auckland sex club Fisting ...1 week ago
- WATCH LIVE: Election Night 2020
...1 week ago - Election Night Speech – Marama Davidson
Kia ora tÄtou kÄtoa. NgÄ mihi maioha ki a koutou Te Roopu Kakariki, ngÄ kaitautoko, e aroha ana I te kaupapa mo te taiao me te mokopuna. No reira tena koutou, tena koutou, tena koutou katoa. I am so proud to be standing here tonight, at the end of an ...1 week ago - Election Night Speech – James ShawOn Election Night three years ago I stood up in front of you to say, âWe are still here!â Well, tonight, not only are we still here, we are the first support party in MMP history to have started and finished a term in government above the 5% threshold. We ...1 week ago
- Greens only party with plan to meet scale of climate challengeA new report showing that the effects of climate change are already being felt in Aotearoa New Zealand shows the importance of the Green Party pushing for urgent action in the next Government. ...2 weeks ago
- Green Party commits to stronger urban tree protection and no new mines on public conservation landThe Green Party is the only party in Parliament which is explicitly committing to protecting public conservation land and the indigenous plants and wildlife which live there, from destructive mining. ...2 weeks ago
- Greens close campaign with COVID-19 recovery pitchThe Green Party says a Green-Labour partnership next term is the only way to ensure that we build back better than before, whilst addressing the other crises of biodiversity, climate change and poverty. Â ...2 weeks ago
- Vote still undecided? Watch this.As of today, over 1.4 million New Zealanders have already cast their votes in this yearâs election. While this shows that a huge number of people have already made up their minds about who they want to lead our country, there are many who are still undecided. ...2 weeks ago
- Labour's 2020 Election ManifestoThe Labour Party understands how important continuity, stability and clarity are for New Zealanders in these uncertain times. Thatâs why, in our 2020 Election Manifesto, weâre setting out how we will continue to invest in people, jobs, small businesses, infrastructure, and global trade, to set New Zealand up for the ...2 weeks ago
- Green Party releases tourism policyToday the Green Partyâs conservation spokesperson Eugenie Sage went kayaking on Akaroa Harbour to highlight the greater protection achieved for Hectorâs and Maui dolphins this term and the Greensâ election commitment to supporting sustainable tourism. ...2 weeks ago
- Nationalâs false âwealth taxâ claims: The âlast roll of the misinformation diceââCollins has warned voters to expect a wealth tax. This is despite the fact Labour has ruled this out a number of times.â â Jason Walls, NZ Herald. âThe Labour Party has ruled out implementing the Green Party's wealth tax.â â Henry Cooke, Stuff. âLabour has time and time again ...2 weeks ago
- Week that was: Counting down to Election DayItâs getting incredibly close to Election Day now â and over a million people have already cast their vote! ...2 weeks ago
- Jacinda Ardern's Wellington Rally SpeechJacinda Ardern delivers a rally speech at Wellington's Michael Fowler Centre. ...2 weeks ago
- Grant Robertson's Wellington Rally SpeechGrant Robertson delivers a rally speech at Wellington's Michael Fowler Centre. ...2 weeks ago
- Building a vibrant creative sector The Green Party will push for better conditions, more certainty, and greater opportunities for New Zealandâs artists and creatives as part of the next Government, Co-leader of the Green Party, James Shaw said today. ...2 weeks ago
- Greens promise continued action to reduce mental health waiting timesThe Green Party is committed to reduce the waiting times people in mental distress have to put up with before they receive attention and get treatment. ...2 weeks ago
- Early voting is openDid you know that early voting is open? That means you can go out and cast your vote right now - whether you've already enrolled or not. Almost 600,000 Kiwis have already voted, and you can join them! ...3 weeks ago
- Greens would go further and faster for kauri protectionThe Green Party says Labourâs commitment to protecting kauri is a good start, but the Greens would go further and faster to keep our kauri standing. ...3 weeks ago
- Greens would bring urban food farms to Auckland CityThe Green Party will invest funding in community agriculture and urban food gardens in places like Auckland city centre. ...3 weeks ago
- Our next steps on climate changeWeâre proud of our record on climate change. Since coming to Government weâve put climate and the environment at the heart of all of our policies, as they are inextricable from issues like housing, agriculture, waste, energy and transport. ...3 weeks ago
- 10 days out: 10 reasons to vote LabourWith only ten days to go until Election Day, weâre counting down the top ten reasons you should vote Labour this October. Already voted? Share this list with friends and family who havenât voted yet to encourage them to give two ticks to Labour! ...3 weeks ago
- Tokelau Language Week reminds us to stay united and strong
Staying strong in the face of challenges and being true to our heritage and languages are key to preserving our cultural identity and wellbeing, is the focus of the 2020 Tokelau Language Week. Minister for Pacific Peoples, Aupito William Sio, says this yearâs theme, âApoapo tau foe, i nÄ tÄfea ...4 days ago - NZ announces a third P-3 deployment in support of UN sanctionsThe Government has deployed a Royal New Zealand Air Force P-3K2 Orion (P-3) maritime patrol aircraft to support the implementation of United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolutions imposing sanctions against North Korea, announced Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters and Minister of Defence Ron Mark. âNew Zealand has long supported ...1 week ago
- Pacific trade and development agreement a realityPacific regional trade and development agreement PACER Plus will enter into force in 60 days now that the required eight countries have ratified it. Trade and Export Growth Minister David Parker welcomed the announcement that the Cook Islands is the eighth nation to ratify this landmark agreement. âThe agreement represents ...2 weeks ago
- Securing a pipeline of teachersThe Government is changing its approach to teacher recruitment as COVID-19 travel restrictions continue, by boosting a range of initiatives to get more Kiwis into teaching. âWhen we came into Government, we were faced with a teacher supply crisis,â Education Minister Chris Hipkins said. âOver the past three years, we ...2 weeks ago
- Border exceptions for a small number of international students with visasThe Government has established a new category that will allow 250 international PhD and postgraduate students to enter New Zealand and continue their studies, in the latest set of border exceptions. âThe health, safety and wellbeing of people in New Zealand remains the Governmentâs top priority. Tight border restrictions remain ...2 weeks ago
- First COVID-19 vaccine purchase agreement signedThe Government has signed an agreement to purchase 1.5 million COVID-19 vaccines â enough for 750,000 people â from Pfizer and BioNTech, subject to the vaccine successfully completing all clinical trials and passing regulatory approvals in New Zealand, say Research, Science and Innovation Minister Megan Woods and Health Minister Chris Hipkins. ...2 weeks ago
- International statement – End-to-end encryption and public safetyWe, the undersigned, support strong encryption, which plays a crucial role in protecting personal data, privacy, intellectual property, trade secrets and cyber security. It also serves a vital purpose in repressive states to protect journalists, human rights defenders and other vulnerable people, as stated in the 2017 resolution of the ...2 weeks ago
- Ministry of Defence Biodefence Assessment releasedThe Ministry of Defence has today released a Defence Assessment examining Defenceâs role across the spectrum of biological hazards and threats facing New Zealand. Biodefence: Preparing for a New Era of Biological Hazards and Threats looks at how the NZDF supports other agenciesâ biodefence activities, and considers the context of ...2 weeks ago
- New Approaches to Economic Challenges: Confronting Planetary Emergencies: OECD 9 October 2020New Approaches to Economic Challenges: Confronting Planetary Emergencies: OECD 9 October 2020 Hon David Parkerâs response following Thomas Piketty and Esther Duflo. Good morning, good afternoon, and good evening, wherever in the world you might be. I first acknowledge the excellent thought provoking speeches of Thomas Piketty and Esther ...2 weeks ago
- Kaipara Moana restoration takes next stepA Memorandum of Understanding has been signed today at WaihÄua Marae between the Crown, local iwi and councils to protect, restore and enhance the mauri of Kaipara Moana in Northland. Environment Minister David Parker signed the document on behalf of the Crown along with representatives from NgÄ Maunga WhakahÄŤ, NgÄti ...3 weeks ago
- New Zealand and Uruguay unite on reducing livestock production emissionsAgriculture Minister Damien OâConnor and Uruguayan Minister of Livestock, Agriculture and Fisheries Carlos MarĂa Uriarte have welcomed the launch of a three-year project that will underpin sustainable livestock production in Uruguay, Argentina, and Costa Rica. The project called âInnovation for pasture managementâ is led by Uruguayâs National Institute of Agricultural ...3 weeks ago
- 3100 jobs created through marae upgradesHundreds of marae throughout the country will be upgraded through investments from the Provincial Growth Fundâs refocused post COVID-19 funding to create jobs and put money into the pockets of local tradespeople and businesses, Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones and MÄori Development Minister Nanaia Mahuta have announced. âA total ...3 weeks ago
- Health volunteers recognised in annual awardsHealth Minister Chris Hipkins has announced 9 teams and 14 individuals are the recipients of this yearâs Minister of Health Volunteer Awards. âThe health volunteer awards celebrate and recognise the thousands of dedicated health sector volunteers who give many hours of their time to help other New Zealanders,â Mr Hipkins ...3 weeks ago
- Community COVID-19 Fund supports Pacific recoveryThe Minister for Pacific Peoples, Aupito William Sio says a total of 264 groups and individuals have successfully applied for the Pacific Aotearoa Community COVID-19 Recovery Fund, that will support Pacific communities drive their own COVID-19 recovery strategies, initiatives, and actions. âI am keen to see this Fund support Pacific ...3 weeks ago
- Community benefits from MÄori apprenticeshipsUp to 50 MÄori apprentices in Wellington will receive paid training to build houses for their local communities, thanks to a $2.75 million investment from the MÄori Trades and Training Fund, announced Employment Minister Willie Jackson today. âThis funding will enable NgÄti Toa Rangatira Incorporated to provide its NgÄ Kaimahi ...3 weeks ago
- Training fund supports MÄori jobseekersRapidly growing sectors will benefit from a $990,000 MÄori Trades and Training Fund investment which will see Wellington jobseekers supported into work, announced Employment Minister Willie Jackson today. âThis funding will enable Sapphire Consultants Ltd. to help up to 45 MÄori jobseekers into paid training initiatives over two years through ...3 weeks ago
- Who will Muslim Americans vote for in the US elections?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mehmet Ozalp, Associate Professor in Islamic Studies, Director of The Centre for Islamic Studies and Civilisation and Executive Member of Public and Contextual Theology, Charles Sturt University Muslims are a small minority in the United States, but they may have a significant ...12 mins ago - Could a test really detect if someone is a COVID-19 âsuperspreaderâ?Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Lara Herrero, Research Leader in Virology and Infectious Disease, Griffith University Last week we heard Queensland-based biotech company Microbio had developed a test that could, according to media reports, tell whether someone is a COVID-19 superspreader. While this may sound like an ...27 mins ago
- Climate explained: did atomic bomb tests damage our upper atmosphere?Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Brett Carter, Senior lecturer, RMIT University CC BY-ND Climate Explained is a collaboration between The Conversation, Stuff and the New Zealand Science Media Centre to answer your questions about climate change. If you have a question youâd like an expert to answer, ...42 mins ago
- Review: Louise Milliganâs Witness is a devastating critique of the criminal trial processSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ben Mathews, Professor, School of Law, Queensland University of Technology Book review: Witness, by Louise Milligan (Hachette). Louise Milliganâs new book, Witness, is an excoriating critique of the failures of the criminal justice system in sexual assault trials. Informed by Milliganâs two ...57 mins ago
- NZPP leaders decide the best way to make progress politically is to step back from Advance NZ
Browsing through items of political news published on Labour Day, we came across a statement from the New Zealand Public Party (NZPP) and Reset New Zealand which declared they were retreating from Jami-Lee Ross’s Advance New Zealand party. Not a full retreat, necessarily. Rather, they â … have moved ...1 hour ago - Activists Picket FarmRight, Demand End To Use Of Western Sahara Blood Phosphate
Protesters today picketed the FarmRight head office in Ĺtautahi Christchurch to call on FarmRight to cease using phosphate fertiliser illegally sourced from Western Sahara on the farms it manages. The protest was in solidarity with the Polisario ...1 hour ago - Covid-19 has changed New Zealand forever. The experts explain how:Â part two
Some of the smartest people in the country examine the effects of the pandemic on Aotearoa’s future in 400 words or fewer. Read part one here. Beyond the horrific global death toll and the economic shutdowns, there is hope that Covid-19 will allow us to build a better society in the ...1 hour ago - Super-charged: Australiaâs biggest renewables project will change the energy gameSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Mathews, Professor Emeritus, Macquarie Business School, Macquarie University Australia doesnât yet export renewable energy. But the writing is on the wall: demand for Australiaâs fossil fuel exports is likely to dwindle soon, and we must replace it at massive scale. The ...2 hours ago
- Dear Australia, your sympathy helps, but you canât quite understand Melbourneâs lockdown experie...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kate Brady, Research Fellow – Community Resilience, University of Melbourne The joy Melburnians feel about coming out of lockdown is palpable, but another thread is also emerging: if you donât live in Melbourne and havenât experienced what weâve experienced, you canât actually ...2 hours ago
- How to be brave in the face of, you know, everythingWhat does it mean to find courage in the face of a global pandemic, race protests, border strife and climate anxiety? Books editor Catherine Woulfe writes:Christchurch’s Word spring festival opens tomorrow. In real life! A highlight will be the Brave Worlds gala on Friday night, at which luminaries (Becky Manawatu, Witi ...2 hours ago
- ALRANZ Denounces US Senate Confirmation Of Judge BarrettALRANZ Abortion Rights Aotearoa denounces the US Senateâs confirmation of Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court seat formerly held by Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg. âThis action demonstrates the rank hypocrisy of the once-respected upper chamber ...3 hours ago
- The backlash against big techFrom antitrust suits to restrictive new laws, the world’s digital behemoths are in hot water. So who’s on the naughty list and why? Hal Crawford explains.All around the world, governments are moving against big tech companies. The US government last week filed a suit against Google in an era-defining antitrust ...3 hours ago
- Public sculpture commemorating Dame Hilda RossDame Hilda Ross was the first Hamilton/Waikato woman elected as an MP in 1945 and became the second woman in New Zealand to become a Cabinet Minister in 1949. Artist Matt Gauldieâs bronze sculpture portrays Dame Hilda in Parliament, with one hand ...3 hours ago
- Motorbikes Major Factor In Road TollThe high number of motorbike deaths and injuries in New Zealand has prompted a call for urgent action. Clive Matthew Wilson, editor of the car review website dogandlemon.com , says: âOver Labour Weekend, two of the worst accidents involved motorbikes.â ...4 hours ago
- Countdown Customer Care Strike Continues As Frustration GrowsCountdown customer care specialists who deal with the supermarketâs online orders are taking partial strike action today and withdrawing labour relating to online shopping as anger grows among workers at the companyâs comments about pay and value, ...4 hours ago
- Ranking the strongest ladies in New Zealand â our tunnel boring machinesIn an effort to bring The Spinoff’s favourite format – the ranking – to its knees, Alice Webb-Liddall ranks the most boring thing she can think of: borers.If something is to be named after me when I have passed away after a lifetime of goodwill and national recognition, I would ...4 hours ago
- Pendulum swings back from the mean politics of the market
Leading unionist Richard Wagstaff has high hopes for lasting change after an election that shifted influence from boomers and the market to younger, fairer thinking. It has taken a few days to fully comprehend the enormity of what happened on election night. Thatâs because there are few moments in politics ...5 hours ago - Stay out of cabinet â be independent, former MP tells GreensBy RNZ News Former Green Party MP Keith Locke says his contemporaries should stay out of the New Zealand cabinet in order to remain critical of Labour while also working constructively with it. Any cabinet positions offered to the Greens by Labour would be a favour, not a necessity, and ...5 hours ago
- Heartland Bank Workers Take Strike Action In Auckland Over Low Pay RatesWorkers at Heartland Bank in Auckland are taking strike action today and walking off the job after unsuccessful negotiations with the employer have failed to result in meaningful increases to wages that union officials say are well below market rates, ...5 hours ago
- 57,000 books to be flicked at Trentham
The National Library is about to hock off 57,000 books for $2 each at a glorified garage sale Steve Braunias, ReadingRoom literary editor: About 57,000 books hauled out of the Overseas Collection at Wellington's National Library are about to be hocked off at a flat rate of $2 per book ...6 hours ago - ParityBOT_NZ Processed Nearly 200,000 Tweets To Find And Fight Online Abuse Over The NZ ElectionAuckland, New Zealand: Of the almost 200,000 tweets directed at women candidates that Areto Labsâ proprietary election Twitter bot, ParityBOT_NZ, processed over the New Zealand election period, nearly 4,000 were classified as toxic and triggered ...6 hours ago
- Emily Writes: Bad Halloween ideas to entertain your little devilsHalloween is just around the corner. If you’re a parent looking for spooky activities to entertain your beastly offspring, Emily Writes has got your back.What to do for Halloween during a global pandemic? It’s a question few parents care about or are asking, but I’m on deadline and so here ...6 hours ago
- From penthouse to prison cell: The downfall of Eric WatsonThe jailing this week of New Zealand playboy businessman Eric Watson was nearly a decade in the legal making, writes the NZ Herald’s Matt Nippert in this Herald Premium article.The fall of Eric John Watson, from penthouse-dwelling playboy to prisoner in apparent penury, didn’t happen overnight. He’s also recently caught ...6 hours ago
- NgÄi Tahu Treaty Settlement Subject Of New UC StudyAs the father of a nine-year-old daughter, David Tikao feels personally invested in how well his iwi organisation â Te RĹŤnanga o NgÄi Tahu â is distributing wealth to beneficiaries and investing for future generations. He is researching how ...7 hours ago
- Look Out For Animal Health And Welfare Around Guy FawkesThis year, look after the animals - donât let off fireworks at home or around your community. Every year, veterinary clinics see animals injured and traumatised by fireworks. These include pets, wildlife and stock. Some injuries are horrific. ...7 hours ago
- How the lockdown changed our diets, affected our sleep, and left us lonelyIn 2020, the Covid-19 pandemic prompted New Zealand and much of the world to undertake something few of us had ever contemplated: a near-total lockdown of society. In this Lockdown legacies series, James Dann explores the impacts of those extraordinary measures, intended and otherwise. Today: the lifestyle changes it brought ...7 hours ago
- Green Party should avoid Cabinet positions and remain an independent, critical voice – former ...
Former Green Party MP Keith Locke says his contemporaries should stay out of Cabinet in order to remain critical of Labour while also working constructively with it. ...8 hours ago - Newsletter: New Zealand Politics Daily â October 27 2020Editor’s Note: Here below is a list of the main issues currently under discussion in New Zealand and links to media coverage. Today’s content Labour Party and new Labour Government Andrea Vance (Stuff): ‘Labour Connect’ the data analysis tool that boosted Jacinda Ardern’s campaign Heather du Plessis-Allan (Herald): Time for Govt to take some ...8 hours ago
- 'Walk away from it. Create something that beats like your own heart.'
The Waitangi Tribunal has heard multiple, strong calls for an independent, MÄori-run authority to replace Oranga Tamariki. Laura Walters reports MÄori leaders have told the Waitangi Tribunal theyâre sick of waiting while the Crown fails MÄori children and whÄnau. The Waitangi Tribunalâs Oranga Tamariki Urgent Inquiry has heard a series ...9 hours ago - Op-Ed: The United Nations, 75 years young â Engaging youth social entrepreneurs to accelerate the ...Opinion by Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana. Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana is the United Nations Under-Secretary-General and Executive Secretary of the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP). This year, the United Nations is marking its 75th anniversary â a milestone of extraordinary economic and social progress in Asia and ...9 hours ago
- Review: Match Fit shows former All Blacks overweight and struggling â just like the rest of usIn their heyday they were invulnerable, but now the likes of Piri Weepu and Eroni Clarke are all too human. That’s what makes Match Fit so compelling, says Duncan Greive.Match Fit is aimed at the more casual class of rugby fan, but its audience would likely bristle at what lies ...9 hours ago
- National Party post-election review to look at campaign and past three years in oppositionJudith Collins says a review of the National Party's election campaign will extend to the past three years in opposition, but won't say much else. ...9 hours ago
- What would a Biden presidency mean for Australia?Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tony Walker, Adjunct Professor, School of Communications, La Trobe University American presidential elections do not, as a rule, change the calculus much for Australian foreign policy. Elections come and go, American presidents complete their terms and business continues more or less as ...9 hours ago
- Our minds may be wandering more during the pandemic â and this can be a good thingSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jennifer Windt, Senior Research Fellow, Monash University Many feel the coronavirus pandemic has changed not just our everyday lives, but also our inner mental lives. There has been talk of a mental health pandemic, but also of lockdown brain fog when we ...9 hours ago
- Live updates, October 27: âClearly, more went wrongâ â National Party review underwayWelcome to The Spinoff’s live updates for October 27. All the latest New Zealand news, updated throughout the day. Reach us at stewart@thespinoff.co.nz7.40am: ‘More went wrong’ – Judith Collins speaks ahead of National Party reviewThe National Party is set to reassemble this week to discuss plans for opposition, as the ...10 hours ago
- Cool discovery: new studies confirm Moon has icy polesSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrew Dempster, Director, Australian Centre for Space Engineering Research; Professor, School of Electrical Engineering and Telecommunications, UNSW Water is more abundant on the Moon than we might have suspected, according to two papers published today in Nature Astronomy that confirm the presence ...10 hours ago
- Reimagining the laser: new ideas from quantum theory could herald a revolutionSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Howard Wiseman, Director, Centre for Quantum Dynamics, Griffith University Lasers were created 60 years ago this year, when three different laser devices were unveiled by independent laboratories in the United States. A few years later, one of these inventors called the unusual ...10 hours ago
- Wage theft and casual work are built into university business modelsSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Damien Cahill, Associate Professor, Department of Political Economy, University of Sydney The COVID crisis has exposed the destructive consequences of an over-reliance on casual labour across the economy. Australian universities provide one of the clearest examples of this. For the past two ...10 hours ago
- The Bulletin: Unaffordable dental care in the spotlightGood morning and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Unaffordable dental care in the spotlight, update on the two crops of Covid cases, and Billy TK quits Advance NZ alliance.One of the weeping sores of the health system is the high cost of dental care, and the health effects ...10 hours ago
- Labour and Greens to wrap-up final talks this weekLabour and the Greens will meet again today to thrash out areas they can cooperate on in government. ...10 hours ago
- Business & Investing: Infratil eyes acquisition target
Infratil lines up a radiology play in Australia, plus a big week in the US with a third of the S&P500 companies reporting and GDP figures out ...11 hours ago - Chihuahua sparks constitutional conversation
A tweet about the oath of allegiance gets to the core of a much-needed conversation about NZ's constitution. ...12 hours ago - Who's protecting mum and dad forestry investors?
Arbor forestry investors left with minimal returns after 30 years, say they have been let down by the schemes' managers and by the statutory supervisor they believed was looking after them. ...12 hours ago - Grand plan for school zones risks public 'outcry'
Schools able to exploit ambiguous rules to admit children and siblings of former students; now officials implement tougher zone restrictions. ...12 hours ago - 'Silver Fern Sammy' gets her second wind
For almost two years, livewire midcourter Sam Winders wasn't wanted by the Silver Ferns. Now sheâs back, with new stories to tell - writing books for children Sam Winders reckons sheâd make a great character in a kidâs book. âEspecially from my primary school days â I was this little red-haired ...12 hours ago - How to Covid-proof a countryThe pandemic has only exposed the systemic healthcare inequities that already existed, write two NZ health professionals working on the Covid response at opposite ends of the world.Far from being some “great leveller”, the Covid-19 pandemic has proven to be more like water in a New Zealand rental home: seeping ...12 hours ago
- One big idea for the National Party to show itâs up for fresh thinkingAs it picks itself up from a drubbing, National needs to consider some new ways of doing things, such as reinventing the way we do social welfare, argues Liam Hehir.Yesterday was Labour Day. It has been Labour Month, in a way, with Jacinda Ardern’s party drubbing National in the general ...12 hours ago
- A Covid vaccine will be no silver bullet
Developing a Covid-19 vaccine is arguably the number one priority of humanity right now â so how are we going, and how well-placed is New Zealand to roll one out once itâs developed? On todayâs special edition of The Detail, produced in association with the University of Auckland, Emile Donovan hosts ...13 hours ago - School zone changes a big experiment
Do schools get good results merely because they've signed up better students? Changes to 135 school zones could give the answer, argues Dr Eric Crampton. ...13 hours ago - Cabinet knew about lack of border tests before August outbreak
Cabinet was repeatedly told prior to the August outbreak that the regular asymptomatic testing of all border-facing workers was still being rolled out. ...13 hours ago - Bryan Bruce: Labour Day ⌠eroded by neoliberalism and selfishnessCOMMENTARY: By Bryan Bruce Today is Labour Day in New Zealand â the public holiday set aside to celebrate the rights of workers and in particular the right to an eight-hour working day. The great irony is that like many New Zealanders I am working today because Iâm a contractor ...13 hours ago
- After an epic 112-day lockdown, Melbourne at last wins green light to open upToday marks the official end of the second wave in the Australian state of Victoria, with zero cases recorded for the first time in 139 days, writes Hassan Vally of La Trobe University.Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews today announced the most significant easing of Melbourne’s coronavirus restrictions since the state went ...20 hours ago
- Today marks the official end of the second wave in Victoria, as old freedoms returnSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Hassan Vally, Associate Professor, La Trobe University Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews today announced the most significant easing of Melbourneâs coronavirus restrictions since the state went into âstage 3â lockdown on July 9. From 11.59pm on Tuesday night, retail, restaurants, cafes and bars ...22 hours ago
- Review: The Undoing is here to fill the Big Little Lies-shaped hole in your lifeThe Big Little Lies showrunner and one of its stars are back with an addictive new limited series – and they’ve brought Hugh Grant along for the ride.Nicole Kidman does a lot of walking in The Undoing. The new HBO murder-mystery miniseries features seemingly endless shots of her character, Grace ...23 hours ago
- Finally at zero new cases, Victoria is on top of the world after unprecedented lockdown effortSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stephen Duckett, Director, Health Program, Grattan Institute If the past few months have been like a long-haul flight, Victorians are now standing in the aisles waiting for the cabin door to open, a little groggy and disoriented but relieved. They have every ...23 hours ago
- As the government drags its heels, a better model for a federal integrity commission has emergedSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Yee-Fui Ng, Senior Lecturer, Faculty of Law, Monash University Independent MP Helen Haines has just introduced a bill into parliament that seeks to establish a robust new federal integrity commission. This is a consensus bill that involved consultation with legal academics, panels ...23 hours ago
- Liquid Capitalism: Everyone Drinks It, Swims In It, Drowns In ItThe most radical socialists; Black Lives Matter (BLM) protesters (Black, White, Latino or Asian); liberal and conservative zealots; diversity and equity gurus; pacifists; denizens of corporates and non-profits; rappers, rockers and country western musicians; ...24 hours ago
- Dobell Biennial showcases drawing today as we consider its future in the real worldSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ari Chand, Lecturer in Visual Communication Design and Creative Industries, University of Newcastle Review: Real Worlds: Dobell Australian Drawing Biennial 2020, Art Gallery of NSW, Sydney Why do drawers draw? Drawing is historically connected to creative practice, but also truth and accuracy. ...1 day ago
- NZPP And Reset New Zealand Have Moved Away From Their Election Alliance With Advance NZThe New Zealand Public Party (NZPP) and Reset New Zealand have moved away from their election alliance with Advance NZ to reform back into the intended party. âWe recognise the importance of this movement continuing to improve itself in many ways, and at ...1 day ago
- Nuclear Ban Treaty Milestone Achieved" Its potential to end the threat of nuclear destruction is a gift for future generations." A significant milestone towards a world free of nuclear weapons was achieved on United Nations Day, 24 October, when Honduras became the fiftieth ...1 day ago
- Billy Te Kahika's party splits from alliance with Jami-Lee RossThe Public Party says it was always in the plan to revert to being its own party, if it failed to make it into parliament. ...1 day ago
- Unions Call For Acknowledgment Of Essential Workers On Labour DayThe CTU President has drawn attention to the importance of essential workers on Labour Day. CTU President Richard Wagstaff says "Labour Day is a time to reflect on the efforts of all working people. In 2020, more than ever, we can all see how ...1 day ago
- âI still cannot get over itâ: 75 years after Japan atomic bombs, a nuclear weapons ban treaty is...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Gwyn McClelland, Lecturer, Japanese Studies, University of New England The UN Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons will finally come into force after the 50th country (Honduras) ratified it over the weekend. The treaty will make the development, testing, stockpiling and ...1 day ago
- For the first time, Closing the Gap has a higher education target â hereâs how to achieve itSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ian Anderson. Palawa, Deputy Vice-Chancellor Student and University Experience, Australian National University The new National Agreement on Closing the Gap has a higher education target for the first time. Itâs also the first time an agreement between governments on Indigenous issues was ...1 day ago
- The lockdown stamped out a deadly virus. Its health impact did not stop thereIn 2020, the Covid-19 pandemic prompted New Zealand and much of the world to undertake something few of us had ever contemplated: a near-total lockdown of society. In this Lockdown legacies series, James Dann explores the impacts of those extraordinary measures, intended and otherwise. Today: From traffic accidents and seasonal ...1 day ago
- Live updates, October 24-26: No new community cases; five new cases in managed isolationWelcome to The Spinoff’s live updates for October 24-26. All the latest New Zealand news, updated throughout the day. Reach us at info@thespinoff.co.nz1.00pm: No new community cases; five cases at the borderThe Ministry of Health has just emailed through today’s Covid-19 case number update. This is how it reads: There ...1 day ago
- Letâs forget about prison and see what a term in charm school can achieve â or will crime disapp...
A warning was sounded at the beginning of a recent New Zealand Herald report about the crimes of a couple of blokes who â according to the  Indigenous Pacific Uprising â should not be imprisoned. The warning was in capital letters. GRAPHIC CONTENT WARNING – THIS STORY CONTAINS DESCRIPTIONS OF ...1 day ago - What makes an activist?Ensemble’s Lofa Totua explores the evolving nature of her understanding of activism, and asks those fighting against injustice about what being an ‘activist’ means to them.The other week I released a fear. The angsty knots of worry and imposter syndrome, untied, finally allowing me to breathe.“Sometimes, activism is as simple ...1 day ago
- Queensland is making election history with two women leaders, so why is the campaign focused on men?Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Susan Harris Rimmer, Professor and Director of the Policy Innovation Hub, Griffith Business School, Griffith University The Queensland election is a history-making poll. For the first time in a state or federal election, two women are going head-to-head. Does this mean gender ...1 day ago
- Of all the places that have seen off a second coronavirus wave, only Vietnam and Hong Kong have done...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michael Toole, Professor of International Health, Burnet Institute Of the 215 nations and territories that have reported COVID-19 cases, 120 have experienced clear second waves or late first waves that began in July or later. Thatâs according to the Worldometer global database, ...1 day ago
- Distress, depression and drug use: young people fear for their future after the bushfiresSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Amy Lykins, Associate Professor, University of New England This week, the bushfire royal commission is due to hand down its findings. Already, the commissionâs officials have warned the status quo is âno longer enough to defend us from the impact of global ...1 day ago
- How creative use of technology may have helped save schooling during the pandemicSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Neil Selwyn, Distinguished Research Professor, Monash University It is estimated around half the worldâs studentsâ schools remain shut down. All told, this has been a potentially damaging disruption to the education of a generation. But one of the few positive outcomes from ...1 day ago
- Mould and damp health costs are about 3 times those of sugary drinks. We need a healthy housing agen...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rebecca Bentley, Professor of Social Epidemiology, Principal Research Fellow in Social Epidemiology and Director of the Centre for Research Excellence in Healthy Housing in Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, University of Melbourne The World Health Organisation has always been interested ...1 day ago
- My best worst film: Pink Flamingos â âone of the most vile, stupid and repulsive films ever made...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stuart Richards, Lecturer in Screen Studies, University of South Australia In a new series, our writers explore their best worst film. Theyâll tell you what the critics got wrong â and why itâs time to give these movies another chance. While some ...1 day ago
- Forget Ardern v Collins, it's Trump v Biden that matters to markets
The US election is more critical for our financial markets than our own one, writes Nikki Mandow It was an election goddammit. A landslide victory for Labour, great results for the Green Party and ACT, a demolition for National. And the New Zealand dollar did... nothing. An almost insignificant move ...1 day ago
Natzional’s last stand.
DriftWood.
Actually: adriftwood
King Canute tries to keep the land back.
On the beach redux
“Hear Ye, lowly molluscs and other sub-tidal entities….”
Tide goes out on National.
who is it..?
National – turning our backs to climate change.
woody pitches for a re-make of ‘the piano’..
..to be called ‘the lectern’…
Civil Defense finds Woodhouses’s speeches more effective than sirens at clearing beaches in an emergency
Potato lol -1000
this is the economic boat..
..that key/national promised to float…
our airforce..doing live-ammunition exercises…
‘woody’ recreates his ancestors arrival in nz..
..(i understand they brought nz’s first ever lectern with them..)
woody unveils groundbreaking new national party economic-initiative..
..the solar-powered/amphibious-lectern…
speaking to reporters woody extolled the export-possibilities of this ‘exciting’ new initiative..
..saying it will become de riguer for all politicians/captains-of-industry to have one..
..woody says that on a calm day..he pops over to waiheke on his..
..or he cruises the beaches of auckland..
..and can give speeches to both passing-craft..and beachgoers..
..’you can always feel secure’..said woody..’your genitals are always covered/protected..
..no more standing there feeling vulnerable/exposed/naked as you preach to the peasants..
..you just grab the no-slip grips on the poly-lectern..knowing yr family-jewels are protected on three sides’..
And now for something completely different
lol
“No.1: The Larch.”
Still lolling đ
lol also
Yep absolute LOL …
“I’m the king of the world!!”
At last St Woody, inspired by desperation, went down to the sea-shore, where the river runs into the sea, and having placed himself on a bank between the river and the sea, he began to speak to the fishes as if Woger had sent him to preach to them, and said: “Listen to the word of Woger, O ye fishes of the sea and of the river, and you rancid cetaceans, seeing that honest people and hard working people refuse to do so.”
All washed up.
tsunami? no its a left wing conspiracy i tell ya!
We shall go on to the end. We shall fight on the seas and oceans, we shall fight with growing confidence and growing strength on the air, we shall sell our islands, whatever the cost may be. We shall sell them on the beaches, we shall sell them on the landing grounds, we shall sell them in the fields and in the streets, we shall sell them in the hills; we shall surrender everything. For money.
To all of my supporters, gathered here today I say
John Key had a dream…
And here I am!
“There’s a woman down the end with a couple of kids and a bucket. Perhaps she wants to listen to me talk about how our new employment laws will help workers enjoy their lives ?”
That ladywith a bucket – any toheroa you find is Crown property!
woody suddenly realises..that for him..
..the tide will never come in..
“Ladies and gentlemen, in this lot we have the foreshore and seabed going for steal. Shall we commence the bidding! “
“Anyone makes a joke about John Key and a whale stranding and I’m off”
or (for the westie surfers): keyhole obscured by arsehole.
Lol
Galoot succeeds. The waves retreat under the crushing weight of his rhetoric!
âAll the inhabitants of the world should know that the power of kings is vain and trivial, and that none is worthy the name of king but He whose command the heaven, earth and sea obey by eternal lawsâ
As we await this fleet of China!s ships,we can say we welcome them,we are now approaching a new venture in our lands development,reaching out to a culture like ours, innovative,and not afraid to take risks.We look forward to doing business with this dynamic culture.
Who has the contract to make the gumboots,whats his name,Sushi,Sushi,no its HOE.
woody pitches for a (low-cost) remake of ‘all the presidents’ men’..
..starring him and his mate in the hat…
Nationals latest campaign to prove that they are in touch with ‘real New Zealanders’.
Michael Woodhouse says ” I like to go down and spend the day at the beach just like everybody else”.
If a National Minister speaks to an empty beach who will hold him to account?
Police Minister launches new version of cardboard cutout cop. Guaranteed for sea-level rises of up to 30cm.
And now for the next asset sale, new zealands forshore.
what do hear for an opening bid, who will start off with a bid of 5 billion?
Latest asset sale? New Zealand for sure!
in an effort to keep flights to the provinces I’m proud to call this new runway open, take it away captain
I always practice my speeches on the beach. No hecklers. And I write my promises out on the sand – transparent for all to see. There they are in black and white, or rather light brown, or even in fifty shades of grey heh heh my little joke, and anyone can come and look at them before the tide comes in. But then though they are hidden from the public, they lie in my heart.
National is constructing an ark to survive climate change, starting with the poop deck.
@Yeah
+1
Cops to target all lecterns this summer.
Police say there will be a no lectern tolerance level this summer. However, the evaluation couldn’t confirm the statistical significance of a lectern decreases because of the small numbers involved.
Prime N Z beachfront for sale to the highest bidder! Be quick, won’t last long!
Where do I tie up the Donkey!
Thanks for coming mum.
You keep dissing the Key Man, and all you commies will be swimming with the fishes.
More rubbish washes up on beach
…. ’cause John told me to…
“Minister releases new sections for affordable housing initiative”
Hehe
“F***. I shouldn’t have mentioned ebola.”
First hot-air powered hovercraft crosses Tasman
lolz much.
Michael’s press conference didn’t go as planned once the media recieved a text that one of ‘The Block’ contestants was spotted in Pak’N’Save.
From his twitter account, Woodlouse loves photo ops with sporting celebs and hobnobbing around the world on the taxpayers dime. Never heard of him til now. The Nats also enjoyed endorsements by famous All Blacks ON ELECTION DAY.
Labour aren’t the only ones who can have a Foreshore and Seabed Act.
“We must build but we must build surely.”
Party Political Beach-
“NZ beaches go under the hammer in latest government asset sale”.
Of course I can order everyone out of the water and off the beach for a couple of hoiurs, for a photo-op …. don;t you know I am?
(no)
There was Woody giving an otherwise dull speech to the House – when suddenly the PM’s Infinite Improbability Generator kicked in.
Redlogix
+1
As he drifted into the afterlife, Dobby imagined he was giving a speech on the desolate beach that would be his ending…
In order for the announcement of this new law to be legally binding it must be made on sovereign New Zealand owned soil. We are told due to a small error on a land sales document that this small section we have placed this stage on is the last piece of it left in New Zealand.
Ouch!
Woodhouse floundering!
Trying out Nationals new strategy of avoiding whaleoil tsunami!
Imbeachment
Clever clogs
First sea trial for Nationals new life raft,does not go well for junior minister.
“Auckland traffic gridlock? Where? It’s just another dirty left-wing conspiracy”.
the new minister for flotsom and jetsam speaks to his constituency..
nationals’ media-mavens come up with yet another absolutely brilliant idea…
woody has an unusual hobby…
woodys’ scrapbook:..
..what i did on my hols…
very poor turnout for the woody fanclub beach-day…
woody shows off his new beach-suit…
when woody gets all existential and angsty…
..he likes to take one of his favourite lecterns to the beach..
..so they can chill-out together…
man in hat:..
‘it’s been three hours minister…i don’t think anyones’ coming’..
minister waits for mr whippy van..
… and what’s more, JK would never bend over for CS.
minister releases policy on global warming, population explosion and sea level rise.
‘We have four of these, which proves we take seriously our response capability to any deep sea oil spill”.
That made me laugh you got my vote. đ
” The government has signed a contract with the Hyundai ship building yard in Ulsan, South Korea to have them built. The vessels will be delivered in the first quarter of the new year.
Two will be docked and utilized from Port Taranaki while the third and fourth will be shared between the East Coast of the North Is and the maritime jurisdictions of the Canterbury and Deep South basin’s.”
Minister issues apology for Climate Change policy.
Government announces new spying laws, ” The local seals have nothing to fear”
Government announces new spying laws, ” The local seals have nothing to fear”, the Minister said.
Only Navy Seals, the Minister further advised.
Phil j a series of bonny motes!
” USA Double Agent seeks asylum in Tolega Bay “
“Government Minister announces further DOC restructuring”
” Sex On The Beach is now illegal under new terrorist law “
“Man arrested for impersonating a Government Minister in a public place”
Newsflash!
” Minister declares leadership coup! “
…And the Floating Lectern Cup is still NZ’s cup. Eat that Jimmy Spithill.
….. and now I will I dig a hole in the sand and do my ostrich impersonation…..
Johns Keys flunky announces and reviews the new increased defense forces
New Zealands olympic bobsleigh unveiled
Nationals spokesman, announces new site of shallow graves for all the abandoned national policies
the intensive search for Paula Bennet fails
New Zealands new aircraft carrier had a few subtle flaws
National Flunkey, announces Life is a beach yet under National Life is a *********!
National Supporter shows off his ill gotten Ikea Lectern Gains in NZ Black Friday Sale
Aussie Invasion repulsed!
Anyone that finds the buried ego of Pete George,,,,,will be allowed to exit the country……
Santas sleigh now privatised and flogged off to highest bidder!
Ok, the bidding is currently at $10 dollars for complete drilling rights…….any other offers……going goingggggggggg.
I ordered a hovercraft…….send this back to amazon
GP spokesman, shows off new membership
At Davos In Switzerland, climate change denier, announces G20 to think about 0.9 % cut in co2 emissions
The prime minister pledged a new police vessel before the end of the year and despite a funding shortfall I am proud to launch this raft today.
And just up on the beach is the Crematorium thats why no one is here
Government unveils plans to save manufacturing and rescue the economy – Ladies and Gentlmen, introducing the wooden segway.