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Late Game Bench
Written By: - Date published: 8:52 am, May 6th, 2023 - 8 comments
Last minutes of this parliamentary term and all teams are subbing out.
National’s weird tenancy policy announcement
Written By: - Date published: 10:31 am, April 30th, 2023 - 73 comments
This week Chris Bishop announced National’s landlord policy and made the extraordinary claim that making evictions of tenants easier was a progressive pro tenant policy.
The great policy bonfire
Written By: - Date published: 10:44 am, March 14th, 2023 - 45 comments
Chris Hipkins continues with his shock and awe campaign and has torched a number of policies that National and Act were using to foment unrest.
Luxon slumps in latest Colmar Brunton poll
Written By: - Date published: 6:18 pm, March 13th, 2023 - 57 comments
The latest One News Kantar Poll result has been released and it is a doozie.
How Activism Dies
Written By: - Date published: 9:33 am, March 4th, 2023 - 40 comments
If anything progressive is to come out of this current government other than disaster recovery, really focused protest must prevail. It isn’t.
Where is the Free Speech Union when you need it?
Written By: - Date published: 8:25 am, February 28th, 2023 - 97 comments
Rob Campbell is under some pressure from National and Act for calling out publicly the right’s dog whistle attacks on co governance. But so far self appointed protector of the right to freedom of speech, the Free Speech Union, has been very quiet. Why is this?
Climate change – do we mitigate or do we adapt?
Written By: - Date published: 1:32 pm, February 25th, 2023 - 21 comments
The political debate about climate change is coming to an end as the North Island is battered by the third huge climate change induced storm in a month. The focus will not be on what to do? Do we still mitigate the effects by reducing greenhouse gas emissions? Or do we dig in and adapt?
Prime Ministerial
Written By: - Date published: 11:38 am, February 17th, 2023 - 31 comments
Chris Hipkins has so far not put a foot wrong. Since he became PM he has quickly and competently reformed the Cabinet and jettisoned policies that were for one reason or another causing problems. And he has quickly asserted control over two massive storms, the first which pummeled the country’s major city and the second which has caused massive floods to much of the East Coast of the North Island.
Two new polls …
Written By: - Date published: 6:24 pm, January 30th, 2023 - 78 comments
This evening two new political polls have been released both putting Labour ahead of National.
The rich want their country back
Written By: - Date published: 9:44 am, January 18th, 2023 - 61 comments
The Electoral Commission has published that National raised $2.3 million dollars in large donations alone over the past 12 months.
The Standard’s political awards for 2022
Written By: - Date published: 12:01 pm, December 30th, 2022 - 39 comments
It is that time of year again where the events of the year are reviewed and what was notable, noteworthy and notorious.
Be afraid, be very afraid …
Written By: - Date published: 7:20 am, December 22nd, 2022 - 165 comments
David Seymour is feeling his oats and has claimed that past National Governments never changes anything. A brief review of history would suggest otherwise.
The rise and rise of David Seymour’s ACT
Written By: - Date published: 7:28 am, December 20th, 2022 - 96 comments
I thought David Seymour was the most interesting speaker at the Victoria University post-election conference at Parliament last year. Two things stood out for me in his presentation following ACT’s election gains. He opened by offering lengthy and effusive praise to his researcher, then clearly stated his objective to supplant National as the leading party on the right. He’s on track for that, as current media attention shows.
Much ado about nothing
Written By: - Date published: 8:01 am, December 16th, 2022 - 54 comments
The big news this week was Jacinda Ardern describing David Seymour in an unparliamentary phrase on an open mike in Parliament. But the matter was resolved in a way that can only happen in Aotearoa New Zealand.
The politics of the voting age change
Written By: - Date published: 8:12 pm, November 21st, 2022 - 90 comments
The Supreme Court has just lobbed a grenade into New Zealand politics by ruling that denying 16 and 17 year olds the right to vote was not only discrimination on the basis of age but also had not been justified and was therefore a breach of the New Zealand Bill of Rights Act 1990.
Male privilege is a fragile thing
Written By: - Date published: 8:15 am, October 28th, 2022 - 22 comments
Golriz Ghahraman wanted Parliament to condemn the Iranian Government’s oppression of women’s rights. David Seymour moved to block the motion because Golriz had raised points of order against him during a previous speech. Fancy putting your hurt feelings in front of making a statement of support and principle.
Who pays the cost of an extra day off?
Written By: - Date published: 12:45 pm, September 13th, 2022 - 50 comments
The Government has announced that we will all have a day off to commemorate the life of Queen Elisabeth. Act has come out against it on the basis that we are in a cost of living crisis, even though the adverse effect on workers and the poor is essentially nil and even though there is analysis that suggests that holidays are good for the economy.
The Three Strikes abomination is no more
Written By: - Date published: 7:50 am, August 11th, 2022 - 44 comments
The three strikes legislation, the brainchild of dead baby identity stealing former ACT MP David Garrett, is no more.
The time that Roger Douglas was right
Written By: - Date published: 10:30 am, May 21st, 2022 - 39 comments
Roger Douglas may have caused New Zealand a lot of harm through his policies and actions but there was one occasion where if a policy he had helped to introduce had been retained New Zealand would be a much better place.
Act’s scorched earth proposal
Written By: - Date published: 12:29 pm, May 11th, 2022 - 41 comments
Act has publicly released its proposal to decimate the state should it have a say in the next Government. Its Real Change Alternative Budget may be wet dream inducing for Ayn Rand acolytes but for the rest of us the proposals should instill a deep sense of dread.
Is Act buying social media followers?
Written By: - Date published: 8:14 am, April 8th, 2022 - 14 comments
Hot on the heels of news that Act has recently received a number of significant donations comes news that it may have spent some of these funds on buying social media followers following news that Seymour’s Instagram followers jumped from 23,800 to 72,600 in one day.
National announces receiving $1.8 million in recent donations
Written By: - Date published: 2:43 pm, April 1st, 2022 - 43 comments
National has gazumped Act’s recently announced significant donations drive and has just announced that it will shortly be filing declarations confirming that it has recently received $1.8 million in donations.
Act’s generous donors and its anti Treaty campaign
Written By: - Date published: 9:18 am, March 26th, 2022 - 65 comments
This has not had the media attention that it deserves but Act has raised, to use the technical term, a shit load of money recently. And it is using this money to engage in some good old fashioned racist dog whistling.
Can This Government Be Saved?
Written By: - Date published: 5:43 pm, March 25th, 2022 - 118 comments
Can Labour win a third term? Here are some pathways up, and some pathways down.
The latest poll
Written By: - Date published: 7:54 pm, March 10th, 2022 - 124 comments
National/Act (47%) would beat Labour/Greens (46%) if there were an election held tomorrow, according to the latest One News Kantar poll.
Everyone is over Covid
Written By: - Date published: 8:46 am, February 22nd, 2022 - 134 comments
Jacinda Ardern said yesterday that everyone is over Covid. She is right. We all want this to end.
Luxon under pressure after latest Newshub Poll
Written By: - Date published: 10:08 pm, February 7th, 2022 - 93 comments
I am going to channel my Matthew Hooton left wing alter ego in the writing of this post. The latest Newshub poll shows a resounding level of support for the Labour Party and there are murmurs of discontent about Chris Luxon after support for the right plummets.
David Seymour should stick to twerking
Written By: - Date published: 12:35 pm, February 4th, 2022 - 306 comments
David Seymour has responded to slumping poll results by claiming that the Treaty of Waitangi should be trashed.
About the latest Colmar Brunton poll
Written By: - Date published: 8:15 am, January 28th, 2022 - 52 comments
The latest Colmar Brunton (now Kantar) poll has now been released and some of the commentary and analysis is pretty ordinary.
The Standard’s 2021 political awards
Written By: - Date published: 7:34 am, December 28th, 2021 - 68 comments
It is that time of year where nostalgia kicks in and the desire to review current events dims. So much has happened this year. It has truly been twelve months of the praiseworthy and the absolutely pitiful. And it is time to reflect on the personalities who made us smile, made us frown and made us raise our eyebrows to breaking point.
How many centrist votes go to Labour?
Written By: - Date published: 12:38 pm, November 25th, 2021 - 105 comments
Judith Collins lost a vote of confidence. David Farrar seems to think that Act will get the inevitable flow. Sounds unlikely. The far right and nutbar fringe has already vacated to Act – who represent them so well. But Labour overwhelming won last election on a vote from previous National voters. History repeats in 2023?
- Why India is key to heading off climate catastrophe
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections A farmworker cleans the solar panels of a solar water pump in the village of Jagadhri, Haryana Country, India. (Photo credit: Prashanth Vishwanathan/ IWMI) Decisions made in India over the next few years will play a key role in global ...2 weeks ago - Meanwhile “… the disturbing trend of increasing violence towards children continues to worsen”
Lindsay Mitchell writes – The Children’s Minister, Karen Chhour, intends to repeal Section 7AA from the Oranga Tamariki Act 1989 because it creates conflict between claimed Crown Treaty obligations and the child’s best interests. In her words, “Oranga Tamariki’s governing principles and its act should be colour ...2 weeks ago - New Zealand’s geopolitical friendly fire has its limitsGeoffrey Miller writes – The gloves are off. That might seem to be the undertone of surprisingly tough talk from New Zealand’s foreign and trade ministers. Winston Peters, the foreign minister, may be facing legal action after making allegations about former Australian foreign minister Bob Carr on Radio New Zealand. ...2 weeks ago
- The post-Covid economy: is it in another long stagnation – and if so, why?Brian Easton writes – This is about the time that the Treasury will be locking up its economic forecasts to be published in the 2024 Budget Economic and Fiscal Update (BEFU) on budget day, 30 May. I am not privy to what they will be (I will report on them ...2 weeks ago
- On the LTP 2024 Feedback
A few weeks ago Auckland Council released the results of consultation on the Long Term Plan (LTP) that occurred in March. With almost 28,000 submissions, it received the most feedback of any LTP in Auckland. It covered a wide range of topics soliciting feedback on different areas of council funded ...2 weeks ago - Bernard’s pick 'n' mix for Monday, May 6
TL;DR: Winston Peters is reported to have won a budget increase for MFAT. David Seymour wanted his Ministry of Regulation to be three times bigger than the Productivity Commission. Simeon Brown is appointing a Crown Monitor to Watercare to protect the Claytons Crown Guarantee he had to give ratings agencies ...2 weeks ago - Geoffrey Miller: New Zealand’s geopolitical friendly fire has its limits
The gloves are off. That might seem to be the undertone of surprisingly tough talk from New Zealand’s foreign and trade ministers. Winston Peters, the foreign minister, may be facing legal action after making allegations about former Australian foreign minister Bob Carr on Radio New Zealand. Carr had made highly ...2 weeks ago - I could be a Florist.
I could be a florist'Round the corner from Rye LaneI'll be giving daisies to craziesBut, baby, I'll wrap you up real safe Oh, I can give you flowers At the end of every dayFor the center of your table, a rainbowIn case you have people 'round to stay Depending on ...2 weeks ago - The Kaka’s diary for the week to May 12 and beyond
TL;DR: The six key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to May 12 include:PM Christopher Luxon is scheduled to hold a post-Cabinet news conference at 4 pm today. Finance Minister Nicola Willis will give a pre-budget speech on Thursday.Parliament sits from Question Time at 2pm on ...2 weeks ago - Willis on defence
The price of the foreign affairs “reset” is now becoming apparent, with Defence set to get a funding boost in the Budget. Finance Minister Nicola Willis has confirmed that it will be one of the few votes, apart from Health and Education and possibly Police, which will get an increase ...2 weeks ago - 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #18A listing of 26 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, April 28, 2024 thru Sat, May 4, 2024. Story of the week "It’s straight out of Big Tobacco’s playbook. In fact, research by John Cook and his colleagues ...2 weeks ago
- A prerequisite for Vulture Capitalism.
Yesterday I received come lovely feedback following my Star Wars themed newsletter. A few people mentioned they’d enjoyed reading the personal part at the beginning.I often begin newsletters with some memories, or general thoughts, before commencing the main topic. This hopefully sets the mood and provides some context in which ...2 weeks ago - Early evening, April 30
April 30 was going to be the day we’d be calling Mum from London to wish her a happy birthday. Then it became the day we would be going to St. Paul's at Evensong to remember her. The aim of the cathedral builders was to find a way to make their ...2 weeks ago - Do Newsroom’s staff think they’re culturally superior to the rest of us? Are they arguing that A...Rob MacCulloch writes – Can’t remember the last book by a Kiwi author you read? Think the NZ government should spend less on the arts in favor of helping the homeless? If so, as far as Newsroom is concerned, you probably deserve to be called a cultural ignoramus ...2 weeks ago
- Fun minor grudgesEric Crampton writes – Grudges are bad. Better to move on. But it can be fun to keep a couple of really trivial ones, so you’re not tempted to have other ones. For example, because of the rootkit fiasco of 2005, no Sony products in our household. ...2 weeks ago
- Bernard’s dawn chorus for Saturday, May 4 and pick ‘n’ mix for the weekend
A new report warns an estimated third of the adult population have unmet need for health care. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāHere’s the six key things I learned about Aotaroa’s political economy this week around housing, climate and poverty:Politics - Three opinion polls confirmed support for PM Christopher Luxon ...2 weeks ago - The Dark Side and the Rebel Alliance.
Today is May the fourth. Which was just a regular day when my mother took me to see the newly released Star Wars at the Odeon in Rotorua. The queue was right around the corner. Some years later this day became known as Star Wars Day, the date being a ...2 weeks ago - Imaginary mandate, imaginary leadership
Hello! Here comes the Saturday edition of More Than A Feilding, catching you up on the past week’s editions.ShareVerity, Ilfracombe ...2 weeks ago - Winston Peters delivers a speech about NZ’s relationship with China but media focus on Bob Carr’...
Buzz from the Beehive Much more media attention is being paid to something Winston Peters said about former Australian Foreign Minister Bob Carr than to a speech he delivered to the New Zealand China Council. One word is missing from the speech: AUKUS. But AUKUS loomed large in his considerations ...2 weeks ago - The Post-Covid Economy
Is the economy in another long stagnation? If so, why?This is about the time that the Treasury will be locking up its economic forecasts to be published in the 2024 Budget Economic and Fiscal Update (BEFU) on budget day, 30 May. I am not privy to what they will be ...2 weeks ago - An awkward coincidence!
The annual list of who's been bribing our politicians is out, and journalists will no doubt be poring over it to find the juiciest and dirtiest bribes. The government's fast-track invite list is likely to be a particular focus, and we already know of one company on the list which ...2 weeks ago - The Israel/Palestinian metastasis.
In the weeks after the October 7 Hamas attacks on Southern Israel I wrote about the possible 2nd, 3rd and even 4th order effects of the conflict. These included new fronts being opened in the West Bank (with Hamas), Golan … Continue reading ...2 weeks ago - 27,000That's the number of submissions received on National's corrupt Muldoonist fast-track legislation. Except its higher than that, because the number doesn't include form submissions, such as the 15,000 people who supported Forest & Bird's submission, or the 14,000 who supported Greenpeace. And so many people want to appear in person ...2 weeks ago
- MPs’ salaries – when is the best time to increase them?Peter Dunne writes – It is one of the oldest truisms that there is never a good time for MPs to get a pay rise. This week’s announcement of pay raises of around 2.8% backdated to last October could hardly have come at a worse time, with the ...2 weeks ago
- Genter under fireDavid Farrar writes – Newshub reports: Newshub can reveal a fresh allegation of intimidation against Green MP Julie-Anne Genter. Genter is subject to a disciplinary process for aggressively waving a book in the face of National Minister Matt Doocey in the House – but it’s not the first time ...2 weeks ago
- New Treasury paper on the productivity slowdown supports the downgrading of forecastsThe Treasury has published a paper today on the global productivity slowdown and how it is playing out in New Zealand: The productivity slowdown: implications for the Treasury’s forecasts and projections. The Treasury Paper examines recent trends in productivity and the potential drivers of the slowdown. Productivity for the whole economy ...2 weeks ago
- Bernard’s pick 'n' mix for Friday, May 3
TL;DR: Here’s my top 10 ‘pick ‘n’ mix of links to news, analysis and opinion articles as of 9:26 am on Friday, May 3:Climate 'Ministerial override must go' - Hearings begin over fast-track bill RNZ Kate GreenPopulation: Labour hire firm struggling to find staff as Australia lures away workers. HireStaff ...2 weeks ago - Weekly Roundup 3-May-2024Here we are in May already! And here are a few of the stories that caught our eye this week. This Week on Greater Auckland On Monday, Matt highlighted that it’s been a decade since Auckland’s rail system was electrified. On Wednesday, Matt looked at AT’s rollout of new ways ...2 weeks ago
- The Hoon around the week to May 32 weeks ago
- Pamphlets at Ten Paces.
These puppet strings don't pull themselvesYou're thinking thoughts from someone elseHow much time do you think you have?Are you prepared for what comes next?The debating chamber can be a trying place for an opposition MP. What with the person in charge, the speaker, typically being an MP from the governing ...2 weeks ago - A land without pier
The land around Lyme Regis, where Meryl Streep once stood, in a hood, on the Cobb, is falling into the sea.MerylThe land around Lyme Regis, around the Cobb that made it rich, has always been falling slowly but surely into the sea. Read more ...2 weeks ago - Skeptical Science New Research for Week #18 2024Open access notables Generative AI tools can enhance climate literacy but must be checked for biases and inaccuracies, Atkins et al., Communications Earth & Environment: In the face of climate change, climate literacy is becoming increasingly important. With wide access to generative AI tools, such as OpenAI’s ChatGPT, we explore the potential ...2 weeks ago
- Join us for the weekly Hoon on YouTube Live
Photo by Jari Hytönen on UnsplashIt’s that new day of the week (Thursday rather than Friday) when and I co-host our ‘hoon’ webinar with paying subscribers to The Kākā for an hour at 5 pm. Jump on this link on YouTube Livestream for our chat about the week’s news ...2 weeks ago - Ruckus over AUKUS – Labour demands Peters step down as Foreign Minister, but he still had the job ...Buzz from the Beehive Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters was bound to win headlines when he set out his thinking about AUKUS in his speech to the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs. The headlines became bigger when – during an interview on RNZ’s Morning Report today – he criticised ...2 weeks ago
- Secrecy undermines participationThe Post reports on how the government is refusing to release its advice on its corrupt Muldoonist fast-track law, instead using the "soon to be publicly available" refusal ground to hide it until after select committee submissions on the bill have closed. Fast-track Minister Chris Bishop's excuse? “It's not ...2 weeks ago
- Agribusiness following oil and gas playbookAs pressure on it grows, the livestock industry’s approach to the transition to Net Zero is increasingly being compared to that of fossil fuel interests. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / Getty ImagesTL;DR: Here’s the top five news items of note in climate news for Aotearoa-NZ this week, and a discussion above ...2 weeks ago
- Here’s hoping they aren’t counting on a 100 per cent acceptance…The New Zealand Herald reports – Stats NZ has offered a voluntary redundancy scheme to all of its workers as a way to give staff some control over their “future” amidst widespread job losses in the public sector. In an update to staff this morning, seen by the Herald, Statistics New Zealand ...2 weeks ago
- Gordon Campbell on unemployment, Winston Peters’ low boiling point and music criticismOn Werewolf/Scoop, I usually do two long form political columns a week. From now on, there will be an extra column each week about music and movies. But first, some late-breaking political events: The rise in unemployment numbers for the March quarter was bigger than expected – and especially sharp ...2 weeks ago
- TVNZ and poll results2 weeks ago
- Mana or MoneyMuriel Newman writes – When Meridian Energy was seeking resource consents for a West Coast hydro dam proposal in 2010, local Maori “strenuously” objected, claiming their mana was inextricably linked to ‘their’ river and could be damaged. After receiving a financial payment from the company, however, the Ngai Tahu ...2 weeks ago
- Bernard’s pick 'n' mix for Thursday, May 2
TL;DR: Here’s my top 10 ‘pick ‘n’ mix of links to news, analysis and opinion articles as of 11:10 am on Thursday, May 2:Scoop: Government sits on official advice on fast-track consent. The Ombudsman is investigating after official briefings on the contentious regime were held back despite requests from Forest ...2 weeks ago - The Art of taking no ResponsibilityAlwyn Poole writes – “An SEP,’ he said, ‘is something that we can’t see, or don’t see, or our brain doesn’t let us see, because we think that it’s somebody else’s problem. That’s what SEP means. Somebody Else’s Problem. The brain just edits it out, it’s like a ...2 weeks ago
- The shabby “Parliamentary urgency” ploy – shaky foundations and why our democracy needs trustOur trust in our political institutions is fast eroding, according to a Maxim Institute discussion paper, Shaky Foundations: Why our democracy needs trust. The paper – released today – raises concerns about declining trust in New Zealand’s political institutions and democratic processes, and the role that the overuse of Parliamentary urgency ...2 weeks ago
- Jones has made plain he isn’t fond of frogs (not the dim-witted ones, at least) – and now we lea...This article was prepared for publication yesterday. More ministerial announcements have been posted on the government’s official website since it was written. We will report on these later today …. Buzz from the Beehive There we were, thinking the environment is in trouble, when along came Jones. Shane Jones. ...2 weeks ago
- Infrastructure & home building slumping on Govt funding freeze2 weeks ago
- Brainwashed People Think Everyone Else is Brainwashed
Hi,I am just going to state something very obvious: American police are fucking crazy.That was a photo gracing the New York Times this morning, showing New York City police “entering Columbia University last night after receiving a request from the school.”Apparently in America, protesting the deaths of tens of thousands ...2 weeks ago - Peters’ real foreign policy threat is Helen ClarkWinston Peters’ much anticipated foreign policy speech last night was a work of two halves. Much of it was a standard “boilerplate” Foreign Ministry overview of the state of the world. There was some hardening up of rhetoric with talk of “benign” becoming “malign” and old truths giving way to ...2 weeks ago
- NZ’s trans lobby is fighting a rearguard action
Graham Adams assesses the fallout of the Cass Review — The press release last Thursday from the UN Special Rapporteur on violence against women and girls didn’t make the mainstream news in New Zealand but it really should have. The startling title of Reem Alsalem’s statement — “Implementation of ‘Cass ...3 weeks ago - Your mandate is imaginary
This open-for-business, under-new-management cliché-pockmarked government of Christopher Luxon is not the thing of beauty he imagines it to be. It is not the powerful expression of the will of the people that he asserts it to be. It is not a soaring eagle, it is a malodorous vulture. This newest poll should make ...3 weeks ago - 14,000 unemployed under NationalThe latest labour market statistics, showing a rise in unemployment. There are now 134,000 unemployed - 14,000 more than when the National government took office. Which is I guess what happens when the Reserve Bank causes a recession in an effort to Keep Wages Low. The previous government saw a ...3 weeks ago
- Bryce Edwards: Discontent and gloom dominate NZ’s political moodThree opinion polls have been released in the last two days, all showing that the new government is failing to hold their popular support. The usual honeymoon experienced during the first year of a first term government is entirely absent. The political mood is still gloomy and discontented, mainly due ...3 weeks ago
- Taking Tea with 42 & 38.
National's Finance Minister once met a poor person.A scornful interview with National's finance guru who knows next to nothing about economics or people.There might have been something a bit familiar if that was the headline I’d gone with today. It would of course have been in tribute to the article ...3 weeks ago - Beware political propaganda: statistics are pointing to Grant Robertson never protecting “Lives an...Rob MacCulloch writes – Throughout the pandemic, the new Vice-Chancellor-of-Otago-University-on-$629,000 per annum-Can-you-believe-it-and-Former-Finance-Minister Grant Robertson repeated the mantra over and over that he saved “lives and livelihoods”. As we update how this claim is faring over the course of time, the facts are increasingly speaking differently. NZ ...3 weeks ago
- Winding back the hands of history’s clockChris Trotter writes – IT’S A COMMONPLACE of political speeches, especially those delivered in acknowledgement of electoral victory: “We’ll govern for all New Zealanders.” On the face of it, the pledge is a strange one. Why would any political leader govern in ways that advantaged the huge ...3 weeks ago
- Paula Bennett’s political appointment will challenge public confidence
Bryce Edwards writes – The list of former National Party Ministers being given plum and important roles got longer this week with the appointment of former Deputy Prime Minister Paula Bennett as the chair of Pharmac. The Christopher Luxon-led Government has now made key appointments to Bill ...3 weeks ago - Business confidence sliding into winter of discontentTL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy at 10:06am on Wednesday, May 1:The Lead: Business confidence fell across the board in April, falling in some areas to levels last seen during the lockdowns because of a collapse in ...3 weeks ago
- Gordon Campbell on the coalition’s awful, not good, very bad poll resultsOver the past 36 hours, Christopher Luxon has been dong his best to portray the centre-right’s plummeting poll numbers as a mark of virtue. Allegedly, the negative verdicts are the result of hard economic times, and of a government bravely set out on a perilous rescue mission from which not ...3 weeks ago
- New HOP readers for future payment optionsAuckland Transport have started rolling out new HOP card readers around the network and over the next three months, all of them on buses, at train stations and ferry wharves will be replaced. The change itself is not that remarkable, with the new readers looking similar to what is already ...3 weeks ago
- 2024 Reading Summary: April (+ Writing Update)
Completed reads for April: The Difference Engine, by William Gibson and Bruce Sterling Carnival of Saints, by George Herman The Snow Spider, by Jenny Nimmo Emlyn’s Moon, by Jenny Nimmo The Chestnut Soldier, by Jenny Nimmo Death Comes As the End, by Agatha Christie Lord of the Flies, by ...3 weeks ago - At a glance – Clearing up misconceptions regarding 'hide the decline'On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...3 weeks ago
- Road photos
Have a story to share about St Paul’s, but today just picturesPopular novels written at this desk by a young man who managed to bootstrap himself out of father’s imprisonment and his own young life in a workhouse Read more ...3 weeks ago - Bryce Edwards: Paula Bennett’s political appointment will challenge public confidenceThe list of former National Party Ministers being given plum and important roles got longer this week with the appointment of former Deputy Prime Minister Paula Bennett as the chair of Pharmac. The Christopher Luxon-led Government has now made key appointments to Bill English, Simon Bridges, Steven Joyce, Roger Sowry, ...3 weeks ago
- NZDF is still hostile to oversightNewsroom has a story today about National's (fortunately failed) effort to disestablish the newly-created Inspector-General of Defence. The creation of this agency was the key recommendation of the Inquiry into Operation Burnham, and a vital means of restoring credibility and social licence to an agency which had been caught lying ...3 weeks ago
- Winding Back The Hands Of History’s Clock.
Holding On To The Present: The moment a political movement arises that attacks the whole idea of social progress, and announces its intention to wind back the hands of History’s clock, then democracy, along with its unwritten rules, is in mortal danger.IT’S A COMMONPLACE of political speeches, especially those delivered in ...3 weeks ago - Sweet Moderation? What Christopher Luxon Could Learn From The Germans.3 weeks ago
- A clear warningThe unpopular coalition government is currently rushing to repeal section 7AA of the Oranga Tamariki Act. The clause is Oranga Tamariki's Treaty clause, and was inserted after its systematic stealing of Māori children became a public scandal and resulted in physical resistance to further abductions. The clause created clear obligations ...3 weeks ago
- Poll results and Waitangi Tribunal report go unmentioned on the Beehive website – where racing tru...Buzz from the Beehive The government’s official website – which Point of Order monitors daily – not for the first time has nothing much to say today about political happenings that are grabbing media headlines. It makes no mention of the latest 1News-Verian poll, for example. This shows National down ...3 weeks ago
- Listening To The Traffic.3 weeks ago
- Comity Be Damned! The State’s Legislative Arm Is Flexing Its Constitutional Muscles.Packing A Punch: The election of the present government, including in its ranks politicians dedicated to reasserting the rights of the legislature in shaping and determining the future of Māori and Pakeha in New Zealand, should have alerted the judiciary – including its anomalous appendage, the Waitangi Tribunal – that its ...3 weeks ago
- Ending The Quest.Dead Woman Walking: New Zealand’s media industry had been moving steadily towards disaster for all the years Melissa Lee had been National’s media and communications policy spokesperson, and yet, when the crisis finally broke, on her watch, she had nothing intelligent to offer. Christopher Luxon is a patient man - but he’s not ...3 weeks ago
- Will political polarisation intensify to the point where ‘normal’ government becomes impossible,...Chris Trotter writes – New Zealand politics is remarkably easy-going: dangerously so, one might even say. With the notable exception of John Key’s flat ruling-out of the NZ First Party in 2008, all parties capable of clearing MMP’s five-percent threshold, or winning one or more electorate seats, tend ...3 weeks ago
- Bernard’s pick 'n' mix for Tuesday, April 30
TL;DR: Here’s my top 10 ‘pick ‘n’ mix of links to news, analysis and opinion articles as of 10:30am on Tuesday, May 30:Scoop: NZ 'close to the tipping point' of measles epidemic, health experts warn NZ Herald Benjamin PlummerHealth: 'Absurd and totally unacceptable': Man has to wait a year for ...3 weeks ago - Why Tory Whanau has the lowest approval rating in the countryBryce Edwards writes – Polling shows that Wellington Mayor Tory Whanau has the lowest approval rating of any mayor in the country. Siting at -12 per cent, the proportion of constituents who disapprove of her performance outweighs those who give her the thumbs up. This negative rating is ...3 weeks ago
- Worst poll result for a new Government in MMP history3 weeks ago
- Pinning down climate change's role in extreme weatherThis is a re-post from The Climate Brink by Andrew Dessler In the wake of any unusual weather event, someone inevitably asks, “Did climate change cause this?” In the most literal sense, that answer is almost always no. Climate change is never the sole cause of hurricanes, heat waves, droughts, or ...3 weeks ago
- Trade Minister travels to Riyadh, OECD, and Dubai
Trade Minister Todd McClay heads overseas today for high-level trade talks in the Gulf region, and a key OECD meeting in Paris. Mr McClay will travel to Riyadh to meet with counterparts from Saudi Arabia and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). “New Zealand’s goods and services exports to the Gulf region ...3 weeks ago - Education priorities focused on lifting achievementEducation Minister Erica Stanford has outlined six education priorities to deliver a world-leading education system that sets Kiwi kids up for future success. “I’m putting ambition, achievement and outcomes at the heart of our education system. I want every child to be inspired and engaged in their learning so they ...3 weeks ago
- NZTA App first step towards digital driver licenceThe new NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) App is a secure ‘one stop shop’ to provide the services drivers need, Transport Minister Simeon Brown and Digitising Government Minister Judith Collins say. “The NZTA App will enable an easier way for Kiwis to pay for Vehicle Registration and Road User Charges (RUC). ...3 weeks ago
- Supporting whānau out of emergency housingWhānau with tamariki growing up in emergency housing motels will be prioritised for social housing starting this week, says Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka. “Giving these whānau a better opportunity to build healthy stable lives for themselves and future generations is an essential part of the Government’s goal of reducing ...3 weeks ago
- Tribute to Dave O'SullivanRacing Minister Winston Peters has paid tribute to an icon of the industry with the recent passing of Dave O’Sullivan (OBE). “Our sympathies are with the O’Sullivan family with the sad news of Dave O’Sullivan’s recent passing,” Mr Peters says. “His contribution to racing, initially as a jockey and then ...3 weeks ago
- Waitangi Tribunal to hear a claim into government disestablishing the Māori Health Authority
Claimants have been notified that they have met the criteria for a 'priority inquiry' scheduled for October 2024. ...4 days ago - Why is the government proposing caps on international students and how did we get here?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Christopher Ziguras, Director, Centre for the Study of Higher Education, The University of Melbourne The federal government is due to introduce legislation on Thursday to enable new caps on the number of international student places at educational institutions in Australia. These include ...4 days ago - For a ‘future made in Australia’, we need more innovation and diverse people in science and techSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kylie Walker, Visiting Fellow, Australian National University Crazy Owl Productions/Shutterstock This year’s federal budget is making up for decades of lost time – both in our clean energy transition and in betting on new technological breakthroughs. The Future Made in ...4 days ago
- Two-thirds of us support banning pet cats from roaming. A ban would save millions of native animals ...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jaana Dielenberg, University Fellow, Charles Darwin University Jaana Dielenberg Australians have more pet cats than ever before – more than 5 million in total. With the growing number, expectations on pet owners are shifting. Many cat owners are now ...4 days ago
- Symphonie of the Bicycle: on the desire to be great, and the desire to live a life with great meanin...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Catherine Campbell, Lecturer, Performing Arts, UniSA Creative, University of South Australia Tracey Leigh/State Theatre Company of South Australia Symphonie of the Bicycle is a tour de force. Actor and writer Hew Parham takes the audience through comic and heartfelt parallel stories ...4 days ago
- The police minister loves numbers. Except when he’s asked about lowering them
Why worry about accurate messaging around gangs when you can throw out some scary numbers instead? As sure as night follows day, Mark Mitchell will premise a gang policy announcement with a spine-tingling stat about soaring gang membership. “New Zealanders need only look at the fatal shooting in Ponsonby recently ...4 days ago - Curious Kids: why is blood red?Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Theresa Larkin, Associate professor of Medical Sciences, University of Wollongong BonNontawat/Shutterstock Why is blood red? – Asher, 6 years 11 months, New South Wales What a great question about something in our body, Asher. Blood is inside our body, but ...4 days ago
- ‘Westralia shall be free!’ How Western Australia’s secessionists stoked British fears the Empi...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Benjamin Wilson Mountford, Associate Professor in History, Australian Catholic University State Library of Western Australia, call number: BA428/1 Around 90 years ago, two-thirds of Western Australian voters voted in favour of leaving the Commonwealth at a state referendum. This 1933 ...4 days ago
- Israel’s invasion of Rafah will not eliminate Hamas or end the war. So, what is Benjamin Netanyahu...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ian Parmeter, Research Scholar, Centre for Arab and Islamic Studies, Australian National University The Gaza war has now entered its eighth month and a resolution to the conflict still seems far off. Israel claims to have killed 13,000 Hamas militants so far. ...4 days ago
- New Zealanders have had their say on climate adaptation: here’s where we agree and disagreeSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Raven Cretney, Postdoctoral Fellow, Environmental Planning, University of Waikato Getty Images Adaptation to climate change will challenge New Zealand politically and economically. As such, it becomes a problem of imagination. We will need to fund things differently, build differently, restructure aspects ...4 days ago
- Auckland won’t complete big busway in PM and minister’s electorates
A new 10-year budget for Auckland has dropped funding for the fourth and final part of the up to $1.4 billion dollar Eastern Busway, partly because the Government ditched the regional fuel tax. The Auckland Council believes it has been left $600m short by that early call to do away ...4 days ago - Netsafe investigating Facebook page pretending to be New Zealand First MP Tanya UnkovichThe page impersonating Tanya Unkovich sent a message to someone in relation to her bathroom bill. ...4 days ago
- Watch: PM Christopher Luxon speaks to business leaders ahead of Budget 2024Prime Minister Christopher Luxon says do not expect any curveballs in this month's Budget, but he reaffirmed a commitment to tax relief. ...4 days ago
- Anything Less Than $49/week Isn’t Tax Relief, It’s Shortchanging New Zealanders
Connor Molloy, said: “Christopher Luxon is right to point out that inflation over the last 14 has pushed New Zealanders into higher income tax brackets so that they are paying more of their wages in tax even when they are not better off." ...4 days ago - How easy is it to leave a gang?As police focus on curbing gang activity, community leaders say arrests won't solve issues that run deeper. ...4 days ago
- Cheaper medicines and a new approach for mental health care. Will the budget make us healthier?Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Breadon, Program Director, Health and Aged Care, Grattan Institute Shutterstock Health was a centrepiece of last year’s budget, based on a new vision for Medicare. This year, there is less health reform, but the budget does set the foundation for ...4 days ago
- Violence erupts in New Caledonia as independence supporters oppose legislation in ParisMacron’s plan has backfired. But there can be no sustainable solution without cooperation of all parties, writes a former Australian diplomat New Caledonia. ANALYSIS: By Denise Fisher Monday night saw demonstrations by independence supporters in New Caledonia erupt into serious violence for the first time since the 1980s civil disturbances. ...4 days ago
- Why Ngāti Toa is standing up against the fast-track billWe won’t be violent, but we will organise and do everything in our power to prevent further degradation of our taiao, writes Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Toa Rangatira chief executive Helmut Modlik. In the early 1950s, prime minister Sidney Holland’s National government was under enormous pressure to increase housing supply ...4 days ago
- Watch live: PM Christopher Luxon speaks to business leaders ahead of Budget 2024The Prime Minister is speaking to business leaders ahead of this month's Budget. ...4 days ago
- New Caledonia unrest: Pro-independence calls for calm ‘to preserve peace’By Patrick Decloitre, RNZ Pacific correspondent French Pacific desk A group belonging to New Caledonia’s pro-independence movement, UNI (Union Nationale pour l’Indépendance), has released a communiqué saying they were “moved by and deplored the exactions and violence taking place“. UNI member of New Caledonia’s Northern provincial assembly Patricia Goa said ...4 days ago
- Waka Kotahi pays PWC to meld together technologies, then again to pull them apartThe Transport Agency wanted to see if it could combine two vehicle-spotting technologies. It couldn't. ...4 days ago
- Live Export: New Zealand Sails Backwards Whilst The UK And Australia Competitively Sail Forward"The United Kingdom’s Animal Welfare (Livestock Exports) Bill has just passed its final stage in Parliament (last night, NZ time) and will soon be enshrined into law. This will mean that the UK has banned export of farmed animals by sea. The Australian ...4 days ago
- Landscape Architects Have Much To Offer For Climate Change AdaptationThe Government’s success in designing a national climate adaptation framework will depend entirely on its propensity to utilise landscape architects. ...4 days ago
- ‘One hell of a lesson’: a conversation with Ngāhuia Te AwekōtukuMatariki Williams speaks with Ngāhuia Te Awekōtuku about her extraordinary memoir, Hine Toa. Ngāhuia Te Awekōtuku has a seemingly effortless approach to knowledge: the ingesting, digesting and sharing of it has been part of her scholarship for decades. The week after I interviewed her, I was heading to Venice to ...4 days ago
- Comical Incompetence As Wellington Council Might Have To Dig Up Brand New $55 Million Bus Lanes And ...A memo accidentally released by Wellington City Council shows at least $5.2 million of pipes needing urgent repair have just been covered up by $55 million of brand new bus and cycle lanes on Thorndon Quay. ...4 days ago
- Offshore Wind Industry Warns Against Taranaki Seabed MiningA damning briefing paper released by a group of offshore wind developers warns that if Trans Tasman Resources gets the go-ahead to mine the seabed of the South Taranaki Bight, it would spell the end of New Zealand’s chance to embrace offshore wind ...4 days ago
- What are charter schools, and why are they so controversial?The government intends for new charter schools to be operating by the beginning of 2025. How does the model work? Shanti Mathias explains. What did David Seymour announce? On Tuesday, Act Party leader and minister for education David Seymour said the upcoming government budget would include $153m of new funding ...4 days ago
- A student’s visa has been cancelled for links to ‘weapons of mass destruction’. What’s going...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Brendan Walker-Munro, Senior Lecturer (Law), Southern Cross University Drones are an example of the ‘dual-use technologies’ that can fall foul of research security concerns. Goh Rhy Yan / Unsplash Over the weekend, Queensland University of Technology PhD student Xiaolong Zhu became national ...4 days ago
- I’m pregnant. Do I need a multivitamin?Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Linda Gallo, Lecturer in Biomedical Sciences, School of Health, University of the Sunshine Coast gpointstudio/Shutterstock Growing a healthy baby relies on getting enough nutrients while pregnant. But rather than following a healthy diet to provide those nutrients, we’re concerned too many ...4 days ago
- Green industry yes, conservation no: a budget for people, not for natureSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Timothy Neal, Senior lecturer in Economics / Institute for Climate Risk and Response, UNSW Sydney Sonpichit Salangsing/Shutterstock Last night’s budget is another missed opportunity to arrest the poor and deteriorating state of the Australian environment. Subsidising green industry in Labor’s ...4 days ago
- From Bridgerton to Grey’s Anatomy, Shonda Rhimes is the queen of romance. Here’s how she gets ou...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rebecca Trelease, Senior Lecturer in Communication Studies, Auckland University of Technology Netflix/ABC Television producer and screenwriter Shonda Rhimes has come a long way since being a scriptwriter for the 2002 film Crossroads. Her production company Shondaland now shines in its delivery ...4 days ago
- Cricket’s pilgrimage: Go north, young womanSome of our brightest talent has flown north for the British summer as cricketing opportunities increase for our up-and-coming female cricketers. Included in that group is Otago Sparks batter and wicketkeeper Olivia Gain who has travelled to England for the second successive year as she looks to gain more ...4 days ago
- Strike Force Raptor 3.0? The new anti-gang unit, and the questions that remainA new national gang unit – coupled with smaller ‘disruption units’ – will target and ‘harass’ gang members, writes Stewart Sowman-Lund in this extract from The Bulletin. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here. A gang crackdown Throughout National’s election campaign and into its time in government, ...4 days ago
- Questions about coalition's Covid-19 mandate pledgeThe government is still trying to work out how it will meet its pledge to end Covid mandates, given the mandates were scrapped more than a year ago. ...4 days ago
- Questions about coalition's Covid-19 vaccine mandate pledgeThe government is still trying to work out how it will meet its pledge to end Covid mandates, given the mandates were scrapped more than a year ago. ...4 days ago
- Treatment hopes dashed for MS sufferersIt was the first glimmer of hope – ever – for New Zealanders with the worst type of multiple sclerosis. A drug treatment that can halt a cruel descent into immobility, incontinence and the loss of agency that comes with PPMS – the primary progressive form of the disease. Pharmac ...4 days ago
- Jones’ undeclared dinner had two more mining industry attendees“Sadly, these things are never a juicy conspiracy,” Shane Jones says of his office neglecting to include a dinner with mining interests in his ministerial diary. “They’re largely a cock-up – not a particularly polite expression but it is a regular feature of politics.” On Tuesday, in a Newsroom story, ...4 days ago
- Suicide Prevention Office to continue in name – but with no full-time staffThe office that was initially expected to close survives in name, but may have no full-time roles and the likely addition of greater oversight. ...4 days ago
- Hazard-prone development likely under fast-track law, insurers and engineers warnMore building in flood prone areas is 'highly likely' as a result of the proposed Fast Track Bill, scientists and engineers warn. ...4 days ago
- British High Commissioner Speech To The NZIIA: In An Unstable World, Standing With Our Friends Is Ne...This decade is becoming increasingly characterised by accelerating instability and standing with our friends is needed now more than ever. ...4 days ago
- The toilet bill is designed to outrage but that doesn’t mean we can ignore itThe bill opens the door to hate. It’s our collective job to shut it, writes Anna Rawhiti-Connell. Just over 11 years ago, most of the country was basking in the refracted light of a big gay rainbow. National MP Maurice Williamson’s speech in support of the Marriage Equality Bill, and ...4 days ago
- Thousands of New Zealand students have to work for free each year. Is that fair?Nurses, teachers, med students, midwives and social workers are among professions that require students to complete unpaid work placements to qualify. A campaign is seeking to change that reality. “It’s really hard to write an essay when you’ve only had two hours’ sleep because you’re been up all night attending ...4 days ago
- The Reserve Bank’s double-pronged cash planWhat happens when cash is king – and then your bank leaves. A businessman in a town that hasn’t had a bank for three years says the Reserve Bank’s plans to put more cash in the hands of its people and introduce digital cash could save hours of time. John ...4 days ago
- Daily crossword, Wednesday 15 MayThe post Daily crossword, Wednesday 15 May appeared first on Newsroom. ...4 days ago
- Taskforce disestablishment a setback for pay equity claims – employersEmployers in the funded NGO sector say the goal of reaching pay parity with the public service is now further away The post Taskforce disestablishment a setback for pay equity claims – employers appeared first on Newsroom. ...4 days ago
- Ockhams: Catton wins People’s ChoiceThe people have spoken, in their hundreds. Birnam Wood by Eleanor Catton has been overwhelmingly voted the favourite New Zealand book of 2023 as nominated by ReadingRoom readers. The vote can informally be regarded as the People’s Choice award – ahead of tonight’s Ockham book awards, where Catton’s novel is competing ...4 days ago
- Resolving funding block only way forward for infrastructureOpinion: The pressure of funding the infrastructure deficit must be reduced or at least shared by central government The post Resolving funding block only way forward for infrastructure appeared first on Newsroom. ...4 days ago
- Libraries covering a third of NZ to migrate data to AustraliaWhy your library might be shifting its information to Australian data centres, and whether experts think that’s a problem The post Libraries covering a third of NZ to migrate data to Australia appeared first on Newsroom. ...4 days ago
- Transpower takes blame for Simeon Brown’s ‘misleading’ chartThe energy minister said there were no low power supply notices issued before 2019, but that’s because the system was only introduced that year The post Transpower takes blame for Simeon Brown’s ‘misleading’ chart appeared first on Newsroom. ...4 days ago
- Govt reviewing ‘counterintuitive’ fishing permits for biosecurity zoneDespite the $11m invested in eradication of exotic caulerpa, commercial crayfish permits were issued for an impacted area The post Govt reviewing ‘counterintuitive’ fishing permits for biosecurity zone appeared first on Newsroom. ...4 days ago
- Newsroom daily quiz, Wednesday 15 MayLoading…(function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){var ql=document.querySelectorAll('A,DIV,A[data-quiz],DIV[data-quiz]'); if(ql){if(ql.length){for(var k=0;k<ql.length;k++){ql[k].id='quiz-embed-'+k;ql[k].href="javascript:var i=document.getElementById('quiz-embed-"+k+"');try{qz.startQuiz(i)}catch(e){i.start=1;i.style.cursor='wait';i.style.opacity='0.5'};void(0);"}}};i['QP']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){(i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o),m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m)})(window,document,'script','https://take.quiz-maker.com/3012/CDN/quiz-embed-v1.js','qp'); Got a good quiz question? Send Newsroom your questions. The post Newsroom daily quiz, Wednesday 15 May appeared first on Newsroom. ...4 days ago
- Former Kiwi MPs’ names aired in Hong Kong security trialThe controversial national security trial of a Hong Kong newspaper founder has touched on the work of former Kiwi MPs The post Former Kiwi MPs’ names aired in Hong Kong security trial appeared first on Newsroom. ...4 days ago
- Doubts about value, results from charter schools – education figuresReintroduced charter schools will be tightly monitored, but a lack of transparency in reporting was a key criticism they faced last time around. ...5 days ago
- At a glance: the 2024 federal budget split four waysSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Matt Garrow, Editorial Web Developer The government has handed down its budget for 2024–25. It’s delivered a $9.3 billion surplus for the financial year just about to finish but is forecasting a $28.3 billion deficit for next year. Here’s the key points: ...5 days ago
- View from The Hill: What the Reserve Bank thinks of Chalmers’ budget will be nearly as important a...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Jim Chalmers has produced a benign third budget aimed at soothing hard-pressed voters agitated about their high cost of living and punishing interest rates. At the same time he has walked a tightrope, trying ...5 days ago
- Relief on energy bills for all in a federal budget that bets on lower inflationSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Wes Mountain/The Conversation, CC BY-ND A $300 energy rebate for all households from July 1 and a 10% increase in Commonwealth Rent Assistance are key measures in a budget targeting cost-of-living relief that put ...5 days ago
- Budget 2024: Chalmers fights inflation, will it be enough for a rate cut?Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Hawkins, Senior Lecturer, Canberra School of Politics, Economics and Society, University of Canberra Treasurer Jim Chalmers promised an “inflation-fighting and future-making budget” and he has delivered by introducing measures aimed at directly bringing down inflation. Combined, his A$300-per-household energy rebate and ...5 days ago
- Budget 2024: As Chalmers fights inflation, will it be enough for a rate cut?Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Hawkins, Senior Lecturer, Canberra School of Politics, Economics and Society, University of Canberra Treasurer Jim Chalmers promised an “inflation-fighting and future-making budget” and he has delivered by introducing measures aimed at directly bringing down inflation. Combined, his A$300-per-household energy rebate and ...5 days ago
- Chalmers is bitten by the giveaway bug in a budget that contains good news for almost everyoneSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stephen Bartos, Professor of Economics, University of Canberra Treasurer Jim Chalmers has been bitten by the giveaway bug. This budget contains not only the well-foreshadowed tax cuts for all taxpayers, but a range of new spending measures in health, education, infrastructure, aged ...5 days ago
- Curfew in New Caledonia after Kanak riots over French voting change planBy Stephen Wright and Stefan Armbruster of BenarNews French authorities have imposed a curfew on New Caledonia’s capital Nouméa and banned public gatherings after supporters of the Pacific territory’s independence movement blocked roads, set fire to buildings and clashed with security forces. Tensions in New Caledonia have been inflamed by ...5 days ago
- Gang unit will disproportionately affect Māori and Pasifika, Te Pāti Māori sayAmid criticism from opposition parties, a gang expert says it focuses on an area of political and public worry. ...5 days ago
- Sir Maarten Wevers to lead Ministry for Disabled People reviewThe review will investigate how to keep disability support services funded by the ministry going in the long-term. ...5 days ago
- David McBride goes to prison – and Australian democracy takes a hitSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Greste, Professor of Journalism and Communications, Macquarie University Governments and their agencies wield awesome power. At times, it is quite literally the power over life and death. That is why in any functioning democracy, we have robust checks and balances designed ...5 days ago
- Longer appointments are just the start of tackling the gender pain gap. Here are 4 more things we ca...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle O’Shea, Senior Lecturer, School of Business, Western Sydney University PeopleImages.com – Yuri A/Shutterstock Ahead of today’s federal budget, health minister Mark Butler last week announced an investment of A$49.1 million to help women with endometriosis and complex gynaecological conditions such ...5 days ago
- 71st Everest Day: A Celebration Of New Zealand-Nepal Relationship And The Quest To Preserve The Ever...As the world commemorates the 71st Everest Day, it's not just a celebration of human achievement but also a reflection of the enduring bond between New Zealand and Nepal. This day marks the historic feat of Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay Sherpa ...5 days ago
- Activists Seek To Shut Down Gender-critical Event: Tākina Events Must Uphold Speech RightsIndividuals in Wellington, led by City Councillor Nīkau Wi Neera, are working to use the ‘hecklers veto’ to shut down Inflection Point , a gender-critical event to be held at a Te Papa venue this weekend featuring speakers such as Bob McCoskrie ...5 days ago
- Trans Community To Rally Against HateThe transgender community, whānau & allies will rally outside Tākina/Wellington Convention Centre against anti-trans confederation “Inflection Point NZ,” who are hosting a conference to encourage parliamentarians to restrict trans people’s ...5 days ago
- Net Migration Loss Of New Zealand Citizens Exceeds 50,000Before the current high levels, the record annual net migration loss of New Zealand citizens was 44,400 in the February 2012 year. ...5 days ago
- Charter schools: What are they, how are they different, and are they better than public schools?What exactly are charter schools and what makes them different to regular public schools? Here's what you need to know. ...5 days ago
- End is nigh for public ownership of Auckland Airport sharesA strategic asset for Auckland that has been fought over for years as either sacrosanct or a sacred cow looks certain to be sold and the proceeds of around $1.3 billion put in a new investment fund. A year after bitter political struggle ended in a compromise in which Auckland ...5 days ago
- Bryce Edwards’ Analysis – The Govt’s Fast-Track being demolished by submissions to ParliamentAnalysis by Dr Bryce Edwards – the Democracy Project (https://democracyproject.nz) Political scientist, Dr Bryce Edwards. The number of voices raising concerns about the Government’s Fast-Track Approvals Bill is rapidly growing. This is especially apparent now that Parliament’s select committee is listening to submissions from the public to evaluate the ...5 days ago
- ‘A lot of fire, violence’: Nouméa erupts as protests halt New CaledoniaRNZ Pacific New Caledonians lined up in long queues outside shopping centres to buy supplies in the capital Nouméa today amid political unrest in the French territory Demonstrations, marches and clashes with security forces erupted yesterday and French High Commissioner Louis Le Franc told the public broadcaster he had called ...5 days ago
- Christchurch Call to continue as charityThe initiative, established by former prime minister Dame Jacinda Ardern, aims to stop violent extremism online. ...5 days ago
- An NRL player died at training due to exertional heat stroke. What is it and what should coaches and...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Samuel Chalmers, Senior Lecturer in Human Movement, University of South Australia The tragic death of Manly rugby league player Keith Titmuss in 2020 due to exertional heat stroke is a reminder of the life-threatening nature of the condition. Titmuss died after ...5 days ago
- Luxon Must Rule Out Taxpayer Funding For “fatally Compromised” Christchurch CallInternet Governance Project founder Milton Mueller asked “is the Christchurch Call accomplishing anything?” Increasingly it seems the only thing it hopes to achieve is killing off free expression. ...5 days ago
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