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- David Farrar (95)
- dpf (194)
Karma Cameleon
Written By: - Date published: 2:40 pm, January 21st, 2019 - 120 comments
Cameron Slater is seriously ill. The Whale Oil blog will carry on without him, but in the meantime, Cam is asking for help.
Family First thinks there is a Cafe porn watching crisis
Written By: - Date published: 8:00 am, January 19th, 2019 - 104 comments
Family First thinks that there is a crisis of porn watching at cafes. And has commissioned Curia to see if others think the same.
Farrar criticises Genter for not solving National’s transport safety mess quickly enough
Written By: - Date published: 10:17 am, January 5th, 2019 - 119 comments
David Farrar has accused Julie Anne Genter of saying she can do nothing about the road safety when she said nothing of the sort.
The Standard a decade on
Written By: - Date published: 8:00 am, December 28th, 2018 - 113 comments
LPrent and I had the chance recently to talk about the Standard and how it is going.
Bryce Edwards: Just another political simpleton
Written By: - Date published: 1:33 am, November 5th, 2018 - 68 comments
I can only describe Bryce Edwards spin about what a “The Standard” post means is that it is complete bullshit. This site is not the editorial and political monolith. But what else do you expect from a political simpleton with a limited understanding of actual debate. Like Mike Hosking, he is far more suited to a broadcast medium where he doesn’t get robust debate on their inane explanations of real world politics.
The Taxpayers’ Union’s identity problem
Written By: - Date published: 2:23 pm, October 3rd, 2018 - 45 comments
David Fisher in the Herald has reported that the Taxpayer’s Union has used numerous fictitious identities to make Official Information Act requests.
Meka had to go
Written By: - Date published: 7:39 am, September 21st, 2018 - 137 comments
Jacinda Ardern has made the right call by sacking Meka Whaitiri as a Minister.
The right work themselves into a frenzy about Ardern and Curran
Written By: - Date published: 3:52 pm, September 7th, 2018 - 65 comments
The latest right wing beat up is that Jacinda told a porkie this morning to Chris Lynch on Newstalk ZB. A closer inspection reveals that nothing of the sort happened.
Farrar peddles climate change denial nonsense
Written By: - Date published: 8:57 am, September 3rd, 2018 - 151 comments
David Farrar has posted a guest post by climate change denialist Bryan Leland where he has criticised the Royal Society of New Zealand for accepting that climate change is an actual phenomenon.
The future of blogging in Aotearoa New Zealand
Written By: - Date published: 11:25 am, August 19th, 2018 - 54 comments
Morgan Godfery of the excellent Maui Street blog has relaunched his blogsite and made it subscriber based. Is this the future of blogging in Aotearoa New Zealand?
What has happened to Simon Bridges?
Written By: - Date published: 8:40 am, July 19th, 2018 - 42 comments
You would think that while Jacinda Ardern takes time out to properly introduce baby Neve to the world opposition leader Simon Bridges would be striding throughout the country like a colossus and really make a name for himself. But of late he has been rather invisible.
The extent of the right to free speech
Written By: - Date published: 10:02 am, July 8th, 2018 - 354 comments
Lauren Southern’s cancelled lecture has caused some debate about what freedom of speech is, is it absolute, and if not where is the line to be drawn?
Blogs and the Political Establishment
Written By: - Date published: 11:01 am, July 4th, 2018 - 43 comments
Being in the thick of student politics in the mid 2000s, I was around just at the very beginning of social media.
Doofus of the week June 24, 2018
Written By: - Date published: 12:44 pm, June 24th, 2018 - 37 comments
The latest in an occasional series where we celebrate the horrendously awful and bizarre behaviour of political figures both locally and overseas.
Doofus of the week – June 3, 2018
Written By: - Date published: 10:14 am, June 3rd, 2018 - 44 comments
Finalists this week are David Farrar for recklessly misrepresenting Labour’s view on the three strikes repeal proposal, Judith Collins for thinking a two year old photo used on the Standard was a current photo and evidence of the police being politicised and Paula Bennett for at the same time not knowing and knowing but being unable to do anything about the terrorising of state house tenants. And the winner is …
Labour does not want to let them all out
Written By: - Date published: 11:48 am, June 1st, 2018 - 170 comments
Andrew Little has proposed the repeal of the irrational three strikes law. But signs are that National will not engage in a reasoned debate about what the law should be.
So there was sewage leaking into Middlemore hospital’s walls
Written By: - Date published: 8:21 am, May 4th, 2018 - 87 comments
In further horror news about our health system the leaks of sewage into the walls of Middlemore Hospital has been confirmed and its discovery occurred in 2010. And in 2015 the chair of cash strapped Canterbury DHB signed a Ministry of Health drafted letter saying it did not need further funding despite an urgent need for further funds.
The political honeymoon that keeps on ending
Written By: - Date published: 9:01 am, April 18th, 2018 - 43 comments
Media pundits are claiming on the evidence offered by one poll that the Government’s political honeymoon is over. But the same claim was made four months ago.
Daily Review 03/04/2018
Written By: - Date published: 5:30 pm, April 3rd, 2018 - 73 comments
Daily review is also your post. This provides Standardistas the opportunity to review events of the day. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy). Don’t forget to be kind to each other …
Du Plessis-Allan jumps the shark
Written By: - Date published: 9:59 am, March 18th, 2018 - 87 comments
Heather Du Plessis-Allan has suggested that there is a power struggle happening in the Labour Party. Without the benefit of things normally considered to be important elements of an argument, those things being facts.
Who will be National’s next leader?
Written By: - Date published: 7:57 am, February 14th, 2018 - 77 comments
Following Bill English’s resignation the question is who will be National’s next leaders. The Standard authors have put their heads together and come up with some suggestions.
Was the political hit on Chris Bishop an inside job?
Written By: - Date published: 8:29 am, February 12th, 2018 - 158 comments
The disclosure of Chris Bishop’s snapchat engagement with young teenage females raises the question of who leaked the information to the media and why.
Shock horror right wing think tank thinks NZ not very democratic
Written By: - Date published: 10:04 am, January 18th, 2018 - 74 comments
National’s cheerleaders are pushing an international report which suggests that New Zealand’s democratic system is only slightly better than average in world terms. But the organisation behind the report and the methodology used need some checking.
The right loses its shit after a public servant accidentally tweets from the wrong account
Written By: - Date published: 9:19 am, December 26th, 2017 - 111 comments
An accidental tweet from a Government account has led the right to claim the existence of all sorts of conspiracies.
Deranged Golriz Syndrome
Written By: - Date published: 10:36 am, December 3rd, 2017 - 102 comments
David Farrar has continued his crusade against Golriz Ghahraman with a claim of 15 instances where she has by implication deceived us.
Phil Quin: our media’s goto dogwhistling Aussie
Written By: - Date published: 8:41 am, November 29th, 2017 - 93 comments
It always disappoints me in NZ is who our local media consider are ‘left’ or ‘labour’ commentators. They are usually strange and weird relics of left behind who frame their commentary in terms of long past history. Phil Quin, a grizzled veteran misogynist of the 1990s Thordon Bubble who thrives on chaos and ill informed dog whistles, is one of them. It isn’t like he knows much about NZ politics. Updated.
National spams the Beehive
Written By: - Date published: 8:48 am, November 27th, 2017 - 90 comments
National has been clogging Parliament’s written question system by asking questions that even David Farrar thinks seem silly and are over the top.
Ardern’s Manus Island offer
Written By: - Date published: 7:36 am, November 18th, 2017 - 298 comments
The Australian Government has this week been attempting to undermine Jacinda Ardern’s humanitarian request that the refugees on Nauru Island should be treated humanely.
Reflections of a retired blogger
Written By: - Date published: 4:34 pm, October 23rd, 2017 - 67 comments
Time for me to step down as a writer here. A closing ramble, proceed at your own risk…
Kiwibloggers discuss assassination of “terrorist” Winston Peters
Written By: - Date published: 1:31 pm, October 22nd, 2017 - 145 comments
Right wing online forums are going to reach new levels of toxicity over the next 3 years. Someone really needs to monitor them.
DPF personifies why the Nats lost and why they will lose again
Written By: - Date published: 9:16 am, October 21st, 2017 - 61 comments
National CRUSH puny parties! Why National no mates?
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- Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith Picks Fight With the Magna Carter
Due to a quirk of law and the sheer importance of the right to trial by jury in our justice system, not only is the Magna Carta, an 800 year old piece of legislation, a part of New Zealand’s statutory legislation, it’s also considered a critical part of our constitution. ...1 week ago - A very healthy distrust of how this Government is handling health across the board is needed…
And alongside that, is the ultimate question for the public, and indeed Opposition Parties trying to appeal for enough of the public to support a change from this heinous direction of travel being imposed on us: how much of the damage here can even be stopped in time? Let us ...1 week ago - Hang up on him David, just stop
There is a story I want to tell, but I'm not going to begin with it because it would be too abrupt. I'll start by telling you that I'm a big fan of the way Nicola Toki conveys her message. And Nicola Toki is a big fan of the way Jane ...1 week ago - Join us for the weekly Hoon on YouTube Live at 5pm
Photo by Lasse Nystedt on UnsplashCome and join us for our weekly ‘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 with special guests:5.00 pm - 5.10 pm - Bernard on the ...1 week ago - Tax the rich!
We already know that the rich people aren't paying their fair share. But it turns out its worse than that: we're a tax-haven! Our rich people pay lower taxes here than in any comparable country: Well-off New Zealanders are paying less tax than their peers in nine similar OECD ...1 week ago - Worse and worse
Cancer Minister Casey Costello is in trouble again over her secret, magically appearing tobacco policy document. The Ombudsman has already found that she acted contrary to law in refusing requests for it; now she has been referred to the Chief Archivist over a possible breach of the Public Records Act ...1 week ago
- World’s Most Popular Manufacturer Goes Bankrupt (???)
I have begun hunting for old Tupperware in second-hand shops. I am tired of throwing out 2-year-old discoloured, bubbled, brittle, breaking, cracking, unsealing, non-water-tight, chemical-leeching kitchenware while my mother’s and aunts’ cupboards remain flush with containers created 50 years prior. I was not an early bird to this hunt, and ...1 week ago - NZ’s lack of a capital gains tax means the richest here pay vastly less than elsewhere
The lack of a capital gains tax means the richest Kiwis are sitting pretty compared to taxpayers overseas. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāKia ora. Long stories short, here’s my top six things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Thursday, September 19:New Zealand’s richest ...1 week ago - Verrall to Levy: “Health NZ NDAs are North Korean – Get rid of it.”
Open article. Note the video of the Health Select Committee excerpts starts at 1:22 In watching the Health Select Committee yesterday, it became clear to me why Margie Apa remains Health NZ CEO.During Levy’s testimony, Apa sat like a rock next to her boss. She nodded supportively, scribbled notes to ...1 week ago - The Show Must Go On
Empty spaces, what are we living for?Abandoned places, I guess we know the score, on and onDoes anybody know what we are looking for?Another hero, another mindless crimeBehind the curtain, in the pantomimeHold the lineDoes anybody want to take it anymore?The show must go onSongwriters: Brian May / Freddie Mercury ...1 week ago - Managing on-street parking for local benefit
This guest post by Malcolm McCracken originally appeared on his blog Better Things Are Possible, and is republished here by kind permission. The case for Parking Benefit Districts: managing on-street parking for local benefit Parking is often the centre of debate in our cities; particularly on-street car parks, who gets ...1 week ago - Doubling down?
This is a re-post from And Then There's Physics I wrote a post a little while ago commenting on a Sabine Hossenfelder video suggesting that she was now worried about climate change because the Equilibrium Climate Sensitivity (ECS) could be much higher than most estimates have suggested. I wasn’t too taken with Sabine’s arguments, and there were others ...1 week ago - Too much haste & waste in Simeon Brown’s need for speed
Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāLong story short, the Government’s myopia of only choosing transport policies that reduce travel times means we’re missing out on the health benefits of more cycling and walking, along with the health cost savings from fewer accidents, less pollution and mentally healthier ways of getting ...1 week ago
- What seemed so simple is now so complex
The Health NZ rescue that seemed so simple back in July was presented to a Select Committee yesterday as a complex challenge that could take some years to sort out. In July, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said Health NZ was on track to record a deficit of $1.4 billion for ...1 week ago
- The utterances of Shane Jones
Let us consider the utterances of Shane Jones.Let us consider the derogatory terms of abuseNow is not the time for Green Wombles, it's black and white decision making.We will stand with the energy industry and ensure they are not monstered by Green Termites nibbling away at our economic capital.The Green ...1 week ago - Ukrainian militia receives defective shipment of pagers that just send and receive messages
There’s been a major setback for one Ukrainian-backed militia on the Russian border, after the group ordered a large shipment of pagers to use as improvised explosive devices. The plan was to litter the pagers throughout abandoned homes and buildings in hopes of wounding Russian soldiers. But upon arrival of ...1 week ago - A constitutional shitshow
Last month, we learned that the government was half-arsing its anti-gang legislation, adding a significant, pre-planned, BORA-abusing amendment at the committee stage, avoiding all the usual scrutiny processes. But it gets worse. Because having done it once, they're now planning to recall the bill in order to add another such ...1 week ago
- Political Round Up
Note: An earlier version of this article noted Levy was a “party time Health NZ commissioner” - this has been updated - forgive my Freudian slip.Dr Lester Levy is charging $320,000 a year to be a part time Health NZ commissioner. Rachel Thomas reports that Levy is still teaching 2 ...1 week ago - Postcard from Sydney: Southwest and City Metro extension
This is a guest post from Sydney reader Nik Clement After 2 years in Auckland I moved back to Sydney just over a year ago. While in Auckland, I went to the opening of Puhinui station and used it a fair bit, living in Manukau Central and being able ...1 week ago
- Tolling revolt brewing in National heartland
Kia ora. Long stories short, here’s my top six things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Wednesday, September 18:Locals gathered in Woodville last night to protest at the National-ACT-NZ First Government’s decision to toll the new road linking the Manawatu and Hawkes Bay, saying ...1 week ago - The doom spiral
This is a re-post from The Climate Brink by Andrew Dessler In his last post, Zeke discussed incredible warmth of 2023 and 2024 and its implications for future warming. A few readers looked at it and freaked out: This is terrifying and This update really put me in a ...1 week ago
- Government directs Te Puni Kōkiri to conduct Māori Language Week in English
The coalition government has issued a directive to Te Puni Kōkiri, the Ministry of Māori Development, instructing them that – in the interests of clear communication – they are to conduct this year’s Māori Language Week primarily or exclusively in English. The directive is in line with the Government’s policy ...1 week ago - Government celebrates fact that New Zealand’s healthcare is so good people are queuing up for it a...
At yesterday’s post-cabinet press conference, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, flanked by his Health Minister Shane Reti and someone we can’t independently verify was a real sign language interpreter, announced that he had some positive news for the country. “Alright team, I’m just going to hand over to uh, Dr. Shane, ...1 week ago - Heartwarming: Thoughtful driver uses indicator to tell you what they’ve just done
It’s 4:10pm in the morning, and you’re in the middle lane heading north on the great southern motorway of our nation’s capital, Auckland. There are no cars directly in front of you, but quite a few in the lane to your left. Suddenly, without warning, a black ute enters your ...1 week ago - NPC teams will now be allowed to actually use the Ranfurly Shield in play
Following decades of controversy, the governing body of New Zealand rugby, New Zealand Rugby, has ruled that the team currently holding the Ranfurly Shield may once again use it in play during the National Provincial Championship (NPC). The ruling restores the utility of a prize that for many years was ...1 week ago - Climbing out of the hamster wheel
I arrived home with a head full of fresh ideas about mindfulness and curbing impulsive aspects in my character.On the second night home I grabbed a piece of ginger and began swiftly slicing it on our industrial strength mandolin, the one I have learned through painful experience to treat with ...1 week ago - More Notes From Stinky Town
Good morning, folks. Another wee note from a chilly Rotorua morning that looks much clearer than yesterday. As I write, the pink glow in the east is slowly growing, and soon, the palest of blue skies should become a bit more royal.A couple of people mentioned yesterday that I should ...1 week ago - Make it make sense: why axe valuable local projects?
Last week, Matt looked at how the government wants to pour a huge chunk of civic infrastructure funding for a generation into one mega-road up North, at huge cost and huge opportunity cost. A smaller but no less important feature of the National Land Transport Plan devised by Minister of Transport ...1 week ago
- Driving blind at higher speeds
An open letter by experts about plans to raise speed limits warns the “tragic consequence will be more New Zealanders losing their lives or suffering severe injury, along with a substantial burden on the nation's healthcare and rehabilitation services”. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāKia ora. Long stories short, here’s ...1 week ago - 2024’s unusually persistent warmth
This is a re-post from The Climate Brink My inaugural post on The Climate Brink 18 months ago looked at the year 2024, and found that it was likely to be the warmest year on record on the back of a (than forecast) El Nino event. I suggested “there is a real chance ...1 week ago
- National plan for 2000 more Kiwis a year in prison
Open for allYesterday, Luxon congratulated his government on a job well done with emergency housing numbers, but advocates have been saying it‘s likely many are on the streets and sleeping in cars.Q&A featured some of the folks this weekend - homeless and in cars. Yes.The government’s also confirmed they stopped ...1 week ago
- I Found a Note in a Tree
Hi,On most days I try to go on a walk through nature to clear my head from the horrors of life. Because as much as I like people, I also think it’s incredibly important to get very far away from them. To be reminded that there are also birds, lizards, ...1 week ago - Hark the Robbers: Austerity and Lies
Who has stole my watch and chain,Watch and chain, watch and chain;Who has stole my watch and chain,My fair lady?Off to prison you must go,You must go, you must go;Off to prison you must go,My fair lady.Hark the Robbers - A 1898 variant of ‘London Bridge is Falling Down’, and ...2 weeks ago - Jacqui Van Der Kaay: Politicians need to lift their game
Declining trust in New Zealand politicians should be a warning to them to lift their game. Results from the New Zealand Election Study for the 2023 election show that the level of trust in politicians has once again declined. Perhaps it is not surprising that the results, shared as part ...2 weeks ago - Police say they won’t respond to bomb threats anymore as ‘it’s never anything’
Police Commissioner Andrew Coster says that New Zealand’s police force will no longer respond to bomb threats, in an attempt to cut costs and redirect police resources to less boring activities. Coster said that threat response and bomb disposal was a “fairly obvious” area for downsizing, as bomb threats are ...2 weeks ago - A dysfunctional watchdog
The reality of any right depends on how well it is enforced. But as The Post points out this morning, our right to official information isn't being enforced very well at all: More than a quarter of complaints about access to official information languish for more than a year, ...2 weeks ago
- Climate Change: The threat of a good example
Since taking office, the climate-denier National government has gutted agricultural emissions pricing, ended the clean car discount, repealed water quality standards which would have reduced agricultural emissions, gutted the clean car standard, killed the GIDI scheme, and reversed efforts to reduce pollution subsidies in the ETS - basically every significant ...2 weeks ago
- Vegas Baby
Good morning, lovely people. Don’t worry. This isn’t really a newsletter, just a quick note. I’m sitting in our lounge, looking out over a gloomy sky. Although being Rotorua, the view is periodically interrupted by steam bursting from pipes and dispersing—like an Eastern European industrial hellscape during the Cold War.Drinking ...2 weeks ago - Why Entrust Needs New Leadership
I am part of a new team running in the Entrust election in October. Entrust is a community electricity trust representing a significant part of Auckland, set up to serve the community. It is governed by five trustees are elected every three years in an election the trust itself oversees. ...2 weeks ago
- London Bridge is falling down
In the UK, London is the latest of council groups to signal potential bankruptcy.That’s after Birmingham, Britain’s second largest city, went bankrupt in June, resulting in reduced sanitation services, libraries cut, and dimmed streetlights.Some in the city described things as “Dickens” like.Please, Sir, Can I have some more?For families with ...2 weeks ago - Govt may kick elderly out of hospitals
The Government is considering how to shunt elderly people out of hospitals, and also how to cut their access to other support. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāKia ora. Long stories short, here’s my top six things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Monday, ...2 weeks ago - Getting the nephs off the couch
The so-called “Prince of the Provinces”, Shane Jones, went home last Friday. Perhaps not quite literally home, more like 20 kilometres down the road from his house on the outskirts of Kerikeri. With its airport, its rapidly growing (mostly retired) population, and a commercial centre with all the big retail ...2 weeks ago
- De moralibus orcorum: Sargon of Akkad, Rings of Power, Evil, and George R.R. Martin
I have noted before that The Rings of Power has attracted its unfortunate share of culture war obsessives. Essentially, for a certain type of individual, railing on about the Wokery of Modern Media is a means of making themselves a online livelihood. Clicks and views and advertising revenue, and all ...2 weeks ago - 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #37
A listing of 31 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, September 8, 2024 thru Sat, September 14, 2024. Story of the week From time to time we like to make our Story of the Week all about us— and ...2 weeks ago
- R v Fitzgerald: Repeating Our Mistakes
A legally-interesting court judgement was released last week that has flown fairly under the media radar considering how relevant the topic is to our current legislative agenda. The courts have, once again, issued a ruling regarding the Three Strikes law, this time around a complicated matter that arose about a ...2 weeks ago - Salvation For Us All
Yesterday, I ruminated about the effects of being a political follower.And, within politics, David Seymour was smart enough on Friday to divert attention from “race blind” policies [what about gender blind I thought - thinking of maternity wards] and cutting school lunches by throwing meat to the media. Teachers were ...2 weeks ago - A warm embrace
Far, far away from here lives our King. Some of his subjects can be quite the forelock tuggers, but plenty of us are not like that, and why don't I wheel out my favourite old story once more about Kiwi soldiers in the North African desert?Field Marshal Montgomery takes offence ...2 weeks ago - Literal clowns are running the place, we must put a timeout on this stupidity… right Aotearoa?
These people are inept on every level. They’re inept to the detriment of our internal politics, cohesion and increasingly our international reputation. And they are reveling in the fact they are getting away with it. We cannot even have “respectful debate” with a government that clearly rejects the very ...2 weeks ago - Fact brief – Does manmade CO2 have any detectable fingerprint?
Skeptical Science is partnering with Gigafact to produce fact briefs — bite-sized fact checks of trending claims. This fact brief was written by Sue Bin Park from the Gigafact team in collaboration with John Mason. You can submit claims you think need checking via the tipline. Does manmade CO2 have any ...2 weeks ago
- Judge Not.
2 weeks ago - Managed Democracy: Letting The People Decide, But Only When They Can Be Relied Upon To Give the Righ...
Uh-uh! Not So Fast, Citizens! The power to initiate systemic change remains where it has always been in New Zealand’s representative democracy – in Parliament. To order a binding referendum, the House of Representatives must first to be persuaded that, on the question proposed, sharing its decision-making power with the people ...2 weeks ago
- Looking For Labour’s Vital Signs.
Flatlining: With no evidence of a genuine policy disruptor at work in Labour’s ranks, New Zealand’s wealthiest citizens can sleep easy.PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN has walked a picket-line. Presidential candidate Kamala Harris has threatened “price-gauging” grocery retailers with price control. The Democratic Party’s 2024 platform situates it well to the left of Sir ...2 weeks ago
- Forty Years Of Remembering To Forget.
The Beginning of the End: Rogernomics became the short-hand descriptor for all the radical changes that swept away New Zealand’s social-democratic economy and society between 1984 and 1990. In the bitterest of ironies, those changes were introduced by the very same party which had entrenched New Zealand social-democracy 50 years earlier. ...2 weeks ago
- Kōrero Mai – Speak to Me.
Good morning all you lovely people. 🙂I woke up this morning, and it felt a bit like the last day of school. You might recall from earlier in the week that I’m heading home to Rotorua to see an old friend who doesn’t have much time. A sad journey, but ...2 weeks ago - Winning ways
2 weeks ago - 48 seconds on a plan that would reverberate for a million years
Despite fears that Trump presidency would be disastrous for progress on climate change, the topic barely rated a mention in the Presidential debate. Photo: Getty ImagesLong stories short, here’s the top six news items of note in climate news for Aotearoa-NZ this week, and a discussion above between Bernard Hickey ...2 weeks ago
- Using blunt instruments and magical thinking to ignore evidence of harm
The abrupt cancellations and suspensions of Government spending also caused private sector hiring, spending, and investment to freeze up for the first six months of the year. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāThis week we learned:The new National/ACT/NZ First Coalition Government ignored advice from Treasury that it didn’t have to ...2 weeks ago - Is This A Dagger Which I See Before Me: A Review and Analysis of The Rings of Power Episode 5 (Seaso...
Another week of The Rings of Power, season two, and another confirmation that things are definitely coming together for the show. The fifth Episode of season one represented the nadir of the series. Now? Amid the firmer footing of 2024, Episode Five represents further a further step towards excellent Tolkien ...2 weeks ago - In Open Seas; A Book
The background to In Open Seas: How the New Zealand Labour Government Went Wrong:2017-2023Not in Narrow Seas: The Economic History of Aotearoa New Zealand, published in 2020, proved more successful than either I or the publisher (VUP, now Te Herenga Waka University Press) expected. I had expected that it would ...2 weeks ago - The Hoon around the week to Sept 13
The podcast above of the weekly ‘Hoon’ webinar for paying subscribers on Thursday night features co-hosts and talking about the week’s news with:The Kākā’s climate correspondent on the latest climate science on rising temperatures and the climate implications of the US Presidential elections; and special guests Janet ...2 weeks ago
- Do or do not. There is no try
1. Upon receiving evidence that school lunches were doing a marvellous job of improving outcomes for students, David Seymour did what?a. Declared we need much more of this sort of good news and poured extra resources and funding into them b. Emailed Atlas network to ask what to do next c. Cut ...2 weeks ago - Dangerous ground
The Waitangi Tribunal has reported back on National's proposed changes to gut the Marine and Coastal Area Act and steal the foreshore and seabed for its greedy fishing-industry donors, and declared it to be another huge violation of ti Tiriti: The Waitangi Tribunal has found government changes to the ...2 weeks ago
- Climate Change: National wants to cheat on Paris
In 2016, the then-National government signed the Paris Agreement, committing Aotearoa to a 30 (later 50) percent reduction in emissions by 2030. When questioned about how they intended to meet that target with their complete absence of effective climate policy, they made a lot of noise about how it was ...2 weeks ago
- Treasury warned Govt lower debt limits meant less ‘productivity-enhancing investment’
2 weeks ago - Is the Media Complicit?
This is a long read. Open to all.SYNOPSIS: Traditional media is at a cross roads. There is a need for those in the media landscape, as it stands, to earn enough to stay afloat, but also come across as balanced and neutral to keep its audiences.In America, NYT’s liberal leaning ...2 weeks ago - Black Friday
It's Black Friday, the end of the weekYou take my hand and hold it gently up against your cheekIt's all in my head, it's all in my mindI see the darkness where you see the lightSong by Tom OdellFriday the 13th, don’t be afraid.No, really, don’t. Everything has felt a ...2 weeks ago - Weekly Roundup 13-September-2024
Ooh, Friday the thirteenth. Spooky! Is that why certain zombie ideas have been stalking the landscape this week, like the Mayor’s brainwave for a motorway bridge from Kauri Point to Point Chev? Read on and find out. This roundup, like all our coverage, is brought to you by the Greater ...2 weeks ago
- Skeptical Science New Research for Week #37 2024
Open access notables Early knowledge but delays in climate actions: An ecocide case against both transnational oil corporations and national governments, Hauser et al., Environmental Science & Policy: Cast within the wide context of investigating the collusion at play between powerful political-economic actors and decision-makers as monopolists and debates about ‘the modern ...2 weeks ago
- What it is
I liked what Kieran McAnulty had to say about the Treaty Principles bill this morning so much I've written it down and copied it out for you. He was saying that rather than let this piece of ordure spend six months in Select Committee, the Prime Minister could stop making such ...2 weeks ago - Where’s the Gold, Goldsmith? Arts Community Criticises the Government’s Artless Direction
Paul Goldsmith was introduced to an Arts Sector eager for his input (especially input of the sort this government are pulling back from) as someone who wanted to spread a lot of rain and let the flowers grow without much top down influence from the clouds, or something else that ...2 weeks ago - A government-funded hate campaign
Cabinet discussed National's constitutionally and historically illiterate "Treaty Principles Bill" this week, and decided to push on with it. The bill will apparently receive a full six month select committee process - unlike practically every other policy this government has pushed, and despite the fact that if the government is ...2 weeks ago
- How Substack works to take (some) craziness out of America’s elections
I spoke with Substack co-founder yesterday, just before the Trump-Harris debate, about how Substack is doing its thing during the US elections. He talks in particular about how Substack’s focus on paid subscriptions rather than ads has made political debate on the platform calmer, simpler, deeper and more satisfying ...2 weeks ago
- Kamala Harris Did Something Unthinkable
2 weeks ago - Kamala Harris Did Something Unthinkable
2 weeks ago
- Kamala Harris Did Something Unthinkable
2 weeks ago
- Release: Charter schools undermine our education system
The Government is taking a wrecking ball to our public education system by reinstating charter schools. ...2 weeks ago - Youngest MP to travel to Canada to accept Politician of the Year Award
Aotearoa’s Youngest Member of Parliament, and Te Pāti Māori MP, Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke, will travel to Montreal to accept the One Young World Politician of the Year Award next week. The One Young World Politician of the Year Award was created in 2018 to recognise the most promising young politicians between ...2 weeks ago
- Greens celebrate huge step forward for ADHD community
The Greens welcome today’s long-coming announcement by Pharmac of consultation to remove the special authority renewal criteria for methylphenidate, dexamfetamine and modafinil and to fund lisdexamfetamine. ...2 weeks ago - Release: Millions to be spent dividing NZ for no reason
The National Party is wasting millions of dollars allowing David Seymour’s Treaty Principals Bill to be drafted and go to Select Committee. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: New Zealanders departing our shores at a record rate
The Migration figures released by Stats NZ today show National is continuing to drive Kiwis away from New Zealand in record numbers. ...2 weeks ago
- Te Tai Tokerau MP Slams Govt Overreach in Scrapping Māori Wards
Mema Paremata for Te Tai Tokerau, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi, has reflected on the decisions made by the councils of the North amidst the government’s push to remove Māori Wards and weaken mana whenua representation. “Actions taken by the Kaipara District Council to remove Māori Wards are the embodiment of the eradication ...2 weeks ago
- Govt already seeking advice on Treaty referendum
On one hand, the Prime Minister has assured Aotearoa that his party will not support the Treaty Principles Bill beyond first reading, but on the other, his Government has already sought advice on holding a referendum on our founding document. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Aged care will be worse off if redesign rushed
New Zealanders needing aged care support and the people who care for them will be worse off if the Government pushes through a flawed and rushed redesign of dementia and aged care. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Govt fails hundreds of workers as mills close
Labour is devastated at news hundreds of workers are set to lose their jobs following the closure of Winstone Pulp mills. ...2 weeks ago
- Job losses from mill closures consequence of Govt inaction
Hundreds of jobs lost as a result of pulp mill closures in the Ruapehu District are a consequence of government inaction in addressing the shortfalls of our electricity network. ...2 weeks ago
- Ngarewa-Packer devastated for Ruapehu following WPI closure
Te Pāti Māori Co-Leader and MP for Te Tai Hauāuru is devastated for the Ruapehu community following today’s decision to close two Winstone Pulp mills. “My heart goes out to all the workers, their whānau, and the wider Ruapehu community affected by the closure of Winstone Pulp International,” said Ngarewa-Packer. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Cabinet should stop the Treaty Principles Bill
National Party Ministers have a majority in Cabinet and can stop David Seymour’s Treaty Principles Bill, which even the Prime Minister has described as “divisive and unhelpful.” ...3 weeks ago
- Release: Staff gagged to keep fast track list secret
The National Government is so determined to hide the list of potential projects that will avoid environmental scrutiny it has gagged Ministry for the Environment staff from talking about it. ...3 weeks ago
- Release: Labour challenges Te Whatu Ora gag orders
Labour has complained to the Te Kawa Mataaho Public Service Commission about the high number of non-disclosure agreements that have effectively gagged staff at Te Whatu Ora Health NZ from talking about anything relating to their work. ...3 weeks ago
- Greens call on Treaty Principles Bill to be abandoned after letter from Christian leaders
The Green Party is once again urging the Prime Minister to abandon the Treaty Principles Bill as a letter from more than 400 Christian leaders calls for the proposed legislation to be dropped. ...3 weeks ago
- Sign the petition: Keep military-style firearms off our streets
Help us tell the Government that reintroducing military-style firearms should not be up for debate. ...3 weeks ago
- Speech for National Commemoration of Service in Timor-Leste
A warm welcome to you all as we gather to acknowledge the New Zealanders who were involved in peace support operations in Timor-Leste, and to remember those who lost their lives as a result of their service. I acknowledge the many military and civilian veterans present, and I am pleased ...4 days ago - Racing Integrity Board appointments
Racing Minister Winston Peters has announced one new member and the reappointment of two existing members to the Racing Integrity Board. David Howman is appointed to the Board for a three-year term, joining existing members Dr Patricia Pearce and Brent Williams who are reappointed for a second term. Mr ...4 days ago
- Trade Ministers discuss next steps for CER
Trade Minister Todd McClay hosted Australian Trade Minister Don Farrell for the annual Closer Economic Relations (CER) Trade Ministers’ meeting in Rotorua this weekend. “CER is a gold-standard agreement underpinning $32 billion in annual trade. Minister Farrell and I discussed how we can continue to build on its success to ...5 days ago
- New details of Phillip Mehrtens’ first hours of freedom
Foreign Minister Winston Peters is able to share new details following the release of New Zealander Phillip Mehrtens in Papua, Indonesia. Mr Peters says with Mr Mehrtens safely back with family members in Jakarta, he is now able to provide more information relating to the New Zealander’s movements since ...5 days ago
- Action taken on sale of nitrous oxide for recreation
Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says urgent action is being taken to restrict the sale of nitrous oxide and welcomes new advice from Medsafe highlighting tougher penalties if sold for recreational purposes. “Nitrous oxide has several legitimate uses, but we also know it is increasingly being used as a recreational ...5 days ago
- Priority One effective in getting kids into homes
Ki te kahore he whakakitenga, ka ngaro te Iwi – without a vision, the people will perish. The latest data on whānau moved from emergency housing motels into social homes shows that Priority One is making a huge difference, Associate Minister of Housing Tama Potaka says. “At the end of ...5 days ago
- New Zealand hostage released
Foreign Minister Winston Peters is pleased to announce that New Zealand pilot, Phillip Mehrtens, taken hostage in Papua, Indonesia, is now safe. Mr Mehrtens was taken while working as a pilot at a remote airstrip in Paro, Papua on 7 February 2023. “We are pleased and relieved to confirm that Phillip Mehrtens is safe ...6 days ago
- Tourism on the table for Pacific Ministers’ meet-up
Tourism and Hospitality Minister Matt Doocey will meet with Trade and Tourism Minister of Australia Don Farrell and Fiji Deputy Prime Minister Manoa Kamikamica in Rotorua this weekend for a trilateral tourism discussion. “Like in New Zealand, tourism plays a significant role in Australia and Fiji’s economy, contributing massively to ...7 days ago
- Young people report on family and sexual violence
The Te Puna Aonui Expert Advisory Group for Children and Young People has presented its report today on improving family and sexual violence outcomes for young people, to the Minister for the Prevention of Family and Sexual Violence, Karen Chhour. The presentation at the Auckland event was an opportunity for ...1 week ago
- $18 million being invested in the victims of crime
The Government is putting more than $18 million towards improving the experience of the criminal justice system for victims, Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith and Minister for Children Karen Chhour say. “No one should experience crime, but for those who through no fault of their own become victims, they need to ...1 week ago
- Landmark phonics check in te reo Māori
For the first time, schools can use a purpose-built tool to check how a child is progressing in reading through te reo Māori. “Around 45 schools are trialling a New Zealand first te reo Māori phonics check, known as Hihira Weteoro. It will help kaiako (teachers) focus on what ākonga ...1 week ago
- New sea walls safeguard Ōpōtiki’s transformation
Two new breakwater walls at Pākihikura (Ōpōtiki) Harbour will provide boats with safe harbour access to support the continued growth of aquaculture in Bay of Plenty, Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters and Regional Development Minister Shane Jones say. The Ministers and leaders from Tē Tāwharau o Te Whakatōhea and other ...1 week ago
- Kitmap to improve access to science infrastructure
Science, Innovation and Technology Minister Judith Collins today announced an online platform to optimise the use of New Zealand’s science and technology research infrastructure and to link the public and private sector. “This country is home to world-class science, technology, and engineering expertise. Kitmap is set to empower Kiwi innovators, ...1 week ago
- Driving the uptake of low emission heavy vehicles
The Government has launched the Low Emissions Heavy Vehicle Fund (LEHVF) to promote innovation and offset the cost of hundreds of heavy vehicles powered by clean technologies, Energy Minister Simeon Brown and Climate Change Minister Simon Watts say. “Boosting economic growth and productivity is a key part of the Government’s plan ...1 week ago
- Speech on replacing the Resource Management Act
Replacing the RMA Hon Chris Bishop: Good morning, it is great to be with you. Can I first acknowledge the Resource Management Law Association for hosting us here today. Can I also acknowledge my Parliamentary Under-Secretary, Simon Court, who is on stage with me. He has assisted me in establishing the ...1 week ago
- Replacement for the Resource Management Act takes shape
Two new laws will be developed to replace the Resource Management Act (RMA), with the enjoyment of property rights as their guiding principle, RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop and Parliamentary Under-Secretary Simon Court say. “The RMA was passed with good intentions in 1991 but has proved a failure in practice. ...1 week ago
- Tough laws pass to make gang life uncomfortable
Legislation passed through Parliament today will provide police and the courts with additional tools to crack down on gangs that peddle misery and intimidation throughout New Zealand, Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith says. “From November 21, gang insignia will be banned in all public places, courts will be able to issue non-consorting orders, and ...1 week ago
- New levy rates set to ensure continued funding of FENZ
Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says the Government has agreed to the rates for the redesigned levy that will fund Fire and Emergency New Zealand (FENZ) from July 2026. “Earlier this year FENZ consulted publicly on a 5.2 percent increase to the levy. I was not convinced that ...1 week ago
- Police allocate Officers to Beat and Gang Units
The Coalition Government welcomes Police’s announcement today to deploy more police on the beat and staff to Gang Disruption Units. An additional 70 officers will be allocated to Community Beat Teams across towns and regional centres. This builds on the deployment of beat officers in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch CBDs ...1 week ago
- Consultation begins on significant updates to the biosecurity system
Proposals to strengthen the country’s vital biosecurity system, including higher fines for passengers bringing in undeclared high-risk goods, greater flexibility around importing requirements, and fairer cost sharing for biosecurity responses have been released today for public consultation. Biosecurity Minister Andrew Hoggard says “The future is about resilience and the 30-year-old ...1 week ago
- Wānaka community to benefit from new overnight health service
Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says an Overnight Acute Care Service opening in October will provide people in Wānaka and the surrounding area with the assurance of quality overnight care closer to home. “When I was in Wānaka earlier this year, I announced funding for an overnight health service – ...1 week ago
- Preventing potholes with data-driven technology
The Government is rolling out data collection vans across the country to better understand the condition of our road network to prevent potholes from forming in the first place, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Increasing productivity to help rebuild our economy is a key priority for the Government and increasing ...1 week ago
- GDP data shows effect of high interest rates
Gross Domestic Product (GDP) data for the quarter to June 2024 reinforces how an extended period of high interest rates has meant tough times for families, businesses, and communities, but recent indications show the economy is starting to bounce back, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. Stats NZ data released today ...1 week ago
- NZ to host first Fiji, Australia trilateral trade Ministers’ meeting in Rotorua
Trade Minister Todd McClay will host Fijian Deputy Prime Minister Manoa Kamikamica and Australian Trade Minister Don Farrell for trilateral trade talks in Rotorua this weekend. “Fiji is one of the largest economies in the Pacific and is a respected partner for Australia and New Zealand,” Mr McClay says. Australia and New Zealand ...1 week ago
- NZ hosts Annual CER Trade Ministers’ meeting in Rotorua
Trade Minister Todd McClay will meet with Australian Trade Minister Don Farrell for the annual Closer Economic Relations (CER) Trade Ministers’ meeting in Rotorua this weekend. “CER is our most comprehensive agreement covering trade, labour mobility, harmonisation of standards and political cooperation. It underpins an important trading relationship worth $32 ...1 week ago
- Government proposing changes to jury trials
The Government is seeking the public’s feedback on two major changes to jury trials in order to improve court timeliness, Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith says. “The first proposal would increase the offence threshold at which a defendant can decide to have their case heard by a jury. “The second is ...1 week ago
- Business key to regional economic dialogue
Local businesses and industries need to be front and centre in conversations about how regions plan to grow their economies, Regional Development Shane Jones says. The nationwide series of summits aims to facilitate conversations about regional economic growth and opportunities to drive productivity, prosperity and resilience through the Coalition Government’s Regional ...1 week ago
- More funding for Growing Up in New Zealand study
The Government is investing $16.8 million over the next four years to extend the Growing Up in New Zealand (GUiNZ) Longitudinal Study. GUiNZ is New Zealand’s largest longitudinal study of child health and wellbeing and has followed the lives of more than 6000 children born in 2009 and 2010, and ...1 week ago
- Tough targets for charter schools will raise achievement
Associate Education Minister David Seymour says that Charter Schools will face a combination of minimum performance thresholds and stretch targets for achievement, attendance and financial sustainability. “Charter schools will be given greater freedom to respond to diverse student needs in innovative ways, but they will be held to a much ...1 week ago
- NZ votes for Middle East resolution at UN
New Zealand has voted for a United Nations resolution on Israel’s presence in occupied Palestinian Territory with some caveats, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “New Zealand’s yes vote is fundamentally a signal of our strong support for international law and the need for a two-state solution,” Mr Peters says. “The Israel-Palestine ...1 week ago
- Honouring the legacy of New Zealand’s suffragists
Suffrage Day is an opportunity to reaffirm New Zealand’s commitment to ensuring we continue to be a world leader in gender equality, Minister for Women Nicola Grigg says. “On 19 September, 131 years ago, New Zealand became the first nation in the world where women gained the right to vote. ...1 week ago
- Foreign Minister to travel to New York, French Polynesia
Foreign Minister Winston Peters is travelling to New York next week to attend the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly, followed by a visit to French Polynesia. “In the context of the myriad regional and global crises, our engagements in New York will demonstrate New Zealand’s strong support for ...1 week ago
- Thanking social workers on their national day
“Today, on Aotearoa New Zealand Social Workers’ Day, I would like to recognise the tremendous effort social workers make not just today, but every day,” Children’s Minister and Minister for the Prevention of Family and Sexual Violence Karen Chhour says. “I thank all those working on the front line for ...1 week ago
- Minister of State for Trade heads to Laos for ASEAN meetings
Minister of State for Trade Nicola Grigg will travel to Laos this week to attend the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Economic Ministers’ Meetings in Vientiane. “The Government is committed to strengthening our relationship with ASEAN,” Ms Grigg says. “With next year marking 50 years since New Zealand became ...1 week ago
- Members appointed to retail crime MAG
The Government has appointed four members to the Ministerial Advisory Group for victims of retail crime, Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith and Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee say. “I am delighted to appoint Michael Hill’s national retail manager Michael Bell to the group, as well as Waikato community advocate and business ...1 week ago
- Speech to the New Zealand Nurses Organisation AGM and Conference 2024
It’s my pleasure to be here to join the opening of the NZNO AGM and Conference for 2024. First, I’d like to thank NZNO Kaiwhakahaere Kerri Nuku, NZNO President, Anne Daniels, and Chief Execuitve Paul Gaulter for inviting me to speak today. Thank you also to all the NZNO members ...1 week ago
- Improvements for New Zealand authors
Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says changes to the Public Lending Right [PLR] scheme will help benefit both the National Library and authors who have books available in New Zealand libraries. “I am amending the regulations so that eligible authors will no longer have to reapply every year ...1 week ago
- Minister commends Police for gang operation
Police Minister Mark Mitchell congratulates Police for the outstanding result of their most recent operation, targeting the Comancheros. “That Police have been able to round up the majority of the Comancheros leadership, and many of their patched members and prospects, shows not only the capability of Police, but also shows ...1 week ago
- New appointments to the EPA board
Environment Minister Penny Simmonds has announced a major refresh of the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) board with four new appointments and one reappointment. The new board members are Barry O’Neil, Jennifer Scoular, Alison Stewart and Nancy Tuaine, who have been appointed for a three-year term ending in August 2027. “I would ...1 week ago
- Enabling rural recovery works in Hawke’s Bay
Cabinet has approved an Order in Council to enable severe weather recovery works to continue in the Hawke’s Bay, Environment Minister Penny Simmonds and Minister for Emergency Management and Recovery Mark Mitchell say. “Cyclone Gabrielle and the other severe weather events in early 2023 caused significant loss and damage to ...1 week ago
- Truckies say higher speed limits won’t boost freight efficiency
Transporting NZ says enabling cars to overtake slower trucks will help; minister Simeon Brown squashes idea for consistent speed limits as ‘quite simplistic’ The post Truckies say higher speed limits won’t boost freight efficiency appeared first on Newsroom. ...11 hours ago - Stepping uncomfortably into China’s ‘parallel universe’
Sitting down with China and its contentious military guests feels awkward but it’s important to talk; if you’re not at the table you’re on the menu The post Stepping uncomfortably into China’s ‘parallel universe’ appeared first on Newsroom. ...11 hours ago
- Grattan on Friday: Experts want Albanese to lead on indoor air quality as part of pandemic planning
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra FOTOGRIN/Shutterstock Last month, a delegation led by Brendan Crabb, head of the Burnet Institute, a prestigious medical research body, met Anthony Albanese in the prime minister’s parliament house office. Its members, who included ...17 hours ago - What children still need after 100 years of rights
The Declaration of the Rights of the Child was adopted by the United Nations on 26 September 1924. But what do children still need after 100 years? ...19 hours ago - New Zealand Government’s Treaty Of Waitangi “Debate” Stokes Racial Divisions
The government is seeking to use Māori as scapegoats for the worsening social crisis that it is inflicting on the entire working class. ...21 hours ago - Foreign Minister Must Be Clear At United Nations
We applaud the recent courageous Aotearoa New Zealand vote for a UN resolution calling on Israel to end its unlawful presence in the occupied territories. However, these symbolic resolutions must be backed up by real material actions. ...21 hours ago
- Dunedin Hospital: ‘Outrage’ over govt decision to downgrade project
The government's announcement amounts to "clinical cuts and a broken promise", mayor says. ...21 hours ago
- Keith Rankin Chart Analysis – Death Frequencies in Aotearoa New Zealand, by Birth Year
22 hours ago
- Schools take issue with new truancy crackdown
David Seymour and Erica Stanford's messaging over teacher-only days seem to be "contradicting each other", NZEI says. ...22 hours ago
- In a new manifesto, OpenAI’s Sam Altman envisions an AI utopia – and reveals glaring blind spots
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Hallam Stevens, Professor of Interdisciplinary Studies, James Cook University Ryan Carter Images / Shutterstock By now, many of us are probably familiar with artificial intelligence hype. AI will make artists redundant! AI can do lab experiments! AI will end grief! ...22 hours ago
- Are private hospitals really in trouble? And is more public funding the answer?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Anthony Scott, Professor of Health Economics and Director, Centre for Health Economics, Monash Business School, Monash University Monkey Business Images/Shutterstock A battle between private hospitals and private health insurers is playing out in public. At its heart is how much health ...22 hours ago
- China launch of missile to the South Pacific ‘concerning’ – minister
It's the first time China has launched a missile into the Pacific Ocean in the past 44 years. ...23 hours ago
- ChatGPT is changing the way we write. Here’s how – and why it’s a problem
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ritesh Chugh, Associate Professor – Information and Communications Technology, CQUniversity Australia Shutterstock Have you noticed certain words and phrases popping up everywhere lately? Phrases such as “delve into” and “navigate the landscape” seem to feature in everything from social media ...23 hours ago
- Review: The Wahs have a bar now. Is it good?
A venue near Eden Park is now an outpost of the Warriors’ burgeoning empire. Duncan Greive went along to its first public night. There is something about the mental image of a sports bar which resists being elevated. Part of the attraction is the grubbiness – swappa bottles, pokies, smoke ...23 hours ago - Where political parties stand on the capital gains tax
ANZ's boss says it's time for a tax on property gains - but also that it'll take someone "politically extremely courageous". ...1 day ago
- Avoid Repeat Of Past Orange Roughy Fishery Collapses – CORANZ
With the Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones due to make a decision on catch limits for orange roughy by October 1, there is rising concern that the fisheries may suffer the same fate as occurred in the 1980 and 1990 decades. ...1 day ago
- With the deepest respect, Julianne Moore, one does not simply say ‘Goodbye’ to Meta AI
Sharing the spammy and scammy ‘goodbye to Meta AI’ message on Instagram, celebrities demonstrate that they’re as hopeful and hopeless as the rest of us. Three days ago, actress and pro onscreen-crier Julianne Moore was having the time of her life at the Bottega Veneta fashion show in Milan. “SO ...1 day ago
- Job cuts confirmed at Whakaata Māori
Government ministers have yet to say how many jobs will go at the Māori television channel. ...1 day ago
- Public given just four days to submit on gas and oil exploration bill
The time for MPs to consider the bill has also been shortened because the government wants the change passed by the end of the year. ...1 day ago
- Is an ankle sprain also a brain injury? How neuroscience is helping athletes, astronauts and ‘aver...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Gordon Waddington, AIS Professor of Sports Medicine Research, University of Canberra Have you ever thought of an ankle sprain as a brain injury? Most people probably wouldn’t. However, we are starting to understand how the brain is constantly adapting, known as ...1 day ago
- The common raupō once kept NZ’s wetlands and lakes thriving – now it could help restore them
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rewi Newnham, Professor in Physical Geography, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington Shutterstock/Sketchart With about 90% of New Zealand’s natural wetlands drained or severely damaged during the past decades, we need to understand the role of native plants in ...1 day ago
- ‘Stupid not to do another series’: Local kids respond to the cancellation of Time Bandits
NZ-made fantasy adventure series Time Bandits will not be returning for season two. We asked some of its biggest fans for their thoughts. Last week it was announced that Time Bandits, Apple TV+’s reboot of the 1981 time travel adventure film, would not be renewed for season two. The series, ...1 day ago
- School Attendance Announcement Shows Coalition Government Out Of Touch With Schools
The Associate Minister’s ‘crackdown on truancy’ shows a lack of awareness about the root causes of truancy in Aotearoa. ...1 day ago
- NIWA to take over Metservice in forecaster merger
The merger will mark the end of a long-running feud between the two organisations. ...1 day ago
- Luxon Govt Shows Total Disregard For Public Concerns About Climate
The Crown Minerals Amendment Bill was only introduced into Parliament on Tuesday, September 24. The Bill aims to restart offshore oil and gas exploration and weaken the requirement for oil companies to pay for the clean-up after they finish work. ...1 day ago
- A financial crunch is coming, Treasury warns
Treasury chief economic adviser says an ageing population will mean the government needs more tax, and keeping young people willing to pay it will be important. ...1 day ago
- Protest outside Israeli Embassy closes road
About 100 people protesting outside the Wellington embassy are blowing whistles, banging pots and pans and sounding alarms. ...1 day ago
- Have Your Say On The Crown Minerals Amendment Bill
The Crown Minerals Amendment Bill seeks to promote the strategic and responsible development of New Zealand’s natural resources. ...1 day ago
- NZ strikes its ‘fastest ever’ trade deal, with the United Arab Emirates
New Zealand has signed a free-trade deal with the United Arab Emirates - the fastest agreement the country has ever struck. ...1 day ago
- Trade Deal Is No Deal For Workers
We don’t currently know the real value of the deal. No National Impact Analysis or economic analysis has been made public. ...1 day ago
- Crackdown on teacher-only days, parents face prosecutions in truancy push
Parents of students absent for 15 days could also face prosecution, while changes to teacher-only days are coming, David Seymour has announced. ...1 day ago
- Government signals downgrade of new Dunedin Hospital
Ministers say the new hospital would be one of the most expensive built in the Southern Hemisphere and is simply unaffordable. ...1 day ago
- Environment Canterbury chair Peter Scott resigns
Peter Scott's resignation takes effect from Friday, when councillor Craig Pauling will be acting chair. ...1 day ago
- Before Trump, there was a long history of race-baiting, fear-mongering and building walls on the US-...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Marie-Eve Loiselle, Lecturer in Law, Macquarie University Last month, Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump delivered a one-hour address on the danger of illegal immigration to the United States. His stage was the US-Mexico border in Arizona and the set piece of his ...1 day ago
- Cuts To Te Reo Māori Programme Disappointing And Short-sighted
“The programme had a very good uptake among teachers and helped them meet the Teaching Council expectations around te reo Māori skills.” ...1 day ago
- ‘He’s out to get me’: When John Key and Mike Hosking left the mics on
In this excerpt from Paddy Gower’s book, This Is The F#$%ing News: My Story, it’s 2011 and Gower has just taken over from Duncan Garner as political editor at 3News, making him the target of the prime minister’s distraction tactics. Finally, I was running the show. I started with a ...1 day ago
- Government signals downgrade of Dunedin Hospital revelopment
An independent review found it cannot be completed as planned within the approved budget. ...1 day ago
- Huge opportunity: Could you be the guy standing behind the PM looking furious?
The star of the prime ministerial press stand-ups is stepping down. Who will fill his angry shoes? Chris Luxon’s press stand-ups follow a familiar format. There are recurring characters. Ministers, often singular, sometimes plural, may stand behind him, nodding appreciatively at his incisive and scintillating points. Sometimes those ministers stand ...1 day ago
- In a US presidential election with razor-thin margins, will ‘couch-sitters’ decide who wins?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jeff Bleich, Professorial fellow, Jeff Bleich Centre for Democracy and Disruptive Technologies, Flinders University In countries with compulsory voting, such as Australia and many in Latin America, the system usually ensures an overwhelming majority of voters cast their ballots election after election. ...1 day ago
- Te reo Māori teacher training cut by $30m to fund maths resources
Education Minister Erica Stanford said the government was still committed to the revitalisation of te reo Māori. ...1 day ago
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