corruption
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Nats campaigning with public money
Written By: - Date published: 12:22 pm, November 26th, 2015 - 45 comments
Campaigning with public money. Politicising the public service. Cabinet club is cash for access. This is a corrupt government.
Power Corruption and Lies
Written By: - Date published: 1:04 pm, November 13th, 2015 - 78 comments
A National List MP has been snapped trying to heavy the Housing Ministry into funding a lift in her personal profile. Remember John Key’s ‘higher standards in Government’? Nick Smith’s Ministerial office apparently doesn’t care too much about about such trifles. Worse, the Housing Ministry has been caught trying to cover up for the Tories by redacting an OIA request. Here’s your Brighter Future, folks. Enjoy.
Diesel Bomb
Written By: - Date published: 11:53 am, October 1st, 2015 - 37 comments
Last Friday I wrote a post on Volkwagen gaming NOx emissions. This is a follow up.
NOx-ious shit all around.
Written By: - Date published: 7:49 am, September 25th, 2015 - 109 comments
Been trying to get my head around the implications of Volkswagen’s rigged diesel performance tests. Predictably, and unlike most stories covering this, I couldn’t give a rat’s arse for the financial woes the company might be facing.
Bugger the Truth – Getting elected means fooling the poeple
Written By: - Date published: 1:15 pm, September 19th, 2015 - 34 comments
So, its is not that the voters are idiots, as some suggest the Left are claiming, it is that the Right deliberately lie and mislead to get a vote, on false pretenses. It is the Right who constantly treats voters as gullible idiots, And a media, strangled by shrinking budgets and reduced personnel with less and less time to research rather than regurgitate. Couple that with an increase in non-journalists hogging the space set aside for reporting and elucidating news events… what chance the voter?
Charter $chools
Written By: - Date published: 8:41 am, August 22nd, 2015 - 20 comments
Today’s Herald has an excellent piece on charter schools – School cash flows to owners’ pockets. What a surprise!
Money for nothing and the sheep are for free
Written By: - Date published: 8:36 am, May 29th, 2015 - 38 comments
The legal suit offered as part justification for the Government paying $11 million to a Saudi businessman was apparently “off the table” at the time that Cabinet agreed to the payment. So why was the payment made? And why didn’t Murray McCully tell this to Cabinet or to Parliament earlier?
Sheepgate
Written By: - Date published: 8:54 am, May 28th, 2015 - 103 comments
It has emerged that the New Zealand Government has paid money to a Saudi businessman allegedly to settle a legal dispute that does not exist but more probably to persuade the Saudi Government to enter into a free trade agreement. Update – and maybe there was a threat of legal action but because of the actions of National, not Labour.
Sky City redux – the house still wins
Written By: - Date published: 8:25 am, May 27th, 2015 - 101 comments
Sky City has managed to persuade the Government to allow it to build a cheaper building while retaining the same valuable gambling regulatory concessions. Update: and the Government appears to have made further contractual concessions to Sky City.
Dear NZ Labour. Listen up.
Written By: - Date published: 12:06 pm, May 12th, 2015 - 48 comments
For the sake of reference – Nye Bevan was a Labour mp and the architect of the British NHS. Michael Sheen’s speech was a defense of that institution, but the underpinning message is, well…
Pull the other one… ponytails, minimisation and male privilege
Written By: - Date published: 5:48 pm, April 25th, 2015 - 407 comments
From pulling ponytails to police minimisation, there is a deep problem in our country with attitudes towards women and to sexual violence.
Northland’s decaboondoggle bridge building programme
Written By: - Date published: 7:10 pm, March 10th, 2015 - 37 comments
National’s proposal to double lane ten Northland bridges has some unusual aspects. Seven of them were not in the region’s Regional Land Transport Program such was their priority in the scale of things. And one is apparently right next to National candidate Mark Osborne’s home …
Brassneck
Written By: - Date published: 12:21 pm, March 2nd, 2015 - 64 comments
The release of the candidate donation returns has shown us that the National Party are still rorting the system. However, there are issues for the NZ Labour Party as well. Four MP’s have taken money from sources that do not have the interests of the Labour party or, indeed, the majority of Kiwis at heart. Brassneck or bought and sold?
A Breakdown.
Written By: - Date published: 10:44 am, November 26th, 2014 - 25 comments
There’s a lot of smash flying around concerning the SIS, the PM’s office, OIA requests, Judith Collin’s and what not. So here’s a simple, stripped back, breakdown
Nats illegally gaming the OIA process
Written By: - Date published: 8:17 am, October 16th, 2014 - 75 comments
It is clear to anyone who has read Dirty Politics that the National government illegally games the OIA process for political gain. Now we have Key’s confirmation of the fact.
“Democracy Under Attack”.
Written By: - Date published: 10:10 am, September 7th, 2014 - 89 comments
How long before “they” use control of the internet and media to bury adverse information, subvert democracy and vilify and silence those who disagree. “They” are doing it, NOW! A Government no longer has legitimacy, when they regard their own citizens as the enemy.
For a better way…
Written By: - Date published: 4:53 pm, August 30th, 2014 - 10 comments
The NACT way is Not Our Way. We need a better way of governance and democracy. One that is for all the people. I joined the hardy souls who went to the Not Our Way rally and march in Auckland.
Some thoughts…
Written By: - Date published: 2:04 pm, August 30th, 2014 - 113 comments
The English faction is now calling the shots inside the National party.
The moral low ground
Written By: - Date published: 3:00 pm, August 18th, 2014 - 45 comments
Revulsion. That’s what’s coming out from a range of people who have ploughed through the inner thoughts of Slater, Farrar, Ede, Collins, Lusk, Odgers, Jordan Williams – they’re all repulsive. It’s the strength of that gut feeling in response that will sink their plot. Despite all John Key’s efforts to move as quickly as possible to the end of the day, …it’s still not ok. Key’s try at cover up is pathetic, and doomed to be futile. But what it shows is that he has chosen the moral low ground with the rest of them. TeamKey indeed.
But the door was open…
Written By: - Date published: 5:00 am, August 15th, 2014 - 277 comments
The intention of this post is to examine the similarities and differences between the hacking of Cameron Slater’s communications on the one hand, and the hacking of the Labour Party donor database on the other. There are two important issues to determine in both cases and I will cover them separately. The first is the legality of the hacking and the second is the ethics of using the resulting information regardless of whether the obtaining of the information in the first instance was unlawful.
Dirty Politics: The Brestapo
Written By: - Date published: 7:00 am, August 14th, 2014 - 88 comments
I have foolishly never taken Cameron Slater very seriously except when his attacks have been obviously for the benefit of the National Party. I actually believed that the misinformed and bigoted viewpoints that prevail in his posts were his genuine opinions. It fits his character to drone on about “The Breastapo” “Sucking on the Taxpayers’ Tit”. To discover that such posts were actually written and paid for on behalf of Fonterra actually shocked me.
Polity: Herald on regional roads fiasco
Written By: - Date published: 12:52 pm, August 2nd, 2014 - 13 comments
The National Government’s $212 million plan has Transport Minister Gerry Brownlee explicitly admitting that it is a massive pork-barreling for government MPs with public funds, and explicitly tells people to piss off if they don’t like it.
John Banks convicted
Written By: - Date published: 9:54 am, August 1st, 2014 - 86 comments
Updated John Banks has been sentenced to 100 hours community work and community detention for electoral fraud.
Updated links to reactions.
IPCA review of the illegal spying on Kim Dotcom
Written By: - Date published: 12:36 pm, July 17th, 2014 - 6 comments
The IPCA has upheld the Police decision not to prosecute members of the GCSB for illegally spying on Kim Dotcom.
Cops cooking crime stats
Written By: - Date published: 8:37 am, July 13th, 2014 - 45 comments
The Herald on Sunday is reporting that South Auckland police have doctored crime statistics for the area by reclassifying burglary offences as less serious offences.
A John Key. With assembly instructions.
Written By: - Date published: 9:06 am, June 29th, 2014 - 11 comments
How to make your very own New Zealand Prime Minister. Even better looking than this vessel.
NRT: The Jones appointment
Written By: - Date published: 11:53 am, June 24th, 2014 - 45 comments
When I first heard of this appointment, I commented that if McCully had offered Jones a briefcase full of cash rather than a specially-created high-paying job to resign, we’d call it what it is: Corruption and bribery of member of Parliament. From what I’ve seen in this release, I stand by that.
Updated: It looks like this appointment either violated the Cabinet Manual or is in violation of the State Sector Act. Whatever way you look at this, the appointment appears to broken some laws. Perhaps some journos would like to look up from bullshit from National’s dirty tricks blogger and care to investigate a real story?
Turn out and vote National out
Written By: - Date published: 8:00 am, June 21st, 2014 - 110 comments
At the last election, the high non-vote spoke to one important truth – many voters saw no reason to turn out. The media had told them that National would win by a landslide and they either didn’t mind or thought that one vote wouldn’t make any difference. This election is radically different. It is rapidly becoming clear that we are losing control of our country. Vote on September 20, and vote against this Government.
NRT: An abuse of the OIA
Written By: - Date published: 4:14 pm, June 20th, 2014 - 39 comments
So it turns out that Immigration released letters from David Cunliffe and Chris Carter in support of Donghua Liu. However, the Department of Internal Affairs refused to release the letters sent by Mr Williamson and Mr Banks under the privacy and commercial provisions in the Official Information Act. This looks like a blatantly political release decision to advance the interests of the government of the day. Transparency of official information applies to everyone, not just the government’s enemies.
Local Bodies: National’s Campaign Strategy Stinks
Written By: - Date published: 9:58 am, June 20th, 2014 - 25 comments
We all know from reading Nicky Hager’s The Hollow Men (or watching the documentary) that the National Party actually advocates for a small section of society. Their policies rarely support most New Zealanders and after each period of a National led Government we have costly messes like leaky buildings and dead miners as the aftermath. This isn’t to say that Labour shouldn’t take responsibility for not repealing dodgy legislation, but National has always stood for less regulation, fewer protections for workers and the environment and an upward flow of money to the already rich.
Two worlds: banksters; NZ child poverty
Written By: - Date published: 7:41 am, June 15th, 2014 - 253 comments
Al Jazeera outlines the dubious ethics of Goldman Sachs and the oligarchy it supports. They don’t give a shit about the lives they damage, or the resulting increases in inequality. The Nation interviews call for increasing public pressure on politicians to tackle NZ’s appalling child poverty.
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- TKP 26/50 solutions: A new home without a power bill
As part of The Kākā Project of 2026 for 2050 (TKP 26/50) and When The Facts Change ,I interviewed Octopus Energy Zero Bills Technical Director Nigel Banks from the UK about this week's launch in New Zealand of a partnership with Classic Homes to build new homes in Auckland1 with ...2 weeks ago - A wellbeing economy is the only option!
I recently attended a conference organised by WEALL (Wellbeing Economy Alliance) Aotearoa. WEALL defines 'economy' differently from the current neoliberal approach and that is simply 'the way that we produce and provide for one another'. Attending this conference made me even more aware of how far we have drifted away ...2 weeks ago
- Interview with John Cook about misinformation and artificial intelligence
In March, John Cook met with Adam Ford from Science, Technology & the Future to talk about his work researching misinformation and how to counter it. The interview - published on October 10 - explored the complex and evolving landscape of climate misinformation, covering a range of topics including the different types ...2 weeks ago - Economic Progress May Not Add To Wellbeing
How the Prospect Theory of Behavioural Economics Makes Economic Analysis DifficultBehavioural economics has been described as the most revolutionary thing which has happened to economics for ages. The notion that people do not behave like ‘rational economic men’ (women are mainly ignored) undermines the microeconomic foundations of the subject. Not ...2 weeks ago - National finds out
Since coming to power last year, National has viciously cut the public service, sacking nearly 10,000 public servants (to date). Those people weren't just doing nothing, and it was obviously going to have an impact on something other than the government's books. But while National's over-paid, privately-insured, and DPS-guarded Ministers ...3 weeks ago - Lockout of disability workers before Christmas unacceptable
NZCTU Te Kauae Kaimahi Acting President Rachel Mackintosh is condemning the actions of disability support provider Te Roopu Taurima o Manukau Trust in deciding to respond to legitimate strike action by locking out their workers with just a few weeks before Christmas. “The actions of Te Roopu Taurima are totally ...3 weeks ago - Friday 6 December
In another blow to the media landscape, Māori TV’s daily news service is set to end after 20 years, following the announcement that they have cut 27 jobs. PSA members at MBIE have voted to initiate industrial action, after rejecting a pay offer because it failed to keep up with ...3 weeks ago
- An experiment and our Christmas offer to subscribe to The Kākā
Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāIt’s that time of the year when we offer 50% off for a year to new subscribers for the next fortnight until December 21, which is ‘Gravy Day’1. It’s our version of a Christmas/Black Monday/Cyber Monday/Singles Day/Boxing Day offer. We call it the ‘Gravy Day ...3 weeks ago
- The State of David Seymour’s Shameless Condescension and Unbridled Arrogance
.Thanks for reading Frankly Speaking ! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work..Setting the stageQuestion: How does one make money, when something stands in the way?Answer: Get rid of that thing. Or at least dilute it.Present Day, Aotearoa New ZealandIn his Beehive media statement, Seymour recently ...3 weeks ago - Weekly Roundup 06-December-2024
It’s another Friday and it has been a big week in Auckland. We hope everyone’s excited to be in the final stretch of the year! Here’s some of the stories that have caught our attention this week. This post, like all our work, is brought to you by a largely ...3 weeks ago - The Days Go By
It must be your skin, I'm sinkin' inIt must be for real, 'cause now I can feelAnd I didn't mind, it's not my kindIt's not my time to wonder whySongwriter: Gavin Rossdale.As the year winds up, I’m feeling a bit mentally drained, so today’s newsletter is one of reminiscing. Today, ...3 weeks ago - The Hoon around the week to December 6
The podcast above of the weekly ‘Hoon’ webinar for paying subscribers on Thursday night features co-hosts & talking about the week’s news with: on Trade and Agriculture Minister Todd McClay saying New Zealand would not buy emissions credits overseas, effectively admitting we’ll renege on our Paris commitments. (RNZ) ...3 weeks ago
- Paying for National’s roads
The Government has promised 17 Roads of National Significance, but the brutal truth is that it cannot afford them. So Transport Minister Simeon Brown yesterday announced that from now on, tolls and other user charges will be the way New Zealand pays for new roading infrastructure. Tolls are likely ...3 weeks ago - Confession: Why Shane Reti & Ayesha Verrall’s Performance Helps Me
Video above. These videos are also designed for those not versed in the detailed subject matter so excuse any repeats of Health NZ facts you are aware of from reading Mountain Tui for too long!Recently, I read a Substack article which, on my brief skim, lamented the rise of critiquing ...3 weeks ago
- Skeptical Science New Research for Week #49 2024
Open access notables Global emergence of regional heatwave hotspots outpaces climate model simulations, Kornhuber et al., Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences: Multiple recent record-shattering weather events raise questions about the adequacy of climate models to effectively predict and prepare for unprecedented climate impacts on human life, infrastructure, and ecosystems. Here, we ...3 weeks ago
- The Bewildering World of Chris Luxon – Three Bad Polls – Three Strikes for National?
.Thanks for reading Frankly Speaking ! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work..As I wrote on 3 December:“One bad poll for a government can be dismissed as “rogue”. Two? That’s damaging.”Three bad polls? That is when Red Alert lights start flashing; klaxons start to blare; and ...3 weeks ago - Climate Change: More unwelcome advice
He Pou a Rangi / Climate Change Commission has just released its Review of the 2050 emissions target including whether emissions from international shipping and aviation should be included. After noting that there have been significant changes since the target was originally set in 2019 - stronger evidence that we ...3 weeks ago
- Join us at 5pm for The Hoon
3 weeks ago - No sweat
Let's say I want to run a marathon, but I’m not keen on all that running.At the registration desk I say, I want to start at the last kilometre. What's the fee for that?They tell me,We don't offer that option. You have to do the whole race.I reply,Yeah but I ...3 weeks ago - Climate Change: National wants to cheat on Paris II
Back in September, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts shocked us by suggesting that New Zealand could refuse to meet its international commitments under the Paris Agreement. Now Forestry Minister Todd McClay has echoed that position: Minister for Agriculture and Forestry Todd McClay says the Government won't be buying carbon ...3 weeks ago
- Marsden Fund changes will undermine prosperity and social cohesion
The Government’s rewrite of the Marsden Fund’s investment plan and terms of reference demonstrates a complete lack of understanding and risks undermining the breadth of research that is essential for the wellbeing and prosperity of New Zealanders, said NZCTU Te Kauae Kaimahi Acting President Rachel Mackintosh. “Humanities and social science ...3 weeks ago
- Thursday 5 December
The Government has announced further changes to the personal grievance regime that will make it even tougher for workers, and changes to the Marsden Fund investment plan to stop funding for humanities and social sciences research. Workers at Kinleith mill are worried that they will lose even more jobs. A ...3 weeks ago
- Can desalination quench agriculture’s thirst?
This article by Lela Nargi originally appeared in Knowable Magazine, a nonprofit publication dedicated to making scientific knowledge accessible to all. Sign up for Knowable Magazine’s newsletter. Ralph Loya was pretty sure he was going to lose the corn. His farm had been scorched by El Paso’s hottest-ever June and ...3 weeks ago
- A housing market with bits tacked on doesn’t need many (if any) pure scientists
The humanities and social sciences panels of The Marsden fund will be disbanded and no longer supported, because “real impact on our economy will come from areas such as physics, chemistry, maths, engineering and biomedical sciences,” said Judith Collins. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMorena. Long stories short in Aotearoa’s ...3 weeks ago
- Cooking the Books
Come with me, and you'll beIn a world of pure imaginationReach out, touch what was onceJust in your imaginationDon't be shy, it's alrightIf you feel a little trepidationSometimes, these things don't needExplanationSongwriters: Anthony Newley / Leslie Bricusse.If you don’t ask, you don’t get... Dream big, or go home… Ask for ...3 weeks ago - Kirikiriroa Rising
This post is essentially an update on a very similar one I wrote seven years ago. Hamilton: City of the Future, the intervening years have confirmed those speculations. The case for good passenger rail service between our biggest city and its fast growing neighbour remains compelling. Below I offer a ...3 weeks ago
- Treasury to Government; cut super or raise taxes
The warnings from the Treasury about the state of the country’s finances are starting to appear on a regular basis. So far, they have been delivered by Treasury’s Chief Economic Advisor Dominick Stephens, and yesterday, he faced the Finance and Expenditure Committee to answer questions on Treasury’s long-term thinking about ...3 weeks ago
- Gordon Campbell On How Slavishly This Government Is Serving Its Corporate Donors
For much of 2024, centre stage has been taken by (a) the government’s relentless attacks on all forms of Māori empowerment and (b) by the wholesale embrace of mid-1980s style austerity policies, which even the most conservative economies in Europe abandoned a decade ago. Easy to miss that the government ...3 weeks ago - Big Eyes
2014, directed by Tim Burton I didn’t expect to be watching a Harvey Weinstein movie today. How it happened was, I had a few hours to kill before my regular afternoon streamer came on, so I was browsing Netflix looking for something I hadn’t already seen that didn’t look terrible, ...3 weeks ago - What a thing to happen.
Subjection!Poor, unloved, disparaged, AT. What a thing to happen.In the Game of Thrones version, smirking Little Lord Simeon orders them to disrobe and commands them to parade along K Road, across the rainbow crossings, down Queen Street to Britomart while being pelted with trash, rotten produce and Big Mac boxes.Here ...3 weeks ago - Government’s personal grievance changes will empower bad employers
NZCTU Te Kauae Kaimahi Acting President Rachel Mackintosh is saying that the Government’s proposal to further weight the scales in favour of employers in personal grievance cases will make workplace culture worse and harm efforts to create a fair playing field for workers. “Making the personal grievance regime even tougher ...3 weeks ago
- Climate Change: The ETS needs reform
The final ETS auction of the year was held today, resulting in a partial clearance: 4 million of the available 11.1 million units were sold, at the minimum price of $64/ton. Once you add in March's partial sale, the government managed to sell just over 7 million tons all year ...3 weeks ago
- Throw Away All You Know.
In the cradle of the civilised disobedience derivedFrom a forlorn weeping widow crying tearsthat don’t see eye to eyeKeep the well fullA thirst forgotten A misery made for twoThat’ll use you then throw you awayThat’ll use you then throw you awayThat’ll use you then throw you awaySong: Nowhere.Today, I’m feeling ...3 weeks ago - NZCTU Rūnanga calling for submissions on proposed changes to NZ Post
The CTU Rūnanga is asking affiliates to support postal workers and get out and make submissions against contracting out postal delivery, to stop job cuts and ensure fair pay and conditions for postal workers. The Postal Workers Union is fighting NZ Post’s plans to replace postal workers with contracted couriers. ...3 weeks ago
- ‘The cuts will continue until the economy improves’
Health Minister Shane Reti has even more cuts in his sights. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMorena. Long stories short on Wednesday, December 4, with more detail and analysis in the podcast above:Health Minister Shane Reti says spending cuts will continue for an extra year into 2027 because of a ...3 weeks ago
- Auckland Transport (mostly) goneburger
Auckland Transport has long been a easy punching bag for the public, politicians and media, sometimes deservedly so, other times not. That could all be about to change following an announcement yesterday by the Browns – Wayne and Simeon. Greater Auckland is brought to you by a largely volunteer crew ...3 weeks ago
- Luxon Takes A Beating
The latest polls are in.Mountain Tui is a reader-supported publication. And who could have guessed that a government that destroys the economy (‘economic vandalism on steroids’), tears up our public health system (‘National is BAD for health’), de-stabilises Crown-Māori relations (‘largest protest in modern history’), eviscerates environmental progress and protections ...3 weeks ago - It’s not easy being green
As Kermit the frog said, it isn’t easy being green. A Select Committee yesterday heard how difficult it was for the country’s electricity grid operator, Transpower, to prepare for the electrification of New Zealand that will be required if we are to meet net zero carbon emissions by 2050. Their ...3 weeks ago
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- TIPENE to open in term 1 2025
Associate Education Minister David Seymour has today announced that TIPENE is the final charter school to open in term one 2025. “This announcement is another significant step in the Government’s efforts to lift educational achievement in New Zealand,” says Mr Seymour. “Charter schools will make New Zealand’s education system more ...2 weeks ago - Invigorating New Zealand’s capital markets
The Government is taking steps to invigorate New Zealand’s capital markets to encourage investment in infrastructure and productive businesses, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly says. “Kiwis work incredibly hard but do not see the same level of return for their labour as other advanced nations. The Government is ...2 weeks ago
- Welcome progress on youth vaping
New Zealand is turning the corner on youth vaping and the Government’s law changes will reinforce that trend, Associate Health Minister Casey Costello said today. “The ASH survey of youth vaping and smoking released today shows that smoking rates for year 10 students remain very low – they have turned ...2 weeks ago
- Consultation opens on fisheries sustainability
Catch limits for rock lobster and Pacific bluefin tuna are being reviewed, with consultation opening today, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. Catch limits for spiny red rock lobster in CRA 2 (Hauraki Gulf, Coromandel and Bay of Plenty) CRA 7 (Otago), and Pacific bluefin tuna in TOR 1 ...2 weeks ago
- Gravy train well and truly over for consultants
New data shows the public service is on track to save more than double the Government’s initial target on contractors and consultants. Minister for the Public Service Nicola Willis says it shows “the consultant gravy train is well and truly over”. “Taxpayers are not a cash cow for consultants and ...2 weeks ago
- Speech to Employment and Manufacturers Association on Holidays Act
Good morning everyone, and thank you for the kind introduction, Alan. As always, it is a pleasure to be here, and I appreciate the time you’ve all taken to come out during what is undoubtedly the busiest season of the year for some of you. It has certainly felt ...2 weeks ago
- Minister response to consultation on Holidays Act replacement
Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden says she has directed her officials to change the proposed direction of Holidays Act reform. “The Government recently conducted targeted consultation on an exposure draft Bill which built on work that had started under the previous Government. The feedback I have seen ...2 weeks ago
- Stalking legislation takes first step
Legislation that will make stalking illegal with a maximum penalty of up to five years in prison has been introduced and passed through first reading in Parliament today, Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith says. “Existing harassment laws haven’t kept pace with trends in this dangerous area. Since I announced this Bill, ...2 weeks ago
- New tools to be added to Traffic Light System
Legislation that will introduce new non-financial benefit sanctions into the welfare Traffic Light System and require people on Jobseeker Support to reapply every six months has passed its first reading in Parliament today. “The Social Security Amendment Bill expands the welfare Traffic Light System that launched in August with new ...2 weeks ago
- Changes to encourage more rental homes passed into law
The Residential Tenancies Amendment Bill has passed its third reading, delivering on the coalition Government’s commitment to deliver sensible changes to tenancy laws, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. “The previous Government’s war on landlords ultimately caused worse outcomes for tenants: rents up by $170 per week from 2017 to 2023, ...2 weeks ago
- Second RMA Amendment Bill introduced to Parliament
The coalition Government’s second RMA Amendment Bill, introduced to Parliament this week, will help drive economic growth and increased productivity by making it easier to get things done in New Zealand,” RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop says. “Our second RMA Amendment Bill is a precursor to full replacement of the ...2 weeks ago
- NZGIF update
Cecilia Tarrant has announced she has resigned as Chair of New Zealand Green Investment Finance, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. “I want to acknowledge the work Ms Tarrant has led over the last six years and thank her for her service.” Ms Tarrant will stand down with effect from ...2 weeks ago
- Speech to the New Zealand China Council
It is a pleasure to be here this afternoon and thank you to John McKinnon and the New Zealand-China Council for the invitation. New Zealand greatly values its long-standing relationship with China. The connections between our two countries are strong, although recovering after being deeply affected by the impacts of ...2 weeks ago
- Hairdressers and barbers to receive a regulatory clean shave
Minister for Regulation David Seymour has today announced that the third sector review, led by the Ministry for Regulation, will cut red tape for the hairdresser and barber industry. “Hairdressers and barbers provide a valuable service in every community. They make up a billion-dollar industry of more than 5000 mostly ...2 weeks ago
- Aucklanders save $899 million in water charges with Local Water Done Well
The Government has approved the Watercare Charter to keep Auckland’s water services affordable, saving households about $899 million over four years while ensuring improved service quality and record infrastructure investment to unlock housing growth in Auckland says Local Government Minister Simeon Brown.Local Government Minister Simeon Brown says the Watercare Charter which was ...2 weeks ago
- Fintech innovation to boost consumer competition
The launch of a bespoke pilot programme for financial technology companies will help boost competition for Kiwi consumers and improve choice in the financial and banking sectors, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly says. “The Government is relentlessly focused on improving competition so we can lift productivity and improve outcomes ...2 weeks ago
- Karen Walker and Keven Mealamu join CNZ Board
Fashion designer Karen Walker CNZM and former All Black Keven Mealamu MNZM have been appointed to the Creative New Zealand Board, Arts Minister Paul Goldsmith says. “I am excited to have these two highly respected individuals join Creative New Zealand, who will undoubtedly add great experience and perspectives to New ...2 weeks ago
- Health targets encouraging – work continues
New data shows that the Government’s focus on health targets is putting the brakes on the steep decline in delivery seen over the past five years. Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says while there is much more work to do, health target results in the three months to 30 September ...2 weeks ago
- Independent review of ACC announced
ACC Minister Matt Doocey has today announced an independent review of ACC because of concerns about declining rehabilitation rates and increasing costs. “ACC provides critical support to New Zealanders in times of need, but I am concerned that ACC’s performance has been declining for a decade. Rehabilitation rates are down, ...2 weeks ago
- New research to aid tourism and hospitality sector
Tourism and Hospitality Minister Matt Doocey today announced investment in a suite of new surveys and research which will help fill critical gaps in tourism and hospitality sector data. “Government investment totalling around $3 million will fund essential research including a domestic visitor survey, tourism sentiment survey, new research into ...2 weeks ago
- How can I keep my cat happy? 5 tips from a vet to help your feline friend live their best life
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Anne Quain, Senior Lecturer, Sydney School of Veterinary Science, University of Sydney antibydni/Shutterstock Around one third of Australian households live with at least one cat, yet surveys tell us the cats’ needs are not being met. Cats may rule the internet, ...4 days ago - In the Bible, angels can be deadly. So why do we place them at the top of our Christmas trees?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Robyn J. Whitaker, Associate Professor, New Testament & Director of the Wesley Centre, University of Divinity Shutterstock Those beautiful white and gold angels you see on Christmas trees were originally monsters. At least, that is the claim made by scholar Esther ...4 days ago
- Almost 1 million Australians are LGBTQIA+ – and for the first time, there’s a new national healt...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jennifer Power, Associate Professor and Principal Research Fellow, Australian Research Centre in Sex, Health and Society, La Trobe University Lomb/Shutterstock New data released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) this week shows one in 20 (4.5%) Australians over 16 are ...4 days ago
- Heatwaves and bushfires can be a dangerous mix for the electricity grid. Here’s how to shore up yo...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Shukla Poddar, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, School of Photovoltaics and Renewable Energy Engineering, UNSW Sydney The Australian summer has started to unleash its power. On Monday, the Victorian town of Walpeup reached 47.1°C, and towns in Queensland, western New South Wales, South Australia ...4 days ago
- Climate anger can lead to action – or curdle into despair. We found out why
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Samantha Stanley, Research Fellow in Social Psychology, UNSW Sydney Jacob Lund/Shutterstock Strong emotional responses to environmental problems are remarkably common. We know people are angry about climate change – but how many? Our new research surveyed 5,000 Australians and found ...4 days ago
- ‘You can’t hear a smile’: how video visits help dads in prison stay connected with their kids
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Elisabeth Duursma, Research Theme Fellow Education and Work, Western Sydney University Julia M Cameron/ Pexels , CC BY Many Australians know December 21 as “Gravy Day”. This is a reference to Paul Kelly’s song and new film How to Make Gravy, ...4 days ago
- Personalising a luxury gift with a name or initial? Research suggests a hidden social cost
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Anne-maree O’Rourke, Lecturer in Marketing, The University of Queensland Andrei Antipov/Shutterstock You might think spending $5,000 on a handbag or wallet would be prestigious and exclusive enough. What about taking things one step further – and personalising it with your own ...4 days ago
- Yuletide cheer – but not too much: cinema’s best ‘Christmas adjacent’ films (yes, including ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ari Mattes, Lecturer in Communications and Media, University of Notre Dame Australia IMDB Christmas films appear in many guises. There is the witty (Christmas in Connecticut, Scrooged). The comedic (It Happened on 5th Avenue, National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation). The wonderfully sentimental ...4 days ago
- A book for every year of your life: Part two, ages 31 to the grave
From Mansfield Park to Jurassic Park, some reading inspiration for every age. A book for every year of your life: Part one, ages 0-30 Here is the second instalment of a book for every year of your life. After 30, any sort of age recommendation for works of great literature ...4 days ago - Christopher Luxon should have accepted Waitangi challenge – trust chair
"As heated as it may get, we have to keep up those conversations and not stop talking with each other," Pita Tipene told Morning Report. ...4 days ago - Chistopher Luxon should have accepted Waitangi challenge – trust chair
"As heated as it may get, we have to keep up those conversations and not stop talking with each other," Pita Tipene told Morning Report. ...4 days ago
- NZ tight-lipped over membership of space network
Analysis - Operation Olympic Defender aims to protect space from the likes of exploding satellites, but NZ is keeping quiet about its involvement. ...4 days ago
- Fast-tracked hotel and hostel in Mount Eden surprise residents
Plans for a hotel and student hostel at Auckland's Eden Park stadium have been revealed in the release of fast-track application documents. ...4 days ago
- The Bulletin wrapped, 2024
The Bulletin editor Stewart Sowman-Lund reflects on the year – what you were reading and what you engaged with the most – and looks ahead to 2025. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here. ...4 days ago
- The year in news: Stories that dominated the headlines in 2024
Here's a snapshot of party politics in 2024. ...4 days ago
- The year in politics: Stories that dominated the headlines in 2024
The year saw nationwide protests, swathes of legislation repealed and introduced, crackdowns on crime and some stern words to local councils. ...4 days ago
- No budget for psychiatric beds despite being over capacity
Workers on the front line of NZ's mental health wards say surging demands are leading to people getting turned away or discharged early. ...4 days ago
- The lady on the beach: whānau’s shock at development in unsolved murder
A month after Joanna Sione-Lauaki’s body was found on a Northland beach, her whānau got a shock when police made an announcement about a crucial development.In a statement to the media and on social media, police released CCTV pictures of a man they believed was the last person to see ...4 days ago - The boozeless bubbly of Aotearoa, reviewed and ranked
‘Tis the season for festive fizz, but what if you’re not drinking? There’s plenty on offer beyond Grapetise these days – we delved in to bring you the best and worst. We’re smack bang in the middle of the most liquor-soaked period of the year, with more Christmas parties, boozy ...4 days ago
- How the gambling industry is using influencers to appeal to a new generation
From paid partnerships and podcasts to ‘party holes’, the TAB and its youth-focused subsidiary Betcha are making a concerted effort to attract young people to gambling. Shanti Mathias reports. A group of men are crowded around a golf green, waiting for a ball. When it’s successfully putted into the hole, ...4 days ago
- A lesson in playing chicken with Big Tech
Opinion: Big Tech is choking the life out of New Zealand journalism. The advertising monopoly run by platforms like Meta and Google starves local media of revenue, making it harder to pay journalists and sustain quality reporting. New Zealand’s Media and Communications Minister, Paul Goldsmith, is studying Australia’s new tougher approach ...4 days ago
- The biggest selling books of 2024
FICTION1 The Bookshop Detectives: Dead Girl Gone by Gareth Ward & Louise Ward (Penguin Random House, $38)Wow! The biggest-selling novel of the year is a detective caper dreamed up by the very people who know best about bestsellers – bookstore owners. The Wards run Wardini’s, that wondrous book emporium in ...4 days ago
- Luxon’s reason for skipping Waitangi challenges the sniff test
Comment: The Prime Minister’s announcement that he won’t mark Waitangi Day in Waitangi itself next year would make sense in most other contexts – but not so much when he has admitted Māori-Crown relations have worsened under his leadership.Christopher Luxon has said in the past that he would like to ...4 days ago
- Newsroom daily quiz, Friday 20 December
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Daily crossword, Friday 20 December 4 days ago- Coalition scraps plan to leave open government pact
The Government has backed away from a secret proposal to withdraw New Zealand from a global transparency initiative, with officials repeatedly pushing for the country to pull out.A leading civil society group has welcomed the decision, but says greater buy-in from ministers and officials is necessary if the initiative is ...4 days ago- Queen T’s threepeat of Tauihi final showdowns
Tania Tupu has a painful, puffed-up reminder of her Tokomanawa Queens’ shock semifinal victory in the Tauihi basketball league last weekend.The highly-successful Queens head coach is still hopping around on a swollen knee after trying to show her team the moves that drove her through two Olympics and 93 games ...4 days ago- Wheels off the bus: bikes on buses do us good
Opinion: As we enter the holiday period, there will inevitably be many more cars on the road, which usually leads to a spike in the road toll.More cars on the roads means more traffic, more crashes and more injuries, as well as more pollution and more greenhouse gas emissions.We should ...4 days ago- Daily crossword, Friday 20 December
.wp-block-newspack-blocks-homepage-articles article .entry-title { font-size: 1.2em; } .wp-block-newspack-blocks-homepage-articles .entry-meta { display: flex; flex-wrap: wrap; align-items: center; margin-top: 0.5em; } .wp-block-newspack-blocks-homepage-articles article .entry-meta { font-size: 0.8em; } .wp-block-newspack-blocks-homepage-articles article .avatar { height: 25px; width: 25px; } .wp-block-newspack-blocks-homepage-articles .post-thumbnail{ margin: 0; margin-bottom: 0.25em; } .wp-block-newspack-blocks-homepage-articles .post-thumbnail img { height: auto; width: 100%; ...4 days ago- West and media are ‘erasing’ Palestinian history, say critics
Asia Pacific Report Palestinian history is “deliberately ignored” and is being effectively “erased” as part of Western news media narratives, while establishment forces work to shut down anyone speaking out against Israel’s slaughter in Gaza, academics have told a university conference of legal and Middle East experts. Article ...4 days ago- Government’s First Paris Agreement Report Fails To Address How It Plans To Hit Targets
The report fails to address how it plans to hit its emissions savings targets. ...4 days ago- Former Defence Minister Peeni Henare Calls Vanuatu Flight Woes ‘Embarrassing’
A Hercules plane carrying urban rescue staff to Vanuatu was stranded in New Caledonia after an engine fault. ...4 days ago- Vanuatu quake: Rescue teams continue Port Vila hunt for survivors
By Koroi Hawkins, RNZ Pacific news editor There are conflicting reports of the official death toll from this week’s massive earthquake in Vanuatu as rescue teams continue to scour the rubble for survivors. On Tuesday, the Vanuatu National Disaster Management Office reported 14 deaths. It said four people had been ...4 days ago- Hipkins’ letter to BlackRock boss over SolarZero liquidation goes unanswered
A letter sent by Opposition leader Chris Hipkins to BlackRock asking for assistance to ensure 160 terminated SolarZero staff are paid what they are owed has been met with silence.Hipkins sent a letter to David Giordano, BlackRock’s managing director of climate infrastructure, on December 4, one week after news broke ...4 days ago- International student numbers in Australia will be controlled by a new informal cap. Here’s how it...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Hurley, Associate Professor and Director, Mitchell Institute, Victoria University Paper Cat/ Shutterstock The federal government has found a new way to manage the number of international students in Australia. It has instructed immigration officials to prioritise student visa applications ...4 days ago- Government Legislation On Academic Freedom Sign Of New Hope For Universities
Legislation changes announced by the Government today signals that academic freedom can still be restored to university campuses. New Zealand universities have consistently shown they’re not fulfilling their obligations to uphold academic freedom; this ...4 days ago- National, Labour blame each other – but is the Reserve Bank responsible for GDP fall?
The last two quarterly figures for the economy are the worst since the late 2021 Covid-19 lockdowns. ...4 days ago- New Zealand Economy In Freefall While The Government’s Books Burn
...4 days ago- Survey Shows Government Lacks Mandate To Repeal Live Export Ban
“Sending live animals on boats into volatile conditions to destinations with poor animal welfare standards is not progressive, lucrative, or likely to stimulate the economy,” says SPCA Chief Scientific Officer, Dr Arnja Dale. ...4 days ago- Bill To Increase Penalties For Slavery Welcome, But Doesn’t Go Far Enough
World Vision New Zealand welcomes the introduction of a Private Members’ Bill to increase penalties for slavery offenses, but warns it does not go far enough to address weaknesses in New Zealand’s modern slavery and trafficking laws. ...4 days ago- Politics with Michelle Grattan: Chalmers says the budget’s better than it was; Taylor says it’s ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Appropriately, we finish our podcast for 2024 talking to Treasurer Jim Chalmers and his shadow, Angus Taylor because, as the saying goes, “it’s the economy, stupid!” This week’s mid-year budget update showed Australia’s economy ...4 days ago - Coalition scraps plan to leave open government pact
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