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Liberalism Uber Alles
Written By: - Date published: 11:29 am, June 13th, 2018 - 32 comments
If the political class think liberalism has failed, then why is it that the process of killing off NZ Post is approaching completion?
Is it OK to bring a hand grenade to a business meeting?
Written By: - Date published: 8:15 am, June 11th, 2018 - 15 comments
Darien Fenton writes about Business New Zealand’s early approach to the Fair Pay panel.
Fair Pay Agreements – a no-brainer
Written By: - Date published: 1:09 pm, June 8th, 2018 - 32 comments
Remember when you could pay a mortgage, keep the kitchen cupboard full, take the kids to the movies now and then, by working as a bus driver, a freezing worker, a journalist, or any number of other solid middle-Kiwi jobs? When a decent working life was a given…
Comrade Simon supports Nurses Strike
Written By: - Date published: 3:52 pm, May 28th, 2018 - 21 comments
For the first time possibly ever a National leader has supported the right of the rank and file to engage in industrial action to improve their living conditions.
Fudget for Austerity
Written By: - Date published: 12:31 pm, May 19th, 2018 - 71 comments
Some proposals on why we just got the budget we did.
Squeeze
Written By: - Date published: 9:17 am, May 13th, 2018 - 40 comments
This is as good a year as it is going to get to squeeze your employer for a fair wage.
A Great Business Opportunity
Written By: - Date published: 10:03 am, May 6th, 2018 - 55 comments
410 ppm. And rising.
The Australian banking system review
Written By: - Date published: 8:00 am, May 2nd, 2018 - 17 comments
The review into Australia’s banking system really matters to New Zealand and is doing New Zealand an almighty good service.
National is yeah nah on climate change
Written By: - Date published: 8:21 am, April 30th, 2018 - 34 comments
National’s Blue Green conference on the weekend suggests that the party has moved on from outright denial that cliamte change exists to grudging acceptance that it is a phenomenon but “balance” requires that it is tolerated.
Why Can’t We Hold Vector Accountable?
Written By: - Date published: 8:28 am, April 19th, 2018 - 85 comments
For those of us who were without electricity to their houses in Auckland for several days, it’s worth turning our thoughts to Vector.
Government blocks off shore oil and gas drilling
Written By: - Date published: 10:13 am, April 12th, 2018 - 158 comments
The Government has announced that there will be no new offshore oil and gas exploration permits issued under the block offer process.
NRT: A lawless multinational
Written By: - Date published: 6:15 am, March 30th, 2018 - 5 comments
Idiot/Savant at No Right Turn on Facebook and the Privacy Commissioner.
Productivity
Written By: - Date published: 9:00 am, March 14th, 2018 - 32 comments
A more productive economy – and society – has been an elusive goal for many of New Zealand’s previous governments. The last National Government failed. What will Labour do to succeed?
Cullen says 2020 election effectively a referendum on tax
Written By: - Date published: 1:20 pm, March 7th, 2018 - 32 comments
Don’t hold your breath for recommendations of radical tax reform from the Tax Working Group. Chair Sir Michael Cullen says the 2020 election will be a referendum on tax and he is already kicking for touch
Some Trash.
Written By: - Date published: 11:52 am, March 1st, 2018 - 27 comments
Being anti-plastic is all the rage these days. How might business respond?
Global Sharemarkets
Written By: - Date published: 9:05 am, February 15th, 2018 - 63 comments
Recent volatility in the U.S. stockmarkets has attracted calls that capitalism is facing a crisis. But the reality appears to be different.
Fletcher Chair resigns but directors retain huge fees despite staggering loss
Written By: - Date published: 4:34 pm, February 14th, 2018 - 123 comments
Fletcher announces more huge losses but directors still laughing all the way to the bank
Where’s my share?
Written By: - Date published: 11:00 am, February 14th, 2018 - 35 comments
Had anyone with a job (other than the top 2 tiers of management) had a wage increase higher than inflation recently?
Fonterra a failure in concept and in practice
Written By: - Date published: 6:10 pm, February 9th, 2018 - 109 comments
New Zealanders 17 years ago accepted the idea of a national dairy monopoly on the condition it would deliver outstanding returns. The cost has been high — filthy and unswimmable rivers. Now it turns out the result has been a financial fiasco – the whole thing is literally bullshit, or more correctly, cowshit.
Fonterra and Fletcher Building
Written By: - Date published: 2:05 pm, February 9th, 2018 - 52 comments
New Zealand only has two businesses of world-competitive scale that are also majority owned by New Zealanders: Fonterra, and Fletcher Building. And they appear to have lost their way and put much of their value and our wellbeing at risk.
Getting it right
Written By: - Date published: 4:08 pm, February 4th, 2018 - 13 comments
Council of Trade Unions President Richard Wagstaff writes in the NZ Herald about why paying people peanuts is bad for everyone. Highly recommended reading.
NRT: Not good enough
Written By: - Date published: 6:13 am, January 26th, 2018 - 42 comments
“The government today announced some employment relations reforms, including the restoration of meal breaks and the right to collective bargaining. But they also plan to retain 90 day trial periods for small businesses“
The Comprehensive and Progressive Trans Pacific Partnership
Written By: - Date published: 8:53 am, January 25th, 2018 - 137 comments
The positive aspects of the Comprehensive and Progressive Trans Pacific Partnership.
Can This Government Regain Power on Its Policies?
Written By: - Date published: 11:46 am, January 17th, 2018 - 82 comments
The sixth Labour led Government has made a good start to its term. But what policy results will New Zealand have to vote for and campaign on in 2020?
Bitcoin 2018
Written By: - Date published: 9:51 am, January 6th, 2018 - 204 comments
Is Bitcoin something to worry about or something to embrace?
Economy 2018
Written By: - Date published: 8:00 am, December 9th, 2017 - 31 comments
It’s that time of year where we start making predictions for 2018. I see it looking not too hot, not too cold.
Net Neutrality and New Zealand
Written By: - Date published: 10:00 am, November 26th, 2017 - 42 comments
Trump’s administration has recently set course to repeal Net Neutrality in the USA. What does that mean for New Zealand, and should we be considering stronger regulation here?
Professor Mark Blyth on…
Written By: - Date published: 11:26 am, October 18th, 2017 - 22 comments
…the past 70 years of economic theory and practice. (h/t Adam)
Happy Oompa Loompas?
Written By: - Date published: 12:48 pm, October 14th, 2017 - 9 comments
Dunedin hosts a celebratory graduation ceremony for discarded labour.
Industrial dairying and blue babies
Written By: - Date published: 8:56 am, October 11th, 2017 - 165 comments
When you run an economy that sees harm to babies as acceptable risks that can be mitigated, then you are approaching society’s end game.
“Boardroom” backing change
Written By: - Date published: 10:35 am, September 12th, 2017 - 18 comments
The Herald’s “mood of the boardroom” makes encouraging reading for Labour, with support for change and strong themes of social conscience.
Cartoon “Hurricane Ardern” by Emmerson.
- Police hope to have speeding ticket gift vouchers available in time for Christmas
Expect to see these billboards popping up later this year. New Zealand Police say they now expect to have their latest revenue-raising measure in place by Christmas this year, providing a much-needed funding boost to the force. From December 15th, ...3 hours ago - Winston Peters fired entire Cabinet on Thursday but every journalist was at the hospital
The birth of Prime Minister Ardern’s first child has overshadowed some staffing alterations back in Wellington. Acting Prime Minister Winston Peters fired the entirety of Jacinda Ardern’s Cabinet shortly after taking the reins on Thursday morning, but this wasn’t reported ...3 hours ago - This is not what customs powers are for
The Herald has a piece about a Canadian accused of running a pyramid scheme, who was allegedly hiding his money in New Zealand. But the interesting bit is this:It seems the police became involved when ANZ bank made a Suspicious ...5 hours ago - Dodgy as hellThat's the only way to describe Horowhenua District Council's plan to give council assets to a private "economic development" trust:Millions of dollars of council assets will be transferred into independent hands to help boost the Horowhenua economy. The Horowhenua ...9 hours ago
- Red light cameras finally turned on
Just after we learned about the appalling safety report showing Auckland Transport, Police and other agencies showed “an absence of commitment to improving safety on New Zealand and Auckland’s roads“, we learned that red light cameras Auckland Transport had installed weren’t ...9 hours ago - America is now using children as hostagesLast week, the world was outraged by the US stealing the children of refugees and sticking them in cages. The Trump administration's response was to offer to stick families in desert concentration camps instead. But now they have a new ...9 hours ago
- Emotion, Not Reason, Is Driving New Zealanders’ Attitudes Towards Crime And Punishment.
11 hours ago - Revolution And Bureaucracy.
11 hours ago - New North Shore bus network revealed
In two weeks the new bus network on the isthmus goes live. That’s going to be followed on 30 September by the North Shore network. Last week, Auckland Transport released the final version of what changes we’ll see then – ...15 hours ago - India: one country, two worlds
Many useful articles have been written about the recent demonetisation, perhaps the most discussed economic event in India in recent times. The entire discussion has brought to the fore many aspects of India’s economy. Among them is an important theme ...1 day ago - In service of “Law & Order”: Immigration and political rhetoric in the Age of Trump… and t...
Fear, alienation, and a lot of it driven by sheer political expediency. That’s a big problem. But another is that some people should make a point of avoiding the sheer level of conflation being indulged in, regarding some specific issues ...1 day ago 
National Party caucus. Tuesday. Simon: What are we going to do? Amy: What can we do? Gerry: What are we able to do? Judith: Could we crush something? Simon: No! We can’t crush anything. What do you want to crush? Judith: I ...1 day ago- Welcome, Little Neve Te Aroha!
Britain’s post-war Prime Minister, Clement Attlee, was reputedly “a modest little man” who, as Churchill’s famous jibe had it, “had a great deal to be modest about.” But, as the years have passed, his reputation has grown, and ...1 day ago - The Living WageAn American friend once shared with me the answer she had given to her family back home who wanted to know why she had decided to settle in New Zealand. “Because,” she had said, “in New Zealand, there is enough ...1 day ago
- One Basket Or Two? Jeanette Fitzsimons Considers How To Treat Methane In The Zero Carbon Bill
The Government has started consultation on the Zero Carbon Bill and is seeking input on issues such as the targets, the role of the Commission, and who should be responsible for adaptation. One controversial issue is whether all gases should be ...2 days ago - 2018 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #25
A chronological listing of news articles posted on the Skeptical Science Facebook Page during the past week. Editor's Pick 2018 Arctic sea ice melt season just got a big headstart Pack ice after sunset in East Greenland near Kulusuk. ...2 days ago - Flashback Saturday: Why it’s not possible to build our way out of congestion
Every weekend we dig into the archives. This post by Peter was published in October 2014. Wired magazine recently published a good, succinct explanation of induced traffic. It’s worth reading in full as it hits upon an incredibly important, often ...2 days ago - New research, June 11-17, 2018
A selection of new climate related research articles is shown below. Climate change mitigation Climate change communication Climate Hypocrisies: A Comparative Study of News Discourse What makes them believe in the low-carbon energy transition? Exploring corporate perceptions of the credibility ...3 days ago - How’s the Government Doing?
Coming to office a month after the election, the new Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern promised ‘transformative’ rather than incremental government. The promise contrasted with the record of the predecessor Key-English government which had some wins but I doubt that even ...3 days ago - The IGIS advisory panel mess
Back in April, Stuff published the news that our spies had been without proper oversight for over a year, due to the failure of the previous government to appoint members to the Inspector General of Intelligence and security's statutory advisory ...3 days ago - Protected: Guide to making a submission on the Zero Carbon Bill
This content is password protected. To view it please enter your password below: Password: The post Protected: Guide to making a submission on the Zero Carbon Bill appeared first on Blog | Green Party of Aotearoa New ...3 days ago - Equality with the starsIt’s easy to have woman working and stay at home dad when the woman is being paid over $470,000 a year; but what about poor families? by Don Franks NZ Prime minister Jacinda Ardern’s bearing of a baby ...3 days ago
- Talking Point: 2018 Budget a Green success
Originally published in the Hawke’s Bay Today The Budget was not perfect or hugely transformative, but it’s better than what we’ve had in the last nine years. I would say there are fair criticisms, and some are completely unfounded. Political ...3 days ago - How do we cope with fewer cows?Originally published in the Hawke’s Bay Today Simon Bridges recently lambasted Environment Minister David Parker in what is perhaps the worst floundering and platitude-filled interview I have ever seen. The only real criticism the National leader had (and repeated in ...3 days ago
- UncappedWhen they were in government, National stuck an arbitrary cap on the size of the public service, ostensibly to keep costs down. It was a dishonest sham: Ministers still expected agencies to do more and more work, and so they ...3 days ago
- What the Greens needs in a co-leaderOriginally published on Newsroom (16 Feb 2018) Do the Greens need a Metiria Turei heir-apparent, or a more radical option? Damon Rusden examines a co-leadership race between two very “intelligent and charismatic” women If you happened to miss the 2017 election, one ...3 days ago
- Greens between a rock and a hard placeOriginally published in Newsroom There’s a line in a song from American hard rock band Guns N’ Roses that goes: “What we have here is a failure to communicate.” And this is exactly what has happened with the Greens and their decision to give some of ...3 days ago
- New Zealand’s young conservatives
As the birth of Jacinda Ardern’s baby paints New Zealand as a truly progressive country, James Borrowdale meets the young Kiwis unimpressed by today’s socially liberal attitudes. “I don’t really understand what the feminist movement is advocating ...3 days ago - Staff meetings to take place on the future of ITPs
Tertiary Update – Vol 21 No 12 Staff at institutes of polytechnics and technology up and down the country will soon have an opportunity to shape the future of the sector, thanks to a series of meetings co-facilitated by the Tertiary ...4 days ago - Job cuts and library closure confirmed at University of AucklandSandra Grey, national president of the Tertiary Education Union, reflects on the decision of the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Auckland to axe 45 full-time equivalent jobs from Libraries and Learning Services. With 40 people losing their jobs and a whole library ...4 days ago
- Increase in level 1 to 4 student numbersData released by the Tertiary Education Commission shows student numbers have increased over the last year for courses at levels 1 and 2, and the competitive component of levels 3 and 4. However, the overall number of equivalent full-time students (EFTS) declined by ...4 days ago
- MPs told to increase student and staff seats on councilsEarlier this week the Tertiary Education Union told MPs on the Education and Workforce Select Committee that restoring student and staff voice to tertiary education institution councils was a welcome step forward, but more needs to be done. Sandra Grey, national president ...4 days ago
- Breaking down the RLTP numbers
We were pretty excited back in April when we saw the outcome of the Auckland Transport Alignment Project, which will see significant development of our transport network, and especially our public transport system, over the next decade. That was backed ...4 days ago - The debate on imperialism. . .A number of participants in the Imperialism study/discussion group initiated by Redline have been involved in debating David Harvey’s view of imperialism recently through the Review of African Political Economy. Thanks to Walter Daum for sending us the links. We ...4 days ago
- New Zealand celebrates separation of child from mother
One country’s humanitarian tragedy is another country’s happy miracle. An historic day, said the media. A happy day, said Acting Prime Minister Winston Peters. Fine day across the South, said Metservice. Though Peters later clarified he wasn’t talking about the ...4 days ago - Hundreds of journalists rushed to hospital following major incident
Journalists are being treated with snacks, WiFi, and reachable power outlets. Several hundred journalists are in Auckland Hospital today following a major incident in the city. The journalists were admitted to the hospital early this morning, wearing tags and barcodes ...4 days ago - The EU needs to stand up against its racistsThe European Union is founded on values of "respect for human dignity, freedom, democracy, equality, the rule of law and respect for human rights, including the rights of persons belonging to minorities". Those values are under threat from several of ...4 days ago
- Hard News: They want to blow it all up
In recent weeks, it has been more difficult than ever to assess and comprehend all the stupid, awful deeds and words of President Donald Trump. The tantrum and chaos of the G7 meeting bleeds into his preposterous accounts of the ...4 days ago - State of the Union: The ‘when a child is born’ versionAs Jacinda Ardern and Winston Peters stand poised to fulfill very different dreams, neither of them will be terribly happy with where the government stands on the brink of this wee bit of history.read more ...4 days ago
- A childish tantrumThat's the only way to describe events in Parliament last night. Faced with the opposition filibustering two time-sensitive bills, the government moved urgency, then attempted to amend the instruction to the committee to prevent any debate on what was being ...4 days ago
- New Zealand’s Very Own Pinkertons.
4 days ago - Hard News: I Am: An authentic autism family experienceWatching this week's episode of TVNZ's new I Am strand, I Am Living With Aspergers, the story of David RS Greer and his family, pushed a lot of buttons for me.To be clear, neither of our ASD sons has ever ...4 days ago
- Is the middle class squeezed or spoilt?
If your household brings in $100,000 and you still struggle to make ends meet, is it your own fault or an indictment on today’s cost of living? Bonnie Sumner investigates The average New Zealand income is $100,000 but ...4 days ago - Can Auckland lead the world?
Last week I took a look at how public transport ridership in Auckland might grow over the next decade, if it continues current strong growth rates and lines up with the transport modelling predictions in ATAP. On a per ...5 days ago - The United States has gone rogue!
Under President Donald Trump (and his growing swamp of a government) the United States of America has now become a fully identifiable "rogue nation" that ignores basic human rights and international agreements.While the US constitution provides protections for civil and ...5 days ago - David Seymour asks why the government needs to provide holidays when you can already buy them online
Seymour suggested employees could choose to take all of their annual holidays on the same day, which could even have the added bonus of helping them not lose their job. ACT Party leader and star of recent Three mockumentary series ...5 days ago - As nation waits for baby, medical experts say it might just stay in there forever
Doctors say if the baby hasn’t arrived at the end of the week, it probably won’t. Three days have passed since Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern was due to give birth to the greatest baby known to have ever been born ...5 days ago - Well done Canada. NZ? High time to move out of the Dark Ages for once…
Canada just sent a strong signal on recreational cannabis use. And in the UK, even the some of the most hard Conservative voices, yes, even those of Theresa May’s own Cabinet are urging serious reform, insofar as medical use ...5 days ago - Life after PhDThis is a re-post from ClimateSight To continue my tradition of trying out all the Commonwealth countries, since my last post I have moved to the UK and begun a postdoc at the British Antarctic Survey in Cambridge. The UK is far nicer than Australians will ...5 days ago
- NZ must speak out for its valuesAt the moment, the USA is separating children from their parents and putting them in concentration camps. This is utterly abhorrent to most New Zealanders. So what is our government saying about it? Nothing: Winston Peters is coming under pressure ...5 days ago
- Sanity in CanadaCanada has taken a major step towards ending America's insane "war on drugs", by legalising recreational cannabis use:Recreational cannabis use in Canada is to become legal after the Senate approved the legislation. The measure is expected to come into effect ...5 days ago
- A return to the banality of evil.
When Hannah Arendt wrote about the “banality of evil” in Nazi Germany, she was referring not to the leaders but to the thousands of bureaucrats, soldiers, civil servants, cops, tax collectors and everyday citizens who went along with the Nazi ...5 days ago - Can Auckland just ‘do a Christchurch’ to solve the Housing Crisis?
Fresh from saying there is no crisis in Auckland housing now Steven Joyce is saying it’s just like post-earthquke Christchurch: “In Christchurch you had a shock in the market. There’s a real shortage of housing, a real shortage of land, ...5 days ago - HealthCarePlus Newsletter Winter 2018HealthCarePlus is a not-for-profit incorporated society that assists participating union members and their families access to competitive health cover. Read the latest HealthCarePlus newsletter here. ...5 days ago
- One way of fixing itThe USA - which is currently kidnapping the children of refugees and sticking them in concentration camps - has consistently complained that the UN Human Rights Council is not fit for purpose. For a start, it criticises Israeli human rights ...5 days ago
- Mycoplasma bovis, foot and mouth, National Party, and other nasty germs
. . Intro The Mycoplasma bovis crisis confronting New Zealand is a story that will be dissected and commented on for decades to come. This was not simply a matter of a bacteria infecting cattle. This was a story ...6 days ago - Midweek Reading 20 June 2018
There were a couple of news articles that caught my attention over the weekend. Public Transport in Christchurch The Press ran a great piece on Saturday about the trade-off between driving and public transport. Commuting by bus could save Christchurch ...6 days ago - Are NZ’s “breaking news” cycles showing disturbing, partisan tendencies at present, and far le...
Are certain Media outlets almost bitter that National lost the election? For some observers, based on the screaming headlines coming out, it really does come across that way… But there’s also a deeper strain of stilted and constrained debate, commentary ...6 days ago - Cosy corruptionSince Thompson and Clark have been in the news over their undemocratic and bullying behaviour around Southern Response, people have been looking hard at what parts of government they've been doing business with and what exactly they're doing. And the ...6 days ago
- Who will help the helplines?
While Youthline and Lifeline struggle to stay afloat, leaving calls for help unanswered, the government is funding a brand new helpline. Illustration: Lee Smith-Gibbons / The Wireless A teenage girl sends a text to 234. She's suicidal. The ...6 days ago - Guest Post: Co-Housing Part One
This is a guest post by Biddy Livesey who is a housing policy analyst, researcher, and future resident of Cohaus. Part One: Introduction to collective housing development: Cohousing Our cities are changing. The cost of land is increasing, the way we ...6 days ago - Time for the government to pay upYesterday, the New Zealand Nurses Organisation voted to take strike action. While they'd been offered a half billion dollar pay package by DHBs, this was mostly focused on divide and rule and raising salaries for those already at the top ...6 days ago
- Can The Nurses Win On Their Own?
6 days ago - Let’s do thisWestpac has been modelling the effects of the government's proposed capital gains tax, and concluded that it would be effective in lowering house prices:House prices would fall, rents would rise but home ownership would improve if a capital gains or ...6 days ago
- If you take care of your character, your reputation will take care of itselfWhen lawyers read news like Sir Bob Jones threatening defamation proceedings because a tweet called him a racist we feel a strange mix of emotions. read more ...7 days ago
- Cycling is on the rise
Every year Auckland Transport have an independent company survey Aucklanders about walking and cycling. They’ve just released the 2018 numbers and they’re fantastic. In total 1,459 took part in this year’s survey and are said to be representative of the Auckland ...7 days ago - A choice of master
Two decades ago New Zealand uncoupled the security and trade strands in its foreign policy. The decision stemmed from the removal of New Zealand’s preferential trade status with the UK in the early 1970s and the fallout to the embrace ...7 days ago - Due to nationwide shortage of buzzy bee toys, New Plymouth sends Prime Minister actual bees
The bees are reportedly “not calm, not calm at all.” Sort-of-but-not-technically-husband to the Prime Minister Clarke Gayford has confirmed that he and Jacinda Ardern have received a “lovely” gift to the tune of some 600 live bees from the town ...1 week ago 
by Daphna Whitmore This deceptively slim book covers a lot of ground. The author, Ilan Pappe, is a well-known expatriate Israeli historian, critic and social activist. He is one of the ‘new historians’ arising in Israel who have challenged the ...1 week ago- Not achievedBack in 2010, the then-National government sacked the elected Canterbury Regional Council and replaced it with a group of unelected dictators. One of the key tasks of National's dictators was to implement the Canterbury Water Management Strategy, a collaboratively developed ...1 week ago
- The RMA and deterrenceOur environment is under threat. We have farmers polluting our rivers and sucking aquifers dry. Our own "defence" force is poisoning people's drinking water. Greedy property developers cut down protected native trees. And that's just a few recent examples. In ...1 week ago
- Stopping the orcs in their tracksWhen the government was elected, they promised to end mining on conservation land. And they're delivering:An application to mine coal on public conservation land near Te Kuha in the Buller District has been declined, Minister of Conservation Eugenie Sage and ...1 week ago
- Victoria Quarter walking & cycling improvements coming
The Victoria Quarter in the western city centre is an area that is rapidly developing and will be home to thousands more residents in the coming years. Yet despite this, there had been little planned to improve the appalling state ...1 week ago - 2018 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming Digest #24
Story of the Week... Editorial of the Week... El Niño/La Niña Update... Toon of the Week... Quote of the Week... Coming Soon on SkS... Climate Feedback Reviews... SkS Week in Review... Poster of the Week... Story of the ...1 week ago - It’s not easy being Green and even harder being a Green Minister
Land Information Minister Eugenie Sage was subjected to some angry comments from party members on social media after her decision to allow (in principle) a large Chinese water bottling company to purchase land to extend their plant. The decision by ...1 week ago
- Protected: Guide to making a submission on the Zero Carbon Bill
This content is password protected. To view it please enter your password below: Password: The post Protected: Guide to making a submission on the Zero Carbon Bill appeared first on Blog | Green Party of Aotearoa New ...3 days ago - Heretaunga Tamatea Claims Settlement Bill
Minister for Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations Andrew Little has welcomed and acknowledged rangatira of Heretaunga Tamatea iwi who attended Parliament today to hear the third reading of their Treaty settlement legislation. ...4 days ago - Aquaculture drives seafood export earningsNew Zealand’s export earnings from seafood are on the rise, with aquaculture leading the way, says Fisheries Minister Stuart Nash. The Ministry for Primary Industries’ Situation and Outlook report for June 2018 predicts New Zealand’s seafood export earnings will grow ...2 weeks ago
- Consent granted for overseas purchase of Whakatane water bottling plantAs Land Information Minister I and the Associate Finance Minister are sometimes required to decide whether or not overseas persons, including overseas owned companies, can buy areas of rural land in New Zealand of more than five hectares. The law ...2 weeks ago
- Three Strikes repeal not going to CabinetA proposal to repeal Three Strikes is not going before Cabinet today on the basis that New Zealand First have indicated they would be unlikely to support it, says Justice Minister Andrew Little. ...2 weeks ago
- Largest intake of Police recruits in decadePolice recruitment has stepped up a gear with the largest intake of recruits in more than a decade beginning training at the Royal New Zealand Police College near Porirua. “I offer congratulations and welcome to the 100 new recruits who ...3 weeks ago
- Te Ohu Kaimoana Mourns Passing of Hon Koro Wetere
Te Ohu Kaimoana (Māori Fisheries Trust) today paid tribute to Hon Koro Wetere, a former Māori Fisheries Commissioner who helped devise the formula for distribution of more than $700 million of valuable fisheries assets to iwi. ...3 hours ago - Government must take tough stance on MBIE, IRD strikesThe Government must take a tough stance on strikes at MBIE and IRD , says the New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union . Taxpayers’ Union spokesman Jordan Williams says, “MBIE and IRD’s claims should be viewed with cynicism, considering the average public ...6 hours ago
- How are security agencies keeping us safe?How concerned should we be about threats to our security – from terrorists to cyber hacking? What are the boundaries for our intelligence agencies when it comes to protecting the safety of citizens while respecting personal privacy? ...6 hours ago
- Survey demonstrates sales pressure is rife in NZ banksA recent survey of over 600 union members working at ANZ, BNZ and Westpac demonstrates that sales culture is rife in the New Zealand banking sector. ...7 hours ago
- Public servants vote overwhelmingly for strike actionMore than 4000 PSA members at the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment and Inland Revenue will take industrial action next month, after an overwhelming vote to strike. ...7 hours ago
- Independent panel and kauri consultation hui launchedA new independent panel announced today will strengthen efforts to protect New Zealand’s iconic forest giant, at the same time as public consultation gets underway to further boost those efforts. ...7 hours ago
- There Is More Money For NursesFinance Minister Grant Robertson’s claim that any new pay offer to nurses “would have to be made using funds already allocated, as there's no more” is nonsense, according to new Social Credit Party Leader, Chris Leitch. ...8 hours ago
- Industrial action at Premier BaconAbout 150 workers at Wairarapa company, Premier Bacon will begin industrial action just after midnight tonight (12.01am Tuesday, 26 June) in support of their pay claims. ...8 hours ago
- Fonterra’s link to “dirty secret” in IndonesiaFonterra is about to take another hit to its international reputation, this time over rainforest destruction and cow feed. ...8 hours ago
- Pre-Fabrication no Silver Bullet for New Zealand Housing"Phil Twyford’s suggestion that International Standards has housing costs at half of what we pay in New Zealand. and that pre-fabrication could address this, is way off the mark," says New Conservative Leader, Leighton Baker. ...9 hours ago
- NZDF To Begin Repatriating PersonnelThe New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) will begin repatriating 28 personnel and one child from cemeteries in Malaysia and Singapore next week. ...10 hours ago
- “Biosecurity nightmare” halted at borderA traveller’s grisly gift for his family did not make it past airport biosecurity officers. ...10 hours ago
- Inclusive growth attracts star studded line-upThe largely discredited and out of fashion ‘trickle down’ effect has been supplanted by global calls for ‘inclusive growth’. The OECD defines inclusive growth as ...12 hours ago
- Government’s changes to rates rebate a big help for retireesLGNZ welcomes the implementation of new legislation from 1 July 2018 that allows eligible retirement village residents to apply to their local council for a rates rebate. ...12 hours ago
- Unlikely Alliance to Start the ConversationFormer police prosecutor teams up with stoner botanist and warrior princess to discuss cannabis reform. ...13 hours ago
- EV owners share the lovePeople may be kinder to their family and wider community after buying an electric vehicle (EV). ...13 hours ago
- The Passing of the Hon Koro WetereOFFICE OF THE KIINGITANGA PRESS STATEMENT The Passing of the Hon Koro Wetere Sunday, 24 June 2018 E Koro, kei te puhi o Maniapoto whaia te pō kumea ki Te Au-tere-nā te ara ki Te Hono-i-wairua. E tae koe ki ...1 day ago
- Māori Party mourns the loss of Hon Koro Wētere CBEE ai ki te kōrero, ka whiti te rā ki tua o Rehua, ka ara a Kaiwhare i te rua. Kua tō te rā ki te rangatira o Ngāti Maniapoto, ki a Koro Wētere. Nō reira e te Pāpā, e ...1 day ago
- Q+A: Finance Minister Grant Robertson Interview‘I think what we are dealing with here is an issue around perception’ – Finance Minister Grant Robertson on business confidence In response to the latest business confidence survey from the Auckland Chamber of Commerce which suggests business confidence ...1 day ago
- Fisheries Minister urged to drop marine protection challengeFirst steps by the Bay of Plenty Regional Council to protect the Otaiti/Astrolabe Reef are at risk, unless a court case challenging Resource Management Act (RMA) management of our coastal marine area is dropped. Following a High Court judicial ruling ...2 days ago
- The Nation: Housing Minister Phil TwyfordLisa Owen: Auckland Council has just announced plans to count the number of homeless in the city, around six weeks after the government said it would create an extra 1500 social housing places by the end of winter. That’s one ...2 days ago
- The Nation: Lisa Owen interviews prison inmate Arthur TaylorLisa Owen: Arthur Taylor told me he'd never met David Tamihere when he decided to prosecute Roberto Conchie Harris for perjury. Harris was one of three jailhouse informants in Tamihere’s trial, known for many years as Witnesses A, B and ...2 days ago
- A Village for Every Wee One...3 days ago
- Joint media statement NZNO and DHBsThe New Zealand Nurses’ Organisation and District Health Boards met in Wellington today for mediation to try and settle the current employment negotiations. ...3 days ago
- Minister Martin’s proposed intervention strategyThe Aotearoa New Zealand Association of Social Workers (ANZASW) supports Minister for Children Tracey Martin’s strategy of intensive intervention to lower the number of children being placed in care. ...3 days ago
- Labour bids farewell to General SecretaryThe New Zealand Labour Party’s General Secretary, Andrew Kirton, has today announced he is moving on from his role with the party to take up a senior position with Air New Zealand in August. ...3 days ago
- Government delivers election promiseAfter a year of uncertainty, community mental health and addictions service providers congratulate the Government on agreeing to bring wage rates for support workers in line with those in the aged care, disability and home and community care sector. ...3 days ago
- Mental health and addiction support workers get equal payMental health and addiction support workers have been rewarded for their patience - with their long fight for equal pay finally over. ...3 days ago
- Government and unions right the wrongCouncil of Trade Unions President Richard Wagstaff today congratulated the Government, the Public Service Association and E tū - and also providers - on a deal that rightly puts mental health and addiction support workers back into the pay equity ...3 days ago
- Comment an example of rape cultureIn response to: https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/104891606/supreme-court-rules-in-favour-of-kaiteriteri-bikinisnapper ...3 days ago
- Bloated consultant spending is National’s legacyResponding to the Government’s decision to ditch the cap on public servants due to high spending on consultants, New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union spokesman Louis Houlbrooke says: “The half-billion dollar spend on contractors is the result of National’s ...3 days ago
- 2017 State of Volunteering Report ReleasedLow recruitment rates, funding issues and decreasing time given to volunteering are the greatest issues facing volunteering, according to Volunteering New Zealand. Their 2017 State of Volunteering 2017 report was released in Parliament yesterday ...3 days ago
- Marriage Celebrants Will Be Sacked Despite AssurancesFamily First NZ says that marriage celebrants will be sacked if they refuse to marry a same-sex couple, despite the fact that it goes against their personal convictions, despite the fact that they may have been registered well before the ...3 days ago
- Who is the “nutter” – Garth McVicar or Andrew Little?At a recent meeting in Parliament, Justice Minister Andrew Little congratulated Sensible Sentencing Trust founder Garth McVicar for giving Victims’ a voice and for forcing the justice system to make Victims’ a prominent part of the process. But in public, ...3 days ago
- Two migrant arrivals for every departureAnnual net migration in the May 2018 year was 66,200, Stats NZ said today. Migrant arrivals were 130,200 and migrant departures were 64,000. ...3 days ago
- Human Capital and the Living Standards FrameworkSpeech delivered to the Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand (CAANZ) by the Secretary to the Treasury, Gabriel Makhlouf, 21 June 2018. ...3 days ago
- Zionists claim NZ sided with terroristsPress Release: Leslie Bravery – Palestine Human Rights Campaign Aotearoa New Zealand www.palestine.org.nz ...3 days ago
- EPA: public views sought on persistent organic pollutantsThe Environmental Protection Authority is seeking public views into a proposal that New Zealand ratify international agreements on banning and controlling some of the world’s most toxic and persistent substances. ...3 days ago
- Public service cap “relegated to the dustbin of history”The public sector staffing cap is gone for good - and will not be mourned by PSA members. ...3 days ago
- He Iti KahurangiNau mai e noti i te kūnenga mai o te aroha. Ko te Pāti Māori e mihi nei, ko te motu tēnei e whakanui ana i tō putanga ki te ao tūroa nei. ...3 days ago
- Smokefree 2025: An opportunity for big scores by the GovtA group of tobacco control experts published an open letter this week in the New Zealand Medical Journal calling for bold new actions from the New Zealand Government to achieve the Smokefree 2025 goal. ...3 days ago
- A day of universal pride for NZers – Taxpayers’ Union21 JUNE 2018 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Responding to the reported delivery of the Prime Minister's baby girl, New Zealand Taxpayers' Union Executive Director Jordan Williams says: ...4 days ago
- “Trade for All” in the EU NZ FTA Offers No New Direction‘As negotiations begin on the first free trade agreement that this Government has not inherited from National, Trade Minister David Parker will count his blessings that he can share the stage with the seemingly benign European Union’, says University ...4 days ago
- ‘Successive parliaments have stifled student voice’ – NZUSA‘Successive parliaments have stifled student voice’ – NZUSA Students have told MPs that they have an opportunity to turn the tide on previous laws which have stifled the student voice in tertiary education. This comes as Parliament debates ...4 days ago
- Lifewise response to Minister of Children’s visionAlleluia! Lifewise completely endorses Minister Tracey Martin's vision of fewer children in state care. ...4 days ago
- Learning from examplesThe Auditor-General’s report Digital access to information and services: Learning from examples was presented to the House of Representatives today. ...4 days ago
- Legalising cannabis in Canada is good for public healthAnchorCanada’s landmark decision to introduce a strictly regulated legal cannabis market is a public health win, and something the New Zealand government should look to emulate. ...4 days ago
- Councils across country must confirm stance on fuel taxThe New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union is calling on every council in New Zealand to confirm where it stands on regional fuel tax, after 14 councils were revealed to be discussing implementing one. Taxpayers’ Union spokesperson Jordan Williams says, ...4 days ago
- EU and New Zealand launch trade negotiationsToday, in the New Zealand capital of Wellington, EU Commissioner for Trade Cecilia Malmström and New Zealand's Minister for Trade and Export Growth David Parker officially launched negotiations today for a comprehensive and ambitious trade agreement. ...4 days ago
- GDP growth eases slightlyGross domestic product (GDP) rose 0.5 percent in the March 2018 quarter, Stats NZ said today. This followed a 0.6 percent increase in the December 2017 quarter. Growth in service industries more than offset a fall in construction activity. ...4 days ago
- Elisabeth Holland: Pacific climate change persistence – we’re all in the same canoe
The University of the South Pacific’s environmental centre spearheading climate change research believes in working together for shared solutions, says Professor Elisabeth Holland. Video: Pacific Media Centre’s Bearing Witness project INTERVIEW: Lars Ursin of 2°C talks to Elisabeth Holland The ...35 mins ago - Dancing with the Stars, week one million: Ding dong, David’s gone
It’s ’90s week on Dancing with the Stars – approximately the decade when this series started. We’re doing the power rankings again. And they have to dance not once, but twice!There is neither rhyme nor reason to these power rankings, so ...1 hour ago - A professor of psychology has an epiphany and discovers how we can save the planet
Niki Harré, professor of psychology at the University of Auckland, explains how we can make the world a better place by playing something she calls “the infinite game”.You probably know the drill: people are failing to recycle, driving their cars ...5 hours ago - Bryce Edwards’ Political Roundup: Jacinda Ardern’s strike for gender equality
5 hours ago - Should we be raising our kids on fairy tales?
Fairy tales are a staple of most children’s reading experience – but should they be? Children’s storyteller Baz Macdonald wonders whether it’s time that we retired fairy tales for good.It would be difficult to find anyone in New Zealand who ...6 hours ago - Waiting for Neve Te Aroha: inside the media room at Auckland Hospital
How does one report on something that’s happening behind closed doors? New Zealand media did their best last week as Jacinda Ardern gave birth, but was it enough? Or too much?We all waited in the rain for the baby to ...6 hours ago - Timor-Leste president to make first official visit to Indonesia
President Francisco “Lu Olo” Guterres …closer relations with Indonesia. Image: Presidential Power Pacific Media Centre Newsdesk Timor-Leste President Francisco Guterres will make his first official overseas visit to Indonesia this week, reports Antara news agency. President Guterres will be ...7 hours ago - What happened to C4 host Joel Defries?In the middle of last decade, one man dominated our local music television. Then he disappeared. Elle Hunt talks to Joel Defries about life as a Kiwi TV star, and what he’s been doing since.Joel Defries was once a household ...8 hours ago
- Women at centre of Saudi transformation
Outside a sprawling mall in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, young single men and women walk through an open-air exhibit where Saudi women and traffic police explain the ins and outs of handling a car. Children take a lap around a ...9 hours ago - Revealed: What Clarke Gayford really thinks about baby namesOn June 21 2018, Neve Te Aroha Ardern Gayford was born. But on April 7, 2010 first fisherman Clarke Gayford revealed a preference for a middle name of a … different kind.After a deep and serious investigation, The Spinoff has ...9 hours ago
- An oral history of the night Faith No More played one of Queenstown’s tiniest bars
In May 1993 alt-metal weirdos Faith No More were cast adrift in New Zealand with nothing to do. And so Don Rowe’s dad booked them to open his nightclub, a tiny room in a very different Queenstown. Almost a year to the ...9 hours ago - Cabinet delayed as tributes flow for Koro Wētere
Cabinet has been delayed for a few hours today so government ministers can attend the tangihanga of former Minister of Māori Affairs Koro Wētere who died on Saturday morning. ...11 hours ago - The workplaces doing the most for working parentsFor no particular reason we’re celebrating Kiwi companies that are being a bit extra, for the good of working parents.We know the drill. It’s the hardest job you’ll ever have. Working, parenting – parenting, working. It’s tough.We’ve got a bunch ...11 hours ago
- Thompson and Clark inquiry to bring change: BridgesNational Party leader Simon Bridges expects there will be changes in the system as a result of an expanded probe by the State Services Commission into the use of security firm Thompson and Clark. ...13 hours ago
- Watch: Simon Bridges on Thompson and ClarkNational Party leader Simon Bridges talks to Morning Report's Susie Ferguson about the inquiry into use of controversial security firm Thompson and Clark. ...14 hours ago
- The Bulletin: Gang violence decreasing, but why?
Good morning, and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Gang violence decreasing across the country, government ends public servant cap, and the country’s largest private education provider could be about to sell up.Gang violence is decreasing across the country, in ...14 hours ago - These brave survivors are the New Zealanders of the Year a million times overFrom meeting other former foster kids I know that I was one of the lucky ones. Today we have to put survivors front and centre of the inquiry into abuse in state care, writes Christine L Ammunson I suspect that only ...16 hours ago
- Toeava banishes shadows of doubt to light up Mystics
In a rare interview, Mystics netballer Elisapeta Toeava talks about her transformation from painfully shy and scared teenager, to one of the best wing attacks in the game, thanks to the unwavering belief of coach Helene Wilson. Suzanne McFadden reports. The first ...16 hours ago - Survivor NZ recap, week 10: Adam remains the meme queen
It’s week ten of Survivor NZ and things just got weirdly Jurassic.Last week on Survivor NZ we saw Matt make undoubtedly the biggest move of the season, blindsiding Brad who left the game with a hidden immunity idol still in his pocket. ...1 day ago - Uneasy calm in PNG’s Highlands as O’Neill sends in massive force
1 day ago - Remembering Pantera’s Vinnie PaulThe metal community is in mourning following the loss of Vinnie Paul aged 54. Co-founder of the timeless Pantera, and drummer for Damageplan and Hell Yeah, Vinnie was a metal god. Emily Writes pays tribute.When I logged onto Facebook this ...1 day ago
- NZ Nazi: the story of the Kiwi soldier turned traitor
Black Sheep is a RNZ series about the shady, controversial and sometimes downright villainous characters of New Zealand history, presented by William Ray. Here he introduces Roy Courlander, a NZ Army Private who volunteered to join Nazi Germany’s infamous Waffen ...1 day ago - Brown in tune with Trump after first year
The job of Donald Trump’s New Zealand representative would seem a nightmare to some, but Scott Brown says he’s “the luckiest guy in the world”. Brown marks his first year as Washington’s man in Wellington this week, and spoke to ...2 days ago - Duterte says as ‘parent of nation,’ he can order detention of ‘tambays’
2 days ago - China takes up Australia’s former radio frequencies in Pacific
A ni-Vanuatu family with their shortwave radio … vital for news and current affairs. Image: Vila Times By RNZ Pacific China has taken over many of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation’s former shortwave radio frequencies into the Pacific. In response ...2 days ago - Govt to spend $2m on ridding Auckland Island of pestsThe government will spend $2 million over the next three years to begin making the sub-Antarctic Auckland Island pest free. ...2 days ago
- KiwiBuild: Govt signals interest in prefab manufacturingPrefab manufacturing of housing will be a "game changer" in New Zealand, Housing Minister Phil Twyford says. ...2 days ago
- Is it just working for free? Ubisoft’s controversial partnership with HitRecord
Ubisoft’s partnership with collaborative content creation company HitRecord on the game Beyond Good and Evil 2 has caused an outcry among freelancers, who argue the game’s ‘fan engagement strategy’ is exploitation, plain and simple.Ubisoft’s opening salvo at E3 this year – after ...2 days ago - Ricky Houghton and the whare that love built
Many of the children abused in state care facilities over the past 40 years have grown up lost in the system. Ricky Houghton decided to overthrow the system completely. He Korowai Trust CEO Ricky Houghton comes from the Pita Sharples school ...3 days ago - If I read one more story about regulatory failure my head is going to explodeI swear to god.Two stories this week made me very angry. The first was about a spot of bother in the towbar industry. Two engineers responsible for certifying towbars have been suspended “amid safety investigations into broken and cracked towing ...3 days ago
- You won’t believe what clickbait actually is
You’re probably using the term clickbait wrongly, explains Alex Braae.A shocking abuse of language is taking place in media every day, and experts are completely lost on how to deal with it. One word has been so brutally abused, overused ...3 days ago - Sale rumoured for ACG schools
The equity company which owns New Zealand’s largest provider of private education may be looking to cash in on its investment. Last week Newsroom reported on parents’ disappointment with issues at two of the private schools run by ACG Education which ...3 days ago - Kiwis of Snapchat: Paula Bennett welcomes the First BabyIn our video series Kiwis of Snapchat, comedian Tom Sainsbury sources exclusive Snapchat footage of Kiwi citizens and luminaries making the news. Today: “Names for the baby? I’d definitely suggest Paula.”The Spinoff TV screens Fridays at 9.45pm from June 22nd ...3 days ago
- Chinese president meets PNG’s O’Neill, pledging ‘deepening cooperation’
Chinese President Xi Jinping meets PNG Prime Minister Peter O’Neill in Beijing. Image: CCTV+ Pacific Media Centre Newsdesk Chinese President Xi Jinping has met Papua New Guinea Prime Minister Peter O’Neill in Beijing, pledging to work with the country to ...3 days ago - Is Bob Jones racist? Let’s review the evidenceLegal action has been taken by multi-millionaire Bob Jones against two Māori women that have called him and a column he wrote racist. Is it true? And what is racism anyway? We delved into the archives for answers.So two weeks ...3 days ago
- MBIE under-reported cost of contractors and consultants by $38mA major government department severely understated its spending on external contractors and consultants, spending $77 million and telling MPs it only spent $39m. ...3 days ago
- Why Auckland needs to accept the objective truth, and ban all golf
Auckland’s golf courses are huge tracts of heavily subsidised land lying vacant in the middle of a housing crisis. We need to seize them all back, argues Hayden Donnell.Some of the proposals to fix Auckland’s housing crisis are debatable. Jailing ...3 days ago - Reviving the ‘lost skills’ of traditional waka Pacific voyaging
Waka (or va’a) voyager and environmental advocate Schannel van Dijken talks about the Pacific and Samoan ocean sailing traditions and the challenges of climate change. Video: Pacific Media Centre By Hele Ikimotu The president of the Samoa Voyaging Society (SVS), ...3 days ago - The new K’ Road: How to pay tribute to a neighbourhood while moving it forward
Once Auckland’s retail centre, K’ Road was forever changed by the Western Motorway, but is on its way back to being a thriving retail centre where more and more people want to live. Henry Oliver went to look at one ...3 days ago - Andrew Kirton steps down as Labour Party general secretaryThe Labour Party's general secretary, Andrew Kirton, has resigned to take up a senior position with Air New Zealand. ...3 days ago
- I’m a sex worker, and Lisa Lewis doesn’t speak for meHigh profile escort Lisa Lewis has published an open letter denouncing the NZ Prostitutes’ Collective for its advocacy for migrant sex workers in New Zealand. A Wellington sex worker responds. I’ve been a sex worker in Wellington for the past two ...3 days ago
- Prmie Minister’s baby wrapped up warm in gifts from family, publicPrime Minister Jacinda Ardern's newborn baby is already making use of gifts that her mother received from family and the public. ...3 days ago
- Prime Minister’s baby wrapped up warm in gifts from family, publicThe shawl worn by Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern baby was knitted by Clarke Gayford's mother and the hat came from a member of the public. ...3 days ago
- Labour Party chief tipped to resign
The Labour Party's general secretary Andrew Kirton is expected to resign this afternoon - after the high of an election win last year and the low of allegations of sexual assault and drunkenness at a Labour Youth Camp in February. He ...3 days ago - Labour Party chief resignsThe Labour Party's general secretary Andrew Kirton announced his resignation this afternoon - after the high of an election win last year and the low of allegations of sexual assault and drunkenness at a Labour Youth Camp in February. He has been ...3 days ago
- Pay equity settlement extended to mental health workersThe government has announced a pay deal for mental health and addiction support workers. ...3 days ago
- Pay equity settlement extended to mental health, addiction workersThe government has announced a pay deal for mental health and addiction support workers. ...3 days ago
- Not even kidding, the Spinoff TV debuts TONIGHTOur first TV show premieres on Three at 9.45pm – here’s what to expectTwo years after writing the headline “Good news: TV is dead”, The Spinoff has been forced to expediently concede that its obituary came a little early.Straight after ...3 days ago
- Unity Books best-seller chart for the week ending June 22The week’s best-selling books at the Unity Books stores in High St, Auckland, and Willis St, Wellington.AUCKLAND UNITY1 The Subtle Art of Not Giving a Fuck by Mark Manson (MacMillan, $35)“Manson doesn’t go in for the positive thinking school of self-help. He ...3 days ago
- Fletcher building reveals major board reshuffle
Fletcher Building's outgoing chair Ralph Norris has announced ex-PwC boss Bruce Hassall will succeed him when he steps down from the troubled building company in September. Hassall, who chairs Fletcher Building's audit and risk committee, led the 'big four' accounting ...3 days ago
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