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Time to do something about poverty
Written By: - Date published: 7:40 am, February 23rd, 2021 - 77 comments
In recent news Standard and Poors has improved New Zealand’s credit rating because of its success in handling Covid, and a vast majority of kiwis support the Goverment increasing income support for those on low wages or not in paid work. The Government has the budget space and the majority’s backing to do something about poverty.
Must New Zealand Pay Back All This Public Debt?
Written By: - Date published: 9:34 am, December 20th, 2020 - 22 comments
Without much fanfare, Minister Robertson has used 2020’s crisis to bury the historic scourge of monetarism and within it the excuses of the governments that used it as a pretext to sell off our key government income generators.
The Government’s finances are in very good shape
Written By: - Date published: 7:55 am, December 17th, 2020 - 66 comments
The Government’s finances are in remarkably good shape. Who would have predicted that dealing properly with a global pandemic would have had better results for the economy than timidly dealing with it and trying to ensure that economic activity continued? But by international levels our Government debt is already low and maybe now is the time to spend on vital areas such as poverty, climate change and the housing crisis.
New leadership same old tactics
Written By: - Date published: 8:32 am, May 27th, 2020 - 24 comments
National has released a social media ad suggesting that New Zealand’s per head of population Government debt figure will be worse than Greece’s by 2014. But the data used presumes the effects of Covid 19 in New Zealand’s figure but no effects of Covid 19 in Greece’s figure.
The “Others”.
Written By: - Date published: 12:07 pm, April 25th, 2020 - 20 comments
“Othering” has long been a staple of Governments that want to remain in power for the benefit of an Oligarchy, an “Elite”, a small ruling class, or the ones with, “the money”. Deflecting blame for economic and social issues on, an ethnicity, a class, the elderly, the poor, the young, the unemployed, young solo mothers, the disabled, immigrants, or any other convenient group that can be demonised. Very soon more of us may become the “others” we didn’t care about.
Steve Mnuchin, not Greta Thunberg, needs to go back to school
Written By: - Date published: 10:52 am, January 27th, 2020 - 11 comments
US Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin has attacked Greta Thunberg for not understanding the economics of climate change. But he has then been roundly criticised by a number of people, including his wife.
Austerity – who should pay for the financial crisis?
Written By: - Date published: 10:57 am, November 17th, 2019 - 30 comments
Nick Kelly on UK austerity and who should have paid for the financial crisis.
The Coming Global Economic Slowdown and New Zealand
Written By: - Date published: 8:45 am, June 3rd, 2019 - 49 comments
With the United States – China trade war well underway, the sick chaos of Brexit is shrinking the U.K. economy and slowing much of Europe’s economy, and smaller economies such as that of Mexico in the crosshairs through further politically manufactured trade disputes, the second half of this year looks for New Zealand nowhere near as rosy as the first half.
Labour to relax fiscal responsibility rules
Written By: - Date published: 9:00 am, May 24th, 2019 - 72 comments
Grant Robertson has announced there will be a relaxing of the fiscal responsibility rules, although not until after the next election.
Scrap the spending cap
Written By: - Date published: 8:45 am, July 23rd, 2018 - 152 comments
Economist Ganesh Nana and Alan Johnson from the Salvation Army have urged the Government to relax the fiscal straight jacket imposed by its budget responsibility rules.
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.
TPP, Corporate Coup or “Free trade”?
Written By: - Date published: 9:07 pm, November 8th, 2017 - 99 comments
However. TPP ( The trans Pacific partnership) is NOT a “Free trade” agreement. It is an attempt to cement in corporate power, to override inconvenient local Democracy, and collect rents from local communities in perpetuity.
Since when was giving large companies extra rights in law, and rights to extract even more economic rents, “Free trade”?
Debt to Income Loan Limits
Written By: - Date published: 7:56 am, June 15th, 2017 - 116 comments
The possible introduction of debt to income lending ratios will potentially have an enormous effect on New Zealand’s housing market.
Anzac Day
Written By: - Date published: 3:36 pm, April 26th, 2017 - 15 comments
Am I the only one who is upset, over mealy mouthed politicians making flowery speeches saying “We will remember them”
when they manifestly don’t.
Household debt
Written By: - Date published: 11:47 am, March 8th, 2017 - 93 comments
The IMF warns that our household debt is far too high, as desperate tenants start raiding the Kiwisaver accounts to pay the rent.
Hickey on surpluses and Key’s bullshit
Written By: - Date published: 9:17 am, December 4th, 2016 - 36 comments
Bernard Hickey: “It is extraordinary for the Prime Minister to call the Treasury’s short and long term forecasts a “load of nonsense” and yet rely on the medium term ones to promise all manner of riches to voters on the eve of an election.”
Trump and the NZ housing bubble
Written By: - Date published: 7:26 am, November 16th, 2016 - 21 comments
The bright orange trigger for a sharp rise in mortgage interest rates may have just arrived. Our over-indebted home owners are highly vulnerable.
Tax cuts hard to sell
Written By: - Date published: 8:32 am, October 19th, 2016 - 8 comments
Herald: “…the Government ought to be banking surpluses, just as Sir Michael Cullen did during the boom of 2000-2007”.
Hickey on debt
Written By: - Date published: 10:33 am, October 16th, 2016 - 31 comments
Hickey in The Herald on Sunday: “Our household debt to income ratio of 165 per cent is now about 5 per cent above those previous highs of 2008 and rising quickly as debt rises around twice as fast as incomes.”
Interest free student loans – still safe for now?
Written By: - Date published: 10:05 am, August 18th, 2016 - 58 comments
A right wing “think-tank” wants to load students up with even more debt.
Labour on student debt – beware of clickbait headlines
Written By: - Date published: 12:48 pm, August 10th, 2016 - 125 comments
“Revealed: Labour’s plan to wipe student debt”. Nope. Saved you a click.
Financial capital is crazy OP. Time to strip it back to basics.
Written By: - Date published: 12:08 pm, August 8th, 2016 - 72 comments
Financial capital is way over powered in our current political economic system. Every aspect of our lives has been financialised and securitised, from our homes to our educations. From our drinking water to our power supply.
We’re going to burn it all, until we burn it down.
Written By: - Date published: 12:11 am, May 20th, 2016 - 173 comments
What does it really mean to reduce NZ’s total fossil fuel use by 50% by 2030: a warm up discussion for an upcoming thought experiment.
Trade deficit worst in seven years
Written By: - Date published: 11:49 am, April 28th, 2016 - 122 comments
Add it to our record debt, our record pollution, our record housing unaffordability, our rising inequality, our terrible carbon emissions…
A Song from John (All your questions answered)
Written By: - Date published: 3:18 pm, April 8th, 2016 - 4 comments
Okay. So rumoour has it that John was merely a co-writer.
Who is ultimately responsible for NZ’s massive dairy farm debt?
Written By: - Date published: 1:11 pm, March 12th, 2016 - 82 comments
People talk of excessive borrowing in the dairy sector. Of course, the real problem is that of excessive lending.
Fonterra faces liquidity issues as rivers of “white oil” dry up
Written By: - Date published: 5:47 pm, March 8th, 2016 - 141 comments
Pundits, most residing in the National Party, just three years ago predicted the economy would surf high on “rivers of white oil” flowing from the dairy industry, but they now have cow pats splattered on their faces as Fonterra today announced another payout downgrade and signalled liquidity pressures.
the Global Death Economy
Written By: - Date published: 10:15 am, February 25th, 2016 - 141 comments
A new edition of “Confessions of an Economic Hitman” has been released. It makes it clear that we are in the grip of a global “Death Economy” and a collective embrace of ‘Thanatos’, the death instinct.
National the party of economic lunacy
Written By: - Date published: 10:02 am, February 10th, 2016 - 166 comments
A “$17 billion hole in the economy”. An estimated $18 billion lost because National stopped investing in the super fund. A record national debt. And we’re still talking about tax cuts? Lunacy!
So, how would you spend $1.2B per year?
Written By: - Date published: 3:23 pm, February 1st, 2016 - 84 comments
A Kiwi Kids allowance for all under fives, with totally fee free public primary and secondary schools.
Keep Calm and Carry On
Written By: - Date published: 9:13 am, January 25th, 2016 - 135 comments
Regular commenter Paul rounds up the links you need to read to prepare yourself for the coming second GFC. National won’t be able to pass this one on to future generations by loading NZ up with crippling debt. We’ll be paying for GFC2 economically, socially and personally, right here, right now.
- 2021 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #42
Listing of articles linked to on the Skeptical Science Facebook Page during the past week: Sun, October 10, 2021 through Sat, October 16, 2021 The following articles sparked above average interest during the week: ‘This is a story that needs to be told’: BBC film tackles Climategate scandal, Why trust science?, ...10 hours ago - Is injection technique contributing to the risk of post vaccine myocarditis?
Recent misleading media headlines about vaccines being administered incorrectly in the absence of evidence do little to help public confidence in vaccines. Spoiler alert, vaccines are not being administered incorrectly. The topic of this blog is based on what could be an important scientific question – is one of the ...13 hours ago - A Māori health expert reports from the Super Saturday frontlinesRawiri Jansen, National Hauora Coalition I write this as I charge my car, getting ready to head home at the end of a pretty good Super Saturday. It started with coffee and checking the news feeds as any good day should. Between 9 and 10 am as I drove to ...17 hours ago
- Weddings and Leopards
Could it be that the Herald is beginning to twig that an unremitting hostility to the government does not go down well with all its readers? The evidence for that is that, in today’s issue, two contributors (Bill Ralston and Steven Joyce) who usually enjoy sticking the knife in, take ...22 hours ago - The Chronicles of Kregsmal and Krunch: Volume I
As noted previously, my weekly DND campaign with Annalax and Gertrude has been put on ice. I expect it to return eventually, but for now it is very much on hiatus. The remainder of the group have decided to run an entirely new campaign in the meantime. This ...1 day ago - Super Saturday recap: Patrick Gower doesn’t know what he’s supposed to do
It was Aotearoa’s first national day of action in over ten years, the first since 2010, when Prime Minister John Key tried to inspire us to clean up our nation’s berms. It didn’t work. Today, New Zealand’s berms are worse than ever. But history is not destiny, and other cliches. ...2 days ago - COVID-19 Worried about getting your vaccine or want a simple explanation?Worried about getting your vaccine? Let me tell you a secret. No-one likes getting a vaccine. People do it because they know they’re better off to. Let me tell you another secret, a weird one: the vaccine doesn’t really “do” anything. Confusing? Let me explain… Vaccines are a face at ...2 days ago
- Delta puts workers’ power under the spotlight
by Don Franks Foremost fighting the Delta virus are workers, especially in health, distribution, service and education sectors. Unionised members of these groups are centrally represented by the New Zealand Council of trade unions ( NZCTU). Political journalist Richard Harman recently noted:“Businesses are caught in a legal tangle if they ...2 days ago - Faster transitions to clean energy are also cheaperThis is a re-post from the Citizens' Climate Lobby blog Several clean energy technologies like solar panels have become consistently cheaper year after year as the industries have benefited from learning, experience and economies of scale. Falling solar costs are described by “Swanson’s Law,” much like Moore’s Law described the rapid and consistent ...3 days ago
- Abstraction and Reality in Economics
Sometimes high theory loses the human point of the exercise.One of the joys of teaching is you learn from your students. When fifty-odd years ago, I was at the University of Sussex, a student doing our first-year economics course, Jim, came to me, saying he was pulling out because it ...3 days ago - What Happened to the Team?Last year, in the early stages of the pandemic, the Prime Minister’s “team of five million” performed well; team discipline was maintained and we all worked well together. This year, however, has been a different story; team discipline has weakened, and many people have on numerous occasions behaved badly and ...3 days ago
- Climate Change: Another legal victory
Across the world climate change activists have been going to court, seeking to make their governments act to protect future generations. And hot on the heels of victories in the Netherlands and Germany, there's been another one in France: A French court has ordered the government to make up ...3 days ago - Invasion Of The (Covid) Body Snatchers.
3 days ago - NZ Politics Daily: 15 October 2021
Today’s NZPD testimonial from Associate Professor Grant Duncan, Massey University, Auckland “The NZ Politics Daily email is very helpful in giving me a quick overview of current events and opinion. It allows me to pick out important or informative columns that I may otherwise have missed. I recommend NZ Politics Daily to anyone ...3 days ago - Missing From The Anti-Covid Action.The Invisible Man: Where has the NZ Council of Trade Unions been during the Covid-19 Pandemic? Why hasn’t its current president, Richard Wagstaff (above) become a household name during the pandemic? Up there with Ashley Bloomfield, Michael Baker, Shaun Hendy and Siouxsie Wiles? WHERE HAVE THE UNIONS BEEN during the Covid-19 ...3 days ago
- “Go West, Young Virus”
The Auckland Coronavirus Outbreak potters along, not helped by the perception that the Government is disturbingly enthusiastic about “managing the virus” or loosening the border. Health Minister Andrew Little said today he envisages 90% vaccination rates (which we don’t have) eventually leading to 5,000 cases in Auckland a week… ...3 days ago - Skeptical Science New Research for Week #41, 2021How to fill a glass and thereby drink— from a fire hose So far this year, New Research has published listings for 3,291 papers concerning climate change from one aspect or another. Each edition includes two dozen or so articles describing freshly and directly observed effects of global waming. These ...4 days ago
- Climate Change: UKanians supports cutsThe Guardian reports a study on emissions reduction policy from the UK, which found that UKanians overwhelmingly support stronger action than their government: The UK public backs a carbon tax on polluting industries, higher levies on flying and grants for heat pumps in order to tackle the climate crisis, ...4 days ago
- Media Link: “A View from Afar” on PRC-Taiwan tensions.
In this week’s podcast Selwyn Manning and I discuss the upsurge in tensions between the PRC and Taiwan and what are the backgrounds to and implications of them. You can check the conversation out here. ...4 days ago - Labour’s 2023 election manifestoThis morning Health Minister Andrew Little effectively unveiled Labour's 2023 election manifesto: 5,000 cases a week in Auckland alone: Thousands of people will be infected with Covid-19 every week even with vaccination levels at 90 per cent, and hospitals face being overwhelmed once restrictions are eased and borders opened, ...4 days ago
- Don't Blame James.4 days ago
- The “Pulpit of Strewth”Barry Soper is one half of one of one of those right-wing husband-and-wife duos in which the Herald seems to specialise. In today’s issue, he has a piece that doesn’t quite reach the heights (or depths) of a Hoskings-style anti-government hostility, but which does provide an interesting example of the ...4 days ago
- Gordon Campbell on the epic fails of Kris Faafoi
Ever since Winston Peters first breathed life into this government in 2018, its own branding has been all about social justice and how we all need to be “kind” to each other. Somehow, Kris Faafoi must have missed the memo. His performance in the immigration portfolio (in particular) has neither ...4 days ago - NZ Politics Daily: 14 October 2021Today’s NZPD testimonial from Mike Treen, Advocate, Unite Union “Please continue your incredible work compiling these news digests. As someone operating in the fields of advocacy for workers and the broader social justice areas it is invaluable to be able to check what is happening in the media relating to the issues I have to deal ...4 days ago
- Overconfident Idiots: Why Incompetence Breeds CertaintyThis is a re-post from the Thinking is Power website maintained by Melanie Trecek-King where she regularly writes about many aspects of critical thinking in an effort to provide accessible and engaging critical thinking information to the general public. Please see this overview to find links to other reposts from Thinking is Power. ...5 days ago
- Climate Change: Abandoning ambitionWhen Labour was first elected to power in 2017, they promised us "[an] ambitious plan to take real action on climate change". Four years and a lot of foot-dragging later, they've finally released that plan. And its not what was promised. Where to begin? Firstly, they've taken the Climate Change ...5 days ago
- Young adults worldwide have blunt message for governments: ‘We don’t trust you.’This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Karin Kirk Elizabeth Marks describes herself as “a psychologist who works on difficult problems.” Her past research aimed at helping people cope with challenging health conditions, apt training, it appears, for taking on climate change issues. A few years ago, she altered ...5 days ago
- Making ‘Second Age’ Hobbits Work: Amazon Series SpeculationTime for a good old-fashioned fandom furore. The Tolkien fandom hasn’t had a proper one of those since the Great Nudity Scandal of October 2020… so it clearly must be time to pontificate from on-high about a television series we still know vanishingly little about. This time the subject ...5 days ago
- NZ Politics Daily: 13 October 2021Today’s NZPD testimonial from Dr Lara Greaves, Political scientist, University of Auckland: “I love the NZ Politics Daily emails as they help me to keep on top of current events. It’s incredibly easy to skim through and follow the links. I really appreciate these as it means that I am exposed to a ...5 days ago
- The Data and Statistics Bill and the OIAThe government introduced a new Data and Statistics Bill today to modernise and replace the 45-year old Statistics Act. Part of the Bill re-enacts the existing confidentiality regime (with one exception), which while a secrecy clause isn't an especially controversial one. Another part is aimed at removing "outdated" (inconvenient) limits ...6 days ago
- Graham Adams: The debate over the $55 million media fund erupts againRNZ’s Mediawatch and a video clip viewed 42,000 times keep the topic of the Public Interest Journalism Fund fizzing. Graham Adams reports. A week ago, the NZ Taxpayers’ Union posted a short video clip of the exchange in Parliament between Jacinda Ardern and Judith Collins in which the National ...6 days ago
- Multiple sclerosis: the link with earlier infection just got stronger – new studyScott Montgomery, UCL For most of the time since the first description of multiple sclerosis (MS) in 1868, the causes of this disabling disease have remained uncertain. Genes have been identified as important, which is why having other family members with MS is associated with a greater risk of developing ...6 days ago
- Hit hard by the pandemic, researchers expect its impacts to linger for yearsSora Park, University of Canberra; Jennie Scarvell, University of Canberra, and Linda Botterill, University of Canberra The impacts of COVID-19 on Australian university researchers are likely to have consequences for research productivity and quality for many years to come. According to an online survey of academics at the University ...6 days ago
- Covid and free speechby Don Franks Some commentators have likened the struggle against Covid 19 to the world war experience. To those of us not alive in those times, that comparison can only be academic. What the anti virus battle reminds me of much more is an industrial strike. In my twenties and ...6 days ago
- “Angry Blowhards”In today’s Herald, their excellent columnist, Simon Wilson, takes to task those “shouty” people whom he further describes as “angry blowhards”. They are those whose prime reaction to the pandemic is anger – an anger they seamlessly (and perhaps unwittingly) transfer from the virus to the government. The basis for ...6 days ago
- Looking Forward To 2022.6 days ago
- Gordon Campbell on Covid mandates, and the Covid pillThe cliché about “living with Covid” will not mean life as we’ve known it, Jim. Vaccination is fast becoming a condition of employment, and also a requirement to participate in aspects of social life, such as travel, attending bars, cafes, and concerts etc. These protective measures enjoy a high level ...6 days ago
- NZ Politics Daily: 12 October 2021Today’s NZPD testimonial from Prof Alan Bollard, Professor of Practice at the School of Government, Victoria University of Wellington; Chair of the Infrastructure Commission: “NZ Politics Daily” provides a great public service – a quick and unbiased way to check policy announcements and analysis every morning.” Anyone can sign up to NZPD ...6 days ago
- Legal Beagle: A submission on the COVID-19 Public Health Response Amendment Bill (No 2)
I have made a submission on the COVID-19 Public Health Response Amendment Bill (No 2).In preparing it, I looked at the Hansard for the first reading debate, and got name-dropped as someone likely to make a submission. So, of course I did. I focus on a small bit of the ...6 days ago - Hard News: More tales from the Medicinal Cannabis SchemeYou may have read last week that two years after the publication of regulations for medicinal cannabis – and three years after the enabling legislation – two local products from a local manufacturer have finally met the minimum quality standards for prescription. You may also be interested to know that ...6 days ago
- Climate Change: Real action requires governmentOver the weekend someone pointed me at a journal article on "The Poverty of Theory: Public Problems, Instrument Choice, and the Climate Emergency". Its a US law journal article, so is a) very long; and b) half footnotes (different disciplines have different norms), but the core idea is that the ...7 days ago
- Climate Change: Not doing our bitLast month the US and EU announced they would push an agreement to cut methane emissions by 30% (from 2020 levels) by 2030 at the upcoming climate change conference in Glasgow. The good news is that New Zealand is looking at joining it. The bad news is that that won't ...7 days ago
- Delta’s Week Of Doom.Classic Shot: Are the Prime Minister’s formidable communication skills equal to the task of getting her government’s anti-Covid campaign back on track?IF JACINDA ARDERN thought last week was bad, the week ahead promises to be even worse. Sixty community cases of Covid-19, one of the highest daily totals so far ...7 days ago
- Urgent measures needed to allow the safe re-opening of Auckland schoolsDr Rachel Webb, Dr Jin Russell, Dr Pip Anderson, Dr Emma Best, Dr Alison Leversha and Dr Subha Rajanaidu* In this blog we describe the range of urgent measures that are needed to facilitate a safe return to schools in Auckland and other regions of the country where there is ...7 days ago
- Children live online more than ever – we need better definitions of ‘good’ and ‘bad’ scree...Kathryn MacCallum, University of Canterbury and Cheryl Brown, University of Canterbury The pandemic has fundamentally altered every part of our lives, not least the time we spend on digital devices. For young people in particular, the blurred line between recreational and educational screen time presents new challenges we are ...7 days ago
- Putting Aotearoa on the map: New Zealand has changed its name before, why not again?Claire Breen, University of Waikato; Alexander Gillespie, University of Waikato; Robert Joseph, University of Waikato, and Valmaine Toki, University of Waikato Our names are a critical part of our identity. They are a personal and social anchor tying us to our families, our culture, our history and place in ...7 days ago
- Speaker: Yes, of course festival organisers will follow the law on vaccinationOn Tuesday 5 October the New Zealand Government announced that proof of COVID-19 vaccination would be a requirement to attend large events this summer.It took a few days for event owners to absorb the information and understand the implications. By the end of the working week, most of the big ...7 days ago
- NZ Politics Daily: 11 October 2021Today’s NZPD testimonial from Jim Hubbard, Cartoonist “NZ Politics daily is a go to for cartoonists, or should be. Political reporting enmasse like this gives cartoonists and political junkies a smorgasbord to get their teeth into. Essential and I daresay vital reading for those who care about the future of NZ.” Anyone can sign ...7 days ago
- 2021 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #41Listing of articles linked to on the Skeptical Science Facebook Page during the past week: Sun, October 3, 2021 through Sat, October 9, 2021 The following articles sparked above average interest during the week: VFX Artist Reveals how Many Solar Panels are Needed to Power the ENTIRE World, Will you fall ...1 week ago
- The Night of Parmenides: accepted
A bit of good news on the writing front. My 3900-word short story, The Night of Parmenides, has been accepted by SpecFicNZ for their upcoming Aftermath anthology, to be published in early 2022. This is my first published short story to be explicitly set in my home-town of ...1 week ago - The Virus, the Politician, and the gang member
. . . . . References Newshub Nation: Gang leader Harry Tam denies Winston Peters’ claims he helped infected woman breach COVID boundary, sparking Northland lockdown Te Ao News: ‘Apologise!’ Mob leader slams Peters’ Covid, Northland allegations Stuff media: Covid-19 – Search for contact of Northland case ‘extraordinarily frustrating’ CNBC: ...1 week ago - Rapid kits, responses, and openings: watch motivations, or catch something worse with Covid…
Last week was probably a high point for many armchair “experts”, fresh from their high after some deep inhaling of the various musings and fumings, of an actually very smug, and very insualted John “Things all work for me…” Key, former Prime Minister and FOREX trader, had blitzed the ...1 week ago - Bollocks
It would appear we have an unwelcome presence in town.Positive wastewater results had been detected in Hamilton and Palmerston North on October 6 and 7. There are 26 cases in hospital, seven of these are in ICU or high dependency units (HDU).One of the people in hospital is in Palmerston ...1 week ago - World-leading?So, the Herald has found someone, as we can see from today’s issue, who is able to explain why we should not claim to have been “world-leading” in our response to the covid epidemic. It seems that we have been kidding ourselves when we celebrated our low total number of ...1 week ago
- Why Is Labour So Frightened Of “Mr Stick”?Force Multiplier: Why are Ardern and her ministers so loathe to put a bit of stick about? The “emergency” legislation eventually enacted to authorise the measures needed to combat the Covid-19 pandemic failed to confer upon the New Zealand Government the unequivocal authority that subsequent events showed to be so ...1 week ago
- The Need for an Updated Strategic Approach to Covid-19 Control in Aotearoa NZProf Nick Wilson, Dr Jennifer Summers, Prof Michael Baker* The NZ Government appears to have drifted into an unclear strategic approach to Covid-19 control. In this blog we outline one potential way forward: a regional strategic approach that considers “regional suppression” and “regional elimination”. To maximise the success of this ...1 week ago
- Mairon: The Actual Source for the Blasted Name
Long-time Tolkien geeks – or those bemused enough to run across a certain internet phenomenon – might know that ‘Sauron’ is not actually the real name of the Lord of the Ring. ‘Sauron’ is just an abusive Elvish nickname, meaning ‘the Abhorred.’ Sauron’s actual name, at least originally, ...1 week ago - Forced Re-entry
The elimination of Covid strategy is not so much defeated but changing circumstances means that policy has to evolve. Our elimination stance was never sustainable or at least it would not be until the rest of the world also eliminated Covid-19. Elimination of the virus was a strategy we adopted ...1 week ago - Repeal this unjust lawYesterday the Supreme Court ruled on National's unjust "three strikes" law, and found that the sentence it required was (in the case in question) so disproportionate as to "shock the conscience" and violate the Bill of Rights Act ban on disproportionately severe treatment or punishment: The Supreme Court has ...1 week ago
- Climate Change: Preparing for the floodThe Christchurch City Council has published new "coastal hazards" data, indicating which places are under threat from sea-level rise. And its not good news: Parts of Christchurch and Banks Peninsula are likely to become unhabitable [sic] as the city council figures out how to adapt to sea level ...1 week ago
- The Virus, Not The GovernmentI wonder if Mike Hosking ever reads the paper in which he appears so regularly? If he does, he might have noticed a report in today’s Herald about the problem that could face churches in Auckland if a vaccine passport becomes mandatory for those wishing to attend church services. The ...1 week ago
- NZ Politics Daily: 8 October 2021Today’s NZPD testimonial from Bill Ralston, Media consultant and columnist: “NZ Politics Daily provides an invaluable service for journalists, politicians, businesspeople, decision makers and the public at large by providing an easily accessible, exhaustive, link to every significant political story in the country’s media that day. It’s a gem of a service ...1 week ago
- Open letter to Michael Barnett, Julie White, et al. . Congratulations, Mr Barnett, Ms White, and your business colleagues. It appears that we will end up having to “live” (ie, get sick, end up in hospital, perhaps in ICU, intubated on ventilators, and possibly dying as our lungs fail) with covid19. But at least businesses will open up. ...1 week ago
- Introducing Mr Stick.1 week ago
- Skeptical Science New Research for Week #40, 2021"Old" research There's little point in trying to best this excellent article describing the 2021 Nobel Prize in Physics by Ars Technica authors Jennifer Ouelette and John Timmer, each having a gift for concisely on-target, accessible science journalism. Here at New Research we'll punt and quote the The Royal Swedish Academy of ...2 weeks ago
- Standing on one leg is a sign of good health – and practising is good for you tooDawn Skelton, Glasgow Caledonian University Research shows that people’s ability to stand on one leg is an indicator of health and that getting better at standing on one leg can add to fitness and potentially lifespan. Being able to stand on one leg is linked to increased levels of physical ...2 weeks ago
- Climate Change: More dishonesty over the CCRLast month the Emissions Trading Scheme turned into a farce, when the government flooded the market with credits in a failed and wasteful attempt to Keep Carbon Prices Low. When I asked about the background of this policy Climate Change Minister James Shaw sent me one of the most egregious ...2 weeks ago
- Schrödinger’s Wraith: The Status of the Witch-King of Angmar, 15th-25th March, T.A. 3019.
My recent re-read of The Lord of the Rings reminded me of one of the vaguer head-scratchers in Tolkien. The status of the Witch-King of Angmar between his death at the Battle of Pelennor Fields and the Destruction of the One Ring ten days later… was he, in the ...2 weeks ago - How rainbow colour maps can distort data and be misleadingPhilip Heron, University of Toronto; Fabio Crameri, University of Oslo, and Grace Shephard, University of Oslo The choice of colour to represent information in scientific images is a fundamental part of communicating findings. However, a number of colour palettes that are widely used to display critical scientific results are ...2 weeks ago
- Gordon Campbell on Korea’s march to global cultural domination, plus a K-pop playlistSo far, South Korea’s culture industries seem to be pandemic proof. They’re also winning huge global audiences, and not merely large domestic ones. In recent years, South Korea’s TV series (Squid Game, Descendants of The Sun) and movies ( Parasite, Oldboy, The Handmaiden) have become global hits. However, it has ...2 weeks ago
- In a lockdown, where does work end and parenting begin? Welcome to the brave new world of ‘zigzag...Candice Harris, Auckland University of Technology and Jarrod Haar, Auckland University of Technology All parents work. The difference lies in the breakdown between their paid and unpaid workloads. That equation is influenced by many things, including education, qualifications, age, ethnicity, financial status, number and age of dependants, gendered and ...2 weeks ago
- Using Rapid Antigen Tests to Improve COVID-19 Control in Aotearoa NZFigure 1: Rapid Antigen Test kit given out freely from the NHS in the UK Dr Jennifer Summers, Assoc Prof James Ussher, Assoc Prof Nikki Moreland, Dr Leah Grout, Prof Nick Wilson, Prof Michael Baker* Most COVID-19 testing aims to identify infected people. To date, Aotearoa NZ has relied almost ...2 weeks ago
- NZ Politics Daily: 7 October 2021Today’s NZPD testimonial from Dr Liz Gordon, Former MP, researcher and blogger I just hate NZ Politics Daily. I get settled in to do a good day’s work and ZAP, it arrives in my inbox like a little shiny gift. I try to ignore it but my cursor creeps inexorably towards the ...2 weeks ago
- Bryce Edwards: Political Roundup – Will electoral and political finance law reform succeed this ti...It’s welcome news that the Government has announced this week that they intend to improve how elections work in this country, including fixing the political finance rules. Justice Minister Kris Faafoi has announced that major reforms will be investigated in the areas of political donation rules, promising changes that will ...2 weeks ago
- Will Jacinda Stand? Or, Has She Already Fallen?Free Falling? New Zealanders needed to hear Jacinda take a firm line on vaccination, issuing stern warnings to those who declared their intention to refuse. Kiwis just weren’t in the mood to let lockdown evaders and anti-vaxxers free ride on their good citizenship. Google’s IT wizards confirmed that Kiwis were, overwhelmingly, ...2 weeks ago
- Waste strategy needs to learn from nature
Anything less than a transformational national waste strategy and waste legislation will not be enough, the Green Party said today. ...3 days ago - 5 ways you can help New Zealand get vaccinated
Getting vaccinated is the best thing we can do to protect ourselves and the people we care about from COVID-19. It means we’ll all be able to do more of what we love this summer, while keeping each other safe. ...4 days ago - Te Mātāwaka: Greens support iwi led housing solutionsThe Green Party’s Te Mātāwaka Caucus welcome the Government’s investment into iwi Māori-led housing initiatives. ...4 days ago
- Greens call for expanded protection for renters, overseas voting for COVID-19 billThe Green Party is calling for expanded protections for renters and extended eligibility for overseas voters for the COVID-19 Response Management Measures Legislation Bill, which is currently before select committee. ...6 days ago
- One-off residency scheme needs to include working holiday and seasonal workersThe Green Party says the Government needs to extend the one-off residency scheme to all workers, instead of keeping them in limbo with visa extensions every 6 months. ...6 days ago
- Camping, concerts, cuddles: Kiwis tell us why they’re vaccinatedRight now, the single most important thing New Zealanders can do in the fight against COVID-19 is get vaccinated. More and more of us are stepping up, with more than two million people now fully vaccinated. ...7 days ago
- Green Party deeply concerned space launches may be breaching nuclear-free lawsThe Green Party is deeply concerned that space launches by Rocket Lab may be breaching New Zealand’s long-standing nuclear-free position and legislation. ...1 week ago
- Greens welcome work on electoral reform, but call for recommendations of previous reviews to be impl...The Green Party welcomes the review of New Zealand’s electoral laws as chance to make elections fairer and more accessible. ...2 weeks ago
- Govt plan risks vulnerable communitiesThe Green Party says the Government’s planned roadmap for Auckland risks the safety of vulnerable communities and children. ...2 weeks ago
- Climate crisis demands better transport optionsThe Green Party said the Government’s decision to scrap the Northern Pathway highlights the need for urgent, people-centred transport options. ...2 weeks ago
- Seabed mining application rejected, moratorium necessary next stepThe Supreme Court decision to decline an application by Trans-Tasman Resources will help protect the seabed, marine mammals, fish and other marine life off the South Taranaki coast from seabed mining. ...3 weeks ago
- Extend transitional medicinal cannabis standards to ease patients’ sufferingThe Green Party is calling on the Minister of Health, Andrew Little to extend ‘transitional standards’ for medicinal cannabis to prevent thousands of patients being cut off from their medicine. ...3 weeks ago
- Pathways to residency a win for Green PartyA one-off broad residency pathway will ensure tens of thousands of migrants who have made Aotearoa New Zealand their home can settle here and thrive into the future. ...3 weeks ago
- Significant power shift vital for our mokopunaThe Green Party and its Te Mātāwaka caucus welcomes the release of the Oranga Tamariki ministerial advisory board’s report, which echoes what many inquiries have been saying for years. ...3 weeks ago
- Super Māori turnout for Super Saturday
Māori have put a superb effort into mobilising to get vaccinated over Super Saturday, with thousands rolling up their sleeves to protect themselves, their whānau and communities from COVID-19, Associate Health Minister Peeni Henare says. “It was absolutely outstanding that 21,702 Māori got vaccinated on this one day alone with 10,825 ...14 hours ago - Language assists Tagata Niue to thriveDespite the uncertain times we face with the challenges of COVID-19, our cultural knowledge, values and language remain constant, helping us progress towards goals in life, said the Minister for Pacific Peoples Aupito William Sio. This year, the Niuean community in New Zealand decided on the theme, “Kia tupuolaola e ...18 hours ago
- New Zealand Ambassador to France announcedForeign Affairs Minister Nanaia Mahuta today announced the appointment of Caroline Bilkey as New Zealand’s next Ambassador to France and the OECD. “Aotearoa New Zealand and France have a shared history, and enjoy a strong, collaborative partnership. This includes a strong trade and economic relationship, a shared commitment to support ...3 days ago
- Govt welcomes nurses’ pay settlementThe Government is welcoming news that a new employment agreement for nurses working in public hospitals has been settled. “I am very pleased that the hard work of the Nurses Organisation and District Health Boards has led to a settlement that both can support,” Health Minister Andrew Little said today. ...3 days ago
- Judge of the High Court appointedMāori Land Court Judge Layne Harvey has been appointed a Judge of the High Court, Attorney‑General David Parker announced today. Justice Harvey graduated with an LLB from the University of Auckland in 1992 and commenced employment as a law clerk with Simpson Grierson in Auckland that same year. In 1997 ...3 days ago
- Kiwis to have their say on plan to reduce wasteNew Zealanders are invited to have their say on proposals for a new waste strategy and options for new waste legislation. “Reducing waste is one of the issues all New Zealanders – especially younger Kiwis - care deeply about,” Environment Minister David Parker said today “New Zealand is one of ...3 days ago
- Next steps in action plan for indigenous rights kicks offMinister for Māori Development Willie Jackson has today meet with more than 30 national Māori organisations in an online hui, kicking off the process to develop a plan for New Zealand to implement the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (the Declaration). The previous National Government signed ...4 days ago
- Iwi-led housing solutions build homes for the futureWhai Kāinga, Whai Oranga will open on 20 October, to receive applications for investment through Te Tūāpapa Kura Kāinga – Ministry of Housing and Urban Development and Te Puni Kōkiri The $730m fund combines investment from Budget 2021 ($380m) and the Māori Infrastructure Fund ($350m) - the largest investment seen ...4 days ago
- E whakarite ana Te Kāwanatanga i ngā tūāpapa mō twhakamaumahara ki Te Petihana Reo Māori ka t...I te rā nei, i pānuihia e te Minita mō Manatū Taonga, ko Carmel Sepuloni, rāua ko te Minita Whanaketanga Māori, ko Willie Jackson, ā tērā tau, ka whakanuia rawatia te 50 o ngā tau mai i te whakatakotoranga o te petihana mō te Reo Māori me te huanga mai ...4 days ago
- E whakarite ana Te Kāwanatanga i ngā tūāpapa mō tewhakamaumahara ki Te Petihana Reo Māori ka t...I te rā nei, i pānuihia e te Minita mō Manatū Taonga, ko Carmel Sepuloni, rāua ko te Minita Whanaketanga Māori, ko Willie Jackson, ā tērā tau, ka whakanuia rawatia te 50 o ngā tau mai i te whakatakotoranga o te petihana mō te Reo Māori me te huanga mai ...4 days ago
- Government green lights rapid antigen testingSome of the country’s largest businesses have put in an order for 300,000 approved rapid antigen tests for their workforce, after working at pace with the Government on a new scheme unveiled by Associate Minister of Health and Research, Science and Innovation Ayesha Verrall. A coalition of around 25 businesses ...4 days ago
- Government lays foundations as Māori Language Petition commemorations take shape for 2022Taiaha hā! Taiaha hā! - Te kairangi o te reo hoki mai ki taku tikanga, ki taku taumata, ki taku reo, ki taku ao. He reo whai tikanga, he reo whai mana, he reo whai tangata koe. Ki te whāngaihia te reo Māori he ao tēnā, ki te kore he ...4 days ago
- Major contract awarded to power NZ Battery investigationA consortium of specialist firms has been awarded a major contract to advance the New Zealand Battery Project’s feasibility investigation into a pumped hydro storage scheme at Lake Onslow, the Minister of Energy and Resources Megan Woods has announced. “This contract represents a major milestone as it begins the targeted ...4 days ago
- Additional Funding for Foodbanks and Social AgenciesThe Government has approved $13.55m from the Covid Response and Recovery Fund to support foodbanks and social sector agencies, Minister for Social Development Carmel Sepuloni has announced. “Foodbanks and social agencies across Auckland are doing a great job supporting their communities and the Government is today providing them with more ...5 days ago
- Generating a new generation of guardiansThe Government is supporting a Whakatōhea-led project undertaking landscape scale restoration in forests and around vulnerable rivers within the Eastern Bay of Plenty, Minister of Conservation Kiri Allan says. “The Whakatōhea Tiaki Taiao project will employ four people to undertake pest and weed control, ecosystem restoration and monitoring over three ...5 days ago
- Parts of Waikato, Northland staying at Alert Level 3The parts of Waikato that have been in Alert Level 3 and Northland will remain in Alert Level 3 for a few more days, COVID-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins said today. Auckland remains at Alert Level 3, Step 1. “Based on the latest public health information, ministers have decided that ...5 days ago
- New courthouses for Tauranga and WhanganuiThe Government is moving ahead with new courthouses in Tauranga and Whanganui, which the Justice Minister says provide an opportunity to redesign court facilities that help put victims at the heart of the justice system. “These courthouses are part of the 10-year infrastructure investment plan to restore and modernise Ministry ...5 days ago
- Speech on the launch of the consultation on the development of the Emissions Reduction PlanTēnā koutou katoa. Ngā mihi o te ata. Earlier this month Save the Children wrote to me with their most up to date analysis on the impact of climate change. What they said was that children born in Aotearoa today will experience up to five times as many heatwaves and ...5 days ago
- Opportunity to shape NZ’s first Emissions Reduction PlanThe Government is inviting New Zealanders to inform the country’s first Emissions Reduction Plan with the release of a consultation document containing a range of policy ideas to decrease the country’s emissions, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Climate Change Minister James Shaw announced today. The Emissions Reduction Plan will set ...5 days ago
- Convention on Biological Diversity COP 15, Virtual High-Level SegmentKia ora koutou katoa. I want to thank China for hosting this critically important Conference of the Parties. We are all here for the same reason. Biodiversity loss, and the ongoing degradation of nature, are accelerating at an unprecedented rate. These losses are causing irreparable harm to our planet’s ability ...5 days ago
- Government books show resilient and strong economyThe end of year audited Crown accounts released today show the Government’s health led approach to the COVID-19 pandemic has protected New Zealand’s economy. “On almost every indicator the accounts show that the New Zealand economy has performed better than forecast, even as recently as the Budget in May. It ...6 days ago
- Health system is ready for assisted-dying lawThe health system is ready for the implementation of the End of Life Choice Act when it takes effect next month, making assisted dying legal in New Zealand, Health Minister Andrew Little said today. The law received 65.1 per cent support in a public referendum held alongside last year’s general ...6 days ago
- Taking a lead in threat to curious keaReducing lead poisoning of kea, the world’s only alpine parrot and one-time New Zealand bird of the year winner, is the goal of a two year project being backed by the Government’s Jobs for Nature programme, Minister of Conservation Kiri Allan says. “Lead poisoning is a serious threat to this ...6 days ago
- Government provides certainty to working holiday and seasonal visa holders and employers for summerThe Government will extend Working Holiday visas and Supplementary Seasonal Employment (SSE) work visas for six months to provide more certainty to employers and visa holders over the coming summer period, Immigration Minister Kris Faafoi has announced. “This offers employers and visa holders the certainty they’ve been asking for going ...6 days ago
- Lower card fees good for businesses, consumersThe Bill to help lower the cost of the fees retailers get charged for offering contactless and debit payment options is another step closer to becoming law, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Dr David Clark said today. “COVID-19 has changed the way we spend our money, with online and contactless ...7 days ago
- Mandatory vaccination for two workforcesHigh-risk workers in the health and disability sector to be fully vaccinated by 1 December, 2021, and to receive their first dose by 30 October School and early learning staff and support people who have contact with children and students to be fully vaccinated by 1 January, 2022, and to ...7 days ago
- Fund allows more Pacific community led vaccinationsThe Government has made $1.1 million available through ‘The Prepare Pacific Community Vaccination Fund’ to directly support Pacific community-led initiatives towards increasing vaccinations, said Associate Minister of Health, Aupito William Sio. “The best way to protect our communities from COVID-19 is through vaccination. “We need to explore every avenue to ...7 days ago
- Small business at heart of economic recovery across APEC regionThe Minister for Small Business says support for small and medium enterprises will remain ongoing as the Asia-Pacific region moves through response and recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. Stuart Nash today chaired a virtual summit from Wellington for the APEC Small and Medium Enterprises Ministerial Meeting (SMEMM). “APEC Ministers responsible ...1 week ago
- Restrictions on abortion medication lifted for health practitionersAbortion services can now be provided in primary care, meaning people can access this care from someone like their trusted GP and in a familiar setting, Associate Minister of Health Dr Ayesha Verrall announced today. “By lifting some restrictions on the funded medications used for early medical abortions, more health ...1 week ago
- Record day for Māori vaccinationsMore than 10,000 vaccinations were administered to Māori yesterday, the highest number in the vaccine campaign so far, Associate Minister of Health (Maori Health) Peeni Henare announced. There were 10,145 doses administered across the motu yesterday this is almost equivalent to the population of Hāwera. The doses are made up ...1 week ago
- Statement on Joint Cooperation in Agriculture between Ireland and New Zealand8 October 2021 - Dublin, Ireland Agriculture plays an important role in the economic, social, environmental, and cultural wellbeing of Ireland and New Zealand. We are focused on increasing the productivity, inclusivity, and resilience of our respective primary sectors. As agri-food exporting nations, we also share a commitment to a ...1 week ago
- Northland to move to Alert Level 3 tonightNorthland will move to Alert Level 3 restrictions from 11:59pm tonight following recent information on the risk presented by the positive case initially tested in Whangarei earlier this week and confirmed in Auckland yesterday, COVID-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins said. The person is now in an Auckland Managed Isolation Quarantine ...1 week ago
- Prime Minister's Christmas Card CompetitionIt’s that time of year again! If you’d like to help design the Prime Minister’s official Christmas card, here’s how to take part: Draw, paint, sketch or craft an image you’d like to see on the front of this year’s Christmas card. It can be anything you want – a traditional ...1 week ago
- Speech : Pacific Public Sector Fono – Friday 8th October 2021Greetings and Acknowledgements and Warm Pacific Greetings to one and all. It’s a privilege to be able to join with you this afternoon and share some remarks on how important you are to our communities throughout Aotearoa, and across the Pacific region. COVID-19 has been described as a one in ...1 week ago
- Pacific Public Sector Fono – Friday 8th October 2021Greetings and Acknowledgements and Warm Pacific Greetings to one and all. It’s a privilege to be able to join with you this afternoon and share some remarks on how important you are to our communities throughout Aotearoa, and across the Pacific region. COVID-19 has been described as a one in ...1 week ago
- Ruapehu social housing pilot, providing value for generations to comeHousing Minister Hon Dr Megan Woods today announced the development of six social housing units funded by the Government’s Covid response infrastructure fund, to help work toward resolving Ruapehu's lack of social housing. “The Crown’s investment of $2.1 million in this project will provide value to the community for generations ...1 week ago
- New Children’s Commissioner AppointedSocial Development and Employment Minister Carmel Sepuloni has announced Judge Frances Eivers’ appointment as the new Children’s Commissioner. Judge Eivers, who is currently a District Court Judge in Manukau, will take up the role on 1 November 2021. She has been appointed for two years. The Children’s Commissioner is an ...1 week ago
- More support for business available from todayThe third round of the Resurgence Support Payment opened for applications this morning. “The RSP helps businesses with their fixed costs, such as rent. It provides cashflow to businesses and supports them to pay their bills while the country is at Alert Level 2 or above,” Grant Robertson said. “The ...1 week ago
- Compelling case made for modernising local governmentLocal Government Minister Nanaia Mahuta today welcomed the interim report on the Future for Local Government Review. “Our system of local democracy and governance needs to evolve to be fit for the future. New Zealand is changing and growing, and there are some significant challenges presenting not only now with ...1 week ago
- Judge and Associate Judge of High Court appointedChristchurch Queen’s Counsel Jonathan Eaton has been appointed a Judge of the High Court, and Auckland Barrister and Solicitor Clive Taylor has been appointed an Associate Judge of the High Court, Attorney‑General David Parker announced today. Justice Eaton graduated with an LLB from the University of Canterbury in 1986, and ...2 weeks ago
- Action Urgently Needed To Combat The Devastating Impact Of Covid-19 In The Pacific, Says World Visio...
Experts are warning that development gains across the Pacific region over the past 10 years could be undone due to the challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic, and the region could face a lost decade of economic progress unless action is urgently taken*. ...1 hour ago - Oil prices surge, NZ market slips
Business & Investing: Oil could soon hit multi-year highs; Local stockmarket waits for today's inflation figures ...2 hours ago - Newsroom daily crossword, Monday 18 October
...3 hours ago - Newsroom daily quiz, Monday 18 October3 hours ago
- Pressure on government to keep Vaxathon momentum going
Political parties put their differences aside at the weekend for Super Saturday but now the pressure is back on the government to keep that momentum going and move away from lockdowns. ...3 hours ago - Super Saturday should have sucked. Instead it was a triumph. Why?
We need to heed the lessons of the resounding success that came from government inviting everyone to pitch in on a big project, argues Duncan Greive.Super Saturday sounded forlorn and deeply lame when it was first announced. Chris Hipkins told us about “a national day for vaccination” just 10 days ...3 hours ago - Why we’re dedicating an entire week to screensWe need to talk about the thing you’re staring at right now.A few mornings back, just moments after waking up, I rolled over and picked up my phone. It’s not a good habit. I know this. Everyone knows this. Yet, I couldn’t help myself. So I checked the weather forecast. ...3 hours ago
- Auckland needs its schools to reopen. Here’s what must happen firstThe final term of the year begins today, with children in Tāmaki Makaurau resuming remote learning. Paediatrician Dr Jin Russell outlines a gold standard plan for safely reopening.In Auckland, a date for reopening schools is expected to be announced soon. Everyone wants reopening schools to be as safe as possible, ...3 hours ago
- Playcentre association concerned about vaccine mandateWith more than 22,000 parents acting as volunteer teachers, the vaccine mandate is a big deal for Playcentre.Early childhood organisation Playcentre Aotearoa has raised concerns about the government’s mandatory vaccination requirement for ECE teachers, according to a newsletter sent to members. Sent on Thursday, October 14, the newsletter said the ...3 hours ago
- Turning back the clock on species extinction
It's the poor cousin of the climate crisis, but if anything, our biodiversity issues are more pressing Imagine a world where kākāpō wander in our backyards. Sounds fanciful but if our catastrophic biodiversity loss can be halted and turned around soon, some dream it could happen. The subject is ...3 hours ago - Years more supply chain pain for construction
New research: How can the construction industry handle its 'perfect storm'? ...3 hours ago - New Zealand's violent extremism problem
De-radicalisation programmes adopted overseas are not necessarily the solution for tackling violent extremism in New Zealand and run the risk of stigmatising entire communities or groups of people, Professor Richard Jackson argues Comment: Following the Royal Commission report on the Christchurch terrorist attacks and the New Lynn terrorist attack, there ...3 hours ago - Golfer Garvey out to do Ko proud
Once embarrassed to say she played golf, new Kiwi professional Amelia Garvey is this week taking the next step towards joining her friend Lydia Ko on the LPGA tour. Amelia Garvey is about to tee off in one of the biggest weeks of her golfing career. The 21-year-old Christchurch professional ...3 hours ago - No returns investment fund will fight trafficking and exploitation
In a world first, a fund is launched where investors get no return – all the money goes to prevent exploitation ...3 hours ago - NZ is 'massively on the back foot' on methane
British climate leader Sir Jonathon Porritt on NZ's failing leadership on methane. ...3 hours ago - No jab, no job?
A legal basis for private organisations bringing in vaccination policies for their workplaces and staff ...3 hours ago - Shayne Carter's diary
The diary of a legendary musician and award-winning author Monday, October 11 Some idiot is blithering on the internet. Resist the urge to become another idiot blithering on the internet. Although the streets are empty I feel the quiet creep of fear. Resume reading Distant Mirror: The calamitous 14th ...3 hours ago - Outdoor dining is the lifeline hospitality needs, industry says
Auckland hospitality wants their customers to wine and dine in the streets. ...3 hours ago - Joyce says Nationals don’t want bigger 2030 climate target as party room frets about regional prot...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Mick Tsikas/AAP Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce killed the prospect of the Nationals agreeing to a more ambitious 2030 emissions reduction firm target, before his party room met to consider the government’s proposed ...9 hours ago - Barnaby Joyce says Nationals don’t want bigger 2030 emissions reduction targetSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce apparently killed the prospect of the Nationals agreeing to a more ambitious 2030 emissions reduction firm target, even before his party room met to consider the government’s proposed new climate ...11 hours ago
- Super Saturday vaccine dose numbers rise to 130,002 – 51 new covid casesRNZ News The number of covid-19 vaccinations given out during New Zealand’s Super Saturday event yesterday has just ticked over the 130,000 mark. In a statement this afternoon – in which it was confirmed there were 51 new community cases today – the Health Ministry said a total of 130,002 ...13 hours ago
- Australia’s top economists back carbon price, say benefits of net-zero outweigh costSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Martin, Visiting Fellow, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University Wes Mountain/The Conversation, CC BY-ND Eight in ten of Australia’s leading economists back action to cut Australia’s carbon emissions to net-zero. Almost nine in ten want it done ...16 hours ago
- PNG and Fiji were both facing covid catastrophes. Why has one vaccine rollout surged and the other s...ANALYSIS: By Ian Kemish, The University of Queensland Things were looking very bad three months ago for both Papua New Guinea and Fiji. The two Pacific countries were each looking very vulnerable to the covid delta variant, albeit in different ways. On July 10, PNG recorded its first official delta ...20 hours ago
- Submission rising: Parliament’s feedback floodThe House: Every time a potential law gets Parliament's nod for further debate the public is asked to submit. MPs want feedback and ideas and now it is much easier to help that happen, we are doing it in droves. ...23 hours ago
- Why are you waking up at 3am to worry about everything?If you’ve been experiencing stressful early morning wakings recently, you’re not alone. When I wake at 3am or so, I’m prone to picking on myself. And I know I’m not the only one who does this. A friend of mine calls 3am thoughts “barbed-wire thinking”, because you can get caught ...23 hours ago
- Live updates, October 17: Super Saturday breaks recordsWelcome to The Spinoff’s live updates for October 17, by Alice Neville. Auckland is now at step one of the alert level three pathway, Northland and parts of Waikato are in regular level three. Reach me on aliceneville@thespinoff.co.nzOur coverage of Covid-19 depends on support from members. Join us here. 7.30am: ...1 day ago
- Recipe: Cheese and onion scrambled eggsWhen you can’t face cooking but you need more than toast, make this.Not everyone likes to cook, and let’s face it, even those who do (myself included) sometimes find it a real chore! You might be sick of cooking the same old things on rotation, tired at the end of ...1 day ago
- An Ode for .. Tim Shadbolt
New Zealand's rogue poet laureate composes an Ode for the Mayor of Invercargill The Ides of October Dark days were they in Inver Vegas. The Senate was riven by factions. The factions were the Senate on one hand, and Tim, Caesar of Vegas, on the other. Matters of ...1 day ago - Nicholas Agar: Academia Aotearoa needs a Youthquake
Some things need to change once the worst of the Covid crisis passes - and one of them is what and how we teach in our universities, writes Nicholas Agar When a vaccinated Aotearoa finally emerges from the pandemic we must think about what we’ve learned. Doubtless Kiwis will continue ...1 day ago - The journalist and the boxerPatrick McKendry on boxing, writing, and an unlikely friendship with Joseph Parker.This essay was first published in Dylan Cleaver’s newsletter The Bounce. Subscribe here.One of the best books I’ve read was written by José Torres, a light heavyweight born in Puerto Rico who won silver at the 1956 Melbourne Olympics and went ...1 day ago
- Only half of PNG’s MPs vaccinated against covid, reveals Post-CourierPNG Post-Courier Half of Papua New Guinea’s parliamentarians are still not vaccinated despite widespread calls from the government, the business community, churches and civil society for people to get vaccinated. A Post-Courier survey over the past few weeks showed that only 57 Members of Parliament out of 109 — two ...1 day ago
- Super Saturday Vaxathon tops 129,000 jabs – 41 new NZ community casesRNZ News Aotearoa New Zealand easily eclipsed the government’s “Super Saturday” day-long goal of 100,000 vaccine doses today, with 129,519 doses given out by 8pm closing. By 2.39pm, there had already been a total of 90,616 doses across the country, according to the Ministry of Health. Vaccine clinics were open ...1 day ago
- Economist is always right
The best editorials in The Economist are timeless. Traditionally they germinate in a Monday morning editorial conference run on the lines of an Oxbridge tutorial; Tuesday for a sometimes leisurely write up; Wednesday for editing; last minute tweaks on Thursday; giving a quality product with a life span longer ...1 day ago - Oh dear – ECan has dug up a bad Bill (that was buried in 2019) to spare Ngai Tahu the bother of wi...
Legislation to entrench Ngai Tahu representatives on Environment Canterbury – these would be guaranteed appointments, to spare them the bother of pitching for popular support – failed to pass its first reading in Parliament in 2019. On that occasion, New Zealand First’s Shane Jones featured in scuttling a bill which ...2 days ago - Watch the whole televised Vaxathon along with usWe will be updating you all day with every moment from the country’s first (and hopefully last) live televised Vaxathon extravaganza. 12.15pm Vaxathon kicks off with a hearty”Lessshhhgo” We’re live from the glorious Avalon Studios in Te Whanganui-a-Tara, home to many a memorable live television moment. “I know what you’re thinking,” Sonny ...2 days ago
- Vaccination wisdom from three brilliant whaeaIn celebration of Super Saturday, three much-admired whaea from Northland and Waikato share their words of wisdom and encouragement on the Covid-19 vaccine.“This is a māuiui that can’t be taken for granted,” says whaea Ngāpare Hopa (Waikato-Tainui). Whaea Ngāpare is a professor, Tūrangawaewae Marae ruruhi, and also the first Māori ...2 days ago
- Live updates, October 16: Super Saturday vaccine drive kicks offWelcome to The Spinoff’s live updates for October 16, by Catherine McGregor. Auckland is now at step one of the alert level three pathway, Northland and parts of Waikato are in regular level three. Reach me on catherine@thespinoff.co.nzToday is Super Saturday – find out more, including links to vaccine events ...2 days ago
- Everything sucks but look at this pregnant chimpWe are facing an uncertain future, says Emily Writes, but at least we’ll have a baby chimp to coo over. Life is very hard. But Sally the chimp at Wellington Zoo is having a baby. When I saw Sally, my favourite chimp, at Wellington Zoo last weekend ...2 days ago
- US-Pakistan tension obscures Afghanistan's future
As the Taliban regains control in Afghanistan, political tension between Pakistan and the United States is preventing robust discussion about that country's future, argue Tasmia Tahira and Matie Tareen Among the many foreign powers in Afghanistan who attempt to benefit from the Taliban takeover, Pakistan is distinguished. Owing to Pakistan's relentless support ...2 days ago - New history curriculum off to a worrying start
New Zealand's new history curriculum for schools is flawed by omission and ideology but teachers will do their best to ensure it helps students, writes Paul Moon Unlike most other academic disciplines, history has a civic responsibility: it feeds into the very architecture of our identity, and holds us – ...2 days ago - Winner of the 2021 Sargeson Prize
'Good Men' by Lara Markstein is winner of New Zealand's richest short story award, the 2021 Sargeson Prize My name is Jacobus Marthinus Francois du Preez and I am ten years old and a master beskuit baker and when I grow up I’m going to live in America. “Everyone ...2 days ago - Leah Panapa is running the show nowShe’s been in the media for more than three decades, but only recently scored her dream gig. Now Leah Panapa tells Sam Brooks how she is making Magic Mornings her own. “It was the hardest day of my 35 years,” Leah Panapa says over the phone.Just over a month ago, Panapa ...2 days ago
- Yes, Australia can beat its 2030 emissions target. But the Morrison government barely lifted a finge...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Bill Hare, Director, Climate Analytics, Adjunct Professor, Murdoch University (Perth), Visiting scientist, Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research Shutterstock With just over a fortnight until world leaders gather in Glasgow at a make-or-break United Nations climate conference, all eyes are on ...2 days ago
- David Seymour and Judith Collins meet Daniel HannanDaniel Hannan is a British politician whose joy in clear thinking probably exceeds his ambition for high office (although he played an influential and honourable hand in the Brexit ruckus). And his thinking on the future of Britain’s Conservative party has resonance for right-of-centre politicians around the world. ...2 days ago
- 120 extra vaccination sites to open for NZ’s ‘Super Saturday’ covid eventAsia Pacific Report newsdesk More than 120 extra vaccination sites will be open for New Zealand’s ‘Super Saturday’ event tomorrow, with the Ministry of Health saying vaccines remain the country’s “number one protection against covid-19”, reports RNZ News. The Vaxathon — New Zealand’s first — aims to boost vaccination numbers ...2 days ago
- Māori health plea for NZ covid level 4 ‘circuit breaker’ ban – 65 new casesRNZ News National Māori Pandemic Group Te Rōpū Whakakaupapa Urutā co-leader Dr Papaarangi Reid has supported a return to a level 4 lockdown over the covid-19 virus crisis, saying she is concerned about the trajectory of the outbreak in Auckland. “We’re at a very, very dangerous time in this outbreak ...2 days ago
- Critics warn Indonesian military link in food estates threatens Papua violationsBy Arjuna Pademme in Jayapura Advocates warn that the the involvement of the Indonesian military (TNI) in a food estate programme initiated by the government last year may enable potential human rights violations. “Military deployment will be followed by the act of securing land grabbing, for example,” said rights NGO ...2 days ago
- Jokowi breaks ground on Freeport Indonesia’s $3b gold smelterBy Lenny Tristia Tambun and Novy Lumanauw in Gresik, East Java President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo has laid the foundation stone for a giant smelter belonging to copper and gold mining firm Freeport Indonesia in the East Java town of Gresik. The smelter is built on 103-hectare land at the Manyar ...2 days ago
- Widespread collapse of West Antarctica’s ice sheet is avoidable if we keep global warming below 2...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Dan Lowry, Ice Sheet & Climate Modeller, GNS Science Shutterstock Rising seas are already making storm damage more costly, adding to the impact on about 700 million people who live in low-lying coastal areas at risk of flooding. Scientists ...2 days ago
- How you can contribute to New Zealand's new waste strategyA consultation document out today is seeking feedback on a new national waste strategy - the government wants to build a low carbon, circular economy - and you can have a say. ...3 days ago
- Keith Rankin Chart Analysis – Covid19 Immunity Hypothesis: The European Union before the Variants ...Analysis by Keith Rankin. Chart by Keith Rankin. The above chart poses one clear question. Why is the experience of the three relatively prosperous East European EU countries (Poland, Czechia, Hungary) different to that of the three West European EU countries (Spain, France, Sweden). The ‘research hypothesis’ posed here is ...3 days ago
- Government’s Waste Strategy Must Focus On Eliminating Waste At The SourceGreenpeace Aotearoa is calling on the Govt to "cut the crap", and focus its Waste Strategy on eliminating the source of the plastic waste problem. Greenpeace Aotearoa plastics campaigner Juressa Lee said the national waste strategy, which ...3 days ago
- Caring or killing: harmful gender stereotypes kick in early — and may be keeping girls away from S...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Laura Scholes, Associate Professor and ARC Principal Research Fellow, Australian Catholic University Patricia Prudente / Unsplash, CC BY-SA Gender stereotypes begin in early childhood. Bright pink “toys for girls” and blue “toys for boys” are sold on store shelves around ...3 days ago
- Will the Evergrande crisis doom China’s grandiose, big-spending football dreams?Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ye Xue, Research Associate, Australian National University Imaginechina/AP A well-known Chinese idiom asks, “Can the eggs remain unbroken if the nest is destroyed?” (覆巢之下安有完卵). This saying implies that in a great disaster, no one escapes unscathed. The question is ...3 days ago
- Week in Politics: Auckland in crisis as Covid-19 cases surgeAnalysis - Auckland's outlook is bleak as cases surge and the government starts preparing for worst-case scenarios, Peter Wilson writes. ...3 days ago
- Yesterdaze: Not all pebbles cause ripples
Whose idea was the vaxathon? And how did Elvis Presley impersonators undermine Covid modelling in the present day? James Elliott answers pressing questions in his news of the week. It’s amazing how the ripples spreading out from random pebbles cast into the pond of history can endure through to the ...3 days ago - Taikura Trust Wants More Disabled People VaccinatedTaikura Trust, a leading disability support provider, is concerned people with disabilities are still not receiving adequate support to access the COVID-19 vaccine, despite the Government’s Super Saturday this weekend. Findings led by Taikura Trust’s ...3 days ago
- Why Jacinda Ardern’s ‘clumsy’ leadership response to Delta could still be the right approachSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Suze Wilson, Senior Lecturer, Executive Development, Massey University GettyImages Leading people through the pandemic is clearly no easy task. But does the criticism currently directed at New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern reveal a major misstep on her part, or ...3 days ago
- Hāpai Te Hauora Releases A By Māori For Māori Data Equity Driven Tool Ahead Of Super Saturday‘Māori control of our own narrative’ - Hāpai Te Hauora have been busy developing a unique Māori Public Health response to data inequity and disinformation in the fight against Covid-19. Hāpai Te Hauora is the largest Māori Public Health Organisation, ...3 days ago
- The Unity Books bestseller chart for the week ending October 15The only published and available best-selling indie book chart in New Zealand is the top 10 sales list recorded every week at Unity Books’ stores in High St, Auckland, and Willis St, Wellington.AUCKLAND1 The Raffles Affair: A Victoria West Mystery by Vicki Virtue (Penguin Random House, $37)A modern whodunnit set ...3 days ago
- Big boost for NZ’s gas supply – and a setback for the climate-change warriors
Here’s a bit of good news on the energy front to mitigate some of the gloom created by soaring costs, potential black-outs and rising carbon emissions. Genesis Energy reported this week New Zealand’s gas supply has been boosted after a $72m project at the Kupe gas production station near New ...3 days ago - The Friday Poem: Jimmy Carter’s Peanut Farm, by j. taylor bellA new poem by j. taylor bell.Jimmy Carter’s Peanut Farmor a perfectly intact 2-pack of colgate max fresh patiently waiting for no one at the gaston stop benchwhether or not there’s still radioshack what ever happened anyway to circuit city & when was the last time someone set foot inthe ...3 days ago
- I was vaccine hesitant, now I’m double jabbed. Here’s whyHaving children and some empathetic conversations changed everything for Aaron Hendry.I grew up opposed to vaccines. Genuinely, I thought they were harmful and posed a risk to some kids. It wasn’t until I had my own kid that I was forced to reexamine what I’d previously believed.Leading up to the ...3 days ago
- What are gender pronouns and why is it important to use the right ones?Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Glen Hosking, Senior Lecturer in Psychology. Clinical Psychologist, Victoria University Shutterstock Gender pronouns are the terms people choose to refer to themselves that reflect their gender identity. These might be he/him, she/her or gender-neutral pronouns such as they/them. Knowing ...3 days ago
- Climate wars, carbon taxes and toppled leaders: the 30-year history of Australia’s climate respons...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kate Crowley, Associate Professor, Public and Environmental Policy, University of Tasmania Time is rapidly running out for the Morrison government to announce a new climate policy before the United Nations COP26 climate talks in Glasgow next month. At the 11th hour, the ...3 days ago
- WasteMINZ Welcomes Waste Strategy ReleaseWasteMINZ welcomes the release today of the announcement of a new waste strategy consultation paper from The Ministry for the Environment. It is great news that Kiwis have been invited to have their say on proposals for the new legislation. Environment ...3 days ago
- VIDEO: Michelle Grattan on high noon climate negotiations, and pressure on Albanese over MP Anthony ...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra University of Canberra Professorial Fellow Michelle Grattan and University of Canberra Vice-Chancellor and President Professor Paddy Nixon discuss the week in politics. This week they discuss Scott Morrison’s battle to get a deal with the ...3 days ago
- We can discuss waste management as one people – but consultation on indigenous rights is segregate...Latest from the Beehive – The last item we recorded after monitoring the Beehive website yesterday was headed E whakarite ana Te Kāwanatanga i ngā tūāpapa mō tewhakamaumahara ki Te Petihana Reo Māori ka tū ā tērā tau. The accompanying news dealt with a government decision to commemorate the 50th anniversary of ...3 days ago
- REINZ Calls For A Three-month Extension To The 90-days Healthy Homes Standards Compliance Timeframe...3 days ago
- New Zealand Psychiatrists Call For An Increase To The Minimum Age Of Criminal ResponsibilityThe Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists (RANZCP) has called for the minimum age of criminal responsibility to be raised in New Zealand. The RANZCP New Zealand Section of Child and Adolescent Forensic Psychiatry (SoCAFP) ...3 days ago
- Brown Sugar: why the Rolling Stones are right to withdraw the song from their set listSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Timothy McKenry, Professor of Music, Australian Catholic University The Rolling Stones performing last week in Pittsburgh. Emily Matthews/AP The decision by the Rolling Stones to remove their 1971 song Brown Sugar from the set list for their upcoming US tour has drawn ...3 days ago
- Draft Waste Strategy Falls ShortThe Government’s Waste Strategy and Legislation consultation paper, Taking Responsibility for Our Waste , which was released today, has missed the opportunity to drive the transition to a circular economy, says the Zero Waste Network. Spokesperson Sue Coutts ...3 days ago
- Many of New Zealand’s most popular websites use ‘dark patterns’ to manipulate users – is it ...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Cherie Lacey, Lecturer in Media Studies, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington Shutterstock More than half of the most popular New Zealand websites may be unfairly manipulating visitors, according to our latest research into the use of “dark ...3 days ago
- Newsletter: New Zealand Politics Daily – October 15 2021Editor’s Note: Here below is a list of the main issues currently under discussion in New Zealand and links to media coverage. You can sign up to NZ Politics Daily as well as New Zealand Political Roundup columns for free here. Today’s content Health system braces for influx of cases, ...3 days ago
- Is our delta outbreak really ‘under control’?The government is rejecting suggestions it has lost control of the Covid response. Watching from Auckland, it doesn’t always feel that way, writes Stewart Sowman-Lund.At the end of yesterday’s 1pm press conference, the deputy prime minister Grant Robertson faced a simple question from Newshub’s Tova O’Brien. “Has the government lost ...3 days ago
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