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Diplomatic Values
Written By: - Date published: 5:39 pm, November 21st, 2022 - 4 comments
Trudeau got a 10-minute stand-up with Xi followed by a public shirt-fronting, Albanese a 32-minute sit-down, and Jacinda Ardern a 50-minute formal bilateral. In the carefully calibrated world of the diplomatic dance-card, that says something. New Zealand would be foolish not to take advantage of what is on offer from China.
Who Pays the Price of Sanctions
Written By: - Date published: 4:32 pm, March 20th, 2022 - 194 comments
New Zealand’s sanctions on Russia have not stopped the war in Ukraine. They may have made our parliamentarians feel better, and Tony Blinken was quick to congratulate us on falling into line with the US “high-impact sanctions.” The language is combative, but the evidence shows sanctions do not work. They can have significant blow-back effects, particularly if not combined with effective diplomacy.
Fonterra’s Capital Restructure
Written By: - Date published: 2:26 pm, December 7th, 2021 - 32 comments
Fonterra is in the middle of a big restructure of its capital. It is still the case given its dominance over us that where Milk Supertanker Fonterra goes, we go.
Let the Mills die
Written By: - Date published: 1:03 pm, June 24th, 2021 - 13 comments
From Kawerau to Nelson to Tiwai Point, our accelerated decline of heavy mass manufacturing factories continues.
The Very, Very Lucky Country
Written By: - Date published: 8:18 am, February 17th, 2021 - 5 comments
While Australia is rightly branded The Lucky Country, it looks like we can reasonably be called the Very, Very Lucky Country.
A tsunami of wing clipped kiwi?
Written By: - Date published: 9:52 am, November 9th, 2020 - 45 comments
The rush back home has definitely been happening and appears to mainly be constrained at present by the limits on quarantine facilities. It has already helped to mitigate the drops in immigration and probably will in the future. Nowhere near as economically important and productive as our exports. But useful for reducing unemployment for those not exposed to the export economy.
Hong Kong principles
Written By: - Date published: 9:49 pm, July 28th, 2020 - 38 comments
According to our Prime Minister, today’s announcement that New Zealand is suspending extradition arrangements with Hong Kong is because of our principles. But it is not immediately clear what these principles are, other than falling into line with our Five Eyes spying partners. Some history is important.
Unthinkable Things
Written By: - Date published: 8:41 am, July 22nd, 2020 - 29 comments
With the government clearly watching the unravelling of Australia’s Covid-19 response and putting in place $14 billion in preparation for a second infection wave, we are clearly now in a history-in-making territory of the highest instability outside a world war.
US China trade talks and New Zealand
Written By: - Date published: 7:30 am, May 12th, 2019 - 91 comments
Donald Trump’s trade war with China is way, way bad for New Zealand.
Kiwi Cultural Cringe is Alive and Well
Written By: - Date published: 4:00 pm, April 22nd, 2019 - 75 comments
New Zealand is too small for high-achievers and star-performers and does not offer enough challenges and rewards.
Fonterra’s loss
Written By: - Date published: 9:35 am, September 13th, 2018 - 67 comments
Fonterra has just reported an after tax loss of $196 million for the 2018 year. It’s never had an annual loss in its history.
It’s Time for a Cost-Benefit Analysis of Dairy Farming
Written By: - Date published: 7:42 am, May 29th, 2018 - 166 comments
Not just, ‘we’ve got to make the good outweigh the bad’. I mean: why should dairy farming exist here?
Australia and New Zealand budget days
Written By: - Date published: 7:47 am, May 7th, 2018 - 23 comments
Isn’t it time we at least synchronized the New Zealand budget with the Australian budget?
Evidence-based foreign policy
Written By: - Date published: 6:07 pm, April 2nd, 2018 - 99 comments
In the second stage of a false flag attack, facts go out the window and the sole issue becomes “are you for us or against us.” Our media and National Party politicians are well into this stage in the Skripal affair. But as questions mount and skeptics proliferate from all sides, Jacinda Ardern and Winston Peters may well be wiser than media advisers by not following blindly the western herd. 26 countries is not the whole world. Update: Porton Down unable to establish Novichok of Russian origin.
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”?
No one owns water, apart from corporations who sell it …
Written By: - Date published: 12:43 pm, May 22nd, 2017 - 27 comments
The Herald has reported that ordinary New Zealanders are paying 500 times as much for water as corporations who export it.
Protecting our biggest export income earner
Written By: - Date published: 7:03 am, May 2nd, 2017 - 51 comments
Tourism Export Council: “The National Policy Statement for Freshwater Management (NPS-FM) in its current form is nothing more than a PR-stunt from Government who continue to ignore scientists and expert opinion re the state of our freshwater. The NPS-FM does not address the serious problems facing our waterways and, in fact, will make them worse.”
Another reason for water pricing
Written By: - Date published: 8:52 am, March 28th, 2017 - 19 comments
The Government will be embarassed by another example of a corporation planning to extract ten billion litres of fresh water a year essentially at no cost which has arisen.
TPP: An epitaph for self-interested treaties done in secret
Written By: - Date published: 1:23 am, November 23rd, 2016 - 39 comments
The misogynist buffoon, under-skilled charlatan and ignorant bigot that the Americans have elected to be their constitutional monarch for the next four years appears to have effectively killed the constraint of trade agreement known as the TPP. From a freer trade advocate, avid exporter, and labour movement supporter with a touch of green :- Good riddance.
Trump final campaign ad
Written By: - Date published: 12:29 pm, November 6th, 2016 - 79 comments
Donald Trump’s last campaign ad lifts the mood of a relentlessly negative campaign between two massively disliked candidates.
NZ Tech
Written By: - Date published: 9:01 am, October 21st, 2016 - 45 comments
The top 200 tech “exporters” are now turning over NZD 9.4 billion. This year revenue increased by more that NZD 1 billion. Which is pretty phenomenal bearing in mind the sluggish world economy. It meant that they grew an additional 3000 odd highly paid jobs in just those top companies. Even this intellectually bereft government isn’t proving to be too much of a hindrance to tech business.
Fortress NZ
Written By: - Date published: 11:25 am, September 16th, 2016 - 120 comments
TS regular Tony Veitch has some practical ideas as to how we insulate NZ from the ravages of neoliberalism and climate change. Readers may agree with some, none or all of the suggestions. However, whichever way you look at it, the time for hand wringing is over. It’s time for action.
Charles Hugh Smith – The Ultimate Long Game: Autarky and Resilience
Written By: - Date published: 6:17 pm, August 18th, 2016 - 28 comments
Today, electronic numbers in electronic bank accounts are the most important things to the people who lead NZ. That’s going to have to seriously change. The country’s capacity and resources in terms of food, energy, water and cultural/social resiliency is what actually counts.
Trade retaliation
Written By: - Date published: 1:21 pm, August 3rd, 2016 - 50 comments
The Nats are in a difficult spot here, no doubt about it. The weak steel is a serious issue and it should be investigated. But their usual tactics of deny and lie have been caught out yet again.
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.
Make the TPP a Conscience Vote
Written By: - Date published: 6:29 pm, May 15th, 2016 - 84 comments
Last week, Andrew Little gave Phil Goff permission to vote with National for the TPP. Bryan Bruce asks if it is time for all MPs to be given a conscience vote on the TPP.
Logging truck roll overs meeting: Otaika Valley Hall tomorrow night!
Written By: - Date published: 12:06 pm, May 9th, 2016 - 19 comments
A fully laden logging truck tears up the road like thousands of cars. And when they keep rolling over around the corner, locals get very nervous and upset for themselves and their kids.
It’s time to reform Fonterra
Written By: - Date published: 9:00 am, March 25th, 2016 - 49 comments
Fonterra was formed to give New Zealand an economic advantage. Instead it is looking like the country’s biggest achilles heel. Time to reform?
Key is on top of the dairy crisis
Written By: - Date published: 3:28 pm, March 15th, 2016 - 107 comments
Or not.
Safe As Milk
Written By: - Date published: 1:44 pm, March 14th, 2016 - 110 comments
Labour is calling for an urgent summit of the dairy industry players to avoid the looming bankruptcy of one in ten farmers. National’s response? Crisis, what crisis?
- An engineered recession is class warfare
The Reserve Bank has just come out and admitted that they are engineering a recession to protect the rich: The Reserve Bank is deliberately engineering a recession to reign back inflation after being slow to raise interest rates, Reserve Bank governor Adrian Orr admitted to a select committee on ...3 hours ago - That’s no how you do democracyLast night, the English Supreme Court ruled that the Scottish government cannot hold an independence referendum. Having said that Scotland is not a colony, they then turned around and effectively said that they are, by forbidding them from holding a democratic vote on their own constitutional arrangements unless another country ...4 hours ago
- Gordon Campbell on the centre-right’s internal ructions
For donkey’s years, political commentary has been all about the binaries: left/right, Labour/National, government/opposition, she said/he said. Yet currently, a lot of the fascinating conflict is occurring amidst the centre-right. That’s because National, ACT and New Zealand First all happen to be fishing in the same pond for cranky and ...6 hours ago - Bryce Edwards: Politicians and the Reserve Bank are being blamed for an escalating economic crisis
Will the looming economic recession kill off Labour’s re-election chances? Is the Reserve Bank making things worse? And could a National Government do any better? These are some of the big political questions floating around after the full extent of the economy’s plight was made clear by the Reserve Bank ...6 hours ago - Josephine Varghese: From Obama to Sunak–do representational milestones mean anything more than sym...New Zealand media have recently discussed two major representational milestones in politics. Firstly, New Zealand Parliament achieving 50% women’s representation with the induction of Labour list MP Soraya Peke-Mason. Secondly, Rishi Sunak becoming the UK’s first non-White Prime Minister. Major media outlets have been celebrating these events as watershed moments ...7 hours ago
- Gustavo Petro and the Civic – Military Campaigns
Gearóid Ó Loingsigh looks at the new government in Colombia and how it talks of peace while increasing militarisation The Petro–Márquez government is one which proposes to bring us to what they term Total Peace. The term and the proposal as such have been subjected to justifiable criticism, not least ...9 hours ago - Labour attacks LGOIMA – in secretToday the government used urgency to introduce a new Local Government Official Information and Meetings Amendment Bill. The bulk of the bill deals with land information memorandums (LIMs), requiring local authorities to notify of natural hazards and granting them immunity for doing so in good faith (hopefully forestalling lawsuits by ...1 day ago
- Climate Change: Fixing the Crown Minerals Act?Back in August, the High Court ruled that the Zero Carbon Act isn't worth shit and that the government can continue to approve new fossil fuel exploration without having to consider climate change. The core of the problem is the Crown Minerals Act, and in particular its purpose: "to promote ...1 day ago
- The True Cost
It is hard to take seriously the voices of those currently asserting that Brexit has come with a considerable economic cost. Where were those voices at the very beginning of what became the Brexit saga, when we were assured that membership of what was then the Common Market would produce ...1 day ago - Political Roundup: 23 November 2022Items of interest and importance today VOTING AGE Henry Cooke (Guardian): New Zealand’s supreme court has forced voting age on to agenda, exposing absurd arguments for status quo Henry Cooke: The only reasonable argument for retaining the voting age Thomas Coughlan (Herald): Local election voting age looks set to change ...1 day ago
- Phil Ferguson: a firsthand account of the Irish strugglePhil Ferguson is a founding editor of Redline and was a regular contributor. He has been out of action for the past year after suffering a stroke. He is learning to walk again and hoping to get back to writing. Tim Leadbeater sat down with Phil to talk about topics ...2 days ago
- The Most Pertinent Question.
Why Now? As Rebecca Wright pointed out to Justice Minister, Kiritapu Allan, on Newshub Nation, a great deal of political travail could have been avoided by the Labour Government if they’d simply accepted the Royal Commission’s recommendation to extend the already existing legal protections against the incitement of racial hatred ...2 days ago - FinallyAt the 2020 election, Labour promised to regulate property managers. Now, they're finally doing it: The Government’s announcement that rental property managers will be regulated has left the industry asking for more detail, and tenants calling for landlords to be regulated too. Regulating property managers was one of the ...2 days ago
- Young people must be allowed to vote
Let me just start out by saying that young people must be allowed to vote. Not because they are more enlightened than previous generations, but because the earlier people become voters, the more likely they will continue to participate in democracy.We have a serious problem in New Zealand with low ...2 days ago - How to counter holocaust denial – a particular type of hate speech
Plebity – a left free speech website looks at how to ‘counter hate speech with more speech’. This excellent article addresses one of the points discussed in the interview with Daniel Ben-Ami about how tolerance doesn’t mean silently allowing bad ideas or adopting a relativist outlook. WHAT DOES IT MEAN, ...2 days ago - Bryce Edwards: The High barriers to lowering the voting ageSixteen-year-olds aren’t about to get the right to vote anytime soon. Despite yesterday’s Supreme Court declaration that a voting age of 18 violates the Bill of Rights, there are still many barriers to get over before the voting age could be lowered. In fact, as a best-case scenario, youth voting ...2 days ago
- The Iran protests and the battle for Women’s RightsIn this Free Speech Union podcast Daphna Whitmore speaks with Dr Forough Amin about what’s happening in Iran after two months of growing protests across the country. Forough is a women’s rights activist and the founder of the Iranian Women in NZ Charitable Trust. Forough discusses the dire state of ...3 days ago
- The Sagas and Fairy Tales of the South Pacific: Maori Legends, as collected by Sir George Grey (1855...
As a Pakeha New Zealander who spent the majority of his school-level education in the lower North Island in the 1990s, I received a smattering of Maori cultural infusion. I learned how to count to ten in Maori, learned the names of colours, some rudiments of pronunciation from singing ...3 days ago - A victory for democracy!Today, the Supreme Court ruled on the case of Make it 16 Inc v AG, declaring that the law forbidding 16 and 17 year olds from voting was inconsistent with the right to be free from discrimination, and that it had not been justified under the BORA. Its a ...3 days ago
- Gordon Campbell on Qatar, Joyce Carol Oates and Mimi ParkerThe FIFA World Cup has kicked off amid laments about Qatar’s terrible human rights record, and FIFA’s greed in awarding them the Cup hosting rights in the first place. The criticism raining down on Qatar over its murderous treatment of migrant workers errs and its persecution of its LGBT community ...3 days ago
- Geoffrey Miller: Does New Zealand need to up its game with World Cup host Qatar?As the FIFA World Cup gets underway in Qatar, it is worth looking at the state of New Zealand’s wider relationship with the host nation. While New Zealand often likes to think of itself as a small country, it comfortably outranks Qatar in both size and population. In terms of ...3 days ago
- Elizabeth Rata: The Curriculum, intelligence, and democracyThe intelligence of the New Zealand population increased during the 20th century. Nutrition played its part but so too did education. Young people were taught the abstract knowledge of academic subjects and in the process developed secondary intelligence. Since the 1990s, the emptying out of prescribed academic knowledge from the ...3 days ago
- Where are Ukrainian refugees going? – an update
A temporary tent camp set up for Ukrainian refugees in Donetsk, in Russia’s Rostov region near the Russian-Ukrainian border, June 22, ... 4 days ago - If It Ain’t Broke, Why Fix It?Still Going Strong: Why has the Minister of Justice cobbled together a group of “progressive” academics, most of whom subscribe to the core beliefs of Māori nationalism, “decolonisation”, and te Tiriti revisionism, to “review” our political system? In the absence of any convincing evidence that our electoral machinery is “broke”, ...4 days ago
- 2022 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #47
A chronological listing of news articles posted on the Skeptical Science Facebook Page during the past week: Sun, Nov 13, 2022 thru Sat, Nov 19, 2022. Story of the Week Is COP27 the End of Hopes for Limiting Global Warming to 1.5 Degrees Celsius? The climate talks are going into overtime ...4 days ago - Labour grovels to the bigotsIn the wake of the March 15 terror attack, the inquiry recommended tougher hate-speech laws. And after dragging their feet on it for a full year, the government has basicly said "fuck that": The Government has drastically watered down its hate speech reforms, Justice Minister Kiri Allan said on Saturday. ...5 days ago
- Are We in a Stagflation?
Recently, I have often been asked whether we (New Zealand or the World) are experiencing a stagflation. There is no meaningful ‘yes’ or ‘no’ answer. You have to define the term before deciding what is going on.Rutherford once said there were only two kinds of science: stamp collecting and physics. ...6 days ago - More police racismThe police annual report was released this month, with the usual statutory information on surveillance warrants and DNA samples. And it turns out there's some shocking evidence of racism among the latter: The proportion of youth DNA samples collected by police that belong to rangatahi Māori continues to rise, ...6 days ago
- The Political MinefieldPoor Christopher Luxon. His lack of political experience (and judgment) is constantly being highlighted – not least by his recent foray into the treatment of child criminality. So keen was he to draw attention to his assertion that “Labour is soft on crime” that he was prepared to run the ...6 days ago
- Media Link: “AVFA” on US midterms and Trump’s return.
After a small hiatus due to Covid hitting my household, Selwyn Manning and I resumed our weekly ” A View from Afar” podcast series with an analysis of the 2022 US midterm results and a look at what Trump’s decision to run for president again means for the GOP. You ...6 days ago - Bryce Edwards: National wants to brand the Govt as soft on crimeAs Government politicians put the boot into National’s bootcamp announcement yesterday, Christopher Luxon would have been celebrating. His populist announcement wasn’t only designed to scratch an electoral itch, but to cynically trap his opponents into looking soft on crime. And it probably worked. Soon after announcing his policy for bootcamps ...6 days ago
- Free Speech to fight anti-SemitismFree Speech Union member Daphna Whitmore talks with Daniel Ben-Ami, an author, and journalist based in London. His website “The Radicalism of Fools” https://www.radicalismoffools.com/ aims to develop a better understanding of anti-Semitism and its root causes. Daniel talks about different forms of anti-Semitism from the right and the left. He explains ...7 days ago
- Hello, do you know the difference? The Raytheon, Goldman Sachs Left is not the LeftThe left free speech site Plebity has published this handy chart. When you say left, you probably aren’t actually talking about the left. Find another name. Or at least understand the difference between the woke left and the traditional left which although largely silenced does still exist. Here is a ...7 days ago
- Skeptical Science New Research for Week #46 2022Notables: Presence or absence of stabilizing Earth system feedbacks on different time scales Arnscheidt and Rothman confirm the stabilizing effect of carbonate geochemistry on Earth's climate, at least on "short" timescales. More provocatively: "We have shown that the observations are inconsistent with a dominant stabilizing feedback on the longest time scales ...7 days ago
- Gordon Campbell on the case for universal free dental careLike Banquo’s ghost, the issue of universal free dental care keeps hovering into sight at Labour’s top table. ‘Tis a goodly, progressive idea, but it is also one that’s been done in repeatedly down the years by the shafts of political expedience, some of which were fired again this week ...1 week ago
- Political Roundup: 17 November 2022Items of interest and importance today FOREIGN AFFAIRS Claire Trevett (Herald): Russia, China, a Trump comeback – PM Jacinda Ardern will face a big plate of troubles at Apec (paywalled) Thomas Manch (Stuff): Risky business: NZ seeks greater trade with Vietnam as China dependency causes concern Thomas Manch (Stuff): Prime Minister ...1 week ago
- New reports spell out climate urgency, shortfalls, needed actionsThis is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Michael Svoboda In the weeks leading up to the 27th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, often called COP27, several organizations released major reports detailing the many difficult tasks on the climate negotiators’ agenda. Some of ...1 week ago
- Climate change: The cost of inactionA couple of days ago I highlighted National's opposition to all actual policies to reduce emissions. Now, the government has put some numbers on the cost of that, and it is staggering: nearly 24 million tons by the end of the decade: Labour says National’s promises to repeal its ...1 week ago
- The Facts Don’t Always Tell The Truth.1 week ago
- Bryce Edwards: Labour’s decaying policy on free universal dental careGrant Robertson has once again ruled out implementing a popular Labour Party policy: free universal dental care. He did so yesterday on RNZ’s Morning Report, citing the cost factor. The Acting Prime Minister suggested that spending on dental care wasn’t a priority for the Government and that the health budget ...1 week ago
- Grant says “no” againYesterday the Association of Salaried Medical Specialists released a report on dental care in Aotearoa, highlighting its unaffordability and recommending free, universal dental care. This is something the left has been campaigning for for a long time - Jim Anderton pushed for it before the 2011 election, and Helen Clark ...1 week ago
- On NZ foreign policy “independence.”For many years New Zealand elites have claimed to have an “independent” foreign policy, so much so that it has become a truism of NZ politics that transcends the partisan divide in parliament and is a shibboleth of the NZ foreign policy establishment that is parroted by media and pundits ...1 week ago
- Bryce Edwards: Momentum growing to reform lobbying lawsThis week global anti-corruption agency Transparency International released a report on lobbying, which described New Zealand’s lack of regulation as “glaring”. Transparency International New Zealand has developed an international comparison of New Zealand’s lobbying regulations so that MPs here can decide whether to reform this sector. Currently, a group of ...1 week ago
- The “Us versus Them” Worldview.Behind Closed Doors: What were the organisers of He Whenua Taurikura, the second hui called into existence by the recommendations of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into the Christchurch mosque shootings, afraid of? Were they worried that journalists not 100 percent sympathetic to the ideals animating the hui might report ...1 week ago
- Don’t get fooled: Electric vehicles really are better for the climateThis is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Daisy Simmons You may have heard the myth that electric vehicles are just as bad for the climate — or worse — than gas-powered cars and trucks. One common myth claims that the climate-warming pollution caused by manufacturing electric vehicle batteries ...1 week ago
- Privatisation screws the futureThere's a major report out today from 350 Aotearoa, First Union and the CTU about how National's privatisation of the electricity sector has led to entirely predictable outcomes of price gouging and underinvestment: Meridian, Mercury, Genesis and Contact Energy paid out $8.7b in dividends to shareholders between 2014 ...1 week ago
- Gordon Campbell on abortion politics, Murdoch and the DeSantis surgeSo the Democrats did a whole lot better than OK in the midterm elections despite the cost of living crisis and despite the President’s low approval ratings. How come? In a word, “abortion” was the key mobilising issue. It inspired many women (and some men) to register to vote. In ...1 week ago
- New BookI have a new book being published this month. It is entitled “What Does It Mean to Be Human?” and is an attempt to arrive at a moral code of our own making – one that will serve all our interests and those of other creatures and of the planet ...1 week ago
- Three Little Words!The crucial moment in the Black Ferns’ Rugby World Cup triumph came in the closing minute. The Red Roses had used a penalty to kick to the corner, and from the throw-in that followed they had clearly planned to use a rolling maul to get the ball across the line ...1 week ago
- Geoffrey Miller: Jacinda Ardern’s Asia trip rekindles New Zealand’s independent foreign policyNew Zealand’s independent foreign policy is back. That’s a key underlying message from Jacinda Ardern’s trip this week to Southeast Asia. The New Zealand Prime Minister attended the East Asia Summit in Cambodia over the weekend. She will head to Thailand for the APEC leaders’ meeting later in the week. ...1 week ago
- 2022 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #45A chronological listing of news articles posted on the Skeptical Science Facebook Page during the past week: Sun, Nov 6, 2022 thru Sat, Nov 12, 2022. Story of the Week What the tiny remaining 1.5C carbon budget means for climate policy The latest estimates from the Global Carbon Project (GCP) show that total worldwide CO2 ...2 weeks ago
- David Farrier’s unsettling new documentary ‘Mister Organ’ – a film to watch through your fin...
In this age of entitled white men behaving badly, it’s common to hear the term “malignant narcissist” Anyone who’s had the misfortune to be sucked into the orbit or one of these miscreants, (let alone been obliged to, say, sue one for copyright infringement) eventually learns that the ONLY ‘exit ...2 weeks ago - The End of Neoliberalism?
Gary Gerstle’s The Rise and Fall of the Neoliberal Order: America and the World in the Free Market Era is a frustrating book. It is an impressive sweeping history of American politics and economic policy from the New Deal in the 1930s to today, predicting that we are coming to ...2 weeks ago - Phil Ferguson on radical youth politics and the Irish republican strugglePhil Ferguson is a founding editor of Redline and was a regular contributor. He has been out of action for the past year after suffering a stroke. He is learning to walk again and hoping to get back to writing. Tim Leadbeater sat down with Phil to talk about about ...2 weeks ago
- Climate Change: Submit!Farming industry groups today released a joint statement against their own proposal - as adopted by the government - to price agricultural greenhouse gas emissions at the farm level. Its a perfect example of the bad faith with which they have engaged in the entire process, and of the industry's ...2 weeks ago
- Is is the beginning of the end of the toxic Trump TV show?
In 2016 the US electorate was feeling frustrated, let down, embattled, even desperate. It was – truth be told – willing to indulge its tendency for some racism and misogyny. So it screwed up its face, held its breath and reached out for Donald Trump. The years since have been ...2 weeks ago - Political Roundup: 11 November 2022Items of interest and importance today PARLIAMENT AND GOVERNMENT Shane Jones (Herald): Stop the forays into identity politics, de-colonisation and global posturing, St Jacinda. We must focus on economic essentials (paywalled) Peter Dunne (Newsroom): Luxon is not yet the direct threat Labour is painting him as Jo Moir (Newsroom): Luxon set ...2 weeks ago
- Skeptical Science New Research for Week #45 2022Catastrophic reverb Kemp et al. caused prolonged ripples with their paper Climate Endgame: Exploring catastrophic climate change scenarios. One can't help but think most of the heat is emotional, not intellectual; excited critics of the paper offer little more than "this sounds scary, don't harsh our vibe." Vague and even outlandish concerrns over terminology aside, true ...2 weeks ago
- Solar panels on car parks are a no-brainerThe Guardian reports that France is going to require all large car-parks to be covered by solar panels: All large car parks in France will be covered by solar panels under new legislation approved as part of president Emmanuel Macron’s renewable energy drive. Legislation approved by the French Senate ...2 weeks ago
- Climate Change: National wants to burn the planetLast month, the National Party announced they would repeal any price on agricultural greenhouse gas emissions, effectively declaring that they would do nothing about them. Today, they've followed that up by announcing that they will repeal the ban on offshore oil and gas exploration: The National Party has reaffirmed ...2 weeks ago
- DrawnA ballot for a single Member's Bill was held today, and the following bill was drawn: Fair Trading (Gift Card Expiry) Amendment Bill (Melissa Lee) Its a worthy but minor bill, and the best you can say about it is that at least none of National's tough-on-crime ...2 weeks ago
- Gordon Campbell on the midterms, Adrian Orr and taxing the BanksIt used to be a joke, but it seems that a lot of Republicans really might have moved to Florida to escape from the gulag of Dr Fauci. While in these midterms the “red wave” didn’t happen anywhere outside of Florida, the GOP control of the Senate will now come ...2 weeks ago
- Political Roundup: 10 November 2022Items of interest and importance today BANKING Thomas Coughlan (Herald): Why Jacinda Ardern hit out at banks (paywalled) Bernard Hickey (Interest): Open banking still two years away 1New: Open banking to make it easier to switch banks, compare rates Bridie Witton (Stuff): Government moves to introduce open banking Martien Lubberink (Newsroom): ...2 weeks ago
- Addicted to secrecyBack in July, Public Service Minister Chris Hipkins said he was concerned about the growing number of secrecy clauses excluding information from the coverage of the Official Information Act, and promised "safeguards" to limit their use in future. meanwhile, the government he is part of has just introduced another one, ...2 weeks ago
- Bryce Edwards: Will the Govt act on mega bank profits and reform the banking sector?The corporate retail banks are making mega profits on the back of Government policies and indirect subsidies of recent years. As a result, there are calls from across almost the whole political spectrum for greater regulation of the banking sector, including windfall taxes. But will outrage turn into action? Prime ...2 weeks ago
- Member’s DayToday is a Member's Day. First up is the second readings of Ginny Andersen's Crimes (Child Exploitation Offences) Amendment Bill and Deborah Russell's Employment Relations (Extended Time for Personal Grievance for Sexual Harassment) Amendment Bill. Following that, the House should complete the first reading of Duncan Webb's Companies (Directors Duties) ...2 weeks ago
- Climate change reparations – who pays?This is a re-post from the NZ Newsroom by Kevin Trenberth Climate change reparations are expected to be one of the main issues at COP27, the next round of international climate talks from November 6-18 in Egypt. Climate change reparations are a new way of looking at how to pay developing countries ...2 weeks ago
- Much Worse Than It Looks.Bad News: While Labour’s refusal to back away from its most controversial policies is mobilising right-wing voters against them, its all-too-evident failure to address the worsening problems associated with the cost of living, health, education, housing and criminal offending will be having the opposite effect on the voters in its ...2 weeks ago
- The Drift South: The Changing Face of New Zealand Population
One of the defining aspects of New Zealand population dynamics since European settlement was the so-called Drift North. People relocating from the South Island to the North Island, in search of economic opportunity and of warmer weather. The early years of settlement saw most Europeans head for the South ...2 weeks ago - Free Speech Union holds its first symposium and AGMReport by Daphna Whitmore The growth of the Free Speech Union is remarkable. In just a few years it has grown to 72,000 registered supporters, 6,000 New Zealanders have donated to it, and more than 1000 people are members of its trade union arm. The FSU put on a symposium ...2 weeks ago
- All noise and no policyOver the weekend Labour had a very bad poll - basicly, the chickens coming home to roost on their fuck around and do nothing policy. But on Monday, price-gouging Aussie bank Westpac offered them a golden opportunity, in the form of a billion dollar profit. Everyone hates the banks, they're ...2 weeks ago
- Gordon Campbell on bank profits, and the US midtermsSo far, the political response to excessive bank profits has held up a mirror to party identity. Labour thinks the level of bank profits is “open to question” but offers no action in response. National thinks the problem must lie with the state (not the banks), and wants to investigate ...2 weeks ago
- Luxon and WillisChristopher Luxon was, presumably, in his day a dab hand at airline schedules, but he is obviously a little less competent when it comes to running a country. There is a world of difference between focussing on the single objective of the bottom line when running a trading company and ...2 weeks ago
- Jacinda Ardern’s Wall Of Sound.Thirty Minute Symphony? Among her peers there is no one who approaches Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern when it comes to talking the talk. She is, indisputably, New Zealand’s foremost impresario of political verbiage.PHIL SPECTOR’S “WALL OF SOUND” production technique revolutionised the recording of popular music in the 1950s and 60s. ...2 weeks ago
- Political Roundup: 8 November 2022Items of interest and importance today PARLIAMENT, ELECTION Chris Trotter (Daily Blog): Much Worse Than It Looks Thomas Coughlan (Herald): Battle of the polls: Internal poll has Labour equal with National Newshub: Video: Newshub political editor Jenna Lynch breaks down ‘terrible, terrible’ poll result for Labour David Fisher (Herald): Why ...2 weeks ago
- Social workers need to see pay equity immediately
The Green Party is welcoming today’s announcement that pay equity will be extended to more social workers, and urges the Government to work with unions to get this sorted as quickly as possible. ...5 hours ago - Case for excess profit tax on banks clearer than everThe Government should adopt an excess profits tax and use any revenue raised to help people make ends meet, following the rise in the Official Cash Rate today. ...1 day ago
- Easing the pressure on New Zealanders
Since taking office in 2017, our Government has worked hard to lift wages and make life more affordable for New Zealanders, as we move forward with our plan to create economic security for all. ...1 day ago - Crown mineral change does not go far enoughLong overdue changes to the Crown Minerals Act are a welcome step in the right direction but the Government needs to go further to end the nonsensical search for fossil fuels. ...1 day ago
- Healthy Homes for all means a WOF and Landlord RegisterThe Government’s decision to exclude landlords from property management regulations means more than half of Kiwi rentals will be left out in the cold. And, where they’re kicking the can down the road on Healthy Homes Standards, the Government falls short on the basics that a Rental Warrant of Fitness ...2 days ago
- Time to extend the voting ageThe Green Party is calling on the Government to take immediate action to lower the voting age to 16. ...3 days ago
- Supporting Kiwi kids this Children's DayOur Government has put the wellbeing of children at the heart of everything we do. As we celebrate World Children’s Day, we’re taking a look at some of the ways Labour is working to make New Zealand the best place in the world to be a child. ...4 days ago
- Hate speech change welcome, but still leaves communities at riskThe Green Party welcomes hate speech reform to protect religious groups, but is concerned that the exclusion of gender, rainbow, and disability communities sends a signal that these groups are less deserving of protection. ...5 days ago
- Young people deserve betterThe National Party’s plan to put children into military boot camps is so flawed it is dangerous. ...1 week ago
- Thousands more homes under LabourWe’ve just announced a massive infrastructure investment to kick-start new housing developments across New Zealand. Through our Infrastructure Acceleration Fund, we’re making sure that critical infrastructure - like pipes, roads and wastewater connections - is in place, so thousands more homes can be built. ...1 week ago
- Green Party solution better for Māori voters, not deal with NationalAn agreement between Labour and National misses an historic opportunity to make our democracy more accessible for Māori voters. ...1 week ago
- Govt must extend Samoa visa changes to all Pacific countriesThanks to Green Party pressure, visitors from Samoa can soon travel to Aotearoa without a visa – a right that should be extended to every Pacific country. ...1 week ago
- A cheaper, faster, better resource management systemOur Government is delivering a new resource management system that will better protect the environment while cutting red tape, lowering costs and speeding up the time it takes to approve new homes and infrastructure projects. ...1 week ago
- Nature missing in RMA reformThe Government has missed a crucial opportunity to redesign the resource management system with climate and nature at its heart. ...1 week ago
- Govt continuing to prioritise high income earners in immigration systemThe resumption today of the parent visa category needs to be followed by an end to the Government’s unfair salary based family reunification policy. ...1 week ago
- Supporting more Kiwis into jobsWe’re helping more Kiwis into work, to help support whānau, grow our skilled workforce and secure our economy for future generations. During our time in Government, we’ve delivered record low unemployment rates, as well as a steady fall in the number of New Zealanders receiving a main benefit, and we’re ...1 week ago
- Fix electricity market to help both climate and cost of livingThe four big electricity companies should be required to reinvest massive profits into cutting both household bills and climate pollution, the Green Party says. ...1 week ago
- Next Waitematā Harbour crossing must be climate-friendlyThe Minister for Transport can show climate leadership and consider only the lowest carbon ways of crossing Waitematā harbour. ...2 weeks ago
- Changes needed to three waters plansGreater local oversight and control, seven instead of four entities, stormwater staying with councils, and stronger safeguards against privatisation are among the changes the Green Party wants to three waters legislation. ...2 weeks ago
- Bold action needed on food prices and supermarket profitsSupermarkets are profiteering from families struggling to put food on the table. ...2 weeks ago
- Don’t let open banking close the door on action to address excess profitOpen banking is fine but the simplest and most effective way to address record bank profits is to tax them fairly to provide relief to families struggling to get by. ...2 weeks ago
- Rainbow Report shows more needs to be done for takatāpui and Rainbow peopleThe Green Party welcomes the Rainbow report released by Stats NZ today and calls for better support for takatāpui and Rainbow people, particularly our trans and non-binary whānau. ...2 weeks ago
- Greens call on Education Minister to bring tertiary sector to the tableThe Green Party is once again calling on the Minister of Education to bring union, government officials and sector leaders together to urgently improve the pay and condition of tertiary education staff. ...2 weeks ago
- Making childcare more affordableWe know childcare is one of the biggest costs for working families. That’s why, as part of our work to support New Zealanders with the cost of living, we’re making childcare more affordable for low and middle income families. ...3 weeks ago
- Greens welcome childcare support, call for more actionThe Green Party is welcoming the modest support for families announced by the Labour Government but calling for more urgent action to ease the pressure on households. ...3 weeks ago
- Jacinda Ardern: Speech to the Labour Party Conference 2022As we near the end of 2022, Jacinda Ardern addresses the Labour Party Conference in South Auckland. Watch the Labour Leader’s speech here. ...3 weeks ago
- Kelvin Davis: Address to the Labour Party Conference 2022I often refer to, and draw inspiration from, our tupuna, and when I reflect on the last few years the words of a famous Ngapuhi chief Te Ruki Kawiti come to mind. ...3 weeks ago
- Grant Robertson: Speech to the Labour Party Conference 2022Labour Finance Spokesperson Grant Robertson speaks at the Labour Party Conference in South Auckland. ...3 weeks ago
- New Kiwibank parent appoints directors
David McLean and Sir Brian Roche have been appointed as the first two directors of the newly incorporated Kiwi Group Capital Limited (KCG), the parent company of Kiwibank. In August, the Government acquired 100 percent of Kiwi Group Holdings, which also operates New Zealand Home Loans, from NZ Post, ACC ...43 mins ago - Defence Ministers meet in CambodiaMinister of Defence Peeni Henare attended the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Defence Ministers’ Meeting-Plus (ADMM-Plus) in Siem Reap, Cambodia. “The first face to face meeting of the ADMM-Plus members is an opportunity for me to highlight New Zealand’s position on key regional security matters,” Peeni Henare said. “In ...3 hours ago
- Pay equity extended to thousands more social workersThe Government will extend pay equity to all community and iwi organisations who employ social workers and receive funding from the Crown, Minister for Women Jan Tinetti announced today. We expect this will improve the lives of approximately 4,600 social workers. “This extension means thousands more social workers will be ...4 hours ago
- Taskforce set up to protect construction industry from product shortages & delaysNew ‘Critical Materials Taskforce’ will trouble shoot building materials shortages Focus on maximising productivity & cushioning businesses from supply chain risks Successful ‘Plasterboard Taskforce’ reshaped to include broader sector knowledge and expertise Will provide guidance, data and information to support builders, designers and business owners A new Critical Materials Taskforce ...7 hours ago
- Bigger ED, more theatres and more beds in new Whangārei HospitalA new emergency department with three times more space will be part of the first stage of a two-stage project to build a new hospital for Whangārei and Northland. The Government has today confirmed funding for stage one of the new hospital – an acute services building and a child-health ...7 hours ago
- Finnish PM to visit New ZealandFinland’s Prime Minister Sanna Marin, accompanied by Minister for Development Cooperation and Foreign Trade Ville Skinnari and a business delegation will visit New Zealand next week, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced today. The two leaders will meet in Auckland. “New Zealand and Finland are natural partners. We share similar approaches ...21 hours ago
- New recreational rules to support hāpuku and bass fisheriesThe daily limits on recreationally caught hāpuku (also known as groper) and bass will be lowered to a total of two per person in some areas, with a new accumulation limit of three per person on multi-day trips. Oceans and Fisheries Minister, David Parker said the rule changes would take ...1 day ago
- Jobs for Nature enabling Mātāuranga MāoriMātāuranga Māori is at the heart of the latest tranche of Jobs for Nature projects set to promote biodiversity and reduce impacts of climate change on Māori land, Minister of Conservation Poto Williams says. Project work will include the creation of an ecological corridor in Tairāwhiti, protecting 60 hectares of ...1 day ago
- Supporting resilient shipping infrastructure in VanuatuThe Government has announced further support to Vanuatu to assist in constructing climate-resilient wharves as part of the Vanuatu Inter-Island Shipping Support Project (VISSP). “Aotearoa New Zealand is committed to supporting the economic recovery of our Pacific region in a way that continues to provide growth and supports climate resilience,” ...1 day ago
- Government welcomes High Court ruling on climate caseThe High Court has today confirmed the legality of the advice provided by the Climate Change Commission (the Commision) to inform New Zealand’s nationally determined contribution (NDC) and the first three emissions budgets. Minister of Climate Change James Shaw says New Zealanders can have confidence in the Commission and of ...1 day ago
- Government introduces changes to mining Act with stronger environmental focus· Crown Minerals Act will no longer actively “promote” prospecting, exploration, and mining of Crown-owned minerals · Will create more certainty around engagement between industry, iwi and hapū. The Government is proposing changes to modernise the Crown Minerals Act 1991 (CMA) to support more environmentally conscious management of resources, says ...1 day ago
- Speech to Building Nations 2050 conferenceTēnā koutou, tēnā koutou katoa. Good morning and thank you, Jack, for the introduction. I’d like to take a moment to acknowledge Infrastructure New Zealand Chair, Margaret Devlin and all the sponsors and organisers of this event for bringing us together in ‘Building Nations 2050’. I would also like to ...1 day ago
- Better natural hazard information for home buyersAssociate Minister of Local Government Kieran McAnulty has today introduced legislation to empower councils to share better information about natural hazards with the public. The Local Government Official Information Amendment (LGOIMA) Bill will make it easier for Councils to share clear and concise information in Land Information Memorandum (LIM) reports. ...1 day ago
- New Zealand welcomes visiting WTO Director GeneralThe World Trade Organization (WTO) Director General Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala visits New Zealand this week. Minister for Trade and Export Growth Damien O’Connor said the WTO was essential to New Zealand as a small export-dependent trading nation. “New Zealand’s economic security depends on our ability to trade. Our goods exports ...1 day ago
- Faster, cheaper, better resource management law given first readingNew laws that will deliver a faster, cheaper, and better resource management system had their first reading in the House today. The Spatial Planning (SP) and the Natural and Built Environment (NBE) Bills, which were introduced last week, will replace the 30-year-old Resource Management Act (RMA). Environment Minister David Parker ...2 days ago
- Minister Sio to meet new Vanuatu PMAssociate Foreign Affairs Minister Aupito William Sio travels to Vanuatu today, to meet with the new Government led by Prime Minister Alatoi Ishmael Kalsakau and to represent Aotearoa New Zealand at the Pacific Community (SPC) Ministerial Conference being hosted in Port Vila. Minister Sio will have a number of bilateral meetings with ...2 days ago
- Driving ahead with the Clean Car StandardFollowing discussions with vehicle importers, the Government has confirmed the Clean Car Standard will be phased in from 1 December 2022, significantly reducing the CO2 emissions of light vehicles in New Zealand, announced Transport Minister Michael Wood. “Emissions from our light vehicle fleet are the single largest source of ...2 days ago
- Speech to Constitutional Kōrero conferenceOur Evolving Sense of Nationhood – Me Anga Whakamua Indigenous Futures and New Zealand’s Constitution Tuia ki runga, Tuia ki raro, Tuia te here tangata, Mai i te wheiao ki te ao mārama Ka rongo te pō ka rongo te āo! Tīhei Mauri Ora! Kei ngā miro o te ao ...2 days ago
- Rental sector changes to regulate residential property managers, clear up meth confusion and ease pr...A suite of measures to improve the lives of renters and landlords has been announced by Housing Minister Dr Megan Woods as the Government makes more progress on reform of the rental sector. “Nearly 600,000 households rent in New Zealand and these measures will result in regulated oversight of residential ...2 days ago
- Further sanctions on the political and economic elites of Russia and BelarusForeign Affairs Minister Nanaia Mahuta today announced further sanctions on members of the inner circles of governments in Russia and Belarus, as part of the ongoing response to the war in Ukraine. “Aotearoa New Zealand first moved against the powerful and wealthy in Russia with sanctions on political and economic ...3 days ago
- Another step towards improved supermarket competitionThe Bill to trigger an unprecedented shake-up of the grocery sector and deliver New Zealanders a fairer deal at the checkout and help tackle cost of living pressures is ready for its first reading at Parliament. “The duopoly has now been given plenty of warning. If they fail to adequately ...3 days ago
- Black Ferns to be celebrated at ParliamentA public event and celebration will be held on Parliament’s lawn on December 13 to celebrate our Rugby World Cup winning Black Ferns. “The Black Ferns’ triumph at Eden Park is one of New Zealand’s greatest sporting moments,” Grant Robertson said. “They are extraordinary athletes, exceptional people and proud New ...3 days ago
- Autism Guideline released by MinistryThe release of the latest edition of the Aotearoa New Zealand Autism Guideline – He Waka Huia Takiwātanga Rau has been welcomed by Minister for Disability Issues Poto Williams today. The Guideline provides an opportunity to better understand and communicate best practices for supporting autistic people and their families and ...3 days ago
- Speech to Aotearoa Refugee HuiNga mihi nui ki a koutou, Welcome to the Parliament, your Parliament. It is great to see the community here in such numbers, and I am happy to be here with my parliamentary colleagues to listen and take part in the discussions today. I particularly want to acknowledge Ibrahim Omer ...3 days ago
- Global climate talks underline need for domestic actionMinister of Climate Change James Shaw marked the end of COP27 negotiations in Egypt by saying it was now crunch time for counties to step up and take urgent action at home. “Even though we have these international negotiations every year, our focus must always be on what we do ...4 days ago
- Defence Minister visits Ukraine and PolandDefence Minister Peeni Henare has visited Ukraine and Poland, holding talks with his Ministerial counterparts. During the talks Minister Henare reaffirmed New Zealand’s unwavering support for the Ukrainian defence against Russia’s illegal and unprovoked invasion. The visit was a further demonstration of New Zealand’s ongoing support to the people ...4 days ago
- Stuart Nash to attend OECD meetingsSmall Business Minister Stuart Nash will travel to Paris today to attend small business meetings with the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). Stuart Nash will chair the OECD’s Digital for SMEs (D4SME) Steering Group meeting and the 4th Roundtable of the OECD D4SME Global Initiative. “The OECD’s Digital ...4 days ago
- Human Rights Act enhanced to protect religious communitiesThe Government will amend the law to make sure religious communities feel safe and welcome in New Zealand. After extensive consultation, with more than 19,000 submissions on six proposals, the Government will make one change to address incitement towards religious communities while asking for further work to be done alongside ...5 days ago
- Defence Minister meets with UK counterpart and visits NZDF personnelMinister of Defence Peeni Henare held talks in the UK today with his counterpart, Secretary of State for Defence Ben Wallace. The Ministers reiterated the importance of our defence relationship, and reflected on the strong historical and cultural ties between the United Kingdom and New Zealand. Together, they ...6 days ago
- Government takes action to reduce gambling harm from pokiesThe Government is announcing today changes to strengthen the requirements in venues which have pokie (gambling) machines to reduce the harm they cause people. “The changes focus on reducing harm caused by pokies, which can affect both those people gambling and their whānau. In short, they would make the ‘host ...6 days ago
- The Pacific business village comes to AucklandThe Pacific Business Village (the Village) is now going to set up in the Auckland region, said Minister for Pacific Peoples Aupito William Sio. The Ministry secured $15.5 million in Budget 2022 to meet community demand volumes for services to support Pacific businesses and Pacific social enterprises across Aotearoa. “The ...6 days ago
- Government’s health investments making a difference for New ZealandersFewer New Zealanders say cost is a barrier to visiting a GP or getting a prescription. The number of children going hungry has halved over the past decade. Statistics show why the Government has made major investment in mental health. Official statistics released today show the Government’s targeted health investments ...1 week ago
- Speech to the Asia New Zealand FoundationKia koutou, warm pacific greetings.I am delighted we have the opportunity to meet kanohi ki te kanohi and talanoa in-person, I would like to extend my thanks to Adele and her team for organising this event, for us, today; fa’afetai tele lava. I am also delighted to see some rangatahi ...1 week ago
- Major investment in Māori HealthLargest commissioning investment to date from Te Aka Whai Ora | Māori Health Authority boosts funding for Maori health providers $29.3 million for Te Pae Tata | interim New Zealand Health Plan priority areas $13.0 million for Māori primary and community providers $17.6 million for te ao Māori solutions, mātauranga ...1 week ago
- Govt delivers connectivity for rural and remote householdsSome of New Zealand’s most remote communities will receive broadband for the first time thanks to a new Government-led initiative. The Remote Users Scheme will equip as many remote households as possible with the connectivity infrastructure needed to access broadband services, Minister for the Digital Economy and Communications, David Clark ...1 week ago
- Government appoints investigator to work with Christchurch City Council to improve housing supplyAssociate Minister for the Environment, Phil Twyford has appointed an investigator under part 4 of the Resource Management Act, to work with Christchurch City Council on its housing intensification plan. “John Hardie is a skilled and experienced mediator with local knowledge of Christchurch City. The aim of the investigation is ...1 week ago
- New Zealand records lowest smoking rate everStatistics released today show New Zealand’s smoking rate has fallen to an historic low of 8% of adults smoking daily, down from 9.4% a year ago, Associate Minister of Health Dr Ayesha Verrall said. “The Government’s plan to reduce smoking is working. The number of people smoking fell by 56,000 ...1 week ago
- Over 16,000 more new homes to be unlocked with infrastructure bonanzaApproximately 16,600 new homes across New Zealand set to be unlocked by Government’s third tranche of the Infrastructure Acceleration Fund New homes enabled in Hamilton, Auckland, Tauranga, Christchurch, Kawakawa, Kaikohe, Westport, Upper Hutt, Waipukurau, Hokitika and Pahiatua Critical infrastructure projects will get Government support to unlock thousands more homes in ...1 week ago
- New model to better support kids with the highest needsThe Government is committed to designing a system that better supports our kids and young people with the highest needs, Associate Minister of Education Jan Tinetti announced today. The Highest Needs Review was launched in April 2021 and was completed recently, with 1100 submissions received. “Following the feedback from the ...1 week ago
- Firearms Prohibition Orders now in force help to reduce gun harmNew tools to reduce gun crime come into force today, Police Minister Chris Hipkins said. Firearms Prohibition Orders will improve public safety by stopping people whose behaviour and actions represent a high risk of violence from accessing firearms or restricted weapons. “Firearms Prohibition Orders are another measure that will help ...1 week ago
- Crowds gather outside Auckland dairy where worker was killed
It’s Thursday, November 24 – I’m Stewart Sowman-Lund. Get in touch with me on [email protected] DONATE The agenda Crowds have gathered outside an Auckland dairy where a worker was stabbed last night following an aggravated robbery. Nazi memorabilia appears on Trade Me homepage after Mein Kampf apology. Finland’s ...21 mins ago - Welcome to the hyper-ageing nation that is New ZealandNew Zealand’s towns and cities are rapidly becoming ‘hyper-aged’, which will have far-reaching consequences for society and the economy. Population projections show it won’t affect all areas equally, and those most impacted will have difficult decisions to make. Charlie Mitchell reports. This story was first published on Stuff. In the early ...21 mins ago
- It’s the final countdownFor our final episode, there are no guests, no set kaupapa, just your friends Te Kuru, Meriana, Te Aihe and Leonie having a wānanga. It’s not farewell, just goodbye for now! Follow Nē? on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or your favourite podcast provider. ...21 mins ago
- Bitter medicine for NZ economy:is it a poison pill for Ardern administration?
The cost-of-living crisis in NZ has become ugly. And it could get worse. The Reserve Bank is telling us the country will dive into recession from the middle of next year and stay there for a year. Plus there will be 8% mortgage rates and 6% unemployment. For Finance ...35 mins ago - Government Must Extend Fuel Rebate In A Recession
Most Kiwis don’t realise it, but come 31st January, the cost to fill their car will go up $10 to $15 overnight, the price of catching a bus or a train will double, and their road user charges will increase 36% - at a time when inflation is projected ...44 mins ago - TEU Takes Legal Action Over AUT RedundanciesTe Hautū Kahurangi | Tertiary Education Union is taking legal action against AUT that it hopes will curtail plans to make 170 staff members redundant. Kaiwhakahaere | Organiser Jill Jones says “TEU’s preference is to resolve issues such as this ...55 mins ago
- Free Webinar To Raise Awareness About Gender And Family Violencecommunity groups and non-profit organisations encouraged to register webinar is part of The Global 16 Days of Activism against Gender-based Violence, beginning on 25 November Specialist family violence response training service, Shine RESPOND is ...1 hour ago
- Clothes women wanted to wear: a new exhibition explores how Carla Zampatti saw her designs as a trac...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter McNeil, Distinguished Professor of Design History, UTS, University of Technology Sydney Carla Zampatti middriff top and pants, 1971 Photograph: Warwick Lawson The late Carla Zampatti is celebrated in a splendid retrospective Zampatti Powerhouse at the Powerhouse Museum. Planned well before the ...1 hour ago - Rate Hikes Double Inflation Totally UnacceptableThe Ratepayers’ Alliance says that Wayne Brown needs to instruct Auckland Council officials should scrap their summer holidays plans and get to work finding wholesale savings if rate hikes of 14% next year are to be avoided. Reacting to today's news ...1 hour ago
- Wellbeing Report Background Papers PublishedFive background papers were published today to accompany the release of the Treasury’s first wellbeing report, Te Tai Waiora: Wellbeing in Aotearoa New Zealand 2022 . They are the latest in a series of background papers that provide in-depth information ...2 hours ago
- Grant Robertson’s nightmare before ChristmasA grinchy seasonal message from the central bank makes a tough task tougher for Labour, and gave National the chance to tear a target from its own back. Adrian Orr went full Grinch yesterday. Had it been in his power, the Reserve Bank governor would most likely have mandated a ...2 hours ago
- Nazi memorabilia appears on Trade Me homepage after Mein Kampf apologyLast week, The Spinoff’s Alex Casey detailed how Trade Me had apologised after an automatically generated advertisement on Instagram suggested that Mein Kampf might be a good Christmas gift. “We’re really sorry this happened,” said Sally Feinson, Trade Me’s director of brand, explaining that an algorithm error had created the ...2 hours ago
- Fake sales and price hikes: Yes, some Black Friday deals are too good to be trueYour annual warning to watch out for sales scams ahead of this week’s extreme shopping extravaganza. It’s supposed to be the sale to end all sales, the all-you-can-eat buffet of good deals, the crème de la crème of discounts. Forget The Warehouse, this coming Friday is expected to be the ...2 hours ago
- Government Risks Undermining Smokefree GoalThe Government’s push to pass significant pieces of legislation under urgency risks undermining its Smokefree 2025 goal says an expert in tobacco control. “There is a huge risk that if the Government rushes through the Smokefree Environments and ...2 hours ago
- Treasury Overview Of Wellbeing ReleasedThe Treasury today released its first "big picture" overview of wellbeing in New Zealand - Te Tai Waiora: Wellbeing in Aotearoa New Zealand 2022. Treasury Secretary Caralee McLiesh said the report established a lasting evidence base that ...2 hours ago
- An AI named Cicero can beat humans in Diplomacy, a complex alliance-building game. Here’s why that...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Toby Walsh, Professor of AI at UNSW, Research Group Leader, UNSW Sydney Shutterstock In a rare piece of good news from Meta, artificial intelligence researchers at the company have just announced a scientific breakthrough. Their AI program named Cicero can ...3 hours ago
- OCR Hike Disproportionately Hurts Workers – Time For A New ApproachFIRST Union is concerned that yesterday’s unprecedented 75 basis point OCR hike will unnecessarily punish lower-income workers and is calling for a new approach that shares the burden more appropriately. "Yesterday’s monetary policy statement ...3 hours ago
- Pay equity deal to extend to community and iwi social workers – Minister
The government has announced a pay equity deal for community-based social workers expected to benefit 4600 employees. ...4 hours ago - Vigil held outside Sandringham’s Rose Cottage dairy after worker killedCrowds have gathered outside an Auckland dairy where a worker was stabbed last night following an aggravated robbery. According to police, an offender entered the Rose Cottage in Sandringham shortly after 8pm armed with a knife. They took the cash register and during an altercation allegedly stabbed the worker, who ...4 hours ago
- Setting a standard: How our beef and lamb footprint measures up against the worldNew research has found that the carbon footprint of Aotearoa-produced beef and lamb is among the lowest in the world. We took a deeper look at what the report says, and why it matters. So what is this research? Commissioned by Beef + Lamb New Zealand and the Meat Industry ...4 hours ago
- Learning to swim at 30After years of putting it off, Sela Jane Hopgood finally threw herself in the deep end and enrolled in swimming lessons. There’s a Sealord commercial on television where the father takes his daughter to the pools to learn how to swim. She’s nervous, and so the father decides to cook ...4 hours ago
- Finland’s PM to visit New Zealand next weekSome news from last night that you may have missed. Jacinda Ardern will meet with Finland’s prime minister Sanna Marin in New Zealand next week – the first time the two counterparts have met in person. Marin, who is the first Finnish leader to visit New Zealand, will be accompanied ...4 hours ago
- Listen: Kiri Allan, Erica Stanford and Chlöe Swarbrick on five terrible, glorious yearsThis week’s episode of Gone by Lunchtime is a little different, as Toby is joined by rising parliamentary stars Kiri Allan, Erica Stanford and Chlöe Swarbrick in front of a live audience of Spinoff Members. Long time Spinoff readers will remember that Allan, Stanfard and Swarbrick wrote a series of ...4 hours ago
- Is your partner a man-child? No wonder you don’t feel like sexSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Emily Harris, Postdoctoral fellow in psychology, The University of Melbourne Shutterstock A man sits on the couch, watching TV. His partner, a woman, prepares dinner, while mentally ticking off her to-do list. That includes returning her partner’s shirts she’d ordered ...4 hours ago
- We Can’t Eliminate Family Violence If We Don’t Address Its Economic And Financial ImpactsGood Shepherd NZ is recommending an immediate law change to recognise economic abuse as its own form of family violence. It is currently hidden within psychological abuse in the Family Violence Act, which Good Shepherd NZ says is stopping New Zealand from ...5 hours ago
- Elon Musk’s Twitter takeover has disrupted the Christchurch Call – NZ needs to rethink its digit...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Markus Luczak-Roesch, Associate Professor in Information Systems, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington Getty Images Elon Musk’s takeover of Twitter as the new sole private owner has delivered plenty of material for memes. Ironically, much of the debate ...5 hours ago
- Does dermatology cater to all shades of skin?An incident in a high-end Ponsonby skin clinic represents a much bigger problem in dermatology, reports Alex Casey. An Auckland man is speaking out after a procedure at a high-end skin specialist left him with lasting marks on his face, in the hopes that the wider skin industry will ...5 hours ago
- ‘It’s never good to blame the Queen…’The week lost in parliament due to the Queen’s death is being given as the reason why parliament is sitting under urgency all week but that hasn’t washed with Act’s David Seymour, whose response headlines this item (“It’s never good to blame the Queen, but especially for something that she didn’t ...5 hours ago
- Back from the brink: how genome research is helping the recovery of the Chatham Island black robinSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Nicolas Dussex, Postdoctoral researcher, Centre for Palaeogenetics, Stockholm University Wikimedia/Leon Berard, CC BY-ND The story of Old Blue and Old Yellow, two Chatham Island black robins that went on to save their species, is one of New Zealand’s best known ...5 hours ago
- ACT wants to replace temporary work visas with a fee to avoid bureaucracyACT Party leader David Seymour says it needs to be easier for businesses to access skilled workers. ...5 hours ago
- Workers And Employers Celebrate Historic Decision To Extend Pay Equity To All Community-based Social...Workers and employers are welcoming the Government’s decision to extend pay equity to all social workers across Aotearoa New Zealand’s community-based social services. The Government’s decision announced today will mean 4,600 workers will receive ...5 hours ago
- While the PM and O’Connor were announcing VIP visits, Mahuta was pouring out some thoughts on the...
Buzz from the Beehive News of the government hoovering the red carpet for VIP visits and cleaning up the environment by advancing the green cause emerged from the Beehive yesterday, including another announcement of Māori mātauranga being to the fore in the government’s conservation programme. And there was a speech ...6 hours ago - Celebrating Social Work Pay EquityANZASW celebrates another major step forward for social work pay equity. Community and iwi social workers will all now be meaningfully paid and recognised for the work they do, through Cabinet agreeing to extend the recent social work pay equity claim ...6 hours ago
- Climate-fuelled disasters: warning people is good, but stopping the disaster is best. Here are 4 pos...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Roslyn Prinsley, Head, Disaster Solutions, Australian National University Fareed Khan/AP/AAp Climate change is driving a worldwide increase in extreme events. The latest State of the Climate report confirms the risks of disasters are rising in Australia. Repeated floods have devastated ...6 hours ago
- OCR hike: What we know so far and what is being saidThe Reserve Bank is asking people to slow spending and prepare for a recession after hiking the OCR yesterday. Here's what we know so far. ...7 hours ago
- Rawiri Waititi: Māori Will Not Stand For Delays To Healthy Homes StandardsTe Pāti Māori Co-leader Rawiri Waititi is announcing that Te Pāti Māori will oppose the Residential Tenancies (Healthy Homes Standards) Amendment Bill that the Government is passing through all stages under urgency this week. “This is a terrible ...7 hours ago
- Banks Supporting Customers Against Economic AbuseBanks are working to help customers experiencing economic abuse, says the New Zealand Bankers’ Association today ahead of International Economic Harm Awareness Day on November 26th. Economic abuse is a form of family violence that can affect anyone, ...7 hours ago
- Rents Back At An All-time High In OctoberThe national median weekly rent for a property was $580 last month, matching the all-time high first recorded in April, according to the latest Trade Me Property data Trade Me Property Sales Director Gavin Lloyd said after falling to $575 in September, ...7 hours ago
- National’s great tax ‘u-turn’: 39% rate to stayNational has announced it’s ditching its controversial plan to scrap the top tax rate of 39%, using the cover of the growing official cash rate. It comes after the Reserve Bank revealed yesterday that the OCR was being pushed up by 0.75% to 4.25% – a 14-year high. But the ...7 hours ago
- ‘Just cool the jets,’ says Reserve Bank governorAdrian Orr wished the media at the press conference yesterday “a wonderful and sensibly-spending Christmas”. That message wasn’t just for those in the room, writes Anna Rawhiti-Connell in this excerpt from The Bulletin. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday morning, sign up here. Recession from mid-2023 ...7 hours ago
- Dairy Death Demands Urgent Government Action On Dairy SafetyDairy and Business Owners are rallying around the friends and family of the dairy worker senselessly killed for just doing their job, almost a year to the day, after the Dairy and Business Owners’ Group warned the government that a dairy worker ...7 hours ago
- Advocates Call For Permanent Half-price Public TransportThe Free Fares coalition has called on the Minister of Transport to make public transport permanently half price for everyone, and free for certain groups, in a presentation to the Petitions Committee today. “In March we delivered a petition ...7 hours ago
- We know sweatshop clothing is bad – and buy it anyway. Here’s how your brain makes excusesSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Gary Mortimer, Professor of Marketing and Consumer Behaviour, Queensland University of Technology Shutterstock You face a dilemma. You’ve found the perfect shirt, and it’s an absolute bargain, but you notice it’s “Made in Bangladesh”. You’re conscious it was probably made ...8 hours ago
- Spending too much money? Tempted by sales? These ways to ‘hack’ your psychology can helpSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian R. Camilleri, Senior Lecturer in Marketing, University of Technology Sydney Jezael Melgoza/Unsplash It’s late November, which means the holiday sales period has well and truly begun. If you haven’t already seen your spending go up, the possibility is looming. ...8 hours ago
- Think Trump is done for? Think againSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Victoria Cooper, Research associate, University of Sydney Andrew Harnik/AP/AAP The key analysis from the US midterms coverage over the past two weeks have been that the so-called “red wave” turned out to be a ripple and that the Republican Party ...8 hours ago
- Just because someone had COVID before they had a heart attack doesn’t mean it was the causeSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Hassan Vally, Associate Professor, Epidemiology, Deakin University Shutterstock Last week ABC journalist and physician Norman Swan suggested the heart attacks of two high profile people over the past year were unlikely to be a coincidence. The suggestion was that it ...8 hours ago
- Climate-fuelled disasters: warning people is good. Stopping the disaster is best – here are 4 poss...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Roslyn Prinsley, Head, Disaster Solutions, Australian National University Fareed Khan/AP/AAp Climate change is driving a worldwide increase in extreme events. The latest State of the Climate report confirms the risks of disasters are rising in Australia. Repeated floods have devastated ...8 hours ago
- Australian women are largely doing the same jobs they’ve always had, latest data showsSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jeff Borland, Professor of Economics, The University of Melbourne Women are participating in the paid workforce more than ever before. By and large, though, they continue to work in the same jobs females have always had. In the 35 years from 1987 ...8 hours ago
- Watching Casablanca on its 80th anniversary, we remain in awe of its simplicity – and profound dep...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ben McCann, Associate Professor of French Studies, University of Adelaide AP Photo In November 1922, a romantic drama directed by a Hungarian immigrant and starring an ex-naval officer and an obscure Swedish actress was released. The film began shooting without ...8 hours ago
- Don’t cut them off: low-performing students benefit from continued access to loansSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Yu-Wei Luke Chu, Senior Lecturer, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington Getty Images Over the past decade, there has been a growing debate about the value of student loans and the long-term impact of debt for those entering ...9 hours ago
- Every All Blacks and Black Ferns test in 2022, ranked and reviewedOne year. Twenty-five games of international rugby. How many do you remember? Maybe you think ranking all the tests played this year involving New Zealand’s senior 15-a-side representative teams, in other words the Black Ferns and All Blacks, would be a straightforward exercise. More fool you. Weighing up the relative ...10 hours ago
- ‘It was horrific’: Erica Stanford on National’s bleak years – and brighter futureFor a newcomer to parliament after 2017, the National caucus could be a hellish place. At a special Spinoff Members event, Erica Stanford recounted the experience, and how the party got back on track. The Spinoff’s coverage of politics hinges on the support of members – if you can, please ...10 hours ago
- Opposition parties question need for urgent sittings at ParliamentSome bills are set down to progress through all stages, including one delaying implementation of the Clean Car Standard and another extending the deadline for landlords to comply with Healthy Homes standards. ...11 hours ago
- Politics with Michelle Grattan: ‘Teal’ Monique Ryan on the Victorian election and six months in ...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra The Australian National University Dictionary Centre has just announced its word of the year is “teal”. Senior researcher Mark Gwynn described it as an “easy choice”. “The colour came to represent a movement of independent ...21 hours ago
- How and why Australian whistleblowing laws need an overhaul: new reportSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By A J Brown, Professor of Public Policy & Law, Centre for Governance & Public Policy, Griffith University Recent developments in Australian whistleblowing cases have shown how critical it is to get our whistleblower protection laws back up to world standards. Fortunately, ...22 hours ago
- US LGBT nightclub shooting shows why Australia must reform hate crime lawsSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Matteo Vergani, Senior lecturer, Deakin University News of yet another deadly shooting at a United States LGBTIQ+ nightclub has again brought hate crime to the forefront of public conversation. This shocking incident coincides with an inquiry currently underway in Sydney examining ...22 hours ago
- Our favourite international reality shows of 2022There’s no local reality TV to talk about so we are taking a look back at the most memorable international shows of the year. Jane dials in from isolation to recap her beloved Sister Wives and The Bachelorette US, and then Alex and Duncan count down 10 of the best ...22 hours ago
- Adapting to a hotter planet has never been more important, and progress edged forward at COP27Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Johanna Nalau, Research Fellow, Climate Adaptation, Griffith University As the COP27 climate summit drew to a close over the weekend, it’s important to acknowledge that progress was made on climate adaptation – even if more can be done. “Climate adaptation” is a ...23 hours ago
- Submissions Open On The Natural And Built Environment Bill And The Spatial Planning BillHave your say on two of the three bills replacing the Resource Management Act 1991. The Chair of the Environment Committee has called for public submissions on the Natural and Built Environment Bill and the Spatial Planning Bill . The closing date for written ...1 day ago
- Dusty Ponsonby carpark turned into four-screen cinemaYou can grab a pinot at the bar then have goat cheese rolls and sriracha salmon delivered to your chair. Behind a hidden door lies a secret screen capable of showing films in 3D. “We want to elevate the cinema-going experience as much as we can,” says general manager Matthew ...1 day ago
- Migrations of the Maunga: Writing from the Taranaki Māori diaspora is flourishingTina Makereti reviews The Ani Waaka Room by Te Aro Pā poet Debbie Broughton – one of three books by diasporic Taranaki wāhine being published this month. I don’t have the advantage of white privilege. I have the advantage of Taranaki privilege. I have a mountain who believes in me. ...1 day ago
- ‘Kiwis are now paying the price’: National reacts to OCR hikeReaction to today’s record though entirely predictable official cash rate rise has started to roll in, with the National Party sending out a press release simply titled: “Labour has lost control of the economy”. The official cash rate now sits at 4.25%, the highest in 14 years. It’s predicted to ...1 day ago
- Government claims to be moving NZ ahead, but is it one step forward, and one back?The government has welcomed a High Court ruling, with a group of activist lawyers losing a bid to have New Zealand set deeper and steeper cuts in its carbon emissions for the rest of this decade. The group, Lawyers for Climate Action NZ, went to the High Court challenging ...1 day ago
- National's tax policy under review post-OCR hike, Luxon saysNational Party leader Christopher Luxon says everything in its tax policy but indexed tax brackets is now under review, after today's cash rate rise. ...1 day ago
- Reading the room: with NZ’s hate speech laws postponed, where are the limits for comedy?Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By David Jenkins, Lecturer in Political Theory, University of Otago Getty Images After a long and at times divisive public consultation process, the government has opted to make a single change to the Human Rights Act and push the “wider and ...1 day ago
- The best international reality shows of 2022Whether it’s fumbling fugitives, furry friends or faux fights you’re after, the big international reality shows of 2022 had it all. The baubles are up at the mall and the fake tan is sold out at the Chemist Warehouse, which can only mean one thing: the end (of the year) ...1 day ago
- Official cash rate highest in 14 years after record 0.75% riseThe official cash rate has risen to 4.25%, the highest it’s been in 14 years. The 0.75 basis point jump is also the largest in the OCR’s history and comes as the Reserve Bank moves to tackle growing inflation, a cost of living crisis and ongoing international pressures. In a ...1 day ago
- Misleading food labels contribute to babies and toddlers eating too much sugar. 3 things parents can...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jennifer McCann, Lecturer, PhD student, Deakin University Shutterstock Australian infants and toddlers are eating unhealthy amounts of sugar. This is mostly because the products marketed and sold by the processed food industry are high in sugar. Based on the ...1 day ago
- Reaction To Lawyers For Climate Action V Climate Change Commission VerdictCindy Baxter, Coal Action Network Aotearoa spokesperson said: “What’s shocking in this decision is the Court’s ruling that the 1.5C warming limit in the Zero Carbon Act is not legally binding. We call on the government to change the Act accordingly, ...1 day ago
- Te Rawhitiroa Bosch, the everywhere manHe may not be formally trained, but photographer Te Rawhitiroa Bosch has more than made up for that in skill, energy and sheer determination to portray Māori through a fresh, unjaded lens to themselves and others. He’s everywhere. If it’s a Māori gathering of national significance, chances are you’ll catch ...1 day ago
- Higher Interest Rates NecessaryThe Monetary Policy Committee today increased the Official Cash Rate (OCR) from 3.5 percent to 4.25 percent. The Committee agreed that the OCR needs to reach a higher level, and sooner than previously indicated, to ensure inflation returns to within ...1 day ago
- State of the climate: what Australians need to know about major new reportSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Matthew England, Scientia Professor and Deputy Director of the ARC Australian Centre for Excellence in Antarctic Science (ACEAS), UNSW Sydney David Crosling/AAP The latest State of the Climate report is out, and there’s not much good news for Australians. Our ...1 day ago
- Te Rāwhiritoa Bosch, the everywhere manHe may not be formally trained, but photographer Te Rāwhiritoa Bosch has more than made up for that in skill, energy and sheer determination to portray Māori through a fresh, unjaded lens to themselves and others. He’s everywhere. If it’s a Māori gathering of national significance, chances are you’ll catch ...1 day ago
- Te Pāti Māori accuses government of ‘dangerous and reckless’ lawmakingTe Pāti Māori has labelled the government’s decision to push through as many as 20 bills under urgency “dangerous and reckless”. Legislation including the highly controversial three waters reforms along with extensions to Covid-19 laws will be debated this week. Rawiri Waititi, co-leader of Te Pāti Māori, said it could ...1 day ago
- Could the OCR rise by a whole percentage point?It’s Wednesday, November 23 and welcome to The Spinoff’s live updates. I’m Stewart Sowman-Lund, back from the wilderness – a huge thanks to my colleagues for keeping this thing ticking in my absence. Got a story? Reach me on [email protected] DONATE The agenda It’s official cash rate day ...1 day ago
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