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Trump and Musk: One Big Beautiful Break-up
Written By: - Date published: 8:57 pm, June 7th, 2025 - 5 comments
The world’s richest man has fallen out with the President he helped elect. Elliot Crossan asks: does this mark the beginning of the end for Trump 2.0? And might we hope for the same fate to befall the NZ Coalition Govt? January 2025. The richest man in the world walks into the White House as […]
And now, the end is near …
Written By: - Date published: 7:00 pm, April 14th, 2025 - 82 comments
It looks like the three way marriage made in hell is on the rocks.
The Empire strikes back
Written By: - Date published: 5:40 pm, April 13th, 2025 - 7 comments
A recent run on US Government bonds showing possible coordination between different countries may have been the reason that Donald Trump walked back the worst of his tariff changes. And he has also realised the US can’t make cheap IPhones.
The Trump Shock: Why the US President Crashed the Global Economy
Written By: - Date published: 3:28 pm, April 11th, 2025 - 19 comments
There is a method to Trump’s “Liberation Day” tariff madness. The chaos and confusion is deliberate; the aim is nothing less than the controlled disintegration of the world economy, writes Elliot Crossan. The eyes of the world are on Donald Trump once again. The world’s most successful attention-seeker has us all transfixed. It’s a story […]
Trade Like You Mean It: How Aotearoa Can Lead with Values in a Volatile World
Written By: - Date published: 9:49 am, April 5th, 2025 - 36 comments
In an era of weaponised tariffs, crumbling institutions, and trade policy made on the campaign trail, New Zealand’s long game is trust, credibility, and coherence.
If we choose to play it.
US imposes 10% tariff on NZ imports
Written By: - Date published: 1:43 pm, April 3rd, 2025 - 52 comments
While 10% is at the lower end of this unjustified tax, it is very serious for our whole NZ economy.
Yeah, Nah, National Don’t Deserve A Second Term
Written By: - Date published: 3:34 pm, March 27th, 2025 - 23 comments
A response to right wing commentator Matthew Hooton.
Reasons for Optimism
Written By: - Date published: 11:10 am, March 22nd, 2025 - 14 comments
We’re good, but we know we want better leadership.
Great America
Written By: - Date published: 12:23 pm, March 9th, 2025 - 17 comments
The United States of America is in full territorial expansion mode and there is little that anyone can do about it.
Blink twice if you are being held hostage
Written By: - Date published: 10:48 am, March 5th, 2025 - 27 comments
Vladimir Zelensky has apologised to Donald Trump for being the receipient of Trump’s appalling behaviour recently. And Trump has sparked a full on trade war with some of America’s closest allies.
What does Trump have against Canada?
Written By: - Date published: 11:28 am, February 4th, 2025 - 50 comments
And why isn’t New Zealand backing Canada against Trump’s self declared trade war?
Resisting US pressure for NZ to sacrifice itself to defend US hegemony against China
Written By: - Date published: 3:07 pm, July 24th, 2024 - 16 comments
Don Brash is now publicly standing together with Helen Clark to protest against the subservience of recent New Zealand governments to America’s anti-China policy.
Fonterra’s Brand Sale Continues to Drag New Zealand Down
Written By: - Date published: 10:16 am, May 19th, 2024 - 26 comments
Fonterra is a complete construct of the New Zealand state, but it is pulling our entire country down.
What If Trump Wins Again?
Written By: - Date published: 9:25 am, January 14th, 2024 - 65 comments
New Zealand has gained prosperity over 40 years within a free flow of trade under peacetime supported by minor attacks to shipping and planes, low international trade costs such as tariffs, and confidence that international trade disputes will be settled by law rather than by might is at risk: all of that required a United States President prepared to support that.
Not all Americans are Neocons
Written By: - Date published: 1:13 pm, January 13th, 2024 - 14 comments
But the ones that run US foreign policy are. Matthew Hooton in a typical smear wants to label Helen Clark as anti-American because she warned that involving us in attacking Houthis was a ”slippery slope.” She’s not and he’s wrong.
This Election we need to talk About China
Written By: - Date published: 11:05 am, September 4th, 2023 - 70 comments
Yes we could do the next five weeks on teeth and taxes, but actually China is pulling us down and our political parties need to make it an election issue.
Self-destructive stupidity, New Zealand style
Written By: - Date published: 5:51 am, August 27th, 2023 - 25 comments
Belief in capricious gods would explain the perplexing habit of governments with intelligent and informed people to embrace policies which are manifestly an example of self-destructive stupidity. Clever people doing stupid things.
Really Small States in Really Big Conflicts
Written By: - Date published: 8:01 am, May 9th, 2023 - 16 comments
In case we just missed it, New Zealand really has picked a side. Prime Minister Hipkins will head to the NATO summit in Lithuania together with Australia, Japan and South Korean leaders. Also Vladimir Zelinskyy is intending to go as well.
Really Small States in Really Big Conflicts
Written By: - Date published: 7:50 pm, April 20th, 2023 - 10 comments
We didn’t need the Russian invasion of Ukraine to tell us that great power competition is back, since China and the United States and Russia had been going at it well before even COVID temporarily messed up the multilateral trade system upon which we had built our little country. But it’s made it worse, and so we’re picking a side, and that side is NATO.
The Drums of War – Again
Written By: - Date published: 4:12 pm, March 20th, 2023 - 38 comments
On 20 March 2003 the US invaded Iraq, on the basis that it had and could use weapons of mass destruction. That was a lie. Australia joined President Bush ‘coalition of the willing’, New Zealand did not. The drums of war beat strong then, they are doing so again now. This time China is the target.
India and Free Trade – finally someone turned the lights on
Written By: - Date published: 12:26 pm, December 19th, 2022 - 16 comments
After nearly 20 years of frustrating ‘Free Trade’ talks between India and New Zealand, the chair of the India New Zealand Business Council (INZBC), Earl Rattray, has acknowledged that “a different approach to the traditional Free Trade Agreements which have served us well in many markets will be needed for India.” Whew. About time.
Push Back Against Tyranny and Win
Written By: - Date published: 8:48 am, December 17th, 2022 - 136 comments
Australia is showing New Zealand how to resist the authoritarian Xi Jinping’s pressure and stay prosperous at the same time.
How Brexit Shanked Britain
Written By: - Date published: 8:05 am, October 17th, 2022 - 23 comments
The political and economic disasters now unfolding in Britain are the responsibility of the Conservative Party from their 2016 Brexit vote through to now.
Will We Go Down With China?
Written By: - Date published: 11:24 am, August 22nd, 2022 - 19 comments
Muchn’all as I try and stay positive about New Zealand’s economic direction, our reliance on China is getting much, much worse, and we need to move as China declines.
Ardern significantly improves EU Free Trade deal
Written By: - Date published: 11:13 am, July 2nd, 2022 - 26 comments
Before her involvement in the European Union Free Trade Agreement negotiations Jacinda Ardern was accused of “scattering stardust” in a vain attempt to get an agreement over the line. If this is an example of Jacinda scattering stardust then long may she continue to do so.
Foot-shooting the sanctions’ lockstep
Written By: - Date published: 6:41 pm, June 18th, 2022 - 45 comments
RNZ’s “The Detail” asked are New Zealand’s sanctions against Russia working? They aren’t, but one detail we learnt that MFAT has 100 staff members assigned to sorting out their complications!! What a waste.
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.
The world in 6 months
Written By: - Date published: 8:59 am, March 15th, 2022 - 117 comments
In six months time the world could be in a very precarious position.
Is This The Boom We Wanted?
Written By: - Date published: 11:20 am, March 4th, 2022 - 65 comments
New Zealand’s time as high end ingredients producer to the world has arrived. But it has big costs.
Covid alters Auckland
Written By: - Date published: 8:43 am, November 3rd, 2021 - 22 comments
With in-person shopping about to re-start in Auckland next week, this is the best moment we will have to reinvent Auckland: one customer at a time.
The Covid vaccine rollout
Written By: - Date published: 10:48 am, October 30th, 2021 - 185 comments
Matt Nippert’s in depth article in the Herald this morning provides a well researched deep insight into the Government’s vaccine roll out. And as it progresses the New Zealand response places us mid table and improving in the OECD vaccination comparison and gives us some hope that the Delta outbreak may be controlled.
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- Another piece of critical infrastructure in foreign hands? Not without conditions
Gas still plays a role in powering Australia, even as the country transitions towards a fully renewable energy system. The link between gas supplies, national resilience and economic prosperity means that any decision affecting its ...6 hours ago - Bookshelf: How China won over America, and then lost it
In the four decades before 2010, the United States maintained a policy of engagement with China, notwithstanding such fluctuations as the reaction to the Tiananmen Square massacre. China won over the US through generally reformist ...7 hours ago
- Stealing from their victims
Between 1950 and 1993 the New Zealand government tortured and abused up to 250,000 children in residential care facilities. Following decades of cover-up and denial, dragging out cases, slandering their victims, and denying redress, the government finally gave a two-faced "apology" last year. You might think that that would mean ...8 hours ago - In All Honesty
Nobody's got the heart to tell you where to goBut in all honestyFuck offFuck offJust F-U-C-K O-F-F, fuck offSong: Billie Joe Armstrong, Mike Dirnt & Tré Cool.A disclaimer: Please be aware that this newsletter is about David Seymour and therefore contains swear words; however, not the one that is forever ...11 hours ago - “Quick, Dirty and Affable” Chris Bishop
Opinion/Analysis:Chris Bishop, the man who wants to be PM, is not interested in “local control, local democracy” anymore now that Labour have been turfed from power. Subscribe nowNor does he appear interested in democracy at all.Similarly changed is the organisation his father, the late John Bishop, helped to set up ...12 hours ago - Treasury’s Austerity Advice Should Be Ignored
The National-led government, under Christopher Luxon’s watch, is steering New Zealand toward a grim horizon, guided by Treasury’s cold, austerity-obsessed hand. It’s a betrayal of ordinary Kiwis, workers, families, small businesses, who are being financially crushed to pad the pockets of the ultra-wealthy. The 2025 NBR Rich List exposes the ...12 hours ago - What if Clausewitz had a sister?
Carl von Clausewitz’s On War remains one of the foundational texts on strategy. It’s quoted in war colleges, cited in white papers, and clutched by officers the world over trying to sound profound in briefings. ...12 hours ago
- Taiwan’s accession to Pacific trade pact would uphold economic order
The Indo-Pacific’s economic and security architecture is under strain. Strategic competition, supply chain fragility and the contesting of trade norms demand bold moves—greater efforts in strengthening diplomatic and economic ties and supporting the rules-based order. ...15 hours ago
- Gordon Campbell On Sacrificing Worker Rights On The Altar Of Commerce
In the interests of efficiency, maybe Brooke van Velden should just outsource her Workplace Relations and Safety Ministry to Business NZ and be done with it. Because (obviously) corporate wishes are her command. Within a short time in the job, van Velden has trashed a decade of pay equity work, ...23 hours ago - Forging a stronger defence partnership in a time of strategic risk
Book clubs aren’t typically my thing. Like many tech CEOs, my calendar is a blur of calls across multiple time zones. But when David Tudehope from Macquarie Technology Group handed me a hardcopy of Freedom’s ...1 day ago
- Hotel Rwanda: Paul Rusesabagina
Paul Rusesabagina was the manager of Hôtel des Mille Collines in Kigali when the Rwanda genocide began in April 1994. The movie Hotel Rwanda was inspired by his actions in preventing the massacre of over 1200 Hutu and Tutsi refugees hiding in the Hotel. He was awarded the Presidential Medal ...1 day ago - More unnatural ACT policy
1 day ago - The West should still look towards peeling Russia away from China
As tensions grow between China and the West, and Moscow drifts further into Beijing’s orbit, a strategic question is emerging. In 1971, the United States opened to Mao’s China to weaken the Soviet Union. Could ...1 day ago
- Dismantling the state
The New Zealand state has traditionally taken an expansive role in our society, providing health, education, and welfare systems to enrich and enable all our people. But ACT's weirdo radicals want to change that, and are directing the weak National government into enacting their agenda of dismantling the state. There's ...1 day ago
- Chris Luxon’s Turbocharged Comms Disasters
Christopher Luxon’s neoliberal government is lurching from one communications disaster to another, making a complete mockery of their promise to govern with transparency and competence. The PM’s incessant bleating about “turbocharging the economy” is laughably detached from reality, while Ministers such as Brooke van Velden and Tama Potaka trip over ...1 day ago
- Mammoth Money Heist
Last year, Health Minister Shane Reti and Prime Minister Chris Luxon visited Auckland’s Ormiston private hospital to talk up privatisation.Everything was up for grabs, Luxon said - “schools, health, hospitals, roads, 3 Waters investment”1. The Prime Minister also inferred he was talking to finance related companies, echoing Former NZ Health ...1 day ago - Tuesday 17 June
The Government is considering cutting sick leave entitlements for part-time workers. Brooke van Velden has introduced a new bill which legislate changes to personal grievances, the 30-day rule and the ability of workers to test their employment status in court. NZEI is considering legal action against the government’s decision to ...1 day ago - Radical employment bill threatens every NZ worker
The New Zealand Council of Trade Unions Te Kauae Kaimahi is urging all political parties to vote against Brooke van Velden’s new Employment Relations Amendment Bill, as it will severely undermine workers’ rights. “This new Bill will legislate many of the attacks on workers’ rights signalled by Brooke van Velden, ...2 days ago
- Update: On RNZ and Ruth Hill
Hi,Firstly, I just wanted to say thanks for all the outpouring of comments you left under yesterday’s story about Alex — and thanks to all of those who shared the article. It’s a huge help to my work when you share it. Again, here is the link to Alex’s story ...2 days ago - Undersea mining push could echo in Antarctica
An executive order by the United States in April authorising expanded engagement in seabed mining reflects shifting approaches to the governance of critical mineral resources in areas beyond national jurisdiction. As legal frameworks evolve beneath ...2 days ago
- Short and Silly
Morena, folks, I’m in a bit of a rush this morning with an appointment, so today it’s something short and silly.No, not your Miniature of Health, although Simeon certainly fits the description if that’s who came to mind. I’m talking about the grand Poobah, your Prime Minister, Christopher Luxon.Yes, our ...2 days ago - No guardrails: Australia’s messy rules for using the military on home soil
Australia needs clearer guidelines around domestic deployments. Australia’s constitution mirrors many key features of the United States, including a provision that allows federal troops to intervene domestically in states. But unlike the US, Australia has ...2 days ago
- Van Velden Continues Be A Cunt To Women Workers
Van Velden shows her inexperience — and the privilege of the MPs surrounding her — as she announces potential new sick leave for part time workers doing the types of jobs she wouldn’t deign to call “real work”. Her older, more established colleagues are equally sheltered, or equally uncaring. David ...2 days ago - 10 ways that Trump’s tax bill would undermine his energy promises
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections President Donald Trump has promised to reduce gas prices, improve energy security, create domestic manufacturing jobs, boost the economy, and ensure that Americans breathe the cleanest air. But by gutting the Inflation Reduction Act, or IRA, Congress’ big new budget bill would undermine all of these objectives – ...2 days ago - Israel is Lying About Iran’s Nuclear Weapons Capability
Israel’s unprovoked airstrikes on Iran, justified by baseless claims of Iran’s nuclear ambitions, expose a glaring double standard in global politics. While Israel, an undeclared nuclear power, operates beyond international scrutiny, Iran faces relentless pressure, even as a signatory to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), despite ...2 days ago
- The Israel-Iran war reveals the danger of a piecemeal approach to statecraft
Australia’s approach to the Israel-Iran war has so far been based on a flawed model of statecraft. It’s one that tends to balkanise problems into convenient buckets, to be tackled piecemeal, rather than recognising the ...2 days ago
- No aid without access: transforming Darwin into a regional humanitarian hub
As climate volatility increases and regional instability looms, Australia should consider developing Darwin into the Indo-Pacific’s leading humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR) hub. This will require recognition of Darwin’s strategic value beyond defence, funding ...2 days ago
- Today in dysfunctional government
The big news this morning was that the Prime Minister thought the government he leads was going to steal your sick leave. But apparently even the ACT zealots could see that that would deeply unpopular, so they've "clarified" that the Prime Minister was wrong, and really they're just going to ...2 days ago
- Government turns its back on workers’ safety
The New Zealand Council of Trade Unions Te Kauae Kaimahi is dismayed by the Government’s decision to abstain from the new International Labour Organization (ILO) Convention on biological hazards that would strengthen worker protections. “This Convention provides a comprehensive framework for preventing and managing biological workplace health and safety issues,” ...2 days ago
- 90% of NZ Lawyers Linked to Panama Papers Still Practicing
Back in 2016, the Panama Papers ripped the veil off New Zealand’s squeaky-clean image, exposing our foreign trust regime as a playground for tax dodgers and money launderers. The leak of 11.5 million documents from Mossack Fonseca, a Panamanian law firm, revealed how Kiwi lawyers facilitated secretive trusts for the ...2 days ago
- 41 questions
I’m pretty tied up for the next couple of weeks so unless there are significant new developments (things like, for example, complying with the OIA) this will be my final post on events around the Orr resignation for the time being. We know from what the Reserve Bank did choose ...2 days ago - Thinking about Chinese Australians: how to mention the war
After the federal elections of 2022 and 2025, a certain supposed truth is taking root in Australian political discourse—namely, that discussion of potential conflict involving China is politically disadvantageous, because it is likely to have ...3 days ago
- Wish Giver
For paid subscribers - Van Velden steers WorkSafe toward a softer touch has an interesting revelation about Brooke Van Velden’s Worksafe reforms.Not only is the Minister transforming Worksafe from enforcement to a soft ‘advisor’ mandate, she “wants to see more prosecutions of workers” and “reduce the obligations on directors.”Think about ...3 days ago - Read About It
You've got the words to change a nationBut you're biting your tongueYou've spent a lifetime stuck in silenceAfraid you'll say something wrongIf no one ever hears it, how we gonna learn your song?Songwriters: Emily Sande / Benjamin Kohn / Iain James / Peter Kelleher / Stephen Manderson / Thomas Barnes.Morena, ...3 days ago - Mapping India-Pakistan military power
India strives to render Pakistan strategically irrelevant to better focus its attention on China. But neither Pakistan nor China has an interest in allowing that to happen. It’s an ongoing saga of which we saw ...3 days ago
- The Life and Death of Alex
Note: This story contains sensitive content, including discussion of eating disorders and disordered eating. Please read with caution.Hi,Last week, Radio New Zealand published a story about a 17-year old trans man who had tragically died, alone, in 2023.It was an extensive, detailed piece from journalist Ruth Hill — over 3500 ...3 days ago - Resources & Support For Trans Teens
Hi,In light of today’s piece about Alex, it’s important to share some places where support can be found.To prevent further loss of life, we need to help families support trans young people, ensure medical and social services are equipped to understand and respond to their needs, and resource community organisations ...3 days ago - Gordon Campbell On The West’s War Against Iran
Clearly, the world needs to stop talking about Israel’s right to defend itself, and start talking about the world’s need to defend itself against Israel. Gaza, Lebanon, Iran….these have become the stepping stones in Israel’s plan to expand its rule, unrivalled, over all the land between the river and the ...3 days ago
- 2025 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #24
A listing of 28 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, June 8, 2025 thru Sat, June 14, 2025. Stories we promoted this week, by category: Climate Science and Research (8 articles) Stefan Rahmstorf - Atlantic ocean circulation: a ...3 days ago
- Ruth Richardson Is Wrong on NZ Super
3 days ago
- Assassination of Democratic Lawmakers in America Predictable
Cartoonist: Musa GusmusOpinion:The assassination of Democrat lawmakers in America is regrettably predictable. Democratic House Speaker Emerita Melissa Hortman, 55, and her husband, Mark, 58, were both shot and killed at their home in Brooklyn Park in what Gov. Tim Walz called a “politically motivated assassination.”Another couple were also attacked: DFL ...3 days ago - A message from Chris
The New Zealand Prime Minister, a Mr Christopher Luxon, pleads with the world to take him seriously. ...4 days ago - Why the Regulatory Standards Bill is dangerous to New Zealand’s democracy
There’s a post still coming about farming and our future that spans oceans and centuries, but I’m sending something else today because time is of the essence. So: first some memories, and then some words from Sir Geoffrey Palmer about Seymour’s goddam bill.Before I share with you something written by ...4 days ago - Fact brief – Was 1934 the hottest year in the global record?
Skeptical Science is partnering with Gigafact to produce fact briefs — bite-sized fact checks of trending claims. You can submit claims you think need checking via the tipline. Was 1934 the hottest year in the global record? 1934 was a particularly hot year in the contiguous United States, but not globally ...4 days ago
- A Successful Loss to Worstfish [Chess Nonsense]
I have played less chess in recent times, largely out of frustration at my internet connection cutting out in the middle of Blitz games. But I have not given up my hope of ... 4 days ago - NZ rich suck up more of our wealth
The NBR rich list has been published for 2025. The combined wealth of the 130 listed is $102.1 billion. In 2015 the 180 individuals and families listed had a combined wealth of $55 billion. According to the Reserve bank inflation calculator the percentage of change over the last decade was 32.9%. Given that ...4 days ago - Willis and Quigley
Yes, that subject again/still. Today, three main points: the comments by the Minister, including claims that she didn’t know why Orr had resigned the latest set of Quigley comments given to Newsroom’s Jonathan Milne, and (largely for the record) restating events around MPC appointments that are minimised by Milne ...4 days ago
- No Kings
No hatred, no violenceNo starvation and no greedAnd no kings, no kingsNo kingsNo lies and no bulletsNo bombs and no needFor kings, no kingsNo kingsSong: Jesse Welles.Morena, all, as I begin writing, the missiles are flying, and it doesn’t matter which side is right or wrong to the people they ...5 days ago - The One Who Saw Too Much: Published
Back in September 2024, I had an acceptance for a Gothic Horror piece called The One Who Saw Too Much (3,600 words): https://phuulishfellow.wordpress.com/2024/09/28/the-one-who-saw-too-much-accepted/ In a nice bit of news, it has now been published in audio format at the Tales to Terrify podcast (https://talestoterrify.com/): https://talestoterrify.com/episodes/698-daniel-stride-rachel-bolton-stoker/ As commented before, this one ...5 days ago - Far from ruinous, the US AUKUS review is routine
News that the US Department of Defence has launched an AUKUS review has Canberra’s defence circles in overdrive, with familiar critics already proclaiming the pact is ‘sinking’. Yet this outbreak of anxiety poses a bigger danger than ...5 days ago
- On Complicity
Hi,I have left the United States. But it’s much less dramatic than it sounds.This is a trip I’d been planning for months, and it has taken me out of the US. I’m in Manchester, here to see my best friend Rosabel who’s working on a project here in the land ...5 days ago - Geoffrey Miller: New Zealand’s response to Israeli strikes against Iran
Israel’s strikes against Iran will form the backdrop to New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon’s upcoming trip to China. Speaking in the immediate aftermath of the strikes at a scheduled press conference on Friday, Luxon characterised the strikes by Israel as ‘potentially catastrophic for the Middle East’, observing ‘the last ...5 days ago - Why Wellbeing?
The Government’s plans to remove the wellbeing provisions in the Public Finance Act represents a reversal of the way society is travelling. I welcomed the Ardern-Robertson’s Government decision to focus on wellbeing in its budgets. It went on to amend the Public Finance Act to require the government to state ...5 days ago - Don’t talk about our weight
Australia must stop talking about being a middle power that punches above its weight. Talking about it is far less interesting to the rest of the world than Australia actually doing it. The occasion for ...5 days ago
- Don’t panic: the US AUKUS review could strengthen the partnership
The Trump administration has ordered a review of AUKUS to be led by Undersecretary of Defense Policy Elbridge Colby. The review has some attendant risks, but also a potential upside for the three-way partnership. The ...5 days ago
- Pre-emptive or preventative?
I do not mean to be pedantic about this sort of thing, but since it lies within my area of supposed “expertise,” here goes: Unlike what is being reported in the corporate media and by some defense officials, the Israeli strike on Iran was not “pre-emptive.” “Pre-emptive” means “a sudden ...5 days ago - Goebbels’ favourite bird
1. What would you let David Seymour or the people he put on a board decide for you?a. Whether to order the chicken or the flounderb. Whether to watch Dept Q or Sirens on Netflixc. Whether to read Ayn Rand or smack my head with a frypand. Nothing, not one ...5 days ago - The Patupaiarehe Concerto: Accepted
New story acceptance. My 2,000-word New Zealand folk-horror piece, The Patupaiarehe Concerto, has been accepted by Eternal Haunted Summer for their upcoming Summer Solstice issue, which has an overarching theme of music (https://eternalhauntedsummer.com/). ... 5 days ago - An open letter to Prime Minister Luxon – Will he listen?
Excerpt: Open Letter to the Prime Minister of Aotearoa New Zealand, the Rt Hon Christopher LuxonRe: The Regulatory Standards Bill..This legislation would:Impose financial penalties on environmental action, making it a new and unprecedented expectation that the Crown would compensate corporations when laws to protect nature or the climate affect the ...5 days ago - Ukraine war enters new stage – an anti-terrorist operation?
The post-coup Ukrainian government was the first to declare an anti-terrorist war – although their forces were the ones carrying ut terrorist acts against civilians in Eastern Ukraine. Russian politicians are starting to discuss the necessity of escalating the Russia-Ukraine war from a limited military operation into ...5 days ago - Silent risk to net-zero commitment: climate policy meets national security
Australia faces a growing dilemma: in attempting to ease genuine climate challenges, it is creating national security vulnerabilities by embedding Chinese smart technologies in critical infrastructure. This includes solar inverters and batteries. Electric vehicles, too, ...5 days ago
- Quigley, Orr, and the RB board: edition number 965
This morning as the Quigley/Orr/Board saga rumbles on I wanted to touch on three items: the latest comments from Board chair Neil Quigley (and the Minister’s comments on and to him) a reminder of where this all started, with the Board unanimously approving a budget last year far in ...6 days ago
- Let’s diversify our space partnerships—and build some self-reliance
Australia’s long-term interests in space are best served by independent capability, diversified international partnerships and a civil-led strategy that reflects national priorities. As global competition intensifies, Australia must avoid tying its trajectory to the political ...6 days ago
- Bernard Hickey, Peter Bale, Cathrine Dyer, Robert Patman & Andrew Gunn ‘Hoon’ around the new...
The podcast above of the weekly ‘Hoon’ webinar for paying subscribers on Thursday night features co-hosts and talking with regular guests and about the week’s news in geopolitics and climate. This week’s Hoon featured special guest New Zealand freelance journalist Andrew Gunn speaking from Kyiv.The Hoon’s ...6 days ago
- Chantelle Baker Gets a $100,000 Reality Check
It’s a rare day when the New Zealand courts deliver a sharp reminder to the right-wing that actions have consequences, even for those who’ve built a career on peddling disinformation. Chantelle Baker, the self-styled “citizen journalist” and darling of New Zealand’s anti-vax, anti-government fringe, has been ordered to pay a whopping ...6 days ago
- The Bewildering World of Christopher Luxon – Back on Track…
..The latest two out of three polls for National are - to put it mildly - troubling.Fresh on the heels of Minister Nicola ‘NoBoats' Willis' austerity budget and the scrapping of thirtythree pay equity agreements to fund tax cuts for the already-rich, the public's appetite for this rightwing coalition government ...6 days ago - Trying to attract a stranded asset
Shane Jones is an outdated fossil of a minister. Born in 1959, his model of how our economy and society should look is stuck sometime in the late 70's: a dirty, fossil-fuel powered, racist, sexist, homophobic shitstain of a country which most of us never experienced, and most of those ...6 days ago
- Skeptical Science New Research for Week #24 2025
Open access notables A Rapid Deterioration of the Transmissive Atmospheric Radiative Regime in the Western Arctic, Bertossa & L’Ecuyer, Geophysical Research Letters: The tendency for the atmosphere to reside in one of two radiative states (“transmissive” or “opaque”) is unique to the high latitudes. This phenomenon makes the Arctic climate ...6 days ago
- You call that a defence industry?
Australia’s defence manufacturers are essentially a cottage industry, with the average supplier employing only 13 people and achieving net annual sales of about $2.2 million. These averages, drawn from the annual review of the industry ...6 days ago
- The Climate Catastrophe
Dr Robert Howell UN Secretary General: We are sleepwalking to climate catastrophe. In facing this wake up call, Dr Howell will describe the lessons to be learned from Wesfamers; the work of the External Reporting Board; the National Climate Change Risk Assessment for New Zealanders; and the Dasgupta Review.Dr Robert Howell ...6 days ago
- Taiwan has 12 diplomatic partners left. Who’ll drop it next?
Beneath Taiwan’s high-profile fight for global recognition lies a parallel contest in capitals scattered across the Caribbean and the Pacific. This is Beijing’s relentless campaign to isolate Taiwan diplomatically—country by country—until Taipei is left with ...6 days ago
- Keep Perfectly Calm
There is no depression in New ZealandThere are no sheep on our farmsThere is no depression in New ZealandWe can all keep perfectly calmPerfectly calm…Songwriters: Donald Bain Mcglashan / Richard Paul Von Sturmer.The National Party and farmers go together like Vogels and Vegemite - a classic Kiwi combo, based on ...6 days ago - Short Term At All Costs: Tend Healthcare Wins & More
My Food Bag Co-Founders’ Tend Health approved to become a Government Primary Health Organisation (PHO)Opinion and analysis:In April, I wrote about My Food Bag Co-Founders James and Cecilia Robinson telehealth organisation, Tend, and its positive chances of securing government contracts.An industry contact wrote this in response to me at the ...7 days ago - The hole in Canada’s intelligence system is ASIS-shaped
A hardy perennial in Ottawa politics is whether Canada should create a foreign intelligence service equivalent to the United States’ Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) or Britain’s Secret Intelligence Service (SIS, aka MI6). If it does, ...7 days ago
- Thursday 12 June
Council of Trade Unions Secretary Melissa Ansell-Bridges has taken New Zealand’s pay equity fight to the International Labour Organisation conference in Geneva. Opposition parties say the government should be going much further, much faster in sanctioning Israel. Government ministers did not get advice on what the changes to pay equity ...7 days ago
- Release: Govt overreach removes power from local councils
Ministers will now be able to override the decisions of councils and locally elected officials. ...13 hours ago - ECE funding review must centre tamariki
The Government’s review of Early Childhood Education funding, announced today, is a clear and appalling reflection of its priorities, with a ministerial group being directed to balance “quality and affordability for services”. ...1 day ago - ERA changes hurt workers, pander to big business
The Green Party says proposed changes to the Employment Relations Act announced today by the Government will further undermine workers’ rights while pandering to big business. ...1 day ago
- Release: Govt Bill strips vital job protections from workers
The Employer Relations Amendment Bill will make work even less secure for Kiwis. ...2 days ago
- Release: Government is full of it on homelessness
The Government continues to deny its policies are contributing to homelessness in New Zealand, despite being told they are. ...2 days ago
- Govt’s private hospital contracts little more than Band-Aid
The Government’s directive to give private hospitals 10-year outsourcing contracts to perform elective surgeries is yet another step down the path of privatisation in our healthcare system. ...2 days ago
- Sick Leave is a Right, Not a Reward- Ngarewa-Packer
Te Pāti Māori is calling out the Government’s proposed changes to sick leave entitlements as a cruel step backwards that punishes low-income, part-time, single parents and essential workers. We staunchly support the concerns raised by PSA National Secretary, Fleur Fitzsimons, that this move will disproportionately harm wāhine, who are most ...2 days ago
- Greens show Willis’ fiscal straight-jacket is junk, validate case for strong public investment
The Green Party has released its fiscal strategy, demonstrating how we can and must invest in the real-world needs of our country, planet and people. ...2 days ago
- Concern over signs Govt will reduce sick leave for workers
The Green Party is calling on the Prime Minister to stand up for workers’ rights for once and rule out reducing sick leave entitlements. ...3 days ago
- Out of Sight, Out of Mana- Rotorua Lakes Council’s Callous Attack on Homeless Whānau
Te Pāti Māori Co-leader and MP for Waiariki, Rawiri Waititi, has slammed the Rotorua Lakes Council’s treatment of homeless whānau as “inhumane and disgraceful,” following the forced police removal of people sleeping outside the Salvation Army on Amohia Street yesterday. “Our most vulnerable whānau were woken by police, trespassed like ...6 days ago
- Biodiversity credit won’t fix damage done by Luxon Govt
The Green Party says the Government’s newly announced Biodiversity Credit scheme is a tiny positive that doesn’t undo the biodiversity harm caused by the Luxon Government. ...6 days ago
- New report confirms Oranga Tamariki is failing tamariki and Government is failing Māori
A new report, ‘Outcomes for tamariki and rangatahi Māori and their whānau in the oranga tamariki system 2023/24,’ has confirmed that Oranga Tamariki is severely failing our most vulnerable Māori youth. ...1 week ago
- Release: PM must stop changes further failing children
Today’s damning report on Oranga Tamariki shows Māori children are being left with little chance of success, or even survival, after their experiences in the state care system, and Minister for Children Karen Chhour is making it worse. ...1 week ago
- Government rightfully sued over illegal climate ‘plan’
Last week, world-leading climate scientists called out the Government’s approach to agricultural emissions. This week, climate lawyers have sued the Government because its Emissions Reductions Plans do not add up. ...1 week ago
- Release: Changes to stalking Bill important step for women’s safety
Parliament today took an important step to improve women’s safety with the Government moving closer to Labour’s position on how stalking should be defined in law. ...1 week ago
- Te Pāti Māori Demands Safe Passage of Madleen to Gaza
Te Pāti Māori condemns the Israeli navy’s armed interception of the Madleen, a civilian aid vessel carrying food, medical supplies, and international activists to Gaza, including Greta Thunberg. Communications of the Madleen have been cut, and there is no knowing if the crew are safe and unharmed. This is the ...1 week ago
- Greens call for safe passage of Madleen and Government to sanction Israel
The Green Party is calling for the safe passage of the Madleen, a civilian aid vessel on course to Gaza, following the Freedom Flotilla being seized by the Israeli Military and urging the New Zealand Government to sanction Israel for its illegal occupation of Palestine. ...1 week ago
- Rich get much richer, driving inequality and poverty
The 2025 NBR Rich List makes immediately obvious the need for a fair tax system, says the Green Party. ...1 week ago
- Release: Manawatū Gorge replacement opens toll-free
Thanks to a successful community-led campaign backed by Labour, Lower North Island locals are today celebrating the toll-free opening of Te Ahu a Turanga – Manawatū Tararua Highway. ...1 week ago
- Govt parent boost changes prioritise rich over poor
The Green Party is calling out the Government’s parent boost changes that benefit a wealthier minority while doing nothing to help reunite thousands of migrant families. ...1 week ago
- Release: Timid tariff response fails New Zealanders
The Government is failing New Zealanders by ‘being comfortable’ with a 10 percent tariff on all goods going into the US. ...2 weeks ago
- Green Party condemns decision to suspend Te Pāti Māori MPs
The Green Party condemns the unprecedented decision to suspend Te Pāti Māori co-leaders Debbie Ngarewa-Packer and Rawiri Waititi for 21 days, and MP for Hauraki-Waikato Hana-Rāwhiti Maipi-Clarke for 7 days. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Reserve Bank predicts more job losses
The Reserve Bank’s Monetary Policy Statement predicts a sluggish economy with higher inflation and more job losses. ...2 weeks ago
- Luxon must end climate denial speculation
The Greens welcome the open letter from world-leading climate scientists to the Prime Minister, urging his Government to abandon any plan to water down climate targets. ...2 weeks ago
- Govt’s budget balanced on the backs of low-income families
The Government is quietly leaving some of our poorest families hundreds of dollars worse off, ignoring warnings that changes to the accommodation supplement and public housing subsidies will disproportionately target disabled, older, Māori, Pasifika, and young people. ...3 weeks ago
- Indonesia Press Remarks – Remarks to media alongside Indonesian Foreign Minister Sugiono
Good Morning. It is a pleasure to be in Jakarta again today. Indonesia is an absolute priority for the New Zealand government, which is why we have now visited here four times since re-taking office as New Zealand Foreign Minister in late 2023. Indonesia is one of New Zealand’s oldest friends ...5 days ago - Foreign Minister visit strengthens ties with Indonesia
Foreign Minister Winston Peters’ visit to Indonesia today has secured tangible progress in New Zealand’s relationship with Southeast Asia’s most populous nation. “Indonesia is an indispensable partner for New Zealand,” Mr Peters says. “Demonstrating our commitment to the relationship, this is our fourth visit to Indonesia in the past 18 ...5 days ago
- Joint Statement: By the Foreign Ministers of the Republic of Indonesia and New Zealand at the 12th J...
His Excellency Sugiono, Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia, and Rt Hon Winston Peters, Minister of Foreign Affairs of New Zealand, convened the 12th meeting of the Joint Ministerial Commission (JMC) on 13th June 2025 in Jakarta, Indonesia. The Ministers welcomed meeting in person, underscoring the importance ...5 days ago
- New modular units will expand bed capacity during hospital upgrades
At least four new rapidly deployable relocatable inpatient units will be rolled out across the country to ensure hospitals can continue delivering care to patients while major infrastructure projects are underway, Health Minister Simeon Brown says. “These new inpatient units – part of the Government’s $1 billion Budget 2025 investment ...5 days ago
- Skilled trades on fast track to residence
The Government is tackling talent shortages in manufacturing and boosting New Zealand’s economic recovery by fast-tracking residency for skilled tradespeople. “We know how important skilled workers are to the resilience of the manufacturing sector. When we don’t have enough people to fill these roles, productivity slows, business growth stalls and the ...5 days ago
- High Court Associate Judge appointed
Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of Liz Gellert as an Associate Judge of the High Court. Associate Judge Gellert graduated from the University of Auckland in 2003 with a Bachelor of Laws (Honours) and a Bachelor of Arts. She was a law clerk with David Williams KC before ...5 days ago
- $33 million into more classrooms for Central North Island Schools
The Government is delivering 32 more safe, warm and dry classrooms and a major school redevelopment for Kiwi kids living in the Central North Island. “As communities continue to grow, we remain committed to future-proofing our education system so parents have certainty about where to send their child to school. ...5 days ago
- Supercharging residential solar power generation
The Government is expanding the permitted voltage range for electricity networks, so Kiwis with solar panels can send more power back to the grid. Changes are being made to clarify that a building consent is not needed to install rooftop solar panels on existing buildings. Councils will be required to ...6 days ago
- Successful childhood immunisation programme delivering results
A successful programme to help Māori health providers lift childhood immunisation rates will be renewed, Health Minister Simeon Brown says. "The Immunising our Tamariki programme, originally launched in 2023 by Hon Dr Shane Reti, invested $50 million in Māori health providers to deliver targeted, community-based immunisation outreach. It aims to ...6 days ago
- Stronger forestry ties with India driving export growth
Forestry, Trade and Investment Minister Todd McClay, today announced at the Fieldays Forestry Hub, both inbound and outbound forestry trade missions with India this year, aimed at strengthening trade links, deepening industry ties, and unlocking greater value for both countries’ forestry and wood processing sectors. “India is one of the ...6 days ago
- Judicial Conduct Panel to inquire into Judge’s conduct
A Judicial Conduct Panel will inquire into and report on the alleged conduct of acting District Court Judge Ema Aitken, Acting Attorney-General Paul Goldsmith says. “Judge Aitken’s alleged conduct at the Northern Club on 22 November 2024 was the subject of a preliminary examination by the Judicial Conduct Commissioner. “The ...6 days ago
- Prime Minister to visit China and Europe
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon will travel to China and Europe next week. He will be joined in Shanghai and Beijing with a delegation of senior New Zealand business leaders. “China is New Zealand’s largest trading partner and a vital part of our economic story,” Mr Luxon says. The visit will focus on ...6 days ago
- Backing New Zealand’s native forest champions
Forestry Minister Todd McClay today congratulated the winners of the inaugural Growing Native Forests Champions Awards for driving real progress in native forest establishment and land use innovation. “This is what good land management looks like — native forests that support both the environment and the rural economy,” Mr McClay ...6 days ago
- Operation Gallant Phoenix deployment extended
New Zealand has extended its commitment the Operation Gallant Phoenix multinational intelligence mission in Jordan, the Government announced today. The deployment of up to 10 New Zealand Defence Force and Police personnel has been extended for two years until June 2027. “This operation is essential to our commitment to a ...6 days ago
- New and improved radiology services for Auckland City Hospital
Health Minister Simeon Brown has today announced funding for the first stage of a major project to upgrade and expand interventional radiology services at Auckland City Hospital. “This project will significantly improve access to radiology services for patients across Auckland and beyond,” Mr Brown says. “A $41.2 million investment will ...6 days ago
- Wool carpets for state houses a win-win
The return of wool carpets to state homes has been welcomed by Economic Growth Minister Nicola Willis and Associate Agriculture Minister Mark Patterson. State housing agency Kāinga Ora announced today that from next month, a new supplier agreement will deliver woollen carpets for the fit-out of new state homes. “The ...6 days ago
- Government backs voluntary nature credits
The Government is supporting the expansion of a voluntary credits nature market through the running of pilot projects across New Zealand. Establishing a market that is durable, measurable and transparent will help farmers, landowners, iwi, and conservation groups unlock new income streams for looking after nature on their land, Associate ...6 days ago
- New Zealand food and fibre exports on track to break new records
Farmers, growers, foresters, fishers and primary processors are driving New Zealand’s economic recovery with export revenue on track to surpass $60 billion for the first time, Agriculture and Forestry Minister Todd McClay announced today at Fieldays. “The latest Situation and Outlook for Primary Industries (SOPI) report forecasts export earnings of ...7 days ago
- New Zealand hits digital economy milestone
A key milestone in the push for a more connected digital economy has been reached, with over one million businesses now registered with a New Zealand Business Number (NZBN), Small Business and Manufacturing Minister Chris Penk says. “The NZBN is a simple idea with a big impact. It gives each ...7 days ago
- Double-digit growth for aquaculture exports
New Zealand’s aquaculture sector has experienced double-digit growth in export revenue over the past year, sending a clear signal that more is to come from the enormously promising sector, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The forecast export results were released today as part of the latest Situation and ...7 days ago
- Elective boost delivers over 9,500 additional procedures so far
More than 9,500 additional procedures have now been delivered as part of the Government’s elective boost, Health Minister Simeon Brown says. “This is what putting patients first looks like. We are focused on increasing delivery of elective treatments – across both public and private hospitals – to reduce wait times ...7 days ago
- Foreign Minister strengthens relationship with Italy
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has concluded a constructive visit to Italy, marking 75 years of diplomatic relations. Mr Peters and Italy’s Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani met in Rome overnight and confirmed the strength of the bilateral relationship that New Zealand and Italy share. “New Zealand and Italy are long-standing ...7 days ago
- Partnership approach to FMD signed and sealed
A new agreement between the Government and key livestock industry groups marks a major milestone in New Zealand’s readiness for a potential foot and mouth disease (FMD) outbreak, Biosecurity Minister Andrew Hoggard announced today. “The Foot and Mouth Disease Operational Agreement confirms how Government and industry will jointly prepare for, ...1 week ago
- Public consultation begins on legal aid review
Public consultation begins today aimed at improving the legal aid scheme for those who cannot afford advice and representation, Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith says. “We have a duty to ensure all New Zealanders have access to justice by means of a fair and open process. “To do so, we need ...1 week ago
- Solar on Farms: Unlocking farm cost savings
Energy Minister Simon Watts has announced the Government’s new Solar on Farms initiative, which will support farmers in taking the next step towards installing solar and battery systems, helping them reduce energy costs, increase on-farm resilience, and allow farmers to gain greater control over their power use, leading to increased ...1 week ago
- New Zealand Grass-Fed certification to take on global competitors
New Zealand is raising its game on the global stage with a new Grass-Fed certification scheme to help our red meat and dairy producers go head-to-head with competitors in premium international markets, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced today at Fieldays. “International consumers are increasingly willing ...1 week ago
- Innovative pasture project to drive farmgate returns
The Government is backing a $17 million partnership with farmers to boost productivity, profitability, and sustainability by identifying the most resilient, high-performing pastures for New Zealand conditions, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced today at Fieldays. Minister McClay confirmed the Government will invest $8.269 million in the Resilient Pastures project through ...1 week ago
- Radiology backlog cleared at Taranaki Base Hospital
Health Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed the clearance of a significant radiology backlog at Taranaki Base Hospital, calling it a practical outcome that puts patients first. “In March, more than 6,000 x-ray reports were sitting unprocessed at Taranaki Base Hospital. That was causing unacceptable delays for patients needing diagnosis and ...1 week ago
- Saying yes to more housing
City-shaping changes are coming to New Zealand’s largest city, ensuring that Auckland can fully harness the economic growth benefits of the new City Rail Link, RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop and Auckland Minister Simeon Brown say. The Resource Management (Consenting and Other System Changes) Amendment Bill (the Bill) has been ...1 week ago
- Primary Sector-Government partnership to boost rural health and resilience
The Government is stepping up support for rural New Zealand with a $4 million Rural Wellbeing Fund to expand investment in community-based initiatives, Agriculture and Forestry Minister Todd McClay announced today at Fieldays. “The establishment of this fund is a result of advocacy by Federated Farmers Chair, Wayne Langford, who ...1 week ago
- Applications open for $30 million Coastal Shipping Resilience Fund
Applications have opened for a $30 million fund for projects that will enhance the resilience of New Zealand’s coastal shipping connections and help boost economic growth, Associate Transport Minister James Meager has announced. The Coastal Shipping Resilience Fund was established through the Government Policy Statement on land transport. Funding will ...1 week ago
- Foreign Minister focuses on Pacific resilience during visit to France
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has taken part in two major international events in Nice, France this week, focused on Pacific resilience, prosperity and security. The sixth Pacific-France Summit, hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron, took place in Nice overnight. “The Summit brought together Pacific countries for discussions with France on ...1 week ago
- NZ places travel ban on extremist Israeli politicians
New Zealand has joined Australia, Canada, the UK and Norway in placing travel bans on two extremist Israeli politicians, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. The bans will prevent Israel’s Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir from travelling to New Zealand. “Our action today is not against ...1 week ago
- 6th Pacific-France Summit – Intervention by New Zealand Minister of Foreign Affairs
6th Pacific-France Summit Intervention by New Zealand Minister of Foreign Affairs, Rt Hon Winston Peters Nice, France, Tuesday 10 June 2025 Thank you, President Macron, for convening this meeting today, the sixth Pacific-France Summit. We were privileged to have also been at the second Pacific-France Summit, during the Presidency of ...1 week ago
- Tourism Growth Roadmap speech to Business Events Industry Aotearoa (BEIA)
Tēnā koutou katoa. Thank you for the warm welcome. It is my pleasure to welcome you all to MEETINGS 2025. First, I would like to acknowledge Mayor Wayne Brown attending MEETINGS 2025 today and a special acknowledgment to Ngāti Whatua Orakei for their pōwhiri and welcome. I would also like ...1 week ago
- More funding to grow international tourism
The Government is increasing funding for attracting overseas visitors and investing in tourism infrastructure as part of its new Tourism Growth Roadmap, Tourism and Hospitality Minister Louise Upston says. “We’re investing $35 million to deliver the first stage of the Roadmap, which sets out the Government’s plan to double the ...1 week ago
- Major changes to proposed anti-stalking law
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith is welcoming changes to toughen up the proposed anti-stalking law, including being triggered after two specified acts within 24 months. “This change better recognises patterns in stalking behaviour and time that can pass between incidents. For example, stalking that occurs around anniversaries would not be covered ...1 week ago
- Speech: APAC energy capital assembly, Singapore
I am delighted to be here in Singapore once again, to speak to you in my capacity as New Zealand’s Minister for Resources and Associate Minister for Energy. If you haven’t heard of me before today, I’m proud to declare myself the champion of New Zealand’s petroleum and minerals sector. ...1 week ago
- Speech to the Law Association 2025
Thank you all for the invitation to speak with you this morning. I have been looking forward to this opportunity. May is a busy month for the Government, and it is always a relief to have the Budget delivered. Today, I would like to speak about what I see as ...1 week ago
- Government backing rural resilience and wellbeing
The government is boosting support for rural resilience and wellbeing announced by Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey and Rural Communities Minister Mark Patterson. “We’re backing Rural Support Trusts by committing $3 million over the next four years, to help improve rural communities’ access to primary mental health services and specialist ...1 week ago
- View from The Hill: Jim Chalmers wants to get on with economic reform and tax is in his sights
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Jim Chalmers speaking to the National Press Club June 18, 2025. Screenshot from the ABC Broadcast, CC BY-NC Jim Chalmers cast his Wednesday National Press Club speech as a second instalment in a two-part presentation ...2 hours ago - Iran’s long history of revolution, defiance and outside interference – and why its future is so ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Amin Saikal, Emeritus Professor of Middle Eastern and Central Asian Studies, Australian National University; and Vice Chancellor’s Strategic Fellow, Victoria University Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has gone beyond his initial aim of destroying Iran’s ability to produce nuclear weapons. He has ...3 hours ago
- 95 lawyers demand stronger NZ stand over Israel amid Middle East tensions
Asia Pacific Report Ninety-five New Zealand lawyers — including nine king’s counsel — have signed a letter demanding Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, Foreign Minister Winston Peters and two other ministers urge the government to take a stronger stand against Israel’s “catastrophic” actions in Gaza. The letter has been sent amid ...4 hours ago
- Children’s minister Karen Chhour criticised for lack of transparency over bootcamps
Labour, the Greens and Te Pāti Māori grilled the government's youth military academies in a scrutiny hearing. ...4 hours ago - Visa change for Chinese passport holders travelling through New Zealand announced
People transiting through New Zealand on Chinese passports will be able to use an electronic travel authority from November. ...4 hours ago
- ‘By Seymour, for Māori?’ – Tama Potaka defends Māori targeted funding cut
The Māori Development Minister has defended attacks by the opposition arguing he allowed targeted Māori funding to disappear under his watch. ...4 hours ago
- Gay and bisexual men will soon be able to donate blood and plasma
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Yasmin Mowat, Clinical Project Manager, Kirby Institute, UNSW Sydney AnnaStills/Getty Images Many gay and bisexual men have been excluded from donating blood and plasma (the liquid portion of blood) for decades because of rules developed during the HIV crisis in the ...5 hours ago
- Iran’s long history of revolution, defiance and outside interference – and why its future so unc...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Amin Saikal, Emeritus Professor of Middle Eastern and Central Asian Studies, Australian National University; and Vice Chancellor’s Strategic Fellow, Victoria University Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has gone beyond his initial aim of destroying Iran’s ability to produce nuclear weapons. He has ...5 hours ago
- Scrutiny Week Q&A with Green MP Lawrence Xu-Nan
It's Scrutiny Week at Parliament, when Ministers face Select Committees to defend their budget plans. We asked Green MP Lawrence Xu-Nan about the week and the preparation necessary. ...5 hours ago - Are Israel’s actions in Iran illegal? Could it be called self-defence? An international law expert...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Shannon Bosch, Associate Professor (Law), Edith Cowan University Israel’s major military operation against Iran has targeted its nuclear program, including its facilities and scientists, as well as its military leadership. In response, the United Nations Security Council has quickly convened an emergency ...5 hours ago
- Victoria is looking into religious cults – here’s what it should examine
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jaime Simpson, Doctoral Researcher, Domestic Family Violence Counsellor, University of Newcastle Paul shuang/Shutterstock The Victorian parliament has launched a long-overdue inquiry into abuse and coercive control within cults and religious fringe groups. It is a welcome acknowledgement of the damage that ...5 hours ago
- Israel-Iran war ‘more dangerous than we imagine’, says Middle East Eye editor
Pacific Media Watch The Big Picture Podcast host, New Zealand-Egyptian journalist and author Mohamed Hassan, interviews Middle East Eye editor-in-chief David Hearst about the rapidly unfolding war between Israel and Iran, why the West supports it, and what it threatens to unleash on the global order. What does Israel really ...5 hours ago
- Luxon rejects idea of visa waivers, extended visas on first trip to China
The Prime Minister has poured cold water on the idea of complete visa waivers, or extended visas for "premium" travellers from China. ...6 hours ago
- Can a foreign government hack WhatsApp? A cybersecurity expert explains how that might work
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By David Tuffley, Senior Lecturer in Applied Ethics & CyberSecurity, Griffith University On The Back Of Camera/Shutterstock Earlier today, Iranian officials urged the country’s citizens to remove the messaging platform WhatsApp from their smartphones. Without providing any supporting evidence, they alleged the ...6 hours ago
- Human Rights In Aotearoa On A Downward Trend
"We are stronger when human rights are not only respected but strengthened. For everyone," said Jacqui Dillon, Executive Director of Amnesty International Aotearoa New Zealand. ...7 hours ago
- Scrutiny Week Q&A with Green MP Lawrence Xu-Nan
It's Scrutiny Week at Parliament, when Ministers face Select Committees to defend their budget plans. We asked Green MP Lawrence Xu-Nan about the week and the preparation necessary. ...7 hours ago
- ‘Guerrilla rewilding’ aims for DIY conservation – but it may do more harm than good
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Patrick Finnerty, Postdoctoral Research Fellow in conservation and wildlife management, University of Sydney Fidel Fernando / Unsplash Ever since modern environmentalism took off in the 1960s, people have tried to undo the damage humans have caused to nature. Efforts have ranged ...8 hours ago
- Artist Eric Smith won 3 Archibalds, then vanished. A new show reveals his unseen works
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tom Murray, Professor in Screen Media and Creative Arts, Macquarie University Photograph by Robert Walker, Eric Smith in the studio, c.1973 black and white photograph, 52cmx42cm. Barbara Smith Collection. Used with permission There are many routes to artistic obscurity. The surest ...8 hours ago
- Fiery debate over deportations, parent visas, asylum and Gaza
Immigration Minister Erica Stanford was quizzed on Tuesday by MPs in the Education and Workforce Committee. ...8 hours ago
- Immigration minister faces questions over deportations, parent visas, asylum and Gaza
The immigration minister Erica Stanford was quizzed on Tuesday by MPs in the Education and Workforce Committee. ...8 hours ago
- ER Report: A Roundup of Significant Articles on EveningReport.nz for June 18, 2025
ER Report: Here is a summary of significant articles published on EveningReport.nz on June 18, 2025. Saving species starts at home: how you can help Australia’s 1,000 threatened invertebratesSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kate Umbers, Associate Professor in Zoology, Western Sydney University Atlas Moth (_Attacus wardi_) Garry ...9 hours ago
- Melatonin to be sold over-the-counter; psilocybin to be prescribed
Associate Health Minister David Seymour announced the decision but no specific date has been set for when changes will take effect. ...9 hours ago
- Saving species starts at home: how you can help Australia’s 1,000 threatened invertebrates
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kate Umbers, Associate Professor in Zoology, Western Sydney University Atlas Moth (_Attacus wardi_) Garry Sankowsky/flickr, CC BY When we think about animals, we tend to think of furry four-legged mammals. But 95% of all animal species are invertebrates – bees, butterflies, beetles, ...9 hours ago
- Matariki and our diminishing night sky: light pollution from cities and satellites is making stars h...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Shea Esterling, Senior Lecturer Above the Bar, University of Canterbury Zhang Jianyong/Xinhua via Getty Images This week, Aotearoa New Zealand officially celebrates Matariki for the fourth time, marked by the reappearance in the night sky of the star cluster also known ...9 hours ago
- Why a US court allowed a dead man to deliver his own victim impact statement – via an AI avatar
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By James D Metzger, Senior Lecturer in Law & Justice, UNSW Sydney Composite image: Arrington Watkins Architects / AI avatar: YouTube/StaceyWales, CC BY In November 2021, in the city of Chandler, Arizona, Chris Pelkey was shot and killed by Gabriel Horcasitas in ...9 hours ago
- What’s the difference between food poisoning and gastro? A gut expert explains
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Vincent Ho, Associate Professor and Clinical Academic Gastroenterologist, Western Sydney University Andrey_Popov/Shutterstock If you’ve got a dodgy tummy, diarrhoea and have been vomiting, it’s easy to blame a “tummy bug” or “off food”. But which is it? Gastro or food ...9 hours ago
- Modernising New Zealand’s Data System
The changes include moving to an admin-data-first census and publishing a monthly consumers price index (CPI), as well as a programme of work to meet new international standards for macroeconomic statistics. ...10 hours ago
- Sharks come in many different shapes and sizes. But they all follow a centuries-old mathematical rul...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jodie L. Rummer, Professor of Marine Biology, James Cook University Rachel Moore From hand-sized lantern sharks that glow in the deep sea to bus-sized whale sharks gliding through tropical waters, sharks come in all shapes and sizes. Despite these differences, ...10 hours ago
- National’s Erica Stanford clashes with Labour MPs over redress system for survivors abused in ...
MPs have clashed over the redress system for survivors abused in state care. ...10 hours ago
- Gone By Lunchtime: New Zealand bestrides the globe, punching above our tightrope
Christopher Luxon is off to China and Europe in a world on fire. Around the world, the flames of aggression and instability are burning. As Christopher Luxon arrives in China his immediate challenge is to douse the alarm from several former politicians and ensure that the relationship with leaders in ...10 hours ago - Abuse in care survivors in line for under a third of government’s $774m package
Officials are "taking so much away from the pockets of survivors, who deserve better than this", a lawyer says. ...10 hours ago
- The government is fed up with councils taking the piss on housing
They’ve built aqueducts for the piss. A state-of-the-art municipal pipe network purely for transporting the piss. Chris Bishop started his speech at the Wellington Chamber of Commerce on Wednesday paying tribute to an unlikely list of allies. Labour’s Phil Twyford deserved “great credit” for pushing through the pro-housing National Policy ...10 hours ago
- Ninety-Five NZ Lawyers Speak Up — Palestine Forum Responds
As legal voices within our own legal fraternity have acknowledged, our Government holds not only a right but a duty to lead—ahead of electoral cycles—by placing human rights and international justice at the heart of its foreign policy. ...11 hours ago
- Solomon Islanders safe but unable to leave Israel amid war on Iran
RNZ Pacific The Solomon Islands Foreign Ministry says five people who completed agriculture training in Israel are safe but unable to come home amid the ongoing war between Israel and Iran. The ministry said in a statement that the Solomon Islands Embassy in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, was closely ...11 hours ago
- ‘I’m still searching for Wally’: Donovan Te Ahunui Farnham’s childhood favourite
Welcome to The Spinoff Books Confessional, in which we get to know the reading habits of Aotearoa writers, and guests. This week: Donovan Te Ahunui Farnham, author of Whānau: Reo Māori phrases to share with the people you love. The book I wish I’d written I’m very fortunate that I ...11 hours ago
- Five-yearly Census to be scrapped from 2030, replaced with administrative data, annual surveys
The traditional Census will be replaced with a combination of government data and smaller annual surveys. ...11 hours ago
- Swears, spending and ‘making shit up’: Inside scrutiny week, part one
A whole week dedicated to putting Budget 2025 spending under the microscope means a whole lot of bickering. Welcome to another edition of scrutiny week. Although our government is always supposed to be acting democratically or whatever, this relatively new process gives parliament’s select committees the chance to put recent ...13 hours ago
- Government to spend $16.5m changing way inflation data reported
The government is changing how inflation data is reported. ...13 hours ago
- Census to be scrapped from 2030, replaced with administrative data and annual surveys
The traditional Census will be replaced with a combination of government data and smaller annual surveys. ...13 hours ago
- Number is up for error-ridden NZ census – so what fills the data void?
Analysis: Since early in the Old Testament, leaders have counted their population. Sometimes to raise taxes, sometimes to raise an army. They counted the men, their wives and children, their donkeys, goats and sheep … Indeed, the fourth book of the Christian Bible is named ‘Numbers’, because it starts and ...13 hours ago
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