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Lies damned lies and Pay Equity Repeal excuses
Written By: - Date published: 9:27 am, May 7th, 2025 - 27 comments
Christopher Luxon yesterday tried to claim that budgetary considerations were not the reason for repealing the Pay Equity Legislation even though David Seymour had said that the monetary savings from the bill would save the Budget.
Climate change?
Written By: - Date published: 8:43 am, March 10th, 2025 - 101 comments
Chris Hipkins has released his priorities should he be Prime Minister. They do not include addressing climate change.
Repaired RSS feed highlights minister’s failing portfolios
Written By: - Date published: 4:03 pm, February 24th, 2025 - 1 comment
Last week, I pointed out that Internal Affairs under Act Minister Brooke van Velden, had managed to lose RSS communications from the Beehive to the world. It’d been offline for about three weeks at that point. That was just sloppy and incompetent for the DIA who amongst other things are responsible for overseeing government technology services.
Most kiwis blame Willis for Ferry Fiasco
Written By: - Date published: 9:19 am, January 30th, 2025 - 9 comments
Recent polling suggests that two thirds of kiwis disagree with Nicola Willis’s decision to cancel the replacement Inter Island ferries contract.
President Biden’s Accomplishments
Written By: - Date published: 9:37 am, January 11th, 2025 - 33 comments
It’s common these days to see the rapid 2024 exit of multiple global social democrat leaders as just a post-COVID symptom of democratic impatience. But Biden achieved far more than his age-related decline obscures.
Labour day
Written By: - Date published: 2:20 pm, October 28th, 2024 - 21 comments
Enjoying your weekend? Thank a unionist!
10,000 across the country meet to push back against government policies (PHOTOS)
Written By: - Date published: 7:00 am, October 24th, 2024 - 9 comments
Here are photos of the union protest around the country yesterday.
Notice: Protest Locations Today
Written By: - Date published: 10:44 am, October 23rd, 2024 - 14 comments
Today is Protest Day – Stand Together. Here are the locations around the country and why you might feel moved to join.
Where’s the “Oomph”?
Written By: - Date published: 2:04 pm, October 6th, 2024 - 92 comments
Join us to protest privatisation of health on the 23rd October. But can we have more oomph and co-ordination please?
Unions are still relevant
Written By: - Date published: 5:50 pm, September 7th, 2024 - 26 comments
Unions have fought for the rights of employees in the past, present, and future.
Gormless Government releases confidential legal advice on Charter School law
Written By: - Date published: 9:30 am, September 6th, 2024 - 31 comments
The Government has mistakenly released confidential legal advice confirming that the Charter School legislation breaches ILO conventions, free trade agreements and potentially the New Zealand Bill of Rights Act.
Where Does Labour Rebuild?
Written By: - Date published: 9:01 am, August 26th, 2024 - 48 comments
It won’t come from the working class. But we know where it will come from.
Maritime Union v Willis
Written By: - Date published: 12:16 pm, August 7th, 2024 - 49 comments
National’s decision to cancel the replacement Cook Strait ferry project is developing into a full blown political crisis for the Government with estimates that it could cost the Crown up to a billion dollars and with further costs to come.
PSA wins an important case about collective agreements
Written By: - Date published: 4:17 pm, July 18th, 2024 - 3 comments
The PSA just won an important case in the Employment Relations Authority against the Ministry of Education about collective agreements. There are significiant downstream implications to planned layoffs, legal fights, and Nicola Willis’s already tax cut strained budget.
Sham consultation – sham contracting
Written By: - Date published: 10:59 am, July 7th, 2024 - 11 comments
Minister for Workplace Relations and Health & Safety Brooke van Velden hasn’t met with the CTU Te Kauae Kaimahi since November last year. And has announced major proposed changes to workers rights and job conditions.
The political centre has moved, someone should tell the strategists.
Written By: - Date published: 9:39 am, July 2nd, 2024 - 13 comments
30 years ago, we had Dot Matrix printers, Windows 95 and brick cell phones. Today we live in a world of AI, Tik Tok and 5G. While technology changes have been embraced, including in political campaigns, strategies and methods to connect with voters seem stuck in the MS-DOSS era.
Speech time
Written By: - Date published: 9:02 am, May 21st, 2024 - 6 comments
In the past week Christopher Luxon and Chris Hipkins have both delivered future vision themed speeches. With some dramatic contrasts.
Are we drifting away or falling apart?
Written By: - Date published: 1:53 pm, May 18th, 2024 - 16 comments
What is the antidote for our socio-economic problems and how do we deal with this coalition government?
Uber Drivers in Court of Appeal
Written By: - Date published: 2:24 pm, March 19th, 2024 - 3 comments
Uber Drivers are in the Court of Appeal today. Uber is appealing against Employment Court decision they they are employees with worker rights. Its a no-brainer, so they are and should have them.
Our Resistance
Written By: - Date published: 8:55 am, January 11th, 2024 - 7 comments
There are still groups of people in New Zealand who can and do organise to resist the damage of the right.
Why Labour must change course
Written By: - Date published: 8:31 am, December 19th, 2023 - 49 comments
“A Left government with any claim to progressive credentials will focus on three policy areas – first, high-quality, high value production; second, taxation measures to reduce significantly wealth differences; third, strengthened democracy, including industrial democracy beyond collective bargaining. These three are indispensable. A Left politics, which does not build on these three, will founder.”
90 day trials – Don’t come Monday
Written By: - Date published: 8:36 am, December 18th, 2023 - 65 comments
This coming week, under urgency and leading into Xmas, the Coalition government will expand 90-day trials to all workers, in yet another payback to National/ACT/NZ First’s (NAF) business backers.
Cutting fair pay agreements will disproportionately impact women, Māori and Pasifika and young people
Written By: - Date published: 9:49 pm, December 4th, 2023 - 15 comments
The Cabinet Paper dealing with the Government’s proposal to do away with fair pay agreements has hit the media. And the advice suggests that Cabinet is completely disinterested in the on the ground reality of what their shitty policy will do to ordinary Kiwis.
National does a big sook
Written By: - Date published: 8:58 am, September 5th, 2023 - 51 comments
National, which perfected the art of dirty politics, and which has spent the past couple of years being relentlessly negative and which has had its sock puppets attack individual Labour MPs mercilessly is deeply, deeply, deeply upset that the CTU has pointed out to the public what a Christopher Luxon led Government would actually mean.
A letter to Chris Hipkins
Written By: - Date published: 2:57 pm, July 30th, 2023 - 31 comments
My 2c on what I think Chris Hipkins needs to do to win this year’s election.
The Greens backing teachers’ demands
Written By: - Date published: 9:53 am, March 16th, 2023 - 10 comments
The Government needs to come to the table and ensure teacher pay keeps pace with the rising cost of putting food on the table, paying the rent, and keeping the house warm.
But, it’s important to remember that this is not just about pay. There are serious issues around funding and understaffing, ratios and sick leave.
Teanau Tuiono
Where is the Free Speech Union when you need it?
Written By: - Date published: 8:25 am, February 28th, 2023 - 97 comments
Rob Campbell is under some pressure from National and Act for calling out publicly the right’s dog whistle attacks on co governance. But so far self appointed protector of the right to freedom of speech, the Free Speech Union, has been very quiet. Why is this?
CTU – Put the cost of fixing inflation on those who caused it, not on working people
Written By: - Date published: 5:29 pm, January 23rd, 2023 - 104 comments
Given the real causes of high inflation, the idea that the answer to inflation is to cut wages, cut employment, and cut public services is ridiculous. It’s more than ridiculous. It’s immoral.
The end of the post war boom
Written By: - Date published: 7:56 am, January 11th, 2023 - 87 comments
Throughout my time being active in politics, people have discussed the rise of Neo-Liberalism and the free market that occurred throughout much of the world from the late 1970s onwards. Yet few seem to really understand the reasons for this significant shift in economic policy at that time, which continues to shape our society today.
Is it fair for the PM to get a weekly tax cut of $349 while a minimum wage worker would receive only $2.15?
Written By: - Date published: 11:46 am, November 2nd, 2022 - 148 comments
Chris Luxon has avoided answering this question so far but he needs to be asked continuously about it. Is it fair that he as Prime Minister would receive under National’s proposed tax cuts a tax cut of $349 per week while a minimum wage worker would receive only $2.15 per week
Fair Pay Agreements: Thank you Helen and thank you Michael
Written By: - Date published: 10:14 am, October 27th, 2022 - 43 comments
Yesterday was a big day for the Progressive movement in Aotearoa New Zealand as the Fair Pay Agreements Bill made its way through Parliament. Many should be thanked but especially Michael Wood and Helen Kelly.
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- The Politician, The Heckler, and Tonkin + Taylor
..The gentleman who heckled Winston Peters at Wellington Railway Station on 20 May, has been ‘outed' by the media as an employee of engineering firm Tonkin + Taylor. It is unclear why media felt it was necessary to dox this man, but in this world of Anything Goes, personal privacy ...3 hours ago - To Play the Queen of Hearts: Published
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- Parliamentary privilege is a threat to all of us
People are rightly outraged about psycho fascist Parmjeet Parmar "inquiring" about using the privileges committee to arbitrarily imprison her political opponents. As Chris Hipkins said yesterday, that is the sort of thing which happens in tinpot dictatorships, undemocratic and wrong, and a permanent stain on our Parliament. But its worse ...16 hours ago
- Imprisoning Māori For Doing The Haka?
The ACT Party floating the idea of imprisoning Te Pāti Māori MPs for performing a haka in Parliament isn’t just a shameful overreach; it’s a chilling glimpse into a fascist mindset that seeks to silence indigenous voices through state power. According to RNZ, ACT MP Parmjeet Parmar asked the Privileges ...16 hours ago
- Overloaded EDs send patients back to after-hours clinics
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Let’s face it: Australia is seen as a soft target for cybercriminals. Its fragmented cybercrime response makes both individuals and institutions more vulnerable. Australia’s cybercrime framework must be informed by diverse perspectives, and it must ...19 hours ago
- Yellow Mellow
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For all the talk about the South China Sea’s complexity as a security issue, its geopolitical significance to China is simple: China wants to condition Southeast Asian states to subordinate status. Southeast Asian countries would ...1 day ago
- Chris Hipkins’ Passionate Speech During Te Pati Māori Penalty Debate
Immediately after Hipkins’ speech, National House Leader Chris Bishop rose to defer the debate, without giving the opposition notice.This means no other opposition members were allowed to speak, despite the government scheduling the debate for today.A shortened clip of 3 minutes for those short on time:Tin-Pot DemocracyI was right in ...1 day ago - 65
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Indonesia has plenty of reason to reject basing of Russian aircraft at its air force base on Biak, an island north of New Guinea at 1,400 km from Darwin. From Russia’s point of view, keeping ...1 day ago
- A desperate delay
So, that was a bit of a damp squib. Everyone having geared up for an epic filibuster battle which would upset the government's legislative program for at least the day, National has now abused its parliamentary majority to adjourn the debate on its outrageous and anti-democratic punishment of Te Pāti ...1 day ago
- Reported back
The Justice Committee has reported back on the Crimes (Countering Foreign Interference) Amendment Bill. The bill as introduced was a tyrannical law which threatened to outlaw protest and ordinary democratic activity in Aotearoa on the basis of government conspiracy theories and fantasies about its motivations. The good news is that ...1 day ago
- Hard to believe really
Take a scenario, just as a thought experiment for now. A new government gets elected, amid a lot of rhetoric about excessive increases in government spending and public service numbers. They pretty quickly move to require government departments – typically funded by Parliament through annual appropriations – to cut their ...2 days ago - Submission on Industry Skills Boards’ Coverage
This submission to the TEC outlines the NZCTU’s concerns about the ongoing reforms to vocational education and training, and our views on the coverage and membership of the new Industry Skills Boards.NZCTU submission – ISBs, 20 May 2025Download The post Submission on Industry Skills Boards’ Coverage appeared ...2 days ago- Pay Equity Explainers
It took less than two days for the Government to announce their changes to the Equal Pay Act, and then make those changes. Because things happened this fast, a huge amount of information about pay equity has sprung up in a really short time-frame—which can be pretty confusing for anyone ...2 days ago- Tuesday 21 May
Unions are pointing out that changes to the pay equity system have made it “virtually impossible” for new claims to succeed. The government will spend more than $600 million to upgrade the country’s rail network as part of this year’s Budget. Cabinet has signed off on introducing the Regulatory Standards ...2 days ago- OECD Debt Comparisons For NZ Are Wrong
The Reserve Bank of New Zealand recently patted itself on the back, claiming our government debt-to-GDP ratio of around 44.3% in 2024 was "low" compared to OECD peers like the US (113%) or Japan (242%). Sounds comforting, right? Wrong! This smug comparison glosses over a critical reality: New Zealand’s geographic ...2 days ago- Which side are you on, Labour?
Today will see an unprecedented moment in Parliament. A racist government whose leader opposes the "Maorification" of New Zealand is using its parliamentary majority to suspend opposition MPs from the House for being Māori, silencing them and the people they represent for up to 21 days. It is outrageous and ...2 days ago- Federalism could torpedo AUKUS
AUKUS is under pressure, not from adversaries abroad but from state governments at home. While Canberra drives the security pact forward, Australian states are the ones that that hold the constitutional levers over the land ...2 days ago- Luxon’s Anti-Māori Mask Slips Again
New Zealand’s Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has once again stocked the fire a racial disharmony, this time with a damning comment that reeks of anti-Māori sentiment. In a recent Newstalk ZB interview with Mike Hosking, Luxon responded to a question about the “Māorification of this country” by saying, “Well where ...2 days ago- How do you stop a pitchfork?
Last night, I put up a video where Luxon said he would not back down on the 21 day penalty for Te Pāti Māori MPs.Then came the pitchforks:“Boot them out. No compromise.”“Why debate....boot them....rules are rules!!!!”There were outwardly racist comments too.It’s hard to explain to an angry mob that there ...2 days ago- Monday 19 May
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Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s decision to return policy responsibility for the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation and the Australian Federal Police to the Department of Home Affairs is more than a machinery-of-government change; it’s a long-term ...2 days ago- Volcanic cooling
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2 days ago- ‘Weaponise rates to drive housing intensification’
Should Auckland Council set higher higher rates to densify housing around the stations on the City Rail Link, where low-rise warehouses and housing currently predominate? Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāThe six key news items from Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Tuesday, May 20 are: Apartment ...2 days ago- Nasty
Catch catch the horror taxiI fell in love with a video nastyCatch catch the horror trainFreeze frame gonna drive you insaneWriters: Raymond Burns, Christopher John Millar, David Vanian, Roman Paul Jug, Bryn Merrick.Speak English.Yesterday, the Prime Minister of our country appeared on the Mike Hosking show to beat the anti-woke ...2 days ago- Nasty
Catch catch the horror taxiI fell in love with a video nastyCatch catch the horror trainFreeze frame gonna drive you insaneWriters: Raymond Burns, Christopher John Millar, David Vanian, Roman Paul Jug, Bryn Merrick.Speak English.Yesterday, the Prime Minister of our country appeared on the Mike Hosking show to beat the anti-woke ...2 days ago- Gordon Campbell On NZ’s Silence Over Gaza, And Creeping Health Privatisation
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Strengthening regional partnerships can help Pacific intelligence capabilities overcome rising challenges. The Pacific should establish a centralised intelligence hub alongside or through the expansion of the existing Pacific Fusion Centre to deliver greater intelligence capabilities ...2 days ago- There goes the neighbourhood, there goes my loafer
So, a funny thing happened last Friday. I had just dropped a couple of tabs and I was lining up side four of Tales from Topographic Oceans when out of nowhere I had this incredible vision.It got me so damn excited I wrote the whole thing down and put it ...2 days ago- From customer to catalyst: anchoring Australia’s northern marine industry through government procu...
To turn northern Australia’s marine potential into performance, the Australian government must stop acting as a passive regulator and start acting as an active customer. Procurement is power, and in thin, undercapitalised markets such as ...2 days ago- Chipping away at National’s gang-patch ban
National's racist gang-patch was clearly intended to humiliate gangs and allow them to be punished for being seen in public, and police have taken on that mission with enthusiasm, attacking funerals and kicking in doors to seize banned clothing (meanwhile, they've also abandoned domestic violence and mental health callouts, in ...2 days ago- The Coalition of Chaos: Democracy Be Damned
The New Zealand coalition government, a Frankenstein’s monster of National, ACT, and NZ First, has once again shown its utter contempt for our democracy. This time it's the Ministry for Regulation, who didn’t even bother to read thousands of submissions on the Regulatory Standards Bill, a piece of legislation so ...2 days ago- Assault From All Sides
The majority of the 23,000 submissions for the Regulatory Standards Bill consultation weren’t even read.According to Marc Daalder1 David Seymour said ‘there just weren’t that many’ worthwhile ideas in the submissions.But how does he know when his new $76 million Ministry, with some of the highest paid public servants in ...3 days ago- National’s Blogger David Farrar Smears Senior Doctors
3 days ago- Climate Change: Now what?
When National came to power in 2023, one of its first acts was to repeal all useful climate change policy. When they finally released their amended emissions reduction plan, it relied on a single project using a fantasy technology for the bulk of its reductions. And now, that project has ...3 days ago- Fiscal starting points
Not that long ago, New Zealand’s fiscal balances looked pretty good by advanced country standards. Sure, the fiscal pressures from longer life expectancies were beginning to build – as they were in most of the advanced world – but in absolute and relative terms New Zealand still looked in pretty ...3 days ago- Jack Tame vs. Chlöe Swarbrick: Q+A’s Double Standards
Jack Tame’s Q+A interviews are often a litmus test for political discourse in Aotearoa, but his recent frost-fest with Green Party co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick exposed a troubling bias that contrasts sharply with his kid-gloves treatment of other politicians, such as ACT’s Brooke van Velden in prior appearances. The disparity in ...3 days ago- Ensuring Australia’s defence through complex interdependence
Australia’s defence thinking is based on outdated grand strategies. Adopting a complex interdependence grand strategy could create robust connections with many countries, enhancing national resilience to strategic, economic, technological and societal shocks. Specifically, Defence would ...3 days ago- Govt announces fixing mess it probably created…
..Yesterday (18 May), Ministers Simeon Brown and Matt Doocey released statements announcing $164 million over four years to “expand” urgent and after-hours healthcare services throughout Aotearoa New Zealand.Minister Brown said:“This means 98 per cent of New Zealanders will be able to receive in-person urgent care within one hour’s drive of ...3 days ago- Prabowo chooses ambiguity in South China Sea policy
Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto’s South China Sea policy has many contradictions and inconsistencies, particularly regarding China’s nine-dash line. In separate joint statements Indonesia has shown an inconsistent stance on China’s maritime claims. Indonesia’s parliament is ...3 days ago- Turning the Page
Your love is my turning pageWhere only the sweetest words remainEvery kiss is a cursive lineEvery touch is a redefining phraseSongwriter: Ryan O'NealMorena folks, today I’d like to share a little about the Writers Festival we’ve just had in Tamaki Makaurau and where my mind went as I listened to ...3 days ago- Gentailers threaten 25% power price hikes
The six key news items from Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Monday, May 19 are: The lobby group for the big electricity gentailers has warned the Electricity Authority that consumer power prices could rise 25% if the market is reformed to force Meridian, Contact, Genesis & ...3 days ago- Taking back political sanity in Aotearoa can be done, but don’t underestimate the work ahead
An article in The Conversation this week, titled “A ‘Trump slump’ has lifted the left in Canada and now Australia – what are the lessons for NZ?“ poses some interesting challenges for our Left as a whole right now, and it’s worth considering at least some of the questions it raises ...3 days ago- 2025 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #20
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..As most of the mainstream media was meeting behind school sheds, sniggering as Act Minister Brooke Van Velden uttered the word ‘cunt’ in Parliament, adults around the country were continuing the struggle for pay equity in industries that have been traditionally under-valued, under-paid, and undertaken by women.For many families, this ...4 days ago- Privileges Committee delivers racist decision
Many MPs stand and support the hakaThere is no other credible interpretation of what has influenced the Privileges Committee decision regarding the penalties for performing a haka in the house other than pure racism. The broader context for this cannot be ignored and supports a view that Te Pāti Māori have ...4 days ago- Judith Collins – Arsehole Of The Week
In a move that reeks of authoritarianism, Judith Collins, as chair of Parliament’s Privileges Committee, has overseen the unprecedented suspension of three Te Pāti Māori MPs...Rawiri Waititi, Debbie Ngarewa-Packer, and Hana-Rāwhiti Maipi-Clarke...for performing a haka in protest against the divisive Treaty Principles Bill. This 21-day suspension for the co-leaders and ...4 days ago- Coalition’s Climate Chaos: Selling Out To Big Polluters
Climate Change Minister Simon WattsYou may have noticed that climate change has largely dropped off the radar, even though many people are still dealing with the long laborious task of recovering after unprecedented storms decimated many parts of New Zealand. So what is the National-led government doing about this existential ...4 days ago- Hope and Dreams
Big wheels roll through fieldsWhere sunlight streamsOh meet me in a land of hope and dreamsMeet me in a land of hope and dreamsSong: Bruce Springsteen. Read more ...4 days ago- As big as our problems are, the possibilities are bigger
Let me be blunt, says Nicola Willis to a room of people in suits, it's not the easiest time to be putting together a Budget.Let me be blunt: that's the only line in the speech with even the hint of a pulse.The rest is utterly bland and predictable. It's the ...4 days ago- Has this country’s media lost its collective mind?
..To re-cap:Tuesday 6 May - Workplace Minister, and member of the Act Party which won only 8.64% of the vote, Brooke van Velden, announced that she had unilaterally scrapped thirty-three equal pay agreements.Minister Van Velden explained:"Claims have been able to progress without strong evidence of undervaluation and there have been ...4 days ago- Fact brief – Did Viking settlers enjoy a warm beach climate in Greenland?
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Thomas Hobbes wrote his seminal work Leviathan in 1651. In it he describes the world system as it was then as being in “a state of nature,” something that some have interpreted as anarchy. However, anarchy has order and purpose. It is not chaos. In fact, if we think of ...4 days ago- Bernard’s Saturday Soliloquy for the week to May 17
Labour’s Finance Spokesperson Barbara Edmonds (left) committed to the same Government net debt cap of 50% of GDP and the same aspiration of returning the budget to surplus by 2028/29 as National, which would severe limit the ability of any future Labour-led government to fix the unmeasured infrastructure, housing, health, ...5 days ago- National Has Increased The Child Suicide Rate
The latest UNICEF Innocenti Report Card 19, Fragile Gains - Child Wellbeing at Risk in an Unpredictable World, should be a wake up call for the New Zealand government. Ranking us 32nd out of 36 OECD and EU countries for child wellbeing, it lays bare a shameful truth: our kids ...5 days ago- Energy security needs pipelines, not promises
Few issues are as urgent and as poorly understood as Australia’s energy policy. While we build up renewable energy to replace an ageing and increasingly uneconomic coal fleet, we are more dependent on gas to ...5 days ago- Catholic Theology on the Economy
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Skeptical Science is partnering with Gigafact to produce fact briefs — bite-sized fact checks of trending harmfully misleading claims, produced primarily for use by thinly-resourced newswrooms but also directly available to the general public. We announced this (renewed) collaboration in April 2024 in a blog post and have published more than 30 ...5 days ago- Maybe Little should actually win the election first?
So, Andrew Little thinks the Wellington City Council should cancel its plans for the Golden Mile, because there's an election in five months: Andrew Little told Nine to Noon he'd be disappointed to see the council march ahead with the plan, given local body elections are to be held ...5 days ago- Showcasing the economic benefits of AUKUS—today
To convince the public of AUKUS’s value, government and industry messaging should focus on how the program can provide benefits in the near term—not in 20 years. AUKUS is a megaproject that will define the ...5 days ago- Friday 16 May
The Council of Trade Unions met with Brooke van Velden and demanded that she reversed the recent pay equity changes. Remaining staff members at polytech UCOL may be expected to pick up some of the work of colleagues made redundant if a proposed restructure goes ahead. Health NZ on Thursday ...6 days ago- The Haka. The Cheering. Then The Bite.
IMPORTANT: Even if next week’s debate lessens the severe penalty onTe Pāti Māori, the punishment has been timed to ice their leaders out of Budget 2025, and the introduction of the anti Treaty of Waitangi Regulatory Standards Bill.When Te Pāti Māori stood up to perform a historic haka in the ...6 days ago - Pay Equity Explainers
- Release: Half a billion dollar tax break for tech giants
The Government is taking the Digital Services Tax off their books, effectively handing a $479 million tax break to global tech giants, like Facebook and Google. ...10 hours ago - Release: Govt helps banks dodge repayment claims for Kiwis
The Government is moving to let two of the country’s most profitable banks off the hook for money owed to their customers. ...10 hours ago
- Release: Search begins for rare family receiving $250
The Government can’t say if even a single family has received the $250 a fortnight they were promised. ...1 day ago
- Release: Govt risks hospice care by cutting women’s pay
The Government’s decision to cut women’s pay could result in an exodus of palliative care nurses from the profession. ...2 days ago
- Release: Govt leaves sexual abuse survivors out in the cold
The Government is quietly cutting more services for women, this time it’s ACC support for survivors of sexual abuse and pausing the expansion of a major sexual violence prevention programme. ...2 days ago
- Report shows Govt’s callous lack of support for system at breaking point
A new report from Aotearoa Educators’ Collective, released today, has confirmed what teachers, students, and whanau have been calling out for years–our learning support system is overstretched, underfunded, and simply not working. ...2 days ago - Prime Minister must scrap the Regulatory Standards Bill
The Green Party is urging the Prime Minister to get rid of the Regulatory Standards Bill after the Waitangi Tribunal found that the Bill breaches the Crown’s Tiriti o Waitangi obligations. ...2 days ago
- Release: Women in funded sector unlikely to get pay equity
The Government is unlikely to fund pay equity for hospice and Plunket nurses, care and support workers and other workforces made up of mostly women. ...3 days ago
- Chris Hipkins Speech Auckland regional conference
Tēnā koutou katoa. It’s fantastic to be here with you all—grassroots campaigners, organisers, union members, councillors, MPs, and Labour whānau. ...4 days ago
- Release: Minister’s rash orders fail frontline providers
The Auditor-General has found serious failings in the Government’s review of frontline providers such as counselling and prevention services. ...6 days ago
- Release: Prices keep rising while National cuts women’s pay
Prices for essentials, like milk, butter and electricity continue to get more expensive under National, at the same time as the Government takes money from women’s pockets to save their budget. ...6 days ago
- Te Pāti Māori Condemns Fast-Track Approval of Seabed Mining
Te Pāti Māori is gravely concerned by the Government’s approval of the Trans-Tasman Resources (Taranaki VTM) seabed mining project under its fast-track regime. This marks the first time a commercial shallow seabed mining operation has been approved anywhere in the world- pushed through with no transparency, no public input, and ...6 days ago
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The Government’s just-passed Social Security Amendment Bill is set to create more benefit sanctions that will push families deeper into poverty. ...6 days ago
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Today’s report into last year’s Oranga Tamariki contract procurement process confirms the Government’s brutal cuts were rushed, poorly managed, and made with no concern for the impact on tamariki. ...6 days ago
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Today the Privileges Committee handed down a severe punishment. Te Pāti Māori Co-leaders Rawiri Waititi and Debbie Ngarewa-Packer have been suspended for 21 days, and MP for Hauraki-Waikato Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke has been suspended for 7 days. ...7 days ago
- Release: Govt finally admits 180,000 in line for a pay cut
The Government finally admitted late last night that roughly 180,000 people will be affected by its decision to halt pay equity claims. ...1 week ago
- Release: Admin nearly a quarter of entire FamilyBoost spend
Nearly a quarter of the money spent on the Government’s flagship FamilyBoost policy has gone to administration, not to families to help with childcare. ...1 week ago
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The Green Budget shows how much better our lives could be under a Green Government, instead of one dominated by corporate greed. ...1 week ago
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The Green Party has unveiled its new plan to make Early Childhood Education (ECE) free. ...1 week ago
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The Green Party is delivering for Māori with its Green Budget. ...1 week ago
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The Green Party has launched its plan for Free GPs as part of its Green Budget. ...1 week ago
- Chris Hipkins: Pre-Budget speech
Tēnā koutou katoa. Good morning. I read recently that one of the keys to success in life is to do the hard stuff first thing in the morning. ...1 week ago
- Release; Budget should not be paid for by working women
The Government must do three things in Budget 2025 if it is genuinely going to turn things around for New Zealanders. ...1 week ago
- Release: Peeni Henare takes over foreign affairs
Labour’s Peeni Henare will pick up the foreign affairs portfolio, following David Parker’s departure from Parliament. ...1 week ago
- Release: Govt better at crushing women’s rights than cars
Rehashing old laws around boy racers is not going to make our communities safer, or distract New Zealanders from the appalling decision to cut women’s pay. ...1 week ago
- No Justice for State Abuse Survivors- Kapa-Kingi
Te Pāti Māori MP for Te Tai Tokerau calls out the government’s decision to keep funding state abuse, turning their backs on justice and real change for abuse in care survivors. “The government has committed to throwing $744 million down the drain, reinforcing a violent regime of disrespect against the ...2 weeks ago
- Govt’s War on Te Tiriti Continues as Review of Treaty Act Announced
Te Pāti Māori is absolutely disgusted by the Government’s announcement to review the Waitangi Tribunal- a deliberate and dangerous escalation in its ongoing campaign to undermine Te Tiriti o Waitangi and silence tangata whenua. “The Government’s onslaught against Te Tiriti continues with this latest move to review the Treaty of ...2 weeks ago
- Tribunal review an attack on Te Tiriti o Waitangi
The Government’s plans to limit the powers and scope of the Waitangi Tribunal is a disgrace. ...2 weeks ago
- Tribunal review an attack on Te Tiriti o Waitangi
The Government’s plans to limit the powers and scope of the Waitangi Tribunal is a disgrace. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Labour asks why Govt is silent on Gaza
Labour is asking the Government why it is silent on Israel’s deliberate use of starvation as a weapon of war in Gaza, saying New Zealand should be speaking out. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Govt ignores the voices of survivors
Survivors of abuse in state care have a right to feel disappointed and sidelined by the Government. ...2 weeks ago
- Redress announcement leaves little justice for survivors
The Green Party is appalled by the Government’s decision to severely underfund financial compensation for survivors of abuse in state care. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Bill launched to stop tobacco industry lobbying
Labour is launching a members’ bill to stop the Government from putting tobacco industry interests ahead of public health. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Labour fights for firefighters
The Labour Party backs volunteer firefighters who are currently not covered by ACC for workplace disease and mental injury and is drafting policy to put this right when the party wins the election in 2026. ...2 weeks ago
- Wildlife law change a deep betrayal of public trust
The Green Party is appalled by the Government’s use of urgency to rewrite the Wildlife Act–without consultation, without an impact statement, and in direct response to a court ruling in favour of protecting wildlife. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: National cuts women’s pay
National has forced through a law change that will take money out of women’s pockets. ...2 weeks ago
- ‘Govt’s Pay Bill Entrenches Discrimination Against Women’ – Kemp
Te Pāti Māori stands in staunch and emotional opposition to the Government’s so-called Equal Pay Amendment Bill, calling it a calculated attack on working women and a cruel betrayal of the generations who have fought for pay equity in Aotearoa. “This bill doesn’t just undermine equal pay — it completely ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Fewer jobs and opportunities for Māori, again
In the last 12 months life has only got worse for Māori under Christopher Luxon’s Government. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: More than one in 10 Pacific people unemployed under National
There are more Pacific people unemployed as the rate increases to a staggering 10.8% under National. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Unemployment remains high under National
Job losses remain stubbornly high under National, as their attack on jobs, wages, and women rages on. ...2 weeks ago
- Stepping up in a changing global environment
Good evening. Thank you to the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs for organising this event, and for your efforts to foster New Zealand’s understanding of international affairs. I am grateful for the opportunity to speak here today. As keen observers and practitioners of international relations, you will all ...2 weeks ago - New High Commissioner to Kiribati announced
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced Pati Gagau as New Zealand’s next High Commissioner to Kiribati. “Our diplomats play a critical role in advancing New Zealand’s interests overseas,” Mr Peters says. “Nowhere is this truer than in the Pacific, where we strive to work with our Pacific partners to forge a more ...2 weeks ago
- Changes to improve pay equity process
The Government is amending the Equal Pay Act [the Act] to make the process of raising and resolving pay equity claims more robust, workable and sustainable, Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden announced today. Pay equity is achieved when women and men are paid the same for work ...2 weeks ago
- Proposals to strengthen biodiversity released
Toitū te taiao – Our environment endures The Government is consulting on proposals to better protect our precious biodiversity and its economic benefits for future generations, Conservation Minister Tama Potaka says. “Today, the Department of Conservation – Te Papa Atawhai is releasing two discussion documents for public consultation, and I ...2 weeks ago
- Trade negotiations with India commence
Following significant engagement over the last month, the first in-person round of negotiations towards a comprehensive India New Zealand Free Trade Agreement (FTA) will take place in India this week. This follows the highly successful visit to India last year by Deputy Prime Minister, Winston Peters and the formal launch ...2 weeks ago
- NZ-EU trade deal delivers export growth
The early entry into force of the New Zealand–European Union Trade Agreement (FTA) is paying off, with Kiwi goods exports to the EU surging by 28 per cent during the first year. “In the last 12 months our goods exports to the EU surged from $3.8 billion to over $4.8 ...2 weeks ago
- Celebrating New Zealand Sign Language
Now is the time for Kiwis to give New Zealand Sign Language a go as we take a week to celebrate the language, Disability Issues Minister Louise Upston says. This week is New Zealand Sign Language (NZSL) week. The theme is that “anyone can sign anywhere”. “NZSL is an official ...2 weeks ago
- Boosting high-tech exports with advanced technology
New investment in advanced technology research will boost high-tech exports, strengthen connections between research and industry and generate high value jobs, Science, Innovation and Technology Minister Dr Shane Reti announced today. “Advanced technology research leads to life-changing innovation,” says Dr Reti. “The breakthroughs that can be achieved through areas like ...2 weeks ago
- Post-Cabinet Press Conference: Monday 5 May 2025
POST-CABINET PRESS CONFERENCE: Monday, 5 May 2025 EPIQ TRANSCRIPT PM: Well, look, good afternoon, everyone. It’s great to be joined this afternoon by our awesome Trade Minister, Todd McClay, who’s doing some incredible work. As you know, it’s a big sitting block with the Budget at the end of ...2 weeks ago
- Parent Portal launched to empower parents
Every parent wants to see their child thrive at school — to feel confident, supported, and capable. Today, the Government is taking a major step toward making that aspiration a reality with the launch of a new Parent Portal: an online resource designed to enable families to play their part ...3 weeks ago
- New helicopters a commitment to global security
The Defence Force’s ageing maritime helicopters will be replaced to increase the defensive and offensive capability and surveillance range of New Zealand’s frigates, Defence Minister Judith Collins announced today. “The replacement of the Seasprite helicopters will also extend the Navy’s ability to support non-combat tasks such as humanitarian assistance and ...3 weeks ago
- Prime Minister congratulates Albanese and Wong
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has congratulated Anthony Albanese on winning the Australian Federal Election, and Lawrence Wong on winning the Singaporean election. “I have been in touch with both Mr Albanese and Mr Wong to offer my congratulations on retaining office,” Mr Luxon says. “When we spoke, Mr Albanese and ...3 weeks ago
- Hunting and Fishing Minister joins game bird season opening hunt
Hunting and Fishing Minister James Meager has joined the thousands of New Zealanders taking part in the annual game bird hunting season opening. He spent the morning at Te Nohoaka o Tukiauau / Sinclair Wetlands, a 315-hectare portion of the Lakes Waihola-Waipori wetland south of Dunedin, hosted by Fish & ...3 weeks ago
- Attendance dashboard shows early insights into term 2
Associate Education Minister David Seymour says that new up-to-date attendance data is helping provide fresh insights into student attendance. For example, data for the first week of term 2 shows the effect of wild weather and which regions were standouts. The average attendance across week 1 is 87.1 per cent. ...3 weeks ago
- New air ambulance helicopter for Auckland and Northland
A new air ambulance helicopter commissioned today will significantly enhance emergency medical response capabilities across Auckland and Northland, Associate Health Minister Hon Casey Costello and ACC Minister Scott Simpson announced today. “This state-of-the-art helicopter represents a major advancement in aeromedical service delivery, and we are pleased to see it become ...3 weeks ago
- Oranga Tamariki showing clear progress on key performance targets
Public reporting on key performance indicators for Oranga Tamariki show the Ministry is making strong progress on its most important goals. In its second public reporting on key performance indicators, Oranga Tamariki has made progress across all four key priority areas emphasised by Minister for Children, Karen Chhour. “In 2024, ...3 weeks ago
- New Member appointed to Waitangi Tribunal
Māori Development Minister Tama Potaka today confirmed the appointment of Gerrard Albert of Whanganui, Ngā Paerangi, to the Waitangi Tribunal for a three-year term to fill a vacancy. Mr. Albert is the former Chair of Ngā Tāngata Tiaki o Whanganui, the post-settlement governance body for Te Awa Tupua. He has ...3 weeks ago
- Raising achievement & closing the equity gap at school
The Government is continuing to raise achievement and close the equity gap in schools across the country, so all Kiwi kids have the knowledge, skills and competencies they need to reach their full potential, Education Minister Erica Stanford says. The Governments’ ambitious changes reflect the responsibility we have to these ...3 weeks ago
- Developing a new Action Plan for unpaid carers
The Government is taking action to better support unpaid and informal carers, Associate Minister for Social Development and Employment Penny Simmonds says. Every morning across New Zealand, unpaid carers are helping loved ones get ready for the day — preparing meals, arranging medication, assisting with transport, and offering vital support, ...3 weeks ago
- Deputy PM concludes constructive visit to New Caledonia
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Winston Peters has concluded a constructive and positive visit to New Caledonia - New Zealand’s closest geographical neighbour. Mr Peters met the French Minister for Overseas Territories, Manuel Valls, and the President of the Government of New Caledonia, Alcide Ponga. “We came to listen and ...3 weeks ago
- Third procedure room to expand endoscopy capacity in Hawke’s Bay
Endoscopy services at Hawke’s Bay Fallen Soldiers’ Memorial Hospital are set to expand, with the addition of a third procedure room, Health Minister Simeon Brown announced today. “Improving New Zealand’s health infrastructure is a top priority for the Government, to ensure all Kiwis can access timely, high-quality healthcare,” Mr Brown says. ...3 weeks ago
- Government remains on track to ban full Farm-to-Forest conversions
Agriculture and Forestry Minister Todd McClay has confirmed that restrictions on full farm-to-forest conversions on LUC 1-6 farmland will be in place this year, and reaffirmed that they will take effect from 4 December 2024 - the date of the original announcement. Enabling legislation will be introduced to Parliament during ...3 weeks ago
- Australia’s Wong condemns ‘abhorrent, outrageous’ Israeli comments over blocked aid
Asia Pacific Report Australia’s Foreign Minister Penny Wong has released a statement saying “the Israeli government cannot allow the suffering to continue” after the UN’s aid chief said thousands of babies were at risk of dying if they did not receive food immediately. “Australia joins international partners in calling on ...1 hour ago - The West v China: Fight for the Pacific – Episode 1: The Battlefield
Al Jazeera How global power struggles are impacting in local communities, culture and sovereignty in Kanaky, New Caledonia, the Solomon Islands and Samoa. In episode one, The Battlefield, tensions between the United States and China over the Pacific escalate, affecting the lives of Pacific Islanders. Key figures like former Malaita ...1 hour ago
- Windows are the No. 1 human threat to birds – an ecologist shares some simple steps to reduce coll...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jason Hoeksema, Professor of Ecology, University of Mississippi Birds are drawn to the mirror effect of windows. That can turn deadly when they think they see trees. CCahill/iStock/Getty Images Plus When wood thrushes arrive in northern Mississippi on their spring migration and ...1 hour ago
- Politics with Michelle Grattan: Jim Chalmers on keeping Australia out of recession amid the ‘dark ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra This week, the Reserve Bank delivered welcome news for mortgage holders, with another 25 basis points rate cut. With this cut, some are hoping that the cost-of-living pain will start to finally ...3 hours ago
- 40 years on – reflecting on Rainbow Warrior’s legacy, fight against nuclear colonialism
Report by Dr David Robie – Café Pacific. – A forthcoming new edition of David Robie’s Eyes of Fire honours the ship’s final mission and the resilience of those affected by decades of radioactive fallout. PACIFIC MORNINGS: By Aui’a Vaimaila Leatinu’u The Greenpeace flagship Rainbow Warrior III ship returns ...3 hours ago
- Gordon Campbell: NZ’s silence over Gaza genocide, ethnic cleansing
COMMENTARY: By Gordon Campbell Since last Thursday, intensified Israeli air strikes on Gaza have killed more than 500 Palestinians, and a prolonged Israeli aid blockade has led to widespread starvation among the territory’s two million residents. Belatedly, Israel is letting in a token amount of food aid that UN Under-Secretary ...4 hours ago
- View from The Hill: Coalition split puts Victorian and NSW Nationals Senate seats at high risk
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra The Victorian and NSW Nationals senators due to face the voters at the 2028 election will struggle to hold their seats if the former partners do not re-form the Coalition before then. Under usual ...6 hours ago
- Budget 2025: Can austerity be turned into growth?
Analysis - The government has proclaimed 2025 the year of growth, but can it deliver when all the indications are that it is close to running on empty? ...7 hours ago - New Caledonia, French Polynesia at UN decolonisation seminar in Dili
By Patrick Decloitre, RNZ Pacific correspondent French Pacific desk New Caledonia and French Polynesia have sent strong delegations this week to the United Nations Pacific regional seminar on the implementation of the Fourth International Decade for the Eradication of Colonialism in Timor-Leste. The seminar opened in Dili today and ends ...7 hours ago
- NSW is copping rain and flooding while parts of Australia are in drought. What’s going on?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrew King, Associate Professor in Climate Science, ARC Centre of Excellence for 21st Century Weather, The University of Melbourne Emergency crews were scrambling to rescue residents trapped by floodwaters on Wednesday as heavy rain pummelled the Mid North Coast of New South ...7 hours ago
- Counts in Bradfield and Calwell become clearer, while Jacqui Lambie faces a possible problem in the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne Counting in several extremely close seats continues, but some results have become clearer. In Liberal-held Bradfield, Teal candidate Nicolette Boele has taken ...8 hours ago
- Why do I procrastinate? And can I do anything about it?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Catherine Houlihan, Senior Lecturer in Clinical Psychology, University of the Sunshine Coast Dima Berlin/Shutterstock Can you only start a boring admin task once your house is clean? Do you leave the trickiest emails to the end of the day? Delaying a ...8 hours ago
- David Seymour defends $18m annual cost of Regulatory Standards Bill
David Seymour said the cost of policy work across the government was $870m a year, so the cost of the bill was about 2 percent of that. ...8 hours ago
- Privileges debate shortened: What was said so far?
The highly anticipated debate on the Privileges Committee report lasted just 25 minutes before it was adjourned. What has been said so far? ...8 hours ago
- Labour slams ‘big tax breaks’ for tech giants as government ditches digital levy
Labour says the government's decision to dump plans for a digital services tax is a tax break for tech giants like Facebook and Google. ...9 hours ago
- School building funds haven’t increased in 15 years – principal
Secondary school principals are unhappy the amount of money schools get to upgrade or replace their buildings has not changed in 15 years. ...9 hours ago
- A sculpture made from 80 tonnes of sand, Mirrorscape is remarkable – but too much is left unsaid
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Robert Clarke, Senior Lecturer in English, University of Tasmania Mirrorscape (detail), 2025, Théo Mercier. Photo credit: Mona/Jesse Hunniford. Image courtesy of the artist and the Museum of Old and New Art, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia. The first impulse is to kick it. ...9 hours ago
- Peters heckling: ‘It is absolutely a sackable offence’ – employment lawyer
A Wellington worker's heated exchange with Winston Peters at a public press conference has landed him hot water with his employer. ...9 hours ago
- NZNO Care And Support Workers At Parliament For Budget Day
NZNO care and support delegate Tash Greig says care and support workers were devastated by the changes. ...10 hours ago - Govt Dismantling Of Public Housing Confirmed With Kāinga Ora Axing A Net 620 Roles
"This is another shameful day for the Government which promised no cuts to frontline services - this is a lie which is being exposed every day across the public sector," said Fleur Fitzsimons, National Secretary for the Public Service Association for ...10 hours ago
- What’s the obscure Australian online safety standard Elon Musk’s X is trying to dodge in court? ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rob Cover, Professor of Digital Communication and Director of the RMIT Digital Ethnography Research Centre, RMIT University In its most recent battle with authorities in Australia, X (formerly Twitter) has launched legal action in the Federal Court, seeking an exemption from a ...10 hours ago
- Interest rates are coming down. Here’s what homeowners should know about refinancing
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ama Samarasinghe, Lecturer, Financial Planning and Tax, RMIT University doublelee/Shutterstock On Tuesday, the Reserve Bank of Australia cut the target cash rate by 0.25 percentage points. It now sits at 3.85% – the lowest since May 2023. Australia’s big four ...10 hours ago
- Auckland passing hat around to save popular public events
Money charged by Auckland Council to develop the city centre will be diverted and the mayoral office budget tapped to keep events in the city going this year.Public gatherings in a council list of being at risk of no funding include the ASB Classic tennis, Auckland Marathon, Sail GP and ...10 hours ago - EDITOR’S NOTE: New Podcast The Bradbury Group Launches in NZ
Editor’s Note: I’m pleased to say my old friend Martyn ‘Bomber’ Bradbury has launched his new programme and podcast titled The Bradbury Group. Martyn needs no introduction to New Zealanders. Under his handle ‘Bomber’ he’s been at the forefront of political debate, especially from a left perspective, for ...10 hours ago
- NZ ‘running out of patience’ – Peters lashes Israel over Gaza aid blockade
RNZ News New Zealand has joined 23 other countries calling out Israel and demanding a full supply of foreign aid be allowed into the territory. Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters told RNZ Morning Report today it was “intolerable” that Israel had blocked any aid reaching residents for many weeks. The ...11 hours ago
- ER Report: A Roundup of Significant Articles on EveningReport.nz for May 21, 2025
ER Report: Here is a summary of significant articles published on EveningReport.nz on May 21, 2025. Australian para sport has issues everywhere – here’s what must be fixed ahead of the Brisbane ParalympicsSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Katherine Raw, Lecturer, Sport Management, Swinburne University of Technology Bratislav ...12 hours ago
- Australian para sport has issues everywhere – here’s what must be fixed ahead of the Brisbane Pa...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Katherine Raw, Lecturer, Sport Management, Swinburne University of Technology Bratislav Kostic/Shutterstock Australia’s underwhelming performance at the 2024 Paris Paralympics has raised serious questions about how well our adaptive sport system is working. The Paris games returned our lowest medal tally since ...12 hours ago
- What’s the difference between skim milk and light milk?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Margaret Murray, Senior Lecturer, Nutrition, Swinburne University of Technology bodnar.photo/Shutterstock If you’re browsing the supermarket fridge for reduced-fat milk, it’s easy to be confused by the many different types. You can find options labelled skim, skimmed, skinny, no fat, extra light, ...12 hours ago
- The picture book helping kids heal from the pain of March 15
Alex Casey talks to Dr Maysoon Salama, author of The Heavenly Papa Giraffe. There’s a page in The Heavenly Papa Giraffe where a peaceful and closeknit family of giraffes are confronted with a snarling hyena on their walk across the savannah. “I hate giraffes, I hate giraffes,” he shouts as ...13 hours ago - Employer of man who heckled Winston Peters criticised after launching probe into ‘disruption&#...
The Free Speech Union says the incident had nothing to do with Tonkin + Taylor, and apologising set a 'dangerous precedent'. ...13 hours ago
- Gone By Lunchtime: House of C****
Reflections on haka-triggered bans and column-propelled C-bombs, and a couple of thoughts about the budget. A last-minute adjournment has kicked the debate around the punishments imposed upon Te Pāti Māori MPs down the road and past the budget, avoiding a possible burst of filibuster activity. All of that follows ...13 hours ago
- AI is now used for audio description. But it should be accurate and actually useful for people with ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kathryn Locke, Associate Researcher in Digital Disability, Centre for Culture and Technology, Curtin University Chansom Pantip/Shutterstock Since the recent explosion of widely available generative artificial intelligence (AI), it now seems that a new AI tool emerges every week. With varying success, ...13 hours ago
- New Zealand Greens Posture As “Socialist” With Alternative Budget
The real target of these far-right denunciations is not the Greens, but the working class and young people, who are moving to the left in response to soaring social inequality, and the threat of fascism and world war, and are increasingly attracted ...13 hours ago
- Echo Chamber: Te Pāti Māori gets the last laugh – for now
Te Pāti Māori rises from the ashes of the government’s pride to get its say in the budget debates – before having to go back to the dog box. Echo Chamber is The Spinoff’s dispatch from the press gallery, recapping sessions in the House. Columns are written by politics reporter ...15 hours ago
- NZ Budget 2025: science investment must increase as a proportion of GDP for NZ to innovate and compe...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Nicola Gaston, Director of the MacDiarmid Institute for Advanced Materials and Nanotechnology, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau Shutterstock/Olivier Le Queinec A lack of strategy and research funding – by both the current and previous governments – has been well documented, ...15 hours ago
- Who pays when the budget cuts?
Underinvesting in early parenthood isn’t saving money, it’s just shifting the burden to justice, health and education systems down the line, writes E Tipu e Rea CEO Zoe Aroha Witika-Hawke. As Budget 2025 is unveiled this week, we expect fiscal responsibility and tightening public spending to dominate headlines. But for ...16 hours ago
- Travel Diary: A foodie trip to Italy and the test of a new relationship
Anna Rawhiti-Connell recalls a ‘very short, late-bloomers OE’. In August and September of 2016, I went to Europe to see and travel with my brother. By the time the trip came around, me and Troy, the man I ended up marrying, had been seeing each other for a few months. ...16 hours ago
- Starvation of Gaza – a distressing continuation of a decades-old plan
SPECIAL REPORT: By Jeremy Rose Reading an NBC News report a couple of days ago about a Trump administration plan to relocate 1 million Gazans to Libya reminded me of a conversation between the legendary Warsaw Ghetto leader Marek Edelman and fellow fighter and survivor Simcha Rotem that took place ...16 hours ago
- ‘An atrocious idea’ – outcry over taxpayer-funded octopus farming research
Octopus are wild and solitary. Plans to farm them are therefore cruel, say animal rights advocates. ...17 hours ago
- Spotify continues to change music. What’s next – will AI musicians replace music made by humans?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Hawkins, Senior Lecturer, Canberra School of Politics, Economics and Society, University of Canberra Spotify was started, according to its official claims, because its founders “love music and piracy was killing it”. In Mood Machine, music journalist Liz Pelly argues this is ...17 hours ago
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