Hopefully, this post-legislative scrutiny will provide a chance to correct any excesses.
disaster
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Resiliency politics
Written By: - Date published: 6:05 am, November 19th, 2020 - 14 comments
With news of more global stressors next year, the stories we tell right now are critical to how we build resiliency. Let’s make sure they are good ones.
No Right Turn: Climate Change – The problem of air travel
Written By: - Date published: 6:02 am, November 19th, 2020 - 147 comments
Until the pandemic, air travel was one of the fastest growing causes of greenhouse gas emissions. And its obscenely unequal, with just 1% of the world’s population causing 50% of the problem:
No Right Turn on scrutiny of the COVID-19 Bill
Written By: - Date published: 7:05 am, May 21st, 2020 - 8 comments
No Right Turn: Climate Change – the need for a green recovery
Written By: - Date published: 7:05 am, April 15th, 2020 - 7 comments
The Climate Change Commission – the expert panel tasked with getting New Zealand carbon neutral – has written to the government asking it to apply a “climate change lens” to the post-Covid-19 spend-up.
Red tape bonfire of the vanities
Written By: - Date published: 2:19 pm, March 9th, 2020 - 19 comments
National has promised a bonfire of regulations. Just like conservatives in Australia, the United Kingdom, America and previous National administrations.
Southland floods and toxic waste
Written By: - Date published: 7:05 am, February 6th, 2020 - 45 comments
As Southland starts post-flood recovery, the question arises of why 10,000 tonnes of waste known to become toxic on exposure to water was allowed to be stored on the banks of a river with known flood risk in a building with known flood risk?
News Corp climate change denial attacked by (checks notes) James Murdoch …
Written By: - Date published: 10:04 am, January 15th, 2020 - 116 comments
News Corp has had a bad week in the media with many questioning its continued climate change denial and its support for politicians refusing to accept the reality of climate change. But the most surprising opposition has been expressed by Rupert Murdoch’s son and News Corp director James Murdoch.
He wasn’t here to help us, was he
Written By: - Date published: 7:10 am, January 4th, 2020 - 80 comments
The utter failure of the Australian Prime Minister to lead during the bushfire crisis reminds us that it’s care for our children and communities that drives climate action. When people mobilise politicians will follow.
Greta Thunberg’s speech to the UN Climate Action Summit: “This is all wrong”
Written By: - Date published: 9:48 am, September 25th, 2019 - 7 comments
“How dare you pretend that this can be solved with just ‘business as usual’ and some technical solutions?”
National are lighting political dumpster fires while the Amazon burns
Written By: - Date published: 7:15 am, August 27th, 2019 - 47 comments
New Zealand’s poster boys for late stage capitalism’s dying throes are fools of the highest order.
100 Days of climate vigil
Written By: - Date published: 11:54 am, August 23rd, 2019 - 4 comments
Ollie Langridge doing the climate action mahi at parliament.
Kill us now, or choose life.
Written By: - Date published: 7:13 am, August 23rd, 2019 - 27 comments
The Amazon burns. The Arctic is on fire. We won’t be able to eat or breath our electric cars, but we still have time to choose a different path.
What if there were only 34 31 more whitebait harvests left?
Written By: - Date published: 7:15 am, August 20th, 2019 - 66 comments
If we want to prevent the extinction of whitebait it’s time to stop buying and selling it.
There is no climate emergency according to National
Written By: - Date published: 10:59 am, July 19th, 2019 - 194 comments
Simon Wilson has suggested in the the Herald this morning that for purely political reasons National will frustrate and stymie action on climate change
Matata
Written By: - Date published: 9:00 am, July 18th, 2019 - 44 comments
Many a bold claim has been made for the necessity of responding to climate change, but when it comes to storms affecting one’s own home, Matata is surely the test case of this century.
Three disturbingly different views on climate change
Written By: - Date published: 2:10 pm, June 10th, 2019 - 63 comments
In the same week that Donald Trump said that the American climate was the cleanest climate, Ian Dunlop, former chairman of the Australian Coal Association, has warned of massive social consequences ranging from increased religious fervour to outright chaos. And UK Chancellor Philip Hammond is questioning if remedial action is affordable.
Bill Nye loses his s&(t about climate change
Written By: - Date published: 2:08 pm, May 14th, 2019 - 17 comments
Bill Nye has decided that anger is the only adequate response to the climate change crisis.
Is there a middle ground on climate change
Written By: - Date published: 9:11 am, May 11th, 2019 - 271 comments
It has been reported that US Presidential hopeful Joe Biden is hoping to craft a middle ground position between the extraordinarily strong scientific consensus suggesting we have a climate crisis and the industry supported anti scientific knee jerk opposition to doing anything.
Zero Carbon bill announced
Written By: - Date published: 4:44 pm, May 8th, 2019 - 40 comments
The Government has announced that the Zero Carbon Bill will have as a goal carbon neutrality by 2050 and the halving of methane emissions by that time.
It’s the end of the world as we know it *
Written By: - Date published: 10:00 am, May 7th, 2019 - 104 comments
* and I don’t feel fine.
Pike River re-entry delayed
Written By: - Date published: 10:53 am, May 3rd, 2019 - 51 comments
Re-entry to the Pike River mine has been delayed so that a high oxygen reading from within the mine can be understood.
Climate change is this Government’s nuclear free issue
Written By: - Date published: 9:00 am, May 1st, 2019 - 50 comments
The results of the Zero Carbon Bill negotiations are due to be announced shortly. This Government has a political imperative to make sure that the final proposal is resolute.
Ardern backs students striking for climate change
Written By: - Date published: 7:43 am, March 15th, 2019 - 70 comments
Jacinda Ardern has publicly supported the School students strike about climate change and urged them not to underestimate the power of their voices.
Young people and climate change
Written By: - Date published: 7:56 am, March 6th, 2019 - 50 comments
School students are planning national protests against climate change on March 15, 2019. The response of some politicians to this news is less than optimal.
Pike River mine evidence went missing
Written By: - Date published: 7:52 am, February 18th, 2019 - 74 comments
It has been alleged that a potentially vital piece of evidence in the Pike River mine fatality that may show the cause of the explosion may have gone missing.
Trump restarts Nuclear Arms race
Written By: - Date published: 7:55 am, February 8th, 2019 - 58 comments
Donald Trump has announced that the US will be withdrawing from the Intermediate Range Nuclear Forces Treaty and Russia has also given notice. Stand by as the nuclear arms race restarts.
Does the West Coast Regional Council Exist?
Written By: - Date published: 3:14 pm, January 29th, 2019 - 48 comments
Does the West Coast Regional Council actually exist? Te Reo Putake’s submission on the Zero Carbon Bill says the science is unproven.
Guest post: Epitaph for a species
Written By: - Date published: 9:00 am, January 20th, 2019 - 69 comments
In a guest post Tony Veitch [not etc.] imagines his last few days as the world dies …
What can we do about climate change – air travel emission offset
Written By: - Date published: 8:00 am, January 2nd, 2019 - 257 comments
How do you reconcile your desire to do what you can about climate change with taking air travel?
You are stealing our future
Written By: - Date published: 9:51 am, December 16th, 2018 - 94 comments
In a powerful speech a young 15 year old woman from Sweden has told the world’s leaders why action against climate change is urgent and that if the political system is preventing the necessary action from being taken then it is time for system change.
We’re All Penguins Now.
Written By: - Date published: 1:25 pm, November 19th, 2018 - 26 comments
To jump or not to jump? Is “not jumping” about to mean “left behind”?
- A Caucus Of Velvet Gloves.
Uniformly Diverse: There is one very simple reason why this government, comprised overwhelmingly of members of the Professional-Managerial Class, will find it almost impossible to understand what the bottom half of New Zealand society needs: because it is supremely confident that it already does. NEW ZEALAND now boasts one of ...22 mins ago - Climate Change: An emergency
Some good news today: Parliament will declare a climate emergency next week: The Government has revealed plans to pass a climate change emergency motion in Parliament next week. An attempt was made to pass one last term but NZ First opposed it. The motion itself would have no practical ...3 hours ago - NZDF should not be allowed to handle this in-houseYesterday we learned that an NZDF soldier with links to Nazi groups has been charged with espionage (along other things) and will be prosecuted via court-martial. Whether the charges are justified is for a court to determine, but it seems deeply inappropriate to use a military court for this. The ...7 hours ago
- The Adventures of Annalax: Volume XIII
So… Ember the Demon Thing. Not nice. Not nice at all. Annalax asked Alan the Wizard if he knew anyone who could possibly deal with this mess. Alan said a certain unhinged female acquaintance near the Mountains of Madness might have the sufficiently dodgy knowledge to pull it ...17 hours ago - Skeptical Science New Research for Week #47, 2020
"Don't make us stop the car." Climate change of a different kind: Examining the climate effects of a regional nuclear weapons exchange using a multiscale atmospheric modeling approach, investigated by Wegman, Lundquist et al. There's good news: the main proximate cause of the resulting global mess might last only about 4 ...23 hours ago - Taking the pissWhile the borders are closed, employers can still get visas for "essential" workers. But some of the jobs deemed "essential" don't seem to be: Applications were approved for 633 different jobs ranging from low skilled roles including taxi driver, cafe worker and cleaner, through to highly skilled jobs such ...1 day ago
- A Parliament that sounds like AotearoaI'm watching the swearing in of MPs today on Parliament TV, and pleased to hear the linguistic diversity in our Parliament. In addition to a good number of MPs doing their oaths or affirmations in Te Reo, there's also been Samoan, Tongan, Dutch, Korean, plus (as best as I can ...1 day ago
- Changing stuff…
By Professor Peter Dearden, Director Genomics Aotearoa Science is an excellent way of allowing us to question test and understand the world we live in. But that knowledge also provides us with something else; the ability to change things, to solve problems, and to make life on earth a bit ...1 day ago - Letter to the Reserve Bank
This is how you fix something. ...1 day ago - Gas-powered cars: Beginning of the end in California?This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Bruce Lieberman Can California really do it? Can it completely ban the sale of new gas-powered cars in 15 years – 15 years – and lead the country toward a fossil fuel-free future? Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom says so. In a ...1 day ago
- The COVID-19 pandemic in Aotearoa/NZ: A brief photo-essay with 10 photosLuke Pilkinton-Ching, Prof Michael Baker, Prof Nick Wilson In this photo-essay of the COVID-19 pandemic in Aotearoa/NZ, each photo is accompanied by a brief comment on the pandemic impact or response. In some instances these images reflect success factors such as the relatively early introduction of border controls and the ...1 day ago
- A Phuulish Fellow Turns Five Years OldOn 25th November, 2015, this humble blog made its debut. Five years to the day later… it has evolved into something I could not have predicted. In the early days, of course, it was primarily about my own writing, and thoughts on the wider fantasy genre. Since then ...2 days ago
- Aches on a plane – new findings on in-flight Covid transmissionOne of the good things about New Zealand pursuing an elimination strategy for Covid-19 (aside from the obvious) is that we are able to help answer some of the questions there are about how the SARS-CoV-2 virus transmits between people. Take air travel. As many people in the US start ...2 days ago
- Reading the roomIt looks like the government has finally read the room on the housing crisis, with Finance Minister grant Robertson writing to the Reserve Bank to tell them to start looking at controlling house prices: Finance Minister Grant Robertson has told Reserve Bank Governor Adrian Orr that it’s time to ...2 days ago
- Why the Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine is now a global game changerMichael Head, University of Southampton In the long dark tunnel that has been 2020, November stands out as the month that light appeared. Some might see it as a bright light, others as a faint light – but it is unmistakably a light. On November 9, Pfizer announced the interim ...2 days ago
- Graeme Edgeler: The Vague promise of a better tomorrow: Why a three-year Parliamentary term is good ...
New Zealand is not the only country with a three-year term of Parliament, but there aren’t many others. Most countries have longer terms, with theoretically less of a democratic check on political power. Most other countries also have some combination of: a bicameral legislature, a supreme constitution, strong judicial review ...2 days ago - “Goodfellas”: The Neoliberal National Party Shows Its Ugly Face.Unaccountable? A reasonable National Party member might have anticipated that a president who led his party to the second-worst defeat in its history would feel obliged to fall upon his sword in recognition of the scale of his failure. Such a member would have been disappointed. Peter Goodfellow (above) was ...2 days ago
- Big Eye Wide, But ShutA few days ago the US National Science Foundation (NSF) announced the decommissioning of the Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico. This story has been the subject of items in the mass media around the globe, and also in New Zealand. Cables supporting the massive horns and radio receivers above ...3 days ago
- From revolution to narcissism
For much of the 20th century the progressive movement was focused on real and crucial issues. What is called progressive now is a farce. ...3 days ago - The Church of Woke...3 days ago
- 2020 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming Digest #47Story of the Week... Toon of the Week... Coming Soon on SkS... Climate Feedback Claim Review... SkS Week in Review... Poster of the Week... Story of the Week... Warm Arctic, Cold Continents? It Sounds Counterintuitive, but Research Suggests it’s a Thing Scientists suspect that rapid warming in the ...3 days ago
- Ardern’s crocodile tears won’t fix the housing crisisPeople are getting very grumpy at the government's refusal to act on the housing crisis. Jacinda Ardern's response? To tell everyone she cares,/A>: Jacinda Ardern says one of the things that sets her Government apart from the National Party is Labour's concern over skyrocketing house prices. The median house ...3 days ago
- Victoria University of Wellington Alumni post-election panel discussionThe landmark 2020 New Zealand general election is going to be discussed and analysed for many years to come. for an early attempt at making sense of the results, VUW hosted a panel discussion on 4 November for Alumni to watch and participate in. The panel was chaired by Bryce ...3 days ago
- Modernity Bias: Daniel Greene’s Top Fantasy CharactersYouTuber Daniel Greene has put out a list of his personal favourite fantasy characters: It’s a decent enough list, for the most part (confession time – I have never read a Sanderson book). And it’s a purely subjective question anyway, what with different people having different preferences. ...4 days ago
- SpaceX’s Starlink satellites are about to ruin stargazing for everyoneSamantha Lawler, University of Regina I walk outside my rural Saskatchewan house before dawn and look up, expecting to have my breath taken away by the sheer number of stars overhead. I’m a professional astronomer, but I still appreciate naked-eye stargazing as much as an eager child. This is the ...4 days ago
- Hitler’s Playbook
No one can now doubt that Donald Trump is making a determined and sustained attempt to overturn the result of a democratic election and to defy the will of the people. He is clearly determined to hold on to power, whatever the verdict delivered by the ballot box – even ...4 days ago - 2020 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #472020A chronological listing of news articles linked to on the Skeptical Science Facebook Page during the past week: Sun, Nov 15, 2020 through Sat, Nov 21, 2020 Editor's Choice The 'market' won't save us from climate disaster. We must rethink our system Expecting the free market to fix global warming ...4 days ago
- Capital Vol. 3 lectures: The Falling Rate of Profit
– Transforming Industry to Empire
This is the fifth lecture in the lecture series by Andy Higginbottom on superexploitation. Part one of the lecture series is here, part two is here, part three is here and part four here. (Unfortunately the first minute of the lecture where the content of the lecture is outlined was not recorded.) ...5 days ago - Ken Can’t Count: No, the New Zealand Election Wasn’t Rigged
As tempting as it may be to snigger at unsubstantiated allegations of United States election fraud… New Zealand can’t be smug. Every country has its dingbats, and 2020 has shown that we are no exception. I mention this, because over the past month or so, a committed little collection ...5 days ago - Meeting The Overwhelming Quantum Of Need: A Modest Proposal For Ending New Zealand’s Housing Crisi...Deja Vu: Architectural drawing of the planned mass housing development planned for Auckland in the mid-1940s. IT COULD BE DONE. This government could make a serious attempt to house the 20,000 people waiting for social housing before the next election. It would, however, require them to do something they have, ...5 days ago
- How to choose the right Christmas gift: tips from psychological researchAdrian R. Camilleri, University of Technology Sydney Christmas is a time of celebration, relaxation and gift giving. But choosing gifts can also make it a time of stress and anxiety. The wrong gift can actually do more harm than good. Here is some advice, based on decades of research, on ...5 days ago
- Fleeing to the Dawn: Published2020 has been rather quiet on the short story front, but I have found a home for another of my pieces. A 1700-word fantasy (arguably getting into vignette territory), titled Fleeing to the Dawn, is now out as part of the Autumn 2020 edition of Shorts Magazine. The ...5 days ago
- Observations of past climate change help rule out natural causes of current climate changeThis post is an updated intermediate rebuttal to the myth "climate is changing now because climate has always changed". It was written by Scott Knapp as part of the George Mason University class Understanding and Responding to Climate Misinformation, combining climate science and communication best practices to debunk common climate myths. The total rate of global ...6 days ago
- As Safe As Houses?
Stein’s law says that if something cannot go on forever, it wont. But does a speculative bubble matter? The cryptocurrency bubble can be left to itself (tax evasion and criminal transactions aside). Why shouldn’t we do the same for housing? There are two general reasons why we should be concerned ...6 days ago - Good riddanceAustralian polluter Beach Energy has announced that it is cancelling plans to drill off Dunedin next year. The exploration permit in question, 38264, has a "drill or drop" requirement and has to drill an exploratory well by October 2021. But more importantly, it expires in November 2021. PEPANZ, the polluter ...6 days ago
- Repairing a hole in the wall with the diffusion equationLast week child number 1 managed to put a hole in a plasterboard (‘gib’) wall. I wasn’t in the room at the time, but I believe it had something to do starting at one end of the house, running down the corridor, through the bedroom doorway, doing a forward flip ...6 days ago
- Andy Asquith, Andrew Cardow, and Karen Webster: What ever happened to local government?We would like to congratulate Nanaia Mahuta on her promotion to the role of Foreign Minister – an important historic move. We are delighted both to see some stability in the local government portfolio holder and to see it held by someone senior in the cabinet rankings. For once we ...6 days ago
- The Political Economy Of Pride And Prejudice.For The Few, Not The Many: In the face of this widening gulf between the rich and the poor, successive New Zealand governments have opted for the same role that Jane Austen chose to play while her beloved England busied itself defeating Napoleon Bonaparte and the revolutionary egalitarian impulses he ...6 days ago
- What is causing the increase in atmospheric CO2?This post is an updated intermediate rebuttal to the myth "CO2 increase is natural, not human-caused". It was written by Erika Harrington as part of the George Mason University class Understanding and Responding to Climate Misinformation, combining climate science and communication best practices to debunk common climate myths. Atmospheric CO2 has increased by more ...7 days ago
- Obvious questions for the NZDFToday the Brereton report on war crimes by the Australian SAS was released, finding that Australian SAS troops had murdered 39 Afghan civilians and prisoners of war, with various actions taken to cover up the crimes. A special prosecutor will be appointed, and 25 soldiers have been referred for prosecution. ...1 week ago
- Matariki, history and ethnicity research honouredEvery year Royal Society Te Apārangi celebrates the achievements of researchers, scholars, and kairangahau who have achieved excellence in their disciplines throughout Aotearoa. This year separate ceremonies were held in the three main centres. In the first of two posts, we highlight the Māori and Pasifika recipients from the ...1 week ago
- Keeping Rates LowFor decades, the Wellington City Council has been Keeping rates Low, skimping on infrastructure maintenance to pander to elderly property-owners. The result? Shit on the streets: Wastewater crews are working to fix a drain that is causing human faeces to pour onto a street in central Wellington. Wellington Water ...1 week ago
- Reconnecting with taha Māori on the shores of Lake TaupōIn one day with her kaumatua (elder) on the southern shores of Lake Taupō, Yvonne Taura (Ngāiterangi, Ngāti Ranginui, Ngāti Hauā, Ngāti Uenuku, Ngāti Tūwharetoa) found her future career ambition was to raise awareness in restoring New Zealand’s wetlands back to health. In 2002 and in the middle of an ...1 week ago
- Enhancing the lives of tāngata whenuaFiona Wiremu (Ngāi Tūhoe | Ngāti Ranginui) is driven to do all she can to enhance the lives of tāngata whenua and that’s evident in the multiple research areas she covers. These include mātauranga Māori (Māori knowledge) such as te reo Māori, culture and identity, Whai Rawa (Māori Economies), Te ...1 week ago
- Skeptical Science New Research for Week #46, 2020If you learn something, say something The American Meteorological Society publication The Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences is encouraging authors to think about a wider readership's needs when submitting papers: The American Meteorological Society (AMS) mission statement specifically calls for advancing “the atmospheric and related sciences . . . for ...1 week ago
- It always pays to check before you shareBack in 2008, Dr Anthony Fauci (yes, that Dr Fauci) co-authored a paper that examined the interplay between influenza infection and secondary bacterial infection in mortality from the “Spanish flu¹” pandemic of 1918-19. He and his colleagues examined tissue samples taken during autopsies at the time of the pandemic, using ...1 week ago
- The Hollow Persons (With Apologies To T.S. Eliot)Let’s do this Let’s keep moving IWe are the hollow personsInflated with hot airHanging togetherFor fear of hanging separately. Cut!Our empty promises, whenFirst we make them,Are far from empty.We are inflamed by the thrillOf passionate sounds,Like Boomers watching porn,Mistaking the image for the deed.Policy ...1 week ago
- The harmful impacts of climate change outweigh any benefitsThis post is an updated intermediate rebuttal to the myth "global warming is good". It was written by Sophia Whitaker as part of the George Mason University class Understanding and Responding to Climate Misinformation, combining climate science and communication best practices to debunk common climate myths. The Pros and the Cons Our current ...1 week ago
- Southern Gothic Politics: The Bluing of Otago-Southland
The New Zealand Labour Party seems pretty happy with the October 2020 election. And on the whole, it is right to be happy. Single party majority governments don’t grow on trees under proportional representation. However, buried within the results are some… less encouraging signs for Labour (or alternatively, more ...1 week ago - Climate Change: The problem of air travelUntil the pandemic, air travel was one of the fastest growing causes of greenhouse gas emissions. And its obscenely unequal, with just 1% of the world's population causing 50% of the problem: Frequent-flying “‘super emitters” who represent just 1% of the world’s population caused half of aviation’s carbon emissions ...1 week ago
- Branko Marcetic: If Labour rests on its Covid-defeating laurels then its headed for a big fallJacinda Ardern’s Labour Party has received a historic landslide victory based on its competent handling of Covid, but the new government already shows worrying signs of complacency. Branko Marcetic argues that Labour can’t expect Covid issues to keep its popularity up and if it is to survive in power it ...1 week ago
- The obvious questionStuff reports that housing speculators aren't paying their taxes: Speculators are making millions in an overheated housing market but as many as one in four didn’t pay the tax they owed on properties flipped last year, IRD figures reveal. Of the 1701 property sales subject to the bright-line test ...1 week ago
- Climate Change: Time to phase out fossil vehiclesBack in February, the UK announced that it was bringing forward its fossil-fuel vehicle phase out from 2040 to 2035. Now, they're about to bring it forward again, to 2030. Which has caused Climate Change Minister James Shaw to suggest that we follow them: Climate Change Minister James Shaw ...1 week ago
- What would happen if we cut down the Amazon rainforest?Climate Explained is a collaboration between The Conversation, Stuff and the New Zealand Science Media Centre to answer your questions about climate change. If you have a question you’d like an expert to answer, please send it to climate.change@stuff.co.nz What would happen if we cut down the ...1 week ago
- How we know human CO2 emissions have disrupted the carbon cycleThis post is an updated intermediate rebuttal to the myth "Human CO2 emissions is tiny compared to natural CO2 emissions". It was written by Ziheng Sun as part of the George Mason University class Understanding and Responding to Climate Misinformation, combining climate science and communication best practices to debunk common climate myths. Nature ...1 week ago
- Secondhand clothing sales are booming – and may help solve the sustainability crisis in the fashio...Hyejune Park and Cosette Marie Joyner Armstrong, Oklahoma State University A massive force is reshaping the fashion industry: secondhand clothing. According to a new report, the U.S. secondhand clothing market is projected to more than triple in value in the next 10 years – from US$28 billion in 2019 to ...1 week ago
- To advance, workers must break the law: a reply to John Kerrby Don Franks In response to my piece NZ union structure past its use by date John Kerr wrote: Bit of a cop out of an article: some penetrating analysis of what’s wrong (echoed in other pieces by Trotter et al) but no concrete suggestions around possible solutions… I agree ...1 week ago
- This is not a solutionAnger over the housing crisis and the betrayal of the kiwi dream has reached high enough levels that the Prime Minister feels she has to (be seen to) do something about it. Her solution? Subsidising property sellers: While facing questions this morning, Ardern revealed the Government was looking into ...1 week ago
- New data privacy rules are coming in NZ — businesses and other organisations will have to lift the...Anca C. Yallop, Auckland University of Technology Most people these days are aware that what they share online is both valuable and vulnerable. Data privacy has become a major concern for consumers and corporations alike. The issue will come to a head when New Zealand’s Privacy Act 2020 comes into ...1 week ago
- A witch-hunt devastates the Auckland art worldNina Power is a left-wing, Marxist influenced artist. Her work often takes a class-based analysis and explores women’s oppression. She recently became the target of a vicious attack and was slanderously was called a Nazi after she wrote an essay that was part of an exhibition of 400 flags. The ...1 week ago
- Even the banks can see which way the wind is blowingJacinda Ardern has famously ruled out taxing wealth in any way, saying "not as long as I'm Prime Minister". Meanwhile, Westpac is saying that its inevitable: Rising public anger about growing inequality is likely to force the imposition of a capital gains or wealth tax in the next few ...1 week ago
- Moderna follows Pfizer with exciting vaccine news – how to read these dramatic developmentsSimon Kolstoe, University of Portsmouth It is very exciting to hear another positive story about vaccine trial results – a good vaccine is the most likely way of ending the pandemic. Last week, interim results from Pfizer suggested its vaccine reduces cases of COVID-19 with 90% efficacy. Now Moderna has ...1 week ago
- If Only We Had A Minister Of Broadcasting Worthy Of The Title.Worryingly Uninterested: Given Broadcasting Minister Kris Faafoi’s evident uninterest in the classic Reithian principles of public broadcasting – i.e. to educate, elevate and entertain the people – any review of his motivations for rolling-up TVNZ and RNZ into a single, state-owned broadcasting entity, leaves one fearing the worst.MORE OR LESS ...1 week ago
- Time to Stop Dodging Bullets? NZ’s Eight Recent Border Control FailuresProf Nick Wilson, Dr Leah Grout, Dr Amanda Kvalsvig, Prof Michael Baker There have been eight distinct border control failures in Aotearoa/NZ relating to the pandemic virus that causes COVID-19, since early August 2020, equivalent to one every two weeks. In this blog we briefly detail these failures and ...1 week ago
- Human Fingerprints on Climate Change Rule Out Natural CyclesThis post is an updated intermediate rebuttal to the myth "global warming is caused by natural cycles". It was written by Kay Huang as part of the George Mason University class Understanding and Responding to Climate Misinformation, combining climate science and communication best practices to debunk common climate myths. Global warming refers to ...1 week ago
- A cringe, not a crouchOver the weekend, Stuff's Henry Cooke identified the big problem with Labour: they're stuck permanently in defensive mode. And so they are unwilling to take political "risks" over things like housing, even when people are clamouring for action. Cooke's suggestion is that Labour needs to get out of its "defensive ...1 week ago
- 2020 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming Digest #46Story of the Week... Toon of the Week... Coming Soon on SkS... Poster of the Week... SkS Week in Review... Story of the Week... Seeing Clouds Clearly: Are They Cooling Us Down or Heating Us Up? Though scientists know that clouds are critical to the climate system, ...1 week ago
- Can animals and plants adapt to global warming?This post is an updated intermediate rebuttal to the myth "animals can adapt to global warming". It was written by Finley Hay-Chapman as part of the George Mason University class Understanding and Responding to Climate Misinformation, combining climate science and communication best practices to debunk common climate myths. There have been five “big” mass extinction events in ...1 week ago
- A School in Good HeartA year ago, my wife and I attended the Senior Academic Prizegiving at my old school, Tauranga Boys College. I recall writing at that time a piece in which I registered how impressed we were at the evidence provided by the ceremony of a school in good heart, excellently led, ...1 week ago
- 2020 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #462020A chronological listing of news articles linked to on the Skeptical Science Facebook Page during the past week: Sun, Nov 8, 2020 through Sat, Nov 14, 2020 Editor's Choice Two U.S. Oil Companies Join Their European Counterparts in Making Net-Zero Pledges Occidental Petroleum and ConocoPhillips define their net-zero goals differently, ...2 weeks ago
- Pfizer will save us from COVID!
What, this Pfizer?A team of Pfizer doctors reached the Nigerian camp just as the outbreak, which killed at least 11,000 people, was peaking. They set themselves up within metres of a medical station run by the aid group Médecins Sans Frontières, which was dispensing proven treatments to ease the epidemic.From ...2 weeks ago - Will the Coronavirus Evolve to Be Less Deadly?Wendy Orent No lethal pandemic lasts forever. The 1918 flu, for example, crisscrossed the globe and claimed tens of millions of lives, yet by 1920, the virus that caused it had become significantly less deadly, causing only ordinary seasonal flu. Some pandemics have lasted longer, like the Black Death, which ...2 weeks ago
- How much does animal agriculture and eating meat contribute to global warming?This post is an updated intermediate rebuttal to the myth "Animal agriculture account for 51% of CO2 emissions". It was written by Zack Chester as part of the George Mason University class Understanding and Responding to Climate Misinformation, combining climate science and communication best practices to debunk common climate myths. The three largest contributors to ...2 weeks ago
- New Zealand union structure past its use by date
by Don Franks Christmas 2020 in New Zealand will for many folks be a ghastly memory of hunger and homelessness. Rumblings of protest are growing louder and more frequent. A November 6th letter to the government signed by 60 community groups shows the depth of concern. Signatories include long-standing mainstream ...2 weeks ago - Suffer the Children
Are we reducing child poverty by as much as is needed to reach the targets set by the government under the Child Poverty Reduction Act? The current indicators about the level of poverty are not very promising, but on average they really only apply for December 2018 (that is the ...2 weeks ago
- SPEECH: Opening the 53rd Parliament
E aku hoa i te ara o te whai, Kia kotahi tā tātou takahi i te kō, ko tōku whiwhi kei tō koutou tautoko mai. ...5 hours ago - Oranga Tamariki head should question whether she has trust of Māori communities
“When considering whether to resign, Oranga Tamariki head Grainne Moss should question whether communities on the ground, particularly Māori, have trust and faith in her to do the job”, Green Party Māori Development spokesperson Dr Elizabeth Kerekere said today. ...5 hours ago - Green Party welcome Adrian Orr’s full and frank advice on taxWe welcome Adrian Orr signalling that he will provide advice to the Finance Minister on fiscal measures, include tax changes, to cool the housing market, Green Party Finance spokesperson Julie Anne Genter said today. ...7 hours ago
- “We can do better”: Kelvin Davis talks tackling racism in education"Racism exists – we feel little and bad." Those were the unprompted words of one student during an interview for the Education Matters to Me report produced by the Children’s Commissioner in 2018. ...1 day ago
- Green Party respond to Government review of housing settingsIt is a positive step that the Government is looking at options to take the heat out of the housing market, and has written to the Reserve Bank to that effect, but they must be open to using all the tools available to them, Green Party Co-leader and spokesperson on ...2 days ago
- Speeding up recovery: fast-tracking projects to boost jobs, build housesWe’ve announced three additional projects to go through the fast-track resource consenting process. Read below for a quick rundown of what these projects are, what the fast-tracking process means, and why the Government is using fast-tracking as one way to create jobs sooner and accelerate our economic recovery from COVID-19. ...2 days ago
- Reports of prisoner abuse show need for prisons rethink and independent oversightReports of an asthmatic woman being bombed in her cell with pepper spray, being forced to lie face down on the ground to be fed, and having to show used sanitary items to guards to receive more, shows obscene human rights violations that need addressing, Green Party Corrections and Human ...2 days ago
- Green Party announce portfolio reshuffle with talented and energised caucus teamThe Green Party Co-leaders have announced their portfolio reshuffle for the 53rd Parliament. “The Green Party caucus offers a breadth of talent and energy to the Parliament this term. In ten MPs you have a small business owner, a human rights lawyer, an academic, a climate negotiator, a transport planner, ...3 days ago
- Nearly 50 percent increase in Kiwi apprenticesAs we recover and rebuild from COVID-19, we’re investing in major shovel-ready and long-term infrastructure projects up and down the country – creating thousands of jobs in the trades nationwide. ...6 days ago
- Celebrating World Children's DayThis World Children’s Day, we’re taking a look at all the ways we’re working to make New Zealand the best place in the world to be a child. ...6 days ago
- Report of alleged war crimes by Australian Defence Force in Afghanistan a distressing reminder of th...The Green Party strongly condemns the revelation of alleged war crimes by the Australian Defence Force in Afghanistan, with an alleged unlawful killing of 39 people by 25 Special Forces personnel. ...6 days ago
- SPEECH: 10th Anniversary of Pike River tragedyTēnei te mihi ki a tātau katoa e huihui nei i tēnei rā I greet us all who are gathered here today ...1 week ago
- Greens commit to ensuring strong oceans protection this termThe Green Party will work with Labour this term to ensure better protections for our oceans, Green MP Eugenie Sage said today. ...1 week ago
- Kiwis deserve fair prices at the supermarket2020 has been a tough year. Not only has COVID-19 presented unique challenges to the way we work, play and socialise, for many Kiwis the pandemic has also meant more of a strain on the back pocket. ...1 week ago
- Auckland COVID-19 case shows need for extended sick leave before busy Christmas periodThe case of an Auckland city worker heading to work with COVID-19 symptoms shows the need for urgent extended sick leave, Green Party Workplace Relations spokesperson Jan Logie said today. ...1 week ago
- Meet our new MPsWondering who our new Labour MPs are? We asked our 23 new Caucus members to share a little about themselves and the experience they will be bringing to Parliament... ...2 weeks ago
- Reserve Bank policies will inevitably heat housing market, Government must implement tax reform to c...The Government must use levers to prevent further over-heating of the housing market, which will result from the Reserve Bank pumping another $28 billion into the economy in the form of cheap loans to banks. ...2 weeks ago
- Successful prosecution of Talley’s deep-water fishing division shows need for more marine protecte...Today’s ruling that Talley’s deep-water fishing division, Amaltal, is guilty of bottom trawling in the Hikurangi Marine Reserve demonstrates the need for increased fisheries enforcement and strong marine protected areas off our coasts, Green MP Eugenie Sage said today. ...2 weeks ago
- Green Party backs calls by New Zealand charities to lift the benefit by ChristmasThe Green Party supports calls by 40 welfare and poverty organisations to increase income support payments to help lift families out of poverty before Christmas. ...2 weeks ago
- New Zealand Government to declare a climate emergency
The Government will declare a climate emergency next week, Climate Change Minister James Shaw said today. “We are in the midst of a climate crisis that will impact on nearly every ...19 mins ago - Call for urgent action on Pacific conservationA declaration on the urgency of the global biodiversity crisis and the need for immediate, transformative action in the Pacific was agreed at a pan-Pacific conference today. The 10th Pacific Islands Conference on Nature Conservation and Protected Areas is taking place this week across the Pacific. Minister of Conservation Kiritapu ...2 hours ago
- Speech from the throneE aku hoa i te ara o te whai, Kia kotahi tā tātou takahi i te kō, ko tōku whiwhi kei tō koutou tautoko mai. Ko tāku ki a koutou, hei whakapiki manawa mōku. He horomata rangatira te mahi, e rite ai te whiwhinga a te ringatuku, me te ringakape ...5 hours ago
- Keynote address to Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand conferenceSpeech to the CAANZ conference - November 19, 2020 Thank you, Greg, (Greg Haddon, MC) for the welcome. I’d like to acknowledge John Cuthbertson from CAANZ, the Commissioner of Inland Revenue Naomi Ferguson, former fellow MP and former Minister of Revenue, Peter Dunne, other guest speakers and CAANZ members. I ...1 day ago
- Expert independent advisory group appointed to strengthen the future of Māori broadcastingA panel of seven experts are adding their support to help shape the future of Māori broadcasting, Minister for Māori Development Willie Jackson has announced today. “Today I will meet with some of the most experienced Māori broadcasters, commentators and practitioners in the field. They have practical insights on the ...1 day ago
- Government to review housing settingsNew Zealand’s stronger-than-expected economic performance has flowed through to housing demand, so the Government will review housing settings to improve access to the market, the Finance Minister Grant Robertson announced today. “Our focus is on improving access to the housing market for first home buyers and ensuring house price growth ...2 days ago
- Crown accounts reflect Govt’s careful economic managementThe better-than-expected Crown accounts released today show the Government’s careful management of the COVID-19 health crisis was the right approach to support the economy. As expected, the Crown accounts for the year to June 2020 show the operating balance before gains and losses, or OBEGAL, was in deficit. However that ...2 days ago
- Community launch marks next step in addressing racism in educationThe launch of Te Hurihanganui in Porirua today is another important milestone in the work needed to address racism in the education system and improve outcomes for Māori learners and their whānau, Associate Education Minister Kelvin Davis says. Budget 2019 included $42 million over three years to put Te Hurihanganui ...2 days ago
- Government to consider recommendations on DNA use in criminal investigationsThe Minister of Justice has received the Law Commission’s recommending changes to the law governing the way DNA is used in criminal investigations. The report, called The Use of DNA in Criminal Investigations – Te Whahamahi I te Ira Tangata I ngā Mātai Taihara, recommends new legislation to address how ...2 days ago
- Speech to Wakatū Nelson regional hui on tradeFirst, I want to express my thanks to Te Taumata for this hui and for all the fantastic work you are doing for Māori in the trade space. In the short time that you’ve been operating you’ve already contributed an enormous amount to the conversation, and developed impressive networks. I ...2 days ago
- Speech to Primary Industries SummitThank you for the opportunity to speak to you today about the significant contribution the food and fibres sector makes to New Zealand and how this Government is supporting that effort. I’d like to start by acknowledging our co-Chairs, Terry Copeland and Mavis Mullins, my colleague, Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor, ...2 days ago
- Fast track referrals will speed up recovery and boost jobs and home buildingThe Government is taking action to increase jobs, speed up the economic recovery and build houses by putting three more projects through its fast track approval process. “It’s great to see that the fast-track consenting process is working. Today we have referred a mix of potential projects that, if approved, ...3 days ago
- Papakāinga provides critically needed homes in HastingsA papakāinga opened today by the Minister for Māori Development the Hon Willie Jackson will provide whānau with much needed affordable rental homes in Hastings. The four home papakāinga in Waiōhiki is the first project to be completed under the ‘Hastings Place Based’ initiative. This initiative is a Government, Hastings ...5 days ago
- New Zealand ready to host APEC virtuallyPrime Minister Jacinda Ardern took over the leadership of APEC earlier today, when she joined leaders from the 21 APEC economies virtually for the forum’s final 2020 meeting. “We look forward to hosting a fully virtual APEC 2021 next year. While this isn’t an in-person meeting, it will be one ...6 days ago
- Revival of Māori HorticulturistsThe rapid revival of Māori horticulture was unmistakeable at this year’s Ahuwhenua Trophy Awards, with 2020 marking the first time this iconic Māori farming event was dedicated to horticulture enterprises. Congratulating finalists at the Awards, Māori Development Minister Willie Jackson said growing large-scale māra kai is part of Māori DNA. ...6 days ago
- Emergency benefit to help temporary visa holdersFrom 1 December, people on temporary work, student or visitor visas who can’t return home and or support themselves may get an Emergency Benefit from the Ministry of Social Development, Social Development and Employment Minister Carmel Sepuloni announced today. Previously, temporary visa holders in hardship because of COVID-19 have had ...6 days ago
- School sustainability projects to help boost regional economiesForty one schools from the Far North to Southland will receive funding for projects that will reduce schools’ emissions and save them money, Education Minister Chris Hipkins announced today. This is the second round of the Sustainability Contestable Fund, and work will begin immediately. The first round announced in April ...6 days ago
- Farmer-led projects to improve water health in Canterbury and OtagoMore than $6 million will be spent on helping farmers improve the health of rivers, wetlands, and habitat biodiversity in Canterbury and Otago, as well as improving long-term land management practices, says Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor. Four farmer-led catchment group Jobs for Nature projects have between allocated between $176,000 and ...6 days ago
- Tupu Aotearoa continues expansion to Pacific communities in Nelson, Marlborough, Tasman & Northl...Pacific communities in Nelson, Marlborough, Tasman and Northland will benefit from the expansion of the Tupu Aotearoa programme announced today by the Minister for Pacific Peoples, Aupito William Sio. The programme provides sustainable employment and education pathways and will be delivered in partnership with three providers in Northland and two ...6 days ago
- New primary school and classrooms for 1,200 students in South IslandEducation Minister Chris Hipkins unveiled major school building projects across the South Island during a visit to Waimea College in Nelson today. It’s part of the Government’s latest investment of $164 million to build new classrooms and upgrade schools around the country. “Investments like this gives the construction industry certainty ...6 days ago
- Minister of Māori Development pays tribute to Rudy TaylorToday the Minister of Māori Development, alongside other Government Ministers and MP’s said their final farewells to Nga Puhi Leader Rudy Taylor. “Rudy dedicated his life to the betterment of Māori, and his strong approach was always from the ground up, grassroots, sincere and unfaltering” “Over the past few ...6 days ago
- Prime Minister to attend APEC Leaders’ SummitPrime Minister Jacinda Ardern will attend the annual APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting and associated events virtually today and tomorrow. “In a world where we cannot travel due to COVID-19, continuing close collaboration with our regional partners is key to accelerating New Zealand’s economic recovery,” Jacinda Ardern said. “There is wide ...6 days ago
- Speech to Infrastructure NZ SymposiumTena Koutou, Tena Koutou and thank you for inviting me to speak to you today. This is a critical time for New Zealand as we respond to the damage wreaked by the global COVID-19 pandemic. It is vital that investment in our economic recovery is well thought through, and makes ...1 week ago
- Pike River 10 Year Anniversary Commemorative ServiceTēnei te mihi ki a tātau katoa e huihui nei i tēnei rā Ki a koutou ngā whānau o te hunga kua riro i kōnei – he mihi aroha ki a koutou Ki te hapori whānui – tēnā koutou Ki ngā tāngata whenua – tēnā koutou Ki ngā mate, e ...1 week ago
- Huge investment in new and upgraded classrooms to boost construction jobsAround 7,500 students are set to benefit from the Government’s latest investment of $164 million to build new classrooms and upgrade schools around the country. “The election delivered a clear mandate to accelerate our economic recovery and build back better. That’s why we are prioritising construction projects in schools so more ...1 week ago
- Keeping Pike River Mine promises 10 years onTen years after the Pike River Mine tragedy in which 29 men lost their lives while at work, a commemorative service at Parliament has honoured them and their legacy of ensuring all New Zealand workplaces are safe. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern attended the event, along with representatives of the Pike ...1 week ago
- Additional testing to strengthen border and increase safety of workersNew testing measures are being put in place to increase the safety of border workers and further strengthen New Zealand’s barriers against COVID-19, COVID-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins said today. “These strengthened rules – to apply to all international airports and ports – build on the mandatory testing orders we’ve ...1 week ago
- More public housing delivered in AucklandThe Government’s investment in public housing is delivering more warm, dry homes with today’s official opening of 82 new apartments in New Lynn by the Housing Minister Megan Woods. The Thom Street development replaces 16 houses built in the 1940s, with brand new fit-for-purpose public housing that is in high ...1 week ago
- Agreement advanced to purchase up to 5 million COVID-19 vaccinesThe Government has confirmed an in-principle agreement to purchase up to 5 million COVID-19 vaccines – enough for 5 million people – from Janssen Pharmaceutica, subject to the vaccine successfully completing clinical trials and passing regulatory approvals in New Zealand, says Research, Science and Innovation Minister Megan Woods. “This agreement ...1 week ago
- Jobs for Nature funding will leave a conservation legacy for Waikanae awaNinety-two jobs will be created to help environmental restoration in the Waikanae River catchment through $8.5 million of Jobs for Nature funding, Conservation Minister Kiritapu Allan announced today. “The new funding will give a four-year boost to the restoration of the Waikanae awa, and is specifically focussed on restoration through ...1 week ago
- New Dunedin Hospital project progresses to next stageAs the new Dunedin Hospital project progresses, the Government is changing the oversight group to provide more technical input, ensure continued local representation, and to make sure lessons learnt from Dunedin benefit other health infrastructure projects around the country. Concept design approval and the release of a tender for early ...1 week ago
- Jump in apprentice and trainee numbersThe number of New Zealanders taking up apprenticeships has increased nearly 50 percent, and the number of female apprentices has more than doubled. This comes as a Government campaign to raise the profile of vocational education and training (VET) begins. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Education Minister Chris Hipkins announced ...1 week ago
- ReBuilding Nations Symposium 2020 (Infrastructure NZ Conference opening session)Tena koutou katoa and thank you for the opportunity to be with you today. Can I acknowledge Ngarimu Blair, Ngati Whatua, and Mayor Phil Goff for the welcome. Before I start with my substantive comments, I do want to acknowledge the hard work it has taken by everyone to ensure ...1 week ago
- New Zealand's biosecurity champions honouredBiosecurity Minister Damien O’Connor has paid tribute to the winners of the 2020 New Zealand Biosecurity Awards. “These are the people and organisations who go above and beyond to protect Aotearoa from pests and disease to ensure our unique way of life is sustained for future generations,” Damien O’Connor says. ...1 week ago
- Tourism Industry Aotearoa Conferencespeech to Tourism Industry Aotearoa annual summit Te Papa, Wellington Introduction Nau mai, haere mai Tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, Ka nui te mihi, ki a koutou. Thank you Tourism Industry Aotearoa for hosting today’s Summit. In particular, my acknowledgements to TIA Chair Gráinne Troute and Chief Executive Chris Roberts. You ...1 week ago
- Supermarkets announced as Government’s second market studyThe Government has today launched a market study to ensure New Zealanders are paying a fair price for groceries. “Supermarkets are an integral part of our communities and economy, so it’s important to ensure that Kiwis are getting a fair deal at the checkout,” Minister of Commerce and Consumer ...1 week ago
- Masks to be worn on Auckland public transport and all domestic flightsMasks will need to be worn on all public transport in Auckland and in and out of Auckland and on domestic flights throughout the country from this Thursday, Minister for COVID-19 Response Chris Hipkins said today. “I will be issuing an Order under the COVID-19 Response Act requiring the wearing ...1 week ago
- New Zealand signs Regional Comprehensive Economic PartnershipIncrease to New Zealand’s GDP by around $2 billion each year Increase opportunities for NZ exporters to access regional markets Cuts red tape and offers one set of trade rules across the Asia Pacific region New government procurement, competition policy and electronic commerce offers NZ exporters increased business opportunities Prime ...2 weeks ago
- Minister acknowledges students as exams beginEducation Minister Chris Hipkins has recognised the extraordinary challenges students have faced this year, ahead of NCEA and New Zealand Scholarship exams which begin on Monday. “I want to congratulate students for their hard work during a year of unprecedented disruption, and I wish students all the best as ...2 weeks ago
- Prime Minister meets with key ASEAN and East Asia Summit partnersPrime Minister Jacinda Ardern today attended the ASEAN-New Zealand Commemorative Summit and discussed with Leaders a range of shared challenges facing the Indo-Pacific region, including: The ongoing management of the COVID-19 pandemic; The importance of working collectively to accelerate economic recovery; and Exploring further opportunities for partners to work more ...2 weeks ago
- ‘Rules as Code’ will let computers apply laws and regulations. But over-rigid interpretations wo...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Guido Governatori, Software Systems Research Group Leader, Data61 Can computers read and apply legal rules? It’s an idea that’s gaining momentum, as it promises to make laws more accessible to the public and easier to follow. But it raises a host of ...19 mins ago - Air NZ covid case not linked to New Zealand genomes – one new caseRNZ News Genome sequencing has showed the Air New Zealand crew member who tested positive for covid-19 in China is not linked to known cases in New Zealand, the Ministry of Health says. In a statement, the ministry reported one new case of the coronavirus in managed isolation today. The ...20 mins ago
- Kelvin Davis, Peeni Henare at odds over Oranga Tamariki comments
Children's Minister Kelvin Davis has blamed his ministerial colleague's lack of Cabinet experience for why he mispoke on Oranga Tamariki's leadership. ...39 mins ago - Climate Emergency Declaration A Win But Needs Action
Thursday, 26 November: Greenpeace is today celebrating another win for people power after the new Government announced an impending climate emergency declaration, but says the declaration is empty words unless it’s backed by policy that actually ...1 hour ago - MEDIA STATEMENT: Royal Commission Of Inquiry Into The Attack On Christchurch Mosques On 15 March 201......1 hour ago
- ChangeMakers Urges Government To Uphold Recommendations – Royal Commission Report Into Mosques...ChangeMakers Resettlement Forum, representing 17 different former refugee communities in the Wellington region, pays tribute to the tremendous courage of the people who spoke to the Royal Commission into the Terrorist Attack on Christchurch Mosques on ...2 hours ago
- Review: David Byrne’s American Utopia is a film honouring the love of the live performanceSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Willsteed, Senior lecturer, Queensland University of Technology Review: David Byrne’s American Utopia, directed by Spike Lee Two years ago, on a warm Broadbeach night strolling back to our hotel, my teenage daughter gathered up what we were thinking in eight words: ...3 hours ago
- How tech start-up IMAGR plans to eliminate checkout queuesBusiness is Boring is a weekly podcast series presented by The Spinoff in association with Callaghan Innovation. Host Simon Pound speaks with innovators and commentators focused on the future of New Zealand. This week he’s joined by William Chomley, founder and CEO of IMAGR.You’ve probably stood in a supermarket queue ...3 hours ago
- Māori Party MPs walk out of Parliament in protestThe Māori Party's two MPs have walked out of the House in protest during Parliament's Address and Reply debate. ...3 hours ago
- Is the Anglican Church about to split? It is facing the gravest threat to its unity in more than 200...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Dorothy Ann Lee, Stewart Research Professor of New Testament, Trinity College, University of Divinity, University of Divinity Almost three years on from same-sex marriage becoming legal in Australia, the issue is threatening to break up the Anglican Church in this country. This ...3 hours ago
- Kelvin Davis to Oranga Tamariki: please explain
Kelvin Davis has requested an urgent briefing from Oranga Tamariki on a ‘heartbreaking and disturbing’ Newsroom investigation showing the agency uplifting four Māori children from their permanent foster home Children’s Minister Kelvin Davis has asked Oranga Tamariki to “please explain” its actions after a Newsroom investigation into Māori children being ...3 hours ago - When the savvy bubble bursts: Ending NZ’s love affair with sauvignon blanc
New Zealand’s wine industry built its name on sav, but we’ve been putting all our eggs in one basket for too long, writes Jules van Costello.I like to think of sauvignon blanc as the IPA of wine. It’s brash, bombastic and a little bit basic (in a good way). Like ...4 hours ago - The case for putting stability and security above other factors when deciding a child’s best inter...
The inexorable march to separatism – manifest in the political clamour to have Maori children removed from the protection of state welfare agencies – raises questions which most commentators have overlooked or prefer not to tackle. Lindsay Mitchell is not so coy. She asks if the future of a child ...4 hours ago - VIDEO: China’s Influence Operations in the Asia-Pacific – Paul Buchanan & Selwyn ManningVIDEO: Paul G. Buchanan and Selwyn Manning present A View from Afar. This week we discuss: How nations that have a long history of trading with China, are becoming intolerant to the People’s Republic’s covert influence operations. Specifically: * Why is China pursuing this 21st century-style of covert spying ...4 hours ago
- This type of sexual harassment on campus often goes overlookedThe harassment of teaching assistants by students in tertiary institutions is a widespread but under-reported problem, write Sarah Ives and Ann E. BartosWhen the #MeToo movement gained momentum in 2017, it exposed widespread sexual harassment in the workplace, and academia was no exception. Yet the Covid-19 pandemic has dimmed the ...4 hours ago
- ‘Tis the season to be DollyCan we ever get enough of Dolly Parton? The answer is no.Dolly Parton is everywhere right now. Put the TV on and you’ll see the award-winning actor, writer and singer shimmering back at you, radiant with yuletide joy as the star of a new Netflix movie. Turn on the wireless ...5 hours ago
- Labour Must Follow Through On Their Immigration Promises...5 hours ago
- Mince charming: In praise of a humble Kiwi stapleThe no-nonsense comfort food is enjoying something of a renaissance, and Anna King Shahab has come up with some simple meal starter ideas to spark your mince-spiration.T-paper, flour, mince. The grocery shopping priorities of our nation were revealed unceremoniously when Covid-19 made “panic buying” a household phrase earlier this year. ...5 hours ago
- Opening of Parliament – Governor-General's Speech from the ThroneThe Governor-General has this morning given her Speech from the Throne which outlines the government's plans for this term of Parliament. ...6 hours ago
- NZ Government Needs To Mandate Staffing Ratios Like Australian StatesE tū is calling on the New Zealand Government to follow the example of Victoria’s Labour Government and recognise the need for minimum staff-to-resident ratios in private aged care homes. On Tuesday, the Victorian Government announced it would ...6 hours ago
- The Queens(land) gambit: a brief history of chess in AustraliaSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By David Smerdon, Assistant Professor, School of Economics, The University of Queensland The new Netflix miniseries The Queen’s Gambit has received rave reviews around the world. Surprisingly for a chess-themed show, it received a warm reception by the global chess community, which is ...6 hours ago
- LIVE VIDEO: China’s Influence Operations – Paul Buchanan & Selwyn ManningVIDEO: Paul G. Buchanan and Selwyn Manning will go LIVE at 12:15pm (NZDST), that’s 7:15pm (US EST) to present A View from Afar. This week we will discuss: How nations that have a long history of trading with China, are becoming intolerant to the People’s Republic’s covert influence operations. Specifically: ...6 hours ago
- Three PNG government MPs test covid-positive amid political crisisBy RNZ Pacific Three government members of Papua New Guinea’s Parliament have tested positive for covid-19. The MPs, whose names haven’t been publicised, have been in Prime Minister James Marape’s camp during the ongoing political standoff. PNG’s Pandemic Response Controller David Manning said that an MP was initially tested at ...6 hours ago
- Frame: The life-changing work of Whaea MichelleMichelle Kidd defines her role at Auckland’s specialist family violence court as te kaiwhakatere – the navigator. It’s a one-of-a-kind job, helping guide defendants through the court system. And there’s no one better suited to it than Whaea Michelle.Whaea Michelle is part of Frame, a series of short documentaries produced by Wrestler ...6 hours ago
- Govt's 'courage' in asking for housing help
The Reserve Bank Governor's assistance with a hammer down at the house-building site won't be welcome, but the Minister of Finance now has little choice but to accept Adrian Orr's debt-to-income loan restrictions. ...6 hours ago - Watch live: Opening of Parliament – Governor-General's Speech from the ThroneMPs are gathering in the House this morning to hear the Governor-General's Speech from the Throne which outlines the government's plans for this term of Parliament. ...7 hours ago
- Kiwi Vaping Advocate Fights Bloomberg-funded ‘attack’A well-known New Zealand vaping advocate has weighed into a debate raging internationally that sees consumer groups and public health experts raise serious concerns over the quality and motivation of a recent University of Bath study. Researchers from the ...8 hours ago
- Here’s why a trade agreement embracing NZ won’t be too high on Biden’s policy agenda
Republicans and Democrats across the US are beginning to slice and dice the November 3 election results which showed President Donald Trump and the GOP did much better than anyone – pollsters, analysts and the media – ever expected. Staggering sums have been spent. The Centre for Responsive Politics calculates ...8 hours ago - Newsletter: New Zealand Politics Daily – November 26 2020Editor’s Note: Here below is a list of the main issues currently under discussion in New Zealand and links to media coverage. Today’s content Housing Daniel Dunkley (Stuff): Could Boomer Tax be a glimpse of the future and help solve generational inequality? Thomas Coughlan (Stuff): Adrian Orr puts tax back on the table in affordable ...8 hours ago
- Review: The new Six60 film is a tale of driving ambition and defying the criticsSix60: Till the Lights Go Out tracks the wildly successful Dunedin band’s evolution from three guitars at UniCol to selling out Western Springs.I was at 660 Castle St some time around the turn of the last decade when I first saw Matiu Walters. Someone pointed him out to me: solemn-looking, ...9 hours ago
- From ‘America first’ to ‘America together’: who is Antony Blinken, Biden’s pick for secret...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tony Walker, Adjunct Professor, School of Communications, La Trobe University US Secretary of State-designate Antony Blinken promises both awkwardness and opportunity for Australia’s Morrison government. Blinken could hardly represent a more striking contrast with his soon-to-be predecessor Mike Pompeo in his views ...9 hours ago
- New research suggests immunity to COVID is better than we first thoughtSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Nigel McMillan, Program Director, Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Menzies Health Institute, Griffith University Early in the pandemic, many researchers feared people who contracted COVID could be reinfected very quickly. This was because several early studies showed antibodies seemed to wane after the ...9 hours ago
- Drones, detection dogs, poo spotting: what’s the best way to conduct Australia’s Great Koala Cou...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Romane H. Cristescu, Posdoc in Ecology, University of the Sunshine Coast Federal environment minister Sussan Ley this week announced A$2 million for a national audit of Australia’s koalas, as part of an A$18 million package to protect the vulnerable species. The funding ...9 hours ago
- Think taxing electric vehicle use is a backward step? Here’s why it’s an important policy advanc...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jago Dodson, Professor of Urban Policy and Director, Centre for Urban Research, RMIT University The South Australian and Victorian governments have announced, and New South Wales is considering, road user charges on electric vehicles. This policy has drawn scorn from environmental advocates ...9 hours ago
- Data from 45 countries show containing COVID vs saving the economy is a false dichotomySource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michael Smithson, Professor, Australian National University There is no doubt the COVID-19 crisis has incurred widespread economic costs. There is understandable concern that stronger measures against the virus, from social distancing to full lockdowns, worsen its impact on economies. As a result, ...9 hours ago
- Forensic linguists can make or break a court case. So who are they and what do they do?Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Georgina Heydon, Associate professor, RMIT University If you’re an avid viewer of crime shows, you’ve probably come across cases in which an expert, often a psychologist, is called in to help solve a crime using their language analysis skills. However, in real ...10 hours ago
- Mining companies are required to return quarried sites to their ‘natural character’. But is that...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Shaun Rosier, Practice-based PhD Researcher in Landscape Architecture, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington New Zealand has more than 1,100 registered quarries. Some of these mined sites are small, rural operations, but a significant number are large and complex, and ...10 hours ago
- From here on our recovery will need more than fiscal policy, it’ll need redistributionSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michael Keating, Visiting Fellow, College of Business & Economics, Australian National University From the 1980s right through to the global financial crisis, the standard response in Australia and elsewhere to too weak or too strong an economy has been monetary policy — ...10 hours ago
- From ‘common scolds’ to feminist reclamation: the fraught history of women and swearing in Austr...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Amanda Laugesen, Director, Australian National Dictionary Centre, Australian National University Women have had a fraught historical relationship to swearing. Long regarded as guardians of morality and respectability, their use of swear words has been policed and punished in various ways. Yet women ...10 hours ago
- Live updates, November 26: Corrections Association defends pepper spray bombing prisonersWelcome to The Spinoff’s live updates for November 26. Reach me on stewart@thespinoff.co.nz8.00am: Corrections Association defends pepper spray bombing prisonersThe Corrections Association has defended the actions of staff described in an investigative piece by Guyon Espiner this week.In the RNZ article, an asthmatic prisoner at Auckland Women’s prisoner said she ...10 hours ago
- Royal Commission into terrorist attack on Christchurch mosques finally handing over reportAfter nearly 20 months and numerous extensions, the high-level investigation into the Christchurch terror attack will today hand over its findings. ...10 hours ago
- The Bulletin: Soldier with far-right ties on spying chargesGood morning and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Soldier with far-right ties on spying charges, bright line test could be extended, and Oranga Tamariki boss Grainne Moss will not be resigning. A soldier with strong ties to the far right fringe has been charged with multiple counts of espionage. As ...11 hours ago
- The risk the Reserve Bank sees as greater than housing
Many dairy farmers are highly indebted and financially vulnerable if prices drop on international commodity markets, the Reserve Bank warns. ...11 hours ago - Treasury & Reserve Bank Suggest Social Credit SolutionWe challenge the government to take up the Monetary Financing option presented to it in an aide-memoire, titled “Quantitative Easing and Monetary Financing Compared”, back in May. The report, jointly written by Treasury and the Reserve Bank, was presented ...11 hours ago
- ‘Flawed’ tenure review reaches crucial point
The Crown should buy a whole high country property, Federated Mountain Clubs suggests ...12 hours ago - Minister's public rebuke sign of tensions over Oranga TamarikiTwo senior Cabinet ministers are in a public scrap after Kelvin Davis scolded Peeni Henare for not staying in his own lane. ...12 hours ago
- Digital help for lung cancer patients
A look at how creating 'digital twins' - a virtual or computer-based replica of a person that looks and behaves like that person - could help treat lung cancer One billion people. This is the number of people predicted to die as a result of tobacco use this century. Some more statistics: ...12 hours ago - Far-right extremist no longer in Army Reserves
Far-right extremist James Fairburn is no longer in the Army Reserves and another soldier has been charged with 17 crimes, including espionage. Marc Daalder reports. The New Zealand Defence Force has confirmed that far-right extremist James Fairburn, a member of the white supremacist Action Zealandia group, is no longer in the Army ...12 hours ago - Oranga Tamariki: The new wave of trauma
A new Newsroom documentary reveals another case of Oranga Tamariki taking children – this time four young Māori taken from a 'forever' foster home to relatives they barely know. Melanie Reid and Bonnie Sumner report. The failings of Oranga Tamariki go beyond the troubled chief executive Grainne Moss - Newsroom has learned ...12 hours ago - 'Two wrongs don't make a right'
The sad tale of four young children placed 'forever' in the care of two foster parents, but after a change of policy at Oranga Tamariki finding themselves taken from their home again into a new and unknown world. Melanie Reid and Bonnie Sumner report. “I told you I’d find you ...12 hours ago - Book of the Week: Simon Bridges on Jared Savage
Simon Bridges reviews a true-crime story of P in NZ by the Herald's ace reporter Jared Savage I began prosecuting methamphetamine cases in the early 2000s as a young Tauranga Crown prosecutor. Meth was a class B drug back then - and a train that New Zealand should and could ...12 hours ago - Who are the 'Islamists' at the gate?
Hanlie Booysen explains how misrepresenting the term Islamism fuels non-Muslim angst about the Islamic tradition, leading to stigma in Europe and elsewhere The battle is “between civilisation and barbarism”, said Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz after a terrorist attack in the capital Vienna on Monday November 2. A month earlier, French President ...12 hours ago - Fletcher Building finally turning the corner
Business & Investing: Fletcher shares hit a two-year high, plus the conundrum faced by the Reserve Bank ...12 hours ago - What the 'Biden doctrine' may mean for the world
As the President-elect's foreign policy team takes shape, NZ is getting a clearer sense of its priorities. ...12 hours ago - Where is she now? Julie Seymour
Former Silver Ferns captain Julie Seymour was denied a World Cup title three times, but she's found new reward as a coach, teacher and mum. The hardest knocks gave Julie Seymour the biggest opportunities of her career. Sitting down to a cup of tea on a promising Canterbury spring morning, the former Silver ...12 hours ago - Everything you need to know about the very different 2020/21 summer of cricketThis year, a whole lot of the traditional summer of cricket will be very different. What’s changing, and what’s staying the same? Alex Braae explains.It’s that time of year again, when we all mercifully forget the All Blacks and spend long, hazy days watching grown adults gently strolling around a ...13 hours ago
- Promises, promises: Barack Obama’s new memoir, reviewedShipping delays mean bookstores are placing massive one-off orders rather than sitting back to see what sells. They’ve gone huge on Barack Obama’s memoir A Promised Land – there are probably enough copies in the country to dam Cook Strait. Luckily, Danyl Mclauchlan writes, it is in fact good.I somehow ...13 hours ago
- Dementia sufferers need a champion
Support for people with dementia is reaching few of them - yet four in five New Zealanders have some connection to the disease Dementia is set to cost New Zealand billions of dollars in care costs, but there are warnings that efforts to keep people out of hospital are being ...13 hours ago - Innovation works very well indeed
Matt Ridley – former science editor of The Economist and prolific popular science writer – has tackled a slippery subject in his book ‘How Innovation Works’. He succeeds in painting a vibrant and at times counter intuitive picture of this process. One that policy makers and public alike can ...15 hours ago - Officials’ engagement with China especially important in tense times: MorrisonSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Scott Morrison has encouraged federal public servants to engage with their Chinese counterparts, saying these are important connections particularly given the tensions in the bilateral relationship. Answering a question during a virtual forum on Wednesday ...18 hours ago
- Stop funding military repression in Papua, plead TAPOL speakersPacific Media Centre Newsdesk Campaigners at a TAPOL-hosted global webinar have called on the people of Australia, New Zealand, United Kingdom, United States and other countries to stop funding military training for Indonesian security forces who are “killing innocent West Papuans”. Rosa Moiwend, a member of the War Resisters International, ...20 hours ago
- Politics with Michelle Grattan: two views on increasing the super contributionSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra The increase in the compulsory superannuation contribution, legislated to rise next July from 9.5% to 10%, is being fiercely debated following the release of the retirement income report. In this podcast we hear the views ...21 hours ago
- Victoria is boosting disability support in schools by A$1.6 billion. Here are 4 ways to make the mos...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By David Armstrong, Senior Lecturer in Special and Inclusive Education, RMIT University The Victorian government has announced an investment of nearly A$1.6 billion for public schools to ensure students with disability are supported in the classroom. The money will double the number of ...23 hours ago
- Humans are polluting the environment with antibiotic-resistant bacteria, and I’m finding them ever...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Power, Associate Professor in the Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University Many of us are aware of the enormous threat of antibiotic- (or “antimicrobial”) resistant bacteria on human health. But few realise just how pervasive these superbugs are — antimicrobial-resistant bacteria ...24 hours ago
- Wikipedia Homepage Exposure For New MPsThe new Parliament will have its first sitting day on Wednesday and Aotearoa will welcome 42 new MPs. Wikipedia will mark this event by featuring 19 of those new MPs on its homepage ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page ) from 1pm on Wednesday ...1 day ago
- We asked over 2,000 Australian parents how they fared in lockdown. Here’s what they saidSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Subhadra Evans, Senior lecturer, Psychology, Deakin University Parents have faced unprecedented stress during the pandemic as they care for children while juggling paid work from home. However, very little research so far has focused on family well-being during the pandemic. So we ...1 day ago
- Review: Netflix’s Hillbilly Elegy is an ugly, empty holler of a filmWhat happens if you take a personal memoir and strip it of everything that made it unique? You get Hillbilly Elegy.The opening line of J.D Vance’s 2016 sleeper hit memoir Hillbilly Elegy is “I find the existence of the book you hold in your hands somewhat absurd.” While that’s a ...1 day ago
- Grainne Moss clings on as Crown admits structural racism
Grainne Moss admits the Crown has failed to stamp out structural racism within its state care systems - but claims she's going nowhere as Māori ministers are at odds over her future Beleaguered Oranga Tamariki chief executive Grainne Moss has delivered an historic apology for structural racism within the child protection ...1 day ago - The tricky timing of constitutional change
After musing about extending the Parliamentary term to four years, the Government now has to decide whether to take the matter any further, and if so, by what means. ...1 day ago - Ethical fashion is confusing — even shoppers with good intentions get overwhelmedSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Harriette Richards, Honorary (Fellow) Cultural Studies, University of Melbourne As Australian consumers step out of their loungewear post-lockdown, many might be looking to buy new clothes for themselves or as gifts. Whether you’re buying sweatpants or sequins, online or in-store, ethical fashion ...1 day ago
- New Police Minister Must Face Toughest Political TestThe new Police Minister Poto Williams is preparing for a test that will define her political career; a Royal Commission that could conclude there were fundamental failings in the Police Department and could expose attempts at misdirection over those failings. ...1 day ago
- NZ urgently needs to find workers to avoid a picking season disasterThe Covid border restrictions might be saving lives but they’re also threatening the livelihoods of New Zealand farmers, unless a way can be found to allow Pacific Island seasonal workers to return and pick the crops, writes AUT business lecturer Swati NagarSince its inception in 2007, the Recognised Seasonal Employer ...1 day ago
- New Conservative deputy quits one week in, deepening leadership tumultThe fallout continues from the post-election leadership change in the New Conservatives, with deputy leader and firearms spokesperson Victoria O’Brien quitting after less than a week in the job. Alex Braae reports.On Thursday last week, new New Conservative leader Elliot Ikilei was hailing the rise of his deputy Victoria O’Brien. ...1 day ago
- Yes santa is completely made up, but he can’t be… y’know… brownWhy does the idea of a brown santa get people so riled up? Comedian Janaye Henry gets in the Christmas spirit.There are cultural traditions that are passed down lovingly from generation to generation, that teach us about who we are and celebrate our unique way of life, and then there ...1 day ago
- At Home Or At Work, Violence Is Never OK – Ratify ILO Convention 190New Zealand has the highest rate of domestic violence per capita in the developed world, and the second highest rate of workplace bullying. The Public Service Association says this plague of violence - physical, verbal and emotional - must be addressed ...1 day ago
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