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He’s baaack
Written By: - Date published: 7:56 am, June 21st, 2021 - 30 comments
For the first time since the election Winston Peters has reemerged. But instead of talking about the country’s problems such as climate change, child poverty and recovering from the global pandemic he chose to concentrate on the “over” use of Te Reo, cycleways and gangs.
Fear and loathing in cycleland
Written By: - Date published: 3:52 pm, June 15th, 2021 - 32 comments
I am pleased the right have moved on from overtly racist attacks on minorities. But I am bemused by the current level of vitriol that has been thrown at a group who apart from wearing lycra is doing nothing wrong.
The Government’s Feebate scheme
Written By: - Date published: 7:00 am, June 14th, 2021 - 70 comments
Labour and the Greens have announced the establishment of a Feebate scheme to incentivise the purchase of electric vehicles and disincentivise the purchase of gas guzzlers.
Cycling Politics is Winnable Politics
Written By: - Date published: 3:43 pm, May 29th, 2021 - 100 comments
This Sunday Aucklanders have an opportunity to protest the catastrophic failure of NZTA to generate a cycleway from the North Shore to the CBD, and to promote a practical proposal to “liberate a lane” on the Harbour Bridge which would do the job in the meantime.
The problem with coal
Written By: - Date published: 10:13 am, May 1st, 2021 - 38 comments
New Zealand is about to enter a transition phase in energy that’s going to affect absolutely everyone.
Greta Thunberg is now 18
Written By: - Date published: 9:06 am, April 2nd, 2021 - 59 comments
Greta Thunberg is now aged 18. And her activism is still strong.
Escape Velocity
Written By: - Date published: 9:11 am, February 7th, 2021 - 93 comments
In this series so far I’ve examined three of the four terms in the Kaya Identity, population, economic intensity, and energy intensity. It can be conclusively shown that none of these factors can be reduced sufficiently to reduce CO2 emissions to zero – or even close enough to be useful. Let’s return to each one […]
Energy’s Iron Triangle.
Written By: - Date published: 7:46 am, December 11th, 2020 - 62 comments
For those who don’t trawl through all the comments; a little personal background. I’ve been fortunate enough to have just finished up a 40 year career in technology and automation, most of it in heavy industry. Looking back it’s been one hell of an adventure, tough at times, but I’ve been one of those lucky […]
Labour’s new Oceans Ministry
Written By: - Date published: 8:19 am, November 3rd, 2020 - 23 comments
Jacinda Ardern’s decision to rename the Fisheries Ministery to “Oceans and Fisheries” and install David Parker instead of Stuart Nash shows a welcome desire to protect this most precious of resources.
Folly of the year
Written By: - Date published: 7:55 am, July 26th, 2020 - 41 comments
What is the strangest recent proposal for development in New Zealand?
A World That Just Doesn’t Need As Much Oil
Written By: - Date published: 7:22 am, June 18th, 2020 - 27 comments
BP yesterday sent a really big message that effectively now, Covid-19 is the break that tips the world away from oil dependence.
The wood, the trees and the ETS
Written By: - Date published: 7:00 am, June 3rd, 2020 - 4 comments
It’s a brutal thing to propose more taxes and costs on business during our worst economic meltdown in a century. But yesterday the Government increased the cost of Carbon. But we need to do more.
A Response to ‘No Exit’.
Written By: - Date published: 1:48 pm, May 3rd, 2020 - 91 comments
In a recent post, Bill hit his straps with – “Either way, wind power won’t save us. Solar power won’t save us. Carbon capture and storage won’t save us. Your God won’t save us. Nothing but ourselves will save us.”
I felt miffed and more than a little grumpy at Bill’s flippant reference to God, and so sent through this long form response. ~ Adam.
No Exit.
Written By: - Date published: 5:25 pm, April 30th, 2020 - 22 comments
Reaction to Covid 19 has done more in a few weeks to blunt the drive behind climate change than anything the environmental movement has managed to do in over thirty years.
Time to Pivot?
Written By: - Date published: 12:42 pm, April 18th, 2020 - 11 comments
It would appear NZ and much of the rest of the world has made a first rather coincidental step on the AGW front.
Steve Mnuchin, not Greta Thunberg, needs to go back to school
Written By: - Date published: 10:52 am, January 27th, 2020 - 11 comments
US Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin has attacked Greta Thunberg for not understanding the economics of climate change. But he has then been roundly criticised by a number of people, including his wife.
The right is splintering on climate change
Written By: - Date published: 11:30 am, January 23rd, 2020 - 70 comments
The right appears to be splintering on climate change, with former Australian PM Malcolm Turnbull describing Donald Trump as the world’s leading climate change denier. And locally National MP Andrew Bayley has talked the profound effects of climate change on Antarctica’s ecosystems at the same time as Paula Bennett is attacking educational material designed to make children think about climate change.
Australia is no longer the lucky country
Written By: - Date published: 9:57 am, January 6th, 2020 - 112 comments
Australia is arguably no longer the lucky country. And if it does not resolve its addiction to coal it may not have a future.
Fifty shades of meh
Written By: - Date published: 8:31 am, November 15th, 2019 - 130 comments
A group of farmers protested against Government climate policies yesterday including policies which the National Party either established or supported.
Sustainable Party launches
Written By: - Date published: 8:01 am, November 11th, 2019 - 99 comments
The Sustainable Party, National’s sock puppet party designed to weaken the Greens has launched. And its policies for some strange reason have not put climate change front and centre.
No Social welfare handouts for multinational corporations
Written By: - Date published: 8:33 am, November 2nd, 2019 - 98 comments
Rio Tinto is practising further brinkmanship and have reportedly sent in a closure team to assess the viability of Tiwai Point and no doubt seek a Government handout. Is it time to say no and provide cheaper cleaner power to the country instead?
Australia gets tough on climate change activists
Written By: - Date published: 7:42 am, October 17th, 2019 - 22 comments
Following on from Weka’s post yesterday concerning attacks on the right to protest in the United Kingdom, Australia has also shown a concerning tendency to attack and undermine that most important of rights.
Later climate change deniers
Written By: - Date published: 12:01 pm, October 15th, 2019 - 73 comments
The recent local government elections resulted in a number of people committed to addressing climate change being elected. And an apparent thinning of those who think that it is a hoax.
Fonterra, again
Written By: - Date published: 9:15 am, September 29th, 2019 - 24 comments
Why New Zealand – and its government – need to engage much harder about Fonterra.
Unrelentingly negative
Written By: - Date published: 11:19 am, September 26th, 2019 - 29 comments
National has chosen to attack Jacinda Ardern on her trip to New York for doing too much and not enough at the same time. It seems to be a pattern.
China, Climate Conference, and New Zealand
Written By: - Date published: 7:44 am, September 18th, 2019 - 4 comments
At the United Nations Climate Action Summit next weekend the question may be asked what would happen if China stopped buying Australian coal?
Toxic masculinity
Written By: - Date published: 8:36 am, August 28th, 2019 - 153 comments
As the Amazon burns and the world looks on aghast as our lungs go up in flames Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has chosen to respond to an offer of help from the G7 by picking a fight with French leader Emmanuel Macron.
The thoughts of Matt King on climate change
Written By: - Date published: 7:58 am, August 26th, 2019 - 85 comments
National MP Matt King has been caught posting climate change denial material on his facebook page.
RIP David Koch
Written By: - Date published: 7:54 am, August 24th, 2019 - 54 comments
David Koch, the man possibly most responsible for the growth of climate change denialism, has died at the age of 79 as the Arctic melts and the Amazon burns.
Maybe we should take the plane
Written By: - Date published: 7:42 am, August 7th, 2019 - 119 comments
Activist Greta Thunberg is attending a United Nations global warming summit in New York, and will get there by boat not airplane. But should she consider flying?
National’s ranks are cracking about climate change
Written By: - Date published: 7:36 am, July 22nd, 2019 - 90 comments
National Climate Change spokesperson Todd Muller has publicly stated that he is broadly supportive of the Government’s proposed EV incentive policy.
- Gordon Campbell on juggling Covid, and France’s Trump-like populist
It is the age-old Covid problem. How to balance the needs for firms (and schools) to re-open against the need to protect public health. In the past, the balance has been struck by insisting that the best public health outcomes also deliver the best economic (and educational) outcomes. While that ...22 mins ago - NZ Politics Daily: 20 October 2021
Today’s NZPD testimonial from Joe Atkinson, Political Scientist, University of Auckland: “NZPD is an indispensable source for political junkies like me. It sorts the wheat out from the media chaff and saves a lot of time.” Anyone can sign up to NZPD for free at: https://democracyproject.nz/nz-politics-daily/ Today’s content Housing Zane Small (Newshub): How ...1 hour ago - The Picnic Period: A sign of our Covid times
Auckland. For a long been it’s been known to Maori as Tamaki Makaurau, a place of ‘many lovers’. In the past fortnight, though, Auckland has shaken out the rug and grabbed a drink to become Tamaki Pikiniki, a place of many picnics. The humble picnic is now, in many ways, a ...24 hours ago - Are Covid vaccines becoming less effective?
A critical debate about Covid-19 vaccines is when does protection wane, by how much, why, and what does this mean for controlling the pandemic and the impacts of infections. Depending on the studies or headlines you read it can be confusing. Some report declining vaccine effectiveness, and others don’t. Some ...1 day ago - NZ Politics Daily: 19 October 2021Today’s NZPD testimonial from Dr Oliver Hartwich, Executive Director, The New Zealand Initiative “There is a dearth of quality journalism in New Zealand, and so I am grateful to NZ Politics Daily for sifting through our media to discover the gems of reporting and opinion editorials. It is a valuable contribution to ...1 day ago
- The Entrust election
Auckland is holding elections for EnTrust, its local electricity trust. Entrust is important - it owns electricity and gas-supplier Vector, and so the decisions it makes around energy infrastructure could make a significant difference to greenhouse gas emissions. But the elections have traditionally been ignored, so its run by CitRats ...2 days ago - Argentina returns the favourIn the early 2000s, Argentinian victims of the Dirty War, denied justice due to a local amnesty, sought justice in Spanish courts, who obligingly convicted agents of that country's dictatorship of crimes against humanity under Spain's "universal jurisdiction" law. But Argentina wasn't the only country with a repressive dictatorship which ...2 days ago
- Climate Change: A good move, but not enoughThe government has announced that it will quadruple climate aid to developing nations, from $300 million to $1.3 billion over four years. This is good: "climate finance" - aid to developing nations to decarbonise and offset the damage caused by rich-country emissions - is going to be a flashpoint at ...2 days ago
- Too Much Say, Not Enough Do.
When The Green Party Co-Leader Speaks, Does He Make Any Sound? James Shaw must know that neither New Zealanders, nor the rest of humanity, will ever take the urgent and transformative action that Science now deems necessary to stave-off climate catastrophe.POOR JAMES SHAW: He’s the man this government sends out ...2 days ago - Gordon Campbell on the perils of declaring premature victorySure enough, Saturday’s Vaxathon was a barrel of fun and a throwback not merely to the Telethons of the past. It also revived memories of those distant days of early 2020, when we were all carefully wiping down our groceries, not touching our faces, washing our hands for 20 seconds ...2 days ago
- NZ Politics Daily: 18 October 2021Today’s NZPD testimonial from Kim Gillespie, Editor NZME Newspapers Lower North Island & Communities “I find the daily email great for giving me an overview of each morning’s big issues across the media landscape, and really appreciate the huge amount of work that must go in to compiling it each day.” Anyone ...2 days ago
- Bryce Edwards: Political Roundup – Celebrating and critiquing 25 years of MMPOver the last week, MMP has been in the spotlight, given that it’s now been 25 years since the first general election was held under this proportional representation system. This has produced some important commentary and storytelling about the introduction of MMP and about the various pros and cons of ...2 days ago
- COVID-19 in Aotearoa: what does public health do now?Dr Belinda Loring, Dr Ruth Cunningham, Dr Polly Atatoa Carr* Public health activities have collectively made an incredible contribution to minimising the impact of COVID-19 in Aotearoa. But the work for public health is not over. As the situation in Auckland heralds a transition point in our approach to the ...2 days ago
- 2021 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #42
Listing of articles linked to on the Skeptical Science Facebook Page during the past week: Sun, October 10, 2021 through Sat, October 16, 2021 The following articles sparked above average interest during the week: ‘This is a story that needs to be told’: BBC film tackles Climategate scandal, Why trust science?, ...3 days ago - Is injection technique contributing to the risk of post vaccine myocarditis?Recent misleading media headlines about vaccines being administered incorrectly in the absence of evidence do little to help public confidence in vaccines. Spoiler alert, vaccines are not being administered incorrectly. The topic of this blog is based on what could be an important scientific question – is one of the ...3 days ago
- A Māori health expert reports from the Super Saturday frontlinesRawiri Jansen, National Hauora Coalition I write this as I charge my car, getting ready to head home at the end of a pretty good Super Saturday. It started with coffee and checking the news feeds as any good day should. Between 9 and 10 am as I drove to ...3 days ago
- Weddings and Leopards
Could it be that the Herald is beginning to twig that an unremitting hostility to the government does not go down well with all its readers? The evidence for that is that, in today’s issue, two contributors (Bill Ralston and Steven Joyce) who usually enjoy sticking the knife in, take ...3 days ago - The Chronicles of Kregsmal and Krunch: Volume I
As noted previously, my weekly DND campaign with Annalax and Gertrude has been put on ice. I expect it to return eventually, but for now it is very much on hiatus. The remainder of the group have decided to run an entirely new campaign in the meantime. This ...4 days ago - Super Saturday recap: Patrick Gower doesn’t know what he’s supposed to do
It was Aotearoa’s first national day of action in over ten years, the first since 2010, when Prime Minister John Key tried to inspire us to clean up our nation’s berms. It didn’t work. Today, New Zealand’s berms are worse than ever. But history is not destiny, and other cliches. ...4 days ago - COVID-19 Worried about getting your vaccine or want a simple explanation?Worried about getting your vaccine? Let me tell you a secret. No-one likes getting a vaccine. People do it because they know they’re better off to. Let me tell you another secret, a weird one: the vaccine doesn’t really “do” anything. Confusing? Let me explain… Vaccines are a face at ...4 days ago
- Delta puts workers’ power under the spotlight
by Don Franks Foremost fighting the Delta virus are workers, especially in health, distribution, service and education sectors. Unionised members of these groups are centrally represented by the New Zealand Council of trade unions ( NZCTU). Political journalist Richard Harman recently noted:“Businesses are caught in a legal tangle if they ...4 days ago - Faster transitions to clean energy are also cheaperThis is a re-post from the Citizens' Climate Lobby blog Several clean energy technologies like solar panels have become consistently cheaper year after year as the industries have benefited from learning, experience and economies of scale. Falling solar costs are described by “Swanson’s Law,” much like Moore’s Law described the rapid and consistent ...5 days ago
- Abstraction and Reality in Economics
Sometimes high theory loses the human point of the exercise.One of the joys of teaching is you learn from your students. When fifty-odd years ago, I was at the University of Sussex, a student doing our first-year economics course, Jim, came to me, saying he was pulling out because it ...5 days ago - What Happened to the Team?Last year, in the early stages of the pandemic, the Prime Minister’s “team of five million” performed well; team discipline was maintained and we all worked well together. This year, however, has been a different story; team discipline has weakened, and many people have on numerous occasions behaved badly and ...5 days ago
- Climate Change: Another legal victoryAcross the world climate change activists have been going to court, seeking to make their governments act to protect future generations. And hot on the heels of victories in the Netherlands and Germany, there's been another one in France: A French court has ordered the government to make up ...5 days ago
- Invasion Of The (Covid) Body Snatchers.5 days ago
- NZ Politics Daily: 15 October 2021Today’s NZPD testimonial from Associate Professor Grant Duncan, Massey University, Auckland “The NZ Politics Daily email is very helpful in giving me a quick overview of current events and opinion. It allows me to pick out important or informative columns that I may otherwise have missed. I recommend NZ Politics Daily to anyone ...5 days ago
- Missing From The Anti-Covid Action.The Invisible Man: Where has the NZ Council of Trade Unions been during the Covid-19 Pandemic? Why hasn’t its current president, Richard Wagstaff (above) become a household name during the pandemic? Up there with Ashley Bloomfield, Michael Baker, Shaun Hendy and Siouxsie Wiles? WHERE HAVE THE UNIONS BEEN during the Covid-19 ...5 days ago
- “Go West, Young Virus”
The Auckland Coronavirus Outbreak potters along, not helped by the perception that the Government is disturbingly enthusiastic about “managing the virus” or loosening the border. Health Minister Andrew Little said today he envisages 90% vaccination rates (which we don’t have) eventually leading to 5,000 cases in Auckland a week… ...6 days ago - Skeptical Science New Research for Week #41, 2021How to fill a glass and thereby drink— from a fire hose So far this year, New Research has published listings for 3,291 papers concerning climate change from one aspect or another. Each edition includes two dozen or so articles describing freshly and directly observed effects of global waming. These ...6 days ago
- Climate Change: UKanians supports cutsThe Guardian reports a study on emissions reduction policy from the UK, which found that UKanians overwhelmingly support stronger action than their government: The UK public backs a carbon tax on polluting industries, higher levies on flying and grants for heat pumps in order to tackle the climate crisis, ...6 days ago
- Media Link: “A View from Afar” on PRC-Taiwan tensions.
In this week’s podcast Selwyn Manning and I discuss the upsurge in tensions between the PRC and Taiwan and what are the backgrounds to and implications of them. You can check the conversation out here. ...6 days ago - Labour’s 2023 election manifestoThis morning Health Minister Andrew Little effectively unveiled Labour's 2023 election manifesto: 5,000 cases a week in Auckland alone: Thousands of people will be infected with Covid-19 every week even with vaccination levels at 90 per cent, and hospitals face being overwhelmed once restrictions are eased and borders opened, ...6 days ago
- Don't Blame James.6 days ago
- The “Pulpit of Strewth”Barry Soper is one half of one of one of those right-wing husband-and-wife duos in which the Herald seems to specialise. In today’s issue, he has a piece that doesn’t quite reach the heights (or depths) of a Hoskings-style anti-government hostility, but which does provide an interesting example of the ...6 days ago
- Gordon Campbell on the epic fails of Kris FaafoiEver since Winston Peters first breathed life into this government in 2018, its own branding has been all about social justice and how we all need to be “kind” to each other. Somehow, Kris Faafoi must have missed the memo. His performance in the immigration portfolio (in particular) has neither ...6 days ago
- NZ Politics Daily: 14 October 2021Today’s NZPD testimonial from Mike Treen, Advocate, Unite Union “Please continue your incredible work compiling these news digests. As someone operating in the fields of advocacy for workers and the broader social justice areas it is invaluable to be able to check what is happening in the media relating to the issues I have to deal ...6 days ago
- Overconfident Idiots: Why Incompetence Breeds CertaintyThis is a re-post from the Thinking is Power website maintained by Melanie Trecek-King where she regularly writes about many aspects of critical thinking in an effort to provide accessible and engaging critical thinking information to the general public. Please see this overview to find links to other reposts from Thinking is Power. ...7 days ago
- Climate Change: Abandoning ambitionWhen Labour was first elected to power in 2017, they promised us "[an] ambitious plan to take real action on climate change". Four years and a lot of foot-dragging later, they've finally released that plan. And its not what was promised. Where to begin? Firstly, they've taken the Climate Change ...7 days ago
- Many e-cigarette vaping liquids contain toxic chemicals: new Australian researchAlexander Larcombe, Telethon Kids Institute From October 1, it’s been illegal to buy e-liquids containing nicotine without a prescription from a doctor everywhere in Australia, except South Australia. But vaping with nicotine-free e-liquids is not illegal in Australia (though in some jurisdictions the e-cigarette devices themselves are illegal). Vaping ...7 days ago
- Young adults worldwide have blunt message for governments: ‘We don’t trust you.’This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Karin Kirk Elizabeth Marks describes herself as “a psychologist who works on difficult problems.” Her past research aimed at helping people cope with challenging health conditions, apt training, it appears, for taking on climate change issues. A few years ago, she altered ...1 week ago
- Making ‘Second Age’ Hobbits Work: Amazon Series SpeculationTime for a good old-fashioned fandom furore. The Tolkien fandom hasn’t had a proper one of those since the Great Nudity Scandal of October 2020… so it clearly must be time to pontificate from on-high about a television series we still know vanishingly little about. This time the subject ...1 week ago
- NZ Politics Daily: 13 October 2021Today’s NZPD testimonial from Dr Lara Greaves, Political scientist, University of Auckland: “I love the NZ Politics Daily emails as they help me to keep on top of current events. It’s incredibly easy to skim through and follow the links. I really appreciate these as it means that I am exposed to a ...1 week ago
- The Data and Statistics Bill and the OIAThe government introduced a new Data and Statistics Bill today to modernise and replace the 45-year old Statistics Act. Part of the Bill re-enacts the existing confidentiality regime (with one exception), which while a secrecy clause isn't an especially controversial one. Another part is aimed at removing "outdated" (inconvenient) limits ...1 week ago
- Graham Adams: The debate over the $55 million media fund erupts againRNZ’s Mediawatch and a video clip viewed 42,000 times keep the topic of the Public Interest Journalism Fund fizzing. Graham Adams reports. A week ago, the NZ Taxpayers’ Union posted a short video clip of the exchange in Parliament between Jacinda Ardern and Judith Collins in which the National ...1 week ago
- Multiple sclerosis: the link with earlier infection just got stronger – new studyScott Montgomery, UCL For most of the time since the first description of multiple sclerosis (MS) in 1868, the causes of this disabling disease have remained uncertain. Genes have been identified as important, which is why having other family members with MS is associated with a greater risk of developing ...1 week ago
- Hit hard by the pandemic, researchers expect its impacts to linger for yearsSora Park, University of Canberra; Jennie Scarvell, University of Canberra, and Linda Botterill, University of Canberra The impacts of COVID-19 on Australian university researchers are likely to have consequences for research productivity and quality for many years to come. According to an online survey of academics at the University ...1 week ago
- Covid and free speechby Don Franks Some commentators have likened the struggle against Covid 19 to the world war experience. To those of us not alive in those times, that comparison can only be academic. What the anti virus battle reminds me of much more is an industrial strike. In my twenties and ...1 week ago
- “Angry Blowhards”In today’s Herald, their excellent columnist, Simon Wilson, takes to task those “shouty” people whom he further describes as “angry blowhards”. They are those whose prime reaction to the pandemic is anger – an anger they seamlessly (and perhaps unwittingly) transfer from the virus to the government. The basis for ...1 week ago
- Looking Forward To 2022.1 week ago
- Gordon Campbell on Covid mandates, and the Covid pillThe cliché about “living with Covid” will not mean life as we’ve known it, Jim. Vaccination is fast becoming a condition of employment, and also a requirement to participate in aspects of social life, such as travel, attending bars, cafes, and concerts etc. These protective measures enjoy a high level ...1 week ago
- NZ Politics Daily: 12 October 2021Today’s NZPD testimonial from Prof Alan Bollard, Professor of Practice at the School of Government, Victoria University of Wellington; Chair of the Infrastructure Commission: “NZ Politics Daily” provides a great public service – a quick and unbiased way to check policy announcements and analysis every morning.” Anyone can sign up to NZPD ...1 week ago
- Legal Beagle: A submission on the COVID-19 Public Health Response Amendment Bill (No 2)
I have made a submission on the COVID-19 Public Health Response Amendment Bill (No 2).In preparing it, I looked at the Hansard for the first reading debate, and got name-dropped as someone likely to make a submission. So, of course I did. I focus on a small bit of the ...1 week ago - Hard News: More tales from the Medicinal Cannabis SchemeYou may have read last week that two years after the publication of regulations for medicinal cannabis – and three years after the enabling legislation – two local products from a local manufacturer have finally met the minimum quality standards for prescription. You may also be interested to know that ...1 week ago
- Climate Change: Real action requires governmentOver the weekend someone pointed me at a journal article on "The Poverty of Theory: Public Problems, Instrument Choice, and the Climate Emergency". Its a US law journal article, so is a) very long; and b) half footnotes (different disciplines have different norms), but the core idea is that the ...1 week ago
- Climate Change: Not doing our bitLast month the US and EU announced they would push an agreement to cut methane emissions by 30% (from 2020 levels) by 2030 at the upcoming climate change conference in Glasgow. The good news is that New Zealand is looking at joining it. The bad news is that that won't ...1 week ago
- Delta’s Week Of Doom.Classic Shot: Are the Prime Minister’s formidable communication skills equal to the task of getting her government’s anti-Covid campaign back on track?IF JACINDA ARDERN thought last week was bad, the week ahead promises to be even worse. Sixty community cases of Covid-19, one of the highest daily totals so far ...1 week ago
- Urgent measures needed to allow the safe re-opening of Auckland schoolsDr Rachel Webb, Dr Jin Russell, Dr Pip Anderson, Dr Emma Best, Dr Alison Leversha and Dr Subha Rajanaidu* In this blog we describe the range of urgent measures that are needed to facilitate a safe return to schools in Auckland and other regions of the country where there is ...1 week ago
- Children live online more than ever – we need better definitions of ‘good’ and ‘bad’ scree...Kathryn MacCallum, University of Canterbury and Cheryl Brown, University of Canterbury The pandemic has fundamentally altered every part of our lives, not least the time we spend on digital devices. For young people in particular, the blurred line between recreational and educational screen time presents new challenges we are ...1 week ago
- Putting Aotearoa on the map: New Zealand has changed its name before, why not again?Claire Breen, University of Waikato; Alexander Gillespie, University of Waikato; Robert Joseph, University of Waikato, and Valmaine Toki, University of Waikato Our names are a critical part of our identity. They are a personal and social anchor tying us to our families, our culture, our history and place in ...1 week ago
- Speaker: Yes, of course festival organisers will follow the law on vaccinationOn Tuesday 5 October the New Zealand Government announced that proof of COVID-19 vaccination would be a requirement to attend large events this summer.It took a few days for event owners to absorb the information and understand the implications. By the end of the working week, most of the big ...1 week ago
- NZ Politics Daily: 11 October 2021Today’s NZPD testimonial from Jim Hubbard, Cartoonist “NZ Politics daily is a go to for cartoonists, or should be. Political reporting enmasse like this gives cartoonists and political junkies a smorgasbord to get their teeth into. Essential and I daresay vital reading for those who care about the future of NZ.” Anyone can sign ...1 week ago
- 2021 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #41Listing of articles linked to on the Skeptical Science Facebook Page during the past week: Sun, October 3, 2021 through Sat, October 9, 2021 The following articles sparked above average interest during the week: VFX Artist Reveals how Many Solar Panels are Needed to Power the ENTIRE World, Will you fall ...1 week ago
- The Night of Parmenides: accepted
A bit of good news on the writing front. My 3900-word short story, The Night of Parmenides, has been accepted by SpecFicNZ for their upcoming Aftermath anthology, to be published in early 2022. This is my first published short story to be explicitly set in my home-town of ...1 week ago - The Virus, the Politician, and the gang member
. . . . . References Newshub Nation: Gang leader Harry Tam denies Winston Peters’ claims he helped infected woman breach COVID boundary, sparking Northland lockdown Te Ao News: ‘Apologise!’ Mob leader slams Peters’ Covid, Northland allegations Stuff media: Covid-19 – Search for contact of Northland case ‘extraordinarily frustrating’ CNBC: ...1 week ago - Rapid kits, responses, and openings: watch motivations, or catch something worse with Covid…
Last week was probably a high point for many armchair “experts”, fresh from their high after some deep inhaling of the various musings and fumings, of an actually very smug, and very insualted John “Things all work for me…” Key, former Prime Minister and FOREX trader, had blitzed the ...2 weeks ago - Bollocks
It would appear we have an unwelcome presence in town.Positive wastewater results had been detected in Hamilton and Palmerston North on October 6 and 7. There are 26 cases in hospital, seven of these are in ICU or high dependency units (HDU).One of the people in hospital is in Palmerston ...2 weeks ago - World-leading?So, the Herald has found someone, as we can see from today’s issue, who is able to explain why we should not claim to have been “world-leading” in our response to the covid epidemic. It seems that we have been kidding ourselves when we celebrated our low total number of ...2 weeks ago
- Why Is Labour So Frightened Of “Mr Stick”?Force Multiplier: Why are Ardern and her ministers so loathe to put a bit of stick about? The “emergency” legislation eventually enacted to authorise the measures needed to combat the Covid-19 pandemic failed to confer upon the New Zealand Government the unequivocal authority that subsequent events showed to be so ...2 weeks ago
- The Need for an Updated Strategic Approach to Covid-19 Control in Aotearoa NZProf Nick Wilson, Dr Jennifer Summers, Prof Michael Baker* The NZ Government appears to have drifted into an unclear strategic approach to Covid-19 control. In this blog we outline one potential way forward: a regional strategic approach that considers “regional suppression” and “regional elimination”. To maximise the success of this ...2 weeks ago
- Mairon: The Actual Source for the Blasted Name
Long-time Tolkien geeks – or those bemused enough to run across a certain internet phenomenon – might know that ‘Sauron’ is not actually the real name of the Lord of the Ring. ‘Sauron’ is just an abusive Elvish nickname, meaning ‘the Abhorred.’ Sauron’s actual name, at least originally, ...2 weeks ago - Forced Re-entry
The elimination of Covid strategy is not so much defeated but changing circumstances means that policy has to evolve. Our elimination stance was never sustainable or at least it would not be until the rest of the world also eliminated Covid-19. Elimination of the virus was a strategy we adopted ...2 weeks ago - Repeal this unjust lawYesterday the Supreme Court ruled on National's unjust "three strikes" law, and found that the sentence it required was (in the case in question) so disproportionate as to "shock the conscience" and violate the Bill of Rights Act ban on disproportionately severe treatment or punishment: The Supreme Court has ...2 weeks ago
- Climate Change: Preparing for the floodThe Christchurch City Council has published new "coastal hazards" data, indicating which places are under threat from sea-level rise. And its not good news: Parts of Christchurch and Banks Peninsula are likely to become unhabitable [sic] as the city council figures out how to adapt to sea level ...2 weeks ago
- The Virus, Not The GovernmentI wonder if Mike Hosking ever reads the paper in which he appears so regularly? If he does, he might have noticed a report in today’s Herald about the problem that could face churches in Auckland if a vaccine passport becomes mandatory for those wishing to attend church services. The ...2 weeks ago
- Te Mātāwaka: Greens call for the Government to listen to Māori health experts
Te Mātāwaka caucus support the call from iwi leaders, and Māori providers for a COVID-19 vaccination rate of 95 percent for Māori, Pasifika and other marginalised communities before further lifting COVID-19 restrictions. ...20 hours ago - Govt must build on foundation of planning rule changes to solve housing crisisFamilies looking for their first home will welcome a bipartisan commitment to increase housing supply, but will be asking what more can be done. ...22 hours ago
- Equitable financial support urgently needed to combat COVID outbreakThe Green Party is calling for a broader and more equitable financial support package to slow the COVID-19 outbreak and ensure everyone in Alert Level 3 can make ends meet, following the announcement that Alert Level 3 has been extended for at least two more weeks in Auckland and at ...2 days ago
- Waste strategy needs to learn from natureAnything less than a transformational national waste strategy and waste legislation will not be enough, the Green Party said today. ...5 days ago
- 5 ways you can help New Zealand get vaccinated
Getting vaccinated is the best thing we can do to protect ourselves and the people we care about from COVID-19. It means we’ll all be able to do more of what we love this summer, while keeping each other safe. ...6 days ago - Te Mātāwaka: Greens support iwi led housing solutionsThe Green Party’s Te Mātāwaka Caucus welcome the Government’s investment into iwi Māori-led housing initiatives. ...6 days ago
- Greens call for expanded protection for renters, overseas voting for COVID-19 billThe Green Party is calling for expanded protections for renters and extended eligibility for overseas voters for the COVID-19 Response Management Measures Legislation Bill, which is currently before select committee. ...1 week ago
- One-off residency scheme needs to include working holiday and seasonal workersThe Green Party says the Government needs to extend the one-off residency scheme to all workers, instead of keeping them in limbo with visa extensions every 6 months. ...1 week ago
- Camping, concerts, cuddles: Kiwis tell us why they’re vaccinatedRight now, the single most important thing New Zealanders can do in the fight against COVID-19 is get vaccinated. More and more of us are stepping up, with more than two million people now fully vaccinated. ...1 week ago
- Green Party deeply concerned space launches may be breaching nuclear-free lawsThe Green Party is deeply concerned that space launches by Rocket Lab may be breaching New Zealand’s long-standing nuclear-free position and legislation. ...2 weeks ago
- Greens welcome work on electoral reform, but call for recommendations of previous reviews to be impl...The Green Party welcomes the review of New Zealand’s electoral laws as chance to make elections fairer and more accessible. ...2 weeks ago
- Govt plan risks vulnerable communitiesThe Green Party says the Government’s planned roadmap for Auckland risks the safety of vulnerable communities and children. ...2 weeks ago
- Climate crisis demands better transport optionsThe Green Party said the Government’s decision to scrap the Northern Pathway highlights the need for urgent, people-centred transport options. ...3 weeks ago
- Seabed mining application rejected, moratorium necessary next stepThe Supreme Court decision to decline an application by Trans-Tasman Resources will help protect the seabed, marine mammals, fish and other marine life off the South Taranaki coast from seabed mining. ...3 weeks ago
- Extend transitional medicinal cannabis standards to ease patients’ sufferingThe Green Party is calling on the Minister of Health, Andrew Little to extend ‘transitional standards’ for medicinal cannabis to prevent thousands of patients being cut off from their medicine. ...3 weeks ago
- Red tape cut to boost housing supply
New building intensification rules will mean up to three homes of up to three storeys can be built on most sites without the need for a resource consent New rules will result in at least 48,200 and as many as 105,500 new homes built in next 5-8 years Bringing forward ...22 hours ago - Nationwide business partnership grows conservation jobsFurther Government support for New Zealand’s longest-standing sustainable business organisation will open up opportunities for dozens of workers impacted by COVID-19 to jump start a nature-based career, Conservation Minister Kiri Allan says. Partnering to Plant Aotearoa, led by the Sustainable Business Network (SBN), is a collaboration with iwi, hapū and ...2 days ago
- New Zealand increases climate aid contributionGovernment commits $1.3 billion over four years to support countries most vulnerable to the effects of climate change At least 50 percent of funding will go to the Pacific as it adapts to the impacts of climate change The increase means New Zealand now meets its fair share of global ...2 days ago
- Super Māori turnout for Super SaturdayMāori have put a superb effort into mobilising to get vaccinated over Super Saturday, with thousands rolling up their sleeves to protect themselves, their whānau and communities from COVID-19, Associate Health Minister Peeni Henare says. “It was absolutely outstanding that 21,702 Māori got vaccinated on this one day alone with 10,825 ...3 days ago
- Language assists Tagata Niue to thriveDespite the uncertain times we face with the challenges of COVID-19, our cultural knowledge, values and language remain constant, helping us progress towards goals in life, said the Minister for Pacific Peoples Aupito William Sio. This year, the Niuean community in New Zealand decided on the theme, “Kia tupuolaola e ...3 days ago
- New Zealand Ambassador to France announcedForeign Affairs Minister Nanaia Mahuta today announced the appointment of Caroline Bilkey as New Zealand’s next Ambassador to France and the OECD. “Aotearoa New Zealand and France have a shared history, and enjoy a strong, collaborative partnership. This includes a strong trade and economic relationship, a shared commitment to support ...5 days ago
- Govt welcomes nurses’ pay settlementThe Government is welcoming news that a new employment agreement for nurses working in public hospitals has been settled. “I am very pleased that the hard work of the Nurses Organisation and District Health Boards has led to a settlement that both can support,” Health Minister Andrew Little said today. ...5 days ago
- Judge of the High Court appointedMāori Land Court Judge Layne Harvey has been appointed a Judge of the High Court, Attorney‑General David Parker announced today. Justice Harvey graduated with an LLB from the University of Auckland in 1992 and commenced employment as a law clerk with Simpson Grierson in Auckland that same year. In 1997 ...5 days ago
- Kiwis to have their say on plan to reduce wasteNew Zealanders are invited to have their say on proposals for a new waste strategy and options for new waste legislation. “Reducing waste is one of the issues all New Zealanders – especially younger Kiwis - care deeply about,” Environment Minister David Parker said today “New Zealand is one of ...5 days ago
- Next steps in action plan for indigenous rights kicks offMinister for Māori Development Willie Jackson has today meet with more than 30 national Māori organisations in an online hui, kicking off the process to develop a plan for New Zealand to implement the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (the Declaration). The previous National Government signed ...6 days ago
- Iwi-led housing solutions build homes for the futureWhai Kāinga, Whai Oranga will open on 20 October, to receive applications for investment through Te Tūāpapa Kura Kāinga – Ministry of Housing and Urban Development and Te Puni Kōkiri The $730m fund combines investment from Budget 2021 ($380m) and the Māori Infrastructure Fund ($350m) - the largest investment seen ...6 days ago
- E whakarite ana Te Kāwanatanga i ngā tūāpapa mō twhakamaumahara ki Te Petihana Reo Māori ka t...I te rā nei, i pānuihia e te Minita mō Manatū Taonga, ko Carmel Sepuloni, rāua ko te Minita Whanaketanga Māori, ko Willie Jackson, ā tērā tau, ka whakanuia rawatia te 50 o ngā tau mai i te whakatakotoranga o te petihana mō te Reo Māori me te huanga mai ...6 days ago
- E whakarite ana Te Kāwanatanga i ngā tūāpapa mō tewhakamaumahara ki Te Petihana Reo Māori ka t...I te rā nei, i pānuihia e te Minita mō Manatū Taonga, ko Carmel Sepuloni, rāua ko te Minita Whanaketanga Māori, ko Willie Jackson, ā tērā tau, ka whakanuia rawatia te 50 o ngā tau mai i te whakatakotoranga o te petihana mō te Reo Māori me te huanga mai ...6 days ago
- Government green lights rapid antigen testingSome of the country’s largest businesses have put in an order for 300,000 approved rapid antigen tests for their workforce, after working at pace with the Government on a new scheme unveiled by Associate Minister of Health and Research, Science and Innovation Ayesha Verrall. A coalition of around 25 businesses ...6 days ago
- Government lays foundations as Māori Language Petition commemorations take shape for 2022Taiaha hā! Taiaha hā! - Te kairangi o te reo hoki mai ki taku tikanga, ki taku taumata, ki taku reo, ki taku ao. He reo whai tikanga, he reo whai mana, he reo whai tangata koe. Ki te whāngaihia te reo Māori he ao tēnā, ki te kore he ...6 days ago
- Major contract awarded to power NZ Battery investigationA consortium of specialist firms has been awarded a major contract to advance the New Zealand Battery Project’s feasibility investigation into a pumped hydro storage scheme at Lake Onslow, the Minister of Energy and Resources Megan Woods has announced. “This contract represents a major milestone as it begins the targeted ...6 days ago
- Additional Funding for Foodbanks and Social AgenciesThe Government has approved $13.55m from the Covid Response and Recovery Fund to support foodbanks and social sector agencies, Minister for Social Development Carmel Sepuloni has announced. “Foodbanks and social agencies across Auckland are doing a great job supporting their communities and the Government is today providing them with more ...7 days ago
- Generating a new generation of guardiansThe Government is supporting a Whakatōhea-led project undertaking landscape scale restoration in forests and around vulnerable rivers within the Eastern Bay of Plenty, Minister of Conservation Kiri Allan says. “The Whakatōhea Tiaki Taiao project will employ four people to undertake pest and weed control, ecosystem restoration and monitoring over three ...7 days ago
- Parts of Waikato, Northland staying at Alert Level 3The parts of Waikato that have been in Alert Level 3 and Northland will remain in Alert Level 3 for a few more days, COVID-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins said today. Auckland remains at Alert Level 3, Step 1. “Based on the latest public health information, ministers have decided that ...7 days ago
- New courthouses for Tauranga and WhanganuiThe Government is moving ahead with new courthouses in Tauranga and Whanganui, which the Justice Minister says provide an opportunity to redesign court facilities that help put victims at the heart of the justice system. “These courthouses are part of the 10-year infrastructure investment plan to restore and modernise Ministry ...1 week ago
- Speech on the launch of the consultation on the development of the Emissions Reduction PlanTēnā koutou katoa. Ngā mihi o te ata. Earlier this month Save the Children wrote to me with their most up to date analysis on the impact of climate change. What they said was that children born in Aotearoa today will experience up to five times as many heatwaves and ...1 week ago
- Opportunity to shape NZ’s first Emissions Reduction PlanThe Government is inviting New Zealanders to inform the country’s first Emissions Reduction Plan with the release of a consultation document containing a range of policy ideas to decrease the country’s emissions, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Climate Change Minister James Shaw announced today. The Emissions Reduction Plan will set ...1 week ago
- Convention on Biological Diversity COP 15, Virtual High-Level SegmentKia ora koutou katoa. I want to thank China for hosting this critically important Conference of the Parties. We are all here for the same reason. Biodiversity loss, and the ongoing degradation of nature, are accelerating at an unprecedented rate. These losses are causing irreparable harm to our planet’s ability ...1 week ago
- Government books show resilient and strong economyThe end of year audited Crown accounts released today show the Government’s health led approach to the COVID-19 pandemic has protected New Zealand’s economy. “On almost every indicator the accounts show that the New Zealand economy has performed better than forecast, even as recently as the Budget in May. It ...1 week ago
- Health system is ready for assisted-dying lawThe health system is ready for the implementation of the End of Life Choice Act when it takes effect next month, making assisted dying legal in New Zealand, Health Minister Andrew Little said today. The law received 65.1 per cent support in a public referendum held alongside last year’s general ...1 week ago
- Taking a lead in threat to curious keaReducing lead poisoning of kea, the world’s only alpine parrot and one-time New Zealand bird of the year winner, is the goal of a two year project being backed by the Government’s Jobs for Nature programme, Minister of Conservation Kiri Allan says. “Lead poisoning is a serious threat to this ...1 week ago
- Government provides certainty to working holiday and seasonal visa holders and employers for summerThe Government will extend Working Holiday visas and Supplementary Seasonal Employment (SSE) work visas for six months to provide more certainty to employers and visa holders over the coming summer period, Immigration Minister Kris Faafoi has announced. “This offers employers and visa holders the certainty they’ve been asking for going ...1 week ago
- Lower card fees good for businesses, consumersThe Bill to help lower the cost of the fees retailers get charged for offering contactless and debit payment options is another step closer to becoming law, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Dr David Clark said today. “COVID-19 has changed the way we spend our money, with online and contactless ...1 week ago
- Mandatory vaccination for two workforcesHigh-risk workers in the health and disability sector to be fully vaccinated by 1 December, 2021, and to receive their first dose by 30 October School and early learning staff and support people who have contact with children and students to be fully vaccinated by 1 January, 2022, and to ...1 week ago
- Fund allows more Pacific community led vaccinationsThe Government has made $1.1 million available through ‘The Prepare Pacific Community Vaccination Fund’ to directly support Pacific community-led initiatives towards increasing vaccinations, said Associate Minister of Health, Aupito William Sio. “The best way to protect our communities from COVID-19 is through vaccination. “We need to explore every avenue to ...1 week ago
- Small business at heart of economic recovery across APEC regionThe Minister for Small Business says support for small and medium enterprises will remain ongoing as the Asia-Pacific region moves through response and recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. Stuart Nash today chaired a virtual summit from Wellington for the APEC Small and Medium Enterprises Ministerial Meeting (SMEMM). “APEC Ministers responsible ...2 weeks ago
- Restrictions on abortion medication lifted for health practitionersAbortion services can now be provided in primary care, meaning people can access this care from someone like their trusted GP and in a familiar setting, Associate Minister of Health Dr Ayesha Verrall announced today. “By lifting some restrictions on the funded medications used for early medical abortions, more health ...2 weeks ago
- Record day for Māori vaccinationsMore than 10,000 vaccinations were administered to Māori yesterday, the highest number in the vaccine campaign so far, Associate Minister of Health (Maori Health) Peeni Henare announced. There were 10,145 doses administered across the motu yesterday this is almost equivalent to the population of Hāwera. The doses are made up ...2 weeks ago
- Statement on Joint Cooperation in Agriculture between Ireland and New Zealand8 October 2021 - Dublin, Ireland Agriculture plays an important role in the economic, social, environmental, and cultural wellbeing of Ireland and New Zealand. We are focused on increasing the productivity, inclusivity, and resilience of our respective primary sectors. As agri-food exporting nations, we also share a commitment to a ...2 weeks ago
- Northland to move to Alert Level 3 tonightNorthland will move to Alert Level 3 restrictions from 11:59pm tonight following recent information on the risk presented by the positive case initially tested in Whangarei earlier this week and confirmed in Auckland yesterday, COVID-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins said. The person is now in an Auckland Managed Isolation Quarantine ...2 weeks ago
- Prime Minister's Christmas Card CompetitionIt’s that time of year again! If you’d like to help design the Prime Minister’s official Christmas card, here’s how to take part: Draw, paint, sketch or craft an image you’d like to see on the front of this year’s Christmas card. It can be anything you want – a traditional ...2 weeks ago
- Speech : Pacific Public Sector Fono – Friday 8th October 2021Greetings and Acknowledgements and Warm Pacific Greetings to one and all. It’s a privilege to be able to join with you this afternoon and share some remarks on how important you are to our communities throughout Aotearoa, and across the Pacific region. COVID-19 has been described as a one in ...2 weeks ago
- Pacific Public Sector Fono – Friday 8th October 2021Greetings and Acknowledgements and Warm Pacific Greetings to one and all. It’s a privilege to be able to join with you this afternoon and share some remarks on how important you are to our communities throughout Aotearoa, and across the Pacific region. COVID-19 has been described as a one in ...2 weeks ago
- Ruapehu social housing pilot, providing value for generations to comeHousing Minister Hon Dr Megan Woods today announced the development of six social housing units funded by the Government’s Covid response infrastructure fund, to help work toward resolving Ruapehu's lack of social housing. “The Crown’s investment of $2.1 million in this project will provide value to the community for generations ...2 weeks ago
- New Children’s Commissioner AppointedSocial Development and Employment Minister Carmel Sepuloni has announced Judge Frances Eivers’ appointment as the new Children’s Commissioner. Judge Eivers, who is currently a District Court Judge in Manukau, will take up the role on 1 November 2021. She has been appointed for two years. The Children’s Commissioner is an ...2 weeks ago
- National Plan Rightly Rewards Vaccination Efforts
The EMA says recognising vaccination efforts and freeing up restrictions for those vaccinated in the workplace and in their everyday lives is a welcome approach in the National Party’s ‘Back in Business’ plan released this morning. "Many ...21 mins ago - Govt defends Auckland restrictions, says daily Covid-19 cases could reach 'high hundreds'
The government is defending its continued Covid-19 restrictions in Auckland, saying the need hold off the virus' spread while vaccinating as many people as possible remains a priority. ...22 mins ago - Keith Rankin Chart Analysis – Covid19 Impact: Excess deaths in Latin America
Analysis by Keith Rankin. These charts give an insight into the actual impact – and progression – of Covid19 in South and Central America. As for the previously posted charts showing Russia, and showing the Middle East, these countries are included because they report their overall mortality monthly rather than ...27 mins ago - Judith Collins launches National's plan for supporting business during the pandemicNational Party leader Judith Collins is releasing the party's 'Back in Business' plan on support for companies during the pandemic. ...32 mins ago
- Newsletter: New Zealand Politics Daily – October 20 2021Editor’s Note: Here below is a list of the main issues currently under discussion in New Zealand and links to media coverage. You can sign up to NZ Politics Daily as well as New Zealand Political Roundup columns for free here. Today’s content Housing Zane Small (Newshub): How it happened: The ...1 hour ago
- Housing Differences A Major Contributor To NZ’s Inequities – Expert ReactionNearly a third of New Zealand households spent 30 per cent or more of their total income on housing costs in 2019, according to a new report. The report, written by an expert panel convened by Royal Society Te Apārangi, says spending ...1 hour ago
- Judith Collins on National's target for ending lockdownsNational would set a six-week deadline for ending lockdowns, with leader Judith Collins saying a target of 85-90 percent vaccinated is 'do-able' within that time. ...1 hour ago
- This e-waste expert recycles ‘anything with a plug’
Computer Recycling’s Patrick Moynahan is bound to encounter the odd item when 2,000 tonnes of digital rubbish comes through his door every year. Reweti Kohere meets the man at the coalface of our e-consumption.We stare at screens all day and all night. Is this good for us? We’re going to ...1 hour ago - Is it even possible to regulate Facebook effectively? Time and again, attempts have led to the same ...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Olga Kokshagina, Researcher – Innovation & Entrepreneurship, RMIT University Matt Rourke/AP The Australian government’s recent warning to Facebook over misinformation is just the latest salvo in the seemingly constant battle to hold the social media giant to account for the ...2 hours ago
- COVID exposed our fractured national identity, but state-based loyalties were rising long beforeSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Judith Brett, Emeritus Professor of Politics, La Trobe University Wes Mountain/The Conversation, CC BY-ND The formation of Australia’s federation in 1901 was both practical and sentimental. Pressing policy matters in the areas of immigration, trade and defence required the coordination ...2 hours ago
- How to talk to your child about a COVID diagnosis … and share the news with othersSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Margie Danchin, Paediatrician at the Royal Childrens Hospital and Associate Professor and Clinician Scientist, University of Melbourne and MCRI, Murdoch Children’s Research Institute Shutterstock Vaccination rates across Australia continue to rise. Teenagers aged 12 to 15 have only had access ...2 hours ago
- Australia ranks last out of 54 nations on its strategy to cope with climate change. The Glasgow summ...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Johanna Nalau, Research Fellow, Climate Adaptation, Griffith University Shutterstock The need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions is widely discussed, but the other side of climate action is less often talked about: adapting to impacts already locked in. Even if we ...2 hours ago
- How a maximum security prison offers a pathway to academic excellence and a PhDSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Christian Tietz, Senior Lecturer in Industrial Design, UNSW The person taking notes during our meeting, we later learn, is averaging a high distinction in their studies for a bachelor degree. If this level of performance is maintained this student is heading for ...2 hours ago
- Guide to the classics: Euripides’ The Trojan Women – an unflinching look at the brutality of warSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Chris Mackie, Professor of Classics, La Trobe University Aomawa Baker as Andromache in a production of The Trojan Woman in Los Angeles. Wikimedia Commons The story of the long struggle for the life of the city of Troy might be thought of ...2 hours ago
- Situation vacant: who will turn around the transport supertanker for Aotearoa?There are few more important jobs than leading NZ’s transport agency. The country needs someone who can steer us towards a positive, climate-friendly future, urges Jolisa Gracewood.Cool job alert! Waka Kotahi (the New Zealand Transport Agency) is looking for a new chair of the board, to guide the organisation through ...2 hours ago
- Live updates, October 20: Daily Covid numbers could get into the ‘high hundreds’, says HipkinsWelcome to The Spinoff’s live updates for October 20, by Stewart Sowman-Lund. Reach me on stewart@thespinoff.co.nz. Help support our Covid coverage – join Members today.8.20am: National calls for reopening date – December 1December 1 would be freedom day if the National Party was in charge of the current delta response.The ...2 hours ago
- The breaker-upperer Tex Edwards: Taking on the supermarkets duopoly
Ahead of Commerce Commission hearings, NZ's most renowned breaker-upperer lays out his plan ...3 hours ago - The mastermind behind Super SaturdayWhat began as Tamati Shepherd-Wipiiti’s brainstorm ended up as the biggest day in the country’s vaccination programme, Justin Giovannetti writes in The Bulletin.The story behind Super Saturday. Three weeks before the most successful day in the country’s vaccination programme, Tamati Shepherd-Wipiiti was at home, surrounded by post-its, unicorns and scribbled notes. ...3 hours ago
- How the new human right to a healthy environment could accelerate New Zealand’s action on climate ...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Nathan Cooper, Associate Professor of Law, University of Waikato Shutterstock Last week’s formal recognition by the United Nations Human Rights Council that the right to a healthy environment is an essential human right has been heralded as a historic victory ...3 hours ago
- How I survived being deleted by the supermarkets
As MPs are asked today to break up the supermarkets duopoly, a homegrown fruit business owner tells of sleepless nights ...4 hours ago - The burning questions about gas
Does New Zealand really need the under-pressure gas industry to reach net-zero carbon emissions? ...4 hours ago - Housing density plan: Mayors caught off guard by announcementCouncils were kept in the dark until the day of the announcement on changes for major cities to allow three homes of up to three storeys on most sections without the need for a resource consent. ...5 hours ago
- Newsroom daily crossword, Wednesday 20 October
...5 hours ago - Newsroom daily quiz, Wednesday 20 October5 hours ago
- Anti-alcohol campaigners call for end to Auckland bottle stores’ ugly signsCommunity advocates say Auckland Council needs to bring in new regulations to stem the ongoing harm caused by alcohol. Council says it has run out of time to incorporate them into a new bylaw on signage across the city. Drive through any South Auckland suburb and it’s hard not to ...5 hours ago
- I’m an Aucklander, I hate lockdown, and I want Auckland to go back to level fourWith the highest number of daily cases since the start of the pandemic announced yesterday, the argument to raise alert levels again is growing stronger.Yesterday, 94 new Covid-19 cases were announced. That’s New Zealand’s highest daily total of community Covid cases since the start of the pandemic. Those alarming numbers, ...5 hours ago
- Minding the Gap on equal pay
The battle for equal pay started 125 years ago and it's not over yet. A new campaign, Mind The Gap, hopes to address some of the issues. In 1897 the first conference of the National Council of Women tackled pay inequality. It introduced a policy that "in all cases ...5 hours ago - Little points finger at DHBs failing Māori on vaccination
Health Minister names and shames two DHBs for failing Māori in its vaccination rollout. ...5 hours ago - Jo Cribb: Unequal pay in sport just not cricket
Sport is integral to the Kiwi way of life and how we see ourselves. But our 'play hard play fair' attitude only goes so far - especially when it comes to how we pay sportspeople and their leaders. ...5 hours ago - Small retailers hit with early Christmas demand
Kiwis are having to plan much further ahead for Christmas as Covid-related shipping disruption changes how we shop, ...5 hours ago - How Olympic silver rower has thrown off the blues
In the first in a series, Out into the Open, on female athlete wellbeing, Olympic rowing medallist Hannah Osborne talks about her depression and how pottery has helped her through the dreaded post-Olympic slump. Since returning from the heady heights of winning a silver medal at the Tokyo Olympics, rower ...5 hours ago - Bad blood: anniversary of a slaughter
Man alone Stan Graham was shot dead 80 years ago today. The author of his story marks the anniversary I first heard the story of Stanley Graham after Erica and I arrived from Australia in early 1970. We were thinking of a year or so working holiday, but we liked ...5 hours ago - Linda Clark: What will it take to close the pay gap?
Changing the law and making it mandatory for employers to report on the pay gap at their workplaces may be necessary if equal pay is to become a reality, writes Linda Clark. There is an honour call of hard working women who have lobbied, struggled and fought for equal pay. ...5 hours ago - Political consensus on NZ's deep-rooted housing problems
Labour and National's unlikely collaboration on housing intensification is set to slow the growing inequality between homeowners and renters – but councils may still need some convincing of the policy's benefits, Sam Sachdeva writes Analysis: Megan Woods and Judith Collins may not have led a conga line into the Beehive ...5 hours ago - Follow a natural health philosophy? Vaccination may have more in common with it than you thinkSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jon Wardle, Professor of Public Health, Southern Cross University The natural or “alternative” health community is often held up as being vaccine hesitant. Yet, the relationship between the natural health community and vaccination is complex. Stories such as the Adelaide naturopath ...14 hours ago
- Minister says he should have had a 'closer eye' on DHBsAssociate Health Minister Peeni Henare has told several DHBs they need to do better in their vaccine rollout to Māori. ...15 hours ago
- Politics with Michelle Grattan: Mustering the government’s rural rump into the 2050 tentSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra As well as Michelle Grattan’s usual interviews with experts and politicians about the news of the day, Politics with Michelle Grattan now includes “Word from The Hill”, where all things political will be ...15 hours ago
- The easy way to rein in Facebook and Google: stop them gobbling up competitorsSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Martin, Visiting Fellow, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University Few of us who have survived the last year aren’t grateful for technology. Zoom, email, connected workplaces and solid internet connections at home have made it possible to work, shop, ...17 hours ago
- Geographical Indications are among the sensitive issues for NZ in free-trade talks with EU
Trade Minister Damien O’Connor has revived hopes that New Zealand can land a free trade agreement with the UK this year and another one subsequently with the EU, following his just- concluded mission to European capitals. Farm lobbies had not been confident when he set out. In the case of ...17 hours ago - Red Tape Cut For High Density Housing – Expert ReactionPeople will be able to build up to three homes of up to three storeys on most sites without the need for a resource consent, according to a newly introduced Bill with bipartisan support. Currently, district plans typically only allow for ...17 hours ago
- Medium density housing law proposal greeted with tentative supportResidents and political parties appear cautiously supportive of moves to allow higher-density housing, but also raise concerns about government overreach and regulatory confusion. ...17 hours ago
- Nats and govt get cosy on housing-density rules – but Collins vows to pull the plug on Three Water...
Just one new post had been posted on the Beehive website, when we checked this afternoon. But it was a significant announcement, triggering media headlines such as RNZ’s Housing density to increase across New Zealand under rare bipartisan solution. In a nutshell, National and ...17 hours ago - Emma is hanging up the yellow skivvy: how the ‘first girl Wiggle’ created a powerful legacySource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Liz Giuffre, Senior Lecturer in Communication, University of Technology Sydney The Wiggles When Emma Watkins took over as “The Yellow Wiggle” in 2012 there were huge headlines. Her casting was a seismic shift for those who grew up loving her ...17 hours ago
- City Will ‘irrevocably Change’Hamilton City Council is warning that sweeping changes to planning rules announced by the Government have the potential to fundamentally change the face of the city. Minister of Housing Megan Woods and Minister for the Environment David Parker unveiled ...18 hours ago
- Winston Peters StatementOn 9 October 2021 I gave an interview to Newshub on the issue of people who had crossed the Auckland Alert Level 3 border improperly using essential worker credentials. These people were understood to be associated with a member of an organised criminal ...18 hours ago
- OnlyFans has a split identity – it needs to declare its support for adult content creatorsSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Emily van der Nagel, Lecturer in Social Media, Monash University www.shutterstock.com Have you heard of OnlyFans? It’s a social media platform – like YouTube or Instagram. Access isn’t open to everyone, however. Only subscribers (“fans”) can see the photos ...18 hours ago
- The critically endangered Māui dolphin is a conservation priority — we shouldn’t let uncertaint...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rochelle Constantine, Associate Professor of Marine Biology, University of Auckland University of Auckland Department of Conservation, Author provided The world’s rarest marine dolphin, Māui, is found only along the west coast of the North Island of Aotearoa New Zealand. ...18 hours ago
- Children deserve answers to their questions about climate change. Here’s how universities can helpSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Gabi Mocatta, Research Fellow in Climate Change Communication, Climate Futures Program, University of Tasmania, and Lecturer in Communication – Journalism, Deakin University Our children are growing up in a volatile climate. It’s already damaging their health, wealth and well-being. Universities can be ...18 hours ago
- Loop Tracks: a novel about choice, consequence and male controlCatherine Robertson reviews Sue Orr’s latest book, billed as a ‘major New Zealand novel’. In Sue Orr’s last novel, The Party Line (Vintage, 2015), a rural community in the 1970s conspires to ignore that a fellow farmer is beating his wife. When she is finally free of him, the men close ...18 hours ago
- Bipartisan Housing Bill Good News For WellingtonThe Wellington Chamber of Commerce has welcomed today’s announcement of a bipartisan housing plan. "The bipartisan approach places business at the heart of housing policy," said Chamber of Commerce Chief Executive Simon Arcus. "By cutting ...19 hours ago
- Master Plumbers Joins Call For Mandatory Vaccination In Construction SectorMaster Plumbers is adding its voice to industry demands for compulsory vaccination in the building and construction sector, and is asking the Government to act with urgency. Building industry membership group Registered Master Builders yesterday ...20 hours ago
- The Coalition For More Homes Welcomes Today’s Housing AnnouncementThe Coalition for More Homes welcomes the announcement of the Resource Management (Enabling Housing Supply and Other Matters) Amendment Bill, which will accelerate and build upon the National Policy Statement on Urban Development. It is a major ...20 hours ago
- Delay calculating Māori health services compensation risks compounding prejudices – Waitangi ...The Waitangi Tribunal says it is taking far too long to calculate how much compensation Māori health services should get to make up for years of underfunding. ...20 hours ago
- Albanese asks finance department whether Byrne breached official rules over staffSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Anthony Albanese has referred Labor MP Anthony Bryne to the finance department to investigate his employment of taxpayer-funded staff who didn’t turn up to his office. Albanese said he had first spoken to Byrne about ...20 hours ago
- Te Pūtahitanga O Te Waipounamu Announces New Fund To Encourage Innovation And ResilienceTe Pūtahitanga o Te Waipounamu is proud to announce the Whānau Ora Innovation and Improvement Fund, which last week approved $626,000 of funding to 13 agencies across Te Waipounamu. Pouārahi/CE Helen Leahy says that the fund was co-designed ...20 hours ago
- Nature doesn’t recognise borders but countries can collaborate to save species. The Escazú Agreem...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rebecca K. Runting, Lecturer in Spatial Sciences and ARC DECRA Fellow, The University of Melbourne Shutterstock Nature rarely recognises national borders. Many Australian birds, for example, are annual visitors, splitting their time between Southeast Asia, Russia, and Pacific Islands. ...20 hours ago
- Jacinda Ardern 'treated New Zealanders like children' – Judith CollinsNational Party leader Judith Collins has attacked Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern's approach to the Auckland lockdown, saying she is treating New Zealanders like children. ...20 hours ago
- Why The Jaquie Brown Diaries needs another seasonIt’s been 12 years since Jaquie Brown’s classic comedy show ended on a cliffhanger. Devoted fan Stewart Sowman-Lund argues it’s time for a resolution. We stare at screens all day and all night. Is this good for us? We’re going to talk about that. Read more Screen Week content here. Jaquie Brown ...20 hours ago
- Ardern, Henare on Covid-19 cases and vaccination in Māori communitiesThe Associate Minister of Health is encouraging people to get vaccinated and says if you need support to make your decision, get your information from official sources. ...20 hours ago
- Auditor-General's Annual Report 2020/21...20 hours ago
- 2023 Census First To Collect Gender And Sexual Identity From Everyone In Aotearoa New ZealandThe 2023 Census will be the first to ask everyone in Aotearoa New Zealand about their gender, sexual identity, and whether they have any variations of sex characteristics (also known as intersex status), Stats NZ said today. The confirmation came through ...20 hours ago
- Can’t Fix Housing Without Addressing FundingLocal Government New Zealand says today’s announcement of yet more planning reform is unlikely to fix the housing crisis without addressing how we sustainably fund infrastructure. “As place-makers, council have worked closely with the Government ...21 hours ago
- Group think: Succession’s back, baby!The best drama about bad people returned triumphantly to our screens last night. Here’s what The Spinoff’s resident Succession fans thought about the new episodes.It was the moment when, after several awkward interactions full of divorcee tension, Kendall’s ex-wife Rava finally explodes, unleashing a torrent of abuse at the stammering ...21 hours ago
- Watch live: Ardern, Henare on Covid-19 cases and vaccination in Māori communitiesThe prime minister will be joined by Associate Minister of Health Peeni Henare to talk about work being done to lift Māori vaccination rates. ...21 hours ago
- Housing density to increase across NZ under rare bipartisan solution
*This story was originally published on RNZ and is republished with permission* National and the Government have worked together to design new housing density rules that would allow three homes, three storeys tall to be built on most sites without a consent. In a rare show of bipartisanship, Labour government ...22 hours ago - Housing, Environmental Groups Celebrate Cross-partisan Reform Of Urban Planning RulesA City for People, Generation Zero, and Renters United welcome the cross-partisan announcement today that the National Policy Statement on Urban Development (NPS-UD) will be strengthened with a fast-tracked medium-density zone and its implementation ...22 hours ago
- Improved Housing Policy Enthusiastically WelcomedWellington (Tuesday, 19 October 2021) – Today, the Government took a significant step toward restoring housing affordability. The New Zealand Initiative enthusiastically welcomed the announcement, supported by Labour and National, of a broad upzoning ...22 hours ago
- Housing density to increase across New Zealand under rare bipartisan solutionNational and the government have worked together to design new housing density rules that would allow three homes three storeys tall without a consent. Watch live here. ...22 hours ago
- Rare show of cross-party unity paves way for housing density breakthroughLabour and National have shared a stage to announce major changes to turbocharge urban density rules, laying down the gauntlet to councils and raising hopes for first-time buyers.In a rare show of bipartisan cooperation, ministers of New Zealand’s two biggest parties joined forces at the Beehive Theatrette today to announce ...22 hours ago
- The app that’s ‘gamifying’ reading to help improve kids’ literacyChildren learn best when they’re having fun. Ben Fahy spoke to the founder of an app that’s helping kids break through learning barriers. On Paul Blackman’s first day of school in Grey Lynn in the 1950s – “before Grey Lynn was so flash” – he sat in a class with 54 ...23 hours ago
- Inflation shock: Rising prices likely to stay for a while – economistClaims a spike in inflation would be short-lived are being discarded as economists warn rising prices are here to stay. ...24 hours ago
- A dog reviews Barkley Manor, TVNZ’s new doggy daycare reality showResident Spinoff pooch and one-time Barkley Manor pupil Stanley gives his verdict. As told to Alice NevilleI got accepted into Barkley Manor last year, which is kind of a big deal. There’s a massive waiting list; my mum says other dogs would kill to get in there and I’m an ungrateful ...1 day ago
- Newsletter: New Zealand Politics Daily – October 19 2021Editor’s Note: Here below is a list of the main issues currently under discussion in New Zealand and links to media coverage. You can sign up to NZ Politics Daily as well as New Zealand Political Roundup columns for free here. Today’s content Govt Covid strategy, expert warnings Luke Malpass ...1 day ago
- How to talk to your kids about screensIt’s a tricky conversation, but a necessary one. If you’re ready to talk to your kids about digital safety, you should read this first. We stare at screens all day and all night. Is this good for us? We’re going to talk about that. Read more Screen Week content here.Kids ...1 day ago
- Liveable Incomes Needed As Part Of The Health Response To Covid-19The government announced yesterday that Tāmaki Makaurau would remain at alert level 3 for an extra two weeks, while people on benefits struggle to make ends meet with what little support they’ve been given this lockdown. “This lockdown has been ...1 day ago
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