accountability
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Social investment meets the surveillance state
Written By: - Date published: 11:14 pm, March 4th, 2017 - 47 comments
First they came for the budgeting services. Now we know that every social service agency has to provide clients’ private personal data to the Ministry of Social Development or get no funding. Apparently it’s essential to Bill English’s much-touted and little understood “social investment” strategy, which is sounding more like something out of Orwell’s 1984. […]
Slightly smug about MMP
Written By: - Date published: 8:00 am, March 4th, 2017 - 22 comments
2017 will be New Zealand’s eighth election under MMP, over 22 years. With very strong democratically elected governments appearing right across the world digging in for the long term, it’s useful to take a moment for MMP.
Pike River facts laid out
Written By: - Date published: 11:27 am, February 26th, 2017 - 10 comments
An excellent piece by Pike River mum, Sonya Rockhouse, in today’s Sunday Star-Times. The full article is here, but here are some of the most important points…
We Are All ‘Identarian’ Now
Written By: - Date published: 12:31 am, February 14th, 2017 - 106 comments
There has been an unfortunate trend developing in recent weeks, of negatively labelling people who dare to have a different opinion on equality to the labeller, as identarian. This description is something to be appreciated in these times when dark forces appear to be on the rise again.
Support party exposes National’s lie – government in disarray!
Written By: - Date published: 10:19 am, February 10th, 2017 - 56 comments
With this vicious infighting exposed the government is clearly in total disarray.
Willie on the unions
Written By: - Date published: 7:05 pm, February 6th, 2017 - 201 comments
“Matt McCarten is one to watch. He’s developing his union. I don’t have much time for [the established unions]. I hope my mate Matt destroys them.” – 2005 – link
Postcards from the Trumpocalypse
Written By: - Date published: 10:25 am, January 26th, 2017 - 66 comments
This is what an unfettered right-wing government looks like.
Auckland’s shit beaches
Written By: - Date published: 11:10 am, January 23rd, 2017 - 31 comments
Not meant as a general criticism. Auckland has lovely beaches. When they aren’t drowning in shit that is.
Dodgy foreign trusts – will English take action?
Written By: - Date published: 9:43 am, January 19th, 2017 - 24 comments
Matt Nippert continued his excellent work on foreign trusts yesterday in The Herald. Will Bill English clean up the mess that John Key was determined to ignore?
To protect whistleblowers…
Written By: - Date published: 2:14 pm, December 17th, 2016 - 16 comments
One of the claims made by Edward Snowden was that there were no effective channels in the NSA to whistle blow to. This claim appears to have been spectacularly validated thursday with a POGO report that the NSA’s Inspector General, its final whistleblower protector, has been suspended for retaliating against another whistleblower.
“Social bonds” fail – blame the officials!
Written By: - Date published: 3:09 pm, December 16th, 2016 - 31 comments
A scapegoat for the failure of the Nats’ first “social bonds” programme has been found. Turns out it was the fault of government officials! Shocker!
Weak Cities
Written By: - Date published: 8:30 am, December 16th, 2016 - 44 comments
Current governance structures for our cities that rely on corporate management are proving to be ineffective and are not delivering the sort of result our democracy needs.
NRT: Even more expensive
Written By: - Date published: 7:32 pm, December 14th, 2016 - 5 comments
NoRightTurn: The police’s illegal raid on Nicky Hager’s home has got even more expensive
StandWithPike – it’s always “later”
Written By: - Date published: 7:25 pm, December 12th, 2016 - 76 comments
Bill English tells the families he’ll meet them “later”. They’ve waited for justice for six years. It’s always “later”.
Key interview – facts don’t matter
Written By: - Date published: 8:36 am, November 27th, 2016 - 25 comments
Lisa Owen interviewed Key on The Nation yesterday. As usual Key spent half his time denying facts and figures – in this case from Treasury and from his own government sources.
Mining engineer: Solid Energy’s decision is “irrational”
Written By: - Date published: 1:37 pm, November 24th, 2016 - 35 comments
An engineer’s report concluded it would be safe to enter the mine to look for evidence of the cause the blasts which killed 29 men.
RNZ on suppressed child abuse report
Written By: - Date published: 7:59 am, November 24th, 2016 - 21 comments
RNZ this morning describes a 2011 report by the Chief Human Rights Commissioner on historical child abuse in NZ. “It was never published because, she says, the Attorney General Chris Finlayson did not like its recommendations.”
Chester Borrows goes to trial, Barry Soper goes to pieces
Written By: - Date published: 7:26 am, November 22nd, 2016 - 208 comments
Nat MP Chester Borrows is to stand trial for injuring a protestor with his car. Barry Soper is outraged, because “elderly female, placard waving protesters” just don’t deserve the protection of the law.
More fossil awards for NZ
Written By: - Date published: 11:35 am, November 21st, 2016 - 12 comments
With two more Fossil awards to add to its collection, New Zealand is called out yet again for its lack of action on climate change.
Netsafe finally gets its act together on the HDCA – sort of… and inadequately
Written By: - Date published: 2:38 pm, November 20th, 2016 - 7 comments
Apparently today, Netsafe will start acting as the “Approved Agency” of the Harmful Digital Communications Act 2015. This is an act that is meant to deal with some of the excessive online abuse and bullying. Unfortunately it doesn’t appear to me that Netsafe is currently capable of dealing with the task. Instead they look like incompetent monkeys.
Rewarding incompetence with a 4th term?
Written By: - Date published: 8:26 am, November 20th, 2016 - 76 comments
Disaster response is about more than showing up for photos and cancelling a trip or two. National has made a mess of Christchurch and comprehensively failed to learn its lessons. They should in no way be rewarded with a 4th term.
Six years on, the government still lies about Pike River
Written By: - Date published: 12:00 pm, November 19th, 2016 - 11 comments
For six years the families of the men who died at Pike River have not had clear answers about what happened. From the Pike River Royal Commission, they got some answers. From the government, nothing but lies.
Remembering what happened at Pike
Written By: - Date published: 10:00 am, November 13th, 2016 - 23 comments
What exactly happened at Pike River? The families of the 29 men who died don’t know, and as Solid Energy moves to seal the mine forever, they demand justice.
#StandWithPike
Written By: - Date published: 12:34 pm, November 12th, 2016 - 17 comments
The Pike River families have decided to take a stand and are occupying the road to the mine to ensure it cannot be closed, sealing up the evidence of what happened and the bodies of their loved ones forever.
Kia kaha, Pike River families
Written By: - Date published: 7:19 pm, November 11th, 2016 - 34 comments
The Pike River families will be protesting tomorrow to get their men out of the mine that killed them.
Paris agreement in force – now what?
Written By: - Date published: 7:04 am, November 5th, 2016 - 13 comments
The Paris agreement is now in force. NZ is committed to reducing its emissions. What, specifically, is this governments plan for doing so? How does support for continued coal mining and oil exploration, the use of phony carbon credits and the like, fit in with reducing emissions?
Be afraid!
Written By: - Date published: 8:24 am, November 4th, 2016 - 19 comments
Reports of an unconvincing “domestic terrorism” plot, and of further illegal GCSB spying.
Post-truth post-ethics
Written By: - Date published: 8:15 am, November 3rd, 2016 - 90 comments
The McCully / Sheepgate thing is just the latest in a long line of “morally flexible” Nat fiascos. In a world where truth or ethical standards mattered this government would have ended long ago.
Morgan Foundation on Nats’ planned climate cheat
Written By: - Date published: 11:06 am, November 2nd, 2016 - 9 comments
A useful report from the Morgan Foundation: “…the Government has a plan to cook the books to cover up our growing greenhouse gas emissions.”
Nats backsliding on tax haven law changes
Written By: - Date published: 7:54 am, November 1st, 2016 - 20 comments
The Nats are backsliding on implementing the law changes brought on by the Panama Papers revelations. If European regulators blacklist us the consequences will be catastrophic.
Hosking’s party political broadcasts
Written By: - Date published: 1:06 pm, October 28th, 2016 - 75 comments
Hosking’s pro-Nat rants have been compared to “state TV in China” and “Fox News-style comment”.
- To belong should never be beyond hope
Opinion: I recently had a wonderful meal with Bariz Shah and his wife Saba, together with their two pre-school children. I had to admit that I hadn’t read Bariz’s book Beyond Hope yet, but after talking about their life over dinner, I knew I had to read it.Imagine arriving in Auckland ...1 week ago - ‘It was just the right word’: When ‘bugger’ took New Zealand by storm
Summer reissue: It’s a quarter of a century since the nation was stopped in its tracks by a dog saying the word ‘bugger’. This is the complete history of Buggermania – the ad, the controversy, and the enduring legacy. The Spinoff needs to double the number of paying members we ...1 week ago - On being undeniably, irretrievably old
Summer reissue: David Hill is in his ninth decade. In a touching tribute to his late friend, he challenges some myths about ‘old farts’. The Spinoff needs to double the number of paying members we have to continue telling these kinds of stories. Please read our open letter and sign ...1 week ago
- The half-a-million-dollar decision that still haunts the book industry
Summer reissue: Narrative Muse was awarded $500,000 to boost sales of New Zealand books. Three years later, industry insiders report that it has had little, if any, impact. What went wrong? The Spinoff needs to double the number of paying members we have to continue telling these kinds of stories. ...1 week ago
- Newsroom daily quiz, Thursday 2 January
Loading…(function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){var ql=document.querySelectorAll('A[data-quiz],DIV[data-quiz]'); if(ql){if(ql.length){for(var k=0;k<ql.length;k++){ql[k].id='quiz-embed-'+k;ql[k].href="javascript:var i=document.getElementById('quiz-embed-"+k+"');try{qz.startQuiz(i)}catch(e){i.start=1;i.style.cursor='wait';i.style.opacity='0.5'};void(0);"}}};i['QP']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){(i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o),m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m)})(window,document,'script','https://take.quiz-maker.com/3012/CDN/quiz-embed-v1.js','qp');Got a good quiz question? Send Newsroom your questions.The post Newsroom daily quiz, Thursday 2 January appeared first on Newsroom. ...1 week ago
- Daily crossword, Thursday 2 January
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- Obituary: Former Race Relations Conciliator Wally Hirsh dies
Brought to this country by his German Jewish refugee parents in 1938, Hirsh said his membership of a minority gave him special sensitivity to race issues. ...1 week ago - Getting jiggy with it: Inside the wild world of competitive speed puzzling
Summer reissue: If you thought jigsaw puzzles were meant to be relaxing, think again. Tara Ward lifts the lid on one of the Masters Games’ most intense and demanding events. The Spinoff needs to double the number of paying members we have to continue telling these kinds of stories. Please ...1 week ago
- All 85 of The Spinoff’s rankings, ranked from worst to best
Summer reissue: The rankers become the ranked: Hera Lindsay Bird tackles the most meta ranking of them all. The Spinoff needs to double the number of paying members we have to continue telling these kinds of stories. Please read our open letter and sign up to be a member today. ...1 week ago
- Set your political imagination free (and some pleas for humanity in the NY)
Opinion: I got this book as holiday reading (I know, what a nerd!) but read it straight away. Although David Runciman is a professor, he also does popular podcasts and this is very accessible. It wanders through an eclectic bunch of thinkers who share a goal of “liberating our political ...1 week ago
- The NZ ‘voice of the century’ who wound up in a psych hospital for 16 years
Summer reissue: Mina Foley was a formidable talent dogged by wild rumours about her mental breakdown. What is the truth? The Spinoff needs to double the number of paying members we have to continue telling these kinds of stories. Please read our open letter and sign up to be a ...1 week ago
- Ten wild political predictions for 2025
For the eighth year in a row, The Spinoff asked a hand-selected group of experts for their most outlandish political prophecy. And for the eighth year in a row, they did not disappoint. Madeleine Chapman (editor, The Spinoff) Winston Peters will realise just how bad it feels to hand over ...1 week ago
- How Mukpuddy conjured up a bold new vision of Badjelly the Witch
Mukpuddy co-founder Ryan Cooper tells Alex Casey about bringing Badjelly to a whole new generation of New Zealand kids. They conjured Badjelly back with a simple tweet. It was sometime in 2018 when Ryan Cooper’s co-founder of Mukpuddy animation studios Alex Leighton was sketching a witch, and wondered aloud if ...1 week ago
- Daily crossword, Wednesday 1 January
The post Daily crossword, Wednesday 1 January appeared first on Newsroom. ...1 week ago
- Newsroom daily quiz, Wednesday 1 January
Loading…(function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){var ql=document.querySelectorAll('A[data-quiz],DIV[data-quiz]'); if(ql){if(ql.length){for(var k=0;k<ql.length;k++){ql[k].id='quiz-embed-'+k;ql[k].href="javascript:var i=document.getElementById('quiz-embed-"+k+"');try{qz.startQuiz(i)}catch(e){i.start=1;i.style.cursor='wait';i.style.opacity='0.5'};void(0);"}}};i['QP']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){(i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o),m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m)})(window,document,'script','https://take.quiz-maker.com/3012/CDN/quiz-embed-v1.js','qp');Got a good quiz question? Send Newsroom your questions. .wp-block-newspack-blocks-homepage-articles article .entry-title { font-size: 1.2em; } .wp-block-newspack-blocks-homepage-articles .entry-meta { display: flex; flex-wrap: wrap; align-items: center; margin-top: 0.5em; } .wp-block-newspack-blocks-homepage-articles article .entry-meta { font-size: 0.8em; } .wp-block-newspack-blocks-homepage-articles article .avatar { height: 25px; width: ...1 week ago
- Animal Justice Party Condemns Planned Mass Euthanasia Of 1,000 Canada Geese In Christchurch
"This mass slaughter is an ineffective, inhumane, and costly waste of ratepayers' money," says Danette Wereta, General Secretary of the AJP. "It’s a short-term fix that fails to address the root causes of the issue and risks exacerbating the problem ...1 week ago - Vaping kits to be made free for smokers to help them quit
The government will be supplying vaping starter kits to stop-smoking services around the country next week to help adults quit. ...1 week ago
- What has The Warehouse done to my favourite song?
Summer reissue: Alex Casey watches on in horror as the red shed makes a mockery of a beloved 1999 classic. The Spinoff needs to double the number of paying members we have to continue telling these kinds of stories. Please read our open letter and sign up to be a ...2 weeks ago
- 2025 New Year Honours: Six people named Knights and Dames
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has named six people Knights or Dames as part of the 2025 New Year Honours. ...2 weeks ago
- How the Gen Z broccoli haircut became big business for a teen barber
Summer reissue: Three teenage barbers in Mt Albert have capitalised on a viral haircut to build businesses on Instagram. Duncan Greive gets a haircut and a lesson in modern business. Photography by Jin Fellet. The Spinoff needs to double the number of paying members we have to continue telling these ...2 weeks ago
- The cultural Cabinet’s top picks
Laura Walters, political editorBookThe Men Who Killed the News: The inside story of how media moguls abused their power, manipulated the truth, and distorted democracy by Eric BeecherPerhaps 2024 was the best and worst year to read this book by Aussie media executive Eric Beecher. At a time when news ...2 weeks ago
- ‘My grandmother lived to 112; despite cancer I’m good for a few more years’
Comment: About a year ago, a very close friend of mine told me that she had stage four cancer. I knew what it felt like to make that phone call telling friends and whānau of one’s plight because I had the same experience and, at the time, was in the ...2 weeks ago
- Hastening 2024’s demise with unstructured days of reading
Opinion: Many of us will be pleased to see the back of 2024 with its global unrest, recession and uncertainty. Longer, sunnier days signal that the dumpster fire that was this year is fast coming to an end.To hasten 2024’s demise I’ve started dreaming about my summer holidays: unstructured days of ...2 weeks ago
- The true story behind New Zealand’s emporium empire
Summer reissue: Before $2 shops and Temu, there were Arthur’s, Geoff’s and Pete’s Emporiums – and that was only the beginning. As these local institutions mark their biggest day of the year, Gabi Lardies delves into their shared history. Editor’s note: This story was first published on October 31, 2024. ...2 weeks ago
- The first Wellingtonian
Summer reissue: Hundreds of years ago, a man named Tara founded the first permanent human settlement in Wellington. The city still bears his name: Te Whanganui a Tara. But what do we actually know about him? The Spinoff needs to double the number of paying members we have to continue ...2 weeks ago
- Can Sandringham’s South Asian flavour survive gentrification?
Summer reissue: Thirty years ago, Sandringham wasn’t known for Indian food at all. What will it look like in another three decades? The Spinoff needs to double the number of paying members we have to continue telling these kinds of stories. Please read our open letter and sign up ...2 weeks ago
- Daily crossword, Tuesday 31 December
The post Daily crossword, Tuesday 31 December appeared first on Newsroom. ...2 weeks ago
- Newsroom daily quiz, Tuesday 31 December
Loading…(function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){var ql=document.querySelectorAll('A[data-quiz],DIV[data-quiz]'); if(ql){if(ql.length){for(var k=0;k<ql.length;k++){ql[k].id='quiz-embed-'+k;ql[k].href="javascript:var i=document.getElementById('quiz-embed-"+k+"');try{qz.startQuiz(i)}catch(e){i.start=1;i.style.cursor='wait';i.style.opacity='0.5'};void(0);"}}};i['QP']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){(i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o),m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m)})(window,document,'script','https://take.quiz-maker.com/3012/CDN/quiz-embed-v1.js','qp');Got a good quiz question? Send Newsroom your questions.The post Newsroom daily quiz, Tuesday 31 December appeared first on Newsroom. ...2 weeks ago
- Opposing The Normalization Of Apartheid Through Sport
Welcoming Israeli athletes to Aotearoa is not a neutral act. It normalizes the systemic injustices perpetrated by the Israeli state against Palestinians. ...2 weeks ago
- Protest Against Israeli Tennis Player At The ASB Tennis Classic Today
Glushko has served in the Israeli military and is an Israeli army reservist. She is representing the rogue, apartheid state of Israel at the tournament. ...2 weeks ago
- A complete list of things I only know about because of The Office
Summer reissue: A spider is an arachnid, not an insect… and 50 other fun and obscure facts, names, places and phrases. The Spinoff needs to double the number of paying members we have to continue telling these kinds of stories. Please read our open letter and sign up to be ...2 weeks ago
- Dream job or idle fantasy? What it’s like running horse treks in the Far North
Summer reissue: Selena Anderson from Ahipara Horse Treks seems to have a perfect job. But what’s it like behind the scenes? The Spinoff needs to double the number of paying members we have to continue telling these kinds of stories. Please read our open letter and sign up to be ...2 weeks ago
- Sez Says: A final 24 thoughts on 2024
1. Lydia Ko clocked golf in 2024. Winning an Olympic gold medal in Paris to complete her set (bronze in Tokyo, silver in Rio), Ko then had the necessary requirements to be inducted into the LGPA Hall of Fame at just 27 years old. Two weeks after the victory in ...2 weeks ago
- Academics ‘indoctrinating’ students? What the Dickens!
Opinion: I retired from academic life three years ago, having taught mainly 19th-century British literature at Auckland University since 1987. One thing I am pleased to have avoided once retiring is being regularly caught up in the very histrionic representation of universities and their staff in current public rhetoric. But ...2 weeks ago
- Peters on NZ First: ‘You ain’t seen nothing yet’
Winston Peters doesn’t trust the polls.They’re unreliable – he knows it, you know it, and we all know it, as the man himself might say.Yet when Peters sits down with Newsroom to discuss New Zealand First’s plans for 2025, polling is the first thing he brings up.“Our internal polls all ...2 weeks ago
- Is cooking with dog food instead of meat actually fine? I gave it a go
Summer reissue: Results ranged from surprisingly yum to soul-destroying. The Spinoff needs to double the number of paying members we have to continue telling these kinds of stories. Please read our open letter and sign up to be a member today. I love cooking. The kitchen is a hearth of ...2 weeks ago
- When and where does a ‘bach’ become a ‘crib’?
Summer reissue: Alex Casey goes on a linguistic journey to find the true difference between who’s using ‘bach’ and ‘crib’ across our fair nation. The Spinoff needs to double the number of paying members we have to continue telling these kinds of stories. Please read our open letter and sign ...2 weeks ago
- ‘Everything I do in life, I do it for my donor’: Inside Aotearoa’s struggling organ donation s...
Summer reissue: We don’t have enough organ donors in New Zealand. The Spinoff investigates the problem – and how we might fix it. The Spinoff needs to double the number of paying members we have to continue telling these kinds of stories. Please read our open letter and sign up ...2 weeks ago
- Newsroom daily quiz, Monday 30 December
Loading…(function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){var ql=document.querySelectorAll('A[data-quiz],DIV[data-quiz]'); if(ql){if(ql.length){for(var k=0;k<ql.length;k++){ql[k].id='quiz-embed-'+k;ql[k].href="javascript:var i=document.getElementById('quiz-embed-"+k+"');try{qz.startQuiz(i)}catch(e){i.start=1;i.style.cursor='wait';i.style.opacity='0.5'};void(0);"}}};i['QP']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){(i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o),m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m)})(window,document,'script','https://take.quiz-maker.com/3012/CDN/quiz-embed-v1.js','qp');Got a good quiz question? Send Newsroom your questions.The post Newsroom daily quiz, Monday 30 December appeared first on Newsroom. ...2 weeks ago
- Daily crossword, Monday 30 December
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