community democracy
Categories under community democracy
- No categories
Off The Pages – reminder
Written By: - Date published: 11:27 am, January 16th, 2014 - 9 comments
Saturday afternoon. 1 O’Clock. Bandstand in Dunedin Botanic Gardens.
Towards online citizens’ radio
Written By: - Date published: 4:31 pm, December 31st, 2013 - 72 comments
What would it take to set up and run one or two regular online progressive radio shows? Ones to counter the corporate dominance of politics, news and current events in the MSM, and on TV & radio, including on RNZ.
Where is this Democracy they Speak of?
Written By: - Date published: 11:21 am, December 30th, 2013 - 167 comments
There’s a rumour going around that we live in a democracy.
A Tale of Two Cities
Written By: - Date published: 10:03 pm, December 19th, 2013 - 91 comments
It was the best of times in Wellington today. Council workers will get a living wage, and parking wardens will become council employees so they will get decent pay also. It was the worst of times in Auckland as the right-wing Scrooges having failed to remove Mayor Len Brown took it out on their workers by overturning his call for a living wage for Council staff.
Off The Pages…
Written By: - Date published: 5:43 pm, December 15th, 2013 - 17 comments
…and into the world.
Last day to vote
Written By: - Date published: 7:11 am, December 12th, 2013 - 43 comments
This is the last day that you can vote No in the referendum on asset sales. So dig that form out, mark it and send it. This referendum vote is a clear way to send a message that even a self-serving delusional National MP can understand. Being able to form a government is not a mandate to do whatever you feel like with our assets.
Enrol for the referendum by the 21st
Written By: - Date published: 3:57 pm, November 19th, 2013 - 41 comments
If you aren’t currently enrolled or are unsure, then you will have to be enrolled in the next few days. We can shove the lie of “mandate” straight back into this National government’s lying face. Maybe when National are deprived of that silly excuse for their theft, they will stop stealing.
Poverty, women & rape culture
Written By: - Date published: 12:32 pm, November 19th, 2013 - 132 comments
In our highly gendered socio-economic system that has institutionalised poverty, gendered violence, sexual violence and rape culture, low income women are multiply disadvantaged. Trigger warning: This post addresses some difficult and sensitive issues about poverty, women and rape culture. Subsequent comments will be tightly moderated.
Populists v Plutocrats
Written By: - Date published: 8:15 pm, November 4th, 2013 - 12 comments
Democrat Bill de Blasio is almost 40 points clear of his Republican rival in the race for Mayor of New York City. His parents were investigated for communist sympathies. An anti-apartheid poster hangs on his kitchen wall. He loves Europe’s social democrats, admires Latin American liberation theology and is poised to confound the conservative trend in US politics by sweeping to an improbable triumph as the next Mayor of New York in this week’s elections. There are some lessons from our local elections too.
Well done Greens!
Written By: - Date published: 8:16 am, October 13th, 2013 - 115 comments
Yesterday was a very good day for the Greens (and the left). Congratulations! It’s hard to predict outcomes for next year’s parliamentary elections based on local elections, especially when the voter turnout is so low. But the left does get a boost from the results. Local councils need to be improved so that are more democratic. [Update: Clow (Labour) for Whau- preliminary result. Waitakere Ranges Board]
Submit to prevent SkyCity corruption
Written By: - Date published: 8:57 am, August 14th, 2013 - 5 comments
The SkyCity deal still needs some urgent attention from members of the public interested in getting a submission to the select committee. They close on Thursday 22 August next week. The politically corrupting influence of the gaming industry means that members of the public will have to push the politicians to stop them giving SkyCity these extraordinarily lucrative and destructive concessions for a economic pittance.
‘The Pursuit of Loneliness’: death of a dream
Written By: - Date published: 11:10 am, July 4th, 2013 - 33 comments
US social critic, Phillip E Slater (1927-2013), lived anti-materialistic, anti-individualistic, community-based ideals: 60s-70s, middle-class, US-based counter-culture values, with limited political activism and focus. Admirable cultural values, lacking the politics to challenge global “neoliberal” elites. What can the NZ left learn from this today?
Should a country be run like a business?
Written By: - Date published: 2:50 pm, June 22nd, 2013 - 102 comments
Many business people say that a country should be run like a business. Maybe they are right. It should be run like a SUCCESSFUL business. It is appropriate for Government to take lessons from business success, and the reverse. But when it comes down to details, right wing Neo-Liberal business do not want Government and country they govern to become too successful or democratic…
Digital democracy: Fair Deal goes global
Written By: - Date published: 10:20 am, May 21st, 2013 - 2 comments
NZ’s Fair Deal Coalition launched a new website, ourfairdeal.org, networking globally with others concerned about intellectual property & the TTPA. The FDC includes those supporting global “neoliberal” commerce, & others supporting community & public sector activities, democratic freedoms and privacy rights.
The disconnected: the future of the left?
Written By: - Date published: 12:30 pm, April 18th, 2013 - 42 comments
The current direction of Key’s government, and the challenging circumstances of the 21st century create a need for urgent attention to the form of a new left politics; one that embraces the working class, trade union solidarity, gender, diversity & the emerging “precariat”.
Upcoming talk on Canadian student uprising
Written By: - Date published: 3:44 pm, January 11th, 2013 - 6 comments
This Sunday hip hop artist and political activist Darius Mirshahi will be speaking in Auckland about the political situation in Canada and how the left are organising to resist Neo-Liberalism. Later he will be performing material which has lead to attention from Glen Beck and the Canadian police.
New Year: Doing the honours
Written By: - Date published: 8:01 am, December 31st, 2012 - 72 comments
The New Year Honours have been announced. Some did service to the 1%, others to the 99%. People, unnamed and unnoticed in public who provided valuable services to their communities should also be honoured. Happy New Year!
Just how wrong can you get it?
Written By: - Date published: 9:03 pm, December 6th, 2012 - 164 comments
Word is that a senior Labour MP (who will go unnamed) has been lobbying National Council to put rules in place for party members who participate in the blogosphere.
When ideology fails: a Dickensian Govt
Written By: - Date published: 10:05 am, December 6th, 2012 - 53 comments
The Key government’s sham and failed ideology of freedom and democracy can be seen in two Bills that were before the House this week. This government is increasingly autocratic and anti-democratic, while enabling the powerful to exploit and control the powerless, including children.
Community Organiser beats Money-market Man
Written By: - Date published: 11:28 am, November 8th, 2012 - 45 comments
Donald Trump says it’s not democracy, but that is essentially the story of the US election campaign. In the end, Democrat on-the-ground organisation beat Republican billion-dollar PACs. Obama’s background as a community organiser was crucial, while the Republican money came from the old economy. A good win, and much food for thought for us.
Free Public Libraries Bill
Written By: - Date published: 10:15 am, November 5th, 2012 - 19 comments
Darien Fenton’s “Keep Public Libraries Free” Bill will soon be getting its first reading in parliament. Public libraries are an important community resource. Keeping their resources and services free contributes to social inclusion and participatory democracy.
Turn off turnout – National’s 2014 strategy?
Written By: - Date published: 3:56 pm, August 27th, 2012 - 41 comments
Depress turnout among low-income voters by changing the enrolment rules – it’s an old right-wing trick. The Republicans are doing it in the US – it looks like National may try it on here. They should not succeed.
The wrong conversation
Written By: - Date published: 9:57 am, August 15th, 2012 - 78 comments
There has been a lot of discussion on the direction Labour is heading and the direction it should go. There have been some very valuable contributions by Mike Smith, Rob Salmond, Jordan Carter and Josie Pagani. I don’t have much to add to this other than, I think, they are having the wrong conversation. There […]
Stop the power grab
Written By: - Date published: 10:51 am, July 23rd, 2012 - 4 comments
I did posts on submitting against National’s Local Government Bill a while ago, but the end date for submissions is on the 26th, so here’s a reminder: this Bill will reduce your local say and give more power to central government. Wellbeing is removed from the remit, and low rates over better services is added.
Bye bye Local Government
Written By: - Date published: 7:02 am, June 25th, 2012 - 42 comments
National’s record on local government is horrific: the lack of consultation as they rammed through the Supercity, the canning of ECAN, and continued suspension of democracy in Canterbury, the pushing of asset sales on an unwilling Christchurch.
And their latest attack – the Local Government Act 2002 Amendment Bill – will do significant damage to local democracy.
Trading Futures
Written By: - Date published: 3:46 pm, December 2nd, 2011 - 74 comments
This post is intended to do more than merely generate discussion. It’s a serious proposition seeking action. Its intent is to lay out or sign post (at least some of) the basic or necessary legal and social structures of a Community Collective comprised of both workers and housing collectives that would enable people to assume meaningful control over aspects of their futures.
An Occupation Occupied. What’s Next?
Written By: - Date published: 3:31 pm, October 22nd, 2011 - 72 comments
Last week, several occupations ‘popped up’ around New Zealand. Well, they didn’t exactly pop up, did they? They weren’t more or less spontaneous, as in numerous countries in the Middle East, N. Africa, Europe and more recently, in Wall Street.
In New Zealand, there was, and is, no general out-pouring of anger or frustration from across large sectors of society. In New Zealand, the Occupations are contrived…pre-planned and organised.
Over or Into The Wall?
Written By: - Date published: 1:11 pm, October 15th, 2011 - 39 comments
Will the protests around the world hit the brick wall of ingrained habits? Or will we manage to get over, around or beneath that particular barrier to progress?
Interesting elections #3 – recall in Wisconsin
Written By: - Date published: 8:15 pm, August 22nd, 2011 - 2 comments
The recall elections in Wisconsin over Governor Walker’s attempt to remove collective bargaining for public servants had it all – Republicans running fake Democrats in primaries, massive spending by faceless outside bodies, and two Republican senators losing their seats in the subsequent ballot. Democrats did not succeed in overturning the Wisconsin Senate majority for Walker’s Republicans, but it is down to one and there is one Republican who voted against the anti-union law.
The new Christchurch
Written By: - Date published: 9:29 am, August 12th, 2011 - 36 comments
The first hints of the plans for the new Christchurch are out. What do you reckon?
Why Revolutions Stumble and Fall
Written By: - Date published: 12:28 pm, February 15th, 2011 - 28 comments
Democracy doesn’t suddenly magically appear as though from a conjurers hat. We know that, right? So why are revolutions seeking democracy D.O.A?
- What should AT do with PT for Whangaparaoa after Penlink Opens
Auckland Transport created a bit of a kerfuffle with Whangaparaoa residents last year with the suggestion the the Gulf Harbour ferry could be stopped after Penlink opened. Now they’re asking for feedback on how public transport services should work in the future and giving three options. People on the Whangaparāoa ...2 weeks ago - Nauseously Optimistic
I am woman, hear me roarIn numbers too big to ignoreAnd I know too much to go back an' pretend'Cause I've heard it all beforeAnd I've been down there on the floorAnd no one's ever gonna keep me down againSongwriters: Ray Burton / Helen ReddyIt was an unusual campaign.How crazy ...2 weeks ago - Living in risky times
As the world waits for the results of the United States Presidential election today, the New Zealand Reserve Bank has issued a reminder that we live in risky times. The Bank’s annual Financial Stability Report not only highlights the various geo-political scenarios that could set our economy back but also ...2 weeks ago - An Election Thread
Hi,I thought it was important we all have a place to chat today — a place that’s safe and sane. So — see you in the comments as things unfold. Let’s all be civil and respectful as per usual, even as things will inevitably get quite wild and gross because… ...2 weeks ago - Come Nov 5 something will happen in the US… but does the system ensure a real “winner” either ...
The blunt fact is that a collapse of an old order is playing out before our eyes and many in that country are going to be asked to make some choices. The obvious choice you’re probably thinking about… but also a few others that will still plague that country ...2 weeks ago - Prediction for Tomorrow (2024 Edition)
Sometimes I remember how old A Phuulish Fellow actually is. Specifically, it’s been around long enough that I have made guesses about both the 2016 and the 2020 United States Presidential elections. https://phuulishfellow.wordpress.com/2016/11/08/prediction-for-tomorrow/ https://phuulishfellow.wordpress.com/2020/11/03/prediction-for-tomorrow-2020-edition/ Suffice to say, I was badly wrong in 2016. I was very close ...2 weeks ago - Sabin 33 #1 – Are electromagnetic fields from solar farms harmful to human health?
On November 1, 2024 we announced the publication of 33 rebuttals based on the report "Rebutting 33 False Claims About Solar, Wind, and Electric Vehicles" written by Matthew Eisenson, Jacob Elkin, Andy Fitch, Matthew Ard, Kaya Sittinger & Samuel Lavine and published by the Sabin Center for Climate Change Law at Columbia ...2 weeks ago - Remember, remember, the 5th of November…
It’s election day — almost. Across the world, Americans will soon be waking up to do (if they haven’t already done) the thing everyone has been assuring them is the most important action they can possibly take this year: vote. It’s a big day. Bigger than it was 4 years ...2 weeks ago - Tuesday 5 November 2024
CTU, NZEI and PPTA have filed a formal complaint to the International Labour Organization alleging the Government’s new charter schools law breaches obligations to protect collective bargaining. The Postal Workers Union says a proposal that would no longer have NZ Post mail deliveries to letterboxes at front gates as selective, ...2 weeks ago - Down to the waterline
I have become momentarily intrigued by the concept of snow on the beach.This, according to Howeverythingworks, is the Uradome Coast where you can see snow-covered landscapes meeting the white sandy shore and the blue Sea of Japan.My several seconds of research tells me you can find something very much like ...2 weeks ago - National’s privatised child-abuse camps
National has a hard-on for "boot camps" as part of its desperate attempt to grub "tough on crime" votes from sadistic geriatric pedophobes. That's bad enough, but its gets worse: the camps will be privatised. And they will be allowed to use force against children: A leaked ministerial document ...2 weeks ago - Rwanda’s Kagame: from Saviour to Tyrant?
Is Rwanda turning into a country that seeks regional dominance and exterminates its rivals? This is a contention examined by Dr Michela Wrong, and Dr Maria Armoudian. Dr Wrong is a journalist who has written best-selling books on Africa. Her latest, Do Not Disturb. The story of a political murder ...2 weeks ago - Stephen Rainbow is ACT’s crony
Back in August, National sabotaged human rights by appointing terf and genocide supporter Stephen Rainbow as Chief Human Rights Commissioner. The Spinoff has been digging into this, and they've uncovered new information: Rainbow didn't actually get the job - until suddenly he did: “I didn’t get the HRC role ...2 weeks ago
- Government science cuts take New Zealand even further backward
NZCTU Te Kauae Kaimahi President Richard Wagstaff is deeply concerned about the future of investment in science, following the latest announcement of another 60 jobs cuts at Environmental Science and Research (ESR). The Government has now axed more than 500 jobs in the public science sector. “The Government doesn’t seem ...2 weeks ago
- National risks being eaten alive by NZ First & ACT
Kia ora. Long stories short, here’s my top six things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Tuesday, November 5: Strangely for a party that prides itself on being a mainstream bastion of ‘small c’ conservatism, National under PM Christopher Luxon is increasingly at risk ...2 weeks ago - Time Cut
2024, directed by Hannah MacPherson This is going to be a wild tonal shift in the middle of a bunch of posts about horror movies, probably, because I have a Rotten Tomatoes list of the best horror films directed by women that I want to see more of, whereas Time ...2 weeks ago - Summer in the City
Go out and find a girlCome on, come on, and dance all nightDespite the heat it'll be alrightAnd babe, don't you know it's a pityThat the days can't be like the nightsIn the summer, in the citySong: John Sebastian, Mark Sebastian, Steve BooneThank YouTo begin today, a thank you. Yesterday, ...2 weeks ago - The Bewildering World of Chris Luxon – Playing Politics in Glass Houses
..Thanks for reading Frankly Speaking ! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.By now we’re all aware of Mike King’s comments regarding use of alcohol to self-medicate mental health problems. On NewstalkZB, King stated:“Alcohol is not a problem for people with mental health issues. It’s actually the ...2 weeks ago - Seymour’s Shaky Response To Earthquake Claims
Audio interview from RNZ with Community Board member Ali Jones. If you don’t live in Christchurch, and haven’t for the past fifteen years, you probably have a different understanding of the words “EQC” to what we do. For most people, EQC is the scheme they don’t think about that much, ...2 weeks ago - Dealing to the climate crisis
Fire and flood, heat-waves and rivers of rain. Climate change is impacting us powerfully. Major floods in Auckland, Hawkes Bay, Germany, India, the US…Huge forest fires in Australia, Canada, Greece, California….Intense heat waves in Spain, Italy, Greece, India, the US…. And we haven’t spoken of melting glaciers and ice-caps, rising ...2 weeks ago
- Don’t Move
2024, directed by Adam Schindler & Brian Netto The title of Don’t Move is somewhat evocative of Don’t Breathe, another fairly successful horror movie. I haven’t actually seen Don’t Breathe but have it on my “someday if there’s nothing more interesting available” list, and the premise of Don’t Move is ...2 weeks ago
- Auckland’s 2025 PT Fare Increases
Public transport fares are about to increase again, by an average of 5.2%, according to a paper to Auckland Council’s Transport, Resilience and Infrastructure Committee on Thursday by Auckland Transport. In addition, AT are going to be removing off-peak discounts and implementing some other structural changes to the fare system. ...2 weeks ago
- Health Officials say Casey Costello’s Advice is “Crap” & Luxon Refuses To Prot...
Ngā mihi maioha. A tremendous thank you to all who commented, supported and read my recent post. In appreciation.First, an update on the Prime Minister’s press conference yesterday with Stanford - rounding up the 3 key messages you may have missed.1. ERICA STANFORD FOR THE GOVERNMENT OF NZ SPREADS MISINFORMATIONEducation ...2 weeks ago - Gordon Campbell On US Voter Suppression, Plus The Races To Watch
On Wednesday evening, as our television relays images of long lines of people queuing to vote, keep this in mind: since 2012, America has closed 20% of its polling places. Crucial swing states like Wisconsin, Ohio and Georgia have collectively lost 400 Election Day polling places since 2010. Five of ...2 weeks ago - Hell no
When do you know that a big international news story might be looking like An Historic Moment? When it gets a bunch of utterly superfluous New Zealand reporters inserted into it.I've been sympathetic to our media fretting about hanging on by a thread, but each time they despatch their microphone-holders ...3 weeks ago - Sabotaging justice
One of the achievements of the Labour-led government was the establishment of the Criminal Cases Review Commission in 2019. After decades of high-profile miscarriages of justice, and judges looking the other way on state conspiracies of silence and each other's fuckups, we finally got an outside body to cast an ...3 weeks ago
- Mike King and the Free Market
I was two sentences in (and stuck on) a defence of Mike King, where I was going to highlight that he was merely the well-carved figurehead of a neoliberal-shaped problem that neither begins nor ends with him, when I stumbled across a most interesting article about corporate propaganda being disseminated ...3 weeks ago - Volunteer activity: Evaluate automated climate misinformation debunkings
A new challenge and a new opportunity for research AI-generated disinformation threatens to make debunking climate misinformation even more challenging, swamping already scanty capacity. We are exploring ways to counter this burgeoning flood of harm by employing the same tools now employed by malefactors as a force for good. We've already published research ...3 weeks ago
- Don’t Lux-Speak
Don't speak, I know just what you're sayin'So please stop explainin'Don't tell me 'cause it hurtsDon't speak, I know what you're thinkin'I don't need your reasonsDon't tell me 'cause it hurtsSongwriters: Eric Stefani / Gwen StefaniDo you remember the first time you encountered Corporate Speak? Important-sounding buzzwords used to camouflage ...3 weeks ago - Budget cuts penny wise & pound foolish
Kia ora. Long stories short, here’s my top six things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Monday, November 4: Budget cuts are storing up costs for future taxpayers and Governments. Scoop of the day: The Government is set to deliver another budget-cutting blow for ...3 weeks ago - A Fresh Horizon for Greater Auckland
A few months ago we asked for your help, and you answered. Thanks to the generous support we received, you may have noticed a more consistent and diverse stream of content over the last few months – which is in large part due to us being able to pay for ...3 weeks ago
- 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #44
A listing of 35 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Mon, October 28, 2024 thru Sun, November 3, 2024. Topics covered this week Here are the main topics and the media outlets where they appeared in: Climate Change Impacts ...3 weeks ago
- Hey, I Need Your Help
For those of you who are new here, I’m Mountain Tui.National Geographic imageI’m the one that first started badgering NZ about Atlas Network - and it went mainstream easily from that: from Mihirangi Forbes asking David Seymour about it, to David Seymour and Chris Bishop lying, to the evidence easily ...3 weeks ago - Official Flightless Bird T-Shirts!
Hi,It’s a big election in three days. Like me, you’re probably sick of hearing about it, but like it or not — what America does tends to trickle down everywhere else. America farts and we’re all under the sheet being hotboxed against our will.I’ll do a fresh Webworm on election ...3 weeks ago - All I Ever Am
I lose all my life like thisReflecting time and memoriesAnd all for fear of what I'll findIf I just stop and empty out my mindOf all the ghosts and all the dreamsAll I hold to in beliefThat all I ever amIs somehow never quite all I am nowLyrics Robert Smith.Today’s ...3 weeks ago - The Book of Evidence-based-evidence
Now, in the land of leaky buildings and the Warehouse-where-everyone-gets-a-bargain, there came an electionAnd this was the one known as the show-bloody-Labour-the-bloody-door electionAnd there came into this election the one known as ChrisAnd of fresh thought or original idea, Chris was full emptyBut this was all good broFor Chris was ...3 weeks ago - Fact brief – Are most glaciers growing?
Skeptical Science is partnering with Gigafact to produce fact briefs — bite-sized fact checks of trending claims. This fact brief was written by Sue Bin Park from the Gigafact team in collaboration with members from our team. You can submit claims you think need checking via the tipline. Are most glaciers ...3 weeks ago
- It’s not (just) about the economy, stupid.
In 1992 James Carville, Bill Clinton’s lead strategist, hung a sign on the wall of the Democratic candidate’s campaign office in Little Rock, Arkansas. It had three lines on it to focus the team on the key vote-swinging issues and one of those lines would become so famous it’s turned ...3 weeks ago - Let’s Make Things Better
If you're down and out and you feel really hurtCome on over to the place where I workAnd all your loneliness, I'll try to sootheI'll play the blues for youLyrics: Albert King.Often, in these newsletters, I tell you about what is wrong. You know the sort of thing - oh ...3 weeks ago
- Poroporoaki: Sir Robert ‘Bom’ Gillies
E te Ikanui a Whiro kua mau nei i te kupenga a Aitua. Kua turakina e te hoariri e kore nei e tāea te karo, mōrehu mutunga o te hokowhitu a Tū ki te Riri Tuarua o te Ao, unuhia tō kōuma, whakairihia tō patu ki tara-ā-whare, whītikihia te tatua ...2 weeks ago - New Zealand and Irish Governments partner to support farming through research
New Zealand and Ireland are investing $9.6 million in targeted research to deliver practical solutions that reduce emissions for New Zealand’s primary producers, announced Agriculture Minister Todd McClay today. The joint effort, led by New Zealand’s Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) and Ireland's Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, ...2 weeks ago
- Rail Network Rebuild to be delivered ahead of City Rail Link opening
The Government has confirmed a programme of upgrades to Auckland’s rail network that will complete the Rail Network Rebuild ahead of the City Rail Link (CRL) opening, Transport Minister Simeon Brown and Acting Auckland Mayor Desley Simpson say. “The last National Government started the City Rail Link to transform public transport ...2 weeks ago
- Foreign Minister to visit Latin America
Foreign Minister Winston Peters will visit Chile, Mexico and Peru next week. “Chile and Mexico are two of New Zealand’s closest partners in Latin America and we are pleased to be visiting them next week,” Mr Peters says. Mr Peters will have bilateral programmes in Santiago and Mexico City involving ...2 weeks ago
- $340m NZ-China trade boost through 24 key partnerships
Minister for Trade and Agriculture, Todd McClay, announced the signing of 24 Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) and supply agreements between New Zealand and Chinese companies as part of the Trade Mission to the China International Import Expo (CIIE) in Shanghai and Guangdong province this week. “These new partnerships are set to ...2 weeks ago
- Prime Minister pays tribute to Sir Robert ‘Bom’ Gillies
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has paid tribute to Sir Robert ‘Bom’ Gillies KNZM, the last surviving member of the 28 (Māori) Battalion, who passed away today. “Sir Bom will be remembered for his service to New Zealand and defending the ideals we value most. “With trademark humility, he took it ...2 weeks ago
- Bringing Crown director fees closer to market rate
The Government is bringing director fees for 22 Crown-owned companies closer to market rate in order to retain and attract high quality directors, State Owned Enterprises Minister Paul Goldsmith says. “Ordinary directors’ fees for these companies have been largely static for more than 15 years and have fallen significantly below ...2 weeks ago
- Treaty Principles Bill introduced to Parliament
Associate Justice Minister David Seymour has welcomed the introduction of the Treaty Principles Bill to Parliament and says it will have its first reading next Thursday. “Parliament introduced the concept of the Treaty principles into law in 1975 but did not define them. As a result, the courts and the ...2 weeks ago
- Results reinforce importance of growth
The Government’s financial results for the first three months of the year are weaker than forecast and reinforce the need to drive growth and maintain careful spending, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The financial statements for the three months to 30 September 2024 show key fiscal indicators were weaker than ...2 weeks ago
- Suicide Prevention Action Plan Next Steps
With public consultation having closed on 1 November 2024, we are now heading into the next phase of developing our new Suicide Prevention Action Plan to cover the period 2025 to 2029, Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey says. “I would like to thank everyone who took the time to make ...2 weeks ago
- Police & Immigration work together to tackle gangs
The Government’s responding to overseas members of the Mongols who are attempting to enter the country. “The Immigration Minister and I are working closely together, alongside Police, Customs and Immigration New Zealand (INZ), to respond to an organised Mongols event in Canterbury between 7-10 November,” Police Minister Mark Mitchell says. ...2 weeks ago
- Prime Minister congratulates Donald J. Trump on election win
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has congratulated President-elect Donald J. Trump on his victory in the US presidential election. “The relationship between our two countries is strong and enduring. I look forward to developing even closer relations with the incoming Trump Administration. “The US is one of our most important partners, ...2 weeks ago
- Efficiencies found to deliver two further NIWE recovery projects
Upgrades to Nesbitt’s Dip on State Highway 2 (SH2) and Rototahe on State Highway 35 (SH35) will go ahead as a result of improved efficiencies in the Government’s North Island Weather Event recovery programme, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Regions in the North Island suffered extensive and devastating damage from ...2 weeks ago
- Safe, secure digital identity services on the way
New Zealanders can expect safe and secure digital identity services following the finalisation of the Digital Identity Services Trust Framework, Minister for Digitising Government Judith Collins says. “New Zealanders want to be able to complete everyday tasks online and in person in a way that’s safe and secure,” Ms Collins ...2 weeks ago
- Base Woodbourne resolution with Kurahaupō Iwi
The Government and three Kurahaupō Iwi have signed a $25.2million agreement to resolve the post-Treaty settlement issue of contaminated land at RNZAF Base Woodbourne. Ngāti Apa ki te Rā Tō Trust, Rangitāne o Wairau Settlement Trust, and Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Kuia each received $8.4 million after contaminated soil at ...2 weeks ago
- Home-based ECE care made easier
Associate Education Minister David Seymour says the Government is cutting red tape in the ECE sector to help make it easier for providers to operate and offer more options to families looking for home-based education and care for their children. “I have heard from providers that some of the red ...2 weeks ago
- Beefing up red meat marketing in China
The Government is joining the next phase of the ‘Taste Pure Nature’ campaign that will position New Zealand beef and lamb as the highest-quality red meats of choice for Chinese consumers, Agriculture and Trade Minister Todd McClay announced at a signing ceremony in China today. “Today I am announcing that ...2 weeks ago
- Government formalises Police vetting service
New legislation for the Police vetting service to ensure greater clarity, consistency, and efficiency for Police and users of the service, has passed its first reading in Parliament today. Each year Police provides over 650,000 vets to support New Zealand’s public safety and national security. “The vetting service that Police ...2 weeks ago
- Oranga Tamariki Oversight Bill passes first reading
Legislation to strengthen oversight of the Oranga Tamariki system has passed its first reading in Parliament today, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “These changes will build on New Zealand’s current child protection system by clarifying the roles and responsibilities of the agencies that oversee it, including greater ...2 weeks ago
- NZTA confirms preferred option for second Mt Vic Tunnel and SH1 upgrades
The NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) Board has confirmed next steps on the SH1 Wellington Improvements Road of National Significance (RoNS), including an expanded package to reduce Wellington’s gridlock and support economic growth, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Our Government is committed to delivering a second Mt Victoria Tunnel for Wellington to ...2 weeks ago
- It’s not too late to halt the death spiral of New Zealand’s public health system
It’s a shambles of our own making, but it’s still one we can turn around, argues health sector expert Dr David Galler. Trust and confidence in the public health system is at an all-time low. Not a day goes by without another story highlighting its alleged failings, eroding what little ...1 day ago - The gang patch ban is now in force. What’s going to happen?
From today, police can enforce new gang legislation, including a ban on insignia being displayed in public. Here’s what you need to know. Why are we talking about this again? I thought it came in ages ago. The Gangs Act 2024 and Sentencing Amendment Act 2024 did indeed become law ...1 day ago
- Urban fringe precincts give city centres a run for their money
Making way for future growth doesn’t have to – and likely won’t – take place in existing city centres, says a company developing significant office space on Auckland’s Southern Corridor.Unlisted commercial property fund manager Oyster Property Group and global investment firm KKR purchased the Central Park office park in Auckland’s ...1 day ago - Book of the Week: How to honour te Tiriti
The newly published Te Tiriti o Waitangi Relationships: People, Politics and Law is the third of a Bridget Williams Books series which started with a 2004 volume on the Waitangi Tribunal, and was followed by a collection on Treaty settlements in 2012. Its intention is to present what “leading scholars ...1 day ago
- Kinleith Mill’s troubles highlight industry’s ‘long slow burn’
Commodity manufacturers are at risk when their products can be made cheaper overseas The post Kinleith Mill’s troubles highlight industry’s ‘long slow burn’ appeared first on Newsroom. ...1 day ago
- The case for juries
New Zealand will find out early next year if the Government will decrease the number of jury trials in a bid to speed up the court system.Currently, defendants can choose to face a jury – rather than a judge alone – when charged with a criminal offence carrying a maximum ...1 day ago
- Newsroom daily quiz, Thursday 21 November
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 21 November appeared first on Newsroom. ...1 day ago
- National desperately needs to nullify Act’s Treaty bill
The Prime Minister cannot afford to be seen getting bogged down and taken over by Act on the Treaty Principles Bill The post National desperately needs to nullify Act’s Treaty bill appeared first on Newsroom. ...1 day ago
- Daily crossword, Thursday 21 November
.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: 25px; } .wp-block-newspack-blocks-homepage-articles .post-thumbnail{ margin: 0; margin-bottom: 0.25em; } .wp-block-newspack-blocks-homepage-articles .post-thumbnail img { height: auto; width: 100%; ...1 day ago
- NZ downgraded in global climate rankings
New Zealand has dropped seven places to 41st in the global Climate Change Performance Index, which ranks countries based on their emissions, deployment of renewable electricity, overall energy use and climate policy.The announcement of the latest update to the index, which has been running since 2005 and is considered an ...1 day ago
- Police research adds to evidence against gang patch ban
As Te Hīkoi mō Te Tiriti gathered at Wellington’s Waitangi Park on the waterfront on Tuesday morning, the MC welcomed “brothers of the patched world and sisters of the patched world”.He told the Māori members of the crowd that their whakapapa – carried through tā moko – survived on the ...1 day ago
- Young families are leaving many large US cities − here’s why that matters
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Biswa Das, Associate Professor of Community and Regional Planning and Extension Economist, Iowa State University Parents and educators rally at Boston City Hall demanding urgent action to improve the city’s public schools. Barry Chin/The Boston Globe via Getty Images Young families ...1 day ago - Australia’s $230 billion Future Fund encouraged to invest in housing, energy transition, infrastru...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra The Albanese government has rewritten the mandate of the Future Fund – the nation’s sovereign wealth fund – to urge it to direct investment into the “national priorities” of housing, the energy transition and infrastructure, ...1 day ago
- Third Reading Of Samoa Citizenship Bill In New Zealand Parliament Today
Explainer - New Zealand's Parliament will, on Wednesday, hear the third and final reading of a bill that will, if passed, restore a pathway for citizenship to a group of Samoans stripped of it decades ago. ...2 days ago - Christopher Luxon Says ‘No Need To Meet’ With Hīkoi At Parliament
The Prime Minister says organisers were "closely aligned" with Te Pāti Māori, but acknowledged it was "a significant day". ...2 days ago
- ‘685’s to the world:’ Restoring Citizenship Bill passes with unanimous support
Greens MP Teanau Tuiono says it's "a significant step for Pasifika justice here in Aotearoa and around the Pacific". ...2 days ago - What is methanol? How does it get into drinks and cause harm?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ian Musgrave, Senior lecturer in Pharmacology, University of Adelaide cdrin/Shutterstock Two Australian teenagers are severely ill in hospital in Thailand after experiencing suspected methanol poisoning while they were travelling in Laos. The pair are reportedly among several foreign nationals to become ...2 days ago
- Politics with Michelle Grattan: Special Minister of State Don Farrell on getting ‘big money’ out...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra The government says it will take “big money” out of election campaigns – or, more realistically, curb it – with its legislation imposing donation and spending caps and real-time disclosure. But crossbenchers and other ...2 days ago
- The hīkoi and Parliament: A photo essay
The House - Parliament protests run the gamut between solo vigils and a few thousand with amplified speeches. The hīkoi was an entirely new category. ...2 days ago
- Why NZ is protesting over colonial-era treaty bill – a global perspective
An overview for our international readers of Asia Pacific Report. BACKGROUNDER: By Sarah Shamim A fight for Māori indigenous rights drew more than 50,000 protesters to the New Zealand Parliament in the capital Wellington yesterday. A nine-day-long Hīkoi, or peaceful march — a Māori tradition — was undertaken in protest ...2 days ago
- The NT and ACT might have small populations but their economies are growing faster than the bigger s...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Hawkins, Senior Lecturer, Canberra School of Politics, Economics and Society, University of Canberra sweettoiletpaper/Shutterstock The Northern Territory and Australian Capital Territory have won bragging rights for having the fastest growing economies within Australia. Their growth was highlighted in annual data ...2 days ago
- NZ chips in $10m from existing funds to pay for climate losses
It will help pay for losses suffered by poorer countries because of climate change. ...2 days ago
- New law gives up to 3,480 Samoan elders back their right to NZ citizenship
The Citizenship (Western Samoa Restoration) Amendment Bill has passed its third and final reading. The bill’s author reflects on what it means for the Samoan community. It’s rare for MPs across the political spectrum to unite behind a piece of legislation. Rarer still is for an opposition MP’s bill to ...2 days ago
- Gang patch ban: Senior Black Power member concerned about impact on families
"What people wear is not the issue," one Black Power member told RNZ. ...2 days ago
- Budget update will revise down company tax receipts but treasurer Chalmers welcomes economy’s ‘s...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Next month’s federal budget update is expected to revise down company tax receipts for the first time since 2020, amid continued low economic growth in the near term. In his Wednesday ministerial statement on ...2 days ago
- Schoolies means more drink spiking warnings. Why is the burden still on women to stay safe?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jessica Ison, Senior Lecturer and Deputy Director, Reducing Gender-Based Violence Research Group, La Trobe University, La Trobe University Christian Bertrand/Shutterstock Schoolies season is here – and with it, warnings about staying safe while partying. For girls and women, this often means ...2 days ago
- Speaker’s handling of hīkoi ‘overkill’ – Te Paati Māori
Staff were locked from being able give water to protesters, and wifi access was blocked too, co-leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer said. ...2 days ago
- Richard Chambers announced as new Police Commissioner
Richard Chambers is replacing outgoing commissioner Andrew Coster. ...2 days ago
- Richard Chambers to be announced as new Police Commissioner
Richard Chambers is replacing outgoing commissioner Andrew Coster. ...2 days ago
- Government designates Hezbollah as terrorist entity
The government has also slapped a similar designation on the Houthi movement. ...2 days ago
- Cost of road cones, temporary speed limits ‘eyewatering’ – Transport Minister
Simeon Brown had previously raised concerns over the cost of road cones and temporary speed limits, asking the ministry to look into it. ...2 days ago
- 10 years after the Lacrosse building cladding fire, the defects and disasters continue
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Trivess Moore, Associate Professor, School of Property, Construction and Project Management, RMIT University Metropolitan Fire Brigade, CC BY Ten years ago, a late-night cigarette started a fire that spread rapidly up 13 storeys on the Lacrosse apartment building in Melbourne. The ...2 days ago
- What is premenstrual dysphoric disorder? And how is it different to PMS?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Eveline Mu, Research Fellow in Women’s Mental Health, Monash University Austin Guevara/Pexels Periods can feel like an unwanted guest for many women and gender diverse people who menstruate, bringing cramps, mood swings and exhaustion. But how do you know ...2 days ago
- Bill would ‘render the treaty worthless’ – world reacts to national Hīkoi
RNZ News International media coverage of Aotearoa New Zealand’s national Hīkoi to Parliament has largely focused on the historic size of the turnout in Wellington yesterday and the wider contention between Māori and the Crown. Some, including The New York Times, have also pointed out the recent swing right with ...2 days ago
- PPTA Urges Government To Act For Children In War Zones
Children are our future and have the right to access education wherever they live. We must do everything we can to uphold this fundamental human right. ...2 days ago
- ‘I’ll try any synonym under the sun’: Jacqueline Bublitz’s crimes against language
Welcome to The Spinoff Books Confessional, in which we get to know the reading habits of Aotearoa writers, and guests. This week: Jacqueline Bublitz, author of new crime novel Leave the Girls Behind. The book I wish I’d written I was so impressed by the big reveal in All the Colours ...2 days ago
- Financial forms of family violence affect 1 in 7 New Zealanders – but the law is lagging
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ayesha Scott, Adjunct Senior Lecturer, AUT Business School, Auckland University of Technology and Senior Lecturer in Finance & Financial Planning, Griffith University Economic harm – restricting access to, sabotaging or exploiting another person’s financial resources, and impeding their economic autonomy – is ...2 days ago
- Who is the new Police Commissioner, Richard Chambers?
He is known to have long-held ambitions for the top job and is considered a favourite of frontline police. ...2 days ago
- COP29 Ends In Promise To Send More Taxpayer Money Overseas
This decision proves how out-of-touch this tax more, spend more, ship more overseas Government is with New Zealand taxpayers. Fix your house first before you go fixing the neighbourhood. ...2 days ago
- Richard Chambers to be announced as new Police Commissioner, RNZ understands
RNZ understands Chambers will take over from Andrew Coster, who stepped down last week to head up the new Social Investment Agency. ...2 days ago
The server will be getting hardware changes this evening starting at 10pm NZDT.
The site will be off line for some hours.
Recent Comments