democracy under attack
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We Need A Proper Constitution
Written By: - Date published: 8:26 am, September 20th, 2022 - 41 comments
She’s in the ground and it’s time.
The Freedumb Protesters give protesting a bad name
Written By: - Date published: 8:43 am, November 10th, 2021 - 58 comments
As a principle the right to protest is important. But the freedumb protesters making outlandish claims and at the same time plagarizing the language of progressive protest movements deserves to be called out.
Trump and Russia
Written By: - Date published: 9:15 am, July 18th, 2021 - 41 comments
The Guardian has reported on claims of a leaked Russian Government paper which on the face of it confirms Russian support for the Trump 2016 election at the highest level.
Demand the debate
Written By: - Date published: 8:13 am, July 13th, 2021 - 52 comments
In two separate leaks it has emerged that Judith Collins privately briefed Don Brash on National’s demand the debate campaign and that Brash wrote to wealthy donors seeking $300,000 for an Iwi Kiwi style billboard response.
America’s Democratic Decline Really Matters
Written By: - Date published: 11:57 am, July 4th, 2021 - 48 comments
With the United States Supreme Court allowing individual states to choke voting rights into bare consciousness, that country is accelerating its democratic decline. That matters for every democracy including ours.
Openness and transparency
Written By: - Date published: 12:20 pm, June 8th, 2021 - 117 comments
On the weekend Andrea Vance gave the Government a bit of a serve about its record on openness and transparency. But a deeper dig into the issue suggests that the cause may have nothing to do with the Government’s preferences and everything to do with the volume of information requests made by the opposition.
A very Samoan coup
Written By: - Date published: 10:07 am, May 23rd, 2021 - 43 comments
In overnight news the Samoan head of state Tuimalealiifano Vaaletoa Sualauvi II has suspended the recalling of Parliament due to occur on Monday throwing Samoa’s democracy into turmoil.
Hang Facebook
Written By: - Date published: 11:15 am, May 9th, 2021 - 30 comments
The decision by the Oversight Board of Facebook to continue banning Donald Trump is one of the biggest moves against free speech and the modern definition of its limits that the world has seen.
Einstein versus Trump*
Written By: - Date published: 7:00 am, April 18th, 2021 - 10 comments
Einstein tried to explain complex things and understand reality; Trump tried to explain it away and distort reality.
The ugly finale of the Trump Presidency
Written By: - Date published: 1:02 am, January 9th, 2021 - 150 comments
Wednesday’s insurrection further tarnishes America’s reputation as a credible democratic nation. Significant changes will be needed before this reputation can be restored and it is hard to be optimistic that the US political system is capable of reforming itself in the way it needs to.
Anatomy of a failed coup
Written By: - Date published: 8:58 am, January 8th, 2021 - 175 comments
America’s descent into chaos was almost completed yesterday. An amazingly inept display by local police saw a takeover of Congress and a temporary disruption of the confirmation of the clearly expressed view of the majority of Americans.
US democracy is under threat
Written By: - Date published: 11:44 am, January 7th, 2021 - 43 comments
Short post to update on developments in Washington.
Trump’s next 48 hours
Written By: - Date published: 11:18 am, January 6th, 2021 - 66 comments
With crucial Senate run off races in Georgia and Congress meeting to receive the declared results of the US election and with Republicans determined to oppose the results at every turn the next couple of days will be very significant for America’s future. Update (lprent): The democratic senators from Georgia are called as victors. A riot pushed by an irresponsible President Trump happened at the Capitol building with people dead. Congress subsequently made a determined proclamation that Joe Biden and Kamala Harris are confirmed a the newly elected president and vice-president. As for Donald Trump – goodbye to unstable rubbish..
No extradition for Assange
Written By: - Date published: 12:27 am, January 5th, 2021 - 104 comments
Great news. While unexpected, Nicky Hager who was an expert witness for Assange at the trial, thought this might be a possibility when he spoke to the Fabian Society in November. More details tomorrow.
Update: Bail application to be heard on Wednesday London time.
Trump’s chances of winning the Presidential Election through legal action
Written By: - Date published: 9:05 am, November 18th, 2020 - 19 comments
To win the Presidential Election Donald Trump has to win multiple legal challenges in multiple states. So far his cases have not gone very well.
US election 2020: the morning after
Written By: - Date published: 6:05 am, November 5th, 2020 - 155 comments
General discussion thread for the US election.
Updated at 0651
No Right Turn: The coming US shitshow
Written By: - Date published: 6:05 am, September 28th, 2020 - 44 comments
President Trump once again refused to commit to a peaceful transfer of power if he loses the US election.
Assange’s torture and the death of journalism
Written By: - Date published: 9:28 pm, September 6th, 2020 - 60 comments
On the eve of Assange’s extradition hearing in London, award-winning freelancer Jonathan Cook has written a scathing indictment of corporate journalism’s collusion in ignoring his official torture. I posted an example of that here last year, where Richard Harman denied Assange was a journalist at a panel convened at Parliament by the British High Commissioner.
Winston Peters Names Alleged Super Leaker
Written By: - Date published: 4:44 pm, July 22nd, 2020 - 87 comments
Winston Peters has named the person he says leaked his super details. Has ACT joined National in doing Dirty Politics?
Walkergate: MP Quits
Written By: - Date published: 1:49 pm, July 8th, 2020 - 65 comments
Privacy breaching MP Hamish Walker has announced he will step down at the next election. But who else should go?
Update: Muller tries to divert attention by announcing that National still want a 4 lane highway from Chch to Ashburton. Problem solved!
The four horsemen of the apocalypse
Written By: - Date published: 8:03 am, June 4th, 2020 - 16 comments
Ok so this is the worst year I can think of in my lifetime. But apocalyptopia it ain’t.
Covid-19 and a digital democracy
Written By: - Date published: 7:30 pm, March 15th, 2020 - 20 comments
Government has for the last decade been pushing for as many government services as possible to be primarily accessed digitally rather than face-to face. Funnily enough, the one public service they forgot to push to digital is themselves. Now’s the time Trevor.
Corrupt US
Written By: - Date published: 8:21 pm, March 10th, 2020 - 60 comments
That’s not a request by the way. This post is a kind of “confessions of a cynic who allowed optimism to creep up and have a hand in thought processes” post.
Buttigeig 2020?
Written By: - Date published: 11:06 am, March 5th, 2020 - 33 comments
Allowing for a Biden victory in the Democratic Party primary process, then come November, voters in the US will be voting on whether Buttiegieg or Trump will be the next President of the USA. That’s what I’m picking, and here’s why…
To Kill Democracy…
Written By: - Date published: 2:12 pm, February 22nd, 2020 - 12 comments
If major Democratic Party donors and ‘big business’ lobbyists wanted to monkeywrench democracy in the US, then here’s how they could go about it.
A Handy Clusterfuck?
Written By: - Date published: 11:36 am, February 5th, 2020 - 46 comments
A party that detests one of its Presidential nominees. A media establishment that’s largely a propaganda arm of that party. And games…stupid games.
Democratisation by Social Media and the Internet Is Just Meaningless Waffle
Written By: - Date published: 1:35 pm, December 24th, 2019 - 22 comments
Social Media and the Internet are literally in our faces 24/7 but our political engagement is diminishing.
The Missing Millions
Written By: - Date published: 11:18 am, December 12th, 2019 - 18 comments
Millions of people and an entire region of the UK left out of polling calculations….
‘Donations’ or bribes
Written By: - Date published: 9:58 pm, November 19th, 2019 - 95 comments
It has been ironic at our media frenzy on political ‘donations’. I suspect that our legal structure has been setup for bribing politicians with ‘donations’. Let us just make all politicians and donors guilty until proven innocent of false reporting of ‘donations’. It’d be more interesting than the current farce. Start with Simon Bridges – currently still under investigation by the SFO.
Police London-wide ban on Extinction Rebellion actions ruled unlawful
Written By: - Date published: 7:10 am, November 7th, 2019 - 5 comments
“The landmark judgment upholds the peoples’ fundamental right to peaceful protest and prohibits the Police from any such future ban”
Brittle cities
Written By: - Date published: 7:30 am, October 29th, 2019 - 10 comments
It is pretty hard to miss a variety of cities around the world going nuts for apparently minor offences.
- After the deluge — cascading effects of extreme weather on human health
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Emily Jack-Scott and Sarah Spengeman News coverage of this summer’s devastating flood in Pakistan has peaked, but the deluge left behind hasn’t subsided: Experts predict the floodwaters could take six months to fully recede. An aerial view of Shahdadkot, Khairpur Nathan Shah, Mado, ...2 hours ago - Gordon Campbell on Ukraine’s prospects
So the government has (a) backed down over the entrenchment of water management, thus enabling a future centre right government to privatise a key essential of life via a simple majority, as readily as any elected government can change the tax rate, or the rules for the licensing of pets ...18 hours ago - Justice for Ukraine?
Overnight, Russia launched more missiles against Ukraine, targeting apartment blocks and electricity facilities in an effort to terrise civilians and freeze them to death over winter. And there are more photos of Russian war crimes in occupied areas doing the rounds. So I'm glad to see some progress at the ...21 hours ago - A Matter Of Trust.
Hard To Win, Easy To Lose: Trust cuts both ways. It is equally critical, in political terms, that a government trusts the people to at least the same extent as the people trust the government. Indeed, nothing erodes the voters’ trust faster than evidence their own government considers them untrustworthy.TRUST. ...23 hours ago - The case for free speech and courage
Best-selling author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie makes the case for free speech and courage. Below is a brief excerpt. ...23 hours ago - Political Roundup: 6 December 2022
Items of interest and importance today 1NEWS KANTAR POLL, PARLIAMENT 1News: Poll: National and ACT strengthen, Luxon closes gap on Ardern 1News: Poll: Economic pessimism soars to 10-year high Toby Manhire (Spinoff): This new poll delivers one clear message – and a clutch of other clues Claire Trevett (Herald): The trifecta ...1 day ago - AGU Fall Meeting 2022 – Cranky Uncle makes an appearanceThis year's Fall Meeting of the American Geophysical Union (AGU) takes place in Chicago as well as online from December 12 to 16. Thanks to being held in hybrid mode it was feasible for John Cook and me to submit an abstract to one of the sessions. Just like for the European ...2 days ago
- Is 3 Waters entrenchment really a stupid idea?The 2023 elections will potentially be one of the most ideologically divided elections we will experience. The real solutions for most pressing social and environmental issues confronting us at the moment will involve systemic change and will necessarily challenge the neoliberal mindset that has dominated governance over the last four ...2 days ago
- Submit!The Economic Development, Science and Innovation Committee has called for submissions on the Crown Minerals Amendment Bill. Submissions can be sent using the form here and are due by Monday, 23 January 2023. The main thing the bill does is fix this problem, where the purpose of the Crown Minerals ...2 days ago
- Yet another OIA inquiryAll year the Ombudsman has been trying to tell us that everything is fine with the OIA. But earlier in the year he released another report showing problems, particularly around ministerial interference and stonewalling, and now he's been forced to open another inquiry into precisely those problems: Chief Ombudsman ...2 days ago
- Bryce Edwards: New Zealand’s social cohesion is being torn apartNew Zealand is becoming a less socially cohesive country. And the driver of this division is worsening inequality. That’s the view of most New Zealanders according to a survey conducted for the New Zealand Herald. It shows that inequalities of wealth and housing access are tearing the country apart. The ...2 days ago
- The subtlety of neo-Nazi influence in Ukraine – ignored by our media
3 days ago- 2022 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #48
A chronological listing of news articles posted on the Skeptical Science Facebook Page during the past week: Sun, Nov 27, 2022 thru Sat, Dec 3, 2022. Story of the Week #ClimateScam: denialism claims flooding Twitter have scientists worried Many researchers are fleeing the platform, unnerved by the surge in climate misinformation ...3 days ago- New paper: A toolkit for understanding and addressing climate scepticism
This is a quick summary about the newly published paper "A toolkit for understanding and addressing climate scepticism" by Matthew J. Hornsey and Stephan Lewandowsky. It leverages a thread tweeted by Stephan Lewandowsky shortly after publication as well as a mention in Doug Bostrom's and Marc Kodack's New Research Week ...5 days ago- The Coming Recession?
Is leaving inflation fighting to the Reserve Bank all we can do?We are making sacrifices to restrain climate change, not because the particular climate is what we want, but because if it starts changing too quickly, our current way of life is unsustainable. Similarly the current price level may not ...5 days ago- Climate Change: More subsidised pollution
Back in 2020, the government realised that the industrial allocations in the ETS - supposed to protect large polluters from unfair competition from countries who didn't pay for their carbon - was overallocated. They were giving away too many free credits, resulting in windfall gains to polluters. So, they started ...5 days ago- Still asleep at the wheel
A couple of months ago, I asked various government agencies whether they had produced any advice on the impacts of Long Covid, and was shocked to learn that they hadn't. Newsroom's Marc Daalder has been keeping an eye on this issue, and in an article today, he reports that the ...5 days ago- On Entrenchment: The Politics of Anti-Privatisation
I was not wanting to wade into New Zealand’s little furor about the proposed Three Waters reform. To be honest, Labour has brought this one on themselves – the task of cleaning up this country’s waterways really ought to be funded via the resources (financial or otherwise) of the ...5 days ago- The Masque of the Covid Breath: Testing Positive
Well, it had to happen eventually. A week ago, someone I live with tested Covid positive, and despite my best efforts (testing every day), today I finally succumbed. That dreaded second line on the RAT showed up bright and red. It’s a decent effort, of course… making it ...5 days ago- Entrenching entrenchment
Last week, Parliament passed a rare entrenchment clause, protecting water assets from being sold by future governments without a referendum. As a supporter of anti-privatisation as a constitutional principle, I don't really have a problem with this - the supermajority which passed it represents a broad consensus across Aotearoa, and ...5 days ago- Parliament’s Collective Failure To Defend The Constitution.
Unbitten: It is one of the oddest and most worrying aspects of the events surrounding Green MP Eugenie Sage’s late-night attempt to re-write the constitutional convention on entrenched legislation while a weary House of Representatives was sitting under Urgency. Sherlock Holmes’ famous observation concerning the dog that did not bark, ...5 days ago- Gordon Campbell on why the SIS need operational ground rules
This is bad, right? Apparently the SIS used its powers illegally when it raided journalist Nicky Hager’s cell phone and extracted information that still failed to identify one of the key sources for Hager’s 2011 book Other People’s Wars. In that book, Hager had revealed hitherto unknown aspects of New ...5 days ago- Bryce Edwards: Clawing back $7bn of corporate welfare
The taxpayer is short of billions of dollars that were overpaid to businesses during Covid according to Christchurch philanthropists Grant and Marilyn Nelson. They are taking legal action against state agencies to push them to recoup up to $7bn that was wrongly paid out to wealthy employers who didn’t need ...5 days ago- Legal Beagle: The Entrenchment Angle We All Missed
I have a basically finished 800-word article on the entrenchment issue that is now unneeded. Dean Knight’s tweets, my tweets, and the open letter of the group of legal academics published by the New Zealand Herald say almost all that needs to be said on the manner in which the ...5 days ago- Skeptical Science New Research for Week #48 2022
Open access notables: Kunio Kaiho is a leading expert on past extinction events. In Extinction magnitude of animals in the near future just published in Nature Scientific Reports, Kaiho draws on mechanisms of prior mass extinction events to prognosticate on what effect Homo bolidus [our term] might impose on Earth's species. "It depends," ...6 days ago- Media Link: AVFA on protests in China and Iran.
This week in “A View from Afar” Selwyn Manning and I try to provide a conceptual/analytic backdrop to the protests in the PRC and Iran. The thrust is that although there are similarities as well as differences between them, each confrontation involves a strategic game between the protestors and regime ...6 days ago- Open Government: Not achieved
Newsroom reports on the reaction from civil society organisations to Labour's new draft Open Government Partnership National Action Plan, and its pretty scathing: The Government’s claims to greater openness and transparency have yet again been called into question, with New Zealand’s latest open government plan containing proposals “so weak ...6 days ago- Climate Change: Be careful what you wish for
Throughout the (misnamed) he waka eke noa process, farmers have insisted on farm-level pricing, largely as a way of getting more subsidies for their pollution - and sadly, Labour looks set to give it to them. They're already complaining about the "bureaucratic nightmare" - a nightmare entirely of their own ...6 days ago- Reported back
The Justice Committee has reported back on the Electoral Amendment Bill. The bill implements the recommendations of the Ministry of Justice consultation on election funding - the one where the Ministry of Justice conspired with the labour party to keep its highly influential submission totally secret - and the Labour-dominated ...6 days ago- Bryce Edwards: Nicky Hager strikes a win for media freedom and democracy
Do New Zealand state spies unlawfully surveil the government’s political critics? Do they spy on critical journalists? Unfortunately, the answer is yes. And yesterday the government domestic security agency was forced to apologise for one instance when they were caught spying on investigative journalist Nicky Hager. The New Zealand Security ...6 days ago- 2022 General Reading: November (+ Old Phuul update)
Completed reading for November: The White People and Other Weird Stories (collection), by Arthur Machen Not So Barren Or Uncultivated: British Travellers in Finland 1760-1830, by Tony Lurcock J.R.R. Tolkien: A Biography, by Humphrey Carpenter The Ancient Egyptian Book of the Dead Legends of Aotearoa (collection), edited by ...6 days ago- Publishing a long overdue explainer about a scientific consensus
Recently, we happened upon a neat and detailed article, explaining what a scientific consensus is. This made us realize, that - even though we have a lot of material about the consensus - we were lacking an explainer about what a scientific consensus actually is. We have now remedied this ...7 days ago- The SIS: spying on the government’s political critics
The big worry about the SIS and GCSB is that they will be used to spy on the government's political critics. Whenever this worry is expressed, the spies and their Ministers say that of course that would never happen. The problem? It has: Journalist Nicky Hager will receive $66,000 ...7 days ago- Gordon Campbell on the gaslighting about inflation
Reportedly, we’re going to need to have a recession next year in order to curb our wild spending habits and bring inflation under control. According to some economists, we’ve all been spending our hefty wage rises so freely that up to 50,000 of us may have to lose our jobs ...7 days ago- Political Roundup: 30 November 2022
Items of interest and importance today THREE WATERS Jane Patterson (RNZ): Three Waters anti-privatisation blunder adds to storm of controversy Jo Moir (Newsroom): The chaos behind the Greens’ controversial Three Waters amendment Emile Donovan (RNZ): The problem with entrenching party policy Thomas Cranmer: Mahuta ditches ‘no surprises’ policy Anne Salmond ...1 week ago- Has Labour Become A Co-Governed Party?
The Power Of Two: It is possible that, formally or informally, the Labour caucus arrived at its own version of co-governance. What the Māori caucus decide upon as its priorities are not to be overridden or gainsaid by the broader Labour caucus’s Pakeha majority. An arrangement of this sort would ...1 week ago- Hope Defeats Hate.
Third Time Winner: Daniel Andrews’ Victorian victory is of a piece with the general failure of the American Right to achieve the gains it was expecting in the recent mid-term elections. Generally speaking, voters not already addicted to the Right’s ideological Kool-Aid find very little to like about candidates who ...1 week ago- We need greater transparency on party funding
Yesterday Max Rashbrooke and Lisa Marriott released their report on political party funding. The gist of it can be gathered from the title: Money for Something. Big donors are donating big money for big influence over policy, and the current regime seems designed to facilitate rather than prevent this ...1 week ago- Political Roundup: 29 November 2022
Items of interest and importance today POLITICAL FINANCE, PARLIAMENT, VOTING AGE Thomas Coughlan (Herald): Big money donors get access to PMs and party leaders – report Anna Whyte (Stuff): Political donations: Identity over $1,500 should be disclosed, new report recommends Brent Edwards (NBR): Research reveals influence bought through political donations Jem ...1 week ago- How 2022 has substantially, and favorably, changed global climate outlook
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections Anew analysis by the Global Carbon Budget, published in the journal Earth System Science Data, shows global carbon emissions from burning fossil fuels have fully recovered from the temporary dip driven by the COVID-19 pandemic, setting new records in 2021 and 2022. But it’s not ...1 week ago- Gordon Campbell on entrenchment, and being ‘soft on crime’
Good grief. Is it really a grave misuse of power to entrench safeguards against the irreversible sale of key public assets? Hardly. If this country has learned anything over the past 40 years, it should be that New Zealand has suffered lasting economic and social damage from the previous sales ...1 week ago- Entrenching anti-privatisation
Last week, Labour put the House into urgency to push on with its legislative agenda. Part of this included the committee stage of the three waters bill, and something unusual happened: they passed an entrenchment clause protecting the bill's anti-privatisation clause - meaning that a future government would need the ...1 week ago- Bryce Edwards: The Misuse of power to entrench Three Waters legislation
When governments become tired and lose their popularity – usually in their third term – they often become desperate to get their way and prone to misusing their power. This is currently in evidence with the Labour Government’s push to lock in elements of their Three Waters reform programme by ...1 week ago- Revenge and rage optics continues to dominate the politics of the Right, even here. All voters deser...
The vapid cycle of self-serving performative rage when it suits… the screaming for repeal here, there and everywhere… the constant calls from columnists and the airwaves to “be angry”, for the public to just get up and be “stomping mad!”… Of course, none of this is the stuff from ...1 week ago- Top tweets on the Government’s Three Waters law entrenchment
Catching up on constitutional developments while I’ve been deep in the marking cave. And this one is a doozy — and perhaps concerning? An SOP entrenching a point of policy (ownership/control of water assets) was agreed, ie 60% majority needed to repeal.https://t.co/GRRXrmr6ZW pic.twitter.com/sm4MCOD85w — ᴅʀ ᴅᴇᴀɴ ...1 week ago- A Strange Hill To Die On.
Last Stand? Has Labour’s caucus chosen the Government’s deeply unpopular Three Waters policy as the hill upon which it will stand and die? And, if that is the case, then – why?CURIA RESEARCH recently conducted a poll in the Napier electorate. Bad news for Stuart Nash, the Labour incumbent, whose ...1 week ago- 2022 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #48
A chronological listing of news articles posted on the Skeptical Science Facebook Page during the past week: Sun, Nov 20, 2022 thru Sat, Nov 26, 2022. Story of the Week The Art at COP27 Offered Opportunities to Move Beyond ‘Empty Words’ In Egypt, visitors encountered creative works about climate anxiety, sustainability ...1 week ago- Revisiting the Big Three of Weird Tales: H.P. Lovecraft, C.A. Smith, and R.E. Howard
My October 2022 reading was marked by a reacquaintance with old-school Pulp Fantasy and Horror, specifically a binge through the collected works of H.P. Lovecraft, Clark Ashton Smith, and Robert E. Howard. Two of those three are still well-known names among fantasy readers, but in the first half of ...2 weeks ago- Open Government: Another farce
Yesterday the government released its draft Fourth Open Government Partnership National Action Plan 2023-24 for consultation. Like previous versions, the plan was meant to be "co-created" with civil society. And like previous versions, that obligation seems to have been observed mainly in the breach, with the government conducting a series ...2 weeks ago- The Crypto Casino
Financial activity is too often gambling. Cryptocurrencies are the latest example.Gambling is a zero sum game: the proceeds of the winners are offset by the losses of the losers. That statement is not quite true because typically there is someone between taking a margin on each transaction. Patrons leave a ...2 weeks ago- Bryce Edwards: Why Labour capitulated on hate speech laws
The Labour Government is currently fighting on multiple fronts that threaten its popularity in the run-up to next year’s election. Therefore, when a call had to be made about whether to push through divisive and poorly-designed hate speech laws, there really was no decision for Justice Minister Kiri Allan to ...2 weeks ago- Josh Van Veen: Wayne Brown’s first month
Wayne Brown has been Mayor for a month, and already he has done more to change Auckland than Phil Goff did in six years. The changes began even before Brown was sworn in. Only hours after the election results were announced on 8 October, the Chair of Auckland Transport Adrienne ...2 weeks ago- Skeptical Science New Research for Week #47 2022
Open access notables: Web bulb temperatures verging on unsurvivable are creeping into our world and heading toward familiar. That's the lesson we can infer from Dong-Quan & Sun's Effects of anthropogenic forcing and atmospheric circulation on the record-breaking welt bulb heat event over southern China in September 2021. Analyzing an event including 32.8°C the authors find: ...2 weeks ago- An engineered recession is class warfare
The Reserve Bank has just come out and admitted that they are engineering a recession to protect the rich: The Reserve Bank is deliberately engineering a recession to reign back inflation after being slow to raise interest rates, Reserve Bank governor Adrian Orr admitted to a select committee on ...2 weeks ago- That’s no how you do democracy
Last night, the English Supreme Court ruled that the Scottish government cannot hold an independence referendum. Having said that Scotland is not a colony, they then turned around and effectively said that they are, by forbidding them from holding a democratic vote on their own constitutional arrangements unless another country ...2 weeks ago- Gordon Campbell on the centre-right’s internal ructions
For donkey’s years, political commentary has been all about the binaries: left/right, Labour/National, government/opposition, she said/he said. Yet currently, a lot of the fascinating conflict is occurring amidst the centre-right. That’s because National, ACT and New Zealand First all happen to be fishing in the same pond for cranky and ...2 weeks ago- Bryce Edwards: Politicians and the Reserve Bank are being blamed for an escalating economic crisis
Will the looming economic recession kill off Labour’s re-election chances? Is the Reserve Bank making things worse? And could a National Government do any better? These are some of the big political questions floating around after the full extent of the economy’s plight was made clear by the Reserve Bank ...2 weeks ago- Josephine Varghese: From Obama to Sunak–do representational milestones mean anything more than sym...
New Zealand media have recently discussed two major representational milestones in politics. Firstly, New Zealand Parliament achieving 50% women’s representation with the induction of Labour list MP Soraya Peke-Mason. Secondly, Rishi Sunak becoming the UK’s first non-White Prime Minister. Major media outlets have been celebrating these events as watershed moments ...2 weeks ago- Gustavo Petro and the Civic – Military Campaigns
Gearóid Ó Loingsigh looks at the new government in Colombia and how it talks of peace while increasing militarisation The Petro–Márquez government is one which proposes to bring us to what they term Total Peace. The term and the proposal as such have been subjected to justifiable criticism, not least ...2 weeks ago- Labour attacks LGOIMA – in secret
Today the government used urgency to introduce a new Local Government Official Information and Meetings Amendment Bill. The bulk of the bill deals with land information memorandums (LIMs), requiring local authorities to notify of natural hazards and granting them immunity for doing so in good faith (hopefully forestalling lawsuits by ...2 weeks ago- Climate Change: Fixing the Crown Minerals Act?
Back in August, the High Court ruled that the Zero Carbon Act isn't worth shit and that the government can continue to approve new fossil fuel exploration without having to consider climate change. The core of the problem is the Crown Minerals Act, and in particular its purpose: "to promote ...2 weeks ago- The True Cost
It is hard to take seriously the voices of those currently asserting that Brexit has come with a considerable economic cost. Where were those voices at the very beginning of what became the Brexit saga, when we were assured that membership of what was then the Common Market would produce ...2 weeks ago- Political Roundup: 23 November 2022
Items of interest and importance today VOTING AGE Henry Cooke (Guardian): New Zealand’s supreme court has forced voting age on to agenda, exposing absurd arguments for status quo Henry Cooke: The only reasonable argument for retaining the voting age Thomas Coughlan (Herald): Local election voting age looks set to change ...2 weeks ago- Phil Ferguson: a firsthand account of the Irish struggle
Phil Ferguson is a founding editor of Redline and was a regular contributor. He has been out of action for the past year after suffering a stroke. He is learning to walk again and hoping to get back to writing. Tim Leadbeater sat down with Phil to talk about topics ...2 weeks ago- The Most Pertinent Question.
Why Now? As Rebecca Wright pointed out to Justice Minister, Kiritapu Allan, on Newshub Nation, a great deal of political travail could have been avoided by the Labour Government if they’d simply accepted the Royal Commission’s recommendation to extend the already existing legal protections against the incitement of racial hatred ...2 weeks ago- Finally
At the 2020 election, Labour promised to regulate property managers. Now, they're finally doing it: The Government’s announcement that rental property managers will be regulated has left the industry asking for more detail, and tenants calling for landlords to be regulated too. Regulating property managers was one of the ...2 weeks ago- Young people must be allowed to vote
Let me just start out by saying that young people must be allowed to vote. Not because they are more enlightened than previous generations, but because the earlier people become voters, the more likely they will continue to participate in democracy.We have a serious problem in New Zealand with low ...2 weeks ago- How to counter holocaust denial – a particular type of hate speech
Plebity – a left free speech website looks at how to ‘counter hate speech with more speech’. This excellent article addresses one of the points discussed in the interview with Daniel Ben-Ami about how tolerance doesn’t mean silently allowing bad ideas or adopting a relativist outlook. WHAT DOES IT MEAN, ...2 weeks ago- Bryce Edwards: The High barriers to lowering the voting age
Sixteen-year-olds aren’t about to get the right to vote anytime soon. Despite yesterday’s Supreme Court declaration that a voting age of 18 violates the Bill of Rights, there are still many barriers to get over before the voting age could be lowered. In fact, as a best-case scenario, youth voting ...2 weeks ago- The Iran protests and the battle for Women’s Rights
In this Free Speech Union podcast Daphna Whitmore speaks with Dr Forough Amin about what’s happening in Iran after two months of growing protests across the country. Forough is a women’s rights activist and the founder of the Iranian Women in NZ Charitable Trust. Forough discusses the dire state of ...2 weeks ago- The Sagas and Fairy Tales of the South Pacific: Maori Legends, as collected by Sir George Grey (1855...
As a Pakeha New Zealander who spent the majority of his school-level education in the lower North Island in the 1990s, I received a smattering of Maori cultural infusion. I learned how to count to ten in Maori, learned the names of colours, some rudiments of pronunciation from singing ...2 weeks ago- A victory for democracy!
Today, the Supreme Court ruled on the case of Make it 16 Inc v AG, declaring that the law forbidding 16 and 17 year olds from voting was inconsistent with the right to be free from discrimination, and that it had not been justified under the BORA. Its a ...2 weeks ago- Gordon Campbell on Qatar, Joyce Carol Oates and Mimi Parker
The FIFA World Cup has kicked off amid laments about Qatar’s terrible human rights record, and FIFA’s greed in awarding them the Cup hosting rights in the first place. The criticism raining down on Qatar over its murderous treatment of migrant workers errs and its persecution of its LGBT community ...2 weeks ago- Geoffrey Miller: Does New Zealand need to up its game with World Cup host Qatar?
As the FIFA World Cup gets underway in Qatar, it is worth looking at the state of New Zealand’s wider relationship with the host nation. While New Zealand often likes to think of itself as a small country, it comfortably outranks Qatar in both size and population. In terms of ...2 weeks ago- Elizabeth Rata: The Curriculum, intelligence, and democracy
The intelligence of the New Zealand population increased during the 20th century. Nutrition played its part but so too did education. Young people were taught the abstract knowledge of academic subjects and in the process developed secondary intelligence. Since the 1990s, the emptying out of prescribed academic knowledge from the ...2 weeks ago - 2022 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #48
- Greens support Operation Pātiki restoring name for awa
The Green Party is proud to support Kohupātiki Marae to uphold the mana of their awa. ...2 days ago - COVID inquiry disappointingly narrowThe Green Party welcomes a Royal Commission of Inquiry into the handling of the COVID-19 pandemic – but is disappointed with the narrow scope. ...2 days ago
- Greens call on every party to improve accessibilityThe Green Party is calling on all political parties to commit to stronger representation for disabled people at every level of politics. ...2 days ago
- Greens will keeping pushing to protect public ownership of waterThe Green Party will continue to push for strong protections of core public assets so they cannot be sold off against the wishes of New Zealanders. ...3 days ago
- Further action to tackle crime and keep our communities safe
Every community in New Zealand should be a safe place to live, work and raise a family. Our Government is focused on tackling the complex issues that cause crime while also making sure that appropriate consequences are in place. ...6 days ago - Backing farmers with a strong record on tradeAs countries around the world continue to face economic challenges, there is real reason for New Zealand to be optimistic about the future – and our primary sector is at the heart of that. ...7 days ago
- US court decision shows need for stronger protection of Māui dolphinA decision by a United States Court to ban seafood imports from New Zealand shows the Government needs to do more to protect Māui dolphins. ...1 week ago
- NZ needs strong protection against water privatisationNew Zealanders deserve strong protection against the future privatisation of water assets, the Green Party says. ...1 week ago
- Political parties call for action on IranParties from across Parliament have come together to call on the Government to take decisive action to hold those responsible for violence and human rights violations in Iran to account. ...2 weeks ago
- Social workers need to see pay equity immediatelyThe Green Party is welcoming today’s announcement that pay equity will be extended to more social workers, and urges the Government to work with unions to get this sorted as quickly as possible. ...2 weeks ago
- Case for excess profit tax on banks clearer than everThe Government should adopt an excess profits tax and use any revenue raised to help people make ends meet, following the rise in the Official Cash Rate today. ...2 weeks ago
- Easing the pressure on New ZealandersSince taking office in 2017, our Government has worked hard to lift wages and make life more affordable for New Zealanders, as we move forward with our plan to create economic security for all. ...2 weeks ago
- Crown mineral change does not go far enoughLong overdue changes to the Crown Minerals Act are a welcome step in the right direction but the Government needs to go further to end the nonsensical search for fossil fuels. ...2 weeks ago
- Healthy Homes for all means a WOF and Landlord RegisterThe Government’s decision to exclude landlords from property management regulations means more than half of Kiwi rentals will be left out in the cold. And, where they’re kicking the can down the road on Healthy Homes Standards, the Government falls short on the basics that a Rental Warrant of Fitness ...2 weeks ago
- Time to extend the voting ageThe Green Party is calling on the Government to take immediate action to lower the voting age to 16. ...2 weeks ago
- Supporting Kiwi kids this Children's DayOur Government has put the wellbeing of children at the heart of everything we do. As we celebrate World Children’s Day, we’re taking a look at some of the ways Labour is working to make New Zealand the best place in the world to be a child. ...2 weeks ago
- Hate speech change welcome, but still leaves communities at riskThe Green Party welcomes hate speech reform to protect religious groups, but is concerned that the exclusion of gender, rainbow, and disability communities sends a signal that these groups are less deserving of protection. ...3 weeks ago
- Young people deserve betterThe National Party’s plan to put children into military boot camps is so flawed it is dangerous. ...3 weeks ago
- Thousands more homes under LabourWe’ve just announced a massive infrastructure investment to kick-start new housing developments across New Zealand. Through our Infrastructure Acceleration Fund, we’re making sure that critical infrastructure - like pipes, roads and wastewater connections - is in place, so thousands more homes can be built. ...3 weeks ago
- International tourists bring over $1b into economy
Spend from all international visitors totalled $1.03 billion in the September 2022 quarter Holidaymakers spent $479 million Visitors for friends or relatives spent $292 million Tourism Electronic Card Transactions spend in 8 regions (out of 16) was higher than October 2019 levels pre-COVID The release of the International Visitor Survey ...2 hours ago - Launch of Te Ara Paerangi Future PathwaysE ngā mātāwaka, E ngā iwi o te motu, Tēnā koutou katoa. Ko Ayesha Verrall ahau, Te Minita mō te Rangahau, Pūtaiao me te Auahatanga. Tēnā koutou i runga i te kaupapa o te wā, Nō reira, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā tatou katoa. Acknowledgements It is a privilege ...14 hours ago
- Reform of science system to build better future for New ZealandThe Government has set the direction for a future-focused science system says Research, Science and Innovation Minister Dr Ayesha Verrall. Our research, science and innovation system will be geared towards tackling New Zealand’s big challenges such as climate change, environmental degradation and the complex health and problems that undermine wellbeing. ...14 hours ago
- Te Rohe o Rongokako Joint Redress Bill Third Reading I Te Pānuitanga Tuatoru o te Pire mō te Puret...Te Pānuitanga Tuatoru o te Pire mō te Puretumu Ngātahi mō Te Rohe o Rongokako I te rā nei, i Pāremata, ka oti te tuatoru me te whakamutunga o ngā pānuitanga o te Pire mō te Puretumu Ngātahi mō te Rohe o Rongokako. Ko tā te pire, he whakatinana i ...17 hours ago
- Hi-tech New Zealand strawberries on the horizonNew Zealanders will be able to enjoy spray-free strawberries grown through a hi-tech new system almost all year round through a Government-backed pilot project based in Foxton, Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor announced. “We’re focussed on innovations that lift the sustainability and productivity of our food and fibre sector and this ...20 hours ago
- Cadetships programme continues to empower whānau MāoriSince July 2022, more than 610 cadets across 35 programmes have been approved, up from the 499 cadets approved by this time in the last financial year. The programme is growing. “The Cadetship programme’s ongoing success comes down to treating our young people with mana so that they can achieve ...22 hours ago
- New rules for offshore detention complete Govt response to Operation Burnham inquiryThe government has announced a new set of rules to ensure proper and humane treatment of people detained by Police, Defence forces, or other New Zealand agencies during offshore deployments. The Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta says the new framework for offshore detention delivers on the fourth and final recommendation accepted ...23 hours ago
- 19 new townhouses for whānau in need in Lower HuttAssociate Minister of Housing (Māori Housing) Peeni Henare today visited Kahungunu Whānau Services and their newly purchased 19 townhouses in Taita, Lower Hutt. “Through the Government’s Te Kahui Māori Housing programme, Tātai Mokopuna Holdings Limited (the asset holding company of Kahungunu Whānau Services) was granted a $7.1 million Māori housing ...23 hours ago
- Government backs greater competition in building supplies to reduce costs for KiwisThe Government will take action to increase competition in the residential building supplies sector, says Building and Construction Minister Dr Megan Woods and Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Dr David Clark, following the release of the Commerce Commission’s market study final report. “We asked the Commerce Commission to review our ...1 day ago
- Royal Commission to draw lessons from pandemic responseA Royal Commission to prepare New Zealand for future pandemics through lessons learned from COVID-19 has been announced by Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern today. “Every country in the world has grappled with COVID-19 and there was no playbook for managing it,” Jacinda Ardern said. “It had been over 100 years ...2 days ago
- Minister Sio to discuss Pacific development prioritiesAssociate Foreign Affairs Minister Aupito William Sio travels to Indonesia this week to represent Aotearoa New Zealand at the Indonesia Pacific Forum for Development and the 15th Bali Democracy Forum. “Attending these international meetings enables Aotearoa New Zealand to connect with our partners kanohi ki te kanohi, or face to ...2 days ago
- Changes to partner work visas deferred to April 2023Changes to partner work visas that were set to come into effect in December 2022 have been deferred to April 2023, Immigration Minister Michael Wood has announced today. “I have made the decision to defer these changes to April 2023,” Michael Wood said. “Our Government wants to provide greater certainty ...2 days ago
- Building Act changes put the environment at the heart of how we buildThe Government is taking action to reduce waste and lower emissions from the building and construction sector in significant Building Act amendments announced today. “This Government is proud to put the environment at the heart of how New Zealand builds. By enabling mandatory energy performance rating requirements for buildings, and ...2 days ago
- Govt’s medicines boost paying off for New ZealandersPharmac’s plan to fund the cystic fibrosis medicine Trikafta is another example of the Government’s boost to the medicines budget helping New Zealanders, says Health Minister Andrew Little. “Pharmac, not politicians, makes the decisions on what treatments to fund, but politicians decide what funding to provide to Pharmac, and health ...3 days ago
- Better transport choices for New ZealandersForty-six councils across Aotearoa New Zealand, from large metro centres to small provincial towns, will receive funding to implement more transport options for communities, as part of the Transport Choices package 2022-24, Transport Minister Michael Wood announced today. “The Government is upgrading New Zealand’s transport infrastructure system to make it ...3 days ago
- Te Rangiwaituhi – Maniapoto apologyMihi Ko taku rourou iti a haere, maringi kai whenua Ko taku rourou iti a haere, maringi kai moana kia mau ki te kawau māro, whanake ake! kō Maniapoto e! Tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou katoa Greetings and Thanks As we gather here this morning I want to ...3 days ago
- Maniapoto receives Crown Apology – Ka whakawhiwhia ki a Ngāti Maniapoto te Whakapāhatanga a ...Kua tukuna e te Pirimia, e Jacinda Ardern, i te taha o te Minita mō ngā Take Tiriti o Waitangi, a Andrew Little, te Whakapāhatanga a te Karauna ki a Ngāti Maniapoto mō āna mahi o mua i takahi i te Tiriti o Waitangi. I tū te hui i Te ...3 days ago
- Big online platforms to pay fair price for local news contentThe Government will legislate to require big online digital companies such as Google and Meta to pay a fair price to New Zealand media companies for the local news content they host and share on their platforms, Minister of Broadcasting Willie Jackson announced today. The legislation will be modelled on ...3 days ago
- Government to remove entrenchment from Three Waters legislationThe Government will fix the Water Services Entities Bill this week by removing the entrenchment clause that was voted on during committee stages, Leader of the House Chris Hipkins announced today. “It was a mistake to put the entrenchment clause in and the Government will fix the issue as soon ...3 days ago
- 10 new whare for Ngāi Tāmanuhiri kaumātua and whānau in Te MuriwaiAssociate Minister of Housing (Māori Housing) Peeni Henare joined Ngāi Tāmanuhiri and the wider Toitū Tairāwhiti collective, at the opening of 10 new homes built for kaumātua and whānau in Muriwai today. “Every whare that is built and whānau that is transferred from inadequate housing to a warm dry ...4 days ago
- Joint statement: Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand Foreign Minister ConsultationsAustralian Minister for Foreign Affairs, Senator the Hon Penny Wong welcomed Aotearoa New Zealand's Minister for Foreign Affairs, Hon Nanaia Mahuta to Canberra today for biannual Australia – Aotearoa New Zealand Foreign Minister Consultations. The Ministers acknowledged the unique strength of the relationship between Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand, reaffirmed the shared ...5 days ago
- Funding boost for kaupapa Māori response to homelessnessAssociate Minister of Housing (Homelessness) Marama Davidson has announced a significant funding boost today for kaupapa Māori approaches that support whānau into housing. $24.7 million will be allocated to support the delivery of He Ara Hiki Mauri – a tangata whenua-led response to homelessness. “Homelessness is not inevitable. By working ...5 days ago
- Appointment of Judge of the High CourtAuckland barrister David Gary Johnstone has been appointed a judge of the High Court, Attorney‑General David Parker announced today. Justice Johnstone graduated from the University of Auckland in 1991 with a BCom/LLB(Hons), and joined Bell Gully as a solicitor, practising in general commercial litigation. During 1993 and 1994 he studied at the ...5 days ago
- MAIHI Whare Wananga celebrates innovative approach to Maori HousingNew Maori Housing dashboard for better data sharing and better outcomes New development training programme to grow sector capability Associate Minister of Housing (Maori Housing) Peeni Henare today attended the annual MAIHI Whare Wananga hosted by Toitu Tairawhiti Housing Limited in Kaiti. “Our MAIHI Whare Wananga is an opportunity ...5 days ago
- New mental health facility a step closer for GisborneHealth Minister Andrew Little was at Gisborne Hospital today to mark the next step of Te Tairāwhiti’s new Te Whare Awhiora mental health facility build. The Health Minister turned a sod to mark the start of groundworks at the site, in preparation for the placement of a mauri stone. “The ...5 days ago
- More rural broadband for regional communitiesNew contracts will improve around 30,000 broadband connections in rural homes and communities Govt on track to see 99.8% of all New Zealanders receive access to improved broadband as a result of various connectivity programmes by the end of 2023, including those targeting rural regions Applications open for one-off ...5 days ago
- Tauranga region to benefit from new funding and financing toolTauranga will be the first region to use a new Government tool to raise funding for much-needed infrastructure. A Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) will be used to raise finance from private markets, which is then repaid via the levy on those who benefit from the infrastructure. The finance raised by ...5 days ago
- New committee established to drive better public health outcomesSome of the country’s most difficult health issues will be tackled by a newly established public health advisory committee, whose members have now been appointed. Associate Minister of Health Dr Ayesha Verrall says the new Public Health Advisory Committee will investigate and help address long-term health challenges facing Aotearoa. “We ...5 days ago
- Government and sector back innovative regional and wool projects$2.17 million for new food and fibre ventures in Taranaki $2.24m to develop high-value, sustainable cashmere industry $233,000 to prototype an acoustic, knitted textile product from strong wool for high-end commercial and residential interiors. $530 million co-invested with business through the Sustainable Food and Fibre Futures fund The Government closes ...5 days ago
- Statement on the death of Sir Murray HalbergNew Zealand has lost one our true sporting icons with the passing of Sir Murray Halberg, Grant Robertson, Minister of Sport and Recreation said today. “Sir Murray was an extraordinary athlete. His gold medal in the 5000m at the Rome Olympic Games in 1960 has been immortalised as part of New ...6 days ago
- Ministerial talks in Canberra to progress trans-Tasman relationshipThe importance of cooperation in the Pacific to support the region’s recovery and resilience will be a focus of formal talks in Canberra tomorrow between the Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta and her Australian counterpart Penny Wong. Nanaia Mahuta will meet Senator Wong for the second formal Foreign Ministers’ Consultations following ...6 days ago
- Iwi and Government partnership delivers more rental homes for Pāpāmoa whānauAssociate Minister of Housing (Māori Housing) Peeni Henare attended the official opening of 10 new rental homes built for working whānau of Ngā Pōtiki ā Tamapahore in Pāpāmoa today. “The Bay of Plenty region is one of many regions facing significant housing challenges and this Government is taking action by ...6 days ago
- Government investment to support growth of Māori businesses and jobs in the primary sectorTotal exports by Māori businesses have grown by 38% since 2017 to $872 million, with the majority from the food and fibre sector Launch of Rautaki mo te Taurikura action plan to support the continued growth of Māori food and fibre sector Support for Māori agribusiness innovation and workforce development ...6 days ago
- Government to address child abuse system failingsThe Government is adopting the majority of recommendations from an independent review into the actions of government agencies leading up to the death of 5-year-old Malachi Subecz, Minister for Children Kelvin Davis announced today. Following Malachi’s murder at the hands of his caregiver in 2021, Dame Karen Poutasi was appointed ...6 days ago
- More tools to help Police deal with fleeing driversIncrease the maximum driver licence disqualification period for a second offence of failing to stop or remain stopped, from 12 months to between 12 months and 24 months; Amend the Sentencing Act 2002 so that a vehicle can be forfeited on conviction for failing to stop. Offenders could have their ...6 days ago
- Govt books solid as global situation worsensThe Crown accounts are in a solid position thanks to the Government’s careful financial management through a deteriorating global environment. For the four months to the end of October, the Operating Balance before Gains and Losses (OBEGAL) recorded a deficit of $2.8 billion, $274 million lower than forecast at Budget ...6 days ago
- Expanded Dental Grants Available From Today· Increased Special Needs Grants for dental treatment are available to eligible New Zealanders available from today · New criteria means more Dental Treatment covered · People can now receive more than one grant in a year (any 52-week period), up to the maximum of $1,000 · Recent increases to ...6 days ago
- Exports tracking towards new record high growthPrimary industry exports to reach new record high of $55 billion in 2023 Forecasts $2.9 billion higher than in June 2022 Tracking strongly towards a 4 per cent increase in the year ending June 2023, despite global downturn New Zealand’s record food and fibre export revenue is projected to reach ...6 days ago
- New guidance for climate action at the local levelThe Government has released new guidance to support stronger links between New Zealand’s climate change goals, and local and regional planning. From today, it has become a legal requirement for local governments to consider the Government’s National Adaptation Plan and Emissions Reduction Plan when preparing or changing regional policy statements, ...7 days ago
- World-first bedside blood test good for people, good for health systemA single blood test that can diagnose heart attacks in minutes instead of hours, saving the health system millions of dollars and getting patients treated faster, is being rolled out in New Zealand hospitals, says Health Minister Andrew Little. “This research, led by emergency doctors at Christchurch Hospital, is ground-breaking,” ...7 days ago
- MSD Knowingly Spent Misappropriated Money For Three Years
“Today in the Social Services Select Committee it was revealed that the Ministry for Social Development has spent $5.907m of misappropriated spending on accommodation assistance in the past five years, what’s worse is that they knew about it for ...18 mins ago - Confirmed: Zelensky to address New Zealand parliament
Ukraine ppresident Volodymyr Zelensky will address New Zealand parliament next Wednesday morning – via video link, of course. He’ll speak to MPs at 8am. He becomes only the second world leader to address our parliament, after Australia’s Julia Gillard back in 2011. Jacinda Ardern, in a statement, reiterated New Zealand’s ...1 hour ago - The Bulletin: Judge’s decision on guardianship of child expected todayThe Herald’s George Block has a detailed report from yesterday’s court proceedings in the guardianship case involving a baby whose parents have refused the use of vaccinated blood in a life-saving operation the child needs to have. The parent’s lawyer and anti-vaccination campaigner Sue Grey opposed the application for guardianship from ...1 hour ago
- What on earth is going on with the government?A popular TikTok meme and a column featuring a wobbly dessert capture a run of unforced errors and a government “staggering to Christmas”, writes Anna Rawhiti-Connell in this excerpt from The Bulletin. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday morning, sign up here. Government “staggering to Christmas” ...1 hour ago
- From Gayford to guacamole, here’s everything we Googled in 2022New Zealand, your annual search results have been compiled – and they’re pretty weird. It has, by any imaginable measure, been a strange old year. It started with the threat of lockdowns, and it’s ending with rising Covid case numbers. Along the way, the Queen died, Johnny Depp inexplicably thrived, ...1 hour ago
- How far has nuclear fusion power come? We could be at a turning point for the technology
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Nathan Garland, Lecturer in Applied Mathematics and Physics, Griffith University Mega Ampere Spherical Tokamak in Oxfordshire, UK. Courtesy of MAST, CC BY-SA Our society faces the grand challenge of providing sustainable, secure and affordable means of generating energy, while trying to reduce ...1 hour ago - The government wants to change Australia’s referendum laws. How will this affect the Voice to Parl...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Paul Kildea, Senior Lecturer, Faculty of Law & Justice, UNSW Sydney Lukas Coch/AAP Last week, the Albanese government took another important step towards the referendum on a Voice to Parliament. It introduced a bill to make changes to our referendum ...1 hour ago
- Netflix psychiatrist Phil Stutz says 85% of early therapy gains are down to lifestyle changes. Is he...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrienne O’Neil, Professor & Co-Director Food & Mood Centre, Deakin University Netflix/Stutz Jonah Hill’s Netflix documentary, Stutz, is an insightful journey into the mind of his therapist, renowned psychiatrist Phil Stutz. Hill delves into Stutz’ model of care, creatively using ...1 hour ago
- In 2022, Australia’s governments finally got moving on climate. Here’s howSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alison Cleary, Sustainable Economies Lead, Climateworks Centre, Monash University Shutterstock We might look back on 2022 as the year when Australian governments finally started taking climate change as seriously as it needs to be. Our new report shows federal, ...1 hour ago
- ‘A life changing experience’: how adult literacy programs can keep First Nations people out of t...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jack Beetson, Executive Director, The Literacy for Life Foundation; Adjunct Professor, University of New England Photo credit: Adam Sharman, Author provided Despite years of discussion and countless reviews, the incarceration rate of First Nations adults continues to increase in Australia. ...1 hour ago
- The first photograph of the entire globe: 50 years on, Blue Marble still inspiresSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Chari Larsson, Senior Lecturer of art history, Griffith University NASA December 7 marks the 50-year anniversary of the Blue Marble photograph. The crew of NASA’s Apollo 17 spacecraft – the last manned mission to the Moon – took a photograph ...1 hour ago
- Silo Theatre to dim lights for most of 2023 to develop new local workSilo Theatre today made the unprecedented move to announce that it would be spending most of 2023 developing three new works, rather than focussing on presenting live, in-person, performances. The theatre company cited the need to survive in a post-pandemic world with smaller audience numbers, rising prices, diminishing government support ...2 hours ago
- The case against saving the St JamesThere are two easy ways to get rich: find one very wealthy sucker or find a million very poor suckers. As a public, it’s our duty to make sure we don’t become the million poor suckers, argues Dan Taipua. A wealth of public buildings, a poverty of millionaire developers In ...2 hours ago
- What is the government’s plan for TVNZ, RNZ and the tech platforms?An interview widely described as a trainwreck was a missed opportunity to explain some vital reforms, writes Duncan Greive. Thomas Coughlan did not hold back. In a surgically deft opinion piece for the NZ Herald, the site’s deputy political editor described media minister Willie Jackson’s appearance on Q+A last Sunday ...2 hours ago
- As Fiji prepares to vote, democracy could already be the loserSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Dominic O’Sullivan, Adjunct Professor, Faculty of Health and Environmental Sciences, Auckland University of Technology and Professor of Political Science, Charles Sturt University Getty Images When Fijians elect a new parliament on December 14, it’s likely their votes will be counted ...2 hours ago
- NZ covid inquiry must look at response to specific communities, Pasifika health leader saysRNZ News A Pasifika health leader hopes the Royal Commission into the Covid-19 pandemic will look into the equity of the response and resource allocation. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern yesterday announced a Royal Commission into the government’s covid-19 response which will be chaired by Professor Tony Blakely, an epidemiologist working ...8 hours ago
- ‘Against propaganda, there are facts’ – RSF’s new global campaign videoThe new Reporters Without Borders campaign video about Russian’s invasion propaganda. Video: RSF Pacific Media Watch As Russia’s propaganda and crackdown on journalism continue to wreak havoc, the Paris-based global media freedom watchdog Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has released its new campaign video. Devised and produced by the Paris-based advertising ...8 hours ago
- Indonesian protesters call for release of West Papua Morning Star detaineesRNZ Pacific Activists have protested at Indonesia’s Ternate Police headquarters in North Maluku demanding that the security forces release eight people arrested while commemorating West Papua Independence Day on December 1. December 1 marked 61 years since the first raising of West Papua’s symbol of independence, the Morning Star flag. ...12 hours ago
- Three Waters blunder 'made as a team, fixed as a team'
Senior ministers are refusing to explain how a contentious Three Waters clause on privatisation got through caucus. ...13 hours ago - Willie Jackson gives partial apology over public media merger interviewThe Broadcasting Minister says his recent interview about the RNZ-TVNZ merger was a mistake, but is downplaying concerns as coming largely from the media. ...14 hours ago
- This latest increase in RBA interest rates might well be the last, for some timeSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Martin, Visiting Fellow, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University Shutterstock You might not know it from reading Tuesday’s statement announcing Australia’s eighth consecutive increase in interest rates, but our Reserve Bank might finally have done enough. The statement ...15 hours ago
- The ChatGPT chatbot is blowing people away with its writing skills. An expert explains why it’s so...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Marcel Scharth, Lecturer in Business Analytics, University of Sydney Shutterstock We’ve all had some kind of interaction with a chatbot. It’s usually a little pop-up in the corner of a website, offering customer support – often clunky to navigate – ...16 hours ago
- Keith Rankin Essay – Predicting the Coming Quarter CenturyAnalysis by Keith Rankin. Keith Rankin, trained as an economic historian, is a retired lecturer in Economics and Statistics. He lives in Auckland, New Zealand. On 29 October 2022, the New Zealand Listener published 10 Billion reasons to be cheerful, an article by Greg Dixon summarising “futurologist” Hamish McRae’s 2022 ...16 hours ago
- Volodymyr Zelensky to address New Zealand Parliament next WednesdayUkraine's President, Volodymyr Zelensky, will address New Zealand's Parliament next Wednesday at 8am. ...16 hours ago
- Why does New Zealand insist on pitching art against sport?Maybe the arts need more presence in mainstream media, but why does that automatically equate to less coverage of sport? The headline on Stuff had a Groundhog Day-like element to it: “The arts need to get a slice of sport’s blanket media coverage”. It came close to a year after ...16 hours ago
- Taylor Swift’s Ticketmaster debacle is just the tip of the icebergHow has what you read, watch, and listen to been shaped by the economic structures that control creative production? Shanti Mathias reviews Rebecca Giblin and Cory Doctorow’s Chokepoint Capitalism. The chaos of the Taylor Swift Ticketmaster debacle affected millions of very angry fans earlier in November. In brief: Taylor Swift, ...16 hours ago
- Baby at centre of court hearing had previously had a blood transfusionThe High Court in Auckland has learned that a critically sick baby had previously been given a blood transfusion. That’s despite the parents refusing further treatment unless their son is given only blood from unvaccinated people. Health New Zealand wants custody of the child so that they can ensure he ...16 hours ago
- Government falling behind on timeframe for co-governance plans – Willie JacksonThe Māori Development Minister confirms he's "leaning towards" putting the work on co-governance on hold. ...17 hours ago
- The daunting task facing new Malaysian prime minister Anwar Ibrahim: uniting a divided countrySource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By James Chin, Professor of Asian Studies, University of Tasmania It’s been some journey for Anwar Ibrahim, the new Malaysian prime minister appointed last month. It took 24 years to go from being the country’s deputy prime minister in 1998 to becoming the ...17 hours ago
- ‘Any means necessary’: the police who adopt the skull symbol of the ultra-violent comic book vig...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Martyn Pedler, PhD Candidate, Swinburne University of Technology Shutterstock/ Disney In Travis Linnemann’s book The Horror Of Police, he quotes David Grossman, founder of the “bulletproof warrior” seminar series, notorious for teaching police that killing is “just not that big ...17 hours ago
- We asked ChatGPT to write about ChatGPTDylan Reeve asks the self-described ‘revolutionary new tool for natural language processing’ to explain itself. Dylan: Let’s write an introductory paragraph to an article about using ChatGPT to write about ChatGPT. It should touch on how ChatGPT is now becoming an online meme, explain very briefly what OpenAI is and ...17 hours ago
- Australia and the US are firm friends on defence – now let’s turn that into world-beating climat...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter J. Dean, Director, Foreign Policy and Defence, United States Studies Centre, University of Sydney Mick Tsikas/AAP Climate action is firmly on the political agenda in both Australia and the United States, following a recent change in government in both ...18 hours ago
- Empowerment and partnership – both concepts come into the considerations of Ardern’s Treaty-sens...
Buzz from the Beehive “Empowerment” is a bit like “Treaty partnership”. Just a decade or so ago you would rarely have heard of it. Since then, its use has burgeoned and its meaning – like the meaning of the Treaty of Waitangi’s three simple clauses – has evolved ...19 hours ago - Sea urchins have invaded Tasmania and Victoria, but we can’t work out what to do with themSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Neil Andrew, Professor of fisheries and international development, University of Wollongong Urchin barrens David Harasti, Author provided While crown-of-thorns starfish on the Great Barrier Reef have long been ecological villains in the popular imagination, sea urchins have mostly crawled under the national ...19 hours ago
- Domestic violence, isolation hit Pacific women during pandemic, says USP surveyBy Sri Krishnamurthi While some women at the University of the South Pacific’s 14 campuses found working from home enjoyable during the covid-19 pandemic, others felt isolated, had overwhelming mental challenges and some experienced domestic violence, a Pacific survey has found. Titled “University Women Remote Work Challenges”, the survey was ...19 hours ago
- New safeguards to ensure proper treatment of detainees during offshore deployments announcedThe new framework delivers on the fourth and final recommendation accepted after the 2020 Operation Burnham inquiry. ...19 hours ago
- Hamilton West by-election: National, Labour candidates and Guarav Sharma vie for voters' tickHamilton West voters will head to the polls this Saturday for the by-election triggered by former Labour MP Gaurav Sharma's resignation from Parliament in October. ...20 hours ago
- Council Review A Chance To Achieve Better Ratepayer Equity, Feds SaysYet another local government review is underway - but will its recommendations actually be picked up, especially regarding cost fairness? The existing system of property value rates is loaded against agriculture. Farmers pay many more times than other ...20 hours ago
- 1 in 10 Australian women report disrespectful or abusive care in childbirthSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Hazel Keedle, Lecturer of Midwifery, Western Sydney University Shutterstock Having a baby can be an empowering experience when women are treated with kindness and respect. However, some women are left feeling traumatised by how they were treated. When women ...20 hours ago
- Willie Jackson sorry for ‘trainwreck’ Q+A interviewIt was called a “trainwreck” by the Herald’s Thomas Coughlan – and now minister Willie Jackson has admitted his defensive, at times near aggressive, interview on TVNZ’s Q+A wasn’t his best work. During a discussion about the government’s planned RNZ-TVNZ merger, Jackson lashed out at host Jack Tame for his ...20 hours ago
- The basics of blood transfusion and vaccinationsThe parents of a sick baby wanting to avoid using ‘vaccinated blood’ are having their case heard today in the High Court. Haematologist Dr Jim Faed and the Immunisation Centre’s Nikki Turner explain the science behind the case. Let’s start at the beginning: what’s a ‘directed blood donation’? Jim Faed: ...20 hours ago
- A commonsense conclusion to the sordid little Southern/Molyneux sagaIn 2018 Lauren Southern and Stefan Molyneux were sent packing before they could share their wisdom with a paying audience at the Bruce Mason Centre on Auckland’s North Shore. In the name of free speech, was that fair? Yesterday afternoon, New Zealand’s Supreme Court handed down its decision in Moncrief ...20 hours ago
- The long-range thinking that’s driving our EV networkAs the EV transition picks up speed, how will our charging network keep pace with demand? When Elke Chilwell and her family travel outside of Auckland in one of their two electric vehicles – a 2011 Nissan Leaf they bought in 2018 that gets about 80km on a full charge, ...20 hours ago
- The company tackling our pest problem – one rat, possum and hedgehog (!) at a timeHomegrown smart traps are keeping backyards and bush pest free – including those cute spiky things snuffling around on lawns at night. This is an excerpt from our weekly business newsletter Stocktake. A rogue rodent has been terrorising our home. For the past few months, a pesky possum has been leaping ...20 hours ago
- ‘Huge distress’: Post-grad students feel impact of AUT academic staff cutsRNZ Nine To Noon Post-graduate students are petitioning Auckland University of Technology over academic staff cuts — saying it is hugely disruptive and will impact on New Zealand’s research sector. AUT planned to cut 170 academic positions — those affected had until last Thursday to take voluntary redundancy or face a ...20 hours ago
- NZ announces Royal Commission into government’s covid-19 responseRNZ News The New Zealand government has announced a Royal Commission into its covid-19 response. The Commission will be chaired by Australia-based epidemiologist Professor Tony Blakely, former Cabinet minister Hekia Parata, and former Treasury Secretary John Whitehead. It will start considering evidence from February 1 next year, concluding in mid-2024. ...20 hours ago
- French judiciary drop forgery, fraud case against Tahiti’s FlosseRNZ Pacific The French judiciary has thrown out an alleged forgery and fraud case against former French Polynesian president Gaston Flosse, relating to a property transaction in Paris. In 2018, Flosse and his son Reginald had been accused of forging management papers for a house which they had jointly owned ...20 hours ago
- Taxpayers’ Union Will Cooperate With Ombudsman And Calls For Applicant Blind RuleNew Zealand’s largest user of the Official Information Act and Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act is backing the Ombudsman’s newly launched investigation into a dozen public agencies and is calling on his Office ...21 hours ago
- Poverty Disproportionally Felt By Māori, Pacific And Disabled Tamariki Is Deeply ConcerningThe 2022 Child Poverty Monitor released today reports concerning findings of Māori, Pacific and disabled tamariki still being disproportionately impacted by poverty in Aotearoa. These findings echo the reality and ongoing inequalities Barnardos sees ...21 hours ago
- It’s not just Twitter. The whole Internet is broken and we’d better fix it soonSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Markus Luczak-Roesch, Associate Professor in Information Systems, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington Getty Images If the debate about Elon Musk’s acquisition of Twitter tells us anything, it’s that people – including those in governments – don’t understand ...21 hours ago
- Much Work Still Needed To Lift Kiwi Families Out Of Poverty Bearing Brunt Of Rising Cost Of Living: ...Today's launch of the Child Poverty Monitor 2022 reaffirms that much work is still needed to lift children out of poverty in Aotearoa New Zealand, with Save the Children fearing the current cost of living crisis and rising inflation will add pressure ...21 hours ago
- IHC Launches App To Help Young People Manage MoneyStand Tall, a new app to help people with intellectual disabilities learn how to manage money and live independently, is being launched on Thursday 8 December. IHC helped develop the new game app with online gaming company InGame and following ...21 hours ago
- Exporters take a double blow as prices fall and currency rises
NZ exports have been hit by falling world prices and a rising NZ dollar. It’s a sharp reversal from earlier in the year when ANZ Bank was reporting its commodity price index had returned to its record breaking run and stood nearly 20% above the level where it had ...22 hours ago - What do we know about the Voice to Parliament design, and what do we still need to know?Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Gabrielle Appleby, Professor, UNSW Law School, UNSW Sydney The Australian people will soon be asked to vote in a referendum to constitutionally recognise Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people through a First Nations Voice. Unfortunately, the political debate on this question has ...22 hours ago
- Newsletter: December 6 2022 – Items of interest and importance todayNew Zealand Politics Daily is a collation of the most prominent issues being discussed in New Zealand. It is edited by Dr Bryce Edwards of The Democracy Project. Items of interest and importance today 1NEWS KANTAR POLL, PARLIAMENT 1News: Poll: National and ACT strengthen, Luxon closes gap on Ardern 1News: Poll: Economic pessimism ...22 hours ago
- Local music celebrated in international publicationsIt’s the time of year where media outlets around the world unify in the decision to roll out the end of year best of list. Don’t worry, we’ll have some for you before December 31 too. But today I’ve been catching up on some of the annual lists from major ...22 hours ago
- The Bulletin: What’s up with Pharmac’s approach to the Trikafta announcement?The Trikafta announcement on Sunday was undoubtedly brilliant news for those with cystic fibrosis. However, media handling of the announcement by Pharmac is raising questions. Emily Writes, who is the parent of disabled children and has campaigned with the advocacy group Patient Voice Aotearoa, documents what happened. Pharmac has blacklisted MediaWorks ...22 hours ago
- University Of Auckland Strike Extended AgainAcademic staff who are members of Te Hautū Kahurangi | Tertiary Education Union at Waipapa Taumata Rau | University of Auckland will continue their ban on entering and releasing student marks or course marks into any student management system, that ...23 hours ago
- A mayoral guide to celebrating and respecting all cultures and religionsWe can learn a lot about respect from Kaipara mayor Craig Jepson, writes Leonie Hayden (Ngāti Whātua ki Kaipara). Last week newly-elected mayor of Kaipara, Craig Jepson, interrupted councillor Pera Paniora several times when she tried to open a meeting with karakia and ultimately banned the practice in order to ...23 hours ago
- It’s time we talked about paintPaint surrounds us for most of the day, but are you aware of the harmful petro-chemicals that are used to create it? Natural Paint Co are out to change this, offering healthier alternatives to use and live with. Co-founders Grace Glass and James Mount share their journey of taking on ...23 hours ago
- Amie Mills on NZ on Air’s confronting Gen Z research and a brave new remitShe’s Tumuaki o ngā Take Pūtea at Irirangi te Motu – the head of funding at NZ on Air – but Amie Mills is also one of the most open and curious minds in our media. She joins The Fold to talk about the challenges manifest in the organisation’s new ...23 hours ago
- ‘Crack on’: Senior Labour minister not deterred by TVNZ pollWe’ve all seen the new political poll by now which has revealed a strengthening right bloc at the expense of Labour, with New Zealand First nipping at the heels of a parliamentary return. That being said, it wasn’t exactly the disastrous result some may have predicted after a pretty tough ...23 hours ago
- Explaining the Royal Commission of InquiryThe Inquiry into the government’s Covid response is broadly focused and designed to inform future preparedness by examining the past. It leaves the present day “variant soup” environment in something of a no man’s land, writes Anna Rawhiti-Connell in this excerpt from The Bulletin. To receive The Bulletin in full ...23 hours ago
- “It’s Got To Stop”: Greyhound Euthanised After Suffering Broken BackAnimal rights organisation SAFE is renewing calls for the Government to ban greyhound racing after yet another greyhound has lost their life due to horrific injuries sustained on the track. The greyhound, How’s the Luck, suffered a broken back and dislocated ...1 day ago
- Restore Passenger Rail Supporters To Meet With Transport MinisterRestore Passenger Rail supporters will meet with Transport Minister Michael Wood this afternoon, Tuesday 6 December at 4pm, to discuss the climate emergency and Restore Passenger Rail’s request - the restoration of an affordable nationwide passenger ...1 day ago
- Men are slowly losing their Y chromosome, but a new sex gene discovery in spiny rats brings hope for...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jenny Graves, Distinguished Professor of Genetics and Vice Chancellor’s Fellow, La Trobe University X and Y chromosome. Nathan Devery/Shutterstock The sex of human and other mammal babies is decided by a male-determining gene on the Y chromosome. But the human Y chromosome ...1 day ago
- What legacy will Vladimir Putin leave Russia?Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Matthew Sussex, Fellow, Strategic and Defence Studies Centre, Australian National University Mikhail Metzel/AP/AAP “Nobody listened to Russia,” Vladimir Putin intoned in 2018, as he unveiled the poisonous fruit of Russia’s military modernisation project: a nuclear-powered cruise missile; a hypersonic glider; ...1 day ago
- Can ‘voluntourism’ outgrow the white saviour stereotype and make a positive change post-pandemic...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sharon McLennan, Senior Lecturer, Massey University Getty Images As the tourism industry emerges from pandemic shutdowns and border closures, so too is “voluntourism”, the sometimes controversial combination of overseas volunteer work and more traditional tourist experiences. Although hard to ...1 day ago
- When does mental distress become a mental illness?Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Louise Stone, General practitioner; Associate Professor, ANU Medical School, Australian National University shutterstock Human beings experience a range of emotions, some of which are pleasant, such as joy and happiness, and others that are uncomfortable or even painful, such as ...1 day ago
- Clashing laws need to be fixed if we want to live in bushfire-prone areasSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Phillipa McCormack, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, University of Adelaide It’s almost bushfire season. Yes, even though floods are still racing through parts of eastern Australia. Fire conditions are above average including in inland New South Wales and Queensland. When we switch back to ...1 day ago
- Pay secrecy clauses are now banned in Australia; here’s how that could benefit youSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Brown, Professor, Human Resource Management, The University of Melbourne Shutterstock Do you work for an organisation that treats pay information like a state secret? Do you know what your coworkers get paid? Can you tell others what you earn? ...1 day ago
- This new poll delivers one clear message – and a clutch of other cluesThe trend line is unmistakable, but there’s also a hint of plague-on-both-your-houses, writes Toby Manhire. The Labour Party will have felt some relief that last night’s 1 News / Kantar poll was not the catastrophe of the last televised poll, which punctured the lung of its conference weekend. But there’s no ...1 day ago
- Pharmac and the curious case of media managementPharmac’s funding of Trikafta is a huge win for people with Cystic Fibrosis. But the media management of the news by Pharmac – a government agency – was strange and concerning At 1.59pm on Sunday, my phone pinged with an email from Pharmac, the New Zealand drug-buying government agency. In ...1 day ago
- Royal Commission on Covid-19 response: Political parties ponder purposeThe government hopes a Royal Commission into its Covid-19 response will provide the strongest possible playbook for any future pandemic. ...1 day ago
- Labor election review warns about risks in party’s ‘heartland’ seatsSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Labor needs to develop plans to address dissatisfaction among voters in heartland seats, especially in outer suburban Melbourne, the party’s federal election review has warned. It also should develop plans to improve outcomes in Queensland, ...1 day ago
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