democracy under attack
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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.
British Justice tortures Assange
Written By: - Date published: 4:14 am, October 26th, 2019 - 36 comments
Craig Murray reports on the horror of Julian Assange’s treatment by British so-called “justice.” Read it and don’t weep. You can see why Murray resigned from the UK foreign service; their diplomacy is just as bad.
- Nothing to celebrate
The Protected Disclosures (Protection of Whistleblowers) Bill passed its third reading this afternoon. The government and the Ombudsman are both celebrating this "significant improvement" in whistleblower protection, but as I pointed out when the bill was introduced, it is nothing of the sort. The law still sets the bar for ...10 hours ago - Not very proactiveA couple of weeks ago, Stuff broke the news that the government was planning a significant boost to proactive release of official information, with almost all advice to Ministers expected to be proactively released. Which sounds great, but as I pointed out, there's real reason for concern in the way ...10 hours ago
- Staying Inside The Lines.
Unfinished: Always, gnawing away at this government’s confidence and empathy, is the dictum that seriously challenging the economic and social status-quo is the surest route to electoral death. Labour’s colouring-in book, and National’s, have to look the same. All that matters is which party is better at staying inside the lines.DOES ...14 hours ago - The First Rule Of Radicalism.Radical As: Māori healers recall a time when “words had power”. The words that give substance to ideas, no matter how radical, still do. If our representatives rediscover the courage to speak them out loud.THERE ARE RULES for radicalism. Or, at least, there are rules for the presentation of radical ...14 hours ago
- Defending George R.R. Martin: A Reply to Reading Tolkien
The good people at the Reading Tolkien podcast have put out a new piece, which spends some time comparing the underlying moral positions of George R.R. Martin and J.R.R. Tolkien: (The relevant discussion starts about twenty-seven minutes in. It’s a long podcast). In the interests of fairness, ...1 day ago - Bryce Edwards: Politicians talk tough on law and order
Crime is becoming a key debate between Labour and National. This week they are both keen to show that they are tough on law and order. It’s an issue that National has a traditional advantage on, and is one that they’re currently getting good traction from. In response, Labour is ...1 day ago - Climate Change: The new emissions budgetThe government today released its first three emissions budgets, covering the periods 2022-25, 2026-30, and 2031-35. The good news? They've reversed their ridiculous proposal to increase the first period budget because we were planting too many trees and soaking up too much carbon (no, it doesn't make sense, and MPI ...2 days ago
- Gordon Campbell on the youth crime furore
So far, the excited media response to the spike in “ram-raid” incidents is being countered by evidence that in reality, youth crime is steeply in decline, and has been so for much of the past decade. Who knew? Perhaps that’s the real issue here. Why on earth wasn’t the latest ...2 days ago - 2022 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #18
Listing of articles linked to on the Skeptical Science Facebook Page during the past week: Sun, May 1, 2022 through Sat, May 7, 2022. The following articles sparked above average interest during the week (bolded articles are from SkS authors): How a tech billionaire is forcing Australia’s coal die-hards to ...2 days ago - Karl du Fresne’s talk at the Free Speech Union meeting at Victoria University.
In the past 10 years or so – and that’s how quickly it has happened – all our comfortable convictions about the unassailability of free speech have been turned on their heads. Suddenly we find ourselves fighting again for rights we assumed were settled. Click here to watch the video ...2 days ago - The Makers Of Gilead.Enforced Fertility: The imminent overturning of Roe versus Wade by the US Supreme Court is certain to raise echoes here that are no less evocative of the dystopia envisioned by Margaret Atwood in The Handmaid’s Tale. Gilead can happen here.WITH THE UNITED STATES seemingly on the brink of becoming “Gilead”, ...2 days ago
- Trespassers?Not Wanted On Grounds Of Political Rejuvenation: Winston Peters did nothing more than visit the protest encampment erected by anti-vaxxers on the parliamentary lawn. A great many New Zealanders applauded him for meeting with the protesters and wondered why the Prime Minister and Leader of the Opposition could not do ...2 days ago
- Who Will Fight For Democracy?May The Force Be With Us: With New Zealanders under 40, nostalgia for a time when politics worked gains little purchase. Politics hasn’t swerved to any noticeable degree since the 1980s, becoming in the Twenty-First Century a battle between marketing strategies, not ideologies. Young New Zealanders critique political advertisements in ...2 days ago
- How my work on free speech brought me back to the leftDane Giraud reflects on his working class upbringing and how campaigning for free speech radicalised him Evidence to support censorship as a tool for social cohesion is paltry. I Read the NZ Human Rights Commission website, and 99% of their ‘evidence’ is anecdotal. When asked why we need hate speech ...3 days ago
- Poison in the Stock: Comparing the Problematic Elements of Agatha Christie and J.K. Rowling
As you may have noticed, I have been slowly working my way through the works of Agatha Christie. At the time of writing, I have read some thirty-eight of her books – less than half her total output, but arguably enough to get a reasonable handle on it. It ...4 days ago - Do We Have a Population Policy?
Population growth has some effect on economic growth, but it is complicated especially where infrastructure is involved. We need to think more about it. In an opinion piece in the New Zealand Herald, John Gascoigne claimed that New Zealand was a ‘tragic tale of economic decline’. He gave no evidence ...4 days ago - Bryce Edwards: Have the Greens become too woke for their own good?The Greens have been almost invisible since the 2020 election. Despite massive crises impacting on people’s lives, such as climate change, housing, inequality, and the cost of living, they’ve had very little to say. On this week’s highly contentious issue of politicians being banned from Parliament by Trevor Mallard, the ...4 days ago
- Decarbonising the schoolsThe government has announced it will be replacing all coal boilers in schools by 2025: All remaining coal boilers in New Zealand schools will be replaced with cleaner wood burners or electric heating by 2025, at a cost of $10 million, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has announced. The coal ...5 days ago
- Neo-Nazis in Ukraine. Comedians are often more truthful than politicians.
Israeli news media and politicians often complain about the activity of neo-Nazis in Ukraine. “Activists and supporters of Ukrainian nationalist parties hold torches as they take part in a rally to mark the 112th birth anniversary of Stepan Bandera, in Kyiv, Ukraine, January 1, 2021. Credit: Valentyn Ogirenko/Reuters The recent ...5 days ago - Skeptical Science New Research for Week #18 2022Another gnawing warming worry Accidental outcomes of our engineering prowess are warming Arctic regions at a rapid pace. Another species of accomplished engineers is rapidly occupying and exploiting new territory we've thereby made more easily available, namely beavers (Castor canadensis). Beaver populations in affected Arctic regions have increased from "none" to "quite a ...5 days ago
- Pursuit of Indigenous sovereign rights
Dr Simon Lambert’s dream is to see Indigenous nations across the world exercising their sovereign rights by adding their say to disaster risk reduction planning. Simon, of Ngāi Tūhoe and Ngāti Ruapani ki Waikaremoana, specialises in indigenous disaster risk reduction, indigenous health and indigenous development, social science, environmental management, planning ...5 days ago - ‘My stroke gave me purpose’ – Rukingi HaupapaRukingi Haupapa (Ngāti Whakaue, Te Arawa) credits his stroke in 2005 for changing his life: leading him to change his name, get his mataora (facial moko) and set up a trust to help fellow stroke survivors. Oranga (health and wellbeing) is Rukingi’s passion. He holds a Master’s degree in Indigenous ...5 days ago
- Thoughts on an abusive copThe Independent Police Conduct authority has today released two reports relating to the same police officer. In the first, they are found to have used excessive and unjustifiable force in the arrest of a child. In the second, they are found to have seriously assaulted a man during an unlawful ...5 days ago
- Hosking v. Ardern
Mike Hosking’s all-too familiar diatribe in today’s Herald is so dripping with venom and anti-Jacinda animus that one can’t help but wonder if the content matters less than the spirit and purpose in and with which it was offered. Hosking clearly needs help. He seems to live in a world ...5 days ago - Gordon Campbell on abortion rights, and biased SpeakersSo a Supreme Court stacked with ideologues selected by Donald Trump is about to make an ideological decision to ban the legal right of American women to an abortion. In their infinite wisdom, the US courts have decided that the government cannot force people to wear a mask during a ...6 days ago
- Jack Vowles: Te Tiriti – A Briefing for Chris LuxonNational party leader Chris Luxon has been reported as giving some badly uninformed responses to questions about Te Tiriti o Waitangi. As a potential Prime Minister, he needs to get up to speed. Te Tiriti is the Māori language version of the Treaty of Waitangi – the version that is ...6 days ago
- Why and How to Electrify EverythingThis is a re-post from the Citizens' Climate Lobby blog Electrification is a hot topic right now, with many countries searching for ways to reduce their dependence on Russian oil and gas as Putin’s war atrocities in Ukraine worsen by the day. Fortunately, many of the solutions to reduce long-term fossil fuel financial ...6 days ago
- What you need to know about carbon dioxide removalThis is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections Carbon dioxide removal (CDR) from the atmosphere continues to be a hot topic. In its newest report, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) concluded that the Paris Climate Agreement targets cannot be met without substantial efforts to remove some of the more than three-trillion ...6 days ago
- Bryce Edwards: Trevor Mallard’s petty fiefdomIs Parliament just the fiefdom of Trevor Mallard and his colleagues? That’s the impression the public might take from yesterday’s news that the Speaker of Parliament is issuing trespass notices to political opponents who visited the protest in March on the lawns of Parliament. Speaker Mallard has the absolute right ...7 days ago
- 29,000 employed under LabourThe quarterly labour market statistics were released this morning, showing unemployment holding at a record low of 3.2%. There are now 94,000 unemployed - 29,000 fewer than when Labour took office. Average wages are also up, and looking back, they've increased from $30.45 / hour in 2017 to $36.18 today. ...7 days ago
- Member’s DayToday is a Member's Day, and one likely to be entirely full of third readings. First up is Ricardo Menéndez March's Human Rights (Disability Assist Dogs Non-Discrimination) Amendment Bill, followed by Nicola Willis' Unit Titles (Strengthening Body Corporate Governance and Other Matters) Amendment Bill and Tangi Utikere's Local Government (Pecuniary ...7 days ago
- Geoffrey Miller: Jacinda Ardern continues to forge a more US-friendly foreign policyInternational analyst Geoffrey Miller reads between the lines of Jacinda Ardern’s speech to this week’s US business summit in Auckland Jacinda Ardern is slowly but surely shifting New Zealand’s foreign policy towards the West. That was the underlying theme of a keynote address by New Zealand’s Prime Minister this ...1 week ago
- Going full GileadToday's big news from America: the Supreme Court has reportedly voted to overturn Roe v. Wade: The Supreme Court has voted to strike down the landmark Roe v. Wade decision, according to an initial draft majority opinion written by Justice Samuel Alito circulated inside the court and obtained by ...1 week ago
- Wrong, at every levelWe all hate Australia for its policy of jailing refugees as a "disincentive" for people to try and escape torture and persecution. But New Zealand does this too, on a much lesser scale. last year, the government finally ordered a review of this disgusting practice. Today, that review reported back, ...1 week ago
- Geopolitical transitions and the long decline.
For the last three decades the global geopolitical system has been in a state of transition. It first transited from the tight bi-polar arrangement of the Cold War, where two nuclear superpowers with closely integrated alliance systems (NATO and the Warsaw Pact, plus other related networks) strategicaly balanced each other ...1 week ago - Bryce Edwards: Why Labour won’t introduce a radical wealth taxPrime Minister Jacinda Ardern has been perceived as “softening her line on wealth taxes” – and therefore being open to the introduction of a new type of progressive taxation on the rich. This was the description published yesterday by leftwing wealth researcher Max Rashbrooke, who was reporting on the fact ...1 week ago
- Philip Temple: Nothing to fear?On 24 April the Minister for Māori Development, the Hon. Willie Jackson, stated on TVNZ’s Q+A programme that government plans for Māori co-governance were part of MMP. It meant ‘shared decision-making’, ‘partnership’, ‘diversity, about minorities working together’. ‘Co-governance is based on the principles of MMP, this is a consensus type ...1 week ago
- Does NZ’s media support free speech?Below is an excerpt of a talk by journalist Karl du Fresne given at Victoria University on 28 April 2022 for the Free Speech Union. Here he examines the trends that are undermining a free press. [F]ree speech goes hand in hand with a free press – but it’s now ...1 week ago
- The Stuff Of Nightmares.Braking And Entering: The CCTV recording of the ram-raid against Auckland’s Ormiston Mall is so disturbing, so inspiring of dread and rage, that no amount of rational commentary will make the slightest difference. It confirms in the most powerful fashion the stories so many New Zealanders have been telling themselves: ...1 week ago
- Ukraine – a beginner’s guideThe Author of this Dorset Eye article, Ukraine – a beginner’s guide, says: “In 2014, the journalist and writer John Pilger wrote an article for The Guardian newspaper entitled ‘In Ukraine the US is dragging us towards war with Russia’.[i] Eight years later, in 2022, this prediction came true when ...1 week ago
- New graphics resources: Cranky Cartoons and Fallacy IconsWhat's better than some Cranky Uncle cartoons scattered around here or there? A collection of them, cross-referenced with the fallacies they depict, of course! And this is what we highlight in this blog post. John Cook had made these cartoons available for download on his Cranky Uncle website in March 2021 ...1 week ago
- Climate Change: Here comes the floodFor decades now we've known that climate change will cause sea-level rise. In Aotearoa, the projections so far have been for 30cm by 2050, and 1m by 2100 - a level which is catastrophic to low-lying areas and coastal infrastructure and which is going to cost us billions of dollars ...1 week ago
- How to LoseLosses to Australian teams over the weekend by both the Crusaders and Hurricanes have been greeted with shock and surprise by New Zealand rugby fans. Yet, an at least partial explanation is available; the two losses were both set in motion early in each match by a play that is ...1 week ago
- Gordon Campbell On Political Can-kicking, And The“ Louie Louie” SagaOne of the more infuriating aspects of the current political debate is the way the National Party says it would be more rigorous, and more thriftily efficient in running social programmes that – left to its own devices – a National government would never have funded at all in the ...1 week ago
- Bryce Edwards: Is Three Waters really about water infrastructure or iwi co-governance?On Friday the Government made some announcements about their Three Waters programme that were meant to assuage public concerns about the reforms. Instead, the announcements merely reinforced that Local Government Minister Nanaia Mahuta is determined to push the reforms through in the face of strong public opposition. The gist of ...1 week ago
- Crime Porn Politics: a gift for the National Party right now, but we must resist a reactionary trap
Unfortunately it looks like we’re going through a spate of ram raids in this country. Predictably, there comes the natural political rejoinder: “Alas, the youth are out of control in this country…” in various flavours of vitriol, and thus the Reckons. Those who were armchair epidemiologists concerning the ...1 week ago - 2022 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #17Listing of articles linked to on the Skeptical Science Facebook Page during the past week: Sun, April 24, 2022 through Sat, April 30, 2022. The following articles sparked above average interest during the week (bolded articles are from SkS authors): Skeptical Science New Research for Week #17 2022, Newsmax using ...1 week ago
- Why the silence on censorship?1 week ago
- 2022 General Reading: April (+ Writing Update)Completed reads for April: The Saga of Hervör and HeithrekThe Saga of Hromund GreipssonThe Tháttr of NornagestIphigenia among the Taurians, by EuripidesIphigenia at Aulis, by EuripidesRhesus, by Euripides?The Body in the Library, by Agatha ChristieWhy Didn’t They Ask Evans?, by Agatha ChristiePoirot Investigates, by Agatha ChristieThe Secret of Chimneys, ...1 week ago
- Comforting but warped narratives are damaging our potential future: time we kill off all the myths
One thing is abundantly clear: the way we understand the world is largely a matter of narrative management. It is through the strength of narratives we frame concepts around politics, life, and our consequent approach to it. Personally. As Nations. Too often, we don’t even realise where these come ...1 week ago - Gutting the OIAStuff's Henry Cooke reports that the government is planning a significant increase in proactive release of official information, with plans to proactively release almost all advice to ministers. Which is an idea I love, and want to happen, but at the same time fear, because under this government it is ...1 week ago
- Something on NZ military diplomacy.A few weeks ago it emerged that NZ Minister of Defence Peeni Henare had asked cabinet for approval to donate surplus NZDF Light Armoured Vehicles (LAVs) to Ukraine as part of the multilateral efforts to support the Ukrainian defence of its homeland against the Russian invasion that is now into ...1 week ago
- What is Really Causing the Sharp Price Rises
Reductions in effective productivity, largely as a result of events overseas, require reductions in real incomes. Ignore that and you cannot defeat inflation. What would you think of a doctor who treated only the symptoms and never tried to identify the causes? A quack? Skilled quacks will have accounts about ...2 weeks ago - Climate Change: Farmers versus treesFarmers have been whining for years about carbon forestry, and now they seem to have got their way, with the government proposing to ban permanent pine forests from the ETS. Which is a mistake on multiple levels. The one the government may care about is that it will cost us ...2 weeks ago
- Political Roundup: 29 April 2022THREE WATERS Thomas Coughlan (Herald): Three Waters reforms: Nanaia Mahuta and Grant Robertson announce next steps Thomas Manch (Stuff): Government accepts Three Waters recommendations, councils to have shareholding, aspects of co-governance to remain Cameron Russell (Stuff): Three Waters reaction: Mayor Phil Goff says Auckland is being penalised, LGNZ welcomes ratepayer ...2 weeks ago
- Working class and the poor most impacted by inflationIn an opinion piece in the Herald Bryce Edwards looks at rising inflation and the huge transfer of wealth to the rich under this Labour government. Some excerpts below detail the growing poverty gap. Business profitability is currently very high – banking profits were up 48 per cent last year, ...2 weeks ago
- The Bewildering World of Christopher Luxon – Don't you know who I am, Bottomfeeders!
The media's "honeymoon" with National's leader, Christopher Luxon, ended abruptly on 21 March when on Kerre McIvor's NewstalkZB show, he uttered these astonishing words:“If you want to have a go, and you want to make something of yourself -- we don't just do bottom feeding and just focus on the ...2 weeks ago - Armies Of The Dead.Not Forgotten, Or Forgiven: At this moment our television screens are filled with stories featuring Ukrainians and Russians. Over the course of the past century, both of these peoples have endured almost unbelievable levels of pain, rage and guilt. The statue pictured above, entitled The Bitter Memory of Childhood is ...2 weeks ago
- No Good Options. Will Co-Governance Break Our Democracy?A Dangerous Moment: Given the intense preparation which has gone into raising Māori expectations of co-governance, it would now be extremely dangerous for any political party to bring its institutional evolution to a halt. That said, the lack of any serious preparation of the non-Māori population for the revolutionary implications ...2 weeks ago
- Everything You Know About Ukraine Is WRONGObviously not true for everyone. But it is amazing how many people take up a strong, emotional stance on the war in Ukraine despite being completely ignorant about what has been happening there. This short video does a great job of condensing the history of Ukraine – and presents ...2 weeks ago
- Ancient Greek Drama: Tier Rankings
This month I finished working my way through the surviving corpus of Ancient Greek Drama (in translation). For those keeping track at home, that is forty-six plays – seven by Aeschylus, seven by ... 2 weeks ago - AUT cancels ‘cancel culture’ union meetingby Daphna Whitmore The Auckland University of Technology has just deplatformed a talk on cancel culture. Yes, you read that right. The cancellation was instigated by an “Inclusion Officer” (of course it was). A bit Orwellian isn’t it? I was invited to give a lecture at a Free Speech Union meeting ...2 weeks ago
- Skeptical Science New Research for Week #17 2022We can't go on like this Past and future warming – direct comparison on multi-century timescales walks us through the improvements in methods between the IPCC AR5 and AR6 leading to the latest report's startling conclusion about our rapid, ongoing effect on global mean temperature. Unleashing the fossil hydrocarbon genie has ...2 weeks ago
- The Night of Parmenides: Published
As of yesterday, I can report that the 2022 SpecFicNZ anthology, Aftermath: Tales of Survival in Aotearoa New Zealand, was released: https://specfic.nz/2022/04/27/aftermath-tales-of-survival-in-aotearoa-new-zealand/ It features The Night of Parmenides, my take on a post-apocalyptic Dunedin. Also notable for referencing Scribes, the much-missed second-hand bookshop of North Dunedin. ...2 weeks ago - Bryce Edwards: Could inflation lead to a voter backlash?The current cost of living crisis in the New Zealand economy could yet have severe political consequences. Warning signs could be seen in Monday’s French presidential election result – in which the nationalist-populist Marine Le Pen upset the status quo by getting through to the second round and winning an ...2 weeks ago
- Unlawful secrecy in RotoruaRNZ has a story today about fireworks at today's Rotorua lakes Council meeting, where a motion to move into confidential session over the controversial Rotorua District Council (Representation Arrangements) Bill caused a councillor to resign. The actual events can be viewed on the council livestream here (from 4:15 to 8:15). ...2 weeks ago
- Gordon Campbell on Parker’s tax plan and Musk’s Twitter purchaseSuch is our devotion to the ordinary Kiwi battler, we ruthlessly tax the wages they earn and the stuff they buy, while letting people who amass wealth from speculative investment (and stash it in trusts) to go on their merry way, largely untroubled by the tax department. In the latest ...2 weeks ago
- Monthly lectures introducing Capital Volume 1Karl Marx’s Capital remains the most important theoretical work explaining the capitalist mode of production from a working class and socialist perspective. The Centre for the Study of Social and Global Justice (CSSGJ) is pleased to be hosting a series of monthly lectures introducing each part of Volume 1 by Andy Higginbottom, ...2 weeks ago
- When Rights Become Wrongs: Repeal NZBORA
I have always taken a dim view of entrenching the New Zealand Bill of Rights Act 1990 (NZBORA). In contrast to certain other online commentators, I consider subjecting parliamentary statutes to judicial review ... 2 weeks ago - Political Roundup: 27 April 2022TAX REFORM AND WEALTH Luke Malpass (Stuff): What are Revenue Minister David Parker’s new tax principles really all about? Bridie Witton (Stuff): Revenue minister has ‘virtually no idea what rate of tax is paid by the very wealthy’ Bernard Hickey: David Parker’s long, long game towards a fairer tax system ...2 weeks ago
- Two electionsThere were two elections over the weekend. In France, neo-liberal Emmanuel Macro managed to defeat neo-fascist Marine Le Pen, which should be a relief to everyone (especially given what a le Pen victory would have meant for Ukraine). But its hardly a particularly inspiring choice, effectively just a question of ...2 weeks ago
- UnderwhelmingAotearoa has an inequality problem. The top 1% own 20% of the wealth, and nearly half our total wealth is owned by the top 5% (and as that paper notes, it likely understates the problem, as wealthy individuals are poorly captured by the Household Economic Survey on which it is ...2 weeks ago
- Gordon Campbell on the Tame interview, and Macron’s endless challengesNational truly is the party of aspiration. Any centre-right voter who watched their champion’s trainwreck interview with Jack Tame on last Sunday’s Q & A programme would have to conclude that if Christopher Luxon can lead National to victory in 2023, any wealthy white man in a suit can do ...2 weeks ago
- Political Roundup: 26 April 2022PARTNERSHIP POLITICS (CONSTITUTIONAL REFORM, CO-GOVERNANCE, THREE WATERS; MĀORI WARDS) Morgan Godfery (Guardian): In New Zealand, Māori co-governance is already underway – referendum or not Damien Grant (Stuff): The shaky claims and untested ideology underpinning Three Waters John Weekes (Herald): Willie Jackson says democracy has changed, co-governance is good, Act leader ...2 weeks ago
- Climate action, as patriotismThis is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Dennis Laich, Larry Wilkerson, and Erik Edstrom The US military is about to find itself committed to yet another unwinnable mission costing trillions of dollars. No, we are not referring to the possibility of American escalation in Russia’s brutal war against Ukraine: ...2 weeks ago
- Green Party supports nurses’ ERA decision
The Green Party supports nurses’ continued push for pay equity and calls on the Government to deliver the back pay they had expected. ...11 hours ago - Allied health workers deserve better conditionsThe Green Party is throwing its support behind the 10,000 allied health workers taking work-to-rule industrial action today because of unfair pay and working conditions. ...2 days ago
- SPEECH: Building a low-carbon futureTēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou katoa. Ngā mihi o te ata. Good morning ...2 days ago
- Celebrating Gasav Ne Fäeag Rotuạm Ta – Rotuman Language WeekToday marks the first celebration for Pacific Language Weeks 2022 with Gasav Ne Fäeag Rotuạm Ta – Rotuman Language Week. ...2 days ago
- Six ways we’re reducing cost pressures for New Zealanders
Since the day we came into Government, we’ve worked hard to lift wages and reduce cost pressures facing New Zealanders. But we know the rising cost of living, driven by worldwide inflation and the war in Ukraine, is making things particularly tough right now. That’s why we’ve stepped up our ...6 days ago - Greens call for government to implement all recommendations of Casey report into detention of asylum...An independent review of New Zealand’s detention regime for asylum seekers has found arbitrary and abusive practices in Aotearoa’s immigration law, policy, and practice. ...1 week ago
- Rising household costs hurting low-income peopleThe Green Party says the Government needs to do more for those on the lowest incomes as inflation outpaces wage and benefit increases. ...2 weeks ago
- HRC housing inquiry confirms need for rental WOFThe Human Rights Commission inquiry into housing quality confirms what the Green Party has been calling for - a rental Warrant of Fitness and a register of landlords and property managers. ...2 weeks ago
- Greens call for urgent action to fix tax systemThe Green Party is urging the Government to take urgent action to create a fairer tax system that works for all New Zealanders. ...2 weeks ago
- UNDRIP – Let’s get on with itThe Green Party welcomes the next steps towards implementing the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) in Aotearoa, and calls on the Government to get on with the mahi of upholding Tangata Whenua rights. ...3 weeks ago
- More Kiwis in work as our recovery gains momentumOur economic recovery is gaining momentum and the latest figures show that the Government’s focus on jobs is working. We’ve delivered a record low unemployment rate as well as a steady fall in the number of New Zealanders receiving a main benefit. ...3 weeks ago
- Urgent action needed to soften inflation blow for low income NZersThe Green Party says urgent action is needed to soften the blow of inflation for New Zealanders on the lowest incomes. ...3 weeks ago
- New sanctions target disinformation and malicious cyber actors
As part of the Government’s ongoing response to Ukraine, Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta has announced new sanctions targeting disinformation and those responsible for cyber attacks on Ukraine. “Aotearoa New Zealand continues to unequivocally condemn Russia’s unjustified and illegal attack on Ukraine,” Nanaia Mahuta said. “President Putin’s propaganda machine is in ...8 hours ago - Government bolsters protection for whistleblowersSignificant improvements are being made in New Zealand workplaces to better protect whistleblowers, Minister for the Public Service Chris Hipkins said today. “The Protected Disclosures (Protection of Whistleblowers) Act 2022 replaces the Protected Disclosures Act 2000. It is more people-focused and will make the rules easier to access, understand, and ...10 hours ago
- New High Commissioner to Solomon Islands announcedForeign Affairs Minister Nanaia Mahuta today announced the appointment of Jonathan Schwass as New Zealand’s next High Commissioner to Solomon Islands. “Aotearoa New Zealand and Solomon Islands have a long history of close engagement as Pacific whānau,” Nanaia Mahuta said. “Our partnership is founded on cooperation in areas such as ...10 hours ago
- Budget 2022: Investing to eliminate violence in our homes and communitiesBudget 2022 delivers $114.5 million over four years to prevent and respond to family violence and sexual violence across Aotearoa Investment includes a $38.1 million boost for community-led integrated responses $37.6 million to prevent violence by strengthening existing initiatives in Māori and Pacific communities and for Aotearoa as a ...14 hours ago
- New Zealand Sign Language Week 2022 recognises ‘essential’ workersThis week (9 – 15 May 2022) is New Zealand Sign Language Week (NZSL), a nationwide celebration of NZSL as an official language of New Zealand. “This year’s theme ‘New Zealand Sign Language is essential’ recognises the prominence and importance of our third official language, and draws a spotlight on ...1 day ago
- Government’s Wage Subsidies support people in nearly half of NZ jobsThe Government’s swift action to secure our economic recovery in the midst of a pandemic has seen 47 per cent of jobs in New Zealand protected by at least one of the 2021 wage subsidies, Minister for Social Development and Employment Carmel Sepuloni said. The Ministry of Social Development’s new ...1 day ago
- Budget 2022 supports 38,000 apprentices to accelerate recoveryApprenticeship Boost extended to the end of 2023, supporting 38,000 apprentices Support for 1600 Mana in Mahi places to help people into work Funding to continue the Māori Trades and Training Fund, building on the 17 established partnerships that are supporting more than 800 people The Government is extending ...1 day ago
- Aotearoa sets course to net-zero with first three emissions budgetsClimate Change Minister James Shaw today announced New Zealand’s first three emissions budgets, another milestone on of the journey toward a zero-carbon future. “Today’s announcement means our net-zero future is closer than ever before. There’s much more to do, but having these binding budgets in place is a critical part ...2 days ago
- Building a low-carbon futureTēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou katoa. Ngā mihi o te ata. Good morning. Thank you, Stephen, for that kind introduction. And thank you, again, to ASB for hosting us today. *** I grew up in a big, old Victorian ‘character home’ in Aro Valley. Like so many here in ...2 days ago
- Safety front of mind as new cycleway opensAs Road Safety Week officially commences, Auckland’s busiest cycling route has just received a $14.4 million upgrade, paving the way to get more Aucklanders out of their cars and onto their bikes. The new Tamaki Drive cycleway was opened today by Minister of Transport, Michael Wood following an official dawn ...2 days ago
- Budget 2022: More police to target gangsDelivers largest Police force ever and continues investment in frontline Police after the goal of an additional 1800 Police will be achieved by the end of this year - six months ahead of schedule Extra funding set aside to grow Police to match population growth. This will ensure there ...3 days ago
- Rotuman’s strongly support their language revival in AotearoaVetḁkia ‘os Fäega ma Ag fak hanua - Sustaining our Language and Culture is showcased in this year’s Rotuman Language Week – the first of nine Pacific Language Weeks, said Minister for Pacific Peoples Aupito William Sio. “With just 2,000 Rotuman speakers on the islands of Rotuma, nurturing the growing ...3 days ago
- Funding for Pacific Stop Smoking Services to support Smokefree 2025 goalPacific communities can expect more support to go smokefree as Associate Ministers of Health Dr Ayesha Verrall and Aupito William Sio launched one of the new Pacific stop smoking services at K’aute Pasifika Trust in Hamilton today. The Smokefree Pacific Advisory Group, chaired by Associate Professor Dr Collin Tukuitonga, was ...4 days ago
- Buses take to the road on Northern BuswayNorthshore commuters now have access to congestion free travel to and from the city, as far north as Albany, thanks to the completion of the latest Northern Busway extension which was opened today by the Minister of Transport, Michael Wood. The four year project has delivered an additional five kilometres ...5 days ago
- All coal boilers to be removed from schoolsThanks to a $10 million dollar investment, all remaining coal boilers in New Zealand schools will be replaced with renewable woody biomass or electric heating sources by 2025 reducing carbon emissions by around 35,400 tonnes over 10 years, Climate Change Minister James Shaw announced today. The move is part of ...5 days ago
- Technical innovation to revolutionise forestryAn innovative high-tech approach to forestry management is set to transform New Zealand’s forestry industry, Forestry Minister Stuart Nash and Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor announced today. The Government is backing Precision Silviculture, a $25.5 million, seven-year programme led by Forest Growers Research Limited (FGR). “The investment is part of the ...5 days ago
- New links in chain of Great Rides cycle trailsMore of New Zealand’s most stunning landscapes, culture and heritage destinations will be showcased by the addition of two new cycle trails to the Ngā Haerenga Great Rides network. Tourism and Economic and Regional Development Minister Stuart Nash has today opened the Whakarewarewa Forest Loop trail near Rotorua, and announced ...5 days ago
- Proposals aimed at user-friendly, up-to-date conservation processesPublic feedback is being sought on proposed changes to improve management planning and concession processes in conservation legislation. “Management strategies and plans are key tools which help manage natural and historic resources by providing guidance on what can and cannot be done in our national parks and conservation areas,” Conservation ...5 days ago
- Next steps for two new schools for ŌmokoroaPlanning for two new schools on the Bay of Plenty’s Ōmokoroa Peninsula is underway as part of the Government’s comprehensive plan to support growth in the fast-growing Otumoetai catchment. Ongoing housing development will see 1,200 new homes in Ōmokoroa by 2025, and another development area in the west of the ...5 days ago
- Travel trade show reconnects with AustraliaA government-backed push to reconnect the tourism and travel industry with our largest market in Australia will see Tourism Minister Stuart Nash head to Sydney next week. Stuart Nash is leading a delegation to one of the first major international trade events by Tourism New Zealand since the COVID-19 outbreak ...6 days ago
- Budget 22 investing in biosecurity for future economic securityBudget 22 invests $110.9 million into New Zealand’s biosecurity work $42.9 million to bolster New Zealand’s biosecurity readiness for future incursions $68 million over the coming year to continue the M. bovis eradication momentum Protection of primary sector vital with exports forecast to hit record $50.8 billion for year-end 2022 ...6 days ago
- Joint M. bovis eradication plan reaches significant milestoneMycoplasma bovis (M. bovis) down to one infected property 271 farms cleared of M. bovis No working farms currently confirmed infected Plans for next steps towards a national pest management plan under way Hundreds of thousands of milk samples and animals tested last year Four years into a world-first attempt to ...6 days ago
- Crown accounts reflect strong economyThe Crown accounts are continuing to reflect the strong position New Zealand is in to manage the challenging global environment, Grant Robertson said. For the nine months to the end of March, the Operating Balance before Gains and Losses (OBEGAL) deficit was $8.1 billion, $4.1 billion below that forecast in ...6 days ago
- Budget 2022: Government clears road for 64,000 people to get driver licensesThe Government is: Increasing funding for driver licence support Removing barriers for people who have trouble obtaining driver licences Strengthening testing infrastructure and making it more equitable Reviewing the Graduated Driver Licensing System regulatory framework to ensure it is fit for purpose Budget 2022 will see an estimated 64,000 New ...7 days ago
- Speech at announcement of nationwide plan to tackle hospital waiting lists, Auckland, 4 May 2022Today I am setting out our plan to deal with growing hospital waiting lists. COVID-19 has been hugely disruptive to hospital systems all over the world. In England, for example, there was a 200-fold increase in the number of people waiting more than a year for planned care, from just ...7 days ago
- Nationwide plan to tackle hospital waiting listsHospital waiting lists will be managed nationally under the Labour Government’s plan to cut the time people who need operations and appointments have to wait, Health Minister Andrew Little says. “COVID-19 has been hugely disruptive to hospital systems all over the world,” Andrew Little told health users, providers and unions ...7 days ago
- Speech to the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs – Whare Tawāhi-a-mahi i AotearoaIt is a pleasure to be here tonight addressing you all and continuing to showcase New Zealand’s reconnection to the world. It was fantastic to be travelling again and promoting New Zealand with the Prime Minister a couple of weeks ago to Singapore and Japan. However these are challenging times for trade. ...1 week ago
- Record 50,000 homes consented in a yearIn the year ended March 2022, 50,858 new homes were consented, up 24 per cent from the March 2021 year. 21,477 new homes were consented in Auckland in the year ended March 2022, driven largely by an increase in multi-unit dwellings. 5,303 new homes were consented in March 2022 alone. ...1 week ago
- Broadened criteria for returning visa holdersThe Government is broadening the ability for residence class visa holders to re-enter New Zealand, Minister for COVID-19 Response Chris Hipkins has announced. The change means residence class visa holders not vaccinated against COVID-19 will be able to enter New Zealand from 6 May. The change allows New Zealand Permanent ...1 week ago
- Mānawatia a Matariki – te whakanui i a MatarikiI tāpaea i te rangi nei Te Tohu o Matariki ki te iwi tūmatanui e te Minita mō te Kōtuinga o Ngāi Māori me te Karauna: Te Arawhiti, Kelvin Davis rāua ko te Minita Tuarua mō te Toi, te Ahurea, me te Tukuihotanga, a Kiri Allan. Hei tā Kelvin Davis, ...1 week ago
- Pre-budget speech to Rabobank breakfastI want to thank Rabobank for hosting us this morning, and all of you for making it along for an early start. Yesterday, New Zealand opened its borders again to tourists and business visitors from around 60 visa waiver countries as we continue our reconnection with the world. The resumption ...1 week ago
- Budget 22: New fiscal rules to be put in placeSurpluses will be kept within a band of zero to two percent of GDP to ensure new day‑to‑day spending is not adding to debt. A new debt measure to be introduced to bring New Zealand closer in line with other countries. A debt ceiling will ensure New Zealand maintains some ...1 week ago
- Strategy highlights pathway to reduce infrastructure deficitThe Government has welcomed Te Waihanga/New Zealand Infrastructure Commission’s first infrastructure strategy as a major milestone in building a more prosperous, resilient and sustainable future for all New Zealanders. Rautaki Hanganga o Aotearoa – New Zealand Infrastructure Strategy 2022–2052 set out the infrastructure challenges and opportunities facing New Zealand ...1 week ago
- New Zealand and the United States – Dynamic Economic Partners in the Indo-PacificIt is a pleasure to participate today in the United States Business Summit and to have the opportunity to speak to you about the US-New Zealand trade and economic relationship. I would like to join the Prime Minister in thanking the organisers – especially Fran O’Sullivan and Michael Barnett who I ...1 week ago
- More political elites and defence entities sanctioned, and prohibitions extendedForeign Affairs Minister Nanaia Mahuta has today announced further sanctions on Russian politicians and defence entities supporting Putin’s actions in Ukraine, as part of the Government’s ongoing response to the war. “Through these sanctions, we are demonstrating our intention to continue going after those who are responsible for Russia’s invasion ...1 week ago
- Government supports grass roots emergency resilience initiativesSupporting preparations for a potential Alpine Fault rupture on the West Coast is one of several grass roots initiatives benefitting from a Government funding package to strengthen community resilience to emergencies. “Due to its isolation, its topography, and its proximity, the West Coast is particularly vulnerable to the impacts of ...1 week ago
- Speech to Te Waihanga SymposiumIntroduction Kia ora koutou katoa, Today is a significant day for infrastructure in New Zealand. And that means it is a significant day for our productivity, our environment, our wellbeing and connections as people. That is because good quality infrastructure is core to improving all of those things. Today we ...1 week ago
- Speech to New Zealand US Business SummitRingitia mai, waetia mai Tuhi tuhia mai e Kei te manawa tonu te aroha me te whakapono Can I please acknowledge our co-chairs today Fran O’Sullivan and Michael Barnett. US Ambassador to New Zealand Tom Udall. The Minister for Trade and Export Growth Damien O’Connor. And the really excellent ...1 week ago
- Tourism and travel back on the world mapNew Zealand is back on the world map for international tourism and business travellers as the country opens up to visitors from around 60 visa-waiver countries who enjoy freer travel here from today. Tourism Minister Stuart Nash and Immigration Minister Kris Faafoi say the welcome mat is out for citizens ...1 week ago
- Budget 2022 invests to keep Kiwi kids in class and learningThe Government is committed to improving student attendance at school and kura, Education Minister Chris Hipkins and Associate Education Minister Jan Tinetti said in a pre-Budget announcement today. “It’s clear that young people need to be at school, and yet attendance rates haven’t been good for a long time. It’s ...1 week ago
- View from The Hill: Albanese and Morrison caught on fly-papers of wages, gender
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Both Anthony Albanese and Scott Morrison landed themselves onto the sticky paper on Tuesday, as they trudged through this campaign’s penultimate week. The issues couldn’t have been more different. But each was an area ...3 hours ago - Word from The Hill: Scott Morrison defends Katherine Deves (again), but slips up on surgery detailSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra As well as her interviews with politicians and experts, Politics with Michelle Grattan includes “Word from The Hill”, where she discusses the news with members of The Conversation politics team. In this podcast ...4 hours ago
- Northern Territory Chief Minister Michael Gunner resigns. Could this help Labor in the federal elect...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rolf Gerritsen, Professorial Research Fellow, Northern Institute, Charles Darwin University Northern Territory Chief Minister Michael Gunner has resigned suddenly, making the announcement just after delivering the NT budget in parliament. He will stay on as a backbencher. “My head and my heart ...6 hours ago
- Launch Of New Representative Democracy In Tauranga – Lobby For Good
Leveraging her corporate background in innovation and technology, along with her personal experience advocating for the community in a variety of issues in local and central government, Erika Harvey wants to remove the barriers for everyday kiwis ...7 hours ago - Shane Reti stands firm in face of criticism of Māori health comments
National's Health spokesperson Dr Shane Reti is under fire for comments he made comparing Māori life expectancy to the 1840s. ...7 hours ago - Below the Line: What issues are politicians ignoring this election? – podcastSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Benjamin Clark, Deputy Engagement Editor, The Conversation Channel Nine’s leaders’ debate on Sunday night may have been a “shouty, unedifying spectacle”, but Scott Morrison and Anthony Albanese will do it all again on Wednesday evening on Channel Seven. Why? In ...8 hours ago
- Luxon rules out Seymour as finance ministerNational leader Christopher Luxon has refused to rule in or out ACT's budget proposals if they enter government together, but says Nicola Willis - not David Seymour - would be finance minister. ...8 hours ago
- Stand by for the oddly designed Stage 3 tax cut that will send middle earners backwards and give hi...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Martin, Visiting Fellow, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University Shutterstock The Reserve Bank is pushing up interest rates to take money out of our hands. The first increase in the current round will add about A$65 a month ...8 hours ago
- Ram raid solutions funding to be decided on next weekDecisions on government solutions for the ram raids in Auckland and Waikato - including funding for things like bollards - are expected to go to Cabinet for sign-off on Monday. ...9 hours ago
- Young voters will inherit a hotter, more dangerous world – but their climate interests are being ...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Hannah R. Feldman, Research Fellow, Institute for Water Futures, Australian National University While there was plenty of heat in Sunday’s night’s debate between Labor and Coalition leaders, one issue was barely mentioned: climate change. This raises a large red flag for Australia’s ...9 hours ago
- Social Agencies Meet To Discuss Budget...9 hours ago
- Australia’s next government must start talking about a ‘just transition’ from coal. Here’s w...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Gareth Edwards, Associate Professor, University of East Anglia Shutterstock At last year’s Glasgow climate conference, countries lined up to increase their ambition to cut greenhouse gas emissions. Even Australia brought a new target of net-zero emissions by 2050, and signed ...9 hours ago
- Leo Molloy Opposes Auckland Congestion ChargeMayoral candidate Leo Molloy says now is not the time to hit the wallets of Aucklanders with another cost - this time through a congestion charge. “No one is feeling the cost of living crisis more than Aucklanders, whether it’s fuel, groceries or utilities, ...9 hours ago
- Stuff-up or conspiracy? Whistleblowers claim Facebook deliberately let important non-news pages go d...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rob Nicholls, Associate professor in regulation and governance, UNSW Sydney Shutterstock On Friday, the Wall Street Journal published information from Facebook whistleblowers, alleging Facebook (which is owned by Meta) deliberately caused havoc in Australia last year to influence the News ...10 hours ago
- Why award honorary doctorates, and what do the choices say about our universities?Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kate Murphy, Senior Lecturer in Contemporary History, Monash University Shutterstock Universities like to associate themselves with exceptional individuals through the awarding of honorary doctorates, but this practice has often attracted controversy, creating headaches for university administrators. Honorary doctorates highlight ...10 hours ago
- Ombudsman Welcomes Passage Of Protected Disclosures BillThe Chief Ombudsman Peter Boshier says the passing of new whistleblower legislation will help reinforce New Zealand’s international reputation as a free and transparent society. Mr Boshier says he welcomes the passage of the Protected Disclosures (Protection ...10 hours ago
- Imagine it’s 2030 and Australia is a renewable energy superpower in Southeast AsiaSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Melissa Conley Tyler, Honorary Fellow, Asia Institute, The University of Melbourne Achmad Ibrahim/AP/AAP We are into the final fortnight of the election campaign, and commentators have noted that climate change has been almost invisible. This is despite the latest IPCC ...11 hours ago
- 60 years and 14 Doctors: how Doctor Who has changed with the times – and Ncuti Gatwa’s casting i...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Marcus Harmes, Professor in Pathways Education, University of Southern Queensland Netflix The BBC’s announcement that the Rwandan-Scottish actor Ncuti Gatwa will play Doctor Who from 2023 is making global headlines. Even people who don’t watch the show have been ...11 hours ago
- Budget A Chance To Unlock Universities’ Full Potential To Enhance New Zealanders’ Wellbeing And ...Budget 2022 is a chance for the Government to better support universities and enhance their huge contribution to national wellbeing and providing the skills and solutions New Zealanders need to prosper, says Universities New Zealand – Te Pōkai Tara ...12 hours ago
- Kiwi dollar’s slippage brings Robertson’s “robust economy” rhetoric into doubt
Just as New Zealanders start planning their first overseas travel since Covid led to lockdowns, they find their dollar has slipped in value against other major currencies. This could be of particular concern for those senior citizens who were looking forward to having a break during New Zealand’s winter months ...12 hours ago - Buzz from the Beehive: a reminder of a new ministry (but what will it be called?) and data on the s...
It’s always a special week for this, that or something, and this week it’s New Zealand Sign Language Week (NZSL), a nationwide celebration of NZSL as an official language of New Zealand. This year’s theme is ‘New Zealand Sign Language is essential’, intended to spotlight essential workers who are Deaf, ...13 hours ago - Remind me, how are hospitals funded in Australia?Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jane Hall, Professor of Health Economics and Director, Centre for Health Economics Research and Evaluation, University of Technology Sydney During elections, we usually hear calls for the government and opposition to commit to increasing funding for hospitals. While states are responsible ...13 hours ago
- Apprenticeship scheme: No clause to keep builders in New ZealandThere are no plans to bond apprentices to ensure they remain in New Zealand, Education Minister Chris Hipkins says. ...14 hours ago
- National Road Carriers Supports Congestion Charges But Calls For Freight To Be ExemptAs the topic of congestion charging hits the headlines many households will be feeling anxious at the thought of yet another cost as they to stretch out of the weekly wage and make ends meet. “At first glance it’s understandable to question the proposed ...14 hours ago
- Family violence prevention strategy gets $114.5m in BudgetThe government's family and sexual violence elimination strategy will be bolstered by $114.5 million in this year's Budget. ...15 hours ago
- Commissioner, Inland Revenue AppointedDeputy Public Service Commissioner Helene Quilter QSO has today announced the appointment of Peter Mersi to the position of Commissioner and Chief Executive, Inland Revenue Department. The Commissioner of Inland Revenue holds important roles as the principal ...15 hours ago
- Taxpayers’ Union Calls For Road To Zero Wasteful SpendingWaka Kotahi needs to pivot its Road to Zero road safety strategy into a Road to Zero Waste strategy, says the New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union . Union spokesman Louis Houlbrooke says, “Today we learn the transport agency spent almost $10,000 purchasing ...15 hours ago
- PM Jacinda Ardern returns negative Covid-19 test resultJacinda Ardern is isolating in Wellington this week after her partner Clarke Gayford tested positive at the weekend. ...16 hours ago
- FLNKS insists on full sovereignty for Kanaky New CaledoniaRNZ Pacific New Caledonia’s pro-independence Kanak and Socialist National Liberation Front (FLNKS) movement and five other small nationalist parties have agreed that they will only discuss the territory’s accession to full sovereignty in talks planned with France. The joint position was adopted at the weekend at the congress of the ...16 hours ago
- Govt Must Bring Back Fiscal DisciplineWith the highest inflation in 30 years and the worst cost of living crisis in a generation, the Government must restore fiscal discipline in the upcoming Budget, National’s Finance Spokesperson Nicola Willis says. “National believes every ...16 hours ago
- Restoring Discipline To Government PolicyKia ora koutou katoa, ngā mihi nui ki a koutou. Greetings all. It’s great to be in Christchurch. Let me begin by thanking the Canterbury Employers’ Chamber of Commerce for hosting this event. You do great work advocating for the businesses ...16 hours ago
- Budget 2022 And Climate Change: Time To Loosen The Purse StringsProgress on climate change isn’t happening fast enough according to Grant Thornton New Zealand Partner, and Environment & Sustainability Leader, Michael Worth. He has identified three areas of spend in Budget 2022 that could go a long way towards ...16 hours ago
- How a volcanic bombardment in ancient Australia led to the world’s greatest climate catastropheSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Timothy Chapman, Postdoctoral Fellow in Geology, University of New England Artwork by Katrina Kenny © 2022, Author provided Some 252 million years ago the world was going through a tumultuous period of rapid global warming. To understand what caused ...18 hours ago
- Times are tough, and may get tougher, so where can Australians find strong political leadership?Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By James Walter, Emeritus Professor of Political Science, Monash University In troubled times, people look for strong leaders – men and women who offer decisive action to address collective problems, and promise the capacity to deliver. They initially present as larger-than-life characters, and ...18 hours ago
- Can taking vitamins and supplements help you recover from COVID?Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Treasure McGuire, Assistant Director of Pharmacy, Mater Health SEQ in conjoint appointment as Associate Professor of Pharmacology, Bond University and Associate Professor (Clinical), The University of Queensland Shutterstock Australia’s surge in COVID cases this year has seen many people looking ...18 hours ago
- How do the major parties rate on climate policies? We asked 5 expertsSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jake Whitehead, E-Mobility Research Fellow, The University of Queensland AAP Image/Pool, Alex Ellinghausen, The Conversation Poll after poll suggests climate change is one of the most pressing issues for Australian voters. Of the 10,000 people who responded to The Conversation’s ...18 hours ago
- Grace and Frankie is the longest running series on Netflix – and a show for women who don’t see ...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mandy Treagus, Associate Professor, Department of English, Creative Writing and Film, University of Adelaide Lara Solanki/Netflix When the final 12 episodes of Grace and Frankie were released, the show became the longest running television series on Netflix. Over 94 episodes, ...18 hours ago
- Fierce fighting continues in PNG’s Porgera with death toll reaching 17By Miriam Zarriga in Port Moresby Seventeen people have been killed, hundreds of families made homeless, dozens of houses razed and government services ground to a halt in Enga Province’s Porgera district in Papua New Guinea as warring clans took up arms against each other. Calls for government help went ...23 hours ago
- Stand-off between protesters and police on Norfolk Island avertedRNZ Pacific A stand-off was averted on Norfolk Island today when a couple occupying a historic house chose to leave rather than face criminal charges. The couple had been occupying one of the old officers’ houses in the Kingston World Heritage Site and the Canberra administrator had had police flown ...1 day ago
- New Co-Leader For Outdoors & Freedom PartyPowerhouse Co-Leadership Announced Co-Leaders Sue Grey and Donna Pokere-Phillips An exciting example of Tangata Whenua (Māori) and Tangata Tiriti (non-Māori) coming together in Co-Governance, setting the benchmark for a united Aotearoa New Zealand ...1 day ago
- Shaw critical of National favouring tax cuts instead of climate action"Let me put it this way .... this is a big deal" - that's the climate change minister on the suite of climate policies about to drop. ...1 day ago
- Tiny and alternate houses can help ease Australia’s rental affordability crisisSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Heather Shearer, Research Fellow, Cities Research Institute, Griffith University Shutterstock Rental housing in Australia is less affordable than ever before. It is no exaggeration to call the situation a crisis, with vacancy rates at record lows. But there are some ...1 day ago
- Grant Robertson, Chris Hipkins announce apprenticeship scheme boost at post-Cabinet briefingThe government will spend $230 million on its apprenticeship boost scheme as part of its Budget this year. ...1 day ago
- Live: Deputy PM Grant Robertson speaks after Cabinet meetingWith the prime minister in isolation, deputy PM Grant Robertson and Education Minister Chris Hipkins are speaking to media after Cabinet's weekly meeting. Watch live. ...1 day ago
- Analysis of 5,500 apartment developments reveals your new home may not be as energy efficient as you...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michael Ambrose, Research Team Leader, CSIRO Apartment living is booming in Australia. Many people choose apartments for their good energy efficiency, which reduces the need for heating and cooling and leads to lower power bills. But not every apartment is as energy ...1 day ago
- ‘Intimidated’ Fiji worst place for Pacific journalists, says RSF’s freedom indexRNZ Pacific Fiji has been ranked as the worst place in the Pacific region for journalists in the latest assessment by the global press freedom watchdog Reporters Without Borders (RSF). In RSF’s 2022 World Press Freedom Index released last week, Fiji was placed 102nd out of 180 countries — receiving ...1 day ago
- Prasad accuses FijiFirst of ‘political gimmick’ in highlighting 1987 coupBy Arieta Vakasukawaqa in Suva Opposition National Federation Party leader Professor Biman Prasad has questioned the motive of the FijiFirst government to continuously highlight the 1987 coup during the girmit celebrations while refusing to mention the devastation brought about by the 2000 and 2006 coups on Fijians. He highlighted this ...1 day ago
- Bongbong politics: Rehabilitating the Philippines’ martial law Marcos familyANALYSIS: By Binoy Kampmark Children should not pay for the sins of their parents. But in some cases, a healthy suspicion of the offspring is needed, notably when it comes to profiting off ill-gotten gains. It is certainly needed in the case of Filipino politician and presidential candidate Ferdinand “Bongbong” ...1 day ago
- Bryce Edwards’ Political Roundup: Politicians talk tough on law and orderAnalysis by Dr Bryce Edwards. Political Roundup is entirely subscriber-funded. The ethos behind this public service is to help foster a robust and informed public debate, with a great diversity of perspectives. If you appreciate what we are doing in providing non-partisan analysis and information about politics, economy, and society, ...1 day ago
- Amendments To Unit Titles Act Will Deliver Greater Protection For Owners And BuyersThe Unit Titles (Strengthening Body Corporate Governance and Other Matters) Amendment Bill (the Bill) has passed its third reading in Parliament and will shortly receive Royal Assent. The Real Estate Institute of New Zealand (REINZ) welcomes the news, ...1 day ago
- ACT's alternative budget: Cuts to taxes and public servicesThere's a lot on the cutting block. ACT would reverse various efforts to curb climate change, increase defence spending, freeze the minimum wage, and abolish some government agencies. ...1 day ago
- Is our electoral system truly democratic? How Australia stacks up on 4 key measuresSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stephen Morey, Senior Lecturer, Department of Languages and Linguistics, La Trobe University In Australia, we choose our political representatives and governments through a democratic electoral system. Generally, these systems should have four main aims. These are to: secure easy ...1 day ago
- Without a better plan, New Zealand risks sleepwalking into a biodiversity extinction crisisSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Matthew Hall, Senior Researcher, Environmental Law Initiative and Visiting Scholar, Faculty of Law, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington Getty Images Nature in Aotearoa New Zealand is in serious trouble. With many of our species and habitats ...1 day ago
- Buzz from the Beehive: greenhouse gases are in the govt’s gunsights – and (good grief!) so are t...Climate Change Minister James Shaw today announced New Zealand’s first three emissions budgets, describing this as another milestone on of the journey toward a zero-carbon future. Having these binding budgets in place was a critical part of the government’s strategy to rapidly eliminate the pollution that causes climate change, he ...2 days ago
- The US FDA has moved to ban menthol cigarettes. Australia should do that and moreSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kathryn Barnsley, Adjunct researcher, University of Tasmania Shutterstock Menthol is the minty cigarette ingredient that conjures up images of beaches, snow-covered ski slopes and glamorous yacht parties, all crisp white and fresh green. Menthol as a deadly additive is under ...2 days ago
- Victoria’s prison healthcare system should match community healthcareSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andreea Lachsz, PhD Candidate, University of Technology Sydney Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander readers are advised that names of deceased people are included in this article. The Victorian Aboriginal Legal Service is representing family members of Veronica Nelson, Ms Calgaret, and Michael ...2 days ago
- Emissions Reduction Plan Must Cut Big Dairy Pollution To Be Credible9 May: Greenpeace Aotearoa says that to be credible, the Government’s upcoming Emissions Reduction Plan must cut climate pollution from intensive dairy - New Zealand’s biggest climate polluter. In a speech today, Climate Change Minister, James Shaw, ...2 days ago
- Why several Labour MPs (whose futures are in electoral jeopardy) will be hoping for miracles in this...Finance Minister Grant Robertson managed to put a bold face on his fiscal management last week when he presented the latest set of Crown accounts, saying they “are continuing to reflect the strong position New Zealand is in to manage the challenging global environment”. Tax revenue in the nine months ...2 days ago
- Inflexible FPAs Are ‘A Solution Looking For A Problem’Federated Farmers is joining the fight against yet another case of politicians intruding with unnecessary, inflexible, one-size-fits-all legislation - this time over workers’ wages and conditions. "There’s nothing fair about so-called Fair Pay Agreements," ...2 days ago
- $208 Million To Satisfy Government Curiosity...2 days ago
- Maori Authority Says ACTs Alternative Budget Another Example Of Maori BashingThe Chair of the National Maori Authority has called ACT New Zealand’s alternative budget fantasy and has said that the calling in it for the abolishment of the Ministry of Women’s Affairs, the Ministry of Pacific Peoples Affairs and the Ministry of ...2 days ago
- PM Jacinda Ardern rejects claims govt is too soft on crimeThe prime minister has rejected claims Labour is not tough enough on crime, saying prevention and rehabilitation is key. ...2 days ago
- New Zealanders’ Attitudes Toward Privacy Shifting But Key Concerns Remain – New Privacy ReportNew Zealanders’ attitudes toward privacy are changing as developing technologies and the global pandemic require us to share more personal information. But three-out-of-five New Zealanders still report concern about businesses sharing their personal information ...2 days ago
- Vote 2022 Campaign A National Kōrero About Local ElectionsThe Vote 2022 campaign which kicks off today looks to make Aotearoa the most inclusive and active local democracy in the world. “This is the bold ambition, and we know it will take more than one election cycle to make lasting changes,” says Local ...2 days ago
- Labour’s Immigration Policy Fails To Tackle The Real IssuesEven before COVID, what was being said by business was that the demand for workers was across all sectors and bands of employment. However, the government policies are purely focused on making it easier for highly skilled migrants to gain work and ...2 days ago
- Meet the territorial females and matriarchs in Australia’s backyardSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Isabelle Onley, PhD Candidate, University of Adelaide Linda Reinhold/Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions WA, Author provided Social structure is an important aspect of species’ biology. Having a pecking order and male or female territoriality can help species thrive. ...2 days ago
- As News Corp goes ‘rogue’ on election coverage, what price will Australian democracy pay?Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Denis Muller, Senior Research Fellow, Centre for Advancing Journalism, The University of Melbourne Wes Mountain/The Conversation, CC BY-ND What does a democracy do when a dominant news media organisation goes rogue during an election campaign? In 2022, News Corporation is ...2 days ago
- Homelessness is common for teens leaving out-of-home-care. We need to extend care until they are at ...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Phillip Mendes, Professor, Director Social Inclusion and Social Policy Research Unit, Monash University Shutterstock Young people transitioning from out-of-home care – whether it’s foster, kinship or residential care – are disadvantaged in many ways. Many have experienced abuse, neglect, family ...2 days ago
- COVID vaccination recommendations evolve over time. Who is due for which dose now?Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Nicholas Wood, Associate Professor, Discipline of Childhood and Adolescent Health, University of Sydney Over the last year, COVID vaccination recommendations have been updated regularly. So it can be difficult to keep track of how many vaccine doses you and your family members ...2 days ago
- The world doesn’t care about swings in marginal seats. Climate action must spearhead a new Austral...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Wesley Morgan, Research Fellow, Griffith Asia Institute, Griffith University Jason Edwards/AAP Late last year, more than 100 former diplomats and officials called for a new Australian foreign policy — with climate action at the centre — to help cement Australia’s ...2 days ago
- Bringing the tūī back to town – how native birds are returning to NZ’s restored urban forestsSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Elizabeth Elliot Noe, Postdoctoral Fellow, Lincoln University, New Zealand Shutterstock/SCurtis Urbanisation, and the destruction of habitat it entails, is a major threat to native bird populations. But as our new research shows, restored urban forests can return native birds to ...2 days ago
- Poverty isn’t a temporary experience in Australia. We need urgent policy tackling persistent disad...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Esperanza Vera-Toscano, Senior research fellow, The University of Melbourne Shutterstock We often hear a job is the best way to get someone out of poverty. In many cases this is true, and anti-poverty strategies should prioritise improving people’s access to ...2 days ago
- 47% of NZ jobs supported by 2021 wage subsidy – govt reportNearly half of New Zealand's jobs were supported by last year's wage subsidies, which have helped keep unemployment low, the government says. ...2 days ago
- Taxpayers’ Union Welcomes ACT’s Plan To Slash The Burden Of The StateResponding to the ACT Party’s alternative Budget released today, New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union spokesman Jordan Williams says: “It’s a relief to see a political party significantly challenge the size and role of government. If Christopher Luxon thinks ...2 days ago
- Ram raiding teens should face tougher penalties, dairy owner saysAccording to police, in the 12 months to October last year there were 283 ram raids around the country, more than five a week. ...2 days ago
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