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Voters Dunne over in Ohariu
Written By: - Date published: 4:32 pm, July 29th, 2014 - 31 comments
Peter Dunne has been thrown the lifeline he has been begging for – National voters have been given the nod by Key to keep him on. One has to ask why would they bother – I can’t see him going back as a Minister after so many stuff ups and a resignation that leaves too many questions unanswered. Ohariu has a much better option in Labour’s Ginny Andersen – if she’d been there a truly independent Parliament would have delivered mothers 26 weeks parental leave for example. Dunne supported it initially but backed down when it came to the crunch.
Male, Pale and Stale
Written By: - Date published: 4:14 pm, July 28th, 2014 - 121 comments
It’s the National Party list!
Polity: Bye bye, Colin
Written By: - Date published: 10:43 am, July 28th, 2014 - 18 comments
National has all-but confirmed today that there no deal for Colin Craig in East Coast Bays, or for any other Conservative. This was the right thing for them to do, for one simple reason. This decision came down to simple maths. If Key thought the Conservatives could muster double the votes that a decision to back the Conservatives would cost National in the centre-ground, then he should do the deal. If not, he should not. All the stuff about Winston running was a bit of a late sideshow, as the decision had likely already been made.
NZ First conference – the kingmakers?
Written By: - Date published: 4:48 pm, July 15th, 2014 - 50 comments
It looks like I’ll be able to head to the NZ First conference at Alexandra Park racecourse on the weekend as media. This election the position of NZ First party members is probably going to be crucial for any coalition that forms. In this rather long post I explain my (and other peoples) thinking on possible coalition results for National after the election. They aren’t good because they really depend on a political group that National has been denigrating for quite a while.
Polity: Armstrong on Labour, turnout, MMP
Written By: - Date published: 11:36 am, July 15th, 2014 - 28 comments
Over the weekend John Armstrong had a column about youth voter turnout in the upcoming election. Much of the material was familiar – young people don’t vote so much – nobody talks their language, yo! – parties are Trying Very Hard, but they are also old fuddy-duddies – and so on. He then blamed much of it on a perceived trend toward centrist politics under MPP. But runs directly-if-casually contrary to at least two large research programmes in political science.
Polity: Nats’ sanctimony on tactical voting
Written By: - Date published: 5:56 pm, June 16th, 2014 - 34 comments
Poor David Farrar, he can’t write a post without getting accused of hypocrisy these days. It must have to do with that rancid stench he emanates whenever he gets on his high horse to lecture others. There’s only one political leader out there saying: “Tactical voting is a good idea for my supporters, and long may it continue, but it is a dreadful crime by others.” That leader is John Key.
Polity: Internet Party: “Ban coat-tailing.”
Written By: - Date published: 1:00 pm, June 16th, 2014 - 26 comments
New Zealand’s democracy would better if we had a lower threshold and no coat-tailing shenanigans. Even without coat-tailing there remains the potential for blocs to make tiny gains by way of electorate deals, but it would ensure the end of manifest unfairnesses like the relative ACT / NZ First results in 2008. The reality is that National had the opportunity to do the right thing, and chose not to for venal self-interested reasons, and are now crying like spoiled brats because their opponents are using it too.
Polity: Even non-coattail electorate deals can create unfair advantage
Written By: - Date published: 10:15 am, June 12th, 2014 - 21 comments
What of the deals with true minnow parties, like United Future or ACT? If a party is only polling enough to get one seat anyway, does it matter to Parliament overall whether the small party wins an electorate or its client big party wins it instead? The answer is “possibly, yes,” because we can never be sure which party ultimately loses a seat to accommodate the new minnow party in a 120 seat parliament. Say a Epsom deal as a test case
Pagani should read up on Labour policy
Written By: - Date published: 5:26 pm, June 1st, 2014 - 101 comments
On Q&A this morning Josie Pagani criticised Labour for not trying to get the MMP coat tail rule removed. The only problem is that Labour already has a bill ready to do just this. Before criticising the Party for inaction she should learn what the party is actually doing.
The coat-tail rule and democracy
Written By: - Date published: 5:00 pm, May 30th, 2014 - 136 comments
Allow me to fly in the face of an accepted truth in NZ politics by saying this: there is absolutely nothing undemocratic about the MMP “coat-tail” rules.
Russel & Metiria – or Winston?
Written By: - Date published: 9:30 am, April 23rd, 2014 - 133 comments
Yesterday Rob Salmond commented on Labour’s two likeliest options for coalition partners after the 2014 election, and had some interesting things to say about New Zealand First and the Greens. But I must beg to differ on the suggested advantages of offering a plum deal to Winston and expecting Russel and Metiria to play along […]
Polity: Boundary changes
Written By: - Date published: 5:16 pm, April 18th, 2014 - 20 comments
Rob Salmond’s take on the boundary changes announced last week. In a MMP election system the actual electoral boundaries usually only really matter to a few MPs. It isn’t likely to make much of a difference unless National manages to have a cup of tea with a party with enough electoral muscle to get more than a single MP into the house and an electorate’s voters think this matters. After the John Banks/Act debacle who’d be moronic enough to think that electorate seats in a list do matter? Apart from our silly first-past-the-post stand-in-man for David Farrar of course…
Labour and the Greens
Written By: - Date published: 1:42 pm, April 11th, 2014 - 162 comments
It’s not that complicated.
NRT: Unsurprising
Written By: - Date published: 2:52 pm, April 10th, 2014 - 17 comments
But on any realistic numbers, its unthinkable for a future Labour government not to include the Greens, and as Gordon Campbell points out, by refusing to define their relationship themselves, Labour has given National a free hand to do it for them – and in undoubtedly negative terms. That won’t do the Greens any harm. But its unlikely to be good for Labour.
Polity: The Greens’ proposed pre-election deal
Written By: - Date published: 2:45 pm, April 10th, 2014 - 58 comments
Last night, via One News, the public became aware that the Greens had proposed a pre-election coalition with Labour, but Labour had rejected it. While the Greens’ offer is nothing unusual internationally, New Zealand’s comparatively fair electoral system doesn’t provide Labour much incentive to accept it. Which, I think, makes Labour’s rejection of the proposal much less noteworthy.
Tim Watkin is wrong
Written By: - Date published: 10:22 am, April 8th, 2014 - 21 comments
Tim Watkin recently had a post over at Pundit, saying about why a 15% gap between Labour and National matters. His crux point is that in no MMP election has a party led by 15% and not formed the government. Unfortunately for Tim, this is demonstrably wrong.
Polity: Data on moral mandates in Europe
Written By: - Date published: 4:04 pm, February 14th, 2014 - 3 comments
Rob Salmond continues looking at the absolute silliness of the argument about the largest party having a “moral mandate” to form a government. It appears to be a self-serving wet dream made up by fossils who still haven’t grasped that we are nearly in our second decade of MMP. All our governments have been coalitions where the largest parties have usually received a mandate of less that a third of those on the roll. But look at the long-standing proportional governments of Europe for examples…
Key’s transparent gerrymander
Written By: - Date published: 8:12 pm, February 9th, 2014 - 101 comments
For John Key, MMP stands for “Manipulate Members of Parliament”. Senior journalists are beginning to call him on the games he’s playing, and good on them; gerrymander entered the New Zealand political lexicon at Key’s press conference this week. Key wants to push the issues away till closer to the election, when he’ll know what his polling is telling him – I hope the gallery don’t let him.
Coat-tail of Many Colours
Written By: - Date published: 1:19 pm, November 22nd, 2013 - 72 comments
Te Reo Putake speculates on exactly what plan that National and John Key have to distort the MMP review and Iain Lee Galloway’s private members bill so that it allows them to stay in power. Most probably by gifting Crazy Colin and the Conservatives with several chances to get several partners into parliament while discarding the husks of their former coalition partners.
Key loses his “Centre”, Herald spins right, Smith on the ropes
Written By: - Date published: 11:31 am, September 25th, 2013 - 35 comments
Cunliffe’s moderate, centre left Labour is on the rise; MSM-supported, NAct smears & negative spin is in over-drive. John Key and the NZ Herald editorial spin from the radical “neoliberal” right. Slippery Nick Smith, a NAct weak point, is under concerted pressure. [Updated]
Moral mandates
Written By: - Date published: 9:19 am, July 3rd, 2013 - 115 comments
Key is clearly getting nervous about the implosion of his possible electoral partners in 2014. He’s running the “largest party has a moral mandate to govern line” again. It’s destabilising, and it’s rubbish, here’s why…
Labour on MMP “consultation”
Written By: - Date published: 9:30 am, May 16th, 2013 - 29 comments
According to Labour: “Judith Collins has claimed that she ‘consulted’ with political parties but was unable to reach consensus. There was absolutely no consultation.”
Judith Collins, MMP, “consensus” & democracy
Written By: - Date published: 6:33 pm, May 14th, 2013 - 69 comments
Holly Walker dragged out of Judith Collins that the government will not implement the Electoral Commission’s recommendations for MMP. Collins argues there is no “consensus” between all political parties on possible changes. The Greens say National has not kept the promise of changes, out of self interest.
NRT: MMP review: Running down the clock
Written By: - Date published: 10:55 am, April 26th, 2013 - 1 comment
I/S at No Right Turn on the strange disappearance of the Electoral Commission recommendations on MMP. Soon it will be too late to have changes in place for 2014…
Deja vu all over again: Labour in 2014 edition
Written By: - Date published: 2:00 pm, January 13th, 2013 - 104 comments
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again here: a Labour victory in 2014 isn’t necessarily better than a National victory in 2014.
Random thoughts on MMP
Written By: - Date published: 4:14 pm, November 6th, 2012 - 36 comments
Colin James has expressed my response to Judith Collin’s politicialising of the MMP review. “Elections do not belong to MPs. Elections belong to the people. MPs should be very wary of appropriating what belongs to others.”. Self-interested bleating by Act and United Future doesn’t mean that National should go off and do another short-term hack of the good proposals as they did in after 1993. The recommendations are clear and an accurate reflection of public mood. Just implement them as they are.
MMP: we need follow through
Written By: - Date published: 5:29 pm, November 5th, 2012 - 20 comments
The Electoral Commission’s report is out. Now we need to make sure that the Government follow-thru on what an independent board have decided having listened to ordinary New Zealanders’ submissions.
MMP Review newsletter
Written By: - Date published: 3:46 pm, September 4th, 2012 - Comments Off on MMP Review newsletter
We’re just days away from the end of public consultation on the MMP Review, and this week is your last chance make a submission on the Proposals Paper. You can make your submission online or via email to mmpreview@elections.govt.nz
Geddis: Is someone trying to game the MMP review?
Written By: - Date published: 11:04 am, August 24th, 2012 - 31 comments
The excellent Andrew Geddis at Pundit has an interesting post up this morning. You should head on over there and check it out. Here are a couple of extracts to get you started…
Frankly Speaking: “John Banks: condition deteriorating”
Written By: - Date published: 3:05 pm, August 15th, 2012 - 18 comments
Frank Macskasy over at Frankly Speaking writes some very long posts that are often full of interesting information. This one does a good analysis of the recommendations from the Electoral Commission and various party positions on it. On the way through he has a good swipe at John Banks, who it would be safe to say, he considers to be political cabbage.
Quick thoughts on MMP changes
Written By: - Date published: 8:08 am, August 14th, 2012 - 19 comments
Lowering the threshold to 4% is a step in the right direction but why not go further? Getting rid of coattailing is negative in theory but in practice could stop anti-democratic gaming by major parties protecting tiny client parties. Abolishing overhangs is bad – it just increases disproportionality for parties with strong electorate support vs party support – ie the Maori Party.
- I Put A Spell On You
You know I can't stand itYou're running aroundYou know better, daddyI can't stand it 'cause you put me downOh, noI put a spell on youBecause you're mineSongwriter: Jay Hawkins.Please note that there is a paywall later in this newsletter, so before I begin, a reminder of my current offers and ...2 weeks ago - A Confession
Hi,I have a confession to make — I have been on holiday. I don’t really do holidays. They fill me with guilt. I need to be making something, or trying to make something. It’s all tied in with my sense of self worth, but we’ll get to that another day.I’ve ...2 weeks ago - Simeon Brown alienates another National electorate
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Open access notables Global emergence of regional heatwave hotspots outpaces climate model simulations, Kornhuber et al., Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences: Multiple recent record-shattering weather events raise questions about the adequacy of climate models to effectively predict and prepare for unprecedented climate impacts on human life, infrastructure, and ecosystems. Here, we ...3 weeks ago
- Friday 6 December
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- The State of David Seymour’s Shameless Condescension and Unbridled Arrogance
.Thanks for reading Frankly Speaking ! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work..Setting the stageQuestion: How does one make money, when something stands in the way?Answer: Get rid of that thing. Or at least dilute it.Present Day, Aotearoa New ZealandIn his Beehive media statement, Seymour recently ...3 weeks ago - Weekly Roundup 06-December-2024
It’s another Friday and it has been a big week in Auckland. We hope everyone’s excited to be in the final stretch of the year! Here’s some of the stories that have caught our attention this week. This post, like all our work, is brought to you by a largely ...3 weeks ago
- The Days Go By
It must be your skin, I'm sinkin' inIt must be for real, 'cause now I can feelAnd I didn't mind, it's not my kindIt's not my time to wonder whySongwriter: Gavin Rossdale.As the year winds up, I’m feeling a bit mentally drained, so today’s newsletter is one of reminiscing. Today, ...3 weeks ago - The Hoon around the week to December 6
The podcast above of the weekly ‘Hoon’ webinar for paying subscribers on Thursday night features co-hosts & talking about the week’s news with: on Trade and Agriculture Minister Todd McClay saying New Zealand would not buy emissions credits overseas, effectively admitting we’ll renege on our Paris commitments. (RNZ) ...3 weeks ago
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Video above. These videos are also designed for those not versed in the detailed subject matter so excuse any repeats of Health NZ facts you are aware of from reading Mountain Tui for too long!Recently, I read a Substack article which, on my brief skim, lamented the rise of critiquing ...3 weeks ago
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- Welcome progress on youth vaping
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- Consultation opens on fisheries sustainability
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- Speech to Employment and Manufacturers Association on Holidays Act
Good morning everyone, and thank you for the kind introduction, Alan. As always, it is a pleasure to be here, and I appreciate the time you’ve all taken to come out during what is undoubtedly the busiest season of the year for some of you. It has certainly felt ...2 weeks ago
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Legislation that will make stalking illegal with a maximum penalty of up to five years in prison has been introduced and passed through first reading in Parliament today, Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith says. “Existing harassment laws haven’t kept pace with trends in this dangerous area. Since I announced this Bill, ...2 weeks ago
- New tools to be added to Traffic Light System
Legislation that will introduce new non-financial benefit sanctions into the welfare Traffic Light System and require people on Jobseeker Support to reapply every six months has passed its first reading in Parliament today. “The Social Security Amendment Bill expands the welfare Traffic Light System that launched in August with new ...2 weeks ago
- Changes to encourage more rental homes passed into law
The Residential Tenancies Amendment Bill has passed its third reading, delivering on the coalition Government’s commitment to deliver sensible changes to tenancy laws, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. “The previous Government’s war on landlords ultimately caused worse outcomes for tenants: rents up by $170 per week from 2017 to 2023, ...2 weeks ago
- Second RMA Amendment Bill introduced to Parliament
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- NZGIF update
Cecilia Tarrant has announced she has resigned as Chair of New Zealand Green Investment Finance, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. “I want to acknowledge the work Ms Tarrant has led over the last six years and thank her for her service.” Ms Tarrant will stand down with effect from ...2 weeks ago
- Speech to the New Zealand China Council
It is a pleasure to be here this afternoon and thank you to John McKinnon and the New Zealand-China Council for the invitation. New Zealand greatly values its long-standing relationship with China. The connections between our two countries are strong, although recovering after being deeply affected by the impacts of ...2 weeks ago
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- Karen Walker and Keven Mealamu join CNZ Board
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- Health targets encouraging – work continues
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- Keeping the pirates at bay: Should the Australian ‘Blocking Order’ case prompt a discussion in N...
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As he makes a surprise return to Shortland Street, actor Craig Parker takes us through his life in television. Craig Parker has been a fixture on television in Aotearoa for nearly four decades. He had starring roles in iconic local series like Gloss, Mercy Peak and Diplomatic Immunity, featured in ...5 days ago - ‘I prioritise the mission, not my health’: Adam McGrath’s perfect weekend playlist
The Ōtautahi musician shares the 10 tracks he loves to spin, including the folk classic that cured him of a ‘case of the give-ups’. When singer-songwriter Adam McGrath returns to Kumeu’s Auckland Folk Festival from January 24-27, he’s not planning on simply idling his way through – he wants the late ...5 days ago
- The rescue dog bringing joy to Christchurch retirement homes
Alex Casey spends an afternoon on the job with River, the rescue dog on a mission to spread joy to Ōtautahi rest homes. Almost everyone says it is never enough time. But River the rescue dog, a jet black huntaway border collie cross, has to keep a tight pace to ...5 days ago
- Fiji pro-Palestine nativity scene exposes Gaza as ‘hell on earth’ at Christmas
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By 1News Pacific correspondent Barbara Dreaver and 1News reporters A number of Kiwis have been successfully evacuated from Vanuatu after a devastating earthquake shook the Pacific island nation earlier this week. The death toll was still unclear, though at least 14 people were killed according to an earlier statement from ...5 days ago
- How diplomats have broken the law in NZ – and what happened next
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- Parliament’s final sitting day an insight into party factions
On Parliament's last day of the year, there was a rare glimpse of the factions within the major parties. ...5 days ago
- Former Labour MP, North Shore mayor Ann Hartley dies
Former Labour MP and mayor of Auckland's North Shore City Ann Hartley has died. ...5 days ago
- The closest thing Australian cartooning had to a prophet: the sometimes celebrated, sometimes contro...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Richard Scully, Professor in Modern History, University of New England Bunker. Image courtesy of Michael Leunig, CC BY-NC-SA Michael Leunig – who died in the early hours of Thursday December 19, surrounded by “his children, loved ones, and sunflowers” – was the ...5 days ago
- Labour moves Speaker from the ‘nice’ to ‘naughty’ list
Last week's fights with the Speaker over the Fast Track schedule may have changed the tone in Parliament. ...5 days ago
- Govt ends pilot programme for Māori and Pacific, sparking outrage
The Government announced the end of the programme that allowed Māori and Pacific people to acess bowel cancer screening at 50-years-old. ...5 days ago
- Parliament fits an extra morning into final sitting day
The House - On Parliament's last day of the year, there was the rare occurrence of a personal (conscience) vote on selling booze over the Easter weekend. While it didn't have the numbers to pass, it was a chance to get a rare glimpse of the fact ...5 days ago
- The Friday Poem: ‘Bejeweled log’ by Holly Fletcher
A new poem by Holly Fletcher. bejeweled log i was dreaming about wasps / wee darlings that followed me / ducking under objects / that i was fated to pickup / my fingers seeking / and meeting with tiny proboscis’s / but instead / i wake up / roll sideways ...6 days ago
- Sunglasses don’t just look good – they’re good for you too. Here’s how to choose the right p...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Flora Hui, Research Fellow, Centre for Eye Research Australia and Honorary Fellow, Department of Surgery (Ophthalmology), The University of Melbourne Versta/Shutterstock Australians are exposed to some of the highest levels of solar ultraviolet (UV) radiation in the world. While we ...6 days ago
- How does franchising work?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrew Terry, Professor of Business Regulation, University of Sydney Michael von Aichberger/Shutterstock Even if you’ve no idea how the business model underpinning franchises works, there’s a good chance you’ve spent money at one. Franchising is essentially a strategy for cloning ...6 days ago
- The one episode of Shortland Street you need to watch this year
If something big is going to happen in Ferndale, it’s going to happen at Christmas. This is an excerpt from our weekly pop culture newsletter Rec Room. Sign up here. If there’s one episode of Shortland Street you should watch each year, it’s the annual Christmas cliffhanger. The final episode of ...6 days ago
- As China expands its cyber espionage and sabotage operations, how will the Trump administration resp...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By William A. Stoltz, Lecturer and expert Associate, National Security College, Australian National University US President-elect Donald Trump has named most of the members of his proposed cabinet. However, he’s yet to reveal key appointees to America’s powerful cyber warfare and intelligence institutions. ...6 days ago
- The Unity Books bestseller chart for 2024
Announcing the top 10 books of the the year at Unity Books’ stores in High St, Auckland, and Willis St, Wellington. AUCKLAND 1 Intermezzo by Sally Rooney (Faber & Faber, $37) The phenomenal Irish writer is the unsurprising chart topper for 2024 with her fourth novel that, much like her first ...6 days ago
- Government confirms plan to dismantle Te Pūkenga, re-establish polytechs
The government has confirmed its plan to break up Te Pūkenga / New Zealand Institute of Skills and Technology and re-establish independent polytechnics. ...6 days ago
- AI can’t do your Christmas shopping just yet – but next year might be different
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jon Whittle, Director, Data61 Ganjalex / Shutterstock I’m a computer scientist and a bad Christmas shopper. Over the weekend, I wondered whether AI systems might be able to help me out. Could I just prompt ChatGPT to pick a personalised ...6 days ago
- Heading on an overseas holiday? The Australian dollar tumbled this week – but that’s not bad new...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mark Crosby, Professor of Economics, Monash University Michael Leslie/Shutterstock This week, the value of the Australian dollar fell to 62 US cents, its lowest level since October 2022. The acute cause? A revelation by the United States Federal Reserve that ...6 days ago
- Former political figure who abused teens confirms appeal
The former political figure who sexually abused two teens in the late 1990s will challenge his case in the Court of Appeal next year. ...6 days ago
- The real NZ Wrapped: Analysing the 2024 NZ Music charts
A couple of weeks after Spotify Wrapped comes a much more comprehensive survey of New Zealand’s listening. Duncan Greive casts an eye over the official 2024 end of year music charts. Streaming has changed music listening, and what we know about it, forever. Where once our charts were sales driven, ...6 days ago
- End of Clean Car discount, road user charges see EV sales decline
Subsidies are gone, road user charges are in, and ACC levies are up. So do electric cars still make financial sense? ...6 days ago
- Without clean water, Pacific Islanders turn to sugary drinks. Tackling this could reduce obesity
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Suneha Seetahul, Senior Research Fellow, Applied Microeconomics, University of Sydney Kara Math/Shutterstock One in two people in the Pacific Islands is classified as overweight (with a body mass index of 25–29) or obese (a BMI 30 or above). This is a ...6 days ago
- Beware of bad customers – and 3 other ways small and medium businesses can thrive in 2025
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Antje Fiedler, Senior Lecturer, Management and International Business, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau There is no denying times have been tough for small and medium-sized businesses, and 2025 is not looking that much better. Gross domestic product per capita is continuing ...6 days ago
- Community Voices Needed To Challenge Legislative Threats To Māori Wellbeing
The Regulatory Standards Bill and the Oranga Tamariki Bill are both open for public submissions, yet the urgency of these proposed laws remains largely under the radar for many. ...6 days ago - ‘Just like the pie’: Bubble tea is here to stay
Bubble tea has taken the world, and New Zealand, by storm. But where did it come from and is it here to stay? At 5pm on a sunny evening on Dominion Road, the retail shops have closed and the restaurants have yet to start doling out their saucy noodles ...6 days ago
- James Cameron to launch new ‘vision’ to save struggling Wellington
A group of high-profile Wellingtonians are launching a series of events about the future of the city, with the first to feature film director James Cameron. ...6 days ago
- Getting people out of their cars is possible with the right plans and policies – case study
Despite efforts by governments, councils and individuals, sustained increases in the use of alternative modes of transport remain elusive. ...6 days ago
- How can I keep my cat happy? 5 tips from a vet to help your feline friend live their best life
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Anne Quain, Senior Lecturer, Sydney School of Veterinary Science, University of Sydney antibydni/Shutterstock Around one third of Australian households live with at least one cat, yet surveys tell us the cats’ needs are not being met. Cats may rule the internet, ...6 days ago
- In the Bible, angels can be deadly. So why do we place them at the top of our Christmas trees?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Robyn J. Whitaker, Associate Professor, New Testament & Director of the Wesley Centre, University of Divinity Shutterstock Those beautiful white and gold angels you see on Christmas trees were originally monsters. At least, that is the claim made by scholar Esther ...6 days ago
- Almost 1 million Australians are LGBTQIA+ – and for the first time, there’s a new national healt...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jennifer Power, Associate Professor and Principal Research Fellow, Australian Research Centre in Sex, Health and Society, La Trobe University Lomb/Shutterstock New data released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) this week shows one in 20 (4.5%) Australians over 16 are ...6 days ago
- Heatwaves and bushfires can be a dangerous mix for the electricity grid. Here’s how to shore up yo...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Shukla Poddar, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, School of Photovoltaics and Renewable Energy Engineering, UNSW Sydney The Australian summer has started to unleash its power. On Monday, the Victorian town of Walpeup reached 47.1°C, and towns in Queensland, western New South Wales, South Australia ...6 days ago
- Climate anger can lead to action – or curdle into despair. We found out why
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Samantha Stanley, Research Fellow in Social Psychology, UNSW Sydney Jacob Lund/Shutterstock Strong emotional responses to environmental problems are remarkably common. We know people are angry about climate change – but how many? Our new research surveyed 5,000 Australians and found ...6 days ago
- ‘You can’t hear a smile’: how video visits help dads in prison stay connected with their kids
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Elisabeth Duursma, Research Theme Fellow Education and Work, Western Sydney University Julia M Cameron/ Pexels , CC BY Many Australians know December 21 as “Gravy Day”. This is a reference to Paul Kelly’s song and new film How to Make Gravy, ...6 days ago
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