local government
Categories under local government
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What happened to National’s policy machine?
Written By: - Date published: 8:34 am, November 16th, 2022 - 70 comments
Remember when a few leaders ago then National Leader Simon Bridges promised that National would be a 56 MP policy machine? Judging by its response to the Government’s release of two bills at the centre of RMA reform the machine has major problems.
The Striking Similarities Between Elon Musk and Wayne Brown
Written By: - Date published: 9:02 pm, November 9th, 2022 - 17 comments
Elon Musk and Wayne Brown both deliberately promote chaos.
Wayne Brown’s letters
Written By: - Date published: 8:52 am, October 20th, 2022 - 50 comments
Wayne Brown (or is that Matthew Hooton) has over the past few days released a series of letters that are astonishing in their audacity. His latest on transport proposes business as usual at a time when dramatic change is required.
The Auckland Mayor’s powers
Written By: - Date published: 9:29 am, October 18th, 2022 - 72 comments
Wayne Brown has by Mayoral decree ordered Watercare to stop working on the Three Waters reform. But he should take legal advice because his decree has absolutely no legal force.
We needed Wayne Brown
Written By: - Date published: 2:01 pm, October 11th, 2022 - 81 comments
The left and the Ardern government need to start appreciating the new Auckland mayor.
The people have spoken
Written By: - Date published: 8:21 am, October 10th, 2022 - 147 comments
The people have spoken and with appallingly low turnout levels grumpy campaigns have succeeded and Auckland and other areas have moved to the right.
Local Government election results
Written By: - Date published: 1:52 pm, October 8th, 2022 - 256 comments
Live updates and discussion post
Own our future
Written By: - Date published: 8:48 am, October 6th, 2022 - 43 comments
This year’s Local Government election is reaching a critical stage. And it is vital to get the right people elected. Please make sure that your families and friends vote for progressive candidates. Your kids and your grandkids futures depend on it.
The difference between Simon Wilson and Mike Hosking
Written By: - Date published: 9:28 am, October 3rd, 2022 - 47 comments
Wayne Brown’s mayoral campaign hit a really big pothole on the weekend when he was caught bad mouthing Herald reporter Simon Wilson. His comments received a lot of support from the right on social media who made comments about Wilson similar to the comments the left make about Mike Hosking. Are these examples of the same phenomenon, political bias against critical commentators?
What is Paul Eagle doing?
Written By: - Date published: 12:33 pm, September 22nd, 2022 - 17 comments
Some concerning reports have emerged about Paul Eagle’s mayoral campaign. This week there have been reports that he snubbed a Labour Council candidate while endorsing a right wing candidate. And that he has been working behind the scenes supporting a team of independents.
The right’s last desperate throw of the dice in Auckland
Written By: - Date published: 12:50 pm, September 16th, 2022 - 18 comments
Even though her name is on the ballot paper and people can vote for her National aligned Mayoral candidate Viv Beck has purported to withdraw from the Auckland Mayoral race.
Viv Beck going full Trump backfires
Written By: - Date published: 10:48 am, August 31st, 2022 - 28 comments
Recent leaks and publicity have caused huge damage to Viv Beck’s campaign to become Auckland’s next mayor. They also highlight the stark difference between the left and the right in terms of campaigning.
Who will be Wellington’s next Mayor?
Written By: - Date published: 8:40 am, August 23rd, 2022 - 24 comments
The Wellington Mayoralty is shaping up to be a contest between the incumbent Andy Foster, Labour candidate Paul Eagle who will be a direct challenge to Foster’s support base and Tory Whanau who is standing on a policy basis strong on sustainability including the construction of a comprehensive connected bike network.
Molloy drops out of Mayoralty race
Written By: - Date published: 12:57 pm, August 12th, 2022 - 35 comments
Self described tough man Leo Molloy has found the going too tough and has pulled out of the Auckland mayoralty race.
Was This The Change We Needed?
Written By: - Date published: 1:07 pm, August 9th, 2022 - 11 comments
Crises that profoundly test a small developed state like New Zealand have required huge growth in state strength and policy power. But was it the change we needed?
Nonsense Auckland Council PR
Written By: - Date published: 12:34 pm, June 30th, 2022 - 19 comments
Sometimes the egregious spin gets too much. And when developers who want a compact urban form are telling Auckland Council that its plans are not working you know Auckland Council has a problem.
The dodgy Auckland Mayoralty Curia poll
Written By: - Date published: 8:58 am, June 21st, 2022 - 104 comments
An Auckland Ratepayers Alliance Curia poll that was trumpeted as claiming that Efeso Collins and Leo Molloy were neck and neck in terms of public support has attracted criticism after it was disclosed that the poll of 500 persons had 53% stating that they did not know who they would vote for.
Tamaki Makaurau’s very own wannabe Trump
Written By: - Date published: 9:10 am, June 20th, 2022 - 41 comments
What started out as an ego driven campaign is now developing into full blown Trumism as Leo Molloy thrashes around attempting to court attention in the belief, Trump like, that it will convert into political support.
Selling Henderson Film Studios is Actually Good
Written By: - Date published: 8:15 am, June 15th, 2022 - Comments Off on Selling Henderson Film Studios is Actually Good
In 2003 Mayor Bob Harvey drove the formation of Film Auckland and the construction of the Henderson Valley Studios. Now they are being sold. But this is a good thing.
The Auckland Mayoralty campaign
Written By: - Date published: 1:22 pm, May 15th, 2022 - 9 comments
The Auckland mayoralty campaign promises to be a fascinating contest between a right winger promising to spend $1.5 million on the campaign and wants to turn sprinklers on the homeless and Efeso Collins who promises to run an inclusive respectful campaign.
The politics of opposition to cycleways
Written By: - Date published: 10:30 am, May 8th, 2022 - 53 comments
Opposition to Auckland Council’s Cycling and Micromobility Programme Business Case appears to be motivated by the belief that plans to have more of the population walk and cycle instead of using cars will be unpopular. Overseas experience suggests that not only can these types of projects contribute significantly to sustainability but they can also be very popular.
3 Waters Reform Must Happen
Written By: - Date published: 5:22 pm, April 3rd, 2022 - 147 comments
If you’re out there in ZB land and believe that water management should be democratically elected, you won’t find respite here. Local Government has done a terrible job dealing with water and change is urgently needed.
Free public transport for Auckland is a very good idea
Written By: - Date published: 1:35 pm, February 23rd, 2022 - 66 comments
Efeso Collins has announced his first Mayoral campaign policy and it is a biggie, free public transport for Auckland.
Auckland Mayor Phil Goff to Retire
Written By: - Date published: 10:00 am, February 15th, 2022 - 6 comments
Some thoughts on the contribution of Phil Goff to Auckland during his term as Mayor.
Goff retiring as super city mayor
Written By: - Date published: 11:04 am, February 14th, 2022 - 52 comments
Phil Goff has announced that he will not seek re-election as Auckland’s Mayor.
Light Rail: The State Is Back
Written By: - Date published: 9:46 am, January 31st, 2022 - 30 comments
The light rail route and mode decision this week shows something new. It’s in the nature of the state itself.
Goodbye, Auckland
Written By: - Date published: 9:23 am, December 14th, 2021 - 21 comments
For the hundreds of thousands of Aucklanders who have decided to holiday at a town near you, just be careful: they may never leave.
Who will be the next Auckland Mayor?
Written By: - Date published: 8:00 am, December 4th, 2021 - 35 comments
Efeso Collins has announced that if Phil Goff does not stand as Mayor and Labour runs a selection process for the next Mayoralty he would be keen to nominate.
New Zealand’s New Low Carbon Economy Stays Difficult
Written By: - Date published: 9:52 am, November 7th, 2021 - 36 comments
Southland Mayor Gary Tong has justified felling a forest to construct a coal mine by saying “[w]e all want to make a cleaner, greener planet, but we can’t do it in five minutes.”
Covid alters Auckland
Written By: - Date published: 8:43 am, November 3rd, 2021 - 22 comments
With in-person shopping about to re-start in Auckland next week, this is the best moment we will have to reinvent Auckland: one customer at a time.
The Entrust election debacle
Written By: - Date published: 10:43 am, October 31st, 2021 - 56 comments
National aligned C&R has shown how bad it is at running elections by running an election where less than one in ten eligible people voted.
- Gordon Campbell on entrenchment, and being ‘soft on crime’
Good grief. Is it really a grave misuse of power to entrench safeguards against the irreversible sale of key public assets? Hardly. If this country has learned anything over the past 40 years, it should be that New Zealand has suffered lasting economic and social damage from the previous sales ...9 hours ago - Entrenching anti-privatisation
Last week, Labour put the House into urgency to push on with its legislative agenda. Part of this included the committee stage of the three waters bill, and something unusual happened: they passed an entrenchment clause protecting the bill's anti-privatisation clause - meaning that a future government would need the ...11 hours ago - Bryce Edwards: The Misuse of power to entrench Three Waters legislation
When governments become tired and lose their popularity – usually in their third term – they often become desperate to get their way and prone to misusing their power. This is currently in evidence with the Labour Government’s push to lock in elements of their Three Waters reform programme by ...15 hours ago - Revenge and rage optics continues to dominate the politics of the Right, even here. All voters deser...
The vapid cycle of self-serving performative rage when it suits… the screaming for repeal here, there and everywhere… the constant calls from columnists and the airwaves to “be angry”, for the public to just get up and be “stomping mad!”… Of course, none of this is the stuff from ...1 day ago - Top tweets on the Government’s Three Waters law entrenchmentCatching up on constitutional developments while I’ve been deep in the marking cave. And this one is a doozy — and perhaps concerning? An SOP entrenching a point of policy (ownership/control of water assets) was agreed, ie 60% majority needed to repeal.https://t.co/GRRXrmr6ZW pic.twitter.com/sm4MCOD85w — ᴅʀ ᴅᴇᴀɴ ...1 day ago
- A Strange Hill To Die On.
Last Stand? Has Labour’s caucus chosen the Government’s deeply unpopular Three Waters policy as the hill upon which it will stand and die? And, if that is the case, then – why?CURIA RESEARCH recently conducted a poll in the Napier electorate. Bad news for Stuart Nash, the Labour incumbent, whose ...1 day ago - 2022 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #48
A chronological listing of news articles posted on the Skeptical Science Facebook Page during the past week: Sun, Nov 20, 2022 thru Sat, Nov 26, 2022. Story of the Week The Art at COP27 Offered Opportunities to Move Beyond ‘Empty Words’ In Egypt, visitors encountered creative works about climate anxiety, sustainability ...2 days ago - Revisiting the Big Three of Weird Tales: H.P. Lovecraft, C.A. Smith, and R.E. Howard
My October 2022 reading was marked by a reacquaintance with old-school Pulp Fantasy and Horror, specifically a binge through the collected works of H.P. Lovecraft, Clark Ashton Smith, and Robert E. Howard. Two of those three are still well-known names among fantasy readers, but in the first half of ...2 days ago - Open Government: Another farceYesterday the government released its draft Fourth Open Government Partnership National Action Plan 2023-24 for consultation. Like previous versions, the plan was meant to be "co-created" with civil society. And like previous versions, that obligation seems to have been observed mainly in the breach, with the government conducting a series ...3 days ago
- The Crypto Casino
Financial activity is too often gambling. Cryptocurrencies are the latest example.Gambling is a zero sum game: the proceeds of the winners are offset by the losses of the losers. That statement is not quite true because typically there is someone between taking a margin on each transaction. Patrons leave a ...3 days ago - Bryce Edwards: Why Labour capitulated on hate speech lawsThe Labour Government is currently fighting on multiple fronts that threaten its popularity in the run-up to next year’s election. Therefore, when a call had to be made about whether to push through divisive and poorly-designed hate speech laws, there really was no decision for Justice Minister Kiri Allan to ...4 days ago
- Josh Van Veen: Wayne Brown’s first monthWayne Brown has been Mayor for a month, and already he has done more to change Auckland than Phil Goff did in six years. The changes began even before Brown was sworn in. Only hours after the election results were announced on 8 October, the Chair of Auckland Transport Adrienne ...4 days ago
- Skeptical Science New Research for Week #47 2022Open access notables: Web bulb temperatures verging on unsurvivable are creeping into our world and heading toward familiar. That's the lesson we can infer from Dong-Quan & Sun's Effects of anthropogenic forcing and atmospheric circulation on the record-breaking welt bulb heat event over southern China in September 2021. Analyzing an event including 32.8°C the authors find: ...4 days ago
- An engineered recession is class warfareThe Reserve Bank has just come out and admitted that they are engineering a recession to protect the rich: The Reserve Bank is deliberately engineering a recession to reign back inflation after being slow to raise interest rates, Reserve Bank governor Adrian Orr admitted to a select committee on ...4 days ago
- That’s no how you do democracyLast night, the English Supreme Court ruled that the Scottish government cannot hold an independence referendum. Having said that Scotland is not a colony, they then turned around and effectively said that they are, by forbidding them from holding a democratic vote on their own constitutional arrangements unless another country ...4 days ago
- Gordon Campbell on the centre-right’s internal ructionsFor donkey’s years, political commentary has been all about the binaries: left/right, Labour/National, government/opposition, she said/he said. Yet currently, a lot of the fascinating conflict is occurring amidst the centre-right. That’s because National, ACT and New Zealand First all happen to be fishing in the same pond for cranky and ...5 days ago
- Bryce Edwards: Politicians and the Reserve Bank are being blamed for an escalating economic crisisWill the looming economic recession kill off Labour’s re-election chances? Is the Reserve Bank making things worse? And could a National Government do any better? These are some of the big political questions floating around after the full extent of the economy’s plight was made clear by the Reserve Bank ...5 days ago
- Josephine Varghese: From Obama to Sunak–do representational milestones mean anything more than sym...New Zealand media have recently discussed two major representational milestones in politics. Firstly, New Zealand Parliament achieving 50% women’s representation with the induction of Labour list MP Soraya Peke-Mason. Secondly, Rishi Sunak becoming the UK’s first non-White Prime Minister. Major media outlets have been celebrating these events as watershed moments ...5 days ago
- Gustavo Petro and the Civic – Military Campaigns
Gearóid Ó Loingsigh looks at the new government in Colombia and how it talks of peace while increasing militarisation The Petro–Márquez government is one which proposes to bring us to what they term Total Peace. The term and the proposal as such have been subjected to justifiable criticism, not least ...5 days ago - Labour attacks LGOIMA – in secretToday the government used urgency to introduce a new Local Government Official Information and Meetings Amendment Bill. The bulk of the bill deals with land information memorandums (LIMs), requiring local authorities to notify of natural hazards and granting them immunity for doing so in good faith (hopefully forestalling lawsuits by ...5 days ago
- Climate Change: Fixing the Crown Minerals Act?Back in August, the High Court ruled that the Zero Carbon Act isn't worth shit and that the government can continue to approve new fossil fuel exploration without having to consider climate change. The core of the problem is the Crown Minerals Act, and in particular its purpose: "to promote ...5 days ago
- The True Cost
It is hard to take seriously the voices of those currently asserting that Brexit has come with a considerable economic cost. Where were those voices at the very beginning of what became the Brexit saga, when we were assured that membership of what was then the Common Market would produce ...5 days ago - Political Roundup: 23 November 2022Items of interest and importance today VOTING AGE Henry Cooke (Guardian): New Zealand’s supreme court has forced voting age on to agenda, exposing absurd arguments for status quo Henry Cooke: The only reasonable argument for retaining the voting age Thomas Coughlan (Herald): Local election voting age looks set to change ...6 days ago
- Phil Ferguson: a firsthand account of the Irish strugglePhil Ferguson is a founding editor of Redline and was a regular contributor. He has been out of action for the past year after suffering a stroke. He is learning to walk again and hoping to get back to writing. Tim Leadbeater sat down with Phil to talk about topics ...6 days ago
- The Most Pertinent Question.Why Now? As Rebecca Wright pointed out to Justice Minister, Kiritapu Allan, on Newshub Nation, a great deal of political travail could have been avoided by the Labour Government if they’d simply accepted the Royal Commission’s recommendation to extend the already existing legal protections against the incitement of racial hatred ...6 days ago
- FinallyAt the 2020 election, Labour promised to regulate property managers. Now, they're finally doing it: The Government’s announcement that rental property managers will be regulated has left the industry asking for more detail, and tenants calling for landlords to be regulated too. Regulating property managers was one of the ...6 days ago
- Young people must be allowed to vote
Let me just start out by saying that young people must be allowed to vote. Not because they are more enlightened than previous generations, but because the earlier people become voters, the more likely they will continue to participate in democracy.We have a serious problem in New Zealand with low ...7 days ago - How to counter holocaust denial – a particular type of hate speech
Plebity – a left free speech website looks at how to ‘counter hate speech with more speech’. This excellent article addresses one of the points discussed in the interview with Daniel Ben-Ami about how tolerance doesn’t mean silently allowing bad ideas or adopting a relativist outlook. WHAT DOES IT MEAN, ...7 days ago - Bryce Edwards: The High barriers to lowering the voting ageSixteen-year-olds aren’t about to get the right to vote anytime soon. Despite yesterday’s Supreme Court declaration that a voting age of 18 violates the Bill of Rights, there are still many barriers to get over before the voting age could be lowered. In fact, as a best-case scenario, youth voting ...7 days ago
- The Iran protests and the battle for Women’s RightsIn this Free Speech Union podcast Daphna Whitmore speaks with Dr Forough Amin about what’s happening in Iran after two months of growing protests across the country. Forough is a women’s rights activist and the founder of the Iranian Women in NZ Charitable Trust. Forough discusses the dire state of ...1 week ago
- The Sagas and Fairy Tales of the South Pacific: Maori Legends, as collected by Sir George Grey (1855...
As a Pakeha New Zealander who spent the majority of his school-level education in the lower North Island in the 1990s, I received a smattering of Maori cultural infusion. I learned how to count to ten in Maori, learned the names of colours, some rudiments of pronunciation from singing ...1 week ago - A victory for democracy!Today, the Supreme Court ruled on the case of Make it 16 Inc v AG, declaring that the law forbidding 16 and 17 year olds from voting was inconsistent with the right to be free from discrimination, and that it had not been justified under the BORA. Its a ...1 week ago
- Gordon Campbell on Qatar, Joyce Carol Oates and Mimi ParkerThe FIFA World Cup has kicked off amid laments about Qatar’s terrible human rights record, and FIFA’s greed in awarding them the Cup hosting rights in the first place. The criticism raining down on Qatar over its murderous treatment of migrant workers errs and its persecution of its LGBT community ...1 week ago
- Geoffrey Miller: Does New Zealand need to up its game with World Cup host Qatar?As the FIFA World Cup gets underway in Qatar, it is worth looking at the state of New Zealand’s wider relationship with the host nation. While New Zealand often likes to think of itself as a small country, it comfortably outranks Qatar in both size and population. In terms of ...1 week ago
- Elizabeth Rata: The Curriculum, intelligence, and democracyThe intelligence of the New Zealand population increased during the 20th century. Nutrition played its part but so too did education. Young people were taught the abstract knowledge of academic subjects and in the process developed secondary intelligence. Since the 1990s, the emptying out of prescribed academic knowledge from the ...1 week ago
- Where are Ukrainian refugees going? – an update
A temporary tent camp set up for Ukrainian refugees in Donetsk, in Russia’s Rostov region near the Russian-Ukrainian border, June 22, ... 1 week ago - If It Ain’t Broke, Why Fix It?Still Going Strong: Why has the Minister of Justice cobbled together a group of “progressive” academics, most of whom subscribe to the core beliefs of Māori nationalism, “decolonisation”, and te Tiriti revisionism, to “review” our political system? In the absence of any convincing evidence that our electoral machinery is “broke”, ...1 week ago
- 2022 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #47A chronological listing of news articles posted on the Skeptical Science Facebook Page during the past week: Sun, Nov 13, 2022 thru Sat, Nov 19, 2022. Story of the Week Is COP27 the End of Hopes for Limiting Global Warming to 1.5 Degrees Celsius? The climate talks are going into overtime ...1 week ago
- Labour grovels to the bigotsIn the wake of the March 15 terror attack, the inquiry recommended tougher hate-speech laws. And after dragging their feet on it for a full year, the government has basicly said "fuck that": The Government has drastically watered down its hate speech reforms, Justice Minister Kiri Allan said on Saturday. ...1 week ago
- Are We in a Stagflation?
Recently, I have often been asked whether we (New Zealand or the World) are experiencing a stagflation. There is no meaningful ‘yes’ or ‘no’ answer. You have to define the term before deciding what is going on.Rutherford once said there were only two kinds of science: stamp collecting and physics. ...1 week ago - More police racismThe police annual report was released this month, with the usual statutory information on surveillance warrants and DNA samples. And it turns out there's some shocking evidence of racism among the latter: The proportion of youth DNA samples collected by police that belong to rangatahi Māori continues to rise, ...1 week ago
- The Political MinefieldPoor Christopher Luxon. His lack of political experience (and judgment) is constantly being highlighted – not least by his recent foray into the treatment of child criminality. So keen was he to draw attention to his assertion that “Labour is soft on crime” that he was prepared to run the ...1 week ago
- Media Link: “AVFA” on US midterms and Trump’s return.
After a small hiatus due to Covid hitting my household, Selwyn Manning and I resumed our weekly ” A View from Afar” podcast series with an analysis of the 2022 US midterm results and a look at what Trump’s decision to run for president again means for the GOP. You ...2 weeks ago - Bryce Edwards: National wants to brand the Govt as soft on crimeAs Government politicians put the boot into National’s bootcamp announcement yesterday, Christopher Luxon would have been celebrating. His populist announcement wasn’t only designed to scratch an electoral itch, but to cynically trap his opponents into looking soft on crime. And it probably worked. Soon after announcing his policy for bootcamps ...2 weeks ago
- Free Speech to fight anti-SemitismFree Speech Union member Daphna Whitmore talks with Daniel Ben-Ami, an author, and journalist based in London. His website “The Radicalism of Fools” https://www.radicalismoffools.com/ aims to develop a better understanding of anti-Semitism and its root causes. Daniel talks about different forms of anti-Semitism from the right and the left. He explains ...2 weeks ago
- Hello, do you know the difference? The Raytheon, Goldman Sachs Left is not the LeftThe left free speech site Plebity has published this handy chart. When you say left, you probably aren’t actually talking about the left. Find another name. Or at least understand the difference between the woke left and the traditional left which although largely silenced does still exist. Here is a ...2 weeks ago
- Skeptical Science New Research for Week #46 2022Notables: Presence or absence of stabilizing Earth system feedbacks on different time scales Arnscheidt and Rothman confirm the stabilizing effect of carbonate geochemistry on Earth's climate, at least on "short" timescales. More provocatively: "We have shown that the observations are inconsistent with a dominant stabilizing feedback on the longest time scales ...2 weeks ago
- Gordon Campbell on the case for universal free dental careLike Banquo’s ghost, the issue of universal free dental care keeps hovering into sight at Labour’s top table. ‘Tis a goodly, progressive idea, but it is also one that’s been done in repeatedly down the years by the shafts of political expedience, some of which were fired again this week ...2 weeks ago
- Political Roundup: 17 November 2022Items of interest and importance today FOREIGN AFFAIRS Claire Trevett (Herald): Russia, China, a Trump comeback – PM Jacinda Ardern will face a big plate of troubles at Apec (paywalled) Thomas Manch (Stuff): Risky business: NZ seeks greater trade with Vietnam as China dependency causes concern Thomas Manch (Stuff): Prime Minister ...2 weeks ago
- New reports spell out climate urgency, shortfalls, needed actionsThis is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Michael Svoboda In the weeks leading up to the 27th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, often called COP27, several organizations released major reports detailing the many difficult tasks on the climate negotiators’ agenda. Some of ...2 weeks ago
- Climate change: The cost of inactionA couple of days ago I highlighted National's opposition to all actual policies to reduce emissions. Now, the government has put some numbers on the cost of that, and it is staggering: nearly 24 million tons by the end of the decade: Labour says National’s promises to repeal its ...2 weeks ago
- The Facts Don’t Always Tell The Truth.2 weeks ago
- Bryce Edwards: Labour’s decaying policy on free universal dental careGrant Robertson has once again ruled out implementing a popular Labour Party policy: free universal dental care. He did so yesterday on RNZ’s Morning Report, citing the cost factor. The Acting Prime Minister suggested that spending on dental care wasn’t a priority for the Government and that the health budget ...2 weeks ago
- Grant says “no” againYesterday the Association of Salaried Medical Specialists released a report on dental care in Aotearoa, highlighting its unaffordability and recommending free, universal dental care. This is something the left has been campaigning for for a long time - Jim Anderton pushed for it before the 2011 election, and Helen Clark ...2 weeks ago
- On NZ foreign policy “independence.”For many years New Zealand elites have claimed to have an “independent” foreign policy, so much so that it has become a truism of NZ politics that transcends the partisan divide in parliament and is a shibboleth of the NZ foreign policy establishment that is parroted by media and pundits ...2 weeks ago
- Bryce Edwards: Momentum growing to reform lobbying lawsThis week global anti-corruption agency Transparency International released a report on lobbying, which described New Zealand’s lack of regulation as “glaring”. Transparency International New Zealand has developed an international comparison of New Zealand’s lobbying regulations so that MPs here can decide whether to reform this sector. Currently, a group of ...2 weeks ago
- The “Us versus Them” Worldview.Behind Closed Doors: What were the organisers of He Whenua Taurikura, the second hui called into existence by the recommendations of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into the Christchurch mosque shootings, afraid of? Were they worried that journalists not 100 percent sympathetic to the ideals animating the hui might report ...2 weeks ago
- Don’t get fooled: Electric vehicles really are better for the climateThis is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Daisy Simmons You may have heard the myth that electric vehicles are just as bad for the climate — or worse — than gas-powered cars and trucks. One common myth claims that the climate-warming pollution caused by manufacturing electric vehicle batteries ...2 weeks ago
- Privatisation screws the futureThere's a major report out today from 350 Aotearoa, First Union and the CTU about how National's privatisation of the electricity sector has led to entirely predictable outcomes of price gouging and underinvestment: Meridian, Mercury, Genesis and Contact Energy paid out $8.7b in dividends to shareholders between 2014 ...2 weeks ago
- Gordon Campbell on abortion politics, Murdoch and the DeSantis surgeSo the Democrats did a whole lot better than OK in the midterm elections despite the cost of living crisis and despite the President’s low approval ratings. How come? In a word, “abortion” was the key mobilising issue. It inspired many women (and some men) to register to vote. In ...2 weeks ago
- New BookI have a new book being published this month. It is entitled “What Does It Mean to Be Human?” and is an attempt to arrive at a moral code of our own making – one that will serve all our interests and those of other creatures and of the planet ...2 weeks ago
- Three Little Words!The crucial moment in the Black Ferns’ Rugby World Cup triumph came in the closing minute. The Red Roses had used a penalty to kick to the corner, and from the throw-in that followed they had clearly planned to use a rolling maul to get the ball across the line ...2 weeks ago
- Geoffrey Miller: Jacinda Ardern’s Asia trip rekindles New Zealand’s independent foreign policyNew Zealand’s independent foreign policy is back. That’s a key underlying message from Jacinda Ardern’s trip this week to Southeast Asia. The New Zealand Prime Minister attended the East Asia Summit in Cambodia over the weekend. She will head to Thailand for the APEC leaders’ meeting later in the week. ...2 weeks ago
- 2022 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #45A chronological listing of news articles posted on the Skeptical Science Facebook Page during the past week: Sun, Nov 6, 2022 thru Sat, Nov 12, 2022. Story of the Week What the tiny remaining 1.5C carbon budget means for climate policy The latest estimates from the Global Carbon Project (GCP) show that total worldwide CO2 ...2 weeks ago
- David Farrier’s unsettling new documentary ‘Mister Organ’ – a film to watch through your fin...
In this age of entitled white men behaving badly, it’s common to hear the term “malignant narcissist” Anyone who’s had the misfortune to be sucked into the orbit or one of these miscreants, (let alone been obliged to, say, sue one for copyright infringement) eventually learns that the ONLY ‘exit ...2 weeks ago - The End of Neoliberalism?
Gary Gerstle’s The Rise and Fall of the Neoliberal Order: America and the World in the Free Market Era is a frustrating book. It is an impressive sweeping history of American politics and economic policy from the New Deal in the 1930s to today, predicting that we are coming to ...2 weeks ago - Phil Ferguson on radical youth politics and the Irish republican strugglePhil Ferguson is a founding editor of Redline and was a regular contributor. He has been out of action for the past year after suffering a stroke. He is learning to walk again and hoping to get back to writing. Tim Leadbeater sat down with Phil to talk about about ...2 weeks ago
- Climate Change: Submit!Farming industry groups today released a joint statement against their own proposal - as adopted by the government - to price agricultural greenhouse gas emissions at the farm level. Its a perfect example of the bad faith with which they have engaged in the entire process, and of the industry's ...2 weeks ago
- Is is the beginning of the end of the toxic Trump TV show?
In 2016 the US electorate was feeling frustrated, let down, embattled, even desperate. It was – truth be told – willing to indulge its tendency for some racism and misogyny. So it screwed up its face, held its breath and reached out for Donald Trump. The years since have been ...2 weeks ago - Political Roundup: 11 November 2022Items of interest and importance today PARLIAMENT AND GOVERNMENT Shane Jones (Herald): Stop the forays into identity politics, de-colonisation and global posturing, St Jacinda. We must focus on economic essentials (paywalled) Peter Dunne (Newsroom): Luxon is not yet the direct threat Labour is painting him as Jo Moir (Newsroom): Luxon set ...3 weeks ago
- Skeptical Science New Research for Week #45 2022Catastrophic reverb Kemp et al. caused prolonged ripples with their paper Climate Endgame: Exploring catastrophic climate change scenarios. One can't help but think most of the heat is emotional, not intellectual; excited critics of the paper offer little more than "this sounds scary, don't harsh our vibe." Vague and even outlandish concerrns over terminology aside, true ...3 weeks ago
- Solar panels on car parks are a no-brainerThe Guardian reports that France is going to require all large car-parks to be covered by solar panels: All large car parks in France will be covered by solar panels under new legislation approved as part of president Emmanuel Macron’s renewable energy drive. Legislation approved by the French Senate ...3 weeks ago
- Climate Change: National wants to burn the planetLast month, the National Party announced they would repeal any price on agricultural greenhouse gas emissions, effectively declaring that they would do nothing about them. Today, they've followed that up by announcing that they will repeal the ban on offshore oil and gas exploration: The National Party has reaffirmed ...3 weeks ago
- DrawnA ballot for a single Member's Bill was held today, and the following bill was drawn: Fair Trading (Gift Card Expiry) Amendment Bill (Melissa Lee) Its a worthy but minor bill, and the best you can say about it is that at least none of National's tough-on-crime ...3 weeks ago
- Gordon Campbell on the midterms, Adrian Orr and taxing the BanksIt used to be a joke, but it seems that a lot of Republicans really might have moved to Florida to escape from the gulag of Dr Fauci. While in these midterms the “red wave” didn’t happen anywhere outside of Florida, the GOP control of the Senate will now come ...3 weeks ago
- NZ needs strong protection against water privatisation
New Zealanders deserve strong protection against the future privatisation of water assets, the Green Party says. ...7 hours ago - Political parties call for action on IranParties from across Parliament have come together to call on the Government to take decisive action to hold those responsible for violence and human rights violations in Iran to account. ...4 days ago
- Social workers need to see pay equity immediatelyThe Green Party is welcoming today’s announcement that pay equity will be extended to more social workers, and urges the Government to work with unions to get this sorted as quickly as possible. ...4 days ago
- Case for excess profit tax on banks clearer than everThe Government should adopt an excess profits tax and use any revenue raised to help people make ends meet, following the rise in the Official Cash Rate today. ...5 days ago
- Easing the pressure on New Zealanders
Since taking office in 2017, our Government has worked hard to lift wages and make life more affordable for New Zealanders, as we move forward with our plan to create economic security for all. ...5 days ago - Crown mineral change does not go far enoughLong overdue changes to the Crown Minerals Act are a welcome step in the right direction but the Government needs to go further to end the nonsensical search for fossil fuels. ...6 days ago
- Healthy Homes for all means a WOF and Landlord RegisterThe Government’s decision to exclude landlords from property management regulations means more than half of Kiwi rentals will be left out in the cold. And, where they’re kicking the can down the road on Healthy Homes Standards, the Government falls short on the basics that a Rental Warrant of Fitness ...7 days ago
- Time to extend the voting ageThe Green Party is calling on the Government to take immediate action to lower the voting age to 16. ...1 week ago
- Supporting Kiwi kids this Children's DayOur Government has put the wellbeing of children at the heart of everything we do. As we celebrate World Children’s Day, we’re taking a look at some of the ways Labour is working to make New Zealand the best place in the world to be a child. ...1 week ago
- Hate speech change welcome, but still leaves communities at riskThe Green Party welcomes hate speech reform to protect religious groups, but is concerned that the exclusion of gender, rainbow, and disability communities sends a signal that these groups are less deserving of protection. ...1 week ago
- Young people deserve betterThe National Party’s plan to put children into military boot camps is so flawed it is dangerous. ...2 weeks ago
- Thousands more homes under LabourWe’ve just announced a massive infrastructure investment to kick-start new housing developments across New Zealand. Through our Infrastructure Acceleration Fund, we’re making sure that critical infrastructure - like pipes, roads and wastewater connections - is in place, so thousands more homes can be built. ...2 weeks ago
- Green Party solution better for Māori voters, not deal with NationalAn agreement between Labour and National misses an historic opportunity to make our democracy more accessible for Māori voters. ...2 weeks ago
- Govt must extend Samoa visa changes to all Pacific countriesThanks to Green Party pressure, visitors from Samoa can soon travel to Aotearoa without a visa – a right that should be extended to every Pacific country. ...2 weeks ago
- A cheaper, faster, better resource management systemOur Government is delivering a new resource management system that will better protect the environment while cutting red tape, lowering costs and speeding up the time it takes to approve new homes and infrastructure projects. ...2 weeks ago
- Nature missing in RMA reformThe Government has missed a crucial opportunity to redesign the resource management system with climate and nature at its heart. ...2 weeks ago
- Govt continuing to prioritise high income earners in immigration systemThe resumption today of the parent visa category needs to be followed by an end to the Government’s unfair salary based family reunification policy. ...2 weeks ago
- Supporting more Kiwis into jobsWe’re helping more Kiwis into work, to help support whānau, grow our skilled workforce and secure our economy for future generations. During our time in Government, we’ve delivered record low unemployment rates, as well as a steady fall in the number of New Zealanders receiving a main benefit, and we’re ...2 weeks ago
- Fix electricity market to help both climate and cost of livingThe four big electricity companies should be required to reinvest massive profits into cutting both household bills and climate pollution, the Green Party says. ...2 weeks ago
- Next Waitematā Harbour crossing must be climate-friendlyThe Minister for Transport can show climate leadership and consider only the lowest carbon ways of crossing Waitematā harbour. ...2 weeks ago
- Changes needed to three waters plansGreater local oversight and control, seven instead of four entities, stormwater staying with councils, and stronger safeguards against privatisation are among the changes the Green Party wants to three waters legislation. ...2 weeks ago
- Bold action needed on food prices and supermarket profitsSupermarkets are profiteering from families struggling to put food on the table. ...2 weeks ago
- Don’t let open banking close the door on action to address excess profitOpen banking is fine but the simplest and most effective way to address record bank profits is to tax them fairly to provide relief to families struggling to get by. ...3 weeks ago
- Rainbow Report shows more needs to be done for takatāpui and Rainbow peopleThe Green Party welcomes the Rainbow report released by Stats NZ today and calls for better support for takatāpui and Rainbow people, particularly our trans and non-binary whānau. ...3 weeks ago
- Govt keeps AM on the air in Northland
Minister of Broadcasting and Media Willie Jackson and Minister for Emergency Management Kieran McAnulty today announced a $1.48 million package to fund the repair and replacement of three transmission masts in Northland to ensure AM radio can stay on air in the region. “This funding will secure the reinstatement of ...7 hours ago - Multi million dollar package to tackle retail crime and reoffendingA multi million dollar package to tackle retail crime and reoffending is the most significant crime prevention financial package in recent memory New fog cannon subsidy scheme set up. Government to provide $4000 for all small shops and dairies in New Zealand who want a fog cannon installed, with shops ...8 hours ago
- Funding boost to support NZ’s game development industryNew Zealand’s game developers will receive an immediate funding boost to help support the growth of local studios beyond the current Dunedin centre. “New Zealand’s game development sector has been rapidly growing. The latest data from the New Zealand Game Developers Association shows the total revenue for the industry is ...11 hours ago
- A new strategy for Pacific housingNew and existing housing initiatives are being brought together to improve home ownership for Pacific people said Minister for Pacific Peoples, Aupito William Sio. Fale mo Aiga: Pacific Housing Strategy and Action Plan 2030, launched today, is the Government’s targeted response to the housing challenges faced by Pacific Aotearoa. Minister ...12 hours ago
- Government takes action on pay parity for healthcare workersThousands of frontline community health workers – including nurses in aged-care facilities - are in for a pay rise as the Labour Government takes action on pay parity in the health sector. “I’m pleased to announce that Cabinet has agreed to on-going funding of $200 million a year so that ...18 hours ago
- World’s first algae-based local anaesthetic another step closer to realityA partnership between the Government and the Cawthron Institute has delivered a breakthrough in the production of a potent microalgal ingredient for the world’s first algae-based pain medication, Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor announced. “Scientists at Cawthron Institute in Nelson have developed a reliable and commercially scalable method for producing neosaxitoxin, ...2 days ago
- Ngāti Mutunga o Wharekauri and the Crown sign Agreement in Principle| Ka waitohu a Ngāti Mutunga o...Ngāti Mutunga o Wharekauri and the Crown have signed an Agreement in Principle marking a significant milestone towards the settlement of their historical Treaty of Waitangi claims. Ngāti Mutunga are based on Wharekauri/Chatham Islands and are the second of two iwi/imi to reach agreement with the Crown. “Today’s signing follows ...3 days ago
- Further ACC reforms introduced to ParliamentNew reporting requirements on access to ACC Earlier access to minimum rate of compensation Refinement to ACC purpose to focus on supporting all eligible injured people to access ACC The Accident Compensation (Access Reporting and Other Matters) Amendment Bill which aims to improve access to ACC for all injured people, ...3 days ago
- Government supports Chatham Islands' resilienceThe Government is supporting the Chatham Islands’ resilience to extreme weather events and natural hazards through a grant to secure safe drinking water, Minister for Emergency Management Kieran McAnulty said. “Many households in the Chatham Islands lack easy access to drinking water and have been forced to get water to ...3 days ago
- New Chief Coroner appointedCoroner Anna Tutton has been appointed as the new Chief Coroner, Attorney-General David Parker announced today. Anna Tutton was appointed as a Coroner in January 2015, based in Christchurch, and as Deputy Chief Coroner in 2020. After the previous Chief Coroner, Judge Deborah Marshall, retired Ms Tutton took on the ...4 days ago
- DIRA Amendment Bill passes third readingThe Government has passed an Amendment Bill today to support Fonterra’s move to a new capital structure and the continued success of New Zealand’s dairy industry. The Dairy Industry Restructuring (Fonterra Capital Restructuring) Amendment Bill will allow the Fonterra co-operative to make changes to its capital structure, as well as ...4 days ago
- Minister Whaitiri to attend Food Ministers’ Meeting with Australian counterpartsMinister for Food Safety Meka Whaitiri will attend the Fourth Australia and New Zealand Food Ministers’ Meeting in Melbourne on Friday. It will be the first time the meeting has been held in person since the Covid-19 pandemic disrupted international travel. “The Food Ministers’ Meeting sets the policy direction for ...4 days ago
- New Kiwibank parent appoints directorsDavid McLean and Sir Brian Roche have been appointed as the first two directors of the newly incorporated Kiwi Group Capital Limited (KCG), the parent company of Kiwibank. In August, the Government acquired 100 percent of Kiwi Group Holdings, which also operates New Zealand Home Loans, from NZ Post, ACC ...4 days ago
- Defence Ministers meet in CambodiaMinister of Defence Peeni Henare attended the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Defence Ministers’ Meeting-Plus (ADMM-Plus) in Siem Reap, Cambodia. “The first face to face meeting of the ADMM-Plus members is an opportunity for me to highlight New Zealand’s position on key regional security matters,” Peeni Henare said. “In ...4 days ago
- Pay equity extended to thousands more social workersThe Government will extend pay equity to all community and iwi organisations who employ social workers and receive funding from the Crown, Minister for Women Jan Tinetti announced today. We expect this will improve the lives of approximately 4,600 social workers. “This extension means thousands more social workers will be ...4 days ago
- Taskforce set up to protect construction industry from product shortages & delaysNew ‘Critical Materials Taskforce’ will trouble shoot building materials shortages Focus on maximising productivity & cushioning businesses from supply chain risks Successful ‘Plasterboard Taskforce’ reshaped to include broader sector knowledge and expertise Will provide guidance, data and information to support builders, designers and business owners A new Critical Materials Taskforce ...5 days ago
- Bigger ED, more theatres and more beds in new Whangārei HospitalA new emergency department with three times more space will be part of the first stage of a two-stage project to build a new hospital for Whangārei and Northland. The Government has today confirmed funding for stage one of the new hospital – an acute services building and a child-health ...5 days ago
- Finnish PM to visit New ZealandFinland’s Prime Minister Sanna Marin, accompanied by Minister for Development Cooperation and Foreign Trade Ville Skinnari and a business delegation will visit New Zealand next week, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced today. The two leaders will meet in Auckland. “New Zealand and Finland are natural partners. We share similar approaches ...5 days ago
- New recreational rules to support hāpuku and bass fisheriesThe daily limits on recreationally caught hāpuku (also known as groper) and bass will be lowered to a total of two per person in some areas, with a new accumulation limit of three per person on multi-day trips. Oceans and Fisheries Minister, David Parker said the rule changes would take ...5 days ago
- Jobs for Nature enabling Mātāuranga MāoriMātāuranga Māori is at the heart of the latest tranche of Jobs for Nature projects set to promote biodiversity and reduce impacts of climate change on Māori land, Minister of Conservation Poto Williams says. Project work will include the creation of an ecological corridor in Tairāwhiti, protecting 60 hectares of ...5 days ago
- Supporting resilient shipping infrastructure in VanuatuThe Government has announced further support to Vanuatu to assist in constructing climate-resilient wharves as part of the Vanuatu Inter-Island Shipping Support Project (VISSP). “Aotearoa New Zealand is committed to supporting the economic recovery of our Pacific region in a way that continues to provide growth and supports climate resilience,” ...5 days ago
- Government welcomes High Court ruling on climate caseThe High Court has today confirmed the legality of the advice provided by the Climate Change Commission (the Commision) to inform New Zealand’s nationally determined contribution (NDC) and the first three emissions budgets. Minister of Climate Change James Shaw says New Zealanders can have confidence in the Commission and of ...5 days ago
- Government introduces changes to mining Act with stronger environmental focus· Crown Minerals Act will no longer actively “promote” prospecting, exploration, and mining of Crown-owned minerals · Will create more certainty around engagement between industry, iwi and hapū. The Government is proposing changes to modernise the Crown Minerals Act 1991 (CMA) to support more environmentally conscious management of resources, says ...6 days ago
- Speech to Building Nations 2050 conferenceTēnā koutou, tēnā koutou katoa. Good morning and thank you, Jack, for the introduction. I’d like to take a moment to acknowledge Infrastructure New Zealand Chair, Margaret Devlin and all the sponsors and organisers of this event for bringing us together in ‘Building Nations 2050’. I would also like to ...6 days ago
- Better natural hazard information for home buyersAssociate Minister of Local Government Kieran McAnulty has today introduced legislation to empower councils to share better information about natural hazards with the public. The Local Government Official Information Amendment (LGOIMA) Bill will make it easier for Councils to share clear and concise information in Land Information Memorandum (LIM) reports. ...6 days ago
- New Zealand welcomes visiting WTO Director GeneralThe World Trade Organization (WTO) Director General Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala visits New Zealand this week. Minister for Trade and Export Growth Damien O’Connor said the WTO was essential to New Zealand as a small export-dependent trading nation. “New Zealand’s economic security depends on our ability to trade. Our goods exports ...6 days ago
- Faster, cheaper, better resource management law given first readingNew laws that will deliver a faster, cheaper, and better resource management system had their first reading in the House today. The Spatial Planning (SP) and the Natural and Built Environment (NBE) Bills, which were introduced last week, will replace the 30-year-old Resource Management Act (RMA). Environment Minister David Parker ...6 days ago
- Minister Sio to meet new Vanuatu PMAssociate Foreign Affairs Minister Aupito William Sio travels to Vanuatu today, to meet with the new Government led by Prime Minister Alatoi Ishmael Kalsakau and to represent Aotearoa New Zealand at the Pacific Community (SPC) Ministerial Conference being hosted in Port Vila. Minister Sio will have a number of bilateral meetings with ...6 days ago
- Driving ahead with the Clean Car StandardFollowing discussions with vehicle importers, the Government has confirmed the Clean Car Standard will be phased in from 1 December 2022, significantly reducing the CO2 emissions of light vehicles in New Zealand, announced Transport Minister Michael Wood. “Emissions from our light vehicle fleet are the single largest source of ...6 days ago
- Speech to Constitutional Kōrero conferenceOur Evolving Sense of Nationhood – Me Anga Whakamua Indigenous Futures and New Zealand’s Constitution Tuia ki runga, Tuia ki raro, Tuia te here tangata, Mai i te wheiao ki te ao mārama Ka rongo te pō ka rongo te āo! Tīhei Mauri Ora! Kei ngā miro o te ao ...7 days ago
- Rental sector changes to regulate residential property managers, clear up meth confusion and ease pr...A suite of measures to improve the lives of renters and landlords has been announced by Housing Minister Dr Megan Woods as the Government makes more progress on reform of the rental sector. “Nearly 600,000 households rent in New Zealand and these measures will result in regulated oversight of residential ...7 days ago
- Further sanctions on the political and economic elites of Russia and BelarusForeign Affairs Minister Nanaia Mahuta today announced further sanctions on members of the inner circles of governments in Russia and Belarus, as part of the ongoing response to the war in Ukraine. “Aotearoa New Zealand first moved against the powerful and wealthy in Russia with sanctions on political and economic ...1 week ago
- Another step towards improved supermarket competitionThe Bill to trigger an unprecedented shake-up of the grocery sector and deliver New Zealanders a fairer deal at the checkout and help tackle cost of living pressures is ready for its first reading at Parliament. “The duopoly has now been given plenty of warning. If they fail to adequately ...1 week ago
- Black Ferns to be celebrated at ParliamentA public event and celebration will be held on Parliament’s lawn on December 13 to celebrate our Rugby World Cup winning Black Ferns. “The Black Ferns’ triumph at Eden Park is one of New Zealand’s greatest sporting moments,” Grant Robertson said. “They are extraordinary athletes, exceptional people and proud New ...1 week ago
- Autism Guideline released by MinistryThe release of the latest edition of the Aotearoa New Zealand Autism Guideline – He Waka Huia Takiwātanga Rau has been welcomed by Minister for Disability Issues Poto Williams today. The Guideline provides an opportunity to better understand and communicate best practices for supporting autistic people and their families and ...1 week ago
- Speech to Aotearoa Refugee HuiNga mihi nui ki a koutou, Welcome to the Parliament, your Parliament. It is great to see the community here in such numbers, and I am happy to be here with my parliamentary colleagues to listen and take part in the discussions today. I particularly want to acknowledge Ibrahim Omer ...1 week ago
- Global climate talks underline need for domestic actionMinister of Climate Change James Shaw marked the end of COP27 negotiations in Egypt by saying it was now crunch time for counties to step up and take urgent action at home. “Even though we have these international negotiations every year, our focus must always be on what we do ...1 week ago
- Defence Minister visits Ukraine and PolandDefence Minister Peeni Henare has visited Ukraine and Poland, holding talks with his Ministerial counterparts. During the talks Minister Henare reaffirmed New Zealand’s unwavering support for the Ukrainian defence against Russia’s illegal and unprovoked invasion. The visit was a further demonstration of New Zealand’s ongoing support to the people ...1 week ago
- Stuart Nash to attend OECD meetingsSmall Business Minister Stuart Nash will travel to Paris today to attend small business meetings with the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). Stuart Nash will chair the OECD’s Digital for SMEs (D4SME) Steering Group meeting and the 4th Roundtable of the OECD D4SME Global Initiative. “The OECD’s Digital ...1 week ago
- Human Rights Act enhanced to protect religious communitiesThe Government will amend the law to make sure religious communities feel safe and welcome in New Zealand. After extensive consultation, with more than 19,000 submissions on six proposals, the Government will make one change to address incitement towards religious communities while asking for further work to be done alongside ...1 week ago
- Protests against strict COVID-zero policy are sweeping China. It’s anyone’s guess what happens n...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By David S G Goodman, Director, China Studies Centre, Professor of Chinese Politics, University of Sydney Public protests in China related to the government’s COVID-19 restrictions have hit the news worldwide over the weekend, following a fatal apartment fire in Urumqi, Xinjiang last ...1 hour ago - Nationals declare they will oppose the ‘Voice’ referendumSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra The government’s bid to pass a referendum to enshrine an Indigenous Voice in the constitution has been dealt a blow, with the Nationals announcing they will oppose it. Nationals leader David Littleproud said the ...3 hours ago
- PM denies it took Janak Patel’s death to trigger new crime prevention scheme
The same day hundreds protested outside the prime minister’s Auckland office against a lack of protection for retail workers, Jacinda Ardern revealed plans to deal with New Zealand’s rising retail crime problem. Stewart Sowman-Lund reports. Millions of dollars will be pumped into crime prevention by the government, though prime minister ...4 hours ago - Victoria faces a grave climate and energy crisis. The new government’s policies must be far bolderSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ariel Liebman, Ariel Liebman Director, Monash Energy Institute and Professor of Sustainable Energy Systems, Faculty of Information Technology, Monash University The Andrews Labor government has been returned in Victoria. It must now reckon with two particularly crucial challenges: runaway climate change and ...4 hours ago
- Labour’s share of national income has been remarkably consistent since the 1860sSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jakob Madsen, Professor of Economics, The University of Western Australia Shutterstock Inflation and sluggish wage growth have raised concerns that wages and salaries are becoming an increasing smaller share of national income. Australian Council of Trade Unions head Sally ...4 hours ago
- The enduring strangeness of Wuthering Heights and the woman who wrote itClaire Mabey reviews Emily, the film that attempts to unravel what may have inspired the writer Emily Brontë. “It’s an ugly book. It’s base!” says Charlotte Brontë to her sister, Emily. “How did you write it? There’s something you’re not telling me?” The question of where writers get their ideas ...6 hours ago
- Brian Tamaki’s Freedom NZ applies for formal party registrationThe Electoral Commission has notified an application for party registration by Freedoms NZ. The party encompasses the Freedom and Right Coalition, the anti-mandate group founded by Destiny’s Church leader Brian Tamaki, as well as Advance NZ, the now-deregistered party led by his wife, Hannah, and the New Nation Party. Tamaki ...6 hours ago
- The Past is Present: reflecting on 150 years of Chinese art at the National Gallery of VictoriaSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alison Carroll, Senior Research Fellow, Victorian College of the Arts, The University of Melbourne Scotty So, Wearing a mask at the end of the Spanish flu, no. 1 2020 inkjet print 76.3 × 50.8 cm (image) 86.5 × 61.0 cm (sheet). National ...6 hours ago
- Despite Labour polling below 30%, party strategists believe it can win Hamilton West, and general el...
Although recent opinion polls have shown Labour’s support dropping below 30%, suggesting it is now the underdog going into election year, party strategists still nourish the belief the Ardern government may emerge from the general election able with allied parties to hold on to office. They are convinced the ...6 hours ago - A Kick In The Guts For Rural Nurses – Rural General Practice Nurses Once Again Overlooked By T...
Today Minister Little announced action planned by the Government to provide pay parity for health workers. In his statement he made two conflicting statements: “The Government is committed to ensuring health workers are paid fairly and receive parity ...6 hours ago - Have Your Say On The Legal Services Amendment BillUnder section 18A of the Legal Services Act 2011, individuals seeking to access legal aid must pay a user charge to their legal aid provider. The legal aid provider may refuse to provide legal services until this user charge is paid, and take debt ...7 hours ago
- Scott Morrison to face parliamentary censure for undermining political trustSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Scott Morrison will face a parliamentary censure motion this week, after the inquiry by former High Court judge Virginia Bell found his multi-ministry power grab “corrosive of trust in government”. Cabinet on Monday confirmed ...7 hours ago
- Watch live: Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern speaks to media following Cabinet meeting
Jacinda Ardern has spoken about the "profound sadness and anger" at the loss of Auckland dairy worker Janak Patel. ...7 hours ago - Jacinda Ardern announces business support package targeted at dealing with crimeJacinda Ardern has spoken about the "profound sadness and anger" at the loss of Auckland superette worker Janak Patel - and announced support for dairy owners. ...7 hours ago
- Too much fun is coming out of Otago – so the govt has put $2.25m into a trough for other regions t...
Buzz from the Beehive It’s a toss-up to decide which is more unnecessary – the investment of $2.25 million of public money in an industry which has almost doubled its revenue over the past year or the drafting and legislating of a bill to have things done that could be ...8 hours ago - Where, and who, is getting buzzed by the Eagle police helicopter?Trespassing, petty theft, car crime – these data visualisations show what the Eagle helicopter gets up to, and where. This story was first published on Stuff. You’re in bed when it begins: a low, indistinct bass murmur. The direction is uncertain, the location distant. But the murmur sharpens, crescendos, until it’s ...8 hours ago
- Covid cases keep rising – more than 27,000 last weekThe number of Covid cases continues to trend upwards, with 27,076 new community cases reported over the past week, up 3,008 on the previous week. On average, 3,863 new infections were registered each day, a jump from 3,434 the week prior. Hospitalisations were at 328 at midnight on Saturday, a ...8 hours ago
- Protesters close road outside Ardern’s Auckland officeThe crowd outside Jacinda Ardern’s electorate office has swollen into the hundreds, with protesters spilling out onto New North Road. The main road has now been closed to traffic in both directions, with police vehicles parked across the lanes. The protest is one of dozens around the country prompted by ...8 hours ago
- ProCare Disappointed GP Nurses Left Out Of Pay Parity AnnouncementNew Zealand’s largest representative of general practice teams is disappointed that primary care nurses have been left out of today’s pay parity announcement. This announcement is particularly disappointing as this is something that we have ...8 hours ago
- Labour Votes Urgency For Over 20 New AmendmentsThe Hon CHRIS HIPKINS (Leader of the House) moved for a vote that urgency be accorded for over 20 amendments and additions laws, last Tuesday. The motion passed with Labour holding sufficient seats at 64 Ayes Labour, against all other voting parties in parliament, ...8 hours ago
- Visually striking science experiments at school can be fun, inspiring and safe – banning is not th...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Nathan Kilah, Senior Lecturer in Chemistry, University of Tasmania Alexandr Grant/Shutterstock To a young mind, science can be magical. Perhaps you remember a visually striking or seemingly inexplicable scientific demonstration from your own youth? A liquid spontaneously and unexpectedly changes ...9 hours ago
- Law Commission Starts Consultation In Review Of Adult Decision-making Capacity LawTe Aka Matua o te Ture | Law Commission has today published a Preliminary issues Paper, as part of its review into how the law should respond when an adult’s decision-making is affected. Kaikōmihana | Commissioner, Geof Shirtcliffe, explains: “There are ...9 hours ago
- College Of Nurses Aotearoa (NZ) Welcomes Announcement From Minister Little Re Pay ParityThe College of Nurses welcomes today’s announcement from Minister Little that the Government is committed to addressing pay inequities for nurses working in Aged Care, Hospice, Māori and Pacific health providers. Pay parity for these nurses recognises ...9 hours ago
- Protest for dairy workers underway at prime minister’s Morningside officeA crowd of protesters has gathered for a vigil outside prime minister Jacinda Ardern’s office in Morningside. Protesters, some of whom have shut their dairies for the afternoon, are being given black armbands to wear. Two police cars are present, and The Spinoff estimates that there are about 100 protesters ...9 hours ago
- Can the TVNZ-RNZ merger meet the diverse needs of Pacific audiences?What does a Pacific man charged with threatening to kill a radio host have to do with the merger of TVNZ and RNZ? Samson Samasoni explains. This article is republished with permission from Pacific Media Network. In August 2020, a 60-year-old Sāmoan border security worker found himself in court charged ...9 hours ago
- Aged Care Commissioner Welcomes Pay Increases For Aged Care StaffThe Aged Care Commissioner says pay parity for frontline community workers - many of whom work in aged care facilities - is long overdue and welcome. Cabinet today announced ongoing funding of $200 m a year to bring pay parity for workers in places ...9 hours ago
- More businesses are offering online medical certificates and telehealth prescriptions. What are the ...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Centaine Snoswell, Research Fellow Health Economics, The University of Queensland Shutterstock Telehealth has played an important role during the pandemic. Telephone and online consultations have enabled social distancing and kept patients and clinicians safe from transmissible infections. Since the ...9 hours ago
- What inflation really means (and why it really matters)With the topic of inflation – and whether or not we can curb it – heating to a high boil of late, we asked Kiwibank economist Mary Jo Vergara for a 101 explainer on what it is, why it matters and how consumers can best prepare for it. Inflation has ...10 hours ago
- A pudding for every day of the yearOrange snow, Paradise pie… how a dusty bookshop find opened Charlotte Muru-Lanning’s eyes to Aotearoa’s impressive pudding history. This is an excerpt from our weekly food newsletter, The Boil Up. In most circumstances, I’d be put off by a book locked away inside one of those wooden and glass display ...10 hours ago
- NZNO Welcomes Pay Parity Funding, Says GP Practice Exclusion RegrettableThe New Zealand Nurses Organisation Tōpūtanga Tapuhi Kaitiaki o Aotearoa (NZNO) has welcomed this morning’s Government announcement that $200m per year will be spent addressing the wage gap between community-based frontline workers and their ...10 hours ago
- Cabinet to debate three waters anti-privatisation entrenchment – PM Jacinda ArdernCabinet will today discuss an entrenchment provision in the three waters legislation after lawyers and opposition parties criticised the move as unconstitutional. ...10 hours ago
- Don’t just bet on the metrics – personal connection is the real key to managing remote workers w...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rebecca Downes, Lecturer in Management, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington Getty Images Remote working has become much more common since the pandemic sent people home from their offices and into the Zoom universe. This has put the ...11 hours ago
- PM hints three waters entrenchment could be dumpedIt’s Monday, November 28 and welcome to The Spinoff’s live updates – made possible by our members. I’m Stewart Sowman-Lund. Got a story, feedback or just want to say hello? You can reach me on [email protected] DONATE The agenda The controversial decision to entrench parts of the three waters ...11 hours ago
- Voting starts in Hamilton West byelectionVoting has started today in the Hamilton West byelection, triggered by the sudden resignation of Labour MP turned independent Gaurav Sharma. Sharma, who was first elected in 2020, was ousted from his own party after penning a highly critical opinion piece for the Herald, which he followed up with a ...11 hours ago
- Tracey Martin has the hardest job in NZ mediaThe former NZ First MP is leading the establishment board for ANZPM – the new entity which will run RNZ and TVNZ as they re-merge into a brand new, fit-for-the-future media powerhouse. Because they’re also being given nine figures a year by the government, the merger is causing consternation among ...11 hours ago
- Have Your Say On Changes To The Accident Compensation ActThe Chair of the Education and Workforce Committee is calling for public submissions on the Accident Compensation (Access Reporting and Other Matters) Amendment Bill. The bill would require ACC to report annually on how Māori and other population ...12 hours ago
- Have Your Say On Changes To The Health And Safety At Work ActThe Chair of the Education and Workforce Committee is calling for public submissions on the Health and Safety at Work (Health and Safety Representatives and Committees) Amendment Bill. Currently, a business does not have to initiate elections for health ...12 hours ago
- The moral problem with turning passenger rail into an exclusive luxuryIn New Zealand, long-distance passenger rail is geared almost exclusively to well-off tourists. But in a country with such a high road toll, how do we defend denying motorists access to safer transport? Imagine your friend has exclusive right to distribute a product that could save dozens of lives each ...12 hours ago
- The Bulletin: $200m funding to address pay parity issue for healthcare workersHealth minister Andrew Little has announced ongoing funding of $200 million a year this morning to bring around 20,000 healthcare workers’ pay in line with their peers. The funding will deliver pay rises for workers in aged-care facilities, hospices and Māori and Pacific health-care organisations. It resolves an issue where nurses who ...12 hours ago
- National Medical Director Calls For Brakes On Euthanasia ExpansionTalks of expanding the eligibility criteria in assisted suicide and euthanasia legislation have been met with strong caution by Royal College of GPs medical director Dr Bryan Betty. The practice of assisted suicide and euthanasia has been happening for little ...12 hours ago
- NZCCSS Welcomes Pay Boost For Aged Residential Care Nurses And WorkersNZCCSS congratulates the Government and Health Minister Andrew Little on boosting the wages of nurses and healthcare assistants at aged residential care facilities, hospices, and Māori and pacific healthcare organisations that have contracts with ...12 hours ago
- Extinction Rebellion Tamaki Makauraru Issue Banks With Letters Of DemandExtinction Rebellion Tamaki Makauraru (XRTM) is outraged at the dismal failure of COP 27 to stop fossil fuel exploration and extraction. In Aotearoa BNZ, ANZ & ASB insist on ongoing investment in the fossil fuel sector actively contributing ...12 hours ago
- NZ’s Community Trusts Vow To Use Collective Might To Tackle Nationwide IssuesNew Zealand’s community trusts, who collectively manage $5 billion in assets, are exploring how they can pursue major housing and climate change initiatives on a nationwide scale. The Combined Community Trusts 2022 Conference has just wrapped ...13 hours ago
- NZUSA Elects Its 2023 LeadersThe New Zealand Union of Students’ Associations (NZUSA) has elected the student representatives who will lead the movement in 2023. Ellen Dixon was elected as National President and Tangihaere Gardiner and Minnie-Kalo Voi were elected to serve as co-Vice ...13 hours ago
- Controversial three waters entrenchment on the chopping blockThe controversial decision to entrench part of the government’s three waters legislation, effectively making it harder for future governments to unravel it, appears to be on the chopping block after a weekend of political outrage. A new provision added to the three waters bill last Wednesday made it so that ...13 hours ago
- Acclaimed musical Hamilton heading to New ZealandGet excited: Hamilton – the acclaimed musical, not the city – is coming to Auckland’s Spark Arena next year. Following on from a three-year run in Australia, the hugely popular Broadway show will be performed here for a strictly limited season starting in May. “Australia has embraced Hamilton with an ...13 hours ago
- Vigils and protests planned outside Labour MPs’ officesDairy owners will gather outside Labour MPs’ offices today, including the prime minister’s office in Mt Albert, as cabinet meets to discuss what more can be done to address retail crime, writes Anna Rawhiti-Connell in this excerpt from The Bulletin. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday morning, sign up ...13 hours ago
- Confronting Survey Results Show ‘parents Have Never Done It So Hard’, Says Nib Parenting ExpertLeading health insurer, nib New Zealand (nib), has released initial findings from its fourth annual State of the Nation Parenting Survey, revealing the impact of the rising cost of living on Kiwi parents. ...13 hours ago
- PM Jacinda Ardern denies government soft on crimeCabinet will today discuss interventions with young people that have helped reduce burglaries and whether they can be extended, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern says. ...13 hours ago
- NZCCSS’ Releases ‘The Workforce Guide’The New Zealand Council of Christian Social Services (NZCCSSS) has launched ‘The Workforce Guide’, to support understanding of the variety of roles across the social, community and health workforce. NZCCSS Kaiwhakahaere Nikki Hurst says the resource ...13 hours ago
- Cities, just not as we know them – get ready for NSW’s Six Cities RegionSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Geoff Roberts, Adjunct Professor, City Futures Research Centre, UNSW Sydney Australia’s first multi-city region, the Six Cities Region, is being developed in New South Wales. A multi-city region, also known as a mega-region, establishes an integrated network of globally and ...15 hours ago
- COVID nasal sprays may one day prevent and treat infection. Here’s where the science is up toSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Lara Herrero, Research Leader in Virology and Infectious Disease, Griffith University Shutterstock We have vaccines to boost our immune response to SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID. We have medicines you can take at home (and in hospital) to treat ...15 hours ago
- Research suggests one way to prevent depression and anxiety is a strong sense of connection at high ...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Monika Raniti, Research Fellow, Murdoch Children’s Research Institute Aedrian/Unsplash About one in five young Australians will experience a mental health problem like depression or anxiety each year. The COVID pandemic has only intensified mental health concerns in young people. ...15 hours ago
- As NZ workers and households tighten their belts, why not a windfall tax on corporate mega-profits t...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Lisa Marriott, Professor of Taxation, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington Getty Images Record profits reported by banks, fuel retailers, energy companies and other businesses at a time many New Zealanders are struggling to make ends meet have ...15 hours ago
- Do tenancy reforms to protect renters cause landlords to exit the market? No, but maybe they shouldSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Chris Martin, Senior Research Fellow, City Futures Research Centre, UNSW Sydney More Australians are renting their housing longer than in the past. But they have relatively little legal security against rent increases and evictions compared to tenants in other countries. When state ...15 hours ago
- What we mean when we say ‘sovereignty was never ceded’Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Eddie Synot, Lecturer, Griffith Law School, Griffith University AAP Image/Bianca De Marchi In discussing the Uluru Statement from the Heart, I will be doing something that, as a lawyer, is perhaps not best practice: I am not going to define ...15 hours ago
- Notes from the TV industry’s most dramatic week of the yearDuncan Greive spends 24 hours in the TV world as it stares down the most epochal changes in its history. It doesn’t make any sense. Why would you schedule your biggest party of the year right before your biggest conference of the year? But that’s what the TV world did. ...17 hours ago
- How many ex-smokers are now vapers? Here’s what the data showsCratering smoking numbers are a huge success story for New Zealand health. But behind the drop in smoking lies a big jump in vape addiction. New Zealand has recorded its lowest smoking rate ever, according to the latest New Zealand Health Survey. Only 8% of adults smoke cigarettes on a ...17 hours ago
- What closer trade ties with Vietnam mean for New ZealandThe Detail - A trip to Vietnam led by Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern solidified a growing trade relationship with one of Asia's fastest growing economies. ...18 hours ago
- Media go for drama on Victorian election – and miss the storySource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Denis Muller, Senior Research Fellow, Centre for Advancing Journalism, The University of Melbourne Joel Carrett/AAP For the best part of two weeks, Victorian voters were told by the media that the election on November 26 might result in either a ...1 day ago
- How Dan Andrews pulled off one of the most remarkable victories in modern politicsSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Shaun Carney, Vice-Chancellor’s professorial fellow, Monash University James Ross/AAP As the 2022 Victorian election campaign moved into its final days late last week, the consensus within the major parties, various community independent candidates, new little parties furious about lockdowns, and ...1 day ago
- Luxon defends U turn over 39% tax rateNational leader Christopher Luxon says abandoning plans to scrap the 39% tax rate in National’s first term was the sensible response to this week’s “incredibly alarming” economic forecast. Talking to Q&A’s Jack Tame, Luxon said that while National believes it can follow through on its other tax policy commitments, on ...1 day ago
- Recipe: One pot ‘Mexican’A delicious Mexican-inspired dish with hardly any washing up. This is one of those wonderful meals that is cooked in one pot, saving on dishes without compromising on taste. It packs a serious flavour punch and contains a lots of colourful veggies, making it one delicious, nutritious dinner. The guacamole ...1 day ago
- ACT launches truancy policy for schoolsACT has launched a truancy policy aimed at resolving what it calls a school attendance "crisis". ...1 day ago
- RMA replacement consultation timed badly – Napier mayorThe mayor of Napier believes the government is failing in its efforts to consult on important new bills to replace the Resource Management Act. ...2 days ago
- Lumpectomy: Coming to terms with my murderous breastsTina Makereti has won the Landfall Essay Competition for 2022 with a powerful exploration of her personal experience of breast cancer, sickness, wellbeing, work and stress. Here we share an excerpt from it. “This essay is a way for me to make meaning from my experience of cancer, to laugh ...2 days ago
- What happens when MPs ‘entrench’ legislation, and why does it matter?A newly added provision to the three waters bill is a potentially momentous change to how law is made, explains Andrew Geddis. On Wednesday night last week, something very unusual happened while parliament was busy making law. MPs from the Green and Labour parties banded together to make it much ...2 days ago
- Does my cat really love me?Emily Writes’ cat is loved by the whole household. That’s normal. What’s harder to understand is that he really seems to love them back. This story was first published on the author’s newsletter, Emily Writes Weekly. I’ve had cats my entire life. In my childhood there was Monty who ran ...2 days ago
- Essay on Sunday: Surrendering to the seaWhen something is terrifying and out of your control, sometimes it’s best to immerse yourself — even if you can’t tell what’s under the surface. Illustrations: Naomii Seah When I was a teen, I almost drowned. It happened in the calm seas of Auckland’s North Shore: the favourite haunt of ...2 days ago
- Labor easily wins Victorian election, but Greens could win eight lower house seatsSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne Joel Carrett/AAP With 53% counted in the lower house for the Victorian election, the ABC is calling 51 of the ...2 days ago
- Coalitions, kingmakers and RWC: Calculations already influencing next year’s electionOpinion - Sometimes it feels as if election year has begun already, with an old kingmaker back on the scene, writes Grant Duncan. ...2 days ago
- National blast as ‘undemocratic’ entrenched provision in three waters billA provision in the three waters legislation requiring a 60% vote to repeal its protections against privatisation has been called “unconstitutional and undemocratic” by the National Party. The provision, adopted by the house during the committee stage debate, means the support of 60% of MPs (or a majority vote at ...2 days ago
- In celebration of trailblazing Aotearoa filmmaker Dame Gaylene PrestonNZ On Screen’s new Gaylene Preston Collection is a comprehensive look back at a long and varied cinematic career. Amelia Berry picks some highlights, all available to watch online for free. This story was first published on Flicks. For almost 50 years, Dame Gaylene Preston has focused her career as ...2 days ago
- Accident Compensation Bill passes first readingA government bill aimed at making it easier for certain groups to get Accident Compensation passed its first reading on Friday. ...2 days ago
- ‘Tis the season: the best Christmas movies to watch on TVForget the 12 days of Christmas, we’ve found the 12 best movies to get you in the festive mood. It’s the last week of November, which means Christmas movies are hitting our streaming services like a surprise Christmas Eve snowstorm in the American mid-west. They’re filling up our algorithms ...2 days ago
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