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DHBs to go
Written By: - Date published: 8:20 am, April 21st, 2021 - 99 comments
Television New Zealand has reported that Andrew Little is to announce that district health boards are to go
The Covid India issue
Written By: - Date published: 9:13 am, April 9th, 2021 - 29 comments
This is a desperately difficult issue. India is currently experiencing a surge in Covid cases. And faced with the prospect of quarantine beds being overrun if current trends continue the Government has taken the step of banning people entering the country if they have been in India during the two weeks prior to travel.
Go well Kiri Allan
Written By: - Date published: 7:57 pm, April 6th, 2021 - 10 comments
Kiri Allen has announced that she is receiving treatment for stage three cervical cancer.
The housing crisis and the Government’s response
Written By: - Date published: 9:28 am, March 25th, 2021 - 163 comments
The Government’s housing policy announcements have been attacked by the right and landlords as being an attack on rights and business, and by elements of the left for being too timid. Which suggests that the announcements are quite well pitched.
Government announces plan to help first-home buyers maintain the housing crisis
Written By: - Date published: 10:33 am, March 23rd, 2021 - 226 comments
Labour disappoints again. Individual investment rights trump collective responsibility for people having homes.
National and the Greens on how to solve the housing crisis
Written By: - Date published: 11:04 am, March 17th, 2021 - 71 comments
Over the past week National and the Greens have released housing policy designed to address the country’s current housing crisis. National’s are tired and either reflect what is already happening or reinforce their doctrinal view of the world. The Green’s proposals are more radical and reflect steps that Micky Savage and the First Labour Government took in 1935.
About the latest poll
Written By: - Date published: 8:42 pm, March 16th, 2021 - 45 comments
Media claims that Ardern’s support have peaked and are tanking are way too premature.
“Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of happiness”. (UBI Series)
Written By: - Date published: 6:04 am, March 14th, 2021 - 49 comments
I believe, as our first Labour Government did, that everyone has the right “to a life” regardless of their perceived ,”value”.
In our country, with its excess of resources and capability, we have no excuse for poverty.
For leaving people behind.
She might have saved us from Covid but she does not drink beer with Soper
Written By: - Date published: 7:45 am, March 9th, 2021 - 99 comments
Newstalk ZB, Mike Hosking and Barry Soper are shocked, I tell you, shocked that Jacinda Ardern will no longer regularly appear on the Mike Hosking show.
The unlucky New Zealand
Written By: - Date published: 10:17 am, February 17th, 2021 - 107 comments
The first New Zealand study to look at the effects of food hardship on pre-schoolers’ nutrition has found that nearly half of families struggle to access healthy food in their child’s first year of life.
Waikeria Prison
Written By: - Date published: 10:16 am, January 3rd, 2021 - 95 comments
The stand off at Waikeria Prison between inmates and Corrections staff has attracted two responses from opposition parties, one being constructive and helpful and the other being complete and utter grandstanding.
Without the handbrake what should this Government do?
Written By: - Date published: 9:52 am, January 1st, 2021 - 112 comments
Welcome to 2021. This is the year for the Labour Government to be brave. What should it seek to achieve this year?
A Few Good Green Wins
Written By: - Date published: 8:37 am, December 23rd, 2020 - 22 comments
There is always plenty of bad news when it comes to nature in New Zealand, but this year has had an accumulation of good.
Must New Zealand Pay Back All This Public Debt?
Written By: - Date published: 9:34 am, December 20th, 2020 - 22 comments
Without much fanfare, Minister Robertson has used 2020’s crisis to bury the historic scourge of monetarism and within it the excuses of the governments that used it as a pretext to sell off our key government income generators.
The Government’s finances are in very good shape
Written By: - Date published: 7:55 am, December 17th, 2020 - 66 comments
The Government’s finances are in remarkably good shape. Who would have predicted that dealing properly with a global pandemic would have had better results for the economy than timidly dealing with it and trying to ensure that economic activity continued? But by international levels our Government debt is already low and maybe now is the time to spend on vital areas such as poverty, climate change and the housing crisis.
Ihumātao deal imminent
Written By: - Date published: 7:38 am, December 14th, 2020 - 25 comments
Radio New Zealand is reporting that a deal on Ihumātao is imminent and that Cabinet is expected to sign off on the deal today.
How can NZ incomes be lifted to match housing costs?
Written By: - Date published: 10:37 am, December 12th, 2020 - 68 comments
Not a vague let’s raise wages and benefits explanation, but an in-depth, number crunching, evidence-driven explanation. Where is it?
What now for Judith?
Written By: - Date published: 7:28 am, December 8th, 2020 - 51 comments
The latest Colmar Brunton poll results have been released just in time to get the summer BBQs firing. And the results would not have pleased Judith Collins.
Tranquillum
Written By: - Date published: 7:28 pm, December 6th, 2020 - 134 comments
Don’t expect a jellyfish to grow a spine, they just bob along on the current and keep moving, gently, slowly, kindly.
“Beyond Jacinda” – Colin James and Cr Tamatha Paul
Written By: - Date published: 1:45 pm, December 3rd, 2020 - 20 comments
Colin James and Councillor Tamatha Paul will discuss Colin’s paper “Beyond Jacinda” on Monday 7 December at 5:30pm at Baptist Church, 46-48 Boulcott Street Wellington. It will also be shown on Zoom and available on YouTube. Registration links below. All Welcome.
National’s gonna National
Written By: - Date published: 8:25 am, December 2nd, 2020 - 73 comments
On two issues, pill testing at music festivals and tax changes to address the housing crisis, National yesterday indicated that it will do what conservative parties do and oppose any meaningful change.
The Speech From The Throne
Written By: - Date published: 7:35 am, November 27th, 2020 - 21 comments
I’m sure one needs a particular depth of political nerdiness to give a flying fig about such things, but since I am one of those, these are my highlights from the speech from the throne to Parliament this week.
Maiden Speech – Ibrahim Omer take a bow
Written By: - Date published: 9:11 pm, November 26th, 2020 - 9 comments
Ibrahim Omer, refugee, trade unionist, and living wage advocate gave his maiden speech today in Parliament. If you want to watch an outstanding speech and shed a tear or two watch this.
Sneak preview of a neoliberal UBI
Written By: - Date published: 1:27 pm, November 23rd, 2020 - 21 comments
Giving migrant workers access to insufficient welfare is a financial coercion tool of right wing and centrist economics.
Time’s up Labour
Written By: - Date published: 4:50 pm, November 20th, 2020 - 114 comments
It’s not possible to resolve New Zealand’s housing and poverty crises from within a neoliberal frame. Change is going to have to be driven from outside of parliament.
C’mon Grant
Written By: - Date published: 10:40 am, November 18th, 2020 - 51 comments
This government must demonstrate that it has the ability to lead the New Zealand economy where it has stated it wants it to go. It does not want more headlines like the average house in Auckland now being priced at $1 million.
They Are Not Morons
Written By: - Date published: 7:00 am, November 17th, 2020 - 76 comments
Donald Trump will be back for another go at the Presidency in 2024. Progressives should underestimate the possibility of his winning. Unless the remaining centre-left generates strategies that are executed so well that people feel the difference good politics makes, the elements of populism arising again will stay ready like the elements of a bomb.
Capitalism’s end game
Written By: - Date published: 8:07 am, November 13th, 2020 - 145 comments
In Aotearoa New Zealand we are facing a new crisis. Not Covid, although the recent case of community spread is deeply concerning. The crisis is the value of houses.
Final election result – Labour ascendant National down and out
Written By: - Date published: 2:26 pm, November 6th, 2020 - 56 comments
The Electoral Commission has released the final results of the 2020 election and if election night was a shocker for National the final result is even worse.
In support of Nanaia Mahuta
Written By: - Date published: 8:11 am, November 6th, 2020 - 70 comments
Some elements of the right as well as Comrade Chris Trotter have decided to attack Nanaia Mahuta’s appointment as Foreign Affairs minister. In my view they could not be more wrong and I believe she will be an outstanding Minister of Foreign Affairs.
Labour’s cabinet
Written By: - Date published: 1:48 pm, November 2nd, 2020 - 78 comments
Some details of the new Cabinet announced today by Jacinda Ardern.
- Bye Bye DHBs: With an Axe Not a Scalpel
I have previously lamented that New Zealand politicians no longer believe in anything. That the energy and reforming zeal of past decades has been replaced by Much Talk and No Action. We were, I snarkily noted, living under the most inconsequential New Zealand Government since the second term of ...12 mins ago - A Struggle for Legibility II: Electric FontalooAs I noted back in January 2020, I am aware of the difficulties people have expressed in reading A Phuulish Fellow, and have taken steps to make the damn thing more readable. Hitherto, that has taken the form of adding pictures, and going back through the archives to ...7 hours ago
- SkS Analogy 22 – Energy SeaSaw
Tag Line Energy exchange vs. Energy change. Elevator Statement Energy change represents a change of the total global energy. Energy exchange represents an exchange of energy between two parts of the Earth’s systems, without necessarily increasing the total energy. A seesaw exchanges the potential energy of Person A on one ...7 hours ago - Putting the Five Eyes in their place
Earlier in the week Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta gave a speech on NZ-China relations, in which she said that while New Zealand would criticise China, we were "uncomfortable with expanding the remit of the Five Eyes" beyond being a security alliance. This has predictably drawn outrage from Australia and the ...9 hours ago - Smokefree outdoor areas: A missing part of Government’s new Smokefree 2025 proposals
George Thomson, Nick Wilson (ASPIRE2025) Smokefree outdoor areas are not ‘business-as-usual’ for New Zealand. Current efforts for such areas are rarely backed by law. Smokers trying to quit need places where being smokefree is normal, and in particular, they need smokefree outdoor hospitality areas. Aotearoa is far behind many jurisdictions ...9 hours ago - A Night in the Witherlands – accepted
As I have noted previously, I have made some substantial work on Old Phuul in 2021. But that does not mean I still can’t produce a short story now and again. In an excellent piece of news, my 6,400-word sword and sorcery piece, A Night in the Witherlands, has ...10 hours ago - Media Link: “A View from Afar” on NZ foreign policy independence reframed.
Nanaia Mahuta, NZ’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, gave a speech that was notable for two things. On the one hand she spoke of diversifying NZ’s trade relations away from the domination of one market (read: the PRC). On the other hand she expressed a desire to return the 5 Eyes ...11 hours ago - Why do we tolerate this?This week Nicky Hager has been going after Thompson and Clark Investigations, New Zealand's most immoral private investigation firm, with stories on how they spied for the Exclusive Brethren and employ former SIS agents. Today's revelation is that that agent was spying on school-children for the oil industry: School ...13 hours ago
- Health Reforms Long Overdue
The Government’s (that is, Andrew Little’s) far-reaching health reforms have been – predictably and rightly – well received by most health professionals. I judge them – and welcome them – on the basis of my own experience in chairing a Primary Health Organisation over a period of some years. My ...13 hours ago - Graham Adams: Seymour outflanks Ardern on hate speech
The Act leader reckons the Prime Minister is already backing away from a law change. Graham Adams reports from David Seymous’ national tour on the regulation of political speech, and news of a possible citizens-initiated referendum on the topic. Former PM Rob Muldoon was fond of saying he was a ...15 hours ago - NZ Politics Daily: 22 April 2021Health reforms: Analysis Chris Trotter (Daily Blog): Labour’s health reforms: Boldly going where it might not be wise to venture Luke Malpass (Stuff): Government’s DHB overhaul is the latest salvo in the Wellington vs local control war Stuff: Editorial – Healthcare change needed but crucial staff shortages need to be addressed Audrey Young (Herald): Little’s Cabinet paper shows how Heather ...17 hours ago
- My favourite Anzac biscuit recipeBy Mary Morgan-Richards Every year, in the lead up to Anzac day (25th April) when Australians and New Zealanders remember all those who died at war, we bake and eat sweet biscuits associated with WWI. After 100 years I wanted to calculate the impact of my biscuits on global ...1 day ago
- Skeptical Science New Research for Week #16, 2021Near doubling of age of oldest coherent ice core on tap? Studies of paleoclimate help us to understand our own recent creation of accidental rapid climate change and what we may expect from our blunder. Among many other sources of paleoclimate data, ice cores stand out for their near "tape ...1 day ago
- Deadlock in SamoaSamoa's independent "kingmaker", Tuala Iosefo Ponifasio, has finally made his decision, joining the opposition FAST Party. But this doesn't mean they'll be the government, because last night Samoa's electoral commission suddenly decided to create another (HRPP) MP, creating a 26-26 deadlock. The reason for this is that Samoa has a ...1 day ago
- Ending the DHB scamThis morning the government announced a major shakeup for the health system, abolishing DHBs and centralising control under a single entity. I don't know enough about health policy to comment on whether this is a good idea or not, but it doesn't bode well that the government is spinning this ...2 days ago
- Why scientists shouldn't heed calls to 'stay in our lane'This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections It’s hard to lose a long-term friendship. That happened to me last year. My friendship did not survive my unwillingness to “stay in my lane.” I met my friend – let’s call him T – while I was a student at Cornwall School ...2 days ago
- NZ Politics Daily: 21 April 2021Ihumātao unlawful government spend Henry Cooke (Stuff): Auditor-General rules the $29.9m the Government used to buy Ihumātao was unlawfully spent Tova O’Brien (Newshub): Housing Minister Megan Woods promises to ‘tidy up’ unlawful purchase of Ihumātao 1News: Unlawful Ihumātao payment another ‘messy chapter’ in the saga, 1News political reporter says Anna Whyte (1News): Ihumātao $29.9m payment ‘unlawful’ after officials miss key steps ...2 days ago
- A Fast Train To A Sustainable Future.
Future Proofed: KiwiRail needs to become an all-electrically-powered, broad-gauged, and comprehensively re-equipped state-owned enterprise with state-of-the-art locomotives and rolling-stock. An infrastructure project of massive proportions and prodigious expense is required. But, when it is completed, New Zealand will have a sustainable, twenty-first century transportation network, capable of carrying both passengers ...2 days ago - Serves them rightBack in December, the government purchased Ihumatāo. Officially the purchase was for a housing project, but whether any houses actually get built (and who will own them) is subject to negotiation. And now, the Auditor-General has ruled the purchase unlawful: The deal struck by the government and Fletcher Building ...2 days ago
- Bryce Edwards: Political Roundup – National has bigger problems than its leadershipSpeculation about the National Party’s leadership has died down, after a fortnight of rumours and overt positioning by supposed challengers to Judith Collins. She lives on as leader for a bit longer, and Christopher Luxon and Simon Bridges have been put in their place. National now desperately needs to focus ...2 days ago
- An inappropriate gagThe government is planning to reform the health system. But in the leadup, they've issued new guidance for DHB members, gagging them from criticising the government: A new code of conduct banning health board members from making “political comment” may have been timed to dull criticism of imminent changes ...3 days ago
- Presentation: The housing crisis, taxation policy and restoring equity
Susan St John & Terry Baucher The bright line test has been extended to ten years. Tax deductibility for the cost of a mortgage for landlords is to be removed. These steps are a start, but there is more to be done. In Susan and Terry, we have two advocates ...3 days ago - NZ Politics Daily: 20 April 2021NZ-China relations: Mahuta Speech Tim Watkin (Pundit): Taniwha New Zealand shows its foreign policy teeth to the world. But what does it mean? Sam Sachdeva (Newsroom): Mahuta treads a careful but clear line on China Alexander Gillespie (The Conversation): Without evidence of real progress, NZ’s foreign policy towards China looks increasingly empty Luke Malpass and Thomas Coughlan ...3 days ago
- Taniwha New Zealand shows its foreign policy teeth to the world. But what does it mean?
As New Zealand and Australia celebrated its close ties with the opening of the Trans-Tasman Covid-19 bubble, Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta today was looking a little further north. Shortly after those first flights had taken off, reminding us all of the world beyond our shores, Mahuta gave just her second ...3 days ago - sam bailey on isolating viruses, and why she is wrongRecently I was told I needed to go to the Youtube channel of Dr Sam BaileyA and watch one of her videosB. So I did. This particular video is called The Truth About Virus Isolation, and yes it’s on Youtube, and no I’m not linking directly because I refuse to ...3 days ago
- 'Disinformation ecosystem' – in broader context beyond climateThis is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Peter Sinclair This edition of Yale Climate Connections’ “This Is Not Cool” video explores the “disinformation ecosystem” in and beyond the issue of global climate change. “How did we get here?” independent videographer Peter Sinclair asks rhetorically at the start of the ...3 days ago
- The progressive case against cancel culture
Once upon a time, the left fought for the universal right to freedom of speech. Today, many self-proclaimed progressives cheer on the censorship of their political opponents. But it’s not just right-wingers who suffer from cancel culture. The left itself is often the primary victim. Dan Kovalik is a labour lawyer, peace ...3 days ago - Peter Dutton supports war crimesDuring their time in Afghanistan Australian special forces committed war crimes, murdering 39 Afghan civilians and prisoners of war and working together to cover it up. This was not a case of a few sociopaths killing in secret, but of utterly corrupt units who knew of, tolerated, and in some ...3 days ago
- Is The Government’s Proposed “Cure” For Hate Speech Worse Than The Complaint?3 days ago
- NZ Politics Daily: 19 April 2021Housing crisis Reuters: ‘Explosion of wealth inequality’ as housing boom leaves many behind – economist Dan Satherley (Newshub): Housing crisis: Price falls coming, but ‘nothing compared to’ how much they’ve risen – economists Miriam Bell (Stuff): What will happen if house prices fall? Tara Shaskey (Stuff): Poverty will cripple Māori if housing crisis is not addressed – iwi leader ...4 days ago
- Hate Speech bad, Hate Economics acceptable.
by Don Franks Details of proposed new hate speech laws have been revealed in a December Cabinet paper obtained by Newsroom. The paper, seeking to “strengthen the protections against hate speech”, would extend existing provisions against incitement and hate speech. It would also move hate speech offences from the Human Rights Act to ...4 days ago - 2021 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #16Listing of articles linked to on the Skeptical Science Facebook Page during the past week: Sun, Apr 11, 2021 through Sat, Apr 17, 2021 Not having had a chance to garner much attention by the time last week's review was published, the last article in that batch - First-Ever Observations From ...4 days ago
- Why did New Zealand’s CO2 emissions blow out so spectacularly in 2019?Every year in April, the trees start changing colour, the clocks go back an hour, and the national greenhouse gas figures are released and promptly forgotten. They take fifteen months to prepare, so by the time they come out it’s very easy for commentators to point out that they are ...5 days ago
- why it’s important to check sourcesWhile checking my spam folder (before yeeting the contents permanently) I noticed that I’d been sent a bunch of email ‘newsletters’ from the group “Voices for Freedom.” Out of interest I opened one, just in case the contents were worth a post or two – & indeed they were. The ...5 days ago
- Deceptive and dangerous dichotomisation.Humans are hard-wired to classify, categorise and compare, or in other words, to taxonomize. We may be born tabula rasa but quickly are taught that the world is divided into types of things, subtypes of those and assorted other categories. The operative term is “taught” rather than “realise.” Taxonomies are ...5 days ago
- Bryce Edwards: Political Roundup – The Government’s historic ban on live animal exportsThe Labour Government received plaudits this week for its historic announcement that it will ban the live export of animals by sea. It’s said to be a world first. The decision comes after years of pressure, which increased after last year’s tragedy when the ship Gulf Livestock 1 left New ...5 days ago
- Mystery in the Library 2021As one does on a Friday evening, I yesterday made a point of heading along to the Dunedin Public Library’s event, Mystery in the Library. This was a panel of local crime-fiction writers, and a follow-up to a similar one in April 2019 (no prizes for guessing why ...5 days ago
- Will The 2021 Budget Be Focused on Wellbeing?
Now is about the time that the Government is getting its Budget Strategy togetherIn the week before the budget – the 2021 one is to be delivered on Thursday 20 May – there is a strange ritual in which all the commentariat and lobbyists (who are not necessarily distinct from ...6 days ago - Climate Change: Admitting itClimate Change Minister James Shaw has admitted that the government is not doing enough on climate change: Appearing on Breakfast alongside Greenpeace director and former Green Party leader Russel Norman, the current Greens co-leader was asked: “Are you as Government living up to promise of delivery implicit in those ...7 days ago
- The Government v. the People?We can all agree that a free press (and free media more generally) are important factors in a well-functioning democracy. But I am beginning to wonder if they provide us with an unalloyed benefit. I am an avid consumer of daily news – whether delivered by the press or by ...7 days ago
- Why Haven’t They … ? How to Explain this Government’s Baffling Refusal to Solve New Zealand’...Yes They Can - So Why Don't They? In matters relating to child poverty, homelessness, mental health, climate change and, of course, Covid-19, the answers are right in front of the Government's collective nose - often in the form of reports it has specifically commissioned. Why can’t Jacinda and her ...7 days ago
- Progress towards a Smokefree Aotearoa 2025 Action Plan: Congratulations to the GovernmentRichard Edwards, Janet Hoek, Anaru Waa, George Thomson, Nick Wilson (author details*) We congratulate the NZ Government on its proposed Action Plan for the Smokefree Aotearoa 2025 goal. Here we examine the evidence for three key ideas outlined in the plan: permitting tobacco products to be sold in only ...7 days ago
- NZ Politics Daily: 16 April 2021National Party leadership Matthew Hooton (Herald): My message to National – and how to avoid another leadership fiasco(paywalled) Peter Dunne: National needs to sort out what it stands for before it thinks about leadership Jo Moir (Newsroom): National’s six months in a leaky boat Grant Duncan: The National Party’s leadership woes Government Peter Dunne (Newsroom): Can Covid-19 save Labour again in 2023? ...7 days ago
- Can The State Pull The Lone Wolf Terrorist’s Teeth?Punished, But Not Prevented: Though bitterly contested by those firmly convinced that the Christchurch Mosque Shootings represent something more than the crime of a Lone Wolf terrorist, the Royal Commission’s finding that no state agency could have prevented Brenton Tarrant from carrying out his deadly intent – except by chance ...7 days ago
- Govt pushing contentious gender identity lawThe Government has announced it intends making sex self-identification possible this year, as a priority. That would mean anyone could change the sex documented on their birth certificate by a simple declaration that they “identify” as the opposite sex. Speak Up For Women have launched a campaign encouraging New Zealanders ...1 week ago
- The cost of a rolling omnishamblesThe travel bubble with Australia has not brought room for others to come into the MIQ system from overseas. Instead, spaces are being decommissioned. Why? The system is leaky. The government cannot afford to let riskier people into those spaces, because the system can’t handle them. My column in Insights ...1 week ago
- “Ideologies Clashing”: as we slowly try to emerge from Covid, discontent rises.
A Second Term Labour-led Government in New Zealand, a new Biden-led Administration in the US, a continuance of the Johnson Government in the UK: different approaches to major issues, same global problems – and discontent rising. Some warranted, some unwarranted, but as each emerges from the Covid pandemic, what ...1 week ago - COVID vaccines and blood clots – what is this about?I will update this post as new information comes to hand What has happened? Recently the vaccine safety watch dogs in Europe noted reports of unusual types of blood clots in people vaccinated with the AstraZeneca (AZ) COVID-19 vaccine. This prompted investigations across many countries to ascertain what, why, and ...1 week ago
- Male fertility: how everyday chemicals are destroying sperm counts in humans and animalsAlex Ford, University of Portsmouth and Gary Hutchison, Edinburgh Napier University Within just a few generations, human sperm counts may decline to levels below those considered adequate for fertility. That’s the alarming claim made in epidemiologist Shanna Swan’s new book, “Countdown”, which assembles a raft of evidence to show that ...1 week ago
- vEGU21 – Gather online – PrologJust like last year, this year's General Assembly of the European Geosciences Union (EGU) will happen virtually instead of in person in Vienna. Contrary to last year, the organizers decided early on to hold their conference online and planned for it accordingly (quite a difference to last year's scramble where they switched ...1 week ago
- A True Story: Lucian of Samosata is Not Science-Fiction
Time for a strange rant. A very strange rant. But bear with me, because this is serious business. A True Story, by Lucian of Samosata is not Science-Fiction. What on earth am I talking about? Well, it was one of those Wikipedia rabbit holes. I was reading ...1 week ago - Otago locals rally to save fossils from destructionBy Kate Evans for Undark One of New Zealand’s most spectacular fossil sites originated 23.2 million years ago. It was formed in a valley dotted with small volcanoes, when rising magma deep below the Earth’s surface came into contact with groundwater. Lava and water don’t mix — they explode. The ...1 week ago
- No Place for Democratic-Socialists in the Undemocratic Neoliberal Government of the Auckland Superci...A Thorn In Their Side: As Chair of the Auckland Regional Council, Mike Lee made sure Auckland’s municipal resources remained in Aucklanders’ hands. Not surprisingly the neoliberal powers-that-be (in both their centre-left and centre-right incarnations) hated this last truly effective standard-bearer for democratic-socialist values and policies.MIKE LEE is the closest ...1 week ago
- so much misinformation on a page supposedly about healthIt’s always something of a shock to come across a page run by a health-focused business that contains substantial misinformation. This one left me gobsmacked, given the sheer number of statements that are demonstrably untrue. And while a fair bit of the content is prefaced by the statement that it’s ...1 week ago
- NZ Politics Daily: 15 April 2021Live animal export ban Stuff: Editorial – The tide goes out on animal exports Luke Malpass (Stuff): Government announces an end to livestock sea export industry Calla Wahlquist (The Guardian): New Zealand to stop exporting livestock by sea Mirjam Guesgen (Spinoff): Live animal exports have always been a problem No Right Turn: Why wait? RNZ: Government announces ban for live cattle exports by ...1 week ago
- Ian Powell: A very bureaucratic coup: Part OnePreviously (9 February) I wrote about how business consultants Ernst & Young were used to do a hatchet job on the former senior management team at Canterbury District Health Board (CDHB). While this hatchet job was planned in 2019 its gestation was much longer. Its underlying causes involved differences in ...1 week ago
- Skeptical Science New Research for Week #15, 2021Flying beneath the radar of guilt Fight or Flight: How Advertising for Air Travel Triggers Moral Disengagement (open access) by Stubenvoll & Neureiter not only takes an interesting approach to decomposing the effects of airline travel advertisements but also helps us to understand the general psychological landscape of our often conflicted ...1 week ago
- we haven’t taught critical thinking particularly wellYesterday I got told to “do some research” &, by extension, to think critically. The biologist in me cringed a little when I read it (and not because of the advice about doing research). Biology teachers I know suggested that perhaps everyone should take the NCEA standard that ...1 week ago
- Have introverts really fared better in lockdown?Lis Ku, De Montfort University Since the onset of the pandemic, everyone from newspaper columnists to Twitter users has advanced the now idea that extroverts and introverts are handling the crisis differently. Many claim that introverts adapt to social distancing and isolation better than extroverts, with some even suggesting that ...1 week ago
- evidence vs spinA friend of mine pointed me in the direction of this blog post by New Zealand’s “Plan B” group. While initially this group opposed the government’s use of lockdowns to manage covid19 outbreaks in this country, they seem to have since moved on to opposing the rollout of vaccines against ...1 week ago
- Getting outTwenty years after it invaded, the US is finally leaving Afghanistan. What's surprising is that it took them so long - its been clear for over a decade that their presence there was pointless and just pissing people off. But imperial pride leads to exactly this sort of stupidity. Their ...1 week ago
- Why wait?The government has announced that it will ban the export of livestock by sea. Huzzah! A vile, cruel and unconscionable trade will be ended! But there's a catch: the ban won't kick in until 2023, giving farmers two ful years to continue to profit from extreme animal cruelty. But why ...1 week ago
- An unexpected Member’s DayToday is unexpectedly a Member's Day - the Business Committee granted it early in the year, to make up for time list to government business. First up is a two-hour debate on the budget policy statement, with questions to Ministers, replacing the general debate. Then its the second reading of ...1 week ago
- A Tale of Two Schools…
. . Two stories which appeared almost side-by-side on RNZ’s website. Parent, Miranda Cross, was quoted as saying; “I think the expectations are that we can at least send our kids to school where they will receive an education.” An American parent would probably demand; “I think the expectations are ...1 week ago - NZ Politics Daily: 14 April 2021Housing crisis Henry Cooke (Stuff): Housing bonus: National say councils should be given $50,000 for every new house built Claire Trevett (Herald): National puts up its solution to housing shortage woes Nita Blake-Persen (RNZ): ‘Motel generation’ feared as emergency housing need continues Damian George (Stuff): City council brushes off criticism over $400m social housing gap Daily Telegraph (Herald): Why billionaires are snapping up second ...1 week ago
- Review: Vampire Girl vs. Frankenstein Girl [Film] (2009)
Time for reviewing something a bit different. Move over Tolkien adaptations, hello Japanese splatter movie. Specifically, a certain 2009 movie called Vampire Girl vs. Frankenstein Girl. I watched this one a few days ago with some acquaintances, never having seen it before, and not being familiar with the manga ...1 week ago - Forecasters predict an above-average Atlantic hurricane season in 2021This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Jeff Masters, PhD An above-average Atlantic hurricane season is likely in 2021, the Colorado State University (CSU) hurricane forecasting team says in its latest seasonal forecast issued April 8. Led by Dr. Phil Klotzbach, with coauthors Dr. Michael Bell and Jhordanne Jones, the CSU ...1 week ago
- Bryce Edwards: Political Roundup -The Māori Party needs to come cleanHow seriously does the Māori Party take issues of corruption and the untoward influence of big money in politics? Not very, based on how it’s handling a political finance scandal in which three large donations were kept hidden from the public. The party is currently making excuses, and largely failing ...1 week ago
- Climate Change: The latest inventoryThe annual inventory report [PDF] of New Zealand's greenhouse gas emissions has been released, showing a significant increase in emissions: (Note that this is UNFCCC accounting, not the weird fudged figures the Climate Change Commission is using). Emissions increased by almost 2 million tons in 2019, from 80.6 MT ...1 week ago
- The IPCA should not have to repeat itselfThe Independent Police Conduct Authority has ruled that the police detained a woman unlawfully and breached the Privacy Act when they used a fake traffic stop for intelligence gathering: Police have been found to have unlawfully detained a Māori woman and taken photos of her and her partner at ...1 week ago
- Following the ‘Yellow Brick Road’The melody from the classic movie Wizard of Oz echoes as Jacinta Ruru explains what inspired her to attend university, and her ambition to help create a more just society in Aotearoa. Jacinta, who affiliates to Raukawa and Ngāti Ranginui, specialises in the research areas of indigenous peoples and the law. ...1 week ago
- Climate Change: Still the climate arson partyStuff reports that National is refusing to back the Climate Change Commission's recommendations, which is apparently a Bad Thing: The National Party says it can’t support the Climate Change Commission’s draft plan to cut New Zealand’s greenhouse gas emissions unless changes are made. If National maintains this position when ...1 week ago
- Driven to serveDriven, accountable, unafraid to test limits and connected to the communities she serves are traits that come to mind when thinking about Dr Anne-Marie Jackson. (Ngāti Whātua, Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Kahu o Whangaroa, Ngāti Wai) She specialises in Māori physical education and health research disciplines while incorporating tikanga Māori and Te ...1 week ago
- Climate decisions in a car-reliant countryThis is my first post for a while. I have been a bit overwhelmed by other work in the last several weeks, with teaching and other commitments, and the blog has sadly suffered. But I’m still here. This morning, while sitting in a car in the permanent traffic jam through ...1 week ago
- Principled, Pragmatic AND Expedient? You Betcha! Replying To Paul Buchanan.Predatory Morality: Is geopolitical consultant, Paul Buchanan, right? Does the rest of the world truly monitor New Zealand’s miniscule contribution to the international arms trade so closely? Are foreign chancelleries truly so insensitive to their own governments’ complicity in the world’s horrors that they expect all other sovereign states to ...1 week ago
- Looking ahead this Earth Day
It’s Earth Day today and here at Labour, we’re deeply committed to protecting our environment – not just today, but every day. ...10 hours ago - Greens welcome protections for Kiwis’ savings
The Green Party is welcoming the Government’s announcement that bank deposits up to $100,000 will be protected under new rules. ...15 hours ago - Former Govt spies should be stopped from private spyingFormer employees of Government security and intelligence agencies should face at least a five-year stand down period before taking up private sector security contracts, the Green Party said today. ...16 hours ago
- Green Party welcomes major healthcare reforms with a call for moreThe Green Party welcomes the major healthcare reforms announced today by the Minister of Health, including the creation of a Māori Health Authority – Manatū Hauora Māori as we call it. ...1 day ago
- What do New Zealand's health reforms mean? Your questions answeredWe’re committed to ensuring that our health system works for all New Zealanders – so we’re taking big steps to improve health outcomes, support our frontline workers, and promote equitable access to healthcare across the country and across communities. ...2 days ago
- A health system that works for everyoneWe believe all New Zealanders should have equitable access to a truly national healthcare system. ...2 days ago
- Labour's record: Creating better health outcomes for allWe’re committed to improving healthcare in New Zealand. And we have the record to prove it. ...2 days ago
- Tinkering around the edges won’t cut it for families struggling to surviveResearch released today reinforces the need for significant changes to our social safety net, the Green Party says. ...3 days ago
- E karanga ana Te Pātī Kākāriki mo te waihangatanga o tētahi Manatū Hauora MāoriI tēnei tau i Waitangi, I whakahua ake te Tira o Te Mātāwaka o te Pātī Kākāriki i tā rātau aronga matua, ki te waihanga I tētahi Manatū Hauora Māori, mā Māori te kawe, mā Māori ngā whakahaere. Ko tā te tira; Kua rongohia ngā karanga a ngā Tangata Whenua, ...4 days ago
- The Greens call for an empowered independent Māori Health AuthorityDuring Waitangi this year the Green Party’s Te Mātāwaka caucus announced their priority for an independent Māori Health Authority. We have heard the call from Tangata Whenua wanting any authority to be independent, and properly resourced. ...4 days ago
- Pasifika mental wellbeing initiative must protect our communities: GreensThe Greens welcome $6.6 million from the Government’s $455 million programme to increase access to mental health and addiction services for our Pasifika communities in Auckland and Wellington. ...1 week ago
- Greens will embed tikanga Māori into rewrite of social security legislationThe Green Party is putting a Member’s Bill into the ballot today which will be a significant step towards overhauling the Social Security Act by embedding a tikanga Māori framework into the welfare system. ...1 week ago
- Strong relationship continues as Green Party renew MoU with E Tū unionThe Green Party have reaffirmed their strong commitment to the union movement in Aotearoa New Zealand by renewing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with E Tū. ...1 week ago
- Mana Ake expansion announcedSoon, more kids in Aotearoa will have access to the in-school mental health support that has boosted the resilience of tamariki and whānau in Canterbury. ...1 week ago
- Green Party plans significant rewrite of social security legislationThe Green Party is putting a Member’s Bill into the ballot today which will be a significant step towards overhauling the Social Security Act. ...1 week ago
- Service providers and communities call on Government to treat drugs as a health issueThe Green Party supports the open letter released today by a cross-sector coalition calling for the Government to treat all drug use as a health issue, to repeal and replace the Misuse of Drugs Act 1975. ...2 weeks ago
- Boosting small businessesSmall businesses are not only the heart of our economy – they’re also the heart of our communities. They provide important goods and services, as well as great employment opportunities. They know and love their locals. And after a tough year, they need our support! ...2 weeks ago
- Young Pasifika Leaders call for climate action: GreensGreen Party spokesperson for Pacific Peoples Teanau Tuiono MP, supports the demand from Pasifika communities fighting for climate action as their homelands are more at risk in the Pacific region. ...2 weeks ago
- Green Party supports climate strike demandsThe Green Party supports the six demands for climate action put forward by School Strike for Climate NZ, who are striking across the country today. ...2 weeks ago
- Systemic racism rooted in Māori victimisation reportThe Ministry of Justice Māori victimisation report, released today, reinforces what we already know about the impact of systemic racism in Aotearoa and that urgent action is needed. ...2 weeks ago
- Greens legacy bill to ensure a more inclusive and accessible Aotearoa to be debated in ParliamentRicardo Menéndez March’s Members Bill to ensure that disabled New Zealanders do not face discrimination for having a disability assist dog was today pulled from the biscuit tin to be debated in Parliament. ...2 weeks ago
- More businesses switching to clean energyMore businesses are making the switch to cleaner, more sustainable energy, with support from our Government. ...2 weeks ago
- Strengthening Trans-Tasman Ties: Australia-New Zealand Foreign Minister Consultations
New Zealand Minister of Foreign Affairs, Hon Nanaia Mahuta and Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs and Minister for Women, Senator the Hon Marise Payne, met in Wellington today for biannual Australia-New Zealand Foreign Minister Consultations. Marise Payne’s visit is the first official visit to New Zealand by Australia since both ...8 hours ago - Deposit taking measures protect financial stability and New ZealandersCabinet has finalised a package of new measures to protect New Zealanders’ interests in the banking and financial system, including guaranteeing deposits of up to $100,000 per eligible institution. These measures, the final part of a comprehensive review of the Reserve Bank of New Zealand Act, have been the subject ...15 hours ago
- Apprenticeship numbers jump in 2020The number of apprentices continues to grow, with people from across the community signing up for careers in the trades, Education Minister Chris Hipkins says. Tertiary Education Commission (TEC) for enrolments in tertiary and vocational study as at December 2020 shows that the number of apprentices increased by 17.6 per ...16 hours ago
- New Zealand to open new Trade Commission in FijiNew Zealand will open a new Trade Commission in Fiji later this year, Trade and Export Growth Minister Damien O’Connor has announced. “Fiji is New Zealand’s largest trading partner in the Pacific region”, Damien O’Connor said. “Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, annual two-way trade between New Zealand and Fiji was ...1 day ago
- Building a New Zealand Health Service that works for all New ZealandersHON ANDREW LITTLE SPEECH Morena tātau katoa. Tēnā tātau kua karahuihui mai nei i tēnei ata, Ki te whakarewa te rautaki hauora matua o Aotearoa, Kia hua ko te oranga pai o te motu. Tena tatau katoa. INTRODUCTION Welcome. Today, I am laying out for you a plan to ...2 days ago
- Major reforms will make healthcare accessible for all NZersAll DHBs will be replaced by one national organisation, Health New Zealand A new Māori Health Authority will have the power to commission health services, monitor the state of Māori health and develop policy New Public Health Agency will be created Strengthened Ministry of Health will monitor performance and advise ...2 days ago
- Minister Henare contribution to speech on Building a New Zealand Health Service that works for all N...We talk a lot about being a transformational Government. Some imagine this statement means big infrastructure builds, massive policy commitments all leading up to a single grand reveal. But this is what I see as transformation. Something quite simply and yet so very complex. Māori feeling comfortable and able to ...2 days ago
- Health reform announcementOn Wednesday morning, Minister of Health Andrew Little and Associate Minister of Health (Māori) Peeni Henare are announcing major health reforms. You can watch the announcement live here from 8am Wednesday. ...2 days ago
- Alpine Fault research supports Government’s work planning and preparing for earthquakesNew research into the probability of an Alpine Fault rupture reinforces the importance of taking action to plan and prepare for earthquakes, Acting Minister for Emergency Management Kris Faafoi says. Research published by Dr Jamie Howarth of Te Herenga Waka - Victoria University of Wellington today, shows there is a ...3 days ago
- New Zealand to provide further support to UN North Korea sanctionsForeign Minister Nanaia Mahuta and Defence Minister Peeni Henare today announced that New Zealand is deploying a Royal New Zealand Air Force P-3K2 Orion maritime patrol aircraft in support of United Nations Security Council (UNSC) sanctions on North Korea. The Resolutions, adopted unanimously by the UNSC between 2006 and 2017, ...3 days ago
- Transmission Gully review shows flawed planning process should have been addressed before project st...The Transmission Gully Interim Review has found serious flaws at the planning stage of the project, undermining the successful completion of the four-lane motor north of Wellington Infrastructure Minister Grant Robertson and Transport Minister Michael Wood said. Grant Robertson said the review found the public-private partnership (PPP) established under the ...3 days ago
- Australian Foreign Minister to visit Aotearoa New ZealandForeign Minister Nanaia Mahuta announced today that Australian Foreign Minister Hon Marise Payne will visit Aotearoa New Zealand for the first face-to-face Foreign Ministers’ Consulations since the COVID-19 pandemic began. “Australia is New Zealand’s closest and most important international partner. I’m very pleased to be able to welcome Hon Marise ...3 days ago
- Border exceptions will see more families reunitedHundreds more families who were separated by the border closure will be reunited under new border exceptions announced today, Immigration Minister Kris Faafoi said. “The Government closed the border to everyone but New Zealand citizens and residents, in order to keep COVID-19 out, keep our economy open and keep New ...4 days ago
- “He Taniwha He Tipua, He Tipua He Taniwha – The Dragon and the Taniwha”Hon Nanaia Mahuta, Foreign Minister 8.30am, 19 April 2021 [CHECK AGAINST DELIVERY] Speech to the NZCC Korihi Pō, Korihi Ao E rongo e turia no Matahau Nō Tū te winiwini, Nō Tū te wanawana Tū Hikitia rā, Tū Hapainga mai Ki te Whai Ao, Ki te Ao Mārama Tihei Mauri ...4 days ago
- Backing sustainable wool carpets to create a compelling yarn for New Zealand’s strong wool sectorThe Government is supporting a new project with all-wool New Zealand carpet company, Bremworth, which has its sights on developing more sustainable all-wool carpets and rugs, Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor announced. The Ministry for Primary Industries is contributing $1.9 million towards Bremworth’s $4.9 million sustainability project through its Sustainable Food ...4 days ago
- New Zealand provides support to Timor-Leste for flooding and COVID-19 surgeNew Zealand is providing further support to Timor-Leste following severe flooding and the recent surge in COVID-19 cases, Foreign Affairs Minister Nanaia Mahuta announced today. “Our thoughts are with the people of Timor-Leste who have been impacted by the severe flooding and landslides at a time when the country is ...5 days ago
- WHANAU OF MĀORI BATTALION SOLDIERS REUNITED WITH MEDALSA ceremony has been held today in Gisborne where the unclaimed medals of 28 (Māori) Battalion C Company soldiers were presented to their families. After the Second World War, returning service personnel needed to apply for their medals and then they would be posted out to them. While most medals ...6 days ago
- Reducing barriers to breastfeedingThe Government is committed to increasing the number of mothers who breastfeed for longer to give babies born in New Zealand the best start in life. The Ministry of Health recommends that babies are exclusively breastfed for the first six month but only about 20 percent of children at this ...6 days ago
- SolarWinds compromise attributed to Russian state actorNew Zealand has today added its voice to the international condemnation of the malicious compromise and exploitation of the SolarWinds Orion platform. The Minister Responsible for the Government Communications Security Bureau, Andrew Little, says that New Zealand's international partners have analysed the compromise of the SolarWinds Orion platform and attributed ...6 days ago
- Queenstown roading project given fast track approvalAn expert consenting panel has approved the Queenstown Arterials Project, which will significantly improve transport links and reduce congestion for locals and visitors in the tourism hotspot. Environment Minister David Parker welcomed the approval for the project that will construct, operate and maintain a new urban road around Queenstown’s town ...6 days ago
- Screen industry secures landmark projectEconomic and Regional Development Minister Stuart Nash says a landmark deal has been agreed with Amazon for The Lord of the Rings TV series, currently being filmed in New Zealand. Mr Nash says the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) secures multi-year economic and tourism benefits to New Zealand, outside the screen ...6 days ago
- Report into review of health response to lead contamination releasedThe Government welcomes the findings from a rapid review into the health system response to lead contamination in Waikouaiti’s drinking water supply. Sample results from the town’s drinking-water supply showed intermittent spikes in lead levels above the maximum acceptable value. The source of the contamination is still under investigation by ...7 days ago
- NZ Upgrade Programme revs up economic recoveryTransport Minister Michael Wood today marked the start of construction on the New Zealand Upgrade Programme’s Papakura to Drury South project on Auckland’s Southern Motorway, which will create hundreds of jobs and support Auckland’s economic recovery. The SH1 Papakura to Drury South project will give more transport choices by providing ...7 days ago
- Speech releasing the Digital Council's report 'Towards Trustworthy and Trusted Automated D...CHECK AGAINST DELIVERY E ngā mana, e ngā reo, e ngā karanga maha o te wa, tēnā koutou, tēna koutou, tēna tātou katoa. Ki ngā mana whenua, ko Ngāi Tahu, ko Waitaha, ko Kāti Māmoe anō nei aku mihi ki a koutou. Nōku te hōnore kia haere mai ki te ...7 days ago
- Green light for 10 minute e-bus to Auckland AirportTransport Minister Michael Wood today marked the completion of upgrades to State Highway 20B which will give Aucklanders quick electric bus trips to and from the airport. The State Highway 20B Early Improvements project has added new lanes in each direction between Pukaki Creek Bridge and SH20 for buses and ...7 days ago
- Review into greyhound racing announcedThe Government is putting in place a review of the work being done on animal welfare and safety in the greyhound racing industry, Grant Robertson announced today. “While Greyhound Racing NZ has reported some progress in implementing the recommendations of the Hansen Report, recent incidents show the industry still has ...7 days ago
- Road safety boosted by increased penalty for mobile use while drivingThe infringement fee for using a mobile phone while driving will increase from $80 to $150 from 30 April 2021 to encourage safer driving, Transport Minister Michael Wood announced today. Michael Wood said too many people are still picking up the phone while driving. “Police issued over 40,000 infringement notices ...7 days ago
- Pacific mental wellbeing supported across Auckland and WellingtonPacific people in New Zealand will be better supported with new mental health and addiction services rolling out across the Auckland and Wellington regions, says Aupito William Sio. “One size does not fit all when it comes to supporting the mental wellbeing of our Pacific peoples. We need a by ...1 week ago
- Fresh approach proposed to Smokefree 2025New measures are being proposed to accelerate progress towards becoming a smokefree nation by 2025, Associate Minister of Health Dr Ayesha Verrall announced. “Smoking or exposure to second-hand smoke kills around 12 people a day in New Zealand. Recent data tells us New Zealand’s smoking rates continue to decrease, but ...1 week ago
- Govt expands Mana Ake to provide more school-based mental wellbeing supportMore children will be able to access mental wellbeing support with the Government expansion of Mana Ake services to five new District Health Board areas, Health Minister Andrew Little says. The Health Minister made the announcement while visiting Homai School in Counties Manukau alongside Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Associate ...1 week ago
- Record Number of People Move Into WorkThe Government’s COVID-19 response has meant a record number of people moved off a Benefit and into employment in the March Quarter, with 32,880 moving into work in the first three months of 2021. “More people moved into work last quarter than any time since the Ministry of Social Development ...1 week ago
- Significant global progress made under Christchurch CallA stocktake undertaken by France and New Zealand shows significant global progress under the Christchurch Call towards its goal to eliminate terrorist and violent extremist content online. The findings of the report released today reinforce the importance of a multi-stakeholder approach, with countries, companies and civil society working together to ...1 week ago
- New chair of interim TAB NZ Board appointedRacing Minister Grant Robertson has announced he is appointing Elizabeth Dawson (Liz) as the Chair of the interim TAB NZ Board. Liz Dawson is an existing Board Director of the interim TAB NZ Board and Chair of the TAB NZ Board Selection Panel and will continue in her role as ...1 week ago
- Government to phase out live exports by seaThe Government has announced that the export of livestock by sea will cease following a transition period of up to two years, said Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor. “At the heart of our decision is upholding New Zealand’s reputation for high standards of animal welfare. We must stay ahead of the ...1 week ago
- Workshop on Lethal Autonomous Weapons Systems – opening remarksWORKSHOP ON LETHAL AUTONOMOUS WEAPONS SYSTEMS Wednesday 14 April 2021 MINISTER FOR DISARMAMENT AND ARMS CONTROL OPENING REMARKS Good morning, I am so pleased to be able to join you for part of this workshop, which I’m confident will help us along the path to developing New Zealand’s national policy on ...1 week ago
- Inter-prison kapa haka competition launchedFor the first time, all 18 prisons in New Zealand will be invited to participate in an inter-prison kapa haka competition, Corrections Minister Kelvin Davis announced today. The 2021 Hōkai Rangi Whakataetae Kapa Haka will see groups prepare and perform kapa haka for experienced judges who visit each prison and ...1 week ago
- Government takes step forward on counter terrorism lawsThe Government has introduced the Counter-Terrorism Legislation Bill, designed to boost New Zealand's ability to respond to a wider range of terrorist activities. The Bill strengthens New Zealand’s counter-terrorism legislation and ensures that the right legislative tools are available to intervene early and prevent harm. “This is the Government’s first ...1 week ago
- Carbon neutral government a step closerCoal boiler replacements at a further ten schools, saving an estimated 7,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide over the next ten years Fossil fuel boiler replacements at Southern Institute of Technology and Taranaki DHB, saving nearly 14,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide over the next ten years Projects to achieve a total ...1 week ago
- Appointment of Chief Parliamentary CounselAttorney-General David Parker today announced the appointment of Cassie Nicholson as Chief Parliamentary Counsel for a term of five years. The Chief Parliamentary Counsel is the principal advisor and Chief Executive of the Parliamentary Counsel Office (PCO). She is responsible for ensuring PCO, which drafts most of New Zealand’s legislation, provides ...1 week ago
- Emissions report shows urgent action neededEvery part of Government will need to take urgent action to bring down emissions, the Minister for Climate Change, James Shaw said today in response to the recent rise in New Zealand’s greenhouse emissions. The latest annual inventory of New Zealand’s greenhouse gas emissions shows that both gross and net ...1 week ago
- Numbers returning from India cut because of increase in quarantine cases
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra The numbers of Australian citizens and permanent residents allowed to return from India and other COVID “high risk” countries are to be restricted. With COVID surging in India, the cases in quarantine among people arriving ...26 mins ago - Grattan on Friday: As Morrison struggles with 2050, the climate leaders up the ante for 2030Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra We shouldn’t be surprised at the Kevin Rudd-Malcolm Turnbull bromance. After all, we saw the same with Malcolm Fraser and Gough Whitlam. The stronger the earlier political antipathy, it seems, the closer the later collaboration. ...2 hours ago
- Keith Rankin Analysis – Money, Housing, and King CanuteAnalysis by Keith Rankin. Stories last week from Radio New Zealand: Expert analysis: low interest rates vs soaring house prices, Nine to Noon, 15 April 2021. And refer to: Arthur Grimes: How to fix a broken Auckland? Add 150,000 homes to crash prices by 40%; The Spinoff, ...4 hours ago
- Why scrap Victoria’s ‘meaningless’ Belt and Road deal? Because it sends a powerful message to ...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michael Clarke, Associate Professor, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University The Morrison government’s decision to scrap Victoria’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) agreement with China was based on Australia’s new Foreign Relations Act, which says the foreign minister may ...4 hours ago
- Alexei Navalny has been on a hunger strike for over 3 weeks. How long can humans survive without foo...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stefan Broer, Head of molecular nutrition group, College of Medicine, Biology and Environment, Australian National University From time to time, generally when there’s a public case of a hunger strike, people ask me how long a person can survive without food. The ...5 hours ago
- Clear evidence for a link between pro-inflammatory diets and 27 chronic diseases. Here’s how you c...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Meghan Hockey, PhD Candidate, Accredited Practising Dietitian, Deakin University Almost half of all Australians live with a chronic disease, which contribute to some 90% of deaths. It’s no secret our diet can have a major impact on our health. But our new ...6 hours ago
- Teaching young people about sex is too important to get wrong. Here are 5 videos that actually hit t...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Louise Moana Kolff, Lecturer, UNSW Two videos were removed this week from the Australian government’s recently released sexuality education resource for schools. The government released the Good Society resource in mid April, which consists of more than 350 materials including videos, digital ...7 hours ago
- 8 years after the Rana Plaza tragedy, Bangladesh’s garment workers are still bottom of the pileSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Shams Rahman, Professor of Supply Chain Management, RMIT University The 2013 Dhaka garment factory collapse, killing more than 1,100 workers and injuring 2,600 more, is the clothing industry’s worst ever industrial incident. It is not just the body count, though, that made ...7 hours ago
- From Five Eyes to Six? Japan’s push to join the West’s intelligence allianceSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Craig Mark, Professor, Faculty of International Studies, Kyoritsu Women’s University As tensions with China continue to grow, Japan is making moves to join the “Five Eyes” intelligence-sharing alliance. This week, Japan’s ambassador to Australia, Shingo Yamagami, told The Sydney Morning Herald he ...7 hours ago
- Meth Use In Greyhound Racing Exposed
In a judgement released yesterday , the Judicial Control Authority for Racing fined greyhound trainer Angela Turnwald $3,500 and disqualified them for four months in a doping case. The case was bought by the Racing Integrity Unity after the greyhound ...7 hours ago - Bus Drivers Indefinitely Locked-out By EmployerThe Council of Trade Unions is shocked and appalled by the behaviour of NZ Bus, owned by Next Capital, which has today issued lock-out notices to Wellington Bus drivers for an indefinite period. CTU President Richard Wagstaff said, "this ...8 hours ago
- ‘Self-driving’ cars are still a long way off. Here are three reasons whySource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Hussein Dia, Professor of Future Urban Mobility, Swinburne University of Technology The recent crash of a Tesla car in the United States, in which two people died, has reignited debate about the capabilities and safety of today’s “self-driving” technologies. Tesla cars include ...8 hours ago
- PODCAST: Buchanan and Manning on NZ Govt’s Commitment to Foreign Policy Independence – Is it an ...A View from Afar: In this week’s podcast Selwyn Manning and Paul Buchanan debate: How this week, New Zealand’s minister of foreign affairs, Nanaia Mahuta, delivered a significant speech detailing how this Labour-led Government defines its foreign policy. BACKGROUND: In short, Mahuta anchored New Zealand within the Asia Pacific region ...9 hours ago
- Like a jackal in wolf’s clothing: the Tasmanian tiger was no wolfish predator — it hunted small ...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Douglass S Rovinsky, Associate research scientist, Monash University The thylacine (Thylacinus cynocephalus), commonly known as the Tasmanian tiger, is an Aussie icon. It was the largest historical marsupial predator and a powerful example of human-caused extinction. And despite being extinct since 1936, ...9 hours ago
- Distributing Intimate Images Without Consent Will Make You A Sex CriminalSexual harm using images will earn up to three years imprisonment if the proposed amendments to the Harmful Digital Communications Bill go through. The amendment would deem the individual distributor of intimate recordings without consent liable to ...9 hours ago
- “Not Tolerable Any More”Support groups and experts in the rise of sexual abuse are rallying behind amendments to the Harmful Digital Communications Act. People have until midnight tomorrow night (April 23) to comment on the Harmful Digital Communications Act (Unauthorised Posting ...9 hours ago
- Statecraft trumps spectacle as Mahuta, Payne meet
The foreign ministers of New Zealand and Australia have faced questions on Five Eyes, China and deportees at the first face-to-face meeting since the pandemic Statecraft has trumped spectacle at a meeting of the trans-Tasman foreign ministers, with Nanaia Mahuta and Marise Payne downplaying recent conflicts between New Zealand and ...9 hours ago - Business is Boring: The NZ company working on a new Covid-19 vaccine
In this week’s episode, Simon Pound talks to Dr Robert Feldman, CEO of Covid-19 Vaccine Corporation, about the fascinating science behind developing a vaccine.Since the onset of Covid-19 last year we’ve seen a huge global effort to develop vaccines. An amazingly successful effort, with new breakthroughs in technology that we’re ...10 hours ago - Early Release For Violent Killer Highlights What A Joke Our Justice System Really IsThe Parole Board’s decision to grant an early release from prison for a man found guilty of a brutal and unprovoked attack is yet another example of the justice system failing at its core, says Darroch Ball co-leader of Sensible Sentencing Trust. “Emilio ...10 hours ago
- Small shareholders can be left worse off when companies raise funds. Here’s how to protect themSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kevin Davis, Emeritus Professor of Finance, The University of Melbourne After the Bank of Queensland agreed to buy ME Bank from Australia’s industry superannuation funds in February, it needed to raise A$1.35 billion quickly. The way it did it depleted the wealth ...10 hours ago
- PNG parliament adjourns amid covid surge and attempt to remove PMRNZ Pacific Papua New Guinea’s parliament has adjourned for almost four months, dashing an attempt to oust Prime Minister James Marape. The adjournment allows Marape to avoid a no confidence vote. Earlier, the opposition had tabled a motion of no confidence against Marape. The opposition listed the former prime minister ...10 hours ago
- Deposit Insurance Scheme Risks Bailouts For Ponzi SchemesThe Government’s inclusion of finance companies in its announced deposit insurance scheme opens the risk of Ponzi schemes receiving insurance payouts, courtesy of responsible savers, warns the New Zealand Taxpayers' Union . Union spokesman Louis Houlbrooke ...10 hours ago
- The Australian Poem: Uncovered, by Omar SakrAustralia Week: A poem by Sydney poet Omar Sakr.To mark the opening of the trans-Tasman bubble, The Spinoff is casting an eye across the ditch all week – read our Australia Week content here.UncoveredThe train shivers my body over the rails. Whole swathes of country become unseen. I ...10 hours ago
- New Zealand, Australian foreign ministers speak about China concerns
Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs Marise Payne has thanked New Zealand for the warm and heartfelt welcome, arriving soon after the trans-Tasman bubble opened. ...10 hours ago - New Zealand, Australian foreign ministers meet after bubble opensAustralian Minister for Foreign Affairs Marise Payne has thanked New Zealand for the warm and heartfelt welcome, arriving soon after the trans-Tasman bubble opened. ...11 hours ago
- Live: New Zealand, Australian foreign ministers joint media conferenceAustralian Minister for Foreign Affairs Marise Payne and her New Zealand counterpart Nanaia Mahuta are speaking to media. ...11 hours ago
- Will scrapping DHBs remedy South Auckland’s medical woes?South Auckland leaders are cautiously optimistic the government’s new health reforms can be a ‘once-in-a-generation’ opportunity to get on top of the region’s chronic health issues.“It’s about time,” said Auckland councillor Fa’anana Efeso Collins. The outspoken South Auckland politician isn’t alone in his endorsement for the dramatic health reforms revealed by ...11 hours ago
- The end of Auckland Zoo’s elephant eraIn a few months’ time, Auckland Zoo’s two elephants will be travelling across the Tasman to their new homes. The decision to relocate the pair was a difficult one, but promises to give the elephants a happier and healthier long-term future. With their dexterous trunks and powerful feet, Burma and ...12 hours ago
- NZ to set up trade post in Fiji – but questions are raised about the confines of the “Pacific re...
Great – a statement from Damien O’Connor that won’t (or shouldn’t) frighten the horses or our allies. At least, not in terms of signalling a greater fondness for China than for friends in the democratic West. It was a trade statement: New Zealand will open a new Trade Commission ...12 hours ago - New authority could transform Māori health, but only if it’s a leader, not a partnerSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Dominic O’Sullivan, Adjunct Professor, Faculty of Health and Environmental Sciences, Auckland University of Technology and Professor of Political Science, Charles Sturt University As part of a major overhaul of the health system, health minister Andrew Little yesterday announced a new Māori health ...12 hours ago
- Children’s Commissioner Comment On Updated Child Poverty StatisticsChildren’s Commissioner Andrew Becroft has today welcomed the correction of child poverty figures by Stats NZ but reminds New Zealanders to remain focussed on what’s really going on for tamariki and rangatahi. Stats NZ today released updated poverty ...13 hours ago
- The incredible life story behind this embroideryEvery stitch of Lema Shamamba’s embroidery tells a part of her story – and brings her closer to her homeland.CW: Violence, sexual assaultWhen Lema Shamamba fled the Democratic Republic of the Congo, she took just one of her three children. While the other two were at school, her youngest, Pasifique, ...13 hours ago
- Bouncer’s dream is still Australia’s greatest TV momentAustralia Week: Calum Henderson looks back on the pinnacle of Australian television: the time a dog had a dream on Neighbours. To mark the opening of the trans-Tasman bubble, The Spinoff is casting an eye across the ditch all week – read our Australia Week content here.Can dogs dream? ...14 hours ago
- Five NZ businesses that successfully cracked Australia – and a couple that didn’tAustralia Week: Trans-Tasman commerce has always been a big deal. So we take a look at some of the New Zealand companies that have successfully expanded across the ditch and cemented their place in the hearts, and malls, of Australia.To mark the opening of the trans-Tasman bubble, The Spinoff ...14 hours ago
- Greenpeace Issues ‘please Explain’ To Austrian Govt Over New OMV Spying AllegationsGreenpeace Aotearoa is calling on the Austrian Government to explain why OMV, a state controlled oil company, has been using the notorious Thompson & Clark spy agency to actively thwart legitimate climate protests in New Zealand. This comes ...15 hours ago
- The view of Mahuta’s speech from across the Tasman: we are selling out our neighbours – and the...
Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta was probably expecting her speech this week on New Zealand’s policy towards China to be widely read, but not to have produced the savage reactions it did in some quarters. In our examination of the speech, Point of Order drew attention to how Mahuta had delivered ...15 hours ago - Newsletter: New Zealand Politics Daily – April 22 2021Editor’s Note: Here below is a list of the main issues currently under discussion in New Zealand and links to media coverage. Click here to subscribe to Bryce Edwards’ Political Roundup and New Zealand Politics Daily. Today’s content Health reforms: Analysis Chris Trotter (Daily Blog): Labour’s health reforms: Boldly going where it might ...15 hours ago
- Toi Tangata Welcomes The Establishment Of The Māori Health AuthorityToi Tangata welcomes the announcement of the major health reform revealed by Minister Little and Minister Henare on Wednesday morning. The establishment of a Māori Health Authority is a bold and courageous move in the right direction. This new Māori Health ...16 hours ago
- Public Online Meeting On The Pike River Disaster...16 hours ago
- Fears health sector reform could delay mental health boostThe Mental Health Foundation wants reassurance from the government that mental health reforms wont be slowed down by the major health restructure. ...16 hours ago
- Dunne Speaks: Back To The Future Health Reforms?...16 hours ago
- It’s time the RSA acknowledged its ugly history of racismThe modern Returned Services Association is proudly multiracial and multicultural, but that was far from the case in its early decades. The organisation should consider marking this Anzac Day with a recognition of past failings, writes Scott Hamilton.Every Anzac Day the Returned Services Association organises commemorations across New Zealand, at ...16 hours ago
- How intimate partner violence affects children’s healthSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stephanie Brown, Senior Principal Research Fellow, Murdoch Children’s Research Institute Childhood should be a happy and carefree time, but often it doesn’t work out that way. Children are exposed to all the stresses and strains that affect the families and communities in ...17 hours ago
- Scott Morrison can’t spin this one: Australia’s climate pledges at this week’s summit won’t ...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Matt McDonald, Associate Professor of International Relations, The University of Queensland Days out from a much-anticipated climate summit convened by US President Joe Biden, the federal government has moved to position itself as serious about emissions reduction. On Wednesday Prime Minister Scott ...17 hours ago
- If we want to improve NZ’s freshwater quality, first we need to improve the quality of our democra...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Nicolas Pirsoul, Policy Analyst and Research Assistant, University of Auckland Since the fatal Havelock North campylobacter outbreak in 2016, freshwater quality has rightfully been a major political issue in Aotearoa New Zealand. Pipes bursting in Wellington, lead contamination in Otago and concerns ...17 hours ago
- Want to improve your chances of getting a full-time job? A double degree can do thatSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By David Carroll, Researcher and Senior Manager, Strategic Information, Monash University Career-related motivations are among the most important factors in Australian students’ decision to undertake higher education. This means universities must demonstrate their graduates’ ability to find work when seeking to recruit students ...17 hours ago
- The Stella shortlist: your guide to 2021’s powerful, emotional booksSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Julia Prendergast, Senior Lecturer, Writing and Literature, Swinburne University of Technology Each year, The Stella Prize honours writing by women. Good. We’ve come a long way. We’ve a long way to go. The 2021 shortlist encompasses contemporary fiction, historical fiction, and non-fiction, ...17 hours ago
- How high hopes in Wellington may be dashed in our cities, farms and homes
Decisive leadership, big government and big bucks are needed to change people’s behaviour on climate emissions. ...17 hours ago - Live updates, April 22: Melbourne on high alert after Covid-19 detected in wastewaterWelcome to The Spinoff’s live updates for April 22, bringing you the latest news updated throughout the day. Get in touch at stewart@thespinoff.co.nz8.05am: ‘Unexpected’ Covid-19 fragments found in Melbourne wastewaterMelbourne is on high alert after “unexpected” Covid-19 fragments were found in wastewater.Samples taken from sewer catchments in the suburbs of ...17 hours ago
- The Bulletin: Who inflation is hitting hardestGood morning and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Latest round of consumer price index stats come out, sweeping health system reforms announced, and Wellington Council still weirdly tense.Sorry for leading off with such naked clickbait today, but we’re talking about inflation stats. The famously dry figures generally pass without ...18 hours ago
- Shares slump again on global Covid concerns
Business & Investing: Covid-19's surge in India and high numbers elsewhere weigh on global markets, Plus: Australia sees retail recovery ...18 hours ago - Kmart Workers Leading The Way With Living Wage OfferRetail workers across the country who are currently bargaining for new Collective Agreements with their employers will be looking to the example of Kmart, who are the first major retailer to negotiate new one-year CA for 2021-22 that includes the ...19 hours ago
- Governments Vaccine Rollout Under Threat As High Court Challenge FiledThe Vaccine rollout is under threat as the legality of the vaccine approval and many of the Governments claims are being challenged in the High Court. The plaintiff claims that the people of New Zealand are not being given honest and complete information ...20 hours ago
- Public Health Agency 'the legacy of the pandemic'
Analysis: Experts have endorsed the new approach to public health but say the scale of funding and the agency's resilience to food and tobacco lobbyists will be key, Marc Daalder reports For years, public health experts have unified around a single concept: New Zealand needs a centralised public health body. "All ...20 hours ago - Newsroom's daily sudoku, Thursday 22 April
...20 hours ago - Everything to play for in new health reforms
Dr Peter Davis takes a look at the newly-announced health reforms and how they might affect different sectors of our society There is everything to play for in the announcement of the long-awaited health reform package by the Minister of Health, Andrew Little. The announced structural outline is best seen as ...20 hours ago - Newsroom daily crossword, Thursday 22 April
...20 hours ago - Changing women's lives through rugby league
Kiwi Fern Christyl Stowers has faced some tough times - from depression to crippling arthritis. Now she's part of a bold initiative with her league club giving women tools for on and off the field. Sport saved Christyl Stowers' life. When she needed to escape periods of her childhood, the now ...20 hours ago - Book of the Week: Food and mental illness
George Henderson on a revolutionary study of the link between nutrition and mental health Tl;dr – the blurb says The Better Brain: How nutrition will help you overcome anxiety, depression, ADHD and stress by Julia Rucklidge, a professor of clinical psychology at the University of Canterbury, and University of Calgary ...20 hours ago - NZ releases belated criticism of WHO Covid report
After facing flak from partners, the Government has finally responded to an independent report on Covid-19 which ran into alleged roadblocks in China New Zealand has raised belated concerns about a controversial World Health Organisation report into the origins of Covid-19, saying it shares “regrets” about limited access to early ...20 hours ago - Successful gout treatment overlooks most tormented
There’s been an effective and inexpensive drug treatment for decades - so why are the lives of so many Māori and Pasifika hampered by gout? Matthew Scott investigates how our healthcare system is leaving some people behind. It’s bad today. He can’t use his hands. Not to drive, not ...20 hours ago - A trans-Tasman ambition fulfilled
An Australian property company founded by Kiwis aims to become truly Australasian following its local acquisition, Mark Jennings reports. This story is written in partnership with Centuria. Fresh out of Auckland University, 21 year old Jason Huljich headed to Australia and got a job with another expat Kiwi trying to ...20 hours ago - Newsroom daily quiz, Thursday 22 April
Got a good quiz question? Send Newsroom your questions. ...20 hours ago - Health reforms for Māori: ‘I’m not ready to celebrate just yet’Yesterday’s announcement of a new Māori health authority might be a step in the right direction for tino rangatiratanga, but we’ve been promised systemic change before. Before we celebrate, let’s run a critical eye over the proposals, writes health policy expert Gabrielle Baker.For the last three years I’ve been having ...20 hours ago
- 10 x 100: What Australians think about New Zealand – and New ZealandersAustralia Week: In 10 x 100, we survey a group of 100 people via Stickybeak and ask them 10 questions. So far, we’ve quizzed Wellingtonians, holiday motorists and locked-down Aucklanders. This time, we asked Australians all about Aotearoa.To mark the opening of the trans-Tasman bubble, The Spinoff is casting an ...20 hours ago
- Ministers put cart before the horse on Māori health
With so little detail on what the Māori Health Authority will look like, it’s difficult to know whether those most in need of medical care will be the ones feeling the change. ...20 hours ago - Even without its handbrake, Labour's too timid on drug reform
Columnist Peter Dunne says Labour talked a big game on drug reform when it took office in 2017, but in many areas things have got worse, not better. ...20 hours ago - Sky-high airfares and fuel boost inflation closer to Reserve Bank flashpoint
Prices increased by 0.8% in first quarter, because of rising transport and supply chain costs ...20 hours ago - Upheaval in Samoa as vote makes history
Nearly two weeks after voting, Samoans still don't know if their leader of 22 years will be ousted by his former deputy Cliff-hanger, seismic shift, historic, unprecedented. There's a lot of hyperbole surrounding the drama-filled Samoan election. It is seismic, says Dr Damon Salesa, the University of Auckland's pro vice-chancellor ...20 hours ago - Priority visas for family of high income workers
The Government is accused of putting a 'band-aid' on an issue impacting thousands of migrants by inviting the families of high-skilled, high income contractor and employees to apply first. Officials estimate 450 partners and children will be first in line for family reunification – amid criticism the government is giving preferential treatment to high-income overseas ...20 hours ago - Morrison government quashes Victoria’s belt and road deal with China.Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra The Morrison government has cancelled the belt and road agreements Victoria has with China. In the first decisions under the government’s new foreign arrangements scheme allowing it to quash arrangements states, territories and public universities ...1 day ago
- NZ shuts down Cook Islands plan to welcome back Kiwi tourists next week
Cooks PM Mark Brown backs down on unilaterally opening border, as visiting NZ health officials inspect delays to in-country PCR testing. ...1 day ago - Morrison wants to focus on the ‘how’ rather than the ‘when’ in climate debateSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Scott Morrison says he hopes to focus the conversation at this week’s Biden climate summit on the question of how to achieve net-zero emissions, declaring there has been enough conversation about the timing. Ahead of ...1 day ago
- Politics with Michelle Grattan: military ‘watch-dog’ Neil James on Afghanistan, China, and Peter...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Sunday is ANZAC day – and this year it comes at a particularly important time for Australia’s military image. Last week, Scott Morrison announced Australia’s remaining troops will leave Afghanistan by September, following President Biden’s ...1 day ago
- Fat-footed tyrannosaur parents couldn’t keep up with their skinnier offspring, fossil footprints r...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Nathan James Enriquez, PhD Student, University of New England Tyrannosaurus rex is perhaps the most famous of all dinosaurs. It and its closest kin, a group referred to as “tyrannosaurs”, have been embedded in popular culture as powerful and mobile predators. Consider ...1 day ago
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