national
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- same old national (1,454)
Comrade Chris wants to solve Aotearoa’s housing crisis
Written By: - Date published: 9:05 am, September 28th, 2022 - 48 comments
Something unusual has happened. Chris Bishop, or as we should now call him Comrade Chris, has come out fully in favour of a vast expansion of the provision of social housing for kiwis.
Luxon’s mishandling of the Uffindell report
Written By: - Date published: 8:11 am, September 21st, 2022 - 65 comments
The only word that I can think of is clusterfuck. I cannot understand how badly Christopher Luxon has handled the Maria Dew report into what Sam Uffindell may have done when he was a younger person.
Has Uffindell been cleared?
Written By: - Date published: 9:12 am, September 19th, 2022 - 98 comments
It appears that the Dew report may clear Sam Uffindell and he may be returned to National’s caucus.
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.
The right is weirdly gleeful about the end of the mask mandate
Written By: - Date published: 6:59 am, September 14th, 2022 - 40 comments
National MPs and their supporters have been celebrating the removal of the mandate with weird levels of glee.
Who pays the cost of an extra day off?
Written By: - Date published: 12:45 pm, September 13th, 2022 - 50 comments
The Government has announced that we will all have a day off to commemorate the life of Queen Elisabeth. Act has come out against it on the basis that we are in a cost of living crisis, even though the adverse effect on workers and the poor is essentially nil and even though there is analysis that suggests that holidays are good for the economy.
Newshub’s incredibly bad gang take
Written By: - Date published: 8:40 am, September 6th, 2022 - 55 comments
Yesterday the Government announced a slate of new powers designed to address gang violence. Newshub chose that day to imply that Labour was soft on gangs because a gang member said on social media not to vote for National.
National’s PR support springs into action
Written By: - Date published: 8:19 am, September 2nd, 2022 - 52 comments
Yesterday National’s PR machine also known as Mike Hosking on Newstalk ZB sprang into action to get the message out that National will not negotiate with Destiny Church over support. Even though eight days previously Chris Luxon pointedly did not rule this out.
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.
Mark Mitchell is Kim Hilled on National Radio
Written By: - Date published: 11:07 am, August 29th, 2022 - 35 comments
National should learn. They should never send an MP into an interview with Kim Hill unless they are completely prepared. As Mark Mitchell learned this morning.
Selling your soul to the bishop for power
Written By: - Date published: 2:36 pm, August 24th, 2022 - 52 comments
This morning Christopher Luxon refused to rule out working with Freedoms New Zealand, the Brian Tamaki entity which has held mock trials, alleged senior Government figures should be tried for treason and have professed a desire to make the country ungovernable.
Labour’s “tenant tax” is neither a tax nor for tenants
Written By: - Date published: 10:16 am, August 22nd, 2022 - 33 comments
National’s media spin team is at it again claiming that removing interest rate deductibility for landlords is a “tenant tax” when it is neither a new tax nor for tenants.
A week of sideshows
Written By: - Date published: 5:34 pm, August 21st, 2022 - 64 comments
But the past week has been a week of sideshows. One international as elements of the right try to smear Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin for dancing. And one local where rogue Labour MP Gaurav Sharma is running out of excuses for not backing up the extraordinary claims he has made about the Labour Party.
The Three Strikes abomination is no more
Written By: - Date published: 7:50 am, August 11th, 2022 - 44 comments
The three strikes legislation, the brainchild of dead baby identity stealing former ACT MP David Garrett, is no more.
Uffindel’s new allegation
Written By: - Date published: 8:08 am, August 10th, 2022 - 231 comments
Radio New Zealand has published new allegations of bullying by National MP Sam Uffindell this time by a female flatmate who flatted with Uffindell while at University.
National’s culture problem
Written By: - Date published: 9:14 pm, August 8th, 2022 - 139 comments
National MP Sam Uffindell has today been engaged in a media wide mea culpa after allegations that he bullied a young student and was expelled from Kings College have been publicised.
National’s weird take on the Government’s Climate Adaption Plan
Written By: - Date published: 9:05 am, August 4th, 2022 - 7 comments
The Government’s release of the National Adaption Plan to deal with climate change has been met by National with an insistence that who should pay for potentially hundreds of billions of costs should have already been identified.
Chris Bishop supports AND opposes vaccine mandates
Written By: - Date published: 8:28 am, August 3rd, 2022 - 51 comments
Remember when National’s Chris Bishop thought that Labour was not being staunch enough of mandates? He now thinks that Labour is being too staunch.
Why stick more fingers in the donations dyke?
Written By: - Date published: 9:50 pm, August 1st, 2022 - 13 comments
The latest attempt to construct a sensible political donations regime will likely again prove to be full of holes. Going back to basics would be much better. The good news is that the basics were comprehensively assessed 36 years ago by the 1986 Royal Commission on Electoral Reform. It recommended state funding.
Best yet in National Party splatter series in production
Written By: - Date published: 1:31 pm, July 28th, 2022 - 46 comments
The kicker in Andrea Vance’s Blue Blood, her insider’s view of the splatter-movie that has been the National Party since John Key stepped down, is that the best yet is in production. She chronicles treachery that has become the modus operandi of the vacuous vipers inhabiting the caucus. Details of the dirty work induce you to turn the page for more. It doesn’t look like Luxon is the redeemer.
Luxon goes to Te Puke Hawaii
Written By: - Date published: 7:00 am, July 27th, 2022 - 58 comments
The question of what has happened to Christopher Luxon was answered yesterday in a shambolic messy way that must have National operatives in despair.
The inside story of National’s civil war
Written By: - Date published: 12:24 pm, July 25th, 2022 - 16 comments
Andrea Vance’s book Blood Bath provides an insider’s view of the carnage that erupted in the National Party from 2017 to 2021. And while things have calmed down under Christopher Luxon’s his weaknesses, including his glossing over the importance of policy detail and his tendency to bag businesses has been noted.
Wear your #$%^& mask properly
Written By: - Date published: 10:38 am, July 16th, 2022 - 90 comments
Although we still compare favourably to the vast majority of Western nations in terms of our Covid response our performance has been eclipsed by Japan and Singapore, two nations which strong mask mandates and cultural norms supporting the wearing of masks.
Luxon is still struggling to understand Mask rules
Written By: - Date published: 9:05 am, July 14th, 2022 - 28 comments
During January of this year Christopher Luxon described the traffic light system as confusing. This week he described it as “very, very confusing”. It is of concern that he appears not to have learned about what the rules require in the meantime.
Luxon goes to London to get campaign ideas
Written By: - Date published: 8:20 am, July 8th, 2022 - 19 comments
At the very time that the United Kingdom Conservative Government is imploding National leader Chris Luxon is visiting to get new ideas on how to run a country.
The $11 billion man strikes again
Written By: - Date published: 8:41 am, July 7th, 2022 - 22 comments
Remember Steven Joyce who claimed there was a $11.7 billion dollar hole in Labour’s alternative budget? Another example of his negotiation prowess has recently received media attention and the only conclusion that can be drawn is that his ability to analyse crown accounts is matched by his ability to negotiate.
Hey Free Speech Union, Simon O’Connor is being muzzled
Written By: - Date published: 9:05 am, June 28th, 2022 - 41 comments
Someone should send out the free speech police. Simon O’Connor has been muzzled and is being stopped from saying what he thinks.
Christopher Luxon’s many and varied abortion takes
Written By: - Date published: 8:42 am, June 27th, 2022 - 103 comments
National leader Christopher Luxon who has been previously reported as believing that abortion is murder, issued three public statements over the weekend trying to distance himself from the controversy caused by the US Supreme Court overturning of Rowe v Wade.
Luxon has been Susied on National Radio
Written By: - Date published: 11:04 am, June 22nd, 2022 - 68 comments
This morning on Morning Report Christopher Luxon was well and truly Susied as Susie Ferguson asked him how can we have tax cuts yet improved public services.
The Tauranga by election
Written By: - Date published: 7:00 pm, June 18th, 2022 - 64 comments
The Tauranga by election has been one of the most low key by elections held in some time. The polls are now closed. If Labour get within 25 points of National they can regard this as a victory.
Human rights, culture wars and the right
Written By: - Date published: 10:49 am, June 17th, 2022 - 39 comments
Christopher Luxton has proposed that social media posts showing gang members wearing bling should be censored. And in the United Kingdom Boris Johnson has railed against a ECHR decision which has upset his efforts to illegally extradite refugee status applicants to Rwanda. These are different examples of something the right is finessing, culture wars against minorities in breach of their rights for political advantage.
- If we can’t trust the Ombudsman, who can we trust?
Today the Ombudsman released Ready or Not, a followup to their 2015 report Not a Game of Hide and Seek. And the first revelation in it? That the Ombudsman lied to me. Last year, I'd grown curious about what problems had been identified in Not a Game of Hide and ...4 hours ago - Studying hurricanes at sea to save lives on shore
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Kristen Pope NOAA oceanographer Greg Foltz knew it was going to be a long night last fall when he saw Hurricane Sam‘s trajectory. Glued to the National Hurricane Center data, Foltz, who works in NOAA’s Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory in Miami, examined ...16 hours ago - The SFO and the right to silenceNewsroom today has an article asking Is the SFO too powerful for its own good?. The article is about the NZ First Foundation fraud trial, and much of it is about the allegation that Labour politicians were charged and questioned solely to protect the SFO from expected government moves to ...1 day ago
- The police are out of controlOn Friday, RNZ carried a story about the police use of Auror, a private surveillance network. Police use it to track people and vehicles using ANPR, washing their hands of any legal restrictions or privacy obligations because the actual surveillance is being done by a private company. That's bad enough, ...1 day ago
- Gordon Campbell on what Britain’s tax cutting spree means for us
Well, that didn’t take long. Briefly, the pageantry of the royal funeral had made Britain look like a world power again. But last Friday’s package of tax cuts and borrowing announced by the UK’s new Chancellor, Kwasi Karteng, has spooked investors, caused markets to tumble, and sent the pound crashing ...1 day ago - Geoffrey Miller: Jacinda Ardern’s tilt towards the West continues at the UN
Jacinda Ardern intends to continue a more pro-Western foreign policy strategy, if her agenda from a hectic week of diplomacy is anything to go by. New Zealand’s Prime Minister met with four G7 leaders – Liz Truss, Joe Biden, Justin Trudeau and Emmanuel Macron – in various settings while she ...2 days ago - Warming climate makes extreme hurricane rains more likely for Puerto RicoThis is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Jeff Masters and Bob Henson On September 20, 2017, Hurricane Maria hit the southeast coast of Puerto Rico as a category 4 hurricane with 155 mph winds, making it the strongest hurricane to make landfall on the island since 1928. Maria dumped ...2 days ago
- Old Prejudices In New Packages.
Charisma. Style. Fascism? The rest of Europe is looking on aghast at Italy’s electoral behaviour. Giorgia Meloni’s Fratelli d’Italia (Brothers of Italy) party traces its ideological lineage all the way back to Mussolini’s fascists. Indeed, she has been known to proclaim the original fascists’ slogan: “God, Country, Family”; at her party’s ...2 days ago - Crackpot Theory: The Real Sauron in The Rings of Power
The Rings of Power has yet to unveil Annatar. Or, as you might also know him, Sauron. As it currently stands, the invented Adar is the major on-screen villain, while the show has been gleefully dangling potential Annatar candidates in front of the viewer, to the point where “Everyone ...3 days ago - 2022 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #38A chronological listing of news articles posted on the Skeptical Science Facebook Page during the past week: Sun, Sep 18, 2022 thu Sat, Sep 24, 2022. Story of the Week Tipping points: How could they shape the world’s response to climate change? The Larsen Ice Shelf is situated along the ...4 days ago
- The power and privilege of the professional managerial class
Bryce Edwards examines how politics got captured by the middle class, and why it’s a problem (Reprinted from the Democracy Project, 8 September 2022) One of the world’s leading progressive political thinkers and journalists died last week. Barbara Ehrenreich was 81 years old, had written more than 20 books and ...4 days ago - A Crystal Mith Problem: A Review and Analysis of The Rings of Power, Episode 5
Well. That was something else. Hot on the heels of The Rings of Power’s first unapologetically good episode, we now encounter its first unapologetically bad one. As you might have noticed, I have been generally positive – or at least charitable – about the show, but I cannot in ...4 days ago - Business as usual then? “Goodbye” Covid, Seymour rants, Uffindell is “cleared”… and Big Bu...
A pandemic is declared “over” by the US President (but let’s not fool ourselves because it’s not really), world leaders gather at the UN in person after zooming in over the last few years even as tensions escalate in Ukraine, extremism continues to rise worldwide and also locally, all ...4 days ago - Real royalty dying off
Jean Luc Godard and Hilary Mantel within a few days of each other?FFS, 2022. Juck fuck off already. ...4 days ago - Should We Be Relying On Storing Waste Carbon in Trees?
The carbon, energy and dollar cycles do not integrate well. The strategy of mitigating global warming by sequesting carbon in trees involves three separate cycles: a carbon cycle, an energy cycle and a dollar cycle. I am not sure they are well integrated. Our oil-based carbon cycle involves extracting underground ...5 days ago - Who to vote for in Palmerston North (2022)My local body voting papers arrived earlier in the week, so its time for the usual post in which I try and work out who I'm voting for. Essential tools for this have been Vote Climate, which looks at climate and public transport policy; Policy.nz, which gives a more general ...5 days ago
- Still striking for a futureIn 2017, Labour leader Jacinda Ardern said that climate change was "my generation's nuclear-free moment" and promised action. In 2019 and 2021 school students walked out of classrooms to demand she deliver. And today, they walked out again, because she still hasn't. The strikes are smaller today, because the movement ...5 days ago
- Fuck the economyStuff reports that bank economists are saying that 50,000 people need to be thrown out of work to control inflation: The current labour market was “very, very tight”, [ANZ chief economist Sharon Zollner] said, and bringing down inflation required “some spare capacity” in the labour market. It was a ...5 days ago
- Bryce Edwards: The Political mood of the business eliteThe New Zealand Herald has released the results of its annual “Mood of the Boardroom” survey today. Should we care what businesses think of politics, the economy and society? There’s a good argument that we should be more concerned with the “Mood of the Foodbank” or “Mood of the workers”. ...5 days ago
- Labour: From disappointment to deceitIn the 1980's and 1990's, Aotearoa faced a succession of governments who brazenly lied to the public, promising one thing to get elected, then doing something completely different in office. As revenge, we inflicted MMP on politicians, to saddle them with coalition partners and deprive them of the absolute majorities ...5 days ago
- The Magic Of Monarchy5 days ago
- An American Colony?
The end of the Queen’s reign has provided us here in New Zealand with a powerful and prolonged reminder of the extent to which our heritage is bound up with that of the United Kingdom. It may, therefore, be an odd moment to register what is becoming a significant change ...5 days ago - Skeptical Science New Research for Week #38 2022"Was it something I did?" Not so long ago Skeptical Science received email from a reader, subject: "Myth: increased deaths, harm to health and and destruction of property cannot be attributed to global warming." As a matter of intuition and the evidence in front of us, this certainly seems ...6 days ago
- Owlbears in Valinor: D&D Silliness with The Silmarillion
Some weeks ago, I finished DMing a three-session D&D outing with my usual circle of acquaintances. I had never actually DMed before, so it was a fun learning experience. Overall, I think I’m pretty decent at serving up a vaguely engaging story… my biggest weakness being combats. I am ...6 days ago - Gordon Campbell on ram-raids as a policy outcome, not a causeNew British PM Liz Truss is giving us a useful foretaste of what a change of government here next year would deliver: tax cuts, welfare reductions, law and order crackdowns, and further handouts to banks. On Friday, the new British Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng is expected to unveil a major “’fiscal ...6 days ago
- Hoist by his own petardIn 2017, in response to being criticised by anonymous bloggers, then-Samoan Prime Minister Tuila'epa Sa'ilele Malielegaoi restored the archaic colonial offence of criminal libel to Samoa's statute book, ramming it through parliament in under an hour. Now, he's being prosecuted under his own law [paywalled]: Police have perused a ...6 days ago
- DrawnA ballot for three member's bills was held today, and the following bills were drawn: Oranga Tamariki (Repeal of Section 7AA) Amendment Bill (Karen Chhour) Employment Relations (Restraint of Trade) Amendment Bill (Helen White) Sale and Supply of Alcohol (Cellar Door Tasting) Amendment Bill (Stuart Smith) ...6 days ago
- Bryce Edwards: Labour has given up on the poorWhat will it take for this Labour Government to start paying attention to the worsening state of economic inequality in New Zealand? The evidence is mounting that, under Labour’s watch, the problem of wealth and income inequality is spiralling. But the signs are that Labour ministers have put this crisis ...6 days ago
- Patterns in the Sand: Guessing References in The Rings of Power Opening Sequence
It is now generally accepted that the peculiar opening sequence of The Rings of Power is an extended reference to the Ainulindalë, the Music of the Ainur, the Creation Myth of J.R.R. Tolkien’s legendarium. Recall that this myth – the first chapter of the published Silmarillion – consists of ...1 week ago - Two Kings, One Country.A Meeting Of Minds On The Treaty: The ultimate irony of a radical Māori nationalist push for a republic would be an answering surge towards monarchical institutions. A Māori-Pakeha alliance forged between members of the Professional-Managerial Class in pursuit of a radically identarian republic may yet find itself opposed by ...1 week ago
- One country at a timeEquatorial Guinea has abolished the death penalty: Equatorial Guinea has abolished the death penalty, according to a new criminal code signed by veteran President Teodoro Obiang, adding to a growing list of African countries seeking to extinguish a vestige of colonial rule. The West African oil-producing country of 1.4 ...1 week ago
- Bryce Edwards: Time for the Auditor General to investigate Mahuta contractsPressure is increasing on the Auditor General to undertake an inquiry into numerous contracts, appointments and grants awarded to members of Cabinet Minister Nanaia Mahuta’s family by various government departments she has had official responsibility for. Allegations and revelations are mounting up, meaning this issue can no longer be ignored. ...1 week ago
- Gordon Campbell on Air New Zealand’s bumpy path to Covid recoveryAir New Zealand’s new non-stop service to JFK international airport in New York recently received a ton of free publicity, even though the airline’s mishandling of passenger baggage on the first New York to Auckland run was also an epic embarrassment. Since it was ordinary taxpayers who bailed out the ...1 week ago
- Member’s DayToday is a Member's Day. First up are two committee stages: Rachel Boyack's Plain Language Bill and Steph Lewis' Biosecurity (Information for Incoming Passengers) Amendment Bill. Once they're out of the way, the House will move on to the first readings of Damien Smith's Overseas Investment (Exempt Investment from OECD ...1 week ago
- This seems like a process we can have confidence inYesterday, National leader Christopher Luxon announced that the National caucus had voted to readmit MP Sam Uffindell - who had got together with his mates to beat a fellow student with bed-legs in the middle of the night in a cruel and pre-meditated attack while at school - after an ...1 week ago
- Climate Change: James Shaw pretends to be helplessRNZ this morning reports that Climate Change Minister James Shaw is open to another look at climate change rules to ensure that the Zero Carbon Act and its statutory target can actually be legally enforced: "If the temperature threshold is the point of the entire legislation, then surely it ...1 week ago
- Bryce Edwards: National’s unsatisfactory exoneration of Sam UffindellIt’s hard to have confidence in the National Party’s supposed exoneration of MP Sam Uffindell over allegations of ethical violations as an adult. The party’s processes have been far too opaque, which means there will always be a cloud over the integrity and character of their new MP for Tauranga. ...1 week ago
- A Song Of Iron And Blood.1 week ago
- 2022’s supercharged summer of climate extremes: How global warming and La Niña fueled disasters o...This article by Kevin Trenberth, Distinguished Scholar, NCAR; Affiliated Faculty, University of Auckland, is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. There’s an old joke about the fellow who has his left foot in a bucket of ice water and the right in a bucket ...1 week ago
- Who decides what we are allowed to say?
In this thoughtful piece Mark White from the left free speech site Plebity examines how we can reclaim the public square as a real Commons. Before we can have an honest debate over what speech should be allowed and what speech should be forbidden, we need to confront a more ...1 week ago - Elegy For A Queen.Elegy For A QueenThe media beast that must be fedOn human fodder hour-by-hour,Just for one second, checks its power.Elizabeth, the Queen, is dead.That this is news no one can doubt.The airwaves hum, the presses roll.And cellphones buzz from pole to poleTo get the information out.We see, we hear, the words ...1 week ago
- The Languages Of Sovereignty And Democracy.Leviathan: Reaching all the way back to the writings of the Sixteenth Century jurist and political philosopher, Jean Bodin, constitutional transformer Moana Jackson argues that the European concept of sovereignty is one of “the most high and perpetual power over citizens”. He would have done better to study Hobbes and Locke ...1 week ago
- Bryce Edwards: The Uninspiring Wellington mayoral electionWellingtonians are desperately unhappy with the politicians running their city, and a new poll out yesterday shows they’re not very impressed with their mayoral options either. The Wellington City Council’s own annual Residents Monitoring Survey shows plummeting levels of confidence in the politicians and the state of the city. When ...1 week ago
- Of Guilty Guilds: Addressing Anti-Immigration Populism in The Rings of Power, Episode 4
As per my Episode 4 review of The Rings of Power, I noted that the Men of Númenor objecting to Elves on a “they’ll steal our jobs!” basis feels a tad weird. Of all the things these people have to throw at their pointy-eared brethren, the show settles upon ...1 week ago - An Idle Ode to Adar the Elda: A Review and Analysis of The Rings of Power, Episode 4
Half-way through the first season of The Rings of Power, we have run into our first unapologetically good episode. Not merely one to feel positive about, whilst grumbling about perceived flaws real or imagined. No, I think the fourth episode is sufficiently good that hunting around for flaws to ...2 weeks ago - Gorbachev’s Legacy
The aim of a decent liberal Russia is still there; its achievement is likely to be a long way off. I was optimistic about the prospects for Russia when the Soviet Union – or, as I think of it, the Russian Empire – collapsed in the early 1990s. I never ...2 weeks ago - Hungary is no longer a democracySince his election in 2010, Viktor Orbán has shifted Hungary sharply away from democracy and the rule of law, changing the constitution to stack the electoral system and the courts against his opponents, while dismantling the independent media. And now, the European Parliament has recognised the truth: that one of ...2 weeks ago
- Bryce Edwards: Labour’s fraught battle to retain the Māori voteLabour’s poll results are trending down. Yesterday’s Curia poll put the party down two points to just 33 per cent, while National is up three points to 37 per cent. When it comes to next year’s election, a key constituency for Labour will be Māori voters, especially in the Māori ...2 weeks ago
- A King’s Grasp.Worst Case Scenario? Mike Bartlett’s teleplay, King Charles III, teases out the consequences of a constitutional monarch who makes the mistake of attempting to defend the rights of his subjects.WHILE MANY OF US pretended that Queen Elizabeth II would, somehow, live forever, others among us knew better. One of those ...2 weeks ago
- Gordon Campbell on the regal mourning marathonThe media coverage of the mourning process for Elizabeth II seems to be as endless as the lines of people waiting patiently to pay their respects. (The British are very good at standing in queues.) New Zealand’s official ten day mourning period ends on Monday, after the state funeral in ...2 weeks ago
- Skeptical Science New Research for Week #37 2022Mutual assured stupefaction A plethora of investigations have found that come the clutch, ideology often wins over facts when it comes to uncomfortable truths. If the outcomes of facts disagree with ideological objectives, facts frequently lose. Why? If we look at the sharpest divergences of facts from wishful ideology, we find ...2 weeks ago
- Shouldn’t we make them pay for it?Yesterday a new report from Environment Southland found widespread environmental contamination at the Tiwai Point aluminium smelter. Both the soil and groundwater has been contaminated with fluoride and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and the stormwater drains are full of heavy metals. Worse, this is just what we know - the data ...2 weeks ago
- Democratic compromise as the mutual second-best.
For the first ten years of my former academic career I wrote a considerable amount about post-authoritarian democratisation thanks to the mentors that introduced me to the subject and my personal interest in Argentina and the Southern Cone. I alternated this interest with writing about various security related topics like ...2 weeks ago - Bryce Edwards: Fighting for cleaner and fairer electionsFrom this week the public can provide input into the Government’s review of electoral laws – a process which is supposed to make elections cleaner and fairer. Hopefully, public submissions and pressure applied to both the electoral review experts and the Government will force the consideration and implementation of progressive ...2 weeks ago
- Sweden falls to the NazisSwedes went to the polls over the weekend, and after a tight count, appear to have elected a Nazi-coalition government. The right-bloc has a three-seat majority, and the neo-Nazi Sweden Democrats are the largest party within that bloc. And to gain power of course the "moderate" centre-right parties are willing ...2 weeks ago
- Ag’s challenging future in a changing climateThis is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Jeff Masters Increased drought and extreme heat adversely affecting agriculture likely pose the highest threat to civilization over the next 40 years. The greatest danger: extreme droughts supercharged by climate change, affecting multiple grain-growing areas simultaneously, causing “food shock” events that could ...2 weeks ago
- Questions for Richard Wagstaffby Don Franks A tough strike and lockout struggle against their employer won Kawerau pulp and paper workers an increase to the company’s initial offer. In a welcome resurgence of working class solidarity, embattled Kawerau unionists were assisted by financial support from other workers. Instead of building on this positive ...2 weeks ago
- We need tougher penalties for electoral donation fraudWriting in Stuff, Max Rashbrooke Lisa Marriott examine the dismal history of election donation fraud in Aotearoa, and conclude that there are no real consequences for it. Prosecutions are rare, and the penalties derisory: It looks awfully like one law for the rich and one for the poor. At ...2 weeks ago
- Wellington’s user-pays “democracy”In the face of a rising tide of climate protest, governments are cracking down. In the UK, the only-partly-elected government has effectivley banned protests, just like they did in the eighteenth century. In Wellington, they're more subtle, simply imposing unaffordable costs for "traffic management fees": Wellington City Council left ...2 weeks ago
- Bryce Edwards: Why New Zealand’s shift to a republic will be thwartedThe death of Queen Elizabeth and the ascension to the throne of King Charles has reignited the debate on whether New Zealand should become a republic. But despite strong arguments in favour of shifting to a republic, such a move is unlikely to occur anytime soon. What will stop the ...2 weeks ago
- Not Since 1955: Bringing Serialisation to Middle-earth
A curious thought has occurred to me. Specifically about how The Rings of Power represents serialised storytelling in Middle-earth, and about how damned unusual that actually is. You see, in the Tolkien fandom, the books are there on the shelf, the story complete. Posthumous publications might provide ...2 weeks ago - Gordon Campbell on a fun summer, with Covid anxietyNo more traffic light alert system. No more vaccine mandates, even for those in healthcare. Masks are no longer mandatory in retail outlets or on public transport, and required only in healthcare settings, and for those caring for the sick and elderly. Who’s afraid of the Big Bad Virus? Not ...2 weeks ago
- The Bad Guys Are Winning.2 weeks ago
- Food supply and security concerns mount as impacts stress agricultureThis is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Jeff Masters Crops don’t like drought, extreme heat, extreme cold, flooding, and air pollution. While reducing the ill effects of extreme cold on agriculture in recent decades, the warming climate is increasing impacts of drought, extreme heat, and air pollution. These increased ...2 weeks ago
- The Ukrainian “People’s Storm” Lays Waste Putin’s Dreams.2 weeks ago
- Interview with Kobad Ghandy: Free Speech in Modi’s IndiaDaphna Whitmore interviewed Kobad Ghandy on 6 September for the Free Speech Union in New Zealand. This podcast looks at free speech and civil rights in India, the world’s most populous democracy. Kobad Ghandy was a political prisoner for ten years under both Congress and BJP regimes, and was just ...2 weeks ago
- The left is a big tent, but it must include belief in free speechRedline readers should check out Plebity. It is a left non-profit free speech organisation with articles and resources reclaiming free speech as the necessary foundation for achieving all other leftist ideals. Plebity stands for: ...2 weeks ago
- Don’t Let the Herald take You InThe omens are not good for Christopher Luxon. The polls tell a story that – as interpreted by the Herald – suggest that his failure to improve his personal polling means that he could deny National an election victory in 2023; and the conclusion? That Luxon is therefore dragging National ...2 weeks ago
- Political Roundup: 13 September 2022Items of interest and importance today COVID Luke Malpass (Stuff): PM Ardern’s last Covid live update draws a curtain down on a miserable couple of years Claire Trevett (Herald): PM bids a relieved farewell to Covid-19 rules (paywalled) Mark Quinlivan (Newshub): Government seeking advice on ‘what form’ any Covid-19 inquiry ...2 weeks ago
- New study more than triples estimated costs of climate change damagesThis is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections A peer-reviewed analysis by two dozen experts more than triples – from $51 per ton of carbon dioxide to $185 per ton – the federal government’s estimate of the “social cost of carbon” (SCC). The climate science, economics, and statistics experts’ paper in ...2 weeks ago
- The British Royal Family and its contribution to humanityGearóid Ó Loingsigh The British monarch Elizabeth Windsor, formerly Saxe Coburg Gotha, has died at the grand old age of 96, thanks in no part to the subsidised lifestyle and medical care she enjoyed throughout her long life. Her death has produced the usual outpouring of manufactured grief from the ...2 weeks ago
- Labour abandons us to covidToday, the government has taken its long-signalled decision to repeal virtually all covid restrictions. From midnight tonight, there won't be traffic lights or mask requirements, and isolation rules will be further weakened. The few remaining vaccination requirements will disappear in a couple of weaks. Essentially, the virus will be free ...2 weeks ago
- No freedom of speech in the UKIn the eighteenth century, the British government waged a campaign of repression against those calling for democracy and an end to the monarchy. Over two hundred years later, nothing has really changed: A woman was arrested holding an anti-monarchy sign in Edinburgh today, before the Queen’s cortege arrived in ...2 weeks ago
- Gordon Campbell on being co-dependent on the royalsFor those who do not regard King Charles III as their liege lord, these have been a difficult few days, with the promise of more to come. One of the reasons that republican sentiment has been so absent from the media coverage of the death of Queen Elizabeth II is ...2 weeks ago
- Following the war in Ukraine – an update
- More medicines for New Zealanders
Thousands more New Zealanders will soon have access to life-changing medicines, thanks to our Government’s record investments in Pharmac’s medicines budget. ...3 hours ago - Birth injuries bill celebrated – next step, full cover
Parents who are injured while giving birth will be better supported by ACC, thanks to months of pressure from the Green Party, parents, community advocacy groups, academics, and medical experts. ...1 day ago - RSE expansion stops short of what’s neededToday’s expansion of the Recognised Seasonal Employer Scheme (RSE) fails to guarantee Pacific people traveling to Aotearoa for work a warm place to live, safe working conditions, and good pay. ...1 day ago
- Crown closes the door for Waimana Housing programmeThe Green Party is calling out the Government for its role in Te Waimana Kaaku whānau losing their deposits and the homes they were promised. ...1 day ago
- Swimmable rivers and healthy lakes could soon be out of reachThe Green Party is calling on the Government to tighten the rules on synthetic fertiliser use and intensive land use, including intensive winter grazing, after new monitoring data revealed almost two-thirds of monitored rivers and streams are in poor health. ...3 days ago
- Green Party backs School Strike demandsThe Green Party backs the demands of the School Strike for Climate. ...5 days ago
- Report shows urgent need to fix wealth inequalityA new report out today provides all evidence the Government needs to start addressing runaway inequality and rebalance Aotearoa to work for everyone. ...6 days ago
- No excuses, Minister: we need mandatory pay gap reporting right nowThe message is loud and clear: the Government must introduce mandatory pay gap reporting ...6 days ago
- Greens will keep fighting to strengthen democracyThe Green Party once again put electoral reform on the political agenda with the first reading of Golriz Ghahraman’s Strengthening Democracy member’s bill - only for it to be voted down by Labour. ...7 days ago
- Moratorium on deep sea mining a step closerFollowing months of pressure from the Green Party and environmental NGO and the public, the Minister for Foreign Affairs today confirmed that she is taking advice on whether the Government should support a moratorium on deep sea mining in international waters. ...1 week ago
- Green Party welcomes landmark commitments from health sector for ADHD progressGreen Party spokesperson for Mental Health, Chlöe Swarbrick, welcomes commitments from the Minister of Health to six key areas of progress for the ADHD community, which would together represent one of the largest changes for the ADHD community in a generation. ...1 week ago
- Govt must reunite Afghan refugees with their familiesThe Green Party is once again calling on the Government to support victims of war, oppression, and violence to reunite with their families and put down roots in Aotearoa New Zealand. ...2 weeks ago
- New Zealand’s economy and the case for optimismIf you missed Grant Robertson’s recent speech on New Zealand’s economy, don’t worry – we’ve got you covered. Here’s a super quick overview of what the Minister of Finance said about the Government’s economic plan, as well as the latest figures that show how New Zealand’s economy is tracking. ...2 weeks ago
- Government handing Fonterra a free passMinister O’Connor should immediately pause the Government’s proposed Fonterra Bill and review its potential impact on the climate, the Green Party says. ...2 weeks ago
- Time to support te reo Māori as a core subject and as a medium of instructionOn the 50th anniversary of the Māori language petition, the Green Party is calling on the Government to make te reo Māori a core curriculum subject in mainstream schools and to support Kaupapa Māori education groups. ...2 weeks ago
- Celebrating Te Wiki o Te Reo MāoriKia ora e te whānau! It’s Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori once again – an opportunity for all of us, no matter where we are on our te reo journey, to give te reo Māori a go. This year, as we celebrate Māori Language Week, we are also marking ...2 weeks ago
- Urgent need for more food supportThe Green Party is calling on the Government to urgently increase the support available for people who are struggling to afford to put food on the table. ...2 weeks ago
- Serious questions for Govt to answer following decision to allow deep-sea miningThe Government has questions to answer following a recent decision by international regulators to give the green-light to a potentially destructive deep-sea mining project in the Pacific. ...2 weeks ago
- Vital public health measures still missing from COVID responseStrong public health measures are more vital than ever, the Green Party says as the Government removes many longstanding COVID-19 restrictions. ...2 weeks ago
- James Shaw re-elected as Co-leader of the Green PartyMembers of the Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand have re-elected James Shaw as Co-leader, alongside Marama Davidson. ...3 weeks ago
- Green Party statement on the death of Queen Elizabeth IIOn behalf of the Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand, I would like to send our deepest condolences to the Royal Family on the passing of Queen Elizabeth II,” says co-leader of the Green Party, Marama Davidson. ...3 weeks ago
- Livestock exports by sea to cease
The passing of a Bill today to end the export of livestock by sea will protect New Zealand’s reputation for world-leading animal welfare standards, Minister of Agriculture Damien O’Connor said. “The Animal Welfare Amendment Bill future-proofs our economic security amid increasing consumer scrutiny across the board on production practices," Damien ...2 hours ago - Extra measures to increase census turnout in 20233500 census workers on the ground, twice as many as last census More forms to be delivered – 44% compared to 3% in 2018 Prioritisation of Māori and other groups and regions with lower response rates in 2018 Major work to ensure the delivery of a successful census in 2023 ...6 hours ago
- Shining the light on screen workersImproved working conditions for workers in the screen industry is now a reality with the Screen Industry Workers Bill passing its third reading today, announced Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Michael Wood. “It’s fantastic to see the Screen Industry Workers Bill progress through Parliament. The new Act will strengthen protections ...7 hours ago
- Mental health resources for young people and schools launchedAssociate Minister of Education (School Operations) Jan Tinetti and Associate Minister of Education (Māori Education) Kelvin Davis have today launched two new resources to support wellbeing, and the teaching and learning of mental health education in schools and kura. “Students who are happy and healthy learn better. These resources ...8 hours ago
- Progress continues on future-proofing Auckland’s transport infrastructureTransport Minister Michael Wood has welcomed the latest progress on Auckland’s two most transformational transport projects in a generation – Auckland Light Rail and the Additional Waitematā Harbour Connections. Auckland Light Rail and Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency have named preferred bidders to move each project to their next phase, ...8 hours ago
- Government supports local innovation in homelessness preventionTen successful applicants in round two of the Local Innovation and Partnership Fund (LIPF) Close to $6 million allocated as part of the Homelessness Action Plan (HAP) Māori, Pasefika and rangatahi a strong focus Round three opening later this year with up to $6.8 million available. Government is stepping up ...10 hours ago
- More medicines for New Zealanders, thanks to Govt’s Budget boostHealth Minister Andrew Little is welcoming news that two more important medicines are set to be funded, thanks to the Government’s big boost to the country’s medicines budget. “Since coming into Government in 2017, the Labour Government has increased Pharmac’s funding by 43 per cent, including a $71 million boost ...14 hours ago
- Government delivers ACC change to support 28,000 parentsThe Maternal Birth Injury and Other Matters Bill passes Third Reading – the first amendment to ACC legislation of its kind From 1 October 2022, new ACC cover to benefit approximately 28,000 birthing parents Additional maternal birth injuries added alongside new review provision to ensure cover remains comprehensive Greater clarity ...1 day ago
- Further cuts for East Coast tarakihi limits to rebuild numbers fasterCommercial catch limits for East Coast tarakihi will be reduced further to help the stock rebuild faster. “Tarakihi is a popular fish, and this has led to declining levels over time. Many adjustments have been made and the stock is recovering. I have decided on further commercial catch reductions of ...1 day ago
- New Ambassador to Colombia announcedForeign Minister Nanaia Mahuta today announced the appointment of diplomat Nicci Stilwell as the next Ambassador to Colombia. “Aotearoa New Zealand’s relationship with Colombia is fast growing with strong links across education, climate change and indigenous co-operation,” Nanaia Mahuta said. “Trade is a key part of our relationship with Colombia, ...1 day ago
- 3000 more RSE workers to ease workforce pressuresThe Government continues to respond to global workforce shortages by announcing the largest increase in over a decade to the Recognised Seasonal Employer Scheme (RSE), providing 3000 additional places, Immigration Minister Michael Wood and Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor have announced. The new RSE cap will allow access to 19,000 workers ...1 day ago
- Sanctions on more of the Russian political eliteFurther sanctions are being imposed on members of President Putin’s inner circle and other representatives of the Russian political elite, as part of the Governments ongoing response to the war in Ukraine, says Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta. “Ukraine has been clear that the most important action we can take to ...1 day ago
- New Principal Youth Court Judge appointedJudge Ida Malosi, District Court Judge of Wellington, has been appointed as the new Principal Youth Court Judge, Attorney-General David Parker announced today. Born and raised in Southland, Judge Malosi graduated from Victoria University of Wellington and spent her legal career in South Auckland. She was a founding partner of ...1 day ago
- Visitor arrivals highest since pandemic beganOverseas visitor arrivals exceeded 100,000 in July, for the first time since the borders closed in March 2020 Strong ski season lifts arrivals to Queenstown to at least 90% of the same period in 2019 Australia holiday recovery has continued to trend upwards New Zealand’s tourism recovery is on its ...1 day ago
- Language provides hope for TuvaluClimate change continues to present a major risk for the island nation of Tuvalu, which means sustaining te gana Tuvalu, both on home soil and in New Zealand Aotearoa, has never been more important, Minister for Pacific Peoples Aupito William Sio said. The Tuvalu Auckland Community Trust and wider Tuvalu ...3 days ago
- Minister Sio to attend Asian Development Bank meeting in ManilaAssociate Foreign Affairs Minister Aupito William Sio travels to the Philippines this weekend to represent Aotearoa New Zealand at the 55th Annual Meeting of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) Board of Governors in Manila. “The ADB Annual Meeting provides an opportunity to engage with other ADB member countries, including those ...4 days ago
- United Nations General Assembly National StatementE ngā Mana, e ngā Reo, Rau Rangatira mā kua huihui mai nei i tēnei Whare Nui o te Ao Ngā mihi maioha ki a koutou katoa, mai i tōku Whenua o Aotearoa Tuia ki runga, Tuia ki raro, ka Rongo to pō ka rongo te ao Nō reira, tēnā ...5 days ago
- New strategy unifies all-of-Government approach to help Pacific languages thriveA united approach across all-of-Government underpins the new Pacific Language Strategy, announced by the Minister for Pacific Peoples Aupito William Sio at Parliament today. “The cornerstone of our Pacific cultures, identities and place in Aotearoa, New Zealand are our Pacific languages. They are at the heart of our wellbeing,” Aupito ...5 days ago
- Upgrades for sporting facilities ahead of FIFA Women’s World CupCommunities across the country will benefit from newly upgraded sporting facilities as a result of New Zealand co-hosting the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023. The Government is investing around $19 million to support upgrades at 30 of the 32 potential sporting facilities earmarked for the tournament, including pitch, lighting and ...5 days ago
- Partnership supports climate action in Latin America and CaribbeanAotearoa New Zealand is extending the reach of its support for climate action to a new agriculture initiative with partners in Latin America and the Caribbean. Foreign Affairs Minister Nanaia Mahuta and Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor announced a NZ$10 million contribution to build resilience, enhance food security and address the ...5 days ago
- Landmark agreement for Māori fisheries celebrates 30th yearThe 30th anniversary of the Fisheries Deed of Settlement is a time to celebrate a truly historic partnership that has helped transform communities, says Parliamentary Under-Secretary to the Minister for Oceans and Fisheries Rino Tirikatene. “The agreement between the Crown and Māori righted past wrongs, delivered on the Crown’s treaty ...5 days ago
- Government backs initiatives to cut environmental impact of plastic wasteThe Government has today announced funding for projects that will cut plastic waste and reduce its impact on the environment. “Today I am announcing the first four investments to be made from the $50 million Plastics Innovation Fund, which was set last year and implemented a 2020 election promise,” Environment ...5 days ago
- Call for expressions of interest in appointment to the High Court BenchAttorney-General David Parker today called for nominations and expressions of interest in appointment to the High Court Bench. This is a process conducted at least every three years and ensures the Attorney-General has up to date information from which to make High Court appointments. “It is important that when appointments ...6 days ago
- Depositor compensation scheme protects Kiwis’ moneyNew Zealanders will have up to $100,000 of their deposits in any eligible institution guaranteed in the event that institution fails, under legislation introduced in Parliament today. The Deposit Takers Bill is the third piece of legislation in a comprehensive review of the Reserve Bank of New Zealand Act and ...6 days ago
- New fund to help more Pacific aiga into their own homesThe Government has launched a new housing fund that will help more Pacific aiga achieve the dream of home ownership. “The Pacific Building Affordable Homes Fund will help organisations, private developers, Māori/iwi, and NGOs build affordable housing for Pacific families and establish better pathways to home ownership within Pacific communities. ...6 days ago
- More than 100,000 new Kiwis as halfway point reachedOver 100,000 new Kiwis can now call New Zealand ‘home’ after the 2021 Resident Visa reached the halfway point of approvals, Minister of Immigration Michael Wood announced today. “This is another important milestone, highlighting the positive impact our responsive and streamlined immigration system is having by providing comfort to migrant ...6 days ago
- Maniapoto Claims Settlement Bill passes third reading – He mea pāhi te Maniapoto Claims Settl...Nā te Minita mō ngā Take Tiriti o Waitangi, nā Andrew Little, te iwi o Maniapoto i rāhiri i tēnei rā ki te mātakitaki i te pānuitanga tuatoru o te Maniapoto Claims Settlement Bill - te pikinga whakamutunga o tā rātou whakataunga Tiriti o Waitangi o mua. "Me mihi ka ...6 days ago
- 50,000 more kids to benefit from equity-based programmes next yearAnother 47,000 students will be able to access additional support through the school donations scheme, and a further 3,000 kids will be able to get free and healthy school lunches as a result of the Equity Index. That’s on top of nearly 90% of schools that will also see a ...6 days ago
- Healthy Active Learning now in 40 percent of schools across New ZealandA total of 800 schools and kura nationwide are now benefitting from a physical activity and nutrition initiative aimed at improving the wellbeing of children and young people. Healthy Active Learning was funded for the first time in the inaugural Wellbeing Budget and was launched in 2020. It gets regional ...6 days ago
- Speech at 10th meeting of the Friends of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test Ban TreatyKia Ora. It is a pleasure to join you here today at this 10th meeting of the Friends of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test Ban Treaty. This gathering provides an important opportunity to reiterate our unwavering commitment to achieving a world without nuclear weapons, for which the entry into force of this ...6 days ago
- Speech for Earthshot Prize Innovation Summit 2022Kia ora koutou katoa Thank you for the invitation to join you. It’s a real pleasure to be here, and to be in such fine company. I want to begin today by acknowledging His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales and Sir David Attenborough in creating what is becoming akin ...6 days ago
- New accreditation builds capacity for Emergency Management VolunteersEmergency Management Minister Kieran McAnulty has recognised the first team to complete a newly launched National Accreditation Process for New Zealand Response Team (NZ-RT) volunteers. “NZ-RT volunteers play a crucial role in our emergency response system, supporting response and recovery efforts on the ground. This new accreditation makes sure our ...1 week ago
- Govt strengthens trans-Tasman emergency management cooperationAotearoa New Zealand continues to strengthen global emergency management capability with a new agreement between New Zealand and Australia, says Minister for Emergency Management Kieran McAnulty. “The Government is committed to improving our global and national emergency management system, and the Memorandum of Cooperation signed is another positive step towards ...1 week ago
- Christchurch Call Initiative on Algorithmic OutcomesToday New Zealand, the USA, Twitter, and Microsoft, announced investment in a technology innovation initiative under the banner of the Christchurch Call. This initiative will support the creation of new technology to understand the impacts of algorithms on people’s online experiences. Artificial Intelligence (AI) algorithms play a growing role in ...1 week ago
- JOINT PR: Trans-Tasman Cooperation on disaster managementHon Kieran McAnulty, New Zealand Minister for Emergency Management Senator The Hon Murray Watt, Federal Minister for Emergency Management Strengthening Trans-Tasman cooperation on disaster management issues was a key area of focus when Australia and New Zealand’s disaster management ministers met this week on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Ministerial Conference on ...1 week ago
- More transparency, less red-tape for modernised charities sectorThe Charities Amendment Bill has been introduced today which will modernise the charities sector by increasing transparency, improving access to justice services and reducing the red-tape that smaller charities face, Minister for the Community and Voluntary Sector Priyanca Radhakrishnan said. “These changes will make a meaningful difference to over 28,000 ...1 week ago
- Pacific visas reopened to help boost workforceWork continues on delivering on a responsive and streamlined immigration system to help relieve workforce shortages, with the reopening of longstanding visa categories, Immigration Minister Michael Wood has announced. From 3 October 2022, registrations for the Samoan Quota will reopen, and from 5 October registrations for the Pacific Access Category ...1 week ago
- Queen Elizabeth II Memorial Day Bill passes into lawThe Bill establishing Queen Elizabeth II Memorial Day has passed its third reading. “As Queen of Aotearoa New Zealand, Her Majesty was loved for her grace, calmness, dedication, and public service. Her affection for New Zealand and its people was clear, and it was a fondness that was shared,” Michael ...1 week ago
- New investor migrant visa opensThe new Active Investor Plus visa category created to attract high-value investors, has officially opened marking a key milestone in the Government’s Immigration Rebalance strategy, Economic Development Minister Stuart Nash and Immigration Minister Michael Wood have announced. “The new Active Investor Plus visa replaces the previous investor visa categories, which ...1 week ago
- New wharekura continues commitment to Māori educationA new Year 1-13 designated character wharekura will be established in Feilding, Associate Minister of Education Kelvin Davis announced today. To be known as Te Kura o Kauwhata, the wharekura will cater for the expected growth in Feilding for years to come. “The Government has a goal of strengthening Māori ...1 week ago
- Apathy winning in local government elections as votes at record low
Halfway through the voting period for the 2022 Local Government Elections, apathy appears to be having a landslide win. ...23 mins ago - Census to be held in March 2023 with extra $110m to ensure turnoutIt will feature double the number of census workers, 44 percent more paper form deliveries, and will prioritise Māori and other lower-responding groups. ...2 hours ago
- What now for petrol prices? Global doom and gloom makes the outlook surprisingly positive
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Joaquin Vespignani, Associate professor, University of Tasmania shutterstock In early March Russia’s invasion of Ukraine pushed global oil prices up by about 30% and Australians faced paying more than $2.15 a litre for petrol. Contrary to economists’ advice, the Morrison government ...3 hours ago - More Russians on the sanctions list – that will punish Putin’s cronies, but what might he do ne...
Buzz from the Beehive Wow. The long weekend seems to have been a powerful pick-me-up for our politicians, who have pumped out a raft of statements over the past two days. Most of their press releases were to alert us to decisions to improve our wellbeing, although we wonder if ...3 hours ago - You don’t have to be a cute koala to be an Instagram influencer. Give lizards and bugs a chance an...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Meghan Shaw, PhD Student in Conservation Social Science, Deakin University Remember the popularity contests of high school? Often our athletic, genetically gifted classmates got the most attention: the school captain, the footy team captain, the prom queen. But popularity contests don’t just ...4 hours ago
- Government OIA response processes fuelling growing mistrust – OmbudsmanA report by Chief Ombudsman Peter Boshier has found multiple examples of government agencies breaching the Official Information Act. ...4 hours ago
- OIA Review More Tabby Cat Than Tiger
While the New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union commends the Office of the Ombudsman for conducting a review of the Official Information Act in practice, the Union is disappointed to find that it is largely conciliatory and uncritical. “Despite acknowledging ...4 hours ago - The ‘Optus hacker’ claims they’ve deleted the data. Here’s what experts want you to knowSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jennifer J. Williams, PhD Candidate, Macquarie University T. Schneider/Shutterstock Shortly after Australian telecommunications company Optus announced the identity data of millions of customers had been stolen, a person claiming to be the hacker announced they would delete the data for ...4 hours ago
- Opposition MP’s Out Of Touch On Live ExportFiery debate was heard in parliament during the third reading of the Animal Welfare Amendment Bill, which will give effect to a ban on live export. National MP Barbera Kuriger said the select committee process saw presentations that showed animals were ...4 hours ago
- Rethinking New Zealand’s ConstitutionA senior legal expert is calling for a fundamental rethink of New Zealand’s constitution in the light of the “illegitimacy” of the British Crown’s claim to sovereignty over this country. Associate Professor Claire Charters chaired the working group ...4 hours ago
- Cars have taken over our neighbourhoods. Kid-friendly superblocks are a way for residents to reclaim...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Matthew Mclaughlin, Research Fellow, Telethon Kids Institute, The University of Western Australia Author provided You might remember your time as a child playing outdoors with friends and walking to school. These activities had tremendous benefits for our health and development. ...5 hours ago
- When the World Turns is a profoundly moving theatrical experience for children with complex disabili...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sarah Austin, Lecturer in Theatre, The University of Melbourne When the World Turns by Polyglot Theatre and Oily Cart. Photographer: Theresa Harrison Review: When the World Turns, by Polyglot Theatre and Oily Cart When the World Turns is a beautiful new ...5 hours ago
- International Safe Abortion DayALRANZ Abortion Rights Aotearoa lends our voice to organisations across the world to support free, safe, and legal access to abortion. Abortion is only one part of the larger framework of reproductive justice that includes the right to bodily autonomy, ...5 hours ago
- Millions of Australians still haven’t had their COVID boosters. What message could convince them n...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Holly Seale, Associate professor, UNSW Sydney The Halton independent review of Australia’s COVID vaccine and treatment procurement has been handed to the federal government, which released the review’s recommendations yesterday. Topping the list of priorities are public health campaigns designed ...5 hours ago
- Ombudsman’s OIA Probe Uncovers Significant GapsThe Chief Ombudsman says his investigation into Official Information Act practices has identified significant gaps in the way agencies are responding to journalists, training staff and keeping records. Peter Boshier has just tabled a report in Parliament ...5 hours ago
- Thomas Cranmer: Three Waters, Te Mana o te Wai and a control mechanism the Govt is providing for t...
Thomas Cranmer is the pseudonym adopted by a legal analyst who has been carefully dissecting the Three Waters legislation and tweeting his findings on Twitter. Over some months, he has been unpicking the threads of the Three Waters command structure to reveal the extent of the control being gifted to ...6 hours ago - https://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO2209/S00186/.htm...6 hours ago
- Oliver Hartwich: State funding of the news media and an Orwellian distortion of journalismDavid Farrar alerted us in a Kiwiblog post to an article about the state funding of the mainstream news media published in The Australian. The article, written by NZ Initiative executive director Oliver Hartwich, highlights the issue that should dismay the public about this funding: the $55 million is conditional ...7 hours ago
- Auckland Council Campaign Regulations Are Destroying DemocracyAnimal Justice Auckland (AJA) is the forerunner to an Animal Justice Party, which aims to be registered in time for the 2023 general election. AJA agrees with Ted Johnston from the New Conservative Party that allowing essentially unlimited spending ...9 hours ago
- Employment Indicators: August 2022Employment indicators provide an early indication of changes in the labour market. Key facts Changes in the seasonally adjusted filled jobs for the August 2022 month (compared with the July 2022 month) were: all industries – up 0.4 percent (10,312 ...9 hours ago
- Right To Know Day Highlights New Zealanders’ Right To Access Information About ThemselvesOrganisations are obligated to give people access to personal information held about them, says Privacy Commissioner Michael Webster. Today, September 28, is international Right to Know Day. It is dedicated to raising awareness of the legal right New Zealanders ...9 hours ago
- JustSpeak Announces The Release Of Podcast ‘True Justice’!Justice advocacy group JustSpeak have announced the launch of True Justice - a five part narrative podcast series journeying through the justice system, from the moment of arrest to life after prison. Produced by JustSpeak and award winning podcast company ...10 hours ago
- ‘Protestware’ is on the rise, with programmers self-sabotaging their own code. Should we be worr...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Christoph Treude, Senior Lecturer in Software Engineering, The University of Melbourne Alexander Sinn/Unsplash In March 2022, the author of node-ipc, a software library with over a million weekly downloads, deliberately broke their code. If the code discovers it is running ...10 hours ago
- What position should I sleep in, and is there a ‘right’ way to sleep?Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Christian Moro, Associate Professor of Science & Medicine, Bond University Photo by Andrea Piacquadio: https://www.pexels.com/photo/photo-of-sleeping-man-3771069/, CC BY After 50 years of research, eminent Stanford University sleep researcher William Dement reportedly said the only solid explanation he knows for why we ...10 hours ago
- ‘Prima donna in pigtails’: how Julie Andrews the child star embodied the hopes of post-war Brita...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Brett Farmer, Lecturer in Film, Media and Communication, Deakin University Keystone/Hulton Archive/Getty Images In June, the American Film Institute presented its 48th Life Achievement Award, the highest honour in American cinema, to the beloved stage-and-screen star Julie Andrews. On ...10 hours ago
- Three Voices At The Treaty Table: Understanding Co-governance, Three Waters And City RedevelopmentHow does Te Tiriti o Waitangi influence co-governance, Three Waters and the redevelopment of Tauranga’s city centre? Te Kohinga, a Tauranga-based reconciliation network is organising a free event at Baycourt next month to help improve public understanding ...10 hours ago
- National Party tax cut plan unlike UK's – Christopher LuxonAs National remains narrowly ahead of Labour in the latest polling, leader Christopher Luxon says his party's tax cuts would not have the same sharp market reactions as the UK had. ...10 hours ago
- More people living in emergency housing for longer, some for up to two yearsEmergency housing is supposed to be short-term for those most in need, but some residents have now lived in motels for two years or longer - with no immediate end in sight. ...12 hours ago
- Preparing for exam season: 10 practical insights from psychology to help teens get throughSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Melanie Woodfield, Clinical Psychologist, Te Whatu Ora | HRC Clinical Research Training Fellow, University of Auckland, University of Auckland Getty Images Exam season is fast approaching for many senior students in New Zealand and Australia. At the best of times, ...13 hours ago
- Birthing injuries now included in ACC cover after bill passesMore women and birthing parents will now receive cover from ACC if they suffer an injury during childbirth. ...13 hours ago
- Britain’s Liz Truss chooses a hard road
Is the new approach to economic policy of the Truss government important. Well, just look at the overreaction. “It has been extreme” says the mild-mannered Tyler Cowen, who goes on to add: “I certainly can see reasons why one might oppose the plan, but the skies are not going ...17 hours ago - Anti-corruption commission would hold public hearings ‘in exceptional circumstances’Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra The Albanese government’s proposed National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) would have a broad scope but only hold public hearings “in exceptional circumstances and where it is in the public interest to do so”. The “exceptional ...21 hours ago
- About 200 dead whales have been towed out to sea off Tasmania – and what happens next is a true ma...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Culum Brown, Professor, Macquarie University Department of Natural Resources and Environment Tasmania Australians watched in horror last week as 230 pilot whales became stranded at a beach near Macquarie Harbour on Tasmania’s west coast. Some whales were saved, but ...1 day ago
- A disabled NDIA chair is a great first move in the NDIS reset. Here’s what should happen nextSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Helen Dickinson, Professor, Public Service Research, UNSW Sydney The National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) has a new chair and for the first time it is a disabled person – former paralympian Kurt Fearnley. His appointment, along with that of two new directors, ...1 day ago
- 'The 1 News-Kantar Polls Are Worthless, And Show Why We Need Strict Control Of Election Polls,&..."They appear to be completely absurd, incorrect, and damaging to the elections of people unfortunate enough to be victims of such shonky looking polls. Like myself and possibly Collins here. On the Ratepayers polls, 11 to 18 September 22, I am a ...1 day ago
- New political poll has Labour making ground on NationalNational is steady on 37 percent, with Labour up one point on 34 percent in the latest 1 News Kantar Public poll. ...1 day ago
- A global recession looks increasingly likely – but here’s how Australia could escape itSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Martin, Visiting Fellow, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University Shutterstock Global stock markets are tanking on fears of recessions in the US, the UK and Europe, and the OECD is actually forecasting recessions in Europe. So is ...1 day ago
- E-scooters are becoming wildly popular – but we have to factor in the weatherSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Anthony Kimpton, Adjunct Research Fellow, The University of Queensland Shutterstock The first rental electric scooters quietly appeared on the streets of Brisbane in late 2018. Four years later, distinctively coloured e-scooters are seemingly everywhere, with trial schemes popping up in ...1 day ago
- 3 ways these latest Iran demonstrations are different to past protestsSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Naser Ghobadzadeh, Senior lecturer, National School of Arts, Australian Catholic University AP Photo/Michael Sohn Once again, Iran is in the midst of political upheaval and civil unrest. The latest protests, triggered by the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini after her ...1 day ago
- Social media post with claimed affiliation to Auckland mayoral candidate Wayne Brown removed for bre...A 'how to vote' article posted by a social media account that claims association with Auckland mayoral candidate Wayne Brown has been found to have breached the electoral law. ...1 day ago
- How we accidentally planned the desertion of our citiesSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rachel Gallagher, PhD Candidate, School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, The University of Queensland Shops, offices, gyms and apartments dominate Brisbane’s ‘mixed use’ zone. Rachel Gallagher, Author provided COVID-19 may have kick-started the decline of the Australian CBD, but our newly published ...1 day ago
- PM Jacinda Ardern, Minister Michael Wood announce RSE scheme expansion after Cabinet meetingAn extra 3000 Recognised Seasonal Employer (RSE) scheme seasonal workers will be able to be brought in as relief for the horticultural sector, bringing the total to 19,000 workers. ...1 day ago
- New Zealand imposes further sanctions against Putin-linked individualsNew Zealand has added another 19 individuals to its sanctions regime over Russia's invasion of Ukraine. ...1 day ago
- Valuing The Wisdom And Life Experiences Of Our Older PeopleInternational Day of Older Persons - 1 October 2022 The Aged Care Commissioner wants to challenge negative stereotypes and misconceptions about older people and ageing. Carolyn Cooper is reminding Kiwis to value the wisdom and life experiences of our ...1 day ago
- Labor seizes big lead in two New South Wales polls six months before electionSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist), The Conversation The New South Wales state election will be held in six months, in March 2023. A Newspoll, conducted September 19-22 from a sample of 1,006, gave Labor a 54-46 lead (it was 52.0-48.0 to the ...1 day ago
- Baby sling safety is under the spotlight – a 5-point checklist can keep infants safeSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jeanine Young, Professor of Nursing & Deputy Head of School – Research, University of the Sunshine Coast, University of the Sunshine Coast Shutterstock Carrying babies in a soft fabric sling or carrier close to their parent or caregiver has been ...1 day ago
- SAFE Publishes Open Letter Calling For An End To The Killing Of Pregnant CowsLast month, SAFE launched a campaign shining a light on agriculture’s dirty secret; the production of foetal bovine serum (FBS), which involves killing cows during pregnancy and draining blood from unborn calves. Today, SAFE has published its open letter ...1 day ago
- The PM has basked in the glow of approving publicity overseas – but the dollar’s dive should bri...
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has won lots of favourable publicity, while attending the Queen’s funeral in London and the UN General Assembly in New York. It was a sombre mission in London, less so but no less tiring in New York (although the nuclear threat from Russia was sobering). On ...1 day ago - NZCTU Calls For Clarity On How National’s Housing Promise Will Be Paid ForNew Zealand Council of Trade Unions President Richard Wagstaff has today called for clarity from National about how their promise to end the state housing waitlist will be delivered. Chris Bishop told RNZ this morning that National will “build ...1 day ago
- Vodafone Warriors And Best Foods Tackle Food WasteFood waste is a major issue both in New Zealand and across the world and Best Foods is helping Kiwis to take on the challenge of reducing food waste to save money and the planet. <img src="https://img.scoop.co.nz/stories/images/2209/4fd523eb00d004126825.jpeg" ...1 day ago
- Political Roundup: Jacinda Ardern’s tilt towards the West continues at the UNPolitical Roundup: Jacinda Ardern’s tilt towards the West continues at the UN Analysis by Geoffrey Miller Jacinda Ardern intends to continue a more pro-Western foreign policy strategy, if her agenda from a hectic week of diplomacy is anything to go by. New Zealand’s Prime Minister met with four G7 leaders ...1 day ago
- Three waters opponents vying for council likely powerless to stop it – mayorsWith polls closing in less than a fortnight, some council candidates are focusing on opposition to three waters reforms - but will have little ability to stop it. ...1 day ago
- Consultants Make A Fortune Out Of Timaru RatepayersThe New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union is calling on the Chief Executive of Timaru District Council to explain what his staff actually do, given that so much of their work is outsourced. According to a report published in The Timaru Herald yesterday, Timaru ...1 day ago
- Bryce Edwards draws attention to the time the PM has devoted (it’s not much, apparently) to her Ch...A reader of Lindsay Mitchell’s blog has prompted an article– headed PM spends 0.2 percent of her time on Child Poverty Reduction? – which draws attention to the time Jacinda Ardern apparently devotes to her child poverty portfolio. The blog reader seized on something Bryce Edwards wrote for The Democracy ...1 day ago
- Hutt City Residents Unsatisfied With Council ServicesHutt City Council has published the draft Annual Report for the year ended 30 June 2022. The results are very grim reading and will alarm residents. Mayoral candidate Tony Stallinger says “I have never seen anything like it. Of the 87 key performance ...1 day ago
- Global financial uncertainty 'challenging' for NZ economy – Grant RobertsonNew Zealand is "well positioned" to weather a turbulent time as the dollar falls and inflation stays up, the finance minister says. ...1 day ago
- Hindu Organisations, Temples And Associations Forum Hosts Meeting After 2 Years Of InterruptionsHindu Organisations, Temples and Associations (HOTA) Forum hosted a meeting of over 20 organisation executives and representatives on Sunday 25th September 2022 after being postponed due to Covid-19 in 2020 and 2021. An invitation only meeting, it ...1 day ago
- Study finds famous Australian caves are up to 500,000 years older than we thought – and it could h...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rieneke Weij, Postdoctoral researcher in Geochemistry/Palaeoclimatology, University of Cape Town Steve Bourne, Author provided, Author provided South Australia’s Naracoorte Caves is one of the world’s best fossil sites, containing a record spanning more than half a million years. Among the ...1 day ago
- Dora Maar and Françoise Gilot were much more than Picasso’s muses or lovers. They are important a...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Lisa French, Professor & Dean, School of Media and Communication, RMIT University Among Picasso’s partners were two formidable female artists: Dora Maar (1907–97) and Françoise Gilot (1921-). For a long time, these women were known primarily as his muse or lover, ...1 day ago
- Avoiding a surveillance society: how better rules can rein in facial recognition techSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Nicholas Davis, Industry Professor of Emerging Technology and Co-Director, Human Technology Institute, University of Technology Sydney JR Korpa / Unsplash The human face is special. It is simultaneously public and personal. Our faces reveal sensitive information about us: who we are, ...1 day ago
- We asked over 700 teens where they bought their vapes. Here’s what they saidSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Christina Watts, Research fellow, tobacco control, University of Sydney Mushtaq Hussain/Pexels, CC BY-SA Teen vaping has been in the news, with reports of rapidly increasing use and illegal sales of e-cigarettes. As a Four Corners documentary on ABC TV earlier this ...1 day ago
- After the Voice, climate change commitments should be the next urgent constitutional reformsSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ron Levy, Associate professor, Australian National University After decades of foot-dragging on climate change, Australia has finally put significant commitments in national legislation. It joins other countries such as Canada and the United States that also recently took big new legal steps. ...1 day ago
- Watch: Christchurch mayoral candidates debate housing rules, water reforms and the stadiumChristchurch mayoral hopefuls go head-to-head in a Morning Report debate hosted by Corin Dann. ...1 day ago
- Employers will have positive duty to prevent sexual harassment in workplaces, under new legislationSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Editor Employers will have duty “to take reasonable and proportionate measures” to eliminate sex discrimination, sexual harassment and victimisation as far as possible in workplaces, under legislation to be introduced on Tuesday. The Albanese government is moving to implement ...2 days ago
- Marshall Islands calls off talks after no US response on nuclear legacy planBy Giff Johnson, editor of the Marshall Islands Journal and RNZ Pacific correspondent On the eve of the US Pacific Islands Summit in Washington, a key ally in the region called off a scheduled negotiating session for a treaty Washington views as an essential hedge against China in the region. ...2 days ago
- Petition calls for monarchy to be replaced on New Zealand moneyA Wellington tauira (scholar) has launched a petition calling for Aotearoa New Zealand’s Reserve Bank to replace the monarch in the next redesign of coins and notes, with images that better represent the country. Rangatahi Māori, Te Matahiapo Safari Hynes (Rangitāne, Ngāti Kahungunu) said it was a chance for New ...2 days ago
- What will its first far-right leader since WWII mean for Italy?Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sofia Ammassari, PhD researcher, Griffith University “Una vittoria storica” – a historic victory. That’s how the website of one of Italy’s major newspapers, the Corriere della Sera, reacted to the exit polls released after voting closed in Italy’s general election on Sunday ...2 days ago
- As winter approaches, will Putin’s ‘partial mobilisation’ help Russia win the war in Ukraine?Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Matthew Sussex, Fellow, Strategic and Defence Studies Centre, Australian National University Russian President Vladimir Putin’s recent announcement of a “partial mobilisation” of 300,000 Russian personnel to fight in Ukraine sounded decisive. It isn’t. The official position, fleshed out by Defence Minister Sergei ...2 days ago
- What does the Optus data breach mean for you and how can you protect yourself? A step-by-step guideSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jennifer J. Williams, PhD Candidate, Macquarie University Optus, Australia’s second largest telecommunications company, announced on September 22 that identifying details of up to 9.8 million customers were stolen from their customer database. The details, dating back to 2017, include names, birth dates, ...2 days ago
- ‘They treat you like a person, they ask you what you want’: what NDIS participants value in supp...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Megan Topping, PhD Candidate, La Trobe University Shutterstock When the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) was established almost a decade ago, it was envisaged people with disability would be empowered consumers. It was hoped their customer insights would shape new ...2 days ago
- Australia violated the rights of Torres Strait Islanders by failing to act on climate change, the UN...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kristen Lyons, Professor, Environment and Development Sociology, The University of Queensland Shutterstock In a landmark decision, a United Nations committee on Friday found Australia’s former Coalition government violated the human rights of Torres Strait Islanders by failing to adequately respond ...2 days ago
- “Voodoo economics” is among Seymour’s objections to public holiday – Waititi’s grouches ar...Have all members of Parliament taken the day off, on this Queen Elizabeth II Memorial Day? We ask because there were some objections to the Queen Elizabeth II Memorial Day Bill, when all stages were passed under urgency into law last Tuesday. The legislation created a one-off public holiday to ...2 days ago
- Manila-bound Sio issues one statement with a translation (of Tuvalu words) and another with no trans...Buzz from the Beehive Aupito William Sio is the only Minister to have made an official announcement, since our previous Buzz report – and he issued two press statements. Climate change was mentioned in both statements. As Associate Foreign Affairs Minister, Sio has headed to the Philippines to represent New ...2 days ago
- Is selective school right for your child? Here are 7 questions to help you decideSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Daniel X. Harris, Professor and Associate Dean, Research & Innovation, RMIT University CHUTTERSNAP/Unsplash, CC BY Parents and students are currently making big decisions about next year. Some will have just received or be about to receive offers of a ...2 days ago
- In a world first, NASA’s DART mission is about to smash into an asteroid. What will we learn?Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Steven Tingay, John Curtin Distinguished Professor (Radio Astronomy), Curtin University Illustration of DART before impact. NASA/Johns Hopkins APL/Steve Gribben On September 26 at 11.15pm UTC, NASA’s DART mission (Double Asteroid Redirection Test) will be the first to deliberately and measurably change the ...2 days ago
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