same old national
Categories under same old national
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Back on Track?
Written By: - Date published: 11:05 am, April 7th, 2024 - 71 comments
National campaigned on the promise of getting the country back on track. How is it going?
The Culture War Coalition
Written By: - Date published: 10:57 am, March 29th, 2024 - 53 comments
We have just had yet another week of the Government manufacturing culture wars and picking fights while ignoring the big issues. Like dealing with climate change, child poverty and homelessness.
The GCSB revelations
Written By: - Date published: 10:37 am, March 24th, 2024 - 24 comments
RNZ has reported that a foreign agency collected signals intelligence out of the GCSB for years without ministers knowing. And the collection only stopped after the equipment broke down.
This is what happens when you give landlords a big tax cut #1
Written By: - Date published: 3:34 pm, March 20th, 2024 - 57 comments
No funds to continue to give families of disabled people
Amateur hour
Written By: - Date published: 10:24 am, March 16th, 2024 - 11 comments
Government members of the Transport and Infrastructure Committee have managed to vote to support a Labour amendment that would make electric vehicles more attractive but submit a report to Parliament that suggested that the amendment had been lost.
National’s Overseas Gambling Levy policy figures are not rock solid
Written By: - Date published: 11:01 am, March 15th, 2024 - 4 comments
The IRD has estimated that National’s proposed Overseas Gambling Levy Policy will bring in $500 million less than it promised during the election campaign.
Rock Solid Financial Geniuses
Written By: - Date published: 2:55 pm, March 13th, 2024 - 45 comments
The right has this belief that they are economic geniuses. Occasionally this belief is shown to be faulty. Like this week when National’s costings for tax cuts to Landlords was $800 million more than previously estimated.
Tax cuts for landlords will not reduce rents
Written By: - Date published: 11:23 am, March 11th, 2024 - 127 comments
Recently the Government has been working out how to cut funding for school lunches for poor kids while at the same time it has also announced that it will restore interest deductibility for landlords.
Let them eat cake
Written By: - Date published: 8:51 am, March 5th, 2024 - 73 comments
David Seymour has stated that funding for free school lunches will be cut by up to half.
Who is treating taxpayers as an ATM?
Written By: - Date published: 12:16 pm, March 1st, 2024 - 51 comments
It has been revealed that Christopher Luxon receives $52,000 a year from the taxpayer to pay for him staying in his own apartment. Update within the space of an hour he has said that it was his entitlement but then said that he will pay the money back.
Guns and gangs
Written By: - Date published: 12:32 pm, February 28th, 2024 - 63 comments
The Government has announced yet another tough on gangs policy involving a severe restriction on the rights of freedom of expression at the same time that gun ownership laws will be liberalised.
Bene bashing 6.0
Written By: - Date published: 10:06 am, February 20th, 2024 - 102 comments
So what does National do when its minor support party tries to steal media attention with dog whistling racism? It reverts to some good old beneficiary bashing.
About the One News Poll
Written By: - Date published: 9:06 pm, February 19th, 2024 - 43 comments
The latest One News Verian poll suggests that there has been absolutely no honeymoon for the Government.
Who are the four lobbyists with Parliamentary swipe cards?
Written By: - Date published: 12:23 pm, February 12th, 2024 - 23 comments
National has trashed its comment last terms that lobbyists should not have special access rights by handing out four swipe cards to lobbyists and refusing to say who they are.
Laura Norda strikes again
Written By: - Date published: 9:14 am, February 8th, 2024 - 78 comments
National has announced the cancellation of funding for Cultural Reports because of the cost and the abandonment of Labour’s plan to decrease the muster despite the cost.
The Apparatus behind the Curtain
Written By: - Date published: 1:54 pm, February 2nd, 2024 - 6 comments
The release from the Public Health Communication Centre Aotearoa around tobacco industry interference was a glimpse behind the curtain into a troubling reality.
Does the Western World really want to starve Palestine?
Written By: - Date published: 3:43 pm, January 30th, 2024 - 17 comments
Western Nations including New Zealand have suspended urgently needed aid for Palestine after revelations that a tiny minority of UNRHA workers may have been involved in Hamas raids and despite the UNHRA taking immediate action to address issues arising.
Which side are you on?
Written By: - Date published: 9:59 am, January 21st, 2024 - 191 comments
The Act Party is seeking to undermine te Tiriti o Waitangi and ferment racial hatred and division while nominally seeking unity. And National clearly has no idea what to do about the situation.
The best Electoral System that money can buy
Written By: - Date published: 10:33 am, January 19th, 2024 - 22 comments
The Independent Electoral Review Panel has recommended changes to the electoral system including the banning of any donations unless made by enrolled voters, a cap on the size of those donations and a requirement that third parties disclose all large donations that they receive.
Atlas smirked
Written By: - Date published: 12:15 pm, January 7th, 2024 - 115 comments
A George Monbiot article in the Guardian made me wonder what effect the Atlas Network is having on New Zealand politics through the Taxpayer’s Union. Publicly available information suggests considerable funding is being made available and that the current Government’s priorities are precisely those that the Atlas Network would approve of.
National wants to hide huge potential rates rises caused by canning of Three Waters
Written By: - Date published: 9:23 am, December 24th, 2023 - 20 comments
Someone should tell the Taxpayer’s Union. Some Local Councils are planning to put rates up by double digit figures. And the Government is planning on exempting them from discussing this with ratepayers.
Is the Coalition Government Back Jabbing Māori?
Written By: - Date published: 4:10 pm, December 22nd, 2023 - 19 comments
The coalition government robs Pita to pay Paora to appease its voter base.
The Mini Budget Today
Written By: - Date published: 11:01 am, December 20th, 2023 - 70 comments
Don’t let anyone be fooled this Christmas dinner by what National is setting out today.
Be very afraid for Kainga Ora
Written By: - Date published: 9:08 am, December 20th, 2023 - 19 comments
So National’s shock and awe campaign is under way. And the first target is Kainga Ora.
90 day trials – Don’t come Monday
Written By: - Date published: 8:36 am, December 18th, 2023 - 65 comments
This coming week, under urgency and leading into Xmas, the Coalition government will expand 90-day trials to all workers, in yet another payback to National/ACT/NZ First’s (NAF) business backers.
Why was Judith Collins appointed as a KC?
Written By: - Date published: 9:46 am, December 17th, 2023 - 35 comments
Judith Collins has been appointed a Kings Counsel even before she has had time to show her performance as Attorney General and even though previous highly respected lawyers such as David Lange, Geoffrey Palmer and Margaret Wilson were not appointed while serving as Attorneys General.
National’s contradictory stance on Immigration
Written By: - Date published: 8:38 am, December 12th, 2023 - 38 comments
So Christopher Luxon thinks there is too much immigration. It was not what he was saying last year.
The Government is leaking like a leaky thing
Written By: - Date published: 10:39 am, December 9th, 2023 - 15 comments
Another day and another leak. And this time it calls into question the Government’s commitment to informed decision making.
What does National have against Te Reo?
Written By: - Date published: 10:17 am, December 6th, 2023 - 177 comments
It may have been coincidental but the day after there were mass protests against the new Government’s actions in undermining te Tiriti o Waitangi it was announced that National would seek to remove bonus payments for Public Servants learning Te Reo. Not only is this petty and vindictive, it may also be a breach of te Tiriti.
Willis’s budget analysis is either deeply cynical or evidence she does not know what she is talking about
Written By: - Date published: 8:33 am, December 5th, 2023 - 75 comments
Recent claims by Nicola Willis that the Governments Finances are full of fiscal cliffs is evidence either that National will cynically make baseless claims to attack Labour or that Nicola Willis has no idea about what she is talking about and has not been doing her most basic job of reading and comprehending previous budget documents.
Cutting fair pay agreements will disproportionately impact women, Māori and Pasifika and young people
Written By: - Date published: 9:49 pm, December 4th, 2023 - 15 comments
The Cabinet Paper dealing with the Government’s proposal to do away with fair pay agreements has hit the media. And the advice suggests that Cabinet is completely disinterested in the on the ground reality of what their shitty policy will do to ordinary Kiwis.
- Today Feels Like D-Day
Except it’s not.D-Day was in 1944 when over 156,000 Allied Forces, including individual Kiwis, stormed five beaches in Normandy to fight the Nazi regime.The thought of the reality of war makes me feel emotional. It’s the height of human conflict and violence and the culmination of ignorance over coming together ...2 weeks ago - Member’s Day
Today is a Member's Day. First up is the committee stage of Teanau Tuiono's Restoring Citizenship Removed By Citizenship (Western Samoa) Act 1982 Bill. This will be followed by the second reading of Rima Nakhle's Corrections (Victim Protection) Amendment Bill. And then, finally, the House will get on to some ...2 weeks ago - End the government, not te Tiriti
For the last few months the Waitangi Tribunal has been holding an urgent inquiry into National's "Treaty Principles Bill". They've already issued one interim report, declaring it to be a steaming pile of racist horseshit, but the inquiry is still going on to determine just how big and how steaming ...2 weeks ago
- 26,000 unemployed under National
The latest labour market statistics have dropped, showing another rise in unemployment. There are now 148,000 unemployed - 26,000 more than when National took office. ...which is what happens when you sack thousands of public servants and have the Reserve Bank crash the economy. This is apparently the most severe ...2 weeks ago
- How our housing market distorts education too
2 weeks ago - What should AT do with PT for Whangaparaoa after Penlink Opens
Auckland Transport created a bit of a kerfuffle with Whangaparaoa residents last year with the suggestion the the Gulf Harbour ferry could be stopped after Penlink opened. Now they’re asking for feedback on how public transport services should work in the future and giving three options. People on the Whangaparāoa ...2 weeks ago - Nauseously Optimistic
I am woman, hear me roarIn numbers too big to ignoreAnd I know too much to go back an' pretend'Cause I've heard it all beforeAnd I've been down there on the floorAnd no one's ever gonna keep me down againSongwriters: Ray Burton / Helen ReddyIt was an unusual campaign.How crazy ...2 weeks ago - Living in risky times
As the world waits for the results of the United States Presidential election today, the New Zealand Reserve Bank has issued a reminder that we live in risky times. The Bank’s annual Financial Stability Report not only highlights the various geo-political scenarios that could set our economy back but also ...3 weeks ago - An Election Thread
Hi,I thought it was important we all have a place to chat today — a place that’s safe and sane. So — see you in the comments as things unfold. Let’s all be civil and respectful as per usual, even as things will inevitably get quite wild and gross because… ...3 weeks ago - Come Nov 5 something will happen in the US… but does the system ensure a real “winner” either ...
The blunt fact is that a collapse of an old order is playing out before our eyes and many in that country are going to be asked to make some choices. The obvious choice you’re probably thinking about… but also a few others that will still plague that country ...3 weeks ago - Prediction for Tomorrow (2024 Edition)
Sometimes I remember how old A Phuulish Fellow actually is. Specifically, it’s been around long enough that I have made guesses about both the 2016 and the 2020 United States Presidential elections. https://phuulishfellow.wordpress.com/2016/11/08/prediction-for-tomorrow/ https://phuulishfellow.wordpress.com/2020/11/03/prediction-for-tomorrow-2020-edition/ Suffice to say, I was badly wrong in 2016. I was very close ...3 weeks ago - Sabin 33 #1 – Are electromagnetic fields from solar farms harmful to human health?
On November 1, 2024 we announced the publication of 33 rebuttals based on the report "Rebutting 33 False Claims About Solar, Wind, and Electric Vehicles" written by Matthew Eisenson, Jacob Elkin, Andy Fitch, Matthew Ard, Kaya Sittinger & Samuel Lavine and published by the Sabin Center for Climate Change Law at Columbia ...3 weeks ago - Remember, remember, the 5th of November…
It’s election day — almost. Across the world, Americans will soon be waking up to do (if they haven’t already done) the thing everyone has been assuring them is the most important action they can possibly take this year: vote. It’s a big day. Bigger than it was 4 years ...3 weeks ago - Tuesday 5 November 2024
CTU, NZEI and PPTA have filed a formal complaint to the International Labour Organization alleging the Government’s new charter schools law breaches obligations to protect collective bargaining. The Postal Workers Union says a proposal that would no longer have NZ Post mail deliveries to letterboxes at front gates as selective, ...3 weeks ago - Down to the waterline
I have become momentarily intrigued by the concept of snow on the beach.This, according to Howeverythingworks, is the Uradome Coast where you can see snow-covered landscapes meeting the white sandy shore and the blue Sea of Japan.My several seconds of research tells me you can find something very much like ...3 weeks ago - National’s privatised child-abuse camps
National has a hard-on for "boot camps" as part of its desperate attempt to grub "tough on crime" votes from sadistic geriatric pedophobes. That's bad enough, but its gets worse: the camps will be privatised. And they will be allowed to use force against children: A leaked ministerial document ...3 weeks ago
- Rwanda’s Kagame: from Saviour to Tyrant?
Is Rwanda turning into a country that seeks regional dominance and exterminates its rivals? This is a contention examined by Dr Michela Wrong, and Dr Maria Armoudian. Dr Wrong is a journalist who has written best-selling books on Africa. Her latest, Do Not Disturb. The story of a political murder ...3 weeks ago - Stephen Rainbow is ACT’s crony
Back in August, National sabotaged human rights by appointing terf and genocide supporter Stephen Rainbow as Chief Human Rights Commissioner. The Spinoff has been digging into this, and they've uncovered new information: Rainbow didn't actually get the job - until suddenly he did: “I didn’t get the HRC role ...3 weeks ago
- Government science cuts take New Zealand even further backward
NZCTU Te Kauae Kaimahi President Richard Wagstaff is deeply concerned about the future of investment in science, following the latest announcement of another 60 jobs cuts at Environmental Science and Research (ESR). The Government has now axed more than 500 jobs in the public science sector. “The Government doesn’t seem ...3 weeks ago
- National risks being eaten alive by NZ First & ACT
Kia ora. Long stories short, here’s my top six things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Tuesday, November 5: Strangely for a party that prides itself on being a mainstream bastion of ‘small c’ conservatism, National under PM Christopher Luxon is increasingly at risk ...3 weeks ago - Time Cut
2024, directed by Hannah MacPherson This is going to be a wild tonal shift in the middle of a bunch of posts about horror movies, probably, because I have a Rotten Tomatoes list of the best horror films directed by women that I want to see more of, whereas Time ...3 weeks ago - Summer in the City
Go out and find a girlCome on, come on, and dance all nightDespite the heat it'll be alrightAnd babe, don't you know it's a pityThat the days can't be like the nightsIn the summer, in the citySong: John Sebastian, Mark Sebastian, Steve BooneThank YouTo begin today, a thank you. Yesterday, ...3 weeks ago - The Bewildering World of Chris Luxon – Playing Politics in Glass Houses
..Thanks for reading Frankly Speaking ! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.By now we’re all aware of Mike King’s comments regarding use of alcohol to self-medicate mental health problems. On NewstalkZB, King stated:“Alcohol is not a problem for people with mental health issues. It’s actually the ...3 weeks ago - Seymour’s Shaky Response To Earthquake Claims
Audio interview from RNZ with Community Board member Ali Jones. If you don’t live in Christchurch, and haven’t for the past fifteen years, you probably have a different understanding of the words “EQC” to what we do. For most people, EQC is the scheme they don’t think about that much, ...3 weeks ago - Dealing to the climate crisis
Fire and flood, heat-waves and rivers of rain. Climate change is impacting us powerfully. Major floods in Auckland, Hawkes Bay, Germany, India, the US…Huge forest fires in Australia, Canada, Greece, California….Intense heat waves in Spain, Italy, Greece, India, the US…. And we haven’t spoken of melting glaciers and ice-caps, rising ...3 weeks ago
- Don’t Move
2024, directed by Adam Schindler & Brian Netto The title of Don’t Move is somewhat evocative of Don’t Breathe, another fairly successful horror movie. I haven’t actually seen Don’t Breathe but have it on my “someday if there’s nothing more interesting available” list, and the premise of Don’t Move is ...3 weeks ago
- Auckland’s 2025 PT Fare Increases
Public transport fares are about to increase again, by an average of 5.2%, according to a paper to Auckland Council’s Transport, Resilience and Infrastructure Committee on Thursday by Auckland Transport. In addition, AT are going to be removing off-peak discounts and implementing some other structural changes to the fare system. ...3 weeks ago
- Health Officials say Casey Costello’s Advice is “Crap” & Luxon Refuses To Prot...
Ngā mihi maioha. A tremendous thank you to all who commented, supported and read my recent post. In appreciation.First, an update on the Prime Minister’s press conference yesterday with Stanford - rounding up the 3 key messages you may have missed.1. ERICA STANFORD FOR THE GOVERNMENT OF NZ SPREADS MISINFORMATIONEducation ...3 weeks ago - Gordon Campbell On US Voter Suppression, Plus The Races To Watch
On Wednesday evening, as our television relays images of long lines of people queuing to vote, keep this in mind: since 2012, America has closed 20% of its polling places. Crucial swing states like Wisconsin, Ohio and Georgia have collectively lost 400 Election Day polling places since 2010. Five of ...3 weeks ago - Hell no
When do you know that a big international news story might be looking like An Historic Moment? When it gets a bunch of utterly superfluous New Zealand reporters inserted into it.I've been sympathetic to our media fretting about hanging on by a thread, but each time they despatch their microphone-holders ...3 weeks ago - Sabotaging justice
One of the achievements of the Labour-led government was the establishment of the Criminal Cases Review Commission in 2019. After decades of high-profile miscarriages of justice, and judges looking the other way on state conspiracies of silence and each other's fuckups, we finally got an outside body to cast an ...3 weeks ago
- Mike King and the Free Market
I was two sentences in (and stuck on) a defence of Mike King, where I was going to highlight that he was merely the well-carved figurehead of a neoliberal-shaped problem that neither begins nor ends with him, when I stumbled across a most interesting article about corporate propaganda being disseminated ...3 weeks ago - Volunteer activity: Evaluate automated climate misinformation debunkings
A new challenge and a new opportunity for research AI-generated disinformation threatens to make debunking climate misinformation even more challenging, swamping already scanty capacity. We are exploring ways to counter this burgeoning flood of harm by employing the same tools now employed by malefactors as a force for good. We've already published research ...3 weeks ago
- Don’t Lux-Speak
Don't speak, I know just what you're sayin'So please stop explainin'Don't tell me 'cause it hurtsDon't speak, I know what you're thinkin'I don't need your reasonsDon't tell me 'cause it hurtsSongwriters: Eric Stefani / Gwen StefaniDo you remember the first time you encountered Corporate Speak? Important-sounding buzzwords used to camouflage ...3 weeks ago - Budget cuts penny wise & pound foolish
Kia ora. Long stories short, here’s my top six things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Monday, November 4: Budget cuts are storing up costs for future taxpayers and Governments. Scoop of the day: The Government is set to deliver another budget-cutting blow for ...3 weeks ago - A Fresh Horizon for Greater Auckland
A few months ago we asked for your help, and you answered. Thanks to the generous support we received, you may have noticed a more consistent and diverse stream of content over the last few months – which is in large part due to us being able to pay for ...3 weeks ago
- 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #44
A listing of 35 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Mon, October 28, 2024 thru Sun, November 3, 2024. Topics covered this week Here are the main topics and the media outlets where they appeared in: Climate Change Impacts ...3 weeks ago
- Unions shouldn’t get in the way of student learning
The Government is urging the Post Primary Teachers’ Association (PPTA) to put the education of their students first. “Between 9am and 3pm, parents expect their children to be at school to learn. Our Government is relentlessly focused on ensuring the value of achievement and attendance are at the centre of ...2 weeks ago - Compensation scheme levies to be risk based
The levies that banks, building societies, credit unions and finance companies pay to the new Depositor Compensation Scheme (DCS) fund will reflect the size and riskiness of the institutions, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. Under the scheme, deposits up to the value of $100,000 per depositor will be protected in ...2 weeks ago
- New Child Centre will improve mental health outcomes in Tauranga
Minister for Mental Health Matt Doocey today opened Te Waka Aorangi Child Wellness Centre at Tauranga Hospital, marking a significant milestone in the Government’s commitment to enhancing the health of children and whānau in the Bay of Plenty region. “Te Waka Aorangi is leading the way by providing a ‘one-stop-shop’ ...2 weeks ago
- Dr Daniel Tulloch appointed to FENZ board
Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden has today announced that Dr Daniel Tulloch has be appointed to Fire and Emergency New Zealand board. “I am pleased to announce that Dr Daniel Tulloch has been appointed for a three-year term of office” says Ms van Velden. “Dr Tulloch is a ...2 weeks ago
- Social Investment Board appointed
Former Treasury Secretary Dr Graham Scott has been appointed as chair of the newly established Social Investment Board, alongside a group of highly skilled individuals, Social Investment Minister Nicola Willis says. The board will advise on the implementation of the social investment approach across the public sector and the work ...2 weeks ago
- Poroporoaki: Sir Robert ‘Bom’ Gillies
E te Ikanui a Whiro kua mau nei i te kupenga a Aitua. Kua turakina e te hoariri e kore nei e tāea te karo, mōrehu mutunga o te hokowhitu a Tū ki te Riri Tuarua o te Ao, unuhia tō kōuma, whakairihia tō patu ki tara-ā-whare, whītikihia te tatua ...2 weeks ago
- New Zealand and Irish Governments partner to support farming through research
New Zealand and Ireland are investing $9.6 million in targeted research to deliver practical solutions that reduce emissions for New Zealand’s primary producers, announced Agriculture Minister Todd McClay today. The joint effort, led by New Zealand’s Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) and Ireland's Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, ...2 weeks ago
- Rail Network Rebuild to be delivered ahead of City Rail Link opening
The Government has confirmed a programme of upgrades to Auckland’s rail network that will complete the Rail Network Rebuild ahead of the City Rail Link (CRL) opening, Transport Minister Simeon Brown and Acting Auckland Mayor Desley Simpson say. “The last National Government started the City Rail Link to transform public transport ...2 weeks ago
- Foreign Minister to visit Latin America
Foreign Minister Winston Peters will visit Chile, Mexico and Peru next week. “Chile and Mexico are two of New Zealand’s closest partners in Latin America and we are pleased to be visiting them next week,” Mr Peters says. Mr Peters will have bilateral programmes in Santiago and Mexico City involving ...2 weeks ago
- $340m NZ-China trade boost through 24 key partnerships
Minister for Trade and Agriculture, Todd McClay, announced the signing of 24 Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) and supply agreements between New Zealand and Chinese companies as part of the Trade Mission to the China International Import Expo (CIIE) in Shanghai and Guangdong province this week. “These new partnerships are set to ...2 weeks ago
- Prime Minister pays tribute to Sir Robert ‘Bom’ Gillies
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has paid tribute to Sir Robert ‘Bom’ Gillies KNZM, the last surviving member of the 28 (Māori) Battalion, who passed away today. “Sir Bom will be remembered for his service to New Zealand and defending the ideals we value most. “With trademark humility, he took it ...2 weeks ago
- Bringing Crown director fees closer to market rate
The Government is bringing director fees for 22 Crown-owned companies closer to market rate in order to retain and attract high quality directors, State Owned Enterprises Minister Paul Goldsmith says. “Ordinary directors’ fees for these companies have been largely static for more than 15 years and have fallen significantly below ...2 weeks ago
- Treaty Principles Bill introduced to Parliament
Associate Justice Minister David Seymour has welcomed the introduction of the Treaty Principles Bill to Parliament and says it will have its first reading next Thursday. “Parliament introduced the concept of the Treaty principles into law in 1975 but did not define them. As a result, the courts and the ...2 weeks ago
- Results reinforce importance of growth
The Government’s financial results for the first three months of the year are weaker than forecast and reinforce the need to drive growth and maintain careful spending, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The financial statements for the three months to 30 September 2024 show key fiscal indicators were weaker than ...2 weeks ago
- Suicide Prevention Action Plan Next Steps
With public consultation having closed on 1 November 2024, we are now heading into the next phase of developing our new Suicide Prevention Action Plan to cover the period 2025 to 2029, Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey says. “I would like to thank everyone who took the time to make ...2 weeks ago
- Police & Immigration work together to tackle gangs
The Government’s responding to overseas members of the Mongols who are attempting to enter the country. “The Immigration Minister and I are working closely together, alongside Police, Customs and Immigration New Zealand (INZ), to respond to an organised Mongols event in Canterbury between 7-10 November,” Police Minister Mark Mitchell says. ...2 weeks ago
- Prime Minister congratulates Donald J. Trump on election win
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has congratulated President-elect Donald J. Trump on his victory in the US presidential election. “The relationship between our two countries is strong and enduring. I look forward to developing even closer relations with the incoming Trump Administration. “The US is one of our most important partners, ...2 weeks ago
- Efficiencies found to deliver two further NIWE recovery projects
Upgrades to Nesbitt’s Dip on State Highway 2 (SH2) and Rototahe on State Highway 35 (SH35) will go ahead as a result of improved efficiencies in the Government’s North Island Weather Event recovery programme, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Regions in the North Island suffered extensive and devastating damage from ...2 weeks ago
- Safe, secure digital identity services on the way
New Zealanders can expect safe and secure digital identity services following the finalisation of the Digital Identity Services Trust Framework, Minister for Digitising Government Judith Collins says. “New Zealanders want to be able to complete everyday tasks online and in person in a way that’s safe and secure,” Ms Collins ...2 weeks ago
- Base Woodbourne resolution with Kurahaupō Iwi
The Government and three Kurahaupō Iwi have signed a $25.2million agreement to resolve the post-Treaty settlement issue of contaminated land at RNZAF Base Woodbourne. Ngāti Apa ki te Rā Tō Trust, Rangitāne o Wairau Settlement Trust, and Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Kuia each received $8.4 million after contaminated soil at ...2 weeks ago
- Archives NZ, National Library to cut 27 roles
The Department of Internal Affairs wants to bring the two organisations under the joint leadership of the Chief Archivist and National Librarian. ...2 days ago - Gang patch ban: Members warn of potential for violence to ‘erupt’ as new laws enforced
"I can't see this lasting unless they have a budget to lock fullas up in jail which I think is absolutely stupid, really it's ludicrous," Ngavii Pekapo, who set up a Mongrel Mob chapter 54 years ago, says. ...2 days ago
- ACT leader David Seymour raises doubts about Waikato medical school
Government documents show ACT leader David Seymour told the government he was "dissatisfied" with a cost-benefit analysis. ...2 days ago
- National’s Erica Stanford allegedly calls Labour’s Jan Tinetti a ‘stupid bitchR...
The Education Minister has apologised in Parliament for her remark. ...2 days ago
- Labour backs new Police Commissioner – but warns against routine arming
The alternative to policing by consent would be a police state, which New Zealanders don't want, the party says. ...2 days ago
- Youth on boot camp pilot re-offended five weeks after release
Children's Minister Karen Chhour said while it was disappointing, it would naïve to think none of the participants would lapse. ...2 days ago
- In photos: People of the hīkoi, and why they marched
Hikoi mō Te Tiriti has come to an end, going down in history as the largest march to Parliament in Aotearoa. ...2 days ago
- ‘Everything is becoming a culture war’: Jon Ronson on conspiracies and cycleways
Ahead of his appearance in Aotearoa, the acclaimed British journalist, podcaster and documentarian talks to Stewart Sowman-Lund about why people are still fascinated by the fringes. The last place I would expect to find Jon Ronson is relaxing in the countryside. The iconic British journalist and writer is best known ...2 days ago - Kia kaha Lebanon: NZ media only tell half your story of struggle
The United States has vetoed a UN Security Council ceasefire resolution — for the fourth time — in Israel’s war on Gaza, while Hezbollah demands a complete ceasefire and “protection of Lebanon’s sovereignty” in any deal with Israel. Amid the death and devastation, Joe Hendren reflects on his time in ...2 days ago - ‘Deserves a Bafta’: After the Party premieres in the UK to five-star reviews
The acclaimed New Zealand drama has just premiered on TV in the United Kingdom, and the five-star reviews are already flowing in. Six months after it was called a “blistering” “tour de force” by Australian critics, and nearly a year since The Spinoff declared it the best drama New Zealand ...2 days ago
- Drugs are getting cheaper and easier to find in Aotearoa
New Zealanders are drinking and smoking less, but most other recreational drugs are becoming cheaper, more popular and more available, two new reports show. Two significant new surveys about drugs in Aotearoa were released this week, offering a rare insight into New Zealanders’ choice of substances, which ones are becoming ...2 days ago
- COP29: ‘climate finance’ for the Pacific is mostly loans, saddling small island nations with mor...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Steven Ratuva, Director, Macmillan Brown Centre for Pacific Studies, University of Canterbury Lenora Qereqeretabua, the deputy speaker of Fiji’s Parliament, at the COP29 climate summit. IISD/ENB/Mike Muzurakis, CC BY-SA As this year’s UN climate summit reaches its final stage of negotiations, Pacific ...2 days ago
- Review: The magic of Wicked and the curse of corporate greed
The new movie musical is undoubtedly a fun watch, but it’s also proof that bigger isn’t always better, writes Stewart Sowman-Lund. Contains minor spoilers for Wicked. There’s no doubt that Wicked is going to be huge. No other pop culture event this year, save from maybe Charli XCX’s Brat, has ...2 days ago
- Dame Jacinda Ardern to be given United Nations leadership award
She will get the champion for global change award from the United Nations Foundation at a ceremony in New York tomorrow. ...2 days ago
- NZ will resume live animal exports – to low demand
Analysis: NZ is lifting what was supposed to be a permanent ban on live animal exports. But it’s not the lucrative industry it once was. The post NZ will resume live animal exports – to low demand appeared first on Newsroom. ...2 days ago - Financial forms of family violence affect one in seven of us – but the law is lagging
There are calls for New Zealand’s Family Violence Act to name economic harm as a standalone type of violence, rather than a subcategory of psychological abuse, to bring it in line with the United Kingdom and Australia. Economic harm – restricting access to, sabotaging or exploiting another person’s financial resources, ...2 days ago
- Downside Risks To Treasury’s Economic And Fiscal Forecasts
New Zealand is currently running a structural fiscal deficit, with expenditure exceeding revenue. Economic growth falling short of expectations has been making it harder for the Government to bring the books back into balance. ...2 days ago - Science continues to exclude Indigenous communities. Fixing this benefits everyone
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jordan Peter Anthony Pitt, Associate Dean of Indigenous Strategy and Services (Faculty of Science), University of Sydney An enduring challenge facing science around the world is how to best include and engage Indigenous communities. In Australia, for example, 0.5% of Indigenous ...2 days ago
- Why is cricket so popular on the Indian sub-continent?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Vaughan Cruickshank, Senior Lecturer in Health and Physical Education, University of Tasmania Cricket originated in England, but has been spread worldwide by British soldiers and settlers in the past few hundred years. It is now the second most popular sport in ...2 days ago
- Disinformation and deepfakes played a part in the US election. Australia should expect the same
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Renee Barnes, Associate professor of Journalism, University of the Sunshine Coast Mladen Zivkovic/Shutterstock As America takes stock after Donald Trump’s re-election to the presidency, it’s worth highlighting the AI-generated fake photos, videos and audio shared during the campaign. A slew ...2 days ago
- Is thunderstorm asthma becoming more common?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kira Morgan Hughes, PhD Candidate in Allergy and Asthma, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University When spring arrives, so do warnings about thunderstorm asthma. But a decade ago, most of us hadn’t heard of it. So where did thunderstorm asthma ...2 days ago
- Overwhelmed by ever more clothing donations, charities are exporting the problem. Local governments ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Yassie Samie, Postdoctoral Researcher in Fashion and Textiles, RMIT University anna.spoka/Shutterstock What happens to your clothes after you don’t want them any more? Chances are, you will donate them to op shops run by a charity organisation. There are more ...2 days ago
- Friendly fire: a nuclear push by allies at COP29 poses a sticky problem for Albanese
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Quiggin, Professor, School of Economics, The University of Queensland IndustryAndTravel/Shutterstock Prime Minister Anthony Albanese didn’t see this coming. At the global COP29 climate talks in Baku, the Australian government was indirectly criticised by two allies, the United States and the ...2 days ago
- Nugget Is Dead brings queer love, multiculturalism and Aussie flair to the Christmas movie formula
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Phoebe Hart, Associate Professor, Film Screen & Animation, Queensland University of Technology Julia Firak Stan’s new Christmas film Nugget is Dead is a colourful production that follows the rules of the seasonal genre film to a tee – with an Aussie ...2 days ago
- Help Me Hera: Should I cut contact with my ex-stepdad?
My parents are finally getting divorced. So why do I feel like my stepdad’s feelings are still my problem? Want Hera’s help? Email your problem to helpme@thespinoff.co.nz Dear Hera My parents recently announced their separation. This in itself isn’t a problem. I’ve already gone through this once before in my early childhood, so ...2 days ago
- New Zealand Drops In Global Ranking On Climate Action
If the government won’t hold polluters to account, then people will. People are increasingly taking to the streets and the courtrooms, putting their bodies on the line to shut down polluting industries. This will only escalate further unless New ...2 days ago
- Government’s fiscal policy dragging out recession, economists say
Slashing the budget deficit and reducing public debt are making matters worse for households and businesses, they say. ...2 days ago
- Mongrel Mob member charged 3 minutes after patch ban begins
The new gang patch law came into force at midnight. The first person under the ban was caught at 12.03am. ...2 days ago
- Spending Cuts Need To Stop – PSA Urges Govt To Listen To Economists
The economists, drawn from universities, unions and the private sector, are calling on the Government to urgently revisit its fiscal policy stating the economic rationale for spending cuts and deferral of key infrastructure projects was ‘unclear’. ...2 days ago
- Government proposes law change on name suppression for sex offenders
Convicted adult sex offenders would not get permanent name suppression unless the victim agreed to it, the justice minister says. ...2 days ago
- Insufficient data on restraint and seclusion of children in Oranga Tamariki facilities, watchdogs sa...
The Independent Children's Monitor says it cannot determine if there have been improvements since a 2020 report found both practices were used inappropriately. ...2 days ago
- No mental wellbeing priority in government’s latest child strategy
Mental well-being has been removed as a standalone priority in the government's latest Child and Youth Well-being Strategy - despite officials warning against this earlier in the year. ...2 days ago
- ‘Enforcement action taken’ hours after gang patch ban comes into effect
The Police Minister says gang members in the Hawke's Bay came out at midnight to challenge the law. ...2 days ago
- ‘The deal sucks’: MPs question Tauranga marine precinct sale
Two MPs in Tauranga are calling for the Auditor-General to investigate the sale of the city's marine precinct, which one believes is a "really bad deal for Tauranga". ...2 days ago
- Will banning gang patches actually make New Zealand safer?
Gang members say it will create more problems, but the government argues it’s about improving public safety, explains Stewart Sowman-Lund for The Bulletin. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here. ...2 days ago
- Gang patch ban: ‘Subtle adaptations’ of insignia already being seen
Gang members are already changing their insignia to get around the law that came into effect overnight. ...2 days ago
- Bootcamp bill to have first reading before verdict on 10-boy pilot project
The Govt’s bootcamp bill will have its first reading on Thursday, ahead of a final evaluation of the controversial pilot programme. The post Bootcamp bill to have first reading before verdict on 10-boy pilot project appeared first on Newsroom. ...3 days ago
- Where to find $1.3 trillion for climate finance
Fossil fuel subsidies, solidarity levies and wealth taxes have all been proposed as sources of the trillions of dollars of climate finance needed The post Where to find $1.3 trillion for climate finance appeared first on Newsroom. ...3 days ago
- It’s not too late to halt the death spiral of New Zealand’s public health system
It’s a shambles of our own making, but it’s still one we can turn around, argues health sector expert Dr David Galler. Trust and confidence in the public health system is at an all-time low. Not a day goes by without another story highlighting its alleged failings, eroding what little ...3 days ago
- The gang patch ban is now in force. What’s going to happen?
From today, police can enforce new gang legislation, including a ban on insignia being displayed in public. Here’s what you need to know. Why are we talking about this again? I thought it came in ages ago. The Gangs Act 2024 and Sentencing Amendment Act 2024 did indeed become law ...3 days ago
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