Christopher Luxon
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Luxon’s first year
Written By: - Date published: 8:46 am, December 4th, 2022 - 56 comments
Chris Luxon marked the anniversary of his becoming National leader this week by showing that he is that out of touch he had no idea what the single rate of superannuation is.
Overblown rhetoric and Laura Norder
Written By: - Date published: 10:19 am, November 27th, 2022 - 69 comments
This week has seen some extreme rhetoric from various quarters about who to blame for a recent senseless killing. But news that the person arrested had recently been extradited from Australia has shown the rhetoric to be entirely misplaced.
National’s Boot Camps announcement is deeply cynical policy recycling
Written By: - Date published: 10:27 am, November 21st, 2022 - 28 comments
There should be a law against the cynical recycling of dog whistle policies that everyone knows will not work. Last week’s announcement by National of a boot camp policy is as good an example as you can imagine.
Are Luxon’s days numbered?
Written By: - Date published: 8:09 am, November 17th, 2022 - 66 comments
Yesterday was a bad day for Chris Luxon. It is increasingly clear that he is not up to the job of being leader of the opposition and National’s senior management must be worried.
What happened to National’s policy machine?
Written By: - Date published: 8:34 am, November 16th, 2022 - 70 comments
Remember when a few leaders ago then National Leader Simon Bridges promised that National would be a 56 MP policy machine? Judging by its response to the Government’s release of two bills at the centre of RMA reform the machine has major problems.
Is it fair for the PM to get a weekly tax cut of $349 while a minimum wage worker would receive only $2.15?
Written By: - Date published: 11:46 am, November 2nd, 2022 - 148 comments
Chris Luxon has avoided answering this question so far but he needs to be asked continuously about it. Is it fair that he as Prime Minister would receive under National’s proposed tax cuts a tax cut of $349 per week while a minimum wage worker would receive only $2.15 per week
National has gone full woke
Written By: - Date published: 8:39 pm, November 1st, 2022 - 22 comments
Remember this scene from the Tauranga by election? National has decided it will not be repeated by ensuring that it has no potential white male candidates for the Hamilton West by election.
Bruce’s Reckons: The increased speculation about Chris Luxon quitting
Written By: - Date published: 8:45 pm, October 25th, 2022 - 109 comments
Leader of the Opposition Christopher Luxon turned up to Parliament today and his media spin doctors will be hoping for some good photo opportunities to lift his popularity. But they will be asking a lot.
Even more proof that Conservatives are not good economic managers
Written By: - Date published: 11:44 am, September 29th, 2022 - 61 comments
There has been this carefully crafted illusion that conservative politicians are somehow better with the finances than progressive politicians. Recent events in the United Kingdom suggest that this illusion is terribly misplaced.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 tries to blame Labour for National’s tax flip flop flip
Written By: - Date published: 10:25 am, August 7th, 2022 - 13 comments
Chris Bishop has accused Labour of engaging in dirty politics for pointing out that this week National has changed its policy on income tax indexation twice.
Luxon’s latest gaffes
Written By: - Date published: 9:48 am, August 4th, 2022 - 57 comments
Hot on his confusion of Hawaii with Te Puke Christopher Luxon’s has dropped a couple of new clangers by admitting then denying that National will not increase health funding at least by the rate of inflation and then by displaying his class prejudice by saying people are not going to get rich on welfare.
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.
Mansplaining Luxon
Written By: - Date published: 10:10 am, June 30th, 2022 - 14 comments
Fresh from his attempt to alienate the female vote by being equivocal on if a National Government would move to restrict access to abortions yesterday Christopher Luxon compounded things by purporting to speak for all women.
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.
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.
Gang Control Policy Is Back Big Time
Written By: - Date published: 6:08 pm, June 12th, 2022 - 16 comments
We are about to have a proper gang control policy contest. It’s about time.
National’s anti gang policies and the Bill of Rights
Written By: - Date published: 4:09 pm, June 12th, 2022 - 33 comments
This weekend National threw out a few hunks of red meat to some of its more rabid supporters by going to its old favourite of gang bashing.
He Waka Eke Noa?
Written By: - Date published: 8:02 am, June 10th, 2022 - 16 comments
The He Waka Eke Noa report recommends the introduction of farm-level split-gas levy on agricultural emissions. The anticipated savings are very small and reliant on Government proposals for the sector to reaching the Government target of 10% methane reduction. Are we really all in this together?
- Bryce Edwards: Labour was meant to save public broadcasting, not weaken it
The Labour Party used to advocate for a properly-funded, multi-platform public broadcaster. There was real merit in the proposal to set this up when Labour campaigned for it in 2017. After all, New Zealand lacks a public broadcaster along the lines of the BBC or the ABC. And the idea ...2 hours ago - Jacinda’s Manic Ministry.
“Do you want the moon to play with?” What was it that persuaded Jacinda Ardern to exactly reverse Helen Clark’s strategy of under-promising and over-delivering? Even with the winds of history at your back, over-promising the electorate is a silly thing to do. No government should ever attempt to defy Murphy’s ...5 hours ago - Skeptical Science New Research for Week #49 2022
Open access notables: Our increasing grip on understanding Earth systems reveals growing needs for operational instrumentation. By now it's safe to say that we understand: "a geochemically stable, suitable and uncontaminated atmosphere is not only nice but mandatory," and that we need data in order evaluate how -our- atmosphere is doing, ...15 hours ago - Check It Out
The most recent census returns in the UK and in New Zealand show that the majority of people, in both countries, now have no religious belief. That necessarily gives rise to the question – in the absence of divine direction, where do people now look to find moral guidance? My ...22 hours ago - Why won’t Labour keep its promises?
Back in 2017, Jacinda Ardern promised "There will be no new mines on conservation land". NZ First stopped her from doing it in her first term, but since winning an absolute majority in the 2020 election Labour has refused to move on it - and has explicitly voted down a ...22 hours ago - Putting the environment in the BORASince the 1970's there has been a growing recognition that environmental rights are part of - and necessary for - human rights. The 1972 Stockholm Declaration began its principles with a statement that "Man has the fundamental right to freedom, equality and adequate conditions of life, in an environment of ...1 day ago
- Gordon Campbell on the TVNZ/RNZ merger battles
When the baubles of office got handed out last time around, it is hard to understand why anyone picked Willie Jackson to be the ideal person to explain and defend the TVNZ/RNZ merger. For years and well before last Sunday’s fractious Q&A interview with Jack Tame, it has been obvious ...1 day ago - DrawnA ballot for a single member's bill was held today, and the following bill was drawn: Parental Leave and Employment Protection (Shared Leave) Amendment Bill (Nicola Willis) The bill allows paid parental leave to be split between carers of a child and taken at the same time. ...1 day ago
- Bryce Edwards: Labour needs Mahuta to go, but she’s too powerfulThe pressure on Jacinda Ardern to sack Local Government Minister Nanaia Mahuta is building. But Mahuta is too powerful within the Labour Party to get rid of easily. The Three Waters reforms have become one of the Labour Government’s greatest liabilities. While there is widespread consensus on the need for ...1 day ago
- Submit an abstract to a climate communication session at EGU 2023!The next General Assembly of the European Geosciences EGU (EGU) will take place in Vienna and online from April 24 to 28, 2023. It will be a fully hybrid event with all but the on-premise poster sessions coming with creative online options for both authors and attendees. I've been invited by David ...2 days ago
- A bad signOn Friday, a New South Wales court heard the case of Violet Coco. As part of a protest against inaction on climate change, Coco had blocked a Sydney motorway for 25 minutes. Using anti-protest laws passed by NSW's fossil-fuel-funded government, the judge jailed her for 15 months, with a minimum ...2 days ago
- Do New Zealanders no longer support Ukraine?
Of a possible 55 heads of state, only four made time to join a virtual address delivered by the African Union Assembly on June 20 by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Source: Ghana Web So Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is to address the NZ ...2 days ago- Member’s Day
Today is a Member's Day, the last one for the year. First up there is a bunch of new private and local bills - the Thomas Cawthron Trust Amendment Bill, the New Plymouth District Council (Perpetual Investment Fund) Bill, and the Hawke’s Bay Agricultural and Pastoral Society Empowering Bill. None ...2 days ago- Political Roundup: 7 December 2022
Items of interest and importance today THREE WATERS Thomas Manch (Stuff): Make no mistake, Labour knew it was passing controversial Three Waters entrenchment clause Thomas Cranmer: A government humiliated Thomas Coughlan (Herald): Three Waters entrenchment: Jacinda Ardern, Nanaia Mahuta at odds, David Parker says he was always opposed David Farrar: ...2 days ago- After the deluge — cascading effects of extreme weather on human health
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Emily Jack-Scott and Sarah Spengeman News coverage of this summer’s devastating flood in Pakistan has peaked, but the deluge left behind hasn’t subsided: Experts predict the floodwaters could take six months to fully recede. An aerial view of Shahdadkot, Khairpur Nathan Shah, Mado, ...2 days ago- Gordon Campbell on Ukraine’s prospects
So the government has (a) backed down over the entrenchment of water management, thus enabling a future centre right government to privatise a key essential of life via a simple majority, as readily as any elected government can change the tax rate, or the rules for the licensing of pets ...3 days ago- Justice for Ukraine?
Overnight, Russia launched more missiles against Ukraine, targeting apartment blocks and electricity facilities in an effort to terrise civilians and freeze them to death over winter. And there are more photos of Russian war crimes in occupied areas doing the rounds. So I'm glad to see some progress at the ...3 days ago- A Matter Of Trust.
Hard To Win, Easy To Lose: Trust cuts both ways. It is equally critical, in political terms, that a government trusts the people to at least the same extent as the people trust the government. Indeed, nothing erodes the voters’ trust faster than evidence their own government considers them untrustworthy.TRUST. ...3 days ago- The case for free speech and courage
Best-selling author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie makes the case for free speech and courage. Below is a brief excerpt. ...3 days ago- Political Roundup: 6 December 2022
Items of interest and importance today 1NEWS KANTAR POLL, PARLIAMENT 1News: Poll: National and ACT strengthen, Luxon closes gap on Ardern 1News: Poll: Economic pessimism soars to 10-year high Toby Manhire (Spinoff): This new poll delivers one clear message – and a clutch of other clues Claire Trevett (Herald): The trifecta ...3 days ago- AGU Fall Meeting 2022 – Cranky Uncle makes an appearance
This year's Fall Meeting of the American Geophysical Union (AGU) takes place in Chicago as well as online from December 12 to 16. Thanks to being held in hybrid mode it was feasible for John Cook and me to submit an abstract to one of the sessions. Just like for the European ...4 days ago- Is 3 Waters entrenchment really a stupid idea?
The 2023 elections will potentially be one of the most ideologically divided elections we will experience. The real solutions for most pressing social and environmental issues confronting us at the moment will involve systemic change and will necessarily challenge the neoliberal mindset that has dominated governance over the last four ...4 days ago- Submit!
The Economic Development, Science and Innovation Committee has called for submissions on the Crown Minerals Amendment Bill. Submissions can be sent using the form here and are due by Monday, 23 January 2023. The main thing the bill does is fix this problem, where the purpose of the Crown Minerals ...4 days ago- Yet another OIA inquiry
All year the Ombudsman has been trying to tell us that everything is fine with the OIA. But earlier in the year he released another report showing problems, particularly around ministerial interference and stonewalling, and now he's been forced to open another inquiry into precisely those problems: Chief Ombudsman ...4 days ago- Bryce Edwards: New Zealand’s social cohesion is being torn apart
New Zealand is becoming a less socially cohesive country. And the driver of this division is worsening inequality. That’s the view of most New Zealanders according to a survey conducted for the New Zealand Herald. It shows that inequalities of wealth and housing access are tearing the country apart. The ...4 days ago- The subtlety of neo-Nazi influence in Ukraine – ignored by our media
5 days ago- 2022 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #48
A chronological listing of news articles posted on the Skeptical Science Facebook Page during the past week: Sun, Nov 27, 2022 thru Sat, Dec 3, 2022. Story of the Week #ClimateScam: denialism claims flooding Twitter have scientists worried Many researchers are fleeing the platform, unnerved by the surge in climate misinformation ...5 days ago- New paper: A toolkit for understanding and addressing climate scepticism
This is a quick summary about the newly published paper "A toolkit for understanding and addressing climate scepticism" by Matthew J. Hornsey and Stephan Lewandowsky. It leverages a thread tweeted by Stephan Lewandowsky shortly after publication as well as a mention in Doug Bostrom's and Marc Kodack's New Research Week ...7 days ago- The Coming Recession?
Is leaving inflation fighting to the Reserve Bank all we can do?We are making sacrifices to restrain climate change, not because the particular climate is what we want, but because if it starts changing too quickly, our current way of life is unsustainable. Similarly the current price level may not ...7 days ago- Climate Change: More subsidised pollution
Back in 2020, the government realised that the industrial allocations in the ETS - supposed to protect large polluters from unfair competition from countries who didn't pay for their carbon - was overallocated. They were giving away too many free credits, resulting in windfall gains to polluters. So, they started ...7 days ago- Still asleep at the wheel
A couple of months ago, I asked various government agencies whether they had produced any advice on the impacts of Long Covid, and was shocked to learn that they hadn't. Newsroom's Marc Daalder has been keeping an eye on this issue, and in an article today, he reports that the ...7 days ago- On Entrenchment: The Politics of Anti-Privatisation
I was not wanting to wade into New Zealand’s little furor about the proposed Three Waters reform. To be honest, Labour has brought this one on themselves – the task of cleaning up this country’s waterways really ought to be funded via the resources (financial or otherwise) of the ...7 days ago- The Masque of the Covid Breath: Testing Positive
Well, it had to happen eventually. A week ago, someone I live with tested Covid positive, and despite my best efforts (testing every day), today I finally succumbed. That dreaded second line on the RAT showed up bright and red. It’s a decent effort, of course… making it ...7 days ago- Entrenching entrenchment
Last week, Parliament passed a rare entrenchment clause, protecting water assets from being sold by future governments without a referendum. As a supporter of anti-privatisation as a constitutional principle, I don't really have a problem with this - the supermajority which passed it represents a broad consensus across Aotearoa, and ...1 week ago- Parliament’s Collective Failure To Defend The Constitution.
Unbitten: It is one of the oddest and most worrying aspects of the events surrounding Green MP Eugenie Sage’s late-night attempt to re-write the constitutional convention on entrenched legislation while a weary House of Representatives was sitting under Urgency. Sherlock Holmes’ famous observation concerning the dog that did not bark, ...1 week ago- Gordon Campbell on why the SIS need operational ground rules
This is bad, right? Apparently the SIS used its powers illegally when it raided journalist Nicky Hager’s cell phone and extracted information that still failed to identify one of the key sources for Hager’s 2011 book Other People’s Wars. In that book, Hager had revealed hitherto unknown aspects of New ...1 week ago- Bryce Edwards: Clawing back $7bn of corporate welfare
The taxpayer is short of billions of dollars that were overpaid to businesses during Covid according to Christchurch philanthropists Grant and Marilyn Nelson. They are taking legal action against state agencies to push them to recoup up to $7bn that was wrongly paid out to wealthy employers who didn’t need ...1 week ago- Legal Beagle: The Entrenchment Angle We All Missed
I have a basically finished 800-word article on the entrenchment issue that is now unneeded. Dean Knight’s tweets, my tweets, and the open letter of the group of legal academics published by the New Zealand Herald say almost all that needs to be said on the manner in which the ...1 week ago- Skeptical Science New Research for Week #48 2022
Open access notables: Kunio Kaiho is a leading expert on past extinction events. In Extinction magnitude of animals in the near future just published in Nature Scientific Reports, Kaiho draws on mechanisms of prior mass extinction events to prognosticate on what effect Homo bolidus [our term] might impose on Earth's species. "It depends," ...1 week ago- Media Link: AVFA on protests in China and Iran.
This week in “A View from Afar” Selwyn Manning and I try to provide a conceptual/analytic backdrop to the protests in the PRC and Iran. The thrust is that although there are similarities as well as differences between them, each confrontation involves a strategic game between the protestors and regime ...1 week ago- Open Government: Not achieved
Newsroom reports on the reaction from civil society organisations to Labour's new draft Open Government Partnership National Action Plan, and its pretty scathing: The Government’s claims to greater openness and transparency have yet again been called into question, with New Zealand’s latest open government plan containing proposals “so weak ...1 week ago- Climate Change: Be careful what you wish for
Throughout the (misnamed) he waka eke noa process, farmers have insisted on farm-level pricing, largely as a way of getting more subsidies for their pollution - and sadly, Labour looks set to give it to them. They're already complaining about the "bureaucratic nightmare" - a nightmare entirely of their own ...1 week ago- Reported back
The Justice Committee has reported back on the Electoral Amendment Bill. The bill implements the recommendations of the Ministry of Justice consultation on election funding - the one where the Ministry of Justice conspired with the labour party to keep its highly influential submission totally secret - and the Labour-dominated ...1 week ago- Bryce Edwards: Nicky Hager strikes a win for media freedom and democracy
Do New Zealand state spies unlawfully surveil the government’s political critics? Do they spy on critical journalists? Unfortunately, the answer is yes. And yesterday the government domestic security agency was forced to apologise for one instance when they were caught spying on investigative journalist Nicky Hager. The New Zealand Security ...1 week ago- 2022 General Reading: November (+ Old Phuul update)
Completed reading for November: The White People and Other Weird Stories (collection), by Arthur Machen Not So Barren Or Uncultivated: British Travellers in Finland 1760-1830, by Tony Lurcock J.R.R. Tolkien: A Biography, by Humphrey Carpenter The Ancient Egyptian Book of the Dead Legends of Aotearoa (collection), edited by ...1 week ago- Publishing a long overdue explainer about a scientific consensus
Recently, we happened upon a neat and detailed article, explaining what a scientific consensus is. This made us realize, that - even though we have a lot of material about the consensus - we were lacking an explainer about what a scientific consensus actually is. We have now remedied this ...1 week ago- The SIS: spying on the government’s political critics
The big worry about the SIS and GCSB is that they will be used to spy on the government's political critics. Whenever this worry is expressed, the spies and their Ministers say that of course that would never happen. The problem? It has: Journalist Nicky Hager will receive $66,000 ...1 week ago- Gordon Campbell on the gaslighting about inflation
Reportedly, we’re going to need to have a recession next year in order to curb our wild spending habits and bring inflation under control. According to some economists, we’ve all been spending our hefty wage rises so freely that up to 50,000 of us may have to lose our jobs ...1 week ago- Political Roundup: 30 November 2022
Items of interest and importance today THREE WATERS Jane Patterson (RNZ): Three Waters anti-privatisation blunder adds to storm of controversy Jo Moir (Newsroom): The chaos behind the Greens’ controversial Three Waters amendment Emile Donovan (RNZ): The problem with entrenching party policy Thomas Cranmer: Mahuta ditches ‘no surprises’ policy Anne Salmond ...1 week ago- Has Labour Become A Co-Governed Party?
The Power Of Two: It is possible that, formally or informally, the Labour caucus arrived at its own version of co-governance. What the Māori caucus decide upon as its priorities are not to be overridden or gainsaid by the broader Labour caucus’s Pakeha majority. An arrangement of this sort would ...1 week ago- Hope Defeats Hate.
Third Time Winner: Daniel Andrews’ Victorian victory is of a piece with the general failure of the American Right to achieve the gains it was expecting in the recent mid-term elections. Generally speaking, voters not already addicted to the Right’s ideological Kool-Aid find very little to like about candidates who ...1 week ago- We need greater transparency on party funding
Yesterday Max Rashbrooke and Lisa Marriott released their report on political party funding. The gist of it can be gathered from the title: Money for Something. Big donors are donating big money for big influence over policy, and the current regime seems designed to facilitate rather than prevent this ...1 week ago- Political Roundup: 29 November 2022
Items of interest and importance today POLITICAL FINANCE, PARLIAMENT, VOTING AGE Thomas Coughlan (Herald): Big money donors get access to PMs and party leaders – report Anna Whyte (Stuff): Political donations: Identity over $1,500 should be disclosed, new report recommends Brent Edwards (NBR): Research reveals influence bought through political donations Jem ...1 week ago- How 2022 has substantially, and favorably, changed global climate outlook
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections Anew analysis by the Global Carbon Budget, published in the journal Earth System Science Data, shows global carbon emissions from burning fossil fuels have fully recovered from the temporary dip driven by the COVID-19 pandemic, setting new records in 2021 and 2022. But it’s not ...1 week ago- Gordon Campbell on entrenchment, and being ‘soft on crime’
Good grief. Is it really a grave misuse of power to entrench safeguards against the irreversible sale of key public assets? Hardly. If this country has learned anything over the past 40 years, it should be that New Zealand has suffered lasting economic and social damage from the previous sales ...2 weeks ago- Entrenching anti-privatisation
Last week, Labour put the House into urgency to push on with its legislative agenda. Part of this included the committee stage of the three waters bill, and something unusual happened: they passed an entrenchment clause protecting the bill's anti-privatisation clause - meaning that a future government would need the ...2 weeks ago- Bryce Edwards: The Misuse of power to entrench Three Waters legislation
When governments become tired and lose their popularity – usually in their third term – they often become desperate to get their way and prone to misusing their power. This is currently in evidence with the Labour Government’s push to lock in elements of their Three Waters reform programme by ...2 weeks ago- Revenge and rage optics continues to dominate the politics of the Right, even here. All voters deser...
The vapid cycle of self-serving performative rage when it suits… the screaming for repeal here, there and everywhere… the constant calls from columnists and the airwaves to “be angry”, for the public to just get up and be “stomping mad!”… Of course, none of this is the stuff from ...2 weeks ago- Top tweets on the Government’s Three Waters law entrenchment
Catching up on constitutional developments while I’ve been deep in the marking cave. And this one is a doozy — and perhaps concerning? An SOP entrenching a point of policy (ownership/control of water assets) was agreed, ie 60% majority needed to repeal.https://t.co/GRRXrmr6ZW pic.twitter.com/sm4MCOD85w — ᴅʀ ᴅᴇᴀɴ ...2 weeks ago- A Strange Hill To Die On.
Last Stand? Has Labour’s caucus chosen the Government’s deeply unpopular Three Waters policy as the hill upon which it will stand and die? And, if that is the case, then – why?CURIA RESEARCH recently conducted a poll in the Napier electorate. Bad news for Stuart Nash, the Labour incumbent, whose ...2 weeks ago- 2022 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #48
A chronological listing of news articles posted on the Skeptical Science Facebook Page during the past week: Sun, Nov 20, 2022 thru Sat, Nov 26, 2022. Story of the Week The Art at COP27 Offered Opportunities to Move Beyond ‘Empty Words’ In Egypt, visitors encountered creative works about climate anxiety, sustainability ...2 weeks ago- Revisiting the Big Three of Weird Tales: H.P. Lovecraft, C.A. Smith, and R.E. Howard
My October 2022 reading was marked by a reacquaintance with old-school Pulp Fantasy and Horror, specifically a binge through the collected works of H.P. Lovecraft, Clark Ashton Smith, and Robert E. Howard. Two of those three are still well-known names among fantasy readers, but in the first half of ...2 weeks ago- Open Government: Another farce
Yesterday the government released its draft Fourth Open Government Partnership National Action Plan 2023-24 for consultation. Like previous versions, the plan was meant to be "co-created" with civil society. And like previous versions, that obligation seems to have been observed mainly in the breach, with the government conducting a series ...2 weeks ago- The Crypto Casino
Financial activity is too often gambling. Cryptocurrencies are the latest example.Gambling is a zero sum game: the proceeds of the winners are offset by the losses of the losers. That statement is not quite true because typically there is someone between taking a margin on each transaction. Patrons leave a ...2 weeks ago- Bryce Edwards: Why Labour capitulated on hate speech laws
The Labour Government is currently fighting on multiple fronts that threaten its popularity in the run-up to next year’s election. Therefore, when a call had to be made about whether to push through divisive and poorly-designed hate speech laws, there really was no decision for Justice Minister Kiri Allan to ...2 weeks ago- Josh Van Veen: Wayne Brown’s first month
Wayne Brown has been Mayor for a month, and already he has done more to change Auckland than Phil Goff did in six years. The changes began even before Brown was sworn in. Only hours after the election results were announced on 8 October, the Chair of Auckland Transport Adrienne ...2 weeks ago- Skeptical Science New Research for Week #47 2022
Open access notables: Web bulb temperatures verging on unsurvivable are creeping into our world and heading toward familiar. That's the lesson we can infer from Dong-Quan & Sun's Effects of anthropogenic forcing and atmospheric circulation on the record-breaking welt bulb heat event over southern China in September 2021. Analyzing an event including 32.8°C the authors find: ...2 weeks ago- An engineered recession is class warfare
The Reserve Bank has just come out and admitted that they are engineering a recession to protect the rich: The Reserve Bank is deliberately engineering a recession to reign back inflation after being slow to raise interest rates, Reserve Bank governor Adrian Orr admitted to a select committee on ...2 weeks ago- That’s no how you do democracy
Last night, the English Supreme Court ruled that the Scottish government cannot hold an independence referendum. Having said that Scotland is not a colony, they then turned around and effectively said that they are, by forbidding them from holding a democratic vote on their own constitutional arrangements unless another country ...2 weeks ago- Gordon Campbell on the centre-right’s internal ructions
For donkey’s years, political commentary has been all about the binaries: left/right, Labour/National, government/opposition, she said/he said. Yet currently, a lot of the fascinating conflict is occurring amidst the centre-right. That’s because National, ACT and New Zealand First all happen to be fishing in the same pond for cranky and ...2 weeks ago- Bryce Edwards: Politicians and the Reserve Bank are being blamed for an escalating economic crisis
Will the looming economic recession kill off Labour’s re-election chances? Is the Reserve Bank making things worse? And could a National Government do any better? These are some of the big political questions floating around after the full extent of the economy’s plight was made clear by the Reserve Bank ...2 weeks ago- Josephine Varghese: From Obama to Sunak–do representational milestones mean anything more than sym...
New Zealand media have recently discussed two major representational milestones in politics. Firstly, New Zealand Parliament achieving 50% women’s representation with the induction of Labour list MP Soraya Peke-Mason. Secondly, Rishi Sunak becoming the UK’s first non-White Prime Minister. Major media outlets have been celebrating these events as watershed moments ...2 weeks ago- Gustavo Petro and the Civic – Military Campaigns
Gearóid Ó Loingsigh looks at the new government in Colombia and how it talks of peace while increasing militarisation The Petro–Márquez government is one which proposes to bring us to what they term Total Peace. The term and the proposal as such have been subjected to justifiable criticism, not least ...2 weeks ago- Labour attacks LGOIMA – in secret
Today the government used urgency to introduce a new Local Government Official Information and Meetings Amendment Bill. The bulk of the bill deals with land information memorandums (LIMs), requiring local authorities to notify of natural hazards and granting them immunity for doing so in good faith (hopefully forestalling lawsuits by ...2 weeks ago- Climate Change: Fixing the Crown Minerals Act?
Back in August, the High Court ruled that the Zero Carbon Act isn't worth shit and that the government can continue to approve new fossil fuel exploration without having to consider climate change. The core of the problem is the Crown Minerals Act, and in particular its purpose: "to promote ...2 weeks ago- Govt must grant visa waivers to all Pacific countries
The Green Party is once again calling on the Government to grant visa waivers to all Pacific countries. ...18 hours ago - Greens welcome life-saving treatments for rare disordersThe Green Party welcomes the news that Pharmac will fully fund Spinraza for people under the age of 18. ...20 hours ago
- Greens welcome Government coming to party on reducing alcohol harmThe Green Party are celebrating today’s introduction of the Government’s Sale and Supply of Alcohol (Community Participation) Amendment Bill, effectively adopting Part One of Chlöe Swarbrick’s Harm Minimisation Bill. ...2 days ago
- Greens support Operation Pātiki restoring name for awaThe Green Party is proud to support Kohupātiki Marae to uphold the mana of their awa. ...4 days ago
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- Greens will keeping pushing to protect public ownership of waterThe Green Party will continue to push for strong protections of core public assets so they cannot be sold off against the wishes of New Zealanders. ...5 days ago
- Further action to tackle crime and keep our communities safe
Every community in New Zealand should be a safe place to live, work and raise a family. Our Government is focused on tackling the complex issues that cause crime while also making sure that appropriate consequences are in place. ...1 week ago - Backing farmers with a strong record on tradeAs countries around the world continue to face economic challenges, there is real reason for New Zealand to be optimistic about the future – and our primary sector is at the heart of that. ...1 week ago
- US court decision shows need for stronger protection of Māui dolphinA decision by a United States Court to ban seafood imports from New Zealand shows the Government needs to do more to protect Māui dolphins. ...1 week ago
- NZ needs strong protection against water privatisationNew Zealanders deserve strong protection against the future privatisation of water assets, the Green Party says. ...2 weeks ago
- Political parties call for action on IranParties from across Parliament have come together to call on the Government to take decisive action to hold those responsible for violence and human rights violations in Iran to account. ...2 weeks ago
- Social workers need to see pay equity immediatelyThe Green Party is welcoming today’s announcement that pay equity will be extended to more social workers, and urges the Government to work with unions to get this sorted as quickly as possible. ...2 weeks ago
- Case for excess profit tax on banks clearer than everThe Government should adopt an excess profits tax and use any revenue raised to help people make ends meet, following the rise in the Official Cash Rate today. ...2 weeks ago
- Easing the pressure on New ZealandersSince taking office in 2017, our Government has worked hard to lift wages and make life more affordable for New Zealanders, as we move forward with our plan to create economic security for all. ...2 weeks ago
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- Healthy Homes for all means a WOF and Landlord RegisterThe Government’s decision to exclude landlords from property management regulations means more than half of Kiwi rentals will be left out in the cold. And, where they’re kicking the can down the road on Healthy Homes Standards, the Government falls short on the basics that a Rental Warrant of Fitness ...2 weeks ago
- Time to extend the voting ageThe Green Party is calling on the Government to take immediate action to lower the voting age to 16. ...3 weeks ago
- Supporting Kiwi kids this Children's DayOur Government has put the wellbeing of children at the heart of everything we do. As we celebrate World Children’s Day, we’re taking a look at some of the ways Labour is working to make New Zealand the best place in the world to be a child. ...3 weeks ago
- Improved visa conditions for frequent official visitors from Pacific Island Forum Countries
Officials, diplomats, and frequent business visitors travelling to New Zealand from Pacific Island Forum Countries and Kiribati will receive improved visa conditions when travelling to New Zealand, Immigration Minister Michael Wood has announced today. “Aotearoa New Zealand and the Pacific share an important history and close partnership, and after the ...19 hours ago - New legislation to provide affordable water services for New ZealandersThe Water Services Economic Efficiency and Consumer Protection Bill and Water Services Legislation Bill have been introduced to Parliament today, following the passage of the Water Services Entities Act. Once passed the legislation will ensure affordable drinking water, wastewater and stormwater can be provided to New Zealanders now and into ...20 hours ago
- Freshwater regulations updatedThe Government has updated the Essential Freshwater 2020 regulations to support their effective implementation, and in response to consultation feedback. Changes have been made to the: NPS-FM – National Policy Statement for Freshwater Management 2020 NES-F – Resource Management (National Environmental Standards for Freshwater) Regulations 2020 Stock Exclusion Regulations – ...23 hours ago
- Changes to Fire and Emergency New Zealand Board AnnouncedMinister of Internal Affairs, Jan Tinetti is today announcing changes to the board members of Fire and Emergency New Zealand (FENZ) to assist in improved performance from the Crown Entity. “It is important that FENZ has the governance and support it needs to meet the Governments expectations; to ensure our ...1 day ago
- Next steps in securing affordable water services for New ZealandersThe Government has laid foundations for safe and affordable water services with the Water Services Entities Bill passing its third reading in Parliament. This is the first of three bills that will ensure affordable drinking water, wastewater and stormwater services can be provided to New Zealanders now and into the ...1 day ago
- New Zealand homes warmer and healthier with 100 thousand retrofitsThe Government's flagship insulation and heating programme, Warmer Kiwi Homes, has passed 100,000 installations of insulation and efficient heaters, making homes warmer and healthier. “Since its launch in 2018, Warmer Kiwi Homes has played a key role in our government’s action to tackle energy hardship and make homes healthier for ...1 day ago
- Circuit breaker introduced to stop children re-offendingA fast-track intervention introduced for children aged 10-13 engaging in serious and persistent offending, with initial rollout in Counties Manukau and Waitakere Children who offend will now have a plan put in place within 24-48 hours of offending Expanding Kotahi te Whakaaro, a programme that’s already successfully turning young lives ...1 day ago
- More medicines for more New ZealandersSpinraza to be funded for young people with spinal muscular atrophy. Free meningococcal vaccine for more people. Capsule instead of intravenous chemotherapy for hundreds of cancer patients. The Government is welcoming news that more important medicines are to be publicly funded, thanks to a major increase in the budget of ...1 day ago
- Celebrating the success of Prime Minister’s Oranga Tamariki Award winnersThe achievements of a group of young people who have been in care or involved in the youth justice system have been recognised at the Oranga Tamariki Prime Minister Awards, Minister for Children Kelvin Davis said. A total of 25 young people were present at the Awards ceremony along with ...2 days ago
- DevNet 2022: Keynote addressWhakataka te hau ki te uru, Whakataka te hau ki te tonga. Kia mākinakina ki uta, Kia mātaratara ki tai. E hī ake ana te atakura. He tio, he huka, he hauhū. Tihei Mauri Ora! Tēnā koutou katoa. Thank you to the University of Auckland for hosting this DevNet ...2 days ago
- Community voices amplified in fight against alcohol harmAlcohol licensing hearings will become more accessible and less adversarial as the Government removes barriers preventing community voices from being heard, Justice Minister Kiri Allan said today. A Bill making targeted changes to the licensing process in the Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act 2012 has been introduced to the ...2 days ago
- GOVT to provide further funding to Ruapehu Alpine LiftsThe Government has decided to advance a further $6 million bridging funding to allow time for MBIE through Kanoa-RDU to support the development of an alternative commercial solution. “Following discussions with affected stakeholders, including other creditors and iwi, it has become clear that more time is needed to further explore ...2 days ago
- Government delivers safer roads for WaimakaririAssociate Minister of Transport Kieran McAnulty was in Waimakariri this morning to mark the beginning of work on a $41 million programme to improve road safety in the Waimakariri district. “The projects started today is critical for the people of Waimakariri as it will address the stretch of SH1 between ...2 days ago
- International tourists bring over $1b into economySpend from all international visitors totalled $1.03 billion in the September 2022 quarter Holidaymakers spent $479 million Visitors for friends or relatives spent $292 million Tourism Electronic Card Transactions spend in 8 regions (out of 16) was higher than October 2019 levels pre-COVID The release of the International Visitor Survey ...2 days ago
- Launch of Te Ara Paerangi Future PathwaysE ngā mātāwaka, E ngā iwi o te motu, Tēnā koutou katoa. Ko Ayesha Verrall ahau, Te Minita mō te Rangahau, Pūtaiao me te Auahatanga. Tēnā koutou i runga i te kaupapa o te wā, Nō reira, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā tatou katoa. Acknowledgements It is a privilege ...3 days ago
- Reform of science system to build better future for New ZealandThe Government has set the direction for a future-focused science system says Research, Science and Innovation Minister Dr Ayesha Verrall. Our research, science and innovation system will be geared towards tackling New Zealand’s big challenges such as climate change, environmental degradation and the complex health and problems that undermine wellbeing. ...3 days ago
- Te Rohe o Rongokako Joint Redress Bill Third Reading I Te Pānuitanga Tuatoru o te Pire mō te Puret...Te Pānuitanga Tuatoru o te Pire mō te Puretumu Ngātahi mō Te Rohe o Rongokako I te rā nei, i Pāremata, ka oti te tuatoru me te whakamutunga o ngā pānuitanga o te Pire mō te Puretumu Ngātahi mō te Rohe o Rongokako. Ko tā te pire, he whakatinana i ...3 days ago
- Hi-tech New Zealand strawberries on the horizonNew Zealanders will be able to enjoy spray-free strawberries grown through a hi-tech new system almost all year round through a Government-backed pilot project based in Foxton, Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor announced. “We’re focussed on innovations that lift the sustainability and productivity of our food and fibre sector and this ...3 days ago
- Cadetships programme continues to empower whānau MāoriSince July 2022, more than 610 cadets across 35 programmes have been approved, up from the 499 cadets approved by this time in the last financial year. The programme is growing. “The Cadetship programme’s ongoing success comes down to treating our young people with mana so that they can achieve ...3 days ago
- New rules for offshore detention complete Govt response to Operation Burnham inquiryThe government has announced a new set of rules to ensure proper and humane treatment of people detained by Police, Defence forces, or other New Zealand agencies during offshore deployments. The Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta says the new framework for offshore detention delivers on the fourth and final recommendation accepted ...3 days ago
- 19 new townhouses for whānau in need in Lower HuttAssociate Minister of Housing (Māori Housing) Peeni Henare today visited Kahungunu Whānau Services and their newly purchased 19 townhouses in Taita, Lower Hutt. “Through the Government’s Te Kahui Māori Housing programme, Tātai Mokopuna Holdings Limited (the asset holding company of Kahungunu Whānau Services) was granted a $7.1 million Māori housing ...3 days ago
- Government backs greater competition in building supplies to reduce costs for KiwisThe Government will take action to increase competition in the residential building supplies sector, says Building and Construction Minister Dr Megan Woods and Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Dr David Clark, following the release of the Commerce Commission’s market study final report. “We asked the Commerce Commission to review our ...3 days ago
- Royal Commission to draw lessons from pandemic responseA Royal Commission to prepare New Zealand for future pandemics through lessons learned from COVID-19 has been announced by Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern today. “Every country in the world has grappled with COVID-19 and there was no playbook for managing it,” Jacinda Ardern said. “It had been over 100 years ...4 days ago
- Minister Sio to discuss Pacific development prioritiesAssociate Foreign Affairs Minister Aupito William Sio travels to Indonesia this week to represent Aotearoa New Zealand at the Indonesia Pacific Forum for Development and the 15th Bali Democracy Forum. “Attending these international meetings enables Aotearoa New Zealand to connect with our partners kanohi ki te kanohi, or face to ...4 days ago
- Changes to partner work visas deferred to April 2023Changes to partner work visas that were set to come into effect in December 2022 have been deferred to April 2023, Immigration Minister Michael Wood has announced today. “I have made the decision to defer these changes to April 2023,” Michael Wood said. “Our Government wants to provide greater certainty ...4 days ago
- Building Act changes put the environment at the heart of how we buildThe Government is taking action to reduce waste and lower emissions from the building and construction sector in significant Building Act amendments announced today. “This Government is proud to put the environment at the heart of how New Zealand builds. By enabling mandatory energy performance rating requirements for buildings, and ...4 days ago
- Govt’s medicines boost paying off for New ZealandersPharmac’s plan to fund the cystic fibrosis medicine Trikafta is another example of the Government’s boost to the medicines budget helping New Zealanders, says Health Minister Andrew Little. “Pharmac, not politicians, makes the decisions on what treatments to fund, but politicians decide what funding to provide to Pharmac, and health ...5 days ago
- Better transport choices for New ZealandersForty-six councils across Aotearoa New Zealand, from large metro centres to small provincial towns, will receive funding to implement more transport options for communities, as part of the Transport Choices package 2022-24, Transport Minister Michael Wood announced today. “The Government is upgrading New Zealand’s transport infrastructure system to make it ...5 days ago
- Te Rangiwaituhi – Maniapoto apologyMihi Ko taku rourou iti a haere, maringi kai whenua Ko taku rourou iti a haere, maringi kai moana kia mau ki te kawau māro, whanake ake! kō Maniapoto e! Tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou katoa Greetings and Thanks As we gather here this morning I want to ...5 days ago
- Maniapoto receives Crown Apology – Ka whakawhiwhia ki a Ngāti Maniapoto te Whakapāhatanga a ...Kua tukuna e te Pirimia, e Jacinda Ardern, i te taha o te Minita mō ngā Take Tiriti o Waitangi, a Andrew Little, te Whakapāhatanga a te Karauna ki a Ngāti Maniapoto mō āna mahi o mua i takahi i te Tiriti o Waitangi. I tū te hui i Te ...5 days ago
- Big online platforms to pay fair price for local news contentThe Government will legislate to require big online digital companies such as Google and Meta to pay a fair price to New Zealand media companies for the local news content they host and share on their platforms, Minister of Broadcasting Willie Jackson announced today. The legislation will be modelled on ...5 days ago
- Government to remove entrenchment from Three Waters legislationThe Government will fix the Water Services Entities Bill this week by removing the entrenchment clause that was voted on during committee stages, Leader of the House Chris Hipkins announced today. “It was a mistake to put the entrenchment clause in and the Government will fix the issue as soon ...5 days ago
- 10 new whare for Ngāi Tāmanuhiri kaumātua and whānau in Te MuriwaiAssociate Minister of Housing (Māori Housing) Peeni Henare joined Ngāi Tāmanuhiri and the wider Toitū Tairāwhiti collective, at the opening of 10 new homes built for kaumātua and whānau in Muriwai today. “Every whare that is built and whānau that is transferred from inadequate housing to a warm dry ...6 days ago
- Joint statement: Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand Foreign Minister ConsultationsAustralian Minister for Foreign Affairs, Senator the Hon Penny Wong welcomed Aotearoa New Zealand's Minister for Foreign Affairs, Hon Nanaia Mahuta to Canberra today for biannual Australia – Aotearoa New Zealand Foreign Minister Consultations. The Ministers acknowledged the unique strength of the relationship between Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand, reaffirmed the shared ...7 days ago
- Funding boost for kaupapa Māori response to homelessnessAssociate Minister of Housing (Homelessness) Marama Davidson has announced a significant funding boost today for kaupapa Māori approaches that support whānau into housing. $24.7 million will be allocated to support the delivery of He Ara Hiki Mauri – a tangata whenua-led response to homelessness. “Homelessness is not inevitable. By working ...7 days ago
- Appointment of Judge of the High CourtAuckland barrister David Gary Johnstone has been appointed a judge of the High Court, Attorney‑General David Parker announced today. Justice Johnstone graduated from the University of Auckland in 1991 with a BCom/LLB(Hons), and joined Bell Gully as a solicitor, practising in general commercial litigation. During 1993 and 1994 he studied at the ...7 days ago
- MAIHI Whare Wananga celebrates innovative approach to Maori HousingNew Maori Housing dashboard for better data sharing and better outcomes New development training programme to grow sector capability Associate Minister of Housing (Maori Housing) Peeni Henare today attended the annual MAIHI Whare Wananga hosted by Toitu Tairawhiti Housing Limited in Kaiti. “Our MAIHI Whare Wananga is an opportunity ...1 week ago
- New mental health facility a step closer for GisborneHealth Minister Andrew Little was at Gisborne Hospital today to mark the next step of Te Tairāwhiti’s new Te Whare Awhiora mental health facility build. The Health Minister turned a sod to mark the start of groundworks at the site, in preparation for the placement of a mauri stone. “The ...1 week ago
- More rural broadband for regional communitiesNew contracts will improve around 30,000 broadband connections in rural homes and communities Govt on track to see 99.8% of all New Zealanders receive access to improved broadband as a result of various connectivity programmes by the end of 2023, including those targeting rural regions Applications open for one-off ...1 week ago
- Tauranga region to benefit from new funding and financing toolTauranga will be the first region to use a new Government tool to raise funding for much-needed infrastructure. A Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) will be used to raise finance from private markets, which is then repaid via the levy on those who benefit from the infrastructure. The finance raised by ...1 week ago
- Review: Slow Horses is the most entertaining spy series of the year
The London-set Apple TV+ show is like John le Carré with gags – and the best insults since Veep, writes Catherine McGregor. This is an excerpt from The Spinoff’s weekly pop culture and entertainment newsletter Rec Room – sign up here. The lowdown First things first: it’s got nothing to ...56 mins ago - New Zealand’s most bliss-inducing craft chocolateJoin chocolate expert Luke Owen Smith on a guided tour of the wonderful world of local artisan chocolatiers. If you enjoy consuming a large variety of highly delicious things, the 21st century is a good time to be alive. Whether you love beer, cheese, bread, coffee or any number of ...56 mins ago
- Breaking news: making Google and Facebook pay NZ media for content could deliver less than bargained...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Thompson, Associate Professor of Media Studies, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington Getty Images Broadcasting Minister Willie Jackson’s announcement of planned legislation requiring big online platforms such as Google and Meta/Facebook to “pay a fair price” to ...1 hour ago - Why do cats knead?Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Susan Hazel, Senior Lecturer, School of Animal and Veterinary Science, University of Adelaide Shutterstock “Kneading” is when cats massage an object with the front paws, which extend and retract, one paw at a time. This massaging action, named for its ...2 hours ago
- BRYCE EDWARDS’ Political Roundup: Labour was meant to save public broadcasting, not weaken it
BRYCE EDWARDS writes – The Labour Party used to advocate for a properly-funded, multi-platform public broadcaster. There was real merit in the proposal to set this up when Labour campaigned for it in 2017. After all, New Zealand lacks a public broadcaster along the lines of ...2 hours ago - Everyone’s an urban planner, especially after a beer or twoAs a transport and urban planning professional, I hear my fair share of theories about what would improve our cities and roads. But these ‘solutions’ tend to overlook the fact that cities are complex ecosystems. I grew up in the 1990s and, like most 90s kids, I was addicted to ...3 hours ago
- ‘Handful’ of political retirements to be announced soon – ArdernWe’re less than 12 months out from election day 2023, which means political retirements will soon start to be announced. Earlier this week, Green MP Jan Logie announced she wouldn’t be standing in next year’s election. And yesterday it was reported, though not confirmed, that former health minister David Clark ...3 hours ago
- Going circular: why the ‘buy, use, discard’ economy is past its expiry dateMore and more businesses are looking to embrace the circular economy and incorporate sustainable practices. According to one expert, the biggest hurdle often lies in shifting mindsets and breaking old habits. To say Ken Webster is an expert on circular economies is something of an understatement. He quite literally wrote ...3 hours ago
- The Bulletin: A Commerce Commission and CCCFA success storyGood pick up from interest.co.nz’s Rebecca Stevenson here. In 2020, the Commerce Commission began work investigating mobile truck shops that sell items at inflated prices, often on credit, with very high interest. They’ve been captured under new Credit Contracts and Consumer Finance Act (CCCFA) rules since June 2020. A 2018 investigation by ...3 hours ago
- Parents threaten criminal action in ‘unvaccinated’ blood donor caseThere’s been a development in the case of the parents who wanted to use “unvaccinated blood” for their child who needs life-saving surgery. As you’ll know by now, the court earlier this week took over guardianship of the baby. That meant the surgery could go ahead. However, as RNZ reported ...4 hours ago
- The PM’s summer of pared back thinkingIn a round of end of year interviews, the prime minister confirmed the government will pare things back in 2023 to focus on economic issues and that some retirements will be announced next week, writes Anna Rawhiti-Connell in this excerpt from The Bulletin. To receive The Bulletin in full each ...4 hours ago
- Political editors panel: Waters, a merger and a poll
Morning Report - RNZ and NZ Herald's Political Editors Jane Patterson and Claire Trevett traverse three waters, the media merger and the latest poll. ...4 hours ago - Keith Rankin Essay – To Be a Good CancerEssay by Keith Rankin. “Antlers grow through a mechanism that is very similar to cancer. But, because deer can keep that growth in check, they are extremely resilient to cancers. … “Sardinia’s own dwarf deer, a relative of Ireland’s giant elk, was eradicated within a hundred years of human colonization, ...4 hours ago
- DNA from elusive human relatives the Denisovans has left a curious mark on modern people in New Guin...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Irene Gallego Romero, Senior Lecturer in Human Genetics, The University of Melbourne Derek R. Audette/Shutterstock An encounter with a mysterious and extinct human relative – the Denisovans – has left a mark on the immune traits of modern Papuans, in ...5 hours ago
- ‘Extreme stripping action’ led to the messy birth of the Southern Ring Nebula, Webb image reveal...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Orsola De Marco, Professor of Astrophysics, Macquarie University NASA When the first five images from the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) were unveiled, one of them stared at me with two eyes. It was an image of the Southern Ring ...5 hours ago
- Lots of ‘breakthroughs’, still no cure. Do the new dementia drugs bring us any closer?Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Yen Ying Lim, Associate Professor, Monash University robina weermeijer/unsplash, CC BY-SA We often hear about “dementia breakthroughs” in the news – new genes being discovered, new blood tests being developed, new drugs being tested. However, there remains no effective ...5 hours ago
- Surging energy prices are really going to hurt. What can the government actually do?Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tony Wood, Program Director, Energy, Grattan Institute Shutterstock Picture this. You’re in government for the first time in more than a decade. And within six months, you’re facing a diabolical problem: skyrocketing energy prices. To your constituents, it doesn’t matter ...5 hours ago
- ‘I would like to go to university’: flexi school students share their goals in Australia-first s...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Marnee Shay, Senior Research Fellow, School of Education, The University of Queensland Nathan Cowley/Pexels Flexi schools cater to young people who have been pushed out of mainstream schools. Some students may have been expelled or struggled to fit in. Some ...5 hours ago
- What is the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework, about to be negotiated in Brisbane?Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Patricia Ranald, Honorary research associate, University of Sydney Shutterstock Australia is about to play host to negotiators from 14 countries involved in the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF) over six days in Brisbane from Saturday. They include the United States, ...5 hours ago
- Tantrums to tinsel: why I love the curious and festive tradition of the Santa photoSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Cherine Fahd, Associate Professor of Visual Communication in the School of Design, University of Technology Sydney The author and her family with Santa in 1980. Author provided In April 1995, my uncle secured a lucrative job in Saudi Arabia. He and ...5 hours ago
- Candidates go all-out in bid for votes in Hamilton West by-electionIt is crunch time for the two front-runners in the Hamilton West by-election with voting set to end at 7pm tomorrow. ...5 hours ago
- The 10 best NZ TV moments of 2022Tara Ward looks back on the weird, wonderful television year that was. As 2022 comes to a close, it’s time to eat a lot of Scorched Almonds and reflect on the best television moments of the year. In the past 12 months, New Zealand television has given us joyful singalongs, ...7 hours ago
- How Queenstown makes property developers share the wealthWhen rural land gets rezoned for home building, developers make a killing – all while local workers find it harder and harder to find affordable housing. Enter ‘inclusionary zoning’, a wealth redistribution policy that could be coming to a council near you soon. This article was first published in Bernard ...7 hours ago
- Grattan on Friday: Australians are starting to feel the economic pain, but they are not taking it ou...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Mick Tsikas/AAP Anthony Albanese heads towards Christmas with inflation, interest rates and power prices all high. But, comfortingly for Labor, his own popularity is up there too. The objective circumstances in which ...15 hours ago
- Entrenchment law: What you need to knowExplainer - RNZ helps unpack what entrenchment law is and its significance, after the topic became a key issue in the Three Waters legislation's passage into law. ...16 hours ago
- Our laws fail nature. The government’s plan to overhaul them looks good, but crucial detail is yet...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Brendan Wintle, Professor in Conservation Science, School of Ecosystem and Forest Science, The University of Melbourne Shutterstock The Albanese government has just released its long-awaited response to a scathing independent review of Australia’s environment protection law. The 2020 review ultimately ...17 hours ago
- Entrenchment provisions: What you need to knowExplainer - RNZ helps unpack what entrenchment law is and its significance, after the topic became a key issue in the Three Waters legislation's passage into law. ...17 hours ago
- PODCAST: Is an Independent Foreign Policy an Unachievable Myth? – Buchanan and ManningPODCAST – In this, the 24th episode of A View from Afar for 2022 political scientist Dr Paul Buchanan and host Selwyn Manning examine whether there is, in reality, such a thing as foreign policy independence in today’s world. Specifically, Paul and Selwyn examine the following questions: What ...18 hours ago
- PM Jacinda Ardern weighs spending priorities and Cabinet line-up ahead of election yearIn a sit-down interview, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern looks ahead to a newly prioritised spending plan and fresh ministerial line-up as part of a reset before 2023 - election year. ...19 hours ago
- Bryce Edwards’ Political Roundup: Labour needs Mahutu to go, but she’s too powerfulAnalysis by Dr Bryce Edwards. Political Roundup: Labour needs Mahutu to go, but she’s too powerful The pressure on Jacinda Ardern to sack Local Government Minister Nanaia Mahuta is building. But Mahuta is too powerful within the Labour Party to get rid of easily. The Three Waters reforms have become one ...20 hours ago
- Extreme heat in the midst of the Big Wet for northern Australia – what’s going on with the weath...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrew King, Senior Lecturer in Climate Science, The University of Melbourne Shutterstock After a wet and unusually cool spring for much of Australia, the start of meteorological summer is bringing a heatwave to the north of the continent. Even in ...20 hours ago
- Have Your Say On An Inquiry Into The 2022 Local Elections
The Justice Committee has initiated an inquiry into the 2022 local elections in New Zealand. Local elections provide New Zealanders with an important opportunity to choose who will represent them on local issues. The Committee is interested in ...20 hours ago - Ngāi Tahu Welcomes Passage Of Water Services Entity Bill With the Water Services Entity Bill now passed, Ngāi Tahu is looking forward to working with local councils to ensure safe, equitable and affordable water services for the community while protecting the environment, Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu Kaiwhakahaere ...21 hours ago
- Mahuta’s Three Waters bill flows through the third reading stage – but only Labour MPs voted in ...
Buzz from the Beehive The most triumphal statement posted on the Beehive website today came from Nanaia Mahuta, to bray about the Water Services Entities Bill passing its third reading in Parliament. The Bill was supported only by Labour MPs, but they have enough numbers in Parliament to ...21 hours ago - David Clark set to quit politics – reportDavid Clark is set to announce he’s retiring from parliament, according to Newsroom. The current commerce minister was first elected in 2011 and has held the Dunedin electorate since then. It’s a role that’s allowed Clark to take aim at the supermarket duopoly, especially during the cost of living crisis. ...21 hours ago
- The Unity Books children’s bestseller chart for NovemberIn the life-cycle of a reader we bet it’s the childhood reading memories that matter most. Here are Unity’s bestselling books for November, just in time to help with the Christmas shopping. AUCKLAND 1 Big Ideas For Curious Minds: An Introduction to Philosophy by Alain de Botton and Anna Doherty ...21 hours ago
- NZ’s richest man helped bankroll Wayne Brown campaignNew Zealand’s richest man helped bankroll the Wayne Brown mayor campaign, Stuff has reported. Grame Hart’s Rank Group donated $58,265 to the Brown campaign – the largest single donation registered. Hart has previously given financial support to political parties National, Act and New Zealand First. Overall, Brown spent about $470,000 ...21 hours ago
- ‘Like seeing the first images from the moon’: How Wētā gave Avatar 2 its visual wow factorMaking a three-hour film full of digital water effects required computing superpowers on a scale the Wellington studio had never used before. Wētā FX had a problem. By the beginning of 2020, the Wellington-based digital effects company had already started work on Avatar: The Way of the Water, the sequel ...21 hours ago
- Resolve poll gives Labor huge lead; US Democrats win Georgia Senate runoffSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne Lukas Coch/AAP A federal Resolve poll for Nine newspapers, conducted November 30 to December 4 from a sample of 1,611, ...21 hours ago
- Watershed Moment In Parliament WelcomedWaikato-Tainui fully supports the passing of the Water Services Entity Bill in Parliament this morning. Te Arataura Chairman Tukoroirangi Morgan said the passage of the Bill is a watershed moment for Aotearoa NZ particularly for our tribal members. “When ...22 hours ago
- Water Safety New Zealand – Calling On Government To Make Urgent Changes To Lifejacket Legislat...• Water Safety New Zealand is calling on the government to make urgent changes to regulations requiring everyone on small boats to wear a life jacket. • Water Safety New Zealand have directly requested these life-saving changes to the ...22 hours ago
- Repairing gullies: the quickest way to improve Great Barrier Reef water qualitySource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrew Brooks, Principal Research Fellow – Fluvial Geomorphologist – specialising in catchment erosion research, Griffith University James Daley , Author provided Back-to-back bleaching events have highlighted the critical threat that climate change poses to the Great Barrier Reef. But few ...23 hours ago
- State Of The Public Service Report ReleasedPublic Service Commissioner Peter Hughes has today released the first ‘State of the Public Service’ report. The Public Service Act 2020 put in place new requirements to provide for strong stewardship of the Public Service now and into the future. ...23 hours ago
- Third of NZ navy ships idle as defence force staff leaveThree of New Zealand's nine navy ships are sitting idle in port as defence personnel leave the force for better salaries. ...23 hours ago
- Ping, your pizza is on its way. Ping, please rate the driver. Yes, constant notifications really do ...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sharon Horwood, Senior Lecturer in Psychology, Deakin University Shutterstock A ping from the pizza company. A couple of pings from your socials. Ping, ping, ping from your family WhatsApp group trying to organise a weekend barbecue. With all those ...23 hours ago
- The ultimate no bones day: the death of TikTok pug Noodle shows how we can grieve online for animals...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Edith Jennifer Hill, PhD Candidate, Flinders University Instagram/ Showmenoodz On the 4th of December, TikTok user @jongraz announced his beloved pet, a pug named Noodle, had died aged 14. The announcement video received over 19 million views and 4 million ...23 hours ago
- Stats NZ Signs Agreement With Te Iwi O Ngātiwai To Support 2023 CensusA memorandum of understanding aimed at raising participation levels among Northland’s Ngātiwai iwi in the 2023 Census has been signed in Whangārei, Stats NZ said today. The memorandum of understanding was signed by Te Iwi o Ngātiwai and Government Statistician ...23 hours ago
- Sport NZ’s transgender guidelines are a good start – but can they filter up from grassroots to e...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Holly Thorpe, Professor in Sociology of Sport and Gender, University of Waikato Getty Images The release this week of Sport NZ’s new Guiding Principles for the Inclusion of Transgender People in Community Sport caused a minor and predictable controversy. One ...24 hours ago
- Police Opens Consultation On Changes To Firearms FeesA consultation process regarding firearms licencing fees, which haven’t changed in more than 20 years despite rising costs, opens today. Other than GST adjustments, firearms licencing fees have remained static since 1999. The cost of delivering arms ...24 hours ago
- Huge news for Auckland pets: Get ready to ride the busSomehow this news slipped me by until an excited text arrived from The Spinoff’s Alice Neville earlier today. “Huge news,” she said, with a link to Auckland Council’s announcement it would be allowing (small) pets on buses. In March this year, Neville wrote a passionate plea to allow her and ...24 hours ago
- Who needs art galleries when you could have a city of piss-soaked parking buildingsAuckland’s mayor might not see the point of the city’s art gallery, but he’d find plenty to admire about the parking building across the road. Yesterday I parked in a car parking building right across the road from Auckland Art Gallery. I got out of my car, went downstairs to ...24 hours ago
- The BSA has felt the impact of Covid misinformationThe broadcasting watchdog said it’s had to deal with growing “vehemence” over the past year, particularly around issues like Covid-19. A new report from the Broadcasting Standards Authority examined the growing number of “passionate responses” that viewers had to the pandemic. It found that the overwhelming majority of cases broadcasters had ...24 hours ago
- Three waters passesIt’s Thursday, December 8 and welcome along to The Spinoff’s live updates – made possible by our members.I’m Stewart Sowman-Lund, reach me on [email protected] The agenda The government’s three waters legislation has passed its final reading – but only Labour supported it. Hamilton West byelection turnout tracking at ...24 hours ago
- Fiji elections: Tabuya claims child ‘harassed’ by anti-corruption agencyBy Rakesh Kumar in Suva People’s Alliance candidate Lynda Tabuya claims her 16-year-old daughter was “harassed” by the Fiji Independent Commission Against Corruption (FICAC) officers last week. Tabuya made this allegation in a video posted on social media. “This is my daughter coming back from school and they asked her ...1 day ago
- Fate of NZ research centre highlights university ‘blindness’, media freedomSPECIAL REPORT: By Lee Duffield in Brisbane The launch of a New Zealand project to produce more Pacific news and provide a “voice for the voiceless” on the islands has highlighted the neglect of that field by Australia and New Zealand — and also problems in universities. The new development ...1 day ago
- Three waters passes into law – with just Labour’s supportThe government’s controversial three waters legislation will become law after it passed third reading this morning. But, it passed with support just from Labour – with all other parties in parliament voting it down. Local government minister Nanaia Mahuta said the legislation’s passing would protect New Zealanders from rising rates, ...1 day ago
- Hamilton West byelection turnout tracking at less than 40% of general electionIt will take a surge in the last couple of days of advance voting and election day itself for turnout in the Hamilton West byelection to hit even 30% turnout of enrolled voters. As of yesterday, 7,900 people had cast their votes. At the same point in the Tauranga byelection, ...1 day ago
- Kaipara mayor backtracks on karakia banKaipara’s mayor has backed down on his decision to ban karakia at council meetings. According to 1News, Craig Jepson said he made the decision after “an open and frank discussion” with councillors. The story hit headlines last week after it was revealed Jepson had repeatedly interrupted his councillor Pera Paniora ...1 day ago
- How Sarah Hirini’s passion keeps her pushing forwardThe World Cup-winning Black Fern and Kiwibank spokesperson is sharing the ups and downs of her own financial journey in the hope of helping others along theirs. It was Sarah Hirini’s mum who taught her what a true competitor looked like. When Ronnie wasn’t working during the week on ...1 day ago
- Outrage over Auckland mayor’s plan to cut council-owned early childhood centresTen council-owned early childhood centres are part of a raft of proposed cuts within Auckland mayor Wayne Brown’s draft budget released earlier this week. But parents and teachers say the cost of losing the centres would be immense. Parents, whānau and teachers are voicing concern after Auckland Council-owned Kauri Kids ...1 day ago
- Nationwide Rainbow Survey Sounds Alarm On Mental HealthCoordinated action across key areas of rainbow young people’s lives is needed to ensure they are not only safe but can thrive, according to the first national survey of rainbow youth in Aotearoa. Led by Dr John Fenaughty, a senior lecturer ...1 day ago
- Build-to-rent is seen as affordable, but it’s unlikely to help those most in needSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Johari Amar, Lecturer in Property, Bond University Australians desperately need more affordable homes, particularly homes for rent. The prospect of home ownership is rapidly receding for many people, especially younger generations (as the chart below shows). More people than ever are being ...1 day ago
- No appeal against ruling in NZ baby blood case, surgery to go aheadRNZ News The parents of a New Zealand baby at the centre of a legal dispute that has made global headlines will not be appealing against a judge’s decision to hand guardianship of the child to the High Court. The four-month-old — known only as Baby W — requires urgent ...1 day ago
- Taxpayers’ Union Launches New Campaign: Scrap Three WatersThe Taxpayers’ Union is today launching a new campaign to protect New Zealanders from higher water costs, unnecessary bureaucracy, and the loss of local control and democratic accountability, with the passing of the framework bill implementing Three ...1 day ago
- Greens pull Three Waters support, citing lack of protection against privatisationThe bill passed anyway, with Labour the only party voting for it. ...1 day ago
- Invisible skin mites called Demodex almost certainly live on your face – but what about your masca...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mark Sandeman, Honorary Professor, Federation University Australia César Couto/Unsplash Demodex are a family of eight-legged mites that live in the hair follicles and associated sebaceous or oil glands of many mammals. Two species are known in humans – Demodex folliculorum, ...1 day ago
- Mining Blindsided By 11th Hour Regulation SwitchPolitically motivated changes to regulations, made at the eleventh hour without consulting the public, iwi, and other affected parties, is a blindside, says Straterra CEO Josie Vidal. Environment Minister David Parker today released the National Policy ...1 day ago
- Cow bells will be ringing as dairy giant Fonterra gets on a financial roll
Dairy giant Fonterra is on a financial roll and it wants to send a new wave of confidence through the country’s cowsheds. It upgraded its earnings guidance to 50 – 70c per share from 45 – 60c per share. Contrast that with the 20c it paid for the 2021-22 season. ...1 day ago - BRYCE EDWARDS’ Political Roundup: Labour needs Mahuta to go, but she’s too powerfulBRYCE EDWARDS writes – The pressure on Jacinda Ardern to sack Local Government Minister Nanaia Mahuta is building. But Mahuta is too powerful within the Labour Party to get rid of easily. The Three Waters reforms have become one of the Labour Government’s greatest liabilities. While there ...1 day ago
- Indonesia’s new criminal code isn’t just about sex outside marriage. It endangers press and reli...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tim Lindsey, Malcolm Smith Professor of Asian Law and Director of the Centre for Indonesian Law, Islam and Society, The University of Melbourne Indonesia’s controversial new criminal code was passed into law on Tuesday, replacing a clunky old code dating back to ...1 day ago
- Fire And Emergency Committed To Building A Positive Culture Following Independent ReviewFire and Emergency New Zealand Board Chair Rebecca Keoghan MNZM says the organisation is committed to making Fire and Emergency a place where all its people thrive. This comes following the release of a Te Kawa Mataaho Public Service Commission review ...1 day ago
- THOMAS CRANMER: A government humiliated
National’s deputy leader, Nicola Willis, applied one of the many lashings that the government received in the House this week: ‘Today we have the grovelling back-down, but the stain on our democracy, ... 1 day ago - Fire And Emergency New Zealand Review ReleasedA Public Service Commission review has found Fire and Emergency New Zealand has fallen short in its attempts to improve workplace culture. The independent review, led by Belinda Clark QSO, focused on assessing Fire and Emergency New Zealand’s ...1 day ago
- Three Waters: Rapids ahead as entrenchment leaves a bruiseAnalysis - Three Waters has left a lasting impression on Labour and the responsible minister, and seems destined to keep causing problems for whoever wins next year's election. ...1 day ago
- Preparing Your Pets For The Festive SeasonThe Veterinary Council of New Zealand (VCNZ) is reminding pet owners that a little bit of preparation now will help keep their animals fit and healthy over the summer holidays. VCNZ Professional Advisor Seton Butler says whether people are going away ...1 day ago
- Member’s Day
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