david parker
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Fisheries reform is under way
Written By: - Date published: 7:57 am, June 23rd, 2021 - 10 comments
David Parker has shown a deft handling of the Oceans and Fisheries portfolio and in the past week has announced the accelerated roll out of cameras on fishing boats and a suite of actions designed to address the failing health of the Waitemata Harbour.
Water Rights War Brewing
Written By: - Date published: 3:30 pm, March 10th, 2021 - 6 comments
Minister Parker is firing an 18 inch gun round that he’s ready to take on all with his call-in of the Otago water rights plan change.
A Few Good Green Wins
Written By: - Date published: 8:37 am, December 23rd, 2020 - 22 comments
There is always plenty of bad news when it comes to nature in New Zealand, but this year has had an accumulation of good.
Labour’s new Oceans Ministry
Written By: - Date published: 8:19 am, November 3rd, 2020 - 23 comments
Jacinda Ardern’s decision to rename the Fisheries Ministery to “Oceans and Fisheries” and install David Parker instead of Stuart Nash shows a welcome desire to protect this most precious of resources.
The Covid Court Case
Written By: - Date published: 8:18 am, August 20th, 2020 - 30 comments
The High Court has ruled that for technical reasons during the first nine days of the lockdown statements that New Zealanders were legally required to remain at home were incorrect.
Parker gives Bridges a lesson in constitutional law
Written By: - Date published: 10:01 am, May 9th, 2020 - 175 comments
In a Facebook Live event David Parker has schooled Simon Bridges on basic principles of constitutional law. And it appears that Bridges demand that legally privileged advice be handed over is heading to the Privileges Committee.
Our damaged rivers and streams
Written By: - Date published: 9:51 am, April 23rd, 2020 - 25 comments
A new report out from the Ministry for the Environment and Statistics NZ showing that New Zealand’s fresh water system is getting worse, all over the place, but particularly in the South Island.
Sheepgate the final chapter
Written By: - Date published: 7:38 am, February 12th, 2019 - 44 comments
The final chapter of the Saudi Sheepgate saga has now been written with David Parker pulling the pin on the deal and saving the country $1 million.
The Reserve Bank Reform Bill
Written By: - Date published: 7:23 am, December 7th, 2018 - 11 comments
The Government is planning changes to the Reserve Bank Act to require it to seek full employment. Maybe it is time for a dramatic change to its powers so that it has the regulatory powers to properly deal with the Australian banks.
What is the RCEP?
Written By: - Date published: 3:55 pm, August 15th, 2018 - 14 comments
It’s time we paid attention to RCEP, the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership.
New Zealand trade negotiations with Europe
Written By: - Date published: 11:00 am, May 23rd, 2018 - 7 comments
On Thursday 31 May at the University of Auckland, the Fabians are hosting Max Harris on the topic “Is it time for an independent foreign policy?” What would be the costs of a really independent foreign policy, over the benefits of salving our conscience with greater national independence? And where does Trade fit in?
Where is our economic leadership?
Written By: - Date published: 10:06 am, March 16th, 2018 - 38 comments
This government has not yet developed an economic strategy.
What will 2018 hold for Labour?
Written By: - Date published: 8:00 am, January 10th, 2018 - 201 comments
What does Labour do this year to make sure this Government is a success and its achievements something that progressives can be proud of?
The TPP11 negotiations: ISDS provisions are gone – almost
Written By: - Date published: 1:08 pm, November 12th, 2017 - 113 comments
David Parker has confirmed that the TPP11 negotiations have resulted in a considerable minimising of the ISDS provisions. But will this be enough?
TPP11 close to being signed?
Written By: - Date published: 10:34 am, November 10th, 2017 - 127 comments
Mesia reports suggest that a possible TPP11 agreement is close to being signed.
Labour plans to stop overseas purchases of residential properties
Written By: - Date published: 9:41 am, November 1st, 2017 - 192 comments
Labour has announced plans to prevent foreign residents from buying residential homes in New Zealand.
The new cabinet
Written By: - Date published: 8:03 am, October 24th, 2017 - 78 comments
Details about how the next Cabinet may be made up are emerging. Winston Peters may regain the position of Minister of Foreign Affairs as well as being Deputy Prime Minister.
A meeting in Wanaka
Written By: - Date published: 9:00 am, September 13th, 2017 - 162 comments
Ad reports on a recent meeting in Wanaka where David Parker addressed farmers face to face on Labour’s water policy.
The Government is misrepresenting the effect of the Ruataniwha Dam decision
Written By: - Date published: 8:00 am, July 9th, 2017 - 21 comments
The Government has responded to the Supreme Court decision which puts a halt on the Ruataniwha Dam by claiming wrongly that the protected land was of low quality and by stating that a law change, possibly retrospective, will occur.
Sheepgate: Government celebrates finding that McCully is not corrupt
Written By: - Date published: 6:01 pm, November 2nd, 2016 - 58 comments
The Auditor General’s report into Sheepgate has been released and there has to be questions about the accuracy of what Murray McCully has told Parliament and his ability to fullfil his role as a Minister.
The dump of the #sheepgate papers
Written By: - Date published: 8:52 am, August 5th, 2015 - 97 comments
The sheepgate papers have been dumped and despite John Key’s claims to the contrary the only evidence of a change in position on live sheep exports is that of the National Government, not the previous Labour Government.
#Sheepgate – some random impertinent questions
Written By: - Date published: 2:04 pm, June 25th, 2015 - 22 comments
Every day with the release of more information there are more and more questions arising over sheepgate. Update: and none of the questions were answered today in Parliament. At least not properly. Video is inserted.
#Sheepgate – did National ask the Saudi Sheep Farmer to sue NZ?
Written By: - Date published: 8:36 am, June 24th, 2015 - 42 comments
It seems crazy but it appears that National may have asked the Saudi sheep farmer to sue New Zealand. And John Key seems to be relaxed about facilitation payments aka bribes.
Money for nothing and the sheep are for free
Written By: - Date published: 8:36 am, May 29th, 2015 - 38 comments
The legal suit offered as part justification for the Government paying $11 million to a Saudi businessman was apparently “off the table” at the time that Cabinet agreed to the payment. So why was the payment made? And why didn’t Murray McCully tell this to Cabinet or to Parliament earlier?
Police neutrality
Written By: - Date published: 8:50 am, December 5th, 2014 - 113 comments
If anyone thought that David Parker was content to fade quietly into obscurity, they been proven thoroughly wrong. Parker has confronted one of politics’ sacred cows – police neutrality.
Key will apologise to Slater but not Billingsley or Vance
Written By: - Date published: 7:30 am, November 25th, 2014 - 21 comments
John Key has apologised to Cameron Slater for releasing an email which details a campaign against a senior Public Servant.
A late run succeeds
Written By: - Date published: 7:08 pm, November 18th, 2014 - 46 comments
On October 4th Andrew Little was looking to see if he was even going to be in Parliament because he hadn’t achieved the near impossible task of winning New Plymouth. He was at the bottom of small list and only got back into parliament on special votes. But Andrew Little has a well deserved reputation is a organiser and a campaigner. It showed.
Last chance to vote
Written By: - Date published: 11:36 am, November 17th, 2014 - 67 comments
The Labour leadership campaign is in the home straight. Various authors have declared their preference and why and I thought I should do the same.
My (late) vote
Written By: - Date published: 4:58 pm, November 16th, 2014 - 56 comments
Here are my votes for the leadership contest. It was a hard choice, especially having to rank them. But my main criteria was to look for the people who I think had the most chance retaining and utilising the ever increasing membership and the other parts of the party together into a election winning system for the left.
Standard questions: David Parker
Written By: - Date published: 10:33 am, November 14th, 2014 - 59 comments
A couple of weeks ago we asked readers to suggest questions for written answers from the candidates. We chose / edited six questions, and sent them to the four campaigns. Here are David Parker’s answers.
Andrew Little in Auckland on Sunday and virtual hustings
Written By: - Date published: 1:00 pm, November 8th, 2014 - 31 comments
The Labour leadership race continues!
- Graham Adams: Chris Luxon, abortion and the gender divide
Labour commands around 65 per cent of the female vote but it will be worried that some will shift back to National now that Judith Collins has been despatched. The question of whether National made the right choice last week in selecting Christopher Luxon as its leader was immediately ...1 hour ago - The polluter doesn’t change its spotsOver the weekend there seems to have been a bit of a campaign to paint Nationals' new leader Christopher Luxon as being somehow different from his predecessors on climate change (despite its total absence from his initial "big issues" list). For example, this piece in Stuff, talking up Luxon's time ...6 hours ago
- A Smooth Performance.In A Word: The new Leader of the Opposition, Christopher Luxon, has very clearly chosen to reject the option of presenting a “flinty-faced” National Party to an electorate grown accustomed to the rhetoric of “kindness”. If the message of National’s new leader could be compressed into a single word, then ...11 hours ago
- Hard News: Public Address Word of the Year 2021: Discussion and nominationIt's that time again! Time to find the word or phrase that conjures, captures or sums up 2021. What'll it be? Last year's Public Address Word of the Year winner, "doomscrolling", made it all the way to The Guardian but is hardly heard now.This is how it works: you, the readers, ...11 hours ago
- Verification will be essential as New Zealanders start using vaccine passes – to stop fraud and th...Andrew Chen, University of Auckland When New Zealand switches to the COVID-19 Protection Framework tomorrow, people will have to present vaccine passes to access many public spaces and venues. At this point, more than 2.4 million people have downloaded their official vaccine passes, which represents almost 70% of the 3.6 ...12 hours ago
- NZ Politics Daily: 6 December 2021Today’s NZPD testimonial from Peter Kiely, Partner, Kiely Thompson Caisley “I find it useful to have a summary of the economy and business topics as well as the democracy related ones. A full perspective of various views.” Anyone can sign up to NZPD for free at: https://democracyproject.nz/nz-politics-daily/ Today’s content National Party Morgan Godfery (Guardian): Christopher Luxon ...13 hours ago
- 2021 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #49Listing of articles linked to on the Skeptical Science Facebook Page during the past week: Sun, November 28, 2021 through Sat, December 4, 2021 The following articles sparked above average interest during the week: Who owns the wind? An anthropologist has ideas, Canada’s Tar Sands: Destruction So Vast and Deep It ...24 hours ago
- Chemical shock doctrine: How abuse of corporate power fosters mistrust and resistanceby Sunil Williams Until recently I never really knew about the opioid crisis in the USA. I had a sense that such a thing existed. YouTube fed me the odd Vice documentary on the impact of opioid addiction on cities in the USA and Canada. But what really hooked me ...2 days ago
- Anti-science wokery is becoming sinisterThe Free Speech Union is campaigning in defence of scientists who are being investigated by the Royal Society for defending science! Few New Zealand publications have covered this story, but the Spectator in Britain has in this article by Toby Young, who heads the British Free Speech Union. It is ...2 days ago
- Gerrymandering is a climate problemThis is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Sarah Wesseler Republican Congressman Jim Jordan of Ohio, a staunch Trump supporter who recently called the Biden administration’s attempts to limit fossil fuel emissions “maybe the craziest thing I’ve ever heard,” represents an Ohio district whose bizarre shape has earned it the nickname ...3 days ago
- Is the Māori Caucus So Dominant in Labour?Journalist Graham Adams recently drew parallels between David Lange in the Fourth Labour Government and Jacinda Ardern in the Sixth, arguing that just as Lange was a hostage to the Rogernomes in his cabinet, Ardern is a hostage to the Māori in her caucus.The parallel Adams is making is not ...3 days ago
- Charlotte Bronte is one irrepressible human spiritby Don Franks It’s a bit like locking up your place and flying to another country, previously unseen. A country that fascinates you. You work your way in, trying to make sense of the new surroundings. Along with some things that seem familiar, you’re struck by unexpected sights, sounds, smells. ...3 days ago
- Incentives work againBack in July the government introduced an incentive scheme for electric vehicles. So how's it going? While the official statistics aren't in yet, Stuff seems to have got them, and they look pretty good: The November sales figures are in, and battery electric vehicles are closing in on the ...3 days ago
- When Christopher Became “Chris”.So, the first polling results on Christopher Luxon’s leadership of the National party are now available. The polling I refer to is not a public opinion poll but the private polling conducted by the National party itself. All parties conduct such polling, usually by means of focus groups, and they ...3 days ago
- NZ Politics Daily: 3 December 2021Today’s NZPD testimonial from Ross Henderson, Organiser, E tū Union “The NZ Politics Daily *is a wonderful resource that is formatted to enable readers to instantly locate news and opinions in a quick and efficient manner. Thanks for all the hard work producing such an enjoyable and up to date ...4 days ago
- Onward Luxon’s Soldiers (Sung to the tune of Onward Christian Soldiers)Marching As To War?Onward Luxon’s soldiers,Marching to class war,With the lust for profit,Going on before.Chris the new ringmaster,Leads against the foe;Forward into battleGoes this C.E.O!Onward Luxon’s soldiers,Marching to class war,With the lust for profit,Going on before.From Luxon’s religionVoters may yet flee;Surely someone’s focused-groupedHis Christianity?Bottom lips may quiver,When the news is ...4 days ago
- Can Luxon “Reimagine Capitalism” – Like Muldoon?Outflanking The Socialists: Because there really isn’t any other way that National can win. Christopher Luxon, like Rob Muldoon (above) needs to go fishing where there are fish to catch. Using what for bait? Simple. A solemn promise to halt the upward redistribution of wealth among the sort of highly-educated, ...4 days ago
- Capital Notions – acceptedNew story acceptance today.
My 4,600-word ‘Capital Notions,’ has been accepted for the Winter 2021 edition of Midnight Manuscripts Quarterly. It’s one of those pieces that is a tad hard to categorise. It ... 4 days ago - Skeptical Science New Research for Week #48, 2021117 articles in 88 journals by 779 contributing authors Physical science of climate change, effects Relative humidity gradients as a key constraint on terrestrial water and energy fluxes Kim et al. Hydrology and Earth System Sciences Open Access pdf 10.31223/x59880 Improving Ground Heat Flux Estimation: Considering the Effect ...4 days ago
- Media Link: “A View from Afar” year-end review.Selwyn Manning and I wrapped up this year’s “A View from Afar” podcasts with a review of the past year and some speculation about what is to come. We meander a bit but the themes are clear. You can find the show here. ...4 days ago
- An embodiment of our problemsWhen Christopher Luxon was anointed leader of the National party, the first thing I did was look up how many houses he owned in Parliament's Register Of Pecuniary and Other Specified Interests 2021. The answer is seven, suggesting that when it comes to housing, one of Aotearoa's big three policy ...4 days ago
- Gordon Campbell on the elusive charms of Christopher LuxonWell, the first 36 hours of viewing the Christopher Luxon selfie were always going to be the best, before the repetitions set in. We get it, already. He’s an extroverted/big ego/high achieving/God fearing/country music lovin’/family man who is not at all averse to mansplaining to little ladies like RNZ’s Kathryn ...5 days ago
- NZ Politics Daily: 2 December 2021Today’s NZPD testimonial from Andy Newman, Director, Strategy and Planning, Wellington Faculty of Science, Victoria University of Wellington: “The NZ Politics Daily service allows me to keep on top of the latest developments across a wide spectrum of the political landscape. The service means I don’t need to spend time trawling ...5 days ago
- Josh Van Veen: Bridges isn’t the oneSimon Bridges is “older and wiser” but he still failed to read the room. Rather than accept the judgement of his colleagues last year, he set out to prove them wrong. Bridges rationalised his pursuit of the leadership as noble self-sacrifice. He didn’t convince many. Judith Collins stabbed him in ...5 days ago
- The Fellowship Of The Upper Room.Render Unto Caesar: What kind of Christian would attempt to persuade his brothers and sisters that the moral imperatives of their faith must not, under any circumstances, be given practical expression in the flesh-and-blood world they inhabit? To suggest, as Luxon does, that faith and politics can – and should ...5 days ago
- Current and future generations must flourish: Time for a long-term and global perspective on pandemi...Dr Matt Boyd & Prof Nick Wilson* (Syndicated from Adapt Research’s Blog Site) In this blog post we cover the following: The recent United Nations report ‘Our Common Agenda’ which calls for solidarity, concern for future generations, and collaborative action on global risks including pandemics. The newly mandated Long-term ...5 days ago
- FLOATER: A Tool-Kit for evaluating ClaimsThis is a re-post from the Thinking is Power website maintained by Melanie Trecek-King where she regularly writes about many aspects of critical thinking in an effort to provide accessible and engaging critical thinking information to the general public. Please see this overview to find links to other reposts from Thinking is Power. ...5 days ago
- More solarThe other day I posted about the renewable energy challenge if Aotearoa is to meet its climate change goals, arguing that we can do it. Today, Christchurch Airport has stepped up, providing another big chunk of what we need to get to a greener 2035, in the form of a ...5 days ago
- When will we follow Barbados?Barbados became a republic last night, ending nearly 400 years of British colonialism: After 396 years, the sun has set on the British monarchy’s reign over the Caribbean island of Barbados, with a handover ceremony at midnight on Monday marking the birth of the world’s newest republic. As the ...5 days ago
- What Else Do We Know About Luxon?What do we know so far about Christopher (or is it to be “Chris”?) Luxon? We have so far been allowed to know only that he was chief executive of Air New Zealand, that he is an evangelical Christian (that is, a proselytising, and not just your everyday,) Christian, and ...5 days ago
- Something is missing from this pictureYesterday the National Party picked a new leader, who seems indistinguishable from the last-but-one. Today, Stuff has an article exploring where he stands on the "big issues", which looks at "faith and politics", "identity and housing", "three Waters and He Puapua", and "health and social investment". What's missing? Just climate ...5 days ago
- Chris Luxon – Day Onea.image2.image-link.image2-549-728 { display: inline; padding-bottom: 75.41208791208791%; padding-bottom: min(75.41208791208791%, 549px); width: 100%; height: 0; } a.image2.image-link.image2-549-728 img { max-width: 728px; max-height: 549px; } "New Zealand is over it, the National Party members are over it, and the caucus is over it. So we want to turn the page and ...5 days ago
- NZ Politics Daily: 1 December 2021Today’s NZPD testimonial from Leo Milani, Policy Advisor, Waimate District Council: “NZ Politics Daily offers an indispensable survey, and methodical analysis of, NZ media’s coverage of the most pertinent political issues of the day. Its format, content, and quality renders it a vital tool not only to the general reader, but also ...6 days ago
- 2021 Reading Log: NovemberCompleted reads for November: Unfinished Tales, by J.R.R. TolkienMurder in Mesopotamia, by Agatha ChristieCreative Metal, by Len GaleThe Man in the Brown Suit, by Agatha ChristieEndless Night, by Agatha ChristieLord Edgware Dies, by Agatha Christie ...6 days ago
- A strong start – but can Luxon last?The first thing Chris Luxon did publicly after being elected as the 15th leader of the National Party was thank his colleagues. It was the proper thing to do. For it is only thanks to the cloak and dagger politics that they’ve engaged in over the past three years that ...6 days ago
- Air New Zealand flight attendant named CEO after one year on jobA 51-year-old flight attendant has completed a swift and stunning rise to CEO of Air New Zealand. New Zealand’s national carrier, Air New Zealand, has expressed great enthusiasm in announcing its new CEO today: 51-year-old Nathan Guy, a flight attendant who has spent about 1200 hours on the job. Guy ...6 days ago
- A true storyby Daphna Whitmore In a recent debate on free speech I closed with a true story. A woman I know – a writer – tweeted a joke in response to a man having just insulted her on the platform. The joke featured some violent imagery, but it also featured absurdist ...6 days ago
- Māui Tikitiki a Tāranga inspires Māui Hudson’s research journeyMāui Hudson says the characteristics of his namesake, the Māori diety Māui Tikitiki a Tāranga, enables and inspires him to confidently walk into new spaces of research. He hails from Te Whakatōhea, Ngāruahine and Ngāpuhi. Māui is a trained physiotherapist but is well-known for his leadership in creating guidelines and ...6 days ago
- Driven to help the planet and humanity thriveMihi mai ki a Dr Te Kīpa Kēpa Morgan, a professional engineer, who’s inspiring a different value system that he says can help humanity thrive and safeguard the sustainability of our planet. Kēpa affiliates to Ngāti Pikiao (Te Arawa), Ngāti Kahungunu and Ngāi Tahu. For more than a decade, Kēpa’s main ...6 days ago
- Gordon Campbell on why an attack on Iran is back on the agendaReportedly, Christopher Luxon has the edge on Simon Bridges in National’s leadership contest although there is no firm evidence for that hunch. So, one hesitates about joining a media echo chamber that amplifies Luxon’s chances ahead of the 3pm caucus meeting today. You know how it goes: Luxon doesn’t quite ...6 days ago
- NZ Politics Daily: 30 November 2021Today’s NZPD testimonial from Dr David Bromell, Senior Associate, Institute for Governance and Policy Studies: “While working as a public policy advisor, NZ Politics Daily was a daily “must read” as it alerted me to wider public policy issues than workplace-based media scanning, which generally covered only subject areas that related directly to ...7 days ago
- The ocean is our greatest climate regulator. It must be a stronger part of climate policy and actio...Sarah Seabrook, National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research; Elisabeth Holland, The University of the South Pacific; Lisa Levin, University of California San Diego, and Natalya Gallo, University of Bergen The German linguist Heinrich Zimmer once described the ocean as “limitless and immortal … the beginning and end of ...7 days ago
- Can genetically engineered seeds prevent a climate-driven food crisis?This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Samantha Harrington When John Boelts sows acres of cotton seed on his farm in Yuma, Arizona, he does so knowing that the fields will be free of an invasive pest called pink bollworm. For nearly a century, the small pink striped ...7 days ago
- The Simple Thing That’s Hard To Do.7 days ago
- A Stay of Execution: The National Library of New Zealand Caves to AuthorsWell, well. Looks like Christmas has arrived early, with a victory over vandalism. You may recall this little furore about the future of the National Library of New Zealand’s Overseas Published Collection: https://phuulishfellow.wordpress.com/2021/11/22/lack-of-public-service-announcement-the-national-library-of-new-zealand-internet-archive-and-alleged-digital-piracy/ Well, those outrageous plans to digitise and pirate copyrighted works have got enough negative attention ...1 week ago
- Climate Change: We can do it!RNZ reports on the other story to come out of the government's emissions budget Cabinet paper: the scale of the changes we need to make: The massive scale of the nationwide changes needed quickly to cut climate gas emissions is laid bare in newly-released government documents. [...] The number ...1 week ago
- Climate Change: Cold feet?Ministry for the Environment has dumped more cabinet papers related to its recent initial consultation on the emissions reduction plan. The key document is an August cabinet paper on Emissions Budgets for 2022-2025, 2026-2030 and 2031-2035, which made the dubious in-principle decision to increase the first period's emissions budget (which ...1 week ago
- Rating The Contenders.There Can Be Only One: Some might ask why National MPs would install yet another “successful business person” at the helm of their party? Isn’t one Todd Muller enough? Especially when Simon Bridges could become the first National politician of Māori descent to become Prime Minister.LET’S GET SOMETHING out of ...1 week ago
- Gordon Campbell on Omicron, and the Bridges/Luxon dilemmaAt this early stage, the Omicron variant seems to be more infectious, and more able to bypass the protection offered by vaccines and by the antibodies generated by previous infection. The fact that it is being spread around the globe by travellers who were all presumably fully immunised and had ...1 week ago
- NZ Politics Daily: 29 November 2021Today’s NZPD testimonial from Dr Kevin Moore, Associate Professor in Psychology & Tourism, Lincoln University: “For me, the big advantage of NZ Politics Daily is the breadth of opinion and sources it gathers. Together. There is always a mix of news reporting, news analysis, opinion pieces and blog posts. That breadth ...1 week ago
- National is still very much the same Party even without Collins leading it… that’s the real issu...Judith Collins regarded Thatcher as “a personal hero” of hers. But like her hero though, it took the UK Conservative Party and their ideological counterparts here to get rid of both of them, from the inside. There’s a sort of bizarre symmetry to that really. Both were rather messy ...1 week ago
- 2021 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #48Listing of articles linked to on the Skeptical Science Facebook Page during the past week: Sun, November 21, 2021 through Sat, November 27, 2021 The following articles sparked above average interest during the week: To Breed or Not to Breed?, The Vaccine for Fake News, Ten ways to confront the climate ...1 week ago
- A professor without honour in his own countryMichael Corballis just three months before his death appeared in an interview on the Hui with Mihirangi Forbes. She made no effort to conceal her disdain for his defence of science and proceeded to lecture him on not knowing enough about mātauranga Maori to comment on it and accused him ...1 week ago
- Businessman – and Political NoviceThe drums are beating – see Heather Du Plessis-Allan in today’s Herald – for Christopher Luxon’s bid to become National’s new (and latest) leader. It is conceded that he is a political tyro but – such is National’s current plight – it is suggested that he is a risk worth ...1 week ago
- No, Elizabeth Stuart Would Not Have Stopped the English Civil War (Probably)As you might have noticed, A Phuulish Fellow is a fairly eclectic blog. Even an organic one. I have my interests, and write about them as the fit takes me. And sometimes I stumble across an article I feel the need to comment on. Today, I ran across a ...1 week ago
- Rumour Has It: A Númenórean Character List?Today we have another Amazon rumour on our hands. And for a change, it is not coming out of Fellowship of Fans. No, instead we have the following tweet doing the rounds, ostensibly listing (mostly) Númenórean characters and their code names. It’s an interesting leak, if true. And that’s ...1 week ago
- Covid as WarriorsThe book I am currently working on – tentative title ‘In Open Seas’ – looks at the current and future New Zealand. One chapter describes the policy towards Covid using the trope of warfare. It covers an important period in our history but show how policy evolves and why, as ...1 week ago
- COVID-19: the B.1.1.529 variant – what do we know?There’s a lot of news about a new variant originally reported in southern Africa. Early signs have prompted calls for immediate precautionary blocks on travel from the region to restrict its spread. The WHO has called an emergency conference on this variant. Here’s a round-up of what we know so ...1 week ago
- National Party board denies it unanimously agreed to Collins’ Faustian bargain with SatanSources close to party president Peter Goodfellow say he was totally blindsided by Collins’ claims he was party to this particular satanic ritual. National Party president Peter Goodfellow is today issuing a strong denial on behalf of the party’s board, saying they did not, at any point, agree to the ...1 week ago
- The cost of optimismYesterday the National Party imploded in a messy knife-fight that cost it its leader and probably one of the contenders. So naturally, the government has taken the opportunity to do a dump of its pandemic advice, including the Cabinet papers on its controversial decisions to repeatedly lower the Auckland alert ...1 week ago
- Gordon Campbell on National’s less than stellar choicesAmid all the jostling in the National caucus ranks, spare a thought for Andrew Bayly. Who? Well might you ask. Plucked from obscurity by Judith Collin, elevated from number 18 to number 3 in the caucus rankings and given the Finance portfolio – a role in which he has been ...1 week ago
- Are New Zealand’s universities doing enough to define the limits of academic freedom?Matheson Russell, University of Auckland The news last week that University of Auckland public health researcher Simon Thornley was retracting a co-authored paper about supposed vaccination risks during pregnancy raised deeper questions about the limits of academic freedom. Thornley’s own head of department had called for the paper to ...1 week ago
- NZ Politics Daily: 26 November 2021Today’s NZPD testimonial from Jean Drage, Political scientist specialist in local government: “With 78 local authorities and central government currently intent on reform, local government is a challenging area of research to keep on top of. Thank goodness for Bryce’s NZ’s Politics Daily. It is a gem, especially as it also ...2 weeks ago
- Josh Van Veen: Bridges is not the oneSimon Bridges failed to bluff Judith Collins out of the leadership. A campaign to rehabilitate his image began shortly after the election and culminated in the publication of a memoir in August. There were persistent rumours of a deal with rival Christopher Luxon and MPs from the ‘liberal’ wing of ...2 weeks ago
- Smokefree cars – an important step towards protecting children from the hazards of smokingRichard Edwards, Jude Ball, Janet Hoek, George Thomson, Nick Wilson* On November 28 new legislation to protect children from smoking and vaping in cars will come into force. This blog sets out the background and rationale for the new law, and discusses implementation, evaluation and the next steps to protect ...2 weeks ago
- Judith's Last Stand.2 weeks ago
- Act’s Precarious Ascendancy.On The Lookout: It is easy to imagine how closely Seymour has been watching the National Opposition for the slightest sign of a Clark figure emerging. A respected politician, who enjoys broad support across the party and, much more importantly, who impresses the ordinary centre-right voter as having what it ...2 weeks ago
- Skeptical Science New Research for Week #47, 2021104 articles by 574 contributing authors Physical science of climate change, effects Delayed impacts of Arctic sea-ice loss on Eurasian severe cold winters Jang et al. Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres 10.1029/2021jd035286 Observations of climate change, effects Divergent responses of terrestrial carbon use efficiency to climate variation from 2000 ...2 weeks ago
- Labour’s Eyes Wide Shut To “Unruly Tenants”.2 weeks ago
- Is the mob coming for Charles Darwin?Richard Dawkins recently noted the giants of the past are being sanctimoniously judged by nonentities of the present whose only qualification is still being alive to do so. How will the future judge our own time when we are not around? Peter Franklin from Unherd examines whether the woke can ...2 weeks ago
- Blowing a Hole in Your Own Wall: Idiotic Tampering with MIQManaged Isolation/Quarantine has been a fact of life for New Zealand for eighteen months. It’s not popular – there are only so many spaces available at any given time, and the process is famously opaque – but it is the key to saving New Zealand from rampant Coronavirus. That, ...2 weeks ago
- Now Labour wants secret trialsToday, the government introduced the Security Information in Proceedings Legislation Bill to the House. The Bill would allow the government to use classified information in civil or criminal proceedings and keep it secret from the other party. So people suing the government for human rights abuses could lose, and defendants ...2 weeks ago
- The end of a toxic leader2 weeks ago
- A transformative government in GermanyBack in September Germans went to the polls, and handed the politicians a tough job, with no easy majorities for anyone. The Social Democrats, Free Democrats, and Greens agreed to work together in a "traffic light" coalition, but given their political differences (its basicly ACT/Greens/Labour), expectations for real change were ...2 weeks ago
- Political HarakiriThe National party must always have known that they were taking a risk when they elected Judith Collins as leader. There were, after all, good reasons why they repeatedly declined to accept her candidature when she offered herself – as she frequently did. She was always an inappropriate person to ...2 weeks ago
My 4,600-word ‘Capital Notions,’ has been accepted for the Winter 2021 edition of Midnight Manuscripts Quarterly. It’s one of those pieces that is a tad hard to categorise. It ... 
- Supporting families as we secure our recoveryProtecting Kiwis from COVID-19 has been and remains a central focus of our Government – but, even with the challenges of the pandemic, we’ve continued to make progress on long-term issues like housing affordability, water quality, climate change, and child poverty. ...2 days ago
- Housing legislation needs further changesThe Green Party welcomes changes Parliament’s Environment Select Committee has recommended to Labour and National’s housing legislation but says further improvements need to be made. ...3 days ago
- No new mines: It’s time to uphold your promiseThe Green Party has launched a campaign calling on the Minister for Conservation, Kiritapu Allan and Minister for Energy, Megan Woods to fulfil a promise the Prime Minister made in 2017 to ban new mines on conservation land. ...5 days ago
- Support needed for Auckland families and communities, not just tourismThe Green Party welcomes the additional support for Auckland this summer but said Labour needs to do more to ease the hardship many families in Tāmaki Makaurau are experiencing right now. ...5 days ago
- What is the traffic light system? Your questions answeredWe’re taking the next steps in our COVID response, with our plan to safely and carefully reopen. The COVID Protection Framework has been designed to protect lives and livelihoods while ensuring we can do more of what we love. New Zealand’s move into the framework, on Friday 3 December, marks ...1 week ago
- The next steps in our COVID-19 response planOver the past two years, keeping Kiwis safe from COVID-19 has been a key focus of the Government. As we move into a new phase of our COVID response, the traffic light system, protecting lives and livelihoods remains our priority. ...1 week ago
- Green Party seeks post-enactment review for COVID BillThe Green Party is calling on Labour to commit to a review of the COVID legislation that will pass through Parliament today under urgency. ...2 weeks ago
- Test and refine COVID traffic light system firstThe Green Party says Labour should test and refine the COVID Protection Framework before opening the Auckland border. ...2 weeks ago
- Auckland border should remain in place for nowThe Green Party says the Labour Government is making a mistake by committing to opening the Auckland border before vulnerable communities are ready. ...3 weeks ago
- NZ secures new Pfizer COVID-19 medicineNew Zealand has secured supplies of another medicine to treat COVID-19, Health Minister Andrew Little announced today. “In October, New Zealand was one of the first countries in the world to make an advance purchase of a promising new antiviral drug, molnupiravir,” Andrew Little said. “Today I am pleased to ...6 hours ago
- Strong Pipeline for Construction SectorStrong pipeline ahead for the construction sector Infrastructure activity forecast to reach $11.2 billion in 2026 Construction sector now the fourth biggest employer with more than 280 000 people working in the industry Residential construction the largest contributor to national construction activity. Minister for Building and Construction Poto Williams says ...8 hours ago
- Regenerative agriculture research receives Government boostThe Government continues to invest in farm sustainability, this time backing two new research projects to investigate the impacts of regenerative farming practices, Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor announced today. Soil health and regenerative agriculture “We’re contributing $2.8 million to a $3.85 million five-year project with co-investment by Synlait Milk and ...2 days ago
- David McLean appointed as KiwiRail chairDavid McLean has been appointed as Chair of KiwiRail Holdings Ltd, the Minister for State Owned Enterprises Dr David Clark and Minister of Finance Grant Robertson announced today. “Minister Clark and I are confident that David’s extensive business knowledge and leadership experience, including his time as former Chief Executive and ...3 days ago
- New Ambassador to Turkey announcedForeign Affairs Minister Nanaia Mahuta today announced the appointment of Zoe Coulson-Sinclair as New Zealand’s next Ambassador to Turkey. “Aotearoa New Zealand and Turkey’s relationship is one of mutual respect and underpinned by our shared Gallipoli experience,” Nanaia Mahuta said. “Turkey is also a generous ANZAC Day host and has ...3 days ago
- Announcement of new Consul-General in GuangzhouForeign Affairs Minister Nanaia Mahuta today announced the appointment of Rachel Crump as New Zealand’s next Consul-General in Guangzhou, China. “China is one of Aotearoa New Zealand’s most significant relationships – it is our largest trading partner, and an influential regional and global actor,” Nanaia Mahuta said. “As the capital of ...3 days ago
- Government marks International Day of Persons with DisabilitiesThe Government joins the disabled community of Aotearoa New Zealand in marking and celebrating the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, Minister for Disabilty Issues Carmel Sepuloni said. The theme for this year’s International Day of Persons with Disabilities is “Leadership and participation of persons with disabilities toward an inclusive, ...3 days ago
- Deputy Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security, and Advisory panel member appointedPrime Minister Jacinda Ardern has announced the appointments of Graeme Speden as the Deputy Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security, and Ben Bateman as a member of the Inspector-General’s Advisory Panel. “These are significant roles that assist the Inspector-General with independent oversight of New Zealand’s intelligence agencies,” Jacinda Ardern said. “While ...3 days ago
- Five million COVID-19 tests processedAssociate Minister of Health, Dr Ayesha Verrall has congratulated testing teams right around New Zealand for reaching the five million tests milestone. Today, an additional 31,780 tests were processed, taking the total since the beginning of the pandemic in 2020 to 5,005,959. “This really is an incredible and sustained team ...3 days ago
- Funding for extra ICU capacityCare for the sickest New Zealanders is getting a major boost from the Government, with plans to spend hundreds of millions of dollars on expanding intensive care-type services, Health Minister Andrew Little announced today. “Through good planning, we have avoided what the COVID-19 pandemic has done in some countries, where ...4 days ago
- “THE LEGAL AND CONSTITUTIONAL IMPLICATIONS OF NEW ZEALAND’S FIGHT AGAINST COVID.”Speech to the New Zealand Centre for Public Law Tēnā koutou katoa Thank you for providing this opportunity to speak with you today as Attorney General. I’m here to talk about the constitutional consequences of Covid -19. I love the law. The way it exists with the consent of the ...4 days ago
- The legal and constitutional implications of New Zealand’s fight against COVIDSpeech to the New Zealand Centre for Public Law Tēnā koutou katoa Thank you for providing this opportunity to speak with you today as Attorney General. I’m here to talk about the constitutional consequences of Covid -19. I love the law. The way it exists with the consent of the ...4 days ago
- Pharmac Review interim report releasedHealth Minister Andrew Little has released an interim report by an independent panel reviewing the national pharmaceuticals-buying agency Pharmac. Pharmac was established in 1993 and is responsible for purchasing publicly funded medicines for New Zealanders, including those prescribed by GPs or administered in hospitals. The review, chaired by former Consumer ...4 days ago
- Appointment to Network for Learning boardFormer MP Clare Curran has been appointed to the board of Crown company Network for Learning (N4L), Education Minister Chris Hipkins says. Hon Clare Curran served as a Member of Parliament for Dunedin South from 2008-2010. During this time, she held a number of ministerial portfolios including Broadcasting, Communications and ...4 days ago
- Putting home ownership within reach of Pacific AotearoaPacific community groups and organisations will get tools to help them achieve home ownership with the implementation of the Ministry for Pacific Peoples (MPP) Pacific Housing Initiative, said Pacific Peoples Minister Aupito William Sio. In July 2021, MPP launched the Pacific Community Housing Provider Registration Support programme and the Pacific ...4 days ago
- Coastal shipping will help keep New Zealand’s supply chain buoyantTransport Minister Michael Wood today welcomed the release of the Coastal Shipping Investment Approach State-of-Play report as an important step towards a more sustainable coastal shipping sector, which will further diversify New Zealand’s supply chain. “This Government is committed to strengthening our domestic supply chain by making coastal shipping a ...5 days ago
- Response to Human Rights Commission's reports into violence towards disable peopleTēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā tātou katoa. Thank you for that introduction Hemi and thank you for inviting me to respond on behalf of Government to the release of these two important reports (Whakamanahia Te Tiriti, Whakahaumarutia te Tangata -Honour the Treaty, Protect the Person and Whakamahia te Tūkino kore ...5 days ago
- Law change strengthens petroleum decommissioning regulationPetroleum permit and licence holders operating in New Zealand will now have an explicit statutory requirement to carry out and fund the decommissioning of oil and gas fields after a new law was given Royal assent today, says Energy and Resources Minister Dr Megan Woods. Once in effect The Crown ...5 days ago
- New Zealand Response to assist peace and stability in Solomon IslandsThe New Zealand government has announced that it will deploy Defence Force and Police personnel to Honiara to help restore peace and stability. “New Zealand is committed to its responsibilities and playing its part in upholding regional security,” Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said. “We are deeply concerned by the recent ...5 days ago
- Continued growth in volume of new home consentsIn the year ended October 2021, 47,715 new homes were consented, up 26 per cent from the October 2020 year. In October 2021, 4,043 new dwellings were consented Canterbury’s new homes consented numbers rose 31% to higher than post-earthquake peak. New home consents continue to reach remarkable levels of growth, ...5 days ago
- Saddle up for summer with cycle trail fundingNew investment will keep the best of New Zealand’s cycle trails in top condition as regions prepare to welcome back Kiwi visitors over summer and international tourists from next year. “Cycle tourism is one of the most popular ways to see the country ‘off the beaten track’ but the trails ...5 days ago
- New Zealand provides additional funding to COVAX for vaccine deliveryForeign Affairs Minister Nanaia Mahuta today announced additional funding will be provided to COVAX to support vaccine delivery in developing countries. “New Zealand remains cognisant of the dangers of COVID-19, especially as new variants continue to emerge. No one is safe from this virus until we all are and this ...5 days ago
- COVID-19 Community fund providing support for 160 organisations focused on women and girlsMinister for Women Jan Tinetti today announced financial support will be allocated to the 160 successful applicants for the COVID-19 Community Fund, to support organisations helping women/wāhine and girls/kōtiro in Aotearoa New Zealand affected by the pandemic. “COVID-19 has had a disproportionate effect on women around the world including in ...5 days ago
- Government delivers reactivation package as Aucklanders reconnect for summerA new support package will help revive economic, social and cultural activities in our largest city over summer, and ensure those in hardship also get relief. The Social Development and Employment Minister Carmel Sepuloni and the Economic and Regional Development Minister Stuart Nash have announced a Reactivating Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland ...5 days ago
- Mobile services and broadband come to Chatham Islands for first timeWorld class mobile and broadband services have been switched on for the 663 residents of the Chatham Islands, Minister for the Digital Economy and Communications, David Clark and Minister for Economic and Regional Development, Stuart Nash announced today. “This eagerly awaited network will provide fast broadband and mobile services to ...5 days ago
- Crown accounts reflect strong economy amid pandemicThe Government’s financial accounts continue to reflect an economy that has performed better than expected, despite the latest Delta COVID-19 outbreak. The Crown accounts for the four months to the end of October factors in the improved starting position for the new financial year. Core Crown tax revenue was $2.5 ...6 days ago
- Applications open for new 2021 Resident VisaThe first round of applications for New Zealand’s new 2021 Resident visa open today (6am). “This one-off pathway provides certainty for a great many migrant families who have faced disruption because of COVID-19 and it will help retain the skills New Zealand businesses need to support the economic recovery,” Minister ...6 days ago
- More Vietnam Veterans to receive compensation for Agent Orange ExposureMinister for Veterans, the Hon Meka Whaitiri announced today that two new conditions associated with Agent Orange exposure have been added to the Prescribed Conditions List. Under the 2006 Memorandum of Understanding signed between the Crown and representatives of Vietnam veterans and the Royal New Zealand RSA. Vietnam veterans in ...6 days ago
- Government commits to international effort to ban and regulate killer robotsMinister of Disarmament and Arms Control Phil Twyford announced today that New Zealand will push for new international law to ban and regulate autonomous weapons systems (AWS), which once activated can select and engage targets without further human intervention. “While the evidence suggests fully autonomous weapons systems are not yet ...6 days ago
- New freedom camping rules – right vehicle, right placeTougher freedom camping laws will be introduced to prevent abuse which has placed an unfair burden on small communities and damaged our reputation as a high quality visitor destination. Tourism Minister Stuart Nash has confirmed that new legislation will be introduced to Parliament following an extensive round of public consultation ...6 days ago
- Government invests to support a classic Kiwi summerVaccinated New Zealanders can look forward to Kiwi summer events with confidence, while artists and crew will have more certainty, following the launch of details of the Arts and Culture Event Support Scheme, Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage Carmel Sepuloni announced today. “The Government recognises that the arts and ...6 days ago
- Grace period for expired driver licences cruises into 2022Due to the ongoing Delta outbreak and extended lockdowns, all New Zealand driver licences and licence endorsements that expired on or after 21 July 2021 will now be valid until 31 May 2022, Transport Minister Michael Wood announced today. “This further extension to the validity of driver licenses recognises that ...6 days ago
- Delivered: 1,000 extra transitional homesA further 1,000 transitional homes delivered New housing development starts in Flaxmere, Hastings The Government has delivered the next 1,000 transitional housing places it promised, as part of its work to reduce homelessness. Housing Minister Dr Megan Woods is marking the milestone in Hastings at a new development that includes ...7 days ago
- Traffic light levels announcedThe levels at which different parts of New Zealand will move forward into the COVID-19 Protection Framework this Friday have been announced. Northland, Auckland, Taupō and Rotorua Lakes Districts, Kawerau, Whakatane, Ōpōtiki Districts, Gisborne District, Wairoa District, Rangitikei, Whanganui and Ruapehu Districts will move in at Red The rest of ...1 week ago
- Financial support to move to traffic light systemA new transition payment will be made available particularly for affected businesses in Auckland, Waikato and Northland to acknowledge the restrictions they have faced under the higher Alert Levels. Transition payment of up to $24,000 as businesses move into traffic light system Leave Support Scheme and Short Term Absence Payment ...1 week ago
- New Ambassador to Russia announcedForeign Affairs Minister Nanaia Mahuta today announced the appointment of Sarah Walsh as New Zealand’s next Ambassador to Russia. “Aotearoa New Zealand and Russia have a long-standing relationship, engaging on a range of regional and global interests including disarmament and Antarctica issues. We also work together as members of the East ...1 week ago
- New Permanent Representative to the UN announcedForeign Affairs Minister Nanaia Mahuta today announced the appointment of Carolyn Schwalger as Permanent Representative to the New Zealand Permanent Mission to the United Nations in New York. “Aotearoa New Zealand is a founding member of the UN and we have worked hard to ensure our stance on human rights, ...1 week ago
- Further COVID-19 economic support for Cook Islands and Fiji announcedForeign Affairs Minister Nanaia Mahuta today announced a further package of support for the Cook Islands and Fiji for COVID-19 economic support and recovery. “Aotearoa New Zealand remains committed to supporting our Pacific fanau and vuvale to respond to the impacts of COVID-19 on their economies, and move towards long-term ...1 week ago
- New law will clear the air for tamariki in vehiclesFrom today, it’s illegal to smoke or vape in most vehicles carrying children aged under 18 years old - whether the vehicle is moving or not. “Second-hand smoke poses an unacceptable risk to our tamariki and rangatahi,” Associate Minister of Health Dr Ayesha Verrall said. “We know children in vehicles ...1 week ago
- Nine countries designated very high riskNine southern African countries are being added to the very high risk countries list following public health advice around the newly discovered COVID-19 variant Omicron, COVID-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins said. This afternoon, a public health risk assessment was carried out to assess the emerging evidence and any risk to ...1 week ago
- Government releases proposals for changes to political donationsThe government quietly released a number of proposals, which are now out for public feedback. ...2 hours ago
- 265,000 new dwellings in pipeline over next five years – MBIE reportMinistry of Business Innovation and Employment's National Construction Pipeline Report forecast 265,000 new dwellings would be consented between now and December 2026. ...3 hours ago
- Wool growers, too, have something to cheer about as dairy leads the charge in brightening farmers’...City dwellers, preoccupied by Covid, may not have observed that the country’s export economy is being sustained by its primary industries. Last week came the news that Fonterra had signalled a record payout to its suppliers, pumping $13.2bn into the regions. Some analysts think that may be on the conservative ...4 hours ago
- Luxon Called Out On Christianity ClaimsFollowing on from the implosion of the last National Party leader New Zealand has the fresh face of Christopher Luxon to lead the party with an aspiration to lead the country, come the next election In his opening speech Christopher Luxon promised ...5 hours ago
- Australia’s agriculture sector sorely needs more insights from First Nations people. Here’s how ...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Joshua Gilbert, Researcher (Indigenous Policy) Jumbunna Institute for Indigenous Education & Research and Higher Degree Research Student at Charles Sturt University, University of Technology Sydney Much of the debate on Indigenous agriculture in Australia has focused on a contested pre-colonial definition as ...5 hours ago
- Here’s a worthy challenge for Judith Collins – asking why our Royal Society is investigating tw...Soon after the latest National Party line-up was announced this afternoon, Newshub was reporting who had finished up with higher rankings than before and who had slipped. Chris Luxon’s election as leader last week obviously led to his being catapulted from number 29 to number one. Nicola Willis, his deputy, ...5 hours ago
- Watch: Pharmac secures Pfizer's Covid-19 oral antiviral medication, subject to Medsafe approval...The government has purchased 60,000 courses of Pfizer's oral antiviral medication to treat early infections of Covid-19, subject to Medsafe approval, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has confirmed. ...5 hours ago
- Barnardos Calls For A Greater Increase In Government Benefits Following The Release Of The Child Mon...Today’s release of the Child Poverty Monitor is a joint project of the Children’s Commissioner, Otago University and the JR McKenzie Trust, designed to track the Government’s progress towards child poverty targets. The report shows poverty is declining overall ...5 hours ago
- Luxon's front bench shake-up and some wildcards tooNational leader Chris Luxon didn’t get dealt an easy hand trying to select a shadow Cabinet with three former leaders in the mix. For the most part he’s promoted MPs based on talent but has also taken a few risks, writes political editor Jo Moir. Former Air New Zealand chief ...6 hours ago
- Watch: Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern addresses media after Cabinet meetingPrime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Director-General of Health Ashley Bloomfield are addressing media after a meeting of Cabinet this afternoon. ...6 hours ago
- Labor offers extra university places, but more radical change is neededSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrew Norton, Professor in the Practice of Higher Education Policy, Australian National University The Coalition and Labor took very different higher education policies to the 2019 federal election. The contest was between tightly capped total spending under the Coalition and a restored ...6 hours ago
- Curious Kids: how did crocodiles survive the asteroid that killed the dinosaurs?Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mike Lee, Professor in Evolutionary Biology (jointly appointed with South Australian Museum), Flinders University Michael Lee, Author provided How did the crocodiles survive the asteroid that killed the dinosaurs? – Éamonn, age 5, Western Australia Hi Éamonn! ...7 hours ago
- Government consults on political donations clampdownAfter a series of high-profile political donation scandals, Kiwis are being asked to have their say on a short-term overhaul of the current system The Government has quietly set out its plans to overhaul the country’s political donations regime, with disclosure thresholds set to be slashed and an outright ban ...7 hours ago
- Labor maintains clear Newspoll lead, but there’s been an overall shift to the Coalition since Octo...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne Dean Lewis/AAP This week’s Newspoll, conducted December 1-4 from a sample of 1,518, gave Labor a 53-47 lead, unchanged since the previous Newspoll, three weeks ago. Primary ...7 hours ago
- Timaru Port Workers Issue Seventh Strike NoticeMembers of the Rail and Maritime Transport Union (RMTU) working at the Port of Timaru have this afternoon issued a seventh strike notice following on from the six issued to date. RMTU South Island Organiser John Kerr says this gives notice of a further ...7 hours ago
- The crisis of a career in culture: why sustaining a livelihood in the arts is so hardSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Katherine (Kate) Power, Lecturer in Management, School of Business, The University of Queensland La Boite’s artists company is embedding Queensland creatives in the theatre company for 18 months. Markus Ravik In the arts in Australia, precarious employment, unpaid work and short-lived careers ...7 hours ago
- Help Crime Stoppers Combat Cyber ScamsCrime Stoppers is after the public’s help to hold those responsible for internet scams. It is the ninth week of a series of Crime Stoppers crime awareness campaigns that will run until January next year. The aim is to encourage people to safely and ...8 hours ago
- Why New Caledonia’s final independence vote could lead to instability and tarnish France’s image...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Denise Fisher, Visiting Fellow, ANU Centre for European Studies, Australian National University Mathurin Derel/AP France is persisting with its decision to hold the final of three independence referendums in New Caledonia on December 12, disregarding Indigenous independence leaders’ calls for ...8 hours ago
- National Party leader Christopher Luxon reveals new caucus lineupFormer leader Judith Collins has taken a tumble in the National Party rankings announced by new leader Christopher Luxon today. ...8 hours ago
- Animal Welfare Amendment Bill To ‘phase Out’ Live Animal Export Shows That MPI Represents The Ec...Direct Action Everywhere New Zealand (DxENZ) is speaking to the Primary Production Committee at 09:15am on Thursday 9 December on the proposal to phase out live export (Animal Welfare Amendment Bill 2021). Sending cows who were born in New Zealand on ...9 hours ago
- Media inclusion of Indigenous peoples is increasing but there is still room for improvementSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tristan Kennedy, Associate professor, Macquarie University Mainstream media is often understood as a reflection of national identity. Television media in Australia has documented Australian lives since its inception in 1956. For First Nations people however, their voices in this reflection have ...9 hours ago
- Watch live: National Party leader Christopher Luxon announces caucus reshuffleNational leader Christopher Luxon is making an announcement on his party reshuffle. ...9 hours ago
- Statement By Jim Farmer Qc As To Withdrawal Of Requisitions For Spg Of The Royal New Zealand Yacht S...On behalf of 34 RNZYS members I presented a requisition for a Special General Meeting of the RNZYS to consider a motion that the objects of the RNZYS Rules be amended to add an objective that Defences of the America’s Cup, when held by the Squadron, ...10 hours ago
- COVID saw us sitting longer – and diabetes rose globally by 16% in 2 years. Time to get movingSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Christian Brakenridge, PhD Candidate, Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute New figures show global diabetes prevalence has increased by 16% in the past two years, with 537 million adults (aged 20-79) now estimated to be living with the chronic condition. Over this ...10 hours ago
- Autistic people need a greater say in where NZ’s autism research funding is spent – here’s a w...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Lisa Marie Emerson, Senior Lecturer in Child and Family Psychology, University of Canterbury Shutterstock Research has tremendous potential to help the estimated 93,000 autistic New Zealanders live the lives they want to live. The trouble is, funding for autism research ...10 hours ago
- Child Poverty Monitor 2021 Highlights Persistent Inequities In Rates Of Child PovertyChild Poverty Action Group (CPAG) welcomes the release of the Child Poverty Monitor today, which shows that prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, poverty reduction targets were largely on track for Pākehā children, however significant inequities remained ...10 hours ago
- NZ Police Asked To Look Into NZ Phosphate Rock ImportsOn the 25th of November, 202, Western Sahara Campaign-NZ (WSC-NZ) asked the NZ Police Commissioner Andrew Coster to look into the imports of phosphate rock from Western Sahara. The New Zealand importers do not have the consent of the people of Western ...12 hours ago
- Keith Rankin Analysis – Science, Scientists, and ScientismAnalysis by Keith Rankin. Keith Rankin. Science, in the not-so-recent-past, has often had a bad press. It’s been personified, particularly by the political left, as Frankenstein, as agents of capitalism, classical liberalism, colonialism, sexism (yang over yin), eugenics, and god-like pretension. More recently though, in the zeitgeists of climate change ...13 hours ago
- ‘Protecting Hector’s Means Prohibiting Set And Trawl Nets’ Say AdvocatesFisheries New Zealand has been consulting on protection options for South Island Hector’s dolphins. Submissions close today Monday 6 December at 5pm. But dolphin advocates say Fisheries officials' recommendations are fundamentally flawed. The ...13 hours ago
- The Conservation Organisation Is Going Pro-Extinction To Save Endangered SpeciesWWF-New Zealand is calling on Aotearoa to become Pro-Extinction. Together, we need to make certain harmful human behaviours extinct to help protect our beaches, our ocean, and help save our taonga species, like the Bryde’s whale. Livia Esterhazy, ...13 hours ago
- Changing Lives From Inside The WireThis month marks the third anniversary of the Navigate Initiative, a ground-breaking partnership between local not-for-profit Pathway Charitable Group and Ara Poutama Aotearoa/Department of Corrections which is changing lives from inside the wire! ...13 hours ago
- Save The Children New Zealand Re: 2021 Child Poverty MonitorSave the Children New Zealand’s Advocacy and Research Director Jacqui Southey welcomed the findings of this year’s Child Poverty Monitor showing overall improvement in child poverty levels, but says more needs to be done to ensure every child in ...13 hours ago
- Newsletter: New Zealand Politics Daily – December 06 2021Editor’s Note: Here below is a list of the main issues currently under discussion in New Zealand and links to media coverage. You can sign up to NZ Politics Daily as well as New Zealand Political Roundup columns for free here. Today’s content National Party Morgan Godfery (Guardian): Christopher Luxon is ...13 hours ago
- Prostitution Law Review: Benefits Exaggerated, Shortcomings Ignored, Denied Or HiddenAn indepth review of the effects of the 2003 prostitution law change has revealed a huge gap between the reputation of the law and its actual impact. The detailed analysis challenges the assumption that the decriminalisation of prostitution has ...13 hours ago
- Jacinda Ardern says 'Caution has paid off' with positive start under traffic light systemJacinda Ardern says the first weekend in the traffic light system has received largely positive feedback. ...14 hours ago
- Brash: Roadblock Law-change Faulty GovernanceChanging the law to allow Maori tribes to stop citizens to scrutinise vaccine passports and Covid-19 status is bad governance, Hobson’s Pledge spokesman Don Brash said today. Section 22 of the COVID-19 Public Health Response Amendment Act (No 2) 2021, ...14 hours ago
- Private space stations are coming. Will they be better than their predecessors?Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Justin St. P. Walsh, Associate professor of art history and archaeology, Chapman University Philippe Starck / Axiom Space A new era of space stations is about to kick off. NASA has announced three commercial space station proposals for development, joining ...14 hours ago
- Is your neighbourhood underinsured? Search our map to find outSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kate Isabel Booth, Senior Lecturer in Human Geography and Planning, University of Tasmania Mapbox/The Conversation, CC BY-ND Underinsurance is more common than many realise. And if you live in an area where most people don’t have enough home and/or contents ...14 hours ago
- 80 years on, the attack on Pearl Harbour offers lessons for todaySource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Patricia A. O’Brien, Visiting Fellow, Department of Pacific Affairs, Australian National University; Adjunct Fellow, Center for Strategic and International Studies, Washington DC; Adjunct Professor, Asian Studies Program, Georgetown University US National Archives “Pacific Ablaze” read Australian papers on December 8 ...14 hours ago
- Making the tobacco industry pay for cigarette litter could stop 4.5 billion butts polluting the Aust...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kylie Morphett, Research Fellow, School of Public Health, The University of Queensland Shutterstock Cigarette butts with filters are the most commonly littered item worldwide, with a staggering 4.5 trillion of them tossed into the environment each year. This is a ...14 hours ago
- Why dingoes should be considered native to mainland Australia – even though humans introduced themSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Banks, Professor of Conservation Biology, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Sydney Shutterstock Dingoes are often demonised as a danger to livestock, while many consider them a natural and essential part of the environment. But is our ...14 hours ago
- We’re short of teachers, and the struggles to find training placements in schools add to the probl...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Josephine Ryan, English/Literacy Education Lecturer and Deputy Head, School of Education (Victoria), Australian Catholic University Shutterstock Teaching graduates want “more time spent in schools”. This research finding is noted in the discussion paper of the teacher education review announced by ...14 hours ago
- ‘I can only do so much’: we asked fast-fashion shoppers how ethical concerns shape their choicesSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tara Stringer, PhD Candidate, Queensland University of Technology You’ve found the perfect dress. You’ve tried it on before and you know it looks great. Now it’s on sale, a discount so large the store is practically giving it away. Should ...14 hours ago
- How low can you go? Labour and Nats play game of housing limboGovernment steals Christopher Luxon's thunder by lowering shadow of new three-storey apartment blocks. ...15 hours ago
- Market pressure as crypto sinks and NZ$ at 12-month lowBusiness & Investing: US officials' economic concerns add to worries over the Omicron variant's effect on business activity worldwide ...16 hours ago
- Newsroom daily crossword, Monday 6 December...17 hours ago
- Newsroom daily quiz, Monday 6 December17 hours ago
- Covid: How will we know when it’s over?At some point we all need to move on from the death and doom of Covid, live with Omicron and prepare for coming Sigma and Omega variants, writes Nicholas Agar Jacinda Ardern is surely ready for the pandemic to be over already. That way she can take the triumphs of ...17 hours ago
- Auckland’s crime spree may just be a moral panicThere are fewer crimes in Auckland's central city than last year or five years ago, but a moral panic can take effect, writes Timothy Welch Comment: Crime is spiralling out of control in Aotearoa’s mega-city: Everywhere residents look, a new crime or indecent act is being committed. Or so the headlines ...17 hours ago
- Fast driver's Xmas gift comes earlyKiwi rally driver Emma Gilmour has found a way home after scoring the drive of a lifetime. But she's filling in time by making herself at home with the legendary McLaren team. Emma Gilmour will completely miss Christmas this year – flying across time zones in her much-anticipated journey from England back home to New Zealand. But the ...17 hours ago
- Officials express 'regret' as residency visa applications inundate systemImmigration 'regrets' system overload but won’t stagger residency applications ...17 hours ago
- Cheers, tears, and fears: motivating remote teamsDr Rebecca Downes outlines techniques to keep teams of remote workers feeling valued and trusted Working remotely, at least occasionally, is now normal for many workplaces. But managers can find themselves faced with a dilemma: how do we build and maintain strong teams when people spend less time together? So ...17 hours ago
- Captain Haddock rides againCraving adventure in a pandemic, John McCrystal made his way to French Polynesia, via LA, to sail home in a mate's yacht. It all began with a First World problem. A mate had reached the age and stage where he fancied getting back into offshore yachting, which was his thing ...17 hours ago
- When the chips are down, a Kiwi company cashes inA global shortage of microchips may not be good for your Christmas present list, but one New Zealand company is cashing in A year ago, Sony released its latest gaming console, the PlayStation 5. It was a big deal – new console releases often are – and by June ...17 hours ago
- Preventing devastation on the high seas – and beneath themNZ must ensure the world is ambitious in agreeing the High Seas treaty at the United Nations ...17 hours ago
- Is your child frightened of needles? Here’s how to prepare them for their COVID vaccineSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Judith Parson, Senior Lecturer, Child Play Therapy, Deakin University Shutterstock Your child’s experience of needles in their early years may impact how they feel about and react to subsequent vaccinations. So it’s important to reduce the chance of a negative ...1 day ago
- 'An uber-geeky committee': The MPs scrutinising the Covid-19 rulesThe House: Some ministers and ministries have special powers to unilaterally make new laws. And a small group of mostly legally trained MPs have the job of breaking out the microscope and checking they do it right. ...2 days ago
- An ode for .. John 'sausage rolls' BishopNew Zealand's unreal poet laureate composes an Ode for the author of a stupid column about sausage rolls My Queendom for a Roll The Queendom was in disrepair; I rode through darken’d fields night long, until I ventured on a lonely inn, and stabled up my faithful ...2 days ago
- The Covid-19 endgame in NZ: Altering our pandemic destinyAs the pandemic races towards an unenviable two-year milestone, the Otago Global Health Institute’s Covid-19 Masterclass Series is bringing together a network of experts to discuss key Covid-19 topics. Today's is the final piece in a two-week series. Two years after the emergence of the first Covid-19 cases, we ...2 days ago
- Climate change has Boris wiltingWinter by-elections are rarely kind to governments. But Boris Johnson’s Conservative party held on to a south London stronghold on a low turnout with a tolerably-reduced majority. More worrying was that 1,400 voters got out of bed (one presumes) on a bitterly cold day to vote for the relatively ...2 days ago
- Albanese offers more university places and free TAFE spotsSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Anthony Albanese on Sunday will unveil a plan for a Labor government to deliver up to 20,000 extra university places over 2022-23 and fund 465,000 free TAFE places, including 45,000 new ones. The $1.2 billion ...2 days ago
- We don’t recall Ministers drawing attention to their new road-block laws – but Hone Harawira is ...There were no new statements on the Beehive website when we checked today, which means ministers have nothing fresh to announce – or rather, nothing they want to boast about or let us know about. Matters such as changes to the Covid laws which determine who can mount ...2 days ago
- How the United Nations’ new ‘open science framework’ could speed up the pace of discoverySource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Cathy Foley, Australia’s Chief Scientist, Office of the Chief Scientist Mikolaj/Unsplash, CC BY-SA Science, at its heart, is a collaborative effort. The eureka moments are headline-grabbing and enormously important, but they don’t come out of the blue. They emerge from ...2 days ago
- Focus on Politics: A sit-down with Chris LuxonPodcast - National's new leader Chris Luxon talks to Political Editor Jane Patterson in his new office, giving a glimpse of what his leadership will look like. ...3 days ago
- Short story: The Kiss, by Pip Adam"The mall was full of people Christmas shopping...." Author's note: This story contains homophobic language [as does the photograph, obviously] At six o’clock on the morning of the sixteenth of December, the soldiers of Echo Company woke in Dili, showered, dressed in civilian clothes and made their way to the ...3 days ago
- Nick Smith engineering a new lifeNational’s former Environment and Conservation Minister is finally putting his money where his mouth is. He's dusted off his engineering degree to forge a new path in the renewable energy sector, after an often rambunctious 30-year political career. Tracy Neal reports. The day that Nick Smith mistook a poisonous jellyfish for ...3 days ago
- Libraries on the lineWhen the interests of publishers are prioritised, who defends the public good? asks Mandy Henk This week, the oligopoly that is the global publishing industry won another victory over libraries. With five major book publishing houses left around the world — which is soon to be four unless the US Department ...3 days ago
- Eliminating Māori inequities in Covid-19 outcomesAs the pandemic races towards an unenviable two-year milestone, the Otago Global Health Institute’s Covid-19 Masterclass Series is bringing together a network of experts to discuss key Covid-19 topics. We'll be running a piece daily until December 5. The impact of the current and likely future waves of Covid-19 ...3 days ago
- Transitory inflation retires but does not recedeHis reappointment as conductor of the world’s monetary orchestra safely in the bag, US Federal Reserve chairman Jay Powell let us know that the current bout of “transitory” inflation was a little more than that. “It is probably a good time to retire that word”, he told the world. ...3 days ago
- View from the Hill: Albanese’s 43% emissions reduction target by 2030 has some political coverSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Labor’s “Powering Australia” climate policy, released on Friday, is carefully calibrated to the politics. Anthony Albanese described it as “modest”, declaring “we do not pretend that it is a radical policy”. It is indeed risk ...3 days ago
- Taxpayers’ Union Promotes The World’s Most Dangerous Addictive DrugThe New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union is effectively promoting substance abuse, says the car review website dogandlemon.com . Dogandlemon.com editor Clive Matthew-Wilson, who is an outspoken road safety campaigner, say calls by the Taxpayers’ Union to ...3 days ago
- Keith Rankin Chart Analysis – Covid19: Phases of the Pandemic in Different CountriesAnalysis by Keith Rankin. The following charts break the pandemic (23 months total; 21 months of mortality outside of China) into three 7-month periods: early, middle (covers the northern winter), and recent (mainly delta). The countries included are those which report ‘total deaths’ on a weekly basis. Most of these ...3 days ago
- Platée reigns supreme on the Sydney operatic stageSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Daniela Kaleva, Program Manager, Researcher Development, Deakin University Pinchgut Opera/Brett Boardman Review: Platée, directed by Neil Armfiled, Pinchgut Opera French master composer and theorist Jean-Philippe Rameau (1683-1764) created the opera Platée for the wedding of Louis, Dauphin of France, son ...3 days ago
- Pharmac should brace for a dose of medicine to perk up its Treaty performance and (all going well) l...Monitoring the Ministers A raft of appointments has been announced over the past 24 hours – an ambassador to Turkey, a consul-general to Guangzhou, a chair for KiwiRail, a deputy inspector-general of intelligence and security and an advisory panel for the same outfit. Oh – and remember Clare Curran? The former ...3 days ago
- Labor’s 2030 climate target betters the Morrison government, but Australia must go much further, m...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Wesley Morgan, Research Fellow, Griffith Asia Institute and Climate Council researcher, Griffith University The Labor opposition has pledged to reduce Australia’s greenhouse gas emissions by 43% this decade based on 2005 levels, claiming the plan will create jobs, cut power bills, boost ...3 days ago
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