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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.
Will John Key stand for National in Tauranga
Written By: - Date published: 7:44 am, April 1st, 2022 - 32 comments
The Standard has learned from a normally reliable source that John Key is considering seeking the National Party nomination for the Tauranga seat.
Is National’s Luxon among the quick or the dead?
Written By: - Date published: 7:15 am, December 8th, 2021 - 136 comments
Simon Louisson has been observing Chris Luxon with a journalists eye over the last week, especially with regard to the Jack Tame interview. A bit of a mixed bag. Fast thinking but with baggage. It will be interesting to see whether the electorate will again suppress its egalitarian instincts and vote for a smooth-talking rich man.
National’s new leader is …
Written By: - Date published: 2:06 pm, November 30th, 2021 - 291 comments
Chris Luxon is set to be the next leader of the National Party.
Covid does not give a fuck about your plans
Written By: - Date published: 11:20 am, September 30th, 2021 - 31 comments
This week we have seen reckons from John Key, Act and National on how we should be loosening up Covid lockdown restrictions. Yesterday’s 45 new cases shows how dangerous it is to think that dealing with Covid is a simple management exercise.
Smug hermit king
Written By: - Date published: 9:44 am, September 27th, 2021 - 127 comments
John Key has doubled down on his claims that Aotearoa is a smug hermit kingdom and claimed that it is imperative that international travel is eased although he is fine with all other restrictions to stay in place.
Key’s baaaack
Written By: - Date published: 9:35 am, September 26th, 2021 - 273 comments
John Key is back and has described New Zealand as a smug hermit kingdom for daring to so far achieve something no other western nation has been able to accomplish, holding back Covid and preventing thousands of deaths.
National’s civil war continues
Written By: - Date published: 9:08 am, August 9th, 2021 - 25 comments
In an extraordinary move National’s board has reselected Peter Goodfellow as Party Chairperson and this has caused former MP David Carter to resign as board member and express no confidence in the leadership or in National’s chances at the next election.
National used to be better than this
Written By: - Date published: 8:28 am, August 6th, 2021 - 59 comments
Back in the day National used to have a strong urban liberal wing that gave the impression that it was sympathetic to LGBTQI issues. Yesterday that impression was trashed.
National’s culture problem
Written By: - Date published: 9:07 am, June 4th, 2021 - 29 comments
National’s week from hell is further evidence of a culture problem that will not be easily solved.
Latest Colmar Brunton poll – people disapprove of Judith
Written By: - Date published: 7:35 am, May 28th, 2021 - 44 comments
In the latest Colmar Brunton poll although National’s result and Judith Collins’ result as preferred Prime Minister went up slightly her approval rating for her job performance has plunged deep into negative figures.
C’mon National!
Written By: - Date published: 1:27 pm, May 17th, 2021 - 20 comments
Forlorn for now though they may be, this is the advice National MPs need right now.
Disunity, leaks, and poor behaviour
Written By: - Date published: 7:35 am, March 10th, 2021 - 27 comments
National’s review of its 2020 election performance has been completed. And as an indication of the level of faith existing in the party MPs may not be given their own copy.
Reasons to abandon NZ’s Five-Eyed Folly
Written By: - Date published: 2:35 pm, February 4th, 2021 - 29 comments
Wayne Brown’s recent suggestion “Is it time to sell our seat on FiveEyes?” is from someone well placed by experience to form an educated opinion. “Trade sanctions of the type Australia is facing are a weapon used by both USA and China. So let’s have a debate on whether we need Five Eyes, or whether it’s time for us to trade on independently.”
Will Jacinda Ardern meet her promise to transform?
Written By: - Date published: 6:53 am, September 4th, 2020 - 62 comments
Neoliberalism has run its course and displayed its profound inability to address inequality issues. It makes the poor get ever poorer while the affluent top 10% ticks of society get bloated and increasingly insufferable on untaxed capital gains. In 2017 Jacinda Ardern set a goal of bringing all children out of poverty within six years. So how is that going? And what are the next steps?
The return of John Key
Written By: - Date published: 11:10 am, August 7th, 2020 - 110 comments
In a sign of desperation National has trotted out John Key to campaign that the country’s success in containing Covid should be put to risk because of a misguided perception that it would be good for the economy.
The Covid election
Written By: - Date published: 7:40 am, August 6th, 2020 - 73 comments
I normally do not do this, tempting fate and all that. But the forces behind this election are so strong that it would take a really dramatic event to change current momentum.
Judith Collins – dirty politics hypocrite.
Written By: - Date published: 1:31 pm, June 28th, 2020 - 19 comments
I’ve just been reading Andrea Vance’s review of Judith Collin’s released biography. One thing that usually infuriates me is whining arseholes. I have always thought Judith Collins has always been one of them. Vindictive, small-minded, and ignorant. She whines even through a review that merely quotes her.
Dead man walking
Written By: - Date published: 7:00 am, May 20th, 2020 - 106 comments
The media is reporting there will be a vote of no confidence in Simon Bridges’ leadership at next week’s National caucus meeting.
His work here is not yet done
Written By: - Date published: 7:00 am, May 1st, 2020 - 71 comments
Former Prime Minister John Key has said that under current conditions employers are going to sack 20 per cent of their workers even if the company is doing well and that employers should never waste a crisis.
Will National roll Bridges before or after the election?
Written By: - Date published: 7:57 am, April 23rd, 2020 - 241 comments
It appears that the National Party is engaged in a bitter discussion of when Simon Bridges should be rolled, not if. Will it be before or after the election?
John Key 2.0
Written By: - Date published: 7:00 am, October 11th, 2019 - 120 comments
Chris Luxon has announced he will be seeking National’s nomination for the Botany seat next year. john Key is pleased. But Jami Lee-Ross is not … Update: Nor is Matthew Hooton …
Labour to repeal ban on family caregivers seeking justice
Written By: - Date published: 8:20 am, July 8th, 2019 - 39 comments
The Government has increased funding for family caregivers of people with disabilities and is moving to repeal one of the most constitutionally outrageous legislative provisions that the prevoius Government enacted.
Regulating Bankers
Written By: - Date published: 8:16 am, June 25th, 2019 - 76 comments
Grant Robertson gets occasional criticism from the left but it is hard to fault him for his timing or his delivery in seeking to strengthen banking sector oversight.
What happened to Hisco?
Written By: - Date published: 9:18 am, June 23rd, 2019 - 75 comments
Stuff has published details of a sweetheart deal where David Hisco bought the ANZ owned property they were living in for a greatly reduced price. But was this good investigative work or a leak from within ANZ?
Bankers gonna bank
Written By: - Date published: 8:09 am, June 18th, 2019 - 117 comments
The former head of ANZ and the current owner of John Key’s Omaha property, David Hisco, has left the employment of the Bank in somewhat newsworthy circumstances.
Death by a thousand cuts
Written By: - Date published: 7:20 am, May 1st, 2019 - 74 comments
It has been reported that John Key has shown some support behind the scenes for Judith Collins. And someone in National’s caucus has leaked to Newshub that MPs were told not to leak to Newshub.
National shafted us with the MOM privatisation
Written By: - Date published: 7:20 am, January 17th, 2019 - 318 comments
Five years on how are the benefits from the Mixed Ownership Model privatisation process the last Government engaged in working out?
New Zealand needs a Government that understands climate change
Written By: - Date published: 9:58 am, January 10th, 2019 - 47 comments
In an opinion piece in Stuff National Spokesperson on climate change Todd Muller has cast doubt on National agreeing to a political consensus on climate change.
The Air New Zealand Industrial dispute
Written By: - Date published: 7:49 am, December 11th, 2018 - 53 comments
Air New Zealand has provoked industrial action from its workers by trying to wind back wages and conditions at a time it is making near record profits.
National and its no tax promises
Written By: - Date published: 1:51 pm, November 27th, 2018 - 38 comments
National have got out the old “no new taxes” songbook and are singing it as loudly as they can.
- Undoing Muldoon’s crime
A little over 40 years ago, Falema'i Lesa won her appeal before the Privy Council, which ruled that she - and every other Samoan born under New Zealand colonial rule - was a New Zealand citizen. Then-Prime Minister Rob Muldoon didn't like that, so he had an urgent law passed ...2 hours ago - The opposition is in disarray
What on earth is going on with the main opposition parties at the moment? Both National and ACT have been making numerous flip-flops and miscommunications, clearly indicating that they aren’t a viable alternative to the current Labour led Government.Of particular note is the duplicitous reasoning given for why they support ...2 hours ago - DrawnA ballot for two member's bills was held today, and the following bills were drawn: Housing Infrastructure (GST-sharing) Bill (Brooke van Velden) Prohibition on Seabed Mining Legislation Amendment Bill (Debbie Ngarewa-Packer) Ngarewa-Packer's bill looks likely to start a shitfight with Labour, and not just because the ...3 hours ago
- Misery and Fear of Misery: Musings on Malthus and Henry George
As you might have noticed, I have an on-going interest in working my way through old and intellectually influential reading material. Occasionally I even share my thoughts on it, which allows me to take a break from my generally-dominant Tolkien analysis. Well, today I thought I would take a ...14 hours ago - Blowback on abortionAt the end of June, the US Supreme Court overturned Roe v Wade, putting abortion rights in America under threat. The move was unpopular - abortion rights have had clear majority support for decades and only a tiny minority of religious bigots think it should be illegal in all circumstances ...23 hours ago
- A new standard for BORA consistency?Golriz Ghahraman's Electoral (Strengthening Democracy) Amendment Bill will probably face its first reading today. And three months after it was introduced - pissing on the "as soon as practicable" requirement of Standing Order 269 - it has received a section 7 report from Attorney-General David Parker stating that its proposed ...24 hours ago
- The IPCA wants teethThere's an interesting select committee report out today, from the Petitions Committee on the Petition of Conrad Petersen: The Independent Police Conduct Authority (IPCA). The petitioner raises some concerns about the slowness of the IPCA process and its lack of oversight, and suggests some solutions. The committee doesn't seem keen ...1 day ago
- Member’s DayToday is a Member's Day, but likely to be a boring one. There's no general debate today, and instead the House will move right into the third reading of the Canterbury Regional Council (Ngāi Tahu Representation) Bill, which will add unelected, inherently conflicted Ngai Tahu representatives to ECan. Then there's ...1 day ago
- 27,000 employed under LabourThe quarterly labour market statistics were released this morning, showing unemployment has risen slightly to 3.3%. There are now 96,000 unemployed - 27,000 fewer than when Labour took office. The media narrative around this release has been... interesting. Unemployment was predicted to be as low as 2.8%, causing panic from ...1 day ago
- Gordon Campbell on the “one person, many votes” principle
That gormlessly glum picture of Christopher Luxon in Samoa graphically tells us what kind of image New Zealand would be projecting abroad if there’s a change of government next year. The glumness is understandable. For months, National and ACT had been dog whistling to the bigots who oppose the creation ...1 day ago - Bryce Edwards: Time to take political donations law seriously
There is no corruption in New Zealand. At least that’s what authorities want the public to believe. For decades now our system of political finance regulation has been portrayed as highly rigorous, ensuring our politicians cannot be bought. Unfortunately, that’s just not true. Although politicians and officials have claimed tight ...1 day ago - Branko Marcetic: Who knew James Shaw had so many fans in the media?Pundits have come out of the woodwork to defend the Greens co-leader, after he was stripped of his leadership last week by unhappy party members. The defences have all stuck to basically the same script: Shaw is a successful leader and minister who’s handed the party big victories in politics ...1 day ago
- How likely would Britain’s 40°C heatwave have been without climate change?
By Ben Clarke, DPhil Candidate in Environmental Research, University of Oxford; Friederike Otto, Associate Director, Environmental Change Institute, Imperial College London, and Luke Harrington, Senior Lecturer in Climate Change, University of Waikato. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. Every heatwave occurring today ...2 days ago - Meghan Murphy and Batya Ungar-Sargon on how journalism went woke
Meghan Murphy talks with Batya Ungar-Sargon the author of Bad News: How Woke Media Is Undermining Democracy. The book charts the trajectory of journalism in the US as it shifted from being a blue collar occupation producing the penny press for the masses, to a profession for Ivy League university ...2 days ago - A Grand Coalition For Peace, Unity and Democracy.
Co-Leaders? The uncomfortable truth is: not the Army, not the Police, not the Spooks, and not even a combination of all three, could defeat the scale and violence of White Supremacist and Māori Nationalist resistance which the imposition of radical decolonisation – or its racism-inspired defeat – would unleash upon ...2 days ago - Record rain in St. Louis is what climate change looks likeThis is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Bob Henson and Jeff Masters Torrents of rain that began before dawn on Tuesday, July 26, gave St. Louis, Missouri, its highest calendar-day total since records began in 1873. And the deadly event is just the latest example of a well-established trend ...3 days ago
- 2022 General Reading: July (+ Writing Update)
Completed reads for July: The Prince, by Niccolo MachiavelliFaust, Part I, by Johann Wolfgang von GoetheFaust, Part II, by Johann Wolfgang von GoetheParadise Lost, by John MiltonParadise Regained, by John MiltonThe NibelungenliedAgricola, by TacitusGermania, by TacitusDialogue on Orators, by TacitusThe Gods of Pegana, by Lord DunsanyTime and the Gods, ...3 days ago - Plugging the loopholeA couple of weeks ago the High Court exposed a loophole in our electoral donations law, enabling corrupt parties to take in unlimited amounts of secret money and explicitly sell policy to the rich. Pretty obviously, this is unacceptable in a country which wants to call itself a democracy, and ...3 days ago
- Gordon Campbell on why we should pay Kiwis living abroadThis morning, National’s deputy leader Nicola Willis managed to get top of the bulletin news coverage by pointing out that some Kiwis living abroad might receive the government’s cost of living payment. Quelle horreur. What is the problem here? Inflation is a global problem, and Kiwis living abroad may be ...3 days ago
- Fifty Wasted Years.3 days ago
- Geoffrey Miller: Jacinda Ardern strikes a softer tone on ChinaToday’s speech by Jacinda Ardern to the China Business Summit in Auckland was full of soothing words for Beijing. The headline-grabber was Ardern’s comment that ‘a few plans are afoot’ for New Zealand ministers to return to China – and that the Prime Minister herself hopes to return to the ...3 days ago
- 2022 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #30Listing of articles linked to on the Skeptical Science Facebook Page during the past week: Sun, July 24, 2022 through Sat, July 30, 2022. The following articles sparked above average interest during the week (bolded articles are from SkS authors): Cranky Uncle Cartoon 18/20 - Sinking Ship, Cranky Uncle Cartoon 20/20 ...4 days ago
- The Greens’ Unhappy Relationship With Power.Rule-Breaker? It is easy to see why poor James Shaw found himself brutally deposed as the Greens’ co-leader. By seeking the responsibilities of leadership – and exercising them – he violated the first rule of Green Party governance. Then, by accepting the limitations of the Green Party’s electoral mandate (7.8 ...4 days ago
- A heartwarming story about a Ukrainian prisoner of war
After the incredibly sad story about the deaths of over 50 Ukrainian POWs in a Ukrainian missile attack on the prison they were housed in (see Over 50 POWs killed. A military accident or a cynical war crime?) I came across the heartwarming story about another Ukrainian POW. It’s about a ...5 days ago - Over 50 POWs killed. A military accident or a cynical war crime?British mercenary Aiden Aslin, now a prisoner in the Donetsk People’s Republic, expressed real concern that he may die from the Ukrainian shelling of Donetsk. He has experienced many missile attacks that came close to the prison. Is he still alive? Understandably, we are always shocked about the losses ...5 days ago
- Turmoil in the National Caucus
Politics is largely reported as theatre: tragedy and comedy, thriller and farce. Andrea Vance captures it all very successfully in Blue Blood. But it is the politics of personality, not of policy – of the impact of government on the people’s wellbeing. Even so, we can see from the book ...6 days ago - A runaway successThis year the government finally got its clean car feebate scheme into place. But there's a problem: it's been too successful: Transport Minister Michael Wood will shortly review the cost of the fees and rebates in the Government's "feebate" scheme after the runaway success of the policy has meant ...6 days ago
- Gordon Campbell on Games fervour, and the music of S.G. GoodmanGiven how the pandemic has disrupted the sporting calendar, no-one would begrudge our elite athletes their chance to compete at international level. What with the war in Ukraine and the cost of living, there are also not many ‘good news” stories out there. So… I suppose the strenuous efforts the ...6 days ago
- Democracy And Daily Life.6 days ago
- Skeptical Science New Research for Week #30 202251% disgusted, 51% sad From our government and NGO publication section, the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication and George Mason University's Center for Climate Change Communication release an update on attitudes about climate change among US residents. Climate Change in the American Mind (PDF) extends a long term program of sampling and continues to reveal the shifting position ...7 days ago
- Why we need an OIA reviewStuff has relaunched its "redacted" series on freedom of information, starting today with an examination of OIA delays, and a look at the government's broken promise of an OIA review. The latter has raised some doubts about whether a review is really necessary, including from Ombudsman Peter Boshier (who thinks ...7 days ago
- Luxon’s Undoing
Even right-wing commentators have, over recent days, and jusrifiably enough, been taking the National leader, Christopher Luxon, to task. They have lambasted him over his soft-shoe shuffle over abortion, for bad-mouthing New Zealand business while he was overseas, and for pretending to be in Te Puke while he was actually ...7 days ago - Luxon’s FailingsSo, now we know for sure. The “protesters” who defiled the grounds of parliament and who (according to their own account) intended to create in three of our major cities “maximum disruption and inconvenience” to other citizens, are not interested in democracy – indeed, quite the contrary. Their objective, quite ...7 days ago
- Jacqui Van Der Kaay: Te Puke is not HawaiiThe issue with Christopher Luxon’s social media post talking about his day in Te Puke when he was in Hawaii is it’s fake news. He has since apologised for the mistake. But this doesn’t negate its impact. This mistake, misstep, gaffe or whatever you like to call it, is about ...7 days ago
- Is the tide turning on secrecy clauses?Over the last couple of years there has been a disturbing trend of new legislation containing secrecy clauses, which effectively make it illegal for affected government bodies to disclose information under the Official Information Act. Some of these are re-enacting old legislation from the pre- or early-OIA era (in which ...1 week ago
- Bryce Edwards: Another trial over secret political donationsAllegations of political corruption are once again at the heart of a new High Court trial this week. The trial follows straight on from the “not guilty” verdict for those running the New Zealand First Foundation. And this latest trial is once again about whether wealthy businesspeople and political parties ...1 week ago
- Ukraine/Russia war, an intelligence operation or a sting, Ukrainian and UK spies, and BellingcatUkrainian operation to steal Russian military aircraft exposed [English edit] Representatives of the Ukrainian special services offered up to $2 million for hijacking Russian military aircraft, as well as European passports for the pilots and their families. In order to gain trust, Ukrainians shared information they were not allowed ...1 week ago
- Tu Ingrate Vireta!* Stabbing The Green Caesar.Struck Down: As James Shaw saved the pure Greens from themselves in 2017, they resented him. As he secured the Climate Change portfolio for his party, they suspected him. As he achieved cross-party support for crucial climate change legislation, they condemned him. And, as he was white, and male, and ...1 week ago
- Extreme heat makes pregnancy more dangerousThis is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Samantha Harrington Esther Sanchez’s pregnancy this summer has coincided with extreme heat in Madrid, Spain, where she lives. Overnight temperatures there have been particularly uncomfortable. One recent morning, her living room was still 88 degrees Fahrenheit [31 C] at 6 a.m. “So it ...1 week ago
- Gordon Campbell on Luxon’s holiday, and the Greens phantom revoltIf nothing else, some of the media treatment of the Luxon lu’au has reeked of a double standard. If Jacinda Ardern – or any of her Cabinet Ministers – had been holidaying in Hawaii while their social media imagery was depicting them working hard on the public’s behalf in Te ...1 week ago
- Climate Change: Freeing the ETSThe Emissions Trading Scheme is broken. Stuffed with free allocations and rigged with a "cost containment reserve" which floods the market any time prices get "too high" (for a definition of "too high" set in a different world), its basicly served as a machanism to subsidise the production of the ...1 week ago
- Fighting Inflation – What Would A Democratic-Socialist Government Do?Think Big: A democratic-socialist government could remove GST from basic food items. It could re-nationalise and centralise the generation and distribution of electric power, and then retail it to citizens at an affordable price. A democratic-socialist government could nationalise the public transportation system and make it free for everyone. A democratic-socialist government ...1 week ago
- The volcanic eruption in Alaska that rocked ancient EgyptThis is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Jennifer Marlon and Joseph Manning Cleopatra wouldn’t have seen the clouds of ash darken the sky from her throne in Alexandria, but the effects of the eruption of an Alaskan volcano rippled through Egypt and the rest of the ancient world in ...1 week ago
- Conspiracies Against The Truth.1 week ago
- We need a windfall taxNew Zealand companies are using their oligopolistic market power to gouge mega profits, driving up inflation. Overseas, such actions have resulted in windfall taxes, which have been used both to drive down inflation, and ameliorate its impacts (while driving down emissions). With New Zealand petrol companies pocketing record margins and ...1 week ago
- The Greens’ Minority Rules.Poll Axed: What happened to James Shaw on Saturday, 23 July 2022 exposed the Greens’ minoritarian political culture for all to see. Once voters grasp the enormity of 30 percent of Green delegates to the Green AGM being constitutionally empowered to overrule the wishes of the 70 percent of delegates ...1 week ago
- Covering Tolkien’s Greatest Hits: Musings on the Other Rings of Power TrailerNow, that was strange. That was very strange. Having dropped an initial July teaser for The Rings of Power, Amazon put out a full two-minute trailer in the middle of the month. That one, I liked. Now, however, we have an additional three-minute trailer, released a couple of days ...1 week ago
- Legal Beagle: Draft submission on the Māori Electoral Option bill
I have prepared the following (draft) submission on the Electoral (Māori Electoral Option) Legislation Bill, which you all have until Saturday to submit on. Happy to consider comments, or to fix typos: have I used the word whakapapa incorrectly, etc? Please let me know :-)======The Justice CommitteeElectoral (Māori Electoral Option) ...1 week ago - The Greens, the media, and democracyThe big news over the weekend was that Green party delegates at their AGM voted to re-open nominations for James Shaw's co-leadership position, effectively toppling him as co-leader. I'm not a member of the Greens, so its not really my place to have an opinion on who should lead them ...1 week ago
- Bryce Edwards: Why James Shaw needs to goJames Shaw has lost his co-leadership position in the Green Party, and there’s a good chance he won’t be able to get it back. And he shouldn’t – it won’t be good for either him or his party. When delegates at the Green Party AGM voted on his position as ...1 week ago
- Gordon Campbell on the Greens, and on free market myopiaClimate change has gone from being one of those allegedly wacky Green ideas to wide mainstream acceptance. In their own ways, leaders like Jeanette Fitzsimons, Russel Norman and James Shaw each added to the increased credibility the Greens’ now have among the voting public. The decision not to re-endorse Shaw ...1 week ago
- 2022 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #29Listing of articles linked to on the Skeptical Science Facebook Page during the past week: Sun, July 17, 2022 through Sat, July 23, 2022. The following articles sparked above average interest during the week (bolded articles are from SkS authors): Cranky Uncle Cartoon 14/20 - Hitting the Ground, Cranky Uncle ...2 weeks ago
- The ChoiceSo, now we know for sure. The “protesters” who defiled the grounds of parliament and who (according to their own account) intended to create in three of our major cities “maximum disruption and inconvenience” to other citizens, are not interested in democracy – indeed, quite the contrary. Their objective, quite ...2 weeks ago
- The last of the Ford car plant seriesDon Franks was interviewed by Dr Toby Boraman in December 2013 about his time working in the militant Ford car plant in the 1970s. This is the fifth and final installment of that interview. The first installment is here, the second installment here, the third here and fourth installment here. (The interview has ...2 weeks ago
- Winston Peters – Arsehole of the Week2 weeks ago
- Bryce Edwards: Green Party divisions over their futureImagine being a Green Party activist at the moment. You joined the party because climate change is an existential threat and truly radical change needs to be undertaken immediately. You’re deeply upset by inequality. You think that conventional politicians are part of the problem. However, you begin to realise that ...2 weeks ago
- In Defence of Modern Students: A Reply to Chris Trotter
Chris Trotter has put out a piece, lamenting the myopic focus of modern student activism on, well, students, and the tendency of university-educated policy-makers to take care of their own: https://bowalleyroad.blogspot.com/2022/07/poverty-is-indivisible-ms-swarbrick.html I think he raises some fair points, at least in the sense that assisting New Zealand’s university ...2 weeks ago - Trade Deals Are a-Changin'
Are We Keeping Up With the Changing Global Trade Patterns?Much of the response to the recent New Zealand-European Union Free Trade Agreement was disheartening, especially the complaints about the limited gains for our meat and dairy products. Yes, the gains were small, but significant in the circumstances.About a decade ago ...2 weeks ago - Taking the Temperature: a dispatch from the UKWell, it has happened. Forty degrees Celsius. It was bound to happen eventually, given the lack of determined action to halt our rising temperatures worldwide. Those who insisted such a temperature was impossible here in the UK have been left with egg on their faces. It was not a case ...2 weeks ago
- Corroboration: The key January 6 moment where Trump is exposed
Today’s January 6 committee hearings from Washington DC captured a series of remarkable, damning moments that make it clear Donald Trump is not fit for any role in public office, let alone the highest in the land. A series of moments, but one above all that leaves us in no ...2 weeks ago - Bryce Edwards: If the NZ First Foundation accused are not guilty, then who is?It’s shocking that the accused in the NZ First Foundation trial were declared “not guilty” in the High Court today. But it’s not actually surprising. There was always a strong chance that the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) was not going to get a conviction over the machinations used to keep ...2 weeks ago
- So its worse thenWhen news about the New Zealand First Foundation broke, electoral law expert Andrew Geddis put it succinctly: [T]he alternative conclusion is, if anything, even more worrying. If it turns out that the foundation and the party somehow are operating lawfully, as we should note Winston Peters maintains, then that ...2 weeks ago
- Poverty Is Indivisible, Ms Swarbrick.2 weeks ago
- Hard News: 60Tomorrow, I will be 60 years old. It’s the impossibly distant age at which people used to retire with a pension and a mortgage-free house. It's okay. I've been thinking of myself as basically there for a while now – and the same thing appears to be happening to some ...2 weeks ago
- Understanding wokeness as a make-work strategy for the privileged class
Quillette podcast host Jonathan Kay speaks with Swedish Marxist Malcom Kyeyune, who argues that nominally progressive theories of race and gender are actually aimed at securing influence, employment, and prestige for underemployed university graduates. https://quillette.com/2022/07/19/understanding-wokeness-as-a-make-work-strategy-for-privileged-white-collar-workers/ ...2 weeks ago - Skeptical Science New Research for Week #29 2022How does the IPCC know? With the passage of time our scientific understanding improves. Thanks to the fundamental purpose and scale of the effort, our arc of progress is especially swift and brightly visible in the shape of our (unfortunately) growing collection of IPCC Assessment Reports. With better vision comes more clarity, ...2 weeks ago
- Climate Change: A quarter-billion dollar delayBack 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. Having noticed this, ...2 weeks ago
- Gordon Campbell on the Covid surge, and re-infectionHate to sound “fearful” and “inward”in my thinking, but it seems Covid can’t be beaten simply by a dose of positive thinking and a “can do” Kiwi attitude. The virus doesn’t seem to respect our mindset. The Omicron BA. 4 and BA.5 variants also don’t seem to respect the mRNA ...2 weeks ago
- Mainstream media defends poor journalism by smearing good journalismOne of the results of the current partisanship and ideological motivation of the mainstream media is that the old journalistic skills of objective research and basing articles on evidence have largely disappeared. In many cases, journalists have just become stenographers faithfully parroting and quoting think tanks and anonymous political ...2 weeks ago
- Bryce Edwards: Public submissions on political donation reform releasedIs it ironic that the Government is reforming rules around secret political donations in a very secretive way? There has been overwhelming public demand for more openness about how politicians raise their money, but the Government and officials have been less than transparent and very restrictive over the whole submission ...2 weeks ago
- Ministry of Justice OIA release of information on political donationsThe Ministry of Justice has released a copy of the public submissions on the Government’s proposed political donation law reforms – see here: OIA 96540 – Edwards 1 July 2022. This information was requested in early April under the Official Information Act, and was finally provided this month. Note the ...2 weeks ago
- A conspiracy against the publicEarlier this year the government held a public consultation on proposed changes to the election donations regime. Naturally, political parties - who have a strong interest in the rules around donations and what they have to disclose - submitted to it. But the Ministry of Justice cooked up a crooked ...2 weeks ago
- Playing the World’s Smallest Violin: A Rant About New Zealand’s Supposed Labour Shortage
Inflation is Back, in New Zealand as much as in anywhere else. Fuel costs and supply-chain issues and all that – and, yes, the loose monetary policy in 2020 has had an impact too, though it was the right thing to do at the time. 7% inflation in ...2 weeks ago - People, protests and politics at the Ford car plant in the 1970sDon Franks was interviewed by Dr Toby Boraman in December 2013 about his time working in the militant Ford car plant in the 1970s. In this installment Don talks about speedup, antiapartheid protests, the Maori land march and different views on Norm Kirk (The interview has been lightly edited. For ...2 weeks ago
- Bryce Edwards: How much of our cost-of-living crisis is due to incompetence?It’s ordinary people who are suffering the most from the current cost of living crisis. In other words, working people and the poor are paying the price of higher prices. Rising living costs have greater consequences for those in the bottom half of the wealth hierarchy, who are pushed into ...2 weeks ago
- Let’s build better, warmer, and climate-friendly
The Government must take steps to ensure that the way we build our homes is helping to meet New Zealand’s climate change targets, the Green Party said. ...3 hours ago - Mana in Mahi must guarantee liveable incomesThe Government’s employment initiatives led by the Ministry of Social Development must guarantee liveable incomes and fair working conditions, the Green Party says. ...4 hours ago
- Time to strike anti-Pacific racism from New Zealand lawA Green Party member’s bill launched today would strike an anti-Pacific racist law from the country’s books and help heal the wrongs of the past. ...5 hours ago
- More nurses, doctors and health workers
New Zealanders deserve a health system that works for everyone, no matter who you are or where you live. Our Government has a plan to make this a reality, and we’re taking the next steps. We now have thousands more health professionals, such as doctors and nurses, working in New ...2 days ago - Green Party welcomes new report critiquing OT Oversight billThe Green Party once again calls on the Government to withdraw its Oversight of Oranga Tamariki Bill. ...2 days ago
- 15 times Jacinda Ardern has shown she’s a true leaderDuring her time as Prime Minister, Jacinda Ardern has navigated New Zealand through unprecedented times. Through it all, she’s become known as someone who leads with kindness, compassion and strength, while keeping the wellbeing of Kiwis at the heart of her approach. To celebrate five years of Jacinda leading the ...3 days ago
- Govt must wipe debt to MSD as part of ‘cost of living’ responseThe Government needs to clear the debt that MSD has forced hundreds of thousands of low income people to take on, says the Green Party. ...3 days 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 grow a secure economy for all. ...4 days ago
- NZ First Foundation loophole must be closed at select committeeThe Government must use the opportunity of the Electoral Amendment Bill in Parliament to close the loophole in the political donations regime, the Green Party says. ...7 days ago
- Wider scope for birth injuries bill celebratedThanks to political pressure from the Green Party and the more than 900 personal stories of birth injury and trauma delivered to Minister Sepuloni, more injuries have been added to the ACC birth injuries bill. ...1 week ago
- Greens back taihoa call on Oranga Tamariki billThe Green Party will be voting against the Oranga Tamariki oversight bill as it comes up for second reading in Parliament today. ...1 week ago
- “A real game-changer” – how we’re supporting KiwisSupporting New Zealanders is at the heart of our approach as a Government, and we’re working hard to tackle the big issues Kiwis are facing. While long term challenges like child poverty won’t be solved overnight, we’re putting in place policies that make a real difference for New Zealanders. Here ...1 week ago
- Making housing more affordableEvery New Zealander deserves a healthy, affordable place to call home. We have a comprehensive plan to make it happen, and we’re making good progress. Here's the latest on how we're supporting Kiwis into homes: ...2 weeks ago
- Greens call for overhaul of ‘double standards’ in investor category visaThe Government is allowing wealthy individuals to ‘purchase’ residency while entrenching a system that keeps low-waged workers on a precarious and temporary status, the Green Party says. ...2 weeks ago
- Accessible elections a step closer, thanks to the GreensThe Election Access Fund established by a Green Party members’ bill opened for submissions this week, showing positive progress towards more accessible elections. ...2 weeks ago
- New evidence boosts case for urgent pay transparency reformThe Green Party is calling on the Government to pass legislation to increase pay transparency, saying it is an urgent step that needs to be taken in response to shocking new evidence that most of the pay gap for Pacific, Māori, and other ethnic minorities cannot be explained. ...2 weeks ago
- Green Party AGM to move onlineThe Green Party has made the decision to move its 2022 AGM online. Members of the party will not be gathering in Christchurch this weekend. ...2 weeks ago
- Bold solutions needed to ease inflation pressuresAction is needed to address the inequality crisis and support New Zealanders on the lowest incomes, the Green Party says. ...2 weeks ago
- Inquiry reveals thousands of students living in povertyThe Government must lift student incomes now, says the Green Party, as new evidence shows thousands of students are living in poverty, with many struggling to pay rent and put food on the table. ...2 weeks ago
- Free public transport better for climate and inequalityThe Green Party is on board with the extension of half-price public transport, but once again calls on the Government to go further and make public transport free - for good. ...3 weeks ago
- Govt investment into Whakatāne regeneration reaches new milestones
Today Economic and Regional Development Minister Stuart Nash turned the sod for the new Whakatāne Commercial Boat Harbour, cut the ribbon for the revitalised Whakatāne Wharf, and inspected work underway to develop the old Whakatāne Army Hall into a visitor centre, all of which are part of the $36.8 million ...3 hours ago - Government determined to get a better deal for consumersNew Zealanders are not getting a fair deal on some key residential building supplies and while the Government has already driven improvements in the sector, a Commerce Commission review finds that changes are needed to make it more competitive. “New Zealand is facing the same global cost of living and ...4 hours ago
- Government exceeds Mana in Mahi targetMana in Mahi reaches a milestone surpassing 5,000 participants 75 per cent of participants who had been on a benefit for two or more years haven’t gone back onto a benefit 89 per cent who have a training pathway are working towards a qualification at NZQA level 3 or ...5 hours ago
- Government opens new research and innovation hubThe Government has invested $7.7 million in a research innovation hub which was officially opened today by Minister of Research, Science and Innovation Dr Ayesha Verrall. The new facility named Te Pā Harakeke Flexible Labs comprises 560 square metres of new laboratory space for research staff and is based at ...1 day ago
- Unemployment remains low and wages rise despite volatile global environmentUnemployment has remained near record lows thanks to the Government’s economic plan to support households and businesses through the challenging global environment, resulting in more people in work and wages rising. Stats NZ figures show the unemployment rate was 3.3 percent in the June quarter, with 96,000 people classed out ...1 day ago
- First ever climate adaptation plan lays foundations for resilient communitiesAction to address the risks identified in the 2020 climate change risk assessment, protecting lives, livelihoods, homes, businesses and infrastructure A joined up approach that will support community-based adaptation with national policies and legislation Providing all New Zealanders with information about local climate risks via a new online data ...1 day ago
- New mental health and addiction services making a difference for MāoriMāori with mental health and addiction challenges have easier access to care thanks to twenty-nine Kaupapa Māori primary mental health and addiction services across Aotearoa, Associate Minister of Health Peeni Henare says. “Labour is the first government to take mental health seriously for all New Zealanders. We know that Māori ...1 day ago
- Data and Statistics Bill Passes its Third ReadingA Bill which updates New Zealand’s statistics legislation for the 21st century has passed its third and final reading today, Minister of Statistics David Clark said. The Data and Statistics Act replaces the Statistics Act, which has been in effect since 1975. “In the last few decades, national data and ...2 days ago
- Further moves to improve the lives of disabled peopleThe Accessibility for New Zealanders Bill has passed its first reading in Parliament today, marking a significant milestone to improve the lives of disabled people. “The Bill aims to address accessibility barriers that prevent disabled people, tāngata whaikaha and their whānau, and others with accessibility needs from living independently,” said ...2 days ago
- Speech to the China Business SummitKia ora koutou, da jia hao It’s great to be back at this year’s China Business Summit. I would first like to acknowledge Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, former Prime Minister Helen Clark, His Excellency Ambassador Wang Xiaolong, and parliamentary colleagues both current and former the Right Honourable Winston Peters, the ...2 days ago
- Further changes to CCCFA Regulations will improve safe access to creditNarrowing the expenses considered by lenders Relaxing the assumptions that lenders were required to make about credit cards and buy-now pay-later schemes. Helping make debt refinancing or debt consolidation more accessible if appropriate for borrowers The Government is clarifying the Credit Contracts and Consumer Finance (CCCFA) Regulations, to ensure ...2 days ago
- Government prioritises firearm prohibition orders to reduce gun harmThe Firearms Prohibition Order Legislation Bill will be passed through all remaining stages by the end of next week, Police Minister Chris Hipkins said. The Justice Select Committee has received public feedback and finalised its report more quickly than planned. It reported back to the House on Friday. “The Bill will ...2 days ago
- National plan to protect kauri commencesThe Government has stepped up activity to protect kauri, with a National Pest Management Plan (NPMP) coming into effect today, Biosecurity Minister Damien O'Connor and Associate Environment Minister James Shaw said. “We have a duty to ensure this magnificent species endures for future generations and also for the health of ...2 days ago
- Support for Samoa’s Climate Change Plan and rebuild of Savalalo MarketPrime Minister Ardern met with members of Samoa’s Cabinet in Apia, today, announcing the launch of a new climate change partnership and confirming support for the rebuild of the capital’s main market, on the occasion of the 60th Anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Friendship between Aotearoa New ...2 days ago
- Reconnecting with ASEAN and MalaysiaForeign Minister Nanaia Mahuta departs for the Indo-Pacific region today for talks on security and economic issues at meetings of ASEAN and the East Asia Summit in Cambodia, and during bilateral engagements in Malaysia. “Engaging in person with our regional partners is a key part of our reconnecting strategy as ...2 days ago
- Statement to the 2022 Review Conference for the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear WeaponsUnited Nations Headquarters, New York City Thank you, Mr President. Ngā mihi ki a koutou. I extend my warm congratulations to you and assure you of the full cooperation of the New Zealand delegation. I will get right to it. In spite of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and the nuclear ...2 days ago
- 10,000 more permanent public homes added under the Labour GovernmentA major milestone of 10,037 additional public homes has been achieved since Labour came into office, the Housing Minister Dr Megan Woods confirmed today. “It’s extremely satisfying and a testament to our commitment to providing a safety net for people who need public housing, that we have delivered these warm, ...2 days ago
- Sanctions on Russian armed forces and weapons manufacturersThe Minister of Foreign Affairs Nanaia Mahuta has announced further sanctions on the armed forces and military-industrial complex of the Russian Federation. “President Putin and the Russian military are responsible for violating the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, which is a grave breach of fundamental international law,” Nanaia Mahuta ...3 days ago
- Government plan to boost health workersEasing the process for overseas nurses and provision of up to $10,000 in financial support for international nurses for NZ registration costs. Provide for the costs of reregistration for New Zealand nurses who want to return to work. Covering international doctors’ salaries during their six-week clinical induction courses and ...3 days ago
- Today marks one year since Government’s Dawn Raids apologyA new future between Pacific Aotearoa and Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei is the essence of a Dawn Raids Apology anniversary event in Auckland this month, said Minister for Pacific Peoples Aupito William Sio. One year ago, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern formally apologised to Pacific communities impacted by the Dawn Raids in ...3 days ago
- PM Speech to China Business SummitTēnā koutou katoa Tuia ngā waka, Tuia ngā wawata, Tuia ngā hou-kura Let us bind our connection, let us bind our vision, let us bind our shared aspiration for peace and prosperity. This year marks a significant milestone in the New Zealand – China relationship. Fifty years ago – 1972 – ...3 days ago
- Cook Islands Language Week will close generational gapIt’s Cook Islands Language week and the Minister of Pacific Peoples, Aupito William Sio wants the community to focus on what it means to keep the language alive across the generations. “Our Cook Islands community in Aotearoa have decided to focus on the same theme as last years; ‘ Ātuitui’ia ...4 days ago
- Cost of Living support payment to reach over 2 million New ZealandersFrom 1 August an estimated 2.1 million New Zealanders will be eligible to receive the first targeted Cost of Living Payment as part of the Government’s plan to help soften the impact of rising global inflationary pressures affecting New Zealanders, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern says. The payments will see eligible ...4 days ago
- New Zealand’s border fully open to visitors and students· New Zealand’s international border opens to all visitors, including from non-visa waiver countries, and international students from 11:59PM, 31 July 2022. · Cruise ships and recreational yachts able to arrive at New Zealand ports. This evening marks the final step in the Government’s reconnecting plan, with visitors from non-visa ...4 days ago
- Government sets out plan to eliminate HIV transmission in New ZealandNew Action Plan to eliminate HIV transmission released for consultation today $18 million Budget 2022 boost Key measures to achieve elimination include increasing prevention and testing, improving access to care and treatment and addressing stigma The Government has today released its plan to eliminate the transmission of HIV in ...5 days ago
- Government support lifts income for beneficiariesA report released today shows Government support has lifted incomes for Beneficiaries by 40 percent over and above inflation since 2018. “This is the first time this data set has been collected, and it clearly shows Government action is having an impact,” Carmel Sepuloni said. “This Government made a commitment ...5 days ago
- Māori Housing: Urban development underway in Mt WellingtonThirty new warm, safe and affordable apartments to be delivered by Tauhara North No 2 Trust in Tāmaki Makaurau Delivered through Whai Kāinga Whai Oranga programme, jointly delivered by Te Puni Kōkiri and the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development Allocation of the apartments will be prioritised to support ...6 days ago
- Phil Twyford to attend Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty meetingDisarmament and Arms Control Minister Phil Twyford will lead Aotearoa New Zealand’s delegation to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) Review Conference at the United Nations in New York next week. “Aotearoa New Zealand has a long history of advocating for a world free of nuclear weapons,” Phil Twyford said. “The NPT has ...6 days ago
- Construction Sector Accord – launch of Transformation Plan 2022-2025I am delighted to join you today for the launch of the Construction Sector Accord Transformation Plan 2022-2025. I would like to acknowledge my colleagues – the other Accord Ministers, the Accord governance and sector leadership, the CEOs of Government agencies, and leaders from the construction sector. The construction ...6 days ago
- Work underway to make Wairarapa roads saferAssociate Minister of Transport Kieran McAnulty was joined this morning by the Mayors of Carterton and Masterton, local Iwi and members of the Wairarapa community to turn the first sod on a package of crucial safety improvements for State Highway 2 in Wairarapa. “The work to improve safety on this ...6 days ago
- Next steps taken to deliver Milford Opportunities ProjectThe board to take the Milford Opportunities Project (MOP) forward has been announced by Minister of Conservation Poto Williams today. “The Milford Opportunities Project is a once in a generation chance to reshape the gateway to Milford Sound Piopiotahi and redesign our transport infrastructure to benefit locals, visitors, and our ...6 days ago
- Construction Sector Transformation Plan to accelerate change in industryA new three year plan to transform the construction industry into a high-performing sector with increased productivity, diversity and innovation has been unveiled by the Minister for Building and Construction Dr Megan Woods and Accord Steering group this morning. As lead minister for the Construction Sector Accord, Dr Woods told ...6 days ago
- More counsellors to boost mental health workforceFor the first time counsellors will be able to become accredited to work in publicly funded clinical roles to support the mental wellbeing of New Zealanders. The Government and the board of the New Zealand Association of Counsellors (NZAC) have developed a new opt-in accreditation pathway so NZCA members can ...6 days ago
- Kua waitohua he Whakaaetanga Whakataunga ki a Ngāti Tara Tokanui – Deed of settlement signed ...Kua waitohua he Whakaaetanga Whakataunga i waenga i a Ngāti Tara Tokanui me te Karauna, te kī a te Minita mō ngā Take Tiriti o Waitangi, a Andrew Little. Ko Ngāti Tara Tokanui tētahi o ngā iwi 12 o Hauraki, ko te pokapū o tōna rohe whai pānga ko Paeroa, ...7 days ago
- Board to advise on upholding Treaty settlements in resource management systemAn advisory board has been established to help ensure existing Treaty settlements are upheld under the new resource management system. “The Government is committed to upholding Treaty settlements that intersect with the Resource Management Act as we move to a new system, and we are working with settled groups to ...7 days ago
- Prime Minister to lead delegation to Samoa to commemorate the 60th Anniversary of the signing of the...Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced today that she will lead a Parliamentary and community delegation to Apia, Samoa from the 1–2 August to commemorate the 60th Anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Friendship, between Aotearoa New Zealand and Samoa. “It is an honour to be invited to Samoa ...1 week ago
- New Zealand firefighters and Defence Force personnel receive Australian awardsMinister for Internal Affairs, Jan Tinetti, and Minister of Defence, Peeni Henare, have today announced that 150 Fire and Emergency New Zealand personnel and 145 members of the New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) have been awarded the Australian National Emergency Medal, with Bushfires 19/20 Clasp, as part of a group ...1 week ago
- Kiwis urged to ‘Stick it to hep C’ with launch of national hepatitis C awareness campaignToday Associate Health Minister Dr Ayesha Verrall is launching a national hepatitis C awareness campaign to mark World Hepatitis Day. “It’s really important we do everything we can to raise awareness of hepatitis C so we can eliminate the virus that approximately 40,000-45,000 New Zealanders live with,” said Dr Ayesha ...1 week ago
- New investment aims to boost soil and freshwater health, and reduce emissions on farmsThe Government is co-investing in a $22 million programme aimed at significantly reducing agricultural greenhouse gases and nitrate leaching, Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor announced. “The Government has committed $7.3 million over seven years to the N-Vision NZ programme through the Ministry for Primary Industries’ Sustainable Food and Fibre Futures (SFF ...1 week ago
- Ministerial Statement to Parliament, executions in MyanmarMyanmar Executions: Minister of Foreign Affairs Statement to the House Mr Speaker On Monday 25 July, Myanmar’s state-run newspaper announced the execution of four people, including political figures – Phyo Zeya Thaw, Kyaw Min Yu - known as Ko Jimmy, Hla Myo Aung and Aung Thura Zaw. The four were ...1 week ago
- ‘I am Country, and Country is me!’ Indigenous ways of teaching could be beneficial for all child...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Benjamin Wilson, Associate Professor, University of Canberra GettyImages The authors are cultural men who have undertaken learning on and through Country with Elders in NSW, Queensland, and the Northern Territory. This piece is the product of their own experience and ...40 mins ago - Ombudsman To Test Concerns Council Workshops Are Undermining Local Democracy
The Chief Ombudsman has launched an investigation into concerns that councils are undermining local democracy by using ‘workshops’ to discuss issues and make decisions behind closed doors. Mr Boshier is taking action after becoming concerned about the ...49 mins ago - Our Intentions: Looking At The Effectiveness Of Mental Health And Addiction Services For Young Peopl...We’ve published some information about a performance audit we are carrying out about the effectiveness of mental health and addiction services for young people. Mental health and addiction issues are common in New Zealand. Young people are particularly ...53 mins ago
- Building supply market: Report a clear signal for sector to 'think about their behaviour' ...
The government is promising more action on tackling high prices for residential building materials, but says more detailed work still has to be done. ...2 hours ago - ‘Decolonising’ classrooms could help keep First Nations kids in school and away from policeSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Aleryk Fricker, Lecturer, Indigenous Education, Deakin University GettyImages The recent decision to transport juvenile offenders into an adult maximum-security prison in Western Australia shows the youth justice system is in crisis. The findings of the Don Dale Royal Commission, and ...2 hours ago
- Why do some people who take Paxlovid for COVID get ‘rebound’ symptoms? Or test positive again, l...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Lara Herrero, Research Leader in Virology and Infectious Disease, Griffith University For many people with COVID, their recovery isn’t linear. United States President Joe Biden is one such person – he continues to test positive for SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID, ...2 hours ago
- Politics with Michelle Grattan: Tom Calma on the Indigenous Voice to parliamentSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra The Albanese government has released the draft wording for enshrining an Indigenous Voice to parliament in the constitution. Anthony Albanese is making a referendum a priority but history tells us how hard these are to ...2 hours ago
- Our Mistake, Christopher Luxon Still Committed To IndexationThe Taxpayers’ Union has received assurances from Christopher Luxon that tax indexation is still National Party policy, the Leader of the Opposition saying that “inflation indexation remains a key commitment of any future tax plan.” Taxpayers’ Union ...3 hours ago
- More investment in literacy skills is needed if NZ is serious about ending persistent disparities fo...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stephen Agnew, Senior Lecturer of Economics, University of Canterbury Getty Images Low English literacy rates in Pasifika students are a key predictor of exclusion from school, an analysis of ten years of data has found. Our study analysed a ...3 hours ago
- Water Services Entities BillPublic submissions on the Water Services Entities Bill closed on Friday 22 July 2022. The Finance and Expenditure Committee has received 88,324 written submissions, which will now be considered by the committee. Barbara Edmonds, Chair of the Finance ...3 hours ago
- Unelected Ngai Tahu On Environment Canterbury Is A Dismantling Of Democracy"At a time when many Maori, like many other Kiwis, suffer from a crisis in housing, health, first world education, and decent wages, Labour is busy dismantling New Zealand’s democracy,” says Rt Hon Winston Peters Leader of New Zealand First. ...3 hours ago
- National Adaptation Plan Recognises No One-Size-Fits-All Response To Climate Change AdaptationThe Government released the National Adaptation Plan yesterday and it supports the central role of regional and unitary councils in preparing communities to adapt to climate change. Michael McCartney, Regional Chief Executive Officers Group Convenor ...3 hours ago
- Ministers respond after Commerce Commission says competition not working well in building supplies m...Minister of Building and Construction Megan Woods and Minister of Commerce and Consumer Affairs David Clark on Commerce Commission draft report into building supplies market. ...3 hours ago
- Employment Indicators: Weekly As At 1 August 2022The experimental weekly series provides an early indicator of employment and labour market changes in a more timely manner than the monthly employment indicators series. Key facts The 6-day series includes jobs with a pay period equal to or less than ...4 hours ago
- Government celebrates Mana in Mahi programmeThe government's Mana in Mahi programme, which helps people start new careers, has had about 1000 more participants than expected four years on from its establishment. ...4 hours ago
- Time For National To Stand For SomethingThe Taxpayers’ Union is slamming the National Party for jettisoning one of its very few policies: income tax relief. “Backing down from their income tax reduction policy after copping a hard time from other parties demonstrates how quickly Christopher ...5 hours ago
- Failed Cattle Shipment Exposes Live Exports' Inherent FlawsA planned export of 12,300 cattle organised by Genetic Development Exports Limited Partnership failed after the livestock carrier Al Kuwait broke down en route to Aotearoa. The delay resulted in subsequent animal welfare problems. Pregnant cows lost so much ...5 hours ago
- Groundswell NZ Launches Say No Campaign To Boycott Government ProgrammesGroundswell NZ is launching a campaign to Say No to interacting with the Government when it demands information used to harm food producers and rural communities, Groundswell NZ co-founder Bryce McKenzie says. “Taking action to Say No is a short-term necessity, ...5 hours ago
- ‘Just Transition’ Plan In Place As NZ Post Closes Mail Processing CentreMembers at a New Zealand Post mail processing centre will have nine months to prepare to transition into other work after the company announced the centre will be shutting for good next year. More than 20 E tū members working at NZ Post’s mail processing ...6 hours ago
- Where are all the ants? World-first ‘treasure map’ reveals hotspots for rare speciesSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Simon KA Robson, Professor, CQUniversity Australia Ajay Narendra, Author provided The American biologist E.O. Wilson famously called invertebrates “the little things that run the world”. Despite their great importance, we still know very little about the worms, insects and other ...7 hours ago
- 4 ways we can recover from the loneliness of the COVID pandemicSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle H Lim, Senior Lecturer and Clinical Psychologist, Swinburne University of Technology Loneliness has been a huge concern since the start of the COVID pandemic. One review published in May, which looked at loneliness studies across many countries, found loneliness was more ...7 hours ago
- The Greens have backed Labor’s 43% target – but don’t think Australia’s climate wars are ove...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kate Crowley, Adjunct Associate Professor, Public and Environmental Policy, University of Tasmania Shutterstock After a decade of climate policy failure, Wednesday brought good news and slightly less good news for Australian action on climate change. The good news: the ...7 hours ago
- Japan’s Old Enough and Australia’s Bluey remind us our kids are no longer ‘free range’ – b...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rebecca Clements, Postdoctoral Research Associate, Faculty of Architecture, Building and Planning, University of Sydney In the popular Japanese TV series Old Enough, very young children are sent out into their neighbourhood on their first solo errand. The release of this long-running series ...7 hours ago
- This surgical procedure to impregnate greyhounds in Australia is a major animal welfare issueSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sarah Pollard Williams, Adjunct lecturer, Charles Sturt University Shutterstock Greyhounds in Australia will continue to be impregnated via a procedure that’s illegal in other countries, after a provision to ban it was recently overturned in a New South Wales government ...7 hours ago
- If Australian schools want to improve student discipline, they need to address these 5 issuesSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Anna Sullivan, Professor and Director, Centre for Research in Educational and Social Inclusion, University of South Australia Paul Miller/AAP NSW is in the middle of overhauling its approach to suspensions and expulsions. Under a proposed plan due to start ...7 hours ago
- Inflation isn’t the 6.1% they say it is – for many of us, it is much lowerSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ben Phillips, Associate Professor, Centre for Social Research and Methods, Director, Centre for Economic Policy Research (CEPR), Australian National University Shutterstock We learnt last week inflation is officially 6.1% – way above the average over the past 20 years of ...7 hours ago
- Jane Goodall joins Barbie’s ‘inspiring women’ series: the strange evolution of an iconic dollSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Katie Pickles, Professor of History, University of Canterbury Getty Images In news many probably never expected to see, no-frills, outdoorsy, animal behaviour expert and conservation activist Jane Goodall has become a Barbie doll (accompanied by her famous chimpanzee, David Greybeard). ...7 hours ago
- Would Carlotta, Australia’s most celebrated drag queen, have made it on RuPaul’s Drag Race?Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Joanna McIntyre, Senior Lecturer in Media Studies, Swinburne University of Technology After the first season last year wobbled on its heels, the second season of RuPaul’s Drag Race Down Under began last weekend. In becoming the global beacon of drag, Drag ...7 hours ago
- Christopher Luxon joins Backbencher immortals – some strings attachedNational leader Christopher Luxon has been immortalised in puppet form at the Backbencher pub in the capital. ...8 hours ago
- ALRANZ Welcomes Good News From KansasALRANZ Abortion Rights Aotearoa hails the failure of a Kansas referendum that would have removed protection for abortion rights from the state’s constitution. The vote is a strong demonstration of the popularity of abortion rights in the United ...9 hours ago
- New law gives Ngāi Tahu right to appoint two Environment Canterbury councillorsNgāi Tahu will get guaranteed representation and decision-making powers on Canterbury's regional council Ecan. ...9 hours ago
- It’s official: the Murray-Darling Basin Plan hasn’t met its promise to our precious rivers. So w...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Richard Kingsford, Professor, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, UNSW Sydney Dean Lewins/AAP A long-awaited report released on Tuesday found the amount of water promised to river environments under the Murray-Darling Basin Plan “cannot be achieved” under current settings. ...17 hours ago
- Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan raises temperatures, but it’s in everyone’s interest to cool them dow...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tony Walker, Vice-chancellor’s fellow, La Trobe University AAP/EPA/Taiwan Presidential Palace handout US Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi’s provocative visit to Taiwan has been ill-timed from the perspective of China’s leader Xi Jinping. In seeking to further consolidate his hold ...18 hours ago
- 'Better late than never': Scrutiny over pace of releasing climate planThe opposition is chiding the government for taking this long to release a strategy to deal with the effects of climate change - but the minister in charge is not having a bar of it. ...18 hours ago
- It’s official: the Murray-Darling Basin Plan has delivered little to our precious rivers. So where...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Richard Kingsford, Professor, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, UNSW Sydney Dean Lewins/AAP A long-awaited report released on Tuesday found the amount of water promised to river environments under the Murray-Darling Basin Plan “cannot be achieved” under current settings. ...19 hours ago
- Get busy winning – Tauranga MP’s message in his maiden speechThe House: As new MP Sam Uffindell was sworn in, Parliament heard a national wake-up call about underperformance and settling for second best. ...19 hours ago
- How do epidurals work? And why is there a global shortage of them?Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alicia Dennis, Professor MBBS, PhD, MPH, PGDipEcho, FANZCA, GAICD, The University of Melbourne Shutterstock More than 40% of people who give birth in Australia use epidurals for pain relief during labour. That amounts to around 92,000 epidurals a year. They’re ...20 hours ago
- Taiwan visits 'not up to the CCP to decide' – SeymourNational and Labour are toeing the one-China line, but ACT leader David Seymour says he would be happy to visit Taiwan if invited. ...20 hours ago
- Space debris is coming down more frequently. What are the chances it could hit someone or damage pro...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Fabian Zander, Senior Research Fellow in Aerospace Engineering, University of Southern Queensland Brad Tucker, Author provided In the past week alone, we’ve seen two separate incidents of space debris hurtling back to Earth in unexpected places. On Saturday there ...21 hours ago
- Pacific nations are extraordinarily rich in critical minerals. But mining them may take a terrible t...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Nick Bainton, Associate Professor, The University of Queensland Getty Plundering the Pacific for its rich natural resources has a long pedigree. Think of the European companies strip-mining Nauru for its phosphate and leaving behind a moonscape. There are worrying ...21 hours ago
- Government set to legislate its 43% emissions reduction target after Greens announce supportSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra The government is now assured it will secure its legislation to enshrine its 43% 2030 emissions reduction target, after Greens leader Adam Bandt pledged his party would support it in both houses. The government ...22 hours ago
- NZ's First Climate Adaptation Plan – Expert ReactionThe government has released its plan to deal with the rising seas, increasing heat and extreme weather that are predicted to come with a changing climate. The Climate Minister says the National Adaptation Plan will support community-led and Māori-led ...23 hours ago
- Has Labor learnt from the failure of the cashless debit card?Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Elise Klein, Associate professor, Australian National University Legislation passed through the House of Representatives last night to wind down the cashless debit card (CDC), which was introduced into the East Kimberley and Ceduna in 2016 and since applied at other trial sites ...23 hours ago
- Te Pūkenga acting chief executive grilled by select committeeThe new mega polytechnic has not only apologised to staff for its handling of the transition, but also now the minister of education. ...23 hours ago
- New Zealand Government To Break The Space-time ContinuumThe New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union is keen to learn how the Government has figured out how to break the space-time continuum in order to hear all oral submissions on Three Waters in just 4 days. “Einstein’s theories of relativity are no match ...23 hours ago
- Adaptation Plan A “missed Opportunity”Greenpeace Aotearoa says the government’s climate change National Adaptation Plan misses the opportunity to make farming more resilient to climate change. The environmental organisation is calling on the Government to regulate the drivers of ...23 hours ago
- Foot-and-mouth – the stock disease that could inflict a huge economic cost on our economy if Biose...
Ray Smith, director-general of the Ministry for Primary Industries, sent a shiver through the NZ China Summit in Auckland when he warned that foot-and-mouth disease getting into NZ would be a “scary” and a “gigantic thing”. The highly contagious disease has been sweeping through Indonesia and since it was first ...24 hours ago - Democracy, the Treaty and the coup that is embedding tribal rule into our regulatory and legislative...
By Muriel Newman Finally, the mainstream media is reporting that a coup is under way in New Zealand – by the Māori tribal elite. Admittedly that observation was penned by former Labour Minister and ACT Party leader Richard Prebble in an opinion piece for the Herald – but the newspaper ...24 hours ago - More money and smarter choices: how to fix Australia’s broken NHMRC medical research funding syste...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tony Blakely, Professor of Epidemiology, Population Interventions Unit, Centre for Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, The University of Melbourne Shutterstock Most health research in Australia is funded by the National Health and Medical Research Council ...1 day ago
- Health care is responsible for 7% of our carbon emissions, and there are safe and easy ways this can...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Scott McAlister, Research Fellow, The University of Melbourne Shutterstock While we think of carbon emissions coming from manufacturing and agriculture, we don’t often think of those arising from health care. In Australia, health care is responsible for 7% of national ...1 day ago
- Recovering our relationships with China, ASEAN and Samoa while grappling with climate change and pro...Buzz from the Beehive New Zealand’s relationships with China, the ASEAN countries and Samoa were embraced by speeches and announcements that flowed from the Beehive after Disarmament Minister Phil Twyford had delivered his Statement to the 2022 Review Conference for the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons. Trade Minister ...1 day ago
- Te Pūtahitanga O Te Waipounamu Celebrates Success Of Kiwi Kai And Twin HarmonyTe Pūtahitanga o Te Waipounamu is thrilled to congratulate Kiwi Kai and Twin Harmony for their well-deserved achievements over the past weekend. The Whānau Ora Commissioning Agency is proud to have supported both initiatives and Pouārahi Ivy Harper says ...1 day ago
- It’s Time To Get Cracking And Invest In Climate Change ActionForest & Bird is pleased to see the Government wants to prioritise nature-based solutions in the National Adaptation Plan, released today, saying European heatwaves and South Island flooding is showing the impacts of climate change are already too ...1 day ago
- Health Workers To National: Don’t Cut Our Funding!E tū is appalled to hear this morning that National Party leader Christopher Luxon has reneged on a commitment to keep health and education funding at least in line with inflation. Despite recent assurances, Luxon told the AM Show this morning under ...1 day ago
- Managed Retreat Framework Should Be Developed By Councils – LGNZRelocating communities is not a silver bullet for the challenges of climate change and councils know that, says LGNZ President Stuart Crosby. Today the Government released its National Adaptation Plan (NAP), which aims to address the harmful impacts of ...1 day ago
- IAG Welcomes The Release Of The National Adaptation Plan, But More Needs To Be Done To Keep New Zeal...Amanda Whiting, CEO IAG New Zealand says, “The NAP is a great start in our response to the impacts of climate change and includes a wide range of activity that will help grow our ability to adapt. But we need to be much more specific about the steps ...1 day ago
- Most adults with autism can recognise facial emotions, almost as well as those without the conditionSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Neil Brewer, Matthew Flinders Distinguished Emeritus Professor of Psychology, Flinders University Shutterstock Difficulties with social communication and interaction are considered core features of autism. There is a common perception autistic individuals are poor at recognising others’ emotions and have little ...1 day ago
- Education Funding Must Be Inflation-proof For Our Tamariki – NZEI Te Riu RoaEducators are calling on the National Party to explain how cuts to education spending in real terms at a time of significant pressure on tamariki will not further compromise their learning. National leader Chris Luxon backtracked this morning on a commitment ...1 day ago
- Our Nation’s Health Must Be A Priority For All Political PartiesThe Public Service Association is asking politicians to stop using the healthcare system as a political football, after National Party leader Christopher Luxon backtracked on a promise to match health funding with inflation if elected." PSA national ...1 day ago
- Data and Statistics Act to become lawA bill aiming to bring statistics legislation up to date after nearly 50 years is set to become law, despite concerns raised by statistical, constitutional and Māori experts. ...1 day ago
- Politicians Agree Barriers To Public Services Must Be RemovedAt a special debate in Parliament, MPs across the political spectrum expressed universal support for the CAB’s call for accessible public services, acknowledging that the digital-first (or digital-only) approach is shutting some people out. The focus of ...1 day ago
- New UK High Commissioner To New Zealand Takes OfficeThe new British High Commissioner presented a letter of introduction to Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern today, marking her official start in the role. HE Iona Thomas OBE has more than 15 years of experience in the British government. In recent years she ...1 day ago
- The fix is in: how to restore public faith in government appointmentsSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Justine Nolan, Professor of Law and Justice and Director of the Australian Human Rights Institute, UNSW Sydney The question of how to restore integrity to public institutions is on the minds of many government officials right now, both on the ...1 day ago
- Government Needs To Honour Promise To Listen On Three WatersThe government needs to listen to the community demanding better water reform rather than pushing forward with a plan that could deliver disastrous outcomes. In its submission to the Finance and Expenditure committee, Communities 4 Local Democracy He hapori ...1 day ago
- A Labour Market Correction, Not A Wage-price SpiralLabour market data out today confirms that the tight labour market is finally giving workers across the economy the pay increases they deserve. "The 6.4% annual increase in the average wage is good news for workers, who are struggling with a ...1 day ago
- Annual Wage Inflation Rises To 3.4 PercentWage inflation, measured by the labour cost index (LCI), was 3.4 percent in the year ended June 2022, while average ordinary time hourly earnings rose 6.4 percent, Stats NZ said today. The LCI for all salary and wage rates (including overtime) increased ...1 day ago
- ‘Show Us The Numbers’ – CTU Challenges National Over Health Spending BacktrackNational needs to front up and make clear what health services are going to be cut after backtracking on its promise to increase health spending by at least inflation. On Newshub this morning National leader Christopher Luxon backtracked on his promise ...1 day ago
- Unemployment Rate At 3.3 PercentThe seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 3.3 percent in the June 2022 quarter, and the underutilisation rate was 9.2 percent, Stats NZ said today. These rates were relatively unchanged from the unemployment rate of 3.2 percent and underutilisation ...1 day ago
- Covid19 Winter Deaths: New Zealand Versus AustraliaNew Zealand has had the worst reported mortality rate for Covid19 in the world for the last two weeks, according to the international data. And by a significant margin. But you wouldn't know it from the traditional media. 'Underwhelming' is an overstatement. ...1 day ago
- Bryce Edwards’ Political Roundup: Time to take political donations law seriouslyAnalysis by Dr Bryce Edwards. Political Roundup: Time to take political donations law seriously Political scientist, Dr Bryce Edwards. There is no corruption in New Zealand. At least that’s what authorities want the public to believe. For decades now our system of political finance regulation has been portrayed as highly rigorous, ...1 day ago
- 'You're not going to get rich sitting on welfare': Luxon focused on job seekers over ...Jobs are the "pathway to dignity", says National Party leader Christopher Luxon ahead of today's unemployment rate announcement. ...1 day ago
- Cooks’ newcomers United look set to take five seats in electionRNZ Pacific The Cook Islands Parliament looks set for a shake up after today’s general elections. In preliminary results, the ruling Cook Islands Party has performed solidly — but the new party, United, appears to have secured as many as five seats, while the Pa Enua has returned three independents. ...1 day ago
- Dunne Speaks: Aspirations Are All Very Well, But It's Getting It Right That CountsIn a weekend television interview, the Prime Minister pushed back on a suggestion her government is far better at talking about things than achieving them. She countered that “I would not ever change the fact that we have always throughout been highly ...1 day ago
- NSW government slides further into trouble as Perrottet struggles for clear airSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andy Marks, Pro Vice-Chancellor, Strategy, Government and Alliances, Western Sydney University AAP/Bianca de Marchi Clear air is essential ahead of an election. Space to make the case to voters. Room to build positive momentum. And yet, hurtling towards a poll ...1 day ago
- Troubling new research shows warm waters rushing towards the world’s biggest ice sheet in Antarcti...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Laura Herraiz Borreguero, Physical oceanographer, CSIRO Shutterstock Warmer waters are flowing towards the East Antarctic ice sheet, according to our alarming new research which reveals a potential new driver of global sea-level rise. The research, published today in Nature ...1 day ago
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