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Banning Rambo weapons not a knee-jerk
Written By: - Date published: 5:35 am, March 21st, 2019 - 185 comments
Passing stringent gun controls is far from a knee-jerk reaction to the Christchurch massacre – our politicians of all stripes have procrastinated over this ever since the 1990 Aramoana massacre. We already have the 13 recommendations of the 2017 Law & Order committee that were rejected. Let us at the very least now accept those.
Drug testing at music festivals
Written By: - Date published: 9:00 am, January 7th, 2019 - 18 comments
Police Minister Stuart Nash has said publicly that he wants to see all New Zealand music festivals to have drug testing kits by next summer.
- Fast Food for the Fans?
Have you ever noticed how little advertising there is on television for Mum’s home-cooking? And conversely, have you ever wondered why it is that the purveyors of fast food find it necessary to spend so much on advertising their wares? ...14 hours ago - 2019 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #21
A chronological listing of news articles posted on the Skeptical Science Facebook Page during the past week, i.e., Sun, May 19 through Sat, May 25, 2019 Editor's Pick Why school strikers are guest editing Climate Home News (Photo: Pixabay) ...18 hours ago - Between the Devil and the Green New Deal
JASPER BERNES in Communemag looks at the New Green Deal – a proposed stimulus package in the US – that aims to address climate change and economic inequality. We cannot legislate and spend our way out of catastrophic global warming ...1 day ago - The woman who lost her job for saying transwomen are not womenUK woman Maya Forstater lost her job for speaking up about women’s rights. She is going to court to protect other people who speak up too. I lost my job over tweeting and writing about sex and gender identity, and sharing ...2 days ago
- Call for action against racism at the University of Auckland
Police are investigating a series of racist messages posted on an unofficial University of Auckland social media page, as staff and students vow to continue fighting racism, hate, and discrimination. ...2 days ago - Impact of insecure work being researchedMassey School of Management doctoral researcher/assistant lecturer and TEUU35 Branch representative Zoë Port is undertaking research on non-standardworkers and wellbeing. ...2 days ago
- SIT Branch President awarded Fulbright ScholarshipTEU Branch President Southern Institute of Technology and tutor ofEnvironment Management Anna Palliser has been awarded a FulbrightScholarship to research urban food security and food sovereignty. ...2 days ago
- Speaking up for safer and kinder workplacesOn Friday 17 May, TEU joined organisations around Aotearoa in celebratingPink Shirt Day and those marking the International Day Against Homophobia ...2 days ago
- Cleaners the university’s ‘heartbeat’ and deserve a Living WageLiving Wage at Vic – a coalition of student, staff, and communities members- held its second Living Wage Day at Victoria University of Wellington on ...2 days ago
- Journalism is not espionage
The US has charged Wikileaks editor Julian Assange with espionageJulian Assange could face decades in a US prison after being charged with violating the Espionage Act by publishing classified information through WikiLeaks. Prosecutors announced 17 additional charges against Assange for ...3 days ago - Climate Change: Strike!Tens of thousands of students are skipping school today to strike for the climate. If you don't understand what this is about, you haven't been reading the news. The planet is burning, and their future is at risk. So, they're ...3 days ago
- New research, May 13-19, 2019
Note! Weekly new research posts will not continue anymore. This is the last post in this series. A selection of new climate related research articles is shown below. This post has separate sections for: Climate Change, Climate Change Impacts, Climate ...3 days ago - Three Christians walk into a bar… and none of them win election
Three Christians walk into a bar. A Catholic, a Presbyterian and a Life Church member... None of them vote for the same party. No, it's not much of a punch line, I confess. But then the idea of a Christian ...3 days ago - Plundering the PlanetOver two centuries ago, the first-ever professor of economics, Thomas Malthus, predicted that levels of personal income would stagnate. He argued that there was a limited supply of land and that, given diminishing returns, additional farmers would produce less additional ...3 days ago
- Climate Change: Submit!The Environment Committee has called for submissions on the Climate Change Response (Zero Carbon) Amendment Bill. To submit, fill out the online form by Tuesday, 16 July 2019. This is an important bill, and I urge everyone to submit on ...3 days ago
- Destiny’s ChildBack in 2003, Destiny Church theocrat Brian Tamaki founded a political party, Destiny New Zealand, to rail against modern society. In the 2005 election, it gained just 0.62% of the vote. But Tamaki is undeterred, so he's trying again:Destiny Church ...3 days ago
- The UK has no friends leftBack in February, the International Court of Justice ruled that UK had violated international law in its ethnic cleansing of the Chagos Islands, and ordered that they be handed back to Mauritius. Today the UN General Assembly voted on a ...4 days ago
- Introducing a new citizens initiative for carbon pricing in Europe
A new European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI) called “The fast, fair and effective solution to climate change” was launched on May 6. The proposal asks that the European Commission introduce a carbon-pricing policy known as Carbon Fee and Dividend at the ...4 days ago - Let Fonterra dieFonterra is complaining that the offshore oil exploration ban could impede its plans to switch from coal to gas. Basicly, they're worried about future gas supplies and whether they can switch to a fuel which may no longer be available. ...4 days ago
- The misogyny of the alt-Right.
Comments about Green MP Golriz Ghahraman by ACT MP David Seymour on a reactionary radio talk show, and the threats that followed and which the Police deemed serious enough to merit a security detail for her, got me to thinking ...5 days ago - Member’s DayToday is a Member's Day. While it was originally expected to be the second reading of David Seymour's End of Life Choice Bill, National's bigots have successfully filibustered the past few Member's Days, so that now looks like it won't ...5 days ago
- Climate Change: We are not prepared for thisA couple of years ago the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment warned us of a "slow-moving red zone" due to sea-level rise. According to their estimates, tens of thousands of homes and billions of dollars of infrastructure were at risk. ...5 days ago
- The Game of Thrones finale: A review
A review of the last ever episode of Game of Thrones (Spoiler alert!) ...5 days ago - This is not acceptable in a democracyLast week, ACT leader David Seymour called Green MP Golriz Ghahraman "a real menace to freedom in this country" over her views on hate speech. He said this in an environment where Ghahraman regularly receives death threats. And now, thanks ...5 days ago
- A toxic workplaceThe report of the Independent External Review into Bullying and Harassment in the New Zealand Parliamentary Workplace was released today, and it paints a picture of a toxic workplace where bullying is rife. MP's bully staff, MP's bully each other, ...5 days ago
- Climate Change: More emergenciesLast week, ECan declared a climate change emergency, becoming the first local authority in New Zealand to do so. They were swiftly followed by Nelson, and Christchurch looks like it will follow suit this week. And from a report on ...6 days ago
- NZDF’s secret rules of engagementThere's been another dump of documents from the Operation Burnham "inquiry", this time about rules of engagement. In the past, NZDF has refused to release these due to "national security", on the odd theory that if it were publicly known ...6 days ago
- The Parting of the WaysPerhaps it’s because of the sheer size – and therefore enormous potential – of their country, but Australians have always demonstrated a harder-edged nationalism than have Kiwis. And that tendency has become even more apparent in recent years, when they ...6 days ago
- NZ National will use extreme Parties to appear “more reasonable” as a method of vote gathering i...
Current member of the National Party, List MP Alfred Ngaro, has declared he has an intent towards the possibility of setting up a Christian-oriented “values” party. Simon Bridges initially denied discussion, but we all know his denials are really never ...6 days ago - Australia votes for the same old shitAustralians went to the polls over the weekend, and have apparently re-elected the shit party to government. It was unexpected, but I guess that's what happens when you have a media landscape utterly dominated by a highly partisan monopoly. Meanwhile, ...7 days ago
- Don’t let industry crowd out student voiceNew Zealand Union of Students’ Associations National President JamesRanstead argues student voice is crucial in the Reform of VocationalEducation ...7 days ago
- Genesis clings to coalBack in 2015, SOE Genesis Energy committed to shutting down the last two coal-fired units at its Huntly power-plant by December 2018. Last year they pushed back that commitment to 2030. And now, they're weakening it still further:The country's largest ...7 days ago
- Equality (finally) comes to TaiwanBack in 2017, Taiwan's highest court ruled that violated “the people’s freedom of marriage” and “the people’s right to equality”, and gave the legislature to enact a marriage equality law. And over the weekend, just one week before the deadline ...7 days ago
- Ignoring the OmbudsmanBack in 2017, after then-Transport Minister Simon Bridges had been caught red-handed unlawfully interfering with an OIA request about Auckland rail upgrades, the Ombudsman recommended that government agencies develop formal protocols with Ministers to limit Ministerial interference. So how's that ...7 days ago
- 2019 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #20
A chronological listing of news articles posted on the Skeptical Science Facebook Page during the past week, i.e., Sun, May 12 through Sat, May 18, 2019 Editor's Pick 12 excuses for climate inaction and how to refute them Using moral ...1 week ago - Anti-abortion arguments are increasingly secular, but remain unconvincing and misogynisticWhile abortion laws in New Zealand are likely to be liberalised, in the US abortion rights are being rolled back. This article from Feminist Current looks at the way the anti abortion movement is reframing its arguments. by Karen Jolly ...1 week ago
- New research, May 6-12, 2019A selection of new climate related research articles is shown below. This post has separate sections for: Climate Change, Climate Change Impacts, Climate Change Mitigation, and Other Papers. Climate change An example of principal component analysis application on climate change ...1 week ago
- Workers increasingly less keen about British Labour Party
by Sean Kearns It appears that even in Britain, where a lot of unions remain affiliated to Labour, the working class itself is less attached to Labour. The bureaucratic leaderships keep unions chained to Labour, the workers are just not ...1 week ago - Valuing Xero again
In October 2013 I wrote about “Valuing Xero in one hour“, and (although it had a bug) came up with a forecast that justified the then $2.2 billion valuation of Xero with a Weighted Average Cost of Capital of 18%. ...1 week ago - Climate Change: Tweaking the ETSClimate Change Minister James Shaw has announced the latest decisions in the government's programme to tweak the Emissions Trading Scheme to make it actually discourage pollution rather than subsidise it. There's a commitment to begin auctioning units from late next ...1 week ago
- Neither socially not environmentally responsibleDunedin will play host to the New Zealand Minerals Forum at the end of the month, where the companies who dig up New Zealand and destroy our natural environment for private profit will conspire on how to pillage more effectively ...1 week ago
- Time to get out of IraqCabinet will be considering whether to pull out of Iraq this month. Meanwhile, thanks to the US openly threatening war with Iran, other countries with military forces there are withdrawing them:Germany and the Netherlands have suspended their military training programmes ...1 week ago
- A handmaid party?Earlier in the year, National helped failed Green leadership candidate Vernon Tava set up a "teal" astroturf party, sustainablenz. It seems to have sunk without a trace, without even registering a logo with the Electoral Commission, let alone applying for ...1 week ago
- Frustrations of an unreconstructed, unrepentant KeynesianThose with a progressive agenda (and yes, I count myself as one) have been frustrated by our own inability and reluctance to engage head-on in the most important argument in political discourse – the role, function and objective of government.read ...1 week ago
- What Do We Mean by Wellbeing?There is a story of a little old lady who woke up after a close election and was told that the result was a ‘hung parliament’. She responded that she did not know what that meant, but it sounded like ...1 week ago
- UK spies are not above the lawIn a major decision, the UK Supreme Court has ruled that that country's spies are not above the law:Government security decisions will in future be open to challenge in the courts after judges ruled that a secretive intelligence tribunal could ...1 week ago
- Ghostwriitng Unacceptable says TEU‘Cheating by university students paying ‘ghostwriters’ to write essays for them is totally unacceptable and requires a nationally co-ordinated response’, says the New Zealand Tertiary Education Union. ...2 weeks ago
- Climate Change: A climate emergency in CanterburyECan has just declared a climate emergency, becoming the first local authority in New Zealand to do so. But what does it mean? Their declaration included this:Environment Canterbury declares a climate emergency and commits to continue to: robustly and visibly ...2 weeks ago
- Beneficiaries are treated worse than criminalsAn investigation by the Privacy Commissioner has found that WINZ systematically misused its powers, conducting intrusive and illegal searches into beneficiaries' lives in violation of both the Social Security Act and Privacy Act. Searches like this:“In one instance, a beneficiary ...2 weeks ago
- International Support Personnel DayWith trade unions across the world, we are standing up as members of Education International to mark International Support Personnel Day. ...2 weeks ago
- Hard News: Rip It Up: A history of us, a history of me
I love the National's Library's Papers Past archive. I've used it many times for work and sometimes just for fun. The one thing I never thought I'd be able to do is vanity-search on it. And yet, here it is: ...2 weeks ago - Why is John Bolton constantly given power instead of a one-way ticket to a padded cell?
Bolton has never conceded that invading Iraq was a mistake, in fact he considers it to this day still as a roaring success. His history in public life is that of an unrepentant, ignorant thug of a politician, a persona ...2 weeks ago - Above the lawA big myth in this country is that we are all equal under the law. If someone commits a crime, they get prosecuted, regardless of who they are. We already know that that's a myth when it comes to race ...2 weeks ago
- Britain wants its troops to commit war crimesThat's the only conclusion that can be drawn from its "vow" to introduce an amnesty for crimes committed by soldiers and to derogate from the ECHR:The new defence secretary has promised to introduce an amnesty on historical prosecutions for military ...2 weeks ago
- Left Network for Free SpeechHate speech’ laws are being considered in New Zealand. We believe it is important to defend free speech. This is an important issue that the left should take up. If you’d like to be a part of the Left Network ...2 weeks ago
- Climate Change: The Zero Carbon Bill and the ETSOne of the criticisms of the government's Zero Carbon Bill is that it is toothless: the independent Climate Change Commission can set budgets and advise on plans, but has no power to implement anything. Greenpeace for example wanted the Commission ...2 weeks ago
- Highway to Hell!
(fire, California)Some time ago Jeanette Fitzsimons described our action on climate change like a car driving rapidly to a precipice while the occupants argue about whether they should maybe change down a gear. If we are to continue with this ...2 weeks ago - Defending Privilege“Business as usual” is always the catch-cry of those who are happy with the way things are. “Let’s not change anything” makes sense to those who are doing well and see no reason to run any risks in case that ...2 weeks ago
- IPCC Updates Methodology for Greenhouse Gas InventoriesKYOTO, Japan, May 13 – The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) released on Monday an update to its methodology used by governments to estimate their greenhouse gas emissions and removals. Governments are required to report their national greenhouse gas ...2 weeks ago
- Does international chemical watchdog cherry-pick evidence to confirm a bias?
Organisation for Prohibition of Chemical Weapons headquarters in The Hague. Image credit: Prensa Latina Ready Syria to Cooperate with Organization Against Chemical Weapons Multinational bodies, like ... 2 weeks ago - Rotuman Language Week 12 – 19 May 2019Rotuman bisikete: reactivating forgotten words ...2 weeks ago
- Money for Reform Vocational EducationThe Tertiary Education Union Te Hautū Kahurangi welcomes the pre-budget announcement of $197 million for the reform of vocational education saying it’s a step in the right direction. ...2 weeks ago
- Is Donald Trump Really A Deal-Maker?As Donald Trump surveys the current state of his relationships with China, Iran and North Korea, with all of whom he has recently engaged in a somewhat confrontational way, even someone as resistant to self-doubt as the US President might ...2 weeks ago
- Netanyahu does a BerlusconiIsraeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu is being prosecuted for corruption. So how is he planning to avoid it? A law granting him immunity would not survive judicial scrutiny. So, he plans to remove that scrutiny entirely:The new far-reaching bill would ...2 weeks ago
- Chipping away at the OIALast week I highlighted an odious secrecy clause in the government's Zero Carbon Bill, which unnecessarily exempted information from the Official Information Act, undermining transparency and accountability. The government's Equal Pay Amendment Bill is back from select committee today, and ...2 weeks ago
- Over 600,000 views on RedlineEarlier today Redline reached a total of 600,000 views since we began in June 2011. This is a modest total, but not bad for a hardcore marxist blog at the arse-end of the world, and based in perhaps the most ...2 weeks ago
- Climate Change: Shifting the groundThe UK's Climate Change Committee has recommended toughening their target to net zero emissions by 2050. And the change has the overwhelming support of the UK public:A majority of voters would support radical action to slash greenhouse gases to nearly ...2 weeks ago
- New Fisk2 weeks ago
- CapturedWhy is MBIE so supportive of the oil industry, why do they come up with outrageous estimates of the value of the oil industry to New Zealand, and why do they see environmentalists as a threat to be suppressed by ...2 weeks ago
- Teachers have had enoughSo, its on. On May 29, the day before Labour's "wellbeing budget", the centrepiece of its political year when it tries to send a good news message about what its doing, the teachers are going on strike. They've been overworked ...2 weeks ago
- Sharing With Our Feathered FriendsMy wife grew up in suburban London – not an environment that was conducive, one might think, to developing an interest in wild life. But her father was a bird lover and he helped her, too, to develop a love ...2 weeks ago
- Access: You just need a sense of humour“You just need a sense of humour”. I heard this patronising and unhelpful advice from a panellist at an Autism New Zealand Conference many years ago. What about access to education and services, understanding, financial and other support?These words came ...2 weeks ago
- The Giddens Project: New Times, the Third Way and the future of politicsThe Giddens Project has its origins in my association with 'Third Way' politics during my time as a member of the New Zealand parliament between 1990 and 2008.read more ...2 weeks ago
- 2019 International Solidarity Conference in Cubaby Jon Flanders Once again this year I traveled to Cuba on a delegation that visited many interesting sites on the island, once of them being the huge May Day march in Havana. Cuba celebrates May Day as a national ...2 weeks ago
- 2019 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #19
A chronological listing of news articles posted on the Skeptical Science Facebook Page during the past week, i.e., Sun, May 5 through Sat, May 11, 2019 Editor's Pick Proposal to spend 25% of EU budget on climate change Schoolchildren ...2 weeks ago
- Safety focus in improved drug driver testing
Improving the safety of all road users is the focus of a new public consultation document on the issue of drug driver testing. Plans for public consultation on options to improve the drug driver testing process have been announced by ...1 week ago - Making it easier to get help from PolicePolice Minister Stuart Nash says calling a cop suddenly got a whole lot easier with the launch of a ground-breaking new service for non-emergency calls. “The single non-emergency number ‘ten-five’ is designed to provide better service for the public and ...2 weeks ago
- More Police deployed to the regionsFrontline Police numbers have been boosted with today’s deployment of 77 new officers to the regions. Police Minister Stuart Nash today congratulated the recruits of Wing 325 who graduated at a formal ceremony at the Royal New Zealand Police College. ...2 weeks ago
- Politicians should be reminded not to misuse Police
Politicians should be reminded not to misuse Police to suppress criticism 25 MAY 2019 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE The Free Speech Coalition calls on the Police and Human Rights Commission to remind politicians that they can’t misuse false complaints ...1 day ago - Hapai Te Hauora applauds Gov for drug legislation decisionHapai Te Hauora applauds Government for psychoactive substance legislation stance ...1 day ago
- Negligence at Housing New ZealandOIA requests reveal Housing New Zealand knew it was letting tenants wallow in dangerous, leaky conditions for at least seventeen years before its hand was forced and the flats demolished. The tenants were mostly disabled, solo mothers, or elderly, abandoned ...2 days ago
- Simon Shepherd interviews Education Minister Chris HipkinsSimon Shepherd: This week, a megastrike. The words no Education Minister wants to hear. For the first time in New Zealand history, all state and integrated schools will strike together this Wednesday. The action comes after talks failed to secure ...2 days ago
- NZ media to censor coverage of Christchurch terrorist trialNew Zealand’s major media outlets—TVNZ, Stuff, Mediaworks, NZME and Radio NZ—signed an unprecedented agreement on May 1 to self-censor their coverage of the trial of Brenton Tarrant, who is accused of killing 51 people in terrorist attacks on two ...2 days ago
- The Nation: National list MP Alfred NgaroThe launch of new political party Coalition NZ came on Thursday following months of speculation. Controversial church leader Hannah Tamaki will lead the party. She said it will not be a Christian Party, but it will be built on strong ...2 days ago
- NZNO supports rangatahi strike for climate changeThe New Zealand Nurses Organisation (NZNO) stands in support of rangatahi striking for climate action across the country today. ...2 days ago
- Kāpiti Coast District Council sets carbon zero targetThe Kāpiti Coast District Council is set to become carbon zero by 2025 following a unanimous vote at yesterday’s Council meeting. ...2 days ago
- Helicopter industry calls for review of aviation regulationPress Release – Helicopter industry calls for review of aviation regulatory system The New Zealand Helicopter Association (NZHA), a division of Aviation New Zealand, welcomes the TAIC report into the tragic Fox Glacier accident for the messages it ...2 days ago
- Eliza McCartney steps up for the environmentTrees That Count is thrilled to be working with pole-vaulting Olympic medallist Eliza McCartney, who joins the organisation as brand ambassador in May 2019. An environmental science student who loves the outdoors, Eliza makes her first appearance for Trees ...3 days ago
- Sexual Violence Response Service for Ethnic CommunitiesThe government spending more to help survivors recover from sexual violence is great news according to ethnic communities – who have plans to develop a national specialist service for victims. ...3 days ago
- Six Days Left to Sign Climate PetitionThere are 6 days left to sign the petition Sign Petition: NZ, Declare a Climate Emergency. 6129 people have signed and we need 16,000 people minimum to sign before May 30 2019. ...3 days ago
- Due Diligence on Cannabis Harm, Not ‘Fear’Alison Mau seems desperate to shut down our petition (“ Family First is trying to scare you - don't fall for it ” SST, 19 May 2019 ) which calls for an Inquiry into a possible link between cannabis and ...3 days ago
- Youthline launches AI to support young peopleYouthline is celebrating the convergence of Youth Week and Tech Week 2019 with the launch of their brand new Digital Assistant, Sam. ...3 days ago
- Breaking the bully cycleThis week has shown New Zealand Parliament is not immune to workplace bullying - highlighting that bullying is widespread in New Zealand workplaces, a recent Frog Recruitment poll reveals. ...3 days ago
- Keep flammable substances away from living quartersFire and Emergency New Zealand is warning people to keep hazardous substances away from sleeping areas, following a Coroner’s report into a fatal fire in Christchurch. ...3 days ago
- ANZASW on new intensive social work servicesThe Aotearoa New Zealand Association of Social Workers (ANZASW) notes the introduction of new intensive services by Oranga Tamariki, Ministry for Children, designed to reduce the number of children / tamariki uplifted into state care. ...3 days ago
- Dignity calls for free access to sanitary itemsDignity is calling on the Government to provide free sanitary products in all schools across the country to ensure girls have dignity and autonomy to access products of their choice when needed. ...3 days ago
- Dawn of the Wellbeing Budget – revolution or facade?Wellbeing, kindness and compassion have been promoted by our Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern as central to how her government makes policy and determines its budget. But how can a government budget for wellbeing? ...3 days ago
- Youth groups collaborate to Elbow Elders for climate actionGeneration Zero and School Strike 4 Climate are launching their Elbow Your Elders campaign today to coincide with the strikes happening around the country. Both groups recognise the need for the Zero Carbon Act to be more ambitious and strong ...3 days ago
- National’s Debt Comments A Losing StrategyNational’s response to the government loosening of it's debt target shows it has learnt nothing from it's 9 years in government or it's electoral defeat. ...3 days ago
- Major underestimates of climate change in MoE documentsMajor underestimates of climate change in Ministry for Environment guidance documents ...3 days ago
- Petition to tax sugary drinks can’t be ignored (again)Aotearoa New Zealand is spending more than $20 million every year to anaesthetise children so they can undergo multiple tooth extractions as a consequence of consuming sugary drinks. This is one of the reasons that University of Auckland academic Dr ...3 days ago
- Debt level shift creates opportunity for accelerated actionWelcoming today’s announcement of a change in New Zealand’s debt from 20% to a band of between 15-and-25% of GDP, Barnett said it is a step forward. It could allow the injection of $15b or more into the NZ economy ...3 days ago
- Local government Vote 2019 campaign gains major partnersLocal Government New Zealand (LGNZ) has signed up a number of major partners for the Vote 2019 campaign to lift nationwide voter turnout in local elections and increase the public’s engagement with their local council. Although local election turnout ...3 days ago
- Request government cancel multi-million purchase from IsraelThe Palestine Solidarity Network has written to Minister of Defence Ron Mark asking him to urgently cancel a reported New Zealand Defence Force multi-million-dollar purchase of military equipment from an Israeli company. ...3 days ago
- Dr Jane Goodall backs action plan for NZ environmentWorld-renowned conservationist Dr Jane Goodall and a coalition of Aotearoa's leading environmental organisations have released an ambitious plan for reversing New Zealand’s environmental crisis. ...3 days ago
- Heart Foundation Welcomes Rheumatic Fever Fund AnnouncementThe Heart Foundation welcomes this week’s announcement by the Associate Minister of Health Jenny Salesa that the Government’s Wellbeing Budget will include $12 million to reduce the incidence of rheumatic fever amongst Maori and Pacific people. ...3 days ago
- Massey University launches Shared Prosperity IndexWhen the Government presents its first Wellbeing Budget next week, it will be looking beyond traditional measures, such as GDP, to define New Zealand’s success. This is also at the core of the Shared Prosperity Index launched by Massey University ...3 days ago
- Inadequate pay and driver facing cameras putting people offFIRST Union has released its In It For The Long-Haul survey of truck drivers that reveals an ageing workforce who say the job isn’t attractive anymore due to low pay and driver surveillance. ...3 days ago
- Relaxing of borrowing constraint welcome, but more needed"The announcement by the Minister of Finance that the Government was moving from a rigid 20% debt target to a range between 15% and 25% is welcome," CTU Economist Bill Rosenberg says. "At a time when interest rates are low ...3 days ago
- Ethical clothing becoming the expectation not the exception.In a world where the human impact on the environment is becoming more and more apparent every day, it’s refreshing to hear of break-through companies that are having a positive impact. Ethical clothing company , Little Yellow Bird has, in ...4 days ago
- China Trade Mission perfectly timedThe success of Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern’s inaugural state visit and Hon. David Parker in April to Beijing has been the impetus for a multi-sector China Trade Mission confirmed for 9-11 September 2019. The China Chamber of Commerce in New ...4 days ago
- Police officer should not have engaged in pursuitThe Independent Police Conduct Authority has found that a Police officer should not have tried to stop or pursue a car thought to contain young people in Palmerston North on 28 May 2018. The pursuit ended when the fleeing car ...4 days ago
- NZDF Supports Training of Customs’ Detector DogsThe New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) is supporting the training of detector dogs, which help New Zealand Customs catch smugglers trying to bring illegal drugs and undeclared cash into the country. ...4 days ago
- Common sense and fact must underpin debateFamily Planning says New Zealanders deserve a common sense, rational and medically informed conversation about abortion law reform. ...4 days ago
- Health $3.2 billion under-funded since 2009/10A pre-budget analysis conducted by the Council of Trade Unions and Association of Salaried Medical Specialists has highlighted a vast spending shortfall in health since 2009/2010. ...4 days ago
- Area school teachers vote to strike on 29 MayTeachers in area schools and wharekura have voted overwhelmingly to strike on Wednesday 29 May alongside their primary and secondary colleagues. ...4 days ago
- Vote Health needs an extra $1.3 billion just to stand stillBill Rosenberg, Economist and Policy Director for the New Zealand Council of Trade Unions (CTU) and Lyndon Keene, Director of Policy and Research, for the Association of Salaried Medical Specialists (ASMS) have conducted a detailed analysis of what ...4 days ago
- Voting begins on deal to end Auckland rail disputeAuckland rail maintenance workers suspended for striking by employer CAF NZ will vote on a deal that could end the dispute. ...4 days ago
- Another cost of living increase with road user chargesNew Zealanders’ concerns about the cost of living will take a further hit when road user charges (RUCs) go up again in July, says Road Transport Forum (RTF) chief executive Nick Leggett. ...4 days ago
- Bail conditions must be reviewed before more innocents dieYes, 'n' how many deaths will it take till he knows That too many people have died? The answer, my friend, is blowin' in the wind The answer is blowin’ in the wind From Blowin’ in the wind. Bob Dylan ...4 days ago
- #DefendNZ questions David Seymour’s filibuster#DefendNZ questions why David Seymour would filibuster his own Bill which was expected to begin its Second Reading last night ...4 days ago
- No extensions for landlords who don’t complyLandlords have just over one month to ensure their rental properties meet the 2016 insulation requirements or face exemplary damages of up to $4,000, and Tenancy Compliance and Investigations says there will be no room for extensions. ...4 days ago
- Access Community Health Returning to the bargaining tableThe PSA and E tū bargaining team are hopeful for an improved offer from Access Community Health as they resume mediation today, following a week of nationwide strike actions by Access coordinators, administration, and call centre workers. ...4 days ago
- Business and parliament need to step upBusiness and parliament need to step up to stronger integrity systems says TINZ roadmap It is beyond time for serious and urgent action to protect and extend integrity in New Zealand The National Integrity System Assessment 2018 update (NIS 2018) ...4 days ago
- Targets overlook the 174000 children living in worst povertyChild Poverty Action Group is pleased to see the Government set ambitious 10-year targets for child poverty reduction , but we are disappointed not to see a target set for improving thousands of young lives where the worst of poverty ...4 days ago
- ANZASW on funding to tackle family and sexual violenceThe Aotearoa New Zealand Association of Social Workers (ANZASW) strongly welcomes the government’s pledge to increase funding to tackle family and sexual violence. The government estimates that around a million people including 300,000 children ...4 days ago
- Hurunui well placed to meet newly released standardsThe Government has recently released mandatory planning standards for councils to meet. The new standards address the structure and form of plans, as well as setting national definitions and requiring plans to be accessible and interactive online ...4 days ago
- Media statement by Retirement Commissioner Diane MaxwellStatement by Retirement Commissioner Diane Maxwell in response to the report of the investigation into allegations made against her of bullying: ...4 days ago
- View from The Hill: Morrison rewards friends, avoids making enemies and announces new ambassadors
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Scott Morrison’s new ministry mixes stability with dashes of innovation, box ticking, and the rewarding of friends. The Prime Minister has maintained his record number ...2 hours ago - RBNZ proposals ‘will add $6000 a year to mortgage’
Westpac says the Reserve Bank’s bank capital proposals will mean homeowners with an average mortgage in Auckland will be paying about $6,000 a year more in interest. ...5 hours ago - Support for youth leaving state care
A $153m service to support young people leaving state care is the first in a raft of changes to Oranga Tamariki operations under incoming law. ...5 hours ago - PNG’s O’Neill announces he is stepping down as PM
By RNZ Pacific Papua New Guinea’s Prime Minister Peter O’Neill has announced that is resigning, citing a need for change, after weeks of unrest in the government. O’Neill held a press conference today in Port Moresby, announcing he would ...7 hours ago - Child Poverty Action cautiously welcomes plan to lower some public transport costs
The Child Poverty Action Group is pleased the government intends to lower public transport costs for low-income households, but says the announcement does not go far enough. ...10 hours ago - What’s in a slogan?
Controversy erupted over The Project host Kanoa Lloyd’s decision to wear an ‘it’s OK to be white’ t-shirt this week. Newshub’s Sophie Bateman looks into the co-option of a seemingly innocuous slogan. The Rorschach test is a ...11 hours ago- Government launches service to help young people transition from state care to adulthood
Children's Minister Tracey Martin has announced $150 million will be spent on a new service to help young people transition from state care to adulthood. ...14 hours ago- The best of the Spinoff this week
Bringing you the best weekly reading from your friendly local website.Patrick Reynolds: The story of a revolution: How public transport transformed Auckland“There’s a quiet revolution underway in Auckland, slowly but relentlessly transforming the city. It began early in the century – ...17 hours ago- Foulden Maar: Unjustifiable vandalism and grand promises
Some offers by foreign investors to bring their capital to New Zealand promise such riches, at least for them, that their forecasts soar into the realms of implausibility. ...17 hours ago- ‘We’re striking because we’re terrified’: a student on the second climate strikes
Zoe Mills is a 17 year old high school student and one of thousands who joined the global climate strikes. She explains why her generation feel this moment so acutely.It’s an eerie sight. A sea of bodies lay across the worn ...18 hours ago- 10 things Kiwi men can do in the wake of Alabama’s abortion ban
Men need to put aside their discomfort and support New Zealand women in the wake of Alabama’s abortion ban, writes Zoe Deans. Kiwi bloke stoicism hasn’t really equipped anyone to deal with outpourings of pain. And right now, it’s all around. ...20 hours ago- Made in NZ, sold in the US: How Taska Prosthetics is changing lives for amputees
In our Q&A series, The Lightbulb, we ask innovators and entrepreneurs to tell us about how they turned their ideas into reality. This week we talk to Mathew Jury, founder of award-winning company Taska Prosthetics which makes state-of-the-art prosthetic hands.First of ...20 hours ago- Recipe: Gluten-free banana bread
A one-pot energy boost that’s as good for breakfast as it is afternoon tea. I find packing lunches a challenge so am always on the hunt for inspiration to keep the kids’ lunchboxes both interesting and nourishing. What I love about ...21 hours ago- The mysterious Instagram account obsessed with hotel bed jumping
David Farrier dives deep into the Hotel Bed Jumping Community on Instagram and is quickly told: “Should you pursue with your article and publish it we will be taking action”. He chose to pursue the article.I’m a big fan of Instagram, and ...21 hours ago- YES YES YES uses theatre as a tool for educating teens on consent
A play teaching teens about consent and sexual harassment opens in Wellington and Auckland next month. Co-creator Karin McCracken talks about why the show was necessary, and the generationally unique struggles kids face today.The current model of health education in ...21 hours ago- New indictments set up a confrontation between the US and Julian Assange
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Holly Cullen, Adjunct professor, University of Western Australia Australians woke to the news on Friday that the United States had unveiled new charges against Wikileaks co-founder Julian Assange. The indictment, issued by ...1 day ago- Big week for climate action rallies and democracy – pro-coal in Australia
By Megan Darby of Climate Home News It has been a big week for democracy, starting with a pro-coal verdict in Australia and ending with Europeans going to the polls. Environmentalists despaired as Australian Labor lost another battle in ...1 day ago- Bryce Edwards’ Political Roundup: Abortion reform in question
What’s happened to the Government’s promised liberalising reform of abortion laws? An announcement of new legislation is looming, but there are signs that reform might be less liberal than pro-choice campaigners were wanting or expecting. The concept of a “woman’s ...1 day ago- Life in the long shadow of Pharmac
RNZ’s Guyon Espiner investigates New Zealand’s central drug buyer Pharmac – how it works and whether its model is costing lives. In part one, he reveals how lung cancer patients are buying cut-price drugs from India, as other New Zealanders fundraise, ...2 days ago- Gary Juffa: Dear PM O’Neill, we’ll stop you selling out our country
OPEN LETTER: By Gary Juffa, Governor of Oro Dear Prime Minister, You sold all our todays and were about to sell our children’s tomorrows too. You were in the most enviable and powerful position to do what is right ...2 days ago- What it’s like to return to netball in your thirties
After a decade feeling alienated from sport, Hannah Spyksma returned to the netball courts and found it just as good as when she left.It’s winter sport time and this year I’ve decided to break an almost 14-year drought. A Saturday ...2 days ago- Search on in public services to check if staff leaked paper on cannabis referendum
The National party announced the details of the referendum, before Cabinet had made a decision. Now, public service bosses are checking to see if their staff were responsible. ...2 days ago- Our domain: how to troll a political party for less than $100
Yesterday, Destiny Church rebranded their political arm as The Coalition Party, and Tim Batt bought their domains before anybody else could. He writes on the value of online trolling as political protest.Yesterday Destiny rebranded their political arm as The Coalition ...2 days ago- Weekend Poem: We don’t know how lucky we are
New Zealand’s number one slam-poet Ben Fagan begins a new series exploring what he thinks it means to be pākehā in 2019. ...2 days ago- Politics podcast: Reliving the 2017 election with Jacinda Ardern
In this bonus edition of Gone By Lunchtime, the prime minister talks to Toby Manhire at the Auckland Writers FestivalLast weekend at the Auckland Writers Festival, Jacinda Ardern spoke with Spinoff editor Toby Manhire about the extraordinary election campaign of ...2 days ago- What is wrong with NZ comedy audiences?
This year’s International Comedy Festival was a roaring success, but some comedians have turned the spotlight on audiences. Are they too timid? Do our hecklers suck? Josie Adams sizes things up.When Netflix star James Acaster closed his last show of ...2 days ago- Last orders for New Zealand’s binge-drinking culture
New Zealand’s binge drinking culture is notoriously bad, but could change be on the horizon for this little country of boozers?Booze, booze, everywhere, but what does it mean to drink? Alcohol consumption around the world is awash with stereotypes. In ...2 days ago- Frydenberg declares tax package must be passed ‘in its entirety’
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra The government’s tax relief package is shaping up as the first test of incoming opposition leader Anthony Albanese, with Treasurer Josh Frydenberg declaring on Friday ...2 days ago- Duma’s URP defects from O’Neill coalition bloc in PNG power shift
The United Resources Party, led by Hagen Open MP William Duma, including four ministers, switches to the opposition. Video: EMTV News Pacific Media Centre Newsdesk The biggest coalition partner in Prime Minister Peter O’Neill’s coalition government has defected to ...2 days ago- Why Boris Johnson would be a mistake to succeed Theresa May
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ben Wellings, Senior Lecturer in Politics and International Relations, Monash University Like Avengers: Endgame we all knew it was coming but weren’t quite sure exactly how it would play out. Theresa May, ...2 days ago- Week in Politics: Speaker’s rapist comment triggers fear and confusion
Analysis - In a week that featured chaos and confusion after assertions a rapist was working at Parliament, there was also cooperation on climate, a big Budget announcement and a new political party. ...2 days ago- Uber drivers’ experience highlights the dead-end job prospects facing more Australian workers
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter "PJ" Holtum, Postdoctoral research fellow, The University of Queensland Being an Uber driver doesn’t seem like a great job. Conditions aren’t great and the rate of pay, already typically less than ...2 days ago- The Real Pod: In which we nearly set off the studio smoke alarm
The Real Pod assembles to dissect the week in reality television and real life, with special thanks to Nando’s.It’s Jane’s second to last podcast in New Zealand and we have pulled out all the stops: a fire hazard, a cheesy bread ...2 days ago- What caused the fireballs that lit up the sky over Australia?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jonti Horner, Professor (Astrophysics), University of Southern Queensland Over the past few days a pair of spectacular fireballs have graced Australia’s skies. The first, in the early hours of Monday, May 20, ...2 days ago- VIDEO: Michelle Grattan on Morrison’s miracle election win – and Labor’s leadership search
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra [embedded content]University of Canberra Deputy Vice-Chancellor Geoff Crisp speaks with Michelle Grattan about the week in politics. They discuss the Coalition’s shock victory and the ...2 days ago- Tip-toeing around the US-China trade standoff
The US-China trade war is escalating - surprising the global economy. Bernard Hickey looks at how we got here, and where that leaves us. ...2 days ago- Climate strikers send a clear message
Auckland school student Zoe Mills reports from the scene of today's climate change strike - one of thousands across the world. ...2 days ago- How I discovered the Dalveen Blue Box, a rare eucalypt species with a sweet, fruity smell
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tim Collins, PhD candidate , University of New England In 2002, I went on a bushwalk with plant taxonomist David Albrecht, and had a big surprise. He pointed to a plant I ...2 days ago- Augusta lifts net profit six fold as investors flock into new funds
Augusta Capital’s annual net profit rose more than six fold to a record as underlying income, management fees and transactional fees all grew strongly. ...2 days ago- Ministerial diaries: Who influences those in power?
An elite group of business and iwi leaders, union officials and lobbyists are frequently bending the ear of the Labour-led government, ministerial diaries released this week show. ...2 days ago- As the dust of the election settles, Australia’s wildlife still needs a pathway for recovery
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rachel Morgain, Knowledge Broker, Fenner School of Environment and Society, Australian National University The environment was a key concern in the recent federal election. It was also a polarising one, with concerns ...2 days ago- Yesterdaze: Biblical amounts of stupid
Alfred Ngaro puts his foot in his mouth, Hannah Tamaki compares herself to KFC and Simon Bridges finally tops a list. James Elliott on the news of the week. ...2 days ago- Ardern warns of risk of global headwinds ahead of Budget
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has warned about the risks of an unstable and uncertain global climate for New Zealand businesses. ...2 days ago- The long and complicated history of Aboriginal involvement in football
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Roy Hay, Honorary Fellow, Deakin University Over the next two weekends, the Australian Football League celebrates the contribution of Indigenous peoples to the history of the game. At the same time, a ...3 days ago- Curious Kids: why are there waves?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mark Hemer, Senior Research Scientist, Oceans and Atmosphere, CSIRO Curious Kids is a series for children. If you have a question you’d like an expert to answer, send it to curiouskids@theconversation.edu.au You ...3 days ago- Shane Jones splashes $6.5m on Otago cycle trail from Provincial Growth Fund
An Otago Great Ride has received a $6.5 million boost to expand the trail and tourism benefits in the region. ...3 days ago- This is your brain on Pokémon: Researchers confirm Pikachu changes the way you think
Mum was right: heavy exposure to pocket monsters fundamentally rewires your brain. But researchers from Stanford say it’s an exciting opportunity to study how we learn to see.There’s an old folk myth that when James Cook and the Endeavour sailed ...3 days ago- NZ seeks ‘explanations’ over USP mismanagement allegations
By RNZ Pacific New Zealand foreign minister Winston Peters says his government is “asking for explanations” about alleged mismanagement at the regional University of the South Pacific. New Zealand is the 12-country USP’s second largest funder behind Australia, contributing ...3 days ago- Unity Books bestseller chart for the week ending May 24
The only published and available bestselling indie book chart in New Zealand is the top 10 sales list recorded every week at Unity Books’ stores in High St, Auckland, and Willis St, Wellington.AUCKLAND1 Toll by Luke Wright (Penned in the Margins, ...3 days ago- Ryman Healtcare posts $326m profit for year
Ryman Healthcare says it has had a solid year, despite challenging market conditions and flat sales. ...3 days ago - Government launches service to help young people transition from state care to adulthood
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