todd muller
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National’s politicisation of Covid over the past two years
Written By: - Date published: 9:07 am, March 21st, 2022 - 34 comments
A slightly deeper review of National’s response to the Covid epidemic over the past two years. The overwhelming impression is that they have always complained about supposed Government incompetence in handling the pandemic and have always argued for the loosening of restrictions no matter how justifiable.
National’s advice to the poor – you are on your own
Written By: - Date published: 8:11 am, March 13th, 2022 - 125 comments
To help the poorest amongst us during the current times of International hyper inflation National has come up with a list of tips to help them. But no money.
National’s caucus reshuffle
Written By: - Date published: 7:49 am, December 7th, 2021 - 140 comments
The deckchairs have been reshuffled. And Chris Luxon is confident that reorganising the pecking order of a deeply dysfunctional caucus will make all the difference.
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.
Stick a fork in them, they’re done
Written By: - Date published: 7:58 am, June 25th, 2021 - 84 comments
The details of a particularly brutal National Party caucus meeting that resulted in Todd Muller announced his pending retirement from Parliament have been leaked in detail to the Herald’s Claire Trevett.
Todd’s going … who is next?
Written By: - Date published: 7:31 am, June 24th, 2021 - 67 comments
Yesterday National suffered further damage to its ranks when Harete Hipango was outed as the MP with Parliamentary Services resources issues and Todd Muller announced that he will stand down as an MP at the end of this term nominally so that he can eventually spend more time with his family.
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.
National announces terms of reference for its election campaign review
Written By: - Date published: 7:45 am, November 24th, 2020 - 62 comments
National wants to work out what went wrong during the last election.
National’s 2020 election campaign in billboards
Written By: - Date published: 4:51 pm, October 11th, 2020 - 24 comments
A review of National’s billboards used this year shows what an utter disaster the campaign has been for them.
National’s many and varied Covid border policies
Written By: - Date published: 7:31 am, September 24th, 2020 - 12 comments
On Tuesday National announced the fifth variation of its Covid border policy this year.
Mea culpa
Written By: - Date published: 12:48 pm, August 2nd, 2020 - 33 comments
Back in 2017 I was upset, we had a leadership vote only in caucus – just before the election. I didn’t realise at the time that Andrew Little was actually stepping down in favour of Jacinda Ardern. She’d had the potential, but I hadn’t realised that Little thought she was up for the task. I’m delighted with the result. Thank you Andrew.
If Judith and Gerry are the answer it must have been a desperate question
Written By: - Date published: 7:55 am, July 15th, 2020 - 189 comments
In a great leap backwards Judith Collins and Gerry Brownlee are now leaders of the National Party.
Muller goes, bring back Simon?
Written By: - Date published: 8:15 am, July 14th, 2020 - 181 comments
In breaking news Todd Muller has resigned for “health reasons”, effective immediately.
Time to bring back Simon?
Updated with some breaking links.
Of course it’s dirty politics
Written By: - Date published: 10:01 am, July 13th, 2020 - 39 comments
National’s latest attempted spin is to try and suggest that last week’s clusterfuck of rolling events did not involve in any way the slightest trace of dirty politics. How wrong they are.
Everybody gets a road
Written By: - Date published: 8:57 am, July 10th, 2020 - 13 comments
National has made two major roading project announcements in the past week. Both announcements recycled announcements that were also made before the last election.
Walkergate: MP Quits
Written By: - Date published: 1:49 pm, July 8th, 2020 - 65 comments
Privacy breaching MP Hamish Walker has announced he will step down at the next election. But who else should go?
Update: Muller tries to divert attention by announcing that National still want a 4 lane highway from Chch to Ashburton. Problem solved!
Trashing the country’s Covid response for political advantage
Written By: - Date published: 8:39 am, July 8th, 2020 - 126 comments
As details emerge about Hamish Walker’s leaking of confidential information of Covid sufferers for political advantage, questions are being asked about Todd Muller’s leadership and if National is actually committed to assisting the country’s response to Covid 19.
National’s dilemma – business as usual is failing them.
Written By: - Date published: 9:52 am, July 6th, 2020 - 99 comments
Audrey Young’s take in Granny Herald was interesting. “No ordinary Labour speech by Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern”. That is because the political ‘business as usual’ approach by the business orientation of National campaigning using the politics of fear and envy doesn’t work well in times of crisis. Business simply has too short a viewpoint to be acceptable in government at present – or increasingly in our uncertain future.
Does National actually have any policy?
Written By: - Date published: 9:00 am, July 6th, 2020 - 66 comments
National has recently been upping the campaign rhetoric but there is a disturbing lack of policy detail.
Muller is floundering
Written By: - Date published: 9:39 pm, June 30th, 2020 - 47 comments
Todd Muller had a bad day yesterday with adverse confidential National polling leaked to the media and with Grant Robertson and Winston Peters showing in the house that Muller’s denial that he had proposed opening up the border with China was simply not correct.
One News/CB Poll June
Written By: - Date published: 6:33 pm, June 25th, 2020 - 49 comments
The latest One News/Colmar Brunton poll continues to show Labour are the favourites to lead the next Government.
National is relentlessly negative about the country’s Covid response
Written By: - Date published: 10:03 am, June 24th, 2020 - 95 comments
You would think in the midst of a world pandemic that is threatening established countries everywhere that National would do the responsible thing and work constructively to resolve all of government issues. If you do think this you are wrong.
Todd Muller and the strange tale of the Leader’s Safe
Written By: - Date published: 8:45 am, June 19th, 2020 - 22 comments
The Herald has reported that Todd Muller’s staff used a safe cracker to open up a safe previously used by Simon Bridges, even though they had the access codes.
Todd’s Odd Distress Signal
Written By: - Date published: 5:39 pm, June 14th, 2020 - 64 comments
How odd of Todd! A condescending gesture turns into a cry for help.
Strike Force Raptor is no more
Written By: - Date published: 12:20 pm, June 11th, 2020 - 10 comments
National has backed away from its policy of creating Strike Force Raptor Police Unit, a unit based on an Australian force dedicated to terrorising possible gang members.
Dear Hamish please keep it up
Written By: - Date published: 7:50 am, June 8th, 2020 - 39 comments
Hamish Price’s twitter game is proving to be a boon to Labour.
National Has Found a Moral Compass
Written By: - Date published: 3:46 pm, June 6th, 2020 - 34 comments
National has embarked on a moral crusade to not lose the Election.
How Covid 19 appears to be playing out
Written By: - Date published: 10:51 am, June 4th, 2020 - 108 comments
The politics of Covid 19 present difficulties for the opposition. They cannot fault execution of the plan so far and have been reduced to complaining that the restrictions are not being loosened quickly enough.
Stunned Muller
Written By: - Date published: 8:01 am, June 3rd, 2020 - 85 comments
Todd Muller thinks it is up to Donald Trump to decide if Donald Trump is a racist.
Is National Just Inconsistent or Incompetent?
Written By: - Date published: 7:00 am, June 1st, 2020 - 65 comments
National’s new job-creation scheme appears to be inconsistent with their desire to fully re-instate the 90-day trial period.
Most leaders of the opposition are unemployed, they just don’t know it yet
Written By: - Date published: 10:21 am, May 29th, 2020 - 68 comments
Holy hyperbole. Todd Muller has claimed that most kiwis are unemployed although they do not realise it yet. Although in one case he may not be wrong …
- Only fools make deals with liars
Northern Ireland went to the polls last week, resulting in Sinn Féin becoming the largest party, the first time an Irish party has done so. Naturally, the unionists are not taking this well, and are threatening to use their minority-veto to prevent any government being formed. They're also demanding the ...9 hours ago - Of Tin and Tintagel: Published
In a nice bit of news in a World Gone Mad, I can report that Of Tin and Tintagel, my 5,800-word story about tin (and political scheming), is now out as part of the Spring 2022 edition of New Maps Magazine (https://www.new-maps.com/). As noted previously, this one owes a ...11 hours ago - It’s a Friday night in Invercargill for eastern moa during the Ice Age
In the depths of winter, most people from southern New Zealand head to warmer climes for a much-needed dose of Vitamin D. Yet during the height of the last Ice Age, one species of moa did just the opposite. I’m reminded of Bill Bailey’s En Route to Normal tour that visited ...15 hours ago - Bryce Edwards: Massive Wage Subsidy and Covid spending is under scrutinised
In the lead-up to the Budget, the Government has been on an offensive to promote the efficiency and quality of its $74 billion Covid Response and Recovery Fund -especially the Wage Subsidy Scheme component. This comes after criticisms and concerns from across the political spectrum over poor-quality spending, and suggestions ...16 hours ago - Nothing to celebrateThe Protected Disclosures (Protection of Whistleblowers) Bill passed its third reading this afternoon. The government and the Ombudsman are both celebrating this "significant improvement" in whistleblower protection, but as I pointed out when the bill was introduced, it is nothing of the sort. The law still sets the bar for ...1 day ago
- Not very proactiveA couple of weeks ago, Stuff broke the news that the government was planning a significant boost to proactive release of official information, with almost all advice to Ministers expected to be proactively released. Which sounds great, but as I pointed out, there's real reason for concern in the way ...1 day ago
- Staying Inside The Lines.
Unfinished: Always, gnawing away at this government’s confidence and empathy, is the dictum that seriously challenging the economic and social status-quo is the surest route to electoral death. Labour’s colouring-in book, and National’s, have to look the same. All that matters is which party is better at staying inside the lines.DOES ...2 days ago - The First Rule Of Radicalism.Radical As: Māori healers recall a time when “words had power”. The words that give substance to ideas, no matter how radical, still do. If our representatives rediscover the courage to speak them out loud.THERE ARE RULES for radicalism. Or, at least, there are rules for the presentation of radical ...2 days ago
- Defending George R.R. Martin: A Reply to Reading Tolkien
The good people at the Reading Tolkien podcast have put out a new piece, which spends some time comparing the underlying moral positions of George R.R. Martin and J.R.R. Tolkien: (The relevant discussion starts about twenty-seven minutes in. It’s a long podcast). In the interests of fairness, ...2 days ago - Bryce Edwards: Politicians talk tough on law and orderCrime is becoming a key debate between Labour and National. This week they are both keen to show that they are tough on law and order. It’s an issue that National has a traditional advantage on, and is one that they’re currently getting good traction from. In response, Labour is ...2 days ago
- Climate Change: The new emissions budgetThe government today released its first three emissions budgets, covering the periods 2022-25, 2026-30, and 2031-35. The good news? They've reversed their ridiculous proposal to increase the first period budget because we were planting too many trees and soaking up too much carbon (no, it doesn't make sense, and MPI ...3 days ago
- Gordon Campbell on the youth crime furore
So far, the excited media response to the spike in “ram-raid” incidents is being countered by evidence that in reality, youth crime is steeply in decline, and has been so for much of the past decade. Who knew? Perhaps that’s the real issue here. Why on earth wasn’t the latest ...3 days ago - 2022 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #18
Listing of articles linked to on the Skeptical Science Facebook Page during the past week: Sun, May 1, 2022 through Sat, May 7, 2022. The following articles sparked above average interest during the week (bolded articles are from SkS authors): How a tech billionaire is forcing Australia’s coal die-hards to ...3 days ago - Karl du Fresne’s talk at the Free Speech Union meeting at Victoria University.
In the past 10 years or so – and that’s how quickly it has happened – all our comfortable convictions about the unassailability of free speech have been turned on their heads. Suddenly we find ourselves fighting again for rights we assumed were settled. Click here to watch the video ...3 days ago - The Makers Of Gilead.Enforced Fertility: The imminent overturning of Roe versus Wade by the US Supreme Court is certain to raise echoes here that are no less evocative of the dystopia envisioned by Margaret Atwood in The Handmaid’s Tale. Gilead can happen here.WITH THE UNITED STATES seemingly on the brink of becoming “Gilead”, ...3 days ago
- Trespassers?Not Wanted On Grounds Of Political Rejuvenation: Winston Peters did nothing more than visit the protest encampment erected by anti-vaxxers on the parliamentary lawn. A great many New Zealanders applauded him for meeting with the protesters and wondered why the Prime Minister and Leader of the Opposition could not do ...3 days ago
- Who Will Fight For Democracy?May The Force Be With Us: With New Zealanders under 40, nostalgia for a time when politics worked gains little purchase. Politics hasn’t swerved to any noticeable degree since the 1980s, becoming in the Twenty-First Century a battle between marketing strategies, not ideologies. Young New Zealanders critique political advertisements in ...3 days ago
- How my work on free speech brought me back to the leftDane Giraud reflects on his working class upbringing and how campaigning for free speech radicalised him Evidence to support censorship as a tool for social cohesion is paltry. I Read the NZ Human Rights Commission website, and 99% of their ‘evidence’ is anecdotal. When asked why we need hate speech ...4 days ago
- Poison in the Stock: Comparing the Problematic Elements of Agatha Christie and J.K. RowlingAs you may have noticed, I have been slowly working my way through the works of Agatha Christie. At the time of writing, I have read some thirty-eight of her books – less than half her total output, but arguably enough to get a reasonable handle on it. It ...5 days ago
- Do We Have a Population Policy?
Population growth has some effect on economic growth, but it is complicated especially where infrastructure is involved. We need to think more about it. In an opinion piece in the New Zealand Herald, John Gascoigne claimed that New Zealand was a ‘tragic tale of economic decline’. He gave no evidence ...5 days ago - Bryce Edwards: Have the Greens become too woke for their own good?The Greens have been almost invisible since the 2020 election. Despite massive crises impacting on people’s lives, such as climate change, housing, inequality, and the cost of living, they’ve had very little to say. On this week’s highly contentious issue of politicians being banned from Parliament by Trevor Mallard, the ...5 days ago
- Decarbonising the schoolsThe government has announced it will be replacing all coal boilers in schools by 2025: All remaining coal boilers in New Zealand schools will be replaced with cleaner wood burners or electric heating by 2025, at a cost of $10 million, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has announced. The coal ...5 days ago
- Neo-Nazis in Ukraine. Comedians are often more truthful than politicians.
Israeli news media and politicians often complain about the activity of neo-Nazis in Ukraine. “Activists and supporters of Ukrainian nationalist parties hold torches as they take part in a rally to mark the 112th birth anniversary of Stepan Bandera, in Kyiv, Ukraine, January 1, 2021. Credit: Valentyn Ogirenko/Reuters The recent ...6 days ago - Skeptical Science New Research for Week #18 2022Another gnawing warming worry Accidental outcomes of our engineering prowess are warming Arctic regions at a rapid pace. Another species of accomplished engineers is rapidly occupying and exploiting new territory we've thereby made more easily available, namely beavers (Castor canadensis). Beaver populations in affected Arctic regions have increased from "none" to "quite a ...6 days ago
- Pursuit of Indigenous sovereign rightsDr Simon Lambert’s dream is to see Indigenous nations across the world exercising their sovereign rights by adding their say to disaster risk reduction planning. Simon, of Ngāi Tūhoe and Ngāti Ruapani ki Waikaremoana, specialises in indigenous disaster risk reduction, indigenous health and indigenous development, social science, environmental management, planning ...6 days ago
- ‘My stroke gave me purpose’ – Rukingi HaupapaRukingi Haupapa (Ngāti Whakaue, Te Arawa) credits his stroke in 2005 for changing his life: leading him to change his name, get his mataora (facial moko) and set up a trust to help fellow stroke survivors. Oranga (health and wellbeing) is Rukingi’s passion. He holds a Master’s degree in Indigenous ...6 days ago
- Thoughts on an abusive copThe Independent Police Conduct authority has today released two reports relating to the same police officer. In the first, they are found to have used excessive and unjustifiable force in the arrest of a child. In the second, they are found to have seriously assaulted a man during an unlawful ...6 days ago
- Hosking v. Ardern
Mike Hosking’s all-too familiar diatribe in today’s Herald is so dripping with venom and anti-Jacinda animus that one can’t help but wonder if the content matters less than the spirit and purpose in and with which it was offered. Hosking clearly needs help. He seems to live in a world ...6 days ago - Gordon Campbell on abortion rights, and biased SpeakersSo a Supreme Court stacked with ideologues selected by Donald Trump is about to make an ideological decision to ban the legal right of American women to an abortion. In their infinite wisdom, the US courts have decided that the government cannot force people to wear a mask during a ...7 days ago
- Jack Vowles: Te Tiriti – A Briefing for Chris LuxonNational party leader Chris Luxon has been reported as giving some badly uninformed responses to questions about Te Tiriti o Waitangi. As a potential Prime Minister, he needs to get up to speed. Te Tiriti is the Māori language version of the Treaty of Waitangi – the version that is ...7 days ago
- Why and How to Electrify EverythingThis is a re-post from the Citizens' Climate Lobby blog Electrification is a hot topic right now, with many countries searching for ways to reduce their dependence on Russian oil and gas as Putin’s war atrocities in Ukraine worsen by the day. Fortunately, many of the solutions to reduce long-term fossil fuel financial ...1 week ago
- What you need to know about carbon dioxide removalThis is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections Carbon dioxide removal (CDR) from the atmosphere continues to be a hot topic. In its newest report, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) concluded that the Paris Climate Agreement targets cannot be met without substantial efforts to remove some of the more than three-trillion ...1 week ago
- Bryce Edwards: Trevor Mallard’s petty fiefdomIs Parliament just the fiefdom of Trevor Mallard and his colleagues? That’s the impression the public might take from yesterday’s news that the Speaker of Parliament is issuing trespass notices to political opponents who visited the protest in March on the lawns of Parliament. Speaker Mallard has the absolute right ...1 week ago
- 29,000 employed under LabourThe quarterly labour market statistics were released this morning, showing unemployment holding at a record low of 3.2%. There are now 94,000 unemployed - 29,000 fewer than when Labour took office. Average wages are also up, and looking back, they've increased from $30.45 / hour in 2017 to $36.18 today. ...1 week ago
- Member’s DayToday is a Member's Day, and one likely to be entirely full of third readings. First up is Ricardo Menéndez March's Human Rights (Disability Assist Dogs Non-Discrimination) Amendment Bill, followed by Nicola Willis' Unit Titles (Strengthening Body Corporate Governance and Other Matters) Amendment Bill and Tangi Utikere's Local Government (Pecuniary ...1 week ago
- Geoffrey Miller: Jacinda Ardern continues to forge a more US-friendly foreign policyInternational analyst Geoffrey Miller reads between the lines of Jacinda Ardern’s speech to this week’s US business summit in Auckland Jacinda Ardern is slowly but surely shifting New Zealand’s foreign policy towards the West. That was the underlying theme of a keynote address by New Zealand’s Prime Minister this ...1 week ago
- Going full GileadToday's big news from America: the Supreme Court has reportedly voted to overturn Roe v. Wade: The Supreme Court has voted to strike down the landmark Roe v. Wade decision, according to an initial draft majority opinion written by Justice Samuel Alito circulated inside the court and obtained by ...1 week ago
- Wrong, at every levelWe all hate Australia for its policy of jailing refugees as a "disincentive" for people to try and escape torture and persecution. But New Zealand does this too, on a much lesser scale. last year, the government finally ordered a review of this disgusting practice. Today, that review reported back, ...1 week ago
- Geopolitical transitions and the long decline.
For the last three decades the global geopolitical system has been in a state of transition. It first transited from the tight bi-polar arrangement of the Cold War, where two nuclear superpowers with closely integrated alliance systems (NATO and the Warsaw Pact, plus other related networks) strategicaly balanced each other ...1 week ago - Bryce Edwards: Why Labour won’t introduce a radical wealth taxPrime Minister Jacinda Ardern has been perceived as “softening her line on wealth taxes” – and therefore being open to the introduction of a new type of progressive taxation on the rich. This was the description published yesterday by leftwing wealth researcher Max Rashbrooke, who was reporting on the fact ...1 week ago
- Philip Temple: Nothing to fear?On 24 April the Minister for Māori Development, the Hon. Willie Jackson, stated on TVNZ’s Q+A programme that government plans for Māori co-governance were part of MMP. It meant ‘shared decision-making’, ‘partnership’, ‘diversity, about minorities working together’. ‘Co-governance is based on the principles of MMP, this is a consensus type ...1 week ago
- Does NZ’s media support free speech?Below is an excerpt of a talk by journalist Karl du Fresne given at Victoria University on 28 April 2022 for the Free Speech Union. Here he examines the trends that are undermining a free press. [F]ree speech goes hand in hand with a free press – but it’s now ...1 week ago
- The Stuff Of Nightmares.Braking And Entering: The CCTV recording of the ram-raid against Auckland’s Ormiston Mall is so disturbing, so inspiring of dread and rage, that no amount of rational commentary will make the slightest difference. It confirms in the most powerful fashion the stories so many New Zealanders have been telling themselves: ...1 week ago
- Ukraine – a beginner’s guideThe Author of this Dorset Eye article, Ukraine – a beginner’s guide, says: “In 2014, the journalist and writer John Pilger wrote an article for The Guardian newspaper entitled ‘In Ukraine the US is dragging us towards war with Russia’.[i] Eight years later, in 2022, this prediction came true when ...1 week ago
- New graphics resources: Cranky Cartoons and Fallacy IconsWhat's better than some Cranky Uncle cartoons scattered around here or there? A collection of them, cross-referenced with the fallacies they depict, of course! And this is what we highlight in this blog post. John Cook had made these cartoons available for download on his Cranky Uncle website in March 2021 ...1 week ago
- Climate Change: Here comes the floodFor decades now we've known that climate change will cause sea-level rise. In Aotearoa, the projections so far have been for 30cm by 2050, and 1m by 2100 - a level which is catastrophic to low-lying areas and coastal infrastructure and which is going to cost us billions of dollars ...1 week ago
- How to LoseLosses to Australian teams over the weekend by both the Crusaders and Hurricanes have been greeted with shock and surprise by New Zealand rugby fans. Yet, an at least partial explanation is available; the two losses were both set in motion early in each match by a play that is ...1 week ago
- Gordon Campbell On Political Can-kicking, And The“ Louie Louie” SagaOne of the more infuriating aspects of the current political debate is the way the National Party says it would be more rigorous, and more thriftily efficient in running social programmes that – left to its own devices – a National government would never have funded at all in the ...1 week ago
- Bryce Edwards: Is Three Waters really about water infrastructure or iwi co-governance?On Friday the Government made some announcements about their Three Waters programme that were meant to assuage public concerns about the reforms. Instead, the announcements merely reinforced that Local Government Minister Nanaia Mahuta is determined to push the reforms through in the face of strong public opposition. The gist of ...1 week ago
- Crime Porn Politics: a gift for the National Party right now, but we must resist a reactionary trap
Unfortunately it looks like we’re going through a spate of ram raids in this country. Predictably, there comes the natural political rejoinder: “Alas, the youth are out of control in this country…” in various flavours of vitriol, and thus the Reckons. Those who were armchair epidemiologists concerning the ...1 week ago - 2022 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #17Listing of articles linked to on the Skeptical Science Facebook Page during the past week: Sun, April 24, 2022 through Sat, April 30, 2022. The following articles sparked above average interest during the week (bolded articles are from SkS authors): Skeptical Science New Research for Week #17 2022, Newsmax using ...1 week ago
- Why the silence on censorship?2 weeks ago
- 2022 General Reading: April (+ Writing Update)Completed reads for April: The Saga of Hervör and HeithrekThe Saga of Hromund GreipssonThe Tháttr of NornagestIphigenia among the Taurians, by EuripidesIphigenia at Aulis, by EuripidesRhesus, by Euripides?The Body in the Library, by Agatha ChristieWhy Didn’t They Ask Evans?, by Agatha ChristiePoirot Investigates, by Agatha ChristieThe Secret of Chimneys, ...2 weeks ago
- Comforting but warped narratives are damaging our potential future: time we kill off all the myths
One thing is abundantly clear: the way we understand the world is largely a matter of narrative management. It is through the strength of narratives we frame concepts around politics, life, and our consequent approach to it. Personally. As Nations. Too often, we don’t even realise where these come ...2 weeks ago - Gutting the OIAStuff's Henry Cooke reports that the government is planning a significant increase in proactive release of official information, with plans to proactively release almost all advice to ministers. Which is an idea I love, and want to happen, but at the same time fear, because under this government it is ...2 weeks ago
- Something on NZ military diplomacy.A few weeks ago it emerged that NZ Minister of Defence Peeni Henare had asked cabinet for approval to donate surplus NZDF Light Armoured Vehicles (LAVs) to Ukraine as part of the multilateral efforts to support the Ukrainian defence of its homeland against the Russian invasion that is now into ...2 weeks ago
- What is Really Causing the Sharp Price Rises
Reductions in effective productivity, largely as a result of events overseas, require reductions in real incomes. Ignore that and you cannot defeat inflation. What would you think of a doctor who treated only the symptoms and never tried to identify the causes? A quack? Skilled quacks will have accounts about ...2 weeks ago - Climate Change: Farmers versus treesFarmers have been whining for years about carbon forestry, and now they seem to have got their way, with the government proposing to ban permanent pine forests from the ETS. Which is a mistake on multiple levels. The one the government may care about is that it will cost us ...2 weeks ago
- Political Roundup: 29 April 2022THREE WATERS Thomas Coughlan (Herald): Three Waters reforms: Nanaia Mahuta and Grant Robertson announce next steps Thomas Manch (Stuff): Government accepts Three Waters recommendations, councils to have shareholding, aspects of co-governance to remain Cameron Russell (Stuff): Three Waters reaction: Mayor Phil Goff says Auckland is being penalised, LGNZ welcomes ratepayer ...2 weeks ago
- Working class and the poor most impacted by inflationIn an opinion piece in the Herald Bryce Edwards looks at rising inflation and the huge transfer of wealth to the rich under this Labour government. Some excerpts below detail the growing poverty gap. Business profitability is currently very high – banking profits were up 48 per cent last year, ...2 weeks ago
- The Bewildering World of Christopher Luxon – Don't you know who I am, Bottomfeeders!
The media's "honeymoon" with National's leader, Christopher Luxon, ended abruptly on 21 March when on Kerre McIvor's NewstalkZB show, he uttered these astonishing words:“If you want to have a go, and you want to make something of yourself -- we don't just do bottom feeding and just focus on the ...2 weeks ago - Armies Of The Dead.Not Forgotten, Or Forgiven: At this moment our television screens are filled with stories featuring Ukrainians and Russians. Over the course of the past century, both of these peoples have endured almost unbelievable levels of pain, rage and guilt. The statue pictured above, entitled The Bitter Memory of Childhood is ...2 weeks ago
- No Good Options. Will Co-Governance Break Our Democracy?A Dangerous Moment: Given the intense preparation which has gone into raising Māori expectations of co-governance, it would now be extremely dangerous for any political party to bring its institutional evolution to a halt. That said, the lack of any serious preparation of the non-Māori population for the revolutionary implications ...2 weeks ago
- Everything You Know About Ukraine Is WRONGObviously not true for everyone. But it is amazing how many people take up a strong, emotional stance on the war in Ukraine despite being completely ignorant about what has been happening there. This short video does a great job of condensing the history of Ukraine – and presents ...2 weeks ago
- Ancient Greek Drama: Tier Rankings
This month I finished working my way through the surviving corpus of Ancient Greek Drama (in translation). For those keeping track at home, that is forty-six plays – seven by Aeschylus, seven by ... 2 weeks ago - AUT cancels ‘cancel culture’ union meetingby Daphna Whitmore The Auckland University of Technology has just deplatformed a talk on cancel culture. Yes, you read that right. The cancellation was instigated by an “Inclusion Officer” (of course it was). A bit Orwellian isn’t it? I was invited to give a lecture at a Free Speech Union meeting ...2 weeks ago
- Skeptical Science New Research for Week #17 2022We can't go on like this Past and future warming – direct comparison on multi-century timescales walks us through the improvements in methods between the IPCC AR5 and AR6 leading to the latest report's startling conclusion about our rapid, ongoing effect on global mean temperature. Unleashing the fossil hydrocarbon genie has ...2 weeks ago
- The Night of Parmenides: Published
As of yesterday, I can report that the 2022 SpecFicNZ anthology, Aftermath: Tales of Survival in Aotearoa New Zealand, was released: https://specfic.nz/2022/04/27/aftermath-tales-of-survival-in-aotearoa-new-zealand/ It features The Night of Parmenides, my take on a post-apocalyptic Dunedin. Also notable for referencing Scribes, the much-missed second-hand bookshop of North Dunedin. ...2 weeks ago - Bryce Edwards: Could inflation lead to a voter backlash?The current cost of living crisis in the New Zealand economy could yet have severe political consequences. Warning signs could be seen in Monday’s French presidential election result – in which the nationalist-populist Marine Le Pen upset the status quo by getting through to the second round and winning an ...2 weeks ago
- Unlawful secrecy in RotoruaRNZ has a story today about fireworks at today's Rotorua lakes Council meeting, where a motion to move into confidential session over the controversial Rotorua District Council (Representation Arrangements) Bill caused a councillor to resign. The actual events can be viewed on the council livestream here (from 4:15 to 8:15). ...2 weeks ago
- Gordon Campbell on Parker’s tax plan and Musk’s Twitter purchaseSuch is our devotion to the ordinary Kiwi battler, we ruthlessly tax the wages they earn and the stuff they buy, while letting people who amass wealth from speculative investment (and stash it in trusts) to go on their merry way, largely untroubled by the tax department. In the latest ...2 weeks ago
- Monthly lectures introducing Capital Volume 1Karl Marx’s Capital remains the most important theoretical work explaining the capitalist mode of production from a working class and socialist perspective. The Centre for the Study of Social and Global Justice (CSSGJ) is pleased to be hosting a series of monthly lectures introducing each part of Volume 1 by Andy Higginbottom, ...2 weeks ago
- When Rights Become Wrongs: Repeal NZBORA
I have always taken a dim view of entrenching the New Zealand Bill of Rights Act 1990 (NZBORA). In contrast to certain other online commentators, I consider subjecting parliamentary statutes to judicial review ... 2 weeks ago - Political Roundup: 27 April 2022TAX REFORM AND WEALTH Luke Malpass (Stuff): What are Revenue Minister David Parker’s new tax principles really all about? Bridie Witton (Stuff): Revenue minister has ‘virtually no idea what rate of tax is paid by the very wealthy’ Bernard Hickey: David Parker’s long, long game towards a fairer tax system ...2 weeks ago
- Two electionsThere were two elections over the weekend. In France, neo-liberal Emmanuel Macro managed to defeat neo-fascist Marine Le Pen, which should be a relief to everyone (especially given what a le Pen victory would have meant for Ukraine). But its hardly a particularly inspiring choice, effectively just a question of ...2 weeks ago
- The next steps in our plan to speed up New Zealand’s economic growth
Today, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced a major package of reforms to address the immediate skill shortages in New Zealand and speed up our economic growth. These include an early reopening to the world, a major milestone for international education, and a simplification of immigration settings to ensure New Zealand ...10 hours ago - Immigration reset entrenches discrimination towards low-waged migrants
Proposed immigration changes by the Government fail to guarantee pathways to residency to workers in the types of jobs deemed essential throughout the pandemic, by prioritising high income earners - instead of focusing on the wellbeing of workers and enabling migrants to put down roots. ...12 hours ago - Green Party supports nurses’ ERA decisionThe Green Party supports nurses’ continued push for pay equity and calls on the Government to deliver the back pay they had expected. ...1 day ago
- Allied health workers deserve better conditionsThe Green Party is throwing its support behind the 10,000 allied health workers taking work-to-rule industrial action today because of unfair pay and working conditions. ...3 days ago
- SPEECH: Building a low-carbon futureTēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou katoa. Ngā mihi o te ata. Good morning ...3 days ago
- Celebrating Gasav Ne Fäeag Rotuạm Ta – Rotuman Language WeekToday marks the first celebration for Pacific Language Weeks 2022 with Gasav Ne Fäeag Rotuạm Ta – Rotuman Language Week. ...3 days ago
- Six ways we’re reducing cost pressures for New ZealandersSince the day we came into Government, we’ve worked hard to lift wages and reduce cost pressures facing New Zealanders. But we know the rising cost of living, driven by worldwide inflation and the war in Ukraine, is making things particularly tough right now. That’s why we’ve stepped up our ...7 days ago
- Greens call for government to implement all recommendations of Casey report into detention of asylum...An independent review of New Zealand’s detention regime for asylum seekers has found arbitrary and abusive practices in Aotearoa’s immigration law, policy, and practice. ...1 week ago
- Rising household costs hurting low-income peopleThe Green Party says the Government needs to do more for those on the lowest incomes as inflation outpaces wage and benefit increases. ...2 weeks ago
- HRC housing inquiry confirms need for rental WOFThe Human Rights Commission inquiry into housing quality confirms what the Green Party has been calling for - a rental Warrant of Fitness and a register of landlords and property managers. ...2 weeks ago
- Greens call for urgent action to fix tax systemThe Green Party is urging the Government to take urgent action to create a fairer tax system that works for all New Zealanders. ...2 weeks ago
- UNDRIP – Let’s get on with itThe Green Party welcomes the next steps towards implementing the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) in Aotearoa, and calls on the Government to get on with the mahi of upholding Tangata Whenua rights. ...3 weeks ago
- Ngāti Kahungunu ki Wairarapa Tāmaki nui-ā-Rua Claims Settlement Bill passes first reading –...
I te whare pāremata ngā uri o Ngāti Kahungunu ki Wairarapa Tāmaki nui-ā-Rua i tēnei rā kia kite, kia rongo hoki rātou i te hipanga o te pānuitanga tuatahi o te Pire Whakataunga Kokoraho mō Ngāti Kahungunu ki Wairarapa Tāmaki nui-ā-Rua. Ko Ngāti Kahungunu ki Wairarapa Tāmaki nui-ā-Rua tētahi kohinga ...8 hours ago - Poroporoaki: Harerangi Meihana (Harry Mason)Kua hinga ngā kapua pōuri i runga i Taranaki maunga. Kua wehe atu rā te Tumuaki o te Hāhi Ratana, arā ko matua Harerangi Meihana. E koro, moe mai rā. Me piki ake koe mā runga te aroha o to iwi ki te taha o to koroua, arā a Tahupōtiki ...9 hours ago
- PM Pre-Budget Speech to Business New ZealandKia ora koutou katoa Thank you to Business New Zealand and Fujitsu for hosting us here today, and I am grateful to be joined by Minister Faafoi, and Minister Hipkins. Can I thank you also for being so agile in the arrangements for our lunch event. I had of course ...11 hours ago
- Fully open border and immigration changes speed up economic growthBorder fully open two months early from 11:59pm 31 July Significantly simplified immigration processes that provide faster processing for businesses New Green List that includes over 85 hard to fill roles created to attract and retain high-skilled workers to fill skill shortages Green List will provide streamlined and prioritised ...12 hours ago
- Government partners with Toitū Tairāwhiti to deliver up to 150 new homes for whānauUp to 150 new homes will be built for whānau who need them most thanks to a new partnership between the Government and Toitū Tairāwhiti, Minister of Housing Hon Dr Megan Woods and Associate Minister of Housing (Māori Housing) Peeni Henare have announced. Minister Henare and Toitū Tairāwhiti gathered in ...17 hours ago
- New sanctions target disinformation and malicious cyber actorsAs part of the Government’s ongoing response to Ukraine, Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta has announced new sanctions targeting disinformation and those responsible for cyber attacks on Ukraine. “Aotearoa New Zealand continues to unequivocally condemn Russia’s unjustified and illegal attack on Ukraine,” Nanaia Mahuta said. “President Putin’s propaganda machine is in ...1 day ago
- Government bolsters protection for whistleblowersSignificant improvements are being made in New Zealand workplaces to better protect whistleblowers, Minister for the Public Service Chris Hipkins said today. “The Protected Disclosures (Protection of Whistleblowers) Act 2022 replaces the Protected Disclosures Act 2000. It is more people-focused and will make the rules easier to access, understand, and ...1 day ago
- New High Commissioner to Solomon Islands announcedForeign Affairs Minister Nanaia Mahuta today announced the appointment of Jonathan Schwass as New Zealand’s next High Commissioner to Solomon Islands. “Aotearoa New Zealand and Solomon Islands have a long history of close engagement as Pacific whānau,” Nanaia Mahuta said. “Our partnership is founded on cooperation in areas such as ...1 day ago
- Budget 2022: Investing to eliminate violence in our homes and communitiesBudget 2022 delivers $114.5 million over four years to prevent and respond to family violence and sexual violence across Aotearoa Investment includes a $38.1 million boost for community-led integrated responses $37.6 million to prevent violence by strengthening existing initiatives in Māori and Pacific communities and for Aotearoa as a ...2 days ago
- New Zealand Sign Language Week 2022 recognises ‘essential’ workersThis week (9 – 15 May 2022) is New Zealand Sign Language Week (NZSL), a nationwide celebration of NZSL as an official language of New Zealand. “This year’s theme ‘New Zealand Sign Language is essential’ recognises the prominence and importance of our third official language, and draws a spotlight on ...2 days ago
- Government’s Wage Subsidies support people in nearly half of NZ jobsThe Government’s swift action to secure our economic recovery in the midst of a pandemic has seen 47 per cent of jobs in New Zealand protected by at least one of the 2021 wage subsidies, Minister for Social Development and Employment Carmel Sepuloni said. The Ministry of Social Development’s new ...2 days ago
- Budget 2022 supports 38,000 apprentices to accelerate recoveryApprenticeship Boost extended to the end of 2023, supporting 38,000 apprentices Support for 1600 Mana in Mahi places to help people into work Funding to continue the Māori Trades and Training Fund, building on the 17 established partnerships that are supporting more than 800 people The Government is extending ...2 days ago
- Aotearoa sets course to net-zero with first three emissions budgetsClimate Change Minister James Shaw today announced New Zealand’s first three emissions budgets, another milestone on of the journey toward a zero-carbon future. “Today’s announcement means our net-zero future is closer than ever before. There’s much more to do, but having these binding budgets in place is a critical part ...3 days ago
- Building a low-carbon futureTēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou katoa. Ngā mihi o te ata. Good morning. Thank you, Stephen, for that kind introduction. And thank you, again, to ASB for hosting us today. *** I grew up in a big, old Victorian ‘character home’ in Aro Valley. Like so many here in ...3 days ago
- Safety front of mind as new cycleway opensAs Road Safety Week officially commences, Auckland’s busiest cycling route has just received a $14.4 million upgrade, paving the way to get more Aucklanders out of their cars and onto their bikes. The new Tamaki Drive cycleway was opened today by Minister of Transport, Michael Wood following an official dawn ...3 days ago
- Budget 2022: More police to target gangsDelivers largest Police force ever and continues investment in frontline Police after the goal of an additional 1800 Police will be achieved by the end of this year - six months ahead of schedule Extra funding set aside to grow Police to match population growth. This will ensure there ...4 days ago
- Rotuman’s strongly support their language revival in AotearoaVetḁkia ‘os Fäega ma Ag fak hanua - Sustaining our Language and Culture is showcased in this year’s Rotuman Language Week – the first of nine Pacific Language Weeks, said Minister for Pacific Peoples Aupito William Sio. “With just 2,000 Rotuman speakers on the islands of Rotuma, nurturing the growing ...4 days ago
- Funding for Pacific Stop Smoking Services to support Smokefree 2025 goalPacific communities can expect more support to go smokefree as Associate Ministers of Health Dr Ayesha Verrall and Aupito William Sio launched one of the new Pacific stop smoking services at K’aute Pasifika Trust in Hamilton today. The Smokefree Pacific Advisory Group, chaired by Associate Professor Dr Collin Tukuitonga, was ...5 days ago
- Buses take to the road on Northern BuswayNorthshore commuters now have access to congestion free travel to and from the city, as far north as Albany, thanks to the completion of the latest Northern Busway extension which was opened today by the Minister of Transport, Michael Wood. The four year project has delivered an additional five kilometres ...6 days ago
- All coal boilers to be removed from schoolsThanks to a $10 million dollar investment, all remaining coal boilers in New Zealand schools will be replaced with renewable woody biomass or electric heating sources by 2025 reducing carbon emissions by around 35,400 tonnes over 10 years, Climate Change Minister James Shaw announced today. The move is part of ...6 days ago
- Technical innovation to revolutionise forestryAn innovative high-tech approach to forestry management is set to transform New Zealand’s forestry industry, Forestry Minister Stuart Nash and Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor announced today. The Government is backing Precision Silviculture, a $25.5 million, seven-year programme led by Forest Growers Research Limited (FGR). “The investment is part of the ...6 days ago
- New links in chain of Great Rides cycle trailsMore of New Zealand’s most stunning landscapes, culture and heritage destinations will be showcased by the addition of two new cycle trails to the Ngā Haerenga Great Rides network. Tourism and Economic and Regional Development Minister Stuart Nash has today opened the Whakarewarewa Forest Loop trail near Rotorua, and announced ...6 days ago
- Proposals aimed at user-friendly, up-to-date conservation processesPublic feedback is being sought on proposed changes to improve management planning and concession processes in conservation legislation. “Management strategies and plans are key tools which help manage natural and historic resources by providing guidance on what can and cannot be done in our national parks and conservation areas,” Conservation ...6 days ago
- Next steps for two new schools for ŌmokoroaPlanning for two new schools on the Bay of Plenty’s Ōmokoroa Peninsula is underway as part of the Government’s comprehensive plan to support growth in the fast-growing Otumoetai catchment. Ongoing housing development will see 1,200 new homes in Ōmokoroa by 2025, and another development area in the west of the ...6 days ago
- Travel trade show reconnects with AustraliaA government-backed push to reconnect the tourism and travel industry with our largest market in Australia will see Tourism Minister Stuart Nash head to Sydney next week. Stuart Nash is leading a delegation to one of the first major international trade events by Tourism New Zealand since the COVID-19 outbreak ...7 days ago
- Budget 22 investing in biosecurity for future economic securityBudget 22 invests $110.9 million into New Zealand’s biosecurity work $42.9 million to bolster New Zealand’s biosecurity readiness for future incursions $68 million over the coming year to continue the M. bovis eradication momentum Protection of primary sector vital with exports forecast to hit record $50.8 billion for year-end 2022 ...7 days ago
- Joint M. bovis eradication plan reaches significant milestoneMycoplasma bovis (M. bovis) down to one infected property 271 farms cleared of M. bovis No working farms currently confirmed infected Plans for next steps towards a national pest management plan under way Hundreds of thousands of milk samples and animals tested last year Four years into a world-first attempt to ...7 days ago
- Crown accounts reflect strong economyThe Crown accounts are continuing to reflect the strong position New Zealand is in to manage the challenging global environment, Grant Robertson said. For the nine months to the end of March, the Operating Balance before Gains and Losses (OBEGAL) deficit was $8.1 billion, $4.1 billion below that forecast in ...7 days ago
- Budget 2022: Government clears road for 64,000 people to get driver licensesThe Government is: Increasing funding for driver licence support Removing barriers for people who have trouble obtaining driver licences Strengthening testing infrastructure and making it more equitable Reviewing the Graduated Driver Licensing System regulatory framework to ensure it is fit for purpose Budget 2022 will see an estimated 64,000 New ...1 week ago
- Speech at announcement of nationwide plan to tackle hospital waiting lists, Auckland, 4 May 2022Today I am setting out our plan to deal with growing hospital waiting lists. COVID-19 has been hugely disruptive to hospital systems all over the world. In England, for example, there was a 200-fold increase in the number of people waiting more than a year for planned care, from just ...1 week ago
- Nationwide plan to tackle hospital waiting listsHospital waiting lists will be managed nationally under the Labour Government’s plan to cut the time people who need operations and appointments have to wait, Health Minister Andrew Little says. “COVID-19 has been hugely disruptive to hospital systems all over the world,” Andrew Little told health users, providers and unions ...1 week ago
- Speech to the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs – Whare Tawāhi-a-mahi i AotearoaIt is a pleasure to be here tonight addressing you all and continuing to showcase New Zealand’s reconnection to the world. It was fantastic to be travelling again and promoting New Zealand with the Prime Minister a couple of weeks ago to Singapore and Japan. However these are challenging times for trade. ...1 week ago
- Record 50,000 homes consented in a yearIn the year ended March 2022, 50,858 new homes were consented, up 24 per cent from the March 2021 year. 21,477 new homes were consented in Auckland in the year ended March 2022, driven largely by an increase in multi-unit dwellings. 5,303 new homes were consented in March 2022 alone. ...1 week ago
- Broadened criteria for returning visa holdersThe Government is broadening the ability for residence class visa holders to re-enter New Zealand, Minister for COVID-19 Response Chris Hipkins has announced. The change means residence class visa holders not vaccinated against COVID-19 will be able to enter New Zealand from 6 May. The change allows New Zealand Permanent ...1 week ago
- Mānawatia a Matariki – te whakanui i a MatarikiI tāpaea i te rangi nei Te Tohu o Matariki ki te iwi tūmatanui e te Minita mō te Kōtuinga o Ngāi Māori me te Karauna: Te Arawhiti, Kelvin Davis rāua ko te Minita Tuarua mō te Toi, te Ahurea, me te Tukuihotanga, a Kiri Allan. Hei tā Kelvin Davis, ...1 week ago
- Pre-budget speech to Rabobank breakfastI want to thank Rabobank for hosting us this morning, and all of you for making it along for an early start. Yesterday, New Zealand opened its borders again to tourists and business visitors from around 60 visa waiver countries as we continue our reconnection with the world. The resumption ...1 week ago
- Budget 22: New fiscal rules to be put in placeSurpluses will be kept within a band of zero to two percent of GDP to ensure new day‑to‑day spending is not adding to debt. A new debt measure to be introduced to bring New Zealand closer in line with other countries. A debt ceiling will ensure New Zealand maintains some ...1 week ago
- Strategy highlights pathway to reduce infrastructure deficitThe Government has welcomed Te Waihanga/New Zealand Infrastructure Commission’s first infrastructure strategy as a major milestone in building a more prosperous, resilient and sustainable future for all New Zealanders. Rautaki Hanganga o Aotearoa – New Zealand Infrastructure Strategy 2022–2052 set out the infrastructure challenges and opportunities facing New Zealand ...1 week ago
- New Zealand and the United States – Dynamic Economic Partners in the Indo-PacificIt is a pleasure to participate today in the United States Business Summit and to have the opportunity to speak to you about the US-New Zealand trade and economic relationship. I would like to join the Prime Minister in thanking the organisers – especially Fran O’Sullivan and Michael Barnett who I ...1 week ago
- More political elites and defence entities sanctioned, and prohibitions extendedForeign Affairs Minister Nanaia Mahuta has today announced further sanctions on Russian politicians and defence entities supporting Putin’s actions in Ukraine, as part of the Government’s ongoing response to the war. “Through these sanctions, we are demonstrating our intention to continue going after those who are responsible for Russia’s invasion ...1 week ago
- Greens condemn ‘two-tier’ NZ migrant policy as entrenching inequities
RNZ News The New Zealand government’s immigration decisions amount to a “white immigration policy”, creating a two-tier system that will entrench inequities, claims the Green Party. National and ACT are also critical of the moves announced by Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and top ministers at a Business NZ lunch in ...2 hours ago - Governor-General Issues Writ For The Tauranga By-election
The next step in the preparations for the Tauranga by-election has taken place today with the Governor-General issuing the writ for the by-election to be held. The Rt Hon Dame Cindy Kiro has given the Electoral Commission the formal direction and authority ...3 hours ago - LIVE [email protected] Buchanan + Manning: Putin’s Speech + Election Results + China-Solomons DealA View from Afar – In this podcast, political scientist Paul Buchanan and Selwyn Manning will bring you a programme in two parts. First, they will provide a brief roundup of Russia’s Victory Day on May 9th and what to make of Russia’s president Vladimir Putin’s speech. PLUS, they ...5 hours ago
- Politics with Michelle Grattan: Grattan Institute’s Danielle Wood on election’s thin policy deba...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Danielle Wood is the CEO of the Grattan Institute, an independent think tank, Its purpose is to research and advocate policies to improve Australians’ lives. Wood laments the dearth of policy debate in this ...5 hours ago
- South Australia’s Limestone Coast was formed from the bones of dead fish. Cathedral brings the sto...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By William Peterson, Adjunct Associate Professor, Auckland University of Technology Matt Byrne/State Theatre Company South Australia Review: Cathedral, directed by Shannon Rush for the State Theatre Company of South Australia Cathedral could not be more South Australian. This complex and ...8 hours ago
- Finlayson calls for a robust debate on co-governance – but then he disparages naysayers as “the ...
Co-governance was aired by The Detail team on Radio New Zealand this morning in a broadcast which featured former Attorney-General Chris Finlayson, who also served as Minister for Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations. Reporting on the broadcast, Newroom said The Detail had examined the question “what is co-governance?” and had found ...8 hours ago - Electricity prices are spiking, ten times as much as normal. Here are some educated guesses as to wh...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Bruce Mountain, Director, Victoria Energy Policy Centre, Victoria University Shutterstock Electricity prices in the short-term (“spot”) wholesale markets in Australia are surging again. As I first drafted this, at 11.30pm on Tuesday, while electricity demands were not high, the prices ...8 hours ago
- Australia has rich deposits of critical minerals for green technology. But we are not making the mos...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mohan Yellishetty, Associate Professor, Resources Engineering, Monash University Shutterstock As the transition to clean energy accelerates, we will need huge quantities of critical minerals – the minerals needed to electrify transport, build batteries, manufacture solar panels, wind turbines, consumer electronics ...8 hours ago
- Immigration policy a 'two-tier' system that entrenches inequities – Greens
The government's immigration decisions amount to a white immigration policy, creating a two-tier system that will entrench inequities, the Green Party says. ...8 hours ago - Universities Welcome Much-needed Earlier Border ReopeningAotearoa New Zealand’s eight universities look forward to welcoming back their international students after today’s announcement that the final part of the Government’s staged border reopening will be brought forward from October to 31 July. “This ...9 hours ago
- To pat or not to pat? How to keep interactions between kids and dogs safeSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Petra Edwards, PhD researcher, University of Adelaide Justin Veenema/Unsplash With dog attacks in the news over recent weeks, some parents may be wondering about how to keep interactions between kids and dogs safe – and how to keep everyone happy. ...10 hours ago
- Accelerated Border Reopening And Immigration Changes WelcomedThe reopening of New Zealand’s border in full and long-anticipated immigration changes announced today will bolster economic growth in the Canterbury region and provide a boost for businesses that are desperate to find staff. "Border settings ...10 hours ago
- Welcome News For Beleaguered Travel And Tourism Industries As PM Sets Date For End Of Tests, Border ...The New Zealand Airports Association (NZ Airports) has welcomed today’s announcement by the Prime Minister that the final Covid-related border restrictions will end on 31 July instead of in October. The PM was also “confident” that New Zealand’s ...10 hours ago
- Amnesty calls for halt to planned Wabu Block gold mine in PapuaBy Yance Agapa in Paniai Amnesty International Indonesia executive director Usman Hamid is asking the government to halt the planned gold mine at Wabu Block in Intan Jaya regency until there is agreement from the Papua indigenous people in the area. “We have asked that the planned mine be halted ...10 hours ago
- NZ Open For BusinessReopening borders earlier than expected, and clarity around immigration settings will be welcome news to Kiwi businesses, says Buy NZ Made. The Prime Minister announced the border’s phased reopening would be moved forward from October to July, at today’s ...11 hours ago
- Hospitality NZ Welcomes Immigration Transition PlanHospitality New Zealand is pleased the Government has heard its calls for an immigration transition plan for tourism, hospitality and accommodation businesses. “The temporary exemption from paying the median wage $27.76 to recruit migrants on an Accredited ...11 hours ago
- Border Reopening Sooner Good For BusinessBusinessNZ welcomes the Government moving faster on reopening borders earlier than previously indicated, and providing more clarity around immigration settings. The Prime Minister announced the border’s phased reopening would be moved forward from ...11 hours ago
- The age of hybrid working is here – how can businesses find the right mix between office and home?Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Dougal Sutherland, Clinical Psychologist, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington Getty Images After more than two years of disruptions, lockdowns and uncertainty, employers are facing a new reckoning in 2022: getting staff back into the office. Dubbed by ...11 hours ago
- “Considerable uncertainty” clouds the outlook as Robertson prepares to present 2022 Budget
Is the NZ economy heading for a hard landing? As the country awaits the presentation of Budget 2022, the omens are not good. The ANZ Bank, in its latest quarterly economic forecast, says many commentators are talking about the risks of a recession. It’s a valid concern, as it is clear ...12 hours ago - Visitor Visa Applications For Individuals From Pacific Island Forum Countries To Open On 16 May 2022...12 hours ago
- How well has the Morrison government handled relations with Southeast Asia?Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Greta Nabbs-Keller, Senior Research Affiliate UQ Centre for Policy Futures, The University of Queensland This is part of a foreign policy election series looking at how Australia’s relations with the world have changed since the Morrison government came into power in 2019. ...12 hours ago
- Early Learning Forgotten In Government Attendance PushA pre-budget announcement of $88 million to address school attendance has completely ignored early learning. If the Government was serious about improving educational attendance they’d start at its foundation with more investment in early ...12 hours ago
- Do those viral ’36 questions’ actually lead to finding love?Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Gery Karantzas, Associate professor in Social Psychology / Relationship Science, Deakin University Shutterstock The “36 questions of love” have taken the dating world by storm. First published in 1997 as part of scientific research into relationships, the 36 questions ...12 hours ago
- Bryce Edwards’ Political Roundup: Massive Wage Subsidy and Covid spending is under scrutinisedAnalysis by Dr Bryce Edwards. Political Roundup is entirely subscriber-funded. The ethos behind this public service is to help foster a robust and informed public debate, with a great diversity of perspectives. If you appreciate what we are doing in providing non-partisan analysis and information about politics, economy, and society, ...13 hours ago
- Buzz from the Beehive: $55 million for a bashful bunch of builders and a belated patch-up on the So...Another day, another Crown:iwi partnership, this time a deal between the Government and Toitū Tairāwhiti to build homes for families “who need them most”. In this case ethnicity is the critical factor in determining this need. On the international front, meanwhile, Foreign Affairs Minister Nanaia Mahua has named a new ...13 hours ago
- New Zealand border reopening fully from end of JulyThe border reopening date is being brought forward to the end of July, RNZ understands. ...14 hours ago
- Jackson defends calling Seymour a 'useless Māori'Māori Development Minister Willie Jackson has doubled down on calling ACT leader David Seymour a "useless Māori". ...14 hours ago
- Philippines forgets history and sells its soul for another MarcosCOMMENTARY: By David Robie Sadly, the Philippines has sold its soul. Thirty six years ago a People Power revolution ousted the dictator Ferdinand Marcos after two decades of harsh authoritarian rule. Yesterday, in spite of a rousing and inspiring Pink Power would-be revolution, the dictator’s only son and namesake “Bongbong” ...15 hours ago
- 100 PNG security forces arrive in Porgera, tension easesBy Miriam Zarriga in Mt Hagen About 100 Papua New Guinea security personnel have arrived in Porgera, Enga Province, amid the fighting that saw 17 dead, 100 families displaced and homes destroyed over the weekend. The arrival of the PNG Defence Force (PNGDF) in Porgera on late Sunday evening has ...15 hours ago
- FNU formalises ‘exciting’ real world collaboration with Auckland UniThe Fiji Times The Fiji National University and the University of Auckland have formalised their partnership through a memorandum of understanding that encourages academic cooperation between the two institutions. FNU acting vice-chancellor Dr William May said the collaboration was another opportunity to strengthen the longstanding relationship between the two universities ...15 hours ago
- The End Of The Care And Support Workers (Pay Equity) Settlement Act?Grey Power has thrown its weight behind the Etū and PSA Unions in their efforts to get the Government to honour a pay deal which took two years of tough negotiation and several court decisions, including the Court of Appeal, to finalise. After years ...16 hours ago
- Luxon on National-ACT alliance, budget, abortionNational Party leader Christopher Luxon won't be drawn on how he might work with the ACT party and its leader David Seymour if his party wins next year's election. ...16 hours ago
- Australia’s future depends on science. Here’s what our next government needs to do about itSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Shine, President, Australian Academy of Science; Laboratory Head, Garvan Institute The longer you live through a crisis, the less likely you are to fully appreciate that you’re in one. This is especially true if there is more than one crisis, and ...18 hours ago
- Election humour 2022: can the major parties win votes with a funny marmot or a joke about Star Wars?Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mark Rolfe, Honorary lecturer, School of Social Sciences, UNSW Sydney The 2022 election campaign seems longer than Napoleon’s retreat from Moscow. And there is still ten days to go. But that does not mean the whole thing is without lighter moments. Humour ...18 hours ago
- Over the last 30 years, a fifth of polls have called the wrong winner. Here are 3 things poll-watche...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Murray Goot, Emeritus Professor of Politics and International Relations, Macquarie University With voting already underway, and the sausage sizzle less than two weeks away, there are three things worth knowing if you are trying to work out which side is most likely ...18 hours ago
- Planning kids? You should know the major parties’ parental leave policies before you voteSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Anam Bilgrami, Research Fellow, Macquarie University Shutterstock Most new Australian mothers receive government paid parental leave to support health, encourage workforce participation and balance work and family life equally with their partners. Despite this, Australia still has one of the least ...18 hours ago
- Australia could rapidly shift to clean transport – if we had a strategy. So we put this plan toget...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jake Whitehead, E-Mobility Research Fellow, The University of Queensland Getty Images Australia has no clear strategy to decarbonise transport. That’s a problem, because without a plan, our take-up of clean technologies like electric cars, trucks and buses is slow. It’s stopping ...18 hours ago
- Attending school every day counts – but kids in out-of-home care are missing outSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kitty Te Riele, Deputy Director (Research), University of Tasmania Shutterstock Consistent school attendance is important in any child’s education but for many children in out-of-home care, going to school every day is no easy thing. There are three main types of ...18 hours ago
- Paddy Compass Namadbara: for the first time, we can name an artist who created bark paintings in Arn...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Joakim Goldhahn, Rock Art Australia Ian Potter Kimberley Chair, The University of Western Australia The bark painting depicting a barramundi that Namadbara created for Spencer at Oenpelli in 1912 and that he identified in the interview with Lance Bennett in 1967, now ...18 hours ago
- Government to consider future of half-price public transport faresThe thousands of people who use public transport every day could soon find out if the half-price fares they are enjoying now are here to stay. ...18 hours ago
- Even if next week’s budget avoids the issue, it’s time New Zealand seriously considered a wealth...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Lisa Marriott, Professor of Taxation, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington Getty Images Tax is back in the news. Often this means a looming budget or election, as is indeed the case now, with the government’s 2022 budget ...19 hours ago
- View from The Hill: Albanese and Morrison caught on fly-papers of wages, genderSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Both Anthony Albanese and Scott Morrison landed themselves onto the sticky paper on Tuesday, as they trudged through this campaign’s penultimate week. The issues couldn’t have been more different. But each was an area ...1 day ago
- Word from The Hill: Scott Morrison defends Katherine Deves (again), but slips up on surgery detailSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra As well as her interviews with politicians and experts, Politics with Michelle Grattan includes “Word from The Hill”, where she discusses the news with members of The Conversation politics team. In this podcast ...1 day ago
- Northern Territory Chief Minister Michael Gunner resigns. Could this help Labor in the federal elect...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rolf Gerritsen, Professorial Research Fellow, Northern Institute, Charles Darwin University Northern Territory Chief Minister Michael Gunner has resigned suddenly, making the announcement just after delivering the NT budget in parliament. He will stay on as a backbencher. “My head and my heart ...1 day ago
- Launch Of New Representative Democracy In Tauranga – Lobby For GoodLeveraging her corporate background in innovation and technology, along with her personal experience advocating for the community in a variety of issues in local and central government, Erika Harvey wants to remove the barriers for everyday kiwis ...1 day ago
- Shane Reti stands firm in face of criticism of Māori health commentsNational's Health spokesperson Dr Shane Reti is under fire for comments he made comparing Māori life expectancy to the 1840s. ...1 day ago
- Below the Line: What issues are politicians ignoring this election? – podcastSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Benjamin Clark, Deputy Engagement Editor, The Conversation Channel Nine’s leaders’ debate on Sunday night may have been a “shouty, unedifying spectacle”, but Scott Morrison and Anthony Albanese will do it all again on Wednesday evening on Channel Seven. Why? In ...1 day ago
- Luxon rules out Seymour as finance ministerNational leader Christopher Luxon has refused to rule in or out ACT's budget proposals if they enter government together, but says Nicola Willis - not David Seymour - would be finance minister. ...1 day ago
- Stand by for the oddly designed Stage 3 tax cut that will send middle earners backwards and give hi...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Martin, Visiting Fellow, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University Shutterstock The Reserve Bank is pushing up interest rates to take money out of our hands. The first increase in the current round will add about A$65 a month ...1 day ago
- Ram raid solutions funding to be decided on next weekDecisions on government solutions for the ram raids in Auckland and Waikato - including funding for things like bollards - are expected to go to Cabinet for sign-off on Monday. ...1 day ago
- Young voters will inherit a hotter, more dangerous world – but their climate interests are being ...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Hannah R. Feldman, Research Fellow, Institute for Water Futures, Australian National University While there was plenty of heat in Sunday’s night’s debate between Labor and Coalition leaders, one issue was barely mentioned: climate change. This raises a large red flag for Australia’s ...1 day ago
- Social Agencies Meet To Discuss Budget...1 day ago
- Australia’s next government must start talking about a ‘just transition’ from coal. Here’s w...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Gareth Edwards, Associate Professor, University of East Anglia Shutterstock At last year’s Glasgow climate conference, countries lined up to increase their ambition to cut greenhouse gas emissions. Even Australia brought a new target of net-zero emissions by 2050, and signed ...1 day ago
- Leo Molloy Opposes Auckland Congestion ChargeMayoral candidate Leo Molloy says now is not the time to hit the wallets of Aucklanders with another cost - this time through a congestion charge. “No one is feeling the cost of living crisis more than Aucklanders, whether it’s fuel, groceries or utilities, ...1 day ago
- Stuff-up or conspiracy? Whistleblowers claim Facebook deliberately let important non-news pages go d...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rob Nicholls, Associate professor in regulation and governance, UNSW Sydney Shutterstock On Friday, the Wall Street Journal published information from Facebook whistleblowers, alleging Facebook (which is owned by Meta) deliberately caused havoc in Australia last year to influence the News ...1 day ago
- Why award honorary doctorates, and what do the choices say about our universities?Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kate Murphy, Senior Lecturer in Contemporary History, Monash University Shutterstock Universities like to associate themselves with exceptional individuals through the awarding of honorary doctorates, but this practice has often attracted controversy, creating headaches for university administrators. Honorary doctorates highlight ...1 day ago
- Ombudsman Welcomes Passage Of Protected Disclosures BillThe Chief Ombudsman Peter Boshier says the passing of new whistleblower legislation will help reinforce New Zealand’s international reputation as a free and transparent society. Mr Boshier says he welcomes the passage of the Protected Disclosures (Protection ...1 day ago
- Imagine it’s 2030 and Australia is a renewable energy superpower in Southeast AsiaSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Melissa Conley Tyler, Honorary Fellow, Asia Institute, The University of Melbourne Achmad Ibrahim/AP/AAP We are into the final fortnight of the election campaign, and commentators have noted that climate change has been almost invisible. This is despite the latest IPCC ...1 day ago
- 60 years and 14 Doctors: how Doctor Who has changed with the times – and Ncuti Gatwa’s casting i...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Marcus Harmes, Professor in Pathways Education, University of Southern Queensland Netflix The BBC’s announcement that the Rwandan-Scottish actor Ncuti Gatwa will play Doctor Who from 2023 is making global headlines. Even people who don’t watch the show have been ...1 day ago
- Budget A Chance To Unlock Universities’ Full Potential To Enhance New Zealanders’ Wellbeing And ...Budget 2022 is a chance for the Government to better support universities and enhance their huge contribution to national wellbeing and providing the skills and solutions New Zealanders need to prosper, says Universities New Zealand – Te Pōkai Tara ...1 day ago
- Kiwi dollar’s slippage brings Robertson’s “robust economy” rhetoric into doubtJust as New Zealanders start planning their first overseas travel since Covid led to lockdowns, they find their dollar has slipped in value against other major currencies. This could be of particular concern for those senior citizens who were looking forward to having a break during New Zealand’s winter months ...2 days ago
- Buzz from the Beehive: a reminder of a new ministry (but what will it be called?) and data on the s...It’s always a special week for this, that or something, and this week it’s New Zealand Sign Language Week (NZSL), a nationwide celebration of NZSL as an official language of New Zealand. This year’s theme is ‘New Zealand Sign Language is essential’, intended to spotlight essential workers who are Deaf, ...2 days ago
- Remind me, how are hospitals funded in Australia?Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jane Hall, Professor of Health Economics and Director, Centre for Health Economics Research and Evaluation, University of Technology Sydney During elections, we usually hear calls for the government and opposition to commit to increasing funding for hospitals. While states are responsible ...2 days ago
- Apprenticeship scheme: No clause to keep builders in New ZealandThere are no plans to bond apprentices to ensure they remain in New Zealand, Education Minister Chris Hipkins says. ...2 days ago
- National Road Carriers Supports Congestion Charges But Calls For Freight To Be ExemptAs the topic of congestion charging hits the headlines many households will be feeling anxious at the thought of yet another cost as they to stretch out of the weekly wage and make ends meet. “At first glance it’s understandable to question the proposed ...2 days ago
- Family violence prevention strategy gets $114.5m in BudgetThe government's family and sexual violence elimination strategy will be bolstered by $114.5 million in this year's Budget. ...2 days ago
- Commissioner, Inland Revenue AppointedDeputy Public Service Commissioner Helene Quilter QSO has today announced the appointment of Peter Mersi to the position of Commissioner and Chief Executive, Inland Revenue Department. The Commissioner of Inland Revenue holds important roles as the principal ...2 days ago
- Taxpayers’ Union Calls For Road To Zero Wasteful SpendingWaka Kotahi needs to pivot its Road to Zero road safety strategy into a Road to Zero Waste strategy, says the New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union . Union spokesman Louis Houlbrooke says, “Today we learn the transport agency spent almost $10,000 purchasing ...2 days ago
- PM Jacinda Ardern returns negative Covid-19 test resultJacinda Ardern is isolating in Wellington this week after her partner Clarke Gayford tested positive at the weekend. ...2 days ago
- FLNKS insists on full sovereignty for Kanaky New CaledoniaRNZ Pacific New Caledonia’s pro-independence Kanak and Socialist National Liberation Front (FLNKS) movement and five other small nationalist parties have agreed that they will only discuss the territory’s accession to full sovereignty in talks planned with France. The joint position was adopted at the weekend at the congress of the ...2 days ago
- Govt Must Bring Back Fiscal DisciplineWith the highest inflation in 30 years and the worst cost of living crisis in a generation, the Government must restore fiscal discipline in the upcoming Budget, National’s Finance Spokesperson Nicola Willis says. “National believes every ...2 days ago
- Restoring Discipline To Government PolicyKia ora koutou katoa, ngā mihi nui ki a koutou. Greetings all. It’s great to be in Christchurch. Let me begin by thanking the Canterbury Employers’ Chamber of Commerce for hosting this event. You do great work advocating for the businesses ...2 days ago
- Budget 2022 And Climate Change: Time To Loosen The Purse StringsProgress on climate change isn’t happening fast enough according to Grant Thornton New Zealand Partner, and Environment & Sustainability Leader, Michael Worth. He has identified three areas of spend in Budget 2022 that could go a long way towards ...2 days ago
- How a volcanic bombardment in ancient Australia led to the world’s greatest climate catastropheSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Timothy Chapman, Postdoctoral Fellow in Geology, University of New England Artwork by Katrina Kenny © 2022, Author provided Some 252 million years ago the world was going through a tumultuous period of rapid global warming. To understand what caused ...2 days ago
- Times are tough, and may get tougher, so where can Australians find strong political leadership?Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By James Walter, Emeritus Professor of Political Science, Monash University In troubled times, people look for strong leaders – men and women who offer decisive action to address collective problems, and promise the capacity to deliver. They initially present as larger-than-life characters, and ...2 days ago
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