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Cat MacLennan: We Are Beneficiaries
Written By: - Date published: 10:45 am, May 27th, 2020 - 9 comments
Approximately 2.8 million of Aotearoa New Zealand’s 4.9 million residents are now beneficiaries. Covid-19 has shown us that #WeAreBeneficiaries. Those New Zealanders who only need state support for a short time in their lives are incredibly lucky. Let’s stop looking down on and punishing those who are less fortunate.
Back in the U.S.S.A.
Written By: - Date published: 3:58 pm, February 18th, 2020 - 31 comments
The onslaught launched against Trump from sections of corporate media and liberal institutions will look as nothing next to the unified onslaught that will be unleashed against a President Sanders.
The Big One’s Coming In.
Written By: - Date published: 11:34 am, February 4th, 2020 - 70 comments
These past few years anyone might be forgiven for believing liberals have never heard of King Canute. How else to explain their stupid resistance to inevitable change? And now…
An Early Christmas.
Written By: - Date published: 12:33 pm, December 5th, 2019 - 23 comments
Christian tradition dictates Christmas falls on the 25th of December. This year though, if we simply view Christmas through a lens of ‘good things happening’, then Christmas is coming early.
BoJo cornered
Written By: - Date published: 1:03 am, September 25th, 2019 - 75 comments
Lady Hale and the UK Supreme Court have torpedoed Boris Johnson’s cunning plan to prorogue Parliament. His request to the Queen was “unlawful, void, and of no effect.” Her Maj will not be pleased. Johnson is now boxed in – ask for an extension to Brexit, or resign.
The Race to be the Democratic Party’s Presidential nominee
Written By: - Date published: 7:35 am, September 17th, 2019 - 38 comments
Breaking it down.
“For the good of all, the poor come first.”
Written By: - Date published: 1:24 pm, December 3rd, 2018 - 23 comments
Those were the words spoken by Andrés Manuel López Obrador (AMLO) during yesterday’s Presidential inauguration where he promised to end Mexico’s disastrous neo-liberalism.
Brazil, Brexit, Trump…with more to come.
Written By: - Date published: 5:17 pm, October 30th, 2018 - 97 comments
When orders collapse, it doesn’t have to be a bad thing. We’re making it a bad thing.
Guest post: The end of Neoliberalism – What went wrong?
Written By: - Date published: 8:30 am, August 7th, 2018 - 172 comments
The Left predicted the death of neoliberalism after the global financial crisis of 2008. But since then inequality has increased and new right nationalism is on the ascendancy. How should the left respond?
The Pied Piper
Written By: - Date published: 11:55 am, August 6th, 2018 - 32 comments
If we’re living in a global village, is the name of the village Hamelin?
A right, Left problem
Written By: - Date published: 1:17 pm, July 24th, 2018 - 78 comments
A post suggesting that the traditional descriptive lens of “left and right” isn’t up to capturing current political realities.
Smile!
Written By: - Date published: 4:45 pm, July 7th, 2018 - 98 comments
The extent and limits of current politics.
Fudget for Austerity
Written By: - Date published: 12:31 pm, May 19th, 2018 - 71 comments
Some proposals on why we just got the budget we did.
The Centre, the Left and UK local elections
Written By: - Date published: 11:18 am, May 4th, 2018 - 14 comments
Thoughts on a resurgent left and a collapsing centre.
Democracy, Faux Democracy and Terror.
Written By: - Date published: 11:27 am, March 19th, 2018 - 37 comments
Facebook, Putin, poisoning and Ghouta have all given fairly extensive media coverage of late. Nothing much on Afrin. Afrin has just fallen to terrorists backed by Turkey.
Update: the photo used for this post is of the The Queer Insurrection and Liberation Army (TQILA), who are part of the International Revolutionary People’s Guerrilla Forces fighting in Syria.
The Housing Crisis.
Written By: - Date published: 10:43 am, February 11th, 2018 - 154 comments
Can politics deliver?
Why Christmas is good
Written By: - Date published: 7:32 am, December 24th, 2017 - 82 comments
Why the concept of christmas is a good thing.
Labour’s home.
Written By: - Date published: 5:06 pm, November 19th, 2017 - 13 comments
Scottish Labour leadership election concludes. And kangaroos.
Why I voted two ticks Green
Written By: - Date published: 11:42 am, September 20th, 2017 - 83 comments
Because we need to knock Liberalism on the head.
Scottish Labour. On the Cusp?
Written By: - Date published: 6:02 pm, August 30th, 2017 - 17 comments
Liberals depart and Liberals tank.
Do you?
Written By: - Date published: 9:00 am, August 11th, 2017 - 69 comments
In the interests of keeping it simple, an obvious fact or two and a basic proposition.
Break Left!
Written By: - Date published: 1:01 pm, July 20th, 2017 - 109 comments
A simple and obvious message to the Green Party that others have ignored to their cost. Please don’t join that list.
This Bloody Vote.
Written By: - Date published: 11:53 am, July 7th, 2017 - 212 comments
Disentangling the veritable plate of spaghetti that’s been set before us this election.
Andrew Little – Last Labour PM of NZ?
Written By: - Date published: 4:48 pm, June 3rd, 2017 - 136 comments
A wee bit of speculation for a long week-end.
Labour’s Manifesto
Written By: - Date published: 11:50 am, May 11th, 2017 - 293 comments
Old school Social Democracy. (Remember that?)
Bringing Liberalism Down.
Written By: - Date published: 9:30 am, May 4th, 2017 - 138 comments
It isn’t always wise to tackle an adversary head on and sometimes, with a bit of smarts, two birds can be had with one stone. This post is about halting the march of liberalism and killing the potential of fascism.
Encouraging Signs
Written By: - Date published: 1:32 pm, March 3rd, 2017 - 25 comments
A refreshing shift in NZ’s political environment.
Key gives up on us, keeps International Democratic Union.
Written By: - Date published: 9:00 am, February 10th, 2017 - 33 comments
The Herald informs us that Key is going on the speaking circuit and will go back into finance (not that he ever left). Like John Howard before him, he also intends to carry on chairing the International Democratic Union of right-wing parties. Not a surprise.
Is US Green Party’s Jill Stein the new people’s champion?
Written By: - Date published: 12:43 pm, July 28th, 2016 - 109 comments
Plus she makes Fox News reporters’ heads explode.
Welsh Assembly.
Written By: - Date published: 11:12 am, May 12th, 2016 - 20 comments
A post to illustrate how fixed term parliaments work…off the back of some really woeful reportage.
Making Like Private Frazer
Written By: - Date published: 1:20 pm, September 14th, 2015 - 20 comments
Political awakenings.
- What did we actually vote for and give a mandate to?
Well it may be 2020 but, looking around, this blogger is really connecting to the mindset my Great Grandmother had when she ran a boarding house for workers to escape to, in between fighting extremely hard against Governments and their many enforcers almost exactly a century ago, and why ...5 hours ago - Labour finally does the right thing
The government has finally introduced a bill to double sick leave entitlements to ten days a year. Good. But its worth remembering that despite a global pandemic raging, Jacinda Ardern originally ruled this out, just as she has ruled out wealth taxes or a capital gains tax. Its unclear whether ...7 hours ago - Ready to be let down.
The Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) on the Christchurch terrorist attacks has tabled its report with the Governor General and Minister of Internal Affairs. The Report will be introduced to parliament and released to the public before Christmas. In the lead up to its release the office of the Department ...8 hours ago - The wrong conclusionBack in September, we learned (thanks to a whistleblower) that the SIS had looked the other way on child abuse. Today, the Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security released their report on the issue. Their verdict is basicly the Scottish one: "not proven". Why? Because there are no records showing the ...8 hours ago
- Blaming anyone but themselvesLabour is increasingly under pressure over its refusal to implement a wealth tax or similar solution to end house hoarding. Their answer? Blame the public: Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern is putting some onus on the public for the housing crisis, saying the Government had tried taxation to ease the ...12 hours ago
- 2020 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming Digest #48
Story of the Week... Toon of the Week... Coming Soon on SkS... Climate Feedback Claim Review... SkS Week in Review... Poster of the Week... Story of the Week... Saudis and Europeans reach compromise on climate as G20 projects unity EU leaders endorsed Riyadh’s contentious “circular carbon economy” vision ...15 hours ago - Sport Must Be the Winner
The All Blacks’ win last weekend against the Pumas, and their reminder to us of how good they can be, brought a great deal of pleasure to thousands of kiwis. But we have also had evidence over recent days and weeks that sport is not always a generator of sweetness ...17 hours ago - Geoffrey Miller: New Zealand’s surprising relationship with the Middle East
Geoffrey Miller looks at New Zealand’s growing relationship with the Middle East and North Africa – and contemplates its future Amidst New Zealand’s level 4 coronavirus lockdown in March, all but a handful of the country’s troops stationed in Iraq returned home, three months earlier than scheduled. The New Zealand ...1 day ago - And Then There Were Four: Book Publishing and Oligopoly
Most people would be surprised to learn that there are only five major English-language book publishers on the planet. Book-publishing isn’t as glamorously naughty as, say, the oil industry, so this concentration of industry power largely exists outside popular consciousness. Besides, the existence of imprints (trade names) disguises ...2 days ago - Media reaction: Boris Johnson’s ‘10-point’ net-zero plan for climate changeThis is a re-post from Carbon Brief The UK prime minister Boris Johnson has announced a long-awaited “10-point plan” laying out measures to scale up the nation’s climate ambition. These policy proposals and funding packages have been framed as a means to create jobs, promote a “green recovery” from Covid-19 and help ...3 days ago
- The secret advice on Labour’s RMA “fast-track”Back in June, Labour steamrolled the COVID-19 Recovery (Fast-track Consenting) Bill into law, using urgency and a sham select committee process which left too little time for submitters to respond effectively. The law created a separate "fast-track" process for resource consents for "shovel-ready" projects, which cuts the public out of ...3 days ago
- Transformation or Progress?
Why this government will not be transformative; do we want it to be?Half of the current cabinet could not vote in the 1990 election when the neoliberal government, among other things, attacked the foundations of the welfare state – an attack which has not been reversed. Only a quarter could ...3 days ago - Always more fish in the sea? Maybe not
The recent article by Andrea Vance on Stuff , ‘The way we protect the oceans is badly outdated. Will the Government change that?’ is timely, but needs further unpacking. For this is an important issue.In it, she rightly claims “We are far behind the rest of the world and failing ...3 days ago - Climate Change: Calling us on our bullshitUnder Jacinda Ardern, New Zealand is - rhetorically at least - pretending to be a leader on climate change. Meanwhile, our emissions keep going up and up, with the second-highest percentage increase among Annex I countries. And now, our friends are finally calling us on our bullshit: New Zealand's ...3 days ago
- Labour sells out kiwisSo, Labour has given in to the whining from farmers, and will be allowing 2,000 RSE workers into the country to pick their fruit, though with tighter conditions: they'll have to be paid a living wage and employers must pay for their quarantine. Which sounds good, until you remember that ...4 days ago
- Up and Down with COVID-19: Could President Trump Be Right (Twice!) In The End?
We all witnessed President Trump in denial about COVID-19 at his political rallies. The mantra 'we have turned the corner' ('bigly', no doubt!), became a daily diet for Trump's base in the final days of the US presidential campaign, notwithstanding overwhelming evidence to the contrary. Similarly, he promised that a ...4 days ago - The Second Term (With Apologies To William Butler Yeats)
Yearning and yearning for a comforting liarThe people will not hear the truth, nor trust the truth-teller;Stories fall apart, the centre is not real;Mere dull geometry to gull a duller world.Our poll-driven narrative is loosed, but everywhereThe target audience refuses to be wowed.The best shun social-media, while the worstStill tweet ...4 days ago - Spit & Polish: A National Party Story.Consensus Politician: Following his victory in the 1960 general election, National’s second prime minister, Keith Holyoake, stretched himself out like a smug family cat over the sunny years of the early 1960s and purred. THERE’S A STORY about the National Party that always struck me as important. It concerns National’s ...4 days ago
- A Caucus Of Velvet Gloves.Uniformly Diverse: There is one very simple reason why this government, comprised overwhelmingly of members of the Professional-Managerial Class, will find it almost impossible to understand what the bottom half of New Zealand society needs: because it is supremely confident that it already does. NEW ZEALAND now boasts one of ...4 days ago
- Climate Change: An emergencySome good news today: Parliament will declare a climate emergency next week: The Government has revealed plans to pass a climate change emergency motion in Parliament next week. An attempt was made to pass one last term but NZ First opposed it. The motion itself would have no practical ...4 days ago
- NZDF should not be allowed to handle this in-houseYesterday we learned that an NZDF soldier with links to Nazi groups has been charged with espionage (along other things) and will be prosecuted via court-martial. Whether the charges are justified is for a court to determine, but it seems deeply inappropriate to use a military court for this. The ...5 days ago
- 5 reasons why banishing backpackers and targeting wealthy tourists would be a mistake for NZ
James Higham, University of Otago and Hazel Tucker, University of Otago Raise your hand if you’ve ever travelled for weeks or months as a backpacker on a limited daily budget. Keep your hand up if you were made welcome in the places you visited on your OE, enjoyed chance encounters ...5 days ago - The Adventures of Annalax: Volume XIII
So… Ember the Demon Thing. Not nice. Not nice at all. Annalax asked Alan the Wizard if he knew anyone who could possibly deal with this mess. Alan said a certain unhinged female acquaintance near the Mountains of Madness might have the sufficiently dodgy knowledge to pull it ...5 days ago - Skeptical Science New Research for Week #47, 2020"Don't make us stop the car." Climate change of a different kind: Examining the climate effects of a regional nuclear weapons exchange using a multiscale atmospheric modeling approach, investigated by Wegman, Lundquist et al. There's good news: the main proximate cause of the resulting global mess might last only about 4 ...5 days ago
- Taking the pissWhile the borders are closed, employers can still get visas for "essential" workers. But some of the jobs deemed "essential" don't seem to be: Applications were approved for 633 different jobs ranging from low skilled roles including taxi driver, cafe worker and cleaner, through to highly skilled jobs such ...5 days ago
- A Parliament that sounds like AotearoaI'm watching the swearing in of MPs today on Parliament TV, and pleased to hear the linguistic diversity in our Parliament. In addition to a good number of MPs doing their oaths or affirmations in Te Reo, there's also been Samoan, Tongan, Dutch, Korean, plus (as best as I can ...5 days ago
- Changing stuff…By Professor Peter Dearden, Director Genomics Aotearoa Science is an excellent way of allowing us to question test and understand the world we live in. But that knowledge also provides us with something else; the ability to change things, to solve problems, and to make life on earth a bit ...6 days ago
- Letter to the Reserve Bank
This is how you fix something. ...6 days ago - Gas-powered cars: Beginning of the end in California?This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Bruce Lieberman Can California really do it? Can it completely ban the sale of new gas-powered cars in 15 years – 15 years – and lead the country toward a fossil fuel-free future? Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom says so. In a ...6 days ago
- The COVID-19 pandemic in Aotearoa/NZ: A brief photo-essay with 10 photosLuke Pilkinton-Ching, Prof Michael Baker, Prof Nick Wilson In this photo-essay of the COVID-19 pandemic in Aotearoa/NZ, each photo is accompanied by a brief comment on the pandemic impact or response. In some instances these images reflect success factors such as the relatively early introduction of border controls and the ...6 days ago
- A Phuulish Fellow Turns Five Years OldOn 25th November, 2015, this humble blog made its debut. Five years to the day later… it has evolved into something I could not have predicted. In the early days, of course, it was primarily about my own writing, and thoughts on the wider fantasy genre. Since then ...6 days ago
- ‘Courageous’ investment means innovation stays in NZ, not sold off overseasJessica C Lai, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington and Jesse Pirini, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington New Zealand is in an economic recession and the government is trying to spend its way through it with direct investment to boost the economy and jobs. At ...6 days ago
- Aches on a plane – new findings on in-flight Covid transmissionOne of the good things about New Zealand pursuing an elimination strategy for Covid-19 (aside from the obvious) is that we are able to help answer some of the questions there are about how the SARS-CoV-2 virus transmits between people. Take air travel. As many people in the US start ...6 days ago
- Reading the roomIt looks like the government has finally read the room on the housing crisis, with Finance Minister grant Robertson writing to the Reserve Bank to tell them to start looking at controlling house prices: Finance Minister Grant Robertson has told Reserve Bank Governor Adrian Orr that it’s time to ...6 days ago
- Why the Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine is now a global game changerMichael Head, University of Southampton In the long dark tunnel that has been 2020, November stands out as the month that light appeared. Some might see it as a bright light, others as a faint light – but it is unmistakably a light. On November 9, Pfizer announced the interim ...7 days ago
- Graeme Edgeler: The Vague promise of a better tomorrow: Why a three-year Parliamentary term is good ...New Zealand is not the only country with a three-year term of Parliament, but there aren’t many others. Most countries have longer terms, with theoretically less of a democratic check on political power. Most other countries also have some combination of: a bicameral legislature, a supreme constitution, strong judicial review ...7 days ago
- “Goodfellas”: The Neoliberal National Party Shows Its Ugly Face.Unaccountable? A reasonable National Party member might have anticipated that a president who led his party to the second-worst defeat in its history would feel obliged to fall upon his sword in recognition of the scale of his failure. Such a member would have been disappointed. Peter Goodfellow (above) was ...7 days ago
- Big Eye Wide, But ShutA few days ago the US National Science Foundation (NSF) announced the decommissioning of the Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico. This story has been the subject of items in the mass media around the globe, and also in New Zealand. Cables supporting the massive horns and radio receivers above ...1 week ago
- From revolution to narcissism
For much of the 20th century the progressive movement was focused on real and crucial issues. What is called progressive now is a farce. ...1 week ago - The Church of Woke...1 week ago
- 2020 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming Digest #47Story of the Week... Toon of the Week... Coming Soon on SkS... Climate Feedback Claim Review... SkS Week in Review... Poster of the Week... Story of the Week... Warm Arctic, Cold Continents? It Sounds Counterintuitive, but Research Suggests it’s a Thing Scientists suspect that rapid warming in the ...1 week ago
- Ardern’s crocodile tears won’t fix the housing crisisPeople are getting very grumpy at the government's refusal to act on the housing crisis. Jacinda Ardern's response? To tell everyone she cares,/A>: Jacinda Ardern says one of the things that sets her Government apart from the National Party is Labour's concern over skyrocketing house prices. The median house ...1 week ago
- Victoria University of Wellington Alumni post-election panel discussionThe landmark 2020 New Zealand general election is going to be discussed and analysed for many years to come. for an early attempt at making sense of the results, VUW hosted a panel discussion on 4 November for Alumni to watch and participate in. The panel was chaired by Bryce ...1 week ago
- Modernity Bias: Daniel Greene’s Top Fantasy CharactersYouTuber Daniel Greene has put out a list of his personal favourite fantasy characters: It’s a decent enough list, for the most part (confession time – I have never read a Sanderson book). And it’s a purely subjective question anyway, what with different people having different preferences. ...1 week ago
- SpaceX’s Starlink satellites are about to ruin stargazing for everyoneSamantha Lawler, University of Regina I walk outside my rural Saskatchewan house before dawn and look up, expecting to have my breath taken away by the sheer number of stars overhead. I’m a professional astronomer, but I still appreciate naked-eye stargazing as much as an eager child. This is the ...1 week ago
- Hitler’s PlaybookNo one can now doubt that Donald Trump is making a determined and sustained attempt to overturn the result of a democratic election and to defy the will of the people. He is clearly determined to hold on to power, whatever the verdict delivered by the ballot box – even ...1 week ago
- 2020 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #472020A chronological listing of news articles linked to on the Skeptical Science Facebook Page during the past week: Sun, Nov 15, 2020 through Sat, Nov 21, 2020 Editor's Choice The 'market' won't save us from climate disaster. We must rethink our system Expecting the free market to fix global warming ...1 week ago
- Capital Vol. 3 lectures: The Falling Rate of Profit
– Transforming Industry to Empire
This is the fifth lecture in the lecture series by Andy Higginbottom on superexploitation. Part one of the lecture series is here, part two is here, part three is here and part four here. (Unfortunately the first minute of the lecture where the content of the lecture is outlined was not recorded.) ...1 week ago - Ken Can’t Count: No, the New Zealand Election Wasn’t Rigged
As tempting as it may be to snigger at unsubstantiated allegations of United States election fraud… New Zealand can’t be smug. Every country has its dingbats, and 2020 has shown that we are no exception. I mention this, because over the past month or so, a committed little collection ...1 week ago - Meeting The Overwhelming Quantum Of Need: A Modest Proposal For Ending New Zealand’s Housing Crisi...Deja Vu: Architectural drawing of the planned mass housing development planned for Auckland in the mid-1940s. IT COULD BE DONE. This government could make a serious attempt to house the 20,000 people waiting for social housing before the next election. It would, however, require them to do something they have, ...1 week ago
- How to choose the right Christmas gift: tips from psychological researchAdrian R. Camilleri, University of Technology Sydney Christmas is a time of celebration, relaxation and gift giving. But choosing gifts can also make it a time of stress and anxiety. The wrong gift can actually do more harm than good. Here is some advice, based on decades of research, on ...1 week ago
- Fleeing to the Dawn: Published2020 has been rather quiet on the short story front, but I have found a home for another of my pieces. A 1700-word fantasy (arguably getting into vignette territory), titled Fleeing to the Dawn, is now out as part of the Autumn 2020 edition of Shorts Magazine. The ...1 week ago
- Observations of past climate change help rule out natural causes of current climate changeThis post is an updated intermediate rebuttal to the myth "climate is changing now because climate has always changed". It was written by Scott Knapp as part of the George Mason University class Understanding and Responding to Climate Misinformation, combining climate science and communication best practices to debunk common climate myths. The total rate of global ...1 week ago
- As Safe As Houses?
Stein’s law says that if something cannot go on forever, it wont. But does a speculative bubble matter? The cryptocurrency bubble can be left to itself (tax evasion and criminal transactions aside). Why shouldn’t we do the same for housing? There are two general reasons why we should be concerned ...1 week ago - Good riddanceAustralian polluter Beach Energy has announced that it is cancelling plans to drill off Dunedin next year. The exploration permit in question, 38264, has a "drill or drop" requirement and has to drill an exploratory well by October 2021. But more importantly, it expires in November 2021. PEPANZ, the polluter ...1 week ago
- Repairing a hole in the wall with the diffusion equationLast week child number 1 managed to put a hole in a plasterboard (‘gib’) wall. I wasn’t in the room at the time, but I believe it had something to do starting at one end of the house, running down the corridor, through the bedroom doorway, doing a forward flip ...2 weeks ago
- Andy Asquith, Andrew Cardow, and Karen Webster: What ever happened to local government?We would like to congratulate Nanaia Mahuta on her promotion to the role of Foreign Minister – an important historic move. We are delighted both to see some stability in the local government portfolio holder and to see it held by someone senior in the cabinet rankings. For once we ...2 weeks ago
- The Political Economy Of Pride And Prejudice.For The Few, Not The Many: In the face of this widening gulf between the rich and the poor, successive New Zealand governments have opted for the same role that Jane Austen chose to play while her beloved England busied itself defeating Napoleon Bonaparte and the revolutionary egalitarian impulses he ...2 weeks ago
- What is causing the increase in atmospheric CO2?This post is an updated intermediate rebuttal to the myth "CO2 increase is natural, not human-caused". It was written by Erika Harrington as part of the George Mason University class Understanding and Responding to Climate Misinformation, combining climate science and communication best practices to debunk common climate myths. Atmospheric CO2 has increased by more ...2 weeks ago
- Obvious questions for the NZDFToday the Brereton report on war crimes by the Australian SAS was released, finding that Australian SAS troops had murdered 39 Afghan civilians and prisoners of war, with various actions taken to cover up the crimes. A special prosecutor will be appointed, and 25 soldiers have been referred for prosecution. ...2 weeks ago
- Matariki, history and ethnicity research honouredEvery year Royal Society Te Apārangi celebrates the achievements of researchers, scholars, and kairangahau who have achieved excellence in their disciplines throughout Aotearoa. This year separate ceremonies were held in the three main centres. In the first of two posts, we highlight the Māori and Pasifika recipients from the ...2 weeks ago
- Keeping Rates LowFor decades, the Wellington City Council has been Keeping rates Low, skimping on infrastructure maintenance to pander to elderly property-owners. The result? Shit on the streets: Wastewater crews are working to fix a drain that is causing human faeces to pour onto a street in central Wellington. Wellington Water ...2 weeks ago
- Reconnecting with taha Māori on the shores of Lake TaupōIn one day with her kaumatua (elder) on the southern shores of Lake Taupō, Yvonne Taura (Ngāiterangi, Ngāti Ranginui, Ngāti Hauā, Ngāti Uenuku, Ngāti Tūwharetoa) found her future career ambition was to raise awareness in restoring New Zealand’s wetlands back to health. In 2002 and in the middle of an ...2 weeks ago
- Enhancing the lives of tāngata whenuaFiona Wiremu (Ngāi Tūhoe | Ngāti Ranginui) is driven to do all she can to enhance the lives of tāngata whenua and that’s evident in the multiple research areas she covers. These include mātauranga Māori (Māori knowledge) such as te reo Māori, culture and identity, Whai Rawa (Māori Economies), Te ...2 weeks ago
- Skeptical Science New Research for Week #46, 2020If you learn something, say something The American Meteorological Society publication The Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences is encouraging authors to think about a wider readership's needs when submitting papers: The American Meteorological Society (AMS) mission statement specifically calls for advancing “the atmospheric and related sciences . . . for ...2 weeks ago
- It always pays to check before you shareBack in 2008, Dr Anthony Fauci (yes, that Dr Fauci) co-authored a paper that examined the interplay between influenza infection and secondary bacterial infection in mortality from the “Spanish flu¹” pandemic of 1918-19. He and his colleagues examined tissue samples taken during autopsies at the time of the pandemic, using ...2 weeks ago
- The Hollow Persons (With Apologies To T.S. Eliot)Let’s do this Let’s keep moving IWe are the hollow personsInflated with hot airHanging togetherFor fear of hanging separately. Cut!Our empty promises, whenFirst we make them,Are far from empty.We are inflamed by the thrillOf passionate sounds,Like Boomers watching porn,Mistaking the image for the deed.Policy ...2 weeks ago
- The harmful impacts of climate change outweigh any benefitsThis post is an updated intermediate rebuttal to the myth "global warming is good". It was written by Sophia Whitaker as part of the George Mason University class Understanding and Responding to Climate Misinformation, combining climate science and communication best practices to debunk common climate myths. The Pros and the Cons Our current ...2 weeks ago
- Southern Gothic Politics: The Bluing of Otago-Southland
The New Zealand Labour Party seems pretty happy with the October 2020 election. And on the whole, it is right to be happy. Single party majority governments don’t grow on trees under proportional representation. However, buried within the results are some… less encouraging signs for Labour (or alternatively, more ...2 weeks ago - Climate Change: The problem of air travelUntil the pandemic, air travel was one of the fastest growing causes of greenhouse gas emissions. And its obscenely unequal, with just 1% of the world's population causing 50% of the problem: Frequent-flying “‘super emitters” who represent just 1% of the world’s population caused half of aviation’s carbon emissions ...2 weeks ago
- Branko Marcetic: If Labour rests on its Covid-defeating laurels then its headed for a big fallJacinda Ardern’s Labour Party has received a historic landslide victory based on its competent handling of Covid, but the new government already shows worrying signs of complacency. Branko Marcetic argues that Labour can’t expect Covid issues to keep its popularity up and if it is to survive in power it ...2 weeks ago
- The obvious questionStuff reports that housing speculators aren't paying their taxes: Speculators are making millions in an overheated housing market but as many as one in four didn’t pay the tax they owed on properties flipped last year, IRD figures reveal. Of the 1701 property sales subject to the bright-line test ...2 weeks ago
- Climate Change: Time to phase out fossil vehiclesBack in February, the UK announced that it was bringing forward its fossil-fuel vehicle phase out from 2040 to 2035. Now, they're about to bring it forward again, to 2030. Which has caused Climate Change Minister James Shaw to suggest that we follow them: Climate Change Minister James Shaw ...2 weeks ago
- What would happen if we cut down the Amazon rainforest?Climate Explained is a collaboration between The Conversation, Stuff and the New Zealand Science Media Centre to answer your questions about climate change. If you have a question you’d like an expert to answer, please send it to climate.change@stuff.co.nz What would happen if we cut down the ...2 weeks ago
- How we know human CO2 emissions have disrupted the carbon cycleThis post is an updated intermediate rebuttal to the myth "Human CO2 emissions is tiny compared to natural CO2 emissions". It was written by Ziheng Sun as part of the George Mason University class Understanding and Responding to Climate Misinformation, combining climate science and communication best practices to debunk common climate myths. Nature ...2 weeks ago
- “The Government books are doing better than expected”: Grant Robertson on our economic r...
This week we presented the audited Government accounts for the year to 30 June 2020. These always take a while to be audited and published. But this year, with all that is been happening they cover a time that seems long ago! ...3 days ago - Greens call for decent working conditions for all horticulture workers
The Green Party is calling on the Government to ensure all people working in horticulture are paid liveable wages and have access to quality accommodation. ...3 days ago - SPEECH: Opening the 53rd ParliamentE aku hoa i te ara o te whai, Kia kotahi tā tātou takahi i te kō, ko tōku whiwhi kei tō koutou tautoko mai. ...4 days ago
- Oranga Tamariki head should question whether she has trust of Māori communities“When considering whether to resign, Oranga Tamariki head Grainne Moss should question whether communities on the ground, particularly Māori, have trust and faith in her to do the job”, Green Party Māori Development spokesperson Dr Elizabeth Kerekere said today. ...5 days ago
- Green Party welcome Adrian Orr’s full and frank advice on taxWe welcome Adrian Orr signalling that he will provide advice to the Finance Minister on fiscal measures, include tax changes, to cool the housing market, Green Party Finance spokesperson Julie Anne Genter said today. ...5 days ago
- “We can do better”: Kelvin Davis talks tackling racism in education"Racism exists – we feel little and bad." Those were the unprompted words of one student during an interview for the Education Matters to Me report produced by the Children’s Commissioner in 2018. ...6 days ago
- Green Party respond to Government review of housing settingsIt is a positive step that the Government is looking at options to take the heat out of the housing market, and has written to the Reserve Bank to that effect, but they must be open to using all the tools available to them, Green Party Co-leader and spokesperson on ...6 days ago
- Speeding up recovery: fast-tracking projects to boost jobs, build housesWe’ve announced three additional projects to go through the fast-track resource consenting process. Read below for a quick rundown of what these projects are, what the fast-tracking process means, and why the Government is using fast-tracking as one way to create jobs sooner and accelerate our economic recovery from COVID-19. ...7 days ago
- Reports of prisoner abuse show need for prisons rethink and independent oversightReports of an asthmatic woman being bombed in her cell with pepper spray, being forced to lie face down on the ground to be fed, and having to show used sanitary items to guards to receive more, shows obscene human rights violations that need addressing, Green Party Corrections and Human ...7 days ago
- Green Party announce portfolio reshuffle with talented and energised caucus teamThe Green Party Co-leaders have announced their portfolio reshuffle for the 53rd Parliament. “The Green Party caucus offers a breadth of talent and energy to the Parliament this term. In ten MPs you have a small business owner, a human rights lawyer, an academic, a climate negotiator, a transport planner, ...1 week ago
- Nearly 50 percent increase in Kiwi apprenticesAs we recover and rebuild from COVID-19, we’re investing in major shovel-ready and long-term infrastructure projects up and down the country – creating thousands of jobs in the trades nationwide. ...1 week ago
- Celebrating World Children's DayThis World Children’s Day, we’re taking a look at all the ways we’re working to make New Zealand the best place in the world to be a child. ...1 week ago
- Report of alleged war crimes by Australian Defence Force in Afghanistan a distressing reminder of th...The Green Party strongly condemns the revelation of alleged war crimes by the Australian Defence Force in Afghanistan, with an alleged unlawful killing of 39 people by 25 Special Forces personnel. ...2 weeks ago
- SPEECH: 10th Anniversary of Pike River tragedyTēnei te mihi ki a tātau katoa e huihui nei i tēnei rā I greet us all who are gathered here today ...2 weeks ago
- Greens commit to ensuring strong oceans protection this termThe Green Party will work with Labour this term to ensure better protections for our oceans, Green MP Eugenie Sage said today. ...2 weeks ago
- Kiwis deserve fair prices at the supermarket2020 has been a tough year. Not only has COVID-19 presented unique challenges to the way we work, play and socialise, for many Kiwis the pandemic has also meant more of a strain on the back pocket. ...2 weeks ago
- Auckland COVID-19 case shows need for extended sick leave before busy Christmas periodThe case of an Auckland city worker heading to work with COVID-19 symptoms shows the need for urgent extended sick leave, Green Party Workplace Relations spokesperson Jan Logie said today. ...2 weeks ago
- Meet our new MPsWondering who our new Labour MPs are? We asked our 23 new Caucus members to share a little about themselves and the experience they will be bringing to Parliament... ...2 weeks ago
- Reserve Bank policies will inevitably heat housing market, Government must implement tax reform to c...The Government must use levers to prevent further over-heating of the housing market, which will result from the Reserve Bank pumping another $28 billion into the economy in the form of cheap loans to banks. ...3 weeks ago
- Bill introduced to support workers with 10 days sick leave
The Government is delivering on a key commitment by introducing a Bill to Parliament to expand sick leave entitlements from five days to ten days a year, Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Michael Wood announced today. “COVID-19 has shown how important it is to stay at home when people are ...9 hours ago - Progress on pay equity for DHB staffToday’s initial agreement between DHBs and the PSA on pay equity for clerical and administration staff is an important step toward better, fairer pay for this crucial and largely female workforce, Health Minister Andrew Little says. If ratified, the agreement between the Public Service Association and the country’s 20 District ...12 hours ago
- Iconic Milford Track officially reopensOne of New Zealand’s premier hikes and a cornerstone of the Te Anau community, the Milford Track has officially reopened, “From today, hikers booked on the popular Great Walk will be able to complete the walk end-to-end for the first time since early February,” Minister of Conservation Kiri Allan says. ...15 hours ago
- Support for farmers beefed up ahead of La NiñaFurther funding for feed support services and new animal welfare coordinators will help farmers who continue to feel the effects of an extended drought, says Rural Communities Minister Damien O’Connor. “In March this year, I classified the drought in the North Island, parts of the South Island and the Chathams ...3 days ago
- Next steps for Christchurch Hospital campus redevelopmentCanterbury DHB will be better placed to respond to future demand for services and continue to deliver high quality care, with the next stage of the campus redevelopment programme confirmed, Health Minister Andrew Little says. The Government has approved $154 million in funding for the construction of a third tower ...3 days ago
- Five Power Defence Arrangements Defence Ministers’ Joint StatementThe Defence Ministers from Australia, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore and United Kingdom reaffirmed their nations’ continued commitment to the Five Power Defence Arrangements (FPDA), and commended the achievements over the past 49 years as the FPDA moves towards its 50th Anniversary in 2021. The Ministers recognised the FPDA’s significant role ...3 days ago
- Jobs for Nature funding protects health of Hawke’s Bay waterwaysA joint Government and Hawke’s Bay Regional Council project will invest $4.2 million to protect local waterways, enhance biodiversity and employ local people, Environment Minister David Parker announced today. Over two years, the Hāpara Takatū Jobs for Nature project will fence 195km of private land to exclude stock from vulnerable ...3 days ago
- New Year border exception for seasonal workers in the horticulture and wine industries2000 additional RSE workers to enter New Zealand early next year employers must pay these workers at least $22.10 an hour employers will cover costs of managed isolation for the RSE workers RSE workers will be paid the equivalent of 30 hours work a week while in isolation From January ...4 days ago
- Government increases support for New Zealanders to work in seasonal jobsThe Government is offering further financial support for unemployed New Zealanders to take on seasonal work. These new incentives include: Up to $200 per week for accommodation costs $1000 incentive payment for workers who complete jobs of six weeks or longer increasing wet weather payments when people can’t work to ...4 days ago
- Government receives Royal Commission of Inquiry report into the Terrorist Attack on Christchurch Mos...Minister for Internal Affairs Jan Tinetti has today received the Royal Commission of Inquiry report into the Terrorist Attack on Christchurch Mosques, and will table it in Parliament on Tuesday December 8. “I know this will have been a challenging process for whānau, survivors and witnesses of the terrorist attack ...4 days ago
- New Zealand Government to declare a climate emergencyThe Government will declare a climate emergency next week, Climate Change Minister James Shaw said today. “We are in the midst of a climate crisis that will impact on nearly every ...4 days ago
- Call for urgent action on Pacific conservationA declaration on the urgency of the global biodiversity crisis and the need for immediate, transformative action in the Pacific was agreed at a pan-Pacific conference today. The 10th Pacific Islands Conference on Nature Conservation and Protected Areas is taking place this week across the Pacific. Minister of Conservation Kiritapu ...4 days ago
- Speech from the throneE aku hoa i te ara o te whai, Kia kotahi tā tātou takahi i te kō, ko tōku whiwhi kei tō koutou tautoko mai. Ko tāku ki a koutou, hei whakapiki manawa mōku. He horomata rangatira te mahi, e rite ai te whiwhinga a te ringatuku, me te ringakape ...4 days ago
- Keynote address to Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand conferenceSpeech to the CAANZ conference - November 19, 2020 Thank you, Greg, (Greg Haddon, MC) for the welcome. I’d like to acknowledge John Cuthbertson from CAANZ, the Commissioner of Inland Revenue Naomi Ferguson, former fellow MP and former Minister of Revenue, Peter Dunne, other guest speakers and CAANZ members. I ...5 days ago
- Expert independent advisory group appointed to strengthen the future of Māori broadcastingA panel of seven experts are adding their support to help shape the future of Māori broadcasting, Minister for Māori Development Willie Jackson has announced today. “Today I will meet with some of the most experienced Māori broadcasters, commentators and practitioners in the field. They have practical insights on the ...6 days ago
- Government to review housing settingsNew Zealand’s stronger-than-expected economic performance has flowed through to housing demand, so the Government will review housing settings to improve access to the market, the Finance Minister Grant Robertson announced today. “Our focus is on improving access to the housing market for first home buyers and ensuring house price growth ...6 days ago
- Crown accounts reflect Govt’s careful economic managementThe better-than-expected Crown accounts released today show the Government’s careful management of the COVID-19 health crisis was the right approach to support the economy. As expected, the Crown accounts for the year to June 2020 show the operating balance before gains and losses, or OBEGAL, was in deficit. However that ...6 days ago
- Community launch marks next step in addressing racism in educationThe launch of Te Hurihanganui in Porirua today is another important milestone in the work needed to address racism in the education system and improve outcomes for Māori learners and their whānau, Associate Education Minister Kelvin Davis says. Budget 2019 included $42 million over three years to put Te Hurihanganui ...6 days ago
- Government to consider recommendations on DNA use in criminal investigationsThe Minister of Justice has received the Law Commission’s recommending changes to the law governing the way DNA is used in criminal investigations. The report, called The Use of DNA in Criminal Investigations – Te Whahamahi I te Ira Tangata I ngā Mātai Taihara, recommends new legislation to address how ...7 days ago
- Speech to Wakatū Nelson regional hui on tradeFirst, I want to express my thanks to Te Taumata for this hui and for all the fantastic work you are doing for Māori in the trade space. In the short time that you’ve been operating you’ve already contributed an enormous amount to the conversation, and developed impressive networks. I ...7 days ago
- Speech to Primary Industries SummitThank you for the opportunity to speak to you today about the significant contribution the food and fibres sector makes to New Zealand and how this Government is supporting that effort. I’d like to start by acknowledging our co-Chairs, Terry Copeland and Mavis Mullins, my colleague, Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor, ...7 days ago
- Fast track referrals will speed up recovery and boost jobs and home buildingThe Government is taking action to increase jobs, speed up the economic recovery and build houses by putting three more projects through its fast track approval process. “It’s great to see that the fast-track consenting process is working. Today we have referred a mix of potential projects that, if approved, ...1 week ago
- Papakāinga provides critically needed homes in HastingsA papakāinga opened today by the Minister for Māori Development the Hon Willie Jackson will provide whānau with much needed affordable rental homes in Hastings. The four home papakāinga in Waiōhiki is the first project to be completed under the ‘Hastings Place Based’ initiative. This initiative is a Government, Hastings ...1 week ago
- New Zealand ready to host APEC virtuallyPrime Minister Jacinda Ardern took over the leadership of APEC earlier today, when she joined leaders from the 21 APEC economies virtually for the forum’s final 2020 meeting. “We look forward to hosting a fully virtual APEC 2021 next year. While this isn’t an in-person meeting, it will be one ...1 week ago
- Revival of Māori HorticulturistsThe rapid revival of Māori horticulture was unmistakeable at this year’s Ahuwhenua Trophy Awards, with 2020 marking the first time this iconic Māori farming event was dedicated to horticulture enterprises. Congratulating finalists at the Awards, Māori Development Minister Willie Jackson said growing large-scale māra kai is part of Māori DNA. ...1 week ago
- Emergency benefit to help temporary visa holdersFrom 1 December, people on temporary work, student or visitor visas who can’t return home and or support themselves may get an Emergency Benefit from the Ministry of Social Development, Social Development and Employment Minister Carmel Sepuloni announced today. Previously, temporary visa holders in hardship because of COVID-19 have had ...1 week ago
- School sustainability projects to help boost regional economiesForty one schools from the Far North to Southland will receive funding for projects that will reduce schools’ emissions and save them money, Education Minister Chris Hipkins announced today. This is the second round of the Sustainability Contestable Fund, and work will begin immediately. The first round announced in April ...1 week ago
- Farmer-led projects to improve water health in Canterbury and OtagoMore than $6 million will be spent on helping farmers improve the health of rivers, wetlands, and habitat biodiversity in Canterbury and Otago, as well as improving long-term land management practices, says Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor. Four farmer-led catchment group Jobs for Nature projects have between allocated between $176,000 and ...1 week ago
- Tupu Aotearoa continues expansion to Pacific communities in Nelson, Marlborough, Tasman & Northl...Pacific communities in Nelson, Marlborough, Tasman and Northland will benefit from the expansion of the Tupu Aotearoa programme announced today by the Minister for Pacific Peoples, Aupito William Sio. The programme provides sustainable employment and education pathways and will be delivered in partnership with three providers in Northland and two ...2 weeks ago
- New primary school and classrooms for 1,200 students in South IslandEducation Minister Chris Hipkins unveiled major school building projects across the South Island during a visit to Waimea College in Nelson today. It’s part of the Government’s latest investment of $164 million to build new classrooms and upgrade schools around the country. “Investments like this gives the construction industry certainty ...2 weeks ago
- Minister of Māori Development pays tribute to Rudy TaylorToday the Minister of Māori Development, alongside other Government Ministers and MP’s said their final farewells to Nga Puhi Leader Rudy Taylor. “Rudy dedicated his life to the betterment of Māori, and his strong approach was always from the ground up, grassroots, sincere and unfaltering” “Over the past few ...2 weeks ago
- Prime Minister to attend APEC Leaders’ SummitPrime Minister Jacinda Ardern will attend the annual APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting and associated events virtually today and tomorrow. “In a world where we cannot travel due to COVID-19, continuing close collaboration with our regional partners is key to accelerating New Zealand’s economic recovery,” Jacinda Ardern said. “There is wide ...2 weeks ago
- Speech to Infrastructure NZ SymposiumTena Koutou, Tena Koutou and thank you for inviting me to speak to you today. This is a critical time for New Zealand as we respond to the damage wreaked by the global COVID-19 pandemic. It is vital that investment in our economic recovery is well thought through, and makes ...2 weeks ago
- Pike River 10 Year Anniversary Commemorative ServiceTēnei te mihi ki a tātau katoa e huihui nei i tēnei rā Ki a koutou ngā whānau o te hunga kua riro i kōnei – he mihi aroha ki a koutou Ki te hapori whānui – tēnā koutou Ki ngā tāngata whenua – tēnā koutou Ki ngā mate, e ...2 weeks ago
- Huge investment in new and upgraded classrooms to boost construction jobsAround 7,500 students are set to benefit from the Government’s latest investment of $164 million to build new classrooms and upgrade schools around the country. “The election delivered a clear mandate to accelerate our economic recovery and build back better. That’s why we are prioritising construction projects in schools so more ...2 weeks ago
- Keeping Pike River Mine promises 10 years onTen years after the Pike River Mine tragedy in which 29 men lost their lives while at work, a commemorative service at Parliament has honoured them and their legacy of ensuring all New Zealand workplaces are safe. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern attended the event, along with representatives of the Pike ...2 weeks ago
- Additional testing to strengthen border and increase safety of workersNew testing measures are being put in place to increase the safety of border workers and further strengthen New Zealand’s barriers against COVID-19, COVID-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins said today. “These strengthened rules – to apply to all international airports and ports – build on the mandatory testing orders we’ve ...2 weeks ago
- More public housing delivered in AucklandThe Government’s investment in public housing is delivering more warm, dry homes with today’s official opening of 82 new apartments in New Lynn by the Housing Minister Megan Woods. The Thom Street development replaces 16 houses built in the 1940s, with brand new fit-for-purpose public housing that is in high ...2 weeks ago
- Agreement advanced to purchase up to 5 million COVID-19 vaccinesThe Government has confirmed an in-principle agreement to purchase up to 5 million COVID-19 vaccines – enough for 5 million people – from Janssen Pharmaceutica, subject to the vaccine successfully completing clinical trials and passing regulatory approvals in New Zealand, says Research, Science and Innovation Minister Megan Woods. “This agreement ...2 weeks ago
- Jobs for Nature funding will leave a conservation legacy for Waikanae awaNinety-two jobs will be created to help environmental restoration in the Waikanae River catchment through $8.5 million of Jobs for Nature funding, Conservation Minister Kiritapu Allan announced today. “The new funding will give a four-year boost to the restoration of the Waikanae awa, and is specifically focussed on restoration through ...2 weeks ago
- ADF Chief Angus Campbell retreats after government’s sortie over citation
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra After government pressure, Chief of the Australian Defence Force Angus Campbell has publicly retreated in the dispute over revoking the Meritorious Unit Citation for the Special Operations Task Group serving in Afghanistan between 2007 and ...1 hour ago - Review: Taranaki Hard pays an excellent tribute to small-town brilliance
Many of Waitara’s residents want to escape their small New Zealand town, but compelling new documentary Taranaki Hard proves they might not have to.When Fati finishes a set of squats, bench presses or an early morning swim, his mum is right there to cheer him on. “Shake it out,” she’ll ...4 hours ago - An all-out trade war with China would cost Australia 6% of GDPSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rod Tyers, Winthrop Professor of Economics, University of Western Australia China accounts for more than a third of export dollars earned by Australia. The figures, for the 12 months to October, cover the period of coronavirus disruptions and disputes over trade. They ...4 hours ago
- Davis demands formal review of Oranga Tamariki uplift
Oranga Tamariki has been asked to carry out an internal investigation into an uplift after officials failed to satisfy the Children's Minister's demands for an explanation Children’s Minister Kelvin Davis has ordered Oranga Tamariki to conduct a formal case review of the uplift documented in a Newsroom investigation, after officials gave ...5 hours ago - Lawyer X inquiry calls for sweeping change to Victoria Police, but is it enough to bring real accoun...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jude McCulloch, Emeritus Professor Monash University, Monash University Few stories have rocked Victoria as much as the so-called “lawyer X” scandal, which revealed that high-profile criminal barrister Nicola Gobbo had been used by police as an informant. It triggered a royal commission ...5 hours ago
- Fatal shark attacks are at a record high. ‘Deterrent’ devices can help, but some may be nothing ...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Daryl McPhee, Associate Professor of Environmental Science, Bond University As summer descends, sharks may be at the forefront of the minds of many beach goers and reef adventurers. Globally, the number of shark bites is on the rise, with a threefold increase ...6 hours ago
- ‘War in space’ would be a catastrophe. A return to rules-based cooperation is the only way to ke...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Steven Freeland, Professor of International Law, Western Sydney University In 2019, US President Donald Trump declared “space is the new war-fighting domain”. This followed the creation of the US Space Force and a commitment to “American dominance” in outer space. Other space-faring ...7 hours ago
- Australia demands apology from China over ‘repugnant’ slur on TwitterSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Prime Minister Scott Morrison has demanded China apologise for – and Twitter remove – a highly offensive tweet depicting an Australian soldier with a knife to the throat of a child. Morrison described the tweet ...7 hours ago
- Australia’s world-first repository of ‘modern slavery statements’ a step in the right directio...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Fiona McGaughey, Senior Lecturer in International Human Rights Law, University of Western Australia From “fast fashion” to tinned tuna to the components in your mobile phone, what guarantee do you have the goods you buy are slave-free? The Australian government has taken ...7 hours ago
- Government pushes on with sick leave entitlement bill
The government will introduce a bill to double sick leave entitlements to 10 days. ...8 hours ago - 10-day Sick Leave Plan Will Disadvantage Part-time Workers
Retail NZ says that the Government’s announcement that it is proceeding with a blanket increase to 10 days paid sick leave is bad news for those who work part time. “All businesses want their employees come to work well and healthy, but doubling ...8 hours ago - We modelled how a COVID vaccine roll-out would work. Here’s what we foundSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Olga Kokshagina, Researcher – Innovation & Entrepreneurship, RMIT University How well we distribute and administer a COVID-19 vaccine will have massive health, social and economic ramifications. So attention is turning to vaccine supply chains and logistics. Designing how best to vaccinate billions ...8 hours ago
- The Picture of Dorian Grey review: Eryn Jean Norvill stuns in all 26 rolesSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Huw Griffiths, Senior Lecturer in English Literature, University of Sydney Review: Sydney Theatre Company’s The Picture of Dorian Gray, directed by Kip Williams Australian theatres are slowly coming back to life. And, with Kip Williams’ exuberantly inventive adaptation of Oscar Wilde’s 1890 ...8 hours ago
- Labour Uses Covid To Push Left-Wing Agenda“Labour’s decision to double sick leave shows it is using Covid-19 as an excuse to advance a left-wing agenda and help its union mates,” says ACT Leader David Seymour. “So far, only 2,000 people in New Zealand have had Covid-19. Labour believes ...8 hours ago
- Kylie Moore-Gilbert is one of hundreds of victims of state attacks on academic freedomSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mubashar Hasan, Adjunct Research Fellow, Humanitarian and Development Research Initiative, Western Sydney University Australian academic Kylie-Moore Gilbert is finally free and back home. The Melbourne university academic was unjustly deprived of her liberties for 804 days for being in the wrong place ...8 hours ago
- PM Ardern speaks after Worksafe's Whakaari eruption investigation results in chargesPrime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Minister Michael Wood are speaking to media at 4pm after a Cabinet meeting. ...8 hours ago
- Jump In Youth VotingThere was a big increase in the number of young people turning out to vote at the 2020 General Election. “This election we saw more people enrolling across the general and Māori rolls and more people voting,” says Chief Electoral Officer Alicia Wright. ...8 hours ago
- Māori Language Commission Welcomes Stuff AnnouncementCommission welcomes Stuff announcement The Māori Language Commission has welcomed the unprecedented, new direction taken by the editorial team at Stuff NZ. “During lockdown we worked with the team at Stuff and soon stories in English and Māori ...8 hours ago
- Mining By Stealth On DOC LandOceana Gold has quietly released their plan to build a 6.8km tunnel under primarily high value conservation land at Wharekirauponga, an area of dense native bush habitat, home to the world's most endangered frog, Archey's frogs, in the Coromandel Forest ...9 hours ago
- Morrison remains very popular in Newspoll as the Coalition easily retains Groom in byelectionSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, University of Melbourne This week’s Newspoll will presumably be the final one for 2020. It gives the Coalition a 51-49% two-party-preferred lead, unchanged from three weeks ago. Primary votes were 43% Coalition (steady), ...9 hours ago
- Pleasing Progress On Pay Equity In DHBsThe Association of Salaried Medical Specialists is pleased to see an initial agreement reached between district health boards and the Public Service Association on pay equity for clerical and administration staff. ASMS Executive Director Sarah Dalton ...9 hours ago
- 13 Parties Charged By WorkSafe New Zealand Over Whakaari/White Island TragedyWorkSafe New Zealand today filed charges against 13 parties in relation to the Whakaari/White Island eruption in December last year. “22 people have lost their lives in this tragic event. WorkSafe is tasked with investigating workplace incidents to determine ...9 hours ago
- After The Pandemic, Prepare For The Roaring Twenties?Join Diplosphere's Discussion & Celebration After the Pandemic, Prepare for the Roaring Twenties? Are there parallels between the famed roaring 20s, occurring after WWI and the Spanish flu, and the new 20s decade? What are the new trends and ...10 hours ago
- What Australia can learn from New Zealand: a new perspective on that tricky trans-Tasman relationshi...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Grant Duncan, Associate Professor, School of People, Environment and Planning, Massey University The recurring metaphor of New Zealand as “experiment” or “social laboratory” might go back to the 1890s, but it continues to resonate in the 21st century. Australian political journalist Laura ...10 hours ago
- How Grey’s Anatomy has addressed Covid-19 – and how it hasn’tIt was inevitable that TV would have to deal with Covid-19 in some way. Grey’s Anatomy isn’t the first, but it’s the most significant. So how has the long-running medical drama done it?Grey’s Anatomy is meant to be the television equivalent of a weighted blanket. Something you pull on top ...10 hours ago
- Taxpayers help tourist industry recover from damage done by a deluge and farmers deal with the effec...
It’s been a quiet weekend in the Beehive. Taxpayers nevertheless have played – or will play – a role in the two latest announcements, both dealing with the adverse economic impacts of the weather. Too much rain in one case. Not enough in the other. Conservation Minister Kiri Allan announced ...11 hours ago - Six Wellington flats that don’t breach the healthy homes regulationsRenting in Wellington can seem like a nightmare, but you just need to look a little harder. We’ve found some of the best-value flats in town.It’s been a long week for Wellingtonians, who’ve had their city shat on multiple times, a burden they didn’t need on top of the literal ...11 hours ago
- Just a small-town boy: Shining a light on being young in regional AotearoaThree’s new docu-series Taranaki Hard follows a diverse group of young people in Waitara, ranging from factory workers to pole dancers, students to sheep shearers. Series co-director Ian Hart hopes it changes the way city folk view small-town New Zealand.As a young boy my parents, looking for a new start, ...11 hours ago
- EDS Calls For The Hauraki Gulf Marine Park Act To Be Beefed UpIn a new report released today, the Environmental Defence Society (EDS) has called for a strengthening of the Hauraki Gulf Marine Park Act 2000 to better protect the landscapes of the Hauraki Gulf Islands. The report is one of ...11 hours ago
- Our Truth, Tā Mātou Pono: Stuff introduces new Treaty of Waitangi based charter following historic...By Katarina Williams, a senior reporter of Stuff Stuff has introduced a new company charter with Te Tiriti o Waitangi at its core, after a major internal investigation uncovered evidence of racism and marginalisation against Māori. The media organisation issued an historic public apology today following the Our Truth, Tā ...12 hours ago
- Ministers Need To Explain Surprise New PrioritiesThe New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union is calling on all Labour Government ministers to release a list of their top policy priorities which did not feature in their 29-page 2020 manifesto . Union spokesperson Louis Houlbrooke said: “Just six weeks after ...13 hours ago
- Government’s Shameful Record On Implementing Their Own WEAG RecommendationsBack in early 2019 The Welfare Expert Advisory Group made 42 recommendations to transform the welfare system in it’s report titled ‘Whakamana Tangata’. Child Poverty Action Group’s own research report released today found that only 4 of ...13 hours ago
- An ode to the ‘best place in the world’: the Top 10 Holiday ParkIt’s a New Zealand institution – one that Emily Writes wanted no part of. So no one was more surprised than her when a family getaway to the local Top 10 turned out to be kinda blissful.About 15 years or so ago, my husband and I were planning a holiday. ...13 hours ago
- Federation of Islamic Associations releases submission to Royal Commission into terror attackAn investigation by a Muslim group suggests the country's security agencies downplayed the threat of a possible terror attack in New Zealand and misinformed the public. ...14 hours ago
- Petition For The Regulation Of Gene Edited Foods.The Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) Authority, a trans-Tasman body set up to assess genetically engineered food products for safety before allowing them into the food chains of Australia or New Zealand, is undergoing a review. A ...14 hours ago
- Next Whitebait Season Should Be DifferentAs the whitebait season closes for 2020, Forest & Bird is looking for changes before the next season to help our native fish recover. Whitebait are the juveniles of native freshwater fish. Four of the fish species that make-up whitebait are threatened ...15 hours ago
- Australia plans WTO action against China over tariffs: Jacinda Ardern not taking sides yetThe Australian government is giving its strongest indication so far that it will take action against China at the World Trade Organisation, but Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern says it's too early to say whether New Zealand would back them. ...15 hours ago
- Newsletter: New Zealand Politics Daily – November 30 2020Editor’s Note: Here below is a list of the main issues currently under discussion in New Zealand and links to media coverage. Today’s content Housing Bryce Edwards (Guardian): New Zealand once led the world on social housing – it should again Bernard Hickey (Stuff): Here’s why you shouldn’t believe what you’re told about the housing market ...16 hours ago
- Levelling the playing field: The platform rewarding consumers for their dataWith a $1.3 million seed round now under its belt, New Zealand startup Yabble is looking to help everyday consumers get fairly rewarded for their data by shaking up the way information gets bought and sold. Data is a powerful resource in today’s economy. Managed well, it can help businesses ...16 hours ago
- Can governments mandate a COVID vaccination? Balancing public health with human rights – and what ...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Amy Maguire, Associate Professor in Human Rights and International Law, University of Newcastle Earlier in 2020, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said he expected the COVID-19 vaccine to be mandatory. He later backtracked, noting the government “can’t hold someone down and make them ...16 hours ago
- Victoria just gave 2 billion litres of water back to Indigenous people. Here’s what that means for...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Troy McDonald, Chairman of Gunaikurnai Land and Waters Aboriginal Corporation, Indigenous Knowledge For the first time in Victoria’s history, the state government has handed back water to traditional owners, giving them rights to a river system they have managed sustainably for thousands ...16 hours ago
- University free speech bill a sop to Pauline Hanson and other critics, but what difference will it m...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Katharine Gelber, Professor of Politics and Public Policy, The University of Queensland The federal government has been applying somewhat of a forensic lens to the question of free speech in Australian universities for several years. Most recently, as part of a package ...16 hours ago
- New finding: boosting JobSeeker wouldn’t keep Australians away from paid workSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jeff Borland, Professor of Economics, University of Melbourne Incentives, the Freakonomics author Steven Levitt once quipped, are the “cornerstone of modern life”. To this I would add: only if the incentive is big enough. In Australia at present there is considerable support ...16 hours ago
- ‘Rona’, ‘iso’, ‘quazza’ — words of the year speak to our Australian take on COVIDSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Roland Sussex, Professor Emeritus, The University of Queensland Language is like archaeology. It lays down evidence for following generations to excavate and write PhD theses about. Layers of the stuff. And such has been the language of the year of COVID. Not ...16 hours ago
- Live updates, November 30: Trump admits legal challenges are difficult; won’t admit defeatWelcome to The Spinoff’s live updates for November 30. Reach me on stewart@thespinoff.co.nz7.40am: Trump admits legal challenges are difficult; won’t admit defeatPresident Trump has given his first interview since losing the presidential election, appearing on Fox News (despite a string of recent tweets blasting the network for being fake news).In ...17 hours ago
- The Bulletin: Police admin failure let mosque shooter get gun licenseGood morning and welcome to The Bulletin for Monday November 30. In today’s edition: An admin failure is to blame for the Christchurch gunman getting a firearms license, Santa parade organisers say sorry over an anti-abortion float, and a news organisation has been forced to remove a documentary about child uplifts.An exclusive ...17 hours ago
- The Kiwi businesses surviving and thriving through a pandemic
Newsroom talks to the Kiwi businesses coming out stronger from Covid (or hoping to) against the odds. ...18 hours ago - Learning questions posed as tech companies connect students through Covid
Telcos and edtech companies are helping students move online, as Covid-19 forces classrooms to digitise overnight. ...18 hours ago - Nanaia Mahuta steps up to the world stage
The new Foreign Affairs Minister talks Great Power rivalry, NZ values, and Winston Peters. ...19 hours ago - Pacific seasonal workers finally given green light
Business & Investing: Biggest economy-based border exception announced, plus NZ sharemarket and dollar continue to strengthen ...19 hours ago - 'Virtual you' lives a life of its own
There is a virtual copy of your life on the internet. Does New Zealand’s new privacy law do enough to protect it? In today’s digital world, we are all being watched. Every time you pay for something electronically, scan a loyalty card, interact on social media, do an internet search, ...19 hours ago - Foster family: I want our voices heard
A foster parent whose understanding was the Māori children placed in her and her husband's care would be a permanent arrangement has been watching those children flourish, all while knowing OT's new cultural mandate means it won't be long before social workers will come to remove them I have followed your courageous and ...19 hours ago - The greatest rock is prog rock
Jim Pinckney reviews an ode to a prog-rock band by legendary music writer Gary Steel I gave progressive rock my best shot on a wet weekend in Barcelona in the mid 1980s. We raided my flatmate’s older brothers’s record collection and proceeded to unscientifically absorb and assess the ...19 hours ago - Foster parent: I want our voices heardA foster parent whose understanding was the Māori children placed in her and her husband's care would be a permanent arrangement has been watching those children flourish, all while knowing OT's new cultural mandate means it won't be long before social workers will come to remove them I have followed your courageous and ...19 hours ago
- The 81-year-old swimmer with a new lease on life
After going under the surgeon's knife, octogenarian Pat Owens is returning to the waves for another crack at the national ocean swim series. Pat Owens started as a competitive swimmer at the youthful age of 58. At 70, she switched from the pool to the sea. And now at 81, Owens ...19 hours ago - Western Sahara Campaign-NZ Offers Solidarity To The People Of Western SaharaWestern Sahara Campaign-NZ (WSC-NZ) expresses solidarity for the people of Western Sahara and strongly condemns Morocco’s flagrant violation of the terms of the ceasefire in Western Sahara on Friday 13 November 2020. Under the peace accord the United Nations ...20 hours ago
- The ban on concerts at Eden Park is the ultimate triumph of the New Zealand nimbyA tiny minority of local residents – led by a former PM – are holding back the joy of hundreds of thousands and millions in economic benefits. On Friday night Eden Park hosted a thrilling seesaw of a T20 between New Zealand and the West Indies. On Saturday the Tasman Mako ...20 hours ago
- One simple idea to fix New Zealand’s dysfunctional housing marketCurrently, investors are essentially subsidised to outbid homebuyers. Instead, why not give homebuyers a tax cut and make the speculators pay?Have you ever wanted to throw a party but worried no one would come? My wife and I thought of having a party this year to celebrate paying off our ...20 hours ago
- US climate envoy could be a 'reality check' for NZ
Will New Zealand come under fire from the United States' soon-to-be climate envoy John Kerry for not doing enough on climate? Marc Daalder reports American President-elect Joe Biden has announced he will create a new, Cabinet-level "climate envoy" position after his inauguration on January 20. His pick for the role is ...20 hours ago - Painful and painstaking: piecing together a terror attack
A Muslim group forensically and thoughtfully examines how an Australian right-wing terrorist slipped through the security net. David Williams reports They were the best and the brightest. University students, graduates, post-grad researchers – about two dozen in all – hand-picked to examine how an Australian terrorist was able to slip ...20 hours ago - Supermarkets under scrutiny
New Zealand's supermarket duopoly is being investigated by the Commerce Commission - but are the big two, too big to bring down? An inquiry into the supermarket duopoly is unpacking claims of dodgy pricing practices and poor treatment of suppliers who are too afraid to speak out. But some question ...20 hours ago - 3 ways to transform our ‘Soviet-style’ aged-care mess into a system that puts older Australians ...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stephen Duckett, Director, Health Program, Grattan Institute Australia’s aged-care system is in sore need of transformation. This is becoming increasingly clear. If the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety — whose interim report was titled Neglect — was not enough ...1 day ago
- View from The Hill: How will ADF chief react if government insists Special Operations Task Group sho...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra The government is getting itself onto very sticky paper in the developing row over revoking the citation awarded to the Special Operations Task Group that served in Afghanistan because of alleged atrocities committed by a ...1 day ago
- Christchurch terror attack report: 'People need to be accountable'A Royal Commission into the Christchurch terror attack won't deliver sorely needed public accountability, but a coroner's inquest could, says the Islamic Women's Council. ...1 day ago
- 36 arrested after police break up Free Papua rallies in Manokwari, SorongThe West Papua regional police (Polda) have arrested 36 people in Manokwari and Sorong city following a demonstration commemorating the anniversary of the West Papua New Guinea National Congress (WPNGNC) at the weekend, reports CNN Indonesia. West Papua regional police spokesperson Assistant Superintendent Adam Erwindi said that the people arrested ...1 day ago
- Top economists want JobSeeker boosted by $100+ per week and tied to wagesSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Martin, Visiting Fellow, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University Once about as high as the pension, the JobSeeker (Newstart) unemployment payment has fallen shockingly low compared to living standards. It’s now only two thirds of the pension, just 40% ...1 day ago
- Live updates, November 28-29: One new case of Covid-19 in managed isolationWelcome to The Spinoff’s live updates for November 28-29. Reach me on aliceneville@thespinoff.co.nzSunday, November 291.40pm: One new case of Covid-19 in managed isolationThe Ministry of Health is reporting one new case of Covid-19 in managed isolation today, and no new community cases. The new case is a person who arrived ...1 day ago
- The good and bad news about boomersWe’re the generation who’ve been there and done that and earned the right to what we’ve got, but the flip side to the freedom that comes with being the boss of me is selfishness, writes NZ Herald’s Simon Wilson in this Herald Premium article.At a business conference in the Aotea ...1 day ago
- Perimenopause is not fun, but it’s inevitablePerimenopause and its big sister, menopause, can seem like the cruellest of jokes after a lifetime of hormone-related struggles. Ensemble‘s Rebecca Wadey felt overwhelmed, until she started talking, and listening, and realised she wasn’t the only one.2020 has been a confusing mess. I pride myself on my ability to cope ...2 days ago
- How the 53rd Parliament was openedThe 53rd Parliament of New Zealand has been officially opened over two days of ceremonies in Wellington. The House explains what unfolded. ...2 days ago
- A poem for .. Peter Goodfellow
New Zealand's semi-official poet laureate Victor Billot pens topical verse every Sunday. Today: re-elected National Party president Peter Goodfellow. Fellowship of the grim Hale fellows! Hale fellows of great repute! The bells they do ring and the trumpets they toot! Hale legendary fellows! Hearty fellows! ...2 days ago - When did songs stop having lyrics I knew by heart?Linda Burgess on the soundtrack to her life. We drove up to Auckland last month. Our darling Edward, who, if suddenly out of sight, could well be found waving from the roof, was turning four. Unlike the time before, we weren’t turned back at Havelock North, when our phones, and the ...2 days ago
- How much would you pay for a photo of our ancestors?Photographs of tūpuna Māori are fetching top prices at auction houses, but do Māori and Pākehā view them in the same way?On September 20, 2001, an auction of 300 rare photographic prints and plates was blocked due to protests by Māori activists. The collection, potentially worth at least $150,000, included ...2 days ago
- Withholding Evidence An Alarming Development“It is disturbing to learn that evidence from senior public servants to the Royal Commission into the Christchurch mosque attacks will be withheld in full,” says ACT Justice and Firearms Law Reform spokesperson Nicole McKee. “Firstly, this was ...2 days ago
- “We Are All Palestinians”Celebrating UN International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People The Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa and the Palestine Community of New Zealand are celebrating UN International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People tomorrow with an event ...2 days ago
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