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The Natives are Getting Uppity
Written By: - Date published: 8:24 pm, March 29th, 2022 - 33 comments
Jacinda Ardern is “gravely concerned.” Peeni Henare was ‘”caught off-guard.”. Barnaby Joyce feels “intimidated.” Solomon Islands PM Sogavare found it “insulting to be branded as unfit to manage our sovereign affairs.” I think he is right.
The Top 20 Biggest U.S. Military Interventions, Best to Worst
Written By: - Date published: 10:39 am, August 31st, 2021 - 76 comments
With the last flights coming out of Kabul, it’s time to review whether this US attitude to the world is a good idea.
Reality has a left wing bias
Written By: - Date published: 10:22 am, May 20th, 2021 - 54 comments
Fresh from a claim that the Ministry of Education is trying to persuade kids not to eat home made lunches, David Seymour has taken aim at a new target, a radical education policy that intends to teach our kids about racism and inequality and what has happened in the country’s past.
Britain’s tin-ear ’tilt’ to the Indo-Pacific
Written By: - Date published: 5:39 pm, March 18th, 2021 - 14 comments
In its new integrated defence and foreign policy strategy, Britain intends to raise its nuclear warheads on Trident from 180 to 240. What a waste. It also intends to “tilt” to the Indo-Pacific, sending the New HMS Queen Elizabeth aircraft carrier here later in the year to give a message to China. It should read its history.
US v China: new Cold War or new Opium War?
Written By: - Date published: 10:27 am, August 25th, 2020 - 23 comments
The Trump administration has declared war on China, and there is much speculation in the punditry as to whether or not this is a new Cold War similar to that waged post World War 2 against Russia. In my opinion, the 19th century Opium Wars may offer a more appropriate analogy, albeit with a likely different outcome.
Kiwi Cultural Cringe is Alive and Well
Written By: - Date published: 4:00 pm, April 22nd, 2019 - 75 comments
New Zealand is too small for high-achievers and star-performers and does not offer enough challenges and rewards.
Peters to Pence on the Pacific – a return to colonialism?
Written By: - Date published: 9:38 pm, January 14th, 2019 - 120 comments
Winston Peters went to Washington last December to see US VP Mike Pence and invited the US to engage more in the South-West Pacific without informing Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern. Patrick Smellie described this apparent oversight as “deeply worrying.” Even more worrying is what Peters said when he was there.
Censorship again.
Written By: - Date published: 1:46 pm, October 18th, 2018 - 13 comments
I’m not a great fan of George Monbiot. And Alex Jones is rubbish. But …
Free speech champions?
Written By: - Date published: 9:14 am, August 2nd, 2018 - 303 comments
Southern and Molyneux are coming to New Zealand to exercise their freedom of speech by insulting diverse cultures and attacking multiculturalism.
Trump meets Putin
Written By: - Date published: 9:03 am, July 16th, 2018 - 116 comments
Some things that President Trump won’t do as when meeting Russian President Vladimir Putin in Helsinki.
No Iran Israeli War.
Written By: - Date published: 10:58 am, May 12th, 2018 - 11 comments
In spite of all the sharp intakes of breathe going on across media outlets, there will be no war between Iran and Israel. Here’s why.
Is Karl Marx dead?
Written By: - Date published: 11:38 am, May 8th, 2018 - 60 comments
2018 marks several anniversaries of Karl Marx whose significance for the critique of capitalist society is hard to diminish. But what now for his beliefs?
Is New Zealand really as ‘racist as fuck’?
Written By: - Date published: 1:35 pm, April 12th, 2018 - 85 comments
I am inclined to believe that there are at least some New Zealanders who are as “racist as fuck”.
Zimbabwe
Written By: - Date published: 11:37 am, November 20th, 2017 - 24 comments
I suspect I’m in the same boat as most when I say my knowledge of Zimbabwe is neither broad nor particularly deep. But anyway. Here’s some initial thoughts on current developments.
Mugabe hangs on
Written By: - Date published: 10:50 am, November 20th, 2017 - 16 comments
Despite expectations to the contrary Robert Mugabe has refused to resign as leader of Zimbabwe.
Indigenous and green politics require changes in perspectives
Written By: - Date published: 12:17 pm, October 3rd, 2017 - 9 comments
One of our key political challenges now is to broaden the understanding of what matters.
Political Statues
Written By: - Date published: 12:16 pm, August 25th, 2017 - 42 comments
America is experiencing difficulties because of the celebration by the right of statutes of their racist heroes. Why does New Zealand not have this problem?
NACT
Written By: - Date published: 9:43 am, August 9th, 2017 - 5 comments
“Here’s a new idea for the Tories: Why not ask a simple question every time you propose a course of action: Is this morally just?”
The Trump peace dividend: opportunity for rapprochement
Written By: - Date published: 11:25 am, November 12th, 2016 - 76 comments
Walking back the last 5 plus years of escalating military, economic and diplomatic proxy war between Russia and the United States will be difficult. But it has to be done.
Standing Rock update
Written By: - Date published: 3:27 pm, November 3rd, 2016 - 21 comments
The Standing Rock water protection movement continues in the face of increasing state violence.
Jill Stein: a Clinton Presidency could mean nuclear war with Russia
Written By: - Date published: 9:45 am, October 16th, 2016 - 219 comments
Hillary Clinton’s no-fly zone policy for Syria as declared in the second presidential election means air war with Russia.
Alert Memo to President Obama: it’s better to Jaw Jaw Jaw than War War War
Written By: - Date published: 10:57 am, October 5th, 2016 - 68 comments
Veteran Intelligence Professionals for Sanity advise Obama that the best way to get out of the dangerously escalating hawkish jam that parts of his government have put him in is to meet directly with Putin.
The “Intellectual Yet Idiot” Class – Knowing what’s best for you
Written By: - Date published: 10:38 am, September 18th, 2016 - 241 comments
When highly educated people end up being idiots, and uneducated people end up being smarter.
Assange is a hero: Jill Stein US Greens Presidential Candidate
Written By: - Date published: 9:54 am, August 24th, 2016 - 204 comments
Julian Assange is a true hero, says Jill Stein unequivocally, along with other whistleblowers who have had the audacity to challenge the status quo establishment.
The Canary – UK independent news featured on RT’s Sputnik
Written By: - Date published: 1:35 pm, August 21st, 2016 - 36 comments
The Canary: independent UK news media successfully using a democratic, socialist model. And succeeding within the highly commercial world of the MSM.
Syrian flash point just got flash pointier
Written By: - Date published: 1:38 pm, August 20th, 2016 - 102 comments
The major powers are ramping up the stakes in Syria in a big way.
Why do they hate us?
Written By: - Date published: 11:09 am, July 21st, 2016 - 73 comments
658 deaths due to terrorism in Europe and the Americas. 28,031 terrorism deaths in the Middle East and rest of the world.
Military coup underway in Turkey: Erdo-gone?
Written By: - Date published: 9:31 am, July 16th, 2016 - 135 comments
The attempted military coup appears to have been quickly and effectively put down by pro-Erdogan forces.
Jeremy Corbyn apologises for Blair and Bush’s Iraq War
Written By: - Date published: 11:11 am, July 7th, 2016 - 42 comments
Jeremy Corbyn’s full response to the Chilcot response. Corbyn says that the Iraq war “was an act of military aggression launched on a false pretext” and that he apologises for it on behalf of Labour, who was in Government at the time.
BREXIT: where it was won and lost
Written By: - Date published: 11:32 am, June 25th, 2016 - 78 comments
Scotland, Northern Ireland and London voted to stay in the EU. Every other region voted BREXIT. The Midlands and Yorkshire overwhelmingly so.
Indigenous Perspectives
Written By: - Date published: 1:55 pm, May 29th, 2016 - 30 comments
“It is possible to live in a society with a world view that does not include empire”
– Winona LaDuke
- Of Guilty Guilds: Addressing Anti-Immigration Populism in The Rings of Power, Episode 4
As per my Episode 4 review of The Rings of Power, I noted that the Men of Númenor objecting to Elves on a “they’ll steal our jobs!” basis feels a tad weird. Of all the things these people have to throw at their pointy-eared brethren, the show settles upon ...10 hours ago - An Idle Ode to Adar the Elda: A Review and Analysis of The Rings of Power, Episode 4
Half-way through the first season of The Rings of Power, we have run into our first unapologetically good episode. Not merely one to feel positive about, whilst grumbling about perceived flaws real or imagined. No, I think the fourth episode is sufficiently good that hunting around for flaws to ...1 day ago - Gorbachev’s Legacy
The aim of a decent liberal Russia is still there; its achievement is likely to be a long way off. I was optimistic about the prospects for Russia when the Soviet Union – or, as I think of it, the Russian Empire – collapsed in the early 1990s. I never ...2 days ago - Hungary is no longer a democracy
Since his election in 2010, Viktor Orbán has shifted Hungary sharply away from democracy and the rule of law, changing the constitution to stack the electoral system and the courts against his opponents, while dismantling the independent media. And now, the European Parliament has recognised the truth: that one of ...2 days ago - Bryce Edwards: Labour’s fraught battle to retain the Māori vote
Labour’s poll results are trending down. Yesterday’s Curia poll put the party down two points to just 33 per cent, while National is up three points to 37 per cent. When it comes to next year’s election, a key constituency for Labour will be Māori voters, especially in the Māori ...3 days ago - A King’s Grasp.
Worst Case Scenario? Mike Bartlett’s teleplay, King Charles III, teases out the consequences of a constitutional monarch who makes the mistake of attempting to defend the rights of his subjects.WHILE MANY OF US pretended that Queen Elizabeth II would, somehow, live forever, others among us knew better. One of those ...3 days ago - Gordon Campbell on the regal mourning marathon
The media coverage of the mourning process for Elizabeth II seems to be as endless as the lines of people waiting patiently to pay their respects. (The British are very good at standing in queues.) New Zealand’s official ten day mourning period ends on Monday, after the state funeral in ...3 days ago - Skeptical Science New Research for Week #37 2022
Mutual assured stupefaction A plethora of investigations have found that come the clutch, ideology often wins over facts when it comes to uncomfortable truths. If the outcomes of facts disagree with ideological objectives, facts frequently lose. Why? If we look at the sharpest divergences of facts from wishful ideology, we find ...3 days ago - Shouldn’t we make them pay for it?Yesterday a new report from Environment Southland found widespread environmental contamination at the Tiwai Point aluminium smelter. Both the soil and groundwater has been contaminated with fluoride and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and the stormwater drains are full of heavy metals. Worse, this is just what we know - the data ...3 days ago
- Democratic compromise as the mutual second-best.
For the first ten years of my former academic career I wrote a considerable amount about post-authoritarian democratisation thanks to the mentors that introduced me to the subject and my personal interest in Argentina and the Southern Cone. I alternated this interest with writing about various security related topics like ...3 days ago - Bryce Edwards: Fighting for cleaner and fairer electionsFrom this week the public can provide input into the Government’s review of electoral laws – a process which is supposed to make elections cleaner and fairer. Hopefully, public submissions and pressure applied to both the electoral review experts and the Government will force the consideration and implementation of progressive ...4 days ago
- Sweden falls to the NazisSwedes went to the polls over the weekend, and after a tight count, appear to have elected a Nazi-coalition government. The right-bloc has a three-seat majority, and the neo-Nazi Sweden Democrats are the largest party within that bloc. And to gain power of course the "moderate" centre-right parties are willing ...4 days ago
- Ag’s challenging future in a changing climateThis is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Jeff Masters Increased drought and extreme heat adversely affecting agriculture likely pose the highest threat to civilization over the next 40 years. The greatest danger: extreme droughts supercharged by climate change, affecting multiple grain-growing areas simultaneously, causing “food shock” events that could ...4 days ago
- Questions for Richard Wagstaff
by Don Franks A tough strike and lockout struggle against their employer won Kawerau pulp and paper workers an increase to the company’s initial offer. In a welcome resurgence of working class solidarity, embattled Kawerau unionists were assisted by financial support from other workers. Instead of building on this positive ...4 days ago - We need tougher penalties for electoral donation fraudWriting in Stuff, Max Rashbrooke Lisa Marriott examine the dismal history of election donation fraud in Aotearoa, and conclude that there are no real consequences for it. Prosecutions are rare, and the penalties derisory: It looks awfully like one law for the rich and one for the poor. At ...4 days ago
- Wellington’s user-pays “democracy”In the face of a rising tide of climate protest, governments are cracking down. In the UK, the only-partly-elected government has effectivley banned protests, just like they did in the eighteenth century. In Wellington, they're more subtle, simply imposing unaffordable costs for "traffic management fees": Wellington City Council left ...4 days ago
- Bryce Edwards: Why New Zealand’s shift to a republic will be thwartedThe death of Queen Elizabeth and the ascension to the throne of King Charles has reignited the debate on whether New Zealand should become a republic. But despite strong arguments in favour of shifting to a republic, such a move is unlikely to occur anytime soon. What will stop the ...5 days ago
- Not Since 1955: Bringing Serialisation to Middle-earth
A curious thought has occurred to me. Specifically about how The Rings of Power represents serialised storytelling in Middle-earth, and about how damned unusual that actually is. You see, in the Tolkien fandom, the books are there on the shelf, the story complete. Posthumous publications might provide ...5 days ago - Gordon Campbell on a fun summer, with Covid anxietyNo more traffic light alert system. No more vaccine mandates, even for those in healthcare. Masks are no longer mandatory in retail outlets or on public transport, and required only in healthcare settings, and for those caring for the sick and elderly. Who’s afraid of the Big Bad Virus? Not ...5 days ago
- The Bad Guys Are Winning.5 days ago
- Food supply and security concerns mount as impacts stress agricultureThis is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Jeff Masters Crops don’t like drought, extreme heat, extreme cold, flooding, and air pollution. While reducing the ill effects of extreme cold on agriculture in recent decades, the warming climate is increasing impacts of drought, extreme heat, and air pollution. These increased ...5 days ago
- The Ukrainian “People’s Storm” Lays Waste Putin’s Dreams.5 days ago
- Interview with Kobad Ghandy: Free Speech in Modi’s IndiaDaphna Whitmore interviewed Kobad Ghandy on 6 September for the Free Speech Union in New Zealand. This podcast looks at free speech and civil rights in India, the world’s most populous democracy. Kobad Ghandy was a political prisoner for ten years under both Congress and BJP regimes, and was just ...5 days ago
- The left is a big tent, but it must include belief in free speech
Redline readers should check out Plebity. It is a left non-profit free speech organisation with articles and resources reclaiming free speech as the necessary foundation for achieving all other leftist ideals. Plebity stands for: ...6 days ago - Don’t Let the Herald take You In
The omens are not good for Christopher Luxon. The polls tell a story that – as interpreted by the Herald – suggest that his failure to improve his personal polling means that he could deny National an election victory in 2023; and the conclusion? That Luxon is therefore dragging National ...6 days ago - Political Roundup: 13 September 2022Items of interest and importance today COVID Luke Malpass (Stuff): PM Ardern’s last Covid live update draws a curtain down on a miserable couple of years Claire Trevett (Herald): PM bids a relieved farewell to Covid-19 rules (paywalled) Mark Quinlivan (Newshub): Government seeking advice on ‘what form’ any Covid-19 inquiry ...6 days ago
- New study more than triples estimated costs of climate change damagesThis is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections A peer-reviewed analysis by two dozen experts more than triples – from $51 per ton of carbon dioxide to $185 per ton – the federal government’s estimate of the “social cost of carbon” (SCC). The climate science, economics, and statistics experts’ paper in ...6 days ago
- The British Royal Family and its contribution to humanityGearóid Ó Loingsigh The British monarch Elizabeth Windsor, formerly Saxe Coburg Gotha, has died at the grand old age of 96, thanks in no part to the subsidised lifestyle and medical care she enjoyed throughout her long life. Her death has produced the usual outpouring of manufactured grief from the ...6 days ago
- Labour abandons us to covidToday, the government has taken its long-signalled decision to repeal virtually all covid restrictions. From midnight tonight, there won't be traffic lights or mask requirements, and isolation rules will be further weakened. The few remaining vaccination requirements will disappear in a couple of weaks. Essentially, the virus will be free ...6 days ago
- No freedom of speech in the UKIn the eighteenth century, the British government waged a campaign of repression against those calling for democracy and an end to the monarchy. Over two hundred years later, nothing has really changed: A woman was arrested holding an anti-monarchy sign in Edinburgh today, before the Queen’s cortege arrived in ...7 days ago
- Gordon Campbell on being co-dependent on the royalsFor those who do not regard King Charles III as their liege lord, these have been a difficult few days, with the promise of more to come. One of the reasons that republican sentiment has been so absent from the media coverage of the death of Queen Elizabeth II is ...7 days ago
- Following the war in Ukraine – an update
7 days ago- The Weight Of History.
Receiving The Burden Of Sovereignty: The weight of royal ritual and tradition, and all the gilt machinery of monarchical government, is crushing. THE SHEER WEIGHT of it takes your breath away. On display in St James’s Palace on Saturday night (10/9/22) were rituals and traditions dating back centuries. To say the weight ...7 days ago- Political Roundup: 12 September 2022
MONARCHY Kevin Norquay (Stuff): Parting ways with the monarchy ‘an eventuality that will happen’ now Queen has gone Richard Harman: This could be the last time (paywalled) Liz Gordon (Insight Aotearoa): A proud and independent nation, Aotearoa Calida Stuart-Menteath and Hamish McNicol (NBR): Does King Charles represent New Zealand? (paywalled) ...7 days ago- 2022 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #36
Listing of articles linked to on the Skeptical Science Facebook Page during the past week: Sun, September 4, 2022 through Sat, September 10, 2022. The following articles sparked above average interest during the week (bolded articles are from SkS authors): CNN Exclusive: Scientists make major breakthrough in race to save ...1 week ago- Local Election Candidates: “the same old crazies as before”… or something entirely new this ti...
It’s the old joke isn’t it when Local Elections come round, who is coming out of the woodwork next, will there be someone promising to convert the entire CBD into an adventure park? Other questions that often plague local elections are who’s hiding under the “Independent” banner… whilst ...1 week ago- King Charles
With the accession of King Charles III to the throne, my mind goes back to a brief period when the then Prince Charles and I might have been described as friends. I was at the time a British MP. I received out of the blue a call from Prince Charles’ ...1 week ago- Númenor Rule the Waves: A Review and Analysis of The Rings of Power, Episode 3
I have discussed the first two episodes of The Rings of Power. Time to take a look at the third episode – one I felt avoided the lowest lows of its predecessors while also not quite managing to match the highest highs. On average I think it is the ...1 week ago- Imagining Away The Opposition.
The High Tide Of Popular Protest: In 2019 Chile was racked by massive protest demonstrations. Hundreds of thousands of mostly young, mostly poor, Chileans served notice on their government that the moment had arrived for their country to cast off “Pinochet’s Straightjacket” – the 1980 constitution imposed upon Chile by its ...1 week ago- Queen Elizabeth's death a true end of an era, but her legacy of service can live on
‘End of an era’ is a threadbare phrase worn thin by sports stars, passing fads and biscuits. But the death of Queen Elizabeth II after 70 years and 215 days on the throne is an event worthy to be called the end of an era.The length of Elizabeth’s reign alone ...1 week ago- The Queen
I had the good fortune to meet the Queen on a number of occasions when I was a British MP. The occasion that made the greatest impression on me, however, was one in which I was merely an observer. The hospital in my Southampton constituency had acquired an important new ...1 week ago- Reasons to avoid false balance and fake debates
The following text is an adapted version of pages 8 and 9 of The Consensus Handbook published in 2018 by John Cook, Sander van der Linden, Ed Maibach and Stephan Lewandowsky. The excerpt is published to make it easy to share this important information about false balance and fake debates and ...1 week ago- Is Social Investment Analysis a Good Idea?
We should try to to evaluate our social policies systematically. But big data has limitations.The National Party has promised to reintroduce the idea of ‘social investment’ analysis when it returns to government. The basic idea goes back long before Bill English as Minister of Finance popularised it, and it did ...1 week ago- Bring on the republic
When I was a child, the foreign monarch visited New Zealand. They marched us all out from school and had us stand by the side of a road to watch a car go past, and it was absurd and boring and meaningless, pretty much like the monarchy itself. For most ...1 week ago- Political Roundup: 9 September 2022
QUEEN ELIZABETH HAS DIED Isaac Davison (Herald): Queen Elizabeth is dead – what does it mean for New Zealand? Charlotte Graham-McLay (Guardian): New Zealand in period of mourning as Jacinda Ardern pays tribute to ‘extraordinary’ Queen Stuff: Queen Elizabeth II dies: Commonwealth leaders debated abolishing role of head Katie Pickles ...1 week ago- Losing the Wallpaper: Musings on the Death of Queen Elizabeth II
Quite the late night development – a development that will no doubt dominate all parts of the media for weeks to come. The death of Queen Elizabeth II. Head of State of not ... 1 week ago- The Queen Is Dead.
1 week ago- Skeptical Science New Research for Week #36 2022
A need for speed: Thwaites Glacier Antarctica's Thwaites Glacier is a major subject of preoccupation for people who study the polar portions of our cryosphere with an eye toward glacier dynamics. The glacier and particularly the portion lying below sea level are cause for concern due to a combination of ...1 week ago- Bryce Edwards: How politics got captured by the middle class, and why it’s a problem
One of the world’s leading progressive political thinkers and journalists died last week. Barbara Ehrenreich was 81 years old, had written more than 20 books and was feted as a leading US journalist and chronicler of the plight of the working class and disadvantaged. Ehrenreich’s most important contribution to political ...1 week ago- Don’t worry about Donald Trump
There's nothing to worry about. Don't trouble yourself over his future. He'll be just fine. ...1 week ago- The police piss on the law again
In 2020, RNZ ran a story about police in Wairarapa coercing photographs from young Māori. it turned out this was a more widespread practice, and eventually the Privacy Commissioner and Independent Police Conduct Authority began an investigation. Their report was released today, exposing illegality, systematic racism, and widespread ignorance among ...1 week ago- Gordon Campbell on what the rise of Liz Truss signals for us
True, the writing is a bit florid, but the following passages capture a few of the psychological realities that have been dawning for some time: Very few of us realize with conviction the intensely unusual, unstable, complicated, unreliable, temporary nature of the economic organization by which [we] have lived for ...2 weeks ago- Left To Rot.
2 weeks ago- OIA stats and public sector leadership
Te Kawa Mataaho / Public Service Commission has released its half-year OIA statistics today. Last year they received some harsh media coverage calling them "close to useless" due to various rorts, and in response this set includes information on extensions, transfers, and response times. Public Service Commissioner Peter Hughes is ...2 weeks ago- Political Roundup: 7 September 2022
COVID David Fisher (Herald): Blunder in Wellington let women into Northland and shut the region for 11 days Sam Olley (RNZ): Details revealed of investigation of women who sparked Northland Covid-19 lockdown Richard Prebble (Herald): Why an independent Covid inquiry is needed (paywalled) Jamie Morton (Herald): Explained – where – ...2 weeks ago- From local protests to local elections, and grifts aplenty yet again: 2022 continues to challenge…
There’s something in the air… ah, the sound of Election season, wherever we look. A rubber-stamped “new” Prime Minister for the UK enters No. 10 (no real change in policy to the Tory juggarnaut that’s wreaked havoc with Brexit, the country is coming apart as food and inflation soars, ...2 weeks ago- Bryce Edwards: Labour’s motel housing shame
The Labour Government has now spent over $1.2bn on housing people in motels and emergency facilities. This is an indictment on a government that refuses to build enough state houses for vulnerable people who are the biggest victims of the housing crisis. But what’s more, the staggering $1m spent each ...2 weeks ago- A corrupt abuse of power
There's an election on, so the government uses its websites to host advertising for its members, explicitly promoting their re-election. Russia? Thailand? Some other corrupt, authoritarian state? No, its South Auckland's corrupt liquor trust: A South Auckland licensing trust's decision to help promote candidates in this year's local body ...2 weeks ago- Gordon Campbell on why Chile’s experiment in direct democracy failed
In overwhelming numbers yesterday – the “no” vote was 62% – the people of Chile voted to reject a draft Constitution that would have been one of the most progressive national charters in the world, enshrining gender parity and a range of social, indigenous and environmental rights. The failure will ...2 weeks ago- Labour doesn’t want to protect journalists after all
Last year, in response to several highly-publicised abuses by police, then-Labour MP Louisa Wall put a bill to protect journalists' sources in the ballot. It was lucky enough to get drawn, was given a first reading in October and sent to select committee. Today, the committee reported back. But rather ...2 weeks ago- Sounds of Silence.
Comforting Generational Voice: The end of one era in New Zealand broadcasting, and the beginning of another, is being met with widespread public indifference. A SIGN OF THE TIMES every bit as telling as Paula Penfold’s shock at anti-vaxxers’ hatred for the mainstream media. That the folk who once cried ...2 weeks ago- Jeremy Rose on the grassroots struggle to create a new Constitution in Chile
Yesterday (4th September) New Zealand’s Chilean community voted overwhelmingly to approve a draft constitution in their homeland. It has been described as the world’s first truly feminist, environmental, and indigenous constitution. In Wellington the vote was 84% to approve and just 16% rejecting, and in Auckland it was 72% to ...2 weeks ago- Geoffrey Miller: Was New Zealand’s deployment to Iraq worth it?
After more than seven years, the end is finally in sight for New Zealand’s anti-Isis deployment in Iraq. The Government recently announced that the remaining two personnel deployed to Iraq and Kuwait as part of the Global Coalition to Defeat the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria will be withdrawn ...2 weeks ago- 2022 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #35
Listing of articles linked to on the Skeptical Science Facebook Page during the past week: Sun, August 28, 2022 through Sat, September 03, 2022. The following articles sparked above average interest during the week (bolded articles are from SkS authors): Science: What it is, how it works, and why it ...2 weeks ago- Saved By the Dwarves: A Review and Analysis of The Rings of Power, Episodes 1 and 2
Well, here we are. A full five or so years after this thing was first announced, we’ve moved from the initial Young Aragorn speculation, into analysing the screen potential for Tolkien’s Second Age, and thence into nattering about leaks and posters and Annatar theories. And now we’re actually at ...2 weeks ago- Paying the Cost of Brexit.
Why is the British Economy in Greater Trouble Than Most Others?The British economy is struggling. As in the case of China and Russia, the situation is slowly unfolding, but compared to almost every OECD economy, and certainly compared to the others of the big seven (G7), Britain is doing dreadfully. ...2 weeks ago- Cranky Uncle getting ever more multi-lingual with Spanish and Portuguese added!
2 weeks ago- Still against a four year term
Newsroom has a piece on Labour's local government review, which will apparently recommend a reduction in the voting age and a move to a four-year term. Which (because of the need for alignment with general election rules) tells us Labour has pre-determined the outcome of its electoral act review as ...2 weeks ago- Bryce Edwards: Ardern is right to insist on ethical standards, even on chocolate endorsements
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern was right to question Marama Davidson’s endorsement of Whittaker’s chocolate. The rule forbidding ministers from endorsing products or services is a basic protection against corruption. It helps maintain the impartiality of ministers who have enormous individual power when it comes to regulations that directly impact businesses. ...2 weeks ago- Artemis’s Sacred Satellite.
Hubris: Looking in wonder at the Moon is one thing, dumping yet more human junk in the lunar dust is another. Inexorably, the vast fossil-fuelled civilisation that has made the space exploration programme possible, is heading for the edge. The human species may, briefly, escape the grip of its planet’s ...2 weeks ago- Big Changes at Low Performance Sport New Zealand
Some exciting board news! ...2 weeks ago- The Woman With The Red Umbrella – A Short Story.
“The thing you’ve got to understand about misinformation and disinformation, Mr … Smith, is that they’re like machine-guns and artillery – much too dangerous to have just anybody firing them off. They are weapons that only the state can be permitted to wield.”I SPOTTED HER at one hundred metres. Average ...2 weeks ago- Gordon Campbell on King Coal’s comeback, plus a music playlist
Of late, the news bulletins have been carrying alarming images of extreme flooding in parts of Asia, and extreme drought across Europe. Pakistan has 7,000 glaciers, the largest number in any country outside the polar regions. Those glaciers are melting, which is one reason (along with a particularly wet summer ...2 weeks ago- The Man In The Black Hat.
2 weeks ago- Flashback Friday: Before paths diverge.
This picture was taken at an end of year celebration hosted in the early 2000s by the Green Party at a trade union hall on Great North Road. In it are three individuals whose paths crossed at that moment in time. One is a university lecturer. One is a university ...2 weeks ago - The Weight Of History.
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- Green Party welcomes landmark commitments from health sector for ADHD progress
Green Party spokesperson for Mental Health, Chlöe Swarbrick, welcomes commitments from the Minister of Health to six key areas of progress for the ADHD community, which would together represent one of the largest changes for the ADHD community in a generation. ...17 hours ago - Govt must reunite Afghan refugees with their familiesThe Green Party is once again calling on the Government to support victims of war, oppression, and violence to reunite with their families and put down roots in Aotearoa New Zealand. ...2 days ago
- New Zealand’s economy and the case for optimism
If you missed Grant Robertson’s recent speech on New Zealand’s economy, don’t worry – we’ve got you covered. Here’s a super quick overview of what the Minister of Finance said about the Government’s economic plan, as well as the latest figures that show how New Zealand’s economy is tracking. ...3 days ago - Government handing Fonterra a free passMinister O’Connor should immediately pause the Government’s proposed Fonterra Bill and review its potential impact on the climate, the Green Party says. ...3 days ago
- Time to support te reo Māori as a core subject and as a medium of instructionOn the 50th anniversary of the Māori language petition, the Green Party is calling on the Government to make te reo Māori a core curriculum subject in mainstream schools and to support Kaupapa Māori education groups. ...5 days ago
- Celebrating Te Wiki o Te Reo MāoriKia ora e te whānau! It’s Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori once again – an opportunity for all of us, no matter where we are on our te reo journey, to give te reo Māori a go. This year, as we celebrate Māori Language Week, we are also marking ...5 days ago
- Urgent need for more food supportThe Green Party is calling on the Government to urgently increase the support available for people who are struggling to afford to put food on the table. ...6 days ago
- Serious questions for Govt to answer following decision to allow deep-sea miningThe Government has questions to answer following a recent decision by international regulators to give the green-light to a potentially destructive deep-sea mining project in the Pacific. ...6 days ago
- Vital public health measures still missing from COVID responseStrong public health measures are more vital than ever, the Green Party says as the Government removes many longstanding COVID-19 restrictions. ...6 days ago
- James Shaw re-elected as Co-leader of the Green PartyMembers of the Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand have re-elected James Shaw as Co-leader, alongside Marama Davidson. ...1 week ago
- Green Party statement on the death of Queen Elizabeth IIOn behalf of the Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand, I would like to send our deepest condolences to the Royal Family on the passing of Queen Elizabeth II,” says co-leader of the Green Party, Marama Davidson. ...1 week ago
- If the Government is going to close one donations loophole, let’s close them allClosing the New Zealand First Foundation loophole is a good step towards a more transparent political donations regime, but it’s not the only loophole that needs closing, the Green Party says. ...2 weeks ago
- Helping young people into better and brighter futuresOur Government wants every New Zealander to have the chance to succeed – and that includes young people who need a little bit of extra support to get back on the right track. That’s why we’re stepping up pathways to better opportunities, by supporting more young people into jobs and ...2 weeks ago
- Supporting more Kiwis into jobsWe’re helping more Kiwis into work, to help support whānau, grow our skilled workforce and secure our economy for future generations. During our time in Government, we’ve delivered record low unemployment rates, as well as a steady fall in the number of New Zealanders receiving a main benefit, and we’re ...2 weeks ago
- How we’re supporting New Zealanders with the cost of livingFrom day one, we’ve worked hard to lift incomes and make life more affordable for New Zealand families. Now, with global inflation affecting prices here at home, we’ve stepped up our support with a new cost of living package. From help with higher bills to reduced transport costs and action ...3 weeks ago
- It’s important to know your KiwiSaver history, Mr. LuxonWhat the Government should now do is reverse the cuts the National Party Government made to KiwiSaver incentives, the Green Party says. ...3 weeks ago
- Greens urge Government to adopt overdose prevention trialThe Green Party calls on the Government to adopt the proposal from NZ Drug Foundation, Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei, and the Needle Exchange Services Trust to introduce a three-year pilot of an overdose prevention centre in Auckland’s city centre. ...3 weeks ago
- Dunedin Council joins growing list of local authorities and public health experts pushing for alcoho...Dunedin City Council passed a motion this afternoon urging Parliament to get on with Green MP Chlöe Swarbrick’s Alcohol Harm Minimisation Bill. ...3 weeks ago
- Tax legislation makes Green Party change to public transport taxFollowing years of political pressure from the Green Party the Government will finally exclude public transport subsidies from the fringe benefit tax. ...3 weeks ago
- Government enhances protection for our most-productive land
Enhanced protection for Aotearoa New Zealand’s most productive land Councils required to identify, map, and manage highly productive land Helping ensure Kiwis’ access to leafy greens and other healthy foods Subdivision for housing on highly-productive land could still be possible in limited circumstances The Government has today released a National ...13 hours ago - Kieran McAnulty to attend Asia-Pacific Ministerial Conference on Disaster Risk ReductionMinister for Emergency Management Kieran McAnulty will travel to Brisbane this week to represent Aotearoa New Zealand at the 2022 Asia-Pacific Ministerial Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction. “This conference is one of the most important meetings in the Asia-Pacific region to progress disaster risk reduction efforts and increase cooperation between ...2 days ago
- Trade and Agriculture Minister to travel to India and IndonesiaMinister of Trade and Export Growth and Minister of Agriculture Damien O’Connor will travel tomorrow to India and Indonesia for trade and agricultural meetings to further accelerate the Government’s growing trade agenda. “Exploring ways we can connect globally and build on our trading relationships is a priority for the Government, ...2 days ago
- Poroporoaki: Cletus Maanu Paul (ONZM)E te rangatira Maanu, takoto mai ra, i tō marae i Wairaka, te marae o te wahine nāna I inoi kia Whakatānea ia kia tae ae ia ki te hopu i te waka Mātaatua kia kore ai i riro i te moana. Ko koe anō tēnā he pukumahi koe mō ...2 days ago
- Pacific Wellbeing Strategy sets clear path to improve outcomes for Pacific AotearoaStrengthening partnerships with Pacific communities is at the heart of the Government’s new Pacific Wellbeing Strategy, Minister for Pacific Peoples Aupito William Sio announced today. “Working alongside communities to ensure more of our aiga and families have access to the staples of life like, housing, education, training and job opportunities ...2 days ago
- Jobs on the horizon for more than 1,000 rangatahiFollowing on from last week’s Better Pathways Package announcement and Apprenticeship Boost 50,000th apprentice milestone, the Government is continuing momentum, supporting over 1,000 more rangatahi into employment, through new funding for He Poutama Rangatahi. “Our Government remains laser focused on supporting young people to become work ready and tackle the ...2 days ago
- NZ/AU partnership to bring world-class satellite positioning servicesLand Information Minister Damien O’Connor today announced a joint Trans-Tasman partnership which will provide Australasia with world-leading satellite positioning services that are up to 50 times more accurate, boosting future economic productivity, sustainability and safety. New Zealand and Australia have partnered to deliver the Southern Positioning Augmentation Network (SouthPAN), with ...3 days ago
- Govt helps small businesses get paid on timeThe Government is adding to the support it has offered New Zealand’s small businesses by introducing new measures to help ensure they get paid on time. A Business Payment Practices disclosure regime is being established to improve information and transparency around business-to-business payment practices across the economy, Small Business Minister ...3 days ago
- Economy grows as tourism and exports reboundThe economy has rebounded strongly in the June quarter as the easing of restrictions and reopening of the border boosted economic activity, meaning New Zealand is well placed to meet the next set of challenges confronting the global economy. GDP rose 1.7 percent in the June quarter following a decline ...3 days ago
- New Ambassador to China announcedForeign Affairs Minister Nanaia Mahuta today announced the appointment of Grahame Morton as New Zealand’s next Ambassador to China. “Aotearoa New Zealand and China share a long and important relationship,” Nanaia Mahuta said. “As we mark 50 years of diplomatic relations between our nations, we are connected by people-to-people links, ...3 days ago
- 1.4 million hectares of wilding pine control work in two years1.4 million hectares of native and productive land have been protected from wilding conifers in the past two years and hundreds of jobs created in the united efforts to stamp out the highly invasive weeds, Biosecurity Minister Damien O’Connor said. Speaking today at the 2022 Wilding Pine Conference in Blenheim, Damien ...4 days ago
- HomeGround – “a place to come together, a place to come home to”After 10 years’ hard mahi, HomeGround - Auckland City Mission's new home – is now officially open. “It’s extremely satisfying to see our commitment to providing a safety net for people who need housing and additional support services come together in a place like HomeGround, to create a better future ...4 days ago
- Speech to New Zealand Nurses Organisation Toputanga Tapuhi Kaitiaki o Aotearoa ConferenceTēnā tātou katoa Ki te reo pōwhiri, kei te mihi Ki a koutou ngā pou o te whare hauora o Aotearoa, kei te mihi He taura tangata, he taura kaupapa e hono ana i a tātou katoa i tēnei rā, Arā, ko te New Zealand Nurses Organisation Toputanga Tapuhi Kaitiaki ...4 days ago
- The New Zealand Economy – The Case for OptimismThere are a few quotes that I could use to sum up where the world is today in the bow wave of COVID, facing the effects of a war, and the spiralling cost of living. One stands out for me. In the midst of chaos there is always opportunity. It ...4 days ago
- Launch of Digital Strategy for Aotearoa, New ZealandCHECK AGAINST DELIVERY E ngā mana, e ngā reo, e ngā karangatanga maha o te wa, tēnā koutou, tēna koutou, tēna tātou katoa. Ki ngā mana whenua, Ngāti Whātua o Ōrākei, anō nei aku mihi ki a koutou. Nōku te hōnore kia haere mai ki te whakanuia tēnei huihuinga whakahirahira. ...4 days ago
- New Strategy marks next step in NZ’s digital journeyA strategy which sets out New Zealand’s vision and plan for harnessing the potential of the digital economy has been unveiled today. “Te Rautaki Matihiko mō Aotearoa - The Digital Strategy for Aotearoa will be New Zealand’s trusty roadmap, as we navigate an increasingly digital world,” Minister for the Digital ...4 days ago
- Honouring the legacy of Ken DouglasActing Minister for Workplace Relations and Safety Priyanca Radhakrishnan expressed her sadness and condolences at the passing of leading trade unionist Ken Douglas. “Ken spent over 30 years fighting for the rights of workers across New Zealand. Many advancements in worker rights can be traced back to Ken’s leadership,” Priyanca ...4 days ago
- Lost Learning as a result of COVID and Teacher Supply announcement speechTēnā koutou katoa kua tae mai nei i tēnei rā, i Te Wiki o te Reo Māori. He mihi nui ki a koe e te rangatira Matua nāu i tuku karakia. E ngā kaikaranga, e ngā kaikōrero, he mihi mahana ki a koutou. He mihi tēnei ki a koutou, e ...4 days ago
- Five Country Ministerial CommuniquéWe, the Home Affairs, Interior, Security and Immigration Ministers of Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States (the Five Countries) have come together in Washington, D.C. on September 12-13, 2022, for the Five Country Ministerial (FCM). We stand resolute in our shared responsibility and commitment to confront ...5 days ago
- Government investing in 1000 more teachers and student learning affected by COVID-19Hundreds more overseas and domestic teachers to fill workforce gaps Funding for additional teaching and tutoring in schools More targeted Māori and Pacific tutoring and mentoring Additional places on Te Kura’s summer school The Government is continuing to invest in teachers and students, through a multi-million dollar package to ...5 days ago
- Nation to reflect on 50 year Māori language movementA large crowd is expected to gather at Parliament in Wellington today to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Māori language petition. I tēnei rā, ka whakaeke mai tētahi ope nui ki te Pāremata i Te Whanganui-a-Tara ki te whakanui i te huringa o te 50 tau mai i te ...5 days ago
- New Zealand Sovereign Green Bond programme launchedNew Zealand’s Sovereign Green Bond Programme has been launched providing the opportunity to invest in projects that contribute to climate and environmental objectives. “Green Bonds provide financing to advance climate change and environmental priorities like the transition to clean transport and support for biodiversity,” Grant Robertson said. “The bonds are ...5 days ago
- Minister welcomes ‘timely’ UN observationsDisability Issues Minister Poto Williams has welcomed observations shared by the UN following New Zealand’s examination by the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in August. The report acknowledges the significant changes New Zealand has made to improve the lives of disabled people, since it was last examined ...5 days ago
- Retired High Court Judge to assess Hall compensation claimHon Rodney Hansen CNZM KC has been appointed to assess Alan Hall’s compensation claim, Justice Minister Kiri Allan announced today. Mr Hansen, a retired Judge of the High Court of New Zealand, was previously appointed to assess Teina Pora’s claim for compensation for wrongful conviction and imprisonment. “I received Mr ...5 days ago
- Phil Twyford to visit Cambodia to boost trade links with South East AsiaMinister of State for Trade and Export Growth Phil Twyford will travel to Cambodia this week to attend the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) Economic Ministers’ consultations. ASEAN is collectively New Zealand’s fourth largest trading partner, with exports in 2021 totalling $6.3 billion, or almost 9% of our total goods ...5 days ago
- NZ representation to Queen Elizabeth II funeral confirmedPrime Minister Jacinda Ardern has confirmed the New Zealanders attending the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II in London. They include the Māori King, Kiingi Tūheitia, former Governor-General Dame Silvia Cartwright, Victoria Cross for New Zealand recipient, Bill (Willie) Apiata and former Secretary-General of the Commonwealth, Sir Don McKinnon. “Queen Elizabeth ...5 days ago
- Government introduces DIRA Amendment BillAn Amendment Bill introduced to Parliament today will provide greater economic security for New Zealanders by supporting Fonterra’s move to a new capital structure which will reduce long-term risks to New Zealand’s $22.1 billion dairy sector, Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor said. “The Dairy Industry Restructuring (Fonterra Capital Restructuring) Amendment (DIRA) ...6 days ago
- COVID-19 Protection Framework retired NZ moves forward with certaintyThe COVID-19 Protection Framework ends at 11.59pm tonight, Monday 12 September All mask wearing requirements removed, except in healthcare and aged care facilities Only COVID-19 positive individuals required to isolate for seven days, household contacts no longer need to All Government vaccine mandates to end in two weeks on 26 ...6 days ago
- Public Holiday on 26 September to mark passing of Queen Elizabeth IINew Zealand will mark the passing of Queen Elizabeth II with a State Memorial Service and one-off public holiday on Monday 26 September, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has announced. “As New Zealand’s Queen and much loved Sovereign for over 70 years, it is appropriate that we mark her life of ...6 days ago
- Engineering Associates Registration Board speechGood afternoon and thank you for inviting me to speak to you today. It’s a great honour to be here, marking the sixtieth anniversary of the Engineering Associates Registration Board. I would like to acknowledge the Chair from the first meeting held on 22 August 1962, Cyril John Mulley Choat, ...7 days ago
- Government public housing returns to Wairarapa and the Tararua regions after 20 yearsFor the first time in over two decades new, much-needed Government public housing is returning to Wairarapa and the Tararua regions, Housing Minister, Megan Woods has announced. “Our prudent economic management is helping us maintain a strong pipeline of investment in our regions, and this acquisition of four sites in ...7 days ago
- Michael Wood to visit Washington D.CMinister of Immigration Michael Wood will travel to Washington D.C this week to represent New Zealand at the annual Five Country Ministerial. The Five Country Ministerial (commonly known as the FCM) is an annual meeting of home affairs, public safety, interior, security, border and immigration Ministers from Australia, Canada, New ...1 week ago
- Condolence Letter From New Zealand Prime MinisterYour Majesty On behalf of the Government of New Zealand I wish to express my sincere condolences on the death of Her Majesty The Queen, your mother. As Queen of New Zealand, Her Majesty was loved for her grace, calmness, dedication, and public service. Her affection for New Zealand and ...1 week ago
- Minister Whaitiri to address World Dairy Summit in IndiaFood Safety Minister Meka Whaitiri will be addressing the World Dairy Summit in New Delhi in September, the flagship event of the International Dairy Federation. “The World Dairy Summit brings together leaders from across the global dairy sector to share knowledge about how the sector can help nourish the world ...1 week ago
- IPEF negotiations launchedTrade and Export Growth Minister Damien O’Connor today joined ministerial representatives from 13 other economies across the Indo-Pacific region to launch negotiations on the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity (IPEF). The IPEF, initiated by the United States, involves a diverse group of regional economies and will deepen regional economic, trade ...1 week ago
- Infrastructure strategy sets a course for the futureThe Government has tabled its response to Te Waihanga/New Zealand Infrastructure Commission’s first infrastructure strategy. Published in June, Rautaki Hanganga o Aotearoa – New Zealand Infrastructure Strategy 2022–2052 set out the infrastructure challenges and opportunities facing New Zealand over the next 30 years. “A system that provides quality infrastructure assets ...1 week ago
- PM mourns death of Queen Elizabeth IIPrime Minister Jacinda Ardern has expressed New Zealanders’ deep sadness at the passing of Queen Elizabeth II, describing Her Majesty as a monarch with an unwavering sense of duty. “I know that I speak for people across New Zealand in offering our deepest sympathy to members of the Royal Family ...1 week ago
- Pacific priorities at the forefront in Papua New GuineaForeign Affairs Minister Nanaia Mahuta has wrapped up her first official visit to Papua New Guinea, reinforcing Aotearoa New Zealand’s commitment to social and economic resilience in the region. During the visit, Nanaia Mahuta met Prime Minister James Marape and held her first in-person ministerial dialogue with Foreign Minister Justin ...1 week ago
- Govt supports 50,000 apprentices to stay in trades and training50,000 apprentices supported through Apprenticeship Boost 18,800 employers have signed up to the scheme 19 percent identify as Māori, 8 percent Pacific and 17 percent are female apprentices Fulton Hogan alone have supported 245 apprentices through the scheme, of which 51 are currently being supported The Government’s Apprenticeship Boost programme ...1 week ago
- Funding confirmed for 2026 Winter Olympic and Paralympic GamesMore than $20 million is being invested over the next four years to prepare athletes for the 2026 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games in Milan. The increased investment comes on the back of a hugely successful Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games campaign for New Zealand this year. It will see ...2 weeks ago
- New Map Makes Voting Easy For Kāpiti Local Body Elections
A new map has been released with the location and opening hours of the 37 different places Kāpiti Coast residents can cast their vote in this election. Asher Wilson-Goldman, candidate for Greater Wellington Regional Council, created the map after hearing ...9 hours ago - Government releases National Policy Statement for Highly Productive Land
The government has taken a step towards protecting the country's most productive land from urban development by releasing the statement, aimed at ensuring such land can be used for growing vegetables, fruit and other produce. ...11 hours ago - Greens work with health sector for changes in ADHD treatmentThe Green Party says the government and health sector have committed to investigating sweeping changes for attention deficit hyperactive disorder diagnosis and treatment. ...12 hours ago
- Wellington mayoralty: Paul Eagle and Tory Whanau lead in close race – new pollA new political poll shows Paul Eagle is the frontrunner in the Wellington mayoral race, with Tory Whanau a close second and the incumbent Andy Foster lagging behind. ...15 hours ago
- Jakarta bans Papuan governor Enembe from vital medical treatment trip
SPECIAL REPORT: By Laurens Ikinia Governor Lukas Enembe of Indonesia’s Melanesian province of Papua has been banned from travelling abroad by the state Directorate General of Immigration, Ministry of Law and Human Rights, preventing him undergoing vital medical treatment in the Philippines. Governor Enembe, 55, was due to go to ...15 hours ago - Fiji leader’s son faces domestic violence charges in SydneyRNZ Pacific The son of Fijian Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama is facing criminal charges in Australia over domestic violence-related allegations. Meli Bainimarama, 36, was charged in the Windsor Court in Sydney with 17 offences related to domestic violence, including five charges of assault resulting in bodily harm, stalking, common assault, ...15 hours ago
- Papuan protesters warn Jakarta – ‘don’t criminalise’ Governor EnembeCOMMENTARY: By Yamin Kogoya Papuan protesters from seven customary regions this week stormed the Mako Brimob police headquarters in Kota Raja, Jayapura, accusing the KPK and police of “criminalising” local Governor Lukas Enembe. The protest on Monday was organised in response to the Komisi Pemberantasan Korupsi (KPK) Corruption Eradication Commission’s ...15 hours ago
- Independent Electoral Review seeks public views on changesThe review's scope is huge, covering almost everything to do with the running of elections including the voting age and overhang rule. ...1 day ago
- LGNZ eager to get out the vote for electionsLocal Government New Zealand wants to lift the percentage of people that vote in local body elections. ...1 day ago
- “Partnership” is amply plugged but information is sparse on the costs to taxpayers of the progra...
Stuff from the Beehive There are plenty of mentions of partnerships in the latest batch of ministerial press releases. Mentions of the costs of the programmes which ministers are promoting are harder to find. Minister for Pacific Peoples Aupito William Sio issued a statement to say strengthening partnerships with Pacific ...2 days ago - Focus on Politics: Queen's death reignites constitution and Te Tiriti discussionsPodcast - RNZ Political Reporters explore what the debate about the role of the monarchy in New Zealand - and the possibility of change - could mean for its people. ...2 days ago
- 'I'm running on that thing of diversity' – Otago candidates aim to change face ...A growing number of diverse candidates are hoping to add to the political mix in Otago, one of the least diverse regions in Aotearoa. ...2 days ago
- The retirement of Roger Federer is the abdication of tennis royaltySource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By David Rowe, Emeritus Professor of Cultural Research, Institute for Culture and Society, Western Sydney University This is a time of endings. In the midst of the all-consuming media spectacle surrounding the death of Queen Elizabeth II, “tennis royalty” in the form of ...2 days ago
- Beck And Collins Unfit For Office – Leo Molloy...2 days ago
- Unbelievable: CEO Has To Lodge Official Request With Own Council To Get InfoThe news yesterday that the chief executive of Napier City Council had to lodge a Local Government Official Information Act (LGOIMA) request to get information out of her own Council is deeply disturbing. The just departed chief executive lodged ...2 days ago
- We may be underestimating just how bad carbon-belching SUVs are for the climate – and for our heal...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Robin Smit, Adjunct Associate Professor, University of Technology Sydney Australia’s love for fuel-hungry and fuel-inefficient SUVs is hampering our ability to bring transport emissions down. SUVs make up half of all new car sales last year, a National Transport Commission report revealed ...2 days ago
- Love of social work propels Rotuma’s Rachael Mario into local electionsBy Sri Krishnamurthi Rachael Mario isn’t just any woman, she is special in that she hails from the idyllic South Pacific island of Rotuma. And it is her love for social work which she hopes will propel her and her Roskill Community Voice and City Vision team onto the Mt ...2 days ago
- Auckland Mayoralty Election, A Biased Media Fiasco, Says Ted JohnstonBeck is gone, that leaves myself, Collins, Brown and Lord as the top 4 Auckland mayoral candidates. Now the media needs to step up and stop ignoring me. Let the people see me, and hear me and my policies in proper debate, and give me some media ...2 days ago
- New Asia Pacific nonprofit takes up role of PJR publishing for researchAsia Pacific Report newsdesk A new Asia Pacific nonprofit group has taken up the role of publishing the independent Pacific Journalism Review and other research and publication ventures. The launch of the Asia Pacific Media Network | Te Koakoa Inc. (APMN) has ensured the viability of the New Zealand-based 28-year-old ...2 days ago
- Police arrest woman in South Korea over NZ child bodies in suitcaseRNZ News A woman has been arrested for the alleged murder of two young children whose remains were discovered in suitcases in Manurewa, South Auckland, last month. New Zealand police can now confirm that a 42-year-old woman has been arrested in South Korea. Counties Manukau CIB detective inspector Tofilau Fa’ ...2 days ago
- ‘With or without you, we’ll sail in both worlds’ – 50 years on from Māori Language petitionBy Māni Dunlop, Māori news director, and Ashleigh McCaull of RNZ News It has been a day of celebration and reflection for those who delivered the Māori Language petition exactly 50 years ago. The day kicked off with a dawn ceremony at the National Library where mana whenua blessed an ...2 days ago
- ‘Find a solution’ to the Kanaky political impasse, Macron told new ministerRNZ Pacific France’s new Minister for Overseas Territories Jean-François Carenco was told to “find a solution” to the political impasse in New Caledonia. Carenco started his visit at the Assembly of the Loyalty island region, to the west of the mainland. He was greeted in local Kanak customary way, after ...2 days ago
- Bryce Edwards’ Political Roundup: Labour’s fraught battle to retain the Māori voteAnalysis by Dr Bryce Edwards. Political Roundup: Labour’s fraught battle to retain the Māori vote Political scientist, Dr Bryce Edwards. Labour’s poll results are trending down. Yesterday’s Curia poll put the party down two points to just 33 per cent, while National is up three points to 37 per cent. When ...2 days ago
- New Zealand’s new cut-down COVID response is a missed opportunity – here are 5 ways to improve i...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michael Baker, Professor of Public Health, University of Otago Phil Walter/Getty Images New Zealand’s decision to end most COVID health measures is welcome, as it removes controls that are in most cases no longer essential. But the new COVID management ...2 days ago
- Week in Politics: The political implications of scrapping restrictionsAnalysis - The government will be hoping for a poll payback after scrapping Covid-19 restrictions; neither of the main parties are interested in republicanism and bullying in Parliament rears up again. ...3 days ago
- This finals season, a brief ‘priming’ workout could boost performance on the sports field and be...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Christopher Latella, Lecturer, Master of Exercise Science (Strength and Conditioning), Edith Cowan University As humans, it is in our nature to want to do better, find that edge and succeed. This couldn’t be truer than in sport, where winning and losing are ...3 days ago
- Survey reveals two-thirds of NZ employees want more work-life flexibility – how should employers r...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Wayne Macpherson, Senior lecturer, Massey University Getty Images COVID-19 has had a significant impact on all facets of our lives, including the ways we work and our work-life priorities. Globally, workplaces are navigating trends such as the “great resignation”, “quiet ...3 days ago
- New payment transparency scheme to buoy small businesses – MinisterMore payments from big businesses to small ones will come on time under a new disclosure regime, the government says. ...3 days ago
- Little’s speech to nurses draws attention to the matter of language and comprehension as well as t...If the delegates at a conference of nurses yesterday serve as a guide, when it comes to our telling them what ails us and describing the symptoms, we should worry about how many cannot comprehend English and how many prefer to communicate in te reo. This question of language and ...3 days ago
- Local government elections: Voting period opensMany people across New Zealand will be receiving their local government election voting papers today. ...3 days ago
- Climate Change And Business Conference – Low ExpectationsWHO & WHAT & WHERE & WHEN The Environmental Defense society has partnered with Climate Change Leaders and Sustainable Business for the Climate Change and Business Conference, 19th and 20th September at Aotea Centre. Most conference ...3 days ago
- More Mines Needed For Low-emissions FutureA confounding issue for environmentalists is to save the planet, we are going to need more mines not less, says Straterra CEO Josie Vidal. Today, speaking to the panel giving the Government advice on reclassification of stewardship land on the ...3 days ago
- Greyhound With Untreated Pressure Ulcers EuthanisedA greyhound trainer has been disqualified for two years for failing to seek treatment for a greyhound. It’s another example that shows the racing industry is still failing to protect dogs. During an audit on 27 June 2022, Racing Integrity Board inspectors ...3 days ago
- Auckland mayoralty: Viv Beck pulls out from raceAuckland mayoral candidate Viv Beck is quitting the race in a bid to avoid splitting the centre-right vote with Wayne Brown. ...3 days ago
- Clash Of The Public Holidays, Queen Elizabeth II Memorial Day And South Canterbury Anniversary DayWith the passing of Queen Elizabeth II, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has announced that a one-off public holiday will be held on Monday 26 September 2022, as Queen Elizabeth II Memorial Day. Much to the disappointment of Southern Cantabrians, however, ...3 days ago
- Viv Beck Withdraws From The Mayoral RaceViv Beck has today announced her withdrawal from Auckland’s Mayoral race. “My decision comes with a heavy heart but given the strength of concern about issues that need addressing across our region, it is important to avoid splitting the centre-right ...3 days ago
- Welfare Response Wins Prime Minister’s AwardThe Care in the Community welfare joint agency response to COVID-19 won this year’s Prime Minister’s Award at Te Hāpai Hapori | Spirit of Service Awards. Te Tohu a te Pirimia | The Prime Minister’s Award was jointly awarded to: Ministry of Social ...3 days ago
- Political panel: Monarchy, Covid policy, and Luxon's popularityMorning Report - RNZ and Stuff's political editors Jane Patterson and Luke Malpass discuss the monarchy, the abandonment of Covid-19 restrictions, and the leader of the National Party. ...3 days ago
- LGNZ Issues Challenge For Voters This Local ElectionLocal Government New Zealand (LGNZ) is issuing a challenge to prospective voters this local election: let’s up the vote to make your voices heard, as part of our multi-faceted Vote 22 campaign . Those enrolled to vote can expect to receive their ...3 days ago
- We found the oldest ever vertebrate fossil heart. It tells a 380 million-year-old story of how our b...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kate Trinajstic, John Curtin Distinguished Professor, Molecular and Life Sciences, Curtin University In the limestone ranges of Western Australia’s Kimberley region, near the town of Fitzroy Crossing, you’ll find one of the world’s best-preserved ancient reef complexes. Here lie ...3 days ago
- A huge LinkedIn study just showed which connections are better when searching for a jobSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Marian-Andrei Rizoiu, Senior Lecturer in Behavioral Data Science, University of Technology Sydney Shutterstock Say you are looking for a new job. You head to LinkedIn to spruce up your profile and look around your social network. But who should ...3 days ago
- What are uterus transplants? Who donates their uterus? And what are the risks?Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mianna Lotz, Associate Professor in Philosophy & Chair of Faculty of Arts Human Research Ethics Committee, Macquarie University Krishh/Unsplash The opportunity to conceive, carry and give birth to a biologically related child is a deep desire for many women and ...3 days ago
- Ever heard of ocean forests? They’re larger than the Amazon and more productive than we thoughtSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Albert Pessarrodona Silvestre, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, The University of Western Australia Shutterstock Amazon, Borneo, Congo, Daintree. We know the names of many of the world’s largest or most famous rainforests. And many of us know about the world’s largest span ...3 days ago
- Nearly 30% of Australia’s emissions come from industry. Tougher rules for big polluters is a no-br...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rebecca Pearse, Lecturer, Australian National University Australia’s historic climate law passed the Senate last week and enshrined an economy-wide target to reduce emissions. But an important measure to reduce Australia’s industrial emissions is still up for debate: the “safeguard mechanism”. Introduced by ...3 days ago
- New Zealand has announced a biofuel mandate to cut transport emissions, but that could be the worst ...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Paul Callister, Senior Associate Institute of Governance and Policy Studies, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington Hannah Peters/Getty Images Biofuels – and a broader bioeconomy – are key parts of New Zealand’s recently released first emissions reduction plan, ...3 days ago
- ‘Thinking about my future is really scary’ – school leavers are not getting the careers suppor...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Lucas Walsh, Professor and Director of the Centre for Youth Policy and Education Practice, Monash University quokkabottles/Unsplash, CC BY Australia’s class of 2022 is on the home stretch. Almost two million year 12 students will be sitting their final exams ...3 days ago
- That $243 billion ‘saving’ from axing the Stage 3 tax cut is more mirage than realitySource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ben Phillips, Associate Professor, Centre for Social Research and Methods, Director, Centre for Economic Policy Research (CEPR), Australian National University Shutterstock What if we could save A$243 billion by abolishing the Stage 3 tax cuts? An article in Guardian Australia ...3 days ago
- M*A*S*H, 50 years on: the anti-war sitcom was a product of its time, yet its themes are timelessSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Daryl Sparkes, Senior Lecturer (Media Studies and Production), University of Southern Queensland MASH, stylised as M*A*S*H, is the story of a rag-tag bunch of medical misfits of the 4077th Mobile Army Surgical Hospital thrown together against the horrors of the Korean war ...3 days ago
- PM Jacinda Ardern in London to meet King Charles ahead of Queen's funeralPrime Minister Jacinda Ardern is in London for the Queen's funeral, but before that she will meet King Charles, Prince William and British Prime Minister Liz Truss. ...3 days ago
- Bryce Edwards’ Political Roundup: Fighting for cleaner and fairer electionsAnalysis by Dr Bryce Edwards. Political Roundup: Fighting for cleaner and fairer elections From this week the public can provide input into the Government’s review of electoral laws – a process which is supposed to make elections cleaner and fairer. Hopefully, public submissions and pressure applied to both the electoral ...3 days ago
- Keith Rankin Chart Analysis – Seasonal and Epidemic Deaths: New Zealand in contextAnalysis by Keith Rankin. Chart by Keith Rankin. Demographic information is starting to filter through again, after a slowdown in the Northern Hemisphere. And New Zealand now has reliable mortality data up to the end of July 2022. Australia continues to lag. In the last week of July, New Zealand ...3 days ago
- Politics with Michelle Grattan: Professor Joseph Ibrahim on COVID in aged care – and the end of nu...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Jason South/The Age Joseph Ibrahim, Professor and Head, Health Law and Ageing Research Unit, Monash University, specialises in aged care issues. He has been a long-term advocate for improving the quality of life ...3 days ago
- ‘Not my king’: do we have the right to protest the monarchy at a time of mourning?Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Maria O’Sullivan, Associate Professor, Faculty of Law, and Deputy Director, Castan Centre for Human Rights Law, Monash University An anti-monarchy protestor being led away from the Palace of Westminster by British police. Chris J Ratcliffe/Getty Images During the present period of mourning ...3 days ago
- Govt Should Pay For Marlborough Road RebuildsSocial Credit is calling on the government to come up with the money to fix the Marlborough roads seriously damaged by the recent devastating floods.Grant Robertson's claim today that his government’s good financial management is responsible for ...3 days ago
- Behind the ‘world’s friendliest COVID protocols’, Fiji’s health system remains stretched and...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sharon McLennan, Senior Lecturer, Massey University Getty Images With Fiji “open for happiness” and a COVID test no longer required on arrival, the temptation to take that long awaited tropical holiday may be stronger than ever. Fiji is clearly very ...3 days ago
- Te Ao Earth Week!Te Ao Earth Week is a celebration of the spring equinox and a call for environmental action. In Aotearoa New Zealand we are seeing rapid decline of our ecosystems and worldwide we are seeing huge increases in climatic extreme events. Te Ao Earth Week ...3 days ago
- It’s hard to imagine better social media alternatives, but Scuttlebutt shows change is possibleSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kate Mannell, Research Fellow in Digital Childhoods, Deakin University Prateek Katyal/Unsplash Last week, the US government released six principles for reforming Big Tech. It’s the latest example of growing efforts to regulate the handful of companies with enormous influence over ...3 days ago
- With most mandatory public health measures gone, is New Zealand well prepared for the next COVID wav...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michael Plank, Professor in Applied Mathematics, University of Canterbury Hospitality staff are no longer required to wear masks. Fiona Goodall/Getty Images New Zealand’s decision this week to end most mandatory public health measures aimed at preventing COVID transmission received a mixed ...3 days ago
- New Zealand announces new ambassador to ChinaFormer High Commissioner to India Grahame Morton has been named the new ambassador to China and Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta said his experience would help enhance relations. ...3 days ago
- How do we support Indigenous people in Australia living with musculoskeletal conditions?Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Simon Davidson, PhD Candidate, University of Newcastle shutterstock There have been national, state and local campaigns to “Close the Gap” in Australia. Despite this, considerable health gaps still exist between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people. Musculoskeletal conditions are an area of ...3 days ago
- A rapid shift to electric vehicles can save 24,000 lives and leave us $148bn better off over the nex...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Hussein Dia, Professor of Future Urban Mobility, Swinburne University of Technology Shutterstock Reducing air pollution from road transport will save thousands of lives and improve the health of millions of Australians. One of the quickest ways to do this is ...3 days ago
- We were on a global panel looking at the staggering costs of COVID – 17.7m deaths and counting. He...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Thwaites, Chair, Monash Sustainable Development Institute & ClimateWorks Australia, Monash University A global report released today highlights massive global failures in the response to COVID-19. The report, which was convened by The Lancet journal and to which we contributed, highlights widespread ...4 days ago
- Govt gets a “fail” mark in Education but (with another $24 million of our money) ministers pledg...
Yet another failure of the Ardern government, this time in education, has surfaced, with ministers earmarking another $24 million in an effort to recruit more teachers and provide “extra support” for young people whose learning has been disrupted by Covid-19. Earlier the government lowered the bar for NCEA achievement in ...4 days ago - When it comes to family violence, young women are too often ignoredSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Bianca Johnston, PhD Candidate , Monash University Manny Becerra/Unsplash Recent evidence shows the scale of sexual violence against women and children in Australia has been severely underestimated. Family violence is a key driver. Yet, young women are currently invisible ...4 days ago
- Wood tells us what was discussed in Washington, Robertson urges us to look on the bright side and Ti...Buzz from the Beehive Immigration Minister Michael Wood – hurrah – has responded to a question we posed in a headline a few days ago. Wood (readers might recall) was headed for the Five Country Ministerial in Washington DC, and our headline asked “… but when he returns will he ...4 days ago
- Overwhelming Support For Government To Introduce Law To Address Modern SlaveryWorld Vision welcomes the overwhelming support from New Zealand businesses and individuals for a proposal to introduce legislation to address modern slavery. The Ministry of Business, Innovation, and Employment (MBIE) today released a Summary of Feedback ...4 days ago
- Labour MP Anna Lorck in leadership training after bullying accusationsIn a statement, Lorck said she was "doing my best to be a better manager of staff", after a second former staff member said they were bullied. ...4 days ago
- Privacy And Fairness Breaches In RNZ Reporting On Child In Care Of Oranga TamarikiThe Broadcasting Standards Authority has upheld aspects of seven complaints under the privacy and fairness standards, regarding broadcasts by RNZ which included material stolen from the former Waikato District Health Board and released by hackers on the ...4 days ago
- CTU – Underlying Challenges In Stronger GDP News Show Need For Economic ActionThe economy bounced back from the fall in March GDP to grow by 1.7% in the latest quarter. CTU Economist Craig Renney said “while this data demonstrates the strength of the economy currently, there is a weakening trend of growth. The ...4 days ago
- God save the King: why the monarchy is safe in Aotearoa New Zealand – for nowSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Richard Shaw, Professor of Politics, Massey University Getty Images New Zealanders with republican or just plain anti-monarchy sympathies will have been disappointed (though maybe not surprised) that the Queen’s death has not triggered a more critical conversation about the country’s ...4 days ago
- Employment Indicators: Weekly As At 12 September 2022The experimental weekly series provides an early indicator of employment and labour market changes in a more timely manner than the monthly employment indicators series. Please note that we will be changing the dissemination method of this release from ...4 days ago
- We Must Make Housing More Affordable, Particularly For Our Elderly, Efeso Collins SaysAuckland mayoral candidate Efeso Collins says the Council he leads will be laser-focused on housing affordability. “Too many Aucklanders don’t have access to good quality and affordable housing, while we have over 30,000 ghost houses dotted around our ...4 days ago
- Interruptions and laughter as six vie for Queenstown Lakes mayoraltyA walkout and a clash over straw polling kicked off a lively debate as mayoral hopefuls auditioned for Queenstown's business community last night. ...4 days ago
- Nathan Meyer Will Put You First – Not A Political Party’s IdeologyNathan Meyer, a candidate in the 2022 Wellington City Council elections for Motukairangi/Eastern General Ward, says that, if elected, he will represent you because he is a genuinely independent candidate. Meyer says, “I am not ‘endorsed’ by a political party ...4 days ago
- Starlink, Amazon and others are racing to fill the sky with bigger satellites to deliver mobile cove...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Melissa de Zwart, Professor (Digital Technology, Security and Governance), Flinders University A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket lifted off from the Kennedy Space Center on September 10 — with 34 Starlink satellites and a rideshare package for AST SpaceMobile. (Craig Bailey/Florida Today via ...4 days ago
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