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Chevron v Donziger
Written By: - Date published: 10:48 am, October 9th, 2021 - 12 comments
Despite spending over two years on home detention Attorney Steven Donziger, who successfully sued Chevron for the environmental carnage caused by its activities in Ecuador, was sentenced to the maximum jail time for refusing to hand over devices containing confidential client information protected by attorney client privilege in a prosecution mounted by lawyers with Chevron links before a pro Oil industry Judge.
CPTPP V Nuclear Submarines
Written By: - Date published: 2:45 pm, September 19th, 2021 - 41 comments
In a piece of incredible timing, on the same day as Australia, the United States and the United Kingdom announced their defence technology procurement pact and pissed off ally and competitor alike, China formally applied to join the Comprehensive and Porgressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership.
No Nukes!
Written By: - Date published: 10:10 am, September 17th, 2021 - 148 comments
Australia, the United States and the United Kingdom have publicly announced they have formed a new security grouping that will assist Australia in the construction of nuclear powered submarines.
Trump’s not so bad: the nuclear holocaust edition
Written By: - Date published: 11:32 am, September 15th, 2021 - 52 comments
An occasional series
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.
The United States Retreat from Afghanistan
Written By: - Date published: 6:30 am, August 16th, 2021 - 140 comments
President Biden is about to get a Jimmy Carter-scale shellacking with tv footage coming of Afghani Taleban going through Kabul and in short days rifling through the U.S. Embassy as they finally take over the entire country. You don’t win re-election with defeats and withdrawals, and you won’t be thanked for it in the mid-term Senatorial races either.
Are we really ready to escalate to war with China over Taiwan?
Written By: - Date published: 6:47 pm, July 29th, 2021 - 38 comments
“What will the role of New Zealand be should China invade Taiwan?” was by far the most popular question for Jacinda Ardern after she spoke at a NZIIA seminar last week. Promising to be benign, Ardern said we are “very predictable,” cited alleged human rights abuses in Hong Kong, and went on to say we […]
Trump and Russia
Written By: - Date published: 9:15 am, July 18th, 2021 - 41 comments
The Guardian has reported on claims of a leaked Russian Government paper which on the face of it confirms Russian support for the Trump 2016 election at the highest level.
America’s Democratic Decline Really Matters
Written By: - Date published: 11:57 am, July 4th, 2021 - 48 comments
With the United States Supreme Court allowing individual states to choke voting rights into bare consciousness, that country is accelerating its democratic decline. That matters for every democracy including ours.
NZ Nuclear-Free Day
Written By: - Date published: 9:32 pm, June 8th, 2021 - 3 comments
June 8 is the anniversary of Aotearoa’s 1987 nuclear-free legislation. NZOnScreen is running a retrospective of our proud history, the Nuclear-free Collection. It is well worth a watch. I particularly liked the movie “Nuclear Reaction,” with Big Norm seeing off the French, Big Dave seeing off the Americans, and Kiwi Keith also clear about where we stood. The nuclear risk is worse now than it has ever been.
The week when Scomo came to visit
Written By: - Date published: 11:12 am, June 6th, 2021 - 5 comments
This week has seen the Australian Broadcasting Corporation to suggest that Australia is adopting a principled stand and New Zealand has sold its soul to China for trade. But the comments by Morrison and Ardern made after their Queenstown meeting suggests the opposite.
Will we rebuild better?
Written By: - Date published: 7:34 am, May 17th, 2021 - 36 comments
There’s a question Covid19 allows us to ask that we haven’t been able to ask since the end of World War 2: can we all just co-operate to get along – as a species?
How Covid may work out from here
Written By: - Date published: 9:50 am, May 15th, 2021 - 68 comments
The world may never get back to a pre covid state. Until herd immunity is achieved throughout large swathes of the world as well as in Aotearoa New Zealand our borders need to continue to be closely monitored. The anti vaccination movement and the failure to ensure equitable vaccine distribution may mean that our current messy dread filled reality will continue.
US to offer millions in new funds to take on China
Written By: - Date published: 2:57 pm, May 3rd, 2021 - 16 comments
This from SCMP columnist Alex Lo “If they look, swim and quack like US influence operations, they probably are US influence operations, especially when they come with an annual price tag of US$300 million to be authorised by law by the US Congress, of which US10 million has been earmarked especially for Hong Kong.” Lo […]
Biden is serious about climate change
Written By: - Date published: 7:28 am, April 24th, 2021 - 70 comments
One of the many regretful aspects of the Trump presidency was the United States open hostility to doing anything about climate change. It looks like Joe Biden will do his best to make up for lost time.
Putting Five Eyes in its place
Written By: - Date published: 10:25 pm, April 20th, 2021 - 19 comments
Following her speech to the NZ China Council, Foreign Affairs Minister Nanaia Mahuta wanted to be very clear that in speaking out about issues with other countries, New Zealand would not be doing it in concert with Five Eyes partners. She expressed a view that New Zealand did not agree with Five Eyes remit encroaching beyond intelligence, and that this had been communicated to Five Eyes partners. Good.
That’s No Moon – It’s A Space Station
Written By: - Date published: 7:50 pm, March 22nd, 2021 - 9 comments
Did anyone notice Russia and China signing up to a treaty to form a common base on the moon?
Biden can reset with China
Written By: - Date published: 10:36 am, March 5th, 2021 - 43 comments
New Zealand should resist China’s authoritarian ways, and U.S. President Biden should too. But it’s all in how he does it.
V for vaccine
Written By: - Date published: 9:18 am, February 22nd, 2021 - 30 comments
The Covid pandemic is entering into an interesting stage with vaccinations being administered at an increasing rate and infection rates declining. The opportunities for politicising the issue continue however.
We must resist US pressure on China that could lead to war
Written By: - Date published: 7:00 pm, February 20th, 2021 - 41 comments
In February 2002 I was at a union-NDP conference in Ottawa watching US television in my hotel room. Back home I reported on the conference to the Labour Party caucus and stated as an aside that the US was going to war with Iraq. Helen Clark stood up straightaway and said “we won’t be going with them.” Jacinda Ardern needs to do the same now.
Cruz’s Cancun crisis
Written By: - Date published: 9:56 am, February 20th, 2021 - 24 comments
What should a Texan representative do when the state is frozen over following an extreme weather event? How about take a trip across the Mexican border for a holiday in a beach resort?
Texas’s power crisis
Written By: - Date published: 8:26 am, February 18th, 2021 - 89 comments
Over in the US of A in the great state of Texas and in surrounding states locals are experiencing unusually cold weather and are suffering from the effects. But instead of blaming their not fit for purpose electrical systems they are blaming the Green New Deal, even though it has not been implemented.
Uyghur allegation escalation?
Written By: - Date published: 6:25 pm, February 6th, 2021 - 67 comments
Radio New Zealand carried a long story this week from the BBC of rape allegations in Xinjiang based on accounts from two Uyghur women Tursunay Ziawudun and Gulzira Auelkhan. Independent analyst Bernhard at Moonofalabama asks the question “Why do these Uyghur witnesses stories constantly change?
Reasons to abandon NZ’s Five-Eyed Folly
Written By: - Date published: 2:35 pm, February 4th, 2021 - 29 comments
Wayne Brown’s recent suggestion “Is it time to sell our seat on FiveEyes?” is from someone well placed by experience to form an educated opinion. “Trade sanctions of the type Australia is facing are a weapon used by both USA and China. So let’s have a debate on whether we need Five Eyes, or whether it’s time for us to trade on independently.”
Twelve months of living with Covid
Written By: - Date published: 8:58 am, February 1st, 2021 - 21 comments
One year on from the declaration by the WTO that Covid was a public health emergency and with the benefit of hindsight it is interesting to see who heeded the scientific advice and how it worked out.
Both sides reporting in the time of Trump
Written By: - Date published: 10:08 am, January 24th, 2021 - 85 comments
You would think that after the Trump years the media would be turning away from the reporting of “both sides” of an issue and in many cases they are. But there is a recent example of a hold out urging that extremist views should be given media attention.
PM Ardern and President Biden as a comparison
Written By: - Date published: 9:30 am, January 23rd, 2021 - 34 comments
On his first day in office Joe Biden executed 17 executive orders making wide scale change to the Trump Administration’s policies.
Are Revolutions A Good Idea?
Written By: - Date published: 8:30 am, January 23rd, 2021 - 24 comments
Revolt? Revolution? Pain in the ass? Depends, like comedy, on timing. And which side of history you end up on.
Is Ted Cruz the dumbest politician ever?
Written By: - Date published: 7:59 am, January 22nd, 2021 - 33 comments
Now that Donald Trump has more time to play golf and attend court there will be jockeying for leadership of the Republican Party, or what will be left of it once Trump’s new Patriot Party emerges. One early contender is Ted Cruz. There is a problem with him however, he is an imbecile.
Inauguration Day
Written By: - Date published: 6:01 am, January 21st, 2021 - 57 comments
According to the constitution of the United States, a president’s four-year term “shall end at noon on the 20th day of January”. On Wednesday, the end of Donald Trump’s presidency will see Joe Biden assume the office in the enduring inauguration ceremony at the US Capitol.
-The Guardian
Everybody gets a pardon
Written By: - Date published: 11:50 am, January 20th, 2021 - 32 comments
Donald Trump’s final decision as President may be to pardon a number of people. There is speculation that the exercise of the Presidential prerogative of mercy may have a price attached …
- The Shadow of the Shadow: Isildur as Amazon’s Main Character
Yay. Some more leakages. About the upcoming Amazon Second Age series, that is. Fellowship of Fans can reveal that, as of episode 3 of Season 1, we will see Isildur as a focal point character: My first thought? I don’t like this. I don’t like this ...16 hours ago - 2021 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #43
Listing of articles linked to on the Skeptical Science Facebook Page during the past week: Sun, October 17, 2021 through Sat, October 23, 2021 The following articles sparked above average interest during the week: Forget your carbon footprint. Let's talk about your climate shadow, People Who Jump to Conclusions Show Other ...17 hours ago - Media Link: “A View from Afar” on supply chain bottlenecks, commodity (over) concentration and t...
Selwyn Manning and I have created YouTube channels under our respective business names in order to promote the “A View from Afar” podcast series. The latest episode examines recent problems of global supply, production and exchange, using a micro-to-macro lens to discuss the interplay between economics, policy and politics in ...1 day ago - Dark Lord Musings: Why Sauron Joined Team Melkor
It has often been noted that Tolkien’s two great Dark Lords had quite distinct motivations for their villainy, Melkor/Morgoth being what we might today term ‘Chaotic Evil,’ and Mairon/Sauron being ‘Lawful Evil.’ One was obsessed with destroying Creation because it was not his, the other was obsessed with governing ...1 day ago - Skeptical Science New Research for Week #42, 2021105 articles by 463 contributing authors Physical science of climate change, effects A simple model of blocking action over a hemisphere Kurgansky Theoretical and Applied Climatology 10.1007/s00704-021-03782-y Mechanisms of European Summer Drying under Climate Change Tuel & Eltahir Alizadeh Journal of Climate Open Access 10.1175/jcli-d-20-0968.1 Observations of climate ...3 days ago
- Vaccinating the Underclass
If we want to minimise the impact of the Covid virus we are going to have to think about social class.New Zealanders do not easily talk about social class: that there are groups in the community who connect together, live different lives and have standards of living very different from ...3 days ago - Brian Tamaki – Arsehole of the Week
You may find it somewhat amusing to see Brian Tamaki arrested again for organising another Destiny Church protest. After all, his largely nonsensical argument against the Government’s Covid restrictions is one thing, but those tattooed on eyebrows are really something else.However it’s no laughing matter. The self-proclaimed messiah is in ...3 days ago - Jacinda’s Choice: “Freedom Day”, Or Failure.
Lining Up With The Right: Though Jacinda Ardern hasn’t endorsed the John Key-Act-National preference for 1 December as Auckland's “Freedom Day” in as many words, that is clearly the timeline she is working to. The Prime Minister of New Zealand cannot assure 1.6 million Aucklanders that they will be free ...3 days ago - Rendering Unto Caesar: In Labour, “L’état c’est Jacinda”.3 days ago
- Gordon Campbell on why New Zealand needs to change its Defence habits
In a flashback to the military displays of days gone by, one of our frigates recently joined a Carrier Strike show of force in the South China Sea, en route to a joint military exercise in Singapore with our traditional allies, called BersamaGold21. Reportedly, Anna Powles, from the Centre of ...3 days ago - Is Funding Euthanasia a Health Priority for Aotearoa New Zealand: Part 2?
Dr Ben Gray* Providing equity of access for assisted dying without equity of access to palliative care is to completely undermine the goals of the End of Life Choice Act. The choice is distorted towards aid in dying and away from palliative care. In this blog I will describe the ...3 days ago - NZ Politics Daily: 22 October 2021
Today’s NZPD testimonial from Peder Gustafsson, Asia Correspondent, Swedish National Radio “As a Asia-Pacific Correspondent for the Swedish National Radio The newsletter from NZ Politics Daily is one of my best sources for getting information and keeping up with what’s happening in New Zealand. I appreciate the variety and breadth of the information ...3 days ago - The Power Of “No”.Irrational Resistance: With the Delta variant of Covid-19 raging through their communities and pumping up the number of community cases to new and frightening levels, it’s beginning to dawn on the ill-treated and excluded that, for once in their lives, they have the power. If the System is so desperate ...3 days ago
- Geoffrey Miller: Geopolitics behind NZ-UK free trade dealInternational analyst Geoffrey Miller explains why the free trade agreement between New Zealand and the United Kingdom is not just about building back butter The new Aukus defence pact between Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States will go down as one of this year’s biggest foreign policy ...3 days ago
- Barbados elects its first president
Barbados will officially become a republic at the end of November, and today they took an important step along the way: electing their first president. To make things easy on themselves in the transition, they simply elected their current Governor-General to the role: Governor General Dame Sandra Mason has ...4 days ago - Labour’s sneaky copyright dealThe big news this morning is that the government has reached an in-principle FTA with the UK, with the usual benefits for farmers (and therefore incentives to increase emissions). The wisdom of making an agreement with a government which literally admitted last week that it makes agreements in bad faith ...4 days ago
- Moving To The Right.4 days ago
- DrawnA ballot for five Member's Bills was held today, and the following bills were drawn: Education and Training (Freedom of Expression) Amendment Bill (James McDowall) Employment Relations (Extended Time for Personal Grievance for Sexual Harassment) Amendment Bill (Deborah Russell) Financial Professional Services Trading Advice Transparency Bill ...4 days ago
- National's failed firearms bill cost over $390,0004 days ago
- Waitemata Burning: Narrowing Down the Auckland Outbreak
So the Auckland Coronavirus Outbreak has been steadily increasing in case numbers. Not exploding, Melbourne-style, but definitely increasing. The question then becomes… how is this happening, and where is this happening? Well, I’m pleased you asked that. Because I do think we can mine the available data for clues. ...4 days ago - Wishful Thinkng
It should come as no surprise that the government’s critics, on the pandemic and other subjects, are from the political right. For many of them, the touchstone is purely political – if the policy is right-wing, it is “right”, and, if not, then it is by definition wrong. In no ...4 days ago - The critically endangered Māui dolphin is a conservation priority – we shouldn’t let uncertaint...Rochelle Constantine, University of Auckland and Wendi Roe, Massey University The world’s rarest marine dolphin, Māui, is found only along the west coast of the North Island of Aotearoa New Zealand. Based on our surveys over the last two summers, during which we collected small tissue samples for DNA ...4 days ago
- NZ Politics Daily: 21 October 2021Today’s NZPD testimonial from Dr Mike Reid, Principal Policy Advisor, Local Government New Zealand “NZ Politics Daily is essential early morning reading in our organisation like LGNZ. To effectively represent our members we need to understand and respond to changes in the political landscape, particularly policy and political changes at the national ...4 days ago
- Fluoridation and child IQ – the problem of counting chickens before they hatch
Image credit: Cherry-picking data – don’t get fooled by misleading statistics It’s easy to find studies that confirm ones own bias on health issues. But cherry-picking such studies is unscientific because one could equally cite studies showing the exact opposite. The problem is ...4 days ago- Kids’ quality of life will depend on today’s climate choices
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections It’s the moral quandary of human-caused climate change: People least responsible for the problem will bear the brunt of its harmful consequences. As a substantial body of scientific research has established, this reality is true of developing countries. They generally are located in already-hot regions ...5 days ago- Purpose-built MIQ: National’s sums don’t add up
. . Parts of National’s document – to open up Aotearoa New Zealand “to the world” – has been recycled from various policy and media releases last year and more recently. Despite demanding that the country open up to the outside world and end lockdowns by 1 December, and ...5 days ago- Member’s Day
Today is a Member's Day, and there's an interesting bill up for debate for once. But they'll have to get through a lot of boring stuff first. First up is Simeon Brown's Arms (Firearms Prohibition Orders) Amendment Bill (No 2), which should go quickly as it has been overtaken by ...5 days ago- Justice for Brazil?
Brazil has been one of the countries worst-hit by the pandemic, with over 21 million confirmed cases and 600,000 deaths. Much of the blame for that can be squarely laid at the feet of its president, Jair Bolsonaro, who put the economy first and let the disease spread unchecked, while ...5 days ago- Freedom Day is coming!
Could 1 December be Freedom Day? ...5 days ago- Gordon Campbell on juggling Covid, and France’s Trump-like populist
It is the age-old Covid problem. How to balance the needs for firms (and schools) to re-open against the need to protect public health. In the past, the balance has been struck by insisting that the best public health outcomes also deliver the best economic (and educational) outcomes. While that ...5 days ago- Ben Santer on ‘separating’ and his ‘small part’ in understanding of climate science
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections Separating is hard. I’ve spent most of my scientific career trying to separate observed climate records into human-caused signals and the background noise of natural variability. It’s been challenging and fascinating work. Challenging because so many different human and natural factors affect Earth’s ...5 days ago- NZ Politics Daily: 20 October 2021
Today’s NZPD testimonial from Joe Atkinson, Political Scientist, University of Auckland: “NZPD is an indispensable source for political junkies like me. It sorts the wheat out from the media chaff and saves a lot of time.” Anyone can sign up to NZPD for free at: https://democracyproject.nz/nz-politics-daily/ Today’s content Housing Zane Small (Newshub): How ...5 days ago- Many of New Zealand’s most popular websites use ‘dark patterns’ to manipulate users – is it ...
Cherie Lacey, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington and Alex Beattie, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington More than half of the most popular New Zealand websites may be unfairly manipulating visitors, according to our latest research into the use of “dark patterns” in sites ...6 days ago- The Picnic Period: A sign of our Covid times
Auckland. For a long been it’s been known to Maori as Tamaki Makaurau, a place of ‘many lovers’. In the past fortnight, though, Auckland has shaken out the rug and grabbed a drink to become Tamaki Pikiniki, a place of many picnics. The humble picnic is now, in many ways, a ...6 days ago- Are Covid vaccines becoming less effective?
A critical debate about Covid-19 vaccines is when does protection wane, by how much, why, and what does this mean for controlling the pandemic and the impacts of infections. Depending on the studies or headlines you read it can be confusing. Some report declining vaccine effectiveness, and others don’t. Some ...6 days ago- Widespread collapse of West Antarctica’s ice sheet is avoidable if we keep global warming below 2...
Dan Lowry, GNS Science; Mario Krapp, GNS Science, and Nick Golledge, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington Rising seas are already making storm damage more costly, adding to the impact on about 700 million people who live in low-lying coastal areas at risk of flooding. Scientists expect ...6 days ago- NZ Politics Daily: 19 October 2021
Today’s NZPD testimonial from Dr Oliver Hartwich, Executive Director, The New Zealand Initiative “There is a dearth of quality journalism in New Zealand, and so I am grateful to NZ Politics Daily for sifting through our media to discover the gems of reporting and opinion editorials. It is a valuable contribution to ...6 days ago- Geert Jan van Oldenborgh, 1961–2021
This is a re-post from World Weather Attribution With deepest sadness we must share with you the news that Geert Jan van Oldenborgh, dear friend, amazing scientist, co-founder and co-leader of World Weather Attribution, husband and father, and a wonderful human, passed away on 12 October 2021. Geert ...6 days ago- The Entrust election
Auckland is holding elections for EnTrust, its local electricity trust. Entrust is important - it owns electricity and gas-supplier Vector, and so the decisions it makes around energy infrastructure could make a significant difference to greenhouse gas emissions. But the elections have traditionally been ignored, so its run by CitRats ...7 days ago- Argentina returns the favour
In the early 2000s, Argentinian victims of the Dirty War, denied justice due to a local amnesty, sought justice in Spanish courts, who obligingly convicted agents of that country's dictatorship of crimes against humanity under Spain's "universal jurisdiction" law. But Argentina wasn't the only country with a repressive dictatorship which ...1 week ago- Climate Change: A good move, but not enough
The government has announced that it will quadruple climate aid to developing nations, from $300 million to $1.3 billion over four years. This is good: "climate finance" - aid to developing nations to decarbonise and offset the damage caused by rich-country emissions - is going to be a flashpoint at ...1 week ago- Too Much Say, Not Enough Do.
When The Green Party Co-Leader Speaks, Does He Make Any Sound? James Shaw must know that neither New Zealanders, nor the rest of humanity, will ever take the urgent and transformative action that Science now deems necessary to stave-off climate catastrophe.POOR JAMES SHAW: He’s the man this government sends out ...1 week ago- Gordon Campbell on the perils of declaring premature victory
Sure enough, Saturday’s Vaxathon was a barrel of fun and a throwback not merely to the Telethons of the past. It also revived memories of those distant days of early 2020, when we were all carefully wiping down our groceries, not touching our faces, washing our hands for 20 seconds ...1 week ago- NZ Politics Daily: 18 October 2021
Today’s NZPD testimonial from Kim Gillespie, Editor NZME Newspapers Lower North Island & Communities “I find the daily email great for giving me an overview of each morning’s big issues across the media landscape, and really appreciate the huge amount of work that must go in to compiling it each day.” Anyone ...1 week ago- Bryce Edwards: Political Roundup – Celebrating and critiquing 25 years of MMP
Over the last week, MMP has been in the spotlight, given that it’s now been 25 years since the first general election was held under this proportional representation system. This has produced some important commentary and storytelling about the introduction of MMP and about the various pros and cons of ...1 week ago- COVID-19 in Aotearoa: what does public health do now?
Dr Belinda Loring, Dr Ruth Cunningham, Dr Polly Atatoa Carr* Public health activities have collectively made an incredible contribution to minimising the impact of COVID-19 in Aotearoa. But the work for public health is not over. As the situation in Auckland heralds a transition point in our approach to the ...1 week ago- 2021 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #42
Listing of articles linked to on the Skeptical Science Facebook Page during the past week: Sun, October 10, 2021 through Sat, October 16, 2021 The following articles sparked above average interest during the week: ‘This is a story that needs to be told’: BBC film tackles Climategate scandal, Why trust science?, ...1 week ago- Is injection technique contributing to the risk of post vaccine myocarditis?
Recent misleading media headlines about vaccines being administered incorrectly in the absence of evidence do little to help public confidence in vaccines. Spoiler alert, vaccines are not being administered incorrectly. The topic of this blog is based on what could be an important scientific question – is one of the ...1 week ago- A Māori health expert reports from the Super Saturday frontlines
Rawiri Jansen, National Hauora Coalition I write this as I charge my car, getting ready to head home at the end of a pretty good Super Saturday. It started with coffee and checking the news feeds as any good day should. Between 9 and 10 am as I drove to ...1 week ago- Weddings and Leopards
Could it be that the Herald is beginning to twig that an unremitting hostility to the government does not go down well with all its readers? The evidence for that is that, in today’s issue, two contributors (Bill Ralston and Steven Joyce) who usually enjoy sticking the knife in, take ...1 week ago- The Chronicles of Kregsmal and Krunch: Volume I
As noted previously, my weekly DND campaign with Annalax and Gertrude has been put on ice. I expect it to return eventually, but for now it is very much on hiatus. The remainder of the group have decided to run an entirely new campaign in the meantime. This ...1 week ago- Super Saturday recap: Patrick Gower doesn’t know what he’s supposed to do
It was Aotearoa’s first national day of action in over ten years, the first since 2010, when Prime Minister John Key tried to inspire us to clean up our nation’s berms. It didn’t work. Today, New Zealand’s berms are worse than ever. But history is not destiny, and other cliches. ...1 week ago- COVID-19 Worried about getting your vaccine or want a simple explanation?
Worried about getting your vaccine? Let me tell you a secret. No-one likes getting a vaccine. People do it because they know they’re better off to. Let me tell you another secret, a weird one: the vaccine doesn’t really “do” anything. Confusing? Let me explain… Vaccines are a face at ...1 week ago- Delta puts workers’ power under the spotlight
by Don Franks Foremost fighting the Delta virus are workers, especially in health, distribution, service and education sectors. Unionised members of these groups are centrally represented by the New Zealand Council of trade unions ( NZCTU). Political journalist Richard Harman recently noted:“Businesses are caught in a legal tangle if they ...1 week ago- Faster transitions to clean energy are also cheaper
This is a re-post from the Citizens' Climate Lobby blog Several clean energy technologies like solar panels have become consistently cheaper year after year as the industries have benefited from learning, experience and economies of scale. Falling solar costs are described by “Swanson’s Law,” much like Moore’s Law described the rapid and consistent ...1 week ago- Abstraction and Reality in Economics
Sometimes high theory loses the human point of the exercise.One of the joys of teaching is you learn from your students. When fifty-odd years ago, I was at the University of Sussex, a student doing our first-year economics course, Jim, came to me, saying he was pulling out because it ...1 week ago- What Happened to the Team?
Last year, in the early stages of the pandemic, the Prime Minister’s “team of five million” performed well; team discipline was maintained and we all worked well together. This year, however, has been a different story; team discipline has weakened, and many people have on numerous occasions behaved badly and ...1 week ago- Climate Change: Another legal victory
Across the world climate change activists have been going to court, seeking to make their governments act to protect future generations. And hot on the heels of victories in the Netherlands and Germany, there's been another one in France: A French court has ordered the government to make up ...1 week ago- Invasion Of The (Covid) Body Snatchers.
1 week ago- Humans are driving animals and plants to the edge. But are we really heading into a mass extinction...
Michael Hannah, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington It is now common to refer to the current biodiversity crisis as the sixth mass extinction. But is this true? Are we in the middle of an event on the same scale as the five ancient mass extinctions Earth ...1 week ago- NZ Politics Daily: 15 October 2021
Today’s NZPD testimonial from Associate Professor Grant Duncan, Massey University, Auckland “The NZ Politics Daily email is very helpful in giving me a quick overview of current events and opinion. It allows me to pick out important or informative columns that I may otherwise have missed. I recommend NZ Politics Daily to anyone ...1 week ago- Missing From The Anti-Covid Action.
The Invisible Man: Where has the NZ Council of Trade Unions been during the Covid-19 Pandemic? Why hasn’t its current president, Richard Wagstaff (above) become a household name during the pandemic? Up there with Ashley Bloomfield, Michael Baker, Shaun Hendy and Siouxsie Wiles? WHERE HAVE THE UNIONS BEEN during the Covid-19 ...1 week ago- “Go West, Young Virus”
The Auckland Coronavirus Outbreak potters along, not helped by the perception that the Government is disturbingly enthusiastic about “managing the virus” or loosening the border. Health Minister Andrew Little said today he envisages 90% vaccination rates (which we don’t have) eventually leading to 5,000 cases in Auckland a week… ...2 weeks ago- Skeptical Science New Research for Week #41, 2021
How to fill a glass and thereby drink— from a fire hose So far this year, New Research has published listings for 3,291 papers concerning climate change from one aspect or another. Each edition includes two dozen or so articles describing freshly and directly observed effects of global waming. These ...2 weeks ago- Climate Change: UKanians supports cuts
The Guardian reports a study on emissions reduction policy from the UK, which found that UKanians overwhelmingly support stronger action than their government: The UK public backs a carbon tax on polluting industries, higher levies on flying and grants for heat pumps in order to tackle the climate crisis, ...2 weeks ago- Media Link: “A View from Afar” on PRC-Taiwan tensions.
In this week’s podcast Selwyn Manning and I discuss the upsurge in tensions between the PRC and Taiwan and what are the backgrounds to and implications of them. You can check the conversation out here. ...2 weeks ago- Labour’s 2023 election manifesto
This morning Health Minister Andrew Little effectively unveiled Labour's 2023 election manifesto: 5,000 cases a week in Auckland alone: Thousands of people will be infected with Covid-19 every week even with vaccination levels at 90 per cent, and hospitals face being overwhelmed once restrictions are eased and borders opened, ...2 weeks ago- Don't Blame James.
2 weeks ago- The “Pulpit of Strewth”
Barry Soper is one half of one of one of those right-wing husband-and-wife duos in which the Herald seems to specialise. In today’s issue, he has a piece that doesn’t quite reach the heights (or depths) of a Hoskings-style anti-government hostility, but which does provide an interesting example of the ...2 weeks ago- Gordon Campbell on the epic fails of Kris Faafoi
Ever since Winston Peters first breathed life into this government in 2018, its own branding has been all about social justice and how we all need to be “kind” to each other. Somehow, Kris Faafoi must have missed the memo. His performance in the immigration portfolio (in particular) has neither ...2 weeks ago- NZ Politics Daily: 14 October 2021
Today’s NZPD testimonial from Mike Treen, Advocate, Unite Union “Please continue your incredible work compiling these news digests. As someone operating in the fields of advocacy for workers and the broader social justice areas it is invaluable to be able to check what is happening in the media relating to the issues I have to deal ...2 weeks ago- Overconfident Idiots: Why Incompetence Breeds Certainty
This is a re-post from the Thinking is Power website maintained by Melanie Trecek-King where she regularly writes about many aspects of critical thinking in an effort to provide accessible and engaging critical thinking information to the general public. Please see this overview to find links to other reposts from Thinking is Power. ...2 weeks ago- Climate Change: Abandoning ambition
When Labour was first elected to power in 2017, they promised us "[an] ambitious plan to take real action on climate change". Four years and a lot of foot-dragging later, they've finally released that plan. And its not what was promised. Where to begin? Firstly, they've taken the Climate Change ...2 weeks ago- Many e-cigarette vaping liquids contain toxic chemicals: new Australian research
Alexander Larcombe, Telethon Kids Institute From October 1, it’s been illegal to buy e-liquids containing nicotine without a prescription from a doctor everywhere in Australia, except South Australia. But vaping with nicotine-free e-liquids is not illegal in Australia (though in some jurisdictions the e-cigarette devices themselves are illegal). Vaping ...2 weeks ago- Young adults worldwide have blunt message for governments: ‘We don’t trust you.’
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Karin Kirk Elizabeth Marks describes herself as “a psychologist who works on difficult problems.” Her past research aimed at helping people cope with challenging health conditions, apt training, it appears, for taking on climate change issues. A few years ago, she altered ...2 weeks ago - Kids’ quality of life will depend on today’s climate choices
- Funding to test drugs at festivals a lifesaver
New funding for drug-checking services at festivals is a Green Party win that will save lives. However the Government needs to go further, faster and expand these lifesaving services. ...2 days ago - Green Party sets out more equitable approach to COVID-19 responseThe Green Party has warned that the Labour’s plan to move to a new COVID-19 response strategy is rushed and risky, and will leave some people at risk. Meanwhile, the Greens have a safer, more appropriate approach that won’t leave anyone behind. ...3 days ago
- Transform arms export regime to strengthen human rights protectionsThe Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand is calling on the Government to urgently introduce legislation to better regulate the export of military products and technology that could be used to breach human rights in other countries. ...4 days ago
- Make it a shore thing – Bird of the Year 2021The Green Party is calling on people to go dotty for dotterel and vote for the New Zealand Dotterel/Tūturiwhatu as Bird of the Year 2021. ...5 days ago
- National’s irresponsible COVID plan will cost livesThe National Party’s plan to remove all COVID restrictions on 1 December, regardless of whether or not people are vaccinated, would cost lives, the Green Party says. ...5 days ago
- New research reinforces urgency to end conversion practicesNew research from the University of Waikato showing a link between conversion practices and negative mental health for trans and non-binary people reinforces the urgent need to pass the Conversion Practices Prohibition Legislation Bill. ...5 days ago
- Te Mātāwaka: Greens call for the Government to listen to Māori health expertsTe Mātāwaka caucus support the call from iwi leaders, and Māori providers for a COVID-19 vaccination rate of 95 percent for Māori, Pasifika and other marginalised communities before further lifting COVID-19 restrictions. ...6 days ago
- Govt must build on foundation of planning rule changes to solve housing crisisFamilies looking for their first home will welcome a bipartisan commitment to increase housing supply, but will be asking what more can be done. ...6 days ago
- Equitable financial support urgently needed to combat COVID outbreakThe Green Party is calling for a broader and more equitable financial support package to slow the COVID-19 outbreak and ensure everyone in Alert Level 3 can make ends meet, following the announcement that Alert Level 3 has been extended for at least two more weeks in Auckland and at ...7 days ago
- Waste strategy needs to learn from natureAnything less than a transformational national waste strategy and waste legislation will not be enough, the Green Party said today. ...1 week ago
- 5 ways you can help New Zealand get vaccinated
Getting vaccinated is the best thing we can do to protect ourselves and the people we care about from COVID-19. It means we’ll all be able to do more of what we love this summer, while keeping each other safe. ...2 weeks ago - Te Mātāwaka: Greens support iwi led housing solutionsThe Green Party’s Te Mātāwaka Caucus welcome the Government’s investment into iwi Māori-led housing initiatives. ...2 weeks ago
- Greens call for expanded protection for renters, overseas voting for COVID-19 billThe Green Party is calling for expanded protections for renters and extended eligibility for overseas voters for the COVID-19 Response Management Measures Legislation Bill, which is currently before select committee. ...2 weeks ago
- One-off residency scheme needs to include working holiday and seasonal workersThe Green Party says the Government needs to extend the one-off residency scheme to all workers, instead of keeping them in limbo with visa extensions every 6 months. ...2 weeks ago
- Camping, concerts, cuddles: Kiwis tell us why they’re vaccinatedRight now, the single most important thing New Zealanders can do in the fight against COVID-19 is get vaccinated. More and more of us are stepping up, with more than two million people now fully vaccinated. ...2 weeks ago
- Green Party deeply concerned space launches may be breaching nuclear-free lawsThe Green Party is deeply concerned that space launches by Rocket Lab may be breaching New Zealand’s long-standing nuclear-free position and legislation. ...2 weeks ago
- Tokelau champions language and culture
COVID-19 continues to be a powerful reminder of the importance of language and culture to the wellbeing of our Pacific communities, said the Minister for Pacific Peoples, Aupito William Sio. “Our Tokelau community in Aotearoa has responded strongly to the challenges of the global pandemic by getting vaccinated and supporting ...1 day ago - Festival drug-checking services get a boostThe Government is financially supporting drug-checking services to help keep young people safe at this summer’s large festivals and events, Health Minister Andrew Little says. “This is not about condoning drug use, but about keeping people safe,” Andrew Little said. “There is clear evidence that having drug-checking services at festivals ...2 days ago
- Expanded vaccination order for health and disability, education and prison workersA newly-signed Order means most people working in three key sectors will very soon need to be vaccinated against COVID-19 for the sake of themselves, their workmates and their communities, COVID-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins has confirmed. The extended COVID-19 Public Health Response (Vaccinations) Amendment Order 2021 comes into effect ...2 days ago
- APEC finance ministers focus on inclusive, sustainable COVID recoveryAPEC finance ministers will continue to work together to respond to the effects of COVID-19 and ensure a sustainable and inclusive recovery while capitalising on the opportunity to build a more resilient future. The New Zealand Minister of Finance and Deputy Prime Minister Grant Robertson chaired the virtual APEC Finance ...3 days ago
- Improvements to child and maternity facilities at Timaru Hospital on trackImprovements to child and maternity facilities at Timaru Hospital are well underway, and the next stage of the project will begin next month. Health Minister Andrew Little visited Timaru Hospital today to view progress onsite. “The improvements are part of South Canterbury DHB’s four-year refurbishment project and will create a ...3 days ago
- Govt responds to independent review into WorkSafeThe Government has clear expectations that WorkSafe must action the recommendations of the independent review into the regulator to improve its management of adventure activities following the tragedy at Whakaari White Island, Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Michael Wood says. The Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment (MBIE) today released the ...3 days ago
- Prevention funding to reduce tamariki in careA new iwi-led prevention programme will receive funding from Oranga Tamariki to help reduce the number of tamariki and rangatahi coming into state care, Children’s Minister Kelvin Davis has announced. Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu (Te Rūnanga) will receive $25.9m of Oranga Tamariki funding over three years to improve outcomes ...3 days ago
- Transforming New Zealand’s mental health legislationPublic consultation is now open for Aotearoa New Zealand to have a say on the repeal and replacement of the Mental Health (Compulsory Assessment and Treatment) Act 1992. “’He Ara Oranga, the report of the Government Inquiry into Mental Health and Addiction’ made it clear that we needed to replace ...3 days ago
- COVID-19 Protection FrameworkKia ora koutou katoa Today I’m speaking directly to all New Zealanders to share a plan that will help us stay safe from COVID-19 into the future. A future where we want to continue to protect people’s lives, but also to live our lives – as safely as possible. Our ...3 days ago
- Business boost to transition to new COVID frameworkWe know that over the last twenty months the approach New Zealand has taken to COVID and Delta has saved lives and livelihoods. Along with one of the lowest mortality rates in the world, we have also had strong economic growth, low unemployment and one of the lower levels of ...3 days ago
- COVID-19 funding boost to protect maōri communitiesTēnā koutou katoa As you have heard from the Prime Minister, the new protection framework will support us to keep people safe especially our vulnerable communities and minimize the impact COVID-19 has on business and our day to day lives. If you want to protect yourself, your whanau and your ...3 days ago
- New COVID-19 Protection Framework delivers greater freedoms for vaccinated New ZealandersNew COVID-19 Protection Framework provides pathway out of lockdown and ability for businesses and events to re-open to vaccinated New Zealanders Simpler framework to minimise cases and hospitalisations without use of widespread lockdowns Auckland to move into the new framework when 90 percent of eligible population in each of the ...3 days ago
- New fund to accelerate Māori vaccinationsThe Government has established a $120 million fund to accelerate Māori vaccination rates and support communities to prepare for the implementation of the new COVID-19 Protection Framework. The new Māori Communities COVID-19 Fund will directly fund Māori, Iwi, community organisations and providers to deliver local vaccination initiatives for whānau, and ...3 days ago
- Government extends hardship assistance for low income workersIncome limits for Hardship Support through the Ministry of Social Development have been temporarily lifted so more people can recieve assistance. “Cabinet has agreed to make it easier for low income workers to recieve assistance for items such as food and other emergency costs,” Carmel Sepuloni said. “We know the ...3 days ago
- More support for learners with highest needsStudents most in need of extra help in the classroom are the focus of a new review that gets under way today, Associate Education Minister Jan Tinetti says. About 50,000-80,000 children and young people are expected to benefit from a Ministry of Education review into Highest Need Learners that will ...3 days ago
- Parts of Waikato to stay at Alert Level 3 for next six daysThe parts of Waikato that have been in Alert Level 3 will remain at that alert level till Wednesday, COVID-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins said today. “Based on the latest public health information, maintaining level 3 in those parts of the Waikato continues to be the most prudent course of ...4 days ago
- Hon Peeni Henare September 2021 Proactive Diary Release...4 days ago
- NZ passes world-first climate reporting legislationNew Zealand has become the first country in the world to pass a law that will ensure financial organisations disclose and ultimately act on climate-related risks and opportunities, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Dr David Clark and Climate Change Minister James Shaw today announced today. The Financial Sector (Climate-related Disclosures ...4 days ago
- Prime Minister NZ UK FTA opening remarksTēnā koutou katoa. Ngā mihi nui ki a koutou katoa. I am delighted to announce today that following a conversation with Prime Minister Johnson last night, New Zealand and the United Kingdom have Agreed in Principle a historic high-quality, comprehensive and inclusive free trade agreement. I’m joined today by the Minister ...4 days ago
- New Zealand secures historic free trade deal with the United KingdomA boost of almost $1 billion to New Zealand GDP, unprecedented access for New Zealand exporters to the UK market UK to eliminate all tariffs on New Zealand exports, with over 97% being removed the day the FTA comes into force NZ exporters to save approx. $37.8 million per year ...4 days ago
- Quarterly benefit numbers show more people in workBenefit figures released today show a year on year fall of 9,807 people receiving a Main Benefit in the September Quarter. “The Government is working hard to tackle COVID-19 and it is clear our strong response to the initial outbreak has created a resilient labour market which is providing opportunities ...4 days ago
- Health reforms bill introduced to ParliamentLegislation central to fixing the health system has been introduced into Parliament by Health Minister Andrew Little. “Rebuilding the public health system is critical to laying the foundations for a better future for all New Zealanders,” Andrew Little said. “We need a system that works for everybody, no matter who ...5 days ago
- NCEA and NZ Scholarship Exams to proceedNCEA and New Zealand Scholarship exams will proceed, including in areas where Alert Level 3 has been in place, Education Minister Chris Hipkins said today. “The New Zealand Qualifications Authority, Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health have been working together to ensure exams can be managed in a safe ...5 days ago
- Limited change to onsite learning – for senior secondary students – in Level 3 regionsOnsite learning at schools in Level 3 regions will start from next week for senior secondary school students to prepare for end of year exams, Education Minister Chris Hipkins said today. “Secondary schools in these regions will start onsite learning for years 11 to 13 on Tuesday 26 October,” Chris ...5 days ago
- Guaranteed MIQ spots for health workersThe Government is changing the way managed isolation is co-ordinated for health workers, guaranteeing 300 spots a month for the health and disability sector. “Our world-class workforce is vital in rebuilding the health system and dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic,” Andrew Little said. “Whether it’s bringing doctors or nurses in ...5 days ago
- Govt helps to protect New Zealanders digital identitiesMaking it easier for New Zealanders to safely prove who they are digitally and control who has access to that information is one step closer to becoming law, Minister for Digital Economy and Communications, Dr David Clark said. The Digital Identity Services Trust Framework Bill passed its first reading today ...5 days ago
- Red tape cut to boost housing supplyNew building intensification rules will mean up to three homes of up to three storeys can be built on most sites without the need for a resource consent New rules will result in at least 48,200 and as many as 105,500 new homes built in next 5-8 years Bringing forward ...6 days ago
- Nationwide business partnership grows conservation jobsFurther Government support for New Zealand’s longest-standing sustainable business organisation will open up opportunities for dozens of workers impacted by COVID-19 to jump start a nature-based career, Conservation Minister Kiri Allan says. Partnering to Plant Aotearoa, led by the Sustainable Business Network (SBN), is a collaboration with iwi, hapū and ...1 week ago
- New Zealand increases climate aid contributionGovernment commits $1.3 billion over four years to support countries most vulnerable to the effects of climate change At least 50 percent of funding will go to the Pacific as it adapts to the impacts of climate change The increase means New Zealand now meets its fair share of global ...1 week ago
- Super Māori turnout for Super SaturdayMāori have put a superb effort into mobilising to get vaccinated over Super Saturday, with thousands rolling up their sleeves to protect themselves, their whānau and communities from COVID-19, Associate Health Minister Peeni Henare says. “It was absolutely outstanding that 21,702 Māori got vaccinated on this one day alone with 10,825 ...1 week ago
- Language assists Tagata Niue to thriveDespite the uncertain times we face with the challenges of COVID-19, our cultural knowledge, values and language remain constant, helping us progress towards goals in life, said the Minister for Pacific Peoples Aupito William Sio. This year, the Niuean community in New Zealand decided on the theme, “Kia tupuolaola e ...1 week ago
- New Zealand Ambassador to France announcedForeign Affairs Minister Nanaia Mahuta today announced the appointment of Caroline Bilkey as New Zealand’s next Ambassador to France and the OECD. “Aotearoa New Zealand and France have a shared history, and enjoy a strong, collaborative partnership. This includes a strong trade and economic relationship, a shared commitment to support ...1 week ago
- Govt welcomes nurses’ pay settlementThe Government is welcoming news that a new employment agreement for nurses working in public hospitals has been settled. “I am very pleased that the hard work of the Nurses Organisation and District Health Boards has led to a settlement that both can support,” Health Minister Andrew Little said today. ...1 week ago
- Judge of the High Court appointedMāori Land Court Judge Layne Harvey has been appointed a Judge of the High Court, Attorney‑General David Parker announced today. Justice Harvey graduated with an LLB from the University of Auckland in 1992 and commenced employment as a law clerk with Simpson Grierson in Auckland that same year. In 1997 ...1 week ago
- Kiwis to have their say on plan to reduce wasteNew Zealanders are invited to have their say on proposals for a new waste strategy and options for new waste legislation. “Reducing waste is one of the issues all New Zealanders – especially younger Kiwis - care deeply about,” Environment Minister David Parker said today “New Zealand is one of ...1 week ago
- Next steps in action plan for indigenous rights kicks offMinister for Māori Development Willie Jackson has today meet with more than 30 national Māori organisations in an online hui, kicking off the process to develop a plan for New Zealand to implement the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (the Declaration). The previous National Government signed ...2 weeks ago
- Iwi-led housing solutions build homes for the futureWhai Kāinga, Whai Oranga will open on 20 October, to receive applications for investment through Te Tūāpapa Kura Kāinga – Ministry of Housing and Urban Development and Te Puni Kōkiri The $730m fund combines investment from Budget 2021 ($380m) and the Māori Infrastructure Fund ($350m) - the largest investment seen ...2 weeks ago
- E whakarite ana Te Kāwanatanga i ngā tūāpapa mō tewhakamaumahara ki Te Petihana Reo Māori ka t...I te rā nei, i pānuihia e te Minita mō Manatū Taonga, ko Carmel Sepuloni, rāua ko te Minita Whanaketanga Māori, ko Willie Jackson, ā tērā tau, ka whakanuia rawatia te 50 o ngā tau mai i te whakatakotoranga o te petihana mō te Reo Māori me te huanga mai ...2 weeks ago
- E whakarite ana Te Kāwanatanga i ngā tūāpapa mō twhakamaumahara ki Te Petihana Reo Māori ka t...I te rā nei, i pānuihia e te Minita mō Manatū Taonga, ko Carmel Sepuloni, rāua ko te Minita Whanaketanga Māori, ko Willie Jackson, ā tērā tau, ka whakanuia rawatia te 50 o ngā tau mai i te whakatakotoranga o te petihana mō te Reo Māori me te huanga mai ...2 weeks ago
- Government green lights rapid antigen testingSome of the country’s largest businesses have put in an order for 300,000 approved rapid antigen tests for their workforce, after working at pace with the Government on a new scheme unveiled by Associate Minister of Health and Research, Science and Innovation Ayesha Verrall. A coalition of around 25 businesses ...2 weeks ago
- The Morrison government is set to finally announce a 2050 net-zero commitment. Here’s a ‘to do...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Anna Skarbek, CEO at ClimateWorks Australia, Monash University Granville Harbour Wind Farm/AAP Prime Minister Scott Morrison has finally struck a deal with the Nationals and is expected to take a pledge of net-zero greenhouse emissions by 2050 to the Glasgow ...53 mins ago - Australia’s stumbling, last-minute dash for climate respectability doesn’t negate a decade of ab...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Lesley Hughes, Professor, Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University Lukas Coch/AAP Prime Minister Scott Morrison is poised to announce Australia will adopt a target of net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. The pledge is long overdue – but the science ...53 mins ago
- Live updates, Labour weekend: Monday numbers to come; NZ ‘paying price’ for inequality, says Ske...
Welcome to The Spinoff’s live updates for the long weekend from October 23 to 25. The Spinoff wouldn’t exist without its members. Join today.Monday October 25: The day aheadThere is no scheduled press conference today. Instead, the latest numbers on new cases, hospitalisations and vaccinations will arrive in a statement ...3 hours ago - The ghost in my social media
Is there any escape from your online past? Content warning: sexual assault In March of this year I completed an Outward Bound course in Anakiwa. The three weeks away from any sort of social media was a welcome reprieve, it felt like a constant presence had been removed from my ...5 hours ago - Windows XP turns 20: Microsoft’s rise and fall points to one thing — don’t fix what isn’t br...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Erica Mealy, Lecturer in Computer Science, University of the Sunshine Coast Shutterstock Twenty years on from the public release of Windows XP, the popular operating system is still regarded one of Microsoft’s greatest achievements. As of August this year, Windows ...6 hours ago
- COVID doesn’t need to run rampant. Here are 6 ways to keep cases low in the next yearSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Brendan Crabb, Director and CEO, Burnet Institute In the blink of an eye, we’ve gone from 18 months of zero tolerance for COVID to accepting huge case numbers as the norm for Australia’s foreseeable future. Our ambitions are now limited to simply ...6 hours ago
- A successful COP26 is essential for Earth’s future. Here’s what needs to go rightSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Christian Downie, Associate Professor, Australian National University A week from today, a crucial round of United Nations climate change negotiations will begin in Glasgow and the stakes could not be higher. By the end, we’ll know how far nations are willing to ...6 hours ago
- The US and China must find a way to cooperate at COP26 and beyond. Otherwise, global climate action ...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Hao Tan, Associate Professor, Newcastle Business School, University of Newcastle Lintao Zhang/AP A week out from the COP26 climate negotiations in Glasgow, all eyes are on two nations: China and the United States. Together, the superpowers are responsible for more than ...6 hours ago
- 40% of year 12s suffer high anxiety. At exam time, here’s what parents can do to helpSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Eimear Quigley, Senior Lecturer and Director, Psychological Services Centre, Edith Cowan University Shutterstock Parents can feel hopeless when their children experience the huge emotional burden that comes with final-year exams. Sometimes our best intentions may actually make our children (and ourselves) ...6 hours ago
- Australia’s ‘underclass’ don’t like work? Our research shows vulnerable job seekers don’t...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Siobhan O’Sullivan, Associate professor, UNSW James Ross/AAP Former NSW minister Pru Goward wrote a column in the Australian Financial Review last week about Australia’s “underclass,” who she says are lazy, dysfunctional and don’t like the “discipline” of work. This was ...6 hours ago
- If I catch COVID-19 at work what are my rights? A law expert explainsSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Joellen Riley Munton, Professor of Law, University of Technology Sydney Shutterstock The transition to “living with COVID” makes contracting the virus at work a distinct possibility, even with high vaccination rates. So what are your rights as an Australian employee ...6 hours ago
- Away at 35: Michael Gow’s masterpiece is a reflection of a grieving AustraliaSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By David Burton, Lecturer, Theatre, University of Southern Queensland Judi Farr and Graham Rouse in STC’s Away, 1988. Photo: Sandy Edwards © Away by Michael Gow has a prolific production lineage. Since its first staging by Griffin Theatre Company in 1986, ...6 hours ago
- What to watch for at COP26
LISTEN: The global climate change summit starts soon. Commitments by governments might disappoing, but civil society, the private sector and new technologies might not, says a Kiwi expert. Deadlock, or at least under-achievement, is the likely political outcome of the COP26 global climate negotiations beginning in Glasgow this coming weekend, says Adrian ...7 hours ago - Could our national fungus become the blue food dye of the future?Aotearoa’s very own werewere kōkako could be the secret to all-natural Powerade, blue jelly beans and even the elusive blue Froot Loop. Olivia Sisson speaks to a scientist trying to make it happen.Blue food is having an absolute moment.From the rise of blue spirulina smoothie bowls and blue rice to ...7 hours ago
- Critics say government Three Waters advertising campaign is 'irresponsible, misleading'
Complaints about the government's Three Waters Reform TV adverts have described them as misinformation, untrue and a taxpayer-funded propaganda campaign. ...8 hours ago - Newsroom daily quiz, Monday 25 October9 hours ago
- Newsroom daily crossword, Monday 25 October
...9 hours ago - Your New Zealand TV reboot requests, rankedAnother Outrageous Fortune spinoff? Maybe. The return of Face the Music? No thank you.We stare at screens all day and all night. Is this good for us? We’re going to talk about that. Read more Screen Week content here.If there’s been a common thread across The Spinoff over the past ...9 hours ago
- Planning for delta at a community levelDiscussions for whānau, hapū, marae, and kura.Content warning: These are taumaha (heavy) discussions. For some they might be fearful, but they are important. For many others, they are discussions that bring some level of comfort because they enable us to prepare.We have a new traffic light vaccine target system, which ...9 hours ago
- What our climate policy is overlooking
If Aotearoa is serious about climate change action, it’s time to include our unsung communities who are developing climate strategies at a local level, yet are overlooked in national climate policies, argue Professor Janet Stephenson, Professor Merata Kawharu and Dr Karly Burch from the University of Otago’s Centre for Sustainability. ...9 hours ago - Business welcomes $10m mental health package
The $10 million announced for business mental health in Auckland is a big step to recognising the huge stress many people are under. ...9 hours ago - Tough carbon dioxide car emissions ceilings could get us well on the road to net-zeroSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Marion Terrill, Transport and Cities Program Director, Grattan Institute The federal government’s mantra of “technology, not taxes” has left it with few options to easily reduce carbon emissions. In many sectors of the economy, it’s a recipe for disaster — a ...15 hours ago
- Nationals win extra cabinet position as they sign up to net zero dealSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Resources Minister Keith Pitt is set to be elevated to cabinet under a deal between Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Nationals Leader Barnaby Joyce that sees the Nationals sign up to the 2050 net-zero target. ...16 hours ago
- The Nationals have finally agreed to a 2050 net-zero target, but the real decisions on Australia’s...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Quiggin, Professor, School of Economics, The University of Queensland Lukas Coch/AAP The National Party on Sunday agreed to a plan to cut Australia’s greenhouse gas emissions to net-zero by 2050, clearing the way for Prime Minister Scott Morrison to ...17 hours ago
- Apple’s iPod came out two decades ago and changed how we listen to music. Where are we headed now?Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stuart James, Lecturer and Research Scholar in Composition and Music Technology, Edith Cowan University Shutterstock On October 23, 2001, Apple released the iPod — a portable media player that promised to overshadow the clunky design and low storage capacity of ...18 hours ago
- Controversial Westland Milk Decision In Court Of Appeal This Week
The Government’s involvement in the controversial decision to approve the sale of Westland Milk Products to Hong Kong Jingang, a company wholly owned by Chinese conglomerate Inner Mongolian Yili, will be under the spotlight in the Court of Appeal ...21 hours ago - Cardinal’s message for COP26 climate conference: ‘Listen to the Pacific’Kaniva Tonga Cardinal Soane Patita Mafi has a message for the politicians who will soon gather for next month’s COP 26 conference, regarded by many as the last chance to avoid the worst that climate change has to offer. The Tongan-based prelate’s message is simple: Listen. “We want those big ...1 day ago
- Cancer treatments delayed due to Covid-19 – RetiThe National Party's deputy leader says potentially hundreds of cancer patients have had procedures disrupted by Covid-19, and their lives are at risk. ...1 day ago
- Recipe: Slow-roasted tomatoes with feta and basilWhether you wait for the summer glut to hit or use this recipe now to coax out the flavour of those not-so-tasty off-season toms, it’s a winner. There is nothing quite like long, slow cooking to bring out the flavour and sweetness of tomatoes. This is a wonderful recipe as it ...1 day ago
- An Ode for .. Sandra Goudie
New Zealand's outsider poet laureate composes an Ode for the Mayor of Thames-Coromandel The Elf Princess of Castle Novavax A strange land in the north; a land that time forgot. In amongst the dense mountain bush dance small faerie hobbits with wings; they are the Green Coromandellians. And ...1 day ago - Creeping beauty: An appreciation of mossThe weird flat plant has been unloved for too long, writes Sharon Lam.In 2014 I discovered a very cute trend of marimo moss balls, little spheres of moss that can grow with just a bit of daylight in a glass of water. Impulsively, I bought one off AliExpress for $2. ...1 day ago
- The Sunday Essay: Fame and loneliness in The TribeActor Amelia Reynolds starred in the hugely popular TV show The Tribe as a child. Her experience wasn’t all fun and games.The Sunday Essay is made possible thanks to the support of Creative New ZealandOriginal illustrations by Pablo EspinosaThey wanted me lying on a dirt path, writhing in agony after eating ...1 day ago
- Live updates, Labour weekend: 104 new cases, including one in BlenheimWelcome to The Spinoff’s live updates for the long weekend from October 23 to 25. The Spinoff wouldn’t exist without its members. Join today.Saturday’s numbers 104 community cases of Covid-19 – our third triple digit day in a row. Eight cases in Waikato, all linked. Four cases in Northland (two ...2 days ago
- http://pointofordernz.wordpress.com/?p=12711
Vaccinating the underclass – writing for Pundit – says if we want to minimise the impact of the Covid virus, we are going to have to think about social class. New Zealanders do not easily talk about social class: ...2 days ago - Healthy hospitals: The new thinking helping healthcare minimise its climate impactHospitals exist to support people’s health, but they’re also large emitters of greenhouse gases. That’s why Southern Cross Healthcare is on a mission to cut waste anywhere it can. The last thing on most people’s minds when they go to hospital, either sick themselves or to visit a loved one, ...2 days ago
- Focus on Politics: Green light or red alert? Lockdowns left in Delta's dustPodcast - Political Editor Jane Patterson takes the pulse of the health system as the traffic light system promises to cut the brakes that alert levels have put on Delta's spread. ...2 days ago
- Live updates, Labour weekend: Focus on DHB vaccine rates after ‘traffic light’ system revealedWelcome to The Spinoff’s live updates for the long weekend from October 23 to 25. The Spinoff wouldn’t exist without its members. Join today.What to expect on SaturdayThere is no scheduled press conference today. We’ll share here all the details from the 1pm Ministry of Health update, on Covid cases, ...2 days ago
- Jacinda – Tell COP26: Go Hard And Go Early On Climate!Extinction Rebellion’s Open Letter challenges PM to strong climate action On Tuesday 26 October at 1pm in front of Parliament members of Extinction Rebellion will present an Open Letter to Jacinda Ardern, calling for Aotearoa NZ to take a strong role at ...2 days ago
- Meet the candidates trying to break a two-decade domination in Entrust electionsThere’s a ballot paper on your kitchen bench. Your mission, should you accept it, is to vote on who should oversee Auckland’s electricity infrastructure. But given that a single group has dominated this election for almost two decades, is it mission impossible for opponents? In my first year of flatting in ...2 days ago
- New vaccine certification requirement may become indirect mandate for workers
The new 'traffic light' Covid protection system will support businesses mandating vaccinations for staff, lawyer says The new requirement that close contact businesses have vaccination certificates for greater freedom under the newly announced traffic light system will support employers to mandate vaccinations for staff in certain industries. On Friday the Government ...2 days ago - Hollie Smith is emerging into the lightFive years in the making, Hollie Smith has braved a relationship break-up, confidence issues and multiple lockdowns to make her new album happen. She talks to Chris Schulz.A few weeks into Auckland’s current lockdown, Hollie Smith spray painted a piece of cardboard lime green. She spent time doing her own ...2 days ago
- Sargeson Prize for best school student story
"Muscle Memory" by Shima Jack of Logan Park High School is winner of the 2021 Sargeson Prize for best short story, schools division The black and white keys are mountains and valleys. My hands are giant spiders, waltzing. They close the distance between each other, cross over, move ...2 days ago - NDCs, climate finance and 1.5°C: your Cop26 jargon buster
This story originally appeared in The Guardian and is republished here as part of Covering Climate Now, a global journalism collaboration strengthening coverage of the climate story As world leaders gather for the environmental conference, here is The Guardian’s summary of the key terminology, assembled by environment correspondent Fiona ...2 days ago - ‘Up2 on Saturday?’: The texts and phone calls that made the Vaxathon happenNo scripts, new presenters and a comms meltdown moments before it went to air. Here’s how last weekend’s Vaxathon came together. We stare at screens all day and all night. Is this good for us? We’re going to talk about that. Read more Screen Week content here. When the definitive history of New ...2 days ago
- Supermarket cuts force McCain and Sealord to restructure jobs
Sealord staff 'gutted' as company announces staff restructuring after failed talks with New World and Pak'nSave cost it $5 million in revenues. Two of New Zealand's biggest food producers are preparing to restructure or potentially lay off staff in response to Foodstuffs North Island cuts to their ranges. McCain Foods is pulling ...2 days ago - PNG’s capital Port Moresby reaches crisis point over covid surgeBy Gorethy Kenneth in Port Moresby Papua New Guinea’s biggest referral hospital has reached a crisis point as the covid-19 pandemic positivity rate surged drastically to 85 percent yesterday. Port Moresby General Hospital chief executive officer Dr Paki Molumi in the National Capital District (NCD) has revealed that three children ...2 days ago
- 129 new covid cases in NZ community – Pacific talanoa series provides infoEpisode 1 one of the Let’s Talanoa series – “Know Your Vax”. Asia Pacific Report newsdesk New Zealand reported a record 129 new community cases of covid-19 today — the day after reaching triple digit figures for the first time. Nine of today’s new cases are in Waikato, with the ...2 days ago
- We might just be focusing on the wrong supply chains
Around the globe, markets are adjusting. Inflation is looking less and less transitory: the Bank of England’s chief economist reckons that UK inflation will top 5%. It’s all very painful. Big companies are getting a lot of the blame. Take the energy crisis for example. Governments have ...3 days ago - South Island 'struggling' to get younger population vaccinatedQueenstown Lakes Mayor Jim Boult says he would have preferred the South Island move to alert level 1 immediately, but the traffic light system provided a way forward. ...3 days ago
- NZ government unveals its ‘traffic light’ covid-19 protection frameworkThe New Zealand government has announced details of its Covid-19 Protection Framework, involving the roll-out of a “traffic-light” system once all district health boards hit 90 percent full vaccination rates. A vaccine certificate will be central to the new framework. The system will involve three settings – green, orange and ...3 days ago
- NZ dairy industry linked to illegal Indonesian plantations, says reportAsia Pacific Report newsdesk Illegal palm oil plantations are destroying protected Indonesian rainforests and other habitats — and New Zealand’s industrial dairy sector is a major beneficiary, says a new environmental report. The daming report, released yesterday by Greenpeace Indonesia, “Deceased Estate: Illegal palm oil wiping out Indonesia’s national forest”, ...3 days ago
- Politics with Michelle Grattan: Bridget McKenzie on the need for the Nationals to be noisySource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Bridget McKenzie is a cabinet minister and Nationals leader in the Senate. But her seniority hasn’t inhibited her being one of her party’s most outspoken advocates demanding protections for the regions before it signs up ...3 days ago
- APEC Finance Ministers Announce Joint StatementIssued by the 2021 APEC Finance Ministers’ Meeting Wellington, New Zealand, 22 October 2021 Finance Ministers from the 21 APEC member economies announced a joint statement at the conclusion of their meeting on Friday highlighting the importance ...3 days ago
- We are filmmakers who work with firearms. This is what is important in on-set safetySource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Christopher Gist, PhD Candidate, University of South Australia In a tragic accident, Alec Bladwin has fatally fired a prop gun on a film set in America. Evan Agostini/Invision/AP In a horrendous accident, a cinematographer has died and a director has been injured ...3 days ago
- VIDEO: Michelle Grattan on the Nationals’ climate conundrum and the integrity deficit in federal p...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra University of Canberra Professional Fellow Michelle Grattan and University of Canberra Associate Professor Caroline Fisher discuss the week in politics. They canvass the Nationals playing hardball in their efforts to land a deal ...3 days ago
- A new study sounds like good news about screen time and kids’ health. So does it mean we can all s...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Brendon Hyndman, Associate Dean (Research), Charles Sturt University Shutterstock A newly published study in the journal PLoS ONE suggests spending time on screens is unlikely to be directly harmful to young children. The US study attracted global attention, as screen ...3 days ago
- Covid traffic light framework: the experts respondJacinda Ardern this morning outlined a new approach to NZ’s Covid response, conditional on vaccination levels (read our explainer here). The new system received a mixed reaction among the experts.New Zealand’s most prominent epidemiologist, Michael Baker of the University of Otago in Wellington, saw “some positives” in the new system, ...3 days ago
- The red light at the end of the tunnel for Auckland
While Friday’s announcement set out the steps Auckland will need to take before coming out of Level 3 lockdown, DHBs can only move as fast as the slowest in the pack After weeks turning into months of lockdown seemingly without end for Auckland, the Prime Minister today indicated for the ...3 days ago - Traffic light system 'confusing', 'slow', 'rushed', 'risky' ...National and ACT say the government's planned move from alert levels to a traffic light system is confusing and slow, as the Māori Party and Greens urge more protection for the vulnerable. ...3 days ago
- Cleo Smith has been gone almost a week. Why missing children cases grip the nationSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Xanthe Mallett, Forensic Criminologist, University of Newcastle The smiling, pigtailed toddler in the gold heart top. A picture of innocence, and sadly the image many people will now recognise – Cleo Smith, the latest Australian child to vanish without a trace. Four-year-old ...3 days ago
- A cinema of intimacy: the enduring beauty of Wong Kar WaiSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Thomas Moran, PHD Candidate, Monash University Wong Kar-Wai’s In The Mood for Love (2000) Mercury Cinema The influence of Hong Kong director Wong Kar Wai on global cinema is difficult to overstate. Wong emerged from the creative ferment of the Hong Kong ...3 days ago
- Week in Politics: Lockdown exit strategy is set outAnalysis - The heat goes on the unvaccinated as the government sets out its plan to end lockdowns. Labour and National surprise everyone with a joint housing initiative, and a "huge deal" free trade agreement with Britain. ...3 days ago
- Police Do Not Know Source Of 82% Of Criminal WeaponsResearch has revealed that although Police claim that the source of illegal firearms is licensed firearm owners, it cannot find the source of 82% of the firearms it seizes – opening the possibility that they enter the country with drugs and other contraband. ...3 days ago
- Senior Doctors Need More Than Hollow Words As Australia Comes KnockingThe Association of Salaried Medical Specialists Toi Mata Hauora is calling on the Government to put words into action when it comes to valuing frontline health workers, with Australia poised to bring in thousands of extra clinical staff. The Health Minister ...3 days ago
- ‘If you want summer, get vaccinated’ – Jacinda Ardern sets the target for re-opening New Zeala...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michael Plank, Professor in Applied Mathematics, University of Canterbury GettyImages The New Zealand government has bet heavily on vaccination targets and certificates to move the country into the re-opening phase of its COVID-19 response. As part of today’s major announcement, ...3 days ago
- Freedom date still on table if vaccination target fails
The unanswered questions and variables in the Government’s traffic light system mean it’s still highly possible vaccination targets will be ditched in favour of a freedom date, writes political editor Jo Moir It came as no great surprise when Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced the country would win freedom when a ...3 days ago - The Friday Poem: Life Used To Be So Hard, by Sarah LawrenceA new poem by Wellington poet Sarah Lawrence.Life Used To Be So Hard Picture half a house, veins open & splayed out from the rafters. Two cats in the yard, like the song. Plums. Picture history, your imaginary friend, history that crashed its stone through this window when ...3 days ago
- Making Aotearoa / New Zealand The Best Place To Be A ChildIn the third of Judge Andrew Becroft’s five addresses reflecting on his time as Children’s Commissioner, he examines five ways we can significantly improve wellbeing for children and young people in Aotearoa / New Zealand. “We are fortunate”, ...3 days ago
- Check out what is missing from climate reporting law – but Govt has ensured the Treaty plays a par...
Latest from the Beehive Press statements and ministerial speeches were flowing into Point of Order’s email in-tray faster than the government’s publicists could post them on the Beehive website this morning. The ... 3 days ago - Curious Kids: why do we see the ‘sky’ during the day, but the galaxy at night?Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Hannah Schunker, Lecturer of Physics, University of Newcastle Bruno Gilli/ESO/Wiki Commons, CC BY-SA Why do we see the sky during the day, but the galaxy at night? — Gary, age 9, Auckland Hi Gary! Thank you ...3 days ago
- Yesterdaze: The patron saint of running red lights
Our behaviour at traffic lights offers a rare insight into the human condition at the best of times. Now Aucklanders are 66 days deep into lockdown, things are starting to get weird - and Brian Tamaki isn't helping. James Elliott on the news of the week. It’s Labour Weekend. As a Level 3-confined ...3 days ago - Covid traffic light framework: NZ business and advocacy groups respondJacinda Ardern this morning outlined a new framework for NZ’s Covid response, conditional on vaccination levels (read our explainer here). How did that, and the associated business support and hardship assistance announcements, go down?Judith Collins denounced this morning’s big announcements as a betrayal of business and an “utter disgrace”, but ...3 days ago
- Restrictions on cultural hunting practices are limiting Indigenous people’s access to food during ...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stewart Sutherland, Senior Lecturer Indigenous Health, Australian National University Smoke and dust as food is prepared for a traditional Māori feast or Hangi, Rotorua New Zealand. Shutterstock Indigenous people are some of the most food insecure people in Australia and Aotearoa (New ...3 days ago
- With more Tokelauan speakers in New Zealand than in Tokelau, it remains a unique but endangered lang...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Middleton, Doctoral Candidate, University of Auckland Nukunonu atoll. GettyImages If you didn’t know Tokelau Language Week begins this weekend, you can probably be forgiven. Spoken by fewer than 5,000 people worldwide, Tokelauan has been designated “severely endangered” by UNESCO, its second-most ...3 days ago
- The Unity Books bestseller chart for the week ending October 22The only published and available best-selling indie book chart in New Zealand is the top 10 sales list recorded every week at Unity Books’ stores in High St, Auckland, and Willis St, Wellington.AUCKLAND1 EM-PA-THY: The Human Side of Leadership by Harold Hillman (Bateman, $30)Merry corporate Christmas …2 Power of Habit: ...3 days ago
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