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Assange extradition judgment overturned
Written By: - Date published: 3:31 pm, December 12th, 2021 - 29 comments
I should have known not to be hopeful. British justice is an oxymoron which makes a mockery of official references to our ‘like-minded countries’ in the Five Eyes. The decision by senior judges in the UK to overturn a previous court decision not to extradite Julian Assange to the US is an example of state persecution of a person with the courage to speak out against crimes of the state.
The Freedom Bus is on the move *
Written By: - Date published: 8:42 am, December 9th, 2021 - 44 comments
But special entry conditions including being double vaccinated or having a recent clear Covid test apply.
The US withdraws from Afghanistan and the inevitable happened
Written By: - Date published: 9:57 pm, November 29th, 2021 - Comments Off on The US withdraws from Afghanistan and the inevitable happened
The withdrawal in August of US and allied troops from Afghanistan saw the return of the Taliban in control of that country. This sadly was always going to be the outcome once the US and its allies withdrew.
Glen Greenwald on why he covers what he does
Written By: - Date published: 6:21 am, November 24th, 2021 - 46 comments
“From the time I began writing, I focused on what was being under-covered, not echo what everyone was saying”
Mothers of the Revolution
Written By: - Date published: 6:16 pm, November 20th, 2021 - 41 comments
Saw an inspiring premiere of this NZ -made movie about the amazing women of Greenham Common at the Wellington Film Festival today. Their years-long protest led to the INF treaty, a major advance in nuclear safety, now abandoned. Well worth seeing – a timely reminder in light of today’s news about NATO moving nuclear missiles around Eastern European nations on Russia’s borders.
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.
- Fair Enough!
Sounds About Right: It would seem that the realities of practical politics makes utilitarians of us all.DOING THE GREATEST GOOD for the greatest number has long been the ethical rule-of-thumb for New Zealand politicians. At least, that is how they would argue if challenged to justify their own, or their ...2 weeks ago - Climate Change: The wrong direction
Today the government released its "action plan" for the next three months - basically, the list of what it wants to get done. Yes, its government by KPI, with all the bullshit that that entails. But contempt for management culture aside, what about the substance? And in particular, the substance ...2 weeks ago - The complex and bloated Executive
David Farrar writes – The NZ Initiative has published a research note comparing our Executive Government to others. They note: We have 44% more Ministers, 282% more portfolios and 156% more departments than countries of similar size NZ has 41 departments NZ has 27 crown agencies NZ has ...2 weeks ago - Steven Joyce’s revolving door entry into a $4000/day govt appointmentBryce Edwards writes – Former National Government Finance Minister Steven Joyce is being paid $4000 a day to chair the new Government’s “expert advisory panel” on infrastructure. That’s over twice what Prime Minister Christopher Luxon gets, and makes Joyce New Zealand’s highest-paid public servant. At the same time, ...2 weeks ago
- The debt rules being used to strangle NZIn reality, there is far too little ‘future proofing’ being undertaken by councils, mainly because of the fear of the perceptions of councillors, officials, mayors (and Government ministers) that they’ll be punished for being ‘fiscally reckless’. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: My top six news items of note on ...2 weeks ago
- A data scientist’s case for ‘cautious optimism’ about climate change
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Michael Svoboda Against the regular drumbeat of negative news on climate and the environment, a positive note can be both startling and therapeutic. To keep pressing forward, we need to know that progress has been — and still can be — made. ...2 weeks ago - Suddenly Seymour.
I know Seymour's the greatestBut I'm dating a semi-sadistSo I've got a black eyeAnd my arm's in a cast.Still, that Seymour's a cutieWell, if not, he's got inner beautyAnd I dream of a placeWhere we could be together at last..How are you feeling about David Seymour, six months after the ...2 weeks ago - The Kaka’s diary for the week to April 8 and beyond
TL;DR: The key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to April 8 include:PM Christopher Luxon is scheduled to hold a post-cabinet news conference at 4pm today.Parliament is not sittingBuilding consents data is due on Thursday.Photo by Marissa Grootes on UnsplashThe Kaka’s diary for the week to ...2 weeks ago - Daughters of Derbyshire: Published
My 4300-word historical fiction piece, Daughters of Derbyshire, is now out, via The Lesbian Historical Motif Podcast. Print format: https://alpennia.com/blog/lesbian-historic-motif-podcast-episode-283-daughters-derbyshire-daniel-stride Audio format: https://lesbianhistoricmotif.podbean.com/e/daughters-of-derbyshire-by-daniel-stride-the-lesbian-historic-motif-podcast-episode-283/ It concerns seventeenth century English Puritans – at once alien to modernity, and yet also a story written in the grim shadow of 2020. ...2 weeks ago - A moment of friction.
In strategic studies “friction” is a term that it is used to describe the moment when military action encounters adversary resistance. “Friction” is one of four (along with an unofficial fifth) “F’s” in military strategy, which includes force (kinetic mass), … Continue reading ...2 weeks ago - Spotlight on the CourtsMuriel Newman writes – “Houston, we have a problem!” New Zealand’s Supreme Court – the highest court in our land – has been captured by activist judges. What is heartening, is the emergence of a wide range of eminent legal voices all openly criticising the Court and calling ...2 weeks ago
- NZ Government announces ban on walking
RNZ reports: As part of their ‘100 Day Plan – Phase 2’, the government today announced a ban on walking on streets and in most public spaces. Transport Minister Simeon Brown says the move is part of the Government’s plan to boost economic growth and productivity. “Walking is just too ...2 weeks ago - 2024 Reading Summary (+ Writing Update)Completed reads for March: Lamia (poem), by John Keats The Moon Pool, by Abraham Merritt A Brief History of Time, by Stephen Hawking Inverted World, by Christopher Priest Fugue for a Darkening Island, by Christopher Priest The Secrets of Dr John Taverner (collection), by Dion Fortune St Benedict’s Rule ...2 weeks ago
- 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #13A listing of 34 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, March 24, 2024 thru Sat, March 30, 2024. Story of the week When it comes to polar sea ice appearances can be deceptive, trends may be obvious ...2 weeks ago
- Love is Love.
There are three comedians I particularly like. One Scottish, one American, and one Australian. No walking into a bar in this joke, they’re all at various stage of alcoholism - funny how that works. They’re all liberal more than necessarily left - although the Scottish one is typically socialist. It’s ...2 weeks ago - In journalism facts should be verifiable
Fact-Checkers’ personal biases will often lead to presenting fake news as factual, or facts as fake news. Image credit: “The Psychology of Fact-Checking.” I ... 2 weeks ago- The Origins of Rage
Hi,I dyed my hair pink* this week. If I was being pretentious I’d say it was an art project. I’d used a pink-hair filter on social media earlier this month, which had people evenly split between “Oh my God you dyed your hair!” to “That’s clearly a filter!”At some point ...2 weeks ago- The Missing Body.
“And when they had bound him, they led him away, and delivered him to Pontius Pilate the governor.” – Matthew 27:2“THIS COURT OF INQUIRY will come to order!”The Presiding Officer surveyed the room. The tables arranged to form a hollow square. The soldiers in their dress uniforms. The evidence folders placed neatly ...2 weeks ago- National’s Governing For (Crony) Capitalists – Not Capitalism.
Gimme, Gimme, Gimme! The late Bruce Jesson used to say that while National governed for capitalists, Labour governed for Capitalism. Jesson’s suggestion: that National was so firmly locked inside the individualist logic of the private sector that it struggled to see the broader capitalist picture; was a shrewd one.WHY IS THE ...2 weeks ago- Rapture and Rage.
When Push Came To Shove: If Jacinda Ardern’s government struggled to contain 3,000 angry Kiwis in 2022, how will Christopher Luxon’s cope with 300,000 in 2025?THE OCCUPATION OF PARLIAMENT GROUNDS stands as one of the oddest moments in New Zealand political history. Not the least of its oddities was the mixture ...2 weeks ago- Things I’d have hoped we could all agree on
Eric Crampton writes – This week’s Budget Policy Statement was disappointing. There are a few things I’d have thought we could all have agreed on. They seem pretty basic. If the Reserve Bank is still using monetary policy to push against inflation, fiscal stimulus is a pretty bad ...2 weeks ago- Labour’s crime legacy of the last three years
Michael Bassett writes – The Labour Government lost the 2023 election when its support halved from 2020. It deserved to lose on economic grounds alone. Covid lockdowns that went beyond the prudent and wrecked livelihoods in the name of saving lives; an orgy of careless spending of borrowed ...3 weeks ago- Heroes and Rogues.
Happy Easter. 🙂As with last week’s review I’ll begin today with the the view from the right. Which last week seemed cloudy, and lacking in the ideal accoutrements for depth perception. Hosking’s Hall of Heroes.Donald Trump: 7/10 He floated and made a fortune and got a bond reduction with more time ...3 weeks ago- Getting Laid with Lamiae: The Origins of Sexy Vampires
I ran across a recent essay from The Brothers Krynn, which attempts to map common horror monsters onto the Seven Deadly Sins: https://canadianculturecorner.substack.com/p/horror-monsters-and-vice My interest, however, is not in the meat of the piece, but rather the opening paragraph: It is an interesting fact that in recent decades, Vampires have ...3 weeks ago- Here’s hoping road users don’t depend only on ministerial advice to stay alive
Buzz from the Beehive Transport Minister Simeon Brown dutifully issued advice to all road users to keep safe on our roads during the Easter weekend. He encouraged them to stay safe, plan their journeys ahead of time, and be patient with other drivers while travelling around this Easter long weekend. ...3 weeks ago- Luxon’s challenge – Fiscal discipline or tax cuts
Oliver Hartwich writes – New Zealanders recently learned about a new feature film. It will be about former Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern – and taxpayers will subsidise it to the tune of NZ$800,000. Ardern had nothing personally to do with either the film or the subsidy. But her government’s ...3 weeks ago- Failing to internalise new realities
TL;DR: Here’s the top six news items of note in climate news for Aotearoa-NZ this week, and a discussion above that was recorded yesterday afternoon above between and The Kākā’s climate correspondent : An independent review panel into the emergency response to Cyclone Gabrielle in Hawkes Bay concluded “that ...3 weeks ago- Auckland Council’s astute feedback on the GPS
There are now only a few days left to give feedback on the Draft Government Policy Statement (GPS) on Land Transport 2024-34 (see our earlier post this week on GPS submission guides). As we’ve reported, the GPS is a disaster for Local Government, so we were particularly interested to hear ...3 weeks ago- The Hoon around the week to March 29
Willis has pledged to go ahead with the debt-funded tax cuts, despite growing opposition from her own supporters worried about appearing fiscally irresponsible. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The five things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy that we wrote and spoke about via The Kākā and elsewhere for ...3 weeks ago- Skeptical Science New Research for Week #13 2024
Open access notables A survey of interventions to actively conserve the frozen North, van Wijngaarden et al., Climatic Change: The frozen elements of the high North are thawing as the region warms much faster than the global mean. The dangers of sea level rise due to melting glacier ice, increased ...3 weeks ago- Why NZ First shouldn’t get any apologies for the SFO’s failed prosecution
Bryce Edwards writes – New Zealand’s biggest-ever political donations scandal is finally at an end. But what is the conclusion? No one can really be sure. The Court of Appeal released its judgement on Tuesday about the Serious Fraud Office case against the NZ First Foundation. On ...3 weeks ago- National’s total reversal on marine protection
In 2015, then-Prime Minister John Key announced plans for a huge ocean sanctuary around the Kermadec Islands, banning fishing and mining from 15% of Aotearoa's EEZ. It was bold, it was ambitious, and it suggested that National might actually care about the environment. Except they fucked it up: Key failed ...3 weeks ago- Lee, Costello, Hoggard and Simmonds walk into a bar
1. Who has just been given the accolade New Zealander of the Year?a. The Kokakob. The Cook Strait Ferryc. Fair God. Dr Jim Salinger 2. Which of these is an affront to decent society?a. Dame Edna Everageb. Mrs Doubtfire c. Dr. Frank-N-Furterd. Brian 3. Who is Penny Simmonds?a. The aspiring actress in Big ...3 weeks ago- Bryce Edwards: Why NZ First shouldn’t get any apologies for the SFO’s failed prosecution
New Zealand’s biggest-ever political donations scandal is finally at an end. But what is the conclusion? No one can really be sure. The Court of Appeal released its judgement on Tuesday about the Serious Fraud Office case against the NZ First Foundation. On the face of it, the court found ...3 weeks ago- Paying for the RoNS like Rail
Note: Consultation on the GPS closes on Monday The Government’s Draft Policy Statement (GPS) on Land Transport contains many ideological burbs and inconsistencies. One of the many of those is around the rail network. For example, it talks about how rail freight investment has seen a significant increase in recent ...3 weeks ago- Past plans are undone by a government keen to make the most of ocean resources and cut that “dam r...
Buzz from the Beehive Waves of rain are set to lash much of the North Island during Easter Weekend as a low-pressure system forms east of New Zealand, according to a weather forecast published in the past day or so. Niwa was warning of a “moisture-laden” long weekend, with rain expected ...3 weeks ago- Who Ordered the Culture Wars?
Look around us…Nicola Willis’ promises of balancing the books, of cutting spending without reducing services, and of delivering game changing tax cuts are disappearing before her eyes.Everyday we see stories of violent crime ending in horrific injuries, or worse. The cost of living worsens, whereas the PM claimed renters would ...3 weeks ago- Borrowing $15b more to pay for $14.9b of tax cuts
TL;DR: My top six news of note on the morning of Thursday, March 28 include:The Government will have to borrow between $10 billion to $15 billion more than previously expected in order to make up for a slowing economy and to pay for $14.9 billion of tax cuts, according to ...3 weeks ago- You can start applying for the American Climate Corps next month
This story was originally published by Grist and is part of Covering Climate Now, a global journalism collaboration strengthening coverage of the climate story. The long-awaited jobs board for the American Climate Corps, promised early in the Biden administration, will open next month, according to details shared exclusively ...3 weeks ago- Gordon Campbell on the US opposition to mortgage interest deductibility for landlords
Should landlords be able to deduct the interest on the loans they take out to bankroll their property speculation? The US Senate Budget Committee and Bloomberg News don’t think this is a good idea, for reasons set out below. Regardless, our coalition government has been burning through a ton of ...3 weeks ago- Willis’s tax cuts dilemma
Treasury’s first report on the economy since the change of government presents a damning indictment of Labour’s economic management. The problem for National is that it is so damning that logically, coupled with a rapidly slowing economy, Finance Minister Nicola Willis should respond to it by postponing or even cancelling ...3 weeks ago- The American Nightmare
Hi,Back in 2020 Webworm wrote about how “Havana Syndrome” was bullshit. If you missed it, America claimed its diplomats in Cuba were under attack from sonic weapons, causing everything from vomiting to brain damage. They termed it Havana Syndrome. During this time, Webworm kept writing about how it was bullshit ...3 weeks ago - The Origins of Rage
- Māori and PI spaces at unis no place for wusses or MP’s reckons
A distinct pleasure of my job as a university lecturer is an annual, four-day marine biology field trip to Whangārei Heads with roughly 40 University of Auckland students. Over the course of these four days, students of Asian, European, Indian, Māori, Pasifika, and South American (and more) descent work ...4 days ago - Chiefs Manawa have exciting weapon for final, ‘if it works’Mia Anderson (Ngāpuhi) is hoping to join All Blacks Sevens boyfriend Tepaea Cook-Savage on the victory podium this week. Cook-Savage was part of the All Blacks Sevens who won the Hong Kong Sevens on Sunday, defeating France 10-7 in the final. Today Anderson, 22, starts for Chiefs Manawa at blindside ...4 days ago
- Indonesian military’s crimes in West Papua and the democratic solution
By Sharon Muller of Arah Juang On Friday, March 22, a video circulated of TNI (Indonesian military) soldiers torturing a civilian in Papua. In the video, the victim is submerged in a drum filled with water with his hands tied behind his back. The victim was alternately beaten and kicked ...4 days ago - View from The Hill: Danielle Wood pricks Albanese’s industry policy balloon – but leaves him wit...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Among the critics emerging to find fault with Anthony Albanese’s interventionist industry policy, the one who gave the most damaging prick to the Prime Ministerial balloon was Danielle Wood, the new head of the Productivity ...4 days ago
- ‘Corrosive obsession with a person’s race’: David Seymour on Māori Wards
ACT Party leader David Seymour would vote against Māori wards if his home council were to hold a referendum on them. ...4 days ago - Danielle Wood pricks Albanese’s industry policy balloon – but leaves him with some good adviceSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Among the critics emerging to find fault with Anthony Albanese’s interventionist industry policy, the one who gave the most damaging prick to the Prime Ministerial balloon was Danielle Wood, the new head of the Productivity ...4 days ago
- NEW POLL: Kiwis want Nicola Willis to hold firm on tax relief
A new Taxpayers’ Union – Curia poll has revealed that 53% of New Zealanders believe that the Government should continue to deliver the tax relief that was promised by the National Party during the election campaign. 29% of respondents thought that ...4 days ago - Fast-track approvals: Minister's letter states some 'were invited to' applyA letter from Infrastructure Minister Chris Bishop shows some project owners had been "invited to" submit to the fast-tracking process. ...4 days ago
- Trillions of tonnes of carbon locked in soil has been left out of environmental models – and it’...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Yuanyuan Huang, Research Scientist, CSIRO TaraPatta / Shutterstock We all know about the carbon in Earth’s atmosphere, and probably about the carbon contained in plants and the bodies of animals. But a substantial fraction of the carbon in the planet’s ...4 days ago
- Murray Valley encephalitis: summer is over but mosquito-borne disease remains a risk in northern Aus...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Cameron Webb, Clinical Associate Professor and Principal Hospital Scientist, University of Sydney encierro/Shutterstock Cooler temperatures are fading our memories of summer and reducing numbers of mosquitoes in southern parts of Australia. But up north, warmer temperatures and plenty of rain ...4 days ago
- Australia’s live music crisis is essentially a crisis of confidence. How could we bring it back?Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rod Davies, Lecturer in Popular Music, Monash University It has been a big few weeks in the Australian live music scene. The cancellations of major festivals Groovin’ the Moo and Splendour in the Grass have ushered in a stream of news reports ...4 days ago
- Health NZ chairperson resigns after less than a year in positionDame Karen Poutasi has resigned after just over nine months in the job. ...4 days ago
- Australia is playing catch-up with the Future Made in Australia Act. Will it be enough?Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Naoise McDonagh, Senior Lecturer, School of Business and Law, Edith Cowan University IM Imagery/Shutterstock Australia is a trading nation. Its economy relies on a strong and open global trade environment. Australian governments have historically rejected protectionist industrial policies that ...4 days ago
- Tickle vs Giggle: in a world where transgender people are under attack, this is a test case for Aust...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Paula Gerber, Professor of Human Rights Law, Monash University Around the world, the human rights of transgender people are under attack. Media reports of trans women being vilified, excluded and discriminated against are frequent, and the consequences of this rise in hatred ...4 days ago
- The politics of recognition: Australia and the question of Palestinian statehoodSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Micaela Sahhar, Lecturer, History of Ideas, Trinity College, The University of Melbourne What is the significance of the Australian government signalling this week that it may finally recognise Palestinian statehood? Though not universally popular, Foreign Minister Penny Wong’s diplomatic gesture towards Palestinian ...4 days ago
- Australia is playing catchup with the Future Made in Australia Act. Will it be enough?Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Naoise McDonagh, Senior Lecturer, School of Business and Law, Edith Cowan University IM Imagery/Shutterstock Australia is a trading nation. Its economy relies on a strong and open global trade environment. Australian governments have historically rejected protectionist industrial policies that ...4 days ago
- Department of Internal Affairs announces cuts, winds up water reform teamsTwenty-eight jobs will be cut at the Department of Internal Affairs' National Library and the Māori, Strategy and Performance branch, the agency has confirmed. ...4 days ago
- Government Spending Cuts Force DIA To Contract Out Critical Legal WorkCommercial work undertaken by a Department of Internal Affairs’ legal team will be fully outsourced to private law firms under proposed job cuts to meet the Government’s drive for spending cuts. "How does fattening the profits of law firms make sense ...4 days ago
- Public Submissions Open On Te Korowai O Wainuiārua Claims Settlement BillThis bill seeks to give effect to certain matters contained in the deed of settlement signed on 29 July 2023 by the Crown and Te Korowai o Wainuiārua. ...4 days ago
- Our supermarket aisles are ‘rife with greenwashing’
While New Zealand is yet to even size up the scale of greenwashing, other parts of the world are forging ahead with new rules. This is an excerpt from our weekly environmental newsletter Future Proof. Sign up here. The loo paper in my shopping basket is “earth smart”. The cotton buds, ...4 days ago - Indigenous rights flag-burning protest rocks CNMI communityBy Mark Rabago, RNZ Pacific Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas correspondent A man on Saipan has burned the official CNMI flag in protest, saying that it does not truly represent Indigenous people of the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas (CNMI). A public video of the flag-burning was posted by Raymond ...4 days ago
- School attendance held back by sickness – Ministry of EducationJust over half of students regularly attended school in term four last year, up on the same term in 2022. ...4 days ago
- No, beetroot isn’t vegetable Viagra. But here’s what else it can doSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Lauren Ball, Professor of Community Health and Wellbeing, The University of Queensland CLICKMANIS/Shutterstock Beetroot has been in the news for all the wrong reasons. Supply issues in recent months have seen a shortage of tinned beetroot on Australian supermarket shelves. ...4 days ago
- Green economy summit: how can Australia get more from its relationship with Vietnam?Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Trang Nguyen, Southeast Asia Lead, Climateworks Centre Nguyen Quang Ngoc Tonkin, Shutterstock Next week, more than 100 green energy, technology, education and finance companies from Australia and Vietnam will gather in Ho Chi Minh City. The meeting is billed as ...4 days ago
- The Friday Poem: ‘狐 fox’ by Lee MurrayA poem from Lee Murray’s new collection Fox Spirit on a Distant Cloud. 狐 fox You are running through the streets of a city—Tāmaki Makaurau, or maybe Pōneke—quiet paws scampering over the broken concrete footpaths, where spindly weeds grow from the cracks. You must not be ...4 days ago
- The Unity Books bestseller chart for the week ending April 12The 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. AUCKLAND 1 The Creative Act: A Way of Being by Rick Rubin (Canongate, $55) Unstoppable! 2 Butter by Asako ...4 days ago
- EDS Calls For Fast-track Approvals Bill To Be Abandoned In Submission To Select CommitteeThe Environmental Defence Society (EDS) has filed its final substantive submission on the Fast-track Approvals Bill. ...4 days ago
- City planners love infill development. So why are cities struggling with it, and how can they do bet...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Neil G Sipe, Honorary Professor of Planning, The University of Queensland Forestville, Adelaide Renewal SA, CC BY Infill development is an increasingly hot topic in Australian cities. It involves building on unused or underutilised land within existing urban areas. City planners ...4 days ago
- The Petrov affair: how a real-life Cold War defection became a soothing spy story for anxious Austra...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Melanie Brand, Lecturer in Intelligence Studies, Macquarie University This year marks 70 years since Soviet diplomat Vladimir Petrov sensationally defected to Australia shortly before the 1954 election, beginning what came to be known as the “Petrov affair”. The defection itself is interesting ...4 days ago
- Government warned against repealing Oranga Tamariki's Treaty commitmentsThe Government has been warned against repealing Oranga Tamariki's Treaty commitments. ...4 days ago
- Geopolitical reasons why Warner Bros were always going to mutilate NZ’s NewshubCOMMENTARY: By Martyn Bradbury, editor of The Daily Blog The day the news axe fell: Presenters, insiders fear ‘huge blow for democracy’ The future of New Zealand’s media landscape is becoming clearer by the day, with confirmation that it will no longer feature one of the country’s big two TV ...4 days ago
- Grant Robertson is swapping cabinet for academia – but should ex-politicians lead universities?Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tom Baker, Associate Professor in Human Geography, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau Getty Images The appointment of former Labour finance minister Grant Robertson as vice-chancellor is a first for Otago University, which has never had a non-academic in the ...4 days ago
- Watercare signals possible 25% increase in water ratesAuckland's water provider chair says she knows struggling residents won't welcome the prospect. ...4 days ago
- The aftershocks keep coming in gripping new psychological drama Friends Like HerSet in small town Kaikōura, Three’s sharp new local drama follows two best friends and a surrogacy pact that goes wrong. This is an excerpt from our weekly pop culture newsletter Rec Room. Sign up here. Kaikōura has never looked better than in new psychological drama Friends Like Her, with its ...4 days ago
- The week in politics: Targets, truants and MPs' pay pickleAnalysis - A look back at "ambitious" public service targets, plans to fix school attendance and pay rises for politicians. ...4 days ago
- Charter Schools establishment board pay revealedThe eight-member board will provide strategic oversight and advice on the model for the schools. ...4 days ago
- Manawatū Tenants Union Condemns Proposed Residential Tenancies Act AmendmentsThe Manawatū Tenants Union has expressed deep concern over the proposed amendments to the Residential Tenancies Act put forward by Housing Minister Chris Bishop. The changes, aimed at revitalising the rental property market, have raised significant ...4 days ago
- Enga ‘isn’t that bad’, says Australian diplomat on troubled area visitPNG Post-Courier The Australian High Commissioner to Papua New Guinea, John Feakes, has become the first foreign diplomat to visit the “valley of tears” in Wapenamanda, Enga, province. Feakes braved fears of tribal warfare when he visited Australian government-funded projects at a tribal fighting zone on Wednesday. The battlefields of ...4 days ago
- 'Devastated': Widow pleads for late husband’s dream to be realisedThe wife of a late Rotorua councillor is pleading with the council not to shelve her late husband's dream of a skatepark. ...4 days ago
- Pseudoephedrine could be back on the shelves as soon as JuneMedsafe has approved 11 cold and flu medicines containing the medicine. ...4 days ago
- Annual Food Price Inflation Slows To 0.7 PercentFood prices increased 0.7 percent in the 12 months to March 2024, the smallest increase since April 2021, according to figures released by Stats NZ today. The 0.7 percent increase followed a 2.1 percent increase in the 12 months to February 2024, and is ...5 days ago
- Public Submissions Open On The Te Pire Whakatupua Mō Te Kāhui Tupua/Taranaki Maunga Collective Red...The Māori Affairs Committee is calling for public submissions on the Te Pire Whakatupua mō Te Kāhui Tupua/Taranaki Maunga Collective Redress Bill. This bill would give effect to certain matters contained in Te Ruruku Pūtakerongo/the Taranaki Maunga ...5 days ago
- When Wellington starred in a Bollywood spy thriller: a scene-by-scene breakdownSubways, palaces, gold heists, rockets on trains and luxury nightlife? You Bollywood in Wellington. I still remember the first Bollywood movie I ever watched. The year was 2001, I was eight years old, and my cousins had just brought home a copy of Khabbie Khushi Khabie Gham that they’d bought ...5 days ago
- Fast-track bill: Which projects could be approved for quicker consent?There is consensus among advocates on which projects are most likely to try their hand at a path of lesser resistance. ...5 days ago
- Fast-track bill: Which projects could be approved for quicker consent?There is consensus among advocates on which projects are most likely to try their hand at a path of lesser resistance. ...5 days ago
- Despite what you might hear, weather prediction is getting better, not worseSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrew King, Senior Lecturer in Climate Science, The University of Melbourne Australia’s weather bureau copped harsh criticism after El Niño failed to deliver a much-vaunted dry summer in eastern Australia. Parts of northern Queensland in the path of Tropical Cyclone Jasper had ...5 days ago
- All the things we won’t know in 10 yearsAn ongoing survey measuring child poverty has been axed, and a longitudinal study of child health is at risk. Are we throwing the literal baby out with the bathwater? The year is 2034. Four journalists and 120 trained bots assemble to report on a speech from the prime minister in the ...5 days ago
- Watch live: PM Christopher Luxon talks to media in AucklandThe Prime Minister is back in Auckland and talks to journalists during a bleak week for media and public servants. ...5 days ago
- Half a million more Australians on welfare? Not unless you double-countSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Whiteford, Professor, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University Shutterstock The Daily Telegraph and Herald Sun carried an exclusive story on Sunday headed “Half a million extra on welfare”. It was subheaded: NDIS blowing the budget. The story ...5 days ago
- Foy & Gibson’s 8,100,000 miles of yarn: how Australians were sold ‘fashionable’ (and ‘he...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Lorinda Cramer, Lecturer, Cultural Heritage and Museum Studies, Deakin University How do you describe the feel of wool against your skin? For some that feel is snuggly soft. Others remember a prickly sensation. But would you call wool “healthy”, “comfortable” or ...5 days ago
- Choice and control: are whitegoods disability supports? Here’s what proposed NDIS reforms saySource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Helen Dickinson, Professor, Public Service Research, UNSW Sydney Shutterstock Many Australians with disability feel on the edge of a precipice right now. Recommendations from the disability royal commission and the NDIS review were released late last year. Now a draft ...5 days ago
- It’s common to ‘stream’ maths classes. But grouping students by ability can lead to ‘massive...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Elena Prieto-Rodriguez, Professor, University of Newcastle Karolina Grabowska/Pexels, CC BY It is very common in Australian schools to “stream” students for subjects such as English, science and maths. This means students are grouped into different classes based on their previous ...5 days ago
- RNZ's pips are changing – Can you hear the difference?The iconic beeps that mark each hour are getting a shake-up. ...5 days ago
- AUKUS, Gaza on agenda during Winston Peters Antony Blinken talks in WashingtonBoth agreed there are powerful reasons Aotearoa should engage with AUKUS. ...5 days ago
- Does Melissa Lee have a plan to help media?The media minister’s stubborn unwillingness to share any details of what she proposes has drawn both criticism and ridicule, writes Catherine McGregor in this excerpt from The Bulletin, The Spinoff’s morning news round-up. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here. A tough day to be media ...5 days ago
- RNZ's brand new current affairs show: 30 with Guyon EspinerGuyon Espiner says "there might be the odd f-bomb dropped" in his new, unedited 30 minute interview show. ...5 days ago
- Lessons from Manchester as Govt works out how it wants city deals runA presentation to NZ mayors and chief executives by Greater Manchester’s Andy Burnham has added fuel to the growing discussion about city deals and devolution The post Lessons from Manchester as Govt works out how it wants city deals run appeared first on Newsroom. ...5 days ago
- Ranking the best and worst of Wellington’s tourism adsFrom ‘Absolutely Positively Wellington’ to ‘You would in Wellington’, the coolest little capital sure has seen plenty of slogans. Wellington’s promotional agency, WellingtonNZ, has revealed its latest ad campaign to attract tourists to the capital city, centred around a new slogan: “You would in Wellington”. Over the past three decades, ...5 days ago
- Stuff, The Spinoff, Newsroom, SYSCA and NZ Geographic on the media crisisAbove the Fold: as two of our biggest media organisations face radical downsizing, Duncan Greive asks media leaders what’s going on, and what can be done about it. Today: the leaders of Stuff and a number of key independent news and magazine publishers. This is part five of Above the ...5 days ago
- Auckland credit union to hand over operations as costs mountCredit Union Auckland fell foul of the Reserve Bank’s Capital requirements midway through last year The post Auckland credit union to hand over operations as costs mount appeared first on Newsroom. ...5 days ago
- Is netball’s top league tough enough?Last year was a disappointing one for netball in New Zealand, with the Silver Ferns missing out on a medal for the first time in their rich Netball World Cup history. After the Ferns lost to Jamaica in the bronze medal match in Cape Town, it raises the question: Is ...5 days ago
- Daily crossword, Friday 12 AprilThe post Daily crossword, Friday 12 April appeared first on Newsroom. ...5 days ago
- This week’s bestselling books, April 12NONFICTION 1 Evolving by Judy Bailey (HarperCollins, $39.99) Judy Bailey! Legend; nice person; the New Zealander of pretty much every year. A free copy of her guide to ageing is available in this week’s book giveaway. To enter, email stephen11@xtra.co.nz with the subject line in screaming caps OLD AGE IS ...5 days ago
- NZ urgently needs to invest in strong climate researchLong-term climate research funding is needed to properly understand what weather extremes NZ faces in the future The post NZ urgently needs to invest in strong climate research appeared first on Newsroom. ...5 days ago
- Minister left $46b benefit of smokefree reforms out of Cabinet paperNZ would only reach a five percent smoking rate in 2061 if smokefree reforms were repealed, officials warned The post Minister left $46b benefit of smokefree reforms out of Cabinet paper appeared first on Newsroom. ...5 days ago
- Newsroom daily quiz, Friday 12 AprilLoading…(function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){var ql=document.querySelectorAll('A[quiz],DIV[quiz],A[data-quiz],DIV[data-quiz]'); if(ql){if(ql.length){for(var k=0;k<ql.length;k++){ql[k].id='quiz-embed-'+k;ql[k].href="javascript:var i=document.getElementById('quiz-embed-"+k+"');try{qz.startQuiz(i)}catch(e){i.start=1;i.style.cursor='wait';i.style.opacity='0.5'};void(0);"}}};i['QP']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){(i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o),m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m)})(window,document,'script','https://take.quiz-maker.com/3012/CDN/quiz-embed-v1.js','qp'); Got a good quiz question? Send Newsroom your questions. The post Newsroom daily quiz, Friday 12 April appeared first on Newsroom. ...5 days ago
- Winston goes to WashingtonThe Right Honourable Winston Peters is back on the world stage, and showing every sign of relishing his new, old, job. But it won’t be business as usual for him despite having held the Foreign Affairs role twice before. “I think we’re seeing a sea-change in New Zealand foreign policy,” ...5 days ago
- Lobbying: an industry devoid of principles?Opinion: The problem with lobbying lies somewhere between affable arrogance, profit maximisation and abrogation of duty The post Lobbying: an industry devoid of principles? appeared first on Newsroom. ...5 days ago
- Auckland housing hearings halt until certainty returnsAuckland’s councillors have provided some certainty to residents on whether or not they need to be preparing for hearings on the future of intensification in areas like the former Auckland Light Rail corridor. The National-led Government came into power on the back of strong promises around housing and transport, such ...5 days ago
- Grattan on Friday: Albanese government can’t be accused of excessive caution any longerSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Commentators used to complain the Albanese government was being too cautious. That charge can’t easily be levelled now. Take two totally different issues on which the government in recent days has defined itself by ...5 days ago
- Pacific states could help ‘help prevent’ nuclear war, says advocateBy Eleisha Foon, RNZ Pacific senior journalist Pacific nations and smaller states are being urged to unite to avoid being caught in the crossfire of a possible nuclear conflict between China and the US. On the cusp of a new missile age in the Indo-Pacific, a nuclear policy specialist suggests ...5 days ago
- Politics with Michelle Grattan: Josh Burns on being a Jewish MP during a terrible conflictSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra The death of Australian Zomi Frankcom and other World Central Kitchen aid workers in Gaza in an Israeli strike has led to yet more intense and critical scrutiny over how Israel is prosecuting the war ...5 days ago
- Corrections defends pace of change: 'There is no reluctance'Corrections is pushing back against claims it's been too slow to make changes after Covid. ...5 days ago
- Late Night with the Devil is a sly, gleefully horrifying Aussie hit that invites you to be hypnotise...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Erin Harrington, Senior Lecturer in English and Cultural Studies, University of Canterbury Maslow Entertainment The ’70s-throwback found-footage horror comedy, Late Night with the Devil, joins a long list of recent Australian horror success stories. Framed as a tabloid-style retrospective, the ...5 days ago
- Women set to bear brunt of Tertiary Education Commission losses – unionThe government agency overseeing universities and polytechnics is cutting 28 roles, mainly held by women. ...5 days ago
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