afghanistan
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Blinken and Blind-Sided?
Written By: - Date published: 2:54 pm, January 16th, 2022 - 17 comments
Russian peacekeepers are already leaving Kazakhstan having nipped the ‘colour revolution’ in the bud. Blinken clearly didn’t have a clue when he said Russians never leave the house. Russian intelligence was superb. Now we wait for Russia’s response to US likely refusal to pull back from its borders. One thing I’d bet on – no invasion of Ukraine.
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.
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.
Women, the Taliban and sex based rights
Written By: - Date published: 10:38 am, August 16th, 2021 - 66 comments
What is being done to women in Afghanistan by the Taliban is sex-based oppression.
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.
New Zealand Service in Afghanistan Concludes
Written By: - Date published: 7:00 am, March 17th, 2021 - 44 comments
Did New Zealand military forces do good in Afghanistan?
Operation Burnham: A disorganised cover-up?
Written By: - Date published: 9:03 pm, July 31st, 2020 - 13 comments
A justified operation, no organised cover-up, but serious failures in senior defence personnel’s denial and misrepresentation, and serious failures by the intelligence agencies in handing over a suspect to torture. The Inquiry called for a review of Defence administration, an Inspector-General of Defence, a Defence Force order on dealing with allegations of civilian casualties, and an “effective detention policy.”
Hong Kong principles
Written By: - Date published: 9:49 pm, July 28th, 2020 - 38 comments
According to our Prime Minister, today’s announcement that New Zealand is suspending extradition arrangements with Hong Kong is because of our principles. But it is not immediately clear what these principles are, other than falling into line with our Five Eyes spying partners. Some history is important.
Afghanistan pushes the US out
Written By: - Date published: 7:26 am, March 4th, 2020 - 16 comments
I have really no idea who to cheer for about the Afghanistan peace
agreement. If the Taliban were the answer, it was a pretty fucking
stupid question.
That 1914 Feeling
Written By: - Date published: 10:28 pm, January 3rd, 2020 - 104 comments
President Trump personally ordered the assassination of General Qassem Soleimani, head of Iran’s elite military Quds force. He was killed by rockets fired from US drones over Baghdad Airport. This is unlawful by any standards, as well as an act of war. Iran has promised retaliation.The doomsday clock just moved closer to midnight.
Trump sacks Bolton – oil price nosedives!
Written By: - Date published: 7:01 am, September 11th, 2019 - 26 comments
This has been rumoured for some time now. It’s good news – peace now has a chance, as Trump has woken up to the fact that a shooting war would not be good for his re-election. Also Bolton’s hard-line strategy was failing everywhere.
Government under FiveEyes
Written By: - Date published: 9:48 pm, June 7th, 2019 - 11 comments
Australian Federal Police chief Neil Gaughan told media after raiding the ABC that “if police did not investigate the leaking of classified information, Australia would no longer be entrusted by FiveEyes partners with intelligence that saves lives.” FiveEyes didn’t save Muslim lives in Christchurch.
Trump meets Putin
Written By: - Date published: 9:03 am, July 16th, 2018 - 116 comments
Some things that President Trump won’t do as when meeting Russian President Vladimir Putin in Helsinki.
Still in Denial.
Written By: - Date published: 9:12 am, April 4th, 2018 - 46 comments
General Tim Keating’s resignation.
Nicky Hager: Defence admits raid was located in same area as described in Hit and Run
Written By: - Date published: 5:05 am, March 14th, 2018 - 24 comments
“I believe that the impulse to hide the NZDF’s mistakes led the Chief of Defence Force knowingly to mislead the media and the public.”
Middle East Changes
Written By: - Date published: 1:58 pm, August 27th, 2017 - 70 comments
If there is a change of Government what should Labour do about requests for military assistance in the Middle East?
Legal action on “Hit and Run” deaths
Written By: - Date published: 8:40 am, August 19th, 2017 - 10 comments
Lawyers for the villagers in the area allegedly hit in Operation Burnham are taking the Government to court over its refusal to hold an independent inquiry. English responds with some particularly vile spin.
What are our SAS up to? An easy to digest guide!
Written By: - Date published: 2:18 pm, August 15th, 2017 - 8 comments
A short video looking at the major issues in the Hager/Stephenson book ‘Hit and Run’
“Ongoing cover-up” on Operation Burnham
Written By: - Date published: 8:11 am, July 9th, 2017 - 14 comments
David Fisher in The Herald exposes yet another NZDF “error” on Operation Burnham. Intelligence analyst Dr Paul Buchanan: “I’m absolutely certain that what we’re seeing is part of the ongoing cover-up.”
Brownlee lying to the UN over Operation Burnham
Written By: - Date published: 6:36 am, June 12th, 2017 - 18 comments
The UN called for an investigation into Operation Burnham. Very inconvenient for the Nats who would rather sweep any dead civilians under the carpet and forget them. So naturally Gerry Brownlee responds with a lie.
UN calls for investigation into Operation Burnham
Written By: - Date published: 1:59 pm, June 9th, 2017 - 23 comments
Well well. What will you do now Bill?
Hager Hit & Run and NZ’s Asian wars
Written By: - Date published: 8:23 pm, June 5th, 2017 - 13 comments
Nicky Hager will talk about his book Hit and Run, and the issues it raises about New Zealand’s values and role in the world at 5:30pm on Wednesday 7th June at Connolly Hall, Guildford Terrace, Wellington. The book is about important events and the incoherence of New Zealand fighting it’s longest ever war in Central Asia. This talk is particularly timely in view of this week’s visit of the American Secretary of State, Rex Tillerson.
NZDF changes story on Operation Burnham photos
Written By: - Date published: 12:57 pm, May 13th, 2017 - 10 comments
Why did the NZDF wrongly claim that there were no photographs of the mission? Intelligence analyst Dr Paul Buchanan has a suggestion.
The NZDF’s transparent fig leaf
Written By: - Date published: 7:23 am, April 23rd, 2017 - 18 comments
According to David Fisher (Herald) the NZDF never investigated allegations of civilian deaths at the time of Operation Burnham. They received only a summary of the whitewash ISAF report. They refuse to look further. This is the behaviour of an organisation with plenty to hide. Hager and Stephenson have facts, the NZDF are hiding behind a transparent fig leaf of deliberate ignorance.
Duck and Cover
Written By: - Date published: 9:00 am, April 16th, 2017 - 89 comments
Donald Trump is engaged in some over the top brinkmanship with North Korea which is increasing the prospects of at least a limited exchange of nuclear weapons.
Big Barrel Bomb
Written By: - Date published: 3:40 pm, April 14th, 2017 - 81 comments
Firstly, remember how you’re meant to feel about even the mere accusation of the use of barrel bombs. Now put those feelings aside.
Mediawatch on Hit and Run
Written By: - Date published: 9:17 am, April 10th, 2017 - 77 comments
“Has the meaning of book Hit and Run been obscured by all the claims and counter-claims in the media?” – Yes of course it has, and that is a deliberate strategy on the part of people who are desperate to avoid an inquiry.
Small on the Nats’ Key deficit on Hit and Run
Written By: - Date published: 7:53 am, April 6th, 2017 - 24 comments
Vernon Small thinks the B Team is missing Key.
The truth will out
Written By: - Date published: 9:07 am, April 5th, 2017 - 93 comments
English can squirm and deny, but according to Stephenson there is more Hit and Run to come.
Land of the long white wash
Written By: - Date published: 7:03 am, April 4th, 2017 - 89 comments
In ruling out an inquiry Bill English insults both our intelligence and our integrity. Next stop the International Criminal Court? (Alas the title is not mine, take a bow Finlay MacDonald.)
The NZDF will never clear its name – and neither will Bill English
Written By: - Date published: 7:03 am, April 3rd, 2017 - 154 comments
It’s likely that some time this week Bill English will announce that there will be no inquiry into operation Burnham. The NZDF will lose any opportunity to clear its name. Fronting up to the truth, whatever it may be, is better than the perception of a shabby coverup.
Update: And there it is – no inquiry.
- Bridges, tunnels (& CO2) galore for Ford Ranger Man
All of the Government’s five options for improving Auckland’s links include or prioritise tunnels and bridges for cars, double-cab utes and trucks ahead of walking, cycling and rail. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The Labour Government has brought forward plans to start building and/or drilling a second Waitematā harbour ...1 hour ago - LINDSAY MITCHELL: Responding to Marama Davidson’s dogma
Lindsay Mitchell writes: Green’s co-leader Marama Davidson just keeps digging the hole she is in deeper. First she showed her bitter antipathy towards white CIS (same gender as birth) men. Then she walked it back to all men. On Tuesday night on TV1 News she said, “…overwhelmingly it ...1 hour ago - Gordon’s Campbell on Auckland’s dysfunctional mayor, and air travel chaos
as Auckland’s cantankerous mayor stumbles from one crisis to the next, the hope is not that Wayne Brown will learn on the job – that’s almost certainly a lost cause – but that Aucklanders will manage to come together and limit the damage that he threatens to inflict on the ...2 hours ago - NZ Politics Daily: 31 March 2023
STUART NASH, OIA Thomas Coughlan (Herald): Stuart Nash scandal boils down to cock-up vs ‘conspiracy’ (paywalled) Marc Daalder (Newsroom): The opaque transparency of the OIA system Toby Manhire (Spinoff): Nash saga leaves Hipkins facing deeper questions of a stink in the Beehive Pete McKenzie (Newsroom): Evidence Stuart Nash breached official information ...4 hours ago - Weekly Roundup 31-March-2023
Wow, it’s the end of March already. Here are a few of the smaller items that caught our attention over the last week. We need better trucks Newsroom reported on a Ministry of Transport report showing just how dirty our current truck fleet is. A heavy diesel truck costs ...4 hours ago - Building Bridges.
Listening to RNZ yesterday, I heard that the government was making a major announcement about a second crossing of the Waitematā. I was fairly surprised.I’d have thought with it being election year the last thing the government would want to be talking about was a massive Auckland transport project. Especially ...4 hours ago - An apt warning for a blogger
I cracked open a fortune cookie with a family group after dinner. My loved ones got warm, inspiring messages such as my son’s: ‘You will be successful in business and society’. Nice. I got this one: “Friends come and go, but enemies accumulate.” By coincidence, I had already drafted a ...18 hours ago - http://pointofordernz.wordpress.com/?p=21176THOMAS CRANWELL: When ideology turns violent – the political and media backing behind the Posie Parker mob Thomas Cranwell writes – ——————————– Similar to other countries, the transgender movement in New Zealand is not a grassroots organisation but instead is an increasingly ...19 hours ago
- Greenhouse gassing the children at Kia Kaha Primary School
It is a lovely autumn morning.The sun is shining. The birds in Kōwhai park are twittering.There is music playing on Today FM.You can hardly tell that the children at Kia Kaha primary school are being greenhouse gassed.It is not just happening at Kia Kaha Primary School.It is happening to all ...19 hours ago - Judicialising the climate struggle
The United Nations has asked the International Court of Justice for a ruling on climate change obligations: The UN General Assembly has adopted a Vanuatu-led resolution calling for an advisory opinion from the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on climate change and human rights. The resolution was tabled by ...20 hours ago - Poor Old Mike Hosking
Poor old Mike Hosking! In today’s Herald, such is his visceral antipathy to our current government, that he is reduced to wrestling with himself in trying to understand how it is that despite its many failings – in his eyes at least – the Labour government is somehow ahead in ...20 hours ago - A total no-brainerAir pollution kills, and dirty diesel vehicles are a major source of it. Cleaning them up has enormous social benefits in avoided deaths and hospitalisations. How much? Billions of dollars: A report quietly released by the Ministry of Transport in July shows tighter regulation of vehicle imports for air ...20 hours ago
- Political propaganda dressed up as an opinion pollVia one of my lovely Twitter sources, the sardonic and interesting @johubris … the following ‘poll question’ has been recently distributed: “Thinking about your life and your country now, what is the most important issue that you want to see the New Zealand Government addressing?” This qualifies as push-polling, which ...21 hours ago
- This cover-up needs to be a crimeOn Tuesday night, former Forestry Minister Stuart Nash was sacked for corruption, after the Prime Minister discovered he had disclosed confidential cabinet discussions to his donors. Its since emerged that Jacinda Ardern's office knew of this disclosure, but didn't act on the obvious breach of the Cabinet manual, and didn't ...21 hours ago
- Buried beneath avalanche of new laws and bills there’s news from the Cyclone Taskforce (a month af...
Buzz from the Beehive Whoa, there – we can’t keep up! Suddenly, the PM’s ministerial team has unleashed a slew of press statements. Sixteen announcements have been posted on the Beehive website since our last check. This burst of activity (we wondered) might be the result of them responding positively ...22 hours ago - Harbour Crossing Project now estimated to cost $15-25 billionBig transport news today with the government beginning public engagement on options for the Waitemata Harbour Connections project. This project has had an incredibly long history, with previous versions somehow managing to be incredibly expensive, detrimental to most of the transport outcomes we are trying to achieve in Auckland, and ...1 day ago
- Bryce Edwards: Is it time for an anti-corruption commission?If ever there was an example of complacency about corruption and integrity in New Zealand politics it’s the fact that the Prime Minister’s Office knew back in 2021 that Cabinet Minister Stuart Nash was feeding privileged Cabinet information to business donors but did nothing about it. This is one of ...1 day ago
- Skeptical Science New Research for Week #13 2023
Open access notables "Despite the potential for positive methane–climate feedbacks from global wetlands, most Earth System Models (ESMs) and Integrated Assessment Models (IAMs) that informed the last Assessment Report of the IPCC do not directly incorporate this process." Publishing in Nature Climate Change, Zheng et al. unpack the implications of this ...1 day ago - NZ Politics Daily: 30 March 2023Today’s content STUART NASH Richard Harman (Politik): How Nash got tangled up in “dirty politics” (paywalled) William Hewett (Newshub): Political pundit Bryce Edwards calls for anti-corruption commission, says Stuart Nash review needs to see if any MPs have ‘corrupt dealings’ Bridie Witton (Stuff): PM Chris Hipkins faces pressure to answer questions ...1 day ago
- Dawn Chorus: Govt’s latest climate back-tracksAmong its ‘go slow’ on climate measures, the Government chose to delay tighter regulation of vehicle imports for air pollution for six years because it would have increased vehicle purchase costs. Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The Government continues to backtrack on moves to reduce emissions, with three news items ...1 day ago
- How Nash got tangled up in “dirty politics”Stuart Nash’s downfall appears to have had its beginnings with one of the players from the “Dirty Politics” scandals of 2014. Simon Lusk, a close associate of Cameron “Whaleoil” Slater, one of the key figures in Nicky Hagar’s “Dirty Politics” expose, has been associated with Stuart Nash. Lusk has ...1 day ago
- 6 Months out from our election, the noise is not abating… and yes it is probably going to get wors...
Worried if this election will be shellacked by “the culture war”? That arrived ages ago. And, one side is definitely in panic mode, even if that’s not being admitted right now. Because of that, they’re reverting yet again to straight up… culture wars. Yes, fellow traveler, the Party who ...2 days ago - Plugging a video channel: All about ClimateAll About Climate is a Youtube channel dedicated to communicating climate science and combating misinformation about global warming. It is run by Roshan Salgado D'Arcy - or 'Rosh' for short. He is a geology graduate with an MSc in climate change and is currently reading for a PhD in the communication of ...2 days ago
- Of AIs, Ethics, and Sauronian Sonnets
ChatGPT is an interesting little beastie. I have only really started experimenting with it recently – not because I have any interest in using it for my own writing projects, but because I enjoy pushing and prodding the AI in strange directions. I have spent an inordinate amount of ...2 days ago - Climate Change: Labour is trying to kill usThe science of climate change is clear: we need to stop burning fossil fuels as quickly as possible, and we cannot burn even a fraction of those already discovered. So naturally, Labour is offering oil companies more exploration permits: The Government is offering companies another opportunity to search for ...2 days ago
- Don't Shoot Me I'm Only The Piano Player
2 days ago - Twin blows dent confidence in ministerial ranks, so will they affect morale among party faithful...
Is the government imploding? Prime Minister Chris Hipkins has had to sack one of his more effective (and likeable) ministers, while another (from the Green Party) has insulted many of the adult population. For his part, Hipkins had appeared to be shaping up well since he took over the ...2 days ago - An inquiry into freedom of information in AustraliaThree weeks ago, Australia's Freedom of Information Commissioner - their equivalent of the Ombudsman - suddenly resigned, on the basis that the entire system was broken and he was unable to fix it. And now, the Australian Senate is holding an inquiry into the resignation, and the problems with Australia's ...2 days ago
- A crime against democracyYesterday the government introduced the Severe Weather Emergency Recovery Legislation Bill to the House. The bill is a response to Cyclone Gabrielle, and (like the Christchurch earthquake legislation) enables Ministers to amend laws by order in council across half the North Island, for five years. The list of laws allowed ...2 days ago
- An Ugly Demonstration.
Mobbed! As Kellie-Jay Keen-Minshull’s (Posie Parker’s) opponents surged forward, her only protecters were a handful of burly security guards who surrounded their client and began forcing a path through what was now a howling mob. At least one video recording shows the diminutive Keen-Minshull, a terrified rag-doll, eyes dulled by ...2 days ago - Four strikes and it’s out for Stuart Nash – now let’s see if Marama Davidson becomes a repeat ...Buzz from the Beehive It looks like Marama Davidson must revile white sis males – or some other group of our population – three more times before she gets the heave-ho as one of Chris Hipkins’ ministers. That’s the conclusion to be drawn from the PM’s treatment of Stuart Nash, ...2 days ago
- Gordon Campbell on the banning of Tik TokFor a serial offender like Stuart Nash, it was inevitable that another skeleton would emerge from his closet, and end his ministerial career. This one though, was a whopper. Previously, Nash had tried to tell the Police how to do their job. He had also tried to tell the courts ...2 days ago
- Bryce Edwards: Nash’s sacking means a deeper probe into Cabinet “insider trading” is requiredCabinet Minister Stuart Nash was sacked last night for violating Cabinet Collective Responsibility rules, when it was revealed he disclosed sensitive Government information to business supporters who had donated money to him. The breach of the Cabinet Manual was enough to land him in trouble, but the fact that it ...2 days ago
- Te Hā Noa to Start ConstructionSome good news last week with the Council confirming that Te Hā Noa – Victoria St Linear Park will go ahead and with construction starting on 11 April – though with a few fishhooks. Te Hā Noa, a renewed Victoria Street, is the next big project in Auckland Council’s Midtown ...2 days ago
- Jacqui Van Der Kaay: Broken trust led to sackingStuart Nash’s assurances to Prime Minister Chris Hipkins that there were no further examples of him breaching the Cabinet Manual became meaningless with the release of emails from Nash sharing Cabinet discussions with business people. The Prime Minister had no choice but to sack Nash as a Minister with immediate ...2 days ago
- A Quick Sean Plunket FAQ
Hi,Just a quick online-only update after yesterday’s newsletter, How Michael Organ Weaponised the Family Court... and Sean Plunket. First up — wow. Thanks for all the support, and to all those who shared their own personal stories in the comments. And welcome to any new Webworm readers.I just wanted ...2 days ago - Luxon demands Davidson apologise to white men!
Let that sink in for a moment - Christopher Luxon, who has spent the last year demonising Māori, wants Marama Davidson to apologise to white men.You will likely have seen the video, or read about it. Marama Davidson rushing along Princes St on Saturday evening, the road that runs between ...2 days ago - Dawn Chorus: Councils set to dump Wellington Light RailStuart Nash, the great-grandson of former Prime Minister Sir Walter Nash, has lost his political career. File Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Stuart Nash was sacked for telling donors what happened in Cabinet. Wellington’s City and Regional Councils are going cold on light rail plans. Wayne Brown is under ...2 days ago
- The links between Stuart Nash and NZ FirstNZ First Leader Winston Peters is sympathising with Stuart Nash and defending him but dodging questions on whether he would be welcome in New Zealand First. Prime Minister Chris Hipkins last night sacked Nash from the Cabinet after an email he had sent to two of his campaign donors ...2 days ago
- Sacked for corruptionSo, after interfering with the police, and then interfering with immigration decisions, Stuart Nash has finally been sacked: Stuart Nash has been sacked as a minister, after Stuff revealed he had emailed business figures, including donors, detailing private Cabinet discussions. Prime Minister Chris Hipkins confirmed the people Nash emailed ...3 days ago
- The climate landmine under our economy (a housing market with bits tacked on)Nearly 25% of mortgages in Auckland are deemed at risk in a 1-in-100 year flood event. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Once a year, every year, from now on, in our not-so-slow-cooking climate crisis, there will be a moment when the most important number in Aotearoa’s own personal, national ...3 days ago
- More Labour secrecyIn July 2022, the then-Minister for Public Services, Chris Hipkins, promised that he would reduce the number of secrecy clauses in new legislation. Today the government has introduced not one, but two bills that strengthen secrecy at the expense of transparency. The first is the Resale Right for Visual Artists ...3 days ago
- You people are the best
Item One: About a confected crisis Please bear with me for a moment, readers outside Auckland, I wish to sound the klaxon. Auckland, we have until 11pm today to have our say. About what? About this, as copied and pasted from Pippa Coom’s Facebook page:The "austerity" budget is built on ...3 days ago - Hipkins gets an apology from Davidson for reviling “white cis men” – but if she apologised to ...Buzz from the Beehive Yet again, the statement we were looking for could not be found on the Beehive website. Nor was it on the Scoop or Green Party websites. But – come to think of it – we are probably wasting our time by searching. Our quest is for the ...3 days ago
- Approaching Gridlock: Arundhati Roy on Free Speech and Failing Democracy
The following is from a speech given by Arundhati Roy at the Swedish Academy on March 22, 2023, at a conference called Thought and Truth Under Pressure and reprinted from Literary Hub. I thank the Swedish Academy for inviting me to speak at this conference and for affording me the privilege ...3 days ago - Wood pulls a DuttonAfter almost two decades of racism, Australia is finally getting off its "stop the boats" bullshit. But don't worry, racists - Michael Wood has your back! The Government wants to increase the time it can detain without a warrant people seeking asylum en masse from four days to 28 ...3 days ago
- Labour dragging its feet on pay transparencyLast year, the Education and Workforce Committee recommended that the government legislate for pay transparency to prevent employers from secretly discriminating. This ought to be a bread and butter issue for Labour - discrimination sees women (and particularly Māori and Pasifika women) paid significantly less than men. But since then ...3 days ago
- THOMAS CRANMER: Violent suppression of free speech – Kellie-Jay Keen’s assault by transgender ...Thomas Cranmer writes – ———— An unruly mob in Albert Park has catapulted New Zealand into the global headlines with ugly images that may become iconic in the debate about the dangers of transgenderism. ———— Bravo Kellie-Jay Keen. She did the job that needed to be done. For all the ...3 days ago
- Political Roundup: 28 March 2023POSIE PARKER RALLY The Facts: New Zealanders are world leaders in respecting transgender men and women Chris Trotter (Interest): An ugly demonstration William Hewett (Newshub): Sir Peter Gluckman warns New Zealand’s social cohesion at risk, society needs to accept transgender people have rights Rachel Smalley (Today FM): How on earth did ...3 days ago
- Extreme heat waves in Europe may be linked to melting Arctic sea iceThis is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections Global warming is melting the Arctic ice cap, and that’s having unforeseen effects on the world’s weather — even thousands of miles away from the North Pole. Some climate scientists have begun to link increasingly common heat waves in Europe to what is ...3 days ago
- Jacqui Van Der Kaay: Integrity of politicians deserves scrutinyHot on the heels of the demotion of former police Minister Stuart Nash for breaching the Cabinet Manual, Radio New Zealand has revealed the close links between lobbyists and politicians- an area of New Zealand politics that is completely unregulated. The evidence in Guyon Espiner’s series Mate, Comrade, Brother, the ...3 days ago
- Warkworth and the Cost of SprawlAt the Auckland Transport board meeting today a series of papers really highlight the cost of sprawl. For the last few years, the Supporting Growth work has been looking at designing the strategic transport networks for future greenfield areas in the South, Northwest, North (around Dairy flat) and in Warkworth. ...3 days ago
- How Michael Organ Weaponised the Family Court… and Sean Plunket
3 days ago - We couldn’t possibly commentOnly three days after Nanaia Mahuta had dinner with China’s Foreign Minister, New Zealand’s intelligence chiefs were talking about state actors interfering in New Zealand politics and using ethnic communities here for espionage purposes. Neither GSCB Director (and new SIS director) Andrew Hampton nor acting SIS CEO Phil McKee ...3 days ago
- Mahuta’s talks succeed in warming up high-level relationships in Beijing, and she opens way for ...In what has been one of her most important diplomatic mission, Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta has opened the door for a visit to Beijing by Prime Minister Chris Hipkins later this year. Such a mission is regarded as vital with a new Prime Minister Li Qiang settling into office. ...4 days ago
- Marama Davidson was reminded of the Maori numbers – maybe – before admitting mistake about who c...Buzz from the Beehive Marama Davidson, Minister for the Prevention of Family and Sexual Violence, has featured in media headlines after being hit by a motorcycle near the scene of the Posie Parker protest and for sharing an inflammatory opinion about the perpetrators of violence. On The Daily Blog, Martyn ...4 days ago
- Taking sides
Saturday morning, we went to Albert Park.We were there to show support, to challenge words of demonisation.To repeat those words from Michèle A’Court:Making them sound “other” is a technique used by racists and homophobes to dehumanise whole groups of people who “aren’t like them”. If you dehumanise people, it is ...4 days ago - Too Big To Punish.4 days ago
- Posie Parker – Arsehole of the Week
Nobody likes a fascist, except other fascist’s of course. Thankfully they were completely outnumbered in Auckland last Saturday when a supposed advocate for women’s rights, Kellie-Jay Keen-Minshull aka Posie Parker, tried to give a public speech about how transgender people are worthy of persecution.You can understand why Parker and her ...4 days ago - A Posie Parker Postscript, what have we learned?
On Friday I sent out a newsletter called Posie Parker vs Transgender Rights to provide information about the visit to our shores of Ms Parker. I attempted to show there were multiple points of view but on balance my sympathies were strongly with the counter protest group standing up for ...4 days ago - BRIAN EASTON: High performance instability in the financial sectorBrian Easton writes – Evaluating the recent crashes of Silicon Valley Bank in the US and Credit Suisse in Switzerland plus two other banks (perhaps more by the time you read this) needs to begin with a review of the inevitable instability in the financial sector. The financial sector ...4 days ago
- Gordon Campbell on the Keen-Minshull fallout, and the zombie revival of national standardsOh, the irony. Kellie-Jay Keen-Minshull has made a career out of inciting public hostility against the trans community, only to find herself on the receiving end of public hostility at her Auckland rally. In a further case of karmic justice, the people who brought her into the country ended up ...4 days ago
- Justice for Liam HoldenIn 1972, British soldiers tortured a false confession out of Liam Holden, resulting in him being given Britain's last death sentence. While it was commuted to life imprisonment, Holden was wrongly imprisoned for 17 years. Now, the courts have finally recognised that it was torture: In 1973 Liam Holden ...4 days ago
- A significant decision for transparencyOn 19 November 2010 an explosion at the Pike River Mine killed 29 people. The explosion was caused by unsafe work practices; however the National government corruptly dropped charges against Pike River Coal CEO Peter Whittall in exchange for a $3.4 million payout to the families of the dead. This ...4 days ago
- RBNZ paying billions to banks in interest, plus lending $19b cheaply to banksTaxpayers are not only subsidising already-very-profitable private banks via the cheap ‘Funding For Lending’ loans that helped pumped up house prices in 2021, but are also paying the banks upwards of $2 billion a year in interest for cash kept with the Reserve Bank. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: ...4 days ago
- Bryce Edwards: The Ugly stoking of a culture war in election yearThis weekend saw a showdown between two tribes of contemporary gender politics: those in favour of progressing transgender rights versus women wishing to defend their spaces. It’s a debate with huge passion, outrage and consequences. The figure at the centre of the clash was the British “trans-exclusionary radical feminist” Posie ...4 days ago
- March-23 AT Board MeetingTomorrow the Auckland Transport board meet again. Here are some of the highlights from their board papers. The open session starts at 9am and can be watched on this Teams link. Closed Session The closed session is typically where the most interesting items are discussed. Items for Approval ...4 days ago
- All of Us, All of Us.Mutual Support: Democracy in New Zealand will not be saved by pitting Pakeha against Māori, but by joining together with every other citizen who still understands the meaning of working together to build something good that will last. Call that co-governance if you like, or call it something else – ...5 days ago
- Tracking the KPIs of eight-year-olds
Imagine being a great big business success enjoying your lavish Waiheke island property with infinity pool and ballroom and riparian rights and heli-pad. Sweeeet. But imagine, also, having to take orders from some little bureaucratic oik about how often you can land a chopper on it.I can’t, really, but it ...5 days ago - Life Church Confirms its Leader Was Paid $10,000 For Investigating Sexual Misconduct at Hillsong Chu...
Hi,New Zealand’s Life megachurch has confirmed to Webworm it was paid $10,000 by Hillsong for investigating Brian Houston’s sexual misconduct allegations.Following Webworm publishing this piece about the $10,000 payment, Life’s Corporate Communications Manager Phil Irons has confirmed what it was for:Paul [de Jong] was engaged by Hillsong to assist in ...5 days ago - 2023 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #12A chronological listing of news articles posted on the Skeptical Science Facebook Page during the past week: Sun, Mar 19, 2023 thru Sat, Mar 25, 2023. Story of the Week Q&A: IPCC wraps up its most in-depth assessment of climate change The final part of the world’s most comprehensive assessment of ...5 days ago
- What I wanted to say before the mob stopped women speakingby Daphna Whitmore I thought the #LetWomenSpeak meeting would be a good time to talk about free speech and why it is important for the left. Then the mob stampeded the open-air gathering and no one got to speak. Here’s what I was had prepared. Today I want to talk ...6 days ago
- Women’s rights meeting silenced
By Don Franks Today my friend Ani O’Briien went to a meeting in Auckland and wrote: “No sooner had Kellie-Jay Keen Minshull arrived at the Rotunda, a protestor (who had managed to get past the barrier) ran at her and threw a red substance all over her and a security ...6 days ago - A serving of soup curbs Posie Parker’s appetite for speaking – and shows that might is right in ...Jonathan Milne, managing editor for Newsroom Pro, has expressed his indignation about the outcome of a court decision yesterday in an article headed Posie Parker wins the beautiful freedom to make an ugly argument. Newsroom Pro laments: High Court Justice David Gendall has regretfully allowed an outspoken anti-trans activist to enter New ...6 days ago
- It’s official: National have an education policy
imagine my surprise this week when the National Party, in their infinite wisdom, decided to release an education policy. As you can imagine, this got us so riled up here in the office that we dusted off our Windows XP laptop, waiting 17 hours for all the updates to be ...6 days ago
- Come on National, is that the best you can do?
A visionless National Party has stolen Government policy and rebranded it as their own. ...38 mins ago - Waitematā Harbour crossing options not good enoughRapid transit for the Waitematā Harbour crossing must be the priority - not more car lanes that will make congestion and climate change worse. ...1 day ago
- Greens celebrate passing of Organic Products and Production BillFollowing decades of work by the Green Party alongside the organics sector, people will finally be able to be confident that products labelled organic have met standards. ...1 day ago
- Greens back pay transparency open letterThe Green Party supports immediate Government action to close the pay gap as called for in an open letter released today by the Human Rights Commission and 50 other organisations. ...2 days ago
- Continued strikes show need for bold actionThe Green Party backs the demands of thousands of secondary and area school teachers striking today. ...2 days ago
- Greens welcome waste strategy release and workThe Green Party is today welcoming the release of the Government’s waste strategy, but says it has a big gap without action on the container return scheme for beverage containers. ...2 days ago
- Mass arrivals legislation a breach of NZ’s valuesThe Government’s decision to introduce ‘mass arrivals’ legislation goes against the values we all share of Aotearoa as a place where all people are treated fairly, the Green Party says. ...3 days ago
- Minster Davidson Must Resign After 'Violence' Comments
MINISTER DAVIDSON MUST RESIGN AFTER 'VIOLENCE' COMMENTS Marama Davidson should stand down as ‘Minister for the Prevention of Family and Sexual Violence’ for the clear and outrageous statement she made at the Posie Parker protest that ‘white straight men’ are the cause of violence. Her offensive, racist, and sexist remarks ...4 days ago - In response to Newshub and Amelia Wade’s obvious and ham-fisted attempt at a typical and predicted...In response to Newshub and Amelia Wade’s obvious and ham-fisted attempt at a typical and predicted political hit job. As any politically aware reporter would know, any Cabinet subcommittee has a duty and obligation as a part of any government to respond to any UN declaration, in this case ...6 days ago
- ‘The Real State of the Nation’Good afternoon. Thank you for the invitation to speak with you today and in your busy lives turning up to this meeting. Forty five years ago, in Howick, often described as racist, and where few Maori lived because it had been a ‘Fencible’ settlement at the time of the Anglo-Maori ...7 days ago
- National’s education policy gets an FThe Green Party has marked the National Party’s new education policy and given it a fail, especially for its failure to address the underlying drivers of school performance. ...1 week ago
- Child poverty stats show need for actionThe Green Party is calling on the Government to immediately provide more support to families doing it toughest. ...1 week ago
- Greens ask Auckland MPs across party lines to speak up on Council budget proposalsAuckland Central Green MP, Chlöe Swarbrick, has written to all Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland based Members of Parliament requesting their urgent attention to Auckland Council’s unprecedented slash-and-burn proposals. ...1 week ago
- IPCC report shows 2023 is a ‘now or never’ climate election“This is it; 2023 will be the last opportunity New Zealand has to get a government that will confront the climate emergency with the urgency it demands,” says the Green Party’s co-leader and climate change spokesperson, James Shaw. ...1 week ago
- Enough slow progress, 2023 is a fight for our futurePolitical parties that want to negotiate with the Green Party must come to the table with much faster, bolder climate action, co-leaders James Shaw and Marama Davidson emphasised in their State of the Planet speech today. ...2 weeks ago
- Greens call time on slow progressPolitical parties that want to negotiate with the Green Party after the election must come to the table with much faster, bolder climate action, co-leaders James Shaw and Marama Davidson emphasised today. ...2 weeks ago
- Green Party co-leader James Shaw's State of the Planet speech, 2023You will never truly understand, from the pictures you’ve seen in the newspapers or on the six o-clock news, the sheer scale of the devastation wrought by Cyclone Gabrielle. ...2 weeks ago
- More cost of living support for Kiwis
We’re boosting incomes and helping ease cost of living pressures on Kiwis through a range of bread and butter support measures that will see pensioners, students, families, and those on main benefits better off from the start of next month. ...2 weeks ago - Greens back teachers’ demandsThe Green Party backs the demands of the teachers’ strikers. ...2 weeks ago
- Greens will waste no time with Minister for Zero WasteThe error Labour Ministers made by stopping work on a beverage container return scheme will be reversed by the Greens at the earliest opportunity as part of the next Government. ...2 weeks ago
- Greens secure win for clean transportThe Green Party has made it easier for commuters to access e-bikes thanks to an amendment to tax rules. ...2 weeks ago
- Greens will always prioritise action on climate and inequality“Cabinet needs to do better - and today has shown exactly why we need Green Ministers in cabinet, so we can prioritise action to cut climate pollution and support people to make ends meet,” says Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson. ...3 weeks ago
- Bold action needed to help people eatBiggest increase in food prices for over three decades shows the need for an excess profit tax on corporations to help people put food on the table. ...3 weeks ago
- Dates announced for 2023 Pacific language weeks
Minister for Pacific Peoples Barbara Edmonds has announced the 2023 Pacific Language week series, highlighting the need to revitalise and sustain languages for future generations. “Pacific languages are a cornerstone of our health, wellbeing and identity as Pacific peoples. When our languages are spoken, heard and celebrated, our communities thrive,” ...47 mins ago - Over a quarter of New Zealanders to get cost of living relief from tomorrow880,000 pensioners to get a boost to Super, including 5000 veterans 52,000 students to see a bump in allowance or loan living costs Approximately 223,000 workers to receive a wage rise as a result of the minimum wage increasing to $22.70 8,000 community nurses to receive pay increase of up ...1 hour ago
- Thousands of community nurses getting April pay boostOver 8000 community nurses will start receiving well-deserved pay rises of up to 15 percent over the next month as a Government initiative worth $200 million a year kicks in, says Minister of Health Dr Ayesha Verrall. “The Government is committed to ensuring nurses are paid fairly and will receive ...2 hours ago
- Speech to Taranaki Chamber of Commerce and TOI Foundation breakfastTākiri mai ana te ata Ki runga o ngākau mārohirohi Kōrihi ana te manu kaupapa Ka ao, ka ao, ka awatea Tihei mauri ora Let the dawn break On the hearts and minds of those who stand resolute As the bird of action sings, it welcomes the dawn of a ...4 hours ago
- Government takes next step to lift artists’ incomesThe Government is introducing a scheme which will lift incomes for artists, support them beyond the current spike in cost of living and ensure they are properly recognised for their contribution to New Zealand’s economy and culture. “In line with New Zealand’s Free Trade Agreement with the UK, last ...20 hours ago
- NZ stands with Vanuatu on climate at UNNew Zealand is welcoming a decision by the United Nations General Assembly to ask the International Court of Justice to consider countries’ international legal obligations on climate change. The United Nations has voted unanimously to adopt a resolution led by Vanuatu to ask the ICJ for an advisory opinion on ...21 hours ago
- More Police deployed to the frontlineMore Police officers are being deployed to the frontline with the graduation of 59 new constables from the Royal New Zealand Police College today. “The graduation for recruit wing 364 was my first since becoming Police Minister last week,” Ginny Andersen said. “It was a real honour. I want to ...21 hours ago
- Aotearoa New Zealand committed to an enduring partnership with VanuatuForeign Minister Nanaia Mahuta met with Vanuatu Foreign Minister Jotham Napat in Port Vila, today, signing a new Statement of Partnership — Aotearoa New Zealand’s first with Vanuatu. “The Mauri Statement of Partnership is a joint expression of the values, priorities and principles that will guide the Aotearoa New Zealand–Vanuatu relationship into ...23 hours ago
- Government delivers levy change to support Fire and EmergencyThe Government has passed new legislation amending the Fire and Emergency New Zealand (FENZ) levy regime, ensuring the best balance between a fair and cost effective funding model. The Fire and Emergency New Zealand (Levy) Amendment Bill makes changes to the existing law to: charge the levy on contracts of ...1 day ago
- Next steps for New Zealand’s organic regulationsThe Government has passed the Organic Products and Production Bill through its third reading today in Parliament helping New Zealand’s organic sector to grow and lift export revenue. “The Organic Products and Production Bill will introduce robust and practical regulation to give businesses the certainty they need to continue to ...1 day ago
- Govt helps to protect New Zealanders digital identitiesThe Digital Identity Services Trust Framework Bill, which will make it easier for New Zealanders to safely prove who they are digitally has passed its third and final reading today. “We know New Zealanders want control over their identity information and how it’s used by the companies and services they ...1 day ago
- Cyclone Taskforce focused on locally-led recoveryThe full Cyclone Gabrielle Recovery Taskforce has met formally for the first time as work continues to help the regions recover and rebuild from Cyclone Gabrielle. The Taskforce, which includes representatives from business, local government, iwi and unions, covers all regions affected by the January and February floods and cyclone. ...1 day ago
- Law changed to protect subcontractorsChanges have been made to legislation to give subcontractors the confidence they will be paid the retention money they are owed should the head contractor’s business fail, Minister for Building and Construction Megan Woods announced today. “These changes passed in the Construction Contracts (Retention Money) Amendment Act safeguard subcontractors who ...1 day ago
- New congestion busting harbour crossing options unveiledTransport Minister Michael Wood has unveiled five scenarios for one of the most significant city-shaping projects for Tāmaki Makaurau in coming decades, the additional Waitematā Harbour crossing. “Aucklanders and businesses have made it clear that the biggest barriers to the success of Auckland is persistent congestion and after years of ...1 day ago
- New law enhances safety and security in the aviation sectorThe Government has passed new legislation that ensures New Zealand’s civil aviation rules are fit for purpose in the 21st century, Associate Transport Minister Kiri Allan says. The Civil Aviation Bill repeals and replaces the Civil Aviation Act 1990 and the Airport Authorities Act 1966 with a single modern law ...1 day ago
- Coroners Amendment Bill passes third readingA Bill aimed at helping to reduce delays in the coronial jurisdiction passed its third reading today. The Coroners Amendment Bill, amongst other things, will establish new coronial positions, known as Associate Coroners, who will be able to perform most of the functions, powers, and duties of Coroners. The new ...2 days ago
- Review into Stuart Nash’s communications with donorsThe Prime Minister has asked the Cabinet Secretary to conduct a review into communications between Stuart Nash and his donors. The review will take place over the next two months. The review will look at whether there have been any other breaches of cabinet collective responsibility or confidentiality, or whether ...2 days ago
- 600 more workers to support recoveryThe new Recovery Visa to help bring in additional migrant workers to support cyclone and flooding recovery has attracted over 600 successful applicants within its first month. “The Government is moving quickly to support businesses bring in the workers needed to recover from Cyclone Gabrielle and the Auckland floods,” Michael ...2 days ago
- Bills to vet school boards, contractors pass first readingBills to ensure non-teaching employees and contractors at schools, and unlicensed childcare services like mall crèches are vetted by police, and provide safeguards for school board appointments have passed their first reading today. The Education and Training Amendment Bill (No. 3) and the Regulatory Systems (Education) Amendment Bill have now ...2 days ago
- Bill recognises unique role and contribution of Wānanga and Kura Kaupapa MāoriWānanga will gain increased flexibility and autonomy that recognises the unique role they fill in the tertiary education sector, Associate Minister of Education Kelvin Davis has announced. The Education and Training Amendment Bill (No.3), that had its first reading today, proposes a new Wānanga enabling framework for the three current ...2 days ago
- Foreign Affairs Minister talks to the Vanuatu Government on Pacific issuesForeign Affairs Minister Nanaia Mahuta will travel to Vanuatu today, announcing that Aotearoa New Zealand will provide further relief and recovery assistance there, following the recent destruction caused by Cyclones Judy and Kevin. While in Vanuatu, Minister Mahuta will meet with Vanuatu Acting Prime Minister Sato Kilman, Foreign Minister Jotham ...2 days ago
- Major investment to support the safety of frontline Police and communitiesThe Government is backing Police and making communities safer with the roll-out of state-of-the-art tools and training to frontline staff, Police Minister Ginny Andersen said today. “Frontline staff face high-risk situations daily as they increasingly respond to sophisticated organised crime, gang-violence and the availability of illegal firearms,” Ginny Andersen said. ...2 days ago
- Further laws passed to keep communities safe from gang offendingThe Government has provided Police with more tools to crack down on gang offending with the passing of new legislation today which will further improve public safety, Justice Minister Kiri Allan says. The Criminal Activity Intervention Legislation Bill amends existing law to: create new targeted warrant and additional search powers ...2 days ago
- Standard kerbside recycling part of new era for waste systemThe Government today announced far-reaching changes to the way we make, use, recycle and dispose of waste, ushering in a new era for New Zealand’s waste system. The changes will ensure that where waste is recycled, for instance by households at the kerbside, it is less likely to be contaminated ...2 days ago
- New laws will crack down on gang profits and criminal assetsNew legislation passed by the Government today will make it harder for gangs and their leaders to benefit financially from crime that causes considerable harm in our communities, Minister of Justice Kiri Allan says. Since the Criminal Proceeds (Recovery) Act 2009 came into effect police have been highly successful in ...3 days ago
- Stuart Nash dismissed from CabinetThis evening I have advised the Governor-General to dismiss Stuart Nash from all his ministerial portfolios. Late this afternoon I was made aware by a news outlet of an email Stuart Nash sent in March 2020 to two contacts regarding a commercial rent relief package that Cabinet had considered. In ...3 days ago
- Tax incentive to boost housing passes third readingLegislation to enable more build-to-rent developments has passed its third reading in Parliament, so this type of rental will be able to claim interest deductibility in perpetuity where it meets the requirements. Housing Minister Dr Megan Woods, says the changes will help unlock the potential of the build-to-rent sector and ...3 days ago
- Law levels playing field for low-emissions commutingA law passed by Parliament today exempts employers from paying fringe benefit tax on certain low emission commuting options they provide or subsidise for their staff. “Many employers already subsidise the commuting costs of their staff, for instance by providing car parks,” Environment Minister David Parker said. “This move supports ...3 days ago
- 40 years of Closer Economic Relations with AustraliaToday marks the 40th anniversary of Closer Economic Relations (CER), our gold standard free trade agreement between New Zealand and Australia. “CER was a world-leading agreement in 1983, is still world-renowned today and is emblematic of both our countries’ commitment to free trade. The WTO has called it the world’s ...3 days ago
- Amendments to mass arrivals legislationThe Government is making procedural changes to the Immigration Act to ensure that 2013 amendments operate as Parliament intended. The Government is also introducing a new community management approach for asylum seekers. “While it’s unlikely we’ll experience a mass arrival due to our remote positioning, there is no doubt New ...3 days ago
- Progress on public service pay adjustmentThe Government welcomes progress on public sector pay adjustment (PSPA) agreements, and the release of the updated public service pay guidance by the Public Service Commission today, Minister for the Public Service Andrew Little says. “More than a dozen collective agreements are now settled in the public service, Crown Agents, ...3 days ago
- Further legislation introduced to support cyclone recoveryThe Government has introduced the Severe Weather Emergency Recovery Legislation Bill to further support the recovery and rebuild from the recent severe weather events in the North Island. “We know from our experiences following the Canterbury and Kaikōura earthquakes that it will take some time before we completely understand the ...4 days ago
- Duty relief for cyclone-affected businessesFurther assistance is now available to businesses impacted by Cyclone Gabrielle, with Customs able to offer payment plans and to remit late-payments, Customs Minister Meka Whaitiri has announced. “This is part of the Government’s ongoing commitment to assist economic recovery in the regions,” Meka Whaitiri said. “Cabinet has approved the ...4 days ago
- Thousands of sole parents to be better off after child support changesMore than 41,000 sole parent families will be better off with a median gain of $20 a week Law change estimated to help lift up to 14,000 children out of poverty Child support payments will be passed on directly to people receiving a sole parent rate of main benefit, making ...4 days ago
- Green investment fund delivers on climate actionA major investment by Government-owned New Zealand Green Investment Finance towards electrifying the public bus fleet is being welcomed by Climate Change Minister James Shaw. “Today’s announcement that NZGIF has signed a $50 million financing deal with Kinetic, the biggest bus operator in Australasia, to further decarbonise public transport is ...4 days ago
- Tax credit boosts cash flow for Kiwi innovatorsA world-leading payments system is expected to provide a significant cash flow boost for Kiwi innovators, Minister of Research, Science, and Innovation Ayesha Verrall says. Announcing that applications for ‘in-year’ payments of the Research and Development Tax Incentive (RDTI) were open, Ayesha Verrall said it represented a win for businesses ...4 days ago
- Te Awa shared path completedMinister of Transport Michael Wood joined crowds of keen cyclists and walkers this morning to celebrate the completion of the Te Awa shared path in Hamilton. “The Government is upgrading New Zealand’s transport system to make it safer, greener, and more efficient for now and future generations to come,” Michael ...5 days ago
- Crown apology to Ngāti Kahungunu ki Wairarapa Tāmaki nui-a-RuaTreaty of Waitangi Negotiations Minister Andrew Little has delivered the Crown apology to Ngāti Kahungunu ki Wairarapa Tāmaki nui-a-Rua for its historic breaches of Te Tiriti of Waitangi today. The ceremony was held at Queen Elizabeth Park in Masterton, hosted by Ngāti Kahungunu ki Wairarapa Tāmaki nui-a-Rua, with several hundred ...6 days ago
- Minister of Foreign Affairs meets with Chinese counterpartMinister of Foreign Affairs Nanaia Mahuta has concluded her visit to China, the first by a New Zealand Foreign Minister since 2018. The Minister met her counterpart, newly appointed State Councilor and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Qin Gang, who also hosted a working dinner. This was the first engagement between the two ...6 days ago
- Government delivering world-class satellite positioning servicesWorld-class satellite positioning services that will support much safer search and rescue, boost precision farming, and help safety on construction sites through greater accuracy are a significant step closer today, says Land Information Minister Damien O’Connor. Damien O’Connor marked the start of construction on New Zealand’s first uplink centre for ...7 days ago
- Clout-lighting: pranking your partner for likes is a surefire way to get dumped this April Fools’ ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Gary Mortimer, Professor of Marketing and Consumer Behaviour, Queensland University of Technology Media Whale Stock/Shutterstock What would you do to get more likes or shares on your favourite social media platform this April Fool’s Day? Would you blast an airhorn ...42 mins ago - Newsletter: March 31 2023 – Items of interest and importance todayNew Zealand Politics Daily is a collation of the most prominent issues being discussed in New Zealand. It is edited by Dr Bryce Edwards of The Democracy Project. Today’s content STUART NASH, OIA Thomas Coughlan (Herald): Stuart Nash scandal boils down to cock-up vs ‘conspiracy’ (paywalled) Marc Daalder (Newsroom): The opaque transparency of the ...51 mins ago
- Indigenous knowledge offers solutions, but its use must be based on meaningful collaboration with In...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tara McAllister, Research Fellow, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington Shutterstock/Guy Hasler As global environmental challenges grow, people and societies are increasingly looking to Indigenous knowledge for solutions. Indigenous knowledge is particularly appealing for addressing climate change because ...57 mins ago
- Rule Change For Overseas Voting
The rules for overseas voting are changing from today for this year’s General Election to recognise the effect the pandemic has had on international travel. ‘This is a temporary change made by Parliament for New Zealanders living overseas who have ...1 hour ago - Luxon takes aim at red tape in ambitious plan to boost renewable energy production
The National Party says its new renewable energy policy will double the amount of electricity produced from solar, wind and geothermal plants. ...1 hour ago - Auckland Council Admits It Doesn’t Know The Impact Of Its Own Budget CutsAuckland Council has proposed significant budget cuts without assessing the potential impacts on the region’s environment and climate change efforts, an official response reveals. No assessment was made as Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown never asked for one, ...2 hours ago
- Greenpeace Welcomes National’s Renewable Energy Policy, But Fossil Fuel Exploration And Agricultur...Greenpeace is welcoming the National Party’s new renewable energy policy - ‘Electrify NZ’ - with its focus on increasing renewable electricity generation to replace coal, gas and petrol-fuelled transport. But the organisation is calling on National ...2 hours ago
- National promises to double renewable energy supply
The National Party has pledged to “cut red tape” in the electricity sector through a new policy that it claims will double New Zealand’s supply of renewable energy. Dubbed “Electrify NZ”, the policy was unveiled this morning by party leader Christopher Luxon. “National wants a future where buses and trains ...2 hours ago - The Opportunities Party Launches A Petition To Establish An Anti-Corruption Commission...2 hours ago
- New Zealand High School Teachers Hold Second One-day StrikeBy Tom Peters, Socialist Equality Group 30 March 2023 Original url: https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2023/03/30/jspf-m30.html About 20,000 secondary teachers at public schools in New Zealand held a nationwide strike on March 29. It followed a much larger one-day strike on March 16 involving ...2 hours ago
- Dunne's Weekly: The Week The PM Lost Control Of The AgendaIn his first two months as Prime Minister Chris Hipkins impressed for his directness, clarity and determination, and the assured way in which he transitioned into his new role. His everyman style, from the hoodie to the more than occasional meat pie, ...2 hours ago
- Maritime NZ: Skippers Need To Be Alert And Pay Attention At All TimesRecreational craft users are being reminded of their skipper responsibilities following the sentencing of a boatie in Invercargill this week. A skipper was this week sentenced in the Invercargill District Court in relation to a grounding of their vessel on ...2 hours ago
- Political editors panel: Nash's email calamity, and cis white menMorning Report - RNZ and the NZ Herald's political editors discuss potential law-breaking by a now-sacked minister, and Marama Davidson's comments. ...2 hours ago
- Attention plant killers: new research shows your plants could be silently screaming at youSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alice Hayward, Molecular Biologist, The University of Queensland Shutterstock If you’re like me, you’ve managed to kill even the hardiest of indoor plants (yes, despite a doctorate in plant biology). But imagine a world where your plants actually told you ...2 hours ago
- Telehealth has much to offer First Nations people. But technical glitches and a lack of rapport can ...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Centaine Snoswell, Senior Research Fellow Health Economics, The University of Queensland Di Vincenzo/Shutterstock Telehealth has been a game changer for many First Nations people globally, including in Australia. It has allowed First Nations people to access health care close to ...2 hours ago
- The Millionaires’ Factory lays bare the good and bad about Australia’s millionaire manufacturer ...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kevin Davis, Emeritus Professor of Finance, The University of Melbourne Allen & Unwin The Millionaires’ Factory, subtitled “the inside story of how Macquarie Bank became a global giant” by financial journalists Joyce Moullakis and Chris Wright is an impressive, informative ...2 hours ago
- A horse died on the set of The Rings of Power: more needs to be done to ensure the welfare of horses...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Karen Luke, PhD candidate, CQUniversity Australia Amazon The recent death of a horse on the set of Amazon’s The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power is the latest incident raising questions about how humans use horses for entertainment ...2 hours ago
- More Pacific rugby league stars are opting to play for their homelands over Australia or NZ – that...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sierra Keung, Lecturer in Sport and Recreation, Auckland University of Technology With this year’s National Rugby League (NRL) season now up and running, the prevalence of Pacific players in the tournament is again obvious to see. All NRL teams now feature stars ...3 hours ago
- Listen: Will climate change wipe out your insurance?Since the devastation of Cyclone Gabrielle, insurers have begun rapidly repricing the land beneath homes for flood risk, creating a Wild West for home owners impatient to find out if their land is going to continue to be insurable. In the new episode of When the Facts Change, Bernard Hickey talks ...3 hours ago
- Meet the 2023 Kiwibank New Zealander of the YearDr Rangi Mātāmua has been announced as the 2023 Kiwibank New Zealander of the Year for his work in communicating the importance of mātauranga Māori. Aotearoa boasts an exceptionally rich cultural heritage, with our indigenous Māori population contributing significantly to our unique identity. It hasn’t always been a celebrated part ...3 hours ago
- The Bulletin: Questions raised over Nash’s ‘out of scope’ emailThe 2020 email to donors that prompted Nash’s firing had not been turned over following an OIA request for correspondence between Nash and his donors, Newsroom reports. The email had been deemed “out of scope” by the prime minister’s office (PMO) because it was not written in Nash’s ministerial responsibility. Writes Toby Manhire ...3 hours ago
- Could ousted Today FM staff take legal action?Today FM isn’t on air today after it’s sudden closure at about 9.30am yesterday morning. A document leaked to media has confirmed Mediaworks’ plans to shut the station down, leaving key on-air staff like Tova O’Brien without a job. Interestingly, the document also confirmed the swift timeframe put in place ...4 hours ago
- The big changes coming on April 1A pinch and a punch for the first of the month – and for higher minimum wages, increased benefits, new Covid boosters and more, 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. ...4 hours ago
- The raw of the crowd
Welcome to Newsroom's new weekly video and podcast, Raw Politics. ...6 hours ago - Bivalent Covid boosters are here – and if you’re 30+, you can probably get oneAs of tomorrow, everyone in Aotearoa aged in their 30s or 40s is eligible for a second booster shot – and it’s a new variety. A good deal of the population will struggle to remember when they had their first Covid-19 booster (hint: if you were quick off the mark, ...7 hours ago
- The five Auckland harbour crossing proposals, explainedAucklanders, would you like a tunnel, two tunnels or a tunnel and a bridge? My nana was one of the first people ever to cross Te Waitematā on foot. In 1959, as a schoolgirl, she walked across the newly constructed Auckland Harbour Bridge before it opened to traffic. Back ...7 hours ago
- Defence Minister: 'Independence is not isolationism'
Defence Minister on turning around high attrition and rethinking the risks around us. ...7 hours ago - Winning streak overtakes Olympian's tough year
After injury put her on the back foot last year, Olympic triathlete Nicole van der Kaay is on a stirring winning streak to start her journey to the 2024 Paris Olympics. Suzanne McFadden writes. In the days since Nicole van der Kaay won the first World Cup gold medal of her ...7 hours ago - This week's bestselling books
The latest Nielsen BookScan New Zealand bestseller list, described by Steve Braunias (plus giveaway of a $75 masterpiece) FICTION 1 Birnam Wood by Eleanor Catton (Te Herenga Waka University Press, $38) Number one for the seventh consecutive week; but, I think, maybe for the last time, or at least ...7 hours ago - Ideology trumps evidence at the Ministry of Education
The Govt’s new teaching model should have signalled to primary schools the importance of an evidence-based approach to reading and writing ...7 hours ago - Standing up for people standing up to power
The Posie Parker campaign, and a surprise bill this week dramatically extending possible asylum seeker detentions, show it's critical to keep fighting for human rights ...7 hours ago - Finally, water’s health is being put first
Two water-first decisions, 1000km apart, suggest the country is turning a corner ...7 hours ago - NZ's uneasy stability with China
New Zealanders, especially NZ businesses, should temper their expectations of a strong relationship with China Opinion: Last week, Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta made the first ministerial visit since 2019 to the People’s Republic of China for high-level meetings. With few concrete deliverables announced, the key achievement was stabilising bilateral relations ...7 hours ago - The opaque transparency of the OIA system
The latest revelations in the Stuart Nash saga extend Chris Hipkins' political headache but also spotlight the lack of transparency on freedom of information decisions, Marc Daalder writes Analysis: For Chris Hipkins, Stuart Nash's many and varied indiscretions are the headache that just won't stop. We're now more than two weeks ...7 hours ago - Māori-led solutions tackle housing inequities
A conference on Māori housing held in Rotorua was attended by over 900 people who are on the front line of dealing with homelessness and providing solutions. By Aaron Smale. Speakers at a conference on Māori housing highlighted how major events like Covid-19 and Cyclone Gabrielle have exposed serious housing ...7 hours ago - Yesterday, radio was such an easy game to play
The sudden closure of Today FM is recognition by MediaWorks that it doesn’t have the resources to stay in the fight with Newstalk ZB. The on-air disaster that saw an emotional Tova O’Brien lower the curtain on Today FM can be traced back to its owners – fund managers and ...7 hours ago - Daylight saving gives us jet lag for a few days – get over it
Because many of us find it hard to adjust, the idea of abandoning daylight saving gets attention every year, but it's shift workers and teenagers we should be concerned about, who live with this type of jet lag all the time Opinion: Much of the population is likely to feel a ...7 hours ago - The new food baddie on the block
Evidence is piling up that the prevalence of our packaged food offerings is not just damaging our health, but shortening our lives. Almost 70 percent of the packaged foods in our supermarkets are classed as ultra-processed - and in some food categories, nearly all products are. They're high in ...7 hours ago - Newsroom daily quiz, Friday 31 March
Loading...(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. ...8 hours ago - Daily crossword, Friday 31 March
...8 hours ago - Up to 50 Today FM staff in line to lose jobs, leaked document revealsIn addition to 30 roles being disestablished, another 20 Today FM staff are under review following the abrupt closure of the Mediaworks talk station. A confidential internal Mediaworks document leaked to media has confirmed that Today FM’s production and leadership host teams, which includes high-profile broadcasters such as Tova O’Brien ...14 hours ago
- Grattan on Friday: We need more tax revenue, but don’t ask the major parties how we’ll get itSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Teal candidates again fell short in the NSW election. Only one who was so labelled was successful, and she rejects the terminology. This followed the Victorian state election in which no teal won. Inevitably, ...14 hours ago
- Indonesia ‘makes humanitarianism illegal’ for West Papuans – 20 arrestsAsia Pacific Report Twenty West Papuans who were fundraising for the victims of tropical cyclones in Vanuatu were today arrested by Indonesian police in Jayapura, the Papuan provincial capital, reports a West Papuan advocacy group. “This was a peaceful, compassionate action, with Papuans taking to the streets to raise money ...14 hours ago
- Today FM hosts abruptly taken off air and told ‘play music’ in radio shockRNZ News The Mediaworks’ radio station Today FM abandoned scheduling today when presenters broke from programming to question the future of their employer. Broadcasters told their audience they were going off air and had been instructed to play music. Today FM hosts Duncan Garner and Tova O’Brien told listeners before ...14 hours ago
- Māori free to switch voting rolls from Friday after law changeFrom Friday Māori are free to switch their enrolment choice at any time except in the three months before an election. ...15 hours ago
- Measles has been identified in NSW, Qld and SA. 5 things to know about the virusSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Katherine Gibney, Senior research fellow, The Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity Shutterstock New South Wales health authorities have issued a measles alert after a baby who recently returned from overseas, and subsequently visited several sites in Western Sydney, ...16 hours ago
- What is the National School Reform Agreement and what does it have to do with school funding?Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Glenn C. Savage, Associate Professor of Education Policy and the Future of Schooling, The University of Melbourne This week, Federal Education Minister Jason Clare announced an expert panel to advise on “key targets and specific reforms” that should be tied to funding ...17 hours ago
- Paulo Garcia Selected As National’s Candidate In New LynnSelf-employed lawyer and Filipino community advocate Paulo Garcia has been selected as National’s candidate in New Lynn for the 2023 General Election. “I’m excited to get to work campaigning in New Lynn for a National Government that will strengthen ...17 hours ago
- Whether you’re a snorkeller or CEO, you can help save our vital kelp forestsSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Aaron Eger, Postdoctoral research fellow, UNSW Sydney Shutterstock What if we told you the world has forests harbouring creatures with three hearts and where the canopy can grow by a foot a day? What if we told you it was ...19 hours ago
- ‘We were robbed’: Deleted statement appears to confirm end of Today FMA candid – but now-deleted – statement on Today FM’s Facebook page appeared to confirm the end of the Mediaworks talk station. A message from the head of the digital team blamed the “harsh reality of cold corporate decisions” for the sudden closure of the radio station. “As I type ...19 hours ago
- Today FM fate due at 5pm; Tova O’Brien ‘devastated’The fate of Mediaworks’ talk station Today FM is due in under 10 minutes time. A banner on the station’s website states that a full update will be revealed at 5pm. What that update is, or whether it will be delivered by the radio, is still unclear – though it’s ...19 hours ago
- ‘There is no blueprint’: how Australian theatre companies are facing the climate crisisSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Linda Hassall, Senior Lecturer Humanities, Griffith University At the launch of the new national cultural policy earlier this year, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said we must lift the arts beyond the economic debate, and see it as a vital part of Australia’s ...19 hours ago
- 3 reasons you should never view or share videos showing children being assaulted – even if you thi...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Dominique Moritz, Senior Lecturer in Law, University of the Sunshine Coast Shutterstock Australians have been shocked by an incident on the Sunshine Coast this month in which a 13-year-old girl was imprisoned, assaulted and tortured over many hours, allegedly by ...19 hours ago
- Keith Rankin Analysis – Sex, Gender, Demography and Culture WarsAnalysis by Keith Rankin. Sex Keith Rankin, trained as an economic historian, is a retired lecturer in Economics and Statistics. He lives in Auckland, New Zealand. Whoever would have predicted that the definition of ‘male’ and ‘female’ could ever become a matter of contention? My professional life has been in ...19 hours ago
- Nash saga leaves Hipkins facing deeper questions of a stink in the BeehiveJust how often are official information requests to ministers unscrupulously denied, ruled out of scope, for sheer, naked, political expediency? Few words have haunted the sixth Labour government quite like those uttered by Clare Curran, then minister for open government, in November 2017, when she pledged “the most open, most ...20 hours ago
- Stuart Nash accused of trying to hide email which shared Cabinet informationDisgraced former minister Stuart Nash has been accused of breaking the law by trying to cover up the email which ended his career. ...20 hours ago
- Political Leadership Needed To Reverse Extinction TrendsForest & Bird says environmental indicator reporting today by Stats NZ is sobering, and shows how a whole-of-Government approach is needed to prevent New Zealand from remaining the extinction capital of the world. “This is a damning report and, ...21 hours ago
- Today FM staff coming to terms with ‘shock’ network shutdown The departure of key station management in recent weeks was an ominous sign – but staff were still blindsided by the way Today FM’s fate was delivered, reports Stewart Sowman-Lund. If you tune into Today FM right now, the only voice you’ll hear, spliced between classic hits from the likes ...21 hours ago
- Traveller dies from rabies, but ministry says ‘no risk to public’An overseas traveller to New Zealand died from rabies last week – but the public is being told there’s no risk of further spread. It’s New Zealand’s first confirmed case of the disease, contracted overseas and then diagnosed on our shores. Director of public health Dr Nick Jones said person ...21 hours ago
- Australia will have a carbon price for industry – and it may infuse greater climate action across ...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Frank Jotzo, Professor, Crawford School of Public Policy and Head of Energy, Institute for Climate Energy and Disaster Solutions, Australian National University Australia is about to take a big, constructive step on climate change policy: we will have a carbon price for ...21 hours ago
- What happened to the Senate inquiry into missing and murdered Indigenous women?Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Amy McQuire, Indigenous Post-Doctoral Fellow: Faculty of Creative Industries, Education & Social Justice, School of Communication, Queensland University of Technology Family members with Debbie Kilroy at coronial inquest into the murder of Ms Constance Watcho Photo supplied by: ‘Charandev Singh, Immigrant/Occupier, ...21 hours ago
- Listen: The final minutes of Today FMA banner on Today FM’s website has signalled an update on the at-risk news network will come at 5pm. All signs point to a full station closure – meaning this morning’s bombshell broadcast featuring Tova O’Brien and Duncan Garner may be the final minutes of Today FM. Here is how ...22 hours ago
- Mixed reactions to second Auckland harbour crossing proposalsNone of the five proposed options would reduce climate pollution or car congestion and would in fact likely make both worse, Greens transport spokesperson Julie Anne Genter says. ...22 hours ago
- Remember To Pehia Te Button | Press The Patene To Check Your Smoke Alarms This Daylight SavingThis daylight saving, Sunday 2 April, Fire and Emergency New Zealand is encouraging everyone to remember to pehia te button | press the patene to check their smoke alarms are in working order. "You and your family are more likely to survive a house ...22 hours ago
- Auckland’s Skyworld is on the market – so what should the new owner do with it?Renovate and rebuild, or knock it down and start again? Here’s what some experts think. It is, probably, one of Trade Me’s most expensive listings. Skyworld, the nine-storey entertainment mecca covering 3,486 square metres in the heart of Auckland’s CBD is, for the first time since 2011, up for sale. ...22 hours ago
- PM’s staff apologise for ‘error of judgment’ over withheld Stuart Nash emailThe 2020 email that saw Stuart Nash sacked from cabinet had been identified, and deemed out of scope, despite directly requesting communications between Nash and a list of donors, the prime minister’s office has now acknowledged. The request was discussed with staff in the prime minister’s office on three occasions. ...22 hours ago
- Auditor-General: NZDF Still Has Much Work To Do On Operation RespectThe Auditor-General’s report on progress by the New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) on implementing Operation Respect has found NZDF needs to act with urgency to create a safe, respectful, and inclusive environment for all its personnel. Introduced in ...22 hours ago
- Human Rights Fundamental In Disaster ResponseA critical checklist to ensure human rights are prioritised during relief and recovery efforts has been released today by Te Kāhui Tika Tangata Human Rights Commission. It follows the devastation of Cyclone Gabrielle and the January floods in Auckland, ...22 hours ago
- Don’t listen to Gwyneth Paltrow – IVs are not a shortcut to good healthSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Emily Burch, Dietitian, Researcher & Lecturer, Southern Cross University AP Photo/Alex Goodlett Actor and businesswoman Gwyneth Paltrow declared “I love an IV!” recently, calling herself an “early adoptor” of intravenous infusion during a podcast. Both she and the show’s host ...22 hours ago
- Submissions Invited On Legislative Changes Regarding Mass ArrivalsThe Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Committee is calling for submissions on the Immigration (Mass Arrivals) Amendment Bill. This bill would provide changes to the management of an irregular maritime arrival (an arrival of migrants to New Zealand ...23 hours ago
- What can’t bees do? Unique study of urban beehives reveals the secrets of several cities around th...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Scarlett Howard, Lecturer, Monash University leandro fregoni/Unsplash Bees provide myriad benefits to humanity, including pollination services, honey production, food security and crop pollination, artistic inspiration and even career opportunities. But what if bees could also provide insights into human and ...23 hours ago
- Evidence Stuart Nash breached official information laws
The "inexcusable" email that led to Stuart Nash's sacking from Cabinet formed part of correspondence requested by - and improperly denied to - Newsroom in 2021. Pete Mckenzie reports. Labour MP Stuart Nash appears to have improperly withheld the June 2020 email that forced prime minister Chris Hipkins to sack him ...23 hours ago - Will Indonesia’s presidential election be delayed? And could Jokowi stay in power longer?Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tim Lindsey, Malcolm Smith Professor of Asian Law and Director of the Centre for Indonesian Law, Islam and Society, The University of Melbourne A decade ago, Joko (Jokowi) Widodo was an outsider candidate whose carefully cultivated “everyman” persona swept him into Indonesia’s ...23 hours ago
- UN adopts Vanuatu-led resolution in ‘epic win’ on climate changeRNZ Pacific The UN General Assembly has adopted a Vanuatu-led resolution calling for an advisory opinion from the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on climate change and human rights. The resolution was tabled by Vanuatu and a core group of 17 countries, aiming to clarify what the obligations of states ...24 hours ago
- The savage shutdown of Today FM is Mediaworks turning to face extinctionThe station was a bold, future-facing investment to diversify revenue streams. Yet internal opposition has broken the brand, writes Duncan Greive. The text read, “Hey – tune into Today FM now if you can”. It came from a senior staffer there, and the omens were not good. It turned out ...24 hours ago
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