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Open mike 27/03/2025
Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, March 27th, 2025 - 93 comments
Open mike is your post. For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy). Step up to the mike …
Daily review 26/03/2025
Written By: - Date published: 5:30 pm, March 26th, 2025 - 5 comments
Daily review is also your post. This provides Standardistas the opportunity to review events of the day. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy). Don’t forget to be kind to each other …
Open mike 26/03/2025
Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, March 26th, 2025 - 26 comments
Open mike is your post. For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy). Step up to the mike …
Daily review 25/03/2025
Written By: - Date published: 5:30 pm, March 25th, 2025 - 12 comments
Daily review is also your post. This provides Standardistas the opportunity to review events of the day. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy). Don’t forget to be kind to each other …
Winston’s war on wokeness
Written By: - Date published: 7:04 am, March 25th, 2025 - 41 comments
In what looked like an early election campaign launch Winston Peters has done his old man shaking his fist at the sky tirade against everything woke.
Open mike 25/03/2025
Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, March 25th, 2025 - 27 comments
Open mike is your post. For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy). Step up to the mike …
Daily review 24/03/2025
Written By: - Date published: 5:30 pm, March 24th, 2025 - 4 comments
Daily review is also your post. This provides Standardistas the opportunity to review events of the day. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy). Don’t forget to be kind to each other …
Open mike 24/03/2025
Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, March 24th, 2025 - 10 comments
Open mike is your post. For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy). Step up to the mike …
Open mike 23/03/2025
Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, March 23rd, 2025 - 50 comments
Open mike is your post. For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy). Step up to the mike …
Open mike 22/03/2025
Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, March 22nd, 2025 - 15 comments
Open mike is your post. For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy). Step up to the mike …
Daily review 21/03/2025
Written By: - Date published: 5:30 pm, March 21st, 2025 - 5 comments
Daily review is also your post. This provides Standardistas the opportunity to review events of the day. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy). Don’t forget to be kind to each other …
Open mike 21/03/2025
Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, March 21st, 2025 - 47 comments
Open mike is your post. For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy). Step up to the mike …
Daily review 20/03/2025
Written By: - Date published: 5:30 pm, March 20th, 2025 - 5 comments
Daily review is also your post. This provides Standardistas the opportunity to review events of the day. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy). Don’t forget to be kind to each other …
Open mike 20/03/2025
Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, March 20th, 2025 - 12 comments
Open mike is your post. For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy). Step up to the mike …
Daily review 19/03/2025
Written By: - Date published: 5:30 pm, March 19th, 2025 - 6 comments
Daily review is also your post. This provides Standardistas the opportunity to review events of the day. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy). Don’t forget to be kind to each other …
Open mike 19/03/2025
Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, March 19th, 2025 - 77 comments
Open mike is your post. For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy). Step up to the mike …
Daily review 18/03/2025
Written By: - Date published: 5:30 pm, March 18th, 2025 - 3 comments
Daily review is also your post. This provides Standardistas the opportunity to review events of the day. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy). Don’t forget to be kind to each other …
Open mike 18/03/2025
Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, March 18th, 2025 - 60 comments
Open mike is your post. For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy). Step up to the mike …
Daily review 17/03/2025
Written By: - Date published: 5:30 pm, March 17th, 2025 - 11 comments
Daily review is also your post. This provides Standardistas the opportunity to review events of the day. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy). Don’t forget to be kind to each other …
Open mike 17/03/2025
Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, March 17th, 2025 - 26 comments
Open mike is your post. For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy). Step up to the mike …
Open mike 16/03/2025
Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, March 16th, 2025 - 42 comments
Open mike is your post. For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy). Step up to the mike …
Does the Government not like Māori and Pasifika?
Written By: - Date published: 7:00 am, March 15th, 2025 - 17 comments
Health officials advised the Government “significantly” more lives could be saved if it lowered the bowel cancer screening age for Māori and Pasifika further than the rest of the population. But it refused to accept this advice. Why?
Open mike 15/03/2025
Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, March 15th, 2025 - 41 comments
Open mike is your post. For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy). Step up to the mike …
Daily review 14/03/2025
Written By: - Date published: 5:30 pm, March 14th, 2025 - 4 comments
Daily review is also your post. This provides Standardistas the opportunity to review events of the day. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy). Don’t forget to be kind to each other …
Failed Conference
Written By: - Date published: 1:03 pm, March 14th, 2025 - 46 comments
Luxon’s team have delivered zero deals out of the multibillionaire conference on infrastructure. This is a fail.
Open mike 14/03/2025
Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, March 14th, 2025 - 53 comments
Open mike is your post. For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy). Step up to the mike …
Daily review 13/03/2025
Written By: - Date published: 5:30 pm, March 13th, 2025 - 2 comments
Daily review is also your post. This provides Standardistas the opportunity to review events of the day. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy). Don’t forget to be kind to each other …
Open mike 13/03/2025
Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, March 13th, 2025 - 36 comments
Open mike is your post. For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy). Step up to the mike …
Daily review 12/03/2025
Written By: - Date published: 5:30 pm, March 12th, 2025 - 14 comments
Daily review is also your post. This provides Standardistas the opportunity to review events of the day. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy). Don’t forget to be kind to each other …
Open mike 12/03/2025
Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, March 12th, 2025 - 74 comments
Open mike is your post. For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy). Step up to the mike …
Daily review 11/03/2025
Written By: - Date published: 5:30 pm, March 11th, 2025 - 7 comments
Daily review is also your post. This provides Standardistas the opportunity to review events of the day. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy). Don’t forget to be kind to each other …
- Open Australia versus closed United States
Beyond trade and tariff turmoil, Donald Trump pushes at the three core elements of Australia’s international policy: the US alliance, the region and multilateralism. What Kevin Rudd called the ‘three fundamental pillars’ are the heart ...7 days ago - The fix is in
So, having broken its promise to the nation, and dumped 85% of submissions on the Treaty Principles Bill in the trash, National's stooges on the Justice Committee have decided to end their "consideration" of the bill, and report back a full month early: Labour says the Justice Select Committee ...7 days ago - Intelligence review is strong on workforce issues. Implementation may be harder
The 2024 Independent Intelligence Review offers a mature and sophisticated understanding of workforce challenges facing Australia’s National Intelligence Community (NIC). It provides a thoughtful roadmap for modernising that workforce and enhancing cross-agency and cross-sector collaboration. ...7 days ago
- Corruption Tsunami
OPINION AND ANALYSIS:Chief Ombudsman Peter Boshier’s comments singling out Health NZ for “acting contrary to the law” couldn’t be clearer. If you find my work of value, do consider subscribing and/or supporting me. Thank you.Health NZ has been acting a law unto itself. That includes putting its management under extraordinary ...7 days ago - Sharing security interests, ASEAN’s big three step up cooperation
Southeast Asia’s three most populous countries are tightening their security relationships, evidently in response to China’s aggression in the South China Sea. This is most obvious in increased cooperation between the coast guards of the ...7 days ago
- Technology can make Team Australia fit for strategic competition
In the late 1970s Australian sport underwent institutional innovation propelling it to new heights. Today, Australia must urgently adapt to a contested and confronting strategic environment. Contributing to this, a new ASPI research project will ...1 week ago
- Bernard’s Picks ‘n’ Mixes for Thursday, April 3
In short this morning in our political economy:The Nelson Hospital waiting list crisis just gets worse, including compelling interviews with an over-worked surgeon who is leaving, and a patient who discovered after 19 months of waiting for a referral that her bowel and ovaries were fused together with scar tissue ...1 week ago - Gordon Campbell On The Clash Between Auckland Airport And Air New Zealand
Plainly, the claims being tossed around in the media last year that the new terminal envisaged by Auckland International Airport was a gold-plated “Taj Mahal” extravagance were false. With one notable exception, the Commerce Commission’s comprehensive investigation has ended up endorsing every other aspect of the airport’s building programme (and ...1 week ago - Just what does drive so much of this global, Right-wing populism we all see at present?
Movements clustered around the Right, and Far Right as well, are rising globally. Despite the recent defeats we’ve seen in the last day or so with the win of a Democrat-backed challenger, Dane County Judge Susan Crawford, over her Republican counterpart, Waukesha County Judge Brad Schimel, in the battle for ...1 week ago - Two-part webinar about the scientific consensus on human-caused global warming
In February 2025, John Cook gave two webinars for republicEN explaining the scientific consensus on human-caused climate change. 20 February 2025: republicEN webinar part 1 - BUST or TRUST? The scientific consensus on climate change In the first webinar, Cook explained the history of the 20-year scientific consensus on climate change. How do ...1 week ago - Bookshelf: ‘Vampire state: The rise and fall of the Chinese economy’
After three decades of record-breaking growth, at about the same time as Xi Jinping rose to power in 2012, China’s economy started the long decline to its current state of stagnation. The Chinese Communist Party ...1 week ago
- Too complacent, too greedy
The Pike River Coal mine was a ticking time bomb.Ventilation systems designed to prevent methane buildup were incomplete or neglected.Gas detectors that might warn of danger were absent or broken.Rock bolting was skipped, old tunnels left unsealed, communication systems failed during emergencies.Employees and engineers kept warning management about the … ...1 week ago - It’s time to imagine how China would act as regional hegemon
Regional hegemons come in different shapes and sizes. Australia needs to think about what kind of hegemon China would be, and become, should it succeed in displacing the United States in Asia. It’s time to ...1 week ago
- We don’t need the fast track to kill fossil fuels
RNZ has a story this morning about the expansion of solar farms in Aotearoa, driven by today's ground-breaking ceremony at the Tauhei solar farm in Te Aroha: From starting out as a tiny player in the electricity system, solar power generated more electricity than coal and gas combined for ...1 week ago
- How world order changes
After the Berlin Wall came down in 1989, and almost a year before the Soviet Union collapsed in late 1991, US President George H W Bush proclaimed a ‘new world order’. Now, just two months ...1 week ago
- Social Contracts Are Breaking
Warning: Some images may be distressing. Thank you for those who support my work. It means a lot.A shopfront in Australia shows Liberal leader Peter Dutton and mining magnate Gina Rinehart depicted with Nazi imageryUS Government Seeks Death Penalty for Luigi MangioneMangione was publicly walked in front of media in ...1 week ago - Wednesday 2 April
Aged care workers rallying against potential roster changes say Bupa, which runs retirement homes across the country, needs to focus on care instead of money. More than half of New Zealand workers wish they had chosen a different career according to a new survey. Consumers are likely to see a ...1 week ago - The Green’s Identity Bubble Problem.
The scurrilous attacks on Benjamin Doyle, a list Green MP, over his supposed inappropriate behaviour towards children has dominated headlines and social media this past week, led by frothing Rightwing agitators clutching their pearls and fanning the flames of moral panic over pedophiles and and perverts. Winston Peter decided that ...1 week ago - Fabian Fundraiser – Twilight Time
Twilight Time Lighthouse Cuba, Wigan Street, Wellington, Sunday 6 April, 5:30pm for 6pm start. Twilight Time looks at the life and work of Desmond Ball, (1947-2016), a barefooted academic from ‘down under’ who was hailed by Jimmy Carter as “the man who saved the world”, as he proved the fallacy ...1 week ago - That’s Democracy?
The landedAnd the wealthyAnd the piousAnd the healthyAnd the straight onesAnd the pale onesAnd we only mean the male ones!If you're all of the above, then you're ok!As we build a new tomorrow here today!Lyrics Glenn Slater and Allan Menken.Ah, Democracy - can you smell it?It's presently a sulphurous odour, ...1 week ago - Think laterally: government air and shipping services can boost Australian defence
US President Donald Trump’s unconventional methods of conducting international relations will compel the next federal government to reassess whether the United States’ presence in the region and its security assurances provide a reliable basis for ...1 week ago
- Reserve Bank, bank capital etc
Things seem to be at a pretty low ebb in and around the Reserve Bank. There was, in particular, the mysterious, sudden, and as-yet unexplained resignation of the Governor (we’ve had four Governors since the Bank was given its operational autonomy 35 years ago, and only two have completed their ...1 week ago - Luxon’s ‘going for growth’ actually means ‘going for debt reduction’
Long story short: PM Christopher Luxon said in January his Government was ‘going for growth’ and he wanted New Zealanders to develop a ‘culture of yes.’ Yet his own Government is constantly saying no, or not yet, to anchor investments that would unleash real private business investment and GDP growth. ...1 week ago - Luxon’s ‘going for growth’ actually means ‘going for debt reduction’
Long story short: PM Christopher Luxon said in January his Government was ‘going for growth’ and he wanted New Zealanders to develop a ‘culture of yes.’ Yet his own Government is constantly saying no, or not yet, to anchor investments that would unleash real private business investment and GDP growth. ...1 week ago
- Life after D-notices: Australia can learn from Britain’s updated system
For decades, Britain and Australia had much the same process for regulating media handling of defence secrets. It was the D-notice system, under which media would be asked not to publish. The two countries diverged ...1 week ago
- Life after D-notices: Australia can learn from Britain’s updated system
For decades, Britain and Australia had much the same process for regulating media handling of defence secrets. It was the D-notice system, under which media would be asked not to publish. The two countries diverged ...1 week ago
- Should Auckland demolish Spaghetti Junction?
This post by Nicolas Reid was originally published on Linked in. It is republished here with permission. In this article, I make a not-entirely-serious case for ripping out Spaghetti Junction in Auckland, replacing it with a motorway tunnel, and redeveloping new city streets and neighbourhoods above it instead. What’s ...1 week ago - Should Auckland demolish Spaghetti Junction?
This post by Nicolas Reid was originally published on Linked in. It is republished here with permission. In this article, I make a not-entirely-serious case for ripping out Spaghetti Junction in Auckland, replacing it with a motorway tunnel, and redeveloping new city streets and neighbourhoods above it instead. What’s ...1 week ago
- Bernard’s Picks ‘n’ Mixes for Wednesday, April 2
In short this morning in our political economy:The Nelson Hospital crisis revealed by 1News’ Jessica Roden dominates the political agenda today. Yet again, population growth wasn’t planned for, or funded.Kāinga Ora is planning up to 900 house sales, including new ones, Jonathan Milne reports for Newsroom.One of New Zealand’s biggest ...1 week ago - Bernard’s Picks ‘n’ Mixes for Wednesday, April 2
In short this morning in our political economy:The Nelson Hospital crisis revealed by 1News’ Jessica Roden dominates the political agenda today. Yet again, population growth wasn’t planned for, or funded.Kāinga Ora is planning up to 900 house sales, including new ones, Jonathan Milne reports for Newsroom.One of New Zealand’s biggest ...1 week ago
- Diplomacy is the newest front in the Russia-Ukraine war
The war between Russia and Ukraine continues unabated. Neither side is in a position to achieve its stated objectives through military force. But now there is significant diplomatic activity as well. Ukraine has agreed to ...1 week ago
- The wettest choppiest part
This was my first thought about yesterday's announcement from Winston Peters, ferry-whisperer. Read more ...1 week ago - How to deal with a kangaroo court
In November last year, Te Pāti Māori's Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke spoke for all of us when she led a haka against National's racist Treaty Principles Bill. National and its parliamentary patsies did not like that, so after kicking her out of the house for a day, they sought to drag her ...1 week ago
- AusAID can take USAID’s place in the Pacific islands
One of the first aims of the United States’ new Department of Government Efficiency was shutting down USAID. By 6 February, the agency was functionally dissolved, its seal missing from its Washington headquarters. Amid the ...1 week ago
- The US alliance is precious, but Australia should plan for more self-reliance
If our strategic position was already challenging, it just got worse. Reliability of the US as an ally is in question, amid such actions by the Trump administration as calling for annexation of Canada, threating ...1 week ago
- Monday 1 April
Small businesses will be exempt from complying with some of the requirements of health and safety legislation under new reforms proposed by the Government. The living wage will be increased to $28.95 per hour from September, a $1.15 increase from the current $27.80. A poll has shown large opposition to ...1 week ago
- Not Aprils’ Fools: Government Prioritises Road Cones Over Health & Safety, 6 Nelson Senior...
Summary A group of senior doctors in Nelson have spoken up, specifically stating that hospitals have never been as bad as in the last year.Patients are waiting up to 50 hours and 1 death is directly attributable to the situation: "I've never seen that number of patients waiting to be ...1 week ago - The US has many chip vulnerabilities
Although semiconductor chips are ubiquitous nowadays, their production is concentrated in just a few countries, and this has left the US economy and military highly vulnerable at a time of rising geopolitical tensions. While the ...1 week ago
- Health and Safety changes driven by ACT party ideology
Health and Safety changes driven by ACT party ideology, not evidence said NZCTU Te Kauae Kaimahi President Richard Wagstaff. Changes to health and safety legislation proposed by the Minister for Workplace Relations and Safety Brooke van Velden today comply with ACT party ideology, ignores the evidence, and will compound New ...1 week ago
- Bernard’s Picks ‘n’ Mixes for Tuesday, April 1
In short in our political economy this morning:Fletcher Building is closing its pre-fabricated house-building factory in Auckland due to a lack of demand, particularly from the Government.Health NZ is sending a crisis management team to Nelson Hospital after a 1News investigation exposed doctors’ fears that nearly 500 patients are overdue ...1 week ago - Looking back to look forward, 10 years after the First Principles Review
Exactly 10 years ago, the then minister for defence, Kevin Andrews, released the First Principles Review: Creating One Defence (FPR). With increasing talk about the rising possibility of major power-conflict, calls for Defence funding to ...1 week ago
- The Government accidentally added us to their group chat
In events eerily similar to what happened in the USA last week, Greater Auckland was recently accidentally added to a group chat between government ministers on the topic of transport. We have no idea how it happened, but luckily we managed to transcribe most of what transpired. We share it ...1 week ago
- Dylan Attempts to Stop a Pig Butchering
Hi,When I look back at my history with Dylan Reeve, it’s pretty unusual. We first met in the pool at Kim Dotcom’s mansion, as helicopters buzzed overhead and secret service agents flung themselves off the side of his house, abseiling to the ground with guns drawn.Kim Dotcom was a German ...1 week ago - Luxon Calls Snap Election!
Come around for teaDance me round and round the kitchenBy the light of my T.VOn the night of the electionAncient stars will fall into the seaAnd the ocean floor sings her sympathySongwriter: Bic Runga.The Prime Minister stared into the camera, hot and flustered despite the predawn chill. He looked sadly ...1 week ago - Gordon Campbell On The Government’s Latest Ferries Scam
Has Winston Peters got a ferries deal for you! (Buyer caution advised.) Unfortunately, the vision that Peters has been busily peddling for the past 24 hours – of several shipyards bidding down the price of us getting smaller, narrower, rail-enabled ferries – looks more like a science fiction fantasy. One ...1 week ago
- 2025 Reading List: March
Completed reads for March: The Heart of the Antarctic [1907-1909], by Ernest Shackleton South [1914-1917], by Ernest Shackleton Aurora Australis (collection), edited by Ernest Shackleton The Book of Urizen (poem), by William Blake The Book of Ahania (poem), by William Blake The Book of Los (poem), by William Blake ...1 week ago - The Attacks on Benjamin Doyle are Depraved
First - A ReminderBenjamin Doyle Doesn’t Deserve ThisI’ve been following posts regarding Green MP Benjamin Doyle over the last few days, but didn’t want to amplify the abject nonsense.This morning, Winston Peters, New Zealand’s Deputy Prime Minister, answered the alt-right’s prayers - guaranteeing amplification of the topic, by going on ...1 week ago - The world can still keep Trump in check
US President Donald Trump has shown a callous disregard for the checks and balances that have long protected American democracy. As the self-described ‘king’ makes a momentous power grab, much of the world watches anxiously, ...1 week ago
- Febrile elaborate fantasies
They can be the very same words. And yet their meaning can vary very much.You can say I'll kill him about your colleague who accidentally deleted your presentation the day before a big meeting.You can say I'll kill him to — or, for that matter, about — Tony Soprano.They’re the ...1 week ago - National’s ghost ships
Back in 2020, the then-Labour government signed contracted for the construction and purchase of two new rail-enabled Cook Strait ferries, to be operational from 2026. But when National took power in 2023, they cancelled them in a desperate effort to make the books look good for a year. And now ...1 week ago
- Red tape that tears us apart: regulation fragments Indo-Pacific cyber resilience
The fragmentation of cyber regulation in the Indo-Pacific is not just inconvenient; it is a strategic vulnerability. In recent years, governments across the Indo-Pacific, including Australia, have moved to reform their regulatory frameworks for cyber ...1 week ago
- Economic Bulletin March 2025
Welcome to the March 2025 Economic Bulletin. The feature article examines what public private partnerships (PPPs) are. PPPs have been a hot topic recently, with the coalition government signalling it wants to use them to deliver infrastructure. However, experience with PPPs, both here and overseas, indicates we should be wary. ...1 week ago
- Politics of Grievances A Tidal Wave
Willis announces more plans of plans for supermarketsYesterday’s much touted supermarket competition announcement by Nicola Willis amounted to her telling us she was issuing a 6 week RFI1 that will solicit advice from supermarket players.In short, it was an announcement of a plan - but better than her Kiwirail Interislander ...1 week ago
- Not much parliamentary scrutiny
This was the post I was planning to write this morning to mark Orr’s final day. That said, if the underlying events – deliberate attempts to mislead Parliament – were Orr’s doing, the post is more about the apparent uselessness of Parliament (specifically the Finance and Expenditure Committee) in holding ...1 week ago
- TSMC’s $100 billion bet: strengthening ties or weakening Taiwan’s leverage?
Taiwanese chipmaking giant TSMC’s plan to build a plant in the United States looks like a move made at the behest of local officials to solidify US support for Taiwan. However, it may eventually lessen ...1 week ago
- SOS – Save our streets!
This is a Guest Post by Transport Planner Bevan Woodward from the charitable trust Movement, which has lodged an application for a judicial review of the Governments Setting of Speed Limits Rule 2024 Auckland is at grave risk of having its safer speed limits on approx. 1,500 local streets ...1 week ago
- Noise Pollution
We're just talkin' 'bout the futureForget about the pastIt'll always be with usIt's never gonna die, never gonna dieSongwriters: Brian Johnson / Angus Young / Malcolm YoungMorena, all you lovely people, it’s good to be back, and I have news from the heartland. Now brace yourself for this: depending on ...1 week ago - Farewell to Orr
Today is the last day in office for the Governor of the Reserve Bank, Adrian Orr. Of course, he hasn’t been in the office since 5 March when, on the eve of his major international conference, his resignation was announced and he stormed off with no (effective) notice and no ...1 week ago
- Bishop fighting hard to free up housing supply
Treasury and Cabinet have finally agreed to a Crown guarantee for a non-Government lending agency for Community Housing Providers (CHPs), which could unlock billions worth of loans and investments by pension funds and banks to build thousands of more affordable social homes. Photo: Lynn GrievesonMōrena. Long stories shortest: Chris Bishop ...1 week ago - 3 percent of GDP for defence is no stretch. We did 2.9 percent in the Cold War
Australia has plenty of room to spend more on defence. History shows that 2.9 percent of GDP is no great burden in ordinary times, so pushing spending to 3.0 percent in dangerous times is very ...1 week ago
- Bernard’s Picks ‘n’ Mixes for Monday, March 31
In short this morning in our political economy:Winston Peters will announce later today whether two new ferries are rail ‘compatible’, requiring time-consuming container shuffling, or the more efficient and expensive rail ‘enabled,’ where wagons can roll straight on and off.Nicola Willis threatened yesterday to break up the supermarket duopoly with ...1 week ago - 2025 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #13
A listing of 31 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, March 23, 2025 thru Sat, March 29, 2025. This week's roundup is again published by category and sorted by number of articles included in each. The formatting is a ...2 weeks ago
- Inspired Quill: Anthology Submissions Open
For prospective writers out there, Inspired Quill, the publisher of my novel(s) is putting together a short story anthology (pieces up to 10,000 words). The open submission window is 29th March to 29th April. https://www.inspired-quill.com/anthology-submissions/ The theme?This anthology will bring together diverse voices exploring themes of hope, resistance, and human ...2 weeks ago
- The untold story of the 2009 defence white paper
Prime minister Kevin Rudd released the 2009 defence white paper in May of that year. It is today remembered mostly for what it said about the strategic implications of China’s rise; its plan to double ...2 weeks ago
- This is not democracy
When National introduced its bullshit "Treaty Principles Bill", the public reacted with outrage. Over 300,000 of us - more than 5% of the entire population of Aotearoa - submitted on the bill, crashing parliamentary servers. But now, National's stooge committee has decided to dump two-thirds of those submissions in the ...2 weeks ago
- Bernard’s Picks ‘n’ Mixes on Saturday, March 29
In short this morning in our political economy:Voters want the Government to retain the living wage for cleaners, a poll shows.The Government’s move to provide a Crown guarantee to banks and the private sector for social housing is described a watershed moment and welcomed by Community Housing Providers.Nicola Willis is ...2 weeks ago - Updates from Rwanda and the Congo – by Zoom
The recent attacks in the Congo by Rwandan backed militias has led to worldwide condemnation of the Rwandan regime of Paul Kagame. Following up on the recent Fabian Zoom with Mikela Wrong and Maria Amoudian, Dr Rudaswinga will give a complete picture of Kagame’s regime and discuss the potential ...2 weeks ago
- Public-Private-Partnerships?
New Zealand’s economic development has always been a partnership between the public and private sectors.Public-Private-Partnerships (PPPs) have become fashionable again, partly because of the government’s ambitions to accelerate infrastructural development. There is, of course, an ideological element too, while some of the opposition to them is also ideological.PPPs come in ...2 weeks ago - Australia’s international spending reveals uneven ambition
How Australia funds development and defence was front of mind before Tuesday’s federal budget. US President Donald Trump’s demands for a dramatic lift in allied military spending and brutal cuts to US foreign assistance meant ...2 weeks ago
- The imperilled truth and the imperilled Herald
Questions 1. Where and what is this protest?a. Hamilton, angry crowd yelling What kind of food do you call this Seymour?b. Dunedin, angry crowd yelling Still waiting, Simeon, still waitingc. Wellington, angry crowd yelling You’re trashing everything you idiotsd. Istanbul, angry crowd yelling Give us our democracy back, give it ...2 weeks ago - Northern Australia’s economic revival can support defence readiness
Two blueprints that could redefine the Northern Territory’s economic future were launched last week. The first was a government-led economic strategy and the other an industry-driven economic roadmap. Both highlight that supporting the Northern Territory ...2 weeks ago
- Climate Change: More subsidies for Tiwai
In December 2021, then-Climate Change Minister James Shaw finally ended Tiwai Point's excessive pollution subsidies, cutting their "Electricity Allocation Factor" (basically compensation for the cost of carbon in their electricity price) to zero on the basis that their sweetheart deal meant they weren't paying it. In the process, he effectively ...2 weeks ago
- Tamatha Paul’s Pile On Is Unjustified
Green MP Tamatha Paul has received quite the beat down in the last two days.Her original comments were part of a panel discussion where she said:“Wellington people do not want to see police officers everywhere, and, for a lot of people, it makes them feel less safe. It’s that constant ...2 weeks ago
- Trump could make Asia more united
US President Donald Trump has raised the spectre of economic and geopolitical turmoil in Asia. While individual countries have few options for pushing back against Trump’s transactional diplomacy, protectionist trade policies and erratic decision-making, a ...2 weeks ago
- Friday 28 March
Jobs are on the line for back-office staff at the Department of Corrections, as well as at Archives New Zealand and the National Library. A “malicious actor” has accessed and downloaded private information about staff in districts in the lower North Island. Cabinet has agreed to its next steps regarding ...2 weeks ago
- Recruitment Of New External Member To The Monetary Policy Committee
Board Chair Neil Quigley said that “suitably qualified candidates will be interviewed later this year and assessed against the appointment criteria, then the name of the candidate recommended by the Board will be provided to the Minister of Finance.” ...17 hours ago - Don’t let embarrassment stop you – talking about these anal cancer symptoms could save your life
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Suzanne Mahady, Gastroenterologist & Clinical Epidemiologist, Senior Lecturer, Monash University sarkao/Shutterstock Anal cancer doesn’t get a lot of attention. This may be because it’s relatively rare – anal cancer affects an estimated one to two Australians in every 100,000. As a ...17 hours ago - New procurement rules urge wool use in government buildings
The government says the move aims to provide opportunities for local wool producers. ...17 hours ago - ‘My beliefs are a private matter’ – National MP part of underground sect probed by...
A National Party politician who is part of a secretive sect being probed for historical child sexual abuse says he had a happy upbringing in the group. ...17 hours ago
- ‘I refuse to be disappeared by hate’ – Green MP Benjamin Doyle responds to social ...
Benjamin Doyle has broken their silence for the first time since coming under intense scrutiny for their social media history. ...17 hours ago
- Gold rush Melbourne and post-war boom: how Australia overcame housing shortages in the past
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rachel Stevens, Lecturer, Institute for Humanities and Social Sciences, Australian Catholic University As part of their federal election campaign, the Coalition announced plans to limit the number of international students able to commence study each year to 240,000, “focused on driving ...17 hours ago
- Wellington council fights speed limit reversals: ‘This is stupid policy’
Wellington city councillors will seek an exemption from the government's speed limit reversal rules. ...18 hours ago
- National MP James Meager leaves Justice Committee chair role
Andrew Bayly will take up the role as Justice Committee chair. ...18 hours ago
- ER Report: A Roundup of Significant Articles on EveningReport.nz for April 9, 2025
ER Report: Here is a summary of significant articles published on EveningReport.nz on April 9, 2025. Chinese-Australian voters were key to Labor’s win in 2022. Are some now swinging back to the Liberals?Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Wanning Sun, Professor of Media and Cultural Studies, University of ...18 hours ago
- A fashionphobe gets a front row seat at iD Dunedin Fashion Show
Tara Ward has the sartorial night of her life at the south’s most prestigious fashion event. I know nothing about fashion. I work from home, which means my office attire usually involves a dressing gown and track pants. When I dare to leave the house, I am a confused butterfly ...19 hours ago - Chinese-Australian voters were key to Labor’s win in 2022. Are some now swinging back to the Liber...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Wanning Sun, Professor of Media and Cultural Studies, University of Technology Sydney Chinese-Australian voters were pivotal to Labor’s win in the 2022 election, with the swing against the Liberals in several key marginal seats almost twice that of other seats. Many traditionally ...19 hours ago
- The ‘monogamy superiority myth’: new research suggests unconventional relationships are just as ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Joel Anderson, Associate Professor in LGBTIQA+ Psychology, La Trobe University Pixel-Shot/Shutterstock From The Bachelor to Married at First Sight, reality TV sells us the idea that one perfect partner will complete us. The formula is familiar: find “the one,” lock ...19 hours ago
- Diesel importers required to increase reserves to 28 days
The new requirement - which kicks in from July 2028 - will apply to importers with more than a 10 percent market share. ...20 hours ago
- Books to live by: Kimberly Andrews’ books confessional
Welcome to The Spinoff Books Confessional, in which we get to know the reading habits of Aotearoa writers, and guests. This week: Kimberly Andrews, author of new picture book Giraffe the Gardener. The book I wish I’d written The Skull is Jon Klassen’s wonderfully noir adaptation of a traditional Tyrolean ...21 hours ago
- ‘Germany is back’: 3 ways NZ can benefit from Europe’s renewed centre of power
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mathew Doidge, Senior Research Fellow, National Centre for Research on Europe, University of Canterbury Getty Images It’s unlikely many New Zealanders paid close attention to Foreign Minister Winston Peters’ statement late last year that “New Zealand and Germany are committed to ...22 hours ago
- ‘Increasingly vulnerable’ – Warning over rise of organised crime in NZ
An advisory group has told the associate police minister New Zealand is "losing the fight" against organised crime. ...22 hours ago
- ‘Shoot me’: Retiring MP David Parker dismisses prospect of Wellington mayoralty bid
Former Cabinet minister David Parker has signalled his retirement from Parliament in May - but not to enter local politics. ...22 hours ago
- Ministry of Social Development to use basic AI to regrant benefits
Opponents fear a potential law change will create a loophole allowing AI to cut benefits and impose sanctions, which the ministry denies. ...23 hours ago
- Echo Chamber: Supplementary! That’s the sound of defunding da police
Woop woop, that’s the sound of the last week in parliament for a month. Echo Chamber is The Spinoff’s dispatch from the press gallery, recapping sessions in the House. Columns are written by politics reporter Lyric Waiwiri-Smith and Wellington editor Joel MacManus. The last-week-of-school jitters tend to manifest as making ...23 hours ago
- Ministry of Social Development to use ‘basic AI’ to check if jobseekers have met their o...
Opponents fear a potential law change will create a loophole allowing AI to cut benefits and impose sanctions, which the ministry denies. ...23 hours ago
- Bringing manufacturing back from overseas isn’t an easy solution to Trump’s trade war
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Susan Stone, Credit Union SA Chair of Economics, University of South Australia Shutterstock The past week has seen the United States single-handedly rewrite the underlying paradigm for global trade. And while it is fair to say that the methods are extreme, ...1 day ago
- Heaven is a dog pool party
For one day a year, Christchurch pools open for pooches to take the plunge. All week I was hyping up Maggie, our rescue terrier cross, for the big day with her best friend. Ready for the pool party Maggie? With Peachy? Ready to see Peachy? At the pool party? Her ...1 day ago
- Finance Minister Nicola Willis insists NZ must withstand global volatility
Finance Minister Nicola Willis has urged Kiwis to be "resilient" in the face of the global economic turmoil brought on by hard-hitting US trade tariffs this week. ...1 day ago
- How to build a cinematic universe: the secret to Marvel’s enormous success among a history of fail...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Vincent Tran, Academic Tutor at Swinburne University of Technology, Swinburne University of Technology Since Iron Man hit the big screen in 2008, the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) has made more than US$30 billion, from films to series, to merchandise and ...1 day ago
- ChatGPT just passed the Turing test. But that doesn’t mean AI is now as smart as humans
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Zena Assaad, Senior Lecturer, School of Engineering, Australian National University Hanna Barakat & Cambridge Diversity Fund/Better Images of AI, CC BY-SA There have been several headlines over the past week about an AI chatbot officially passing the Turing test. These ...1 day ago
- A grab bag of campaign housing policies. But will they fix the affordability crisis beyond the elect...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Cull, Associate professor, Western Sydney University Secure and affordable housing is a fundamental human right for all Australians. Therefore, it is unsurprising the election campaign is being played out against a backdrop of heightened voter anxiety about rental stress and ...1 day ago
- These complementary therapies may soon be eligible for private health insurance rebates
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jon Wardle, Professor of Public Health, Southern Cross University Rui Dias/Pexels Private health insurers may soon be able to offer rebates for seven complementary therapies previously prohibited. This includes some movement therapies – Pilates, yoga, tai chi and Alexander technique, ...1 day ago
- Andrew Little eyes Wellington mayoralty bid
With the former Labour leader ‘80%’ certain to throw his hat in the ring for the capital’s top job, Tory Whanau’s life just got a lot harder, writes Catherine McGregor in today’s extract from The Bulletin. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here. A political heavyweight returns? ...1 day ago
- Tesla Takedown In Pōneke This Morning 7.30am
“We will hold banners, toiere (sing) waiata, and chant to draw attention to the far right ideology of the Tesla CEO and to encourage potential Tesla customers away from a product with fascist ties," says PAFC spokesperson Michelle Ducat. ...1 day ago
- Winston Peters at 80: the populist’s populist clocks up 50 years of political comebacks
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Grant Duncan, Teaching Fellow in Politics and International Relations, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau Getty Images Winston Peters turns a venerable 80 on April 11, but he showed no sign of retiring as New Zealand’s archetypal populist during his recent ...1 day ago
- ‘There should always be a human in charge’: Defence minister on NZDF’s killer dron...
Judith Collins has given the NZ military permission to acquire the drones but with conditions attached. ...1 day ago
- ‘We are now in the grips of this tariff war’ – economists warn of second-order eff...
It could be five to 10 years before the world adjusts to Donald Trump's tariffs, a former Reserve Bank governor says. ...1 day ago
- I monitor female politicians’ social media feeds – it’s even worse than you think
A scary look inside the inboxes of two recent politicians. Damon has worked as a social media content creator for the Green Party and helps create content for Wellington mayor Tory Whanau. This piece is written in his own capacity as a private citizen. Opinions do not represent the Wellington ...1 day ago
- ‘No one prepares you for that’: 11 female MPs share their experiences with harassment
In a selection of anonymous quotes, a group of female parliamentarians from across the political spectrum give an insight into what they deal with. A study published today has called for urgent action in response to harassment of female MPs in New Zealand. The researchers from the department of psychological ...1 day ago
- The Crown has been siphoning off Māori fisheries quota for decades
A recent High Court ruling has raised alarm bells about the long-term integrity of Treaty settlements – and concern over how a little-known clause in the Fisheries Act could cost iwi millions. In 1992, the Crown and Māori reached what was meant to be a “full and final” settlement over ...1 day ago
- Houthis will never be defeated by airstrikes alone
Comment: When the US launched fresh airstrikes on Yemen last month, it signalled the continuation of a strategy that has failed for more than 20 years to weaken the Houthi rebels. While bombing Houthi assets in Yemen will reduce the group’s ability to attack ships in the Red Sea, such ...1 day ago - A haka, a political standoff, and tikanga in Parliament
Three Te Pāti Māori MPs have two weeks to end their deadlock with the Privileges Committee over their refusal to front up at a hearing into their haka last November, or they’ll face serious consquences.They can’t be sacked or imprisoned – The Privileges Committee tried to imprison someone once but ...1 day ago
- ‘Adolescence’ is a drama, not an educational tool
Comment: British PM has endorsed Netflix making its drama available free to schools, but more harm than good could result The post ‘Adolescence’ is a drama, not an educational tool appeared first on Newsroom. ...1 day ago
- Stocks and funds give toys a run for their money as gifts for kids
Sharesies co-founder Brooke Roberts says children are the richest in the most valuable aspect of money – time The post Stocks and funds give toys a run for their money as gifts for kids appeared first on Newsroom. ...1 day ago
- Different systems of knowledge – together, stronger
Analysis: Researching my book The Science of the Māori Lunar Calendar has deepened my appreciation of Mātauranga Māori and its importance to the lives of New Zealanders past and present. Not long ago, Māori knowledge was largely disregarded by the scientific community and treated as little more than myth and ...1 day ago
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