social media lolz
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The many and varied takes of Des Gorman on covid
Written By: - Date published: 3:05 pm, July 25th, 2021 - 30 comments
A review of Des Gorman’s comments about Covid over the last 15 months, pretty well all of which have been negative, makes you wonder how it is possible that we have been able to maintain an effective Covid free status in Aotearoa New Zealand.
She might have saved us from Covid but she does not drink beer with Soper
Written By: - Date published: 7:45 am, March 9th, 2021 - 99 comments
Newstalk ZB, Mike Hosking and Barry Soper are shocked, I tell you, shocked that Jacinda Ardern will no longer regularly appear on the Mike Hosking show.
The twitter purge
Written By: - Date published: 8:19 am, January 14th, 2021 - 109 comments
Over the past few days Twitter has suspended not only Donald Trump’s twitter account but 70,000 accounts world wide many associated with the propagation of Qanon conspiracies.
The Parler purge
Written By: - Date published: 9:04 am, January 12th, 2021 - 87 comments
Parler, which attracted right wing extremists because of its refusal to apply any rules to what people said, has had its application banned by Google and Apple and Amazon has now refused to host its data. But it has also had all of user’s data downloaded and archived and made available to everyone, including law enforcement authorities. Think Dirty Politics but on industrial scale.
Advising the country about Covid19 is unfair to National
Written By: - Date published: 9:28 am, June 16th, 2020 - 30 comments
National is complaining that a Government Covid19 media account liked Jacinda Ardern’s instagram page. And a National cheerleader wants all Covid 19 response advertising to stop.
Dear Hamish please keep it up
Written By: - Date published: 7:50 am, June 8th, 2020 - 39 comments
Hamish Price’s twitter game is proving to be a boon to Labour.
When Bridges’ social media goes wrong
Written By: - Date published: 8:09 am, April 21st, 2020 - 77 comments
Simon Bridges’s Facebook post criticising the extension of lockdown level 4 has been met with overwhelming opposition, including from people who are clearly National Party supporters.
Better footpaths and cycleways are a socialist inspired plot?
Written By: - Date published: 8:06 am, April 14th, 2020 - 65 comments
National MP Simon O’Connor thinks that making under used streets safer for walkers and cyclers is a Socialist inspired plan for world domination.
This changes everything
Written By: - Date published: 6:34 am, March 24th, 2020 - 182 comments
What will our future now look like?
T’was the day of Christmas
Written By: - Date published: 10:37 am, December 26th, 2019 - 13 comments
National’s social media team spent Christmas day deleting tweets suggesting there was any link between its MPs and members of the #turnardern campaign.
Little’s Electoral Bill a curate’s egg – good in parts
Written By: - Date published: 1:51 pm, December 4th, 2019 - 11 comments
I’ve always liked Punch magazine’s famous cartoon “True humility” where the curate assures his bishop noticing his bad egg that parts of it are excellent. Most discussion on Little’s Bill has focused on the bad bits regarding foreign donations. The good bit requires all political ads online to be attributed.
Why some MPs should not tweet
Written By: - Date published: 9:16 am, December 3rd, 2019 - 7 comments
National MP Joanne Hayes has provided a textbook example of the perils of Twitter.
Social Media – A force for good?
Written By: - Date published: 11:10 am, November 22nd, 2019 - 8 comments
Nick Kelly on the role of social media in the UK election.
Every day New Zealanders
Written By: - Date published: 12:37 pm, September 18th, 2019 - 20 comments
Simon Bridges thinks that Jacinda Ardern’s international campaign to change the way that social media handles hate speech and terrorism a big talkfest that will achieve nothing, even though Facebook has as a result announced significant changes to its platform.
Labour reduces the number of cats getting stuck in trees every month
Written By: - Date published: 4:04 pm, August 17th, 2019 - 14 comments
Meanwhile, National signalled they need a hand with statistics, and the public gladly stepped up.
When your Comms team goes rogue
Written By: - Date published: 11:00 am, July 24th, 2019 - 8 comments
Former UK Labour MP Jared O’Mara must be regretting not treating his staff better as his Comms adviser has announced his resignation via O’Mara’s own twitter account.
Sorry no posts today …
Written By: - Date published: 1:46 pm, July 12th, 2019 - 36 comments
A chicken crisis will curtail posts from me today sorry.
National is pinning 2020 success on someone who is not in Parliament
Written By: - Date published: 10:24 am, June 22nd, 2019 - 135 comments
An expensive advertising campaign suggesting that Christopher Luxon could be the next Prime Minister after the 2020 election has appeared.
Landlord advocates threatening rent increases if Labour wins next election
Written By: - Date published: 8:05 am, March 11th, 2019 - 288 comments
A landlord has advocated that all landlords should threaten to increase tenant’s rentals if Labour wins the next election.
Simon Bridges’ twitter game
Written By: - Date published: 2:51 pm, March 1st, 2019 - 39 comments
Why is Simon Bridges’ twitter account liking and retweeting his own tweets?
Simon Bridges twitter game
Written By: - Date published: 2:40 pm, February 11th, 2019 - 27 comments
Simon Bridges’ twitter account has been tweeting about unusual subjects lately.
Russell Brand’s New Year’s Revolutions!
Written By: - Date published: 10:05 am, January 8th, 2019 - 35 comments
Russell Brand has a some advice for people making New Year’s resolutions. It’s funny, sweet and particularly positive.
Test embeds in comments.
Written By: - Date published: 8:04 pm, January 3rd, 2019 - 32 comments
As some of you may have noticed, I’ve started testing some embeds in comments in OpenMike today. This is a test to see what is possible in posts that can worthwhile be carried over to the comments. I’ll probably make decisions on what I allow over the weekend and either add what you want or remove the ones that look like they will break the conversation.
Play day
Written By: - Date published: 9:29 am, December 25th, 2018 - 3 comments
This is the day to play.
We’re dreaming of a White Christmas
Written By: - Date published: 8:30 am, December 3rd, 2018 - 116 comments
Social media has erupted because a Santa Claus was not a fat old white guy with false facial hair.
Triumph the insult dog meets Beto and Cruz
Written By: - Date published: 7:47 am, November 7th, 2018 - 6 comments
If you have 10 minutes to waste and enjoy laughing uproariously I can recommend this video. Warning should not be watched while you are drinking coffee and the contents may be sprayed on your screen …
Simon Bridges wants a new senior social media advisor
Written By: - Date published: 8:00 am, November 6th, 2018 - 36 comments
Simon Bridges has advertised for a Senior Social Media advisor.
Morongate
Written By: - Date published: 11:29 am, November 4th, 2018 - 13 comments
In America a young 20 year old Trump supporter has been branded with the hashtag morongate for the most inept dark op smear you could ever imagine happening.
Trademe advertises National List MP position for sale
Written By: - Date published: 11:58 am, October 19th, 2018 - 17 comments
Some wag on Trademe has advertised National Party list positions for sale.
Pretty legal
Written By: - Date published: 7:30 am, September 29th, 2018 - 37 comments
National has another potential copyright problem involving the use of music without permission.
How some men celebrated Suffrage Day
Written By: - Date published: 8:10 am, September 20th, 2018 - 37 comments
Two prominent men chose to celebrate Suffrage day yesterday, one by having himself photographed in front of female members of his caucus and the other by complaining that at different times different groups of men also did not have the vote.
- One way of fixing it
Yesterday, in response to upcoming industrial action, DHBs decided to take the nurses' union to court, claiming they weren't doing enough to guarantee safe staffing levels during the strike. The core issue in the strike is... safe staffing levels, so there's a heavy dose of irony there. And its a ...19 mins ago - 5,000 employed under LabourThe quarterly labour market statistics have been released, and outperformed expectations again, with unemployment dropping to 4.0%. There are now 117,000 unemployed - 5,000 fewer than when Labour took office. Which, given the pandemic, is a pretty spectacular performance. Throw in a drop in underutilisation and increased wages, and it ...52 mins ago
- Member’s DayToday is a Member's Day. First is the committee stage of Andrew Bayly's racist, anti-immigrant New Zealand Superannuation and Retirement Income (Fair Residency) Amendment Bill. Labour has sadly decided to back it - apparently they value the votes of dying, racist NZ First voters more than those of their own ...1 hour ago
- NZ Politics Daily: 4 August 2021
Housing Bernard Hickey: Here’s all the levers the Govt is not pulling to fix our housing catastrophe Chloe Swarbrick (Herald): UN-enshrined human right to housing eclipsed by investor greed Charlie Dreaver (RNZ): ‘Way too many hoops’: First Home Grant payouts fall short Toby Morris (Spinoff): The Side Eye’s Two New Zealands: Locked out Claire ...4 hours ago - Playing Skadi: The Amazon Identification Debate
As I noted in a previous post, Amazon have released the first image of the upcoming Second Age series. Much like their map-leak from a couple of years ago, it is clearly intended to get the geekier elements of online Tolkien fandom in a lather. And much like a ...8 hours ago - An increasingly hysterical base and the National “Leadership”team: far too similar in mindset, o...
Fuming and foaming about the fact their Party lost most recent NZ Election, the barrage, even four years on, from their supporters has not lost any signs of abating. Partly because they claimed high support in the past which gave them an unearned sense of “Right to Rule” and ...18 hours ago - Racist party wants to ban Maori word
18 hours ago - Dawn raids, continuing exploitation
by Don Franks Beginning in 1974, New Zealand police armed with dogs repeatedly accosted Pacific Nation people, in their homes, in the early morning. The operations were carried out to arrest alleged visa overstayers. After these raids some of the adult victims were deported, their children being placed in state care ...19 hours ago - Bryce Edwards: Political Roundup – Radical reform coming to a supermarket near youThe supermarket sector is finally about to receive some serious government intervention. Following a scathing report from the Commerce Commission, it’s now almost inevitable that the Labour Government is going to have to introduce some major changes to this vital but uncompetitive retail sector. And these moves are likely to ...19 hours ago
- Thinking is Power: The problem with “doing your own research”
This is a re-post from the Thinking is Power website maintained by Melanie Trecek-King where she regularly writes about many aspects of critical thinking in an effort to provide accessible and engaging critical thinking information to the general public. The phrase “do your own research” seems ubiquitous these days, often by those who ...19 hours ago - Air pollution exposure is shifting from outdoor to indoor – here’s why
Nicola Carslaw, University of York and David Carslaw, University of York You may have seen the before-and-after-lockdown photos of major cities that appear to show dramatic changes in air quality. In one, the India Gate war memorial in New Delhi is barely visible amid the smog. Then, during lockdown, ...20 hours ago - Curiouser and Curiouser: The First Image Out of Amazon’s Second Age Series
Courtesy of Twitter, we now a release date for the upcoming Amazon LOTR/Second Age series: 2nd September, 2022. Which just happens to be the 49th anniversary of Tolkien’s Death. We also have the first image from the series: Very pretty. A figure in white robes looking out over ...21 hours ago - Our brains perceive our environment differently when we’re lying downDavid I. Shore, McMaster University You’re agitated by the sound of a mosquito buzzing around your head. The buzzing stops. You feel the tiny pinprick and locate the target. Whack! It’s over. It’s a simple sequence, but it demands complex processing. How did you know where the mosquito was ...1 day ago
- Incentives workHuh. It turns out that incentives to buy EVs and lower their price relative to fossil vehicles work: The first month of the "feebate" saw a huge spike in electric vehicle sales, which nearly quadrupled. There were 1944 pure EV and hybrid light vehicle new registrations during July, according ...1 day ago
- NZ Politics Daily: 3 August 2021Opinion polls, government, political parties Claire Trevett (Herald): Poll should be death knell for Judith Collins but a Covid hangover is hitting for PM Jacinda Ardern (paywalled) Mark Quinlivan (Newshub): Newshub-Reid Research Poll: Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern not bothered by result as Labour plummets to 43 percent Zane Small (Newshub): Newshub-Reid Research Poll: Judith ...1 day ago
- New technology offers insights on Southern Ocean’s carbon secretsThis is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Kristen Pope The Southern Ocean surrounding Antarctica makes up less than a third of the global ocean surface, yet scientists believe it “plays an outsized role in the climate system,” according to a 2021 journal article in Geophysical Research Letters. Water and currents from other ...1 day ago
- The government is breaching the right to housingHousing is a human right, one which the New Zealand government accepts through its adherence to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. And now the Human Rights Commission has stated the obvious: we're breaching it: Successive Governments have breached New ...2 days ago
- Mass vaccination event wasn’t a shambles2 days ago
- Climate Change: A $3.5 billion mistakeIn May last year the government increased the ETS fixed price option to $35, as a prelude to moving to an auction-based system with a cost-containment reserve. At the time, carbon prices were $25 - hard up against the previous price cap - so it must have looked impossibly high. ...2 days ago
- Neither Passionless, Nor Zombies.
Once Again With Feeling: What the parties on both sides of the aisle need to understand, however, is that New Zealanders are not passionless, and they are certainly not zombies. They are voters – and they want change. Now.I NEVER BOUGHT Gordon McLauchlan’s Passionless People argument. The book was published ...2 days ago - NZ Politics Daily: 2 August 2021NOTE TO SUBSCRIBERS AND READERS I’m very pleased to bring back the “NZ Politics Daily” email service today. During the break I’ve been able to secure some funding so that a research assistant can help put the service together. I will, however, need to find more money to make the service sustainable. ...2 days ago
- Collins is crushing her own credibilityEven before Judith Collins became overlord of the National Party, you could tell there was a huge ideological divide between her questionable values and those of the party’s former leaders. And just over a year after becoming the opposition's de facto leader, that chasm between Crusher and what her party ...2 days ago
- Legal Beagle: The New New Prohibition
In the decades leading up to the 18th Amendment, the case for the prohibition of alcohol was made repeatedly. The harms of alcohol were substantial, and the US experience was worse than most. The victims made the case, and campaigners made the case for those who couldn’t speak for themselve. ...3 days ago - Let’s talk about sex self ID
Speak Up For Women have toured New Zealand in the last month speaking on the proposed law change that would allow people to change their birth certificate sex by a simple declaration. It was a great opportunity to meet with hundreds of people and exchange ideas. Here is the talk: ...3 days ago - 2021 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #31Listing of articles linked to on the Skeptical Science Facebook Page during the past week: Sun, July 25, 2021 through Sat, July 31, 2021 The following articles sparked above average interest during the week: The insect apocalypse: ‘Our world will grind to a halt without them’, State of the climate: 2021 ...3 days ago
- July ’21 – NZ blogs sitemeter ranking
Image credit: Nicole MamaNYC I notice a few regulars no longer allow public access to the site counters. This may happen accidentally when the blog format is altered. If your blog is unexpectedly missing or the numbers seem very low please check this out. ...3 days ago- The Adventures of Annalax: Volume XXVI
Session Fifty-Six Annalax’s schemes were, alas, put on hold at the start of the session, due to a horrifying discovery of a mangled body outside the town brothel. The victim had been hideously mutilated, complete with faux-antlers being driven into their skull. And, sure enough, a crowd was ...4 days ago- 2021 Reading Log: July (+ Writing Update)
Completed reads for July: The Caesars, by Emperor Julian the ApostateThe A.B.C. Murders, by Agatha ChristieFive Little Pigs, by Agatha ChristieThe Works of Edgar Allan Poe (Vols 2-4 of 6) The Works of Poe is the six volume 1896 edition, edited by Stoddard. The library was missing the first ...4 days ago- Clouds study finds that low climate sensitivity is ‘extremely unlikely’
This is a re-post from Carbon Brief by Ayesha Tandon It is “very likely” that the way clouds change as the world warms will drive further temperature rise, a new study finds. The response of clouds to a change in global temperature – known as the “cloud feedback” – plays a ...4 days ago- Are We Nudging Enough?
Inside the Nudge Unit by David Halpern, provides new insights into behaviour which New Zealand public policy is steadily taking into consideration.Have you noticed that the defaults or first choices in the website of a commercial entity favour the business’s goal? Fill in their forms and, as like as not, the ...5 days ago- Ending royal corruption in Scotland?
Earlier in the week, The Guardian reported that England's monarch had been secretly having laws amended to carve out exemptions for herself, using a procedure called "crown consent". Its a corrupt holdover from the days of absolute monarchy, and something which has no place in a modern democracy, or even ...5 days ago- Government must ban synthetic fertilisers
5 days ago- Ending conversion “therapy”
The government has introduced a bill to outlaw homophobic conversion "therapy": Practices intended to change or suppress someone's sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression, also referred to as gay conversion therapy, will become a criminal offence under legislation announced today. Minister of Justice Kris Faafoi said today the ...5 days ago- The Sin Of Cheapness.
Commodities, Commodities, Everywhere - And None Of Them Are Cheap! No less an authority than the Commerce Commission has determined that New Zealanders are paying too much for their food and groceries. An apparent aversion to aggressive competition has led the dominant players to match one another’s’ prices rather than better ...5 days ago- Should We Trust The Science – Or Ourselves?
“Pure” Science: The lesson to be drawn from the history of science, however, is that knowledge is always and everywhere embedded in culture. That the one cannot be separated from the other. Culture can empower knowledge, or suppress it; advance it or divert it to the utmost wickedness. Knowledge goes where it’s told. “TRUST ...5 days ago- Kids set free to roam on their own feel more confident navigating in adulthood
Vanessa Vieites, Rutgers University The distance from home that kids are allowed to roam and play has shrunk significantly over the last 50 years. That’s largely due to parents’ concerns over safety, especially in cities. More recently, the COVID-19 pandemic has further restricted children’s independent activity. As a Ph.D. ...5 days ago- Running into Trouble: COVID-19 in Japan during the Tokyo Olympics
Dr Leah Grout, Dr Jennifer Summers, Prof Nick Wilson, Prof Michael Baker * The 2020 Olympic Games were originally postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The delayed event has now opened, with the opening ceremonies held on 23 July 2021 and competitions scheduled to take place through 9 August 2021. ...5 days ago- Simon Bridges cannot be trusted
You may recall former National Party leader Simon Bridges gaining a lot of public attention last month after claiming he was a witness to a gang fight. The former Crown Prosecutor made a huge song and dance about it all over Facebook and Twitter while also attacking the Government with ...5 days ago- Skeptical Science New Research for Week #30, 2021
88 articles Physical science of climate change, effects Energetics of surface melt in West Antarctica Ghiz et al. The Cryosphere Open Access pdf 10.5194/tc Quantifying the Mechanisms of Atmospheric Circulation Response to Greenhouse Gas Increases in a Forcing–Feedback Framework Zhang et al. Journal of Climate 10.1175/jcli ...6 days ago- Hate Speech law is unworkable
Make a submission to stop this mess being codified into law The Free Speech Union is urging people to make submissions to halt the proposal putforward by the Ministry of Justice for hate speech laws. The FSU state: “[T]he proposals put forward by the Ministry of Justice are dangerously vague ...6 days ago- Bryce Edwards: Political Roundup – How the Government has fuelled rampant increases in wealth
Jacinda Ardern’s household wealth increased by an estimated $290,000 over the last year. Although she earnt nearly half a million dollars from her job, her windfall was solely due to the value of her Auckland house increasing. And by her own policy designs, it’s a capital gain which is untaxed. ...6 days ago- Climate Change: The other Tiwai scam
Newsroom has a good piece this morning about the government's consultation on industrial free allocations, revealing that Fletcher Building is getting an extra $5 million a year ($7 million at today's prices) due to miscalculated carbon subsidies. That's bad, and it needs to be stopped by resetting emissions baselines to ...6 days ago- End the Tiwai scam
A little over a year ago, Rio Tinto was pleading povery, claiming its Tiwai Point aluminium smelter was unprofitable, and threatening to close it unless it got a government handout to keep it running. Their bluff worked, and we ended up paying the BluffGeld by giving them lower electricity prices ...6 days ago- Holes in the Tundra: Why Burping Cows Are the Least of Our Worries.
6 days ago- Piers Morgan – Arsehole of the Week
6 days ago- Climate change and tornadoes: Any connection?
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Bob Henson Climate change may be the existential threat of our lives, yet when it comes to in-your-face weather, tornadoes are in a class of their own. Fortunately, human-warmed climate isn’t making violent U.S. tornadoes any more frequent. However, climate change may ...7 days ago- Bryce Edwards: Political Roundup – Labour’s sacrificing of the poor
Jacinda Ardern and Grant Robertson like to think of themselves as leftwing politicians. So why aren’t they prioritising and championing the vulnerable at the bottom of society? Since Covid hit they have chosen economic policies that benefit the rich while pushing more into poverty. Increasing inequality was thrown into stark ...7 days ago- Climate Change: Just predatory delay again
Another day, another story arguing that climate change is Just Too Hard for farmers, and that they should be given more time to wait for a magic technological solution which will cut emissions while allowing them to continue doing exactly what they're doing at the moment. Today, the magic Technological ...7 days ago- A note on the “jihadi bride.”
I ruffled a few feathers by referring to Gerry Brownlee as a “buffoon” during a radio interview this week. The subject in question was the involuntary repatriation of Suharya Aden and her children to NZ after Australia cancelled her citizenship. Brownlee was blathering about her being a terrorist security threat, ...7 days ago- Militaries plunder science fiction for technology ideas, but turn a blind eye to the genre’s socia...
Will Slocombe, University of Liverpool Military planning is a complicated endeavour, calling upon experts in logistics and infrastructure to predict resource availability and technological advancements. Long-range military planning, deciding what to invest in now to prepare armed forces for the world in thirty years’ time, is even more difficult. ...7 days ago- Still the same question
The Independent Police Conduct authority has found another case where police used excessive force in making an arrest: A police officer broke a woman’s arm with a baton before dragging her out of her car by the hair following a chase. The Independent Police Conduct Authority has found the ...7 days ago- The Danger from the Extreme Right
Like other readers, no doubt, I recently experienced a “believe it or not” moment, when I read an account of a crowd at a recent Trump rally cheering the news that the US Women’s Football Team had been beaten at the Olympic Games. The reason for the cheering was, apparently, ...1 week ago- Aggressive marketing has driven the rise of the double-cab ute on New Zealand streets — time to hi...
Kirsty Wild, University of Auckland and Alistair Woodward, University of Auckland “Explore your inner beast.” That was the slogan used last year to sell the Ford Ranger. At 2.4 tonnes, that’s a lot of “light” truck, but the stakes are rising. This year, the 3.5 tonne Ram 1500 “eats ...1 week ago- Why calling ordinary Kiwi cyclists ‘elitist’ just doesn’t add up
Timothy Welch, University of Auckland Something strange has happened to the perception of cyclists and cycling in the more than 200 years they’ve been around. Once a novelty, bike riding has moved from being a critical transport mode to a children’s pastime to now being popularly perceived as an ...1 week ago- How do Olympic athletes stack up against invertebrates? Not very well
Caitlyn Forster, University of Sydney and Eliza Middleton, University of Sydney Olympians spend years training to be the best of the best. Scientists and sportspeople have spent decades researching the mechanics of the human body to ensure our elite athletes are always reaching higher, faster and stronger. But how ...1 week ago- Zebra Ethics: The Amazon Second Age Series and Lessons from Game of Thrones
Today I stumbled across a genuinely interesting reddit article, which looks at the (positive) influence Game of Thrones may have on the upcoming Amazon Tolkien series: https://www.reddit.com/r/LOTR_on_Prime/comments/oqvi81/amazons_the_lord_of_the_rings_show_going_got/ Essentially, the argument is that the framework of Tolkien’s Second Age material inherently lends itself to “Machiavellian Thriller” stories, rather than to ...1 week ago- The War over Sex and Gender: Kathleen Stock talks to the Free Speech Union
Speakeasy #1: Free Speech and the War over Sex and Gender from Free Speech Union on Vimeo. ...1 week ago- Why governments will have to consider the costs of long COVID when easing pandemic restrictions
Richard Meade, Auckland University of Technology With governments worldwide under pressure to ease pandemic restrictions as vaccination rates rise and impatience with border restrictions grows, new threats become clearer. One of the costliest, it is now feared, could be a tsunami of “long COVID” cases. Long COVID is a ...1 week ago- Taxpayers' Union gets destroyed
The Taxpayers’ Union scored another own goal yesterday when they decided to have a go at well-known journalist David Farrier (not to be confused with David Farrar) over Government funding he’d received to make a documentary.While that slinging match isn’t really worth reporting on, being that it was mainly just ...1 week ago- Gender-specific health programs address important issues, but risk creating new biases
Matthew Jenkins and Victoria Chinn, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington Gone are the days when health programmes were designed to simply punish or reward people to encourage behaviour change. We now know lasting behaviour change is more complex and nuanced, and this has prompted a proliferation ...1 week ago- Fossil tooth fractures and microscopic detail of enamel offer new clues about human diet and evolut...
Ian Towle; Carolina Loch, and Thomas Loho, University of Auckland Teeth can tell us a lot about the evolution of prehistoric humans, and our latest study of one of our species’ close relatives may finally resolve a long-standing mystery. The genus Paranthropus is closely related to ours, Homo, ...1 week ago- Bryce Edwards: Political Roundup – “Year of the vaccine” at risk
A consensus is emerging that the Government has generally managed the Covid crisis very well over the last 18 months, but they have dropped the ball when it comes to the crucial vaccine rollout. This was nicely encapsulated in opinion polling last week showing that while 69 per cent of ...1 week ago- Profiteering politicians delegitimise parliament
Why aren't politicians interested in actually solving the housing crisis? Because virtually the entire political class is making massive profits from it: MPs have pocketed $50 million in capital gains from their property interests in the last year amid a growing housing affordability crisis, a Stuff analysis has found. ...1 week ago- Democracy wins in Samoa
Over three months ago Samoa had an election, in which the people voted out the incumbent Human Rights Protection Party and voted in the opposition FAST Party. The incumbent Human Rights Protection Party ignored the results and clung to power, hoping to get their patsy head of state to call ...1 week ago- Climate Change: The solution farmers don’t want us to talk about
RNZ this morning has a piece asking Can NZ really meet its methane emissions targets?. Posing it as a question like this frames it as difficult, more of the "but its too hard!" whine from farmers. But its not hard at all. Pretty obviously, we can meet methane reduction targets ...1 week ago- A Conversation That Never Happened.
1 week ago- Graham Adams: Parliament is in recess but Kris Faafoi is too busy to discuss proposals for hate-spee...
The Minister of Justice appears to have gone into hiding. Graham Adams provides an update on how the public debate on hate speech regulation is going, especially in terms of whether political opinion should or shouldn’t receive an exemption from new laws. It fell to RNZ to break the ...1 week ago- Engineering A Miracle: Can Judith Collins Reprise Rob Muldoon?
Miracle Worker? But Judith Collins and National cannot regain power by simply hoping for the worst. Elections are won by politicians like Rob Muldoon, who persuade the voters that the incumbent government is the worst choice.WAITING FOR THE MIRACLE, as Leonard Cohen observed, is an agonising test. Especially if its ...1 week ago- Hearing loss and social isolation – the silent burden
Feature image: this picture was chosen as it illustrates two elderly people in each other’s company. Tying in with the theme of hearing loss and social isolation, this depicts the importance of connection to each other and the world in which we live. Charlotte Gordon* Untreated hearing loss is a ...1 week ago- 2021 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #30
Listing of articles linked to on the Skeptical Science Facebook Page during the past week: Sun, July 18, 2021 through Sat, July 24, 2021 The following articles sparked above average interest during the week: Extreme rainfall in China: over 25 inches falls in 24 hours, leaving 33 dead, As scientists have ...1 week ago- Capitalists in Space
. . Billionaire Richard Branson did it. Also-billionaire, Jeff Bezos, did it. Both will be the first money-hoarders into space (or sub-orbital near-space, to be more specific). Also-also-billionaire, Elon Musk – not content with sub-orbital ‘jaunts’ – has expressed a desire to go Full Interplanetary and personally colonise Mars. Meanwhile, ...1 week ago- Elizabeth Rata: Responding to Andrew Geddis on Treaty Partnerships
My recent article about the role that the concept of a Treaty ‘partnership’ has played in the development of ethno-nationalism provoked a critical response from Professor Andrew Geddis. We obviously have different opinions about the value of a Treaty partnership in New Zealand’s liberal democracy. My purpose here is to ...1 week ago- When tough on crime goes wrong
If there’s one thing that you can safely rely on, it’s right-wing politicians grandstanding with tough on crime rhetoric. It's understandable being that such propaganda is usually a sure bet, obviously because a very large proportion of the public wants to see less crime and fewer criminals in their communities.However ...2 weeks ago- Billionaire space race: the ultimate symbol of capitalism’s flawed obsession with growth
Tim Jackson, University of Surrey Mars ain’t the kind of place to raise your kids, laments the Rocket Man in Elton John’s timeless classic. In fact, it’s cold as hell. But that doesn’t seem to worry a new generation of space entrepreneurs intent on colonising the “final frontier” as fast ...2 weeks ago- Michael Cullen’s Policy Achievements
Philosophers have hitherto only interpreted the world in various ways; the point is to change it.Implicit in the title of the Michael Cullen’s memoir Labour Saving is his greatest policy achievement of improving the savings of the economy, as well as his saving the Labour Party from neoliberalism. But first, ...2 weeks ago - The Adventures of Annalax: Volume XXVI
- How the TIA helped three Kiwi mums into careers
As we secure our recovery from COVID-19, we’re helping more Kiwis get the skills they need for work. The Training Incentive Allowance, which supports people into training or to transition into new careers, is one way we’re doing this. We chatted with three people who know first-hand the difference this ...3 hours ago - Green Party welcomes conversion therapy prohibition bill
The Green Party welcomes the announcement by Minister of Justice Kris Faafoi to introduce a bill to prohibit conversion therapy used against Rainbow communities. ...5 days ago - Green Party welcomes Commerce Commission’s draft findings, cautions against wait and hope solution...The Green Party welcomes the findings of the Commerce Commission’s report on competition in the retail grocery sector, which takes aim at the duopoly formed by Woolworths NZ and Foodstuffs. ...6 days ago
- Building back betterIt’s a three-week recess in Parliament – so, no bills are going through the House and no select committees are meeting. But the hard work of our ministers continues, and many of our MPs are back in their electorates, taking the opportunity to meet with local communities and businesses about ...2 weeks ago
- Greens call for a Warrant of Fitness for rental homesThe Green Party is launching a petition today calling on the Government’s Healthy Homes Standards to be backed up with a proper Warrant of Fitness (WoF) for rental homes. ...2 weeks ago
- Securing our recovery: By the numbersOur plan to secure New Zealand’s recovery from COVID-19 is working, with the past three months seeing the second-highest number of people moved off a main benefit into work since records began. ...3 weeks ago
- New Zealand to increase NZDF commitment to the United Nations Command, Republic of Korea
The New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) will deploy three additional personnel to the Republic of Korea, increasing the size of its contribution to the United Nations Command and its Military Armistice Commission from nine to 12 personnel. “Increasing the size of our deployment to the Republic of Korea ...50 mins ago - Wages up, unemployment downThe Government’s efforts to secure the recovery has seen more Kiwis in jobs and higher wages, with unemployment falling to pre-COVID levels and more people in work. Stats NZ figures show unemployment rate fell to 4 percent in the June quarter from 4.6 percent in the March quarter, the lowest ...1 hour ago
- Poroporoaki: Dr Kihi Ngatai OSMMauao tiketike tūmokemoke mai ana ra koe, papakitia ana e ngā tai kawenga roimata o te motu. E Ngāti Ranginui, mo tō manuhuia kua tīkapea i te rangi. E Ngai Te Rangi, mo tō manutaki kua riro i te hau o Aitū kikini, E Ngāti Pukenga mo tō manutaiko, kua ...3 hours ago
- Government support screen industry with funding for sound stages in West AucklandAuckland Film Studios in West Auckland has received funding for a major expansion through the Government’s Infrastructure Reference Group’s (IRG) COVID-19 Response Fund. The Government is investing $30 million of a total $35 million project to construct two 2,000sqm sound stages and development of further workshops and offices, to expand ...21 hours ago
- Protecting unique land for generation nextThe Government is boosting legal protection for critically important natural habitats on private land, Minister of Conservation Kiri Allan says. “An $8 million investment over four years will see Queen Elizabeth II National Trust Ngā Kairauhī Papa (QEII) work with government agencies, councils and others to provide legal protection of ...23 hours ago
- New Zealand’s support for Fiji’s COVID-19 response continues with vaccine delivery, operational ...Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta has announced further support for Fiji, including funding support for nursing staff and 100,000 doses of vaccines due to arrive in country today. “Our thoughts remain with Fiji during this incredibly challenging period,” Nanaia Mahuta said. “New Zealand has funded 100,000 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine ...24 hours ago
- Poroporoaki: Dr Hōhepa (Joe) MasonKo koe tēnā e te hurumanu e Hōhepa, te tōwenetanga a te iti, te māpihi herenga mahara o te tini, ka tauawhi tonuhia koe e to iwi ki te uma pupuri ai. Me pēhea he kupu kia koutou kua puta i nga ākinga a nga tau kua hori, kua waia ...1 day ago
- Finance Minister and RBNZ Governor agree to update MOU on macro-prudential policyFinance Minister Grant Robertson and Reserve Bank Governor Adrian Orr have updated the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on macro-prudential policy to further protect the financial system and support the Government’s housing objectives. “This change will ensure that the Reserve Bank has the flexibility to respond to emerging financial stability risks ...1 day ago
- Government commits further assistance for drought and flood-affected rural communitiesFarmers and growers affected by this year’s drought or floods in Marlborough, Tasman, West Coat, Canterbury, Otago and the Chatham Islands will have access to Rural Assistance Payments (RAPs) from today, Social Development and Employment Minister Carmel Sepuloni has announced. “The Government is committed to easing the financial pressures on ...2 days ago
- Cook Islands youth lead Language WeekThe Cook Islands Language Week theme for 2021 highlights the vital role language plays in maintaining young people’s links to their Pacific home, said Minister for Pacific Peoples Aupito William Sio. “The Epetoma o te reo Māori Kūki ‘Āirani – Cook Islands Language Week – theme is ‘Ātuitui’ia au ki ...2 days ago
- Government offers formal apology for Dawn RaidsA formal and unreserved apology for the Dawn Raids The Government will offer education scholarships as part of the apology Manaaki New Zealand Short Term Scholarship Training courses Support Pacific artists and historians to develop a comprehensive written and oral account of the Dawn Raids Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has ...3 days ago
- Speech to Dawn Raids ApologyTēnā koutou katoa, Kia orana kotou katoatoa, Fakaalofa lahi atu ki mutolu oti, Tālofa nī, Mālō nī koutou, Ni sa bula vinaka, Fakatalofa atu, Noa'ia 'e mauri, Kam na mauri, Malo e lelei, Sioto'ofa, Mālō lava le lagi e mamā ma le soifua maua, Oue tulou, tulou atu, tulouna lava ...3 days ago
- Bridging the gap – last piece of Northcote Safe Cycle Route now completeThe opening of two bridges over Auckland’s Northern Motorway is the last link of a cycling and walking route which provides a safe, active alternative for students and commuters, Transport Minister Michael Wood said today. Michael Wood cut the ribbon for the completion of the Northcote Safe Cycle Route, at ...3 days ago
- Progress in establishment of Aged Care CommissionerRecruitment for an Aged Care Commissioner will start next month, to ensure greater oversight of New Zealand’s aged care sector. “This sector is responsible for supporting a large and often vulnerable population. While most people are able to access quality care, there have been cases where that care has fallen ...4 days ago
- New record number of homes consentedIn the year ended June 2021, the actual number of new dwellings consented was 44,299, up 18 percent from the June 2020 year. In June 2021, the seasonally adjusted number of new dwellings consented rose 3.8 percent. In June 2021, 4,310 new dwellings were consented, an increase of 3.8 per ...5 days ago
- Communities backed to tackle wilding pinesTwelve community projects across New Zealand will receive a share of $2 million to carry out wilding pine control, Biosecurity Minister Damien O’Connor announced as part of Biosecurity Week. “Wilding pines are a serious problem that threaten many of the unique landscapes that New Zealanders value. Community groups and trusts ...5 days ago
- Health Minister Andrew Little responding to the New Zealand Nurses Organisation's rejection of ...I was advised last night that the result of the ballot of Tōpūtanga Tapuhi Kaitiaki o Aotearoa New Zealand Nurses Organisation members have rejected the latest proposal to settle their collective agreement. Let me be clear: the proposal was one they put to the Government. The Nurses Organisation rejected their ...5 days ago
- Conversion Practices Prohibition Legislation introduced to ParliamentLegislation has been introduced to Parliament to protect against practices intended to change or suppress someone’s sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression. Introducing the Conversion Practices Prohibition Legislation Bill, Minister of Justice, Kris Faafoi, said the measures proposed were aimed at ending conversion practices which don’t work, are widely ...5 days ago
- New kaupapa Māori mental health and addiction services to support people in central North IslandNew mental health and addiction services rolling out across the central North Island will improve outcomes and equity for Māori, Associate Minister of Health (Māori Health) Peeni Henare says. Today the Minister met with providers of the new kaupapa Māori primary mental health and addiction service, Poutama Ora, which will ...5 days ago
- New school site for booming West AucklandThe Government will build on a new school site in West Auckland to cope with rapid population growth in the area, Education Minister Chris Hipkins says. The Ministry is working with existing local schools to determine how the 1.5-hectare site at 279 Hobsonville Point Road will be used to support ...5 days ago
- Trans-Tasman travel window to close at midnight tomorrowA further 500 MIQ rooms released for managed returnees from NSW Further Government actions announced today are balanced to provide more certainty for Kiwis wanting to return from Australia, while continuing to protect New Zealand from COVID-19, acting Minister for COVID-19 Response Ayesha Verrall says. The actions were foreshadowed last ...6 days ago
- Govt investing millions in Hawke's Bay and Tairāwhiti schoolsNapier Boys’ and Girls’ High Schools are among those set to benefit from a $16.5 million investment in the Hawke's Bay and Tairāwhiti region, Economic and Regional Development Minister Stuart Nash announced today. The Government has set aside money in Budget 2021 to accelerate five projects in Napier, Hastings, Havelock North ...6 days ago
- Game changing Jobs for Nature investment for NorthlandConservation Minister Kiri Allan has announced Jobs for Nature funding for a portfolio of projects that will create ‘game changing’ gains for nature and communities across Northland/Te Tai Tokerau as part of the Government’s acceleration of the economic recovery from COVID. “This portfolio of 12 projects will see over $20 ...6 days ago
- Third COVID-19 vaccine receives provisional approvalNew Zealand’s regulatory authority Medsafe has granted provisional approval of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine for individuals 18 years of age and older, Acting Minister for COVID-19 Response Dr Ayesha Verrall announced today. New Zealand secured 7.6 million doses (enough for 3.8 million people) of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine through an ...6 days ago
- Bowel-cancer screening programme is saving livesMore than 1000 New Zealanders have had bowel cancer – New Zealand’s second-most-common cause of death from cancer - detected under the Government’s National Bowel Screening Programme, Health Minister Andrew Little said today. More than 1200 New Zealanders died from bowel cancer in 2017. The screening programme aims to save ...6 days ago
- Govt welcomes draft report on the retail grocery sectorThe Commerce Commission’s draft report into the retail grocery sector is being welcomed by Government as a major milestone. “I asked the Commerce Commission to look at whether this sector is as competitive as it could be and today it has released its draft report for consultation,” Commerce and Consumer ...6 days ago
- Christchurch’s Youth Hub ‘set to go’ thanks to further Government fundingConstruction of New Zealand’s first, purpose-built centre for youth well-being is ready to get underway thanks to an extra $2.5 million of COVID-19 response funding, Housing Minister and Associate Minister of Finance, Megan Woods announced today. “The Christchurch Youth Hub is about bringing together all the things young people need ...6 days ago
- Next step to protect Milford Sound PiopiotahiExpert group lays out plan to better protect iconic UNESCO World Heritage site Milford Sound Piopiotahi and its surrounds Funding confirmed for dedicated unit and Establishment Board to assess the recommendations and provide oversight of the process from here Milford Opportunities Project a test case for transformational change in tourism ...7 days ago
- Funding for projects to reduce waste from construction and demolitionThe Government has announced funding for projects in Auckland and the lower North Island to help reduce construction and demolition waste. “Construction is the main source of waste sent to landfill, and much of this could be reduced, reused and recovered,” Environment Minister David Parker said. “The Government is funding ...7 days ago
- Speech at the launch of the National Hepatitis C Action PlanTēnā koutou katoa. Thank you Anglesea Pharmacy and Te Manawa Taki for hosting this event. As a doctor, I saw first hand the impact of hepatitis C. I met Moana in 2019; she came to the infectious diseases outpatient clinic at Wellington Hospital having tested positive for hepatitis C. Like ...1 week ago
- Plan to eliminate hepatitis C as a major health threat by 2030A plan to eliminate hepatitis C in New Zealand, reducing liver cancer and the need for liver transplants, has been released today by Associate Minister of Health Dr Ayesha Verrall. “Around 45,000 New Zealanders have hepatitis C, but only around half know they have it,” said Ayesha Verrall. “Symptoms often ...1 week ago
- School upgrades and new classrooms for West Coast, Tasman and CanterburyA funding injection from Budget 2021 to complete four shovel ready projects and new classrooms at six schools and kura will provide a real boost to local communities, Minister Dr Megan Woods announced today. “This Government has committed to providing quality fit for purpose learning environments and 100,000 new student ...1 week ago
- Warmer Kiwi Homes smashes annual targetThe Government's highly successful insulation and heating programme, Warmer Kiwi Homes, is celebrating a key milestone with the completion of more than 38,000 insulation and efficient heater installs in the year to the end of June, smashing its target of 25,000 installs for the year. “The Warmer Kiwi Homes scheme ...1 week ago
- Exemption granted for Wallabies to enter NZBledisloe Cup rugby will be played in New Zealand after the Australian rugby team received an economic exemption to enter New Zealand. Travel between Australia and New Zealand was suspended on Friday for at least eight weeks following the worsening of the COVID outbreak across the Tasman. New Zealanders have ...1 week ago
- Minister of Foreign Affairs makes three diplomatic appointmentsForeign Affairs Minister Nanaia Mahuta today announced three New Zealand Head of Mission appointments. They are: Mike Walsh as Ambassador to Iran Michael Upton as Ambassador to Ethiopia and the African Union Kevin Burnett as Ambassador to Indonesia Iran “Aotearoa New Zealand has a long-standing and constructive relationship with Iran, despite a ...1 week ago
- Enhanced Task Force Green Approved for West Coast and MarlboroughThe Government has activated Enhanced Task Force Green (ETFG) in response to the West Coast and Marlborough floods, Social Development and Employment Minister Carmel Sepuloni announced today. “To assist with the clean-up, up to $500,000 will be made available to support the recovery in Buller and Marlborough which has experienced ...1 week ago
- Govt support for upgrade of Eden Park players facilitiesMinister for Sport and Recreation Hon Grant Robertson has announced funding to upgrade the players facilities at Eden Park ahead of upcoming Women’s World Cup events. Eden Park is a confirmed venue for the Rugby World Cup 2021, the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2022, and a proposed venue for matches of ...1 week ago
- More jobs and quicker public transport motoring towards West AucklandWork to improve public transport for West Aucklanders and support the region’s economic recovery by creating hundreds of jobs has officially kicked off, Transport Minister Michael Wood announced today. Michael Wood and Auckland Mayor Phil Goff this morning marked the start of construction on the Northwestern Bus Improvements project. It ...1 week ago
- Government backs critical health researchResearch into some of New Zealanders’ biggest health concerns including cancer, diabetes, and heart disease is getting crucial support in the latest round of health research funding, Health Minister Andrew Little announced today. The funding, awarded through the Health Research Council of New Zealand, covers 31 General Project grants ($36.64 ...1 week ago
- New Bay of Islands hospital facilities to bring services closer to homePrime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Health Minister Andrew Little have joined a ceremony to bless the site and workers for Phase Two of the redevelopment of the Bay of Islands Hospital in Kawakawa today. The new building will house outpatients and primary care facilities, as well as expanded renal care ...1 week ago
- Lucy Blakiston’s repressed first phone memories
The Shit You Should Care About co-founder tells us about being the subject of high school gossip, being followed by Ariana Grande, her first phone and more in this week’s episode of FIRST.When the Shit You Should Care About Instagram went from 200,000 to a million followers in a month, ...18 mins ago - Effects Of COVID-19 On Trade: At 28 July 2021 (provisional)
Effects of COVID-19 on trade is a weekly update on New Zealand’s daily goods trade with the world. Comparing the values with previous years shows the potential impacts of COVID-19. The data is provisional and should be regarded as an early, indicative ...44 mins ago - Auckland’s pint-sized pancake palace farewells the CBDLast week, Auckland’s much-loved hole-in-the-wall Korean pancake store closed its doors for the last time. But even after 20 years in the business, its owners aren’t ready to call it quits just yet. If there was ever a doubt about No. 1 Pancake’s popularity, the hour-long queue on its final day ...45 mins ago
- Sharp Falls In Unemployment And UnderutilisationThe seasonally adjusted unemployment and underutilisation rates fell to 4.0 and 10.5 percent, respectively, in the June 2021 quarter, Stats NZ said today. The unemployment rate continued to fall from its recent peak of 5.3 percent in the September 2020 ...2 hours ago
- More Than 10,000 New Zealanders Submit Against Proposed “Hate Speech” ChangesThe Kiwi public has responded loud and clear to the Government’s questions raised in the consultation document on proposed hate speech changes: they don’t want the Government policing their speech, says Jonathan Ayling, Campaign Manager for the ...2 hours ago
- Pacific Island Workers Welcome, But What About Those Already Here?EMA Chief Executive Brett O’Riley is calling for the Government to declare an overstayer amnesty alongside allowing more RSE workers from the Pacific Islands to come here quarantine-free from next month. "We know a large proportion of those ...2 hours ago
- Feds Heartened By QEII Funding BoostFederated Farmers is relieved to see the government put more money towards the Queen Elizabeth II Trust, to help landowner endeavours to protect and enhance areas of special native biodiversity on privately owned land. Conservation Minister Kiri Allan ...2 hours ago
- Giant bird-eating centipedes exist — and they’re surprisingly important for their ecosystem
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Luke Halpin, Ecologist, Monash University Giant bird-eating centipedes may sound like something out of a science-fiction film — but they’re not. On tiny Phillip Island, part of the South Pacific’s Norfolk Island group, the Phillip Island centipede (Cormocephalus coynei) population can kill ...3 hours ago - Bryce Edwards’ Political Roundup: Radical reform coming to a supermarket near youAnalysis by Bryce Edwards. Political scientist, Dr Bryce Edwards. The supermarket sector is finally about to receive some serious government intervention. Following a scathing report from the Commerce Commission, it’s now almost inevitable that the Labour Government is going to have to introduce some major changes to this vital but ...3 hours ago
- Newsletter: New Zealand Politics Daily – August 4 2021Editor’s Note: Here below is a list of the main issues currently under discussion in New Zealand and links to media coverage. Click here to subscribe to Bryce Edwards’ Political Roundup and New Zealand Politics Daily. Today’s content Housing Bernard Hickey: Here’s all the levers the Govt is not pulling to fix ...3 hours ago
- National Party leader Judith Collins 'very happy' to call the country Aotearoa
Judith Collins says she is "very happy" calling the country Aotearoa and personally, is relaxed about the name. ...3 hours ago - Church Leaders Encouraged To Tackle Rising Porn Use In Their CongregationsUK Charity, the Naked Truth Project, are tackling the damaging social and relational impact of pornography addiction within communities through releasing tickets at the weekend to an online international conference; P-Word, designed to equip churches ...3 hours ago
- 'Way too many hoops': First Home Grant payouts fall shortThe number of first home grants paid out this year is on track to be the lowest since the scheme began in 2014. ...3 hours ago
- Why Olympic skateboarding is a crime (sort of)The activity to which Max Olijnyk has devoted much of his life has been given the ultimate mainstream seal of approval, and it cuts both ways.Last Monday, I sat in Wellington Regional Hospital with our new baby on my lap and watched the first ever women’s street skateboarding event at ...4 hours ago
- Covid-19: Wellington health officials say vaccination schedule on trackWellington's district health board says the region will finish Covid-19 vaccinations by the end of the year, and an earlier projection it would take until February 2022 is out of date. ...4 hours ago
- I’m training to become Australia’s first woman astronaut. Here’s what it takesSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kim Ellis Hayes, Senior Lecturer in Space Research & Law / In training as Suborbital Spaceflight PoSSUM Astronaut Candidate Graduate, Swinburne University of Technology Me (top, third from right) with others from the International Space University, in front of the Shuttle Atlantis ...4 hours ago
- Pacific nations grapple with COVID’s terrible toll and the desperate need for vaccinesSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Patricia A. O’Brien, Visiting Fellow, School of History, Australian National University, and Adjunct Professor, Asian Studies Program, Georgetown University Fiji now heads the grim list of Pacific nations counting their dead from coronavirus, having just passed Papua New Guinea’s toll. So far, ...4 hours ago
- COVID vaccines offer the pharma industry a once-in-a-generation opportunity to reset its reputation....Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ray Moynihan, Assistant Professor, Bond University Elsa Olofsson/Unsplash Just weeks before the first COVID-19 cases emerged, Gallup published its latest poll on America’s views about business. At the bottom of the list of 25 sectors was the pharmaceutical industry. Below ...4 hours ago
- Vineyard tourism is a big source of carbon emissions. Want to help? Then buy more wineSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ya-Yen Sun, Senior Lecturer, The University of Queensland Shutterstock In a non-COVID year, Australia’s vineyards host more than eight million wine tourists. While these visitors benefit wine producers and regional communities, they also generate a substantial amount of greenhouse gases. ...4 hours ago
- The Hiroshima Panels are a remarkable artistic exploration of traumaSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Barbara Hartley, Honorary Senior Lecturer, The University of Queensland XIV Crows (からす) by Maruki Iri and Maruki Toshi, 1972 Courtesy the Maruki Gallery On August 6, 1945, the US military obliterated Hiroshima with the world’s first deployed nuclear bomb. Several days later, ...4 hours ago
- Live updates, August 4: Wellington expected to miss end of year deadline for vaccinationsWelcome to The Spinoff’s live updates for August 4, bringing you the latest news updated throughout the day. Get in touch at stewart@thespinoff.co.nz8.00am: Wellington expected to miss end of year deadline for vaccinationsThe government’s goal to offer every New Zealander a Covid-19 vaccine before the end of the year may ...5 hours ago
- The controversial Facebook page that made Bruce Smith king of the CoastWestland mayor Bruce Smith has become an unusually prominent political influencer through a Facebook page he runs. But is it all above board? Alex Braae gives him a call. If you wanted to know what was going on in Whanganui around the 1860s, a great place to start would be reading ...5 hours ago
- Seasonal worker exemption ‘insult to injury’ for overstayers
Migrant advocates are calling for an amnesty for overstayers in the wake of a Dawn Raid apology which lacked clear promises A step in the right direction, but missing a crucial ingredient - that’s how advocates for migrants’ rights describe the Government's apology for the Dawn Raids. The missing ingredient is ...5 hours ago - The Bulletin: What the new lending restrictions meanGood morning and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: What the new lending restrictions mean, major leaky buildings class action ends abruptly, and farmers cop warnings from labour inspectorate over breaches.An MOU has been signed between the Reserve Bank and finance minister, giving the RBNZ new powers to restrict ...5 hours ago
- Let’s choose our words more carefully when discussing mātauranga Māori and scienceSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Emily Parke, Senior Lecturer in Philosophy, University of Auckland www.shutterstock.com Responding to the recent controversy over mātauranga Māori and the letter he co-authored titled “In defence of science”, Emeritus Professor Michael Corballis said: “We don’t know any Māori who knows ...5 hours ago
- Tuatara are ancient, slow and endangered. But their super speedy sperm could boost conservation effo...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sarah Lamar, PhD Researcher, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington Shutterstock/Rudmer Zwerver New Zealand’s endemic tuatara (Sphenodon punctatus) are the sole survivors of an ancient reptile order called Rhynchocephalia. Once widespread across New Zealand, tuatara survive in only ...5 hours ago
- Covid-19: Wellington region will be vaccinating until February 2022 – officialsWellington health officials have told the government they won't meet its preferred deadline and will still be vaccinating people against Covid-19 until late February next year. ...6 hours ago
- In a corner of Canterbury, poor protection starts to bite
Two reports released in the last week suggest environmental chickens are coming home to roost. David Williams reports Eight years ago, at a Wellington conference called Valuing Nature, Victoria University of Wellington professor Jonathan Boston pointed out some glaring contradictions – and issued a warning. The John Key-led government of ...7 hours ago - Newsroom daily crossword, Wednesday 4 August
...7 hours ago - Newsroom daily quiz, Wednesday 4 August
Got a good quiz question? Send Newsroom your questions. ...7 hours ago - O for goodness sake. New Zealand owes David Tua a grovelling apologyFor nearly 30 years the boxer and Olympic medalist David Tua has been ridiculed for something he says he never said. Why has the nation never listened? George Driver writes.“O for awesome.”It is one of the most renowned quotes in Kiwi history. One letter and two words that changed a ...8 hours ago
- The Side Eye’s Two New Zealands: Locked outRich and poor, young and old, renters and landlords: sometimes it feels like there are parallel versions of our country. In 2021, Toby Morris’s Side Eye is exploring this theme in the series Two New Zealands. Whether it’s the wealth gap, generation gap, the rural-urban contrast, the different ways Māori ...8 hours ago
- What's eating Kris Faafoi?
Once a shining star of Cabinet, Kris Faafoi has gone to ground as pressure mounts in his immigration and justice portfolios. ...8 hours ago - Companies survive Covid – but close in the so-called recovery
New data shows increasing numbers of companies defaulting on their debts as interest rates and supply pressures rise ...8 hours ago - Falcons, a love story
Pictures of awesome cars in an illustrated book on Ford Falcons Falcons were assembled in New Zealand from CKD packs, while the more specialised models, such as the GTs, were imported as complete cars. They were available in multiple body styles. They were affordable to purchase, and to repair and ...8 hours ago - Time for cohousing to go mainstream
Cohousing has long been associated with 'alternative lifestyles'. But, as Mark Jennings writes, the model could increase the supply of affordable, high-quality homes in a housing market in crisis. ...8 hours ago - Coastal landfills are no match for rising seas
This story originally appeared in The Nation and is republished here as part of Covering Climate Now, a global journalism collaboration strengthening coverage of the climate story As sea levels rise, the landfills along the US coasts have become a ticking environmental time bomb. So why does the federal ...8 hours ago - Making Auckland's waterfront wondrous
Hundreds of millions has been poured into developing Auckland's waterfront, and there's more mega-funding to come. Is it being spent in the right place? Plans for Auckland's first new central city park in 100 years will shortly go to the council for approval. Those plans involve spending $300 million on ...8 hours ago - Jess Berentson-Shaw: There's something rotten in the state of supermarkets
Kiwis are being gaslit about our health on a grand scale by people in the food industry and those in politics who help them by flying the ‘personal responsibility’ flag, writes Jess Berentson-Shaw. ...8 hours ago - Open season again for Indonesian military trolls and ‘fake news’ campaign on West PapuaSPECIAL REPORT: By David Robie It is open season again for Indonesian trolls targeting Asia Pacific Report and other media with fake news and disinformation dispatches in a crude attempt to gloss over human rights violations. Just three months ago I wrote about this issue in my “Dear editor” article ...12 hours ago
- Accelerated jabs for younger people after Doherty modelling shows it’s vital to vaccinate them qui...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra The government is set to tweak its vaccination timetable to accelerate jabs for those aged 30 to 39, after Doherty Institute modelling showing it is vital to get younger adults quickly vaccinated, because they are ...13 hours ago
- Can Lisa Carrington become our Olympic GOAT?
Can we mere mortals, watching on in awe, fathom how gigantic and taxing Lisa Carrington’s triumph was on the Sea Forest Waterway on Tuesday? The phenomenal Kiwi paddler won four Olympic canoe sprint races within four hours. And they weren't just any races: two Olympic semifinals and two finals, and in ...15 hours ago - Podcast with Michelle Grattan: a four-stage plan and a $300 payment to get vaccinatedSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra As well as her interviews with politicians and experts, Politics with Michelle Grattan now includes “Word from The Hill”, where she discusses the news with members of The Conversations’s politics team. In this ...16 hours ago
- NZ sends 100,000 vaccine doses to Fiji as covid deaths top 250RNZ Pacific New Zealand is sending 100,000 vaccine doses and additional financial support to Fiji for nursing staff as the country’s covid-19 death toll passed 250. Fiji reported 1100 new cases and 13 more deaths today, bringing the total death toll to 254. Of the deaths, 252 of them have ...16 hours ago
- Keith Rankin Essay – Territorial Fundamentalism in our Post-Globalisation EraAnalysis by Keith Rankin. Keith Rankin. We have this pretty fiction that the world is made up of approximately 200 politically autonomous nation-states. This in the entrenched ‘Wilsonian’ view of the political world that, in particular, was sort-of realised after World War One; a view that rendered the national empires ...17 hours ago
- ACT, National warn of conversion therapy bill 'risk'ACT leader David Seymour says it is highly unlikely his party would continue to support the government's bill banning conversion therapy, while National is refusing to support it without changes. ...17 hours ago
- Why Jack Dorsey’s Square paid a record $39 billion for AfterpaySource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Lien Duong, Senior Lecturer in School Accounting of Accounting, Economics and Finance, Curtin University The A$39 billion (US$29 billion) that Twitter founder Jack Dorsey’s digital payments company Square is paying to acquire Australian upstart payments outfit Afterpay is the biggest takeover deal ...17 hours ago
- Vitamins and minerals aren’t risk-free. Here are 6 ways they can cause harmSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Geraldine Moses, Adjunct Associate Professor, School of Pharmacy, The University of Queensland Shutterstock One reason dietary supplements are so popular is the perception they’re harmless. But like all drugs, there are many potential dangers from taking vitamins and minerals. The ...17 hours ago
- Dunedin Council looks at new plan to increase housing capacityDunedin is expected to need more than 11,000 new homes to cater for its growth by 2050 but the local council predicts it will fall significantly short if changes aren't made. ...17 hours ago
- Helen Clark didn't influence Fiji medevac decision, Foreign Affairs minister saysThe Foreign Affairs minister says she spoke to former Prime Minister Helen Clark about the evacuation of a United Nations official infected with Covid-19 from Fiji to New Zealand. ...18 hours ago
- National's call for Aotearoa referendum 'absurd' and 'ridiculous'All other parties in Parliament have now rubbished National's suggestion that a referendum should be held on whether New Zealand should be called Aotearoa. ...19 hours ago
- The attacks on seven eminent professors over a Listener letter in which they championed science have...
******** A letter in defence of science, published in The Listener last month, was signed by seven professors from the University of Auckland – Kendall Clements, Garth Cooper, Emeritus Professor Michael Corballis, Douglas Elliffe, Elizabeth Rata, Emeritus Professor Robert Nola, and Emeritus Professor John Werry. Prominent scientists were among the ...20 hours ago - Complicated, costly and downright frustrating: Aussies keen to cut emissions with clean energy at ho...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Hugo Temby, Doctoral Researcher, Battery Storage and Grid Integration Program, Australian National University Even after A$4,000 in repairs, Heather’s $18,000 rooftop solar and battery system is still not working. Heather worked as a nurse until a workplace accident caused her to ...20 hours ago
- Paying Australians $300 to get fully vaccinated would be value for moneySource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Martin, Visiting Fellow, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University Dimitris Barletis/Shutterstock I reckon Albo’s on the right track. The opposition leader wants to pay A$300 to every Australian who is fully vaccinated by December 1. The Grattan ...20 hours ago
- Collins defends 'bottle' comments about Police Minister Poto WilliamsPolice Minister Poto Williams' daughter has expressed fears for her mother's safety after National Party leader Judith Collins' remark. Collins says she meant Williams should be put in a bottle like a genie. ...20 hours ago
- Jacinda Ardern tests negative for Covid-19 after getting cold from daughterPrime Minister Jacinda Ardern has tested negative for Covid-19. ...20 hours ago
- Psychiatrists Welcome Government’s Dawn Raids ApologyThe Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists (RANZCP) welcomes the New Zealand Government’s apology for the Dawn Raids. The Dawn Raids carried out in the 1970s were a racist targeting of our Pasifika communities – ...20 hours ago
- Sports Minister fields dozens of letters about Laurel Hubbard's Olympics selectionThe Sport and Recreation Minister Grant Robertson was deluged with emails about Laurel Hubbard's Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games selection over the past few months. ...21 hours ago
- Reserve Bank gets green light to tighten lending rules for housing (hopefully without impeding first...
The Reserve Bank has been given the government’s go-ahead to tighten mortgage lending rules to try to take some heat out of the housing market. An updated Memorandum of Understanding between the Minister of Finance and the Reserve Bank will enable it to implement its proposal to reduce the amount ...22 hours ago - National MP floats ban on public sector using 'Aotearoa'
National MP Stuart Smith has found himself advocating a crackdown on public sector use of te reo in a war on a phantom name change, Marc Daalder writes Analysis: New Zealand's sleek black passports could undergo a revamp to remove the prominent placement of the word 'Aotearoa' - if National Party MP ...22 hours ago - Here are all the levers the government isn’t pulling to fix our housing catastropheIn response to claims successive governments have enabled a massive human rights failure, the prime minister says hers is doing all it can to fix the housing crisis. Bernard Hickey disagrees. This column was first published on Bernard Hickey’s newsletter, The Kākā.PM Jacinda Ardern defended her government against the Human Rights Commission’s ...22 hours ago
- Grant Robertson: Taxpayer Hero? Union Urges U-turn On SkyPathResponding to reports that the Finance Minister is considering scrapping the planned $785 million cycle bridge, New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union spokesman Louis Houlbrooke says: “Grant Robertson has clearly paid close attention to the Curia poll commissioned ...22 hours ago
- Young Australians are supposedly ‘turning their backs’ on democracy, but are they any different ...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Intifar Chowdhury, PhD Candidate/Data Archivist, Australian National University Joel Carrett/AAP The 2019 federal election saw the lowest voter turnout since compulsory voting was introduced in 1924. Only 91% of Australians voted, amid reports young people “turned their back on democracy”. ...23 hours ago
- The pain and poetry of online beauty reviewsAlix Higby was just looking for a new cleanser. What she found was something much more powerful. It is a truth universally acknowledged that no one skincare or makeup routine fits all. Particularly if you have sensitive skin and the kind of allergies that, in Jane Austen’s world, would see you ...23 hours ago
- Fiji police warn public against violence and ‘fake profiles’ after two firesAsia Pacific Report newsdesk Fiji police have warned that any attempts to destabilise and cause instability will be investigated and dealt with, reports The Fiji Times. The warning came from Acting Commissioner Police Rusiate Tudravu yesterday in the wake of two major fires in Ba and Raiwai at the weekend. ...1 day ago
- BSA Finds Comments On COVID-19 Vaccine Safety And ‘anti-vaxxers’ Did Not Breach StandardsThe Broadcasting Standards Authority (BSA) has not upheld a complaint about an item on Seven Sharp in which co-host Hilary Barry made comments about the safety of the COVID-19 Pfizer vaccine and “anti-vaxxers”. The comments included a suggestion ...1 day ago
- Police Encounter With Christian Preachers A Startling Omen Of Things To ComeResponding to the video posted on TikTok by jesuspreachingNZ, the Free Speech Union says the video shows everything that is wrong with the Government’s vague and dangerous hate speech proposals. “New hate speech laws haven’t even been written yet but ...1 day ago
- Anti-vax group’s ‘free speech’ billboards pulled from RNZ buildingVoices for Freedom just launched an advertising campaign against the government’s hate speech laws, but the digital billboards were gone within a day.The anti-vaccination group Voices for Freedom has had advertisements removed from digital billboards, including the side of Radio New Zealand’s Auckland office, after boasting about them online.Posts shared ...1 day ago
- Revealed: Andrew Little's “former” Gang Member Claim Was WrongA new interview with Hard2Reach director Harry Tam confirms that he is a lifetime patched member of Mongrel Mob Notorious. New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union spokesman Jordan Williams says: “This revelation means Andrew Little has some explaining ...1 day ago
- Govt and Reserve Bank agree on new moves to tighten mortgage lending
*This article first appeared on RNZ and is republished with permission. The government and Reserve Bank have agreed on new moves to tighten mortgage lending, including tougher loan to value ratios and debt to income ratios, to cool the housing market. In a statement, Finance Minister Grant Robertson said ...1 day ago - Newsletter: New Zealand Politics Daily – August 3 2021Editor’s Note: Here below is a list of the main issues currently under discussion in New Zealand and links to media coverage. Click here to subscribe to Bryce Edwards’ Political Roundup and New Zealand Politics Daily. Today’s content Opinion polls, government, political parties Claire Trevett (Herald): Poll should be death knell for ...1 day ago
- Pork and Poll Taxes: Reclaiming New Zealand’s forgotten history on stageJihee Junn talks to the writer/director of a new play about the earliest Chinese New Zealanders – and the families they left behind.The first time Talia Pua learnt about the Chinese poll tax was as a teenager researching for a high school drama assessment. While the rest of her classmates ...1 day ago
- Instagram’s privacy updates for kids are positive. But plans for an under-13s app means profits st...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tama Leaver, Professor of Internet Studies, Curtin University Shutterstock Facebook recently announced significant changes to Instagram for users aged under 16. New accounts will be private by default, and advertisers will be limited in how they can reach young people. ...1 day ago
- Secret history: the release of the Mountbatten archives and the fight to access royal diariesSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jenny Hocking, Emeritus Professor, Monash University Lord Mountbatten, Ghandi and Lady Mountbatten in New Delhi in 1947. AP/AAP An immense trove of the most important royal historical material for decades has quietly been released in the United Kingdom. These are the diaries ...1 day ago
- Dodgy tree loppers are scamming elderly homeowners and hacking up healthy trees. Here’s what you n...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Gregory Moore, Doctor of Botany, The University of Melbourne Shutterstock Have you had a knock on the door or perhaps a card in your letterbox telling you the trees in your garden are dangerous and need urgent work? Maybe you’ve ...1 day ago
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