the praiseworthy and the pitiful
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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.
Flact Tax
Written By: - Date published: 7:54 am, June 17th, 2019 - 175 comments
Act has proposed a tax increase for the bottom 64% of all tax payers.
Mark Richardson wants to be a Nat MP
Written By: - Date published: 8:17 am, June 14th, 2019 - 102 comments
Mark Richardson thinks he may have a future career and will be able to transform from overpaid TV personality to overpaid public representative.
Deranged Jacinda syndrome
Written By: - Date published: 9:14 am, June 10th, 2019 - 105 comments
Mike Hosking has chosen to criticise Jacinda Ardern for touring the country and speaking to communities about the Wellbeing budget rather than flying across the world to take part in a photo opportunity.
The Attack of the Snowflakes
Written By: - Date published: 7:00 am, June 4th, 2019 - 119 comments
National is playing the innocent victim of Budgetgate whilst being the aggressive attacker all along.
Politicians Don’t Know Jack
Written By: - Date published: 7:01 am, June 3rd, 2019 - 63 comments
Politicians rely on information provided to them, not on an encyclopaedic memory and an IQ of a genius.
Beware of Truth Sayers
Written By: - Date published: 7:00 am, June 2nd, 2019 - 21 comments
We don’t all have to know all the facts and admitting ignorance is no shame but a virtue.
Budget commentary
Written By: - Date published: 12:23 pm, May 31st, 2019 - 65 comments
Has New Zealand’s social media spent too much time on gocha politics and not enough on the substance of the wellbeing budget?
The Treasury website hack that wasn’t
Written By: - Date published: 7:30 am, May 30th, 2019 - 168 comments
The police has confirmed that a poorly secured website partially searchable through Treasury’s website’s search function was the cause of the release of sensitive budget information.
The false left anti road narrative
Written By: - Date published: 8:24 am, May 28th, 2019 - 26 comments
Shane Te Pou has claimed that the Government is anti road and pro bike lane and light rail. But a look at the Government’s spending priorities suggests that roads still dominate.
Labour to relax fiscal responsibility rules
Written By: - Date published: 9:00 am, May 24th, 2019 - 72 comments
Grant Robertson has announced there will be a relaxing of the fiscal responsibility rules, although not until after the next election.
Death tax fake news
Written By: - Date published: 10:47 am, May 21st, 2019 - 62 comments
Social media was responsible for the repeated broadcasting of the claim that Labor in Australia intended to bring in a death tax. What should happen when claims that are clearly wrong are made?
Will the Christian Conservatives rise again?
Written By: - Date published: 11:07 am, May 20th, 2019 - 78 comments
Simon Bridges has conceded that his claim that talk about Alfred Ngaro setting up a conservative party was “rumour and speculation” was not actually true. And Ngaro has gone on the offensive describing abortion as an unholy holocaust.
Jacinda achieves international commitment to social media change
Written By: - Date published: 8:09 am, May 16th, 2019 - 97 comments
Jacinda Ardern has shown true international leadership by achieving considerable international consensus to effecting change in the way that social media operates.
Swarbrick 1 Bennett 0
Written By: - Date published: 1:11 pm, May 9th, 2019 - 47 comments
Chloe Swarbrick has responded Paula Bennett’s derisory comments about the proposed cannabis drug reform with a very elegant burn.
This Could Happen To You
Written By: - Date published: 7:00 am, May 6th, 2019 - 58 comments
For some reason, this story struck a nerve. An 80-year old had his 59-year career terminated by an impersonal e-mail from a faceless manager. Ironically, the manager on his public LinkedIn profile likes a post entitled “Treat a janitor with the same respect as the CEO”. Isn’t it sad that we now treat people as […]
The Herald paywall
Written By: - Date published: 11:43 am, April 28th, 2019 - 59 comments
The Herald is getting ready this week to install a paywall.
Should white supremacists be preferred over ISIS?
Written By: - Date published: 7:30 am, April 27th, 2019 - 117 comments
According to media sources in the United States Twitter won’t autoban white supremacists because too many GOP Politicians would be banned.
The Mueller report
Written By: - Date published: 10:11 am, April 19th, 2019 - 75 comments
Robert Mueller’s report has now been released and questions are being asked at the benign spin that the White House has been allowed to engage in to describe it before its release.
Bridges’ emotional junior staffer problem
Written By: - Date published: 8:04 am, April 11th, 2019 - 36 comments
The emotional junior staffer incident shows that National’s internal discipline is poor and that leaks are continuing.
This Is Who We Really Are
Written By: - Date published: 1:05 pm, April 5th, 2019 - 146 comments
As we prepare for ANZAC Day, the Kapiti RSA has been viciously attacked for wanting to show solidarity with NZ’s Muslim community. Maggie writes about what that means and suggests who we really are.
David is delayed
Written By: - Date published: 11:27 am, April 3rd, 2019 - 13 comments
David Seymour has done something even more embarrassing than twerking on Dancing with the Stars.
The gun lobby fights back
Written By: - Date published: 12:27 pm, March 30th, 2019 - 16 comments
The Herald is reporting that Gun City the business that sold the military style semi automatic weapons to the Christchurch Mosque killer, has urged customers to sign a petition against banning military style semi automatic weapons.
WTF Free Speech coalition?
Written By: - Date published: 7:54 am, March 26th, 2019 - 564 comments
The Free Speech coalition has attacked the Chief Censor’s decision to rule the Christchurch Mosque killer’s manifesto as objectionable as an attack on free speech. But the New Zealand Council for Civil Liberties has characterised the Censor’s decision as being entirely conventional.
The trouble with Facebook
Written By: - Date published: 10:11 am, March 24th, 2019 - 79 comments
The Government and some major corporations have called for changes to Facebook in the way it operates.
National’s unfortunate misstatement about its migrant petition
Written By: - Date published: 10:51 am, March 19th, 2019 - 76 comments
National has been caught out in what is euphemistically called a misspeak about when it took its odious anti UN Migration pact petition down from its website. It said it was weeks before the Christchurch murders but it appears the petition was still live after the event.
Simon Bridges is distancing himself from Simon Bridges
Written By: - Date published: 8:01 am, March 13th, 2019 - 44 comments
Simon Bridges did the remarkable thing yesterday of distancing himself from his own party over events he had major involvement in.
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.
Bad: The Michael Jackson Hysteria
Written By: - Date published: 9:32 pm, March 7th, 2019 - 187 comments
Radio stations around the world are banning the music of Michael Jackson. What have his records done wrong?
The tax debate – Dogwhistle time
Written By: - Date published: 8:07 am, March 7th, 2019 - 111 comments
National has resorted to race baiting in its attempt to denigrate the Tax Working Group’s proposed capital gains tax.
The Green’s electoral law reform petition
Written By: - Date published: 8:47 am, March 4th, 2019 - 389 comments
The Green Party’s launching of a petition to seek changes to the electoral system has met with some Trumpian style rhetoric from the right.
- Gang patch ban: ‘Subtle adaptations’ of insignia already being seen
Gang members are already changing their insignia to get around the law that came into effect overnight. ...4 days ago - Bootcamp bill to have first reading before verdict on 10-boy pilot project
The Govt’s bootcamp bill will have its first reading on Thursday, ahead of a final evaluation of the controversial pilot programme. The post Bootcamp bill to have first reading before verdict on 10-boy pilot project appeared first on Newsroom. ...4 days ago - Where to find $1.3 trillion for climate finance
Fossil fuel subsidies, solidarity levies and wealth taxes have all been proposed as sources of the trillions of dollars of climate finance needed The post Where to find $1.3 trillion for climate finance appeared first on Newsroom. ...4 days ago
- It’s not too late to halt the death spiral of New Zealand’s public health system
It’s a shambles of our own making, but it’s still one we can turn around, argues health sector expert Dr David Galler. Trust and confidence in the public health system is at an all-time low. Not a day goes by without another story highlighting its alleged failings, eroding what little ...4 days ago - The gang patch ban is now in force. What’s going to happen?
From today, police can enforce new gang legislation, including a ban on insignia being displayed in public. Here’s what you need to know. Why are we talking about this again? I thought it came in ages ago. The Gangs Act 2024 and Sentencing Amendment Act 2024 did indeed become law ...4 days ago
- National desperately needs to nullify Act’s Treaty bill
The Prime Minister cannot afford to be seen getting bogged down and taken over by Act on the Treaty Principles Bill The post National desperately needs to nullify Act’s Treaty bill appeared first on Newsroom. ...4 days ago
- Daily crossword, Thursday 21 November
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- Urban fringe precincts give city centres a run for their money
Making way for future growth doesn’t have to – and likely won’t – take place in existing city centres, says a company developing significant office space on Auckland’s Southern Corridor.Unlisted commercial property fund manager Oyster Property Group and global investment firm KKR purchased the Central Park office park in Auckland’s ...4 days ago
- Book of the Week: How to honour te Tiriti
The newly published Te Tiriti o Waitangi Relationships: People, Politics and Law is the third of a Bridget Williams Books series which started with a 2004 volume on the Waitangi Tribunal, and was followed by a collection on Treaty settlements in 2012. Its intention is to present what “leading scholars ...4 days ago
- Kinleith Mill’s troubles highlight industry’s ‘long slow burn’
Commodity manufacturers are at risk when their products can be made cheaper overseas The post Kinleith Mill’s troubles highlight industry’s ‘long slow burn’ appeared first on Newsroom. ...4 days ago
- The case for juries
New Zealand will find out early next year if the Government will decrease the number of jury trials in a bid to speed up the court system.Currently, defendants can choose to face a jury – rather than a judge alone – when charged with a criminal offence carrying a maximum ...4 days ago
- Newsroom daily quiz, Thursday 21 November
Loading…(function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){var ql=document.querySelectorAll('A[data-quiz],DIV[data-quiz]'); if(ql){if(ql.length){for(var k=0;k<ql.length;k++){ql[k].id='quiz-embed-'+k;ql[k].href="javascript:var i=document.getElementById('quiz-embed-"+k+"');try{qz.startQuiz(i)}catch(e){i.start=1;i.style.cursor='wait';i.style.opacity='0.5'};void(0);"}}};i['QP']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){(i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o),m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m)})(window,document,'script','https://take.quiz-maker.com/3012/CDN/quiz-embed-v1.js','qp');Got a good quiz question? Send Newsroom your questions.The post Newsroom daily quiz, Thursday 21 November appeared first on Newsroom. ...4 days ago
- NZ downgraded in global climate rankings
New Zealand has dropped seven places to 41st in the global Climate Change Performance Index, which ranks countries based on their emissions, deployment of renewable electricity, overall energy use and climate policy.The announcement of the latest update to the index, which has been running since 2005 and is considered an ...4 days ago
- Police research adds to evidence against gang patch ban
As Te Hīkoi mō Te Tiriti gathered at Wellington’s Waitangi Park on the waterfront on Tuesday morning, the MC welcomed “brothers of the patched world and sisters of the patched world”.He told the Māori members of the crowd that their whakapapa – carried through tā moko – survived on the ...4 days ago
- Young families are leaving many large US cities − here’s why that matters
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Biswa Das, Associate Professor of Community and Regional Planning and Extension Economist, Iowa State University Parents and educators rally at Boston City Hall demanding urgent action to improve the city’s public schools. Barry Chin/The Boston Globe via Getty Images Young families ...4 days ago - Australia’s $230 billion Future Fund encouraged to invest in housing, energy transition, infrastru...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra The Albanese government has rewritten the mandate of the Future Fund – the nation’s sovereign wealth fund – to urge it to direct investment into the “national priorities” of housing, the energy transition and infrastructure, ...4 days ago
- Third Reading Of Samoa Citizenship Bill In New Zealand Parliament Today
Explainer - New Zealand's Parliament will, on Wednesday, hear the third and final reading of a bill that will, if passed, restore a pathway for citizenship to a group of Samoans stripped of it decades ago. ...5 days ago - Christopher Luxon Says ‘No Need To Meet’ With Hīkoi At Parliament
The Prime Minister says organisers were "closely aligned" with Te Pāti Māori, but acknowledged it was "a significant day". ...5 days ago
- ‘685’s to the world:’ Restoring Citizenship Bill passes with unanimous support
Greens MP Teanau Tuiono says it's "a significant step for Pasifika justice here in Aotearoa and around the Pacific". ...5 days ago
- What is methanol? How does it get into drinks and cause harm?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ian Musgrave, Senior lecturer in Pharmacology, University of Adelaide cdrin/Shutterstock Two Australian teenagers are severely ill in hospital in Thailand after experiencing suspected methanol poisoning while they were travelling in Laos. The pair are reportedly among several foreign nationals to become ...5 days ago
- Politics with Michelle Grattan: Special Minister of State Don Farrell on getting ‘big money’ out...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra The government says it will take “big money” out of election campaigns – or, more realistically, curb it – with its legislation imposing donation and spending caps and real-time disclosure. But crossbenchers and other ...5 days ago
- The hīkoi and Parliament: A photo essay
The House - Parliament protests run the gamut between solo vigils and a few thousand with amplified speeches. The hīkoi was an entirely new category. ...5 days ago
- Why NZ is protesting over colonial-era treaty bill – a global perspective
An overview for our international readers of Asia Pacific Report. BACKGROUNDER: By Sarah Shamim A fight for Māori indigenous rights drew more than 50,000 protesters to the New Zealand Parliament in the capital Wellington yesterday. A nine-day-long Hīkoi, or peaceful march — a Māori tradition — was undertaken in protest ...5 days ago
- The NT and ACT might have small populations but their economies are growing faster than the bigger s...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Hawkins, Senior Lecturer, Canberra School of Politics, Economics and Society, University of Canberra sweettoiletpaper/Shutterstock The Northern Territory and Australian Capital Territory have won bragging rights for having the fastest growing economies within Australia. Their growth was highlighted in annual data ...5 days ago
- NZ chips in $10m from existing funds to pay for climate losses
It will help pay for losses suffered by poorer countries because of climate change. ...5 days ago
- New law gives up to 3,480 Samoan elders back their right to NZ citizenship
The Citizenship (Western Samoa Restoration) Amendment Bill has passed its third and final reading. The bill’s author reflects on what it means for the Samoan community. It’s rare for MPs across the political spectrum to unite behind a piece of legislation. Rarer still is for an opposition MP’s bill to ...5 days ago
- Gang patch ban: Senior Black Power member concerned about impact on families
"What people wear is not the issue," one Black Power member told RNZ. ...5 days ago
- Budget update will revise down company tax receipts but treasurer Chalmers welcomes economy’s ‘s...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Next month’s federal budget update is expected to revise down company tax receipts for the first time since 2020, amid continued low economic growth in the near term. In his Wednesday ministerial statement on ...5 days ago
- Schoolies means more drink spiking warnings. Why is the burden still on women to stay safe?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jessica Ison, Senior Lecturer and Deputy Director, Reducing Gender-Based Violence Research Group, La Trobe University, La Trobe University Christian Bertrand/Shutterstock Schoolies season is here – and with it, warnings about staying safe while partying. For girls and women, this often means ...5 days ago
- Speaker’s handling of hīkoi ‘overkill’ – Te Paati Māori
Staff were locked from being able give water to protesters, and wifi access was blocked too, co-leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer said. ...5 days ago
- Richard Chambers to be announced as new Police Commissioner
Richard Chambers is replacing outgoing commissioner Andrew Coster. ...5 days ago
- Richard Chambers announced as new Police Commissioner
Richard Chambers is replacing outgoing commissioner Andrew Coster. ...5 days ago
- Government designates Hezbollah as terrorist entity
The government has also slapped a similar designation on the Houthi movement. ...5 days ago
- Cost of road cones, temporary speed limits ‘eyewatering’ – Transport Minister
Simeon Brown had previously raised concerns over the cost of road cones and temporary speed limits, asking the ministry to look into it. ...5 days ago
- 10 years after the Lacrosse building cladding fire, the defects and disasters continue
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Trivess Moore, Associate Professor, School of Property, Construction and Project Management, RMIT University Metropolitan Fire Brigade, CC BY Ten years ago, a late-night cigarette started a fire that spread rapidly up 13 storeys on the Lacrosse apartment building in Melbourne. The ...5 days ago
- What is premenstrual dysphoric disorder? And how is it different to PMS?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Eveline Mu, Research Fellow in Women’s Mental Health, Monash University Austin Guevara/Pexels Periods can feel like an unwanted guest for many women and gender diverse people who menstruate, bringing cramps, mood swings and exhaustion. But how do you know ...5 days ago
- Bill would ‘render the treaty worthless’ – world reacts to national Hīkoi
RNZ News International media coverage of Aotearoa New Zealand’s national Hīkoi to Parliament has largely focused on the historic size of the turnout in Wellington yesterday and the wider contention between Māori and the Crown. Some, including The New York Times, have also pointed out the recent swing right with ...5 days ago
- PPTA Urges Government To Act For Children In War Zones
Children are our future and have the right to access education wherever they live. We must do everything we can to uphold this fundamental human right. ...5 days ago
- ‘I’ll try any synonym under the sun’: Jacqueline Bublitz’s crimes against language
Welcome to The Spinoff Books Confessional, in which we get to know the reading habits of Aotearoa writers, and guests. This week: Jacqueline Bublitz, author of new crime novel Leave the Girls Behind. The book I wish I’d written I was so impressed by the big reveal in All the Colours ...5 days ago
- Financial forms of family violence affect 1 in 7 New Zealanders – but the law is lagging
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ayesha Scott, Adjunct Senior Lecturer, AUT Business School, Auckland University of Technology and Senior Lecturer in Finance & Financial Planning, Griffith University Economic harm – restricting access to, sabotaging or exploiting another person’s financial resources, and impeding their economic autonomy – is ...5 days ago
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