caption contest
Categories under caption contest
- No categories
Caption contest
Written By: - Date published: 2:40 pm, January 29th, 2016 - 38 comments
Keep it humourous.
Caption contest
Written By: - Date published: 1:25 pm, October 25th, 2015 - 104 comments
The normal rules apply. Keep it seemly.
Caption Contest
Written By: - Date published: 2:05 pm, October 8th, 2015 - 100 comments
The normal rules apply. Keep it seemly …
Caption contest
Written By: - Date published: 3:45 pm, September 1st, 2015 - 90 comments
Keep it seemly …
Caption contest
Written By: - Date published: 12:00 pm, August 16th, 2015 - 78 comments
Keep it seemly …
Caption Contest
Written By: - Date published: 3:00 pm, June 30th, 2015 - 87 comments
Keep it seemly.
Caption Competition
Written By: - Date published: 1:00 pm, April 24th, 2015 - 114 comments
Keep it seemly!
Caption competition
Written By: - Date published: 12:00 pm, April 11th, 2015 - 85 comments
Head of Mediaworks Mark Weldon and his mate John. Be nice about it …
Caption competition (animated!)
Written By: - Date published: 4:01 pm, March 9th, 2015 - 115 comments
Caption contest
Written By: - Date published: 3:08 pm, December 19th, 2014 - 67 comments
Keep it seemly …
Caption contest
Written By: - Date published: 1:58 pm, December 10th, 2014 - 85 comments
The normal rules apply.
Caption contest
Written By: - Date published: 5:00 pm, November 27th, 2014 - 116 comments
Keep it seemly …
Caption competition
Written By: - Date published: 5:44 pm, September 2nd, 2014 - 58 comments
Too good to pass up but keep it civilised …
- Some half-hearted victory song
Last night should have been a cause for muted celebration in Parliament. The Electoral (Registration of Sentenced Prisoners) Bill’s final passage through the House partially erases a stain on New Zealand’s democratic system. It’s a drum I’ve been beating for the past decade, but denying all sentenced prisoners the right to vote is a ...2 weeks ago - Jordan Williams shoots and misses
Jordan WilliamsIt’s pretty obvious to all and sundry that the Taxpayers Union, run by Jordan Williams, isn’t really a union at all. Instead it’s a small lobby group for privileged white folk, namely the old fools behind the scenes of the corrupt and largely defunct Act Party.With an incorrectly attributed ...2 weeks ago - More progress on secrecy
Last year, I highlighted a secrecy problem with the government's Infrastructure Funding and Financing Bill. The Bill would establish a new class of public entity, "special purpose vehicles", to hide debt from local government balance sheets fund infrastructure such as roads and sewers in "high-growth" councils. The SPVs would collect ...2 weeks ago - Why I’m confident there is no community transmission in NZ
Both the leader of the opposition Todd Muller and University of Auckland Professor Des Gorman have gone on the record as saying they suspect Covid-19 is spreading in the community in New Zealand once again. Let me explain why I don’t agree with them. As best I can tell there ...2 weeks ago - Covid-19 border problems shows why new national security agency needed, former minister says
By Geoffrey Miller A former MP and Associate Minister of Defence says that New Zealand’s Covid-19 border and quarantine issues illustrate why a new dedicated national security agency is needed. Heather Roy, a former deputy leader of the Act Party who held the associate defence portfolio from 2008-10, told the ...2 weeks ago - Skeptical Science New Research for Week #25, 2020
Annual fishing report It's been about a year since we swapped out the Research News deckhand. It seems longer— particularly the past 4 months— and not because of this particular work. Over the course of the year somewhere in the neighborhood of 17,500 articles have been caught in our net, ...2 weeks ago - Erasing a stain on our democracyNational's prisoner-voting ban was a stain on our democracy. Passed in defiance of the Bill of Rights Act, with an absence of thought, it brought our parliament into disrepute. But now, that stain has been at least partially erased, with the passage of the Electoral (Registration of Sentenced Prisoners) Amendment ...2 weeks ago
- New misogyny has many forms
This article on Feminist Current by Meghan Murphy looks at the Karen/Becky meme and argues it has officially gone too far The male centered progressive left has successfully made woman-hating trendy. Today, yet another “Karen” video went viral online. This time, it seems a woman flipped off a male driver, ...2 weeks ago - Have NZ cops been trained to be killers?Over the past few weeks, there's been a lot of attention on the question of why American police are so violent, and so often murder people. There are a pile of reasons for this, including the racist roots of their entire policing system, but part of the answer seems to ...2 weeks ago
- Overseeing the COVID-19 lawThe COVID-19 Public Health Response Act 2020 is currently being reviewed by a select committee, ahead of the first vote (in early August) on whether to extend it. The law includes clauses requiring orders to be approved by Parliament, and allowing them to be revoked at any time by the ...2 weeks ago
- Status quo “reform”Last year, the government promised that it would strengthen whistleblower protections. Today, they finally released the bill. There's one major change: "[a] discloser is entitled to protection for a protected disclosure made to an appropriate authority at any time" - an "appropriate authority" being public sector heads, officers of Parliament, ...2 weeks ago
- Why long-term environmental observations are crucial for New Zealand’s water security challengesAndrew Lorrey, National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research; Ben Noll, National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research, and Lauren Vargo, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington Brewster Glacier in New Zealand’s Southern Alps lost 13 million cubic metres of ice between March 2016 and March 2019 – ...2 weeks ago
- What Earth would be like if we hadn’t pumped greenhouse gases into the atmosphereClimate Explained is a collaboration between The Conversation, Stuff and the New Zealand Science Media Centre to answer your questions about climate change. If you have a question you’d like an expert to answer, please send it to climate.change@stuff.co.nz This week, Climate Explained answers two similar questions. If humans ...2 weeks ago
- Life in Level 1: Reinfection – Labour’s kryptonite
. . 17 June Labour’s “dream run” of being a competent manager during the Covid19 Crisis may just have come to a crashing end. Recent revelations that some of the quarantine facilities (hotels converted to the task) have been shambolically mis-managed has raised alarm bells and widespread criticism; . . ...2 weeks ago - Debunking Michael WoodhouseMichael WoodhouseWe all know that the National Party has a major credibility issue at the moment, and his name is Michael Woodhouse.Not only has the former Health Minister recently been in the news promoting a number of unverified claims designed to try and discredit the Government's response to COVID-19, the ...2 weeks ago
- Shining a spotlight on translations and our translator teamsEven though Skeptical Science's "lingua franca" is English we do have a lot of content translated into more than 20 languages and anybody can get involved with translations as I explained in a blog post in 2014. A lot of the translation work tends to fly under the radar and in ...2 weeks ago
- Farmers are poisoning CanterburyLast year we learned that relatively low levels of nitrates in drinking water were linked to increased incidence of colorectal cancer. New Zealand has a lot of nitrates, thanks to all those cows pissing everywhere. So how bad is the problem here? Bad: 2020 data obtained by Forest & Bird ...2 weeks ago
- Getting what they paid for againIt looks like the fishing industry is still getting what they pay for: The Government has again bowed to fishing industry pressure and refused to extend a marine reserve around Campbell Island, a subantarctic sanctuary recognised for its value in conserving and maintaining unique creatures. Campbell Island/Motu Ihupuku is ...2 weeks ago
- Graham Adams: National’s strategy to neutralise Jacinda ArdernAt a time when a wave of iconoclasm has meant no statue or monument appears safe from destruction — whether it is Gandhi, Churchill or Captain Cook — Judith Collins has taken the opportunity to attack a living icon who has been feted in some quarters, both here and abroad, ...2 weeks ago
- Why are we seeing these new cases of Covid-19 in New Zealand?After weeks of no new cases of Covid-19, in the last week we’ve recorded nine. That’s sounds pretty scary, but here’s why there’s no reason to panic. For weeks now, almost every day there have been over 100,000 new confirmed cases of Covid-19 around the world. On two days last ...2 weeks ago
- Can Labour Still Win?
2 weeks ago - Bryce Edwards: Political Roundup: Fallout from the Covid border blunderCould the quarantine and testing botch-ups have an impact on the election? The Government might have been hoping that the scandal was a one-week wonder, but the stories of quarantine and testing fiascos keep coming and will be felt strongly by the public. Many voters will now have much less ...2 weeks ago
- Restoring Science, Protecting the Public: 43 Steps for the Next Presidential TermA guest repost by the Climate Science Legal Defense Fund (CSLDF). Fundraising is not the objective of this article but readers may wish to know that CSLDF is currently conducting a summer fundraiser to support the important work of defending research scientists and research integrity from anti-science interference by politicians and industrial interests. We’re one of ...2 weeks ago
- Flat Earthers: For how much longer must New Zealand be damaged by Neoliberalism’s demented percept...Watching The World Burn: What was it that Michael Caine, playing the role of Batman’s butler, said: “...some men aren’t looking for anything logical, like money. They can’t be bought, bullied, reasoned, or negotiated with. Some men just want to watch the world burn.” Just substitute the word “worthwhile” for “logical” ...2 weeks ago
- One country at a timeSomething I missed in the lockdown chaos: Chad has abolished the death penalty: The European Union has hailed Chad for abolishing the death penalty for terrorism crimes nearly five years since its last execution. In a statement on Saturday, the EU Spokesperson for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Virginie ...2 weeks ago
- 2020 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming Digest #25Story of the Week... Toon of the Week... Climate Feedback Article Review... Coming Soon on SkS... SkS Week in Review... Poster of the Week... Story of the Week... Bangladesh Coal Plants Threaten World's Largest Mangrove Forest Important Coastal Barrier at Risk from Increased Pollution The Bangladesh government threatens ...2 weeks ago
- Climate Change: Undermining their own policyThe most effective way New Zealand has of fighting climate change and preventing the earth from becoming uninhabitable in the short term is planting trees to soak up carbon. And, thanks to the carbon price being hard up against the cap for a few years, this has finally been happening. ...2 weeks ago
- NZ Politics Daily – 22 June 2020Today’s content Border restrictions, quarantine Tracy Watkins (Stuff): The only way to restore confidence is to order an urgent inquiry into our border failures John Armstrong (1News): David Clark is Minister of Health in name only after calamitous Covid-19 testing bungle Andrea Vance (Stuff): If there must be anger, direct it at those ...2 weeks ago
- Cat MacLennan: Ten dead giveaways that Labour in 2020 will never be transformationalDuring the State Opening of Parliament after the 2017 election, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern pledged that her administration would be a government of transformation. 31 months later, it is clear that Labour in 2020 will never be transformational. Here are ten dead giveaways that explain why. 1. When the Budget ...2 weeks ago
- A “New World” Beckons, but the “Old World” won’t let us go without a hell of a fight…
Whether we like it or not, change is upon us everywhere we look across cultural, political, economic, societal and technological responses to COVID-19… but how much of the Old World thinking keeps a grip on the possibilities of what could be “a new way forward”? Turns out, quite a ...2 weeks ago - Blue Birds
I was born just before the outbreak of the Second World War. I spent my early years with my mother and young sister in our little state house in Hawera, while my father was “away at the war” in the Air Force. I grew up with an awareness, as I ...2 weeks ago - 2020 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #25A chronological listing of news articles linked to on the Skeptical Science Facebook Page during the past week: Sun, June 14 through Sat, June 20, 2020 Editor's Choice World has six months to avert climate crisis, says energy expert International Energy Agency chief warns of need to prevent post-lockdown surge ...2 weeks ago
- Stuff continues the diatribes against J K RowlingA week ago JK Rowling tweeted that that biological sex is real. She took issue with an article that referred to “people who menstruate,” instead of “women”. She pointed out: “If sex isn’t real, the lived reality of women globally is erased. . . . I do not believe it’s hateful to ...2 weeks ago
- Radiation: Views June 20: Savage and Eddyfying
Painting, Lego, honey and a lawyer.SATURDAY JUNE 20Landscape Artist of the Year (Prime, 6.00pm). Want to literally watch paint dry? Stephen Mangan and Joan Bakewell begin the quest for a new British landscape artist in Yorkshire.Great British Railway Journeys (Living, Sky 017, 7.30pm). Michael Portillo and his many colourful jackets ...2 weeks ago - COVID-19 is the quiz, climate change the final examThis is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Jeff Masters Mother Nature gave human civilization a survival pop-quiz in 2020: the COVID-19 pandemic. Nations like South Korea, New Zealand, and Taiwan, which studied for the quiz and heeded the expertise of their tutors (i.e., scientists), have done much better on ...2 weeks ago
- The fate of the albatrossYesterday I wrote that I can find some reason to celebrate almost any date, and today (19th June) is no exception: it’s World Albatross Day. Unfortunately the day began with a news story concerning a commercial fishing boat killing four endangered Antipodean albatrosses off NZ’s East Cape. Even more ...2 weeks ago
- Do We Really Know Our History?The past is a foreign country: they do things differently there. The quotation illustrates one of the struggles writing history. Just as you want to be sensitive to differences when you are travelling – unless you are an ugly imperialist – you need to recognise that, say, a history of ...2 weeks ago
- No reason for Police to carry gunsSo why exactly did the New Zealand Police undertake an armed response teams (ARTs) trial in the first place? Of course there was the Christchurch mosque terrorism attack, but that was an isolated incident and therefore cannot be used as an excuse to arm Police. What this trial does do ...2 weeks ago
- National plays dirty politics with COVID-19You’ve really got to wonder who exactly informed National Party MP Michael Woodhouse about the close contacts two UK women had during their trip from Auckland to Wellington?The pair later tested positive for COVID-19 and may have infected others, giving rise to legitimate questions about just how effective New Zealand’s ...2 weeks ago
- Whose History?Confronting The Past: What to do with our anger? That’s what counts now – as the promised New Zealand History curriculum nears completion. Should every Pakeha explorer; every missionary and trader; every royal emissary and military man be tried and convicted posthumously? Should every statue of the squat Queen-Empress be ...2 weeks ago
- Connecting Wellington and NelsonMy blog post here has essentially nothing to do with space and astronomy, my usual subjects, but it concerns a little matter of history I thought I’d like to write about. Once upon a time I wrote a long book about calendars, and as a consequence accumulated knowledge about ...3 weeks ago
- The military is no quarantine panacea.
A word of caution: the military is not a quarantine panacea. At least 60 NZDF personnel have been on quarantine patrol duties since April 1, and yet breaches of the restrictions on physical contact occurred. What is more, the NZDF presumably has its own testing regime in place (for its ...3 weeks ago - DrawnA ballot for two Member's bills was held today, and the following bills were drawn: District Court (Protection of Judgment Debtors with Disabilities) Amendment Bill (Anahila Kanongata’a-Suisuiki) Local Government (Customer Focus) Amendment Bill (Jacqui Dean) These are both pretty boring bills, which make tweaks rather than big, ...3 weeks ago
- The Christiansen case, compassion and the constitutional role of the courtsThe PM’s press briefing on Wednesday 17 June channeled the nation’s collective rage at discovering what seems now to be only the tip of the iceberg of an “avalance of incompetence in the quarantine system” (to mix metaphors). At it, she referred to “pressure”, including from the courts, to take ...3 weeks ago
- A Vigorous Rearrangement of Deck Chairs: Heather Simpson’s Neoliberal Prescription For New Zealand...Efficient and Effective? If Heather Simpson had dared to produce a report that restored to “efficient” and “effective” their true meanings, then it would have recommended the complete abolition of both the Ministry of Health and the District Health Boards, and their replacement with an all-encompassing Department of Health and ...3 weeks ago
- Something Very Big.Freedom Now: Residents enjoy the new order established in the Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone of central Seattle in Washington state, USA.IT’S DOUBTFUL whether many of those applauding the current US protests grasp fully the enormity of what is happening there. Take those six city blocks in Capitol Hill, Seattle, Washington ...3 weeks ago
- NZ Politics Daily – 18 June 2020Today’s content Border failure ODT Editorial: Defence must be tightened RNZ: Checkpoint: Covid-19: Isolation audit not enough to ensure safety – expert Shaun Hendy et al (The Conversation): 2 new COVID-19 cases in New Zealand, but elimination of community transmission still stands Heather Du Plessis-Allan (Newstalk ZB): Ministry of Health can’t follow their own ...3 weeks ago
- Skeptical Science New Research for Week #24, 202081 Articles Physical science of global warming & effects Why Is the Mediterranean a Climate Change Hot Spot? Observations & observational methods of global warming & effects Change in the fire season pattern from bimodal to unimodal under climate change: The case of Daxing'anling in Northeast China The ...3 weeks ago
- Climate Change: The final squeals of a dying industryThe Climate Change Response (Emissions Trading Reform) Amendment Bill, which finally make the ETS sortof function, over a decade after it was first established. Farmers are naturally unhappy, claiming that the law will see polluters buying farms to plant trees, effectively driving them off the land. To which the only ...3 weeks ago
- On the White New Zealand policyAttitudes in this country have changed considerably over the past century and racism is far less overt than it once was. However, racism still persists and is most blatant when it comes to refugees and migrants who are still too frequently viewed as less worthy of basic rights. The case ...3 weeks ago
- Submit!The Privileges Committee has called for submissions on the New Zealand Bill of Rights (Declarations of Inconsistency) Amendment Bill. The bill recognises that the courts can declare legislation to be inconsistent with the BORA, and requires the Attorney-General to report such declarations to Parliament. While there's no requirement in law ...3 weeks ago
- Some progress on secrecy clausesOver the past year I've noticed a rise in the number of secrecy clauses in legislation: specific clauses requiring that certain information be kept confidential, effectively forbidding its release under the OIA. The most shocking bit is that these are usually applied to information collected from other government agencies, and ...3 weeks ago
- Winston Peters versus Black Lives Matter3 weeks ago
- Two new COVID-19 cases in New Zealand, but elimination of community transmission still standsShaun Hendy; Alex James, University of Canterbury; Audrey Lustig, Manaaki Whenua – Landcare Research; Michael Plank, University of Canterbury; Nicholas Steyn, and Rachelle Binny, Manaaki Whenua – Landcare Research New Zealand is one of a handful of countries where community transmission of COVID-19 has been eliminated. But with two new ...3 weeks ago
- A brief history of climate targets and technological promisesThis is a re-post from Carbon Brief by Prof Duncan McLaren Over the past three decades, the perceived wisdom for how to approach climate targets has changed several times. From initial ideas of climate stabilisation, suggested approaches have focused on percentage CO2 emissions cuts, atmospheric CO2 concentrations, carbon budgets and today’s ...3 weeks ago
- Preventing Outbreaks of COVID-19 in NZ Associated with Air Travel from Australia: New Modelling Stud...Prof Nick Wilson, Prof Michael Baker, Prof Martin Eichner (*author details) In this new study, we estimated the risk of COVID-19 outbreaks associated with air travel from Australia (with a low prevalence of COVID-19 infection) to NZ. We found that the combined use of exit and entry screening, two ...3 weeks ago
- Equality wins in the USThe US Supreme Court has ruled that existing anti-discrimination law covers sexual orientation and identity: The top court in the US has ruled that employers who fire workers for being gay or transgender are breaking the country's civil rights laws. In a 6-3 decision, the Supreme Court said federal ...3 weeks ago
- Labour chickenshits out on gun controlIn the wake of the Christchurch Mosque shootings, Labour moved urgently on gun control. Semi-automatic firearms were banned immediately. But their second tranche of legislation, designed to establish a more permanent framework, got bogged down by NZ First. And now it looks like Labour has chickened out, and will let ...3 weeks ago
- The police fail againEver since he killed 51 people in Christchurch, people have been asking how the hell the Christch mosque shooter managed to get a firearms licence. And now we know the answer: the police just didn't bother checking properly: The March 15 terrorist was wrongly granted a firearms licence due ...3 weeks ago
- Joint effort under way to repatriate stranded Vanuatu nationals
Rt Hon Winston Peters, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs Hon Ron Mark, Minister of Defence A massive joint effort between New Zealand Government agencies, employers, and the Vanuatu Government is underway to repatriate over 1000 Vanuatu nationals stranded in New Zealand, Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters and Defence Minister Ron ...3 weeks ago - $40m for regional apprenticeshipsHon Shane Jones, Minister of Regional Economic Development Reprioritised funding of $40 million from the Provincial Growth Fund will support up to 1000 regional apprenticeships, Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones said today. The Regional Apprenticeship Initiative is part of the wider Apprenticeship Boost announced by Education Minister Chris Hipkins ...3 weeks ago
- Greens welcome new ACC zero carbon plans, call for ruling out any future fossil fuel investment
The Green Party welcomes the ACC’s announcement to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050 but emphasises the need to go further, and faster to truly meet the climate change challenge. ...3 weeks ago - Farmers pleased with NZ First amendments to firearms billFarmers are rejoicing after Labour agreed to an amendment pushed by New Zealand First in the firearms bill that will allow the use of restricted guns for pest control. Concessions on gun control mean farmers will be able to apply for a licence to use restricted firearms for pest control. ...3 weeks ago
- New Zealand launches free trade talks with the UKNew Zealand has formally launched free trade negotiations with the United Kingdom, with hopes a swift deal could assist with the country's post-Covid recovery. The two countries announced the start of FTA talks on Wednesday afternoon, offering a new avenue for trade progress. In a statement announcing the start of ...3 weeks ago
- Northland’s $200m rail upgrade providing work for localsThe Northland rail project is already providing jobs for locals, with 200 contractors and KiwiRail staff needed over the coming months. The Provincial Growth Fund (PGF) has pledged $204.5 million for the project - $164.5m to upgrade the Northland rail line and $40m to buy land. New Zealand First leader ...3 weeks ago
- Ōpōtiki a big winner in latest Provincial Growth Fund projectsŌpōtiki was one of the big winners in yesterday's Provincial Growth Fund announcement outlining a $60 million cash injection for councils and KiwiRail to create employment for local workers. The town's mayor was also optimistic, saying the future of the town is "right now" as it can move forward with ...3 weeks ago
- New Zealand First brings balance to arms legislationHon Ron Mark MP, New Zealand First List MP New Zealand First is supporting the Coalition Government’s Arms Legislation Bill with amendments. “New Zealand First held many reservations following the second reading of this Bill. We’ve listened to submissions, and have worked hard to bring balance, in the context of ...3 weeks ago
- New programme to assist foreign nationals in serious hardshipRt Hon Winston Peters, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs A programme to assist foreign nationals in serious hardship has been announced today by Foreign Minister Winston Peters, and Minister for the Community and Voluntary Sector, Poto Williams. The Assistance for Foreign Nationals impacted by COVID-19 Programme will provide ...3 weeks ago
- Health reforms must protect community voicesThe Green Party is welcoming the final report of the Health and Disability System Review, but cautions that any changes to the DHB system must protect communities’ right to have their say. ...3 weeks ago
- Forgotten funds and missing money
A law change has been introduced to make it easier for forgotten funds in institutional accounts to be returned more easily to their rightful owners. Revenue Minister Stuart Nash has introduced an amendment to the Unclaimed Money Act 1971. It will update the rules controlling forgotten sums of money held ...1 week ago - Government delivers on mental health commitmentThe Government is delivering on election commitments and a key recommendation of He Ara Oranga: Report of the Government Inquiry into Mental Health and Addiction with the establishment of a permanent independent Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission, Health Minister Dr David Clark says. Legislation enabling the establishment of the fully ...1 week ago
- New Zealand privacy law modernisedA Bill to replace New Zealand’s Privacy Act passed its third reading in Parliament today, Justice Minister Andrew Little has announced. “The protections in the Privacy Bill are vitally important. The key purpose of the reforms is to promote and protect people’s privacy and give them confidence that their personal ...1 week ago
- Tourism operators provided extra supportExtra support is being provided to tourism businesses operating on public conservation land announced Tourism Minister Kelvin Davis and Conservation Minister Eugenie Sage today. The Government is providing $25m worth of support to tourism operators impacted by COVID-19, with a decision to waive most Department of Conservation tourism related concession ...1 week ago
- Queenstown infrastructure package to bolster local economyA central Government partnership with Queenstown will help unlock around $300 million of projects in the township and create about 320 direct jobs, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has announced today. The Government will contribute $85 million to the Queenstown Town Centre ($35m) project and Stage One of the Queenstown Arterials ...1 week ago
- Key appointments to ensure high quality healthcare for New ZealandersHealth Minister Dr David Clark welcomes the appointment of Auckland coroner Morag McDowell to the role of Health and Disability Commissioner. He is also pleased his appointments to the inaugural Paramedic Council were confirmed by gazette this week. The new Health and Disability Commissioner Ms McDowell will commence the role ...1 week ago
- Whakatāne Māori food producers receive $2.1m PGF boostThe Provincial Growth Fund is investing $2.1 million in a blueberry orchard initiative, Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters and Under-Secretary for Regional Economic Development Fletcher Tabuteau announced today. “The Meihana Koata Trust will receive a loan from the PGF’s Whenua Māori allocation to develop an 18.8 hectare blueberry orchard on ...1 week ago
- PGF investment in Rewa’s VillageA well-known Māori tourism in Northland will receive $1.25 million from the Provincial Growth Fund for much-needed redevelopment, Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones says. Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Rēhia Charitable Trust will use the funding to upgrade Te Pā Kāinga o Rewa, or Rewa’s Village, in Kerikeri. The long-established ...1 week ago
- Government partners with Ngāti Rēhia to create kauri sanctuaryThe Government and Northland iwi Ngāti Rēhia have today announced up to $6.25 million in One Billion Trees funding for a new kauri sanctuary. Forestry Minister Shane Jones said the sanctuary would help protect kauri by creating New Zealand’s first bio-secure kauri sanctuary, free of kauri dieback disease. “I am ...1 week ago
- Trans-Tasman hosts for 2023 FIFA Women’s World CupThe awarding of joint hosting rights for the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 is a landmark decision for women’s sport in our region Prime Ministers Scott Morrison and Jacinda Ardern said. For the first time in history, Australians and New Zealanders will be able to experience a tier one football ...1 week ago
- NZ wins bid to co-host 2023 FIFA Women’s World CupSport and Recreation Minister Grant Robertson and Economic Development Minister Phil Twyford are welcoming the success of the trans-Tasman AsOne bid in securing co-hosting of the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup. Grant Robertson says winning the rights to co-host the event is another milestone in raising the value and visibility ...1 week ago
- RMA law promotes healthy waterwaysA law that makes crucial environmental improvements to the RMA, particularly for freshwater, has passed its third and final reading today. “Achieving this step in the Government’s approach to reforming New Zealand’s resource management system is a significant milestone,” Environment Minister David Parker said. “The Resource Management Amendment Bill reduces ...2 weeks ago
- PGF funding boost for Hawke’s BayThe Provincial Growth Fund (PGF) is investing nearly $8 million in two game changing projects in the Hawke’s Bay, preparing youth for vocational training and job readiness, and creating immediate jobs in the manufacturing, recycling and horticulture industries, Under-Secretary for Regional Economic Development Fletcher Tabuteau announced today. “The Hawke’s Bay ...2 weeks ago
- Govts to consider wider measures of success as Wellbeing Amendment Bill passesThe Public Finance (Wellbeing) Amendment Bill passed by Parliament today puts New Zealand in a world-leading position by legislating for Governments to consider peoples’ wellbeing alongside traditional fiscal and economic indicators of success, Finance Minister Grant Robertson says. The new legislation passed by Parliament requires: the Government of the day ...2 weeks ago
- Regional Skills Leadership Groups to be eyes and ears for labour market recoveryThe Government is establishing 15 independent Regional Skills Leadership Groups to better manage changing skills and workforce needs in our regions and cities and to support the recovery of labour markets. “These Groups were planned before the arrival of Covid-19 as part of a joined up approach to labour market ...2 weeks ago
- Recognising our health volunteers’ valuable contributionNominations open today for the 2020 Minister of Health Volunteer Awards and Health Minister Dr David Clark is asking New Zealanders to ensure volunteers get the recognition they deserve. “I’m delighted to be able to open these Awards during National Volunteer Week,” David Clark says. “The theme for this week ...2 weeks ago
- New Zealand horses prove their worth in SeoulForeign Affairs and Racing Minister Rt Hon Winston Peters has welcomed a breakthrough for New Zealand horse bloodstock sales with Korea. New Zealand sourced horses purchased by The Seoul Racehorse Owners Association delivered exceptional results in a showcase race this week – and has triggered a surge in Korean interest ...2 weeks ago
- Constable Hunt honoured at graduationAuckland Constable Matt Hunt has been honoured by brand new Police recruits and senior Police leadership at the latest graduation ceremony at the Royal New Zealand Police College today. Minister of Police Stuart Nash says Constable Hunt’s death on duty on Friday weighed heavily on today’s graduation of 38 new ...2 weeks ago
- Better access to healthcare for Coasters West Coasters will soon have better access to modern integrated high quality health services at the new Te Nikau, Grey Hospital and Health Centre, Health Minister Dr David Clark says. The Ministry of Health plans to hand over the building to the DHB on 20 July 2020. Staff are due ...2 weeks ago
- New protection for dolphins and support for changes to fishing methodsExtensive new protections are being put in place as part of an updated plan to look after New Zealand’s native Hector’s and Māui dolphins, announced Minister of Fisheries Stuart Nash and Minister of Conservation Eugenie Sage today. “Hector’s dolphins are nationally vulnerable with about 15,000 in New Zealand’s waters. Māui ...2 weeks ago
- More protection for whistleblowersA Bill that will strengthen protections for whistleblowers has been introduced by the Minister of State Services Chris Hipkins today. The Protected Disclosures (Protection of Whistleblowers) Bill will replace the Protected Disclosures Act 2000. “Whistleblowers are critical to maintaining public confidence in the integrity of government and business in New ...2 weeks ago
- Auckland Light Rail process endedCabinet has agreed to end the twin track Auckland Light Rail process and refer the project to the Ministry of Transport for further work, Transport Minister Phil Twyford says. Despite extensive cross-party consultation, Government parties were unable to reach agreement on a preferred proposal. The future of the project will ...2 weeks ago
- Government supports dairy farming jobs for kiwisThe Government and dairy sector have joined forces on a new campaign to support COVID-19 affected workers into a farming career, Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor said. The 2020 GoDairy campaign was launched today by DairyNZ, in partnership with the Ministry for Primary Industries, the Ministry for Social Development (MSD), and ...2 weeks ago
- Joint Statement – Five Eyes Defence Ministers’ MeetingJoint statement from: Hon Ron Mark, New Zealand Minister of Defence; Senator the Hon Linda Reynolds CSC, Australia Minister for Defence; Hon Harjit Sajjan, Canada Minister of National Defence; Rt Hon Ben Wallace, United Kingdom Secretary of State for Defence; and Dr Mark Esper, United States Secretary of Defense. The ...2 weeks ago
- Racing Industry Bill – Second Reading Speech***Check against delivery*** Mr Speaker, I move, that the Racing Industry Bill be now read a second time. Mr Speaker, racing has a long and proud history in New Zealand. And this bill closes the circle started by Sir Thaddeus McCarthy with his Royal Commission report of December 1970. As ...2 weeks ago
- New Zealand expresses concerns over proposed Israeli annexation plansForeign Affairs Minister Winston Peters today expressed the serious concern of the New Zealand Government about the proposed annexation by Israel of parts of the West Bank. The comments are in advance of the 1 July date set by Israel for a vote on annexation. “New Zealand is a long-standing ...2 weeks ago
- New COVID-19 testing strategy to keep New Zealand safe• Regular health check and asymptomatic testing of all border facing workers • Regular testing of quarantine exempt people such as New Zealand based air crew • Testing available for anyone presenting to primary or secondary care with any type of COVID-19 symptom • DHBs required to regularly review and ...2 weeks ago
- Anzac Day 2010 helicopter crash – Desktop Review releasedDefence Minister Ron Mark has released the Desktop Review of the official reports into the Anzac Day 2010 helicopter crash, in which three of the crew were killed and the fourth critically injured. The Minister called for the review to provide assurance that the reports, taken together, comprise a full ...2 weeks ago
- Police make big dent in gang crime in BoPPolice Minister Stuart Nash says a major operation against the Mongols motorcycle gang in Bay of Plenty today will make a significant impact on the methamphetamine trade and inter-gang violence in the region. Police have announced ten arrests and the seizure of eight prohibited firearms and six Molotov cocktail explosive ...2 weeks ago
- Keeping work safe and fair during and post COVID-19The Government is supporting fair and safe workplaces as more and more New Zealanders get back to work in Level 1. We are investing in programmes to ensure employers and employees know their rights and obligations and at the same time we are supporting two new health and safety initiatives ...2 weeks ago
- Supporting and celebrating our refugee communityThe Government is proud to play our part in international humanitarian work to provide support and protection to refugees, and celebrate the contributions our refugee community makes on World Refugee Day today says Minister of Immigration Iain Lees-Galloway. “We are proud to welcome and support refugees who have escaped extreme ...2 weeks ago
- Volunteers and charities recognised for valuable contributions during National Volunteer WeekThe contribution of volunteers and charities has been recognised by Minister Poto Williams to mark National Volunteer Week, 21 June to 27 June 2020. “I want to offer my thanks and appreciation to our amazing volunteers and charity workers for giving up their time to help others. This has ...2 weeks ago
- Next steps for managed isolation and quarantine facilitiesDoubling of New Zealand Defence Force staff at managed isolation and quarantine facilities. Urgent review of end-to-end protocols and their application at managed isolation and quarantine facilities. Immediate suspension of private functions at managed isolation facilities Air Commodore Darryn Webb to ensure exit testing protocol is followed 105 hotline for ...2 weeks ago
- Government Invests $399,305 in Racecourse SafetyIn the interests of public safety and animal welfare Racing Minister Rt Hon Winston Peters announced today that the Government has invested $399,305 in 18 projects to improve safety at racecourses. The grants are made available through the Racing Safety Development Fund which provides $0.99 million annually to racecourse safety ...2 weeks ago
- Shooting in MasseyThe Prime Minister and Minister of Police have issued the following statement on the shooting in Massey this morning. “This is devastating news. Our police officers work hard everyday to keep us and our communities safe,” said Jacinda Ardern. “To lose a Police officer is to lose someone working for ...2 weeks ago
- Employment Court judge appointedAuckland barrister and solicitor Kathryn Beck has been appointed as a Judge of the Employment Court to be based in Auckland, Attorney-General David Parker announced today. Ms Beck has been a partner with SBM Legal (formerly Swarbrick Beck Mackinnon and Swarbrick Beck), a boutique employment law firm, since 2005. Her ...2 weeks ago
- Far North iwi building water storageConstruction is to start on a water storage development that will help a Far North iwi move their land to higher value horticulture, Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones announced today. Shane Jones will today attend a blessing on the site where the small-scale water storage facility, funded by the ...2 weeks ago
- New roles to help health and healthy relationship teachingNew frontline support for high quality teaching that promotes the mental health and wellbeing of children and young people was announced by Associate Minister of Education Tracey Martin today. “We are funding up to 40 Curriculum Leads who will work directly with schools, kura, early learning services and kōhanga reo ...2 weeks ago
- Financial boost for southern firmsEleven Southland and Otago engineering and manufacturing firms will receive up to $2.2 million from the Provincial Growth Fund to support economic growth and create new high-skilled jobs, Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones announced today. “The vision of these companies align with the Provincial Growth Fund’s objectives to increase ...2 weeks ago
- NZGIF invests to cut emissions at Wellington portMinister for Climate Change, James Shaw today welcomed the decision of New Zealand Green Investment Finance (NZGIF) to support projects that will cut emissions at Wellington’s port. NZGIF will provide $15 million to electrify vehicles, generate renewable energy and upgrade energy efficiency at the port. This is the first investment ...2 weeks ago
- Covid focus for Labour’s mostly online Congress
Covid-19 will dominate campaigning ahead of September's election and Labour's congress this weekend is no exception. ...2 days ago - Labour sacks candidate for old anti-Islamic tweetsA candidate has been removed from the Labour's Party list following anti-Islamic tweets he made seven years ago. ...2 days ago
- The National: Let’s play our part to end violence
The National editorial Hundreds walked the Sir John Guise drive on Thursday calling for justice for the brutal death of 19-year-old mother-of-two – Jenelyn Kennedy last week. Jenelyn’s battered lifeless body was taken into the Port Moresby General Hospital last Tuesday by four men (one believed to be the father ...2 days ago - The life-saving test
*Watch the full video in the player below* In the first 48 hours of life, blood from newborn New Zealand babies is taken and tested. Most parents will never hear back. For others, it’s life-changing, and life-saving. Frank Film investigates. Performed 48 hours after birth, it’s a medical procedure ...2 days ago - Jones breaks the Northland drought with the first shower of PGF millions since away back on June 11
Latest from the Beehive Shane Jones, the Minister of Munificence, in a joint statement with fellow Northlander and Deputy PM Winston Peters, wrapped up a week of handout investment announcements with news of more millions for the people of his patch in the Far North. This time it was a ...2 days ago - ‘It’s time men stand up for our women’ message at ‘turning point’ PNG vigilBy Rebecca Kuku in Port Moresby A passionate plea by men, women and children has echoed around the Papua New Guinean capital of Port Moresby – that it is time to turn the corner on addressing gender-based violence in the country. Gatherings, a peaceful march and a vigil were staged ...2 days ago
- Time To Call Out The Dog Whistles
Former Race Relations Commissioner Gregory Fortuin has called out National MP Hamish Walker for his racist comments towards people of colour. This follows Walker's press release objecting to people from Pakistan, India and Korea potentially being quarantined ...2 days ago - The album taking Khruangbin from cult status to worldwide acclaim
Khruangbin have established their live reputation with spacious instrumentals, but the band’s third album, Mordechai, features prominent vocals and disco-funk jams. Andrew Drever interviews the Texas-based trio upon its release.While the Covid-19 pandemic continues to rage in the US, the situation has actually been a blessing in disguise for Khruangbin ...2 days ago - Criminal charges possible if leak source identified in Covid-19 privacy breach investigationThe State Services Minister says the government will do everything it can to track down who is responsible for a massive privacy breach relating to New Zealand's active Covid cases, and is not ruling out pursuing criminal charges. ...2 days ago
- Live updates, July 3-4: Labour list candidate removed for anti-Islam tweets; Clare Curran speaks on ...For all The Spinoff’s latest coverage of Covid-19 see here. Read Siouxsie Wiles’s work here. New Zealand is currently in alert level one – read about what that means here. For official government advice, see here.The Spinoff’s coverage of the Covid-19 outbreak is made possible thanks to donations from Spinoff Members. To support this ...2 days ago
- The fight to tell New Zealand stories in New Zealand magazinesWith the collapse of Bauer NZ resulting in Australian magazines flooding our shelves, Wendyl Nissen looks back at her battle to get homegrown content given the star billing it deserved.Thanks to some hard-fought battles 30 years ago, New Zealand women have been enjoying their own version of Woman’s Day and ...2 days ago
- Consensus-based NZ electoral reform is a lovely idea. And it’s mostly a mythExtending the franchise to prisoners is the latest in a series of contentious electoral reforms enacted by this government, but history suggests the ‘convention’ for consensual election reform is more imagined than real.The Electoral (Registration of Sentenced Prisoners) Amendment Act, passed last week and corrected this week, extends the franchise ...2 days ago
- Details of active Covid-19 cases leaked in privacy breachRNZ has seen a document that includes the full names, addresses, age and the names of the hotel and one hospital the 18 have been quaranting in. ...2 days ago
- ‘The tip of the iceberg’
Since publication of Newsroom’s extensive investigation into serious issues at Oranga Tamariki, our inbox has been flooded with stories from more current and former employees. In less than 48 hours after Newsroom’s in-depth inquiry into the children's ministry was published we received a high volume of correspondence from current and former ...2 days ago - Short story: The photograph, by Elspeth Sandys
“She’d come into town on the bus. The photographer, so her mother had told her, was famous”: a short story by Wellington writer Elspeth Sandys. It was to be a present for her father who was dying. A photograph of her in her first ball gown. When she reached for ...2 days ago - The long, sorry saga of Shelly Bay
Controversy over Wellington's Shelly Bay has ensnared iwi, the council and politicians for years. Investigative journalist Nicky Hager uses official documents to lay out the roles of money, power and wheels-within-wheels on this most contentious of developments. Any time I am asked whether we have corruption in New Zealand, I ...2 days ago - Exemptions for terror victims ‘within days’
Those who can’t afford to travel will “attend” the terror sentencing via video link, the Immigration Minister says. David Williams reports The Immigration Minister is demanding officials give urgent help to overseas victims of the Christchurch terror attack and their families. Yesterday, High Court Justice Cameron Mander announced the terrorist, ...2 days ago - Extra Time: ‘We will cannibalise each other’
Is the answer to saving New Zealand's professional sports teams creating super-franchises? The Extra Time podcast asks sports leaders. Professional sport is slowly emerging from the grip of the pandemic but its financial future is far from certain. Covid-19 highlighted a weakness in the structure of professional sport in New ...2 days ago - Hamilton is now available to stream online. Here’s why that’s such a big dealBefore Covid-19, it’d take a long flight and half a grand to see Hamilton in the flesh. Now, the biggest musical of the past two decades is available to watch on Disney+. Sam Brooks takes stock of this extraordinary move. Right now, Broadway is a sleeping dragon. New York theatres ...2 days ago
- ‘I physically felt like I was going to die’: Clare Curran opens up on politics, toxicity and tra...Sacked cabinet minister Clare Curran speaks for the first time about the brutal end to her political career – and what she calls the toxicity and bullying that marked her years in parliament. By Donna Chisholm.Of all the humiliations – often self-inflicted – that Clare Curran endured during her 12-year ...2 days ago
- Safeguarding The Rights Of Children In Secure Detention CentresOn 03 July Children’s Commissioner was given additional responsibility by the Minister of Justice which extended its role as the independent monitor of the conditions and treatment of children and young people in secure detention centres. The Children’s ...2 days ago
- The world endured 2 extra heatwave days per decade since 1950 – but the worst is yet to comeSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sarah Perkins-Kirkpatrick, ARC Future Fellow, UNSW The term “heatwave” is no stranger to Australians. Defined as when conditions are excessively hot for at least three days in a row, these extreme temperature events have always punctuated our climate. With many of us ...3 days ago
- Webinar panel on Papua sharply divided over media ‘black hole’Pacific Media Watch A senior Indonesian government official and a New Zealand journalism professor have clashed over differing perspectives on access for journalists and media to the West Papua region. Speaking on a webinar organised by the Jubi newspaper in Jayapura, Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ director of the European affairs ...3 days ago
- The US has bought most of the world’s remdesivir. Here’s what it means for the rest of usSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Barbara Mintzes, Senior Lecturer, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Sydney To beat the coronavirus pandemic, countries need to collaborate. We need the best possible science to develop vaccines and drugs, and to test, track and contain the virus. If we’ve learned anything ...3 days ago
- Giant sea scorpions were the underwater titans of prehistoric AustraliaSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Russell Dean Christopher Bicknell, Post-doctoral researcher in Palaeobiology , University of New England Let’s turn back the hands of time. Before extinction knocked dinosaurs off their pillar, before the “Great Dying” extinction wiped out 95% of all organisms – we had the ...3 days ago
- Why some people don’t want to take a COVID-19 testSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jane Williams, Researcher at the Centre for Values, Ethics and the Law in Medicine (VELiM), University of Sydney Last week, outgoing chief medical officer Brendan Murphy announced all returned travellers would be tested for COVID-19 before and after quarantine. Some were surprised ...3 days ago
- New Foreign Nationals Package InadequateA new package to help foreign nationals stuck in New Zealand due to Covid-19 is inadequate and needs to be supplemented with the emergency benefit, say Community Law Centres O Aotearoa (CLCA) and the Human Rights Commission (HRC). The assistance ...3 days ago
- Colorado Has Just Banned Caged Eggs – New Zealand Should Be Next...3 days ago
- Shortland Street celebrates 7,000 episodes while social distancingWith Shortland Street’s 7,000th episode screening tonight, Tara Ward salutes the soap for keeping calm and carrying on through level three lockdown. It’s been one heck of a week on Shortland Street. Leanne lost her winning $8 million Lotto ticket, Louis slipped over in a pile of vomit, and Desi tried ...3 days ago
- Hong Kong activists now face a choice: stay silent, or flee the city. The world must give them a pat...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Brendan Clift, Teaching Fellow and PhD candidate, University of Melbourne In recent days, the prime ministers of the UK and Australia each declared they are working toward providing safe haven visas for Hong Kong residents. In the US, lawmakers passed a bill ...3 days ago
- The little ventilator that could
How two multi-millionaires, two pandemic futurists, Air NZ’s former boss, a dairy executive on a break, a retired anaesthetist (and a few others) nearly saved NZ. ...3 days ago - Feds Applauds Labour’s Pledge To Protect Productive FarmlandA commitment from Labour to protect productive farmland from blanket afforestation if re-elected is a step in the right direction, Federated Farmers Meat & Wool Chairperson William Beetham says. "We’re really pleased there is now ...3 days ago
- Victoria’s coronavirus contact tracers are already under the pump. What happens next?Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Gerard Fitzgerald, Emeritus Professor, School of Public Health, Queensland University of Technology The emergence of significant community transmission of COVID-19 in Melbourne over the past week is greatly concerning to the whole of Australia. Earlier this week, Victoria’s chief health officer Brett ...3 days ago
- National Day Of Protest Against Israeli Plans To Annex (steal) More Palestinian LandTomorrow, 4 July, will see protests in at least nine centres around New Zealand against Israeli plans to steal more Palestinian land (Details are at the end of this media release) “Virtually the entire international community is standing together ...3 days ago
- Possible Afghan Files probe journalist prosecution sparks free media law callPacific Media Watch Australia’s ABC has revealed the Australian Federal Police (AFP) recommendation regarding the Afghan Files investigative journalism report is for the Commonwealth DPP to consider charging journalist Dan Oakes for his role in the leak. The revelation has prompted a renewed call by the Alliance for Journalists’ Freedom ...3 days ago
- Charting Covid-19’s return to New Zealand
How is New Zealand faring in during the Covid-19 pandemic? Newsroom is taking a weekly look at the latest numbers related to the virus and the impact on the economy. New Zealand's closed borders Worldwide the pandemic isn't slowing down. Thousands of new cases are reported every day. ...3 days ago - We Need A Plan To Open Our BordersWhile we’re growing in confidence that we are in the enviable position of basically eliminating Covid-19, our trading nation at the bottom of the world is also in the unenviable position of locking off our economy to the world. “No is not an answer ...3 days ago
- Review: Netflix’s The Baby-Sitters Club is the show of your pre-teen dreamsNetflix’s new adaptations of The Baby-Sitters Club makes long-time fan Tara Ward fall in love with the series all over again. When I was 12 years old, my class had to write a letter to a famous person. Some of my classmates wrote to an All Black, Tom Cruise or ...3 days ago
- Lights, Camera, Spending!The New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union is questioning the scale and value of the Government’s $230m screen industry recovery package. Union spokesperson Jordan Williams says: “The official justification for this ‘recovery package’ is the impact of COVID-19 ...3 days ago
- China’s push into PNG has been surprisingly slow and ineffective. Why has Beijing found the going ...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ian Kemish, Former Ambassador and Adjunct Professor, School of Historical and Philosophical Inquiry, The University of Queensland Chinese activity in Papua New Guinea was not the only factor behind Australia’s Pacific “Step-Up”. As a former high commissioner to PNG, I know it ...3 days ago
- Open letter to Jakarta – Papuan self-determination isn’t special autonomy v2Pacific Media Centre Newsdesk A Papuan church leader and advocate for social justice has penned an open letter to the Indonesian government calling for justice and an end to racism to enable a genuine self-determination process for the Melanesian region. “The problem of Papua has become increasingly complex and severe ...3 days ago
- National pledges to revive Waikato Expressway extensionNational is promising to revive an old pledge to extend the Waikato Expressway if elected in September. ...3 days ago
- Five Jones announcements bring good news (and millions of dollars) to the provinces – but other Mi...
Latest from the Beehive – Nine press releases (when we checked this morning) had flowed from the Beehive since we last reported. Eight of them brayed about the money Ministers have been spending and (as they prefer to put it) investing. The sole exception came from Environment Minister David ...3 days ago - CEAC Warns – National Party Position On Climate Change Is Still AbysmalCEAC pre-election review of National Party ‘climate change policy’, is lacking in substance without any clear policy, that will leave voters with no idea of what National Party plans for saving our climate, and glancing at their ‘Transport plans’, ...3 days ago
- Government’s crown of kindness falls
Film crews can get exemptions to enter New Zealand, so why not the families and supporters of terror victims, David Williams asks. OPINION: If the public needs a sign last year’s terrorist attack has slipped off the Government’s radar, this is it. A sentencing date has been set for the ...3 days ago - Govt Unveils Plans For ‘once In A Generation’ Green Building Reform | Council Response...3 days ago
- The Friday Poem: Only the ocean by Michaela KeebleA new poem by Michaela Keeble. Only the ocean only the oceanturns me overlike this only the oceanturns meon like this only the oceangives warning: what will changeand when so it doesn’t comeacrosslike violence white capsdrift inon the rising tide i feel likeopening my legs i don’t wantto do anything elsetoday i don’t wantto goto work i want to lie downwith ...3 days ago
- Law Changes Treat The Symptoms, Not The Cause Of Tobacco Black Market...3 days ago
- A business-as-usual approach at Fonterra won’t produce the food-production transformation which ...
As the Covid-19 pandemic rages round the world, New Zealanders are re-discovering food production is the fundamental engine of the economy. And farming is not a sunset industry. Instead of being rubbished by lobby groups for so-called “dirty dairying”, the country’s core export industry has the chance to transform itself ...3 days ago - The Unity Books bestseller chart for the week ending July 3The world-famous best-selling indie book chart in New Zealand is the top 10 sales list recorded every week at Unity Books’ stores in High St, Auckland, and Willis St, Wellington.AUCKLAND1 Humankind: A Hopeful History by Rutger Bregman (Bloomsbury, $34)This is the one that kicks off with the essay about the Tongan ...3 days ago
- Down Syndrome Community Urges Government To Ignore Health And Disability ReviewThe New Zealand Down syndrome community is urging the Government to ignore the recommendations in the recent Health and Disability Sector Review. “New Zealand has made terrific progress to enhance the quality of life for people with Down syndrome and other disabilities ...3 days ago
- If Border Opens Soon, NZ Can Minimise The Economic Consequences Of Covid-19The Covid Plan B group says New Zealand can minimise the economic consequences of Covid-19 if it opens its borders following the rest of the world. The group, which has critiqued the Government's lockdown response since March, has today added its ...3 days ago
- Iwi and hapū are crucial to Auckland’s water resource managementAuckland will soon be receiving an additional 75 million litres of water per day from the Waikato River as an interim measure to help ease the worst water shortage in 25 years. A Ngāti Whātua historian says this sharing of resources between Tāmaki Makaurau and Waikato goes back a very ...3 days ago
- Many in black rally for Jenelyn and against PNG gender-based violenceAthletes from the Papua New Guinea’s national team joined the peaceful “cry for justice” march in the nation’s capital of Port Moresby. Video: EMTV News By EMTV News Many wore black yesterday in rallies against gender-based violence in Papua New Guinea in a day chosen to remember the young mother ...3 days ago
- Govt will be cautious over border to avoid further Covid-19 outbreaks – HipkinsThe government will remain "cautious" when it comes to the border as despite calls for a pragmatic strategy for reopening, new Health Minister Chris Hipkins says. ...3 days ago
- A third of us feel financially strained, and it’s hurting our mental healthA new report measuring New Zealanders’ financial wellbeing highlights how key sectors of our population are feeling stressed over money, and how Covid-19 has made that worse.Money can’t buy happiness, but it sure can help. After all, it’s what puts food on the table, a roof over our heads, and ...3 days ago
- Hunters Ask Conservation Authority To Work For All New ZealandersThe Tahr Foundation is asking the Conservation Authority to represent all New Zealanders and their recreational pursuits in National Parks, including the tens of thousands of hunters who flock to them every year. The Foundation’s plea is in response to ...3 days ago
- Council Debt Cap Increase Means Community Investment, Not CutbacksCouncils can now borrow money equivalent to 300% of annual revenue, and the Public Service Association says this will allow them to maintain operational expenditure, invest in important community services and proceed with long-overdue infrastructure ...3 days ago
- Newsletter: New Zealand Politics Daily – July 03 2020Editor’s Note: Here below is a list of the main issues currently under discussion in New Zealand and links to media coverage. Today’s content David Clark resigns as Health Minister Audrey Young (Herald): Ex-Health minister David Clark became a distraction to Govt focus on re-election (paywalled) Thomas Coughlan (Stuff): David Clark, the minister ...3 days ago
- Govt ramps up effort to tackle post-lockdown truancy rateThe government has announced a $52 million urgent response fund to get children back to school. ...3 days ago
- Dunedin mayor calls National MP’s comments on returning NZers a ‘dog whistle’Dunedin's mayor says conversations about managed isolation and quarantine can be held in a mature fashion without "getting into an unhelpful conversation about where our citizens might be returning from". ...3 days ago
- Curious Kids: what does the Sun’s core look like?Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sara Webb, PhD candidate in Astrophysics, Swinburne University of Technology What does the Sun’s core look like? Sophie, aged 8, Perth What does the Sun’s core look like? This is a fantastic question Sophie, and one we will need ...3 days ago
- Why Bernard Collaery’s case is one of the gravest threats to freedom of expressionSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Spencer Zifcak, Allan Myers Chair of Law/Professor of Law, Australian Catholic University After a lengthy delay due to the coronavirus pandemic, the legal case that constitutes the most significant threat to freedom of expression in this country will soon play out in ...3 days ago
- Explainer: what’s the new coronavirus saliva test, and how does it work?Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Deborah Williamson, Professor of Microbiology, The Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity A cornerstone of containing the COVID-19 pandemic is widespread testing to identify cases and prevent new outbreaks emerging. This strategy is known as “test, trace and isolate”. The standard ...3 days ago
- We looked at the health star rating of 20,000 foods and this is what we foundSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alexandra Jones, Research Fellow (Food Policy and Law), George Institute for Global Health As you read this, health officials are busy finalising the government’s review of the health star rating system on packaged foods. One of the issues the review is looking ...3 days ago
- 45,000 renewables jobs are Australia’s for the taking – but how many will go to coal workers?Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Chris Briggs, Research Principal, Institute for Sustainable Futures, University of Technology Sydney As the global renewables transition accelerates, the future for coal regions has become a big worry. This raises an important question: can renewables create the right jobs in the right ...3 days ago
- Defunding arts degrees is the latest battle in a 40-year culture warSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Joel Barnes, Research Associate, Australian Centre for Public History, University of Technology Sydney The government’s recently proposed restructure of university fees would see students pay 113% more for many humanities subjects. The package is not a case of “humanities vs STEM (science, ...3 days ago
- The spending splurge matters, regardless of what modern monetary theory saysSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ross Guest, Professor of Economics and National Senior Teaching Fellow, Griffith University The Australian government is planning to spend A$190 billion to support the economy in response to COVID-19, according to the latest Parliamentary Budget Office estimate. The total impact of COVID-19 ...3 days ago
- Vital Signs: Stamp duty is an economic drag. Here’s how to move to a better systemSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Richard Holden, Professor of Economics, UNSW For all the things we don’t know about COVID-19 one thing is certain: our economic recovery will depend on boosting productivity. Everyone from the Reserve Bank of Australia governor Philip Lowe to Prime Minister Scott Morrison ...3 days ago
- Friday essay: need a sitter? Revisiting girlhood, feminism and diversity in The Baby-Sitters ClubSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rosslyn Almond, Literature Lecturer, Australian Catholic University The Baby-Sitters Club, the popular series by Ann M. Martin, defined my childhood. I collected the books until I was 11. I played it in the school yard (I was Dawn because I had long ...3 days ago
- Did a tragic family secret influence Kate Sheppard’s mission to give New Zealand women the vote?Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Katie Pickles, Professor of History at the University of Canterbury, University of Canterbury The family of pioneering New Zealand suffragist Kate Sheppard kept an important secret – one that possibly explains a lot about her life, her beliefs and her motivation. The ...3 days ago
- Live updates, July 3: Clark out, Hipkins inFor all The Spinoff’s latest coverage of Covid-19 see here. Read Siouxsie Wiles’s work here. New Zealand is currently in alert level one – read about what that means here. For official government advice, see here.The Spinoff’s coverage of the Covid-19 outbreak is made possible thanks to donations from Spinoff Members. To support this ...3 days ago
- Business Wrap: Kathmandu’s sales jump
Kathmandu shares surge after retailer reports online sales rose 78 percent in the last six weeks and it was profitable despite Covid-19 hit ...3 days ago - The Bulletin: Ups and downs at parliament as parties make final shufflesGood morning and welcome to The Bulletin. Clark out and Bridges back in, Chinese embassy warns NZ politicians to not speak out on Hong Kong, and terrible new revelations about Oranga Tamariki culture.It has been a day of reshuffling at parliament, with both major parties making significant moves. We’ll start with ...3 days ago
- InterCity gets government funding to rebuild servicesInterCity is the first company to get government money to help land and maritime transport firms hit by the drop in tourist numbers due to Covid-19. ...3 days ago
Recent Comments