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The Greens – Budget for All Mothers
Written By: - Date published: 7:02 am, May 22nd, 2017 - 33 comments
Some great ideas in The Greens “Budget for All Mothers”. Surely no “data driven” “social investment” party could be opposed?
Suicide, Mike King, and mental health services
Written By: - Date published: 7:59 am, May 19th, 2017 - 38 comments
On the issues of suicide and mental health, the choice is pretty clear. Bungling and abuse from National, a positive plan for action from Labour.
Mental health problems are a figment of our imagination and the work of anti government protesters
Written By: - Date published: 11:33 am, May 10th, 2017 - 17 comments
according to Health Minister Jonathan Coleman
A legacy of poisoned water
Written By: - Date published: 7:01 am, April 28th, 2017 - 66 comments
We won’t be able to say that we didn’t have ample warning, with a another detailed and damning report on water quality out yesterday. Does National really want to be remembered for allowing the poisoning of our water?
Reducing substance abuse – what actually works
Written By: - Date published: 8:25 am, March 18th, 2017 - 66 comments
If, instead of macho posturing (like the “War on P”), we wanted to actually tackle substance abuse, we would be looking at what actually works. Interesting case study in Iceland.
Can we even afford to be tenants in our own country?
Written By: - Date published: 9:29 am, February 25th, 2017 - 93 comments
Being tenants in our own country is starting to look like the good old days.
Just allow more shit – a metaphor for this government
Written By: - Date published: 4:21 pm, February 23rd, 2017 - 125 comments
So National’s great plan for swimmable rivers by 2040 is to allow twice as much shit in them and still call them “swimmable.”
Living wage rises to $20.20 an hour
Written By: - Date published: 9:34 am, February 21st, 2017 - 30 comments
The living wage rises, and an odd argument for abolishing the minimum wage.
Rocketwerkz – an enlightened employer
Written By: - Date published: 8:27 pm, February 20th, 2017 - 8 comments
We sometimes give employers a bit of a hard time on this blog, so it’s nice to occasionally celebrate a good one. Dunedin gaming company Rocketwerkz is in the headlines for all the right reasons.
More Multi-millionaires than ever!
Written By: - Date published: 11:59 am, January 16th, 2017 - 98 comments
In this glorious ‘go ahead’, ‘get ahead’ land of opportunity…
Briefing Papers: And so this is Christmas…
Written By: - Date published: 6:10 am, December 23rd, 2016 - 107 comments
Alicia Sudden reflects on Christmas at The Briefing Papers: “Yet this brief annual window excludes the elephant in the room: that this poverty is a consequence of our welfare system failing to provide the support it was intended to.”
Another postcard from the Brighter Future
Written By: - Date published: 2:42 pm, November 11th, 2016 - 13 comments
In the midst of the cataclysmic big stories, we should not lose sight of the small personal ones.
Nothing’s Going to Happen.
Written By: - Date published: 3:00 pm, October 11th, 2016 - 104 comments
A wee reflection on our psychological fuck-edness.
Fortress NZ
Written By: - Date published: 11:25 am, September 16th, 2016 - 120 comments
TS regular Tony Veitch has some practical ideas as to how we insulate NZ from the ravages of neoliberalism and climate change. Readers may agree with some, none or all of the suggestions. However, whichever way you look at it, the time for hand wringing is over. It’s time for action.
Hollowing out the regions
Written By: - Date published: 10:58 am, August 28th, 2016 - 44 comments
The closure of 19 mostly rural Westpac branches is indicative of the ongoing hollowing out the regions. Neglecting Northland cost the Nats the last by election. Neglecting regional NZ as a whole might cost them the next general.
Bregman: Socialism is a great product
Written By: - Date published: 8:08 am, August 21st, 2016 - 147 comments
Extracts from a long piece by Rutger Bregman in The Guardian. Plenty to disagree with perhaps, but plenty to ponder too.
NZ in the international news again
Written By: - Date published: 3:35 pm, July 30th, 2016 - 59 comments
CYF massively underfunded
Written By: - Date published: 10:30 am, July 26th, 2016 - 28 comments
National pays electoral homage to our vulnerable children. They talk a big game about putting “the needs of our most vulnerable children and families at the centre of decisions”. Their actions tell a different story – of under-funding at CYF and falling numbers of social workers.
Helen Kelly – still speaking out
Written By: - Date published: 9:51 am, July 23rd, 2016 - 60 comments
“Pain debilitates you and makes you depressed and you can sort of let the depression seep over you, but if you can, get out and live your life.”
NZ wins nuclear war
Written By: - Date published: 12:45 pm, July 21st, 2016 - 19 comments
Nothing like a good clickbait headline eh!
WINZ sends families to live in garages
Written By: - Date published: 7:05 am, July 21st, 2016 - 204 comments
The government is demolishing and selling state house while WINZ sends families to live in garages. This is New Zealand in the Eighth Year of the Brighter Future.
Another Lifeline cut
Written By: - Date published: 7:07 am, July 1st, 2016 - 45 comments
— Deborah Russell
Parental leave – did English know or care what he was vetoing?
Written By: - Date published: 7:02 am, June 30th, 2016 - 84 comments
Bill English didn’t know the cost of the parental leave bill that he vetoed on the grounds of cost, and he didn’t care enough about it to speak to the matter in Parliament last night.
Four personal stories
Written By: - Date published: 10:24 am, June 23rd, 2016 - 38 comments
From the “Brighter Future”, four personal stories published recently are all well worth reading.
Kiaora Matariki Puaka
Written By: - Date published: 4:20 pm, June 17th, 2016 - 27 comments
It’s been a hard week, and many of us could do with some kindness and good news. Let’s take a moment to remember Matariki. What would Standardistas and other politically progressive people like to see for the coming year?
Has NZ hit this milestone too?
Written By: - Date published: 8:32 am, June 6th, 2016 - 30 comments
For the first time in 130 years, more young adults (18 – 34) in America live with their parents than with a partner. How long before we pass the same milestone – or have we done so already?
The Mother Budget
Written By: - Date published: 6:21 pm, May 26th, 2016 - 89 comments
There are budgets and there are budgets. And for all the presence or absence of bright ideas, there’s a budget that threatens to subsume all others…
Paid parental leave bill progress towards anti-democratic veto
Written By: - Date published: 7:01 am, May 26th, 2016 - 49 comments
Sue Moroney’s bill to extend paid parental leave passed its second reading last night – bravo to all those who supported it! The Nats’ threat to veto is profoundly anti-democratic, overriding the will of Parliament.
Petition to forgive emergency accommodation debt
Written By: - Date published: 11:30 am, May 20th, 2016 - 18 comments
A petition: “As Minister of Social Development we call upon Minister Anne Tolley to urgently forgive all debts incurred by people who have been forced to stay in Motels as emergency accommodation….”
Incoherent, unfair and unaccountable
Written By: - Date published: 7:01 am, May 20th, 2016 - 48 comments
That is how officials from the Ministry of Social Development described the emergency housing system to Social Housing Minister Paula Bennett – a year ago. What has Bennett done in the year since?
Glib words and false hope aren’t going to cut it
Written By: - Date published: 7:02 am, May 19th, 2016 - 151 comments
This is a massive market and moral failure. The problem isn’t going to go away, it’s going to get worse, and the media are going to stay on the case. Time for National to borrow some more Labour / Green policy thinking.
- Self-inflicted “poverty”
Nurses are going on strike tomorrow in pursuit of better pay and higher staffing levels. So why isn't the "Labour" government paying them properly? Apparently, they're pleading poverty: Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern says the nurses’ union wanted a 17 per cent pay increase for all nurses, but the Government ...2 weeks ago - Surrendered IIGood news on the climate front: OMV's surrender of its exploration permits in the Great South Basin, announced last December, has finally gone through. But there's other good news as well: from the sudden hole in NZPAM's permit map, they've also surrendered a pair of permits - 51906 (Matuku) and ...2 weeks ago
- From smallpox to polio, vaccine rollouts have always had doubters. But they work in the end
David Isaacs, University of Sydney In 2019, before COVID-19, the World Health Organization (WHO) identified vaccine hesitancy as one of the top ten greatest threats to global health. Every year, vaccination saves around 4-5 million lives, although a further 1.5 million lives could be saved annually with improved global ...2 weeks ago - How much is the Greens’ reputation worth?$54,000, apparently: The Green Party says it won’t return two five-figure donations from a woman convicted of animal neglect which required several horses to be put down. Three weeks before being sentenced in the District Court for animal neglect described by the SPCA as amongst the worst it had ...2 weeks ago
- What would sustainable tourism really mean for New Zealand? Let’s ask the riverJason Paul Mika, Massey University and Regina Scheyvens, Massey University Excitement among Cook Islands tourism operators and officials at the opening of quarantine-free travel with Aotearoa New Zealand was understandable. The impact of the pandemic on the island nation’s economy has been massive and will be felt for a ...2 weeks ago
- Power from the ocean: can we use bio-fouling organisms to help extract energy from waves?Craig Stevens, National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research; Louise Kregting, Queen’s University Belfast, and Vladislav Sorokin, University of Auckland People living near the coast are familiar with the power of ocean waves. What we see when a typical wave breaks on a beach is the endpoint of a global ...2 weeks ago
- Cooling effect of clouds ‘underestimated’ by climate models, says new study
This is a re-post from Carbon Brief by Ayesha Tandon Clouds could have a greater cooling effect on the planet than climate models currently suggest, according to new research. The paper, published in Nature Climate Change, aims to correct a “long-standing” and “unaddressed” problem in climate modelling – namely, that existing models ...2 weeks ago - Perilous Treasures – accepted
In a good bit of news, I’ve had another short story acceptance. My 1750-word (loose) Historical-Fiction piece, Perilous Treasures, will feature in the upcoming Summer Solstice edition of Eternal Haunted Summer (https://eternalhauntedsummer.com/). This one is a fictional elaboration on an earlier blog post of mine, specifically about ...2 weeks ago - 2021 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Update #23Listing of articles linked to on the Skeptical Science Facebook Page during the past week: Sun, May 30, 2021 through Sat, June 6, 2021 This week we included links to some older videos which we think are still valuable because they provide some good basic information about climate science, like Kerry ...2 weeks ago
- The Adventures of Not-Annalax: A D&D Interlude
Session forty-nine. Recall the terrible situation the party was in at the end of the previous session: Annalax and Elknel fleeing for their lives through the forest, with the rest of the party being dragged away by Nightmare Creatures. Well, the DM had a cunning plan on how ...2 weeks ago - Unpacking Peggy McIntosh’s Knapsack
This article in Quillette by William Ray takes a look at the origins of the concept of white privilege. Ray was a volunteer in an imperialist army in the former Yugoslavia where he saw up close the horrors of identity politics being played out. [White Privilege is] the unquestioned and unearned ...2 weeks ago - Update of NZ fluoridation review timely and useful
Image credit: Kurt:S/Flickr (CC BY-SA 2.0). An updated New Zealand scientific review of community water fluoridation (CWF) finds that CWF in New Zealand is safe and effective. The new review, Fluoridation: an update on evidence, was published by the New Zealand Prime Minister’s Chief Science Advisor Juliet Gerrard FRSNZ HonFRSC. It examines ...2 weeks ago - Who Poses the Bigger Threat: The Far Right, Or the Far Left?
2 weeks ago - Tampering with Tradition: The Regent Booksale On the Move
First Scribes Bookshop closing… now changes are afoot with the famous Regent Booksale. Clearly, second-hand book purchases in Dunedin will never be the same again.
I have written before about my annual midnight visit ... 2 weeks ago - A Boringly Benign Economy or Going Through a Concerning Climacteric?
What was the big change the Treasury saw in its budget 2021 forecasts?For much of the time, an economy is in a boringly benign phase. New Zealand seems to be in one at the moment. This is not the way the commentariat present it. To grab your attention they magnify ...2 weeks ago - Climate Change: Dereliction of dutyBefore the pandemic, air travel was one of the fastest growing causes of greenhouse gas emissions. Fully half of those emissions are caused by a global elite of super-emitting frequent flyers, so the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment's proposal in February to discourage it with distance-related departue taxes seems like ...2 weeks ago
- We performed magic tricks on birds to see how they perceive the worldElias Garcia-Pelegrin, University of Cambridge Magic tricks can teach us about how the brain works. Magic capitalises on very specific blind spots in people’s attention and perception so the techniques that magicians use to trick audiences are particularly interesting to psychologists like me. Misdirection, for example, relies on the ...2 weeks ago
- How well your immune system works can depend on the time of dayAnnie Curtis, RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences When microorganisms – such as bacteria or viruses – infect us, our immune system jumps into action. It’s highly trained to sense and eliminate infections and clear up any damage caused by them. It’s typically assumed our immune systems work ...2 weeks ago
- Rugby, concussions and duty of care: why the game is facing scrutinySeema Patel, Nottingham Trent University There’s growing concern about concussion-related injuries in contact sports like rugby and American football. Several high-profile collisions between participants and a growing body of research about their impact have drawn attention to the adequacy of the safety protocols in place to protect players. Since ...2 weeks ago
- Bryce Edwards: Political Roundup – The Low standards in the National Party
The National Party has a major problem with standards, especially amongst its MPs and election candidates. The latest controversies involve the resignation of their longest-serving MP Nick Smith over an employment dispute, and allegations of abhorrent behaviour by election candidate Jake Bezzant. The party has been beset by a series ...2 weeks ago - Geoffrey Miller: Trends emerge in New Zealand’s relations with ChinaNew Zealand’s evolving foreign policy – especially with China – is put under the microscope by international analyst Geoffrey Miller who says it’s important to look at the longer-term trends than just the latest twist in the story. This week’s meeting between Jacinda Ardern and Scott Morrison in Queenstown was ...2 weeks ago
- Liam Hehir: Reforming the National PartyThe National Party is currently facing questions about the quality control processes in its candidate selection. Liam Hehir reports on his experience at the grass roots of the party, and puts forward some suggestions for reform. On the question of whether the National Party has a culture problem, ...2 weeks ago
- This is obsceneWe all know multinational corporations cheat on their taxes, using complicated legal arrangements to funnel money through different jurisdictions to avoid paying anything to support the societies that host them. How obscene are such arrangements? This obscene: An Irish subsidiary of Microsoft made a profit of $315bn (£222bn) last ...2 weeks ago
- The change we need to seeTwo big transport announcements from the government this morning: first, they're killing Mill Road, another bloated superhighway with a terrible BCR. Secondly, Auckland will get a second harbour bridge for bikes and pedestrians. The net effect: fewer cars, more bikes in Auckland. This is the sort of change we need ...2 weeks ago
- Whakaari tragedy: court case highlights just how complex it is to forecast a volcanic eruptionShane Cronin, University of Auckland and David Dempsey, University of Canterbury While today’s pre-trial hearing over the Whakaari White Island tragedy revealed most of the 13 parties charged have yet to enter pleas, there is no disputing the basic facts. The December 9 2019 eruption struck when 47 people ...2 weeks ago
- Review: The Republia Times (2012)Many moons ago, I reviewed the original Crisis in the Kremlin (1991) and its 2017 re-make. Then I did The ReDistricting Game (2007), the availability which has, alas, suffered with the demise of Flash. Time for a review of another amusingly political video-game: The Republia Times.2 weeks ago
- The Many Faces Of Racial Terror.
Tulsa's Greenwood District Burning, 1 June 1921. In a frenzy of race hatred, a veritable army of whites descended on the prosperous African-American neighbourhood of Greenwood, Tulsa, Oklahoma, and laid it waste. As many as 300 African-Americans were murdered by the rampaging white mobs, who came against their fellow citizens with ...2 weeks ago- Sucking Up and Kicking Down: The NZ Media Covers the Queenstown Summit.
Steady-On, Cobber: After the vicious attack on New Zealand’s prime minister and foreign policy, broadcast on Channel Nine’s “60 Minutes” programme, during which this country was accused of selling its soul and abandoning its Australian “mate” for a mess of Chinese pottage, most Kiwis would have greeted the Aussie media ...2 weeks ago- Jean Drage: Reviewing local government
Local government is about to go through a major reorganisation that will affect all our lives, with the Government’s three-year independent review into the future for local democracy. Researcher Jean Drage calls for some urgent debate about exactly what is needed from local government, and she warns against New Zealand ...2 weeks ago- Climate Change: No wiggle room
Farmers are constantly whining at the thought of having to take even minimal measures to reduce emissions. But according to Climate Commissioner Rod Carr they no longer have any choice: Dr Carr told hundreds of people - including farmers - at an agricultural climate change conference in Wellington today ...2 weeks ago- An accomplice to war crimes
That's the only way to describe MFAT, who are merrily approving weapons exports to help the United Arab Emirates' ongoing crimes against humanity in Yemen: The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade approved the export of weapons systems sent to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) despite officials warning they ...2 weeks ago- Josh Van Veen: A Tale of two parties
On 22 May 1942, a failed prime minister sat down to record what would become one of the most influential and celebrated political speeches in Australian history. The previous year Robert Menzies had dramatically resigned after Federal MPs vetoed his grandiose plan to leave Australia and sit in Winston ...2 weeks ago- Skeptical Science New Research for Week #22, 2021
CO2 and staple crop nutritional quality Dr. Kristi Ebi leads a diversely skilled author team to lend us a thought-provoking tap on the shoulder concerning our lack of full understanding of how increased concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere will affect primary sources of food, particularly grains, and how we ...2 weeks ago- New Zealand relies on scientific research for good policy. It’s a pity the budget didn’t reflect...
Nicola Gaston, University of Auckland New Zealand’s government has been praised for listening to scientists as it continues to pursue its COVID-19 elimination strategy. But it’s difficult to find any signs of significant investment in science in the recent budget — or in fact previous budgets. It was with ...2 weeks ago- The real challenge to COVID-19 vaccination rates isn’t hesitancy — it’s equal access for Māor...
Jesse Whitehead, University of Waikato; Kate C. Prickett, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington, and Polly Atatoa Carr, University of Waikato Reports of potentially higher rates of vaccine hesitancy among Māori and Pacific populations have seen the government target COVID-19 vaccine and information campaigns at those communities. ...2 weeks ago- This is what institutional racism looks like
Last month, a man was arrested for threatening to kill National MP Simeon Brown. Over the weekend a second man was arrested on the same charge. This is appropriate: threatening to kill is a criminal offence, and threatening to kill an elected representative an offence against democracy. But it appears ...2 weeks ago- Shakespeare in Sitcom: Upstart Crow (2016-2018?)
Over the past week, I have finished a re-watch of Upstart Crow, the BBC’s three-season sitcom based around William Shakespeare. I think it holds up pretty well – in fact, I enjoyed it more this time than the first time, since I was not dealing with the problem of ...2 weeks ago- We should not tolerate parties which tolerate this
In the wake of National MP Nick Smith's resignation on Monday night, people have finally been talking about what a scumbag he was. Newshub reports that his behaviour was an open secret around Parliament, something everyone knew about but no-one talked about, with people saying (anonymously, for fear of repurcussions): ...2 weeks ago- Coronavirus variants have new names: we can finally stop stigmatising countries
Ed Feil, University of Bath The World Health Organization (WHO) has announced a new naming system for the coronavirus that uses Greek letters to refer to the different variants. For the variants of concern, B117 (the UK or Kent variant) will now be known as alpha, B1351 (South Africa) ...2 weeks ago- Australia’s Eschatological Diplomacy.
Riders In The Sky: This extraordinary snapshot of a thunderstorm over Brisbane reveals nothing less than the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse riding the storm-clouds to Doomsday. The Australian Right's dangerous liaisons with the dark eschatology of Evangelical Christianity have turned Australian diplomacy - especially as it relates to China ...2 weeks ago- Bryce Edwards: Political Roundup – NZ and Australia play “happy families” in Queenstown
The level of orchestration and political acting was turned up a notch this week in Queenstown by prime ministers Jacinda Ardern and Scott Morrison, who went to great pains to put on a highly contrived united front about their different orientations towards China. Clearly, both leaders were highly sensitive to ...2 weeks ago- Climate explained: why is the Arctic warming faster than other parts of the world?
Climate 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 What is Arctic amplification? Do we ...2 weeks ago- A critical review of Steven Koonin’s ‘Unsettled’
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Mark Boslough Iwould normally ignore a book by a non-climate scientist promising “the truth about climate science that you aren’t getting elsewhere.” Such language is a red flag. But I’ve known the author of “Unsettled” since I took his quantum mechanics course ...2 weeks ago- The idea of ‘green growth’ is flawed. We must find ways of using and wasting less energy
Michael (Mike) Joy, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington As countries explore ways of decarbonising their economies, the mantra of “green growth” risks trapping us in a spiral of failures. Green growth is an oxymoron. Growth requires more material extraction, which in turn requires more energy. The ...2 weeks ago- NZDF gives the finger to the Burnham inquiry
Last year, the inquiry into Operation Burnham reported back, finding (among other things) that SAS and NZDF officers had deceived Ministers and the public, and that NZ soldiers had assaulted a prisoner. So will anyone ever be held accountable for that? Of course not: Two soldiers at the centre ...3 weeks ago- Climate Change is already killing us
One of the big risks from climate change is that it will make large chunks of the planet uninhabitable due to heat and humidity, and if you've read The Ministry for the Future you'll be aware of how it can lead to death on a massive scale. But there's also ...3 weeks ago- Graham Adams: Ardern’s gamble on shutting down the “white privilege” debate
The Prime Minister’s denials that the topic forms part of the school curriculum are puzzling. Graham Adams tries to make sense of her tactics. Jacinda Ardern has offered herself as a hostage to fortune by repeatedly denying that the doctrine of “white privilege” is being taught in schools, or ...3 weeks ago- May ’21 – NZ blogs sitemeter ranking
Image credit: How to Start a Successful Blog in 2021 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 ...3 weeks ago- Climate policy that relies on a shift to electric cars risks entrenching existing inequities
Alistair Woodward, University of Auckland; Kirsty Wild, University of Auckland, and Rhys Jones, University of Auckland At the end of this month, the Climate Change Commission will deliver its final advice to government, outlining how New Zealand can reach its climate targets. New Zealand has committed to reaching net ...3 weeks ago- A conversation with Kobad Ghandy
In 2009 while waiting at a Delhi bus stop Kobad Ghandy was abducted by a black ops team. They interrogated him for three days accusing him of being a leading member of a banned Maoist party. When news of his disappearance reached the media his abductors handed him over to ...3 weeks ago- Free Speech Union goes to Supreme Court after women’s group discriminated against
Council insolence means Free Speech Union (NZ) appeals to the Supreme Court in the Goff “divisive speakers” case – despite important gains in the Court of Appeal Press release from the FSU NZ 31 May 2021 The Free Speech Union is announcing its support of an appeal to the Supreme ...3 weeks ago- Skeptical Science needs your help!
The primary goal of Skeptical Science is to make peer-reviewed climate science more accessible to people, particularly research relevant to climate misinformation. But as happens with most long-standing websites, we’ve fallen prey to “link-rot” where links once working now give “404 not found” errors. This is especially unfortunate when it ...3 weeks ago- Good riddance to a climate criminal
Nick Smith has announced his retirement from Parliament to beat a news story on his bullying. Good. As the announcement makes clear, his "employment issue" is about him being a bullying arsehole, and people like that should have no place in our Parliament. But beyond that, he's also a climate ...3 weeks ago- Land of the chonky birds: How and why did New Zealand have so many feathered giants?
The eastern moa is stuck fast in the swamp, its thick legs having punched through the peat into the liquid blue clay beneath. Death is evitable, whether from starvation or from above. Unable to move, the moa can only eat what it can reach around it, if anything. The ...3 weeks ago- Let Racism Show Its Face.
Pre-Programmed, Or Re-Programmed? Is New Zealand at risk of becoming a nation of “Stepford Citizens”: people who smile politely, nod encouragingly, and recite word-perfectly the bi-cultural and multi-cultural slogans of their masters?“COPROLITE” was the word that sprang to the mind of Paora Stanley, chief executive of Ngāi Te Rangi. Although ...3 weeks ago- Like We’ve Been Here Before: The “Friends” Reunion.
From I To We: The selfishness of “Friends” Joey, Chandler, Rachel, Monica, Phoebe and Ross was an absolutely crucial aspect of the iconic 1990s series’ success. Most of the humour of “Friends” is derived from the ever-so-slightly fucked-up self-absorption of the principal characters. Just as most of the series’ dramatic power derives ...3 weeks ago- 2021 Reading Log: May (+ Writing Update)
Completed reads for May: Zadig or Destiny, by VoltaireThe White Bull, by VoltaireStory of a Good Brahmin, by VoltairePlato’s Dream, by VoltaireThe Simple Soul, by VoltaireThe Man of Forty Crowns, by VoltaireJeannot and Colin, by VoltaireThe Two Genies, by VoltaireThe Treaty of Waitangi (1840)The Princess of Babylon, by VoltaireCandide, ...3 weeks ago- The cost of cheapness
Last week, in the wake of the budget, Stuff's Thomas Coughlan had a rather pointy article about how the government systematically mismanages public finances, by only measuring the cost of doing things and ignoring the cost of not doing them. Job-creation, which reduces welfare spending and increases taxes? Cost. Child-poverty, ...3 weeks ago- Bryce Edwards: Political Roundup – Australia turns up the heat on NZ’s relationship with China
Is New Zealand navigating the China-West, politics-trade relationship in a craven way? Increasingly that seems to be the view from overseas, and especially Australia. This critique was boiled down to its essence in last night’s Australian Channel 9 18-minute documentary, “Kiwis might fly”, which you can watch on Youtube here: ...3 weeks ago- Denmark’s traitorous spies
Denmark has been spying on Germany for the NSA: Denmark's secret service helped the US National Security Agency (NSA) to spy on European leaders, including German Chancellor Angela Merkel and President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, a European media investigation published on Sunday revealed. The disclosure that the US had been spying ...3 weeks ago- Both left and right practise ‘cancel culture’. Both should stop
Kenan Malik argues in the Guardian 23 May 2021 that cancel culture is wrong whichever political wing it comes from. In NZ the ‘left’ indulge in cancellations and shutting down debate far more than the right, but there are still examples to be found across the political spectrum. Tory MP ...3 weeks ago- 2021 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #22
Listing of articles linked to on the Skeptical Science Facebook Page during the past week: Sun, May 23, 2021 through Sat, May 29, 2021 This week we (again) shared several articles related to Steve Koonin and his book "Unsettled", some of which were related to Ben Santer's understandable reaction to Koonin ...3 weeks ago- Consultation on exemption of new builds from proposed tax rules
The Government has today confirmed new builds will be exempt from planned changes to the tax treatment of residential investment property. Public consultation is now open on details of the proposals, which stop interest deductions being claimed for residential investment properties other than new builds. “The Government’s goal is to ...1 week ago - Speech for Predator Free 2050 ConferenceIntroduction E ngā mana E ngā reo E ngā iwi Tēnā koutou katoa Ka huri ki ngā mana whenua o te rohe nei. Tēnā koutou He mihi hoki ki a tatou kua tau mai nei i raro i te kaupapa o te rā Ko Ayesha Verrall toku ingoa No ...1 week ago
- New stock exchange to help grow small businessesA new share trading market, designed as a gateway to the NZX for small-to-medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), has been granted a licence by the Government. Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister, David Clark said Catalist Markets Ltd will provide a simpler and more affordable ‘stepping stone’ for SMEs to raise capital. “This ...1 week ago
- Visa extensions provide certainty to employers and 10,000 visa holdersChanges to onshore visas will provide employers and visa holders with more certainty, Immigration Minister Kris Faafoi has announced. Around 10,000 Working Holiday visas and Supplementary Seasonal Employment (SSE) work visas due to expire between 21 June 2021 and 31 December 2021 will be extended for another six months to ...1 week ago
- Border class exceptions approved for more farm workers and vetsThe Government has approved border class exceptions for an additional 200 dairy workers and 50 veterinarians to enter New Zealand, Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor announced today. “It is clear from conversations with the dairy and veterinarian sectors that they are facing workforce pressures. These border exceptions will go a long ...1 week ago
- More freezers and South Island hub to support vaccine roll-outA South Island hub and 17 new ultra-low temperature freezers will help further prepare New Zealand for the ramp up of the vaccination programme in the second half of this year, COVID-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins says. The new freezers arrived in New Zealand on 27 May. They’re currently being ...1 week ago
- Speech at the release of Climate Change Commission's final adviceGood morning – and thank you Prime Minister. Over the last three and half years we have been putting in place the foundations for a low-carbon Aotearoa that will be a catalyst for job creation, innovation, and prosperity for decades to come. In that future, many of our everyday tasks ...1 week ago
- Achievable blueprint for addressing climate change releasedReport says Government making good progress on emissions reduction, but more action required Meeting climate targets achievable and affordable with existing technology Economic cost of delaying action higher than taking action now Benefits from climate action include health improvements and lower energy bills All Ministers to help meet climate targets ...1 week ago
- Speech to release of Climate Commission final reportA few years ago in a speech in Auckland, I compared climate change to the nuclear free movement of roughly four decades ago. And I did so for a few reasons. Firstly, because the movement of the 1980s represented a life or death situation for the Pacific, and so does ...1 week ago
- Appointment of Judge of the High CourtAuckland Barrister Michael Robinson has been appointed a Judge of the High Court, Attorney‑General David Parker announced today. Justice Robinson graduated with a BA and an LLB (Hons) from the University of Auckland in 1996, and commenced practice as a solicitor with Brookfields in Auckland. In 1998 he travelled to London ...1 week ago
- Government takes action to improve protections for subcontractorsThe Construction Contracts (Retention Money) Amendment Bill – which provides greater financial protection for subcontractors, has passed its first reading today. The Bill amends the retention provisions in the Construction Contracts Act 2002 (CCA) to provide increased confidence and transparency for subcontractors that retention money they are owed is safe. ...1 week ago
- 1 million more Pfizer doses to arrive in JulyPfizer has scheduled delivery of an estimated 1 million doses of vaccine to New Zealand during July, COVID1-9 Response Minister Chris Hipkins said today. “These consignments will double the total number of Pfizer doses we have received this year to more than 1,900,000 – enough to fully vaccinate almost 1 ...1 week ago
- Long-term home of the Independent Children’s Monitor identifiedThe Independent Children’s Monitor (Te Mana Whakamaru Tamariki Motuhake), which is currently located within the Ministry of Social Development (MSD), will become its own departmental agency within Government. “Following the recommendations of several reviews, Cabinet agreed in 2019 to build a significantly expanded independent monitor for children in care,” Carmel ...1 week ago
- Racing Integrity Board members announcedThe new Racing Integrity Board will be up and running from July 1 to ensure high standards of animal welfare, integrity and professionalism in the racing industry. Racing Minister Grant Robertson today announced the appointments to the new Board: Sir Bruce Robertson KNZM – Chair Kristy McDonald ONZM QC Penelope ...1 week ago
- Govt crackdown on organised crime continuesA major operation against multiple organised crime groups with international links will make a significant dent in drug harm and violent offending linked to organised crime networks, Police Minister Poto Williams says. “I want to take an opportunity to congratulate the Police for their role in Operation Trojan Shield. This ...1 week ago
- Farm planning framework supports farmers into the futureA new framework, agreed between Government and industry, will make it easier for farmers and growers to integrate future greenhouse gas emissions and freshwater regulatory requirements into their farm planning, Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor said. “The Good Farm Planning Principles Guide out today, provides guidance for how farmers can organise ...1 week ago
- Enhanced Task Force Green Approved for CanterburyThe Government has activated Enhanced Taskforce Green (ETFG) in response to the Canterbury floods. The Minister of Social Development and Employment, Hon Carmel Sepuloni says $500,000 will be made available to help with the clean-up. The flooding in Canterbury has been a significant and adverse event damaging farmland, homes, roads ...2 weeks ago
- Connecting rangatahi to the soilA Jobs for Nature project to raise 480,000 native plants in nurseries across South Auckland will provide work for communities disproportionately affected by the economic impacts of COVID-19, Acting Conservation Minister Ayesha Verrall says. The Mana in Kaimahi project is being run by Te Whāngai Trust Board and will establish ...2 weeks ago
- Roll out of high-resolution elevation mapping beginsThe first tranche of mapping data from the Provincial Growth Fund (PGF)-LiDAR project is now available to the public from Toitū Te Whenua Land Information New Zealand. LiDAR data, which creates 3D baseline elevation information, will deliver multiple uses over the coming decades to councils and regional industries. “This mapping ...2 weeks ago
- Champions of Pacific education rewarded in Queen’s Birthday HonoursMinister for Pacific Peoples, Aupito William Sio said the Queen’s Birthday 2021 Honours list show that across Aotearoa New Zealand there were many champions of Pacific education. “Education is so vital to the success of Pacific people that it’s truly fitting that a number of educators have been honoured this ...2 weeks ago
- PM congratulates Queen’s Birthday Honours recipientsPrime Minister Jacinda Ardern has added her congratulations to the New Zealanders recognised for their contributions to their communities and the country in the Queen’s Birthday 2021 Honours List. “This group represents decades of services across many areas, and those honoured highlight how many New Zealanders are going above and ...2 weeks ago
- Change of status for Rangiriri kuraA change of status for Te Kura o Rangiriri sees it become a designated character school within the Māori-medium network, Associate Minister of Education Kelvin Davis announced today. “This kura has been providing Māori immersion learning since 2003 in the historic town of Rangiriri, so I’m delighted that it is ...2 weeks ago
- APEC trade ministers’ unite on COVID-19 vaccine steps and rejuvenating the WTOAPEC trade ministers today committed to speeding up the cross-border flow of vaccines and related goods to fight the COVID-19 pandemic. This followed the completion of the APEC Ministers Responsible for Trade Meeting chaired by Minister for Trade and Export Growth Damien O’Connor early this morning. “As we face the ...2 weeks ago
- Further consultation for Melville schoolsFormal consultation is set to begin on specific options for the future of schooling in South West Hamilton, Education Minister Chris Hipkins says. “Recent engagement has shown that the schools and community want a change to Year 7-13 schooling for the area. “I am now asking the Boards of Melville ...2 weeks ago
- Primary schoolkids dig trees for Arbor DayA new Arbor Day initiative announced by Forestry Minister Stuart Nash will see thousands of primary school children get the chance to plant native trees in their communities. The initiative is open to more than 2,400 primary schools. It is a partnership between Te Uru Rākau/NZ Forest Service and the ...2 weeks ago
- NZ Upgrade Programme kept on trackThe Government is increasing its investment in the New Zealand Upgrade Programme (NZUP) to support New Zealand’s economic recovery. Over two thirds of the projects will proceed as announced despite increased costs due to COVID, with modifications being made to others. “NZUP is already supporting over 1,000 jobs with 13 ...2 weeks ago
- New Northern Pathway gets green lightThe Government is committed to the Northern Pathway with its preferred option being a separate structure for walking and cycling alongside the Auckland Harbour Bridge, Transport Minister Michael Wood announced today. Geotechnical investigations and testing has determined that building a structure connected to the Auckland Harbour Bridge is not possible ...2 weeks ago
- Quarantine Free Travel pause with Victoria to continue, planning underway for managed return flightsFollowing the Victorian Government’s decision to extend their lockdown restrictions, New Zealand’s Quarantine Free Travel pause with Victoria will also be extended for a further six days, with a further review due on Wednesday 9 June, COVID-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins says. I acknowledge this extension will cause further inconvenience ...2 weeks ago
- Housing supply to be sped up in major changes to New Zealand’s building lawsNew building laws passed today will support housing supply and affordability, improve trust and confidence in the building sector and support the use of new, innovative and efficient building methods, Building and Construction Minister Poto Williams announced today. The changes passed in Parliament today are the first phase of a ...2 weeks ago
- Speech to Conference of Federation of Commercial FishermenKia ora koutou, I would like to begin by extending Minister Parker’s apologies for not being able to be here today. The Minister has asked me to speak to you today on his behalf. I am very excited to have the opportunity to meet with you all and talk ...2 weeks ago
- Speech to The New Zealand Federation of Commercial FishermenNB: Speech delivered on behalf of Minister David Parker by Under-Secretary Rino Tirikatene. Kia ora koutou, I would like to begin by extending Minister Parker’s apologies for not being able to be here today. The Minister has asked me to speak to you on his behalf. I am very excited ...2 weeks ago
- Innovative financing and construction methods deliver 68 new Auckland homes68 new homes (46 in Flatbush, 22 in Westgate) Use of offsite manufactured, energy efficient panels Use of ’impact investment’ to generate positive social impact alongside financial return Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and the Minister of Housing Megan Woods have today opened two new Salvation Army developments at Westgate and Flatbush, delivering 68 ...2 weeks ago
- Professor Dame Juliet Gerrard reappointed as Prime Minister’s Chief Science AdvisorProfessor Dame Juliet Gerrard FRSNZ has been reappointed as the Prime Minister’s Chief Science Advisor, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has announced. Professor Gerrard was initially appointed for a three-year term beginning 1 July 2018. She has now been appointed for a further three years to 30 June 2024. Jacinda Ardern ...2 weeks ago
- Crown accounts reflect Govt focus on securing recoveryThe Government’s ongoing support to secure the economic recovery continues to be reflected in the Crown’s financial accounts. The Crown accounts for the ten months to the end of April 2021 show both the operating balance before gains and losses (OBEGAL) and the operating balance are better than forecast in ...2 weeks ago
- Joint Declaration on Strategic Partnership between the Government of New Zealand and the Government ...On the occasion of the virtual Summit, on June 2 2021, between H.E. Ms. Jacinda Ardern, Prime Minister of New Zealand, and H.E. Mr. Pedro Sánchez Pérez-Castejón, President of the Government of the Kingdom of Spain. New Zealand and the Kingdom of Spain: Welcoming the existing strong links between the two ...2 weeks ago
- Reports prove case for urgent water infrastructure reformUrgent reform needed to save households from ballooning water bills Reforms estimated to deliver a $14b-$23billion increase in GDP Supports the creation of 5900 to 9300 additional new jobs New analysis of New Zealand’s drinking water, wastewater and stormwater infrastructure provides New Zealanders with a clear picture of the ...2 weeks ago
- New Zealand welcomes start of UK CPTPP accession processNew Zealand has joined other members of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) in agreeing to start the process towards the UK becoming a member of the Agreement, Trade and Export Growth Minister Damien O’Connor announced today. A special CPTPP Commission meeting, chaired by Japan, was held virtually ...2 weeks ago
- Protecting the whitebait fishery for future generationsChanges to whitebaiting regulations will improve the sustainability of threatened species, while ensuring that Kiwis can continue the tradition of catching a feed in their local river into the future, Acting Conservation Minister Dr Ayesha Verrall says. “Whitebait are a valuable part of the indigenous biodiversity of Aotearoa, and are ...2 weeks ago
- Budget 2021 invests to reduce reoffendingFunding for an additional 12 Te Pae Oranga (Iwi Community Panels). Including nine new Rangatahi (youth) panels Funding for approximately 35 full time equivalent positions within Police The Government is delivering on its commitment to reduce reoffending and keep our communities safer with a significant investment in Te Pae Oranga ...2 weeks ago
- Working together for disarmamentFaculty of Law, Victoria University of Wellington, 1 June Thank you for joining me here this evening for what is part of an ongoing conversation about New Zealand’s work on disarmament, and how that intersects with New Zealand’s broader approach to peace and security, and to our foreign policy. Tonight I ...2 weeks ago
- The Biden-Putin summit: no magic reset of relations, but no hitting the snooze button, either
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Matthew Sussex, Associate Professor, National Security College, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University Patrick Semansky/AP Much speculation surrounded the lead up to the just concluded summit in Geneva between US President Joe Biden and his Russian counterpart, Vladimir ...1 day ago - Greens Want Government To Get Cameras On Boats Faster
The Green Party welcomes progress to get cameras on around 300 inshore fishing vessels, but wants the Government to move faster and the industry to contribute more funding. “Our oceans are taonga. The Government and industry need to move with urgency to ...1 day ago - The march of the titanosaurs: the Snake Creek Tracksite unveiledSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stephen Poropat, Adjunct Researcher, Swinburne University of Technology Fossilised bones belonging to enormous long-necked sauropod dinosaurs have been known from western Queensland since the 1930s, when Austrosaurus mckillopi was discovered on Clutha Station near Maxwelton. Since then, western Queensland has yielded many ...1 day ago
- We moved hundreds of tonnes of rock to preserve the dinosaur footprints of the Snake Creek TracksiteSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stephen Poropat, Adjunct Researcher, Swinburne University of Technology Fossilised bones belonging to enormous long-necked sauropod dinosaurs have been known from western Queensland since the 1930s, when Austrosaurus mckillopi was discovered on Clutha Station near Maxwelton. Since then, western Queensland has yielded many ...1 day ago
- PODCAST: Buchanan and Manning on G7 NATO EU Get Behind US for the Biden-Putin SummitA View from Afar: Selwyn Manning and Paul Buchanan present this week’s podcast, A View from Afar, where they analyse how leaders of the G7, NATO and EU juxtapositioned behind the United States to form a consensus-pact immediately prior to the Biden-Putin Summit. United States President Joe Biden spoke ...1 day ago
- Victorian Labor holds comfortable lead; flawed climate change question in federal Resolve pollSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne AAP/Luis Ascui A Victorian Resolve poll for The Age gave Labor 37% of the primary vote (42.9% at the 2018 election), the Coalition 36% (35.2%), the Greens ...1 day ago
- Fiji babies test positive for covid-19 as health officials report 121 new casesBy Siteri Sauvakacolo in Lautoka, Fiji Six infants who tested positive to covid-19 are in stable condition at Lautoka Hospital in the west of Fiji. Health Secretary Dr James Fong confirmed this to The Fiji Times this week. The infants and their mothers were from a community in lockdown in ...1 day ago
- A Niuean man’s story of Lake Alice: ‘The pain was so bad … [you feel] your body is off the bed...By Khalia Strong Hakeagapuletama Halo walks into the courtroom. He is a head taller than most, dressed in a crisp white shirt. He has a nervous smile and bright, eager eyes. Known as Hake to his family and friends, this is not the first time he has detailed the abuse ...1 day ago
- Problem of racism towards Pasifika in climate change: ‘We want to be valued’SPECIAL REPORT: By Mariner Fagaiava-Muller, RNZ Pacific Journalist In New Zealand, youth climate change movement School Strike 4 Climate Auckland has declared itself as racist, and disbanded, but young activists say going silent is not the answer. The group had organised large protests in centres throughout the country, becoming the ...1 day ago
- 50 years of the Polynesian Panthers: ‘It was a time of revolution’The Polynesian Panther Party will hold a three-day fonotaga commemoration event this weekend at the University of Auckland’s Fale Pasifika. Whakaako kia Whakaora – Educate to Liberate. Image: RNZ/Polynesian Panthers Dawn Raid apology The Panthers’ golden jubilee couldn’t be more forthcoming, given an announcement made this week of a ...1 day ago
- Indigenous Papuan graduates praise Aotearoa – and their governorsBy Laurens Ikinia in Auckland Four fresh indigenous Papuan students have graduated with degrees from Aotearoa New Zealand universities in the past few weeks to fulfil the dreams of Papuan provincial government leaders Lukas Enembe and Dominggus Mandacan. The two governors of both Indonesian-Melanesian provinces, Enembe (Papua) province and Mandacan ...1 day ago
- Elderly Pasifika man sobs as memories of Dawn Raids surface over apologyBy Barbara Dreaver, TVNZ News Pacific correspondent As the New Zealand government confirmed it would apologise for the 1970s Dawn Raids against Pacific Islanders, memories have surfaced for those traumatised by them, including one elderly man. The politically-driven crackdown on overstayers from the Pacific Islands involved special police squads raiding ...1 day ago
- Councillor calls out racist comments
An email exchange over the Auckland harbour cycleway included one racist criticism too far for an Auckland councillor, who says she encounters it "all the time" An Auckland councillor fed up with racist comments from members of the public has posted one on her social media accounts to try to ...1 day ago - Business is Boring: What Woop does differently with their food boxes
On this week’s episode of Business is Boring, Simon Pound talks to Thomas Dietz, founder and CEO of Woop, about breaking into the competitive food box market.Subscription food boxes have become big business in the last decade. In New Zealand, My Food Bag achieved huge revenue, attracted private equity money ...1 day ago - Australia’s 2.5% minimum wage rise: there’s something in it for you, and the economySource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Buchanan, Professor, Discipline of Business Information Systems, University of Sydney Business School, University of Sydney Australia has a serious wage problem. Over the past decade wages for all but the top 20% of income earners have flat-lined. This is part ...1 day ago
- Team NZ’s rejection of public funding offer means around $100m won’t be sunk into America’s Cu...
It’s full steam ahead for the economy, according to the latest GDP statistics and a Finance Minister who eagerly drew attention to the new data. Our farm industries, generally, are doing nicely, too, thank you, in spite of head winds which include a growing raft of government regulations. But prospects ...1 day ago - Party people: Flamingo Pier on the places that inspire them to get downSome of New Zealand’s best party people have finally released a debut album. We asked Flamingo Pier about the places that inspired it.The lads from Flamingo Pier call themselves a “music collective”. Yeah, they do your normal band things – they have a couple of EPs, an upcoming tour, and ...2 days ago
- Remembering New Zealand’s gossipiest newspaperGossip Week: Writer and former NZ Truth reporter Redmer Yska recounts a pivotal moment for New Zealand’s grubbiest paper – losing the right to report on divorce proceedings. All week, The Spinoff is taking a look at the role of gossip in Aotearoa’s past, present and future – read more Gossip ...2 days ago
- An adventure every visit: From Skyworld’s glitzy launch to its bleak presentTwenty-one years ago, the Force Entertainment Centre was meant to be the crown jewel of Queen Street. What stands there now is the empty shell known as Skyworld, writes Sam Brooks.Two security guards stand sentinel over nothing. There are no stores, the toilets are closed, and even if they were ...2 days ago
- Why a carbon price alone won’t be enough to drive down New Zealand’s emissionsSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By David Hall, Senior Lecturer in Social Sciences and Public Policy, Auckland University of Technology Kai Schwoerer/Getty Images With its emissions budgets, the Climate Change Commission’s final advice to the government charts a course towards a low-emissions economy. But its comprehensive ...2 days ago
- PM Jacinda Ardern reveals Covid-19 vaccine plan for group 4
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has given details about the vaccine rollout plan for the general population who so far haven't been eligible - group 4. ...2 days ago - How morale among our food producers is flagging in the face of Covid fatigue and Ardern’s regulato...
KPMG’s global head of agribusiness, Ian Proudfoot, reports morale in NZ’s farming industries has slumped over the past year, with industry leaders struggling under the pressure. “We could sense anger during our conversations, particularly in relation to the labour shortages the sector faces”. Proudfoot is the author of the KPMG “Agribusiness Agenda” ...2 days ago - At last, health, aged care and quarantine workers get the right masks to protect against airborne co...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By C Raina MacIntyre, Professor of Global Biosecurity, NHMRC Principal Research Fellow, Head, Biosecurity Program, Kirby Institute, UNSW Shutterstock Almost a year ago, in July 2020, our calls for the government to urgently upgrade the guidelines to protect health workers from ...2 days ago
- Watch live: PM Jacinda Ardern reveals Covid-19 vaccine plan for group 4Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern is giving details about the vaccine rollout plan for the general population who so far haven't been eligible - group 4. ...2 days ago
- Covid-19: NZ's quarantine-free travel pause with Victoria extended to 22 JuneNew Zealand's quarantine-free travel pause with Victoria has been extended by five days to 11.59pm on Tuesday 22 June. ...2 days ago
- Millennials And Gen Z Pushing For Social Change And AccountabilityClimate change and other societal issues remain top of mind for New Zealand’s millennials and Gen Zs. Across the world people have seen a year of intense uncertainty due to the COVID-19 pandemic, political instability, racial discord, and severe climate ...2 days ago
- NZ’s clean car discount is a turn in the right direction, but how much will it drive consumer dema...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Basil Sharp, Professor of Energy Economics, University of Auckland www.shutterstock.com New Zealand faces two enormous challenges if it is to meet its international climate change commitments under the Paris Agreement: biogenic methane emissions from agriculture, and carbon emissions from industry ...2 days ago
- Ten places where you can still buy a house for under $300kTurns out there are still some places in New Zealand where you can buy a house for a relative pittance. But where are they?For many of us, $300,000 is a lot of money. In the context of New Zealand housing, however, such a number has become positively paltry. Try making ...2 days ago
- SCHEDULED LIVE: Buchanan and Manning on G7 NATO EU Get Behind US for the Biden-Putin SummitA View from Afar: Selwyn Manning and Paul Buchanan present this week’s podcast, A View from Afar, where they will analyse how leaders of the G7, NATO and EU juxtapositioned behind the United States to form a consensus-pact immediately prior to the Biden-Putin Summit. United States President Joe Biden ...2 days ago
- A New Board Brings Energy And Focus To The New Zealand Institute Of International AffairsFollowing a major change to its constitution and governance arrangements, the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs recently elected a new board to take it forwards. The Institute is an independent non-governmental organisation that encourages ...2 days ago
- Singing the news: How our stories (and our gossip) were shared through waiataGossip Week: A chat with composer Tweedie Waititi about the days when our gossip and news was sung, and how our waiata have evolved.All week, The Spinoff is taking a look at the role of gossip in Aotearoa’s past, present and future – read more Gossip Week content here.“Mōteatea, that was ...2 days ago
- Complaint That Officer Used Excessive Force During Arrest In WellingtonThe Independent Police Conduct Authority investigated a complaint that excessive force was used on a youth following his arrest in Wellington on 12 January 2020. The incident took place after a car appeared to evade an alcohol checkpoint. The ...2 days ago
- Here’s hoping Damien O’Connor can strike a trade deal with the UK on terms similar to those secu...
We have had the chance to scan the new Australia-United Kingdom Free Trade agreement and – if Trade Minister Damien O’Connor can negotiate similar terms for us – the prospects look hearteningly good for NZ. Beef and sheep meat tariffs on Australian exports to the UK will be eliminated after ...2 days ago - 2021 Ratepayers’ Report ReleasedThe New Zealand Taxpayers' Union has today published the 2021 edition of Ratepayers' Report – online local government league tables – at www.ratepayersreport.nz With these league tables, New Zealanders can easily compare their local council’s performance ...2 days ago
- Perfectly TayiFaith Wilson responds to Rangikura, the much-anticipated second book of poetry by Tayi Tibble. I find myself on Facebook, as us older millennials so often do, on a stalking mission looking back through Tayi Tibble’s childhood photos. I’m midway through reading a poem in Tibble’s first book, Poūkahangatus, called ‘Ode to ...2 days ago
- Dunne Speaks: Ministry Of Health Needs Better Day-to-day Leadership...2 days ago
- This deep-sea creature is long-armed, bristling with teeth, and the sole survivor of 180 million yea...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tim O’Hara, Senior Curator of Marine Invertebrates, Museums Victoria C. Harding/Museums Victoria, Author provided Let me introduce you to Ophiojura, a bizarre deep-sea animal found in 2011 by scientists from the French Natural History Museum, while trawling the summit of ...2 days ago
- Resettling refugees in other countries is not working, nor is it fair. So, why is Australia doing it...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Claire Higgins, Senior Research Fellow, Kaldor Centre for International Refugee Law, UNSW The federal government has scrambled in recent days to minimise the political fallout from its treatment of the Tamil family from Biloela. After almost two years stuck on Christmas Island, ...2 days ago
- Which COVID vaccine is best? Here’s why that’s really hard to answerSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Wen Shi Lee, Postdoctoral researcher, The Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity from www.shutterstock.com With the rollout of COVID-19 vaccines accelerating, people are increasingly asking which vaccine is best? According to Google Trends, more and more people want to ...2 days ago
- Bones and all: see how the diets of Tasmanian devils can wear down their sharp teeth to blunt nubbin...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tahlia Pollock, PhD candidate, Monash University Zoos Victoria, Author provided Tasmanian devils are expert scavengers, with strong jaws and robust teeth that give them the notorious ability to eat almost all of a carcass — bones and all. Scientists have ...2 days ago
- More stress, unclear gains: are selective schools really worth it?Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Melissa Tham, Research officer at the Centre for International Research on Education Systems, Victoria University Shutterstock Thousands of primary and secondary students in Sydney and Melbourne are preparing for selective entrance exams. If successful, students will gain entry into a ...2 days ago
- Hidden women of history: Eliza Hamilton Dunlop — the Irish Australian poet who shone a light on co...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Anna Johnston, Associate Professor of English Literature, The University of Queensland Portrait of Eliza Hamilton Dunlop (no date), colour photograph of oil painting Wollombi Endeavour Museum In this series, we look at under-acknowledged women through the ages. Eliza Hamilton Dunlop’s poem ...2 days ago
- Meet the ‘unusual’ new CEO of Kiwi WealthRhiannon McKinnon wants to user her position as head of a Kiwisaver fund to help New Zealanders think about investing – including those groups traditionally excluded from the investment conversation. Kiwi Wealth’s new acting chief executive Rhiannon McKinnon is the first to admit her appointment was “unusual”. She is among ...2 days ago
- Live updates, June 16: Several MIQ breaches revealed Welcome to The Spinoff’s live updates for June 16, bringing you the latest news updated throughout the day. Get in touch at thebulletin@thespinoff.co.nz7.35am: Several MIQ breaches revealedTwelve people attempted to break the rules of managed isolation in an Auckland hotel over the weekend, in three different groups.The NZ Herald’s Vaimoana ...2 days ago
- The Bulletin: Damien O’Connor’s major trade missionGood morning and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Damien O’Connor’s major trade mission, in principle agreement made to give RBNZ debt serviceability tools, and big vaccine rollout announcement coming today.Trade minister Damien O’Connor is currently in the UK, seeking to make things happen on free trade agreements with ...2 days ago
- Golden Mile businesses worry over impact of car ban
Fears 'Let's Get Wellington Moving' will cause retail and hospitality businesses to grind to a halt, writes Hamish Cardwell. Wellington retailers in the central shopping corridor are scared a plan to ban cars from the area will cause businesses to close or abandon the area. What is known as the ...2 days ago - Discovery's plans for TV3 revealed
TV3’s owner has revealed its New Zealand strategy and it includes a new on-demand streaming service, more locally produced programmes, and a news gathering partnership in Dunedin. The plans were revealed by new chief Glen Kyne in an interview with Newsroom’s co-editor Mark Jennings. Glen Kyne has a lot he ...2 days ago - What does ‘off the record’ actually mean?Gossip Week: The use of off the record conversations is a staple of journalism, but what does it actually involve? And can you trust journalists to keep their word? Alex Braae asks around.All week, The Spinoff is taking a look at the role of gossip in Aotearoa’s past, present and ...2 days ago
- Book of the Week: Her body, her choice
Paddy Richardson reviews one of the best novels of 2021 Wellington writer Sue Orr's novel Loop Tracks is the story of the girls who went away. Down south, up north, across the island. A few of them came back. They were different; somehow awkward, less comfortable in their skin. They didn’t ...2 days ago - Newsroom's daily sudoku, Thursday 17 June
...2 days ago - Newsroom daily quiz, Thursday 17 June
Got a good quiz question? Send Newsroom your questions. ...2 days ago - Charity for disabled deals behind closed doors
Critics of the the decision to shut down and sell a vital Auckland facility for the disabled want to know why there’s been so much cloak and dagger from the Trust responsible COMMENT: Straight answers haven’t been forthcoming from the board of the Laura Fergusson Trust. The charity, whose decision ...2 days ago - Online hate poses unique challenges for Govt
The two-day hui in Christchurch on terrorism and violent extremism has highlighted the challenges that lie ahead for Government, tech companies and New Zealand society alike, writes Marc Daalder ANALYSIS: Police Commissioner Andrew Coster was surprised by the short, to-the-point question he received from a man in the front row ...2 days ago - Paddle queen's Olympic build-up on a duck pond
Three-time world rafting champion and firefighter Anne Cairns will race in canoe sprint for Samoa at the Tokyo Olympics, after a build-up in a muddy Manawatū lagoon. In an international paddling career spanning more than 20 years, Anne Cairns is set to make her second Olympic appearance in Tokyo. And she’s done ...2 days ago - Filmmaking 101: Do no harm
If we hope to portray true events on the big screen sensitively, we need to follow a model of filmmaking that does no harm to those whose stories we tell, writes Dr Davinia Thornley The planned film adaptation of the Christchurch mosque shootings has demonstrated the volatile impact of true ...2 days ago - What would it take to make our climate truly safe?
The recent Climate Change Commission report falls well short of ensuring we reduce emissions to a safe level. Jack Santa Barbara has some advice on what we should be doing. Comments on the Climate Change Commission’s recent advice report have been mixed. The more ambitious targets have been welcomed, but also ...2 days ago - Newsroom daily crossword, Thursday 17 June
...2 days ago - Anne Salmond: Seize the day, before it's too late
Distinguished Professor Dame Anne Salmond reflects on some key questions she raised in an earlier Newsroom column over how Aotearoa New Zealand can design a new institutional order which takes account of the Treaty of Waitangi and whakapapa At the end of this column, Iwi vs Kiwi: Beyond the Binary, which Newsroom published on ...2 days ago - ‘I shouldn’t have to protect myself’
At a breakfast meeting in Christchurch, public sector agencies are told some home truths. David Williams reports On the evening of March 15, 2019, Anjum Rahman, of the Islamic Women’s Council, revealed her group had warned authorities of a potential attack on Muslims. “We need to be taken seriously and ...2 days ago - Will New Zealand have to one day let Covid-19 in?New Zealand’s success in executing a Covid-19 elimination strategy means it is one of an exclusive group of countries now at a fork in the road. That may not, however, be such a bad place to be, writes Laura Walters.As the world looks towards the Covid-19 endgame, the World Health ...2 days ago
- A better way to give eye tests to kids
A Kiwi start-up has developed cunning eye test technology for pre-schoolers. Watch this space - and those grey dots. ...2 days ago - Peter Dunne: 'They Are Us' becomes 'It's About Us'
Peter Dunne is suspicious of the timing of the apology to Pacific peoples over the Dawn Raids ...2 days ago - The blurred lines around political donations
Our rules and regulations over political donations are fuzzy - and most of our politicians are getting tripped up by them. Is it time to make those laws more transparent? Two-thirds of the parties in Parliament since 2017 are facing charges from the Serious Fraud Office over their political donations. ...2 days ago - APEC pushes for Covid-19 'green recovery' amid concern
NZ leads discussion on importance of building back better, amid concerns that message isn't being heard. ...2 days ago - Greater tech uptake to meet Covid labour shortage in hotels
Covid and new restriction on migrant workers have fast-forwarded the need for automation in hospitality ...2 days ago - Bryce Edwards: Cash for access to politicians continuesOpinion - News reports of questionable donations and fundraising have been building up over recent years, and this year it only seems to be escalating, Bryce Edwards writes. ...2 days ago
- European Masterpieces from the Met demonstrates art’s power to speak to the human conditionSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alastair Blanshard, Paul Eliadis Chair of Classics and Ancient History, The University of Queensland Caravaggio (Michelangelo Merisi) Italy 1571–1610 The Musicians 1597 Oil on canvas 92.1 x 118.4cm Rogers Fund, 1952 / 52.81 Collection: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York The ...2 days ago
- Five burning questions in the NZ v India battle for cricket’s biggest prizeFollowing a staggering seven-year turnaround in form, the Black Caps have arrived in Southampton to take on India for the World Test Championship final. Michael Appleton has been thinking about it a lot. These questions especially.The inaugural World Test Championship final starts on Friday. It will feature probably the best ...2 days ago
- 'No one's listening': Mike King returns medal, says mental health funding wastedMental health funding has failed - that's the message from mental health advocate and entertainment personality Mike King. ...2 days ago
- Politics with Michelle Grattan: Acting PM Michael McCormack on net zero 2050 and prospects for a new...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra With Scott Morrison overseas, Nationals leader Michael McCormack has been Acting Prime Minister this week. In this podcast, he speaks about the free trade agreement with the UK, climate change, coal, the Nationals, and China. ...2 days ago
- Seeing the invisible: tiny crystal films could make night vision an everyday realitySource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rocio Camacho Morales, Postdoctoral fellow, Australian National University Artist’s impression of the view through future night-vision glasses. Lei Xu / NTU, Author provided It’s a familiar vision to anyone who has watched a lot of action movies or played Call of Duty: ...2 days ago
- Police debacle leaves the McGowan government battling to rebuild public trust in the SafeWA appSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tama Leaver, Professor of Internet Studies, Curtin University QR code contact-tracing apps are a crucial part of our defence against COVID-19. But their value depends on being widely used, which in turn means people using these apps need to be confident their ...2 days ago
- There’s a lot we don’t know about the UK trade agreement we are about to signSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Patricia Ranald, Honorary research fellow, University of Sydney We’re being told about the new Australia-United Kingdom Free Trade Agreement, but not a lot about most of what’s in it. After an in-principle agreement overnight, Australia released a five-page summary. Australian farmers will ...2 days ago
- Curious Kids: when a snake sheds its skin, why isn’t it colourful?Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Damian Lettoof, PhD Candidate, Curtin University A bush viper slithering out of its skin. Shutterstock When a snake sheds its skin, why isn’t it colourful? Yahya, aged eight Thanks for the question Yahya! Snakes come in all ...2 days ago
- APEC Structural Reform Ministers Issue Joint StatementIssued by the 3rd APEC Structural Reform Ministerial Meeting Wellington, New Zealand, 16 June 2021 Ministers responsible for structural reform from APEC member economies issued a joint statement following their virtual meeting on 16 June 2021. The statement ...2 days ago
- The Many Faces Of Racial Terror.
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