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Covid, the US President and the Evangelical churches
Written By: - Date published: 8:30 am, September 10th, 2020 - 123 comments
There has been disturbing local news that some members of a local evangelical church, influenced by American equivalents, refused to accept the threat posed by the virus. And in America a new book from Bob Woodward suggests strongly that Donald Trump knew how big a threat Covid would be but chose for political reasons to downplay the risk.
A Response to ‘No Exit’.
Written By: - Date published: 1:48 pm, May 3rd, 2020 - 91 comments
In a recent post, Bill hit his straps with – “Either way, wind power won’t save us. Solar power won’t save us. Carbon capture and storage won’t save us. Your God won’t save us. Nothing but ourselves will save us.”
I felt miffed and more than a little grumpy at Bill’s flippant reference to God, and so sent through this long form response. ~ Adam.
Before the massacre the State was warned
Written By: - Date published: 7:43 am, March 10th, 2020 - 27 comments
Through a series of meetings that led all the way to the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet, and the Head of the State Services Commission Peter Hughes, and the Police, the Islamic Women’s Council repeatedly warned the highest levels of our civil service that their community was under imminent threat. They were ignored.
What Cheeto, Bojo and Scomo are up to
Written By: - Date published: 3:56 pm, December 21st, 2019 - 76 comments
It has been a tough week for conservative leaders with Trump impeached and the evangelical magazine Christianity Today calling for his resignation, Johnson in the UK announcing voter fraud measures reminiscent of the American deep South, and in Australia Morrison being criticised for missing in action, upstaged by a 13 year old girl and pushing through protection for religious bigotry that Israel Folau would be pleased with.
Folau’s rights to free speech are not being attacked
Written By: - Date published: 8:11 am, June 30th, 2019 - 240 comments
Israel Folau’s difficulties are not examples of an attack on free speech or religious beliefs.
Will the Christian Conservatives rise again?
Written By: - Date published: 11:07 am, May 20th, 2019 - 78 comments
Simon Bridges has conceded that his claim that talk about Alfred Ngaro setting up a conservative party was “rumour and speculation” was not actually true. And Ngaro has gone on the offensive describing abortion as an unholy holocaust.
Cardinal Pell
Written By: - Date published: 2:55 pm, March 13th, 2019 - 6 comments
Cardinal Pell has been given six years in jail for his crimes against children. But the Catholic Church has a range of other allegations to resolve.
Zionism: Protestant Tosh.
Written By: - Date published: 1:11 pm, October 3rd, 2018 - 30 comments
I’m willing to bet you probably didn’t know that.
Kiwi values
Written By: - Date published: 8:32 am, October 1st, 2018 - 106 comments
New Zealand First at its conference on the weekend passed a remit to calling for immigrants and refugees to “respect New Zealand values” which are founded on Christianity.
And the antisemites are…?
Written By: - Date published: 9:30 am, September 5th, 2018 - 65 comments
UK Labour adopted the IRHA definition of antisemitism in full, and…
Zionism and Anti-Semitism Both Suck
Written By: - Date published: 9:30 pm, September 3rd, 2018 - 86 comments
Jeremy Corbyn has a problem. His supporters are struggling to seperate anti-Zionism from anti-racism and the Tories can’t believe their luck. UK Labour desperately need to turn around the narrative that they’re tolerant of bigotry. And in just two days, a definition is going to define Corbyn.
Enough Bullshit!
Written By: - Date published: 3:11 pm, September 3rd, 2018 - 129 comments
White South African farm murders.
Cake makers and fascists
Written By: - Date published: 8:19 am, July 10th, 2018 - 412 comments
A Warkworth cake maker has refused to make a wedding cake for a lesbian couple. The situation raises the question should she be allowed to discriminate against others on the grounds that she is exercising her rights of religious belief.
Autonomy.
Written By: - Date published: 11:13 am, May 27th, 2018 - 29 comments
So women in ‘half’ of an island have bodily autonomy.
Today in schadenfreude
Written By: - Date published: 2:57 pm, April 23rd, 2018 - 39 comments
For those who occassionally enjoy dark laughter at the truly deserved pain of others, today brings supremely ironic news in the continued culture war on queer people in New Zealand.
A Christmas Rabbit-hole.
Written By: - Date published: 9:01 am, December 23rd, 2017 - 26 comments
Just some light-hearted musings.
Brain Curdle.
Written By: - Date published: 4:37 pm, December 9th, 2017 - 75 comments
If ever anyone needed a reason to insist on secularism…
Voltairine de Cleyre
Written By: - Date published: 6:39 am, December 9th, 2017 - 15 comments
When history buries treasures, those treasures don’t have to remain buried.
The Catholic Church is urging its parishoners to vote
Written By: - Date published: 8:15 am, July 21st, 2017 - 29 comments
The catholic bishops of Aotearoa have released a pamphlet urging parishoners to vote. And apart from conservative positions on euthenasia and drug liberalisation the policies they support have a decidedly progressive bent.
A generous donation to Labour
Written By: - Date published: 11:13 am, May 31st, 2017 - 34 comments
Thank you Robert Smellie QC, I’m sure your donation will be put to great use. Smellie said: “I am a practising Anglican and as such I see socialism as being far closer to the Gospel than free enterprise.”
Women wearing clothes
Written By: - Date published: 1:26 pm, September 2nd, 2016 - 109 comments
In France and Italy there have been recent examples of men telling women what they can and cannot wear.
We need to talk about Islam
Written By: - Date published: 8:30 am, July 23rd, 2016 - 365 comments
A post in which Ad responds to TRP’s recent post suggesting that all religion should be banned by suggesting that religious tolerance is a necessary feature of a liberal democracy.
Indigenous Perspectives
Written By: - Date published: 1:55 pm, May 29th, 2016 - 30 comments
“It is possible to live in a society with a world view that does not include empire”
– Winona LaDuke
Christmas and Freedom
Written By: - Date published: 8:07 am, December 17th, 2015 - 35 comments
Part two of Ad’s series where he asks if Christianity is actually a liberation theology and maybe Jesus was a leftie after all.
Supply side Jesus
Written By: - Date published: 8:31 am, December 16th, 2015 - 74 comments
Ad proposes the theory that Jesus was actually a right winger.
Petition on Slater’s hate speech
Written By: - Date published: 7:41 am, October 31st, 2015 - 128 comments
Christianity doesn’t compromise with other religions
Written By: - Date published: 7:58 am, September 29th, 2015 - 115 comments
Christianity doesn’t compromise with other religions or has the World Finally Gone madder?
Amazing Grace
Written By: - Date published: 8:57 am, June 27th, 2015 - 99 comments
Barack Obama sings the spiritual Amazing Grace during the eulogy for Clementa Pinckney, one of those killed by a racist gunman in Charleston. Not completely in tune, but he hits the right note. As his Presidency winds down, Obama has one last opportunity to move the American mindset. The rule of the gun must end.
The pope and climate change
Written By: - Date published: 9:51 am, April 30th, 2015 - 32 comments
The Pope is calling for action on climate change. Naturally, he is being attacked for it.
can we just ignore it?
Written By: - Date published: 1:11 pm, January 27th, 2015 - 11 comments
somebody says something stupid about muslims. then it has to be picked up by every media organisation who rush around for comments. of course they’ll find some muslims who will be angry and upset, given the serious stupidity of the comments. then the media report how OUTRAGED those muslims are, as well as interviewing the original culprit to give more air to his views.
- Why the Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine is now a global game changer
Michael Head, University of Southampton In the long dark tunnel that has been 2020, November stands out as the month that light appeared. Some might see it as a bright light, others as a faint light – but it is unmistakably a light. On November 9, Pfizer announced the interim ...2 hours ago - Graeme Edgeler: The Vague promise of a better tomorrow: Why a three-year Parliamentary term is good ...
New Zealand is not the only country with a three-year term of Parliament, but there aren’t many others. Most countries have longer terms, with theoretically less of a democratic check on political power. Most other countries also have some combination of: a bicameral legislature, a supreme constitution, strong judicial review ...7 hours ago - “Goodfellas”: The Neoliberal National Party Shows Its Ugly Face.
Unaccountable? A reasonable National Party member might have anticipated that a president who led his party to the second-worst defeat in its history would feel obliged to fall upon his sword in recognition of the scale of his failure. Such a member would have been disappointed. Peter Goodfellow (above) was ...8 hours ago - Big Eye Wide, But ShutA few days ago the US National Science Foundation (NSF) announced the decommissioning of the Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico. This story has been the subject of items in the mass media around the globe, and also in New Zealand. Cables supporting the massive horns and radio receivers above ...16 hours ago
- From revolution to narcissism
For much of the 20th century the progressive movement was focused on real and crucial issues. What is called progressive now is a farce. ...16 hours ago - The Church of Woke...18 hours ago
- 2020 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming Digest #47
Story of the Week... Toon of the Week... Coming Soon on SkS... Climate Feedback Claim Review... SkS Week in Review... Poster of the Week... Story of the Week... Warm Arctic, Cold Continents? It Sounds Counterintuitive, but Research Suggests it’s a Thing Scientists suspect that rapid warming in the ...21 hours ago - Ardern’s crocodile tears won’t fix the housing crisis
People are getting very grumpy at the government's refusal to act on the housing crisis. Jacinda Ardern's response? To tell everyone she cares,/A>: Jacinda Ardern says one of the things that sets her Government apart from the National Party is Labour's concern over skyrocketing house prices. The median house ...1 day ago - Victoria University of Wellington Alumni post-election panel discussionThe landmark 2020 New Zealand general election is going to be discussed and analysed for many years to come. for an early attempt at making sense of the results, VUW hosted a panel discussion on 4 November for Alumni to watch and participate in. The panel was chaired by Bryce ...1 day ago
- Modernity Bias: Daniel Greene’s Top Fantasy Characters
YouTuber Daniel Greene has put out a list of his personal favourite fantasy characters: It’s a decent enough list, for the most part (confession time – I have never read a Sanderson book). And it’s a purely subjective question anyway, what with different people having different preferences. ...1 day ago - SpaceX’s Starlink satellites are about to ruin stargazing for everyoneSamantha Lawler, University of Regina I walk outside my rural Saskatchewan house before dawn and look up, expecting to have my breath taken away by the sheer number of stars overhead. I’m a professional astronomer, but I still appreciate naked-eye stargazing as much as an eager child. This is the ...2 days ago
- Hitler’s Playbook
No one can now doubt that Donald Trump is making a determined and sustained attempt to overturn the result of a democratic election and to defy the will of the people. He is clearly determined to hold on to power, whatever the verdict delivered by the ballot box – even ...2 days ago - 2020 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #472020A chronological listing of news articles linked to on the Skeptical Science Facebook Page during the past week: Sun, Nov 15, 2020 through Sat, Nov 21, 2020 Editor's Choice The 'market' won't save us from climate disaster. We must rethink our system Expecting the free market to fix global warming ...2 days ago
- Capital Vol. 3 lectures: The Falling Rate of Profit
– Transforming Industry to Empire
This is the fifth lecture in the lecture series by Andy Higginbottom on superexploitation. Part one of the lecture series is here, part two is here, part three is here and part four here. (Unfortunately the first minute of the lecture where the content of the lecture is outlined was not recorded.) ...3 days ago - Ken Can’t Count: No, the New Zealand Election Wasn’t Rigged
As tempting as it may be to snigger at unsubstantiated allegations of United States election fraud… New Zealand can’t be smug. Every country has its dingbats, and 2020 has shown that we are no exception. I mention this, because over the past month or so, a committed little collection ...3 days ago - Meeting The Overwhelming Quantum Of Need: A Modest Proposal For Ending New Zealand’s Housing Crisi...Deja Vu: Architectural drawing of the planned mass housing development planned for Auckland in the mid-1940s. IT COULD BE DONE. This government could make a serious attempt to house the 20,000 people waiting for social housing before the next election. It would, however, require them to do something they have, ...3 days ago
- Fleeing to the Dawn: Published2020 has been rather quiet on the short story front, but I have found a home for another of my pieces. A 1700-word fantasy (arguably getting into vignette territory), titled Fleeing to the Dawn, is now out as part of the Autumn 2020 edition of Shorts Magazine. The ...3 days ago
- Observations of past climate change help rule out natural causes of current climate changeThis post is an updated intermediate rebuttal to the myth "climate is changing now because climate has always changed". It was written by Scott Knapp as part of the George Mason University class Understanding and Responding to Climate Misinformation, combining climate science and communication best practices to debunk common climate myths. The total rate of global ...3 days ago
- As Safe As Houses?
Stein’s law says that if something cannot go on forever, it wont. But does a speculative bubble matter? The cryptocurrency bubble can be left to itself (tax evasion and criminal transactions aside). Why shouldn’t we do the same for housing? There are two general reasons why we should be concerned ...4 days ago - Good riddanceAustralian polluter Beach Energy has announced that it is cancelling plans to drill off Dunedin next year. The exploration permit in question, 38264, has a "drill or drop" requirement and has to drill an exploratory well by October 2021. But more importantly, it expires in November 2021. PEPANZ, the polluter ...4 days ago
- Repairing a hole in the wall with the diffusion equationLast week child number 1 managed to put a hole in a plasterboard (‘gib’) wall. I wasn’t in the room at the time, but I believe it had something to do starting at one end of the house, running down the corridor, through the bedroom doorway, doing a forward flip ...4 days ago
- Andy Asquith, Andrew Cardow, and Karen Webster: What ever happened to local government?We would like to congratulate Nanaia Mahuta on her promotion to the role of Foreign Minister – an important historic move. We are delighted both to see some stability in the local government portfolio holder and to see it held by someone senior in the cabinet rankings. For once we ...4 days ago
- The Political Economy Of Pride And Prejudice.For The Few, Not The Many: In the face of this widening gulf between the rich and the poor, successive New Zealand governments have opted for the same role that Jane Austen chose to play while her beloved England busied itself defeating Napoleon Bonaparte and the revolutionary egalitarian impulses he ...4 days ago
- What is causing the increase in atmospheric CO2?This post is an updated intermediate rebuttal to the myth "CO2 increase is natural, not human-caused". It was written by Erika Harrington as part of the George Mason University class Understanding and Responding to Climate Misinformation, combining climate science and communication best practices to debunk common climate myths. Atmospheric CO2 has increased by more ...4 days ago
- Obvious questions for the NZDFToday the Brereton report on war crimes by the Australian SAS was released, finding that Australian SAS troops had murdered 39 Afghan civilians and prisoners of war, with various actions taken to cover up the crimes. A special prosecutor will be appointed, and 25 soldiers have been referred for prosecution. ...5 days ago
- Matariki, history and ethnicity research honouredEvery year Royal Society Te Apārangi celebrates the achievements of researchers, scholars, and kairangahau who have achieved excellence in their disciplines throughout Aotearoa. This year separate ceremonies were held in the three main centres. In the first of two posts, we highlight the Māori and Pasifika recipients from the ...5 days ago
- Keeping Rates LowFor decades, the Wellington City Council has been Keeping rates Low, skimping on infrastructure maintenance to pander to elderly property-owners. The result? Shit on the streets: Wastewater crews are working to fix a drain that is causing human faeces to pour onto a street in central Wellington. Wellington Water ...5 days ago
- Reconnecting with taha Māori on the shores of Lake TaupōIn one day with her kaumatua (elder) on the southern shores of Lake Taupō, Yvonne Taura (Ngāiterangi, Ngāti Ranginui, Ngāti Hauā, Ngāti Uenuku, Ngāti Tūwharetoa) found her future career ambition was to raise awareness in restoring New Zealand’s wetlands back to health. In 2002 and in the middle of an ...5 days ago
- Enhancing the lives of tāngata whenuaFiona Wiremu (Ngāi Tūhoe | Ngāti Ranginui) is driven to do all she can to enhance the lives of tāngata whenua and that’s evident in the multiple research areas she covers. These include mātauranga Māori (Māori knowledge) such as te reo Māori, culture and identity, Whai Rawa (Māori Economies), Te ...5 days ago
- Skeptical Science New Research for Week #46, 2020If you learn something, say something The American Meteorological Society publication The Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences is encouraging authors to think about a wider readership's needs when submitting papers: The American Meteorological Society (AMS) mission statement specifically calls for advancing “the atmospheric and related sciences . . . for ...5 days ago
- It always pays to check before you shareBack in 2008, Dr Anthony Fauci (yes, that Dr Fauci) co-authored a paper that examined the interplay between influenza infection and secondary bacterial infection in mortality from the “Spanish flu¹” pandemic of 1918-19. He and his colleagues examined tissue samples taken during autopsies at the time of the pandemic, using ...5 days ago
- The Hollow Persons (With Apologies To T.S. Eliot)Let’s do this Let’s keep moving IWe are the hollow personsInflated with hot airHanging togetherFor fear of hanging separately. Cut!Our empty promises, whenFirst we make them,Are far from empty.We are inflamed by the thrillOf passionate sounds,Like Boomers watching porn,Mistaking the image for the deed.Policy ...5 days ago
- The harmful impacts of climate change outweigh any benefitsThis post is an updated intermediate rebuttal to the myth "global warming is good". It was written by Sophia Whitaker as part of the George Mason University class Understanding and Responding to Climate Misinformation, combining climate science and communication best practices to debunk common climate myths. The Pros and the Cons Our current ...5 days ago
- Southern Gothic Politics: The Bluing of Otago-Southland
The New Zealand Labour Party seems pretty happy with the October 2020 election. And on the whole, it is right to be happy. Single party majority governments don’t grow on trees under proportional representation. However, buried within the results are some… less encouraging signs for Labour (or alternatively, more ...6 days ago - Climate Change: The problem of air travelUntil the pandemic, air travel was one of the fastest growing causes of greenhouse gas emissions. And its obscenely unequal, with just 1% of the world's population causing 50% of the problem: Frequent-flying “‘super emitters” who represent just 1% of the world’s population caused half of aviation’s carbon emissions ...6 days ago
- Branko Marcetic: If Labour rests on its Covid-defeating laurels then its headed for a big fallJacinda Ardern’s Labour Party has received a historic landslide victory based on its competent handling of Covid, but the new government already shows worrying signs of complacency. Branko Marcetic argues that Labour can’t expect Covid issues to keep its popularity up and if it is to survive in power it ...6 days ago
- The obvious questionStuff reports that housing speculators aren't paying their taxes: Speculators are making millions in an overheated housing market but as many as one in four didn’t pay the tax they owed on properties flipped last year, IRD figures reveal. Of the 1701 property sales subject to the bright-line test ...6 days ago
- Climate Change: Time to phase out fossil vehiclesBack in February, the UK announced that it was bringing forward its fossil-fuel vehicle phase out from 2040 to 2035. Now, they're about to bring it forward again, to 2030. Which has caused Climate Change Minister James Shaw to suggest that we follow them: Climate Change Minister James Shaw ...6 days ago
- What would happen if we cut down the Amazon rainforest?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 would happen if we cut down the ...6 days ago
- How we know human CO2 emissions have disrupted the carbon cycleThis post is an updated intermediate rebuttal to the myth "Human CO2 emissions is tiny compared to natural CO2 emissions". It was written by Ziheng Sun as part of the George Mason University class Understanding and Responding to Climate Misinformation, combining climate science and communication best practices to debunk common climate myths. Nature ...6 days ago
- Secondhand clothing sales are booming – and may help solve the sustainability crisis in the fashio...Hyejune Park and Cosette Marie Joyner Armstrong, Oklahoma State University A massive force is reshaping the fashion industry: secondhand clothing. According to a new report, the U.S. secondhand clothing market is projected to more than triple in value in the next 10 years – from US$28 billion in 2019 to ...7 days ago
- To advance, workers must break the law: a reply to John Kerrby Don Franks In response to my piece NZ union structure past its use by date John Kerr wrote: Bit of a cop out of an article: some penetrating analysis of what’s wrong (echoed in other pieces by Trotter et al) but no concrete suggestions around possible solutions… I agree ...7 days ago
- This is not a solutionAnger over the housing crisis and the betrayal of the kiwi dream has reached high enough levels that the Prime Minister feels she has to (be seen to) do something about it. Her solution? Subsidising property sellers: While facing questions this morning, Ardern revealed the Government was looking into ...7 days ago
- New data privacy rules are coming in NZ — businesses and other organisations will have to lift the...Anca C. Yallop, Auckland University of Technology Most people these days are aware that what they share online is both valuable and vulnerable. Data privacy has become a major concern for consumers and corporations alike. The issue will come to a head when New Zealand’s Privacy Act 2020 comes into ...1 week ago
- A witch-hunt devastates the Auckland art worldNina Power is a left-wing, Marxist influenced artist. Her work often takes a class-based analysis and explores women’s oppression. She recently became the target of a vicious attack and was slanderously was called a Nazi after she wrote an essay that was part of an exhibition of 400 flags. The ...1 week ago
- Even the banks can see which way the wind is blowingJacinda Ardern has famously ruled out taxing wealth in any way, saying "not as long as I'm Prime Minister". Meanwhile, Westpac is saying that its inevitable: Rising public anger about growing inequality is likely to force the imposition of a capital gains or wealth tax in the next few ...1 week ago
- Moderna follows Pfizer with exciting vaccine news – how to read these dramatic developmentsSimon Kolstoe, University of Portsmouth It is very exciting to hear another positive story about vaccine trial results – a good vaccine is the most likely way of ending the pandemic. Last week, interim results from Pfizer suggested its vaccine reduces cases of COVID-19 with 90% efficacy. Now Moderna has ...1 week ago
- If Only We Had A Minister Of Broadcasting Worthy Of The Title.Worryingly Uninterested: Given Broadcasting Minister Kris Faafoi’s evident uninterest in the classic Reithian principles of public broadcasting – i.e. to educate, elevate and entertain the people – any review of his motivations for rolling-up TVNZ and RNZ into a single, state-owned broadcasting entity, leaves one fearing the worst.MORE OR LESS ...1 week ago
- Time to Stop Dodging Bullets? NZ’s Eight Recent Border Control FailuresProf Nick Wilson, Dr Leah Grout, Dr Amanda Kvalsvig, Prof Michael Baker There have been eight distinct border control failures in Aotearoa/NZ relating to the pandemic virus that causes COVID-19, since early August 2020, equivalent to one every two weeks. In this blog we briefly detail these failures and ...1 week ago
- Human Fingerprints on Climate Change Rule Out Natural CyclesThis post is an updated intermediate rebuttal to the myth "global warming is caused by natural cycles". It was written by Kay Huang as part of the George Mason University class Understanding and Responding to Climate Misinformation, combining climate science and communication best practices to debunk common climate myths. Global warming refers to ...1 week ago
- A cringe, not a crouchOver the weekend, Stuff's Henry Cooke identified the big problem with Labour: they're stuck permanently in defensive mode. And so they are unwilling to take political "risks" over things like housing, even when people are clamouring for action. Cooke's suggestion is that Labour needs to get out of its "defensive ...1 week ago
- 2020 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming Digest #46Story of the Week... Toon of the Week... Coming Soon on SkS... Poster of the Week... SkS Week in Review... Story of the Week... Seeing Clouds Clearly: Are They Cooling Us Down or Heating Us Up? Though scientists know that clouds are critical to the climate system, ...1 week ago
- Can animals and plants adapt to global warming?This post is an updated intermediate rebuttal to the myth "animals can adapt to global warming". It was written by Finley Hay-Chapman as part of the George Mason University class Understanding and Responding to Climate Misinformation, combining climate science and communication best practices to debunk common climate myths. There have been five “big” mass extinction events in ...1 week ago
- A School in Good HeartA year ago, my wife and I attended the Senior Academic Prizegiving at my old school, Tauranga Boys College. I recall writing at that time a piece in which I registered how impressed we were at the evidence provided by the ceremony of a school in good heart, excellently led, ...1 week ago
- 2020 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #462020A chronological listing of news articles linked to on the Skeptical Science Facebook Page during the past week: Sun, Nov 8, 2020 through Sat, Nov 14, 2020 Editor's Choice Two U.S. Oil Companies Join Their European Counterparts in Making Net-Zero Pledges Occidental Petroleum and ConocoPhillips define their net-zero goals differently, ...1 week ago
- Pfizer will save us from COVID!
What, this Pfizer?A team of Pfizer doctors reached the Nigerian camp just as the outbreak, which killed at least 11,000 people, was peaking. They set themselves up within metres of a medical station run by the aid group Médecins Sans Frontières, which was dispensing proven treatments to ease the epidemic.From ...1 week ago - Will the Coronavirus Evolve to Be Less Deadly?Wendy Orent No lethal pandemic lasts forever. The 1918 flu, for example, crisscrossed the globe and claimed tens of millions of lives, yet by 1920, the virus that caused it had become significantly less deadly, causing only ordinary seasonal flu. Some pandemics have lasted longer, like the Black Death, which ...1 week ago
- How much does animal agriculture and eating meat contribute to global warming?This post is an updated intermediate rebuttal to the myth "Animal agriculture account for 51% of CO2 emissions". It was written by Zack Chester as part of the George Mason University class Understanding and Responding to Climate Misinformation, combining climate science and communication best practices to debunk common climate myths. The three largest contributors to ...1 week ago
- New Zealand union structure past its use by date
by Don Franks Christmas 2020 in New Zealand will for many folks be a ghastly memory of hunger and homelessness. Rumblings of protest are growing louder and more frequent. A November 6th letter to the government signed by 60 community groups shows the depth of concern. Signatories include long-standing mainstream ...2 weeks ago - Suffer the Children
Are we reducing child poverty by as much as is needed to reach the targets set by the government under the Child Poverty Reduction Act? The current indicators about the level of poverty are not very promising, but on average they really only apply for December 2018 (that is the ...2 weeks ago - You cannot believe your eyes. (The Queen’s Gambit’s visual effects are astounding.)
Like, I guess, millions of other viewers, I throughly enjoyed the Netflix 7 hour series The Queen’s Gambit. Not only was it perfectly cast and acted. The writing, the music, the costumes and sets were all amazing. The visual effects, by a company called Chicken Bone FX, were absolutely astounding. ...2 weeks ago - Tolkien’s Mad Frenchmen: Idiosophical AnalysisJoe over at https://www.idiosophy.com/ has been having some fun with the Oxford English Dictionary’s online text visualisation tool: https://oed-text-visualizer.oxfordlanguages.com/ Basically, one can input text into the tool, and it will tell you the percentage of words of Germanic or French origin. Joe has been trying out an ...2 weeks ago
- Sedition from within.
The refusal of Donald Trump and his supporters in the media and Republican Party to acknowledge his defeat in the presidential election has taken an ominous turn. What at first could be discounted as the childish petulance of a sore loser is now morphing into the makings of a constitutional ...2 weeks ago - No accountability means no confidence IIA little over a month ago, we saw two Independent Police Conduct Authority reports on egregious police behaviour which seemed criminal (and certainly would have been if you or I had done the same things). In one, a police officer trespassed on a man's property, then assaulted him with pepper ...2 weeks ago
- Bryce Edwards: Political Roundup – The Left’s challenge to Labour’s inaction on poverty and in...How determined are Labour to take the necessary steps to fix inequality and poverty? Will electoral calculations triumph over their principles and stated ambitions? These are some of the questions being asked on the political left, as the Government looks determined to stand by while social problems continue to get ...2 weeks ago
- Bad FaithHow terrible is police compliance with the Official Information Act? Just look at today's OIA story. Way back in march, someone used FYI, the public OIA request system, to ask them for information on the "NZ Police Air Support Unit Expansion project". On 21 April, the last possible day, they ...2 weeks ago
- A Slow-Motion CoupWe all know what a coup looks like – we have seen them often enough in benighted counties around the world. They usually begin with the appearance of armed troops in the street, with people being arrested and taken away, with radio and television studios and newspaper offices being closed, ...2 weeks ago
- What did 1970’s climate science actually say?This post is the intermediate rebuttal to the myth "scientists wrongly predicted an ice age in the 1970s so can't be trusted now". It was written by Margaret Orr as part of the George Mason University class Understanding and Responding to Climate Misinformation. In the 1970s, climate scientists were investigating the ...2 weeks ago
- After a nuclear war, the world’s emergency food supply could be seafood — if overfishing stops n...Eric Galbraith, McGill University and Kim Scherrer, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona People in wealthy, industrialized countries are used to finding their supermarket shelves fully stocked. Yet for a brief period early in the COVID-19 pandemic, some of those shelves emptied out, as panic drove shoppers to stockpile and supply chains ...2 weeks ago
- Jacinda 2.0 is “Licenced To Govern” – But Not By, Or For, Us.Government By Permission: That phrase: “a licence to govern” brings into sharp focus so much which has been unclear to the tens-of-thousands of New Zealanders who voted Labour-Green in confident expectation of ushering-in a period of much-needed, but long-delayed, change. It explains why – in spite of her outstanding communication ...2 weeks ago
- A Very American Coup?Deconstructing American Democracy: The joy manifested on American streets over the weekend, as the news of Joe Biden’s victory spread, may soon be transformed into incandescent rage. Worse, any mass protest action in support of President-Elect Biden will, almost certainly, be answered by the mobilisation of President Trump’s own supporters ...2 weeks ago
- 90% efficacy for Pfizer’s COVID-19 mRNA vaccine is striking. But we need to wait for the full dataHarry Al-Wassiti, Monash University; Colin Pouton, Monash University, and Kylie Quinn, RMIT University German biotech company BioNTech and US pharmaceutical Pfizer announced on Monday promising early results from their phase 3 clinical trial for a vaccine against SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. These early results are what is known ...2 weeks ago
- Empty hand-wringingThis morning, we learned that house prices have risen nearly 20% in the past year, locking more people out of the housing market and further entrenching the growing class divide between those with wealthy parents and those without. And of course, Jacinda Ardern is deeply concerned: Prime Minister Jacinda ...2 weeks ago
- Buying a coronavirus vaccine for everyone on Earth, storing and shipping it, and giving it safely wi...Nicole Hassoun, Binghamton University, State University of New York Infectious diseases do not respect borders. An estimated 3 billion people in low-income countries across Africa, Asia and Latin America are likely to lack access to a COVID-19 vaccine for years after it becomes available. In poor nations, many communities lack ...2 weeks ago
- Climate Change: The first testLast year, Parliament passed the Zero Carbon Act, a framework which effectively outsourced climate change policy to an independent commission, in a shame-based model designed to ensure the government did what was recommended. The Commission will be making recommendations on New Zealand's Paris target, the methane target, and the first ...2 weeks ago
- Speeding up recovery: fast-tracking projects to boost jobs, build houses
We’ve announced three additional projects to go through the fast-track resource consenting process. Read below for a quick rundown of what these projects are, what the fast-tracking process means, and why the Government is using fast-tracking as one way to create jobs sooner and accelerate our economic recovery from COVID-19. ...3 hours ago - Reports of prisoner abuse show need for prisons rethink and independent oversight
Reports of an asthmatic woman being bombed in her cell with pepper spray, being forced to lie face down on the ground to be fed, and having to show used sanitary items to guards to receive more, shows obscene human rights violations that need addressing, Green Party Corrections and Human ...3 hours ago - Green Party announce portfolio reshuffle with talented and energised caucus teamThe Green Party Co-leaders have announced their portfolio reshuffle for the 53rd Parliament. “The Green Party caucus offers a breadth of talent and energy to the Parliament this term. In ten MPs you have a small business owner, a human rights lawyer, an academic, a climate negotiator, a transport planner, ...1 day ago
- Nearly 50 percent increase in Kiwi apprenticesAs we recover and rebuild from COVID-19, we’re investing in major shovel-ready and long-term infrastructure projects up and down the country – creating thousands of jobs in the trades nationwide. ...4 days ago
- Celebrating World Children's DayThis World Children’s Day, we’re taking a look at all the ways we’re working to make New Zealand the best place in the world to be a child. ...4 days ago
- Report of alleged war crimes by Australian Defence Force in Afghanistan a distressing reminder of th...The Green Party strongly condemns the revelation of alleged war crimes by the Australian Defence Force in Afghanistan, with an alleged unlawful killing of 39 people by 25 Special Forces personnel. ...4 days ago
- SPEECH: 10th Anniversary of Pike River tragedyTēnei te mihi ki a tātau katoa e huihui nei i tēnei rā I greet us all who are gathered here today ...5 days ago
- Greens commit to ensuring strong oceans protection this termThe Green Party will work with Labour this term to ensure better protections for our oceans, Green MP Eugenie Sage said today. ...6 days ago
- Kiwis deserve fair prices at the supermarket2020 has been a tough year. Not only has COVID-19 presented unique challenges to the way we work, play and socialise, for many Kiwis the pandemic has also meant more of a strain on the back pocket. ...1 week ago
- Auckland COVID-19 case shows need for extended sick leave before busy Christmas periodThe case of an Auckland city worker heading to work with COVID-19 symptoms shows the need for urgent extended sick leave, Green Party Workplace Relations spokesperson Jan Logie said today. ...1 week ago
- Meet our new MPsWondering who our new Labour MPs are? We asked our 23 new Caucus members to share a little about themselves and the experience they will be bringing to Parliament... ...2 weeks ago
- Reserve Bank policies will inevitably heat housing market, Government must implement tax reform to c...The Government must use levers to prevent further over-heating of the housing market, which will result from the Reserve Bank pumping another $28 billion into the economy in the form of cheap loans to banks. ...2 weeks ago
- Successful prosecution of Talley’s deep-water fishing division shows need for more marine protecte...Today’s ruling that Talley’s deep-water fishing division, Amaltal, is guilty of bottom trawling in the Hikurangi Marine Reserve demonstrates the need for increased fisheries enforcement and strong marine protected areas off our coasts, Green MP Eugenie Sage said today. ...2 weeks ago
- Green Party backs calls by New Zealand charities to lift the benefit by ChristmasThe Green Party supports calls by 40 welfare and poverty organisations to increase income support payments to help lift families out of poverty before Christmas. ...2 weeks ago
- Ministers sworn in to GovernmentToday the Governor-General swore in the new Executive. ...3 weeks ago
- Green Party responds to final election results from specialsGreen Party Co-leader Marama Davidson said today: “The final results are in and we’re incredibly excited to confirm our outstanding success this election. ...3 weeks ago
- Greens welcome commitment to sick leave extensionThe Green Party has welcomed the Government’s commitment to introduce legislation to extend statutory minimum paid sick leave to ten days before the end of 2020. ...3 weeks ago
- Government to review housing settings
New Zealand’s stronger-than-expected economic performance has flowed through to housing demand, so the Government will review housing settings to improve access to the market, the Finance Minister Grant Robertson announced today. “Our focus is on improving access to the housing market for first home buyers and ensuring house price growth ...19 mins ago - Crown accounts reflect Govt’s careful economic managementThe better-than-expected Crown accounts released today show the Government’s careful management of the COVID-19 health crisis was the right approach to support the economy. As expected, the Crown accounts for the year to June 2020 show the operating balance before gains and losses, or OBEGAL, was in deficit. However that ...21 mins ago
- Government to consider recommendations on DNA use in criminal investigationsThe Minister of Justice has received the Law Commission’s recommending changes to the law governing the way DNA is used in criminal investigations. The report, called The Use of DNA in Criminal Investigations – Te Whahamahi I te Ira Tangata I ngā Mātai Taihara, recommends new legislation to address how ...2 hours ago
- Speech to Wakatū Nelson regional hui on tradeFirst, I want to express my thanks to Te Taumata for this hui and for all the fantastic work you are doing for Māori in the trade space. In the short time that you’ve been operating you’ve already contributed an enormous amount to the conversation, and developed impressive networks. I ...4 hours ago
- Speech to Primary Industries SummitThank you for the opportunity to speak to you today about the significant contribution the food and fibres sector makes to New Zealand and how this Government is supporting that effort. I’d like to start by acknowledging our co-Chairs, Terry Copeland and Mavis Mullins, my colleague, Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor, ...5 hours ago
- Fast track referrals will speed up recovery and boost jobs and home buildingThe Government is taking action to increase jobs, speed up the economic recovery and build houses by putting three more projects through its fast track approval process. “It’s great to see that the fast-track consenting process is working. Today we have referred a mix of potential projects that, if approved, ...22 hours ago
- Papakāinga provides critically needed homes in HastingsA papakāinga opened today by the Minister for Māori Development the Hon Willie Jackson will provide whānau with much needed affordable rental homes in Hastings. The four home papakāinga in Waiōhiki is the first project to be completed under the ‘Hastings Place Based’ initiative. This initiative is a Government, Hastings ...3 days ago
- New Zealand ready to host APEC virtuallyPrime Minister Jacinda Ardern took over the leadership of APEC earlier today, when she joined leaders from the 21 APEC economies virtually for the forum’s final 2020 meeting. “We look forward to hosting a fully virtual APEC 2021 next year. While this isn’t an in-person meeting, it will be one ...3 days ago
- Revival of Māori HorticulturistsThe rapid revival of Māori horticulture was unmistakeable at this year’s Ahuwhenua Trophy Awards, with 2020 marking the first time this iconic Māori farming event was dedicated to horticulture enterprises. Congratulating finalists at the Awards, Māori Development Minister Willie Jackson said growing large-scale māra kai is part of Māori DNA. ...4 days ago
- Emergency benefit to help temporary visa holdersFrom 1 December, people on temporary work, student or visitor visas who can’t return home and or support themselves may get an Emergency Benefit from the Ministry of Social Development, Social Development and Employment Minister Carmel Sepuloni announced today. Previously, temporary visa holders in hardship because of COVID-19 have had ...4 days ago
- School sustainability projects to help boost regional economiesForty one schools from the Far North to Southland will receive funding for projects that will reduce schools’ emissions and save them money, Education Minister Chris Hipkins announced today. This is the second round of the Sustainability Contestable Fund, and work will begin immediately. The first round announced in April ...4 days ago
- Farmer-led projects to improve water health in Canterbury and OtagoMore than $6 million will be spent on helping farmers improve the health of rivers, wetlands, and habitat biodiversity in Canterbury and Otago, as well as improving long-term land management practices, says Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor. Four farmer-led catchment group Jobs for Nature projects have between allocated between $176,000 and ...4 days ago
- Tupu Aotearoa continues expansion to Pacific communities in Nelson, Marlborough, Tasman & Northl...Pacific communities in Nelson, Marlborough, Tasman and Northland will benefit from the expansion of the Tupu Aotearoa programme announced today by the Minister for Pacific Peoples, Aupito William Sio. The programme provides sustainable employment and education pathways and will be delivered in partnership with three providers in Northland and two ...4 days ago
- New primary school and classrooms for 1,200 students in South IslandEducation Minister Chris Hipkins unveiled major school building projects across the South Island during a visit to Waimea College in Nelson today. It’s part of the Government’s latest investment of $164 million to build new classrooms and upgrade schools around the country. “Investments like this gives the construction industry certainty ...4 days ago
- Minister of Māori Development pays tribute to Rudy TaylorToday the Minister of Māori Development, alongside other Government Ministers and MP’s said their final farewells to Nga Puhi Leader Rudy Taylor. “Rudy dedicated his life to the betterment of Māori, and his strong approach was always from the ground up, grassroots, sincere and unfaltering” “Over the past few ...4 days ago
- Prime Minister to attend APEC Leaders’ SummitPrime Minister Jacinda Ardern will attend the annual APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting and associated events virtually today and tomorrow. “In a world where we cannot travel due to COVID-19, continuing close collaboration with our regional partners is key to accelerating New Zealand’s economic recovery,” Jacinda Ardern said. “There is wide ...4 days ago
- Speech to Infrastructure NZ SymposiumTena Koutou, Tena Koutou and thank you for inviting me to speak to you today. This is a critical time for New Zealand as we respond to the damage wreaked by the global COVID-19 pandemic. It is vital that investment in our economic recovery is well thought through, and makes ...5 days ago
- Pike River 10 Year Anniversary Commemorative ServiceTēnei te mihi ki a tātau katoa e huihui nei i tēnei rā Ki a koutou ngā whānau o te hunga kua riro i kōnei – he mihi aroha ki a koutou Ki te hapori whānui – tēnā koutou Ki ngā tāngata whenua – tēnā koutou Ki ngā mate, e ...5 days ago
- Huge investment in new and upgraded classrooms to boost construction jobsAround 7,500 students are set to benefit from the Government’s latest investment of $164 million to build new classrooms and upgrade schools around the country. “The election delivered a clear mandate to accelerate our economic recovery and build back better. That’s why we are prioritising construction projects in schools so more ...5 days ago
- Keeping Pike River Mine promises 10 years onTen years after the Pike River Mine tragedy in which 29 men lost their lives while at work, a commemorative service at Parliament has honoured them and their legacy of ensuring all New Zealand workplaces are safe. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern attended the event, along with representatives of the Pike ...5 days ago
- Additional testing to strengthen border and increase safety of workersNew testing measures are being put in place to increase the safety of border workers and further strengthen New Zealand’s barriers against COVID-19, COVID-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins said today. “These strengthened rules – to apply to all international airports and ports – build on the mandatory testing orders we’ve ...5 days ago
- More public housing delivered in AucklandThe Government’s investment in public housing is delivering more warm, dry homes with today’s official opening of 82 new apartments in New Lynn by the Housing Minister Megan Woods. The Thom Street development replaces 16 houses built in the 1940s, with brand new fit-for-purpose public housing that is in high ...5 days ago
- Agreement advanced to purchase up to 5 million COVID-19 vaccinesThe Government has confirmed an in-principle agreement to purchase up to 5 million COVID-19 vaccines – enough for 5 million people – from Janssen Pharmaceutica, subject to the vaccine successfully completing clinical trials and passing regulatory approvals in New Zealand, says Research, Science and Innovation Minister Megan Woods. “This agreement ...5 days ago
- Jobs for Nature funding will leave a conservation legacy for Waikanae awaNinety-two jobs will be created to help environmental restoration in the Waikanae River catchment through $8.5 million of Jobs for Nature funding, Conservation Minister Kiritapu Allan announced today. “The new funding will give a four-year boost to the restoration of the Waikanae awa, and is specifically focussed on restoration through ...5 days ago
- New Dunedin Hospital project progresses to next stageAs the new Dunedin Hospital project progresses, the Government is changing the oversight group to provide more technical input, ensure continued local representation, and to make sure lessons learnt from Dunedin benefit other health infrastructure projects around the country. Concept design approval and the release of a tender for early ...5 days ago
- Jump in apprentice and trainee numbersThe number of New Zealanders taking up apprenticeships has increased nearly 50 percent, and the number of female apprentices has more than doubled. This comes as a Government campaign to raise the profile of vocational education and training (VET) begins. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Education Minister Chris Hipkins announced ...6 days ago
- ReBuilding Nations Symposium 2020 (Infrastructure NZ Conference opening session)Tena koutou katoa and thank you for the opportunity to be with you today. Can I acknowledge Ngarimu Blair, Ngati Whatua, and Mayor Phil Goff for the welcome. Before I start with my substantive comments, I do want to acknowledge the hard work it has taken by everyone to ensure ...6 days ago
- New Zealand's biosecurity champions honouredBiosecurity Minister Damien O’Connor has paid tribute to the winners of the 2020 New Zealand Biosecurity Awards. “These are the people and organisations who go above and beyond to protect Aotearoa from pests and disease to ensure our unique way of life is sustained for future generations,” Damien O’Connor says. ...7 days ago
- Tourism Industry Aotearoa Conferencespeech to Tourism Industry Aotearoa annual summit Te Papa, Wellington Introduction Nau mai, haere mai Tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, Ka nui te mihi, ki a koutou. Thank you Tourism Industry Aotearoa for hosting today’s Summit. In particular, my acknowledgements to TIA Chair Gráinne Troute and Chief Executive Chris Roberts. You ...1 week ago
- Supermarkets announced as Government’s second market studyThe Government has today launched a market study to ensure New Zealanders are paying a fair price for groceries. “Supermarkets are an integral part of our communities and economy, so it’s important to ensure that Kiwis are getting a fair deal at the checkout,” Minister of Commerce and Consumer ...1 week ago
- Masks to be worn on Auckland public transport and all domestic flightsMasks will need to be worn on all public transport in Auckland and in and out of Auckland and on domestic flights throughout the country from this Thursday, Minister for COVID-19 Response Chris Hipkins said today. “I will be issuing an Order under the COVID-19 Response Act requiring the wearing ...1 week ago
- New Zealand signs Regional Comprehensive Economic PartnershipIncrease to New Zealand’s GDP by around $2 billion each year Increase opportunities for NZ exporters to access regional markets Cuts red tape and offers one set of trade rules across the Asia Pacific region New government procurement, competition policy and electronic commerce offers NZ exporters increased business opportunities Prime ...1 week ago
- Minister acknowledges students as exams beginEducation Minister Chris Hipkins has recognised the extraordinary challenges students have faced this year, ahead of NCEA and New Zealand Scholarship exams which begin on Monday. “I want to congratulate students for their hard work during a year of unprecedented disruption, and I wish students all the best as ...1 week ago
- Prime Minister meets with key ASEAN and East Asia Summit partnersPrime Minister Jacinda Ardern today attended the ASEAN-New Zealand Commemorative Summit and discussed with Leaders a range of shared challenges facing the Indo-Pacific region, including: The ongoing management of the COVID-19 pandemic; The importance of working collectively to accelerate economic recovery; and Exploring further opportunities for partners to work more ...1 week ago
- Veterans Affairs Summit held in KoreaA Ministerial Summit on Veterans’ Affairs was held in the Republic of Korea this week. Ministers with veteran responsibilities were invited from all 22 countries that had been part of the United Nations Forces during the Korean War (1950 – 1953). The Summit marked the 70th anniversary of the outbreak ...2 weeks ago
- Clear direction set for the education system, skills prioritisedThe Government has released a set of priorities for early learning through to tertiary education and lifelong learning to build a stronger, fairer education system that delivers for all New Zealanders. “The election delivered a clear mandate from New Zealanders to accelerate our plan to reduce inequalities and make more ...2 weeks ago
- A Progressive AgendaSpeech to the Climate Change + Business Conference, November 12, 2020 Tena koutou katoa Thank you for inviting me to speak here today. It is great to see us all come together for a common cause: to redefine our future in the face of unprecedented times. Covid-19 and climate change are ...2 weeks ago
- Wellington Pasifika Business AwardsThank you for having me join with you as we celebrate the success of Pacific businesses tonight, and recognise the resilient and innovative entrepreneurs who lead them. Equally important to me is, that we are also able tonight to offer up our gratitude to those leaders who have organised and ...2 weeks ago
- Commemorative address at Act of Remembrance for Armistice DayTuatahi māku Ka mihi tu ki a koe Pita E pīkauria ana i te mana o Ngā tūpuna o te whenua nei. Thank you Bernadette for your warm introduction. I would also like to reflect on your acknowledgments and welcome Peter Jackson, Taranaki Whānui; Members of the National War Memorial ...2 weeks ago
- New fund launched to reduce carbon emissions from coal and gasThe Labour Government is quickly delivering a key election policy that will help business to switch from fossil fuels like coal and gas to clean energy for process heat while accelerating the economic recovery from Covid. The $70 million fund will allow business and industries to access financial support to ...2 weeks ago
- Finance Minister Robertson calls for Reserve Bank to tackle housing
The Finance Minister wants the Reserve Bank to become more involved in checking the skyrocketing price of housing in New Zealand. ...18 mins ago - Robertson asks Reserve Bank to act on house prices
With the Government under growing pressure to curtail ever-rising growth in the housing market, it has taken the first step in a potentially major process to redefine the role of the Reserve Bank in accounting for house prices Finance Minister Grant Robertson has written to Reserve Bank Governor Adrian Orr ...25 mins ago - Please, stop picking on poor old Wellington
On Sunday, Stuff published a column by journalist Andrea Vance saying Wellington’s good days were over. Wellingtonian Emily Writes steps up to defend the city’s honour.I’m a big Andrea Vance stan so I was shocked when I saw the headline to her column “Wellington, I’m sorry to say it, but ...50 mins ago - Law Commission Recommends New DNA Laws For Criminal Investigations
Te Aka Matua o te Ture | Law Commission today released a report that recommends a new, comprehensive regime to control how DNA is obtained, used and retained for criminal investigations. The report has revealed significant gaps in the operation ...1 hour ago - The PM reminds feds of state funding on tap to help farmers meet the demands of govt’s environment...
The PM’s farmer audience would have been heartened when she said the election success of Labour in rural New Zealand was a huge honour, but with it came huge responsibility and huge opportunities. They would have been braced, too, for her promotion – and defence – of the government’s environmental ...2 hours ago - Whaea Michelle, navigator of the Family Violence CourtNew Zealand has some of the worst rates of family violence and abuse. Addressing those, especially in the courtroom, is about more than punishment. Teuila Fuatai reports. Whaea Michelle is part of Frame, a series of short documentaries produced by Wrestler for The Spinoff.Tucked away on the third floor of the Auckland ...2 hours ago
- Minister for seniors criticises Greens' Ricardo Menendez-March for 'boomer' commentMinister for seniors Ayesha Verrall does not think it's helpful to describe elderly people as "boomers". ...2 hours ago
- Remember when TVNZ made everyone download The Sopranos?It wasn’t so long ago that New Zealand would have to wait months, maybe years, to see a television show. We were fine with it. Then TVNZ took it too far.I remember the anger, the frustration, the resentment.It was 2006. I had dial-up internet that we shared with our landlord. ...3 hours ago
- Philippine checkpoint soldiers shoot and kill investigative journalist
Pacific Media Watch Newsdesk Philippine authorities should independently investigate the circumstances surrounding the killing of journalist Ronnie Villamor and hold those responsible to account, says the Committee to Protect Journalists. In the afternoon of November 14, Philippine Army soldiers shot and killed Villamor, a contributor to the local independent Dos ...3 hours ago - Newsletter: New Zealand Politics Daily – November 24 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 National Party Chris Trotter (Daily Blog): “Goodfellas”: The Neoliberal National Party shows its ugly face Henry Cooke (Stuff): National Party to examine election campaign and candidate selection process in review of ...4 hours ago
- Children’s commissioner calls to disestablish Oranga TamarikiA second review by the Children’s Commission has made four key recommendations, including the transfer of power to iwi, hapū and whānau.A new report from children’s commissioner Andrew Becroft is calling for an immediate overhaul of Oranga Tamariki – largely through a transfer of power to Māori.The report, released yesterday, ...4 hours ago
- Are first home buyers really in a worse position than three years ago?Thanks to falling interest rates and higher wages, mortgage affordability has remained surprisingly steady, writes Greg Ninness for interest.co.nz. But that doesn’t mean things aren’t a lot tougher for those trying to get onto the housing ladder. The latest house price figures make startling reading for potential first home buyers. ...5 hours ago
- Councillors Have Spoken, Time To Remove Racist Provision In Establishment Of Māori WardsRawiri WaititiMāori Party Co-leader Māori Party co-leader and Waiariki MP Rawiri Waititi, congratulates Tairāwhiti & Taupō district councils for their stance in yesterday supporting the establishment of Māori wards in time for the 2022 local ...6 hours ago
- Councillors Have Spoken, Time To Remove Racist Provision In Establishment Of Māori WardsRawiri WaititiMāori Party Co-leader Māori Party co-leader and Waiariki MP Rawiri Waititi, congratulates Tairāwhiti & Taupō district councils for their stance in yesterday supporting the establishment of Māori wards in time for the 2022 local ...6 hours ago
- Ancient sponges or just algae? New research overturns chemical evidence for the earliest animalsSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Lennart van Maldegem, Postdoctoral Fellow, Research School of Earth Sciences, Australian National University Sponges are the simplest of animals, and they may stand at the root of all complex animal life on Earth, including us humans. Scientists study the evolution of the ...6 hours ago
- Is Trump’s truculence an attempted coup or the last-ditch efforts of a man whose star is fading?Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Daniel Cooper, Lecturer at Griffith University, Griffith University US President Donald Trump’s time in the White House is coming to an end. But, as has become obvious over the past few weeks, he is unlikely to deliver a gracious concession speech. Instead, ...6 hours ago
- COVID has presented unique challenges for people with eating disorders. They’ll need support beyon...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Laura Hart, Senior Research Fellow, University of Melbourne COVID-19 has changed the way we live, work and interact with one another. It has also changed the way we move, exercise, shop, prepare food, and eat. During the pandemic, we’ve seen marked increases ...6 hours ago
- Silky oaks are older than dinosaurs and literally drip nectar – but watch out for the cyanideSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Gregory Moore, Doctor of Botany, University of Melbourne As we come to the end of spring, look up from the footpath or at the park, and you may spot the fiery flowers of the silky oak, Grevillea robusta. You may already be ...6 hours ago
- Children may transmit coronavirus at the same rate as adults: what we now know about schools and COV...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Zoë Hyde, Epidemiologist, University of Western Australia The role children, and consequently schools, play in the COVID-19 pandemic has been hard to work out, but that puzzle is now finally starting to be solved. The latest research shows infections in children frequently ...6 hours ago
- It seemed like a good idea in lockdown, but is moving to the country right for you?Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rachael Wallis, Lecturer, University of Southern Queensland The idea of moving to the country has gained momentum through the COVID-19 pandemic. Many workplaces have introduced new policies on working from home that give employees the flexibility needed to make the switch. Lockdowns ...6 hours ago
- Axing stamp duty is a great idea, but NSW is going about it the wrong waySource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Freebairn, Professor, Department of Economics, University of Melbourne In tax design as in many endeavours, it’s easy to work out how things should be; harder to work out how to get there. In NSW, Treasurer Dominic Perrottet wants to replace the ...6 hours ago
- 5 reasons why banishing backpackers and targeting wealthy tourists would be a mistake for NZSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By James Higham, Professor of Tourism, University of Otago Raise your hand if you’ve ever travelled for weeks or months as a backpacker on a limited daily budget. Keep your hand up if you were made welcome in the places you visited on ...6 hours ago
- 10 ‘lost’ Australian literary treasures you should read – and can soon borrow from any librarySource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rebecca Giblin, ARC Future Fellow; Associate Professor; Director, Intellectual Property Research Institute of Australia, University of Melbourne Many culturally important books by Australian authors are out of print, hard to find as secondhand copies, and confined to the physical shelves of a ...6 hours ago
- Māori, Crown must work in partnership for children – Kelvin DavisThe minister for children says he is "not into separatism" and that Oranga Tamariki needs to work in partnership with Māori. ...6 hours ago
- Live updates, November 24: Victoria’s last active Covid-19 patient recoversWelcome to The Spinoff’s live updates for November 24. Reach me on stewart@thespinoff.co.nz10.20am: Victoria’s last active Covid-19 patient recoversThe Australian state of Victoria has no active cases of Covid-19, after the last patient with the virus was discharged from hospital yesterday.It’s the first time since February that Victoria’s hospitals were ...7 hours ago
- Live updates, November 24: Stricter rules lead to nurse shortage at managed isolation hotelsWelcome to The Spinoff’s live updates for November 24. Reach me on stewart@thespinoff.co.nz7.50am: Nurse shortage at Auckland managed isolation hotelsNurses helping to keep the community safe from Covid-19 are having to work overtime, or take on double shifts, to fill gaps in the system, according to RNZ.Healthcare workers have also ...7 hours ago
- The Bulletin: Shifts in foreign policy since the electionsGood morning and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Shifts in foreign policy since the elections, government increasingly looking to fast-track through RMA, and Andy Foster gets into bizarre tent tangle.All things being equal, which US president would you enjoy a twenty minute conversation with more – Joe Biden ...7 hours ago
- Retail sales set Sept quarter record
Business & Investing: Total retail sales down just 0.2 percent for the year to October, but Europe's economic activity falls again due to the resurgence of Covid-19 ...8 hours ago - Mammy, Eve, and Jesus: A personal essay by Noelle McCarthy
Noelle McCarthy returns home in this prize-winning personal essay "Get in ‘til you see what we got you. This is my daughter.” Mammy is loud, showing off for the driver. The cab smells of drink and Estee Lauder. Wherever they’ve been, they’ve been there all morning. Angela is jammed in ...9 hours ago - Push for inclusive Covid recovery through sharp increase to minimum wage
Former Prime Minister Helen Clark's thinktank says no-one should be left behind in Covid recovery. ...9 hours ago - Holly Stewart passes tennis racquet to a new generation
Young tennis star Holly Stewart's first year at a US college was cut short by the global pandemic, but she's making the most of her time back home in NZ, giving back to young women with less opportunity. Holly Stewart knows how much a hand up can help change the ...9 hours ago - How Billy TK is using the far right
Billy TK is not a duped victim of far-right interests, but is instead employing their conspiracies for his own NZ-style conservative Evangelical purposes, writes Dr Deane Galbraith In dozens of online videos, Billy Te Kahika has told hundreds of thousands of viewers that the Covid-19 crisis obscures a massive conspiracy. He doesn’t use ...9 hours ago - Tracking Covid-19's creep across a flight to NZ
Analysis: A new study shows how Covid-19 spread on an 18-hour flight from Dubai to Auckland, eventually infecting four people on-board and another in MIQ, Marc Daalder reports On September 28, Emirates Airlines flight 448 departed Dubai for Auckland with 86 passengers on board and a full complement of aircrew. ...9 hours ago - The (potential) path ahead for NZ First
As W R Peters puts another $120k towards the party, can NZ First rise again in 2023? ...9 hours ago - Locals can't fill hole left by international tourists
Domestic tourism is booming as Kiwis get out and explore the country but without international tourists New Zealand will face a deficit of nearly $13 billion. Mark Jennings reports. It takes 12 overnight trips from someone living in New Zealand to equal the spend of one international visitor. New research ...9 hours ago - The searing report linking popular NZ brands to sexual abuse and slaveryAn investigation has found that workers on many palm oil plantations suffer shocking levels of abuse and exposure to chemicals so toxic they can cause miscarriage. But, as Amal Samaha explains, a consumer boycott of the brands that use the oil may not be the answer.Some of New Zealand’s most ...9 hours ago
- Coming Home: Who’s returning to New Zealand, and what did they leave behind?In part two of Coming Home, hosts Duncan Greive and Jane Yee meet more recently returned New Zealanders and learn what factors drew them abroad and what life looked like in their new home countries.Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you usually listen to podcasts.In last week’s episode, we heard about ...9 hours ago
- Building pressure
There's no quick fix to the housing problem but the Government knows that, with this sort of political pressure, something's got to give. ...9 hours ago - The Reserve Bank's housing storm
The Reserve Bank has been caught up in a political furore over the housing crisis. Is it really the Bank's fault that the levers it pulls have seen prices spiral out of control? The Reserve Bank is under attack for pouring fuel on the house price bonfire with its latest ...9 hours ago - Scott Morrison’s message to China: Don’t pigeonhole usSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Australia’s actions should not be seen just through the lens of the strategic competition between China and the United States, Scott Morrison has said in a speech rejecting “binary choices”. With China casting Australia as ...14 hours ago
- PM defends temporary suspension of Facebook until new law in placeBy Robert Iroga in Honiara Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare insists his government will push on with the temporary suspension of Facebook while lawmakers explore ways to regulate social media. In a statement in Parliament today, a fired-up Sogavare did not hide his government’s desire to suspend Facebook. He ...17 hours ago
- Daniel Andrews plans pilot for casual workers’ sick pay but Morrison government criticalSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra The Victorian government plans a pilot scheme for up to five days sick and carer’s pay, at the national minimum wage, for casuals or insecure workers in priority industries. Even though the initiative is at ...19 hours ago
- National Party announces terms of reference for election campaign reviewThe review will be done by five panel members, including former party president Judy Kirk and former National minister Kate Wilkinson. ...19 hours ago
- Prosecuting within complex criminal networks is hard. Data analysis could save the courts precious t...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Roberto Musotto, Cyber Security Cooperative Research Centre Postdoctoral Fellow, Edith Cowan University It’s no secret the trail of data we leave online can reveal intimate details about our lives. And there are myriad people whose job it is to collect and sift ...19 hours ago
- Physio, chiro, osteo and myo: what’s the difference and which one should I get?Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Charlotte Ganderton, Lecturer, Swinburne University of Technology, Swinburne University of Technology Many of us might not be as fit as we were before the pandemic hit, and as community sport restarts and gyms reopen across the country amid eased coronavirus restrictions, some ...20 hours ago
- Fiji tries to salvage Nations Cup rugby tour from covid ruinsBy RNZ Pacific Fiji’s rugby team is set to have another round of covid-19 testing today as they seek to salvage what is left of their Autumn Nations Cup tour of Europe. Over the weekend it was announced the Flying Fijians would have their third consecutive test match cancelled due ...20 hours ago
- Keith Rankin Analysis – Fixing the 2020 New Zealand House Price BubbleAnalysis by Keith Rankin. Keith Rankin. To the surprise of most pundits, substantial real estate price inflation has resumed, after a hiatus from 2017 to 2019. As to be expected, most of the usual tropes have been employed: a lack of supply, immigration (in this latest case returning New Zealanders), ...21 hours ago
- Human Rights Commission Welcomes Calls For Transformation Of Oranga Tamariki...22 hours ago
- No one escaped COVID’s impacts, but big fall in tertiary enrolments was 80% women. Why?Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Brendan Churchill, Research Fellow in Sociology, University of Melbourne The disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic has been so profound, particularly for women, that it threatens to upend the progress on gender equality in recent years. During the lockdown, women were doing ...22 hours ago
- Action 1 December And 3 December For XR Te Whanganui A TaraTwo actions soon, please join us. 1. Demand Action on Western Sahara When : Tuesday 1 December at 8:30 am Join us on Tuesday, December 1, 8.30am at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, 195a Lambton Quay, Te Whanganui-a-Tara (corner of Panama St). ...22 hours ago
- Three new infrastructure projects to be fast-tracked – Ardern, ParkerPrime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Environment Minister David Parker have announced three new projects to be fast-tracked past the Resource Management Act. ...22 hours ago
- Tree Planting As Resistance; A Memorial For Pouya Bakhtiari, The Face Of Iran's Bloody NovemberBy Ali Mostolizadeh Translated by Abbas Alizadeh Pouya Bakhtiari, a 27-year old graduate of electrical engineering, was never able to celebrate his 28th birthday. His family celebrated Pouya’s birthday in Behesht-e Sakineh Cemetery in Karaj. ...22 hours ago
- Watch live: Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern's post-Cabinet conferencePrime Minister Jacinda Ardern is speaking to media after today's Cabinet meeting. ...22 hours ago
- Oranga Tamariki Reforms Must Address Systemic Racism And Unsafe WorkloadsThe union for Oranga Tamariki employees says Te Kuku O Te Manawa - the Children’s Commissioner’s Report on Oranga Tamariki - highlights the need for deep and far-reaching change, both at OT and throughout New Zealand society. Oranga Tamariki staff are ...23 hours ago
- Oranga Tamariki Reforms Must Address Systemic Racism And Unsafe WorkloadsThe union for Oranga Tamariki employees says Te Kuku O Te Manawa - the Children’s Commissioner’s Report on Oranga Tamariki - highlights the need for deep and far-reaching change, both at OT and throughout New Zealand society. Oranga Tamariki staff are ...23 hours ago
- Ardern speaks with US President-elect Joe BidenPrime Minister Jacinda Ardern has spoken on the phone with the US President-elect Joe Biden this afternoon. ...23 hours ago
- My favourite detective: Trixie Belden, the uncool girl sleuth with a sensitive moral compassSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tanya Dalziell, Associate Professor, English and Literary Studies, University of Western Australia In a new series, writers pay tribute to fictional detectives on page and on screen. Trixie Belden, girl detective, does not rank in the world’s pantheon of cool sleuths. ...23 hours ago
- Give a kid a book and you give them the worldLast year the fledgling charity scheme Kiwi Christmas Books gave 1600 children’s books to Auckland Women’s Refuge and the Auckland City Mission. This year they’re going national, as founder Sonya Wilson explains.My earliest memories involve books. Kew Hospital, circa 1983: I remember stiff scratchy sheets, red jelly on a grey ...23 hours ago
- Green MP Applauded For Brave Stance On Accommodation Supplement...1 day ago
- Dietary Requirements: What is seltzer and why is it suddenly everywhere?The Dietary Requirements team drag Lucy and Matt out of the office and into the studio to discuss some of The Spinoff’s most controversial food topics from the past week.Exciting news – Dietary Requirements is moving from monthly to fortnightly episodes! We’ll still have a special guest from the food ...1 day ago
- How the Nats have opted to invest in the future with small change
A post on the left-wing The Standard blog expresses bemusement at National’s re-election of its party president. MickySavage writes: You would think that the conference held immediately after National suffered one of its worst drubbings in its history National would take the opportunity to refresh its leadership and change its ...1 day ago - The Labour Government Gaslights People In PovertyThe government issued a response letter to the open letter which now has support from 70 organisations in New Zealand, calling them to lift benefits and low incomes to liveable levels before Christmas. In their response they outline what they’ve ...1 day ago
- Wellington Mayor’s Tent-pitching Undermines Democracy, Ratepayers, And Property Rights...1 day ago
- Take action to save lives in West Papua, activists tell ForumBy Laurens Ikinia in Auckland A Pacific Islands Forum-hosted webinar has called on the United Nations and Indonesia to be “more responsive” to the pleas of West Papuans and take action to resolve human rights issues in the Melanesian region. The Secretary-General of the Forum, Dame Meg Taylor, the secretary-general ...1 day ago
- Siouxsie Wiles: Aches on a plane – new findings on in-flight Covid transmissionA new New Zealand study offers some important lessons on how the coronavirus can spread aboard an aircraft. One of the good things about New Zealand pursuing an elimination strategy for Covid-19 (aside from the obvious) is that we are able to help answer some of the questions there are about ...1 day ago
- Green Party reveals portfolio reshuffle ahead of official Parliament openingThe Green Party has unveiled an unsurprising portfolio reshuffle, ahead of the official opening of Parliament this week. ...1 day ago
- Why does New Zealand love Country Calendar so much?And the one change that would make it even better.It’s been on telly for 50-odd years, it frequently tops the weekly ratings and it just won best factual series at the 2020 NZ TV Awards. What is it about Country Calendar that we just can’t get enough of? José Barbosa ...1 day ago
- Indonesian security forces attack Papuan musician, say activistsPacific Media Watch Newsdesk A young West Papuan musician, Kris Douw, who has written many powerful protest songs against Indonesia’s illegal military occupation in his homeland, has been beaten up by security forces, allege activists. Douw was atacked about 8am on by Indonesian special forces at the Kodim Complex ...1 day ago
- Inquiry: Turn child protection over to Māori
The latest official inquiry into the removal of babies by Oranga Tamariki calls directly for power and resources to be given to Māori to provide care and protection for their children The Children's Commissioner wants a "total transformation" of the country's system of care and protection for children - transferring resources ...1 day ago - Kirihimete gift guide 2020: supporting Māori and Pasifika businesses and creatorsIt’s never been more important to support local. Janaye Henry has brought her exceptional taste to the fore to help you support Māori and Pasifika-owned business this Christmas (and just all year round if you want). Kirihimete is fast approaching and what better excuse to support our Māori and Pasifika creators? ...1 day ago
- John Key backs Peter Goodfellow, Judith Collins after National Party AGMNational members copped a handful home truths at its AGM over the weekend, and former leader Sir John Key says it's time for the party to take control of the media narrative. ...1 day ago
- Newsletter: New Zealand Politics Daily – November 23 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 National Party Sam Sachdeva (Newsroom): Mixed messages in wake of National’s defeat Richard Harman: Goodfellow beats off challenge and calls for unity Tracy Watkins (Stuff): Sir John Key’s speech a chilling ...1 day ago
- Jacinda Ardern not surprised by China's threat to 'pluck out eyes' of criticsPrime Minister Jacinda Ardern is calling China's threats to "pluck out the eyes" of nations criticising it over it's approach to Hong Kong a "strong response". ...1 day ago
- Face masks cut disease spread in the lab, but have less impact in the community. We need to know whySource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Paul Glasziou, Professor of Medicine, Bond University In controlled laboratory situations, face masks appear to do a good job of reducing the spread of coronavirus (at least in hamsters) and other respiratory viruses. However, evidence shows mask-wearing policies seem to have had ...1 day ago
- Albanese is running out of time to solve Labor’s climate crisis. He needs a plan that works for tw...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mark Kenny, Professor, Australian Studies Institute, Australian National University During the recent American elections, the most eye-catching graphics were were the individual county tallies. These showed that even when states appeared to be overwhelmingly Republican red, some still “flipped” to the Democrats ...1 day ago
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