Chinese Herald changed Herald articles to be more China friendly

Written By: - Date published: 8:00 am, January 15th, 2019 - 70 comments
Categories: Abuse of power, articles, China, human rights, jacinda ardern, journalism, Media, newspapers, Politics, Propaganda, the praiseworthy and the pitiful - Tags: ,

Stuff has reported that its opponent, the New Zealand Herald, has via its Chinese version amended stories to make them more acceptable to the Chinese Government.

From Henry Cooke and Laura Walters at Stuff:

The Chinese edition of the NZ Herald edited translated articles from the NZ Herald to put a better light on the Chinese government.

It has also omitted articles entirely that discuss the Chinese Government in a negative way, in one case taking a much more sanitised version from a Chinese wire service.

The Chinese NZ Herald is the result of a 2016 joint venture between NZME, which own the NZ Herald, and long-running Chinese publication The Chinese Herald. The website and WeChat channel, which use the NZ Herald branding, feature both translated pieces from the English-language Herald, articles from the Chinese Herald, and stories from other Chinese news sources.

But several pieces translated for the website omit information that would make the Chinese government uncomfortable.

The examples mentioned are quite topical. One omitted the fact that a robbery victim was a Falun Gong follower. Another sanitised an article about Chinese Government critic Anne-Marie Brady and took out critical comments made by her and by Jacinda Ardern. And almost none of the reporting of Brady’s analysis was translated or reported by the Chinese NZ Herald.

The Herald said that the issues had been discussed with their Chinese counterparts. Editor Shayne Currie said this:

We made clear to the Chinese NZ Herald that all articles from the NZ Herald must be fully and accurately translated, and we have been given assurances on this …

Operationally, it is over to the editor of the Chinese NZ Herald as to which NZ Herald articles he and his editorial team wish to translate. It is also the Chinese NZ Herald’s call as to which articles it sources from other agencies.”


This is not something new. Commercial interests have for years affected the reporting of news. It is no surprise that the Chinese Government would want to do the same. And the media needs every dollar it can get.

But we still have this expectation that news is reported fearlessly and without favour. And without distortion.

And that the really difficult stories are reported properly. And that we are told what is going on. So that when we exercise our democratic rights we do so from a fully informed basis.

Although on Twitter toad has a point.


70 comments on “Chinese Herald changed Herald articles to be more China friendly ”

  1. greywarshark 1

    The Chinese government will have its way apparently. And with a leader in a permanent position who is full of hubris, what are we doing and thinking. Our Deputy Prime Minister, always a bit of a loose cannon, has recently visited the USA government without our PM being fully briefed? And tied us into what?

    ‘Mike Smith’s post Peters to Pence is important to study. There is a lot to think about in Peters choice of words in relation to China affecting us, and its drive to gather
    debtor countries into its hegemony.

    The free market adoption and the wide ranging trade agreements have closed off our defences to incursions here. And China is an important partner in dairying which has been our mainstay.

    Now our tech companies are ordered to keep China’s Huawei out. The high tech capable company has started building rockets that will be added to weaponry; under which country’s umbrella?

    I went to an outdoor film drawn from the past, Dr Strangelove, Or How I learned to love the Bomb. It was funny in a satirical way. But not actually amusing, it still relates to the present.

  2. Anne 2

    The Chinese version of the Herald may have sanitised the Anne Marie Brady critique, but this feature article which appeared in last Saturday’s Herald “Canvas” magazine is a worth while read. I guessed there was probably more to the story than had hitherto been revealed and indeed there is:

    The first time she went to China was as a university student on exchange in February 1990, months after the massacre at Tiananmen Square. She and the other New Zealand students were placed in a dorm for foreigners, into which Chinese students weren’t allowed. None of the Chinese students would talk to them anyway. In class, the teachers wouldn’t say anything of interest or stray from the textbook. The level of stress was so high, Brady says, all the girls in her dorm stopped menstruating.

    “Clearly,” she says, “we were in a heightened state of not feeling safe.”

    The following year, while she was in China researching her masters thesis on Rewi Alley, two things were stolen from her room: a photocopy from a sensitive book about Chinese Communist Party (CCP) activities and a sensitive letter about the relationship between Alley and the CCP. Nothing else was taken.

    So, she was also targeted back in 1990. That suggests she’s been on their radar for a long time.

    • Rangimarie 2.1

      My how things have changed! I went to China to visit my daughter who lectured at a university in China In the mid 2000s. There was none of the above you mentioned. And yes it is ruled by one party, but a party which has lifted millions out of poverty. As a tourist I certainly felt safe there. I have also visited the US. I certainly didn’t feel safe there. 2 instances where, if I hadn’t been alert I may have been killed. Getting screamed at ‘you black bitch’ on the streets of San Francisco. This anti Chinese rhetoric from the left and especially on this site is disgusting. I suppose you also think Trump shouldn’t pull the troops out of Syria.

      You people know nothing about China and just continue to spin Western propoganda. Shame on you!

      • Anne 2.1.1

        Read this feature story from the NZ Herald which I must have inadvertently deleted before posting comment @ 2.

        https://www.nzherald.co.nz/lifestyle/news/article.cfm?c_id=6&objectid=12187109

        I suggest that Professor Anne Marie Brady knows more about China than you or I will ever know. Pays to read the whole story before jumping to erroneous conclusions.

        What is being discussed on this post has nothing to do with the US. Strong criticism of the USA has been a feature of this site since its inception 10 years ago, so you really need to get your act together before accusing commenters here of ‘shameful’ bias and ‘spinning Western propaganda’.

        • Rangimare 2.1.1.1

          And I would suggest she’s a paid CIA moll. Shame on you for being sucked in by a woman with bad tyres on her car and a hidden agenda.

          • Anne 2.1.1.1.1

            Oh well, in that case you must be a paid Chinese government troll then.

            Oops: veutoviper got there first. 🙂

        • veutoviper 2.1.1.2

          My instant reaction when reading our new commenter was is this another Chinese troll to join the other @9; they usually travel in twos or more.

          https://mothership.sg/2018/01/china-nationalist-trolls-internet-little-pink/

          https://www.ft.com/content/9ef9f592-e2bd-11e7-97e2-916d4fbac0da

          https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/50_Cent_Party

          • Rangimare 2.1.1.2.1

            JWhy minimize my contribution and experiences by saying I’m a Chinese troll. Can you not increase your awareness about how shocking your anti Chinese responses are to someone who has visited China? I am tangata whenua. And if that makes me a Chinese troll then so be it.

            • Anne 2.1.1.2.1.1

              If you are so stupid as to imagine Professor Brady is a paid CIA troll, then you have to expect similar reciprocation about your own behaviour.

              • veutoviper

                Exactly, Anne. I held back until that comment.

                She may well be tangata whenua and had a good time in China, and been subject to racism in the US, but her other comments suggest other things and are intended to get a reaction (and did!), eg

                “This anti Chinese rhetoric from the left and especially on this site is disgusting. I suppose you also think Trump shouldn’t pull the troops out of Syria.”

                “You people know nothing about China and just continue to spin Western propoganda. Shame on you!”

                “And I would suggest she’s a paid CIA moll. Shame on you for being sucked in by a woman with bad tyres on her car and a hidden agenda.”

                “Can you not increase your awareness about how shocking your anti Chinese responses are to someone who has visited China? ”

                The latter made me laugh. It suggests that none of us have also visited China … Wrong. I am pretty sure quite a few contributors here have done so.

                • Robert Guyton

                  That’s not a genuine voice, imo.

                • Rangimarie

                  Listen to you people going around in circles trying to work out whether I’m a Chinese troll. You look ridiculous. And what’s more your xenophobia is shameful. I am Māori. Ko Ngāti Porou me Ngā Puhi ōku iwi. I whānau mai au i te Tairawhiti. I suppose I could have googled my response I guess. Being a digital savvy Chinese troll. Haha. And I will be coming to this site more often to call out you people who think your ? responses pass as reasoned debate. And yes Māori can be pro Chinese. But I like to think I’m more pro fairness and truth and Peace.

                  • RedLogix

                    Anyone can pose as anything on the internet. Credibility is earned; you aren’t entitled to it.

                    Perhaps after you have been here for a few years and engaged in a range of conversations on many topics, we might have a more coherent sense of who you are.

              • Mark

                No Anne. It is you who is stupid.

                Anne Marie Brady is bankrolled by Taiwanese government institutions and the American Neo-conservative think tank, the Wilson Institute, named for the infamous racist (even for his times) Woodrow Wilson.

                The Wilson Institute advocates so called ‘democratisation’ all over the world and promotes colour revolutions and undermines the sovereignty of states who stand strong against US imperialism.

                Anne Marie Brady is an agent of foreign influence as much as she claims others are of Chinese influence. An attention seeking hypocrite.

                • Dennis Frank

                  Operating as a source of disinformation isn’t the best way to impress readers of this site, incredible though it may seem. You don’t have any proof of her funding, do you? If it was in the public domain, it would be on her wikipedia page, wouldn’t it? You really think readers are so stupid that they will not notice this?

                  • Mark

                    You heard of google eh boy? Its allowed in NZ heheheheh

                    https://www.wilsoncenter.org/person/anne-marie-brady\

                    https://bulletin.tfd.org.tw/tag/anne-marie-brady/

                    there are more……she is hardly a disinterested party. She is an imperialist stooge as you are. Pseudo leftists

                    [OK, time for you to come up with some proof of your claims, Mark. Or you can withdraw them and apologise. And I am talking about the kind of proof we can use in court if TS gets sued, so don’t piss about. TRP]

                    • Dennis Frank

                      So you’ve now confirmed to readers that you’ve got no proof of your assertion about her funding, thus proving to readers that you are merely spamming this site with disinformation. I’m puzzled that the moderator thinks such behaviour is cool, but whatever…

      • the other pat 2.1.2

        begging your pardon but i think you need to investigate below the surface a bit more.

  3. Dennis Frank 3

    It’s vitally important for the communist regime to keep promoting an artificial world. They know they cannot succeed in recycling antique imperialism in the real world. People would laugh. Therefore they must keep trying to enlist others in their brand of delusional thinking.

    Propaganda works on the same basis as advertising, so you can always fool some of the people all the time. Selling snake oil made some sellers rich. Wikepedia reckons folks in western countries are confused – the regime seeks to exploit that confusion.

    “Snake oil is a traditional Chinese medicament utilizing fat extracted from the Chinese water snake (Enhydris chinensis). It is a rubefacient and/or ointment, and is applied topically to relieve minor physical pain. It has been used in traditional Chinese medicine for many centuries, and is a relatively common medication prescribed by doctors ascribing the practice of traditional Chinese medicine. Its effectiveness as medicine has been a historical source of controversy in the Western world, where there is much confusion”. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snake_oil

    • Unicus 3.1

      Tentative reporting by New Zealands MSM on the villainy of the National Party and its relationship with CCP is unlikely to have taken place had it not been for the boldness of patriots like Mary-Anne Brady and clear visioned commentators on sites like The Standard .. As a result our undeclared enemy can no longer delude itself we are incapable of defending ourselves from its insideous intentions.

  4. Cinny 4

    There’s a big write up on Newsroom today about Chinese links with the Dunedin Mayor, Sarah Dowie is also mentioned as is JLR.

    Good read.

    Went to get the link…. article has vanished from their main page and replaced with another piece…. weird….. am sure it was only published a few hours ago. Will keep looking.

    Found it….

    https://www.newsroom.co.nz/@news/2019/01/14/397274/the-donor-the-mayor-and-the-national-party-links

    A southern mayor’s love affair with China

    “Encouraged by current and former National Party figures, Southland District Mayor Gary Tong has formed a friendship with a controversial Chinese businessman. David Williams reports.”

    • veutoviper 4.1

      Thanks for that Newsroom article just posted today, Cinny.

      I highly recommend people read the Newsroom link as it provides details of the links and relationship built up over a period of time between Mayor Gary Tong and Chinese multi-millionaire Zhang Yikun – the wealthy and well-connected businessman linked by Jami-Lee Ross to a $100,000 donation to Simon Bridges and the National Party.

      As well as other questions about the relationship, the article poses the question as to “why would Zhang, who has direct links to the Chinese Communist Party and has been pictured with some of New Zealand’s most high-profile politicians, be courting a provincial mayor?”

      As noted in the article,

      “On October 15 last year, the day rogue MP Jami-Lee Ross was publicly blamed for leaking National Party leader Simon Bridges’ travel expenses, Southland Mayor Gary Tong was in China for a signing ceremony.”

      It appears that this was Tong’s second trip to China, this time in the company of Zhang. An earlier trip was made in late 2017, an almost all expenses paid trip (Tong paid his return air fares).

      But there is much more to the story and the invitations to Tong and others, the building of the relationship and the first trip to China as set out in the article, eg

      “Tong told Ruru that the invitation came through the relationship between the National Party’s Invercargill MP Sarah Dowie, Zhang, and himself.”

      “That National Party theme continued in the trip’s initial list of participants: Shijia “Colin” Zheng (who was discussed as a potential National candidate during a conversation with Bridges recorded by Ross), former National MP Eric Roy, and former National party president Michelle Boag.”

      .It appears that following Tong’s first trip to China, a reciprocal three day visit to Southland was made by Zhang, Zheng and Chen which included visits to Queenstown,Te Anau, Milford Sound and Invercargill, with discussions on potential investment or opportunities planned, plus a night on the tourist boat Milford Mariner, a $3600 trip arranged personally by Tong and paid for by Southland ratepayers. Whether Dowie attended a dinner in Invercargill with the tour party is disputed, as is what came out of that trip in relation to formal or otherwise business arrangements between Zhang and co and the Southland District Council.

      I will not even attempt to summarise the rest of article on the latter aspects, (And I am running out of time!).

      These bits are an absolute Must Read as it links to the wider interests of the CCP and the One Belt One Road concept, and various views on the building of such relationships in the wider context of NZ as a whole.

      NOTE:

      In the interests of balance the article includes this statement:
      “(It’s worth noting that the Labour Party has also been subject to questions about its ties to Zhang and his association, having accepted donations from him in the past.)”

      This includes this embedded link to a related Newsroom article last year
      https://www.newsroom.co.nz/2018/10/23/288879/chinese-donors-up-and-comers-madPe-jps

      [And as a small (naughty) aside, this article reminded me of the close relationship between Tong and Dowie, as the local Southland Mayor and MP respectively. On the evening of Friday, 10 August, ‘The Southland party’ was held at Parliament in Wellington where a good time was had by all, including Tong and Dowie as the pictures on the Facebook link below show. One of the text messages made public in relation to the JLR saga was sent in the early hours of the next morning.]

      https://www.facebook.com/TheSouthlandParty/?__tn__=K-R&eid=ARDbFdploFXFoWv0FFAomn7dA9irUU_1Zb8VwmmZE-8io60L280PZd6kbOaxYNnyvutILIbs9ww6fkm8&fref=mentions

      • veutoviper 4.1.1

        Further to the above, SaveNZ has now posted a comment at 5 below making no link to Cinny or my comments but essentially about the same subject of Zhang Yukin and colleagues’ building of relationships etc with Southland Mayor Tong and attempts to do so with others in that area of NZ (eg Clutha Mayor Brian Cadogan).

        The ODT links provided in SaveNZ’s comment are to earlier ODT articles on this subject which appear to have been republished by the ODT today, ie the first link is to an article originally published on 16 Oct 2018 and the second on 19 Oct 2018.

        Both provide more background to the Newsroom article above, and also raise more questions imo.

    • Tricledrown 4.2

      Cinny no mention of Dunedin Mayor in article your link is!

      • veutoviper 4.2.1

        I think Cinny meant to refer to the Southland Mayor, not the Dunedin Mayor in her first sentence, as obviously the Newsroom article is about Gary Tong, the Southland Mayor.

      • Cinny 4.2.2

        Sorry, my bad, thanks VV for clearing that up. Yes I did mean the Southland Mayor. Apologies to the Mayor of Dunedin.

        Am suffering from school holiday scrambled brain insanity lmao. Roll on February.

        Thanks for the update VV and further info. Much appreciated.

    • Robert Guyton 4.3

      Great spotting, Cindy. I’ve sent the article to all my fellow councillors, including Eric Roy 🙂
      I found this snippet at the end very interesting (the bold is mine)
      “On the back of attending the opening ceremony of the Xiyangyang Lifestyle and Travel Expo in Auckland last October, the Southland mayor has been invited to attend an event in Xi’an in September to celebrate the China New Zealand Year of Tourism. Lisa Li, China Travel Service’s managing director and the secretary general of the China Chamber of Commerce in New Zealand, sent the invite last October.

      In it, Li says: “Please save the date if this coincides with a visit to China because this grand ceremony is usually reserved for heads of state.

      • Gabby 4.3.1

        I’m surprised your action doesn’t breach some ‘code of conduct’ bobs.

        • Robert Guyton 4.3.1.1

          I’m confident it doesn’t, Gabby. I’ve shared a publicly-available article with my fellow councillors, transparently, and made bold one sentence fragment that interests me most. I’m curious about these things and they probably are also. One of the trainings we receive is that in order to make good decisions, we have to be cognisant of as many facts and views as possible. I’m not certain the others would have picked up this news as it wasn’t published in The Southland Times, so far as I know.
          The Tongster, as you call him, has recently moved to live in our small village. If I see him on the street, I’ll ask him about these things.
          🙂

          • veutoviper 4.3.1.1.1

            Robert, did you also check out the first two links from the ODT in SaveNZ’s comment at 5 below?

            These two articles (republished yesterday but originally dated 16 Oct 2018 and 19 Oct 2018 respectively) also provide detail of Zhang Yukin and colleagues’ building of relationships etc with Southland Mayor Tong and attempts to do so with others in that area of NZ (eg Clutha Mayor Brian Cadogan).

            • Robert Guyton 4.3.1.1.1.1

              I did, veutoviper and had read them them they were first published. I had sent those to the councillors also, including Eric Roy. It’s good to keep up to date with developments. The Southland Party came up as a topic of discussion at a meeting (I raised it) but there were no pictures at that stage. Sarah seemed to be enjoying herself very much.
              The mention of aquaculture caught my attention.

              • veutoviper

                I missed the mention of aquaculture – Where was that? Was very much concentrating on the political aspects. (Did find a good “posh cheese roll recipe” on the Facebook page however! LOL. )

                Certainly was enjoying herself or rather both were. Unfortunately for some ‘ups’ a ‘down’ follows. See 4.2.2.1.1.1. above.

      • Cinny 4.3.2

        Good work Councillor Guyton, thanks for sharing.

        Mayor made to feel fancy during a trip to China…… a ‘model’ that has worked well before.

        Make them feel important…….. classic manipulation, but hey let’s reword it as an investment strategy, manufacturing consent and all that.

    • Gabby 4.4

      I guess that’s why the Tongster never got to the bottom of the cycle trail cost blowout – too busy working for MFAT.

    • the other pat 4.5

      i wonder what precious resource will be sold now or plundered??

  5. SaveNZ 5

    It is about time that that local politicians are not allowed to go on ‘free’ trips to China or anywhere else as part of their role as mayor or councillors, because this seems to be a clear target for later ‘soft power’ influence on our cities (and lucrative land/consents contracts). If individuals want to visit China, they should pay for it themselves and do it as individuals. Also do not think that NZ should accept foreign donations at all to political campaigns and disclose any money from new residents who can be used to funnel donations and influence through from foreign interests.

    https://www.odt.co.nz/regions/southland/southland-mayors-link-nationals-100k-donor

    “Clutha District Mayor Brian Cadogan also said he had not had any contact with Mr Zhang but had been offered a trip to China last year out of the blue from Orient Corporation, an Auckland-based company he was unfamiliar with, who offered to pay his travel costs.

    The letter invited Mr Cadogan to China for three days- departing on Friday night, and returning Monday evening. He was invited to meet two local Government officials. Mr Cadogan did not even answer the letter.

    “It’s not what I’m about.”

    Orient Corporation co-founder Larry Mao did not respond to requests for comment yesterday afternoon.”

    https://www.odt.co.nz/regions/southland/zhang-and-southland-mayor-could-discuss-belt-and-road

    Phil Goff has also been on many trips offered by Mr Zhang, so it seems that Mr Zhang’s offers of ‘friendship’ and offers from the Chinese government seem to funnily come hand in hand with Mayoral or political positions.

    https://www.economist.com/asia/2018/11/08/new-zealand-agonises-about-chinese-meddling

    • KJT 5.1

      Free trip to the States has been on offer for potential”influencers” also, for decades.

      Time to exclude foreign money from our politics, me thinks.

      Have you all read the list going around of the corporate and Quasi Government gravy train, both US and Chinese, positions held by current and former NZ politicians.
      If it is not undue influence and corruption, it certainly looks like it.
      Of course National party politicians, are all as pure as the driven snow, and are not influenced by the rewards on offer?

  6. Sacha 6

    Toad is on the money. Buried at the end of the Stuff article:

    Stuff has a content-sharing partnership with SkyKiwi, another Chinese-language online news platform.

    SkyKiwi’s Wellington bureau chief Lily Wang – not to be confused with Lili Wang – told Stuff in a 2018 interview the publication generally did not report on news that the Chinese Embassy would not like, as the publication’s relationship with the embassy was very important.

    • tc 6.1

      The cure is simple, independent public broadcaster. TVNZ could be split with the commercial side funding the public side.

      Times running out to do this as we’re awash with foreign owned media with zero interest in telling it as it actually is.

      • cleangreen 6.1.1

        200% TC

        I am with you.

        But please get rid of the ‘right wingnuts’ ruling RNZ now!!!!!

        As they in RNZ now slam Labour all the time and make National shine like choirboys, so we need ‘national’ influence out of RNZ pronto.

      • Sacha 6.1.2

        “TVNZ could be split with the commercial side funding the public side.”

        Does not stack up anymore, apparently. Ad-funded TV is a dying model.

        Fortunately we also have RNZ and Maori TV (the latter needing a reset after the last 9 years of Nat interference).

        • tc 6.1.2.1

          Partially fund, whatever. Time we valued the truth more than a bottom line, Oz taxes fund the ABC with SBS partial self funded.

      • patricia bremner 6.1.3

        1000%

  7. One Two 7

    Such actions should not be interpreted as, surprising…

    All corporations will (at least try to) have it both (all) ways to ensure the revenue flows are not interfered with…

    Simple enough to understand…

    The comments or actions do not necessarily represent the views of [corporation] its subsidiaries or partners …

    • Dennis Frank 7.1

      All true. And we can make the point succinct via attitude: `if there’s money in it, let’s do it’. Capitalism is not constrained by any code of ethical conduct. If disinformation is required, buyers will get it.

      “The Society of Professional Journalists created a code of ethics that are in effect today.” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Code_of_ethics_in_media

      Really?? Where’s the evidence that such a thing is operating? I scanned the Wikipedia page to find the enforcement section. None there. Presumably that means journalists assume the public can easily be conned by a sham.

      • One Two 7.1.1

        In the US, and highly likely to be most other anglophile nations, protection of revenue and therefore profit, is enshrined in law…

        Imagine the nefarious downstream ‘laws’ must exist with the ‘departments/regulators’ such that the headline objective of corporate revenue/profits are protected at the expense of all else…not only the laws, but an entire eco system including bribery (lobbying) and protection provided by police, military and other inherently violent corporate enterprises…

        The circle is complete, such that the ‘protection’ is provided by corporations whose revenues/profits are enshrined by those very same laws…

        Apply the same to every industry where there is ‘disaster’….and any perplexity people might have around why/how should be well and truly evaporated…

  8. cleangreen 8

    We finally need a true free media that tells the truth.

    We all derserve this now more than ever.

    • greywarshark 8.1

      Cleangreen
      We could have a daily round up of facts from the regions here, along or instead of Daily Review which hasn’t been up since 21 December. That would be good for keeping us up to date and we would get a coverage of what is going on across the country, just short say one or two paragraphs with location, names of people involved, long-standing and infrastural rather than petty politics which is important to the locals mainly.

      What about it cleangreen. Do you like the idea? If you do we could put it forward. It might serve us well.

  9. Mark 9

    You can’t blame the Chinese government for not wanting to pay for news that wants to put them in a bad light.

    Whatever government or organization or individual pays for something, it is generally not to promote something that runs against them. That’s friggin.

    However, you can blame the NZ Herald for their mercenary motives.

  10. Its no surprise at all that the NZ Herald supports the ChiNational party.

    Look at what they did with the bogus $100,000 bottle of wine from Donghua Lua and the setting up of David Cunliffe ,… the list goes on and on and on how the Sir Maggot Key got off with mass surveillance , moldy state housing ( where children died as a direct result ) , polluted rivers, speculative housing , privatization of schools and prisons… oh ,…and a 3 year old died in Afghanistan as a consequence of Sir Maggot Keys signing off on a military strike…

    They are the wanker party .

    The ChiNational party.

    The party that sells off NZ sovereignty for a song… so long as they enrich themselves with privatizing state owned assets and buying shares in the proceedings… think Michael Fay and David Richwhite.

    Maggot #1 and maggot #2.

    Then tie all that up with guys like John Armstrong. And the retraction that never , ever , really happened.

    The NZ Herald.

    It should be renamed the ChiNational Peoples Paper.

    With adverts in the ‘For Sale’ section for Swamp Kauri, Spring water , and State owned Housing.

    That’d be more inline with who they really are.

    Or ,… just plainly,… subversive , anti sovereignty wankers.

    Mhmmm.

    That’s got a nice ring to it.

  11. R.P Mcmurphy 11

    pretty thin skin for a country that has just landed a spacecraft on the moon and still allows importation of rhino horn so stupid old men can delude themselves about their erections.

    • greywarshark 11.1

      Lots of stupid old men making thumpingly bad decisions, and not giving a hoot, around the world. Please note that a lot of those decisions relate to sex and gender and standing tall in the community.

  12. Siobhan 12

    But we still have this expectation that news is reported fearlessly and without favour. And without distortion
    …..really? When did you last read a newspaper? Ever?
    Allowing for bias in editorial content is one thing, but the ‘facts’ of news are equally twisted by editorial choice.
    If that wasn’t the case there would not be the need for so many news sources, we could all just get a direct feed from the BBC.
    Though, given the increasingly small pool of media ownership we are almost returning to a monolithic source of news presenting One World View.

    https://rsf.org/en/new-zealand

    https://www.rt.com/uk/434464-guardian-nicaragua-bias-blumenthal/

    https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2018/sep/30/flawed-reporting-on-antisemitism-claims-against-the-labour-party

    • Dennis Frank 12.1

      Well, MS was likely speaking for a generational cohort who still recall younger days when presumption of news media telling the truth was normal. The seventies transformed that presumption for fast learners, the eighties did it for slower learners, then the trend levelled out and nowadays you’re likely to find mainstreamers don’t really care whether news is truthful or not. They don’t even think about it.

      Re your first link, cool that we jumped from #13 to #8 in the 2018 World Press Freedom Index, but who knows what made that happen?

  13. Philj 13

    RNZ is commissioning more and more ‘content’ from ‘independent ‘ (private) companies. They are out-sourcing themslves to the private sector. How long has this been going and where will it end? Has RNZ morphed into a PPP?

  14. R.P Mcmurphy 14

    I wonder what they would have to say about hunting rhinceros to extinction just so rich demented old men can imagine they are getting a hard on.

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    Hello! Here comes the Saturday edition of More Than A Feilding, catching you up on anything you may have missed. Share Read more ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    6 hours ago
  • Unfortunately, Being a Hero is Mostly Illegal

    Hi,Today is a pretty heavy, weighty Webworm — so maybe get yourself a cup of tea or coffee before you settle in. It’s about, you know, the end of the world and stuff.Before we get to that, I’d like to say I thoroughly enjoyed the notes you left under my ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    7 hours ago
  • My Substack erm… Summer

    Hi all,Apparently it’s the end of Summer, hope you enjoyed it. 🙂The rather Northern Hemisphere centric folks over at Substack have sent this out, I’m not sure what time period it covers, I guess the last three months. In any case you might like to give it a go yourself ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    19 hours ago
  • Pricing Road Usage

    Congestion pricing is easier said than done.The first seminar I attended in Britain – around sixty years ago – explained a scheme for road usage pricing which would eliminate traffic congestion and direct roading investment. It was impressive and elegant (as many such seminar propositions are) but proved impractical and ...
    PunditBy Brian Easton
    19 hours ago
  • Tory Whanau may have to sell Wellington mayoralty to make ends meet

    Tory Whanau has revealed that she’s struggling so much financially that she may have to part with her beloved mayoralty, that of New Zealand’s capital city, if she’s to fund her ever-diminishing lifestyle. Whanau was elected to lead Wellington in 2022, winning an overwhelming victory against the incumbent mayor: the ...
    The CivilianBy Ben Uffindell
    20 hours ago
  • And round we go again…

    One of Labour's few achievements last term was to finally move on RMA reform. Following an independent review and a select committee review of an exposure draft, both aimed at ironing out bugs and producing a compromise most people could live with, Labour passed the Natural and Built Environments Act ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    20 hours ago
  • The Supreme Court stands up for fairness

    National is planning to breach te Tiriti o Waitangi by amending the Marine and Coastal Area Act to effectively make it impossible for the courts to recognise Māori rights over the foreshore and seabed. But its also been playing dirty in other ways. Earlier in the year it announced changes ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    22 hours ago
  • Today’s 10 Politics Headlines: Luxon flails and Simeon Drives

    1/ Jobseeker numbers are going the opposite way of Luxon’s KPIs. Against a target of minus 50,000 by 2030, the new forecast shows the Government is looking at an increase of 24,000 jobseekers in its first term.In Thomas Coughlin’s report, Upton responds by blaming Labour: “We inherited an economy in ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    1 day ago
  • Kaka project: What could a revamped Entrust do with/for/to Vector?

    Long story short, I interviewed transport and energy activist Patrick Reynolds this week about the bid to run Entrust by a new campaign group he’s part of called More for you; better for Auckland. There’s a lot more detail in this GreaterAuckland post and on ‘Better’s’ website.They’re campaigning to win ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 day ago
  • Missing the Feckin’ Targets

    And although my eyes were openThey might just as well have been closedAnd so it was laterWhen the miller told this taleHe said that her face at first just ghostlyAnd then turned a whiter shade of paleSongwriters: Keith Reid / Gary BrookerI want to talk about two things today, subjects ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 day ago
  • Deadly floods and streams of non-solutions

    Long stories short, here’s the top six news items of note in climate news for Aotearoa-NZ this week, and a discussion above between Bernard Hickey and The Kākā’s climate correspondent Cathrine Dyer:Central Europe is reeling from the devastating effects of Storm Boris, which has so far caused 21 deaths and ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 day ago
  • Weekly Roundup 20-September-2024

    Welcome to the end of the week, as we head towards the spring equinox. Let us brighten your week with links to stories about how to make our city a little greater. This roundup is brought to you by a largely volunteer crew. If you’d like to support our work ...
    Greater AucklandBy Greater Auckland
    1 day ago
  • Three years of recession deeper than GFC

    Kia ora. Long stories short, here’s my top six things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Friday, September 20:New Zealand’s total GDP contracted less than expected in the June quarter, but per-capita GDP extended its three-year-long slump at a rate that is faster than ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 day ago
  • That’s Gangsta!

    The gang patch legislation finally passed in the House after a long period of fanfare from National. Gangs won’t be allowed to publicly display gang insignia on the body or in vehicles, and if they’re very naughty i.e. caught thrice, police will be able to enter private homes to search.How ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    1 day ago
  • The Hoon around the week to Sept 20

    The podcast above of the weekly ‘Hoon’ webinar for paying subscribers on Thursday night features co-host talking about the week’s news with:The Kākā’s climate correspondent on the latest climate news, including media coverage of extreme events and how big tech is gobbling up so much renewable power growth; ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 day ago
  • A very healthy distrust of how this Government is handling health across the board is needed…

    And alongside that, is the ultimate question for the public, and indeed Opposition Parties trying to appeal for enough of the public to support a change from this heinous direction of travel being imposed on us: how much of the damage here can even be stopped in time? Let us ...
    exhALANtBy exhalantblog
    2 days ago
  • Hang up on him David, just stop

    There is a story I want to tell, but I'm not going to begin with it because it would be too abrupt. I'll start by telling you that I'm a big fan of the way Nicola Toki conveys her message. And Nicola Toki is a big fan of the way Jane ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    2 days ago
  • Tax the rich!

    We already know that the rich people aren't paying their fair share. But it turns out its worse than that: we're a tax-haven! Our rich people pay lower taxes here than in any comparable country: Well-off New Zealanders are paying less tax than their peers in nine similar OECD ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    2 days ago
  • Worse and worse

    Cancer Minister Casey Costello is in trouble again over her secret, magically appearing tobacco policy document. The Ombudsman has already found that she acted contrary to law in refusing requests for it; now she has been referred to the Chief Archivist over a possible breach of the Public Records Act ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    2 days ago
  • NZ’s lack of a capital gains tax means the richest here pay vastly less than elsewhere

    The lack of a capital gains tax means the richest Kiwis are sitting pretty compared to taxpayers overseas. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāKia ora. Long stories short, here’s my top six things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Thursday, September 19:New Zealand’s richest ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • Verrall to Levy: “Health NZ NDAs are North Korean – Get rid of it.”

    Open article. Note the video of the Health Select Committee excerpts starts at 1:22 In watching the Health Select Committee yesterday, it became clear to me why Margie Apa remains Health NZ CEO.During Levy’s testimony, Apa sat like a rock next to her boss. She nodded supportively, scribbled notes to ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    2 days ago
  • The Show Must Go On

    Empty spaces, what are we living for?Abandoned places, I guess we know the score, on and onDoes anybody know what we are looking for?Another hero, another mindless crimeBehind the curtain, in the pantomimeHold the lineDoes anybody want to take it anymore?The show must go onSongwriters: Brian May / Freddie Mercury ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    2 days ago
  • Managing on-street parking for local benefit

    This guest post by Malcolm McCracken originally appeared on his blog Better Things Are Possible, and is republished here by kind permission. The case for Parking Benefit Districts: managing on-street parking for local benefit Parking is often the centre of debate in our cities; particularly on-street car parks, who gets ...
    Greater AucklandBy Guest Post
    2 days ago
  • Doubling down?

    This is a re-post from And Then There's Physics I wrote a post a little while ago commenting on a Sabine Hossenfelder video suggesting that she was now worried about climate change because the Equilibrium Climate Sensitivity (ECS) could be much higher than most estimates have suggested. I wasn’t too taken with Sabine’s arguments, and there were others ...
    2 days ago
  • Too much haste & waste in Simeon Brown’s need for speed

    Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāLong story short, the Government’s myopia of only choosing transport policies that reduce travel times means we’re missing out on the health benefits of more cycling and walking, along with the health cost savings from fewer accidents, less pollution and mentally healthier ways of getting ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • What seemed so simple is now so complex

    The Health NZ rescue that seemed so simple back in July was presented to a Select Committee yesterday as a complex challenge that could take some years to sort out. In July, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said Health NZ was on track to record a deficit of $1.4 billion for ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    2 days ago
  • The utterances of Shane Jones

    Let us consider the utterances of Shane Jones.Let us consider the derogatory terms of abuseNow is not the time for Green Wombles, it's black and white decision making.We will stand with the energy industry and ensure they are not monstered by Green Termites nibbling away at our economic capital.The Green ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago
  • Ukrainian militia receives defective shipment of pagers that just send and receive messages

    There’s been a major setback for one Ukrainian-backed militia on the Russian border, after the group ordered a large shipment of pagers to use as improvised explosive devices. The plan was to litter the pagers throughout abandoned homes and buildings in hopes of wounding Russian soldiers. But upon arrival of ...
    The CivilianBy Ben Uffindell
    3 days ago
  • A constitutional shitshow

    Last month, we learned that the government was half-arsing its anti-gang legislation, adding a significant, pre-planned, BORA-abusing amendment at the committee stage, avoiding all the usual scrutiny processes. But it gets worse. Because having done it once, they're now planning to recall the bill in order to add another such ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    3 days ago
  • Political Round Up

    Note: An earlier version of this article noted Levy was a “party time Health NZ commissioner” - this has been updated - forgive my Freudian slip.Dr Lester Levy is charging $320,000 a year to be a part time Health NZ commissioner. Rachel Thomas reports that Levy is still teaching 2 ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    3 days ago
  • Postcard from Sydney: Southwest and City Metro extension

    This is a guest post from Sydney reader Nik Clement After 2 years in Auckland I moved back to Sydney just over a year ago. While in Auckland, I went to the opening of Puhinui station and used it a fair bit, living in Manukau Central and being able ...
    Greater AucklandBy Guest Post
    3 days ago
  • Tolling revolt brewing in National heartland

    Kia ora. Long stories short, here’s my top six things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Wednesday, September 18:Locals gathered in Woodville last night to protest at the National-ACT-NZ First Government’s decision to toll the new road linking the Manawatu and Hawkes Bay, saying ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago
  • The doom spiral

    This is a re-post from The Climate Brink by Andrew Dessler In his last post, Zeke discussed incredible warmth of 2023 and 2024 and its implications for future warming. A few readers looked at it and freaked out: This is terrifying and This update really put me in a ...
    3 days ago
  • Government directs Te Puni Kōkiri to conduct Māori Language Week in English

    The coalition government has issued a directive to Te Puni Kōkiri, the Ministry of Māori Development, instructing them that – in the interests of clear communication – they are to conduct this year’s Māori Language Week primarily or exclusively in English. The directive is in line with the Government’s policy ...
    The CivilianBy Ben Uffindell
    4 days ago
  • Government celebrates fact that New Zealand’s healthcare is so good people are queuing up for it a...

    At yesterday’s post-cabinet press conference, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, flanked by his Health Minister Shane Reti and someone we can’t independently verify was a real sign language interpreter, announced that he had some positive news for the country. “Alright team, I’m just going to hand over to uh, Dr. Shane, ...
    The CivilianBy Ben Uffindell
    4 days ago
  • Heartwarming: Thoughtful driver uses indicator to tell you what they’ve just done

    It’s 4:10pm in the morning, and you’re in the middle lane heading north on the great southern motorway of our nation’s capital, Auckland. There are no cars directly in front of you, but quite a few in the lane to your left. Suddenly, without warning, a black ute enters your ...
    The CivilianBy Ben Uffindell
    4 days ago
  • NPC teams will now be allowed to actually use the Ranfurly Shield in play

    Following decades of controversy, the governing body of New Zealand rugby, New Zealand Rugby, has ruled that the team currently holding the Ranfurly Shield may once again use it in play during the National Provincial Championship (NPC). The ruling restores the utility of a prize that for many years was ...
    The CivilianBy Ben Uffindell
    4 days ago
  • Climbing out of the hamster wheel

    I arrived home with a head full of fresh ideas about mindfulness and curbing impulsive aspects in my character.On the second night home I grabbed a piece of ginger and began swiftly slicing it on our industrial strength mandolin, the one I have learned through painful experience to treat with ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    4 days ago
  • More Notes From Stinky Town

    Good morning, folks. Another wee note from a chilly Rotorua morning that looks much clearer than yesterday. As I write, the pink glow in the east is slowly growing, and soon, the palest of blue skies should become a bit more royal.A couple of people mentioned yesterday that I should ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    4 days ago
  • Make it make sense: why axe valuable local projects?

    Last week, Matt looked at how the government wants to pour a huge chunk of civic infrastructure funding for a generation  into one mega-road up North, at huge cost and huge opportunity cost. A smaller but no less important feature of the National Land Transport Plan devised by Minister of Transport ...
    4 days ago
  • Driving blind at higher speeds

    An open letter by experts about plans to raise speed limits warns the “tragic consequence will be more New Zealanders losing their lives or suffering severe injury, along with a substantial burden on the nation's healthcare and rehabilitation services”. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāKia ora. Long stories short, here’s ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • 2024’s unusually persistent warmth

    This is a re-post from The Climate Brink My inaugural post on The Climate Brink 18 months ago looked at the year 2024, and found that it was likely to be the warmest year on record on the back of a (than forecast) El Nino event. I suggested “there is a real chance ...
    4 days ago
  • National plan for 2000 more Kiwis a year in prison

    Open for allYesterday, Luxon congratulated his government on a job well done with emergency housing numbers, but advocates have been saying it‘s likely many are on the streets and sleeping in cars.Q&A featured some of the folks this weekend - homeless and in cars. Yes.The government’s also confirmed they stopped ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    4 days ago
  • I Found a Note in a Tree

    Hi,On most days I try to go on a walk through nature to clear my head from the horrors of life. Because as much as I like people, I also think it’s incredibly important to get very far away from them. To be reminded that there are also birds, lizards, ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    4 days ago
  • Jacqui Van Der Kaay: Politicians need to lift their game

    Declining trust in New Zealand politicians should be a warning to them to lift their game. Results from the New Zealand Election Study for the 2023 election show that the level of trust in politicians has once again declined. Perhaps it is not surprising that the results, shared as part ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    5 days ago
  • Police say they won’t respond to bomb threats anymore as ‘it’s never anything’

    Police Commissioner Andrew Coster says that New Zealand’s police force will no longer respond to bomb threats, in an attempt to cut costs and redirect police resources to less boring activities. Coster said that threat response and bomb disposal was a “fairly obvious” area for downsizing, as bomb threats are ...
    The CivilianBy Ben Uffindell
    5 days ago
  • A dysfunctional watchdog

    The reality of any right depends on how well it is enforced. But as The Post points out this morning, our right to official information isn't being enforced very well at all: More than a quarter of complaints about access to official information languish for more than a year, ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    5 days ago
  • Climate Change: The threat of a good example

    Since taking office, the climate-denier National government has gutted agricultural emissions pricing, ended the clean car discount, repealed water quality standards which would have reduced agricultural emissions, gutted the clean car standard, killed the GIDI scheme, and reversed efforts to reduce pollution subsidies in the ETS - basically every significant ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    5 days ago
  • Vegas Baby

    Good morning, lovely people. Don’t worry. This isn’t really a newsletter, just a quick note. I’m sitting in our lounge, looking out over a gloomy sky. Although being Rotorua, the view is periodically interrupted by steam bursting from pipes and dispersing—like an Eastern European industrial hellscape during the Cold War.Drinking ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago
  • Why Entrust Needs New Leadership

    I am part of a new team running in the Entrust election in October. Entrust is a community electricity trust representing a significant part of Auckland, set up to serve the community. It is governed by five trustees are elected every three years in an election the trust itself oversees. ...
    Greater AucklandBy Patrick Reynolds
    5 days ago
  • London Bridge is falling down

    In the UK, London is the latest of council groups to signal potential bankruptcy.That’s after Birmingham, Britain’s second largest city, went bankrupt in June, resulting in reduced sanitation services, libraries cut, and dimmed streetlights.Some in the city described things as “Dickens” like.Please, Sir, Can I have some more?For families with ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    5 days ago
  • Govt may kick elderly out of hospitals

    The Government is considering how to shunt elderly people out of hospitals, and also how to cut their access to other support. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāKia ora. Long stories short, here’s my top six things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Monday, ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • Getting the nephs off the couch

    The so-called “Prince of the Provinces”, Shane Jones, went home last Friday. Perhaps not quite literally home, more like 20 kilometres down the road from his house on the outskirts of Kerikeri. With its airport, its rapidly growing (mostly retired) population, and a commercial centre with all the big retail ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    5 days ago
  • De moralibus orcorum: Sargon of Akkad, Rings of Power, Evil, and George R.R. Martin

    I have noted before that The Rings of Power has attracted its unfortunate share of culture war obsessives. Essentially, for a certain type of individual, railing on about the Wokery of Modern Media is a means of making themselves a online livelihood. Clicks and views and advertising revenue, and all ...
    6 days ago
  • 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #37

    A listing of 31 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, September 8, 2024 thru Sat, September 14, 2024. Story of the week From time to time we like to make our Story of the Week all about us— and ...
    6 days ago
  • Salvation For Us All

    Yesterday, I ruminated about the effects of being a political follower.And, within politics, David Seymour was smart enough on Friday to divert attention from “race blind” policies [what about gender blind I thought - thinking of maternity wards] and cutting school lunches by throwing meat to the media. Teachers were ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    6 days ago
  • A warm embrace

    Far, far away from here lives our King. Some of his subjects can be quite the forelock tuggers, but plenty of us are not like that, and why don't I wheel out my favourite old story once more about Kiwi soldiers in the North African desert?Field Marshal Montgomery takes offence ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    6 days ago
  • Literal clowns are running the place, we must put a timeout on this stupidity… right Aotearoa?

    These people are inept on every level. They’re inept to the detriment of our internal politics, cohesion and increasingly our international reputation. And they are reveling in the fact they are getting away with it. We cannot even have “respectful debate” with a government that clearly rejects the very ...
    exhALANtBy exhalantblog
    7 days ago
  • Fact brief – Does manmade CO2 have any detectable fingerprint?

    Skeptical Science is partnering with Gigafact to produce fact briefs — bite-sized fact checks of trending claims. This fact brief was written by Sue Bin Park from the Gigafact team in collaboration with John Mason. You can submit claims you think need checking via the tipline. Does manmade CO2 have any ...
    7 days ago
  • Judge Not.

    Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. Matthew 7:1-2FOUR HUNDRED AND FORTY men and women professing the Christian faith would appear to have imperilled their immortal souls. ...
    7 days ago
  • Managed Democracy: Letting The People Decide, But Only When They Can Be Relied Upon To Give the Righ...

    Uh-uh! Not So Fast, Citizens! The power to initiate systemic change remains where it has always been in New Zealand’s representative democracy – in Parliament. To order a binding referendum, the House of Representatives must first to be persuaded that, on the question proposed, sharing its decision-making power with the people ...
    7 days ago
  • Looking For Labour’s Vital Signs.

    Flatlining: With no evidence of a genuine policy disruptor at work in Labour’s ranks, New Zealand’s wealthiest citizens can sleep easy.PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN has walked a picket-line. Presidential candidate Kamala Harris has threatened “price-gauging” grocery retailers with price control. The Democratic Party’s 2024 platform situates it well to the left of Sir ...
    7 days ago
  • Forty Years Of Remembering To Forget.

    The Beginning of the End: Rogernomics became the short-hand descriptor for all the radical changes that swept away New Zealand’s social-democratic economy and society between 1984 and 1990. In the bitterest of ironies, those changes were introduced by the very same party which had entrenched New Zealand social-democracy 50 years earlier. ...
    7 days ago
  • Kōrero Mai – Speak to Me.

    Good morning all you lovely people. 🙂I woke up this morning, and it felt a bit like the last day of school. You might recall from earlier in the week that I’m heading home to Rotorua to see an old friend who doesn’t have much time. A sad journey, but ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 week ago
  • Winning ways

    Hello! Here comes the Saturday edition of More Than A Feilding, catching you up on anything you may have missed. Street architecture adjustment, KolkataShare Read more ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    1 week ago
  • 48 seconds on a plan that would reverberate for a million years

    Despite fears that Trump presidency would be disastrous for progress on climate change, the topic barely rated a mention in the Presidential debate. Photo: Getty ImagesLong stories short, here’s the top six news items of note in climate news for Aotearoa-NZ this week, and a discussion above between Bernard Hickey ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • Using blunt instruments and magical thinking to ignore evidence of harm

    The abrupt cancellations and suspensions of Government spending also caused private sector hiring, spending, and investment to freeze up for the first six months of the year. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāThis week we learned:The new National/ACT/NZ First Coalition Government ignored advice from Treasury that it didn’t have to ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • Is This A Dagger Which I See Before Me: A Review and Analysis of The Rings of Power Episode 5 (Seaso...

    Another week of The Rings of Power, season two, and another confirmation that things are definitely coming together for the show. The fifth Episode of season one represented the nadir of the series. Now? Amid the firmer footing of 2024, Episode Five represents further a further step towards excellent Tolkien ...
    1 week ago
  • In Open Seas; A Book

    The background to In Open Seas: How the New Zealand Labour Government Went Wrong:2017-2023Not in Narrow Seas: The Economic History of Aotearoa New Zealand, published in 2020, proved more successful than either I or the publisher (VUP, now Te Herenga Waka University Press) expected. I had expected that it would ...
    PunditBy Brian Easton
    1 week ago
  • The Hoon around the week to Sept 13

    The podcast above of the weekly ‘Hoon’ webinar for paying subscribers on Thursday night features co-hosts and talking about the week’s news with:The Kākā’s climate correspondent on the latest climate science on rising temperatures and the climate implications of the US Presidential elections; and special guests Janet ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • Do or do not. There is no try

    1. Upon receiving evidence that school lunches were doing a marvellous job of improving outcomes for students, David Seymour did what?a. Declared we need much more of this sort of good news and poured extra resources and funding into them b. Emailed Atlas network to ask what to do next c. Cut ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    1 week ago
  • Dangerous ground

    The Waitangi Tribunal has reported back on National's proposed changes to gut the Marine and Coastal Area Act and steal the foreshore and seabed for its greedy fishing-industry donors, and declared it to be another huge violation of ti Tiriti: The Waitangi Tribunal has found government changes to the ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    1 week ago
  • Climate Change: National wants to cheat on Paris

    In 2016, the then-National government signed the Paris Agreement, committing Aotearoa to a 30 (later 50) percent reduction in emissions by 2030. When questioned about how they intended to meet that target with their complete absence of effective climate policy, they made a lot of noise about how it was ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    1 week ago
  • Treasury warned Govt lower debt limits meant less ‘productivity-enhancing investment’

    Treasury’s advice to Cabinet was that the new Government could actually prudently carry net core Crown debt of up to 50% of GDP. But Luxon and Willis instead chose to portray the Government’s finances as in such a mess they had no choice but to carve 6.5% to 7.5% off ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago

  • Tourism on the table for Pacific Ministers’ meet-up

    Tourism and Hospitality Minister Matt Doocey will meet with Trade and Tourism Minister of Australia Don Farrell and Fiji Deputy Prime Minister Manoa Kamikamica in Rotorua this weekend for a trilateral tourism discussion. “Like in New Zealand, tourism plays a significant role in Australia and Fiji’s economy, contributing massively to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    21 hours ago
  • Young people report on family and sexual violence

    The Te Puna Aonui Expert Advisory Group for Children and Young People has presented its report today on improving family and sexual violence outcomes for young people, to the Minister for the Prevention of Family and Sexual Violence, Karen Chhour.  The presentation at the Auckland event was an opportunity for ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    21 hours ago
  • $18 million being invested in the victims of crime

    The Government is putting more than $18 million towards improving the experience of the criminal justice system for victims, Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith and Minister for Children Karen Chhour say. “No one should experience crime, but for those who through no fault of their own become victims, they need to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    22 hours ago
  • Landmark phonics check in te reo Māori

    For the first time, schools can use a purpose-built tool to check how a child is progressing in reading through te reo Māori. “Around 45 schools are trialling a New Zealand first te reo Māori phonics check, known as Hihira Weteoro. It will help kaiako (teachers) focus on what ākonga ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    23 hours ago
  • New sea walls safeguard Ōpōtiki’s transformation

    Two new breakwater walls at Pākihikura (Ōpōtiki) Harbour will provide boats with safe harbour access to support the continued growth of aquaculture in Bay of Plenty, Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters and Regional Development Minister Shane Jones say. The Ministers and leaders from Tē Tāwharau o Te Whakatōhea and other ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Kitmap to improve access to science infrastructure

    Science, Innovation and Technology Minister Judith Collins today announced an online platform to optimise the use of New Zealand’s science and technology research infrastructure and to link the public and private sector. “This country is home to world-class science, technology, and engineering expertise. Kitmap is set to empower Kiwi innovators, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Driving the uptake of low emission heavy vehicles

    The Government has launched the Low Emissions Heavy Vehicle Fund (LEHVF) to promote innovation and offset the cost of hundreds of heavy vehicles powered by clean technologies, Energy Minister Simeon Brown and Climate Change Minister Simon Watts say. “Boosting economic growth and productivity is a key part of the Government’s plan ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Speech on replacing the Resource Management Act

    Replacing the RMA Hon Chris Bishop: Good morning, it is great to be with you. Can I first acknowledge the Resource Management Law Association for hosting us here today. Can I also acknowledge my Parliamentary Under-Secretary, Simon Court, who is on stage with me. He has assisted me in establishing the ...
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    1 day ago
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