Problem is that when we don’t have Notices and Features posts like Open Mike and Daily Review or reposts from other blogs then we have people starting to chat all over the conversation in the posts from authors. The moderators wind up landing on them hard. Which makes us grumpy.
So suck it up and learn to love that we aren’t grumpy.
Lost the paternity suit against him.
Not a crime in itself, but the case also suggested he’d obtained a substance to induce an abortion and tried to pressure the mother of his kid to abort. Which I believe was illegal in those days.
In her affidavit, Mayes said she decided to come clean after Banks’ emotional 1999 valedictory speech, in which he spoke of the “crushing heartache” of growing up without a mother and father.
Ah, typical RWNJ hypocrisy.
Decalre the need for family and family values and then ignore and deny them when those values become inconvenient.
Or they discover that you need money to comfortably bring up children in a family ,… that’s one sacred cow they don’t want to shell out for…hence their hatred for the welfare state.
Right-wingers tend to be less intelligent than left-wingers, and people with low childhood intelligence tend to grow up to have racist and anti-gay views, says a controversial new study.
Conservative politics work almost as a ‘gateway’ into prejudice against others, say the Canadian academics.
The paper analysed large UK studies which compared childhood intelligence with political views in adulthood across more than 15,000 people.
The authors claim that people with low intelligence gravitate towards right-wing views because they make them feel safe.
Thank you for that. I was sniggering through out the description of the comments. They sounded so … familar. From 2012. Teasing excerpts follow.
Now Mail Online has gone one step further by running a story that not only insults its own readers, but cruelly invites them to underline the insult by making fools of themselves. In what has to be a deliberate act of “trolling”, last Friday it carried a story headlined “Rightwingers are less intelligent than left wingers, says study”. In terms of enraging your core readership, this is the equivalent of Nuts magazine suddenly claiming only gay men masturbate to Hollyoaks babes.
Followed by some of the most hilarious analysis that describes the daily gloop available from the sewer. And it ends with…
On and on the comments went, turning a rather stark write-up of a daft-sounding study into a sublime piece of live online performance art. A chimps’ tea party of the damned. The Mail has long been a master at trolling lefties; now it’s mischievously turned on its own readers, and the results could only be funnier if the website came with free plastic lawn furniture for them to lob at the screen. You couldn’t make it up.
Isn’t it amazing that all those pundits who’ve been telling us for so long that National is headed for a rare fourth term because there’s no groundswell for change are all now falling all over themselves to tell us Jacinda has tapped into a deep vein running through the electorate that’s hankering for change?
Look at the David Tamihere case more contracted lairs on display this is how the criminal Justice system works. And It takes years to get to the truth and thousands of dollars what a sham.
This is why I say to all our young Maori or Pacific males keep out of shit because as soon as you get a criminal charge you will have no Human rights or Privacy rights. So the police can use you as a scape goat and most people will believe the man whom upholds the law what a load of crap in every population you have good and bad Its just some organizations are good at displaying a farcical image of there members .
And you no what is the most scandalous of this problem senior memebers of that organization no whats going on WTF.
+100 AsleepWhileWalking my post is to all our youth. I am just saying Maori and Pacific because I want them to get my warning. And they have a higher rate of incarceration. I do not mean to discriminate I’m just trying to educate our youth on how the system works if my statement keeps one boy out of jail I will be happy what ever race they are.
Some more reflection on Winston Peters and the case of the mysterious over-payments.
It has crossed my mind that the cabinet ministers who were given a heads up on the situation just might have been telling the truth when they categorically denied they talked about the matter to anyone. I base these thoughts on the anonymous phone call received by Newshub a week or so ago. Is it not possible that the MSD files were hacked by someone looking for dirt on Winston Peters? That anonymous phone-call might have been made by the hacker or someone closely associated with them.
It would be interesting to know whether there has been any attempt to trace the call to its source.
But the MSD heads have admitted they knew of and shared this information with the National Party as early as June. That’s when the information left MSD.
Are you saying there was a completely different data hack outside of this?
I’m suggesting that over and above the internal MSD discovery, someone beyond the MSD might have hacked into the files looking for the dirt on Peters. It may be a long shot but there would surely have been a whisper campaign among those ‘in the know’ and someone might have decided to obtain the information illegally for the purpose of discrediting him.
Winston has made a lot of enemies over the years – especially among those with very deep pockets.
Leave the poor guy alone.
He can’t help it if he can’t remember that nearly everything he has been told must be hidden from the voting public.
He simply wants to demonstrate that he is in the loop. The problem is that that requires keeping all your lies consistent. For someone who worked for Blair or Clark that isn’t to hard but for the poor little chap from Northland it is more difficult.
… ” He can’t help it if he can’t remember that nearly everything he has been told must be hidden from the voting public ” …
———————————-
You mean a bit like this ?
The Donghua Liu Affair: Evidence of Collusion … – The Daily Blog https://thedailyblog.co.nz/…/the-donghua-liu-affair-evidence-of-collusion-between-th…
Or when Key tried to justify GSCB misuse to enable Tim Grosser to spy on other country’s contenders for the top job at the World Trade Organization ?
Or maybe the time Key was caught out about the XKEYSCORE program and mass surveillance , – or perhaps the time we all learned the GSCB spying on Kim Dotcom and 88 other New Zealanders was, in actual fact , … illegal.
Dissecting the GCSB bill – Campbell Live (Kim Dotcom scandal …
Video for Dissecting the GCSB bill – Campbell Live (Kim Dotcom scandal)▶ 16:11 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bxytPFfTozE
As it has come out even further recently with the courts finding that the GSCB had not disclosed ALL THE EVIDENCE and the timing of their illegal spying.
And those are just a few examples of how your weedy defense of a corrupt National govt has behaved over its 9 year term , – by making the rules up as it went along to suit itself despite breaching legal parameters… and weakening our democracy.
And here you are, … alwyn ,… pointing the finger at Kelvin Davis and Labour because ,- as they have already pointed out , – they are setting up a working group regards taxation, and as we all know… rwnj’s like you don’t give a damn about tax havens and corrupt governments , – so long as you get your little tax breaks .
Perhaps you should have relocated to live in the Cook Islands a decade or so ago , – Fay / Richwhite would have loved you , – as ‘ Sir’ Albert Henry would have also…
He can stay dep leader of Labour, and have James Shaw as deputy prime minister.
As others have eluded to, he displays leadership every time he opens his mouth.
Fwiw, I would follow him.
I’m afraid you don’t understand the rules.
The deputy-PM has to be an MP.
The “Green” party are dead. Shaw isn’t going to be in Parliament and cannot therefore be in the job you are suggesting for him.
Perhaps between 2017 and 2020 someone can organise a genuine Green Party. Somewhere where people like Kennedy Graham will be welcome instead of being called a traitor.
… ” The “Green” party are dead. Shaw isn’t going to be in Parliament and cannot therefore be in the job you are suggesting for him ” …
So alwyn the psychic delivers the future from on high….
Only in your dreams. And guess what ,… National are not going to be in government and that’s not just guessing or trying to use pseudo science to allege a scenario , – that’s just a fact based on numbers.
I’m tempted to ask what “numbers” you use to come up with that prediction.
Mine are the very simple ones of the latest polls and the fact that the Green Party vote drops by quite a lot between the final polls and the election.
Yours’ appear to be your own wishful thinking. Alternatively they are the sort of argument that is based on “All the people I know ….” You can readily argue that you think there is a good chance that Labour will be able to form a Government but not that that it is a certainty.
… ” Please don’t let this guy become deputy pm. It’s clear Labour’s depth is lacking, but surely there’s someone better than Davis ” …
Spoken like a true short sighted narcissistic Nat.
I presume you’re quite happy with New Zealanders being held without trial on Christmas Island in substandard conditions… Kelvin Davis wasn’t , and furthermore ,- unlike Key or English , – had balls enough to speak up about it.
Headline – A majority of people would not be comfortable with Winston Peters taking a senior cabinet post in the next government
Q = “Would you be comfortable with the leader of New Zealand First Winston Peters taking a senior cabinet position in the next government such as finance minister or deputy prime minister?”
In Jan 2008 , Peters enjoyed a small positive net-rating of + 2%
But it went downhill very fast
It flipped to negative in Feb 2008 minus 9%.
By September 08, at the height of the donation scandal, his net- Favourability rating had plummeted to minus 57%.
Fast Forward to 2011 & Peters was still heavily in negative territory
Eg minus 30 in June 2011
But the Public’s view of him rapidly improved through 2012-13
moving into positive + 6 territory late 2013
Briefly heading back into very mild negatives through 2014
then soaring to new heights of popularity after his Northland by-election triumph (+ 21 & + 24 through mid-2015) even surpassing John Key
Last Favourability figure available for Winnie + 6 Nov 2015
Yes yes yes, all very approximately correct. But a little bit too simple. The official UN position isn’t accurate, it an approximation after the consideration of veto rights etc.
I’m still in NRW Germany and we have heaps of air traffic. (Back in NZ next week, boarder control permitting) On “clear” sunny days they fill the skies with a haze from the planes to control the heat. Just an eyes open truth.
In the US it’s even more complex. Sure there is climate change, but when we dumb it down, we go political, not scientific objective. Many factors involved. Reducing industrial emissions is good, and reducing emissions from cows is also good, especially as a win-win for water quality. But lets not get too righteous on the detail. The Paris deal approved mitigation tech and we have seen changes here in the last few years already.
Sorry, just read the site details. Labour Movement…
Oh, I thought it was just an independent journalism site, wandered who was doing the funding. Now I do feel a bit like a troll. But no bad intentions.
Best wishes to the labour movement. I always support the underdog, but tables are due to turn so hang in there with the good work guys. Yeah, lots to do back in the physical world, so saying good bye.
With a very broad definition of “labour movement”. The site costs about $134 in direct costs per month to run. The funding pretty much comes from the voluntary contributions (see the donate button in the upper top left). All of the posts are by volunteers either here or reposted with permission from other sites. Moderation and any other support are voluntary. I supply the hardware – I’m a programmer so I have a lot of old gear 🙂
Willis has pledged to go ahead with the debt-funded tax cuts, despite growing opposition from her own supporters worried about appearing fiscally irresponsible. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The five things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy that we wrote and spoke about via The Kākā and elsewhere for ...
Open access notables A survey of interventions to actively conserve the frozen North, van Wijngaarden et al., Climatic Change:The frozen elements of the high North are thawing as the region warms much faster than the global mean. The dangers of sea level rise due to melting glacier ice, increased ...
Bryce Edwards writes – New Zealand’s biggest-ever political donations scandal is finally at an end. But what is the conclusion? No one can really be sure. The Court of Appeal released its judgement on Tuesday about the Serious Fraud Office case against the NZ First Foundation. On ...
In 2015, then-Prime Minister John Key announced plans for a huge ocean sanctuary around the Kermadec Islands, banning fishing and mining from 15% of Aotearoa's EEZ. It was bold, it was ambitious, and it suggested that National might actually care about the environment. Except they fucked it up: Key failed ...
1. Who has just been given the accolade New Zealander of the Year?a. The Kokakob. The Cook Strait Ferryc. Fair God. Dr Jim Salinger 2. Which of these is an affront to decent society?a. Dame Edna Everageb. Mrs Doubtfire c. Dr. Frank-N-Furterd. Brian 3. Who is Penny Simmonds?a. The aspiring actress in Big ...
New Zealand’s biggest-ever political donations scandal is finally at an end. But what is the conclusion? No one can really be sure.The Court of Appeal released its judgement on Tuesday about the Serious Fraud Office case against the NZ First Foundation. On the face of it, the court found ...
Buzz from the Beehive Waves of rain are set to lash much of the North Island during Easter Weekend as a low-pressure system forms east of New Zealand, according to a weather forecast published in the past day or so. Niwa was warning of a “moisture-laden” long weekend, with rain expected ...
Look around us…Nicola Willis’ promises of balancing the books, of cutting spending without reducing services, and of delivering game changing tax cuts are disappearing before her eyes.Everyday we see stories of violent crime ending in horrific injuries, or worse. The cost of living worsens, whereas the PM claimed renters would ...
TL;DR: My top six news of note on the morning of Thursday, March 28 include:The Government will have to borrow between $10 billion to $15 billion more than previously expected in order to make up for a slowing economy and to pay for $14.9 billion of tax cuts, according to ...
This story by Naveena Sadasivam and Kate Yoder was originally published by Grist and is part of Covering Climate Now, a global journalism collaboration strengthening coverage of the climate story. The long-awaited jobs board for the American Climate Corps, promised early in the Biden administration, will open next month, according to details shared exclusively ...
Should landlords be able to deduct the interest on the loans they take out to bankroll their property speculation? The US Senate Budget Committee and Bloomberg News don’t think this is a good idea, for reasons set out below. Regardless, our coalition government has been burning through a ton of ...
Treasury’s first report on the economy since the change of government presents a damning indictment of Labour’s economic management. The problem for National is that it is so damning that logically, coupled with a rapidly slowing economy, Finance Minister Nicola Willis should respond to it by postponing or even cancelling ...
Budget tensions are becoming evident within the Coalition Government. Winston Peters made numerous political points in his speech to the NZF annual conference. But the attack on his own government’s fiscal policies raised issues of substance. ‘Today in the Sunday Star Times, journalist and former advisor to the Labour ...
Buzz from the Beehive The media – sure enough – have been binging on Finance Minister Nicola Willis’ release of the Budget Policy Statement and a statement headed Government announces Budget priorities This assures us – or rather, this parrots the Luxon team mantra – that the Budget “will deliver ...
The Ides of March brought me COVID followed by a bereavement. No wonder they tell you to be careful of them.I’m home now and have resumed the interrupted recuperation. Very much looking forward to getting back to regular things. Meanwhile, some thoughts…OneThis new Prime Minister guy just keeps getting more dire. ...
News that the Chinese ATP 40 cyber-hacking unit penetrated parliamentary internet networks in 2021 has renewed concerns about the PRC’s malign intentions in Aotearoa. But is the hack that significant given the length of time that has passed since its … Continue reading → ...
When Parliament passed the Intelligence and security Act in 2017, they assured us all that it was full of safeguards. Any intrusive surveillance of New Zealanders would be subject to a "triple lock", requiring the approval of the Minister and (supposedly independent) Commissioner of Intelligence Warrants, as well as post-facto ...
Eric Crampton writes – Richard Harman’s Politik newsletter provides a bit of the context that ought to have been showing up in other media reports on potential reductions in public service staffing. Media has been reporting on staffing cuts on the order of about 7%. Is that ...
Mike Grimshaw writes – It’s becoming increasingly apparent that many perceive free speech to have become the preserve of the politically right wing, the religiously conservative, the libertarian fringe, the anti-trans, the anti-Māori and…. well, just fill in with whatever groups or individuals you don’t like and don’t ...
Don Brash writes – As everybody who is not blind and deaf is aware, there is a huge political preoccupation with climate change at the moment, a widespread (though by no means unanimous) belief that global temperatures are rising mainly as a result of the greenhouse gases created ...
TL;DR: My six things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy on Wednesday, March 27 include:Chris Bishop laid out his vision for filling Aotearoa-NZ’s $100 billion infrastructure deficit in a speech yesterday, emphasising user pays and private funding, but failed to say how to achieve bipartisanship on population, public borrowing and ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Former Finance Minister Grant Robertson and former Prime Minister Chris Hipkins have been conveying how unhappy they are with the tax system. Last week in his valedictory speech, Robertson called for the introduction of a wealth or capital gains tax. And this week Hipkins ...
On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
Buzz from the Beehive China has loomed large in Beehive considerations over the past 24 hours, largely because of that country’s mischief-making in the cyber espionage department. Two media statements emerged on that subject hard on the heels of the PM baulking at questions put to him on RNZ’s Morning ...
Chris Trotter writes – WHY IS THE NATIONAL PARTY doing so much for landlords, property developers, trucking, and construction companies, and so little for everybody who isn’t already pretty well-off? It’s as if protecting landlords’ investments and building apartments and roads now constitute the whole of National’s ...
Bryce Edwards writes – When she was campaigning to be Minister of Finance last year, Nicola Willis pledged that she would resign from the job if she failed to deliver tax cuts in her first Budget. Now, it’s that pledge, along with Prime Minister Christopher Luxon’s ...
Robert MacCulloch writes – The Reserve Bank has doubled staff numbers in five years to 510, with personnel costs rising to $80 million in 2023 from $32 million in 2018 – up by a whopping 150%. I guess when you print $50 billion and flood markets with liquidity, ...
The furore. In case you didn’t notice there was a controversy in the weekend involving dolphins in a little town off the South Island. Don’t panic, they haven’t declared independence and resumed whaling, this was simply a sailing event.The problem began when racing was cancelled on the opening day of ...
For 20 years or more, the case for a meaningful capital tax gains has been mulled over and analysed to death, including by the tax working group chaired by Sir Michael Cullen. More than once, the International Monetary Fund has said a CGT would be a good idea for New ...
TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: The Public Health Communications Centre (PHCC) call for urgent preventive action and a risk assessment survey of long covid in this briefing noteLocal scoop: NZ road deaths surpass OECD rates, so why is the govt reversing safety plans? ...
This story was originally published by Grist and is part of Covering Climate Now, a global journalism collaboration strengthening coverage of the climate story. This story is part of a collaboration with Grist and WABE to demystify the Georgia Public Service Commission, the small but powerful state-elected board that makes critical decisions about everything from raising ...
This is a guest post from Robert McLachlan Global warming is accelerating; 2023 was off the charts. We need to stop burning fossil fuels. In New Zealand, transport accounts for half of all fossil fuels burnt. In the Emissions Reduction Plan, transport emissions fall 41% by 2035. As the ...
Labour productivity has been receding rapidly over the past two years, reversing a post-lockdown rise. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: My six things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy as at 6:26am on Tuesday, March 26 include:Workers have been treading water in output per hour worked for 12 years, ...
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Faced with a barrage of criticism over the promised tax cuts from usually supportive commentators, Finance Minister Nicola Willis yesterday reaffirmed her intention to include them in this year’s Budget. The Government is up against it over the cuts just about every way it turns. Commentators like Fran O’Sullivan, Matthew ...
Here’s my pick of today’s substack posts as of 6:26pm on Monday, March 25: writes via his substack that Market-rate housing will make your city cheaper writes via his substack about the problems talking to double-cab ute (truck) drivers about their vehicles. today about moments of radicalisation in ...
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My sister Belinda asked Dad yesterday what one word would describe Mum best. He said: vivacious.If you only knew her from the photos on the slideshow we've made for today,you might wonder about that, because the camera tended to lie with Mum.If ever she saw a camera pointed at her, she ...
There are two major public consultations closing in the next week, Auckland Council’s Long Term Plan (LTP), and the draft Government Policy Statement on Land Transport (GPS). Closing dates and times: LTP closes Thursday 28 February, at 11.59pm – a minute to midnight! GPS closes Tuesday 2 April, at 12pm noon – note that’s ...
From Kiwiblog’s David Farrar – Bryce Wilkinson writes: Senior Fellow Bryce Wilkinson’s analysis reveals that since March 2009, New Zealand has spent $158 billion more overseas than it has earned, but its NIIP has only fallen by $32 billion.Statistics New Zealand shows that receipts from overseas reinsurers have ...
Is she hinting that the Coalition Government will have to back down on key promises it made in Opposition? Brian Easton writes – The Minister of Finance, Nicola Willis, is telling an evolving story about her fiscal challenges. In Opposition she was confident that she could ...
Dear Nicola Willis,Right now you’ve probably got lots of competing demands coming at you. Ministers who’ve inherited quite a mess, or so you’ve told us, looking for money in the budget to improve things. I imagine that’s why they came to parliament - to make things better.You’ll have to make ...
The Local Government, Transport and Auckland Minister hasthreatened councils with intervention if they don’t merge water assets to take them off balance sheet, just as the now-repealed Three Waters plan directed. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: My six things of note this morning for Monday, March 25 include:Simeon ...
A listing of 36 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, March 17, 2024 thru Sat, March 23, 2024. Story of the week Thanks to John Mason having the stamina to sit down to watch "Climate - the Movie" ...
This morning the Q&A programme had Simeon Brown on to talk about National’s replacement for Three Waters. In case anyone’s forgotten the three are - drinking water, waste water, and sewerage. It’s quite important not to get them mixed up. In much the same way that you wouldn’t want to ...
Today’s newsletter comes with a mini-podcast conversation between me and my buddy Liv Tennet, talking about her time as a child actor in Lord of the Rings. It’s a conversation with a lot of giggles as she talks about falling off a horse, and becoming a meme. Read ...
The Desmog Climate Disinformation Database documents, "individuals and organisations that have helped to delay and distract the public and our elected leaders from taking needed action to reduce greenhouse gas pollution and fight global warming." It's a who's who of the organised climate change denial movement, in other words. In ...
Bob Edlin writes – A High Court judge has decided miscreants who have mana – or who claim to have mana – should be treated differently from miscreants who have none. It’s a ruling that suggests indigenous law-breakers have a better chance of securing a discharge without conviction ...
Welcome to the first, and possibly last, edition of Brickbats, Bouquets and Bull’s Wool. In which I’ll take a look at the events of the last week or so, and rate them.In such ratings the numbers usually have more to do with the opinions of the reviewer, than the actual ...
Roger Partridge writes – My earlier column this month, New Zealand’s highest court could be facing a turning point, prompted a flood of feedback from business readers and lawyers alike. A common query was what Parliament can do to restrain an overreaching judiciary. This week I discuss two steps Parliament ...
TL;DR: In today’s ‘six-stack’ of substacks at 6.16pm on Friday, March 22: writes about New Zealand's Building Boom—And What the World Must Learn From It over at his substack. challenges the Auckland Council’s use of a 3.8 degrees of warming forecast to oppose a wave-park and data centre project ...
Is she hinting that the Coalition Government will have to back down on key promises it made in Opposition?The Minister of Finance, Nicola Willis, is telling an evolving story about her fiscal challenges. In Opposition she was confident that she could deliver her promised income tax cuts. Appointed minister, she ...
Buzz from the Beehive Ministers of the Crown have drawn attention to one sector of the science sector which is unlikely to be subjected to heavy spending cuts, a state-funded broadcaster which is doing nicely, thank you, and a sporting event that had $5.4 million from the public purse puffed ...
Abbott’s Freestyle Libre sensors allow continuous glucose monitoring (CGM). The sensor is applied to the back of the patient’s arm, with a thin filament under the skin measuring glucose levels constantly. But it costs around $100 per sensor and must be replaced once every 14 days. Photo by BSIP/Universal Images ...
The Inspector General of Intelligence and Security (IGIS) recently released a report in which he exposes the existence of a foreign intelligence partner-controlled technological “capability” inside the headquarters of the GCSB, NZ’s 5 Eyes-affiliated signals intelligence collection and analysis agency. … Continue reading → ...
Peter Dunne writes – Nearly three decades after the introduction of MMP and multiparty governments there should be a greater level of understanding about their finer points than often appears to be the case. The reaction to the despicable outburst from the Deputy Prime Minister at the weekend highlights ...
The sweet kisses from fruit of summerHave slowly been turning dullerYou say, "those times"And "remember the daysWhen we went outside and there still was the shade?"Taking no reason into play…Autumn. Clear, blue days shortening to longer nights, growing colder. Aotearoa.That’s us. The temperature dropping, the looming car crash - so ...
Bryce Edwards writes – “It is often said that behind every great man is a great woman”. This is the pitch by the National Party Botany electorate branch to attend their “Ladies Afternoon Tea with Amanda Luxon”. For $110 including GST, you can turn up on Saturday 20 April ...
David Farrar writes – The Electoral Commission has published the expense returns for political parties for the 2023 election. I’ve put them in a table with how many votes a party got so we can see the spend per vote. National only spent $3.34 for every vote they got, almost ...
Winston Peters’ headline-making actions over the past week may have been a show of political power intended to strengthen his hand in Budget negotiations. It was no accident that his State of the Nation speech was as it was. He made it as New Zealand First Leader, not as Deputy ...
Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The five things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy that we wrote and spoke about via The Kākā and elsewhere for paying subscribers in the last week included:Former Labour Finance Minister Grant Robertson bowed out of politics this week, giving a series of exit ...
Graham Adams writes — If you love the law or sausages, as the saying goes, best not to look too closely at how they are made. And after watching the orgy of self-pity when Newshub’s closure was announced on February 28, television journalism should definitely be added to the list of those ...
Venerable New Zealand political commentator, Chris Trotter (https://bowalleyroad.blogspot.com/), is a sad creature these days. Once one of the most reliable Leftist writers out there – Economic Left at that – Trotter seems to have absorbed the worldview of Auckland culture-war obsessives. It is not for me to categorise what he ...
The cruelty of short-term memory loss is that each time you ask where she is, you get the fresh shock and grief of the news. That was Dad's day yesterday.Comfortingly, it seems to be less so today. Last night he looked crumpled, today he seems more settled. There's a card ...
Photo by Alvan Nee on UnsplashIt’s that new day of the week (Thursday rather than Friday) when and I co-host our ‘hoon’ webinar with paying subscribers to The Kākā for an hour at 5 pm. Jump on this link on YouTube Livestream for our chat about the week’s news ...
Buzz from the Beehive One minister is talking tough while a colleague – whose ministry had acted tough and drawn a barrage of flak – has shown an official softening. Some ministers are doing what Labour was good at, which is distributing public funds to causes regarded as worthy or ...
A ballot for 4 Member's Bills was held today, and the following bills were drawn: Insurance Contracts Bill (Duncan Webb) Income Tax (Clean Transport FBT Exclusion) Amendment Bill (Julie Anne Genter) Crimes (Increased Penalties for Slavery Offences) Amendment Bill (Greg Fleming) Pae Ora (Healthy Futures) ...
One of the strongest narratives about "our" spy agencies is that they are basically institutional traitors, working for foreign powers (or just themselves), without any control or oversight by the elected government. And today, we have yet another report from the Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security which explicitly confirms this. ...
The Coalition Government’s plan to ‘get Auckland moving’ is a cuts cover-up that will ultimately cost Aucklanders more to move around the city, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...
Slashing the Ministry of Pacific Peoples by 40% will have a devastating impact on pacific communities and further highlights how little this government cares about anything other than cutting taxes for the wealthiest few. ...
Labour has proposed an urgent inquiry to investigate the ever-increasing profits of supermarkets, aiming to lower costs for shoppers and food producers alike, says Labour Spokesperson for Commerce and Consumer Affairs Arena Williams and Primary Production Spokesperson Cushla Tangaere-Manuel. ...
With 14% of jobs on the line at the Ministry for Ethnic Communities, the responsible Minister Melissa Lee is failing to stand up for the very communities she’s meant to be representing. ...
COURT OF APPEAL: TRIFECTA OF VICTORY FOR NZ FIRST, TRIFECTA OF FAILURE FOR OPPONENTS For the third time since April 2020, New Zealand First has defeated the Serious Fraud Office and all those complicit in a malicious attack against a political party going about its lawful business in a lawful ...
The Green Party stands with people who live in public housing, people in dire housing need, experts and advocates in demanding better than the Government’s archaic approach to housing those who need our support the most. ...
New Zealand has recently lost the hosting rights of some major international sporting events including the America’s Cup, the Rugby Championship, Netball World Cup, and the Wellington Sevens. We are now at a huge risk of losing SailGP as well. And it won’t stop there. The recent issues with SailGP ...
A Member’s Bill drawn this week would modernise insurance law and make things fairer and more transparent for consumers, Christchurch Central MP Duncan Webb said. ...
The Minister for Disability Issues has confirmed she was aware of funding issues in mid-December and did nothing to stop it. On 14 March, she signed off on changes that were announced and implemented on 18 March without any consultation with disability communities. ...
Green Party MP Julie Anne Genter says her members' bill is an opportunity for the coalition government to plug the gap in electric vehicle incentives. ...
The National Government continues to talk about irresponsible tax cuts that will only drive up inflation, despite the country entering a technical recession. ...
The Minister for Disability Issues must act urgently to reinstate flexibility around the funding for disability support and apologise to disabled carers. ...
This story has been initiated by a leftie shill reporter who proactively sought to call a member of a former band, which disbanded twelve years ago, give their biased appraisal of what was said in my speech, and concocted a ham-fisted attempt at a story that does nothing but show ...
The Government has accepted Labour’s change to the Road User Charge (RUC) discount for hybrid vehicles, meaning there will still be some incentive for people to buy greener vehicles. ...
Many in the mainstream media have taken what was said in New Zealand First’s State of the Nation Speech in Palmerston North on Sunday and deliberately, deceitfully, and ignorantly misrepresented what I said and why I said it. The headlines and commentary on the news stated that I compared ‘co-governance ...
Kicking the most vulnerable people out of state housing and pushing them towards homelessness will result in a proliferation of poverty and trauma across our most vulnerable communities. ...
Te Pāti Māori co-leader and MP for Waiariki, Rawiri Waititi has penned a letter asking MPs to support his members bill to remove GST from all food. The bill is expected to go through its first reading in parliament this Wednesday. “I’m calling on all political parties to support my ...
Good afternoon. Thank you for, in your very busy lives, turning up to this meeting today. On October 14th last year New Zealanders overwhelmingly voted for change. That is exactly what this new government is bringing. New Zealand First campaigned to ‘take back our country’ and stop the disastrous economic ...
This year is about getting real with Kiwis and discussing the tough issues, as the National Government exacerbates inequality and divides New Zealand, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said ...
The Government adding Significant Natural Areas (SNAs) to its already roaring environmental policy bonfire is an assault on the future of wildlife that makes Aotearoa unique. ...
After 12 years of fighting to protect our moana we are finding ourselves back at square one and back at court. Today, the Environmental Protection Agency is sitting in Hawera to reconsider an application from Trans-Tasman Resources to dig up 50 million tonnes of the seabed in South Taranaki. This ...
Minister Shane Jones’ decision to step away from a seabed mining project is evidence of the murky waters surrounding the Government’s fast-track legislation. ...
The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last government in a bid to get greater coherence in the publicservice on Treaty matters. When ministers first considered the need for tighter oversight in 2021, there ...
The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last government in a bid to get greater coherence in the publicservice on Treaty matters. When ministers first considered the need for tighter oversight in 2021, there ...
The Coalition Government’s miscalculation saga continues as it has forgotten an eyewatering $90 million gap in its interest deductibility cost figures, say Labour Finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds and Revenue Spokesperson Deborah Russell. ...
He Pou a Rangi Climate Change Commission has today released advice that says if the Government doesn’t act now New Zealand is at risk of not meeting its climate goals. ...
The Coalition Government has today confirmed it is abandoning first home buyers who are struggling to get ahead, says Labour Finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds. ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed the passing of legislation to move light electric vehicles (EVs) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) into the road user charges system from 1 April. “It was always intended that EVs and PHEVs would be exempt from road user charges until they reached two ...
New Zealand is strengthening its ability to combat illegal fishing outside its domestic waters and beef up regulation for its own commercial fishers in international waters through a Bill which had its first reading in Parliament today. The Fisheries (International Fishing and Other Matters) Amendment Bill 2023 sets out stronger ...
Economists Carl Hansen and Professor Prasanna Gai have been appointed to the Reserve Bank Monetary Policy Committee, Finance Minister Nicola Willis announced today. The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) is the independent decision-making body that sets the Official Cash Rate which determines interest rates. Carl Hansen, the executive director of Capital ...
Apartment owners and buyers will soon have greater protections as further changes to the law on unit titles come into effect, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. “The Unit Titles (Strengthening Body Corporate Governance and Other Matters) Amendment Act had already introduced some changes in December 2022 and May 2023, and ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters will travel to Egypt and Europe from this weekend. “This travel will focus on a range of New Zealand’s traditional diplomatic and security partnerships while enabling broad engagement on the urgent situation in Gaza,” Mr Peters says. Mr Peters will attend the NATO Foreign ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown is encouraging all road users to stay safe, plan their journeys ahead of time, and be patient with other drivers while travelling around this Easter long weekend. “Road safety is a responsibility we all share, and with increased traffic on our roads expected this Easter we ...
About 1.4 million New Zealanders will receive cost of living relief through increased government assistance from April 1 909,000 pensioners get a boost to Superannuation, including 5000 veterans 371,000 working-age beneficiaries will get higher payments 45,000 students will see an increase in their allowance Over a quarter of New Zealanders ...
Ensuring social housing is being provided to those with the greatest needs is front of mind as the Government restarts social housing tenancy reviews, Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka says. “Our relentless focus on building a strong economy is to ensure we can deliver better public services such as social ...
The Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary will not go ahead, with Cabinet deciding to stop work on the proposed reserve and remove the Bill that would have established it from Parliament’s order paper. “The Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary Bill would have created a 620,000 sq km economic no-go zone,” Oceans and Fisheries Minister ...
Dam safety regulations are being amended so that smaller dams won’t be subject to excessive compliance costs, Minister for Building and Construction Chris Penk says. “The coalition Government is focused on reducing costs and removing unnecessary red tape so we can get the economy back on track. “Dam safety regulations ...
The coalition Government is expanding the medium-scale adverse event classification to parts of the North Island as dry weather conditions persist, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced today. “I have made the decision to expand the medium-scale adverse event classification already in place for parts of the South Island to also cover the ...
The passing of legislation giving effect to coalition Government tax commitments has been welcomed by Finance Minister Nicola Willis. “The Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill will help place New Zealand on a more secure economic footing, improve outcomes for New Zealanders, and make our tax system ...
Science, Innovation and Technology Minister Judith Collins and Tertiary Education and Skills Minister Penny Simmonds today announced plans to transform our science and university sectors to boost the economy. Two advisory groups, chaired by Professor Sir Peter Gluckman, will advise the Government on how these sectors can play a greater ...
The Budget will deliver urgently-needed tax relief to hard-working New Zealanders while putting the government’s finances back on a sustainable track, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The Finance Minister made the comments at the release of the Budget Policy Statement setting out the Government’s Budget objectives. “The coalition Government intends ...
The coalition Government will look at options to address a zoning issue that limits how much financial support Queenstown residents can get for accommodation. Cabinet has agreed on a response to the Petitions Committee, which had recommended the geographic information MSD uses to determine how much accommodation supplement can be ...
Cabinet has agreed to a short extension to the final reporting timeframe for the Royal Commission into Abuse in Care from 28 March 2024 to 26 June 2024, Internal Affairs Minister Brooke van Velden says. “The Royal Commission wrote to me on 16 February 2024, requesting that I consider an ...
The coalition Government is delivering an $18 million boost to New Zealanders needing to travel for specialist health treatment, Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says. “These changes are long overdue – the National Travel Assistance (NTA) scheme saw its last increase to mileage and accommodation rates way back in 2009. ...
The Government is recognising the innovative and rising talent in New Zealand’s growing space sector, with the Prime Minister and Space Minister Judith Collins announcing the new Prime Minister’s Prizes for Space today. “New Zealand has a growing reputation as a high-value partner for space missions and research. I am ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has confirmed New Zealand’s concerns about cyber activity have been conveyed directly to the Chinese Government. “The Prime Minister and Minister Collins have expressed concerns today about malicious cyber activity, attributed to groups sponsored by the Chinese Government, targeting democratic institutions in both New ...
Independent Reviewers appointed for School Property Inquiry Education Minister Erica Stanford today announced the appointment of three independent reviewers to lead the Ministerial Inquiry into the Ministry of Education’s School Property Function. The Inquiry will be led by former Minister of Foreign Affairs Murray McCully. “There is a clear need ...
State Highway 1 across the Brynderwyns will be open for Easter weekend, with work currently underway to ensure the resilience of this critical route being paused for Easter Weekend to allow holiday makers to travel north, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Today I visited the Brynderwyn Hills construction site, where ...
Introduction Good morning to you all, and thanks for having me bright and early today. I am absolutely delighted to be the Minister for Infrastructure alongside the Minister of Housing and Resource Management Reform. I know the Prime Minister sees the three roles as closely connected and he wants me ...
New Zealand stands with the United Kingdom in its condemnation of People’s Republic of China (PRC) state-backed malicious cyber activity impacting its Electoral Commission and targeting Members of the UK Parliament. “The use of cyber-enabled espionage operations to interfere with democratic institutions and processes anywhere is unacceptable,” Minister Responsible for ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters and Defence Minister Judith Collins today announced New Zealand will provide logistics support for the upcoming Solomon Islands election. “We’re sending a team of New Zealand Defence Force personnel and two NH90 helicopters to provide logistics support for the election on 17 April, at the request ...
The European Union Free Trade Agreement Legislation Amendment Bill received Royal Assent today, completing the process for New Zealand’s ratification of its free trade agreement with the European Union. “I am pleased to announce that today, in a small ceremony at the Beehive, New Zealand notified the European Union ...
Public consultation on the terms of reference for the Royal Commission into COVID-19 Lessons has concluded, Internal Affairs Minister Hon Brooke van Velden says. “I have been advised that there were over 11,000 submissions made through the Royal Commission’s online consultation portal.” Expanding the scope of the Royal Commission of ...
Hardworking families are set to benefit from a new credit to help them meet their early childcare education (ECE) costs, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. From 1 July, parents and caregivers of young children will be supported to manage the rising cost of living with a partial reimbursement of their ...
A specialised Independent Technical Advisory Group (ITAG) tasked with preparing and publishing independent non-binding advice on the design of a "green" (sustainable finance) taxonomy rulebook is being established, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. “Comprising experts and market participants, the ITAG's primary goal is to deliver comprehensive recommendations to the ...
Defence Minister Judith Collins has thanked the Chief of Army, Major General John Boswell, DSD, for his service as he leaves the Army after 40 years. “I would like to thank Major General Boswell for his contribution to the Army and the wider New Zealand Defence Force, undertaking many different ...
25 March 2024 Minister to meet Australian counterparts and Manufacturing Industry Leaders Small Business, Manufacturing, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly will travel to Australia for a series of bi-lateral meetings and manufacturing visits. During the visit, Minister Bayly will meet with his Australian counterparts, Senator Tim Ayres, Ed ...
Government commits almost $3 million for period products in schools The Coalition Government has committed $2.9 million to ensure intermediate and secondary schools continue providing period products to those who need them, Minister of Education Erica Stanford announced today. “This is an issue of dignity and ensuring young women don’t ...
Good morning, it’s great to be here. First, I would like to acknowledge the New Zealand Institute of Building Surveyors and thank you for the opportunity to be here this morning. I would like to use this opportunity to outline the Government’s ambitious plan and what we hope to ...
Minister for Pacific Peoples Dr Shane Reti has announced the Government’s commitment to the Auckland Secondary Schools Māori and Pacific Islands Cultural Festival, more commonly known as Polyfest. “The Ministry for Pacific Peoples is a longtime supporter of Polyfest and, as it celebrates 49 years in 2024, I’m proud to ...
Before moving onto the substance of today’s address, I want to recognise the very significant and ongoing contribution the Breast Cancer Foundation makes to support the lives of New Zealand women and their families living with breast cancer. I very much enjoy working with you. I also want to recognise ...
New Zealand has notched up a first with the launch of University of Canterbury research to the International Space Station, Science, Innovation and Technology and Space Minister Judith Collins says. The hardware, developed by Dr Sarah Kessans, is designed to operate autonomously in orbit, allowing scientists on Earth to study ...
Introduction Thank you for inviting me to speak with you today and I’m sorry I can’t be there in person. Yesterday I started in Wellington for Breakfast TV, spoke to a property conference in Auckland, and finished the day speaking to local government in Christchurch, so it would have been ...
The Coalition Government is contributing more than $1 million to support the establishment of an emergency multi-agency coordination centre in Northland. Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell announced the contribution today during a visit of the Whangārei site where the facility will be constructed. “Northland has faced a number ...
New Zealanders have enjoyed a broader range of voices telling the story of Aotearoa thanks to the creation of Whakaata Māori 20 years ago, says Māori Development Minister Tama Potaka. The minister spoke at a celebration marking the national indigenous media organisation’s 20th anniversary at their studio in Auckland on ...
Commercial catch limits for some fisheries have been increased following a review showing stocks are healthy and abundant, Ocean and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The changes, along with some other catch limit changes and management settings, begin coming into effect from 1 April 2024. "Regular biannual reviews of fish ...
Jesus had dinner with his 12 disciples right before he died. Noted historian Madeleine Chapman finds out who really deserved to be there.First published in 2018 but let’s be honest, the subject is timeless. As you sit on your couch this Easter Sunday, eating a chocolate egg you know ...
The newly-promoted Northern League club is on a mission to return to the National League for the first time in two decades. Plenty about domestic football in New Zealand has changed in that time – but the sense that this amateur competition is not an entirely level playing field remains. ...
Comment: Every year on February 2, a dozen men in tuxedos and top hats approach the burrow of a groundhog in Gobbler’s Knob, Pennsylvania and entice the beaver-like rodent to emerge and predict the weather. If the groundhog, named Punxsutawney Phil, sees its own shadow when it is summoned, legend ...
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Auckland Council has put a deadline on new weather-impacted property owners applying for categorisation as government funding looks set to run out. Councillors have voted to support a deadline of September 30 for property owners who haven’t accessed support to come forward and engage with the council’s recovery office. It ...
NONFICTION 1 BBQ Economics by Liam Dann (Penguin Random House, $40) “It’s official,” wrote Dann nine days ago in the Herald, where he works as business editor at large, “we’re in recession.” Yeah, great. He delivered the bad stats: “GDP fell 0.1 percent in the December 2023 quarter, compared with ...
By Anneke Smith, RNZ News political reporter A petition urging the New Zealand government to provide urgent humanitarian assistance to the Palestinian people has been tabled in the House. More than 200 people gathered on Parliament’s forecourt today and they were met by MPs from Labour, the Greens and Te ...
Pacific Media Watch The Paris-based global media freedom watchdog RSF (Reporters Without Borders) has appealed for information about the “disappearance” of Palestinian journalist Bayan Abusultan. She was reportedly last seen on March 19 among people “sequestered” in this week’s raid and siege of Al Shifa hospital by Israeli troops in ...
EDITORIAL:The Jakarta Post It happens again and again; indigenous Papuans fall victim to Indonesian soldiers. This time, we have photographic evidence for the brutality, with videos on social media showing a Papuan man being tortured by a group of plainclothes men alleged to be the Indonesian Military (TNI) members. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Robyn J. Whitaker, Director of the Wesley Centre for Theology, Ethics, and Public Policy & Associate Professor, New Testament, Pilgrim Theological College, University of Divinity A strange and eclectic range of activities takes place across these few weeks of the year. Some ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Panizza Allmark, Professor Visual & Cultural Studies, Edith Cowan University It’s Easter weekend, which means many of us will be kicking back with the greatest hits on repeat. But whether you’re a boomer, or an ‘80s or ’90s kid, you might be ...
RNZ Pacific Fiji’s Acting Public Prosecutor has filed an appeal against the sentences of former prime minister Voreqe Bainimarama and suspended police chief Sitiveni Qiliho in their corruption case. Bainimarama was granted an absolute discharge for attempting to pervert the course of justice while Qiliho received a conditional discharge with ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Arosha Weerakoon, Senior Lecturer and General Dentist, School of Dentistry, The University of Queensland Casezy idea/Shutterstock How does toothpaste work? What did people use before toothpaste was invented? – Amelia, age 7, Meanjin (Brisbane) Thanks for your ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Brett Hallam, Associate professor, UNSW Sydney IM Imagery/Shutterstock Solar SunShot is well named. The Australian government announced today it would plough A$1 billion into bringing back solar manufacturing to Australia, boosting energy security, swapping coal and gas jobs for those ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Clare Dix, Research Fellow in Nutrition & Dietetics, The University of Queensland Easter is the time for chocolate. The shops are full of fantastically packaged and shiny chocolates in all shapes and sizes, making trips to the supermarket with children more challenging ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Emma Felton, Adjunct Senior Researcher, University of South Australia Even in a stubborn cost-of-living crisis, it seems there’s one luxury most Australians won’t sacrifice – their daily cup of coffee. Coffee sales have largely remained stable, even as financial pressures have ...
Mining company Trans-Tasman Resources has unexpectedly withdrawn its application for a consent to suck the valuable metals vanadium and titanium from the Taranaki seafloor, as it apparently wagers on the Government’s new fast-track process. It had spent two-and-a-half days putting its case to the Environmental Protection Agency’s decision-making committee, at ...
Contrary to the Associate Minister of Education’s claims, analysis of Healthy School Lunches Programme - Ka Ora, Ka Ako assessments has revealed it provides excellent value for the taxpayer dollar, as a groundswell of public opposition to Government ...
Greenpeace says wannabe Taranaki seabed miner Trans-Tasman Resources is likely banking on Christopher Luxon’s fast-track process to side-step proper scrutiny of its Taranaki seabed mining proposal by bailing out of the Environmental Protection Agency hearing ...
Kiwis Against Seabed mining today slammed Australian owned would-be seabed miner Trans Tasman Resources (TTR) for abandoning its application to the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) to mine the seabed of the South Taranaki Bight. The company ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Katie Attwell, Associate Professor, School of Social Sciences, The University of Western Australia Ground Picture/Shutterstock Months after COVID vaccines were introduced in 2021, governments and private organisations mandated them for various groups. Health and aged care workers were among the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrew Dzurak, Scientia Professor Andrew Dzurak, CEO and Founder of Diraq, UNSW Sydney Diraq For decades, the pursuit of quantum computing has struggled with the need for extremely low temperatures, mere fractions of a degree above absolute zero (0 Kelvin or ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne A national Essential poll, conducted March 20–24 from a sample of 1,150, gave the Coalition a 50–44 lead including undecided, a reversal ...
The Taxpayers’ Union has today made a formal request under the Regulations of the People’s Republic of China on Open Government Information () for information held about how New Zealand Members of Parliament are spending taxpayer ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Robert Nelson, Honorary Principal Fellow, The University of Melbourne A Byzantine depiction of the Eucharist in Saint Sophia Cathedral, Kyiv.Jacek555/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA A nasty quarrel arose in the 11th century over what kind of bread should be used in holy ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Patrick Hesp, Professor, Flinders University Patrick Hesp In some parts of Australia, coastal dunes are retreating from the ocean at an alarming rate, as waves carve up the beach and wind blows the sand inland. But coastal communities are largely ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Luke Heemsbergen, Senior Lecturer, Digital, Political, Media, Deakin University With an impressive 60% of the US smartphone market, Apple is undeniably big, but not a clear monopoly. Yet, years of innovation by Apple have effectively given the company its own exclusive ...
Whether you’re facing layoffs or are just an emotional junior staffer, it’s always a good idea to scout out a good crying place before you need it. It’s an incredibly hard time for Wellington. Across the city, thousands of public servants are hearing tough news about redundancies and layoffs. Government ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By James Miller-Jones, Professor, Curtin University Nuclear explosions on a neutron star feed its jets. Danielle Futselaar and Nathalie Degenaar, Anton Pannekoek Institute, University of Amsterdam, CC BY-SA How fast can a neutron star drive powerful jets into space? The answer, it ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Daryl Adair, Associate Professor of Sport Management, University of Technology Sydney Earlier this week, independent MP Andrew Wilkie accused the AFL of conducting “off the books” illicit drug testing to identify players using substances of abuse, then inappropriately withdrawing them from matches ...
The Government’s announcement that it will scrap plans for a vast marine sanctuary around the Kermadec Islands is ‘shameful’ and will make it impossible for Aotearoa New Zealand to meet its international commitments, says the World Wide Fund for Nature ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Quiggin, Professor, School of Economics, The University of Queensland Shutterstock The federal government has bowed to pressure from the car industry, announcing it will relax proposed emissions rules for utes and vans and delay enforcement of the new standards ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Suzanne Rutland, Professor Emerita, University of Sydney In his latest book, Jewish Life in Medieval Spain, Jonathan Ray focuses on the tumult of the 14th century in Spain – a time of the plague, civil strife and war between the two largest ...
While creating a slate of world-class shows, Whakaata Māori also developed a generation of world-class creatives. Television is an odd word. It mixes the Ancient Greek and Latin languages, and its most literal meaning is “far-off sight”. In the contemporary and living language of te reo Māori, “whakaata” as a ...
Yesterday the UN Security Council passed a resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire in Israel’s war on Gaza. This significant step and the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Gaza prompted an urgent debate in the New Zealand Parliament. Leader ...
The Government’s decision to reduce access to continuous glucose monitors (CGM) not only threatens the lives of children with type 1 diabetes and increases the potential for ‘Dead in Bed’ syndrome, but also threatens the health of their parents an ...
Apples are available year-round, but the wide variety on offer involves intensive scientific research – and large-scale commercialisation. What’s beautiful, red, sweet and crunchy? Tony Martin’s favourite kind of apple: Sassy. The CEO of apple and pear breeding organisation Prevar, Martin’s fondness for Sassy represents professional success as well as ...
Family violence specialist service Shine is calling on employers to stop asking for proof of domestic violence in order for employees to access domestic violence leave. The call comes five years after the introduction of the Domestic Violence ...
The Deputy Chairperson of the Finance and Expenditure Committee is calling for public submissions on the Budget Policy Statement 2024. The Budget Policy Statement 2024 (BPS) sets out the Government's priorities for the 2024 Budget. It explains the approach ...
Brutal government spending cuts that will see the size of the Ministry for Pacific Peoples slashed by 40% will hit Pasifika communities hard, the PSA says. The Ministry has told staff that it is seeking voluntary redundancies, and to redeploy and reassign ...
I live with five people I mostly love, but our different ideas about generosity are starting to really irk me.Want Hera’s help? Email your problem to helpme@thespinoff.co.nzDear Hera,This is a bit of a random one but here goes. I’m 22 and work an OK job (OK meaning I get paid ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Maria Nicholas, Senior Lecturer in Language and Literacy Education, Deakin University Earlier this month, the New South Wales government announced it would roll out programs for gifted students in every public school in the state. This comes amid concerns gifted school ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Christopher Rudge, Law lecturer, University of Sydney Massachusetts General Hospital In a world first, we heard last week that US surgeons had transplanted a kidney from a gene-edited pig into a living human. News reports said the procedure was a ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By David Tombs, Howard Paterson Chair of Theology and Public Issues, University of Otago The 5th-century Maskell panel showing Jesus in a loincloth.British Museum, CC BY-NC-SA When Jesus is shown on the cross, he is almost always depicted wearing a loincloth around ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Panizza Allmark, Professor Visual & Cultural Studies, Edith Cowan University Shutterstock When you think about a red object, you might picture a red carpet, or the massive ruby in the Queen’s crown. Indeed, Western monarchies and marketing from brands such ...
COMMENTARY:Jewish Voice for Peace The UN Security Council passed a resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire in Gaza on Monday — and for the first time since the beginning of the Israeli military’s genocide of Palestinians, the United States abstained rather than vetoing it. Security Council resolutions are legally binding, ...
Asia Pacific Report A New Zealand investigative journalist and author says the US spy system hosted by the Government Communications Security Bureau (GCSB) appears to be a controversial intelligence system used in global capture-kill operations. Writing a commentary for RNZ News today, Nicky Hager, author of Secret Power, a 1996 ...
While Nicola Willis wouldn’t give any details on its size, she said a package of tax cuts is definitely still coming in this year’s budget, writes Catherine McGregor in this excerpt from The Bulletin, The Spinoff’s morning news round-up. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here. ...
The Taxpayers’ Union is welcoming the investigation into the Department of Internal Affairs after it was revealed that the Department’s Chief Executive personally reached out to expedite a DJs passport application. Taxpayers’ Union Campaigns ...
Finance minister Nicola Willis delivers her first budget statement, and unwittingly helps Joel MacManus save his relationship. Nicola Willis strode into the Beehive Theatrette. Around me, on the green foldout seats, were the country’s top business and political journalists. They were all here to see her announce the Budget Policy ...
Twenty years ago today, Māori Television launched after much controversy. Jamie Tahana looks back on its survival and impact across two decades. Chad Chambers stepped onto the stage, the brim of his cap casting a shadow across his face. His smile beamed as bright as his white freezing works gumboots, ...
Tauranga, Rotorua, Wellsford, Onehunga, Westhaven marina – Gavin Strawhan walks the meanish streets of New Zealand in his entertaining debut novel The Call, almost sure to roar into the number 1 position on the Nielsen bestseller chart, its front cover bearing a rave from somebody: “A really good and genuinely ...
On a Thursday in February, at Wellington’s Conservation House, the Conservation Authority, a statutory body advising the eponymous department and minister, Tama Potaka, opened its 195th meeting. Under consideration that afternoon was an agenda item written by Tim Bamford, chief advisor in the Department of Conservation’s biodiversity, heritage and visitors ...
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A lengthy response to the recently released draft Government policy statement on transport will soon be delivered from Auckland Council to Minister of Transport Simeon Brown. A submission raising concerns about funding distribution and the plan’s treatment of Auckland passed through the council’s transport committee on Wednesday, despite some councillors ...
The unidentified foreign intelligence operation discussed in a scathing report by New Zealand’s Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security (IGIS) last week appears to be a controversial United States intelligence system. The IGIS report said the Government Communications Security Bureau (GCSB) decision to host a foreign system from 2012-2020 was “improper” ...
He’s gonna need that chainmail…
Looks like a branch of baldricks family.
A monkey put into a suit and strategically shaved?
Too much NOTICE AND FEATURES. +100000
Problem is that when we don’t have Notices and Features posts like Open Mike and Daily Review or reposts from other blogs then we have people starting to chat all over the conversation in the posts from authors. The moderators wind up landing on them hard. Which makes us grumpy.
So suck it up and learn to love that we aren’t grumpy.
John Banks a crook for the 4th or 5th time? I see a pattern here.
He really is rather unpleasant.
Link?
Lost the paternity suit against him.
Not a crime in itself, but the case also suggested he’d obtained a substance to induce an abortion and tried to pressure the mother of his kid to abort. Which I believe was illegal in those days.
Certainly not very ‘christian’.
But aren’t we all relieved that the latest “family values” hypocrite turned out to be something other than a sex offender.
Ah, typical RWNJ hypocrisy.
Decalre the need for family and family values and then ignore and deny them when those values become inconvenient.
Or they discover that you need money to comfortably bring up children in a family ,… that’s one sacred cow they don’t want to shell out for…hence their hatred for the welfare state.
Surely not…former police minister (sarc)
From The Daily Mail
Right-wingers tend to be less intelligent than left-wingers, and people with low childhood intelligence tend to grow up to have racist and anti-gay views, says a controversial new study.
Conservative politics work almost as a ‘gateway’ into prejudice against others, say the Canadian academics.
The paper analysed large UK studies which compared childhood intelligence with political views in adulthood across more than 15,000 people.
The authors claim that people with low intelligence gravitate towards right-wing views because they make them feel safe.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2095549/Right-wingers-intelligent-left-wingers-says-controversial-study–conservative-politics-lead-people-racist.html#ixzz4rPBkBOr5
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Must be true it’s in the reknown bastion of truth The Daily Mail and it’s on the internet. (sarc)
You might find this amusing – I did.
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2012/feb/05/daily-mail-calls-rightwingers-stupid
Thank you for that. I was sniggering through out the description of the comments. They sounded so … familar. From 2012. Teasing excerpts follow.
Followed by some of the most hilarious analysis that describes the daily gloop available from the sewer. And it ends with…
Indeed.
Isn’t it amazing that all those pundits who’ve been telling us for so long that National is headed for a rare fourth term because there’s no groundswell for change are all now falling all over themselves to tell us Jacinda has tapped into a deep vein running through the electorate that’s hankering for change?
I believe they are nothing more than reeds swaying in the wind… or dogs who run to whoever has the food… this cartoon is typical of them…
https://s3.amazonaws.com/lowres.cartoonstock.com/politics-career-career_adviser-career_advice-politicians-career_paths-tcrn1310_low.jpg
Look at the David Tamihere case more contracted lairs on display this is how the criminal Justice system works. And It takes years to get to the truth and thousands of dollars what a sham.
This is why I say to all our young Maori or Pacific males keep out of shit because as soon as you get a criminal charge you will have no Human rights or Privacy rights. So the police can use you as a scape goat and most people will believe the man whom upholds the law what a load of crap in every population you have good and bad Its just some organizations are good at displaying a farcical image of there members .
And you no what is the most scandalous of this problem senior memebers of that organization no whats going on WTF.
Technically although you may have rights under the law it is exceptionally difficult to get anyone to listen regardless if ethnicity
+100 AsleepWhileWalking my post is to all our youth. I am just saying Maori and Pacific because I want them to get my warning. And they have a higher rate of incarceration. I do not mean to discriminate I’m just trying to educate our youth on how the system works if my statement keeps one boy out of jail I will be happy what ever race they are.
Some more reflection on Winston Peters and the case of the mysterious over-payments.
It has crossed my mind that the cabinet ministers who were given a heads up on the situation just might have been telling the truth when they categorically denied they talked about the matter to anyone. I base these thoughts on the anonymous phone call received by Newshub a week or so ago. Is it not possible that the MSD files were hacked by someone looking for dirt on Winston Peters? That anonymous phone-call might have been made by the hacker or someone closely associated with them.
It would be interesting to know whether there has been any attempt to trace the call to its source.
But the MSD heads have admitted they knew of and shared this information with the National Party as early as June. That’s when the information left MSD.
Are you saying there was a completely different data hack outside of this?
I’m suggesting that over and above the internal MSD discovery, someone beyond the MSD might have hacked into the files looking for the dirt on Peters. It may be a long shot but there would surely have been a whisper campaign among those ‘in the know’ and someone might have decided to obtain the information illegally for the purpose of discrediting him.
Winston has made a lot of enemies over the years – especially among those with very deep pockets.
You can call from the grassy knoll these days.
Theory’s abound,….
John F. Kennedy – Fatally Shot Grassy Knoll 1963 – YouTube
grassy knoll you tube▶ 2:56
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CQPe_7Cbb8k
Who shot JFK… no. Why they shot him is the question.
Answer is obvious.
🙄
Only to the certain.
Kelve needs a daily briefing and a minder. Just somebody who’s a dab hand with a pointy stick to keep him on script.
Leave the poor guy alone.
He can’t help it if he can’t remember that nearly everything he has been told must be hidden from the voting public.
He simply wants to demonstrate that he is in the loop. The problem is that that requires keeping all your lies consistent. For someone who worked for Blair or Clark that isn’t to hard but for the poor little chap from Northland it is more difficult.
… ” He can’t help it if he can’t remember that nearly everything he has been told must be hidden from the voting public ” …
———————————-
You mean a bit like this ?
The Donghua Liu Affair: Evidence of Collusion … – The Daily Blog
https://thedailyblog.co.nz/…/the-donghua-liu-affair-evidence-of-collusion-between-th…
Or when Key tried to justify GSCB misuse to enable Tim Grosser to spy on other country’s contenders for the top job at the World Trade Organization ?
Or maybe the time Key was caught out about the XKEYSCORE program and mass surveillance , – or perhaps the time we all learned the GSCB spying on Kim Dotcom and 88 other New Zealanders was, in actual fact , … illegal.
Dissecting the GCSB bill – Campbell Live (Kim Dotcom scandal …
Video for Dissecting the GCSB bill – Campbell Live (Kim Dotcom scandal)▶ 16:11
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bxytPFfTozE
As it has come out even further recently with the courts finding that the GSCB had not disclosed ALL THE EVIDENCE and the timing of their illegal spying.
And those are just a few examples of how your weedy defense of a corrupt National govt has behaved over its 9 year term , – by making the rules up as it went along to suit itself despite breaching legal parameters… and weakening our democracy.
And here you are, … alwyn ,… pointing the finger at Kelvin Davis and Labour because ,- as they have already pointed out , – they are setting up a working group regards taxation, and as we all know… rwnj’s like you don’t give a damn about tax havens and corrupt governments , – so long as you get your little tax breaks .
Perhaps you should have relocated to live in the Cook Islands a decade or so ago , – Fay / Richwhite would have loved you , – as ‘ Sir’ Albert Henry would have also…
Please don’t let this guy become deputy pm. It’s clear Labour’s depth is lacking, but surely there’s someone better than Davis.
He can stay dep leader of Labour, and have James Shaw as deputy prime minister.
As others have eluded to, he displays leadership every time he opens his mouth.
Fwiw, I would follow him.
I’m afraid you don’t understand the rules.
The deputy-PM has to be an MP.
The “Green” party are dead. Shaw isn’t going to be in Parliament and cannot therefore be in the job you are suggesting for him.
Perhaps between 2017 and 2020 someone can organise a genuine Green Party. Somewhere where people like Kennedy Graham will be welcome instead of being called a traitor.
… ” The “Green” party are dead. Shaw isn’t going to be in Parliament and cannot therefore be in the job you are suggesting for him ” …
So alwyn the psychic delivers the future from on high….
Only in your dreams. And guess what ,… National are not going to be in government and that’s not just guessing or trying to use pseudo science to allege a scenario , – that’s just a fact based on numbers.
I’m tempted to ask what “numbers” you use to come up with that prediction.
Mine are the very simple ones of the latest polls and the fact that the Green Party vote drops by quite a lot between the final polls and the election.
Yours’ appear to be your own wishful thinking. Alternatively they are the sort of argument that is based on “All the people I know ….” You can readily argue that you think there is a good chance that Labour will be able to form a Government but not that that it is a certainty.
two words…Paula Bennet
… ” two words…Paula Bennet ” …
Here’s another two words : Yes please.
We need a sideshow to keep us all amused and National out of govt for a very long , long time.
… ” Please don’t let this guy become deputy pm. It’s clear Labour’s depth is lacking, but surely there’s someone better than Davis ” …
Spoken like a true short sighted narcissistic Nat.
I presume you’re quite happy with New Zealanders being held without trial on Christmas Island in substandard conditions… Kelvin Davis wasn’t , and furthermore ,- unlike Key or English , – had balls enough to speak up about it.
Latest Colmar Brunton Poll
Headline – A majority of people would not be comfortable with Winston Peters taking a senior cabinet post in the next government
Q = “Would you be comfortable with the leader of New Zealand First Winston Peters taking a senior cabinet position in the next government such as finance minister or deputy prime minister?”
Yes 40%
No 51%
Don’t know 9%
https://www.tvnz.co.nz/one-news/new-zealand/majority-kiwis-not-comfortable-winston-peters-taking-senior-role-in-government-1-news-poll
Compare with 2014 (albeit less specific questions)
Colmar Brunton Poll (February 2014)
Winston Peters
•43% say he should be a Minister
•43% say he should not
3 News Reid Research (January 2014)
Winston Peters
•54% say John Key should work with Winston Peters (61% of Nat supporters)
36% say he should rule him out (32% of Nat supporters)
Winston Peters – Changing Fortunes
(UMR – Net Favourability Ratings)
2008 Donation Scandal destroys Peters’ reputation
In Jan 2008 , Peters enjoyed a small positive net-rating of + 2%
But it went downhill very fast
It flipped to negative in Feb 2008 minus 9%.
By September 08, at the height of the donation scandal, his net- Favourability rating had plummeted to minus 57%.
2012-13 Voter dissatisfaction with Govt + 2015 Northland win rehabilitates Peters’ reputation
Fast Forward to 2011 & Peters was still heavily in negative territory
Eg minus 30 in June 2011
But the Public’s view of him rapidly improved through 2012-13
moving into positive + 6 territory late 2013
Briefly heading back into very mild negatives through 2014
then soaring to new heights of popularity after his Northland by-election triumph (+ 21 & + 24 through mid-2015) even surpassing John Key
Last Favourability figure available for Winnie + 6 Nov 2015
I can’t see today’s posts from Tracey or Blip on my Android phone. A couple of us reported this also about a week ago.
I will have a look at it. It seems to be a caching issue with the software that is is used with the mobiles. It came a up a week ago.
I actually have a clear weekend…, and I start on some pre-election time off next week.
Thanks lprent.
It is odd. All of the mobile settings are correct as far as I can see.
What type of mobile is it? And are you seeing the mobile site? Looks pretty red.
Same issue with posts from those authors not showing.
Phone Huawei Y3, recently purchased, Chrome, mobile version of site (but did show desk version briefly today).
I’ve been having the same problem, on an iphone 5S, using Safari.
Removed the cache.
Seems like that works ok.
Try it out?
Ok that seemed to work. Let me know if you see problems.
Looks like the mobile version prefers either no cache or its own one.
Not working still for me.
Tried again after clearing me history just in case…no luck.
Gotta love Neil DeGrasse Tyson
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jHPgSDJ984M&ab_channel=TheYoungTurks
Yes yes yes, all very approximately correct. But a little bit too simple. The official UN position isn’t accurate, it an approximation after the consideration of veto rights etc.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o7g9oiyXuR8
http://agriculturedefensecoalition.org/
This lady is truly speaking before the UN.
I’m still in NRW Germany and we have heaps of air traffic. (Back in NZ next week, boarder control permitting) On “clear” sunny days they fill the skies with a haze from the planes to control the heat. Just an eyes open truth.
In the US it’s even more complex. Sure there is climate change, but when we dumb it down, we go political, not scientific objective. Many factors involved. Reducing industrial emissions is good, and reducing emissions from cows is also good, especially as a win-win for water quality. But lets not get too righteous on the detail. The Paris deal approved mitigation tech and we have seen changes here in the last few years already.
Sorry, just read the site details. Labour Movement…
Oh, I thought it was just an independent journalism site, wandered who was doing the funding. Now I do feel a bit like a troll. But no bad intentions.
Best wishes to the labour movement. I always support the underdog, but tables are due to turn so hang in there with the good work guys. Yeah, lots to do back in the physical world, so saying good bye.
Peace, Love and Light,
D
With a very broad definition of “labour movement”. The site costs about $134 in direct costs per month to run. The funding pretty much comes from the voluntary contributions (see the donate button in the upper top left). All of the posts are by volunteers either here or reposted with permission from other sites. Moderation and any other support are voluntary. I supply the hardware – I’m a programmer so I have a lot of old gear 🙂
Don’t confuse the labour movement with the Labour Party.