Open access notables Climate-driven deoxygenation of northern lakes, Jansen et al., Nature Climate Change:Oxygen depletion constitutes a major threat to lake ecosystems and the services they provide. Most of the world’s lakes are located >45° N, where accelerated climate warming and elevated carbon loads might severely increase the risk of ...
Today is July 4th, the day the US traditionally celebrates its independence. But in the wake of the Supreme Court's turning the clock back 375 years to rule that America's president actually is an unaccountable absolute monarch after all, effectively creating a turnkey tyranny for the next Republican president, there ...
Bow my head, said my prayersI'm the good one, ain't I?Wash my hands of all my sinsI'm the good guy, ain't I?If everyone were like meCould that be the change I'd like to see?Ain't I good, ain't I right, did I try?You’ve probably seen the news of the Kiwi woman ...
National has a problem: they've promised boot camps by the end of July to grub votes from pedophobic old zombies kick kids into line, but nobody wants to run them. NZDF has said "fuck no! Never again", and Oranga Tamariki - the organisation formally responsible for them - can't find ...
L abour is saying it needs to listen. Apparently, Labour is going to spend 2024 listening, and 2025 thinking about its options. It could be 2026 before Labour finally reveals what it has in mind. Really? Currently, National and ACT are burning down the house, people are screaming for relief ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections When Category 5 Hurricane Otis roared through Acapulco, Mexico, in October 2023, the city was left in ruins. Winds stripped facades from beachfront buildings and storm surge flooded lobbies. The storm killed at least 50 people and damaged 80% of hotels in ...
Late yesterday morning I was sitting on my deck enjoying another beautiful day in Tamaki Makaurau. Stunning and clear but still a bit chilly. A treat to have such a day in July, and through June it seemed that for once Auckland had some decent weather as things went more ...
Simeon Brown’s lethal draft speed-setting rule is open for public consultation until Thursday 11 July. We strongly encourage you to take a minute to add your voice. The simple online survey asks for your thoughts on seven key proposals (see page 4). You can also email your thoughts to speedrule@transport.govt.nz Scroll ...
Hi,Before I get sentimental and share some ridiculous videos from my old life as a TV news reporter, your comments about the presidential debate (all 362 of them) did make me feel more sane.I think Webworm reader Kevin said it best:“America’s political party system is like that cargo ship in ...
I really hate Culture War stuff on principle. The fact that it has pervaded so much of modern political discourse is yet another reason to find the 2020s an utterly depressing decade. But today, the artillery of Culture War has been sending shells near my particular trench… and thus I ...
There is surely a German word for the dismaying, frustrating, enraging feeling of watching a person being put in charge of our future and completely fucking it up.I am surrounded by Germans right now, perhaps I should ask.I expect they might reply: oh do you mean the Supreme Court justices ...
Oh dear. Not only has Judith Collins become an AI cultist - she thinks it can be used to answer OIA requests: But New Zealand has no specific AI regulation and Collins is keen to get productivity gains from extending its use across government, including using it to process ...
This is a collective post by several Greater Auckland authors. (The header image shows children trying to cross the road a few hundred metres from a school gate, at a location where a raised crossing was subsequently installed.) The final version of the Government Policy Statement on Land Transport (GPS) ...
Late Thursday night, around midday Friday here in New Zealand, we should finally, after fourteen years and five dismal Prime Ministers, see the Tories booted out of government in the UK.The Conservatives have produced a master class in what not to do in government. Be it strangling the economy with ...
In a move of breathtaking audacity, the Government agreed yesterday to have a Cabinet Minister preside over a media subsidy scheme. The Minister will decide which media entities will be eligible to receive the proceeds of a levy the Government proposes to impose on Facebook and Google. Communications Minister Paul ...
Regular readers might be surprised to not see another "At a glance" highlight for an updated rebuttal given that it's Tuesday when this blog post gets published and that we've done just that "regularly as clockwork" since February 2023. Please read on to find out why we are going on ...
That's the only way to describe today's US Supreme Court ruling that the US president is above the law. Oh, it officially applies only to "official acts", but reading the fine-print, that basically means everything - even apparently inciting a mob to storm Congress in an effort to disrupt the ...
Emmanuel Macron’s plan B involves a risky, rope-a-dope strategy. Deliberately, he has opened a corridor to power for the far right, in the belief they will fail to win a large enough parliamentary presence in the 577-seat National Assembly to pursue their policy agenda. Supposedly, this failure will have blunted ...
This is a guest post by Ed Clayton and Stu Farrant. It’s based on a talk delivered at the recent Transportation Group Conference in Nelson.The water street renders are by Tom Greer. Ed notes: “Tom is a freelance landscape architect with a background in ecology and environmental science. Hit him up ...
They choose the path where no-one goesThey hold no quarterThey hold no quarter“The Government I lead is one of action and we are already making meaningful changes that will keep Kiwis safe in their homes, workplaces and communities," said the Prime Minister yesterday, telling us he’d be “making Kiwis safer” ...
The Government may have attracted criticism from Greenpeace over its inquiry into farm methane emissions, but its proposal may have outwitted the Groundswell farmer protest movement. The inquiry panel includes some of the more high-profile critics of the blanket reduction approach to farming greenhouse gas emissions. But those critics are ...
Around the world we see political blocs crumbling in the face of the Right. You’ll notice the word “Left” is absent there. That’s because, by and large, the Left hasn’t necessarily crumbled. Many who adopt the moniker have. Ostensibly “Left” movements in the political sphere have been caught on ...
When Fiji finally began its most recent transition to democracy in 2013, the coup regime stacked the deck in their favour, with a draconian political parties decree intended to outlaw the opposition. Dictator Voreqe Bainimarama then founded his own political party, FijiFirst, which subsequently held power until 2022. So its ...
Back in 2021, as part of its discussion document on hate speech, the Ministry of Justice proposed finally amending the prohibited grounds of discrimination in the Human Rights Act to include gender including gender expression and gender identity. Labour famously chickened out on hate speech, referring the issue to the ...
My travelling companion Dick is a craftsman. In his spare time he has made water-going craft. Canoes, mostly, but he can also do you a dinghy or a boat. Also hot tubs. All with beautifully hand-crafted timber.As we've rolled through the villages and towns of Europe, he has looked at ...
This video includes conclusions of the creator climate scientist Dr. Adam Levy. It is presented to our readers as an informed perspective. Please see video description for references (if any). Across the world people are sweltering under the extreme heat of heat waves - whether under the heat dome in North ...
As you might recall from my last newsletter yesterday was a family celebration in the Rockel household, with our youngest lad Matty turning 16. He’s an enthusiastic cook, especially of steak, with plenty of garlic, rosemary, and far too much butter. So when asked what he’d like to do he ...
Anybody who went to Karangahape Road for Matariki last Thursday evening (27 June), would have seen it absolutely packed with people. From Queen Street ...
Completed reads for June: Aecerbot, a Field Blessing (poem) Against a Dwarf [remedy XCIIIb] (poem) Against a Wen (poem) The Nine Herbs Charm (poem) For a Sudden Stitch (poem) For the Loss of Cattle I (poem) For the Loss of Cattle II (poem) For the Loss of Cattle III ...
A listing of 35 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, June 23, 2024 thru Sat, June 29, 2024. Story of the week Our Story of the Week is extreme weather juiced by our climate fumble creating an extreme start ...
YouTuber Jess of the Shire has put out a video, looking at Frodo’s failure to destroy the Ring: The Lord of the Rings would be a substantially weaker book had Frodo not failed, of course. We are dealing with the core of Tolkien’s themes ...
Problem Solved? When all other options are exhausted, the firing squad remains. As Joseph Stalin is said to have declared: “Eliminate the person, eliminate the problem.”THE BEST GUESS I can offer as to the author of the line is William Brandt. He wrote scripts for the 1990s New Zealand television crime ...
Good morning all, I hope you’re continuing to have a lovely long weekend without too many worries about the things we usually talk about. First things first, today is a special day in our family, the youngest member, our Matty, my Mister Man, turns 16.Public transport in Bangkok, 2016.I’ve mentioned ...
Skeptical Science is partnering with Gigafact to produce fact briefs — bite-sized fact checks of trending claims. This fact brief was written by John Mason in collaboration with members from the Gigafact team. You can submit claims you think need checking via the tipline. Does temperature have to rise before CO2 ...
TL;DR: Mānawatia a Matariki! It’s that time of the year for reflection and renewal so here’s our annual State of The Kākā Nation Report for 2024. Total subscribers grew 46% to 20,600 and paying subscribers grew 29% to 2,520 over the last year. Subscriber comments, ‘views’ and likes’ increased more ...
Can't stop believin' I'm the greatestHearts breaking 'til I know I made itI'll never know what second place isNo pain, no doubt'Til the lights go outMatariki feels like such a positive event. People around the country enjoying time with whānau and friends, trying new things or just relaxing and reflecting. ...
Hello! Here comes the Saturday edition of More Than A Feilding, catching you up on what you may have missed. Still on the move!ShareGreetings Jack Craw and Te Aka Music, love your work. Read more ...
Hi,When I started Webworm four years ago (four years! thanks for being here!) it was motivated by a world slowly falling into conspiratorial madness.Reality felt like it was slipping, and I wanted to document the chaos. That has never stopped, be it examining how huge chunks of society have retreated ...
Evaluating the impact of social policies will be very difficult but the government does not seem to be doing much real evaluation. A couple of terms that have recently become fashionable are ‘cost-benefit analysis’ (CBA) and ‘social-investment analysis’ (SIA), typically proposed by people who have never done either. They sound ...
Conspiracy theories attempt to explain events as the secretive plots of powerful people. While conspiracy theories are not typically supported by evidence, this doesn’t stop them from blossoming. Conspiracy theories damage society in a number of ways. To help minimise these harmful effects, The Conspiracy Theory Handbook, by Stephan Lewandowsky ...
Worst. Presidential. Debate Ever. President Joe Biden and former President have just squared off in the first presidential debate of the 2024 campaign and the rest of the world has watched in slack-jawed horror as democracy’s once “shining city on the hill” hit a new low.The hyperbole in that introduction ...
Sun is up, I'm a messGotta get out now, gotta run from thisHere comes the shame, here comes the shameYesterday Golriz Ghahraman’s fall from grace was complete. Convicted and sentenced, more harshly that I’d anticipated. In my view Golriz had suffered quite disproportionally already, considering the nature of her crime. ...
Open access notables Tipping point in ice-sheet grounding-zone melting due to ocean water intrusion, Bradley & Hewitt, Nature Geoscience:Here we develop a model to capture the feedback between intruded ocean water, the melting it induces and the resulting changes in ice geometry. We reveal a sensitive dependence of the ...
Some of the wilder things that have crossed our paths in the last couple of weeks:Wilder thing #1: A snake sunning itself on the hot asphalt as we came riding towards itDick was in front and was slowing down to take a picture, thinking it to be another carcass.But this ...
As part of its coalition agreement, the climate-change denier National government promised its climate-change denier coalition partners a review of our agricultural methane reduction target. Today they announced the members of their "independent" review, and released its terms of reference. I'm not familiar with the academic records of the panel, ...
And you can see it in the way they look at youFeel it in the way they treat youAlways the last to knowAlways the first to leaveJust let them walk all over youLaugh through the punches and the painLet the life-blood drain away from youThey're right, you're wrongOK, first things ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Karin Kirk Astrong majority of registered voters support certain policies aimed at tackling climate change, according to recent research by the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication (the publisher of this site) and the Center for Climate Change Communication at George Mason ...
Finally, Julian Assange is free after 12 years of confinement, much of it spent while under the threat of rendition to the US to face charges carrying a term of 175 years in prison. Yet ultimately, Assange has not been set free because the charges (of espionage and conspiracy to ...
A note to readers This satirical post is based on this document. Received from Auckland Transport under a LGOIMA request. the document reveals the ranking process used by the working group for the Regional Land Transport Plan (RLTP). It shows how the RLTP working group (Auckland Transport, KiwiRail, NZTA/Waka Kotahi, and ...
TL;DR: Six things from Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy I think are worth noting on the morning of Thursday, June 27:The NZIER has estimated almost a third of new spending in Budget 2024 will have worsened the Government’s Paris agreement climate liability, which Treasury has already estimated at up to $23.7 billion. ...
Hi,Four days ago New Zealand pop royalty Brooke Fraser broke yet another record — largest attendance for a Kiwi solo artist at her Spark Arena gig.She was joined on stage by the Auckland Philharmonia orchestra, Radio New Zealand gushing that it was “hard to pick a singular high point of ...
Whenever people make the perfectly sensible suggestion that the world could solve its problems by taxing billionaires, the latter's stooges flood the zone with claims it would never work. Apparently billionaires are so inherently criminal that they would evade such taxes, laundering their money and hiding it in criminal jurisdictions ...
Breathe.Inhale deeply through your nose, and hold it.Open your mouth slightly. Exhale slowly, feel the breath passing over your lips.Hear it. You’re alive.Statistically, if the last government hadn’t taken the actions it did, about twenty of you, even in my small audience, would be dead now. If I do a ...
TL;DR: Electricity affordability is a growing concern for households and small businesses, despite falling generation costs for solar and wind, a survey has found.Meanwhile, Stats NZ is forecasting more than a third of 19-29 year olds will stay living at home within the next two decades, no doubt because of ...
This is a guest post by Darren Davis, reposted with his kind permission. It originally appeared on his excellent blog Adventures in Transitland, which we warmly encourage you to check out.Aotearoa has one of the worst road safety records in the developed world. Australia is doing quite a bit ...
The audio in today’s newsletter contains a conversation I had last year with journalist Elizabeth Williamson, author of an incredibly moving book on Sandy Hook. We talked America, conspiracies, and Alex Jones. It’s been gathering dust for reasons we’ll get to, but I wanted to share our conversation today. ...
The anti Three Waters campaign which seemed so simple during the election campaign is now bogged down in a Select Committee as submitter after submitter raises issues with the replacement legislation. The so-called “Local Water Done Well” has now morphed into the Local Government (Water Services Preliminary Arrangements) Bill, which ...
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 ...
On we go, at 20 kilometres an hour, truly the best pace for rolling through the world and breathing it all in.Fascinating to get to see two, four, twenty new places each day. Marvellous to get to see how very many different ways you can make it good for people ...
There's a couple of pieces about architect-of-our-constitution Geoffrey palmer's views on the current government doing the rounds today. The first, on Newsroom is an excerpt from a speech he gave to a Young Labour meeting last weekend, in which he says NZ an executive paradise, not democratic paradise. The Spinoff ...
The government just introduced its Education and Training Amendment Bill to the House. The name is deliberately obfuscatory, because what the bill actually does is reintroduce charter schools - effectively allowing National to privatise the education system. That's corrupt and it stinks, but to add insult to injury, National's new ...
Confidence about future job availability collapsed after Budget 2024 to lows last seen during the the Global Financial Crisis of 2008/09. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Employee confidence in more jobs being available in a year’s time collapsed in the first two weeks of June after the Budget, falling ...
Walking through the rooms in my headI came across your image,You looked at me with that sweet smile and saidSomething they won't let me repeatWe hurt the ones we love the mostIts a subtle form of complimentAfter you’ve watched Christopher Luxon for a while you think to yourself - that ...
The decision taken last December to cancel the contract for the two purpose-built Cook Strait ferries – without having a Plan B in mind, let alone in place – has been a calamity that’s going to haunt New Zealand for decades to come, long after the Luxon government has been ...
Today the Auckland Transport board meets again,so I’ve taken a look through the items on their public agenda to see what’s interesting. Musical Chairs The first item of note is another change to the make-up of the AT Board. The legislation that established Auckland Transport allows for Waka Kotahi to ...
How does France deal with opponents of its colonisation of the Pacific? Arrest them and deport them to France to face prosecution in a foreign court: A group of pro-independence leaders charged with allegedly organising protests that turned into violent unrest in New Caledonia last month was indicted on ...
On this edition of AVFA Selwyn Manning and I discuss post-pandemic economics and the rise of national populism. It seems that a post-pandemic turn to more nationalist economic policies may have encouraged the rise of populists who use xenophobia and … Continue reading → ...
Two weeks ago the climate denier government announced they would be giving farmers what they want and removing agriculture from the ETS. On Friday they introduced the bill for it to the House. Due to past efforts and backdowns, the Climate Change Response Act has a lot of inactive clauses ...
The Struggle Continues: Keith Locke belonged to a generation that still believed in a world that could be, through struggle, relieved of its chains. That struggle constituted the core of a life lived with purpose, courage and determination. MANY NEW ZEALANDERS would, no doubt, have been surprised to discover that Keith Locke was ...
A couple of my stories – A Breath Through Silver, and The Last Libation – have previously earned themselves reprints. Well, I am pleased to report that the nice people at Heroic Fantasy Quarterly (https://www.heroicfantasyquarterly.com/) have included my narrative horror-poem, The Night Before Yule, in their newly-compiled Best Of anthology. ...
TL;DR: Responding to the grounding of the Aratere over the weekend, the Government has signalled it will buy new replacement ferries, but only enough to replace existing freight capacity.That would effectively limit Aotearoa-NZ’s ability to handle any growth in population or the need to reduce emissions by shifting freight from ...
Hi, we’re Greater Auckland. We’ve been a part of the landscape for over 15 years now. Over that time, we’ve provided informed commentary, evidence-based analysis, and inspiring visions for the future of Tāmaki Makaurau. You might know us from such hits as: The Congestion-Free Network2013 (and its 2017 ...
Fancy, a fast carA bag full of lootI can nearly guaranteeYou'll end up with the bootThe Prime Minister arrived home, perhaps a bit surprised, maybe even secretly a little pleased at the diversion, to find the country falling apart. Things going more badly that even his c-list, self back-slapping, trip ...
The problems at KiwiRail go further and deeper than the maintenance issue, which caused the inter-island ferry Aratere to run aground on Saturday. The company is also the subject of a damning report published last week about the way it runs its rail operations from the Transport Accident Investigation Commission. ...
“It’s all well and good to want to ensure development opportunities, but unless the Government fronts with infrastructure money, councils are limited in what they can offer by ways of expansion,” says Labour housing spokesperson Kieran McAnulty. ...
While today’s announcement shows some support for bolstering urban density, it will not be enough to turn the tide on a status quo of urban sprawl. ...
The government’s failure to invest in flood protection and emergency relief will be felt for generations to come says Te Pāti Māori spokesperson for Te Tai Rāwhiti, Tākuta Ferris. “It was only three months ago that councils were calling for the government to help invest in flood protection. Cyclone Gabrielle ...
Mema Paremata mō te Waiariki, Rawiri Waititi, says the government is subscribing the Rotorua Housing Crisis to a privatisation fast-track. The comments come after 100-homes have been placed on hold whilst Kāinga Ora conduct a review. “With a quick text message to one of their rich mates, this government has ...
Te Pāti Māori are demanding that the Māori Development Minister move quickly to prevent a financial restructure announced by Whakaata Māori yesterday. "Minister Potaka must immediately intervene and recommit funding to Whakaata Māori. A 25% reduction is cutting Whakaata Māori at their knees; we cannot accept that," said broadcast spokesperson, ...
National has come up with yet another way to make driving a car more expensive – this time adding more costs to sit a driver licence, Labour transport spokesperson Tangi Utikere said. ...
Correspondence released under the Official Information Act reveals the Government’s boot camp concept is not backed by the military that is expected to run it. ...
The Government is risking the wellbeing of vulnerable children across Aotearoa who benefit from services like counselling, intensive family support, parent programmes and early intervention, as they claw back funding. ...
Thousands of people have taken to the streets and voiced their concerns about National’s destructive and undemocratic Fast Track Approvals Bill. Add your voice and tell National why this legislation needs to be stopped in its tracks. ...
Celebrating Matariki as a public holiday over the past two years has made sure everyone gets to spend some extra time with friends and family, as well as the chance to learn more about what makes this time of year meaningful. ...
The Government needs to be transparent about the cuts they are making to hospital infrastructure, so that cities are clear on the health resources they will have into the future. ...
Our students deserve access to fresh, healthy food to fuel their busy school days and lives.That’s why Labour introduced the Ka Ora, Ka Ako healthy school lunch programme. Teachers, parents, principals and health experts all saw the benefits of it. ...
The new Covid-19 Inquiry we campaigned and fought for will start in November.The current Royal Commission of Inquiry into the Covid-19 response will be divided into two phases. ‘Phase Two’ of the inquiry will start from November 2024 and will be the independent, full scale, and public inquiry we ...
“Today’s announcement is simply a repeat of the Government rejecting decades of evidence and expert advice, as they forcibly try to turn marketing slogans into policy,” said children’s spokesperson Willow-Jean Prime. ...
“I am relieved Pharmac will be funded more to buy medicines for Kiwis. It is important that decisions on which drugs get funded remain independent from politics,” Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said. ...
The Green Party welcomes the announcement of more funding for cancer treatments and medicines, however, calls for more to be done to address the severe health inequities that come with cancer. ...
Frivolous check-ins with beneficiaries are the Government’s latest plan to find excuses to punish those on the Job Seeker allowance and add to the stigma they face. ...
The grounding of the Aratere Interislander Ferry is a wake-up call to the Coalition Government; they need to front up with a realistic long term solution to moving people and freight between our islands. ...
New Zealanders need and deserve a strong public health system. Throughout the country, we need to ensure hospitals, clinics and community providers have the resources needed to provide the best level of care. ...
Victims of family violence could fall through the gaps in New Zealand, as Police stop responding to some call outs and the Government chooses to prioritise other things. ...
The lack of bids at today’s ETS auction is a sad indictment on this Government's staggering indifference to the climate crisis and their lack of a plan. ...
“I am deeply disappointed in the National Party's budget. Their broken promises and cuts to essential services, including health, education, and support for vulnerable groups, will have long-lasting negative impacts” – Raymor, Auckland ...
Today marks the beginning of Schools Pride Week in New Zealand, an important calendar event largely run by rainbow rangitahi to advocate for safer, more inclusive school environments. ...
Kia Ora Koutou, Tena Koutou, Good Morning. Thank you Mahaki Albert for the warm welcome. Thank you, Prime Minister, and thank you everyone for coming today. When I look around the room this morning, I see many of our hard-working mental health and addictions workforce from NGO and Community groups, ...
A trip to Australia next week to meet mining sector operators and investors will signal New Zealand is once again open for business, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. The visit is also an opportunity to build relationships with Australian state and federal counterparts and learn from their experiences as New ...
New Zealand’s ability to engage with key trading partners is set to grow further with 20 scholarships awarded for groups to gain education experiences across Asia and Latin America, Tertiary Education and Skills Minister, Penny Simmonds says. Of the 20 scholarships, 12 have been awarded to groups travelling for study ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed progress on Northwest Rapid Transit, as the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) confirms next steps on the preferred option, a busway alongside State Highway 16 from Brigham Creek to Auckland City Centre. “The Government is committed to a rapid transit system that will support urban development, ...
Reflecting the Government’s priority to improve the public services Kiwis rely on, including mental health care, Minister for Mental Health, Matt Doocey has today announced five mental health and addiction targets. “The targets reflect my priorities to increase access to mental health and addiction support, grow the mental health and addiction ...
The first round of the government’s $10 million Mental Health and Addiction Community Sector Innovation Fund is set to open for applications later this month, Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey says. “The Fund will support new and innovative initiatives that are focussed on increasing access to better mental health support, ...
Speech to the Real Estate Institute of New Zealand - 4 July 202 AcknowledgementsGood morning. Can I acknowledge Jen Baird and the team from REINZ. It’s good to be here with you this morning.IntroductionThis morning I’d like to talk to you about the Coalition Government’s plan to fix our housing crisis and ...
New Zealand and Nauru are deepening their relationship, including on economic resilience and education, Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters says. “New Zealand and Nauru have a warm, long-standing relationship, and we are strengthening our engagement through enhanced political, security, and development cooperation,” Mr Peters says. “The good functioning ...
The Government will establish ambitious new housing growth targets for New Zealand’s cities, while taking steps to make it easier to expand both up and out, says Housing and Resource Management Act (RMA) Reform Minister Chris Bishop. “Our Going for Housing Growth policy focuses on the fundamentals that have led ...
Increasing the recreational daily catch limit for kina around the northeastern North Island and a new special permit to remove kina will help tackle kina barrens, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. Kina barrens are areas of rocky reef where healthy kelp forests have been consumed by an overpopulation ...
The Government has marked a major milestone for rural connectivity at the official opening of the 500th RCG mobile tower in Anawhata today, Communications Minister Paul Goldsmith says. “Rural, rugged and remote, like many of the 500 towers delivered, RCG worked alongside community stakeholders to deliver better connectivity for Anawhata ...
Science, Innovation and Technology Minister Judith Collins today released the updated Endeavour Fund Investment Plan – the Government’s $55 million per annum fund for science and research. “Endeavour is the Government’s largest contestable fund investing in science and research. It is crucial that this investment aligns with this Government’s priority ...
Work on a critical minerals list and a stocktake of New Zealand’s known mineral potential is underway and will be key to enabling a strategic, considered approach to developing the country’s resources and strengthening mineral resilience, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. Together, the list and the stocktake will identify the ...
The Government is providing a further $500,000 to the Wairoa Mayoral Relief Fund to help the community following flooding last week, Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell announced during a visit to the district today. “I have been back on the ground in Wairoa today to get a further ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon will visit the United States from 9-12 July. Mr Luxon will begin his visit by building New Zealand’s profile with politicians in Washington DC, meeting members of the US Administration and of Congress. “The United States is the world’s largest economy and our second biggest trading partner. It ...
The Coalition Government is delivering consistency in student assessment, giving parents certainty on how their child’s doing at school, Education Minister Erica Stanford says. “Currently, the first glimpse at student achievement is when children sit NCEA. It’s far too late to learn in Year 10 or 11 if they have ...
Health Minister Dr Shane Reti has confirmed that cervical screening will continue to be free for women with higher risk of cervical cancer. “Our Government is committed to achieving better cancer outcomes for New Zealanders, and screening programmes are critical to getting an early diagnosis and timely treatment,” says Dr ...
The board of Kāinga Ora – Homes & Community has been refreshed and Ministers have issued a new Letter of Expectations demanding better financial performance, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says.“Earlier this year we released the report of the independent review into Kāinga Ora led by Sir Bill English, which found ...
New Zealand and Solomon Islands are boosting their partnership in areas aimed at enhancing security and prosperity, Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters says. “Solomon Islands is a very important Pacific partner for New Zealand, and we are pleased to be findings ways to do more together for mutual benefit,” Mr ...
New Zealand today concluded a groundbreaking trade deal with Costa Rica, Iceland, and Switzerland, to remove tariffs on hundreds of products that benefit sustainability and the environment, Trade and Agriculture Minister Todd McClay says. “The Agreement on Climate Change, Trade and Sustainability (ACCTS) opens up commercial opportunities for New Zealand businesses ...
New Zealand and Australia have highlighted their strong commitment to Solomon Islands aviation and economic development through the handover of the upgraded Seghe Airfield today. “The upgrade of the Seghe Airfield runway in Western Province will enable flights to operate under all weather conditions, making operations safer and more ...
The Government is rolling out changes to the driver licencing system to tackle the unacceptable wait times facing New Zealanders trying to sit their driver licence tests across the country, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Since the previous government’s decision last year to remove re-sit fees for theory and practical ...
Around 11,000 singers from 40 countries will be taking to the stage in Auckland next week for the 13th World Choir Games, generating important economic and cultural benefits for the supercity, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. “It’s the biggest choral competition and festival in the world, so I’m absolutely ...
A reservation over the Kermadec Arc preventing the granting or extending of minerals prospecting, exploration, and mining permits will be extended for 18 months from 5 July, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones’ declaration, enabled under the Crown Minerals Act 1991, will extend consecutive existing reservations, the latest of ...
The Government is taking immediate action to support New Zealand’s media and content production sectors, while it develops a long-term reform programme, Media and Communications Minister Paul Goldsmith says. “Firstly, the Government will progress the Fair Digital News Bargaining Bill with amendments, to support our local media companies to earn ...
Tākina Puanga, mānawatia a Matariki, mānawatia te huinga whetū! Congratulations to Ngā Kura Kaupapa Māori o Te Puku o te Ika a Māui on winning this year’s national secondary schools kapa haka competition Te Huinga Whetū, Māori Development Minister Tama Potaka says. “It was great to hear the stage rumbling ...
The coalition Government's latest Action Plan will have a strong focus on making Kiwis safer and restoring law and order, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has announced. “The Government I lead is one of action and we are already making meaningful changes that will keep Kiwis safe in their homes, workplaces ...
A successful second quarter Action Plan shows the coalition Government has continued to build on the momentum of its first 100 days, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon says. “Our Government Action Plan was laser-focused on rebuilding the economy and reducing the cost of living, restoring law and order, and delivering better ...
Associate Finance Minister David Seymour is glad to see the Natural Hazards Insurance Act come into force today, further protecting homeowners’ rights after a natural hazard event and seeing the Earthquake Commission (EQC) become the Natural Hazards Commission. “The Government is committed to ensuring Kiwis continue to get reliable insurance ...
Restoring the brightline test to two years will help increase the supply of residential property putting downward pressure on rent, Revenue Minister Simon Watts says. “From 1 July, the brightline test will replace the five and ten-year periods with a more balanced two-year period. “Every day, New Zealanders are struggling ...
Councils, iwi, businesses and community organisations with infrastructure projects that support regional priorities are invited to apply for funding from the Regional Infrastructure Fund, which opened today. “The Coalition Government is focused on growing the economy. We are doing everything we can to enable an export-led recovery, regional prosperity and ...
Kia ora koutou katoa – it’s a pleasure to join you here at Tōtara Haumaru on Auckland’s North Shore I would like to begin by acknowledging the many hands, over many years, that have been involved in the creation of this wonderful new facility Tōtara Haumaru, particularly those who are ...
Defence Minister Judith Collins will visit the Kingdom of Tonga to take part in the opening of a New Zealand-funded His Majesty’s Armed Forces Leadership Centre and to meet with counterparts. “New Zealand has a long, shared military history with Tonga and the development of this leadership centre is an ...
Today the Crown joined Rangitāne and Ngāti Kahungunu at Papawai Marae to mark the return of Wairarapa Moana to iwi, Treaty Negotiations Minister Paul Goldsmith and Māori Crown Relations Minister Tama Potaka says. “The legal transfer of the ownership of Wairarapa Moana is the final chapter in a fraught dispute between ...
Changes to the Land Transport (Clean Vehicle Standard) Act will enable changes to the emissions targets more easily with a review of the Clean Vehicle Standard currently underway, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Large changes in technology, fuel efficiency, and consumer trends and preferences means that the Clean Car Importer Standard ...
Internal Affairs Minister Brooke van Velden has today announced that four members have been reappointed to the Fire and Emergency New Zealand [FENZ] board. “I am pleased to announce that Rebecca Keoghan has been reappointed as chair for a two-year term of office,” says Ms van Velden. Rebecca was appointed ...
The Government has taken further steps to providing better regulation for medicines, medical devices, and natural health products with the first reading of a bill to repeal the Therapeutic Products Act 2023. Repealing the Therapeutic Products Act (TPA) shows the Government is listening to the concerns of industry and consumers, says Associate ...
Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says $343.5 million in lottery profits have been allocated to New Zealand communities across the country – an increase of around $29.8 million from previous years. “The distribution of lottery profits can have a significant and enduring impact on the lives of New ...
Civil Defence payments are now available for people affected by the severe weather in Hawke’s Bay and Tairāwhiti to help cover some emergency costs, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston has announced. “We want to make sure those communities that are doing it tough because of the latest severe ...
The coalition Government is progressing its commitment to reinstate livestock exports by sea, with public consultation set to start before September, Associate Minister of Agriculture Hon Andrew Hoggard says. Reinstating livestock exports by sea will require an amendment to the Animal Welfare Act 1999 and strengthened welfare standards will be ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Brooke Nickel, NHMRC Emerging Leader Research Fellow, University of Sydney wedmoments.stock/Shutterstock The way women are screened for breast cancer in Australia may change. There’s international debate on the age women should be invited for screening. But an even larger change being ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Catherine Campbell, Lecturer, Performing Arts, UniSA Creative, University of South Australia Morgan Sette It is always wonderful to see a new Australian play, and to see one by a female playwright with a majority female cast and creative team is a ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Matthew Henry, Associate Professor in Planning, Massey University Getty Images Increasingly low-cost environmental sensors coupled with AI-powered analytical tools dangle the promise of faster and more insightful environmental planning. The need for better decision making about the way we use ecosystems ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Simon Wright, Senior Research Fellow, Energy & Circularity, Gulbali Institute, Charles Sturt University Small collections of electricity generators, or “microgrids”, have long been used in disaster recovery, when network supply falters during bushfires or cyclones. But now the technology is being ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rob Stokes, Industry Professor, Environment and Sustainability, Macquarie University Rob Stokes The right of everyone to have a say on development is at the heart of modern urban planning. But as homes become ever more expensive, questions are being asked about ...
The former chief news officer at Newshub reflects on, and explains, the end of a news era. A version of this article was first published on Hal Crawford’s Substack, Crawford Media. Subscribe here. This Friday will be the last day of broadcasting and publishing for my old newsroom, Newshub. It’s ...
The controversial policy has many supporters, for vastly different reasons. Liam Rātana explains.During the 2023 election campaign, there was a Māori MPs debate at Terenga Paraoa Marae in Whangārei, hosted by the Public Service Association. Present are the electorate’s incumbent Kelvin Davis, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi from Te Paati Māori, Green ...
The Housing Minister says the changes will "ensure abundant development opportunities in our key urban areas" by making it easier to build new houses. ...
The May results are reported against forecasts based on the Budget Economic and Fiscal Update 2024 (BEFU 2024), published on 30 May 2024, and the results for the same period for the previous year. ...
Dr Areta Wilkinson’s arts practice investigates contemporary jewellery as a form of knowledge informed by Māori philosophies, especially whakapapa and a Ngāi Tahu worldview. Her work is represented by Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki and Te Papa Tongarewa Museum of New Zealand, Wellington. She is an Arts Foundation Laureate, ...
New safety measures are on the way for some of New Zealand’s bus drivers. Staff writer Lyric Waiwiri-Smith speaks to one driver about the recent rise in aggression from commuters. It’s difficult to think of a vehicle – or shall we say, chariot – more symbolic of the working class ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Magnus Söderberg, Professor & Director, Centre for Applied Energy Economics and Policy Research, Griffith University DebraO’Connor/Shutterstock Much of the debate about nuclear power in the month since the Coalition announced its plan to install reactors in seven states has been about ...
Children’s Minister Karen Chhour introduced her bill to repeal the section in May, which requires the ministry to consider whakapapa and the Treaty of Waitangi when making decisions about children and young people in state care. ...
"It’s tempting to think that the Government has cut funding for the ambulance at the bottom of the cliff, but the truth is that budgeting services can stop people falling over the edge in the first place," said Mr Watson. ...
I need a perfect line to cut to the bone and deter them once and for all. Want Hera’s help? Email your problem to helpme@thespinoff.co.nzDear HeraEvery Sunday afternoon my neighbour and his friends and flatmates all gather to watch the rugby league. I’m not a sports fan, but I actually kind ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrew Young, Research Fellow, School of Humanities and Social Sciences, Deakin University, Deakin University After a great deal of political haggling, pressure and negotiations, Australia’s National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) was established a year ago, with a view to stamping out corruption and ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Marta Rychert, Senior Researcher in Drug Policy and Health Law, Massey University Getty Images We all make mistakes at work. And many factors can contribute to professional lapses, including fatigue, illness and lack of training or professional support. Usually we pick ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ehsan Noroozinejad, Senior Researcher, Urban Transformations Research Centre, Western Sydney University rawf8/Shutterstock Australia is facing dual crises: increasing climate change risks and soaring housing costs. Financial institutions have a crucial role to play in funding and promoting solutions to these challenges. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Carmel Taddeo, Senior Lecturer at UniSA Education Futures, University of South Australia Prateek Katyal/Pexels Many parents are worried about how much their children use social media and what content they might encounter while using it. Amid proposals to ban ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Magnus Söderberg, Professor & Director, Centre for Applied Energy Economics and Policy Research, Griffith University DebraO’Connor/Shutterstock Much of the debate about nuclear power in the month since the Coalition announced its plan to install reactors in seven states has been about ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adhi Oktaviana, PhD Candidate in Archaeology, Griffith University Cave art site of Leang Karampuang in the Maros-Pangkep karst area of South Sulawesi. A rock art panel on the ceiling depicting three human-like figures interacting with a wild pig dates to at least ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Garritt C. Van Dyk, Lecturer in History, University of Newcastle Natasha Breen/Shutterstock The most seductive culinary myths have murky origins, with a revolutionary discovery created by accident, or out of necessity. For the Caesar salad, these classic ingredients are spiced ...
It’s been a while since Labour winning was a genuine possibility, let alone a likelihood, writes Stewart Sowman-Lund in this extract from The Bulletin. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here. The ...
Midway through last year, Michaela Sokolich-Beatson could barely walk; running made her cry. She’d just missed out on the Silver Ferns to play at the Netball World Cup in South Africa – after a remarkable comeback to the court from back-to-back Achilles ruptures – but there was something else going ...
Civil service mandarins Iona Holsted, Caralee McLiesh and Lil Anderson aren’t expected to have their contracts renewed, sources say. All three had been appointed on fixed term contracts that come up for renewal in coming months; none is expected to get another term. There had been plans for the acting ...
From restoring no-cause evictions and 90-day trials to failing to take climate change seriously, the government seems determined to exacerbate insecurity at every turn, argues Max Rashbrooke. Between their eighth and 12th birthdays, nearly half of all New Zealand children move house. A fifth of these displacements are involuntary, as ...
The management consultants had helped with the caucus – could they heal the Lange-Douglas rift?Quantum Leap, the fourth episode of Juggernaut: The Story of the Fourth Labour Government, is now available wherever you get your podcasts.In July 1982, Bill Rowling, Richard Prebble, Roger Douglas, David Lange and the ...
The first entry in Ian Wedde’s new collection of essays, art reviews, guest lectures and other assorted think pieces is more than 20 years old, and is looking back towards something much older again. The subject of the short piece is a photo by Peter Black, from Christchurch in 1987, ...
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Opinion: History shows how badly political parties – especially when they are in government – prepare for leadership change The post From success to succession appeared first on Newsroom. ...
Opinion: Te Pāti Māori has issued a declaration – Te Ngākau o Te Iwi Māori – to establish an autonomous Parliament for Māori. This call follows the Government’s breathtaking hostility to Māori. “We now begin the process of establishing our own Parliament,” says co-leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer (Ngāti Ruanui). Anchored in tikanga, ...
It is an old landscape, a place of shadows and folded headlands on the southern coast of Te Pātaka o Rākaihautū (Banks Peninsula). Here, some time in the mid-1850s, Ngāti Irakehu kaumātua Heremaia Mautai, of the people of Wairewa (Little River), cut the belt of one of the first sawmills ...
Warning: this story mentions suicide This month, the Government will deliver on a campaign promise by launching a pilot ‘young offender military academy’ – a bootcamp – despite a raft of evidence that “scare them straight” programmes are unsuccessful. Minister for Children Karen Chhour says that this scheme will include ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jason Harris, Professor of Corporate Law, University of Sydney Australia’s corporate watchdog, the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC), should be broken up and replaced by new and more responsive regulatory agencies, a damning report has found. The Senate Economics References Committee ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Anthony Albanese has flagged he expects rebel Labor senator Fatima Payman to quit the Labor Party imminently. Answering a question in parliament from the opposition, the prime minister said: “I expect further announcements in the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra The Coalition is taking a major political gamble with its nuclear power policy, which is facing criticism from a range of experts. The opposition has announced seven proposed sites for power stations but has ...
With big powers stepping outside the rules-based trading system, NZ must push hard to diversify trading partners, the deputy secretary of tradesays. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Milad Haghani, Senior Lecturer of Urban Mobility, Public Safety & Disaster Risk, UNSW Sydney A catastrophe involving large crowds at a religious gathering in northern India yesterday resulted in the deaths of over 100 people, with many more injured. The disaster, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Cameron Webb, Clinical Associate Professor and Principal Hospital Scientist, University of Sydney Eszter Szadeczky-Kardoss/Shutterstock If you’re looking to escape the Australian winter for your next holiday, don’t forget where there’s warmth, there will also be mosquitoes. In turn, tropical destinations can ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Katharine Kemp, Associate Professor, Faculty of Law & Justice, UNSW Sydney NadyaEugene/Shutterstock Photos of Australian children have been used without consent to train artificial intelligence (AI) models that generate images. A new report from the non-governmental organisation Human Rights Watch ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Muhammad Rizwan Azhar, Lecturer of Chemical Engineering, Sustainable Energy and Resources, Edith Cowan University ShutterstockMore Australians than ever are riding electric bikes – a fact you may have noticed on the streets of our cities and towns. Electric bikes, ...
Inflation is over – at least according to one business survey – so it’s time to celebrate! Shanti Mathias and Joel MacManus present a guide to hosting a no-more-inflation party. For many years (or since the end of 2020), inflation has been a scourge in the New Zealand economy. It ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sherine Al Shallah, Doctoral Researcher, Refugee Cultural Heritage and Connected Rights Protection | Affiliate, Kaldor Centre for International Refugee Law | Associate, Australian Human Rights Institute, UNSW Sydney Cultural heritage has long been targeted during conflict. This includes the destruction of the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Markus Luczak-Roesch, Professor of Informatics and Chair in Complexity Science, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington Getty Images New Zealand shifted closer towards digital credentials for access to online services this week with the launch of the Trust Framework ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rachel Williamson, Senior Tutor in English, University of Canterbury Netflix A Family Affair is Netflix’s latest entry in the recently resuscitated rom-com genre. The streaming giant’s film execs have described the revival as a tactical decision to plug – and capitalise ...
A new book dissecting New Zealand’s 2020 general election concludes the “Team of Five Million” catchphrase may have helped mask existing social divisions but these divisions still very much influenced how we voted. ...
Thirty civilian coastwatchers who provided invaluable - and until now unrecognised - service during the Second World War as the eyes and ears for the Allied effort in the Pacific, have received a long-awaited act of recognition at Government House ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Toby Murray, Associate Professor of Cybersecurity, School of Computing and Information Systems, The University of Melbourne Jelena Stanojkovic/Shutterstock Australia’s eSafety Commissioner has announced she’s given the major tech platforms six months to develop enforceable codes for protecting children from online pornography ...
For four long years, Dunedin has been without a Kmart. Hera Lindsay Bird marks its return. When the Meridian Mall Kmart closed back in 2020, citing earthquake-strengthening requirements, a shadow fell across the city.It was a grim time for Dunedin. Two local tour guides even went so far as ...
test attempt #3
success!
TS has not been accepting comments from iOS Safari for months… this is posted from Chrome
FYI, the reason why the third attempt succeeded was the change in IP address.
OK, that's weird!
The other IP address is in the Black List.
TS has probably blocked every Apple device using "IP address tracking protection"… sigh
Nope
POTUS can ask the executive to do what he wants.
http://norightturn.blogspot.com/2024/07/a-licence-for-tyranny.html
And the supreme court gave the power to a Democratic leader first.
Hopefully, Biden will sack the supreme court and then close the loop hole.