Daily review 04/10/2023

Written By: notices and features - Date published: 5:30 pm, October 4th, 2023 - 57 comments
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57 comments on “Daily review 04/10/2023 ”

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Stephen D 1

4 October 2023 at 5:44 pm

Another tourist town v short term rentals.

https://www.stuff.co.nz/travel/news/300982251/the-italian-city-fighting-back-against-the-likes-of-airbnb
- Roy Cartland 1.1
  
  4 October 2023 at 6:15 pm
  
  Good!
Bearded Git 2

4 October 2023 at 6:06 pm

Tonights TV1 poll:

Lab 26 Gre 13 TPM 2 =41

Nat 36 Act 10 =46

NZF are on 6

Undecided 10

The Left must hope Peters gets 4.9 then it is all still on with the gap only 5 (46-41).

In this poll the Greens have now overtaken ACT who went down 2.

I still reckon TPM will get more than 2.
- Belladonna 2.1
  
  4 October 2023 at 6:16 pm
  
  Report here
  
  https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/politics/election-2023-1news-verian-poll-to-reveal-if-national-act-need-nz-first-and-if-labour-has-turned-things-around/74UOPZZ6DVB2ZMENCVH2JTY5TU/
- Belladonna 2.2
  
  4 October 2023 at 6:19 pm
  
  If NZF gets 4.9% on these figures – then there is a National/ACT government (the wasted votes are proportionally redistributed). I don't see that as something the Left should hope for….
  - Bearded Git 2.2.1
    
    4 October 2023 at 6:27 pm
    
    Bella-of course not. I thought it was clear what I was saying but let me spell it out.
    
    If NZF get 4.9% AND there is a (relatively small) 2.6% swing to the Left and/or there is an error in the polling of 2.6%, then the Left will win.
    - Ngungukai 2.2.1.1
      
      4 October 2023 at 6:38 pm
      
      I think NZF will get 8-9% come Election Night, NZF always poll 2-3% above the polls historically and voters will see Winston as a Handbrake whether he goes Left or Right IMHO.
      - Bearded Git 2.2.1.1.1
        
        4 October 2023 at 6:53 pm
        
        You could be right Ngung. Though from memory NZF doesn't always poll as well on the night as it polls on TV1/TV3. You will have to provide proof that it regularly polls better.
        
        Ngungukai 2.2.1.1.1.1
        
        4 October 2023 at 7:11 pm
        
        Just going from memory however 2020 was a disaster for NZF and they may have polled less than the pre Election polls, gut feeling they may do better this time unless Winston & Shane Jones shoot themselves in the feet again ???
        
        Belladonna 2.2.1.1.1.2
        
        4 October 2023 at 7:14 pm
        
        Given that polls are quite widely variant, it's difficult to provide absolute evidence – but there is a small tendency for NZF to deliver better election results than polling suggests.
        
        Looking at the range of poll results in the month before the election compared to the actual result:
        
        2020 3.5 – 2.4% 2.6
        
        2017 11 – 4.9% 6.2%
        
        2014 8.4 – 4.4% 6.66%
        
        2011 6.5 – 1.7% 6.59%
        
        So – they deliver in the mid-top part of the polling range – and sometimes exceed it (cf 2011)
        
        This is the reverse of the Green party – which tends to poll better than their election results deliver.
        
        I would put this difference down to turnout. Traditionally NZF appeals to golden oldies – who overwhelmingly vote; and the GP to the younger crowd who often don't [yes, yes, I know, wild generalization]
        
        Whether that holds true for this election — time will tell. Peters is deliberately appealing to a very different electorate this time around.
        
        https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opinion_polling_for_the_2020_New_Zealand_general_election
        
        https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opinion_polling_for_the_2017_New_Zealand_general_election
        
        https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opinion_polling_for_the_2014_New_Zealand_general_election
        
        https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opinion_polling_for_the_2011_New_Zealand_general_election
    - weka 2.2.1.2
      
      4 October 2023 at 9:52 pm
      
      these figures give a hung parliament.
      
      Lab 30%
      
      GP 13
      
      TPM 2 (plus 2 seats)
      
      NZF 4.9
      
      Nat 36
      
      Act 10
      
      Other parties 4.1
      - Bearded Git 2.2.1.2.1
        
        4 October 2023 at 10:26 pm
        
        Exactly Weka…interesting days ahead.
- Dennis Frank 2.3
  
  4 October 2023 at 6:26 pm
  
  Apart from ACT things were same as last week’s poll, so it's a mystery where that 2% from ACT went. Undecided remaining steady is an indication of how unimpressed or disengaged they are. Chippy was chipper in his comments – no reference to his failure to lift Labour, seems not to have occurred to him & the interviewer didn't point the fact out to him either. Polls are ephemeral, no need to get real yet!
  - Belladonna 2.3.1
    
    4 October 2023 at 7:23 pm
    
    I'd say it's just margin of error. The rats-and-mice parties are described as being up – so suspect that's the adjustment made.
- Ngungukai 2.4
  
  4 October 2023 at 6:35 pm
  
  Agree TPM will definitely get for 4 or 5 seats.
  - Belladonna 2.4.1
    
    4 October 2023 at 6:50 pm
    
    I think you may well be correct – I don't have real confidence that any of the mainstream polls are penetrating the Maori roll effectively. But those votes, will come off the Labour total (Maori seats). It's possible that this might result in a single seat overhang (TPM have more electorate seats than party vote).
- Tiger Mountain 2.5
  
  4 October 2023 at 7:55 pm
  
  Agree Git, TPM are underpolling, they have been running a good ground campaign for months.
- Ad 2.6
  
  4 October 2023 at 9:06 pm
  
  Just fucking sad.
pat 3

4 October 2023 at 6:30 pm

He may be loved to be hated here but when Labour are polling 26% (against a useless and openly tax/services light opposition) what he observes is worth taking note of.

https://pointofordernz.wordpress.com/2023/10/04/bryce-edwards-ten-reasons-labours-support-has-halved/
- Bearded Git 3.1
  
  4 October 2023 at 6:55 pm
  
  Remember Bryce is a National Party patsy. Most of the time he attacks the Left.
  - pat 3.1.1
    
    4 October 2023 at 7:39 pm
    
    In your opinion…his history would suggest otherwise, but never mind.
    - Anne 3.1.1.1
      
      4 October 2023 at 8:27 pm
      
      He's a male version of Josie Pagani. Pretending to be from the Left. Maybe he was once, but he prefers his bread and butter life experiences to have a good coating of jam. He knows what his paymasters want from him just as Josie P does.
    - gsays 3.1.1.2
      
      4 October 2023 at 8:53 pm
      
      Funny, two critiques of the messenger, nothing about the message.
      
      There was some serious food for thought. High expectations, especially with a majority in the second term but underwhelming delivery.
      
      The lack of discipline amongst cabinet ministers to lose 4 in quick succession, 3 because of integrity.
      
      What does Labour stand for?
      - Drowsy M. Kram 3.1.1.2.1
        
        4 October 2023 at 10:00 pm
        
        – Number 1 Platoon, B Company…
        – Not the Wardens.
        
        Don't know about Labour, but NAct stand for 'discipline' – as much as the electorate can bear, or more. Hum along with NAct – not the "bottom feeders".
        
        “We must get New Zealand’s economic engine humming again and these initiatives will be part of restoring fiscal discipline that taxpayers deserve, and the economy needs.”
        
        On National’s Tax Cuts [31 August 2023]
        Revealingly, National’s chart setting out the potential income gains has omitted everyone earning below $30,000 as if they don’t exist – and that’s an accurate reflection of how the “bottom feeders” simply don’t register on the centre-right’s voter radar.
        
        Anyone else remember "Starve the Country Rich"?
        
        Why are so many people going hungry in such a rich country?
        It used to be said that Britain was a rich country with pockets of depravation [sic]. Many years of rising inequality and economic vandalism means that we are now a poor country with some rich people living in it.
        
        National's fiscal plan revealed: 'Less tax, lower debt' [29 Sept]
        “In a cost-of-living crisis it is morally wrong to put more kids in poverty to pay for the tax cuts of millionaires and property speculators."
        
        Party Vote Green (or TPM – their Wealth Tax is good too.)
        
        https://www.greens.org.nz/ending_poverty_together
        
        gsays 3.1.1.2.1.1
        
        4 October 2023 at 10:16 pm
        
        You make my point brilliantly.
        
        When asked "What does Labour stand for?" you say you don't know. Not unreasonable, any impartial observer would see they have lost their way. From the redtape bonfire replaced with nothing, ministers dropping like flies, a Prime Minister that cites polling as a reason not bring a wealth tax (or any meaningful tax reform), a union man as health minister resisting giving nurses pay parity and a pay rise in the shadow of a global pandemic!
        
        For all their faults and as abhorrent as their aims and values are, the Nacts stand for something.
        
        Drowsy M. Kram …
        
        4 October 2023 at 11:12 pm
        
        For all their faults and as abhorrent as their aims and values are, the Nacts stand for something.
        
        Yes – NAct stand for abhorrent aims consistent with their values.
        Maybe they have other faults, but who could claim to know all of them?
        
        I don't need to know everything Labour stands for – just that 'they' are a major NZ political party whose leader is unlikely to ever refer to Kiwis as "bottom feeders", or talk about a coalition of chaos with National, NZF, ACT and maybe white supremacists.
        
        Party Vote Green (or TPM – their Wealth Tax is good too.)
        
        https://www.greens.org.nz/ending_poverty_together
      - Patricia Bremner 3.1.1.2.2
        
        5 October 2023 at 5:09 am
        
        Labour =People rather than National =Money Pat.
        Plus they are a punitive one tax trick pony.
        We know what Bryce is… but you???
        
        pat 3.1.1.2.2.1
        
        5 October 2023 at 6:11 am
        
        What am I Patricia?
        
        I am a father and grandfather who sees a very troubled future for his offspring (and their peers) being failed by a bereft political class.
        
        What I am not is a sycopant.
        
        gsays 3.1.1.2.2.2
        
        5 October 2023 at 6:33 am
        
        "…but you???"
        
        I am a bitterly disappointed, blue collar worker with a family. My wife is a nurse of just shy 30 yrs experience. My grandfather was an organiser that had a photograph of the Queen on his wall and ever so slightly higher, a photograph of MJ Savage. TBH, I think you and I are very closely aligned politically.
        
        Let down by a party that left me in the '80's and more recently has moved ever so close to National. A party that had a once in a lifetime opportunity to make meaningful changes to the system. But chose to listen to their advisors and pollsters and other members of the professional management class, because they seem to fail to have over riding principles.
        
        Welfare for working people. It's so sad what we have become and what we will settle for in our politicians.
        
        Just cause Bryce Edwards isn't on yr Christmas card list, doesn't mean he can't say some uncomfortable truths.
Anne 4

4 October 2023 at 6:39 pm

Did I hear Luxon say on TV1 news:

"the most positive thing Hipkins has ever done is get Covid"?

Ok I get the pun, but to me that comes across as truly nasty. In other words he and his mates are dancing with joy because Hipkins caught Covid on the campaign trail.

So much for his lack of ethics, integrity and maturity. Not in a lifetime would Hipkins – or any senior Labour/Green politician – stoop so low as to say something like that.
- Belladonna 4.1
  
  4 October 2023 at 6:54 pm
  
  Oh, I don't know… here's Grant Robertson having the time of his life roasting Collins and the rest of the National Party in Parliament.
  
  https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/deputy-pm-grant-robertsons-merciless-roast-of-judith-collins-and-the-national-partys-woes/OHAVY3JSUQJRVNSXOUTEV3UX6U/
  - Roy Cartland 4.1.1
    
    4 October 2023 at 7:04 pm
    
    What in that article did you find particularly nasty?
    - Belladonna 4.1.1.1
      
      4 October 2023 at 7:25 pm
      
      I found "Night of the plastic knives" rather distasteful.
      
      But wouldn't have felt it necessary to make a song and dance about it.
      
      Simply evidence that many politicians have a strong tradition of poking the borax at each other.
      - Roy Cartland 4.1.1.1.1
        
        4 October 2023 at 7:39 pm
        
        It's have to agree, Lux was pretty distasteful; but hardly in the league of Winston Peters who called Brendan Horan the "Jimmy Savile" of NZ politics! Or the wongs-whites comments he made that he thought was so funny. Gross.
- SapphireGem 4.2
  
  4 October 2023 at 7:20 pm
  
  Yeah, making a joke about someone's illness isn't a very Christian thing to do, is it?
- joe90 4.3
  
  4 October 2023 at 7:29 pm
  
  You heard right.
  
  .
  
  While it was "a shame" Hipkins came down with the coronavirus, he said: "It’s probably the only thing he’s been positive about in the whole campaign, to be honest with you."
  
  https://www.1news.co.nz/2023/10/04/covid-the-only-thing-hipkins-has-been-positive-about-luxon/
  - Ngungukai 4.3.1
    
    4 October 2023 at 7:51 pm
    
    Definitely not a very Christian like thing to say by Luxon, however these Pollies can not help themselves.
- Vivie 4.4
  
  4 October 2023 at 7:48 pm
  
  Yes Anne. I saw that TV One news item. Luxon commented that the only positive thing Hipkins had done (I think he was referring to the campaign) was to get Covid. A tasteless, spiteful remark. Luxon repeatedly stated that the Labour Government has committed "economic vandalism". He dismissed as incorrect, Goldman Sachs' analysis that National's tax plan is inflationary, as he has done with other critics of the tax plan.
  
  https://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA2310/S00025/nationals-tax-plan-likely-to-push-up-kiwis-mortgage-rates.htm
  
  "The new analysis from Goldman Sachs reported in the Herald today follows economist Cameron Bagrie when he said: “National tax plan is inflationary.” And economists Michael Reddell, Sam Warburton and Nick Goodall have said the policy to lift the foreign buyer ban for houses over $2m will cause greater house price inflation in New Zealand below the $2m mark as well".
  
  Luxon said that Hipkins was completely negative and is waking up "grumpy". Luxon then proceeded to attack Labour and Hipkins. He is clearly trying to create a negative narrative about Hipkins, for pointing out that economists have identified National's tax plan doesn't add up. It will obviously cause considerable, compounding socio-economic damage to NZ, but by being filmed rushing about campaigning, Luxon is managing to avoid being challenged in any depth about this.
  - Ngungukai 4.4.1
    
    4 October 2023 at 7:52 pm
    
    Luxon now playing the man not the ball ???
- gsays 4.5
  
  4 October 2023 at 8:25 pm
  
  Heh, and the chicken routine was honourable.
  - Anne 4.5.1
    
    4 October 2023 at 8:37 pm
    
    Get a sense of humour!
    
    The chicken joke was appropriate. Everyone knows Luxon used the occasion to 'chicken' out of another debate with Hipkins. He has neither the wit nor intellect to keep up with Chippy. No comparison between that and declaring somebody with Covid has finally done something positive – a bit like inferring Hipkins is a version of the biblical leper so we need to keep well away from him. Nasty as….
    - gsays 4.5.1.1
      
      4 October 2023 at 8:58 pm
      
      ….or
      
      Hipkins desperately needed the debate and didn't have faith in Kelvin Davis to do the job against Willis. And National were prudent not to give a sucker a break.
      - Anne 4.5.1.1.1
        
        4 October 2023 at 9:04 pm
        
        Luxon is the one who chickened out. Not Hipkins. Trying to divert attention by introducing the name of another Labour politician has no relevance.
        
        Luxon… chickened… out. Get it?
      - Louis 4.5.1.1.2
        
        5 October 2023 at 5:21 am
        
        Ben McKay
        
        @benmackey Oct 3
        
        Hipkins tells AM Labour put forward Grant Robertson as a debate stand-in tonight. "Unfortunately the National party weren't happy with that"
        
        Press editor Kamala Hayman confirmed National was asked if Luxon would debate Robertson, to avoid the need to reschedule the event.
        
        https://twitter.com/cjsbishop/status/1708942683811856572
Reality 5

4 October 2023 at 6:55 pm

If Luxon's comment is correct about the PM and Covid, it confirms my long held view that many Nats are plain nasty human beings. His so-called Christianity has well and truly been dumped. The sneer on the face of Erica Stanford for example is horrible to see.
Roy Cartland 6

4 October 2023 at 7:09 pm

7pm.

Hipkins is doing a "town hall" q and a session stuff right now. In lieu of the debate he didn't get to do I guess.
- SapphireGem 6.1
  
  4 October 2023 at 7:25 pm
  
  Thanks for the heads up – I'm going to try to watch it wherever it's available later. I hope it goes / is going well for him.
  
  My impression is that Luxon was desperate to NOT debate Hipkins, after Hipkins thrashed him in the Paddy Gower moderated debate. Once Hipkins got Covid, it was the perfect opportunity for Luxon to weasel out of the Press debate – he didn’t even try to hide his evident relief at not having to face Hipkins again in a challenging environment.
  
  Of course Luxon is looking forward to the Jessica Mutch-Mackay moderated debate next Thursday, because she has already in the first debate demonstrated her ineptitude as a moderator, her shallowness and superficiality, and her bias towards Luxon
  - Louis 6.1.1
    
    5 October 2023 at 5:25 am
    
    SapphireGem
    
    Here is a link to the virtual town hall meeting.
    
    https://www.facebook.com/NZLabourParty/videos/1501070117100145/
    - SapphireGem 6.1.1.1
      
      5 October 2023 at 8:29 pm
      
      Thank you Louis
- Roy Cartland 6.2
  
  4 October 2023 at 7:26 pm
  
  He's got a charm and personability that DeLuxe just ain't. Also, he's talking up LP's many achievements, something that's been sorely missing from this election.
  
  (Also, it seems a bit weird that the questioner has Labour signs up as well, I thought it was a Stuff thing?)
  - Louis 6.2.1
    
    5 October 2023 at 5:28 am
    
    Not Stuff. Jill Day is the president of the Labour Party.
    - PsyclingLeft.Always 6.2.1.1
      
      5 October 2023 at 7:40 am
      
      Good Morn Louis. I know Darien Fenton has previously commented on some of Labours many achievements on The Standard. Would it be possible for someone to do something similar again?
      
      I'm still optimistic that the Left will carry the win !
      - Louis 6.2.1.1.1
        
        6 October 2023 at 9:09 pm
        
        Hello PsyclingLeft.Always. Here are some examples, does this help?
        
        https://www.labour.org.nz/our-record
        
        PsyclingLeft.Always 6.2.1.1.1.1
        
        7 October 2023 at 8:34 am
        
        Hi Louis. That is great. I certainly knew a lot of them..but seeing it on the Link..really highlights them.
        
        Those who bag Labour on the Standard maybe arent the type who appreciate what Labour has achieved. And would never acknowledge same..but I definitely do.
        
        Thankyou Louis, and Labour : )
        
        Louis …
        
        7 October 2023 at 10:14 pm
- ianmac 6.3
  
  4 October 2023 at 8:15 pm
  
  Watched the whole hour of our PM Q&A. Good fun though he was talking to Labour supporters I think. A bit wooden but with only a camera to respond to it was understandable. Theme was the pride in our achievements and the facts that challenge the Nact false claims.
  
  eg: the S&P workings today show that the Nat Tax cuts will be inflationary which means longer inflation and more Cost of L. Luxon rubbished that of course but can't explain why S&P were wrong.
SPC 7

4 October 2023 at 7:24 pm

For a month National has claimed couples with children would get up to $250 a fortnight ($125 a week).

the Council of Trade Unions – a strong Labour ally – claims only 3000 households would actually benefit from the maximum tax cut National's offering.
It said its tax plan will help up to $250 a fortnight.

To get that, the family must be spending at least $300 a fortnight on childcare, and it needs two adults earning between $53,500 and $66,000 to get the $25.30 per week tax cut.

The Council of Trade Unions has worked out just how many families would get that – it estimates about 3000 households would.

https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2023/10/election-2023-council-of-trade-unions-analysis-reveals-number-of-households-that-could-benefit-from-national-s-maximum-tax-cut-offering.html

A rule of thumb – many get $10 a week from the IETC adjustment and others those over the median (to about $120,000) get that and an extra $15 from threshhold adjustments.

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Buzz from the Beehive A significant decline in natural gas production has given Resources Minister Shane Jones an opportunity to reiterate his enthusiasm for the mining and burning of coal. For good measure, he has praised an announcement from Genesis Energy that it will resume importing coal. He and Energy ...
Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
2 days ago

Bryce Edwards: Following the political money
“Follow the money” is the classic directive to journalists trying to understand where power and influence lie in society. In terms of uncovering who influences various New Zealand political parties and governments, it therefore pays to look at who is funding them. The political parties are legally obliged to make ...
Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
2 days ago

A Left-Right ranking of universities in NZ: a practical guide for students and parents
Rob MacCullough writes – Here is my subjective ranking on a “most-left” to “most-right” scale of most of our major NZ Universities, with some anecdotal (and at times amusing) evidence to back up the claim. Extreme Left Auckland University of Technology Evidence The ...
Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
2 days ago

Inflation and GST thresholds
Eric Crampton writes – I hadn’t thought about this one until a helpful email showed up in my inbox.It’s pretty obvious that income tax thresholds should automatically index with inflation – whether to anchor the thresholds in percentiles of the income distribution, or to anchor against a real ...
Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
2 days ago

Green Party grapples with persistent scandals
Jacqui Van Der Kaay writes – Parliament’s speaker had no option but to refer Green MP Julie Anne Genter to the Privileges Committee for her behaviour in the House last Wednesday evening. The incident, in which she crossed the floor to wave a book and yell at National ...
Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
2 days ago

A law school to be avoided – Auckland University of Technology
Gary Judd writes – The Dean of the law school at the Auckland University of Technology is someone called Khylee Quince. I have been sent her social media posting in which she has, over the LawNews headline “Senior King’s Counsel files complaint about compulsory tikanga Maori studies for ...
Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
2 days ago

17 people in Malaita stand in way of China’s takeover of the Solomons
Cleo Paskal writes – WASHINGTON, D.C.: ‘Many of us have received phone calls from [the opposing camp] telling them if they join the camp they will be given projects for their wards and $300,000 [around US$35,000] each’, says former Malaita Premier Daniel Suidani. The elections in Solomon Islands aren’t ...
Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
2 days ago

Gordon Campbell on the Hamas Ceasefire Offer, and Mark Mitchell’s Incompetence
With hindsight, it was inevitable that (a) Hamas would agree to the ceasefire deal brokered by Egypt and Qatar and that ( b) Israel would then immediately launch attacks on Rafah, regardless. We might have hoped the concessions made by Hamas would cause Israel to desist from slaughtering thousands more ...
Gordon CampbellBy lyndon
2 days ago

Bernard’ s Dawn Chorus & Pick ‘n’ Mix for Wednesday May 8
Placards and mourners outside the Kilbirnie Mosque following the Christchurch terror attack: MSD has terminated the Kaiwhakaoranga service, which has been used by 415 families since the attacks. Photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: The Government’s pledge to only cut ‘back office’ staff rather than ‘frontline’ services is on increasingly shaky ground, with ...
The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
2 days ago

A few PT announcements
There’s been a few smaller public transport announcements over the last week or so that I thought I’d cover in a single post. Fareshare I’ve long called for Auckland Transport to offer a way to enable employer-subsidised public transport options. The need for this took on even more importance ...
Greater AucklandBy Matt L
2 days ago

Jacqui Van Der Kaay: Green Party grapples with persistent scandals
Parliament’s speaker had no option but to refer Green MP Julie Anne Genter to the Privileges Committee for her behaviour in the House last Wednesday evening. The incident, in which she crossed the floor to wave a book and yell at National Minister Matt Doocey, reflects poorly on Genter and ...
Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
2 days ago

At a glance – Tree ring proxies and the divergence problem
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 ...
Skeptical Science
3 days ago

Nothing to sneer at
Who likes being sneered at? Nobody. Worse yet, when the sneerer has their facts all wrong, and might well be an idiot.The sneer in question is The adults are in charge now, and it is a sneer offered in retort to criticism of this new Government, no matter how well ...
More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
3 days ago

Still on their bullshit
When in government, Labour pushed to extend the Parliamentary term to four years, to reduce accountability and our ability to vote out a bad government. And now, they're trying to do it through the member's ballot, with a Four-Year Parliamentary Term Legislation Bill. The bill at least requires a referendum ...
No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
3 days ago

Drawn
A ballot for a single Member's Bill was held today, and the following bill was drawn: Public Works (Prohibition of Compulsory Acquisition of Māori Land) Amendment Bill (Hūhana Lyndon) The bill would prevent the government from stealing Māori land in breach of Te Tiriti o Waitangi. It ...
No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
3 days ago

A nod and a wink that will unnecessarily cost Aucklanders tens of millions per year
Simeon Brown, alongside Wayne Brown, is favouring a political figleaf now in exchange for loading up tens of millions in extra interest costs on Auckland ratepayers. Photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: Ratings agency Standard & Poor’s is pushing back hard at suggestions from Local Government Minister Simeon Brown and Mayor Wayne Brown ...
The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
3 days ago

Correcting the Corrections announcement – a fiscal farce that should bother the OECD
Buzz from the Beehive One headline-grabber from the Beehive yesterday was the OECD’s advice that the government must bring the Budget deficit under control or face higher interest rates. Another was the announcement of a $1.9 billion “investment” in Corrections over the next four years. In the best interests of ...
Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
3 days ago

Like it or not, the Kiwis are either going into ‘Pillar 2’ – or they are going to China
Chris Trotter writes – Had Zheng He’s fleet sailed east, not west, in the early Fifteenth Century, how different our world would be. There is little reason to suppose that the sea-going junks of the Ming Dynasty, among the largest and most sophisticated sailing vessels ever constructed, would have failed ...
Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
3 days ago

A balanced and an unbalanced article
David Farrar writes – Two articles give a useful contrast in balance. Both seek to be neutral explainer articles. This one in the Herald on Social Investment covers the pros and cons nicely. It links to critical pieces and talks about aspects that failed and aspects that are more ...
Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
3 days ago

Deeply unserious country
Every bit of this seems insane. And people wonder why productivity is falling through the floor. Energy News reports that the Environment Court finally threw out Allan Crafar’s appeal against a solar farm. From the story: Consent was granted in 2022. Crafar appealed November 2022. On what grounds? That ...
Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
3 days ago

Senior King’s Counsel files complaint about compulsory tikanga Māori studies for law students
The tikanga regulations will compel law students to be taught that a system which does not conform with the rule of law is nevertheless law which should be observed and applied… Gary Judd KC writes – I have made a complaint to Parliament’s Regulation ...
Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
3 days ago

https://www.greaterauckland.org.nz/?p=77196
The future of Te Huia, the train between Hamilton and Auckland, has been getting a lot of attention recently as current funding for it is only in place till the end of June. The government initially agreed to a five year trial, through to April 2026, but that was subject ...
Greater AucklandBy Matt L
3 days ago

Bernard’s pick 'n' mix for Tuesday, May 7
TL;DR: Hamas has just agreed to Israel’s ceasefire plan. Nelson hospital’s rebuild has been cut back to save money. The OECD suggests New Zealand break up network monopolies, including in electricity. PM Christopher Luxon’s news conference on a prison expansion announcement last night was his messiest yet.Here’s my top six ...
The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
3 days ago

HM Prison Aotearoa.
A homicide in Ponsonby, a manhunt with a killer on the run. The nation’s leader stands before a press conference reassuring a frightened nation that he’ll sort it out, he’ll keep them safe, he’ll build some new prison spaces.Sorry what? There’s a scary dude on the run with a gun ...
Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
3 days ago

Get Your Webworm Merch!
Hi,I know it’s been awhile since there’s been any Webworm merch — and today that all changes!Over the last four months, I’ve been working with New Zealand artist Jess Johnson to create a series of t-shirts, caps and stickers that are infused with Webworm DNA — and as of right ...
David FarrierBy David Farrier
3 days ago

Top OECD economist puts Willis between a rock and a hard place
The OECD’s chief economist yesterday laid it on the line for the new Government: bring the deficit under control or face higher Reserve Bank interest rates for longer. And to bring the deficit under control, she meant not borrowing for tax cuts. But there was more. Without policy changes—introducing a ...
PolitikBy Richard Harman
3 days ago

Media Link: “A View from Afar” on the moment of friction, and more.
After a hiatus of over four months Selwyn Manning and I finally got it together to re-start the “A View from Afar” podcast series. We shall see how we go but aim to do 2 episodes per month if possible. … Continue reading → ...
KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
4 days ago

Preposterous priorities – politicians preferred pastry
Newsroom writer Aaron Smale, in an article triggered by the High Court’s ruling on whether a sitting MP must respond to a summons to appear before the Waitangi Tribunal, reports on issues underpinning the tribunal’s urgent inquiry into the Government’s intention to remove Section 7AA from the Oranga Tamariki ...
Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
4 days ago

Climate Change: Forcing accountability in the UK
In 2008, the UK Parliament passed the Climate Change Act 2008. The law established a system of targets, budgets, and plans, with inbuilt accountability mechanisms; the aim was to break the cycle of empty promises and replace it with actual progress towards emissions reduction. The law was passed with near-universal ...
No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
4 days ago

Other councils are keen to be next to strike a water deal with govt
Buzz from the Beehive Local Water Done Well – let’s be blunt – is a silly name, but the first big initiative to put it into practice has gone done well. This success is reflected in the headline on an RNZ report: District mayors welcome Auckland’s new water deal with ...
Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
4 days ago

Why India is key to heading off climate catastrophe
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections A farmworker cleans the solar panels of a solar water pump in the village of Jagadhri, Haryana Country, India. (Photo credit: Prashanth Vishwanathan/ IWMI) Decisions made in India over the next few years will play a key role in global ...
Skeptical Science
4 days ago

Meanwhile “… the disturbing trend of increasing violence towards children continues to worsen”
Lindsay Mitchell writes – The Children’s Minister, Karen Chhour, intends to repeal Section 7AA from the Oranga Tamariki Act 1989 because it creates conflict between claimed Crown Treaty obligations and the child’s best interests. In her words, “Oranga Tamariki’s governing principles and its act should be colour ...
Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
4 days ago

New Zealand’s geopolitical friendly fire has its limits
Geoffrey Miller writes – The gloves are off. That might seem to be the undertone of surprisingly tough talk from New Zealand’s foreign and trade ministers. Winston Peters, the foreign minister, may be facing legal action after making allegations about former Australian foreign minister Bob Carr on Radio New Zealand. ...
Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
4 days ago

The post-Covid economy: is it in another long stagnation – and if so, why?
Brian Easton writes – This is about the time that the Treasury will be locking up its economic forecasts to be published in the 2024 Budget Economic and Fiscal Update (BEFU) on budget day, 30 May. I am not privy to what they will be (I will report on them ...
Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
4 days ago

On the LTP 2024 Feedback
A few weeks ago Auckland Council released the results of consultation on the Long Term Plan (LTP) that occurred in March. With almost 28,000 submissions, it received the most feedback of any LTP in Auckland. It covered a wide range of topics soliciting feedback on different areas of council funded ...
Greater AucklandBy Connor Sharp
4 days ago

Bernard’s pick 'n' mix for Monday, May 6
TL;DR: Winston Peters is reported to have won a budget increase for MFAT. David Seymour wanted his Ministry of Regulation to be three times bigger than the Productivity Commission. Simeon Brown is appointing a Crown Monitor to Watercare to protect the Claytons Crown Guarantee he had to give ratings agencies ...
The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
4 days ago

Geoffrey Miller: New Zealand’s geopolitical friendly fire has its limits
The gloves are off. That might seem to be the undertone of surprisingly tough talk from New Zealand’s foreign and trade ministers. Winston Peters, the foreign minister, may be facing legal action after making allegations about former Australian foreign minister Bob Carr on Radio New Zealand. Carr had made highly ...
Democracy ProjectBy Geoffrey Miller
4 days ago

I could be a Florist.
I could be a florist'Round the corner from Rye LaneI'll be giving daisies to craziesBut, baby, I'll wrap you up real safe Oh, I can give you flowers At the end of every dayFor the center of your table, a rainbowIn case you have people 'round to stay Depending on ...
Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
4 days ago

The Kaka’s diary for the week to May 12 and beyond
TL;DR: The six key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to May 12 include:PM Christopher Luxon is scheduled to hold a post-Cabinet news conference at 4 pm today. Finance Minister Nicola Willis will give a pre-budget speech on Thursday.Parliament sits from Question Time at 2pm on ...
The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
4 days ago

Willis on defence
The price of the foreign affairs “reset” is now becoming apparent, with Defence set to get a funding boost in the Budget. Finance Minister Nicola Willis has confirmed that it will be one of the few votes, apart from Health and Education and possibly Police, which will get an increase ...
PolitikBy Richard Harman
4 days ago

2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #18
A listing of 26 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, April 28, 2024 thru Sat, May 4, 2024. Story of the week "It’s straight out of Big Tobacco’s playbook. In fact, research by John Cook and his colleagues ...
Skeptical Science
4 days ago

A prerequisite for Vulture Capitalism.
Yesterday I received come lovely feedback following my Star Wars themed newsletter. A few people mentioned they’d enjoyed reading the personal part at the beginning.I often begin newsletters with some memories, or general thoughts, before commencing the main topic. This hopefully sets the mood and provides some context in which ...
Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
5 days ago

Early evening, April 30
April 30 was going to be the day we’d be calling Mum from London to wish her a happy birthday. Then it became the day we would be going to St. Paul's at Evensong to remember her. The aim of the cathedral builders was to find a way to make their ...
More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
5 days ago

Do Newsroom’s staff think they’re culturally superior to the rest of us? Are they arguing that A...
Rob MacCulloch writes – Can’t remember the last book by a Kiwi author you read? Think the NZ government should spend less on the arts in favor of helping the homeless? If so, as far as Newsroom is concerned, you probably deserve to be called a cultural ignoramus ...
Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
6 days ago

Fun minor grudges
Eric Crampton writes – Grudges are bad. Better to move on. But it can be fun to keep a couple of really trivial ones, so you’re not tempted to have other ones. For example, because of the rootkit fiasco of 2005, no Sony products in our household. ...
Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
6 days ago

Bernard’s dawn chorus for Saturday, May 4 and pick ‘n’ mix for the weekend
A new report warns an estimated third of the adult population have unmet need for health care. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāHere’s the six key things I learned about Aotaroa’s political economy this week around housing, climate and poverty:Politics - Three opinion polls confirmed support for PM Christopher Luxon ...
The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
6 days ago

The Dark Side and the Rebel Alliance.
Today is May the fourth. Which was just a regular day when my mother took me to see the newly released Star Wars at the Odeon in Rotorua. The queue was right around the corner. Some years later this day became known as Star Wars Day, the date being a ...
Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
6 days ago

Imaginary mandate, imaginary leadership
Hello! Here comes the Saturday edition of More Than A Feilding, catching you up on the past week’s editions.Share Verity, Ilfracombe ...
More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
6 days ago

Winston Peters delivers a speech about NZ’s relationship with China but media focus on Bob Carr’...
Buzz from the Beehive Much more media attention is being paid to something Winston Peters said about former Australian Foreign Minister Bob Carr than to a speech he delivered to the New Zealand China Council. One word is missing from the speech: AUKUS. But AUKUS loomed large in his considerations ...
Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
7 days ago

The Post-Covid Economy
Is the economy in another long stagnation? If so, why?This is about the time that the Treasury will be locking up its economic forecasts to be published in the 2024 Budget Economic and Fiscal Update (BEFU) on budget day, 30 May. I am not privy to what they will be ...
PunditBy Brian Easton
7 days ago

An awkward coincidence!
The annual list of who's been bribing our politicians is out, and journalists will no doubt be poring over it to find the juiciest and dirtiest bribes. The government's fast-track invite list is likely to be a particular focus, and we already know of one company on the list which ...
No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
7 days ago

The Israel/Palestinian metastasis.
In the weeks after the October 7 Hamas attacks on Southern Israel I wrote about the possible 2nd, 3rd and even 4th order effects of the conflict. These included new fronts being opened in the West Bank (with Hamas), Golan … Continue reading → ...
KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
7 days ago

27,000
That's the number of submissions received on National's corrupt Muldoonist fast-track legislation. Except its higher than that, because the number doesn't include form submissions, such as the 15,000 people who supported Forest & Bird's submission, or the 14,000 who supported Greenpeace. And so many people want to appear in person ...
No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
7 days ago

MPs’ salaries – when is the best time to increase them?
Peter Dunne writes – It is one of the oldest truisms that there is never a good time for MPs to get a pay rise. This week’s announcement of pay raises of around 2.8% backdated to last October could hardly have come at a worse time, with the ...
Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
7 days ago

Genter under fire
David Farrar writes – Newshub reports: Newshub can reveal a fresh allegation of intimidation against Green MP Julie-Anne Genter. Genter is subject to a disciplinary process for aggressively waving a book in the face of National Minister Matt Doocey in the House – but it’s not the first time ...
Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
7 days ago

New Treasury paper on the productivity slowdown supports the downgrading of forecasts
The Treasury has published a paper today on the global productivity slowdown and how it is playing out in New Zealand: The productivity slowdown: implications for the Treasury’s forecasts and projections. The Treasury Paper examines recent trends in productivity and the potential drivers of the slowdown. Productivity for the whole economy ...
Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
7 days ago

Release: Sexual violence prevention among hundreds of job cuts at ACC
The National Government plans to cut 390 jobs at ACC, including roles in the areas of prevention of sexual violence, road safety and workplace safety. ...
Labour Blog
16 hours ago

Government shows allergy to evidence in benefits crackdown
The Government has been caught in opposition to evidence once again as it looks to usher in tried, tested and failed work seminar obligations for job-seeking beneficiaries. ...
Greens
20 hours ago

Minister of Finance reheats austerity politics
This morning’s pre-Budget speech from the Minister of Finance offered no “meaningful” news on the Government’s trickle-down economics based plans. ...
Greens
22 hours ago

A win for Wellington – Greens welcome more housing
The Green Party is welcoming the announcement by the Minister Responsible for RMA Reform Chris Bishop to approve most of the Wellington City Council’s District Plan recommendations. ...
Greens
2 days ago

Release: Backtrack on school lunches a win for Kiwi kids
David Seymour has failed to get the sweeping cuts he wanted to the free and healthy school lunch programme, Labour education spokesperson Jan Tinetti said. ...
Labour Blog
2 days ago

Release: Hon Willie Jackson to debate at the Prestigious Oxford Union
Hon Willie Jackson has been invited by the Oxford Union to debate the motion “This House Believes British Museums are not Very British’ on May 23rd. ...
Labour Blog
2 days ago

Members Bill will prevent Māori land confiscations
Green Party MP Hūhana Lyndon says her Public Works (Prohibition of Compulsory Acquisition of Māori Land) Amendment Bill is an opportunity to right some past wrongs around the alienation of Māori land. ...
Greens
3 days ago

TIKANGA IS NOT LAW. IT IS CULTURAL INDOCTRINATION.
A senior, highly respected King’s Counsel with decades of experience in our law courts, Gary Judd KC, has filed a complaint about compulsory tikanga Māori studies for law students - highlighting the utter depths of absurdity this woke cultural madness has taken our society. The tikanga regulations will compel law ...
NZ First Press Release
3 days ago

Release: National won’t commit to full Nelson Hospital upgrade
The Government needs to be clear with the people of the Nelson Marlborough region about the changes it is considering for the Nelson Hospital rebuild, Labour health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall said. ...
Labour Blog
3 days ago

Release: Labour calls for fast track list to be released
Ministers must front up about which projects it will push through under its Fast Track Approvals legislation, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
Labour Blog
4 days ago

Release: National gaslights women fighting for equal pay
National has scrapped the pay equity taskforce that fights for equal pay for women and looks at ethnic pay gaps. ...
Labour Blog
1 week ago

Release: More job cuts, fewer houses under National
The Government is again adding to New Zealand’s growing unemployment, this time cutting jobs at the agencies responsible for urban development and growing much needed housing stock. ...
Labour Blog
1 week ago

Release: Children fall deeper through the cracks in Govt cuts
With Minister Karen Chhour indicating in the House today that she either doesn’t know or care about the frontline cuts she’s making to Oranga Tamariki, we risk seeing more and more of our children falling through the cracks. ...
Labour Blog
1 week ago

Release: Labour honours memory of Sir Robert Martin
The Labour Party is saddened to learn of the death of Sir Robert Martin, a globally renowned disability advocate who led the way for disability rights both in New Zealand and internationally. ...
Labour Blog
1 week ago

Release: 130,000 cattle saved from live export
Labour is calling for the Government to urgently rethink its coalition commitment to restart live animal exports, Labour animal welfare spokesperson Rachel Boyack said. ...
Labour Blog
1 week ago

Central Bank makes clear Government is pouring fuel on housing crisis fire
Today’s Financial Stability Report has once again highlighted that poverty and deep inequality are political choices - and this Government is choosing to make them worse. ...
Greens
1 week ago

New unemployment figures paint bleak picture
The Green Party is calling on the Government to do more for our households in most need as unemployment rises and the cost of living crisis endures. ...
Greens
1 week ago

Release: National’s job cuts already starting to bite as unemployment rises
Unemployment is on the rise and it’s only going to get worse under this Government, Labour finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds said. Stats NZ figures show the unemployment rate grew to 4.3 percent in the March quarter from 4 percent in the December quarter. “This is the second rise in unemployment ...
Labour Blog
1 week ago

Release: National hiking transport costs for families and young New Zealanders
Weekly expenses will grow for more than 1.6 million New Zealanders as the Government ends free and half price public transport fares tomorrow. ...
Labour Blog
1 week ago

Release: Labour welcomes EU free trade agreement
The New Zealand Labour Party welcomes the entering into force of the European Union and New Zealand free trade agreement. This agreement opens the door for a huge increase in trade opportunities with a market of 450 million people who are high value discerning consumers of New Zealand goods and ...
Labour Blog
1 week ago

Surprise: Landlord tax cuts don’t trickle down
The Green Party is renewing its call for rent controls following reports of rental prices hitting an all-time high. ...
Greens
1 week ago

Release: $1.7b for no increase in access to medicine
The National-led Government continues its fiscal jiggery pokery with its Pharmac announcement today, Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall says. “The government has increased Pharmac funding but conceded it will only make minimal increases in access to medicine”, said Ayesha Verrall “This is far from the bold promises made to fund ...
Labour Blog
1 week ago

Release: National should heed Tribunal warning and scrap coalition commitment with ACT
This afternoon’s interim Waitangi Tribunal report must be taken seriously as it affects our most vulnerable children, Labour children’s spokesperson Willow-Jean Prime. ...
Labour Blog
2 weeks ago

Release: More accountability for preventable workplace deaths this Workers’ Memorial Day
Labour is calling for more accountability for preventable workplace deaths because everybody who goes to work deserves to come home safely. ...
Labour Blog
2 weeks ago

Gaza: Aotearoa Must Support Independent Investigation into Mass Graves
Te Pāti Māori are demanding the New Zealand Government support an international independent investigation into mass graves that have been uncovered at two hospitals on the Gaza strip, following weeks of assault by Israeli troops. Among the 392 bodies that have been recovered, are children and elderly civilians. Many of ...
Māori Party
2 weeks ago

Release: Working together on consistent support for veterans this Anzac Day
Our two-tiered system for veterans’ support is out of step with our closest partners, and all parties in Parliament should work together to fix it, Labour veterans’ affairs spokesperson Greg O’Connor said. ...
Labour Blog
2 weeks ago

Release: Penny drops – but what about Seymour and Peters?
Stripping two Ministers of their portfolios just six months into the job shows Christopher Luxon’s management style is lacking, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said. ...
Labour Blog
2 weeks ago

Another ‘Stolen Generation’ enabled by court ruling on Waitangi Tribunal summons
Tonight’s court decision to overturn the summons of the Children’s Minister has enabled the Crown to continue making decisions about Māori without evidence, says Te Pāti Māori spokesperson for Children, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. “The judicial system has this evening told the nation that this government can do whatever they want when ...
Māori Party
2 weeks ago

Release: Budget blunder shows Nicola Willis could cut recovery funding
It appears Nicola Willis is about to pull the rug out from under the feet of local communities still dealing with the aftermath of last year’s severe weather, and local councils relying on funding to build back from these disasters. ...
Labour Blog
2 weeks ago

Further environmental mismanagement on the cards
The Government’s resource management reforms will add to the heavy and ever-growing burden this Government is loading on to our environment. ...
Greens
2 weeks ago

Release: RMA changes will be a disaster for environment
The Government is making short-sighted changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA) that will take away environmental protection in favour of short-term profits, Labour’s environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
Labour Blog
2 weeks ago

Release: Labour supports urgent changes to emergency management system
Labour welcomes the release of the report into the North Island weather events and looks forward to working with the Government to ensure that New Zealand is as prepared as it can be for the next natural disaster. ...
Labour Blog
2 weeks ago

Release: Labour calls for New Zealand to recognise Palestine
The Labour Party has called for the New Zealand Government to recognise Palestine, as a material step towards progressing the two-State solution needed to achieve a lasting peace in the region. ...
Labour Blog
3 weeks ago

Release: Three strikes law political posturing of worst kind
The Government is bringing back a law that has little evidential backing just to look tough, Labour justice spokesperson Duncan Webb said. ...
Labour Blog
3 weeks ago

Release: Government cuts unbelievably target child exploitation, violent extremism, ports and airpor...
Some of our country’s most important work, stopping the sexual exploitation of children and violent extremism could go along with staff on the frontline at ports and airports. ...
Labour Blog
3 weeks ago

Three strikes has failed before and will fail again
Resurrecting the archaic three-strikes legislation is an unwelcome return to a failed American-style approach to justice. ...
Greens
3 weeks ago

Release: Environmental protection vital, not ‘onerous’
The Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill will give projects such as new coal mines a ‘get out of jail free’ card to wreak havoc on the environment, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
Labour Blog
3 weeks ago

Ferris – Three Strikes targets those ‘too brown to be white’
The government's decision to reintroduce Three Strikes is a destructive and ineffective piece of law-making that will only exacerbate an inherently biased and racist criminal justice system, said Te Pāti Māori Justice Spokesperson, Tākuta Ferris, today. During the time Three Strikes was in place in Aotearoa, Māori and Pasifika received ...
Māori Party
3 weeks ago

Getting new job seekers on the pathway to work
Jobseeker beneficiaries who have work obligations must now meet with MSD within two weeks of their benefit starting to determine their next step towards finding a job, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “A key part of the coalition Government’s plan to have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
21 hours ago

Accelerating Social Investment
A new standalone Social Investment Agency will power-up the social investment approach, driving positive change for our most vulnerable New Zealanders, Social Investment Minister Nicola Willis says. “Despite the Government currently investing more than $70 billion every year into social services, we are not seeing the outcomes we want for ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
23 hours ago

Getting Back on Track
Check against delivery Good morning. It is a pleasure to be with you to outline the Coalition Government’s approach to our first Budget. Thank you Mark Skelly, President of the Hutt Valley Chamber of Commerce, together with your Board and team, for hosting me. I’d like to acknowledge His Worship ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
24 hours ago

NZ – European Union ties more critical than ever
Your Excellency Ambassador Meredith, Members of the Diplomatic Corps and Ambassadors from European Union Member States, Ministerial colleagues, Members of Parliament, and other distinguished guests, Thank you everyone for joining us. Ladies and gentlemen - In diplomacy, we often speak of ‘close’ and ‘long-standing’ relations. ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
2 days ago

Therapeutic Products Act to be repealed
The Therapeutic Products Act (TPA) will be repealed this year so that a better regime can be put in place to provide New Zealanders safe and timely access to medicines, medical devices and health products, Associate Health Minister Casey Costello announced today. “The medicines and products we are talking about ...
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2 days ago

Decisions on Wellington City Council’s District Plan
The Minister Responsible for RMA Reform, Chris Bishop, today released his decision on twenty recommendations referred to him by the Wellington City Council relating to its Intensification Planning Instrument, after the Council rejected those recommendations of the Independent Hearings Panel and made alternative recommendations. “Wellington notified its District Plan on ...
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2 days ago

Rape Awareness Week: Government committed to action on sexual violence
Rape Awareness Week (6-10 May) is an important opportunity to acknowledge the continued effort required by government and communities to ensure that all New Zealanders can live free from violence, say Ministers Karen Chhour and Louise Upston. “With 1 in 3 women and 1 in 8 men experiencing sexual violence ...
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2 days ago

Smarter lunch programme feeds more, costs less
Associate Education Minister David Seymour has today announced that the Government will be delivering a more efficient Healthy School Lunches Programme, saving taxpayers approximately $107 million a year compared to how Labour funded it, by embracing innovation and commercial expertise. “We are delivering on our commitment to treat taxpayers’ money ...
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2 days ago

Report provides insights into marine recovery
New research on the impacts of extreme weather on coastal marine habitats in Tairāwhiti and Hawke’s Bay will help fishery managers plan for and respond to any future events, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. A report released today on research by Niwa on behalf of Fisheries New Zealand ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
2 days ago

NZ to send political delegation to the Pacific
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Winston Peters will lead a broad political delegation on a five-stop Pacific tour next week to strengthen New Zealand’s engagement with the region. The delegation will visit Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu, New Caledonia, and Tuvalu. “New Zealand has deep and ...
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2 days ago

Low gas production threatens energy security
There has been a material decline in gas production according to figures released today by the Gas Industry Co. Figures released by the Gas Industry Company show that there was a 12.5 per cent reduction in gas production during 2023, and a 27.8 per cent reduction in gas production in the ...
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2 days ago

Defence industry talent, commitment recognised
Defence Minister Judith Collins tonight announced the recipients of the Minister of Defence Awards of Excellence for Industry, saying they all contribute to New Zealanders’ security and wellbeing. “Congratulations to this year’s recipients, whose innovative products and services play a critical role in the delivery of New Zealand’s defence capabilities, ...
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2 days ago

Speech to the Minister of Defence Awards of Excellence for Industry
Welcome to you all - it is a pleasure to be here this evening.I would like to start by thanking Greg Lowe, Chair of the New Zealand Defence Industry Advisory Council, for co-hosting this reception with me. This evening is about recognising businesses from across New Zealand and overseas who in ...
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2 days ago

Speech to the Sixth Annual New Zealand Government Data Summit
It is a pleasure to be speaking to you as the Minister for Digitising Government. I would like to thank Akolade for the invitation to address this Summit, and to acknowledge the great effort you are making to grow New Zealand’s digital future. Today, we stand at the cusp of ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
3 days ago

Ceasefire agreement needed now: Peters
New Zealand is urging both Israel and Hamas to agree to an immediate ceasefire to avoid the further humanitarian catastrophe that military action in Rafah would unleash, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “The immense suffering in Gaza cannot be allowed to worsen further. Both sides have a responsibility to ...
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3 days ago

Daily school attendance data now available
A new online data dashboard released today as part of the Government’s school attendance action plan makes more timely daily attendance data available to the public and parents, says Associate Education Minister David Seymour. The interactive dashboard will be updated once a week to show a national average of how ...
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3 days ago

Ambassador to United States appointed
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced Rosemary Banks will be New Zealand’s next Ambassador to the United States of America. “Our relationship with the United States is crucial for New Zealand in strategic, security and economic terms,” Mr Peters says. “New Zealand and the United States have a ...
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3 days ago

New permit proposed for recreational gold mining
The Government is considering creating a new tier of minerals permitting that will make it easier for hobby miners to prospect for gold. “New Zealand was built on gold, it’s in our DNA. Our gold deposits, particularly in regions such as Otago and the West Coast have always attracted fortune-hunters. ...
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3 days ago

NZ and the UAE launch FTA negotiations
Minister for Trade Todd McClay today announced that New Zealand and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) will commence negotiations on a free trade agreement (FTA). Minister McClay met with his counterpart UAE Trade Minister Dr Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi in Dubai, where they announced the launch of negotiations on a ...
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3 days ago

New Zealand Sign Language Week an opportunity for anyone to sign
New Zealand Sign Language Week is an excellent opportunity for all Kiwis to give the language a go, Disabilities Issues Minister Louise Upston says. This week (May 6 to 12) is New Zealand Sign Language (NZSL) Week. The theme is “an Aotearoa where anyone can sign anywhere” and aims to ...
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4 days ago

Next stop NASA for New Zealand students
Six tertiary students have been selected to work on NASA projects in the US through a New Zealand Space Scholarship, Space Minister Judith Collins announced today. “This is a fantastic opportunity for these talented students. They will undertake internships at NASA’s Ames Research Center or its Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), where ...
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4 days ago

$1.9 billion investment to keep NZ safe from crime
New Zealanders will be safer because of a $1.9 billion investment in more frontline Corrections officers, more support for offenders to turn away from crime, and more prison capacity, Corrections Minister Mark Mitchell says. “Our Government said we would crack down on crime. We promised to restore law and order, ...
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4 days ago

OECD reinforces need to control spending
The OECD’s latest report on New Zealand reinforces the importance of bringing Government spending under control, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The OECD conducts country surveys every two years to review its members’ economic policies. The 2024 New Zealand survey was presented in Wellington today by OECD Chief Economist Clare Lombardelli. ...
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4 days ago

Agreement delivers Local Water Done Well for Auckland
The Government has delivered on its election promise to provide a financially sustainable model for Auckland under its Local Water Done Well plan. The plan, which has been unanimously endorsed by Auckland Council’s Governing Body, will see Aucklanders avoid the previously projected 25.8 per cent water rates increases while retaining ...
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5 days ago

Gaza and the Pacific on the agenda with Germany
Foreign Minister Winston Peters discussed the need for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, and enhanced cooperation in the Pacific with German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock during her first official visit to New Zealand today. "New Zealand and Germany enjoy shared interests and values, including the rule of law, democracy, respect for the international system ...
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6 days ago

Decision allows for housing growth in Western Bay of Plenty
The Minister Responsible for RMA Reform, Chris Bishop today released his decision on four recommendations referred to him by the Western Bay of Plenty District Council, opening the door to housing growth in the area. The Council’s Plan Change 92 allows more homes to be built in existing and new ...
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7 days ago

Speech to New Zealand China Council
Thank you, John McKinnon and the New Zealand China Council for the invitation to speak to you today. Thank you too, all members of the China Council. Your effort has played an essential role in helping to build, shape, and grow a balanced and resilient relationship between our two ...
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7 days ago

Modern insurance law will protect Kiwi households
The Government is modernising insurance law to better protect Kiwis and provide security in the event of a disaster, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly announced today. “These reforms are long overdue. New Zealand’s insurance law is complicated and dated, some of which is more than 100 years old. ...
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1 week ago

Government recommits to equal pay
The coalition Government is refreshing its approach to supporting pay equity claims as time-limited funding for the Pay Equity Taskforce comes to an end, Public Service Minister Nicola Willis says. “Three years ago, the then-government introduced changes to the Equal Pay Act to support pay equity bargaining. The changes were ...
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1 week ago

Transforming how our children learn to read
Structured literacy will change the way New Zealand children learn to read - improving achievement and setting students up for success, Education Minister Erica Stanford says. “Being able to read and write is a fundamental life skill that too many young people are missing out on. Recent data shows that ...
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1 week ago

NZ not backing down in Canada dairy dispute
Trade Minister Todd McClay says Canada’s refusal to comply in full with a CPTPP trade dispute ruling in our favour over dairy trade is cynical and New Zealand has no intention of backing down. Mr McClay said he has asked for urgent legal advice in respect of our ‘next move’ ...
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1 week ago

Stronger oversight for our most vulnerable children
The rights of our children and young people will be enhanced by changes the coalition Government will make to strengthen oversight of the Oranga Tamariki system, including restoring a single Children’s Commissioner. “The Government is committed to delivering better public services that care for our most at-risk young people and ...
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1 week ago

Streamlining Building Consent Changes
The Government is making it easier for minor changes to be made to a building consent so building a home is easier and more affordable, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “The coalition Government is focused on making it easier and cheaper to build homes so we can ...
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1 week ago

Minister acknowledges passing of Sir Robert Martin (KNZM)
New Zealand lost a true legend when internationally renowned disability advocate Sir Robert Martin (KNZM) passed away at his home in Whanganui last night, Disabilities Issues Minister Louise Upston says. “Our Government’s thoughts are with his wife Lynda, family and community, those he has worked with, the disability community in ...
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1 week ago

Speech to New Zealand Institute of International Affairs, Parliament – Annual Lecture: Challenges ...
Good evening – Before discussing the challenges and opportunities facing New Zealand’s foreign policy, we’d like to first acknowledge the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs. You have contributed to debates about New Zealand foreign policy over a long period of time, and we thank you for hosting us. ...
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1 week ago

Accelerating airport security lines
From today, passengers travelling internationally from Auckland Airport will be able to keep laptops and liquids in their carry-on bags for security screening thanks to new technology, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Creating a more efficient and seamless travel experience is important for holidaymakers and businesses, enabling faster movement through ...
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1 week ago

Community hui to talk about kina barrens
People with an interest in the health of Northland’s marine ecosystems are invited to a public meeting to discuss how to deal with kina barrens, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones will lead the discussion, which will take place on Friday, 10 May, at Awanui Hotel in ...
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1 week ago

Kiwi exporters win as NZ-EU FTA enters into force
Kiwi exporters are $100 million better off today with the NZ EU FTA entering into force says Trade Minister Todd McClay. “This is all part of our plan to grow the economy. New Zealand's prosperity depends on international trade, making up 60 per cent of the country’s total economic activity. ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
1 week ago

Mining resurgence a welcome sign
There are heartening signs that the extractive sector is once again becoming an attractive prospect for investors and a source of economic prosperity for New Zealand, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. “The beginnings of a resurgence in extractive industries are apparent in media reports of the sector in the past ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
1 week ago

Ō-Rākau Remembrance Bill passes first reading
The return of the historic Ō-Rākau battle site to the descendants of those who fought there moved one step closer today with the first reading of Te Pire mō Ō-Rākau, Te Pae o Maumahara / The Ō-Rākau Remembrance Bill. The Bill will entrust the 9.7-hectare battle site, five kilometres west ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
1 week ago

What actually are the Ockhams?
Writer Rebecca K Reilly breaks down the national book awards. What are the Ockhams? The Ockham New Zealand Book Awards are our annual national awards for books published for adults, and have existed in this form since 2016. There are four categories: Fiction, Poetry, General Non-fiction and Illustrated Non-fiction. There ...
The SpinoffBy Rebecca K Reilly
2 hours ago

Selling Wellington Airport would be colossally careless
Wellington City Council should keep its 34% ownership share in Wellington International Airport, argue Unions Wellington spokespeople Finn Cordwell and Ashok Jacob. Insanity, as the saying goes, is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. Wellington City Council (WCC) is yet again proposing to dispose ...
The SpinoffBy Ashok Jacob
2 hours ago

Two senior publishers axed at Penguin Random House amid major restructure
New Zealand’s largest book publisher has undergone drastic changes this week, leaving its future role in local publishing uncertain. Two of the most recognisable local publishers in New Zealand are among those restructured out of Penguin Random House, it was announced this week. Head of publishing Claire Murdoch will leave ...
The SpinoffBy Madeleine Chapman
2 hours ago

Government looks for a better way to count Māori
Successive governments have tried, and failed, to count Māori. But with the return of social investment, it’s more important than ever to get good data. The post Government looks for a better way to count Māori appeared first on Newsroom. ...
NewsroomBy Laura Walters
2 hours ago

What will Willis’ social investment fund look like?
Experts in financing social investment initiatives say New Zealand is in a prime position to tackle social issues via a social investment approach The post What will Willis’ social investment fund look like? appeared first on Newsroom. ...
NewsroomBy Emma Hatton
2 hours ago

Three waters repeal hitting Far North hard as Auckland signs deal
Forced to lift rates by 33 percent to fund water infrastructure, a fifth of the Far North’s ratepayers have missed their first payment The post Three waters repeal hitting Far North hard as Auckland signs deal appeared first on Newsroom. ...
NewsroomBy Andrew Bevin
2 hours ago

All trained up and nowhere to write
In 2021 the Public Interest Journalism Fund launched the Te Rito Journalism project, a $2.4 million initiative to boost diversity in New Zealand’s newsrooms. The initiative was in response to the decades-long shortage of Māori and Pacific journalists in the media industry. It was billed as New Zealand’s ...
NewsroomBy Susana Suisuiki
2 hours ago

Daily crossword, Friday 10 May
The post Daily crossword, Friday 10 May appeared first on Newsroom. ...
NewsroomBy Newsroom Puzzles
2 hours ago

Black Ferns Sevens: The greatest team of all
The Black Ferns Sevens appeared to be a mile behind Australia at the halfway point of the 2023-24 SVNS international circuit. Winless in three tournaments, a cup quarter-final exit in Perth was one of their worst results. To add insult to injury, talismanic skipper Sarah Hirini had been ruled out ...
NewsroomBy Adam Julian
2 hours ago

Newsroom daily quiz, Friday 10 May
Loading…(function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){var ql=document.querySelectorAll('A,DIV,A[data-quiz],DIV[data-quiz]'); if(ql){if(ql.length){for(var k=0;k<ql.length;k++){ql[k].id='quiz-embed-'+k;ql[k].href="javascript:var i=document.getElementById('quiz-embed-"+k+"');try{qz.startQuiz(i)}catch(e){i.start=1;i.style.cursor='wait';i.style.opacity='0.5'};void(0);"}}};i['QP']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){(i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o),m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m)})(window,document,'script','https://take.quiz-maker.com/3012/CDN/quiz-embed-v1.js','qp'); Got a good quiz question? Send Newsroom your questions. The post Newsroom daily quiz, Friday 10 May appeared first on Newsroom. ...
NewsroomBy Newsroom Puzzles
2 hours ago

Government hypes gas crisis ahead of restarting drilling
Analysis: Solar power is the cheapest form of energy in the Pacific but the Government says NZ’s only choice is gas or coal The post Government hypes gas crisis ahead of restarting drilling appeared first on Newsroom. ...
NewsroomBy Marc Daalder
2 hours ago

NZ sanctions needed to back Myanmar resistance – minister
An exiled Myanmar politician says NZ must continue to place pressure on the country’s military junta The post NZ sanctions needed to back Myanmar resistance – minister appeared first on Newsroom. ...
NewsroomBy Sam Sachdeva
2 hours ago

There’s still time to avoid a ‘crime school’ at Waikeria
Opinion: Liam Martin examines the pitfalls of building a mega-prison twice the size of any other in the country in a remote area with few resources The post There’s still time to avoid a ‘crime school’ at Waikeria appeared first on Newsroom. ...
NewsroomBy Liam Martin
2 hours ago

‘Completely stupid’ – ex-Tuvalu PM plea to NZ to rethink fossil fuel plan
By Lydia Lewis, RNZ Pacific journalist A former Tuvalu prime minister says while the New Zealand government’s oil and gas plans show it is concerned about its economy, he is more concerned about the livelihoods and survival of the Tuvalu people. Enele Sopoaga — who still serves as an MP ...
Evening ReportBy Asia Pacific Report
8 hours ago

Grattan on Friday: Like the famous budget tree, Chalmers can change the story to suit the season
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Many people who follow federal budgets know about the magnificent “budget tree” in a parliamentary courtyard, which turns a glorious red in time for the May event. This week Treasurer Jim Chalmers posed by ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
8 hours ago

Australia can have a future for the gas industry, or meet its climate commitments – but not both
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Samantha Hepburn, Professor, Deakin Law School, Deakin University Aerial-motion/Shutterstock Gas is back – if it ever went away. Yesterday, the Albanese government doubled down on gas with the release of its Future Gas Industry policy. Under this proposal, gas will ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
10 hours ago

Technically accomplished, sonically subversive and fiercely independent, I’ll remember Steve Albin...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Samantha Bennett, Professor of Music, Australian National University Richard P J Lambert/flickr, CC BY The future belongs to the analogue loyalists. Fuck digital. As a tsunami of CDs, DAT tapes and samplers swept the recording industry in the ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
12 hours ago

Hind’s Hall is Macklemore’s bold new pro-Palestine anthem. What might it actually achieve?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Catherine Strong, Associate professor, Music Industry, RMIT University This week American rapper Macklemore released a new track, Hind’s Hall, which has gained a lot of attention because of its explicitly political nature. The track is unapologetically pro-Palestine. It declares the artist’s ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
13 hours ago

How KidsCan provides a nutritious school lunch for $2
A charity says it is - and that it has been doing so while providing fresh meals for nearly 6000 children per day. ...
Radio NZ – political
13 hours ago

Shane Jones sets sights on killer kina – 'An industrial grade problem'
"They kill all the kelp, they kill all the seaweed, and they turn the marine environment into a virtual desert," the Fisheries Minister says. ...
Radio NZ – political
13 hours ago

Using a structured literacy approach to teach reading: What you need to know
Explainer - The government from 2025 is mandating how state schools teach children to read. But what is structured literacy and how does it compare to other teaching methods? ...
Radio NZ – political
14 hours ago

‘We do not want to be like Russia’: a first-hand account of Georgia’s fight for democracy
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Danica Jenkins, Lecturer in European Studies, University of Sydney On a freezing spring night in March, Georgia’s national soccer team beat Greece in a nail-biter penalty shootout to qualify for the Euro 2024 championships. The atmosphere on the streets of the capital ...
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14 hours ago

Our research shows higher carbon emissions increase costs for Australian businesses
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adam G. Arian, Lecturer (Accounting & Finance), Australian Catholic University Loic Manegarium/Pexels Imagine every ton of carbon dioxide a company emits is slowly inflating its costs — not just in terms of potential fines or fees but in the capital it ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
16 hours ago

Ponsonby shooting: Hone Kay-Selwyn death not suspicious
The death of Hone Kay-Selwyn, who was involved in the Ponsonby shooting, is not being treated as suspicious, police say. ...
Radio NZ – political
16 hours ago

Our cities are widening the divide between the well-off and the rest. How can we turn this damaging ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Somwrita Sarkar, Senior Lecturer in Design and Computation, University of Sydney The “latte line” is the infamous, invisible boundary that divides Sydney between the more affluent north-east and the south-west. Historically, people north of the line enjoy better access to jobs and ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
17 hours ago

Supercharged thunderstorms: have we underestimated how climate change drives extreme rain and floods...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrew Dowdy, Principal Research Scientist in Extreme Weather, The University of Melbourne Nomad_Soul/Shutterstock In media articles about unprecedented flooding, you’ll often come across the statement that for every 1°C of warming, the atmosphere can hold about 7% more moisture. This ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
17 hours ago

Former Fiji PM Voreqe Bainimarama jailed over block of USP probe
RNZ Pacific Former Fiji Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama has been sentenced to one year in prison, Fiji media are reporting. Bainimarama, alongside suspended Fiji Police Commissioner Sitiveni Qiliho appeared in the High Court in Suva today for their sentencing hearing for a case involving their roles in blocking a police ...
Evening ReportBy Asia Pacific Report
17 hours ago

ACC proposes cutting more than 300 jobs
The cuts would be a 9 percent reduction in the Crown entity's total workforce. ...
Radio NZ – political
17 hours ago

Government To Respond To 259 Human Rights Recommendations
Acting Chief Human Rights Commissioner Saunoamaali’i Dr Karanina Sumeo says, “Addressing violence and abuse remains New Zealand’s most significant human rights issue affecting women. ...
Scoop politics
18 hours ago

Marlborough by-election still possible when MP Jamie Arbuckle resigns
The mayor says she understands the MP's bid to avoid a costly by-election but the decision is one for councillors. ...
Radio NZ – political
18 hours ago

Glaring Hole Exposed In Government’s Single Use Plastics Ban
Just Earth Papers has challenged the Ministry for Environment to follow its own guidance on the phase out and ban of single-use plastics. ...
Scoop politics
18 hours ago

ACT's interpretation of Treaty of Waitangi inaccurate and misleading – claimants
Speaking to the Waitangi Tribunal, Ngāpuhi Kaumātua Hone Sadler said ACT's interpretation is not in tune with the intent of Te Tiriti. ...
Radio NZ – political
18 hours ago

Should we fight climate change by re-engineering life itself?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jonathan Symons, Macquarie School of Social Sciences, Macquarie University Michael Schiffer / Unsplash Life has transformed our world over billions of years, turning a dead rock into the lush, fertile planet we know today. But human activity is currently transforming Earth ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
18 hours ago

Please let me watch the horny tennis movie at a reasonable time
One woman’s quest to watch Challengers without ruining her body clock. Every Saturday morning, I wake up with a screaming demon inside my head urging me to “Do. Something. This. Weekend.” I run through the possibilities in my head in a defensive mental crouch, reminiscent of that one time I ...
The SpinoffBy Anna Rawhiti-Connell
18 hours ago

ACC Job Cuts Will Mean More Accidents And Injuries
The PSA is alarmed that ACC is proposing to shed 309 jobs including 29 dedicated injury prevention jobs at a time when the number and cost of injuries is rising. ...
Scoop politics
18 hours ago

ACC proposes cutting nearly 400 jobs
The cuts would be a 9 percent reduction in the Crown entity's total workforce. ...
Radio NZ – political
18 hours ago

‘City deals’ are coming to NZ – let’s make sure they’re not ‘city back-room deals’
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tom Baker, Associate Professor in Human Geography, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau Getty Images As local and regional councils struggle with inadequate infrastructure and unsustainable costs, New Zealand will be hearing a lot more about the potential solution offered by ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
19 hours ago

Not all ultra-processed foods are bad for your health, whatever you might have heard
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Gary Sacks, Professor of Public Health Policy, Deakin University Drazen Zigic/Shutterstock In recent years, there’s been increasing hype about the potential health risks associated with so-called “ultra-processed” foods. But new evidence published this week found not all “ultra-processed” foods are linked ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
19 hours ago

Explainer: Nicola Willis' pre-Budget speech – what we learnt
The Finance Minister has done a conservative lift of the lid on her upcoming Budget. Here's what she laid out. ...
Radio NZ – political
20 hours ago

Explainer: Nicola Willis's pre-Budget speech – what we learnt
The Finance Minister has done a conservative lift of the lid on her upcoming Budget. Here's what she laid out. ...
Radio NZ – political
20 hours ago

NZ's reliance on forests to absorb carbon emissions is risky – OECD report
Fears that New Zealand is relying too heavily on low-cost forests to absorb its carbon dioxide emissions have been reignited by a report from the OECD. ...
Radio NZ – political
20 hours ago

Cabinet mulls creation of mega spy agency as FIANZ seeks 'serious rethink'
The agency, first floated after the Christchurch mosque attacks, is under "active consideration". ...
Radio NZ – political
21 hours ago

Public services savings confirmed, but possibly not complete
Finance Minister Nicola Willis has confirmed the total dollar savings target from public sector cuts has been met, but the reductions have not been felt evenly across public agencies. Government departments were told to make savings set at 6.5 percent or 7.5 percent where headcount had grown by more than ...
NewsroomBy Emma Hatton
21 hours ago

Help Me Hera: Are my friend’s compliments of our other mate designed to terrorise me?
She doesn’t have a single kind word for me and it’s getting under my skin. Want Hera’s help? Email your problem to helpme@thespinoff.co.nz Dear Hera, I have two amazing friends that I absolutely adore. Grace (all names have been changed) and I lived together across 2023 and Olivia moved in with us this ...
The SpinoffBy Hera Lindsay Bird
21 hours ago

How mana whenua lead the way in revolutionising environmental healing
Can Western science and Māori science work together to support our well-being? The Te Ohu Mō Papatūānuku (TOMP) Trials Project was a landmark case for healing the land and people with the guidance of Māori science and leadership. This is what happened when Papatūānuku (Earth) was contaminated by toxic discharge, ...
The SpinoffBy The Spinoff
21 hours ago

Government to introduce compulsory work seminar for job-seeking beneficiaries
Beneficiaries looking for a job will have to attend a work seminar within two weeks of starting to receive welfare under new requirements. ...
Radio NZ – political
21 hours ago

Photos are everywhere. What makes a good one?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By T.J. Thomson, Senior Lecturer in Visual Communication & Digital Media, RMIT University T.J. Thomson We upload some 3 billion images online each day. We make most of these photos on smartphones and use these devices to document everything from gym progress ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
22 hours ago

'Darkest before the dawn': Nicola Willis rules out austerity Budget
"Every dollar counts and our Budget will reflect that reality," the Finance Minister has told an audience.. ...
Radio NZ – political
22 hours ago

Wellington’s new District Plan can be the path forward out of the city’s malaise
The District Plan is a blueprint for a bigger, better Wellington, through tens of thousands of new apartments and townhouses and a new approach to urban growth. Joel MacManus lays out the vision. The process of putting together Wellington’s new District Plan has been long and excruciating. As a city, ...
The SpinoffBy Joel MacManus
22 hours ago

AI companions can relieve loneliness – but here are 4 red flags to watch for in your chatbot ‘fr...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Dan Weijers, Senior Lecturer in Philosophy, Co-editor International Journal of Wellbeing, University of Waikato Jaap Arriens/NurPhoto via Getty Images It’s been seven years since the launch of Replika, an artificially intelligent chatbot designed to be a friend to human users. Despite ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
23 hours ago

Paris in spring, Bali in winter. How ‘bucket lists’ help cancer patients handle life and death
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Leah Williams Veazey, ARC DECRA Research Fellow, University of Sydney DavideAngelini/Shutterstock In the 2007 film The Bucket List Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman play two main characters who respond to their terminal cancer diagnoses by rejecting experimental treatment. Instead, they go ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
23 hours ago

Heat is coming for our crops. We have to make them ready
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mohan Singh, Professor of Agri-Food Biotechnology, School of Agriculture, Food and Ecosystem Sciences at the University of Melbourne., The University of Melbourne Tanja Esser/Shutterstock Australia’s vital agriculture sector will be hit hard by steadily rising global temperatures. Our climate is already ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
23 hours ago

Why Trust Is A Must
The Acumen Edelman Trust barometer reported that New Zealand’s political trust score now sits below the global average, a topic explored in a recent discussion paper by Maxim Institute. ...
Scoop politics
23 hours ago

Protest March Against Fast-track Bill Announced For Auckland
Greenpeace Aotearoa executive director Russel Norman says, "The Fast-Track Bill is the most damaging piece of environmental legislation any Government has introduced in living memory. People are angry, and it’s time to march." ...
Scoop politics
24 hours ago

Watch live: Finance Minister Nicola Willis makes pre-Budget speech
Finance Ministers have used past pre-Budget speeches to reveal where savings have been found and what rules have been set. ...
Radio NZ – political
24 hours ago

A busy week at school for David Seymour
The school lunches programme has been retained – and will be extended to some preschoolers. So how is it going to cost $107 million less? To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here. The minister with many hats David Seymour wears a number of hats, but this week ...
The SpinoffBy Stewart Sowman-Lund
1 day ago

'Completely stupid' – ex-Tuvalu PM on Shane Jones' oil and gas comments
Enele Sopoaga - who still serves as an MP in Tuvalu - says the climate crisis is the "main enemy". ...
Radio NZ – political
1 day ago

School lunch revamp: 'The biggest waiting list since 2018'
Up to 10,000 more hungry children under five will become eligible for free lunches under the government's revised lunches in schools programme. ...
Radio NZ – political
1 day ago

Book of the Week: Ashleigh Young on an extinction event
“Show us the bird,” I found myself muttering at times while reading Hard by the Cloud House by Peter Walker, a deeply thoughtful, often hilarious, at times rambling – but somehow delightfully so – search for the story of a big bird. But not just any bird: the bird. This ...
NewsroomBy Ashleigh Young
1 day ago

A ‘sponge city’ may be your home in 2050
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jack Marley, Environment + Energy Editor, UK edition DPVUE .images/Shutterstock Your home was probably designed for a climate that no longer exists. As long as humanity continues to burn fossil fuel, padding the heat-trapping blanket of gases in Earth’s atmosphere, the ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
1 day ago

Tikanga is the first law of Aotearoa
A senior lawyer has filed a complaint about tikanga becoming a required law school module. Law lecturer Carwyn Jones explains what he’s getting wrong. “…the first law of Aotearoa, a law that served the needs of tangata whenua for a thousand years before the arrival of tauiwi.” – Ani Mikaere ...
The SpinoffBy Carwyn Jones
1 day ago

‘Your agency is taken away’: When endometriosis treatment changes without your consent
In 2019, an Auckland woman woke up from surgery to find that she had undergone a treatment she didn’t consent to. She tells Alex Casey about her experience. From her very first period at the age of 14, Laura experienced “debilitating” levels of pain that forced her to withdraw from ...
The SpinoffBy Alex Casey
1 day ago

Newsroom daily quiz, Thursday 9 May
Loading…(function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){var ql=document.querySelectorAll('A,DIV,A[data-quiz],DIV[data-quiz]'); if(ql){if(ql.length){for(var k=0;k<ql.length;k++){ql[k].id='quiz-embed-'+k;ql[k].href="javascript:var i=document.getElementById('quiz-embed-"+k+"');try{qz.startQuiz(i)}catch(e){i.start=1;i.style.cursor='wait';i.style.opacity='0.5'};void(0);"}}};i['QP']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){(i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o),m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m)})(window,document,'script','https://take.quiz-maker.com/3012/CDN/quiz-embed-v1.js','qp'); Got a good quiz question? Send Newsroom your questions. The post Newsroom daily quiz, Thursday 9 May appeared first on Newsroom. ...
NewsroomBy Newsroom Puzzles
1 day ago

China challenges must be managed if opportunities are to be sustained
Opinion: A continuation of the previous Labour government’s ‘China-plus’ diversification strategy The post China challenges must be managed if opportunities are to be sustained appeared first on Newsroom. ...
NewsroomBy Jason Young
1 day ago

IRD chases decades-old student debt for woman who never went to university
When Clara Owen first received a debt notice from Inland Revenue in 2018 she wondered if it was a scam The post IRD chases decades-old student debt for woman who never went to university appeared first on Newsroom. ...
NewsroomBy Emma Hatton
1 day ago

Green shoots pruned
Comment: Concerns about the state of the economy are creeping up to the top of firms’ list of challenges. That’s evident in both surveys and the tone of our recent client discussions. Skimming the past few weeks of eco-news, it’s not hard to see why. – Retail card spending fell ...
NewsroomBy Mike Jones
1 day ago

Daily crossword, Thursday 9 May
The post Daily crossword, Thursday 9 May appeared first on Newsroom. ...
NewsroomBy Newsroom Puzzles
1 day ago

How the Greens could be contenders
Opinion: Could former co-leader James Shaw still make a difference to working with National? The post How the Greens could be contenders appeared first on Newsroom. ...
NewsroomBy Peter Dunne
1 day ago

The ‘war on drugs’ is really a ‘war on people who use drugs’ – and it doesn’t work
Opinion: What if we got rid of our existing drug laws and replaced them with a new law that legalised and carefully regulated all psychoactive substances, from cannabis to MDMA, methamphetamine and LSD to magic mushrooms? And which also included legal drugs such as alcohol and nicotine. “Wow,” you might ...
NewsroomBy Dr Fiona Hutton
1 day ago

David Seymour – not the associate education minister you expected
Analysis: David Seymour’s school lunches programme goes further than Labour’s The post David Seymour – not the associate education minister you expected appeared first on Newsroom. ...
NewsroomBy Laura Walters
1 day ago

Wayne Brown’s port deal seeks to end five years of drama
Seeking a mandated shift for Port of Auckland before he was mayor, Wayne Brown has tried demanding huge returns and leasing operations The post Wayne Brown’s port deal seeks to end five years of drama appeared first on Newsroom. ...
NewsroomBy Andrew Bevin
1 day ago

DoC set to cut permanent jobs on Chatham Islands
In the gloom following director-general Al Morrison’s job cuts in 2013, the Department of Conservation restructured its operations arm. Eleven conservancy districts were whittled into six new “conservation delivery” regions, under which the Rēkohu/Wharekauri/Chatham Islands area, comprising 40 scattered islands more than 800km east of Christchurch, was tethered to the ...
NewsroomBy David Williams
1 day ago

Levels of litigation rising with economic hardship
One of th e country’s top litigation lawyers says New Zealand is seeing a lift in court action between companies. Chapman Tripp partner Justin Graham, who oversees a team of around 80 litigation specialists, says the courts are now so log-jammed that it’s taking over two years to get cases ...
NewsroomBy Alexia Russell
1 day ago

Gas is good until 2050 and beyond, under Albanese gas strategy
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra The Albanese government is talking up the crucial role of gas as a transition fuel “through to 2050 and beyond”. In a gas strategy to be released on Thursday, the government envisages the fuel’s ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
1 day ago

Wellington zoning changes backed by minister, but not all are happy with decisions
The capital will get more housing including six-storey buildings and minimum front and side yard requirements in high-density residential zones. ...
Radio NZ – political
1 day ago

Daily review 04/10/2023

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