The names not crossed out on this list are the ones who voted against the first reading of the Abortion Law Reform Bill. Those with a ‘P’ next to their name voted by proxy, those crossed out voted in favour.
Agree Weka, Tracey used to be the Deputy Leader until Ron Mark was elected on the party list (again) in 2017 – I'm furiously trying to get a time line on when she was unceremoniously dumped as Deputy Leader and Ron Mark was made DL, who has in turn, if my memory serves me correctly been replaced by Fletcher Tabitau. I'm mightily impressed by Tracey and follow her on her Facebook page. I hope Winston doesn't have a hissy fit and demote her even further.
Much respect for Tracey for the way she conducted herself in Parliament today. She's a jewel in the thorny old crown that is prickly NZ First. However I doubt the party sees her as an asset. For NZ First there is only one star allowed in their show and we all know who that is!
Total agreement Cinny…has me wondering how we can persuade Martin to choose a different waka.
That list you posted is a great help btw. I'm making it my mission to listen to all the female Members who spoke today, especially the ones who voted against this significant change. This is a women's issue and on this men do not have a voice.
This legislation will pass without Winston's referendum, but I personally feel it is important that the issues raised by the women who are voting against this legislation are heard and treated with respect.
I'm half way through Hayes' speech and she makes some good points. There needs to be better support for women whatever choice they make. There needs to be acknowledgement of tikanga and the importance of whakapapa.
Louise 'I'm not a feminist' Upston speaks from her own personal experience, and I respect her for that. It very much needs to be put out there that this is not simply a matter of chanting 'My body, my choice!'.
"The blindsiding and undermining of Tracey Martin, one of two female MPs in NZ First, by the men in her party, men to whom the abortion law reform does not apply, is one of the grossest things I’ve seen in politics in a while."
Of course it doesn't just apply to NZ First men. I have been cynically amused by the fact more men than women seem to have expressed their views to the media on the proposed abortion law reform. They apparently believe they are the experts in the field. Their arrogance and ignorance never fails to astound me.
Big turnout, turned down as Hamilton councillors reject climate emergency
"A reporter said they'd never seen a council turn out like this before. It was positively electric.
But that's where it ended.
When it happened, it wasn't sudden but it spread through the room like a bad smell."
"
The divide was clear. And it was male. And it looked over 45-year-old.
Praise for the speakers washed meaninglessly across the audience as they desperately waited for their will to be realised.
Some sought a rejection of a climate change being considered an emergency, others a declaration. Some wanted climate change rejected altogether, others a plan for the future.
Ultimately, eight aging councillors ignored the voices of 300 of Hamilton's youth protesters. Climate change was decidedly not an emergency, for now."
Stands and declaims – 'To be or not to be that is the question.'
The answer probably is resolved in the rest of the speech from Shakespeare? In other words, I am clueless.
To be, or not to be, that is the question:
Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer
The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune,
Or to take Arms against a Sea of troubles,
Might be better to say "Activists have hit back at Fonterra's claim…"
The article features a number of signs that activists are talking:
1. They belong to a lobby group.
2. They make the irrelevant complaint that "the Swedish researchers worked for the dairy industry and the findings were published in a little read journal."
3. This one's awesome: "…the nutrition provided by cow's milk was unnecessary…" because "None of the nutrients contained in cow's milk are unique, they are all found in whole plant foods with the exception of vitamin B12, which is found in other animal products or can be supplemented." To see why this is an activist argument, consider that Fonterra might well say the nutrients contained in whole plant foods is unnecessary because none of it's unique and can be found in richer quantities in cow's milk, including vitamin B12. These guys seriously want you to eat plants.
4. "He said the protein found in cow's milk increased insulin-like growth factor levels, which raised the risk of breast and prostate cancer. There was also a link with type 1 diabetes." Well, maybe. Studies show all kinds of things, and even the "evidence" they cite says "the preponderance of data suggests a slight increased risk of some cancers due to higher activity of the IGF system," which isn't exactly a chilling warning about a clear and present danger, just the usual "we did our best to torture the results into confessing, but it remains pretty inconclusive."
5. They even drag lactose intolerance into it. Yes, some people are lactose intolerant and should avoid dairy – that's no argument that people who aren't lactose intolerant should avoid it. Also, they ignore the fact that the reason the genes for lactose tolerance spread so rapidly in herding populations was the high nutritional value of dairy products – natural selection meant the people who could eat dairy were more likely to survive. Lactose tolerance remains a poster boy for how fast an evolutionary advantage can spread in a human population.
6. Right at the end, the activism is made clear: "The group advocates the use of whole-food plant-based eating to treat a large number of lifestyle illnesses such as heart disease, diabetes, Alzheimer's and several cancers." Well, as someone with diabetes I can tell these activists that what diabetics need is low-carb food, for which animal products are great and plant foods generally aren't. When I stopped listening to bullshit like this from doctors and went low-carb I cut my insulin dosage in half. It's fallen even further since.
I hate that vegan misinformation about nutrition. There's nothing wrong with being vegan for ethical reasons, no need to mislead people. I wouldn't call this activism so much as proselytising.
This one's awesome: "…the nutrition provided by cow's milk was unnecessary…" because "None of the nutrients contained in cow's milk are unique, they are all found in whole plant foods with the exception of vitamin B12, which is found in other animal products or can be supplemented." To see why this is an activist argument, consider that Fonterra might well say the nutrients contained in whole plant foods is unnecessary because none of it's unique and can be found in richer quantities in cow's milk, including vitamin B12. These guys seriously want you to eat plants.
It gets worse. Nutrients like omega 3 are different in plants than animals foods, and easier to get from animals. Omegas are already a significant issue for humans, especially with the pressures on fish stocks. That's going to get worse. Industrial milk has less optimal omega ratios, so we're screwed there too. I see Fonterra and EBENZ as cut from the same cloth, both causing problems driven by ideology.
I love Oat Milk on my porridge or whatever cereal I eat, it's yummmmm. I refuse to purchase Sanitarium products though and buy Vita Soy. Hope they pay their share of company tax to the Australian tax system.
She was noticeably more confident than yesterday. Chris Bishop and whoever-that-was might as well have read out their grocery shopping lists, for all the good it did them. Very nice to see.
For those who love industrial history and Shipbuilding weather it’s Naval or MN ships, might want to know that Harland and Wolff has gone into administration and the prospects of it being kept as a going concern are pretty grim as H&W has been on some sort of life support for a years or a decade now.
I’m not sure what’s going to happen to the local Football (FA) team called the Harland and Wolff Wielders Team which was formed in 1965 by the Wielders at H&W.
I can equal that. My father was in the Royal Navy back in the day. His job when arriving in port was to lower the gangplank for Queen Mary to board the ship. He badly misjudged and came within inches of decapitating her. Spent 24 hrs in the brig for that misdemeanour.
Stupid ploy. Of all people to have as the fearless defender of women. The universe must have flexed when that one awoke one day, reincarnated as a woman who gives a shit about women. I was open minded about this latest scandal, but I'm fast turning doubter.
I just can't envisage any woman seeing that woman as an ally, much less one having a shoulder conducive for crying upon.
You can only assume that if Bennett's claim is true, the Labour person either mistook her for someone else or has been living in a cave for the last 12 years.
Or, and this is a reach, the Labour person is in fact not a 'Labour person' at all. She is someone who works/worked for someone who is "Labour" but has no actual affiliation to Labour per se. When complaints to Labour fell on unsympathetic ground she, having no particular loyalty to Labour, complained to the person who she felt would make the loudest noise.
To be fair, back whenever I'd encounter someone being screwed by WINZ, they'd have the best results going to the local opposition MP.
One flatmate had winz calling with an apology and almost immediate funds in the time between going to the electorate office and getting home.
It's pretty obvious Paula Bennett went to the complainant rather than the other way around.
The Nats have form for this strategy where they seek out people unhappy with the government the Labour Party and offer them money ‘support’. The Meka Whaitiri incident, Karol Sroubek's ex-wife, and the Kraatskows are examples.
Mitchell is the other one who busies himself with this behaviour.
This makes sense in regard to a lot of things and of course certain media feed off it.
Comments in this "objective" (nothing is ever fully that but I believe it is honest opinion) observation in regard to the current government and the speaker's performance are, in as many of the ways as you could hope, about as good as government can in reality be. They are people and the Governents intention and goals in important ways are very different to the Opposition's.
Well, if it is silly then I'm silly too. I began to suspect it yesterday when I discovered that despite the claimed level of seriousness… no-one saw fit to go to the police. There are numerous parliamentary staff members who are not affiliated to the party of their political bosses.
I once knew a journalist who was a member of the Labour Party, yet he became a press secretary to a National minister
Edit: Yes Muttonbird… considerations pertaining to financial transactions crossed my mind too.
I think the reported complaints likely have a foundation that needs investigating – not everyone wants to go to police, even if it's serious enough.
But the thought does occur that Paula Bennett wouldn't be above inventing this "complainant" coming to her. She doesn't have to prove anything or give any information, and nobody can prove her wrong. And she's got a history of playing fast and loose with the lives and personal information of individuals if there's political advantage in it for her – this keeps whatever happened in Labour in the news, and improves her visibility as the nats' foundering polls drag its leader into the wine-dark sea.
Lack of complaints to the Police doesn't necessarily mean anything. For example, one of the complaints was that he told a woman she'd had her position in the party because she was sexually attractive – that's a complaint for the party leadership to deal with, not the Police. The other complaints could be of a similarly non-criminal nature.
Perhaps I should clarify more but am always mindful of the fact it's better to keep comments as brief as possible.
I was referring to the complaints of a sexual nature and in particular the rape claim. That is a matter for the police and while I understand the fear of reporting such cases (I went through it years ago over a severe case of harassment and came out the other end badly scathed) it seems to me since there was a group of them able to support one another that if the rape claim was correct then the police should have been informed.
"Unless greenhouse gas emissions are reduced in the immediate future, the report warns of "irreversible loss in land ecosystem functions and services required for food, health, habitable settlements and production".
That will lead to significant economic impacts on many countries around the world.
However, the report also indicates that far more efficient farming methods could dramatically increase food output while keeping emissions in check.
More people eating plant-based food, including grains, beans, nuts and seeds produced in efficient systems, could open up millions of square kilometres of productive land, as could more efficient forms of animal farming.
"We still need to produce food obviously, but sustainable production is really key to ensuring that we produce food but don't damage our environment in the process," Wreford said.
More advanced farming technologies, which are less intensive on the soil and make better use of resources are one area where New Zealand is leading the game. "
April has been a quiet month at A Phuulish Fellow. I have had an exceptionally good reading month, and a decently productive writing month – for original fiction, anyway – but not much has caught my eye that suggested a blog article. It has been vaguely frustrating, to be honest. ...
A listing of 31 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, April 21, 2024 thru Sat, April 27, 2024. Story of the week Anthropogenic climate change may be the ultimate shaggy dog story— but with a twist, because here ...
Hi,I spent about a year on Webworm reporting on an abusive megachurch called Arise, and it made me want to stab my eyes out with a fork.I don’t regret that reporting in 2022 and 2023 — I am proud of it — but it made me angry.Over three main stories ...
The new Victoria University Vice-Chancellor decided to have a forum at the university about free speech and academic freedom as it is obviously a topical issue, and the Government is looking at legislating some carrots or sticks for universities to uphold their obligations under the Education and Training Act. They ...
Do you remember when Melania Trump got caught out using a speech that sounded awfully like one Michelle Obama had given? Uncannily so.Well it turns out that Abraham Lincoln is to Winston Peters as Michelle was to Melania. With the ANZAC speech Uncle Winston gave at Gallipoli having much in ...
She was born 25 years ago today in North Shore hospital. Her eyes were closed tightly shut, her mouth was silently moving. The whole theatre was all quiet intensity as they marked her a 2 on the APGAR test. A one-minute eternity later, she was an 8. The universe was ...
Skeptical Science is partnering with Gigafact to produce fact briefs — bite-sized fact checks of trending claims. This fact brief was written by Sue Bin Park in collaboration with members from our Skeptical Science team. You can submit claims you think need checking via the tipline. Is Antarctica gaining land ice? ...
Images of US students (and others) protesting and setting up tent cities on US university campuses have been broadcast world wide and clearly demonstrate the growing rifts in US society caused by US policy toward Israel and Israel’s prosecution of … Continue reading → ...
Barrie Saunders writes – Dear Paul As the new Minister of Media and Communications, you will be inundated with heaps of free advice and special pleading, all in the national interest of course. For what it’s worth here is my assessment: Traditional broadcasting free to air content through ...
Many criticisms are being made of the Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill, including by this writer. But as with everything in politics, every story has two sides, and both deserve attention. It’s important to understand what the Government is trying to achieve and its arguments for such a bold reform. ...
Peter Dunne writes – The great nineteenth British Prime Minister, William Gladstone, once observed that “the first essential for a Prime Minister is to be a good butcher.” When a later British Prime Minister, Harold Macmillan, sacked a third of his Cabinet in July 1962, in what became ...
Ele Ludemann writes – New Zealanders had the OECD’s second highest tax increase last year: New Zealanders faced the second-biggest tax raises in the developed world last year, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) says. The intergovernmental agency said the average change in personal income tax ...
We all know something’s not right with our elections. The spread of misinformation, people being targeted with soundbites and emotional triggers that ignore the facts, even the truth, and influence their votes.The use of technology to produce deep fakes. How can you tell if something is real or not? Can ...
This video includes conclusions of the creator climate scientist Dr. Simon Clark. It is presented to our readers as an informed perspective. Please see video description for references (if any). This year you will be lied to! Simon Clark helps prebunk some misleading statements you'll hear about climate. The video includes ...
It is all very well cutting the backrooms of public agencies but it may compromise the frontlines. One of the frustrations of the Productivity Commission’s 2017 review of universities is that while it observed that their non-academic staff were increasing faster than their academic staff, it did not bother to ...
Buzz from the Beehive Two speeches delivered by Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters at Anzac Day ceremonies in Turkey are the only new posts on the government’s official website since the PM announced his Cabinet shake-up. In one of the speeches, Peters stated the obvious: we live in a troubled ...
1. Which of these would you not expect to read in The Waikato Invader?a. Luxon is here to do business, don’t you worry about thatb. Mr KPI expects results, and you better believe itc. This decisive man of action is getting me all hot and excitedd. Melissa Lee is how ...
…it has a restricted jurisdiction which must not be abused: it is not an inquisitionNOTE – this article was published before the High Court ruled that Karen Chhour does not have to appear before the Waitangi Tribunal Gary Judd writes – The High Court ...
Lindsay Mitchell writes – One of reasons Oranga Tamariki exists is to prevent child neglect. But could the organisation itself be guilty of the same?Oranga Tamariki’s statistics show a decrease in the number and age of children in care. “There are less children ...
David Farrar writes: Graeme Edgeler wrote in 2017: In the first five years after three strikes came into effect 5248 offenders received a ‘first strike’ (that is, a “stage-1 conviction” under the three strikes sentencing regime), and 68 offenders received a ‘second strike’. In the five years prior to ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has surprised everyone with his ruthlessness in sacking two of his ministers from their crucial portfolios. Removing ministers for poor performance after only five months in the job just doesn’t normally happen in politics. That’s refreshing and will be extremely ...
TL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the two days to 6:06am on Thursday, April 25:Politics: PM Christopher Luxon has set up a dual standard for ministerial competence by demoting two National Cabinet ministers while leaving also-struggling ...
Hi,Today I mainly want to share some of your thoughts about the recent piece I wrote about success and failure, and the forces that seemingly guide our lives. But first, a quick bit of housekeeping: I am doing a Webworm popup in Los Angeles on Saturday May 11 at 2pm. ...
It is hard to see what Melissa Lee might have done to “save” the media. National went into the election with no public media policy and appears not to have developed one subsequently. Lee claimed that she had prepared a policy paper before the election but it had been decided ...
Open access notablesIce acceleration and rotation in the Greenland Ice Sheet interior in recent decades, Løkkegaard et al., Communications Earth & Environment:In the past two decades, mass loss from the Greenland ice sheet has accelerated, partly due to the speedup of glaciers. However, uncertainty in speed derived from satellite products ...
Buzz from the Beehive A statement from Children’s Minister Karen Chhour – yet to be posted on the Government’s official website – arrived in Point of Order’s email in-tray last night. It welcomes the High Court ruling on whether the Waitangi Tribunal can demand she appear before it. It does ...
Mr Bombastic:Ironically, the media the academic experts wanted is, in many ways, the media they got. In place of the tyrannical editors of yesteryear, advancing without fear or favour the interests of the ruling class; the New Zealand news media of today boasts a troop of enlightened journalists dedicated to ...
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In 1974, the US Supreme Court issued its decision in United States v. Nixon, finding that the President was not a King, but was subject to the law and was required to turn over the evidence of his wrongdoing to the courts. It was a landmark decision for the rule ...
Every day now just seems to bring in more fresh meat for the grinder.In their relentlessly ideological drive to cut back on the “excessive bloat” (as they see it) of the previous Labour-led government, on the mountains of evidence accumulated in such a short period of time do not ...
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Buzz from the Beehive Melissa Lee – as may be discerned from the screenshot above – has not been demoted for doing something seriously wrong as Minister of ...
Morning in London Mother hugs beloved daughter outside the converted shoe factory in which she is living.Afternoon in London Travelling writer takes himself and his wrist down to A&E, just to be sure. Read more ...
Mike Grimshaw writes – The recent announcement of the University Advisory Group, chaired by Sir Peter Gluckman, makes very clear where the Government’s focus and priorities lie. The remit of the Advisory Group is that Group members will consider challenges and opportunities for improvement in the university sector including: ...
Eric Crampton writes – The Reserve Bank of New Zealand desperately wants to find reasons to have workstreams in climate change. It makes little sense. They’ve run another stress test on the banks looking to see if they could find a prudential regulation case. They couldn’t. They ...
Rob MacCullough writes – Pundits from the left and the right are arguing that National’s Fast Track Bill that is designed to speed up infrastructure decisions could end up becoming mired in a cesspool of corruption. Political commentator ...
Looking at the headlines this morning it’s hard to feel anything other than pessimistic about the future of humanity.Note that I’m not speaking about the future of mankind, but the survival of our humanity. The values that we believe in seem to be ebbing away, by the day.Perhaps every generation ...
Swabbing mixed breed baby chicks to test for avian influenzaUh oh. Bird flu – often deadly to humans – is not only being transmitted from infected birds to dairy cows, but is now travelling between dairy cows. As of last Friday, Bloomberg News reports, there were 32 American dairy herds ...
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What is it with the mining industry? Its not enough for them to pillage the earth - they apparently can't even be bothered getting resource consent to do so: The proponent behind a major mine near the Clutha River had already been undertaking activity in the area without a ...
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Calling all journalists, academics, planners, lawyers, political activists, environmentalists, and other members of the public who believe that the relationships between vested interests and politicians need to be scrutinised. We need to work together to make sure that the new Fast-Track Approvals Bill – currently being pushed through by the ...
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Bryce Edwards writes- The ability of the private sector to quickly establish major new projects making use of the urban and natural environment is to be supercharged by the new National-led Government. Yesterday it introduced to Parliament one of its most significant reforms, the Fast Track Approvals Bill. ...
Michael Bassett writes – If you think there is a move afoot by the radical Maori fringe of New Zealand society to create a parallel system of government to the one that we elect at our triennial elections, you aren’t wrong. Over the last few days we have ...
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The ability of the private sector to quickly establish major new projects making use of the urban and natural environment is to be supercharged by the new National-led Government. Yesterday it introduced to Parliament one of its most significant reforms, the Fast Track Approvals Bill. The Government says this will ...
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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 ...
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. ...
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. ...
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 ...
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. ...
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 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. ...
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. ...
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. ...
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. ...
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 ...
Cuts to frontline hospital staff are not only a broken election promise, it shows the reckless tax cuts have well and truly hit the frontline of the health system, says Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall. ...
The Green Party has joined the call for public submissions on the fast-track legislation to be extended after the Ombudsman forced the Government to release the list of organisations invited to apply just hours before submissions close. ...
New Zealand’s good work at reducing climate emissions for three years in a row will be undone by the National government’s lack of ambition and scrapping programmes that were making a difference, Labour Party climate spokesperson Megan Woods said today. ...
More essential jobs could be on the chopping block, this time Ministry of Education staff on the school lunches team are set to find out whether they're in line to lose their jobs. ...
Te Pāti Māori is disgusted at the confirmation that hundreds are set to lose their jobs at Oranga Tamariki, and the disestablishment of the Treaty Response Unit. “This act of absolute carelessness and out of touch decision making is committing tamariki to state abuse.” Said Te Pāti Māori Oranga Tamariki ...
The Government is trying to bring in a law that will allow Ministers to cut corners and kill off native species, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said. ...
Cancelling urgently needed new Cook Strait ferries and hiking the cost of public transport for many Kiwis so that National can announce the prospect of another tunnel for Wellington is not making good choices, Labour Transport Spokesperson Tangi Utikere said. ...
A laundry list of additional costs for Tāmaki Makarau Auckland shows the Minister for the city is not delivering for the people who live there, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...
Te Pāti Māori co-leader Rawiri Waititi, and Mema Paremata mō Tāmaki-Makaurau, Takutai Tarsh Kemp, will travel to the Gold Coast to strengthen ties with Māori in Australia next week (15-21 April). The visit, in the lead-up to the 9th Australian National Kapa haka Festival, will be an opportunity for both ...
The Green Party has today launched a step-by-step guide to help New Zealanders make their voice heard on the Government’s democracy dodging and anti-environment fast track legislation. ...
The National Government’s proposed changes to the Residential Tenancies Act will mean tenants can be turfed from their homes by landlords with little notice, Labour housing spokesperson Kieran McAnulty said. ...
Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson is calling on all parties to support a common-sense change that’s great for the planet and great for consumers after her member’s bill was drawn from the ballot today. ...
A significant milestone has been reached in the fight to strike an anti-Pasifika and unfair law from the country’s books after Teanau Tuiono’s members’ bill passed its first reading. ...
New Zealand has today missed the opportunity to uphold the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment, says James Shaw after his member’s bill was voted down in its first reading. ...
Hon Paula Bennett has been appointed as member and chair of the Pharmac board, Associate Health Minister David Seymour announced today. "Pharmac is a critical part of New Zealand's health system and plays a significant role in ensuring that Kiwis have the best possible access to medicines,” says Mr Seymour. ...
Hundreds of New Zealand families affected by Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) will benefit from a new Government focus on prevention and treatment, says Health Minister Dr Shane Reti. “We know FASD is a leading cause of preventable intellectual and neurodevelopmental disability in New Zealand,” Dr Reti says. “Every day, ...
Regional Development Minister Shane Jones today attended the official opening of Kaikohe’s new $14.7 million sports complex. “The completion of the Kaikohe Multi Sports Complex is a fantastic achievement for the Far North,” Mr Jones says. “This facility not only fulfils a long-held dream for local athletes, but also creates ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters’ engagements in Türkiye this week underlined the importance of diplomacy to meet growing global challenges. “Returning to the Gallipoli Peninsula to represent New Zealand at Anzac commemorations was a sombre reminder of the critical importance of diplomacy for de-escalating conflicts and easing tensions,” Mr Peters ...
Ambassador Millar, Burgemeester, Vandepitte, Excellencies, military representatives, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen – good morning and welcome to this sacred Anzac Day dawn service. It is an honour to be here on behalf of the Government and people of New Zealand at Buttes New British Cemetery, Polygon Wood – a deeply ...
Distinguished guests - It is an honour to return once again to this site which, as the resting place for so many of our war-dead, has become a sacred place for generations of New Zealanders. Our presence here and at the other special spaces of Gallipoli is made ...
Mai ia tawhiti pamamao, te moana nui a Kiwa, kua tae whakaiti mai matou, ki to koutou papa whenua. No koutou te tapuwae, no matou te tapuwae, kua honoa pumautia. Ko nga toa kua hinga nei, o te Waipounamu, o te Ika a Maui, he okioki tahi me o ...
Paul Goldsmith will take on responsibility for the Media and Communications portfolio, while Louise Upston will pick up the Disability Issues portfolio, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon announced today. “Our Government is relentlessly focused on getting New Zealand back on track. As issues change in prominence, I plan to adjust Ministerial ...
Recreational catch limits will be reduced in areas of Fiordland and the Chatham Islands to help keep those fisheries healthy and sustainable, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The lower recreational daily catch limits for a range of finfish and shellfish species caught in the Fiordland Marine Area and ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed an important milestone in New Zealand’s hydrogen future, with the opening of the country’s first network of hydrogen refuelling stations in Wiri. “I want to congratulate the team at Hiringa Energy and its partners K one W one (K1W1), Mitsui & Co New Zealand ...
The coalition Government is delivering on its commitment to improve resource management laws and give greater certainty to consent applicants, with a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) expected to be introduced to Parliament next month. RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop has today outlined the first RMA Amendment ...
Overseas models for regulating the oil and gas sector, including their decommissioning regimes, are being carefully scrutinised as a potential template for New Zealand’s own sector, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. The Coalition Government is focused on rebuilding investor confidence in New Zealand’s energy sector as it looks to strengthen ...
Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell has today released the Report of the Government Inquiry into the response to the North Island Severe Weather Events. “The report shows that New Zealand’s emergency management system is not fit-for-purpose and there are some significant gaps we need to address,” Mr Mitchell ...
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith is today travelling to Europe where he’ll update the United Nations Human Rights Council on the Government’s work to restore law and order. “Attending the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva provides us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while ...
Associate Agriculture Minister, Mark Patterson, formally reopened the world’s largest wool processing facility today in Awatoto, Napier, following a $50 million rebuild and refurbishment project. “The reopening of this facility will significantly lift the economic opportunities available to New Zealand’s wool sector, which already accounts for 20 per cent of ...
Hon Andrew Bayly, Minister for Small Business and Manufacturing At the Southland Otago Regional Engineering Collective (SOREC) Summit, 18 April, Dunedin Ngā mihi nui, Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Ko Whanganui aho Good Afternoon and thank you for inviting me to open your summit today. I am delighted ...
The Government is delivering on its commitment to bring back the Three Strikes legislation, Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee announced today. “Our Government is committed to restoring law and order and enforcing appropriate consequences on criminals. We are making it clear that repeat serious violent or sexual offending is not ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has today announced four new diplomatic appointments for New Zealand’s overseas missions. “Our diplomats have a vital role in maintaining and protecting New Zealand’s interests around the world,” Mr Peters says. “I am pleased to announce the appointment of these senior diplomats from the ...
New Zealand is contributing NZ$7 million to support communities affected by severe food insecurity and other urgent humanitarian needs in Ethiopia and Somalia, Foreign Minister Rt Hon Winston Peters announced today. “Over 21 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance across Ethiopia, with a further 6.9 million people ...
Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage Paul Goldsmith is congratulating Mataaho Collective for winning the Golden Lion for best participant in the main exhibition at the Venice Biennale. "Congratulations to the Mataaho Collective for winning one of the world's most prestigious art prizes at the Venice Biennale. “It is good ...
The Government is reforming financial services to improve access to home loans and other lending, and strengthen customer protections, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly and Housing Minister Chris Bishop announced today. “Our coalition Government is committed to rebuilding the economy and making life simpler by cutting red tape. We are ...
“China remains a strong commercial opportunity for Kiwi exporters as Chinese businesses and consumers continue to value our high-quality safe produce,” Trade and Agriculture Minister Todd McClay says. Mr McClay has returned to New Zealand following visits to Beijing, Harbin and Shanghai where he met ministers, governors and mayors and engaged in trade and agricultural events with the New ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has completed a successful trip to Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines, deepening relationships and capitalising on opportunities. Mr Luxon was accompanied by a business delegation and says the choice of countries represents the priority the New Zealand Government places on South East Asia, and our relationships in ...
New Zealand is demonstrating its commitment to reducing global greenhouse emissions, and supporting clean energy transition in South East Asia, through a contribution of NZ$41 million (US$25 million) in climate finance to the Asian Development Bank (ADB)-led Energy Transition Mechanism (ETM). Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Climate Change Minister Simon Watts announced ...
The Government is today releasing a list of organisations who received letters about the Fast-track applications process, says RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop. “Recently Ministers and agencies have received a series of OIA requests for a list of organisations to whom I wrote with information on applying to have a ...
Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister David Jonathan Boldt as a Judge of the High Court, and the Honourable Justice Matthew Palmer as a Judge of the Court of Appeal. Justice Boldt graduated with an LLB from Victoria University of Wellington in 1990, and also holds ...
Education Minister Erica Stanford will lead the New Zealand delegation at the 2024 International Summit on the Teaching Profession (ISTP) held in Singapore. The delegation includes representatives from the Post Primary Teachers’ Association (PPTA) Te Wehengarua and the New Zealand Educational Institute (NZEI) Te Riu Roa. The summit is co-hosted ...
A stopbank upgrade project in Tairawhiti partly funded by the Government has increased flood resilience for around 7000ha of residential and horticultural land so far, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones today attended a dawn service in Gisborne to mark the end of the first stage of the ...
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters will represent the Government at Anzac Day commemorations on the Gallipoli Peninsula next week and engage with senior representatives of the Turkish government in Istanbul. “The Gallipoli campaign is a defining event in our history. It will be a privilege to share the occasion ...
Science, Innovation and Technology and Defence Minister Judith Collins will next week attend the OECD Science and Technology Ministerial conference in Paris and Anzac Day commemorations in Belgium. “Science, innovation and technology have a major role to play in rebuilding our economy and achieving better health, environmental and social outcomes ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with the President of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos Jr. The Prime Minister was accompanied by MP Paulo Garcia, the first Filipino to be elected to a legislature outside the Philippines. During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon and President Marcos Jr discussed opportunities to ...
The Government has announced that $20 million in funding will be made available to Westport to fund much needed flood protection around the town. This measure will significantly improve the resilience of the community, says Local Government Minister Simeon Brown. “The Westport community has already been allocated almost $3 million ...
The Government is proud to support the first ever Repco Supercars Championship event in Taupō as up to 70,000 motorsport fans attend the Taupō International Motorsport Park this weekend, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. “Anticipation for the ITM Taupō Super400 is huge, with tickets and accommodation selling out weeks ...
Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced an increase to the Rates Rebate Scheme, putting money back into the pockets of low-income homeowners. “The coalition Government is committed to bringing down the cost of living for New Zealanders. That includes targeted support for those Kiwis who are doing things tough, such ...
The Coalition Government is investing in a project to boost survival rates of New Zealand mussels and grow the industry, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones has announced. “This project seeks to increase the resilience of our mussels and significantly boost the sector’s productivity,” Mr Jones says. “The project - ...
Benefit figures released today underscore the importance of the Government’s plan to rebuild the economy and have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker Support, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “Benefit numbers are still significantly higher than when National was last in government, when there was about 70,000 fewer ...
The Government’s commitment to doubling New Zealand’s renewable energy capacity is backed by new data showing that clean energy has helped the country reach its lowest annual gross emissions since 1999, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. New Zealand’s latest Greenhouse Gas Inventory (1990-2022) published today, shows gross emissions fell ...
The Government is bringing the earthquake-prone building review forward, with work to start immediately, and extending the deadline for remediations by four years, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “Our Government is focused on rebuilding the economy. A key part of our plan is to cut red tape that ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and his Thai counterpart, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, have today agreed that New Zealand and the Kingdom of Thailand will upgrade the bilateral relationship to a Strategic Partnership by 2026. “New Zealand and Thailand have a lot to offer each other. We have a strong mutual desire to build ...
RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop and Transport Minister Simeon Brown have today announced the Coalition Government’s intention to extend port coastal permits for a further 20 years, providing port operators with certainty to continue their operations. “The introduction of the Resource Management Act in 1991 required ports to obtain coastal ...
The protest outside the White House correspondents’ dinner hotel. Image: Anatolu video screenshot APR More than two dozen Palestinian journalists had called for a boycott of the dinner, writing an open letter urging their American colleagues not to attend. “You have a unique responsibility to speak truth to power and ...
“Our exporters should, therefore, be deeply concerned that the Fast-track Approvals Bill was not assessed for consistency with any of our free trade commitments prior to being introduced to the House,” says Gary Taylor, Chief Executive of the Environmental ...
NZCTU President Richard Wagstaff is calling on all political parties to support the new Member’s Bill from Labour’s workplace relations and safety spokesperson Camilla Belich MP that would ensure negligent companies are held accountable when their employees ...
A historian with an uncanny track record of predicting US election winners tells RNZ's Sunday Morning that President Biden looks to be on track for another term, but things could still go very wrong for him. ...
A historian with a track record of predicting US election winners tells RNZ's Sunday Morning that President Biden looks to be on track for another term, but things could still go wrong for him. ...
Ngaio Marsh House is one of Christchurch’s best kept secrets – and contains more than a few mysteries of its own.Trust Ngaio Marsh to leave more than a few mysteries scattered through her house long after her departure. For a start, there’s the curious concrete portal in the garden, ...
Appointment viewing has been lost to the mists of time, but memories of Montana Sunday Theatre can still be conjured by hitting play on a particular piece of classical music. “You’re not going to be able to sell it.” Over 30 years on, Karen Bieleski still recalls how the task ...
Performance Review King Luxon sat behind His massive polished oak desk. It is Performance Review time. There is a knock on the door. “Enter!” says the King. In steps Minister of Disabilities and Carer Pedicures, Penny Simmonds. “I can explain everything …” she begins. “Fine,” says King Luxon, pressing the ...
The pair opened their first fully collaborative exhibition, Nina for Flowers, last Saturday. Gabi Lardies visited their studio to find out who Nina is and what working together was like.‘It didn’t start out like, ‘This is a show about Nina,’” says Josephine Jelicich, gripping a thermos of peppermint tea. ...
Thank you, Dr Maximilian Oskar Bircher-Benner, for your brilliant invention. I’m another mid-20s Kiwi who had an OE last year. I hopped on my bicycle where France meets the Atlantic and cycled east. I pedalled through the Loire Valley, down rivers lined with willows and ancient wisteria-draped chateaus. I relished ...
Asia Pacific Report From France to Australia, university pro-Palestine protests in the United States have now spread to several countries with students pitching on-campus camps. And students at Columbia and other US universities remain defiant as campuses have witnessed the biggest protests since the anti-Vietnam war and anti-apartheid eras in ...
Analysis by Dr Bryce Edwards, Democracy Project (https://democracyproject.nz)New Zealand Government’s Fast Track legislation. Many criticisms are being made of the Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill, including by this writer. But as with everything in politics, every story has two sides, and both deserve attention. It’s important to understand what the Government ...
Tara Ward talks to presenter Naomi Toilalo about the new TV show that turns food waste into a three course feast. Naomi Toilalo is standing in the warehouse at Good Neighbour Tauranga, helping unpack the two-and-a-half tonnes of rejected food that will arrive at the community support hub that day. ...
Scout is our latest Dog of the Month. This feature was offered as a reward during our What’s Eating Aotearoa PledgeMe campaign. Thank you to Scout’s human, Avril, for her support. Dog name: Scout (named after the little girl in To Kill a Mockingbird – she inherited the independent spirit ...
Megan Alatini takes us through her life in TV, including ‘terrible’ daytime TV, the class of Carol Hirschfeld and her most embarrassing TrueBliss moment. When she responded to a vague newspaper ad asking “do you have what it takes to be a popstar?” 25 years ago, Megan Alatini never guessed ...
A new exhibition in Wellington showcases the faces behind your local goods and services. Back in 1977, when I was a fine arts student at the University of Canterbury, I took a series of photographs of Christchurch shopkeepers. The photos were for a calendar – a project for my end ...
Toomaj and his resistance to tyranny through his songs have become an icon for the youth of Iran, so his sentence has hit the nation hard. Toomaj Salehi is not the first artist to pay the price for standing with the people. ...
Newsroom, home of satire. My long-running weekly satirical series The Secret Diary has moved to Newsroom and will appear every Saturday, with Victor Billot’s wildly popular satirical Odes continuing to appear every Sunday. Diaries, Odes – while serious political columnists toil at meaningful opinions and stroke their chins to an ...
My cousin Dylan and I spotted these big eels under the bridge that summer. We watched them lounging under the dark weed, facing into the flow of water, their mouths frozen open. Dylan and I couldn’t stop thinking about those eels. The night we went down to the creek, we ...
Tara Ward unravels the many nuanced layers of a cartoon about talking dogs.This is an excerpt from our weekly pop culture newsletter Rec Room. Sign up here. It’s not often an episode of a children’s cartoon has adults sobbing into their sleeves, but that’s exactly what happened this week when ...
Working as a doctor in developing countries to help communities achieve better health outcomes is nothing short of a life goal for Jessica Tater. The University of Otago medical student has her sights firmly set on joining the international humanitarian organisation Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) when she qualifies ...
There’s an island in the far reaches of Auckland’s territory, sitting off the tip of the Coromandel Peninsula, 30 minutes by air from the city or four hours on the slow boat. Aotea Great Barrier is off-grid, it has a population of fewer than a thousand people … and most ...
Asia Pacific Report An Australian author and advocate, Jim Aubrey, today led a national symbolic one minute’s silence to mark the “blood debt” owed to Papuan allies during the Second World War indigenous resistance against the invading Japanese forces. “A promise to most people is a promise,” Aubrey said in ...
Asia Pacific Report The Freedom Flotilla is ready to sail to Gaza, reports Kia Ora Gaza. All the required paperwork has been submitted to the port authority, and the cargo has been loaded and prepared for the humanitarian trip to the besieged enclave. However, organisers received word of an “administrative ...
Pacific Media Watch Palestine solidarity protesters today demonstrated at the Auckland headquarters of Television New Zealand, accusing the country’s major TV network of broadcasting “propaganda” backing Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza. About 50 protesters targeted the main entrance to the TVNZ building near Sky Tower and also picketed a side ...
Opinion by Lynley Hood. Forty years on from my 1985 Fulbright Grant, my disquiet over the war in Gaza evoked some troubling questions. The answer to my first question – What is the primary purpose of the Fulbright Programme? – was on the Fulbright NZ website. It says: US Senator, ...
The ministers responsible for green-lighting major projects need to be open about potential conflicts of interest, says Transparency International. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Anastasia Powell, Professor, Family and Sexual Violence, RMIT University It has been a particularly distressing start to the year. There is little that can ease the current grief of individuals, families and communities who have needlessly lost a loved one to men’s ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Gregory Moore, Senior Research Associate, School of Ecosystem and Forest Sciences, The University of Melbourne Lichen, the first described example of symbiosis.AdeJ Artventure/Shutterstock Once known only to those studying biology, the word symbiosis is now widely used. Symbiosis is the intimate ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kim Hemsley, Head, Childhood Dementia Research Group, Flinders Health and Medical Research Institute, College of Medicine and Public Health, Flinders University Olena Ivanova/Shutterstock “Childhood” and “dementia” are two words we wish we didn’t have to use together. But sadly, around 1,400 ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Whiteford, Professor, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University The government’s Economic Inclusion Advisory Committee has just published its second report. It was set up by Treasurer Jim Chalmers and Minister for Social Services Amanda Rishworth in 2022 to provide: ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne The Queensland state election will be held in October. A YouGov poll for The Courier Mail, conducted April 9–17 from a sample ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Amin Naeni, PhD candidate at Alfred Deakin Institute for Citizenship and Globalisation, Deakin University There’s been much talk in recent months about what a possible second Donald Trump presidency in the United States could mean for Europe, Russia’s war in Ukraine, the ...
A brief round-up of submissions on the controversial proposed law. This is an excerpt from our weekly environmental newsletter Future Proof. Sign up here. Last week, submissions on the controversial Fast-track Approvals Bill closed just hours after the government released a list of stakeholder organisations who were sent letters advising how they could ...
A poem from Robin Peace’s new collection Detritus of Empire: feather / grass / rock. Cereal giving I see a woman’s hands, see her curious hands break a stalk as she walks through the tall prairie, the savannah, the steppe, wherever it was. See her idly bite the grass that ...
The only published and available best-selling indie book chart in New Zealand is the top 10 sales list recorded every week at Unity Books’ stores in High St, Auckland, and Willis St, Wellington.AUCKLAND1 Hemingway’s Goblet by Dermot Ross (Mary Egan Publishing, $38)A handsomely produced (debossed cover, lovely ...
The Commissioner's decision validates the longstanding efforts of the local community and ensures that Awataha Marae will be managed to serve the needs of the local community, particularly for hosting tangihanga. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tristan Salles, Associate professor, University of Sydney Examples of Australian landscapes.Unsplash Seventy thousand years ago, the sea level was much lower than today. Australia, along with New Guinea and Tasmania, formed a connected landmass known as Sahul. Around this time – ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Felicity Castagna, Lecturer, Creative Writing, Western Sydney University Day Day Market, ParramattaPhoto: Garry Trinh I live on the edge of Parramatta, Australia’s fastest-growing city, on the kind of old-fashioned suburban street that has 1950s fibros constructed in the post-war housing boom, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michael Ryan, Teaching Fellow in Economics, University of Waikato GettyImagesfatido/Getty Images There is an ongoing global debate over whether the high inflation seen in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic can be lowered without a recession. New Zealand is not ...
The ‘Wicked Game’ heartthrob is in his late 60s now. That didn’t stop him putting on a lively, goofy and very sparkly show. Apart from ‘Wicked Game’, which graces a sultry playlist of mine simply called 💋, my last sustained Chris Isaak listening session took place when I was about ...
Analysis - Two ministers were stripped of portfolios in a warning to Cabinet, drama broke out at the Waitangi Tribunal, and the gang patch ban bill ran into opposition. ...
Tara Ward makes an impassioned plea for some vital pop culture merch. In April 1999, I became obsessed with a new reality television show called Popstars. Every Tuesday night, five strangers transformed into music royalty before my very eyes as Joe, Keri, Carly, Erika and Megan were chosen to form ...
PNG Post-Courier In the early hours of ANZAC Day, aerial photographs captured an impressive gathering of Australians and Papua New Guineans at Isurava in the Northern (Oro) Province. The solemn dawn service yesterday was held at a site steeped in history, where some of the fiercest battles of World War ...
The PSA is shocked that Oranga Tamariki has used the cost cutting drive to downgrade its commitment to Te Ao Māori and remove many specialist Māori roles. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ian Kemish, Adjunct Professor, School of Historical and Philosophical Inquiry, The University of Queensland There can be no more powerful symbol of the relationship between Australia and Papua New Guinea than the prime ministers of these neighbouring countries walking together on the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sharon Robinson, Distinguished Professor and Deputy Director of ARC Securing Antarctica’s Environmental Future (SAEF), University of Wollongong, University of Wollongong Andrew Netherwood Over the last 25 years, the ozone hole which forming over Antarctica each spring has started to shrink. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Viktoria Kahui, Senior Lecturer in Environmental Economics, University of Otago Getty Images/Amy Toensing Biodiversity is declining at rates unprecedented in human history. This suggests the ways we currently use to manage our natural environment are failing. One emerging concept focuses on ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Timothy Colin Bednall, Associate Professor in Management, Swinburne University of Technology marvent/Shutterstock Finding the best person to fill a position can be tough, from drafting a job ad to producing a shortlist of top interview candidates. Employers typically consider information from ...
Wondering where to host your next BYO? Whether its a small gathering or a massive party, we’ve got some recommendations. I was first introduced to the concept of BYOs at Dunedin’s India Gardens, a legendary but sadly defunct establishment, which purveyed enormous quantities of mango chicken to Aotearoa’s drunkest future ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Julien Cooper, Honorary Lecturer, Department of History and Archaeology, Macquarie University Julien Cooper The hyper-arid desert of Eastern Sudan, the Atbai Desert, seems like an unlikely place to find evidence of ancient cattle herders. But in this dry environment, my new ...
The sector says it’s hopeful her replacement Paul Goldsmith will be able to throw it a lifeline, after six months with a minister deemed missing in action, writes Catherine McGregor in this excerpt from The Bulletin, The Spinoff’s morning news round-up. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign ...
The government can't just rely on axing public sector jobs and has to do more to cut spending, says the chief economist at a free market think tank. ...
Rock The Vote NZ, known for its advocacy for minor party unity and its role within the Freedoms NZ Coalition during the 2023 General Election, celebrates this merger as a strategic enhancement of its operational strength and outreach. ...
Tracey Martin you are an incredible human being. Mad respect for your speech today.
https://www.parliament.nz/en/WatchParliament/PlayVideo/OnDemand/208232
The names not crossed out on this list are the ones who voted against the first reading of the Abortion Law Reform Bill. Those with a ‘P’ next to their name voted by proxy, those crossed out voted in favour.
https://stuff.liveblog.pro/stuff/2019080808080/5b49f7cb44034ced24ea1e7c278934c99ffb0f956e8ee45815924dcb0516764d.png
Total mad respect for her today. Incredible.
Have held her in the utmost respect for around five years. I hope NZ First members recognise what a gem they have in her.
I've often thought she was in the wrong party. She wasn't. But I don't think they will ever let her have more power than she has.
Hey weka, welcome back.
In Tracey Martin I see the next leader of NZ1st.
I only caught limited snippets and was impressed with what I heard.
Hi gsays 🙂
I'd love to see Martin as leader of NZF, but hard in that culture I think.
Agree Weka, Tracey used to be the Deputy Leader until Ron Mark was elected on the party list (again) in 2017 – I'm furiously trying to get a time line on when she was unceremoniously dumped as Deputy Leader and Ron Mark was made DL, who has in turn, if my memory serves me correctly been replaced by Fletcher Tabitau. I'm mightily impressed by Tracey and follow her on her Facebook page. I hope Winston doesn't have a hissy fit and demote her even further.
Anne (1.1.1) … Agree.
Much respect for Tracey for the way she conducted herself in Parliament today. She's a jewel in the thorny old crown that is prickly NZ First. However I doubt the party sees her as an asset. For NZ First there is only one star allowed in their show and we all know who that is!
Total agreement Cinny…has me wondering how we can persuade Martin to choose a different waka.
That list you posted is a great help btw. I'm making it my mission to listen to all the female Members who spoke today, especially the ones who voted against this significant change. This is a women's issue and on this men do not have a voice.
This legislation will pass without Winston's referendum, but I personally feel it is important that the issues raised by the women who are voting against this legislation are heard and treated with respect.
I'm half way through Hayes' speech and she makes some good points. There needs to be better support for women whatever choice they make. There needs to be acknowledgement of tikanga and the importance of whakapapa.
https://www.parliament.nz/en/watch-parliament/ondemand?itemId=208228
Louise 'I'm not a feminist' Upston speaks from her own personal experience, and I respect her for that. It very much needs to be put out there that this is not simply a matter of chanting 'My body, my choice!'.
For sures, that list spoke volumes, found it via stuff's live feed of the reading. Kudos to them for posting it.
So pleased re the large majority.
@AnnaGConnell:
"The blindsiding and undermining of Tracey Martin, one of two female MPs in NZ First, by the men in her party, men to whom the abortion law reform does not apply, is one of the grossest things I’ve seen in politics in a while."
https://twitter.com/AnnaGConnell/status/1159325763075633153
Of course it doesn't just apply to NZ First men. I have been cynically amused by the fact more men than women seem to have expressed their views to the media on the proposed abortion law reform. They apparently believe they are the experts in the field. Their arrogance and ignorance never fails to astound me.
Welcome back Weka
Cheers Cinny!
Big turnout, turned down as Hamilton councillors reject climate emergency
"A reporter said they'd never seen a council turn out like this before. It was positively electric.
But that's where it ended.
When it happened, it wasn't sudden but it spread through the room like a bad smell."
"
The divide was clear. And it was male. And it looked over 45-year-old.
Praise for the speakers washed meaninglessly across the audience as they desperately waited for their will to be realised.
Some sought a rejection of a climate change being considered an emergency, others a declaration. Some wanted climate change rejected altogether, others a plan for the future.
Ultimately, eight aging councillors ignored the voices of 300 of Hamilton's youth protesters. Climate change was decidedly not an emergency, for now."
8 ageing councillors – love it!
https://www.stuff.co.nz/waikato-times/news/114850557/big-turnout-turned-down-as-hamilton-councillors-reject-climate-emergency
Good to get that clear before the elections end of Sept-ish. Now is the time for all good young people to come to the aid of the country!!
But will they, can they, vote?
Stands and declaims – 'To be or not to be that is the question.'
The answer probably is resolved in the rest of the speech from Shakespeare? In other words, I am clueless.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/To_be,_or_not_to_be
"Doctors have hit back at Fonterra's claim that cow's milk is better for the environment.
They said that not only was the dairy industry more damaging to the environment, it also contributed to a number of human diseases, including a raised risk of cancer and allergies."
https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/farming/114850186/doctors-refute-fonterras-claim-that-cows-milk-more-environment-friendly
maybe there's a connection there. Produce milk in shitty ways and you get health problems in the people drinking it.
Might be better to say "Activists have hit back at Fonterra's claim…"
The article features a number of signs that activists are talking:
1. They belong to a lobby group.
2. They make the irrelevant complaint that "the Swedish researchers worked for the dairy industry and the findings were published in a little read journal."
3. This one's awesome: "…the nutrition provided by cow's milk was unnecessary…" because "None of the nutrients contained in cow's milk are unique, they are all found in whole plant foods with the exception of vitamin B12, which is found in other animal products or can be supplemented." To see why this is an activist argument, consider that Fonterra might well say the nutrients contained in whole plant foods is unnecessary because none of it's unique and can be found in richer quantities in cow's milk, including vitamin B12. These guys seriously want you to eat plants.
4. "He said the protein found in cow's milk increased insulin-like growth factor levels, which raised the risk of breast and prostate cancer. There was also a link with type 1 diabetes." Well, maybe. Studies show all kinds of things, and even the "evidence" they cite says "the preponderance of data suggests a slight increased risk of some cancers due to higher activity of the IGF system," which isn't exactly a chilling warning about a clear and present danger, just the usual "we did our best to torture the results into confessing, but it remains pretty inconclusive."
5. They even drag lactose intolerance into it. Yes, some people are lactose intolerant and should avoid dairy – that's no argument that people who aren't lactose intolerant should avoid it. Also, they ignore the fact that the reason the genes for lactose tolerance spread so rapidly in herding populations was the high nutritional value of dairy products – natural selection meant the people who could eat dairy were more likely to survive. Lactose tolerance remains a poster boy for how fast an evolutionary advantage can spread in a human population.
6. Right at the end, the activism is made clear: "The group advocates the use of whole-food plant-based eating to treat a large number of lifestyle illnesses such as heart disease, diabetes, Alzheimer's and several cancers." Well, as someone with diabetes I can tell these activists that what diabetics need is low-carb food, for which animal products are great and plant foods generally aren't. When I stopped listening to bullshit like this from doctors and went low-carb I cut my insulin dosage in half. It's fallen even further since.
Were they doctors..or not?
It's useful to know they are doctors working for an anti-dairy lobby group.
You mean like Andrew Wakefield?
Nope, I didn't mean that. I don't even know who Andrew Wakefield is.
Should I?
god, don't ask.
Too late; is he a vegan, Ayn Rand-quoting anti-vaxxer?
A ponytail-wearing, Trumpathising oil baron?
I googled "Andrew Wakefield" – nothing!
He faked or misled about the research on the MMR vaccine causing autism.
Duffer!
Were they doctors..or not?
In the context of this media story, the fact they're also activists is more relevant.
Have they faked results also?
I hope not! You should have to hand in your doctor badge if you do that.
I hate that vegan misinformation about nutrition. There's nothing wrong with being vegan for ethical reasons, no need to mislead people. I wouldn't call this activism so much as proselytising.
This one's awesome: "…the nutrition provided by cow's milk was unnecessary…" because "None of the nutrients contained in cow's milk are unique, they are all found in whole plant foods with the exception of vitamin B12, which is found in other animal products or can be supplemented." To see why this is an activist argument, consider that Fonterra might well say the nutrients contained in whole plant foods is unnecessary because none of it's unique and can be found in richer quantities in cow's milk, including vitamin B12. These guys seriously want you to eat plants.
It gets worse. Nutrients like omega 3 are different in plants than animals foods, and easier to get from animals. Omegas are already a significant issue for humans, especially with the pressures on fish stocks. That's going to get worse. Industrial milk has less optimal omega ratios, so we're screwed there too. I see Fonterra and EBENZ as cut from the same cloth, both causing problems driven by ideology.
I love Oat Milk on my porridge or whatever cereal I eat, it's yummmmm. I refuse to purchase Sanitarium products though and buy Vita Soy. Hope they pay their share of company tax to the Australian tax system.
3 doctors on the end of the bell curve.As likely to make you sick as make you well.
Julie Anne Genter dealt with questions in the House today with verve and aplomb.
She was noticeably more confident than yesterday. Chris Bishop and whoever-that-was might as well have read out their grocery shopping lists, for all the good it did them. Very nice to see.
Where was the part-time leader of the opposition today? Did he have another Women's Weekly photoshoot with his kids?
Brilliant!
For those who love industrial history and Shipbuilding weather it’s Naval or MN ships, might want to know that Harland and Wolff has gone into administration and the prospects of it being kept as a going concern are pretty grim as H&W has been on some sort of life support for a years or a decade now.
https://www.savetheroyalnavy.org/what-does-the-closure-of-harland-and-wolff-shipyard-mean-for-the-royal-navy/
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harland_and_Wolff
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_ships_built_by_Harland_and_Wolff
I’m not sure what’s going to happen to the local Football (FA) team called the Harland and Wolff Wielders Team which was formed in 1965 by the Wielders at H&W.
Yeah, saw that – end of an era. My grandad captained one of their ships.
[clears throat, adjusts tie]
He drove it onto rocks.
not an iceberg?
I can equal that. My father was in the Royal Navy back in the day. His job when arriving in port was to lower the gangplank for Queen Mary to board the ship. He badly misjudged and came within inches of decapitating her. Spent 24 hrs in the brig for that misdemeanour.
That is a Bad Day At WorkTM lol
Glows, 50% röntgen by volume.
https://twitter.com/BBCScienceNews/status/1159241531880071175
Nah, vodka's boring. I might be curious enough to give it a shot if it were something like mezcal with a two-headed worm.
Tthe Ttangerine Ttantrump can'tt even remember his own name.
https://washingtonpress.com/2019/08/06/trump-just-misspelled-his-own-name-and-twitter-cannot-stop-laughing/
When comedy does a better job than the media.
https://twitter.com/TheDailyShow/status/1159139809597767682
Nah I'm waiting for the tv series.
No one talking about bennets claim?
Which was?
No one talking about bennets claim?
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/396271/paula-bennett-claims-staffer-approached-her-over-harassment
Stupid ploy. Of all people to have as the fearless defender of women. The universe must have flexed when that one awoke one day, reincarnated as a woman who gives a shit about women. I was open minded about this latest scandal, but I'm fast turning doubter.
I just can't envisage any woman seeing that woman as an ally, much less one having a shoulder conducive for crying upon.
Lordy!
That's a streeeeeeeeeetch!
You mean this one??
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12256846
https://twitter.com/mswonderoutloud/status/1159316806902771719?s=21
Bennett has form for breaches of privacy.
https://twitter.com/essigna/status/1159359743133007877?s=21
You can only assume that if Bennett's claim is true, the Labour person either mistook her for someone else or has been living in a cave for the last 12 years.
Maybe the "complainant" is really a plant to make trouble for Labour. If so would it be a "dirty trick?" Nah. Surely not!
Or, and this is a reach, the Labour person is in fact not a 'Labour person' at all. She is someone who works/worked for someone who is "Labour" but has no actual affiliation to Labour per se. When complaints to Labour fell on unsympathetic ground she, having no particular loyalty to Labour, complained to the person who she felt would make the loudest noise.
Silly.
To be fair, back whenever I'd encounter someone being screwed by WINZ, they'd have the best results going to the local opposition MP.
One flatmate had winz calling with an apology and almost immediate funds in the time between going to the electorate office and getting home.
But – going to Paula Bennett? That's desperation…
But – going to Paula Bennett? That's desperation…
I know, right? The more you think about it the less sense it makes.
Maybe Psycho Milt is right and the complainant has been living in a cave for the past 12 years and had no sense of her reputation for…misogyny.
It's pretty obvious Paula Bennett went to the complainant rather than the other way around.
The Nats have form for this strategy where they seek out people unhappy with
the governmentthe Labour Party and offer themmoney‘support’. The Meka Whaitiri incident, Karol Sroubek's ex-wife, and the Kraatskows are examples.Mitchell is the other one who busies himself with this behaviour.
This makes sense in regard to a lot of things and of course certain media feed off it.
Comments in this "objective" (nothing is ever fully that but I believe it is honest opinion) observation in regard to the current government and the speaker's performance are, in as many of the ways as you could hope, about as good as government can in reality be. They are people and the Governents intention and goals in important ways are very different to the Opposition's.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12256910
Well, if it is silly then I'm silly too. I began to suspect it yesterday when I discovered that despite the claimed level of seriousness… no-one saw fit to go to the police. There are numerous parliamentary staff members who are not affiliated to the party of their political bosses.
I once knew a journalist who was a member of the Labour Party, yet he became a press secretary to a National minister
Edit: Yes Muttonbird… considerations pertaining to financial transactions crossed my mind too.
I think the reported complaints likely have a foundation that needs investigating – not everyone wants to go to police, even if it's serious enough.
But the thought does occur that Paula Bennett wouldn't be above inventing this "complainant" coming to her. She doesn't have to prove anything or give any information, and nobody can prove her wrong. And she's got a history of playing fast and loose with the lives and personal information of individuals if there's political advantage in it for her – this keeps whatever happened in Labour in the news, and improves her visibility as the nats' foundering polls drag its leader into the wine-dark sea.
Lack of complaints to the Police doesn't necessarily mean anything. For example, one of the complaints was that he told a woman she'd had her position in the party because she was sexually attractive – that's a complaint for the party leadership to deal with, not the Police. The other complaints could be of a similarly non-criminal nature.
Perhaps I should clarify more but am always mindful of the fact it's better to keep comments as brief as possible.
I was referring to the complaints of a sexual nature and in particular the rape claim. That is a matter for the police and while I understand the fear of reporting such cases (I went through it years ago over a severe case of harassment and came out the other end badly scathed) it seems to me since there was a group of them able to support one another that if the rape claim was correct then the police should have been informed.
"Unless greenhouse gas emissions are reduced in the immediate future, the report warns of "irreversible loss in land ecosystem functions and services required for food, health, habitable settlements and production".
That will lead to significant economic impacts on many countries around the world.
However, the report also indicates that far more efficient farming methods could dramatically increase food output while keeping emissions in check.
More people eating plant-based food, including grains, beans, nuts and seeds produced in efficient systems, could open up millions of square kilometres of productive land, as could more efficient forms of animal farming.
"We still need to produce food obviously, but sustainable production is really key to ensuring that we produce food but don't damage our environment in the process," Wreford said.
More advanced farming technologies, which are less intensive on the soil and make better use of resources are one area where New Zealand is leading the game. "
https://www.stuff.co.nz/environment/climate-news/114864986/the-land-below-us-is-withering-away-food-water-and-lands-at-risk-due-to-climate-change-says-ipcc-report
poor old mike.
https://twitter.com/laurenduca/status/1158875315332165643
best comment below.