Daily review 1/11/2019
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5:30 pm, November 1st, 2019 - 8 comments
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- Fast track referrals will speed up recovery and boost jobs and home buildingThe Government is taking action to increase jobs, speed up the economic recovery and build houses by putting three more projects through its fast track approval process. “It’s great to see that the fast-track consenting process is working. Today we have referred a mix of potential projects that, if approved, ...2 days ago
- Papakāinga provides critically needed homes in HastingsA papakāinga opened today by the Minister for Māori Development the Hon Willie Jackson will provide whānau with much needed affordable rental homes in Hastings. The four home papakāinga in Waiōhiki is the first project to be completed under the ‘Hastings Place Based’ initiative. This initiative is a Government, Hastings ...4 days ago
- New Zealand ready to host APEC virtuallyPrime Minister Jacinda Ardern took over the leadership of APEC earlier today, when she joined leaders from the 21 APEC economies virtually for the forum’s final 2020 meeting. “We look forward to hosting a fully virtual APEC 2021 next year. While this isn’t an in-person meeting, it will be one ...5 days ago
- Revival of Māori HorticulturistsThe rapid revival of Māori horticulture was unmistakeable at this year’s Ahuwhenua Trophy Awards, with 2020 marking the first time this iconic Māori farming event was dedicated to horticulture enterprises. Congratulating finalists at the Awards, Māori Development Minister Willie Jackson said growing large-scale māra kai is part of Māori DNA. ...5 days ago
- Emergency benefit to help temporary visa holdersFrom 1 December, people on temporary work, student or visitor visas who can’t return home and or support themselves may get an Emergency Benefit from the Ministry of Social Development, Social Development and Employment Minister Carmel Sepuloni announced today. Previously, temporary visa holders in hardship because of COVID-19 have had ...5 days ago
- School sustainability projects to help boost regional economiesForty one schools from the Far North to Southland will receive funding for projects that will reduce schools’ emissions and save them money, Education Minister Chris Hipkins announced today. This is the second round of the Sustainability Contestable Fund, and work will begin immediately. The first round announced in April ...5 days ago
- Farmer-led projects to improve water health in Canterbury and OtagoMore than $6 million will be spent on helping farmers improve the health of rivers, wetlands, and habitat biodiversity in Canterbury and Otago, as well as improving long-term land management practices, says Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor. Four farmer-led catchment group Jobs for Nature projects have between allocated between $176,000 and ...5 days ago
- Tupu Aotearoa continues expansion to Pacific communities in Nelson, Marlborough, Tasman & Northl...Pacific communities in Nelson, Marlborough, Tasman and Northland will benefit from the expansion of the Tupu Aotearoa programme announced today by the Minister for Pacific Peoples, Aupito William Sio. The programme provides sustainable employment and education pathways and will be delivered in partnership with three providers in Northland and two ...6 days ago
- New primary school and classrooms for 1,200 students in South IslandEducation Minister Chris Hipkins unveiled major school building projects across the South Island during a visit to Waimea College in Nelson today. It’s part of the Government’s latest investment of $164 million to build new classrooms and upgrade schools around the country. “Investments like this gives the construction industry certainty ...6 days ago
- Minister of Māori Development pays tribute to Rudy TaylorToday the Minister of Māori Development, alongside other Government Ministers and MP’s said their final farewells to Nga Puhi Leader Rudy Taylor. “Rudy dedicated his life to the betterment of Māori, and his strong approach was always from the ground up, grassroots, sincere and unfaltering” “Over the past few ...6 days ago
- Prime Minister to attend APEC Leaders’ SummitPrime Minister Jacinda Ardern will attend the annual APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting and associated events virtually today and tomorrow. “In a world where we cannot travel due to COVID-19, continuing close collaboration with our regional partners is key to accelerating New Zealand’s economic recovery,” Jacinda Ardern said. “There is wide ...6 days ago
- Speech to Infrastructure NZ SymposiumTena Koutou, Tena Koutou and thank you for inviting me to speak to you today. This is a critical time for New Zealand as we respond to the damage wreaked by the global COVID-19 pandemic. It is vital that investment in our economic recovery is well thought through, and makes ...6 days ago
- Pike River 10 Year Anniversary Commemorative ServiceTēnei te mihi ki a tātau katoa e huihui nei i tēnei rā Ki a koutou ngā whānau o te hunga kua riro i kōnei – he mihi aroha ki a koutou Ki te hapori whānui – tēnā koutou Ki ngā tāngata whenua – tēnā koutou Ki ngā mate, e ...6 days ago
- Huge investment in new and upgraded classrooms to boost construction jobsAround 7,500 students are set to benefit from the Government’s latest investment of $164 million to build new classrooms and upgrade schools around the country. “The election delivered a clear mandate to accelerate our economic recovery and build back better. That’s why we are prioritising construction projects in schools so more ...6 days ago
- Keeping Pike River Mine promises 10 years onTen years after the Pike River Mine tragedy in which 29 men lost their lives while at work, a commemorative service at Parliament has honoured them and their legacy of ensuring all New Zealand workplaces are safe. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern attended the event, along with representatives of the Pike ...6 days ago
- Additional testing to strengthen border and increase safety of workersNew testing measures are being put in place to increase the safety of border workers and further strengthen New Zealand’s barriers against COVID-19, COVID-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins said today. “These strengthened rules – to apply to all international airports and ports – build on the mandatory testing orders we’ve ...6 days ago
- More public housing delivered in AucklandThe Government’s investment in public housing is delivering more warm, dry homes with today’s official opening of 82 new apartments in New Lynn by the Housing Minister Megan Woods. The Thom Street development replaces 16 houses built in the 1940s, with brand new fit-for-purpose public housing that is in high ...7 days ago
- Agreement advanced to purchase up to 5 million COVID-19 vaccinesThe Government has confirmed an in-principle agreement to purchase up to 5 million COVID-19 vaccines – enough for 5 million people – from Janssen Pharmaceutica, subject to the vaccine successfully completing clinical trials and passing regulatory approvals in New Zealand, says Research, Science and Innovation Minister Megan Woods. “This agreement ...7 days ago
- Jobs for Nature funding will leave a conservation legacy for Waikanae awaNinety-two jobs will be created to help environmental restoration in the Waikanae River catchment through $8.5 million of Jobs for Nature funding, Conservation Minister Kiritapu Allan announced today. “The new funding will give a four-year boost to the restoration of the Waikanae awa, and is specifically focussed on restoration through ...7 days ago
- New Dunedin Hospital project progresses to next stageAs the new Dunedin Hospital project progresses, the Government is changing the oversight group to provide more technical input, ensure continued local representation, and to make sure lessons learnt from Dunedin benefit other health infrastructure projects around the country. Concept design approval and the release of a tender for early ...7 days ago
- Jump in apprentice and trainee numbersThe number of New Zealanders taking up apprenticeships has increased nearly 50 percent, and the number of female apprentices has more than doubled. This comes as a Government campaign to raise the profile of vocational education and training (VET) begins. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Education Minister Chris Hipkins announced ...1 week ago
- ReBuilding Nations Symposium 2020 (Infrastructure NZ Conference opening session)Tena koutou katoa and thank you for the opportunity to be with you today. Can I acknowledge Ngarimu Blair, Ngati Whatua, and Mayor Phil Goff for the welcome. Before I start with my substantive comments, I do want to acknowledge the hard work it has taken by everyone to ensure ...1 week ago
- New Zealand's biosecurity champions honouredBiosecurity Minister Damien O’Connor has paid tribute to the winners of the 2020 New Zealand Biosecurity Awards. “These are the people and organisations who go above and beyond to protect Aotearoa from pests and disease to ensure our unique way of life is sustained for future generations,” Damien O’Connor says. ...1 week ago
- Tourism Industry Aotearoa Conferencespeech to Tourism Industry Aotearoa annual summit Te Papa, Wellington Introduction Nau mai, haere mai Tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, Ka nui te mihi, ki a koutou. Thank you Tourism Industry Aotearoa for hosting today’s Summit. In particular, my acknowledgements to TIA Chair Gráinne Troute and Chief Executive Chris Roberts. You ...1 week ago
- Supermarkets announced as Government’s second market studyThe Government has today launched a market study to ensure New Zealanders are paying a fair price for groceries. “Supermarkets are an integral part of our communities and economy, so it’s important to ensure that Kiwis are getting a fair deal at the checkout,” Minister of Commerce and Consumer ...1 week ago
- Masks to be worn on Auckland public transport and all domestic flightsMasks will need to be worn on all public transport in Auckland and in and out of Auckland and on domestic flights throughout the country from this Thursday, Minister for COVID-19 Response Chris Hipkins said today. “I will be issuing an Order under the COVID-19 Response Act requiring the wearing ...1 week ago
- New Zealand signs Regional Comprehensive Economic PartnershipIncrease to New Zealand’s GDP by around $2 billion each year Increase opportunities for NZ exporters to access regional markets Cuts red tape and offers one set of trade rules across the Asia Pacific region New government procurement, competition policy and electronic commerce offers NZ exporters increased business opportunities Prime ...1 week ago
- Minister acknowledges students as exams beginEducation Minister Chris Hipkins has recognised the extraordinary challenges students have faced this year, ahead of NCEA and New Zealand Scholarship exams which begin on Monday. “I want to congratulate students for their hard work during a year of unprecedented disruption, and I wish students all the best as ...1 week ago
- Prime Minister meets with key ASEAN and East Asia Summit partnersPrime Minister Jacinda Ardern today attended the ASEAN-New Zealand Commemorative Summit and discussed with Leaders a range of shared challenges facing the Indo-Pacific region, including: The ongoing management of the COVID-19 pandemic; The importance of working collectively to accelerate economic recovery; and Exploring further opportunities for partners to work more ...2 weeks ago
- Veterans Affairs Summit held in KoreaA Ministerial Summit on Veterans’ Affairs was held in the Republic of Korea this week. Ministers with veteran responsibilities were invited from all 22 countries that had been part of the United Nations Forces during the Korean War (1950 – 1953). The Summit marked the 70th anniversary of the outbreak ...2 weeks ago
- Clear direction set for the education system, skills prioritisedThe Government has released a set of priorities for early learning through to tertiary education and lifelong learning to build a stronger, fairer education system that delivers for all New Zealanders. “The election delivered a clear mandate from New Zealanders to accelerate our plan to reduce inequalities and make more ...2 weeks ago
- A Progressive AgendaSpeech to the Climate Change + Business Conference, November 12, 2020 Tena koutou katoa Thank you for inviting me to speak here today. It is great to see us all come together for a common cause: to redefine our future in the face of unprecedented times. Covid-19 and climate change are ...2 weeks ago
- Officials’ engagement with China especially important in tense times: Morrison
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Scott Morrison has encouraged federal public servants to engage with their Chinese counterparts, saying these are important connections particularly given the tensions in the bilateral relationship. Answering a question during a virtual forum on Wednesday ...2 hours ago - Stop funding military repression in Papua, plead TAPOL speakersPacific Media Centre Newsdesk Campaigners at a TAPOL-hosted global webinar have called on the people of Australia, New Zealand, United Kingdom, United States and other countries to stop funding military training for Indonesian security forces who are “killing innocent West Papuans”. Rosa Moiwend, a member of the War Resisters International, ...4 hours ago
- Politics with Michelle Grattan: two views on increasing the super contributionSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra The increase in the compulsory superannuation contribution, legislated to rise next July from 9.5% to 10%, is being fiercely debated following the release of the retirement income report. In this podcast we hear the views ...4 hours ago
- Victoria is boosting disability support in schools by A$1.6 billion. Here are 4 ways to make the mos...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By David Armstrong, Senior Lecturer in Special and Inclusive Education, RMIT University The Victorian government has announced an investment of nearly A$1.6 billion for public schools to ensure students with disability are supported in the classroom. The money will double the number of ...6 hours ago
- Humans are polluting the environment with antibiotic-resistant bacteria, and I’m finding them ever...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Power, Associate Professor in the Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University Many of us are aware of the enormous threat of antibiotic- (or “antimicrobial”) resistant bacteria on human health. But few realise just how pervasive these superbugs are — antimicrobial-resistant bacteria ...7 hours ago
- Wikipedia Homepage Exposure For New MPs
The new Parliament will have its first sitting day on Wednesday and Aotearoa will welcome 42 new MPs. Wikipedia will mark this event by featuring 19 of those new MPs on its homepage ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page ) from 1pm on Wednesday ...7 hours ago - We asked over 2,000 Australian parents how they fared in lockdown. Here’s what they saidSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Subhadra Evans, Senior lecturer, Psychology, Deakin University Parents have faced unprecedented stress during the pandemic as they care for children while juggling paid work from home. However, very little research so far has focused on family well-being during the pandemic. So we ...8 hours ago
- Review: Netflix’s Hillbilly Elegy is an ugly, empty holler of a film
What happens if you take a personal memoir and strip it of everything that made it unique? You get Hillbilly Elegy.The opening line of J.D Vance’s 2016 sleeper hit memoir Hillbilly Elegy is “I find the existence of the book you hold in your hands somewhat absurd.” While that’s a ...8 hours ago - Grainne Moss clings on as Crown admits structural racism
Grainne Moss admits the Crown has failed to stamp out structural racism within its state care systems - but claims she's going nowhere as Māori ministers are at odds over her future Beleaguered Oranga Tamariki chief executive Grainne Moss has delivered an historic apology for structural racism within the child protection ...8 hours ago - The tricky timing of constitutional change
After musing about extending the Parliamentary term to four years, the Government now has to decide whether to take the matter any further, and if so, by what means. ...8 hours ago - Ethical fashion is confusing — even shoppers with good intentions get overwhelmedSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Harriette Richards, Honorary (Fellow) Cultural Studies, University of Melbourne As Australian consumers step out of their loungewear post-lockdown, many might be looking to buy new clothes for themselves or as gifts. Whether you’re buying sweatpants or sequins, online or in-store, ethical fashion ...8 hours ago
- New Police Minister Must Face Toughest Political TestThe new Police Minister Poto Williams is preparing for a test that will define her political career; a Royal Commission that could conclude there were fundamental failings in the Police Department and could expose attempts at misdirection over those failings. ...8 hours ago
- NZ urgently needs to find workers to avoid a picking season disasterThe Covid border restrictions might be saving lives but they’re also threatening the livelihoods of New Zealand farmers, unless a way can be found to allow Pacific Island seasonal workers to return and pick the crops, writes AUT business lecturer Swati NagarSince its inception in 2007, the Recognised Seasonal Employer ...9 hours ago
- New Conservative deputy quits one week in, deepening leadership tumultThe fallout continues from the post-election leadership change in the New Conservatives, with deputy leader and firearms spokesperson Victoria O’Brien quitting after less than a week in the job. Alex Braae reports.On Thursday last week, new New Conservative leader Elliot Ikilei was hailing the rise of his deputy Victoria O’Brien. ...10 hours ago
- Yes santa is completely made up, but he can’t be… y’know… brownWhy does the idea of a brown santa get people so riled up? Comedian Janaye Henry gets in the Christmas spirit.There are cultural traditions that are passed down lovingly from generation to generation, that teach us about who we are and celebrate our unique way of life, and then there ...10 hours ago
- At Home Or At Work, Violence Is Never OK – Ratify ILO Convention 190New Zealand has the highest rate of domestic violence per capita in the developed world, and the second highest rate of workplace bullying. The Public Service Association says this plague of violence - physical, verbal and emotional - must be addressed ...11 hours ago
- Davis launches transformative programme to shake racism (and colonialism) out of our education syste...
The Maori component of the PM’s ministerial team was busy yesterday, delivering speeches and/or making announcements of concern particularly to around 15% of the country’s population. Rino Tirikatane, Associate Minister of Trade and Export Growth, talked trade to a Wakatū Nelson regional hui. The event was organised by Te ...11 hours ago - NZ needs a plan to help migrant workers pick fruit and veg, or prices will soar and farms go bustSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Swati Nagar, Lecturer, International Business, Strategy and Entrepreneurship, Auckland University of Technology The COVID border restrictions might be saving lives but they’re also threatening the livelihoods of New Zealand farmers, unless a way can be found to allow Pacific Island seasonal workers ...12 hours ago
- Thailand at a critical juncture with pro-democracy protesters again set to clash with policeSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Gavan Butler, Honorary Associate in Political Economy, University of Sydney Throughout 2020, there have been vocal and highly visible protests in Thailand against the government of Prayut Chan-o-cha, who led the 2014 coup against the government of Yingluck Shinawatra. He then became ...13 hours ago
- A new curriculum for a new normalEvery year high school biology teachers gather to learn the latest in science. This year there’s a lot to catch up on, Maurice Wilkins Centre organisers Rachel Heeney and Dave Grattan tell The Spinoff.Last year, terms like “elimination strategy”, “flatten the curve” and “sustained transmission” were foreign to the majority ...13 hours ago
- Heads Should Roll Over IRD’s Undermining Of KiwisaverThe New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union is calling for the sacking of Inland Revenue bosses responsible for costly delays in transferring Kiwisaver contributions to fund managers, saying the poor performance ‘undermines’ Kiwisaver. Union spokesman ...13 hours ago
- Ardern and Biden keen to work together as US restores its relationships with world agenciesPM Jacinda Adern’s cordial exchange with President-elect Joe Biden went far better than anyone dared hope. Both sides were pleased. As one US official said, they are certainly kindred spirits. Biden wants to “reinvigorate” the US-NZ relationship which, considering the heights it reached under former Foreign Minister Winston Peters, means ...14 hours ago
- Why couldn’t it happen here?Donald Trump has grudgingly accepted that preparations for a White House transition should commence, after weeks of crying fraud, mounting spurious legal challenges and attempting, in effect, a coup d’état. However hapless and distant it might seem, is there the potential for a similar breakdown in New Zealand? Duncan Greive ...14 hours ago
- Vital Firearm Licensing Answers ExpectedFirearm owners targeted by last year’s law changes expect the Royal Commission’s report into the Christchurch Mosque shootings will deliver answers on a vital matter avoided by the Police and Government for nearly two years; how Tarrant got his licence ...14 hours ago
- New Zealand Government, Media Downplay Australian War Crimes In AfghanistanTom Peters, Socialist Equality Group 24 November 2020, original url: https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/11/24/nzaf-n24.html An official report documenting war crimes by Australian special forces in Afghanistan, including the killing of at least 39 civilians and prisoners, released on November ...15 hours ago
- New Zealand's Financial System Supported By Health, Fiscal And Monetary Policy ResponsesTēnā koutou katoa, welcome all. The Reserve Bank – Te Pūtea Matua has used its monetary policy and regulatory tools in unison to respond to the challenges of COVID-19 to achieve the best outcomes for the economy and financial stability. ...15 hours ago
- Royal Commission Report Delay Unacceptable“The Government’s decision to delay the release of the Royal Commission report into the Christchurch terror attacks is unacceptable”, says ACT’s Firearms Reform Spokesperson Nicole McKee. “The report has been finished and will be delivered ...16 hours ago
- Language, and more: The challenges for kura Māori students arriving at universityRaiha Cook grew up attending kura Māori, but when she decided to study at the University of Otago she found the move from te ao Māori to European-style learning difficult. Now she’s researching that transition to help make it easier for students to feel safe at mainstream universities.Set in the ...16 hours ago
- Newsletter: New Zealand Politics Daily – November 25 2020Editor’s Note: Here below is a list of the main issues currently under discussion in New Zealand and links to media coverage. Today’s content Housing Thomas Coughlan (Stuff): Why Grant Robertson’s letter to Adrian Orr is a big deal and what happens next Spinoff: Grant Robertson v Adrian Orr: those letters, decoded Richard Harman: Robertson considering crackdown ...16 hours ago
- Bad reactions to the COVID vaccine will be rare, but Australians deserve a proper compensation schem...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Katie Attwell, Senior Lecturer, University of Western Australia This week brings more good news on the vaccination front, with reports that yet another COVID-19 vaccine trial has produced encouraging results. According to the federal government, Australia is “on track” to administer the ...17 hours ago
- One of Australia’s most famous beaches is disappearing, and storms aren’t to blame. So what’s ...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Thomas Murray, Research Fellow (Coastal Management), Griffith University Storms or tropical cyclones usually get the blame when Australia’s beaches suffer severe erosion. But on the New South Wales north coast at Byron Bay, another force is at play. Over the past six ...17 hours ago
- When health workers came up against COVID it laid bare gaps in their trainingSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jed Montayre, Senior Lecturer (Nursing), Western Sydney University COVID-19 turned 2020 on its head for all healthcare workers, particularly those at the front line of the pandemic response. Unexpectedly, the need to control the spread of the coronavirus has consumed healthcare systems. ...17 hours ago
- So you think economic downturns cost lives? Our findings show they don’tSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kadir Atalay, Associate Professor in Economics, University of Sydney Throughout the coronavirus recession we’ve been told there’s a balancing act when it comes to lives. On one hand, lockdowns save lives by limiting the spread of coronavirus. On the other, they are ...17 hours ago
- I studied 5,000 phone images: objects were more popular than people, but women took way more selfiesSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By T.J. Thomson, Senior Lecturer in Visual Communication & Media, Queensland University of Technology Though we take a staggering number of photos each year (an estimated 1.43 trillion in 2020), we share relatively few of these and are using our cameras in different ...17 hours ago
- Live updates, November 25: Six businesses visited by Air NZ Covid-19 case revealedWelcome to The Spinoff’s live updates for November 25. Reach me on stewart@thespinoff.co.nz7.30am: Resene shop closes, other sites of interest visited by Air NZ crew member revealedThis story came out about 9pm last night, but in case you missed it:Auckland Regional Public Health Service has announced further information about sites ...17 hours ago
- Pacific tourism is desperate for a vaccine and travel freedoms, but the industry must learn from thi...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Apisalome Movono, Senior Lecturer in Development Studies, Massey University News of successful COVID-19 vaccine trials has raised hopes in the Pacific that the hard-hit tourism industry will begin to re-open in 2021. Even before the vaccine announcements, there was excitement in the ...18 hours ago
- Oranga Tamariki chief expected to quit
There are strong signals the chief executive of the children's ministry's time in charge is over, just days after another damning report on its 'unfixable' failings. The head of Oranga Tamariki, Grainne Moss, is believed to be leaving the role after a year of widespread controversy and public inquiries into her ...18 hours ago - The Bulletin: Pepper spray, solitary confinement incidents show prison cultureGood morning and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Shocking incidents show prison culture, exchange of letters over monetary policy more exciting than it sounds, and Auckland locations close over Covid warning.A shocking story from Auckland Women’s Prison that raises questions about whether prisoners are being treated humanely. Radio NZ’s ...18 hours ago
- Orr defends approach tackling inflation amid runaway house prices
The Reserve Bank Governor says his anti-inflation focus is already doing what the government seeks, while an economist says adding house prices into the Reserve Bank's tool box may not make much of a difference. ...19 hours ago - Reserve Bank Governor Adrian Orr defends approach tackling inflation amid runaway house pricesAdrian Orr says his anti-inflation focus is already doing what the government seeks, while an economist says adding house prices into the Reserve Bank's tool box may not make much of a difference. ...19 hours ago
- Govt puts target on RBNZ's back with housing call
The Government pushes the Reserve Bank to focus on house prices - will it play ball, and will that really make a difference? ...19 hours ago - Show me the money! Okay here it is
Auckland novelist Kirsten McKenzie on making pretty bloody good money as a self-published author New Zealand authors very rarely talk about writing their income as anything near a liveable wage. Advances are small, the standard 10 percent royalty rate doesn't add up to much for a run of 3000 book sales, ...19 hours ago - Smokefree NZ – if not now, when?
Now is the time to demonstrate that the leadership seen during the pandemic can also be shown to address the other great public health challenges facing Aotearoa, write the University of Otago's Richard Edwards, Janet Hoek and Andrew Waa For most people, 2020 was a year of considerable challenges as the ...19 hours ago - 'You're a Kiwi if you call NZ home'
Dr Bronwyn Wood reflects on what 'being a Kiwi' in an increasingly multicultural New Zealand means today Being a Kiwi is often associated with eating Pavlova, wearing gumboots and watching the All Blacks play rugby. But given the rapid growth in immigration in the past 20 years – to the ...19 hours ago - We are locked in our cars, but there's a way out
The car lobby has used the same dodgy and manipulative techniques as the tobacco lobby to keep people dependent on their product ...19 hours ago - NZ needs a 'digital twin' to help plan its infrastructure
Imagine walking through a virtual model of the whole of New Zealand? That's the call from prominent engineering firm Beca – and now the government needs to step up. Groundbreaking interactive tools to help communities plan south Auckland parks or the Dunedin waterfront renewal are providing models for a much ...19 hours ago - Kiwi dollar pushes through US 70c
As the Government seeks help from the Reserve Bank on the housing market, the prospect of interest rates going negative recedes further and the value of the kiwi dollar continues climbing ...19 hours ago - Can we take the Dutch approach to flooding?
As flood waters subsided in Napier, Dutch Water Ambassador Henk Ovink spoke with Newsroom about adapting for climate change and the value of our freshwater resources. ...19 hours ago - The battle for a prized piece of ocean
Aquaculture company NZ King Salmon sees open ocean farming as the way to significantly increase its production, but its plans are running into a strong tide of opposition For anyone with a connection to the Marlborough Sounds, the news of plans for another NZ King Salmon farm is cause for concern. The company ...19 hours ago - From Here to Maternity: Who loves ya, baby?
When athletes fall pregnant while they're still at the height of their careers, who helps take care of them? Are sports looking after their mum athletes - or are they doing it solo? Suzanne McFadden finds out in part three of our series From Here to Maternity. In the past few ...19 hours ago - Is our mental health approach in need of a rewrite?In the final episode of the first season of Conversations That Count – Ngā Kōrero Whai Take, we discuss and dissect the way that Aotearoa talks about mental wellbeing.Content warning: this episode contains extensive discussions of mental health, including brief mentions of suicide and abuse.It goes without saying that New ...19 hours ago
- Grant Robertson v Adrian Orr: those letters, decodedThe New Zealand housing crisis, and how to tackle it, took epistolary form yesterday in letters from the finance minister and the Reserve Bank governor. We read between the lines.Yesterday the finance minister, Grant Robertson, penned a letter to the governor of the Reserve Bank, Adrian Orr, on the subject ...20 hours ago
- No, C-section babies don’t do worse at school – now quit the birth shamingA new study of NZ children has found no link between birth type and test scores. That’s no surprise, says Emily Writes, so why do many new mums still have to put up with being judged?While pregnant with my first baby and attending antenatal classes, I was introduced to a ...20 hours ago
- RCEP – new deal, new rules
Is the RCEP trade deal just another acronym to learn or will it offer New Zealand some real gains? New Zealand has signed on to the world's largest trade deal - which sounds great as a headline - but exactly how we’ll benefit is less clear. This month, 15 countries - ...20 hours ago - ‘Virtual’ ALP national conference will maximise stage managementSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra The Labor party will hold its national conference “virtually”, before Easter next year, Anthony Albanese has announced. The conference had been due to happen in Canberra next month but was put off due to COVID. ...1 day ago
- Opening of Parliament: Blow-by-blow run-down of the eventsThe House - We've had an election, we have a government, and on Wednesday we complete the set with a Parliament. Here's what happens this week. ...1 day ago
- Can Reserve Bank dampen an inflamed housing market?Analysis - The government is asking the Reserve Bank (RBNZ) to change from arsonist to firefighter in the housing market, RNZ Business Editor Gyles Beckford writes. ...1 day ago
- AstraZeneca’s results signal more good vaccine news — but efficacy is only the beginning of the ...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Nicholas Wood, Associate Professor, Discipline of Childhood and Adolescent Health, University of Sydney AstraZeneca has become the latest pharmaceutical company to reveal promising results in clinical trials, for its viral vector vaccine developed with the University of Oxford. In a group given ...1 day ago
- Solidarity groups rally in support of Mā’ohi independence leader TemaruCOMMENT: By Ena Manuireva and Tony Fala in AucklandTomorrow – November 25 – is D-Day for Tahitian pro-independence leader Oscar Temaru’s trial in New Caledonia and advocates and activists across the Pacific are rallying in his support against the “colonial actions” taken by the French administration. Temaru requested this postponed ...1 day ago
- Blogger Boso to file legal challenge to Sogavare over Facebook banBy Robert Iroga in Honiara A legal challenge will be filed in the High Court this week in a bid to block the Solomon Islands government’s decision to temporarily ban Facebook from the country. Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare announced yesterday in Parliament that his government would push ahead with the ...1 day ago
- A hard day to be wahine MāoriLeonie Hayden gets in her feelings about a shitty day for Māori women.There are days in my job where I feel nothing but hopeful. Like when I think about the work being done by Nuku100, telling the stories of 100 indigenous women. Or I get to wānanga with Donna Kerridge ...1 day ago
- Hating on the Woodville Pizza guy won’t fix a problem that was entirely foreseeableSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Gemma Beale, PhD Candidate, Flinders University Over the course of a single week South Australia was plunged into one of the world’s strictest, and briefest, lockdowns. The drama, estimated to have cost the state’s economy A$100 million, came down to pizza – ...1 day ago
- Saying more with less: 4 ways grammatical metaphor improves academic writingSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Vinh To, Lecturer in English Curriculum and Pedagogy, University of Tasmania Young children often write as they speak. But the way we speak and the way we write isn’t quite the same. When we speak, we often use many clauses (which include ...1 day ago
- Ngāti Ruanui: Oranga Tamariki Not Delivering On Iwi PartnershipTe Rūnanga o Ngāti Ruanui, having cautiously entered into a partnership with Oranga Tamariki to return tamariki to their whānau, are raising serious concerns of the stonewalling by Oranga Tamariki. Despite establishing a section 396 accreditation ...1 day ago
- Grant Robertson today moved to ‘reset the clock’ on housing. Can it work?The government has conceded that soaring house prices are increasing inequality and poverty, and the finance minister wants the Reserve Bank to do something about it. Justin Giovannetti writes from parliament.There’s been an invisible wall down the centre of Bowen Street in Wellington for a generation. On one side is ...1 day ago
- Minister Michael Wood not ruling out matching minimum wage with living wageThe workplace relations minister is not ruling out lifting the minimum wage in line with the living wage. ...1 day ago
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This makes the decision on the Tiwai Smelter even more interesting.
I am confused.
I would have thought a smelter powered by hydro is two ticks in the "carbon constrained" and "sustainable" box.
Edit. ahh, I see we are talking Aussie smelters, not Tiwai
Quebec generates vastly more electricity than it uses, and about 97% of that generation is hydro. That excess electricity has to be exported, either to the rest of Canada, to the US, or in a congealed form (ie aluminium ingots).
Canada's electricity sector as a whole has some similarities to NZ, with around 20% getting generated by fossil fuels. So they, like us, could conceivably get pretty close to zero-ghg electricity by giving their aluminium smelters the arse and shutting down their fossil generation.
Then there's Iceland, with as near as dammit 100% renewable (70% hydro, 30% geothermal). Their installed aluminium smelters have a bit over 3x the capacity of Tiwai Point.
The ability to witness two men stand toe to toe in the spirit of sportsmanship and pummel each other into insensibility is what separates us from the animals.
Christopher Lloyd
(1938 – ) American actor
– as Jim Ignatowski
It's a fine quote.
But actually it's cooking. Some use tools, some have language, some even practice a kind of agriculture, but only humans cook.
Their home
The only other species that does better is varroa destructor, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Varroa_destructor
At some point in our past we became homo destructor
Are we going to give up exploring space for Lent? The time of fasting to enable sustainability and limit greenhouse gases etc. The scientific community into space probes don't indicate that there is any problem here on earth. Perhaps they embrace the idea of a depleted earth as more grist to their mill.
Ted Talk – We need a new economics. Interesting – is this true – what he is saying? Did we just hear this or dream it?
The link does finish with a bs!
The dirty secret of capitalism — and a new way forward | Nick Hanauer