Daily review 10/03/2021
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5:30 pm, March 10th, 2021 - 2 comments
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Daily review is also your post.
This provides Standardistas the opportunity to review events of the day.
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- Better rules proposed for freedom campingPublic consultation launched on ways to improve behaviour and reduce damage Tighter rules proposed for either camping vehicles or camping locations Increased penalties proposed, such as $1,000 fines or vehicle confiscation Rental companies may be required to collect fines from campers who hire vehicles Public feedback is sought on proposals ...5 days ago
- Government backs Air New Zealand as Trans-Tasman bubble opensThe Government is continuing to support Air New Zealand while aviation markets stabilise and the world moves towards more normal border operations. The Crown loan facility made available to Air New Zealand in March 2020 has been extended to a debt facility of up to $1.5 billion (an additional $600 ...5 days ago
- Building gifted for new community hub in Richmond red zoneChristchurch’s Richmond suburb will soon have a new community hub, following the gifting of a red-zoned property by Land Information New Zealand (LINZ) to the Richmond Community Gardens Trust. The Minister for Land Information, Damien O’Connor said that LINZ, on behalf of the Crown, will gift a Vogel Street house ...5 days ago
- Pacific languages funding reopensMinister for Pacific Peoples Aupito William Sio says the reopening of the Ministry for Pacific Peoples’ (MPP) Languages Funding in 2021 will make sure there is a future for Pacific languages. “Language is the key to the wellbeing for Pacific people. It affirms our identity as Pasifika and ...6 days ago
- ERANZ speech April 2021It is a pleasure to be here tonight. Thank you Cameron for the introduction and thank you for ERANZ for also hosting this event. Last week in fact, we had one of the largest gatherings in our sector, Downstream 2021. I have heard from my officials that the discussion on ...6 days ago
- Strengthening Māori knowledge in science and innovationResearch, Science and Innovation Minister Megan Woods has today announced the 16 projects that will together get $3.9 million through the 2021 round of Te Pūnaha Hihiko: Vision Mātauranga Capability Fund, further strengthening the Government’s commitment to Māori knowledge in science and innovation. “We received 78 proposals - the highest ...6 days ago
- Government delivers next phase of climate actionThe Government is delivering on a key election commitment to tackle climate change, by banning new low and medium temperature coal-fired boilers and partnering with the private sector to help it transition away from fossil fuels. This is the first major announcement to follow the release of the Climate Commission’s ...6 days ago
- Continued investment in Central Otago schools supports roll growthSix projects, collectively valued at over $70 million are delivering new schools, classrooms and refurbished buildings across Central Otago and are helping to ease the pressure of growing rolls in the area, says Education Minister Chris Hipkins. The National Education Growth Plan is making sure that sufficient capacity in the ...6 days ago
- Two more Christchurch schools completeTwo more schools are now complete as part of the Christchurch Schools Rebuild Programme, with work about to get under way on another, says Education Minister Chris Hipkins. Te Ara Koropiko – West Spreydon School will welcome students to their new buildings for the start of Term 2. The newly ...6 days ago
- Independent experts to advise Government on post-vaccination futureThe Government is acting to ensure decisions on responding to the next phase of the COVID-19 pandemic are informed by the best available scientific evidence and strategic public health advice. “New Zealand has worked towards an elimination strategy which has been successful in keeping our people safe and our economy ...6 days ago
- Supporting Māori success with Ngārimu AwardsSix Māori scholars have been awarded Ngārimu VC and the 28th (Māori) Battalion Memorial scholarships for 2021, Associate Education Minister and Ngārimu Board Chair, Kelvin Davis announced today. The prestigious Manakura Award was also presented for the first time since 2018. “These awards are a tribute to the heroes of the 28th ...6 days ago
- Global partnerships propel space tech researchNew Zealand’s aerospace industry is getting a boost through the German Aerospace Centre (DLR), to grow the capability of the sector and potentially lead to joint space missions, Research, Science and Innovation Minister Megan Woods has announced. 12 New Zealand organisations have been chosen to work with world-leading experts at ...7 days ago
- Government backs more initiatives to boost food and fibre workforceThe Government is backing more initiatives to boost New Zealand’s food and fibre sector workforce, Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor announced today. “The Government and the food and fibres sector have been working hard to fill critical workforce needs. We've committed to getting 10,000 more Kiwis into the sector over the ...7 days ago
- Minister welcomes Bill to remove Subsequent Child PolicyMinister for Social Development and Employment Carmel Sepuloni has welcomed the first reading of the Social Security (Subsequent Child Policy Removal) Amendment Bill in the House this evening. “Tonight’s first reading is another step on the way to removing excessive sanctions and obligations for people receiving a Main Benefit,” says ...1 week ago
- Mental Health Amendment Bill passes first readingThe Government has taken a significant step towards delivering on its commitment to improve the legislation around mental health as recommended by He Ara Oranga – the report of the Government Inquiry into Mental Health and Addiction, Health Minister Andrew Little says. The Mental Health (Compulsory Assessment and Treatment) Amendment ...1 week ago
- Whenua Māori Rating Amendment Bill passes third readingLocal Government Minister Nanaia Mahuta has welcomed the Local Government (Rating of Whenua Māori) Amendment Bill passing its third reading today. “After nearly 100 years of a system that was not fit for Māori and did not reflect the partnership we have come to expect between Māori and the Crown, ...1 week ago
- Trans-Tasman bubble to start 19 AprilNew Zealand’s successful management of COVID means quarantine-free travel between New Zealand and Australia will start on Monday 19 April, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced today. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and COVID-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins confirmed the conditions for starting to open up quarantine free travel with Australia have ...1 week ago
- Ngāti Hinerangi Claims Settlement Bill passes Third ReadingMinister for Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations Andrew Little welcomed ngā uri o Ngāti Hinerangi to Parliament today to witness the third reading of their Treaty settlement legislation, the Ngāti Hinerangi Claims Settlement Bill. “I want to acknowledge ngā uri o Ngāti Hinerangi and the Crown negotiations teams for working tirelessly ...1 week ago
- Independent group announced to advise on firearms mattersMinister of Police Poto Williams has announced the members of the Ministers Arms Advisory Group, established to ensure balanced advice to Government on firearms that is independent of Police. “The Ministers Arms Advisory Group is an important part of delivering on the Government’s commitment to ensure we maintain the balance ...1 week ago
- Kiri Allan to take leave of absenceKiri Allan, Minister of Conservation and Emergency Management will undertake a leave of absence while she undergoes medical treatment for cervical cancer, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced today. “I consider Kiri not just a colleague, but a friend. This news has been devastating. But I also know that Kiri is ...1 week ago
- Excellent progress at new Waikeria prison buildExcellent progress has been made at the new prison development at Waikeria, which will boost mental health services and improve rehabilitation opportunities for people in prison, Corrections Minister Kelvin Davis says. Kelvin Davis was onsite at the new build to meet with staff and see the construction first-hand, following a ...2 weeks ago
- Expert panel proposes criminal limits for drug drivingTo reduce the trauma of road crashes caused by drug impaired drivers, an Independent Expert Panel on Drug Driving has proposed criminal limits and blood infringement thresholds for 25 impairing drugs, Minister of Police Poto Williams and Transport Minister Michael Wood announced today. The Land Transport (Drug Driving) Amendment Bill ...2 weeks ago
- Covid-19 immigration powers to be extendedTemporary COVID-19 immigration powers will be extended to May 2023, providing continued flexibility to support migrants, manage the border, and help industries facing labour shortages, Immigration Minister Kris Faafoi announced today. “Over the past year, we have had to make rapid decisions to vary visa conditions, extend expiry dates, and ...2 weeks ago
- Covid-19 imgration powers to be extendedTemporary COVID-19 immigration powers will be extended to May 2023, providing continued flexibility to support migrants, manage the border, and help industries facing labour shortages, Immigration Minister Kris Faafoi announced today. “Over the past year, we have had to make rapid decisions to vary visa conditions, extend expiry dates, and ...2 weeks ago
- More support for mums and whānau struggling with alcohol and other drugsThe Government is expanding its Pregnancy and Parenting Programme so more women and whānau can access specialist support to minimise harm from alcohol and other drugs, Health Minister Andrew Little says. “We know these supports help improve wellbeing and have helped to reduce addiction, reduced risk for children, and helped ...2 weeks ago
- Ahuwhenua Trophy Competition Field Day – Tātaiwhetū Trust at Tauarau Marae, Rūātoki*** Please check against delivery *** It’s an honour to be here in Rūātoki today, a rohe with such a proud and dynamic history of resilience, excellence and mana. Tūhoe moumou kai, moumou taonga, moumou tangata ki te pō. The Ahuwhenua Trophy competition is the legacy of a seed planted ...2 weeks ago
- Crown accounts again better than forecastThe economic recovery from COVID-19 continues to be reflected in the Government’s books, which are again better than expected. The Crown accounts for the eight months to the end of February 2021 showed both OBEGAL and the operating balance remain better than forecast in the Half Year Economic and Fiscal ...2 weeks ago
- National cabinet to meet twice weekly in Morrison’s effort to get vaccination rollout ‘back on t...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Scott Morrison will hold twice-weekly meetings of the national cabinet for the “foreseeable future”, as the government battles to get its slow and problem-laden vaccine rollout back on course. The Prime Minister says he has ...32 mins ago - View from The Hill: Christine Holgate presents a compelling story of Morrison’s bullyingSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra A wronged woman with a razor-sharp mind and meticulous records is a dangerous creature. Especially when delivering a counter punch to a prime minister who’d denounced her in the bully pit of parliament when he ...2 hours ago
- MPs pay tribute to Prince Philip in Parliament
Members of Parliament have used today's sitting day to pay tribute to the late Prince Philip. ...4 hours ago - Bryce Edwards’ Political Roundup: The Māori Party needs to come cleanAnalysis by Bryce Edwards Political scientist, Dr Bryce Edwards. How seriously does the Māori Party take issues of corruption and the untoward influence of big money in politics? Not very, based on how it’s handling a political finance scandal in which three large donations were kept hidden from the public. ...5 hours ago
- Ministers confident no taxpayer money used in Māori Party donationsGovernment ministers are confident no taxpayer money was caught up in donations to the Māori Party that have been referred to police for not being declared in time. ...6 hours ago
- What is Novavax, Australia’s third COVID vaccine option? And when will we get it?Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jamie Triccas, Professor of Medical Microbiology, University of Sydney As AstraZeneca is no longer the preferred vaccine for Australian adults under 50, attention is turning to what other COVID-19 vaccine options are in our arsenal. The federal government has ordered 40 million ...7 hours ago
- ‘A vigorous cold front’: why it’s been so cold this week, with more on the waySource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sarah Scully, Senior Meteorologist, Australian Bureau of Meteorology Across most of Australia this week, people have woken up and thought “Goodness, it’s cold.” Summer doonas are being changed to winter doonas. Heaters are being switched on. Ugg boots are being dug out ...7 hours ago
- ‘A vigorous cold front’: why it’s been so cold this week, with a chilly weekend on the waySource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sarah Scully, Senior Meteorologist, Australian Bureau of Meteorology Across most of Australia this week, people have woken up and thought “Goodness, it’s cold.” Summer doonas are being changed to winter doonas. Heaters are being switched on. Ugg boots are being dug out ...8 hours ago
- Shoeshops, tailors, TV repairs: a photographic homage to Melbourne’s vanishing small businesses is...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Daniel Palmer, Professor, RMIT University Review: Small Business, published by M.33, Melbourne, 2021 David Wadelton understands that photography is a form of time travel. Small Business, his new book of photographs, transports us to Melbourne’s vanishing architecture of interior workplaces created by ...9 hours ago
- Unions Call On Government To Improve Work Lives
The Council of Trade Unions wants the government to do more to improve working lives for New Zealanders. CTU President Richard Wagstaff will tonight address Minister of Workplace Relations Michael Wood, other Labour and Green Party Members of Parliament, ...9 hours ago - Bedbugs and handbag-clutching and wave pools, oh my
Comedian Janaye Henry is on a theatre tour of Aotearoa teaching teens about sex, and is writing us a non-Tourism NZ-approved diary of her travels. This week she’s in Ōtepoti Dunedin.I arrived in Ōtepoti Dunedin wide-eyed and itching to explore. My roommate was itchy too, although it wasn’t until the ...9 hours ago - Home prices are climbing alright, but not for the reason you might thinkSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Martin, Visiting Fellow, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University It’s tempting to think home prices are soaring because there aren’t enough homes. But that can’t explain the sudden takeoff from about the year 2000, the sudden takeoff from about ...9 hours ago
- Not wiped out. Even after the collapse of Greensill, there’s time to save WhyallaSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michael O’Neil, Executive Director, SA Centre for Economic Studies, University of Adelaide Wiping off Whyalla has become something of a macabre sport. All manner of things have been said to be about to destroy the steelworks town, including (briefly) the 2012-2014 carbon ...10 hours ago
- The power of authentic leadershipJonthan Cotton speaks to the people behind a programme teaching modern authentic leadership about what makes a great leader in 2021. When it comes to making change, humankind has historically looked to its most exceptional and extroverted people to lead us through its most challenging problems. Plato had a few opinions ...10 hours ago
- Double trouble: floods and COVID-19 have merged to pose great danger for Timor-LesteSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mark Quigley, Associate Professor of Earthquake Science, The University of Melbourne Timor-Leste is reeling after heavy rain caused severe floods and landslides over the Easter weekend, killing at least 42 people. Rates of COVID-19 in Timor-Leste are also on the rise. Together, ...10 hours ago
- Oops – our climate change emissions have risen (at the last count) but we are leading the way with...
Whoopee – another first for our nation. According to the headline on a Beehive press statement, NZ becomes first in world for climate reporting. This drew attention to the announcement that New Zealand has become the first country in the world to introduce a law that requires the financial sector ...10 hours ago - Game over: Why gaming peaked in 2001Everyone has their own take on the best era for culture. Some think music was better in the ’70s, or theatre was better in the ’90s – but when did gaming peak? Exactly 20 years ago, argues Sam Brooks.Gaming is bigger than it’s ever been right now. Through the device ...11 hours ago
- Why China’s attempts to stifle foreign media criticism are likely to failSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tony Walker, Vice-chancellor’s fellow, La Trobe University When China’s ambassador to Australia, Cheng Jingye, summoned journalists to the Chinese embassy last week, this was not an occasion for polite exchanges on a troubled relationship between Beijing and Canberra. Cheng was intent on ...11 hours ago
- Parliamentary Palace Will Not Have The Support Of Taxpayers“The Speaker’s attempt to pitch a new Parliamentary palace as a ‘ wooden office block ’ will not fly with taxpayers,” says Taxpayers’ Union spokesman Louis Houlbrooke. “Fundamentally, you can’t trust politicians with property projects. ...11 hours ago
- New Parliament building to house MPs, staff planned for 2022 buildThe Speaker has unveiled Parliament's plans for a new building for MPs and staff, expected to cost more than $100 million. ...12 hours ago
- Psst! The whispers among diplomats in the capital draw attention to shortcomings on NZ’s foreign-p...Does New Zealand have a contemporary foreign policy, let alone a defence policy? Some of our nearest and dearest are beginning to wonder. Ambassadors in Wellington are among the world’s most discreet but word is beginning to trickle out. What is the government up to? Why does it move at ...12 hours ago
- Counterterrorism laws expansion bill follows up mosque attacks reportTravel to or from New Zealand to commit a terrorist act, and planning or preparing for such an act, would become illegal under the proposed law. ...12 hours ago
- Climate Change Minister James Shaw announces clean energy projectsAnother 10 schools will have their coal boilers replaced as part of the government's latest round of investment to decarbonise the public sector. ...13 hours ago
- Gambling Profits Are Crippling, Potentially Killing DogsSix dogs have suffered broken legs at New Zealand greyhound races in the past two weeks. On Sunday, in a video broadcast by the TAB, in Race 3 at Auckland, greyhound All Day Long suffered a harrowing fall and broken leg. On the same day, at the same ...13 hours ago
- Greenpeace: Agriculture Still Tops Emissions, So Where's The Action?The latest inventory of New Zealand's climate pollution shows, yet again, that the Government must take urgent action to make farming part of the climate solution, says Greenpeace. The Ministry for the Environment today released its 2019 inventory ...13 hours ago
- The Single Object: The chainsaw heard across AotearoaMāori activist Mike Smith’s chainsaw attack on the lone pine tree atop Maungakiekie / One Tree Hill was one of the most memorable New Zealand news stories of the 1990s. In this episode of The Single Object, he explains why he did it.Late one October night in 1994, nearby residents ...14 hours ago
- Young eco-warriors press for change – if they get what they demand, they should brace for a lower ...
The latest cohort of school students took to the streets last week to demand climate change action. In Wellington, several thousand strikers marched to Parliament. Izzy Cook, one of the organisers, said they had their own list of demands. “Investing in a just transition to a sustainable future, reducing agricultural ...14 hours ago - Kris Fa’afoi: NZ television should see YouTube as an opportunity, not a threatIn the latest episode of The Spinoff’s media podcast The Fold, Duncan Greive is joined by broadcasting and media minister Kris Fa’afoi to talk about the media transition and what a ‘sexy’ new public media entity might look like. Kris Faafoi is one of those rare ministers who has actually ...15 hours ago
- A Century Of Inequality: The Real Issue For Māori In The Age Of COVID-19Despite Aotearoa gaining international praise for its COVID-19 response, two independent reports commissioned by Te Pūtea Whakatupu Trust have found that Māori vulnerability and resilience to these large-scale crises remain largely unchanged for the past ...15 hours ago
- Little’s inaction is absurd – New Zealand needs drug law reform nowThe health minister’s stonewalling of any attempt to fix our woeful drug laws doesn’t only fly in the face of overseas trends, but what’s currently happening in and around our own parliament.Yesterday, more than two dozen health and social service organisations, including the NZMA, the Public Health Association and the ...15 hours ago
- Newsletter: New Zealand Politics Daily – April 13 2021Editor’s Note: Here below is a list of the main issues currently under discussion in New Zealand and links to media coverage. Click here to subscribe to Bryce Edwards’ Political Roundup and New Zealand Politics Daily. Today’s content Maori Party referred to Police over donations Henry Cooke (Stuff): Māori Party referred to police over ...16 hours ago
- How Kiwibank is supporting customers who want help with problem gamblingCovid-19 lockdowns resulted in a rise in online gambling. Kiwibank has given customers the option to block gambling transactions if they need help. A year ago, when an entire country went home and stayed home for lockdown, most of us were grappling with some kind of anxiety: about health, money, or ...17 hours ago
- COVID-19 highlights the need for Policing Reforms for Domestic Violence Cases in GuatemalaSource: Council on Hemispheric Affairs – Analysis-Reportage Laura Iesue From Miami, Florida On March 29, 2020, Guatemala’s President Giammattei implemented an eight-day, country-wide curfew to stop the spread of COVID-19.[1] Ultimately, this lockdown would continue until October 1, 2020, as the virus continued to travel across communities.[2] While ...17 hours ago
- Live updates, April 13: Three bus trips linked to Covid-positive security guardWelcome to The Spinoff’s live updates for April 13, bringing you the latest news throughout the day. Get in touch at stewart@thespinoff.co.nzThe Spinoff can’t exist without our members. If you want to help us stay curious and keep our team across New Zealand’s breaking stories, please donate today. 7.50am: ...18 hours ago
- The best hope for fairly distributing COVID-19 vaccines globally is at risk of failing. Here’s how...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Deborah Gleeson, Associate Professor in Public Health, La Trobe University COVAX, the global initiative to coordinate the distribution of COVID-19 vaccines in an equitable way, is crucial for bringing the pandemic under control. But COVAX’s aim of delivering 2 billion doses to ...18 hours ago
- More kids are being diagnosed with ADHD for borderline (yet challenging) behaviours. Our new researc...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Luise Kazda, PhD candidate, University of Sydney During my daughter’s challenging first year of school, we discovered how much effort it took her to sit and learn. She was the youngest in her class, placing her at higher risk of being diagnosed ...18 hours ago
- Climate change is a security threat the government keeps ignoring. We’ll show up empty handed to y...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Cheryl Durrant, Adjunct Associate Professor, UNSW Climate change is a hot topic in Australian security circles, as it poses an emerging threat to our national resilience and way of life. As a new report from the Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI) last ...18 hours ago
- Resistance to raising the minimum wage reflects obsolete economic thinkingSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jim Stanford, Economist and Director, Centre for Future Work, Australia Institute; Honorary Professor of Political Economy, University of Sydney Fewer than 2% of Australian employees work for the minimum wage (now $19.84 an hour). But the federal Fair Work Commission’s annual decision ...18 hours ago
- The One: could DNA tests find our soulmate? We study sex and sexuality — and think the idea is rid...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrea Waling, ARC DECRA Senior Research Fellow in Sex & Sexuality, La Trobe University The Netflix drama The One centres around a geneticist who invents a new matchmaking service. It uses DNA to help people find their romantic and sexual match: their ...18 hours ago
- The Bulletin: Parties under pressure over undeclared donationsGood morning and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Parties under pressure over undeclared donations, more emerges on exports to murderous militaries, and National refusing to back Climate Commission draft plans.Both the Māori Party and National are in trouble over donations that weren’t declared in time, but one of ...18 hours ago
- Curious Kids: how and when did Mount Everest become the tallest mountain? And will it remain so?Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Brendan Duffy, Lecturer in Applied Geoscience, The University of Melbourne Most people know that Mount Everest is the tallest mountain but I want to know for how long it has been the tallest, and for how long in the future it ...18 hours ago
- ACC’s policy of not covering birth injuries is one more sign the system is overdue for reformSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Claire Breen, Professor of Law, University of Waikato Recent media coverage of women not being able to get treatment for birth injuries highlights yet another example of gender bias in healthcare in New Zealand. Following a policy review, the Accident Compensation Corporation ...18 hours ago
- RBNZ Survey: 69% Of Experts Predict Rents Will Rise Under New Housing PoliciesNews highlights: Majority of experts expect rents to increase due to higher investor costs 57% disagree with extending the bright-line test All experts predict the OCR to hold at 0.25% in April Experts are concerned that tenants will cop higher rents ...19 hours ago
- Local Policies Can Reduce Problem GamblingWhen local authorities tighten gambling regulations, player losses at the pokie machines are reduced. Around 10 percent of the New Zealand population is impacted by problem gambling. Those impacts include poor health, psychological distress, financial ...19 hours ago
- Synlait CEO to step down month's end
Business & Investing: Two chief executives to leave Kiwi companies, Plus retirement village operator Summerset experiences booming demand ...19 hours ago - Showjumper's dream ride – from orphanage to Olympics
From humble beginnings in Siberia, Taupo teenager Annabel Francis has taken the New Zealand showjumping world by storm and is on the verge of her first Olympics. There’s a couple of things which make Annabel Francis stand out in her world of showjumping. The first is physical. As her coach, ...20 hours ago - MIQ Covid-19 case of security guard raises questions on use of ministry's testing registerThe government's move to make it mandatory for all testing of border workers to be recorded in a central register is being derided as months too late. ...20 hours ago
- Newsroom daily quiz, Tuesday 13 April
Got a good quiz question? Send Newsroom your questions. ...20 hours ago - Doing business in NZ getting riskier
Two Government moves highlight the risks here of 'regime uncertainty', writes the New Zealand Initiative's Eric Crampton ...20 hours ago - Newsroom daily crossword, Tuesday 13 April
...20 hours ago - Samoa waits to see if 'winds of change' prevail
The future of Samoa’s next government remains in the balance as the final election votes are counted, with a weeks-long wait for a definitive result - or a legal challenge - among the possible outcomes After 39 years of one-party rule, Samoan voters may - just - have finally looked ...20 hours ago - Free Six60 tickets for councillors ruffle feathers
Eden Park thanks Auckland councillors for their supposed 'support' for concerts at the venue, offering them free hospitality to watch the first concert. But the invite hasn't gone down well with some, as Matthew Scott reports. An offer of a free ticket for councillors to the first concert at Eden ...20 hours ago - Newsroom's daily sudoku, Tuesday 13 April
...20 hours ago - Knowing Charlotte as I do
We resume our series on Charlotte Grimshaw's memoir. Today: ReadingRoom literary editor Steve Braunias on navigating a friendship The fact that I'm friends with Charlotte Grimshaw as well as her parents Karl and Kay Stead, who she lovingly, persistently and ferociously hauls over the coals in her new memoir The ...20 hours ago - Pure As: Esther Molloy's little miracle
WATCH: Silver Ferns manager Esther Molloy talks about the stem cell transplant that saved her young daughter's life. Esther Molloy's dedication to the Silver Ferns is second only to her devotion to her family. And she knows the Silver Ferns always have Team Molloy's back, especially through the very tough times. ...20 hours ago - Officials track NZ's alt right after Capitol riot
As QAnon adherents and Donald Trump supporters stormed the US Capitol, officials in New Zealand kept a close eye on how our alt-right community was responding and sharing content Government officials closely monitored the online activity of New Zealand's alt-right community as their American counterparts stormed the US Capitol building, as ...20 hours ago - Quiet and avoidable catastrophes
Basic information on is missing, our screening programmes aren't up to scratch, and people are dying unnecessarily. Dr Peter Saxton lays out the problems with sexual health in this country. Sexual health has been making headlines. The spotlight has been on human papillomavirus (HPV), our most common sexually transmitted infection ...20 hours ago - Five pressing questions about the state of New Zealand’s vaccination programmeVaccinations are up and running, but are they happening fast enough, why haven’t all frontline workers had their first shot, and what about the stats? Justin Giovannetti outlines the concerns being aired.While New Zealand’s Covid-19 vaccination programme is under way, it’s already hitting some bumps on the road to July ...20 hours ago
- The India travel ban reminds me I’ll always be second-class in your eyesNews of the travel suspension on flights from India resurrects uncomfortable memories for Melanie Sharma-Barrow – and other women of Indian descent like her, she writes.Twenty-two years ago, at university, I studied “citizenship and ideology”, a course exploring how ideology feeds the principles underpinning citizenship. When I learned about the ...20 hours ago
- The Greens' new relationship with power
While some Green MPs are enjoying their newfound political freedom, co-leader Marama Davidson is fighting the restraints that come with holding ministerial office. ...21 hours ago - Does a sex offender register really keep children safe?
No one would argue against a Child Protection Act - but is a register for child sex abusers actually protecting children? Urgent changes to the law on the child sex offender register mean that hundreds of convicted offenders are back on the list. But one justice rights advocate says it doesn't ...21 hours ago - Air NZ loan extension a 'lost opportunity' for climate
The Government has offered $600m more for Air New Zealand, one of the country's top five emitters, without requiring any sustainability moves. ...21 hours ago - Reserve Bank to respond to unprecedented attack on its independence
As the Reserve Bank Governor delivers its Monetary Policy Review this week, Govt interference in monetary policy-making must stop ...21 hours ago - 'Can’t they see what’s good for them?'
COMMENT: The Royals have repeatedly indicated NZ’s constitutional future is a matter for NZ to decide. They are not afraid of the conversation – but we are. The Public Trust Office constantly reminds us of the importance of leaving our affairs in order. Can the same be said of New Zealand, as ...21 hours ago - Cyclone Seroja just demolished parts of WA – and our warming world will bring more of the sameSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jonathan Nott, Professor of Physical Geography, James Cook University Tropical Cyclone Seroja battered parts of Western Australia’s coast on Sunday night, badly damaging buildings and leaving thousands of people without power. While the full extent of the damage caused by the Category ...21 hours ago
- Samoa’s stunning election result: on the verge of a new ruling party for the first time in 40 year...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tamasailau Suaalii Sauni, Associate Professor in Criminology Programme, University of Auckland Samoan politics is on a knife edge. After the country voted in general elections on April 9, counting so far has resulted in a dead heat between the two major parties. ...1 day ago
- If I could go anywhere: Boughton House, ‘the English Versailles’ and its shimmering treasuresSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Robert Wellington, Senior Lecturer, Art History and Visual Culture, Australian National University In this series we pay tribute to the art we wish could visit — and hope to see once travel restrictions are lifted. If you are a country house fanatic ...1 day ago
- New AstraZeneca advice is a safer path, but it’s damaged vaccine confidence. The government must u...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jane E Frawley, NHMRC Research Fellow, University of Technology Sydney The federal government’s recommendation last week that the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine is now the preferred vaccine for adults under 50 has shaken public confidence in the COVID-19 vaccine rollout. The Australian Technical ...1 day ago
- Misuse of Drugs Act overhaul off the cards for now, Andrew Little saysHealth Minister Andrew Little has shot down calls for a swift overhaul of drug laws, saying any major change would first have to go back to a referendum. ...1 day ago
- The ebb and flow of COVID-19 vaccine support: what social media tells us about Australians and the j...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Bela Stantic, Professor, Director of Big data and smart analytics lab – IIIS, Griffith University Australia’s COVID-19 vaccination rollout has hit yet another crossroads. Public confidence has wavered following the federal government’s announcement last week that the Pfizer vaccine was the preferred ...1 day ago
- Vaccination Botch Up Needs Urgent Fix“It’s unacceptable the Government won’t play hardball with unions and force those employees unwilling to get a COVID vaccine to vacate MIQ premises for another 18 days,” says ACT Leader David Seymour. “Stop pussyfooting about and take the ...1 day ago
- MIQ employers asked to provide worker vaccine information – ArdernA year after MIQ was established, 86 percent of workers there have been vaccinated, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern says, while also signalling a state memorial service for Prince Philip. ...1 day ago
- New Zealand Food Safety Minister Silenced In TransTasman GE ForumNew Zealand’s Ministerial engagement in the Trans Tasman GE Food Standards approval process has been silenced. The Conran review of the Council of Australian Governments COAG fora has recommended the dismantling of the Food Standards Australia New Zealand ...1 day ago
- Live: Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern gives post-Cabinet briefingPrime Minister Jacinda Ardern is about to give an update following a Cabinet meeting this afternoon as more cases emerge from an Auckland managed isolation facility. ...1 day ago
- Govt goes into partnership (again), this time to better deal with young Maori offenders
Our Beehive bulletin Has anyone been keeping tabs on the number of race-based “partnerships” established by the Ardern government? Another one popped up today, proudly announced by Children’s Minister Kelvin Davis. It’s an “innovative’ as well as new Youth Justice residence “designed in partnership with Māori” to provide “prevention, healing, ...1 day ago
https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/438074/remote-kiribati-island-calls-for-help-with-water-crisis
Here is a test to our sense of values. We small countries suffer because of the pollutions, the chemicals, the headlong rush to produce, that the big nations indulge in. But the small Pacific Islands need lots of help and now Kirikati needs water badly not the bad water they have.
The island had two desalination plants but they were both out of action, with the Kiribati Government seeking parts for repair.
It's been three months since the second desalination plant on the island was broken and it's been almost a year without substantial rain
Also the United Nations should have a standing engineering group that can go to small countries to help with the funding for practical responses.
With a good dollop of levity and not a little accuracy, I recommend the following:
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2021/mar/09/harry-meghan-royal-family-hrh
The embedded “chief reporter” link is a must…