Daily review 15/05/2019
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5:33 pm, May 15th, 2019 - 31 comments
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- Incompatible regimes
The Official Information Act is our core transparency legislation. But its only covers central government. Local authorities are covered by the parallel Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act 1987, which duplicates most of the OIA's provisions, and adds in some stuff about local authority meetings as well. Since the ...4 mins ago - Boris BerlusconiRemember Silvio Berlusconi? Whenever the Italian courts seemed to be catching up to his corrupt behaviour as Prime Minister, he would just change the law to get himself off the hook. Well, now there's a new contender for the "self-serving abuse of power" title: Boris Johnson: Boris Johnson is ...1 hour ago
- Josh Van Veen: NZ First Unbowed
The improbability of NZ First returning to power cannot be overstated. Between 2017 and 2020, support for the party collapsed from 7.2% to 2.6%. With barely a third of its 2020 vote, and no electorate seat, NZ First appears to be a spent force. But the party faithful were ...8 hours ago - Health co-benefits need to be adequately considered in the Climate Change Commission’s final advic...
Tim Chambers, Simon Hales, Jude Ball, Michael Baker, Cristina Cleghorn, Nick Wilson (*Author details) The Climate Change Commission’s final advice to the Government has been tabled in Parliament. This final report further acknowledged the potential health co-benefits of climate action presented in the Commission’s draft advice. However, the Commission has ...10 hours ago - Winston's last throw of the dice
You’ve got to wonder if Winston Peters will ever retire. I mean what keeps the old rogue going? Perhaps Peters has been reinvigorated by the Government’s decision to follow through on various policy NZ First had previously put the kibosh on...or maybe he thinks there's still a chance of becoming ...11 hours ago - 2021 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #25
Listing of articles linked to on the Skeptical Science Facebook Page during the past week: Sun, June 14, 2021 through Sat, June 19, 2021 The following articles sparked above average interest during the week: Earth is now trapping an ‘unprecedented’ amount of heat, NASA says, Fake news: a simple nudge isn’t ...19 hours ago - Goldilocks and the three futuresGoldilocks, the house breaker, always had a choice of three, one of which always appeared to be just right. Temporally, there’s three types of futures too. Short-term, medium-term, and long-term. Those are all relative, depending on what you are looking at. Some technologies, for example, change very quickly, so “long-term” ...1 day ago
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Hat tip to Mike Treen from Unite Union for this article by Lindsey Graham published in Counterfire. It raises important debates that are happening in many parts of the world, including New ZealandGood morning. I want to raise some issues here about the whole debate on trans rights in Britain. ...2 days ago - Leaked cabinet papers won’t help ACTIt was somewhat amusing to see the Act Party completely misread the room this week when they leaked a Labour Party document concerning our oceans and fisheries. It outlined the Government's intention to discuss several marine policies at cabinet, the most controversial being the installation of 300 cameras on commercial ...2 days ago
- Writing the Rights: No Right Turn is Wrong
New Zealand’s extreme form of parliamentary sovereignty is something of an international oddity these days. Under the New Zealand system, an Act passed by Parliament (and hence signed by the Governor-General) is automatically law. And in the absence of a written constitution, Parliament can Do Anything. Literally. Our checks ...3 days ago - Unemployment Insurance
Providing for the redundantly unemployed is admirable but difficult and expensive to implement.The 2021 Budget announced that the government was, at the urging of Business NZ and the Council of Trade Unions, committed to the development of a Social Unemployment Insurance scheme. It is likely to have two main components. ...3 days ago - Losing The “Struggle-Session” Over Climate Change.
Blaming And Shaming: A "property owner" is humiliated before the masses during Mao Zedong's Cultural Revolution. Critical Race Theory may substitute "White Privilege" for "Class Privilege", but the inescapability of the offending group's responsibility for "oppression" is exactly the same. The self-abasement of School Strike For Climate Auckland for its ...3 days ago - Cleaning up the fishing industryThe government is finally cleaning up the fishing industry, with cameras on boats and an end to high-grading, with an easier penalties regime to enforce it. Good. Because as we've seen over the years, the fishing industry is pervasively criminal, routinely violating the law on discarding fish and reporting bycatch. ...3 days ago
- PM’s critics should stick to the factsThere’s been a lot of grumbling lately amongst the right wing and certain mainstream media pundits who are looking to either score cheap political points or attract readers by attacking the Prime Minister.Of course some of the criticism is justified. After all no Government is perfect and there are always ...3 days ago
- Climate Change: Auckland fails IILast year, the Auckland Council passed a climate change plan, setting goals of halving emissions by 2030, and net-zero by 2050. So you'd expect their new transport plan to be consistent with that goal, right? Wrong: The 10-year transport plan for Auckland has emerged from consultation with small changes, ...3 days ago
- Anti-fluoridation group tells porkies about NZ fluoridation review
FFNZ spreads misinformation about the NZ fluoridation review – yet again New Zealand opponents of community water fluoridation (CWF) are at it again. Their only response to the recently upgraded fluoridation review is to call it “propaganda” and to completely misrepresent it. But it’s interesting to look at their misrepresentation ...3 days ago - Landmark decision in the sex and gender debateOn June 10, after two years of legal battles, Maya Forstater won a landmark legal ruling that looks set to change the direction of the sex and gender debates in the Britain, and provide legal protection for gender-critical people against discrimination and harassment. This ruling will be important in New Zealand. ...3 days ago
- CSLDF and the Government Accountability Project Launch New Scientific Integrity Reporting ProjectThis is a guest post by the Climate Science Legal Defense Fund. Today, the Climate Science Legal Defense Fund and Government Accountability Project launched the Scientific Integrity Reporting Project: a confidential, anonymous way for scientists and others in science-adjacent roles to detail their experiences involving past and ongoing threats to scientific norms and scientific integrity. We ...4 days ago
- Australia needs a Bill of Rights ActAustralia is one of the few western democracies not to have legal protection for fundamental human rights. The closest they come is recognising an implied right to freedom of political communication (but not other forms of freedom of expression) from the "representative government" clauses of their constitution. But some of ...4 days ago
- FalloutLast week I revealed how the Police had lied to the public over their "emissions-free fleet" strategy. Stuff's Henry Cooke has done the obvious followup of asking the Minister what she thinks about it, and it seems she is not happy: Police Minister Poto Williams says she is disappointed ...4 days ago
- Can we be born into the wrong body?by Don Franks Are some of us born into the wrong body? The possibility is sometimes offered as a clinching argument that some people need to, and are able to, change their sex. With one proviso, the answer has to be, yes, such a thing is possible. The only requirement ...4 days ago
- Moa’s Ark or flypaper of the Pacific – New Zealand’s place in the biology of the PacificIt was the year 2002 and I was sitting in the shiny new office of our Biogeography Professor for my oral Diploma exam. It was going well, when I was asked to name an example of a Gondwanan distribution pattern, or in other words a species or group of species ...4 days ago
- Auckland is the world’s ‘most liveable city’? Many Māori might disagreeElla Henry, Auckland University of Technology While I am always happy to celebrate any accolades my country and city might garner on the international stage, seeing Auckland/Tāmaki Makaurau awarded the top ranking in a recent “most liveable cities” survey left me somewhat flummoxed. In particular, I would argue that ...4 days ago
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- Juliet Moses – Arsehole of the Week5 days ago
- Skeptical Science New Research for Week #24, 2021A hot budget problem This week's standout article for highlighting is Satellite and Ocean Data Reveal Marked Increase in Earth's Heating Rate (open access). From the two very different perspectives of above the atmosphere and below it, a team of authors led by Norman Loeb (head of NASA's CERES program) and including Gregory Johnson (head ...5 days ago
- Let it dieThe fishing industry is complaining in the Herald about their "labour shortage" and lamenting the fact that Young People These Days for some reason don't want to work for six weeks at a time doing hard, dangerous work on a boat in the middle of nowhere, and never seeing their ...5 days ago
- More bigotry in HungaryLast year Hungary ended legal recognition of trans people and banned gay people from adopting children. Now, they've followed that up with a Russian-style "propaganda law", banning "promotion" of homosexuality in schools or on TV: Hungary’s parliament has passed a law banning gay people from featuring in school educational ...5 days ago
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- David Seymour caught telling liesAct Party Leader David SeymourIt really bothers me when the NZ Herald reports the claims of certain right wing politicians as the truth without any fact checking. Not only do they encourage dishonest politicians to continue to lie, they also degrade the standard of reporting we get in New Zealand.Of ...6 days ago
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- We discovered what’s killing the world’s rarest penguin – and it could help us make a vaccineVartul Sangal, Northumbria University, Newcastle Yellow-eyed penguins are the most endangered penguin species in the world, with just 4,000 left in the wild. Found only in New Zealand and its outlying islands, these birds can grow up to 79cm tall and weigh 8.5kg, which is similar to a one-year-old ...6 days ago
- The COVID-19 lab leak theory highlights a glaring lack of global biosecurity regulationAlexander Gillespie, University of Waikato The revived debate over whether COVID-19 could be the result of an accidental release from the Wuhan Institute of Virology may never be adequately resolved. Either way, we risk not seeing the wood for the trees. While the World Health Organization (WHO) reported in ...6 days ago
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- Silent calamity: The health impacts of wildfire smoke
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Bob Henson Articles on U.S. wildfires don’t often show a photo of someone gasping in a hospital bed or felled by a heart attack. Yet an increasing body of evidence suggests that the biggest societal impacts of increasing wildland fire are happening ...6 days ago- Smokefree 2025
The Government’s proposed approach for achieving SmokeFree 2025 is a bit over-the-top. The proposals would restrict tobacco sales to a smaller number of to-be-licenced R18 outlets, which could then be subject to a sinking lid; impose an annual one-year increase in the purchase age for tobacco until full prohibition were ...6 days ago- Update on Long-COVID
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When the National Party ran a "Cabinet Club", selling personal access to Cabinet Ministers in exchange for large donations, I called it Government for Sale. Now the Labour party is doing the same thing: The Labour Party is selling tickets to a “business conference" featuring the prime minister and ...1 week ago- Nobody Owns The Christchurch Tragedy.
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Listing of articles linked to on the Skeptical Science Facebook Page during the past week: Sun, June 7, 2021 through Sat, June 12, 2021 This week it was somewhat tricky to identify suitable articles for sharing which is why the list ended up shorter than it usually is. Articles Linked to ...1 week ago- Hoping For Divine Intervention.
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Earlier today I blogged about the Ombudsman's final opinion on an OIA request for the police's "emissions-free fleet" strategy, in which the Ombudsman found that there never was such a strategy, and that the police repeatedly lied in an effort to hide that fact. But it turns out that I'm ...1 week ago- Spanish and Ukranian translations of The Debunking Handbook 2020
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James Bell, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington; Rob McAllen, University College Cork, and Valerio Micaroni, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington Deeper than most scuba divers can safely work and above where most underwater robots are designed to descend lie some of the most ...1 week ago- The economics of killing Huntly
RNZ reports that Genesis Energy's use of coal has spiked over the past few years, as they use to burn it rather than pay for gas: New Zealand has significantly increased its use of coal in recent years, despite its status as the worst, most polluting fossil fuel on ...1 week ago- Media Link: “A View from Afar” on NZ security strategy and the end of neoliberalism in South Ame...
I have not had much time to blog in recent weeks but continue the weekly series of podcasts with Selwyn Manning. This week we discussed efforts to develop a comprehensive national security strategy for New Zealand that goes beyond Defense White Papers and annual reports from various security agencies, then ...1 week ago- Bryce Edwards: Political Roundup – Reforming the Official Information Act is a democratic test for...
In promising to be New Zealand’s most open and transparent government ever, Labour has one key challenge: reform the Official Information Act. This vital piece of machinery for democracy is in terrible disrepair, and the Government has promised to rewrite it for the modern age, but so far are stalling ...1 week ago- Hard Questions – Hard Answers.
1 week ago- Ian Powell: Lessons for NZ from Cuba, the Covid-19 vaccine powerhouse?
What can New Zealand learn from Cuba about fighting Covid-19? Plenty, especially in terms of producing vaccines, according to Health commentator Ian Powell. As the Medical Director for the Royal New Zealand College of General Practitioners Dr Bryan Betty is an important leadership voice for general practitioners. He is also ...2 weeks ago- Daniel Greene and the Mechanics of Writing Sex Scenes
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When the government asks the public to conserve electricity, its usually because we're on the edge of a supply crisis, and its necessary to ensure our own lights will stay on. And when it does that, people generally buy into it, because they can see the reason. But last month, ...2 weeks ago- A republic is demographicly irresistable
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Meg Parsons, University of Auckland and Lara Taylor, Manaaki Whenua – Landcare Research Our moana (ocean) is in a state of unprecedented ecological crisis. Multiple, cumulative impacts include pollution, sedimentation, overfishing, drilling and climate change. All affect the health of both marine life and coastal communities. To reverse the ...2 weeks ago - Silent calamity: The health impacts of wildfire smoke
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- Acting boldly to address the housing crisis so we all thriveTēnā koe Minister Woods, ...5 days ago
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- Our action on climate changeIn 2019, we established the Climate Change Commission to provide independent advice on climate change action and to hold this Government and future Governments to account. Today, the Commission's final advice was released. It sets out the total amount of global warming pollution Aotearoa must cut by 2035 to be ...2 weeks ago
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- Caring for the land, caring for peopleHere in New Zealand, we have a remarkable natural environment, with unique ecosystems and native species. It’s taken millions of years for Aotearoa to develop this precious environment – and it’s up to us to protect it! In collaboration with communities across the country, we’re doing just that. ...2 weeks ago
- Caring for the land, caring for peopleHere in New Zealand, we have a remarkable natural environment, with unique ecosystems and native species. It’s taken millions of years for Aotearoa to develop this precious environment – and it’s up to us to protect it! In collaboration with communities across the country, we’re doing just that. ...2 weeks ago
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- Green Party MP Golriz Ghahraman receives her COVID-19 vaccinationToday Green Party MP Golriz Ghahraman, who is immunocompromised, received her first COVID-19 vaccination at the Auckland CBD vaccination centre. ...2 weeks ago
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- New Zealand boosts support to Fiji for COVID-19 impact
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- New Ngarimu scholarships to target vocational trainingAssociate Education Minister Kelvin Davis today announced three new scholarships for students in vocational education and training (VET) are to be added to the suite of prestigious Ngarimu scholarships. “VET learners have less access to study support than university students and this is a way to tautoko their learning dreams ...2 hours ago
- Recognising the volunteers who support our health systemNominations have opened today for the 2021 Minister of Health Volunteer Awards, as part of National Volunteer Week. “We know that New Zealanders donate at least 159 million hours of volunteer labour every year,” Minister of Health Andrew Little said in launching this year’s awards in Wellington. “These people play ...6 hours ago
- Drug Free Sport supported to deal with new doping challengesDrug Free Sport New Zealand will receive a funding boost to respond to some of the emerging doping challenges across international sport. The additional $4.3 million over three years comes from the Sport Recovery Fund announced last year. It will help DFSNZ improve athletes’ understanding of the risks of doping, ...6 hours ago
- Government support for South Auckland community hit by tornadoThe Government is contributing $100,000 to a Mayoral Relief Fund to support Auckland communities impacted by the Papatoetoe tornado, Acting Minister for Emergency Management Kris Faafoi says. “My heart goes out to the family and friends who have lost a loved one, and to those who have been injured. I ...1 day ago
- Celebrating World Refugee DayWorld Refugee Day today is an opportunity to celebrate the proud record New Zealanders have supporting and protecting refugees and acknowledge the contribution these new New Zealanders make to our country, the Minister of Immigration Kris Faafoi said. “World Refugee Day is also a chance to think about the journey ...1 day ago
- Face to face meeting delivers significant progress on NZ-UK FTANew Zealand and the UK have committed to accelerating their free trade agreement negotiations with the aim of reaching an agreement in principle this August, Trade Minister Damien O’Connor announced. “We’ve held constructive and productive discussions towards the conclusion of a high-quality and comprehensive FTA that will support sustainable and inclusive trade, and ...2 days ago
- Government taking action to protect albatrossNew population figures for the critically endangered Antipodean albatross showing a 5 percent decline per year highlights the importance of reducing all threats to these very special birds, Acting Minister of Conservation Dr Ayesha Verrall says. The latest population modelling, carried out by Dragonfly Data Science, shows the Antipodean albatross ...3 days ago
- Adoption laws under reviewNew Zealand’s 66-year-old adoption laws are being reviewed, with public engagement beginning today. Justice Minister Kris Faafoi said the Government is seeking views on options for change to our adoption laws and system. “The Adoption Act has remained largely the same since 1955. We need our adoption laws to reflect ...3 days ago
- Wider roll-out of cameras on boats to support sustainability and protect marine lifeUp to 300 inshore commercial fishing vessels will be fitted with on-board cameras by 2024 as part of the Government’s commitment to protect the natural marine environment for future generations. Minister for Oceans and Fisheries David Parker today announced the funding is now in place for the wider roll out ...4 days ago
- Plan for vaccine rollout for general population announcedNew Zealanders over 60 will be offered a vaccination from July 28 and those over 55 from August 11, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced today. The rollout of the vaccine to the general population will be done in age groups as is the approach commonly used overseas, with those over ...4 days ago
- New Zealand introduces Belarus travel bansNew Zealand has imposed travel bans on selected individuals associated with the Lukashenko regime, following ongoing concerns about election fraud and human rights abuses after the 2020 Belarus elections, Foreign Affairs Minister Nanaia Mahuta has announced. The ban covers more than fifty individuals, including the President and key members of ...4 days ago
- NZ economy grows driven by households, construction and business investmentThe Government’s efforts to secure the recovery have been reflected in the robust rebound of GDP figures released today which show the economy remains resilient despite the ongoing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, Grant Robertson said. GDP increased 1.6 percent in the first three months of 2021. The Treasury had ...4 days ago
- Milestone 250th tower continues to improve rural connectivityThe Government has welcomed the completion of the 250th 4G mobile tower, as part of its push for better rural connectivity. Waikato’s Wiltsdown, which is roughly 80 kilometres south of Hamilton, is home to the new tower, deployed by the Rural Connectivity Group to enable improved service to 70 homes ...4 days ago
- Quarantine Free Travel pause with Victoria to lift on TuesdayFollowing a further public health assessment of the COVID-19 outbreak in greater Melbourne, New Zealand’s Quarantine Free Travel pause with Victoria has been extended to 11.59pm on Tuesday 22 June, COVID-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins says. It has been determined that the risk to public health in New Zealand continues ...4 days ago
- Prime Minister mourns passing of Dr Sir Ian HassallPrime Minister Jacinda Ardern is mourning the passing of Dr Sir Ian Hassall, New Zealand’s first Children’s Commissioner and lifelong champion for children and children’s health. As a paediatrician Sir Ian contributed to a major world-first cot death study that has been directly credited with reducing cot deaths in New ...5 days ago
- APEC structural reform meeting a successAPEC ministers have agreed working together will be crucial to ensure economies recover from the impact of COVID-19. Minister of Commerce and Consumer Affairs David Clark, chaired the virtual APEC Structural Reform Ministerial Meeting today which revolved around the overarching theme of promoting balanced, inclusive, sustainable, innovative and secure growth ...5 days ago
- Digital hub to boost investment in forestryA new website has been launched at Fieldays to support the forestry sector find the information it needs to plant, grow and manage trees, and to encourage investment across the wider industry. Forestry Minister Stuart Nash says the new Canopy website is tailored for farmers, iwi and other forestry interests, ...5 days ago
- Government continues support for rangatahi to get into employment, education and trainingOver 230 rangatahi are set to benefit from further funding through four new He Poutama Rangatahi programmes, Minister for Social Development and Employment Carmel Sepuloni announced today. “We’re continuing to secure our economic recovery from COVID by investing in opportunities for rangatahi to get into meaningful employment, education or training ...5 days ago
- NCEA subjects up for consultationThe education sector, students, their parents, whānau and communities are invited to share their thoughts on a list of proposed NCEA subjects released today, Education Minister Chris Hipkins says. This is a significant part of the Government’s NCEA Change Programme that commenced in 2020 and will be largely implemented by ...5 days ago
- Major investment in plantain forage programme aims to improve freshwater qualityThe Government is backing a major programme investigating plantain’s potential to help farmers protect waterways and improve freshwater quality, Acting Agriculture Minister Meka Whaitiri announced at Fieldays today. The Sustainable Food and Fibre Futures (SFFF) fund is contributing $8.98 million to the $22.23 million seven-year programme, which aims to deliver ...5 days ago
- America’s Cup decisionThe Minister responsible for the America’s Cup has confirmed the joint Crown-Auckland Council offer to host the next regatta has been declined by the Board of Team New Zealand. “The exclusive period of negotiation between the Crown, Auckland Council, and Team New Zealand ends tomorrow, 17 June,” said Stuart Nash. ...5 days ago
- Food and fibres sector making significant strides towards New Zealand’s economic recoveryThe Government is backing the food and fibres sector to lead New Zealand's economic recovery from COVID-19 with targeted investments as part of its Fit for a Better World roadmap, Forestry Minister Stuart Nash said. “To drive New Zealand’s recovery, we launched the Fit for a Better World – Accelerating ...5 days ago
- Speech to He Whenua Taurikura – New Zealand’s annual hui on countering terrorism and violent...Check against delivery Can I begin by acknowledging the 51 shuhada, their families and the Muslim community. It is because of the atrocious violent act that was done to them which has led ultimately to this, the start of a dialogue and a conversation about how we as a nation ...6 days ago
- Cost of Government Southern Response proactive package releasedThe Government has announced the proactive package for some Southern Response policyholders could cost $313 million if all those eligible apply. In December, the Minister Responsible for the Earthquake Commission, David Clark announced a proactive package for SRES claimants who settled their claims before October 2014. It trailed the judgment ...6 days ago
- First period products delivered to schoolsThe first period products funded as part of the Government’s nationwide rollout are being delivered to schools and kura this week, as part of wider efforts to combat child poverty, help increase school attendance, and make a positive impact on children’s wellbeing. “We know that nearly 95,000 9-to-18 year olds ...6 days ago
- New support to reduce emissions from public building and construction projectsGovernment agencies are getting new support to reduce carbon emissions generated by construction of new buildings, with the release of practical guidance to shape decisions on public projects. The Ministers for Building and Construction and for Economic Development say a new Procurement Guide will help government agencies, private sector suppliers, ...6 days ago
- He Whenua Taurikura: New Zealand’s first Hui on Countering Terrorism and Violent ExtremismThe Prime Minister has opened New Zealand’s first hui on Countering Terrorism and Violent Extremism, which is being held in Christchurch over the next two days. The hui delivers on one of the recommendations from the report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into the terrorist attack on Christchurch masjidain ...6 days ago
- Speech to inaugural Countering Terrorism HuiE aku nui, e aku rahi, Te whaka-kanohi mai o rātou mā, Ru-ruku-tia i runga i te ngākau whakapono, Ru-ruku-tia i runga i te ngākau aroha, Waitaha, Ngāti Mamoe, Ngai Tahu, nāu rā te reo pohiri. Tena tātou katoa. Ki te kotahi te kakaho ka whati, ki te kapuia, e ...6 days ago
- Campaign shines a light on elder abuseA new campaign is shining a spotlight on elder abuse, and urging people to protect older New Zealanders. Launched on World Elder Abuse Awareness Day, the Office for Seniors’ campaign encourages friends, whānau and neighbours to look for the signs of abuse, which is often hidden in plain sight. “Research suggests ...6 days ago
- Farewelling sports administrator and philanthropist Sir Eion EdgarSport and Recreation Minister Grant Robertson today expressed his sorrow at the passing of Sir Eion Edgar – a leading sports administrator and celebrated philanthropist who has made a significant impact both within and beyond the sport sector. “Sir Eion’s energy, drive and generosity has been truly immense. He leaves ...7 days ago
- Government to apologise for Dawn RaidsThe Government will make a formal apology for the wrongs committed during the Dawn Raids of the 1970’s. Between 1974 and 1976, a series of rigorous immigration enforcement policies were carried out that resulted in targeted raids on the homes of Pacific families. The raids to find, convict and deport overstayers ...1 week ago
- Humanitarian support for Bangladesh and MyanmarForeign Affairs Minister Nanaia Mahuta today announced that New Zealand is providing NZ $8.25 million in humanitarian assistance to support refugees and their host populations in Bangladesh and to support humanitarian need of internally displaced and conflict affected people in Myanmar. “Nearly four years after 900,000 Rohingya crossed the border ...1 week ago
- Poroporoaki: Dame Georgina Kamiria KirbyE Te Kōkō Tangiwai, Te Tuhi Mareikura, Te Kākākura Pokai kua riro i a matou. He toka tū moana ākinga ā tai, ākinga ā hau, ākinga ā ngaru tūātea. Haere atu rā ki te mūrau a te tini, ki te wenerau a te mano. E tae koe ki ngā rire ...1 week ago
- Feedback sought on future of housing and urban developmentNew Zealanders are encouraged to have their say on a long-term vision for housing and urban development to guide future work, the Housing Minister Megan Woods has announced. Consultation starts today on a Government Policy Statement on Housing and Urban Development (GPS-HUD), which will support the long-term direction of Aotearoa ...1 week ago
- Clean car package to drive down emissionsNew rebates for electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles start July 1 with up to $8,625 for new vehicles and $3,450 for used. Electric vehicle chargers now available every 75km along most state highways to give Kiwis confidence. Low Emission Transport Fund will have nearly four times the funding by 2023 ...1 week ago
- Progress towards simpler process for changing sex on birth certificatesThe Government is taking the next step to support transgender, non-binary and intersex New Zealanders, by progressing the Births, Deaths, Marriages and Relationships Registration Bill, Minister of Internal Affairs, Jan Tinetti announced today. “This Government understands that self-identification is a significant issue for transgender, non-binary and intersex New Zealanders, and ...1 week ago
- Crown speeds up engagement with takutai moana applicantsThe Crown is taking a new approach to takutai moana applications to give all applicants an opportunity to engage with the Crown and better support the Māori-Crown relationship, Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations Minister Andrew Little says. Following discussions with applicant groups, the Crown has reviewed the existing takutai moana application ...1 week ago
- Alcohol and Other Drug Treatment (AODT) Court opensThe Minister of Justice, Kris Faafoi, and the Minister for Courts, Aupito William Sio, have welcomed the opening of a new Alcohol and Other Drug Treatment (AODT) Court in Hamilton. The AODT Court (Te Whare Whakapiki Wairua) addresses situations where substance abuse and offending are intertwined. “New Zealanders have told ...1 week ago
- The National Party used to be known for its leadership stability — what happened?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Geoff Cockfield, Professor of Government and Economics, and Deputy Dean, University of Southern Queensland Mick Tsikas/AAP Barnaby Joyce is back as Nationals leader, after a spill in Canberra on Monday morning. This is the latest development in an unusually ...5 mins ago - Live: Jacinda Ardern speaks at post-Cabinet briefing
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern is giving her weekly post-Cabinet media briefing. ...15 mins ago - Kita Mean’s wildest dream just came true
She’s a winner baby! RuPaul’s Drag Race Down Under winner Kita Mean stops by The Spinoff Studio to reflect on her journey to the crown. On Saturday night in Auckland, surrounded by a buzzing room of close friends, Kita Mean found out that she had been crowned the inaugural winner of ...1 hour ago - Barnaby Joyce ousts Michael McCormack to regain Nationals leadershipSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Barnaby Joyce has blasted Michael McCormack out to seize back his old job of Nationals leader. Joyce’s win, which automatically makes him deputy prime minister, has major implications and challenges for Scott Morrison, who had ...2 hours ago
- It’s hard to see what’s to celebrate when 82.4m people have fled their homes – but Faafoi has ...
Today is the third birthday of Neve Gayford (or is she Neve Ardern?), an event that was portended on the NZ Herald website in a report which described her dad as a “genius” for rolling three cakes into one for the occasion. And how (we wonder) would they ...2 hours ago - Are low-paid jobs really a stepping stone to better pay? A new study suggests it’s not that simpleSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alexander Plum, Senior Research Fellow in Applied Labour Economics, Auckland University of Technology www.shutterstock.com A job – any job – is generally thought of as better than no job at all. Consequently, low-paid work is often considered a “stepping stone” ...3 hours ago
- Maritime Union Says Deepening Supply Chain Crisis Requires Action
The Maritime Union says New Zealand is facing a deepening crisis in our maritime supply chain, which requires bold thinking and speedy action to fix. Maritime Union of New Zealand National Secretary Craig Harrison says the global COVID-19 pandemic ...4 hours ago - Ministry Releases Summary Of Submissions Into Refresh Of Death, Funerals, Burial And Cremation Legis...A refresh of the Burial and Cremation Act 1964 and related legislation is another step closer with a new summary of submissions. An initial report from the New Zealand Law Commission found the 1964 legislation needed a significant refresh to modernise ...5 hours ago
- NZ First is 'back' and Winston Peters will remain the leader, Shane Jones confirmsWinston Peters is leading his party into the 2023 election in a bid to re-enter Parliament, former New Zealand First MP Shane Jones has confirmed. ...5 hours ago
- Top economists call for budget measures to speed the switch to electric carsSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Martin, Visiting Fellow, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University Wes Mountain/The Conversation, CC BY-ND Australia’s top economists overwhelmingly back government measures to speed the transition to electric cars in order to meet emission reduction targets. An exclusive ...6 hours ago
- How Wet & Forget grew from a DIY project to a multimillion-dollar empireWet & Forget founder Rod Jenden tells Jane Phare how he went from doing an early-morning bread run in an old van to establishing the iconic multimillion-dollar company, in this NZ Herald Premium article.Touring Wet & Forget’s new state-of-the-art headquarters in Auckland, you could be excused for thinking life has been ...6 hours ago
- The Warehouse Pledges A Quarter Of A Million Dollars To Help Kiwi Kids Exposed To Family ViolenceA first of its kind report released today by Women’s Refuge and funded by long-term partner, The Warehouse Group, has revealed thatchildren exposed to family violence are far from passivepassengers in their mother’s journey. Children interviewed ...7 hours ago
- Do not buy your child an axolotl because of a video gameA lizard that lives for 15 years and whose needs are almost impossible to meet in captivity makes for a terrible pet, warns Emily Writes. This post was first published on Emily Writes Weekly.If you’ve got a child who is Minecraft obsessed, chances are they’ve been talking about axolotls lately. A ...7 hours ago
- Is your phone really listening to your conversations? Well, turns out it doesn’t have toSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Dana Rezazadegan, Lecturer, Swinburne University of Technology Shutterstock Have you ever chatted with a friend about buying a certain item and been targeted with an ad for that same item the next day? If so, you may have wondered whether ...8 hours ago
- Leaner, cost-effective, practical: how the 2032 Brisbane Games could save the OlympicsSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kirsten Holmes, Professor, School of Management and Marketing, Curtin University Though the official vote won’t happen until next month, Brisbane has already unofficially been awarded the hosting of the 2032 Summer Olympics. This is potentially a great opportunity for Brisbane, Queensland ...8 hours ago
- COVID vaccination has turned into a ‘battle of the brands’. But not everyone’s buying itSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Katie Attwell, Senior Lecturer, The University of Western Australia Screenshot/MarigoldCustom/Etsy When we were hanging out for a COVID-19 vaccine in 2020, it was a bit like a horse race. We asked ourselves which vaccine would get over the line to ...8 hours ago
- China’s efforts to save its wandering elephants are laudable, but let’s not forget its bloody co...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Bill Laurance, Distinguished Research Professor and Australian Laureate, James Cook University Wild elephants are awe-inspiring — even if they’re trying to kill you, as I discovered in 2004. At the time I was studying how poachers and loggers threaten native mammals ...8 hours ago
- NSW on a slow track to fast trains: promised regional rail upgrades are long overdueSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Philip Laird, Honorary Principal Fellow, University of Wollongong We have seen a succession of reviews, plans and election promises of faster and better train services for regional New South Wales, home to one third of the state’s population, in recent years. Yet ...8 hours ago
- Bring out the popcorn: the best films set to roar into cinemas in the second half of 2021Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Daryl Sparkes, Senior Lecturer (Media Studies and Production), University of Southern Queensland Roadshow Films For cinephiles, one of the greatest blows of the initial COVID lockdown was the closure of cinemas. While we all quickly shifted to the smaller screen in ...8 hours ago
- Live updates, June 21: ‘Up to the people of NZ First’ – Winston Peters on if he will be back i...Welcome to The Spinoff’s live updates for June 21, bringing you the latest news updated throughout the day. Get in touch at stewart@thespinoff.co.nz8.00am: ‘Up to the people of NZ First’ – Winston Peters on if he will be back in 2023Winston Peters has given his first media interview since returning ...8 hours ago
- The people power behind Aotearoa’s delivery machineWith a network that covers Aotearoa in its entirety, it’s no wonder that NZ Post relies on more than 6,000 New Zealanders to keep their delivery machine moving. We met a few of its employees where they work, and discovered there’s more than one way to be a Post person.This ...8 hours ago
- The Bulletin: How adoption laws could changeGood morning and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: How adoption laws could change, Winston Peters returns to the public eye, and family reunifications for migrant workers barely happening.It was a small Friday announcement, but could end up having significant impacts on how the law understands the structure of ...9 hours ago
- NZ First is 'back', but will Winston Peters remain the leader?New Zealand First is set to make a political comeback but Winston Peters hasn't yet confirmed if he'll be sticking around to lead it. ...9 hours ago
- Michael Cullen's last testament
Simon Bridges reviews the new memoir by former deputy prime minister Michael Cullen. In England, the political class sometimes speak of "big beasts" - politicians at the very top such as a Michael Heseltine or a Gordon Brown, who have big names, even bigger brains and a philosophy that drives ...10 hours ago - Global Markets Reset as US Federal Reserve Changes Tack
Business & Investing: The kiwi dollar is hit as the greenback rises after an apparent change of stance on interest rate hikes by the US Federal Reserve ...10 hours ago - He Whenua Taurikura: NZ's Hui On Countering Terrorism & Violent ExtremismA Resounding Success, But Many Key Lessons Learned The Federation of Islamic Associations of New Zealand (FIANZ) has released the preliminary results of a formative evaluation survey on the hui on counterterrorism and extremism. “What is very pleasing is ...10 hours ago
- An Immigration System Fit For The FutureThe Productivity Commission today published an issues paper for its inquiry into New Zealand’s working-age immigration system. “Migrants make a significant contribution to Aotearoa,” says Commission Chair, Ganesh Nana, “But we don’t currently know ...10 hours ago
- A cyberattack lesson from Waikato DHB
The major ransomware attack on Waikato DHB should be a lesson for other New Zealand organisations. Rizwan Asghar has some suggestions on how to protect your systems. Waikato District Health Board still has a “long road ahead” in the restoration of services a month on from the cyberattack that brought ...11 hours ago - Newsroom daily crossword, Monday 21 June
...11 hours ago - Luck no strategy as NZ borders start to reopen
Reopening borders has to be based on more than just luck, warns Sir Brian Roche. ...11 hours ago - Newsroom's daily sudoku, Monday 21 June
...11 hours ago - Newsroom daily quiz, Monday 21 June
Got a good quiz question? Send Newsroom your questions. ...11 hours ago - The hunt for Little Ted’s headIt has been an enduring local mystery for over three decades: where in the world is Little Ted’s head? Hayden Donnell set out to find the truth. In August 2009, Otago Daily Times reporter Ellie Rowley received a strange phone call. The man at the end of the line was clearly ...11 hours ago
- Long read: Why NZ can't decarbonise with just one policy
Decarbonising will be NZ's biggest mission over the next 30 years. Whether we get it right is crucial to our economy and the planet. ...11 hours ago - Renee's self-belief strengthened with Steel
She was a world champion sevens player and a promising basketballer, but Renee Savai'inaea chose to pour her strength and smarts into netball - a decision that's paying off with her move south to the Steel. There’s a multi-coloured chandelier hanging in Renee Savai’inea’s bedroom in the Dunedin flat she moved ...11 hours ago - Whangārei leads councils' revolt against $120bn water expropriation
Fears the first council's withdrawal from the $120b reforms could break open the dam ...11 hours ago - The curious case of the upside-down over-supply labour list
MSD's excess labour list is in stark contrast to reality, say hospitality employers ...11 hours ago - Our soaring space industry
There's so much happening in New Zealand's space industry it's hard to keep up. There's more to it than just Rocket Lab - it's bigger than the wine industry - and it's growing fast. In the last few weeks New Zealand has signed a space treaty over Moon exploration and ...11 hours ago - Winston Peters all fight, no fault
Winston Peters is blaming the Government for a lot, but if he’s serious about his party returning in 2023, he needs to accept some fault too, writes political editor Jo Moir. For all his promises that New Zealand First will be back, Winston Peters hasn’t committed to his own return ...11 hours ago - Winston Peters returns, with the blasts from the pastClose to invisible since the election, the NZ First leader addressed loyal party members yesterday with a catalogue of old classics. On the evening of October 17, 2020, as it became clear the miracle had refused to happen, Winston Peters spoke to New Zealand First supporters then slipped out of the ...16 hours ago
- View from The Hill: Nationals in crisis, with pressure on Michael McCormack’s leadershipSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra The Nationals are in fresh chaos, with Michael McCormack’s leadership under intense pressure, as the party meets on Monday at the start of parliament’s last week before the winter recess. Amid speculation about a possible ...17 hours ago
- Winston Peters steps out of shadows at NZ First AGMNew Zealand First leader Winston Peters has broken his silence, confirming his political comeback. ...23 hours ago
- Mediawatch: Hui over Christchurch terror attacks puts media under the spotlightMEDIAWATCH: By Colin Peacock, RNZ Mediawatch presenter A counter-terrorism hui intended to help heal the wounds inflicted in Christchurch two years ago sparked a walk-out which hit the headlines. The news media were also there to be questioned about their rights and responsibilities after 15 March 2019. When police National ...1 day ago
- 150 new covid cases as NZ and Australia medics prepare for Fiji deploymentBy Lice Movono, RNZ Pacific correspondent in Suva Fiji’s Health Secretary Dr James Fong confirms that the country has recorded 150 new cases in the 24-hour period ending at 8am June 19 as authorities prepare for deployment of a medical team with specialists from Australia and New Zealand. One hundred ...1 day ago
- Winston Peters to step out of shadows at NZ First AGMWinston Peters, the perennial 'comeback kid' of New Zealand politics, is again in the spotlight. ...1 day ago
- Exclusive. Top economists call for budget measures to speed the switch to electric carsSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Martin, Visiting Fellow, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University Elektronik-Zeit/Shutterstock Australia’s top economists overwhelmingly back government measures to speed the transition to electric cars in order to meet emission reduction targets. An exclusive poll of 62 of Australia’s ...1 day ago
- How the ‘voice of the voiceless’ kaupapa became derailed at the Pacific Media CentreReport by Dr David Robie – Café Pacific. – Screenshot from the Pacific Media Centre video The PMC Project by former student project editor Alistar Kata. By DAVID ROBIE, founding director of the Pacific Media Centre It really is ...1 day ago
- Essential Kiwi Legends: Celebrating Aotearoa’s refugees turned essential workersAziz, Maria, Paul, and Najmo are former refugees who’ve spent the past year involved in New Zealand’s Covid-19 response. Elodie Berthe of New Zealand Red Cross introduces us to these Kiwi legends.Aziz Al Sa’afinMost mornings, viewers of Three’s AM Show wake up to journalist Aziz Al Sa’afin talking about anything ...1 day ago
- What history can teach us about the future of gossip Gossip Week: Alex Casey chats to Associate Professor Jennifer Frost, who has spent decades studying the function of gossip from Hedda Hopper to Donald Trump. All week, The Spinoff is taking a look at the role of gossip in Aotearoa’s past, present and future – read more Gossip Week content here.The ...1 day ago
- Newsroom daily crossword, Sunday 20 June
...1 day ago - Newsroom's daily sudoku, Sunday 20 June
...1 day ago - From Middle Earth to Sweet Tooth: Why NZ's a screen fantasyland
Dr Alfio Leotta asks if New Zealand's popularity as a location for international fantasy screen productions is a symptom of an identity crisis or just a testament to the country's magical nature Netflix’s new series Sweet Tooth is the latest in a long line of fantasy films and TV shows shot ...1 day ago - Newsroom daily quiz, Sunday 20 June
Got a good quiz question? Send Newsroom your questions. ...1 day ago - Confessions of a gossip super-spreaderGossip Week: Hospitality is driven by gossip, but, says this anonymous Auckland bar owner, there are strict rules.All week, The Spinoff is taking a look at the role of gossip in Aotearoa’s past, present and future – read more Gossip Week content here.Gossip is the currency of hospitality, isn’t it? ...2 days ago
- The Sunday Essay: Behind the curtainThe Royal Commission of Inquiry into abuse in state care has prompted many to reflect on they way things were. Former child psychologist Lynn Jenner writes on the time a former colleague was convicted of abusing a client.Original illustrations by Wwowly. The Sunday Essay is made possible thanks to the support ...2 days ago
- Drag Race Down Under finale power rankings: We’ve got a winner, babyAfter eight episodes, we’ve finally got Drag Race Down Under’s first drag superstar, and she’s a doozy.We’re here, we’re queer, and we’re honestly quite tired. Even though this season has only been eight episodes, it has felt both so full of drama and like we’re being dragged across the finish ...2 days ago
- Tagata Pasifika Special: Celebrating 50 years of the Polynesian PanthersTagata Pasifika They were the face of a generation growing up in a new land. They were the Polynesian Panthers, young activists fighting against social and racial injustice in Aotearoa New Zealand. Fifty years on, they’re back to share their struggles and triumphs as we look back on their legacy. ...2 days ago
- The man who propelled the Black Caps to the brink of their greatest ever gloryThe New Zealand cricket team’s incredible ascent to the World Test Championship final has been built on the shoulders of the squad led by Brendon McCullum. The Spinoff’s cricket podcast, The Offspin, was glum following a first-day washout, but sun came out in the studio at the chance to speak ...2 days ago
- Keith Rankin Chart Analysis – Covid-19 in June 2021Analysis by Keith Rankin. Russia has more recorded deaths per capita than India. Chart by Keith Rankin. While India’s well-publicised Covid19 outbreak came quickly and is well on its way out, South America continues to show the greatest difficulty in throwing off this disease. Some of the most prominent South ...2 days ago
- The Rort That Is The America’s CupTax and rate payers of Aotearoa have contributed hundreds of millions of dollars over the last two decades on a Cup and a sport that only a small minority of New Zealanders participate in. As accepted by way of interviews and responses, Grant ...2 days ago
- The omens look good for exporters wanting a better deal from FTA with the UK – but not so good for...Trade Minister Damien O’Connor kicked off our day with the cheering news that New Zealand and the UK have committed to accelerating their free trade agreement negotiations with the aim of reaching an agreement in principle this August. This compensated for the news that the first day’s play on the scheduled ...2 days ago
- How Andrei Sakharov went from Soviet hero to dissident — and forced the world to pay attention to ...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Robert Horvath, Senior lecturer, La Trobe University US President Ronald Reagan meeting with Soviet dissident Andrei Sakharov in the Oval Office in 1988. White House Photographic Collection/Wikimedia Commons This piece is part of a new series in collaboration with the ABC’s Saturday ...2 days ago
- New Zealand and UK aim to conclude trade talks in AugustNew Zealand and the UK have committed to accelerating their free trade agreement negotiations with the aim of reaching an agreement in principle this August, Trade Minister Damien O'Connor says. ...2 days ago
- In pictures: Jacinda, Judith and our national show
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, a gaggle of ministers and Labour MPs, National leader Judith Collins and the largest fleet of utility vehicles ever assembled descend on the national agricultural Fieldays at Mystery Creek. So does the fog. They came in their utes and 4WDs in such numbers that by lunchtime ...2 days ago - Short story: The camp, by Elspeth Sandys
"He couldn’t stop. No one hit a woman. No one": a campground story by Wellington writer Elspeth Sandys When Colin arrived at the holiday camp he had his story ready. Colin Lawson, widower, retired, seeking peace and quiet. Former manager of a small Invercargill Tyre Company. Wife died a year ...2 days ago - Amnesty Calls For More On World Refugee DayCaring organisations around Aotearoa New Zealand will be holding fundraisers and community hui this weekend to mark World Refugee Day 2021. As COVID-19 pushed pause on essential global refugee programmes, Amnesty International is calling for a re-prioritisation ...2 days ago
- High Court overturns Stuart Nash’s decision on tarakihi fishing limits
The ruling is being hailed as a win for sustainability that could set a precedent for how the government sets limits on commercial fishing The High Court has found that the former minister of fisheries, Stuart Nash, incorrectly set the catch limit on tarakihi by taking into account industry proposals over ...2 days ago - Newsroom daily quiz, Saturday 19 June
Got a good quiz question? Send Newsroom your questions. ...2 days ago - Newsroom daily crossword, Saturday 19 June
...2 days ago - Basketball helps Suzie Bates' White Ferns comeback
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The best rule of the road we have is "keep left"…………………….
I don't often give Nick Smith any credit but I'll make an exception today having heard him on radio and seen him on two tv channels.
Nick Smith has an amazing ability to make himself look an idiot and today he excelled.
Iranians will shocked! And awed!
Senior American officials told the Times the preliminary options show how threatening Iran has become. A Pentagon source told Newsweek if anything is likely to happen involving the preliminary Iran options, it would involve a heavy guided missile strike campaign in an attempt to lead Tehran to the negotiation table with Washington.
https://www.newsweek.com/trump-administration-iran-military-airstrikes-invasion-1425365
Fucker's going to start a war.
His idiocy knows no bounds.
When are the repugnants going to get their moral compass back and turf the prick out of office. Unfortunately I can't see two faced Myrtle McTurtle doing anything other than try to protect his own fat arse on the Senate bench.
Home before Christmas.
Rumsfeld 7/2/2003
Cheney 16/3/2003
Of course Mango Mussolini will parrot this.
I have just watched some TV reporting that disturbs me. The beginning of The Project on Channel 3. A young female was reporting about Jacinda in Paris. She compared the publicity from that compared to publicity gained from staying at home and dealing with difficulty issues like teachers, Kiwibuild, etc..
At the end, she called those home issues SNAFUS.
Does she have the right to do that?
Does she know that cynical troops in World war 2 soon realised that many of their commanders etc were no more competent than bunch of donkeys, and invented the phrase "Situation Normal All Fucked Up"?
If she is aware, does she understand any of the principles of good journalism?
of course she has the right…and depending on her situation she may well be entirely accurate
If she is in a special project, it isn't a kneejerk reaction to summarise all affairs at home as SNAFU. Anybody with an axe to grind could say that, and in her case she had bettter find out how to grind it right before she starts critiquing the PM.
consider GWS…you were unable to afford your rental, you couldnt buy a house, you lived week to week, the worlds was going to hell in a handcart…then after a decade a bunch of new faces appeared on the scene…and none of that changed
sounds like SNAFU to me
and questioning the right to express it is disturbing
But it has changed. There is a year's free fees. Somebody young who hasn't bothered to find out all the forces against Labour today changing things to how they should be in one year, shouldn't be a journalist. Or perhaps she takes the name jour-nalist at face value – only knowing what happened today. We deserve more from those set to report on NZs national and international issues.
And it is very possible that she is a member of the advantaged class that has always found it easier to go to uni, than the really strapped. Living week to week is how some people have always lived while at uni. Some live like that all the time, not just when they go for years of tertiary learning.
it is possible shes 'advantaged'…its equally possible she is not, or has close relationships with those who are not….in all honesty GWS, 1st year free fees means sweet fa to the vast majority of people…it will be happily accepted by those that were likely to take up tertiary training anyway but does nothing for the vast majority of NEETs or those in minimum wage jobs…thats not to say I dont think tertiary ed shouldnt be essentially free but it dosnt change life for the many….so SNAFU, and everyone has the right to make their own judgement
I doubt it. She probably isn’t old enough to be well schooled. Why are you still watching TV? Terrible quality and high levels of bias, but worse is the twit factor. Stuff seems to have trouble with basic editing…someone should put them onto Grammerly.
Jacinda, the show pony needs to decide if she wants to be PM or some virtue signalling crusader.
People are starting to find her “look at me, look me” shit a bit annoying especially when it's SNAFU central back home.
I thought you'd be use to it BM, we had all those years of Don-Key.
But the real irony is, that the supporter of the party of shit, complaining about the shit lite party.
When it comes to self-promotion Ardern makes Key look like an amateur.
The big difference between the two though is Key was working for NZ, Ardern is working for Ardern.
lol yeah the big difference is la de da da – wormtongue you are rotten and a scared wee birdy
If you think Don-Key was working for NZ, can explain the privatisation of health care by stealth, the under funding of schools, the virtual abandonment of the homeless, the reduction of front line police, weak boarder protection and dragging us into stupid wars?
I could run on for hours, but I'll just say Don-Key was as much a corporate shill as Ardern – and to think other wise is just being a partisan hack. Or a poor sap blindly following "The Ten Rules of Hate"
https://taibbi.substack.com/p/chapter-1-part-ii-the-ten-rules-of
I’d say it is slightly misplaced and misdirected criticism. First, this Government is not a one-person show so when the PM is otherwise or elsewhere engaged it doesn’t mean all Ministers are sitting tiddling their thumbs and all public servants in the Beehive are sitting idle. Second, it is the media that focus the lens, direct the spotlight, and make everything and everybody else disappear into the dark background and go unnoticed.
I lament the modern tendency to accept the neo-liberal view that it impossible for journalists to be unbiased, so they are therefore entitled to insert their personal opinions at any time, à la Paul Holmes. Bring back Lord Reith, I say.
That journalist was quite entitled to raise the home issues, but calling them all snafus turns what should have been a factual, reasonably impartial report into a biased, personal opinion-piece.
Do we want bloody Fox News visited upon us with no argument?
I love that picture..
And news just in: Costco has dropped RoundUp after the cancer court case.
Imagine a RoundUp free NZ one day. First Costco, then the world 🙂
Not good but probably using a report given to her – she would't have a clue of it's history, I shouldn't imagine and probably doesn't understand what she's talking about anyway. A bit rich moaning about publicity from a journo – her stock in trade I would have said
Anyone seen this tit bit coming out of the sandpit? Doesn’t look good for someone atm. As I’ve stated many times it time for the GoD to pull the troops out of the sandpit before the Yanks well in truely screw the sandpit up.
I think the odds for an US strike on Iran now have shortened to almost even money.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/world/middle-east/112754887/us-state-department-orders-all-nonemergency-government-staff-in-iraq-to-leave
What about impeaching Trump? Has anyone got enough dirt to stick on him and let us Make the Free World Great Again?
There is more than enough dirt to bury him for good – but the problem is the two faced Mitch McConnell and his cohorts man the Senate. McConnell has absolutely no moral compass whatsoever – his only motivation is to protect his place as majority leader of the Senate. So Impeaching Trump just aint going to happen.
Michael Laws still stinking the place up – get used to it wanker or piss off (my preferred option).
Utter disgusting pricks – look at the photos of these arseholes – they are the enemy.
Evil pricks, I reckon.
A bill making it a crime to falsely accuse someone of a sexual crime was first read in the Alabama House of Representatives last week.
The bill, introduced by Rep. Dickie Drake, R-Leeds, would make falsely reporting a sex crime a Class C felony and punishable by up to 10 years in prison. If the accused is found not guilty, the accuser would be responsible for paying the accused person’s legal expenses.
It is already illegal to make a false police report in Alabama.
https://www.al.com/politics/2019/05/alabama-bill-would-criminalize-false-rape-accusations.html
https://tttthreads.com/thread/1128396620964540416.html
GWS @7.1, this new update here at The Standard won’t let me reply while using my iPad.
This Iran dick/ Willy waving by dump is to distract the people from that report, which will also appeal to bible bashing base that he is prepared to what every other POTUS hasn’t done and should’ve done after 1979 Op Eagle Claw cock up etc that old USA has the biggest dick/ Willy and f**k Iran, while putting Russia and China on notice that we still good at Willy waving so watch out.
While given Bibi a free hand in his part of the sandpit.
The unknown factor is that Iran, China and Russia do have some sort of alliance, but how deep that goes is unknown and awful big question? The other factor is Nth Korea which has supported Iran in the pass with sanctions busting from either and the Nth backing from Russia and China needs to be look at.
Worst case scenario is that to dilute US firepower in Iran and divide it would be for Russia, China and possibly Nth Korea to a move somewhere within its own sphere IOT blunt US response to Iran and US support to its allies (Europe, The Sandpit and the Asia Pacific region)as they know from the last decade that the US can’t fight a two front war (Iraq and the Gan). They don’t need to the nuclear/ WMD’s to achieve this objective and let the US pull the trigger on this and there by they can take the high moral ground and say hey the Yankies started all this Willy waving not us.
No nation as ever manage to succeed in warfare when they are fighting two or more operational fronts or wars at the same time in the history of warfare as they eventually end up losing in the long term in form or another.
"But what happens when the voluntary measures run out and the warming is not seen to slow because greenhouse gases are so long-lasting? Really addressing climate and biodiversity collapse means rationing carbon. It means no more free ride for extractive industries such as mining, palm oil and forestry companies who profit from environmental destruction. It means heavy penalties for polluters, the axing of food and aviation subsidies, and taking a torch to vested interests. It means addressing the indirect causes of the crisis, such as population growth and consumerism, even rethinking the whole idea of progress and wealth."
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/may/15/climate-change-politics-environmental-crisis-government